Do Designers Think Alike? The Design Experiment

Do designers think alike? Like everyone we are all influexperimentenced by what is going on around us whether deliberately or subconsciously, we are also influenced by design trends. I have been reading so much lately about one logo that looks similar to another, that I thought it would be interesting to carry out an experiment.

The experiment is open to anyone who wants to take part. All you have to do is scribble a logo idea (or several if you wish) for two fictitious companies (or just one if you want) and upload them to your blog or webspace on 29th May. The two company names, which came from a blogcatalog forum request are

  • caffeine rush – espresso machine & accessory supplies
    suggested by Steve
  • Cheap’n'cheerful – budget fancy dress shop
    suggested by David Airey (hope you don’t mind David I slightly changed this)

I will upload my rough scribbles on 29th May and would invite anybody who would like to take part to upload their logo scribbles to their own web space or blog on the same day. Send me a link to your logos and I will add it to the post featuring mine.

Maybe we can find out if designers really do think alike?

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48 Comments

  1. Posted May 8, 2007 at 6:19 pm | Permalink

    ah, it all makes sense now! thanks for choosing my fictitious company name.

    sounds like a very interesting experiment. hopefully i’ll be able to find a little bit of downtime to participate.

    i just stumbled the post too – hope it generates the interest this experiment deserves!

    –steve

  2. Posted May 8, 2007 at 6:34 pm | Permalink

    Cheers Steve, look forward to seeing your scribbles if you get time.

  3. Posted May 8, 2007 at 6:58 pm | Permalink

    Cool idea! Count me in! :)

  4. Posted May 8, 2007 at 7:20 pm | Permalink

    Glad to have you onboard Paul

  5. Posted May 8, 2007 at 7:26 pm | Permalink

    Dugg :)

  6. Posted May 8, 2007 at 8:11 pm | Permalink

    I like this idea. I’ll have a go too.

  7. Posted May 8, 2007 at 8:12 pm | Permalink

    It’s on the whiteboard ;-)

  8. Posted May 8, 2007 at 8:23 pm | Permalink

    The more the merrier. don’t forget to send me the links to your logos on the 29th.

  9. Posted May 9, 2007 at 7:54 am | Permalink

    Of course there’s no problem at all, Tara! I preferred the second hand clown nose store, but thanks for the mention. ;)

    It’s a nice idea and I hope you get some great sketches cropping up.

    So you know, I’ve just ‘tagged’ you in my first ever group meme, The Face Behind The Blog. I’d love it if you’re able to join in!

  10. Posted May 9, 2007 at 10:24 am | Permalink

    Nice idea Tara. I’d like to have a go at this if I can squeeze it in – sounds fun. :)

  11. Posted May 9, 2007 at 10:35 am | Permalink

    Thanks Aaron, I hope you get time. It will be nice to see everyones sketches and different “takes” on the same company names

  12. Posted May 10, 2007 at 2:45 pm | Permalink

    That’s a very intriguing experiment. I’ll try to squeeze in some time for it. So, just to confirm: you’re talking about a rough pencil sketch, right? No colours, no digital representation?

  13. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:03 pm | Permalink

    Be great if you have time. I have suggested a rough pencil sketch as I thought it would be quicker and I know everyone is busy. The feedback I have from everyone is people likes to see sketches. This said if you would prefer to work digitally (I know some people prefer to work that way) thats fine too. The experiment is more about ideas and thinking, than polished results (if that makes sense?)

  14. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:04 pm | Permalink

    What have the Polish got to do with it? ;)

  15. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:04 pm | Permalink

    ‘snot fair. You edited your comment… ;)

  16. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:08 pm | Permalink

    Hi Paul,

    Funny thing is I edited it before I got your comment. I was thinking mmmm… that sounds funny – it obviously did :)

  17. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    By the way for anyone else reading my comment originally said

    “The experiment is more about ideas and thinking, than polish(if that makes sense?)”

    Happy Paul? ;)

  18. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:17 pm | Permalink

    haha…You’ve got some fast reacting readers here, Tara :-)

    yes, that makes sense, Tara. Thanks for the clarification.

    Perhaps you’ll find it useful to install the Ajax Edit comments plugin, that allows anyone to edit their comments on fly after submitting them. You’ve probably noticed that I have it installed on my blog.

  19. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:19 pm | Permalink

    Tara,

    Can I submit that as another design blooper? :-)

    –steve

  20. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:33 pm | Permalink

    Awe! give me a break ;)

  21. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:36 pm | Permalink

    LOL! That’s what happens when people read everything through an RSS reader – they get to see it the second you post it! :)

  22. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:36 pm | Permalink

    that was a communication blooper, not the design one :-)

  23. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:42 pm | Permalink

    I’m taking off the RSS feed, it’s bad for my image :)

  24. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:45 pm | Permalink

    You don’t have an image… yet! Which reminds me, when *will* you be responsing to Mr Airey’s meme? ;)

  25. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:50 pm | Permalink

    I go out for 30 minutes and come back to 25 emails!

    Oh well, I did subscribe. Plus, that ajax comment edit plugin is a great one which I’ve just installed. Thanks for the link inspirationbit!

  26. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:51 pm | Permalink

    responsing – I think you mean responding as we are all being picky here :)

    On a serious note I will not be taking part in Davids meme. I have explained to David I am a little nervous about putting too much personal info (pics etc) online since I received a letter from a prisoner at a local prison pretending he knew me.He had obviously found my details online as he talked about me being a designer.

    I have however added a little more info to my about page.

  27. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:56 pm | Permalink

    I was thinking about adding the edit comment plugin too, yes I forgot to say thanks for that tip, but does it mean you can go into older comments and edit them?

    Oh and David, Welcome to my world, I never get any work done when I subscribe to one of your posts. :)

  28. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:57 pm | Permalink

    No, I meant responsing. It’s a new way of answering – have you not heard of it? :p

    I can understand you concern about publishing your photos online. Didn’t think about it really, but I guess it’s different for female bloggers to how it is for us blokes – what with all the loony stalkers on the net.

  29. Posted May 10, 2007 at 3:59 pm | Permalink

    You can set the time limit for allowing edits. The default is 30 minutes which seems fine to me.

    The good thing is you, as admin, can edit any comment without visiting the back-end, should you get spam comments or excessive links.

  30. Posted May 10, 2007 at 4:00 pm | Permalink

    You’re all very welcome.

    As an Admin you can always edit the older comments as well. As for the users, they will have a limited time, set by the Admin (the default one is 30 min) to go back and edit their comments.

  31. Posted May 10, 2007 at 4:02 pm | Permalink

    my goodness – I’ve never seen such a fast commenting community on a blog before. David, we’ve been replying at the same time the same answer, with a different wording :-)

  32. Posted May 12, 2007 at 11:52 am | Permalink

    I’ve done a quick Caffeine Rush in Illustrator as my “sketching” is too embarrassing. Can that be included on the 29th?

  33. Posted May 12, 2007 at 5:35 pm | Permalink

    Hi Rob, of course it can, I’m glad you want to take part, thanks. I only suggested sketching as I thought it was quicker. Let me know on the 29th when it is uploaded and I will link to your page.

  34. Posted May 12, 2007 at 5:36 pm | Permalink

    Nice blog Rob! I have to say, I’m not much of a sketcher either.

    can’t wait to see the other entries…

    –steve

  35. Posted May 12, 2007 at 8:06 pm | Permalink

    Thanks, Tara, will let you know.

    Thanks, Steve, for your comments about my blog. I think this experiment is a great idea!

  36. Posted May 24, 2007 at 7:09 am | Permalink

    That’s a great idea for an experiment. I might participate. Good luck!

  37. Posted May 24, 2007 at 8:50 am | Permalink

    Hi Grace,

    I hope you get time to participate I look forward to seeing your logos.

  38. Posted May 25, 2007 at 4:17 pm | Permalink

    I think that this contest would work better if we would upload our works on the same web page.

  39. Posted May 25, 2007 at 4:24 pm | Permalink

    HI Respiro

    Thanks for your suggestion.

    If you or anyone else would like to send me their logos to be included, rather than uploading to their own webspace I would be happy to do so (I will still include a link to yours site if you send me a URL).
    You can email them to me at:

    mail@graphicdesignblog.co.uk

  40. Joe aka wildheart4vr
    Posted May 28, 2007 at 6:26 am | Permalink

    Hey I am in look for my finished product at

    http://wildheartworks.blogspot.com/

    thanks for the challenge

  41. Posted May 29, 2007 at 4:21 pm | Permalink
  42. Posted May 30, 2007 at 11:43 am | Permalink

    Hi Tara, I visited Paul and left the same question: Do you showed your client the entire thought process from conceptualization, sketches doodoo dahdah until the final product to be presented? Was thinking if I should show some, if not all, to enable clients to appreciate the amount of time, effort and resources the creative team took to create something seemingly simple.

    PS: Thank you for dropping by.

  43. Posted May 30, 2007 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    Hi Vivienne

    I think it depends on the client. I have a client I would show my sketches too as they have an understanding that it is just an idea and can see past that. I have other clients that I would not show sketches to except perhaps as a back up to more finished visuals. I guess its similar to having a house that needs a lot of work doing, some people can see past the roughness to what the finished house could look like, others can’t.

  44. Posted November 20, 2007 at 11:51 am | Permalink

    i dont think this will work that much coz commonly every body have their own thoughts, likes , dislikes etc., what ever. fine let me check the result of it soon in your blog Tara.

  45. Posted November 27, 2007 at 7:08 am | Permalink

    Agree with Fredrick,every one have their own ideas,that must be a little different

  46. Posted December 11, 2007 at 8:46 am | Permalink

    Sometimes there is a tendency in which designers work, following someone’s style, though this can be subconcious.

  47. Posted April 23, 2008 at 11:04 am | Permalink

    Interesting experience. Thumb up!

  48. Posted October 16, 2008 at 2:41 am | Permalink

    wow.. surely a clash of ideas but for sure it will turn out real great..

4 Trackbacks

  1. By sketches from my past at reflections on May 12, 2007 at 8:16 pm

    [...] have posted some of their recent drawings. It has also really got me in the right frame of mind for Tara’s impending experiment! Please remember that these were done a long, long time ago – and I lacked the technique that came [...]

  2. [...] at the Graphic Design Blog decided to run an experiment to find out. The experiment (open to anyone who wants to take part) requires you to scribble down a logo idea (or several if [...]

  3. By Do all graphic designers think alike? on May 31, 2007 at 8:14 pm

    [...] may wonder … Great idea from Graphic Design Blog for a design experiment. Designers were asked to quickly sketch or produce logo ideas for a couple of made-up companies [...]

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    Hi, this is Tara, I am a freelance graphic designer based in Northamptonshire UK. I have nearly 20 years design experience and I write this graphic design blog. Please take a look at my portfolio or contact me for more information

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