Online logo tools are not the solution.
Have you ever used an online logo maker? There are a multitude of user-friendly tools across the web to create a logo for your business. Despite their usability, pricing, and gratification, they are not the answer.
Here are some issues with online logo makers:
Lack of creative flexibility
Have very limited font options
No means of copyright or trademark
Likelihood of crossing other organizations’ designs
The user does not understand complex design trends
Number four is probably the largest pet peeve of mine as a creative designer. I took it upon myself to visit a logo maker site, and in under five minutes of my visit I came across these designs:
Looking at those designs, my mind immediately reminisced these companies:
A well designed logo is simply unique, has elements that represent the company’s vision, and is easily able to build community recognition.
You’ll notice the brands in our portfolio are all unique, and they give off a professional and confident energy. Our brands are also identifiable if they’re displayed without the word marks.
Here’s the lesson: invest in your company’s identity. You’ll build a subliminal trust with your prospects / clients. The cost of a professionally designed logo amortized over a period of five years is close to nothing compared to the ROI you’ll receive!
Happy investing,
Billy
Too many Macs
As creatives, most of us understand that a PC is not an option to consider when in the market for a new computer. In my experience, I’ve found that Mac is a better option for the creative world, however, that’s simply a strong opinion. Programmers and gamers: I know PC’s are preferable for what you do.
In today’s market, there’s a surfeit of choices when shopping for a new Mac. Here are the questions you need to ask yourselves:
What is your price range?
Will you be traveling with your Mac? (iMac / Mac Pro vs. Macbook Pro)
How much processing power will you need? (Will you be rendering a great amount of video or animations?)
When you determine these answers, you can substantially narrow your options. For example, if you travel and require a laptop, you’ve eliminated the iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro.
So let’s say you’re going to be rendering some complex video projects and you have the budget to purchase a 15” Macbook Pro. Next, you need to choose your hardware.
I always encourage Mac shoppers to stray away from the base Mac. Although a 6-core i7 will do the job, an 8-core i9 will outperform significantly. But here’s what you need to understand: Mac has recently started embedding most of their hardware into the logic board. This includes the RAM, as well as the hard drive.
What does this mean? — You can’t make these upgrades after the fact.
In the past, I’ve always said to choose the top of the line hardware that you couldn’t upgrade later on. Well, on the latest Macbook Pro, you can’t really upgrade anything after the fact.
You may not like this, but if you can’t afford any hardware upgrades, maybe the best option before purchasing is to wait. If you can afford another $1,000 of upgrades by waiting a month or two, it’s well worth it. Your Mac can be significantly faster and will have a longer life.
Happy shopping!
Billy
Change, please.
Brooks and I frequent local coffee shops to produce a lot of our work. We’re sadly finding many of these shops don’t attract clientele like they used to. In fact, we recently discovered a five-year-old photo of the interior of one of these shops, and nothing has changed. Zilch.
It’s too often I find business owners becoming comfortable. Typically, a business can’t grow, or even survive, without CHANGE. Change defies the state of comfort. Comfort can be healthy if practiced occasionally as a method of recharge in a stressful season, however, the most successful individuals I acquaint myself with rarely rest in a state of comfort.
We all need to make changes to our businesses to make our clients feel good, even if the change simply prompts a subliminal recognition. Culture and technology are changing more rapidly than ever before. It’s imperative we embrace change to stay relevant and grow our businesses.
Stay awesome,
Billy