Reagan Branham

“Hey! Everybody is using polka dots in their logo these days. Let’s do that with mine too.”
This is a kind of sentence two out of every three designers hear from their clients. Just because they see a particular ‘trend’ going around, they want you to replicate it for them as well. The hardest part is to reason with them and convince that they are wrong.
Trends in any industry are a good source of learning and inspiration. However, they shouldn’t be treated as a foundation for brand identity creation. They can never be a substitute for creative and unique work. The problem with trends is that they only last for an interim period while originality is everlasting. That is why each year we see a different set of trends prevailing in the industry. The old ones disappear making way for newer trends to take the limelight.
As with every year, 2014 will also witness the fall of several cliché trends that have overstayed their existence in the logo design business. Here are 7 logo trends that have been excessively used and are destined to fade away in 2014:

Wordy Logos

Back in the old days, brand identities used to be nothing but merely names of the company. Extremely lengthy and verbose logos were a common trend. But the past is history now. We are living in the era where simple is better. The wordier the logo, harder will it be for the audience to recognize it. We are already witnessing many brands abridge their visual identities to make them more effective and one can surely anticipate that this trend will fade away by next year.

This logo for a realty company is a perfect example of why the trend of wordy logos is destined to perish. The logo could have done perfectly well without the addition of superfluous words ‘REALTY’ and ‘LLC’. Instead, it makes the identity boring and difficult to memorize.

 

Black and White

Until a few years ago, black and white was a trendy theme in logo designing. But as major brands head towards the digital media, black and white isn’t the catchphrase anymore. People want more color and vibrancy in everything. Even though monochrome logos (using just a single color) will still remain, the use of black and white for logos will gradually fade away in 2014.

A couple of years ago, tech giant Microsoft finally decided to redesign its 25-year-old black and white logo. The company finally realized that some color needs to be added in their brand identity to make it more exciting and appealing.

 

Gradients

“What’s that shiny effect called? Yeah I want that in my logo too.”
This is another one of the statements that designers have to bear from their clients. The gradient effect used to be very popular a few years back and was used to add a shady effect in logos. However, brands have started realizing that even though the gradient effect may look ‘pretty’, it can cause trouble in reproducing on all mediums. Corporations are now shifting towards flatter logos that have solid colors rather than flashy ones.

Case in point is Google’s logo that was revamped after dropping the gradient effect. The Search Engine giant finally decided to roll out a flatter version of its logo that it had already been using internally and externally for printing purposes and publishing white papers.

 

Complex Logos

Creativity in logo design is admirable till the time it becomes so complex that the real meaning is lost. You cannot put in everything in a logo at once and expect it to work. Long gone are the days when a logo design was meticulously observed like a Picasso artwork. In this fast paced world, people don’t have the time to interpret the complexity behind a logo. Fast and simple logos are the talk of the town.

Remember the London 2012 Olympics logo? It is a perfect example of why complex logos aren’t really popular anymore. The design was such a complex mess that it failed to communicate the real message of the Olympics.

 

Helvetica

Next year will most certainly be the end of the Helvetica trend. Let’s face it guys. Simply typing the name of a company in a pretty font doesn’t make it a logo design. No doubt Helvetica is a great typeface to use, but it shouldn’t be taken for granted. The font has been excessively overused so much that it is about time that this trend fades away.

Let me recall the Gap logo fiasco that exhibits my point accurately. The clothing brand gambled on changing its decades old identity with a Helvetica typeface. What happened? It got badly criticized for employing such a casual approach to its logo makeover.

 

Transparency

Transparency in logo design is another trend that will meet similar fate as gradients in the year 2014. Much like the gradient effect, transparency also creates several issues for new digital mediums. For instance when embedded on a website, it can lose its visibility in the background. As more brands shift towards new media channels, the transparency trend will eventually fade away.

An ideal example is the logo redesign for the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. As clearly evident, the redesigned logo is extremely hard on the eyes and one can imagine what troubles it might cause when used on various platforms.

 

Circular Script

Believe it or not, there are still some designers out there who will draw a circle, write the name of their client’s company inside and pass it off as a logo design with the pretext that it is the ‘in thing’. The problem with circular script trend is that it has been done so many times, it has become a cliché. Tons of brands have followed this suit and it is about time that the circular script is given a break. Volkswagen, Ford, General Electric, WordPress, StumbleUpon you name it…even people use this trend on their personal website logos.

Whenever I see the WordPress logo, it always reminds me of the Volkswagen logo. Call it a coincidence, but the resemblance is uncanny and is mainly due to the circular script trend being followed. The point here being…it kills the uniqueness of the logo. 2014 should really see an end to this overused trend.
We can only predict without certainty as to what might happen next year. But one thing is for sure…trends are temporary and shouldn’t be followed religiously. Which other logo design trends do you think will lose their way in 2014?

Who decided jargon was a good thing? When did we start believing it made us look smarter?

I don’t know about you but one of my biggest gripes as a designer is the amount of jargon I come across, especially in the web industry!

I despise it so much, I actually created a strict ‘No Jargon Policy’ over at Web123 and I encourage my design partners to follow the same suite. If we absolutely must use jargon for some technical reason, our rule is that we also explain it in plain English just in case our client doesn’t understand.

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A note from Preston: This post is written by Bianca Board who has recently accepted the offer to become a regular contributor on our GDB writing team. I couldn’t be more excited about the content that Bianca will be sharing with the GDB community. She brings a unique perspective that none of our other writers can bring, including myself. I am a huge fan of her content at her own blog and can’t wait to learn more from her as we go. Please join me in welcoming Bianca by leaving a comment on this post.)

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I’m a jargon-buster and here’s why.

We don’t use jargon because we don’t want to set ourselves up as boffins who are better than our clients… because we aren’t. Yes, we know more about web development and design than our clients do, but it doesn’t mean we’re superior.

Sometimes I think we’re a single beacon of light in a world of geek-speak web developers… but I hope you’ll join me in my crusade.

Oh and by the way, if any of my darling web geeks DO accidentally talk in jargon I make them sit in the dunce’s corner and watch grumpy cat videos until they promise never to do it again.

The only time jargon is ok is when…

The one exception to my no-jargon rule is if you’re ‘talking shop’ with another designer or developer. I understand you’ll have to talk CSS and PMS and all that jazz. But try talking CSS, XHTML5, W3C and PMS to your average client and you’re going to get some very strange looks!

Seriously, my message today is that you won’t get more sales by confusing people with jargon unless you’re in one of the following industries:

• Weight loss products (“Now with added Bioperine”. That’s just black pepper by the way!)
• SEO suppliers (don’t get me started)
• Health supplements (double the wing of your wang)
• Web development (but only the bad ones do this!)*

Did you notice that graphic design isn’t in that list? That’s because it shouldn’t be. Ever.

*Now here’s the rub… In web you may get a few more sales over the line using jargon. I call that selling by fear, uncertainty and doubt (or FUD for your pure acronym pleasure). But it doesn’t create raving fans and I think it’s bad karma. Get used to speaking in clear, plain English. It will make you more approachable and therefore trustworthy; and trust is what puts a whole lot more in your bank account; more than jargon ever will!

Why clear communication is everything.
Jargon and abbreviations bamboozle clients and makes them feel stupid. And that’s not playing nice is it? It gives them a feeling that maybe, just maybe, you’re pulling the wool over their eyes.

Don’t believe me? How would you feel if a marketing consultant contacted you looking for business and they said this:

“We provide communication strategies which create resolutions to problematic aspects of effective communication.”

Is it just my Aussie ‘cut-the-crapola’ attitude that cringes at this? I’m sure it doesn’t matter what country you’re in, this sort of language does not build trust. I’d be thinking I was about to get a whole lot of baloney from this guy, wouldn’t you?

The #1 reason to kick jargon out of your business-speak.
If you want to build a successful design business then you need to build rapport with your clients and sales prospects; and that means no jargon.

If you’re talking in designer ‘geek speak’ then you’re not communicating and you’re certainly not building that all-important rapport.

So, since we’re all designers here, and since I want you to get more profitable, let’s look at some potential jargon pitfalls you or your team could be falling into (that I hope you’ll stop, like right now!).

1. Brand alignment.
“We will be bringing all your visual corporate elements into ‘brand alignment’.”

Ah-huh. Is that a way of saying we’re going to ensure all your sales and marketing materials are consistent?

2. Paradigm shift.
“We’ve shifted the paradigm on logos, now we’re offering a cohesive design that works with your marketing message.”

Come on, really? Aren’t you just designing an awesome logo for better brand recognition? I don’t care how kick-ass your design is, how exactly is it going to shift anyone’s paradigm?

3. Web2.0
“We’re offering you the cutting edge of web design, a complete web2.0 experience.”

OK fine, I raise you your Web2.0 with MY awesomest newest website creation which is, like, totally Web4.7. Come on, does this even mean anything to anyone anymore?

4. Leverage
“We’re leveraging WordPress to deliver an enterprise platform to your kindergarten stakeholders”

I’m sorry this doesn’t sound serious and corporate, it just sounds wanky. Didn’t you mean you’re going to be “using” WordPress as the platform to build their new kindergarten website?

5. Open the kimono.
“We’re going to open the kimono and show you how to brand your business.”

This means ‘sharing information’… but way creepier. If you hear anyone using this one, you have my permission to give them a virtual slap. Only joking! Mostly.

6. FTP – File Transfer Protocol
“We use file transfer protocols to safely share information between parties.”

Sheesh, if you mean you securely share files online, just say so.

7. GUI – Graphical User Interface.
“We’ll research and design a complete GUI consistent with the abilities and mindset of your target market.”

I’m pretty sure they’re just talking about making the website/device easy to use.

8. Enterprise Level.
“Our enterprise level CMS software uses state of the art CSS and XHTML5 coding.”

I think I hate corporate marketing/tech language most of all. Sure it sounds impressive but do clients really understand what it means, or even care? No. They just want to know that it’s going to work. Period.

9. KPIs
“I’ve just been running SEO for SMBs so that they can effectively hit their KPIs.”

Why couldn’t you say ‘I’ve been helping businesses get seen on Google for maximum results’? *facepalm*.

10. Web ACRONYMS in general!

If you’re about to write out an acronym to your client, STOP and think. Can you say it simply? The web industry is the absolute worst for this. For example:

“We deliver website solutions using a mix of state of the art technologies that leverage W3C compliance to HTML5 (November 2013 WhatWG Draft) and CSS3 (ensuring backwards compatibility to CSS2 ensuring compatibility with all leading client-side platforms, on top of an enterprise-grade ORM CMS platform that is built to enable compliance with 80% of PCI-DSS 2.0 requirements without additional resourcing.”

Believe it or not, this actually means something; but after being forced to read it, do you even care anymore? I know I lost the will to live right after the words ‘we deliver’.

Oh and another amazing one I heard the other day was a company that claimed to be “building websites using technology created by NASA”. I’m not even sure what that one means!

So, in summary, please remember if you say something that your client doesn’t understand then you’re not communicating, you’re just talking at them, and that’s bad for business.

If you want to earn more respect, build better relationships and win more clients it’s a no-jargon policy from now on, ok? Do we have a deal?

What’s the worst jargon you’ve ever heard?

I know there’s tons more I could have listed here so let’s keep the conversation going… Let me know in the comments below!

Back on Oct. 4 — when it came to pass that the St. Louis Cardinals would take on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League divisional playoffs — the Post-Dispatch of  St. Louis commissioned staff illustrator and famed Weatherbird cartoonist Dan Martin to come up with something clever for the front of the paper’s playoff special section.

Dan, of course, knocked it out of the park.

Having dispatched the Pirates handily last weekend, the Cardinals moved on to the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers — a best-of-seven series that started Friday in St. Louis.

Again, the Post-Dispatch produced a special section — this one was 18 page. And agian, the Post-Dispatch turned to Dan Martin. Here’s what he came up with.

Click that for a much larger look.

Assistant managing editor for sports Roger Hensley wrote Friday via Facebook:

Another excellent illustration by Dan Martin. And though Carlos Ayulo art directed the whole thing, he doesn’t get credit for the headline this time. Someone smarter than him came up with it. Ahem.

Carlos tells me that Dan turned in eight sketches from which to choose for that cover. Five of them, Carlos happens to still have.

The theme, obviously, is that the Cardinals have built their roster the old-fashioned way: By trading and by nurturing younger players. While the cash-rich Dodgers have built their playoff team quickly via free agency.

Carlos says this next one…

…did not show the Cards’ rich history

And this one, Carlos says…

…we never flushed it out

Here’s the sketch that was selected.

And here, again, is the final cover.

And not to seem overconfident or anything, but Carlos tells us…

[Dan] is already thinking about Red Sox or Tigers.

That might make you angry if you’re a Dodgers fan. But no disrespect is intended. The Post-Dispatch has covered enough playoff seasons that they know very well the value of early preparation. The worst that can happen is your team will lose and some work will go down the drain. That’s better than your team winning and you’re caught empty-handed with another massive playoff special section staring you in the face and nothing for the cover.

Dan has been the Weatherbird artist at the Post-Dispatch since 1980. The daily Weatherbird feature began in the paper in 1901 and the P-D likes to claim it’s the oldest running daily newspaper feature in the U.S. Here’s a video staffer Huy Mach put together for the Weatherbird’s 110th anniversary, two years ago.

Find a gallery of Dan’s Weatherbird art here.

Two years ago, Dan drew “Hero” and “Goat” illustrations for each playoff game. You can find samples of that work in this blog post.

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You probably know what happened in Friday night’s Game One: The game went into extra innings — four of them, in fact. At 12:25 a.m. Saturday, with two men on base in the bottom of the 13th inning, Carlos Beltran marched to the plate and smacked a line drive to deep right field, scoring a run and ending the game.

The Post-Dispatch‘s David Carson got this great celebration shot. The staff back at the paper wisely ran it big and got the hell out of its way.

Later that day — heh — the Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the series by topping the Dodgers by one whole run.

That run was scored by David Freese in the fifth inning. And you’re looking at it, as shot by staffer Chris Lee.

Game three will start today. When it’ll end is anyone’s guess…

The Vatican confirmed that it had withdrawn 6,000 coins commemorating Pope Francis’ first year as pope when it was discovered that “Jesus” had been misspelled.

Absolutely love this Numbers Pouf.

Death, it appears, prefers gentlemen to ladies. Women don't just outlive men, they consistently outlive men at every stage of life. More boys die in utero, in infancy, in adolescence, in middle age, at every stage. That's why nature makes more of them. But why? What's so fragile about guys?

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