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How to Rotate Photoshop Brushes

Bill Lord — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 22:10:36 +0000

This may be old news to some, but when I figured out this technique I was blown away by how much time I had been wasting. This quick tutorial will show you how to easily rotate your Photoshop brushes to any angle you need. It may sound silly, but it’s a huge time saver!

We’re all fans of Photoshop brushes. Easily adding textures, patterns, images etc. to my designs is great although I always felt like they had their limitations based on their “out-of-the-box” layout. I can’t tell you how many times I have used the brush I needed on a separate layer, then rotated or flipped it to where I wanted it to end up. A huge waste of time.

With a couple mouse clicks, you can make the brushes do whatever you want. Here’s how.

STEP 1

Open up a blank document and grab your brush tool. Pick a pattern (anything but round) from your brushes pallet. I’ll choose this cloud brush that’s alway annoyed me because I thought it could only be used in the lower right corner of the page, without transforming or erasing part of it.

STEP 2, here’s where it gets good…
Now, in the brushes pallet (Window > Brushes) select “Brush Tip Shape.” I never noticed this as an option because of the check boxes next to all the other choices. Check out your options, flip X, flip Y, angle, even a dragging option. Too easy! You can just click and drag to the exact angle you need.

Here is a sample with the clouds rotated to all 4 corners. How celestial.

Quick and easy, but a huge time saver. I hope you found this to be helpful!

Modern Design’s Influence on one of the World’s Oldest Team Sports

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 17:48:39 +0000

Crisp fall nights loom on the horizon as we wind down the dog days of August. This time of year means football, for many. Of course, geography plays a large part in determining which brand of football. Being part of the growing contingent of football fans in the states that follows the European version – the one played with feet – I’d like to examine the influence of modern design on the rebranding of football clubs in Europe. You can think of them as soccer clubs if you’d like, I can assure you no one in this group will mock you publicly.

ARSENAL FC

We start with the rebrand of the club I have a firsthand knowledge and love for: Arsenal FC. I remember when the new crest debuted. You might have thought someone dropped a bomb on the stadium and sold all the players, according to some in the blogosphere who saw this as a clear abomination and betrayal of the club’s history and heritage. Given time, however, people get over their disdain for change and embrace a new look. Minimizing design isn’t always the answer, but it has been a successful trend in modern updates of brands from corporate to sport, and here I feel it works quite well. The previous crest was far too ornate, and busy. The update displays a modern font and a simplified eastern facing cannon that signifies a commitment to progressively moving forward. All told, a resounding success as far as this designer is concerned. Of course I teeter on the brink of bias, but I digress. A-

BOLTON WANDERERS FC

Moving on To Bolton, a truly detestable side with a moderately detestable crest. This upgrade is subtle and preserves their previous typography adding little whispy streamers instead of the stately ribbon of the previous effort. This upgrade isn’t particularly bad as it’s understated enough, I’m simply not a fan of the logo to begin with. And anything that evokes the memory of Will Ferrell’s floor dance performance in “Old School” can’t be a good representation for any club looking to establish their identity. D+

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Let’s jump countries on our European tour over to Germany to check on Borussia’s update to their classic BVB crest. Punching up the yellow really leaves an impression. The typography has been updated nicely to make the crest symmetrical and sophisticated. It’s simple but memorable. A

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC

Being an Arsenal supporter, Tottenham falls under the category of nemesis. The clubs are separated in North London by four miles and a wealth of good fortune. That said, as much as it pains me to say so, the update of the club’s crest is a fantastic improvement. The simplification of the “cockerel,” (their birds not mine) came off perfectly. They dumped the lions and Latin and inserted a retro football in the place of the club’s initials. I think the color, lines, and look of this update to the crest are nearly flawless leaving you with a simple and sophisticated improvement. For that they receive high marks. A+

PARIS ST. GERMAIN FC

Onto France where we take a look at the updates in Paris. PSG did a nice job cleaning up what was otherwise a little murky. The black strokes on the old logo were harsh, and the typography appears messy jetting off the icon as it does. The upgrade addresses these issues nicely, even if the baby crib under the Eiffel Tower is a little curious. B-

AJAX FC

The Dutch national team has one of the coolest brands of all time in the lion’s head. I liked it so much I placed it on the Vital team jerseys for our Tuesday night league. This fondness does not carry across the board in Holland as Amsterdam’s Ajax (eye-axe to those of you confusing it with a cleaning product) upgrade has left me a little conflicted. On the one hand I love the type update, as well as the red border, but I can’t help thinking the update to the Greek Warrior Ajax’s face took simplicity to the precipice and beyond. If we were to agree that the original version was far too detailed to reproduce across multiple forms of media would we then agree that using a fat magic marker to do a quick trace would not be the answer to simplifying the image? I think so. In writing this I’ve learned that supporters have been campaigning to ditch the new crest since its inception in the ’90s due to it being too cold and business like. A campaign that has fallen on deaf ears. Proof positive that you can oversimplify your brand and agitate your target audience. C-

Moving away from the per club breakdown of club crests, I’d like to now move swiftly onto my “FILE UNDER” segment where we take some successful, some not so successful, some legendary and some downright bizarre examples of rebranding from around European football leagues and file them under their appropriate categories.

FILE UNDER “PROGRESS”:

FILE UNDER “STROBE-TASTIC”:

FILE UNDER “MUTANT RABBIES CAT”:

FILE UNDER “FINE WINE AND BIOHAZARD”:

FILE UNDER “LAW SUIT”:

FILE UNDER “INEXPLICABLE”:

FILE UNDER “УРОДСКО!”:

FILE UNDER “Vive Le Résistance!”:

FILE UNDER “YOU AIN’T GO-‘N’ NOWHERE”:

FILE UNDER “LEGENDARY”:

Top 10 Orange Desk Accessories

Rachel Swanson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:02:38 +0000

It’s no secret that Vital Design loves orange.

It’s a main feature of our branding and you’ll find it on our walls, in our logo, on our website and in our gifts to our clients.

Color Wheel Pro says orange represents “enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation” and that’s an accurate description of what we’ve got going on, if we may be so bold.

This orange branding has nearly saturated our workspace. If you swing by to borrow a stapler, it probably will be orange and we’ll invite you to have a seat in the super comfy visitor chair – also orange and pictured at right. We know there are a lot of design companies out there loving the orange like us, sooo we tallied up some of our coolest orange stuff:

Vital’s Top 10 Orange Desk Accessories

1. Le Pen

This sleek and orangey pen is très magnifique! And so much sexier than a Bic.

2. Toy Scooter

What would Barbie say? “OMG, it’ll look so cute at the dream house!”

3. Pantone Orange Coffee Mug

Hot coffee spurs creativity but it’s super creative-making juice when slurped from this Orange 021 C pantone mug.

4. Giant Paper Clip

To dry our giant wet things. You should see the clothes line.

5. Logology

The study of logos. Bound in handsomely smooth burnt orange leather impressed with logos. Very impressive.

6. Somewhat Offensive Tape Dispenser

But much less offensive than the pencil sharpener that featured a prone figurine.

7. Nathan Water Bottle

We could die of thirst without this. Then who would make pretty things for you?

8. Toy Corvette

Smaller than a squash. Mightier than a matchbox.

9. Sparrow Memo Clips

We only have the orange one and it memos us to do all manner of tasks. Kind of tweety too.

10. Behance Action Method Notebook

A week to learn how to use this. A lifetime to master. Cover is soft and impressive, helping us justify higher rates.

Website Design and Facebook Ecommerce

Brian DeKoning — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:09:01 +0000

Two cool links we saw on Twitter today: First is about effectively planning your website design from start to finish. This gives a few good examples and a step-by-step process. They go into balancing good navigation with design.

Second cool link is from Inside Facebook and about Facebook Pages evolving into ecommerce portals. This is a good answer for the question on how Facebook can help your business. Threadless is just a cool company anyway, but they are using Facebook in a great way by constantly keeping people involved in addition to generating all of their products from their community. Also, check out what 1800FLOWERS is doing to sell flowers right from their Facebook page.

I wanted to put both of these into a blog post rather than just retweeting them because they’re two important things for you to check out – and this post will show up on Twitter anyway.

Vanity Facebook Page URLs

Brian DeKoning — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:17:19 +0000

If you were too busy buying buying fireworks or erecting MJ shrines last week, you may have forgotten to declare your independence from gobbledygook Facebook urls on your company’s Facebook Page. Don’t worry, there’s probably still time.

As it first did for personal profile users on June 13, Facebook.com granted administrators of Pages (the ones you use a lot for business) the ability to set custom (or vanity) urls on June 28.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, check out your company page or personal profile on Facebook.com and look at the url in your browser. It probably looks something like this:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Portsmouth-NH/Vital-Design/42553511442.

But now with the ability to customize your Facebook Page url, you can create something like this: http://www.facebook.com/VitalDesign – easy to say and simple to put on your business cards.

There are still a few rules to read about when you get a vanity url for your Facebook Page such as having at least 100 fans and having had the Page up before June 9. But you can read about it all here.

You may never use this vanity url, but you should definitely get it before someone else does. And be sure to spell correctly because you only have one chance to review your spelling once you type it in and click the accept button.

Love Your Site Like Your Scooter

Jess Thompson — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:06:38 +0000

It’s scooter weather here in New Hampshire and I don’t think there’s anything better than hearing the whoosh of my tires on the pavement and feeling the wind in my hair and the sun on my face as I zoom around town on my scooter. I love my scooter.

But it doesn’t love me. I think it may hate me. It’s always making excuses why we can’t hang out: “My battery is totally drained.” “Cough, air filter’s clogged.” “My engine’s on fire.”

I know I could avoid these uncomfortable rejections if I paid more attention to my scooter on a regular basis instead of only when I want a ride somewhere. I am terrible about maintaining my scooter, so I end up spending a lot of time (and money) on fixes I could avoid with regular oil changes and other service.

Here’s where I tie this into the Vital Design marketing blog. : ] Just like your scooter or car, your business website needs proper maintenance on a regular basis. Make sure your site is running as well as possible so it doesn’t break down when you need it most – during a potential customer’s visit.

A few things you can do to keep your website humming:

Update content regularly – This may be through a blog, news releases, or special offers on your home page.

Install analytics – Google Analytics is a free, extremely robust web-based service that lets you see where your site traffic is coming from, how long people spend on each page, and what keywords they searched to find you on Google or Yahoo. All you need is a free gmail or Google account. Any web developer can install it in your site.

Get feedback – Ask customers and friends what they think of your site. Was it easy to find your contact info? Do they know what you do after a quick glance? Is it outdated? Does it match your company’s branding?

This ezine article has a few other questions to ask.

A few of the things Vital Design can help you with if it’s time to reVITALize your site:

1. Link your logo to your home page, this increases usability for your site visitors.

2. Revisit your SEO. Link copy, check your headers and add title attributes.

3. Rewrite your home page copy to engage your visitor.

4. Update your site with an RSS feed and other social media tools.

I got some of these ideas from this fadtastic post, which has a bunch more easy fixes (if you’re a Web developer).

If you’re interested in reVITALizing your website, scoot on over, our door is always open!

Bill Lord is running for Twesident

Bill Lord — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:37:08 +0000

You’ve seen it on the street. In coffee shops. At the grocery store. People frantically thumb-typing on their phones about something. Or someone. Or nothing… All in 140 characters or less. It’s the Twitter.

So what is it, you might ask? Here is a simple explanation from Twitter: ”Twitter is a service for friends, family, and coworkers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?”

Here’s what my wife said when I tried that explanation on her.

“What are you doing? Who cares what you are doing?”

I was doing a better job of convincing her that Twitter is a complete waste of time than explaining what an extremely powerful social media tool it is. So I told her, ”The President does it.” Seems as good an example as any, I thought. “And it helped get him elected.”

While on the campaign trail almost two years ago, then-Sen. Barack Obama first Tweeted, “Thinking we’re only one signature away from ending the war in Iraq.” 3:04 PM Apr 29th, 2007. He was at 500,000 followers a month ago, is at 900,000 now, and will probably have passed a million before this post is up.

“Oh, when are you planning on running?” My wife asked. Did you pick up on the sarcasm? She was laying it on pretty thick.

Next, I tried to show her how Twitter works for the common good by telling her how the Boston police used Twitter this year to communicate during the city’s notoriously awesome St. Patrick’s Day parade. ”One goal is to interact in real time with the public during festivals and large-scale events,” the Beantown heat said.

“Will you be making citizen arrests?” she taunted.

But there’s no denying its utility and popularity. Most twitterers simply update their status. Others might include a link to a recent inspiration. Some are using Twitter on a whole different level. Kogi bbq - Korean BBQ To-Go, is a food cart in LA that uses Twitter to tell followers where the cart is in real time. Kogi’s tweets not only lets followers know where lunch is that day, but also puts Kogi bbq in your mind before heading out to lunch. Hmm… bbq pork sounds good. Another is NY’s City Bakery which tweets to let you know fresh batches of cookies are out of the oven.

Another good use of Twitter is to get advice by asking questions of everyone and no one in particular. Twitter is great for getting opinions.

Still not grasping how Twitter can benefit you? See how the folks at Common Craft explain it in this video.

Not only is Twitter as fun and addicting as other social media sites like Facebook and the Myspace. Twitter has turned into a great way to keep tabs on what your industry and customers are doing. Companies are using Twitter to gain credibility in their industry, increase their audience, and potentially attract new business.

As a Web developer here at Vital Design, I am constantly watching what is bringing our site traffic. Our client base is primarily in a 2-hour radius from Portsmouth, NH, including Boston, Worcester, MA and Maine. After dabbling in social media for a short time, our site’s top four referral traffic sources became Google, Twitter, Linked In, and Facebook. A statistic that speaks for itself as far as I’m concerned. Having the power to send people to your website through your own involvement in social networking sites is big, especially for a regional company like us.

Founded by Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Noah Glass, and Biz Stone, Twitter has been steadily picking up steam since it’s release in March 2006. A February 2009 Compete.com blog entry ranks Twitter as the third largest social network, and puts the number of users at roughly 6 million and the number of monthly visitors at 55 million. Twitter grew 752% in 2008, not bad.

I think I’m going to Tweet about this blog… we’ll see what happens, follow me on twitter to find out.

And of course, follow Vital Design on Twitter.

Lessons of Tropicana. Squeezing every drop from your brand.

admin — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 14:37:12 +0000

If a tired brand is dragging you down, a frosty economy is a great time for a new design.

By freshening your brand identity, you’ll create buzz, connect with new customers, and better represent your organization.

It’s kind of like when you start working out to shed that jelly belly after you get dumped. Let ‘em know you’re back in circulation!

But if your brand is more 2004 than 1994, maybe you wanna rethink how your loyal customers will stomach the new you. Consider Tropicana’s ill-fated recent redo, an example of rebranding gone horribly sour.

PepsiCo’s complete brand overhaul included a twist on Tropicana branding with a sleek, new package that some loyal customers called a generic juice box! (Who knew how much they love the orange with the straw?)

The reaction to the new packaging was so acidic that Tropicana squashed the updated design and reverted to their orange-impaled-by-candy-striped-straw look.

There are two big lessons here. The first is that social media networks like Twitter and Facebook (not to mention the electronic mail and the rest of them Internets) give instant power to the people. Forget the slow pulp of newsprint or the long, sagging vines of telephony when it comes to relaying consumer rejection. Buyer discontent is instant.

The second lesson is that it’s vital to leverage your existing brand strengths. Take time to consider this before you hire someone who never bought a carton of orange juice to make visual or graphic adjustments to your life’s blood. Beware the huanglongbing of change for change’s sake.

If done carefully and with research of your target market, company values and core message, an identity redesign can be the best thing for your brand. The 2009 ReBrand 100 Global Awards are great examples.

Pass the Burnt Sienna

Kris Combs — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:22:12 +0000

I’ll never forget what a client said one day early in my career after receiving a proposal for a logo design.

“This is what a logo costs!??!” exclaimed the client, who shall remain nameless. “A monkey with a crayon can do your job for crying out loud!”

I didn’t bother to explain that a monkey would actually have to learn how to use Adobe Creative Suites to do my job. In retrospect, it’s funny, but that experience shows you how logo estimates are sometimes received by clients who haven’t had custom design work done.

After explaining the planning, thought process, and wrist labor that designers go through, clients usually see the importance of the investment in professional help. Or they walk away laughing because we refer to moving a mouse as labor.

Whether we are designing a logo, or planning user interface and search engine optimization for a website, graphic and Web designers use a lot of experience-based knowledge and training to produce professional work. That’s why we’re in business, right? If we lack in those areas, we just wear nerdy glasses and tight jeans to make you feel like we know something you don’t. Just kidding!

If you think you need professional marketing help in design or Web, ask yourself these questions:

Is my logo or brand telling my customers what I want them to know?

Is my website content interesting and easy to read/view/hear?

How does my website show up when people in my area Google the service/product I provide?

If any of these questions are a stumbling block we can help. We don’t work for peanuts but throw in few bananas and we can talk.

5 Things Your Logo Should Say About You

Rachel Swanson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 20:48:49 +0000

Logos are often the first introduction the public has to your company, so it’s critical to make a good impression with a professional image. This doesn’t necessarily mean that your logo needs to break out its interview suit, but it needs to have an appropriate style for your product or company. An eye-catching logo will inspire people to learn more about your brand, even if they have no idea what you do. It is equally important to realize that an uninspired logo can turn customers away before they get through the door. Here are five things your logo should say about your company, organization, or brand. How does yours measure up?

1. I am a professional and I take my business seriously (even if it’s Disney World).

2. I know who I am and what my brand represents.

3. I understand the audience that I am trying to reach.

4. I am current.

5. I am unique.

If you’re not sure where your logo stands, you can always contact us here at Vital for a free and honest evaluation. In the meantime, check out the work of other designers. One source of logo inspiration we like is the Logo of the Day Blog.

For critique and discussion of updated logos, nothing beats the Brand New Blog.
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