Jeremy Bolton | Graphic Designer

Logo Design Part of New $5 Million Spokane Airport Hangar

Jeremy — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:13:29 +0000

While I have seen my logo designs on billboards, in newsletters and on websites, it’s not everyday that I see one of my designs as part of a $5 million building project. Associated Painter’s, based out of Everett Washington, specifically sought out a local designer to create a new logo as part of their new Spokane hangar opening. I was honored when they chose me as that designer. They were great to work with and I can’t help but be proud to see my logo used throughout their new facilities.

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Logo Trends: Minimalism

Jeremy — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 21:38:29 +0000

No doubt you have seen a blog post, tweet, or Facbeook status update with the news that Starbucks is prepping for a new, cleaner, logo for 2011. Personally I think the simpler design is a welcome change, though it may prove a confusing one. I have already quizzed a few (non-coffee drinking) friends about the new logo only to find they had no idea who this mermaid was representing. It will be interesting to see how Starbucks ties the name to the mythical sea creature. The new Starbucks logo also brings up some interesting points about the future of company brands and logos. It seems the new trend is minimalism. Just look at Pepsi and Comedy Central, both of which just went to much simpler, cleaner logo designs recently.

New Pepsi and Comedy Central Logo Designs

So why are companies able to get away with such simple logo marks? It’s because a brand is much more than just a companies logo. This is clearly demonstrated in a video that accompanied the Comedy Central brand refresh found below.

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Articles exploring the minimalist logo design trend.

Roundup: 2010 Best & Worst Logo Lists

Jeremy — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:04:16 +0000

As 2010 comes to a close websites, blogs, and designers are starting to put together their lists of the best (and worst) brand redesigns of the year. Of course these lists are subjective. One list may place a logo on a “best list” while another argues it clearly belongs on the “worst list”. Either way it is interesting to see how brands have evolved over the last year. And who could forget the craziness that was the Gap logo refresh.

It seems many of the redesigns have one idea in common: simplify, simplify, simplify. More often than not many redesigns moved a company logo to a more streamlined, cleaner logo treatment. So enjoy the following best and worst logo designs of 2010.

Brand New

Designer’s Work Area Inspiration

Jeremy — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 19:58:26 +0000

First and foremost forgive me for such a long absence from posting on my blog. It has been a pretty busy few months both professionally and personally, but I am ready to come back full force. To start off I would like to thank Duane Kinsey for contacting me and other designers from around the world to include us in showcasing logo and brand designer’s work areas. You can find his full post along with all the work area photos at LogoBird.com. I think it is fascinating to look at the spaces in which people design. I know I like to be comfortable, relaxed, and inspired while I design. And just in case you are wondering, no my work area is not always that clean. When I am designing it looks more like an explosion of design books, sketches, and coffee cups. This photo just happened to be me showing off my new desk between design projects.

JeremyBolton.com: The 1 Year Anniversary

Jeremy — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:06:22 +0000

Well I can’t believe it has already been a year since going live with JeremyBolton.com. I want to thank all my friends and family who supported me in this endeavor. I would also like to thank the great clients I have met and had the privilege to work with over the last year.

And last, but not least, I want to thank all of the designers who have visited my website and helped keep a design dialogue going through posts, comments, logo submissions, and emails. (I am still amazed my website has been viewed in more than 120 countries!)

It has been a great year and I couldn’t have asked for more. Thanks everyone.

Gestalt Principle: The Law of Proximity

Jeremy — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 20:56:07 +0000

The law of proximity is one of the most fascinating gestalt principles to me. It shows just how much our brains work at trying to make order out of chaos. To put it simply the law of proximity states that when objects appear close to one another they tend to be perceived as a group.

Take constellations for example. When we look at the night sky we look for stars that are close to one another and try to find some sort of meaning. Based on their proximity to one another we have clustered groups of stars and given them specific names and shapes such as The Big Dipper or Orion’s Belt. We have essentially created meaning out of randomness.

Look at the image of circles below. On the left side it appears that the circles are haphazardly placed in no particular order. On the right side, even though the same circles are used, it is clear to us that the shape of a triangle has been formed. Our minds have found a unity amongst the shapes based on their proximity to one another.

The Law of Proximity | Jeremy Bolton

We take comfort in the fact that something has a purpose, even if we have to be creative in how we form that purpose. This natural process of the brain can be used to a designers advantage when creating logos.

Look at the Adidas logo below. The version on the left shows the various pieces of the logo randomly spread apart. Now look at the logo as a cohesive unit on the right. The same pieces are used on both the right and the left. The only difference is their proximity to one another. Although the Adidas logo may not create any specific form, our minds create an order and cohesiveness because of how close the shapes are to one another. We begin to notice how each shape relates to the other based on their proximity.

Adidas Logo | Jeremy Bolton

In order for the law of proximity to work effectively it must be noted that empty or “white” space must also be provided within a design. This gives objects a defined space in which to relate. Take the Sun Mircosystems logo for instance. With no white space given to the logo our mind picks up a pattern rather than a single instance of the logo as you can see below.

Sun Microsystems Pattern | Jeremy Bolton

When a single instance of the logo is given enough empty space to breathe we can start to see how the proximity of the positive shapes relate to one another . With all the clutter taken away it is now easier to see how the “U” shape is used to create the “s”, “u”, and “n” in the word sun. This means the empty space around a logo is just as important as the logo itself.

Sun Microsystems Logo | Jeremy Bolton

It is worth noting the difference between the gestalt law of proximity and the law of closure. Both relate to the idea of how shapes relate to one another. However, the law of closure takes into account that to be successful the viewer must help “complete” the shape by filling in missing pieces of the design (as with the WWF logo). The law of proximity is not looking for the viewer to fill in any missing gaps, but rather assumes that all of the objects are considered a single group based on their nearness to one another. Here are a few examples of logos that use the law of proximity effectively.

The Best logo uses the proximity of each letter to easily show an increase in letter height.

Best Logo

The NYNEX would not be as effective if the “E” and the “X” were not so close to one another. Having each letter so close to the next helps the eyes transition from one set of white lines created in the “E” to the set placed inside the letter “X”, making it feel as though they are the same line.

NYNEX Logo

The London Docklands Development Project uses the close placement of each element to create a complete picture, something that may be lost if the proximity of each element was placed further apart from one another.

London Docklands Development Project Logo

The Gestalt law of proximity may be a little more subtle then the other laws, but when used correctly it can be just as helpful in creating logos that are effective and timeless.

Interiors Journal Printed

Jeremy — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:04:52 +0000

Well it is finally here. My cover design for the Interiors Journal from Berg publishing has officially been printed and sent off to scholars around the world. I want to thank everyone who encouraged me every step of the way. I feel extremely fortunate to have helped build this journal from the ground up and I can’t wait to start on the next issue!

Interiors Journal | Front Cover Design | Jeremy Bolton

Interiors Journal | Back Cover Design | Jeremy Bolton

Logo Designer’s Unused Logos

Jeremy — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:05:50 +0000

As promised here are the unused logo design submissions made to JeremyBolton.com. Thanks to all the designers who sent in their designs. It is a great mix of logos that, for various reasons, haven’t been used for any particular project.

It was exciting to see all the submitted logos because I am always inspired by other designers work. I hope you too can find inspiration in every one of the logos too.

These, of course, are logos that were never used, but feel free to click on each designers link to see their full portfolio of work. You will also see I threw in a few of my favorite unused logos from past projects. Again, thanks to all the designers who submitted!

Designer: Webcore Design | Webcore Design | e: admin@webcoredesign.co.uk

ucake Logo | Webcore Design

Designer: Riavon | Riavon Enterprises | e: ria@riavon.com

Sparians Logo | Designer: Riavon

Whiskey Creek Logo | Designer: Riavon

The Dirty Logo | Designer: Riavon

Designer: Gerard Whelan | Brand Central | e: Whelan@brandcentral.ie

Lifeblood Creative Logo | Designer: Gerard Whelan

Designer: Eric Benson | renourish

Stitch Logo | Designer: Eric Benson

Designer: Mateen Poster

Core Logo | Designer: Mateen Poster

Designer: Jeremy Bolton

Associated Painters Logo | Designer: Jeremy Bolton

Insyndia Logo | Designer: Jeremy Bolton

Now That’s Clever – Alfa Vale Hotel Logo

Jeremy — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 23:09:07 +0000

One of the recurring design challenges that logo designers face is coming up with a design for something that may be viewed as cliché or obvious. However, when done right, even the mundane can become interesting. Take the above logo for example. Although the first idea that may come to a designer making a logo for a hotel may be a bed, this design takes that idea to the next level. The inviting typography and colors add to the overall idea of comfort. Find other great logos by Denis Wong on his Behance profile.

Associated Painters Logo Design Process

Jeremy — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 21:19:06 +0000

One of the best parts of my job is getting an inside look into businesses outside my field of work. When I begin my research for a new client I try to learn everything I can about what they do. This helps prepare me for the branding process, but it also allows me to get a peek into a business I knew nothing about previously.

Associated Painters contacted me a few months to create a new logo for their airplane painting business. They are opening a new facility in Spokane Washington and wanted to find a local designer to help them update their logo. I was delighted to be contacted and always appreciate other groups looking for local talent. To give you some background here is a brief summary of just what they do:
[fancy_box]For over three decades Associated Painters, Inc. (AP) has been in the business of painting commercial aircraft. With over two thousand aircraft painted to date AP has emerged in the aerospace industry as ‘the’ service provider of choice for aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, modification centers like Aviation Technical Services, Inc. in Everett, Washington and AAR Aviation Services – Oklahoma…as well as scores of international and domestic airline companies.[/fancy_box]

The work they do is both challenging and creative. The more I learned, the more fascinated I became with the process of painting commercial airplanes. Needless to say I was excited to start brainstorming ideas.

Design Brief

As always I started off by having Associated Painters fill out my logo questionnaire. This helps give me a background with regards to their business, competition, how the logos will be used, etc. Reading over the questionnaire and after a few phone calls I put together a list what they wanted a logo to convey:

Superior Quality
Painting Airplanes
Reputation
Class
Honesty
Timely Delivery of Services

Initial Designs

On the top of their list was a logo that conveyed the idea that “these guys paint airplanes”. Based on this concept I created an initial round of logos that clearly ties together the imagery of an airplane with painting. While I knew they did not paint the planes with “paint brushes” I knew that this would be the most easily recognizable graphic to relay the idea of painting.

A few initial logo ideas for Associated Painters

Understandably, Associated Painters did not feel the paint brush was appropriate (or accurate) so we decided to look at designs that were a little more abstract, but still gave a clear indication of their work with planes. The second round (shown below) produced logos that they felt were more appropriate and interesting.

Second round of logo options for Associated Painters

I took the second round of logos and played around with the idea of using various shapes to produce the outline of the plane. I was also inspired by the way Associated Painters used different sets of shapes to paint the various images onto their planes. This lead to a logo design that Associated Painters chose to finalize.

Associated Painters Logo Plane Element

The plane’s outline is seen within the negative space of the three arrow-like shapes. I find that logos are always more interesting if the viewer has to take a few seconds to realize what it is they are looking at. This also gives them an “Aha!” moment once they see the shape of the plane.

Associated Painters Logo Angles & Shapes

To give the logo a unified structure I made sure that all of the elements shared the same angles. This helped make the shapes cohesive and allowed repetition within the mark.

Color Options

As always I present the initial logo ideas in simple black and white (or grayscale when appropriate). I don’t like to move on to color until the logo has been approved. This is because color options alone can be infinite and can distract from the design of the mark which should be able to stand on its own.

Associated Painters Logo in Black & White

Color Options for Associated Painters Logo

Looking over the various competitors for Associated Painters I decided to use warmer colors that offered some depth to the logo. Many of their competitors had gone with what I like to call “business blue” which is a basic medium blue. It is a safe and professional color, but does nothing to differentiate you and your business. I played with tint and color combinations to give them a few variations to look over.

Final Associated Painters Logo Colors

The final colors that Associated Painters chose are a dark blue and a copper. This combination gives a professional feel that is unique within their industry.

Final Logo Design

Associated Painters Final Logo Design

We played with a few different typefaces for their name and settled on a clean font that helps add to the forward moving feel of the logomark.