Logo Design Love: a Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities from David Airey is a great Book on the subject, if you are interested on starting or improving your skillz on logo design you should definitely check it out.

It is separated into 3 Parts:

The Importance of Brand Identity:

In this part the author states the branding importance and how we interact with brands at almost everytime and everywhere even without realising it. He also adresses things needed to create an iconic brand identity.

The Process of Design

In the second part of the book we dive into the design process, from information gathering to the finished identity going through design briefs, pricing, scketching and more. This part is full with information and excellent tips from the author.

Keep the Fires Burning

Here we find a lot of tips to staying motivated through our projects. Some of these tips come from the author and also from other designers other designers who collaborate in the book. In this part we also find a chapter entirely dedicated to answering questions from David Aireys blogs and one last chapter presenting a quick and brief round up in design.

Conclusion

The book is very easy to read and understand. It presents tons of brand examples and case studies form the author and other designers, showcasing and explaining what set them a part making them Iconic Brands. A very interesting and usefull thing in the book is that the author covers the hole design process in a very descriptive way giving us the opportunity to improve ours and pick new tricks. As a bonus the author lists some great resources as other great graphic design blogs and Iconic Designers. And he also recommends us other design related books.

The book level is beginner – intermediate, I think this is an excellent read if you want to start on branding or improve your knowledge. It has tons of logos examples and lost of insights on them to help you to understand how to achieve the Iconic level in a brand. As I said earlier the book covers the whole design process, and this includes client handling and pricing, 2 things you and I know that need a lot of experience to master and that we often do not pay attention to. I found the insights of the author on both subjects very usefull.

You can fin out more about Logo esign Love here, and more about David Airey here.

If you have read this book I`d love to here what you think about it

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Hi Guys, once again I have compiled my favs for this week!! I always recommend to check this great articles from others Design blogs that I find very usefull. Hope you enjoy!

45 (Fresh) High Quality Photoshop PSD Files

A great collection of new Photoshop tutorials  to improve your skillz. By Hongkiat.

The Case For Open-Source Design: Can Design By Committee Work?

Interesting investigation by Smashing Magazine about open-source collaboration. What do you think?

A Detailed Look into Popular Styles in Web Design

Very inspirational and informative article regarding web design styles by One Xtra Pixel.

20 Useful Free PDF ebooks for Designers and Bloggers

Do you have some spare time? Well star reading this great free books, a nice collection by Specky Boy.

15 Kinetic Typography Pieces Based on Popular Films

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Hello friends, this time we`ll talk about an event that I will travel as special envoy of Concept Dezain, “Trimarchi“.

The TMDG (as it is abbreviated) is the most important graphic design event in Latin America, held annually since 2002 with one of the biggest calls of the world, it takes place in the sports center of the city of Mar del Plata (for those who do not know Argentina, Mar del Plata is the largest of all the seaside cities of our country) and the duration of the design feast is 3 days (this year will be held on October 2nd, 3rd and 4th).

It stands out because it presents highly worldwide recognized design characters, these are presented at conferences on the stages of the Estadio Polideportivo in Mar del Plata against grandstands filled up with more than 5000 spectators (students, professionals and design fans) that buy their ticket which rock concert.

Some professionals that have passed through Trimarchi are:  Stefan Sagmeister, Büro Destruct, Lobo, Paula Scher (Pentagram), MK12, Seymour Chwast (Pushpin), Friends With You, Design-Tourist, Sid Lee Collective, No-Domain, Diego Giaccone, Alejandro Ros, Ronald Shakespear, Doma, Fase, America Sanchez, Marian Bantjes, Psyop, Joshua Davis, Hort, among others.

But Trimarchi is not only about conferences, it also has workshops, exhibitions and all kinds of exchanges with the axis on graphics and their close relatives (illustration, motion graphic, typography, character design). But when we say that Trimarchi is a party we do not speak metaphorically, because Trimarchi has its own party during the event called “Good Night Trimarchi” where the music is well combined by VJ’s to make that night a storm of sounds and images.

This year will  present:

CHIP KIDD (USA)

MICHAEL ROBINSON / NOWHERE (USA)

DIE GESTALTEN VERLAG (GER)

And much much more …

Promotional Video

Click here to view the embedded video.

For those interested hereis the event web site: www.trimarchidg.net so that you can know more and purchase tickets.

Finally we would like to know of any conference that takes place in your country and if you ever had the chance to attend.

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Hi Guys, once again I have compiled my favs for this week!! I always recommend to check this great articles from others Design blogs that I find very usefull. Hope you enjoy!

8 Awesome jQuery tutorials to make your one-page portfolio shine

A nice collection jQuery by Graphic Design Blender. Always usefull to bookmark tjis resources.

12 Logo Design Mistakes To Avoid

Great article by jacob Cass mentioning some mistakes we MUST avoid when designing a Logo. Very usefull.

20 Methods for Upping Your Current Web Design Skills

As web designers we know that our business is always evolving, so we need to be updated and always try to improve our design level. By Onextrapixel.

Getting Started with Drupal: A Comprehensive Hands-On Guide

Do you want to start using Drupal, here`s a great guide for you to start. By Six Revisions.

29 Resources for Freelance Designers Operating on a Tight Budget

This is a great list of resources for freelancers including, invoice, time tracking, project management and more free soft. By Designm.ag.

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After a while of shelving the japanese animation topic we get back to it with an excellent film that I recommend by the depth of the issues addressed as well as the quality of both argument and animation.

Paprika is based on a novel by famed science fiction writer Yasutaka Tsutsui, and tells a complex and interesting story: In the near future, psychiatrist Chiba Atsuko has developed a device called “Mini DC” that allows her to access the minds of her patients through their dreams.

The problem arises when one of the prototypes is stolen and, the criminal or criminals, begin to use it to get into the minds of many of Chiba Atsuko contributors and destroy their personalities while they sleep.

Our protagonist, who adopts the “avatar” Paprika in the world of dreams, is forced to begin an investigation to try to unravel the true intentions of the theft while slowly reality and fiction begin to blur more and more in the film, in wich point the viewer fails to take clear notice whether is seeing the reality of Chiba Atsuko or facts from Paprika and the world of dreams.

It was officially premiered at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and also presented at several international festivals (including the Festival of Sitges and Fantasporto), earning excellent reviews.

It was directed by one of the great today directors, Satoshi Kon, (author of other well-known films like Millennium Actress and Tokyo Godfathers), and produced by the prestigious Mad House studio.

The film is a spectacular combination of color, imagination, action scenes and fantasy, and works throughout it`s argument how fuzzy the borders between reality and fiction are.

Personally I always liked the work of Mad House studio and this is not the exception, anime lovers or not don`t miss the chance and see Paprika.

Paprika Trailer

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Hi Guys, once again I have compiled my favs for this week!! I always recommend to check this great articles from others Design blogs that I find very usefull. Hope you enjoy!

5 Free to Use Freelance Design Contract Templates

A very important thing is to come up with a good design contra, here you have some templates collected by Speckyboy.

40 Fantastic Resume/CV Templates to Show off Your Skills

As Designers we can`t deliver a normal CV to our posible empolyers, we need to get creatives. A great collection of free and cheap CV templates by 1stwebdesigner.

Understanding Mankind with 30 Awesome Interactive Designs and Tools

This is something new, an Amazing collection of interactive infographics by Inspired Mag.

100 Free High Quality WordPress Themes: 2010 Edition

A new edition of the wp theme round up, 100 free themes and some great development tools by Smashing Magazine.

Freelancing Vs. In-House: Which Do You Prefer?

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Street art is any art developed in public spaces — that is, “in the streets” — though the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, stencil graffiti, sticker art,wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerrilla art, flash mobbing and street installations.

I want to share with you some documentaries I`ve been watching on TV for the last month or so. This documentaries are about street art, and street artists, what they do, how they began doing it, and much more. I find all of them very interesting and very informative. If you have some time and the chance to check them out you wont regret.

Next: A Primer on Urban Painting

“NEXT, a Primer on Urban Painting” is a documentary exploration of a phenomenon that was born on the streets of American cities and has come to influence youth culture all over the world. Combining verite visual moments and interviews with painters, journalists, collectors, sociologists, DJ’s, art critics and other participants within the subculture, the film will convey the dynamism and creative brilliance of this important emerging artistic movement.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fin out more here:  Next the Movie

BOMB IT, The Global Graffiti Documentay

Through interviews and guerilla footage of graffiti writers in action on 5 continents, BOMB IT tells the story of graffiti from its origins in prehistoric cave paintings thru its notorious explosion in New York City during the 70′s and 80′s, then follows the flames as they paint the globe. This cutting edge documentary tracks down today’s most innovative and pervasive street artists as they battle for control over the urban visual landscape.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Fin out more here:  Bomb It

Beautiful Losers

This documentary follows the lives and careers of a collective group of Do-it-yourself artists and designers who inadvertently affected the art world. In the 1990s, a loose-knit group of American artists and creators, many just out of their teens, began their careers, many had no formal training and almost no conception of the inner workings of the art world. They learned their crafts through practice, trial and error, and good old-fashioned innovation. The story of the Beautiful Losers will be a retrospective celebration of this spirit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Find out more here: Beautiful Losers

Roadsworth: Crossing the Line

Roadsworth: Crossing the Line details a Montreal stencil artist’s clandestine campaign to make his mark on the city streets. As he is prosecuted at home and celebrated abroad, Roadsworth struggles to defend his work, define himself as an artist and address difficult questions about art and freedom of expression.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Find out more here: Roadsworth: Crossing the Line

Talking Walls

In 16 episodes, Talking Walls  is serving up short profiles of a diverse range of artists who are making bold statements on the urban canvas in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. The series goes from homes and studios to the streets to chronicle the works of both internationally known names and younger artists just getting a name in the underground in their respective cities.

Find out more and watch online here: Talking Walls

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Hi guys, this time we return to the Argentine Graphic Humor topic, taking as the star of this post to a great artist who in recent years and with a very particular style of drawing is making much noise in the world of Argentine vignettes, this man is called Decur.

The Argentine artist Guillermo Decurgez (popularly known as Decur) was born in Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina on October 30, 1981. He is 27, lives and works in Arroyo Seco, a village 30 miles south of his hometown.

In 1999, first published one of his cartoons in The Journal of Arroyo Seco and, later, in 2007, began publishing some illustrations for a local magazine. But it was not until 2009 when Decur began to exploit his artistic side, and this after his meeting with renowned Argentine cartoonist Liniers, the same Decur says:

“Liniers changed my life, I was invited to participate in his strip Macanudo in the newspaper. Then came Kioskerman and many more that filled over my soul. “

From that moment on, Decur has achieved a significant dissemination of its work carrying out various projects on the Internet. Currently scripts and draws a strip called Le Socotroc, which goes every Monday at his personal blog. He also assists in La Murciélaga journal. And he is part of the staff of the digital magazine “Bonete”, with Liniers, Tute, Max Cachimba, Alberto Montt and Troche. The magazine is updated the first day of each month. And besides, the author recently announced another project in production:

“I’m writing and painting my graphic novel. Soon I will post on my blog something about it. “

His Workplace

One paragraph deserves Decur Desktop, I leave his statements on it:

“This desk is my design, there are no two in the world! … It goes without saying that I am a big fan of desktops, and more of the old Secreter style desks. In the picture you can see Enrique (on the right side, middle), … is a friend who makes me endure downturns and “solitude” fattening me mate … well … jaja cool cool. “

In my opinion Decur is an artist you must check, many of his works are miniatures drawn with acrylics, some of his work will involve up to 20 hours of dedication, this kind of thing combined with the creativity of the cartoonist demonstrate the size and the potential it has to be one more in this new breed of artists that are already the talk of the world.

As usual, here you have his personal blog: http://decur.blogspot.com/ and his online magazine “Bonete”: http://revistabonete.blogspot.com/

Quotations extracted from: Imaginaria

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Hi Guys, once again I have compiled my favs for this week!! I always recommend to check this great articles from others Design blogs that I find very usefull. Hope you enjoy!

Interview: Pablo Larah Social Media and Illustrative Expert

Awesome interview to Pablo Larah by Nenuno.

80+ Useful PSD Templates For Web Designers

A great list of very usefull resources for designers by Noupe.

Business Card Design Starter Kit: Showcase, Tutorials, Templates

All you need to design great business cards, from inspiration to tutorials by Smashing Magazine.

35 Fresh and Wanted Photoshop Tutorials

New Photoshop tutorials to improve your software skillz by Noupe.

Cool Clean Fonts for Your New Designs

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Printing & Prepress Basics

Web designer’s guide to print design

Prepress tips for graphic designers

10 Pre-Press Tips For Perfect Print Publishing

How To Set Up Files For Printing

Pre Print Basics: Generating Originals

Print File Check List

Do you have any pre press and printing articles that had helped you? Share them with us!

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