Blog - Ellifont Design

Case Study: SafariBiz Logo Recreation

July 23, 2024July 23, 2024 by Ellifont Design Comment Closed

A logo recreation is what happens when you no longer have your original logo files and need to have the vector file reconstructed from scratch. You may have a small JPG or PNG file, but it’s grainy when scaled up on your business card or website. Or maybe you’re getting ready to print some swag and the printer asks for your logo in a vector file format – and you don’t have one (and if you don’t know what vector files are, read this). For your graphic designer, a logo recreation is a little like an episode of CSI, except I’m solving the mystery of fonts, shapes and colors. Here's a case study of a very unique logo that I recreated for SafariBiz, and some of the cool workarounds I used to make it happen. The Situation SafariBiz is a boutique travel agency that specializes in custom trips to Africa. They had a small JPG of their logo, but had lost touch with...

DIY Graphic Design Tips for the Busy Business Owner

October 8, 2021July 23, 2024 by Ellifont Design Comment Closed

Part 2: Design Now that you've read part 1, the DIY tips on curating your content and message, it's time for the fun part: designing it! Below are a few design tips to help you stay on track and get your message across. It doesn't matter if you're working in Microsoft Word, Canva or Adobe Illustrator – the guiding principles are the same no matter which tools you're using. Use 1-2 fonts only We’ve all seen those awesome typography posts on Pinterest, and get inspired by them. However, it’s easy to get carried away and end up with a hodgepodge of fonts that will actually distract from your main message. If you’re new to design and typography, it’s best to keep it simple. If your brand guidelines has recommended fonts, use those. Otherwise, choose a simple style of headline, and one lighter font for the body text. You can use bold and italics (sparingly) to highlight key points. Keep in mind the end goal...

DIY Graphic Design Tips for the Busy Business Owner

September 27, 2021October 8, 2021 by Ellifont Design Comment Closed

Part 1: Content Small business owners wear a lot of hats, including sometimes creating their own marketing materials. However, because they're so busy, they often don't have a lot of time to work out a good design for their flyer or post. The results? Business cards that don't explain what you do, or flyers that don't give any real information. To save you (and your customer) time and frustration, here are some simple DIY tips to organize your thoughts and communicate them in your next marketing piece. One message Choose a single message. Pick the one thing you want your reader to take away from your piece, and stick with it. Want the reader to call you for a quote? Great! Tailor the whole piece towards that goal. Provide some tantalizing bits of information about your product/service, a nice image, and a testimonial about how you solved a customer’s problem. Curate content that would motivate your reader to call you for a quote. Less...

What does a graphic designer do?

January 16, 2018May 15, 2019 by Ellifont DesignNo Comments

Graphic Designer FAQ Part 1 "What does a graphic designer do?" I get asked that question a lot, and since a lot of companies offer graphic design services in addition to their other services, it’s understandably a little confusing. The short answer: A graphic designer takes your branding and messaging and creates something visually attractive that conveys your message. The long answer: My favorite definition of graphic design is that it’s visual problem solving. A graphic designer’s main goal is to convey a message through text and imagery. The message needs to be easy to understand, true to the company’s branding and personality, and aesthetically pleasing. For example, if a graphic designer were hired to create a logo for a exclusive personal trainer who really likes dolphins and the color green, the designer’s job would be to create a logo that looks high-end, strong or active, while including that color and imagery. The graphic designer takes all those puzzle pieces and puts them together into...