7 Phrases Graphic Designers Hate to Hear

Being a graphic designer has it's ups and downs, just like any career. You deal with some great people and some not so great people. You get people who respect what you do and others who think you're just pushing buttons. Even after 13 years of experience, I still get the occasional inquiry that makes me shake my head. Like today, I received an email with a logo request which started with the guy setting the price for the project, and ended with me rolling my eyes.

So I compiled a short list of the phrases we designers hate to hear. Below each phrase is what we would love to say in response, but most times bite our tongues.

Can you make the logo bigger? We need to make it pop so people can see it.
Sure, let's bypass the content on your website and stick a big fat logo up there so people can see how insecure you are.

That's expensive. Can you do it for half of that? 

No problem, I didn't want to pay my mortgage this month anyway. I'll let my Wife know were moving into a cardboard box.

It's an easy one, so it shouldn't take you very long.

You're right, I'll get this done asap since there's no skill in what I do. I'll just call all my other clients and tell them to hit the bricks while I work on your project.

I don't know exactly what we need, but we need something cool.
You're really lucky I just learned to read minds. This won't be a problem at all.

Can I show this to my daughter? She has a great eye for this stuff.

Yeah, of course, because you don't hire a professional graphic designer with a decade of experience and NOT ask your daughter, the nutrition major, for her advice.

We don't have the copy yet, but we can get started on the design. 

That's an amazing idea. I'll just imagine what the copy will look like and lay out the images and graphics in random sizes. If the copy is too much I’ll just remove random sentences and images until it all fits, and if you give me too little I’ll just fill the space with sentences of how awesome you are. 

I can't afford to pay you now, but if we can do it for free this time, I will definitely spread the word. I got lots of connections.
Yes, no problem. My Wife and I got tired of eating so this works out great. It's worth the risk because your vast network will surely elevate me to fame and fortune. It's clear that even though you can't afford to invest in your own business, I should be taking any and all business advice from you. Now, can I wash your car?

Happy Designing,

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy)

What do you think of this list? Did I leave anything out? Are you guilty of some of these? Leave us a comment and let us know what you'd add or which is your most hated phrase. Share on Facebook and Twitter and use @salvatier! Thanks for reading.

What might be right for you, may not be right for some

You might recognize my title if you watched sitcoms in the 80's. It felt appropriate to go with this part of the lyrics when thinking up a title for today's post. You'll see what I mean.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about DC Comics' new logo. Most people felt the peeling effect was not reminiscent of a comic page turning or successful in symbolizing the concept of revealing duality. But I found a new brand that takes that similar concept and makes it work beautifully.  The UK's Discovery History.

 

As you can see, the peel effect is used in this brand to reveal the past in contrast with the present. I think DC Comics really wanted to create something that worked well in animation first, but Discovery History focused on a strong static brand first, and an animated version second. The brand and all elements for broadcast were created by Pete & Tom, a London based design studio.

Discovery History Ident - BERLIN WALL from Discovery UK Creative on Vimeo.

Discovery History Ident - ST PAULS from Discovery UK Creative on Vimeo.



What do you think? Do you agree the concept that DC Comics tried to convey could have worked if their approach was more like Discovery History? Let us know in the comments section and share this post using the social media icons. If tweeting, please use via @salvatier, so I can properly thank you!

Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic

Back in December I did a week-long sketch challenge and dreamed up a pin up of one of my favorite DC Comic heroines, Zatanna, who's a stage magician, but also an actual mystic. The fun thing about her spells is that they're simply a command said backwards. "NRUT OT SSALG", for example.I wanted to go with a classic pin up feel but with a modern twist to it and after a few weeks I got around to fully illustrating it. I had an alternate version that was more elaborate, but in this case I really felt less was more.

January has been an incredibly busy month, so I'm happy when I make time to work on something fun and personal. I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

Dennis (aka tanoshiboy) 

Should a Logo Be Heroic?

Last week DC Comics, the comic book publisher best known for publishing Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, announced they were getting a whole new brand identity. And just to give you a little backstory -- DC Comics made a major reboot last September, with their entire line of comic books. After 75+ years of continuity, the publisher believed it was time to revamp their library of characters for today's audiences. That meant updated costumes, reworked origins and the tweaking of their universe's timeline. So it came at no surprise that a new logo was on the horizon.

DC's need was to create a brand that would better represent their goal to spread across all forms of media, not just comics. Understandable, since DC Entertainment was formed in 2009 to handle the development of projects starring their heroes and villains over many mediums. Here's a quick look at DC's brand history.

The New Logo

As you can see they're goal was to create a duality in their logo, much like the duality of their superheroes. Bruce Wayne is secretly Batman (I like to think it's the other way around) and Clark Kent is Superman; and their logo does reflect that feeling of revealing a mystery with the page-turn effect. On top of that they wanted a mark that could be versatile and be themed with the persona's of their characters.

“It was our goal to capture DC Entertainment in a dynamic and provocative identity. Our solution is a living expression which changes and adapts to the characters, story lines and the ways fans are consuming content,” said Nicolas Aparicio, the creative Director of Landor, the consulting agency who designed the new mark. “The new identity is built for the digital age, and can easily be animated and customized to take full advantage of the interactivity offered across all media platforms.” he went onto say. I get that and I see that in the mock ups and concepts provided in DC's release.

Conclusion

As a long time fan of DC Comics, my initial reaction was one of disgust when I first saw the new mark. Right off the bat (no pun intended) it made me feel like all the heroism and excitement had left the brand to be replaced by this new unexciting, bland, monstrosity that looked like a toilet seat cover was being peeled off. Now that I've had time to digest it, I don't feel as strongly as I did. I don't hate the new logo, but I don't exactly like it. The complaint from fans was that the logo didn't look like a comic book company, but if you look at Marvel, Image Comics or Dark Horse Comics, neither do theirs. My problem with the logo is that it had to be explained to me so that I could see what they meant by it. As a logo designer, I believe a mark's purpose should be apparent from the moment you first lay eyes on it. Like the Joker says, "If you have to explain the joke, there is no joke".

What are your thoughts at first sight? Does DC's explanation clear things up or you, or do you agree that if it has to be explained there's a problem? Do you disagree with me? Do you think this mark is right for the goal DC Entertainment has set out for? Please comment and tell us what you think. Please share and tweet this post using via @salvatier and thanks for reading.

Sushi & Gazpacho vs Insomnia

Ever have those nights where you just feel wired and no matter what you do you can't quiet your dumb brain? That's my current state. I've been working almost non-stop since the new year began. I'm happy to be busy, so I'm not complaining, but it can drive you a little nuts and mess with your sleep.

So I went for a drive and felt like doing a little sketching when I returned. Some fun stuff came out of it and I felt like sharing. So enjoy a pen and ink sketch of my characters Sushi and Gazpacho and some of their "fans".

Sweet Dreams,

Dennis

Design Field Trip: Getty Center part 2

I'm not going to write very much today and let the photos speak for themselves, but I wanted to thank everyone who checked out part 1 and commented. If I had one wish for 2012 is would be that this blog would hear more from the creative community. I would love to see comments from fellow illustrators and graphic designers and hear their opinions on not just what you see here, but in the creative world in general. This blog has always been a creative outlet for me, and I hoped it would serve other creatives as well, at least to get them thinking and maybe even considering things in our field in a different way. So chime in and join in the conversation or create one. And if you find yourself disagreeing with anything write here, please let me know. I welcome a friendly debate. Honest. :)

Enjoy the photos and if you have any questions or suggestions for this blog, please drop me a line.

Happy Creating,

Dennis

Design Field Trip: Getty Center part 1

One of the things we do as creatives is sit behind our monitors a bit too much. It's really important to get out and see what the world holds in store in terms of inspiration. Living in Los Angeles, I have tons of inspiration around me (yes, I'm spoiled). So I decided to visit the J. Paul Getty Museum (part of the Getty Center), well known for its architecture, gardens, and beautiful views of Los Angeles. I brought a couple of friends with me and it was especially great for them to join me because they're still exploring Los Angeles and it's always a treat to visit familiar places and see it again through new eyes. The museum was designed by architect Richard Meier, with the Garden being designed by Robert Irwin. You can learn more about the Getty Center on their wiki page.

In this post you'll see pictures of the amazing architecture, the gardens and some sculpture work. Unfortunately the day was overcast so we didn't get the sunset we were hoping for, in part 2 you'll get to see pictures of the artwork inside the museum. I had so much fun breaking in my new Canon EOS Rebel T2i, so I hope you enjoy my shots. Come back Thursday for part 2!

Happy Designing,

Dennis

Have you ever felt burned out and take a field trip to recharge those batteries? Can you recommend some inspiring places to visit either in Los Angeles or in the U.S.? Do you have stories of amazing places you've seen in other continents? Please share in the comments section and share this post on facebook, twitter (via @salvatier) or any other social media sites. Thanks!