First, thank you, Manuel, for taking the time to speak with us today.
1. Manuel, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Manuel, I live in beautiful Tuscany in Italy. I am 21 years old, been engaged for three years, and I love dogs (great source of inspiration for my logos) and basketball. I started to get interested in logos only a couple of years ago. As a child, I colored the drawings with Photoshop of my father (passionate photographer) but I always preferred to play basketball and have fun. At 18 I met my lovely girlfriend, Claudia, who encouraged me to continue studying the self-taught graphics. I’ve always been curious and thoughtful about things and I always had a certain taste in graphic designs and combinations of color.

2. What’s your background in graphic design?

I’ve always loved drawing as a child. I spent whole days drawing. This is my passion, I studied art and I graduated in graphic design. Unfortunately, the Italian schools are not the top, and even knowing this, I barely graduated from the basics of graphic design. Looking for work after graduation I found a graphic design studio that believed in me, despite my shortcomings, and taught me a lot about corporate identity and web design. To remedy the shortcomings I have worked so hard spending hours at the computer. Brandstack offered me the opportunity to improve because I see it as a challenge: I wanted to reach the finish line first to make a logo for sale, then I wanted an “Our Favourite,” then go into the monthly inspiration, then sell a logo etc… I take it again as a fun challenge, for example: I’d like to create the logo of the month or any time exceed the record of my personal logos sold.

3. How did you come across Brandstack? What made you decide to start using it?

The guys in the studio made me aware of Brandstack and told me to try to upload logos. Initially it was just a game, now I take it much more seriously, although I still have fun like the first day. My logos were a little ugly at first, but here on Brandstack I met many friends who have helped me a lot to improve, especially Zapunk and Milcaras and I thank them very much. Let’s say that I grew to Brandstack.

4. What is your favorite thing about designing logos?

The logo is the very essence, the primary and most important in the design. I love the idea that I bring to mind a sign visible to all, developing the draft and making color tests in order to achieve maximum results. The logo is a means of communication from the infinite possibilities that sends a powerful message with visual impact.

5. Where do you start when you’re designing a new logo?

Depends, if I work for Brandstack I can let the idea I think of come from the thousand ideas that life offers us. If I work for a company trying to understand what they need, it’s about what is best for them and what is the message the logo must give. In both cases, before using the computer, drawing by hand is the best thing, although many may see it as a waste of time, it helps a lot to improve the final result.

6. Can you name something from which you draw inspiration?

Take inspiration from anything you have in front of you. Just look in the right things and have a good dose of imagination. Everything around you becomes a starting point by just being curious. I often draw inspiration from the animal world, from traditional folk culture of the places where I live, and stories on society and curiosity that I happen to hear about.

7. How would you describe your overall style?

Having studied by myself I do not have a specific style, I just try to do a good job that affects people and is good to see. I love to use and try everything, from simple styles and monochromatic to the detailed and full of color. I always try to stay on simple shapes. Each logo has its own different style and specificity. It is also nice to mix different styles and find the right combination.

8. What is your favorite design of your own and why?

I do not know, good question! I think a logo that I really like is “La Bella Vita”. It’s nice and well built, has a story to tell and inspires joy. Who can resist a dog on a Vespa?!

9. What is your favorite logo designed by someone else and why?

I really like simple, fun and versatile logos. I cannot say my favorite, but among the last seen I really like Unilever’s logo and the new logo of Starbucks. Here at brandstack I really like: Killed, Mummy, The Writers Window, Upandclown, Joyjester, FullControl, Uberlion, Cardinal, Loopfox, I could go on…

10. What is the graphic design industry like in Italy?

The Italian graphic industry, in my opinion, is little seen and little known inside and outside the country. The boys aspire more easily to fashion design and advertising. The graphics industry should rely more on innovations and promising young talent in Italy but, unfortunately, we are very conservative. The profession of graphic designer in Italy is still a misunderstood work, people do not understand the hard work necessary to achieve a good result. Furthermore, the real professionals are rare in Italy.

11. What’s your general advice to young graphic designers?

Being very young I also do not quite know what to say. My advice is to commit more and have fun while you work. It’s certainly important to learn the basics of graphics and fundamental studies on the forms, the history and color combinations, for example. Also, I made the mistake of starting without a solid foundation. But reading many articles and books on graphics I started now to learn the rules and bases that are really important because they improve your work incredibly.

12. And Finally, Brandstack would like to give you the opportunity to plug anything else you might be working on right now or talk about other things you do besides logos.

I work mainly for logos and corporate images. I’m also learning to make web graphics in the studio where I work as a freelance and sometimes I happen to do some drawing.

Brandstack I wanted to thank you for this interview. It was exciting and I enjoyed it very much. You gave me a boost once more to continue to follow the profession of designer.

Thanks, Manuel! We wish you all the best in your future projects and look forward to seeing what 2011 has in store for you on Brandstack!

Check out Manuel’s Brandstack portfolio.

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Check out some of our past Showcase Designers and interviews!

First, thank you, Joel, for taking the time to speak with us today.
1. Who exactly is Joel Sailo?

I’m Joel Sailo, 31 years old. I’m an illustrator and logo designer with a BFA background, specialized in sculpture. Currently, I work as a graphic designer with McCan Erickson, an advertising agency in Bangalore, India.

2. What’s your background in graphic design?

I have worked as a graphic designer for the past 6 years and have done illustration for such companies as: Lee and Philips-Magnavox, along with many more.

3. How did you come across Brandstack?

I came across Brandstack through LogoGuppy.

4. What do you like about designing logos?

What I like about designing logos is they’re small and simple images but mean a lot. Simple but powerful!

5. Describe your process for designing a new logo, please.

Mostly new logos comes from a rough scribble. I have a drawing board in my mind and sketch most of the time.

6. From where do you draw your inspiration?

As a dreamer. I’m in my dreamland most of the time and that is where it all comes from.

7. Can you think of any major influences on your style?

I gotta say no. I think I’m a style myself.

8. What is your favorite design of your own and why?

BarrelBar because of the negative space and the mood.

9. What is your favorite logo designed by someone else and why?

It has to be Royal Theater by Arnas AKA Matto. It’s so simple and awesome. I’m jealous.

10. What is the graphic design industry like in India?

It’s definitely blooming!

11. What’s your general advice to young graphic designers?

Never give up. Just keep dreaming.

12. And Finally, Brandstack would like to give you the opportunity to plug anything else you might be working on right now.

I’m in the process of coming up with the coolest T-shirt online shop under the name FUNKFOX.com, so watch out. Also, I do a lot of illustration besides logo. Check out my portfolio at joelsailo.com.

Thanks, Joel! We wish you all the best in your future projects and look forward to seeing what 2011 has in store for you on Brandstack!

Check out Joel Sailo’s Brandstack portfolio. If you’re in the market for a new logo, you can’t go wrong with one of Joel’s.

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Check out some of our past Showcase Designers and interviews!

Welcome to this chat Shahram. We thank you for being here with us today. Let us begin.

1. Who is Shahram Shokrian? Tell us something about yourself. Where are you based and what is your primary area of expertise?
Well, first off, I would like to thank you guys for doing a great job and for selecting me as the Showcase Designer. I’m an Iranian American born, and raised in Los Angeles. I discovered that art was my passion since I was 13 and had been drawing and painting since then. My first oil painting was very surreal and was influenced by Salvador Dali before I even knew he existed. When my mother took me to the museum to show me his works, I fell in love. It took me about 5 years and a semester at art school to finally get over his surreal influence that was present in my paintings. I realized that painting on demand wasn’t my thing and I went on to computer imaging at school. Before going to college at The School of the Art Institute Chicago, I was fortunate enough to get a 8100/80 apple computer with 24mb of ram and a 1gb drive. I thought I was a bad ass, especially because I had a scanner. I pretty much took a huge liking to it since I could play with my drawings in Photoshop (v2.5). Throughout the remainder of my college years at SAIC, I planted myself in the Art and Tech Department of the School. I’m glad I did because I was able to mix all types of media from painting, graphic design, 3d animation, motion graphics to electronics. The internet was starting to gain speed at that point and I started to work for an ISP doing hosting and writing HTML by hand.

2. Can you tell us about how IDA Studios came into existence? What is the story behind your own brand name?
Well I.D.A. Stands for Independent Digital Artists. When I came back to Los Angeles from school in Chicago, I started the design studio with another classmate I graduated with. The concept for the studio was to have a house full of designers that worked independently or on various projects that would come into the studio. We worked on all types of projects that were related to print, video and web. As the years went on the focus of the company changed and I added other divisions. Genetic Hosting was incubated and our pod casting software Podkive was developed from here as well.

3. Why did you decide to go into brand and identity development?
Good question, well I have always believed in creating a grand presence for companies and small businesses. The first logo I created was for this software company in Chicago. They loved the look of their business cards that I had made and asked me to create the software packaging and website as well. It was cool to see the whole package put together. Especially to see your stuff sold on shelves. I think being an entrepreneur also helps fuel my fire.

4. You have managed to score some pretty amazing 4 and 5 letter domains. How do you do that?
Well I think short and brand worthy names are the best combo for any business. So I stick to buying those types of domain names. My process for acquiring these domains vary. Once in a blue moon I’d be lucky enough to hand register a domain name. I mostly get them for a third party by checking out the whois information or at a domain auction. The domain name business is pretty interesting. I got my first real taste when I sold a domain for 10k. Since then I’ve been reinvesting back into my portfolio. Its pretty much grown to over 1000 domains now.

5. Why Brandstack?
Well I’ve been a member since it first started and have watched this site grow exponentially. I think I’ve given lots of feedback, to the point, where I feel like an uncle to this baby (ok maybe a second cousin). I do appreciate the fact that other designers are supportive here and are open to critiquing. Wes saw a good opportunity in a market that didn’t exist and I am glad he did. Not that many business people are creative enough to conceptualize how their company should be branded. This arena gives the creatives enough room to show our talents without interference.

6. Can you briefly describe your logo creation and complimenting domain selection process for Brandstack?
The process of most of the designers here are to first design it then maybe add a domain to it. I pretty much work the other way around. I first start with the domain and then come up with a brand. My selection process is pretty complex. I have to think as a business owner and truly think to myself “Is this a name I would use for a company or web service?”. Other times I think of a simple business idea with a domain and let it develop from there. I usually do a simple sketch on paper or in illustrator then rework it till I like it. Sometimes I already know what I want to do and just execute it.

7. What was the most eye-opening lesson learnt from selling pre-fabricated logos on Brandstack?
Well i think that most of us designers sell ourselves short. Sadly, there are lots of new designers that start out and are willing to sell for cheap. Over time they will understand that and come to the realization that this is a business and not a hobby.

8. In designing a logo, what is your most enjoyable part and what is your biggest challenge?
The most enjoyable part is seeing the end result and how it will look on products and collateral. The biggest challenge is being witty with the logo to the point where it doesn’t over balance the iconic imagery.

9. What are your favorite tools of the trade? Hardware, software …
Well my setup on my desk is a apple g5 with two 23” monitors. I’m thinking of adding a third but my A.D.D. will more likely kick in and I may not get as much work done. As for software, the basic Adobe products. I’ve always been a fan since I’ve first started using them. Back in my day we only had 1 undo and no layers (Damn I sound old). But my favorite default is and always will be, a pencil and paper.

10. Rapid Fire Section [answer in one or two words only, the first thing that comes to mind]

• Color – blue
• URL – domaining
• Stroke – 1pt
• Font – Helvetica
• Logo – Little Art
• iPad – Large iPhone

11. What are your work plans for the next couple of years? What other forms of design do you indulge in besides brand development?
Well I am working on developing a new Mobile application. So hopefully when it sells, I can retire! ; ) My skills have a wide range when it comes to design. I currently do web development as well as motion graphics. I just finished working on a Pepsi commercial for the 4th of July which I am really excited about.

12. Would you share some words of wisdom for whoever is reading this interview and is into logo design?
If you are new to creating logos, stick to the addiction. Practice makes perfect.

Thank you once again Shahram, for taking the time out to do this interview. We wish you the very best with all your future endeavors.

Shahram can be contacted via his website IDA Studios and on Twitter as @idastudios

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Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas.

BRANDSTACK: Tell us about yourself, Paul. Where are you from? What makes you tick?
PAUL: I’m originally from the DC area — born and raised here. I hate the weather sometimes, but love being close to my family. I’m an entrepreneur at heart; I think I’ve only ever had one “real” job. Then I learned that corporate life tends to suck, so I jumped ship and never looked back.

I love building stuff — whether that means doing it on my own or helping other people get their ideas off the ground.

You’ve been a part of some rather high-profile projects. What were some of your previous accomplishments?
I don’t know if I would call them “high-profile” but I’ve been lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time and work with top-notch people.

Prior to MailFinch, I founded Philtro which was a real time relevancy engine for social networks. We were acquired in late 2009. Prior to that I worked at PBworks, the world’s largest provider of hosted collaboration solutions for business and education, where I was responsible for building out the back-office systems and building their support team. And prior to that, I helped build Symantec’s SaaS business unit (which, incidentally, booked millions of dollars of pre-sales before we even finished building the thing).

God, I feel old… but I’m not.

For those who don’t already know, what is MailFinch?
MailFinch is an on-demand direct mail platform. Whether you need to send one piece of mail or thousands, we guarantee that it will be in tomorrow’s mail. There are no long-term contracts, no minimums and no fine print.

What was your inspiration for MailFinch?
MailFinch was partly inspired by a side project that Dustin Curtis (a particularly famous UI/UX guy) built, and partly inspired by my own curiosity. My dad (and a lot of his friends) sends a lot of flyers for his small business — I remember having to fold and stuff all of them. (It sucked.)

What role did Brandstack play in the MailFinch idea? Was it more of an afterthought in branding, or did the brand give the idea some direction?
Actually, MailFinch had another name when I first launched it. I spent the early days building out the core features and doing a lot of cold calling.

I had heard about Brandstack but never used it. One afternoon, I decided to do a search for “mail” and was blown away with the quality of stuff I found.

The MailFinch logo stuck out to me right away. So, before I put my credit card down, I did a few cold calls pretending to be a service called MailFinch — people loved it! I bought the logo & domain later that day and never looked back.

How was your experience using Brandstack to find your branding? Was it amazing? You can be honest with us.
Pretty sweet, dude. I was able to buy the logo and domain in like 30 seconds. (OK, maybe 60 seconds — I’m a slow typer.)

Do you like bread?
Who doesn’t like bread? Show me that person and I will laugh at them.

I’m actually munching on some bread right now. No lie.

Did you find that last question odd?
No way, food is serious business. I’m hungry.

What are your goals — both immediate and long-term — for MailFinch?
My immediate priority is to avoid paper cuts. Seriously.

As for the long-term, my customers are helping me figure that out. It turns out that a lot of people still send a ton of direct mail. My goal is to make their lives easier.

We know how much of an enterprising mind you are. What’s next for you?
Good question. I have no idea — really. MailFinch is a lot of fun and I get to meet some fantastic people (who also happen to enjoy paying for the service) along the way.

I do want to get back into cycling though, I feel a beer gut coming. Gross.

Thanks again for taking the time to answer our questions, Paul, and good luck in your current and future endeavors. Come back any time and we’ll be sure to have some bread for you.

Sneh is normally our interviewer for our Showcase Designer segment, but the thing about that is: she’s also an amazing designer. We couldn’t very well ask her to interview herself when we decided to make her our latest featured logo designer (though she offered to try), so we tried our best to fill her big, yet still ladylike shoes.

We’re sure many of you are already aware of Sneh’s presence in the graphic design community and her tireless effort on her blog, Little Box of Ideas. For those who aren’t familiar, that’s perfect because we conducted a little interview so you can get to know the very lovely Sneh Roy.

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Sneh. It’s your turn to bask in the interview spotlight.

1. Who exactly are you? Tell us about yourself, please. Name, age, occupation, birth place, credit card numbers?
In my past life I was Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots on Cybertron. I was red, blue, shiny, brave and noble. In this life I am Sneh Roy, best friend to Nick, fighter of my older son’s dragons, ass-kicker of my younger son’s nighttime monsters, serial coffee chugger, sees-logos-everywhere-designer, Pixar fan, hopeless romantic, compulsive list creator and a chatterbox. I am 32. I do several jobs a day, the most favorite would be sketching, planning and designing, the least favorite would be changing diapers and re-filling sugar. I was born in a city called Pune in western India in 1977. I have put a scan of my credit card in the mail and you should be getting that shortly.

2. For those who don’t know about “Little Box of Ideas,” could you tell us a little bit about it and its origins? (This is your chance to plug!)
I was going to be a neurosurgeon, and no I am not kidding. It was all I had ever known and worked for. Right before admission into medical school, I spent a day at a hospital watching how it all worked. At the end of that day, I broke down, cried my heart out because I knew I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t that I wimped out, just that I couldn’t take all that pain and suffering. So I enrolled in engineering, met Nick and flew blind for a bit. Then I discovered HTML and started designing websites. We started working on projects together back in 1998 and the seed for LBOI was planted. In 2005 when we officially set out to register our company, Little Box Of Ideas was a fitting name, seeing that my head is exploding with a bunch of them every single minute. In 2009 I designed my first logo and we rebranded to LBOI studio, taking our skills and work to a new level, offering a wide range of creative solutions for businesses.

3. Is designing/blogging a full-time thing for you?
Yes, it is. I have been freelancing for over 12 years now but it was only last year that I started blogging. Designing is a need that I have to fulfill, blogging is my salvation.

4. How did you get involved with Brandstack?
I went on a 6 month long break to sort out my career plan in 2008. In December 2008, I joined Twitter. I installed Tweetdeck and was totally befuddled and confused. I didn’t know what was going on or how to use it. Someone wrote something about Incspring and the name caught my eye, so I clicked on the link and a pleasant looking website with a very fresh leafy graphic opened up. I saw some logos and thought “Hmmm, interesting!”. I bookmarked it and went back to it a day later, signing up. In February I made my first logo in Illustrator, specially for Incspring. It was called Notesies. It sold in days. The fire that sale lit in my belly is still going strong. Incspring became Brandstack and I will always have a soft spot for Brandstack for that boost, LBOI’s first source of revenue.

5. Do you like us? We like you.
Oh I like you, try getting rid of me… it won’t work!

6. Give us some insight into your creative process, please. Where do you usually start?
With a cup of coffee
My creative process for a logo is pretty much the same for anything else I create, whether it is a website or a character or an exotic dish. For a client project, I sit down with the brief, reading and re-reading it till I know it by rote, word-mapping in a sketch book, doodling ideas, wireframing and drawing lots of little arrows to connect the words, ideas and doodles together. I like to do this before I start my research because this puts all my non-influenced, raw and original concepts on paper. After a couple of hours of doing this, I start the actual research. The research results in eliminating stuff that has already been done before … logo concepts, website domains, brand names and mission statements. After striking out stuff i cannot use, I go back to work on all the original stuff that has remained untouched and start developing that in more detail.

For a fictional project, like creating a logo for Brandstack, my creative process is the same as above, except that there is no brief from a client.

Because I blog everyday, I see a lot of inspirational designs and websites on a daily basis. Once I start a project, I try not to get online as I feel that muddles my thought process. I sketch extensively and I write. I don’t actually type stuff on the computer, I get a pen and paper and write the old school way. A lot of my posts have come to life in that fashion. I read a lot of books, I have always been a voracious reader. The words in purely textual books feed my visual imagination

7. What is your core design philosophy?
You have to love it, like you would love your child! Not exactly the same, but with an unabridged passion. Passion brings hunger and hunger will keep you going strong. Don’t just design with your heart [because the heart is the designer's Kryptonite], use your head too. The head and heart combination is unbeatable. And always, always keep an open mind and “That’s different, but I can do it!” attitude.

8. What about major influences? Is there anyone or anything that has informed your work?
In the past year, there have been so many people that have influenced me, in the way that they design, in the way that they interact and simply by being who they are. I am here to learn and I love the randomness of the learning channels. I could pick up something from a seasoned veteran who has been designing for 20 odd years or a newbie who just designed his first logo. Everyone has a story, everyone has a method and if you keep your mind and eyes open, it is amazing what you will learn.

I would like to add that I wouldn’t even be here today if it wouldn’t have been for Nick giving me a pep talk when I needed it the most a year ago, when I had no clue what to do after doing the same old thing for 10 years. He influences me a lot.

9. What is your favorite logo you have designed and why?
Out of all the logos I have designed, the LBOI logo would have to be my favorite. Why? Because it is big and bold and bodacious [I believe that term was used by a visitor to the blog] and has that quirk factor that we so badly wanted to represent our business. It has hidden meanings and symbolism for Nick and me and it has an owl in it. What’s not to love, right? And it took 4 years to arrive at.

10. What advice would you give to young designers just starting out?
Watch and learn. Don’t copy, but observe and absorb. Not everyone is going to like your designs and not everyone is going to be nice about it. Don’t let the negatives bog you down. You will know when criticism is constructive but stern and when it is just downright mean. Focus on the constructive bit and you will be fine. Push yourself harder every time and once you start something, don’t give up cause you got up too late or someone, online said something rude!

11. Is it weird being on the other side of the interview for a change? Did I forget to ask you anything? Would you have done a much better job? Do these pants make me look fat?
Not really, it has actually been so much fun, sipping on some wine at the end of the day, answering questions and not having to think them up. You my friend are the best and your questions made me laugh and they were perfect for my whimsy soul. No, I don’t think I would’ve done a better job. Those pants actually elongate your frame perfectly, are those the “no need to iron” kind. I love those kind, they are so handy!

12. And, finally, could you do a little dance for us?
Shuffle, shuffle, … Robot, Hang Head, Swivel, Robot, .. shuffle, shuffle, Moonwalk, Moonwalk … stop .. Chicken Robot, Chicken Robot ….. A shake, shake, shake … step, step and RUMBAAAA!! (*bows, blows a kiss and signs out*)

Thanks very much Pablo, for putting together this interview and for having me on the blog. I really appreciate it!

And thank you, Sneh, for letting us get to know you better.

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Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas. Be sure to check out her Brandstack profile as well!

We’ve added someone new and important and awesome to the Brandstack team. But before we’ll allow them to contribute, they must answer the gauntlet of questions

To introduce the Brandstack world to Katelyn, we asked her a few straight forward questions. Here are her answers:

Q: In less than 8 words: Where are you from? What do you enjoy? What do you want?
A. Knoxville; art, food, cats, internetz, FUN PPL; fulltimejobatBrandstack!! (does that last one count as one word if I squish it all together?) [Nope. --Ed.]

Q: So honestly, how annoyed are you by the music in the office?
A. Haha I really like it! More plz.

Q: Have you ever seen anyone taller than Ryan Kelly (@pearanalytics) in person… seriously?
A. I thought so once, but then I realized I was at a zoo and it was a giraffe.


Q: What’s the most embarrassing thing anyone’s ever said to you?
A. Haha it might just have to be “Oh hey cowgirl, you can ride me like a horse *neigh*” [*Ahem* This is a family site... A dirty family, so I'm going to allow this. --Ed.]

Q: If you had to call yourself a specialist in one thing, what would it be?
A. Ehhhh probably Photoshop. Yeah. Oh and being awesome.

Q: What was your favorite TV show of the 90’s?
A. So many favorites!! Are You Afraid of the Dark, Salute Your Shorts, All That, Doug, Angry Beavers, Dexter’s Lab, Rocko’s Modern Life, Ren and Stimpy… I could go on

Q: What did you want to be when you “grew up”?

A. When I was about 4, I told my mom that when I grew up I wanted to live with her and have 200 cats.

Q: What’s the one toy you wanted as a kid, but never got?

A. Does a trampoline count?

Q: If you could be in a band, tv show or movie, which one would it be and why?

A. Nightmare Before Christmas!! Because that movie is the all-time #1 BEST!

Q: In your opinion, what more odd about our office? The balls for chairs or the people?

A. The people. But totally in a good way

Q: If you could give yourself a nickname, what would it be?

A. Shibstamatic

Q: If you had the power to make one celebrity disappear, which one would it be?

A. Paris Hilton and all wannabe’s/lookalikes. May they burn!!!!

Q: After working in a start-up, would you ever want to start your own?

A. YES! I’ve always wanted to

Q: Leave us with one quote that you live by.

A. “Killing is wrong. And bad. There should be a new, stronger word for killing. Like badwrong, or badong. Yes, killing is badong. From this moment, I will stand for the opposite of killing: gnodab.”

If you want to learn more about Katelyn, catch her at katelyn@brandstack.com or on Twitter (@KShibs).

One of my earliest conversations with Rich were about autobots and dinobots from the Transformers series. An avid fan myself, it was so cool to talk to a fellow logo designer about the fandom that the series demanded.  Rich is from Australia and is a really swell guy, it is always a pleasure to correspond and chat with him.  In the logo designing world, he goes by the moniker of designabot.  From watching his amazing logos pop up on website inspiration lists to reading the deeply philosophical quotes he shares on twitter, Rich never fails to amaze me with his depth of perception. He experiments, adapts and is always there with a kind word of encouragement and a sunny demeanor. I had so much fun reading more about him in this interview that he kindly did for us. I hope you do too.

Thanks Rich for taking the time out for this interview. It is good to have you on the blog.

1. Tell us a little about yourself. About Rich Scott the person and Rich Scott the designer.

I am a 30 year old currently living in Queensland, Australia. I appreciate all aspects of creativity and right-brain thinking! Love a bit of tennis, chess and music (mainly funk and break beats). I have worked on a Mac since forever but am pleased to have avoided all hype surrounding other Apple products… so far! I have run my own business for the last 2+ years and enjoy the freedom this brings to my life. I find it hard to be creative on demand, so working freelance gives me the chance to dictate my own schedule and let creativity flow at leisure.

2. How did you get started with logo designing? Why logo designing?
I am fond of all aspects related to the logo design process, from initial brainstorming to seeing the final article in use. I have always been inquisitive into the origins and meanings behind hieroglyphs and ancient symbols. I found myself gravitating towards logo design because of the emotion and messages you can impart on a viewer with just a simple icon and/or font. After a few years out of the game it wasn’t until quite recently where my passion for graphic design returned and with it my focus became logos/brand identity. It is quite a specialist field but one that really captured my heart.

3. What according to you is the most fulfilling part of being a brand creator?
I would have to say bringing an idea to life that was once a mere flicker of inspiration in my mind then seeing the finished article is also a real pleasure. The amount of ideas and possible brand solutions are infinite which really fascinates and inspires me. It’s a really great feeling to receive feedback from your peers when you create identities that are unique, recognizable and fingers crossed, stand the test of time.

4. Can you share with us your most challenging logo design to date? What was the biggest hurdle in doing it?
Surprisingly one of my most challenging logos appears to be one of the simplest. It was originally an unused concept, which I re-worked for sale on Brandstack called ‘Silk Skin’. The concept came to me in a flash but when it came to vectorising in Adobe Illustrator, it took forever! Adjusting the size of one foot in relation to the other while still forming a recognisable letter ‘s’ was a real challenge but I got there in the end.

5. What has been the most unusual source of inspiration for your logos?
A designer takes inspiration from all areas of life not just the design world. One of my more recent brands ‘Vacuum Viper’ was probably the most unusual source. I was finishing up some house work (yawn) … then packing up the vacuum I pressed the cord release button. The speed and velocity of the cords recall reminded me of a snake as it nipped me on the way back! I jumped straight into illustrator with the idea still fresh in my mind and so this brand was born.

6. If there was one logo out there in the real world that you wished you had created, which one would that be?
There are so many but one recent logo that keeps popping up and stands out is ‘Under Armour’. It’s a simple and strong design, and as with all great logos combines graphic elements to convey a distinct message.

7. Out of your own portfolio, which logo is the dearest to you? Why?
I love all my creations but one that is dear to me is ‘Penny Puddle’. The main reason I am happy with this one is the strength of concept combined with the speed it took me to execute. I began reading the clients brief and the concept was in my mind before I finished reading. I wanted to convey emotions relating to financial wishes and upward mobility. I really think this solution delivers effectively.

8. Can you share with us your logo design process for Brandstack?
In the early days of Brandstack I re-worked a number of unused concepts and developed new brand names. More recently however all my designs have been crafted specifically for Brandstack. The process usually begins with a spark of inspiration, which can come to me at any point in the day. I will check to see if the .com or appropriate domain is available and then start sketching or jump into Illustrator. Nowadays on Brandstack you will notice most logos will sell as a package with a unique domain included, so it’s worth giving some serious thought.

9. How do you market yourself as a brand creator? What sites and tools do you use for promotion?
One aspect I have had to really push myself with is the whole marketing thing. It is all a bit of a learning curve but with the aid of sites like Brandstack it gives us designers exposure to many potential clients and is a useful marketing tool. As well as selling the odd logo here and there I am now in contact with lots of fellow creatives and have a few new clients gained exclusively through Brandstack. I also use sites such as, Logopond, Faveup and Logospire for promoting logos. I was dubious with Twitter to start with but it has turned out to be a very handy communication tool.

10. What is the single most valuable trait of a logo designer? If one doesn’t have it, is there a way to develop and hone it?
I would say self-belief is the most important thing to have as a logo designer. You have to be confident enough to follow your intuition and believe in all your creations. Putting your work ‘out there’ for critique can be daunting but my advice is, just go for it! Belief is within all of us but can still be developed further by taking criticism of all types, learning and moving forward in a positive direction.

11. What are your preferred choice of fonts for logos?
I always try and match icon and font as seamlessly as possible. My style is quite clean and minimalist so generally I gravitate towards san serif fonts. A few favourites are Bryant, Univers and Proxima

12. Superman logo or Batman Logo? Why?
I am a sucker for symmetry so on that basis I would have to say the Batman logo!

13. What are your plans and goals for yourself in the year 2010?
I try not to plan too far ahead or even set that many goals. I am pretty easy going and do my best to live in the moment and create the best experience I can. The main objective is to stay in business for myself as long as I can… I really couldn’t go back to working for ‘the man’ so I stay on my toes and work hard. That said I always have un-design related business ideas up my sleeve. It’s just finding the time to gain some revenue and get them going!

14. Any words of wisdom for newbie designers?
We have all at some point in time been new to the design industry. I would say try to be creative and as unique as possible. Create your own little niche within a fairly tough industry. Always keep a positive mind-set and have strong intent that you can and will succeed! Listen to others, ask questions and keep practicing whatever design process you feel most comfortable with. I would always recommend a design course of some sort to gain key knowledge and understanding of design principles. Whatever your skill level the main thing is to have a great concept. I agree that ‘less is more’ but it can be okay to come up with more complex logos providing the concept is strong and then presented in a visually appealing manner.

Thanks for the interview Sneh! ; )

And thanks for sharing some great advice with us Rich. We wish you the very best.

You can view Rich’s portfolio on his website Revivify Graphic Design. Follow Rich on Twitter for some great social interaction.

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Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas.

I have not had the pleasure of interacting with Nadir personally in the past but I have admired his work for a while. Once in a while, a logo would crop up that I would really take a shine to and I would see that it was from “Logorado” which happens to be Nadir Balcikli’s design name and brand. There were times when I wondered why he wasn’t creating more logos, because it was such a joy to see the few he had created. Then I realized why? “Less is More” is Nadir’s motto and it is evident from the sheer honesty he pours into his designs, not going for quantity but definitely producing top quality work. Today, Nadir takes time out from his busy schedule to talk to us about how Logorado came into being, how he found Brandstack and what are his thoughts behind the wonderful logos he designs.

Thank you Nadir for speaking to us today.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Who you are? Where you are from? And what do you do?
I am a 25 year old married designer living in Ankara/Turkey. The absolute musts in my life are my wife, my paper and pen, and my computer. If these were not in my life, I wouldn’t have been telling you these things today. I thank my wife very much for all that supports she’s been giving me. Taking photographs, reading personal development books and watching psychology- thriller movies may be counted as my favorite hobbies.

2. What is the story behind Logorado? How did your brand come into existence?
While I was working at the office one day I reached the decision that I needed to develop my expertise in a specific field of graphic design. What would that be? Clearly, It did not take me long to make my decision and to tell the truth the first and the single most thing that came to my mind was logo designing. This is how I started Logorado. In a significantly short time I achieved a reputation in the market and I continued and still continue to improve myself  in this specific field.

3. Logo designers are especially known to struggle with their own identities. Did you face any such problems when  creating Logorado? What was your biggest challenge?
It is scary to even remember that time. Finding my brand name, completing my corporate identity designs. There is a saying in Turkey “The tailor cannot sew his own.” I understand how correct this saying in all the designs I do for myself. I am very choosy. Especially, when I am creating something for myself. Frankly I still have some hesitations on the logo which I presently use for Logorado. Deploying Logorado in the logo design sector has been an intimidating subject in the beginning. I have always thought about how I would compete with successful designers. However my fears did not come true and my work kept getting better in each passing day.

4. How did you find out about Brandstack?Tell us a bit about your association with Brandstack, your success on the site and your trials?
We can consider that finding Brandstack has been completely by chance. While I was surfing on the internet from one page to another in my spare time, Brandstack appeared before me. I said, That’s it! I designed a logo just to test the site. I did not have much hope, but as I said, at that time I had plenty of spare time. Frankly, there was nothing to lose. And the logo I’ve added to Brandstack sold in a very short time. Maybe it was totally just luck but that was the most significant factor that encouraged me. Later on I started to create brands more frequently to be sold on Brandstack.

5. Are your logos mostly unused concepts? If they are specifically created for sale, what is your modus operandi? How do you go about with the whole logo designing process for a sale logo?
None of the logos I’ve added on Brandstack are unused logo concepts. They are all thought out in detail and they are specially designed for Brandstack. This process usually starts with the domain search. After buying the domain I like, subsequently there starts the logo designing process.

6. Your motto is “Less is More” and you are a big fan of minimalism. Have you always been a champion of minimal designs? How do you tackle the issue when a client wants an elaborate and busy design?
I can say that “Less is more” is not just for my designs but it is also my philosophy in life. Complexity and irregularity are absolutely not for me. The Persons/companies requesting logo designs from me are usually those who know my style and those who request minimalist designs. I kindly refuse the complex and over detailed logo designs. Because I want to keep up with my work with pleasure and I never want to be alienated from my works. Making a concession on my style is not for me.

7. According to you, what kind of logos work best in a market overcrowded and cluttered with a million products and services? How does a designer make his work stand out?
If we think in terms of logos sold on Brandstack only; we have the reply of this question automatically. Almost 80% of the sold logos are minimalist, they are unique and have aspects that are easy to remember. The imitations make the originals live; therefore each logo designer presenting his/her own style; one day will surely achieve a distinction that separates his works from the others

8. What new styles have you lately tried out in your logo designs?
Frankly, I have not thought of trying a new style recently; I am happy with my style and my customers are, too.

9. What is your favorite logo? Why?
“Mummy” By Gustav.  It is magnificent if I can say it in one word! The only thing that I can say is that it is the most creative logo out there that could brand the name “Mummy” and it is also quite plain and simple too.

10. Can you share a logo made by another designer that wowed you and taught you a lot? What did you learn from it?
“Horror Films” by Siah Design.  I was very impressed when I saw this logo for the first time. The great success of “Horror Films” strengthened my loyalty to minimalism. I would like to congratulate Josiah Jost once again through this interview!

11. If you were not a logo designer, what would you be?
If I were not a logo designer I guess I would be a photographer. A few of my photography works which I created in the past.

12. What according to you is the most difficult part of logo designing?
The most challenging part of logo design is to be able to jot down on paper the concept that is on my mind. When only the part where you have to design it on the computer remains, 90% of the job is done. I am using my computer not as a target but just as a vehicle. If there is something that has more value than my computer, that is my paper and pen.

13. Shout outs and Words of Advice?
First of all I thank you very much for this interview Sneh. The only recommendation I can give to the other logo designers is that “Pay attention to your efforts and make your work have features that will distinguish you from other designers. Never give in!”

Thanks once again Nadir. It has been a pleasure speaking to you and probing your mind. We wish you the very best.

View Nadir’s Portfolio on Logorado.com and visit his inspiration site Logogallery.net

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Sneh Roy is a designer and creative trends blogger. You can follow her @LBOI on Twitter and keep up with her at her site, Little Box of Ideas.