Sometimes as designers and marketers, we don’t get to create the brands we work on. Instead, we inherit them from other creatives whole cloth. Logos, fonts, color palates and existing marketing assets are often handed down from the client for us to work with. Other times, it’s little more than an existing logo and a smile. Regardless, it’s an existing brand and, suddenly, your task […]
Read MoreMany people have asked me to define Graphic Design. It’s tricky. The question is kind of like asking, “What is a doctor?” There are doctors who do routine work and there are innovators, which is a good way to think about it. It’s about telling a story, creating an ambiance, and a personal statement which surpasses the spoken word. It is an avenue for amazingly […]
Read MoreEvery designer has a style – a recognizable set of elements that makes their work recognizable as theirs; a certain way they balance type and graphic icons; a certain way they design graphic elements; such a recognizable look to their designs that those who know their work can look at it and say “That’s them, alright!” I know as a designer that I do. I […]
Read MoreWhen working on a brand design over an extended period, it becomes inevitable that change will eventually need to happen. Sometimes this is a sweeping change involving a complete re-branding. Redesigning logos and branding elements from scratch with an eye on complete reinvention. This is a strategy employed best when the old brand simply didn’t work; the logo never connected with its intended target, the message was muddy, unclear and, as […]
Read MoreThe words “I can’t read that” are the bane of many a graphic designer. But it’s one of the single more important pieces of criticism of a design you can get. When designing a logo, clarity is vitally important. Clarity, not only of intent but of the literal variety as well. Oftentimes when designing a logo, in our excitement of trying to find or create […]
Read MoreWhen developing a brand, color plays a major role in telling the story. Color informs our moods in a wide variety of ways, and they are ways that graphic designers must be cognizant of when applying color to a logo or branding design. If your logo is the face of your brand, then make sure that face is telling the whole story of who you are. […]
Read MoreOne of the oldest rules of comedy is that “If you have to explain a joke, there is no joke.” This is a rule that is applicable in the field of graphic design as well. In many forms of art and expression, ambiguity can be your friend. For the abstract artist, undefined masses of color and form can be interpreted in an infinite number of […]
Read MoreTime management is often one of the trickiest balls to juggle as a graphic designer. Most days, you find yourself with multiple projects that need to be brought to completion, often at the same time. That’s where it becomes beneficial to work on your own time management skills. Creatively, shifting gears from one project to another and back again to satisfy the needs of multiple clients […]
Read MoreSo, pretty much anyone over the age of 40 likely remembers watching movies on analog tv years ago. I’m talking about back in the days of big, heavy, boxy tv’s before digital widescreen and flatscreen TV’s became the standard. If so, you might remember watching a movie and, as the film wound down towards the ending, the picture would suddenly become oddly stretched. Actors heads […]
Read MoreGraphic Designers are no different than any other kind of creative person. Like musicians, painters, writers and everyone else, sometimes we find ourselves with a deliverable and a deadline and a blank digital canvas. And just like writer’s block, there are few things as terrifying as staring at that blank screen and having NO ideas. So, here are a few tips and tricks that I’ve […]
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