Stock logos: Be unique, just like everyone else

Posted by Jeremy L. Knauff | February 23rd, 2010

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Gone are the days when a career in graphic design meant years of formal education, followed by what seemed like an eternity of grunt work using techniques that most “designers” today have never even heard of, much less, used. Today, anyone with a copy of Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator can claim to be a designer. If you are a designer, when a client comes to you for a logo, are you the type who’s first reaction is to fire up Illustrator and start churning out logo concepts? Or are you the type who takes the time to learn about your client’s company, mission, goals, USP and a litany of other information that’s…

10 simple, yet effective logos

Posted by Jeremy L. Knauff | December 17th, 2009

These days, it seems like everyone with a computer and a pirated copy of Adobe Photoshop claims to be a logo designer. The sad truth is that software, no matter how powerful it may be, doesn’t make someone a logo designer any more than a copy of TurboTax makes someone an accountant. Just ask Timothy Geithner.

As more of these self-proclaimed logo designers have flooded the market over the last few years, more people have become confused about what they are paying for when they hire a logo designer. People see intricate 3D logos full of flourish and flair and think that’s what they need. They don’t realize that a busy, complex logo is less effective than a simple one.

Many business owners, considering the design of their business identity, forget that they need to put aside many

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BING – A lesson in weak branding

Posted by Jeremy L. Knauff | June 7th, 2009

Microsoft has recently launched BING, replacing Live Search, in their latest attempt to win back some of the market share they’ve lost to Google. Microsoft is more than willing to invest the money needed for a successful product launch, with an estimated 80-100 million dollar budget planned.

But will it be enough?

Probably not, because BING has been launched on a shaky foundation. Something that few people outside the search engine industry know is that BING is actually an acronym for But It’s Not Google. It’s pretty weak from a branding perspective to tell people what you aren’t instead of telling them what you are. The bigger flaw, however, is that the brand comes off whiny like a kid who feels their sibling gets more attention than they do.

A powerful brand tells people what a company is all about deep down at their…

Why is branding so important? (hint – it’s about life and death)

Posted by Jeremy L. Knauff | March 4th, 2009

These days everyone is preaching about branding, and rightfully so. From advertising gurus touting the importance of establishing a powerful and consistent brand image, to the SEO gods educating the masses about how branding can affect their search engine optimization campaign, it’s clear that branding carries more weight than ever before.

But where did branding come from and why is it so important? The truth is that it’s been around a lot longer than advertising because in a way, it has been critical to the survival of mankind. Our earliest ancestors didn’t have the plush lives that we enjoy today. They had to know what plants were safe to eat and what animals were dangerous or they would live a very short life. They didn’t have time to wait and see if that furry brown creature running in their direction…