Category: Branding

The logo creation process

Posted on by Brian Lee

Creating a logo for a product or brand is not easy, but there’s no reason for it to be more difficult than it should.

The meticulous process of logo creation is time consuming with the end goal of creating something that sparks brand recognition. Following the steps provided below should mitigate some potential challenges, resulting in an easier process of creating a unique logo that meets the client’s needs.

  1. Research the Company. Prior to meeting with your client, make sure to research everything about the company, including how it currently brands itself (if at all) and past logos. Understanding the changes it made in past logos will help you know what elements to stay away from when creating the new logo.
  2. Meet with the Client. It’s important to understand their mission statement and what the company stands for. Understanding what they want to get out of their new logo is also important. Sometimes their vision isn’t clear, so make sure to ask a lot of questions to guide them along.
  3. Research Ideas. Before you start designing, see what other companies in the same industry have done. You’d hate to design a logo, only to see that you inadvertently created something similar to a competitor’s logo.
  4. Design Elements. Key design elements to keep in mind when designing your logo are good use of balance, clever use of color, creative recognition and a design style that suits the company.  Another key element in design is your typography. Commonly used fonts do not stand out. You also need to make sure you choose a font that matches the company’s style, and one that is legible in different scales.
  5. Get Feedback. Before taking your samples to your client, try to get a couple other sets of eyes on your designs.  Ask co-workers, art directors or friends to get opinions. By working on the same logos for a certain period of time, you may miss something that someone else may see.
  6. Present samples to client. Creating 2-3 versions helps your client compare and contrast, but don’t give them more, as too many options can be overwhelming.
  7. Re-work based on feedback. There will most certainly be changes to your design based on what the client wants. Be prepared to rework your designs based on their feedback. In part, sometimes it’s because a group of people analyzing your designs don’t agree with one another and want a whole new design (known as “death by committee”). This is more likely to occur. If you’re lucky, you may only have to switch a few things, like fonts or color. Understanding the client’s feedback when re-working designs will reduce the chances of never-ending revisions.

Pivoting your brand

Posted on by Brian Lee

Kia recently introduced its 2015 Kia K900 luxury sedan, while Cadillac is trying to appease young people with its new logo. Both brands are facing uphill battles as they begin the early stages of re-branding themselves in the auto industry.

For example, Kia is known for selling economy cars ranging from $14,000-$25,000. Kia has now brought a $65,000 luxury sedan, the Kia K900, to the market. Here’s the Super Bowl commercial:

One of the biggest challenges Kia faces is getting traditional luxury shoppers to consider its brand in competition to the luxurious cars of BMW, Mercedes and Audi.

It’s not enough for a company to say it’s now in a different market segment. The company also must change consumer perceptions and experiences with the brand.

One way Kia may be able to do this is by promoting test drives and having consumers rate their experience either through their own channels (e.g. Facebook) or through Kia’s channels (e.g. collateral, commercials, etc.). The third-party endorsements could go a long way.

Meanwhile, Cadillac is taking a different approach in its campaign to re-brand its image. Rather than coming out with a new model to re-brand itself, Cadillac decided to come out with a new sleek logo (top right) to appeal to younger demographics.

The challenge that Cadillac faces is trying to no longer be recognized as a manufacturer of cars for older people; rather, to be thought of as a sleek car for younger crowds.

I think the logo is more appealing to a younger demographic and is a step forward, but Cadillac must do more in its re-branding efforts. For example, it’s going to have to appeal to early, influential adopters within YP crowds. It also may need to position itself as having cars with cutting-edge technology. Finally, it’s going to have to deal with its price points, which may be too high for younger drivers.

Online portfolios: the future of the job search

Posted on by Brian Lee

Just like any college senior, a big part of my life has consisted of job hunting. During a recent search I made an interesting observation. On one of the applications, the only requirement was a link to a personal website/portfolio.

Now, while I have grown accustomed to providing links to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn (and even heard of making an online profile), I have never seen it as the only method of applying. This led me to one simple question: are online profiles the future of the job search?

Building an online profile provides several benefits over the traditional resume and allows applicants to stand out in a competitive job market. Applicants are not only able to list their work, but they also can show it visually. It also provides simplicity for those who are doing the hiring, by eliminating the process of photocopying stacks of papers to share the resumes of potential candidates, for example.

Users are able to bring together representative pieces such as pictures, videos and published works all in one place, along with the added advantage of showing basic web design knowledge. Building a website has become easier than ever, with tools like Wix, OPResume and even WordPress doing most of the work for you through customizable templates.

Portfolios can include links to other pages, such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. This allows all of the information on a traditional resume, plus the simplicity of clicking to view other resources.

One snag in using a program such as Wix is that since the user is not paying for hosting, the domain name remains in the program’s name (e.g. name.wix.com). Fortunately, this is more detrimental for a business website than for a personal portfolio.

Another concern is how to customize the portfolio for each job that the applicant applies for. One way to address this issue is by writing a specific cover letter to the employer, while keeping the portfolio specific to the field of work the applicant is interested in.

This new method of showcasing work and skills provides the applicants more flexibility in what they choose to show off, and it represents a shift in the world of job hunting.