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Case Study: Blue Ribbon Sweets

November 12th, 2009

Client: Blue Ribbon Sweets specializes in high end sweets, mostly truffle like chocolates.

The client wanted a logo that was elegant, modern and crisp, something that would appeal to higher end clients. The client wanted to see a blue ribbon incorporated into the logo.

We started out with a few sketches.
1-sketches

We illustrated those same sketches digitally, and made some minor changes.
2-bw

Once we had the black and white samples done, we put a little color into them.
3-color

Our client liked the top left logo, but asked for some color changes as well as incorporating the ribbon into the hat.
4-revision1

Here’s the final logo the client chose.
5-final

Be sure to visit BlueRibbonSweets.com

admin Branding your Company, Design Logo Online, Design a Logo, General Design, LogoBang.com, Typography , , ,

Case Study: Focal Finesse

November 6th, 2009

Client: A freelance photographer who specializes in event photography such as weddings and bar mitzvahs.

The client wanted a logo that was professional but not stuffy, he was using a logo that was tall and not wide, he also wanted to change that and make a wide logo. He wanted to use one or two colors maximum in the final logo. The client really didn’t have much direction other than that and pretty much gave us free reign to produce the samples.

We started out with lots of rough sketches of cameras and camera related items.
1-sketch

We paid more attention to certain sketches and made some roughs of what we want the first round of logos to look like.
2-sketch2

Once we created those digitally, this is how the first round came out.
3-firstround

Revision 1: The client liked the third logo sample, but first he wanted to see the words
Focal and Finesse separated by more than just a capital “F” we opted to add the second color and also make the type on “Finesse” italicized.
4-revision1

Revision 2: The client liked the color combination but he wanted to try a more playful type. He also wanted to add something to the camera to bring it together. We added the bar below the camera to give it a more defined look.
5-revision2

Revision 3: Our client asked to see a few more typefaces for the word Finesse, he also asked to see what the flash would look like if it were a little more rectangular.
6-revision3

Final logo: The client chose the 3rd logo as the final logo, we provided the logo in both color and black so that they client may easily also use the logo as a watermark.
7-final

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Where to use your logo

May 16th, 2008

The sole purpose of a logo is the purposes of brand recognition for the consumer You’re going to want to start building brand recognition. In doing so, you will want to advertise your company using your logo. Also, you’ll want to keep the idea or shape and feel of the logo consistent throughout the life of the company. By radically changing the design of the logo, you may end up confusing the consumer.

There are many places to use your logo so that consumers can find you. One obvious choice is to use the logo on your webpage. Webpage marketing is the most common way to market your company. A well designed logo will go a long way in driving sales and business to your company. A lot of web designers will build a website around the look and feel of your logo. So therefore it is important to design a custom logo that will work for you.

In trying to market to individuals, you’ll want to have the same design on your business card to hand to other people. As you run across potential clients and vendors, you business card says a lot about your company. Usually the business cards will have your name, phone numbers and website information. The logo on your business card is the first impression the customer will get about your company so business card design is very important.

The logo is an important tool in marketing your company. You will want to use it to the fullest extent.

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Choosing a Logo Design Company

April 20th, 2008

If you’re ready to start branding your company, the first thing that you’re going to need is a logo.  A logo is a great way to give your company some identity.  It shows up everywhere from business cards to websites.  There are many places to turn to for getting a logo.

The worst thing you can do is to try and attempt to design your own logo. This probably isn’t a good idea because these kits are loaded with clip art and you’re going to want to avoid using clip art. Using clip art screams amateur.  It really is easy to spot the use of clip art from something done by a professional.  If cost is an issue, this may be the only option.

How do you choose between the ton of professional logo design companies out there on the internet. How do you know if the company you choose is the right one.  First of all, you’re going to have to evaluate your budget. If you’re on a tight budget, you can try and hire some design students to help you out with a logo.  However the best bet is to have a company design an entire branding scheme for you.  You will need to know what you need in terms of designing your brand. Do you need more than just a logo? Do you need any marketing advice etc… If you just need a logo there are companies that specialize in just making logos. Some charge more than others. Most companies that design logos will have samples on their websites. You may want to find out who did the design work for some of the corporate logos out there that appeal to you. Also, one other indication of a company’s skill is how they try to get information out of you in order to design your logo. The more customer service that they provide in this aspect, the chances are better for you getting a better logo.

In any case, you should do some research on logo companies. Many companies offer different services so you will need to compare apples to apples. However, their logo samples should be the biggest factor in deciding on who to go with. Once you decide on a company and you get the results that you wanted, you’ll see that the use of a professional was probably the best decision after all.

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Effective Company Logo’s

February 12th, 2008

If you look at some of the most recognizable and famous company names in the world, they share one thing in common. They tend to have company names that are either one or two words.  Take a look at some of the biggest names out there. Of the Forbes list of the top 10 biggest US companies, only one of them has 3 words in the company name. They are in order, WalMart, Exxon Mobil, General Motors, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, General Electric, Ford Motor, Citigroup, Bank of America, America International Group.

In developing a logo for a company that has a simple one or two word will be easier than to incorporate a very long name into a logo. In fact, you can design a logo and not even know what they do.  For instance, Apple Inc, they did drop the “computer” portion of name. You wouldn’t know that it was a computer company. Same with Pepsi, you wouldn’t know it was a soft drink company. Get the idea? With names that are shorter and easy to remember, its easier to develop and design a logo. Logo companies out there rely on creativity from their customers to design a nice logo. Can you imagine trying to form a logo for “Joe Smith Automotive and Service Repair Center”? Logo companies such as Logo Bang and Logo Loft can create great logos for people who have creativity company names.

In summary, in forming a company name, keep things simple and easy to remember. If you can get a customer to remember the name of your company, they will find your company later when they’re ready to starting handing over their hard earned money.

admin Branding your Company, General Design , , ,

Great Business Cards

November 10th, 2007

Business cards are evolving into something that isn’t just about stating what the individual’s name and contact information.  These cards are a design work of art.  They express as much about the company as the individual on the card.  Some examples of what business cards are evolving into are at this site.  As you can see the designs aren’t just about white pieces of paper anymore.  The unique designs incorporate hours of design work to bring these cards into reality.   These cards however are not cheap.  You can design your own cards and get them printed on regular paper for about $20 for 500 however these designs will cost much more to get printed.

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Elements of a Great Logo

June 25th, 2007

A good logo is a great and very important asset to a company, it is a graphic representation of your business and it’s value. While a logo should be eye catching and visually appealing there are other elements that also should be followed while designing a logo or having one designed for you.

Great logos are usually simple, look at Pepsi, when a brand is that well recognized eventually you do not need to include the brand name in the logo anymore. The red white and blue Pepsi logo speaks for itself.

Another great asset for a logo to have is that it can look good and recognizable in black and white.  For example if you look at the McDonalds  “Golden Arches” and see the same thing in black and white, you’ll still know it’s McDonalds.

The best logos usually have a bold look which makes them work in all sizes, you wouldn’t really want to incorporate any fine lines or too many details into a logo because you may want to shrink that logo down for a business card and it will lose quality when that is done.

The typography is also important when designing your logo, one of the most popular fonts is Helvetica, and that is due to the fact that the type is simple and timeless. Often times using quirky or stylized fonts can lead to logo redesigns when the certain style of type is outdated.

All in all a logo should have a timeless balanced look if you’re planning on the logo being the identity of your company for years come.

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Developing a Brand

April 22nd, 2007

Developing your brand is IMPORTANT, and can have a great impact on your overall success. Building a brand should be done with your customer base in mind and help them to make that first impression both memorable and lasting.

Even if you’re a real small company, you can build your brand locally with a great logo design, business cards, and other advertising materials. You will want to make sure that when your local customers see your branded items, they know right away who you are and the products/services that you offer.

It is very important to make sure that you keep your brand consistent and that you deviate from it from ad to ad. Start with a professionally designed logo and you will be off to a great start. Some great brands that we all know are the “Golden Arches”, “Mickey Mouse”, “NBC Peacock”, “Starbucks Green Logo”, “Target” Red Logo. No matter where I am in the entire county, or even world I’ll quickly recognize any of those brands.  To learn more about creating a strong brand, read the article by Howard Marketing Services.

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