Icons, Typography, Logos

Graphic Element: Favicons

The little icons that show up in the URL window of most browsers occupy important 16x16 pixel real estate. We make them count. Shown here: Leslie Strom portfolio, Get Lost Magazine, Alpha Physical Therapy, This Offbeat Life, New Economy Cooking, and Airways Video.

GRAPHIC Element: Civitalogue logo

While developing the Civitalogue website I created a logo that mimicks the open tower and the steep footbridge of the Italian hill town of Civita di Bagnoregio. The Trajan font for the first half is also used in the parent organization of NIAUSI.

FEATURES: Logotype spec in Illustrator.

GRAPHIC Element: Civitalogue Layered banner

For the Civitalogue website I made the top banner and layout features resemble layered parchment leaves over an image of the town. Projecting that there would be other such databases for other ancient towns, the image under the parchment leaves and the color scheme could vary while still maintaining a certain branding for the cataloguing sites.

FEATURES: Photoshop layers saved for web and devices.

GRAPHIC Element: Logotype spec

LeslieStrom.com is my portfolio website for web design, graphics and web development. A product of typography class was a logo which I made into branded business cards, website banner, favicon and letterhead. The logotype spec assures that my design will scale properly and be consistent from use to use. There is a link to my SCCC class pages for the typographic design process.

FEATURES: Logotype spec in Illustrator.

GRAPHIC Element: Color Branding

A early-mid century Craftsman look and feel to my branding is accomplished with a signature gray-green. The color is lightened and darkened by 20% white and black increments, providing an elegant palette that's guaranteed to never clash. The color palette was applied to the Twitter.com window (see sidebar), my Twitter.com page, and whatever else crosses my path.

(The same tints and tones objective was done on the Alpha Physical Therapy site with their signature deep magenta.)

FEATURES: branded Pantone and hexidecimal color, tints and tones palette. Signature color is a medium tone that allows readability for both white and black type.

Branded business card

The two-sided business card for LeslieStrom.com took the logotype spec and the branded color and had a bit of fun with the letter ö. The look is impressive, though it sacrifices note-taking space by using both sides. A one-sided card was designed, for pinning up to bulletin boards and providing scribble space on the back (see how-to article for more details on designing a business card). I toned down the green for one, and used a vintage yellow-orange for another.

FEATURES: Illustrator files provide print-ready artwork for digital printing, ink color for offset printing.

Branded iPhone screen image

With very little effort, a branded graphic can be turned into a computer or phone wallpaper image. With a really great logo, it keeps the brand prominent in daily use, certainly more than with a business card because it's in use all the time. At least mine is!

FEATURES: branded color and logo jpg image sized to fit an iPhone screen.