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During lunch with a friend (and past customer) the other week we discussed the lack of punctuation and grammar in writing nowadays. My schooling started at the beginning of the decline in literacy education, whereas my friend, being more mature, still remembered fondly ‘how English was taught correctly’ and bemoaned how many discrepancies she saw about her. We both particularly mourned the misuse of the apostrophe, especially within plural usage, and how it can totally spoil literature or promotional material.
She’s quite right, of course. I can think of some quite high-powered people, teachers even, who should know better and misuse their apostrophes left, right and centre. And there aren’t enough readers who will either notice or know how to correct it properly.
Bad grammar provides an unfavourable impression, and adds to the illegible factor that litters publications in so many areas. Signs and banners are particularly prone to this affliction, due to insufficient grammatical training in their authors. There is nothing worse than seeing a beautiful design ruined by a hideous spelling mistake right smack in the middle! And all due to ignorance of correct punctuation within presentation.
25 June 2007
22 June 2007
Clear logos – fashionable versus concise
Logos are difficult things to create. Yeah, anyone can make a logo, but is it effective? Does it send the correct message? Do your customers ‘get’ it? Does it truly reflect your corporate image? What is its target audience?
And above all, is it clear? Logos in the past were fussy, old fashioned things, following tradition and spawned off coats of arms, etc. Now they have to be instantly recognisable, snazzy, fashionable, easy to produce, look good in black and white, powerful yet unassuming. That’s why logos are difficult things to create.
Everyone’s talking about the new London Olympics logo. And above all, how much it cost. Does it do anything for you? It certainly has benefited from the ‘yuk’ factor, as bad press can create good publicity. But is that a good thing? Is it sending us the right message? Do you ‘get’ it? Is it clear, concise and uncluttered?
Take a good look at your logo and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Consider if it could be made clearer, more recognisable, simpler even. Are the colours right? Is the font fashionable? Does it consist of meaningless initials, or would an image be more appropriate? And, for photocopying purposes, does it still look good in monochrome?
And then all logos should be accompanied with a catchy strapline, but then that’s a subject for another blog…
And above all, is it clear? Logos in the past were fussy, old fashioned things, following tradition and spawned off coats of arms, etc. Now they have to be instantly recognisable, snazzy, fashionable, easy to produce, look good in black and white, powerful yet unassuming. That’s why logos are difficult things to create.
Everyone’s talking about the new London Olympics logo. And above all, how much it cost. Does it do anything for you? It certainly has benefited from the ‘yuk’ factor, as bad press can create good publicity. But is that a good thing? Is it sending us the right message? Do you ‘get’ it? Is it clear, concise and uncluttered?
Take a good look at your logo and put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Consider if it could be made clearer, more recognisable, simpler even. Are the colours right? Is the font fashionable? Does it consist of meaningless initials, or would an image be more appropriate? And, for photocopying purposes, does it still look good in monochrome?
And then all logos should be accompanied with a catchy strapline, but then that’s a subject for another blog…
10 June 2007
Branding - some thoughts
Branding is not what I do, as it’s not the same as graphic design, so I would rather leave that to the professionals! But I always sigh when I hear of how some companies have had the wool pulled over their eyes regarding branding.
One lady asked at a networking forum for ideas of how her firm could receive more recognition. They were just a step below the most popular companies yet were of the same callibre.
The first thing, which nothing could be done about, is the name of her firm, which was longwinded because it changed accordingly to its location, but the most recognisable and consistent element consisted of initials within a very boring design. I asked if her firm had a strapline - to which the answer was in the negative. What had they got that was memorable? If you consider all the companies we can remember, it’s either a clever logo, a personality associated with it, images like a nodding dog or very pink ladies, or a catchy strapline, in either 3, 5 or 7 words, that succinctly describes the product or service.
The alternative to a strapline is to get the representatives noticed when out networking - making them stand out with their personalities, networking pitch, information attack, incentive and gift presentations, colour of uniforms, or whatever.
The lady’s firm had recently hired a branding company to raise up their image, which resulted in a large advert in a relevant national newspaper (at great expense) and adverts placed on the sides of taxis. I wilted inside, as I expected the wording on that newspaper advert was probably inadequately stressed towards gaining publicity - banging on about their features and how brilliant they are, whereas they should have concentrated on their benefits for their customers, offering a solution to their pain to help them towards a better life. The taxi idea was a complete farce, as who has the ability to recognise a boring logo (and no strapline) on a fast-moving vehicle, or even bother to absorb it during a traffic-jam.
Recognition is gaining relationships, creating memorable images and straplines, getting brilliant PR in the relevant press, publicising all the benefits your company has with stories of how they have helped your customers – I’m sure there are lots more, but they certainly don’t include fancy ads and taxi-paint!
One lady asked at a networking forum for ideas of how her firm could receive more recognition. They were just a step below the most popular companies yet were of the same callibre.
The first thing, which nothing could be done about, is the name of her firm, which was longwinded because it changed accordingly to its location, but the most recognisable and consistent element consisted of initials within a very boring design. I asked if her firm had a strapline - to which the answer was in the negative. What had they got that was memorable? If you consider all the companies we can remember, it’s either a clever logo, a personality associated with it, images like a nodding dog or very pink ladies, or a catchy strapline, in either 3, 5 or 7 words, that succinctly describes the product or service.
The alternative to a strapline is to get the representatives noticed when out networking - making them stand out with their personalities, networking pitch, information attack, incentive and gift presentations, colour of uniforms, or whatever.
The lady’s firm had recently hired a branding company to raise up their image, which resulted in a large advert in a relevant national newspaper (at great expense) and adverts placed on the sides of taxis. I wilted inside, as I expected the wording on that newspaper advert was probably inadequately stressed towards gaining publicity - banging on about their features and how brilliant they are, whereas they should have concentrated on their benefits for their customers, offering a solution to their pain to help them towards a better life. The taxi idea was a complete farce, as who has the ability to recognise a boring logo (and no strapline) on a fast-moving vehicle, or even bother to absorb it during a traffic-jam.
Recognition is gaining relationships, creating memorable images and straplines, getting brilliant PR in the relevant press, publicising all the benefits your company has with stories of how they have helped your customers – I’m sure there are lots more, but they certainly don’t include fancy ads and taxi-paint!
Postcards and clear presentation
At a recent networking meeting, someone showed me their quick sketches for some postcards they wanted to produce. In spite of the fact that they were going to see someone else about getting them designed and printed, I gave them some small pointers to consider during their meeting.
First, the pictures on the front. Each had an obvious subject which I felt was not highlighted enough. The eye of the reader should be drawn unconditionally towards that subject, which should either be placed centrally and largely within the space provided, or slightly to one side with the ratio of 3:5 if the background is important. Avoid irrelevant background or white space which detracts the eye from the matter at hand. Wording should be carefully placed so to not obstruct the content, and should be in a colour and style that is legible. If the picture is strong enough then words will not be needed, and can be saved for the reverse.
On the reverse of the postcard, there isn’t a lot of space for copy or text, so the reader should not be bombarded with irrelevant material. First thing to think of is a really good headline, which could make or break your promotion. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of your customer, and consider exactly what their needs are. Try forming a question so that the answer will be yes, and put the most important words at the beginning and the end.
Then work out what the benefits, not features, are of what you’re trying to say. Analyse your customer’s pain, and then focus your benefits as the solution to their pain. Avoid any jargon - use ordinary English. Present them as a series of bullet points, as these are much easier to read, especially for a busy person scanning your postcard. Again they should make your customer say yes.
Next should be a call to action. Not only should you tell them to go to your website or whatever, with a given time to respond, you can offer them an incentive or vouchers; people like gifts or something for nothing. By driving them to your website you can then gather their details so you can form a relationship with them in the future.
And don’t forget to make your contact details clear and placed in an obvious position, and there’s nothing wrong with repetition. If a customer can’t see how to respond, what is the point of the postcard in the first place?
First, the pictures on the front. Each had an obvious subject which I felt was not highlighted enough. The eye of the reader should be drawn unconditionally towards that subject, which should either be placed centrally and largely within the space provided, or slightly to one side with the ratio of 3:5 if the background is important. Avoid irrelevant background or white space which detracts the eye from the matter at hand. Wording should be carefully placed so to not obstruct the content, and should be in a colour and style that is legible. If the picture is strong enough then words will not be needed, and can be saved for the reverse.
On the reverse of the postcard, there isn’t a lot of space for copy or text, so the reader should not be bombarded with irrelevant material. First thing to think of is a really good headline, which could make or break your promotion. Remember to put yourself in the shoes of your customer, and consider exactly what their needs are. Try forming a question so that the answer will be yes, and put the most important words at the beginning and the end.
Then work out what the benefits, not features, are of what you’re trying to say. Analyse your customer’s pain, and then focus your benefits as the solution to their pain. Avoid any jargon - use ordinary English. Present them as a series of bullet points, as these are much easier to read, especially for a busy person scanning your postcard. Again they should make your customer say yes.
Next should be a call to action. Not only should you tell them to go to your website or whatever, with a given time to respond, you can offer them an incentive or vouchers; people like gifts or something for nothing. By driving them to your website you can then gather their details so you can form a relationship with them in the future.
And don’t forget to make your contact details clear and placed in an obvious position, and there’s nothing wrong with repetition. If a customer can’t see how to respond, what is the point of the postcard in the first place?
Backgrounds - how can they be made clearer?
During half term my parents treated my family to a London activity, which issued specially designed tickets for entry. While enjoying a cream bun in the café, we examined these tickets within a graphics point of view.
The first thing which struck us was that it wasn’t easy to read. OK, the wording was reduced in size to fit the ticket’s dimensions, but the combination of the black background and white writing decreased the legibility factor, especially for the more mature audience whose eyesite isn’t as good as it once was. This trait seems quite popular at the moment, as I can think of one programme of events that is totally black with white text – I suppose it’s considered trendy (especially amongst male designers) and is designed to make the pictures stand out more.
Background colours should be carefully chosen so not to swamp any wording (for example a pale grey background and white writing) or make other colours ‘jump’ (put red and green together and see what happens). White is certainly safe, but it can also be boring, and sometimes a nice neutral colour will highlight the contents or design. Also be careful with some colours on a white background, red or yellow for example, as they can make words illegible.
Background images shouldn’t be stronger than the foreground or main content, therefore diverting the reader from the purpose of the publication. Logos or pictures can be ‘greyed out’ or made more faded, with a strongly coloured and catchy title ‘pinging’ out in front. Be careful of intricate backgrounds that distract or confuse the eye, especially with a frequently repeated pattern.
And moving backgrounds (as in websites) are a complete no-no!
The first thing which struck us was that it wasn’t easy to read. OK, the wording was reduced in size to fit the ticket’s dimensions, but the combination of the black background and white writing decreased the legibility factor, especially for the more mature audience whose eyesite isn’t as good as it once was. This trait seems quite popular at the moment, as I can think of one programme of events that is totally black with white text – I suppose it’s considered trendy (especially amongst male designers) and is designed to make the pictures stand out more.
Background colours should be carefully chosen so not to swamp any wording (for example a pale grey background and white writing) or make other colours ‘jump’ (put red and green together and see what happens). White is certainly safe, but it can also be boring, and sometimes a nice neutral colour will highlight the contents or design. Also be careful with some colours on a white background, red or yellow for example, as they can make words illegible.
Background images shouldn’t be stronger than the foreground or main content, therefore diverting the reader from the purpose of the publication. Logos or pictures can be ‘greyed out’ or made more faded, with a strongly coloured and catchy title ‘pinging’ out in front. Be careful of intricate backgrounds that distract or confuse the eye, especially with a frequently repeated pattern.
And moving backgrounds (as in websites) are a complete no-no!
Spacing - can this be cluttered?
Another concept of ‘clear, concise and uncluttered graphic design’ is the subject of spacing.
But I would like you to consider whether a piece of designed work is ‘cluttered’ or not by taking a look at the amount of ‘white space’ in it.
There are mainly two kinds of design to consider: those who don’t have enough, and those who use too much!
OK, perhaps there is a lot of material that needs to be crammed onto a small sized page. Sort out what are the most important areas that need to be highlighted to grab the reader’s attention (like headlines and dates), either through colour, shapes or banners, and and slot the corresponding material beneath. Using columns can create white space and a format to force the eye to go in the right direction, as shorter lines enable quicker reading, like as in a ‘newsletter’ scenario. Pictures, although extremely useful, must not overlap, obscure or fall behind the text, and a fancy background accompanying a lot of information, especially if it needs to be absorbed, can be distracting.
Now white space also is important between lines in the text and before and after headings. Neither should be too close to each other, and it takes an ‘eye’ to visualise how much is needed. A great tip I was told was to hold the page in front of you and screw up your eyes. This will show what merges together as a grey (or coloured) haze. If there is too much, then everything is too close.
Some designs have masses of white space, absolutely blinding you on the page. But then where is your content? Is it presented in a tiny font, ‘cleverly’ positioned in a corner somewhere, either with a huge or equally tiny picture or image, and you have to hunt to find the information you crave? If a reader has to ‘work’ to receive the message, then you’ve lost them.
Design should make it easy for the recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say in a legible and easily readable format, eye catching and instantly recognisable. Never mind about fancy imagery, leave that to those who have more money than sense.
But I would like you to consider whether a piece of designed work is ‘cluttered’ or not by taking a look at the amount of ‘white space’ in it.
There are mainly two kinds of design to consider: those who don’t have enough, and those who use too much!
OK, perhaps there is a lot of material that needs to be crammed onto a small sized page. Sort out what are the most important areas that need to be highlighted to grab the reader’s attention (like headlines and dates), either through colour, shapes or banners, and and slot the corresponding material beneath. Using columns can create white space and a format to force the eye to go in the right direction, as shorter lines enable quicker reading, like as in a ‘newsletter’ scenario. Pictures, although extremely useful, must not overlap, obscure or fall behind the text, and a fancy background accompanying a lot of information, especially if it needs to be absorbed, can be distracting.
Now white space also is important between lines in the text and before and after headings. Neither should be too close to each other, and it takes an ‘eye’ to visualise how much is needed. A great tip I was told was to hold the page in front of you and screw up your eyes. This will show what merges together as a grey (or coloured) haze. If there is too much, then everything is too close.
Some designs have masses of white space, absolutely blinding you on the page. But then where is your content? Is it presented in a tiny font, ‘cleverly’ positioned in a corner somewhere, either with a huge or equally tiny picture or image, and you have to hunt to find the information you crave? If a reader has to ‘work’ to receive the message, then you’ve lost them.
Design should make it easy for the recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say in a legible and easily readable format, eye catching and instantly recognisable. Never mind about fancy imagery, leave that to those who have more money than sense.
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