David Airey :: Graphic and Logo Designer

Advice for online graphic design portfolios

David Airey — Thu, 15 May 2008 10:57:35 +0000

When it comes to online graphic design portfolios, there are a lot of factors you need to consider. It can be easy to make costly mistakes that lose you the client before they’ve even sent an email. So what is it that creates that necessary appeal? In this short post I feature common portfolio mistakes, and offer some excellent resources.

Kyle Meyer, on his personal website Astheria, recently published a report about his experience of bad online portfolios.

Kyle starts his article with the following words:

…I was browsing a few portfolios after having a discussion with a friend who was redoing his own. I have to say it was a frustrating experience… In fact it was so frustrating, this post came as a result. After browsing 200 portfolios and keeping track of certain criteria I know I never want a job in human resources.

There are seven common mistakes that Kyle found:

Poor navigation, using new tricks that impede viewing
Using thumbnails that don’t show what the project is
‘Mystery meat’ squares that offer a ‘peek-a-boo’ game of surprises
Not including a telephone number
Hiding your email address
No contact information of any kind
Background music playing automatically

When comparing my own portfolio against these mistakes, there’s one I’m guilty of, and that’s not including a telephone number. I’ve purposely left my number off the site for privacy reasons. I understand this may be counter-productive, and it’s something I’ve thought a lot about. That’s not to say I don’t talk to my clients. Far from it. I chat regularly, and my phone number is offered after the initial email or Skype contact. My business card also includes my mobile number. Have you ever had any negative issues with showing your phone number online?

Chanpory Rith, of LifeClever, adds a further three portfolio mistakes:

Flash animation
No project labels
No resumé / CV

I think Flash can have its uses, although there are pros and cons that you need to be aware of. If used to complement your website, Flash can be very effective. I don’t have the skills to use it, but do tend to favour non-Flash portfolios.

Have you seen a 100% Flash-based portfolio that works? Take the Leo Burnett website, for instance. Very clever, but do you need a big reputation in order to pull it off?

When reading the comments on the LifeClever article, Clark of Pop Wuping adds one further mistake that I completely agree with, neglect. Portfolios should be keep up-to-date. If nothing else, this can highlight a progression of your skills. I often find myself cringing at the standard of my past work, and suspect I’m not alone.

As for Chanpory’s third mistake (no resumé), Seth Godin gives an interesting point of view in his article: Why bother having a resumé?

Great people shouldn’t have a resumé.

Here’s why: A resumé is an excuse to reject you. Once you send me your resumé, I can say, “Oh, they’re missing this or they’re missing that,” and boom, you’re out.

Seth goes on to answer the question, “If I don’t have a resumé, what do I use?” – certainly worth a read.

Further resources

Creating the perfect portfolio
A great article from Collis Ta’eed who talks about identifying your audience, the potential employer, the business lead and putting yourself in their shoes.
Build a killer online portfolio in 9 easy steps
Skellie (of Skelliewag) lists 9 key points to consider when creating your online portfolio.
Portfolio zen
Here Mondongo Guisado talks more about offline portfolios, and the importance of placing your best work at the front.
What makes someone leave your website?
Steven from Vandelay gives an insightful look at why your site visitors will leave before you want them to.

Do you agree with these portfolio mistakes? Perhaps you have some usability tips of your own?

Your questions answered #2

David Airey — Mon, 12 May 2008 23:05:50 +0000

A few weeks back I asked if there were any questions you’d like me to answer, and addressed them in a ‘Your questions answered’ blog post. You kindly asked additional questions, so here we go with three more.

Kristen (of kristarella.com) asked:

Do you still figure out your prices approximately by the hour? Given that you’ve had a lot of practice you may know how long something might take?

Where logo design projects are concerned, I’ve carried out enough to have a fair idea about set prices. However, sometimes the work required goes outwith the initial project scope. In such cases, the client will already be aware that I charge additional tasks by the hour. So I use a mix of both set rates and hourly charges, depending on the work involved.

That being said, it’s near impossible to accurately forecast how long logo designers spend on individual projects. You can set guidelines, but dealing with clients is unpredictable, as I’m sure you know.

Mike (of Mike Ingham Design) asked:

If graphic design wasn’t your career, what do you think you would have been doing?

When I was growing up (not that I’ve finished yet), I wanted to be many different things. As a child, being a soldier held appeal, then came the fire service, followed by a love of physics and a desire to become an electrician. All this was before I got a real taste for art and design while in school, and this lead me to believe architecture was the path to follow. Looking back, I’m not sure if I’d fancy any of those professions now (with a slight exception made for architecture).

Other than being a graphic designer, I’d love to earn a living as a scuba diving instructor, or a professional footballer (chance would be a fine thing). What about you?

Steve O asked:

Aside from word of mouth, what would you say is the best way to find new work when starting out alone?

Research local businesses. When you first start out in self-employment, it can prove much easier to clinch a deal with someone you can meet face-to-face, as opposed to clients across the globe, so start local.

I’m not sure if that’s the best way to find new work, but it helped me.

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer?

There are some questions from the previous post yet to be answered, and I’ll come to them soon. In the meantime, should you have any additional questions, by all means leave them here in the comments, and thanks for your interest.

Marks of Excellence by Per Mollerup

David Airey — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:13:48 +0000

If there’s one logo design book I’d recommend above all others, I’m hard pressed to name a better candidate than Marks of Excellence: the history and taxonomy of trademarks, by Per Mollerup. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect inside.

From the blurb:

This book presents a thorough exploration of the trademark: its history, development, style, classification and relevance in today’s world. A brief history is given of the origins of the trademark in heraldry, monograms, owner’s marks and certificates of origin.

The next chapters form a study of corporate identity and communication design with an emphasis on sign theory. The core of the book is a comprehensive taxonomy of trademarks, covering name marks, abbreviations and all kinds of picture marks.

Also included is an alphabetical index of trademark themes: an illustrated selection of examples which feature some of the world’s best trademarks – the marks of excellence from which this book takes its name.

The final section of the book covers the development of trademarks over time and across the boundaries of language and space.

Per Mollerup, the author, is the founder of Mollerup Designlab, a leading Scandinavian consultancy in visual communication, information design and corporate identity. Previously publisher and editor of the magazines Mobilia and Tools, he has produced television programmes and lectured internationally on design.

Mollerup’s previous books include Design for Life, The Corporate Design Programme, Good Enough is Not Enough and The Visible Company.

If you have an interest in logo design, Marks of Excellence is available today for purchase on Amazon.com with more than 30% off the recommended retail price.

The book is published by Phaidon.

You’ll find a few more logo design book recommendations in my logo design resources, featured on Logo Design Love.

What’s your favourite logo design book?

Make your new readers feel at home

David Airey — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:34:49 +0000

When you’ve been publishing blog articles for a while, it can be very easy to forget that many visitors to your website are arriving for the first time. They may not be familiar with your site navigation, and how to make the most of the time spent on your blog.

That’s why it’s a good idea to offer signposts every now and again, to aid deeper navigation. It’s also a good idea to feature your best articles, and I’d recommend creating a new page for this if you have around 100 articles or more (you can see mine in the horizontal navigation bar). If you don’t feel you have enough content for a separate feature, you could always add a popular articles section (as I do in my right-hand sidebar).

When welcoming your new readers, you may also wish to provide some basic information about your blog, and here are a few sample questions you could answer (courtesy of Darren at Problogger).

Why did you start your blog?
The story of how, when and why you started the blog can help readers connect with you.
How is it designed to be used?
An increasing number of people understand what a blog is and how it operates, but some readers may not, particularly non-tech savvy audiences. Explain concepts like comments and any features you’ve installed that might take a little describing.
How can users connect / subscribe?
Explain how to use RSS or how to subscribe via email. It’s amazing how many people don’t understand this.
How can readers get more involved?
If you have forums or a community area to get readers more involved, highlight them.
Where should readers start?
Point new readers to some starting points to read.

Here are my own answers to the above questions:

Why did you start your blog?
I initially started to complement my graphic design portfolio. My first blog post was published back in October 2006, so my ‘blogging age’ is around 18 months. Now my blog acts as both a marketing tool, and a great way to connect with like-minded people.
How is it designed to be used?
Primarily as a means for potential clients to browse my past logo designs, and to provide me with information about their design project requirements. It’s also designed as means to document graphic design news and inspiration, with particular emphasis on logo design (which I enjoy more than other creative disciplines). I’m especially pleased when something I’ve published prompts people to communicate through the comment section at the foot of each blog post. It might seem like a small thing, but that interaction has more than kept me writing for 18 months.
How can users connect / subscribe?
I update my website once or twice per week. Sometimes more. To save you checking for new content, you can subscribe for free to receive updates as soon as they’re published. There are two ways to do this; via RSS (which over 4,000 people already do), or by email (currently more than 400 people receive updates in their inboxes). If you’re unsure what RSS is, here’s a nifty video to describe the benefits.
How can readers get more involved?
It’s been an idea of mine to include a graphic design forum alongside my website, but I’m unsure if it’d work. What do you think of the idea? It’d be somewhere you can upload your own designs to receive feedback from the community. Of course there are already plenty of excellent logo design forums and resources where you can do similarly, which is why there’s a doubt.
Where should readers start?
If you’re new here, why not have a look at my featured articles, or those popular articles shown in my sidebar? Alternatively, view my logo design portfolio, and click on each design for an insight into the logo design process.

Do you have any tips for making new readers feel at home?

Logo design for Dosh Dosh

David Airey — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:05:05 +0000

I was approached by Maki, author of the popular Dosh Dosh website, back in February of this year. He asked if I’d like to work with him on his new logo design, and as I’ve been a fan of his articles for some time, I was more than happy to agree.

Dosh Dosh is a website offering free content on internet marketing and social media.

The first step in our working relationship was for Maki to complete my logo design questionnaire. I ask this of all my clients. The answers provide useful information to base my research and brainstorming on.

When asked who his target audience were, Maki replied, “Marketers, bloggers, web publishers, entrepreneurs, social media enthusiasts, and small business owners.”

The timeframe for completion was set at 3 weeks, which was tight, but ultimately manageable, as the logo design was the only element of the project. Normally a client will request business stationery too, such as business card and letterhead design, which lengthens the process.

Maki didn’t have any specific icons or images in mind, and had these thoughts about the required design:

Using a non-cute logo might contrast against the obvious ‘cuteness’ of the anime thumbs and I think that might be a good strategy. Bottomline is I am not looking for something cartoonish… some sort of a simple typographic / minimalist / clean design might work better.

I was provided with a screenshot of the impending website re-design, which showed the confines allowed for inclusion of the logo.

The allocated space was minimal, which meant the logo wouldn’t have much breathing room. On a positive note, it made the decision of logo layout easier. For instance, any symbol or mark could not be placed above or below the Dosh Dosh text, as this would leave the proportions too small. If used, a symbol needed to be set at either the right or left of the name.

You’ll notice the site header is dark, so I needed to create a logo that worked equally well when reversed.

Why Dosh Dosh?

I had a fair idea why Maki called his blog Dosh Dosh, but asked him so I could hear it in his own words:

As you probably know, ‘dosh’ is English slang for money. And since Dosh Dosh was initially a ‘make money online’ blog, I thought it would be appropriate.

However, the blog has since evolved beyond the ‘make-money-online’ niche and it’s really more about online marketing in general.

I think its a cute name, most people I talk to don’t know what it means but it’s quite sticky and memorable … I would like to stress the online marketing and social media angle more than the ‘make money online’ angle for the logo.

Logo design sketches

Some of the topics I researched include: social media, wisdom of crowds, networking, interactions, speed of communication, viral marketing, early adoption and connectivity.

I also looked at Japanese symbols / words to tie in with the anime aspect of the site, but in the end a more corporate feel was chosen.

When two words are repeated in a name, as in the case of Dosh Dosh, it’s possible to use this repetition, as I considered with the mirrored ‘h’s. There’s a great deal of conversation that takes place on Maki’s blog, and his readership are very intelligent, so I thought of using the ‘h’s to form two seats, emphasizing conversation.

The viral aspect of online marketing led me to experiment with divergence, and a widening appeal. Some of the sketches represent the spread of information.

Maki’s preferred logo design came from the sketches above. As Dosh Dosh has been built into such a valuable resource, I felt it appropriate to use building blocks when forming the ‘D’ of the name. The circle is used to represent Maki’s global reach.

One of the specific logo requirements was that it work at favicon size (16 x 16 pixel). This meant detail needed to be kept to an absolute minimum, and as simplicity was the keyword in the new blog design, the two elements work well together.

Logo options

A number of variations were presented, some of which are shown below:

The logos labelled ‘b’ and ‘h’ were the two client favourites, and it was between them which would be chosen as the final design. Once ‘h’ was decided upon, I moved forward and offered a number of typefaces.

Typeface choice

Various typefaces were presented as options, and Franklin Gothic Condensed was preferred (1st in the list below).

The logo symbol was initially placed on the right of the text. I felt this added a little forward momentum with it’s ‘arrow-like’ shape. You’ll notice an absence of colour throughout, as black and white was preferred.

Working with Maki was a pleasure, and I hope his popularity continues to grow through his extremely well-crafted articles.

The new Dosh Dosh logo and blog re-design was recently unveiled to all 15,000 subscribers. There was a mixed opinion from the 100 or so commenters. I receive my fair share of (mostly constructive) criticism – I don’t deny that I still have much to learn – and some negative comments are part and parcel of authoring a blog.

It’s important to remember, first and foremost, if you’re unhappy with your website or logo design, a change is necessary. You’re the one who spends more time looking at it than anyone else, and it should reflect the attributes you want it to. Maki thought it was time for a change and had grown tired of his old logo / blog design. I’m a fan of simplicity, focusing on the content, and am fully behind his decision.

Update: Old Dosh Dosh logo

Here’s a link to the Dosh Dosh re-design article.

New Dosh Dosh logo

Maki, I’m delighted you chose to work with me on your new logo. Thanks very much, and keep up the great writing.

Logo of the month #7

David Airey — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:10:17 +0000

Al Gore has donated $750,000 to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a non-profit advocacy group he founded to prevent further global warming. Brian Collins, New York, created the identity and overall design program. Read about Collins here.

The logo is the campaign centre-piece, and has been described as somewhat of a risk, as it’s neither the name, nor initials of the organisation, but a visual pun on the words ‘we’ and ‘me’.

I like it.

What do you think?

Via Monoscope (thanks Cat).

13 of the best WordPress plugins

David Airey — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:05:21 +0000

As many of you know, I use the WordPress publishing platform to power my website. The beauty of WordPress is the fantastic number plugins available to add a little extra to your blog. I’m often asked which ones I use, and how I achieve certain effects, so here are the 13 WordPress plugins currently installed on davidairey.com.

Best WordPress plugins

Akismet

Akismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not. You need a WordPress.com API key to use it. You can review the spam it catches under “Comments.” To show off your Akismet stats just put in your template. See also: WP Stats plugin. By Matt Mullenweg.

All in One SEO Pack

Out-of-the-box SEO for your Wordpress blog. By uberdose.

cforms II

cforms II offers unparalleled flexibility in deploying contact forms across your blog. Features include: comprehensive SPAM protection, Ajax support, Backup & Restore, Multi-Recipients, Role Manager support, Database tracking and many more. Please see the VERSION HISTORY for what’s new and current bugfixes. By Oliver Seidel.

Commentluv

Plugin to show a link to the last post from the commenters blog in their comment. Just activate and it’s ready. Currently parses with wordpress, blogspot, typepad and blogs that have a feed link in the head section of their page. By Andy Bailey.

FeedSmith

Forwards all feed traffic to Feedburner while letting through some important User-Agents. By Steve Smith.

Google Sitemaps

This generator will create a sitemaps.org compliant sitemap of your WordPress blog. Configuration Page by Arne Brachhold.

Highlight Author Comments

Automatically applies a distinctive style to comments by the post’s author. By Rob Marsh, SJ.

Homepage Excerpts

Homepage Excerpts By Daily Blog Tips.

Subscribe To Comments

Allows readers to receive notifications of new comments that are posted to an entry. Based on version 1 from Scriptygoddess By Mark Jaquith.

wp-cache

Very fast cache module. It’s composed of several modules, this plugin can configure and manage the whole system. Once enabled, go to “Options” and select “WP-Cache”. By Ricardo Galli Granada.

WP-SlimStat

Track your blog stats. Based on Stephen Wettone’s SlimStat, Jeff Minards’s plugin, Markus Kammerer’s wp-shortstat rewrite. It can be used upon an existing wp-shortstat database: includes an import tool to upgrade your database. Note: disable wp-shortstat plugin, if enabled. By Mr. Coolmann.

WP 2.3 Related Posts

Generate a related posts list via tags of WordPress 2.3 By Denis, PaoPao.

WP AJAX Edit Comments

Allows you and your users to edit their comments inline. Admin and editors can edit all comments. By Ronald Huereca.

What are your favourite WordPress plugins?

Why not add a similar page to your own blog? I’d love to pick up some plugin tips, and you’ll add a nice resource for your readers to learn from.

10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

David Airey — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:05:52 +0000

The following article contains valuable tips for writing graphic design briefs. It has been kindly submitted as a guest article by Sharon Hayes of Round Box Design. Sharon and I started chatting a few years back, through one of the graphic design forums we use. Sharon has a wealth of experience and has been working as a graphic designer since 1994.

10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

Realise that any designer you hire is a professional (or should be) and must be treated as such.
Understand that designers are not mind readers – that class is still under development.
Before coming to a graphic designer, have your business model ready and your plan up to par. No design can save any business that is not well thought out.
Number 3 will allow you to fully understand the goal of your business, the ideas you want to convey and who your target market is for any design.
Understand your product or service and be able to explain it clearly – this ties in with number 4. It definitely helps the designer if you clarify exactly what (if it’s a logo) the design will be developed for. Knowing this ahead of time can prevent any future misunderstandings, in-effective design or troublesome production.
Understand it wont be free. When people post on a design forum and expect a design service for free it is frustrating and (in my opinion) shows how little they think of the process.
Communicate with the designer – dont dictate. If you have questions or concerns, voice them, and return the favour of listening.
Don’t try to design for the designer – you hired them for their knowledge and talent. Let them utilise that to put your company in the best light possible. Of course the designer should also take your opinions into consideration, especially if it deals with an industry-specific issue. This is still very much communication on both sides.
For the designer: Do not assume you know the client industry! Each industry has its own specific requirements, quirks and expectations. LISTEN to the client, their concerns, what they want to play up, what they are truly selling and how they want to present themselves in the market. Ads that are pretty may win awards but they don’t always win marketshare.
Set expectations up-front: Both the client and designer need to let the other know what they expect as far as materials, deadlines and communication. Will you be meeting on a regular basis? Phone? Emails? How are you delivering materials? Are you going to be there for press proofs? How far will you follow the completion of the project. Make sure there are no surprises.

Do you have any tips to share?

The ability to deal with designers (and for designers to deal with clients) is of paramount importance. If you have additional tips, or a question about the process, feel free to leave a comment.

A few logo designs not yet featured

David Airey — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:10:56 +0000

I don’t often have time to create an individual blog article for every logo I design (similar to the explanatory features in my logo design portfolio). Coupled with the fact that a client recently asked why my portfolio was smaller than most, here I have included a brief snapshot of some logo designs not previously shown.

Some were chosen, whilst others were concepts unfavoured by clients.

If you’d like me to publish an explanatory blog post for any of the above logo designs, adding them to my portfolio page, please let me know by leaving a comment. I greatly value your opinion.

You can see these logos alongside other personal designs in my recently updated LogoPond showcase.

Should you wish to know how I set about creating logos, have a look at my logo design process.

Tips for buying domain names ebook

David Airey — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:00:28 +0000

When I first started out in self-employment, I traded under the name ‘New Dawn Graphics’. Looking back, there’s a touch of cringe-worthiness about my choice, and I can vividly remember the arduous journey involved when deciding upon a business name.

It’s vital to work under a name you’re 100% happy with, but equally essential is the availability of the corresponding domain name. My naming process would’ve been a lot smoother if only there was an easily accessible a source of tips for buying domain names.

Now, three years on, there is such a source. Daniel Scocco, of Daily Blog Tips, has today published his first ever ebook, Killer Domains. Two days ago, Daniel kindly sent me an evaluation copy, which I opened almost immediately. I knew if the content was anything like what Daniel publishes on his website, the ebook would be an excellent resource for domain name buyers.

I certainly wasn’t disappointed.

The ebook is 50 pages in length, and following an insightful introduction, there are six chapters full of valuable tips to help you when researching, choosing, buying and managing a domain name:

The 7 Characteristics Of Good Domain Names
The Process Of Researching Domain Names
Keyword Research
Prefixes And Suffixes
Tools And Resources
Registering And Managing Domain Names

Since first buying the newdawngraphics.com domain name, I’ve accumulated between 10 and 15 others. There are only two main websites I run (this one and Logo Design Love), but you’ll learn in Daniel’s ebook why it’s important to cover more than just one base.

Killer Domains is available now, for the cost-effective price of $17 (less than £9). The button below takes you to a purchase page.

Aternatively, if you’d like some more info, visit Daily Blog Tips to see what Daniel, the author, has to say. Here’s a quick quote:

I am pretty sure that the ebook will be worth the $17 for the buyers. A good two-word domain name sells easily for $100, so even if you manage to find just one domain using the tools and techniques described you already recovered the money. If you end up finding a cool domain for your new website or blog, the ebook will probably be even more valuable to you.

That being said, if after reading and trying to use the described methods you arrive to the conclusion that this is not what you were looking for, just shoot me an email and I will refund your money.

A 100% money-back guarantee! I doubt there’ll be many people asking for a refund. Daniel, thanks very much for piecing these domain name tips together. I learnt quite a lot from the ebook, and am sure many others will too.

David Airey :: Graphic and Logo Designer

Advice for online graphic design portfolios

Further resources

Related posts on this site

Your questions answered #2

Do you have a question you’d like me to answer?

Related posts on this site

Marks of Excellence by Per Mollerup

Related posts on this site

Make your new readers feel at home

Related posts on this site

Logo design for Dosh Dosh

Why Dosh Dosh?

Logo design sketches

Logo options

Typeface choice

Update: Old Dosh Dosh logo

New Dosh Dosh logo

Related posts on this site

Logo of the month #7

What do you think?

Related posts on this site

13 of the best WordPress plugins

Best WordPress plugins

What are your favourite WordPress plugins?

Related posts on this site

10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

10 tips for writing graphic design briefs

Do you have any tips to share?

Related posts on this site

A few logo designs not yet featured

Related posts on this site

Tips for buying domain names ebook

Related posts on this site