In a previous blog I talked about the power of contrast in color and light, plus a few thoughts about scale. Today we’ll talk a little more about scale, and…
Doug KlockeJuly 19, 2021
Good design doesn’t have to break the bank. But whether you’re budgeting a little or a lot, there are proven ways to get the most from your investment. Here’s a…
Doug KlockeJanuary 12, 2021
Sometimes two ideas combine to create a compelling new concept. “Your chocolate is in my peanut butter!” “Your peanut butter is in my chocolate!” While I won’t claim this post…
Doug KlockeMarch 10, 2020
Recently I’ve really been taken by one of Apple’s viral videos — and not just because I love all things Apple. In just three minutes, “Apple at Work — The Underdogs”…
Doug KlockeAugust 5, 2019
We regularly talk about brand standards here in the Something to Say space (see The Elements of Style and Respect the Logo, just to name a couple). These guidelines are…
Doug KlockeFebruary 20, 2019
My partner Tom and I recently had an amazing experience at a local restaurant. Although our server was only 19 years old, she had already learned how to provide superior…
Doug KlockeJanuary 17, 2019
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… We find our hero making an emergency run to the Vendopolis Walmart… The Brand Sentinel grumbled…
Doug KlockeNovember 27, 2018
Several months ago, I was half-listening to NPR when I heard:My ears perked up.I grew up on Saturday morning cartoons, and — of course — Schoolhouse Rock.Bob Dorough, a…
Doug KlockeNovember 6, 2018
I’ve been intrigued by the Nest thermostat for several years. From the photos and store promotions I’ve seen, it looks like a beautifully simple device with elegant design. So when…
Doug KlockeSeptember 20, 2018
I recently got a new iPad Pro with an Apple Pencil. The possibilities this new tool offers are exciting, and I was eager to learn how it works. About the…
Doug KlockeAugust 15, 2018
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… Night in Vendopolis. The sun may have set, but the brands of the city light up…
Doug KlockeApril 19, 2018
Last month we talked about the vocabulary of color, and how colors interact with each other. Let's take a look at some strategic color considerations. Avoid “color clichés” Using color to…
Doug KlockeMarch 15, 2018
Choosing colors for a brand may seem like an easy task. “Oh, let’s make the logo red and yellow.” In reality, there’s a lot more at stake than meets the…
Doug KlockeFebruary 15, 2018
Back in May, my partner Tom and I traveled to Italy. It was the first trip outside of North America for either of us. It was a fantastic vacation, but…
Doug KlockeJanuary 18, 2018
Great design often appears in unexpected places. Like office supplies. (No, really.) And when it comes to functional beauty, there’s one that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Can…
Doug KlockeNovember 16, 2017
fash•ion verb make into a particular or the required form. Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to attend UC’s DAAP Fashion Show — with seats just five rows back…
Doug KlockeOctober 19, 2017
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… Fresh from his encounters with The Hack, we find our hero continuing the struggle that strikes…
Doug KlockeAugust 24, 2017
Back in February I introduced the concept of “design energy.” We talked about how a skilled designer can make use of different kinds of “energy,” from creating a sense of…
Doug KlockeJuly 20, 2017
Back in January, we talked about how brand standards can make your logo and other elements more meaningful to your target audience. While all of your brand elements deserve this…
Doug KlockeMay 18, 2017
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… We find our hero wandering aimlessly through the women’s department of an anchor store at Vendopolis…
Doug KlockeMarch 23, 2017
Cozy Columbus, Indiana, located about 45 miles south of Indianapolis, may seem like an unlikely place for an architectural mecca. But the ambitions of J. Irwin Miller, president of Cummins…
Doug KlockeFebruary 16, 2017
Have you heard about these things called Brand Standards Guides (or Identity Guidelines, or Style Guides)? Designers love them, of course, because they go deep into all sorts of arcane-sounding…
Doug KlockeJanuary 26, 2017
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… We find our hero waiting in the food court of the Bargainville Outlet Mall, seated…
Doug KlockeNovember 17, 2016
Last year I was talking to a friend who had just purchased a new Prius — her second one. I asked her how she liked it. “It’s fine. It just…
Doug KlockeOctober 27, 2016
I recently fell in love with an artist without ever seeing her work. While listening to NPR on a Saturday morning back in early July, I heard Scott Simon say,…
Doug KlockeSeptember 21, 2016
Many people believe that great design is a luxury only big organizations get to enjoy. Sure, Apple, Procter & Gamble, and that mustachioed baseball team downtown are big enough to…
Doug KlockeAugust 18, 2016
Attracting a viewer’s attention to the right place is one of the most important jobs of visual communication. To do this right, it’s important to understand the role of contrast,…
Doug KlockeJuly 21, 2016
Klocke Design returns to Vendopolis for another exciting adventure of the Brand Sentinel, in… We find our hero slumped on a stool at the end of a bar in a…
Doug KlockeJune 23, 2016
In March, I talked about how limits are far more likely to inspire amazing work than “complete creative freedom.” Today we’ll take this idea one step further by exploring how you…
Doug KlockeMay 17, 2016
It was a typical morning. I was clearing the junk from my email, when a subject line caught my eye: Now, I will sometimes click on a Redbox email just…
Doug KlockeApril 21, 2016
Many people believe the secret to unlocking amazing creativity is to remove all restrictions. The ideal of “complete creative freedom” is seen as the chance to let all our pent-up…
Doug KlockeMarch 16, 2016
As human beings, we love balance. It looks “right,” it feels harmonious, and it makes us comfortable. Too often in design, however, we confuse balance with symmetry. Unfortunately strict symmetry…
Doug KlockeFebruary 3, 2016
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