DTMtax Website

Red Lace Design has designed and launched the new website for DTMtax, a civil and criminal tax controversy law firm located in Orange County, California. "I think it looks fantastic!!!!!! Everyone loves it!!! Great job." - David Michaels, Tax Attorney, DTMtax, Newport Beach CA USA, client since 2010

Client: DTMtax, Newport Beach CA USA

Industry: Legal

Project Role: Logo Design, Website Design, Flash Slideshow

'My Little Black Dress' T-Shirt

Red Lace Design has designed a new t-shirt for ZestyWear, 'My Little Black Dress'. 

Client: ZestyWear, USA

Industry: Retail

Project Role: T-Shirt Design

Meta Tag Library

Ever wonder if there are more meta tags than 'keywords' and 'description'? Well guess what? There are dozens, some automatically are generated by your HTML editor but not all of them are beneficial to your websites search engine rankings.  Below is a list of meta tags (courtesy of About.com's Meta Tag Library).

USAGE: Color Key: Highly Recommended, Recommended, Optional, Not Recommended, Non-English sites Only, Do Not Use

META TAG NAME           DESCRIPTION                                                      
abstract                      One sentence overview of the entire web page           
author                        Author of the web pages content                              
content-language        Natual language of the website                                   
content-script-type     Default scripting language of the page                         
content-style-type      Default CSS language of the page                               
content-type              The MIME type and character set of the page              
copyright                   Copyright date and info for the page                            
date                           To note when the web page first launched                 
description*               A short description of the web page                             
designer                     Indicates the web designer of the site                          
distribution                 How the page should be distributed                            
expires                       The expiration date of the content on the page          
generator                   The HTML editor and version that created the page  
google                       Info for Googlebots, how to index, archive, etc.           
keywords*                The keywords associated with the page                       
language                    The language of the web page                                      
msnbot                      Info for MSNBot, how to index, archive, etc.              
PICS-Label               Rating of the web page for child safe programs            
pragma                      Force the page to not be cached or reload                   
publisher                    The HTML editor and version that created the page    
rating                         Content ratings for parental control                              
refresh                        Reload the page from the server or redirect                 
reply-to                      Provide cntact info for the web page                            
resource-type             The type of document the page is                                 
revisit-after                 Supported by one search engine for spiders                 
robots                        Tells search engines what they can index and follow   
set-cookie                  Set a cookie in the web browser                                  
subject                       The subject of the web page                                        
title                            Sets the page's title, not the same as TITLE tag            

description*  The meta description tag is used by search engine spiders, and provides them with a description of your web pages. It is most often used for SEO (search engine optimization) to provide a short (1 – 3 sentences, most search engines cut off descriptions at 160 characters, I recommend staying below that number) description of the contents of the page.  I recommend using a different description for every web page on your site, helping both search engines and the people visiting the site.  I highly recommend this tag, if you don’t include it, search engines just use the first two sentences from each page, which can sometimes prove less useful to visitors to your site and SEO.

keywords* The meta keywords tag is used by some search engines to indicate what search terms the page should show up under.  While I do recommend using this meta tag since it does have some benefits, it’s benefits are not going to guarantee you any specific search page ranking so the time spent on it should be short.  Keywords should be kept to 10 - 15 single words or 1 - 2 word phrases.

Urban Outfitters "Word Art" Logo

Urban Outfitters has put up a new website for their trendy retail store with what they are calling their new "logo".  However, anyone that remembers the infamous "Word Art" from back in the day will quickly wonder what the hell they were thinking.  Not sure if they are just going for some free media press after hearing about what happen to GAP but this new look is anything but trendy.


Urban Outfitters Short-lived "Word Art" Logo



This new "logo" went live about one week ago and just like GAP, they have removed this new logo and quickly went back to their original, more simplistic, logo which can be seen on their website http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

DTM Tax Business Card

Red Lace Design has designed a new business card for DTM Tax. "I think the card looks awesome. Perfect. Very impressive work, thanks Lacey." - David Michaels, Attorney at Law, DTM Tax, Santa Ana CA USA, client since 2010

Client: DTM Tax, Santa Ana CA USA

Industry: Legal

Project Role: Business Card Design

GAP is Changing their Logo, After 20+ Years

Some think that change is good, but in the world of logos, my opinion is that if isn't broke, don't fix it.  GAP, the popular retail store is changing their logo that they have had for the past 20+ years to a new, less visually appealing, less recognizable logo.  The great thing I have always thought about GAP's logo in the navy box, is that is has a timeless look and feel, it can transition through the ages and it identifies well with their brand and customers.

The new logo (shown above, right) has started a lot of controversy, mostly among designers, who all feel the new logo is flat in personality and are amazed as to why the retailer would think it is a better fit than the original.  Here is what Marka Hansen, President of GAP North America, had to say to, "We chose this design as it's more contemporary and current. It honors our heritage through the blue box while still taking it forward. Now, given the passionate outpouring from customers that followed, we've decided to engage in the dialogue, take their feedback on board and work together as we move ahead and evolve to the next phase of Gap."

In this particular case, the change is bad.  Hopefully, they stick with the original or decide upon something other that what they currently have chosen as the new face of GAP.

UPDATE (11.01.2010): Gap has decided to stick with their current logo in the navy blue box after much controversy arose regarding their new design.  The did say that for the 2010 Holiday Season they will be changing the color of the box to a red but will then return to their classic navy box logo design. Well done Gap, thanks for listening!

DTM Tax Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for DTM Tax. "Perfect! Excellent. Thanks. Great job." - David Michaels, Owner, DTM Tax, Placentia CA USA, client since 2010

Client: DTM Tax, Santa Ana CA USA

Industry: Legal

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark

E & N Inc. Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for E & N Inc.  "Awesome Lacey! Thank you!" - Pardis Mehrassa, E & N Inc., client since 2010

Client: E & N Inc., Milwaukie OR USA

Industry: Automotive

Project Role: Logo Design, Slogan Creation

Periodic Table of Typefaces

To download this file, please click here.

Ho Ho Snow Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Ho Ho Snow. This concept took 7th and 13th place out of 56 worldwide entries.

Client: Ho Ho Snow, USA

Industry: Home & Garden

Project Role: Logo Design, Character Illustration

NW Car Company Business Card

Red Lace Design has designed a new business card for NW Car Company.

Client: NW Car Company, Milwaukee OR USA

Industry: Automotive

Project Role: Business Card Design

NW Car Company Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for NW Car Company, an auto wholesaler and broker. "This logo is perfectly balanced and exudes just the right attributes. Great job! And Thank you!" - Pardis Mehrassa, Owner, NW Car Company, Client since 2010

Client: NW Car Company, Milwaukee OR USA

Industry: Automotive

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

Logo Design Trends of 2010

Every year new trends develop in logo design while others fade, some stay around year after year. While the word 'trends' can often have a negative association, it does not necessarily mean that a design trend will not have the staying power to still be here in 20 years. Good design is good design, trend or not.

Transparency in logo design is a good example of what once was a trend but has become a bonafide design tool, like type or color. It no longer makes the "trends" list because it has become part of most designers toolbox, something used almost as regularly as type and color.

Another example would be "Greenness" or "Green" is still used frequently but it no longer needs to be represented by the color green. Any fresh palette will do when matched with the appropriate imagery or type.

With that said, let's take a look at some of this year's biggest logo design trends.

• Cubist: Inspired by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque founders of the Cubism movement. (1. Gardner Design, Graphic Impressions)

• Spores: Scaled back version of a radiant star, typically with three-dimensional qualities.
• Ghosts: Gaussian-like logos compel the viewer to take a second look. However, this “fuzzy” style must be obvious enough through silhouette that the viewer is now left confounded.

• Tendrils: Far from being drafted with geometric perfection, these tendrils have a natural gnarl to their wandering, like a real vine with a touch of whimsy. (2. Dale Harris, Blank Expression)

• Shift: Transparent overlays of color often resembling misregistered CMYK or RGB letterforms are the hallmarks of this trend.
• Parts: From a distance, the image is the large whole. But on closer inspection, the image is revealed to be an amalgam of molecular images.
• Pixels: Taking what on-screen images are comprised of, the pixel and enlarging it. Often used with digital product logos.

• Hexahedron: Transparent cubes in various arrangements and color with an implied sense of space. (3. Doyle Partners, The Cooper Union)

• Peepshow: An image inside an images outline, often with minimal contrast levels to avoid making the fill area visually jumpy.

• Festoon: The tapering of a graphic element to a diminishing point and also the overlapping of colored streamers, generally these are transparent so there is a color change where they overlap. (4. BrandBerry, TravelWorld.su)

• Stains: The use of wine stains, dirt stains, coffee rings, etc. to create a new image beyond the blur itself.
• Wallpaper: A shape filled with a colorful wallpaper-like pattern instead of a solid color.
• Box-up: A capture of both the wordmark and the symbol together in a literal box.

Logo Design Trends List courtesy of LogoLounge.com

Red Lace Design is now a Member of Krop

Red Lace Design is now a member of the creative database Krop.  Visit our page at http://www.krop.com/redlacedesign/

ATLAC Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for ATLAC.  This concept took 2nd place out of 73 worldwide entries. 

Client: ATLAC, Australia

Industry: Consulting

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

Helluvaday Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Helluvaday.  This concept took 4th place out of 82 worldwide entries.

Client: Helluvaday, USA

Industry: Sports & Recreation

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

Stillwater Girls Hockey Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Stillwater Girls Hockey.  This concept took 73rd place out of 110 worldwide entries.

Client: Stillwater Girls Hockey, Stillwater MN USA

Industry: Sports & Recreation

Project Role: Logo Design, Emblem Illustration

Hendersonville Christmas Parade Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for the Hendersonville Christmas Parade presented by Keller Williams Realty.  This concept took 4th place out of 19 worldwide entries.

Client: Hendersonville Christmas Parade, Hendersonville TN USA

Industry: Events

Project Role: Logo Design, Illustration

Unicon International Inc. Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Unicon International Inc. This concept took 3rd place out of 179 worldwide entries.

Client: Unicon International Inc., USA

Industry: Manufacturing

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark

Severn Partners Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Severn Partners.  This concept took 6th place out of 186 worldwide entries.

Client: Severn Partners, USA

Industry: Consulting

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark

Stacked Squad Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Stacked Squad.  This concept took 2nd place out of 37 worldwide entries. "Keep up the great work." - Will Aaye, Contest Holder, Stacked Squad

Client: Stacked Squad, USA

Industry: Sports & Recreation

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

Florida Southern Roofing and Sheetmetal Inc. Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Florida Southern Roofing and Sheetmetal Inc.  This concept took 52nd place out for 127 worldwide entries.

Client: Florida Southern Roofing and Sheetmetal Inc., FL USA

Industry: Construction

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

Venture97 Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Venture97.  This concept took 12th place out of 117 worldwide entries. "Thank you for your participation.  I really like the look and feel of it." - mv97, Contest Holder, Venture97

Client: Venture97, USA

Industry: Consulting

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

EZ Cut CNC Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for EZ Cut CNC.  This concept took 13th place out of 54 worldwide entries. 

Client: EZ Cut CNC, USA

Industry: Automotive

Project Role: Logo Design, Emblem

Novatech Solutions Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Novatech Solutions.  This concept took 8th place out of 96 worldwide entries.

Client: Novatech Solutions, USA

Industry: Service Industry

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

Narda's Incr'EDIBLES Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Narda's Incr'EDIBLES.  This concept took 4th place out of 29 worldwide entries.

Client: Narda's Incr'EDIBLES, USA

Industry: Retail

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

Simon Jones & Co. Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Simon Jones & Co. This concept took 20th place out of 169 worldwide entries.

Client: Simon Jones & Co., Melbourne Australia

Industry: Accounting

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

It Was a Blast!! Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for It Was a Blast!!.  This concept took 56th place out of 99 worldwide entries.

Client: It Was a Blast!!, USA

Industry: Events

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for Early Wright Gizer & McRae LLP.  “Thank you Lacey. I like the symbolism." – Scott Gizer, Attorney at Law, Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP, client since 2010

Client: Early Sullivan Wright Gizer & McRae LLP, USA

Industry: Legal

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark

Health Hut Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Health Hut.  This concept took 14th place out of 121 worldwide entries.

Client: Health Hut, CA USA

Industry: Restaurant

Project Role: Logo Design, Emblem

The Box Stops Here Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for the award winning blog, The Box Stops Here, where you can find recipes to cook without prepared box meals.

Client: The Box Stops Here, Beaverton OR USA

Industry: Home & Garden

Project Role: Logo Design, Emblem

Augeo Advisors Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo for Augeo Advisors, a private company mergers and aquisition advisors.  “Nice work, thank you! The red works really well. I like the font style and the way you bring the eye to Augeo while contrasting Advisors.” – Lars Ekstrom, Augeo Advisors LLC, client since 2010

Client: Augeo Advisors, USA

Industry: Financial & Insurance

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

The All-In Real Estate Team Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for The All-In Real Estate Team.  This concept took 6th place out of 21 worldwide entries.

Client: The All-In Real Estate Team, Northern Virginia, USA

Industry: Real Estate

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

The 6 Logo Design Styles

When having a logo designed, it is best to know which style you prefer before your designer gets started.  Often a designer will provide you with multiple options to choose from. If you can communicate to the designer what styles you might be interested in before they begin design production, you will often be more pleased with the end results and you will often require less revisions, which means less money out of pocket. 

Let's go over the six main logo design styles and famous examples of each.

1. Wordmarks
A wordmark is a graphic representation of the organizations name presented in a unique or stylized type.

2. Pictorial Marks
A pictorial mark uses literal pictorial imagery to symbolize the brand.

3. Abstract Marks
An abstract mark uses shapes and symbols to convey an idea or attitude about the organization.

4. Letterform Marks
A letterform mark uses one or more of the organizations letterforms to convey the brand, either in conjunction with the organizations name or without.

5. Emblems
An emblem is a complex mixture of the organizations name and mark enclosed by a shape.

6. Character Illustrations
A character illustration logo consists of a mascot or cartoon illustration to represent the brand.  These are the most time intensive logo styles and often require more work by the designer.

With this knowledge, you should now be able to make an informed decision about which logo style might be best suitable to represent your organization or business. 

If you are in need of a logo, Red Lace Design offers multiple design options to choose from within 48 hours, starting at $200 USD plus a free business card layout.  We do not use clipart and all of our designs are original vector graphics.  Contact us to get started now.

Please note that the above brands are in no way, shape, or form associated with Red Lace Design. They are cited as examples under Fair Use for the enrichment of the general public's knowledge of the graphic arts.

The Family Purse Trust Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for The Family Purse Trust.  This concept took 5th place out of 73 worldwide entries.

Client: The Family Purse Trust, USA

Industry: Financial, Religious

Project Role: Logo Design, Emblem

Howable.com Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Howable.com.  This concept took 6th place out of 68 worldwide entries.

Client: Howable.com, USA

Industry: Internet

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

TDS Group Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for TDS Group.  This concept took 4th place out of 45 worldwide entries.

Client: TDS Group, USA

Industry: Service Industries

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

TopBusinessPrograms.com Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for TopBusinessPrograms.com.  This concept took 7th place out of 62 worldwide entries.  "I like the emphasis you placed on the word Business - very nice. It's clean and dignified." - Aurianne, Contest Holder, TopBusinessPrograms.com

Client: TopBusinessPrograms.com, USA

Industry: Education

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark

FiscalPie Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for FiscalPie.  This concept took 3rd place out of 73 worldwide entries.

Client: FiscalPie, USA

Industry: Financial & Insurance

Project Role: Logo Design, Pictoral Mark

Netinc Group Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for NETinc Group.  This concept took 2nd place out of 154 worldwide entries.

Client: NETinc Group, USA

Industry: Technology

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

Coley Insurance & Realty Inc. Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for Coley Insurance & Realty Inc.  This concept took 55th place out of 138 worldwide entries.

Client: Coley Insurance & Realty Inc., USA

Industry: Financial & Insurance

Project Role: Logo Design, Wordmark

David A. Flanders, CPA LLC Logo

Red Lace Design has designed a new logo concept for David. A Flanders, CPA LLC.  This concept took 3rd place out of 122 worldwide entries.

Client: David A. Flanders, CPA LLC, USA

Industry: Accounting

Project Role: Logo Design, Abstract Mark