Yesterday, Mixergy interviewed our Founder and CEO Wes Wilson. We’d first like to thank Andrew Warner and Mixergy for conducting such a great interview and giving us the opportunity to get the Brandstack name out there.
Check out this video of the interview:
How Brandstack is building a profitable marketplace for brands
If you prefer to just listen, here’s an audio version of it.
You can also head over to Mixergy to read a full transcript of the interview. Thanks again to Andrew for the great interview!
Here at Brandstack, we create brands. We foresee what our prospective clients might want one fine day and we design and develop it before they can think about it. But that is not all that we do. We also network those marketable brands to very unique, very covetable domains. And today, we have the pleasure of chatting with one of our expert domainers, a logo designer, a domain expert, a software developer and startup geek all rolled into one, Shahram Shokrian of IDA Studios. There is a lot to be learned from Shahram. Join me as I ask Shahram about how he started with logo designing and what process he follows for creating great brands.
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]
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.
Every month, Brandstack will recognize logos which exhibit particular badassedness. Is that a real word? At Brandstack, it is. Scroll down to see why…
This is our first go at this and we have to admit it wasn’t easy narrowing down the designs we felt deserved this honor. We take this sort of thing very seriously and put quite a bit of thought into choosing which designs belong here. It was even more difficult deciding who deserved top billing — the king of the month, so to speak. So without further ado, here are the Badass Logos of the Month for January 2010, starting with the best.
Spartan Golf Club by Lexlogo continue reading
You know we have a Premium membership—right? Well, we do but it seems it’s a bit of a secret. We need your help making it better. We like to think we’re always taking steps to improve Brandstack for our loyal users. When you tell us you want to see something new, we listen close. When you say you want to see less of something, we listen… even though it hurts at times. 
We’ve been looking at several new features and plans for our Premium Sellers, but we need your feedback to make it GREAT! So.. Let your fingers do the talking and get to clicking! Help shape Brandstack by telling us what the new Premium Seller Memberships should look like.
It is the time of year where we like to do something special for our designers. That isn’t to say that we aren’t always trying to provide something special for you, as I think you might have noticed from our constant efforts to get our site working in your favor. It is with that in mind that we bring you B.A.C.O.N.: Building Art & Creativity Over Nations.
So what exactly is BACON? BACON is our way of giving you the opportunity to show off as designers within the context of selling your designs on Brandstack and maybe break through some of the creative block you’re fighting. We will provide you a specific theme, you’ll design with that theme in mind, and the design which gets the most springs will wins. (If you remember IncSplosion… this is a better, updated version. To be perfectly clear, the pig ate IncSplosion!)
What do you get if you win? Pride. You’ll also get a free month of Premium Seller membership, the very prestigious BACON badge on your design and on your profile, and a spot in the BACON Hall of Fame.
How do you participate? What are the rules? OK, I’ve got you covered.
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Negative space when used effectively can be stunning. Cleverly subtle yet powerfully direct, it is a technique that can take a good idea and make it transcendent. One of the better examples of a simple implementation of negative space which says a lot is the FedEx logo.
How long did it take you before you noticed the arrow? One of the signs of a good negative space design is one in which the design does not suffer if the negative space element goes unnoticed.
Some of our sellers on Brandstack are particularly adept at incorporating negative space into their designs. Here are some of our favorite examples of negative space logo designs on Brandstack:
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We just thought we’d send out a little reminder that we’re giving away two $100 gift cards on this here blog. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, please go here.
I’m beginning to suspect that with all the spam out there in social media land, the turnout for this contest has been a bit inhibited, but I can assure you there is no catch or risk in entering to win. We just encourage you guys to stick around and see what our company is about, but no pressure.
I don’t know how many times people have come up to me on the street and said, “Pablo, is that $100 gift card thing legit?” And after I get over the shock of a complete stranger somehow knowing my name, I tell them, “Yes, guy, this thing is totally real and I encourage you to participate. Bye.”
I fancy myself a facilitator of information. And right now I’m facilitating that there are two $100 gift cards for the taking and the having. If you have reservations about spreading the word to your friends because you’re afraid they might think you’re a spammer, tell them, “HEY! I’m no spammer,” and toss your scarf over your shoulder and walk away. You don’t need friends like that anyway. OR just direct them to this blog post and allay their fears. That’s the nice way to handle it, I suppose.
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I just realized that I haven’t really introduced myself since arriving at Brandstack. Yes, I answered that questionnaire, and I’ve since posted on this blog, but you guys don’t really know who I am.
So let me hip you to what a Pablo G is. Pablo G is defined in the dictionary as a man on a mission. Not a goal-driven quest mission, but rather one of those Pueblan church-looking building thingies where people try to convert heathens. I stand on top of those things. So, naturally, Brandstack, which makes its home in the Alamo city was a good place for me to set up shop.
I was born in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas and am the self-proclaimed whitest Hispanic in the contiguous U.S. (I can’t really keep tabs on what’s going on in Alaska or Hawaii). I am an honors communications graduate of a university here in the city that I’d rather not name because I hate them, but I assure you that I totally know what I’m doing despite them.
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It was decided between Graham of Pear Analytics and myself that we will be having a beard-off.
What’s a beard-off? It’s only the best thing ever. We realized in the office that the both of us are quite formidable facial hair growers, as evidenced by Graham’s Twitter avatar and by my affinity for the film Teen Wolf.
On August 6th, there was a shave restriction put into effect. We will now see who can grow the fullest beard the fastest. Luckily, we had both happened to shave that morning around our goatees so we have a fair start. The winner will get all the free hair they could ever want. The loser will be ground up into a fine paste and fed to himself. Yeah, we haven’t quite worked out all the logistics yet, but when we do… paste!
Most people think growing a beard is really simple. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. There’s a lot of blood and sweat involved — sometimes tears. We’re going to be pushing our bodies to the limits all for your amusement.
The original plan was to have a BEAR-off, on account of the economy. That extra letter was going to really cost us, but we’re all free spirits here, so we let our hair down and went for it. I’m excited. We’ll keep you posted on how it’s going here and on Twitter (also through #beardoff).
Let the best man win.
Beard-Off: Minute 1, Day 1
“I need to start winning some tennis games so I can get some respect around here.” -Wes Wilson
The Wii Sports tennis matches have hit a fever pitch in the Brandstack office. Wait, let me try that again. The Wii Sports tennis matches have hit a fever serve in the Brandstack office. I’m so clever. What we’ve learned is that if you don’t bring it on the court, you lose all clout in the office. Wes learned this the hard way today when he dropped a couple matches to Pear Analytics’ Ryan Kelly and our very own Robert McGuire.
Ryan v. Wes
