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.
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!
Straightening A Crooked Image
Many of the small businesses we work with, come to us with a “crooked image” . Just like patients visiting a chiropractor, they are walking around, conducting business, just not doing it well.
This was the case with Dr. Jeff Yoder, owner of Meridian Chiropractic Clinic. With a well established practice, his branding did not represent the professionalism of his practice.
He had a simple logo for his practice, which he used on business cards and letterhead. It was not, however, included in his website design, which featured only a generic spine image, that could have belonged to any doctor.
With a practice, serving primarily a professional community ( lawyers and accountants who spend too many hours sitting at their desks) we wanted to give him a fresh, distinctive look that would appeal to this audience.
Starting with new text treatment his company name presented some interesting challenges from a design standpoint. The long middle word made the stacking of the three words seem odd. The initials by themselves MCC looked too much like a local cafeteria.
We finally settled on a design which featured just the “M” in a distinctive font. The addition of a little yellow really brought a some life to the design. Once we finalized the logo, the banner came together very quickly. Then Allison took over an finished the design of the website.
Who Will Win the May Business Card Makeover?
In the course of our Business Card Makeover contest, we’ve found some business cards which were in serious need of a makeover. Most of the business cards we received were not hideous, but simply not functional.
Take a look at your business card. Can you read everything easily, or do you have to squint past ornate fonts and tiny sizes, or sort through cluttered lines of text ? Remember: the primary purpose of a business card is give your contact information. If your card makes it difficult to find that, you’re in trouble. Think of your business card like a tiny billboard. Can you read the informatoin zooming by at 60 miles an hour.
Help Us Select This Month’s Winner
Check out these examples of business cards in we have selected as finalists, by clicking the link to the right. Select the card you believe should receive a FREE makeover. Be sure to remember the number, return to this screen and enter the number in the form below.
Only votes submitted with a valid email will be counted. And if your card is one of the finalists, be sure to encourage your friends to come and vote!!
We will be accepting votes until Midnight on Sunday May, 23.
Business Card Makeover Contest
I’ve been attending networking events on a regular basis since I started working at Roundpeg almost two years ago. At each event, I am surprised by how many people starting businesses are not using professional looking business cards.
We like to have fun here at Roundpeg especially as the days become brighter so after a conversation with Lorraine, we have decided to offer a creative solution for some of these Ugly Business Cards. This summer we will be running a Business Card Makeover Contest.
You might qualify for this contest if your business card
- is ugly
- was created using a Vistaprint – Extra points if it has the Vistaprint logo on the back
- was created using Word or Publisher
- uses clip art as pat of the design.
To enter our Makeover Contest you must complete the form below and do one of the following:
- mail us a copy of your card – Roundpeg 1003 East 106th, Indianapolis, IN 46280
- fax a copy of your card – 317-569-1389
- Send a copy of your card to me via email Taylor @roundpeg. biz
- drop off your business card at any Rainmaker event where you see the business card makeover bucket
Be aware that by submitting your business card, you agree to allow us to feature your card in Roundpeg’s marketing and promotions.
There will be three lucky winners ( one each month May, June and July) All cards will be evaluated by the team at Roundpeg, and then finalists will be evaluated by members of the community. The winner will be chosen by the 20th of each month, so we have time to redesign the cards before the Rainmaker Main Event each month.
OK, so now you want to know what the prize is? The winner of the “Ugliest Business Card” will win a Business Card Makeover. We will create 2 designs for you to choose from and we will then supply you with 500 “made-over” cards! – This is easily a $500/value.
Winners will be announced each month at the Rainmaker Main Event. They will also be listed here on roundpeg.biz and let’s make it rain
And for those of you who don’t win? We will be running a special promotion this summer, offering you a biz card makeover for $300 including the printing of 500 cards.
Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat Redesign
Over the past few weeks, the entire Roundpeg team has been working on a redesign of the website for “Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat.” As most people know, Paul is a popular and well-known public figure here in Indiana, so much so that he’s known unofficially as “Indiana’s weatherman.”
The redesign was fun and challenging as we worked toward a finished project which would effectively display all of the content in a manner which did not overwhelm the visitor. Finding the right theme was the toughest part of the redesign. There were so many elements, and few themes are constructed to present that much content on the home page. We finally found the Araras theme which gave us everything we wanted.
The next challenge was to decide how to organize all the information. Part of Paul’s value package is the offer to each restaurant that their video will be hosted on the front page for a year. As he continues to expand this program, the site will need to accomodate a growing number of videos. In addition to the videos on the site, there are photo galleries, new event announcements, restaurant and sponsor logos, and a Twitter feed which each needed a unique place on the homepage. After some trial and error, we were able to effectively display the cornucopia of content the site has to offer.
With the organization of the information under control, we began to look at ways to customize the template. Matt Wallpe of Wallpe Design was already working with Paul to redo his logo and overall branding. We loved the color and style of the new logo and used that for a foundation to develop a color scheme for the site. It is always fun to incorporate the foundation of other talented local designers.
To incorporate the color scheme, as well as establish a standard for all the video thumbnails I turned to the “big guns” at Roundpeg - our Vice President, Taylor Brough. His suggestion to add a subtle map of Indianapolis in the background to contrast the white forefront creates the ideal canvas on which to present all of the graphics for Paul.
The addition of text to the home page will improve the SEO functionality of the new site, improving the chances the content will be featured on a variety of search engines. This was an element, Lorraine Ball,was most focused on. Trusting Taylor and I to work on the design and function, she worked with Allison to add descriptive text to the videos and pictures. Using the All-in-One SEO plug in to organize the content for search engines, the new site is already scoring well in search, and scoring above 80% on Website Grader measures.
The PPGE site gave us an opportunity to work on a site chock-full of multimedia. More complex then most of the sites we build it allowed us to put many of the skills we have developed together into one project. We are were incredibly happy with the results. Check out the entire site when you get a chance!
Better yet, check out one of the events and truly experience Paul Poteet’s Gotta Eat
We do it INTENTIONally
Great looking brands grow over time, when they are consistently executed in web and print. Even small business owners can build a strong brand if they work at it!
Several years ago Roundpeg designed a logo and color pallette for Living with Intention. From time to time they come back for a new brochure, flyer or postcard.
They always been a fun client to work with because owners Dr. Stephen and Linda Elliott have a clear idea of what they want. As we have worked together, I have figured out their style and can anticipate what they will like. 
The LWI logo is fun to work with because of the different pieces, which give it depth, and can stand on their own as individual graphic elements. The dark blue and brown also work well as half tones, so a lighter version of the blue can be used for the background without changing the colors.
The newest piece we designed was a 6 x 9 information card. Since Living with Intention is about “wellness” I wanted a calm soothing feel to the piece, even thought we were printing it on a heavy card stock. The rounded corners, soft colors and “cloud background” were used to create the emotion I was looking for.
The piece is being printed at UN Printing this week. ( We love their pricing, but love their service even more). I am ready to see the final product, because this piece is something different than the usual work I produce. What do you think about the size and shape?
Episode # 26 Meet Taylor Brough
This week I interviewed our graphic designer Taylor Brough. A graduate of The Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Art at Indiana University, Taylor brings a unique artistic style to our design projects.
In the last 18 months, he has truly masted the art of the WebBanner and the effective 6 x 9 postcard, but his favorite projects are definitely his logo designs:
Click here to listen to the interview
