The official logo of the London 2012 Olympic games is turning five next year. Like most growing children, this logo’s naturally developed affinity for trouble-making is the defining characteristic that we’ve come to love as proud global guardians of the Olympic identity.

The initial reports, post unveiling ceremony, were scathing and unkind. Blogs and their readers were quick to pan the logo and spew hate at Wolf Ollins, the agency involved in it’s creation. Elbowruminations was also on the scene back in 2007 covering the hype. Kevan defined the logo nicely with a simple equation: Inukshuk + 1989 = the logo.

With the Games quickly approach, has this $840,000 investment appreciated in value since it’s rocky introduction as an epileptic trigger and most recently, a zionist symbol and a sure sign of a pending alien invasion.

I am tempted to say yes.

Not because it’s nice but because it’s still horrible and horrible is what we want.

Remember 2007? It was boring and so were we. Entertainment was defined by the ipod clickwheel! The design inspiration for the year – 2007 was at the height full of swooshy istock swirls. Ack! Just look at us now. We don’t even press buttons anymore. Fashion has no rules. In fact, dressing up in old clothes with huge out-dated glasses is the height of hipster fashion.

If you ask me, as gaudy as the logo appeared five years ago, I think we’ll be ready for it. With Arab Spring in full swing and the “no reason riots” in Vancouver and England complete, people are tired of behaving properly and following boring rules.

As we have learned, violence causes unwanted destruction and pain – which is inconvenient. We need something less violent to break us out of this deep rut of political and economical dissatisfaction. What better way to express our discontent than through awful design. This logo does not conform to any laws. It remains physically unwilling to bend to any social norms. It’s belligerent, unashamed, narcissistic and itching for a screaming match with a person of authority.

It seems like that’s how we feel these days.

Which is why we have the perfect logo for London 2012.

Thank you, Wolf Ollins. You know us so well.

The previous packaging was certainly starting to show its age. The dated font choice, antiquated Photoshop effects around the Kraft logo as well as on background shapes, and even the tired looking salad photography have been replaced with a fresh, modern concept that seems to be attracting even the most dedicated meat-eaters towards entertaining leafy greens.

Another noticeable difference is the increased size of the Kraft logo, making it obvious that Kraft is trying to asset itself as a company looking to be on top in the salad dressing aisle.

The new bottles feature fresh, object oriented graphics, strong modern fonts, and a transparent label that lets the contents do the talking. The labels were printed in six colors via UV flexo on Fasson® clear-on-clear pressure-sensitive film labels. This change in labeling was in response to ACNielsen research which found that consumers prefer to see more of the actual product they are buying before bringing it home.

The new design approach that is working so well ascetically, is also influencing the bottom line. This reason for changing the look and feel for Kraft dressings was created by an unhealthy drop in market share of 4.7 percent and a continuation of sluggish sales figures. The new package design and reformulated salad dressings have resulted in sales of some Kraft salad dressing increasing 15.8 percent in the first year of sales. Adding to the positive numbers was a slimmer, lighter bottle design increasing shipping efficiencies by 18 percent.

Overall, Kraft is seeing a bigger piece of the pie at a table crowded with hungry competitors and graphic designers are seeing a better product design. It’s looks like we’re having a win-win for dinner.

Privacy. The meaning of word is changing almost as quickly as the internet is changing the way we live and work. To my parent’s generation, it meant garden fences on a quiet street. The version of privacy in the online arena is a foreign concept to them. The amount of information their children make available on the internet induces extreme queasiness.

A younger generation, growing up in the age of the internet, exhibits behaviour from an unfamiliar end of the privacy spectrum – many times without understanding the risks. As the social web blooms, the transmission of not only personal details, such as minute by minute thought updates, geo-location information and even credit card purchases become easier and faster than ever to share. As this kind of personal information moves to the web, so do the risks to this information’s safety. An older generation, feeling comfortable with the traditional concept of privacy, cringes at each new attempt Facebook makes to grow the reach of their personal information. The younger generation monitors these stories with the same interest as the local weather report knowing the risks are a part of being connected.

Despite the risks though, there is a benefit to trading-in our privacy. It comes in the form of aggregate data. By knowing how and where to share information we can influence change, save time, money and improve relationships. For example, sharing physical location in traffic can contribute to a smoother commute. Or by having the options of finding out where someone enjoyed dinner or did not enjoy a movie will improve your next outing. These examples may seem trivial but the concept applies globally. Sharing data, anonymously or otherwise, provides us with a powerful platform for change.

Facebook moderates our conversations, Foresquare and Gowalla track our activities, Twitter broadcasts our smallest thoughts, this information is sorted, shared, and turned into a complex web of data that is used by others to make informed decisions. The privacy we choose to disclose is traded-in for access to better experiences and useful knowledge. The level of knowledge available to each other is arguably directly proportional to the level of privacy we choose to keep.

I am quick to agree that giving up a certain level of privacy is a frightening proposition. Although privacy, the way it used to be known and loved, no longer seems to be an option as our relationships and jobs demand our online participation. Managing risk has become the new privacy.

Is privacy worth the risk that comes with trading it in? Perhaps our only choice is to find out.

Shopping for a good WordPress theme for your blog can be a huge challenge. How do you find one that has all of the elements you need, but still feels original? It seems like anything on the main WordPress Theme Viewer is either forgettable or inadequate, and many of us lack the technical skills to develop a fully-customized theme. Here are six quick tips to help you conquer the boring blog blues, and come out with something that original and dynamic.

Start with the WordPress Themes Directory. As you begin to identity things that work and things that don’t, you can borrow some of the searching tips below and migrate over to Google for some queries YOU think of that span the wider web.

1. Search by most recent: sometimes the newest WordPress themes are the most advanced and original, so limit your searching by including the current year, or just the past 3 months, etc.
2. Find one theme you ALMOST like, and visit the homepage of the designer of THAT theme. It’s likely that he/she has created other themes that will be up your alley. Some of my favourite WP theme designers include Allan Cole and Darren Hoyt
3. Look for themes that are compatible with the latest version of WP (at the time of writing, the current version 2.7, with 2.8 is currently in beta). Again, like tip 1, it ensures your theme will be new and pretty original — for the time being.
4. Check out people’s personal stashes of WordPress-related bookmarks on del.icio.us. (Here’s mine.)
5. Find out what specific style of WordPress theme you want, and narrow your search down to those types. For design professionals and illustrators, I’d recommend using queries like “portfolio style wordpress theme” or “photo blog.” Other possibilities might be things like “magazine style” or “2-column.”
6. Use search.twitter.com to look for themes that are making people talk. On Twitter, following entities I Heart WordPress will give you some pretty good re-tweeted tips.

Of course, any theme you choose will depend on you to take it to the next level with your customizations: modify it enough to make it truly your own.

History has rewarded the graphic designer for being aloof, elusive, and eccentric. Unpredictability in both pricing and productivity, slavery to sudden fits of mis-communcation, and being too creative to play well with others are all reasons why we don’t fit well into today’s corporate reality.

If success and freedom as a freelancer is your goal, it may be time to make yourself aware of the common stereotypes associated with the Graphic Design industry.

Creativity is Not King

It’s certainly not something you hear very often and as a graphic designer it’s probably a statement that makes you cringe. More importantly than the level of creativity and innovation you bring to the table, your biggest asset is your ability to meet and exceed the expectations of your client. Although a wise client with submit to your professional direction, it’s important that you are willing to swallow your pride and sacrifice creative elements if it makes your client happy with the work you produce on their behalf. As a designer, despite your desire to excel creativity, when it comes to providing great customer service, your client is king.

Pick up your Phone

It’s tempting to get in a groove and isolate yourself until you are happy with a final result. Resist this temptation. Be aware that the level of service you offer is influenced by the accessibility you provide for your clients to ask questions and receive status updates. Return e-mails and voice mail within 1 business day and establish a reputation of being reachable the majority of the time. Be proactive in your efforts to be a good communicator and call a client before they call you, in doing so you will ensure your client feels respected and in control of their marketing efforts.

Make Sure the Price is Right

In addition to the uncertainty faced by business people to easily access creative professionals in a timely manner, the worrisome subject of cost is also a difficult issue often encountered. Before you present pricing, ensure you have your information organized and accurate. On larger projects where subcontractors or outside suppliers are involved, be sure you outline the scope of the project clearly to your client and the establish the responsibilities of each supplier you choose to work with. Receive written quotes for printing, development or writing and issue your proposal in writing as well. Do not make vague estimates a part of your quotation process. Take billing seriously, even as seriously as eating the extra cost of a project if you go over budget. By absorbing a small amount of money here and there, issuing an invoice that matches a proposal is far better than losing the trust of a client. I think you would expect the same in any other purchasing situation and by adopting this perspective, it will encourage you to be more careful with your numbers.

Nice to Meet You

Virtual tools make working together easy. If you work with clients that are not local, take advantage of technology to communicate well. If you find yourself working with a client who does work close by, make time, when it’s appropriate to meet over coffee, get proof sign-off in person, or even deliver a final printed product once in a while. By making yourself a part of your clients’ reality, you are making a case for a continuing business relationship. As technology makes working with anyone, anywhere a viable option, your local presence may be the reason a client is comfortable working with you.

Spell Check

Good grammar and spelling are often overlooked in favour of correcting pre-flighting issues or troubleshooting interactive elements. Especially in print design, one word spelled correctly can be the difference between success and epic failure. By using spell check often and paying attention to the little things, your client will never know just how close they were to being unsatisfied.

Every graphic designer is creative. Being creative and knowing what your clients expect in terms of customers service will give you the edge you need to compete and succeed as a Graphic Designer.

Millions of Screenshots

The first stop on our tour is at 456 Berea Street. This is the home of Roger Johansson, a Swedish web specialist and accessibility expert. His blog is always well stocked with cross browser compliance tips and CSS techniques. I found this topic on styling form controls particularly amazing and quite helpful. In this post, he’s coded and taken screen shots of over 200 different form elements in different browsers! Unbelievable!!

Digital Inspiration

If you are in the mood to be blown away, make sure you drop by Think Four’s blog. This post is is loaded with mouth-watering, juicy photo manipulation design, created by experts. Inspiration is just a click away.

Read Once, Print Twice

Next stop is Fuel Your Creativity, a source for ideas, inspiration, and helpful tips from your good friends and mine at Fuel Brand Group. This post, called 3 deadly sins of print design, although a bit more on the elementary side, is a great post for beginners in the print medium, or web developers who may be looking for some helpful advice.

Before you leave, make sure you check out this interesting post from Fuel on dual element logos. One of the most interesting and challenging aspects of identity design is the layers of meaning embedded into the design elements. When more than one idea plays across the logo, you know you’ve succeeded.

Be Good To Your Clients

The good folks at Vandelay Design seem to know what they are talking about when it comes to getting along with clients. In addressing the common problem designers seem to have with communicating well, this post outlines the right way to go about customer service. The emphasis on learning to respect your clients ideas and working collaboratively is a lesson many Graphic Designers could use to learn.

Be Good To Your Ideas

Eric Karjaluoto has difficult last name to pronounce. Don’t let that deter you from visiting this post at ideas on ideas. This is another post about being a better designer, but it’s more from a creative perspective. This is a great read on challenging yourself to take your work to the next level.

What to Read Before You Die

The Die Line claims to be the world’s #1 packaging design website and who’s going to argue with that? My favourite part of the site to visit is the redesign category of their blog for fresh new takes on product packaging.

Enforce Your Design Rights

In closing, here are some helpful templates from the Design Police you can use to vandalize critique other people’s work when you just can’t stand bad design.

Thanks for reading. If you’ve got any other sweet links you’d like to share, please leave a comment!

Being self-employed in a city like Vancouver makes you fortunate: with good transit, good people and good cafes, the only real challenge in this city is actually doing a good job. But since we know you’ve already got that covered…what you really need is a place to have client meetings.

1. Try the library

With 22 branches strategically placed in the most convenient locations all across Vancouver, the library is the most obvious (and yet the most surprising) choice for a business meeting. Vancouver has committed to providing free wireless internet in every location, and if you don’t mind embracing the “community” feel, nothing beats a library as a quiet space for smart people.

2. Do coffee

Your favourite local coffee shop is moonlighting as a prime location for your next meeting. Here in Vancouver, it’s almost harder to find a coffee shop that doesn’t have wireless: every Waves location will hook you up for free, and most Blenz, Wired Monk and Bread Garden Urban Cafe locations will, too. Even at Starbucks, all it takes for free wi-fi is a registered Starbucks card – I carry an empty one around in my wallet for just that purpose.

3. Join the club

Your meeting could be happening in a Gastown loft with view of the Burrard Inlet and the North Shore mountains, in a comfortable-yet-stylish space with exposed brick, floor-to-ceiling windows and ready access to the city’s best coffee. Yeah, it’ll set you back a monthly membership fee, but you’ll also be part of Workspace, one of North America’s pioneers in shared spaces. The meetings might just be worth it. (You can also try The Network Hub on Richards Street, available at $20/hour for our kind of meetings)

4. Chow down

The breakfast meeting is a classic, and if you’ve got a client you’re comfortable enough with to eat pancakes and talk business at the same time, then Vancouver has a couple options. Every De Dutch location has free wireless. All Cactus Club shops (for a lunch or dinner option) can feed you broadband and beefsteak, and The End Café on Commercial can give you coffee, food and internet (and big tables).

5. Centre yourself

In January of 2009 Vancouver City Council passed a motion to start rolling out wireless for all Community Centres in Vancouver. It’s not ready yet, but most of the Centres have a good amount of tables and chairs ready to be inhabited by entrepreneurs like you.

Tools & Resources

• Find a wifi-enabled coffee shop in your neighbourhood
• Read some tips on coffee shop working from Vancouver’s most notable mobile meeter

From a professional perspective, there are several factors that should influence your decision making process and help you, as a creative, to valuate your services.

Rate Formulation Equation

Your first step to take in establishing an hourly rate is to calculate your overhead costs by creating a budget. If the idea of budgeting bothers you, this is an unfortunate problem to have. Many designers experience these same sentiments which is one of the main contributing factors in unreasonable and wildly fluctuating pricing models. If you can’t create a budget or do not want to create one, you run the risk of running an unsuccessful venture.

If you have been doing business for a few years, and have managed to keep these records, look back on your invoices and receipts, itemize both into several streams of revenue on the income side, and categorize your expenses in the same manner. If you are starting from scratch, there are several types of expenses that you can typically account for on a month to month basis. Here is a sample of what this may look like:

- Utilities: $300
- Rent: $1,500
- Phone/Internet: $75
- Recordable Media: $25
- Travel expenses: $150
- Online subscriptions: $100
- Payroll (your salary): $3,000
- Tax Remittance: $250

Total Monthly Expenses: $5,400
Total Yearly Expenses: $64,800

Once you have an idea of your annual expenses, it’s time to turn your attention to your income. Keep in mind that it’s very doubtful that you will have the opportunity to bill your clients for 40 hours per week as you would as normal employee. Managing your own business is wrought with numerous interruptions and many small tasks that require your attention and are simply not costs you can bill to anyone. Realistically, your opportunity for billing time directly to a client may be limited to 25-30 hours per week or 1400 hours per year. Your time may also be affected by your network of clients and their requirements. Estimate your billable hours carefully and responsibly.

Once you come up with a practical weekly estimate, extrapolate these numbers out to create an annual figure. When you have this number calculated, divide your expenses ($64,800) by your billable hours (1400 hrs.) to come up with an hourly figure ($45.71/ hr). Once this figure is arrived at, you must consider the cost of growing your business and retaining income for savings. Perhaps, 10% is a good rate of savings (for an annual total of $6,300), and 20% would be a suitable mark-up for investment back into your business ($12,600 annually).

When taking these figures into account, your hourly rate of $59.21 seems like a figure that will ensure you cover your costs, pay yourself, save for the future, and encourage spending on growth initiatives like advertising or hardware upgrades.

Streamlining Your Business

Once you have created a financial blueprint for your business, you are well on your way to making yourself a successful entrepreneur. Your task now is to discover ways to lower your expenses in an effort to gain a competitive edge over your competition. If you can create opportunities to save on overhead costs such as utilities, rent or phone costs, you can choose to pass these savings onto your clients.

In the process of looking for creative ways to cut costs you may discover that these are also ways to reduce your carbon footprint. If this is something that saves you money every month, apart from the obvious benefits to the environment, it may be also be an opportunity to market your organization from a green perspective.

The more you can reduce your overhead expenses, all things being equal, the bigger the advantage you hold over your competitors.

Supply and Demand

Supply and demand is popular term in economics and may be the most practical way of deciding how to price yourself hourly. If demand is high, meaning your phone is ringing off the hook, your inbox is full, and you have more work than you can handle, your hourly rate is ready for a increase.

It’s also worth mentioning that if you have very little work, this is not justification to increase your hourly rate, rather it’s time to find a part time job to help make ends meet. Increasing your rates in this situation, although a short term solution, will not sustain you over the long term as you may end up pricing yourself out of work before you even begin.

Supply and demand should be the only factor that influences your hourly rate. By establishing yourself and succeeding on the premise of excellent design, fiscal responsibility, and great customer service, you are creating a fair economic environment that will grow proportionally with your success and the satisfaction of your clients. These are easily measurable metrics.

Ethics

Although ethical decision making seems to be an out-dated principle in our capitalistic society, it’s an important factor to consider in pricing your services appropriately. Here are some potential situations where you may need to rely on ethics to make a decision:

Use your best judgment, or ask a trusted source, when you are faced with the temptation to charge more than your typical hourly rate or more than what was originally quoted. Remember that supply and demand is the main driver of your services.

Consistent Value vs. Potential Value

There is a school of thought in the design industry that believes you should bill on a sliding scale where cost is determined by the size or earnings of a client. For example, larger more established organizations should pay more for creative services than a smaller, lesser known client due to the fact that they have the potential to make more money from your work. As an responsible and respected designer, it should be noted that this ideal is ethically irresponsible and fundamentally flawed.

Unless a larger organization approaches you with work while demand for your product is high, or negotiations are dictated by a set budget that is higher than you would normally expect to charge, you should not be inclined to charge larger companies any differently than you do your regular clients.

Be aware of this slippery slope as it can cause serious creative difficulties if you do take liberties with your cost structure. The product you provide should always be of a consistent caliber, not one that fluctuates with the quality of your clientele.

Smart Partnerships

Your suppliers are a key element in your cost structure. Choose the people you work with carefully and ensure you can trust them to deliver a quality product in a timely fashion. Whether you outsource printing, web development, or hosting, your clients will be affected by your supply chain decisions. Be sure that you establish a specific percentage mark-up on all outsourced services and do not deviate from this pattern as it is important to create pricing that your clients can count on and budget for.

Responsibility in Graphic Design is an important aspect of our industry that is often disregarded in the passionate pursuit of creative solutions. As a designer, remember that your choices affect everyone and if you run your business with professionalism – everyone wins!

Where were you when you started taking Twitter seriously? For me, it was on the bright red couches by the fireplace at the food court in Metrotown, when my friend Zach Bulick took 20 minutes to spell it out for me. It was in September 2008, and I had a cold at the time.

“It just seems so frivolous,” I insisted between sniffles. “It’s like reading the Facebook status updates of strangers.”

“It seems like that at first,” Zach countered. “But start thinking outside the box and you’ll come up with some amazing ways to use it.”

Because Twitter is basically people blogging in under 140 characters, you can tap into a lot of information very quickly. Zach pointed out that CNN was using using it to gather instant feedback from viewers, and that Comcast (at least I think it was them) was using it to offer a new kind of customer service. They’d use search.twitter.com to find messages where users are complaining about their company or services, then get in touch with them instantly to see how they could help.

I realized then how Twitter could work for the organization I work for, a non-profit in Vancouver called Union Gospel Mission. We could educate people about homelessness. Give people an unprecedented glimpse into the street-level work we do. Network with other agencies like us to share resources. Build relationships with influential bloggers. Share progress towards fundraising goals. Offer admin support to donors who need it. And since that conversation with Zach, that’s exactly what we’ve been trying to do as @ugm on Twitter.

I have a feeling that Twitter could work for your business, too, and it’s just a matter of thinking it through and coming up with a good strategy.

1. Gather the tools and learn the terms

Compared with the familiar territory of blogging, Twitter is a whole new world. You’ll learn the lingo and lay-of-the-land quickly, but it’s always nice to have help. Once you set up your account, you should:

• Find out what you don’t know.Twitter’s Getting Started page will help you decipher the meaning behind the initials, symbols and abbreviations littering the landscape of Twitter. If you’ve got time for a quick video, Vancouver’s Miss604 walks you through a thorough tutorial of what you need to know.
• Download TweetDeck. Twitter isn’t really a website, so don’t treat it like one: it’s a non-stop stream of interrelated communications, and you need the right tools to manage it all. TweetDeck is to Twitter as Outlook is to email. This application will let you manage your Twitter experience with greater ease and better returns.
• Augment your arsenal of Twitter tools by exploring the tools and tricks available to you as Twitter user. .

2. Find the key influencers in your area

In every industry and every geographic area, certain Twitter users have more influence than others. It might be because of their expertise, their personality, or just the number of people following them. As a businessperson, it’s a good idea to follow these key influencers — it’s good, old-fashioned networking. It keeps you in the know, and helps establish your presence as a fellow like-minded expert. (You can use a service called Twellow to identify who these individuals are.)

3. Listen to what people are saying

Leave the monologuing for the theatrical types — it’s your foremost priority to hear what other people are saying before adding to the noise. The better you understand the culture, the more effective you can be as a participant — that goes for life and for Twitter. If you can get a handle on the nuances of this communication style — the type of Tweets that plummet and the type that soar — you’ll be better equipped to contribute content that is valuable, unique and compelling (more on that in step 5).

4. Metrics and Monitoring

• Monitor terms that pertain to your business or industry. It’s incredibly useful to see what Twitter users are saying about your business, your industry, your products or your work — consider it a free, unfiltered focus group. You can automatically monitor Twitter for specific updates in a few ways: TweetDeck can bet set up to constantly monitor up to 10 terms that you select. Or, if you use RSS, you can do a search on Twitter Search, then subscribe to the feed for that query. (Leave us a note in the comments if you need help with that step.)
• Define what you will consider “success” as you venture into Twitter. Is it how many people are following you? How many replies you receive weekly? How many visitors Twitter sends to your website? By developing clear standards early, it will keep you focused. It will also act as an early warning system to let you know when you need to start adjusting your strategy.

5. Contribute content that counts

Don’t spam your Twitter followers with sales pitches and ad copy. Instead, try to mine your business for engaging stories, interesting angles and thoughtful approaches that you can share. This is easier than you think: nobody knows your business like you do. What are the “front lines” in your business? If it’s the guys in the shop, sit down with them weekly to find out more about a project they’re working on. If it’s a team of programmers, plumbers, pro soccer players or professors, tune into the day-to-day and discover the unique aspects of your organization that nobody else knows about. As you learned in step 3, this is a conversation, not a speech. When you enter Twitter as a business, you are being invited into someone’s living room. Do your best to add commentary and ideas that will add value, and you will be rewarded.

Got questions? Want to chime in with your own tips, tricks or tools for using Twitter? Comments are open 24/7, and we’re here to help.

Charlie Bit me

Uploaded in May of 2007, this video of Harry and Charlie, one biting the other, was filmed by their dad and uploaded amongst a multitude of other typical childhood memory style video clips. This 56 second video became a smash hit on YouTube and now has over 84 million views.

Miss Teen America

The complete meltdown of Miss South Carolina in attempting to answer a simple question regarding the American educational system was posted on Youtube and laughed at mercilessly by the world. It currently has 33 million views. The viral power of this clip was made popular with its ability to make almost anyone blush with embarrassment.

“101 Simple Meals” Article

This article gives out 101 recipes which will be ready in under 10 minutes. It was passed around the web frequently, and as a result has become widely known as a great example of viral content. As you can see, viral content does not have to be quirky.

It’s important to be very careful when handling viral content, as anything you upload to the internet could become viral, with potentially disastrous results.

As an example, a couple of years ago a video was uploaded to the internet of a student using a golf ball retriever to perform Star Wars moves. The video was titled “Star Wars Kid”, and it received attention from news networks, as well as millions of views on YouTube. The upload of the video resulted in a lawsuit, as the uploader did not have permission to do so. The student in question suffered years of name calling, and still does.

Viral Content as a marketing technique can be an easy way for companies to get their message out via word of mouth, without spending millions on traditional media. Many times, pure luck and good timing plays a big part in determining how far reaching a viral marketing campaign will spread.

In the event that an organization fails in producing something valuable enough to prove viral, they may consider purchasing the rights to an existing viral phenomenon and brand it as their own. This technique was used by Stride gum, when it capitalized on the now infamous travels of dancing Matt, who started traveling and dancing for his own entertainment but now does so as a testament to the long lasting nature of gum.