When it comes to logo design, a long company name can be quite a challenge. You want to create a logo that's clean and memorable, but lengthy lines of text can look cluttered and uninspiring. Professional designers use different techniques to solve the visual challenges of a long brand name. These include: 1. Splitting the name into two or three lines 2. Using different … [Read more...]
20 Memes That Designers And Agencies Will Relate To
Are you in the middle of a tough project with a stiff deadline? Is your client or boss being a prick? Are you tired of creating "Buy One, Get One" ads and banners? If yes, then indulge in some meme-therapy and brighten up your day. Memes have been scientifically proven to help reduce work stress by stimulating the release of endorphins that trigger a sense of well-being … [Read more...]
27 Clever Ambigram Logos That Look The Same When Viewed Upside Down
An ambigram is a typographical design or symbol consisting of text modified in such a way that it can be read in different orientations - inverted, rotated, mirror-image, etc. For example, the logo of Sun Microsystems (no. 4 below) is a brilliantly-designed ambigram that reads 'SUN' from all directions. Another famous example is the New Man logo (no. 6 below), designed by … [Read more...]
19 Graphic Design Mistakes That Novice Designers Make
After a few years in the graphic design business, you realize how important it is to get the basics right. Like using proper font and color combinations, implementing visual hierarchy, using grids, alignment, white space, and so on. The team at Visme, an online tool for creating infographics and presentations, has come up with an excellent visual list of 19 graphic design … [Read more...]
Designer Turns Neymar’s Dramatic Falls Into A Free Font
Brazilian art director Luciano Jacob has turned Neymar's dramatic World Cup falls into a free-to-download font called 'Ney Type'. While others were busy mocking the Brazilian footballer's dives on social media, Jacob was convinced Neymar was "just trying to send us a message". He noticed the similarity between Neymar's poses and letterforms of the alphabet, and created a … [Read more...]
The Font On Adidas’ Football World Cup Jerseys Is Causing A Lot Of Confusion
The official Adidas' font, used on its FIFA World Cup jerseys, is causing confusion due to its square, Cyrillic-style letters and numbers. Inspired by traditional Soviet imagery, the font uses sharp 90-degree strokes which causes confusion between letters like 'A' and 'R', 'X' and 'K', 'Z' and '2', etc. FIFA's equipment regulations state that the font used on all apparels … [Read more...]
FIFA World Cup Logos From 1930 – 2022, Which One’s The Best?
The FIFA World Cup is the most widely viewed and followed sporting event in the world. The logo for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been unveiled and we decided to do a round-up of all the World Cup logos from 1930 - 2022. During the first four World Cups from 1930 - 50 (there were no tournaments in '42 and '46 due to World War II), the organizers created posters instead of … [Read more...]
Clever Logos Of Letters A To Z Based On Common Words That Start With Them
UK-based graphic designers Liam + Jord undertook a 36-day typography challenge to create logos for every letter of the alphabet based on common words that start with them. For example, the letter 'b' has been designed to look like a book, the letter ‘f’ looks like a flag, 'w' looks like a whip, and so on. The objective was to use the shapes of the letters to visually … [Read more...]
Designer Creates Clever Logos That Represent The Name And Business Of The Company
Kuwait-based graphic designer Rami Hoballah has come up with a series of minimalist logos that combine the name and the product (or service) of the company into one unique symbol. The logo in each case visually represents the brand name and the nature of its business. For example, the logo for Groom Salon is a pair of scissors made with the two o's in the word 'Groom'. The … [Read more...]
Designers Challenge Themselves To Create A Typographic Logo Every Day For A Year, And They’re Pretty Cool
UK-based graphic designers Liam + Jord undertook a 365-day challenge to create one new typographic logo of a common word we use every day. The objective was to visually represent the meanings of the words by using symbols, negative space, or by adding geometric elements to the letters. For example, the letter 'i' in the word 'drive' looks like a gear stick, the letter 'f' in … [Read more...]
Designer Creates Clever Logos That Visually Represent The Name And Business Of The Company
Lithuania-based graphic designer Leo has come up with a series of minimalist logos called "Smart Logos" that combine the name and the product (or service) of the company into one unique symbol. The logo in each case visually represents the brand name and the nature of its business. For example, the logo for Atomic Burger is a burger on top of a mushroom cloud. The logo for … [Read more...]
25 Memes Designers And Agencies Will Relate To
Feeling bored at work? Have 5 minutes to spare before your boss comes back from a meeting? If yes, then check out these 25 epic memes that every mouse-weilding, client-bashing, font-loving designer will relate to. Warning: Some of these memes might make you question your choice of profession. This is perfectly normal. If symptoms persist after 48 hours, please talk to a … [Read more...]
Designer Offers To Create Free Logos For Anyone, Ends Up Creating 50 Logos In 32 Hours Non-Stop
Russian graphic designer Di Buenio undertook a personal logo design challenge titled Logotyposhnaya, in which, he offered to create a free logo for any existing company or brand in 30 minutes. He published a post on his Facebook page and received over 70 applications in the first two hours itself. At the end of the challenge, Buenio had created 50 logos, working non-stop for … [Read more...]
Beautiful Alphabet Series Of The World’s Most Famous Cities And Their Iconic Landmarks
Indian graphic designers Rigved Sathe and Payal Jagwani have come up with a beautiful project titled "Around The World With Type" that mixes typography and photography to represent some of the world's most famous cities and their iconic landmarks. Each letter represents a city and includes a photograph of a famous landmark clip-masked within the letterform. From New York's … [Read more...]
How To Pair Fonts That Complement Each Other (With Examples)
Good font pairing is one of the key differentiators between amateur and professional design. Rookie designers often use more fonts than required and there is lack of typographical contrast in their design. It's tricky because there are no fixed rules as to what kind of fonts work well together, but there are certain guidelines that can help you pick fonts that complement each … [Read more...]
Designer Creates Clever Alphabetical Logos Based On Animal Names And Shapes
Lebanese graphic designer Rami Hoballah, has come up with an amusing typography project titled 'Animals Alphabet' that showcases letters of the alphabet in the shape of animals. Each letter corresponds to the name of the animal. For example, 'a' looks like the head of an ant, 'b' looks like a bee, 'c' looks like a crab, and so on. Rami used Adobe Illustrator to create these … [Read more...]
Designer Challenges Himself To Create A Typographic Logo Every Day For A Year, And They’re Pretty Cool
Stockholm-based graphic designer Daniel Carlmatz undertook a 365-day challenge to create one new typographic logo of a common word we use every day. The objective was to visualize the meanings of the words by using symbolism, negative space, or by adding geometric elements to the letters. For example, the letter 'a' in the word 'search' looks like a search bar, the letter 'j' … [Read more...]
23 Beautiful Free Fonts For Your Next Design Project
What does a graphic designer love more than a beautiful font? A beautiful font that's available for FREE. There's nothing more heartbreaking than finding a gorgeous font, only to see a big red button next to it that says, "Buy Now for $99". To make life easier for our kind, we at DS have compiled a list of 23 stylish and contemporary fonts that you can download for free. The … [Read more...]
Graphic Designer Substitutes Wordmarks In Famous Logos With The Fonts They Use
Italian graphic designer Emanuele Abrate has come up with an interesting project titled 'Logofonts' that features wordmarks of famous logos substituted with the name of the fonts they use. For example, the Nike wordmark in their swoosh logo has been substituted with 'Futura' written in the same italic style. The WhatsApp wordmark has been substituted with 'HelveticaNeue'. … [Read more...]
6 Important Logo Design Principles Every Designer Should Know
Before you start a logo design project, you need to know who the logo is for? Who is the target audience? The logo will define what the business is all about. Should it be masculine or feminine, traditional or modern, exclusive or inclusive? The colors, typography, and geometry of the symbol will depend on all these factors. DesignMantic has come up with a handy infographic … [Read more...]
New Research Study Proves That Most People Don’t Know What A Lowercase ‘G’ Looks Like
You've seen it a million times but do you really remember what it looks like? Cognitive researchers at Johns Hopkins University conducted a study in which participants were asked to pick out the correct form of the lowercase looptail 'g' from four options. 72 percent of participants chose the wrong one. … [Read more...]
Fonts Used In Famous Logos (With Download Links)
Ever wanted to know the names of the fonts used in the logos of famous brands like Adidas, Calvin Klein, FedEx, Gillette, Jaguar, Lufthansa, Omega, Rolls-Royce, Visa, etc.? We've compiled an alphabetical list of 60 well-known logos with their corresponding fonts and download links. In some cases, the fonts have been tweaked or edited from their original form to create a … [Read more...]
How Companies Use Deceptive UI Design To Trick You Online
A 'dark pattern' is a user interface that has been craftily designed to trick users into doing things they might not want to do, in order to benefit the business in question. The term was coined by UK-based UI designer Harry Brignull, who runs DarkPatterns.org - a website dedicated to "naming and shaming websites that use deceptive user interfaces". For example, have you … [Read more...]
20 Important Design Principles Explained With Simple Illustrations
There are no fixed rules or formulas for good design, but there are a few basic principles that will help you create design that is effective, functional, and aesthetically pleasing. Technical jargon can sometimes get confusing or overwhelming, which is why Canva has come up with a fantastic infographic that uses simple illustrations to explain the 20 most important design … [Read more...]
16 Clever Typographic Animations That Visualize The Meanings Of Various Words
Lithuania-based graphic designer Mindaugas Dudenas has come up with an excellent project titled 'Type in Motion' that visualizes the meanings of different words using typographic animation. For example, the 'T' in the word FITNESS looks like it's lifting weights, the two 'O's in DOORS open and close like doors, the 'H' in CHESS morphs into a chessboard, and so on. Dudenas … [Read more...]
What Your Font Choices Say About You
Every designer has a set of favourite fonts that they prefer to use in a majority of projects. These are the first fonts that come to your mind every time you start a new project. In our previous posts, we've explained how every font has a unique personality, a purpose, and an emotion. But did you know that the font you choose says a lot about you as well? GetVOIP has come … [Read more...]
New Oscar Envelopes Have Huge Fonts To Avoid Last Year’s Design Fail
The most cringeworthy part of last year's Academy Awards was when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the wrong winner for Best Picture. It wasn't their fault, someone backstage gave Beatty the envelope for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Emma Stone, La La Land) instead of the envelope for Best Picture (Moonlight). … [Read more...]
31 Useful Design Techniques For Creative Two-Letter Logos
Two-letter logos are one of the most popular logo styles in the world. They're memorable because they use the brand's initials to form a unique symbol. When executed properly, a two-letter logo conveys power, luxury, style, and exclusivity. Some of the world's most well-known brands like General Motors, Volkswagen, Hewlett-Packard, General Electric, LG, Warner Bros., Louis … [Read more...]
Learn In One Minute How To Kern Properly Between Different Types Of Letters
The difference between good type and great type is the kerning. In this short video by The Futur, typography and lettering instructor Nils Lindstrom shows you how to kern effectively between different kinds of letters - curved, straight, and diagonal. Nils explains how different letterforms create different kinds of optical spacing between characters, and how proper kerning … [Read more...]
5 Trendy Google Font Combinations For Your Next Design Project
In our previous posts, we've shared some great Google Font combinations and free font collections that you can use in your designs. If you're looking for some more trendy and modern pairings of Google Fonts, have a look at this compilation from digital product company Great Simple Studio. They've also created a series of mockups to offer previews of what the fonts look like in … [Read more...]
Designer Brilliantly Explains Why The New F1 Logo Is A Success, Despite What Everyone’s Saying
Is the new Formula One logo good or bad? Award-winning designer Chris Do reviews the new F1 logo with an in-depth look at its history, design brief, application, and reasons for change. He also discusses why it's important to view logo launches and rebrands from a business point of view rather than just aesthetics. Watch below. … [Read more...]
12 Visual Hierarchy Principles Every Designer Should Know
Visual hierarchy is the arrangement and presentation of design elements in order of their importance. It influences the order in which the human eye perceives the information that is being displayed. A simple example would be a business card - the name of the organisation is usually the most prominent element, followed by the name of the card holder, job title, and contact … [Read more...]
17 Memes Every Graphic Designer Will Relate To
Having a long day at work? Boss giving you a hard time? Client being a prick? Then indulge in some meme therapy and brighten up your day. Memes stimulate the release of endorphins in your brain, which reduces stress levels and makes you forget about work problems and deadline-related anxiety. In a study of more than 150 working professionals, scientists found that when … [Read more...]
Amazing Typographic Portraits Of Celebrities Made Using Their Movie Titles And Lyrics
Sean Williams is a Canadian illustrator and creative director known for his typographic portraits of musicians, actors, and pop culture influencers. Each type design is hand illustrated and uses text from the celebrity's movie titles, song lyrics, or famous quotes, to create a recognizable face of that person. The list includes Audrey Hepburn, Beyonce, Bob Marley, Elvis, … [Read more...]
The Most Popular Font Types In America
Venngage is a popular online tool that lets you create free infographics for reports, data presentations, promotions, and more. It is used by over 1 million users and 21,000 businesses worldwide. Recently, they analyzed the usage statistics of 50+ fonts they offer on their platform, to see where in the US certain types of fonts are most commonly used. These included serif, sans … [Read more...]