Owen Graffix • Graphic Design

White Space… Why?

January 31st, 2010

If design is about shapes, colors, type, and images why worry about white space? While, white space can be one of the hardest things to design around (in my opinion) it can make huge impact on a design. If used correctly or done right it can make a design, or if not used correctly, or done poorly, it can break the design. While colors and images fill the need to take the eye in certain directions, white space can bring an eye to a focal point. Working with space and layout can be a challenge for most new, and seasoned, designers.

As a rule, I try to design using a blank peice of paper only adding content in first. Once i have the general placement of where content is to be, i then add my design elements (images,color,etc). This helps keep the main goal of the design upfront. The goal being sale the product/inform the potential buyer. White space ,as I mentioned earlier, brings the eye to a focal point by expanding the importance of the object or product on the page/screen. If a design is balanced a designer can point out the white space in it. Also, if done properly a designer can tell if a design isn’t in balance because of the lack of white space. White space can be a large area of the advertisement that is blank, a solid color/texture, or spaces between other design elements (even the spacing between letters and paragraphs). If there is a balance in white space to other design elements the overall design can have a good impact on viewers. But, the other side of that, if it doesn’t then the overall design suffers, and the impact is negative. Negative views of an advertisement can hurt a company and it’s brand. Usually a few brands come to mind when you think of poor advertisements. Some for one reason, and some for another. Think for a minute about some companies that have great advertisements. What brands some to mind, and do they use white space in a positive way to impact there product? The answer to the question is probably yes.

Some of the most classy, elegant, and clean designs are nothing more than the use of white space and minimal information. Apple and Volkswagen are two companies that come to mind quickly when thinking of simplistic designs using white space. I’ve attached links to Apple and Volkswagen advertisements that are great examples of white space. Just as a tip for all the up and coming designers, let the white space be your friend. A design doesn’t have to have something everywhere to make it a good design.

Just remember keep it simple, keep it clean and keep some white space to bring it all together.

Apples TV ads —> http://www.apple.com/getamac/ads/

Volkswagen ads—>http://www.adclassix.com/vwvolkswagenbusbeetleads.htm

Tags: Clean design, Graphic Design tips, simplistic design, Use of white space
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Recreating Your Logo/Brand Image for “the New Age of Design”

August 16th, 2009

If your out on the town, or even just watching your TV, you’ve more than likely noticed the re-branding of some major companies. With the fast pace change of technology the world is increasing it’s creative limits. With the expansion of change that is taking place in your business, no mater what size, it is more than likely due to have a make-over. Your logo is a representation of your company. If your company has changed in a major direction then your logo should reflect the changes that have been made. A great example is a retail store that has only sold clothes making a change to now selling clothes and shoes… the logo might need some minor changes to reflect the changes that have been made with the businesses expansion.

Many companies have a logo, and when technology changes, or resources change they don’t update there brand image. Having an updated image keeps you a head of your competitors. When a logo is “out of date” It makes your company seem out of the loop, or behind in this technology base world that we are a part of today. Technology drives innovation. By having an innovative and up-to-date logo/ brand image your company is at the forefront of the ever changing business world.

You might be asking what are some key points to look for in your own logo or brand image that are clues that a re-design is due. To start, you might want to look at you target market and what your competitors are doing to reach them. If your major competitor has created an app for the new 3G (and now 4G) phones, then you might want to look into updating your image to include it along with a new-age logo to unveil the new application. With technology being the way it today, your change might be a simple change of adding more colors to your pallet to encompass the web world, application world, and other electronic medias.

With the large amount of customers on the Internet, where color restrictions aren’t, use it to your benefit. Lets face it, Most business start as a one color designed logo to save on cost for printed materials, and merchandise, but things have changed. As a designer i agree to keep colors to a minimum for many reasons, but the use of color isn’t limited to one color anymore. If your company would benefit from it use two or three colors. Some times the extra cost for printed materials is out weighted by the ROI ( return on investment). This means that if your marketing on the internet, through application, and on television it can be a great investment t include more colors to really make a brand that has a “wow factor”. Wow factor is a really technical term for something is just eye catching and you remember. Think of a logo. Chances are that you’ve thought of a logo that really had “wow factor”. How did you remember that logo? Was it because of an advertisement on the TV, or internet? It’s a good chance it was.

Another important thing to look for is the timeline showing when your logo was last revised. If your image hasn’t changed since 1995 then it’s time. A lot has changed in the world since then, and like everything else in the world your business needs to change to stay at the front of the visual interest of your customers. With trends coming and going the customers visual appeal changes. This isn’t to say that your logo should be “trendy”. Your logo should be something that doesn’t have to be changes too often, but when major changes have occurred through clothing styles, trends, and visual arts, your logo and branding image needs to incorporate some of these interest to gain more customers.

The last thing to look for in your own companies image and logo design that could be a tip that you need a re-design is… your customers. Customers you might ask? Well, take some of your well trusted customers and ask there opinion about your businesses image. Again, you want to get a few different customers opinions because they are just that, opinions. Usually a customer can give some good feedback on thinks that your business does that isn’t really shown in your brand image. Maybe it’s going a little further in making a sell, or walking a customer to the car with an umbrella when it’s raining. Those gestures are remembered, and are a big part of what can make your company a big success. Using your customers feedback, you can make the decision of needing a re-design, and present it to your design agency as a tool for them in creating a re-design. The customers words are a great way to get insight into what is needed to be changed.

I hope this was helpful, and of course if you have a local designer, or design agency, that you can contact about logo re-design, and branding image, do so. It doesn’t hurt to ask. If you don’t have a design agency, or designer, that you use regularly and have questions about logo re-design, or updating your brand image, please feel free to contact using our contact form on our website at Owen Graffix.com , or e-mail me personally at Grant@OwenGraffix.com.

Below is a link to an article with major brands logos. If your curious about re-designed logos just take a look. You’ll be surprised at the amount of change some of the logos have had. Again change doesn’t have to big either.

Here’s the link to 20 major brands logos that have be re-designed through the years.

Tags: branding image, graphic design, logo, re-design, redesign, tips
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Behind a Good Design

July 7th, 2009

A graphic designer is more than someone how creates a pretty picture, or just put the content on there the way it fits. Graphic designers are researchers, artist, visionaries, and more. Behind ever good…make that great design is a lot of research, thought, and creative work.

Behind the scenes of many designs are hours of research. When working with a design agency your business is put under a lot of questionnaires. Owen Graffix may not have the longest questionnaires available, but there are lots of questions answered with body language, word choice, and more. Most information gained about the businesses we work with are obtained with just simple conversations. When meeting with a business we look at gaining as much knowledge of that business to provide the best design solutions, and advertising solution, for that particular company.

Research is a vague category that includes finding out about a companies mission statement, business practices, strongest aspect, weak points, and even more in-depth information regarding the companies leaders and how they see their business. Included in research can be obtaining information about competitors. By finding out their number one competitor and what sets the companies apart can be crucial. By providing good research on a business, a graphic designer can have a leg up on providing the great design that the company is looking for.

It’s important as a business owner to provide as much information to your designer as possible. Being prepared for the questions or even providing information that you as the owner or spokes person for the business think is important for the advertising project can make a big difference.

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Mobile Website Design… Is It Worth it?

May 21st, 2009

With the launch of the Apple iPhone, the Blackberrys, and numerous number of phones that have internet capabilities, the world of the web is looking to move in that direction. For web developers around the world it’s a new media that is waiting to be explored, and pushed to the creative limits. But, on the other hand for businesses, the question of ’Is it worth it?’ needs to be answered. To answer this question as simple as possible… Yes, it is worth it.

Apple iPhone Blackberry Pearl 8100

With the expanding of the web to the phone, not pursuing this niche of clients/customers are missed sales and exposure. The newer smarter phones are being required, or even in some cases purchased by businesses for employees. Business people of all ages, and tech savvy people, are sweeping through this new crave. The new market is even opening doors to new businesses. Just the other day I was searching some information on the mobile world and came across websites and business dedicated to the mobile web. The demand of the mobile web world may not be hear yet, but I think the developers, and advertising agencies, agree that it will come, and at full force.

I highly recommend businesses in advertising, web design, retail ( we’ll go more in depth below), and any business for that matter that has updates in news, sales, or working in media or design. The graphic designers, developers, bloggers, and other computer related businesses might be a given. Retail is the one that you might be wondering why is in the list. To answer why, retail stores have one days sales, and items that are sale at any given time. For a local store to list their sales on a mobile website it makes letting the shoppers know when they are on the move. Example: A college student has a couple hours between classes, and is just needing to pass that time. They might be more likely to go to the store that lets them know what type of clothing, or items are on sale, verses a store that doesn’t tell them. If this student is in the middle of town. Your store is on one side with other stores on the opposite side of town. They might only have time to go in one direction. Having that extra little added feature for your customers might be the difference in getting the sale. Plus, that person more than likely will have friends/ classmates with them. I mentioned news and updates as a reason to have a mobile website. For most users, having what they need to know or what they don’t know at their finger tips makes life easier. They might visit Ned’s New Corner to see what’s happening in the area verses a major news corporation if Ned’s News Corner brings updated news, and filters out the over exposed news and gets it on there fast and reliable. On the other side to frequently updated material types you have blogs. A blogger might want to post his blog and then let everyone know the most recent blog using his mobile site. All his/her readers can read the blog when sitting in line at the food court, waiting in traffic, or whatever they might be doing at that time.

The main thing to ask when looking into getting a mobile website is to ask ‘why not?’ rather than ‘is it worth it?’. The answer, again, is yes. It is worth having. From a designer and advertiser if it can bring you new business, hit a new market group it is well worth looking into. That being said, mobile sites are going to be taking over by storm and getting ahead of the game, and getting established before the masses, would be worth it.

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Finding your Graphic Designer or Design Agency

May 1st, 2009

Finding your graphic designer, or the design agency, when starting your business may not seem important or even a hard task at first. With the vast amount of artist and “designers” in the world today, finding someone that can create your logo, or your brand image, shouldn’t be complicated. Right? Well, finding the right designer or design agency/group can be a harder process than imagined, without direction.

When you begin to look for a design group, or designer, there are a few things to remember. Keep in mind that it will be a relationship, and a continual working agreement. This means that your designer will be the one you should go to for ANY advertising, print materials, or any collateral dealing with your companies image. Trust your company image to the imaging professionals. By doing this you build a rapport with your designer, and relationship that can benefit your company and its image.

Staying with one designer has it’s perks. By using the same designer you can expect the quality from them to be consistent. They also have all older job files at their disposal if needed. Color consistency from one printed item to the next isn’t an issue, and clear communication will be easier between you and the designer if you know each other and know what to expect.

A good designer works along side a business, or company, and gains as much knowledge about that particular business to provide the services needed. As a designer I know the importance of knowing a clients business before starting a job. Working with a business on a day to day basis makes communication a lot easier, and faster. There isn’t a lot of time (that you, the business, would be paying for) going through the simple questions of getting the ropes of the business. That time saved is money in your pocket.

Going back to the color aspect, Designers computers and scanner are different. All printers are different. When you use the designer you’ve set up a relationship with, you can count on the colors to be the same throughout your advertising projects. And, with the colors being consistent, you know the quality of the work will be consist with the projects that have been completed. My return clients and I hold a simple understanding of work flow. They rely on me as the designer to maintain consistency, and to be able to take what they are looking for and create it with little down time, and on top of that be accurate. The businesses I work with have gotten rid of a lot of the unnecessary directional explanations when letting me know about their web updates, and small projects because they trust, I know there business well, and that I fully comprehend the task they are looking at getting completed. Again, time saved on repetitiveness is money in your pocket.

We’ve gone over why it’s important to find a designer that you feel would be right for your business, and to continue a relationship with, but where to start looking? It’s right here, on the web. The majority of designers now have a website with there work being displayed, information about there business or them as a designer. “Google” it, as many would say. Google, Yahoo, MSN Live, and other search engines have a map application that displays local businesses in your area. Hit the list and review them all, or until you find the on that appeals to what you have in mind.

The search doesn’t end there. Set up a time to meet, talk to them on the phone, or e-mail them with questions. Please, do not give a designer a job without getting to know their business or them.

Your probably thinking why is a designer telling a business thats going to give him money with out questions telling us to wait? It’s simple. I’ve said it a million times, and i’ll continue to say it. It’s a relationship that is ongoing. Nothing pleases me more than having a business get to know my design group, and get repeat business from them. As a designer I prefer spending twice the time on one client and getting them back a second time rather than half the time on two clients and never hearing from them again.

Some things you should learn about your designer are:

-What their strong points are in relation to design.
-What their weakest points are.
-How long they’ve been in business, and how their rates/ price reflects that cost. ( keep in mind though, their rates also reflect the jobs being preformed)

Those are just a few things to note when talking to a designer, and trying to see if they are right for you. If your a business that is heavy in 3D animation type work don’t hire a designer that is not skilled or has the resources for 3D, or has that as their weakest point. It’s a “duh!” thing that can be avoided by talking to the designer first.

Communicating with a designer, or design group, isn’t a hard process. Designers while having a high pressure stress job are pretty laid back to talk with. Getting to know a designer can make your business or break it. The better the relationship you have with the designer the better they can portray your thoughts, goals, and voice. Our friends know us best, and when partnering with the right design group you’ll gain a business friendship that can make your companies image grow.

I hope this article helps in finding the right graphic designer, or design group/agency. I wish you and your business the best of luck.

Artcile written by: Grant G. (owner of Owen Graffix)

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We’re blogging now…

March 18th, 2009

Owen Graffix is new to the world of blogging, but looking to dive in full force. Please bare with us until we get accustom to the functions of word press and post more blogs. We’ve looked at blogging for a while and now we’re hear. We hope that by blogging we can bring a piece of our knowledge to the table for others, and offer our insight and tips. We hope to make this a vital tool for those that are curious about our company, or looking to make connections. We, at this time have other tools we use to gain knowledge and connect with others in the industry as well as connect with those that maybe have questions about graphic design or types of design services. Be sure to check us out at all our networks: Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn, Twitter. We always look to grow our network and connections.

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