Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Specialty Item
For my specialty item I wanted to definitely create something that is specific to my industry. With the help of Paige I have decided to design a package for four cupcakes and the seal to go on it.
Updated Revisions of Ads
These are more updated revisions of my 2 ads. I redid some of the clipping masks and alignments and detail work. I added a few more elements. Brian thanks for the input. I moved the box up and redid the cookies cakes and pies...Was this what u had in mind?
Just Desserts Advertisement Inspiration
These are some images that inspired me to go in the direction i did with my ad designs. I wanted it to feel like a sugery canyland utopia that could appeal to kiddies and adults alike.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Specialty Item Ideas
For my specialty item, I have a few ideas....tell me what you think
1.package...She makes the best cookies and her presentation is awesome. This past Christmas she gave us a small box of treats, mostly cookies, neatly wrapped and I was thinkin how beautiful this package would look if i added a little someting to it.
2.Seal...also on the package was a seal...i could create a custom one instead of her buying them from the store, but I dont feel this is challenging enough for me, nor will it be challenging to create a mockup for this.
3.pocket calendar
4.tip chart
5.magnet
6.napkin design
7.or any number of plasticware/styrofoam ware, but this may be harsh on the environment as not many people might use them individually, or maybe just maybe these plates come with one of her custom made desserts. idk
GIVE ME IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE!!!!!!!!
1.package...She makes the best cookies and her presentation is awesome. This past Christmas she gave us a small box of treats, mostly cookies, neatly wrapped and I was thinkin how beautiful this package would look if i added a little someting to it.
2.Seal...also on the package was a seal...i could create a custom one instead of her buying them from the store, but I dont feel this is challenging enough for me, nor will it be challenging to create a mockup for this.
3.pocket calendar
4.tip chart
5.magnet
6.napkin design
7.or any number of plasticware/styrofoam ware, but this may be harsh on the environment as not many people might use them individually, or maybe just maybe these plates come with one of her custom made desserts. idk
GIVE ME IDEAS!!!!!!!!!!PLEASE!!!!!!!!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Just Desserts
These are the 2 ads i'm working on....nowhere near finished. I have a lot of elements i like but feel like something is missing.Both are references to the Wizard of Oz. On the Cookies, cakes and pies oh my ad, I am redoing the pink curves to be swirls, just havent figured out the best way to do it and get them looking the way i wanted them to yet. It also feels so scattered. But the basic concept is a fantasy type thing. I've lloked at some ads and the Candyland box, which is close to what I want to portray but no ideas yet. Im stuck Please help!!!!!
Also for some reason these are not the colors of my actual ads or my preceeding poem. Dont know what's up with that. It worked all before. I guess you'll have to wait until class to see the true colors of everything. The colors seem to have inverted....Go figure...
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Friday, March 13, 2009
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Business Card
Does anyone have any tips for a business card for a dessert company? I have a coupon attached to it. I need to scan it in, but my camera isnt with me now. So please give me ur thoughts.
NewBirth Logo
Here is the logo for my church. I like it. It's plain and simple and incorporates the vision and symbol for New Birth.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Update: Just Desserts
I am realy stumped on deciding on colors for my logo. I started out with a shade of brown thinnking that a lot of cakes' color look similar but it didnt look right. So then I tried black white and red, but it was too close to the colors of the Bruster's logo to me, and plus Brusters also does dessert. I then tried a berry pinkish color for the cherry and the bouce marks (or whatever you call them). i kinda like it but it some of my classmates suggested I do a light blue and pink/red for the entire logo. I have been working with several shades for this but iidk. some were too dingy, some too bright. any suggestions on a CMYK configuration or a pantone I could use. The pink and blue logo I'm referrring to is posted. I may revert back to the black white and pink but I wanna explore the colors my classmates suggested. Any thoughts?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Just Desserts
Here is the latest version of my logo. I have changed some colors and reworked some letters, but it is still a work in progress. I need to make the D a little thicker. It was at first but I was doing some type treatment that didnt come out the way I wanted it and forgot to change it back.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Update
I will be posting some pictures of my work, sketches, and some finalists soon. For some reason my camera and the MAc I'm on are not agreeing so I will have to wait. My logo s going great. I finally narrowed it down to a logo and color I like and now it's all a matter of finessing and tweaing it. Here are some logos I found that I really liked just to give u a pic to look at until I get mine up here.
Monday, February 2, 2009
A Few Facts About Branding
Graphics: Branding and Usability
Taken from: http://world.std.com/~uieweb/branding.htm
Many web sites exist primarily to create or strengthen the brand for a product or service. We’re finding that a site’s usability can dramatically affect branding. And the graphical aspects of the site — such as logos or evocative pictures — have much less effect on branding than we expected.
Ford vs. Edmund's
Try this experiment: go to the Ford site (ford.com) and try to determine the estimated miles per gallon for a Ford Windstar van. Then go to the Edmund’s site (edmunds.com) and look for the same information.
Most people quickly find the information on Edmund’s and have a tough time finding it on the Ford site. But here’s the surprise: Edmund’s does a better job of strengthening Ford’s brand than Ford does. We’ve found that users have a better impression of Ford and the Windstar after using the Edmund’s site than they do after using the Ford site.
(Note from Northstar: Ford must have changed their site around since this was written, because I found the information rather easily on their website. But that is not the point here, so continue.)
What’s going on here? The two sites convey information quite differently. Edmund’s has long pages of textual information about specific vehicles and few graphics other than pictures of the vehicles and a couple of banner ads. The Ford site has lots of images of smiling people, beautiful scenery — along with many Ford logos and slogans. But the site doesn’t make it easy to get concrete information, such as vehicle specifications.
Based on our experiments, we believe that the Edmund’s site is more successful at branding because it gives users a more successful experience.
A Bit Of Marketing Theory
Branding is more than just ensuring that customers recognize a logo or product name. Branding means creating an emotional association (such as the feeling of success, happiness, or relief) that customers forms with the product, service, or company. There are two basic techniques for branding: direct experience and indirect messaging.
With direct-experience branding, users attribute emotions directly. For example, when customers test drive a car or eat a restaurant meal, their direct experience influences their feelings toward that vehicle or establishment.
However, marketers can’t give users a direct experience for most products and services, so they need to use indirect messaging for their branding. For example, Nike sponsors sporting events to encourage the attendees to associate Nike products with the fun and excitement of the sport. Companies also create slogans ("Avis: We Try Harder," or "Built Ford Tough") and use them everywhere. TV commercials, magazine ads, and billboards are all indirect messaging. But this form of branding needs repeated exposure — conventional advertising wisdom says that a message isn’t effective until the customer has received it at least 10 times.
Direct Trumps Indirect
The key to understanding branding on web sites is that web sites are interactive, not passive. There is always a direct experience. Because this direct experience is so powerful, the effects of indirect messaging can disappear. With indirect message branding, the user is passive and may not even be paying attention to the message.
Assuming that users visit web sites for a specific purpose, the better the site fulfills that purpose, the better the direct experience. In the Ford and Edmund’s example, users want to gather information before making a purchase decision, and the Edmund’s site does this better. Ironically, the indirect messages on the Ford site (all those feel-good images) actually get in the way of the users’ purpose: they take up space that could be used to display information users want to see.
Fun = Success
We have some solid evidence that users consider a site "fun" if it lets them find what they’re looking for. In our research, we asked users to find specific information on web sites. We measured many objective variables about each site, such as the number of graphics, the colors used, and the length of links. We also measured subjective variables, including the user’s scaled ranking of how much "fun" the site was.
When we analyzed our data, we discovered that the strongest correlation with success (that is, finding information) was the users’ perception of how much fun the site was. In other words, the more successful they were at finding information, the more likely users would call the site "fun."
Interestingly, we found no significant correlation between fun and any of the graphical variables we measured (such as number of images). We think that the users’ direct experience with the site played a greater role in shaping their impressions than the indirect messaging did.
Some Examples
In trying to understand what it takes to design for branding in a web site or product, we found one other good example of successful branding.
Now Everybody Knows eBay
You may not have heard of eBay (ebay.com). We never had. Not until we went to a regional antiques fair and interviewed more than 90 antique collectors and dealers.
The eBay site provides an online auction. At first glance, it’s not very sophisticated. In fact, it’s effectively a modified message board, where each thread is an item for sale and each reply is a bid. Other than the site logo, it uses few decorative graphics and consists mostly of user-supplied text, often all in uppercase. What graphics are on the site are images of the items the users have provided — mostly amateur-taken snapshots.
Many of the people we interviewed already knew about eBay — including some who’d never used the Internet before. Users told us story after story about friends who’d made or saved bundles of money by using eBay. Most told us they knew about eBay through word of mouth from a fellow dealer or collector.
When we showed eBay to collectors and dealers who had never seen it, they got excited when they saw all the great stuff they’d been looking for. This initial positive experience created the eBay brand for these people. In fact, users new to computing told us that eBay will be their first Internet destination when they get their own computers — showing us that eBay has developed the emotional ties that make branding successful.
We think eBay’s most important aspect was the fact that users consistently found interesting stuff quickly and easily. Its presentation is far less important to user success.
The eBay site contrasts significantly with the Ford site, which relies heavily on lots of logos and slogans, such as messages from recent marketing campaigns: "Built Ford Tough," "Go Anywhere," and "Every picture has a story and every story has a Ford in it." These messages themselves seemed to prevent users from finding the information they were seeking and thus from having a positive experience on the site.
If our theory is correct, eBay’s direct-experience branding works better than Ford’s indirect-message branding at giving users a positive opinion of the brand. Therefore, we believe that usability is essential for effective branding. It appears that any obstacles users face will directly (and negatively) affect how they perceive the brand.
What Can Designers Do?
Designers have a choice: build a site that uses direct-experience branding or build one that uses indirect-message branding. It’s theoretically possible to develop a site that does both, but we’ve never seen that done successfully.
Taken from: http://world.std.com/~uieweb/branding.htm
Many web sites exist primarily to create or strengthen the brand for a product or service. We’re finding that a site’s usability can dramatically affect branding. And the graphical aspects of the site — such as logos or evocative pictures — have much less effect on branding than we expected.
Ford vs. Edmund's
Try this experiment: go to the Ford site (ford.com) and try to determine the estimated miles per gallon for a Ford Windstar van. Then go to the Edmund’s site (edmunds.com) and look for the same information.
Most people quickly find the information on Edmund’s and have a tough time finding it on the Ford site. But here’s the surprise: Edmund’s does a better job of strengthening Ford’s brand than Ford does. We’ve found that users have a better impression of Ford and the Windstar after using the Edmund’s site than they do after using the Ford site.
(Note from Northstar: Ford must have changed their site around since this was written, because I found the information rather easily on their website. But that is not the point here, so continue.)
What’s going on here? The two sites convey information quite differently. Edmund’s has long pages of textual information about specific vehicles and few graphics other than pictures of the vehicles and a couple of banner ads. The Ford site has lots of images of smiling people, beautiful scenery — along with many Ford logos and slogans. But the site doesn’t make it easy to get concrete information, such as vehicle specifications.
Based on our experiments, we believe that the Edmund’s site is more successful at branding because it gives users a more successful experience.
A Bit Of Marketing Theory
Branding is more than just ensuring that customers recognize a logo or product name. Branding means creating an emotional association (such as the feeling of success, happiness, or relief) that customers forms with the product, service, or company. There are two basic techniques for branding: direct experience and indirect messaging.
With direct-experience branding, users attribute emotions directly. For example, when customers test drive a car or eat a restaurant meal, their direct experience influences their feelings toward that vehicle or establishment.
However, marketers can’t give users a direct experience for most products and services, so they need to use indirect messaging for their branding. For example, Nike sponsors sporting events to encourage the attendees to associate Nike products with the fun and excitement of the sport. Companies also create slogans ("Avis: We Try Harder," or "Built Ford Tough") and use them everywhere. TV commercials, magazine ads, and billboards are all indirect messaging. But this form of branding needs repeated exposure — conventional advertising wisdom says that a message isn’t effective until the customer has received it at least 10 times.
Direct Trumps Indirect
The key to understanding branding on web sites is that web sites are interactive, not passive. There is always a direct experience. Because this direct experience is so powerful, the effects of indirect messaging can disappear. With indirect message branding, the user is passive and may not even be paying attention to the message.
Assuming that users visit web sites for a specific purpose, the better the site fulfills that purpose, the better the direct experience. In the Ford and Edmund’s example, users want to gather information before making a purchase decision, and the Edmund’s site does this better. Ironically, the indirect messages on the Ford site (all those feel-good images) actually get in the way of the users’ purpose: they take up space that could be used to display information users want to see.
Fun = Success
We have some solid evidence that users consider a site "fun" if it lets them find what they’re looking for. In our research, we asked users to find specific information on web sites. We measured many objective variables about each site, such as the number of graphics, the colors used, and the length of links. We also measured subjective variables, including the user’s scaled ranking of how much "fun" the site was.
When we analyzed our data, we discovered that the strongest correlation with success (that is, finding information) was the users’ perception of how much fun the site was. In other words, the more successful they were at finding information, the more likely users would call the site "fun."
Interestingly, we found no significant correlation between fun and any of the graphical variables we measured (such as number of images). We think that the users’ direct experience with the site played a greater role in shaping their impressions than the indirect messaging did.
Some Examples
In trying to understand what it takes to design for branding in a web site or product, we found one other good example of successful branding.
Now Everybody Knows eBay
You may not have heard of eBay (ebay.com). We never had. Not until we went to a regional antiques fair and interviewed more than 90 antique collectors and dealers.
The eBay site provides an online auction. At first glance, it’s not very sophisticated. In fact, it’s effectively a modified message board, where each thread is an item for sale and each reply is a bid. Other than the site logo, it uses few decorative graphics and consists mostly of user-supplied text, often all in uppercase. What graphics are on the site are images of the items the users have provided — mostly amateur-taken snapshots.
Many of the people we interviewed already knew about eBay — including some who’d never used the Internet before. Users told us story after story about friends who’d made or saved bundles of money by using eBay. Most told us they knew about eBay through word of mouth from a fellow dealer or collector.
When we showed eBay to collectors and dealers who had never seen it, they got excited when they saw all the great stuff they’d been looking for. This initial positive experience created the eBay brand for these people. In fact, users new to computing told us that eBay will be their first Internet destination when they get their own computers — showing us that eBay has developed the emotional ties that make branding successful.
We think eBay’s most important aspect was the fact that users consistently found interesting stuff quickly and easily. Its presentation is far less important to user success.
The eBay site contrasts significantly with the Ford site, which relies heavily on lots of logos and slogans, such as messages from recent marketing campaigns: "Built Ford Tough," "Go Anywhere," and "Every picture has a story and every story has a Ford in it." These messages themselves seemed to prevent users from finding the information they were seeking and thus from having a positive experience on the site.
If our theory is correct, eBay’s direct-experience branding works better than Ford’s indirect-message branding at giving users a positive opinion of the brand. Therefore, we believe that usability is essential for effective branding. It appears that any obstacles users face will directly (and negatively) affect how they perceive the brand.
What Can Designers Do?
Designers have a choice: build a site that uses direct-experience branding or build one that uses indirect-message branding. It’s theoretically possible to develop a site that does both, but we’ve never seen that done successfully.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
My Rebranding Experience
So, I decided to rebrand a small dessert catering company called Just Desserts. It is a fledgling company that is owned and operated by a woman I know from church. I actually saw one of her flyer/ brochures last semester and immediately knew I had to do some work on her graphics. She was sinking... and fast. I have been sketching for a minute, but have already hit a roadblock. Minor setback though. I'm sure its just a case of the its January , MLK day, Obama Inauguration Day, and my Bday so I am a party machine...no biggie. I am really excited about this project and cannot wait to see the end result. I have photos to come soon.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
GRANIN Logo
I found this logo via a google search. I really think it is edgy, no pun intended, and cool. Because of the fact that many logos are usually flat, the 3D approach and the gradient make this logo stand out even more. If I were to see this logo at laarge scale, I would think it would be mutated at a smaller size. However, the designer obviously took time to make sure this did not happen and did a great job of it.
GSU logo
I really like the Georgia State logo, not only because I go there, but because it represents the school well. It is well thought out and executed. The G not only makes me think of GSU, but also Georgia in general. The logo is unique and a little trendy and seems to me to have constant motion, qualities also indicative of the fast paced atmosphere of downtown Atlanta, where GSU is located.
SUBWAY Logo
I like the SUBWAY logo because of it's clever use of pure text and the arrow extensions of the "S" and "Y" to indicate direction. The colors used help e understand that the food served at the establishment is healthy and nourishing.
USPS Logo
The USPS logo is a great one. It is stylized and simple and to the point. By looking at the eagle in blue and white I see speed, dependability, patriotism, and great overall service.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Corporate brands: what are they? What of them? by John M.T. Balmer, Edmund R. Gray
European Journal of Marketing
This article examines the nature, importance, typology, and management of corporate brands. Argues that in making a distinction between corporate brands, corporate identities, and product brands, the underlying characteristics of corporate brands can be uncovered. A key thesis of the article is that a corporate brand is a valuable resource: one that provides an entity with a sustainable, competitive advantage if specific criteria are met. These criteria are defined in terms of an economic theory known as “the resource-based view of the firm”. An affirmation of this economic doctrine requires corporate brands to be rare, durable, inappropriable, imperfectly imitable, and imperfectly substitutable. Also contends that the traditional tripartite, branding typology be expanded to reflect the new modes in which corporate brands are being utilised. These new corporate branding categories are: familial, shared, surrogate, supra, multiplex, and federal. Finally, reasons that the management of a corporate brand requires the orchestration of six “identity types”. The critical identity type is the “covenanted identity” because it underpins the corporate brand. The covenanted identity comprises a set of expectations relating to an organisation's products/services and activities. Internally, it acts as a standard against which an employee/employer's actions can be evaluated. Argues that employees are crucial to the success, and maintenance, of corporate brands. Speculates that the current interest in corporate brands is redolent of a new dynamic in marketing. As such, corporate brands are symptomatic of the increased importance accorded to corporate-level concerns and concepts. This interest in corporate-level concerns should form the basis of a new branch of marketing: one that weft and weaves the concepts of corporate identity, image, reputation, communications along with corporate branding. The article concurs with Balmer and Greyser who argue that this area should be known as corporate-level-marketing.
This article examines the nature, importance, typology, and management of corporate brands. Argues that in making a distinction between corporate brands, corporate identities, and product brands, the underlying characteristics of corporate brands can be uncovered. A key thesis of the article is that a corporate brand is a valuable resource: one that provides an entity with a sustainable, competitive advantage if specific criteria are met. These criteria are defined in terms of an economic theory known as “the resource-based view of the firm”. An affirmation of this economic doctrine requires corporate brands to be rare, durable, inappropriable, imperfectly imitable, and imperfectly substitutable. Also contends that the traditional tripartite, branding typology be expanded to reflect the new modes in which corporate brands are being utilised. These new corporate branding categories are: familial, shared, surrogate, supra, multiplex, and federal. Finally, reasons that the management of a corporate brand requires the orchestration of six “identity types”. The critical identity type is the “covenanted identity” because it underpins the corporate brand. The covenanted identity comprises a set of expectations relating to an organisation's products/services and activities. Internally, it acts as a standard against which an employee/employer's actions can be evaluated. Argues that employees are crucial to the success, and maintenance, of corporate brands. Speculates that the current interest in corporate brands is redolent of a new dynamic in marketing. As such, corporate brands are symptomatic of the increased importance accorded to corporate-level concerns and concepts. This interest in corporate-level concerns should form the basis of a new branch of marketing: one that weft and weaves the concepts of corporate identity, image, reputation, communications along with corporate branding. The article concurs with Balmer and Greyser who argue that this area should be known as corporate-level-marketing.
Branding
It Just Keeps on Going and Going and …November 29th, 2008
Some companies know the importance of building a brand identity. Volvo is and will always be the “safe” car company. They own it. Energizer will own “long lasting” in the battery market forever because of their commitment to their brand identity.
The Energizer Bunny is a branding icon. But for the right reasons. He means that his battery is more powerful than your battery. At least that’s how consumers initially perceive it. What does Duracell mean to you? Do you have to think about it?
Most icons fail because they don’t really mean anything. There has to be a clear, easy message that differentiates you. Energizer is the king of perception when it comes to long lasting. But IS their battery the longest lasting? That’s a story for another day.
as found on http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress/
It Just Keeps on Going and Going and …November 29th, 2008
Some companies know the importance of building a brand identity. Volvo is and will always be the “safe” car company. They own it. Energizer will own “long lasting” in the battery market forever because of their commitment to their brand identity.
The Energizer Bunny is a branding icon. But for the right reasons. He means that his battery is more powerful than your battery. At least that’s how consumers initially perceive it. What does Duracell mean to you? Do you have to think about it?
Most icons fail because they don’t really mean anything. There has to be a clear, easy message that differentiates you. Energizer is the king of perception when it comes to long lasting. But IS their battery the longest lasting? That’s a story for another day.
as found on http://www.brandidentityguru.com/wordpress/
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
I think that this explanation of what graphic design is is very interesting and wanted to post it for those who do not understand exactly what it is.
The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images and/or words to create a visual representation of ideas and messages. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. Graphic design often refers to both the process (designing) by which the communication is created and the products (designs) which are generated.
Common uses of graphic design include magazines, advertisements, product packaging and web design. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.
Common uses of graphic design include magazines, advertisements, product packaging and web design. For example, a product package might include a logo or other artwork, organized text and pure design elements such as shapes and color which unify the piece. Composition is one of the most important features of graphic design especially when using pre-existing materials or diverse elements.
In my own words: Basically you can see graphic design all around you--anything you look at was probably designed by a graphic designer. GRD is a visual solution to a problem.
as found on http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/marketing/a/brandingks.htm
7 Logo Design Tips
Keep in mind that a powerful logo design:
7 Logo Design Tips
Keep in mind that a powerful logo design:
- has a strong, balanced image with no little extras that clutter its look;
- is distinctive and bold in design, making it easy to see at a glance;
- has graphic imagery that looks appropriate for your business;
- works well with your company name;
- is done in an easy to read font;
- communicates your business clearly; and
- looks good in black and white, as well as in color.
Example: Georgia State University Logo
Hello...
Hola...In this blog I hope to go on a journey through the study and execution of Graphic Design. I have already learned so much more than I have ever known about the subject. I am hoping that this blog will enable to continue on in that trend. Hope you learn as much as I do...here we go!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)