Some of the shots from my Nexus One [ there are much better looking wallpapers on http://googlenexuswallpapers.com ].

The images have been made using the following Androids apps from the Android Market :
1. Camera 360 [ I have just bought the pro version - it has a ton of effects like HDR & tilt-shift ],
2. FxCamera, and
3. Retro Camera [ this one gives very small images though – about 512 x 512 pixels only.

No Photoshopping except rotating the images to get them right. All straight from the Nexus One camera with the help of the above-mentioned apps. If you haven’t seen my photography portfolio yet, do step by on http://studioaside.com!

UPDATE : couldn’t buy the Camera 360 app afterall : no line to buy is available.

Coming to the design of the symbol itself : it has been designed by an IIT graduate, Udaya Kumar. I love the design. It is supposed to represent the “R” from the English language – giving credence to the fact that this country runs on English and there are no two ways about it. The identity also represents the Devanagari script with the same letter representing the “R” character in this script as well. Which is, quite fantastic in my opinion.

A company going by the name of Foradian has also released a font for the same where the keyboard key ‘`’ to the left of the ’1′ numeral, types in the Indian Rupee Symbol. The font hasn’t been rendered well and needs polishing – probably in collaboration with the designer, Udaya or someone who is a type-designer.

The typeface definitely needs work – apart from that, the identity itself is fantastic in terms of concept as well as basic execution. While the double horizontal bars might seem redundant to some, it helps tie the identity in with the rest of the world currency symbols, many of which have double bars – either vertical or horizontal. Identity design isn’t just about a glorified concept, it is also about practical use and international implications – it would be foolish to think that identity design, at any scale, is local or even national. Traveling tourists that capture Obama’s photograph on hoarding advertising a restaurant, make the identity-world quite flat.

I’m actually quite taken in with the new identity and am pleasantly surprised that the Indian Government did not pick something irrelevant, stupid, political or downright disgusting. If we could glean more information about the selection process and who were the people involved in this decision, we might be able to identify a design champion hiding in the Parliament.

Her’s a slightly more refined version in my opinion – one without the top horizontal bar as well.

I’m no type designer but the EPS files for both these symbols are available for download here. Right click and save.

There’s a comprehensive listing of world currency symbols on XE.com here http://www.xe.com/symbols.php and some of the major / top world currency symbols like the Euro, the Dollar, the Yen/Yuan and the Pound, all have two parallel bars. And yes, an identity does need to ‘fit-in’ at some level. Doesn’t mean you can’t get innovative with it, just means that it needs to be recognizable without alienating the majority.

The following two wallpapers are also available for download : the 1400px x 900px versions.

I picked being emotional, progressive, assertive and relaxed. I’ve never used Cooper Black Italic but maybe I should! Nifty little engagement on the microsite – not much of a time waster either.

The band was clear about having a bird in the logo – a Swallow specifically. This particular logo engagement had a lot of iterations – not in the overall concept / design but in smaller tweaks of where to place the bird, why typeface to use, what font-weight to use etc, as you will see below.

This was the first round of ideas :

I was doodling below.

This is from the second round of iterations based on color feedback from the client :

This is from the third round of iterations to show a different layout, typography as well as a change in the bird’s shape :

This is from the fourth round of iterations where the layout of the logo and the shape of the bird has been almost finalized – lots of typeface options in the following based on what the client had suggested :

After we were all sold on Helvetica, it was time for round five of iterations to finally nail the layout / placement of the logo with respect to the bird and the lettering and also to determine what weights would work best :

The following are the final components of the logo for the band Circle Round The Park :

Thanks to @crtp for the opportunity – it was wonderful working with them. This was an exciting project for me – the first band I’d designed a logo for and it opened up a new line of possible client work as well.

* Understands complex database (MySQL) concepts as well as the implications of different database designs.
* Effectively employs many different database design techniques.
* Possesses demonstrated work experience with more than one relational database management system.
* Demonstrates expert knowledge of PHP & Python
* Creates XML schemas. Has good overall knowledge of XML & Javascript (AJAX)
* Has good understanding of XHTML & CSS
* Possesses significant knowledge of client server and internet systems architectures.
* Creates well designed, reusable objects.
* Understands browser specific compatibility issues.
* Understands the benefits of the various design methodologies and object oriented environments.

When speaking with clients about the importance of their logo I like to give the following metaphor to illustrate just how key they are to their overall brand image;

“Imagine your company as tall office building; within the office building there are conference rooms, hospitality suites, spa’s, etc, these are the services you offer to your clients. Delve deeper and you find the vents, boilers and copper guts supplying the building, these service channels are your company architecture, they supply power to the buildings occupants each day, keeping everything running.

However before a client can engage with the services you offer within your conference rooms and hospitality suites and well before they can learn about what makes your company tick they have to pass through the lobby; Imagine your logo as the lobby to your brand, gleaming, sleek, leather bound and inviting; your logo is the first touch between your brand and any potential clients.

Of course while potential clients initially enter through the lobby, they will hopefully also leave through here too and not the emergency exit, in many cases your logo is not only the first touch point with potential clients but also the last.”

As designers, we should include similar metaphors when discussing the project with a potential client. Instead of trying to ‘educate’ a client about what logo design / branding is, metaphors work better in explaining the actual working of a logo – how it truly helps, in an almost-tangible fashion.

Another metaphor that I can think of currently is to equate it with a job interview. Where the client’s brand is the person going to apply for a new job and will be interviewed. Apart from the brand’s qualifications [ which if they are no good, no logo could rescue ], what also makes a difference is how the interviewee / brand presents himself / herself – what they are wearing, how they walk, how they sit and how they talk. Equate that to what a logo looks like, what the colors represent and how typography lends to that representation. How bad / good presentation can make / break an interview. The brand is the interviewee and the customer, the interviewer. [ It's probably simplistic to use such a metaphor - but it could be a start. ]

I need to think of a better metaphor I could actually use with clients during the briefing process.

Apart from the creative brief, another piece of input that I want to use is the meaning of his name. Tuhin means “Mist, dew; hoar-frost, ice, snow; cold; moonlight, moonshine”. Unfortunately, I still haven’t been able to think of how. Will update the blog with additional posts as this logo design engagement progresses.

Updated with the second set of sketches that I sent to him. His feedback for the first set said that he liked #5 but wasn’t sure he wanted to go in that direction – the rest were either too corporate / did not represent he human sophistication & creativity that he wants to show.

I’m now going to put down some time thinking what I could do with the ‘snow’ idea.

The logos that the client liked – as part of the brief :

I was to present two options and the sketches were as follows :

Since there was no headway being made in what the client expectations were, I showed them all the sketches I had created, after which the project went nowhere. The client continues to use their original logo.

There needs to be some way to define what a logo / sketch represents instead of comments like, “It doesn’t feel right”. While personal preferences can be included to some level, the logo is the representation of the brand and needs to successfully communicate the brand to the target audience.

Wouldn’t you want your car mechanic to know what the problem with your car is, what model it is, what previous alterations have been made to it etc.? The least you can do for your brand [ which is more important that your car ] is to tell the designer who will be designing the logo for you, all details possible. Instead of saying, “But whatever I write will be open to misinterpretation. I’d prefer to talk.” Even if you just talk, as a designer, I will write those answers down & return to you with them & then ask for a written confirmation.

If you can’t take out half-a-day in which you can clearly define your brand for the designer, you probably need to educate yourself more about what a brand is, what branding is, what logo design is and please do go read http://logofaqs.com for a start.

Refused to work with someone today morning because they outright refused to fill-in the brief. Many other indications of how this was going to be a problem project : not looking at the portfolio and simply asking for pricing, saying “writing is going to get misinterpreted – whatever I write, you will derive whatever meaning you want from it”. Like @andyrutledge said yesterday, excuse me while I throw up.

I refuse to work with people who “just want a logo” and have no concept of committing to a project that will help shape their brand.