SOCIAL ADDICTIONS

A lot of psychology goes into the concepts behind brand logo designs. A successful brand mark conveys a multitude of information to your audience in seconds. It tells them who you are, what you do and why you’re different from the others in your industry. While a strong concept is the foundation of great brand and logo design, every detail in the execution is crucial to success. Everything from typography, color, shape and space are taken into account to instantly communicate the overall look and feel of your brand.. Did we say typography?! Yes, the font you use matters.

Typography utilizes these design elements to evoke emotions and convey identity. The audience can know just what you’re about based on the typography used. The inclusion or exclusion of serifs, weight of the font, contrast and geometry all lend to create meaning behind the letter forms. Let’s take a look at some well known logos and dissect the designers choice in typography.

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I’m sure at this point most people are familiar with the arrow hidden between the “E” and the “X” in the FedEx logo. In fact, a lot of the most famous and recognizable logo designs have some sort of hidden symbolism embedded in them. Symbolism is an important part of creating a logo concept. Whether it’s direct or indirect, incorporating symbols can communicate your brand to customers in an instant. Here’s a few examples of some of our favorite famous logo designs and the hidden symbolism behind the concept.

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As we’ve mentioned before, a brand goes well beyond the logo and your website is a very important element in your overall brand’s identity system. Most likely your website is one of the first interactions potential customers have with your brand. Making a good first impression is important to your brands success and good consistency across your entire identity system is key to creating brand loyalty.

So when’s the last time you evaluated your website? If it’s been a while, here’s a few signs you’re ready for a website redesign.

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Underneath every great brand is a plethora of research, data and strategy. It’s not a stretch to say that the science of psychology also plays a big role in achieving an overall brand strategy platform. . Every detail of the brand is meticulously thought out with human behavior in mind. If it’s done well, you won’t even notice what happens behind the scenes to set your brand up for success. From color to social psychology, brands (and their creative agencies) use atrategy to create a lasting emotional connection with consumers, well, the good ones do.

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“During these unprecedented times” has become almost a meme-worthy sentiment. It’s clear the pandemic has had very profound impacts in all aspects of life, with everyone having varying experiences and varying degrees of obstacles to overcome this last year and a half. It’s no wonder the repetition of the same phrases and blanket statements in traditional advertising media outlets have felt disingenuous and impersonal while more brands are pushing their advertising dollars into digital based media.

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Giving back is a great way to show you’re more than talk and it can serve to reinforce your brand’s identity while you serve your community. We aim to talk the talk AND walk the walk. After all, a successful company is only as strong as the communities and people it cares about. Some brands, like TOMS shoes, are building charity right into their business model. A lot of brands are giving back in other ways, whether it’s part of the way they do business or not. Using their powers for good has become a trend that we can definitely get on board with.

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To say Loui Pacheco is passionate would be an understatement. From the moment we had our first meeting, it was obvious the amount of work, emotion and passion Loui has put into his company and career. His success is a testament to this as he has become one of the most sought after Los Angeles based personal trainers and an ambassador for Lululemon. His energy and passion are contagious, to say the least. Team Oblique was beyond excited to partner with him on his branding efforts that are so close and dear to his heart.

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Your logo is not your brand…… but it’s still an important piece of the brand. That is to say, branding goes well beyond your logo. It is a mark of your brand, a visual representation, but the brand itself goes much deeper. Your brand is the emotional response that it creates in a person. Your brand is your voice, your mission, your values and the stronger these are the stronger of a brand you will have. In order to cultivate this emotional connection your brand needs clarity, distinction, and trustworthiness. 

Clarity in your brand’s voice means consistency. As we’ve mentioned in our last blog, being genuine is important for a brand as well as being consistent. The key to consistency is clarity. Having a clear vision as to who you are and the values that you carry are the cornerstones of building a successful brand.

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As another pride month comes to a close with a culmination of celebrations this past weekend, it’s wonderful to see some familiarity coming back into the world. Public spaces are reopening and rainbow flags and signs can be seen all across the city, inviting guests in to join the festivities.

 Over the last few years we’ve seen heated discussions about corporations changing out their normal brand colors for rainbows. With many in the community questioning their intentions and authenticity it certainly begs the question: Is this truly creating visibility and representation for the LGBTQ+ community? 

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2020 saw a massive shift in, well, everything. As COVID-19 spread across the globe many cities issued shelter-in-place orders in an effort to curb transmission of the virus among its populations. Almost instantly, previously packed city streets and offices became quiet, eliciting a feeling of the uncanny formerly reserved for surrealist art. Many businesses were forced to close their doors to the public while office buildings and studios lay vacant as the acronym WFH (Work From Home) became commonplace in our vocabulary along with the phrase “unprecedented times” being beaten into us in an attempt to sell anything from pizza to cars.

 With the times slowly becoming “precedented” again a lot of companies are looking at WFH as more of a permanent solution rather than a temporary setback. A big part of this push is coming from the tech industry with jobs in development, it’s curious to see how remote work affects the creative process in a highly collaborative field. Now many are wondering whether it’s the future of the design industry. There are certainly both positive and negative aspects to working remotely and creative agencies–both in Boulder, CO–and all over the world–will need to adapt to the changing workflow of the graphic design industry.

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