After only 13 months of blogging, The Design Cubicle has reached an astonishing milestone establishing 10,000+ subscribers! I want to sincerely thank each and everyone of your for helping to make TDC into the success it is today — without all of you this would not be possible. I have enjoyed reading all of your comments and learning so much from all of you. Again, thank you!

Here are a few more stats that TDC achieved in the past year:

» In the past year I have published 174 articles — that’s an average of 3 articles per week
» 4,800 comments have been approved to date — an average of 28 comments per article.
» The most popular article to date is 10 Common Typography Mistakes
» 3 articles have been on the front page of Digg
» Between the Twitter accounts @behoff and @TDCBrand there are 11,000+ Twitter followers
» TDC currently receives between 8,000—10,000 visits a day with 73% of those daily visitors being new to TDC
» The largest traffic source has come via StumbleUpon

TDC is now part of the Smashing Network

I am thrilled to announce that TDC has been asked by the chief-editor Vitaly Friedman to become apart of Smashing Magazine‘s new Smashing Network. So what does this mean for the future of TDC?

Absolutely nothing (except for higher traffic and more exposure of course). There will be absolutely no changes to TDC… I will still be delivering the same quality content and will not be influenced by anyone other then myself. So what’s in it for Smashing you ask?

Smashing Magazine’s network thrives to deliver the highest quality content and will be featuring selected posts of TDC to be featured on their front page, with a short description and a link back to The Design Cubicle’s original article. As a collective, we both aim to deliver and support high quality content to help others grow and learn as much as possible, which I’m honored to be apart of.

Birth of a new blog

As I’m sure you can see I’ve been extremely busy as of late and have been working on the design of my new blog, www.behoff.com. This will be a more personal blog of mine, focusing more on my work, personal experiences as an independent designer, discoveries, interests, inspiration and more importantly events and happenings around the design community. I will also be doing video casts and tutorials as well — something I’ve yet to do on TDC.

The new blog uses Typekit for all of its font — Droid Serif was selected due to its improved readability over Georgia because of its larger x-height which makes for easier readability at smaller sizes. All sans-serifs displayed use FontFont’s Dax which allow more characters to fit on a single line (articles titles) because of its condensed form.

The sidebar’s Recent Happenings section will display information about what’s going on in my career, such as new clients I’m working with, features of my 3 sites, and other exciting news. I am also an avid user of LittleSnapper and store tons of inspiration as they are discovered that will now be streamed into the site for your inspiration as well. If you like feel free to grab my Flickr RSS so you don’t miss a beat.

I plan on updating BeHoff.com once or twice a week with new, fresh content so feel free to grab free updates by RSS or email.

Also, special thanks to shopHTML for doing a great job on the backend development and integrating the PSD into WordPress. For those unfamiliar with shopHTML they are a team of XHTML/CSS specialists that provide conversion services and expertise in XHTML/CSS, WordPress and Joomla (read more about them from their previous giveaway).

I must say working with them was an absolute pleasure. Not only were they proficient and accurate but their eye for detail was incredible. I am very particular when its comes to typography (line heights, spacing small caps and all caps, etc) and they nailed it just by looking at the PSD — something that other services I’ve used had to be directed to do so. I also enjoyed the ability to discuss the project and changes live with them over Skype opposed to emailing them and waiting for a response. Overall: great customer service and awesome eye for detail for the little things.

Giveaway goodness

I try to give back to you, my readers and supporters as much as possible and with the great generosity of shopHTML I am able to do so again.

We are giving away one free PSD to WordPress conversion and 20% discounts to everyone that leaves a comment on this post to shopHTML, and also two free books, The Elements of Typographic Style and How to Be A Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul, that two readers will win that leave a comment below.

Continue reading on how to enter:

Free books and shopHTML 20% discount code

» Write a comment on this article with your name, email address and a short sentence or two about why you would like to win.

» Subscribe by RSS to www.behoff.com

You will then be contacted via email by the folks over at shopHTML with the 20% discount code (valid for anytime!) at the end of the week (Friday, December 4th).

PSD to WordPress conversion:

» Become friends with myself (@behoff) and shopHTML on Twitter — this way we can DM the winner

» Second, retweet (RT) this article followed by the hashtag #designcubicle — you can use the Retweet button at the bottom of this post if you like, just make sure you include #designcubicle at the end.

One lucky winner will be chosen at random at the end of the week (Friday, December 4th) that tweet with the #designcubicle hashtag.

Again, thank you for all the support you’ve provided TDC in the past year — I am beyond grateful. I look forward to bringing you more great content in the upcoming year.

Mike was a follower of mine on Twitter and after discovering my portfolio, decided to fill out my online Logo Design Project Worksheet. After reading his responses and a few initial phone conversations I felt that Mike and I shared something very similar, and not because we were both independent workers; we both had extreme passion for what we do and also valued thoughtful, relevant design. Continue reading below for a look into Mike Tittel Photography’s logo design process.

Design Brief

Again, Mike, a freelance adventure sports photographer [ view his portfolio ], shoots both editorial and commercial assignments, as well as maintains a stock collection which contains over 45,000 rights managed images. His primary goal, and main reasoning for getting in contact with me, was to reach further into the commercial photography industry and work for clients such as Nike, New Balance, etc. Essentially he was looking to expand his presence and market reach.

A few notes from my clients Logo Worksheet:

• Simple, clean
• Memorable and approachable
• Easy to work with across various mediums
• Something that reflects and works with his portfolio and current colors; background of current website is black

Brainstorming

After reviewing Mike’s portfolio and worksheet responses, my first initial response was to make the logo bold and dense to compliment the beautiful and powerful extreme sports photography he produced. I also felt that a bold logo/mark would lay well over busy images, since the logo would most likely be overprinted on top of busy background and photographs.

Like all my designs I started off with a sketchbook and pencil:

While many of the above sketches are completely unrelated to the produced concepts, sketching is important as it let’s a designer get as many ideas out as possible in a short amount of time — great activity for the brain. Also, when searching for ideas and brainstorming I like to doodle completely unrelated drawings — sort of allows me to free my mind for few minutes, before coming back to a thoughtful process.

Although the final concept was the first presented concept (see concept 3), the first below concepts were produced to have a more action/sports feel to it.

Concept 1

The ‘M’ in Mike was emphasized through the mountain/lightening bolt mark, with the additional two lines emphasizing speed: all which can been seen through my client’s photography.

Concept 2

Drawing from the above concept, a second mark was produced to emphasize speed, direction, balance and strength.

Concept 3 (“The Chosen One”)

Prior to the above concepts, this concept (seen above) was presented to the client first (sometimes we get it right on the first try), which I was particularly excited about. The image captured all of the notes Mike discussed (simple, clean, memorable, reflective of his work, etc.)

While Mike was more drawn to the first two concepts and direction they were headed, I felt that they stemmed too far away from the fact that Mike was a photographer. What Mike and I particularly enjoyed about concept 1 and 2 was the strength and bold feel, so the typeface, Knockout by Hoefler and Frere-Jones brought back the extra punch the first two presented.

The point in the ‘M’ was replaced with an orange lens with the negative space resembling a simplified camera body (see image below). This logo was much more flexible, as the ‘M’ could also be singled-out as a mark on its own. I also told Mike that this logo would turn out to be his own personal “Fedex gem.”

Logo applied to the website

Business cards and stationery

The business cards were printed by Jakprints and implemented a fifth color, metallic silver, on the backside ‘Mike Tittel.’

Testimonial

While it’s not everyday that you get to work with clients that are not only a pleasure to communicate with, but equally as thrilled with the process AND the result, Mike was kind enough to write a fully detailed testimonial, which you can read on his blog.

While this is only the start of a few projects I’ve been working on with Mike and his company, it’s been a pleasure working with him up to this point and wish him and his company the very best success in the future.

A new site for inspiration, resources, and me

Recently I have been working here, there and far in between to finish a redesign and redirection of my personal site, brianhoff.net (see screen shots below). I wanted more of a reflection of my personal design aesthetic (typographic and minimalistic) and focus on content and layout.

I wanted a personal site that not only showcased my work and personal achievements, but also reflected my love of design, learning and sharing — which I used the large bottom footer for.

The bottom footer is an area of my site that I will be updating weekly, with new books, inspiration of the week (beauty of the week) and resources I follow and read.

As an attempt for clients and designers to see what I am currently working on I will be posting images of ‘What I’m Working On’ regardless if they are finished or in the early stages, so you can stay current

Also, the ‘Documents and Link’ section of the footer allows clients to easily access my questionnaires, Standard Form of Agreement, resume and more. Feel free to have a peek.

The About page will also be attended to frequently, specifically in the ‘Eye candy, resources and more’ section on the right. These are items that I found to be helpful in the past week or events I have attended or attending.

Feel free to visit and let me know what you think or resources you would like me to add. Your feedback is welcome.

I’m a new AIGA Philadelphia Committee Member

Recently I was emailed by the chairman of the AIGA Philadelphia chapter as an candidate to write content and articles for AIGA Philadelphia’s website. I will also be taking responsibility organizing more social gatherings for designers and helping designers become more aware of local design events via social media – I might also see me behind the scenes on Twitter via @aigaphilly.

For those unfamiliar with AIGA:

“AIGA, the professional association for design, stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design, and is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution.”

Interviews, interviews, interviews

Recently, I have been getting quite a few interview requests, which include, Neenah Paper’s Twitter Interview and Neenah’s blog interview, MyInkBlog interview, as well as upcoming interviews that include Spyre Studios, Mitch Smith and a few more – so stay tuned!

Events and Conferences

Lately I’ve been attending a heap load of events and conferences. One in particular that inspired and enlightened recently me was ‘Solving Business Problems for Our Clients, Each Step of the Way’ by the incredible folks of Happy Cog East (Philadelphia office).

You can view the slides from the lecture here, but in short it was an enlightening discussion about Happy Cog’s entire process – from the initial talk and project planning to project management, user experience and creative direction.

I also will be attending The Future of Web Design (FOWD) in New York City on Novemeber 16–17th, a speech by Paula Scher in NYC on October 5th and ‘Sustainable Design Strategy Talk’ on October 7th.

Other things I’m currently working on

In addition to the above, did I also mention I am an independent graphic designer? ;) Here’s a list of the projects I’m currently working on:

1. Complete branding for an brand new online-only-based wedding favors and gift company (that’s all I can really say at this point). Projects includes color scheming, logo design, stationery, e-commerce website and merchandising application guides.
2. Laura’s Biscotti website design
3. Mike Tittel Photography rebrand – includes logo design, stationery, WordPress blog customization and two printed promos/booklets. You can read more about Mike and I’s collaboration on his current blog (new blog design still underway).
4. ‘Dreamvast’ logo design
5. Walkies, LLC Search Engine Optimization, Twitter/Facebook integration and website modifications.
6. One-page website for brand identity and information purposes
7. Just wrapping up a logo design for phEYE, which will be posted soon on www.brianhoff.net and on my logo portfolio.
8. So as you can see I’ve been quite busy, so I apologize for the lack of new posts (I typically try to post two a week plus a weekend round-up, aka. Sweet Tweets) but lately I have only complied one weekly post, plus the weekend feature.

PS. I’m also working on a redesign of The Design Cubicle ;)

How about the rest of you – what fun or exciting projects are you working on? Planning on attending any of the events? Future of Web Design anyone?

In case you missed the Twitterview, I have recapped it below and have also expanded upon some of my responses, since I was limited to 140 characters at a time. There was also time devoted at the end for questions, which I included below as well. You can also read it on Twitter via the hashtag #brianhoff.

The Twitterview

1. Tell us a little about yourself, what makes you tick?

I’m an independent graphic designer specializing in identity design [ www.brianhoff.net ] and writer of The Design Cubicle

EXTENDED: While my passion and most experience is in branding and logo development I am also capable in all forms of print and web design. My love of design lies in typography.

2. You have a pretty successful blog – written up by HOW Magazine’s (@HOWmag) Top 10  Blogs. You originally did not start out as a writer, correct?

Yes, but I found blogging to be more personal. I wanted to share my insights and experiences and felt that I had value to offer my readers.

EXTENDED: In school I often struggled with writing because you were typically forced to write for a certain amount of pages and on a topic that was not of interest (or very little interest) to you. The tone of blogging is more speaking out from a personal, more friendly approach. It showcases both my experience and my personality. The longer I’ve been blogging, I feel the better the writer I am becoming.

3. I’m sure many others out there share your feeling. So, how did you make the transition into writing?

I started off reading many, and I mean many, design blogs and felt through my experience and passion for design that I had something to offer.

EXTENDED: I started writing about topics that interested me, or experiences that I have come across through my own work and business. Although there are designers out there that read my posts and already know the information I am discussing, there are equally as many readers that do not. Everyone always has something of value to offer.

4. Other than your own work, whose creative work do you most admire?

Tough one to answer, but if I had to choose one I’d say Jason Santa Maria (@jasonsantamaria). Jason really nails the problem solving aspect of a designer.

He’s a web designer with a print design background, much like myself. His work displays heavy print influences and beautiful typography.

EXTENDED: Jason’s work is always relevant to his medium. It’s accessible, readable and intuitive. His work is aimed around the user.

5. In a word, describe your first response to a new project.

It’s more of a sound effect… “Woop!”

6. Out in the blogosphere, name two people you’d like to meet for a drink.

I’d have to say David Airey (@davidairey) and Jacob Cass (@justcreative). They are two guys that influenced my blogging endeavors and seem very approachable.

I enjoy the way they mix both personal and business into their blogs and since reading them have felt connected to them as writers.

EXTENDED: In a word where everything is becoming so static and on the internet, having a ‘face’ to your site really helps with building trust and establishing a connection, which is why both David and Jacob are successful. We want to know more about them and their work.

7. Any advice for those listening on how to best use social media to promote themselves/their businesses?

Interacting online is the same as interacting/networking in person. Build trust and relationships and the rest will follow.

My blog/site generates 99% of my work because those reading have insight into my work and practices. Trust equals business.

EXTENDED: It’s also important to note that building trust is not all about promoting yourself. Help others, give credit where credit is due and build friendships. Building a brand is not about what colors or font you use; it’s about building a culture, a feeling around your business.

8. How do you answer the age old design question “How do I get more work?”

Being a great designer is one thing, but at the end of the day you have to know how to talk about and sell your services and brand/business.

EXTENDED: Work is not going to find you. You have to hustle for what you want and work as hard as you can to get there. For more on work ethic see Gary Vaynerchuck!

9. What can we expect to see from you in the near future?

More blogging, designing, and local Philly conferences/meetups that I would like to host to bring more independent designers together.

Questions from the listeners

Did you feel like you were a good enough writer when you started blogging?

Writing was never my strong point, but blogging is more like speaking out and engaging in a first person conversation.

Like other things, you have to work at it to get better, so hopefully my writing has improved since launching TDC in November.

What does the breakfast of a champion look like, or rather, consist of?!

A bowl of peanut butter puffs, Special K bar, and a hot cup of tea… basically I eat the breakfast of a 2-year old, minus the tea :)

What’s been your best/favorite project so far?

I’m working on a HUGE branding project that I cannot currently discuss at this time but its going to be great… It’s been an 8 month project so far, but nearing launch.

Don’t worry I will keep everyone posted!

Did you start as a freelancer? Did you transition from a full-time position? How was that process?

I’ve worked only freelance due to the bad economy when I graduated schooling. The job market pay and work was less than I wanted so I was determined to get my own work and do it on my own and here I am! *My favorite question!

Approximately what percentage of your time do you feel you give to writing vs. your design work?

I work from about 8:30am until 5:30pm and then blog around 8 at night about 2–3 times a week.

Can we have some advice/hope for designers about to graduate?

You just have to be determined and love what you do and work as hard as you can for what you love… build relationships!

Have any more questions or would like answers expanded upon? Feel free to ask away in the comments below.

Defining the goal

Each of my brand identity projects starts with a logo questionnaire, which assists in gaining as much information from the client as possible and helps define the goal early on in the process.

Working close with my clients is essential and I try to take their initial ideas and expand on their keywords and company objectives.

Below are some of the information, keywords and addition details they provided:

• Something delicate – like children’s hands
• Organic (nature, trees, butterflies, birds, flowers, leaves, nest with baby birds)
• Owl, maybe with mother owl with baby owl under wing
• Children’s art
• Color preferences: earth tones; greens, blues, yellows, browns.

Sketching and brainstorming

Stemming off the initial ideas and concepts of the client, I began to take my ideas to paper. I wanted to play off the idea of a ‘helping-hand’, trust, delicacy, growth and development. Below you can view a few of the pages from my sketchbook:

Once I started to have a solid idea for the direction I thought would work best, I took a few of my initial sketches to the computer and began to expand on the ideas.

Concept 1 and 2

The first mark seen below, was created to take on a variety of symbolism with the two hands forming to create a heart. The hands symbolized a helping hand, while conveying trust, delicacy and care. The mark also symbolized leaves or flower petals which encouraged growth and development in the young children.

The client enjoyed this concept the most but felt (as well as myself) that it needed to be a bit more dynamic, which can be seen in later examples.

The second mark presented to the client seen below, expanded on the hand concept but more in an interweaving way. Not only were the hands interlocked giving the ‘helping hand’ approach but also formed the ‘S’ for Special in the negative space.

Expanding on the idea

As mentioned above, my client really enjoyed the symbolism and simplicity of the first concept presented, although we both felt that it needed something a bit more.

By replicating the first presented concept I was able to add an additional element to the logo, making it more dynamic and visually interesting. Once again it symbolized a “helping hand”, trust, care, growth and development, but with the addition of the 3 other replicated marks it also helped bring together the network and community aspect — since A Special Need helps find and place nannies with parents of special need children.

Deciding on the typeface

Once the above mark was approved I moved on to the typeface, which you can see some of the variations below:

Chosen idea

The chosen mark was complimented with Emigre’s Mrs. Eaves typeface. Mrs. Eaves is a beautiful serif with a bit of a quirky and a less sophisticated side than other serifs can give off.

Color options

Sticking with my clients suggestions of an earth-toned color palette, I decided to “brown down” some of my color options which you can see below. These were the six presented to the client to make the final decision.

Overview

As you can see, A Special Need’s logo clearly works at varying sizes because of the not over complicated mark and works well as black, reversed out (white) and color. It can also be easily adaptable to fit vertical and horizontal positioning and has a meaningful mark which represents the company’s objectives and goals—all which help a logo become more flexible.

The entire project lasted approximately 3 weeks from start to finish and will be used across a variety of print and web applications.

This time I ask you the opposite, What’s the best part of being a Graphic Designer? While every designer has his or her own gripes when it comes to our professions, at the end of a stressful day I can sit back and honestly say I love what I do – creating, thinking, problem solving… making the world a better looking place!

My love for graphic design stems from my passion to create while solving problems. It’s like combining art and math class – you get to create something stunning while figuring out the best solution. Also, the ability to represent yourself and your client through your work is an honorable feeling.

Here are a few responses I received from other designers, including links to their Twitter accounts, that answers the question of why they love being Graphic Designers.

• Kevin J. Furst: Being able to do what you love and make a living doing it. I am able to work with clients while doing my own thing on the side working on pro-bono projects donating my time to others. Through design we all have the ability to make a difference and that is what I love to do. Design for Change.
• @kivodesigns: Every day is different and there is such a great community of designers
• @osvaldas: It’s about being able to control people minds by creating a visual object. Will people like it or hate it, depends on the result you designed. But it’s so pleasing to understand that all the possibilities are in your hands – it’s just the matter of how well you will use it!
• Kyle Garzia (@KGD22): Being able to see something that starts as just an idea or a sketch and turning that into a full functional, living and breathing identity for your client. It’s like having a baby and seeing it grow before your eyes. There’s nothing better than completing the job and moving on to the next one, and later receiving a follow up from that client some time later saying how much that job has helped his company/project grow.
• Matt Spire: When you present something to your client that inspires them to see in themselves what your design exposes.
• Gretchen: That rush you get when you deliver a design solution that significantly impacts the clients bottom line. There is something so empowering about creating something out of nothing and having it make a difference in someone else’s world.
• @Megalongcat: When I create a successful brand identity that reaches across a broad market spectrum. It’s one thing to appeal to a niche, it’s another thing to alienate everyone else.
• Kyle Steed (@kylesteed): I love solving problems and finding solutions. And to me, that’s what graphic design is. Of course we get to do it in a visual way using colors, shapes, images and words to convey our message. And that is such a thrill for me. But it’s not just creating work that is fun for me, it’s looking at other peoples work and seeing what they’re doing. Especially looking at work from overseas. I really like the Japanese approach to graphic design. Being a designer allows you to break down language barriers and be understood by all.
• Jenny Leonard: I live to be creative. As a freelancer I choose what companies and clients I take on and that gives me the freedom to work for companies and people I feel passionate about and create work that inspires and meets expectations. I can work in a variety of environments by taking my laptop and working from anywhere in the world. I’ve worked remotely from almost all of South America and all over the US… and of course my home city: Houston, TX. I get paid to be creative and come up with great ideas??? What else is there?!?
• Joann Sondy: That I get to pick projects and say ‘no’ to others. But more importantly, the variety of clients and industries that I have encountered in my career working closely with seasoned PR/IR executives.
• @RBKartworks: I have full license to be me when I tell people I’m a designer. I am by no means an airy fairy artsy fartsy, but in discussions I often look outside the box. Some of my questions or answers can throw people off. I inevitably get “What do you do for a living?”. When I answer Graphic Designer it can diffuse, cause curiosity, and/or continue the conversation in a interesting vein. I am myself because I do everyday what I inherently love, it’s a freedom many want but don’t have.
• @djschwin: having access to the cool projects that my clients are working on. Whether it’s a restaurant, a socially-conscious nonprofit, or a CD cover, I get to be in on the ground floor and help the client shape his or her vision. It’s a great marriage of skills: what I know how to do helps them communicate what they know how to do so well.
• @jeffvalois: watching your client proudly display your work or hand it out to their clients. Knowing that a company wants to use your creativity to grow their business is sometimes much more rewarding than the check you get for the actual work.
• @mark_denton: While I’m not actually a designer, I am a writer/marketer who works in a design studio. For me, the best part of being in this business is that almost everything you do can be viewed as something that informs or enhances your work. If you are a dentist, or an accountant, or a pilot, there are a fairly narrow range of activities that you can say make you better at your job. As a designer, though, everything from sunsets to visits to the grocery store and afternoons spent in a museum are making you better at what you do. When you can, in a sense, “write off” almost everything you do as work related, it makes it all that much easier to both enjoy a life full of extraordinary adventures and see meaning and beauty in mundane, everyday activities.
• @DerekLand: Is Creativity.Very seldom do I get bored when I’m working – there’s always something new to do, or I find some new way to apply what I know, or I am necessitated to learn something new to make the project successful.

Is Freedom. Working for myself as a designer I can set my own hours – I don’t have to to submit for time off, I can finish a project quickly and not be docked for hours I didn’t work. Much work is over the internet, which means ability to live almost anywhere (theoretically).

Is Challenge. Rather than stagnating or letting some app do the heavy lifting, I can test myself to do things I otherwise wouldn’t attempt. More often than not, I can do much more than I realize if I set my mind to it.

Is Helpfulness. For the most part, if there is any question, the abundance of knowledge is fantastic, and most are more than willing to share their knowledge and help if they can.

What’s the best part of your job as a Graphic Designer? What inspired you to join the profession?

Vivid Ways logo

by Chris Spooner

LTD Logo

by DryIcons

WebMynd logo

by Dache

Metro Aviation logo

by Chuck Green

Silkbox logo

by Abduzeedo

joomlabamboo logo

by ImJustCreative

ProBlogger logo

by makalumedia

Social Signal logo

by duoh!

HotBox Studios logo

by dache

Scroll Magazine logo

by Veerle

Brainstorm logo

by Abduzeedo

Just Creative Design logo

by Jacob Cass

VISSUMO logo

by David Airey

Jigsaw Internet logo

by David Airey

Ultimate Potential logo

by Jacob Cass

Otus logo

by Down With Design

The Design Cubicle logo

Step 1: Defining the problem and understanding the goal

Getting the right amount of details and having a clear understanding of a client’s problems and goals from the beginning is the most important factor when starting a new logo design.

Asking questions such as, How does your company differ from its competitors?, What keywords should best describe your new logo?, or What type of logos typically appeal to you?, will help you and your clients become more on the same page and set up for a successful deliverable. Personally, each of my clients receives an interactive Logo Handout that asks questions about their company and project.

Step 2: Research

After receiving the Logo Handout and initiating phone conversation to get additional details the handout did not provide, I begin researching their company and competitors to get a better feel for their market – this helps in the overall look and message the final logo conveys.

Step 3: Inspiration

Every so often I’ll flip through some logo design books or online logo galleries to get the creative juices flowing. When not designing I focus as much as possible on bettering my own skills and becoming a more aware designer, this way I stay inspired and helps when approaching new work.

Step 4: Sketching and mind mapping

My designs, whether it’s logos or websites, always start off on paper. This allows me to get my brain moving in the right direction and get down as many ideas as possible. Jumping directly onto the computer can slow the creative process – it takes more time to execute ideas and one can tend to pay more attention to minuet details early on. Mind mapping also helps in exploring and growing your topic. You can easily expand upon ideas and keywords. Consider it the sketching of keywords.

Step 5: Digital implementation

After I’ve seen some sketches starting to come alive and take form, I then take my ideas to the computer. My software of choice is typically Adobe Illustrator for creating logos. Lines and shapes in Illustrator use vectors that are easily scalable and retain consistent clarity.

I also in the early stages of the process I do not add color until I have decided on a couple of ideas that I feel are successful or the client would like to see more of. This allows me to focus more on the mark itself — a good logo should work well in both black, white and color.

Step 5, 7 and 9: Client feedback

Working closely with my clients is not only essential to my business objectives, but without a doubt helps in the process of creating a logo that represents them and their company.

I do my best to touch base with my clients frequently and get their feedback through various stages of the logo design process. This also helps in building their trust, as the gain a better understanding of what their money is being invested into.

Step 6: More digital implementation

After some client feedback I tend to head back to the computer and make changes or provide additional samples. This gives me the chance to take in more ideas from the client and understand their vision more clearly after the initial feedback.

Step 8: Color and typefaces

After I’m at least 80% satisfied with the logos I have so designed I play around with color combination and font variation.

I typically provide my clients with at least 3 different logo samples, each having color variations and typefaces that work well with the mark and company’s message.

Step 10: Final revisions

After the client comes to an agreement of the best overall solution for their logo, I will go in and make any additional minor changes I feel are neccessary, if need be.

At this stage I’ll also mock-up what their new logo will look like on their existing website or stationery. This helps your clients see how the logo works as a collective, not just a stand alone object.

Step 11: Delivering the files

Check out my list of what you should get from your logo designer.

Phase 1: Defining the goal

The goal was to create a logo that was memorable, represented the cubicle concept and showed a sense of community and connectedness, as discussed above. I also wanted it to be simple and smart, since I am a firm believer that less is more. It also had to work well in various sizes, since it was to be used as the site’s favicon and other smaller online propaganda.

Phase 2: Sketching and visual brainstorming

Sketching is an extremely important step of any design process. It helps to get your ideas down quickly and without attention to unnecessary detail in the beginning. Below, you can see where the final logo was starting to take form in the sketches circled in red.

Phase 3: Bringing the above ideas to the computer

Once I had some groundwork to pull from, I opened up Illustrator and did some “computer sketching”, playing around with various combinations and more ideas. Notice below that some of the ideas steered away from the initial goal, but sometimes turning another direction gets you back on the correct path — Guess that’s why it’s called a creative “process.”

Phase 4: Narrowing it down

Most of the time I find myself going back to repeat phases 2 and 3 before narrowing my ideas down to two or three choices. This phase is usually the point where I start playing around with variations and typefaces of the ideas from phase 3.  This stage was particularly hard for me for this specific logo because I like both the right and left side variations.

Phase 5: Making the decision

While the final decision was tough, I decided to go with the “double cubicle”. I felt it had more of a suggestion of cubicles and ‘DC’. It connected back to the goal of portraying a sense of community and connectedness with two cubicles that were intertwined. What do you think?

Which variation in Phase 4 do you prefer?

Feedback is always appreciated and serves as a valuable step in the creative process. Feel free to add a comment or share your thoughts.