Categories Archiveslogo design

Stranger Things: Typography Sets The Tone video

If you’ve habitually binge-watched the Netflix series Stranger Things, then you are no doubt familiar with its iconic opening title sequence. It’s just SO good that you can’t fast forward over it. The droning, pulsating, retro-techy synth track pulls you in as the glowing letters slowly come into the screen to spell out the title. There’s something about it though—it feels just right for the early 1980s sci-fi setting that the series takes place in. This is a perfect example of how carefully selected typography can evoke so many subtle undertones. Designed by the agency Contend, and animated by Imaginary Forces, the typography is carefully set in ITC Benguiat which evokes the 80s, influenced from book covers and videotape anti-piracy ...

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The Art of Logo Design video

Have you ever wondered what the process is that goes into designing a successful logo design? The most successful logos can convey a complex mixture of tone, identification and  positioning in the simplest of ways. Some of the most memorable marks ARE the simplest. But arriving at a design, as a successful designer will tell you, is no simple task. This short 6-minute mini-documentary from PBS explores the history of logos, how they evolved, and some of the process that today’s top designers go through to develop them. Video features Stephen Heller, Sagi Haviv, Kelli Anderson, and Gerard Huerta.

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Say No to Spec Work video

Spec work, short for Speculative– is asking a designer or agency to create work on the contingency that you will pay for it… if you like it. Sound nice? Think again. Do you go into a restaurant and only pay if you enjoyed your meal? Do you ask an architect to design your dream house, then not pay because you changed your mind? Would you hire a landscaper redo your yard but then not pay because you now want flowers instead of shrubbery? Of course not– that would be absurd. And frankly, unfair. Unfortunately there is a perception to some that design or advertising professionals shouldn’t be treated the same way as other professionals– sites like 99Designs pit starving artists ...

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Old Life for New Appliances image

Freeze-O-Matic logo

I admit it, I like rusty old signs and tins. Especially nostalgic ones with old logos or advertising from bygone days– one of my favorite possessions is an old wooden ‘Burma Shave’ sign, one of the remnants of the original low-speed rhyming highway ad campaign. There’s just a beauty, charm and innocence in them that you don’t see anymore that’s hard to put your finger on. Maybe today’s ads are too ubiquitous, too in your face, too impersonal… insert numerous reasons here. So when I saw this faded, paint-chipped, rusting old tag off of a long-gone refrigerator on a table of mish-mashed parts at the Raleigh flea market– I couldn’t put it down. $2 later it had a new home- ...

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Corporate Identity Design: Underwood Tree Service image

logo design raleigh underwood tree service

Robert Underwood is one of Raleigh’s unsung heroes. With his quiet and friendly demeanor, he may not catch your attention at first if you caught him in a crowd, but his Raleigh tree service company is one of the first you will call when a storm hits (as they often do in this area) and you need to have a downed tree or several removed from your yard. His crew are the folks who will awe you as they climb a tall dangerous tree to cut it down one piece at a time, armed with safety ropes and a chainsaw, or if needed a bucket truck where it will fit. Known to travel to faraway states to lend a hand ...

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Shop Local Raleigh Initiative Launched image

logo design shop local raleigh nc

Raleigh NC’s Greater Raleigh Merchants Association has launched a new initiative, aimed at “promoting and supporting locally-owned, independent businesses. It’s about making your hard-earned money go further, fueling the local economy, and helping to preserve the unique character of Raleigh.” The initiative, Shop Local Raleigh, encourages the public to patronize local restaurants and shops, and to consider making purchases at your local Raleigh stores rather than out-of-state e-commerce sites or big box retailers whenever possible. Keeping purchases local has a huge multiplier effect on the local economy, according to Dr. Mike Walden, distinguished professor and Extension Economist at North Carolina State University. “Every $100,000 that stays in the hands of a local retailer will create another $50,000 of local spending ...

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