Marvelo Create.t.v.t Design

This is one of my Vector Art created using Macromedia Freehand MX, days of completions: two days, well, actually 1,5 days needed to finished the art. It's pure tracing technique i'm using, by putting / importing the original image to Freehand's work space then add new layer above it, lock layer below then start working on the top layer. Reason locking the image layer is to keep the original image from accidently moved or clicked. It's that simple. The rest, let your mouse, hand coordination and both eyes and brain do the magic! :)

If you're Indonesian and lived in Indonesia, you know Romy Rafael as public figure Hypnosis Entertainer. Well, long story short, this Art i presented to him as his birthday gift. Me, formerly handle Romy as his Manager. Resigned in 2007 January though. Well, this Art by far is my "masterpiece", notice the details finished in each object, especially the pendullum / classic pocket watch. I designed each component separately, the watch first with cut-paste inside method for the details, and then the illustration it self, then the background, last step is combining them altogether in Adobe Photoshop, visual effect done in Photoshop like adding fog in the background, the faded figure, et cetera. There the result! Enjoy!

When you're a Professional Designer, and work with just anyone who live probably around the different part of the world away from you, you're gonna need some gadget to make your work stay updated, and you stay connected with Clients, even if they live in South Pole! (LOL)

In this case, i'm using Sony Ericsson P1i as my personal digital assistant, so far so good, you may use any gadget that suit your personalities, HTC, O2, Nokia, whatever. Okay, here's review and tips, i hope it's useful for you readers. I will start with the basic features then advance:

TOUCH SCREEN FEATURE:
Why this is important, first it's all about navigation, me personally hate working my thumb too hard on a D-Pad, well, stylus is the best way to navigate, find a file quickly, write with handwriting recognition, and zoom in-out an image, etcetera, this should save more time of yours.

MESSAGING:
Why bother carrying those heavy notebook just to go online and send emails, just use the messaging service to send/receive text messages, multimedia message, and emails in your hand. Send and receive attachment just as easy as sending a text message, review your design and send it to Client as approval done in no time. Anywhere, anytime.

PIM (Personal Identification Management) APPLICATIONS:
Calendar: Meeting schedules, reminder and other daily chores ahead, won't miss it because the Calendar works just fine.
Task: To Do List never this easy with Task application, just jot down, and the reminder will do the job, keep working and motivated to check those listed tasks.
Notes: Have ideas and find no tissue paper while on a Cafe? Jot down in Notes application, you can add "Scribble" too! Great tool for a Designer who had "Eureka Moment" all the time unexpectedly!
Contacts: Well, it's your address book, input any details available of your Clients or database, phone number (well, D'uh), email, website, address, job title, contact photo, etcetera.
Other great things about PIM is Syncronization with wide range of softwares like MS Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbirds, even as we all know "hard-to-fine-compatible-software" Apple Macintosh.

OFFICE APPLICATIONS:
Quick Office: Words, Excel, PowerPoint, just like your PC does, see documents, edit or even do a presentation right from your very own phone (additional accessories required).
PDF+: Well, you still can see PDF document. Only takes time to render it when it comes to a large size document.

BLACKBERRY SERVICE:
Correspond to this feature, i'm using Blackberry Connect for both of my Emails and Web Browser, you WON'T missed any emails from your Clients and other work mails (unless gigantic truck ran over your phone, haha), stay connected with your office server or other free based server like yahoo! or Gmail, at anytime 24/7, though there's lack of service for this feature that i can still live with it. It's the limitation on sending and receiving attachments, using Blackberry connect only allow me to send max 32kb of attachment, and receives limited file extensions of attachment, jpeg, pdf, png. The other just won't open, though you still receive the email. The good thing about the Blackberry Web Browser is that i can go online for unlimited quota/time.

WEB BROWSER:
Blackbery Web Browser: I'm using this appilcation all the time, it's unlimited connections feature keeps me online all the time, though in a 2,6 inch wide screen you can't open any web page, but overall it's okay, just to check and update on my facebook, web page, etcetera, it's okay.
Opera Mini: This is a cool product/application, you MUST have! In case there's no service of blackberry or disconnected, you can still go online using this application, either in standard GPRS/3G network or using any Wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) you can find, the great interface makes us easy doing the browsing and navigational around web page area. The newest version we can change the theme of the page, really customize and fits any personality.

OTHER HANDY APPLICATIONS:
Business Card Scanner: If you're in a hurry and haven't had the chance to update your Client's contact details, just snapshot his/her business card, and, Voila! Saved in your address book.
Converter: Convert anything, from weight, height, volume, speed, to currencies, you won't get confuse in other Country using different number formats.
Remote Sync: You don't have to syncronize your PIM in your office, just send them over-the-air, using your office server and your phone's capability to sync, your newly updated calendar or appointment will be updated both in your PC and Phone, remotely!
Calculator: You know what calculator does don't you?

OTHER 3rd PARTY APPLICATIONS YOU MIGHT INTEREST IN:
Epocware's products: I'm using Handy Day, Handy Clock, Handy Weather, Handy Safe, and Handy Expense. Let's review them one at a time:
1. Handy Day: It's like your Microsoft Outlook mobile version, yes you can basically do anything from just this application, see your weekly / daily activities in one scree, tasks and to do lists, and other shortcut to whatever application you want, it's customizable.
2. Handy Clock: See time differentiation / zone using this application and see if now is the right time to email your Client, who knows he's still asleep while you're working, other sub applications inside: Timer, Stop Watch, Calendar, and Time Zone world map.
3. Handy Weather: Keep up to date with weather conditions, temperature, etcetera
4. Handy Safe: Personal data is safe using this application, your bank account number, social security number, credit card details, website username and password, even your brief case lock code, safe anything!
5. Handy Expense: Have a tight financial management and cash flow, use this to track your cash flow, dinner, business meal, mileage, air fare, etcetera
PRIMETECH Contact:
This applicatios is really cool, it's totally different from standard P1i's Contacts, it has this touch flo feel feature, you can use your thumb instead of stylus to navigate, scroll up/down, left/right, see details, zoom in contact photo, make phone call, sms, or mms.

GPS FEATURE (Require additional accessories):
I'm using Sony Ericsson HGE-100 GPS Receiver to use this feature, the applications correspond to that is WayFinder Navigation, Earth Beta, Google Maps, and Tracker.
WayFinder Navigation: Navigate your destination with cool 3D interface, you won't get lost with this.
Earth Beta: It's the free and simplify version of WayFinder Navigation application, has similar feature, only instead 3D navigation when you're in route, you will see top-down view of road map and your route (just like in the video game map).
Google Maps, fine anything in your town, subways, street map, traffic. Actually it's cool application, but unfortunately doesn't provide indonesia (or atleast Jakarta) map.
Tracker: this application use to calculate your route and distance while you're mobile/moving, it's calculating different stats from route, speed, total distant, and graphical report for the stats, you can reverse the route to fine your start point (incase you get lost and want to go back to where you came from/start).

INSTANT MESSAGING (Require additional applciation):
Sony Ericsson P1i doesn't have IM application, so in order to stay connected and chat with your fellow Clients, you're gonna need these:
IM+: This is a cool application to use for chat and IM-ing, the interface just like windows messanger / Live messenger, the main part of the screen is chat / dialog box and on the bottom is type box, so you type and see dialog on the same screen.
eBuddy: It's cool application aswell, it's free based IM application, you can download it directly from your phone, the interface is good, only you have to type the message in a different screen, and see the ongoing chat in another screen, kinda back and forth to chat instantly.

I guess that's all guys, with just this one Gadget, i can keep my work up to date, stay connected with my Clients, and keep mobile at the same time! Cool, huh?

Here's what we usually do as part of Marvelo Create.t.v.t's technical term and work process in creating an effective logo design or logo in general, we usually start the whole process with an interview between interviewer (Marvelo's representative) and interviewee (Client's representative), the aim of this interview is to get insight from Client and his/her Company, we can't assuming we know all about Client want and business, but we need data to support our Creative Process, those data contribute valuable resource and well, data to help Designer find a correct concept to visualize everything.

PURPOSE OF A CREATIVE BRIEF: The springboard into the creative process. This internal communication clarifies direction, outlines the target market, the key message and the desired results. The creative brief is something that we will use to make sure that we are focused and on the same page. Designer will refer back to it during development of the project.
Once established, we go full-throttle with the creative process and start conceptualizing the ideas. We continue to hone our creative thought until it is an ad campaign, a logo, a Web site or a cempelling print collateral piece.
We follow this process no matter what the project, the medium of the challenge. Adhering to this process is what equips us to produce award winning, effective and consistent work.
When answering the question below please keep them brief. After all that is what this is called "A Creative Brief".

Here's the basic questions should ask by interviewer:
1. Who are you? What do you do?
2. Your objectives, where do you want to go?
3. Desired result and vision, how would you like to be perceived?
4. Target market, who is your audience, demographic, psychographic, behavioristic, geographic?
5. Competitor, who is your primary competitor?
6. Success criteria / goals, how you will judge a successful project?
7. Design criteria, what do you want this project to say about you?
8. Color preferences, favorite color? least favorite color, and why?
9. Marketing, what methods have you used in the past?
10. Keywords, what words best reflect your company?
11. Creative feedback, who's input will you rely on most?
12. Other inputs, any other thoughts?

Well, at least that's what Designer / interviewer should ask for the basic, feels free to expand or adds whatever questions that vital for the Design creation process.

Creating a corporate identity sometimes good for your Clients, but it often great for your own business! Why is that? Well, as we all know, an establishment factor of a good business isn't just good staff, employee, or booking... Yes, we're talking about "image", corporate image and corporate brand in this matter. Having a logo is good, but even better to have a whole bunch of identity system along with it, this system is crucial both for your business image and operational issue that deals in daily basis. Don't waste any money on third party advertisement first if your business doesn't have any strong and effective identity system yet. For example, an investment in designing and printing Corporate Identity system will take direct effect than putting huge amount of money in above / below the line advertising.
Let's start basic; Letterhead and Business Card. This may seem simple but yet it contribute vast amount of public relation strategy to your customer / clients, a good business card and letterhead will "communicate" how your business is and what is your business's provides, well it's actually deliver the "first impression" to whoever the audiences are. Another simple matter is effective invoicing methods, if your company already registered as Limited Liability Company, Corporation, or any legal form, then it's a must to have a good invoicing methods, effective invoicing methods equals good booking system, this leads to neat and great financial and tax management.
Deliver everything in one package: Creating a great Marketing Tool Package is a must, this will hit both "active market" and "passive market" at once. The content of the package should include any business and communication tool that deliver message to your Prospectus and Clients, these should include all the "Irresistible Offer" and the infamous "5W1H" aspects.

Your Marketing Package should deliver these aspects:
IRRESISTIBLE OFFER:
1. WHAT: Of course this describe what product or service you provide / sell, be as brief as possible on this.
2. HOW MUCH: Be clear and straight forward when it comes to how much or pricing, customer or clients judge your confident and value by how you provide this information to them.
3. WHAT'S IN IT FOR CLIENT: Describe the benefits and value to your Customer / Clients so they won't hesitate to investing their budget on your service / product.
4. WHY SHOULD I TRUST YOU: Clarify each aspect of your product / service's strength, your Client / Customer won't trust their money on some amateur, they want the best out of it.

5W1H:
1, WHAT: as described above.
2. WHY: as described above.
3. WHERE: Don't forget to put detail information on where should customer / client look when they intend to contact and hire your skillful services.
4. WHEN: Your working hour or billable hour and if you have special limited offer, be clear to describe the due date and stuff.
5. WHO: Who's your target market, who's your strategic team, who are you! Give something for Customer / Clients to convince in, and insure their money in Professional hand.
6. HOW: How you're gonna do the business with Customer / Clients, remember, they hate complicate things, so make it as simple as possible yet with great impact.

Freelancing Tip: Half Now, Half Later - Invoicing Employers for Freelance Work

When entering a freelance position, many employers may be hesitant to pay you up front, especially if they have never worked with you before. However, without a steady cash flow, it is hard to ensure that you will have the proper funds to finish the job and pay the bills. The best way to get around this is to invoice your employer for half the project costs during the beginning of the assignment. This guarantees that any employer who is behind on their payments, or even looking to scam you, will not affect your income stream. Of course, make sure to collect on the remaining invoice sum at the completion of the project, but at least you won't be starting with an empty wallet.

The creation of a Logo sometimes could be very difficult yet sometimes could be just a snap of a finger! Alot of researches has been done for creating a single logo, in order to know what to design for a logo, Designer have to get acquainted personally with their Client, i will describe more on "how to do a formal and effective interview" with Client to get his valuable "insight" to be a valuable resource to create an effective logo.

For more newly Designed Logo(s), please visit:

http://www.aigadesignjobs.org/marvelo