Yeah, I said it, but you don’t have to take my word for it, check the site out and make your own decision if you want, but I think you will agree with what I have to say.

I am writing this today because I am sick and tired of having comments removed from sites simply because you either post a link to your own site in the comment or the author of the site is ridiculous and deletes it because they don’t agree with your opinion.

A few days ago logoblog came out with a post detailing the wonders of the new xerox logo and as you may or may not know I think the new logo is garbage. (My Reasoning Here)  Anywho I went to the site read the article as I do with most of the articles on logoblog because it is something I am interested in, and then I decided to leave my opinion in the form of a comment.  You know that little area underneath the posts where authors ask for your opinions.  Well apparently mine wasn’t in agreeance with what the thought police over at logoblog had in mind so they removed it.

This was my comment on the post.  Not verbatim of course because I can’t remember it completely but you will get the point.

Adam (Me) says…

I think the new Xerox logo is garbage, it is bubbly and web 2.0.  I never thought Xerox needed something flashy for you to know who they were.  I wrote a post about this on my blog a while back when the logo first debuted if you want to see the other reasons why I didn’t like it please check out (inserted link to site).

So if you are the author of logoblog and are for some reason find yourself reading this post and still have a copy of my comment please send it to me so I can show my readers the exact qoute you thought couldn’t be on your site. It wasn’t spammy and didn’t have any inappropriate language in it.

I was a moderate fan of logoblog but now have decided that it isn’t worth mine or your time so here are some more reasons it sucks. 

• Horrible Theme - a slightly modified version of the default wordpress theme.  Way to go there guys.  I am supposed to take your word on the creativity and the importance of a design and you can’t even create and design one for yourself.

• Free Logo Maker - If you are going to offer a free service such as logo design try to take some time and have it do something besides add a dropshadow to a font.  Or at least don’t say you are an authority on logo design and then try to pass this shit off as a logo.

• A Free Ebook - Wow this sounds great… I would love a good ebook about logo design. Wait they are not giving away a free ebook they are asking you to give them free information so they can compile it and then give it back to you all while making advertising money. 

• Simply put they are liars -  Their about us page describes how they provide up to the minute logo news and unbiased opinions.  Unless you can back that up don’t print it.  You update the site once a week, which is almost never up to the minute information, and you remove comments you don’t like which hardly ever leaves room for unbiased debate and discussion.

I am sorry for my rant, but I am so tired of bloggers deleting comments if it is not warranted.  If you didn’t like my link remove the link, if you disagree tell me why don’t be a wenis and delete what could lead to a good discussion.  If you like logoblog or don’t let me know why.  If you are logoblog defend yourself.

I designed a business card for a client yesterday . . . it was pretty good, but it wasn’t as good as it could’ve been had they not been so protective of their logo.

I’m the first to tell you that a logo is (and rightly should be) a keystone in any sound brand architecture . . . it should be created with extreme care and introspection, as well as consideration for outsider’s (i.e. customer’s) perceptions. It should be revered, never handled carelessly, else one runs the risk of losing some indefinable quality through thoughtless alterations.

But, having said all that, you’ve got to be willing to evolve! What works today won’t necessarily represent the same way tomorrow. Case and point: my client’s tired logo [I won't show it, to protect the innocent]. It does the job, and is widely recognized within the market, so it has come to represent some accumulated brand equity. All great news, meaning it’s not broke (so I wouldn’t suggest fixing it just yet).

Unless, of course, they’re trying to change the way they are perceived! They themselves are tired of how people (who don’t yet know them) view them. So they wanted a really progressive-looking, urban-grit-styled card. “Great,” says I, “I’ll give your logo the same treatment so it doesn’t look like an afterthought on the card!”

“Neigh,” says they, “our board is very strict about our branding collateral.”

Review: Company wants to be perceived as upbeat and progressive. Company wants new card to reflect new identity. Company refuses to allow logo to be handled differently in any way (we’re talking simple, here, not redesign; more like a Photoshop filter). Company now looks like an old man with new pants.

Lesson: A logo, while extremely important, is still just a graphic representation of your brand. Consider it a rallying point for cognitive associations with your company. See swoosh, think “Nike, shoes, Michael Jordan (or Tiger Woods), sweatshops” . . . what have you.  See Old Glory, think “America, purple mountains majesty, rockets’ red glare, George Bush (take your pick)”.  Altering either of these symbols a bit (how many versions of the flag have their been?) won’t drastically change the associations one has already made with the entity it represents–for better or for worse.

The way your logo interacts within a given context is also extremely important. When the context changes, your logo might need to as well. Do it thoughtfully, do it carefully, do it subtly, but do it! Otherwise the mismatch of the card (poster, billboard . . . ) as a whole might be speaking more loudly than the consistency of that one part.

Do any designers out there have any thoughts on the subject?

The guys over at Agency Fusion, a web technoligies group, have come up with a hilarious way to get some exposure for their site and their business.  They have created an online video that displays the importance of having a professional designer help in the development of your publishing materials with satire and sarcasm, my favorite two things when it comes to humor.

So without further ado I will introduce you to http://www.whoneedsdesigners.com/ .

Oh and don’t forget to tell me how hilarious you thought it was too.

If you are awesome subscribe to my rss feed.  If you like emails subscribe via email.  Remember only you can prevent forest fires help me acheive my goal of 100 subscribers by June.

Branding your site is an extremely important part of the development process.  Your logo will set the tone for who and what you are.  It will be the first thing your viewers see, and it will definetly give them their first impression of the information that you are presenting to them.

So what does this mean to you?  It means that you need to create a logo that will impress the audience that you are attracting.  You will need to identify how your logo is going to be used and what you want to portray with it.  The logo for theiphouse is not going to be used for marketing purposes, so I don’t intend to make the most memorable logo that you would see. The logo is going to be used as an agent for welcoming people to my site since I have determined that the major sources of traffic to the site are going to be from search engines, and referring sites, not from advertising.  I am giving away information and a simple tool, I am not going to be selling anything so advertising with the logo isn’t really necessary.

With the idea of how I was going to generate my readers, and the knowledge of what I wanted the logo to do I set out to create a logo that was bright and welcoming.  I want people to see my logo and think that it was professionally done and that the information on the site was valid and interesting.

So I started with my original logo for the site and started modifying and adjusting what I felt needed to be changed.  The logo was already solid, but it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.  It depicted a house with my name on it as seen below.

I felt that this logo was a good starting point, but i want to liven it up a bit and get my full name into the picture so I changed the font to a more friendly rounded type, added a gradient to my house to soften it up, and added the word the into the picture incase people did remember it, I didn’t want the going to iphouse.com and not theiphouse.com.

Finally I started of thinking of ways to make the logo depict the content of the site a bit more.  Yes, the house was good for the name, but this wasn’t a site about building homes, or your home address it is about a technology based topic.  I decided to use the quite familiar symbol of the feed icon to show that the house was high tech. 

So the final logo came out pretty easily.  I didn’t spend any money on designing this logo so my budget is still fully intact, and the logo is simple and welcoming just as I hoped it would be.  You can generate the theories behind your logo and develop it cheaply as well. If you need any help leave a comment and we can start brainstorming for the application purpose of your logo.

Don’t forget to sign up for my rss feed to keep track of this projects status.  Plus it would be a help to me in achieving my goal of 100 subscribers by June.  I look forward to seeing if you have any logo designs worked up, or helping you in creating your site.

. . . all you can do is plant the seed in their hearts and minds, and keep conditions favorable for germination.

A brand isn’t something you can “impose” on your audience. Try as you might, telling your public over and over that you’re the best won’t get you #1 status in their minds (especially given people’s limited trust in advertising these days). Showing them, on the other hand, is what cultivates those warm fuzzies.

The good news is that, like gardening, fostering brand identity is a well-explored field. Whether you’re peddling a commodity (like table salt) or a completely original concept (like . . . well . . . it’s original, that’s the important part) someone out there has some applicable experience to share.

Take Away: Your brand is out of your control! Work with your audience, not on them.

The 2008 presidential race may just be getting started, the competition is heated and the rivalries are strong, but the award for best logo was won when Barack Obama and his team of creatives designed the beautiful logo that he is running with. 

I have mentioned in a couple of posts now that even though it may seem silly it is often important to develop a story for your logo.  This way you are more easily able to verbalize yourself with an image. 

I believe that Obama has written an exceptional story with his logo. One that is short and sweet but incredibly detailed. Obama’s logo’s story is that there is a new dawn over America. 

If you aren’t following the primaries or nominations, because you don’t care or don’t live in America, Barack Obama’s platform is about change.  He wants to change the politics of this country, he wants to change the mood and financial status of the people, he wants to change the face of America.  I don’t support Barack Obama personally, but his logo explains exactly what his intentions are.

Barack may or may not be the change the country needs, but I can gaurantee you that if his candidacy is as strong as his logo he shouldn’t have any problems winning this election.

Prototype is the internets newest design superhero.  A character that is strongly influenced by Megaman came to life out of a new project I am working on with a friend and developer.

Over the last week we have been developing a new brand for our Wordpress and CMS theme development site Themecannon.com.  After many iterations of the design we have finally established what we feel will be a strong brand, something that can be marketed easily and will hopefully be memorable.

Last week I wrote a post describing to you some steps you should take to help develop your logo, today I am going to show you how I used those steps to develop our design for Prototype.

• Brain Storm - Describe your business.

We are strong, motivated, and professional.  We have technical skills and designs skills.  We keep up with changing technologies and are on the verge of creating the next big thing.  We can provide powerful designs with cutting edge development methods.  We are fun and energetic. 

•  Sketch & Revise

The sketch and revise stages often get mixed together so I am putting them together now.  Below you will see a progression of ideas to the final design.  First our idea was simply make the logo a cannon that would make perfect sense, right?  But we decided that it didn’t fit us.  A simple cannon was too old fashion, not cutting edge like we want to portray ourselves as.  So we moved to a tank.  The tank was scrapped because it just wasn’t original enough.  Then we got the outline of Prototype.  Prototype was it, we had found the right concept.  It was time to color and finalize him.

• Create A Story

Prototype is a design and development superhero, he stands tall and carries a big stick.  A cannon for an arm allows him to blast out the newest and most interesting concepts and themes for wordpress and other CMS’s.  Prototype is fast and friendly, but he also knows when that there is a time to be serious and he will take care of business.

Prototype was probably the most fun logo I have created.  Your process can be fun as well.  Just remember that by taking the long route and doing this sometimes silly step you can produce a great logo.

If you liked this article please subscribe to my rss feed.  This sites goal is to have 100 subscribers by June.  If you can be a part of the community we would appreciate.

Whether you write for fun, or because you want to teach people something, or because it is your business you will eventually find yourself wanting to establish a brand.

Since it can be a daunting task here are a few steps in the design process to help you out.

• Brainstorm

A blog is an extension of you and it should represent your personality, your traits, and your feelings.  Make a list of your personalities, what your blog is about, who you readers are, what your tone is.  Having a list of all of these factors will help you later when you begin to draw your logo. 

• Sketch

If you think that you don’t have the creative gene or you are not a very good artist, don’t be discouraged.  You don’t have to be.  Finalizing your design can always be done by a professional later on.  But if you can start sketching some ideas that you may have generated from your list, developing a solid concept, having something to show a designer will make your branding process go much quicker and easier. You will also end  up with a product that more resembles what you are looking for.

• Review/Revise

Your brand has to be perfect.  You must be absolutely happy with what you have created. Ask your friends and family for opinions.  Get online and find a group to review your ideas or to help you brainstorm. Then head back to that drawing board and start sketching again.  You can never take to long to establish your brand.

• Create A Story

This may sound hokey, but you need to believe in your brand. Create a story that explains what your logo is. If you can fully understand what your logo represents you will be able to market yourself more strongly.

Your brand is you and needs to represent that.  If you just throw something together quickly most likely it won’t be succesful.  Take your time and build your brand around you, don’t let a designer build it for you. I design logos for people and these are all the things I try to consider.  But if you come to a designer with these items in hand or mind you will find that your logo is much better in the end.

After 40 years the company has decided to update their brand by designing a new logo (shown above).

I think that it would be hard for anyboy to think of a copy machine and not think of xerox, yet you have probably never even noticed their simple old logo.  I guess that is what drove the company to design a new identity after 40 years and to deliver in ways that is almost flashy. 

But flashy isn’t always a good thing.  The xerox logo went from looking dull and well fitting for a copy machine company, to bright, bubbly, and hip which is where it became generic.  It seems to me that xerox has jumped on the web 2.0 bandwagon hitting on a trend that is very popular right now, but most likely doesn’t have much staying power.  Don’t get me wrong the logo looks beautiful, but how different is it from every other web 2.0 logo you see running around.  Not much is it?  And when was the last time you saw an internet fad stay, other than email and chatting not much has remained a constant in popularity. 

Xerox took an established brand and destroyed it.  They are starting over with a new design and a new feeling, but it lacks the very thing their original logo had.  Staying power.  For over 40 years that logo made you think xerox and you never batted an eye at it.  It wasn’t pretty or bubbly but it got its job done and made me recognize the brand.  Now we welcome the new age hipster xerox, and we hope that their new logo isn’t going to gogo out the door with the web 2.0 trend.