Graphic Designers: Why Blog?

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So you want to blog about Chicago graphic design, eh? You’ll have to take a number and wait in line because, frankly, there are thousands of blogs about design out there. Starting a successful design blog is like learning to walk: You will most likely fail a number of times, you’ll need a lot of patience, and you can’t do it on your own. This article will give you a few pieces of advice to help your blog be as successful as possible in an extremely saturated market.

There are probably a lot of reasons that so many graphic designers have decided to start blogging. Here are only a few reasons, but feel free to comment and add your own!

First, They find the interaction with others valuable
If you simply hide away in your own personal corner of the universe and avoid interaction with other designers, you are really missing out! Designers make up one of the most active communities online and the majority of them are willing and anxious to provide feedback, inspire and teach, and help you become a better designer. Take advantage of the design community and give back by blogging about your experience.

Second, It helps them market their design services
While blogging might be an enjoyable hobby, not many designers actually make a full-time salary from it. And that’s okay. A lot of designers don’t necessarily start blogging with that goal in mind. Not one of the designers that responded to the question mentioned above said that they began blogging for money. As a result, blogging can be a great way to get clients, boost reputation, increase your personal brand awareness, and increase your business as a designer. (This is why we do it! Plus we love design.)

Steps to a Successful Design Blog:

Spend a lot of time reading other design blogs.
You’ll learn as you read through the rest of this article that one of the most important things you can do to make your blog a valuable tool for other designers is to read what is already out there about chicago graphic design. This will help you become familiar with how the blogosphere functions. You can then find your place in the community and start adding to it.

Find a niche.
As mentioned before, there are thousands of design blogs out there. Certainly new ones are being created every day. It is getting to the point where a design blog can’t simply be just another design blog. To be successful as a design-blogger, you should carefully consider your niche. It is a longstanding marketing strategy: Define a purpose, and let it drive your success. In other words, instead of blogging about web design, logo design, print design, and all other design under the sun, find an angle. This blog, for example, is tailored towards designers who hope to make design more than a hobby. It provides business tips, client advice, project management suggestions, and more for designers who hope to make a living from their passion. As you determine your niche, designers are more likely to visit your site when they have a specific need.

Market your blog as a valuable resource.
Thousands of designers, and people in general, have started a blog that is simply their “rantings and ravings about (fill in the particular subject here).” While this may serve a purpose for some bloggers, if you really want to see your blog grow, you should market it as a valuable tool for other designers. Write articles that inspire, teach, or persuade. Then use social media or other means to market your blog as something that others will be missing out on if they don’t read.

Connect with others via social media.
For every design blog created, there is most likely a twitter account, Facebook fanpage, or some other social media connection established. If you aren’t currently using social media to market your ideas and your blog’s content, you are missing out on countless opportunities.
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It’s all about content.
You’ve heard the phrase: “Content is King”. Believe it or not, it’s the truth. You might be a killer designer but if you can’t provide valuable information for your readers, they are not likely to be visiting your blog in the future. While your blog should look professional, don’t waste so much time ensuring your blog design is the best one around. Use that time to make sure you are providing great content to your readers instead.

Create a professional theme.
I know, I just suggested that the blog’s design doesn't matter as much as the content–and it’s true. But have you ever heard the phrase “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”? The truth of the matter is, we always judge a book by its cover and a blog by its theme–especially in the design community. 

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Chicago Graphic Design: Five Phases of Logo Design

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The best logos in existence did not simply pop into existence when the graphic designer put his pen to the paper. They went through a process. This process is sometimes rigorous and takes years to perfect. The Apple logo went through many different phases and took 30 years to get to the stage they're in now! Take a peek at the following process and see if you're going about it the right way.

Research! Research! Research!

Research is the most important phase of a logo design process. Research includes asking the client questions about their likes and dislikes when it comes to graphic design. It should also include research of top competitors logos and creative styles. In addition, researching your client's target market comes in handy and helps you tailor your design to their specific needs. The most important reason you've been hired as a Graphic Designer is to help your client and their business become easily recognizable.

Development

Everybody handles this stage in their own way. Chicago Graphic Designers like us prefer to take the information we've gathered, start with word association, brainstorming, a play on graphically describing words on paper and then move into Illustrator. This process is the most time consuming or SHOULD be. It will be greatly affected by how much time and effort put into the research phase of the Logo Design process. 

Proofing

This is the first presentation to the client, where you will show them what you've been working on all this time! The presentation is half the battle, as you need to sell your design even after doing so much work on it. Graphic Designers all around the world have spent ages on a design that is not only beautiful but inspiring and could have been the next great Apple Logo, but the client hasn't liked it. Don't get too attached to your designs because they may end up in your rubbish bin.

As a Chicago Marketing Company, we have a lot of competition. But we know that when we sit down with a client, our sales techniques are going to win the day. If you feel as if you're not on the up and up on Sales Techniques, look into getting a class or forcing yourself to give more presentations. It will only help!

Completion

It's finished finally! After all the time and effort put into the design, time spent with the client, and finally finalizing after your hard won presentation, you've arrived at the point in time where you deliver your product. And preferably get PAID too. Be sure to give your client multiple file types to work with as most printers take .jpgs, .ai, or .eps files.  They may also ask for .pdf, .png, or even .gif and .tiff files. Be sure to have a copy of each. This makes both yours and your client's life much easier.

Follow Up

The best way to lose clients is to not follow up with them. Make sure you follow up with your client, as this might be the connection between you and your next gig! 

Tips

1. Dont be lazy - do your research!

2. Don't rush!

3. Don't shortchange your client on proofs and designs

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We've created this blog to feed your need for graphic design, web design, internet marketing and SEO. We hope that we can post innovating and interesting things for you to read, comment on, and pass on to your fellow designers and friends. 


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Since Tumblr loves it so much

I thought I'd post it here too. It is hilarious. Nothing design related, but funny none-the-less.

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What is going on here

What is going on here.
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Starbucks Changing their Logo?

Starbucks is the most well known coffee company in the world. So why is it suddenly putting a Gapfu and changing its logo? Gone is the actual NAME of the company and what remains is a slightly different, stylized version of the siren that’s been present on every Starbucks cup since the company launched. I am personally not a fan of the new logo, but I will inevitably still buy their coffee and frequent their shops, but it remains to be seen how the public will react to the new branding. One entirely credible publication said that the new logo had satanic imagery embedded within the siren’s crown (ie. the pentagram on top of her head) but I’m not sure how far that story is going to fly.

Besides the fact that I dont think the new logo is very attractive without the company name surrounding it, the move is a ballsy on Starbucks part simply because they’re banking on the fact that their signature logo – the siren – will be recognizable even without having the words ‘Starbucks Coffee’ on the cup. The green and white combination is enough at this point. It goes without saying that this is on the level of McDonalds in branding power, when the colors of a company spark the thought of them. You would never have a red and yellow wedding would you? No… because your family would say it looks like McDonalds. That’s powerful stuff people! Perhaps someday blue and white will be synonymous with Integraphix!

What do you think of the new Starbucks logo?
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Sometimes the best ads are those that have the greatest shock value. Sometimes they’re insensitive such as the numerous ads that depict two smoldering cigarettes in place of the Twin Towers. Sometimes they’re brazen and make us look at the world in a different light. And sometimes, they’re just amazing.
The examples below are just a taste of the bold, beautiful and strange. Enjoy!



Nike is an obvious competitor in the sports world. They also have some pretty kick ass advertisers working for them. This ad, that takes their logo "The Swoosh" and turns it into a ski jump. Genius! Not only is it incorporating their logo into a sports related ad, but it's really embodying everything Nike is about. Sports, 'Cool', and of course their iconic logo.  The blimp ad below is also pretty amazing since it's not a photograph, but a digital rendering. It's also impossible, using the laws of physics, for this blimp to actually float like this, but it's a nice visual.



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Bad Ad Alert

Last year, Old Navy takes the cake in the retail genre with their creepy, talking mannequins who frequently pull their own limbs off to ‘offer you a hand’. No pun intended.  Not only are they creepy, but they’re generally making the rest of us feel like – ‘Wow, they couldn’t find models skinny enough, so they started using rail thin mannequins.’ While the colors and concept of the commercial is salvageable, the actual execution with strange smiling plastic people is not well done. Also oddly creepy is the booty reader that one sticks their butt cheeks to in order to determine their jean style needs. Their only redeeming quality in this situation is that they didn’t revamp their logo to resemble an oddly placed blue square.
See the commercial here.

Amazing Artists on Tumblr

Tumblr is an example of an under-programmed site that has huge potential. Their constant server crashes have become a joke on the photo blogging site, but the concept of the site is amazing. We even have our own tumblr because we couldn't just -not- get into that piece of the pie. Especially when we can find beautiful things like you see below. I've not seen this photo anywhere else, so the greatest design sites in the world may publish their work and never been seen unless somebody posts this with a link back to their website. It's amazing the talent you find on a social network that you wouldn't normally see elsewhere.

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Beautiful Lights and Color

This is some of the most ingenious ways of using your ipad that I've ever seen. It took someone very intelligent to think this stuff up! The iPad is useful because it is a high resolution screen, very light, and very portable - so it's perfect for their uses. The movie after the initial explanation of their process is pretty cool (and cute) at times.
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/14958082]

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The Future of Mobile Tagging? More like Mobile Shopping

[slideshare id=6508371&doc=futureofmobiletaggingslideshareversion-110110113929-phpapp01]

This is an interesting concept...though it could blow up in their faces if not done well. Personally I also think this is just another elaborate advertising scheme, but it is very innovative if I have to say anything.
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Devious Deviants

I am a huge fan of Deviant Art. I happen to think that the artists on Deviant Art are some of the most talented and under-appreciated artists on the web today. The photography, design, photo-manipulation, and poetry on Deviant Art could very well rival any famous artist of poet in our modern art world. The images below are not only gorgeous, but are just a tidbit of the artist's full breadth of work.



This was done by a photographer named Zemotion and is depicting a stylized version of 'Rapunzel' although in this morbid version of the fairy tale, Rapunzel has been forgotten.



This image is from the same artist and is just as emotionally evocative as the one above it. Her talent is incredible and mostly, unfortunately, unknown.
This next photography looks a tad like a stock photo, but the talent that went into it is no less great than finished photos. The concept is fun, and the delivery and execution is very well done. The artist is Alexiuss and you can find their portfolio here.



Enjoy the Below Images - They are more examples of great deviant art Artists. Click on the image to be taken to their deviant art portfolios.











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Alternative Logo Design

I think we've all had enough of the Ed Hardy logo so I’m not going to torture you with that, but there are definitely some beautifully done alternative (non-traditional) logos out there that can be admired. You wouldn’t think one could turn Helvetica into an alternative or semi-interesting logo, but AntiParticle does it quite well.

AntiParticle Logo designed by: Dian Warsosumarto in Vienna.

This logo is/was just a draft for a film production company back in ’07, but it really works well. It’s very modern, very unexpected and somewhat shocking for a movie production company to not represent themselves with some sort of film reel or bird taking flight. It refreshing and a much welcome departure from traditional Hollywood logos. Visit our website to see our collection of logos - http://www.chicagomarketingcompany.co

Alternative Graphic Design

If you’re like me, then you like to surround yourself with design. On the walls of my bedroom, I have stylized posters of major cities with all their neighborhoods mapped out in words from Ork Posters. You can check them out here if this interests you at all. Anyhoo, after perusing the internet for a little bit, I came across these amazing design posters, that I think is a great addition to anyone’s collection.

This poster by this guy on Flickr is amazing.

Here’s an example of Ork’s Posters for your reference. This is actually the exact poster in my bedroom. Its screen printed on a heavy cardboard and framed in a dark wood frame. It’s very intricate and the typography is just amazing.

I also coincidentally have a t-shirt of the Chicago poster in black. They’re very well made. Ork makes a lot more than just posters though, so definitely check them out at their warehouse store. The store is hard to find the first time, but definitely worth the search.

Best Logos of All Time

Nothing can catapult a company into the stratosphere faster than an easily recognizable logo. Even products that aren’t necessarily good products become well known with the right branding. Take McDonald’s for example: there are many who despise the enormous food giant for the image it presents or portrays to the world. When one thinks about Americans, McDonald’s is almost synonymous with it. As is overindulgence and obesity. But the point of my argument is this: When one sees Yellow and Red: their mind automatically thinks about McDonalds. When they see or hear about ‘The Golden Arches’: they think McDonalds. The company has done an amazing job at marketing itself and staying true to its brand in a sea of fast foods chains where one can easily get lost if not particularly savvy.

Apple, a giant in the computer world, has grown dramatically from its first logo installation. The first logo is actually pretty hilarious looking – VERY old fashioned and not anything like what their image is today: Clean, Compact, "Of the Future".

OMG! That swirling banner is just too much. It’s supposed to be the Apple that hit Sir Isaac Newton’s head in the image. The little apple can barely be seen in this logo. If you can really call it a logo. A friend told me recently that Jobs named the company Apple because he used to be a big hippy. This is hard to swallow, but not completely unfathomable.


Harkening back to the McDonald’s tactic of spreading their logo everywhere and making even the fruit stand in the grocery store spark a conversation about Apple, Inc, Apple is very good at repeating their logo absolutely everywhere possible. An apple as a fruit has nothing to do with computers. But forever will the word ‘apple’ be lumped into the world of technology. Their current logo, much favored over the old fashioned gray logo of old is so much of an improvement; I can hardly believe their original logo even existed.

Even their logo of the 90s isn’t as bad as their original logo. At this point, Apple, Inc. can name themselves the most recognizable company in the world. Bill Gates is probably very upset. Or he will be after he sees this windows laptop trying to disguise itself as an apple computer. Not a very good disguise, but funny to look at.