MCRAE CREATIVE BLOG

I was recently asked to design a logo for a new LinkedIn Group: Charlotte Business Owners. This is a quick and simple solution that I like.

Reading the Charlotte Observer this morning, I was struck by the fervor around the H1N1 flu, better know as the swine flu. I know nothing about the science or medical nature of the virus, but I was struck by it’s branding. There is no logo for swine flu, but the name itself is a brilliant piece of naming. Sure, there was a bird flu before, but how deadly can a bird disease be?

Swine flu, on the other hand, just sounds so… well… dirty. Pigs are reputed to be very dirty creatures, so their flu must be nasty. Some portion of the panic around it must be connected to it’s name.

Rookie Designer is a nice resource for young designers. Adam Hayes has a website with forum, but the podcast is probably the most useful. He also has a video podcast called AppClinic, which has some very useful video tutorials.

Our logo for Faison Capital has been selected for inclusion in the LogoLounge Master Library Series book: Initials and Crests. According to the publisher, this series will “bring you plenty of exemplary logo design work from creatives around the world.” The books are due to go on sale in 2010 and will be available at Rockport Publishers.

This is not a branding post, per se, but is worth noting. A friend recently gave me a “beCause” calendar and I wanted to share about it with others. The concept is simple - do one great thing every day. It might be as simple as smile at someone, or go somewhere you’ve never been, or go a whole day with no gossip. 90% of the profits from the calendar do to non-profits and youth projects. Go to beCause Calendars to read more or order some as gifts.

I recently finished reading the cover story for Charlotte’s Uptown Magazine. It starts with the headline “This magazine was started by a guy who knew nothing.” written by the editor, Todd Trimakas. When I finished reading, I noticed I felt more positive about the magazine than I ever have. All because he let me behind the scenes and was somewhat vulnerable. It reminded me again of the power of authenticity, and of the inner conflict I have in writing this blog. Should I be “professional” and stick to things I know a lot about, or do I expose my vulnerabilities and insecurities to be real? Count one vote for the later.

The AdCharlotte blog posted and interesting interview on the effect branding is having on the presidential campaign of Barack Obama. In short, his campaign is using design more effectively than any of the other major candidates. Read the full story on Obama and Typography.

One of the more interesting blogs talking about design in a thoughtful way is SpeakUp design dialog by Under Consideration. Armin Vit, Debbie Millman and Charlotte’s own Jason Tselentis are among the writers and contributors. Definitely check it out.

Wow. What a cool site. Check out all kinds of gig poster designs at GigPosters.com. Some of the samples stink, of course, but there are also a whole bunch that are very interesting.

Has anyone else noticed how badly most printers are branded? Most seem to claim the position “we can do anything”, which doesn’t help me at all. I want to know where a printer is great. What’s their sweet spot? Are you great with spot color stationery projects? Are you fast and cheap? Are you value-color? Are you best at large projects? Are you spectacular at the difficult-to-print, perfect-color jobs designers seem to love? In fact, are you used to working with designers? continue reading » »