Fremantle art exhibition

pattern
pattern
pattern
pattern

We had a great opening night at the Duplicity exhibition we are part of at Origins Gallery in Fremantle last week. There was a great response for the locally inspired artwork Sean has created. The exhibition runs until March 15th 2012. He’s also part of a solo exhibition at the end of April so stay tuned!

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Patterns in nature

pattern
pattern
pattern
pattern

We try to get inspiration from a lot of different places when working on design projects. And on recent trips to the bush and the beach we found some amazing examples of patterns occurring in nature that we had to get photos of. Maybe some of these elements will make their way into our future design projects!

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Book design

Book
Book
Book

We are so excited about a recent book we have designed we wanted to let you know!

Panoramic Journey through Western Australia is a book commissioned by local photographer Simon Nevill and displays his amazing panoramic images of our great state. The 192 page landscape book was designed to showcase his panoramic photographs and sets the book apart as a truly premium publication.

You can get the book in all great book stores, or order directly from Simon Nevill Publications.

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Melbourne trip

Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne

We had the chance to travel to Melbourne recently and took a few photos while we were there. We love all the things Melbourne has to offer – the cafés, shops, the arts and culture. Of course we love coming back to Perth, but Melbourne has a very special place in our hearts.

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The value of good graphic design

Cheap logo

Everyone’s heard of the expression ‘you get what you pay for’ and it is the same for graphic design.

There seems to be a growing market for inexpensive design services in the past few years. And a rise in design crowdsourcing, where a company or individual will approach a crowdsourcing company, ask for say, a company logo to be created, and get numerous options for them to choose from by unknown groups of people. A low rate is asked of by the crowdsoursing company with a ‘prize’ given to the winning entry (of, on average, a couple of hundred dollars).

Now we feel this is wrong on quite a few levels. Its obviously bad for the graphic design industry, undermining the importance of designers and sending the wrong message of what a designer is worth. But its also bad long term for the company using the service. They might get a logo that is cheap, but would it really be reflecting the brand as strongly as possible. Would the designer truly understand the target market, competition and the ways in which the company is unique. And apart from that, could there be a long term relationship with someone who truly understands a company’s brand and how to communicate it effectively, as well as assist with the application of the brand identity for printed material, stationery, promotional material, website and so on – I don’t think so.

We feel its important to go directly to experienced graphic designers to get a better service. Designers like us who have a wealth of knowledge gathered from years of work in the industry. Designers who will ask in depth questions and spend the correct amount of time on projects to come up with the best solution, that is well conceived, unique and takes everything into account. The return you will get and level of professionalism you will receive from using this route will far outweigh the cost.

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Perth graphic designers take you on a tour

Forge map

We want you to think of us as tour guides.
Hmmm… tour guides and graphic design? How does that work?

Say your were in a new country and wanted to see the best things the place has to offer. Employing a tour guide would be a great start; you would be relying on their local knowledge and expertise, and they could tailor an experience perfectly suited to you. A good tour guide might start by asking “What do you want to get out of this trip”, or “What experience would love to have while you are here”. They will then listen and come up with a package perfect for you.

You may well say “I want to go to this winery”, and the tour guide with all their experience and insider knowledge will say, “that’s a good winery, but I know one that’s better, and it offers you a bush walk as well, which is something you also wanted to do”. After all if you just wanted to go to that particular winery you could do it yourself. What you are after is the knowledge and experience of someone who knows what they are doing. This can save you time and money and can truly exceed your expectations.

Well, like the tour guide we gather information about you and your business and using our expertise and knowledge come up with a graphic design solution that is perfectly suited to you. We get to know you and how you want to portray your company to your ideal customers, and create results which are truly unique and will exceed your expectations.

Take a tour of our website, contact us today and allow us to give you an experience you wont forget.

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All your graphic design requirements

Graphic design branding

Torque IT Logo

Graphic design signage

Torque IT Internal Building Signage

Graphic design External Building Signage

Torque IT External Building Signage

Do you ever wish you could get everything done in one place so that you can just get on with your business? Well that where we at Forge Creative can help. We provide a simple and easy service to have all your graphic design requirements met. We take the pain out of sourcing quotes and samples because that’s our business.

We are not just about rebranding and logos! We are passionate about seeing things through. So if you want your logo applied to stationery, signage, uniforms or promotional material we can organise that all for you. It just makes sense for us to do all this as we know how best to use your brand so that you are recognised every time.

Having worked in the graphic design industry for 15 years we have honed our suppliers down to businesses with the same values as us – professionalism, superior service, who work within budget
and meet deadlines. This ensures that you get value for money along with quality products.

Take a look at how we have just completed a rebrand for Torque It and then had it applied to their building signage, stationery and uniforms.

We make it easy and efficient for you. All you have to do is email or phone us with your requirements and we will have a quote back to you within 24 hours. It really is that easy. So contact us today.

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Branding is about “feeling”

Graphic design logo and branding

Cockburn Orthodontics logo

We recently rebranded Cockburn Orthodontics. This was a great lesson in how a logo can change how a business communicates to their market. The previous identity and graphic elements used included a lot of orthodontic products and braces on teeth. How many of us dont even like the thought of going to the dentist or orthodontist, let alone want to see all the technical stuff?

We decided to concentrate on how a person would ‘feel’ after having orthodontic work done, rather than what was actually going to be done – feeling good about themself and blossoming. We produced a ‘flower’ icon in the logo to represent this, and also the bright ‘sparkle’ of great teeth. Fresh colour were added resulting in modern, professional brand identity that has now been applied to stationery, internal forms and signage.

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Future Graphic Designers of Perth

Future Graphic Designers of Perth

Kidogo Gallery

For the second year in a row Sean has been asked to lecture on graphic design at the beautiful and creative Kidogo Gallery. The Art gallery is accredited to teach Certificate 3 Art and Design to year 11 and 12 students from schools around the metropolitan area.

Sean is teaching the design component every Tuesday for 4 weeks. His job is to teach the stages and principles of design with a focus on the practical application of this theory. He is achieving this by having the students take a brief for the design of a poster for local group Love Freo. The students will be designing and producing their posters.

Sean is really enjoying this experience. He sees it as a way to extend his role on the AGDA council for educating and promoting design to potential graphic designers.

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Where to start with graphic design

Many people feel confused with the process of graphic design. They know they want a fantastic new logo for their business but are not too sure where to start. Well Forge Creative have developed information sheets that help you when starting out with your branding. They are:
Considerations for briefing a designer, Design Brief checklist and Web Design Brief Checklist as well as the Brand model form. Click here to view these forms and help you on your way. These detailed briefs give the designer a better idea of your business so that the end branding truly reflects who you are and what you business is about. Its not only a great looking logo but it is unique, and sets you apart from your competitors.

The added bonus of this process is that it really highlights the strengths and weaknesses in your business. We think this is great because you now have a focus on areas that you can improve. We will often have clients saying “that’s a good question!” when going through the checklist as it is something they hadnt considered for their business.

So there is no excuse to be confused any longer. Just remember graphic designers want to make your business shine and now you have somewhere to start.

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