Read Wilfully Plagiarising? LogoThief Is On Your Case on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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With so many self-initiated design projects doing the circuits, it’s a real joy to come across some that are truly inspiring, and not just another ‘minimal’ take on something.

Alain Bossuyt

Alain Bossuyt has really done himself proud with these colourful James Bond Fan Art Posters. You can view them over on his Behance profile, and give him an ‘appreciation’ as well whilst you are there.

There is also another project page on Alain’s Behance profile with yet more James Bond Fan Art posters!

Nice find by Gruber over on DaringFireball

Read James Bond Fan Art Posters by Alain Bossuyt on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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I so had to get in on this fun. I love touching my own face, rarely a moment goes by when I’m not touching it in one place or another. Now I have a valid reason to share on my face touching photographs with you.

I get that this post, ideally, ought to be about the actual website: Designers Touching Their Faces, but I think a few more of me touching my first is more important.

You are just so very welcome.

Designers Touching Their Faces

And let’s not forgot the reason I started making this post in the first place:

“If you’re a designer, you ain’t shit if you don’t touch your face in photographs.”

Once you have admired my photograph, then I suppose you could also take a look at the Designers Touching Their Faces Tumblr, by Nick Foster over on hellofosta.com

I just love these Tumblr projects that pop up, and this one is close to my heart. Can’t quite tell if it’s a piss-take, or a serious homage to the art of face-touching…

Well done to Nick Foster for showing us the admirable company we are in.

I find myself, for the first time, wondering if I should be worried by these imitators. Touching ones face is a true art, it can’t be taught, it’s gift that keeps on giving…

This was found on Swiss Miss

PS: Oh, and as luck would have it, there is another one of me. The classic ‘head in hand’ trying to soothe that aching headache.

Checking to see if I’m still alive…

Read Designers Touching Their Faces: Now With Me on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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JFK AND THE MUTANT CONSPIRACY — Half a century ago, Magneto was implicated in the mutant plot to assassinate President John F. Kennedy. The events of that fateful day in November have been a point of contention between humans and the mutants ever since.

This has totally made my week: finding the full-length soundtrack to the amazing viral website, “The Bent Bullet—X Men:Days of Future Past.“

I can’t honestly tell you how many times I have had the website version of this musical score playing whilst working. It’s so hauntingly beautiful, and I’ve not even come close to getting tired of it.

Then Luke Turner, just a few moments ago, tweeted me a link to the YouTube video with the full length score on it.

An absolute delight!

Still unsure to it’s origins, name etc, so I do hope someone soon can provide a name so credit can be given. It’s well deserved!

Thanks again to Luke Turner

While knowledge of mutants was not yet public, rumors of individuals with strange abilities started surfacing from the summer of 1963. Nearly a dozen mutants were secretly murdered by the CIA and the public was suspicious of government involvement. American Citizens awaited a response from their President.

Days before Kennedy arrived in Dallas for his Trade Mart visit, the Friends of Humanity had campaigned among locals for his impeachment. According to the group, the Missile Crisis was the least of Kennedy’s sins in a list of treasons including “mutant love” and “conspiracy to dilute the human race with ungodly blood.”

@thelogosmith Here’s the full track, it doesn’t seem like many people know who is behind it though! — http://t.co/Ue7OSNWHo6

— Luke Turner (@turnerluke_uk) November 29, 2013

Read “The Bent Bullet” X-Men: Days of Future Past – Full Length Soundtrack on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Gratisography: Free high-resolution pictures you can use on your personal and commercial projects.
Click on an image to download the high-resolution version. New awesome pictures added weekly!

All pictures were captured by Ryan McGuire of Bells Design and free of copyright restrictions.

Much in a similar vein to the previously blogged, UnSplash, Gratisography is a website offering free downloadable photography for you to use freely.

I don’t think this type of endeavour should ever be underestimated, or undervalued. Taking excellent quality photographs. and making them available without ANY restrictions, is pretty admirable in my book!

I have been using quite a few photographs off UnSplash myself of late, and aspects of my own work have been much improved because of this.

 Good for Ryan McGuire I say, and long may you take lovely photographs for all of us to use and enjoy!

A few Gratisography examples

Read Gratisography – Free Hi-Resolution Photographs by Bells Design on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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BrightNorth Logo Design

Read Updated My Logo Design Portfolio on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Read Real World: 1968 Mexico Olympics Logo and Brand Identity (Lance Wyman) on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Picjumbo.com, by Victor Hanacek is another great photographic website offering:

“totally free photos for your commercial & personal works”

I’m really liking the kindness of photographically inspired people at the moment for making the fruits of their love available to us, for free.

What I have also found with these sites like: Unsplash, Gratisography and Picjumbo is that the photographic style is so much more aesthetically appealing, at least to me, than many of the major photostock libraries.

I have already used photographs from both Unsplash, Gratisography in the presentation of some of my recent logo designs to clients, and have already seen a few from Victor that I will be using shortly.

The photographs are 3888px wide, so plenty big enough for most digital work.

Viktor Hanacek: “You can use them for many different things. For webdesign, sliders, apps, backgrounds or templates for sell. You are not limited. One thing I would really appreciate is an attribution. It’s up to you, it is not necessary but greatly appreciated! It’s easy — when you share Picjumbo to other people, I can keep making more and more photos.

Go ahead and take a peek, and give Victor your support by signing up to his newsletter, Twitter account and/or even, maybe, donate a little if you end up using some.

Found via Webdesignerdepot

Some examples

Read picjumbo-totally free photos for your commercial & personal works by viktor hanacek on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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I get a lot of people filling in my logo design brief with junk copy just so they can get a sense of what questions are spread out over the five pages.

This actually bothers me for a few reasons, but the main one is the sense of disappointment I feel immediately after being excited at thinking another job has come through.

I see the email; I think I have a new job; the excitement hits me; I read the email and discover it’s just been filled in with gibberish which ultimately leaves me with a huge sense of disappointment.

For example: job enquiries have been very quiet the last month, then last night three submissions came in! I was so excited. Turns out all three were from the same person, and all filled in with complete gibberish. But before realising it was gibberish, I thought I had three new jobs come in. That really does piss me off.

One-page logo design brief dummy

So to try and reduce this frustration, I have created a one-page dummy of the logo design brief which is downloadable as a PDF for you.

The thing is, one only need ask me for copy of the form rather than wasting your own time filling in 5 pages of complete twaddle. Just saying…

Now one doesn’t need to fill in my form with junk just to get an idea of what questions I ask, and you’ll save me the bitter disappointment in the process.

Download One-page logo design brief dummy

Read My Logo Design Brief in a One Page PDF on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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I’ve been searching for a suitable messenger style laptop bag for my new 13″ Macbook Air, and my search has taken me all over the place. There are some lovely bags around, from: leather, canvas, nylon and even various recycled materials. Here are a few I’ve favourited on Etsy: http://etsy.me/1aFQzaJ

One the most well known companies using recycled materials, I guess, would be freitag.ch, there is also elvisandkresse.com, who makes fashion items from recycled fire hoses, which is pretty cool.

Although I’ve checked 100′s of laptop messenger bags, there have been only a handful that I really feel suit my style, and would be happy enough to hold my Macbook Air.

Etsy

Etsy is a great place to find all sorts of treasures, and I have ended up buying numerous camera cases, phone cases and other things over the last few years. Etsy again came up trumps for a suitable bag in the form of this fantastic recycled / repurposed Cement bag made by The Wren. It’s almost as though the design of these cement bags was done with the messenger bags in mind, as they just seem to look so perfect.

If you visit the The Wren’s website you’ll see a whole range of: bags, sleeves, cases all made from the same Pretoria Portland Cement paper bags.

I’m ordering the 13″ Black with red highlights, can’t wait! There’s so much to love about these cement bag bags: the bold and striking graphics, the typography, the icons and symbols, the colour use, the snug padded fit for your much cherished laptop, the simple fact these are bloody cement bags!

I’ll give a review once I have received and used my own, and will likely offer up a few of these in an upcoming giveaway. So make sure you are receiving my blog newsletter so you don’t miss out!

Recycled Cement Bag Summary

You really need to check out the product page to get the full story on how these are made, and how awesome they are. In the 13″ size you can get: black, red, yellow and blue, but the other 15″ and 17″ laptop sizes are also available.

So here’s a quick summary:

• Each one is made to order
• Made from unused Pretoria Portland Cement paper bags
• Materials: paper, fusable cotton, cotton webbing, metal adjusters, hidden magnets, cotton, foam, batting, scotch guard, embroidered label
• 2 sections, 2 pockets: carry laptop accessories alongside your laptop
• Fully padded with padded divider
• Closes with 2 magnets
• Bag is treated with Scotch Guard so fully weather proof
• Cotton webbing, and fully adjustable strap
• Size for 13″ laptop: 34cm (length) X 25,5 (height) X 6cm (width)

Very cool indeed.

Read 13″ Macbook Air Recycled Cement Bag Laptop Messenger Bag by The Wren on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Excellent. Just excellent. Simon Grover over at Quietroom sent me a note earlier. In that note was a message telling me they have been busy foraging around gathering updates for The Santa Brand Book, something they previously won accolades and hugs for given it’s importance to us all.

*Santa* is a Concept, not an idea. It’s an Emotion, not a felling. It’s both Yesterday and Today. And it’s Tomorrow as well.

We now have, thanks to Quietroom, a new and updated version of the Santa Brand for AD 2013 with 15 pages of: Santa trivia, identity guidelines, stats, graphs and venn diagrams. It’s a compelling read, and I now have a much broader appreciation of the structure and personality of Santa’s brand. This can only be a good thing as we roll ever closer to Christmas 2013.

Go and check The Santa Brand Book: The AD 2013 edition, over at: http://www.quietroom.co.uk/santa_brandbook

*Santa* winds infinite Possibilities around finite Limitations to evoke the essence of invention and the Odour of Nostalgia. It has the complexity of Simpleness and the Simplicity of complexitiveness.”

Read The Santa Brand Book AD 2013 Edition – Santa’s Brand Refreshed for 2013 on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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It’s been an age since my last giveaway so it’s nice to be able to arrange another one with such a useful prize. Introducing the Slate Mobile AirDesk by Nathan Mummert: a Kickstarter project which I have backed. I believe Nathan reached the desired $6500 goal in just a few days and has now received over £88,338 in pledges!

I have pledged enough for two Slate Mobile AirDesk‘s: one for me and one for this giveaway. They should be shipping to the UK sometimes mid-late January, but I will announce the winner sometime Christmas day, so a nice extra Christmas present for someone!

How to Participate

1. Leave your name in comments below.
2. Any Google+ and/or Facebook Likes (found in my footer) would be appreciated, but not compulsory.
3. As all my giveaways are completely self-funded, if you are able to visit one or more of my site sponsors (found top of my sidebar) this would be much appreciated: helps fund the giveaway, and others’ to come.
4. That’s it. Once I know who the winner is I will be in touch to arrange appropriate postage and packing.

The essential accessory for your laptop. Created for business professionals, students, designers, gamers, or just anyone with a laptop.

Introducing the Slate

Laptops are designed for mobility but they’re missing the comforts of a desk. We experience poor posture and back pains, lost items, heat on our laps, and an overall slow work speed. We searched through one retail store after another, but much to our dismay, we only found basic accessories and plain-old surfaces for our laptops. So, the invention of the Slate was born. It’s the only product of it’s kind and with your help – we can make it affordable for everyone to enjoy.

ed

Read Win a Kickstarter Funded ‘Slate Mobile AirDesk’ by Nathan Mummert on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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About Ben: “My name is Ben Didier. I am a graphic designer, type addict and music nerd who can usually be found cooking tacos or riding my bike around Vancouver, Canada. I am currently the Senior Designer at CBC Music.”

When I first came across Ben’s website: Pretty/Ugly Design, via a post for some promotional t-shirt designs for Handsome, I first thought I’d simply post about those as they were so very cool.

Problem was that once I stared browsing the rest of Ben’s portfolio I simply couldn’t just post about one project because so many of them are outstandingly and fantastically awesome

So here (below) are a few select designs, all mostly come with a hand crafted typographic lettering vintage flair.

I think some of my real favourites are the Zatec Beer Ads, all last 6 of them below.

Read Gorgeous Vintage Era Type & Logo Designs by Ben Didier on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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So here it is, The Helvetica Moleskine Christmas Giveaway has finally landed! I’ve been hanging on to these for a good few years now in the hope I might round to actually using them, but haven’t been able to bring myself to tear off the protective cellophane.

(Whilst you’re here: don’t forget to enter my other Christmas Giveaway for the rather cool, and useful: Slat Mobile Airdesk) 

So rather hanging onto these beautiful notebooks, I’ve decided to give’ em away (whilst still holding onto one black and one red Helvetica Moleskine for myself).

I have two black and one Red Helvetica Moleskine’s up-for-grabs, with two runner up prizes of Type Trumps.

How to Participate

1. Leave your name in comments below.
2. Any Google+ and/or Facebook Likes (found in my footer) would be appreciated, but not compulsory.
3. As all my giveaways are completely self-funded, if you are able to visit one or more of my site sponsors (found top of my sidebar) this would be much appreciated: helps fund the giveaway, and others’ to come.
4. One could also sign-up to receive my blog updates (newsletter) via email
5. Maybe you might want to retweet the post, maybe you might not. Up-to-you…

That’s pretty much it.

Once I know who the winners are I will be in touch to arrange appropriate postage and packing. You can try leaving your colour preference for Moleskine in comments, but as there are only two red ones and one black one, you might just have to take what’s available.

Those scratches are just on the protective wrapping…

Read It’s Here! The Helvetica Moleskine Christmas Giveaway on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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I really think this is the first time, in a long time, that I got so excited about installing a new iOS app (Classic Notes) on my iPhone. When I say excited I really mean just totally bonkers excited. This was another excellent offering from: GetApp

You don’t just get note taking capability either with Classic Note, you get a: Calculator, Fortune (random quotes) and Wrangler: Catch the DogCow, all accessed via the Tools menu

I’m going to use Classic Note for ever and ever…

Take your notes like it’s 1985. Classic Notes puts the days of one-button mice and 3.5″ floppy disks in your pocket, without breaking your back. On sale for a limited time! Follow us on Twitter at @ClassicNoteApp.

These really were the days, and having Classic Note on my iPhone is flooding my synapses with tidal waves of nostalgic endorphins. Want more good news? Classic Note is currently available for free on the Appstore.

You can send all your thanks to Digital Worlds Entertainment, and GetApp, for bringing you this most awesome gift.

Read Classic Note-The Best iOS Note App in the Universe on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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It’s not exactly breaking news this, but still, on a personal level, I do find things like this interesting. I really don’t have the foggiest idea if Marrissa was behind the flickr logo changing colours, or not: I’m just taking an educated guess.

I only noticed the colour changes when quickly looking at one of my flickr photographs on my iPhone (insincere apologies for the awfully rude photo). Blink and you’ll miss it. Not sure how widespread the implementation is because you mostly get the black and white logo on the main website.

Just seems a silly little change really, the introducing of Yahoo’s purple. A token gesture (as well as moving the magenta to the dot on the i), if I ever did see one, that doesn’t really work. Now it just looks like an amateur attempt to keep the best of both worlds, and it didn’t work. Better to just bite-the-bullet and go ‘large’.

Might be just a small thing to some, but these ‘small things’ can wreck havoc on a brands heritage. Yahoo just tinkers…

Thus, another possible option (below), just to simply keep it to 2 colours, might have been to simply change the blue for the purple, and keep the magenta ‘r’ as always. This way you get more of the Yahoo branding across whilst still keeping the distinctive ‘r’.

The purple is more dominant, the overall style is still the old flickr, but it looks a little cleaner and a less messy ‘compromise’.

No idea what they might be thinking, or planning for the future, so no one can say if this is a precursor to something more substantial, but I don’t like it.

It’s a small detail, but a detail nonetheless.

Given they seem to be liking the gothic look on flickr’s main website, might have been better to simply monochrome the logo in it’s entirety and be done with it!

When you think about it, there are many variations one could do, and that’s part of the problem with Yahoo, they seem to change for the sake of change because they ‘can’ change. Yet they can’t seem to make these changes in a way that’s coherent, adheres to some uniform plan, and in the end they end up diluting once strong, and somewhat iconic, brands.

Sound familiar?

Read Marrissa Tinkers Again? Flickr logo changes it’s colours on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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http://make-the-logo-bigger.tumblr.com: I just adore little logo projects just like this one by San Francisco-based art director and designer, Andrew Wendling.

This is a cool logo study into how easily we can tell whose tightly cropped logo belongs too, often just from the brands signature colour.

It’s, of course, a hook, the whole titled: “Make the logo bigger”, but whatever, you’re here or you’re elsewhere, reading about what Andrew has done on his Tumblr blog.

The ubiquitous Tumblr is a perfect blogging platform for these side-projects, and Andrew has used it as a platform to poke little bit of fun at the whole “make the logo bigger” stereotype.

Not just intent on making them bigger, he has enormousized each logo until only a portion of the design is visible.

Read Andrew Wendling makes Famous Brand Logos MUCH MUCH Bigger on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Totally love little logo trivia bits like this. Not sure I’ve actually seen, and took notice, of this particular design before, yet this version of the Coca-Cola logo was only designed, and used, for one whole year: 1890-1890.

Notice the adorable extra swirls and other fancy adornments. Awwww just so cute.

The previous Coca-Cola logo designed before it, even way back then, was more like the logo in we know and ‘love’ now. Interesting, that for just this one year, the logo would changed so significantly before quickly reverting back to the familiar script used now. What was the reason? Who was responsible? Was it a planned and temporary novelty-style logo where they always planned to revert back to the first style? So many questions.

With today’s mentality (talking here about the importance of keeping ones brand image consistent, and not throwing it down the drain with hastily and ill considered changes), it might be too easy to look upon such radical, and short-lived, logo redesigns with shock and horror: how dare such a big company play so fast and loose with their company logo? I’m only 41 so it’s a little hard for me to imagine how people back then viewed such changes—possibly made with such reckless abandonment—and might be fair to assume they simply didn’t have the benefit of experience that we have now some 2000 million years later.

CreativeBloq: In 1890, a version of the logo was created and used only once, on the first calendar ever printed by the company. It features a style heavily reminiscent of musical notation and wholly out-of-kilter with the logo we know today. The creator of this design is unknown, but they certainly brought an unusual feel to the lettering.

It wasn’t until 1893 that the first iteration of the logo we recognise today was unveiled. A slightly thinner rendering of the words Coca-Cola coincided with the company’s early growth. Asa Candler had acquired the brand from Pemberton and the strategy was to outfit chemist shops with soda fountains. At this time syrup plants were built in Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles.

Read Genuinely Historic Vintage Coca-Cola Logo from 1890 on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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Apparently, according to the Aviation Blog division of the DallasNew.com:

“Doug Parker, the new chief executive officer of American Airlines Group, told employees Monday that he’ll let them decide what the tail on AA jets should look like.

There will be two choices:

A. The new tail adopted last January by the old AA regime, or

B. The old tail that had been in use basically since 1968.

“As we build our new company, we want all of our employees to have a voice in who we are as an airline, and that starts  with what we look like,” Parker wrote in the internal “Arrivals” newsletter. “As such, today we launched a survey for all employees of the combined company to vote on what we should do with our new look for the tail – keep the work that was done, or go back to the previous American.”

For me I just love the fact that he is even considering using the old American Airlines logo on the tails of his fine fleet. Something about a new CEO referencing a brand from the past, I think, is quite cute.

Also love that he simply doesn’t care which design gets the vote:

“People have already begun to ask me, “Which livery do you hope wins?” The answer is I honestly do not care.”

I mean, that is just awesomely casual of him. Obviously rebranding with the old AA logo/tail livery wouldn’t be without some issues, complications and confusion, but other than that, I think it’s a brill idea.

Moving upward to a more practical choice: looking at the recently introduced flag design (the 2nd option from Doug), and then some photos of how the planes look like in the air with this design (above, and provided by a commentator on Brand New), I can quite confidently say that if they are looking for a tail design that looks so distinctive from 100′s of feet away, then this is the way to go.

I would air on the side of practicality and visual robustness, at least in this example, over a possible emotional attachment to the past. However, as a person with no ties to American Airlines, and indifferent to it’s future success, I would die to see them use the old logo, from 1968, for the tail design.

Both of the above photographs are from BrandNew’s post: American Airlines Tail Future

Read American Airlines Up in the Air about it’s New Tail Design on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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archive: vignelli features artifacts from the Massimo and Lella Vignelli papers as they are unpacked and processed at the Vignelli Center for Design Studies. We will share the experience of processing a collection and the excitement of discovering never before seen sketches, models, products and documents.

Our goal is to provide unique insights to the Vignellis’ design process, philosophy and language. The Vignellis’ work includes graphic design, branding, publication design, architectural graphics, exhibition, interior, furniture and consumer product design.

This new website from the Vignelli Center, the “archive:vignelli”, looks like it could be really quite interesting, once it gets itself established. Only a handful of images right now so definitely one to bookmark, follow, check back on.

Want to know one thing I came away with?

One doesn’t have to be a rockstar doodler to actually do doodles. It’s quite a common thing for designers’ to feel slightly embarrassed about sketching up ideas, thoughts, directions let alone showing them to the world, or a client.

I always refer to my mess of sketches as the result of doodling on a crumpled up napkin before I show a client. This, I find, helps lower any possible expectations they might have been harbouring on being shown a work of art.

The idea is the work of art, not the medium it is shown on.

It can be a struggle to not keep feeling so conscious about your sketches, but will likely be the perfectionist in you. Don’t beat yourself up over this, because seriously, look at these sketches by Massimo, especially the egg holder one. The aim there was to show the concept, which is clear as day, not to get a gold-star for colouring within the lines.

Read archive: vignelli – Sharing Unpacked Artifacts from Massimo and Lella Vignelli’s Papers on The Logo Smith - forging logomarks of distinction since '86.

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