With a record of 6-4, Samson's church-league softball team rounds out a respectable season of fly balls, home runs and chewin' sun flower seeds. And since this season has reignited Samson's love of America's favorite pastime, he's vowed to watch "The Natural" and/or "Field of Dreams" everyday till the start of next season.
In related news, Samson's wife Vanessa has vowed to roll her eyes at him everyday till the start of next season, as well.

In other news...
Steve McCain has learned that Memphis (birthplace of Elvis Presley) is actually in Tennessee and not Alabama. Which is odd, considering that Steve was actually in Alabama 3 months ago and managed to not ask a single person "where Graceland is". Somewhere his 6th grade Geography teacher is weeping.

A logo is the image which represents a company or its product. Its function is to create a memorable, recognizable impression in the mind of a potential client or customer. A logo is essentially at the heart of a corporate identity.

So what makes a "good" logo?
Most people would answer "I just know it when I see it!" and this isn't so far from the truth.
A good logo catches the eye - it makes the observer curious or engaged, if only for a short moment… a moment in which an image and the existence of your company is embedded in the mind rather than filtered out with a million other daily stimuli.

There are three basic types of logos, which can be used alone or combined within one design:
   • illustrative logos (clearly illustrates what your company does),
   • graphic logos (includes a graphic, often an abstraction, of what your company does),
   • font-based logos (a text treatment which represents your company)

*Important: Creative process must be allowed!
Though different designers have their own methods. some will begin by sketching thumbnails or playing with shapes on the computer screen, until something "clicks" and they follow that path to see where it leads. One way to start is to select a shape which represents the concept of the company, and begin playing with it. The idea is to come up with something interesting or clever, whether a viewpoint which is different, or an unusual combination of shapes. Perhaps it will be something which will require some guesswork on the part of the viewer, but then be crystal clear when they look at it another way.

Simplicity is extremely important.
A good logo works in the simplest form. With the advent of the Web, it is common to see logos which contain gradients, 3D effects, animation, and other visual effects. But if the logo can not also be reduced to a simple one color flat version for use on faxes, your checks and photocopied documents, it is functionally useless. You can always jazz up your logo later for the web!

Cost.
While brainstorming logo ideas by yourself is a crucial step in creating your business image, trying to create a logo completely on your own is a mistake. It may seem like the best way to avoid the high costs of going to a professional design firm, which will charge anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000 for a logo design. Be aware, however, that there are thousands of independent designers around who charge much less.

But don't hire someone just because of their bargain price. Find a designer who's familiar with your field . . . and with your competition. If the cost still seems exorbitant, remember that a good logo should last at least 10 years. If you look at the amortization of that cost over a 10-year period, it doesn't seem so bad.

Your logo is the foundation of all your promotional materials, so this is one area where spending a little more now can really pay off later.

For more information on the process of logo design, please feel free to direct your questions to inquiries@steamstudios.com

Steve's personal blog that chronicles... um... anything and everything that he wants to chronicle. Right now, the links don't work, but you can check out a partial entry that recounts Steve's experience at the 4th District AAF Conference last month. And stay tuned, because the site will be 100% finished soon with all the hijinks and hilarity from his trip to the AAF National Conference.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a personal blog, but it ain't that personal. If you're looking for dirt on clients and fellow industry-types, you're barking up the wrong tree (Steve likes having a job). And if you're offended by the occasional curse word, do not read Dezign Asylum. You have been warned.