How Logos are Done – this video shows the whole process! I love it!
This video is fantastic. Please forgive any language he might use – but this is what logo design looks like. I use similar methods – and I’d love to help you out. Let me know what you need! mail@joshhatcher.com
Aaron Draplin Takes On a Logo Design Challenge from lynda.com on Vimeo.
Most logos aren’t designed in fifteen minutes, but most designers aren’t Aaron Draplin. Aaron’s a Portland fixture by way of the Midwest, the owner of Draplin Design Co., and an advocate of “blue collar” design: design that works. Here he takes our logo design challenge, creating a dozen iterations of a logo for a fictional construction company. Not inspired? Just wait. Watch as he sketches, brings his ideas into Illustrator, and tests and tunes the different iterations. The logos Aaron creates prove design can elevate any company or brand. Along the way, he provides tips for freelancing, finding inspiration, and providing clients context for logos that won’t just live in PDFs.
Why Design Matters: It’s worth paying someone
I know I might sound a bit self serving in saying this – since I make my living from people who pay me to do graphic design.
I’m okay with that.
But I want to point out that I’ve seen so many people who think they want to save some cash and do it themselves – and they’ve just made a mess.
Designers like myself have worked for years to learn the ropes… to learn what works… to learn what looks good… to stay current on trends… to know the software…
Sure, you could do it yourself – as you could attempt to do your own plumbing yourself!
But from my experience of doing my own plumbing – many hours later – covered in poo – I still needed to call a professional to come in and take care of it.
Jon Acuff has a great blog posts you should read about Paying Designers.
http://acuff.me/2014/04/906/
How Do Shark Tank Entrepreneurs Build Their Websites? via Entrepreneur Magazine
How Do Shark Tank Entrepreneurs Build Their Websites? via Entrepreneur Magazine
I’m a huge fan of Shark Tank – it’s a lot of fun as a show – though I hate the idea of selling off massive shares of my business to someone I hardly know – the model for seeking venture capitalists could work for some things.
I will say – I do have experience building websites that can handle the traffic after a major television appearance – much like the Shark Tank folks.. (See http://www.justinwilloughby.com )
If you are going to build a business, you are going to have to build a website. So, where do you start? How do you even begin?
If you aren’t going to build your own website one line of code at a time — engineers get paid top dollar to do this — then you are going to need a content management system, or “CMS” for short. That’s a computer application that allows you to operate a website without necessarily having to be an engineer. You use CMS to publish and edit online content.
Why Design Matters: The Medium is the Message
From Wikipedia: “The medium is the message” is a phrase coined by Marshall McLuhan meaning that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived.
The truth about your message – is that in communicating it – the communication itself IS the message to the person hearing it.
When I worked at Adelphia Long Distance – I frequently would get frustrated with phone calls that came through to our office. We were not supposed to take support calls, but because it was a different product than our sales reps were used to selling, and the customer care reps were poorly trained on support. So – while getting paid less than our customer care reps and our sales people, we were operating as second level support. That frustration sometimes bled through. I remember a manager telling me- it doesn’t matter what you think is true – or what IS true – to the person on the other end of the phone – PERCEPTION IS REALITY.
What your target perceives about your message is more important than the message itself.
You’ve got to keep this in mind. If your marketing is designed poorly, then your potential customer will see that – and it will affect their opinion of your service or product.
Stay tuned next week for Why Design Matters: It’s Worth Paying Someone
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Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires via Entrepreneur Magazine
Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires via Entrepreneur Magazine
So – I have no idea if I’ll ever be a Multimillionaire – but this article leaves me feeling at least like it’s possible!
While you may think a million dollars will give you financial security, it will not. Given the volatility in economies, governments and financial markets around the world, it’s no longer safe to assume a million dollars will provide you and your family with true security. In fact, a Fidelity Investments’ study of millionaires last year found that 42 percent of them don’t feel wealthy and they would need $7.5 million of investable assets to start feeling rich.
Seven Secrets of Self-Made Multimillionaires via Entrepreneur Magazine
Why Design Matters: Design gives you credibility
If your logo or your flyer is created with Comic sans and Microsoft Clipart – then you will look like a fly by night operation.
Good design gives you credibility. It makes people take you seriously.
I drove around town today, and as I looked at storefronts – I saw two independent office supply places. The first had their logo prominently displayed, and the logos of the brands they carried prominently displayed. Their logo matched in quality – it was attractive, catchy, and clean. The other – used some kind of stock lettering on their sign – and then had printed off pages on their door – and those pages were using a standard overused font, and couldn’t be read from the street. (Looking through their windows – the inside of their shop was a WRECK by the way.)
Then I drove by Staples…. and if I think about the outside of Staples, and the inside of Staples – the truth is that it’s no WONDER that people drive further down the street to buy office supplies! It’s gorgeous! I would rather support small town privately owned businesses – but most people don’t care about that. The average consumer is not conscious…. they go with the name they know – the are like moths to the flame of good design.
You can’t spend millions, like Staples has done – but you CAN learn from what Staples has done – and try to recreate it in a way that works for YOUR business!
Stay tuned next week for Why Design Matters: The Medium is the Message
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