aSCENTsation

Horatio Farquaar asked:


If we had a dollar every time somebody gave us their opinions on what makes a great logo we’d be able to at least buy a round or two round The Porter during happy hour (providing they’d allow payment in dollars). So, are there any big secrets to putting together a recognisable brand? Indeed there are my friends, read on if you dare…

Sign of the times

Back in the seventies it was reasonable enough for logo designers to simply choose a fat bottomed psychadelic font, add a bit of glitter, stick on a few stars and hey presto you’ve got yourself a logo. These days clients are a little more discerning and demand you at least use felt tip pens or magic markers to colour in the fiddly bits. So how are things likely to look in ten years time? The canny logo designer always looks backwards as well as forwards and we wouldn’t be surprised to see some of those retro fuzzy felt style logos making a reappearance come the year 2020

A call to action

When you see some of the most striking logos in the street what do they shout out to you? ‘Buy Me!’, ‘I’m Lovely – Eat me!’ or ‘I am a serious looking company and far too important for the likes of you?’ you see, every logo says something about us and how we go about our business. If you are really serious about getting your message accross then hit people with a big dumb no-brainer of a logo and you’ll not go too far wrong.

Know your market – intimately

Market research is the be all and end all of whether your logo design is going to have an effect or not. To really know your market you’ve got to get inside the mind of the person you are looking to attract with your design. If you’re designing a logo for a perfume manufacturer, try walking around a department store and allow yourself to be sprayed by the orange faced women on the cosmetics counter to truely get an inkling of their way of life. If you’re designing a confectionary logo, act like a proper fatty and slob out on the settee stuffing your face with chocolate bars while watching the telly. Knowing your clientelle will pay dividends in the long run.

Search and you will find

Where to get inspiration from? Well it can come from many unusual places. If you’ve run the creative juices dry wracking your brains trying to think of a novel design for yet another dreary company logo, go and have a creative dump. The khazi may not be the first choice for the aspirational graphic designer but you’d be surprised at how many eureka moments have occurred while sat upon the porcelain straining the onions.

Create a superior broad-based secure protocol

What? I hear you ask. Well the 5th – some would say scraping the barrel – point to our logo design masterclass, is talking up your logo design using some interminable marketing speak garaunteed to fill airtime if not exactly making any sense. It’s quite acceptable to offer a client a simple helvetica based typed logo design just as long as you can express to them the need for minimal juxtaposition among the ever increasing commercial based prioptic competition they are up against, while keeping a straight face. so there you have it. I think that’s cleared things up. if there’s any questions be sure to read the next exciting installment…Adios compadres

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Rick Derris asked:


Finding a job is hard. It takes persistence, confidence and preparation. That being said, there are things one can do to make the transition from unemployed to office superstar faster and less frustrating. The number one thing that alleviates job-finding anxiety is preparation. It cannot be stressed enough. Proper preparation includes researching the best job sites for one’s industry, having an updated resume always available, and even knowing what to wear.

JOB SITES

Whether we like it or not, job search sites are a major part of finding a job. Find the best job site for your industry. Below are some of the best job sites around, but there are a ton of job sites out there. Find one you like and visit it often. However, be sure not to limit yourself. It is a good idea to sign up for email alerts from multiple sites, that way you can be first to respond to jobs that are right for you.

MULTIPLE INDUSTRY JOB SITES

Free Agents Jobs

http://www.theFreeJobs.com

A great new site. It’s like a ‘visual’ craigslist—a simple, intuitive search solution. Free Agents Jobs offers free email job alerts to keep you in the loop if your perfect job pops up.

Indeed.com

http://www.indeed.com

Indeed is a very powerful job search engine. It’s like Google, for jobs. When you click on a job at Indeed.com you will be taken directly to the site where the job is posted.

Craigslist

http://www.craigslist.org

Find your city and start lookin’! Craigslist has tons of jobs in every industry and provides a nice local touch. However, conversion rates are pretty low, so don’t count on an interview.

SPECIALTY JOB SITES

Krop

http://www.krop.com

For creative and tech professionals. Krop is a fast growing site with great design and interface.

Joel on Software

http://jobs.joelonsoftware.com

Jobs from a specialty software and programming blog. If you’re on top of your game, this is the place to look!

37 Signals

http://jobs.37signals.com

Job board from 37 Signals, internet web application programmers. These guys produce great web apps! Another great job resource If you’re on top of your game!

Creative Hotlist

http://creativehotlist.com

Great resource for creative positions (designers and such)!

RESUME FORMAT: Don’t Get Cute!

Use a style similar to business letter formatting. Avoid using elaborate headers or multi-column layouts. These kinds of flare DO NOT make you look unique, they make you look unprofessional. If you want to show a bit of your personality, let it peek through in your cover letter. Your resume should serve to provide a structured outline of your qualifications, nothing more. Remember that consistency and simplicity are priorities with your resume. Treat each section the same. Make sure that you use reverse chronological order for all entries. DO NOT prioritize your employment history. Just because something was important to you, does not mean your potential employer will think so. Let them make the decision when reading with no surprises. For instance, you don’t want to go from 1997 to 2006, back to 2000. You want to go from 2007 to 2006 to 2005, and so on. No surprises, nothing to hide.

Font: Times, Times New Roman or Georgia

Font Size: 10pt

Margins: 1″ on all sides

Tabs: 0.5″

SAMPLE FORMAT

————————————

Jane Boogie

555 Some Street

Great City, US 20817

(212) 555-1212

jboogie@gmail.co

SUMMARY

Six years professional design studio experience. Four years freelance design experience. BA, Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design. Cum laude.

EDUCATION

2007 University of Southern California

BFA, Sculpture, Cum Laude

EXPERIENCE

2006 BCBG

Graphic Designer | May 2005 – Aug 2006

Responsible for xyz. Managed four employees.

AWARDS

2007 ABC Design Award

2006 XYZ Sweetness Award

————————————

HOW TO DRESS FOR A JOB INTERVIEW: ALWAYS OVER DRESS! (Just a little bit)

Rule #1: Dress Nicely!

Set aside an outfit that you know you’re comfortable in and makes you feel confident. If the employer does not specify what the dress code is, assume it’s BUSINESS CASUAL and plan to dress a little nicer than that!

Women: Wear dark dress pants and either a sweater, blouse or button down dress shirt. NO JEANS! NOTHING REVEALING! Don’t even risk it for a first impression. For shoes, knock yourself out. If you like heels, wear heels. If you like flats, wear flats. NO SNEAKERS, no matter how cool they are! Keep the makeup to a minimum, don’t overdo it lady!

Men: Wear dark dress pants and a button down dress shirt or stylish, lightweight sweater. NO JEANS! NO POLO SHIRTS! For shoes, wear dress shoes, NOT sneakers OR sandals. Remember, if you wear dark grey or black pants, wear a black belt and black shoes. If you wear dark brown or dark green pants wear a brown belt and brown shoes. Chances are you could care less about this sort of thing, but it DOES MATTER (at least for a first impression)! Please remember to shave at least 3 HOURS BEFORE your interview, just in case you knick yourself or you have sensitive skin and are prone to ‘raspberries.’

NOTE: If an employer specifies a very casual dress code, then certainly go with that. Remember to still dress a little bit nicer than you think you should. It always pays off!

Rule #2: Smell Nice!

Wear some deodorant for once! If you have a light cologne or perfume you like to wear, put on a little bit, but not too much. Having a nice smell is very underrated in social situations. Furthermore, if an employer turns up the heat, you don’t have to worry about getting all hot and bothered. You will, naturally, smell like roses

CONCLUSION

These tips will help you get started in the right direction. Now go put yourself out there! Set up some interviews and even accept a few interviews you know you don’t want. Practice makes perfect and the only way to practice is to be under the microscope in a small office with a peculiar HR person asking you questions and telling you the way it is. But, these situations will prepare you for the interview that goes perfectly, where you can’t say the wrong thing and feel respected and wanted. In order for that to happen, you have to be prepared and stay persistent.

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Bill Urell asked:


Your prom is likely going to be one of the most memorable nights of your life. So, you want to wear an equally-memorable prom dress for your special night. Just as you will remember your prom night for the rest of your life, others who attend the prom will likely remember what you wear. It is critical that you find the perfect prom dress that will cause you, your date and everyone else to catch their breath. This article will give you 7 quick tips to buying the prom dress of your dreams.

Tip #1: Begin Looking Early

Start looking for your prom dress a few months before the event. Not only will you be able to leisurely take your time looking, you will also have less competition for the perfect dress (when you finally find it!) and have plenty of time for fittings and alterations.

Tip #2: Start With Magazines

Looking through magazines is an excellent way to get ideas for your prom dress. You can see what the dresses look like when worn by models. Also, you can easily tell what elements of a dress you like and dislike. Cut out the pictures of the dresses that spark your imagination and take them with you when you begin visiting the stores. Ask the people working in the stores about the styles in the pictures. They can give you great advice about which styles will work and which will not.

Tip #3: Try Them All

Every prom dress will look differently when you wear it than it looks in a picture or sitting on a hanger. Your body type and your individual curves will often dictate whether a dress will look stunning or frumpy. Try as many dresses on as possible to get a good idea of what elements of the dress work with your body style and which do not. Encourage the salespeople to give their insight.

Tip #4: Talk To Your Friends

The last thing you want to experience is walking into your prom, excited to get the evening started and seeing a friend wearing the same dress you are wearing. Start talking to your friends about dresses long before the event. You can easily coordinate your styles if you start talking about it early. Many prom dress shops also have registries. This can help you avoid wearing the same designer prom dress as someone else.

Tip #5: Shoot It And Take Notes

Buying a prom dress is often like buying a new perfume. After trying on a few, you may begin to forget the things you like and dislike about each dress. Take a small camera with you when shopping. Ask a salesperson to take a quick picture of you in the dress. By doing this, you can take a few notes and easily remember which dress you liked most, where you tried it on and how much it costs.

Tip #6: Watch Your Mouth

You want to look good on prom night. So, try to watch what you eat during the months leading up to the event. This is even more important if you buy your prom dress early. You want to be able to fit in your dress and look stunning at the same time!

Tip #7: Surf For Savings

You can often find excellent bargains for prom dresses online. You may see the same dress that made you drool at the mall on the internet for significantly less money. It pays to do a little research online.

Buying a prom dress can be a hectic and stressful experience as the event draws closer. But, if you follow the tips above and plan your steps carefully, you can find the perfect prom dress that will make everyone around you (including your date!) gasp at how great you look.

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