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

The Art of Marketing

Because I am married to an artist, I spend a lot of time in galleries, exhibits and art shows.  As I study a piece of art, I often wonder what the artist had in mind when he/she created the work? While the artist has a vision, that vision is subject to interpretation ( or misinterpretation) by everyone who experiences the artwork.

Jay Ehret suggest that for any small business owner, your business is like a piece of art, and the ability for consumers to interpret what you have in mind can often mean the difference between success or mediocrity. Rahter then guess what your customers think, consider conducting a survey or asking just a few simple questions to be sure.

And while we are on the subject of art …  I thought you would enjoy a few scenes from the opening of the Art from the Heartland exhibit here in Indy!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Who Owns Social Media?

When I was in corporate there was an ongoing battle between marketing and IT for control of the web site. The technology was relatively new, and while we saw tremendous potential to connect with customers, the IT department simply saw it as more technology.

Today,  most companies understand the website is an extension of their marketing, but a new battle has begun.  The question now, is who owns social media.   Is it a PR, marketing, or HR function?

In a recent article for the Harvard Business Review David Amano suggests that we are asking the wrong question.  It is not a matter of who owns social media, but whether or not a company is ready to “live social”.  More than an advertising campaign, David says social media is

a way of thinking and approaching business that requires passion and commitment and, above all, willingness to participate in social spaces honestly and freely and by the rules of the social network itself.

So as you are mapping out your 2010 marketing strategy.  Ask yourself the important questions.  Are you ready for the challenges of being a truly social company in the year, and decade to come?

Happy Holidays from The Roundpeg Elf Crew to You…

At Roundpeg we have worked hard to develop a unique brand, which extends well beyond our logo.  Our brand is about positive energy, creativity and collaboration.   These three elements are conveyed in the words and images we choose, as well as the way we present ourselves in social media and face to face networking events.

It is important to create credibility with our brand, so clients trust us.  At the same time, we know that while we are serious about what we do, we do not take ourselves seriously so our brand incorporates this  lighthearted part of our personality, too.   As we were designing this year’s holiday card, Lorraine challenged me to create something which would reinforce the brand, with standard colors and fonts, but would also let people see the fun part of our personality.

This is often a challenge for small business who work hard all year long to build their brand image, then compromise on their holiday card. They buy “stock” business cards, which do not convey any sense of who they are to distribute to all their clients and strategic partners; missing an important marketing opportunity.

I enjoyed creating our holiday card this year, because after we redesigned our website, the door was open for creativity and a bit of fun.   For the front of the card, I created a hand drawn snow flake , colored in our standard blue and teal so it resembles wrapping paper.   Combined with a red ribbon on our  hand wrting style font ( Complete in Him) the card has a “hand drawn feel” .   The text, “If BIG business ran the holidays”, speaks to our bias for working with small businesses.

The back side of the card was inspired by a JibJab Elf Dance of the Roundpeg Crew.  It  gave me the brilliant idea dress all of the team in  elf costumes, including Clyde the Cat and Bonnie the dog.  Playing off this idea brought humor to the card in a style consistent with our brand.

Happy Holidays to everyone! I look forward to working with you in 2010!

Taking a Different Approach

Creating a flyer for long term care and disablity insurance is challenging because there are only so many images of sad or injured people.  And, let’s face it, those images don’t make you want to look at the information.  So, when we were asked to develop a promotional flyer for  Innovative Individual Insurance ,  we took a different approach…

Our client sells supplemental products to compliment the primary insurance offered by employers.   With the holiday season right around the corner, we thought it would be fun to draw a parallel between the side dishes served at Thanksgiving and their Insurance products.  Our headline:  ”Turkey without the sides…isn’t so appealing”  was paired with eye catching photos of of turkey and the trimmings.

“What Ala Carte options do you need?” Health, Life, Disability, Dental and/or Long Term? Innovative Individual Insurance offers a menu of items where you can pick and choose the types of insurance you need.

At first, grasping the different approach of this  flyer was challenging, but now as I look at the appetizing food pictures and the “Ala Carte” menu, I think this ad could also be used in Bon Appetit magazine!

Triple I

We recently created a new identity for an insurance company,  Innovative Individual Insurance, which offers an “Ala Carte” menu of services.

The logo was designed by playing with the letter “i”. The design  uses all three i’s  to create an interesting layout. The logo came together pretty quickly because our client gave us a good starting point with his vision of what the company was about.

The initial concept was designed first in black and white. We prefer to have a client select the design, and then look at colors.   Once the design was finalized then the colors came into play.

The blue and green we selected give the logo a modern, bold, vibrant feeling.  The blue is strong enough to use for text, and the yellow/green really makes the logo pop.  The color is very vibrant on paper and on the screen.

What do you think?

I Love Logos

One of the blogs I read every day is Logo Design Love. Created by David Airey, a graphic designer from Ireland, the site is a tribute to good logos around the world.  Filled with tips and suggestions for designers, and end users, I particularly liked this column: Ten Logo Design Tips.

My favorites from the list include:

A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does.

Take a look at the Nike logo.  It doesn’t say: athletic wear.  The assoication has been built over time between a strong visual, with a sense of motion.

Not every logo needs a mark

In the early days of my design career, I tended to look for a graphic to go with every brand.  Over time, however, I learned to appreciate the simplicity of great text.   As you look at many of the logos we have developed at Roundpeg, you will see lots of unusual text treatments, with limited graphics.

Leave trends to the fashion industry

David said it best when he said: “Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.”

This is especially true of colors.  What is cool and hip this year looks dated as fashions and styles change.

You are going to live with your logo for a long time, be sure you create something that will stay fresh for the long run.

What do you think makes a great logo?