Children's Book Design by Becky Blake

Been a while since my last blog but like many self employed, every time you think you’ve got a moment for self promotion the phone rings and another job comes in, not that I’m complaining.

Work has been non stop since September. It has involved a variety of projects from rebranding local businesses, corporate layout to illustrating children’s books for the global publishing company QED.

The four books were great fun to do but quite hard work, as they required more than 300 illustrations over a period of five weeks. It meant a lot of midnight oil burning and certainly made me unpopular at home over Christmas, but it was well worth it. Fortunately I’m the kind of person who loves a challenge and kind of enjoy working under pressure – just as well!

What was interesting about working for QED was the geographical range of its ‘office’ members. There was myself, illustrator, working from Portland, Managing Editor from Surrey, Layout designer in Oxfordshire (Red Paper Design), Creative Directors and Graphic Designers in London (QED Publishing) and the writer Penny Dowdy in the US. It’s amazing to think that a whole series of books were created purely by

E-mail and a handful of phone calls.

I guess the most negative aspect of working this way is lack of human contact. I love meeting with my clients and relish the fact that many of my business relationships evolve into friendships. It’s also easy to misinterpret the occasional e-mail which can cause confusion at times. This mixed with transatlantic time differences can, dare I say, cause a little air of panic as deadlines approach.

On the positive side, at least working this way, there are no arguments over who’s turn it is to make the coffee. No one has to suffer the upset of finding the last chocolate biscuit has been claimed, leaving only the soft, forgotten pink wafer that wouldn’t satisfy a mouse fitted with a gastric band.

My children were great to work with on this project. Sometimes they would stand watching me work before suggesting I should take a break as the drawing I had just done was rubbish and needed to be done differently. It’s what I live for – three little muses advising on redesigns first thing in the morning after I have worked on them all night. Actually, I think kids are great at seeing things in excitingly different ways. As boring old grown ups, we tend to forget how to do this and can leave our fantastic imaginations behind.

The books are a series aimed at the home education market and will be available in the UK from May. I worked on the 6 – 8 year olds range and can’t wait to see the finished items. Apparently they look great and if they sell well there will be an extended series.

I will paste a couple of the covers I illustrated into my portfolio for now and add some of the internal pages later on in the year.

Oh, by the way, I received an award for being;

‘Officially recognised as one of the best businesses in Weymouth & Portland because it is an excellent local company offering a bespoke solution for your business needs. All design and print projects approached with knowledge and professionalism’

- Hurrah! Please excuse the trumpet blowing but sometimes it has to be done!

Today however, I’m going to be sensible and discuss the importance of good logo design. I’ve recently been to a few net working events and have spoken to a number of small business’s who alarmingly don’t realise the significance this.

Please believe me, you need a good logo!

When meeting owners of small businesses or start up companies I sometimes get asked ‘Why is a logo so important?’ Well, it’s like this, if you think you are the best in business and can rely on gaining your work from 100 % word of mouth then don’t bother. If so, is this a successful attitude? Are any of us truly in a place where we don’t have to market ourselves? Are you that confident? I suspect that like me, the answer to these questions is no. If so please read on and I will explain the importance and significance of giving your business its visual identity.

Think Logo!

Did you know that in the space of just one hour you can be exposed to 200 logos? There’s no escape, you are constantly surrounded by company brands. I bet even now, you can remember some of the best logos.

If I say McDonalds, Coke a Cola or Nike, what design images spring to mind? I’m pretty confident it was the golden ‘M’ on a red background for McDonalds, the swirls of red and white font of Coke a cola and the white tick on a black background for Nike. They don’t even require reading; the logo image is instantly recognisable, but it’s not just these companies that have effective logos. Consider your favourite bands, books, cars, clothing, TV channel or even religions; they are all married with an identifiable image. Simply,they’ve got it right because you remember them.

Think about it, the most successful companies spend a lot of time and money on branding their image. They’re not stupid, they know that this is money well spent. A good logo can only add strength to a business.

A professional logo reflects how you do business. It shows that you take pride of your business and its performance. Very importantly, this will interpret how it takes care of its clients.

Please don’t consider clip art or Vista print as a use for business design. It’s mass produced, unidentifiable, ineffective, and meaningless as far as a logo design is concerned. I promise you, it will not get people’s attention. A logo needs to be about your business, who you are and what you do. So, only a logo that is unique and of a certain quality will enable you to dazzle your target audience with perfect brand identity.

A nicely designed logo also gives an impression of professionalism and attention to details. A good designer will know how to interpret this. Mull over this, 0.5% of mail outs will end up in the bin, by choosing the right colours, type, design and font your designer will endeavour to make your logo stand out look proficient and get noticed.

Ok, so now that you can see the importance of a well designed logo, read on to ensure you get it right.

Things to remember when having your logo designed:

It’s an investment, go for it…but be wise!

Don’t be put off by the cost that is incurred, firstly it’s an investment and secondly it’s not as expensive as you think. In relation to its importance it’s one of the most valuable investments for the business you will ever make. Remember, your logo will definitely help you carve out your image, and enable you to get noticed thus gaining business and popularity which equals success.

Like a quote for any kind of work get three prices, but don’t always go for the cheapest. Some areas of the marketing industry will sell ‘design’ when it’s not. If someone happens to have Photoshop installed on their computer it doesn’t make them a designer! A printer is a printer, a person who makes signs, makes signs and no, Uncle Terry’s daughter who has an interest in interior design and can do wonders with Microsoft Word won’t do!

Use a Graphic Designer, it’s what they are for; you wouldn’t have a colonic irrigation done by a plumber, would you? A Graphic Designer will know how to define your brand and will skilfully design your logo specifically for your business. We are trained to do so!

A good printer, sign writer or marketing company will usually sub contract to a graphic designer to make sure that you receive the best service. If they don’t, ask how much their ‘design’ is costing and consider its worth. Remember, some may charge the same or more than a Graphic Designer anyway.

If it’s purely design you’re’ after it’s cheaper to contact a Graphic Designer directly. It’s worth bearing in mind that a third party will subcontract to a Graphic Designer and then very often mark up their prices to part pay for their services. Working one to one with your designer will also produce the best outcome as it enables the designer to get a true understanding and feel of what you want.

Firstly, always ask to see their portfolio and testimonials. It’s also worth asking if they have a Graphic Design degree.

Lastly, please remember, it’s in a designers own personal and business interest to make you happy by helping you achieve your objectives.

If you want more info on the importance of logo design follow these links:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?site=106&r.s=sc&r.l1=1073861169&r.lc=en&r.l3=1074408444&r.l2=1073858811&type=RESOURCES&itemId=1074408781

http://www.designcouncil.org.uk/Design-Council/3/Design-Council-Magazine/Design-Council-Magazine-Issue-1/Design-matters/

For my next blog I will be discussing ‘Know Your Brand…I’ts Vital!’’ and ‘How to find your brand’ or ‘How Hot Is Hugh Jackman in the New Xmen Film ?’