// BLOG
Essential Elements for a Custom Logo Design
December 31, 2009
Your logo is something that can be used on web sites, banners, and printed materials such as letterhead, business cards, flyers, and more. However in having a custom logo created for you, there are a few essential elements you need to consider. Following the tips provided will help you to create a memorable brand.
Keep It Simple – Keep your logo design simple. That does not mean it has to be boring but it really should’nt be too busy. Having too much in the logo design can cause confusion and may turn a person off causing them to utilize another company instead of yours. The key here is to remember that simple logos are identifiable, making them easy to remember. Think about the Golden Arches (McDonald’s) and you will get the picture. A person should be able to identify your logo. That is how simple it should be.
Your logo should also look great in color and in black and white.
Color It Correctly – Color is another essential element for your custom designed logo. Make sure that you are using colors that help to identify your brand. The colors you choose will also be used on all elements for your visual identity. This includes things like your custom website banner or header, button ads, promotional materials, media kits, and every facet of your branding efforts. Your colors must be cohesive and they have to be pleasing to the eye as well. When you choose your colors, choose wisely and correctly. A graphic designer can help you through the process of choosing colors that work well together and will help you promote your business and brand effectively.
Images & Text – Many logo designs include both images and text. It is almost imperative for your brand that you include some sort of image, especially at the beginning of getting your brand out there. However with the right font, you can create a powerful logo that will be memorable and recognizable. One question to ask yourself in choosing an image is if people will be able to identify and remember the logo as it relates to your specific brand.
Make Your Logo Flexible – Your logo design should be flexible in several respects. Your logo should be able to reproduce in both color and black and white. While color is vital due to branding, the shape and form of the logo is pertinent. The bottom line is that if it will not work in black and white, it will not work in color either.
You also want your custom logo to be scalable enough so that it looks equally good in many different sizes, whether it is on a small business card or on a giant IMAX cinema screen.
In conclusion, remember that your logo design will tell your customers who you are, so make sure that you send them the right message. This can only be ensured when you follow the essential elements and tips shared in this article.
Click here to see examples of our logo design work.
10 Must Have WordPress Plugins for the Blogger
December 4, 2009
10 Must Have WordPress Plugins for the Blogger
When it comes to blogging, the best platform to use is WordPress. There are many reasons why WordPress is so priceless to the serious blogger. One of those reasons is the plugin capability. WordPress has some of the most ingenious plugins, created to help make your WordPress blogging experience beneficial.
With all the plugins for the blogger to use, one wonders which ones are the best. Here are my Top Ten must have WordPress plugins:
• Meta Tag Manager – This simple plugin gives you the ability to add custom meta tags or keywords that will apply to all pages or just the home page of your site. It is so easy all you need to do is upload the plugin, activate it and add your site’s description and list of keywords that are relevant to your site’s content. You could say that this plugin gives your blog its wings, because the right meta tags & keywords really can help you to be ranked well in Google and other search engines.
• CommentLuv - This plugin provides one of the best ways for you to say thank you to your blog readers who comment. It is another simple plugin that allows the commenter to display their most recent post from their blog onto your blog after they leave you a comment. It actually gives other bloggers incentive to leave comments so that they can have a link to their blog added to your site. It is all about reciprocation right?
• TweetThis – This highly customizable plugin adds a “Tweet This Post” link to every post and page on your site. It also has the ability to shortens URLs that are tweeted and can automatically tweet new and scheduled blog posts. This is a great plugin because it allows people to share the best of your content with their Twitter followers. This, in turn, helps to increase your quality traffic. By quality traffic, I mean people who will come back again and may even become subscribers.
• Subscribe to Comments – The plugin does just what it says. It allows the commenter to subscribe to the comments on a specific post and receive email notification as others comment as well. It makes consistent communication possible. You will find some people who carry on a conversation based on your post topic. Great for Google Ranking.
• Google Analytics – This is a powerhouse of a plugin, in that it generates comprehensive site statistics for your site, geared towards website optimization. What makes this plugin so dynamic is that it integrates with many of the other beneficial plugins and tools like Ad Sense, Ad Manager, and Contact Form helping each of them perform in various ways. The only downside to this plugin is that Google will know all of your stats. So you will want to consider the cost, if any.
• Future Posts Calendar – It adds a simple month-by-month calendar that shows all the dates you have posts scheduled for. It highlights the days, so you can see it while in a post. And in addition, if you click a day the Post Timestamp boxes change to that day, month and year. This is a great plugin for editorial purposes because you can see exactly what is going on with your content. Also the Future Posts Calendar helps you not to create duplicate content which can cause a big slap from Google and hurt your ranking.
• Link Within – Take your blog to the next level with this plugin. It is a simple widget that that appears under each post, linking to related stories pulled from your blog archive. This plugin is a great way to engage the reader and gives them a reason to stay and read more. The images make it more appealing than just a list; and helps to increase your page views as well.
• WP125 – For the blogger a good source of income can be to allow advertising from outside sources. A perfect plugin to help you manage your ads more efficiently is the WP125. Because it is so easy to use and has many features like displaying any number of ads you choose and statistics that show how many times an ad was clicked, it leaves you more time to do what matters most for your blog – write.
• WPGreetBox – With features like the ability to show different welcome messages, customizable options, and the option to have the greeting box not show for certain URLs, the WPGreetBox ia perfect plugin for the blogger who wants to increase their blog exposure and build a loyal readership. In a nutshell it gives you the ability to set different messages based on the referrer’s URL. For example, if the referrer is twitter.com, it will encourage the visitor to tweet the post and follow the you on Twitter. This is a great way to build your audience and expertise.
• Contact Form 7 - : If you are looking for a simple contact form plugin that is also flexible, then you might want to consider the Contact Form 7 plugin for your blog. This plugin gives you the options to design the form and mail. You can also manage multiple contact forms which means you can create forms for particular posts or other pages where you want to capture information about your blog visitors.
As you can see, there are many wordpress plugins for the blogger that will help you to run a successful community friendly blog. Your blog will rank well with Google and your audience, when maintained in the right way. Using these plugins is a great way to give your blog the exposure it needs. Of course the most important part of your blog is the content, so be sure to make that a priority as well.
Magazine Cover Design (Mimicking “O” Magazine)
November 28, 2009
I had a client contact me about doing a postcard project as well as an Ecover design. She wanted the cover design to mimic Oprah’s “O” Magazine. She sent a few examples of covers that she liked.
From there, my client requested that her photo be cropped and edited a bit. We started out with this image:
Instead of the brochure in her hand she wanted me to replace it with a bottle of something that she was promoting. So here is the updated image. The bottle is not in proportion to her body, but because the brochure was pretty large, I had to cover that space with a larger sized bottle. The client did not seem to mind at all which was good.
So, then I did the actual magazine cover design. My client loved the outcome. YAY!
The last step was getting my print designer to do the finalization on getting the specs set up for printing and also doing the design for the back of the postcard. I then turned the magazine cover design into an Ecover. Here are 2 Ecover design options that I presented.
So, all in all, this project turned out really awesome. I so love a creativity challenge and this was definitely a fun one.
Mommy Geekology Logo & Header Design
November 18, 2009
Most of our clients are really good at answering our basic design questionnaire and explaining a little bit about what they want. This is really helpful.
This header and logo design project was for a good friend of ours on Twitter. They had emailed us the following info concerning what they wanted for their design.
- Include girl image
- Font - they attached 4 specific font options that she wanted used.
- Transparent Background – No Borders
- Colors – deep blue, vibrant red or deep purple, black
- Embellishments welcome – butterflies, flowers, other technology-related things
So,we came up with this first header design idea which we thought incorporated all of the above elements.
Our client thought this was nice, but not exactly what they had envisioned. This is totally fine, we are always happy to work with our clients to come up with a design that they will love. So, we went back to the drawing board with a few more suggestions from our client.
- Less Geometric for the background
- Loves Swirls & Swooshes
- Loves the flower accents – keep those, but maybe use a bright green
- Remove the red color all together – stick with blue, purple, and black
OK, so this is what we came up with next:
We heard back from our client once again and she wanted to get rid of the diamond shape all together and instead add actual swooshes. She sent over a few image examples.
So then, we came up with the final design idea:
Our client loved this one! So, you see, it really takes working one on one with a client to come up with the perfect design. We may not always get it the first try, but one revision is included in our pricing and $10 for each additional revision.
Working with a smaller graphic design company has lots of benefits. You have more flexibility in making changes because you are working one on one with our designer.
Be sure to Contact Us today for a quote on a custom header or logo design! We have a special going on right now for a logo AND header design for $100.
The Importance of Having an Eye Catching Website Banner
November 16, 2009
When it comes to creating a website, the content is not the only item of importance. A website banner is the first thing a reader or buyer sees when they land on your site. So, having an eye catching header is absolutely essential. After all, you want to make a really good first impression right?
If your site has a standard header with no life or personality, chances are you are losing more than you are gaining. Think of your average reader as an 11 year old child. The fact is, that most children are enthused by colors and images more than words. And for many adults this is true as well. Our internet attention spans are pretty small. Usually when we visit a website or blog, we can get a feel for what the site represents in only a few seconds. This is the reason why it is even more important to focus on making the right first impression through a custom header graphic
Here are some examples of unique and eye catching blog and website headers that were created specifically for the client or business by working with them to discuss their needs.
An eye catching website header is the most effective tool that you can offer potential customers in order to draw them to your site and keep them there for an extended period of time. It will set you apart from the rest and be a vehicle to bringing in more traffic to your site! And that is really what we want in the end – more readers, more subscribers, more clients.
The header on your site is yours. That means it represents who you are and what your company stands for. It is a good idea to makes sure that the header on your website has your style and personality tied into it in some way. That does not mean that if you love lime green, you header should be that color. But incorporating a few elements of your taste and style is always a great idea. It simply means that you need to create a header that says YOU without overburdening or scaring the customers away. You want to stand out above the rest – above your competition. Your website header might be the difference between a potential client choosing you or the other guy.
Hiring a graphic designer or artist to create a custom website banner is pertinent to your online success. It may be your best investment. They have an eye for color and design and will tie in those specific details that will help promote your brand, your purpose, and the message you are trying to convey. The chance that people will look at your header, read your message, and leave your site because of a lack of cohesiveness is a huge possibility that you want to avoid at all costs.
It is also a time saver to have your website header designed by a professional. There is a lot of time spent in locating images, matching colors, and finding just the right font to make sure that the header fits your message. Why waste that time when you can just outsource to someone who knows the work involved and likely has some shortcuts that you are not aware of.
As you take a look at your site and before you contact a designer think about your message, what you want to convey and how you want to convey it. All of these aspects will be beneficial for the designer as they create your custom website header.
There are many people without an eye for graphic design who try on their own to create a header, and, usually it shows. Don’t let this be you. You are better off spending the extra money to have a professional do it for you!
If you are ready to set your website or blog apart then please feel free to Contact Us here at DPK Graphic Design. We would be happy to design an eye catching header or banner for your website or blog today!
