To be Creative!

Creativity is the physical manifestation of an idea through a documented process. People who harness their creative potential and go through the process are termed as 'creatives'. But, the truth is, everyone has the creative potential but most of us don't know how to work through the process. The creative process cycles through four realms of consciousness moving back and forth through the various stages and realms of consciousness as the process continues, until the desired result is obtained. This process is attributed to Graham Wallas, who proposed that creative thinking proceeds through four phases:




Preparation :This first stage is the one in which we gather all of the information required to solve the problem. 


Incubation: The phase where the conscious and subconscious mind work on an idea to form symbols. It is at this stage where the unnecessary ideas and elements are separated . This happens only when the creative mind moves away from the problem and engages in some other activity.


Illumination: The illumination happens in a flash and is followed by certainty and exhilaration. 


Implementation: In this phase, the idea is validated by its usefulness and the final product comes out in a concrete form.

To work through the whole process, the individual needs to work in isolation and allow the ideas to flow freely through the mind. Logical and judgmental thoughts, fear of rejection and lack of courage are sure shot ways of suppressing creativity. To be Creative one needs to be curious, receptive and willing to explore unusual possibilities. As Kennedy once said -


"Some men look at things the way they are and ask why? I dream of things that are not and ask why not?"

Characteristics of a Logo

It is said that a logo is the face of a company. It not only serves to promote the company but also attracts potential customers to it. Creating a perfect logo for a company is the most challenging part of the graphic design industry. Although, there are no specific rules in the creative process but all good logos share the same DNA code or common characteristics. Here are the main characteristics and their examples, which should be kept in mind while designing logos :

UNIQUE : Good logos are always unique and stand out from the crowd. So, originality should be kept in mind while designing a logo. Thinking outside the box and experimenting with different elements and colors is a sure way of creating a distinctive logo. Good designers never use any kind of clip art or stock images in their logos because they make them appear more common and thus less distinctive in nature.  Remember that a unique logo strengthens the credibility of the designer as well as the brand it is created for.

SIMPLE : Less is more and simple is smart. If we think about some of the best logos, we find that they all are very simple. It is not necessary to incorporate every aspect of a business in a logo. Using too many elements, colors and fonts to represent all the aspects of a company, make the logo appear cluttered and less recognizable. A simple logo is always easier to remember, more identifiable and leaves a lasting impression. 

VERSATILE : A perfect logo should be able to work well across a variety of mediums and applications. It should be created in a vector format so that it is scalable and editable, and thus can be used on different mediums like corporate stationery, website, apparels, billboards, etc. It should be able to work well in single color and in reverse. A basic knowledge of commercial printing process is also a must for creating a less expensive logo as most of the companies prefer a cost effective logo.

TIMELESS : To create a timeless logo, it is imperative to stay away from trends. Also, an overly specific logo is not considered timeless because if the company decides to branch out into new services after a few years, then they will have to change the existing logo. But, frequently updating an old logo is bad for a business especially if it is trying to establish a recognizable brand or identity. So it is the responsibility of the logo designer to make the client understand the drawbacks of a trendy logo and be able to create a logo which is more memorable and timeless in nature.

This post was specially created for jademagnet, India's only end to end creative crowdsourcing platform.