Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Brand a brander
As logo designers, it's a well stated idiom that the hardest brand to do is the brand you do for yourself. Some designers model their business around a logo, and others have spent decades trying to find that mark that's just perfect to represent their brand (some still aren't 100% happy with that they have).
As an experiment, I thought it would be interesting to see how other logo designers think we should/could brand outselves. Obviously this is a bit of fun and the designers were given a limited brief, but the results speak for themself.
Here's the questions each designer got.
1. What name should be in the logo?
2. Is there a tagline that should be used?
3. Pick 4 words that explain what you want to portray int he logo.
4. Any specific colors?
5. Target market?
6. Any specific things that need to be included?
You can see the results below, but a very special thankyou to (in order of response);
1981 Redesigned by Stephen Olmstead, Sonata Creative
Jared Lunde Redesigned by Fabian Marchinko, Brandsimplicity
Neil T. McDonald Redesigned by Nathan Sarlow, CobaltCow
Brandsimplicity Redesigned by Josiah Jost, Siah Design
Yossi Belkin Redesigned by Gareth Hardy, Down With Design
eGrace Creative Redesigned by Trish Schaefer, Contemporary Native
Little Box of Ideas Redesigned by Brandon Cox, eGrace Creative
Down With Design Redesigned by Joshua Geiger, 1981
CobaltCow Redesigned by Yossi Belkin, Yossi Graphic Design
OcularInk Redesigned by Jared Lunde
Contemporary Native Redesigned by Sneh Roy, Little Box of Ideas
Sonata Creative Redesigned by Kevin Burr, Ocular Ink
Siah Design Redesigned by Neil T. McDonald, NTM Design
As an experiment, I thought it would be interesting to see how other logo designers think we should/could brand outselves. Obviously this is a bit of fun and the designers were given a limited brief, but the results speak for themself.
Here's the questions each designer got.
1. What name should be in the logo?
2. Is there a tagline that should be used?
3. Pick 4 words that explain what you want to portray int he logo.
4. Any specific colors?
5. Target market?
6. Any specific things that need to be included?
You can see the results below, but a very special thankyou to (in order of response);
- Josiah Jost
- Stephen Olmstead
- Trish Schaefer
- Fabian Marchinko
- Brandon Cox
- Sneh Roy
- Gareth Hardy
- Yossi Belkin
- Joshua W. Geiger
- Neil T. McDonald
- Kevin Burr
1981 Redesigned by Stephen Olmstead, Sonata Creative
I really enjoyed getting the chance to mock up a rebrand of Joshua Geiger's wonderful '1981' logotype. The most difficult part of this process was to be succinct, polished, and thorough while still containing the essence of Joshua's brand (check out Joshua's own logo write up here). Joshua indicated that his logotype should convey a modern, clean, simple and experienced look. To achieve this, I decided to blend the numbers of 1981 in a stylized way which, while still readable, creates a unique new glyph all on its own that is characterized by gently curving lines and a sleek, polished new surface. I did depart from Joshua's original style bit, including the addition of color, which I felt added a bit more punch against the dark background.
Answers
1. 1981
2. not needed, but if the designer has an idea, throw it on in there!
3. Modern, Clean, Simplicity, Experienced
4. I have chosen to stay in the greyscale area, but this is totally up to the designer here.
5. Small - Med size companies looking for a new logo or re-brand.
6. "1", "9", "8", "1"
Jared Lunde Redesigned by Fabian Marchinko, Brandsimplicity
The icon is made up of the J, A and the L, the overall shape is one of starman moving forward. I personally enjoy Jared's wit and ability to come up with a one line comeback to any comment throw at him, thus the reasoning behind using simple lines. Also this provides a view point of his ability to create simple solutions to complex problems. See the sketching process here.
Answers
1. "Lunde" or "Jared Lunde"
2. Not unless you want to lose a client. (not a tagline, I mean just don't use one)
3. Smart, Professional, Motivated, and Downright Sexy.
4. Nothing bright... Nothing on the K scale.
5. Needs to have a fairly universal appeal, but with a slight emphasis put on more corporate clients.
6. I really prefer my initials JAL, but I'd be open to a mark of a different direction. Obviously I have nothing against the abstract.
Neil T. McDonald Redesigned by Nathan Sarlow, CobaltCow
Neil's current brand is very geometrical and I wanted to keep the strength and hardness of the edges while bringing in some design flow. I started right off the bat trying to work out a fluid way of merging the letters into a distinct mark. Looking at it now some of the gaps could probably use some tweaking, but it was a lot of fun!
Answers
1. NTM Design / NTM (Whatever works best for the designer)
2. Nope.
3. Solid. Cut. Rock. Iconic. *maybe beard
4. Nope.
5. Young, trendy, hip wannabes. 20 - 40
6. Would like an icon accessible for avatar / buttons / sticker / etc
Brandsimplicity Redesigned by Josiah Jost, Siah Design
Fabian is a really talented logo designer and I was excited to find out he was the guy I was to brand.
The mark forms a simplified "B" and "S" for brand simplicity. It also forms an abstract butterfly. I liked the idea of a butterfly as it portrayed visually pleasing. I'm pretty sure the mark is unique but considering I didn't have a lot of time to work on it I didn't take the time to do the research. :)
For the type I used Avenir 35 Light and removed the dots of the "i" to subtly give the type more simplicity.
Answers
1.Brandsimplicity
2.No
3.Simple,clean,professional,stylish
4.No, I want you to have total creative freedom
5.Start-ups and medium size business
6.No, as long as you capture my style of designing. Which is less is more.
Yossi Belkin Redesigned by Gareth Hardy, Down With Design
Seen as Yossi is an established designer I felt it was important to reflect a slight resemblance to his existing logo so that his clients will still recognise his brand. I chose to achieve this by recreating a custom typeface whilst using the existing brand colours. I hope I have created a fun, retro & artsy solution as required in the brief.
Answers
1. Yossi - My name its a nickname for Joseph.
2. Nope
3. Retro. Young. Artsy. Out there very 1970's
4. I like browns but not tied to anything.
5. Anyone that i can get. . :) Most of my cliental is Jewish but the logo should not reflect on that.
6. Not really...
eGrace Creative Redesigned by Trish Schaefer, Contemporary Native
My initial reaction upon first viewing the eGrace Creative logo was that the logo was both too long and had too many conflicting fonts: the emblem, eGrace & Creative. So those were the first two problems I sought to correct. I then read thru the brief 'brief' and delved into the links provided by Brandon. What struck me immediately was that eGrace was named for his daughter, yet there was little graceful about the design. I looked thru and found a beautiful photo of his daughter and immediately thought of incorporating her face into the logo. The warm pink color I chose matched her shirt in the photo, but I think I would change it to green to match her eyes instead.
I hope he likes the new logo, but, if nothing else, Brandon has a simple drawing of his daughter to enjoy.
Answers
1. eGrace Creative
2. No tagline necessary.
3. Hard to do in 4 words - my daughter is Ella Grace and her creativity inspired the name for my business, so I'd say: creative, artistic, clean, simple.
4. Just redesigned site and have stuck with #2d3939 and #998800.
5. Businesses and nonprofits, churches, ministries, etc.
6. Nothing specific to include. Open on shape, symbolism, etc.
Little Box of Ideas Redesigned by Brandon Cox, eGrace Creative
As I looked at the existing Little Box of Ideas logo, I was struck by the impact of the exclamation point as the "i" in ideas. It does tend to represent a bit of an epiphany, that climactic moment when the kind of inspiration hits us that takes us to the completion of a creative project.
I added some other elements to the thought process behind the logo as well. For example, the brighter color on the box from which the idea comes signifies that great ideas stand out from the crowd. Creativity springs from critical, original thinking. It further symbolizes that the best ideas absolutely have to break out of the box and be heard. They demand an audience. I also wanted the box from which the creative idea comes to be the smallest, not only to represent the "little box" but to send the message that often the most creative ideas come from the most unexpected sources.
Answers
1. Little Box Of Ideas
2. I wouldn’t use a tagline for mine. My logo name is as big as a tagline ..lol.
3. Creative Fun Ideas Casual
4. I went with green because “green” is the new “black” isn’t it? Also because I wanted “green” to symbolize “go”, “viability and sustainability”, “energy”.
5. Anyone who appreciates a good thought process and the creativity, imagination and ideas emerging as a result.
6. The exclamation mark in my logo symbolizes a “Eureka” moment and is also an “I” upside down. I wanted the logo to be simple with strong, classic fonts and a big enough thought cloud to play around with future logo marks in it.
Down With Design Redesigned by Joshua Geiger, 1981
Because we were re-branding another designer, I figured I would re-design "Down with Design" instead of the requested "Gareth Hardy". I just figured it would be nicer to see a different take on the same concept instead of a totally different concept all-together. I wanted to use a bold, memorable mark that was relevant to the idea of simple, clean design. I created a stylized "D", laid it "down" on it's side, and literally went "down with the design". The vertical lines could represent the 3d structure of the "D" or double as runs in paint.
Answers
1. Gareth Hardy
2. Nope
3. Professional, illustrator, clever, modern
4. Nope, complete creative freedom
5. Corporate Start-ups and small to mid sized established businesses
6. Nope, complete freedom :)
CobaltCow Redesigned by Yossi Belkin, Yossi Graphic Design
No description provided
Answers
1. CobaltCow or Cobalt Cow
2. I am currently using 'Brand Development' but whatever works. Since the name is vague it probably needs something to explain it a little.
3. Clean, Modern, Simple, Memorable (as in easy to remember)
4. 'Cobalt' is blue, bit nothing specific. I tend to go with lighter colors, but again whatever works.
5. Ideal client is 30-45 person starting a new business or taking their existing business to a professional brand. I tent to market to the middle-upper market, and not the budget seekers.
6. I guess a cow (of some kind) would be the obvious inclusion.
OcularInk Redesigned by Jared Lunde
Kevin wanted a simple, professional and unique logo so that's what I tried to deliver. The mark is a combination of glasses, an ink droplet and a face. For the type I used a modified Girard Slab serif which I think matches the mark pretty well and also is a bit unique on it's own. I stuck with a similar color palette to the one that he uses because let's face it, real men wear pink.
Answers
1. Ocular Ink or ocular ink
2. No
3. professional, simple, and unique, memorable
4. No
5. Business professionals ages 18 - 45, Entrepreneurs
6. No
Contemporary Native Redesigned by Sneh Roy, Little Box of Ideas
Working on the existing logo, I decided to take the Medicinal Wheel from there and making it into a powerful mark that was modern yet adhered to the Lakota principles and beliefs. The Medicinal Wheel is a deeply philosophical symbol with many beliefs hidden in the way it is conceived. Above all it is a symbol of complete balance, perfection and wholeness that forms the core of our consciousness. A symbol of extreme power. I made it 3D to give it depth and strength. I used the 4 colors traditionally used in the Wheel that also depict the four directions … white, yellow, red and black. I separated the mark and the type so they could be used mutually or exclusively as desired. The type I chose was “Belizio”. It is a modern, traditional typeface that is very strong and performs well in smaller sizes too. I made the word “Native” the focus of attention, tying the weight of the type to the weight of the wheel. Option 1 Option 2.
Answers
1. Contemporary Native
2. No
3. NDN, Life, Modern, Simple
4. Not really
5. Business Owners (traditional, moderate, thinkers)
6. Something specific to Lakota
Sonata Creative Redesigned by Kevin Burr, Ocular Ink
Sonata Creative isn't just a graphic design firm, they do it all! Everything from Print and Web design to Video. The new logo for Sonata Creative is sleek, creative, consistent, and symmetrical. The mark incorporates a hidden letter 'S' built from four shapes. These four shapes evoke the different avenues of design Sonata Creative offers.
Answers
tba
Siah Design Redesigned by Neil T. McDonald, NTM Design
Being very aware of Josiah's own logo and how effective it works at describing his work and personality, I decided to approach this project as a more personal mark for Josiah. Im aware that Josiah is a very spiritual chap and also very musical - recently having been gifted a stand up base. This was something I wanted to include within the logo. Deciding on a typographic logo as the name 'Siah' is very memorable and choosing to omit 'design' (my bad) for this reason. So I created an 'S' that would purposely evoke the spiritual side of Josiah along with the musical side - the 'S' also being representational of the F-hole that is found upon a stand up base. So creating a ligature connecting the 'S' (spirit/music) to the small 'i' which in itself represents Josiah (the 'i' being oneself) this hopefully creates a sense of purpose and is reflective of Josiah's character. I also chose to keep the mark quite organic looking as Josiah had asked for organic colours, but as this is a typographic mark I did not feel colour was needed.
Answers
1. Siah Design
2. no
3. Creativity
4. Organic colors
5. Companies that need to be branded/rebranded.
6. Open to ideas :)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Back where it all started
As brand designers, our goal is generally to produce a 'timeless' logo. One that will still be impressive in 6 months, 6 years and hopefully 60 years. The 'art' of logo design is not so much in the design itself, but the idea behind the design. Some of the best logos are technically quite easy to produce.
Its natural that all good brand designers will have evolved their techniques over time, and will no doubt continue to evolve them... but where did it all begin?
I've asked a number of prominent online brand designers to send me their first paid logo and a short description of the project. I made it the first paid logo because I thought it would be a good defining point in our careers.
Note: I was actually expecting the quality of these to be much lower than they were. As you can see, my first logo at the end isnt even in the same ballpark as the rest of these marks.
A special thanks to those that responded to my request for inclusions.
Its natural that all good brand designers will have evolved their techniques over time, and will no doubt continue to evolve them... but where did it all begin?
I've asked a number of prominent online brand designers to send me their first paid logo and a short description of the project. I made it the first paid logo because I thought it would be a good defining point in our careers.
Note: I was actually expecting the quality of these to be much lower than they were. As you can see, my first logo at the end isnt even in the same ballpark as the rest of these marks.
A special thanks to those that responded to my request for inclusions.
Boat Leash by Sean Farrell / Penflare
This was for a boat leash (gps tracking) company.
Cashin Printing Services by Sean O'Grady / Fogra
It was for a local printing company that I worked with to gain some experience after I had left college waaay back in 1994. I can't remember how much I got paid but I was so happy to have created a real logo for a real company. It was still in use until last year when they updated it. You always remember your first no matter what ;)
Crunch Catering by Lawrence Anderson
This was for a friend's friend's company. got $50. It was also the first one to get into the LP gallery.
I would definitely change the typography if I could go back to it.
See Evil by Gareth Hardy / Down With Design
I did this intially as a University project. About a year later some snowboarders/skateboarders asked me if they could use it and said that they were willing to pay.
Being young and naive I snatched the £50 note of their hands thinking I was a millionaire :) It got printed on t-shirts and stickers but unfortunately is no longer in use. I still love it though, and wouldn't change it for the world :)
Southwest Realty by Jared Lunde
A family member knew a guy who wanted to help a poor college student make some money. As you can see it uses the beautiful Helvetica type face, as I had no others and was in no way a typographer. It was designed in Macromedia Fireworks of all places. I wish I could redo it because I love the concept (4 corners and all) :)
ohive by Josiah Jost / Siah Design
It was for a domain name selling site. I did over 100 logos for them, and that was the first one I did for them - it was the one that got me the job. The client has the logo for sale here.
Zogozizd Komerc by Bojan Stefanovic / Logoholik
Zogozizd - Logo for family run print house located in Belgrade, Serbia (one of my first paying clients for everything graphic design/prepress related, name derived from family members first names: ZOran, GOran, ZIvka and ZDravko... yeah i know :)...)
Year: 1994
Software used: CorelDRAW! 5
Price: 200 DEM (those are Deutsche marks :)
EUMA by Jeff Fisher / LogoMotives
While I did a few logo-like designs in junior high and high school, the identity design for the Eugene University Music Association was my first professional logo commission. I was a design and journalism student at the University of Oregon at the time. Created in 1978 or 1979, the design was produced using a traditional drafting compass, straight edge, ruling pen, paint brush and India ink. The design does have the "clunkiness," and geometric elements, of many images created in the 1970's and early 1980's.
Powerlite Industries by Leighton Hubbell
In case you didn't know, I got started in the pre-computer days. I don't have the first paid logo, but this dates back to my first full-time design job which was working in-house for a bicycle manufacturer. It's the original inked artwork for Powerlite bicycles' redesigned logo back in 1988.
This is an interim piece of artwork as the original version was inked on board in two pieces much larger than this and shrunk down. I can't seem to locate it at the moment, but I still have it. The logo redesign came after the acquisition of Powerlite by GT Bicycles and an evolutionary version of this design is still used today. When computers came along, it had to be redrawn in Illustrator '88. Goin' old school!
Sixpack Singles by Robert McKenna / Clashmore
I'm not exactly sure which logo was my first paying project, but this one was around that time. It was for a "fitness dating" website.
My Best Mate by Nathan Sarlow / CobaltCow
This was for a business my old neighbour was involved in. It was a pet supplies network. Suppliers pay to be part of the program, members pay to get the rewards and the owners sit in the middle and make all the money. I designed the logo and built the website. The site was live for 12 months (with the dummy text). With no members (suppliers or buyers), the hosting was not renewed and it drifted into obscurity until last month when I was able to dig it up with the help from archive.org.
From memory I was paid $400 for the logo & website. It was drawn with pencil, scanned and colored in Paint Shop Pro.
Year: approx 1994
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How does someone find a reputable designer?
After listening to a debate 'Is spec work evil?' (from SXSWi 09) a few weeks ago and one of the questions raised (and not really answered), was [paraphrased] 'How does someone looking for logo design services find a reputable designer without resorting to spec work competitions and the like'?
It's been playing on my mind since hearing that, and made me start to empathize with people who use the 'competition' model for sourcing graphic work. I mean, if you don't know a designer, and have limited contacts to find one, then where do you go?
Experiment: Role play a person looking for a new logo.
Since nobody wants to look stupid when researching an unknown field, the internet is the first obvious choice for research...
Method: Google knows all. Search 'Logo Designer Detroit' (12,900,000 results).
Findings: The 3 Adword results at the top of the page have portfolios with work not much better than the quality you would find on say 99designs, and none of the 3 look like they're actually in Detroit.
Of the 3 'google' provided options with the map, the first is a dog-ugly site playing terrible music & must have hired Yoda to write their copy. The second is a broken link. And the third doesn't even offer logo design services.
Of the first 10 organic results (the first page), we get 4 actual logo design studios, 3 directory listings (of which very few had links to websites), 1 web design (no logos) studio, and a handful of random article and job posting pages.
Of the 4 that provided logo design services, the quality is significantly poor with the exception of maybe 1, but the website isn't very helpful and seems to promote a list of printers more than his own work.
I had to go through 3 pages of results before I found a Detroit (or Metro) based Logo designer with a website that had details about the service & a portfolio that looked like it was actually designed by a professional designer (thankyou Mr Kaufman for putting me out of my misery).
Experiment Result
Without knowing where to look, you are likely to get bombarded by '$50 logo' sites well before you hit anybody with decent skills. With this kind of result, if you're looking for the most cost effective way to brand your business, and not knowing any better - spending $100 on a competition seems like a logical solution.
So how do we combat this?
To be honest, I dont thik I have an answer. Maybe some kind of 'logo designer directory' where clients could post their work and a review would be a solution, but then again it's open to abuse by both designers and a disgruntled client.
I'd love to know your thoughts and or solutions. Maybe together we can come up with a solution that will stand a combined chance against the weight of the poor competition.
It's been playing on my mind since hearing that, and made me start to empathize with people who use the 'competition' model for sourcing graphic work. I mean, if you don't know a designer, and have limited contacts to find one, then where do you go?
Experiment: Role play a person looking for a new logo.
Since nobody wants to look stupid when researching an unknown field, the internet is the first obvious choice for research...
Method: Google knows all. Search 'Logo Designer Detroit' (12,900,000 results).
Findings: The 3 Adword results at the top of the page have portfolios with work not much better than the quality you would find on say 99designs, and none of the 3 look like they're actually in Detroit.
Of the 3 'google' provided options with the map, the first is a dog-ugly site playing terrible music & must have hired Yoda to write their copy. The second is a broken link. And the third doesn't even offer logo design services.
Of the first 10 organic results (the first page), we get 4 actual logo design studios, 3 directory listings (of which very few had links to websites), 1 web design (no logos) studio, and a handful of random article and job posting pages.
Of the 4 that provided logo design services, the quality is significantly poor with the exception of maybe 1, but the website isn't very helpful and seems to promote a list of printers more than his own work.
I had to go through 3 pages of results before I found a Detroit (or Metro) based Logo designer with a website that had details about the service & a portfolio that looked like it was actually designed by a professional designer (thankyou Mr Kaufman for putting me out of my misery).
Experiment Result
Without knowing where to look, you are likely to get bombarded by '$50 logo' sites well before you hit anybody with decent skills. With this kind of result, if you're looking for the most cost effective way to brand your business, and not knowing any better - spending $100 on a competition seems like a logical solution.
So how do we combat this?
To be honest, I dont thik I have an answer. Maybe some kind of 'logo designer directory' where clients could post their work and a review would be a solution, but then again it's open to abuse by both designers and a disgruntled client.
I'd love to know your thoughts and or solutions. Maybe together we can come up with a solution that will stand a combined chance against the weight of the poor competition.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
3 things to make your website pop
I thought for this article I'd take a jump over to my web design roots and share some of my experience in what can make the difference between an okay website and one that will blow your clients (and not-yet clients) away.
The 3 areas below I think are crucial to the initial 'pop' of your website, as well as the positive experience of your viewers. If you're going to spend decent money on your site, you'll want to make sure these areas are covered.
1. A professional WEB designer / not a print designer
Unfortunately for those that don't know, not all designers have skills that can span all kinds of media, in fact, of the dozens of designers I know personally, very few are great at both print and web design. Each is a very specialized art, requiring finesse and refinement in order to produce something appealing and more importantly appropriate.
The biggest difference a web designer needs is a solid understanding of UID, or User Interface Design (or the understanding Usability). It's key when designing anything to understand how it will be used, and by who. Web-specific designers will generally have a better understanding of the flow, placement and prominentcy of elements to gain a desired result. Where a print designer needs to think of a single static page and how to draw the user to a single action, a web designer needs to usually draw the user to the many options available, without letting the visitor feel that they are in unfamiliar territory.
We have all been to websites where we have no idea what we're expected to click on, or find ourselves clicking the back button to get us out of an area we didn't intend to visit. This is an example of poor UID.
Although print designers can often produce very eye-catching designs, they often don't take into consideration the way elements will interact, speed of browsing and guiding the user through an experience.
The other significant difference is in load time. I learned my web design skills in an era of dial-up internet, so every byte was crucial. Things like short naming conventions which may seem trivial now, saved kilobytes (and seconds) throughout the site. The heaviest piece on loading any website will be the graphics & flash (and audio). Understanding how to utilize graphics to get a great visual with minimal file size is a skill which takes years to learn.
Although the prevalence of broadband would assume to negate the load time, the difference between a site that loads in 3 seconds as opposed to 6 may be the difference between a user browsing what you have to offer or having time to open a competitors website.
Added Note: Web developers (or coders) are generally not very good at designing great websites. They tend to think in terms of development time and not visual aesthetics or usability. Most great web designers work in partnership with a developer to allow each to do what they do best.
2. A professional logo
Unfortunately too many companies (large and small) still pay little or no regard to their logo. They feel as long as they do the 'business' side of things right it will all work out, and while this strategy may have been a hit 30 years ago - the younger generations are a LOT more visually oriented, so you may be missing out on a whole sector of the market.
A logo says a lot about a company without you having to even know anything about them. Take the examples to the right, one has a cheap logo and one has invested in a professional. Now if you can't tell which one is which, then you definitely shouldn't be making any branding decisions for your company (thanks to Penflare for allowing me to use his great Juiced logo as a sample).
Not only does a professional logo set your business into your desired market, but it automatically gives a potential customer a frame of reference for your level of quality and attention to detail. It also helps to define your 'brand' to your existing customers.
Note: A professional logo should NEVER be obtained through an online competition. These competitions are generally for design novices, who know little about branding and about market perception of a brand. The few hundred dollars you spend on a competition may 'improve' what you have, but chances are, that it will fall far short of a brand that you will want to base your company on.
3. Professional photography
One of the places a lot of small and medium sized businesses seldom want to invest money is on professional photography. In the modern era of point and shoot digital cameras, business owners feel that they are more than capable of taking photos that will be 'fine' - and at best, that's about the best it ever is - fine.
If you are in any kind of retail business, I would say pro photography is essential in properly showcasing your wares. Have you ever been to one of those take-away noodle or hamburger stores with really old and crappy looking photos? Doesn't look very appealing does it?
Compare the product photography on these sites:
1. Noodles & Company or Applebees
2. Buckhorn Grill or The Y Steakhouse
Even a mediocre product can be made to look a million bucks with some sweet photography.
I tried to find places of equivalent dining cost, to keep the playing field fair, but understand that the good sites I chose obviously have a far greater budget than the other 2. Finding a pro photographer doesn't need to cost a fortune, and you should be able to find a decent photographer for less than $500 for a shoot.
The conclusion
With these 3 aspects covered, you're almost guaranteed to get a great looking website that your customers will love and will win over your not-yet customers.
Please feel free to add any additional hints in the comments.
The 3 areas below I think are crucial to the initial 'pop' of your website, as well as the positive experience of your viewers. If you're going to spend decent money on your site, you'll want to make sure these areas are covered.
1. A professional WEB designer / not a print designer
Unfortunately for those that don't know, not all designers have skills that can span all kinds of media, in fact, of the dozens of designers I know personally, very few are great at both print and web design. Each is a very specialized art, requiring finesse and refinement in order to produce something appealing and more importantly appropriate.
The biggest difference a web designer needs is a solid understanding of UID, or User Interface Design (or the understanding Usability). It's key when designing anything to understand how it will be used, and by who. Web-specific designers will generally have a better understanding of the flow, placement and prominentcy of elements to gain a desired result. Where a print designer needs to think of a single static page and how to draw the user to a single action, a web designer needs to usually draw the user to the many options available, without letting the visitor feel that they are in unfamiliar territory.
We have all been to websites where we have no idea what we're expected to click on, or find ourselves clicking the back button to get us out of an area we didn't intend to visit. This is an example of poor UID.
Although print designers can often produce very eye-catching designs, they often don't take into consideration the way elements will interact, speed of browsing and guiding the user through an experience.
The other significant difference is in load time. I learned my web design skills in an era of dial-up internet, so every byte was crucial. Things like short naming conventions which may seem trivial now, saved kilobytes (and seconds) throughout the site. The heaviest piece on loading any website will be the graphics & flash (and audio). Understanding how to utilize graphics to get a great visual with minimal file size is a skill which takes years to learn.
Although the prevalence of broadband would assume to negate the load time, the difference between a site that loads in 3 seconds as opposed to 6 may be the difference between a user browsing what you have to offer or having time to open a competitors website.
Added Note: Web developers (or coders) are generally not very good at designing great websites. They tend to think in terms of development time and not visual aesthetics or usability. Most great web designers work in partnership with a developer to allow each to do what they do best.
2. A professional logo
Unfortunately too many companies (large and small) still pay little or no regard to their logo. They feel as long as they do the 'business' side of things right it will all work out, and while this strategy may have been a hit 30 years ago - the younger generations are a LOT more visually oriented, so you may be missing out on a whole sector of the market.A logo says a lot about a company without you having to even know anything about them. Take the examples to the right, one has a cheap logo and one has invested in a professional. Now if you can't tell which one is which, then you definitely shouldn't be making any branding decisions for your company (thanks to Penflare for allowing me to use his great Juiced logo as a sample).
Not only does a professional logo set your business into your desired market, but it automatically gives a potential customer a frame of reference for your level of quality and attention to detail. It also helps to define your 'brand' to your existing customers.
Note: A professional logo should NEVER be obtained through an online competition. These competitions are generally for design novices, who know little about branding and about market perception of a brand. The few hundred dollars you spend on a competition may 'improve' what you have, but chances are, that it will fall far short of a brand that you will want to base your company on.
3. Professional photography
One of the places a lot of small and medium sized businesses seldom want to invest money is on professional photography. In the modern era of point and shoot digital cameras, business owners feel that they are more than capable of taking photos that will be 'fine' - and at best, that's about the best it ever is - fine.
If you are in any kind of retail business, I would say pro photography is essential in properly showcasing your wares. Have you ever been to one of those take-away noodle or hamburger stores with really old and crappy looking photos? Doesn't look very appealing does it?
Compare the product photography on these sites:
1. Noodles & Company or Applebees
2. Buckhorn Grill or The Y Steakhouse
Even a mediocre product can be made to look a million bucks with some sweet photography.
I tried to find places of equivalent dining cost, to keep the playing field fair, but understand that the good sites I chose obviously have a far greater budget than the other 2. Finding a pro photographer doesn't need to cost a fortune, and you should be able to find a decent photographer for less than $500 for a shoot.
The conclusion
With these 3 aspects covered, you're almost guaranteed to get a great looking website that your customers will love and will win over your not-yet customers.
Please feel free to add any additional hints in the comments.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
4 ways from brief to idea
So you've made the sale, received your deposit and the client has sent you their brief (or you've created one based on questions you've asked). What you do next will make or break you as a designer.
Every designer will have their own ways if finding 'inspiration'. Some are similar to the methods I mention below, but they are varied as much as the designs they create.
The list I've compiled here is a combination of personal experience, as well as some tricks I learned from seasoned creatives in the advertising industry.
1. Just Start
Although this is has probably the lowest success rate, some people come up with ideas on the fly. This method is as simple as it sounds. Fire up your design program and just start. You could try starting with type styles or creating the current logo. I find myself doing this if I get lazy, but the results are nearly always sub-standard. By starting with fonts, you usually limit your creativity, and end up using text as-is.
2. Box Method
Draw up a grid of 16 squares on a page (a quick way is to fold it in half 3 times) and get a pen ready. Now, close your eyes and picture a black square getting bigger and bigger until you can't see the edge any more. Now open your eyes and draw/write really quickly the first idea that comes into your head into the first square. It may be an idea of a letter variant within the logo, it may be an image of a hat, it may be a pickle - anything you can think of that vaguely relates to the brand or the name. Even if it doesn't relate, just sketch it quick and move on. This isn't a drawing exercise, its a quickfire idea generator.
Don't spend any more than 20 seconds. Now move onto the next square and the next square. Don't stop until you have filled both sides (or 32 boxes). The more the better. See if you can keep going for 30 minutes - and don't look back. If you average around 30 seconds each - you have 60 ideas.
Now go back and circle 5 or so you think have some serious value, and try to expand on them a bit more. I have a friend that makes a full page of expansion ideas for each of the 5 original ideas. If none of them work out, either go back and pick a few different ones, or do a completely new sheet.
3. Brainstorm
Similar to the box method, but here you're going to be writing a lot more than drawing. There are lots of ways to brainstorm, so I'll just share how I go about it.
Start by writing the business name in the center of the page and draw a circle around it. Then write a list of the businesses core values, circle them, and attach each one to the name. Next, write any aspects that the client would like to portray. Maybe it's 3 different departments of the business, maybe it's that they're eco-friendly or that they want to include some humor in the brand. Next, write a list of images that come to mind when you think of the business, or what the business wants people to think about them (try to stick to physical things). Next, write a list of adjectives that describe the company, then things that rhyme, and things that sound like the business name.
Now go and start circling with colored pencils or markers. Green = Must have, Blue = Would be good, Orange = Maybe.
Next try graphical thinking. Try to think of pictures that 'represent' some aspect of the company the company without using any words. Don't try to create the logo, just think of images that represent some aspect of what you're trying to convey. Once you've exhausted your first list, see if you can combine them to form 1 image or see if another image can represent a combination of them.
It may be good to stop after you've written all of your words and try the box method (above) instead of moving right onto the graphic thinking.
4. Drown
When I was doing my advertising training a lecturer told a story of a famous (but I was unable to find him online again to reference this article) Japanese advertising creative goes down to his swimming pool and sinks himself to the bottom. With his waterproof board and pen, he stays down there until he comes up with an idea. His theory is that the brain makes remarkably impressive and intuitive calculations when it goes into panic mode. I'm guessing it works because he's apparently one of the best.
I'll add more details on that if I can find them, and please feel free to help me out if you can. :)
Some things that will help
1. Always carry and notebook and pen with you, and keep one by your bed. Awesome ideas often come to you in the strangest places at the strangest times, so be ready to note them, even if you're not sure if its any good (remembering for later works 0.0001% of the time). I just got my first Molskine and I wonder why I never got one before - it's brilliant!
2. Try dedicating an hour when you first wake up each morning to be creative. Studies have shown that this is when most designers are most creative. Mostly due to the fact that the mind is fresh and uncluttered. Try fitting it in before breakfast (coffee may be needed though).
3. I can't verify this (and if someone out there can add some technical information it would be appreciated here) I've been told that moving water apparently releases positive ions into the air which stimulate brain activity. This should mean that sitting by a flowing river, or even in a running bath should all help your brain to do a bit of creative overtime. I also find that being outside in the fresh air can help to focus me on my work.
4. Although named 'identity inspiration', I would avoid browsing through places like Logopond.com until after you've started working on concepts. I find that looking at logos in a similar field will block free thinking thought, and you get stuck down a single line of thought.
5. Don't rush in. Once you've had the initial conversation with the client, make as many notes as you can, then let it simmer in your brain for 24 hours. Let your brain think about what you've learned about your client and sometimes you just come up with that brilliant idea without having to go through the whole process above.
6. Don't try to produce a logo in the idea phase, just try to get as many different ideas on the paper as possible. There's plenty of time to refine later, just get it down and move on. Don't critique ideas yet either - its all about quantity at this stage - the quality comes later.
7. If you get a mental block, push through it once, if it stays there, take a break. Have a cup of tea and do something else for a while. Take your mind off it and come back to it later.
--
Well, I hope that's given you some ideas and I hope it helps you to start generating your own. Feel free to let me know if it helped.
Every designer will have their own ways if finding 'inspiration'. Some are similar to the methods I mention below, but they are varied as much as the designs they create.
The list I've compiled here is a combination of personal experience, as well as some tricks I learned from seasoned creatives in the advertising industry.
1. Just Start
Although this is has probably the lowest success rate, some people come up with ideas on the fly. This method is as simple as it sounds. Fire up your design program and just start. You could try starting with type styles or creating the current logo. I find myself doing this if I get lazy, but the results are nearly always sub-standard. By starting with fonts, you usually limit your creativity, and end up using text as-is.
2. Box Method
Draw up a grid of 16 squares on a page (a quick way is to fold it in half 3 times) and get a pen ready. Now, close your eyes and picture a black square getting bigger and bigger until you can't see the edge any more. Now open your eyes and draw/write really quickly the first idea that comes into your head into the first square. It may be an idea of a letter variant within the logo, it may be an image of a hat, it may be a pickle - anything you can think of that vaguely relates to the brand or the name. Even if it doesn't relate, just sketch it quick and move on. This isn't a drawing exercise, its a quickfire idea generator.Don't spend any more than 20 seconds. Now move onto the next square and the next square. Don't stop until you have filled both sides (or 32 boxes). The more the better. See if you can keep going for 30 minutes - and don't look back. If you average around 30 seconds each - you have 60 ideas.
Now go back and circle 5 or so you think have some serious value, and try to expand on them a bit more. I have a friend that makes a full page of expansion ideas for each of the 5 original ideas. If none of them work out, either go back and pick a few different ones, or do a completely new sheet.
3. Brainstorm
Similar to the box method, but here you're going to be writing a lot more than drawing. There are lots of ways to brainstorm, so I'll just share how I go about it.Start by writing the business name in the center of the page and draw a circle around it. Then write a list of the businesses core values, circle them, and attach each one to the name. Next, write any aspects that the client would like to portray. Maybe it's 3 different departments of the business, maybe it's that they're eco-friendly or that they want to include some humor in the brand. Next, write a list of images that come to mind when you think of the business, or what the business wants people to think about them (try to stick to physical things). Next, write a list of adjectives that describe the company, then things that rhyme, and things that sound like the business name.
Now go and start circling with colored pencils or markers. Green = Must have, Blue = Would be good, Orange = Maybe.
Next try graphical thinking. Try to think of pictures that 'represent' some aspect of the company the company without using any words. Don't try to create the logo, just think of images that represent some aspect of what you're trying to convey. Once you've exhausted your first list, see if you can combine them to form 1 image or see if another image can represent a combination of them.
It may be good to stop after you've written all of your words and try the box method (above) instead of moving right onto the graphic thinking.
4. Drown
When I was doing my advertising training a lecturer told a story of a famous (but I was unable to find him online again to reference this article) Japanese advertising creative goes down to his swimming pool and sinks himself to the bottom. With his waterproof board and pen, he stays down there until he comes up with an idea. His theory is that the brain makes remarkably impressive and intuitive calculations when it goes into panic mode. I'm guessing it works because he's apparently one of the best.
I'll add more details on that if I can find them, and please feel free to help me out if you can. :)
Some things that will help
1. Always carry and notebook and pen with you, and keep one by your bed. Awesome ideas often come to you in the strangest places at the strangest times, so be ready to note them, even if you're not sure if its any good (remembering for later works 0.0001% of the time). I just got my first Molskine and I wonder why I never got one before - it's brilliant!
2. Try dedicating an hour when you first wake up each morning to be creative. Studies have shown that this is when most designers are most creative. Mostly due to the fact that the mind is fresh and uncluttered. Try fitting it in before breakfast (coffee may be needed though).
3. I can't verify this (and if someone out there can add some technical information it would be appreciated here) I've been told that moving water apparently releases positive ions into the air which stimulate brain activity. This should mean that sitting by a flowing river, or even in a running bath should all help your brain to do a bit of creative overtime. I also find that being outside in the fresh air can help to focus me on my work.
4. Although named 'identity inspiration', I would avoid browsing through places like Logopond.com until after you've started working on concepts. I find that looking at logos in a similar field will block free thinking thought, and you get stuck down a single line of thought.
5. Don't rush in. Once you've had the initial conversation with the client, make as many notes as you can, then let it simmer in your brain for 24 hours. Let your brain think about what you've learned about your client and sometimes you just come up with that brilliant idea without having to go through the whole process above.
6. Don't try to produce a logo in the idea phase, just try to get as many different ideas on the paper as possible. There's plenty of time to refine later, just get it down and move on. Don't critique ideas yet either - its all about quantity at this stage - the quality comes later.
7. If you get a mental block, push through it once, if it stays there, take a break. Have a cup of tea and do something else for a while. Take your mind off it and come back to it later.
--
Well, I hope that's given you some ideas and I hope it helps you to start generating your own. Feel free to let me know if it helped.
So you want to be a logo designer?
The outset
I probably get an email at least every other week from young lads and lassies wanting to do some work experience in my 'office'. Most are young designers doing their graphic design degree or young 'uns just about to finish high school and want a taste of what it would be like to work in a design agency. There seems to be an ever-growing number of kids wanting to try their hand at logo design, and I'd say it's probably one of the easier businesses to run as a freelance designer.
In this post, I've made a bit of a rough road map to get you on the path to becoming a logo designer.
I probably need to start by saying that I have had no formal education in design (beyond 8th grade art class), but have been a professional web and logo designer for over 10 years.
Before You Jump In
I believe that the first step to any career (full or part time) is dedication. With or without any formal education in your field you need to have the heart that will get you through the times when you want to give up (there will be some).
Decide to be great. Too many designers (in all fields) are content producing mediocre work. The design industry is full of 'cheap' work and poor design. If you set your sight to be a great designer, your work will only get better with time.
Steps to get going as a logo designer
1. Invest in some software
If you're going to be producing logos, you're going to want to get yourself a vector design software package. Adobe Illustrator is probably the industry big-wig, but there are plenty of other options around that will be sufficient. I personally prefer the Corel Draw line, because I find it easier to do what I need to do, but if you want to eventually get an employed job in the industry, you're probably gong to want to get yourself familiar with Illustrator. (links at the end).
2. Read some books
I'd recommend 3 topics of books to get you ready for logo design. a) Logo design books. There are loads of books full of logos and branding case studies. b) Typography books. One of the key elements of any logo is the type. Learn to love type - it will be your best friend. c) Software instructional books. The better you can use your software, the more versatile you can be.
3. Build your library
There are plenty of places online to find 'free' fonts. Collect a wide variety, and learn when its appropriate to use each style.
4. Copy, copy and copy
Get together a collection of the best 20 or 30 logos you can find (use online sources such as logopond.com or incspring.com to get an idea of what other people feel is a good design). Once you have your list, see if you can emulate them. Without copying parts of them directly, see if you can recreate the logo using your software. Now see if you can duplicate it a different way. Learning versatility in your design techniques will open you up to knowing which tool will work best in a given situation. Once you have mastered one logo, move onto the next.
You'll probably notice that most of the best logos are really quite easy to produce because the strength of the idea is the shining light. By all means start with simple designs, but make sure you challenge yourself too.
The only way you're going to get clients (at least ones that will pay) is to show them a sample of your work (please make sure pay attention to the note above here). At this stage you can either make up your own brands, or re-brand some existing companies. Places like logopond give you a place to upload your logos in a gallery style, as well as give you a forum to get feedback from other designers.
6. Grow another few layers of skin
All designers get harsh criticism, even the seasoned professionals. Listen to the opinions of everyone, then filter them to take positives and discard the negatives. If someone says 'that's a load of crap' - ignore it, if they add '..because the type looks cheap and the mark looks like wordart' then you at least have some direction.
The rules
1. Never copy or plagiarise.
You must never, ever take an existing logo and pass it off as your own work. Never look at a logo and create your own version of it. Never take significant 'inspiration' from another logo. It's very tempting when you're starting, but believe me, it will ruin your reputation and career. Don't think you won't get caught because you're in a different country or industry - there are thousands of people looking out for breaches ALL the time, especially online. There are also heavy penalties for breaches of copyright (and no a logo doesn't need a (c) , R or TM mark to be off limits).
2. Don't argue with people giving you feedback.
Try to work out what they're really saying and take out the parts of their opinion that are objective. Everyone has opinions, and nobody's opinion is right every time.
3. Don't use swooshes or bevels in your logos.
Just a personal peeve - and generally a clear sign of an amateur designer.
The End
Hopefully this has been a helpful guide to get the ball rolling for you. At the end of the day, success will find you if you put in the hard yards. You'll be frustrated a lot, and you'll spend endless hours doodling in the hope of inspiration, but you'll feel the rejuvenation all flood back to you when you hear your first client say 'i love it!'.
Resource Links
Software
I probably get an email at least every other week from young lads and lassies wanting to do some work experience in my 'office'. Most are young designers doing their graphic design degree or young 'uns just about to finish high school and want a taste of what it would be like to work in a design agency. There seems to be an ever-growing number of kids wanting to try their hand at logo design, and I'd say it's probably one of the easier businesses to run as a freelance designer.
In this post, I've made a bit of a rough road map to get you on the path to becoming a logo designer.
I probably need to start by saying that I have had no formal education in design (beyond 8th grade art class), but have been a professional web and logo designer for over 10 years.
Before You Jump In
I believe that the first step to any career (full or part time) is dedication. With or without any formal education in your field you need to have the heart that will get you through the times when you want to give up (there will be some).
Decide to be great. Too many designers (in all fields) are content producing mediocre work. The design industry is full of 'cheap' work and poor design. If you set your sight to be a great designer, your work will only get better with time.
Steps to get going as a logo designer
1. Invest in some software
If you're going to be producing logos, you're going to want to get yourself a vector design software package. Adobe Illustrator is probably the industry big-wig, but there are plenty of other options around that will be sufficient. I personally prefer the Corel Draw line, because I find it easier to do what I need to do, but if you want to eventually get an employed job in the industry, you're probably gong to want to get yourself familiar with Illustrator. (links at the end).
2. Read some books
I'd recommend 3 topics of books to get you ready for logo design. a) Logo design books. There are loads of books full of logos and branding case studies. b) Typography books. One of the key elements of any logo is the type. Learn to love type - it will be your best friend. c) Software instructional books. The better you can use your software, the more versatile you can be.
3. Build your library
There are plenty of places online to find 'free' fonts. Collect a wide variety, and learn when its appropriate to use each style.
4. Copy, copy and copy
Get together a collection of the best 20 or 30 logos you can find (use online sources such as logopond.com or incspring.com to get an idea of what other people feel is a good design). Once you have your list, see if you can emulate them. Without copying parts of them directly, see if you can recreate the logo using your software. Now see if you can duplicate it a different way. Learning versatility in your design techniques will open you up to knowing which tool will work best in a given situation. Once you have mastered one logo, move onto the next.
You'll probably notice that most of the best logos are really quite easy to produce because the strength of the idea is the shining light. By all means start with simple designs, but make sure you challenge yourself too.
Important Note: This is the only point on your career that I will ever advocate copying other people's work. It's okay while you're learning, but never ever, EVER use that work in your portfolio, or show it to clients. It's exclusively a learning tool and nothing more.5. Build a portfolio
The only way you're going to get clients (at least ones that will pay) is to show them a sample of your work (please make sure pay attention to the note above here). At this stage you can either make up your own brands, or re-brand some existing companies. Places like logopond give you a place to upload your logos in a gallery style, as well as give you a forum to get feedback from other designers.
6. Grow another few layers of skin
All designers get harsh criticism, even the seasoned professionals. Listen to the opinions of everyone, then filter them to take positives and discard the negatives. If someone says 'that's a load of crap' - ignore it, if they add '..because the type looks cheap and the mark looks like wordart' then you at least have some direction.
The rules
1. Never copy or plagiarise.
You must never, ever take an existing logo and pass it off as your own work. Never look at a logo and create your own version of it. Never take significant 'inspiration' from another logo. It's very tempting when you're starting, but believe me, it will ruin your reputation and career. Don't think you won't get caught because you're in a different country or industry - there are thousands of people looking out for breaches ALL the time, especially online. There are also heavy penalties for breaches of copyright (and no a logo doesn't need a (c) , R or TM mark to be off limits).
2. Don't argue with people giving you feedback.
Try to work out what they're really saying and take out the parts of their opinion that are objective. Everyone has opinions, and nobody's opinion is right every time.
3. Don't use swooshes or bevels in your logos.
Just a personal peeve - and generally a clear sign of an amateur designer.
The End
Hopefully this has been a helpful guide to get the ball rolling for you. At the end of the day, success will find you if you put in the hard yards. You'll be frustrated a lot, and you'll spend endless hours doodling in the hope of inspiration, but you'll feel the rejuvenation all flood back to you when you hear your first client say 'i love it!'.
Resource Links
Software
- Adobe Illustrator (if you're a student make sure you look for the academic license)
- Corel Draw
- Raven (Free online vector editor)
- Really Good Logos Explained: Top Design Professionals Critique 500 Logos and Explain What Makes Them Work (by Margo Chase + others)
- Design Matters: Logos 01: An Essential Primer for Today's Competitive Market (by Capsule)
- Identity Crisis: 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities into Successful Brands (by Jeff Fisher)
- Logo, Font & Lettering Bible (By Leslie Cabarga)
- Logopond.com: Great for inspiration, and great forum
- Incspring.com: Place to buy and sell logos. Some great brands on here too
- DaFont.com: Loads of free fonts to get you started (lots of garbage though)
Saturday, February 28, 2009
The all new CobaltCow.com is live!
After a number of weeks in development, the rebrand is complete, and the refresh is done.
The Old Logo
The 2 halves of the cow represented the 2 main services, web design and graphic design. The hole in the middle also represented the mind being open for ideas to come out.
The New Logo
The new logo merges my services under a single heading of 'brand development' which covers everything I do. The cow is a little sleeker and simpler and the overall feel is much fresher.
The Verdict
Well, thats where you decide. Let me know what you think of the new logo, the new website and the new portfolio.
Thanks
A special thanks to a few in particular who gave me bit of help and feedback along the way to get this thing live Kodespark, RelevantStudio, Digerati Solutions, Jared Lunde & Lawrence Anderson.
The Old Logo
The 2 halves of the cow represented the 2 main services, web design and graphic design. The hole in the middle also represented the mind being open for ideas to come out.
The New Logo
The new logo merges my services under a single heading of 'brand development' which covers everything I do. The cow is a little sleeker and simpler and the overall feel is much fresher.
The Verdict
Well, thats where you decide. Let me know what you think of the new logo, the new website and the new portfolio.
Thanks
A special thanks to a few in particular who gave me bit of help and feedback along the way to get this thing live Kodespark, RelevantStudio, Digerati Solutions, Jared Lunde & Lawrence Anderson.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
