WORLD ELEPHANT DAY

It's world elephant day, what better day to share the work we did for one of our clients,
E-Legal.

At E-Legal they had a strong affinity towards elephants. We thought that incorporating an elephant into the logo would be a good way to merge their love of the gentle giants with the love of what they do. Elephants were a great option to represent this line of business. E-Legal offers low-cost legal forms preparation and filing services for all California courts and counties by an experienced professional. 

The elephant has immense determination and loyalty - always standing up for others and always defending members of the group in its natural habitat. They are strong and known to remove obstacles and barriers. A perfect fit when it comes to representing E-Legal.  

Originally the company wanted a hand drawn Elephant somehow incorporated into their design, they knew that we offered illustration services as well. So we gave the client just that and they had a very hard time deciding on which design to go with, but after a few revisions and some serious thinking cap action they decided to go with the the other design. We both felt it was a better fit for the company's brand and corporate identity. 

FUTURE OF CITIES PLEDGE CARD

Future of Cities : Leading in LA is a civic initiative and project of Community Partners that aims to reinvigorate the involvement of civic leaders in creating a vibrant, cutting edge future for Los Angeles. Their goal is to marry vision, leadership and results to fulfill LA's ambitions and uplift the city.  

Although we did not design their logo, which we absolutely love, we were very excited to design their pledge card. The goal was to maintain their branding and utilize their colors minimally but enough to bring color and life to the design.  We're delighted with the results and hope to get the opportunity to continue to work on other projects for such a wonderful initiative like this one. Helping communities, people and organizations with purpose and good causes is definitely something we are all about at Open Cage Design. 

for more info you can visit their website at www.futurecitiesla.org

ASK YOURSELF THESE TEN QUESTIONS BEFORE MEETING YOUR DESIGNER

It can be a little, Ok very, overwhelming to think about what you need to have thought out or prepared before meeting your designer. There's no need to stress people... Here's a quick and easy guide to get you started. 

GOING UP?
What's your elevator pitch?  Do you have a mission statement or philosophy? Describe your business in one simple paragraph. 

HOW DO I FEEL?
What emotion or feeling do you want your brand to convey? Loyal, powerful, relaxing, Happy, strong, etc... 

WHAT AM I LOOKING AT?
What do you want your brand aesthetic to look like? 

WHAT'S MY FAVORITE POSITION?
NO, not that kind, lol! Do you see your brand as a Target or Amazon or as a Chanel or Net-a-Porter? 

WHY DO I LIKE YOU?
What brands do you like and dislike, and Why?

WHO AM I TAKING DOWN?
You might not want to take them down, but who are your biggest competitors and what separates you from them? What makes you unique?

WHAT DO I NEED?
What exactly is it that you will need once the project is over? Think of all the elements that you will have to have completed in order to launch your business to new heights.

DO I HAVE A BUDGET?
Do you have a budget set aside for this? If you don't, or aren't sure, that's ok too, just be honest with your designer and let them know up front what you can work with. 

IS THE CLOCK TICKING?
Do you have a certain timeline that needs to be met? 

HAVE FUN! 
Ok, Ok! This isn't a question but at Open Cage Design we want all of our clients to remember that this should be a fun and exciting experience. It's all about you and your brand and although things can get overwhelming sometimes, remember that that's why we're here! So if you have no clue how to answer any of these questions, that's ok too... We'll help you get there! 

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DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE

Design is everywhere and as individuals we design more than we think we do. When putting on clothes each morning, we're designing our look for the day. When choosing the words we use we are designing a conversation. Most times we do it subconsciously, but we're designing something none the less.  My goal is to inspire others to look around them and see the beauty in all things. Look for patterns, colors, shapes, and details. Look for uniqueness, compositions, inspiration... When you open your eyes and absorb every detail you'll be amazed at what you see, and you'll be surprised at how much more you will smile. 

Here are just a few pictures that have brought me inspiration and make me realize that design is everywhere, from the beach or library, to the local Starbucks... and I'm not referring to logos either. Now get out there and open your eyes to design!