Signum Media

graphic design; marketing & pr; creative web design; internet services

Posts Tagged logo design

Why branding works

Jul 20

Posted by info in Graphic Design | No Comments

Your brand is one of your greatest assets. It isn’t simply your logo, strapline and corporate image, but your customers’ total experience of your business. In essence, your brand is your promise to customers and represents your business values in everything you do.

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Communicate your brand clearly and concisely to customers and you will build confidence and credibility. In this way your brand will give you a competitive edge.

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The brand you develop should inform customers precisely what to expect from you. If you deliver on your promises, goodwill and repeat business will be yours as will business referrals. We all have a favourite shop to which we return again and again. Why, because we appreciate its brand values and know what we’re going to get. It’s exactly the same for your customers.

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In addition, a good brand will stress the difference between you and your competition. In a highly competitive market this can be invaluable.

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An essential part of this process is to employ the services of a specialist branding company to develop a memorable and meaningful logo and a consistency of image which means instant recognition for your company.

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The strength of a strong, distinctive brand is that it can lift your company above others to become something really memorable and highly valued by your customers.

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Call Signum on 01437 781333 to discuss your company’s branding requirements.

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What is copyright?

Jun 30

Posted by info in Graphic Design | No Comments

Copyright gives the creators of certain kinds of material rights to control ways their material can be used. These rights start as soon as the material is recorded in writing or in any other way. There is no official registration system. The rights cover: copying; adapting; distributing.

What is protected by copyright?

Copyright protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works, published editions of works, sound recordings (including CDs), films (including videos and DVDs) and broadcasts. In the graphic design field original creations such as logos and artworks for brochures, leaflets and other marketing and promotional tools are included within this definition as ‘artistic works’.

What about computer programmes and material stored in computers?

A computer program is protected as a literary work. Converting a program into or between computer languages and codes counts as‘adapting’ a work and storing anywork in a computer involves ‘copying’the work. The copyright owner will usually need to give permission for ‘adapting’ and ‘copying’. Databases also are protected by copyright if the selection and/or arrangement of their contents is original.

Copyright gives the creators of certain
kinds of material rights to control ways
their material can be used. These
rights start as soon as the material
is recorded in writing or in any other
way. There is no official registration
system. The rights cover:
• copying;
• adapting;
• distributingDatabases are protected by copyright if the selection and/or arrangement of their contents is original.

Is material on the internet protected by copyright?

Yes – under UK law copyright material sent over the internet or stored on web servers will usually be protected in the same way as material recorded on other media.

Who owns copyright?

The general rule is that the designer or author is the first owner of copyright in a literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work. This includes logos and artworks for marketing materials, such as brochures and leaflets and also covers website designs.

Does copyright need to be registered?

No – copyright protection in the UK is automatic. As soon as an original design is created, its creator is deemed to own the copyright. Copyright lasts until 70 years after the death of the designer or author.

Can copyright be transferred to some one else?

Yes – copyright is a form of intellectual property and can be bought and sold. It is also possible to transfer only some of the rights. Anyone who is a copyright owner may license others to use their work.

But if I own something, doesn’t that make me the copyright owner?

No – copyright exists independently of the material on which it is recorded. So if, for example, you have bought a logo, you will only own the copyright if it has been transferred to you. Copyright is a type of intellectual property and cannot be used without the owner’s permission. Of course, the copyright owner may not decide to give you permission for their work. YOU MUST CONTACT the copyright owner for permission to use the copyright material.

So, when you commission an original work, such as a logo, be sure you understand the implications of copyright. If you wish to have unlimited usage you should ask the designer to transfer copyright to you. The designer is entitled to make a charge for the transfer, although this may often by quite modest in view of the effect of an original and memorable logo will have in developing your business.

Sources:

Intellectual Property Office

Copyright – basic facts

kinds of material rights to control ways
their material can be used. These
rights start as soon as the material
is recorded in writing or in any other
way. There is no official registration
system. The rights cover:
• copying;
• adapting;
• distributing;

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Why use a professional to design your logo?

Jun 19

Posted by info in Graphic Design | No Comments

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A distinct company identity is essential to business growth. It’s essential, therefore, to make every effort to ensure that your logo is both striking and memorable and, in this pursuit, it is recommended that you seek the assistance of a professional design company to design your company logo.

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‘Ah ah!’, you say, ‘but I know a friend of a friend who has a computer who “knows a bit” about design and he will only charge peanuts.’ Or alternatively, you may think that you are able to design your logo yourself using that ‘clever’ design package that came with your computer. This is a mistake!

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You will, no doubt, find it highly entertaining to come up with your own design, tweak it here and there, try different fonts and change the colours around. However, no matter how hard you try, your lack of expertise in design will result in a logo that doesn’t do justice to your company. It’s not your fault – you haven’t been trained in logo design skills. You don’t have sufficent knowledge about contemporary colour or font trends or whether your text should be bold or not, upper case or lower case – it’s a real minefield! At the end of it, your selections will be subjective and based on your own likes and dislikes. You will not have a logo that will appeal to your target market!

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However, if you engage a professional logo design company, it will have trained designers with industry expertise and these two attributes make the difference. They are aware of what the market requires because it’s their job to make a study of it. They also have the skills and equipment to design a logo that makes your company stand out from the rest and imbue it with an air of crediblity, reliability and professionalism.

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Engage a logo design professional and the result will be a logo that is your most effective branding and marketing tool and, in addition, your most important investment for the future business prospects.

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Pick up the phone and call Signum, the professionals, on 01437 781333.

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Why is design so important?

Oct 20

Posted by info in General, Graphic Design, Marketing & PR | No Comments

Why is it so important for companies to invest in design?

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Well, effective design, put simply, is about creating competitive advantage. Clearly in today’s climate, it is all important that your company and its message cuts through all the noise generated in the business environment. Design can impact on all aspects of a business, improving profitability, creating new revenue streams, raising company profile, building brand recognition and empowering staff to deliver the best results.

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Design can be the business ingredient which turns a company around. It can also take a poorly-perceived brand and turn it into a front runner. In today’s precarious economic climate, it’s the right time to think about the advantages you have to differentiate your business from your competition and use design to bring them to the fore.

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Perhaps, as a progressive business, you already put design right at the heart of your marketing strategy. If so, you’ll appreciate the improving effect that good design has on business performance and see design for what it is … an investment not a business cost. However, if your business has yet to come to terms with the value of design as a business tool and a key to success identified you should start to give it serious consideration right now!

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Design is not just about making something look good. It is also not just about a logo on your stationery. And it is definitely not about asking a junior member of staff to have a stab at laying out the company brochure! Effective design, put simply, is about creating competitive advantage. It can impact on all aspects of a business, improving profitability, creating new revenue streams, raising company profile, building brand recognition and empowering staff to deliver the best results.

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One of the most cost-effective ways that a company is able to address this matter is to critically assess their corporate image, starting with its logo. However, this must be done professionally and our advice is to engage the services of a specialist branding agency. Clearly, there is a cost attached to employing the services of specialists, however, in the long run the initial outlay will payback time after time.

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If you’d like to talk to us about improving your company’s image call 01437 781333.

Or click here.

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What’s so important about a logo?

Sep 30

Posted by info in General, Graphic Design, Marketing & PR | No Comments

What’s so important about a logo?
If you’re about to start a new business, there are a million things to consider. However, one critical item you must make time for is a logo for your company – developing an unforgettable image for your business, one which differentiates and makes you stand out from the competition, could be the difference between success and failure. So, be sure to add ‘logo design’ to your ‘to do’ list!
A great logo says a great deal about your company, its ethos and the way it operates, so let’s take a closer look at why a well-designed logo is so vital:
Well, a well-crafted logo indicates that your company is PROFESSIONAL … it emphasises your credibility, reliability and trustworthiness. A memorable logo inspires consumer confidence whereas, in sharp contrast, a weak image will have quite the opposite effect.
A quality logo can also become one of your very best sales-people, adding weight and credibility to your sales offering
and communicating a great deal about your company. By using carefully chosen fonts and colours, a professional logo designer can create an image for your company which customers, potential and existing, will find unforgettable.
Great and memorable logos have been at the centre of many companies’ success – Nike’s ‘swoosh’, McDonalds’ ubiquitous ‘M’ and of course the Apple symbol. The logos of all of these companies are an embodiment of their success.
And, once you have developed a truly memorable logo, promotional products, such as printed mugs, printed pens, branded umbrellas and so on (the range is endless) are a fantastic way to get your message out to potential and existing customers.
By now you should understand the need for a great logo to help grow your business and you should make sure that you engage a professional logo design company, such as Stupid Tuesday, to do so. There will, of course, be an associated cost but this price could be the best investment your comapny ever makes!

If you’re about to start a new business, there are a million things to consider. However, one critical item you must make time for is a logo for your company – developing an unforgettable image for your business, one which differentiates and makes you stand out from the competition, could be the difference between success and failure. So, be sure to add ‘logo design’ to your ‘to do’ list!

A great logo says a great deal about your company, its ethos and the way it operates, so let’s take a closer look at why a well-designed logo is so vital:

Well, a well-crafted logo indicates that your company is professional … it emphasises your credibility, reliability and trustworthiness. A memorable logo inspires consumer confidence whereas, in sharp contrast, a weak image will have quite the opposite effect.

A quality logo can also become one of your very best sales-people, adding weight and credibility to your sales offering and communicating a great deal about your company. By using carefully chosen fonts and colours, a professional logo designer can create an image for your company which customers, potential and existing, will find unforgettable.

Great and memorable logos have been at the centre of many companies’ success – Nike’s ‘swoosh’, McDonalds’ ubiquitous ‘M’ and of course the Apple symbol. The logos of all of these companies are an embodiment of their success.

And, once you have developed a truly memorable logo, promotional products, such as printed mugs, printed pens, branded umbrellas and so on (the range is endless) are a fantastic way to get your message out to potential and existing customers.

By now you should understand the need for a great logo to help grow your business and you should make sure that you engage a professional logo design company, such as Signum, to do so. There will, of course, be an associated cost but this price could be the best investment your company ever makes!

To discuss the design of your logo call us on 01437 781333

… or visit Signum Designworks

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