In Search Of Design » identity

The Countdown Has Begun!

admin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:15:35 +0000

For those of you who are still scurrying to get your entries finished and entered, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that the competition will be closing in 15 DAYS! Don’t wait till the last minute to get your entries finished!

In case you don’t remember, you can read all the details of the competition here.

To get you thinking in the right direction, here are a few more sample Identity Packages you should check out! I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

Happy Creating!

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Best Brands

admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:49:30 +0000

I’m a firm believer in learning by example. Whether positive or negative. That being the case, I love to look at successful logos. Not to steal ideas, but to learn from the strategies and execution of an idea.

Recently, Interbrand, a international brand consultancy specializing in brand services and activities, including: analytics, brand engagement and brand strategy. Last week, they announced the top 100 global brands. I’ll have to admit I was a little surprised at who did and who did not make the list.

Keep in mind these brands were judged not by their Logos but their branding strategies and success overall. However, as a designer, it’s their logo that interests me. One has to think if a company is that successful, chances are, they are doing things right.

I’m gonna share my favorite logos from the list. Learn from them what you can!

You can see who else made the list of the top 100 in the full article from Interbrand here.

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Student Design Competition

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:25:48 +0000

Getting your work noticed and bursting through the door of opportunity is one of the biggest challenges for student designers. With that in mind, In Search of Design is proud to announce that the Student Identity Package Design Competition has officially began. Online entry will be available before the day is over!

In the meantime, read the entry details and check out the awesome prizes being offered. If you are in school ANYWHERE. . . you’re eligible to enter. Show us your creativity!

All the information you need to enter can be found here! Good luck!

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Stationary Styles

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:09:19 +0000

Now that we have business cards out of the way, we’ll explore some "do’s" and "don’ts" of stationary design. First let’s define what stationary really is. Stationary is comprised of your letterhead and envelopes mainly. These items, combined with your logo and business card, create your identity.

Let’s start with letterhead. Normally a full 8.5" x 11" sheet, letterhead normally gives you a larger playing field to house your information. With 4 definite sides, you have the opportunity to think outside the box. No longer does your letterhead information have to appear at the top. You can run it across the bottom, down the sides, or around the other edges.

In today’s design standards, DIFFERENT is better. Think outside the box. Try watermarking only half of your logo in the background while the other half runs off the page. Or you might try using pictorial representations of your information to convey your message to your customers (icons for contact information, etc.).

So, what informatin do we want to include on letterhead? Well, we’ll start with the same basic info that we included on the business card. NAME, TITLE, PHYSICAL ADDRESS, EMAIL, PHONE, WEB ADDRESS, and FAX NUMBER. Now, depending on your design, you have the opportunity to branch out a bit, by including a slogan, motto or tag line.

Enough talk. Here is the Identity package I created for the Web business I work for.

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Creating Your Identity

admin — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:45:43 +0000

You have your logo. Now what? To complete what is referred to an your identity package you will need a business card, your envelopes and letterhead. These 3 elements are often your first “touch” to a client.

As a whole, they support your logo & define your “style”. Individually, each piece plays a different role and serves a different purpose. Putting these three elements together will tell your customers who you are, and what you hope to accomplish with their business.

How does it do this? You’re identity packages sets the standard for the branding of your business. Without you are undefined. With it you are recognized, celebrated and can maintain a loyal customer base.

I will be dedicating separate posts to each piece: Business Card, Envelopes & Letterhead.

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Creating An Identity

JP — Sun, 25 May 2008 05:08:46 +0000

identity: What portrays you to the public. A combination of elements. Your logo. Your brand. Your style. Chosen correctly the logo can propel your business to national recognition and become household symbol.

By keeping a few simple ideas in mind as you look through possible logos you will be able to find the “perfect” fit for beginning the branding process. Remember that the logo you choose will be around for a while. Once an identity has been established it should ONLY be updated or refreshed every 5 years or so. This ensures that the public will be familiar with your business and easily recognize it. If a brand is updated too frequently, the result is confusing to your clients. In my next post I’ll talk about the things you should evaluate when creating a logo.

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