Three things to know about choosing a graphic designer

So, Warrilow PR will only be so for a short while longer (part of the reason for writing this blog is to spur me into action to get the last bits and pieces of our rebrand done ready to roll out - Christmas, it has to be before Christmas...or the New Year)...

Anyway, we're rebranding and after a long search, we finally found a designer that 'got it' and brought our ideas for the new logo to life.

So, proudly introducing Jason Lawes, graphic designer, illustrator, photographer, doodler, and the man who can in our eyes.


Because we found it so hard to find the right designer for the job, at the right budget, and find someone who could take a somewhat chaotic brief with creative references coming from all over the place (interiors magazines, baby websites and a few objet trouvé type influences), we asked Jason for his tips...

Q. What are the three things you really need to include in your brief for a designer working on a new logo?

A. Background info. The more information on the background behind the company/individual etc the better. This helps in understanding what the logo needs to say, and gives a better understanding of the target audience.
Where will the logo be used? Designing a logo for different media can pose certain restrictions. For example if the logo will just be screen printed on t-shirts then there may be colour limitations - this would not be the case if the logo needed was just going to appear online.
The competition. It is good to know of similar companies/individuals in the field, so that the design is different and stands out from the crowd (and of course is better than theirs!).

Q. What is the main thing to avoid when working on logo concepts?

A. Don't over complicate things! Simplicity is the key. With the many requirements for a logo these days across web and print media, sometimes they will need to appear very small. So it is important for the logo to be able to work at different sizes. I think simplicity also helps with brand recognition. It is good to steer away from proceeding with designs that the designer isn't happy with. If you're working on behalf of a client stick to your guns and argue your case about what you think works better, but remember that they have the overall say so!

Q. What are your all time three favourite logos?

A. I do love the Apple logo - very clean, simple, easily recognisable and it has evolved over the years from simple rainbow colours to a more glossy Web 2.0 feel. Another favourite is the Rolling Stones mouth logo, an ageless design which has worked right through from the 60s. Great band too! There are a lot of action sports brands which I love within the snowboard/surf market. Lots of them adapt and change their logos fairly often within the different sports, but O'Neill always maintain recognition mainly through the wave icon - the text can often change.

So, should you be looking for a designer, especially when it comes to branding, we are very happy to plug our latest discovery - Jason Lawes; creative (crucially!), competitively priced and endlessly patient!

What did you do today dear? I lurked in some chat rooms....

The term chat room has come to mean a lot more these days, with many business sectors adopting the format to host business related discussions.
Gone are the days where chat rooms were solely for dating, or uniting unusual interests…

Today pretty much every industry profession sports a wide variety of forums or chat rooms available for people to share knowledge, ask for advice and gain opinion on a range of matters.

I really recommend taking some time to investigate these types of sites as they can offer a fantastic opportunity to share expertise and generate additional interest in your business.



Forums could be particularly useful to you if you’ve explored other social media platforms and not found that they fit with your business, time or style.

Three areas where forums can be used:

- As a PR I often go on to PR and Marketing related forums and offer advice to those looking to write their own press releases, secure some press coverage, or write new copy for their brochure or website. I don’t do it to persuade them into becoming a client, I do it to offer help and support, because I know I can go to similar sites and ask for advice and receive a hugely helping hand in return. As many people who run a small business will know, the sharing of this type of support is absolutely invaluable. Indirectly I receive requests for more information about my services from others who have read the posts and whether it’s just a bit of guidance or a request for a quote, it’s a great way to expand your communications.

- An optician client of mine is interested in using forums, again not directly to gain clients as he’s not a nationwide operation. However in his situation it’s a great way to find out what questions people have about their vision needs and which areas are poorly addressed online. This serves as an opportunity to tailor the information and advice on his own website to the types of areas people are interested in.

- For those in heavily regulated industries such as finance or law, some additional research is required. Remember that you are always responsible for the advice that you give online, the same as if you were face to face with a client. Read the small print of the forum you’re interested, contact the moderators to find out what you can and can’t do. Once you’ve checked it all out, these types of forums can be a great place to offer your expertise, and if you find it is well received, why not use it as a stepping stone to contact your local business supplements or magazines to offer advice on a regular basis to readers.

So if you do one small PR activity this week, spend some time researching business forums – Google your industry profession + forums and see what you come across. Be guided as to the popularity of the site by the number of posts and number of people currently online. Also, the forums on LinkedIn are a good place to start.

Register and lurk in the background for a while – it’s perfectly acceptable!!! Once you get a feel for the people, the regulars and the topics of interest, start posting responses that you feel will help people out.

And remember, just like all of the other social media tools – Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn – this isn’t about sales – you’re not there to sell, you’re there to help, support, gain trust and build your reputation as an expert in your field.

Finally, online conversations in chat rooms are often picked up by search engines, so just remember that you need to be happy that whatever you say could come up when someone Google’s you – if you don’t agree with a discussion, walk away and find a more engaging topic to participate in.

One small end note; as the popularity of this type of online discussion grows, so does the technology available. Coveritlive.com for example allows you to embed a real time chat platform into your website or blog so you can host live discussions. If anyone would be interested in a live chat about PR or anything related let me know!