who's manning the sinking ship?

thanks to Bill D. for this insightful article. i'm appalled.

Crispin Porter + Bogusky and "Crowd-Sourcing" CP+B WTF?!

Hello, my name is Bill and I'm a logo designer...

Crispin Porter + Bogusky is a respected advertising agency with home offices in Boulder, Colorado and Miami, Florida. They've created breakthrough ad campaigns for BMW Mini, Volkswagen and Virgin Atlantic. But lately they seem to be coming up with ideas that are slightly less than genius. They created the "Life Without Walls" campaign to encourage consumers to buy a product Microsoft does not make, PCs. I'll say it again, it's a terribly illogical campaign- "Without Walls" there would be no need for Windows.

In May CP+B auctioned off three months of work on a creative presentation by their interns, on eBay. (The winning bid was $17,655 to an anonymous bidder). Hooray interns! I wonder if they saw any of that money?

http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=270392380113

And then there's the creepy Burger King.

Now CP+B appears to be responsible for "crowd-sourcing" a logo project for Brammo, an Electric Motorcycle manufacturer based in Oregon. They've released a creative brief and have put out a call for volunteer logo submissions. The winning designer will be awarded the pitiful sum of $1000. Brammo's new logo will most likely cost less than the motorcycles they make.

http://www.crowdspring.com/projects/graphic_design/logo/logo_for_brammo_electric_motorcycle/details

Alex Bogusky, if you're within the sound of my voice, please listen. I believe this is a highly unethical, incredibly destructive precedent. This is a well known creative shop trolling for logos. Does their client Brammo know that they're doing this? How much can one respect or value a logo that was created this way? Yes, it is possible that someone out there may create an excellent solution. But I think this sort of process cheapens the work and devalues the design. Worse, if this kind of trolling in mediocrity results in a "successful" solution, other agencies and corporations will be encouraged to follow suit. Corporations may decide they have no need for ad agencies or design partners.

Frankly, this sucks.

Graphic Design is done best by experienced graphic designers. Bypassing a professional process of logo design, and turning it into a free-for-all, is an insult to qualified logo designers and to the craft and tradition Graphic Design.

My profession and the realm of Corporate Identity have been co-opted by ad agencies, "brand consultancies" and "strategic marketing firms." What often results is mediocre, milquetoast solutions backed up by artfully stilted research and bullshit rhetoric passed off as strategy. More often the written and diagrammed accoutrements of these brand identities exist only to justify the fees. Seldom is that kind of logo an adequate cornerstone of a visual identity. It's merely the visual representation of their brand and marketing position, crafted in the midst of compromise and groupthink, rather than any singular vision. This kind of group effort, most often results in more studies in mediocrity.

Good logos are informed by critical thought and developed with goals and appeals in mind. A great logo designer creates having done research and exploration to arrive at a deeply meaningful solution. The logo designer's expertise and experience as a visual thinker, qualify them to create with passion and purpose.

Good logos are evocative, unique marks that serve to effectively present and distinguish an entity to a particular marketplace. Good logos are usually concepts crafted by a qualified, experienced designer working in concert with an intelligent and trusting client.

It's time for qualified Graphic Designers to proclaim their expertise and reclaim their field.

... and shame on you, Mr. Bogusky.

creating a landing page

we've recently been working on a very unique site design for heart to heart adoptions. part of what makes this site so unique is their landing page - which required some design requirements i'd never encountered before. how did we handle this type of landing page? read on to find out!


because the industry isn't always clear, let me clarify "landing page" or "squeeze page" as an entry page to a website, that doesn't include a normal, full navigation and content. typically, these are meant to "squeeze" people into a website.

in this more unusual case, we needed a landing page that would split site visitors into two groups.

our first concept was simple, beautiful, and very unique. our final design, above, also meets the criteria beautifully, uniquely, and clearly; an "antique photo album" with polaroids. i love these designs; i think this project has been a favorite.


it's important to consider a few things when creating a page like this.

• limit content! the more you have, the less your visitor will read. just include enough for them to want to click on something.
  
• limit the number of links as much as possible - you'll notice that there are only two options here; in the final concept we chose (at the top) they are repeated to make it even easier for the user to get somewhere.
• design for the viewport - keep important content "above the fold" - usually 768px. this is essential on a landing page.
  
• make it interesting - both of these designs use different elements to balance the page and make it feel dynamic. especially with two choices, you don't want a boring right vs. left layout! believe me, i tried it, it was ugly.
• do something different - as long as it isn't confusing, it'll pique a visitor's interest. in this industry, most adoptive families & birth families will visit dozens of sites to do their research. this site will stand out as a memorable representation of a great company.

photoshop techniques i used in the final design:

• add a border to the photos for a "polaroid" feel
• don't use the standard drop shadow effect. here, the polaroids feel 3D because i bent the edges of the shadow. to make the shadow, use the pen tool to outline the photo edges, but curve the sides inward just slightly. set the transparency to 40% or so, and add a gaussian blur at 1.5px or so (convert the shape to a smart object first so you can make changes to it later if you need). move the shadow diagonally a few pixels, and voila! the photo seems to naturally sit on the page with corners that bend up slightly. much more natural. layer a few photos and angle them so it looks like a stack.
  
• add a texture and drop shadow to a shape to make it look like real paper. if you have an image of the paper, play with the coloring and transparency so it really fits your design - never drop an image in without playing with it first!
  
• distress the main titles using a layer mask and a distressing photoshop brush (you can find them for free in the forums at adobe.com)
  

mega launch: moneydesktop.com

probably our biggest site launch yet! ispectrum is responsible for literally everything you see; the complete design, flash, and copy.

working with moneydesktop has been a blast; despite the 11-hour workdays the last couple of weeks (argh), it's been a lot of fun to watch it come together. still getting minor tweaks in the weeks to come, but officially launched. if you've wondered why launch activity has been a bit slower, this major project is the reason.

as usual, i've managed to push the limits of css and design - i'm gaining quite a reputation with programmers for requiring, err, "creative" programming. many posts in the days to come about this design, its unique features and so forth...

view the site!

soapbox: html emails

working on a simple html email notification template today, i was reminded why i find them so annoying.

the primary reason, no designer will be surprised to hear, is microsoft. rather than making their browsers and email clients compliant with current standards, they routinely take steps backwards! why, you ask? i have no idea. i also have no idea why such a staggering percentage of people still use them; in my opinion, this is ground zero for capitalism breakdown.

but i was reminded of the shortlist version of programming & design requirements to hack html emails for the majority of email clients (for a much more complete discussion, including valuable marketing tips, visit the email experience council):

• 600px width max.
• simplicity is KING in the design. if you do find a way to make it look cool, keep in mind not everyone will see it that way anyway.
  
• make everything important text, not image based. always use alt tags on images. and if you must use an image, be sure to repeat the same info in plain text somewhere.
• use the most simple code you can come up with (by simple, i mean grossly archaic and outdated).
  
• use tables (eek!) but don't nest them, or style them, or otherwise do anything attractive with them at all, or they won't display consistently.
  
• code styles inline with both html and css. then try to show your client how to add content to the template. then tie a large, twisty knot behind your ears, using only your toes.
• near the top, ask users to add you to their address book, or your emails may never reach them in the first place
  
• test your email in every email client you can think of, and a few you can't.
  
• include a "view in browser" link at the top, in case your best efforts fail miserably anyway.
• comply with can-spam laws, or you may get blocked forever.

this is one of those times when minimalism is a great artistic movement to ponder on. not simply because this particular email template will probably have a grand total 2 sentences, but also because we want people to actually be able to see and read them.

color, color, color

if you've seen my logo, it may be no surprise to you that color is one of my favorite design elements.

case 1:

take, for example, a recent project i've been working on: a web-based money management software. the technology is amazing, but it needed something to connect the advanced back-end with the end user.before: the colors seems drab, and the design un-inviting. (granted, they weren't trying to put much effort into the design)

after: the site appears welcoming, and the technology as advanced as it really is! in some ways, the changes were minor...but they add up to make a big difference.

case 2:
onyx websites

before: the colors are so plain, bland, and paint-bucket-esque, i don't think even a good design could make them look professional.

after: toning the colors down a bit and changing up the logo makes all the difference. though this is a rough design and still very simple, the difference is unmistakable.

in professional designs, gray is one of my favorite colors. it's legible, but not as hard-edged and plain. bright colors can work well, but they must be chosen carefully.

so today's lesson - go, design, create - but do it with (the right) color!