istock announced the other day that it would be selling logos. Forums are now overloaded with outraged designers shouting to boycott istock and crowdsourcing, not without good reason. As a graphic designer, I believe an offering like this diminishes the value that designers offer when creating identities.
In creating an identity, designers go through a 3-step process:
1. Research. It’s only through research and collaboration with a client that the designer begins to gain an understanding of a business and its goals. This is the most important stage of a logo design. Who do they want to be? How would they like to be perceived? How do they differ in the marketplace?
2. Design. The designer begins to assess what type solution is appropriate, explore relevant imagery, stylistic approach and color choices. All of these are calculated choices to express something about the company. They come together for the design phase.
3. Refine. Through client feedback, the logo may evolve through illustration, color exploration and font selection.
The istock offer eliminates the research and refine stage, and therefore, the unique personality of the company. Eliminating 2/3 of the work that goes into an identity explains the bargain price. istock is not the first to offer logos at basement prices and they won’t be the last. So go ahead… Upload your logos for “company x” and carve out their unique position in “marketplace y”.
We’ll be here working on step 1. See above.
Posted in
general Tags:
brand,
logo,
personality
The brains behind the team that developed President Obama’s official iPhone application for his presidential campaign – Raven Zachary – is at the top of an industry that never existed up until two years ago. Zachary will travel to Ann Arbor in September, to inspire Michigan residents to reinvent and innovate. Ann Arbor Ad Club, in coordination with University of Michigan American Advertising Federation Student Chapter, is honored to introduce this luminary on Thursday, September 17 from 7-9 p.m., at the Michigan League. Active networking, refreshments and cash bar are available. Raven spoke at Advertising Age’s Creativity and Technology Conference in New York where tickets where $395/person. Entry into this event is free for members, $35 for the public, and $10 for students. Register at www.a2ac.org.
Posted in
events Tags:
Apps,
iPhone,
social media
It seems like every day something new and exciting is coming out. A lot of companies are are trying to always stay up with the new “it thing”. But jumping on the newest thing is sometimes not the best thing.
Before you decide to dive into a social media venture make sure it is the right thing for you and your business. Find out as much as you can about the medium or approach. Most importantly, find out if it’s the right thing for your customers.
For example, facebook tends to skew female, under 34, and slightly affluent. YouTube reaches more teenage guys than anyone else. Twitter tends toward the female, college grad types. And LinkedIn’s biggest users are middle-aged men with graduate degrees. There are many tools online to help you decide which new media are right to reach the people you want to reach – use them.
Once you’ve decided to use a new medium make sure you do it well. Participate and become an active member in the community and have a consistent presence. If you decide to join Twitter, tweet a couple times a day. If you create a blog, post something new at least once a week. In the end, how well you do on the web is up to you.
Posted in
general Tags:
media planning,
new media,
online,
social media
