160 Over 90 (a design blog) has conducted a logo experiment with one of those “Get 3 logos in 3 days” online companies. They wanted to see if the attraction of getting something good for cheap was true and if using a design firm was overrated. They choose the cleverly named 50DollarLogo.com, a design company located in Sri Lanka where they promised to have 6 logos, unlimited revisions and 1-3 day turnarounds. Fabulous!! Why pay an actual design company for one logo when I can get 6!? This is genius!

They made up a company called “Cheeses of Nazareth” where they will sell cheese online. They had a dialogue back and forth with someone I would call the project manager but I’m not sure. As you can imagine the logos were not up to par. The ability to take clipart and place text over it does not make a designer. They promise 1-3 day turnarounds but after months of waiting for just 1 revision the final logo isn’t even done yet. As you can see from the logos below they are bad. Not just bad but terrible actually.

Read more here: http://www.160over90.com/blog/2009/02/17/the-50-dollar-logo-experiment/

What I learned: Validating good design from an actual firm is getting harder these days but now I have this example to help me.

Posted on February 26, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Today I got an email from a buddy letting me in on the release of the new edition Diana camera.  The Diana F+ Snow Cat Exclusive Edition to be exact.

For camera lovers or not these toy like cameras from Lomography are loads of shooting fun. My favorite right now is the SuperSampler Wonder Girls camera. It takes pictures in 4 different panels and can show motion in progress. They come in 5 different colors and are only $60 bucks! I’ve got my eye on the lilac one.

Know more about this camera at: http://www.lomography.com/ss/

I’m also in love with the Horizon Kompakt that runs $390 dollars. More on an investment than many of their other cameras but well worth it. It gives these cool panoramic pictures that are great for landscape images.

Find a camera of your choice at: http://www.lomography.com/
What I learned: I love online shopping!

Posted on February 25, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

One of our clients, NetApp outdid themselves with this spoof of the 8mile rap battle that was intended to teach the masses about Deduplication!

Posted on February 25, 2009 by jack   |   Permalink

The PepsiCo Americas Beverages division of PepsiCo is bowing to public demand and scrapping the changes made to a flagship product, Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice. Redesigned packaging that was introduced in early January is being discontinued, executives plan to announce on Monday, and the previous version will be brought back in the next month.

Also returning will be the longtime Tropicana brand symbol, an orange from which a straw protrudes. The symbol, meant to evoke fresh taste, had been supplanted on the new packages by a glass of orange juice.

The about-face comes after consumers complained about the makeover in letters, e-mail messages and telephone calls and clamored for a return of the original look.

Some of those commenting described the new packaging as “ugly” or “stupid,” and resembling “a generic bargain brand” or a “store brand.”

Read More at The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/business/media/23adcol.html?_r=3

What I learned: Making your voice heard is easier. Thanks to the world wide web!

Posted on February 24, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

This weekend I traveled to Berkeley to visit a store called The Spanish Table that sells food and cookware from Spain and Portugal. While there I purchased a mini recipe book on tapas and a porrón. A porrón is a traditional glass wine pitcher, typical of Catalonia but famous throughout Spain. It resembles a cross between a wine bottle and a watering can. The top of the bottle is narrow and can be sealed off with a cork.

To drink from a porrón, start by bringing it very close to your mouth and tilt it back slowly so the beak points towards your teeth. Once liquid starts coming out simultaneously pull the porrón away from your face and look up. Lower the porrón back close to your mouth before stopping so you don’t spill any on yourself.

Want one!? Go here to purchase: http://www.spanishtable.com/
What I learned: A porrón makes wine even better! Plus, it’s a conversation starter at parties.

 

Posted on February 23, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Stickiness isn’t always a good thing…like when your hands get all gooey from the caramel in a candy bar, or you get your fingers stuck together with super glue…but when it comes to ideas, stickiness is great!

I just finished reading a new book called “Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die”. This book explains the six key qualities an idea needs to have to make it stick: simplicity, unexpectedness, concreteness, credibility, emotional, and stories. Through tales of success and failure, the use of humor, and helpful hints on how to defeat the villain “Curse of Knowledge”, you will learn how to better communicate your ideas in all kinds of situations. This book is relevant for everyone and every situation, in business and in personal life. 

I don’t want to give too much away, so I’ll leave it to you to read it for yourself to find out more.

http://www.madetostick.com/

Let Westminster help your company’s identity stick!

Posted on February 18, 2009 by amanda   |   Permalink

Now a day’s females are climbing up the nerd latter with gamers, programmers and designers. But we miss the all important detail of having things look “cute”. Or at least I do. I’m the type of person that will spend an extra $10 on a product just because it comes in red, purple or yes, even pink. Well, Swarovski (the people behind the expensive bedazzled cell phones) came out tré chic, crystallized items. Some of which are a USB memory key, headphones and Bluetooth. While this is a little too much for my taste I do appreciate the attention to the classy dame’s.



Check it out: http://www.swarovski.com/Web_US/en/0202/category/Fashion_Accessories/Active_Crystals.html
What I learned: Geek chic is the new trend for 2009. I guess.

Posted on February 18, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

Last week I did my spiel on generic looking packaging and why I hate them so.  Well, I found some packaging that some might say go along that same line but achieves it so much better. I think Pepsi and Tropicana were trying to accomplish the “less is better” approach but failed. This packaging for Woolworths in South Africa has the right idea when it comes to a clean and sophisticated look. Why? Well, first off the composition is balanced and the illustration is not overpowering. I also think the idea of a serif font also helps in not making it look generically bad. The font and the illustration size are almost equal and the amount of information on the cover is just right. Also, no vertical type is used. Don’t get me wrong, vertical type is all good but not when it’s being forced to go with a style that doesn’t work. Let me know what you think with my ongoing personal battle on ugly packaging.

What I learned: Just because you have a big named agency redo your work doesn’t mean it’ll always work

Posted on February 17, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

While flipping through the channels last night I landed on MTV where they were showing the premiere of their new brain child “The Girls of Hedsor Hall”. They basically take some of the worst examples of American girls, fly them to London and try to make them into civilized women. They are lead by Gill Harbord, the headmistress, Rosemary Shrager, head of discipline and Tara Conner, ex Miss USA 2006.

These bunch or wildcats are given a pearl necklace, which symbolizes being a lady, and are put in different situations to see how they react. As you could imagine most, if not all the girls, have a problem of not knowing when to stop. When they are asked to leave they must return the necklace and return back to America. Thanks guys.
Check out some clips here: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/dyn/the_girls_of_hedsor_hall/series.jhtml

What I learned: I just have to look to reality TV to make myself fell better. Instantly.

Posted on February 10, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink

I learned of a new illustrator that I love.  Jules is a UK based illustrator and animator who has done work for Campbells, Computer Arts, O’Neil, The Monster Factory and Vogue just to name a few.
Take a look and fall in love: http://www.jules.net/index.php

What I learned: I should brush up on my illustrator skillz!

Posted on February 09, 2009 by debra   |   Permalink