It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and as such, I’ve just launched Identity Designed — a showcase and forum for those involved in the design of brand identities.

There are five case studies to read, with plenty more lined-up:

• Believe in
• Wright Brothers
• Miller & Green
• Channel 4
• Offsetters

If you like what you see, grab the RSS feed, or get updates via email.

Obligatory Twitter and Facebook pages:

• on Twitter
• on Facebook

I do hope you enjoy.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• From logos to identity (60)
• Improve your portfolio with pro bono design (53)
• Top 50 graphic design blogs updated (36)
• Top 50 graphic design blogs (225)
• Customize your WordPress login (83)

Some worthwhile qualities designer Jerry Kuyper tries to achieve when creating identity standards.

Strategic
Focus on why it is important and what the company is trying to achieve, not just how to do it.

Visual
Demonstrations are often more effective than lengthy text.

Easy-to-understand
Develop content that is engaging and avoid unnecessary jargon.

Short
20 pages of useful information may be more effective than 50 pages. Don’t include filler, such as unnecessary information on how to create a business card, when templates are more effective.

Respectful
Understand who will be using the standards and don’t insult their intelligence.

Balanced
Identify the appropriate balance between structure and flexibility. Too much flexibility results in complete chaos, too much structure results in lifeless communications.

Digital
For interim standards, create pdf files that can viewed online, emailed or downloaded and printed the standards can eventually be established as an online identity resource. Most printed sets of guidelines are expensive, become outdated and out of print. (GE printed up 2,000 copies of their 400 page standards in 1987, none were available after the first year)

Scalable
Digital files that can be expanded or revised help to establish that identity management isn’t a static or one time event.

Good advice.

The qualities were originally published on Tony Spaeth’s excellent Identityworks. I recommend a visit for numerous examples of guidelines and standards manuals. A few more links here.

I lifted the colour variations image at the top from one of my favourite guideline manuals — Christopher Doyle Identity Guidelines 2008 (the link downloads a PDF file approximately 1MB in size). Doyle was worthy winner of a yellow pencil at the 2009 D&AD Awards for his efforts.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Where to find contextual image templates for your brand identity presentations (29)
• What if: Sydenham (28)
• No Weight Gain Chocolate (17)
• goTeach brand identity design (40)
• How to convince your clients they need a brand, not just a logo (32)

“People should feel that goTeach, whilst being a newcomer in this sector, is a professional service that is encouraging and strong and ambitious (for them) and safe (for schools to advertise and for job seekers to explore opportunities).”
— GOTEACH

It was a requirement that the domain extension be clearly shown in the logotype.

From the notebook

Read how these very simplistic mind-maps benefit my design process in this free chapter from my book — Logo Design Love: From Pencil to PDF (1MB download size).

Logo

The accompanying symbol identifies the career ladder that goTeach users are actively climbing.

Colour codes

Logo adaptability

Client comments

“Thank you for all your good work in creating and refining the goTea.ch logo/brand identity. It has a ‘presence’ which feels right.

“You have shaken up my thinking for which I am grateful. I had not thought of applying different themes to the logo symbol. It certainly creates a uniqueness that stands out. I would appreciate it if I could come back to you in the future to have some further themes developed.

“Thank you also for guiding me throughout the design process. It was educational and illuminating and I do appreciate the care you took very much.”
— MICHAEL BRENNAN, GOTEACH

It was a real pleasure working with Michael, and I very much look forward to seeing what Andy Clarke (of Malarkey) does for the web side of the project.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Ganze brand identity design (43)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part I (29)
• Qualities to achieve in identity standards (2)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part II (43)
• Aspect 46 brand identity design (40)

My client listed “young, funky, and cool” as keywords for the project, and wanted a design that would work in single colour (helping with print costs on bespoke t-shirt runs). The Ganze type was custom-designed using the rolling surf as inspiration.

Scalability

In context

I’ve moved home two or three times since completing this project some years ago, but I’m hoping my sketches aren’t packed too far away and I can update with penned ideas.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• goTeach brand identity design (40)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part I (29)
• Qualities to achieve in identity standards (2)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part II (43)
• Aspect 46 brand identity design (40)

Creative director: Dave Watson
Designers: David Taylor, Chris Zwada

Yellow Pages logo: before (top) and after (below)

——

Update:

TAXI’s Dave Watson had this to say (responding to your questions in the comment thread):

“The challenge for rebranding YP was huge. The brief was simple but daunting. Create a new logo that reflects the company’s new digital focus without throwing away the HUGE brand equity in the name, colour and the ‘walking fingers.’ Not easy.

“After a few rounds of “sketches” and thought-starter meetings with the clients, we started to understand what they were looking for. We asked all the standard Corporate ID questions: Which brands do you admire, what do you want to communicate? Etc. So at this point we knew visually what they wanted….but from my perspective it wasn’t enough.

“My favourite IDs always have an insight or a visual pun (in a good way.) FedEX, the classic Rand UPS logo etc. Basically I wanted a larger concept. During a few of our meetings with the client they kept talking about connectivity. About how they want Yellow Pages to be the thing that connects everybody to everything. Not long after that we stumble onto a Buddhist proverb entitled “a pebble for your pocket”. A simple story that teaches of the interconnectedness of all things. Hence the pebble. Subtle: Yes. The new logo is a balancing act of one foot in the past and one in the future.

“We feel that the new logo, combined with the visual language, achieves all of the communication goals the clients have. Just like with the Apple logo, if and when the “web 2.0” look becomes a thing of the past, a strong logo mark will remain.”

——

Thanks again to TAXI for sharing the work, and all the very best to Yellow Pages, too.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Qualities to achieve in identity standards (2)
• goTeach brand identity design (40)
• Ganze brand identity design (43)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part I (29)
• Where to find contextual image templates for your brand identity presentations (29)

Previous Yellow Pages logo

The mandate for the logo refinement could be summed up in this single statement — “to free the icon from print without losing its essence.”

With priorities having shifted online, the pages of the book (the yellow section in the symbol above) were no longer deemed appropriate enough for such obvious use.

Download the project design brief (36k .doc — as supplied by Yellow Pages).

A logo reference guide was also supplied at the beginning of the project (shown below).

Preparatory work

Before addressing the Yellow Pages logo I was asked to present the board with a number of successful logo refinements from other companies, detailing why I thought each one worked. A very brief description behind some of my choices can be seen in these successful logo redesigns. Four of the strongest designs shown through the link are Dolby, Toys R Us, NFL, and MSNBC.

Another task was to compare the in-use logo with those of the Yellow Pages “friends.”

Although related by name and service, each business operates in a different global location, and is run as an independent organisation (hence the separate logo designs).

Focusing on the symbol

The “walking fingers” icon was where most of the design change would occur, and it was clear to me that the actual look of the fingers needed addressing.

I thought the original bulge (shown above-left) created an unnecessarily top-heavy look, and that the pointed thumb-nail was overly feminine.

The in-use logo (above-left) was tested with the new hand (above-right). The new icon was tried with and without a border or background colour (below).

The hand was improved, but the question was posed: “Is there enough of a change to warrant spending $1M?” A clearly valid question, too. We were just starting with the experimentation, and worked through options including a ring on one finger, referencing the Canadian flag, showing a more abstract book, and even incorporating a dart alongside the “walking fingers” (a specific request by the board, to tie in with a dart symbol that was used on the website).

In November 2008, after a number of months working with the senior brand manager, I was told the company was undergoing some internal restructuring, and that the project would be placed on hold until the new year. The new year came and went, and after checking in with my client in May 2009, the project was still on hold, with the entire communications strategy now being reconsidered.

In March 2010 a new logo was unveiled (shown below), created by Canadian design agency TAXI. The creative director from TAXI, Dave Watson, very kindly contacted me showing the work his team carried out with Yellow Pages, and I’ll give you an insight into their design process in my next blog article.

Drop by in a few days to view TAXI’s developmental work, or save yourself a little time by subscribing for updates by email or by RSS.

——

Update: 09 April 2010
You can view part II of the Yellow Pages logo refinement here.

——

I enjoyed my time working with Yellow Pages, and I wish the company every success with the new brand identity. A big thanks to TAXI for sharing the upcoming design work, too.

Excerpt image credit.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• goTeach brand identity design (40)
• Ganze brand identity design (43)
• Qualities to achieve in identity standards (2)
• Yellow Pages logo refinement part II (43)
• Aspect 46 brand identity design (40)

From the notebook

In context

Client comments

“David exceeded my expectations in all areas of the logo design process. His creative thinking, professionalism and communication was exceptional and I’d highly recommend David for any project.”
— NATE KAY, ASPECT 46

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Hilcon brand identity design (68)
• Henri Ehrhart brand identity design (111)
• VISSUMO brand identity design (50)
• Ingalls brand identity design (58)
• Giacom brand identity design (76)

You’re a graphic design student with a portfolio full of fictitious projects. You want to work with clients to build your experience, but you need a more developed portfolio to attract the clients. A classic catch-22.

That’s when working pro bono proves extremely useful.

Read on to learn why, and for a chance to win one of five signed copies of Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities.

What is pro bono?

Pro bono publico (usually shortened to pro bono) is a phrase derived from Latin meaning “for the public good.” The term is generally used to describe professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment as a public service.

Unlike traditional volunteerism, pro bono uses the specific skills of professionals to provide services to those who are unable to afford them.

What business should you approach?

Contact a small- to medium-sized non-profit organisation. Larger non-profits will have a substantial budget allocated to their brand identity, and are more likely to work with an experienced professional or studio.

Conduct an online search or look in your telephone directory for a non-profit in your locality. The benefit of staying local is you can meet your new client face-to-face. Doing so will not only help build your confidence in business meetings, but it makes it easier to ensure you’re dealing with the decision-maker rather than passing design ideas through a middle-person — adding an unnecessary step to the design process.

There are further benefits with working locally. For instance, once the project is complete, you will have the opportunity to take photos of the finished design in context (e.g., on signage and stationery). It’s these contextual shots that can turn an average portfolio into an excellent one.

Additionally, you’re building your network of local business contacts, and the stronger your network, the more tools and help you will have available throughout your design career.

How to make the approach

It’s important to talk to the person directly responsible for the visual branding. In a small-sized non-profit this is likely to be the managing director or chief executive.

Call or send an email pitching yourself as a talented designer who is about to, or has recently graduated with a design degree. Say it’s your policy to devote a small percentage of time towards pro bono work (for the public good), and that your client’s non-profit mission is one you have a great deal of respect for (this should of course be true).

Detail the savings you are offering your client (your standard rate for an identity project, only discounted by 100%). Doing so will ensure the value of the outcome isn’t underestimated, and helps keep your client motivated.

Arrange a 30-minute meeting, where you will discuss the design needs and set a course of action.

In the meeting

Arrive with a list of pre-determined questions, a notepad, a pen, and your business card (which you will hand over at the end).

It’s possible your client is anxious about the process of having a brand identity created or redesigned. She may see ideas as a risk, and not as a way to secure her mortgage. So the more indepth your initial discussions, the more at ease you will make your client. It may be that it’s her first time working on an identity project, and it’s up to you to show how smoothly the process can flow.

Be sure to time the meeting, and if you haven’t finished within 30 minutes, say you have reached the end of the allocated time, and that you can call or email your client at a later date for any other necessary information — your client will be very busy, and will appreciate you sticking to your pre-arranged time limit.

Questions to ask

The crux of a healthy graphic design brief lies in the questions you pose. Obtaining the necessary answers isn’t difficult. You just need to ask.

If you want specifics, I outline a number of vital questions in chapter four of Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities, and I have five free signed copies up for grabs.

Photo by Raja Sandhu

There are two ways to enter the random draw:

1. Either upload one of your favourite self-designed logos to the Logo Design Love Facebook group
2. Or update your Twitter account with the following message:

Improve your portfolio with pro bono design: http://bit.ly/cfkg1m (by @DavidAirey)

Winners will be drawn and notified on Friday 26th February. I’ll also update this page with the winning names. Two signed copies will go to designers who upload to the Facebook group, and three to those who spread the word on Twitter. Double your chances by entering both ways.

——

Update: 26 February 2010
The winners have been drawn and notified. They are Alex Rogers, Alison Rowan, Wilson Almeida, Jack Franklin, and Naomi Oldfield. Thanks very much to all who entered!

——

If random draws, Twitter, or Facebook aren’t your thing, the book’s available to purchase now on Amazon.com (or Amazon.co.uk for those in the United Kingdom).

There’s also a free chapter here, and a few book reviews here.

How did you attract your first client in self-employment?

My first design client was actually my former employer — a cancer organisation in Edinburgh. I had been responsible for the company’s print and web management, and when I resigned to spend some months travelling the world, I returned to find that a suitable replacement hadn’t been found.

I asked the chief executive to hire me for three days per week as a design contractor. He agreed, enabling me to spend the remainder of the working week building my online presence and sourcing new clients.

Five years on, and there’s very little I’d change about the path I’ve taken.

What about you? How did your first client come about?

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Identity Designed (15)
• AIGA panel on spec work (8)
• More than just a title (7)
• Self-employment advice for designers (53)
• How to convince your clients they need a brand, not just a logo (32)

When it comes to client presentations, contextual imagery is key. The use of digital mock-ups allows your clients to visualize how their new brand identity will tie-in with the products they produce, the premises they occupy, the vehicles they drive, the clothes they wear.

Here are three resources for downloading contextual image templates.

PrestoVisual

The new kid on the block, PrestoVisual was launched in 2010. I asked the site owner what prompted the development.

“I guess it’s obvious that everyone uses the internet these days to source images for projects. The last few years has seen the rise of stock photography sites that cater for almost any situation — up to a point. I think that as budgets and deadlines have become tighter the stock image site has come into its own. My experience in the packaging design industry has shown me that there’s a fairly continuous need for imagery based on every-day objects, especially in the drinks sector. I’ve sold nearly 1,000 wine bottle renders on istockphoto over the past three years, which showed me there was a demand for these kind of images, and I thought ‘why not do my own site?’

“I had the dream of creating a virtual supermarket full of blank pack visuals that designers could call upon as and when projects demanded. I’ve launched the site with nearly 600 visuals — all created in my spare time, and I intend to keep adding more images when time allows.”

LiveSurface

The LiveSurface image template library was created by designer and entrepreneur Joshua Distler.

Flickr

It’s much more difficult to find the “right” image on Flickr, and you’ll need to be sure the photographer grants permission for use, but if you have the time, searching through the Flickr archives is another option.

I recommend using the advanced image search, and checking the box to find all photos tagged with the “creative commons” license.

Where do you find your contextual image templates?

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Qualities to achieve in identity standards (2)
• Creative review 11 August 2008 (5)
• Creative resources 01 November 2007 (28)
• Creative review from August 2007 (4)
• Creative review from July 2007 (1)

It was December 2008 when out-of-the-blue I received an email from Nikki McDonald, senior acquisitions editor at US-based publisher Peachpit. In December 2009 I received a box filled with copies of my first book Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities. Here are some of my experiences along the way.

Self-publish or work with an established publisher?

I considered the main benefits of each as:

• Self-publishing: 100% of profits are recovered.
• Working with an established publisher: I gain the experience of people who know what they’re doing — professional copy editors, marketers, and production staff. Over 450 Pearson reps (Pearson is Peachpit’s parent company) canvass the U.S. educational market, and information about my book would be available via course codes in graphic design, brand management, marketing, business education, and computer graphics/arts.

I’d been following the progress of designers Mark Boulton (England) and Eric Karjaluoto (Canada), both of whom chose to self-publish their most recent books, but both had more design and writing experience than me. So I turned to friends for advice. I was told not to expect riches from the sales of a design book — fine by me, as it wasn’t my motivation — and that as a first-time author I should use the experience of a proven publisher, trading what possible financial gain might result from self-publishing for the ability to reach a wider audience, helping share my thoughts with more designers.

I viewed the project as both a challenge, and as a way to establish a reputation as a brand identity designer who knows what he’s doing. The outcome is, of course, for readers of the book to decide.

The book proposal

Before a contract was signed I was required to submit a book proposal. This included a book outline — draft chapter headings and details of my design background / writing experience.

A proposal form was supplied by my publisher, and there was some back and forth before it was finalised. I would use these details to help grow my thoughts about the book’s content, and it’s worth noting that the proposal can be quite different from how the completed book turns out (looking back, mine certainly was).

Finding contributors

It was during the proposal stage that I began contacting potential contributors. I didn’t want to write a book filled only with my work, believing that readers would gain more help by learning from a wide range of designers, from all over the world.

I contacted studios and independent graphic designers, pitching my book idea and asking for specific logo contributions. Those interested were asked for logo EPS files, available sketches, and the rationale behind each design.

You can view the full list of contributors here.

My archives show that from book concept to completion, I sent a total of 1,330 book-related emails. Not for the faint-hearted, touch-typing a bonus.

Design responsibilities

I’d seen a lot of design books that were poorly designed and difficult to read, so I took responsibility for the design and composition of everything: cover, title page, copyright page, resources section, index — the lot.

Once the content was final, I would provide Peachpit’s production team with packaged InDesign files and print-formatted images.

Contract negotiations

With the completed proposal in the hands of my publisher, we could then negotiate the contract offer. It’s worth noting that everything is negotiable, and if you’re contemplating becoming an author, it’s vital you’re happy with the terms. You’ll be taking on a huge amount of work, and you don’t want to get second thoughts half-way through the project because you think you’re being underpaid.

The offer I received included an advance payment of the book’s royalties. This took the form of a monetary figure, split into four, with a cheque for 25% mailed at the start, and the remainder paid at pre-determined stages of completion.

A one-off design fee was also agreed (paid upon completion).

It was four months after the initial out-of-the-blue email when I finally put pen to paper and signed a contract.

And so, in April 2009, the deal was official.

Setting a schedule

When we were ready to begin actually writing, my copy editor sent me a submission schedule, mapping the time frames for each chapter pass (1st pass, 2nd pass, 3rd pass, etc.). I was told upon receipt that we were already behind schedule, so no pressure, David.

The initial writing stages

The process worked like this: I would email a Word document to my editor, and a day or two later she would ask me to rewrite it completely, and I’d receive guidance about where I was going wrong. During the first few weeks, not only was I off-target with the writing, but none of my draft content was suitable for use. Twice I was asked to resubmit the first chapter, and although I was told how the initial chapters were always the most difficult, it was a little demoralizing.

Once the first chapter content was finally agreed upon, I needed to transfer the text and images to InDesign, then supply Peachpit’s design team with a sample PDF. This was so my preferred design and layout could be given the go-ahead.

They were happy with my design proposal, so from there on, we would edit the chapter content using Microsoft Word documents.

Keeping track of chapter drafts

A basecamp-style FTP site was created to keep track of the documents, with all content being uploaded to a central server. The folders on the FTP site worked a little like this:

• A: 1st pass Word file (to my copy editor, from me)
• A1: 1st pass copy edits (to me, from my copy editor)
• A2: 2nd pass Word file (from me)
• A3: 2nd pass copy edits (from my copy editor)
• A4: 3rd pass Word file
• A5: 3rd pass copy edits, ready for setting in InDesign
• A6: 1st pass PDF (set in the actual design, from me)
• A7: 1st pass copy edits (from my copy editor)
• A8: 2nd pass PDF
• A9: 2nd pass copy edits
• A10: 3rd pass PDF
• A11: 3rd pass copy edits

If you consider that every chapter, from one to eleven, needed to pass through these folders, there was a lot more work than I first anticipated. With each pass, however, the content became tighter, more focused, and in much better shape than it was when I first wrote it.

I owe a great deal to my development / copy editors Jill Marts Lodwig and Robin Drake, without whom the book would be a shadow of what it is.

Second thoughts

It wasn’t until we passed the half-way stage when I banished the second thoughts I was having about the entire project. I always knew I’d be taking a cut in earnings to write the book, but I didn’t appreciate how much work was going to be involved, so when things weren’t running so smoothly I questioned myself until the finish line was in sight.

Looking back, I’m very glad I stuck with it, and I have nothing but praise for the people I worked with at Peachpit.

Print production choices

The production was handled by Peachpit, but I got to make choices about the book’s size and cover stock. The size was determined back in the proposal stage (physical dimensions and page count), and I was asked whether I wanted a matte or gloss finish on the cover.

After the book was printed (and just a week or two ago) I asked Cory Borman, production guru at Peachpit, for specific print info:

“The cover stock is Matte UV with embossing, 12pt color 1 side. The interior is 60# Influence Matte (88 bright) 588.

“The interior was printed at the Courier Kendallville plant, with the cover embossed and printed at Moore Langen, a part of Courier Printing Co.”

8,000 copies of the book were printed for the first run, with 1,800 of those sold prior to release.

Promoting the book

When the writing, editing, and production was complete, the promotional work began. I was told the most successful books are those where the author takes an active role in the promotion, and of course I was only too happy to help.

Working with Peachpit’s product marketing manager, Glenn Bisignani, I did what I could to get the word out, including the following:

• I launched a book-specific website at www.logodesignlovebook.com
• I created a Logo Design Love Facebook page and gave free copies to fans
• I showed my readers the book’s table of contents and asked which chapter they wanted for free, then, once their preference was learned, I offered a free PDF chapter download
• I supplied my publisher with a list of review copy recipients around the world — designers I know and trust
• Coming soon, I’ll be giving away signed copies (as soon as my box of books is shipped from my old address in Ireland to my new home office in Scotland)

What you’re saying

Judging by people’s updates on Twitter, book orders are now being received every day, and I’m seeing some great feedback. You can view a number of reviews here on the review page and here on Amazon.

Would I do it again?

Peachpit has kindly asked me to think of another project for this year, and I’d be delighted to work with Nikki, Jill, Cory, Robin, and Glenn again. Whether I take up the author reigns so soon is another question, and I’d like to see how I get on with my first release before making that decision.

Regrets?

My biggest regret is contacting too many potential contributors. Many designers took time out to supply me with artwork and explanations, but a maximum page count needed to be set at the beginning of the project, and when we reached the end, I had too much content. Choosing who to cut wasn’t easy, and without the help of my editor, I probably wouldn’t have been able to make a decision.

To those who helped, but weren’t featured in the book, you have my sincerest gratitude, and I hope to feature your contributions on the Logo Design Love website before too long.

Thank you

To the thousands who have already ordered a copy, thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the read, and if you have any questions — about design or writing in general — don’t hesitate to ask.

More info on the Logo Design Love book website.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Related posts on David Airey dot com

• Dayfold’s Little Black Book (11)
• How to win friends and influence people (66)
• Studio Culture (15)
• Logo Design Love book available for pre-order (41)
• Blogs, Mad about Design (39)