I love this site as it primarily features web and graphic designers' personal portfolio websites and they all have nice clean style and design. Lately it seems almost every website I come across is powered by Wordpress so the format of websites are all becoming really similar. They are functional, clean and professional but I still like to create something original and specific to my client's needs.

www.minimalsites.com/

Well, it's happened again and it's still as frustrating as ever!!

I'm working on a freelance job, a website, and the client is in denial of the state of their logo. Although I made a clear explanation of how the logo is the foundation of their visual identity, and how their logo is outdated and inapproriate, they feel they should hold onto their existing logo due to recognition that has been built. I've experienced this before and usually spend more time with the client explaining how important it is that they take care of the logo now and in the end they are really happy that they went for it. Unfortunately I am not in the position to be able to do that with this client so I am trying to create a website around a crummy logo and it's really disappointing (and frustrating!- this logo is creating a monster! Or making me create a monster- ah!).

Why is a logo so important? Firstly, it reflects who you are and what your company does in an instant. People view images before words so this will be the first thing they see about your company, their first impression. It will give people a feeling about your company without you having done anything! It's safe to assume you want this to be a positive feeling so the best answer to this is to present yourself as professionally and appropriately as possible.

Having a strong logo is achieved in the following ways:

-relevent design (ie: modern, fits what is going on style-wise today, colours and fonts should be carefully selected. Timelessness may not always be desired or achieved but it should be able to be refreshed if needed.)

-relevent design (ie: does it relate to your business?) I've created some ridiculous logos to help individuals texpress some inner desire but I can assure you they won't end up anywhere significant.

Having a strong logo gives you and your business the confidence to put yourself up there against the competition and really lets people know who you are. I am very passionate about helping people to be able to express their goals, ideas and services to people in the best possible way so it is really disappointing to me when I'm not able to do that. It's part of the job but I look forward to be able to deal with this situation less and less as I grow as a designer and communicator. I'll get there, it's just a matter of time!

I found another gem this weekend (again the sale eluded me but the sign was exciting enough). There was a hand written note saying "Free face painting too". Awwww!!

A keyboard playing bear?! Sure! A complete vector set of household items? Why not?!

I search out the one yard sale after finding the poster thinking they must have really good taste but I was too late, the sale was over. :(

I was recommended the book "Made to Stick" by the owner of the largest print & design company in Barrie. He said I would like it and I did!

The key message is that there are 6 key factors to every story you have ever heard that has kept your attention and made you remember the story afterwards. The 6 elements are:

SIMPLE
“It’s hard to make ideas stick in a noisy, unpredictable, chaotic environment. If we’re to succeed, the first step is this: Be simple. Not simple in terms of ‘dumbing down’ or ‘sound bites.’ What we mean by ‘simple’ is finding the core of the idea. ‘Finding the core’ means stripping an idea down to its most critical essence.” (pgs. 27, 28)

UNEXPECTED
“The most basic way to get someone’s attention is this: Break a pattern. Humans adapt incredibly quickly to consistent patterns. Figure out what is counterintuitive about the message—i.e., What are the unexpected implications of your core message? Communicate your message in a way that breaks your audiences’ guessing machines.” (pgs. 64, 72)

CONCRETE
“Abstraction makes it harder to understand an idea and to remember it. It also makes it harder to coordinate our activities with others, who may interpret the abstraction in very different ways. Concreteness helps us avoid these problems.” (pg. 100)

CREDIBLE
“How do we get people to believe our ideas? We’ve got to find a source of credibility to draw on. A person’s knowledge of details is often a good proxy for her expertise. Think of how a history buff can quickly establish her credibility by telling an interesting Civil War anecdote. But concrete details don’t just lend credibility to the authorities who provide them; they lend credibility to the idea itself.” (pgs. 138, 163)

EMOTIONAL
“How can we make people care about our ideas? We get them to take off their Analytical Hats. We create empathy for specific individuals. We show how our ideas are associated with things that people already care about. We appeal to their self-interest, but we also appeal to their identities—not only to the people they are right now but also to the people they would like to be.” (pg. 203)

STORIES
“A story is powerful because it provides the context missing from abstract prose. This is the role that stories play—putting knowledge into a framework that is more lifelike, more true to our day-to-day existence. Stories are almost always CONCRETE. Most of them have EMOTIONAL and UNEXPECTED elements. The hardest part of using stories effectively is make sure they’re SIMPLE—that they reflect your core message. It’s not enough to tell a great story; the story has to reflect your agenda.” (pgs. 214, 237)

I just copied those from a website. I promise that reading the book will still be interesting even after reading the best parts here on my blog. :)