Category Archives: Design
Kilroy is Here… And Here… And Here
Hop around on the Web (especially Twitter) and you’ll see a common design trend: Cropped head shots–cropped for bios, avatars, for a lot. If eyes are the window into the soul, a photo of a cropped human face is the … Continue reading
Filed under Blogs, Brand, Communications Society, Creativity, Design, Ideas, Photography, Social Networks, Twitter, Viral, Visibility, Web
Nokia N97 Colors Itself Different
Did the tech press and bloggers doubt that Nokia, the number one cellphone maker in the world, would come up short on its latest smartphone? Lots of technical muscle, for sure. Yes, Apple’s iPhone is synonomous with hip, intuitive user … Continue reading
Will You Join Us?
A barrel of crude may recently dipped below $60. And oil companies are wise to start talking about environment. The latest: Chevron and it’s www.willyoujoinus.com campaign. A sampling of copy from print ads featuring earnest and environmentally serious faces: “I … Continue reading
Filed under Advertising, Brand, Design, Environment, Language, Logos, PR
The One Design Book You Should Own
If Hick’s Law, Ockham’s Razor, and Chunking elude you, but you’re interested in understanding the basics of design, there’s only one book to own. Universal Principles of Design, by William Lidwell, Kritina Holden and Jill Butler, is a joy to … Continue reading
Filed under Creativity, Design
Freebie Friday: Color Blender
One of the strongest branding symbols for companies and organizations is color. It makes speaks to us, makes us feel, helps form perceptions. This free online tool at Color Blender is extremely handy for selecting and matching colors when building websites — or … Continue reading
Logo Play: Searching for Weight Loss
I just happened to see an ad for alli during a morning news program this week. The logo immediately made me think another prominent one that features the same primary colors. I thought of online search, not weight loss. Here are … Continue reading
Filed under Brand, Creativity, Design, Logos
Microbrand Monday: Maui Jim
Once upon a time, all you needed was a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers to block the sun and look cool. Audrey Hepburn wore them in the 1961 movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Cary Grant wore an early version of Wayfarers in North … Continue reading
Filed under Brand, Business, Competition, Design, Ideas
Hillary or Barack: Whose Website is Best?
Whose website is best? Hillary or Barack? It’s important. This presidential election cycle is more interesting than any previous one, having been shaped by the web and the online marketing of candidates. It will be studied by strategists long after November, along with … Continue reading
45 Excellent Blog Designs
If you don’t subscribe to Smashing Magazine RSS feed, I recommend it. I’m not a designer, but appreciate seeing fresh material. Here’s a link to 45 excellent blog designs that Smashing featured a few days ago. Beautiful. The website provides … Continue reading
Separated at Birth
It’s hard enough trying to differentiate on a store shelf. Sometimes it’s difficult online, too. I immediately thought of this brand of baking soda when finding this organic breakfast cereal. Two very different consumer products. Two very similar designs. One in the U.S. One in the U.K. Separated at … Continue reading
Filed under Design
