The other day, my four-year-old asked me if he could watch a movie. Because he likes to do everything himself these days, we’ve kept the VCR and VHS tapes out just for him—he can pick a movie, put it in, and take it out when it’s over, all by himself! However, on this particular day, I was in the living room with him, and asked him which movie he wanted to watch.

He went over to a shelf where a pile of tapes were stacked, outside of their brightly illustrated plastic cases, picked one up and said, “I don’t want to watch Aladdin.” He moved it to the side. Underneath was another tape, to which he said, “No. Not Bambi…” Then he went to another shelf and picked up his favorite movie, The Land Before Time.

What’s so special about this, you ask? Well, here’s the thing: My four-year-old can’t read.

Before this happened, I’d known that he could recognize the name of a movie by the pictures on the box. Sleeping Beauty has a picture of, well, Sleeping Beauty. The Lion King has a picture of Mufasa and Simba, and while I don’t think there really are 101 Dalmatians shown on the box, it’s pretty obvious what the movie is from the picture.

But on this day, the tapes were just lying there by themselves, the boxes on a different shelf altogether. It was then that I realized that he wasn’t reading the movie titles—he’d just recognized the type-only logo! And that, my friends, is what you want from your logo—instant recognition.

Your logo is a visual representation of your business/company/product, and is used to help create recognition, loyalty and good impressions among your target market. So while you don’t need a budget the size of the national deficit to get an effective logo, you certainly don’t want to skimp, either. Your logo IS the face of your business (or product or service.)

So whether your logo is type-only, or includes a symbol, image or graphic, the question is: Is your logo memorable enough to be recognized by a four-year-old your target audience? If not, you’ve got work to do.

Okay, so it’s not so much of an award as a free copy of a book…but still, who doesn’t like to win free stuff?!?

Well, the April contest is officially over, and while the turn out wasn’t quite as good as the March contest, a winner has been crowned (or had their name drawn out of a hat…but that doesn’t sound as good.)

I’d like a warm round of applause for the winner of a free copy of Zing! Five Steps and 101 Tips for Creativity on Command: Kirsten of Black Eye Advertising.

This Australian Graphic Designer believes that when it comes to networking, the human connection is a powerful thing, and reminds us not to forget that “in this age of technology.” She also believes that down-time, whether it’s on purpose, economy-driven or just a fluke, is a time to take a look at our own stuff. She says it’s a great time to “hone your own marketing collateral, revise your business plan, attend more networking meetings, get your own business out there. Too often we’re so busy marketing and designing for others, our own brand takes a back seat.” And I couldn’t agree more.

So congratulations, Kirsten! You made some excellent points, and by just sharing your thoughts, you’ve walked away a winner! Of course, you were a winner beforehand, but now you’ve got a free book to prove it!

Seriously, though, thank you, Kirsten, and to everyone else who participated. You all help keep the Creative Conversation going! And stay tuned for next month…when we give more stuff away for free! Good luck!

The last time I did a formal book review, it was probably for my grade-school English class. And it was definitely not done out of the kindness of my heart, but rather my desire to pass the class. This, however, is a very different story. I’ve recently read a few books that were just so good—for a variety of reasons—that I just felt I had no choice but to share!

The first on my “You MUST read this book” list is How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer by Debbie Millman. No, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to enjoy, and benefit, from this collection of interviews with some of today’s top graphic designers.

Malcolm Gladwell (renowned author of The Tipping Point and Blink) says, “The title of How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer is all wrong. It’s not really about graphic design, and it’s not really a how-to book. It’s a delightful opportunity to eavesdrop on some of the most curious and creative minds of our time.” And I couldn’t agree more.

Of course, if you ARE a graphic designer (or other creative professional), you’ll find yourself having plenty of “OMG! Me, too!” moments as you get a glimpse into the inner workings of designers like Milton Glaser, Chip Kidd, Seymour Chwast and others.

To be honest, I think this book should be on the reading list for all graphic design programs. It’s well written, funny (yes, I laughed out loud on quite a few occasions), and inspiring. And Debbie Millman just has a knack for interviewing.

I give How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer an Absolute Must Read - For Anyone rating!

Next on my list is a fiction novel by acclaimed graphic designer and author Chip Kidd.

As a novel itself, The Cheese Monkeys is an intelligent, funny and moving story. It’s easy to get lost in the young-adult drama as the protagonist (ironically named Happy) tries to find himself and his calling.

However, what makes this piece of fiction an absolute work of genius, in my opinion, is Kidd’s ability to intertwine relevant graphic design theory into the plot. As a graphic designer, I was not only entertained by the story, but educated and inspired by the teachings of the illustrious (infamous?) Winter Sorbeck.

For me, to have spent time living in Happy’s world was a privilege I won’t soon forget…nor will I forget the lessons that I learned along with Happy. So, if you’re a reader and want a good book, I highly recommend Kidd’s The Cheese Monkeys. But, if you’re a graphic designer, then this is an Absolute Must Read—because if nothing else, you’ll get it.