Logos

logos

“Some wonder what’s so difficult about creating a good logo. They’re small, they look easy to do, so no problem, right? When you only see the result of a designer’s efforts, the logo creation can look like it was a simple task. But it’s not. A logo takes thought and creativity, and many elements combine to make a good one.” -Harrison McLeod

The process of creating a logo is not always easy, for one must consider more than just whether the logo looks good. You must understand the purpose of your logo – who you

are designing for, what their company is about, you must research. A logo is a visual representation of what a person or company is about – it should therefore require careful consideration.

Further, it is extremely helpful to take the time to sketch out all your ideas. It does not matter if they seem stupid or generic, get all your ideas out. Fleshing out your ideas can lead to combinations of design or simply allow you to get your first ideas out of your head allowing you to move onto more designs.

Below are some examples of great logos and what makes them so good:

Popchips

This logo uses negative space in order to bring attention to the pop.

MC: "This is a nice use of negative space that adds some fun to lettering. The missing 'o' and 'i' mess with your eyes and give the mark character.

RH: "A nice use of positive/negative space that has a relevance to the product. More animated bounce might help (although that is somewhat of a cliche in snack lettering). It looks somewhat formal as is. The white line clipping the c' indicates there may be even more invisible white elements to be found if we looked
more closely."

AW: "Proportional thickness defines the ring of the 'o' and the circle around the smaller dot - a sign of the designer's control over every detail of this tasty mark."

Creative firm: Turner Duckworth SanFrancisco, CA
Client: Popchips
Industry: Food

Silverhook Alaska Coffee

MC: "This illustration skillfully incorporates several images into a wonderful whole. The type is a nicely selected mix that works well together...

RH: "The colors are coffee colors, which is entirely appropriate, and the blue is a nice, harmonious counterpoint."

Creative Firm: IE Design + Communications, Hermosa Beach, CA
Client: Silverhook, Alaska Coffee
Industry: Coffee

WELCOME GRAPHIC DESIGN 2 FALL 2011

Welcome to the Design-Deliberation blog for JBU’s Graphic Design 2 class. I pray that this will be a fun and inspiring semester for all of us. Please remember to comment on posts on this blog at lest once a week. Below is a great quote, substitute ‘money’ for ‘grade’ and you will be well on your way to a successful class experience.

“Don’t spend too much time planning, release early and often, some things will work, others won’t, refine and move forward and above all forget the money, just make sure you love what you’re doing.”

— KEVIN ROSE 

The 50 Things Every Graphic Design Student Should Know

Lizz White sent me the following link to a good blog about  ‘The 50 Things Every Graphic Design Student Should Know’. It is pretty good—check it out.
http://www.jamiewieck.com/visual-essays/the-50-things-every-graphic-design-student-should-know/

Amelia Klemm’s Post

“Aaaahhhh!! It’s a GIANT ANACONDA!!!”

That is probably the reaction that this advertisement gets about 20 times per block. This is what I call EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING. It is important to remember when designing for someone, to express the feel of the client while leaving a lasting impression. Of course, it has to fit the client and not all are as exciting as this one. As fun as a giant anaconda is, it may not be appropriate for a pediatrician’s logo. We wouldn’t want people screaming while taking their children in for a check up. You know, common sense stuff.

As far as this logo goes however, it definitely is wild! Which is just right for a zoo! It especially works since it’s big, in your face, and not something one might see every day. The fact that they incorporated it into the public transportation system which millions of people see every day works for them all the more. Very awesome, so very awesome.  

Rachel Doretti’s Post

Finally! Some creative wedding invitations! If I saw another half fold, filigree card I was going to scream. I love the creativity here with the typographic hierarchy and use of bold text and quirky symbols. This strictly text based design is unique especially since they used a letter press with antique type. I also really like the feature on the bottom of the card where there is perforation. That way the RSVP card does not get misplaced or left out of any card, it’s all in one. It also adds incentive to actually turn it in because it’s always right there! The elongated shape of the card is also very interesting and draws the eye downward as you read all of the logistics and details of the wedding and date. Their choice of bright oranges and red really compliment the brown paper they used. You can tell from the invitation that Abbey and Derek are a non-traditional couple that actually appreciates good design enough to spend the time and money on beautiful invitations.

Zack Hersha’s Post

I really like Infiniti’s ads that feature a simple gesture stroke. The brushstrokes they use is based from the design of their cars, and the concept is that their cars are simply elegant and creatively inspired. Just from looking at the gesture I can sense these elements that they associate with their cars.

Ian Barker’s Post

On my last post I showed a few album packaging designs that I thought were particularly nice.  S'pose I may as well continue the theme and check out some headphone package designs!

High end headphones often come in equally high end packaging.  The headphones I have were about $100 (which is quite cheap), and they came in a package that was not overly complex, but it required several steps to open it, all of which were easy and smooth and just made it feel like I was getting my money's worth (which I would have been even without the packaging, but still!).  It makes opening the new headphones feel like an event, and when you're spending anywhere from $100 to $1000 on a new pair of headphones, it's important that the company makes you feel like you really got your money's worth, even before you put them on.  The layout is good, but the overall construction feels very satisfying to open.

Of course while that package may feel good to open, it doesn't look particularly unique sitting on store shelves.  For a more eye-catching solution, Panasonic packaged their earbuds so that the buds were draped from the back of the box to look like musical notes.  It's a very clever and simple solution to making their product stand out.  It's only fault may be that it doesn't really say anything about what makes these particular headphones better than any others once you get past the packaging. 

Lastly, here's a pair of Sennheiser earbuds that boasts environmentally friendly packaging.  It's unique.  It's cheap to produce.  It's good for the environment, and from the looks of it, it's pretty easy to open.  Great design.  Like the Panasonics it doesn't say all that much about the actual headphones (in fact, it takes the risk of possibly cheapening the headphones in the eyes of consumers), but it does provide a compelling reason for buyers to choose these headphones aside from pretty packaging.  It combines economics and aesthetics.