Archive for October, 2007

Minty Green Logo with a Leaf Design (Repost)

The source site for this is: http://mintidea.ca

I am reposting this entry because that trackback spam has become rediculous for this one entry. I deleted the original pos? so they stop spamming it. Hopefully they won’t find this one too quick.

Mint Logo Design with a Leaf Idea

This logo uses gray and green colors with the helping of a leaf image standing in for the dot in the letter “i”. This design sure looks minty. Anyone have any ideas on enhansing this or adding to the logo?

Rounded Corners, Reflective Header Design

The source site for this is: http://www.ecoverfrog.com

Great Website Header Design Idea

This entire site is amazing. From the header down to the footer, there’s something to take and apply to your design. The header is the most noticeable to me. Black background, rounded corners with a white outline. The logo is nice but the reflection effect really brings it into the Web 2.0 style. I don’t even know what to say about the green creature. It is very green, slimy and looks like it’s right hand/paw/extremity is twisted backwards. I wonder if they did that on purpose. The graphics and the layout on this page are awesome. This layout would work great, just like on this site, for a sales letter type site. These guys design ebook covers and other digital media graphics for mini websites. Make sure you check out their super portfolio. Just click here and then click Portfolio on their site.

A Call to Proper Research Prior to Your Logo Creation: Four Principles Of Logo Design: Part 1

A Call to Proper Research Prior to Your Logo Creation

As a follow up to our original article about logo design “Four Principles Of Logo Design“, we are going to take an in-depth look at four of the major principles that David Ogilvy adhered to in all of his major advertising campaigns. We will be examining these principles in four separate articles.

The first of the four principles is research. “Look before you leap” was a phrase that Mr. Ogilvy used often here. What and who is your competition? How does their company appear to the customer? What is identifiable about their company? How does their logo work for them? What makes their company or product appealing to customers? These are all questions that you need to answer.

Take the time to investigate your competition. This research will not only be valuable to developing the identity of your company or new product, but will be beneficial in other operational areas of your company as well. Do the research yourself. You know your company and your products. You know your long term goals. Are you planning to remain a local company? Are you targeting regional, national, or international consumers? To assign this critical research to someone else and try to convey the reasons why it is essential is really short sighted in this case. It’s worth your time to do it yourself because of your intimate knowledge of everything surrounding your company or product. Attempting to convey the importance of this task to someone else and impart the necessity of it most likely won’t be as productive. It’s worth the time and effort to do it yourself in this case. It may be prudent to charge someone to do some of the legwork for you (to seek out answers to your specific questions). But, in the end, you should stay on top of this project yourself. Again, it will prove to be an invaluable tool in the long term.

Once you have your information compiled and you’re confident in your research, it’s time to seek outside help. This is one of those areas of business where it is wise to spend money for quality help. It’s also essential to do more research to find a great designer or firm to create your logo. Find a reputable, successful designer, ask for references, and check them.

Hiring a professional designer or firm is a wise choice. Mr. Ogilvy said “Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine.” His quote is very applicable when it comes to finding the right person to assist you in creating a great logo for you. Once you have found someone who is up to the challenge, charge them with this task: “Don’t bunt. Aim out of the ball park. Aim for the company of immortals.” Again, this is a direct quote from Mr. Ogilvy that is extremely applicable to logo design. It’s perfect! It’s the ultimatum that needs to be placed out there when you are creating the image for your company or product. Anything short of extraordinary shouldn’t be acceptable. Always keep in mind the logos from some of the global leaders (Nike, Adidas, Chevrolet, and many more). Their logos are immediately recognizable. Strive for the same with yours.

Remember, your logo functions as a ‘credibility check’ of sorts for your product or company. A poor design will most likely net a poor result. You want a potential customer to look at your logo and say, “wow, I’d like to do business with this company.”

Elegant, Money look logo idea

The source site for this is: http://www.regularworld.com

Elegant Money Look Logo Idea

Very clean look, the font used on this logo is a bit like Times, line shapes and the “rays” from the bottom add to the money look. The letter R badge add some color to the grayness and the pattern line going from the left to right nicely separates the header from the body.

Rounded, Glossy Text or Image Effect and Flames

The source site for this is: http://www.cpaempire.com

Text Effect Design Idea

Text Effect Design Idea

This design came to me in an email so there is no way for me to include the url for this design. I made a overall screen capture of it and then close up of the text so the effect is better visible. The letters have a rounded glossy look, which is done by adding the white-to-transparent gradient effect on a new layer above the text layer to the upper half of the text selection and then reducing the oppacity of this layer to about 30% to 40%. If you analyze the rest of the image you can pick out other effects that make the text look so sharp and clean. P.S. I just love the flames. :)