I’ve spent a lot of time perusing the blogs of others and trying to get a feel for what the blogging community has to offer. After my searching, a bunch of question began to arise and I began to wonder what makes a blog popular? Is it the content or the amount of friends the blogger has? Or perhaps, a well established blog that has been around longer draws more attention. I’m still stumped as to what exactly it is, but thought that maybe it was the design of the site or even the logo or header that was the sole attraction. Most blogs are simple when it comes to the design, but having recently redesigned my own blog, it brought on the thought of how others have their blogs set up. How important is the header or logo of a blog? Does that bring in traffic and attract attention, or is just a pretty label that serves little purpose?

Abduzeedo

Abduzeedo has a great neon sign approach, which adds a lot of character. Other than the header, the design is simply a black background but nicely done and elegant.

Creative Nerds

The red background brings out the warm colors of the fire design. I think the fire is a great indicator of creative thinking.

Logo Design Love

I love how the blog name is set up as one word, but separated by a color difference rather than spaces. The logo covers the entire top of the page like a newspaper headline. The additional heart is the perfect way to tie it all together and add a bright color to the black and gray.

Noupe

Noupe has a great color scheme, in which the accents of pink really bring out the design, although they recently changed their look, to a pale blue background with navy lettering. The pink is still present and still ties the logo together nicely. Without the pink, it would be much more lifeless. I do think that all of the lettering should have a background shadow, it would help it jump off the page.

Outlaw Design Blog

This look is perfect for the name. Outlaw Design Blog has the great stencil look of the old west. It reminds me of lettering that would be painted on the wall of an old saloon. I like the new design a lot better now. It is much more creative and works great with the letting, although it would look nice if there was an added lasso or horse somewhere within the lettering or alongside it. It’s just such a great theme that there are so many interesting ways to take it and run with it.

Web Design Ledger

I love the wrinkled background with the subtle stripes, but I think that the lettering would benefit from some color or shadow. It just seems too plain for the interesting start going on in the background. The actual site does have a lot going on, so something plain is more beneficial to the design.

Blog. Spoon Graphics

This is such a busy logo but it works well. It demonstrates what it promises: good graphics!

Pro Blogger

Pro Blogger has a very bold design, in which the letters stand out and seem to shout at you. The “P” symbol on the side is an innovative and modern concept.

Techguy Tales

I’m not sure how they can get away with this one. Are they ignoring copyright laws? I’m surprised that the representation for Family Guy has not shut this down for stealing their angry monkey image, but it makes sense nonetheless and works for the theme.

Celebrity Gossip

This design works perfect for its purpose. The large pink star in the logo is reminiscent of the celebrity walk of fame and the fashionists in front of the star represent typical gossiping girls. Good gossip is always fun!

Little Box of Ideas

The thought bubble emerging from the “i” in “ideas” is a fantastic little touch to this logo design, however I don’t fully know what the face represents. Is this the author in cartoon form? The design concept is very clever and demonstrates exactly what it is, a release of thoughts and ideas!

Crazy Leaf Design Blog

I would be disappointed if there were not a leaf somewhere in this logo, although it somewhat resembles a feather. I love how the background and lettering have a shaded effect and don’t just look like solid colors.

Design O’ Blog

I like how the mouse is interpreted within the logo, considering it seems to be Niki Brown’s mascot. It’s cute and inviting and follows a fun, freehand text.

Cats Who Code

Simple and creative. Cats who code has a fun cartoon cat figure typing on a mac. I’m surprised Apple hasn’t forced them to change it with their paranoia over logo theft, although it seems there are many blog headers that include macs in their design.

The Design Mag

The coloring of the word “design” is what sets this concept apart from others. It looks to me like the sunset on a flat horizon and delivers a comforting feeling, yet appears professional. 

Smashing Magazine

Smashing magazine is anther great example of an interesting logo. You can’t miss that giant “S” as soon as you see it.

When I search other blogs, I generally search by article and go after what is most compelling, no matter what blogger wrote it. Others often check specific sites everyday in search of more content. I don’t know which method is more common. With so many great logo and header designs, it’s hard to tell if those are the sole attraction to blog sites or if there is much more to it and the logo or header are just part of the entire package.  What do you think?

-Nora Reed

It seems to happen all the time. Most of us have access to hundreds or even thousands of channels depending on your cable provider, and you click through them and never find anything worthy of your time in front of the TV. Quality programming can sometimes be hard to find. I am notorious for channel surfing, but I began to take notice of specific TV networks and their logos and marketing concepts. I found that there is so much variety and they are all so interesting. Take a look at these and notice how there is no specific style to them. They all vary so much depending on the channel’s general content. What’s your opinion on these?

The major networks use very simple ideas but have  progressed a lot over time. Often, their changes have included creating 3D concepts and adding more modern graphics. The BBC added a blue back light to their HD logo and I had seen a few versions of a 3 dimensional NBC peacock.

The Syfy channel changed their spelling and their logo. They dropped the Saturn symbol and adopted a new font instead. I think I will miss the Saturn symbol. It added a futuristic presence.

I think people often take TV channel logos for granted. They appear as tiny icons at the bottom corner of the screen and are more overlooked than noticed. They at least tell you what channel you are on if you land on it, but a lot of work actually goes into their design, just like any logo. Next time you are surfing for that perfect show to watch, take a look at the network logo and you may appreciate it a bit more.

-Nora Reed

Recreational Sport Logos

Sports and active competition are a major part of  our society. Most days of the week are dedicated to some sporting  event and we just can’t get enough of it. Just like most things, sports can open the door for other marketing opportunities like TV commercials, merchandise sales or team logos. Everyone knows the major designs for our most famous sports teams, but what about some of the lesser known ones? In the world of recreational sports, there are a ton of smaller, non-professional teams that have worked hard and created logos that are just as good as the famous ones.

With some inspiration from the NFL logo, the Mount Lawley indoor soccer team uses a shield to express its strength and it stands out with a bold, black line surrounding it. The ink splatter makes it more unique and gives it a distinct look. The spots that are left on the white background somewhat resemble the black and white of a soccer ball.

Simple and to the point. Outlaw Motor Sports sticks to only a few warm colors that compliment each other and don’t overkill the design. The text looks like a low sunset at the bottom of a mountain with the yellow fading into the red.

I love how the “M” and the horse’s legs seem to run together in this design for the Medaille Mavericks. The design has potential, but does not seem complete to me. The “M” could be reworked a little to flow better and some yellow highlights on the horse may help a lot.

I’m not sure why this monkey is kick boxing or how the monkey itself represents anything that has to do with kick boxing, but perhaps that is the idea behind this logo. It may be meant to cause you to question it. It looks like it is done well, simple, limited color use and memorable, but the monkey just confuses me. At least it does stand out.

The Seattle Orca logo is a great visual for team logos. It has the orca whale as the main focus with a football on its fin as if it’s holding it. The Space Needle in the background is a great addition, representing Seattle and the text is a perfect representation of sea life. Overall, the logo has everything and works great.

I know this qualifies as a video game, but since it also forces you to get off the couch and work those muscles, Wii Sports Resort also qualifies as a recreational sport. The logo is just blue text, but the font used for the word sports has an italicized look as if it is leaning from a swift wind blowing by. It’s a nice, subtle touch that seems to carry a feel of energy.

Magic is a race against your other opponents and also works as a social event. Like most card games, interaction with others is involved and Magic brings the fantasy element to the table. The logo has that fantasy/sci-fi look, like something right out of the pages of a book of spells. This version of the logo briefly demonstrate the detailed work that is displayed on each individual card. They all represent different things depending on what the card is about, but the artwork is pretty amazing in itself.

Uno has a very simple logo with bold, block lettering. The letters have a sleek shine and 3D effect. On the box cover, there is a plain, red background, but the individual cards have the “Uno” name within a red oval with a black background. This oval carries on to all the other cards thereafter.

Sports and logo designs seem to go hand in hand. Every team needs a great logo. If they didn’t have one, what would they display on their shirts or helmets? Recreational games are an enjoyable part of all our lives, why not get involved?

-Nora Reed

Who doesn’t enjoy some sweet treats? Cakes especially are a popular dessert that we use for so many special occasions and sometimes, just for no reason at all. It’s even fun to watch a cake go from batter to masterpiece, which is why we  have so many television shows based on cake baking. The food network especially is filled with interesting cake based shows that apparently do pretty well in ratings. Everyone has a bit of a sweet tooth once in a while, so to create a good logo for a cake shop, the key is to play on that sweet tooth and show how appealing sweets can be.

I like to show this one first, because I think it’s great. The Cake Shop logo has a well done design that is very appealing to the eye. The curly lettering makes the design appear both professional and fun. The emblem to the left shows an elegant, almost gift like cake and the black background brings some formality to it. This cake shop seems like a place where one would shop for their wedding cake.

Piece of Cake also has an elegant look with the roses, which add a lot of color to an otherwise monotone piece. Although, I don’t think I really like the way the cake is toppling over at the top. It implies that a real cake from them may do so as well. That’s something I know I would like to avoid.

Simple and does the trick. As a cheesecake shop, Cheesy Affairs displays a cheesecake slice within the logo and a golden brown color, which is usually associated with cheesecake.

I can see where this one is going, but frankly, I think it is quite boring. three stacked rectangles may imply a cake, but the design is too plain and simple and looks to me like a first draft of a logo that has yet to be finished. The lettering works well, but the attempt on the cake needs a total redesign.

The same goes for Adam’s Cake Shop. This logo looks like it is still in the working process. The logo lacks color and personality and the drawing of the man is not proportioned correctly. It looks like his arm is awkwardly emerging from his side. His shoulder looks like it’s dislocated.

This last one may not be for a cake shop, but if applied to a name, it certainly would work for one. It’s simple and looks appetizing, although some color would help.

A logo really does help sell a business. These shops would not be nearly as appealing without their logos to help jump start one’s appetite for sweets. Now I am getting hungry and think I might take up baking as a hobby.

-Nora Reed

July 22, 2009. Today was the occurrence of the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century. Depending on how you look at it, this is either a glorious act of nature, or a negative omen that will bring about chaos and turmoil, or so they think in India based on religious views. Supposedly the energy can be felt worldwide, although I simply find it fascinating and think of it as an astronomical event that we rarely  have the opportunity to witness. Unfortunately, living in the US prevents me from seeing it live, but it still stirred up some thought on how a solar eclipse has been inspiration to create logos. Take the show “Heroes” for example, their main logo focuses on this interesting event. Below are a few samples of the show’s logo design.

The logo has a few variations, in which one includes visuals of the cast members or a different version of the actual eclipse, however, the glowing sun is present in every version, even if it is mostly hidden.

An eclipse is a powerful image and here, in the above wallpaper display, Apple created their own view of a solar eclipse, in which the Apple logo replaces the moon. It makes the logo appear very strong and powerful with the bright back light shining behind it.

An eclipse style logo is used for many other businesses as well as TV shows. Here above, we have Eclipse eye wear, Eclipse gum and Eclipse is even the name of a specific bar and grill where the crescent moon makes up the “C.”

Hopefully all of those who could see the eclipse made sure to do so. The next one won’t occur for quite some time. An eclipse is a rare and beautiful thing, and based on the logos I found, it’s very effective in the design world as well.

-Nora Reed