»  Logo Design Charlotte

 
Joseph Selame, who created a wide array of familiar logos and brand identities for dozens Fla. He was 86.

Mr. Selame founded Selame Design in 1960 with his wife, Elinor, and in 1995 the firm was renamed BrandEquity to signal its broader reach in the branding field.

Mr. Selame not only created graphic designs, he also oversaw what is known as total brand integration, from naming companies to maintaining their visual character. For example, he helped rename the second-largest pharmacy chain in America, transforming Consumer Value Stores into CVS Pharmacy. The logo (the letters CVS and the word pharmacy separated by a slash mark) is so simple as to be nondescript, but has become one of the most recognized retail brands in the nation.

Being the kind of designer that I am – geekishly in love with everything art/craft/design related – I've been captivated by letterpress printing for some time. I love the artistry of each hand printed piece and there's just something incredibly different about its unique tactile quality – and even in its limitations. Designing for letterpress requires a different way of thinking for a designer because it doesn't work with all of Photoshop's flashy bells and whistles like gradients and drop shadows (which, I tend to think, are overused in the graphic design industry anyway).

I was actively on the hunt to purchase my own letterpress machine for at least three months before I found this beauty. While it might need just a touch of TLC, I can't wait to see this thing restored and back to its former glory. The photos you see above reflect the machine's condition upon purchase, and just a little naval jelly took that bit of surface rust right off. Once the rollers and trucks are ordered, we're in business to print.

As birdsong gregory is in the process of updating our brand, the purchase was timed perfectly. Our creative department is so excited at the prospect of using this beautiful piece of machinery to experiment with a few pieces of our new collateral system. More to come, so stay tuned to see our progress!

Microsoft just got served. Google has officially unveiled their Chrome Operating System and Cr-48 computer and handily beat Microsoft at their own game of advancing cloud computing. The new computer runs programs that are almost entirely cloud based but can also run in offline mode (and sync when brought online) meaning that you can get to your documents from anywhere. Click the picture above to watch the video from Google.

My wife and I took a last minute trip to Chicago a couple weeks ago after she found some inexpensive tickets online. Neither us had been to the windy city and we were looking for an excuse to get out of Charlotte so it seemed like the perfect time see a ball game, sample the cuisine and put away the work for just a moment.

We hopped on an early flight into O'Hare and met a friend at Hot Doug's around 10 am Saturday morning. While enjoying our foie gras hot dogs and duck fat french fries he suggested we take the Architectural + Historical Cruise. I appreciate the local's taste in encased meat products, but I'm usually not one for being herded like cattle through bus terminals and sweaty guided tour lines while waiting to catch a glance of something that never quite lives up to the hype. Despite my hesitation, we inquired with the concierge at the hotel and were greeted with a poster sized folded brochure with tons of factual information and two beautifully designed Chicago Line passes. They looked like European currency and featured large portraits of those responsible for sculpting Chicago's skyline over the years. I'm a sucker for good design, count me in!

The next day we catch a cab to the River East Art Center and make our way down the docks past newly renovated studios that face the water. Once the boat is full with anxious tourist and egger students we set sail out of Ogden Slip and make our way to the Chicago River. Our tour guide was more than thorough and paused only once to clear her throat after becoming visually upset while mentioning the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. I don't want to bore you with the details but the next hour of our ride was filled with some of the most amazing architectural vistas I've ever seen, truly unbelievable. The Chicago Sun-Times had this to say about the tour "Without question the best architectural tour available in Chicago". I'd have to go a step further and say it's one of the best things to do in the city, period! Everyone enjoys unplugging and getting away from the day-to-day to reenergize, but to learn more about this American city that bounced back from disaster to design and create architecture the entire world marvels at was quite inspiring.

Benjamin Gelnett is the new Senior Graphic Designer at Birdsong Gregory and has worked professionally as a graphic designer since graduating from SCAD in 1999. During this time he's created a variety of advertising campaigns, packaging and POS components, brand identities and sales and marketing materials for brands such as Gulfstream Aerospace, Bombardier, Renyold's Alcoa, Hunter Fan Co., Ecko Unltd and Muzak.

 

By now I'm sure you know how much I love type and illustration, so when I came across this beautiful illustrative alphabet I knew I couldn't keep it to myself. Jessica Hische, Brooklyn based designer, is responsible for these exquisite letters. She started a blog called the Daily Drop Cap, an ongoing project in which she posts a new hand crafted illustrative initial every day. These are a group of 2 color letterpress prints, and can be found at jessicahische.com. My own illustrative alphabet is in progress, I'll keep you posted! In the meantime, check out beautiful graphic design from birdsong gregory at birdsonggregory.com. 

Most designers will agree that creating a logo for a client is one of our most exciting tasks. Being able to visually represent a company is a great challenge. There are so many articles for designers and clients about the importance of this piece of design, and all that goes into creating it, but I was intrigued by this article from LogoLounge.com. It's all about the trends in logo designs of 2010. The examples above are only a few of the group they discuss, but lets take a look through them.

 

1. PARTS:

This trend is all about iconic pieces (or "parts") that come together to create the silhouette of the whole. From a distance it's one thing, and closer up it reveals more information. This particular example's objective is to visually represent the statement "We the people form this nation". It's a smart visual solve of a more organic concept.

 

2. GHOST:

This trend is all about engaging the viewer. Gaining the viewers attention in a visual world is such huge challenge for a designer, so this trend forces the viewer to engage with the logo if for no other reason than to confirm what they're seeing. It's soft and subtle, but in a way that demands attention. Interesting concept, huh?

 

3. CUBIST:

The inspiration for this trend comes from a place that shouldn't be surprising. Fine art has always been an influencing factor to designers, and I believe that the best design comes from a knowledge and background in fine art. There's a certain visual pleasure in reducing images down to their essence, thus the appeal of cubism.

 

4. BOX-UP

The terminology is pretty obvious, as is the reason this trend is so popular. It can be difficult for a designer to balance the importance of typography and symbol for a company's logo. Enlarging the pair to be sure the type is legible can throw the symbol into the dominant role, and reducing the size to make sure the symbol isn't too loud can make the type too small to read. Using a literal box insures that it's all together in a package. 

 

5. STAINS:

This trend is another example that calls for the attention of the viewer, often times in a second look. The blurred edge creates motion. The immediacy of these marks creates an impression of authenticity and humanity. It looks hand crafted, not computer or machine crafted.

 

6. DUST:

This trend understands the importance of subtlety. The stippled effect creates almost a whisper that can produce different tonal levels with its density. There's kind of a sparkle about this kind of technique. It creates the illusion of motion with hard edges. The most obvious connection for inspiration is that of an airbrush.

 

7. FESTOON:

Another trend that's about creating motion, the festoon trend accomplishes this by using streamer like elements (almost as if they are blowing in a breeze).The key to this graphic solution is that the elements have a diminishing point. They also often use overlapping and transparency to accomplish the goal and push the mark a little further. This trend evokes a free spirit and lack of control that's visually interesting. It's lighthearted and festive.

 

8. PIXEL:

This trend is inspired by the digital building block, the pixel. Small elements come together to create a larger result. The same idea is executed in pointillism. Dots of color create the whole picture. The challenge for designers with this one, is making it new. I found this example particularly interesting because of the warped perspective of the pixels, which ads another layer with dimension. It's an interest and different way to do pixels. 

 

There are more trends you can read about at logolounge.com, but of these select few, what do you think? We tend to have a negative connotation with the word "trend", but in the article Bill Gardner says that we should consider trends to be a report of where logo design is headed. Studying trends can help reveal our growth, and thus allows us to move further. What's your take? Let us know what you think about these growing trends. Really… the good, the bad and the ugly. birdsong gregory wants to know!

To learn more about our Charlotte Advertising Agency, and Charlotte Graphic Design visit our website at birdsonggregory.com!

That's the phrase our copywriter, Phillip, lives by and it was the first thing I thought of when I saw this video. It takes an extremely complicated problem, the US Education system, and boils it down to the core elements and presents a quick and easy to understand overview. As a Charlotte Graphic Design agency, we make a living expressing ideas through the use of imagery and we always appreciate great work from others. Check out more from GOOD here.

 

Check out Time Magazine's slideshow of all 19 official FIFA World Cup posters, which runs from the first World Cup back in 1930 to the action happening right now down in South Africa. It offers a great retrospective of graphic design trends over the last 80 years. From Swiss Modernism to Punk and Post Modern, this collection of posters shows how far graphic designers have come in terms of their aesthetics and technical capabilities. This retrospective also demonstrates the timelessness of fundamental design principles like balance, contrast, and arrangement.

In anticipation of next month’s World Cup in South Africa, FIFA has commissioned 17 artists and graphic designers to create limited-edition soccer-themed prints. The original artworks were auctioned at New York’s Phillips de Pury, but the signed and numbered prints — 2,010 of each image — go for as little as $121. See the rest here . . .

 

 

 

As the newest addition to Birdsong Gregory, I felt it appropriate to start off my blog by sharing one of my more recent and most interesting resources for graphic design from my design library. Naive: Modernism and Folklore in Contemporary Graphic Design, a recent release from Gestalten, is full of strong design and beautiful illustration. It explores the "extraordinary renaissance of Classic Modernism, from the 1940s to 1960s in contemporary graphic design" by compiling and showcasing recent work from designers who are working in this style. I give the book the official design nerd stamp of approval and I continue to be captivated by the work it contains. We at Birdsong Gregory are always keeping our eyes open for inspirational gems like this one, so be sure to stay tuned for other recommendations.

This week, the Charlotte Chapter of AIGA, the professional association for design, is screening the documentary Proceed and Be Bold. The documentary covers the life and works of Amos Paul Kennedy Jr., an African American letterpress poster designer. At 40 years of age, Kennedy abandoned the traditional American Dream to follow his own. Unsatisfied with his comfortable, middle-class life, Amos traded in his computer for a printing press and his white collar for a pair of overalls. Armed with life, liberty, peanuts, and a meager yearly income of $7,000, Amos cranked out a new, mutinous declaration of independence.

Charlotte graphic design professionals and letterpress aficionados won't want to miss this screening! Proceed and Be Bold will be shown this Thursday, February 25 at Johnson C. Smith University. Doors open at 6:30, and screening starts promptly at 7:00pm. Click for further details.

Want to make your bookshelf look both smart and stylish? Charlotte graphic design professionals should check out Penguin Classics' series of hardbound classic novels with beautifully patterned cover designs by Coralie Bickford-Smith. Titles include Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility. Books available for purchase at Anthropologie.

I love vintage design. Especially when it comes to consumer goods packaging. And all graphic designers know that what was once vintage will come back around to be new again. Check out some old soda can designs collected by TheDieline.com. Mountain Dew has already brought back their vintage can design. Who will be next?

Not being much of a football fan, I primarily look forward to the Super Bowl not for the guts, glory and game but for the clever advertising sandwiched in between the heroic plays and crushing tackles. Also as a member of the Charlotte graphic design community I found it interesting to take a look back at the 44 year history of the Super Bowl logo.

 

 

Bob Noorda died last week. As the designer known the world over for giving the New Your City subway system its iconic modernist design, Noorda introduced simplicity to what (to me) still appears to be a confusing welter of express trains, dank passageways, and garbled announcements. At least the signage is friendly.

 

Here's an excerpt from his New York Times obituary:

"Mr. Noorda had helped found Unimark in 1965, teaming up with a group of American and European designers, including Mr. Vignelli, who initially set up shop in Chicago and Milan. Theirs was among the first international design firms to base their work on the Modernist principle that a good design could have a positive effect on all aspects of life, not just on business. An early proponent of unified branding -- the consistent use of distinctive type and imagery to identify a company -- Unimark has been credited with awakening the corporate world to Modernist design thinking."

Here at our Charlotte branding agency, we're following in Mr. Noorda's footsteps and trying to help our clients adopt and successfully use unified branding systems. Not always easy, but the payoff can be huge.
 

For Charlotte advertising agencies, marketing gurus, and designers wanting to brush up on their graphic design knowledge, look no further than Graphic Design, Referenced by Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit. This visual and informational guide covers the most commonly referenced terms, historical moments, landmark projects, and influential practitioners in the field of graphic design. With more than 2,000 design projects illustrating more than 400 entries, it provides an intense overview of the varied elements that make up the graphic design profession.

Not a book nerd? You can get the design scoop and further inspiration from one of the authors himself! Armin Vit is coming to Charlotte on January 28th as part of AIGA Charlotte's Talk About Lecture Series to share with our members his process, learnings, experiences and latest work. The event is open to the public and the design team from birdsong gregory will be in attendance. Hope to see you there!

This holiday season you don't have to be a Charlotte graphic designer to create your own festive decorations. Design-conscious blog Design*Sponge offers a variety of handy DIY guides for making unique and fabulous decorations that will give your holiday flair a designer edge.

This holiday season look beyond the standard wrapping paper when packaging up your gifts. New Japanese washi paper tape from happytape is a great way to get creative when sending packages or wrapping up festive treats for your favorite Charlotte graphic designer.

 

As any good graphic designer knows, the look of a typeface can determine how readers perceive a word or phrase, a brand, or a company. And to fully understand how type works to communicate a marketing message, it helps to know the history of printed characters. 

 

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American and European type foundries – where type was designed and cast for commercial and industrial use  – churned out thousands of eccentrically decorative typefaces and typographic ornaments, most of it bought by printers. 

 

Back then advertising was a burgeoning industry, and the more outlandish display styles were conceived in equal measure to attract the public’s eye and to distinguish one merchant from the next.

 

TYPE: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles, Volume I, 1628-1900 is a new TASCHEN collection of exquisitely reproduced pages from an array of lusciously printed vintage foundry specimen books that were used to promote type fonts to commercial printers. Many quirky specimens in this compilation predate the mid-1800s, but most were produced in the second half of the 19th century, when fierce competition among foundries fostered an abundance of smartly designed and ludicrously gaudy faces. 

 

So let's hope Santa is listening . . .