let's go for a ride

So apparently we took an unexpected break from blogging because I just realized a couple of months have gone by without a post! Not to worry, we were just designing as usual and soaking up the last days of summer with our sweet children.

Nonetheless, it's time for a blog update and we're excited to share with you some recent work we created for a new film company named Let's Go For A Ride.

Let's Go For A Ride creates scenic road trip videos featuring some of the most beautiful spots in the United States.

We were commissioned to create an identity design for this company along with business cards and a DVD cover for their first film titled California Pacific Coast Highway. 

DVD design

logo design

business card design

Let's Go For A Ride wanted their branding to embrace the nostalgia of days gone by, where families enjoyed quality time together cruising along, all while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

Shelly, Chris, and Emily we had so much fun working alongside you on these projects. Thanks so much for thinking Different By Design for your business needs! We can't wait to see where your next adventure takes you!

meg arnold photography

You may remember our friends Matt and Megan from Tandem Web Solutions? We actually did the logo design for Tandem and Matt has been our go to web guy for all our coding needs. 

Well, Matt recently accepted a wonderful job offer (still web coding) in the Bay Area and so off our friends the Arnold's went to start a new chapter in their lives. 

We are so excited that part of their new chapter includes Megan fulfilling a lifelong dream and taking her passion for photography to the professional level. 

And of course we were thrilled to create the logomark for her new business venture. Megan wanted a professional design that would be timeless and simple and so Billy go to work creating these custom letterforms for her new identity. 

We can't wait to watch her journey unfold out in the big city and you too can follow her right here. 

Congratulations to you both, Matt and Megan. Your success has been well earned and while we already miss knowing that you two are just down the street, we can't wait to visit you in your new hometown.

a peek into the process

"The big problem is that the speed with which this machine (the computer) operates is so fast that the normal contemplative time that one needs to do a design that makes any sense is not there. When you're sitting and drawing, you make a stroke and you fill in areas. There's a time element involved. But with the computer, that time element does not exist. It takes up your physical, spiritual, and psychological time and your design time is just not there." -paul rand

Believe it or not, a frequently asked question by our clients is, "Will my design be original?"

Sadly, amateur designers and clip art/pre made logo sites along with crowd sourcing sites have left many business owners with an unclear idea of what quality of work they will be receiving when making the decision to invest in a logo design.

At Different By Design, we have a thorough design process that you can read about right here.

Every logo we design is uniquely created for our specific client and designed to solve the problem we describe in detail when we write up our client's design brief.

Having a design process vs. just hopping straight onto the computer and moving bits and pieces around is crucial to a good design. I believe famed graphic designer Paul Rand states it best in the quote above.

When choosing a logo designer for your business, make sure that the person you are using has a valid design process that starts (after a consultation and thorough knowledge of your company) in a sketchbook.

While we typically do not share sketches with the client during the process, we most definitely start all ideas in our sketchbook. It is a great part of the creative process to get any idea out on paper.

The reason we do not usually show sketches to clients is because the client hired us for a reason. We are professionals. We understand the elements of what is going to make a great logo design across all applications. Sketches are simply rough ideas and we know better than anyone the concepts that will actually develop into the best solution for our client.

Though we usually present 2 (sometimes 3) logo concepts to a client, we never recycle design ideas. We assure our clients that the work we are creating is specific to their needs and their defined values.

Above our some of the sketches we created during the conceptualizing/sketching process for our client Heads Together Salon & Day Spa. I love seeing how everything comes together for the final result.

"When to use computers is certainly as important as how to use computers. In the school environment, they should be a part of the curriculum but not the curriculum: nothing can replace the hand in the early stages of design education." -paul rand

Hope you enjoyed the tiny peek into our process!