I know that this video from www.Ladd-Design.com has been floating around the web for a few weeks now, but I finally sat down to watch it last night and I absolutely loved it. It was so intriguing to actually hear the impressions these logos had left on this young girl. My favorite is probably when she says that the Greyhound Logo, Puma Logo and Jaguar Logo were all Cheetahs. Funny thing is, the designer who worked on those logos probably did hear the line from their client, “We don’t want this to look like a Cheetah”. Guess you can’t please everyone’s eye. Either way, take a few minutes to check it out. It is so true how we can sit at our computers and design a logo and then show it to a client and they can see something completely different than what we see. Thanks to this video, we know have an extra step in our logo design process — analyzation from a 5 year old… and yes, we are accepting applications.
There’s no doubt that it’s become quite a hot topic since the rise of blogs, social media platforms, Wiki pages, open forums and discussion boards. Citizen journalism, which has increased ten-fold over the past few years, is also known as public, participatory, or guerrilla journalism. It’s the act of members of the general public collecting, reporting, and disseminating news and information, which is then accessible to a mass audience.
So the question is: Should these “citizen journalists,” more commonly known as “bloggers” be protected by the same laws as professional journalists? Does the rule of ethical journalism differ from person to person? Should these citizen journalists be held to the same standards as a professional in a court of law? Does this alter the curriculum and rewrite the textbooks when studying Journalism in higher education? Do citizen journalists decrease the credibility of professionals? And lastly, do you think I’m being a total hypocrite now or am I opening up your eyes?
Due to the increase in popularity of tablets, smart phones, 3G networks and Wifi, the ability to transmit news and make it accessible to billions happens at such a fast rate. From your cell phone you can now record a video, edit it with right application, and upload it within minutes. With a quick click of the mouse or tap of the finger your story, video, or photo can be readily available for the world to see.
So while I have a B.A. in Journalism and strong opinions on the matter, I want you to think about it! Where do you stand?
Cliff Coleman, owner of Southern Glass Products, a commercial and residential glass company based in Central Florida came to CE Design Co. inquiring about website design. After the initial consultation and a review of the current branding and marketing materials, CE strongly suggested a brand redesign in addition to a website overhaul. Cliff felt strong about seeing some logo options that included the Florida icon. At his request, CE presented multiple logo options for review. After the completion of the logo, CE moved into the design and development of the website, basing it on the look of the newly created corporate brand. The overall goal of the website was to enhance the design of the site, develop the copy to be more informative to the viewer as well as increase the search engine optimization, clearly display past projects in an organized and easily navigatiable manner, and allow the client to add to the project gallery as projects were completed. From the beginning, the client could not have imagined redoing his entire brand, however, at the completion of the project, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The bottom two images are the results of our “Schemin’ & Dreamin’” Package that Cliff opted for in order to come up with a unique Christmas Gift for his clients and his employees. After a few hours of brainstorming, CE presented SGP with multiple raw ideas. After Cliff settled in on two of the proposed ideas, CE went into the creation phase, providing SGP with one of a kind Christmas Gifts for the year.
Let’s talk for a minute about the conundrum of “Size” and if it does indeed “Matter”.
We all know the standard size of a business card may be the old fashioned 3.5″ x 2″ rectangle. You may have also heard the rumor that it should be able to fit in a wallet, a pocket, or a rolodex. Here at CE, we hold tight to the belief that your business card doesn’t have to fit in a rolodex because it doesn’t belong in a rolodex (and yes, we stole that line).
This doesn’t mean you have to make it look like a pop up card or spend millions on some diecut, spot ink embellished, embossed card. We are simply thinking that you should maybe consider venturing outside the box.
These days there are many different clever options that are not so far off the beaten path that will make your business card stand out from the rest.
We have the slim cards that are just that, slim. A little bit leaner than your standard business card, these little strands of card stock still fit the bill and pack a creative punch.
Another option may be going square, but don’t let the shape of these cards fool you, these cards are anything but square and far from the ordinary.
So next time you go to set up the old standard measurements, think to yourself … what can I do to “niftify” this card that will still get the important information out there without causing the receiver to yawn with boredom.
While browsing blogs over the holidays, we came across a great article from www.pixelonomics.com. The article illustrates just how important font choice is during logo development. The folks over at pixelonomics took the time to show side by side displays of unique vs. standard fonts used in different famous brand logos and how that change effects the corporate look.
The whole point of designing a logo is to create a specific yet unique look for your company. This shouldn’t be done by the owner of the company or a friend of a friend who owns a mac. It should be done by a professional who has a keen eye for typography and the different feelings that typefaces evoke. Even once the typeface is typed out on the screen, the opportunities are endless as to the different tweaks you can then make to that typeface to perfect it into a unique company logo. Sometimes these details aren’t even apparent until a standard font is placed next to a unique typeface, which is why we have alot of clients that come in with a logo they made and ask us to create a brand around it. After some advisement and hesitation, a redesign is done on their current logo and (claps) we have yet to have one client revert back to their original logo design. What if Coca Cola just said, we want a script font and this was the best one we could find on our computer! YIKES.
Over here at CE, we get that fonts and how you choose them can set your brand off on this foot or that, however, after attending a conference in SF this past year on Branding, we came to the realization that the more customized the font choice in a logo is, the more customized the logo is, adding to it’s appeal. We were left in complete and utter awe after hearing that Matteo Bologna, the owner of Mucca in New York City, creates a custom typeace for every logo he designs. Something to strive towards!
Take a look at your logo… was it created in Microsoft Word or by your buddy who helped you start your business? If so, it might be time for a redesign to set your brand off on the right foot this year.
CE Design Co. is giving families the opportunity to have some unique Christmas Card’s for the upcoming Holiday Season.We have created some templates for you to choose from and if you send over a picture, we will insert the photo to complete the card. Below are the template options and order form. You get to choose one front design and also be sure to choose your back design.
As we begin designing a new logo, our goal is to create a piece of work that will remain strong and consistent for 5 to 10 years. With the ever changing culture that we live in, you can only image how large of a challenge that must be! Today, vintage design may be the “in thing”. Who knows how long that is going to last. Those vintage logos that are created now and look so great in today’s world may look like the worst logo created in a year’s time. Therefore, much thought and deliberation must go into logo creation.
Timeless logos must be the ultimate goal. Above, in the top logo, you can see how successful the designer, Frank Olinsky and a team at a small Manhattan Agency, was at achieving a timeless logo for MTV. Although the colors may not be exactly what you would think of as being “cool” now, the structure and overall design of the logo has remained intact.
Don’t get confused. A timeless logo must undergo a facelift every great once and a while. Upkeep is important, however, it should not be necessary within the first few years, unless there are extenuating circumstances. As you can see in the second logo, the MUSIC TELEVISION line has been removed and the colors have been dissipated. The handwritten font has been made less playful and is more modern. This logo has been used with the words “music” and “television” in conjunction with the main logo when necessary.
The overall structure of the original logo has clearly been a strong logo for MTV being used from August 1981 to today.
Currently MTV shows and music videos play within the framework of the big “M” font. It’s telling the story of what actually makes up MTV. It’s not the network name anymore… it’s the characters, the actors, the musicians. These stories, illustrated in the framework of the original MTV logo created, give MTV an awesome story to tell, both of a successful network and a timeless logo.
As we kiss breast cancer awareness month goodbye, we do get a little sadness in knowing that our pizza boxes will no longer be pink, m&m’s will return to their original color, and men will not be persuaded to wear pink. However, we see a glimmer of hope from Diet Coke with this most awesome pink and silver packaging. If you’re mad about fashion, then prepare thineself. Karl Lagerfeld has designed this special limited edition collection of Coca-Cola bottles. He used three designs each concentration on a splash of hot pink. Lagerfeld has famously credited losing 90 pounds to Diet Coke and steamed vegetables. With an IV of Diet Coke pumping through our veins we will gladly take his weight lose challenge. Now, if only we could get a lifetime supply shipped to our office stat, we would feel our life was complete.
We stumbled upon this neon gang member rocking’ out to some indie beats on the elliptical. Drawn in by the vibrant hue of pink, we knew this Pennsylvania Princess was perfect for the position. With a mind for marketing and an obsession for organization, this bubbly, boutique lovin’ blonde is the caretaker of our clients and countess of couture.
