SHAPE icons

Last week I worked on the logo and icons for a Community Life series for Hillsdale Baptist Church. The purpose of the series is to discuss and discover how your own personal SHAPE fits into the church's core values. SHAPE stands for Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Ability, Personality, and Experience.

I thought the puzzle piece looked like a little person. I divided it into 5 color sections, each representing a part of the little person's SHAPE.

I also developed icons for each aspect of SHAPE. Each week a different aspect will be highlighted so they needed an icon to represent that week. I also designed the PowerPoint slides.

I'm really pleased with the overall look of the whole design. I thought is was utilitarian and generic. The icons needed to be as broad and recognizable as possible. The whole look needed to work across all demographics. I liked the really heavy borders and rounded corners.

DroolontheFrog Logo: Part II

Last month My Geek and I worked on his new web site. I didn't do much, actually. He coded the whole thing but I finished the frog logo for the site and exported it to a web site gif. I also suggested some color schemes based on his preferences. I think it's a great looking site. It'll grow as his business grows but I think it has a great core design. Check it out.

DroolontheFrog Logo design

My Geek is taking the DroolontheFrog title for his new computer business. In the works is a web site featuring some software he's written and a technical blog. Of course, he needs an identity, which is one of my favorite things to do.


We didn't talk a lot about what he wanted it to look like. He mentioned using Willa in the design. I was willing to do it but it just seemed too home spun. The design would really have to be smart. My instant vision was of a frog in mid leap rendered in just green pixels. It looked great in my head but I couldn't get it to work out. The pixels were too scarce to convey the image of the frog I wanted.


I wanted the image to be simple, clean, smart and modern. Nothing cartoonish but not dry, boring or too formal. He wants to be taken seriously by big companies but approachable by private clients also. With the added pressure of a deadline, I opted for a flat, one-color rendering of the frog in my head. It has some nice geometrics to play with. I know My Geek had some of his own ideas so I thought I would be making several revisions but he loved it. He wanted very few changes.

I was also really pleased. The process was a blast and I just felt like I was in my element. Now I'm working the logo for use on the web and golf shirts.

Drool on the Frog

I thought I would tell the story of how the name Drool on the Frog (DotF) came about.

One day last summer we were out in the yard with Willa the wonder dog when My Geek discovered a frog in her water dish. Of course, Willa was fascinated by this discovery. Although My Geek loves observing the interaction of the wonder dog with other creatures, he wanted to make sure that she didn't kill the clueless amphibian.

We got prince charming out of the water dish, but he didn't hop away immediately. He didn't really move much at all without proding. Willa just hovered, staring, waiting for it make the next move and for us to give her permission to "play" with it. As she stood there looking down at the frog, she began drooling! It was hysterical hysterical! It communicated so much about Willa's instinct. Can you imagine the frog's perspective?

Anyway, that's how the phrase was born.

T-shirt Arrives!

I got the Drool On The Frog t-shirt in the mail today! Whew! And I got my sister’s shawl in the mail too – and it’s beautiful. How lucky am I?

Overall, I would say that CafePress does a great job. I can’t believe that I got an original design put on a t-shirt and mailed to me so quickly! This is just too cool.

My only complaint is that the colors are kind of dull. But the forums on CafePress’ web site spoke to this. Their printing process is called direct printing:

With Direct Printing, we print direct-to-fabric with no transfers. The result is a matte image that moves with the garment because the ink is actually embedded in the fabric for ultimate wearable comfort. After a few washes, you will notice the great durability of Direct Printing. That means greater image staying power.

The negative of this process is colors are not as vibrant. I think it’s an o.k. trade off. I like the direct printing finish so much more than transfers – it doesn’t look cheap; it looks professional. I can’t wait to design some more.

So go out there, you crazy kids, and design your own t-shirts. Or, better yet, buy mine!

Willa T-shirt

I have never been a big fan of reality TV until Project Runway came along. It’s a show where aspiring designers compete for a chance to start their own line. I love it because it puts the focus on talent and not dirty tricks. All the players bring something of value to the table.

I love seeing what the designers wear because I know that it’ss an expression of their personal style and creativity. With CafePress being brought to the forefront again, I’ve got it in my head that I should wear something to the party that I’ve created myself. Maybe a design on a black t-shirt would work. My Geek has prompted me to design something for DroolontheFrog. I need to get some pictures of our dog, Willa. Maybe I’ll turn her into a superstar.

Cafe Press - So the Desgin May Live

My Geek forwarded me a link to CafePress several months ago. I played with it a little bit but, as with most new design resources, I just didn’t have time to explore it. But it seemed like a fabulous tool.

CafePress allows anyone to design graphics for products like t-shirts and coffee mugs. If I want the picture of my dog on a mouse pad, all I have to do is put the picture into the right format, upload it to CafePress’ site and voila. You think that’s great? Here’s the pièce de résistance. There’s no minimum order. You can order one mouse pad and never order again.

But there’s more. CafePress allows you to set up your own store. You can create your own product lines and use e-mail, blogs and your personal web sites to link to your store. This is one of the avenues I can use to bring my design to life. I have an idea for a t-shirt. I’ll have to look to see if any of the other products inspire me. I think I’ll set up a store but I’m not going to spend a lot of time marketing. I’m not out to make money, just create.