Colors have a strong impact on our logical or emotional state. For instance, red evokes sexiness or aggressive nature while blue is associated with calmness and loyalty. You might find it hard to believe but colors can even help treat some diseases.
It is no surprise then that finding the right color or color combinations is proven to boost your brands. It helps attract attention and set a mood for your customers. Though a good logo designer can help you choose the right colors, it is also valuable to learn this aspect.
A common mistake committed by many entrepreneurs is using more colors in their logo designs. Each color creates a single message or association. So if you are using 5 colors in your logos or brands, it will deliver 5 different messages. Unfortunately, consumers cannot handle that much perception.
The first thing you should consider in finding the appropriate color is your competitors. It is not wise to copy the color scheme of the leading brands for it will create an impression that you’re just a second-rate version.
Also, pay attention to the demographics of your market such as gender, age and culture. A trendy neon green might appeal to youngsters but painful to look at for your average grandmas and grandpas. In a way, it sets the limitation of the color you can use.
For more information about this topic, I suggest you pay a visit to Inspiration Bit for it offers a comprehensive discussion of the dos and don’ts of colors.
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Some people might be dumbfounded why some universities founded by religious organizations dare to use the terms “devils†or “demons†as their monikers and mascots in athletic endeavors. For obvious reasons, these names sound inappropriate for educational institutions. However, some have deeper meanings hidden in its history.
Duke University is one of these “devil†universities, famous for its Blue Devils. Its sports logo features the capital letter “D†in blue text with a very scheming devil at the middle that resembles The Joker character found in a deck of playing card.
Although the Blue Devils logo is one of the famous icons today, its history is virtually forgotten. According to Duke University’s Archives, the name was inspired by the French soldiers popularly known as the “les Diables Bleus†or Blue Devils. This group is distinguished for its courage, strength, unique military training and catchy blue uniform with beret and cape.
In 1921, the student newspaper launched a campaign to create a catchy name for the university and use its school color of dark blue as part of the guidelines. Blue Devils emerged the popular choice against other monikers such as Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes, or Blue Warriors. Surprisingly, this chosen name did not encounter any trouble or opposition even from the school administration.
It is indeed amusing to know the Democratic Party is not afraid to be branded as jackass once again.
According to Reuters, it has concluded its search for the finest donkey to play as the official live mascot during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Out of 10 candidates, the 7-year-old donkey named Mordecai was declared winner of such prestigious and entertaining event. Democrats believe the donkey symbolizes the ideal candidate for it has the “right amount of vigor and energy, a cool temper but feisty when you need to be.”
The strong connection between the Democratic Party and donkeys existed as early as 1828 when the detractors of Andrew Jackson labeled him as “jackass†during a presidential campaign. Thanks to his great wit, he was able to around the situation by making this donkey a symbol of his courage and humility. From that day on, this animal has played a big role in this political faction.
As expected, the Republicans mock the donkey for it is ridiculous, silly and stubborn. That’s why this group uses the elephant as official symbol because of its intelligence, strength and dignified persona. Naturally, Democrats have a strong repugnance for elephants, regarding it as stupid, conservative, awkward and arrogant.
Andrew Jackson may have outsmarted his enemies with his witty maneuver about being a jackass. However, times are changing and the use of the word jackass is strongly associated with the TV series of crazy people performing stupid pranks and self-mutilating stunts.
Via 2008 Democratic National Convention
In case you have been “googling†today, you will notice Google’s logo design looks like Lego. It’s because today is the 50th anniversary of this very educational toy company. While Lego has been around since 1932, this year marks the 50th year of its patent application.
Invented by toy maker Ole Kirk Christiansen in the early 30’s, it has become one of the most prominent icons of our time. Today, about 36,000 Lego parts are produced every minute; seven sets are sold per second worldwide; and about 5 billion hours are spent creating these toys annually.
More than anything, Lego is a premier design institution where small business owners can draw inspiration from. One of the important lessons you can get is the power of co-designing with your key customers. Known today as crowdsourcing or user-centered innovation, the toy company has been implementing this process long before the term was coined. BNET explains why it is an effective method:
People will do many things for a business for free, simply because they think it’s fun. Products and companies can become hobbies unto themselves, and many consumers will derive satisfaction from feeling like an insider at a company they’re passionate about. In return, you should give them recognition, exclusive perks, the opportunity to interact with senior company managers, or free products.
That’s just one of the many insights you can get from this toy maker. Let’s hope it will continue to innovate and influence design process not only among toys but in many industries as possible.
via Mashable
Major League Baseball team Cincinnati Reds is going after the “moms†market with its third sports mascot named Rosie Red. This female mascot is the team’s weapon to entice mothers of all ages to bring their kids to this wonderful game.
Rosie Red will join Reds’ leading mascots, the long-time human baseball mascot Mr. Red and his furry companion named Gapper. However, she is still in development and might not be able to put up a show in the much-awaited Opening Day. Gapper is a very entertaining red and furry skinned mascot dressed in a “junior style backwards cap” and Reds Jersey. Mr. Red, on the other hand, is the true symbol of the team with huge baseball head, complete Reds uniform and a has a height of about 47 baseballs stacked on top of another.
Considering the waning interest in this sports, having a new mascot to refresh the image and strengthen its fan base is very crucial for this team. Aside from Rosie Red, the world’s oldest professional baseball team has also revamped its stadium and intensified its efforts on outreach or community programs. More than that, its celebrity players will also spend more time with fans as a way to build strong relationship.
Via The Enquirer
