Content meets design: In fact, they become ONE.

Full Disclosure: Cutting-edge graphic design is NOT my thing.

So don’t hire me for THAT, please. On the other hand…

It seems I do have a decently good sense for visual design in some ways. Where my “good eye” really holds value is when you want to layout a piece of marketing collateral according to science. You know, the principles proven by history’s very best marketers (Caples, Ogilvy, Lewis–oh, and let’s not forget Claude Hopkins, author of Scientific Advertising, our current library study). If you want to max out your leverage on the CONTENT your design piece contains… I am your guy.

Then there is yesterday’s case.

I’ve got a client who just launched a small multimedia production studio. He specializes in short docu-drama videos that wrestle touchy subjects into clear everyday terms. He wanted me to take the ideas behind the content and get them across in the LOOK of his name logo for “Simply Said Studios.”

Ta da! Here’s a look at what I gave him.

It’s a simple jay-peg version, and we’ve already tweaked it a bit from here, but it serves my purpose to explain my thoughts on how design can serve content even when the two completely merge…

There’s a fair amount of “perception theory” rolling around in this simple graphic. You’ve got a weighted emphasis on each word by size. Then there is the “black-and-white” ideas of contrasting views, balanced perspective and strong opinion. I added the drop shadow grey just to lift the words into a bit of dimensional space (in fact the final is rendered in 3D with a software for animation), but then I realized the grey also reminds me that life is rarely all black or white.

The word “said” in the name is important to the client; he’s sparking and fueling conversations. So I swapped the dots over two lowercase “i” elements for voice bubbles. Then, I retrieved one and used it to form an ellipse, speaking to the hope and intent that these conversations will go on…

On the smallest word, I didn’t want “studios” to get lost but also didn’t want to go any larger… so I injected the strong color to give it a whole ‘nuther realm of standing out on its own, to be sure a casual glance said this was, in fact, a studio.

Like I said, I don’t do design work as a rule–and a truly engaging “name logo” job like this comes my way so very rarely… I’d love your feedback. What would you do differently? Anything there you particularly like or hate?

Oh, I’ve got one more thought which, serendipitously for today’s note, holds true for both content AND design–

Don’t over-think it: “follow” what you learn, let the result surprise you.

I write fast. And when I relax into “wireframe” mode to play with a design concept–whether it’s page layout or something like this logo-fied content package–I work even faster. That was not always the case…

Years ago, I agonized over every word in a new ad until I felt sure I had a strong enough draft to go to print. I’m talking FIRST draft. It was silly and, as I studied and practiced the science behind my art, I shed the habit. God, it felt good, too. I felt like the young Kung Fu “grasshopper” who finally snatched the pebble from his master’s hand.

To be sure, I replaced one habit with another. Now, I peacefully understand that my work typically goes through two, three, maybe even a half dozen drafts to reach its ready strength. But this happens quickly, naturally, with far less mental energy and stress than the old method of attempting myhighest craft on take one.

That’s all for today, young grasshoppers! I’m off to catch a Colorado Rockies baseball game and bask in the happy feelings of a long, hard yesterday’s work well done. Until next time,

Write what’s Right!

Ken

P.S. Don’t forget: As I post this, only five days remain to submit your alternate headline ideas for my 5/07 post, titled “Can you write a better headline than me?” I know that sounds like I’m an arrogant know-it-all, but I have a number of reasons for using that eight word combination. There are already a few pretty good entries, but I’m holding out hope for a stand-out from the crowd. Whatever I get, I will replace my headline with a winner on Monday, 5/18 (complete with permanent link to the winner’s blog or website) and award that writer a $10 iTunes gift code.