One of the many things I learnt from my Dad was to look after your things so they last, and fix small problems before they become big expensive headaches. The same goes for brands, look after them right through from a cultural level to public relations, and of course the visual communication.
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Countless times I have seen otherwise great business people who have taken it upon themselves to create their own design and advertising work. No doubt after years of being in business they have spent a fair amount of time working with marketing and design agencies and probably have a general understanding of what they need for their design. They probably have their own computer and some skills in a desktop publishing program too, so they think why not give it a go? Unfortunately what they fail to remember is their knowledge is only generalised and as a result their design looks that way too. Like most professionals, designers know the intricacies of their craft and have the experience and expertise, not to mention the correct tools to do their job in a professional manner.
We as designers create logos to represent the values and offerings of our clients’ business. We use wordmarks and graphic marks to convey the message the client wants the viewer to perceive. In creating these logos we ensure a variety of needs are met.
The first rule of advertising to achieve maximum impact is simple – ‘Keep it simple stupid’.
Make the message short, straight to the point and don’t clutter the visual space.
An email from a friend last night inspired me to think about the different typefaces we, as designers use on a daily basis and by using them what we communicate to an audience. A typeface is much more than just a series of letters strung together. The forms and styling of these letters have many attributes that determine how they communicate – kind of like having a personality of their own.
I have often been told that getting a brand designed by a professional studio is too expensive. If you compare it to the figure a local print shop or your ‘friend of a friend’ is quoting then it probably does seem pricey, but chances are, you are not comparing apples with apples. It might help if I explain what branding is.
We always stress the importance of consistency in brand application, and an important part of this is constant correct colour reproduction.