Posts by ryan bahrke
Do All Designers Create Logos? How Much Should a Logo Cost?
The myth of the Five Dollar Logo, and why it matters for your brand strategy. The conversation always goes something like this: “So, I’m starting a new business and well…I need a logo. Interested?” If we’re on the phone, what usually follows is a pause. If we’re communicating by email, there’s usually a suspiciously long…
Read MoreWhere We Went: Were the Five Graphic Design Predictions We Made for 2017 Accurate? And What’s Next?
A little over a year ago, we gave our predictions for the graphic design trends we thought would go big in 2017. So, just how accurate was our crystal ball? Illustration would return in a big way: true Our designer Ryan (who wrote this piece!) works with at least two large firms who’ve hired illustrators for…
Read MoreTypeface/Font* Selection: A Practical Guide
We could also call this post, “how to avoid being spoofed on Saturday Night Live.” As evidenced by a recent SNL sketch which lampoons the font chosen for the movie Avatar, proper typeface selection—awareness of which was once generally considered limited to graphic designers like myself—has entered into the mainstream consciousness. That’s a good thing, and…
Read MoreWorking with a Small Design Firm
So, now that you’re sold on the virtues of working with a small design firm, what comes next? What’s the onboarding process like and what should you and your company expect in the weeks ahead? Onboarding with a small design firm We’ll set up an in-person meeting, preferably at your place of business. We’ll want…
Read MoreThe Case for the Little (Small Design Firm) Guy
The design field is a particularly competitive one, filled with providers ranging from individual freelancers to huge multinational firms. I’m here to present the case for the “little guy,” the owners and employees of small design firms. I run a small design firm. We’re “little guys,” for sure. I’m the sole employee, and along with…
Read MoreBeetles, Brand Consistency and Why It All Matters
It all started with a beetle. No, not the beetle of the oft-cited ’50s and ’60s Volkswagen advertising campaign. Think smaller. I’d just discovered that the tiny (and dreaded) Ips beetle had decided to make the beautiful large spruce in our front yard its new home. The one beetle soon became many beetles, the tree…
Read MoreWhere We Are Headed: Five Graphic Design Trends for 2017
2016 has been a year of ups and downs. As always, the events of the world have influenced the world of design. With that in mind, here are five design trends we predict will make an impact in 2017. The return of illustration After being pushed to the side for many years, what with computers taking over…
Read MoreCommon design file formats and what they mean
File formats often aren’t considered until they become an issue. I regularly have clients come to me when they can’t open a particular file, or, after they’ve sent a file for production and discovered that they provided their file in the wrong format. Here I’ve outlined the most common formats you’ll encounter in the design…
Read MoreWorking Successfully with Pro Bono Clients
Most designers, at some point in their careers, will take on at least one pro bono client. The motivations vary. Perhaps the hope is that the pro bono client will eventually become a paying client. Or, maybe the connections made working with the pro bono client will develop into new opportunities. Sometimes the motivation is…
Read MoreCan a Print Designer Really Make the Digital Jump?
I am aging myself when I say that, when I was getting my formal design education in college, digital design was a relatively new discipline. Those focusing on digital design also obtained a completely different degree than those of us studying print. While I’m told that most schools now offer a more integrated approach, I…
Read More
