Logo Design

I have a list of daily blog reads that range from wedding stationery designers to interior design. I feel that anything in the creative world relates and influences what I do, and therefore find it important to keep up with current trends in the market. One of my favorites is Grace Bonney's Design*Sponge. It is a mish-mash of interior design, trends, sneak peeks of houses, and one of my favorites business advice from business owners around the country. I could not help but share today's post that was written by another Meg, Meg Mateo Ilasco. She talks about logo design and how important it is for your company, and why you should hire a real graphic designer, even if you are a fellow creative. Here are some snippets from her post:

Logos are meant be powerful symbols to help raise your company’s visibility, credibility, and, most importantly, its memorability. An important thing to remember from the exercise above is that your logo should absolutely match your product. You have one brand—so everything related to your company, including your logo, product, and packaging, should send the same message about the personality of your company.

The bottom line is an amateur logo design could only hurt your business. Just because you’re an artist, craftsperson, or designer doesn’t make you a skilled graphic designer. Designing a logo takes experience. It’s no easy task to take everything a company stands for and bring it down to a single graphic representation or symbol. If you don’t trust your design skills or sensibilities, hire a graphic designer whose work you admire and can work within your budget. Or better yet, find a good designer who’d be willing to barter for your services or products.

To check out the full post over on Design*Sponge, click here.

Luxury Bridal Event in Savannah GA

Attention all brides! A luxury bridal event is FINALLY coming to our beautiful city of Savannah, Georgia. Whether you already have a lot planned, nothing at all, or are just curious... come visit me and the wonderful other hand selected vendors Sunday, February 21, 2010 from 1-5pm. There will be experts giving mini talks and advice, plenty of inspiration, and even a fashion show coordinated by Mitchell Hall (from Project Runway!) and Bleu Belle Bridal.

We hope to see you there!

Social Stationery

This is a set of stationery created for a produced wedding shoot... much like the ones seen in Style Me Pretty's "From Inspiration to Reality." The weddings were styled and designed by the amazing Elizabeth Demos, and shot by the talented photographers at Blue Door Photography. This wedding was based on a travel theme... including everything from bicycles to airplanes. The airplane illustration was sketched by marker and incorporated into the save the date, with a separate illustration used on the invitation, as well as an envelope liner. The color palette was fresh and vibrant, with hues of blue and a pop of orange. Look for it in the spring/summer issue of Savannah Weddings.

Identity and Branding

Branding yourself is one of the most important things you can do as a business, and especially as a designer. It shows who you are, your aesthetic and style, all in something as simple as a business card. It gives a first impression to new clients, and hopefully if done right, will bring you heaps of business and clientele.

For my own branding, I picked colors that would stand out. Bright yellow envelopes to really catch the eye, standing out from the typical white ones you receive in the mail everyday. An envelope liner with a custom repeat pattern based on typewriter keys to add a bit of style, and show a little bit of who I am and what I love. The business cards, printed by Michael over at Czar Press, are beautifully letterpressed. Great design doesn't have to be overdone; simplicity is key. Clean will stand out before cluttered. And possibly the most important idea is that everything is cohesive. Even as an individual, you need to appear as a unit, with clarity and cohesiveness.

The Business in Blogs

It is amazing to me how fast information travels on the web, and what amazing things the Internet can do for business. My beautiful business cards for example popped up on one of my favorite blogs to peruse, Oh So Beautiful Paper, much to my surprise. Don't underestimate the power of blogs in business. So often businesses and companies are hired based on their website, having never been met in person by the client, which many times starts by being seen on a blog. So I can't stress enough the importance of your website... but the heart is this is the branding of yourself. More in the next post!

So... I'm a geek

I saw these cute pillows while I was lost in the land of blog hopping... and I got so excited I had to email them to multiple people to make sure they got onto my official Christmas list. Can you just imagine a cute photo with me holding all of them on my website as a way of stating what programs I can work in? Adorable. Check out mysuitestuff.com.

Hello

At the poking and prodding and immense persuasion of my dear friend Liz from @home, I caved and decided to start blogging myself. I have been amazed at the wonders it has done for her career and the connections it has made for her in life, and hope that I might be able to find even an ounce of the success she has seen. Unfortunately I don't have a beautiful store to match my love for all things vintage, but I do have a passion for good design, especially for paper goods. This blog will be devoted to just that – sharing what inspires me, and every now and then throwing in my current projects. As a recent bride, I find myself delving into the world of event design, specifically stationery design, creating invitations, save-the-dates, websites, and so much more for the newly engaged. I also hope to create my own line of stationery, gift wrap, and whatever else may come my direction. If it involves creativity, I love being a part of it and being able to use my gifts to make it even more inspiring.

I hope the images to follow in the coming weeks and months, and maybe even years, inspire you as they do me.