Category: Design

  • Branded Design Features

    Branded Design Features

    Details added in by product designers that define the brand. Have you ever seen a product from afar and just knew: “Oh yeah, that is a Brand-X product.” Yet, there are some brands whose products look like they could be from entirely different companies. As an industrial designer, I appreciate the details I see other…

  • Logos With TM

    Logos With TM

    14 examples to help you understand why and how to use the TM symbol. If you cannot protect your brand from other people using your name and logo, then investing in a brand at all makes little to no sense. Someone will benefit from all of your brand marketing if they can copy your logo.…

  • The ‘Wow’ Logo Colors

    The ‘Wow’ Logo Colors

    Highlighting the best logo color combinations. Feel free to use them! It is a challenge to find colors for our logo designs that our clients will like, and we will feel proud to present. The trick is to pick colors that are on-trend but work and will not go out of style in a few…

  • Logo Design Trends for 2020

    Logo Design Trends for 2020

    Understanding the trends forcing companies to rebrand will help you develop better logos. Logos are a part of our culture, and culture is always in flux. Aesthetic preferences change, things don’t mean what they used to, and perceptions of logos may not be what they once were. Many companies spend millions of dollars to rebrand to ensure…

  • How To Design An Exterior Business Sign

    How To Design An Exterior Business Sign

    A complete guide to help business owners and graphic designers develop exterior business signs that stand out. Feature Image: Sundry Photography – stock.adobe.com In the decade I have spent helping brands market themselves at retail, I have designed many signs for inside spaces. I understand what makes effective signage. But recently, I had the opportunity…

  • Why does professional logo design cost so much?

    Why does professional logo design cost so much?

    Clients can purchase logos range from free to tens of thousands of dollars. Entrepreneurs can get sticker shock from some professional logo designer’s quotes. The process of arriving at a high quality logo is requires time and talent, and top quality designers are in demand. A well designed logo can really help your company grow…

  • What makes a good logo?

    What makes a good logo?

    A bad logo can inhibit a good organization. A logo is intended to be a mental shortcut to past experiences with a brand, hopefully bringing up good feelings. A good logo is distinct, and not generic. A good logo is simple, and not complex. A good logo is appropriate, and not awkward. A good logo…

  • What Your Logo Font Says About Your Brand

    What Your Logo Font Says About Your Brand

    A professional designer talks about what the font in a logo says about the brand. Fonts are magic. They can play with our emotions and affect how we feel about the words that they represent. Have you ever had someone send you an email in all caps? It feels like they are yelling. The content…

  • Top Minds in Industrial Design Talk Smart Speakers

    Top Minds in Industrial Design Talk Smart Speakers

    Chadwick Harber, Nichole Rouillac, Grayson Byrd, Mika Becktor and Norio Fujikawa comment on the latest smart speaker designs. Introduction The smart speaker is a new product category defined by having a voice assistant always at the ready. “Alexa: buy some more laundry detergent,” or “Google: what is my next appointment?” or “Siri: play the Evolve…

  • Top Minds in Graphic Design Discuss Holiday Coffee Cups

    Top Minds in Graphic Design Discuss Holiday Coffee Cups

    Alex Center, Jacob Cass, Chuck Anderson and Daniel Brokstad and Kelli Anderson comment on the holiday cups of 2017. Executive Summary | Abstract | TL;DR They didn’t invent the concept of holiday coffee cups, but Starbucks has increased the expectations of the designs with their twenty years of great holiday cups. Colin Finkle has assembled a…