We congratulate Terry on the design!

From the contest brief, “I need a logo that includes the initials, EDS, from my company name, “Efficient Dental Solutions,” and also includes the name. I would like to see a couple variations of the logo…maybe a couple with just the initials and a couple with the initials incorporated into some sort of abstract symbol.”

We think Terry did a great job capturing the contest holders requirements.

What do you think about his design?

vbarnhart recently won the JustTemps logo contest.

From the design brief, “…need a strong, innovative logo to represent our company, which is a market leader in the industrial temporary labor field.  Would like one, identifiable color, preferably orange (like the traffic cones and work vests often worn) but open to other color ideas.  The logo needs the brand name “Just Temps” and “Industrial Labor” in it.  This logo needs to resonate with foreman and business owners in this very labor intensive field and should convey reliability, strength, and professionalism.”

Vince did a great job with this one! Congratulations!

What do you think?

]]> http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/recent-logo-designs/feed/ 0 http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/terry-bogard-graphic-designer-spotlight/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=terry-bogard-graphic-designer-spotlight http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/terry-bogard-graphic-designer-spotlight/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 13:50:15 +0000 admin http://theperfectdesign.com/blog/?p=2572 I am a finance professional. Design has never been my occupation, it is just my passion and I think I’ve have come a long way with it. Most of my friends happened to be creatives during my teens and I used to do alot of freelance and fun work around that time. I worked in a design studio for a few years and learned market dynamics. I have also participated in many crowd sourced projects which helped me learn some different and unique aspects of the trade. In short it has been a learning curve all along. Specially in crowd sourced projects where its a contest-environment and you have to constantly do better.

Designer Terry Bogard

I am a finance professional. Design has never been my occupation, it is just my passion and I think I’ve have come a long way with it. Most of my friends happened to be creatives during my teens and I used to do alot of freelance and fun work around that time. I worked in a design studio for a few years and learned market dynamics. I have also participated in many crowd sourced projects which helped me learn some different and unique aspects of the trade. In short it has been a learning curve all along. Specially in crowd sourced projects where its a contest-environment and you have to constantly do better.

I think I’m no different than other creatives in terms of enjoying their work. I can simply put it this way – I love being paid for doing what I enjoy. Imagine being paid to have fun, eat and sleep. Designing is my passion and every creation of mine makes me feel great regardless if its sold or not. But getting paid to be passionate is just great.  My most used tools are graphite pencil & graph paper. Then later it goes on to Illustrator. I also work on Photoshop occasionally for web-layouts as its hard to pull web-layout off by graphite .

Inspiration can come from anywhere – from an individual atom to the entire universe and everything in between. It’s all about observation and bringing your memory of visuals together FOR the right brand, AT the right time, WITH the right combination(s) and WHEN the need arises. But that does not mean that I’m just another creative junkie who is waiting for his next design hallucination. There is a process that formulates this creativity. I think a product has both functional and emotional attributes. The functional attributes are the brand’s promise to its consumers, while the window to its emotional attributes is what design is really all about. Although design process will vary depending on the project, my most basic practice is to do a 20 second visual check where I brainstorm the keyword(s) that best describe the business or project I am working on. The idea is to know what emotions those keywords generate and what image those emotions translate into from a consumer standpoint.

Message for designers:

You are all unique creatures. What makes you unique is the ability to THINK and CREATE unique things. Know that you’re not a designer the day you stop being unique in all aspects of your designs and start ripping off  . Have patience and respect for a creature like yourself. Never say “I know”…but say “I can learn more”.

Demonstrate Your Relevance

Relevance is the key to your existence as a Graphic Designer. You must always remind yourself of your desires, your strengths, and your willingness to grow. Demonstrate your relevance with everything that you do. Keep creating with unbridled passion and explore new ways to express yourself to your clients and to the world.

Continue to learn and educate yourself on the latest technology. Prepare yourself for future high-tech advancement. By embracing the cutting edge and paying attention to trends you will always ride the surf of being significant. Design will always be a form of creative extension. It can always be stretched and it will offer you limitless opportunities for evolution. Graphic Design can be your life and livelihood. It can be a gateway to greater and deeper relationships and experiences.

Maintain Your Creativity

Always keep your creative fire stoked. Don’t allow your work to slip into a mundane routine by doing just the minimal to get by. . Take pride in the consistency, quality and organization of your business. Maintain your artistic enthusiasm for your ability to create, to make a product from the material in your brain. Not everyone can do what you do in the way that you do it. Support your fellow designers and clients with powerful integrity.

Be relevant in all you do. Design with a purpose. Live life with a purpose. If everything you do is relevant to your goals, you will live a more fulfilling life and your existence in the design world will be a success.

Proposing Your “Rough-Draft”

When you have a really amazing idea it’s hard not to take that ball and just run with it. You have to remember that your client is ultimately the team coach and the referee. Before running with an idea you have, make sure you have the clients 100% acceptance. It sucks to get into a project only to find that you wasted time by not getting the official okay.

The client has put time and money into this project and they need to have a say as the stakeholder and funder. This is why the idea of the “rough-draft” was created and continues to exist. Initial concepts should be roughly formed and have minimal time applied in order to maintain flexibility. Quickly deliver on the first draft and allow for client input before putting a high polish on your presentation. The client will feel in control of the project and it will save you from ending up on a dead end path.

Confer With Your “Brain Trust”

Also, consult with your “brain trust,” people you trust will help you, when you need that extra boost of confidence. An outside perspective can be invaluable. It may be interesting to find out what other people see in your design. Your co-worker may be point out that your text treatment reminds them of “bad disco” or the stock image you chose to portray a friendly sales representative actually kind of creeps them out.

Essentially should be running a very basic A/B test. If you get generally get positive feedback from your “brain trust” you can be pretty confident that your client will really like it too.

Asking The Right Questions

Asking the right questions is of ultimate importance. The right questions will lead you to the desired result. The wrong questions may lead you to more questions, the wrong result, a frustrated customer, and most importantly a frustrated designer (that’s you)…

Sometimes it helps to imagine the whole project from start to finish. What ultimately is the end result that the client is looking for? You can phase it into a two-part discussion with a basis in concept versus technical execution.

Here is few examples of questions that you ask:

• What is the main focus of the project?
o Is it product or service focused?
o Who is the target audience?
o What need is the product/service fulfilling?
• What information should be highlighted or focused on?
• What emotion should the audience feel?
o Explain what kind of colors/graphics your audience would respond best to.
• What is the call to action for the audience?
o What form would you like the contact to make? Do they want phone contact or direction to their website for additional information and lead collection.

Detailed Questions Depends On The Discussion

When you get into the technical part of the discussion it will depend on the form of medium. Web vs. print will need completely different specifications. A print discussion could include questions such as quantity, size, paper and distribution. A web discussion may involve dimensions, form fields, hosting, e-blast specification or special online delivery. During a complete campaign you may cross several mediums with multiple “touches”. Be very detailed and specific with your questions.

A successful project depends on accurate information. If you are missing some of the pieces you could fall short during execution. Being inquisitive and having foresight into potential potholes can help you deliver on a super successful product.

Asking Open Ended Questions

A design project starts as an investigation. Not that you are solving a mystery, although some clients are ambiguous. You will need to obtain vital information from them in order to complete your tasks. The more information you get from the initial interview, the less you will have to question them later. Be thorough.

When talking to new clients, and depending on the situation, don’t ask them a lot of questions that can be answered by ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This can slow down the process because of lack of information. Ask questions like, “What are your company goals for the next 5 years?” “What elements would you like to include in this particular piece?” or say things like, “Tell me about your business,” “Explain your target audience,” etc…

Writing A Comprehensive Apprise

When the client hires you they have their own set of questions. It’s not a bad idea to create a cheat sheet of your own with prerequisite information that you will need. You can have them fill it out before your initial meeting or bring it with you to fill out during your discussion. Your client may have not even considered some of the most important pieces of the project such as quantities, dimensions and distribution. Help them by exploring all aspects of their needs.

Once you have collected all of this juicy information you should be able to write a comprehensive and relatable brief. This will also help you accurately bid the project with a complete scope of work. They may have to get back with you on some of your questions, but that is a sign that you have done a good job of leaving no stone unturned. They will appreciate your attention to detail and the job will ultimately have a smoother ride.

Organizing Tasks

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed at work not knowing where to begin? Have you missed a deadline because you simply buried a project in some messy notes? Clearing the fog before you begin designing will boost your effectiveness and the quality of your work.

In the early morning before you go to work, or preferably the night before, look over your list of tasks and prioritize them. Then, focus on the most important tasks until they are completed and move on to the next one. Learn to prioritize. The more organized you are the more profitable you can be.

Start your day with a clear plan of action to tackle your projects. You can start by creating a straightforward spreadsheet or task list with categories like:

• Project name and description
• Elements within the task (if it includes multiple pieces)
• Prioritization by deadline
• Roadblocks or pending information that need follow up

To Do List

If you utilize a time/project management software it may be helpful keep a printed sheet handy so that you can make notes and cross off items as you go. A visual reminder on your desk can keep you from missing target dates or forgetting tasks. Have your task list easily accessible at all times whether sophisticated or scribbled. A large object such as a whiteboard for your “hot list” can help you digest important tasks quickly. You will also have a wonderful mission accomplished feeling when you wipe these items off.

Being your own taskmaster isn’t always fun, but it is always profitable. Don’t be afraid to crack your own whip if it means more work will get done quicker.

Become A Commenter

Writers and designers crave and need feedback. If you have taken the time to visit a blog or online portfolio, have the courteously of leaving behind a calling card. Something that says, hey, I was here and I appreciate your willingness to share information. They can benefit from your insight or refuel from your positive comments…they may even be appreciative of thoughtful constructive criticism. For most people, having the simple validation of being read and heard can be a great motivation to keep going.

Commenting on business blogs and forums can be very beneficial, if done properly. When visiting blogs and forums, leave comments on subjects you know. Make your comments descriptive and helpful and not just say, “Nice blog entry!” If you can show that you know what you’re talking about, you will score some interest in your brand and start earning business. Make sure you don’t advertise in your posts, but do make sure you enter your website address whenever they ask for it in your information. This will help people find you.

When you are commenting online, remember to be true to your online persona. If you wouldn’t say it to their face, don’t say it online. You should be a walking advertisement for your business at all times, and that includes building a reputation as a considerate and intelligent commentator. Your business will benefit from familiarization if you post consistently enough. Build a warm personality that creates online bonds that are beneficial to all who come in contact with you.

Change Can Be Good For You Too

Occasionally, okay more often than is preferable, a customer will change their mind in the middle of a concept and ask you to try something else or start over. The learning begins when you graciously accept this as a learning opportunity and go back to the drawing board. The fact that they changed has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. Heck, even if your design did need an overhaul it’s not a big deal…just another situation to chalk up to experience. P.S. Make sure you get compensated if you didn’t mess up and they happened to just change their mind.

Often, customers need to see their concepts fleshed out visibly in order to know if they are going to work. Typography, color, texture and weight pairing is an important part of projecting their idea. If you have presented something that seems to be missing the mark, get more specific with your customer. What variation or combination would they like to see instead? Sometimes it may take several drafts in order to get it just right. Two or three revisions should be included in your original bid but if it goes beyond that make it very clear that you will be implementing additional charges for the edits. This will protect you from chasing your tail with unnecessary concept creations. It will also force your client to maintain focus on the project.

Now that you know what they don’t want, it should be easier to create the look they need. Sometimes scrapping something and starting clean can produce your best work. You are an artistic inventor and if the light bulb doesn’t turn on the first time don’t be afraid to rewire!

Always Listen To Your Clients

If you really want to frustrate a customer – talk “at” them instead of with them. It can be hard to hold back at times, especially when you have knowledge of how things work. You have done this kind of design before and it should be pretty turnkey. Or is it? This may be the first time your client has done a project of this type before. Be considerate and get the whole story before jumping to design conclusions.

As an expert graphic designer, it can be easy to fall into the temptation of doing all the talking. The best way to make a client feel confident and comfortable with you is to become an active listener. Not all companies are the same, even if they are in the same industry and sell the exact same products. Listen and learn, then you can make the decisions and talk all you want, because then, and only then with new knowledge, you are the true expert.

Putting The Pieces Of The Puzzle Together

Take the time to give your client your full attention. Take notes and ask questions. Even if you don’t have the whole picture at first – you can study your notes later to focus on vital information and any hanging questions that you have. Investigate the project like pieces of a puzzle that will eventually fit together. If you don’t do this up front you might find yourself trying to force the wrong parts together. Let your client provide you with all of pieces first to save yourself a messy clean-up later.

The presentation of the design is your time on the floor. Save your perspective and insight for this stage of the project. If you have listened to the client at the beginning of the project, odds are your ideas will have a greater chance of being accepted during the final phases.