Micki Benson

My Beverage Packaging: Bubba Brown

2009-12-12T16:23:00.002-06:00

Zompire Dracularius

2009-10-16T19:43:00.004-05:00

What is a Zompire Dracularius? Well, simply put, it's a mix between a zombie & a vampire who enjoys terrorizing any town it sets foot in. Why am I putting this on my blog? It's for my class and each student must create a website containing the words Zompire Dracularius and try to make it the first site to show up on google or just be able to get it noticed on google. I need more hits for my site. Please help me out! Thank you! :)

Graphics Standards Manual

2009-05-12T10:56:00.006-05:00

This is my Standards Manual and I hope you like it. Nothing much to say other than I wanted to stick with the green as my background instead of using the tinted colors. I think it makes it look much more professional. The last page is the back cover. Have a great summer!

System App. updates

2009-05-12T07:23:00.005-05:00

I have made some changes again for the Wavesa home page. Instead of having the 3 program images visible once the page is opened, there will be 3 tabs, 1 for each program, located at the bottom of the page and as you scroll over each tab, the image will pop up. The button that links to the program page will be the tab, but including the image was something I wanted to keep, but was asked to display it in a different way.

The 3 program pages I wanted to have the same format, but using the different colors that go with each program. The bar link is at the bottom of each page so the viewer can link back to the home page or view the rest of the pages, for the site, from every page. This is what I have so far. My manual will be up soon, still making a few more tweaks to it.

As for the introduction page, I am leaving that as is. So, the image of it, posted on May 1st, is final.

intro. page updated

2009-05-01T15:11:00.002-05:00

Once you click on the symbol to enter site, the wordmark and white rectangular shape will disappear and the home page will appear.

Home Page updated

2009-05-01T15:08:00.003-05:00

My home page needed some serious work and I think it looks much better. The symbols on the upper right corners for each program rectangle are the buttons that link to that programs own page. I was told that having the programs upfront would be the best way to go.

home page

2009-04-27T14:51:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking of adding something, such as an animal, on the left side because it seems to be too much empty space. Maybe even adding something below the text in the middle space. Other than that, this is what I got.

Programs page

2009-04-27T13:58:00.004-05:00

For the programs page, I wanted to keep the symbol pattern going and placed them in two of the four corners. For the program buttons, I incorporated each image into the symbol.

Graphic Standards Manual- cover page

2009-04-27T13:04:00.003-05:00

Alright, so I forgot we needed one rough idea of our Graphic Standards Manual, so here is the cover for mine. I will post more later today/tonight as I have been focusing mainly on getting my system application up to speed.

Wags & Wavesa Plan Page

2009-04-26T22:23:00.003-05:00

So, this is a mock up page for the Wags & Wavesa page and I wanted to somehow incorporate the symbol in a unique pattern, but not sure if this is the right way to position it. any suggestions on what's working and what's not? Also, other ideas for a symbol pattern and which position on the page it fits best. As you will see, there are no plans added to the page just yet. I will have those added a.s.a.p. Thanks :)

Intro. Page

2009-04-26T21:54:00.001-05:00

It's a clean and simple intro. page and I wanted it to be this way. The way to enter the site is by clicking on the symbol.

System Application Ideas

2009-04-26T08:46:00.001-05:00

For those who do not know what I plan on creating, I'm making a mock website for my company, Wavesa. I will focus on creating an (enter site) page, a page for one of the 3 programs with the plans they provide, probably a page for the comparison of my competitors pricing to mine. Also, I would like to make a page that shows how the video web chat would look like as well as the home page. That's what I'm going for and I will have images up later.

Inspiration for Graphic Standards Manual

2009-04-21T20:50:00.001-05:00

It was a little difficult finding really good inspirational manual images, but I came across this boomerang manual and it is simple and easy to follow. It has all the images needed for each page and has a clear index as to what these images are telling us without using much text. I was drawn to it most because it barely had any text and relies more on visuals rather than balancing image with description. It is effective and I think it could work with my company. The UNBC image was another interesting manual because it doesn't use too much text either to explain everything about the uses of the logo and fonts, etc. It condenses the information down, from the image provided, into one sheet of paper. I want my manual to be easy to use and easy to follow and these images are great for what I'm going for. Simple is better than trying to do too much with the layout and function of the manual.

last batch..

2009-04-20T10:22:00.000-05:00

These are just some collection cards for the pet owners who sign up with us. These are included in the folder.

some more..

2009-04-20T09:50:00.000-05:00

I wanted to create something for our customers once they sign up online with our company. I created folders for each program and in it will include the accordion booklet, 3 big cards(for collection) magnet, business card and a welcome card. You will also see the inside of the folder that contains the same pattern of what I included in my accordion. I did not want to leave the inside blank. The welcome card is just something for the customer once they sign up for our insurance.

Some Changes and new additions...

2009-04-20T09:07:00.000-05:00

The back of the business cards I changed a little bit, but not too much because the layout I think works well as do the colors. The envelopes I made a little bigger and I added a 2nd one with an image applied to the front of the envelope. It was suggested to add an image so it would connect with my business cards and other elements I added. The letterhead has changed quite a bit and it looks more professional and connects with my other systems. The signature is not on the image, but there is a signature on my printed letterheads. The accordion booklet is included in the folders I created for when customers sign up with our company. It gives basic information about the 3 programs, a brief introduction for our new customers, the location of our company and what is included on our website. The layout of it, I wanted to incorporate the angle of the W in some of the pages because I use it in on the envelope and also because it is a part of my company wordmark. The angle shape is unique and adds to my identity. I think it also creates nice movement for each layout. Oh,, and after seeing Jen's design background last Monday, I decided to add a backside that contained multiples of my symbol and have one that sticks out. The spot has no meaning, but I think it is visually pleasing. I also incorporated this design to my folders.

Some updates

2009-04-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

I decided to to an accordion to add in my folder instead of an actual booklet and I made it small as well as the folder. I have my business cards done. All have been updated and I will post the images once I have finished everything.

envelope

2009-04-11T16:21:00.001-05:00

I will be making a website for my company and incorporate these designs in it somehow.

This envelope is only one of a few sketches I am working with, but wanted to get peoples reaction on this one and I can bring in print outs of other designs for Monday.

Letterhead 1 idea

2009-04-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

This is one of a few ideas I sketched out, but wanted to know anyone's thoughts on this one because it does not incorporate the curve of the W. I decided to work with circular shapes.

business cards (front & back)

2009-04-11T15:57:00.001-05:00

The images are for the front of the business card and the information is for the back of the business card. I decided to incorporate the pet owner as well because I felt it would be important to include them. I think I will still work on where to place the symbol for the front of the business card, but for now this is what I have come up with. thanks :)

some digital sketches

2009-04-03T00:39:00.001-05:00

I explored ideas for my business cards and a new design for a possible letterhead. I will put up my previous sketches soon. Suggestions would be great, thanks :)

For the three business cards, I felt an image of the animals I am supporting health care for, would be great for the front of my business card. I think I will incorporate my logo on the front as well. The color framing for each is a way to incorporate that sense of the W. Using the angle of it as a way to frame my card. I experimented with the quantity of them and it would be great to know what you guys like better and also if you even like them there. Should I take them out and just have the image on the front, should I even use an image or use it for the back of the card and incorporate the framing on the other side of the card? The letterhead I am still trying to figure out. The bottom of the letterhead is supposed to provide that sense of the angle of the W as well. Using it as a way of framing the letterhead a bit, which would connect it with my business cards. Is it too much, too heavy and so on. Should I expand the symbol, and does the placement of the wordmark work? If any of this seems unclear, please let me know and I will gladly explain it more clearly. Thanks! Oh, one last thing.. the lizard image was the closest I found of an iguana almost looking into the camera, but I am still searching out for a better image to connect it with the other 2 images.

Logo update

2009-04-03T00:34:00.000-05:00

I only changed the symbol slightly, but as for the wordmark, I edited the spacing and changed the W a little bit too. Still working on the symbol, but its progress. Oh, and I did change the color of the wordmark. It is a little bit darker and I went with the more blue green and not the purple. The symbol position is different and the size of it is smaller. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks :)

Sketches will be up tomorrow

2009-03-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

I am in need of updating you all on what my ideas are for our last 2 projects and I will provide my sketches from last week and some new ones as well, tomorrow. Sorry for the delay..

Inspirational systems

2009-03-10T22:40:00.001-05:00

I think the texture/material of the paper is important for my company and this image provides a possible direction I could go for. For all three images, I was attracted to the colors and good use of organization. I want my systems to be very professional and not too playful, even though my company is for pet health care. I think imagery would be something to consider for my systems because my audience would be drawn to them more. Imagery is definitely something I want to explore and experiment with. The colors in each of the images chosen, are similar and I'm wondering if I should stick with the blue-green wordmark instead of the purple one. Not sure which way is the best route to take just yet, but after tomorrow's critque, I should have a decision made. Overall, I want my systems to not be to crazy because that would take away from the story my company is trying to tell.

Not sure what else to say for right now, but I'm sure I will think of other ideas with some feedback. :)

Other symbol I worked with. Word mark and symbol have been edited as well

2009-03-10T21:40:00.000-05:00

This was the first symbol I redeveloped and some thought the open space was awkward and that it did not differentiate from my competitors. I decided to switch the colors up a little bit and reposition the symbol. I will bring in a print out of this in case anyone feels that this is a better symbol to work with.

Final Logo (word mark & symbol) for right now..

2009-03-10T20:07:00.003-05:00

possibly blue-green..

2009-03-10T20:07:00.001-05:00

New designs

2009-03-04T11:38:00.001-06:00

Here are my updated designs for my Pet Health Care Company. The first image/group are for my 3 programs within my Pet Health Care company and the 2nd 2 are for my company name.

Updated Logos/Wordmarks

2009-02-24T21:33:00.000-06:00

Stage 2

2009-02-23T01:02:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my refined logos/wordmarks. I stuck with just a handful of fonts because I did not want to get too crazy. Any suggestions would be great :)

Personas..

2009-02-22T19:07:00.001-06:00

1. A single, 32 year old male construction worker. He works 35 hours a week and sometimes weekends. His current pet health care plan has become too expensive and he needs to find a cheaper, but one that still covers the basic needs for his 10 year old dog. On Wags & Wavesa/ Wavesa (our website,) he has the choice of picking between 3 programs and they are: Wags & Wavesa, Purr's & Wavesa and Wavesa etc. For him, he will want to click on Wags & Wavesa because this program provides information aimed towards dogs and their owners. From there, he will be able to look through many pet health care plans and see which one he can afford and will take care of his pet. He will also have the option of viewing all the health care competitors and compare pricing to see which one provides the best price for his needs. Our site will provide links to all the competitors, however, if he does not like the options given to him, he may also look at what our company has to offer. Yes, Wags & Wavesa will be offering affordable pet health care. Also, if he ends up deciding not to choose a plan, then we will also have Veterinary locations available if he chooses to go that direction.

2. A 45 year old female elementary teacher who is just married, has 2 kids from her previous marriage, and owns a cat. Her 3 year old cat has suffered a very bad illness for which she does not know how to stop it from getting worse. The problem is that it's the weekend and her family has taken the car for a basketball tournament and she's stuck at home due to having the flu. Her phone line is currently not working and she broke her cell phone because she dropped it in the toilet the previous day. What can she do? She remembered that Wags & Wavesa's website has a live video chat on its website where you can speak directly to a pet health care professional and they will help her, step by step, of what she can do in order to help her cat feel a little better and prevent its sickness from getting worse.

Purr's & Wavesa- health care for cats

Wavesa etc.- health care for exotic pets

Something missing...

2009-02-16T13:46:00.000-06:00

Hey guys,
I know my design brief needs to be revised, but I'm having trouble thinking of what to add to my company that will differentiate it from other pet health care companies. I'm going to do more research and think of other ideas for this so I can discuss it on Wed. but if anyone has any interesting ideas to share that would be great! thanks :)

1st 100 sketches..

2009-02-16T13:01:00.000-06:00

Company Name

2009-02-11T15:30:00.001-06:00

So, I do not believe anyone suggested changing the name of my company. Does the whole thing work or should I stick with "Wavesa." I like the whole thing, because it's unique and different, but just having "Wavesa" works too or if anyone has other suggestions for a Pet Health Care Company name. Thanks for all your suggestions today! :)

Wags & Wavesa revised Design Brief

2009-02-10T23:03:00.000-06:00

Welcome, all dog and cat owners, to Wags & Wavesa! We are extremely happy to service any dog or cat, you own, with the best pet Health Care plan that fits your pets’ needs. Here at Wags & Wavesa, pets’ health is our number one priority. Our services will inform pet owners with a wide variety of Health Care plans that cover what you, the pet owner, want for your pet so that he/she is taken care of. Our goal is to provide competitor comparisons in order to help narrow down which prices will fit the pet owners budget, as well as, informing our customers with what Pet Health Care is, why they should have it and how it all works. An added benefit about our company is that we offer professional health and training tips, because like we said, your pets’ health is our number one priority. Wags & Wavesa is a loving, caring and serious company that wants only the best for its consumers. Our customers will benefit from our company by receiving a wide variety in competitive pet Health Care information and trials for all Health Care plans we provide them, so if the customer feels they do not like or need the plan chosen, they can find another one that will be a better fit for their pets’ needs. Wags & Wavesa differentiates itself from competition by providing all the information a pet Health Care company would provide, but also uses a more informative approach to educate all pet owners about what they can do to have a healthier pet. Our company also has special trial plan features to help pet owners figure out what plan fits their pet best, and they will also receive professional pet care advice. Wags & Wavesa’s goals are to provide pet owners with the most affordable Health Care plans, the best informative information that will guide our audience to finding the right plans and services, and lastly, to be the best pet Health Care Company all pet owners will love and use. We want your pets to be healthy and taken care of, because we value your pets health and that is what we hope to provide you when working with our company.

Design Brief...

2009-02-10T21:29:00.000-06:00

I feel my brief is lacking something, but not sure what. I do not really know what I need to do with it right now, but here it is:

Welcome, all dog and cat owners, to Wags & Wavesa! We are extremely happy to service any dog or cat, you own, with the best pet Health Care plan that fits your pets’ needs. Here at Wags & Wavesa, pets’ health is our number one priority. Our services will inform pet owners with a wide variety of Health Care plans that cover what you, the pet owner, want for your pet so that he/she is taken care of. Wags & Wavesa will also provide competitor comparisons in order to help narrow down which prices will fit the pet owners budget, as well as, informing our customers with what Pet Health Care is, why they should have it and how it all works. A benefit about our company is that we offer professional health and training tips, because your pets’ health is our number one priority. As we said in the beginning, our target audiences are dog and cat owners. Wags & Wavesa is a loving, caring and serious company that wants only the best for its consumers. Our consumers will benefit from our company by receiving a wide variety of pet Health Care information and trials for all Health Care plans we provide them, so if the consumer feels they do not like or need the plan chosen, they can find another one that will fit their pets needs. Wags & Wavesa differentiates itself from competition by providing all the information a pet Health Care company would provide, but also uses a more informative approach to educate all pet owners about what they can do to have a healthier pet. Our company also has special trial plan features to help pet owners figure out what plan fits their pet best, and they will also receive professional pet care advice. Wags & Wavesa’s goals are to provide pet owners with the most affordable Health Care plans, the best informative information that will guide our audience to finding the right plans and services, and lastly, to be the best pet Health Care Company all pet owners will love and use. We want your pets to be healthy and taken care of, because we value your pets health and that is what we hope to provide you when working with our company.

some more name ideas

2009-02-09T13:07:00.000-06:00

So, I asked my mom for some help on pet health care names and her first thought was "Wag and Wavesa." I like the way both of them sound and they are very unique. Wavesa means, waves, but her thought was (tail of a cat) or whiskers. Since my company is more of an informative company/ service company, I feel these fit better with my company. I'm still trying to think of other unique and simple names for my company and if anyone has other ideas, please feel free to let me know. :) Again, my company will be for both cats and dogs (health care and other services provided for them).

More research

2009-02-04T12:21:00.000-06:00

So, I narrowed down my idea for a good/interesting company to create. It will still have to do with pets and I was thinking of creating a Pet Health Care company. I found a website, Pets Health Plan and it gave me some ideas as to how I can create a well-informed company that will also focus on how much of a financial burden it can be when taking care of a pet. Jenny mentioned this to me and it would definitely be something to include/focus on for my company. It will focus on Health & Education for your pet (Dogs and Cats). Here are some names I was thinking of: PetsForLife, HealthyPet, PetHealth, Pets Are Us. Kelly helped with a couple of these. I'm open for any other ideas. :)

More websites I found helpful-

Creating a Business - Personal Finance/Money Management

2009-02-03T22:49:00.001-06:00

For this assignment, we have to create a company having to do with Personal Finance/Money Management. I checked out the links Angela provided us and as I searched through them I found something I think would be interesting and fun to work with. My idea right now is to create a company that invests in finding a cheaper and easier way to get medications to animals. For now, my focus is on animals (dogs, cats..). Not sure what I want to expand with this idea, but tomorrow will hopefully give me more ideas to add.

Final design

2009-02-02T06:39:00.000-06:00

After some great suggestions, this is my final design. The font is the same and is the same color as the bottle so they connect well together and the smoke is a tint of black. I hope you guys like it and if not, sorry to disappoint. I liked the idea of making this brand/company more mysterious and make the viewers want to know more about this brand. I was given the suggestion that I should move away from being too literal with the name of the brand/company and this is what I went for. I know there is always room for improvement, but I am happy with what I came up with. Thanks for the suggestions and I hope I interpreted and executed them correctly.

follow up for logo direction

2009-02-02T00:26:00.001-06:00

another direction

2009-02-02T00:14:00.001-06:00

updated frogsbreath logos

2009-02-01T06:56:00.001-06:00

Some new ideas for my frogsbreath logo

2009-01-31T12:09:00.000-06:00

Alright, so after group discussion, I decided to figure out what type of fonts I wanted to work with, and our group thought of some good ideas. Ones mentioned were to use J.R.R. Tolkien fonts and style along with the Lord of the Rings style. I'm still deciding on what type of symbol or image I want to work with to make this company more mysterious, sophisticated,whimsical or some type of slogan having to do with a princess & toad or a different type of slogan. If anyone could let me know any other ways of accomplishing this that would be great. Also, if anyone could let me know how my ideas so far look and what is and is not working. thanks!

Good & Ugly Logos...

2009-01-24T23:42:00.003-06:00

The Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional NBA basketball team for the state of Minnesota. Coming into their 20th season, the Timberwolves have brought new-look logos. The prior to 1996-97 introduced Primary logo, on the left, has had a slight change.

It includes the incorporation of white on the wolf's head as well as a cleaner and sleeker design of the tree line and the script "Minnesota Timberwolves." The adidas design group did not want to replace the Timberwolves well-known logo, but instead let it "evolve" into something that would mark the next era of Timberwolves basketball (courtesy of the Timberwolves article). This logo I do not have any problems with. The refinements are small and it is a great logo for the team.

The Timberwolves' secondary logo has been completely re-designed. The new logo features a Timberwolf in front of a treeline howling at the moon, which is depicted as a basketball. The new secondary logo pays homage to the Timberwolves' original logo with the return of a basketball in the logo's background. Prior to a basketball being incorporated in the new secondary logo, the Wolves were one of only five teams in the NBA which did not have a basketball depicted in either their primary or secondary logo (courtesy of the Timberwolves article).

Up close, this logo has had a huge facelift from the Timberwolves' original logo. It is up-to-date with the teams new look. However, when I saw this for the first time, it was during the 2008 NBA draft and from far away, I thought it looked like the Dallas Mavericks logo. It looked very odd on the Timberwolves' hat and does not seem to fit our look. There is no green in it, which separates it slightly from the primary logo. I do not know why they decided to make it round and to not include some green in it, but I honestly do not think it fits with our team. I believe they should either consider adding some green and playing around with the shape of the logo, or just remove it and stick with the primary logo, because it is the most well-known logo.

Proctor & Gamble is a Fortune 500, American multinational corporation based in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures a wide range of consumer goods. This is a very simple logo, and it is not memorable in any way. It is boring to look at and the website is even worse.

The French Connection is a company founded in the United Kingdom in 1972 which sells clothing and accessories in many parts of the world. The company said that it was an acronym for French Connection United Kingdom, but its similarity to the word "fuck" caused controversy. The reason I like this logo is because it is eye-catching and makes me or any other viewer want to know who this company is and what they do. I believe it works for a clothing company, because the font usage makes me think clothes. It could also be used for perfume. But the reason for not liking it, is that it still can be read in a different and inappropriate way. Other than that, I think the company did a good job of getting customers to recognize their company.

This is a logo for Frogsbreath Perfume & Toiletries. The font works well with the image of the frog, however, I do not think this logo represents a perfume company very well. It is playful and when I first noticed it, I thought it was for a video game or something technical. I think they could do a better logo that would represent their company, both for perfume and toiletries. Ignore the background text, because it is not part of the logo.