From The Desk Of Pamela J. Bates: In The Mood

Setting The Tone

Hi guys. Today I'd like to tell you a little bit more about my logo design process. Something that I neglected to include in my recent 'how a logo is created' posts 'Part 1' and 'Part 2', was creating a moodboard.  I'd like to backtrack for a moment, if I may..............

When I work with a client on custom logo design or branding collateral design, I send them a creative style brief questionnaire. As you guessed by the name, it has a lot of questions for my clients to answer.  All are aimed at giving me better insight regarding a client's needs, a good understanding of their business and their market, the benefits their product/service provides to customers, their business belief system, as well as a their style likes and dislikes. Once I receive the creative style brief questionnaire back from my clients, I think it is important to speak with them and review their answers. I find that there are some things that come out through conversation that aren't always unearthed by the questionnaire, and they can be important to the design direction of their project. Plus, call me old fashioned, but I think it is a good thing to have a person to person conversation.  Email is great, but it's not always a replacement for a phone call or face to face meeting.  Inflections and tones can be misread in an email and having a conversation can help to avoid that.

As I  move from the creative brief review, I'm generally sketching and collecting ideas for their custom logo design.  If my clients have pinterest accounts, we connect there so we can look at visual examples of things that we both think speak to the direction a design should take.  If not, they will send me images they've collected, or links to things that speak to them.  These examples are are not always literal. It's more about mood, shapes, colors, and tone. That's where a moodboard comes in. It's one more point of reference for me as I work on logo and branding collateral design.

One of my current clients, is Northbound Knitting. 
 
 


Owner Lisa Mutch is located up north in Ontario, Canada and has successfully built a great following and a niche market for herself.  Her shop is very representative of the style she wants to convey to her market. Her vision is clear, but Lisa knew it was time to rebrand her business so that her logo better reflected that same vision and style. She continues to increase her business' foothold and is ready to take it to the next level with a new logo that will support her market reach and future growth. 

The moodboard that I created for the Northbound Knitting project is all about sharp/clean lines, shapes within shapes, the entire gamut gray hues, angular motifs, and a modern, slightly edgy sensibility. Plus some.

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stoneware bowls:michael graydon for herriot & grace / coffee table: west elm
hand-dyed yarn and patterns: northbound knitting / arora borealis ring: hybrid handmade
atlantic ocean: pamela j. bates/the muse / geometric line art: jeele martens
studio mister: overlapping transparent squares
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The thing with moodboards is that there aren't really any rules.  They're about feel, texture, color, shape, tone, and so much more. They speak to a business' market, and product or service.  They're a visual representation of a client's creative style brief and our collaborative review.  It wraps their style and direction up in a collage of sorts, that becomes one more piece in the design process.

As a designer it's important for me to use all the tools at my disposal to create a solid foundation for the design work to be done, and moodboards do just that.

One thing I really love about moodboards, is that they are as varied as my clients, their businesses, and their projects. 

If you have any questions about the design process, feel free to ask. After 20 years of working with small business owners on their visual and written marketing/advertising/pr efforts, I've had a lot of experience with a large variety of clients, projects, and situations. If I can help one of you with things that I've learned along the way, that's great. So, shoot.

Make it a great day in your corner of the world and I'll do the same.

Ciao for now,

Getting To The Heart Of The Matter: Part II

We Have a Winner

If you read the Muse yesterday, you know that I've been working on a new logo design with the lovely Justine from Skin Remedy in San Franciso.  And if you didn't read yesterday, you know too.

When you enter into a collaboration for a logo design, know that it is a process that is guided by communcation between the business owner and the designer. In this case, me and Justine.

We emailed, I interviewed her, we shared Pinterest boards (which I have to say was quite helpful in getting a better feel for her style and how she wanted her business identity to represent her business), we shared links, we talked on the phone and we let the process unfold through initial designs,  drafts, revisions and finalization.

The last round of revisions included this design, which was a combination and evolotion of previous drafts and Justine's feedback and includes a more illustrative version of the lavender she uses in her work. If you haven't seen the previous designs that brought us to this point, look here.

One more tweak. "Can we try it on a taupe background? And possibly on burlap?" said Justine. "Sure," I say, "but how about on linen?"

Drum roll please..........lo and behold, we've reached the final desitination. A logo that the customer loves and feels truly represents her, her business and she wants her businses to be perceived. Clean and natural.

Here's a closer look.

 

One of the things that Justine wanted was to have a logo for Skin Remedy that could be broken down into smaller parts, hence the badge and the simplified logo.  The bar with the intials can also be used on it's own.

 

It's been a great working with someone who understands that design is process. Designers aren't mind readers after all. We need your input as to your likes and dislikes, not just 'Well, I'll know what I don't like when I see it."  We need as complete communication as you can give, so that we can get to the end result that will work for you. And also remember, there is trial and error and drafts and revisions to get to what works.

 

However, when I hear things like this:

 

"So Wow!!! It looks like you have just designed the most amazing logo ever.. I am Obsessed with your logo on the chalk board background!!!! Obsessed!!!!! I love it!!!!! Thank you so much for all your hard work and dedication to designing the right logo for my business!

 

......and then after the final revision to taupe linen:

 

"Okay, so I love, love love the logo!"

 

....it sure makes me happy.  Thanks Justine, it's an aboslute pleasure working with you.

 

If you've been thinking about establishing a logo to brand your business, or redesigning your current logo to better reflect what you and your business are about, you can find some premade logos here and custom logo design here and here in the Bates Mercantile Co. shop. 

 

If you have any questions about logo design, general or specific, shoot.....I'll do my best to answer them.

 

 

Off I go.  We've moved on to packaging design for her bespoke skin care line and I'm also busy working on another logo design.

 

Ciao for now,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday In Stratham

Chili & Campfire Night

The sun is currently trying to make a show. Funny, the sun woke me up first thing this morning, and had I been 'awake' I would have gotten a shot. The sky was blazing pink.  By the time I really woke up, clouds had moved in. I don't remember them suggesting that would be the case on the weather forecast this week. Luckily, the sun hasn't given up.  I was hoping for some Saturday pool time today. Not that I need the sun. I get in regardless. But I digress.

Since the weather forecast was for a decent day, we made plans to have a Chili & Campfire night.  We did a dry run campfire last night. Not really. We just had a campfire, it wasn't a dry run. It was however, a perfect night out. Hoping for the same tonight.

Got all the fixin's.

Haven't decided to use the beef or turkey.  Oh, and I forgot to buy the peppers, of all things. Missing one of the main ingredients. Too funny. Luckily, neighbor Joanie is going this morning and offered to pick some up for me.  Of course, there will be onion too.

We'll be good to go. I might make some corn muffins for the side. Joanie is making a dessert. Even if the sun doesn't come out, it's a nice temperature so it is sure to be a good night out at the campfire.

Before I start the chili, I'm going to spend some time in my little corner of the world.....my office.  May work on a new illustration. Then, the chili. 

Got any big plans for your Saturday? How are you spending it?

Free & Cheesey

Friday Freebies

Since it's Friday, which means of course that there is good reason to celebrate, I thought I'd give you lovely followers a 'Friday Freebie'.  OK, two Friday Freebies. 

These two designs were made for 4"x2" labels, but you can do whatever you'd like with them.

I've already used the pink one, as you can see, on my Bates Mercantile Co. file. And the label even matches my toes. Sweet!

Just click right on the label designs below to save the image to your computer. 

How cute would this be to label things in a little girl's room?

And I think this gray one would look super in a pantry. 

But they're yours to do as you wish. Just a little thanks for being here.


A Day Without Cheese.........You're kidding, right?

Monday morning, after we'd been away for three days, I went to get milk for my tea only to find it was a little sour smelling.  Bummer. Wait, not a bummer. I remembered that I had read this recipe for making cheese from sour milk on LeVoyageCreatif.

Straight from Marie's typing hands to my mouth. Gar and I declare it good stuff. I thank her for sharing this recipe on her blog.

How to make the cheese:

Ingredients

Sour milk or kefir

Herbs

Salt

Pepper

Garlic

How to:

Pour the amount of kefir or milk in a pot and heat it up slowly.

You don’t need to stir.

(Marie is right, you really don't need to stir. It just does it's own thing.)

When it boils ever so slightly let it simmer till the cheese curds has separated from the milk water.

When the cheese curds are all gathered at the top of the milk water, pour the content over a sifter and let the curds lump up while draining the milk water.

(See how the curds all gathered and left the milk water at the bottom of the pot?

Cool, right?)

(Sorry this is blurry, I was interrupted by a lost doggie. I found his owner and walked him back home, but in the flurry of excitement, missed getting a decent picture)

When left with only cheese curds pour it over in a bowl and mix it with whatever spices or herbs you like.

(I used oregano, chives, thyme and lemon balm from the garden, and of course some sea salt and crushed pepper for good measure.)

Mix well and store with a lid in the fridge.

How's this for my first try? Looking and tasting mighty fine if I do say so myself. Thanks again to Marie for the recipe. Check out the little crock/bowl Marge also scored at the yard sale.....cute and perfect for my first batch of homemade cheese.

The cheese is fairly mild. Marie says after a few days it takes on a more mature flavor. Ready to have some for our usual Friday Night Appetizer Fest.

I hope you have a great weekend where you are. Got any plans? Tonight we're thinking campfire out back in the fire pit, and tomorrow we're gonna dance the night away at our friend Pearl's 50th birthday pah-TEE. Whoop Whoop!! I do LOVE to dance! 

So Happens It's Thursday

So happens it's Thursday....That's Gar's answer to T.G.I.F. Get it? S.H.I.T.? I kind of like it. Though I'm not feeling particularly smarmy today, I just thought I'd throw it out there since it was 'day appropriate'.

I've been fiddling around with headers for Mercantile Muse. And as you can see, I've gone with a simple white background as well. I think it shows everything off in a crisper,cleaner way. I really like the way it makes photos pop. Siss, boom, bang! (sorry, getting a little geared up for the 4th and the big losbta bake!)



Can you say lobster? But here are two experts on lobster bakes- G man and Cap'
(as in Captain', aka Ralph, who I've been best pals with since
1st Grade and is a Fisherman and Captain...hence the nickname).
  OK, I'll stop for now.  Back to the subject at hand........the blog header.


I designed the first header for our blog last night, and it looked really nice. I liked all of the components including some of our very own stone wall and roses, and a picture of a ship's masthead that I took in NYC's South Street Seaport.  In the end, it just wasn't working for me.  It seemed to be just a little too much- too much for this particular blog anyway.



See what I mean?

Then I designed one that incorporated a piece of one of my printable wall art designs, Three Feathers. Except, I only used one of the feathers (see bottom of this post for picture). This one I like a lot for it's simple, clean look.



Straight and to the point. Opposite of the first......not busy at all.

Then I woke to a new day and new eyes and thought, with all those neutrals a pop of bright yellow might be kind of nice- sans quill/feather. I edited the picture of our 'Pot of Gold' coreopsis in photoshop and included that in the design for the splash of color. After looking at it though, I kind of missed the feather because it represents the writing/talking/blog lovin' rants I'll be throwing out there on Mercantile Muse, as well representing my designs in our etsy shop.



Pow. Pop of happy yellow. Not to quill?

 Being the fickle gal I am and since I wasn't sure about the quill being missing, I worked it back into the design. First I faded the flower behind it a little bit more so they weren't competing so much. Somehow I still can't decide.



Or to quill? That is the question.

 Liking this one. Although, I think I'll have to walk away, and come back and look at with fresh eyes before I make a final decision. Then again, does the decision really have to be final? It's a work in progress, just like me.

Any thoughts, feel free to share them.  And as promised.........Three Feathers, available on etsy at Bates Mercantile Co.


Glory be, the sun is shining again and there is a lovely breeze. It's a great laundry day, as far as laundry goes. Perfect for line drying. I'm sounding more and more like my mother (not that that is a bad thing).

And since it's Mercantile Muse's first week anniversary, I'm adding to my good things list. Just because. Feel free to add your own good things.

Good Things

That lucan is sleeping soundly on the futon,

instead of running across the street and getting into a

tussle with a very nice Dobie Girl getting a walk on a

leash, the way he did last night. Bad dog.

Sleeping soundly is much better.

lovely breezes

blog followers and online friends- givin' ya'll a wahooli!

a screen tent/house

(someday a house/room, for now a screen tent.

the mosquitoes were vicious last night)

visitors to look forward to

checking things off of lists

work on my desk

SKYPE

(I know it was on the list last week, but last night we got to skype with our friend's

mom who we haven't seen in.....oh....say about 24 years! LOVE skype.)

Have a good one. Or as Walter Brennan says in Rio Bravo- have 'a goodn'.