Design Inspiration
immixdesign | May 17, 2010Take a moment to explore a few inspirational design images that vary from advertisements, pictures, logos and typographic posters. Brilliant ideas sometimes stem from design found outside of the box.
Take a moment to explore a few inspirational design images that vary from advertisements, pictures, logos and typographic posters. Brilliant ideas sometimes stem from design found outside of the box.
FONTS.
When designing a new piece or beginning the early stages of rebranding a company, selecting an appropriate font can be a difficult task. I have found that searching and trying free fonts has been an excellent avenue to utilize.
1. Smashing Magazine delivers useful and innovative information to Web designers and developers. I recently stumbled upon a section dedicated to font selection and inspiration—take a look and download any that you like!
25 free font downloads from Smashing Magazine
2. Fonts.com provides its customers with access to the most recently released fonts, font packages and other font services. I have found quite a few free fonts from this site to incorporate into my design.
http://www.fonts.com/FindFonts/freefonts.htm?gclid=CO7iwcGOyKECFQtKgwodF1cv_A
3. 1001freefonts offers a unique blend of artistic interpretation and stream line fonts to choose from. Here is an example from their collection:

4. Simplythebestfonts offers a wide array of free fonts to choose from. I have visited this site when looking for a famous font that i can pull inspiration from.

There are a lot of different designers and branding developers that have specific methods and means of creating the perfect logo. Here at Immix Design we choose to stick to the following 5 guidelines when developing and creating logos.
1. Distinction.
Does the logo stand out? That does not necessarily mean it needs to be trendy, but it does need to be unique. Longevity is the goal.
2. Black and White.
Does the logo stand out in black and white or does it need color to survive? We believe that a great logo should be able to stand strong without relying on color or gradient.
3. Simplicity.
Some of the most effective logos are quite simple. It is not always detail or realism that produces the best logo, but the execution of a purposeful mark.
4. One Message.
The logo should present a clear message to its viewer. Incorporating multiple ideas can be confusing and distracting, the logo should be recognizable right away.
5. Appropriate.
Above all the logo should make sense. If the logo is for an audience of children it should not feel corporate and professional, it should be fun and playful.

Take a look at some of these excellent logo examples and resources!
Logo Design Love: http://www.logodesignlove.com/15-wonderfully-simple-logo-designs
Identityworks: http://www.identityworks.com/reviews/2009/index.htm
David Airey: http://www.davidairey.com/portfolio/
Vandelay Design: http://vandelaydesign.com/blog/design/10-examples-of-simple-effective-logos/
The London Theater presents a wide array of musicals and plays from Hairspray to Shakespeare. I recently had the opportunity to see Sunset Boulevard a 16 year running musical masterpiece. Starring Joe Gillis, a screenwriter who is down on his luck and Norma Desmond, a faded movie star who draws Gillis into her fantasy world in which she dreams of making a triumphant return to the screen. This production exemplifies the art of drama, comedy and demonstrates an exquisite arrangement of music. The actors master the gift of both acting and musical instrument.
As a designer I enjoy taking part in other forms of art and creativity. Often times the creative realms blend together and inspire new and innovative ideas. The theater provides artistic originality and an opportunity to express an opinion or image. Graphic design possess similar aspirations in both print design and web design.