3 Common Characteristics of Type

Recently I was reading about the evolution of typefaces. I thought this was an interesting piece of information to share from Designing with Type, by Craig. It is how we identify Old Style, Transitional and Modern Typography.


Variation in Stress

From the early pen and ink fonts drawn by scribes, a distribution of weight in the letters which creates “ STRESS” can be seen. The example of the letter “O” is shown here to illuminate the differences of Old Style fonts to the most Modern fonts. See the diagonal stress line as it changes over the centuries?

















Variation in Strokes

“The degree of contrast between the thick and thin strokes of letters is VARIATION.”
The example below shows Garamond which has little contrast between the weight of the thick and thin strokes vs. Helvetica which has no variation at all.




























Variation in Serifs

Serifs are the ornament that decorates the stroke of a letter. Serifs vary in the way the serif meets the vertical stroke of the letter. You can see the weight difference in the example here:













Next time you choose a new font – ask yourself -- about the subtle differences that make the Characteristics of the new font stand out. Is it easy to read and comfortable to follow across the page? Is it Old Style, Transitional or Modern?


Kristine Sheehan
TheMerryBird.com
“Your Stationery in Flight”
203-551-1155

A Logo: Empower U Academy

Marketing mentor Denise Michaels has started a new division of her business, Empower U Academy. Dealing with mostly women and home based business owners, Denise guides those that she mentors to be more successful and to feel empowered about themselves.

Her new logo, designed by TheMerryBird (me:) represents a place of learning and a place where the goal is for the mentored to change the way they see themselves while embracing empowerment. "This belief in self causes them to be more effective at achieving their goals."

Providing a credible source of honest learning that is genuinely about helping people in a way that is fun, fast and based on reality, Denise mentors those to channel empowerment into business and into life!

The laurel wreath gives this logo an Academic flare while it's leaves guide the eye toward the word "Academy". The letter U represents the learner being born at the top of the academy class! Her choice of colors are gold, bluish purple and a touch of vine green, all of which represent goals, strength and life. Feel the empowerment!

Her new website is presently under construction but will be up and running full force soon!

http://www.empoweruacademy.com/

Kristine Sheehan, TheMerryBird.com

Read Denise's and other Merry Bird design Testimonials here:

http://www.themerrybird.com/customernotes.html

A Basic "Quick" in Design Theory

So little time and so much to soak in! Ok design sponges - here are 3 Theories all Designers depend on. Most of these tips should be in your design background already but it never hurts to revisit them to awaken your inner designer again and again:


1: A Brief on Color Theory

Every designer has at some point in time seen a color wheel. It is basically the history of color making in one place.




It starts with the Primary Colors: Blue, Red and Yellow. Strong and versatile each color when mixed with one of the others creates a Secondary Color. i.e.- Blue + Red make purple, Red + Yellow make orange, and Blue + Yellow make green. My child loves to mix colors – it’s amazing to him. If I stop to think about it, color creation by mixing is Amazing!

The next step in mixing colors brings in a series of color hues that depending on saturation can be a darker or lighter version of the original color.

Ok – You get the idea.

Now there are Complimentary colors. These are the Colors that sit opposite from one another on the color wheel. When these colors when placed together tend to “vibrate”
i.e. Red and Green, Purple and Yellow etc.

Analogous colors are three colors next to each other on the wheel. i.e. Blue Violet, Violet, Violet Red.


2: Basics of Design

Learning how line, color, shape, texture, scale and space work together is where design basics begin. Ask yourself some questions and you will see the psychology on a design page.

Line is an important piece of design. It sets a tone to the image or design page. Are the lines straight and organized? Wavey and smooth? Jagged and pointy? Line sets the stage for the feeling in the design.

Color is the mood descriptor. Are you feeling blue? Are you feeling Red Hot? Friendly yellow?

Like line, Shape also sets a stage for a feeling. Does the square design on the page exude safety? Does the circle create fluidity, natural curves? Triangular balance?

Texture in a design is a nice way to bring a tactile sensation to a design. Basket weaves, ropes, satin, wood. Textures that people understand can enhance the mood of the design.

Scale is another point in design that cannot be ignored. Size matters! Are you looking at a business card or a billboard?

Space, use it wisely and there are not limits!


3: Typography

Here is a “Quick” on a very extensive topic, Typography.

To begin, typography is everywhere! It is an arrangement of fonts designs that you see in the newspaper, a magazine, on a billboard or a logo.

Typefaces are fonts like Arial, Times Roman etc. Fonts are a specific size or style of the typeface, i.e. Arial Narrow, 14pts.

Two types of font styles are Serif and Sanserif fonts.

Serif fonts are those with curls or ornate décor on the end of the letter stem:




Image Ref: www.ilovetypography.com/2007/08/26/who-shot-the-serif-typography-terms/



SanSerif fonts are Basically a Serif Font without a serif! Which means there isn't any flare or decoration on the letter stem.



How to utilize typography is up to the designer. But Typography involves other important elements to consider too - spacing, kerning, sizing and arrangement. Check out the link below for futher info!

Check out http://www.observin.com/ for more info. On typography.


Utilize theory to make your designs the best they can be. Theory is the basis of all design.


Kristine Sheehan
TheMerryBird.com
5/3/09

5 Book Cover Tips for Self Published Authors

There are endless details writers must consider before having their manuscripts produced in printed book form. From page one to the end, whether the story line is fact or fiction, a well presented book won’t be a best seller unless it is noticed on the store shelf. Therefore one very important detail is the Cover Art or Book Cover Jacket.

Self published authors, or any writer planning on having a book produced in printed form, need to know a few tips to help them manage working with book cover design.

First, authors must write a short, concise synopsis of the soon to be published work. This synopsis will allow the designer to be image inspired. Image inspiration often depends on the printed word of the author but if there is no time for the designer to read the book in it’s entirety the synopsis will give enough information to create workable cover art as well as a nice inside sleeve. A synopsis is also important for the potential buyer. Buyers often read the short on the book sleeve before making a purchase.

Second, have a review of your work to include on the back cover. Have your friend, a newspaper editor or someone you respect write a review of your work. A good testimonial, reference or review will always entices more readers!

Third, have your ISBN/barcodes ready to place on your cover! All published books need a tracking method for sales in the USA and abroad. Barcodes and ISBN numbers are necessary for sales of the finished book. A book cover designer will ask you for the barcode to include in the layout of the cover design. Here is one resource that can help you get your ISBN and barcodes. http://www.publisherservices-us.com/

Fourth, remember all worthy design isn’t cheap! Covers design can run from $350 - $1500 and up. Keep your eyes open for a designer that fits your style. Forward a design brief to the designer or ask to have one sent to you to work out design details. Sign a contract to ensure your design is yours to keep!

And finally, choose a designer that is as enthusiastic about your work as you are! And cheers for having another feather in your cap!


Contact Information: The Merry Bird…pen, ink and design
“Your Stationery in Flight”
Kristine Sheehan
203-551-1155
http://www.themerrybird.com/

Company Bio:

The Merry Bird....pen, ink and design company of Connecticut has officially been in business since March 2006. Kristine Sheehan, the owner, began working in the design/art industry because her passion is drawing with pen and ink, painting and photography. Her company offers logo design, book cover design, and a line of pen and ink motifs on stationery, cards and invitations. The Merry Bird…pen, ink and design is ever changing and adding more beautiful ideas to choose from, come take a peek,
Fly in! http://www.themerrybird.com -Follow me on Twitter! @themerrybird.*********************

5 Kick Ass Blogging Tips

Are you are a blogger with a great blog but have little or no success in capturing steady readership? You must already know that Blogs are great tools that accent your existing business or maybe you write solely as an expert sharing information for those seeking it.

I’ve been around for a couple of years and haven’t focused solely on my blog but with all the recent social networking available I felt it was important to wake up my blog link as much as I could. I began by having a cup of java and simply used these few tips:

5. Get your link out there! You’re on the social network scene right? Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc….. why not provide all of your friends a chance to comment on your blog! Ask and you will receive! http://www.themerrybird.wordpress.com/ or http://www.the-merry-bird.blogspot.com/ comments welcome!

4. Comment on other Blogs: If you want your business or blog to get noticed, notice other blogs that interest you. Sign in, say hello, don’t be afraid to leave a decent opinion or comment along with your name and URL. Always be cordial! No one needs a spammer or negative bite.


3. Write Respectable, Informative Articles for your blog. Make them interesting, happening and relative to your business. I like to write up articles regarding The Merry Bird customer experience, “how to” articles, updates in the industries related to my business etc. Basically I build on being an expert in my field.

2. Submit your Articles to Blog Carnivals. By doing this you expose your blog, your writing skills and your opinions all in one spot. This all informs the mass of people looking for the subject you just wrote about and submitted. It’s a big world out there!

1. Regularly contribute articles to your Blog. We spend an aweful amount of time projecting our businesses, bogs and urls. Don’t forget to have fresh content on your blog. Most expert bloggers say write daily but I’m fine with weekly or bi-weekly content. My RSS feed readers don’t feel bombarded by my blog notices on a daily basis and they look forward to my posts when they happen!


I hope this helps! Good luck! And please feel free to comment or leave a tip you have to share….

Kristine Sheehan
TheMerryBird.com
“Your Stationery in Flight”

Swimming with Logo Design

The vast sea of logo designs found on the web today can be extremely intimidating. Some Logo’s of course are better than others and some just plain Rock!

While researching this ocean of design for inspiration, I realized that comparing logo designs was like comparing sharks to whales. I went surfing the web for logos in which formal training in design could be detected. I hold the logos I found in some galleries in high regard. But, I reminded myself that many logo galleries presented online are “mapped” out to the advantage of the designer. This is a shark pool. Logos are put together for the purpose of learning and displaying expertise. Many logos found in these galleries are made up for a fictitious client, with parameters that fit the designers need and wants. A “real” client logo design would never fit a mold and is often the reason for a design challenge, therefore I see it as the Whale.

Keep swimming.

Coming up for air, I read a great article by Graham Smith, 9 Solid Logo Design Tips for Beginners. Although I’ve been a freelancer for years, his check list for logo design reminded me how to paddle my logo board and catch the next wave with confidence.

The Two Tips that I like best are:

---Be sure the Logo design is flexible and can be printed on big and small mediums. ie. Key chains or a BillBoard.

---Design the logo in Vector format. An Illustrator file makes it easy to increase or reduce the image size with ease. You won’t have to deal with pixellated images later!


Keep pace and follow your instincts. The next wave is rolling in – Catch it! It could be a Whale of a day! :)


Author: Kristine Sheehan
TheMerryBird.com
"Your Stationery in Flight"

10 Habits That Will Open Your Creative Stream of Consciousness

Being creative isn’t just an innate gift. Although some people and designers have the knack for being open to a creative stream of consciousness, others have to work at opening the flood gates of their creativeness. Believe that having a few good habits produces a good flow of ideas and allows the mind to prosper creatively.

Here are 10 Creative Habits will help you open your stream of creativity. Just apply them in your daily routine – go ahead – give it a try! You can only become more creative!

1.) Curiosity is a natural characteristic in human beings. From the time we are born our minds open and grow through being curious. So whether you are 2 or 92 years old, NEVER STOP BEING CURIOUS!
2.) Hold onto your ideas – you never know which one could be “THE IDEA” you need for life creativity or your next project, so jot ‘em down in a journal!
3.) ACCEPT CHALLENGE with enthusiasm – Every creative knows that all of life’s projects are a challenge, big or small, a challenge connects the neurons in your creative stream of consciousness!
4.) Don’t fall in love with your first idea or any! It most likely has been done before or a client may have a different view about it then you do – be open to many ideas as being the best!
5.) READ, VIEW and LEARN from others! This is a great resource for inspiration.
6.) Listen to music and allow natural energies to flow through you.
7.) Laugh often, ENJOY THE FLUBS of life as those are the gifts that propel fun, curiosity and challenge and sometimes a winning IDEA!
8.) Think about your favorite place to be, your backyard, Europe a tropical island or the local beach. Go there! Breathe and listen to your inner creative.
9.) POSITIVE THINKING
10.) Being you is the most different and creative thing that can ever happen to your creativity – think about it! There’s only one you.


Go ahead! Get creative!