Design Matters

What's in a Name?

rkirby — 2007-03-26T13:53:04-05:00

I was reading on Lexicon's website the other day and came across this interesting paragraph that changed my perception of names. If you're not familiar with Lexicon, they are a company that comes up with names for products and companies. They named the Blackberry, the Zune, Scion, Dasani and many, many other well-known products.

If you're thinking about naming or re-branding your company, this is for you.

"In 1969 while speaking at a small scientific conference, Sir Roger Penrose, a Cambridge physicist announced his discovery of what he called a 'gravitationally totally collapsed object.' The world yawned.

"Months later, he changed his description to a 'Black Hole' and the news of his discovery raced around the world. Today, the term Black Hole is a part of the world's working vocabulary.

"What is the difference between a 'gravitationally totally collapsed object'
and a 'Black Hole?'

"To us, everything.

"We can't understand, nor do we care about a collapsed object. But a Black Hole is something very different. It is provocative, intriguing, exciting, and conceptual. Most important, it is believable.

"If someone tells you that a name really doesn't matter, tell them about a Black Hole. Tell them that a name does matter."

Source: Lexicon

Study a Potential Designer's Portfolio

rkirby — 2007-01-31T13:44:00-06:00

This past little while I've been working on a major re-do of my portfolio. This process got me thinking about what I'm going to do with it once I'm done. Aside from personal satisfaction from seeing a collection of my best work, the reason I'm putting all this work into a portfolio is to be able to attract more high quality clients. And as a potential client to a designer, you should always, always ask to see a designer's (or firms) portfolio before signing on with them.

And if you're working with a freelancer, you should be even more prodding when you look at their work, since you have nothing to go by but their design samples (and maybe a few testimonials). Ask them why they designed something a certain way. Find out what the details mean: "What made you choose this color instead of it's opposite? Why did you use this font? Why did you include this particular graphic here?" Look for meaningful responses to these questions.

If the only answer you get is that "It looks nice" then you should be careful. A good designer will think through every detail of a design and only include elements that will add to the design. No fluff or filler allowed. So don't hesitate to prod or ask for more samples than what they initially provide. It can be the difference between having a wonderful or a horrible design experience.

Color Wizardry

rkirby — 2007-01-08T14:14:11-06:00

If you're starting or re-branding a company, here is a website worth looking at. It's put together by Adobe, the company that makes the top graphic design software in the world, including Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Acrobat (which everyone should be familiar with by now).

The website lets you put together interesting color combinations that might be difficult--especially for non-designers--to come up with on your own. It's a lot of fun and a great resource for people who are redesigning a website, updating their current logo/brand, or who are starting a new business from scratch. You can easily spend hours on the site playing with colors. At least I can; but maybe that's the designer in me.

Check it out when you have a few minutes.

Printing Part 3: Online vs Local Printers

rkirby — 2006-12-19T14:23:56-06:00

As online printers become increasingly prevalent, and finding an online printer is often easier than finding a trusted local print shop, sometimes people wonder whether or not it’s even worth looking into local printers. Let’s put this debate to rest.

It’s my opinion that it’s often better to use a local printer when you can, even though it’s sometimes the more expensive option. Here’s why:

You can build a relationship with local printers, which means they’ll take the time to understand your needs and do your job right. Local printers will also allow smaller print jobs than some online printers, which sometimes require a large minimum order. You also don’t have to worry that your print job will be ruined during shipping, since many local printers deliver (or only require a short shipment) or you can simply pick it up.

Another benefit of local printers is that you can sample the proofs of the print job in person to make sure they’re just right before proceeding (and check out paper samples while you’re at it), which is impossible with online printers.

There are exceptions, of course. Some online printers will do a great job for you. I’d advise that you at least talk to a company representative about your project or use a company with whom you already have a good relationship before moving forward.

Printing Part 2: Choose the right paper

rkirby — 2006-12-19T13:51:44-06:00

There are a myriad of paper choices and way too much to discuss here. But let’s consider a few basics you’ll need to know to make the printing process easier:

First, don’t choose a paper your print shop would have to special order from the mill. Even though the paper might be super nice, it can easily double printing costs. And chances are your printer will have something close.

Second, don’t choose a paper that is too thick or thin. This is especially true for brochures or other items you might be shipping to customers. Paper that is overly thick may get caught in the letter sorting machines, and thin paper will of course tear easily.

Third, make sure it will yield a good printed product. You’ll have a choice from a gloss finish or a matte finish. An uncoated, matte stock will give you a more flat, dull look, while a gloss finish will look glossy.

Forth, be original & creative within reason. Depending on what you’re printing, it can be helpful to use a paper that has a different texture or weight. But be careful not to go too far, or it may cause more headaches than it’s worth.

As you consider your options, talk to your designer and printer about what you are using your materials for and what you want to accomplish. They will both be able to help you make the right choice.

Printing: Part 1

rkirby — 2006-11-01T12:48:20-06:00

The first thing about printing I wanted to discuss is file formats and compatibility—a problem with which printers are always wrestling. Without getting too in-depth, here is what you need to know.

Any quality print shop will need your files to be in an easily printable format. The two most popular among printers are Adobe PDF and .eps. If you use PDF, make sure you use the Print Setting at 300 dpi (dots per inch).

Illustrator eps, on the other, hand, is a vector-based format, which means your file can be printed any size (from billboard to business cards) without compromising the quality of the image. With some printers you can also use a .tif file. It’s best NOT to use a .jpg image, as jpgs are compressed files and may come out looking pixelated and out of focus on paper.

Another thing to keep in consideration is to have your designer save the files so they’ll open in an older version of whatever design program (s)he is using. Older versions of design programs (Adobe Illustrator, for example) won’t be able to open a file that was created by a newer version. If your designer is using Illustrator CS or CS2, you can get around this by having him or her save your files in .eps Legacy format, which allows older versions of the program to open the file. Doing this can save a lot of headaches down the road.

Printing: What you need to know

rkirby — 2006-10-23T13:57:20-05:00

Now that we've covered some of the basics of brochure design and style guides, let's explore some things every small business owner should know about printing. When most people think about printing, they think about printing an article or invoice on their home or office printer. What I want to discuss is commercial printing.

As a business owner, you'll need to print various things, from business cards to brochures to coupons to invoices, and so on. Some of this you can take care of at home and some you'll need to take to a commercial printer. Over the next few weeks, we'll talk about everything you need to know to avoid problems and headaches in dealing with your local print shop, including file formats, types of printers, paper choice, turnaround times, and cost.

Stay tuned.

Style Guides Part 4: Fonts

rkirby — 2006-10-11T13:35:44-05:00

The last thing we’ll discuss to include in your style guide is fonts. We need to think of fonts as observed by Caroline Archer: “Fonts are the clothes words wear.” There are a few things you should consider regarding how to use fonts in your corporate branding.

First, the font you use in your logo should not be the only font you use. Though you should include it in your style guide, it’s probably a good idea to reserve this font for your logo, headlines and titles.

Second, use font families for your style guide. Font families are variations on a single font. For example, the Frutiger font family includes bold, italic, roman, light and so on, as seen below.

Using a font family will make it easier to follow text on a website or brochure without using a myriad different fonts, which can be distracting. As with your color palette, keep your selection simple and minimalist.

Third, select different fonts for web and print applications. Normally, sans serif fonts like Arial are used for the web because they’re easier to read on a computer screen, and conversely, serif fonts (like Times New Roman) are often preferred for print applications. So choose a nice serif font family and a sans serif font family for your various uses.

You’ll also want to outline what size fonts are to be used and when (i.e. headlines, subheadings, bullet points, copy, etc.).

By incorporating all these things you’ll have yourself a great style guide that will keep your brand on track.

Style Guides Part 3: Color Palette

rkirby — 2006-10-02T15:03:55-05:00

Another part of creating a high quality style guide is to establish the color palette. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s good to have documented rules on color usage in place for all employees.

To understand the importance of keeping colors consistent, think about your favorite sports team. Immediately, their colors come to mind. L.A. Lakers: Yellow & Purple. NY Yankees: Navy & White, and so on. Consistent messaging is key to creating a brand, and you need to convey that with consistent use of your colors.

Most style guides use PANTONE color standards as a guidepost. In this system, every color imaginable is assigned it’s own code. Your company, for example, may use PANTONE 584 U as a primary color, which is a shade yellow. You’ll want to include a sample of the color and it’s code in your style guide. Most printers are also set up to recognize PANTONE colors so you can be sure the colors will be right.

Most design software allows you to design your logos etc. using PANTONE colors so you can be sure you’re always using the same exact color.

For your style guide, choose one or two primary colors, which will be your main brand colors. Then select a few (3-5) secondary colors. These may be colors in your logo or colors you feel accent your logo well. It’s also a good idea to have a few tertiary colors in mind as well, so when you design your website, brochures, packaging etc, you’ll already know what colors look nice with your logo.

Style Guides Part 2: Logo Rules

rkirby — 2006-09-26T12:46:56-05:00

One of the most basic parts of a style guide is describing the appropriate use of the logo. In this section, you’ll want to lay down some ground rules about what modifications are allowed (if any), how to use the logo in different backgrounds, and any spacing or size limitations.

Standard rules for logos outline these basic principles:

1. Don’t alter the color, angle or layout of the logo (when possible, use PANTONE color standards to keep consistency).

2. A clear zone must surround the freestanding logo. You don’t want your logo to be crowded. Many companies use a ratio for required space—for example, leaving a space around the mark equivalent to the height of the text in your logo.

3. The logo should always be easy to read so don’t put the logo on a multicolored background or over the top of a photo. Logos with a dark background should be reversed (white only).

4. Only use black and white when you can’t reproduce your logo in its original color.

You’ll also want to provide visual examples of what is/is not approved, so there is no confusion as to what to do in a given situation. For example, show what the logo would look like stretched vertically or horizontally and cross it out as a bad example.

Although these rules may seem needlessly specific, they will help you keep a consistent, professional image so you’ll be able to build a strong brand.