Design

What do Nike, Best Buy, Calvin Klein, Volkswagen, Supreme and many other brands all have in common? Their logos were created using the same typeface (family of fonts) called Futura – created in Germany by Paul Renner in 1927.

Futura is a sans-serif typeface, meaning the ends of its strokes are solid – not containing any anchoring serifs you’d see in a typeface like Times New Roman.

Futura was created in a time when modernism was growing because of emerging industrialization. This can be seen in its simplicity and efficiency. It is interesting to learn the place typography has in history.

– Trey Gause, Jones PR

When you process information from a book, movie, a song or even a commercial, you will probably notice that not everything screams in your face. Every memorable message will always have its quiet, supporting parts in the background, with the most important portion highlighted.

Just as Mozart’s masterpieces have their highs and lows, the way you present your brand should not always come across as big and bold.

In a fast world, always make sure that your viewers can process the message as quickly as possible – this means that some information will not be treated as importantly as other information.

– Trey Gause, Jones PR

Consistency is difficult, but it is necessary in order to communicate a message thoroughly. This goes hand-in-hand with your brand. There are reasons for why your logo is shaped the way it is, why you use specific colors and why there are all kinds of rules for what you can and what you can’t use when representing your brand.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t allow for creativity within the boundaries of your brand’s system. Think of it as thinking inside the box. What can you do with your brand that is both creative and consistent?

– Trey Gause, Jones PR

Do you ever wonder why you see the same fonts everywhere? It’s probably for the same reason that you see similar cars everywhere.

Developing a typeface (a family of fonts) can take years to craft to perfection. This task can only be completed by professionals willing to devote the time, research and psychology it takes to create a well-designed typeface.

The best typefaces communicate the clearest; that is why they are so popular among the most recognized brands. You’ll never see a brand like Apple use a cheap font that was created by someone in a day or two.

– Trey Gause, Jones PR

A new year is a new opportunity to freshen up the image of a brand, whether it be your company or yourself. It’s easy to get stuck in a creative rut. It’s tempting to go with what worked in the past and just stick with it.

The biggest brands in the world are always generating new campaigns with new imagery, and you should too. Don’t be afraid to experiment with new concepts, fonts, colors and graphics.

Whether it’s a personal blog page or your company’s advertising, your brand always has some wiggle room to be presented in a new light.

– Gilles Weingart, Jones PR

Opposites attract, and they’re certainly easier to read together. When creating any visual document, it’s important to choose colors with good contrast that bring out the best in each other.

It helps to think of your colors as light, medium and dark. Make sure text in the light or medium color on a background of the dark color is light enough to stand out and be legible. The light should be legible on the medium background as well. This ensures that the colors will work together.

Sites like color.adobe.com are great for discovering interesting new contrasting color combinations.

– Gilles Weingart, Jones PR

How each piece of a company’s visual identity works together to communicate the brand’s essence is important. Good graphic designers don’t begin concepting in isolation.

When designing a logo, for example, we take into consideration a client’s company mission, brand personality and message. For consistency, we think about how the brand’s logo, colors and typography will be used across all channels in print (business card, letterhead, ads) and online (website, e-newsletter, social media).

Style guides outline a set of brand standards that govern how your brand – and its marks – are used to maintain their proper desired look and feel.

– Jennifer Casey, The North Carolina 100

To implement good design methods, think like a professional.

Oftentimes we inhabit spaces for so long, our perception of a place is locked in. Though we can be limited by our mind’s eye, it is the subtleties that draw out the most impactful emotional responses of a design – responses that can be achieved through a simple can of paint or pruning plant limbs.

We have all experienced the “shuffle the furniture” mentality in spaces where we live – how moving furniture can repurpose how we imagine a space. Shuffle some furniture, use some paint and create place within your own space.

– Chris Mutter, HGOR