Originally published in the book Logo Nest, this article offers advice on how graphic designers can approach sketching as a vital part of the creative process of logo design and branding.
Originally published in the book Logo Nest, this article offers advice on how graphic designers can approach sketching as a vital part of the creative process of logo design and branding.
The creative process involves tangible actions juxtaposed with the intangible mystery of creativity. It often suffers under a linear approach and blossoms when you dare to ask ”why don't we try . . .” It’s what makes something more than just an idea. It offers a result via the marriage of imagination, analysis, and action.
Strategy informs and equips a designer to properly engage in a business exercise, and not just dabble in creating something pretty but potentially ineffective.
Clear communication between graphic designer and client is essential to the success of every branding project. Here are a few tips to encourage communication.
A look at the book Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming containing thirty tools and techniques including brand matrix, action verbs and rhetorical figures.
I wince when hearing a potential client say “I know what I want”. This phrase is quickly followed with an explanation describing how this knowledge will make the project quick and easy. The monologue is then wrapped up with a plea for reduced costing.
I was asked to contribute an article for the quarterly publication on the subject of logo design—specifically how design should be approached as a business exercise and not simply a task of crafting a pretty visual. Armed With a Purpose outlines the importance for a graphic designer to understand context through research and not simply be a taxi driver.
Choice can provide an illusion of security, a false guarantee that quantity will result in something good. The reality is that more crap results in a bigger pile of crap—it doesn’t make it better.Successful brand design relies on understanding, strategy and hard work. Design services that offer unlimited logo designs and revisions also offer very limited understanding and strategic value.
Like rushing headlong into tattooing your lower back during a drunken stooper, fast tracking and penny pinching a logo will leave you with a painful and expensive reminder of a bad decision. Slowly, the full effect of your uninformed choices will come to light. The work might have been done by a relative, a “desktop publisher” or an online logo warehouse but the result will be the same—regret.
I discovered a new website this week offering customers unlimited logo designs for $20. What do their customers expect in return for the price of a movie ticket? Do they really believe they are getting a custom identity? Thinking $20 pays for enough of a graphic designers time to create anything worthwhile is like believing in miniature hippos.
Logo design should not be approached with the goal of filling that blank spot on the top of your letterhead. It is not the time to recklessly do something trendy and cool. Most importantly, it is not about getting a task off your to-do list so you can move on to selling widgets to your customers.
The competition is being run by Adobe Creative Juices, a community ‘powered by Adobe’ aimed at a UK and Irish creative community. Graphic designers are being asked to design the new Creative Juices logo with the winning entry receiving an Adobe CS5 product. In return, they promise that the winning logo will be “seen everywhere.”
For the past year I have been very active on Twitter but have completely ignored Facebook. Having recently seen that People Use Facebook 44% And Twitter 29% For Social Sharing, I have decided to take the leap and start using the service. I will be posting more frequently on Facebook than I do on this site with unique content related to logo, branding, graphic design, and design ethics.
“Over the years, I have traveled a great deal all over the world. When I arrive at the airport in a city, I have a business problem to be solved. I am at the airport and I need to get to my hotel. As I leave the terminal building, I usually see a number of taxis waiting to take passengers to their destinations. All I have to do is tell the taxi driver exactly where I want to go. The taxi takes me to my destination, and I pay a fee for this service.
A logo is often the fastest way to build brand recognition. It is the easiest way to consistently apply a visual brand, and is usually the most powerful single visual or verbal brand asset companies possess—apart from their name.
