Thursday, 29 January 2009
logo necessary?
In my quest to find out if the logo is dead, I googled comparable phrases:
Found one article here
"One reason is people process images in their mind more readily than only words. A logo is a visual stimulation that jumpstarts the audience's memory, leaving a greater impression than words alone. It is the simplest and most direct way to promote your business presence. Think of it like your "what we're about" statement without the long-winded"
"Studies indicate that the average child can recognize and identify over 85 corporate images, but only a handful of species of birds. Clearly, this is the result of many successful advertising campaigns and some effective logo designs."
"Another important reason to have an excellent logo design is to raise the impact of your website and/or product. A professional, eye catching logo immediately establishes an impact and the perception of a higher level of credibility. Conversely, a poorly designed logo can do irreparable damage to your corporate image. After all, in e-commerce, your site is your store. In the "real" world, it would seem doubtful that you would invite your potential clients into a dirty, grungy store and expect them to buy something from you. So, make your customer prospect's first impression a good one with a nice, professional logo!"
Whilst this is all true, we are not using the logo as an advertisement, simply a way to illustrate the brand. What we hope is that the tapes sell themselves, not us pushing the tapes.
Found one article here
"One reason is people process images in their mind more readily than only words. A logo is a visual stimulation that jumpstarts the audience's memory, leaving a greater impression than words alone. It is the simplest and most direct way to promote your business presence. Think of it like your "what we're about" statement without the long-winded"
"Studies indicate that the average child can recognize and identify over 85 corporate images, but only a handful of species of birds. Clearly, this is the result of many successful advertising campaigns and some effective logo designs."
"Another important reason to have an excellent logo design is to raise the impact of your website and/or product. A professional, eye catching logo immediately establishes an impact and the perception of a higher level of credibility. Conversely, a poorly designed logo can do irreparable damage to your corporate image. After all, in e-commerce, your site is your store. In the "real" world, it would seem doubtful that you would invite your potential clients into a dirty, grungy store and expect them to buy something from you. So, make your customer prospect's first impression a good one with a nice, professional logo!"
Whilst this is all true, we are not using the logo as an advertisement, simply a way to illustrate the brand. What we hope is that the tapes sell themselves, not us pushing the tapes.
lovecreative
Thinking about the brand in a less straight forward way.
I really like this website:
here!
I like the look, the way it works. I just don't like having to wait around for flash items to load.
I think one of the important things is that whilst we are creating a 'brand' it is not a big money making plan, so perhaps with this at the core I should be finding ways to create such a 'brand' without using the kind of paths that multi national corporations use.
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Idea2
Another idea for the website. I like this a lot better. Often, black an white websites can look a little sparse. Having a large bar at the top seems to give it a little more grounding.
Website ideas
I have been playing around with how the website looks using a little owl logo I created as a result of some of the feedback I received on the design forum:
The website needs to be relatively simple, this is obviously really simple as it is just an initial design idea. I would like to keep most of the visuals (apart from the content) black and white. I think at the moment the text and topper bar looks a little clunky. I need to go back to my web research to look further into it.
The website needs to be relatively simple, this is obviously really simple as it is just an initial design idea. I would like to keep most of the visuals (apart from the content) black and white. I think at the moment the text and topper bar looks a little clunky. I need to go back to my web research to look further into it.
Friday, 23 January 2009
Logo critique.
I joined "Your Design Forums" to try get a little feedback on the work that I am doing, I didn't really expect very much, but over the course of the day I got a lot of positive and critical feedback.
Here's my question:
"I am creating the visuals for a new cassette only record label.
Here are some ideas for the logo that I have been working on. They have to be simple enough to be read when scaled down to fit on a tape, but also to use on a web page."
Some of the feedback:
"Why not try to work on the 'owl' bit of the name. I can see where you're going with the waves, but would be a bit worried that as the logo got smaller, the waves would confuse the lettering and you'd end up with just a blob - if you understand where I'm coming from.
Also, by working on the 'owl' bit you could then have an image that can go on its own, through on all media, ie. letterheads, business cards, website, etc...."
"One thing that annoyed me though, was the L's with the curl on the end - they make me think of notes. I also think the spacing in some of them is too great; it looks better when they are sort of mashed together. A quick idea: maybe you could use the 'a' and the 'O' as the base of a pair of owl eyes?"
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Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Web Sites . . . Guy Archard:
Website for photographer Guy Archard. Really clever, distinct design. The 'Polaroid' style box, tells you exactly what the site is about. The three tone pages give a design effect, but still remain subtle and clean and the third tone allows for highlight. The navigation bar works nicely to the side, and although there is not room for copious amounts of stuff in the main box, this does ensure that the aesthetic remains constant (also we will not have much stuff to show for a while!)
Web Sites . . . Isomorphs
Another look at Isomorphs, in particular the website. The website is really crisp, with thin lines. The site works on a basic grid, this stays constant throughout the site. The navigation bar is in the top left, small and easy to use. The logo also works really well with the aesthetic of the site. Very much like.
Web Sites.... General Hotel
Website for "General Hotel" that reads a bit like a dinner menu.They again use red as an accent colour, I guess this layout is a bit of a no no in print
Web Sites....I <3 Fake:
I <3 Fake is a fashion and photography site. I picked this site to look at because I like how the site is simple yet allows for a lot of information. The top small navigation bar is the main navigation for the site, then the left bar is the navigation for that particular page, this means that the pages don't have to be crammed with information.
I like the added bit of colour in the logo, this makes sure that this is the first thing you see and identify with. Important!
More websites... De Stijl Records
I was forwarded the address for the 'De Stijl Records' website. The first thing to discover is that the picture on the splash page seems to be a pick of a selection. The basic format is the same, but the image changes on refresh. I think this is a neat idea and is a way to make things look fresh and interesting:
The general design of the site is really clean and simple. And I like the general look of it. The only thing is it is quite difficult to navigate and I think a lot of the info should perhaps have been divided into separate pages e.g. news/tours/bands. The little images represent each particular band involved with the label, this too is a nice idea, BUT you have to know what you're looking at.
When you click on the image squares it takes you to a page that describes the artist and gives a general biography.
I think this website looks really nice and clean and does the job. In some ways I think it has been designed a bit too much like a magazine rather than a website. Each page stands on it's own with relatively few links to anywhere else on the site/the internet and you have to use your own browser buttons to navigate the page. It would work much more effectively and be quicker to use if they had provided their own navigation bar.
The general design of the site is really clean and simple. And I like the general look of it. The only thing is it is quite difficult to navigate and I think a lot of the info should perhaps have been divided into separate pages e.g. news/tours/bands. The little images represent each particular band involved with the label, this too is a nice idea, BUT you have to know what you're looking at.
When you click on the image squares it takes you to a page that describes the artist and gives a general biography.
I think this website looks really nice and clean and does the job. In some ways I think it has been designed a bit too much like a magazine rather than a website. Each page stands on it's own with relatively few links to anywhere else on the site/the internet and you have to use your own browser buttons to navigate the page. It would work much more effectively and be quicker to use if they had provided their own navigation bar.
Monday, 19 January 2009
what makes a logo great?
Some advice from a graphic designer's blog:
When it comes to seeing a logo that makes you wonder, “Why didn’t I think of that?”, what exactly is it about the design that gives you that impression?
There are four elements that can be seen in every great logo:
- It’s describable
- It’s memorable
- It’s effective without colour
- It’s scalable i.e. effective when just an inch in size
Point 3 is important because colour is secondary to the shape. Adding colour to your logo should be left to the very end of the process, because if the mark doesn’t work in black only, no amount of colour will rescue the design.
Web Design: Music Sites
I bought this book at the weekend to give some ideas and inspiration for the website I am to create.
It breaks down many websites into the brief and constraints the designers were given and the final product, with information on the development and reasons behind changes given by the accompanying text written by the designers.
From reading it, there is a definite link between all the sites and the music they represent. There is also a lot of emphasis on internet communities.
"Arguably, if you don't run some sort of social-networking community around your artist, you're off the pace".
I think that this will be important, especially for a little website, having some sort of 'community' feel, however simple, will open it up.
This could be achieved by:
Mailing lists to sign up to.
Link love (hopefully getting it back)
Other internet presence, e.g. myspace/facebook.
Updating frequently...news / blog type thing.
I am also thinking if there needs to be a way to listen to the music?
I think the people that will buy the tapes WILL know the music (hence how they would find the site). However, they may not know all the releases and it is likely that if they like one tape they would like another.
So perhaps a music player would be something to look into? or direct links to where you can listen to the bands?
Here are some of my favourite sites from the book:
This is the website for "Bill Harley Music". I like the desktop effect and the invisible navigation bar. I like the idea of highlighting the navigation text by a block background.
'Cess Music', minimal design for minimal techno. I think the two-tone colour works really well here. It adds a lot of interest visually, but still keeps the site clean, it also lends itself to the text to have highlighting colours. I think the text also works great here. It is really clear and easy to read. The grid layout also helps this. The text that is smaller helps to explain how the navigation works, but basically fades into the background if you are used to the site because of it's weight, colour and size.
Kraftwerk always have great visuals for their music. This is a pretty simple idea and it looks great. It is kind of limiting though if you need to add more visuals, it could start to look very cluttered.
Arturo Fuentes's website. I think this looks really interesting. It looks very conceptual though, and may be difficult to look at and get your head around for navigation. What I especially like about it is the waythat bits of information come up in windows, and it might be nice to make the page look like it had windows, to separate individual parts of the site.
The website for The Copper Temple Clause. This website is so simple and clear. The black and white aesthetic (including the photographs) makes a sort of retro style statement, and the scrawled/hand-written text goes with this really well. The navigationbar is at the top and the page is divided into three columns. This website it total functuality but still looks great. Maybe not 'innovative' but still . . .
This website for Lorraine is really colourful and playful. The header takes up a lot of the page but I think that if the amount of information you have to give is limited this works nicely and once again the main page is divided into three. The navigation bar at the top is understated. The text is quite subtle, but highlights on rollover. The page of images also divides the page well, everything is balanced.
Website for Madonna. It has a clear aesthetic and the navigation header at the top holds a lot of information in a small space and relies upon geometric shapes and patterns and then the three tones of colour to separate and make the information distinct from one another.
isomorphs
Designer Kate Moross
has her own record label: isomorphs
I am interesting in how being a artist/designer effects the philosophy of her label.
This interview excerpt goes into this:
RECORD LABEL
You have your own record label, and you seem to find a lot of time to keep up with some amazing personal projects, but how do you find a balance?(Kirsten Cowie)
There is no balance, life is work and work is life. I do not even attempt to seperate the two, sometimes I can't remember whether my friends are clients or my clients are friends, its all blended together. My social life and my work like blend seamlessly, in fact, most of the time, I forget I am even working.
Would you agree that the work you do for bands gives them a visual identity, and is this something you are conscious of doing? If so… How do you go about creating a visual identity for something? What do you think about/ take into consideration? (Sarah Dawson)
Everything, most of it goes on in the back of my mind and it is very difficult to describe in words. I guess its inherent in designers to understand and be able to carve an aesthetic for each project. I try not to be influenced too much by current trends, but I like to have a lot of dialogue with the band and establish what they want as well as what I think they need.
Does it bother you that the products you create are (necessarily!) expensive luxuries? Or do you like the idea that someone who buys an Isomorph EP will have decided to go without something else as a consequence, and it will therefore mean more to them? (Sarah Dawson)
Its not about it being "expensive" its about it having value - It costs money to make a beautiful object, and it takes time. The price of the record is dependent on many factors. Even though my label is very small I still have to fund the hire of equipment, assisting on tour budgets, transport, and then the record manufacture on top of that. The limited edition nature of the record increases the cost on a manufacturing level as it requires more money to make less of a product. Also especially with the HR record we used specialist print finishes, for example we used a thicker card stock than usual, we printed the inside and outside of the sleeve, and then the laser foiling, coloured vinyl... i could go on, even the plastic slip cases the records come in had to be custom made to accommodate the larger stock and spine, but the sleeves were a must because we didn't want all our beloved editions to be scuffed and crumpled. See we thought a lot about this object, and rightfully so!
I don't like to look at the records as expensive items, they are lovingly created for the buyer, hand packed and numbered. I spend my time making it as beautiful as possible with the hope that everyone that owns it will enjoy it in its entirety, and really truly treasure it, not because it cost them more than another record but that someone cared about making them an object that was special, not just off a production line of thousands that will be sold cheap wholesale and then churned out in record shops. The records I sell are all packed and posted by me, I think that people notice all of these things, as well as the time invested , and after all of these processes recognise that it is not expensive, but that it is of value - and that its price tag is worth paying.
I think that the work you’ve done for Hearts Revolution encourages proper obsessive fandom – the ‘I must own every release on every format!’ mentality. Have you ever been that kind of fan of anything? (Sarah Dawson)
The heartsrevolution manifesto is inclusive and lovingly embraces anyone that wants to support and follow it. i think this is what draws people to it. I am a fan of lots of things I collect tons of weird shit - i have like every single released Radiohead track (probably not EVERY one but I would like to think so). I also collect sharpies and lots of other strange pens & stationary. I even have a rather large paper collection accumulating. I think owning music is becoming more important, It is scary to think that with one crash of a harddrive we could lose everything we love, all our photos memories and music. This is why people are going back to vinyl, so they can see it, it is physical, it stacks on a shelf, it has a weight and a value that cannot be overshadowed even by cheap (or free) readily available MP3's. Also I think since music has become so easy to obtain people are back tracking, they desire the "rare" because it sets them apart. I like the idea that when this record is sold out, there will be no more, the person who owns number 12/500 will own it forever, in fact I even know the name of the owner of the number 12 record, because that is how my label works - every record has an owner and that owner isn't just a number, they are someone who is part of the team that supported this project and believed in what I do.
I’ve read a lot about your aims for Isomorph in terms of design and packaging, but do you have any particular vision of what the world is missing musically and what you’d like to add to it? (Sarah Dawson)
I keep my musical ideas under wraps. I don't feel it is my job to dictate where music is going to go. There is a reason I am designing records not singing on them. I feel like its my job to give people a platform to publish what they do and In that way I am making a statement on what I think is relevant and important in music. There will be lots more to come I assure you, but as for the future I'll leave that to the likes of Dave Sitek, James Ford, and all the musical whizzes out there.
Are there any labels whose approach/ design work really influences you, or anyone currently doing similar things that you respect? (Sarah Dawson)
Two of my close friends and clients run labels Merok and Young Turks. Both of them made me realise it was something I could do and they supported my journey and helped out at times where I needed it. There are lots of independents out there that are doing awesome stuff, whether it be a Grime label or a Noise label, anyone who is investing time in putting out stuff they love gets my vote. Design wise, I still work for the independents and the majors out there, and also act as a consultant to them on numerous creative projects. I don't want to be a snob and only work on my own endeavors I think it is important to help guide the industry as a whole, I don't think I will be able to make a revolution on my own!
has her own record label: isomorphs
I am interesting in how being a artist/designer effects the philosophy of her label.
This interview excerpt goes into this:
RECORD LABEL
You have your own record label, and you seem to find a lot of time to keep up with some amazing personal projects, but how do you find a balance?(Kirsten Cowie)
There is no balance, life is work and work is life. I do not even attempt to seperate the two, sometimes I can't remember whether my friends are clients or my clients are friends, its all blended together. My social life and my work like blend seamlessly, in fact, most of the time, I forget I am even working.
Would you agree that the work you do for bands gives them a visual identity, and is this something you are conscious of doing? If so… How do you go about creating a visual identity for something? What do you think about/ take into consideration? (Sarah Dawson)
Everything, most of it goes on in the back of my mind and it is very difficult to describe in words. I guess its inherent in designers to understand and be able to carve an aesthetic for each project. I try not to be influenced too much by current trends, but I like to have a lot of dialogue with the band and establish what they want as well as what I think they need.
Does it bother you that the products you create are (necessarily!) expensive luxuries? Or do you like the idea that someone who buys an Isomorph EP will have decided to go without something else as a consequence, and it will therefore mean more to them? (Sarah Dawson)
Its not about it being "expensive" its about it having value - It costs money to make a beautiful object, and it takes time. The price of the record is dependent on many factors. Even though my label is very small I still have to fund the hire of equipment, assisting on tour budgets, transport, and then the record manufacture on top of that. The limited edition nature of the record increases the cost on a manufacturing level as it requires more money to make less of a product. Also especially with the HR record we used specialist print finishes, for example we used a thicker card stock than usual, we printed the inside and outside of the sleeve, and then the laser foiling, coloured vinyl... i could go on, even the plastic slip cases the records come in had to be custom made to accommodate the larger stock and spine, but the sleeves were a must because we didn't want all our beloved editions to be scuffed and crumpled. See we thought a lot about this object, and rightfully so!
I don't like to look at the records as expensive items, they are lovingly created for the buyer, hand packed and numbered. I spend my time making it as beautiful as possible with the hope that everyone that owns it will enjoy it in its entirety, and really truly treasure it, not because it cost them more than another record but that someone cared about making them an object that was special, not just off a production line of thousands that will be sold cheap wholesale and then churned out in record shops. The records I sell are all packed and posted by me, I think that people notice all of these things, as well as the time invested , and after all of these processes recognise that it is not expensive, but that it is of value - and that its price tag is worth paying.
I think that the work you’ve done for Hearts Revolution encourages proper obsessive fandom – the ‘I must own every release on every format!’ mentality. Have you ever been that kind of fan of anything? (Sarah Dawson)
The heartsrevolution manifesto is inclusive and lovingly embraces anyone that wants to support and follow it. i think this is what draws people to it. I am a fan of lots of things I collect tons of weird shit - i have like every single released Radiohead track (probably not EVERY one but I would like to think so). I also collect sharpies and lots of other strange pens & stationary. I even have a rather large paper collection accumulating. I think owning music is becoming more important, It is scary to think that with one crash of a harddrive we could lose everything we love, all our photos memories and music. This is why people are going back to vinyl, so they can see it, it is physical, it stacks on a shelf, it has a weight and a value that cannot be overshadowed even by cheap (or free) readily available MP3's. Also I think since music has become so easy to obtain people are back tracking, they desire the "rare" because it sets them apart. I like the idea that when this record is sold out, there will be no more, the person who owns number 12/500 will own it forever, in fact I even know the name of the owner of the number 12 record, because that is how my label works - every record has an owner and that owner isn't just a number, they are someone who is part of the team that supported this project and believed in what I do.
I’ve read a lot about your aims for Isomorph in terms of design and packaging, but do you have any particular vision of what the world is missing musically and what you’d like to add to it? (Sarah Dawson)
I keep my musical ideas under wraps. I don't feel it is my job to dictate where music is going to go. There is a reason I am designing records not singing on them. I feel like its my job to give people a platform to publish what they do and In that way I am making a statement on what I think is relevant and important in music. There will be lots more to come I assure you, but as for the future I'll leave that to the likes of Dave Sitek, James Ford, and all the musical whizzes out there.
Are there any labels whose approach/ design work really influences you, or anyone currently doing similar things that you respect? (Sarah Dawson)
Two of my close friends and clients run labels Merok and Young Turks. Both of them made me realise it was something I could do and they supported my journey and helped out at times where I needed it. There are lots of independents out there that are doing awesome stuff, whether it be a Grime label or a Noise label, anyone who is investing time in putting out stuff they love gets my vote. Design wise, I still work for the independents and the majors out there, and also act as a consultant to them on numerous creative projects. I don't want to be a snob and only work on my own endeavors I think it is important to help guide the industry as a whole, I don't think I will be able to make a revolution on my own!
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
More label sites
This is Wichita's home page. I think the design works well. The logo makes the page instantly recognizable and also means there doesn't have to be too much text on the header. The main page is divided into three columns with one larger one for the main information. I like the simple navigation bar and the way the most popular parts are highlighted in colour. I also think it would be a good idea to find a way to set up an e-mail updates list. I like the limited amount of colours, the clear design and the way it would be easy to update.
The matador site is really simple. I think the drop down menu for the artists works. It is sort of a simplified version of the Wichita site. The two-tone works also. I can't help feeling that the white background does make the site seem a little too stark, and I'm not really a fan of the text, it seems too big for the page.
This site contains a lot more information than many of the other sites, but the format works. The navigation bar on the left separates itself from the rest of the page using colour and then the columns slightly different tones. Not so much information would be needed for this site.
Websites
The XL site is heinous! You get to all of the different artists pages by hovering over their name. Which then takes you to basically exactly the same page in a different colour with a few links at the bottom. Then news for which you can scroll down forever. The band names would ahve worked much better in a list and generally I think that is what is there is still relevant, all information should be able to be viewed from the page that appears without scrolling (unless it is old news etc).
Both of these are kind of similar. They work fine But they don't look that interesting. Also there is so much information I'm not really sure what to look at.
Page for tape label 'Fuck it Tapes". A lot of tape labels seem to have really simple pages, I guess because it is just a way to have an internet search presence and to release news easily. Also the whole d.i.y. ethic of tape labels, don't really lend themselves to extensively considered aesthetics, perhaps because this sets them apart? or seems to make it seem like a professional business? I don't know.
The Moshi Moshi site is really simple. I quite like the way the side bar fades out. And I can deal with the monotone colours when the colour images are there on the front page.
Tape
We discovered that we could get images printed onto the tapes where the label would be quite cheaply. And have thought about distinguishing the releases by the colour of the tape, rather than changing the label image. However, I like the joined up writing on this label!
Monday, 5 January 2009
Ugh!
I have no idea what to do for my final project(s)! I have been so busy being ill, having teeth out, falling down stairs.
I think that like the last brief, I will divide the FMP into smaller separate projects. (allowing myself a little more considered time for each).
I think that like the last brief, I will divide the FMP into smaller separate projects. (allowing myself a little more considered time for each).
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