Archive for August, 2007
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08August
- 8 Important Design Websites
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Countless internet websites, resources and blogs provide designers with valuable information, tutorials and news items concerning everything related to design. From blogs to design tips, one can find a lot of interesting and latest design stuff on the internet. But with so much available, it is often hard to separate what’s useful from what’s not. Therefore, we have made the work easier for all the designers looking for quality designer websites by narrowing down the list of literally thousands of design websites to just eight (trust me, it’s a lot difficult than its sounds!). So here are the 8 websites that will shed light on many varied aspects of designing.
• Business of Design Online
BoDo blogs about the business of design including: starting your own design business (online or off), marketing, dealing with clients, working with printers, photographers, copywriters and other surrounding industries; pretty much anything to help a design business grow.
• Typographica
Typographica is a journal of typography featuring news, observations, and open commentary on fonts and typographic design.
• All Graphic Design and Graphics News
Design News – Topics that Quench your Graphics & Graphic Thirst.
• Graphic Design Blog
Graphic design blog shares views on design books, websites, graphic design programs, graphic design training, design employment, freelancing, ideas and everything about graphic design.
• Smashing Magazine
Smashing Magazine delivers useful and innovative information for web-designers and web-developers.
• Design in central and eastern Europe
Designeast is dedicated to monitoring design events and movement in central and eastern Europe.
• IllustrationClass
Documenting Illustrative Design Methods
• PhotoshopSupport
For free Photoshop Tutorials and Adobe Photoshop Tips
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06August
- Designing Insurance Logos
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Logo is a symbol that allows the consumers to seek you, remember you and set you apart from the rest. And even though your logo is not your brand, its continuous projection directly affects how your label will be received by others. It heightens the prospect of your brand being perceived as a competent product.
Insurance companies are financial institutions which generate their resources from the sale of premiums; covering individuals against loss. Their objective is to enhance the expertise of their agents in order to provide supreme economic safety to the customers they serve. First and foremost, insurance company logos need to be bold and striking in order to impress the consumers. They must also facilitate feelings of satisfaction and encourage perceptions regarding the company as a stable and secure establishment.
Elements of Insurance Company Logos:
The logo should persistently bolster the client and reinforce the premise that you are working for them in order to grant the best assistance possible. Thus an exemplary insurance company logo is required in order to project the firm’s uniqueness and ensure that it is considered as a trustworthy corporation. Some significant aspects of insurance company logos:
Shape of Insurance Company Logos:
The aim of a logo is to be memorized, hence the simpler the better. The shape must be straightforward, fresh and swift. Usually insurance company logos are just the name of the business in a notable font. Use of symbols promote relevancy and add character to the logo. Altogether, these attributes characterize an insurance company logo.Color in Insurance Company Logos:
Color plays a vital role in insurance company logos. The colors need to be bold, uncomplicated, and easy to recognize and remember. It is necessary to find a suitable color combination that will have an everlasting appeal for the viewers. The colors widely used in insurance company logos are blue, black, white and yellow. And they prove to be quite appropriate. The color blue indicates security, authority, trust and corporate stability within an insurance company logo. Black denotes distinctiveness, boldness and sophistication whilst white and yellow represent truthfulness and positivity respectively. These colors effectively highlight simplicity and refinement in an insurance company logo.Font in Insurance Company Logos:
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The font employed within the insurance company logo moreover accentuates the impression of prestige and individuality held by the firm. Fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial black are used extensively as they project a bold image and render the logo to be more arresting.
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03August
- LogoBlog Poll 4 – Inappropriate Office Wear
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Why in the world do people go wearing flip-flops and T-shirts to the office? At the beginning of the 90s, the ‘causal business attire’ trend, or ‘business casual’ as it is commonly called, began to be a part of every office environment, and at the end of the decade, the trend boomed.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 95 percent of the U.S. companies had some sort of casual day policy in place in 1999, compared to the 24 percent in 1992. Furthermore, the casual clothing manufacturer, Levi Strauss, estimated that about 75 percent of Americans went to office daily wearing casual clothes in 1999, whereas only 7 percent in 1992.
But what does all this have to do with logos and logo design? What’s its significance to the designers? Well, a lot actually. It turned out that this ‘business causal’ trend has been a constant aspect of designers and designing firms. No other business category has been infiltrated with this casual movement than the designing industry. But often, this trend is distorted by many people who rather than dressing up casually, take steps further and totally give a new meaning to the ‘business casual’ trend by wearing shorts, singlet, and other ultra-casual things to the office (I still remember a professor of mine, who use to come to the class wearing flip-flops in the winters).
Thus, the reason behind this week’s LogoBlog Poll is to conduct a survey of our viewers’ perception about this trend and things that are inappropriate to wear at work, no matter how casual they look. So, what is the most inappropriate casual thing to wear to work, well: it’s Flip-flops. Other inappropriate things include Walk Shorts, Singlets, T-Shirts, Jeans. Additionally, some visitors also voted and added other options like Sandos, Swimming Costume and Sandals.
Therefore, it’s confirmed that flip-flops are the most inappropriate things to wear to work. Thus, avoid these at all times for the sake of this trend. Let’s not portray a bad image of this comfortable business attire. Until next week, happy casual living!
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02August
- How will your Favorite Logos look in Web 2.0?
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Ever since Web 2.0 made its debut in 2003, it has changed the outlook of many websites. More and more websites are opting modern web 2.0 technologies that demand user interaction and hints to an improved form of the World Wide Web. As part of this increasing popularity of Web 2.0, many designers have created Web 2.0 versions of some famous logos.
But in amidst of all that, some designers failed to maintain the proper consistency and concept in many logos, while some created interesting web 2.0 versions with a modern look. Below are some of the Web 2.0 versions of famous brands and entities, along with the original versions to compare the transformation:
WEB 2.0 VERSION
ORIGINAL VERSION
Comment(s): The original version of the FedEx logo looks much better than the transformed image. The web 2.0 version of the FedEx logo fails to carry the hidden arrow in it for which the logo is famous. In constrast, it exposed the arrow in an absurd way, damaging the complete look of the FedEx logo.
Comment(s): I really hate this logo. Both the versions are nothing but utter disappointment and useless, especially the web 2.0 version.
Comment(s): Nice renovation of the CitiBank logo into a Web 2.0 version. But I would prefer to keep the same color scheme as of the original one.
Comment(s): The original one is much better but yes, the web 2.0 version of the abc logo is more contemporary.
Comment(s): By far the most interesting and the best web 2.0 logo in the bunch. The style is pretty much similar to the original logo, but has a modern look added to it.
Comment(s): I really like this logo. But what is the flickr typeface doing in the National Geographic logo. I understand that it’s a joke, but still…
Comment(s): Craigslist is probably one of those logos that desperately requires a makeover. The webpage has a dry and obsolete interface, and the logo is even more dissapointing. Thus, the web 2.0 version of the logo is a satisfying outlook. I strongly recommend craigslist to adopt the web 2.0 look.
Comment(s): Pretty much similar to the orginal logo, though I like what they did with the color combination.
Comment(s): Another intelligent design that is difficult to alter. The typefaced Coca-Cola logo is famous for its Spencerian script logotype, which is fashionable in its own sense. Though, the web 2.0 version of the Coca-Cola logo is almost exactly the same, the introduction of a red and blue color scheme gives the whole logo a modern look.
Comment(s): Apple is one of those logos in the word that does not require a name to make it recognizable. Yet, that did not stop it to become the most famous and liked logo of all times. The reason behind this special identity is the simplicity of the logo. Additionally, this simplicity has led the Apple logo to adapt different versions, making every new version even more successful than the other. I find the web 2.0 version of the Apple logo creative and strong. However, the only objection I have for the web 2.0 version is its adaptability. Unlike the original one, the web 2.0 version of the Apple logo cannot be used on any medium, except the web, due to the inclusion of color element in it. But overall, I think the web 2.0 version of the Apple logo is contemporary and artistic. Maybe, if a range of colors is available, the web 2.0 version will look good on Apple’s iPods.
Comment(s): Not a big difference in either versions except for the color scheme. The web 2.0 version of the UPS logo has an unusual contrast of colors in it, which is a bit disappointing.
Comment(s): I like the original version better than the web 2.0 one. The orginal version of the Yahoo Logo looks more modern than the latter one.
Comment(s): The ‘Swoosh’ in the nike logo is the most intelligent design of all times. That’s why, it is impossible to change the swoosh design, no matter whatever tool or software you use. On other note, the above web 2.0 design is an exceptionally well done effort.
Which web 2.0 version logo is your favorite?
Among the list, and beyond it, which web 2.0 logo you liked the most? Feel free to express your views and reviews on the logos displayed above and also, if you have made or come up with other web 2.0 versions of famous logos, do tell us about those too.
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