I created a cheesy first concept–with a rather ridiculous star, as one of the first versions (it was actually heavily inspired by the logo from Gingrich Productions):

Suffice to say, I do not like this logo. The star was, as previously mentioned, ridiculous. In addition to that, it was incredibly uninspired. As if things weren’t bad enough, I decided to plaster the words “Blogger. Republican. Student.” on there. For starters, the middle term is something I no longer identify with. And the other two words, while they are things that still describe me, they are something that made the logo a bit too cluttered. When I say cluttered, I mean there is too much; as my design philosophy has evolved I have really come to understand that less is more. In this version of my logo, even though everything is arranged tastefully and very cleanly, it is still something that today, I find unappealing. Keep in mind that this version of my logo has never been seen until today. What comes next is what everybody actually saw–the final product from this concept:

This was the final concept with a few changes. I added a thought bubble with my initials–something still rather uninspired, but much more logical, and something that I still really like–as well as a nice, subtle reflection to the “tagline”–and I also updated that middle term to reflect something much more broad and reflective of me. This logo was one I maintained through many revisions and redesigns of my website, and I eventually went on to use some elements from this to form the basis for my current logo…but I’ll get to that in a moment.

Both of these versions made great use of the (beautiful) Gotham typeface from Hoefler & Frere-Jones.

Next up on the list was a very subtle change that came when I re-launched my website in the winter of 2009:

This is actually the version of this concept that I’m most proud of–it’s the most complete–and really is decent looking. With this, I actually broke up my logo into two distinct parts: the entire unit, with my name and the tagline, became my “seal,” while the thought bubble with my initials became my official logo. Again, less is more. I figured that after having my web presence for a few years already, I could simply use my initials as a way of distinguishing myself. This new “logo”–consisting of only the thought bubble–stayed the same. It retained it’s same color of orange with my initials in Obama blue (#01245c, one of the same blues the Obama campaign team used in 2008 that I fell in love with), and the same font–Return of Relayscript.

Where things did change were with the typefaces and in the addition of a very subtle white to grey gradient in the background. I felt that adding the gradient gave it a more polished, 3-D look, while still retaining a level of modernity and freshness. I did add a bit of class by changing the typeface of my tagline; I went from having the entire unit (now called the seal) in the Gotham typeface, to contrasting my name, which was in Gotham, with a great serif known as Liberation Serif.

This redesign was the one I was, and still am most proud of. The idea of the thought bubble as my main logo still exists today, and in fact, that remains so.

But this grew old–not because I didn’t like it–by this time, with the few changes I had made, I had grown to love this new unit. In fact, I still get excited just by looking at it, but I wanted something different. Something cleaner, simpler…something drastically darker, and much classier.

With that idea, I came up with this:

It’s not exactly ugly…but it’s not exactly great looking. This was the first concept I came up with–and, as with the previous concept, this first version has never been seen until now. There are a few very subtle differences between this and what I finally approved (much as before): for starters, this version uses a combination of the Din typeface and a new Palatino typeface (I’m not quite sure why I chose to replace Liberation Serif with Palatino). Din is an absolutely incredible font–it’s clean, versatile, and well designed–but it has to be used by itself. It’s hard to find the right font to pair with Din if you’re wanting to contrast, and in this case, pairing it with Palatino was a miserable failure. My initials, still residing inside the thought bubble looked awkward. And the colors were a bit strange. In fact, there is too much color. I have a red pipe separating my name from the thought bubble…but my name is in orange and the thought bubble is in white and orange. Not to mention that my tagline, which is in white, resides underneath orange text. And all of this is on a deep gray background. The colors match, but there are just too many. It’s too complex. And with that I digress into what was the next version, the final version of this first concept:

I fell back on Gotham in conjunction with Palatino, and this time around eliminated the tagline completely. This was something that I was happy to get rid of: I no longer wanted to be characterized by those three things. It was too restrictive. This was, in a way, much more liberating. Of course, at this point I decided to keep all of the colors from the previous revision. I felt that having gotten rid of the tagline, I had cleaned up the new logo enough, and was able to account for having a quadratic color scheme.

This logo lasted for about a year until I pulled the plug. It wasn’t living up to the expectations I had set when I went back to the drawing board to redesign my logo. This one was too flat, too simple, and it didn’t exude a certain confidence or professionalism that I was seeking. It was a step back from the concept I had in place before this one, and it looked like I had opened Microsoft Paint and literally just thrown a few things together. It was also not flexible, something that the other logo had proven to be–I could not easily throw this on my letterhead because of the incredible array of colors. When I took out the gray background and threw this on a white sheet of paper, the orange was almost unbearable to read–it was quite atrocious. I had to create a grayscale version of the logo in order to use it in print. That was a royal pain in the ass as it didn’t show the full spectrum of what I created, and I did not like it one bit. With all of these flaws, this was unacceptable and I was hellbent on changing it. And so it goes…

This is what I eventually came up with, and am quite proud of:

You see, by the time my senior year rolled around, I was in need of a solid, professional looking and classy logo to include on my college resume. With that idea, and the motivation to remake the disaster I had previously made, I came up with this. Of course I incorporated my classic thought bubble with my initials–this time in the bolded Liberation Serif typeface, and, also, for the first time since I had created the distinctive thought bubble, I changed the colors. It is still reminiscent of the classic oranges, but it has a more brown hue, and there is also a subtle gradient giving it a more 3-dimensional look. There is a very, very light emboss around the edges–it’s just enough to lift it up off the page. Furthermore, I incorporated my name into the final product, and I’m quite happy. Using Liberation Serif once more, I included my first and last name, with my last name bolded (as has always been the case since the first concept), and added a subtle gradient to that text as well. It’s a nice fade from a deep gray to a slightly lighter gray, helping to flatten the text in comparison to the now 3-D thought bubble.

As I mentioned earlier, one of the flaws of the previous version of this concept was that it was not flexible–outside of the computer, unless I was printing my logo in a dark gray box, it was not going to look very nice. With this third version of my 2nd concept, I’m happy to report I’m able to use it on all of my print publications in full color. And also on the topic of versatility, since it is so simple, I have the ability to tastefully rearrange the elements of my logo while still retaining a level of brand cohesiveness that makes me suitably happy. Take a look:

This is the version which goes on my letterhead (the stacked version goes on my resume).

I was even able to tastefully adapt it for Google Apps:

It is safe to say, that after a few years of having a website, having a logo, and having redesigned it numerous times, I am always looking to do something new. But for now, I’m content, I’m happy, and this version of my logo has me quite pleased.

Shameless plug: Do you need logo design services? Web design services? Drop me a line.

Image via Wikipedia

Curiosity is something that we all have. It’s our connection to our
childhood–a time in which we lived innocently, before the world was magnified, and when we still saw things through the rose colored glasses.

Eventually, somewhere along the way, we are more and more likely to lose that which makes us as humans so unique. Our inquisitive spirit, our desire to seek the unsought, out unyielding fervor to simply ‘know.’ We get caught up in the
hustle and bustle of everyday life; from work, to family, sports, school, and
everything in between, entangled in that mess of busyness, our innate
curiosity seems to fade from our everyday life.

Lest we mistake a feeble interest in something for true curiosity, we must
always give ourselves the opportunity to be as inquisitive as possible. That’s
the only reason why our world–let alone our country–is what it is today.
Through the unbounded and insatiable quest for knowledge and insight that
generations before us embarked upon, they left behind what is now ours to lose:
the possession of knowledge. Whether it’s a burning desire to gather knowledge on the cosmos, an intense passion to study and to learn about football from a defensive standpoint, or it’s simply wanting to know more about your family history, those ideas, big or small, can ignite a firestorm of inquisition across scores of people. If we lose that drive to follow in their footsteps, we end their journey–and inherently our own–to “know more,”; we lose what made us great in the first place. That, in and of itself, is a great tragedy. It’s a tragedy that we as a country, we as the world, and we as a civilization and a people, cannot bear to lose.

If enough individuals pursue dreams of curiosity, we, together can successfully
pass the torch of knowledge onto yet another generation. That’s something worth
working towards–it’s something we must do–it’s something that if we fail to
do, we not only lose a competitive advantage in comparison to the rest of the
world, but we unknowingly work to dishonor those who worked so hard to forge the legacy we have inherited. That’s a true injustice, and most unfortunately, it is becoming something of a reality in modern day society. We cannot, for one moment, stand idle. Ever more important today is the idea that America is no longer standing on it’s own pedestal, while the rest of the world tries miserably to catch up. In fact, as more and more of the nations of the world become industrialized and mature, we must unboundedly embrace our past: that which is a desire to know as much as possible. America is and always has been a place for freedom of thought–and as an extension of that freedom is the liberty to study, to inquire, to know–and it must be at the height of our desires to pursue such greatness. It’s in our history, it’s in our government, it’s in our blood to do so–and we must willingly do so in order to continue to be that “shining city
on a hill.”

Steve Jobs is dead. The man who has brought us some of this past decade’s most iconic products has died. Jobs was 56. Apple made the announcement just before 7PM CST (8PM EST, 5PM PST) and the announcement followed with an update on the Apple website simply reading, “Steve Jobs. 1955-2011.”

Also on the Apple website, the following statement was released:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve Jobs have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Per Apple PR, newly appointed CEO, Tim Cook sent the following e-mail:

Team,

I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing
human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.

No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.

Tributes have been pouring in from tech giants from all across the world; Bill Gates, Jobs’ chief competitor for a number of years, released the following statement:

I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work.

Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives.

The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come.

For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE…STORY DEVELOPING. 

Via @DesignedMind

Today is the tenth anniversary of the horrific September 11th attacks, and people have been sharing their stories and posting videos reflecting on the past decade. I wanted to pass along some clips from all over the Internet, as well as from the broadcast networks who provided coverage of the commemoration ceremony from this morning. Here is a sampling of those videos.

President Bush Speaks at the 9/11 Memorial in New York

“I Was the Last One to be Rescued”

Karen Hughes: “I Dropped to My Knees and Prayed”

NBC Remembers 9/11

VP Biden on the Attack at the Pentagon

President Obama Reads Psalm 46 at Ground Zero

Video from ABC News which cannot be embedded–

• Beyonce Honors 9/11 — “I Was Here”
• Peter Negron Reflects
• Rudy Giuliani Remembers 9/11
• September 11th — How We’ve Changed
• News Coverage from 9/11

For more, ABC News has an entire video archive here. The Internet archive launched a video archive with clips from all over the web in honor of the tenth anniversary of 9/11.

See the entire 9/11 section on this blog by clicking here.

September 11th, 2001 will forever be remembered as the worst day ever in American history. (Artwork credit: Richard Escobedo)

Each year, on September 11th at 8:46 am, American’s everywhere stop as a cloud of collective silence descends upon the country.

We stop to pray and to remember–but for some, still after ten years, they mourn. Each year, we do this, and as each year passes, it seems it becomes more difficult to travel back to that dreadful September morning.

On September 11th, 2001, our world was transformed in an instant, and there was no time to process what had happened. The United States was under attack, and the hearts and minds of an entire country were soon with the victims at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and those in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The past decade has given us time to reflect, decompress, and begin to cope with the horrors of that day. Each September 11th, for many eternities to come, will always be tainted with the tragedy we all bore witness to, ten years ago.

Yet no matter how much time passes, no number of months or even years will begin to fill the void left behind those who perished in the attacks.

Over the course of the past few days, some have said, “why would I even want to remember the death and destruction of that day? I witnessed it unfold, and never want to go back.” The truth is we don’t simply remember, we commemorate. We pay tribute and honor those who died: not in the capacity of office workers or public servants, but as mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters.

As each year gets tougher, we will realize at some point it will get easier. Even with the countless books, TV specials, movies, and documentaries, there are still no words to describe our true feelings. There is no substitute for a loving embrace, a physical reassurance that all will be well. There is no substitute for sharing tears with a fellow American as they try to overcome death, and there is–however sad–no substitute for what happened at 8:46am on September 11th, 2001. Perhaps in an alternate universe those concrete beacons are standing tall, but today’s reality is that they are not. We though must press on. And that, we will do. We always will.

We will never forget–we can’t forget–and even though some have predicted that 9/11 will one day become “just a date on a calendar,” that will never happen. At least for this generation. American’s remember our darkest hours because they always give light to great hope and opportunity, and with God’s blessing, that is what we are sure this next decade will be full of.

Today’s post is a story from high school student Branden Flasch, as he remembered how that fiery day unfolded while abroad in Germany.

Branden remembers driving on the Autobahn to go shopping, when news of the attacks first broke.

At that point, we were driving along the autobahn when a large caravan of military vehicles passed us; also, my mom was becoming annoyed with children’s and German music, so she decided to flip through the radio stations to find something in English (we had already been in Germany about 2 weeks). At that point, she flipped to the BBC on which it had just been announced that the Twin Towers had been hit by planes hijacked by terrorists.

The shell-shock that Americans experienced around the world were also felt by Branden and his family–

Immediately, we turned around and headed back to where we were staying. We were freaking out.

He also remembers attending a memorial service shortly after the attacks–while still in Germany–

About a week later, we attended a memorial service in a nearby church where we lit candles and placed them around an American flag. We were the only Americans in the whole town.

In the aftermath of 9/11, frequent fliers became weary and concerned that their flight might be hijacked just as those on September 11th had. That concern was felt by many around the world–

Meanwhile, we were scheduled to head back to the US around September 13th. As you can guess, that didn’t happen. Instead, we had to leave about 2 weeks later.

As much of the country had a renewed sense of pride after the attacks, so did Branden–

I am proud to say that I was on the very first plane back into America from anywhere in the world after the 9/11 attacks. In order to board that plane, we had to endure over 6 hours of security in about 12 stages. When we landed back in America, I faintly remember the pilot saying something to the affect of “Welcome back to the United States of America, the greatest country in the world.” Upon exit of the airplane terminal, we were welcomed back by everyone in the airport cheering as we walked out of the terminal.

That day was one unlike any other, and even after ten years, we still reflect on the terror of that September morning and find solace in sharing our stories.

Read Branden’s story in it’s entirety here.

Do you have a story to share? Comment below. Or e-mail me here.

Assorted Articles on 9/11

• Remembering 9/11: A 2nd Grader’s Tale (richardescobedo.wordpress.com)
• Steel beam for 9/11 memorial arrives in Federal Way (pnwlocalnews.com)
• Twin Towers replica in Paris for 9/11 anniversary (telegraph.co.uk)
• YouTube and New York Times Launch September 11 Channel (techie-buzz.com)
• CIA censors 9/11 book (brainguff.wordpress.com)
• Dick Cheney lavishes praise on Tony Blair in new book (telegraph.co.uk)
• HBO to Air New 9/11 Documentary on Tenth Anniversary of the Attacks (aoltv.com)

What caused this unexpected eruption of laughter? Well, this picture did…

(Misha Japaridze/AP Photo)

Russia’s new stealth fighter bears an uncanny resemblance to our very own F-22 Raptor.

Image via Wikipedia

According to an ABCNews.com article, the Russian’s have no shame. They are even drawing their own comparisons to the F-22, gloating:

The T-50 “is meant to be a rival to the U.S. F-22 Raptor,” RIA Novosti said on its website, which also hosted a chart comparing the T-50′s capabilities with those of the F-22.

In all seriousness, the unveiling and first flight of the T-50 shows the growing number of countries who are not only exploring and implementing stealth technology, but reinventing their militaries to compete on a 21st century battlefield.

This announcement comes on the heels of China showing off it’s own stealth fighter, the J-20, this past January. Around the same time, China did have this to say about their fighter:

“The People’s Liberation Army has no ability, and even more than that, has no intention, to challenge America’s territory and global military advantage, and does not have any aims to pursue military hegemony in the region,” Rear-Admiral Yang Yi wrote in the overseas edition of the People’s Daily in January.

Still, however, the United States F-35–the product of the Joint Strike Fighter Program–is the most advanced stealth fighter in the world.

READ ABOUT THE F-35s ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HERE.

This is certainly an interesting development. I’ll keep you posted…

[Story via ABCNews.com -- link.]

Assorted Articles on Stealth Technology and the 21st Century Arms Race

• Introducing The T-50: The Russian Stealth Fighter That Will Be Unveiled This Week (JSC) (businessinsider.com)
• Indo-russian Made T-50 Stealth Fighter Makes Its First Public Display (socyberty.com)
• Entire U.S. Stealth Fighter Fleet Grounded (wired.com)
• Russia ‘helping’ China with fighter jet technology (guardian.co.uk)
• VIDEO: Russia shows off stealth jet at airshow (bbc.co.uk)