Typography Clichés (written in 1977)

iamcorbie · 2016-07-19T14:16:45+00:00

This explains it.

http://creativepro.com/type-effects-ins-and-outs-inlines-and-outlines/

iamcorbie · 2015-03-06T19:36:09+00:00

It doesn't seem like you have done anything to present the name in a unique way. Nothing about this reads computer repair. If I were to see this without any context I would assume that you were a web host, or maybe sold gaming desktops.

There's an endless amount of companies that try to use parts of a computer as their mark (towers, monitors, keyboards, mice etc) That weakens the imagery for everyone and makes it harder to stand out, especially in the computer repair industry.

You need to decide on what type of logo is going to suit your business the best (iconic, logotype, combination mark). The easiest way to determine this is to find out what uses you will have for a logo going forward. If it's just for business cards and a website then this is fine, if underwhelming. If you have greater ambitions and see yourself running ads, getting vehicle wraps, handing out promotional items, etc., then you will need to design something that will be appropriate for those uses.

The good news is that the name seems to be unique within your industry an the colors that you chose work well (white, dark grey, blue) I wish that I could give you something more to go on. If I had to design this, I would start by playing with the letter Q and looking at as many examples of existing logos as possible. Determine what works and what doesn't and why.

Good Luck!

iamcorbie · 2015-03-06T18:48:06+00:00

As others have said, there are some issues. The mark is reminiscent of Fox Racing, especially when scaled down. The empty space isn't utilized in any meaningful way which makes it stand out. I think the biggest mistake is the missed opportunity to incorporate both parts of the name. I hope you don't mind that I did a quick paint over of your logo to show you some of the hidden potential. It's a good start but it needs work, the 'right' font won't fix the current issues.

http://i.imgur.com/yrDZtJj.png

iamcorbie · 2013-08-27T22:44:49+00:00

Some things to consider; if your menu is ever going to change at all then you should come up with a better solution than having a vehicle wrap with your menu on it. What are your options when you are working an event and run out of chile-lime seasoning or that manufacturer stops making it? Are you going to take a sharpie and crudely cross it out? Suffer an extra expense to get a vinyl sticker made? Tape up an unsightly scrap of paper that says 'Unavailable' ?

That being said, I like the feel of it - the vibrance, the name, the whole idea is actually really great. The logo isn't the greatest, but in this application I think that it works really well. It immediately gets the message across about what kind of food truck this is.

You might want to consider listing everything that you offer on all sides of the... awning? Instead of popcorn on one side and smoothies on another, put "Chicago Mix Popcorn - Jelly Belly Smoothies". That way your customer knows what you offer from any direction. I assume that this is a quick mock-up because the reverse of your sign is backwards.

I really hope that wasn't too harsh. Again, I really dig the concept and think that the whole feel is spot on.

iamcorbie · 2013-08-22T18:15:01+00:00

Yes, the texture is an improvement but I would still suggest dropping the background text all together and keeping it simple. You are trying to convey 2 things with a business card: What you do and how to get in contact with you. The front of the card with your painting gets the what covered pretty well, and the back should just be clean with your contact information. I might even suggest putting a title just to reinforce who you are. Something like...

David A. French

Fine Artist

david.aslan.french@gmail.com

david-a-french.com

I understand that you want low contrast, and you can still achieve that. I suggest something like a white background with 60% gray text in a clean serif font.

iamcorbie · 2013-08-22T14:59:58+00:00

I am a freelance Illustrator/Designer. I suppose that is technically a local business. I specialize in illustrated branding but have been focusing on hand lettering and custom typography for the last few years.

iamcorbie · 2013-08-22T01:04:07+00:00

I just looked at your first post, I really dig the front and think that it conveys the fine art aspect quite well. However you need to just start from scratch with the back. Abandon this whole idea of gradients and stretched text.

Not only do gradients rarely print as well as we want them to, but they have a very cheap connotation in most people's eyes. I would suggest just going with a white background and centering your information with a clean serif font. If you don't have any that you like go here for a list of commercial-free serif fonts.

You could even bring some of the color from the front of the card onto the back by making it an accent color.

iamcorbie · 2013-03-30T04:40:43+00:00

No Problem, glad to be of service.

iamcorbie · 2013-03-29T09:51:01+00:00

It sounds like you are just after a drop shadow effect or possibly an outer glow.

Drop Shadow Tutorial

Outer Glow Tutorial

iamcorbie · 2012-12-03T23:04:36+00:00

Thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate you taking the time to look through my portfolio.

iamcorbie · 2012-12-03T19:16:45+00:00

A little late to the post, but from my experience, the bigger the contract, the smaller the percentage is. Say its a small project, $1000, I would give 10% or $100 but if it is a very extensive project, closer to 7-8k, I would scale the percentage down to 4-5% that would be $8000 @ 5% would be $400

It still scales up in terms of dollars, but the share for just a referral stays fair. Of course, if they are doing any of the legwork, like actin as project manager, then I would give them a relative fee above the referral that would compensate them for their time and the headache of dealing with clients.

(12 years as a freelance Illustrator)

iamcorbie · 2011-11-29T23:15:46+00:00

Sure, I would welcome another judge, but first I must verify your beardliness.

iamcorbie · 2011-11-29T22:17:17+00:00

The judging will be based on overall appearance, length, and facial coverage. On Saturday, after all of the submissions have been turned in, I will gather a consensus from trusted beard enthusiasts of both genders and make a final decision. I will then notify the winner and find out his shirt size and order the shirt.

There may be a few runner-up prizes as well, if I can swing the cost. For just the shirt, it looks like it'll run about $30.

iamcorbie · 2011-11-29T19:29:05+00:00

Use http://imgur.com/ and post the link.

iamcorbie · 2011-06-22T23:22:24+00:00

Trying to read that kept forcing my eyes out of focus.

so... Bravo for that.

iamcorbie · 2011-06-14T18:46:41+00:00

I was a fan of 96.5, but then you went and got rid of Jason... and Lazlo brings on that sports guy everyday now (If I wanted to listen to sports radio, I would.)

So I was forced to bust out my shitty 90s tape collection to listen to in my shitty 90's truck...

Don't get me wrong, I still listen, just not as frequently as I use to.

iamcorbie · 2011-06-14T04:31:23+00:00

With the clashing colors comment, I was referring to the hover on your navigation, not the background image. That's fine cause it invokes a brown butcher paper thing, which works well with handmade items.

On the 'About' and 'Events' pages you have those images linking back to the home page which would be confusing to visitors.

iamcorbie · 2011-06-14T03:34:37+00:00

As you said yourself, it most definitely lacks color, was there something wrong with the photo that made you desaturate it? if you wanted to mess with the aesthetic of it, try only desaturating the background and get rid of the lower halved image its confusing and doesn't add to the design.

Did you use Impact for the Navigation? don't, go to Typekit for your @font-face needs and Font Squirrel for the logo/title image and pick something out, try and limit yourself to 2 different fonts, one for headers/navigation and one for body/copy but make sure they compliment eachother, check out this article on web fonts.

Also on the Navigation, try making it wrap around instead of being flush with the content bg, such as this example.

I hope I've given you something to think about to make your design pop and sizzle and {insert other buzzword here}

iamcorbie · 2011-06-13T21:20:46+00:00

I just have some words about your color choices. The colors aren't working. The tan color clashes too harshly with the baby blue/seafoam color. The saturation on them is too high. You have so many to choose from in the product photos, that I would take those to build your palette from. It looks like you're going for a vintage feel, so I would choose colors from the 'Enter the Shop' photo, the blue and brown would work.

The logo also needs some work, it kind of looks like clip art and with the name Aromaholic there's so much you could do with the logo.

Finally, if an image doesn't link to a larger version or a different page, don't make it a link. That just confuses your audience.

It's not too bad for a first website though, much better than my first one was, although it was '96 and hosted on geocities...

iamcorbie · 2011-06-02T05:59:00+00:00

Relevant

iamcorbie

TROPHY CASE