Logo design: The process

May 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

This is the design process I use when working on a company/business/band logo.

  1. Design brief: Send questionnaire to client.
  2. Research & reference: Research the industry, its history, its competitors and logo designs that have been successful.
  3. Sketching & conceptualising: Develop the logo design concept(s).
  4. Reflection: Take breaks through the design process and let your ideas develop. Get feedback.
  5. Presentation: Present a selection of logos to the client or a whole collection.

Step one:

I Send out a few questions to start the design process off. This is standard questionnaire I send to clients…

  • Your company name – as it should be used on the logo design
  • Strap line to go with your logo – if required
  • Please provide a little information about what your company does
  • Key words that describe your company – eg. friendly, reliable
  • What do you like/dislike about your current logo (if you have one)? Please can I see it.
  • Who are your competitors/Other Charities in the same field please give links if possible?
  • “Look and feel” required such as contemporary/traditional/brash/minimal/corporate/fun/
  • Any definite ideas you have about the logo design + examples of logo design you like/dislike (links if possible)?
  • Who is your Target audience?
  • Colour preferences if any. Should the logo be single colour/two colour/full colour/no specific preference?
  • How/where will the logo be used?
  • Any other information you would like to add

Step two:

On receiving the questionnaire back I conduct some research based on the answers given. Namely on the company/band, their market, their competitors and peers, their target audience and the logos they have provided as inspiration.

Step three:

I start by brainstorming with a sketchbook, pencils and a drawing pen. Select a few strong ideas from the sketches and start to work them up to a standard I’m happy with then I draw the best few ideas in Adobe Illustrator and play with colours and tweak shapes about to get a strong memorable design to show the client.

Step four:

Take a break and relax, let the ideas develop and mature. Work any new angles into the design and wait for feedback from the client. Adjust anything desired by the client if it’s needed and effective.

Step five:

I present the logo and or logo variations to the client and party in celebration of a job well done.


Contact ASYLUMseventy7 for your logo design work now!

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Great logo design resources

March 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are loads of great resources and advice available for designing a logo, It can get quite confusing and boring sieving through the rubbish to find the gold so here I’ve posted some of my favorites…

Logo Design Inspirations

Some galleries filled with logo design inspiration.

Logo Design Tips

Some great logo design tips to help you become a better logo designer.

Logo Design Books

Some links to great logo design books.

Logo Design Blogs

Some of the best logo design blogs on the internet.

Logo Design Tutorials

Some great Illustrator tutorials.

Logo Design Showcases

Some logo design collections.

Get committed to creativity!  for your logo design work contact ASYLUMseventy7

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Band promotion: Press Packs

February 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The main idea of a press pack is to be attention grabbing. Presenting your bands information in an interesting way that gets the full attention of managers, labels, Gig Promoters, Venues, Labels, Press (on and off line), Radio DJs and anyone else in the music industry.

Sending a hard copy of your press pack is much better than sending an email with your Myspace/soundcloud URL.

Press Packs should 
include:

  • band name
  • genre
  • email address
  • website URL and social media links.
  • Photographs
  • CD/DVD
  • Business Card
  • A small bio not your life story.

Band name: This is obvious, no need to explain this one :p

Genre: Keep it simple and not overly confusing with really bizarre sub-genres only your band has heard of “coat-hanger chutney thrash,” ” lollypop jazz grind” and  “sub yogurt crunk”

Email address: It is best to use your Manager’s if you have one, Also using a band domain email address (such as contact@yourband.co.uk) will help show you are a committed band

Website URL and social media links: Having your own domain website will show you are a committed serious band. Include your Myspace as well as a couple of your other social network URLs showing how you interact with fans but don’t go overboard and list 100′s!

Photographs: Get a professional to take some photos of the band for press and promo purposes as well as using a professional for some strong live shots, you will see the difference! (photos at 300dpi +)

CD/DVD: You shouldn’t judge a CD by it’s cover but… make a good first impression by taking a bit of time over the packaging and presentation. Include 2 or 3 tracks and lead with your strongest song! Most people will only give you a minuet to impress them, remember they are getting loads of songs thrown at them everyday by loads of bands.

Business Card: This is good to have included so promoters, managers, venues and labels have your contact details to hand on a pin board or on file with out taking up to much room.

A short bio of the band: This should be kept short. Your target is only after a brief intro to the band, your style, aesthetic and not your bands favorite foods and first pet. If you think they may want more just wet their appetite with a brief intro then direct them to your website where you can put a mini bio for each member and go into more detail if it is an interesting story.

  • Tip: Do your research and make sure you send your press pack to the right people.
  • Tip: It’s a good idea to contact the recipient of your press pack first, to find out if they want it, and how best to deliver it.
  • Tip: Create different versions for different targets.
  • Tip: Keep it simple and direct.
  • Tip: Make a PDF copy or single web page press pack for those not wanting a hard copy.
  • Tip: remember to double check spelling and grammar.

Contact me to get committed to a creative eye catching press pack.

Read more on press packs and what to include here (Via www.unsignedbandpromotion.com)

Filed Under: Advice and answers, ASYLUM adventures, Music industry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Marketing your music

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Whether you’re in a band, a manager, producer, sound engineer, promoter, or in music marketing and PR, it all comes down to contacts, and the best place to start is with a marketing strategy.

There are several steps you should follow.

  • Step one: Have something to market!

“The fist bite is with the eye”

A band logo is a key factor in getting your band noticed and remembered. Think of the Iron Maiden logo, or Areosmith, Oasis, Megadeth, or NIN, their logos are known all over the world.

Band photos are also a strong visual element to band identification, Think of the press pictures from your favorite bands, you don’t need to listen to the music to know what style and sound they are going for. for example you wouldn’t see a photo of black metal band Emperor and think its going to be in the same style and sound as Mumford and sons and vice versa.

CD album artwork and design can all be tied into the look of the band and carry alot of weight in identifying with your fan base. think of Cannibal corpse, Fear factory and Queens of the stone age album covers and their strong visual relationship with the music genre they inhabit.

  • Step two: Get online.

Next you need a place to direct people to hear your music and see your band so sort out a band website and social media.  There are lots networking sites to choose from these are the 4 most popular and  therefore get your message to the largest audience.

Remember to include your band logo, Photos and music where possible, a small bio and of cause up to date contact information. If you don’t have a website yet, use MySpace or Facebook as your link, remembering to change it when you have a .com/.co.uk/whatever domain hosted site.

  • Step three: Get networking and find some good contacts!

You can have the best songs and the strong coherent look of a top signed touring band, but if you don’t have any decent contacts and fans you’re not going anywhere fast. The way to do this is with a good strong marketing plan, just like you would in any other business venture.

Here are some of the basic guidelines to help you get started.

  • Know who your future fans are.
  • Know where your future fans are.
  • Know who can help you.
  • Know where you can find help
  • Know who your competition is.
  • Know where your competition is.

There are many types of marketing you can use and you will need to focus on in your marketing plan. The three main types are…

  • Brand marketing,
  • Promotional marketing,
  • Online marketing.

I plan to go into these and other helpful tips and advice over the coming weeks in this new series of band/music promotion, information and advice.

If you have any questions on anything in this or future articles feel free to contact me.

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Nightvision get committed to creativity!

October 15, 2010 By 1 Comment

Rock band Nightvision talk about the process of getting committed to creativity!

When Nightvision were signed by Rocksector Records and started work on their debut album ‘As The Lights Go Down’ they also started the search for someone to design and produce the artwork needed for the CD project.

We have known Mark at ASYLUMSeventy7 both as a musician and also as someone with the creative flair and imagination we needed for Nightvision’s first studio produced work. It was especially important that all aspects of this project were as good as we could get for the band’s first release on the Rocksector label. It was also vital that the design work was completed on time to reach the printers in time for the album general release and official launch gig and Mark met all the deadlines that were agreed.

Mark initially met the band, talked at length through their ideas and most importantly listened to the music and really took the time to understand the sense and feel of the album content. He put his own unique interpretation into the design and produced the ideas that led to the final superb design that has received great comments from everyone that now owns the album.

Nightvision are happy to recommend Mark Leary at ASYLUMseventy7 to anyone who wants to work alongside a professional who is willing to listen to your ideas and flexible enough to make changes along the way to achieve brilliant artwork designs that not only look great but will help promote your music. Thanks Mark.

Bob Wallis
Nightvision Manager

NIGHTVISION
NIGHTVISION MYSPACE

See more CD artwork by ASYLUMseventy7 and get in contact to discus your project

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Do you really need a logo?

October 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

So, you’re on the hunt for a logo – but do you really need one?

The answer is easy:

  • Whether it’s for your band, your business, or your personal web presence, if you need to stand out from the crowd, a well designed, informative logo can help.
  • A logo forms the unique visual representation of your company/band/agency/label throughout all your marketing and advertising efforts.
  • A logo gives your business/band and its promotional materials a uniform, consistent look.
  • A well-designed, eye-catching logo acts as the authentic face of your business/band and shows that your business is professional, trustworthy and credible.
  • Your logo illustrates the theme, style or ethos of the business/band it represents. A picture is worth 1,000 words!

So the real question is “do you have a strong logo and branding?”

Get committed to creative art, illustration and design!

Contact me to get committed!

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The Blood of the Realm

October 5, 2010 By 3 Comments


This year (1/6/2010) saw the release of Eibon la Furies new album “the Blood of the Realm” on Code666 records! Artwork/design and logo by ASYLUMseventy7.

Lord Eibon Blackwood speaks…

I have been aware of Mark and ASYLUMseventy7 for a number of years, through Marks’ own association playing with bands and his art work within the scene. With Eibon la Furies we were looking for an artist we knew we could work with and who would see the style we hoped to achieve. The first work with Mark was to design the Eibon la Furies crest. At the initial stages an amount of ideas were passed between Mark and myself, always pushing forward to the excellent design that you now see adorning Eibon la Furies merchandise and albums. Working with Mark has always been an incredibly easy process for myself and the band because he sees our vision, takes that vision and weaves a little magic to make it even better than the original concept. I think it’s a case of getting it right at the concept stage and this is where we usually throw all of the ideas into the proverbial pot with Mark then producing rough sketches and from here we’ve always quickly identified and started to hone down to that final piece. The debut album for Code666 records is a six-panel digi-pack with full artwork by ASYLUMseventy7. The brief was to explore opulence and decay, and of course the Eibon la Furies crest had to be prominent. Again the process was organic as the original concept was quickly worked upon with Mark and the whole piece was completed well within schedule. This next year will see Eibon la Furies working on the second album, ‘The Immoral Compass’, with a much more expanded artistic feel and once again we are happy to be working with Mark and ASYLUMseventy7. The atmosphere we both work under is always professional, creative and ultimately inspiring so long may the association between Eibon la Furies and ASYLUMseventy7 continue!

Lord Eibon Blackwood (Eibon la Furies)

Eibon La Furies got committed to Creative art and design! you can too.

Check out Eibon la furies music >> here. New T-shirts and hoodies available NOW NOW NOW!!!

See the testimonials about ASYLUMseventy7 from Lord Eibon and others >> here

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