989 Design Blog has moved.

It actually moved a long time ago, but I recently decided that it isn't worth the time I spend updating two separate blog pages. If I can figure out an easy way to port my WordPress blog to this page, I will do it. Otherwise, just know that you can find my blog at my website.
989 Design Blog

No, really...you can't touch this.

I've written about Clayton Kershaw a couple of other times and I imagine I will write about him again in the future. Clayton was the young gun superstar-to-be who pitched for the Loons during our inaugural season. He is a lanky left-hander with a curve ball that makes grown men buckle at the knees.

He has been hailed as everything from 'the next big thing' to 'a once-in-a-generation talent' by scouts and baseball publications. Even with all of the hype, he was really a pretty nice kid. At left is a poster I shot and designed of Clayton. He was really easy to work with and made the photo shoot an easy process.

Anyway...Clayton rocketed from low-A ball in Midland to AA ball in Jacksonville to the Los Angeles Dodgers in about 18 months time. He spent most of last year with the Dodgers and really started getting into a groove by the time the season ended. His first outing this year was strong, so he looked poised to have a great season. But did anybody expect what happened last night?

7 innings pitched, 1 hit allowed, struck out 13 batters. 13 Ks in seven innings? That's siiiiiick!

Unfortunately, he didn't get the win because the Dodgers couldn't give him much run support. He was a total pro about it after the game, though. He was happy enough that the Dodgers won the game.

"I'm fine with it," said Kershaw. "I mean, there's going to be a game down the road where I go five innings and give up five runs and get the win. That's just part of baseball."

The kid just turned 21, had a fantastic outing in only his second start of the season and displays that kind of poise and professionalism. I am really impressed with him. Way to be a great player and a great sportsman, Clayton.

Good luck with the rest of your season.

Rebranding the Detroit Lions

Anybody who grew up in Michigan or who follows the NFL is familiar with the logo above and all of the baggage attached to it. It's the logo of the Detroit Lions, a once-proud franchise whose 2008–2009 season was the worst in NFL history. From the Ford family's disastrous ownership to bad management decisions to bad luck, the Lions are in the midst of putting together the worst decade in the history of any NFL franchise.

You can't fire the owners (unfortunately), but you can make a lot of other changes. Along with management changes (several of which weren't really much of a change) and a lot of personnel changes, the Lions have decided to scrap the old-style Detroit Lions logo (above) and replace it with this:


Sorry for the small size, but it's the best I could find. As you can see, the basic shape of the Lion is still the same, but they've added in some nice broad strokes to give the logo a little more motion. They've also sharpened up the Lion's face, adding an eye and making the snarl more pronounced. It certainly looks a lot tougher and more menacing—now let's wait to see if the team matches up to the logo.

Overall, I like the logo change. I'm pleased that even though this is a big change for them, the didn't go too far. I'm glad they kept the Honolulu blue, as well. I know that some fans don't like the blue very much and don't think it's a very tough-looking color, but it is one of the classic NFL logos. Keeping your traditions intact while giving your franchise a contemporary look is a good way to go about rebranding.

In addition to the logo, they have replaced the old, western-style "LIONS" logotype with this:

I don't love it, but I don't hate it. The old type was really, really dated and always looked out of place to me. This fits in with the new logo and it has a little more motion to it. It's fine.

My only regret in this is that I didn't write about it last week when I first saw a leaked version of the logo. It wasn't the exact logo, but it was pretty close. Had I written about this then, it would be a little more timely. This is still pretty fresh news, but next time I won't sit on the news for a week.

Rebranding just for the sake of rebranding.

Anybody out there watch Battlestar Galactica? If the answer is no, then Dwight Schrute might want to point out that you're an idiot. I wouldn't go so far, but I do think you have missed out on some pretty great television the past few years. No point in bothering to watch it now, though...the series finale is on tonight.

If the answer is yes, then you know that Battlestar Galactica has been a huge hit for the Sci Fi Channel. I don't have the numbers in front of me, but I think it's probably the highest rated show Sci Fi has ever had. BG isn't the only big series they've ever had, but it has garnered the most critical acclaim as well as created a loyal fanbase as rabid as any in television (with the possible exception of Monty Python stuff).

So what does any network do when they're riding the crest of an all-time high wave?

They decide to rebrand. From now on, the Sci Fi Channel will be called...



That's right...it's Syfy. How very uninspired. Why the big change? According to Syfy president Dave Howe suggested that "Sci Fi" was too generic a term to trademark, so they came up with something which "seeks to distinguish the channel and its programming from cable competitors."

Personally, I always liked Sci Fi's little logo. Everybody knew what the name meant and what the logo was. Creating a new brand at this time seems to be a really goofy decision. Sounds to me like somebody somewhere in the chain felt like they needed to put their stamp on the product. Why does management feel like the product isn't really theirs until they get their fingerprints all over it?

On top of the timing, the logo itself is really pretty sad. Ooohhh...a font. With a 3D look. And a tagline. I mean no disrespect to the people who designed the logo (I don't know who it was just yet) because I am reasonably sure that the execs who made the decision wouldn't know a good logo if it bit them in the ass.

Goodbye, little Saturn and Sci Fi logo, I will miss you.

Imitation

Is imitation really the highest form of flattery? Or is it just lazy design? What I'm referring to in this case are the two logos below. The first is for the TV series Heroes and the second is for Knowing, a new film with Nicolas Cage.





I know they aren't exactly the same, but they're both using the same penumbra-type effect. (Admit it, you're impressed that I know the word penumbra, aren't you?) Heroes was all about saving the world from destruction and from the looks of Knowing, it's got some of the same themes.

I think I'm going to start designing all of my logos based on the Heroes logo. Check back later this week for some Heroes-style work.

It's funny because it's true.

Progress.

Hard to read? Click on comic to see full-size version.

I ran across this comic online today. It's from Penny Arcade. I looked online for rules regarding reposting their comic, but couldn't find anything. I couldn't find an FAQ that forbid reposting of their content, so in hopes that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, I am posting it here.

Please visit their site and buy lots of stuff from them.

Please join me in welcoming our newest client, Affordable Green Energy (AGE). AGE is, as the logo says, an alternative energy solutions company. At the moment, they are really focused on wind energy, but what sets them apart from other alternative energy companies is that they are focused on the small-wind market. They aren't building wind farms, they're manufacturing and installing personal wind turbines, designed for individual homes and businesses.

The analogy that the small-wind industry likes is to refer to it as wind gardening. When you plant a garden, you can meet some (or all) of your needs, but you won't be able to produce enough for your neighbor. It's the same sort of thing with wind gardening.

AGE offers a variety of personal wind turbines, some of which are specifically designed to work better in urban and city environments. The best thing about AGE is that they aren't just selling you a wind turbine and letting you fend for yourself. They take the time to do a complete wind assessment and then put together a plan personalized for you, based on your location and your energy requirements. Once the plan is approved, they not only install the turbines, they will help you with any paperwork that is needed.

AGE is a great example of a local, family-owned company pushing forward with green technology.

Quick note: Just to be clear, so far we have helped them out with some stationery and their new sales material. We did not design their logo or website—I want to be careful to NOT take credit for anyone else's work.

It's awards season. In the past five weeks or so, we've seen the Grammys, Independent Spirit and Academy Awards shows all come and go. I didn't win anything.

Awards aren't limited to the entertainment industry, though. There is also a local award called the Ruby Award. It goes out to like a dozen or so local people who are all making significant contributions to the community. I didn't get one of those, either. And I never will because it's only for people under 40 and since I am turning 40 in about a month, this was the last year that I would have been eligible. Shut out of the Ruby Awards? Was it because I don't make a significant contribution or am I just not under 40 enough? I guess we'll never know.

On top of all of these awards which I will not be winning, there are graphic design and advertising awards—hundreds of them, maybe even thousands—and I won't be winning any of them, either.

Do I feel bad about it? No, not really. I just got thinking about it because almost every day I get another mailer from another organization reminding me of the deadline to enter a design in this contest or that. Some of the awards are legit—I'm looking at you Clio, Addy and Communication Arts—and some are not. Well, it isn't that they aren't legit, but many of them come from organizations you have never heard of before. And every year there are more and more of them. They are like award factories.

The business of charging people to enter design competitions in return for an award is becoming a very big business. It's starting to remind me of the Who's Who scam...you get a free listing in Who's Who in Animal Husbandry or whatever. And for just $15 you can include a photo. $25 more and you get a copy of the book. It's the pay-to-play aspect that I don't care for.

If you go to many designers' sites, you will to see them trotting out their awards. And I don't blame them, they've earned the awards. Moreover, they paid for them. With entry fees running $85 and sometimes more, it gets expensive pretty quickly. That's part of why you see the bigger agencies winning more awards—they can absorb that cost in their overhead because it's a much smaller percentage of their monthly budget. Even a couple of entries a month would be a big chunk for us—realistically the $150 covers my electric and internet bills for a month.

Don't get me wrong, trophies are nice to look at, but does anybody really pay attention? If you go to a large ad agency, one of the first things you see when you walk in the front door is the trophy case. At Integer we had a big case filled with Addys and Clios and so forth. It makes for a nice show if you're doing the dog-and-pony, but does anybody really know what these trophies are? Maybe I will go to the thrift store and buy a bunch of old bowling trophies and just put them up on display in the studio.

I only mention any of this because if you are looking to hire an award-winning designer, I'm not your guy. 989 Design is a small studio and there are just the two of us working here. It's not like a few entries is going to break the bank, but I don't see that the benefit outweighs the cost. What's the best thing that happens when you win an award? You get the respect of your peers, which would be nice, but I don't really need that sort of approval, except from my clients. And I suppose that if someone were hiring a designer based on how many awards they've won, they probably aren't the right fit for 989 Design. Seems a little uptight and that's just not our style.

I'd rather just keep doing good work and doing our best to keep our overhead low. Our goal isn't to be a cheap design studio because that isn't what we are, but keeping our overhead low gives us a little flexibility when it comes to pricing our projects.

If a no-cost competition comes along, maybe we will send something in. In fact, now that I think about it, I have entered one design competition in my career. It was a no-cost-to-enter competition sponsored by a paper manufacturer. I have never printed on a particular stock just to be able to enter a competition, but I happened to use the right stock and I was really proud of how it came out. A few months later I received a package in the mail that informed me that I was, in fact, not a winner. I thought maybe I'd get an honorable mention or something, but not even that. I remember being really disappointed about it, too.

Regarding the image above: I did not draw or create the bottle cap image. I came across it years ago and was not able to find the original source of the art. I wish I had because I'd like to give credit where credit is due, but I guess I'll just have to settle for not taking credit for someone else's work.

Am I Living in a Box?

Clearly, I am having a hard time keeping up the blogging schedule I set for myself. It's not that I haven't had anything to write about, it's just that we're starting to get into baseball season and things are (finally) picking up around here.

Part of what has been keeping me so busy is that we are getting more projects in the studio that require both writing and design. I feel pretty comfortable with my writing skills, but when it comes time to write for somebody else it just takes me longer to get my mind around it. Part of it is that I have to learn about their business so that I can write about it intelligently. Plus, it takes me a little time to really "get into character," so to speak. It takes time to find the right voice for a project, the right words, and so forth. I'm enjoying the challenge it brings, but it also makes it harder to shift gears back to the blog.

I've also been spending a little more time reading, which is part of what I wanted to write about today. There is a very nice article in the current issue of Wired. The article is all about designing within boundaries and making that work for you instead of against you. The link above will take you to the intro to the article, which mentions the constraints of the page in graphic design. There are linked pages in the article to short pieces about design electric cars, antenna-less cell phones, and building a better plastic bottle.

As I read the piece it dawned on me that this isn't just about design, but it's about everything. Through the limits placed on us by ourselves or by external forces, we are forced to adapt to these constraints. It's either adapt to them or be crippled by them. With the current state of the economy, we are staring into an abyss that could change our way of life for generations. At the same time, though, there's an opportunity there. Not just for the country as a whole, but for many individuals who are choosing to try something new.

I've had three or four new businesses contact me about designing logos and stationery and each new startup excites me. Will every new business be a success? No, they won't. It's a sad fact, but statistically speaking, it is true. The people I've met with know that they are taking a chance by starting a new business, but they aren't willing to let their current constraints dictate how they choose to live their lives—how they design their lives, if you will.

Look at your current situation. What constraints are there upon you? How can you work within or around them? How can you make your situation work better for you? Try to discover the opportunities that are out there that you might be able to take advantage of.

Image above: From Wired, Bryan Christie Design

Think Classy, Be Classy

Here's a very quick marketing tip. This one is both very simple and at the same time it is one of the most-broken rules of marketing. Does your business have an office or storefront open to the public? Take a look around and count the handwritten signs. At least half of the restaurants and stores I go into have handwritten signs somewhere. On the front door, at the cash register, in the restrooms, etc. Do yourself a favor and tear them all down. Immediately. Don't even finish reading this sentence...get up and tear them down.

There is nothing more amateur looking than an establishment who can't take the time to put even a half-ass sign together. Every business in the universe has access to a computer and printer, so there really isn't any good excuse. It's just simple lack of attention to detail. And if your printer at home is ten years old or older, maybe you should consider sending your file to someone else to print (I strongly suggest sending your file anywhere other than Staples, because there really is no telling if they'll be able to figure out the mysteries of your very complex order).

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Once upon a time, there was a restaurant that wanted to position itself as a high-end steakhouse. The restaurant itself was very nice, complete with white linens and entrées starting in the mid- to high-$20s. Not the fanciest or the most expensive, but in a town where the average entrée price is a lot closer to $8, they were trying to win over a more discriminating clientele.

What always stood out to me as I passed the restaurant, though, was that the sign in their front window was a homemade tractor-feed banner. Remember tractor-feed banners? They were very common back in the 80s. And this banner looked like it came right out of the 80s. The ink was a very faded black, the paper had rough edges along the perforations where the tractor feed was removed, and it wasn't hung very well. All in all, the sign didn't communicate anything high-end or classy. It just looked half-assed and cheap. Clearly, they didn't think their restaurant was worth a $150 investment, why would any consumer want to spend good money if they didn't even believe in themselves?

In an era when you can buy 5' x 3' full-color banners for under $150, why go cheap when it comes to signage? Think about that figure...one table for two with appetizers, entrées, and a decent bottle of wine would almost cover the cost of the sign. Okay...fair enough...add in the cost of a quick design and you'd need two tables to cover the cost. How many people may have been willing to give them a shot if it looked like they cared?

Handwritten signs are great examples of one of my favorite business screw ups: tripping over dollars to pick up nickels. Take a little bit of time and, if possible, spend a couple of dollars to upgrade your signage.

I think marketing guru Crash Davis summed it up best when he said, "Think classy, be classy."

Part of the Community

About three weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a woman I met at a Bay Area Chamber of Commerce event. We only met the one time and didn't really know each other, but she wrote to ask if I would be willing to let her son spend a couple of hours in the studio, interviewing me and getting an idea of what it is to be a graphic designer. I think part of why I belong to the Chamber is because I don't just want to have a business here, but I chose to build my life here. And as part of that, I want to be involved with the community. I told her that I was happy to do it so we arranged for her son to come in to the studio for a couple of hours.

The son, whose name I am going to withhold because he is a minor, is a really nice, normal kid. He goes to school at Saginaw Academy of Science & Arts (I didn't even know such a school existed in the area). He likes art, but it isn't his only interest. He came to the studio with a few pages of questions about what I do. As somebody who writes profiles professionally, I have to tell you, he came armed with some really bright questions. I was really impressed with his preparation and we talked for a while about my career and stuff like that.

Time passed very quickly while we just sat there and talked. I asked him a little bit about what sort of art he likes and what he likes to do. In our back-and-forth, I got really excited talking about my career. I came to design through a back door, but I feel really lucky to have a career that I genuinely enjoy. I love going to work, I love being in the studio, doing the actual design, etc. I've never lost sight of how much I appreciate being able to do something I love and get paid for it, but in talking with this young many it sort of rekindled the fire a little bit.

I'm really grateful that I had the opportunity to spend some time talking with him. I know I got a lot out of it and I hope he feels the same way. After he left I was picking things up before heading home and noticed that he left me a message on the Etch-a-Sketch. He also took the time to write me a thank you note and mail it, but for me the Etch-a-Sketch message was perfect. You're welcome.

On a completely unrelated note...I thought I'd do a little show and tell with the other objects in the photo above. Along with the Etch-a-Sketch note we have:

• A photo of myself and Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. This photo (taken by Barry Rankin) was taken on an evening when my job was to spend a few hours taking photos of Gordie Howe while he signed autographs. Other than to say hello, we didn't talk during the autograph session, but Gordie kept hamming it up for me. At the end of the evening, I had the chance to go up and chat with him for a minute. I can't tell you what a huge thrill that was!

• A Detroit Red Wings puck autographed by Gordie. He had just been signing his name for most things, but because we had "worked together" he surprised me and personalized it. When he handed it to me he said, "Here you go...To Mr. Photo from Mr. Hockey."

• A signed print of a photo I took of Ryne Sandberg when he was coaching the Peoria Chiefs.

• A photo of me from the first time I met the Stanley Cup. My friend Jim Biewer, now with the Detroit Red Wings, took this photo. I had about thirty minutes where it was just me and the Cup. I took lots of photos, but mostly I just read the names in the rings. I wanted to touch it, but I knew better. In any of the three or four times I've been around the Cup, I haven't touched it.

• Tucked between the Etch-a-Sketch and the Red Wings puck, you can see a Great Lakes Loons baseball peeking out.

Man, do I have a cool job, or what?

Regular or decaf?

As silly as it sounds, I really like pouring the coffee when 989 Design is the Chamber coffee sponsor. I always enjoyed my retail jobs in the past because, on the whole, I really do like people. I may pretend that isn't the case, but there I was this morning with a coffee pot in each hand and a smile on my face.

"Regular or decaf?" I asked.

The studio doesn't get much foot traffic—almost none, in fact. Outside of the mailman and Randy the UPS guy, it's rare to have anyone randomly stop by. So having thirty minutes to socialize and say good morning to a lot of people is fun for me. Plus, if this whole graphic design thing doesn't work out, I think Greg has a spot for me behind the bar. So I've got that going for me.

The hardest part of the coffee sponsorship is having to speak in front of the whole room for two minutes. I never really prepare what I am going to say because I end up sounding like a robot. Instead, I think of a few points I want to hit and wing it, hoping to not hear the bell that indicates I've gone over my two minutes (I'm two-for-two on being on time). Today I talked a little about the studio, a little about the site, pitched the Good Works Group again, and then did a few 15-second spots for the Saginaw Spirit, Great Lakes Loons and Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra. I hit all of my points, stayed under two minutes, and didn't throw up on my shoes.

I did get the chance to talk to a few friends and even met a few new people. All in all, I'd say it was a successful morning.

When I first moved to Bay City, I joined the Chamber to get to know more members of the business community in the area. I was new in town and didn't really know anybody. I've been a member of the Chamber for around four years now and even though I wasn't as active a participant in Chamber events the first year or two (which was dumb on my part, I realize, but I'm kind of shy), I've really tried to be more active the past couple of years.

Speaking for two minutes in front of a group of ten is intimidating to me, so doing the soapbox at the breakfast is terrifying, but I really do want to get the message out about 989 Design and the Good Works Group. After the breakfast a lot of people told me that I did a good job and I really appreciate that.

Thanks again for the support, Bay City.

Two Minutes Can Save You Hundreds of Dollars

Do you have a preferred print vendor? The Tri-Cities...er...Great Lakes Bay Region (don't get me started) has a number of commercial print shops to choose from and chances are, if you do much print buying through the year, you have a favorite. It's great to have a relationship that you know you can rely on. You make a phone call and your rep is there to save the day. We're actually really lucky in that out of all of the shops there are several that offer a great combination of excellent quality work and a very high level of service.

The downside of having these great relationships is that sometimes you just quit bothering to comparison shop. When is the last time you quoted your job at another printer? Don't misunderstand me, I'm a very loyal client when it comes to print shops, but different shops have different equipment and may or may not be the best fit for a job. There are many shops who can print an oversize poster, for example, but some of them are better-suited to it than others and the shops who are better-suited for a job, generally can offer better prices as a result of economies of scale. It's rare that your print rep is going to tell you that maybe another shop is a better fit for a job (although it does happen from time to time). Who can blame them? They're paid on commission so they have a vested interest in keeping the job in their hands, no matter what the cost is to you.

In an economic environment like we currently find ourselves in—especially in Michigan where so many businesses are hanging on by a very thin thread—we need to be sure that we are making the most of our money.

Take the time to have another shop quote your next project. It's sad to say, but some shops are really hurting right now and they are very aggressive in their quoting. They are more interested in keeping their presses running, so they are offering great deals.

I recently designed a brochure for one of my larger clients and, as is my practice, I quoted it at the two shops who were the best fit for the project. I knew that either shop would do a great job, so no matter which direction I went I would not be sacrificing quality. I was really surprised, though, when I got the quotes back. One shop was almost double the price of the other shop (at lower quantities). At the quantity we ended up printing, the cost difference amounted to over $700, which was about 30–40% lower than the other shop. In the end we got a product that everybody was very happy with and I saved my clients a chunk of change all because I took the time to send one e-mail.

Time to write one e-mail: 2 minutes.
Cost savings: $700

If you don't have a sales rep from another shop, feel free to e-mail or call and I will give you names and numbers for several shops.

Branding Does Not Correct For Incompetence

I love Bay City. Even now, in the dead of winter, there is nowhere else I'd rather live. I chose to move here from the world-class city of Denver—that's how much I love it here. That being said, once again I find myself feeling frustrated with the city leadership.

Remember a few months ago when I wrote about the money Bay City wasted on developing the new city brand? A few years ago, the city paid nearly $50,000 for a horrible logo—an absolute abomination. Along with the horrible logo there is a trite saying. VOILA! There's our brand.

No matter how many times I scream it, a logo is not a brand!

Anyway, we've got our logo so we're all set, right? Bay City is on the rise again. No bad decision making or bad publicity can affect us because, after all, we've got that crappy logo...er...brand.

Our first stop on the bad-PR train came in December when a Wall Street Journal article featured a mention of Bay City alongside one of their trademark stipple images of our mayor, Charles Brunner. The city couldn't afford to put up the annual Festival of Lights display for Christmas this year and the story was wrapped into a Journal piece on cities feeling the economic crunch at Christmas time. This was a good decision by the mayor, it was just a small bit of bad PR. No city wants to be painted as anti-Christmas, but there we were on the front cover of one of the most-read newspapers in the world.

Fast forward one month to a much uglier story.

Two weeks ago the body of a 93-year-old man was found dead in his home on Bay City's southwest side. The house is actually only a mile away from mine. The man, a veteran who received the purple heart as a medic in World War II, died of hypothermia in his home. You read that correctly, he froze to death in his home. Due to unpaid electric bills, the city electric department had placed a device to restrict the amount of electricity he could use. He apparently didn't know what the device was or how to reset it and died a very slow and painful death.

His death has received all sorts of national attention, once again turning the nation's eyes to Bay City. MSNBC is among the many national news sources who carried the story.

According to our city manager, he didn't think the city did anything wrong. I understand that actions have to be taken when bills aren't paid, but you'd think they'd be a little more careful when it comes to something like this. The new policy is to not use limiters, but don't you think we could have come to this sensible policy, say, before an old man died needlessly?

One time after another, this city keeps giving itself a black eye.

You know what I think might help? A new logo...some new branding idea that clearly states that we no longer kill our elderly for unpaid electric bills.