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Road ID – Branding Done Right
I recently purchased an item at Road ID (https://www.roadid.com/) and I was completely blown away by how on point and how consistent their branding is. They are an ID company that makes IDs and medical IDs for active people, kids, pets. Not only does their branding speak to the whole active lifestyle/outdoor aesthetic, but it’s also has a really friendly vibe. Bravo to their designers. Here are some examples: WEBSITE: It’s not that hard in this day and age to have a brand consistent landing page. What you don’t see as often is brand continuity through all the other fine points. Their Contact Page is a case in point. I…
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Some Favorite Design Books
In addition to the vast world out there on the internet, I also have several print books in my design arsenal. I’m a tactile person, what can I say? Here are some of the books I find most useful… Meggs’ History of Graphic Design – Philip B. Meggs – useful for all sorts of inspiration. Also handy as an historical reference The Designer’s Dictionary of Color – Sean Adams – useful for things like a color’s creative history, cultural associations, etc. The Elements of Typographical Style – Robert Bringhurst – both practical and historical uses of type The Designer’s Desktop Manual – a useful primer for someone starting out in…
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What to Ask Your Designer
I’ve had some clients who come to me with projects and then are stuck on how to go about the process. So here are some things you should ask your designer so that you know you are on the same page. Have they had experience in designing the item you are looking for. i.e., if you need a logo, is this something they’ve done in the past? Can they meet your deadline – is this something you need urgently, or do you have time? How many versions will they design for you to choose from? Once I’ve established color preference, any client ideas, etc. from the preliminary meeting I’ll usually…
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Staying Creative
How do you stay creative? First, don’t get burned out – and know that there will be times when your creativity ebbs. It happens. Don’t beat yourself up. It will come back. Take a break if you need to. Secondly, try to figure out if you are, what is termed in psychological parlance, as “early starter” or “pressure-prompted” which mean exactly how they sound. I’m an early starter. I’m more creative when I do things ahead of time with less pressure. I have several family members who are extraordinarily creative only if doing things at the last possible moment, so everyone is different. Work to your strengths when you can.…
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File Types
I’m hoping to clear up some of the mystery surrounding graphic file types. I’m often asked about the difference, so here you go: Some that you’ve probably come across: JPEG – the image type you probably come across most often. It stands for “Joint Photographic Experts Group”. If you use them for print, make sure their resolution is high. There is no difference between a jpg and a jpeg. PNG – great for web or presentations. This is an image which has no background which means it’s wonderful for logos etc. if you need to superimpose them on an image. Not great for print. Stands for “Portable Network Graphic” GIF…
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Why Do I Design?
I’ve often been asked why I chose to be a designer. The truth is it really wasn’t a choice. It just happened. I grew up with creative parents who are artists, and who ran an ad agency/design studio from our house. As I got older, I tried to find my way in the world – some time in the corporate milieu, some time in the field of education, but always the world of design tugged at me. I started taking on some clients and working for small companies. After I had the kids, the need to have a parent who was available in case of the myriad of issues that arise with small…
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My Design Process
Since I’m often asked about my process, here you go. First and foremost I like to meet with the client – preferably in person, but zoom works too. This gives me an idea of who they are, what their design sensibilities are, etc. We discuss: The scope of the project Touch on things like preferred colors if any, preferred style if any, things to avoid, and so on. We discuss timeline. I ask for their logo file Do they have an image, text or other content they want to use? If it’s a custom item, the size required. Then I head to the studio where I do the following: Research…
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Inspiring Stuff
Here is a list of some of the top 10 things that inspire me and keep the creativity going… Reading – everything and anything Music – from all over the world Being outside – preferably either in the woods or near water Gardens – especially with quirky sculptures, hidden treasures Rain – in all its forms Children – who see the world in a unique way Art – I love galleries – not to see the famous works but to spend time with undiscovered pieces that are new to me. Sunshine – I’m a warm weather person – If I can be barefoot, I’m happy Food – particularly from different…
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All About DPI
I am often asked about DPI, so here is a mini primer… DPI stands for Dots Per Inch. It refers to the number of dots that exist within an inch square of an image. The more dots, the clearer the image. You can always subtract the number of dots, but not make up new ones that don’t exist which is why you can make a 300 dpi file into a 72dpi file, but not the other way around. So if you send your designer a low res file, they will not be able to make a large sign out of it because the image will not be crisp since those…
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Menus
If you ask my family, they’ll tell you that traveling with a designer is hard. It’s one of those life paths that infiltrate everything and you catch yourself looking at EVERYTHING with a designer’s eye. It’s a completely subconscious thing and you often don’t even realized you’re doing it until you catch something that doesn’t look quite right. Signage can be interesting, street art is a heavy favorite because it is usually wonderful, billboard advertising can have its moments…but, hands down, the absolute worst thing for me are menus. The first thing I always catch myself doing as I look at the meal choices is proof reading. If there is…
The Art of Design
