www.graphicdesignblog.org There comes in every graphic designer’s mind a question…Are we truly valued and paid? This query ensue a series of questions like ‘How much a graphic designer should be paid?’ and ’On what criteria should he be paid?’ Although I have always advocated that the graphic design field is for the sheer pleasure and obsession of it. But then again, an individual has to make ends meet as well. | |
Factors that determine a graphic designer’s fee: | |
1) Experience and Creativity:The first thing that clients see in a graphic designer is the level of experience he possesses in his particular field of work. Many corporate clients avoid hiring amateurs to do their graphic design projects. But clients with a low resource base also hire graphic designers with little experience and exposure. The magnitude of experience and the level of creativity of graphic designers really speak volumes for the money they charge. | |
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3) Area and location you work in:The area, region and place you are working count a lot in determining how much you can charge your clients. Just to give you a rough idea of how graphic designer salaries fluctuate from state to state and within city, the designer working in Los Angeles CA is likely to earn dissimilar to a designer working in Detroit MI. Graphic Design Salary Calculator, where salary data is taken from the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey Program. This is because client’s ability to pay varies from state to state. | |
4) Fixed or Flexible charges:Another aspect of charging a client is whether you will be charging a fixed fee or charging on an hourly basis? This is usually imperative when you are deciding whether to work part-time or full-time. Normally graphic designers working part-time charge on an hourly basis since they do not have any fixed working timings. On the other extreme, full-time graphic designers who work 9-5 generally charge a fixed remuneration. | |
5)Miscellaneous expenditures incurred:Apart from the standard expenditure and costs of a graphic design project, there are certain variable overhead expenditures incurred as well. For example the printing costs that incur when the client asks for numerous reruns of the design project. Then there is the travelling cost for clients who are reluctant to visit the designer and insist on calling them over. Hence a designer has to keep all variable expenditures in consideration before charging their clients. | |
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Friday, February 18, 2011
What factors determine a graphic designer’s salary?
Monday, February 7, 2011
20 Bad Habits of New Bloggers
From www.instantshift.com
As bloggers, we face a wide variety of tasks each day related to managing and building our blogs. Productivity and efficiency are vital, especially for part-time bloggers. A number of extremely addictive and time-consuming habits stand in the way, though.
I’m sure you can relate. We all make mistakes, but learning from them and not repeating them will make you successful in every respect. The key is to control habits, good and bad. If you know how to change your habits, then minor effort can create major results.
For a better blog, a variety of factors must be taken into consideration. In this article, we’ll cover some of the most notable habits to avoid for better blogging.
Bad Habits of New Bloggers
01. Don’t Blog in a Niche You Don’t Like
New bloggers read the success stories of others and start following them and writing about similar topics—but they don’t see how much work goes into those blogs. Bloggers don’t do well just by writing one post every now and again, and continuing to write about something you’re not passionate about is difficult.
Keep your interests in mind when you select your subject. Know your subject; don’t write about what you don’t know. Establish yourself as an authority.
02. Don’t Obsess Over the Subscriber Count
The most common measuring stick for determining a blog’s impact, importance or success is the number of subscribers.
While building a large base of subscribers is important for any blog, obsessing over the subscription count does more harm than good. For one thing, you can’t force anyone to subscribe; you don’t control the situation, as frustrating as that may be. Secondly, loyal and engaged subscribers are more valuable than subscribers who never read your posts. Getting a clear picture of an audience and its participation by looking only at the subscriber count is impossible.
Focus on finding active readers and developing relationships with them, instead of on the length of your subscriber list.
03. Don’t Check Stats Constantly
Traffic statistics can become addictive; it’s easy to slip into the habit of compulsively checking your referral stats, search engine traffic and page popularity rankings. Checking your stats every couple of hours won’t change the results.
Make a schedule; check your stats once a day or once a week and not at any other time. You could allot an extra hour once a month for more in-depth analysis; this will give you a broad perspective on daily traffic and SEO.
04. Don’t Chase Social Media Traffic
Social media brings traffic to a blog, but it can be a huge distraction. Too much social media involvement could take you away from the task of generating content. Remember that content is king; it is responsible for drawing traffic. And make sure to submit only your best work to social media. You’ll see more success.
05. Don’t Be a Social Networking Addict
Most of us are addicted to our social networks. Keep your Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and other tabs closed while working. Switch off all instant messengers and connect only when necessary. Concentrate. Setting a dedicated blogging time helps.
06. Don’t Over-Indulge on Feeds and Forums
Web forums and RSS feeds are great ways to stay updated, so subscribe to feeds for blogs about your subject. Many people spend a lot of time every day wading through feeds that don’t interest them. Go through your subscriptions every couple of months and get rid of anything you read infrequently; don’t let a subscription waste your time every day.
Similarly, web forums are great for networking and helping others but if you’re not careful, you could spend much more time participating than you intended. Forums can become addictive, especially if you get email notifications whenever people reply to your posts. Stick to a schedule for forums as well. Opt to get email notifications only for important threads, and unsubscribe as soon as you’ve received satisfactory responses to your questions.
07. Don’t Be a Disorganized Communicator
Communicating with other bloggers is an important part of blogging, but many people find that they’re spending an increasing amount of time on it.
Staying organized will reduce time spent on email. Categorize the types of emails you receive often and make response templates for them, or set up a detailed FAQ page. Manage your inbox more efficiently by using folders. Check your emails just twice a day. Learn to work with your mail program or inbox window closed. You don’t have to respond to every single email you receive.
08. Don’t Skip Proofreading
Proofreading might sound dull, but it is mandatory. You might be able to get away with an error here or there, but a load of mistakes in every post will distract the audience.
If English isn’t your first language and you’re writing for an English audience, be diligent about making your point.
Edit and proofread after writing. If you are both the writer and proofreader, leave a gap of at least an hour between writing and proofreading. Make a copy of the original version, and check the spelling and grammar in it.
09. Don’t Neglect Design
Many bloggers underestimate the importance of design. Every first-time visitor observes the overall look and feel of a blog. Three or four sidebars full of useless widgets, for example, will just confuse visitors. Visitors will stay for a while if they feel comfortable in an easy-to-use design.
Sensible color combinations are another important factor in a successful blog. For example, a bright and flashy interface for a business and marketing blog would seem unprofessional and irrelevant. Also, the fewer image files you add, the faster the page will load. This matters for SEO—and to your visitors.
10. Don’t Tolerate Plagiarism
You’re free to visit your favorite blogs, read articles and even draw inspiration from them, but don’t copy. You’ll have to be original if you want to be known.
People who want to be full-time bloggers need to remember that copying and pasting random articles into a blog doesn’t cut it; you won’t gain recognition among readers or be successful by plagiarizing—or by habitually reposting.
Do thorough research to produce high-quality, unique content. A successful blogger has a unique voice and unique style.
11. Don’t Be Goal-Less
When bloggers fail, it’s often because they didn’t set out with a clear goal. Setting realistic goals is highly beneficial because they make great motivators. Whether the goal is to get a certain number of subscribers, comments, ads or anything else, having a goal keeps you from getting lost in a sea of endless tasks.
12. Don’t Write About Whatever
Every blogger has a personal life, a life away from the blog, and that’s not a bad thing. A business blog is not a diary, and it should be concise. Remember that readers stay away from things that don’t interest them. When it comes to writing about your personal life, know when and where to draw the line.
13. Don’t Just Share News
If traffic to your blog is substantial and steady, then you can post breaking news knowing it will get good exposure. If you don’t have heavy traffic and you focus on news stories, then you might lose visitors, because you’ll be in direct competition with giant blogs such as TechCrunch, Mashable and ReadWriteWeb. Several major blogs do this work properly and efficiently. Distinguish your blog from others by going a different route.
14. Don’t Spam
Don’t spread links to your blog everywhere you go, and don’t try to be the first commentator in every post on a traffic-heavy blog. Also, avoid replying to every comment on your own blog.
15. Don’t Put Ads Everywhere
Some bloggers make the mistake of thinking that they can put ads everywhere on the blog and double their profit. What they don’t realize is that this will affect their SEO and revenue. Too many ads will irritate readers and drive them away.
Don’t waste time trying to convince readers to buy products by peppering your posts with sneaky words. They’ll move right on. Minimize affiliate marketing and readers will stick with you.
16. Don’t Blog Without a Domain Name
Most new bloggers start their careers on a free domain (such as Blogger or WordPress)—but there are no free lunches. With a free domain you’ll never have complete control over your blog. I recommend that new bloggers set themselves up on their own domain from the beginning.
17. Don’t Post Irregularly
The key to success is regular and consistent posting. Many bloggers write every day at the beginning but after some time become irregular. Readers don’t have any idea what to expect or when. Make a master plan and a schedule, and post regularly!
18. Don’t Give Up Early On
Patience is crucial. Everybody wants to earn quick money online, and some think they can get rich overnight. Every aspiring blogger should remember that blogging is not as easy as it appears. It takes hard work and patience, and overnight success is rare. Don’t give up early.
19. Don’t Keep the AdSense Notifier On
There’s a cool Firefox plug-in that refreshes AdSense stats every 15 minutes. Revenue boosts morale and motivation, and poor earning days dampen enthusiasm. Turn off your real-time revenue notifiers, and check revenue just once per day. You’ll have peace of mind and you’ll be able to concentrate on writing.
20. Don’t Let Ideas Slip Away
Ideas come and go quickly, so write them down somewhere instead of relying on memory. Prepare drafts for current and future posts; keep the waters flowing.
Conclusion
I wonder what makes people think that blogging is an unskilled profession. I say, don’t knock it till you try it. And I’ve done my bit by posting this article.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
10 Corporate Brand Logo Evolution
From www.instantshift.com
Have you ever wonder how the first Apple logo looks in 30 years back? Did you know Volkswagen was Hitler’s idea? Or how the IBM logo changes over the time? Or where the Mercedes-Benz Brand And The Three-Pointed Star logo came from?
As we already know that Logo is the identities that are fundamental to building a brand and communicating with the target audience. Many well-known corporate brand changes their logo to archive the perfect identification because identity’s creation is not an occasional activity, but a permanent one.
Below we listed 20 Corporate Brand Logo Evolution with their fascinating stories linked to their current official site.
Let’s take a look at the Interesting stories behind the logos of some of the most popular brands in the world. Be sure to let us know if I have missed anything!
Corporate Brand Logo Evolution
It is one of the biggest consumer electronics and Software Company, best known for products like Macintosh, iPod and iphone. Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne had together setup Apple in 1976, to sell their hand-built computer Apple I. They had offered their product to HP first but were declined by them. I think HP would still be regretting this today.
The road to success wasn’t easy for Apple, and Wayne liquidated his share in the company for a mere $ 800. After the launch of Apple II in 1977, things started to look up for Apple and we all know what heights the company has reached since then.
Apple II was successful mainly because it had colored graphics. Great and simple design, has always been the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) for Apple, and their logo is no exception. When Apple was started, the logo was a complicated picture of Isaac Newton sitting under a tree. This had been designed by Jobs and Wayne, with the inscription: “Newton … A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.” Frankly, I don’t think it was just a coincidence that Apple had slow sales during this period.
However, Steve Jobs hired Rob Janoff to simplify the logo, which turned out to be a great idea. Rob created the ‘Rainbow Apple’ which was the logo for company till 1998. There are many rumors as to why Rob had chosen to create such a logo. One of them says that the Apple was a tribute to Newton (discovery of gravity from an Apple), and since the USP for Apple at that time was colored graphics, it had the rainbow colors. Another explanation exists that the bitten apple pays homage to the Mathematician Alan Turing, who committed suicide by eating an apple he had laced with cyanide. Turing is regarded as the father of computers. The rainbow colors of the logo are rumored to be a reference to the rainbow flag, as homage to Turing’s homosexuality.
Janoff, however, said in an interview that though he was mindful of the “byte/bite” pun (Apple’s slogan back then: “Byte into an Apple”), he designed the logo as such to “prevent the apple from looking like a cherry tomato.”
When Apple launched the new iMac in 1998, they changed their logo to a monochromatic apple logo, almost identical to the rainbow logo. Now, the Apple logo comes with nice gradient chrome silver design. It is one of the most recognized brand symbols in the world today, and the shape is what identifies the company more than the color.
Back in 1900, when the company was started the logo was a realistic and simple shell which lies flat on the ground. This was a pectin or scallop shell, but today the company has a logo which is bold, colorful and much more simplistic.
The evolution of the logo began after 1915, when rendering enabled the company to reproduce its identity easily. This is visible in the 1930 logo for the company. When the company started a project in California, it added the red and yellow colors to the symbol. The colors help Shell to stand out. Additionally, these are the colors of Spain, where many Californian settlers were born, which might have helped the company to create an emotional bond with the people.
With the advent of internet and fax machines over the later years, it became necessary for the company to simplify their logo, which would prevent it from being distorted in small images. The 1971 logo designed by Raymond Loewy is very simple as compared to the earlier logos.
This has helped the company because this logo is more memorable and recognizable, accountable to the simplicity of the logo. The 1971 logo is still used by the company albeit with minor changes, but it has become so recognizable that it often appears without the company name now.
The Xerox Company used to be known as the Haloid Company almost 100 years ago. But in 1938, Chester Carlson invented a technique called xerography which we today call the photocopy technique. Unfortunately no one was willing to invest in his invention, and many big giants like IBM, GE, RCA and others decided not to finance this invention.But Haloid Company decided to go with Chester and made the first photocopying machine named Haloid Xerox 14. As can be seen in their logos, the original Haloid word which was prominent in the company’s logo before 1961 was completely replaced by Xerox due to the immense success of this idea.
They retained almost the same logo from 1961 to 2004. But in 2004 there was a problem with the Xerox books and it tried to reinvent itself with a new logo. People associate the company only with photocopy machines, and that has been a major problem for Xerox.
The company changed its logo in 2008 to get away from this stereotyped image, by changing the font of the word. They also added a ball which has a stylish X instead of their ‘boring’ X in earlier times According to Anne M. Mulcahy, Xerox’s chief, that little piece of art represents the connection to customers, partners, industry and innovation.
The major business of BMW was to supply planes to the German army during World War I. But after the war they were forced to change their business. It made railway brakes, before making motorized bicycle, motorcycles and cars.
The logo itself hasn’t changed a lot during the years, but now has a more stylish look due to the different gradients. The unchanged logo has made it easier for people to remember and has given the company more recognition.
Nike probably got the best deal amongst all companies when Caroline Davidson designed its logo for just $35 in 1971. The main part of the logo hasn’t really changed with time. However, I don’t understand why they waited for 7 years before they realized that the text and the swoosh were overlapping each other.As the brand gained recognition, the company name was dropped from the logo, which made it more simplistic and memorable. The company has different variations of this logo for its various departments like Skate, Soccer etc.
In 1924, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company adapted the name International Business Machines Corporation. The ornate, rococo letters that formed the “CTR” logo were replaced by the words “Business Machines” in more contemporary sans-sarif type, and in a form intended to suggest a globe, girdled by the word “International.”
In 1947, IBM decided to drop the globe from its logo, which was by then quite familiar amongst the people. The logo was not the only change in 1947; it was accompanied by a change in business from the punched-card tabulating business to computers. The typeface of this logo was called Beton Bold.
In 1947, IBM decided to drop the globe from its logo, which was by then quite familiar amongst the people. The logo was not the only change in 1947; it was accompanied by a change in business from the punched-card tabulating business to computers. The typeface of this logo was called Beton Bold.
In 1956, before Thomas J. Watson, Sr died he appointed Tom Watson, Jr. as the CEO. Tom Watson, Jr. decided to project the beginning of a new era in the company, for that he changed the company’s logo as well as the actions. Paul Rand designed the new logo which represented that the changes in the company would be subtle and will not disrupt the continuity. Also, the new logo looked more solid, grounded and balanced.
Another change in the logo was designed by Paul Rand which had stripes instead of the solid font. It depicted ‘speed and dynamism’. Since, then the logo has more or less remained the same, and the design has been recognized and replicated all over the world.
The first camera launched by the company in 1934, was named as Kwanon, after the Buddhist goddess of mercy. The logo included the wordings and a picture of the goddess with 1000 arms and flames.
As the years went by, like all other logos we have seen above, the company strived to make the logo as simple and memorable as possible. The logo had only been trademarked in 1935, and after that a lot of designing work went into making the logo more balanced. After 1956, the logo hasn’t been changed, but the designing effort is clearly visible in their simple but classic logo.
The name of the search engine is derived from Googol (meaning one followed by 100 zeros). Google’s first logo was created by Sergey Brin, after he taught himself to use the free graphic software GIMP. Later, an exclamation mark mimicking the Yahoo! logo was added. In 1999, Stanford’s Consultant Art Professor Ruth Kedar designed the Google logo that the company uses today.
In 1960, they tried to show a flip page as a logo, but was changed to a box and graphic “K” element in 1971. I think the logo in 1971 was quite trendy, but it might have been a little complex. Retaining the 1971 concept, there was a slight variation in the font in 1987. The new font looked contemporary.
Again, like other companies, Kodak decided to simplify their logo in 1996, and removed the boxes. The red color gives a more brighter and structured feel of the company. In 2006, again a slight variation was made in the logo with a rounded ‘a’ and ‘d’, to give a contemporary look.
They changed the logo in that year itself and dropped the hyphen too. For the next 12 years, the logo had a distinctive O. The employees called this as “Blibbet”. It is said that at that time, the Microsoft cafeteria even had a double cheeseburger named “”Blibbet Burger”.
When a new logo came on in 1987, there was a campaign within the company to “Save the Blibbet”. But, this couldn’t stop the company from adopting a new logo. The logo designed by Scott Baker, came to be known as “the Pacman logo” due to the distinctive cut in the O.
In 1994, they integrated their tagline ‘Where do you want to go today?’ within the logo. This was widely mocked and the company kept trying different taglines like People Ready, Start Something, Making it Easier etc.
The new 2008 logo has all the text in Italics (including the tagline), but the look of the logo has remained pretty much the same. Basically, the company is so well renowned already, that I don’t think the logo needs to change, since people already recognize and connect with it worldwide.
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