Just Creative Design

Identity Design Process for Butterfield Photography

I’ve recently finished designing the identity for ‘Butterfield Photography’, a photography duo based in Southern Arizona, USA. In this article I share with you a bit about the process & decisions made while working around the constraints of this particular project.

Butterfield Photography is run by Maria and Robert Butterfeild, who both focus on two different areas of photography - wedding / family photography and commerical / sport photography.

Below you can see the old and new Butterfield Photography logos.

Design Constraints

Without going into too much detail, these were the constraints I had to work within.

• The logo design had to be elegant & sophisticated yet not too feminine (ie. had to be usable for both weddings, commercial & sport photography)
• The logo had to portray a natural, warm, friendly yet sophisticated style.
• The logo had to be be usable across a broad range of businesses (ie. the logo still could be usable for a construction business) and could have no association with photography.
• The logo had to work in one colour only as the logo had to be able to be used across a variety of applications such as clothing, vehicles, cameras, etc.

Brainstorming

Below you can see the very first stage of my very messy creative process - that of mindmapping and brainstorming. There were many more pages of these sketches however I thought it best to save your eyes.

Design Decisions

Minimalism: To work around these constraints mentioned above I decided to go for a very minimalist approach to reflect both elegance and sophistication. This would allow for the identity to be versatile and reflect those values stated above. I used the typeface ‘Gill Sans Light‘ to support these values.

Colour: The particular orange colour used in the Butterfield identity is fresh & vibrant and evokes Maria and Robert’s style of photography… natural. The colour is not too bright, nor too dull which allows it to give off an aura of warmth and friendliness. Do you know your colour theory?

Concept: After many sketches, concepts and experimentations I came down to the concept of using a burst of lines radiating out from the initials BP. Although this is entirely up to the perspective of the viewer, one could see the mark as a sun, a flower, a camera flash, a face, a camera lens, a light, etc. but what ever way one sees it, in the end, the mark still communicates a feeling of warmth, radiance and friendliness.

Delivery

Pitching a minimalist design to a client is quite a hard task, so it is best to show the logo in context. This may mean you will have to mockup some examples of letterhead, websites, etc.

You can view the PDF file I sent to Maria & Robert when pitching this concept.

After sending through the first PDF, Robert replied:

“I really liked the logo from the first time I saw it, simple (which is exactly what I was looking for), easily reproduced for embossing, stamping, embroidering etc. You nailed it right out of the gate…. GREAT JOB!!!”

The hard work paid off and no more revisions were made. It is important to note that you should only pitch your best logo design concepts.

Below you can see the identity system in use.

Business Card

Letterhead

Website Mockup (used when presenting the logo)

Mockup of fictional business (shows adaptability of logo)

The logo was also applied to a racecar of which you can see some of the pictures below.

1st Attempt

2nd Attempt

To be honest I was a bit disappointed to see the logo at such a small size and also to see the grey colour of ‘Butterfield’ changed to a dark orange (see second picture above) as the text loses contrast against the blue, however thankfully the owner of the racecar also agreed about this and they removed the stickers and reapplied them at a much larger size (see the last picture above) which I think looks much better. Maria also told me that the car came first place too which was great news!

The logo will also be appearing on a variety of other products of which I will upload when I get the pictures.

Testimonial

Below you can find the official testimonial from Maria Butterfield. You can read more of my client’s testimonials here.

We hired Jacob to design our new business logo and were beyond pleased with his professionalism and creativity. He took our ideas and needs and transformed them into a logo that reflected all of our desires. We were particularly impressed with the thoroughness in the questions he asked us concerning our wants and needs. Jacob exceeded all of our expectations! We have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking for branding that will truly reflect who they are.

- Maria Butterfield

There has also been great feedback from the followers of Maria’s blog:

I’m loving your new look Maria! So clean and fresh. Looking good.

- Angela

I’m loving the new look! Very modern.

- Rachel

Very very nice - I love the new design!

- Cheryl

Comments from my readers are always appreciated too - thanks for reading!

“Jacob, Our Top Twit”

A journalist from The Herald (Newcastle’s local newspaper) contacted me earlier this week and asked me a few questions (find below) for an article based on Twitter (follow me). The next day a photographer came around and took a few snaps.

Two days later I went to the Newsagency to pick up the local newspaper to see if my article was out (they didn’t provide me a date) and I was more than surprised to see my mugshot on the front page, I really wasn’t expecting that.

The reason they chose me for the article was because of this Newcastle Top Twitter’s list put together by Gordon Whitehead however they probably should have had used Hugh Jackman as the Twitter poster boy - he has over 133,000 followers.

Anyway, you can see the image of the front page below and then below that, the article itself. There is also a slightly adjusted online version of the article on The Herald website.

Don’t you just love all the puns… “All-A-Twitter”, “Life’s Tweet”, “Finally, it’s OK to be a real twit”, “Jacob, our Top Twit”.

Twitter Interview Responses

Below are my original replies in response to the questions put forward by the journalist - you will find some great Twitter tips here. They only ended up using one quote from these replies but I thought it would be good to share my responses none the less.

Why did you join?

I originally joined Twitter back in June last year however I didn’t start using it properly until a few weeks after I joined as it took me a while to grasp onto the concept… it also took me a while to see the true benefit however I am 100% truly glad that I did, the benefits have been enormous.

For those just starting out with Twitter, I recommend this Ultimate Twitter Guide and this Twitter Resource Guide.

How often do you use Twitter?

Whenever I have something to valuable to share, say or promote which is probably about 5 times a day, maybe 4 days a week, give or take.

What do you use it for?

I use Twitter to find useful information shared by the other Twitter users. I also use Twitter to promote and share my own articles which in turn promotes my services (logo, branding, web and graphic design) thus bringing in potential clients.

How did you get so many followers?

I run three websites including quite a popular design & creativity blog called “Just Creative Design” which gets over 10,000 visits a day. I have built these websites up over the past 15 months which is where a lot of my followers come from, however it is not easy to keep followers…you must ensure that you do not spam, nor be too “me me me”, it’s all about sharing and being authentic and down to earth.

What’s some of the funniest / weirdest / common / uncommon things you’ve found on Twitter?

On Twitter there is a function that allows you to save your favourite tweets and I have got quite a few however rather than sharing all of them I will share the weirdest thing I have found… someone invented a Twitter device that you plug into the soil of a plant… the plant will then Twitter to you when it needs watering. Genius or just plain weird? You decide.

Do you see it having the potential to overtake Facebook or become yet another way to stay in touch?

Facebook and Twitter are both very different social networks originally built for different purposes however Facebook is implementing many changes to take on Twitter, but for now I think Twitter is still stronger in terms of networking, marketing & socialising. Facebook is more for keeping in touch with your “real” friends in my opinion but obviously this can vary from user to user. Twitter users seem to be much more tech savvy.

On a side note, a while back I also wrote an article called “Exposed: Facebook sends more traffic than Twitter” - it isn’t so true for me now but Facebook may work better for you in terms of Traffic.

Why should someone join Twitter..how will it change / enhance their life?

Everyone joins Twitter for different reasons, and before you go tweeting your life away you should establish what and why you are going to be using Twitter. Whatever your passion or interest, there is no doubt going to be someone else tweeting about it and you can join in too… Share your tips and resources and they will share theirs. You really have nothing to lose.

Being Newcastle’s top Twitter is a pretty good achievement, how do you attract your followers and how personal do you get with your posts. Are you worried about revealing too much about yourself to strangers?

I run three popular websites where I write articles mostly focused on design which in turn brings in visitors to my site where I have links to add me on Twitter (such as this). Most of my followers are those interested in design seeing though I am a designer myself but gaining followers all depends on your industry and how you use Twitter. I don’t get too personal with my Tweets as that is not what I am using it for, however I do share my achievements and current work and that is as personal as I get. eg. I may share an article that I am reading online but I don’t share what I am having for dinner.

Who do u follow on Twitter?

I follow over 11,000+ people so that would be quite a huge list, but I make use of the application called Tweetdeck (highly recommended) and in this application you can make “groups” so you can choose a select few that you really want to follow. This allows you to filter out the noise of the other 11,000+ people you are following.

Don’t forget to follow me. Also add yourself to this uber list of designers / creatives / geeks to follow on twitter if applicable.

How has Twitter enhanced your life?

My work exhibited at Melbourne Museum

Back in early April I announced that I would be attending two Australian design conferences, one called Semi Permanent (that I reviewed here) and another called agIdeas which is in May.

Well the agIdeas conference (sold out) also had a side design competition called agIdeas NewStar that allowed you to enter some of your previously designed work for judging to see if it would be worthy for exhibition at the Melbourne Museum. Well I entered, and have just got word that my work got short-listed and will be appearing at Melbourne Museum! (For those not familiar with Melbourne, it is Australia’s second largest city.)

The NewStar exhibition will be on at Melbourne University from 24 April to 24 May (10am to 5pm). I will also be in Melbourne from May 4th till May 7th so if you’re in the area and want to say hello, please do let me know!

More info about agIdeas 2009 NewStar

agIdeas NewStar is an awards program for design students and new graduates. The Collie Print Trust Award’s the winner with a 2 week international scholarship including flights, accommodation and 2 weeks work experience at one of the following studios: (Ahn Sang So Korea, Browns UK, Guerilla Games The Netherlands, OJ South Africa, Pentagram USA, Prologue USA, SeymourPowell UK).

agIdeas NewStar Exhibition is part of the Designed to Inspire program at Melbourne Museum. The program offers public recognition of the work of talented emerging and practicing designers. The role of the museum is to increase design literacy in the general public, to broaden national and international awareness of the quality and diversity of contemporary Australian design, and to enhance Victoria as a centre of design excellence.

Entered Pieces

You were allowed to submit as many entries as you wanted however each entry had to have 3 pieces in it. I only submitted one entry (with 3 pieces inside) and you can see them below. I assume all three pieces will be on display at the museum as I haven’t been told otherwise.

FITTUCI Custom Windows & Doors Logo Design

Description: FITTUCI Custom Windows & Doors is a comprehensive source for superior custom doors & windows. They specialise in luxury state of the art doors & windows. The logo depicts an illusion of either windows or doors.

I wrote about the design process of this logo in full here.

Wedgetail Premium Citrus Vodka Bottle & Packaging

Description: Brand and identity development, 3D rendering, packaging and photography for Wedgetail Distillery’s Premium Citrus Vodka Premix alco-pop marketed towards 18-25 year olds.

I wrote about the design process of this project in full here.

Photoshop For Right Brainers

Description: Book cover design for a book targeted towards creatives who wish to use Photoshop for photo manipulation. The illustration depicts a man’s right side of the brain and the vertical text forces the viewer to tilt their head to the right to read the name of the book (hence right side of the brain). The word Photoshop also depicts an exclamation mark.

I was approached by John Wiley & Sons (one the world’s largest book publishers) to design this book cover back in September last year.

Welcome & Thank You Video

It’s taken a lot of nerves for me to do it, but here it is… my first video blog post on Just Creative Design. In the video I give a short introduction to the blog & myself as well as give a warm welcome & thank you to all of my readers - it’s you guys (and gals) that really keep me going!

For those reading via email or RSS you may need to click through to my blog to view the video.

I recorded the video with the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 and made the opening & ending credits with the free Windows Movie Maker (yes I am a PC user) and then uploaded it to YouTube.

Thanks for watching and if you have any recommedations, tips or suggestions for future video posts, please do let me know. (I hope this one wasn’t too bad!)

12 Design and Business Books I’ve Read & Recommend (Part 2)

In this two part series I outline some great design and business related books that I have read & highly recommend. I give a short insight of each book, along with suggestions on who it may be for and the official product description.

Find part one here.

The 4-Hour Workweek

by Tim Ferris

This book written by the well known Tim Ferris was an insightful read on how one can outsource ones life to live a 4 hour work week. Although I am still working longer than 4 hours a week there are many principles in this book that I still use today which allow me to have more time to travel & spend with family and friends. This book will certainly change your philosophy of working life. My utmost highest recommendation of reading.

Product description:

Whether you are an overworked employee or an entrepreneur trapped in your own business, this book is the compass for a new and revolutionary world. Join Tim Ferriss as he teaches you:

• How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want
• How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs
• How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist
• How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and freuent “mini-retirements”
• What the crucial difference is between absolute and relative income
• How to train your boss to value performance over presence, or kill your job (or company) if it’s beyond repair
• What automated cash-flow “muses” are and how to create one in 2 to 4 weeks
• How to cultivate selective ignorance—and create time—with a low-information diet
• What the management secrets of Remote Control CEOs are
• How to get free housing worldwide and airfare at 50–80% off
• How to fill the void and create a meaningful life after removing work and the office

Non-Designers Type Book

by Robin Williams

This book is a must read for anyone starting out with design or anyone that has to deal with type on a regular or irregular basis - even if you are not a designer. The book teaches you the basics of typography in simple, easy to understand terms with examples on the way.

Product description:

This latest addition to Robin Williams’ Non-Designers line of books not only defines the principles governing type but explains the logic behind them so readers can understand and see what looks best and why. Armed with this knowledge, and putting into practice the secrets Robin reveals for making type readable and artistic, readers can then go on to create beautiful, sophisticated, professional-looking pages on their computers for output as hard copy or for use on Web pages.

Each short chapter explores a different type secret including use of evocative typography, tailoring typeface to project, working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, justification, and much more. It is written in the lively, engaging style that has made Williams one of the most popular computer authors today. And it uses numerous examples to illustrate the subtle details that make the difference between good and sophisticated use of type. The non-platform specific, non-software specific approach to the book makes this a must-have for any designer’s bookshelf - from type novices to more experienced graphic designers and typesetters.

Logo

by Michael Evamy

Although not technically a book that you can read (I think there is about 12 pages of text) it is an awesome showcase of the best logo designs, shown in black and white. A must for anyone that has to design logos or is interested in logo design.

Product description:

The logo bible - this book provides graphic designers with an indispensable reference source for contemporary logo design. More than 1300 logos are grouped according to their focal form, symbol and graphic associations into 75 categories such as crosses, stars, crowns, animals, people, handwritten, illustrative type, etc.

To emphasize the visual form of the logos, they are shown predominantly in black and white. Highlighted logos are shown in colour. Logos are also indexed alphabetically by name of company/designer and by industrial sector, making it easy to piece together a picture of the state of the identity art in any clients marketplace.

The Unlimited Freelancer*

by Mason Hipp & James Chartrand

The Unlimited Freelancer was a book that I reviewed here on Just Creative Design a few months back and it has had some great reviews since! The Unlimited Freelancer is a book teaching you how to enjoy more free time by doing what you love every day - it’s very to the point. This book is for freelancers who have been at it for a while and have some knowledge of the business of design.

Use the affiliate code “JCDReaders” to get 20% off - the first 10 buyers get the discount. Click here to read more / purchase the book .

Product description:

Overcome freelance limits and unleash your true business potential.

There are ways to overcome almost every difficulty that comes with freelancing, tactics that experienced freelancers and small business owners have been using for years.

In this book, we’ll teach you exactly how to implement them — and exactly how to take the next steps in growing your business.

Here are some things you’ll learn:

• How to completely avoid the typical freelance feast or famine cycle

• How to handle more clients, make more money, and work less

• How to grow and expand your business, or stay small and agile

• How to work with others to get more clients and improve your services

• How to build valuable assets that bring in money over the long-term

• And lots more…

Photoshop CS4 Quicksteps

by Carole Matthews, Gary David Bouton

The first and best design book I’ve ever owned. Back then it was only Photoshop CS (not CS4) however it was so easy to understand that it really helped me get a headstart on how to use the basics of Photoshop. A great book for those just starting out with design.

Product description:

Your full-color, fast reference to Photoshop CS4

In this thoroughly revised guide, full-color screenshots and brief instructions show you how to use the latest version of Photoshop quickly and easily. Learn how to edit and retouch photos, work with the drawing and painting tools, add text, use layers, create special effects, and prepare art for print or the Web.

Photoshop CS4 QuickSteps covers the latest photography-related tools and techniques, including RAW file formats, Bridge, special effects, and more. Screenshots with callouts show and explain exactly what you’ll see on your computer screen while you’re doing a task, and color-coded tabs make it easy to find just the information you need.

Computer Arts Magazine

Ok technically this isn’t a book but I thought I would add it here as this magazine is simply awesome… I’ve been subscribed to CA for over a year and a half now and it is by far my favourite magazine. Great articles, inspiration and tutorials!

And if you leave a comment on this post I will send out the latest issue (April 2009) plastic wrapped to you free of charge to one lucky person! I will contact the winner via email at the end of this week.

Product description:

Computer Arts is the one-stop shop for professional advice on creating digital art and illustrations.

Computer Arts, the world’s best-selling magazine for digital artists and designers, boasts a strong line-up of tutorials every issue, covering everything from manipulating photographs with Photoshop to creating amazing vector illustrations with Illustrator. You’ll also find tonnes of tips and tricks for web design, typography, 3D, animation, motion graphics and multimedia. It’s the one-stop shop for professional advice.

Each month, the magazine also reviews the latest hardware and software releases, gives creative tips and technical advice, and interviews the leading lights in the global design world.

Other recommended design books (by @Vonni)

• Grid Systems - Josef Muller Brockman
• Logo, Font, & Lettering Bible - Leslie Cabarga (check these logo book recommendations)
• Getting it Printed - Kenly & Beach
• Elements of Typographic Style - Robert Bringhurst
• Becoming a Graphic Designer - Heller & Fernandes
• Typographic Matchmaking - Huda Smitshuijzen AbiFarès

Do you have any recommended graphic design books?

Inspiring Intimidation

I announced a few days ago that I was attending the two day Australian design conference, Semi Permanent… well this article is a semi review of it.

Inspiring Intimidation

Yes the conference was inspirational - very much so - yet it was also quite intimidating, which I suppose is just natural. For 6 hours each day, one listened to leading industry professionals talk about their design process, work, awards and in some cases, their income.

After hearing all of these leaders speak about their achievements there really was no other choice but to feel some form of intimidation which ironically, is quite uninspiring… It makes you think to yourself “am I actually any good?” which obviously can take a toll on your self confidence & motivation.

Anyway, here are some things to remember:

• Everyone was a beginner at some stage
• You improve over time
• Luck can come your way at any time
• With knowledge comes power
• …but with power comes responsibility
• Be comfortable of where you are at but know where you want to go
• Explore, experiment and practice
• Take risks but be aware of your limitations
• Don’t compare yourself to others
• Be aware of ‘fakers’

Intimidating Logo Design

To put this into perspective, I will put this into a scenario that I am most familiar with. Many of you may know that I specialise in logo and identity design however this was not always the case.

Before I was specialising in logo design, I was always fascinated by other professional logo designs and designers such as the many talented ones found over at LogoPond. Little did I know that many of these logo designs were actually fictional.

Designers create ‘exceptional’ logo designs, based on made up names / themes (ie. no real client) which are then blended to create a seemingly ‘perfect’ logo. Although this has been pointed out before, it can be extremely intimidating… you think to yourself “I could have never come up with a design like that”.

This relates back to the design conference where such mind blowing work was being shown off…  you compare the awesome work to the skills you believe you currently have which then results in a sense of awe and in some cases, intimidation.

The point I am trying to make here is that while on the surface something may seem great and all inspiring, there is much more than to it that - much more. Don’t be uninspired by intimidating inspiration, just get out there and do your best, you’re time will come.

Australian Design Conferences

Below you will find a list of Australian design conferences, events, competitions & exhibitions.

If you know of any more, please do get in contact.

Semi Permanent

What is Semi Permanent?

Two days of inspiration and industry insight from leading industry professionals. I went last year (2008) and it was great, I even wrote a review about it here. For more information view the Semi Permanent website.

Where

Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland

When?

April-ish

2009 Cost:
Students: 1 day = $80 OR 2 days = $120
General: 1 day = $230 OR 2 days = $290

Video summary of last years 2008 Semi Permanent:

(If you can’t see the video below, click here to view on YouTube)

AGIdeas

What is AGIdeas?

“AGIdeas is the largest annual international design event held in Australia. Comprising of an international design conference, studio visits, workshops, competition, secondary school forum, business breakfast, gala dinner and a huge after party.”

Where & When?
This event is down in Melbourne and is a bit more expensive (especially when you have to cater in accommodation, airfares, etc) but it is worth it. It usually starts in May.

2008 Cost:
Students: $290 for 3 days
Lecturer: $360 for 3 days
Professional: $480 for 3 days

Review:

You can find a review of the agIdeas 2009 here.

Video summary of last years (2008) AGIdeas:
(If you can’t see the video below, click here to view on YouTube)

More Australian Design Conferences, Events & Competitions

Below you find a list of other design events happening around Australia courtesy of Design Droplet.

Adelaide Fringe 2009
Location: Adelaide, Australia
Dates: 27th February to 2nd March 2009

LISA Forum Asia 2009 - Global Design & Innovation.
Location - Taipei Taiwan
Dates: 6th to 9th April 2009
The 2009 LISA Forum Asia in Taipei features two days of presentations plus workshops and roundtables on the theme of Global Design & Innovation.

DesignEX 2009 -Revelations, Visitations, Inspirations.
Location - Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Center - Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 30th April to 2nd May 2009
Over 300 top design companies will congregate at DesignEX, Australia’s most comprehensive interior architecture and design event, to celebrate the very best in design innovation.

National Manufacturing Week - Australia’s Premier Manufacturing Technology Exhibition
Location - Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Center - Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 12th to 15th May 2009
National Manufacturing Week (NMW) provides a unique opportunity to source new products and technologies for Australia’s manufacturing industry.


State of Design 2009 - Victoria’s Design Festival
Location - Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 15th to 25th July 2009
The State of Design is Victoria’s peak design festival. This annual winter event covers cross-disciplinary design agendas relating to the design profession and the marketplace.


Furnitex 2009 -Furniture Trade Fair
Location - Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Center - Melbourne, Australia
Dates:16th to 19th July 2009
FURNITEX and the co-located DECORATION + DESIGN Melbourne return in 2009 with more than 600 key industry manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and suppliers will display the latest and best of Australian furniture & furnishings.


Melbourne Fringe Festival 2009
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Dates: 23rd September to 11th October 2009


Singapore Design Festival 2009
Location: Singapore
Dates: 20th to 30th November
The Festival will also present the best of design in Singapore with the President’s Design Award 2009 Ceremony and Exhibition, Singapore Creative Circle Awards and more.


Design Difference: Redesigning the world - 2009 ICSID World Design Congress
Location: Singapore
Dates: 23rd to 25th of November 2009 (Congress), 26th to 27th of November 2009 (General Assembly)
“Design Difference” is a call to re-establish the relevance and value of design. It necessitates a review of design issues we strive to make a better world through pervasive design.

Why attend design events or conferences?

Design conferences  & events are an excellent source of inspiration… the speakers are at the top of their respective fields and they share with us their experience and expertise that they have gained getting to that position - something that is invaluable as a young designer or professional for that matter. By seeing these presentations or attending these events it gives a valuable insight into the industry… showing you new styles and techniques that can push yourself and your work in new directions.

Have you been to any other conferences before? What were they like? Would love to hear your stories.