Category: Design

Graphic Design through the decades : the 90s

After doing some research and looking over a bunch of work the experimentation is out of this world. Nowadays everything is cleanly done if you compare it to the 90’s design. The 90’s is almost as if what designers of that era were doing is a reflection of how design is perceived today. But I know there has to be some designers out there doing work like I’ve never seen before and or ever will.  Check out the post graphic design through the decades

Buying Vintage Design Work

I started a couple of months buying vintage advertisements. To me owning a piece of design history is such a wonderful thing.

The other day I was reading the book Just My type and there was a situation where a man was claiming to be selling a vintage piece from the time when slavery was still around. Matthew Carter knew it was fake because of the font that was on the poster. Once I read that I was in shock.

But it makes perfect sense to pay attention to the typeface and that reminds me of the quote from Jim Rohn when he said There are no new fundamentals. You’ve got to be a little suspicious of someone who says, “I’ve got a new fundamental.” That’s like someone inviting you to tour a factory where they are manufacturing antiques.

Why Businesses should avoid cheap design work

Ever since I first started freelancing I learned about sites such as Elance, 99designs and many others. I’ll admit I was tempted to participate in those sites. Then I learned many many things about such websites. If your just starting your business or already have one, you may think hmm I can get a logo and etc for less then what a talented local designer would charge.

But honestly that reflects in the quality of how your company is represented visually. Many of the big companies they did not skimp on getting a quality design.

For example

Next paid Paul Rand $100,000 for the Next Logo

Pepsi paid $1,000,000 for their logo from the Arnell group

You may not want to be on such a level as those companies, But that does not matter. Your branding reflects on how people perceive your company visually.  Do you remember how Walmart’s branding was and how the stores look compared to now?

Every phone has a camera and over 1 billion people have a Facebook account your company can go from nothing to something overnight. You have to ask yourself if such a thing was to happen to you want to be remembered for the logo design that you paid $50 dollars for and that looks exactly like what someone else has for their business?

Remember

 

Cheap is not always better

Shift Your Focus from Macro to Micro

Shifting our focus from the Macro to the micro not just in design will help improve many things. When I first started out designing I would not focus on the minute details. Later on hearing and reading the quote “Design is in the details” it started to make more sense then before.

When Leonardo Da Vinci wanted to create a different style of painting he studied detail. Just think how much better your work,life and whatever you do would be if you studied the details of it. But the main thing to remember is to not get lost in the details.

TEDxYale 2013: Eddie Opara

This is a really really great video from Pentagram Partner Eddie Opara. The way he talks about not doing the ordinary when designing taught me something I never knew. Taking the off road approach to design instead of the heavily traveled road will help produce the quality of work that we will enjoy.