Indie Nation Radio

They say (and I have no clue who "they" is) that the third time is a charm. Well, I'm not sure about the charm, but what I can tell you is that I've chosen to avoid my radio guy voice today — just for you. That's just my way of charming the pants off you.

Why three? Well, if for some sick twisted reason, you haven't been keeping up with our daily journal, today is the third logo in the same amount of days for the man we've been referring to as the radio romeo. His actual name is Paul Saunders and he has a butt-load of followers on Twitter. He's like the Aston Kutcher of internet radio (minus Demi Moore).

We first brought you 977 Media, which specializes in internet radio solutions for folks like you and me. Next we brought you Stream Realm, which provides reliable and affordable streaming solutions to improve your poopy stream that costs too much. And finally, we bring you Indie Nation Radio.

Now this one is special. This is a big-ass network of online radio stations, focused in on specific genres and locations. When it's up and running, there will be up to 300 different cities and more than 15 different genres. All indie-style baby and all free. It's about the music, not the money. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Clear Channel. Damn the man.

We the people, demand a billboard top 100 that's not created by record executives up in their ivory towers (which look really nice by the way), but one that's created by the people listening to the music. We won't be spoon fed Justin Timberlake music anymore. We're going to unite in wearing earplugs every time Lady Ga Ga says poker face. We won't be ignored. Power to Indie Nation.

Sorry. Sometimes I get to be a bit much. Look, enjoy the logo, hang out with Paul on Twitter and keep coming back for logo fun.

I'm going to go make a couple of prank calls to my local radio stations to release some of this tension.

Feel the music.

Stream Realm

(Return of hyper radio-guy voice) Welcome back to the program folks. You were just tuned into the sweet style of Paul Saunders and his company 977 Media on the only station that brings you logos all day, every day — p-p-p-power internet radio I.D.Y.L. If you liked that, you're going to looooove this. Quickly climbing its way to the top of the charts is another stylistic original from the internet radio romeo ... it's Paul Saunders, with Stream Realm.

(Normal voice returns) Well, you would have thought that I had learned my lesson yesterday. Apologizing profusely for my lameness. But, no — I just went ahead and did whatever the hell I wanted, didn't I? Shame on me. After this year of logos is over, I promise I'm going to see someone about my tendency to spew useless jargon.

But, before I do that, we have another branch of 977 Media to discuss. This one is called, Stream Realm.

Let's pretend that you are a great internet radio mind. You already have your online station built, you've got virtual fans throwing their digital bras and panties at you and you've got the ultimate face for radio (ok, just kidding, that was mean). What's next? Well, your streaming sucks and you're paying to much.

You see, that's where Stream Realm comes in. Paul Saunders and his team offer reliable streaming at an affordable price to people just like the pretend you.

In designing this identity, we wanted the message to be internet radio first, speed second. We brought those things together with a stylized font and graphic that everyone can relate to.

Go on over to streamrealm.net and tell him how much the guys over at IDYL want to give him a big smooch for buying three consecutive days. After that, either start your station or upgrade your streaming. You owe it to your listeners.

Dana -gerous is out (that's my new radio handle)

977 Media

(Insert hyper radio-guy voice) Happy hump day internet, this is D to the ANA come at you live on the station that brings you logos all day, every day — p-p-p-power internet radio I.D.Y.L. We're bringing you a commercial free set of logos next  ... so, turn your screen brightness up and get ready for 977 Media on I.D.Y.L.

You might be wondering why in the world I would subject you to that. It's a valid question. Because I'm borderline nutty? Sort of. Or, because I want to show you the things that go through my mind, that may be consider by most to be disturbing? Yeah, we're getting closer. Maybe it's a cry for help? I dunno.

Alright, the truth is that I was practicing my internet radio speak for the recipient of today's logo — 977 Media. You see, they're a full-service media company that specializes in providing internet radio solutions to companies like you and me (and a few other specialized niches). In other words, they're here to make you a star and help you become part of the social broadcasting revolution. Those were Paul's words and I dig 'em. I might have said something like, 977 Media killed the terrestrial radio star.

Again, I'm sorry for doing that. I'm really not sure what's wrong with me.

Paul and his team turned to — I.D.Y.L, the station that brings you logos all day, every day — to come up with an identity that communicated their line of business in a professional, yet fun, way. We gave it our all and came up with a concept that did just that.

Now it's time for you to shine my children. You're ready to spread your wings and fly. Flap those wings over to 977media.com and get the skinny on what it's going to take to make you into the next Ryan Seacrest or Casey Kasem. The internet is waiting for you.

D to the ANA out (A little Seacrest vibe there)

Alive Marin

I live in the Midwest, Minnesota to be exact. Tony lives in Chicago and Jason lives in Jacksonville. Of the three of us, I think I was screwed the worst. Yeah, I know ... it's beautiful, right? Maybe. But only for one week a year. The rest of the year is filled with sub-zero temperatures, god-awful humidity, endless road construction, colonies of mosquitoes and sub-zero temperatures. Yes, I know that I repeated myself there, it needed the extra emphasis.

Having said that, we have the "nice" thing going for us, which is good. Quite frankly, we're only nice because we've have been trapped indoors for six excruciating months, and by the time we get to come out of hibernation, we're just happy to see other survivors.

I'm being a bit extreme, I know. Other Minnesotans will disagree, and that's fine. It's just my opinion, so they can shut their pieholes.

I've dreamed of moving to a better place, a utopia of sorts ... a place like Marin County. Where the grass is green and the mosquitoes are dead. Jay has put together this lovely site called, alivemarin.com, that has provided a snapshot of what life could be like outside the State of Minnesota penitentiary walls. Zip-it Minnesotans.

His plan is to eventually broaden the franchise to include other places like Orange County, Chicago, New York, etc. That way I can just live vicariously through the pages of his sites. Ahhhh, even the thought brings a smile to my face.

In the meantime though, Jay has asked us to develop an identity that spoke not just to Marin County, but one that could be carried over to the places to come. We focused on a color scheme and element design that helped to communicate the message of being alive. A fun design with the colors of life.

So hop on over to alivemarin.com and check it out. Then, jump back on Twitter and Facebook and tell us when you're moving. I'll pack my Paddington Bear suitcase and meet you there.

Toodaloo

PDM Shift

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls ... it's time to spit out your pacifiers, take off your khakis and turn off "Dancing With The Stars", because we have a special treat for ya.

Today isn't the day to wear your Sunday's best. Today isn't the day for you to call your mommy. Today isn't the day for the faint of heart (seriously, if you have a heart condition, maybe you should doing something else).

Call your work and tell 'em you're sick. Text your spouse and tell 'em you won't be home for supper. Tweet your tweoples and tell 'em you won't be tweeting. Set your email auto-responders to "out of the office" (you don't want to get fired). Get your BIC iPhone apps ready, BECAUSE ... coming to the stage (or blog I guess) is none other than ... the legends of Jacksonville ... the one, the only — PDM Shift. HAAAAAAAA! The crowd (or site visitors) goes wild!!!!

Just wanted to give you guys a little taste of what it's like to live the life of Justice and his band mates. I mean, c'mon, wouldn't that just kick ass? But, if you're born with a rock star name like Justice, you really have no other choice but to rock. Right?

I know that you want a link to the tunes, so do we. The truth of the matter is, PDM Shift has been on a long hiatus and is in the process of reforming. But I can tell you this: PDM Shift is a progressive hard rock band that has a sound similar to what you might hear from Dream Theater or Tool. ROCK ON!

Wouldn't you know it, they've asked IDesignYourLogo.com to set the stage for them by designing their logo. We're kind of like groupies with Macs. Because Tony is a musician himself, he was eager to jump on the bandwagon (couldn't help myself there).

We developed their logo with a custom, stylized font to give the band a unique look that screamed hard rock. For the extra kick, we incorporated a subtle red element that can be used to define their identity independent of their name.

Hook up with us on Twitter and we'll feed you some more info on these monsters of music. In the meantime, keep on rockin' people. Keep on rockin'.

lnnl (those are devil horns)

Service 365

Let me get serious with you for a minute. I know, I know ... when I make poop references and butt pinching suggestions, it's tough to take anything I say serious, right? Just bare with me for a moment and I promise I'll get back to my crassitude.

Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING breaks my heart more than the thought of a child suffering. Suffering from neglect, abuse, illness ... whatever. Children don't deserve it — ever. In my opinion, those who harm a child deserve nothing less than a lifetime in prison — no exceptions, no parole, no T.V., no internet ... nothing. The should stare at four blank concrete walls for the rest of their life and just think about what they've done.

Alright, I'm done now. It felt good to get that out.

Now, I didn't tell you that for shits and giggles, and I didn't tell you that because I'm ready to go all vigilante like Charles Bronson in Death Wish. No, the reason I got on my soapbox was to explain how I intend on using what Stephen is putting together with Service 365.

You see, I'm always on the look-out for great causes and/or organizations that support children in need. The truth is, with three kids of my own and a 365-day logo business, it's difficult to find the time to jump into something new without fulling understanding what's involved. That's where Stephen is going to come in really, really handy.

Amongst other things, Service 365 is going to provide a snapshot of what organizations do and help people like me, better understand exactly what I should expect when I choose to get involved. That's going to save me a butt-load of up-front effort, providing me more time to volunteer.

I happen to personally think that this business idea is pretty frickin' awesome. But, then again, Stephen's pretty awesome, so I should have expected it. He's so awesome in fact, if you happen to run into him at a charity event, McDonald's or a WalMart restroom, grab him by the ears and pull him in for a big wet one right on the smackers. Crassness is slowly coming back.

The logo embodies what Stephen was going for. A professional image with a color bold enough to attract the eye (BTW, Orange is his life color). We used the circle image to represent the amiable nature of his organization.

Now that you know Stephen and Service 365, it's time to get involved. Start by becoming a fan and a follower. Trust me, Stephen will not disappoint.

P.S. Remember, if you see someone harming a child, punch him in the nads. And, if it's a lady ... I'll leave that up to you.

Later mater (I'm not sure why)

Ahab's Adventures

I hate flying. There, I said it. It's not the pilots' fault, it's me. I have a hard time coming to grips with the fact that something that big (and heavy) is anywhere but on the ground. And, the tight quarters don't help either. So, needless to say, I fly only when I have to.

My distaste for the panicky-skies also means that my travels are kept to a minimum. And, having three kids, three and under doesn't help either. That said, I love adventure. In fact, if I had the choice to be either Bill Gates or Indiana Jones, I'd pick Jones in a New York minute.

But now I've met Ahab. He just might very well change the way I look at traveling. He's motivated my human spirit. He and Geeg have challenged me to; turn a stranger into a friend, do something that I've always wanted to do, volunteer, and finally ... be a bit greener. Like I mentioned before, Ahab is like a little mini Anthony Robbins, but without the annoying voice and chiseled cheek bones.

If I haven't quite described Ahab for you yet, you'll need to go and check him out for yourself. He's a short little little fella with an adorable outfit. According to Geeg, he's a wannbe pirate trapped in a fisherman's jacket. How's that for cuteness? He's also an adventurous guy, always looking for his next challenge. Again, go to the site an check him out for yourself.

The directions for Ahab's logo were clear, they were looking for a skull and cross-bones design with an Ahab touch. And, you know us, we aim to please. They want a skull for Ahab, a skull for Ahab they shall receive.

Now that you've seen the logo and read the background, go check out their site and spend sometime fishing around their pages (get it? Ahab. Fisherman jacket. Fishing.). You'll sure to find a cute little guy with a big message.

Ahoy Mates.

Les Is More

You may recall me saying something about being a complete mess. Well, in the week that's past since I've made that statement — surprise, surprise — nothing has changed. I will say though, the Poken that I received from PokenGirl.com has put my contact management on track. Plus, I make one hell of a Poken Girl. But, the rest of my life is a complete unorganized mess, and it drives my wife eff'n nuts. Everywhere I go, I can't help but do some "tasmanian devil" type move and leave everything in complete disarray.

Needless to say, Leslie Jacobs, and her company Les Is More, is just what the doctor ordered. When I say Doctor, I'm not talking about Doogie Hows ...

Folks, sorry to interrupt this post, I'm just beginning to get word on some developing news. Tony Holmes, of IDesignYourLogo.com fame, and his wife, are just moments away from having their second child. Reports are coming in (from Tony) that some kind of plug has fallen out, which apparently was holding the baby in place. By the time you receive this message, baby Holmes should be out and ready to take on the world, while Tony and his wife will have gotten zero hours of sleep. As in zilch, nada, nothing. Be sure to keep up with our Twitter posts for further details.

Now back to your regular scheduled post ...

As I was saying, before we were so rudely interrupted by baby Holmes' poor timing (nah, uncle Dana was only kidding kiddo),  Les Is More is just what a guy like me needs to get my organizational responsibilities back on track. Not only does Leslie offer one on one phone consultation, she also offers weekly tips, a great book and two cool card-deck systems called, Les Mess.

As you can imagine, a business that is built around cleanliness and organization, requires a logo that is ... well, clean and organized. We came up with a design that was both fun and descriptive. We used a box to represent the idea of structure, with a color scheme that accurately communicated the different segments of her business.

Go check out lesismore.net and see all of the wonderful things that Mrs. Leslie and her company are doing. Buy a book, consultation or whatever and then get your things in order for goodness sake. It's about time you get your sh@* together. Yeah, yeah, I'm one to talk.

goo goo, ga ga (That was for Tony)

Elite CSS

I'll be honest, Connor's like our little brother. He's almost an extension of us. In fact, if you hurt his feelings, Jason is going to take his t-shirt off and be mean to you on Ustream. And Tony and I will yell at you on Twitter. Watch yourself. I'm just saying.

Ok, now that the uncomfortable part is out of the way, let's move on.

Do you see all those words in the green bar up above? If you bring your pointer-thingy up there and roll over it, a line appears under the word. Did you see how that works? Connor did that. The little underline thing was our idea, but Connor made it appear magically like that. That's what he (and his company) does. They make websites work.

I'll admit, we're HTML dumb. In fact, until we met Connor, I thought HTML was pronounced, hit-mil. But, you give us a Mac Book Pro, magic mouse and Adobe Photoshop and we'll whip something up lickity split. You see, that's why we're in love with Elite CSS. They take those designs of ours and convert them into exhitmil (also known as xHTML) and sis (also known as CSS) within 24 hours. It rocks.

For us, it's the perfect partnership. Elite CSS is the like the peanut butter and we're the jelly. No, they're like the tomato and we're the bacon on a BLT. Wait, that doesn't even make sense. Who's the lettuce? Plus, I don't even like tomatoes. Alright, we're the poop and they're the toilet paper. Perfect. We push something out and he gets it all cleaned up. Forget it ... I give up. You get where I'm going though.

Connor was looking for an identity that helped tell the story of what Elite CSS does best, converting Photoshop files into code. We used a simple illustration to represent the process of sending multiple files and ending up with a finished product. The colors we used, along with gradient, represent the process of going from a Photoshop file (Blue) to a Dreamweaver file (Green).

Ok, it's time for me to stop writing now, I just went an entire paragraph without making fun of myself or someone else. I'm out.

XOXOXO (It's a complicated coding thing, Connor gets it)

Jay Masunaga Consulting Services

So now that you have a friend named Jay, what are you going to do with him? Yes, he's a computer guy, but don't let that deter you from busting loose with him. Quite frankly, I think that there are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to techies. Do they play Dungeons and Dragons? Probably, but they also know how to hijack the neighbors internet and cable. I'll have a beer with that guy any day of the week.

All of that said, our friend, Jay Masunaga is so much more then a D&D playing, cable stealing, tech monster. Maybe he has a couple of hacker secrets he can share with you if you're nice, but what he really does is much different than that. In fact, in addition to technology consulting, Jay offers web design, auction selling services, web strategy, digital archiving, SEO support, hosting, e-commerce and toe nail clipping.

Opps. I'm not sure how that last one slipped in there. Maybe it's because I've always want a personal toe nail clipper and by mentioning it, Jay would start offering it. It's just a thought.

In terms of the logo, Jay pretty much let us have free reign. We took the open invitation with arms wide open (not the Creed kind) and did what we do best — took a nap. But, after that, we did what we do second best — designed a professional logo that will help position Jay as a technology and marketing consulting rock star.

Take-aways and to-dos: Become a friend of Jay — literally. Not an electronic friend on Facebook. A real live friend. Next, leave us a comment and tell Jay what you think about his schnazzy new logo. Lastly, come hang out with us on Twitter and Facebook. Cool?

Bye bye computer guy

Alun Evans, Real Estate Broker

Ok, this is a bit awkward. Just last week we told you that if you we're looking for a home in Ontario, you should give Alexx Coelho a call. Well, with Alun now in the mix ... um ... maybe they'll split the listing? No, wait, I have a better idea. What if instead of buying just one big house in Ontario, you buy two littles houses and use both Alexx and Alun? One other option, and I'm just spitballing here, maybe Alexx and Alun can have a jousting competition over each client, much likes two 12th century Knights dueling for the love of the princess.

Alright, enough about that, I'm sure something will work out. Let me tell you more about Alun Evans. Aside from having a pretty rad name, Alun is a broker of high-end real estate in the Oakville Ontario area. When we say high-end, we're talking like half-million to 12-million dollar homes. His territory is no joke. And neither is Alun.

If you recall, I might have mentioned something last week about being connected to a blog that focused its attention on making fun of bad real estate advertising. Well, guess who you won't find on that site? Yep, Alun Evans. That's because he knows that you don't sell million dollar homes by dressing up like a leprechaun and screaming, "Everything I touch turns to sold". He's classier than that, and that's why you need to give him a call, send him a tweet or pinch his rear-end.

For a guy that represents Ontarios' finest, Alun needed a logo that stood him apart from the competition (and Alexx). We gathered our data, dressed up like Mr. Evans, walked through a few mansions and finally came up with a look that we all felt best represented the Welsh-named king of Oakville.

After you've mentally downloaded his new brand image, go check out his site and then shoot him an@alunevans on Twitter. And finally, when you're in Ontario, you now have two things to do: Give Alexx Coelho a hug and pinch Alun Evans in the butt.

Later rollerskater (I'm assuming Alun likes to rollerskate, who doesn't)

Vesse Body Spa

Ok, back to what I was talking about in the "Background". I know that most men won't admit it, but it's true. Deep down, we're a bit jealous of the day-long haircuts, the cuticle treatments and facials. And, Vesse Body Spa is going to change all of that. Not because her focus is on men, but because it's about damn time that a man stands up and yells from the top of his lungs — I WANT TO BE PAMPERED TOO.

The truth is, Wendy Vessey, the founder (and friend from high school), doesn't have the goal of shaking the truth out of men. She's simply selling a high-quality line of natural bath and body products for anyone who's interested in having a little "me time" in style. You can see a picture of her lovely collection below.

We took her direction and designed a logo with an "organic" look and feel. The color scheme and graphics were used to describe the natural aspects of her product line.

Thankfully, Wendy liked the design. Whew! With our high-school reunion in the not-to-distant future, I was a bit worried.

Ok, as I had mentioned above, Wendy's site is still under development. In the meantime, you can send Wendy an email if you're interested in learning more about her product line. While you're at it, why don't you let her know what you think of her fancy new logo.

Happy Trails.

Cratefuls

Well folks, week one is almost in the books, and what a week it has been. It's hard to believe that we only have 51 weeks to go before the end of our pretend (Mar - Feb) year. Actually, who am I kidding, it's not hard to believe, we literally look at our calendar several times a day, in fact, we're hyper aware of how much time is left. Anyway, now I'm just rambling.

So, we were fortunate enough to mark our first day with an actual "Mark" and now we are going to wrap up our first week with a bow. Are you kidding? Seriously, it's almost as if we've had this planned since the beginning. But, we didn't plan it this way, it just fell into our lap all perfect and such.

The bow that we're wrapping up week one with is none other than the lovely Erin Waterton and her company, Cratefuls. As Cratefuls is just launching, all you'll find on the website at the moment is a splash page. But, with its new logo already in place, it's a fantastic looking splash page. Rest assured, the full site is under development and should be up soon.

In the meantime, let me (or, Erin) tell you a bit more about this very cool business concept. As Erin puts it, "the idea behind Cratefuls is to offer people the option to fully customize their Crates with high quality items."

I'll just throw in a little idea here. When she told us about the business, I instantly thought that it might be a good idea for someone to send Tony, Jason and I an Apple Crateful. As in Apple computers, not Granny Smith. It could packed with iPods, Laptops and maybe a few iPads. I dunno, it's just an idea. All I'm saying is, just think about it.

Alright, back to Erin and her fantabulous business. Cratefuls is much more than "Thank You" or "Happy Holidays" themed gift basket service (although it does that as well). Erin's goal is to specialize in non-traditional occasions such as; break-up survival crates, surviving your wedding day crates, surviving motherhood crates and the list goes on. In fact, you can pretty much invent your own "survival crate" to be custom-tailored to your liking.

In fact, while wondering how we were managing to design logos day in and day out, Erin had offered us a Red Bull Rescue kit. We were very grateful (Get it? Grateful - Crateful.) for her offer. It also helped us better understand the type of non-traditional (sleep deprivation survival kit) packages she puts together.

So, keep your eyes open for the official launch of  cratefuls.com and order a Crate for ... well, anyone.

Week one out, see week two.

PokenGirl.com

Anyone who knows me (by anyone, I mean Tony), knows that when it comes to managing contacts, email addresses, accounts, phone numbers and pretty much anything else that requires a bit of structure, I suck. So, what do I do? I surround myself with people that are more organized than me (by people, I mean Tony). And what do those "more organized" people do when you can't seem to remember their contact info? They yell at you (or rather, me). I've been yelled at so many times that I ... damn, I forgot what I was going to say.

Anyway, everything has changed, things are going to be different now. Yes, compulsive unorganizers always say that, right? Wrong. Ok, maybe I said that when I took my first Franklin Covey course and came home with my three million dollar organization system. But this is different. Really. You see, I met these two young gals by the name of Vanessa and Juliet and they said that I should be a PokenGirl. I said, a what? Ok ... look, I've got a girl's name, I get it, but I'm not actually a girl. But, as it turns out, it doesn't matter, because PokenGirl is for guys too. It's awesome! Girl awesome and guy awesome. It's all kinds of awesomeness.

My Poken gals, Vanessa and Juliet, sell these things called Poken's, which are social media business cards that hold everything! Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and every other network known to man, as well as email addresses, websites, phone numbers, the works. The best part is, all that you need to do to exchange info with someone is hold your poken palm together with someone elses Poken palm — BAM, you're connected. They call them high4's. Cute.

Alright ladies, I know the thought of holding your Poken palm to mine is probably getting you all hot and bothered. Settle down. First, I'm spoken for (besides, I've gained a couple of pounds since the wedding). Second, it isn't the least bit seductive or uncomfortable.

Once you've made the connection, you remove the palm from it's case and insert it into your USB drive. Done. Everything you need is in one place for you to easily find.

Now I'm organized once again and Tony can stop yelling at me. Big meanie. Check out some photos below of just how excited Tony and I were to play with our new Pokens.

We designed a fun logo that aligned perfectly with the personality of our Poken girls, Vanessa and Juliet. Send them a note on Twitter or Facebook and let them know what you think of their new logo. Then, head right over to PokenGirl.com and buy a Poken so we can connect.

Later gators (they're from Florida).

Update: This just in from our ladies: For the entire month of March, enter the code IDYL on pokengirl.com and receive a your very own Poken for 15% off!. Just because that's how they roll.

CyclingAgainstCancer.com

Alright everyone, please follow my lead.

Grab a pillow, stuffed animal, couch cushion or anything else that has a soft center, hold it in front of your face and repeat after me.

EFF U CANCER!

Good.

Now, hold the cushiony object you've chosen in your non-dominant hand and with your other hand, punch it in it's pretend cancer face. Do it with all of your might ... don't hold anything back.

Good. Glad we did that ... thanks.

Now I want to tell you about two lovely people, Jason Davis and Andrea Gray, who are starting a website to raise $6,000 in support of finding a cure for cancer. They're not Doctors or Nurses or even Researchers, they're just two people that hate cancer ... especially kids with cancer. And, they're doing something about it.

Each year, Jason and Andrea hop on their 10-speeds (do they still call them that?) and bike over 190 miles across the state of Massachusetts in the Pan Mass Challenge, all in the name of kicking cancer's ass. That's incredible! Just the thought of even driving 190 miles gets me tired. The website they're developing will serve as the hub for raising funds and chronicling the training it takes for their growing team to bike a bazillion miles.

We knew that a logo for such a worthy cause needed to be special. We reached deep into our bag of design tricks and crafted a concept that literally told the story of their journey. Jason was excited about the design. And, we were excited that he was excited.

So, when you think that your kids' teddy bear has had enough, stop on by Jason or Andrea's donation pages (here and here) and show them your support. If you can't afford to show them financial support, it's ok, just send Jason a message on Twitter and let 'em know they're doing a really good thing.

P.S. EFF U CANCER.

P.S.S. That was just for good measure.

UPDATE: We decided this morning that we couldn't just sit around an doing nothing. So, we've made the decision to give Jason and Andrea 10% of whatever days we sell today (Midnight CST is the deadline). You get a logo, Jason and Andrea raise money and Cancer gets a swift kick in the ass. Nobody loses here. Click here to pick the first available day.

Team Alexx - Prudential Town Centre Realty Inc.

Ok ... BUSTED. Yes, I am the same Dana who created, The Official Real"ad"tor Awards. Big deal. I'm sure you had already connected the dots by now anyway. Right?

No? Well, let's just pretend that you did.

And, now that we're pretending that you've read every post, you may have noticed that I haven't been particularly nice to real estate agents when it comes to their advertising choices. Needless to say, I was in a different place back than and it's all better now. However, I'm still in the process of sending my apology letters.

But as you page through the endless array of poor decisions, you'll notice that you won't find any bad ads by Alexx Coelho or Team Alexx. That's because, Alexx and his team in Oakville, Ontario are not into cheesy headlines, bad puns and awkward "cell phone to the ear" money shots. They're 100% pure-bred, top-shelf, best of class (and whatever other trendy buzz words you want to throw in) real estate agents.

Their tagline is "be comfortable in your space", because they understand that you need to be comfortable in your decisions, as well as your home. We get it. In fact, it makes us feel warm and cozy just knowing they get it.

And because they get it, and we get it, they get a logo and we get to work with some great people. It's a whole lot of getting.

We're still working with Alexx on the final version, but we think the one we're showcasing is pretty fly. Team Alexx is a well-established and classy group,  so they needed a design that reflected their style. To separate them from the competition, we went outside of the "real estate agent norm" and spiced it up with unique color scheme and elegant type style.

Enjoy the design, give Alexx a hug if you're in Ontario and go and check out his site.

See you on Twitter and Facebook my friends.

RockSaltMedia.com

We will, we will — Rock Salt you. Sing it ... We will, we will — Rock Salt you.

OMG, I'm sorry. I just reread what I just wrote and it was lame. It was Tony's idea. Ok ... that's a lie, it wasn't his idea. It was Jason's idea. Alright ... that's a lie too. Let's start over.

As I was saying in that little "background" thingamabobber up above was that we really like Jen. Not just because her last name makes us thirsty for a little drinky poo and not just because she gives us a warm fuzzy feeling when she fills us with compliments. Rather, it's because we like what she's about to do in her blog, Rock Salt.

You see, Jen is grad school smart and she's taking those grad school smarts and coming up with really unique approach to exploring personal and business communication, conflict, social interaction and all its absurdity. She plans to use awkward and absurd stories and experiences to communicate the messages. And, from what we have heard, she has a proclivity (that was her word, I told you she was really smart) for telling random stories in a fun way.

We're pumped to start reading it. I'll also mention that we are particularly fond of her first post. You'll have to visit her site to see what it's about though.

When Jen asked us to design her logo, we instantly wanted to go right towards the image of a little girl holding an umbrella, ala Morton's Ice Cream Salt, but she reeled us in. Maybe if you follow her on Twitter, she'll tell you the reason we had to stay away from the ice cream reference. Bottom line, Jen is a simple girl and wanted a simple logo.

While we stayed simple, we developed a design that reflected the personality of her blog to be.

So, here's what you should do now. Go to rocksaltmedia.com, subscribe to her blog, follow her on Twitter and let her know what you think of her shiny new logo.

Oh, one more thing, we have a Twitter and Facebook account that we'd love to see you on. We might be giving away a day for free coming up, but you need to follow/fan us to find out the details.

Thirst Aid Live: Trekking Tanzania

Whew! Day one is now done, and what a day it was. After many tweets, updates and one happy Mark Dudley, we viewed our first day as a success.

As they say, "one good turn, deserves another", so we're here to do it all again, but this time for Denise Russo and her fantastic organization, Thirst Aid Live. Their tagline is clear, "Raising funds and awareness for the global water crisis". And, as Denise puts it, "we all drink water, we all need water to live, many of us waste our water resources locally, and billions have NO access to safe clean drinking water". Thirst Aid Live exists to help resolve the crisis by education, building awareness and raising money.

It certainly makes me think twice about my pursuit of a perfectly green lawn.

Denise has asked for our assistance in designing a logo for a film, tourism and fundraising project called, Thirst Aid Live: Trekking Tanzania. We based our initial concept around some very simple color and design principles in an effort to communicate a sense of adventure with the warmth of a worthy cause. And, after we had heard that the logo would be used on television, billboards, merchandise and more, we just wanted it to look cool.

With all of that said, the IdesignYourLogo.com team and Denise are still working on a few different designs. But, without trying to swing the vote, this is our front runner.

Please check out Thirst Aid Live today, they're a great cause (with some rad merchandise for sale).

Dudley Marketing

Ladies and Gentlemen ... let the logotastic fun begin!

Today, March 1st, marks the first day of 365 consecutive days of  new logos. And, what better way to mark our first day than to design a logo for a guy named Mark? I mean, c'mon. We couldn't have planned it better, even if we tried.

Mr. Mark Dudley, of Dudley Marketing, was the very first email we had received expressing interest in our services and as such, he was the lucky recipient of a $2 logo. We call him quick click. Ok, not really, I just made that up, but he really was quick with his mouse.

Considering he was our first, we had to make sure that his logo was designed to perfection. Mark was looking for a design that both reflected his connection to sports and would look good on a ball-cap. We developed a concept with a "sports team" font treatment and enough pizazz to turn some heads (into hat wearing heads).

Although Mr. Dudley is responsible for putting the "Mark" into Marketing, it isn't the only trick he knows. Be sure to check out his other company, the Spartanburg Blue Eagles, who are only 92 days away from their first pitch of the season.  And if you like his new logo, be sure to hop on over to Twitter.com/markdudley19 and let him know.

We'd like to send a big "IDesignYourLogo.com" thank you to Mark for being our first. MAUH!

I Design Your Logo

One might think that a company that designs logos on a daily basis, would find it very easy to design a logo for themselves. Oh contraire mon frere. The truth of the matter is, it’s not. In fact, we were so hyper-critical of own logo that we over-thought the design to a point where we were banging our heads on our keyboards ala Don Music from the Muppets. Not fun. But somehow, through the pain, we jarred something loose upstairs and managed to muster enough creativity to design a concept that was both simplistic in nature, yet bold in design. You see, you might have expected a design company to come up with some very elaborate, well-crafted design with all sorts of bells and whistles. No sir-ooney, we flipped it on you. We went the opposite route and shot for simplicity. And Voila, you’ve got a design that was built from a label gun (metaphorically speaking).

Enough about the logo, let’s talk about you now. After all, that’s what this company is all about — you (and your logo). As you know by now, starting March 1st, you’ll see a new logo every day of the year. You’re also going to see us blabbing a bit about the design and the company we’re designing it for. And, if you’re our friend on Facebook, Twitter or Flickr, you’ll see us blabbing even more. It’s cool though, you’ll like our blabber, we’re sure of it.

So please, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your enemies ... it’s going to be a logo love fest and you’re all invited. If you like what you see, join in on the fun and purchase a day — we won’t bite.

See you all soon.

Dana, Tony and Jason