The desire for profit and community online in 2009 has reached ever increasing heights. I won’t show the lack of tact to list them all but every combination of Micheal / Jackson / Death.com were seized within moments of his passing away. On facebook by late evening I counted over 60 groups with RIP, Missing, Goodbye Michael Jackson having sprung up in less than 6 hours. Membership levels on some of these groups was amazing. Naturally enough his official website was locked, assumed due to traffic.

In addition the news spread like wildfire via social networking, before even all the TV networks were on board. The point of my writing today is that the internet has replaced traditional modes of community to some extent, you might not know the person who lives 3 houses away from you but you probably have seen photos of all 4 kids of someone you knew back in junior high.

Strange times, it’d be healthy if news topics of more importance gained the same seismic impact but that’s another blog entirely.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

What makes for a classic logo? I think the key elements in good logo design are as follows:

• Simple – The best logos are typically quite simple, too much intricacy isn’t usually overburdened with detail
• Sleek – Clean edges and design so that you can close your eyes and still see that image
• Bold – A quality logo is the first thing a client might see to represent your business (a poor one sadly is also the first thing they see). It needs to be bold and punchy with impact. As a consumer you know logos by the shape and colors – have a second look at the graphic with this article!
• Elegant – A great logo is like a catchy tune, as soon as you see it it’s almost as if it was always there

So, back to my experience…..there’s a reason a logo design can’t be done well for $10, the reasons are there is a lot of planning to the whole design process. I was part of the first 3 steps to follow at which point I stepped back and learned.

1. Consulting – Understanding what your client must have, would like to have and absolutely won’t want is critical.  It’s actually an intricate process if done well but will save many errors in design
2. Study – Looking at successful logos that might contain inspiration or guidance both within the industry the logo is needed for or containing thematic factors that are needed
3. Pencil Time – Sketching some concepts to see where the flow begins and ruling out what won’t work. This is prior to fonts being settled upon. It’s a very creative phase that must be done slowly to work well
4. Compile – A good time to break and discuss what works well and what doesn’t. At this stage fresh ideas seem to emerge from the rubble of concepts that were scrapped
5. Graft – Putting the pieces together, experimenting with fonts, lines and textures. Color and shading plus effects may come into the picture. Then the actual process of putting out 3 great logo examples can be completed

It’s no exaggeration to say over 2.5 hours of work went into the process and the results (I thought) were fantastic but seeing how the path to great Logo is quite twisty was a revelation. Understanding the process now can only make me better consult with clients about custom Logo design and I also see the value in having it done right.

Tell the truth, did you see that the logos above were just parodies?

Tim at greenseedwebdesign

I’ve picked three this week – in no order, they are all simply dreadful.

• Something.com – the name promises a lot, the expectation builds, you click the link and …. you can’t say they were misrepresenting themselves
• This one is just fun, flash at it’s most distressing…I keep reloading it…simply brilliant
• Finally, this one will make you either want to shop, play a game with the kids or turn off the monitor. Someone email them and help them.

That was fun, I could do this for hours but it does remind me of the value of good design. Send me your worst finds I’d love to post them.

Tim at greenseedwebdesign.com

Kimberly at greenseedwebdesign.com

I once worked for a boss who was remarkably talented when it came to PowerPoint. He was the SVP of Corporate Strategy and his job was to create slide presentations for the CEO and corporate board. So every slide HAD to be absolutely perfect, from the font to the alignment of those stupid text labels on charts. Recreating graphs from scratch was a complete nightmare! Many admin co-workers asked me how I could possibly work with him as he was such a perfectionist. To his credit, I learned so much from George and in return became just as critical. To this day, messy formatting drives me insane!

I came across video and it made me laugh so hard I cried. Users of PowerPoint can relate. For those who are inexperienced and creating slides….take notes And George…. this one for you!

Life After Death by PowerPoint