Think Smart Designs Blog

Miele Vacuum Cleaner – created by Miami Ad School students Jon Kubik and Renee Anderson.

Cingular Billboard “Hate Dropped Calls?”

Time for Silberman’s Fitness Center – created by Silberman’s Fitness Center

Formula Toothcare – “Builds strong teeth” – created by Ogilvy & Mather

Pond’s Pore Billboard “Cleans pores. Fights pimples” – created by Ogilvy & Mather

Penline Art Supplies “Strong Tape” – created by Euro Rscg Partnership

Law & Order Billboard – created by Colenso BBDO, Auckland

Detroit Area Council Boy Scouts of America “It’s better outside” – created by Vessela Valcheva and Linus Parr

LIVE IN A PLACE WITHOUT BILLBOARDS. John Laing Homes – created by Richter7

Minimalist posters explain complex philosophical concepts with basic shapes

2012-04-14T16:09:00.002-07:00

When it comes to explaining philosophy, sometimes less is more — and we think this arresting collection of minimalist posters encompasses that idea perfectly.

The illustrations you see featured below are from a a series entitled "Philographics," and were created by London-based graphic designer Genís Carreras. Using basic colors, simple geometric design, and concise definitions, Carreras manages to cram impressive amounts of information — on philosophical doctrines as diverse as hedonism, determinism, and existentialism — into a surprisingly simple and accessible package.

All descriptions have been transcribed from their respective posters

Existentialism.
Individual is solely responsible for giving his or her own life meaning and for living that life passionately and sincerely, dealing with his or her conditions, emotions, actions, responsibilities, and thoughts.

Idealism.
Experience is ultimately based on mental activity. It is contrasted with realism, in which the external world is said to have an apparent absolute existence. The only things which can be directly known for certain are just ideas.

Realism.
Reality exists independently of observers. In ethics, moral realism takes the view that there are objective moral values. Representative realism claims that humans cannot perceive the external world directly.

Empiricism.
Knowledge arises from evidence gathered via sense experience. Empiricism emphasizes the role of experience and evidence, especially sensory perception, in the formation of ideas, over the notion of innate ideas or tradition.

Deism.
Reason and observation of the natural world, without the need for organised religion, can determine that a supreme being created the universe. This deity does not intervene in human affairs or suspend the natural laws of the universe.

Humanism.
Human being can lead happy and functional lives, and are capable of being ethical and moral, without religion or dogma. Life stance emphasises the unique responsibility facing humanity and the ethical consequences of human decisions.

Dualism.
Mind and matter are fundamentally distinct kinds of substances. Human beings have both of them, mind or soul and body. Moral dualism is the belief of the greater complement or conflict between the good and the evil.

Hedonism.
Pleasure is the only intrinsic good. Actions can be evaluated in terms of how much pleasure they produce. In very simple terms, a hedonist strives to maximize the pleasure and minimize the pain.

Absolutism.
An absolute truth is always correct under any condition. An entity's ability to discern these things is irrelevant to that state of truth. Universal facts can be discovered. It is opposed to relativism, which claims that there is not an unique truth.

Relativisim.
Points of view have no absolute truth or validity, having only relative, subjective value according to differences in perception and consideration. Principles and ethics are regarded as aplicable in only limited context.

Free will.
Agents have the ability to make choices. Individuals can be held morally accountable for their actions. An omnipotent divinity does not assert its power over the will and choices of individuals.

Determinism.
Events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state of an object or event is determined by prior states. Every type of event, including human cognition (behaviour, decision, and action), is causally determined by previous events.

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Nihilism.
Life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Morality does not inherently exist and any established moral values are abstractly contrived. Knowledge is not possible and some aspects of reality do not exist as such.

70 Best Creative Fresh Logo Designs For Your Inspiration

2012-04-10T13:40:00.002-07:00

These types of corporate identities are often developed by large firms who specialize in this type of work. However, if you want to save some bucks and want to design your logo then there are many sources to get logo design inspiration. Infact, we might able to help you by presenting this showcase of Highly beautiful, original and creative logo designs for your design inspiration.

Creative Logo Designs For Design Inspiration

Best Tips To Get Creative With Your Resume

2012-03-30T00:13:00.002-07:00

With the current economy, it’s important for job-seekers to stand out if they want to land a job, whether that’s in the corporate world or a freelance gig. The good news is that if you’re a creative-type, there’s a ton you can do with your resume that will set you apart.

The key in creating a great resume is to make it unique. Your resume should reflect you: your skills, your personality, and your experience. Combining those in a way that will catch the eye of whoever is in charge of hiring is what this article will teach you!

You may be interested in the following related articles as well.

The Benefits of a More Creative Resume

With high unemployment rates and a lagging economy, the job market is tough. There are a lot more people than there are jobs. And even when the economy is good, the best jobs still have a lot of competition. And freelancers are always competing for the best clients and the most lucrative projects, regardless of the economic situation.
Imagine yourself as the person responsible for hiring someone to fill a creative position. You have piles of plain, boring resumes sitting on your desk or in your email inbox. Sure, one of them might have used an icon here or a line there, maybe some bolder colors, but for the most part, resumes all look the same, superficially.
Then you come across a resume that’s bursting with creativity. It’s unique, it showcases the talents of the person who sent it along with their personality, and it tells you that this person is self-motivated and not afraid to take chances or do something unexpected. That person is likely going to get an interview, at least, even if their qualifications aren’t absolutely ideal.
The same thing goes for freelancers who are trying to appeal to potential clients. If your “about” or “resume” page is the same text-based affair as everyone else’s, you’re going to blend in with everyone else. But if you do something unique and different, something that represents you and your talents, you’re more likely to get a call from those prospects.
The bottom line is that while a creative resume won’t necessarily land you your dream job, it can get you a foot in the door that might not have otherwise opened for you.

Start with a Regular Resume

The first thing you’ll need to do is a create a plain vanilla resume. This should list all the important information about your experience and career. Even though creative resumes often include lots of information not commonly found on a regular resume, you’ll still need to include at least basic information about your work experience and education, as well as your relevant skills.
From there, you’ll want to create a separate list of other skills and experience that might not be included on a standard resume. This can include things like hobbies or interests outside of your profession, as well as more creative things (like special ninja skills).

Real-World vs. Virtual

You’ve got to decide if you want your resume to exist in just the virtual world or if you also want to create print copies. To some extent, this depends on how you want to use your resume. If you’re looking for a traditional full-time job, you’ll almost certainly need print versions of your resume. If it’s mostly for landing freelance jobs, though, you can probably get away with just having it online.

Why Not Both?

Of course, you can always have your resume available in both formats. This makes particular sense if you’re on the lookout for a full-time job and are networking heavily to find one. Rather than carrying around a stack of resumes, you can just carry around business cards with the URL of your online resume. It cuts down on paper and makes it easier to give your info to people who might be able to hire you.
At the same time, having printed resumes available for those who request them is also a good idea when engaging in a traditional job search. A lot of companies (even creative ones) still want paper resumes to look through when making hiring decisions.

Design Considerations

If you’re going to have both print and online versions of your resume, you’ll probably want to have some sort of consistent design theme between the two. This is fine, but remember that in the world of print design, there are certain conventions you’ll need to adhere to.
First you have to decide if you want to have your resumes professionally printed or if you’ll be printing them off on your own laser or inkjet printer. If the former, you’ll have a bit more leeway. Four-color printing has come down in price significantly in recent years, meaning that a full-color resume, including bleeds, won’t cost you too much as long as you’re having at least a few hundred copies printed.
If you’re going to print off your own resumes, you’ll want to check what your printer is capable of. Can it print without margins? If not, how large do the margins need to be? How does it do with big blocks of solid colors? You may want to run a few tests to see how different design elements work before committing to anything in particular.
As far as your virtual resume goes, make sure you have the technical skills to create the kind of resume you want. Also take into account context. If you’re applying for a job as a Flash designer, you’ll definitely want to create a Flash-based resume. If you’re applying for a job as a graphic designer, you’ll want to make sure your resume has plenty of good graphics work included, beyond just your portfolio.

Think of a Theme

You’ll want some kind of theme to base your resume design around. If you have a particular area of expertise or a strong interest in a particular area, then that might be the best idea for your resume. Think about how the design of the resume itself can show off what you’re capable of.
Themes can be something very general, like “grunge” or “colorful” if that’s the kind of design you like to do, or you can go more specialized. There are tons of interesting themes out there, including this one:

Using something as familiar as Facebook for your resume design shows creativity without having to design something from scratch. It’s a great idea for non-designers who still want a creative resume: take something familiar and customize it to show of your particular skills.
Here’s another great example of a resume built around a theme:

The overall design is an infographic that shows off the designer’s skills and experience in a visual manner. It’s creative and different, and shows off what the designer is capable of.
And here’s another one, this time in the style of RPG character sheet:

Dare to Be Different

Differentiating your resume from all the others your potential employer might be considering is what will get you an interview (and maybe even a job). Because creative resumes are becoming more popular, it’s harder to stand out. This is why personalization is key.
Don’t be afraid to try something different, whether it’s online or in a physical resume. There are thousands of ways you can create a resume that stands out. For example, here’s a resume that’s based on a Soviet-era Service Booklet:

Here’s another example, this time a template for creating a 3D box with the resume written on the sides:

Not many people would think to create a resume printed on fabric rather than paper. This one is complete with stitching details:

Color sample books are another unique design idea:

How Are You Different?

If you’re trying to come up with ideas on something completely different for your resume, think about how you’re different from others who might be applying for the same position. Then figure out how to best showcase those differences. For someone with a varied background, an infographic might work well. For someone else who has a tight specialty in one thing or another, the design should showcase that particular skill very well.
If you’re still at a loss for ideas, look at the things around you: in your home, in your car, in your office. Look for themes there, and then think about how you could use those in your resume.

25 More Examples of Awesome Creative Resumes

The biohazard grunge theme of this CV is sure to stand out.
Official Link

An interesting, collage-style resume.
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Grunge-style elements are popular in creative resumes, which makes it harder to stand out. This one does a nice job of it, though.
Official Link

A unique idea that is reminiscent of an old album cover.
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A fantastic example of a minimalist resume that’s still very creative.
Official Link

A very professional, clean-looking resume.
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A simple design with a beautifully understated color scheme.
Official Link

This is an outstanding example of how injecting personality into your resume can really make it stand out.
Official Link

Including the icons of programs you’re experienced with is a great way to enhance your resume.
Official Link

Another infographic resume.
Official Link

Creative resumes aren’t just restricted to web and graphic designers.
Official Link

A very bold black and white resume design.
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Another simple but impactfull resume design, this time with a different take in the wording.
Official Link

A fun, comic-strip style resume is something that stands out. The black and white color scheme also makes it very suitable to print.
Official Link

A bright red resume stands out.
Official Link

An interesting take on the traditional CV, with a scientific anatomy theme.
Official Link

This is a completely unique approach, and very visually interesting.
Official Link

A bold design with a mostly-neutral color scheme.
Official Link

A grungy, notepaper style resume with a ton of detail.
Official Link

A simple resume with a beautiful color scheme and interesting background design.
Official Link

Just adding a background texture and changing the orientation of the text can make a huge impact.
Official Link

Best 8 Print Finishes to Spice Up Your Designs

2012-03-22T16:05:00.012-07:00

Finishing is a process applied to a design’s substrate, or surface, that can provide your work with a specific look and feel, add decorative elements, alter its shape and size or provide functionality and presentation enhancements. Finishes can transform an ordinary design into something much more interesting and unique.

Below is a list of 8 various printing finishes (with images and links) that can be applied to your designs:

Varnishes

A varnish is a colorless coating that can both protect the substrate from wear-and-tear and enhance the look and feel of a design, or specific elements of the design (referred to as a spot varnish), with a glossy, dull or satin finish. Most magazine covers that you buy likely have a varnish applied to them — like the smooth, slippery-like texture that you feel on most magazine covers.

UV varnish example:

View other business cards of Graphic and Web Designers

Spot UV Varnish example:

Other types of Varnishes:

Gloss — typically used to enhances photographs

Matte (or dull) — helps improve readability; most used in the interior pages of publications

Satin or silk — the middleman between gloss and matte; not too glossy, not too dull

Neutral — used to protect the substrate without the appearance of the varnish

UV varnish — provides more shine than typical varnish; applied with an ultraviolet light

Full-bleed UV — very high gloss effect; most common

Spot UV — enhances specific parts of a design; can create a variety in texture

Textured spot UV – creates a specific texture; ie: leather, rubber, etc.

Pearlescent — provides more of a “luxurious effect”

Die Cut

Die cutting is when the shape of the paper is altered or areas are cut out to enhance the visual purpose of the design. Often die cuts are used to see beyond a page and onto the proceeding one.

Folds

Throw out Fold

A throw out fold allows extra space within a set sized publication. Think of the monthly centerfold image in Playboy magazine for a second (I swear I read them for the articles!) — the magazine, with its two-facing pages, allows the centerfold to be a larger (taking up 3 pages) by utilizing the throw out. The “third” page is folded over the second allowing it to fit within the two-facing pages.

Gatefold

Much like the throw out fold provides a third page to fit within a two-page spread, the gatefold allows a forth page. The left and right panels are folded inward and meet at the spine.

French fold

The french fold is an eight-page fold (4 front and 4 back panels) from a single sheet of paper that creates two right angles to each other. Most often used in invitations and announcements.

The Accordion fold

Folds that go in opposite direction to make save space and fit more content into a smaller whole. Most music CD inserts use this technique.

Roll fold

A piece of paper folded that has two or more parallel folds that fold in on each other. It may fold in from the left or right. To allow proper nesting of panels that fold in, inside panels are usually incrementally smaller than outer panels with the inside end panel being the smallest.

Learn how to properly fold paper for each one of the above folds.

Embossing and Debossing

Embossing (above the surface) and debossing (below the surface) is a stamping technique in which particular elements are three-dimensional and textured. This technique can be accomplished with or without (blind) the use of ink or foil.

Foil Stamping

Foil stamping, which is the process of pressing colored foil onto a substrate with a heated die, can add texture and elegance to a design. It can also be used as a mirror to show reflections adding to the overall effect of a printed piece.

Deckle Edge

More-or-less a paper treatment, as the edge or edges of the substrate is torn giving it a ragged, decorative look. If you’ve had any printmaking classes, you might be familiar with Rag paper; rag paper is high-quality paper that leaves the papermaking machine with is torn edges left as is.

Fore-edge printing

Printing technique applied to the outside edges of a publication that can give the appearance of color, display words, or create texture (ie: gold or silver).

Perforation

A ‘half-cut’ that allows parts of a substrate to be easily removed.

Remember, it is important to plan from the beginning if you would like to use any of these finishing techniques, contact your printer beforehand to fill them in with what you like to accomplish. Every printers will require you to setup your files differently to ensure the desired finish is accurate. Also, not every printer has the necessary tools to fit your “specialty” needs, while others outsource finishing options.

If you looking for a good online printer that will be able to assist you in the above finishes, I can attest to Jakprints. They provide a variety of services including laminating, binding, folding, perforation, varnishes, die cutting and custom embroidery and have always done a great job for me.

Useful Ways To Improve your Designs by Using Proportions

2012-03-08T17:13:00.003-08:00

Proportion is usually unnoticed until something is out of proportion. When the relative size of two elements being compared seems wrong or out of balance it is said to be “out of proportion”. For example if a person has a head larger than his entire body, then we would say that it is out of proportion. Most of the time, we can only value proportion when we see designs or things which look distorted and are therefore not pleasing to the eyes. The human body is the most universal standard of measurement. Things in nature are also used as basis in proportioning. Designs and other stuff that doesn’t arrive with these standards may look ugly in the eyes of many. In architecture and interior design, we consider proportions in creating spaces between rooms and furniture. We do not use a big chandelier in a small dining room. We also do not use a very huge door for a mere bathroom. This is done this way to make the designs look friendlier and more comfortable.

Hence, every designer will try to make his works proportionate in order to satisfy himself, his clients and those who look at his designs. In this article, we will give you a few tips on how to make your designs look better by using proportions.

1.Use the Golden Ratio.

When we speak of proportions, the Golden Ratio is usually used. The Golden Ratio is also sometimes called the golden section, golden mean, golden number, divine proportion, divine section and golden proportion. The golden ratio (symbol is the Greek letter “phi”)is a special number approximately equal to 1.61803398874989484820… (and so on). It appears many times in geometry, art, architecture and other areas.
It is called “golden” because it is said that whenever the phi value is used, the outcome is the most aesthetically pleasing design. The golden ration was used in the Parthenon, Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Great Pyramids of Giza and many other artistic works.
For designers, you may want to use the golden ration in your works. Take a look at Wes Pack ‘s tutorial on Using the new Divine Proportion tool in CorelDraw.
Below is what we call the phi bar. It is shown how the golden ratio is used by dividing the entire length of a and b with the width a which is equal to phi or 1.618 which is also equal if we divide the shorter length b with the width a. Of course, the width and the longer length is of the same distance. Remember, we are speaking of proportion here.

Below are more examples where in the golden ratio is being used. We can see the human hand bones, the pyramid, the golden rectangle and other art works based on this proportion tool. For you to have a more in depth information, you can find sources at the end of this article wherein you can gain more explanation about the divine proportion.

2.Use the body and face tutorial.

It is said that the basis for proportion is the human’s body and those found in nature. Some artists are having a hard time to think if their work is really proportioned or not. Take a look at the picture below and use it as a guide in making proportioned bodies and faces.

3.Consider the relationship of one element to the size of another element.

In making designs, sizes vary. The sizes of the elements we use make our work proportional. Consider the advertising poster below as an example which made use of this principle. The huge leaf was being carried by ants. Of course, ants are smaller and the leaf is bigger. Other than the size of the elememts, we can also observe that what makes the design proportional is the number of ants carrying the leaf. If only one ant carried the huge leaf, then it is not proportional.

4.Consider the height, width and depth of one element to another element.

Aside from sizes, we also look into an element’s height, width and depth. The poster below shows a tall big jar. Inside it are of course tall type characters which gave emphasis that they were inside the jar while the type in smaller size seems like merely printed on the surface of the jar.There are actually many ways in applying this principle especially when you deal with tall or long objects. There is a tendency for long elements to look smaller on the farther part and bigger on the nearer area.

5. Similar elements together.

It is always a principle that similar elements should be placed together. Hence, in considering proportions, elements similar in character and elements which have a common feature should be put together. The design below shows a woamn wearing a pink blouse with square pattern prints. Blue squares in different tones overlay the blouse. On the other side, a flower whose petals are given emphasis thorugh thin lines is shown.Thus, thin lines were also used to overlay it. As we can see, squares were combined with squares and thin lines with thin lines.

6.Make areas in your design.Areas are essential parts of a design.

Make use of areas that are not monotonous. Use major and minor areas to make a better output. The figure below shows the difference of using a bad and good proportion when we speak of areas.

View Source

7.Give a dynamic eye direction in using areas.

Spaces should be arranged in a manner not composing or halves, quarters, thirds, etc. Make your designs more dynamic by giving direction to the eyes but still creating a relationship between the areas. A page layout shown below is done in a manner that it won’t look boring to the readers. Instead of perfectly dividing the page into halves of thirds, the layout artist made irregular sizes of the areas and even inclined the entire layout. This is a smart and creative way of layouting.

8.Consider the relationship of size of one area to the size of another area.

In using areas, as mentioned in number 5, we need to make use of major and minor spaces. In this manner, we will be able to consider the differences of the sizes of areas. We have to be careful not to make too much difference in areas for this will make them unrelated. Big difference in areas may also ruin the harmony of a design. In the web design below, you can see that the designer used various area sizes. This is an effective way of separating some of the parts like the smaller colored rectangles on the top which signifies the menu while the parts that go together were placed in one area. But despite that, we could still see the whole design is together and in harmony with each other.

9.Use harmony.

Harmony is an agreement between the shapes that stresses the similarities of all parts. We have to make sure that shapes fit in its proper positions and spaces adjoining other elements in the design. The business card shown below used shapes whose harmony was maintained because of its usage of lines and curves. Though they come in different colors, they still fit together.

10.Used to determine distance.

The use of proportion is also important in determining if the elements are near or far from each other. It shows a sense of isolation. This way, we are considering the amount of spaces between two or more elements. The advertising poster below shows a mountain which is far from the man. This is obvious because the man is larger than the mountain and the letters on top of the mountain are also smaller. This is how we deal with elements if we want it to appear near or far. Nearer objects are bigger while farther ones are smaller.

Sometimes, it might not be easy to use proportion especially if we try to stick with the rules. But we don’t really have to compute everything so that it will be equal to phi. By merely looking at our works, we could easily determine if it is proportioned or not by comparing them to the things in nature or the human body. When you work on a project, keep in mind that proportioned outputs look more pleasing. Though, some people choose to use distortions which is another form of art.For now, before you try distorting, try working with proportions first. More people can actually appreciate proportions for it is what their eyes are used to look at.
Artists and designers out there will surely agree that proportion-as a principle in design- is truly very much important to come up with a totally great project!

20 Fabulous Ads From 1950's You Must See

2012-03-01T16:21:00.001-08:00

You probably want to know a little more about the ads. Well, these include famous brands such as Budweiser, Pontiac, Ford, Mars, Motorola, Lucky Strike, Schlitz or 7 Up. And most of them are really clever! So read their slogans carefully! Nevertheless, I don’t know if you are a Mad Men fan, but if you are, you certainly shouldn’t miss Lucky Strike’s ad “It’s toasted!”. Now, I hope that you’ll enjoy, be inspired and if you’ll like this article then please share it with your friends or community! Many thanks! Cheers!

Schlitz tastes so good (1951)

Austin Healey Sprite

Enjoy Today’s MODERN … Today’s NEW … RC” (1955)

Niblets (1950)

7Up (1954)

Canada Dry (1950)

Lucky Strike “It’s Toasted!” (1956)

Texaco Fire Chief (1951)

Slugger McGee (1952)

New Wonder Drugs – “Serve Yourself” (1955)

Budweiser – “Noon, at Last” (1951)

RC Makes You Feel Like New! (1952)

Pontiac

Zenith- “From 16 To 78 RPM” (1950)

Lionel Trains for Xmas (1951)

Rowntree’s Fruit Gums (1954)

Sweeping Lines (1956)

Mars Candy (1957)

Ford (1950)

Motorola’s Standout Picture

Best Creative Collection Of Hotel Logo Designs

2012-02-24T11:58:00.001-08:00

For Restaurants and Hotels logo design is too important which makes the consumers love them. Because a logo performs a big aspect in the growth of the company the hotel have to find a well designed logo to impress consumers. Here are Creative Collection Of Hotel Logo Design that you might find inspiring. We hope you will enjoy this wonderful Showcase.

Avion Hotel

MINA A’ SALAM

Hotel Patrol

Ukrainian Hotel Management

Hotel Cargo

Hotels 5 stars

Exotica Hotel

Hotel Complectation

Roadstar Hotel

Enjoy Hotel Management

hotel geetanjali

Nigerian hotels directory

RoyalHotel

Hotel

home forest

HotelBook

Pousada Portal do Mar

The Boat Shed

Iphotel

Louren Hotel

hotel

Hotel Llundudno

10 Common Typography Mistakes You Should Know

2012-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

The goal of this post is to help designers and clients understand the importance of good type skills, while avoiding some of the common mistakes. Please keep in mind that most of these mistakes are subjective and can be changed varying on the project, goals or circumstances.

Below is a list of 10 common mistakes used in type design/layout that can make a large impact in the effectiveness and appearance of your designs, in addition to saving you time and money when dealing with printers.

1. Not enough leading

Leading/linespacing can improve the overall readability of large blocks of text on a page, making it easier on readers to follow lines of text without losing their place. Too little can cause a cramped feeling. It’s important to remember that different fonts need different linespacing. Varying heights in letterforms may demand more or less.

2. Not enough tracking

Tracking/letterspacing is applied to a group of letters. It prevents letters from running into each other, especially during print. It’s similar to leading in which it can improve or hinder readability, flow of text and the density/weight of a block of text.

3. Getting tracking confused with kerning

While tracking is applied to a group of characters, kerning is the adjustment of space between two letter pairs. Effective for use with headlines, text with ALL CAPS and logo treatments (it helps with readability at various sizes). Don’t fall into the trap of letting your design software set this by default; it’s character specific. Same applies to the above, #1 & 2.

4. Lengthy lines of text

Reading many long lines of type causes eye fatigue. Readers are forced to moves their heads and eyes more often from one line to the next. Various sources I’ve researched state to keep lines of text under 50 – 60 characters long.

5. Mixing too many typefaces and weights

Too many typefaces on one page can become distracting and disconnecting (lacking unity). Try keeping your fonts choices to three or less per project. Too many weights can cause a reader to be unclear where important elements are on a page. This creates the possibility of the reader missing something important.

6. Not using serifs for lengthy-text material

Serifs are known to make reading lengthy material, such as books and magazines, more sustainable for longer periods of time. It also helps with eye strain/fatigue, and we all know that we need our eyes! Although this can be argued, serifs seem to sit better on the baseline.

7. Printing similar values of color on top of each other

For example, try printing a medium blue text on top of a medium brown box. Not only is it unappealing, but it makes it hard on the eyes. Also creates a muddy effect.

8. Reversed out text on less than 50% tints

Much like the above, this also increases eye strain and hinders readability. The words get lost in the background and typically prints less visible than seen on screen. This will save you time, money and Asprin for your printing headaches.

9. Overusing centered text

Using centered text creates a jagged and broken appearance to text — very disconnecting! Can be viewed as amateurish in most instances. Save it for those wedding invitations.

10. Large body copy

Normally, designers and non-designers (and yes, I did it too!) will immediately use a 12 point font for body copy. Smaller (even slightly smaller) fonts sizes creates a more professional, modern look. Large body copy can be clunky — think about the font size of a children’s book. Clunky right?… unless it’s the look your going for.

It’s also important to note that viewing text on a computer monitor is much different than printing it. In most instances, type on a screen appears smaller and less crisp. Also, most printers will advise you not to use font sizes under 7 points. May result in readability issues.

11. Not knowing what the Grid System is

Being a typography enthusiast, understanding the grid has become one of the best things I’ve learned in design to date. It’s the basis for creating clarity and making your type and layouts more cohesive. Check out the new site, The Grid System, for links and resources pertaining to grid systems.

Best Useful Design Resources You Will Ever Need

2012-02-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

I’ve searched my bookmarks and gathered your top tips, culminating in this selection of sites, books, articles and designers.

Type foundries

Hoefler & Frere-Jones, H&FJ works with brand leaders in every sector, developing original typefaces and licensing fonts from its library of nearly 1,000 designs
Porchez Typofonderie, an independent digital type foundry in France, designing, manufacturing and selling high quality typefaces
OurType, founded in 2002, OurType is managed by three partners: Fred Smeijers, Corina Cotorobai and Rudy Geeraerts
Village, the union of eleven young type foundries who have decided to go it alone, together
P22, creates computer typefaces inspired by art, history, and sometimes science
FontShop, around for 16 years, since the dawn of digital type
Process Type Foundry, from a studio in Golden Valley, Minnesota
Colophon, set-up by Brighton-based studio Entente
Type foundries worth a look, a slightly larger resource, with commentator recommendations, too

Books

Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities — get a free chapter from my book
Designing Brand Identity: An Essential Guide for the Whole Branding Team by Alina Wheeler
Symbol by Angus Hyland and Steven Bateman
Logo by Michael Evamy
Decoding Design by Maggie Macnab
Marks of Excellence by Per Mollerup
LogoLounge 4 // LogoLounge 3 // LogoLounge 2 // LogoLounge
Tres Logos // Dos Logos // Los Logos

Catch a few more recommended reads here: A few good books.

Logo history

History of popular logo designs, categorized in alphabetical order with a search feature, too
The Evolution of Tech Company Logos, how famous logos came to be, from Neatorama
The Evolution of Car Logos, more historical insights over on Neatorama
Branding Firefox, a short insight into the history of the Firefox browser

Trends

“Logo trends” is a bit of an oxymoron. Granted, a logo should live and grow with a brand, but it shouldn’t adhere to the latest, greatest fads. Because of which I don’t much like these trend features, but I know they prove popular, so here you are.

2010 trends // 2009 // 2008 // 2007 // 2006 // 2005 // 2004 // 2003
Bill Gardner of LogoLounge takes us through trends from the last decade according to the logos that have been uploaded to his website — and that’s a lot of logos.
Logo trends in 2009 // and in 2008
From LogoOrange.com.

Articles

100 unused logos and what they reveal about my design inclinations
An excellent insight behind the designer by Armin of Speak Up.
6 reasons why a logo should cost more than your lunch
Tara of Graphic Design Blog writes a short but sweet article.
Logo Notions
Jeff Fisher’s insightful collection of logo design articles on Creative Latitude.
Logos with a meaning
An extra insight into a selection of logos, by Ivan of CreativeBits.
How many speech bubble logos have you seen lately?
A fraction of what’s going down out there in Web Bubble Logo Land.
The LogoWorks saga
A huge collection of articles about the multi-million dollar business, LogoWorks.
Is your logo design phallic?
A little logo humour to lighten the mood.

Design agencies

Independent identity designers

Awards

Wolda // 2008 winners showcase
This is what used to be called Eulda (below), but has since expanded into the World Logo Design Awards (Wolda)
Eulda 2007 winners // 2006 winners
The winning entries from the European Logo Design Awards (Eulda) from 2007 and 2006.
Identity: Best of 2007 winners // 2006 winners
The results of an international logo design competition, judged by a very experienced panel.
Logo Design Love Awards
View the winners from the inaugural Logo Design Love Awards, featuring the best blog logos around.

Blogs

Identity Designed, case studies from around the world
Brand New, chat focusing on corporate and brand identity work
Identity design category on davidairey.com, more chat from me
logolog, from 38one
Speak Up on Identity, the branding and identity category on Speak Up
Logobird, a blog from down-under by Duane Kinsey

Illustrator tutorials

N.DESIGN STUDIO
Smashing Magazine
Revitalise your logo with a Crescent Swish
“Can I get a swoosh with that?” a little humour from Logo Hell

Showcases

Style guides and manuals

Further resources

Iconic logo designers — a rundown of the worlds most iconic designers
Corporate identity catalogue — showing typefaces and Pantone references for some of the worlds main identites
Forums for design feedback — upload work for what’s hopefully constructive criticism
LogoLounge, paid registration for inclusion in the book series
Designguide’s logo gallery — English translation of a German site about design and logos
LogoPond, similar to LogoLounge, except free
The big page of branding and corporate identity resources — covers manuals, guides, trademarking, laws, and more, from LogoOrange.com
Sites for vector logo downloads — for when you need a well-known EPS file in a hurry

Hopefully that’ll keep you occupied for a while. If you know of any more design resources, do let me know.

30 Brilliant Beer Package Designs For Your Inspiration

2012-01-26T18:49:00.000-08:00

In this article you’ll find 30 Brilliant Beer Package Designs that will boost your creativity. Furthermore, the selection includes also some unusual designs such as Black Market Goods’ rocket design or John Varvators Stars’ microphone design. Nevertheless, you’ll find some cool and simple designs, as well as some great colorful and innovative ones. Also, I’ve checked and rechecked Ivan Maximov’s work and I assure you this is really a beer package and not a coffee one!

Roscoe’s

Rialto

Brabante

Student Work – Thorleifur Gunnar Gíslason

Lakefront Brewery

Student Work – Simon Ålander

Sigtuna Ace Of Spades

Student Work – Ivan Maximov

Pembroke Craft Brewery

McLaren Vale Beer Company

Golan Brewery Bazelet

WilliamsWarn

Black Market Goods

JC Dark Lager

Intuition Ale Works

Pikes Stout

John Varvatos Star USA

Manic’s Merrymaking Must-Haves

Motorman

Braufactum

Student Work – Oliver Lan

Monteith’s Single Source

Spooks Ale

Hopper Whitman

Au Yeah!

Pavo

Courthouse Brewery

Kudos Beer

WORK Beer

25 Innovative & Fancy Wine Package Designs

2012-01-16T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is a collection of 25 fancy and innovative wine package designs. In this cheerful time of year, I think that all of you are looking for the perfect gift! Nevertheless, while a wine bottle is not what everybody dreams of, it might still be a great present as it can be a powerful way of transmitting a message. I invite you to see for yourself! Therefore, enjoy, be inspired and share with your friends or community if you will like this article!

From Nadie Parshina with love

Curious Nature

Manifesto Design

Vi Novell 2010

Atipus
AGDA Poster Entry

Dominique Falla

Burlesque Rosé (click for full view)

Marianna Greco
Dolce Vita Wines

Revelry Wines

The Measure

The Measure
Pink Pigeon

Bootleg Wine

Vi Novell

Atipus
Padre Divino

Yevgeny Razumov

Eno Wines

LP/w Design

Bloody Good Wine

Mike Weir Underdog Wine Co.

Insite Design

Finca de la Rica

Dorian

Donna Maria

Motherland
The Supernatural

Innhouse
Femme Fatale

Boldinc
Volute: Aluminum Bottled Wine

French Rabbit Wine

Yellow+Blue
Five Rows Craft Wine

Insite Design

Amazing Works Of Contemporary Artist Bernard Pratz

2012-01-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

Bernard Pratz is a French contemporary artist whose talent stems from his ability to take pieces of junk like plates, ropes, toys, ribbons (basically anything he can get his hands on!) and put them all together to re-create famous artworks and individuals. The results are breathtaking at times – his work shows a tremendous amount of vision & invention, plus lets face it he must truly have the patience of a saint.

30 Best Tutorials on How to Make Effective Business Cards

2012-01-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

Business card can be termed as one of the Best Business marketing tools. Apart from containing your contact information, it also gives a glimpse of the business as a whole. Hiring a designer for designing a Business card may not be feasible for start ups and small business. On the other hand, even some established Business men want to design a Business card themselves to give the perfect shape to their creativity. For all those inexperienced people, we have collected really helpful tutorials on how to make a Business card.

Stylish Print-Ready Business Card Design

With this tutorial, you can learn how to create a print ready dark themed business card.

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Business Card Tutorial for Print Ready Cards

Learn how to design a print ready Business card so that you don’t have to design first and correct it later according to the printer settings.

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How to Make a Space-Themed Business Card

In this tutorial, author will demonstrate how to design an alluring space-themed business card that igives new edges to your creativity.

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How To Create Old Grudge Style Print Ready Business Card

In this tutorial, you can learn how to create a cool old grudge looking print ready business card in Photoshop.

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Create Business Card Design for Architects

Here author will discuss how to make a one-sided, standard sized business card design for architects using Adobe Photoshop CS4.

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Unusual Presentation Your Business Card

Here is a useful tutorial how to create unusual presentation for your business card.

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Business Card Design Walk-through

Take a walk-though to the process of Business card designing.

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Business Card with Image

This tutorial is specially helpful to those who want to add an image in the Background of Business card.

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How to create a nebula background business card

In this tutorial let us see how to create a dark nebula background visiting card. Business cards are play a very important role in impressing the clients and once they are made differently and good looking then you are half done with earning the client. This tutorial helps you in creating one such business card and this is how the card looks in the final output.

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Create Web designers Business card

Look no further, if you want a Photoshop tutorial to design a business or visiting card for your Website Design business.

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How To Create A Colorful Business Card Template in Illustrator CS4

In this tutorial author will design a bright, colorful and “happy” business card design from scratch in Adobe Illustrator CS4.

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Business Card Design Project Walk through

Take a walkthrough of the design process of making a Business Card with the designer.

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Create a Molten Chocolate Business Card

In this tutorial, author will design up a single sided business card that features molten of delicious chocolate in background image using Photoshop.

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Creating a Cartoony Print-Ready Business Card

In this tutorial, we are going to learn how to create a print-ready business card in Photoshop. Designs made for printing have to be prepared in a special manner so check out the technique.

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How to Create a Small Business Card Size Calendar

One of the way to promote your business card is having a small calendar printed on the back, why not try to do it yourself with this tutorial.

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Design a Cool Print Ready Business Card in Illustrator & Photoshop

Learn how to design a cool print ready business card in both Illustrator & Photoshop

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Designing a Professional Business Card in Photoshop

Author has created an easy-to-follow tutorial showing the steps to create a fantastic business card.

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Create a Fun Print-Ready Doodled Business Card Design

Check out this wonderful tutorial on how to create a Print-Ready Doodled Business Card Design.

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Create a Grunge Print-Ready Business Card

In this tutorial, author will guide you through the process of creating a grunge print-ready business card using Photoshop.

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Blue Grey Visiting Card

Here author is telling you how to create a logo and a Business card for your Business.

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Creating a business card

Check this helpful tutorial, full of interesting and important tips on how to make a perfect Business card.

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Make Swiss Design Inspired Business Cards in 30 Minutes

In this print design tutorial, you will witness a process for creating Swiss Style themed business cards using Adobe Illustrator and some tools and items that you can easily obtain from your your local office supply store (or online).

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How to set up a business card (Video Tutorial)

Learn how to make and set up a business card in this video tutorial.

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How to Create a Stylish Business Card Template

Following this tutorial you’ll be able to understand the architecture of a business card design and create a personalized version for yourself.

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Designing a Business Card

Again a wonderful tutorial on how to design a Business card.

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Design Business Cards in Adobe Photoshop

This tutorial will guide you through the process of designing business cards and postcards in Photoshop as well as providing press-ready templates to get you started.

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Design a business card in Photoshop tutorial

Learn how to design a business card in Photoshop.

Best New Business Card Ideas For Your Inspiration

2011-12-29T14:46:00.000-08:00

I have decided to post some more cool business card designs. Some of these business card designs have really cool cutout shapes including dieline cuts, cool combinations of papers, embossing, cool use of materials, impressions, metals, and inks. I hope that you enjoy.
You might also enjoy our past Cool Business Card Design Finds:

The perfect business card for a toy company.

A business card shaped like a camera. This might be the coolest business card I have ever seen.

This business card is located in a coffee stained burlap sack. This is a very innovative idea for a coffee company’s business card.

This food company’s business card has a bite taken out of the side.

A Greek restaurant has their business cards on broken pieces of clay pottery.

A piano repairman’s business card folds up into a piano.

A marriage counselor’s business card looks torn and taped back together representing what she want to repair your marriage.

It looks like a drawn playing card - a very nice visual.

This hair and make-up artist’s business card has faux hair.

A business card on a piece of cardboard.

A minimalist technique sometimes works well too.

A business card that folds out into a mini-portfolio.

A business card that looks like a folder.

This business card looks a bit like a car parking ticket with the use of perforation (but on an angle)

An illustrator’s business card.

Business card with use of perforation and natural colors.

A business card on a cd.

A business card with use of a bow and an unusual shaped card.

A dentist’s business card with use of floss.

I like the use of a combination of different types of paper and inks.

Really classy business card with combinations of paper and printing techniques.

The same with this card.

Look at thread sewn into the business card for this clothing company.

A really cool business card inside a plastic bag for a forensic research company.

This Acupuncturist’s business card uses pin holes for the business name.

This manuicurist’s business card has cut outs for fingers.

I like the usage of 2 different types of paper and embossed letters.

This business card looks like an impression from writing on a notepad.

This is an inkless business card.

An innovate usage of the “Hello My Name is” stickers

This fiber artist shows off her talents with the creation of her business card.

This business card uses an innovative shape.

It might not be the most beautiful card but it stands out because it is different.

A great business card for a show because it is on a ticket.

A nice use of color and shape.

I like the use of sketching / drafting for this creative thinking company.

I love the illustration and color usage on these business cards.

Best Tips To Make Sure Your Logo Is Flexible

2011-12-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

I receive many questions from both clients and other designers asking me “What makes a good logo?” Instead of focusing on what makes a logo look good (because we all know we can argue that point for days based on personal taste), I thought it would be best to focus on what makes a logo work well – a better question to ask yourself while designing a logo is “How flexible is the logo?”

Below are 5 tips and attributes your logo should have in order to work well, increase its flexibility and help it work better in more situations.

1. Works well in black, reversed-out and full color

A good logo should be created to work in black, reversed-out (white) and color. Many of times designers start to create their logo by introducing color right away. This often takes away from the concept because your mind is more focused on the “pretty colors.”

2. Works well in various sizes

Logos should be scalable and work well both large and small sizes. Try to avoid logos and marks that are overly complicated. As the old KISS saying goes, “Keep it simple, stupid!” Especially with logos being implemented favicons, on signage and business cards, logos need to be size flexible.

3. Ambidextrous

Logos should be able to work both horizontally and vertically. Typically, in most cases, I provide my clients with two variations to their logos, especially if the logo design was intended to be vertical – horizontal logos seem to work well on websites. It’s always good to make sure you’re logo is a switch hitter :)

4. Flexible logos are vector-ized

When creating a logo, you should be using vector-based software, such as Adobe Illustrator. This will give you the ability to provide various file formats and scalable logos. Typically I like to provide clients with various types of file formats, this way they have different files to implement into various programs they use.

5. Readable

Not only does a logo mark need to work well at various sizes but so does the text. When creating the mark at a smaller size try increasing the character spacing. This will help improve readability, especially when shrunken down and viewed from afar. Are you able to scale your logo without losing clarity?
Is your logo flexible? What other tips would you add to the above to make your logo work well in more instances?

Useful Ways To Improve your Designs by Using Proportions

2011-12-20T13:49:00.000-08:00

25 Amazing Framed Papercuts by Peter Callesen

2011-12-09T07:06:00.000-08:00

Peter Callesen thrives on creating art from paper, rather on it. Using paper only as a source, he creates beautiful sculptural works. Each work is made by cutting out one sheet of paper, and using the removed scraps to create figures, buildings, and other objects. His work ranges from 2D to 3D. These sheets range from small a4 size or as big as 7m by 5m. The materialization of a flat piece of paper becomes a magical process for him. Callesen’s interest grows while the possibilities as practically endless.

For more information about Peter and his other works, check out: Petercallesen.com

Saving Himself

Ghost

In the Kingdom of the Dead

The Curtain

On the other Side

Broken Palace

The Short Distance between Image and Reality

Paperman

Crying My Eyes Out

Not As Fast As His Shadow II

Bound To Be Free

Broken Flowers

Mirage

Cowboy

Red Running Poppies II

The Core of Everything

Fire Escape Unable to Escape Fire

Holding on to Myself

Fall

The Lost Sheep

Unter dem Nebelmeer

Water Always Finds its Way

Angel

Apple Blossom

Broken Bird

30 Amazing Wedding Ideas On Place Card Holders

2011-12-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

Prior to organizing your wedding seating arrangement, see to it that your wedding guest indeed confirmed their attendance from the wedding invitation that you sent out. In the event, some of your party guest haven’t made it to the RSVP deadline, do get in touch with them and let them know that you need confirmation before finalizing your wedding plan.

Part of the thrill of a delicious meal being served at the reception is the visual ambiance of your party celebration. A crucial factor as well is the location where the wedding party guests must be seated in order that they don’t have to move in and around every single table to get their seat. This can often be accomplished simply by showing a place card on the table or putting a seating chart or escort cards noticeably at the entry way to the reception venue.

Table place cards really are a necessity to be certain that your wedding guests sit at the right table and have the appropriate meals. Your wedding guests is going to be celebrating together with you, interacting and enjoying. The place card holders you pick out can influence the entire decor of your reception venue. Make use of them to create or accentuate your wedding theme.

Two Ways For A Sleek Seating Arrangement

The more common way is to put a seating card together with the guest’s name facing their seat.
A modern way is to present every table a number and designate guests to their table number.

Celebrate your day of love and marriage with these 30 captivating place card holders and seating cards.

1. Cork Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

2. Vintage Silver Fork Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

3. Ship Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

4. Napkin Holder Place Card | Wedding Ideas

5. Bride and Groom Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

6. Pomegranate Place Card | Wedding Ideas

7. Key Escort Card | Wedding Ideas

8. Seashell Seating Card | Wedding Ideas

9. Dessert Place Card | Wedding Ideas

10. Party Guest Place Card | Wedding Ideas

11. Table Place Mat Seating Card | Wedding Ideas

12. Acorn Place Card | Wedding Ideas

13. Guest Table Number | Wedding Ideas

14. Pilgrim Cap Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

15. Glass Ornament Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

16. Wedding Favor Name Card | Wedding Ideas

17. Pot Escort Card | Wedding Ideas

18. Calligraphy Tile Place Card | Wedding Ideas

19. Woodland Log Table Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

20. Purse Table Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

21. Hand Print Cookie Place Card | Wedding Ideas

22. Fall Leaf Table Place Card | Wedding Ideas

23. Wedding Guest Name Card Polaroid | Wedding Ideas

24. Delicious Apple Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

25. Shell Seating Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

26. Chalkboard Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

27. Guest Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

28. Outdoor Leaf Place Card | Wedding Ideas

29. Cork Table Place Card Holder | Wedding Ideas

30. Scrabble Tile Table Place Card | Wedding Ideas