Virtual Prototypes

One area where computers have made a huge impact is in packaging design. Creating a Prototype is time consuming and expensive and you will usually make a number of them at various stages in the design process before you finished a project.

With the advent of CAD and 3D rendering it is now a fairly straight forward task to create a virtual prototype and wrap your 2D design around it.

Where this really comes into its own is when you want to see what multiple products look like on-shelf. Now duplicating a product is as simple as copy/paste. 

We can show a client what a product will look like in a tray, on a shelf, or even create an entire pallet. You can visualize it from a number of angles or even create a movie.

This gives the creative a greater range to experiment and find the perfect solution to a design problem. And because there is less time involved, that can reflect in the clients final invoice.

Thoughts on Social Media

Social media in not a complete solution but a small piece of the marketing puzzle. If used in conjunction with traditional marketing, networking, etc. if can be effective. But not on it's own. 

What it does enable me to do is stay connected with existing clients. Most of whom have a Facebook (etc) presence. I also use it offer small branding tips and to promote projects that I have worked on (a portfolio timeline if you will) which also helps promote my clients products. 

And don't forget that the more you blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc. the greater web presence you have and the better you show up in search engines. 

What Is A Brand?

Yesterday, in an attempt to make conversation the bank teller asked me “Sewell Studio? what kind of business do you do?”. The mischievous side of me held back the urge to reply “We make porn movies” and told him that we help create visual brand identities for our clients”. We talked for a while about all that that entails. Walking away from the bank I realize that I need to work on my “Elevator Speech*”.

So, what does Sewell Studio do? Simply put we help companies create a strong visual brand identity that supports the message their brand wishes to convey to their customers.

Let’s back up a little. Firstly, what is a brand? The best (and simplest) answer that I recently heard is that a brand is a promise! A promise of quality, a promise of great customer service, a promise of value, the list goes on. 

A visual brand identity is a small part of the whole brand. It’s the outward expression of a brand. It’s everything from a logo to the fixtures in a store. It’s the layout of the web site and how the customer interacts with it. The brand identity also makes certain promises that the brand as a whole needs to live up to. It’s up to the branding agency to convey those promises to a customer that might know little or nothing about the company. How this is done warrants an entire book on the subject but good graphic professionals know how to do this. One key rule in creating a good visual brand identity is consistency. The use of particular visual elements to distinguish the brand in a crowded marketplace.

So, next time you go into your favorite store or use your favorite product ask yourself, What is their promise to you?

* An elevator speech is a short description of what you do. Imagine standing in an elevator and being asked “What do you do?”. You have 30 seconds to sum up your company before the doors open and you go your separate ways.

Disney poster

Another great poster taken at Disneyland. As you enter the park and walk through one of the two tunnels check out a number of retro posters on the walls.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Disneyland - Toy Story Ride Graphics

A few months back I blogged about the Toy Story ride at Disneyland. I commented on how great the posters were that decorated the walls of the ride. I was back at Disneyland this weekend and took some photos of the posters along with a lot of other stuff that I will share in the not so distant future.

The line was about an hour long so I got to look at the posters in detail. There isn't a large block of solid color anywhere. Patterns and textures fill the whole poster but enhance the message, not detract from it. The red in the center brings your eye straight to it (as does the angle of the main box, tapering towards the center) and on the way guides you through all the information you need to know.

Here's another one, same principles, red in the middle and all the elements work together to bring your eye to the center. Even the cartoon characters are facing into the scene.

Chocolate Logo

Here is a logo I recently developed for a hand dipped chocolate company. Of course I needed to try many samples for research purposes. I wanted to create a logo was elegant and that instantly conveyed what the company made so I had the bottom of the logo melting and dripping down.

Toy Story Posters

Last weekend I was at the happiest place on earth. As a graphic designer I constantly walk around looking at signs, packaging, web sites and Disneyland provides that in abundance. While standing in line for the Toy Story ride I started admiring the fairground posters that are displayed every 10 feet. The posters (for those of you that have never visited the park or have never noticed them) are based on the traditional circus and fairground posters. The Toy Story characters are depicted on each poster. Check them out next time your there.