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What does the BMW logo mean to you? Lots of people believe that it symbolises a propeller, but is this really the case? Wonder no longer, as BMW has come clean about what its blue and white logo design is all about.
To many people, of course, the BMW is associated with over-aggressive drivers roaring up behind them on the motorway and flashing their lights as they demand to be let past (although to be fair Audi has stolen BMW's thunder in that regard over the past few years). But next time there's a BMW logo looming far too large in your rear-view mirror, you needn't wonder what it means.
The original BMW logo looked much the same as it does today
BMW got its name in 1917; it was previously an aircraft engine manufacturer called Rapp, and for the first few years of its existence it mainly produced aircraft engines for the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. Rapp's company logo had been a silhouette of a knight chess piece surrounded by a black ring bearing the company name, and for its new logo company retained the black ring but added the now-familiar quartered blue and white design.
The reason for the new design was to display the company's Bavarian heritage; the Bavarian flag also features a chequered blue and white pattern, and at the time of BMW's formation there was a popular movement for Bavarian independence from Germany. The company name – BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Works – similarly reflects the pro-independence mood.
The 1929 advert that started it all
So where does the propeller idea come from? According to BMW, it all stems from an advert published in 1929, when BMW was still producing aircraft engines, depicting an aeroplane with the BMW logo superimposed over the propeller. The association was strengthened by a similar image in a 1942 publication by BMW, and legend has grown from there.
BMW itself admits that it's never really made much effort to correct the myth about its logo - it's a lovely little pub fact that doesn't do any harm and helps propagate the BMW brand, even though it's a long time since the company has had anything to do with the aircraft industry.
The 1942 image that sealed the deal
It's good to get the full story behind the logo, though; to find out more, and to see how the BMW logo has evolved over the years, head for this article on the company's website.
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Whatever area of design you work in, it's always useful to have some free design resources within easy reach. You might have a sizeable collection of all the design assets you need, but access to plenty of great stuff for free can be welcome if an exciting commission comes along that's a little out of your comfort zone, or if you're in the mood to try out some new visual styles or some experimental design.
We've picked out 10 brilliant free design resources online, where you can find all manner of useful assets such as fonts, icons, backgrounds and more. You might not need them right now, but it would pay to bookmark them today so you can quickly find them again when the need arises.
01. Paaatterns
Get 22 ready-made abstract backgrounds
For a quick and good-looking fix when you're in need of a background for a website, a design for a business card or abstract graphics for any other design projects, Paaatterns from LStore could be a lifesaver. It's a free collection of beautiful patterns, consisting of 22 carefully-crafted designs, ready to customise and edit in Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD or Illustrator. If you like what you see, be sure to check out LS's other design tools.
02. DesignBundles
Plenty of these free design elements are good for commercial use
DesignBundles offers great deals on all manner of design elements, including graphic packs, illustrations, icons, fonts and templates, and as well as its assorted design bargains it also has a huge collection of free design elements to download. You'll need to register for a free account to get your hands on them, but it's worth the effort as not only are these elements available for free, most of them are also licensed for commercial use.
03. Ionicons
Ionicons is an extensive set of free SVG icons
It's always good to have a decent set of icons to hand, and Ionicons, created by the Ionic Framework team, is a particularly useful one to have around. It consists of a sizeable collection of app icons plus a good helping of logos to go with them, in both Material and iOS styles, for web, Android, iOS and desktop apps. They're completely open source and MIT licensed, and come in SVG format so you can be sure they'll scale nicely.
04. Humaaans
Nail the current illustration trend with these poseable people
Flat and funky illustrated figures are a current design trend that's not going away, and the perfect way to liven up all manner of designs. And while you could draw your own, find stock art or commission a custom set of illustrations, here's a much easier solution. Pablo Stanley's Humaaans is a ready-made collection of illustrated figures that comes complete with a design library, so you can mix and match them, and rotate and position their elements any way you like.
05. BeFonts
Who doesn't love free fonts?
There are any number of places to find free fonts online, but here's one you might not have seen before. BeFonts features a stack of great-looking fonts for all applications, from basic serifs and sans-serifs through to more decorative display and script fonts, as well as far-out symbols, bitmap and retro fonts. They're all free for personal use, and some can be used on commercial projects too.
06. TheHungryJPEG
More free design goodies for you to download
Another general design resource with loads of fonts, graphics and templates to download, TheHungryJPEG also has an extensive collection of free resources available. You'll find plenty of background graphics, fonts, clipart and more, and much of it comes with a commercial licence too.
07. FreeDesignResources
Another useful collection of free stuff
This one does exactly what it says on the tin. FreeDesignResources is just that, an online collection of free design resources including icons, fonts, templates and even UI kits. Most appear to be for personal use only, but if you hunt around you'll find a few free goodies that can be put to commercial use.
08. HueSnap
Find the perfect palette here
A good palette can be hard to find, but here's a free resource that makes it easy to discover colour combinations that are easy on the eye. HueSnap lets you create your own palettes either using a colour picker or by uploading an image and selecting shades from that, and it also features a never-ending collection of user-created palettes that you can scroll through until you find the perfect one for your latest project.
09. FontPair
An excellent place to find out which fonts play nicely together
Just as with finding the perfect palette, hitting that ideal font pairing can be a gruelling process of trial and error. But at FontPair you can browse through a vast collection of ready-made font pairings, helpfully organised so that you can quickly find the exact kind of combination – such as serif with sans-serif, or display with serif – that you're after. You can see in-the-wild examples of many pairings, and when you find the perfect mix you can download your chosen duo with a single click.
10. Frrames
Creating mockups is a lot easier with these free frames
Finally, an essential free resource to keep bookmarked for whenever you need to design a good-looking mockup. Frrames boasts a collection of fully responsive vector mockup frames for most applications – you'll find mockups for iPhones, iPads and Android devices, as well as frames for various browsers and apps on Windows and iOS. They're ready to edit in Sketch, Photoshop, Adobe XD and Figma, and you can download them individually for free; if you're in a hurry, though, you can grab the entire set in one go for just $9.
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Having an area that allows users to login and download or view documents has become expected by consumers, from phone contracts to utilities.
When designers work with their clients, however, everything can quickly break down into a muddle of emails, links to mockups and attachments.
This tutorial will show how to extend WordPress into a client portal capable of storing documents, videos and drawings, so a client can access them all in one place. The portal will serve each customer with a unique and password-protected link that doesn't appear in the regular navigation.
Custom post types and fields will be used to store the data, and these will be added through plugins, to avoid data loss should the theme change. The theme will be modified slightly
Having a client portal gives customers the convenience of accessing their files all in the same place, whenever they need them. It has an array of business advantages, including showing available up-sells, or can be used to give an overview of the work process from the beginning by visually outlining the deliverables.
Download the files for this tutorial.
01. Install a fresh copy of WordPress
A fresh copy of WordPress is installed on the development server, and the "understrap" theme has been chosen to give a boilerplate foundation in order to quickly start work. The Custom Post Type UI plugin will be used so our custom post types are independent of the theme.
02. Remove default plugins
If any default plugins came with the copy of WordPress, delete those. The plugins needed for this tutorial are "Advanced Custom Fields" and "Custom Post Type UI". "Classic Editor" has also been installed.
03. Add a custom post type
Using the Custom Post Type UI interface, add a new post type called "customer". When entering the "Post type slug", use underscores instead of spaces and write in the singular form, as this will make it easier to create templates later. The prefix tu_ has been added to reduce the chance of a conflict.
04. The add/edit custom post type interface
Add both singular and plural labels
Add a plural labelled "customers" and singular "customer", as this will appear in the WordPress admin menu. Capitalisation is accepted in these fields, which will make the WordPress menu tidier.
05. Create a custom rewrite slug
Use the custom rewrite slug for a better user experience
Using a prefix for the post type slug will mean customers added to the portal will be created with a link that looks like "/tu_customer/example-company". This doesn't look tidy, and the custom rewrite slug is used to improve this. Setting the rewrite slug to "customers" allows the custom post type to appear as /customers/example-company.
06. Add support for custom fields
Tick the "Custom field" option and submit the changes
The last option that is enabled for the custom post type is "Supports > Custom field" which is found near the bottom of the page. Tick this, and then "add post type" at the bottom of the page. This submits the changes and registers the post type.
07. Add custom fields
Now you need to add custom fields to your new post type
Custom fields now need to be added and assigned to the post type that was just created. Adding a field group named "customer portal" is the first step, followed by adding custom fields to it with the add field button. The first field "brief" will be set as the field type "file," which allows the admin to upload a file in this location. Set the return value to "file url".
08. Set up the fields
The next field to be added is "brand questionnaire." This will consist of a link to a google form that the customer should fill out. The most suitable field type for this is "URL". This same method can be used for all fields that will link to an external service. When finished, scroll down to the "location" box and use the logic "Show if Post Type" = "Customer". Then publish the field group.
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09. Create the WordPress template file
WordPress needs to know how to display a customer dashboard. For this, the WordPress template hierarchy is followed to create a template file for this specific post type. Create a file called single-tu_customer.php in the root theme directory.
10. Create a full-width single post layout
Make a full-width layout for your content
Open the single-tu_customer.php file and add the get_header and get_footer WordPress functions. Between those functions, create a full-width layout to hold the content that works with your theme.
11. Start the loop and create the content
Use placeholders to lay out your content
Within the <main> element, call the_post and create the container elements to hold information. Use placeholder information in order to get an idea of the layout, and begin to style the elements. The card elements will be bootstrap cards with a header, description and a link.
12. Use PHP to call in dynamic values
Using the function "the_field", a function that comes with the advanced custom fields plugin, the dynamic content from the custom fields is entered into the customer template. The 'field_name' is the value that was entered in step 3.
13. Make a test customer with some dummy data
Go to the WordPress dashboard to make a dummy customer
Accessing the WordPress dashboard, a new customer can be added from the left-hand bar. Customers > Add new Customer. The post view will be familiar, but scrolling down will reveal all of the new custom fields. Enter some test data to make sure everything is working correctly.
14. Handle errors for any missing data
Make sure it's clear when documents aren't available
If a document is forgotten, or it's simply too early in the process for that document to be available, it could be confusing for a customer when the button does not work. Adding a check that a value exists before showing it gives a chance to show a "missing field" variation of the card. Adding a class "disabled" to the card when the value is missing will allow us to style unavailable cards.
15. Tidy up the interface
Now that the structure of the interface is finalised, it can be styled properly. Using CSS, the look of the cards and colours on the page can be improved. The colour for the navigation has been changed to a lighter blue, and user direction has been improved by adding introduction text.
16. Exclude it from the sitemap
The custom post types shouldn't be found in search engines results. The post type needs to be excluded from the website's sitemap, either through an SEO plugin, or manually using a meta tag and robots.txt.
This article was originally published in issue 288 of creative web design magazine Web Designer. Buy issue 288 here or subscribe to Web Designer here.
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When you're visiting a new place, chances are you're going to rely on Google Maps to help find your destination. The popular tool from the search engine giant is one of the best iPhone apps for travellers and tourists thanks to its directional compass, but Google recently announced that it's set to get even easier to use thanks to a new augmented reality beta update called Live View.
With Live View, iOS and Android users will soon see Google Maps enhanced by their phone's camera overlay. This means that people will be able to hold up their phone and see navigational tips overlaid on top of their surroundings via the screen.
So, say you're looking for a nearby train station, all you'll have to do is fire up Live View and see big directional arrows on your phone screen pointing you in the right direction.
Live View isn't a new feature, but it is the first time that iOS and Android users will be able to enjoy it. Previously Live View has only run on Google's Pixel phones, which you can find great deals on here. Pixel users have been able to use the feature since March, but it's set to roll out to everyone else this week.
Get an idea of what Live View will look like in the GIF below.
"With a beta feature called Live View, you can use augmented reality (AR) to better see which way to walk. Arrows and directions are placed in the real world to guide your way," Google explains in a blog post.
"We’ve tested Live View with the Local Guides and Pixel community over the past few months, and are now expanding the beta to Android and iOS devices that support ARCore and ARKit."
Other updates to Google Maps include the Reservations tab and the timeline feature. All of which mean that soon we could be arranging every aspect of our trips through the app.
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Threatpost breaks down the highs and lows from Black Hat 2019, from new vulnerabilities and industry collaboration to a scandal around a sponsored session.
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Valve said it wouldn't fix an elevation-of-privilege bug that allows attackers to run any program on a target machine with high privileges.
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It's all too easy to save an image using the default file type option your computer suggests. But if you want your assets to look their best and function efficiently, you're going to want to make the extra effort and save them in the correct format. To help you do that, this handy flowchart by Allen Hsu is here to offer you some advice.
Shared on the Medium profile of the UX Collective contributor, Hsu's flowchart quickly runs through how you should save a photograph, vector image or logo. If you've been confused as to whether or not you should save an image as a JPG, PNG, GIF or SVG, this is the cheatsheet for you.
According to his rough and ready flowchart (below), large images should be saved as JPGs, while smaller photographs or transparent, non-moving images should be saved as a PNG. Vector images should be saved as an SVG to ensure you meet web design standards, and moving images or graphics without gradients should be saved as a GIF.
Unlike our guide to logo design though, Hsu's flowchart also suggests that logos with gradients should be burnt instead of being saved. It's a tongue in cheek approach, but given that gradient logos are a polarising design choice we imagine that it's a popular tip.
Couldn't be more straightforward
Keep in mind that this isn't a definitive guide. In the post's comments section, Medium user Leo Herzog was keen to point out that the transparent track should end in PNG, while Charlie Hayes highlighted that GIFs are often better served by being saved as a PNG.
In his defence, Hsu replied: "I am not avoiding listing out these "certain conditions", it's just easier to make them into a chart, and that is why I designed this chart. Also, GIFs are great for emails!"
And if an image you've saved or received doesn't look quite right, don't forget to check out our guide to the best monitor calibrators for designers. These tools will allow you to configure your monitor so that it displays colours as accurately as possible. Even on gradient logos.
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A big redesign is the perfect way to get internet blood boiling, but nothing could have prepared us for the howls of online anguish this morning over Snapchat's new app icon.
Twitter is currently awash with angry young things voicing their displeasure over the new icon, which started turning up on people's iPhone and Android apps last night with the latest update. So it must be a pretty radical redesign, right?
The lovely old icon's on the left, and the horrible new version's on the right
Actually, no. It's almost identical to the old logo; the only difference is that the stroke width on the spooky Snapchat ghost has been increased a bit. And considering that the icon features a white ghost on a yellow background, this is a pretty good move from an accessibility point of view.
However it hasn't gone down at all well with Snapchat's users, who are waking up today, discovering that their beloved phantom is a bit chunkier around the edges, and by Jiminy they're furious, variously describing this bold new look as ugly, aggressive and, weirdly, like the cartoon version of something that got stuck in the real world. It seems to be making plenty of users uncomfortable and lots them of are resorting to taking the icon off their home screens and hiding it away where it can't upset them.
If this seems like a bit of an overreaction, bear in mind that last year 1.2 million users signed an online petition demanding that Snap reverse a redesign that they felt uncomfortable with. And while we're not sure if this latest redesign is going to provoke quite that level of ire, considering that Snap's response to last year's petition was to basically say tough luck, we can be pretty sure that this new icon's here to stay.
And while you probably feel that the new icon really isn't different enough to warrant so much online anger, we kind of understand. For Snapchat's young users, that icon is a familiar totem that they've known for a long time. For it to unexpectedly change overnight is a big deal to them; it's like, oh, Elvis dying, or Zayn leaving One Direction, or (trigger warning) BTS taking a break.
We get it. We feel your pain. And all we can say to you right now is that, hey, you'll get used to it. Just take it one day at a time. Everything's going to be all right. Promise.
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Every designer will agree that when it comes to giving a great presentation, few things are more important than having great visuals. Whether you’re trying to land a promotion, give a presentation to colleagues, or you simply want to showcase your latest and greatest idea to your boss, a great deck can be a game-changer.
But you should be spending most of your time perfecting the actual content and graphics of your presentation - not spending hours building slide layouts.
That's where Slideshop can be an incredible asset. It offers unlimited access to 15,000 stunning, pro-level presentation slide templates, and a lifetime subscription is currently available for over 95% off at just $29.99. To run this impressive package, it's also worth checking out our guide to the best computers for graphic design.
Infographics are hands-down the best tools when it comes to conveying complex ideas and data. And the treasure trove of slides that you’ll be able to access through this subscription contains assets for a wealth of designs and genres.
You’ll be able to build presentations much faster by easily finding and selecting infographics and slide templates that perfectly match your content. The templates are also editable, so you can choose to use them as a starting point if you wish.
Once your presentation is refined, the slides can be easily integrated into brand name platforms like PowerPoint and Keynote. Plus, new templates are added on a regular basis - meaning there will be a steady flow of fresh content throughout your lifetime subscription.
If you want to cut down on the time you spend building presentations or just improve your presentation skills overall, Slideshop is a great option. And for just $29.99, over 95% off its usual price, it's certainly worth the purchase.
If you want to go all in and work on your presentation skills while you're at it, the Complete Presentation and Public Speaking Course is an online course focused on providing helpful tips and tricks. It's just $10.99 to take the course and start blowing away your audience with impressive presentations.
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Designers reimagining classic logo designs is nothing new. A brilliant way to hone your design skills, taking on an instantly recognisable logomark with a new concept design is no easy feat. But occasionally, the practise throws up some incredible gems, just like this concept Crocs logo by designer Stephen Kelleher.
His design replaces the original crocodile-in-a-circle design with a simple vector shape, representative of a crocodile's head, which features the signature holes found in Crocs' classic clogs. A brilliant but seemingly obvious design, it's hard to believe no-one, including Crocs themselves, has come up with it before. The overall shape of the logo creates an immediate connection with the product line, a task much harder than it might seem and testament to Kelleher's design skills.
Speaking on Instagram, Kelleher had this to say about the redesign: "Historically perceived as an 'ugly' shoe, Crocs have in recent years become a favourite of working artists and the fashion vanguard by reinventing their famous silhouette to speak to a new audience. This rebrand concept was inspired by the iconic silhouette as a basis for their mascot ‘Croc’, streamlining and unifying both into one simple mark."
And if the reaction online so far is anything to go by, we'd say it won't be long until the new design lands on the desks of Crocs HQ, with many people taking to Twitter and Instagram to call for Kelleher's design to be made official:
So what do you think? Should Crocs be snappy about implementing Kelleher's logo design? (Sorry, couldn't resist).
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Session shows how researchers found multiple vulnerability in Canon firmware that can be used in a malware attack.
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Dozens of insecure drivers from 20 vendors illustrate widespread weaknesses when it comes to kernel protection.
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The bug exists in a controller that oversees HVAC, lighting, sensor and alarm systems, to name a few.
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Researchers show how they hacked Google Home smart speakers using the Megellan vulnerability.
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You're reading Bootstrap Navbar Guide and Free Navigation Examples, originally posted on Designmodo. If you've enjoyed this post, be sure to follow on Twitter, Facebook!
Every good user experience begins with well-thought-out navigation. It is the heart and soul of the website that stands behind the comfortable presence of the visitors. It is a glue that holds everything together. That is why Bootstrap navbar is …
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What would happen if rival brands decided to collaborate and combine their logos? That's what kitchen appliance dealer CDA has done, with a series of delicious logo mashups that have resulted in some impressive pieces of experimental design.
Slamming together two or more separate creative works is rarely the best idea, but when carried off with sensitivity and panache it can produce stunning results, and for one of the greatest examples of this you should definitely pay a visit to The Kleptones and avail yourself of some of their musical creations, all carefully constructed from other songs.
We'd probably grab lunch at either of these without thinking
Musical mashups often work thanks to the surprise element of mixing unlikely genres of music together, but these visual mashups from CDA work in a different way. Here they've taken similar fast food brands and juggled their logos, with varying degrees of success. (See our logo design guide for advice on how to craft successful branding.)
CDA points out that fast food logos are often cultural icons that we immediately recognise. But, it asks, how deeply into our subconscious are these logos ingrained, and would we still recognise them if they weren't quite the same?
Nobody's falling for this one
As these mashed-up logos demonstrate, the answer is, well, sometimes; it depends on just how familiar we are with the brands in question and how closely we associate them with their logo design.
So for example, when it comes to swapping round McDonald's and Burger King, nobody's going to fall for that one; they're simply too well-known for anyone to accept the mashed-up versions. Although interestingly, the Pepsi Cola brand name in the Coca-Cola style actually works, more so if you're aware that its early logos were drawn in a very similar script style.
Strangely, both of these work, the Pepsi one more so
The most interesting experiments are the ones with brands that you don't pay that much attention to. We'd totally fall for the Dunkin Donuts/Krispy Kreme mashup, and the Baskin Robbins/Dairy Queen logo swap would sail by us unnoticed.
The Starbucks/Tim Hortons mashup is a fun one; we particularly like how the Starbucks mermaid logo has been changed to reflect Tim Hortons' hockey-playing history. As for the less successful efforts, we're strangely horrified by the collision of Cadbury's and Hershey; either logo would put us right off sampling whatever chocolate product it was promoting. And as for KFC vs Chick-Fil-A, well, we can see what they were trying to do, and they probably shouldn't have bothered.
Scroll through these logos by using the arrows below.
You can see CDA's full collection of mashed-up fast food logos here.
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Everyone dreams of a project that runs completely smoothly from start to finish, but as we all know, the reality is that this never happens. If you have right tools to support you, though, you can be prepared for whatever obstacles crop up along the way and get to that final delivery without too much stress.
With monday.com, a powerful and intuitive collaboration tool, you can organise your projects to fit your own workflow and keep things moving, no matter what crops up. Here are five ways you can use it to improve productivity and speed things along.
01. Embrace the flexibility
Whatever the project, monday has a template to work with it
No two projects and no two teams are the same, so you need a team management tool that can adapt to your workflow. Whether you're managing every project that's on the go, or simply reviewing individual design processes, monday.com has the flexibility to help move things along.
Whatever the project, monday has a ready-made template that you can work with. And once you've picked a template you can customise so that it works in the best way for your team: put all your assets in one place where everyone can find them, create weekly reports, add forms to your website to get requests, or set reminders for your team about upcoming deadlines.
02. Move things along with reminders
It's nice to think that you can remember every little task and deadline you have lined up, but isn't it fair to say that there's always something that slips your mind when you have a lot on your plate? Multiply that across your team and those impending deadlines can suddenly look a lot more precarious, so why not let monday.com do the remembering for you?
With monday you can set reminders for absolutely anything and send them to anyone – yourself, team members, customers, others in your company, whoever. So if tasks and processes aren't moving along as expected, give things a nudge with a reminder via email, SMS or by a notification on monday.com.
03. Plan for your people
monday makes it easy to see what your team's doing and plan accordingly
Different people work in different ways. Some do their top work by plodding through it slowly and methodically, others perform best in short, intensive sprints. By knowing how your team members work – and by extension, how much each one can do – you can plan ahead more effectively and avoid bottlenecks.
monday makes this much easier thanks to a straightforward and visual timeline planning view that means you'll never swamp your team – or yourself – with more work than they can handle. And it doubles up as an excellent tool for managing client expectations; you can use it to show customers the current workload so that they can change their planning accordingly.
04. Manage requests properly
There's nothing like a request – or worse, a change to an existing request – to throw a spanner in the works and cause delays. Otherwise rational people often have trouble estimating how long tasks will take to complete, and expect them to be done in the shortest possible time despite everything experience tells them to the contrary. How can you get customers and management to recognise the impact that requests can have on your workflow?
With monday it's easy: simply list requests by week, and make sure you put a time estimate on every request. Then, whenever someone makes a new request, ask them to prioritise it against all their other requests. That way they're forced to manage your time, they'll see things from your perspective and they'll finally understand how requests can slow things down.
05. Deal with all the assets, files and folders
No matter what assets you're working with, monday can handle them all
Any project is likely to generate a stack of files, images and videos that you'll need to deliver, and monday can hold them all. It also integrates seamlessly with the tools you're already using, so whether you're using Dropbox, Google Drive or Box, or if you want to share files directly from Invision or Figma, you're good to go.
To see how monday can help you and your team, try a free trial of monday today.
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Although most of us enjoy what we do, work still can negatively impact our health in myriad ways, both mentally and physically. Whether health problems are brought on by our working practices or are existing conditions that need to be managed, we need to tune in to the signs our bodies are sending us and adjust our routines accordingly.
Web design jobs are no exception. The hours spent staring at a screen, with hands and bodies in the same position, plus tight deadlines and late office hours could all contribute to ill health. We asked six designers who have felt the negative effects of their work for their practical tips to keep you healthy and happy.
Is it your job that needs changing? We have our pick of the best web design jobs around right now for your perusal. Or maybe you could do with some new resources to optimise your workflow? If so, check out our roundup of the hottest web design tools.
Depression and anxiety
Depression and anxiety can be especially triggered by the freelance lifestyle
Our mental health can suffer due to our work, whether because of an improper work-life balance, or stress overload. This can be especially true for freelancers that work at home. Spending all day inside by ourselves, often in our pyjamas and with little outside contact, can be at odds with good mental health. Freelance UX designer Matt Stenquist explains his first-hand experience of the depression and anxiety that can be caused by the freelance life:
"When I first started freelancing, I created a toxic environment by myself. I neglected myself. I developed depression and a phobia of being seen by neighbours. After a physical to arrange a visa to move abroad, I was told I had high blood pressure and was nearing 300lbs at 20. I knew more than ever I needed to cultivate a positive outlook by changing and unlearning bad habits. Happiness is paramount. Now, I’m gym-ing daily and make sure I take care of my mental and physical wellbeing first and foremost."
Michael Vestergaard is a creative developer and interaction designer. He has implemented some useful strategies to help keep his mental health in check during his ten years of freelancing:
"On the mental side, it’s been important for me to remove distractions and have a good filter on social media channels (I block people who tweet about stuff that upsets or distracts me, which can be anything from work-related things to political statements). Of course, avoiding stress is fundamental but still hard, unfortunately."
Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)
RSI is a condition that's hard to overcome without significant attention
According to the NHS, Repetitive Strain Injury is a general term that's used to describe the pain felt in muscles, nerves and tendons caused by repetitive movement and overuse. People who work at computers are at risk of this condition, as senior designer at Microsoft, Inayaili De Leon attests:
"I’ve suffered from RSI almost since I started as a designer, 14 years ago, so I’m aware of what makes it worse," she explains.
What to do about it? "I’m strict about my workstation; I don’t work on the sofa or in bed. I have physiotherapy sessions and don’t mind spending money on a massage. It can be frustrating at times, as I see others working in less than perfect conditions with seemingly no consequences. But, in a way, my RSI forces me to have limits and enjoy other things in life."
Regularly seeing a physio can help the symptoms of RSI
Ted Goas, senior product designer at Stack Overflow, consulted with a professional and has made extensive changes to his work routine.
"Earlier in my career, I used non-ergonomic equipment like a non-adjustable desk, limited range chair and standard issue laptop, mouse and keyboard. Hours of this made my arm sore. It felt like constant sunburn and, on the worst days, I felt sharp pains in my wrist," he says.
"I consulted a physical therapist and made some changes. These days I stretch often, use an ergonomic mouse and adjustable desk and take frequent breaks. My RSI isn’t cured but I can keep it at bay. Most importantly, I never had to change careers."
If you’re worried about RSI, your first port of call should be the NHS website, which explains the basic things you need to know, including what causes RSI, how to recognise the symptoms and what to do if you think you’re suffering from it.
Physical pains
The human body wasn't designed for sitting on chairs
Spending so much time sitting and staring at a screen has negative effects for our bodies, which were never designed to sit in one position for a long time. Vestergaard explains, "I get pains in my head, shoulder and right hand if I don’t watch out. To prevent this, I ride my bicycle to the office every day and I try to vary the height of my work desk. I also make sure to have a well-lit environment around my screen.
Sue Jenkins, creative director of Luckychair, associate professor of art at Marywood and author at LinkedIn Learning, agrees that you need to work to keep your body happy.
"As a web designer, I flex my design muscles and solve coding issues, which makes my left brain happy. But my body doesn’t always enjoy occasional long hours and tight deadlines," she says.
"Here are some ways I’ve found to mitigate these issues: get blue light blocking glasses, a full-spectrum desk lamp and a wireless mouse. Use a standing desk [here are some standing desk options] to toggle between sitting and standing, as well as a balance board. Take frequent breaks to walk or jump on a mini trampoline! And make time to stretch."
If the job you love is contributing to physical issues such as back problems, headaches, eye problems and RSI, head over to our post, 6 ways for designers to stay healthy, which offers tips to ensure you have a happy and healthy creative career.
Managing existing conditions
We certainly can't attribute all illness to our working conditions, but if an existing longer-term condition exists then our approach to work can certainly play a part in managing it. It's vital that we identify strategies to help ourselves, and dial back on aspects of work that could cause our condition to worsen. Michael Gearon, a lead UX designer who suffers with colitis, has done exactly that.
"One of many challenges working in the web design industry is tight deadlines, leading to stress and worry. I suffer from colitis, a long-term condition with some of the impacts being tiredness, fatigue and loss of appetite," he explains.
"To protect myself, the first action I took was raising awareness, talking to HR, colleagues and friends about my condition. I also made sure I took control of my workload, by letting deadlines and making it transparent how busy I was. I believe that having this open dialogue has improved my health and well being in the workplace."
To read more of Michael Gearon's helpful advice, check out 10 steps to protecting your mental health at work.
This article was originally published in issue 320 of net, the world's best-selling magazine for web designers and developers. Buy issue 320 or subscribe to net.
Book your tickets to Generate CSS now to save £50
Join us at Rich Mix, Shoreditch on 26 September for Generate CSS, a bespoke conference for web designers brought to you by Creative Bloq, net and Web Designer. Book your Early Bird ticket before 15 August at www.generateconf.com.
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While React is a powerful JavaScript library, it does not include all of the pieces you need to build a simple, functioning website layout. NextJS is a React framework that lets you build server-rendered applications and websites with ease.
NextJS also includes a number of tools and features right out of the box like Webpack, Babel, dynamic routing, and prefetching. Most importantly, I’ve found that NextJS is very SEO-friendly.
This framework allows you to utilise server-side rendering, which not only makes your apps and websites load considerably faster, but also makes your React websites much easier for search engines to crawl.
NextJS also makes it easy to create a well-segmented site architecture by using dynamic routing or custom server routing. For example, you can easily segment your website into different silos like /articles/, /products/, and /services/ for better content structuring.
Best of all, you can utilise all of the things that make React great like components, component properties and component states to implement really flexible on-page optimisation techniques. In this article, I’m going to detail building a well-optimised head component for React.
The importance of the head element for SEO
Now before I get into how to build this head component, let’s first talk about why it’s important and what we will be optimising.
The head element on your website is going to be one of the most important sections when it comes to technical SEO. For one, all of the website metadata is set in the head. These tags include title, meta description, page keywords, any relevant author information and viewport settings.
The head element is also responsible for setting other important tags like your canonical URL tag, any relevant Facebook OpenGraph Tags (OG tags) or Twitter Cards, and your meta robots tags. Each one of these tags is responsible for conveying different information to Google or social networks so that they can better understand, index and share your content.
Having improperly configured metadata on your website can be catastrophic to your overall website optimisation and can definitely cause your rankings to take a nosedive
Having improperly configured metadata on your website can be catastrophic to your overall website optimisation and can definitely cause your rankings to take a nosedive.
For example, two of the worst penalties that your website could face from an on-page optimisation standpoint are a 'duplicate title tag' penalty and a 'duplicate meta tag' penalty. These two tags are responsible for giving your website’s 'elevator pitch' to Google. They also dictate the text that a user will see when your website shows up in Google search results.
If every page on your website has the same exact title and the same exact description set, Google will have a tough time understanding what your website is about. As a result, Google is not going to pay too much attention to your website and it definitely won’t consider it an authority property.
If you’re interested in learning more about technical on-page SEO, see more on my approach at SpeckyBoy.
Now that you understand a little bit more about the head element and why it’s so important under the hood, let’s take a look at how to build an SEO-friendly head component for React.
Build an SEO-friendly head component
The SEO-friendly head component that I detail in this article is specific to NextJS. However, if you are using a different React framework or are just using React, you can use React Helmet in place of the NextJS head component.
The first thing you’ll want to do is set up your basic head structure. The code below can serve as an example, but feel free to add or remove things to it as you see fit. At the bare minimum though, your head should include a title tag, meta description tag, canonical URL, and any relevant social tags.
Set up the component
Next, you’ll want to create a new partial file for your component. You can call the partial file seo-meta.js or similar. This file should be kept in the partials directory.
Your starting component will look something like this:
You’ll notice that I am passing props, or properties, to my component. We’ll be using these properties to populate our meta tags.
Import the component
Once you’ve set up your basic component, you can then import it into your pages. You can import the component by including the following at the top of your page.
You can now place the meta component within your render function, just like you would with the native NextJS head component.
Create the component properties
Now that you’ve imported and placed your Meta component you’ll want to set up the properties you’ll need for your metadata. You should typically include title, description, and URL for every page, but you can also include images and other data as necessary.
You may also want to include properties for CSS and JavaScript files so that you can conditionally load them on pages as necessary. With all of those properties set, your component would look something like this:
If you are just building a static website with NextJS, you should be able to populate the properties with static content. However, if you’re loading pages from dynamic routes and populating the page templates with dynamic code, you’ll want to set these properties dynamically.
Our website, Proper Noun, uses the WordPress API as a data source, but you can use the instructions below using pretty much any REST or GraphQL API.
When requesting the page, you’ll want to grab and return the relevant metadata and page data during the getInitialProps() async function. This will then let you use the dynamic data within the render function so that Google and other robots can crawl the information.
Depending on your data source and a few other factors, you may take a different approach to get the initial properties, but here is a basic approach to get you started.
You will now be able to access the properties you set within your render function. When used in your code they would look something like this.
Use the properties in your component
The final step is to set up your component so that it uses the properties it’s being passed. While some of the properties like title and description will be set on every page, others like CSS and JS may be conditional. You’ll want to take this into consideration in your component.
In our example, we’re passing our properties to the component using the argument props. We can then access the individual props using their names, for example, props.title or props.desc.
When setting the conditional blocks, you can take an approach like this:
This way, if there is no CSS set, you will not set an empty link tag on your page. You can use this same approach for the JavaScript files.
Once you’ve finished populating your head component it should look something like this:
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Every job, every client and every day is different as a designer. The need to keep growing and adding new skills to your repertoire? That's a constant. Whether you're working on a project that requires WordPress skills, or are diving into more editing-heavy work with Photoshop, continuing your design education can certainly never hurt.
The Complete Learn To Design Bundle is a great resource for diving into the technical tools often required: from InDesign and Photoshop to Bootstrap and Sketch. Currently price-dropped to only $39, the bundle of online courses will provide instruction on eight vital platforms and tools.
With over 100 hours of content and 400 lessons, the bundle includes courses such as a beginner-friendly look at Photoshop and code-free Wordpress tutorials. You'll dive into the anatomy of typography and refine your knowledge of building websites with HTML and CSS. And that's just the beginning. Each session has step-by-step instructions and downloadable exercises so you can flex your creative muscles and learn by doing.
With 24/7 access, each tutorial can be referenced whenever you find yourself needing guidance. You'll have lifetime access to all the materials, so you can come back and review when you need a spark inspiration.
Usually, $1129.92, The Complete Learn to Design Bundle has been price dropped for a limited time only to $39 – that's over 95% off. It's the perfect sign that it's time to sharpen up your design skills.
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LAS VEGAS – Supply-chain attacks have nabbed headlines lately thanks to high-profile incidents like the Wipro news last April, where attackers were able to compromise the staffing agency’s network and pivot to their customers. That incident pointed out that supply-chain risk should be thought of in a much more holistic fashion than it usually is, […]
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The vulnerability is a decade old with a public exploit, yet remained unpatched in one of the phone giant's most popular models.
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Pricing is one of the hardest things to figure out as a freelancer. Do you go high in the hope that people will associate a high cost with high quality? Pitch yourself low so you don't put people off? Or aim for the middle ground, and end up wishing you'd asked for more?
Having an idea of what others are charging can be a great help. Foylo asked 209 freelance graphic designers how much they would charge to create a logo, website or app. Although it's a small sample group, it does offer up some interesting results.
We've distilled the key figures and takeaways below. However, don't forget to take these results with a pinch of salt. How much you charge will often largely depend on your design portfolio, negotiating skills and of course, the type of client you're working with.
Logo design: $1,200
For a logo design, which doesn't include any sort of coding or further branding, the answers range from over $10,000 (two per cent of people) to under $500 (24 per cent), and a range of responses in between. This led Foylo to state that the cost of designing a logo is $1,200.
For all you need to know about making logos, see our guide to logo design.
Website homepage: Up to $2,500
The cost of designing a landing page varies greatly, depending on the features you need to have on the page. The survey results indicate an average starting point of $1,900 for a homepage, with the highest percentage of people (31 per cent) saying they'd charge between $1,000 and $2,500.
See our page on landing page designs for some homepage inspiration.
Full static website: $4,000
This is another tricky one to pinpoint, as again, the pricing depends hugely on the project. Foylo concluded that for a "basic website, that has a homepage, a basic page template, and 1 or 2 additional layouts," you're looking at at least $4,000.
Our best website builders might also help.
Mobile and web apps: $5,000-$15,000
When it comes to mobile app design, this was an area where more freelancers answered in the top range than on other questions – with 10 per cent of people saying they'd charge $15,000 or more. The results suggest charging a minimum of $5,000.
For web apps, you're looking at more like $7,000, but prices can easily hit $15,000 or more.
For tips on building apps, see our how to make an app post.
As mentioned above, these results should be taken with a pinch of salt. Only 209 people were surveyed, and answers varied pretty widely even within those 209 people. However, if you find yourself consistently charging under the figures mentioned here, you might want to ask around to see what others in your position are asking for. Read the full results from Foylo here.
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Being woke is all the rage. Seemingly every brand these days thinks it's woke, and wants to convince us to get woke. But what does it all actually mean, and why have some brands got it all so catastrophically wrong?
Once a term reserved for black activists, the need to 'stay woke' to the inherently oppressive nature of the establishment – and fight against it – spread globally as the Black Lives Matter movement gained traction.
Since being assimilated into mainstream culture, however, the word's sharp revolutionary edge has dulled into something more generic to refer to an awareness of social injustice and inequality, and a passion for standing up for what's right.
Brands aligning themselves with a cause, and making that cause part of their design thinking is a trend that shows little sign of abating. But the uneasy balance between progressive values and corporate profitability means it's all too easy to miss the mark, and do more damage than good – to the brand, and sometimes to the cause in question, too.
If only a can of Pepsi really could save the world
The undisputed 'woke-washing' figurehead of recent years is Pepsi's spectacular own-goal in 2017: its saccharine-sweet attempt to piggyback on Black Lives Matter and other protest-led movements by getting Kendall Jenner to diffuse a potential riot with a can of Pepsi.
That's far from the only example, however – read on for three other global brands that got burned trying to stay woke, and three award-winning campaigns from which they could learn a thing or two...
01. Gillette splits opinion on toxic masculinity
Rather like Black Lives Matter for Pepsi, the enormous groundswell of engagement behind #MeToo proved irresistible for certain brands to wade into, or try to surf on. Both movements tap into deep-rooted, long-running injustice and inequality and a genuine need for us all to 'get woke' and embrace systematic change.
They are enormously sensitive topics that demand authentic, meaningful engagement. It's hard for anyone to miss the mark as dramatically as Pepsi, but Gillette's much more well-considered contribution to the #MeToo debate still managed to split opinion and cause a backlash.
Turning the razor brand's long-established tagline 'The Best a Man Can Get' on its head with 'The Best Men Can Be', the ad is an ostensibly heartwarming, tear-jerking challenge to entrenched toxic masculinity in its various forms.
But while it received its share of praise for championing compassion and humanity rather than excusing deplorable behaviour as 'boys being boys', many were quick to deride it as a multinational brand cynically jumping on a bandwagon without any deeper engagement with the topic.
Others saw the ad, helmed by This Girl Can director Kim Gehrig, as patronising and an affront to traditional masculinity – but the less said about Piers Morgan's insecurities the better.
02. BrewDog fails at feminist satire
Beer for girls! BrewDog missed the mark entirely with its 'satirical' attempt to challenge gender inequality
Parody can be a razor-sharp tool for making a political point, but clumsily done it will blow up in your face. A case in point is BrewDog's 2018 attempt to make a joke at the expense of brands that try to attract women.
The overwhelmingly negative response to the so-called 'Pink IPA' – a play on the brand's signature Punk IPA – was swift and brutal. This tweet was the final nail in the coffin: "This is not ‘beer for girls.’ This is beer for equality.”
BrewDog's pleas that it was all deliberate satire as part of a campaign to close the gender pay gap fell flat. Most people missed the satire entirely – if it needs a press release to explain it, it doesn't work – and the story became about the patronising, tone-deaf branding of the new beer, rather than the donations that BrewDog was making to gender equality charities from its sale.
03. Starbucks plays lip-service to race relations
Fancy a chat about racial oppression with your friendly neighbourhood barista? Didn't think so
While the generic, anodyne 'march' that Kendall Jenner attends in Pepsi's ill-fated ad makes only a loose allusion to the Black Lives Matter protests, two years earlier Starbucks had attempted to engage with the topic head-on.
In 2015, the coffee chain encouraged its baristas to write 'Race Together' on cups before serving. The idea was to stoke face-to-face debate with its customers about racial oppression following the police shootings of unarmed black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and the subsequent civil unrest.
It backfired horribly, with critics deriding the idea as superficial, ill-judged and simply playing lip-service to a serious social issue – particularly when spearheaded by Starbucks' then chairman and CEO Howard D. Schultz, a white billionaire who couldn't be further removed from the issues at hand.
And spare a thought for the poor baristas, who were woefully ill-prepared for the potential onslaught of opinions on such an inflammatory, hugely sensitive topic.
These campaigns show how it's done...
01. Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty
Ogilvy & Mather challenged the conventions of beauty advertising in this long-running campaign for Dove
Heralded as one of the most influential campaigns of the 21st century, Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty launched in 2004 – long before 'woke' entered many people's vocabulary. Shaking off the 'ideal' body image of impossibly thin and blemish free, Dove proudly populated its ads with women of all shapes and sizes.
As Ogilvy & Mather's campaign continued in different iterations over the next decade and beyond, it tackled various entrenched practices in the fashion and beauty industries, including how rampant Photoshopping can contribute to self-image issues – and picked up countless awards along the way.
There were troughs as well as peaks – the 2017 'body shape' shampoo bottles in particular were much ridiculed – but the bravery, integrity and longevity of the campaign made a genuine impact, and drove countless other brands to question the long-term negative impact of maintaining beauty establishment ideals.
02. Nike's Dream Crazy
If Pepsi has become the figurehead for doing 'woke' wrong, Nike is the poster boy for absolutely nailing it. Picking up a coveted D&AD Black Pencil for Nike and Wieden+Kennedy in 2019, Dream Crazy is a masterclass in how a brand can join the conversation in a meaningful way.
While the campaign features a selection of awe-inspiring, visionary athletes whose dreams were 'just crazy enough', it grabbed the headlines because of its starring role for disgraced American football player and Black Lives Matter activist Colin Kaepernick, giving him the rousing tagline: 'Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.'
Nike took a bold risk by playing an active role in a hugely contentious debate, and nailing its colours to the mast on such a divisive issue mobilised plenty of haters. But no one could ever argue that the brand was only playing lip-service to it all: it waded right into the front line.
03. Fearless Girl
Another D&AD Black Pencil winner, McCann NY's Fearless Girl became a much-discussed symbol of female empowerment
The most awarded campaign in the history of D&AD with seven Yellow Pencils and one Black Pencil – also cleaning up at Cannes and the Clios – McCann New York's Fearless Girl installation for State Street Global Advisors became a red-hot talking point all around the world.
Unveiled on International Women’s Day 2017, the statue of a young girl standing defiantly with hands on hips as she faces off Wall Street's infamous charging bull became a potent symbol for a new generation of female leaders, challenging toxic masculinity in a more abstract, less literal and prescriptive way than Gillette's attempt – and all the more powerful for it.
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The 10 best audio logos and why they work
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Audio logos might seem like an odd concept. After all, when you think about logos, you probably think of something visual. But branding is not just about what we see, but what we hear, too. And so in recent years, the phrases 'audio logo', 'sonic logo' and 'sonic trademark' have sprung up to describe the aural equivalent to a graphic logo.
So what is an audio logo, exactly?
It's essentially a soundbite, no more than a few seconds long, which either accompanies the appearance of a visual logo, strengthening brand recognition overall, or substitutes for it in audio-only media such as radio, podcast or apps like Spotify. It will usually be trademarked by the company, just like with a graphic logo design (see our logo design guide for our favourite visual logos and why they work).
Similarly to the best logos, a good audio logo is instantly recognisable, catchy and provokes an emotional reaction in the listener. Here are some of the best-known and most iconic examples.
01. Intel
Created by Austrian musician Walter Werzowa in the 1980s, Intel's three-second audio logo has become one of the most well-known in history. A simple five-note mnemonic, it's estimated to be played somewhere in the world every five minutes.
Werzowa was originally hired by Kyle Cooper, a friend employed at R/GA LA, and told the sound needed to convey reliability, innovation and trust. He spent 10 days composing the jingle, and finally had a breakthrough when he started singing the words 'Intel Inside'.
It works partly because it's a very catchy sequence of notes, but also because of the sound of those notes. The original recording used a combination of different synthesisers, xylophones and marimba. And while it may sound simple, it's actually made up of 20 different audio layers.
Nailing the sweet spot between computerised and physical sounds, Werzowa's composition is unique, relatable to a broader audience, and timeless. And although it's been gently updated over the decades since, it still shows no sign of needing to be retired.
02. THX
When your business is based on providing high quality sound, a distinctive audio logo is the perfect place to showcase that quality.
Founded in 1983 by George Lucas, THX is best known for developing its high fidelity audio/visual reproduction standards for cinemas. And its in a huge auditorium, surrounded by huge speakers, that this thunderous blast of audio makes the most impact.
Here is the sheet music in case you fancy recreating it at home:
Based around a distinctive glissando – a glide from one pitch to another – THX's audio logo is an epic wall of sound based around a rumbling low pitch, created by James A. Moorer, and known as the 'Deep Note'.
Climaxing in joyous synthesised triumph, this heady blast of sonic branding leave you in no doubt that THX is a confident, industry-leading company.
03. McDonald's
Love it or loathe it, McDonald's certainly knows branding. So it's perhaps surprising that the corporation, first launched as a franchise operation in 1955, waited almost half a century before it launched its first global marketing campaign, in 2003.
The wait, though, was worth it. The slogan 'I'm lovin' it', accompanied by a super-catchy “ba da ba ba ba” vocal hook, was universally popular and instantly recognisable. So much so, that there's been a great deal of controversy within the pop and hip-hop communities about who actually wrote it.
The truth is confusingly complex, but essentially a succession of creatives contributed to the final jingle, including the German ad agency Heye & Partner, Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, and others. (There's a full blow by blow account on Pitchfork plus an excellent video explanation from Hodges U.)
Composition claims aside, the secret to this audio logo is that it's ultra-flexible, and easily adapted to local markets, languages and cultures everywhere, as well as specific campaigns and different musical styles.
Partly because of this, it still seems fresh and relevant today, 16 years on, as it did on first release. Even if the mangled grammar of 'I'm lovin' it' makes professional writers like ourselves recoil in horror.
04. Apple
Audio logos don't just appear in advertising, of course. For generations of Apple users, the sound that accompanies the switching on of their desktop computers is one that strikes an emotional chord to this day.
Just listen to the series of beeps and chimes in the video above, from the first 1984 Mac onwards, and you might just feel a shiver down your spine the moment you hear 'your' sound.
As you'll notice, many different sonic approaches have been taken over the years, but the most well-known sound is the chime used first in the iMac G3, and subsequently for all Macs from 1998-2016. In case you were wondering, the chord is a F-sharp major, and was produced by pitch-shifting the 840AV's sound.
Mac models from late 2016 and newer, though, don't have a startup sound, with the single exception of the 13-inch, 2017 MacBook Air. And we think that's a real shame.
In the words of Jim Reekes, who created countless Mac sound effects during his time at Apple: "Now that there’s no startup sound, it’s like sitting down at a restaurant and there’s no one there to greet you.”
05. Windows 95 by Brian Eno
While historically Apple has been the hipper choice for creatives, Windows scored quite a coup with its Windows 95 release, by getting art pop icon Brian Eno to compose its startup sound.
While Eno played in Roxy Music and has worked with everyone from Bowie and David Byrne to Coldplay and Damon Albarn, his Windows chime is almost certainly the most widely listened-to piece of music in his entire career. And a quick re-listen now instantly reminds you what a powerful, otherworldly piece of audio it is.
It was Microsoft designers Mark Malamud and Erik Gavriluk who originally got Eno involved. As the musician recalled in an interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, they wanted "a piece of music that is inspiring, universal, blah-blah, da-da-da, optimistic, futuristic, sentimental, emotional, this whole list of adjectives, and then at the bottom it said: 'and it must be 3 1⁄4 seconds long.' I thought this was so funny and an amazing thought to actually try to make a little piece of music. It's like making a tiny little jewel."
The resulting composition – which he ironically wrote on a Mac – was certainly that. Although at six seconds, it was almost twice the requested length. Proof that a successful audio logo doesn't have to be super-short. Well, as long as you're a musical genius, that is.
06. Netflix
Audio logos become most effective through repetition. And Netflix's distinctive intro, which plays before you start watching any show on its platform, is certainly getting a huge amount of that right now.
The audio logo for the streaming service, which is now available in over 190 countries, is comprised of "two 16th note timpani strikes on D2 and D3, simultaneously which with are played three dotted half notes on D2, D4, and D5", according to its official trademark document. Or, in layman's terms: it kind of goes 'Ta-dum'.
It's super-short, because anything longer would make time-pressed viewers tetchy. It's distinctive, making it easy to imitate yourself. It evokes a simple but powerful emotional connection: every time you hear it, your brain thinks: 'Yay! Binge-watching!'
And finally the sound itself is deeply rooted in the DNA of Netflix. As @TelTalksGames kindly pointed out to us. it comes from the sound of Frank Underwood knocking in House of Cards - the platform's first original series - as shown in this video.
07. XBox
The growing importance of audio logos can be seen in the rise of specialist 'sonic branding' agencies, and the New York-based Audiobrain is a great example. It's best known for developing the audio logo for Microsoft's Xbox 360, which is used on the console's startup, as well as in advertising. And it's a real aural beauty.
In the company's words: "The sonic signature is a reflection of the Xbox 360 – you can hear the human energy, duality, cultural diversity and excitement."
That might sound like marketing speak overreach. But listen carefully and you have to agree there's a beautiful diversity and complexity to the sound; one that nicely matches the epic and far-reaching visions behind the best Xbox games.
08. T-Mobile
When you're choosing a mobile carrier, you're looking for someone you trust, and a good audio logo can be an important part of conveying that brand message.
It certainly has in the case of T Mobile, whose audio logo was composed by Lance Massey. This super-catchy series of notes could almost serves as the dictionary definition of an 'earworm'. It's upbeat. It's bright. It's simple. It's catchy. in short, what more could a brand want from an audio logo?
09. MGM Lion
Audio logos aren't, of course, a totally new phenomenon. The classic MGM film intro, featuring a lion's roar, has spent more than a century getting audiences in the mood for epic flicks like Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The intro was originally created in 1916, as a piece of silent film, by ad executive Howard Dietz . The lion gave its first audible roar on July 31, 1928 for the debut of the movie White Shadows in the South Seas.
There have been seven different lions in total, with the current lion, Leo, in place since 1957, while those of a certain age will fondly remember the Tom and Jerry variant.
The MGM logo is also a reminder that an audio logo doesn't necessarily need to be a piece of music. More modern examples of non-musical audio logos include J J Abrams' Bad Robot and Mutant Enemy Production's Grr Arg.
10. Gary Vee
Finally, we wouldn't want to leave you with the impression that audio logos are only used by huge companies. They're actually a great tool that everyone wishing to self-promote can use. And as streaming audio and podcasting becomes more important going into the 2020s, it's a great time to jump on board.
Case in point, which Greg Bunbury pointed out: web entrepreneur, author and speaker Gary Vee, aka Gary Vaynerchuk, is usually ahead of the curve with the latest marketing trends. And so it's notable that he's got fully on board with sonic branding recently. He's now adding a short audio tag (a mouth-popping sound) to every one of his videos.
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