Friday, November 7, 2008

What Makes a Good Logo?

Logo is the graphical representation of an organization's image. In order to make an effective logo there are certain design characteristics, which has to be followed, in order to bring out a visually effective logo.

Following are 4 important characteristics of a good logo:

1. Defining Shape

A recognizable shape or size is always necessary in order to make the logo clear. Human brains can easily identify a well-defined shape. The logo should be distinct.

2. Importance of Presence

Presence is judged by the boldness of the logo. The logo should be capable of covering the maximum space allotted for the logo design. But it is useless if the space filled with the logo fails to convey the desired message.

3. Importance of Weight

Good weight means that a logo does not rely on fine features in order to be recognizable. If a logo is bold, it can be effective in more environments. The finest logos have a weight of existence and are decipherable when view alongside other strong images. Apply of color is essential getting a clear, bold logo or icon. Too many colors, gradients, 3-d effects and complex patterns can be detrimental to your logo's weight. Usage of colors becomes important here. More the number of colors used, less will be the weight. Gratuitous 3-D effects should be avoided. The logo must be done without them.

4. Contrast

After selection of colors, fonts and texts, the logo designer has to see if the logo that he prepared is at all capable of creating the proper appeal. Good logos have lots of contrast on the edges of meaningful visual elements.

Catherine is an experienced logo designer who has been working in the industry for over 10 years, she has designed literally thousands of logos and is known for her ability to catch the client's vision and turn it into art: cheap logo design.

Do you need a cheap logo design? Click here: http://www.logosamurai.com Logo Design.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Chuck's 10 Common Web Design Mistakes

Good web page design software makes it easy to produce good-looking websites. (Our website reviews the easiest ones to use.) But the content you select and how you organize it is the difference between visitors staying longer than 3 seconds or not. I've identified 10 common mistakes made by web design newbies:

1. Too Many Advertisements Making money from your website is fine, as long as you don't get too greedy by jamming too many ads everywhere. (Of course, by doing this, you will make less money anyway.) What's "too many?" Go to your website as a visitor, and have someone else look it over, too. Trust your first impression and compare it to what your friend or family member thought about it. If you do have ads, make sure they're not too intrusive or obnoxious--like flashing banners, for example.

2. Using Flash Intros; a "Splash Page" with a little movie Bad idea! Don't use a Flash intro on your website. Only rarely is it ever done tastefully and appropriately. Even when it is done well, it's a waste of effort. It's just too risky and the rewards are NONE. No matter how cool a flash intro may look, it has never, ever proved to increase traffic or website "stickiness." It almost always has the opposite effect.

3. Too Many Plugins

Keep any media that uses plugins to a strict maximum of one per page. For example, if you've got Flash, then you shouldn't have a media player, or if you've got a little program run by Java then you shouldn't have Flash as well. Don't be tempted to plug in stuff on your website just because you think it looks "cool."

4. Confusing Layout and Navigation Many websites seem to make the simplest task take several steps to achieve. Remember that web surfers are in an extremely short attention-span mode and won't stick around to try to figure out your website. This is where choosing good web site design software pays off.

5. Unclear Website Theme It's easy to get tunnel vision about getting all the little tasks done to your new website and forget the big picture. What I'm talking about here is the need for you to have a main theme/main purpose for your site...One that is completely obvious in the first 3 seconds of someone landing on your homepage.

Think of television commercials that you finally figured out after seeing several times, because it wasn't clear what the ad was about...It's not that you weren't smart enough to figure out those ads; you simply didn't invest the mental effort--very slight though it may be--into figuring out the ad the first time.

Because watching T.V. commercials is often no different than surfing the internet as far as the mental effort you're willing to devote to it. But with the internet, your visitors are only going to see your site ONCE--for about 3 seconds before making a decision to stay or leave. If they leave, they're never coming back, unlike T.V. commercials. So you have to make your message and your site very clear. Slight confusion = Instant Back button or the red "X."

6. Broken Links You should check all your links regularly to make sure that they all still work. Think of the times you find a site that has links that don't work: You instantly make some assumptions about the site--like it's outdated and unprofessional. It's the same feeling you get when you see simple words misspelled.

7. Weird Fonts Never get too cute and creative with your website fonts. Stick to the most common web fonts like Verdana, Arial, Times New Roman, and Tahoma. Besides, many of your visitors won't have other fonts installed in their browsers and computers, so all they'll see is gobbledygook. If you do want to use non-standard fonts, then limit it to graphic header images or logos--where they're displayed as part of the image.

8. Bad Sized Fonts It's important to keep your text around the standard size--like 10, 11, or 12. Making text too big or too small makes it hard to read and is a great way to get your visitors to leave immediately.

9. High-Contrasting Webpage Colors You've seen those webpages that have a dark background with bright-colored or white text. Or sites with very bright or very dark margins, which contrasts with the actual webpage content. All of these puts a strain on the eyes, which makes it hard to read and = Instant Back Button. The tried and true method is to use black text on a white background.

10. Auto-Sizing Webpages Look at this webpage: craftown.com and you'll see an example of how not to use auto-sizing webpages. The idea behind auto-sizing webpages is to use the whole desktop real estate instead of limiting the page to say, 750 pixels wide. This way, on small monitors the webpage looks large enough to read. But the problem comes with larger monitors where the text gets stretched way further than is normal for reading. And nowadays, most people have larger monitors. The fix? If you do use auto-sizing webpages, be sure to limit the text to a specific pixel amount. If you don't know how to do this, get a web design pro to do it or don't use it at all.

Discover easy to use web design software at WebsiteMakingSoftware.com. You don't have to buy pricey software to get the best html editors that are very easy to use.

Chuck Brown is a full-time webmaster whose home website is http://honestysellsbest.com

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Successful Logo Design Tips

Logo designs are typically a visual representation of a graphic or text or a combination of both that provides a unique identity to a company and its products. Logos help to create a visual recognizable identity for a company that effectively contributes to the company's branding.

With the wide artistic possibilities, logo designers often become too enthusiast in creating a company logo design that actually fails to meet the purpose. An extremely abstract art, or a very complex illustration is often not a good example of a logo though they might be considered as a good art if considered from the perspective of a general artwork and not a logo. A logo design should be well thought out, with factors like usage, application and the nature of the company being kept in mind. These few simple tips will give you a grip on the job and even when you get a professional logo design firm to do your logo, you will know what exactly to ask from them.

Primary Identity for your Business

A company logo design creates the primary identity of your business and it should be designed in a way to represent the attitude and nature of the business in the best possible way. A logo designs should not be "dated" and should always have a fresh and contemporary look. Also while deciding on the logo you should consider where and how you are going to use it. Depending on the various mediums on which you are going to put the logo, the color and nature of the logo should be chosen. Also, a logo design can have a long term cost impact, for example having a four color logo can cost very high when you need to print it on your business cards and corporate stationary. Logo design is one of your most important business decisions that are sure to have a great impact on your business for its lifetime.

Simplicity is the Key

Do not go for a complicated design, always remember a logo is not a piece of art but it is a symbol for your corporate identity. Complicated designs are difficult to remember and are not easily recognized. Also, if you ever require a miniature version of your logo, say to put on some gift items like pen or coffee mug, it will loose the clarity and look like a colored blob.

Use Less Colors

Even if your logo design company does not charge you more for using more colors, always restrict your choice to a maximum of three colors. Using more colors can make the logo look good on the web but how would it look when you are sending a fax with the logo in black and white? Besides, the more colors you use for logo the more will be your printing cost.

Use Regular Fonts

Though some fancy fonts might look good on your company logo try to keep your font choice as close to the regular fonts that are commonly available. This makes commercial reproduction and reprint of your logo much easier even if you are using a different printer than the one who actually printed your logo when it was created.

Always Use Vector Graphics

The most important reason for a logo design to be done in vector format is that vector graphics can be resized without any loss of clarity or image quality. A company logo design is used for varied purpose like in business cards and corporate stationery, websites, signage etc and in each of these you would require a different size of the logo. To meet this requirement, it is essential that the logo be created as a vector graphics in some vector software application like Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand. Logos done in software like Adobe Photoshop would loose quality and stretched once the image is enlarged.

Trademark and Registration

Now that you have got the company logo designed it is always wise to get it registered and trademarked to ensure that the logo is protected from any sort of plagiarisms. Most logo design companies would transfer their complete copyright on the design to the buyer; however, it is advisable that you ask your logo designer to confirm on this point.

Ray Smith is a marketing Expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and Internet marketing. Corporate Logo Design,

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Color Web Design Psychology

Designing websites isn't only about creating something alluring. There must to have thought supporting all design related choice and one truly significant decision is what hues your web site should be. selection of colour can be the differences in between the success and failure of a web site.

Being aware that a handful of colours can lead to an emotional response is key to choosing the right colours for a site. knowing what colours have a calming effect & which cause feelings of excitement can make choosing a colour scheme very easy.

Colours can also be used to create contrast & attention to a design. this can direct users to certain parts of a webpage.

There's a guide below to how some colours affect human emotions & perceptions.

Black is associated with power, refinement, riches & mystery. in designing for the web, it can be used effectively with bolder colours to create good contrast.

White is associated with cleanliness, simpleness, calm & purity. used on websites a lot, it can convey a sense of style & indicates that the content of the site is strong enough to stand alone without the any strong visual aid.

With connotations to lust, anger, fire & power, red, used sparingly, can be a great way to direct the user's attention to a certain area.

Associated with feelings of cold, royalty, peace and air, blue is the best-used colour for corporate websites. Itcreates a very different reaction to red.

Green symbolises nature, environment, peace and luck. Green is a effective colour to use for a calming effect.

Representative of joy, happiness, warning and energy, yellow has a similar impact to red, although it is not as popular. to can be used to emphasise areas of a site. However, if it's used too much, it can be an overpowering colour.

Stirring up feelings of style, modernism, fashion and refinement, grey is usually used on places that cover fashion, design and tech.

Purple is a blend of blue and red. it does have the highlights of red, but has more bold properties than blue. It stirs up images of royalty, religion and luxury. However, it isn't a frequently used colour in designing websites.

Brown, particularly the the lighter end can be very soothing. Beige is also a popular colour in web design as it gives an earthy & relaxed feel. it might also mean tradition, poverty & mother earth.

Grey can be linked to elegance, innovation & the future. The paler side is similar to white in that it's a great colour to use on a website's background to build a sense of space & modernism.

Knowing about what colours symbolise & their subconscious power can be of great benefit when designing sites. by knowing about the target audience, designers can choosing colours thoughtfully which connect to the end user thus making the site look attractive and appealing. E-commerce sites can be improved by pointing the user in the direction of the purchase now button by drawing attention and creating contrast.

Sherryll Juarres is a professional web design and offer web design services in Costa Blanca with Fiesta Siesta web design agency, who also provide web hosting in Costa Blanca.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Color Theory - Color Choices and their Meaning

Whether you're new to the art of web design or you're a seasoned veteran, choosing an appropriate and aesthetically appealing color scheme can be difficult. This article will briefly describe some of the basic principles associated with color choices on the web.

The Basics

Due to the endless amount of different computer configurations, it's often difficult to determine exactly how various colors will be rendered on a particular computer. In the mid 90s, computers could typically interpret 256 basic colors derived from the primary colors. From those 256 basic colors, 216 of them could be interpreted by most web browsers. The 216 usable web colors were collectively known as the web safe palette.

Due to the creation of more advanced video graphic technologies, most users will now have a color setting of 16, 24, or 32 bit. Most web designers will tell you that the web safe color palette is no longer applicable due to these advances in graphics technology, and for the most part they are correct. It's estimated that only 9 percent of online users still use a 256 color (8 bit) setting.

What does all this mean? Well, if you anticipate that a majority of your users will be using older computers and a 8 bit color setting, then by all means stick to the web safe color palette, but for most design applications this is not necessary, but it won't hurt. A good way to alleviate color rendering issues is to limit the amount of colors you utilize in your design, because it will reduce the chances that a specific color is rendered poorly. Also, it's a general rule of thumb to avoid using more than 3-5 colors within a website design.

Which Colors do I choose?

Your color choices should compliment your site and coordinate well with your content. The colors you chose should not only be visually appealing, but include good contrast and convey a desired emotion to your audience. It's important to recognize the cultural connotations we associate with specific colors. Different colors invoke different emotions, and you should be conscious of these sometimes subtle connotations. For example, I would not want an e commerce web site aimed at selling baby clothes in a black and red color scheme, because these colors simply do not invoke the appropriate emotions.

Color Theory: The Beauty of Harmony

Many of you have probably heard the term color theory. Color theory is not a new concept, but an ancient idea that has been pondered upon for centuries. Some of the first writings on record about color theory come from Leonardo da Vinci's personal notebooks. Color theory is basically a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations. A harmonious color combination is any grouping of colors that is pleasing to the eye. A harmonious color arrangement will appear neither chaotic nor subdued, but create a sense of balance.

One of the most common tools for determining an aesthetically appealing color combination is the color wheel. The color wheel is a circular organization of the color spectrum that will show a variety of relationships between colors. According to color theory, harmonious color combinations utilize colors opposite one another, any three colors that are equally spaced in relation to one another, or any two sets of opposing colors that form a rectangle on the color wheel. The color wheel is a very helpful tool when choosing a color combination and can be found in a variety of places all over the web.

Landon Wisser is a content developer and web specialist at NLI Media Group.

NLI Media Group is an Austin based web development and media firm that uses cutting edge online marketing and traditional advertising and promotion to create premium brand experiences for clients.

http://www.nlimediagroup.com

Friday, August 1, 2008

The Theory of Color and Design Psychology

Color theory is an entire science unto itself, and to get a full picture of how it all works, I'd suggest picking up a few art books. In this article, however, we're going to take a brief look at the essentials of color theory, in light of the concepts of Design Psychology. we'll first list a term, and then offer a short summary of how the term relates to Design Psychology.

Hue

The base name of a color without any white, gray, or black added. The terms hue and color are interchangeable.

Color wheel

A color wheel contains twelve colors, based on primitive pigments. The three primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. Three secondary colors (composed of combinations of the three primary colors) follow: red and blue make purple; red and yellow make orange; yellow and blue make green. Six tertiary colors (comprised of combinations of primary and secondary colors) form the remainder of the color wheel: yellow-orange, red-orange, violet, blue-green, and yellow-green. Black is the total absence of color and white is the reflection of all colors.

Value or Lightness

This denotes the degree of lightness or darkness of a hue, in relation to pure white or black.

Intensity, Saturation, or Croma:

This term describes the degree of purity of a hue as compared to neutral gray of the same value. This is the freedom from added white or gray; how bright or dull a color appears in relation to the basic hue.

Shades

These are deep tones, in which black is added to a color.

Tints

These are pastels, in which white is added to a color.

Tone

Adding gray of the same value to a hue or adding its complement creates a tone.

Saturation

The intensity or depth of color, such as dark or light.

Monochromatic Color Schemes

This term is used to describe rooms with only tints and shades of the same color. Neutral color schemes are usually monochromatic.

Analogous, Side-by-Side, or Related Color Schemes

These rooms use adjacent colors to the principal color on the color wheel. This is considered a friendly scheme, because the colors blend well and create a soft effect.

Complementary or Opposite Color Schemes

Rooms that use colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. This is considered to be a power and action scheme.

Triad

Consists of three colors, spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. Triad color schemes can potentially cause glaring and confusing feelings when all the colors are intense.

Tetrad

Consists of four colors, spaced an equal distance apart on the color wheel. Tetrad color schemes create interesting effects because of the potential variety available. They are best when two colors dominate.

Topographical Color Schemes

These schemes contain colors from nature, such as rocks, earth, sky, sea, and plants.

Floral Color Schemes

These schemes use brilliant or pastel colors found in plants and flowers.

Colorways

Fabrics and wallpapers come in different combinations of colors, or colorways. A fabric pattern will have several selections of colorways to choose from. A pattern may be available in colorways of: yellow, blue and green, red, blue and green; or purple, burgundy and blue.

Visual Vibration

This occurs when neighboring colors appear to clash and vibrate in our vision, creating a dizzying effect that adds to nervousness and tiredness.

Cusp Colors

These are colors on the edge of two colors that take on different values under different lighting situations, such as, dark blue/purple (periwinkle), orange/red (terra-cotta reds), and blue/greens (teal). Periwinkle may appear more purple than dark blue at night or under different lighting systems.

Simple Color

This is a true color, without additive colors, such as sky blue, grass green, or apple red. A simple color is a pure color.

Complex Color

This is a combination of colors, such as silvery blue, or lichen (grayish green-brown). A complex color is a color that requires a long description, such as “sort of a grayish-blue with a hint of pink.”

Palette

The entire range of colors used in a design project.

These are the basic terms used to describe color schemes within the concepts of Design Psychology. Learning them is the first step toward creating dynamic spaces for both the interior and exterior of your home.

by Jeanette J. Fisher

Professor Jeanette Fisher, author of Doghouse to Dollhouse for Dollars, Joy to the Home, and other books teaches Real Estate Investing and Design Psychology. For more articles, tips, reports, newsletters, and sales flyer template, see http://www.doghousetodollhousefordollars.com/pages/5/index.htm

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

How Web and Print Design Differ

One will realize that prior to the advent of computers and Internet, print designing was the only known career! Thus web design came much later and is evolved from the discipline of graphic designing. The words graphic, print, and web design are really synonyms of the same creative art that goes into building an attractive or aesthetic multimedia presentation. Of course, if one thinks a little bit, there is surely a thin hairline between these terms and each seems to have evolved into a specific work culture.

Print or Web, a Tug-O-War?

There is always a little tiff between these two jobs though we should consider it to be unnecessary! Let us look at it in another way. The traditional "print designer" was always an artist. The graphic or web designer of today is more a technically oriented "mathematician" who calculates and solves designing problems. Nevertheless, both have, repeat, evolved from the earlier print designers. It is like Human Evolution where time necessitated a slightly different school of thought to incorporate the growing needs of the human race. There need not be this tug of war as one discipline complements the other in bringing about a high degree of combined creativity!

Analysing the Two Cultures

Look at it from another viewpoint. Taking an hypothetical company the CEO hired two individuals on the advice of the Consulting firm. Each manager was qualified and experienced in print design and web graphic design respectively. Everything worked out well and the jobs were progressing to the satisfaction of the companies profit margins and forecasts. Then a couple of tricky assignments came up that involved both print design and graphic illustrations. The two disciplines were confused and the CEO had to intervene and insist on their working closely together. Though it should have been the easiest thing to do the designers could not arrive at a mutually satisfying conclusion with the result that the project was delayed and an ultimatum issued by the customer to offload it to some other company. The teamwork expected was surely missing and therefore the job turn around time was not met. On analyzing the problem it appeared that the print designer could not translate the graphic designer's colour chart into a hard copy. The computer graphics can always be very different from the actual printing process and whatever standardization one uses for adjusting the monitor chromatic configuration may still vary with the practice! If the web graphic designer had some knowledge of the printing process and its limitations the process could have followed a smooth execution.

Hire both disciplines if budget allows!

Whenever one hires a print and graphic designer the possibility must be probed of training both in their colleagues' expertise as well. It does no harm if there is a bit of overlapping since common knowledge will always help in solving intricate problems and one also has the flexibility of each designer temporarily executing the job of the other in case this becomes necessary!

Wes Towers runs Omnific Design, a strategic graphic and web design studio based in Wyndham, Melbourne, Australia. Check out their website here: http://www.omnificdesign.com.au

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Creative Ideas for Logo Designs

A creative logo designer will need a computer, digital camera, printer, and design software to get started. But outside of these expenditures, start-up costs are minimal, as are the ongoing fixed overheads to operate the business because the designer can work from home and the majority of jobs can be serviced using e-mail and fax. The better known the designer become for the incredible design work and logos that perfectly describe what they represent, and the more well-known the customers are, the higher the fees will go.

The design development is generally the next stage in a creative logo design process. Here designs are composed with images from our investigation to create some logo design creative ideas.

The first creative ideas that the designer think of are not usually the most original. The reason they are already in the imagination is because the designer have seen them before in some form or other.

The best logo design creative ideas are those that the designer discovers by trial and error through composing the images from the investigation.

There are many composition techniques that the designer can use to help the designer to generate the logo design creative ideas.

Techniques, such as welding, tiling, subtraction, layering and framing the images often give rise to creative ideas with more subtle layers of meaning.

When bringing the creative logo design idea to life, the designer want to make sure this is done the right way; using the technical experience of a design firm specifically geared for inventors. This means using mechanical engineers, industrial designers and a company like Design My Creative idea which always remembers the designer are trying to get the creative logo design to market. This keeps the creative logo design consistent by using a single company, making the invention more professional and marketable.

Simple, Efficient & Effective Invention Partner

In conclusion we can say that regardless of where the designer are in the design process, save time and money by ensuring that the creative logo design, packaging design, branding and website are created by the use of a creative design idea. Companies usually act as the designer's silent partner throughout the entire process, taking no royalties and allowing the designer to retain control of all aspects of the invention. The services are clearly defined and our desire to work with the designer every step of the way ensures the designer's invention's utmost potential. We at creative logo design truly reaches the clients with success, with the belief that the more successful the designer are, the inventor, the more successful we, the designers product design firm, will be as well.

Erica Mike wrote this article on behalf of Mighty Logo Designs website. For more information on very low priced logos and brochure designs, you can visit mighty logo design.

Find more information about cheap and best logos here.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Five Easy Steps to a Great Corporate Logo

Corporate identity is the masthead of your company, communicating your business strengths, values and customer service philosophy wherever it is experienced. It is the essence of consumer communication that will run through everything from basic stationery and product literature to media advertising and your complete presence online - it's the single mark that will distinguish you from the millions of companies worldwide.

When creating your logo there are a number of factors to consider in this 'fast paced' digital age.

1. Before putting pencil to paper or starting up a professional design package, The most important factor is understanding your business objectives! Take the time to fully understand your business aims, jot down some words that represent what your customers will come to expect from your company. Make notes on colours that summarize your outlook and reflect the your personal nature, or the nature of organisation. Do you want to stand out sharply against your competition, do you want to be more subtle, sophisticated? Always take the time to reflect back to your business plan and key words, is your colour palette representing your business? And remember its not just about finding a foundation that would please your eyes, but understand the process from a customer's point of view. By working through this stage you will begin to get a feel for the foundations of your brand, a foundation will start building on. You might find that creating a mood board filled with cuttings of competitor logos and popular brands will help stimulate creativity.

2. During the previous process you will have naturally become inclined to a certain colours and logo types on your mood board. You will have seen many styles of logo, some very simple, some very clever and some that you wish you had as your own! Use this inclination to let your creative process start thinking about shapes and concepts that might reflect your business in the form of a logo. Do you see shapes, or a typographical logo, something colourful, something intricate or something simple? Again make notes on jot shapes, try not to focus on one idea to much, or spend time refining an idea, just play with your intuition and let your natural creative process run its course.

3. Now is the time to start molding your ideas in to something more comprehensive but we have one more process before we launch our design package. Now is the time to take a critical look at your marketing budget and how you intend to promote your business. Are you planning to be an online business with very little use of printed literature? Or are you a bricks and mortar business and will need printed promotional literature? Its very likely that you will be somewhere in between. The reason you need to understand your marketing plan is so you can develop your logo in the correct format. If you are an online business then creating a full color logo is not a problem, but having to reproduce a full colour logo on paper can become expensive on short print runs. Alternatively if you plan to use your logo extensively on printed literature, can you afford full color printing? A printed logo must also work at various sizes, but also in single colour, 2 color and full color depending on the type of literature. Understanding your budget and marketing objectives will help you to refine the type logo you will require.

4. Using all the information and research that you have gathered, you can either choose to put this information in to a written format and present it to your graphic designer to be worked into a unique design, or if you are a proficient user of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, you can proceed to developing your concepts into a more tangible design.

5. Logos are not the final say in your branding! The application of the logo to printed literature and online marketing will really seal your corporate identity and brand style. For this you will need to approach a branding company as they are experienced in creating corporate brand strategies and making sure your business objectives are reflected in your marketing material.

Aftab Ali

Founder of Reach BCS - Brand Communication Solutions

aftab@reachbcs.com

http://www.ReachBCS.com

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Tips on Logo Designing

First, you have a plan how to make a logo and good attract to your client then you have to create a logo for your site; a very miniature logo to be specific. The size of the logo should be 16x16 pixels. Logo designing and graphic designs are all part of web designing services. As your website your E-commerce, the logos are very important. The logos are original and unique as the target particular web page. The logos should be effective enough to attract the target traffic for that particular website. The best way to vicious circle the client is to include both the animated and temperate samples in the catalog.

The first step in the process is choice a good domain name, which is never easy, but as I want to include the text 'logo design' within the web address. A resourcefully designed logo can really give your business a jump start and help your business get the consideration and clients required to be successful. The mail point design your logo with the right uniqueness will effectively succeed your company visibility, credibility and inexorability. Designers like the way flash can distinguish a website look. This is important; a homepage should always have impressive that's outstanding to users. I don't mind you want users to remember a loading time. Fascinatingly, research shows that website viewers are more likely to look at text before images. Many would dispute that Flash is best for design.

Functionality is an essential part of successful design. It's predestined to solve problems and make things easier. It doesn't ignore its users. A good web designer can create an HTML site that looks as impressive as a full Flash site. Using some unremarkable banners or animation melodiously makes an impression without limiting usability. A well-designed site should be a total solution for the client, the business, the user, and the search bots. Make a good logo how to point care -

1. This ensures that your logo design stays at the forefront in the mind of your potential clients and that they will mind of you the next again they have a need. This ensures that your logo will spread the message about the distinguishing characteristics of your business.

2. This helps you to distinguish your company or industry from its competitors. For example, if everyone in your industry uses a particular symbol, like the case of travel agencies who often use globes in their logos, try to use something else - this will make your logo look different and uncommon. This can be portrayed in the choice of quality of the graphics, the printing and the paper on which your materials are printed.

3. This will ensure that you do not require redesigning your logo in just a few years and that your investment and equity used in your logo design will be lasting. This is just not in terms of hue, but in terms of value as well, so that it translates well either to black and white or gray scale, enabling even colorblind people to see it. The logo must fit together as a single unit, and not just appear as a jumble of elements pasted together.

Priya Singh wrote this article on behalf of E-Commerce Website Template For more information on Free Web Page Headers discount website template and logo tips for visiting worldwide you can visit besttemplatedesign.com

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Custom Website Design Will Help Set Your Company Apart From the Competition

Isn't a unique website design automatically a custom website design, and vice-versa? It seems obvious that they would be, but in my experience, just because a website is custom-built doesn't mean it is unique, and the reverse rule also applies. Naturally, we all want our website to be both unique and custom (and affordable doesn't hurt as well), so the key is to analyze what your web designer offers to make sure that you are getting the perfect website for you, a unique custom website that does exactly what your business needs it to do.

A unique website, on its own, is simply a website that isn't just like another site. It needs something that sets it apart from all the other sites on the web. It doesn't need to break new ground in the world of website design, and really, there isn't much new ground that remains to be broken, unless you want to shatter the very ground your website stands on. Fact is that there are certain basics of website design that have been proven to work, and ignoring them just for the sake of standing out is folly for a business website. You don't want your entire site to take up a 250 by 250 pixel square amidst a sea of white. Sure, it's unique, but not in a useful way. A website is a tool, and the best tools are those that can most efficiently accomplish the tasks assigned to them, not the ones that look the strangest. That in mind, if your tool can do things just as well as all the others, or even better, why not also make it stand out from the crowd if doing so won't inhibit its function any? That's the goal of the unique website design; standing out from the crowd without hampering functionality.

A custom website, on the other hand, is designed specifically for you and your business. This doesn't make it unique. A simple black text on white background informational site with buttons across the top and a logo in the upper-left corner isn't by any stretch of the imagination unique, but it might be just fine for your business. The great thing about a custom website design is not only that it does the jobs you need it to do, but that it can actually be more affordable than a less customized but still unique website.

So in the end - what, you need more elaboration on that point? How can custom actually be more affordable than non-custom? Well, look at it this way. A custom website design is best when it springs from a custom web design package. That is, a package designed and priced specifically for the website that is being custom built. On the other hand, a non-custom package is likely to include a lot of features that you don't actually need. It's always better, in my opinion and experience, to work with your website designer to get the package and the price that is perfect for you, rather than having to buy a pre-designed package that requires you pay for three features you don't need to get the one you want.

So in the end, if you're looking to get a website created, I'd advise to begin your efforts searching for a unique, custom website design that also happens to be affordable. Getting what you need for the best possible price, and looking good while you're doing it, is always better than spending extra cash to mimic what's already been done.

Dustin Schwerman is the head web designer for Truly Unique Website Design. Truly Unique offers services ranging from Internet Website Design to Inexpensive SEO.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

10 Tips to Boost Your Personal Brand Identity

This article isn't about design per say, although it is a wonderful resource for any business person, no matter how big or small your business is.

Everything you do in life – from the way you dress to the car you buy, from the friends you see to the club you belong, from the notes you write to the way you speak -- either builds or diminishes your personal brand. Below are ten suggestions for building a stronger personal brand.

One: Become an expert source. Deliver a speech, write a bylined article, and become an expert source for reporters. Make sure you have a current photo, bio, resume, and speaker introduction.

Two: Become a great communicator. Research shows communications skill is the top determinant for upward social and professional mobility. Join Toastmasters or hire a communications coach to ensure that your written and verbal skills are at their best.

Three: Draft a marketing plan for yourself annually, and review it quarterly. Include specific goals, strategies, action steps, and a timetable.

Four: Develop an ‘elevator speech.” Within the time that it takes an elevator to travel one floor – about 60-seconds – be able to deliver a succinct description of what you do, how you do it differently, and the benefit it provides.

Five: Build your Rolodex. Make new business contacts and stay in touch with them. Most people with powerful brands have powerful friends.

Six: Realize that your boss can be your most powerful ally -- or enemy -- in building your brand. Be loyal and never speak ill of him or her – to anyone. We should make our bosses look good, and help them build their own brands.

Seven: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Balance your individual style with clothing that will appeal to those you are trying to impress.

Eight: Become a class act. Learn good business and social etiquette. Buy elegant personal stationery and send hand-written notes. Know how to order a good bottle of wine in a fine restaurant and drink it sparingly during dinner. (Remember, alcohol and branding seldom mix.)

Nine: Select “significant” significant others. Who you date or who you marry affects your brand. John Hancock CEO David F. D’Alessandro in his book Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It, suggests that single people not take their dates to company events. If they do, they will be judged by the outcome of every romance.

Ten: Give something back. Giving your time, talent, and money to charitable causes is a brand-builder especially when it complements your brand strategy. Find a cause you are passionate about. When I was in public relations, I wanted to be known for my creativity. By limiting my community involvement to arts organizations I was able to reinforce my personal brand. Not only did my involvement in the arts benefit my career, I enjoyed the work. I still do.

Your personal brand is one of your greatest business assets. Nurture your brand and you will nurture your career.

“The Career Engineer,” Randy Siegel, helps clients electrify their careers and transform their lives by becoming high voltage communicators™. Power up and subscribe to “Stand in Your Power!” his complimentary monthly eNewsletter at http://www.powerhousecommunications.com.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Should You Use a Tagline with your Logo?

One of the most powerful tools you can use to build your brand is a tagline. And an effective combination of a logo and a tagline works even better for your branding. However, can you add a tagline to your logo whenever you want? Will a logo/tagline combination always give a better effect for your business branding? I am afraid the answer is no.

So, should you or should you not put your tagline together with your logo?

A great logo with a great tagline can communicate a lot in very few words in a very small space. Your logo's graphic will look stronger with the words in the tagline, and the words in the tagline will be more memorable with the reinforcement of an image. This good effect only happens when your business name consists of less than 3 words and your tagline is concise and short too, otherwise your logo may look too wordy and your target audience can easily ignore your logo.

If both your business name and the tagline are longer, it is better that you put them apart from each other so that they will function better on their own. Since they are not so strongly linked, it will be easier for you to change your tagline when it is necessary without worrying about having to redesign your logo and struggling to rebuild the branding for your logo design.

You need to consider this discussion above to let your logo and your tagline work in the best possible way for your branding and eventually for your business.

Catherine is an experienced logo designer who has been working in the industry for over 10 years, she has designed literally thousands of logos and is known for her ability to catch the client's vision and turn it into art: cheap logo design

Monday, May 12, 2008

Digital Design Tips from Debbie

Be true to yourself! Only create designs and art that you believe in. Don't participate in false advertisements or promote wrong ideas only because you can.

Let your designs be of your own origination and style.

Visualize the color wheel as a 3-D sphere. Make sure to include colors from the northern and southern hemisphere of the color wheel. If your colors are not just so, nudge your colors to conform to the color wheel's dyads, triads, and tetrads. For more information about the color wheel, go to: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html

The colors you choose have both emotional appeal and symbolic meaning. Make sure to choose colors which will support the visual meaning and message you wish to convey. For more information about colors, go to: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

When designing, have the wisdom to know when to stop.

First learn what the design principles are, and then learn how to break them.

As a designer's knowledge and skill level increases, more complexity and design elements can be brought into each piece.

There are times when designers have to walk away from their work to clear their heads. Often times, design solutions come when you least expect it.

Make a habit to ask others what they think of your artwork as you formulate your ideas and design your pieces. It doesn't matter if they have art experience, just ask anyway. Everyone has different perspectives and valuable ideas.

If you have creative ideas wake you up from your sleep, quickly sketch out your ideas and go back to sleep.

Experience has taught me that it is not the tools that create great work; it is the talent behind the tools.

Build a personal library of artistic magazines and books, and use them for reference and as your foundation. Designing is not done strictly from the heart, but it is built upon knowledge of design principles which dictate how design elements are composed.

Debbie Jensen, Photographer, Graphic Designer, and Web Designer http://www.debjensendesigns.com

Monday, April 28, 2008

How Does Color Effect Your Logo?

Could you imagine if the "Golden Arches" were purple, or if IBM's colors were red and green? You may have wondered who, how and why they came up with the colors that they did.

Why is it that so many restaurants like McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Subway all use red, orange, yellow or green, but you don't see a lot of blue or purple.

Chances are there's a lot more to the process than you might imagine. And if you haven't wondered but you are thinking of creating a logo or hiring someone to do it for you, this is something you'll want to read.

It sounds absurd, but choosing the right colors for your business image
and logotype can mean the difference between success and failure
. Take
the example above, did you know that research shows that people eat more in a
room painted with warm colors like yellow and red, versus cold color? Yep, it's
true.

We are all affected by the color we see -- both physiologically and psychologically;
your customers are no different.


In fact, your customers instantly make assumptions about your company; it's quality and service based on your logo and the colors you've associated with it. Most of the time they aren't even aware if it, but trust me, your customers make very quick assumptions about your company based on your identity and the colors you've chosen to use.

It's simple; choose the right colors that are pleasing to your target market and you win. You're one step ahead of the competition.

So how do you choose the right colors? If you're working with a knowledgeable designer to create your corporate image you've got a huge advantage over a business owner going it alone. Make sure you work with a business savvy designer that thoroughly understands color theory and how it affects consumers.

If you go it alone there's good news and bad: the bad news is that there is no color combination that works for all industries and business. The good news is scientific studies have concluded that there are some basic theories on how certain colors can affect our behavior. If you use the information in these studies you can select the color ranges that might work more effectively for your business and industry. Here are a few findings from one such study:

RED This is food color. Ever notice that restaurants use red
a lot? It makes you hungry by increasing your body's metabolism. Red suggests
aggression, hostility, heat, stop, error, warning, danger, error, fire, lushness
and passion. Here's the Red Challenge - see if you can find an air conditioning
company with a lot of red in their logo, you probably won't.


YELLOW Yellow suggests the sun, expansiveness, happiness and
high spirits. Yellow commands attention and suggests caution. It can be used successfully
as a highlight. Here's the Yellow Challenge - see if you can find a financial
company with a lot of yellow in their logo.


BLUE Not a good color for hospitals. Blue suggests the peaceful,
the sad and water. Blue is often associated with the male. Blue is a cool color
and can visually expand a room. It does not compliment most foods. Blue goes well
with warm colors and materials. Here's the Blue Challenge - see if you can
find a fast-food restaurant with a lot of blue in their logo, you'll have to look
hard.


GREEN Associated with nature the pastoral and general well-being.
Green also suggests envy and jealousy. Green should not be overused. Too much
can affect skin tones and the appearance of some foods. Here's the Green Challenge
- see how many headlines you see in green, you can - but you'll see a lot more
red.


BLACK Black can have negative sociological connotations like
evil, mourning, ghostly, night, death and fear. However, black can be very stylish
and modern. Black works well as an accent with other colors. Here's the Black
Challenge - see if you can find health care organizations with a lot of black
in their logo.


Sure, you'll be able to find some exceptions to my challenges; I know there are always exceptions to the rule. Some of the exceptions may even work, but your best bet is to either to study and learn color theory or work with a business savvy designer that understands it.

Jeremy runs the only business savvy graphic design firm who helps companies build more confidence and credibility into their business identities. “I help you take your business' vision and shape it into a company identity that will make you look better, feel better and have more confidence about your business.”

Like the article?

Email Jeremy today at comments@candographics.com for your choice of a free insider’s bulletin: “How to Choose the Right Marketing/Design Firm for You” or “Top Ten Questions Designers Don’t Want You to Ask Them”. You’ll also want to check out the “Can-Do Confidence Builder”. Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your marketing/design investments and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Remember to include in your email your name, which Insider Bulletin you would like to receive and any additional feedback.

Learn more about Jeremy and how you can gain a competitive advantage with a better brand by visiting http://www.candographics.com