My Opera
Logo Design and Corporate Image
Monday, January 16, 2006 7:12:41 AM
Whether your company is a start-up, medium-sized, or a large corporation, you will eventually confront the issue of your company's self-image. How are you perceived by your customers? How are you perceived by the general public? How does your company come across to potential customers? How do you compare to your competition? The answer lies within any marketing communication material that represents your company, ranging from your business cards to a promotional brochure, to a nationally broadcast commercial. Above all, you might need a logo with sophistication, elegance, and impact. A graphic designer can help you with a solution for your logo.
Essentially, all logos can be organized in four separate categories: glyph, alpha-glyph, alphanumeric or a combination thereof. What exactly the logo will be for you depends upon a myriad of factors too numerous to list them all here. Again, a professional designer who is experienced should be hired for the logo design process.
Glyphs: A glyph, or symbol, icon, pictograph, etc., is a graphic representation of your company, such as logos for Shell, Apple, and American Greetings (the rose). These are most widely used not for company marks, but for secondary communication devices, such as the recycle logo, all Olympic event icons, and instructional devices, like a broken wine glass on a box to signify the contents in the box is fragile. Glyphs, by themselves, are the least used types of logos, but, if done correctly, can provide the most impact and establish a sophisticated, intellectual corporate identity. Creating a glyph for a logo requires experience and talent and, if done by a non-professional, might look amateurish, unattractive and may even take away from your company's credibility. BEWARE!!!!
Alpha-Glyphs: An alpha-glyph is similar to a glyph, but uses a letter or letters from the name of a company in a graphical way to convey what the company does, but sometimes a letter designed in a particular style may be sufficient. Many auto makers use these types of logos, such as Honda, Accura, Mazda, and Hyundai. One of the most popular and recognized logos in the history of the 20th century is this type of logo: IBM. Other examples of this type include GM, Adobe Systems, Moen, and America On-Line. This type of logo is the second least-used logo, that, as with a glyph, if done correctly, can greatly raise the taste level of your company. However, it also shares a glyph's downfall where, if done haphazardly, can appear unprofessional and might provoke laughter rather than sales.
Alphanumeric: This type of mark is the most widely-used logo and we are bombarded with them where ever we go in practically whatever we see. An alphanumeric logo is the name of your company or brand spelled out, literally, but the treatment of the typography is usually unique unto the name itself and can therefore be trademarked and be treated as a logo. To name a mere fraction of all the examples that exist in the world: Kellogg's, FedEx, Microsoft, Sony, Ford, and the list goes on and on. This is the "safe" logo and the easiest to create (by an amateur's standards). A designer, though, will spend as much time tweaking an alphanumeric logo as he or she will with a glyph or alphaglyph. Letter-spacing, color, font choice, word relationships and other factors play into the creation of an alphanumeric logo.
The final type of logo is a combination of the aforementioned types. Most common is a glyph or alphaglyph with the name of the company, in a particular alphanumeric style, placed on the side, top or bottom of the icon. It's the arrangement itself for this type of logo that is important, for how it appears on all marketing materials should be consistent with every piece created thereafter including business cards, brochures, and catalogs, to name a few. This is where the "identity" portion of one's company comes into play, where not only will a particular logo be recognizable, but all materials which represent your company are unique and recognizable as well. Examples of combination logos are also numerous and vast, but, to name a few are Ameritech, United States Postal Service, Acco, and Logovations (I couldn't help it!). Good examples of identity programs are Apple, FedEx, Adobe Systems, and Sony Corp.
Do you need a logo? Not everyone does. Sure, one can put one's company in bold-faced type, all capitals and be done with it. But if you do that, ask yourself:
* Does this
logo set myself apart from my competition?
* Is it memorable?
* Does it convey a sense of style and intelligence?
* Do I need to stand out or can I rely on new business purely on word-of-mouth?
Some questions I ask a client are
* Who is your market?
* Who is your competition?
* How do you market yourself now?
* How do you intend to market yourself in the future?
* Do you plan to grow as a business?
These are questions you should also ask yourself, not only when considering a new logo, but when creating anything related to your business, whether it is your business plan or a capabilities brochure.
So, as you can see, logos and marketing materials are an integral part of your business, and their focus should not be any different than your overall business and marketing strategy. Bottom line, if you have a niche market, a logo may not be necessary, but if your competition is fierce, such as being in a retail market, a good logo and identity strategy may make or break your product. Even if you run a one-person operation, your image can APPEAR to be a 100 or 1000 person company if your identity strategy is consistent and on-target.
Image is credibility. Image is customer relationships. Image is perception, opinion and environment. Image is respect. Image is power. Image is everything.
Essentially, all logos can be organized in four separate categories: glyph, alpha-glyph, alphanumeric or a combination thereof. What exactly the logo will be for you depends upon a myriad of factors too numerous to list them all here. Again, a professional designer who is experienced should be hired for the logo design process.
Glyphs: A glyph, or symbol, icon, pictograph, etc., is a graphic representation of your company, such as logos for Shell, Apple, and American Greetings (the rose). These are most widely used not for company marks, but for secondary communication devices, such as the recycle logo, all Olympic event icons, and instructional devices, like a broken wine glass on a box to signify the contents in the box is fragile. Glyphs, by themselves, are the least used types of logos, but, if done correctly, can provide the most impact and establish a sophisticated, intellectual corporate identity. Creating a glyph for a logo requires experience and talent and, if done by a non-professional, might look amateurish, unattractive and may even take away from your company's credibility. BEWARE!!!!
Alpha-Glyphs: An alpha-glyph is similar to a glyph, but uses a letter or letters from the name of a company in a graphical way to convey what the company does, but sometimes a letter designed in a particular style may be sufficient. Many auto makers use these types of logos, such as Honda, Accura, Mazda, and Hyundai. One of the most popular and recognized logos in the history of the 20th century is this type of logo: IBM. Other examples of this type include GM, Adobe Systems, Moen, and America On-Line. This type of logo is the second least-used logo, that, as with a glyph, if done correctly, can greatly raise the taste level of your company. However, it also shares a glyph's downfall where, if done haphazardly, can appear unprofessional and might provoke laughter rather than sales.
Alphanumeric: This type of mark is the most widely-used logo and we are bombarded with them where ever we go in practically whatever we see. An alphanumeric logo is the name of your company or brand spelled out, literally, but the treatment of the typography is usually unique unto the name itself and can therefore be trademarked and be treated as a logo. To name a mere fraction of all the examples that exist in the world: Kellogg's, FedEx, Microsoft, Sony, Ford, and the list goes on and on. This is the "safe" logo and the easiest to create (by an amateur's standards). A designer, though, will spend as much time tweaking an alphanumeric logo as he or she will with a glyph or alphaglyph. Letter-spacing, color, font choice, word relationships and other factors play into the creation of an alphanumeric logo.
The final type of logo is a combination of the aforementioned types. Most common is a glyph or alphaglyph with the name of the company, in a particular alphanumeric style, placed on the side, top or bottom of the icon. It's the arrangement itself for this type of logo that is important, for how it appears on all marketing materials should be consistent with every piece created thereafter including business cards, brochures, and catalogs, to name a few. This is where the "identity" portion of one's company comes into play, where not only will a particular logo be recognizable, but all materials which represent your company are unique and recognizable as well. Examples of combination logos are also numerous and vast, but, to name a few are Ameritech, United States Postal Service, Acco, and Logovations (I couldn't help it!). Good examples of identity programs are Apple, FedEx, Adobe Systems, and Sony Corp.
Do you need a logo? Not everyone does. Sure, one can put one's company in bold-faced type, all capitals and be done with it. But if you do that, ask yourself:
* Does this
logo set myself apart from my competition?
* Is it memorable?
* Does it convey a sense of style and intelligence?
* Do I need to stand out or can I rely on new business purely on word-of-mouth?
Some questions I ask a client are
* Who is your market?
* Who is your competition?
* How do you market yourself now?
* How do you intend to market yourself in the future?
* Do you plan to grow as a business?
These are questions you should also ask yourself, not only when considering a new logo, but when creating anything related to your business, whether it is your business plan or a capabilities brochure.
So, as you can see, logos and marketing materials are an integral part of your business, and their focus should not be any different than your overall business and marketing strategy. Bottom line, if you have a niche market, a logo may not be necessary, but if your competition is fierce, such as being in a retail market, a good logo and identity strategy may make or break your product. Even if you run a one-person operation, your image can APPEAR to be a 100 or 1000 person company if your identity strategy is consistent and on-target.
Image is credibility. Image is customer relationships. Image is perception, opinion and environment. Image is respect. Image is power. Image is everything.
The Power of Three
Friday, October 21, 2005 9:38:37 AM
A sound. Again, it wouldn’t stop. He was wide awake and aware before he even opened his eyes. His ears were spiked; he tried to pinpoint the sound, but it was elusive. That’s when he sat up, and opened his eyes, because he knew that a sound that was elusive for him was meant to be silent. His eyes scanned the darkness, which was as daylight to him. He could see every nook and cranny, easily and simply. Not a single thing stood out.
Yet the padding persisted. Now that he had his eyes open, he had a better handle on direction, and knew that whatever the sound was was not inside his room.
It was on the stairs.
He stealthily slid out of his covers and to his feet. He tiptoed his way to his door, and put his ear up to the wood.
As the footsteps got closer, he could feel his senses sharpen even further, his hearing starting to alert him of everything, his vision expanding to show him more and more. A heartbeat, one ever so gentle, was beating purposefully on the other side of this door. He could feel the tremors of the person’s light footsteps as they shuddered through the flooring up his legs.
“Darkclaw,” the voice, though quiet, was like a cannon shot, it was so unexpected. He jumped, and spun towards his own bed, where the voice came from, and through the moment of ashamed surprise, he felt the jolt of pain as his claws tore through the flesh of his fists, pushing out between his knuckles, glistening in the slickness of the moonlight and his own blood.
The intruder’s hands were up, in a sign of obvious non-violence, which put him off guard, until he realized who it was.
“Dare,” he felt like the growl that rumbled from his throat was as loud as a jet plane’s engines. He was sure that if not of the same decibel, it surely held the same force, the same declaration of power. He took a step forward, his heart easing, but his caution still blaring. He withdrew his claws.
The door opened. He didn’t turn; he already knew who it was. The aroma on the easy breeze the door’s movements caused simply reassured him.
“We need your help,” Catsai answered. He sat down at the chair by the fireplace, to indicate that he was listening. “Big Question has decided to try to get us out of the picture, to have full control over New Gotham.”
“That’s not new. Why do you need my help?”
“He’s pulling out the big guns. He’s freed Hyena from Arkham Tower, reassembled his ‘pack’, and gave him full partnership of the proceeds. The deal is, as Big Question can be the public face, Hyena will have more coverage on the underground.”
The mention of Hyena got Darkclaw’s attention, but he still didn’t see anything that would make them care so much to get his help. They knew it too.
“They have hostages. They’ve been collecting them for some time. They are all strategically chosen though. Your opponents. They have ways of making it look like you killed them. You have left bodies behind before.” Dare simply looked at him. They never got along as well as they might have, but he assuredly respected her, and she him.
This was why they told him. Because he was the new duo’s first target and public defamation. As long as the people of New Gotham wanted him caught, there wouldn’t be much that would stop the police from coming after him. For instance, Big Question had the police in his grasp, and as long as he had public approval, he had every right to come after Darkclaw.
This would be interesting.
Yet the padding persisted. Now that he had his eyes open, he had a better handle on direction, and knew that whatever the sound was was not inside his room.
It was on the stairs.
He stealthily slid out of his covers and to his feet. He tiptoed his way to his door, and put his ear up to the wood.
As the footsteps got closer, he could feel his senses sharpen even further, his hearing starting to alert him of everything, his vision expanding to show him more and more. A heartbeat, one ever so gentle, was beating purposefully on the other side of this door. He could feel the tremors of the person’s light footsteps as they shuddered through the flooring up his legs.
“Darkclaw,” the voice, though quiet, was like a cannon shot, it was so unexpected. He jumped, and spun towards his own bed, where the voice came from, and through the moment of ashamed surprise, he felt the jolt of pain as his claws tore through the flesh of his fists, pushing out between his knuckles, glistening in the slickness of the moonlight and his own blood.
The intruder’s hands were up, in a sign of obvious non-violence, which put him off guard, until he realized who it was.
“Dare,” he felt like the growl that rumbled from his throat was as loud as a jet plane’s engines. He was sure that if not of the same decibel, it surely held the same force, the same declaration of power. He took a step forward, his heart easing, but his caution still blaring. He withdrew his claws.
The door opened. He didn’t turn; he already knew who it was. The aroma on the easy breeze the door’s movements caused simply reassured him.
“We need your help,” Catsai answered. He sat down at the chair by the fireplace, to indicate that he was listening. “Big Question has decided to try to get us out of the picture, to have full control over New Gotham.”
“That’s not new. Why do you need my help?”
“He’s pulling out the big guns. He’s freed Hyena from Arkham Tower, reassembled his ‘pack’, and gave him full partnership of the proceeds. The deal is, as Big Question can be the public face, Hyena will have more coverage on the underground.”
The mention of Hyena got Darkclaw’s attention, but he still didn’t see anything that would make them care so much to get his help. They knew it too.
“They have hostages. They’ve been collecting them for some time. They are all strategically chosen though. Your opponents. They have ways of making it look like you killed them. You have left bodies behind before.” Dare simply looked at him. They never got along as well as they might have, but he assuredly respected her, and she him.
This was why they told him. Because he was the new duo’s first target and public defamation. As long as the people of New Gotham wanted him caught, there wouldn’t be much that would stop the police from coming after him. For instance, Big Question had the police in his grasp, and as long as he had public approval, he had every right to come after Darkclaw.
This would be interesting.
NASA
Saturday, September 17, 2005 4:12:35 AM
It was spewed from a black hole 28,000 light years from Earth and is vaporizing everything in its path, astronomers say! Scared-stiff astronomers have detected a mysterious mass they've dubbed a "chaos cloud" that dissolves everything in its path, including comets, asteroids, planets and entire stars -- and it's headed directly toward Earth! Discovered April 6 by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the swirling, 10 million-mile- wide cosmic dust cloud has been likened to an "acid nebula" and is hurtling toward us at close to the speed of light -- making its estimated time of arrival 9:15 a.m. EDT on June 1, 2014. read more
Show me the money
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 8:10:57 PM
Show me the money 
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
Show me the money
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