rickyleepotts.com | a voice of rhythm, reason, & reality

If you have been paying attention over the last few months you know that the United States government has been nice enough to offer a hand full out bailouts to major corporations such as General Motors.  They have also been so kind as to offer the American people a little gift to help stimulate the economy.  It did not work, obviously, but they sent out check after check in hopes of jolting this economy back into the black.  (That is not a reference to the color of our president’s skin just to be clear.)

But this week the police department in Fort Lauderdale decided that they wanted to give out their own little stimulus.  The police department in Fort Lauderdale sent out letters to known fugitives promising a bailout check.  Going by the name, the “South Florida Coalition” the fugitives were asked to call a hot line to schedule a time for him or her to come meet with a representative and pick up their checks.

Once the date and time were set the fugitive would make his or her way to the staged auditorium, ask for their stimulus, and promptly be arrested for said crime.  During this sting operation some seventy-five criminals were arrested with crimes ranging from grant theft auto to attempted murder.

The sting operation lasted only two days but seems to have gathered some attention.  According to the a spokesman from the Fort Lauderdale police department, Frank Sousa, this operation saved numerous man hours, as well as allowing for these sometimes dangerous criminals to be be arrested in a controlled environment.  This made it not only safer for those making the arrests, but also for the Fort Lauderdale community as well.  The police department also announced that they will be trying a second round of this sting operation in the near future in hopes of grabbing a few of the criminals that slipped through the this time.

My only question would be how stupid do you think that these criminals are?  Sure, you got seventy-five of them this time, but do you think they will be stupid enough to let that happen again?  This just happened and is already being broadcast on the national news.  If you were a criminal on the loose I can almost guarantee that you are watching the nightly news to avoid being suckered into something like this.  Sure, they might get a few more arrests if they attempt this again, but there will not ever be an outcome like the experienced this time.  And this goes for any other police department that is thinking of something like this in the future.  Think harder.  Think outside the box.  Come up with your own ideas.  The stimulus that the government gave the hard working people of the USA didn’t work; what makes you think that your stimulus will be any different?

I am here today with a hard rock band full of talent from your own back yard.  Hailing from Indianapolis, they are making their way through the local scene and doing so with a force.  Matching industry quality lyrics and a sound that you expect to hear coming from the radio, they have a good chance to make it in this incredibly competitive market.  I have seen these guys a few times and their stage performance is spotless.  Hang out with me today as I introduce you to I-Exist.

Where did you guys all meet?

Brian Jon and Buddy all met through indianpolismusic.net.  Cameron was introduced to us by Eli of Trenches.

How long have you been together?

We have been playing together for two years now.

Any previous bands before this?

We all played in various bands before this one.

You guys have jobs besides music?

Brian serves at PF Changs, Jon is a PC support analyst, Cameron is a percussion major at Butler University, and Buddy is currently ranked number five in the nation at Gears of War 2!

Any tattoos in the group?

Jon is the only cool one with tattoos and the longest hair.

What is your favorite venue to play?

Piere’s in Fort Wayne.

What is the largest crowd you guys have played for?

We have played for over five hundred during the final round of the Battle at Birdy’s.

The smallest?

Again, at Birdy’s, we played for about five people.

Any chance we are going to see you guys on the road this year?

We have plans for road rage in the spring/summer of 2010.

I love your MySpace page. Who designed that for you?

Brian designed all of the artwork and Ross Burwell pieced it all together for us.

What came first for you guys? The image or the music?

Music first and the guyliner and white belts came after.

I hear some screaming going on back there. Who is belting at the top of their lungs?

Brian does the screaming .

In one word describe your genre.

PWNAGE.

PC or Mac?

We are 50/50.

Where do you guys see yourself in five years?

Releasing our third album on a major label and touring.

Who are some of you biggest influences?

(Brian) Live, Tool, Our Lady Peace, Enya, and Haste the Day.  (Jon) Smashing Pumpkins, Iron Maiden, and Dinosaur JR.  (Buddy) Alter Bridge, Pink Floyd, and 30 Seconds to Mars.  (Cameron) Tool, Radiohead, The Allman Brothers, and Battles.

If you could meet anyone alive or dead who would it be?

(Brian) Neo from the Matrix.  (Jon) Caitlin R Kiernan, Peter Steele, and Drew Hayes. (Buddy) Darth Vader.  (Cameron) Hunter S Thompson.

Let’s get some pizza. What toppings?

Pam’s Pit Stop Pizza with pepperoni and ham or we could just hit up Ci Ci’s Buffet.

Coke or Pepsi?

Brian says Mountain Dew slushy the rest of us say Pepsi.

What is your all time favorite song to play?

Pass Out from “Within Imagination”.

Tell me about your motivation when you sit down to write a new song.

Start with a message, blow your mind, end with PWNAGE.

Who is the ringleader of the group?

Brian.

Let’s say you are headlining at Madison Square Garden. Who is your opener?

30 Seconds to Mars.

What do you want to be remembered for when this is all said and done?

Inspiring anyone willing to listen to our music.

I always give the artist the last word. Go.

Thanks Ricky for this interview!  To anyone reading this, we would love for you to check out our music if you haven’t.  You can start here: iexistband.com We have shows posted and you can add us as a friend on MySpace, Facebook, and whatever crazy social networking sites you may be on!  Keep supporting local music in Indy.

What would you do if someone offered you a check for $300,000?  Would you invest some of it?  Maybe pay off some of those credit cards that you have been putting off?  Or perhaps you would get a new car or invest in a nicer apartment?

Well, Ryan Moore was offered amount of money this week, but he had some stipulations that came along with it.  Ryan is a member of the PGA Tour and is known for his missed fairways and his bombs off the tee.  He is a “dirty” player that plays more aggressive than anyone in the game.  He misses some cuts because of it, too, but that does not stop him from playing in nearly every major year in and year out.

Ryan was offered this sum of cash but would be forced to have a logo on his shirt, hat, and golf bag.  Ryan plays with a set of clubs that he has built himself over the years and buys them all from store shelves and websites whenever he needs a new stick.  But as golf.com reports he left that sum sitting on the table, so to speak, when asked for an endorsement.

Some are calling him crazy for taking this anti brand approach, but he says that is how he tends to stay as long as he is on tour.  He pays for all of his shirts, hats, golf shoes, clubs, and golf balls.  He actually states that he prefers it that way.  He does not want to get pulled in by the sponsorships and the responsibility that he would have to win if he was wearing these logos on his person.

Ryan has even been known for saying that sponsorships are “for the birds” and that they are not what they used to be.  And unless there is some hidden agenda that these firms have for making you wear their logo, it seems pretty cut and dry.  Here is the way I see it.

If Nike came to me and said we are going to give you shirts, hats, pants, and golf shoes.  They will have our logo pasted all over them and you will be forced to sport these on and of the course.  We will pay you $300,000 to wear these products and you will be able to keep all of the provided clothing as a bonus to your agreement.  So the clothing begins to arrive, you wear these shirts and hats and you go do what you were born to do, play golf.  Of course, there is a little more to it as Nike will put pressure on you to one, keep your image clean and respected on and off the course, but also will want you to win.  They want their logo on TV, in magazines, and will only allow their logo to be worn by the most respected and talented guys in the sport.

But Ryan says no thank you to this sort of offer.  That is his right as he does not have to wear logos all over his body.  But his pocket book will suffer because of this.  He has not won that many times on the tour, but still manages to live a steady and lavish life style.  I guess you don’t have to make fairways and hit greens when you are not representing anyone but yourself.

rickyleepotts is actively seeking sponsors.  I would wear any logo as long as there is a dollar sign attached to it.  Just in case you are a decision maker at any given investment firm or sporting goods store.  Never mind that I do not play sports, we can pretend.

Today I was spending some time reading through a few blogs and came across one from a recent connection in social media guru Douglas Karr.  The article, which you can read by clicking here, talked about single tasking rather than multitasking.  He stated that he is a “heads down” type of worker and that he can only focus on one project at a time.  In his post he challenges you to turn off your Twitter applications, turn the phone upside down and to silent (making sure it’s silent and not on vibrate), and spending a chunk of your day focused on any given task.

His argument is a valid one as some folks simply work better under these types of conditions.  I, on the other hand, have to be working on multiple projects, reading more than one book at a time, and have multiple meetings schedule on a daily basis. I would be lost without a schedule like this.  If you actually take the time to think about, though, I am getting the exact amount of work done by working on multiple projects at once as he is by working on a single project.  But he has an even more valid point in suggesting a lot of time is wasted by such distractions as Twitter, Facebook,  blogging, and your iPhone.  (He uses a Blackberry but we won’t hold that against him!)  The more these services continue to grow the more folks that will be using them and the harder it will be to control.  My only hope is that companies figure a way to capitalize on these tools and figure out a way to be productive while their employees are using them.

So why do I choose to multitask?  I think  the main reason is pure boredom.  I get bored very easily and have to always have something new and refreshing to get me through the day and to challenge my creative mind.  Even if it is a walk around the office or a fresh cup of Joe, every couple of hours I need something new to look at.  For instance, right now I am reading three books at the same time.  I am reading The 80/20 Principle, The Ruins, and The Book For People Who Do Too Much.  (The last one seems fitting, doesn’t it?) The 80/20 Principle, on the other hand, is one that I would like to not only touch on here but would also like to suggest to you, Douglas.  This book discusses how a person can get 80% of their work done in only 20% of the time.  There is a log of research that has been put into this book, and the detail in which he goes is quite impressive.  So maybe those Twitter feeds are not really taking that much of our time.  I try to stay off of the social media sites during the day as much as possible, putting a heavy focus during my lunch hour, allowing me as much time to focus on my daily responsibilities.  But there are times that sneak up where I just have to post a tweet or tell Facebook what is currently on my mind.

But I am associated in so many markets and have my foot in so many doors that I have no option but to multitask.  For instance, I am a full time web designer, project coordinator and social media consultant (I wear a lot of hats there) at a firm here in Indianapolis.  I also work in the music industry doing promotions, bookings, and band management.  I spend about 2 or 3 hours a day on my own social media reputation and branding.  Oh yeah, I have a girlfriend that I really like hanging out with.  I also try to read and research as much as I can to stay ahead on design trends and the always changing technologies that lie inside this very machine that I type on.  (Have you upgraded to Snow Leopard yet?) If I get 6 hours of sleep it has been a good night.  And this pattern goes on 7 nights a week.  I never know when to slow down.

But my question to you, Douglas, is do you think that I get less work done by multitasking?  Do you think that if I did in fact turn off all the things that keep me sane would help me get more things accomplished on a daily basis?  I just keep going back to the argument above.  If you need 6 hours to complete any given project, it will take 6 hours whether you work straight through or force those Twitter updates and Facebook messages along the way.  I have never met a deadline that must be met in the given 6 hours.

So on Monday I plan to turn my phone off, not log into any social media site, and to focus solely on my projects at hand.  I will update you on my findings.  But I have a feeling that I will go insane and pull my hair out before I log into Twitter.  So if nothing else comes from this, you have inspired me Douglas.  And I thank you for your post.

Before I even get started on this, I want to make it clear that I am not a football fan. (Better yet I am not a Colts fan.)  I do not play Fantasy Football, watch it on television (except for on Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl), and I do not go to games.  I live a half an hour away from one of the newest and more talked about stadiums in the National Football League and I have never stepped inside.  I have no interest in a bunch of over weight men dressed in tights slamming into each other trying to make their way down a field.  I understand, however, that there is strategy and athleticism involved, but it is just not the sport for me.

But, just because I do not follow the sport does not mean I can not make mention to it.  I do know a little bit about the game and I have a general understanding of the rules.  But I want to look at the sport from a different perspective with you here today.  I want to look at it from the eyes of a sports bar.

On Sunday, when the majority of football games are played, I dare you to walk into any given sports bar and not see big screens plastered all over the place showing any number of games that happen to be on television at that given time.  There is even a network dedicated to the NFL and guarantees that you never miss a play.  (It is over $100 a month for this channel alone.  It is meant for the die hard fans of football.)  But outside of just throwing the game on the wall I have compiled a list of things that each sports bar should consider when thinking about showing all these sporting events. If a bar takes the time to put in a little extra effort into their presentation and to prepare for these 16 or so Sundays, then they might just see an increase in traffic and higher sales at the end of the day.

1. A dedicated sound and video “guy”

This is crucial.  The whole point of most of these fans coming to your bar is to see and hear the game.  They want to see it in high definition and hear the announcers on every play.  With that being said, you need to have someone that is dedicated to this aspect and this aspect only.  I have seen cases where the bartender or any given server would have control over the audio and visual work, but that will just not cut it if you are trying to make a name for yourself in the Sunday football market.  If you have the finances (and pay a guy in food and beer if you do not) to have this sort of an employee present, I highly suggest it.  I can not tell you how many times I go to a bar and I hear music in between every commercial.  Maybe I wanted to hear those commercials.  That is the only reason I watch the Super Bowl.  So maybe I want to see them on Sunday afternoon too.  A dedicated audio visual guy might not get much more than a simple thank you, and sometimes not even that, but your patrons will take notice and that  might just be the reason they come back to your bar next Sunday.

2. Food and drink specials

This is something you should be doing everyday anyway, but especially on Sunday.  Your bar needs to have food and drink specials from the time your doors open until the last drunk stumbles to the parking lot.  Obvious things to have on special are draft beer, wings, and pizza.  I do not know very many guys that watch football who are sipping martinis and eating a bowl of soup.  They want their Coors Light and MGD by the gallon.  Wings are also another great idea.  A bar here in my home town was doing ten cent wings on Wednesday night.  You would be shocked at how many people would line up just to get a chance to have some cheap wings.  I did and they were actually pretty good.  So if I come into your bar and you have cheap food and drinks you can be sure I am going to tell all my friends about it.

3. Offer free wi-fi

This is something that I desire everywhere I go, whether it is a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, or other.  Wi-fi is something that is sweeping our nation and the faster speeds get and the cheaper it becomes to connect at 3 and 4 G speeds the more people use and the more we want it.  iPhone users, who are now the number one smart phone user in the market, are wanting to connect to wi-fi everywhere we go.  The, look at me, always carrying my laptop around.  I can not tell you how much more work I get done sitting in a bar having a beverage than I do at home watching TV.  So if I can be social, be in the bar, eat those cheap wings, and drink that cheap beer, all the while working on my computer, I am a happy camper.

But it is not just enough to have it.  It needs to be free and it needs to be reliable.  And, obviously, it needs to be fast.  I cannot tell you how angry I get when I walk into a place that claims to have free wi-fi and I either one, have to ask for a password, or two, it is slow and continuously times out.  So until Google decides to give the entire United States free wi-fi you need to step it up and provide it for us.  The return will be way more than the investment.

4. No kids

This goes without saying for most bars, but do not allow children.  There is nothing more aggravating than trying to focus on a game, or on dinner, or a drink, or what have you and having to listen to that kid in the booth next to you scream, cry, and throw a fit every ten seconds.  A lot of guys leave home on Sunday as it is their only day away from the house.  They work all week and can spend Sunday watching TV, drinking a beer, and not feeling a bit guilty about it.  So leave the kids at home, and make sure you have a 21+ sign on your door.  You will retain more patrons that way.  I can almost guarantee it.

5. What games are where

This one is not as obvious as some of the other ones might be, but there are a lot of teams in the NFL.  Most teams play every single week and on a variety of channels and not everyone is rooting for the same team.  If you have a clear cut policy on what channels will be on what televisions then you will one, be able to separate the Colts fans from the Bears fan, but also will look more organized and consistent.  Have a sheet of paper on each table that explains what games are playing on what TVs and the times for each game.  If you put some effort into your Sunday seating and television selection you will one, have fewer people angry that their game is on a TV on the other side of the bar, and two will look like a more professional and organized establishment.

If you are a bar that shows football games on Sunday, take a look into these rules.  You might be surprised when one might generate not only more income for your pocket but also more report (the T is silent) with your guests.  Let me tell you, nothing beats a happy Bears fan after a win on Sunday.

Here we go again.  Tiger Woods is up and at them this week for the kick off of the FedEx Cup at The Barclays.  Tiger is coming off one of the worst putting displays I have seen from him in a long time (he missed two putts within five feet) as well as one of the most conservative rounds I can remember him ever playing.  Tiger lost to Asian sensation Y.E. Yang.  Yang came in to the event having only played in seven previous majors, never making the cut in a single one, and managed to put himself in the final group on Sunday.  He came in firing at pins and having the time of his life.  You could tell from the smiles and high fives he was throwing around the golf course that he had nothing to lose.  If he lost, it was expected.  If he won, it would shock all of golf, as Tiger has never lost a major with a share of the lead or the lead going into the final round.  Adding to that record he has only lost two tournaments on the PGA Tour with the share or the lead on Sunday.

So Yang comes in and manages to pull out a miracle leaving Tiger shaking his head.  He missed putt after putt and managed to miss two greens on the back nine leading to lost shots and no chance at grabbing the Claret Jug.  It left Tiger upset and determined to spend the next two weeks getting ready for the final leg of the season, the FedEx Cup.  I personally hope that he spent it working on his short game.

In only it’s third year the FedEx Cup serves as a play off of sorts for the guys on the PGA Tour.  The guys play week in and week out collecting points for their position come the last four events of the regular season.  At first I was against this set up, but when Tiger only needed to play in three of the first four of these events, managing to win two of them and the first FedEx Cup, I was a little more open to the idea.  Tiger would sit out the next season due to his knee injury, but has returned this year ready to show the world of golf that he truly is back.  (As if five wins in only thirteen starts is not enough.)

This week is the first tournament of the FedEx Cup and is being held at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.  The purse is over seven million bucks and the course ranks as one of the longer ones on the PGA at just over 7,400 yards.  The winner alone will get $1.5 million so either way, even if you do not win the FedEx Cup but manage to win an event along the way, you are going to be set financially for a long time to come.

The FedEx Cup leaderboard shows pretty much what you would expect with Tiger’s name at the top.  Tiger played in only thirteen events this year.  He usually averages around fifteen to eighteen, but due to his knee was unable to play in some events and wanted to take some extra time to rest this season in fear of making the injury worse.  Granted, he had a stretch not too long ago where he played four weeks in a row, but still only grabbed thirteen starts.  I am not sure what is more impressive with this though.  Is that fact that he has the lead going into the FedEx Cup the biggest surprise or the fact that he has five wins in only thirteen starts a bigger shock?  By the way, outside of the five wins this season, he has eleven top ten’s.  And he missed a cut this year at the British Open.

So as Tiger makes his way around the course this week beware.  The rest of the guys know he is lurking.  Sure, he got beat by an unknown the last time he teed it up, but for Y.E. Yang and guys like him that was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Stuff like this does not happen every day and I would venture to say that it will not happen again.

So good luck, Tiger even though I am sure you will do just fine this week.  Y.E. is not playing so you have nothing to worry about.

When was the last time that you went out to dinner and ended up getting fast food as no one in the car could decide on a place to eat?  If you are like most Americans, it has already happened at least once this week.  In fact, 64% of Americans eat at a fast food (McDonald’s, Hardee’s, White Castle) at least once a week.  And we wonder why we are so fat.

Take a look at the movie Morgan Spurlock did a few years back.  He ate McDonald’s for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for thirty days.  If you have not seen the movie, please go rent it immediately.  The film is very well done and he puts himself through hell eating what we think is harmless.  He gains insane amounts of weight and puts himself in danger of massive heart failure according to his doctor.  He spends nights throwing up and is always tired and out of breath.  I mean, I don’t know about you, but this sounds like the way I want to spend my life.  They have a dollar menu, though, so it wouldn’t cost me all that much.

Outside of the fact you are all fat (don’t worry, I am too) did you know that when you go to a fast food restaurant you have options.  I mean, sure, you have options on the menu in front of you but those are not all that you have to choose from.  I have compiled a list of a few oddities that you can order the next time you visit any one of these fast food places.  (I even through Starbucks in there for you coffee drinkers.)

In-N-Out Burger

This only applies to you West coast readers but In-N-Out Burger has a slew of selections that are not on their menu.  For instance, did you know that you could get a grilled cheese there?  It is the same set up as their regular burgers, and even includes the toppings, but is just sans meat.  Kind of defeats the purpose of going to In-N-Out Burger but that is one option.

Let’s say that you are in the mood for some French fries but want a little more flavor than just salt and ketchup.  Well, then order your fries “Animal” style.  This will include diced hamburger meat, grilled onions, pickles, and 1000 Island dressing.  If you didn’t feel a heart attack coming on before now, welcome to the world of high cholesterol.

Jamba Juice

I had my first Jamba Juice experience a few weeks ago and I came out just fine.  I was nervous as I am not the smoothie type, but managed to get a recommendation from one of the mixers and enjoyed my drink until the last drop.  But if you are in the mood for something a little out of the ordinary, then try ordering a Gummy Bear Smoothie.  Or maybe you are more in the mood for a strawberry cheesecake smoothie.  Jamba Juice is not healthy, so please stop trying to tell yourself that, so if you are going to do it to it big.  You might as well have some fun with the mixers while you are at it.  But beware, the more bizarre your smoothie choice the more you are bound to pay.  The more exotic drinks increase in price based on the ingredients and the time it takes to create one of these smoothie masterpieces.

Starbucks

I told you that I would include you insomniacs in this list of awkward menu items.  Next time you are in Starbucks order a Red Eye.  Of course, they will get mad as this drink takes forever to prepare, but the end result is well worth it.  A Red Eye is a cup of slow drip coffee with a shot of espresso.  The drink is bound to keep you awake for hours to come so drink sparingly.

With the state of this economy times are tough and dollars are being stretched to new limits each and every day.  So why not stretch that dollar with your morning coffee?  Next time you are in Starbucks order a Short rather than a confusing Tall, Grande, or Venti that they already offer.  A Short is, you guessed it, smaller than the other three.  Because of the size of the cup, and it is quite smaller, you will save some pennies in the process.  Of course, you could kill two birds with one stone and order a high octane beverage but in a short glass.  It is a win win for everyone involved.

So this just goes to show that what is on the menu is not always what you are forced to order.  Have some fun with it and order something off the wall.  You never know, you might create something that you never thought possible but now can not live without.  (When I go to Subway I get half of my sandwich toasted and the other half left chilled.  It is literally two totally different tastes.  It makes some of the Subway employees a little angry, but in the end the only person they should be worried about is me.)  The next time you order at your favorite fast food place push the limit and order something not on the menu.  As they always say, have it your way.

If anyone reads this post I hope that his name is Josh Corken.  Josh is a fellow blogger friend of mine (I hope he makes the WordPress switch before it’s too late) and he writes nearly every single post about graphic design, 3D animation, or the latest Pixar flick.  Sure, he had had some posts that did not fit this mold, but he writes this way for a reason and his following appreciates this style.  So this post is dedicated to you and yours as I am going to get serious for a moment and discuss the accepted process for logo design.

What does McDonald’s, Target, Walmart, and Adidas have in common?  Well, I am sure they have a lot of things in common, but the thing that each one of them share in relation to this post is that each one of them have a very simple, easy to recognize and therefore remember, logo.  Target probably has one of the most widely (OK, maybe Nike) recognized logos on the planet.  The name, in theory, is their logo, and it works on multiple levels.

But what makes a logo design so difficult?  We see logos everywhere we go and nearly every company has one.  Even individual brands, such as rickyleepotts, has a logo.  They are the foundation of a brand and what that brand is related to more often than not.  When you think of McDonald’s the first thing that comes to my mind are the golden arches of the logo and then the double cheeseburger and the greasy french fries.

So why when I sit down to create a logo do I have such a hard time?  A logo design should not just start with a pen and paper.  A logo design is a process.  There are steps that a logo should go through and not all of these steps include creation.  I will break down the steps for you now.

1. Design Brief

When you first start a logo design you need to listen to the client.  You need to get their understanding of their product.  You need to hear everything that their company does and every service that their firm offers.  However, when meeting this this client keep the meeting brief.  You do not want them to over load you with information and material that will prove to be worthless by the time the logo finally rolls out.  But one you have heard what they have to say, you will have a better understanding of what they are looking for.  This, however, might not be the best solution for a logo, but it gives you a launching pad into the next step.

2. Research

This is a step that I take pretty serious when I am given a project.  I do more research than is probably necessary but at the end of the day I would rather be more prepared than under prepared.  But when you are working on a logo look at more than just the company the logo is for.  Look at their competition.  Look at the client base.  Look at the demographic of the client base.  Look at the geographical location of the company and where their product is most used.  Take every little detail into consideration.  One thing that helps me in the process is writing everything down.  When I begin a logo design I write down every single idea that comes into my head.  There is no such thing as a bad idea and you never know when that dumb idea you had on day one ends up being the base for the logo on the day you hand the logo over.

3. Reference

This step i not necessarily all that important but one that must be taken serious.  Referencing your logo and comparing it to other successful logos in the field is one way to ensure client satisfaction as well as giving you creditability with your end product.  Also, reference current design trends in every step of your logo process.  Trends are always changing and you see that in every website that once was the best on the block is now the worst in town.  Reference credible sources and you will begin building a portfolio that stands out among your peers.

4. Sketching

Finally you get to draw!  This is the step where you take out a pad of paper and a pencil (or a pen if you are feeling daring) and start to draw the concepts and ideas that have been in your heads since day one.  Draw anything and everything that comes to mind and begin drafting a foundation for what the final logo, or if you are a good designer one of the final three as you always want to provide your client with options, will look like.  This stage does not have to provide perfection but needs to produce a logo that you can be proud of to show to the client.  Take this step serious and if you can not draw, or simply do not like drawing, get over it.  I would suggest taking a sketching class at your local university if you are serious about logo design.  You would be shocked if you knew how many techniques you can pick up in a semester.

5. Reflection

Now it’s time to go on vacation.  Well, maybe not a vacation, but take some time away from the logo.  Close the note book, shut the laptop, and take a week or so off from the design.  Go shopping, or out to dinner.  Take the weekend to go play some golf and hang out with your family.  Do all that you can to completely separate yourself from the logo project.  This step, as much as you are going to hate leaving your project on the desk top, is crucial.  And this step goes for every project that you are working on.  The same process should go for a website as well as a logo.  Let the ideas and sketching and the inspiration loose by working on something else for a change.  (I actually do this every single day.  I can not work on the same project all day.  I have to work on multiple projects at once.  I have to work on two or three to just keep myself fresh.  I read more than one book at a time too.  Don’t ask me why I do it, but I think I have perfected the art of reflection.

6. Presentation

Now comes the moment of truth.  Now it is time to take your product to the client.  But this is OK; you want their feedback as you take your logo back to the desktop to put the finishing touches on it.  You want to be able to one, show that you have actually been working on the project, but two to let the client feel that he or she has a say in the final design of the logo.  It will happen to you time and time again where a client refuses to take your advice but then again they are the one signing your check at the end of the day.  (That is another key element to this.  Do not do free work.  It is OK to do free work in the beginning when you are either, one building your portfolio, or two can not find work.  But do not make a habit of it, like I have, in doing free work.  Just because it is called freelance does not mean it is free.)  Go to the meeting with an open mind, take notes, and provide them with the comfort in your note taking and your open ears.  If nothing else you might hear something that will push the logo from just OK to incredible.

7. Delivery

This is a step that I am still trying to get a grasp on.  When the project is complete, and you hand over the logo, you have some options.  If you were smart, at the start of the project you drafted a contract for the client to sign stating exactly what you would be submitting.  If you did not (learn to write contracts) then you are in between a rock and hard place.  What does the client get?  In most cases the client will request the raw files of the logo in case they either one, want to make changes in the future, or if they ever need to send a particular file format to another design firm.  I can not tell you how many times I have requested a logo in a vector format and I get a JPEG in return.  There is no standard in this, but the more files that you provide the happier your clients will be and the better your chances of a referral are.  Also, it increases your chances of work with that company in the future.

This list is not perfect.  This list might not work for every designer out there.  But I think that it is a good starting point for anyone wanting to dive into logo design.  I have applied numerous times to Logoworks (click the image) in hopes of being hired as a freelance designer for logos.  They pay well and allow you to work from home but have one last stipulation that is thrown into the mix.  To be a logo designer in today’s market you have to be proficient in Adobe Illustrator.  I used to, and still do, use Macromedia Freehand.  There are some tools that Freehand has Illustrator does not.  But at the end of the day, and going back to what I said earlier, you must stick with current design trends.

So go out there and create!  You never know where the next great logo will come from.  However, if it comes from this post and I have inspired you to create the next Nike swoosh, all I ask in return is 10% of your profits!  Get busy creators.

When I first traveled outside of the United States I ended up in Paris, France.  While there I stayed with my aunt who lived right downtown Paris.  She was working for IBM at the time but took some time off of work to take me around and show me all the stereotypical sites and sounds of France.  I saw the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and even had the chance to witness a show at the Moulin Rouge.  We even traveled to the beaches of Normandy and stayed in a chateau for a couple of nights in the Loire River Valley.

Looking back on this trip the one thing I wish I had an appreciation for is wine.  France is known for their wines, ranging from reds to whites and everything in between, and you are never too far from a store selling it by the case.  I, being only sixteen when I was there, did not yet have a fascination for wine.  I did, however, have a beer while I was there as there is no drinking age in the country of France.  I had a 1664.  You can even find that beer here in the states at some of the higher end liquor stores.

And while the purpose of this post is not to talk about my trip to France (should I write one about that trip sometime?) but rather to speak on the barrels that wine sit in. When wine is being prepared it has to sit for a certain amount of time to get the true flavors and to allow for the alcohol content to rise to it’s desired level.  Wines are usually graded on the year in which they were bottled.  You can usually see the year the wine was bottled on the label and if you are looking at, let’s say a Merlot, you want to look for years like 2006, to give you an affordable yet delicious experience.  The year matters most as it relates directly to the weather conditions and the quality of grapes that come from that year.

However, not talking about wine itself today (again, another blog post?) Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands has something that you might take an eye to.  I am very interested in architecture having actually studied it in school for a period of time, and when I see buildings that impress I tend to talk about them.  For instance, I wrote a post on RoboVault not too long ago as their facility impressed me.  But at this particular hotel, imaging four wine barrels (empty of the wine now of course) that once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine.  That is a big barrel, right? Well, these are no longer holding wine but rather holding you and yours as you spend the night in one.  They are now being used as hotel rooms!

My aunt, ironically the same aunt that had the home in Paris, sent me this article.  She has actually inquired about taking a family vacation to said hotel and spending some time drinking wine and taking pictures.  I just happen to have an extra week of vacation left this year.  I think I know where I am headed!

Today I found something that is worth talking about. I know what most of you are saying out there, that I talk too much about social media and you have heard the words Twitter and tweet one too many times. But the fact of the matter is I am not planning on stopping this chatter about these social networking tools, and as time goes on I am sure that I will be talking about them even more than I do now.  (Scary thought, right?) Each and ever day I am getting more and more excited about social media and the more I learn the happier I become. I blog my little fingers off and I tweet all night when I get off of work. I am on Facebook fifty times a day (again, after I get off work of course) and I obsess over status updates and RTs. I can simply not get enough of this social media craze.

Twitter, as we all know (and if you do not know please stop reading my blog) has a minimum of 140 characters for any given message. This includes the user name if you are replying to a person’s original tweet or a link if you feel so inclined to post one. Just be thankful that there are link services out there that will shorten the link for you or we would not have near the amount of shared information a we do now.

But never fear if you have run out of characters once or twice because the solution has finally arrived. Meet Woofer. Woofer, like Twitter, has a limit of characters that you can post. But this one has a minimum number of characters that you HAVE to post. Instead of saying, “no more than 140,” Woofer says, “No less than 1,400.”  This theory has actually been tested, as well.  One user added a post with over 1.6 million characters.  The post appeared just like any other.  (This is the sheer beauty of clearfix.  Don’t know what clearfix is?  Google it.)

Some of you might laugh at this concept, and it might have even been a joke from the start with the creators of the service, but I think it is ingenious. Think about all of the active writers out there that are trying to get their work published.  Maybe poets or novelists trying to get their work in your hands if he or she is unable to find a publicist.

I am a writer working on my first novel. Imagine being able to post chapters to get feedback or thought processes to get a better understanding of how my characters are interacting. Or maybe I want an additional outlet for my blog posts that you so graciously read every day.  Either way this service, if I choose to use it, could potentially be a gold mine for my writing career.

Woofer, surprisingly, looks very similar to Twitter. So unless there is a loop hole in the copyright law, or the folks at Twitter are the ones behind this technology, then they might want to reconsider their design.  (I wonder if they considered this a homage to witter if they would get away with it.  I know that is how guys like Weird Al Yankovic stay in business.) Copyright law for design work is very tricky. Art, in general (for instance a logo or a brochure) must be changed 80% from the original piece to be considered “yours”. If it is not then the creator can sue and basically ruin your career as an artist or a designer. Look at the guy that designed the Obama poster that we all love to hate.  (You know the one that I am talking about.) He took that image from an Associated Press article, threw some Photoshop filters on it, and ended up being one of the most talked about artists of the campaign. But he got caught and was later forced with legal pressure to admit that the image came from the Associated Press.

But all-in-all this idea might actually have some merit. After all, from the length of my blog posts you can probably tell, I tend to have a lot to say. Perhaps this is the future of Twitter?  Perhaps this is the future of writing?  Perhaps this is the future of social media?  Only time will tell whether our future of communication is in 140 or 1,400 characters.