Modern consumers don’t want to be sold stuff. If they want to buy something they will make their own decision. And the choice of company they choose to purchase from is the brand they resonate with the most.

It is therefore important to establish and a brand identity, and to build your image it is important reveal a brand culture. Let customers know what is happening behind the scenes and introduce them to your company in the real world rather than a faceless corporation with a snazzy logo.

Brand personality

To win over the attention of customers, you need a brand personality. This comes across in the voice of your content, but can also be promoted through branded content that provides customers with an insight to your business activities and events.

When you have a party, post pictures on your social media accounts with some witty captions that make people chuckle. Show your customers that you are responsible, but know how to have fun. Obviously make sure the images and stories reflect your brand so choose a suitable setting to host your party.

Introduce your staff

Although it is a good idea to introduce the key members of your team on the about us page, the little blurb box does not reveal too much. So showcase your staff in blogs with interview and news reports. You may even want to make a short video.

By that we don’t mean generic posts that say, “Hello, I’m Sam and like to walk my dog.” There has to be a story to tell. Concentrate on achievements and celebrate special events. If someone is running in a marathon or doing charity work drum up interest before the event and get your audience interested to know the results.

Show a humorous side

When people read content, they want to be entertained, so throw a few witty remarks or anecdotes into your blog articles and make the read more enjoyable.

Get customer feedback

To promote a brand culture, you need to be active on social media. So fish for feedback by asking your customers what they want to know about your company.

You can even involve customers to promote your brand culture and your products by asking them how they are finding your product. This could more risqué if the customer has a bad experience so you will need to be confident you will get plenty of positive responses.

Tell your company story

Every company has a story to tell. How did you get to where you are today? Where did you start? A brief history that reads like a Wikipedia entry is boring, so go into more detail and make it interesting.

Talk about your failures and how you overcame adversity or found solutions. When you show you have got grit, determination and ambition, customers will respect and trust you.

It is important that you create a brand image for your online business that people can identify with. Highlighting a brand culture is an effective way to support your marketing efforts and invites your customers to get to know you better.

When you hear the name of a leading brand like Apple, Nike, Starbucks or Mercedes, the first thing that comes to the mind’s eye is probably the logo.

This is because logos have a psychological impact on our sub-conscious mind. But not only that, the shapes and use of lines within a logo can impact on the purchasing decision of consumers in various ways.

Purchasing decisions mostly rests on trust, and logos communicate emotional values that can determine whether or not people trust your brand.

It’s a complex scenario, but several studies conducted over the last few years have determined that the shape and colour of a company logo has an overbearing affect on how consumers perceive a company.

The psychology of logos

Psychologists and marketers have discovered that the sub-conscious mind responds better to logos that include geometric shapes. Circles, ovals, ellipses, squares, triangles and hexagons.

The patterns contained within logos evoke an emotional response which creates a perception of a company – rounded shapes are associated with comfort whereas flat edges are associated with things for practical use.

These perceptions are formed by the sub-conscious mind based on our experiences and what we see around us on a daily basis. Cushions and pillows are soft and typically rounded, whereas bricks and knives are angular with hard edges and serve a specific purpose.

What do shapes in logos mean?

If you study the logos of all the major corporations, banks and institutions, they all have appropriate logos and are based on sacred geometry. That’s because the designers of these logos understood the psychological impact these shapes have.

And now, so can you:

Rounded edges:

Circles, ovals and ellipses tend have a personal emotional responses as they are associated with feminine qualities; warmth, affection and trust.

You may have noticed web designers are rounding off corners on straight-edge shapes such as squares and rectangles – most notably on call to action buttons and buy buttons. Have you ever wondered why that is?

Straight edges:

Squares and rectangles are best used by companies that offer a practical service or product. Hard edges imply stability, reliability, strength and efficiency.

Triangles on the other hand are typically used by government authorities, religious groups and law makers as the triangle has an esoteric meaning of power. The triangle symbolically represents the number three which is the number of manifestation – it makes things happen.

Tech companies tend to use hard edges with the softness of rounded corners. This portrays innovation and dynamics combined with a friendly product you can trust. After all, the majority of people love technology gadgets.

Horizontal/vertical lines:

The former suggest tranquillity and calmness and are often associated with community connections. Vertical lines on the other hand have associations with strength, hierarchy and aggression.

A logo defines the perception of a brand. When designing a company logo, put some thought into how people will associate your brand based on the geometric shapes.

If you are not convinced that geometry makes a difference, study the corporate logos of every major company you like and take note of the sacred geometric shapes.

When you look at a colour what do you think?

If you are like most people you will ordinarily like it, or nor like it. Or you might be indifferent. This is what your conscious mind thinks.

Yet colours are much more powerful and have a resonating affect on our sub-conscious mind – the mysterious unconsciousness we have within us that stirs our emotions. It is the sub-conscious mind that colours communicate with. Therefore colours have an affect on how we feel whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Furthermore, every colour emits a different emotion.

Why some colours evoke emotion

Psychologists say colours are rooted in your experience and culture. This revelation comes as quite a shock to many people despite knowledge of colour psychology kicking about for thousands of years. The ancient Egyptians and the Chinese used colour for therapeutic purposes.

Modern day researchers are rediscovering this phenomenon. Studies show that colour has an effect on mood, feelings and behaviour. And major corporations know colours influence purchasing decisions.

Have you noticed how banks often use blue in their colour scheme? This is not a coincidence. Supermarkets use orange or yellow. There is a reason for that. It’s the same reason fast-food chains use red in their brand logos.

Bright colours stimulate your sub-conscious and compel you to act hastily. There is something sexy and racy about red that burns us with desire. There’s a reasons the high street’s turn red in the lead up to Valentine’s day.

Why colour is an important part of design

The reason fast-food restaurants and supermarkets use red, yellow or orange is because they evoke a sense of urgency. There is something in our sub-conscious mind that compels us to act hastily when we see bright colours.

You may notice that a lot of eCommerce sites also include bright colours. Buy buttons on websites are often orange, yellow or bright green. That’s because web designers understand the psychology of colours.

Now think about social media networks. What colour springs to mind? Are you thinking blue? The leading social networks all feature some form of blue in their logo other than Google+… but Google includes blue in its company logo.

This is because blue creates the sensation of trust, security and authority. This is why the NHS and numerous insurance companies use shades of blue. Look around and you will find an emerging trend in colour association.

So do you still think colour psychology is a load of old nonsense?

If you do, then you are probably not evoking the emotion you want in your customers. Does the colour of your logo and website reflect how you want customers to perceive your brand?

The colour and design of your website, logo and marketing materials have more sway over your audience than you may think!

The Oscars is arguably the biggest show in show business. With its A-list line up, glamorous ceremony and legendary status, the awards show attracts a global audience of around one billion.

With such an iconic reputation to live up to, it’s no wonder that the tech team behind the Oscars put a huge amount of effort into creating the graphics for the show. In 2015, the intros for the awards categories were one of the highlights of the event, with all of them perfectly designed to show off the nominations in each category.

The importance of intro sequences

As we saw in 2015, Oscar intro sequences are a fantastic way to set up a category and get the audience excited by the nominations. The creative genius behind many of last year’s best intro sequences was Englishman Henry Hobson. A graphic designer who’s worked on the past eight Oscars broadcasts, Hobson has a lot of experience when it comes to creating eye-catching images for star studded events.

Having worked on the Oscars in various capacities for so many years, and having watched the role of graphic design slowly evolve and develop within the awards show, Hobson has now taken on an overall design role, helping to bring unity to the title sequences and create spectacular intros.

In fact, the role of graphics within The Academy Awards has now grown so much that the show employees three designers, two illustrators and twelve animators as well as Hobson, showing just how important the aesthetics of these sequences are.

Hobson’s main goal in creating intro sequences has been to reflect the nominees and the category he’s representing within the graphics themselves. By incorporating the films into the sequence in this way, Hobson has managed to create a unique aesthetic and title sequences that get the audience genuinely excited.

Graphic design and the Oscars

Considering how important graphic design is to the Oscars, and the movie industry in general, it’s surprising that the medium is only now beginning to receive the attention it deserves.

Though film posters, title sequences and fonts have long been iconic to the movie going public, the industry itself is yet to acknowledge graphic design with an Oscar of its own. Until they do, designers will have to make do with stealing the show at the Oscars and using the Academy Awards to showcase the incredible work they do.

Whether it’s on a logo, company name, artistic statement or poster, typography can completely transform a design, turning it from something everyday into something extraordinary. At its best, typography is an art form in itself, allowing designers to confer meaning, expand on ideas and create entirely new aesthetics.

In some cases, typography becomes so iconic that it takes on a life of its own. Fonts become so instantly recognisable and so evocative they can be used to enhance other designs or even to create an entire brand.

Keep Calm and Carry On

A motivational poster created by the British Government in 1939, Keep Calm and Carry On was largely forgotten until an original copy of the design was rediscovered in the year 2000 by a bookseller in Alnwick, Northumberland.

The font and layout of the poster have now become so iconic that any text displayed in the same format is instantly recognisable as a parody of the original. Though the original campaign in the 1940s was relatively unsuccessful, the design can now be found on t-shirts, mugs, postcards and key rings around the world.

Victoria and Albert Museum – V&A

One of the most influential museums in the country, London’s V&A has used typography to great effect in the design of its logo.

Helping to give the museum a contemporary identity, this modern typographic image has helped to make the Victoria and Albert Museum relevant to a whole new generation of
designers.

Star Wars

With its plain black background and yellow outlined font, the Star Wars logo is one of the simplest you could come across. However, the logo’s two-tone design has inspired countless copycat images and its impact has been felt throughout the world.

A fantastic example of ‘less is more’, this iconic typographic design will live on in fans’ hearts, and in cinema history, for ever more.

Coca Cola

With Coca Cola such a big global brand, it’s no surprise that the company’s logo is one we all recognise instantly.

Though the logo has been subtly updated through the years, it retains the essence of its original design. Coca Cola have capitalised on the iconic status of their logo by offering customers personalised bottles complete with their name emblazoned on the front in the historic font.

As well as originality, what all of these iconic examples have in common is simplicity. Allowing the typography to speak for itself, these inspirational designs have created new aesthetics, new identities and new legends.

To find out more about creating outstanding typography, get in touch with a member of the Clockwork Moggy team today.

Whether you notice it or not, typography is an integral part of your internet experience. Every website you navigate to has chosen its font for a reason, with every embellishment, adaptation and innovation designed to influence your impression of the site and affect the way you think about the brand.

As with any kind of design, typography styles change over time. To make sure that your website and printed materials are contemporary and on trend, take a look at the most influential typography trends of 2015.

Handwritten Fonts

Though handwritten fonts have been around for a while, 2015 has seen a big increase in their use and popularity.

Logo Design for Katharine Roberts by Clockwork Moggy

Perfect for startups, small independent businesses and larger companies trying to create a more personal feel, hand written fonts are best suited to titles, headings and other small segments of texts and when matched with a hand drawn logo or icon can look spectacular.

Dramatic Fonts

Though many designs rely on images and graphics to create eye-catching looks for their sites, type can also be used to great effect when building a dramatic and arresting design.

Logo Design for Candy Inc by Clockwork Moggy

Large, oversized text and fonts that have been adapted to suit the context of the site and the client company are fantastic for creating drama and visual interest using text alone.

Photo Overlays

As the internet becomes more photo and video heavy, increasing numbers of designers and web designs are creating home pages that are built around a single image.

This is example is from a Dutch wind surfing website (http://www.isurfnl.com/)

Typography is then used over that image to create a striking, simple design with a huge amount of impact.

Back to basics

As well as beautifully embellished fonts and intricate headings, we’ve also seen a move towards a more basic typography style throughout 2015. Using strong, simple lines and clear, concise fonts, designers have been creating a range striking typefaces with a unique graphic element.

Logo Design for Camilla Seton By Clockwork Moggy

Perfect for modern companies and businesses that want their site to look a bit different, this look is one that’s set to grow in popularity throughout the coming months.

Vintage Type

The use of vintage type has increased considerably over the last few years. Full of character and with a distinct quirky touch, this kind of type is ideal for companies that want to connect with their audience and show that they have the personal touch.

As a central part of any digital or print design, typography needs to be selected carefully and thoughtfully. To find out more about choosing the perfect font for your next project, talk to a friendly member of the Clockwork Moggy team today.

Whether you run a business, charity or a social network, your logo is one of the most important parts of your branding.

We all know that a good logo should be eye-catching, memorable and communicate something about the personality or character of the business that it’s representing. A nifty way to achieve all of these goals, while keep your logo looking sleek and professional is to utilise the negative space in the design. Effectively doubling the communicative power of a logo, negative space holds a huge amount of potential for forward thinking graphic designers and creative companies.

What is Negative Space Logo Design?

When creating a logo using negative space, a designer will use the alternative colour in a graphic to create dual images and representations of a product or service.

Less obvious than traditional logo design, negative space techniques are often only noticed at second glance and will force the viewer to think twice about a company’s logo.

In black and white logos, designers will often use the empty white space to cut out images and shapes from the black part of the graphic in order to create a more interesting, meaningful and individual design. The American Institute of Architects Centre is a great example of making the most of monochrome and uses negative design to transform the teeth of a key into a city skyline.

Why is Negative Space Logo Design effective?

Negative space design is effective for a number of reasons, and up there on the list of why designers love the look it creates – it allows designers to combine a relatively simple graphic with an intricate and clever cut out element.

By making a logo simple and complex at the same time, negative space can help a business to create an eye-catching and memorable design while giving them the space to add a bit of style and personality to the graphic. The result is often more subtle and more stylish than other types of logo design, helping to bring more of the company’s character into their branding.

Who uses Negative Space Logo Design?

Negative space logo design is suitable for businesses in a range of industries from all walk of business life. From organisations like The Guild of Food Writers and the famous Panda at WWF, to businesses like Spartan Golf and Yoga Australia, the technique has been used by organisations around the world to add an interesting, intelligent and alternative element to their logo design.

If you’d like to give your logo a lift using negative space design, or you just want to find out a little bit more about logo design, get in touch with the team at Clockwork Moggy today.

A logo is incredibly important for any company. Appearing on everything from the website to promo pens, a logo helps to define a business, create its identity and build its brand. Logos are so important there has even been a best-selling board game made in their honor and some committed consumers even branding themselves with tattoos of their favourite brands!

However, despite the fact that most good logos are incredibly simple, creating a stand out design can be tough. If you’re starting a brand new business or you’re giving your brand a face-lift, let’s take a look at what makes a logo eye-catching, attractive and instantly recognisable.

Simple

From Nike’s iconic ‘Swoosh’ to the ubiquitous golden arches of MacDonalds and from Apple’s partially eaten fruit to the WWF’s enigmatic panda, the best logo designs are often the simplest.

Clear, concise graphic designs are easy to recognise, easy to replicate and easy to spot from a distance. This makes them ideal logos as they communicate quickly and effectively with your target audience, acting as a calling card for your business and helping to strengthen your brand identity.

If you can’t find a graphic that suits your brand, you could consider a type-based design. Companies like Fed Ex, CNN and Disney have all created effective logos using a unique font.

Timeless

Unless you want to rebrand your business every few years, you need your logo to be as timeless as possible.

Try to avoid any unnecessary flourishes, design fads or clichés, sticking instead to clean lines, a few select colours and a clear message.

This also applies to the typeface you use for your logo. If you’re creating a font from scratch, make sure you make it clean and simple. Typographic trends come and go and something that’s fashionable now may well look dated in a few years time.

If you don’t have the time or expertise to create your own font, you can use an existing typeface and adapt it to suit your brand.

Appropriate

Creating an eye-catching, timeless design is just half the battle. In order for your logo to be truly effective, it also needs to relate to your business.

Before you start designing your logo, sit down with your colleagues or collaborators and make a list of your business’ most important qualities and associations. Use these as a starting point for your logo design, incorporating your ideas into the finished result.

If you need a little more inspiration to create your perfect look just take a look at the logos of some of the brands that you know and love. And for a bit of fun, challenge yourself to this logo quiz and see how well you know some of the most famous brands around, based on their deconstruction logos.

Let us know how you get on and see if you’re a logo legend or more of a logo loser!