Creating Lists

A quick daily list detailing the tasks to accomplish that day is a highly effective tool for managing time. Keeping  a single note card has the added benefit of being able to toss that list into the recycling bin at the end of the day with a Sayonara, I got ‘er all done.

Setting Time for Repetitive Tasks

Nothing wastes more time than responding to every little email that pops up. Setting a chunk of time to go through email and closing out of  email for a few hours has helped to keep me moving through my day more efficiently. (i.e. I set aside a chunk of time in the mornings when everything is quiet and there are less distractions.  Reading through  emails in the morning helps to prioritize my list of tasks for the day)

Setting Time for Inspiration

Deciding up front how much time is spent on researching/exploring for ideas on a project helps keep me focused. If left on my own without a timeline, I will forever keep chasing that one great idea. At some point, you have to stop researching and start creating.

Limiting Distractions / Interruptions

The average worker is interrupted over 70 times in a given day with calls, emails, questions, putting out fires, etc. And, according to studies, once interrupted, it takes 20 minutes to get back to the level of concentration you were prior to being interrupted.

Closing the door, putting the phone on Do Not Disturb, noise-reduction head phones, switching off email, Instant Messenger, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and the list goes on and on and on. If you can list at least 3 ways to block needless distractions and put those into action, you will save precious minutes or even hours to put towards that ever -looming deadline.

Organizing the Clutter

Piles everywhere, how much time do I waste going through all my stacks looking for that one note I wrote on a piece of paper somewhere? Could be hours, it makes me cringe to think about it. Recently, instead of stacking it in a pile of things to get to later, files have now become my friend. Everything, whether it be a post it note, a random piece of paper, a project brief, etc goes into the appropriate file. Having this uncluttered work space, frees up my mind and the time I had spent shuffling through stacks is now spent creating.

How to create a glossy button in 7 easy steps.

STEP 1  (Create the Shape)

For this tutorial, we will just be creating a simple circle

STEP 2

Fill it with a color (i.e. PMS 297 Blue)

STEP 3 (Create depth)

Copy the circle you have just drawn  and paste it in front

[ keyboard shortcut:  Control + C = Copy  /  Control + F = Paste in place in front ]

STEP 4

Fill the top circle with a lighter shade of the blue (I used a 20% screen of the PMS 297 Blue)

STEP 5

Scale the top circle down to about 40% and drag it slight below the center point of the blue circle in back

STEP 6 Select both circles and to create a Blend go to Object > Blend > Make

[ keyboard shortcut: Control + A = Select All  / Command + Option + B = Blend ]

STEP 7 (Add a light reflection)

Create an oval path, fill it with a black & white Gradient and place it on top of the circles.

Note: if your color setting is CMYK, make sure the black for the gradient is full black (C=100, M=100, Y=100, K=100).

STEP 8

With the oval path selected, open the Transparency palate by going to Window > Transparency.

Once the Transparency palate is open, select Screen for the Blend Mode.

Congratulations, you have now created a glossy button that is scalable and easy to manipulate.

Listed here are some great websites to get the creativity flowing.

LOGOPOND [ www.logopond.com ]

Feeling just creatively tapped out? Got Nothing? This is a great site to help release those creative floodgates. It is a gallery site set up to share your logo designs, give and take feedback from other designers or to just browse through some pretty awesome logos. Have fun.

CARBONMADE [www.carbonmade.com ]

Feeling really good about your work, this is a great site to show it off.  This site features thousands of portfolios from all different mediums and offers designers an easy-to-use tool to manage it all online.

CREATTICA [ www.creattica.com ]

Another gallery site featuring thousands of great designs. Anyone can submit their work for consideration and voting on items is open to everyone. Only the best work is accepted and featured in the gallery that receives thousands of hits every day.

LOGODESIGNLOVE [www.logodesignlove.com]

This site is a blog by David Airey, a graphic designer, that features a lot of articles on logo design as well as showcasing some great designs for inspiration

BRAND NEW [ www.underconsideration.com/brandnew]

Brand New provides opinions on corporate and brand identity work, focusing mostly on identity design and some packaging. So, if you have a corporate client, this may be a great resource is you are looking for the latest trends or just need to learn more about logo design.

APPLE

The Apple icon is one of the few logos that does not need a name or a tagline to identify what it is. The original concept behind the apple computer was designed for education; the use of the apple illustrates that perfectly. The mark itself is simple, clean and easily identifiable.

COCA -COLA

Everything about the Coca Cola logo, from the script font, to the bold red and white color scheme is used to attract the young at heart. It is a classic logo that has stood the test of time and has come to symbolize the youthful exuberance of America.

NIKE

The NIKE Swoosh personifies the concept of speed and motion. It embodies the notion of strong, fluid and fast, all words that describe the Nike Brand. The company takes its name from the Greek goddess of victory, Nike and represents the wing of the Greek Goddess.

FEDEX
The brilliance of the FedEx logo is in its simplicity, bold color palette and strong font style. Look closely and you’ll see a hidden arrow between the ‘E’ and the ‘x’– a symbol for speed and precision, both FedEx communicative attributes. It has been ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the 8 best logos of the past thirty-five years. The logo has won over forty awards worldwide.

WORLD WILDLIFE FUND

World Wildlife Fund logo is based on a panda named Chi Chi. Immensely appealing, the positive image of the panda is seen as caring, responsible and credible, reflecting the values of the organization it represents.

Check back here next week for more examples of Ranked Logos

Functionality

A great logo transitions easily across a variety of mediums  and sizes. It may need to be seen on everything from a small black and white newspaper ad, to a  2-page spread in a full-color, glossy magazine to a billboard on the side of a freeway. It  needs to represent your company on the web, or on t-shirts, etched in glass, embossed in leather, and so on and so on. A simple, clean yet dynamic logo can accomplish all these tasks easily.

Timeless

While a logo may need to be updated from time to time to remain relevant, the fundamental design of a logo should stand the test of time. Logos that rely on the current trends will look dated quickly and need to be recreated, diminishing any awareness you had built up in your brand.

One-of-a-kind

A custom logo should represent you and you alone. It should be uniquely your own and not a copycat of someone else. While it may seem like a good to idea to ride on the coattails of others, it can be confusing to the consumer and can lead to a loss in sales.

Set the tone

A logo sets the tone for the company. The product or service you provide should be represented in your logo. It should provide a quick snapshot of what is being marketed.

For example, a company that is comprised of mostly men and focuses on tractor sales will not be represented well with a delicate script font.  It would require a more bold, strong sans font style to portray their product.

Check back here next week for examples of some top Ranked Logos

What you can do to help create a great brand for your company?

KNOW WHO YOU ARE

[What is your vision / goal for your company ]

The most important thing you can do in helping your designer create a unique and engaging brand is knowing who you are and what you want to say.

For Example:

If you had to sum up in one short sentence what your company is about, could you do it?

It you had to pick 10 words that describe the look and feel of your company, could you narrow it down to only 5?

Fonts: What font style do you lean towards? Are you more the simple, clean and strong SANS font style or do you prefer the embellished look of the SERIF fonts.

Colors: Colors have symbolism and what color you choose says a lot about who you are.

(check back here next month for a more detailed list of Colors and their Meanings)

DON’T RUSH THE PROCESS

[ Why “I want it yesterday”  is not a good idea ]

Can it be done? Absolutely. Should it be done? Absolutely not.

Creating a brand that is uniquely your own and describes who you are takes time. There can be many rounds of revisions before it feels right to you. The best thing you can do is speak up and be patient. And know that the designer that is creating your brand wants you to love your brand, not just like it as it will become a part of who you are.

THE QUICKEST WAY TO DESTROY THE BRANDING PROCESS

[ Why Designing by Committee is a BIG no-no ]

Bringing in an entire committee to help design a brand can add days, weeks or even months to an already lengthy design process. While it can be comforting to get many opinions on the brand you are creating, you also need to be conscience of the fact that everyone has different likes and dislikes. Even though a consensus has been reached on the vision and goals for your company, how that vision gets portrayed can be very different for everyone. It helps the designer to have one voice and one clear vision or your brand will not look cohesive.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

[ Be Conscience of who you are asking feedback from ]

Are you a young fashion designer who is trying to appeal to the young up-and-coming 20 somethings?

Then your Mother, whom  you love, trust and have always cherished her advice, may not be the best person to ask if this brand describes you and what you do. While your brand is definitely about you, it also has to appeal to the masses you want to reach.