I was first introduced to Jeff Pollard as a possible candidate for Brand A Brander 2. Jeff was recommended as a pro that may be overlooked (which he would have been) because of his non-existence on any form of social media – which is where I have formed most of my brand design connections.
It was just after this time that the whole Tiger Woods saga blew up to the epic thing that it was and I started to wonder if Tiger would need to re-brand himself. I then remembered that Jeff actually designed Tiger’s current logo and thought I’d have a chat to the man behind some high-profile brands.
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Firstly, thanks so much for sparing the time in your busy week to fit me in.
Nathan: So Jeff, can you give us a bit of background about yourself?
Jeff: Mine is a pretty mundane (*yawn*), simple (*Zzzz*) life; I tend to be a homebody.
I migrated to Portland, OR from the Seattle area in 1996. Growing up I’ve lived in Texas and Montana as well as Washington and now Oregon but originally my family is from Washington.
I’m single (never married) so I guess “Princess Charming” and I must’ve passed each other by somewhere along the way.
As far as “hobbies” go, I don’t really have any. Again, I tend to be a homebody – or I guess I prefer a simple life – but I’m also a voice actor and am currently taking acting classes so where that’ll lead is anyone’s guess.
I also teach part-time (Icons & Symbol Design, Logo Design, and Branding & Packaging Design) at Chemeketa College in Salem, OR.
Nathan: What got you into designing initially, and how did you end up as a logo designer?
Jeff: I was always drawing from the time I was old enough to hold a pencil or crayon or anything that would make a mark so becoming an “artist” was pretty much a given, but if I had my way I would have become a professional athlete – specifically baseball – and from the time I was 9 years old, that was my goal.
I played all sports growing up, but at 14 I had to make a choice between Track or Baseball. My track coaches wanted me to train for the ’80 and ’84 Olympic trials which meant giving up all sports except track since training would become a full-time job. My dad and I sat down to talk about the future and since baseball was my passion, I chose to give up football, basketball and track and concentrate on baseball.
By high school I was getting some attention from some colleges and Major League scouts – mostly the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles – and in my senior year I got a tryout with the Cincinnati Reds.
Unfortunately, genetics weren’t on my side and I was considered too small to make the leap from Triple-A (the level just below the Major Leagues) to the Majors so I hung ‘em up and concentrated on a career in art… which, again, was always in my sights anyway.
I did two and-a-half years at Tacoma Community College to prep myself for application to The Burnley School in Seattle where I was accepted and studied for another two and-a-half years. From there I tried Advertising for a year before deciding this field was a quick way to an early death then migrated into Graphic Design.
I seemed to have a knack for logo design early on and once I struck out on my own, that discipline became the reason my phone rang; I’ve always said that clients will determine who you are and, in my case, they determined that I was a logo designer so I never set out to become “a logo designer”. It just worked out that way.
Nathan: What makes you different from the thousands of logo designers out there?
Jeff: I can only really speak about my own personal methodology as a possibility differentiation since I don’t know the process by which others work: I’m more interested in visually representing WHO a client is and not WHAT they do.
Telling a client’s or product’s story is paramount as is finding The Big Idea. I have no interest in creating “visual decoration” that is devoid of any relevant meaning and I think too often what I see is merely that – decoration – which is becoming more and more the norm unfortunately.
I think it’s too easy for some to rely solely on software as far as dictating the terms of the creative process and because there is no “logo” key on the keyboard I’m old school when it comes to fleshing out ideas; a computer’s hardware and software has limitations, a pencil and paper (and my brian) have no limitations.
Recently, I had to “audition” for a gig and was one of four or five designers being considered for a rebranding job and one of the partners basically asked the very question you pose of what makes me different and/or why they should choose POLLARDdesign. My response was pretty much this –
The work will answer better than I can; if the work sucked I wouldn’t be considered and so the decision is likely already made based solely on the quality of the work. However, beyond that I can guarantee I won’t bullshit a client. Ever. I am of no value to a client if I’m not completely honest with them every step of the way which is going to mean sometimes disagreeing with them, but if I feel a client is making a wrong choice I’m careful to point it out but to also explain WHY I feel that way.
Anyway, however this client I mention here ultimately made their choice, I got the gig.
Sometimes a client needs to be reminded that this image we’re creating isn’t exclusively for the people internally, but rather it is for that company’s demographic and so the image must speak to them and in such a way as to reflect who the company it represents is because what the company does should be handled in print and electronic collateral.
I have a saying I use to clarify the goals of a corporate identity: A logo can’t cure cancer and it can’t make toast.
What I mean by that is that a logo is a very necessary and, in many ways, the most important, asset of any company… but it can’t do everything. It can’t supplant a good, cohesive marketing strategy so for those clients who think a killer logo is suddenly going to create instant success, well, I’m not afraid to set them straight while also pointing out what their ongoing responsibilities are as far as helping to establish and further the brand once I hand them Final Art.
Nathan: What is the favorite logo in your portfolio? Why?
Jeff: I can honestly say I don’t have a specific favorite – isn’t that like having a “favorite” child? – lol
Of course I have some that I feel resonate better than others – for varying reasons – but by and large I don’t categorize my work as favorites or non-favorites inasmuch as all of them were successful in one way or the other.
Nathan: Do you have a defining project in your career?
Jeff: I suppose it’s safe to say I’m best known for having created Tiger Woods’ logo (designed through Nike) which is to say that’s how most people introduce me; “This is Jeff Pollard. He designed Tiger Woods’ logo!” – lol
Nathan: What is the highest profile logo?
Jeff: Probably the other “famous” or at least highest profile logo outside of the Tiger Woods’ logo would be the Pro Football Hall of Fame logo (designed through the NFL) which, like most of the logos I’ve created, has an interesting story –
I was visiting family in the mid-west and they were curious about what, exactly, I did for a living – which I think is probably the case for most of us in that our friends and family aren’t really sure about what it is we do – and so in the process of trying to explain what a “logo” is and who buys them, the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame game was on TV and at that exact moment of my trying to explain what I do and for whom I do it, the broadcast zoomed in on the Hall of Fame logo painted at midfield so I pointed to the image on the TV and said “There! I did that!”.
My aunt, uncle and cousins looked at the TV screen, looked at me, looked back at the TV screen then someone asked: “Oh! You painted that logo on the field?!”
Now, had I simply painted a logo on the field of the globally televised NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame game they would have been impressed and proud as hell of me, but once I clarified that no, I designed the actual logo that was painted on the field, well they just went crazy – lol
Nathan: How did you manage to land those jobs?
Jeff: As for the Tiger Woods logo – which, of course, has just as interesting a story behind it – I guess it was a case of being in the right place at the right time… and not sucking at what I do.
Nike had signed Tiger Woods in 1996 after he announced he was turning pro and so Nike wanted to make a big splash by creating an identity and brand for Tiger just as they had for Michael Jordan some ten years earlier so they set to work on it internally.
They arrived at Tiger’s new mark and invited him to see his new logo and the products it was being produced on and… Tiger hated it. In fact, he was pissed that he wasn’t part of the creative process as far as being involved with the actual development and selection.
Meanwhile, Tommy Hilfiger apparently was whispering in Tiger’s ear that if Tiger left Nike and signed with Hilfiger, well, they’d do it right.
Nike rightfully panicked.
In response they assured Tiger they’d fix everything and that he could be right there monitoring the process all along the way and so Nike hired a big-name west coast studio, a big-name east coast studio, and little ol’ me to come up with Tiger’s new mark along with 33 internal Nike designers!
Nike assured Tiger that he could personally review every thumbnail, every chicken-scratch and every bar napkin that had any sort of image on it related to his logo and that he alone would make the selection.
As I understood it, the presentation/selection process took two weeks as there were literally hundreds if not thousands of designs to review. But Tiger plowed through them all and made his choice. Mine wasn’t The One even though Nike wanted it for Tiger but was careful not to steer him lest they piss him off again – as it was, my design was apparently Tiger’s fourth favorite – so in 1997, Nike presented Tiger Woods’ (second) identity to the world and almost immediately there were issues and concerns with it not the least of which had to do with it bearing a striking resemblance to Hyundai’s logo to the point where Nike’s legal department was weighing their options for when, not if, Hyundai raised hell; one of the considerations was that Nike would simply buyout Hyundai for the logo.
Now, jump ahead to 2000 –
I’m sitting at home watching the 2000 US Open and Tiger tees off. Of course, the camera zoomed in on Tiger and there on the front of his cap was… my logo! The one I created in 1997! There! On Tiger Woods’ cap! And shirt!
What. The. HELL?!
On the following Monday I tried to contact the art directors I had worked with on the project, neither of whom were still with Nike by this time, but eventually I tracked one of them down who confirmed that yes, Nike had revisited Tiger’s logo so the art director referred me to the head of Nike Golf whom I had worked with in the past before going out on my own.
I left him a voice mail and sent an email to find out what happened. I even sent him some of my electronic files plus the original design rationale I included in my presentation to Nike (which Nike used virtually verbatim on their website to announce Tiger Woods’ new logo!) to support my claim.
Ron called me back the next day. I think the first words he said were: “Looks like we owe you some more money!” which, of course, I wasn’t adverse to, but my primary goal was to be able to put the Tiger Woods logo in my portfolio.
Nike took care of me of course, I didn’t doubt that they would, so what happened between 1997 and 2000 was that once Tiger made his selection in ’97, all of those hundreds or thousands of thumbnails, chicken-scratches and bar napkins were boxed up and stored away and when Nike approached Tiger about a rebrand, he agreed, so all of the original designs generated in ’97 were brought out of storage and the whole selection process was done over again and this time, Tiger selected my design which he and Nike remembered – Nike pointing out that this was their favorite mark all along. The problem was, that because everything was boxed up together, no one could remember who did what design but fortunately, I just happened to be watching the 2000 US Open.
And that’s my Tiger Woods logo story.
Nathan: Did that defining job make you nervous or feel that you were maybe unqualified for such a project?
Jef: That’s a very good question. The answer is ‘no’.
I didn’t feel nervous or under-qualified or un-deserving at all. It was definitely exciting and an honor to be asked to participate but I absolutely looked at it realistically. That one of my designs would be the one chosen for Tiger Woods would be like winning the lottery and so I looked at the opportunity as simply being “It’s nice to be asked.” but I had no illusions or expectation that my design would be selected simply because the odds were against it given how many designers were involved in the exploration process with all of us generating as many idea as it was physically possible to create.
Nervous or unqualified? No. Honored and appreciative? Yes.
Nathan: Did the exposure of the high profile logo change anything about your business – and/or did you change anything as a result of that project?
Jeff: I think for some clients, seeing an armload of design trophies or a logo or client they recognize creates instant credibility in their minds so I’d be naive to think that my having created Tiger Woods’ logo didn’t benefit me professionally… of course it hasn’t done a damn thing for me personally – lol
Nathan: Are there any of your logos in circulation that you would like to change now, or wish you could have designed them differently?
Jeff: It’s normal for any designer to look at something they created six years or six weeks or even six minutes ago that they’d like to tweak or massage or love ‘n snuggle on some more to try and improve it, but I try very hard to create images that don’t encourage those types of responses. We all do the very best we can with whatever time is given and the more experience we have, the less likely we are to want to go back and change something already accepted and produced by a client.
However… There is something I created recently that I would absolutely change if allowed and I definitely fought like hell to get the client to go in a different direction.
I was part of a hand-picked contingent that rebranded the school where I teach part-time: Chemeketa Community College. Two of us are part-time instructors and all of us are on the Advisory Board of which I’m the current President, but we had to audition, by law, just like the other design firms but we got the gig.
In any event, despite having to deal with a committee (anything over 3 people is a committee and committees kill creative by the way), the project went fairly smoothly and ultimately the committee selected one of my designs.
But as seems typical, despite the project going fairly smoothly, the wheels came off when it came to color exploration and despite having no parameters going into the color exploration, somewhere along the way someone established parameters yet didn’t tell us and despite their being one clearly preferred color palette by all but two committee members, the final palette became a compromise that I think is ill-suited for the school as far as representing an institution of higher learning and despite my best efforts to talk the two members of the committee off the proverbial ledge, I couldn’t and so this logo is one that I would definitely change. Not the concept or composition, but rather the palette.
It’s grown on me somewhat but I’ll always see it for it could have been color-wise.
Nathan: If you could land any ‘rebrand’ job right now what would it be?
Jeff: There are too many to name – particularly in the world of sports team logos and uniforms.
Unfortunately, I see too many marks that are devoid of any relevant concept and instead seem to be more special effects or “Hey! Me too!” imagery whereby they all begin to look alike.
I’m definitely not a fan of 3D spherical logos. These illuminated marble logos are like the “swoosh” marks of the 80s/90s; overdone to the point of rendering them virtually meaningless as far as design goes.
Personally, I find the whole 3D lozenge effect beaten to death and played out – which didn’t take long. Too many logos seem more about visual trickery than actual substance.
Nathan: I guess having a somewhat ‘known’ portfolio helps to attract business, but how do you market yourself?
Jeff: I’m terrible about marketing myself. The worst. Most of my work comes via word-of-mouth to be honest. I send out periodic e-promos but I haven’t done any actual advertising for quite some time now. I like to think at this stage of my career it’s because I don’t have to – lol
Nathan: Do you think there are important skills that are being lost with todays designers?
Jeff: Without a doubt. When Photoshop came out, I remember thinking it was the end of graphic design as we know it. Tricky effects do not a relevant design make and that, for me, represents the biggest decline in our industry. The Big Idea is slowly dying and giving way to, what I call, “disposable” logos that rely on FX and not much more so it strikes me that critical thinking is becoming harder and harder to come by and because I’m a part-time instructor, I’m getting a front row seat so I’m able to report on this accurately and with conviction.
It’s alarming and telling to hand out a creative brief for a project and see everyone head right for the computer lab so when I make them sit down to thumbnail, I see expressions of confusion, terror and rage – lol
In a lot of cases, these students show up with nothing to make a mark and nothing to make a mark on! No paper. No pencil. Nothing.
I’m also on the Advisory Board at The Art Institute of Portland and I remember looking at student work and being completely underwhelmed so in my very first meeting I asked the faculty members at the head of the table what the process was when students were handed an assignment by them.
“Well, the first thing they do is go to the computer and… “. I said “Stop right there. That’s the problem!”
Students have to learn to work out ideas on paper and see for themselves that they can generate more (and better) ideas – as well as find solutions – with a pencil and paper faster than they can on a computer so my primary goal with teaching is to help students learn a creative methodology in order to help them arrive at The Big Idea.
Naturally, they go kicking and screaming at first but the ones who commit to the methodology develop faster than those who don’t and they are also more likely to have successful careers.
The misconception is that they have to be able to draw well. Not true. They simply need to draw well enough to explore ideas and convey those ideas non-verbally if need-be. They all can’t draw like Rembrandt or da Vinci, but they all can draw well enough to play Pictionary® and thumbnails are a requirement along with learning to defend their work meaning, in my class, there are no accidents in creating a well-crafted and relevant end-result.
And if any of them design another one of those damn 3D spheres, there’ll be hell to pay – lol.
I’m a fan of the ABC show ‘Shark Tank’ where entrepreneurs pitch an investment opportunity in their business to 5 millionaire potential investors. The ‘sharks’ in turn ask the hard questions about the product or business and individually or collectively decide if they want to invest in the business.
Last night’s episode (#113) featured a product called ‘Grease Monkey Wipes‘. The product itself ended up with the investment from 2 of the sharks which was cool, but it was the first product I’ve watched on the show where the logo (shown right) was given such high praise from the panel. The YouTube clip shows one example of the sharks noting the logo, but from memory, there were at least 5 or 6 references to how great the logo/brand/monkey was.
Intrigued as to the designer behind this ‘awesome’ brand I decided to try and find out who designed the logo. Strangely enough, I am yet to find the mystery designer or agency anywhere – even after extensive searching.
I’m perplexed why this designer wouldn’t have attempted to leverage this awesome exposure. I know I wasn’t looking for someone to design a logo for me, but I’m sure there were dozens of people who were, and an endorsement from a panel of millionaires I’m sure would have been just the hook that would have flooded this designer with work – at least for the short time.
Unfortunately, television exposure such as this is like fire and ice. You need to take advantage of it within 72 hours or it’s lost forever – pending some additional peaks if the show is re-run int he future.
I’ve had one of my own clients being featured on a major network television show (although on a much smaller scale), but I ensured the links were in place that if someone wanted to find out who the designer was – it was quite a simple process. Now, I wasn’t flooded with work requests, but I did notice a spike in traffic to my site which is really what you’re looking for.
If you’re in a similar situation here’s some pointers on leveraging the exposure;
1. Get your portfolio up to date. You want to make sure all of these new visitors are seeing the best of your work. Make sure the logo is easily seen in your portfolio. You don’t want people to find your site & wonder why they can’t see it.
2. Write a blog article about your design process of that specific logo. Make sure you include the business name as well as the television show it will appear on (for keyword snagging).
3. Make sure you get it all online at least a week before it airs.
4. Upload the logo to a major public gallery (like logopond.com) and make sure there’s a link back to the article and/or your site. This is essential if you have a tight timeline before it airs.
5. Link to the article on related forums and social media (twitter, facebook, linkedin etc..)
I’d love to hear what other things would you recommend to maximize your leverage?
User experience is one of those new trendy terms that is becoming a valuable area of expertise as a web designer.Unfortunately it’s one of those things (like usability) that is so vague and covers so many aspects that it’s hard to define or pin down to just a few key points. In this post I’m just going to look at the user flow options of linear or mesh structure.
It’s important to note at the outset that each project needs to be evaluated individually to determine which structure is most appropriate, but I feel that this is one of the options that’s usually overlooked.
What’s the difference?
A mesh structured website is what makes up 99% of the web. A website that links to multiple pages and they generally all link back to each other. There is no set order and your experience ends when you are done. Going to a theme park would be an example of a mesh experience.
Similar to a hose, a linear structure guides the user through a direct (usually pre-determined) flow of pages, then directing them out the other end of the experience. Watching a movie is an example of a linear experience.
Within many online store sites there is an element of both structures. The main site and shopping gallery would use the mesh system while the checkout process would revert back to a linear experience.
Mesh structure pros and cons.
Pros
Web users are very familiar with the mesh system. It allows them to quickly find areas they need or want quickly. Lots of information can be provided, providing users the freedom to see what they want and move on. Sites can be expanded with growth quite easily.
Cons
Users can miss important content. Relies heavily on information layout and page structure to make sure the user understands the key areas. Only a few key areas can be emphasized.
Practical linear user flow.
The most common (although basic) form of linear flow used to be a splash “click here to enter” page, but currently, a linear flow is generally used for any systematical information gathering – such as the Amazon Checkout process shown here.
You start by signing in to verify the user, confirm the address you want the order shipped to, select the shipping type/cost you want, decide how you will pay for the item, enter your billing details, select any of the available options (like gift wrapping), confirm the order, see order confirmation.
Every order follows the same process. Prior to the payment you can bail back out to the shopping area and product gallery, but you always have to go back through the same process (in sequence) to complete the order. Why do they do that? Because each step is important and can’t be missed. Amazon need the information that is collected at each step.
Why would I use a linear flow for a website?
As a designer of interactive promotions, we have found that linear flow is the best way for both the client and the user to gain the benefit they need. The client gets some kind of brand or product placement in front of the user and the user ultimately has a chance to win something.
Here’s an example of an interactive promotion user flow.
But I hear you asking when it would ever be useful in a regular website? While I doubt many content-heavy websites would ever ‘work’ in a linear flow, you can consider adopting a linear flow for sections of your site.
This might be for sites where people are only coming for 1 purpose, or for sites that have some payoff to the user for staying within the flow.
Advantages of a linear experience
You can guide a user through the experience with very few distractions, buttons or options. You can get users to see something they wouldn’t otherwise have seen. It’s something different. It can provide a very fast user experience.
Warnings
If you’re going to attempt to lock people into a linear experience make sure there is a payoff for the user. If they get bored you may experience what is called ‘dropoff’, especially when you reach a barrier page like a form or a page where they need to read a lot of text. Always let the user see the pot of gold at the end of the tunnel, and it can be a good idea to show progress.
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Have you ever used a linear process within a mess structured site? Let us know how it went for you.
Legally protecting yourself (as a freelancer or agency), is one of those things that sound good, but few people actually do anything about.
We place in the ‘it must be expensive’ or the ‘I’ve been fine without it so far’ basket, and it stays there and looks at you with geico-cash eyes – begging for your attention. It’s just one of those things we know we need, but it hasn’t made it high enough up the priority list to do something about it.
UNTIL… that day when a client from that ‘big job’ turns around and wants to take you to court for some kind of misunderstanding or wants ANOTHER set of revisions after you’ve already done 25. Once you’re in a hole with no back door there’s really no place to go and no way out – UNLESS you’ve covered yourself with some form of legal contract.
Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a lawyer, and I have no formal legal education o the comments and observations in this post are merely ideas and collections of knowledge from various people in my experience.
Contracts in a nutshell
Basically a contract is any agreement between 2 or more parties. The majority of the time contracts are printed documents with a few signatures on the bottom, but legally. Interestingly, even a verbal agreement is legally binding – however infinitely harder to prove if anything makes it to a courtroom.
Why use a contract?
A contract (although somewhat daunting) is a very professional way to start a professional relationship of work/service. A contract should clearly contain the expectations of the initiating party, and their expectations of the client. It will often include clauses covering instances where either party may want to terminate the contract and the consequences of that.
Most of the time, contracts we sign are locking us into a payment expectation and the period of time those payments will be required. Statement of work (SOW) contracts are similar, but detail the terms for a specific project.
What you CAN do in a contract?
You can actually include almost anything within the law. This may include (but not limited to);
Payment outlines and dates
Project expectations and deliverable dates
Failure to meet payment or milestone results
Expected behavior or appearances
Expected confidentiality, disclosure or exposure
Limitations of liability
Outline of potential additional charges
What you CAN’T do in a contract?
No matter how committed you are to an agreement, any contract which includes breaking any law may be deemed null and void in whole or part regardless of the context or intent.
You also can’t deliberately confuse or mislead people. Any contract that is deemed to possibly have an alternate meaning may void something you have included. With the motto of Google – Don’t be evil.
Don’t include unrealistic expectations. You should always be writing an agreement that all parties should be able to comply with. There’s no benefit including a requirement that will cause unnecessary stress or worry. Like adding a line that would disconnect a service if a payment is 1 minute late.
Play nice
I have seen a few examples of work agreement contracts which heavily favor the agency. You don’t want a potential client to leave you because they’re uneasy about agreeing to your terms. On the flip side, you get clients who don’t read all of the fine print (how many people read all 40 pages of a mobile phone contract before they sign?), who may not comply with any unexpected inclusions – but will put up a fight if you try to enforce them.
My contract suggestions
1. Keep it short. For a freelance project, I would say no more than 1 page. People don’t want to sit and read 5 pages of garbage, they want to see what you’re locking them in to. You can do things like separating off documents like privacy policy to your website for people to read later.
2. Keep it easy to read. If you keep it simple, there’s no arguments later.
3. Number each point. That way you can reference clauses quickly when talking on the phone or over email.
4. Make sure you give a client adequate time to look over the document before signing. Maybe even allow them to get a third party to review it.
5. Play Nice (see above).
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What inclusions do you have in your freelance contracts?
Brand A Brander is a way for logo designers to get an ‘outsiders look’ at their company. Given a short brief, logo designers attempt to re-brand each other. All participants are hand-selected in an attempt to retain a level of quality, but there are obviously going to be mis-matches due to the sheer awesomeness of some of the designers participating. Let us know how you would re-brand some of these great brand designers.
What are the questions for the brief?
1. What is the name of your business?
2. Any color preferences?
3. In a sentence, describe what you want to convey in your logo.
4. Briefly describe your target market.
5. What is your favorite logo (any company any designer).
6. Describe your business in 20 words or less.
The Questions Each Participant Answered
Thanks to those who participated for being part of this experiment. The results speak for themselves.
1. Squarelogo or Squarelogo Design
2. Open
3. Professional brand design services.
4. Small to mid-sized businesses.
5. It’s impossible to pick one favorite, but I guess I’d say the OLD Northwest Airlines logo. Extremely simple, yet meaningful design.
6. Squarelogo design puts high end graphic design and branding within the reach of small and mid-sized businesses.
Square Logo’s portfolio has a great style. I wanted my re-brand to reflect the depth of what he can do for his clients. The name, obviously, lends itself well to a square of some sort. I wanted to add a little bit to the basic shape to come up with a mark that would do him justice. I started with a few box shapes and twisted and stretched them into something I liked, while keeping a square in center stage. I used a similar type to the original, but opted for sharp edges over rounded corners. I experimented with a few color combinations, but black and white ended up being the best option for this design. I hope David enjoys the design!
Toni Zova
Original: Toni Zova
1. Toni Zova
2. #272727
3. Modern, fresh, and a uniquely strong outlook on design in general.
4. Designers and none designers alike, people interested in Art/Design, people that want to get the latest on what’s going on in the design industry.
5. My own (maybe adidas).
6. modern, cutting edge, unique, friendly, international, bold.
RE-BRANDED: by Ricky Salsberry (The Donut Project)
Based on Toni’s brief, I tried to create a mark that is modern, clean and bold. The icon is clean and monochromatic (#272727) to reflect the current look & feel of Toni’s site. Toni’s rebellious, no nonsense tone (which <censored>ing rocks) on his site is reflected in the mark with a reference to the common ‘no symbol,’ created typographically with a Z striking through a T. The mark translates well into a blog header (horizontally or vertically), and the icon by itself works well as an online avatar or favicon.
1. The name should include either “Hi, I’m Chris”, or “Christopher Kaufman”
2. I’ve been attracted to vintage color combinations lately – Late 1950s through early 1970s. Here is a good article for inspiration: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/21/celebration-of-vintage-and-retro-design/
3. Smart, elegant style with a leading-edge, dauntless mood.
4. Small to medium sized businesses, ranging from medical, to financial services to entertainment.
5. FedEx – Perhaps a “happy accident”, but clever nonetheless.
6. Brand and interaction design with user experience in mind.
1. LogoGuppy
2. well… am partial to blue n black…
3. fun, intelligent and agressive.
4. age – 28 – 45 and Yuppie, 75:25 – male:female ratio
5. LogoMotive (By Mike E) & ToadPrint (by Mike E) & Ant (by William)
6. Illustrations & Brand Identity
RE-BRANDED: By Toni Zova
Behind the re-brand (by Toni Zova)
At first I drifted away from the initial brief John had provided, but then realized that would be even more difficult given the nature of this logo. A Fish. There were so many ways one could represent that in a mark so I got off my high horse and took into consideration John’s requests and went with things he wanted to convey in his mark, baring in mind other logos he liked and why he might have been attracted to them. It seemed like the sensible thing to do, rather than force him to use a mark that bore no resemblance to his brand only because I thought it looked hot. This was the outcome, a fun, somewhat serious looking mark that could also translate his illustrative nature.
John has noted to me since that he designed this for himself.
1. Logorado
2. No
3. It should convey trustworthiness, quality service, reasonable rates. If the new logo includes western feeling that would be great.
4. New entrepreneurs, small businesses.
5. World Wildlife Fund Logo
6. Logorado provides minimalist, elegant and professional logo designs for small businesses.
RE-BRANDED: by Raja Sandhu (Raja Sandhu Media Corp.)
I was inspired by the short brief and the name of which both had suggestions of a ‘western’ theme. The first two things that came to my mind were a lasso and a cowboy hat. The challenge was to create an image that captured the feel of those two elements (lasso and brim of a cowboy hat) with out being literal or more bluntly put, cheesy, all the while maintaining an ‘elegant and minimalistic’ look. It is, after all a logo for an iconic logo designer.
The Donut Project is a very cool collaborative design and inspiration blog. The mark I created for TDP represents the convergence of all the various ideas, concepts, and inspirations that are posted by the group of designers that contribute to the TDP site. More obviously, the shape of the mark is donut-like. The type has been created using a modified form of the Titillium font family.
Original: Von (Vonster) Glitschka (Glitschka Studios)
1. Glitschka Studios
2. No.
3. I deliver concept oriented illustrative design solutions.
4. Most often I’m a hired creative gun for other agencies, design firms, in-house art departments, as well as managing my own clients.
5. No specific favorites but I prefer bold simple solutions that are void of FX.
6. We’re able to deliver unique concept oriented design in a diverse range of styles to solve a clients needs creatively and appropriately.
I just wanted to create simple but impressive logo for Glitschka Studios. The logo includes a human face with a “G” form. I didn’t have a lot of time to work on it but I hope Von likes it.
1. brandclay™
2. nothing pastel
3. a unique representation of my christian roots and the word clay (no crosses)
4. start up companies to medium sized companies
5. If I have to choose just one, it would be Dana McCauley’s logo
6. A freelance design company set out to break the mold.
The goal was to create a brand image depicting Brandclay as a high-end, best-of-breed design studio in order to attract larger, global clients.
The concept behind the service mark/monogram was to convey the physical properties of clay; Flexible, Adaptable, Customizable, but do so in a way that indicated new thinking and to avoid traditional clay-type imagery so as to eliminate the possibility or confusion that Brandclay had anything to do with pottery or arts-and-crafts.
I also wanted to symbolically represent a broader reach by way of viral-type imagery which, again, reflects the physical properties of clay, but also represents the continuous evolution of Brandclay’s design vision.
The tagline helps tie the new brand together as well as extend it by functioning as a descriptor of Brandclay’s goals/services/area of expertise.
PS: Bonus points to viewers who see the leaping, celebratory figure within the service mark – ;-)
1. POLLARDdesign
2. No.
3. Serious yet approachable.
4. Everyone.
5. Mine is a Less Is More approach to design. I tend to dislike any overly cluttered, overly designed, overly complicated logo. I like clean and efficient visual imagery that has a relevant story to tell and isn’t merely decoration.
6. Maker of magical marks and cool, crispy icons.
A logo project for me is more than a singular mark, it’s a development of a brand system, so when ever I re-design a logo I first audit the existing mark and the context it lives in. Sometimes this reveals the need to completely throw out the current design and create a new one from scratch. But for this project I felt retaining equity from the previous mark was warranted so as to avoid a complete visual detachment with the clients audience.
I retained the eye element and incorporated it into a customized “pd” symbol. I like to provide both a horizontal and vertical format for all my clients logos, this helps them retain brand continuity moving forward across a broad range of media venues.
1. Postscript5
2. I’m open to suggestions although I do love my green colour: #50a48d
3. Structure is important, i specifically used FF Din because of it’s beautiful structured qualities. I’m a female in a male dominated
industry, so creating something soft (yet not over the top feminine) is also important.
4. Entrepreneurs and small businesses, although I also work with other design companies & developers.
5. Anything by the brilliant Dache. My favorite would be his design for the MediaFactory.
6. Pure, functional and effective design, development and branding with incredible attention to detail.
I created a logo for Grace at Postscript 5 that has an accent of her current green color, while simplifying the mark by incorporating the ’5′ into the type. I set the type in Gotham Rounded for its stability, yet softened, rounded edges that gives the logo the effeminate (but not overbearing) hint that Grace is looking for to help her stand out in a male-dominated industry.
1. Knight’s Creative
2. I like black and white, but wouldn’t be opposed to red or dark blue.
3. I like to project confidence and competence.
4. Small to medium sized business owners and entrepreneurs in various industries.
5. I love the WWF logo
6. I design logos and help create successful brands. My job is to help businesses create a consistent brand presence.
I had a lot of good ideas for this project but simplicity is the main thing I wanted to convey. Taking an every day symbol that is often represented by a knight; his sword, and turning it into something that visualizes a creatives identity was a really fun task. I drew about 10-15 swords (don’t think I’ll ever be happy with the sword) and combined a pencil tip or a pen tip to the end of the sword. I ended up with this one because it was the one I was most satisfied with. In his original logo he uses a serif font, so sticking with that I used Aviano Serif in all caps and modified the A. Hope he likes it
1. CobaltCow or Cobalt Cow (not necessarily case sensitive)
2. I guess a blue base
3. A memorable, clean mark. I want people to remember at least the “cow” aspect.
4. Mainly start-ups and rebrands in the mid to upper class.
5. Just a few that come to mind: Artfire Films, Michael Jackson, HSV (the round part)
6. I like to help a company set their brand where they want their business to be. Clean, and clutter-free.
It was quite daunting redesigning Nathan’s own logo! Especially as I already think it’s extremely well designed. I wanted to keep the new logo consistent with the original which is very strong, especially the color scheme.
Nathan wanted the brand to be clean and memorable with people ideally remembering the ‘cow’ aspect. I took this into consideration but I also felt the actual brand name could be ‘punchier’ and more to the fore. I felt the original logo was perhaps too elongated and I therefore designed a logo which is more compact and concise.
I chose a strong but fun typeface (Nilland) to perfectly compliment the fun business name. With the actual cow I created a simple but easily recognisable outline, which stands proudly looking at the brand name.
Hopefully I’ve been able to both do the original justice and create a worthy alternative.
1. Raja Sandhu Media Corp.
2. Silver and Black
3. World Wide Arts and Entertainment
4. 20-50 somthings’ that are into arts and entertainment – think Warner Brothers
5. hmm non really – simple yet striking, good use of negative space, cleverly creative.
6. Umbrella corporation of several subsidiaries that scale universally from design, branding, music, music production, talent management, fashion , plus much more in the same parallels of creativity.
Unfortunately, Raja’s logo is one of my favorite marks, so rather than trying to improve on it, I tried to take a different approach. The only thing that concerned me about the current logo was that the mark was difficult to make out. After consideration I decided that the memorable mark was more important to the brand, since the text below it explained the mark adequately. In this mark, I played with the initials RSM, and integrated some feeling of communication – expressed through the curves which are more commonly related to RSS or Wi-Fi.
I have been presenting electronic design concepts for around 12 years now (which almost makes me a veteran of digital concepting I think). Back then I was using Paint Shop Pro and these days I rely heavily on Adobe Photoshop, but regardless of the software you use, once you have your end result there are a few things you’ll need to know when getting your artwork in front of the client.
These tips are just a few ways of taking that concept (that you’ve dedicated so many design hours & sleepless nights to perfecting) and presenting it to the client. Its hard to know for sure, but I would guarantee that I’ve ‘sold’ some of my logos predominantly on the way I presented it – and here’s some of my techniques and secrets.
1. Don’t bombard the client with options
I most cases, the client has come to you as the expert in developing their new identity. Although it’s common in Agency work, I recommend NOT sending a half a dozen concepts. Stick with presenting only your strongest 1 or 2 designs. If you feel a logo isn’t as strong as the others, keep it in a folder for yourself and focus on the ones with strength. Generally if I don’t feel that 1 is standing apart, then I need to work harder and come up with something that does.
2. Set the scene & solve a problem
Start by letting the client see that you understood their needs and designed something appropriate for them. Start out by recapping the main points of the project and what you tried to focus on, word the brief in a way that will mesh perfectly with what you are presenting to them.
Example: “As we discussed, XYZ Pear Company needs to have a bold new image, one that stands out from competitors and gives customers a feeling that the company is not only providing a great product, but that its fun and energetic.”
You would then go on to explain each concept you’re presenting (separately) and include reasons why each concept not only fits the brief you opened with, but why each concept may have a strength over the others. Use the same words they used in the brief in your explanation.
3. Let it breathe
Let each logo demand the clients attention. I usually present a logo concept as a 900 x 900 pixel 100% quality jpg, and keep the logo itself in the center with at least 200px gap around it. This gives the logo a clean canvas with no distractions.
The background can be any color you want, but don’t clutter it with any design elements. Sometimes a slight gradient can help to set the logo off the page a little, but apart from that, a flat color should be used. Provide each logo design as a separate file so that each gets its own 10 seconds of glory.
You can provide alternates (maybe a B&W, 1 color or an in-context version) as small inlays (if space permits) or on a composite file, but if you can, keep your primary logo by itself.
Note: Although a PDF is going to retain the quality better, you don’t want to be giving anybody your vector artwork at this stage.
4. Solve the problem
Make sure your logo solves the brief. If you noted that the client wants a bold & energetic logo, make sure that’s what you’re presenting them. If they specifically asked for something and you made the decision NOT to include it, make sure you explain why you decide that it wasn’t appropriate, don’t just leave them thinking you were lazy or worse – that you didn’t listen.
Most of the time, the client will accept a decent reason for not including something, so make sure you know the answers before they ask. It’s in the words you say. Stay positive and excited about how you feel your design will benefit the client.
5. Never get offended or take offense to criticism
This is easier said than done and only gets easier with practice. As designers, we put our heart & soul into our work, and when it gets pulled apart we feel like our souls are being torn and left in pieces on the floor. BUT, just remember that the client is only thinking of themselves and their brand – not about your feelings. At the end of the day this is about the public image of THEIR company – hopefully for years to come, not about your portfolio.
Listen to what they have to say and try to work with them to make the changes they need rather than calling them names under your breath. Don’t make up excuses as to why you cant do things they ask, but feel free to explain why it may not be a good idea.
—
Well there’s my advice. Let me know what you think.
Okay, so everyone has seen the ‘My design process’ blogs detailing the individual process of each designer. For logo designers I think we all work in a very similar way as a whole, but I wanted to target in on 1 very key aspect of the process which is usually glossed over – research.
In this post I decided to give a bit of insight into my personal research process for a logo design but I’d love for you to let me know any other things you do, or sites you use so we can compile a list of helpful resources.
Step 1 – Define.
Before you start to research, you need to know what you’re researching. Most of this will have been obtained in the brief or in your follow-up questions, but here’s a few main points I make sure to know.
A good way to determine a clients focus is to see what they list as their main competition. Usually clients want to try and emulate the market leader, so see what they’re doing that makes them successful. Be careful here – you don’t want to be ‘inspired’ by them, but there may be some underlying things they do well in their layout or marketing that you can leverage too.
Step 3 – Be the end user.
This is something I learned when doing my Advertising training. If you’ve seen the movie ‘What Women Want’ with Mel Gibson you’ll see a guy immersing himself in the brands he’s trying to sell – trying on stockings & nose strips. While he does go to the extreme, it does help to try and work out what the end user is looking for in the product – then sell your product to that strength. That way you’re not trying to convince someone to buy something, you’re helping them to solve a problem.
Step 4 – Google random things associated.
Once you have all the technical data in your head, go looking at the market. If you’re doing a sport-related logo, look through all kinds of sport photos and sites, get the vibe of current focuses and technology (remember the end user often knows more about the product than you, so don’t play too dumb).
Some things I DO NOT do.
When researching for a logo, I rarely look at logo inspiration sites (except as a last resort). The problem is that when you need inspiration for a specific job, another logo may either stick an idea in your head that you can’t move away from, or indirectly (accidentally) guide your style to end up with a design that’s similar to an existing logo.
Here’s some resources I use.
Tools
Tin Eye : Reverse image search to compare any look-alikes
What The Font : Helps when you want to know the font used in something else
There are loads of companies around the world that have great logos, even more that have run great advertising campaigns, but very few have set an exceptional standard and kept it there over a number of years. Here is a list of my top 5 brands that I feel have not only set the ultimate benchmark for their advertising, but have kept a consistent brand message though many campaigns. Interestingly 3 of the 5 are non-profit organizations.
5. WWF (World Wildlife Fund)
A great brand is always solidified with a strong logo, and WWF really does have a great logo. It’s 1986 ‘panda’ is one of the more easily recognizable and memorable brands – even with no text. It’s advertising always manages to catch my eye.
WWF panda logo
Print advertising samples
4. Apple
Although they reinvented & re-branded to a certain extent themselves back in 2001, I think the relaunch of the old company took on a new life. Since then, its advertising, branding and corporate image have kept a slick clean edge and their advertising is always well received. They get 4th just because the current brand has been going less than 10 years. The advertising itself isn’t that amazing (although the Mac Vs PC commercials are great), but they have a very clean professional and consistent style.
Apple logo
Advertising samples
3. Amnesty International
Similar to UNICEF, Amnesty is a world-recognized non-profit focusing on the welfare of developing countries. It may not be the focus but I’ve noticed they seem to have a heavier focus on human rights atrocities and the need for intervention rather than the direct supply of food & medical aid. Either way, they provide an invaluable service to those suffering unjustly around the world.
Amnesty logo
Print advertising samples
2. Volkswagon
I know this may come as a surprise listing to anyone outside the advertising industry, but they have not only kept a consistent brand, but their print advertising has been not only appealing, but groundbreaking in that a large number of their earlier print ads focused on negative messaging to promote themselves. The Award-winning ‘lemon’ promotion from the 1960′s was arguably the most prominent. The simple print ad layout adapted in the early days is still being used today – although with far less copy.
Volkswagon logo
Print advertising samples
1. Unicef International
There is only so many times you can see photos of starving children in Africa and be moved into action. I think UNICEF does an awesome job of grabbing your attention and challenging you to help make a difference. Impressively, UNICEF doesn’t rely on straight billboard advertising, but looks at all kinds of unique advertising mediums. For pulling the heart strings (normally through brilliant copywriting) for decades, I had to give it my #1 spot . Although the logo could do with a little work, the brand is solid.
After doing a self-review of my recent web design work I noticed a few little things that I have been adding frequently into my designs without even really thinking about it.
1. Angled shadow
This is something I developed a few years ago to give an area some sense of depth while avoiding the cliche drop shadow tool. The angled shadow is actually something i custom make each time from the edge of an angled, blurred black box. It also gives the depth aspect in a much smaller space than the traditional shadow.
2. Rounded shadow
Another form of custom shadow I developed to give depth, but this one is usually to give the sense of a curved surface. Running this in combination with a reflection gradient on the actual layer help to make the layer feel like it has a slight bulge in the middle.
3. Arial
For about 5 years I refused to use Arial in body copy. I would go out of my way to change type to Tahoma or Verdana, but in the last 6 months or so it’s been all about Arial again. Don’t ask me why, but the kerning seems to be just right and the letter width keeps it easy to read blocks of text. I do go through text phases though, so I think i’m about due to change.
4. The pipe character
You see it around a lot more these days than you used to, but I love this guy |. Its a helpful divider in almost any context, and its part of almost every font. I use it a lot for menus, both in the main navigation and in the footer.
Well, there’s some of my signature moves. What are some of yours? Are there some things you do consistently without realizing it?
Well, I made a 2009 New years resolution to add to my blog at least once a week. I think I made it to January 14 before that one became just another thing that didn’t happen. However, in the midst of my apathy I had some understanding of why it bombed – because I myself don’t really like reading blog posts.
Why? Because 90% design-related design posts are all the same, 50 best business card designs, top 20 blood splatter Photoshop brushes, my favorite eco-friendly logos.. Its repetitive and boring.
So… in this new blog of mine, I will endeavor to not only make each post unique, but try not to make them too long. I know you’ve got loads of other stuff to get done so I’ll try to keep the reading tight and on-track.
Let me know if you have any topics you want me to cover or have any questions about the design industry and I’ll do my best to get a post for you.
Thanks for dropping by!
Nathan
PS – I’m brand new to this WordPress thing so bear with me :)
Jeff: I suppose it’s safe to say I’m best known for having created Tiger Woods’ logo (designed through Nike) which is to say that’s how most people introduce me; “This is Jeff Pollard. He designed Tiger Woods’ logo!” – lol
My aunt, uncle and cousins looked at the TV screen, looked at me, looked back at the TV screen then someone asked: “Oh! You painted that logo on the field?!”
