I came across this extraordinary fabric pattern by Palace Papers in a magazine recently. The fern fronds provide a touch of natural whimsy and unexpected detail to the traditional herringbone pattern. I couldn’t stop looking at it!

Plant forms are some of the most prolific sources of design inspiration. What better teacher of principles for design like economy, variation, pattern or form? The Palace Papers swatches got me thinking of some of our own past projects that have interpreted leaf and plant forms. Enjoy this flash from the past with Dux D’Lux logo designs inspired by plant life.

Eco-friendly products for the pool construction industry

When Frank Wall called Dux D’Lux to inquire about our marketing services, the first question he asked me was, “Are you the girl who likes frogs?” The Queen had included a blurb about me in our company newsletter explaining my love of watercolor painting and the collection of frogs on my desk. The tidbit sparked Frank’s interest because he was looking to create a point-of-purchase display for one of his product innovations featuring a watercolor frog. That was over 10 years ago, and Dux D’Lux has been helping Frank market his inventive products ever since!

In 2008, Frank began a new company called Frank Wall Enterprises for which we were excited to design a great website! The company’s mission is to provide innovative products to the pool construction industry based on Frank’s 30+ years of experience as a successful pool builder. He seeks out products that will make the construction process easier for the builder and offer the best innovative options for their pool customers. He’s recently highlighted some exciting products that are environmentally friendly!

Frank’s flagship product is the AquaForms forming system. This re-usable aluminum modular system allows builders to create building forms for their pools much more quickly, saving the additional time and resources required in hand-building pool forms for each construction project. Dux D’Lux was able to consult with Frank on the naming of the product as well as design the logo.

Additionally, Frank Wall Enterprises also offers FLEXI-Forms, a Flexible concrete form board to form and pour concrete pool decks, sidewalks, patios, driveways and any concrete surface with curves and tight radiuses. The plastic FlexiFORM board is manufactured with 100% recycled HDPE plastics — the kind found in milk bottles! In fact, one roll of FlexiFORM is made from 129 plastic milk jugs! Unlike other types of plastic, HDPE is the most environmentally stable — giving off no harmful fumes into the environment. The Healthy Building Network recommends HDPE resin-based products as the most environmentally friendly plastic building materials.

Way to go, Frank! Thanks for providing your industry with environmentally sensitive product solutions. Oh, and thanks for asking us about our frogs!

A logo design that is used repeatedly throughout a company’s marketing program can greatly increase the effectiveness of each piece by providing much-needed brand recognition, by conveying important “at-a-glance” information about products and services and by offering a consistent and professional “look” for all business communications. It sounds good, right? But, how can you be sure you have an effective logo?

When I put on my pink self-promotion hat (the one with the whirligig on top), the short answer is to call Dux D’Lux, of course. But, there are a few guidelines that I often share with clients who are contemplating the logo development process. Creating a company or organizational logo or comprehensive brand can be a difficult and time-consuming process. It helps to set a few parameters at the outset for what constitutes a good logo design–what an effective logo must accomplish for your business. Consider these four requirements as you begin the process.

APPEAL. A visual identity should appeal to your prospective clientele, and help your business stand out among the many symbols and images confronting them daily. In addition, even if your customer base is fairly specific, your logo will be viewed by a wider audience. Thus, it can effect your company’s reputation even among people outside your target group. A visual identity should create favorable associations for a wide range of people without alienating.

TIME. An effective visual identity has a timeless look and appeal. Although it will probably be updated several times throughout your company’s life, in most situations a logo should serve you for a decade or more. While your business strategies may respond to trends, a trendy logo will more likely undermine your company image.

FLEXIBILITY. Your logo will be used in a variety of applications throughout its life. It must work equally well from business cards to billboards. It should be adaptable for use in many media including offset printing, screen printing, promotional product production, video, internet, etc. Although it is important to be consistent in the use of color in your logo, it should also be easily converted to black and white, for cases when a 1-color application is more economical.

APPROPRIATENESS. An effective visual identity communicates your business style and strategies. It interprets your company goals, commitments and services for the public. The “look” of your identity, your choice of images, colors and typefaces, should reflect the reality of what you do, as well as the image you want to portray.

If you are ready to create a more professional and attractive image for your organization, an effective logo is the first step. Give us a call! Of all the projects I mentioned, logo development is definitely my FAVORITE.

For our first Freaky Friday, I hope you’ll forgive a truly personal note about a milestone in my family. My husband and I are celebrating our 10th anniversary today and are reveling in the joy of just how much life has blossomed over the last decade. Congrats and kisses to Mike, my lifelong love. …And, daddy to our three little gifts: ages 4, 2 1/2 and 11 months. Talk about your creative spirit! Birthing and nurturing three baby lives is a thrill a minute.

Having just oohed and aahed our way through another Dux wedding a few weeks ago (more on that next week), I’ve been thinking about the old-fashioned formality of personal invitations, handwriting, bridal name changes, and the time-honored monogram. There is hardly anything more powerful than a group of letters cleverly combined to represent a new beginning–whether it’s the beginning of a new family or a new company. When Mike and I became engaged, I designed a monogram reflecting our first names, our commitment and our faith. It was later used on wedding invitations, calling cards, thank you notes and even a few hand-decorated cookies. Yummy! I thought I’d share it along with some of the other logos and icons we’ve designed that are derived from interesting typographic representations. Enjoy!

We came across this sage advice from webdesignerdepot.com on how NOT to design a logo. It offers great insight on some of the common pitfalls companies and organizations encounter when embarking on the logo development process. There are many misconceptions about what a logo is and how to design one. I often tell clients that developing a logo can be a painful process for an organization, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. It involves a serious understanding of the mechanics of design communication as well as the ability to meld insight from various stakeholders and target audiences. Not for the faint of heart!  As the article highlights, the designer/client relationship is crucial to developing a truly effective logo design that can stand the test of time. Quick fix options like contests and logo “farms” can take that trusted relationship out of the equation and dilute the quality of a brand image.

I’m inspired! Stay tuned for some of our logo design project hits and misfits–pretty good logo concepts we discarded along the road to creating the BEST solutions for our logo development clients.