DELANE CREATIVE: blog

I want to say a quick THANK YOU to the over 1200+ followers over on Logo Hunting! It’s been an awesome year discovering new and old logos and the people behind them. Next week we are back with more logos for your inspiration! 

What Makes A Truly Great Logo - Michael Bierut

2015 Wrap-Up of Re-Designed Logos

Some of the logo re-designs of 2015, Google’s re-design was a thumbs up for me. The Penn State refresh, not so much. 

Leafs by Snoop 

Brand Identity & Packaging by Pentagram’s Emily Oberman

If you keep up with Pentagram’s recent body of work, then you’ve seen Emily Oberman’s take on Snoop Dogg’s new line of marijuana-based products, Leafs by Snoop. Designing for this emerging industry has its share of restraints, both design and legal wise, coupled with the pressure of defining how this product will stand out amongst the cliches of weed culture. Oberman and team have successfully incorporated what they call “California cool” with Snoop Dogg’s signature style (how awesome is that custom paisley print!) for a really great brand identity.

I’ve read countless blog articles about the decision making process when it concerns rebranding. All of them come down to making sure the rebrand is absolutely necessary. For me, re-designing all aspects of my freelance design business, DeLane Creative, was just that. The assets I once designed no longer felt like they belonged with my brand. As my business was growing, so was my experience and skill level. The logo I had designed before reflected the beginning stages in my skills and I now needed it to reflect my current level.

My original logo didn’t allow for easy manipulation to adapt to various projects. I embarrassingly deleted the original Illustrator file and couldn’t edit the glasses the way I needed to. This gave me a great opportunity to re-create the logo into something more versatile. I decided upon a solid frame for my glasses, which more closely resembled my own glasses, where the logo originates.

I also decided to add a splash of color to the identity. Black and white has always been a go-to color scheme for me, but I believe the identity would benefit from a light blue. Color psychology states that blue brings feelings of dependability, trust and strength, all things that describe the tone of my business and what I bring to my clients.

I kept the main font, Aleo, and added Source Sans Pro as a companion. The wordmark originally featured the font using two different weights. For the new design I decided on the same weight for fluidity. 

I throughly enjoyed the process of this rebrand and the experience it gave me for future clients. The identity feels modern and clean now, a graphic style I often emulate in my designs. I’m back in love with my brand’s identity. 

Yes, ladies and gentleman that is Aaron James Draplin. And yes I was there to witness him speak. Since I know this will eventually end up as a fan letter to Draplin, I’ll share my experience at my first GIANT Conference, first. 

Early morning on the second day of the conference I found myself at the registration table getting instructions about my volunteer shift. Volunteering at design/tech conferences has been the easiest and most cost-efficient way for me to attend awesome talks and meet fellow creatives. Usually, for just a few hours of my time I’m granted full access to the conference and its main events. 

GIANT Conf is described as “the place for people who do rad work,” and it is. I applaud them for having such a diverse range of speakers and topics and it all flowing so well. This is the main reason I was interested in GIANT this year. I’ll admit that Aaron Draplin was a big pull for me, but speakers like Sonya Looney intrigued me as well. Her talk, “Why Linus needs to Ditch his Blanket; Hacking beyond the perimeter of the comfort zone” really motivated me to seek opportunities that I normally wouldn’t. Listening to her experiences as a professional mountain biker was exciting as well.

Couldn’t talk about a conference without mentioning the awesome swag bag I received and the other goodies from the sponsors. STICKERS!!! 

Mr. Aaron Draplin. Being such a fan of him already means that I’ve watched every video available on the internet of his speaking engagements. I know his rise to greatness better than he does. Going into the talk I was expecting “Tall Tales from a Large Man” which I’ve heard, but never in person. I was certainly surprised when “Graphic Treasures of the American Underbelly” came up on the screen. This talk focused more on Draplin’s search for the timeless logos while “junking” across America. He told stories of people he’s met along the way, whether it be in an airport or a yard sale and how those interactions strengthen his passions. 

Even before hearing this talk, I began paying more attention to older and somewhat forgotten logos, around me in flea markets and consignment shops. And like Draplin, I’ve also keep a record of them with photos taken on my iPhone.

After listening to Aaron talk I always feel inspired and ready to take on whatever project there is, big or small. The thing I like most about him is that he takes projects that aren’t money-motivated and has still managed to become the amazing world-renowned designer he is. Money hasn’t been a defining factor in my design work and I hope to keep it that way. I want to be able to help the little people and the big people of the world, equally. Thanks for the inspiration and guidelines, Aaron. 

GIANT Conf is definitely one I want to continue to attend in the future. I met a lot of great people, swapped a few business cards, and heard some really awesome speakers. Can’t wait for next year in Charleston, SC!

Something’s weird here. It looks like Facebook...but something feels a little off.

Oh. I see. Facebook thought that their logo needed some adjustments. SMH.

I’m glad Facebook decided not to tell anyone about this.

Social media giant, Facebook changed its iconic logotype and unveiled it with no big announcements. My theory is they didn’t want to draw attention to their decision to make a seemingly unnecessary change. 

The 10-year old logotype was one we could all quickly recognize and it still is. So what’s Facebook’s justifications behind the change? Facebook creative director Josh Higgins states that Facebook “set out to modernize the logo to make it feel more friendly and approachable.”  

Along with friendly and approachable, comes a more mobile-friendly font, as Howard Belk, Siegel+Gale CCO told to the Wall Street Journal. Ha! There it is. Optimizing the font for better views on mobile devices is a change I can understand. 

The new logo was designed in-house with the help of Process Type Foundry’s Eric Olson, whose font Klavika was used in the original.

Thanks to Brand New for the comparison of the new and old font:

Wall Street Journal

Brand by Hand by Sara Marshall

Pentagram’s new work for Bike New York.

Picture it, August 2010. I was looking for stickers to adorn my new MacBook and I somehow found a cupcake with cross bones underneath. This simple black and white sticker became the first (and only sticker that has stood the test of time) to grace the coveted space on my laptop.

Johnny Cupcake’s creator Johnny Earle was born an entrepreneur. Growing up he sold everything from yearbooks, candy, and whoopee cushions to his friends and classmates. He was a prankster that knew how to make it profitable. It should come as no surprise then that the Johnny Cupcakes brand began as a joke.

As the story goes, while getting t-shirts made for his band, Johnny decided to make a few with his nickname, “Johnny Cupcakes” printed on them. The rest of his story includes the brand’s unbelievably loyal fan base and how their word-of-mouth advertisement made the brand’s rise in the streetwear (or strEATwear) /t-shirt niche reach unimaginable heights. By creating an experience for his customers, Johnny Earle has created a genius brand.

What makes Johnny Cupcakes unique to me is the experience you gain through the brand. Most brands don’t invest the time and money to make each visit to their store, whether online or physical, memorable the way Johnny Earle has done with the Johnny Cupcakes brand. The original t-shirt designs are unforgettable, but the brand frequently collaborates with brands that its fans are familiar with, which only draws them and new fans into the Cupcakes community more. Every detail of the brand’s business has been meticulously looked over to find a way to make the customer's experience more distinctive. Custom packaging, sometimes fun or weird items added to orders, bakeries serving as storefronts, and the t-shirt’s limited edition runs all make Johnny Cupcakes stand out and above the rest.

While in LA a couple of months ago, I made a list of the essential things to do during my only full day there. Visiting the Johnny Cupcakes “bakery” on Melrose was on top of the list. Being a big fan of the brand, I already knew what was in store for my visit, but I went anyway. I had to see it for myself.

The best part of my visit was witnessing one of the brand’s favorite and most famous pranks unfold. Two women walked in the store expecting to find freshly baked cupcakes, but found t-shirts with cupcakes on them instead. That was worth the trip alone.

A small pocket-sized notebook. It's a designer essential. Any designer worth their weight is carrying a Field Notes or similar brand, notebook in their pocket daily. They’re great for sketches, jotting down quick notes (like this blog post), and anything thing else you can think to write or draw.

I've never been one for carrying paper with me. I've always preferred my phone to quickly type in Notes or add something to Wunderlist. Recently I received a free notebook from Dissolve and I started to carry it with me. One day while attempting to catch up on the endless amount of saved articles in Pocket, I thought about sketching the iconic London Underground Roundel that I was reading about. Thus began my renewed love for pen and paper.

Knowing I have the notebook instantly makes me want to write down my ideas, instead of picking up my phone. Later on I “digitize” them into whatever app I’m currently using. Throughout the day, if I see a cool logo, instead of taking a picture, my first thought is to sketch it. Or, if I’m reading an article, I’ll jot down a quote or summarize the main points. Using the notebook has changed the way I think before designing. Every time I open the notebook and see past sketches, it inspires me all over again.

Coca-Cola is one of the most easily recognized brands in the world. From its signature ribbon type to its iconic, highly discernible bottle, Coca Cola is a leader in packaging design and brand identity. This new strategy hopes to revive Coke’s plunging profits with the initiative rolling out first, in Spain. If the change is profitable, a global initiative will begin by summer.

I LOVE this new direction and I hope Coca-Cola's profits increase enough for the design to be shared with the rest of the world. Somehow, Coke has simplified their identity even more while still keeping with tradition and unifying elements of different products.

via Packaging of The World and Fast Company

Really great work with the animation, and of course these iconic logos.