My 19 years at Go East (formerly Century Graphics) allow me to look back and marvel at the design evolution that has taken place with the onset of the digital age. Keylines with wax and color breaks, the typesetter and stat camera have all been replaced by the personal computer, laser printer and PDF proof.

The Internet has created a world-wide audience, a global appreciation for digital design. With powerful software, graphic designers can quickly make changes, allowing for seemingly endless creative possibilities. All these “bells and whistles” have to be used with restraint of course, with regard given to the basic elements and amount of time it takes to do good design.

I’m grateful for the many opportunities and ever-evolving career I’ve had at Go East, and to Ric and Tim, who have always looked ahead and provided the training and technology necessary to be successful in the graphic design industry.

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Celebrating a business anniversary is a very special event, and it’s even more special when you are a founding partner.

When you open the doors on that first day of business, you tend to think about the next day much more than 10, 20 or even 50 years down the road. But before you know it, you are celebrating milestones of success.

There are many reasons to celebrate an anniversary: to let your clients and prospects know of your sustainability in business, to strengthen your company’s brand and to attract new clients. However, there is one reason that stands out for me — to thank those employees that have helped your business succeed.

Every principal of an organization understands the value of a good employee. During the decades, you see them come and go, and in one way or another, every one of them has helped shape your business into what it is today.

Go East has seen a lot of changes over the past 20 years, but the company has successfully retained its warm personality and appeal because of its employees. And that’s a trait worth celebrating.

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When a company has been around for a while, inevitably someone says, “We should do a timeline.” And before you know it, one has been thrown together and tossed up on the corporate website — often without imagery or relevant content or any type of interactive functionality.

This, of course, begs the question “what is the real purpose of a timeline?”

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Traditional design processes dictate that logo design be undertaken in a pure, pared-down visual form — creating a logo in black and white. I was taught to design identities in black on white to ensure the mark communicated successfully at its core.  Traditional thinking has it that the mark has to work in black and white first. Also, clients may be unduly swayed to or from a logo if we showed them initial designs in color. If a client hates orange, then that logo, which might be the best at communicating the personality of their brand, has died an early, perhaps unnecessary, death. So, at Go East we continue to start all identity projects working with black on white.

However, I am beginning to question the wisdom of this approach.

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Vote: The best new brand mark of 2008.

Five companies updated their brand marks. Take our quick poll to weigh in on which you think is the most successful update.

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Oh my. Sometimes I find it very funny when you get a request to use a “Real World” metaphor for a software application or website. Here’s a great interpretation of what Photoshop would look like if it really was made up of scissors, tape, paint brushes and rulers …

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It’s been a little over a year since Apple released the iPhone. I still don’t have one, nor do I want or see the need to have one (it’s just not practical for me and I’m not that plugged-in). I always thought I was that person though, the one who had to run out and get the latest, greatest, newest gadget to hit the market.

Now that I’m a little older, I realize I wasn’t that person.

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I like sports. Ok, I like sports a lot and I also like following the trends of design in sports. I especially look forward to seeing which teams change or update their brands, logos, uniforms or colors at the beginning of every new season. These changes can range from the complex — logos, uniforms, colors, etc., to the minute — piping on the numbers. It’s apparent that, no matter the change, teams are always looking for ways to stay current while still maintaining their brand equity. This can be a tricky road to navigate, especially for teams that have been around for awhile and have a loyal, passionate fan base. What I find most intriguing are the teams that have recently returned to the more traditional, classic designs from their past.

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