Moving Type

Here's a cool example of how powerful typography can be as a motion design tool.
NOTE: Harsh language!

Comments on the page reference Motionographer, which seems like a cool site. Also, here's the same video on YouTube.

Logo Tips

In working on logo designs for my company over the years, I've learned alot about making logos that both function well and look good.

Of course you want something unique. Do some research on existing logos and symbols. Don't make the mistake that Quark did a couple years back.

It's important to keep the design legible at both small and large sizes. A good idea is to make samples for letterhead, posters, business cards, web link buttons, etc. and see how well the design holds up. Sometimes this means sacrificing details that might turn to mush when the image is scaled down. You could also make separate versions for different uses, but it's hard to enforce that if you have different sales & marketing people making their own creative decisions.

Large companies have a "Logo Police" department that watch over usage. Smaller ones don't have that, which can be a good thing (more creative expression) but on the average is bad (poor consistency). Lack of consistency a bigger error than having a bad design. It's an expression of the company's character. People either don't care, or they don't understand how application of design affects perception. This also affects how easily your trademarks can be defended. The more consistent you've been, the better case you'll have.

Don't try to do it all yourself. I'm a good sketcher, but not the best at making finished designs. In the last round of logos we tried to make decent Windows icons, but they didn't look so hot. This time we hired an excellent designer who made our logos look just as good (or better) as anyone else's icons.

I like embedding multiple meanings into things. Like the "hidden arrow" in the FedEx logo.

Color choices are important, but realize that your logo will have to work in black and white, photocopied or faxed (or both!). If you understand color theory, you can use this tool to pick color palettes for your designs.

I'll also come up with other graphical elements (backdrops, dividers, boxes) that fit with the logo's style. From this "design kit" you can make mouse pads, banners, return address labels, etc. This also keeps others from making their own design and choosing incompatible colors or styles.

Apple (re)Invents the phone?

Article on CreativePro.com

Are You Ready for the Small Web?
If Apple's iPhone becomes as ubiquitous as the iPod, many millions of people will view Web sites on screens very different from the computer monitors most sites are optimized for. What are you going to do about it?

Adobe Logos

Article on CreativePro.com

Inside CS2: MetaDesign Shares Its Secrets

Creative Director Brett Wickens reveals the process behind the packaging for Adobe Creative Suite 2. While we might not all have the resources to x-ray a bus, we can all benefit from this case study in brand evolution.

Don't always believe what you see

This article on News.com demonstrates how easy it is to fake a photo, and who is willing to do it to make their point. There's a blurry line between illustration and photography, and it's tempting to cross over that line when you want to show something in the way you see it, regardless of how it really looked. It's incredibly irresponsible to do this without a big disclaimer, and probably just bad practice because it can lead to unintentional consequences (ie: people think it's a real photo).