After I finish I usually check how he did, Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle. Fun.![]()
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Rex Parker
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Whiplash
Trailer for the film Whiplash.![]()
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Giving Colors More Colorful Names
If you’ve been following closely, you’ve seen us play with extending the Viget color palette to a full spectrum of colors and grays.
Problem
Now that we have a whole rainbow it makes referencing difficult beyond hex values. In other words, the colors need an equivalent for casual conversation — something with soul.
Options
I’ve been playing around with a few different methods. While I haven't found a perfect solution, there are some options:
- Use a tool - There are tools available like Name That Color and Color Name & Hue (h/t @chuckborowicz) that provide approximate names based on hex values. These are great; but, the names can be too esoteric for everyday use.
- Compare to a list - Compare colors to lists like Named Web Colors, Crayola, or Ingrid's Color Thesaurus and look for similarity.
- Make it up - Just wing it. There are no rules. Name the colors however you like. Try an image search based on a term to see what colors emerge. Ask a friend for a second opinion. Everyone has an opinion about colors.
- All of the above - Go crazy. Do all the things.
I usually go with "All of the Above." I use the tools for discovery and ideas — sometimes I reference lists — then I pick the best fit, or add my own. Yes, it can be time-consuming. No, it does not have any real meaning as far as the HTML and CSS are concerned. Yes, there are official named web colors (but, they’re limited and don’t always fit). No, there’s no real system to the process — but I think it still works.
Bonus
For added bonus, try to choose your color names according to a theme. Ideas include nature, gemstones, jellybean flavors, celebrities, Disney characters, and so on. Two amazing examples of sticking to a theme are the Colour of Song and Colour of Popular Music posters by Dorothy.
For this, I chose color names that are also names of people. Fun fact: Ten of these names (Skye, Kelly, April, Coral, Rowan, Ruby, Asher, Heather, Pearl, and Lilia) are names (or family names) of Viget staff past and present.
Here’s what the Viget color names look like:
Naming colors is even more important when it comes to grays since there is no hue differentiation:
Now that our expanded colors have more colorful names, they have more character and individuality. They’re alive, they have soul, and I can easily reference each color’s name with its own accompanying hex value. Both humans and machines win. Let’s dance!
See also:
- Using Word Association to Select Brand Colors
- Add Colors To Your Palette With Color Mixing
- Shades of Gray — Yes, Really
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Ty Wilkins Interview
It’s rare that I come across a designer whose work has as much personality and charm as Ty Wilkins. Hailing from Austin, Ty’s portfolio is filled with character-driven projects that showcase his mastery of color, texture and repetition.
Prior to launching his own studio, Ty worked for Gardner Design, where he developed branding, packaging, signage and redesigned LogoLounge. He also traveled extensively, which had a profound impact on his aesthetic sensibilities. Currently, Ty can be found developing advertising campaigns, editorial illustrations and identity work for a wide range of clients including Target, Monocle and Wired UK. In today’s interview, Ty graciously shares his beginnings as a designer and grants us a glimpse into his creative process.
Lets start off with a little bit about your background. Where are you from originally?
I was born in Texas and grew-up mostly in Texas and Oklahoma. I graduated from high school in Buenos Aires, Argentina and attended college at Auburn University. I now live in Austin, Texas.
When and how did you become interested in illustration and design?
I love to draw. Growing up, I thought this meant that I would become an animator. As I started researching colleges during my last two years of high school, I realized that animation wasn’t offered as a major at any of the schools I was considering. Instead I discovered “computer art” and “graphic design” in the college course catalogs. I thought that one of these majors might be my way to sneak into the animation industry. I enrolled at Auburn University and after a brief stint as an international business major, switched to graphic design. While taking a Corporate Identity class I discovered a passion for symbols and logo design. The process of distilling complex information into a succinct, unique and memorable icon remains endlessly fascinating.
We would love to highlight one of your projects. Could you walk us through the creation of your recent stamp project?
The tools that I used for this project include pencil, paper, Illustrator & Photoshop. I combined several methods to create texture. I visited my local public library and made photocopies of white sheets of paper until black specs started to appear in the copies. I inverted the color, boosted the contrast and repeated the process until I had photocopies full of random flecks. I scanned this texture and combined this with noise I generated in Photoshop and a texture from RetroSupply. These techniques help create the illusion that that the artwork was printed on paper.
What were some of the thoughts that fueled the direction of the design?
My work spans both branding and illustration. Minimal iconic gestalt-like geometric shapes and limited color palettes are common threads among all my work. So when creating this piece for my studio I sought to capture these aspects of my work. I am fascinated by the way two dimensional shapes can suggest three dimensional forms. Three of the symbols are composed to form an interior negative space (a diamond, star and square). The dimensional T is the new symbol for my studio.
In what ways did the initial concepts differ from the finished work?
My initial concepts were more illustrative and detailed. I explored creating a line of environmentally themed stamps with more elaborate scenes of trees, fish and environments. After a few rounds I decided to create something that worked equally well for the branding side of the studio.
What are your passions outside of design?
I love getting outside and being active. I enjoy hiking and biking during most months and when it gets hot outside I like to go paddle boarding and swimming. Austin has several great swimming spots. Two of my favorites are Barton Springs and Hamilton Pool.
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We would like to thank Ty for taking time to share with us. You can see more of his work at tywilkins.com.
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This interview is brought to you by RetroSupply Co. Working with authentic materials (including real paint, ink, paper and screen textures from screen printing shops) they have crafted a vast library of vintage inspired design resources for Photoshop and Illustrator.
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Also worth viewing…
Josh Brill Interview
Brad Woodard Interview
Ty Mattson Interview
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Thanks to this week's Sponsor // RetroSupply Co.: A library of vintage inspired design resources for Photoshop and Illustrator.
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A failure to acknowledge work as work
I just read an article that isn’t related specifically to logos, but it’s one of the better collections of words in favour of saying no when for-profit companies ask for free work.
“This isn’t just about unpaid labor. One reason people, especially young people with creative aspirations, work for free is to form valuable relationships that will push their careers forward. But you can’t form a valuable relationship with a rich person who can afford to but won’t pay you a reasonable wage, because your entire relationship with that rich person is based on their failure to acknowledge the value of the work you’re doing for them.”
Exactly.
Don’t work for free — or even cheap — for rich people.
A good read, via Steve Douglas.
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Crayon Colors
The explosion of crayon colors since 1903.![]()
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Nobody Knows What The Hell They Are Doing
“… The real trick to producing great work isn’t to find ways to eliminate the edgy, nervous feeling that you might be swimming out of your depth. Instead, it’s to remember that everyone else is feeling it, too. We’re all in deep water. Which is fine: it’s by far the most exciting place to be.”
Nobody Knows What The Hell They Are Doing, by Oliver Burkeman
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Food Huggers
Food Huggers are silicone ‘food hats’ designed to save that half of a lemon or an apple you don’t want to throw away. The Avocado Foodhugger alone is a total winner, no? foodhuggers.com
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High Definition Macro Videos of Chemical Reactions
Yan Liang‘s macro videos of chemical reactions are nothing short of breathtaking. See more over on Laughing Squid. Yay science!
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Evening with Tobias Frere-Jones
Local note for type nerds, An evening with Tobias Frere-Jones. See you there.![]()
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Hip-Hop Brands
So you know, the most mentioned brands in Hip-Hop.![]()
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How to Use Animal Symbology in Design + Inspirational Showcase
This is a guest article contributed by Helga.
Learn how animal imagery can influence a person’s emotions and how you can use this to your advantage in your designs.
1. The Bat
Let’s begin with the most evil animal symbol. It’s the bat. Bats are regarded as symbols of death, superstition, fear, night, and cult. They are often mixed up with witchcraft and occults in the Western folktales. You will be surprised, but Chinese, on the contrary, believe that a bat is a sign of happiness and good fortune. The Africans and ancient Greeks believed it was a symbol of articulacy.
2. The Bear
The bear is a symbol of strength, courage and tenacity. It also represents a gentle friendship and a docile follower in camouflage. However, bear’s love for honey adds up an amusing element into the symbol of power and dignity.
3. The Bird
A bird is a symbol of human soul. It represents the best of its qualities like: goodness, joy, wisdom and intelligence. In Western art the bird symbolizes the air, connection throughout the life time. The bird flight symbolizes the trip of our soul to the future. Additionally the flying birds represent hope, beauty and transcendence.
4. The Bull
The bull symbolizes fighting ability and male fertility. What’s more, the symbol of the bull stands for valor and magnanimity ever since the prehistoric times.
5. The Butterfly
The pretty butterfly represents the soul and resurrection in several parts of the world. In other words, the butterfly is a symbol of life and its cycle.
6. The Cat
The cat is a symbol for spiritual power, freedom, love of liberty and even bad luck in Japan. The black cat is associated with cunning of evil in the Celtic world and damnific djinns in the Islamic world.
7. The Dog
The dog is a symbol of companion and guardian. Dogs are very positive; they are loyal, faithful, honest and willing to fight the injustice.
8. The Dolphin
The dolphin is a symbol of salvation, transformation and love.
9. The Eagle
The eagle is a symbol of power, action, speed and perception. Eagles have the power, intuition, creativity, balance and grace. Their vision is sharp which gives them the ability to see the hidden truth and spiritual principles. The eagle has been adopted as an emblem round the globe.
10. The Elephant
In China, India and Africa, the elephant is a symbol of power, dignity, intelligence and peace. They also have a great memory!
11. The Fox
Look at this sly muzzle. The fox is a symbol of intelligence, cunning and slyness. In the medieval period, it even appeared as a symbol of the devil but in China and Japan people believe that the fox brings wealth.
12. The Horse
The horse is a symbol for velocity, vitality and beauty. It represents the power of the wind, storm, fire and waves.
13. The Lion
The lion is a symbol of deathless courage, strength, fearlessness, bravery and royalty. Its body has been commonly used in portraying mythological creatures, Egyptian sphinx, for instance.
14. The Monkey
The monkey is a symbol of fun, activity, charm and an energetic nature. Monkey is one of the Chinese zodiac signs. It characterizes a person who has many friends. It is a sign of natural curiosity, but can show self-indulgence and rebellion.
15. The Owl
The owl is a symbol of vigilance, acute wit and has been associated with spirits. It has been regarded as a guide in the underworld. Owls are great hunters and Celts associated them with wisdom, keen sight, and patience.
16. The Shark
The shark is a symbol of terror and violence. It is the world’s greatest predator, and therefore symbolizes power and fearlessness.
17. The Snake
The snake is a symbol for charm, danger and sexual energy.
18. The Spider
The spider symbol means creativity and is often believed to connect the past and the future. Many cultures consider the spider as the weaver of the fabric of life where they introduce both writing and clothing making. It also scares.
19. The Tiger
The tiger is a symbol of power and energy all over the world. It is prominently featured in Chinese mythology and takes the second place after the lion in the badge of military ranking.
20. The Wolf
The wolf is a symbol of cruelty, cunning and greed in some cultures. Thus, others admire it because of courage and drive for the victory.
Our brief animal trip comes to an end. We hope you liked it. And now you know exactly what animal symbols to use when you want emphasize a specific company feature.
Animal Imagery & Website Traffic
But what about animal images and website traffic? Are they connected somehow? We are sure that nobody will argue the fact that emotions influence conversions. And animal images are definitely able to stir emotions. Of course your website should be appealing and user-friendly, but an animal image can become its special zest.
- Firstly, you can convey more information about the company through the animal associated with it.
- Secondly, you can draw user’s attention by the unusual interpretation of animal image you have chosen.
- Thirdly, please, ask yourself a question what animals are not capable of? They are not able to lie. So, animal images automatically raise customers’ trust to the company.
- Fourthly, animals can be so fun and cute that the users can’t resist their charm and are ready to do whatever you want them to.
A Better User Experience
We won’t dare to affirm that animal image will immediately boost your website traffic as there are lots of other influences. That wasn’t the aim of our post, by the way. We just wanted to share the thought that creative use of animal imagery can help convey a customer’s ideas better, prepossess the visitors, make them smile, engage and gently compel the users do exactly what you want.
Isn’t that what all of us are longing for? Now you have one more powerful tool named animal symbolism in your web design kit.
Animal Symbolism Web Design Showcase
You can see how other designers have used animal images in their designs in the inspirational showcase below.
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Speak up!
Do you use animal images in your designs? Do you believe that animal images in combination with other specific design elements can increase website traffic? Are you ready to share your own designs with animal images?
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Helga Moreno is a writer for TemplateMonster.com. Follow her on Google+.
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The Bogdanov Affair
Discussed this weekend with Robert McNees, the physicist who helped us out with some of the science side of the "Arts and Sciences" Edition, the Bogdanov Affair, a famous theoretical physics hoax.![]()
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Wild Kangaroo Street Fight Aussie Style
Wild Kangaroo Street Fight Aussie Style. Exactly what it says people, exactly what it says.![]()
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Chicago Without Chicago Fire
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Soviet Propaganda Posters of the Space Age
Visual News has a look at some lovely Soviet Propaganda Posters of the Space Age.![]()
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The Electric Spring Doorstop
Sure to be the preferred instrument of 2 year olds everywhere: the Electric Spring Doorstop.![]()
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Eiffel Tower's Glass Floor
The (absolutely terrifying) glass floor is just one addition to the new visitor center in the Eiffel Tower.![]()
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Slaves of the Rave
"Music styles collide" in William Garratt's fun animated film Slaves of the Rave.![]()
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King of the Click
King of the Click: the story of the greatest keyboard ever made.![]()
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