Snow in July
Every now and then we have are lucky enough to bring on a new client who has a good idea of what they want, challenges us with interesting assignments, and is fun to work with. Hittle Snow is exatly that type of client. Erik, the Director of Operations came to us, hoping to refresh the look for their snow removal company. A division of a more well established, and well know company (Hittle Landscape) they were hoping to carve out a distinctive identity. Erik was open to new ideas, gave us timely and useful feedback, and pushed us gently through several rounds of revisions, till both he and we were satisfied.
The logo was only the first step in a comprehensive project which will include a redesign of their website and multiple directmail peices. The easy communication between Roundpeg and Hittle helped the design project flow smoothy, allowing us to begin working on the other elements of the project.
About the Design
Hittle Snow’s old logo had some interesting stylistic qualities, bu was a bit dated. Selecting the font was a challenge. Hittle Snow didn’t want to be too edgy, but at the same time, they also didn’t want a boring, typical serif/sans serif font. The font that we ended up using is a serif, but it’s very distinctive, sharp edges and subtle curves. We liked the H so much, we carried it into the logo.
We wanted to clearly communicate this was a snow removal company, and decided to add a snowflake symbol easily encapsulate who Hittle Snow was. Picking a snowflake was also a bit difficult. We all know that no two snowflakes are the same, and we sure learned that! By nature, snowflakes are complex shapes, but we still needed a design that could be printed on trucks, embroidered on shirts, and used in lots of different collateral. After consultations with printers and embroiderers, we wound up with a great snowflake that strikes a balance between complexity and simplicity.
The customer is so pleased with the design, we have also created several variations for their landscape division. Working on this project was a lot of fun. Hittle Snow is a wonderful client, and I think that in the end, we gave them a unique but classic brand.
Collaborating Creates Delicious Results
Earlier this year, I got some help from our readers as I worked on a logo design for My Doorstep Deliveries.
With your input we narrowed down the choices and came up with a logo our client truly loved.
Next we were asked to develop a brochure, owner Danielle could drop off with prospective clients which would give them a feel for the services she offered. The challenge was to develop a piece which would be appealing to her clients ( primarily seniors) and yet still convey the essence of her bubbly personality.
For some reason, I couldn’t find the right balance, and relied once again on creative input and collaboration, this time from Heather our graphic design intern. Working together, building off each other’s ideas, we have developed something our client loves.
I have really enjoyed having other designers on the team this summer, and I am glad Heather will be hanging around through the fall!
Business Card Makeover – The Final Winner!
The business card makeover contest has been a lot of fun. We have seen a number of cards which really needed a makeover. Along the way, we have been able to help several business owners.
This month, our intern Dan took the lead on the redesign. Here is what he had to say about the process.
Although it may be popular, a business card doesn’t need to be a bright color or have a flashy gradient to stand out.
Sometimes, just a strong images can really catch someone’s eyes and portray something about the business at the same time. I’m not endorsing the use of stock photos on business cards, but select graphics, used correctly, can add a nice touch.
While experimenting with the design, for this month’s winner Wire2U, I made a graphic of the AC plug (of which I was kind of proud). I liked it so much, I started looking at other cables to include. Each of the cables which appear on the card is was created from an actual cablet I found laying around my house or at the office.
These cables make the business card more noticeable and interesting, while appealing to people, such as myself, who live with cluttered rooms with countless confusing cables. As for the color scheme, I used yellow to attract attention, but added navy to keep a professional and trustworthy image. Be sure to ask the winner, Pat Seal, for his business card to see it in person the next time you run into him at a Rainmaker Event.
Unfortunately, there is some bad news in this post too. As much as we have enjoyed ridding the world of ugly business cards this will be the last business card makeover .
But, a good brand is constantly evolving, so stay tuned to here and on our facebook fanpage, because there are new things are just around the corner.
Vote for Your Favorite
Entries are now closed, but you can still vote for your favorite by selecting the link below. Be sure to pick the card you believe most deserves to win!
Biz Card Makeover: Inspiration
We’ve been talking a lot lately about what makes a bad business card: hard to read, printed on computer paper, and just plain ugly. So it’s about time we show you some examples of good design. Draw inspiration from these examples, but remember your card should ultimately reflect who you are, not just look cool and flashy.
All photos are drawn from this great article. Check it out for dozens of more examples of great cards, as well as some tips on designing your own card.
Simple Business Card Designs Can Be Beautiful
A good business card doesn’t have to be crazy and avant garde: classy and elegant work well, too.
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Unusual Shapes Can Create a Striking Design for Your Card
When you have a bit more in your business card budget, try playing around with shapes for a slightly different feel.
You can keep the standard business card size, but bring a whole new sensibility to your card. These designs are memorable, but remember your production cost will be much higher.
Want a New Design for Your Business Card?
If any of these beautiful business cards have inspired you to make a change give us a call. We would love to help!
Does Your Social Media Smell Like This Man?
On July 13, 2010, the Internet marketing game changed. Some might say that’s hyperbole, but Old Spice stepped up their game and created a brilliant melding of video, social media, and media relations. Most of us have seen and enjoyed the commercials where buff actor Isaiah Mustafa told us what our men could be like, if only they smelled like Old Spice (He can turn things into diamonds! He can bake you a cake in the kitchen he built with his own two hands!). It was a fun campaign, a great way to revamp the tired Old Spice brand, but nothing revolutionary.
Then came one small tweet from @oldspice : “Today could be just like the other 364 days you log into twitter. Or maybe the Old Spice man shows up.”
People were puzzled, but the meaning soon became clear. The actual Old Spice man did show up, answering actual tweets, Facebook messages, postings from bloggers–all in video form. The Old Spice production crew was spontaneously creating short videos (ranging from about 20 seconds to 1 minute in length) in realtime, all in the same irreverent, cocky style which characterized the original commercials.
Old Spice smartly targeted social media influencers like Digg, reddit,and Ellen Degeneres. They even sent roses to Alyssa Milano! But they didn’t focus their attention purely on the famous: people tweeted questions about their boyfriends, what college Old Spice man went to (Success University, with a minor in bazooka shooting), and every other thing under the sun. Not every video explicitly mentioned Old Spice, but they all served to support the new, young brand identity–and to seriously put Old Spice on the map.
While not every company can afford to do this, it’s still an important reminder to constantly up your game. It’s not enough to just be on social media, and to follow every “10 tips for social media awesomeness” we see. It is about challenging ideas, pushing boundaries, and doing the ridiculous. Old Spice man proves it works.
I’m on a horse.
Last call for business cards!
As you know, we’ve spent the last two months on a personal crusade to put an end to ugly business cards. We’ve had a great time collecting aesthetically challenged cards and making over one lucky card each month, but this is the last call.
If you’ve been holding onto your ugly business card, afraid to turn it in, this is your last chance. Check out the work that we’ve done for our past winners, and enter your own card for its own Extreme Makeover: Business Card Edition.
We Have a Winner!
Humans are very receptive to color. For instance, red makes us think of heat, fire, and passion. But it can also make us think of danger and blood. Blue is a calming color, associated with wisdom and trustworthiness. It’s also strongly connected with masculinity and is highly favored by men.
So take a look at your logo and your business card. Are you using the right colors to attract the audience that you want? For instance, if you’re an accountant who uses purple in your logo, you’ve chosen a color that’s most attractive to children, who may not be in the market for book keeping services. Instead, you may want to choose a deep green, which subconsciously makes people think of money.
Taylor’s redesign of Andrew Carson’s card for our June Makeover makes great use of color theory. He moved from Andrew’s monochromatic and slightly dull design to a gunmetal blue. This color pays homage to Andrew’s military background, but also ties in with his etiquette consulting business: blue is trustworthy, peacefully, and appeals to the mind rather than emotions.
We’ll be continuing our Business Card Makeover for one more month, so there’s still time to breathe some new life into your card. Just fill out the form below, and you could be a winner.
Pick the Winner for the June Business Card Makeover
As we continue our crusade to rid the world of ugly business cards–one card at a time, we are ready to pick and June winner. As you are considering which oneto vote for, let’s talk about professionalism. Your business card is a selling tool. Is it projecting an accurate image of who you are and what you do?
Take a minute and view your card through the eyes of a prospective client or more importantly a referral partner. Are they going to be comfortable passing on your card to their best client?
If you’re a lawyer, for instance, your card should probably not be using Comic Sans MS font (Actually, no one should be using it). But conversely, if you’re a wedding planner, you might want to shy away from the traditional, and extremely common Times New Roman.
Your branding is more than just the font selection. All the elements of your card including the colors, images ( please avoid any of the clip art available from Microsoft), the size and shape of the card, and the weight of the paper all contribute to the image your brand conveys.
Here’s the latest batch of cards vying for your votes. Pick the one you believe deserves this month’s free business card makeover!
Carpenters Rule and Door Step Deliveries
Over the last few months, we have had several great projects helping new business owners name their companies and the create graphics to support the brands.
Part of what made the projects so much fun was our experiments with crowd sourcing as we asked for input on the names and the designs.
With your help we have named two companies, a grocery delivery service for seniors: Doorstep Deliveries and a carpentry business: Carpenters Rule.
We even solicited a bit of input on the logos, so we thought you would enjoy seeing the final versions.
