I heard about 99 Designs a few years ago and really didn’t think much of it at the time. But I recently heard a radio commercial for the service and it started to sink in how much traffic this site was actually getting, and so now I feel compelled to voice my opinion about it. Afterall, one of the great beauties of blogging in America is that we get to say what we want. I know I’ll sleep better tonight.

If you haven’t heard of it, 99 Designs is an online marketplace of crowdsourced graphic design (according to their website). Crowdsourced? Sounds like outsourced. In fact, that’s almost what it is, with the exceptions being when a task or project is crowdsourced it’s assigned to an undefined group of people, who may or may NOT get paid. Sounds an awful lot like exploitation.

This is how 99 Designs works (in particular order)-

1. Interested Party (aka Client) launches a design contest by creating a clear outline or creative brief of what is needed/wanted and chooses style or styles of design that he/she is drawn to based on existing, popular designs.
2. Client chooses a design package.
3. Designers then opt in to the competition by submitting their design(s). The Client provides feedback via an online forum
4. The client chooses a winner (if there is one), pays the money, receives the artwork and the copyright to the artwork.

Here’s one major flaw in the model- creative briefs are not easy to create. I find the best way to create one is to have a 1-on-1, face-to-face interaction between client and designer. I have a set of questions that I ask, but the briefing rarely sticks to the script. I discover things about the client, their business and/or project that I never would have realized. 99 Designs removes all that personal interaction from the design process. You wouldn’t go into a surgery before first having a consultation with a doctor would you? Maybe a logo design isn’t as important as a surgery, or maybe it is, depending on the surgery. A logo is how your brand lives and breathes, so why not treat it as such.

However, I do think there is a place for 99 Designs, and while there are obvious imperfections, I find the site/service very well thought out and easy to use (from what I can tell).

Here’s who I think could benefit from using 99 Designs-

CLIENT:

• Your main priority is timeframe, you need something FAST
• You have a very small budget (although I believe you can get a much better logo for not that much more money)
• You don’t care about a process or personal interaction with the designer. You don’t care who does your logo/design or what their name is.
• You want to be able to choose from MANY designs, perhaps a 100. (This could deflect from reason #1. I don’t like to present more than 7 concepts, I can’t imagine having to choose between 100 designs, but to each his own.)

DESIGNER:

• You’re fresh out of school, or maybe you are self taught and need pieces for your portfolio
• You’re unemployed and need a way to make some money, even though it’s not a guarantee

Those are the only two reasons I can come up with on why a designer would want to subject his work and time to 99 Designs. But they are 2 good reasons. I’ve been there, hopefully never again, but I’m pretty sure I would have submitted some work on 99 Designs if it had been around when I was fresh out of college. I’ve always enjoyed a good competition. However, I can’t say enough for gaining experience in an agency-like environment, being a part of a team. Learning from people who have been exactly where you are.

The fact is, 99 Designs isn’t going anywhere. People use it and people like it. My only hope is that there are enough potential clients out there who appreciate and recogonize the importance of a truly collaborative process from an experienced design professional.

For a brief introduction on Evolution of a Logo please read Edition 1.

Welcome to Edition 2. We’re going to take a look at the FedEx logo. Unlike the Nike Swoosh, it’s history isn’t as memorable, but there’s a certain coolness to it that most people don’t see right away…if ever.

But before you get to see the cool you have to know a little about the origin. The original FedEx logo (then Federal Express) was created in 1973 by Richard Runyon.
If you were around for the 80′s then I’m sure you remember this logo only because of it’s ubiquity, not because it was in any way cool (No offense Richard, the design just doesn’t have a timeless quality to it).

Okay, moving right along. The current logo was created in 1994 by Lindon Leader, who was a Senior Design Director at Landor Associates in San Francisco at the time. Unlike the Nike Swoosh, I can only imagine what this design must have cost FedEx, let’s put it this way- it was for an undisclosed amount. I couldn’t find it disclosed anywhere anyway.

What most people probably don’t see until it’s pointed out is the arrow located in the negative space between the E and the x. See it? Now that I’ve pointed it out, it’s probably the only thing you see. The arrow is meant to symbolize forward movement, speed and precision. The design is brilliantly simple.

Leader created over 200 designs before realizing he could create the arrow with those letters. He manipulated the two different type faces (Univers 67 and Futura Bold) to achieve the natural looking shape of the arrow. This chosen design was one of six finalists. Apparently during the presentation of the designs, the CEO, Fred Smith, was the only executive out of 12 to see the arrow right away.

So why is this logo so successful? The subtly of the arrow displays amazing discipline by designer and client. To have emphasized the arrow or made it more obvious would have been anticlimatic- like the guy who ruins the surprise party. But I think the creator says it best-

The power of the hidden arrow is simply that it is a hidden bonus. It is a positive-reverse optical kind of thing: either you see it or you don’t. Importantly, not getting the punch line by not seeing the arrow, does not reduce the impact of the logo’s essential communication. On the other hand, if you do see the arrow, or someone points it out to you, you won’t forget it. I can’t tell you how many people have told me how much fun they have asking others if they can spot something in the logo. To have filled in the arrow, or to somehow make it more visible would have been like Henny Youngman saying Please take my wife instead of Take my wife. Please. Punch lines that need to be explained are neither funny nor memorable.

~ Lindon Leader

For more Henny Youngmen jokes- Click here.
A special thanks to The Sneeze for the great interview with Lindon Leader.

Stay tuned for the next edition.

This being the first edition, I feel it necessary to provide a little introduction and background information- So I’m thinking of starting a new series of blog posts where I take an extremely recognizable logo of modern brands and dive into it’s history and evolution. How and when it was created, how it has evolved or changed over time and it’s impact on popular culture.

What exactly is a logo? Quite simply, it’s a means to which brands speak to it’s customers through imagery. A logo can evoke emotion, inspire ideas and impress values on millions of people. It’s a hundred words jam packed into one little icon.

So I’m starting out with the infamous Nike swoosh. It will be a tough act to follow, in part because the story of it’s origin is such a great one. If you’ve never heard it, you are in for a real treat, it’s an excellent conversation piece.

The original design was created in 1971 by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, for Phil Knight and his company called Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS).

BRS was launching a new line of athletic footwear and Davidson agreed to provide design ideas for a jaw dropping rate of $2 per hour. In June of ’71 Davidson presented a number of designs to the BRS execs, but they ultimately selected what is now known as the Nike Swoosh (see image below). When Knight first saw the logo, he was reported to have said, “Well, I don’t love it, but maybe it will grow on me.” BRS paid Davidson a grand total of $35 for her work.

Inspired by the Greek goddess Nike, the winged goddess of victory, the swoosh represents her wing. The company adopted the name for all its operations in 1978.

Overtime the logo has evolved slightly. The word Nike is sometimes printed with the swoosh (see image below), but the swoosh is now so recognizable that the company name itself has become obsolete.

Today Nike employs 30,000 people worldwide and reported more than $19 billion in sales in 2010. With endorsers such as: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Andre Agassi, Shane Warne, Maria Sharapova, Tiger Woods (well at one time anyway), Venus and Serena Williams… et cetera, et cetera. It’s a global phenomenon. You would be pretty hard pressed to find someone in a developed country that doesn’t own a shoe, tshirt, and/or a pair of shorts that doesn’t have this logo on it.

I’d like to ask Phil if the logo has grown on him yet.

Stay tuned for the next edition.

They look like this (see thumbnail to the left), I’m sure you’ve seen them, they are popping up everywhere. QR stands for Quick Response. They are used to direct an audience to a URL by being scanned with a smart phone app such as QR Code Reader, zappit, kaywa, etc (there are many).

This is one example of how it can be used- a reader comes across your ad in a magazine and he or she sees this barcode, he takes his smart phone out of his pocket, opens the QR code reader app, holds his smart phone up to the barcode and the smart phone then launches the URL that’s encoded in the image. Now, your print advertisement is somewhat trackable if you use a custom URL.
Pretty cool, right? They are somewhat of a sore thumb but can be tucked nicely into the bottom of an ad.

Add them to other mediums, such as: flyers, posters, and/or invites and it can take viewers directly to a webpage containing: Product details, Contact details, Offer details, Event details, Competition details, A coupon, Social Media pages, A link to a YouTube video, the list goes on, you get the idea.

I’m actually starting to see them on business cards as well to store contact information, not sure I’m on that bandwagon yet, but who knows I could change my mind. Add some rounded corners and a little reflection, it might not be so ugly. I kid, I kid.

Only a couple of years ago, I called myself a flash developer, and now it rarely surfaces during my elevator speech. Flash is no longer useful, nor practical, in the regular website. There are too many security flaws, it takes up too much bandwidth, in today’s world of internet browsing, let’s face it, it’s all about speed and SEO. None of which Flash effectively offers. AND most importantly it takes too long to develop. I can deliver an image banner or slideshow in html/css/jquery in a fraction of the time, and it’s compatible on virtually any web browsing device.

However, I am not of the opinion that Flash is dead. It just doesn’t have the same stage it once occupied (pun intended). Flash can and should still be used; it’s a commanding animation tool. Sites that require a lot of user interaction can still benefit from its power.

Flash is to websites as what bell bottoms are to fashion. What was once hip and cool becomes seemingly ridiculous, but strutted correctly and appropriately- can still be super sexy.

I’m not trashing my copy of Flash, just like I wouldn’t goodwill my bell bottoms. I never know when I might get invited to a 70′s themed costume party.

There’s nothing I love more than a good client. It makes me remember how much I love my job.

So what makes up a good client? Equal parts acquiescence and attentiveness, with a dash of assertiveness. Acquiescence to know the difference between thinking you are an expert and knowing you are NOT an expert. Good clients know how to offer up good suggestions but also know that not all suggestions are good suggestions. Attentiveness because it’s important to pay attention, and apathy never inspires anyone. And we can’t forget the dash of assertiveness. A good client knows what he likes and what he doesn’t like, and is not afraid to vocalize it and/or ask questions. Decisiveness equals efficiency.
It’s a recipe for success.

Timeliness is another key element. Attention to deadlines is very important, especially if those deadlines have dollar signs in front of them. The client who pays on time, plays on time. A good client will understand the effort and recognize the hard work.

Obviously there’s more to it and sometimes there are underlying factors that prohibit one from being a good client, but I try to always keep the above in mind when I find myself paying for a service.

I’ve had both good and bad clients, I’m quite lucky though, very few bad. It’s so important, as a business owner, to filter out the bad clients, do not ignore red flags. And let’s face it, some people just aren’t a good fit for each other. Bad clients are not worth it, no matter how desperate the times may be.

I’m in pursuit of a quiz- a good client quiz, maybe something you would find in a magazine. Turn to page 56 to find out if he/she is a good client. Has anyone seen one of these, taken one of these? Let me know.

If I can’t find one, I might just create one…