Silly Ad for Providence Graphic Design & Arts Meetup

Here is an "ad", I'll call it, for the newly formed Providence Graphic Design & Arts Meetup. First off, you can see with a name like that, a decent acronym is nigh impossible ("pig dam"!). So maybe one of the first things we'll do as a group is get a better name so we can get a better acronym! I'm all for it. Bad acronym aside, one of the things I'm encouraging the group members to do is submit "ads" to help promote the site and themselves. Everyone who submits an ad will get it posted, which creates a link back to their website. The group gets promoted more, the groups webpage has more content (at meetup.com), and they get some extra search engine mojo for the deed.

Hmm...how about ProGDAS? Providence Graphic Design & Arts Society. Not much better....I know.

I wonder if anyone gets the, uh, "joke" in my ad. Only a graphic designer could. A digital photographer might.

Simple Elements for Logo Design

Here is a logo I designed for our sister company Bonneville Partners that focuses on partnering with clients to manage their websites using the Joomla CMS. The design concept for the bug was to integrate something about us into the motif of a calendar.

We wanted to convey to potential clients that their calendars, schedules, and content are important to us. Hence, the "B" on "their" calendar. When you think of updating your site for some event or timely news release, you think of us, your "partner".

So, we basically have 2 simple elements (3 if you are picky). A wavy rectangle (the calendar page) and the letter B. The rectangle could be seen as 2 different parts (the blue and the green). The lesson here is that in many cases, less is more. Some logos call for complexity, but the vast majority of small business logos are well served by simple clean design elements that fax and scale up and down well.

I Got Bit by the Web 2.0 Bug

I think I need anti-biotics after getting bit by the "wide, centered layout with gradients" bug that attacked thousands of designers last year. This is a site design for our sister company that focuses on content management using Joomla. Here we have my own take on the design trends of 2007. The site over at bonpartners.com launched in October.

Logo Tweak - Before and After

Many times clients come to me with logos in need of a little TLC. If a logo has passed into usage, it can be difficult to change because of the investment already made in printing or desigin other collateral. However, sometimes a logo design really does need a tweak before I will attempt to work with it, especially when a client is investing in a new round of collateral or web design. Sometimes a small tweak can go a long way, even if it's very subtle. See if you can figure out which is the before and after. Here we have 2 versions. While a new design was not an option, a subtle tweak was agreeable and warmly received. One just "feels more right"...

Logo Design Process Revealed

Well, at least it's my process that is revealed. Here is the final choice by Everything Events for there new brand. I'm also including the original round of logo choices. I present them in a random smattering in order to get quality initial feedback that doesn't reveal a bias by positioning on the presentation page.

Playing with Light, Lately

I've gotten a hold of a new design direction lately. I'm slow to get on board fads, but tend to incorporate long-lasting trends into my vocabulary eventually. Here are 2 ideas I'm working on where the effect of light on a simply design is a central design motif. I tried to bypass the web 2.0 look, but the playing-with-light nature of the web 2.0 look seems to be a keeper. There is definitely a trend towards more organic-looking lighting effects on otherwise simple designs.

Providence Graphic Design & Arts Meetup

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The Providence Graphic Design & Arts Meetup!

Surely, there are some graphic designers and illustrators with a few hours a month to spare for their colleagues...Let's give this meetup a whirl...