Bing Search Engine Gets It Right
Well, at lest they got one search right. A search for "Unique Business Cards" turns up ShowOffCards.com in the number one (non-paid) slot.
Not sure I'd bet the farm on Bing unseating Google as the search engine king but it's fun to watch them try.
Evolution of a Logo
It's been 3 years since I launched ShowOffCards. I was also running rscottj.com which was a website design company which I rebranded to ShowOffStudios to build on the whole "show off" theme.
As with most start ups I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a logo design because A) I didn't know if the business would fly and B) my philosophy is to keep cost/overhead low to maximize profit. So I designed my own logo - a move that most experts will tell you is a bad idea. ("Experts" also said you can't sell business cards for $600 per 1000. Shows what they know)
As I thought about a new logo I wanted one logo that would work across the business card business AND the website design business. I wanted to develop an image/icon to represent "Show Off" and then use a text line to differentiate the two businesses - yet let people know they are from the same parent company.
As I kicked this around two things became apparent.
1) I couldn't come up with anything tha I liked to represent "show off"
2) I really like the simplicity of my current showoffcards logo
So, I ended up revamping the showoffcards logo by stylizing it a bit and by simplifying the font. Once I saw that, I started looking at the card shape and realized that if I rotated it 90 degrees and put smaller fingers on both sides it could be a computer monitor - perfect for a website design logo.
All in all I'm pretty pleased. Now I just need to implement the logos.
What do you think? (click for larger image)
As with most start ups I didn't want to spend a ton of money on a logo design because A) I didn't know if the business would fly and B) my philosophy is to keep cost/overhead low to maximize profit. So I designed my own logo - a move that most experts will tell you is a bad idea. ("Experts" also said you can't sell business cards for $600 per 1000. Shows what they know)
As I thought about a new logo I wanted one logo that would work across the business card business AND the website design business. I wanted to develop an image/icon to represent "Show Off" and then use a text line to differentiate the two businesses - yet let people know they are from the same parent company.
As I kicked this around two things became apparent.
1) I couldn't come up with anything tha I liked to represent "show off"
2) I really like the simplicity of my current showoffcards logo
So, I ended up revamping the showoffcards logo by stylizing it a bit and by simplifying the font. Once I saw that, I started looking at the card shape and realized that if I rotated it 90 degrees and put smaller fingers on both sides it could be a computer monitor - perfect for a website design logo.
All in all I'm pretty pleased. Now I just need to implement the logos.
What do you think? (click for larger image)
Raises? For those bums?!
"Despite the lousy economy, high unemployment and plummeting housing prices, U.S. congressional members get a $4,700 pay raise this week. The 2.8 percent raise of $4,700 a year will increase most salaries to $174,000 a year, the McClatchy newspaper group reported Monday."If I'm not mistaken virtually every business in the U.S. is laying people off and in most cases freezing wages. If you're lucky enough to have a job - a pay freeze is not so bad, considering the alternative.
And here we have the congressional brain trust, who set the lending and banking rules that lead to this financial blood bath, voting themselves a raise.
Well technically, they didn't vote FOR a raise. they have such a sweet set up that the raises happen every year unless they decide to ask for a vote to NOT get a raise.
And let's not forget their pension plan which is something like 80% of their salary - for Life!
Contact your congressional rep and ask them why they deserve a raise.
Creating Logos - Harder Than It Looks
I am in the process of creating a refreshed logo for ShowOffCards.com and create a first logo for ShowOffStudios.com The most difficult part is making it as simple as possible yet conveying the brand.
I am a fan of super simple logos that make you go "Ah-ha!" Here's one that has the ah-ha factor.
I am a fan of super simple logos that make you go "Ah-ha!" Here's one that has the ah-ha factor.
Hot Rod Business Card
I recently had a ShowOffCards.com client tell me that among other things he was into hot rods and that I had free reign to come up with a concept for his cards. (Ya gotta love clients like that).The hot rod hobby reminded me of some bubblegum cards I remember from when I was a kid. They were illustrated hot rods with monster themes. I googled around a bit and found them - they were called "Odd Rods" and were drawn by the artist B.K. Taylor.
Long story short, I had my illustrator develop a card with that same look and feel (minus the monster part). I think it turned out pretty cool. You can view his entire card in our Show Off gallery.
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