I Will Provide a awesome logo just 5$: Logo design research and strategy

I Will Provide a awesome logo just 5$: Logo design research and strategy: Logo design research and strategy Before pen hits paper on any new logo design project, thorough research is essential. Here are f...

Logo design research and strategy

Logo design research and strategy

Before pen hits paper on any new logo design project, thorough research is essential. Here are five logo design tips for nailing this crucial first stage of the process.

01. Understand your competition

Apple cut through the traditional computing sector like a hot knife through butter in the 80s, and has since evolved into one of the world’s most valuable brands

Before you even start working up a logo design concept, ensure you research your target market thoroughly. Your client should be able to provide some information about their competitors to get you started.

Compare all the logos in their competitive set. This research may well reveal some entrenched branding conventions in that market sector, and that can sometimes help your process by playing on familiar visual associations. 

But bear in mind that many of the world’s most recognizable logo designs stand out specifically because they eschew trends and think differently.

02. Ask the right questions

Strategy is becoming an increasingly important part of the branding process. What this means in practice will often depend on the scale of the project, but it all starts with asking the right questions.

Michael Johnson’s recent book Branding: In Five and a Half Steps is dedicated to Johnson banks’ creative process, and covers complex challenges such as formulating brand strategy in far more detail than we could ever hope to here.

In it, Johnson advocates asking the following six things of the brand you’re working on as a starting point: Why are we here?; What do we do, and how do we do it?; What makes us different?; Who are we here for?; What do we value the most?; and finally, What’s our personality?

03. Stay flexible during the process

Once you’ve formulated a strategy, you don’t have to set it in stone. There’s a reason that Johnson banks’ creative process has that extra half step: number 2.5 represents the grey area between strategy and design.

According to Johnson, it can be a two-way street. Some conceptual, strategic ideas that work in theory may fall apart in practice when visualized; conversely, a compelling visual solution that emerges from left-field during the design stage can feed back into stage two and help evolve the strategy retrospectively.

04. Respect a brand’s heritage

Widely heralded as a trend in 2016, the so-called ’retro branding’ movement was kicked off by North’s much-lauded re brand of Co-op, which reinvigorated its original 1960s mark and won one of CA’s coveted Brand Impact Awards in the process.

Nat West and Kodak followed within a few months, but we argued here on CB that we should be wary of the retro design trend. However, where genuine heritage and untapped potential exists in a mark, avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water and consider bringing it to the fore.

“It's vital to put your ego to one side and not dismiss designs created by others – and in doing so consider evolution as well as revolution,” argued North co-founder Stephen Gilmore in an essay in Computer Arts issue 259.

05. Remember: a logo is just one ingredient

As Brand Impact Awards judges Bruce Duck worth and Mark Bonner discuss in this  video filmed during 2016’s judging day, logo design is just one small part of the modern branding process. 

As Bonner puts it, the pyramid has inverted: people now engage with a brand through a huge variety of different touch points, and the logo is not always their first point of contact with a brand.

Keep this in mind as you develop your logo design: stay versatile and flexible, and consider how the logo interacts with the rest of the brand experience, from packaging to tone of voice.

The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate

The Great Two-Sided Business Card Debate

A business card is one of the most important marketing pieces that you'll develop for your company, since it is typically the first piece of your marketing materials that a new client will see.

One of the most debated points in business card design is whether to print information on just one side of the card or to use both sides. There are many views on this controversy, and here are some that we frequently hear.

The arguments for keeping the back of the card blank are that printing on both sides has the following disadvantages:

·      Not having a space to take notes while networking: Many business people use a system of writing notes on the backs of the business cards they receive while networking. They do this to remind themselves of the commitments they made or to later jog their memories about the conversation. Too much printing on the back can make this difficult or impossible. Glossy coatings on the backs of cards can also prevent note writing.

·      Rolodexes, business card filing systems, and card scanners: These are widely used in business today, and many models don't allow for the back of the card to be viewed. For this reason, you should not put vital information on the back, so that the card can still be functional when only one side is visible. Also, if your prospect uses a business card scanner to store business cards, they might not scan both sides.

·      Greater printing expense: Printers charge more to print a two-sided card, because of the additional work and ink involved.

·      Ink smearing: Some inks are more likely to smear or rub off on neighboring sheets of paper than others; for example, blue Pantone inks are especially prone to this effect. If you do choose a two-sided card with a field of color on the back, then it is best to also varnish or clear-coat the back of the card in order to seal the color in and prevent this. The varnish also adds drying time and expense to the project.

The arguments for putting information on both sides are that you can use the back to:

·      Add more information: If you have a lot of contact information, putting it all on to the front of the card will often make the font too small and the text too dense to read comfortably. Putting some of that information on the back will free up the front of the card and make it look better.

·      Make your business card more valuable: By including interesting information like a calendar of events, tip, or quote on the back, you can make your card more likely to be kept. Other things that you can put on the back include coupons, appointment information, or directions to your store or office.

·      Enhance your brand: The back of the card is often the perfect place for graphical treatments and pieces of your Visual Vocabulary.

·      Maximize your message: Use the back to add more information about your business. It might not be clear to everyone receiving your card what you offer, so you might try listing that on the back.

And it might not cost that much. Some printers will print a two-sided card for as little as $20 extra per 1000 cards. In that case, the low price for additional "real estate" really makes it worth the cost.

With all of these points in mind, the most effective card for small businesses is often a two-sided card. The next question to address is what to put on the back of the card. We recommend:

·      Not putting vital information on the back of the card: Since the back of the card might get hidden or ignored in a filing system, it's best to put all of the most important information—like your name, logo, phone number, email, and website—on the front of the card. If you have a physical office, you should also make sure that your address is on the front of your card.

So what's left to put on the back? You could put your tagline, a couple of lines that explain your offerings, a list of your services, or a short testimonial. Or try one of the suggestions from "Make your business card more valuable," above.

·      Try graphics: You can print a field of color, small graphic, or a simple pattern on the back. A card with graphics on the back looks more sophisticated and high-end, and is more memorable as well. If you don't print in a color that is too dark and you use a solid color field, people will still be able to take notes on the back of the card. Just don't forget the varnish!

If you use these tips, you'll be able to maximize the effectiveness of your business card. Your card will go from being just a thing to hand out when you meet someone to being a strong marketing tool.