I’m testing out a new blog topic. If you’re interested, please visit my new blog at photographography.wordpress.com.
Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category
I’m at this point where I’m really trying to think of you, my audience. I’m really trying to place myself in your shoes. So, ideally, you stumble upon this blog because you’re a student and you’re thinking, “hey, graphic design–what’s that all about?” And I’m considering at which aspect of graphic design should I start? The basics, right? Should I spout out some terms and explanations or shove some pictures at you and say, “This–this is graphic design!” Well, I personally don’t think I should do that. So, I will back up just a tad. My last post I thought, we’ll just jump right into your first logo design, which really is an excellent suggestion. If you haven’t started making a design for a logo, start. The best way to learn design is to practice design. And each product of design, like a logo, really does have a purpose–this is the topic I really want to get to.
It’s true, graphic design is about being creative and clever. It’s about matching up fonts and creating appealing color schemes. It’s about layout, white space, and images. But, when you get down to the bone of all of what graphic design is, it’s really a way to solve problems. Continue reading ‘The Logic to Emotional Appeal’
Here are a couple logos that embody several good examples of logo design. Look through this list to learn of a couple things you can implement as you start creating some of your very first logos.
Use something familiar in an unfamiliar way. This logo uses portions of the actual number eight to write the word eight. The repetition and consistency in typeface give a lot of strength to the design because of the familiarity of the number eight.
Use your space wisely. The FedEx logo uses a lot of white space and color contract in their logo are create some good visual emphasis. Their company is all about organization and movement. This logo embodies that in the consistent type which breaks in color to seperate the fed from ex bt buts them up together to say they belong together and remain distinguished. They also show movement by aplifying the -> symbol naturally created between the “E” and “x”.
Complete a puzzle. Logos are a way to tie in a company and what they’re about. It is to be the symbol by which they’re known. The Hartford Whalers logo compiles two major parts in their business: their initials and their association with whaling. So does the ED logo for Elettro Domestici -Home Appliances which includes the “e” and “d” through the image of an electrical plug
Tell a story. The Nike symbol symbolizes the wings of NIke, the Greek Goddess of victory. People now associate it with motion and movement.
This morning, I poured a couple packs of apple cider into this blue thermos I inherited from an old roommate and headed out the door for class. Walking from my car toward campus, I realized the thermos I was holding was from Starbucks. It’s an awesome thermos, but I did grow a little concerned knowing I would sport it in my classes.
The logo position was just above the grooves were my hand fits around the container and opposite the opening where I drink from. Naturally, anyone looking my way when I took a sip would see it’s from Starbucks. This is good branding with strong logo association–the down side: I go to a LDS affiliated university, where I’m sure several students are strongly opposed to cafinated beverages and the likes of Starbucks Coffee Houses.
Anyway, I made it through the day with no conflicts. Phew.
And now I’ll just segue into talking about branding and logo development.
The LogoFactory.com says two things make a good logo: (1) Concept (2) Execution.
Concept: This phase is primarily about discovering what your client or company wants to say. Consider these questiosn as you brainstorm logo concepts:
- What is the business’s personality?
- What products or services do they offer?
- What are the best known for? What do they want to be best known for?
- How can a logo impact their business and in what ways do they want to use the logo?
Execution: Artwork is important, fonts and design are important. A logo needs to be able to function as a stand alone and in a variety of context and still convey strong association to the affiliated company. Here are a couple things to keep in mind when considering the execution of a logo:
- Make sure the design principles are working in harmony with the type of service or product they represent. (Proximity, Alignment, Repetition, Contrast) If you’re designing for a dentist, don’t make an edgy super conflicting asymmetrical design, unless the dentist is radical and doesn’t want any business. In the instance of doing a dentistry design make it a peaceful clean look in line with the feel the dentist office would like to portray
- Keep true to two things: Every logo needs to touch on who the company is and what they do. This is the purpose you need to keep in mind as you create the design. Be sure that by the time you finish you don’t just have a cool design on the screen; instead, you have an image that means something.
- Consider where the logo will be placed. Apple computers have consistently included the apple logo on the front of their computers need the screen, and they now also include it on the back side of their computers so that as someone uses their products others around them know immediately their computer is an apple. The possible placements of a logo can impact how it will be designed, it’s standard sizes, colors, and contents.
Look forward to my next post with examples of excellent logos and what they say about their company.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been assigned a project and had no idea what I was going to do to solve the problem the given project presented. Actually maybe I can. Were I to count the number of projects I’ve ever had, that would probably be the number of times I’ve been stumped on finding a concept or topic to use.
For example, last year in my first visual media course, we each had to create a brochure for any company or organization we wanted. I wanted to create my own ogranization but I wasn’t entirely sure what the company would do, what they stand for, how to brand them, etc. And thus began a massive brainstorm. My concept eventually winded down to a theft reduction agency which I named pickpocket who wanted to increase the awareness of wallet theft. From there I had to formulate the content I wanted to present in the brochure, and how the visual presentation would work out. I ended up making the brochure itself resemble a wallet with the information including different facts on wallet theft, steps to prevent theft, and what to do if it happened to you.
This is a simple example, but like any project especially dealing with branding identity or conveying a message for or about an organization or their products, it’s easy to get stumped. So, here are some tips to keep in mind as your attempting to formulate your next big idea.