My Digital Ghost

Worst Logo Ever Contest

2010-11-18T02:01:00.001-08:00

Saw this on a friend's page. Let's take a break from being fabulous designers and do this just for fun. It's a contest to design the worst logo ever. Click on the 'Logo Gallery' to see some of the submissions. They are hilarious. Lot's of comic sans. There is a reward.

howlowcanyourlogo.com

Critical Thinking Images

2010-10-05T03:16:00.001-07:00

ifPEOPLE logo exploration

2010-10-05T03:14:00.000-07:00

Playing With Joel

2010-09-15T19:43:00.001-07:00

Wanted to give these another shot. This time I thought it would be more appropriate for the client for me to do something more serious, straight-forward, and 'go-get-em'. Still thinking about a fourth idea....

Reworked Seld-ads

2010-09-08T22:23:00.001-07:00

Never got around to posting these. I changed the apple one a little bit to hopefully get the point across quicker.

First draft of my page of the vendor booklet

2010-09-08T21:07:00.001-07:00

Some good ads

2010-08-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Love the Absolut ads. it seems there are countless variations and they are all pretty creative.

The Chic-fil-a cows sort of got on my nerves at first, but they have been around so long I started to like them. The billboard by my house changes each month and it's fun to see what they are gonna do with the cows next.

These are old, but memorable and iconic. You can still see parodies of the original.

The M&M guys have been around for a while, but I'm still not tired of them. I especially liked when they had the whole political 'vote for the new flavor' ad campaign.

Everyone loves these commercials. I've seen the guy on numerous talk shows. He's become an overnight success it seems solely off these ads.

Bad Ads

2010-08-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

I cannot think of another commercial than Education Connection that I hate more. And judging from the youtube comments, I'm guessing most people feel the same. I think it's the perfect example of where trying to be "hip and trendy" went horribly wrong.

I know people love these things, but the commercials are just too tacky. You would think they were ads from the 1980s. Bad ones.

The wanta fanta girls will definitely get in the song in your head, but the last thing you will want is a fanta when the song starts driving you crazy.

What is going on here? Is this necessary?

They mean well, but something is really unsettling about their delivery. I like most of the ads in this campaign, but it's just this shower one that really seems like it's trying too hard.

CD Design

2010-02-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Kanji Logbook

2010-02-28T20:20:00.001-08:00

Updated Wine Bottles

2009-12-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

Don't know how obvious it is from the pics, but my new wine box has a clear plastic window that you can see the character through when the bottle is placed inside. When the box is empty, the interior through the window is a solid color. I'm much happier with this box than the one I showed at critique. I'm playing off the 'toy' feel of the bottles and I think it works! I also completely re-did the paper tabs to make them movable and cleaner (no more glue on the bottle). I'm actually really happy with how this turned out!

Wine Bottles in Progress

2009-11-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

I still need to add the paper tabs that wrap along the necks of the bottles. They will be the corresponding color to the illustrations, adding a little more color. I also need to rub down the last of the silver type on the backs, but it will look like this:

The box is coming together well, just need to put it together and get some photos on here...

Sticky N' Sweet 2.0

2009-10-26T20:31:00.001-07:00

I definitely think the little bit of color on the background makes a huge difference. Thanks for the suggestions. I did add some subtle stars in there to make it seem more outer-spacey, but I want it to be kind of abstract so I didn't go to far with them. Whaddaya guys think?

Sticky N' Sweet

2009-10-25T23:14:00.001-07:00

I'll probably change a few more things on it, but I'm pretty happy with it thus far.

Type Poster Progress

2009-10-25T18:29:00.000-07:00

I still have a lot of work to do on the type, but this is the basic look. My inspiration is Saturday morning cartoons and retro cereal commercials. I am going to add some logos and some more info under the type to make it look more official. I also need to mess with the texture in the background as well. How does it look so far? I will post again in a couple hours with an updated design.

My first idea kind of fell through. I wanted to gear the typeface more towards adults, and so I took a photo of my friend sort of seductively eating one of my letters. I didn't tell her by this point the candy has been sitting out for a couple of weeks... hahahahaha!!! I was going for a 'sink your teeth into this typeface' kind of thing... but it didn't really work out like I wanted it to. Plus, I don't really have time for another 'photoshoot' so I just sort of stopped...

My Potential Wine Re-Designs...

2009-10-21T08:51:00.001-07:00

After walking around the store with a pen and paper, Ive come up with this short list of wines that I feel could use a little help with their designs. Some of these don't look that bad already, but could still be redone to look better. I basically looked for wines with a name that stood out to me. These are in order, from the ones I'm most excited about to the least:

Liars Dice

True Earth

Smoking Loon

Wishing Tree

Firehose

Twisted Merlot

Snap Dragon

Cover Update

2009-10-20T14:29:00.001-07:00

Still messing around with the type size and color...

Taking My Cover Idea Further

2009-10-15T23:01:00.001-07:00

I'm enjoying the look of these figures, but I feel like it needed something more. I want it to tell more of a story. I added another figure to hopefully support the content of the article better. The reason I am using these heads instead of a model is because I feel it will make the content of the magazine more abstract, and so it will apply to anyone who is reading (rather than associating the articles with an actual human face). I've tried to capture a bit of emotion on each face. even though they are pretty lifeless looking in person. I've also desaturated the red because it was a bit harsh on the eyes before.

Any thoughts on the look of my design?

Let's think back to the horribly tacky current design...

Concepting a Cover

2009-10-15T01:34:00.001-07:00

Not really set on the type or anything... just wanted to get this out.

My Candy Alphabet

2009-10-14T19:08:00.001-07:00

Still trying to think of a name for it. I was thinking 'Sweet Tooth' or 'Sugar Rush', but I want to use the letter 'M' because it's my favorite. I also got rid of the black licorice 'Q' because it didn't fit in with the other colorful letters.... and it can't be a bunch of candy without a lollipop!!

It looks better if you click on it and view it at a larger size.

Play My Birthday Gift Game

2009-10-14T15:27:00.001-07:00

Click Here or on the picture to play

Project Runway with Type

2009-10-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

THANK YOU GUYS!!!

2009-10-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

I just finally got around to checking my mailbox and I got your guys cards! Thank you so much!! What a cool thing to do! I'm reading them all one by one and they're great!

THANKS AGAIN!!!!!!!!

(I didn't make the thank you gif, but I thought it was groovy)

...

2009-10-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. If anyone's wondering, today I'm starting to feel like my old self. I should be back in class on Monday. Thanks for all the comments and concerns!! :)

This isn't good

2009-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

My fever keeps rising and I keep feeling worse and worse... I'm definitely going to the doctor first thing in the morning. I might go the emergency room tonite, but I live alone and have no one to take me.

:(

2009-10-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning and it's gotten worse. Maybe I should go to the hospital if it reaches 103 or 104 ???

I keep throwing up and my body is in PAIN!!!!!

I'm Dying :(

2009-10-04T22:04:00.001-07:00

I seem to have come down with the flu... BAD.
I feel like Chris's poster... muscle aches, chills, fever, weakness, headache... :(
I'm worried I might become behind on my schoolwork... :(
Everyone take some extra Vitamin C... it's an ugly one!!!!

Sugar High

2009-10-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

If I eat one more piece of candy, I am going to go INSANE!!!!!

I've got all of my letter forms photographed, it's just a matter of getting them into photoshop and taking out the backgrounds. Here's the ones I've gotten done so far. I think they might look pretty good when I get them all together and lined up properly. I want to give each letter form it's own 'personality'.

Murakami = The Greatest

2009-10-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this author so much. His books are amazing. Actually, the artwork on the covers of his English translations is what drew me to him. They really stand out on the shelf and you can't help but want to take a closer look.

'Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' is my personal favorite. I love the colors and the way the horizontal lines interrupt the picture.

My First 3 Ideas for Illustrative Type

2009-09-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

My scanner is mad at me.

Where I Waste Away the Hours

2009-09-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should tidy up my mat cutting table...
and yes, I'm a PC person.

Groovy Type

2009-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love the astronomical one!!

Final H1N1 Poster

2009-09-20T02:10:00.000-07:00

- rearranged the header a little
- added the gsu logo/urls/name
- added a slight texture to the background (something I rarely do...)

'Block of Type'

2009-09-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

The streets of Tokyo are littered with so many different types of Kanji it pretty much becomes part of the scenery. Especially to tourists who may not be able to read them, it becomes pure art. When people think about Tokyo, I believe one of the first things they would think about is the neon Kanji and Kana signs in the streets. It has become such an integral part of their culture and society.

Also, I found these anti-smoking street signs to be so much more amusing than the traditional ones we always see here in America.

Outside of the city, the Japanese temples also have a lot of beautiful calligraphy in them. Visitors come and write their wishes on these wooden blocks and hang them in the trees and they become part of the landscape.

Does this make more sense?

2009-09-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

I kinda felt like my type was not making sense as a whole to get my message across. So I've changed a couple of the words to hopefully make the message clearer.

H1N1 Poster. Rough Draft

2009-09-13T23:22:00.001-07:00

I'm still working with the type and what exactly I want it to say, but that's what I got so far.

I also had a throw away idea to do something with the breathing masks. It amuses me how so many people are wearing them and it's been stated that they really don't provide that much protection from influenza viruses. My design really doesn't look like I wanted it to so... I kind of just moved on from it.

Watch My Animation

2009-09-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Just posting my 7 Deadly Sins animation on here if anyone wants to see it again.

Typographical Inspiration

2009-09-11T13:22:00.001-07:00

These are getting me excited to design the H1N1 type poster.
Take a closer look at the one with the Sydney Opera House, it's amazing!

My First "Graphic Design" Experiences

2009-09-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

A few years back, when I had no exposure to the graphic design community, or Creative Suite, or anything like that, I submitted an album cover for the Russian band 't.A.T.u'. They wanted fans to submit an album cover for the 'released in Japan' version of their album. I drew an outline image of them, scanned it into the computer, and then colored it Windows Paint (ugh!! gross!!!). Now of course, Graphic Design is a never-ending learning process, but knowing the little bit that I do now, it makes me shutter to look at this again. But, hey... I really thought I was doin' it big back then. I was so proud of it.

A winner was never announced, and I think the contest was canceled.... oh well...

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About 11 years ago, I had this grand scheme to make a video game. I planned out the whole plot and all the characters. I had no idea how I was going to make it, but I knew exactly what I wanted it to be. I can still remember how excited I was about it. Maybe one day I will try and make this a reality now that I could probably do it in Flash or something if I really tried...

I actually started making opening cut scenes, and battle screen backgrounds in Windows Paint (it's all I had back then), but that is really as far as I ever got. I wonder what it would be like now to revisit this idea older and wiser.

Inspiration: Rising & Falling

2009-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

One image that has stuck out in my head is the phoenix rising. I love everything it represents. No matter how far down you fall, you can be 'born again' and come back stronger than you were before. Something about the idea of a small spark of new hope and a new beginning in the midst of total pain and suffering appeals to me. I love to see how artists interpret this idea. Some of them are literal and some are more abstract. I am currently working on a large painting of the phoenix rising to put in my apartment. I am using different ideas from different phoenix pictures I have seen and sort of blending them all together and making it my own.

On the flip side, another image that has always inspired me is the fallen angel. It may sound cliche, but, I love the vulnerability expressed by these images. No matter how high we think we are flying, something will always bring us crashing back down to the ground. I think it's these moments who make us who we really are.

2070

2009-09-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Doing retro designs has been a design trend for a while now. I myself am guilty of following the trend. Retro just always looks so good!!

Starting Out My Concept Board

2009-08-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Just putting some imagery together and playing with type...

My T-Shirt Ideas Thus Far...

2009-08-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Love these CD Designs

2009-08-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of Nine Inch Nails, but not until recently have I found how much I really appreciate their CD designs. Especially the thermo-reactive CD and the box set.

Self Portrait & Timeline

2009-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

Top 5

2009-08-23T19:17:00.001-07:00

complete board game mock-up

2009-04-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

It was a lot of work, but I'm happy with how it turned out. It looks pretty good all put together. The board folds in half and fits perfectly into the box, and it all easily fits into my portfolio. Ahhhhhh... the light at the end of the tunnel...

bumper sticker on car

2009-04-28T17:13:00.000-07:00

I may or may not include this in portfolio. I was just curious how it would look.

starlight board game

2009-04-25T14:44:00.001-07:00

box - front

box - back

Here is the flat version of my board game box. I am in the middle of mocking it up and I think it's gonna turn out really nice. I've made some changes to the game board and the trivia cards. I will post those up along with mocked up photos sometime soon...

starlight bumper sticker

2009-04-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

After class critique, I realized some of the elements on the bumper sticker are too small. I looked at a few bumper sticker designs and saw that you have to do everything larger than normal and have a main focal point. I made some changes and here it is. I have a great photo of a car that I am photoshopping the sticker to. I'll post it soon!

green sprout commercial

2009-04-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

So, I've been teaching myself flash for the past few days and I have completed my first animation. It's a 40 second commercial for green sprout. Check it out! (turn your speakers up for the music)

You have to copy and paste the url into your browser for the animation to show up properly:

http://finalwish777.angelfire.com/greensproutcommercial.swf

FINAL starlight ads

2009-04-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Changes:

8.5x11
- added the stars at the top
- changed the text at the top
- got rid of the text on the screen, added an illustration
- moved the address to the corner so it matches the other 2 ads
- added the website to the bottom left corner to balance with the address

3.5x11
- added the stars at the top
- added a horizon line to help give perspective
- added the blue arrow to give a better idea of what's going on

5.5x5.5
- added the stars at the top
- changed 'take' to 'bring' so I wouldn't have 2 ads with 'take' in them
- added the blue hearts

FINAL green sprout ads

2009-04-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

Changes:

8.5x11
- moved the fork on the left over so it wouldn't be cropped
- changed the scale of the medium fork
- moved the forks so they point to the copy at the bottom
- made the logo and tag line a unit

3.5x11
- made the sprout gradually curve out as it progresses to the right
- made the logo and tag line a unit

5.5x5.5
- scaled up the plants to take up more space on the image
- made the logo and tag line a unit

starlight ads in progress

2009-03-30T04:56:00.000-07:00

I'm basically just going with the theme of these cars and the silhouettes. I still need to fine tune a few things, especially the type treatment on the screen.

These have inspired a sort of mini-specialty piece of a bumper sticker. It is still in the works, but it will incorporate these cars in a similar way but with some aspects from the stationery film strip thrown in.

2 different directions... what do you think?

2009-03-21T00:10:00.001-07:00

So, these are what I've come up with so far for Green Sprout. Just clean and simple. I do really like these, but for whatever reason I wanted to try something else completely different just to see.

I had some sort of statement here, but I think it is probably way too open to interpretation. I basically want to show that Green Sprout offers hot, filling, vegetarian meals disguised as meat and this in turn means 'eating green' in a whole new way.

The green paint represents the idea of 'eating green' and the hamburger is something savory and filling. This ties back into the tag line 'green never tasted so good'. I don't know... I like the design, but I'm even starting to confuse MYSELF with this one... haha, I remember hearing we are designing for the simple-minded public, so I don't think this would really make sense to anyone. Especially since the place doesn't even sell hamburgers. I just wanted to represent a new way to think about vegetarian dining, and maybe turn non-vegetarian on to the restaurant and give it a sort of edge.

I showed my friend and he asked 'why would I want to eat a hamburger dipped in green paint?'. So, based on that, I think I'm going to scratch this idea. The first set seems like it's less to take in and is much more safe.

ads that made me lol

2009-03-19T09:13:00.001-07:00

This makes me laugh every time I look at it.

Simple, but clever.

Too funny! I like how they snuck in the logo.

Not really that funny, but it reminded me of something similar to what Cherisa wants to do for Walters (just not using food).

Retro logo. For whatever reason, this reminded me of Heath's pharmacy.

It's funny how times change. They could never use this ad today.

my submissions for the JSE

2009-03-12T02:15:00.000-07:00

Inner Beauty
cigarettes + glue
18x16x9

Death Stands Above Me
illustration
13x18

----------------------

I had thought about this one, but decided against it so I could have a graphic design piece included in my submission...

5 Figure Geisha
charcoal
27x36

FINAL green sprout stationery

2009-03-12T01:10:00.000-07:00

Basically, all I changed was a few things on the business card and some small punctuation issues on the type.

any advice?

2009-03-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

So... over the weekend I want to get this stationery behind me and start churning out ad ideas. I feel completely done with the other client, but I feel this one needs a few adjustments.

I am pretty happy with the envelope and letterhead....

My main concern is with the business card. My other one is playful and unusual so I am going for a clean sleek card. I'm just not sure about the design... I put the restaurant address on one side and the personal info on the other... I don't know... I feel it needs something...

Any comments and advice would be groovy.

FINAL starlight stationery

2009-03-06T13:26:00.001-08:00

Made a few minor changes... probably not noticeable to anyone but myself.

One question... how does the return address look on the envelope? I'm wondering about the placement. I want to keep it in the upper left corner but I don't like the way it fits together with the logo... maybe I'll be different and move it to the back...

stationery | envelope | business card ... whew!

2009-02-21T00:52:00.000-08:00

(you have to click on them to see more of the details)

At long last, I feel like I'm darn near being done with these. I may change a few things as time goes on, but I feel pretty good about them. The template for my envelope is below. It will fold up and look like it does on the picture above. The business cards will have a perforated edge and will be folded up so they can be easily distributed by tearing them off like a ticket stub.

Some of the type may look too small or distorted to read on the gif, but it doesn't come out that way when printed.

Some things I am condidering
- The placement of the address on the envelope...
- The 'keep this ticket' text on the business card... Is it out of place? Does it relate?
- The placement stars and the moon on the back of the business card... Does it seem like the moon is shooting up from the film strip? I may need to work it out a little more...
- Maybe adding a slight texture to the tan colored stuff... maybe... eh...

So... client # 2... here I come!

ticket to the stars

2009-02-17T01:29:00.001-08:00

I was thinking a fun idea would be to put the business card on old fashioned movie tickets. The perforated edge would be a nice way to easily distribute the cards as well. The left side is my design for the front, which includes the theater address and the telephone number. On the right, I am working on the design for the back of the ticket. I want to include some sort of illustration on the empty spot to the left of the contact numbers. Maybe an illustration of the person listed on the ticket, or their favorite movie or something. Just some random ideas.... I'm SLEEPY!

my fonts

2009-02-16T20:55:00.001-08:00

The yourfonts.com site is very cool. I made these two fonts pretty quickly. They don't have much creativity to them, but I could find good use in them. The first one is obviously my handwriting. I've always wondered if there was a way to do this, and now I see there is. It really gives it a personal touch, but makes it clean and organized.

The second font is Japanese characters. I've always thought the standard Japanese fonts on the computer all looked the same. This way it can be more personal. I think I am gonna do this one again and make it look really cool. In my example it shows some Katakana, Hiragana, the numbers 1-9, the days of the week, and then a sample sentence. It may not make any sense to you, but I think it is pretty groovy.

trying to simplify my designs

2009-02-16T01:56:00.001-08:00

I'm starting to get more and more comfortable with applying my logo to things. I still need to work on them, but I feel like I am starting to go in the right direction. I am getting a lot of ideas for my other client, so I will probably put this one on the back burner for a day or two.

I had no idea how hard it is to actually do things really simple...
Have I gone too boring? Maybe I should spice it up a little. I don't want the company to look bland...

I don't know if you can imagine this, but I want these printed on recyclable paper. Ya know, the kind that is off white and has a lot of texture in it. I'll just have to figure out a way to feed it through my printer. I think it will give the whole thing more personality.

Here are some older versions that I scrapped:

first ideas for green sprout stationery

2009-02-12T17:20:00.000-08:00

playing around with the film strip

2009-02-12T17:17:00.001-08:00

I'm just messing around with the film strip theme. I don't think I am going to explore it to much because it's already feeling 'overdone' to me. I'm just getting warmed up with putting the logo to use. I also had an idea for a see through business card...

cmyk to pantone in photoshop

2009-02-12T01:22:00.000-08:00

This is something I figured out just playing around with Photoshop.

If you guys are anything like me, you find it difficult searching through the limited Pantone color books to find the color you are truly wanting. To me, it is much easier to pick a color using CMYK, where I can just eyeball the different tints and shades of the entire color spectrum.

But then, I really hate going back later and trying to find a Pantone color that perfectly matches my choice. I've found a way in Photoshop to do it pretty easily.

First obviously, open up your file in Photoshop. In this case, it's one of the first logos I ever did.

Next, use the eydropper tool to select the color on your artwork that you wish to find a Pantone match for. Then, to the right double click on that color in the color window.

After that you should see the 'color picker' window. On the right side, click where it says 'color libraries'.

Finally, you should see a list of Pantone colors. The Pantone color that most closely matches your CMYK color will be highlighted in black. In this case, the blue in my CMYK logo is closest to PMS 284 C. You may not get an exact match, but it should be pretty dang close. I believe this works for RBG colors too.

Make sure you specify which Pantone Book you want to match your color with in the drop down menu at the top. I think it's best to pick 'solid coated' when printing on semi-gloss or glossy paper, and 'solid uncoated' for matte paper.

This really helped me out, so maybe you guys could get some use out of it... or maybe yall already knew this??

FINAL logos

2009-02-12T01:18:00.000-08:00

strippin'

2009-02-05T01:12:00.000-08:00

No more cars n' stars...
I can see me really having fun with that film strip on my stationery, business cards, etc...

paint it green

2009-02-05T01:03:00.000-08:00

I felt like experimenting with my leaf and broke out the green paint. I don't really think I got anything better than what I had before, but it was a good experience. I'm looking at the leaf in a whole new way.
I must become one with the leaf... haha

Here's the lucky winner:

Now, let's put it in the logo. Not a drastic change, but maybe makes it a bit more personal. I think I might prefer the old one with the clean lines.

And speaking of the old one... I'm trying to decide on placement for 'vegetarian cuisine'. I was going to shorten it to just 'vegetarian', but I think the word 'cuisine' is really needed for the image I'm trying to give the place. That word makes you think differently about veggies.

I think it's either gonna be a little to the right of the desender of the 'p', like above, or centered and larger, like below.

fine tuning green sprout / first stab at business cards

2009-02-03T11:52:00.001-08:00

I've decided that for the green text, 'vegetarian cuisine' was a little crowded and didn't look good at a small scale. I've tried to shorten and simplify it. I might use another word/phrase, but for now I think 'vegetarian' alone sums it up pretty well.

I was curious how my logo might look on a business card. I threw this together just to see. It's nothing too serious, I was just playing around with it.

playing with colors

2009-02-03T11:48:00.001-08:00

Just playing around with colors and readability. I still don't know which logo I am going to use for this client yet. I am just having fun with it until something really speaks to me...

trying new things...

2009-02-01T00:09:00.001-08:00

I took into account the comments I got and made some changes. I tried to make the cars more recognizable, and I played around with the location of the type.

I'm liking the look of this... but I am worried how it might look scaled down... maybe a simpler version would be better ???

it's friday night...

2009-01-30T23:48:00.000-08:00

Well... out of my frustrations comes a whole new concept. And this time, I feel really good about it. It may not be 100% yet, but I'm the most proud of this one than I have been about any other idea that I've had. I feel I've managed to maintain the retro-50's vibe, but give it a modern approach, and still manage to be playful. And for the first time, I think I really captured the feeling of being at the drive in. I was unable to do this before, but I think I am taking a step in the right direction. Plus, I still managed to sneak in my moon and car.

Any comments or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I really wanna push this idea as far as I can. Thanks!

even more ideas

2009-01-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

I'm going a little insane with this car...
Before I retire these 'moon & car' ideas, here are a couple more...

Stan mentioned that I need to let go of my colors, and I think working in black & white is helping. I am being forced to arrange all the elements of the logo in an appealing way, but without the distraction of those colors. Plus, for whatever reason, I was only working on a black background.

still trying some different things

2009-01-29T17:56:00.000-08:00

Almost feel like jumping ship with this client, but I'm still trying some new things...

slowly evolving

2009-01-29T11:20:00.001-08:00

I'm still trying to push both of these. I agree now with everyone that said to simplify the type treatment in 'green sprout'. It gives the logo more of a focus. I'm feeling really good about this one.

I am struggling with the Starlight Drive-In. Here's why:

- I don't want to lose the sense of motion that the orbit line gives, but I don't want too many different elements in the logo.

- I want the type to interact with the imagery, but I don't want readability to be sacrificed.

wishing upon a star

2009-01-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

Since I feel like I am starting to get somewhere with 'Green Sprout', I need to spend some more time with my second client. I was pretty happy with my logo from before, but I am trying to simplify it and make the text more prominent. I need to try some more things, but it's goin pretty well I guess. Here is some of my brainstorming...

starting to have fun with it

2009-01-27T22:58:00.001-08:00

Over the next couple of days, I am going to rearrange and turn my logos inside out. I think this is the only way I will be able to find the best solution. Who would of thought that simply changing the angle of the skillet would make my logo come that much more alive? I feel this gives it more movement and it slightly playful, but not too much. I can also work the text much better. Now I'm looking forward to putting this on other things to see how it looks. Here are some different things I was trying with the type treatment. I'm just gonna keep pushin!!! :)

experimenting with my logos

2009-01-27T00:23:00.000-08:00

These are nowhere near final, but these are my favorites so far. I'll explain why, and then show some of my experimentation.

- I enjoy the hole in the handle. It makes the gray object more recognizable as a skillet, rather than a spoon.
- I slightly raised the leaf/sprout to sort of make it 'float' in the skillet. I'm not sure, but I think this helps.
- I enjoy the way the green typeface looks with the image. Not sure about the gray text.
- I am not throwing out the giant green fork with a sprout on one end idea. I just think I would rather use it on some ads.

- I am almost certain these are the colors I will use.
- I made the text curve along with the moon, which I think definitely helps.
- I wrote it as 'six' instead of '6'. This made it a lot more unified.
- I like the typeface for 'Starlight Six', but I am worried if it is not bold enough and may get lost in the illustration. I think it definitely gives a 1950's feel, but it isn't too outdated.
- Rather than use all the same typeface, I want to use a different one for the word 'drive-in'. Not really sold on the current one, but I like the contrast between the two.

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Here are some of my trial and errors...

First, I played with the shape of the leaf and skillet. Then, I played around with different typefaces.

Some different typefaces and then trying different colors. The teal and purple are definitely a keeper in my opinion.

where i'm at so far...

2009-01-22T11:23:00.001-08:00

still pushing client #2

2009-01-22T02:15:00.000-08:00

Before I go back and post my additions to the Green Sprout logos, here's what I've been working on for the drive-in theater. The ideas aren't flowing as easily as with my other client, but I think I might be starting to go somewhere...

still struggling

2009-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of ideas floating around in my head and seem to be having trouble getting things started. I know once I get going I'll be fine, but these beginning stages is where I always have problems.

I am still working on my drive-in theater idea, but I've put it one the back burner for now. I am currently brainstorming on this place in midtown called 'Green Sprout'. I see it all the time, but had forgotten about it. The main thing with this place is that they serve traditional meals like 'mandarin chicken' and 'beef and broccoli', but it is all vegetarian. I want to show the carnivorous side of being vegetarian in the logo.

As you can see their logo needs HELP.

Here are some of my first sketches put into the computer...

I will post some more ideas, and some more logos for the drive in later tonight. Enjoy your holiday everyone!

just playing around

2009-01-15T11:36:00.001-08:00

I whipped these up really quick just to get more of a feel for it. I'm still trying to grasp my concept and the direction I want to head with the logo. I need to definitely work on the colors and the type treatments. These are simply brainstorms to just get my feet wet.

I've got some BUZZWORDS floating around in my head:
1 - retro / nostalgic
2 - fun / playful
3 - dreamlike
4 - smooth / 'cool'
5 - classic

some research...

2009-01-15T09:32:00.001-08:00

Trying to get into this retro way of thinking, I have been reading a lot about drive-ins. Some things I have learned:

- the sound of the movie was once projected through a simple speaker hung inside the car window, but is now broadcast to be picked up by your car's radio

- the drive in theater was patented in 1933 when a man decided it would be a good idea to nail a screen to some tress in his back yard and play a movie with a Kodak projector placed on the hood of his car

- the first drive-in slogan was "The whole family is welcome, regardless of how noisy the children are"

- drive-ins reached their peak in the 1950's (will probably play up to this in my design)

- drive-ins were considered the ideal place to go on a date and 'neck' (something else I will play up to in my design)

- drive-ins had a serious decline in popularity, but have seen a significant revival since 2001 (luckily for me)

possible re-branding clients

2009-01-13T11:34:00.001-08:00

Choice 1

Searching for a client to re-brand, I think I have narrowed my choices down to these 3.

I found the first one right at my doorstep. At the front of my apartment complex there is a plain black & white sign that doesn't draw much attention.

With a name like 'Serenity Lakes Wellness Center', I always thought this was some sort of senior citizen living place. It didn't help that the building looked a lot like a house.

Doing a little research I was amazed to find this place is not what it seems at all. It offers massage, yoga, meditation circles, reiki, tarot readings, and hypnotherapy... just to name a few. Going inside I saw this place is really a diamond in the rough.

This place is screaming for a re-brand. Rather than looking like an old folks home, it needs a new 'Elite Buckhead Spa Facility' facelift. I think a name like 'Serenity: Wellness' of just simple 'Serenity.' would make this place stand out a bit more and raise curiosity. As it is now, I'm sure most people just drive by.

When I visited this place, the staff was very excited to hear about my project and was very supportive of my ideas. They gave me a tour and told me to keep in touch.

Here is their business card, a pamphlet, and their website. All of these are in desperate need of new life with their tacky and boring text and simple graphics.

Choice 2

My second, and probably favorite choice, is the Starlight 6 Drive-In on Moreland Ave. For such a unique and popular place, the branding is not very appealing at all. While it would be wise to stick to a 1950's design scheme, it could be made a little more fresh and creative.

As you can see, the marquee hasn't changed very much at all over the years. The colors are disgusting and dingy. There is nothing memorable about this marquee whatsoever.

The website is a little better, but could still use an overhaul.

To sort of get the juices flowing, I did a couple of very rough sketches for a logo. I'm liking where the last one could maybe be going...

Choice 3

I haven't done much research on this place, but it could definitely use some help. It is a seafood restaurant and bar.

This place is supposedly very popular. With such a clever name, I think it could be rebranded to be much more unique and have more personality. Ironically enough, it is located across the street from a huge cemetery, so I think it needs to be re-branded to give a little more of a lighter atmosphere. All of the reviews I've read on it have said at first they were scared to go in, but were surprised to find it is a very good restaurant.

Here is the inside view and their website.

Poetry in Motion

2009-01-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

Objective: Create a poster that illustrates a poem and the feeling it gives you when you read it.

I chose...

DEATH STANDS ABOVE ME
By: Walter Savage Landor

Death stands above me, whispering low,
I know not what into my ear
Of his strange language all I know
Is, there is not a word of fear

This poem made me feel like something big is happening to you that you have no control over, but you are at total peace with it. I felt like maybe I was floating. I wanted something dark and yet graceful and elegant.

I actually hand drew each and every letter out so I wouldn't have to decide on a font.

Book Jacket

2009-01-09T02:45:00.000-08:00

I chose one of my favorite books of course. The pattern on the jacket came from some fabric I scanned in and the girl is one of my friends. I illustrated the word 'Geisha' since I couldn't find a typeface that I liked.

Movie Poster

2009-01-09T02:08:00.000-08:00

We watched a short documentary about paperboys. The one thing I picked up from each of the boys in the movie was that they were all very dedicated. To be able to buy their own things of interest, they would save up their money from their paper routes. That is where I came up with the tagline 'Building an empire... one mailbox at a time'.

Once I got my elements and colors how I liked, I just had fun with it. I wound up doing 3 versions pretty quickly.
-Version 1: inspired by the way a mailbag feels crossing over your chest, which coincidentally sort of became a map of streets
-Version 2: inspired by the wheel of the bike
-Version 3: a blend of my other 2 really...

Word Pairs

2009-01-09T02:06:00.000-08:00

Objective: To choose two words with different meanings, that when put together take on a whole new meaning.

Type Specimen Poster

2009-01-09T01:59:00.000-08:00

I chose a fairly new typeface that came bundled with CS3 called 'Arno'. My main goals were to show that this font is a modernized version of classic Italian typefaces, and to somehow represent the bridge/river the typeface is named after.

My main inspiration came from these vintage Italian posters. They are classic Italian, but still feel fresh.

I noticed they had common features, which I also included in my type specimen poster.
- a thick border around the edge
- a central figure/object
- large font towards the bottom for the title

Food Package Redesign Project

2009-01-09T01:51:00.000-08:00

So, we had to redesign some sort of existing food packaging. I had a lot of fun with this one. I knew from the beginning I wanted to do something playful and colorful. I picked Starburst because I felt I could do a lot with the flavors and colors.

I asked around and a lot of people seem to have their favorite flavor of Starburst. I got to thinking of what type of people like what type of Starburst and I got an image of each flavor as it's own character.

I also wanted something kids would see in the store and say' mommy, i want THAT!'.

Here they are flat:

(I've scaled down these images some so the ingredients and nutrition facts aren't quite legible.)

I don't know how obvious it is, but to get the candy out you grab their tongues and open up their mouths in a sliding motion (sort of like a garage door). Here are the 3D mock ups. For some reason, the blog uploads the colors a little jpegy, but you get the point...

Once you slide open their mouths, the candy just pops right out! :)

the good, the bad... and the just plain nasty

2009-01-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

As a way of sort of warming up for the semester, let me show some examples of what I think works and what doesn't as far as logos go.

Let's go ahead and get the bad ones out of the way...

---------------BAD LOGOS---------------

I've always hated this one. Not only is their Ice Cream mediocre, but this logo is awful. I don't really see the significance in the cherry and why must it split their company name right in half? This makes me think you are supposed to pronounce the cherry as a sound.

Husbanken is a Norwegian bank... but from this logo I would think it is some sort of house of melting zombies. Why are they all deformed and piled on each other like that?

Four Point is some sort of movie production company. The logo wouldn't be half bad if it didn't make me think of an axe murderer. The red doesn't help either. It just looks like some psycho killer about to stab you to death... and well, I don't think that would attract new clients very well.

This company is a gym that uses energy efficient, solar powered equipment (umm... huh?). The logo is so sloppy and busy, it takes a while to recognize the figure on the bike. And does anyone else see something a little... how can I put this... phallic?

Where do I even start!? The colors are hideous, the typeface is amateur, and the Earth looks like it's been swallowed up in a giant net! Could this logo get ANY worse?

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Ok, now that we've suffered through that, here are some logos that I really love.

---------------GOOD LOGOS---------------

I love this store, their imported tea from all around the world, and their logo. I love the simple us of colors, the curves, and the motion it implies. I also think the type treatment works very well. If you visited the actual store, you would see their logo suits the atmosphere of the place very well.

Nomao is an interactive website where users can create a free account. I won't go in to depth about what the site does, but their logo is very cute. The bee character is repeated throughout the site in different ways. He is animated and is your 'guide' of sorts. I also like how they didn't over-do the globe and made it very subtle. If viewed at a large scale, the logo is very crisp and neat with great details and texture.

Maybe it's because I love their clothing, but the Puma logo has always struck me as fresh and appealing. Or maybe it's because I have a black cat named Kuma... but anyways, it is simple, sleek and easily recognizable. It also looks good on their clothing in a variety of colors and at various sizes.

I'm much more of a Nintendo/PlayStation fan. In fact I've never even owned an XBOX. But I feel both their old and new logos have great depth and texture. The colors are great and I love the little extended line on the 'B'.

I may be a bit biased because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these games! But, I really enjoy the colors and mood of these logos. On their own they may not be anything extraordinary, but as a group they work very well together. The type is pretty simple, but it makes you immediately recognize them as a game from the franchise. The illustrations are all very beautiful and somehow relate to the particular games storyline.