By Kristina Toft
February 5th, 2010
As a graphic designer, so many times I am asked, “What does a graphic designer actually do?” Well, in the made-for-television version, we hang around a funky office with a laptop in one hand and a ping pong paddle in the other. But in reality, our jobs are a lot more serious than that. Yes, we do have fun, but the fun is in having the opportunity to be creative and the bonus is getting paid for it. Despite the picture painted on television, we don’t sit around and play all day.
A graphic designer’s work is a part of your daily life—from the Web sites you visit to the magazines you read, to the cereal box you take out of your pantry in the morning. Our job is to communicate ideas visually to promote products or services when words alone don’t tell the whole story. And, it’s not as easy as just jumping on a computer and pushing the mouse around all day. We have an extensive process—we research, brainstorm ideas, sketch out initial thoughts, and follow design theories—all while working closely as a team with copywriters, marketing professionals and fellow designers to produce and deliver effective materials for clients. Our computers are merely tools that aid the process.
What are your thoughts on the perception of graphic design among the general public?
By Mike Bjella
January 26th, 2010
Another season of Project Runway has started. And, as always, the designers are rushing to get ground-breaking designs done under near-impossible deadlines. The show reminds me of somewhere—oh yes, work.
I only mention the show because it got me to think about Pantone’s seasonal color picks for 2010. They just announced what’s “in” for spring. Check out the fashion color report here to see what is currently “in” (And, check out my previous blog post see what was “in” for fall). Designers in all fields, including b2b marketing, can benefit from knowing what colors are in. Good news for Canyon, turquoise is at the top of the list.
My favorite quote from the report is “practical neutrals provide a safety net for cautious consumers.” But, Heidi Klum said it best on Project Runway, “Colors, one day you’re in and the next you’re out.” You are so correct Heidi.
Will you be incorporating some of these new colors into your spring design work?
By Renata Miles
December 28th, 2009
Russia has at last unveiled the logo for the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi. After the storm of controversy over the 2012 London Olympic logo, which has been called “hideous,” “childish” and “ugly,” it’s nice to see a much cleaner and up-to-date logo.
The Sochi 2014 brand was developed by brand consultancy Interbrand and an “Expert Brand Council” established by the Sochi 2014 organizing committee. Their strategy was simple—to develop an emblem that would drive fans to Sochi’s website and online platforms. They accomplished this by developing the first Olympic logo to feature a web address (I think it’s a pretty neat idea!).
Now, let’s look at the design. The lowercase lettering seems plain, but once examined closer you realize that the word Sochi is mirrored by the numbers 2014, drawn to reflect each other. This is meant to reflect the meeting of Sochi’s point between the sea and the mountains. The Olympic rings sit in their original colors beside the web address. Personally, I feel that the logo comes across a little ”flat” but it’s a much bigger improvement from previous Olympic logos.
What do you think about the Sochi 2014 Olympic logo? Is it better or worse than the London one?
By Adam Garcia
December 23rd, 2009
Being a graphic designer, color is one of the most important tools to convey a message. Color can be a deciding factor on whether a design makes it or not. And, a keen eye for color is a must-have trait of designers.
But we all use color in our everyday activities; whether we are picking out an outfit to wear for the day, or deciding what color to paint the living room. Did you know that 1 out of 255 women and 1 out of 12 men have some form of color vision deficiency? What do you think your color IQ is? Try taking this color test to determine how well you see color.
In B2B advertising, there is a trend to stick with “safe” colors and stay within the norm. Here is a little neat tool that helps us art geeks find color combinations that we might otherwise not have thought of and bring new and creative solutions to keep things fresh. Also, props to PANTONE 15-55519 for bringing home color of the year.
In what ways does color affect your everyday life? Seen any breakthrough color combinations in B2B marketing materials lately?
By Kristina Toft
December 18th, 2009
In my last post I offered a few resources on where to turn when designer’s block occurs. This time, I want to offer a few on where to turn when you can’t shut your brain off and those creative juices are overflowing.
Have you ever been strolling through the mall and there, in one of the store windows, you see the perfect color for the logo you have been working on? How about sitting in a doctor’s office and great ideas for a new project keep popping into your brain? Your solution can be in your purse (or pocket) my fellow iPhone and iTouch friends!
There are a handful of iPhone (and iTouch) apps that every designer must have. For example, CliqCliq and ColorExpert are perfect apps for capturing and calculating that awesome logo color you saw in the store window. iBlueSky is a handy app that will map your brainstorm path and allow you to e-mail it to another person while waiting in the doctor’s office.
If these two caught your attention, Webdesigner Depot has posted a list of “13 iPhone Apps for Graphic Designers” that is worth exploring.
I am always on the prowl for new resources. Do you have a particular app, tool or method you would like to recommend? Please share!
