Did You Know Etsy Was This Cool?

I know I post things from Etsy with some frequency. I like Etsy a lot. But I got to thinking that not all of you might know about its neat features and how cool it is. So today I'll do a little Etsy review and tell you a bit about why I like it.

First I want to show you the logo:

Overall, I like this logo, but apart from the color, it seems pretty plain to me. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like the "Etsy" word is just a normal font, which is fine, but a little bit straightforward for a logo. The color makes the font look more interesting, though. I like the choice of that burnt orange color, because it really seems to fit with the vintage style of a lot of Etsy's products.

Etsy also has a very easy to use and helpful website. It looks nice, too.

Right on the front page when you go to Etsy, they show you a "treasury" or a collection of items someone else has made. Of course you have to look carefully, because not every single thing on Etsy is perfectly wholesome and clean, but frequently I've found some really neat things through the treasuries I've seen on the homepage.

Further down, they also show you some recommended items for you (I think this only works if you have an Etsy account). In the corner of each item, there's a little heart button that shows up if you roll over the item. Clicking this lets you add the item straight to your favorites on Etsy with just one click!

And the favorites is probably my favorite Etsy feature. I love keeping a collection of the items I like. Here's the favorites page.

There's a separate page for your favorite items and shops, and also a section for "suggested shops," shops Etsy thinks you'd like based on the other things you like.

These features are really neat and I enjoy using them on Etsy!

Friday Finds Double Issue: Cool Tape Dispensers

I'm back with a Friday Finds post - here are some cool tape dispensers for you to enjoy. This one from ModCloth is fun and modern.

Here's another one with a more retro feel. It's from Ruche.

A Little Break

Life is crazy and blogging is a bit much these days. I won't be gone long - just a week or so, and then I'll be back!

Anthropologie Designs

I just got a catalog in the mail from Anthropologie and it was fun to look through. Their stuff is pretty neat, and their graphic design is simple and fun. I thought I'd share some things I found on their website. I love the photos in all of these, the creativity, the typography, and just the feeling of summery vintage.

This photo is so creative and fun. Anthropologie uses the neatest props! I like all the shoes too.

More shoes. :) I love the type in the corner, though. It's a simple sans serif font, but it has a kind of rustic texture to it. I like that feeling. And white text on a photo is a neat idea.

I really like the numbers in this. If you click on them, it brings up the page with the product on it. That's a great practical technique, but it also looks great. Good font choice for the numbers, and I like how little and subtle they are.

What do you all think of these designs? And do you all have any places you like to go for design and photos you just love?

College Board Logo

I have a stack of college letters a good foot and a half high in my bedroom. So I see a lot of college-related advertising and graphic design, some of which is amazing and excellent, but some of which is not. And of the letters and other things that I don't think are well-designed, there seem to be two main pitfalls: 1) The design tries to be too professional and "boring" and does not appeal at all to young people, or 2) the design is too young and foolish looking and seems to overlook the fact that college is pretty serious business.

But there is one logo that avoids both of these pitfalls, and I wanted to highlight it today because I like it a lot. It's the College Board logo.

Now, I'm sure the graphic design of the College Board logo isn't perfect. There are things that seem a bit mediocre to me. But all in all, I think College Board has succeeded in their graphic design because of the balance they strike between professionalism and youthfulness. This logo demonstrates that. It looks pretty serious and professional on one hand, don't you think? The font is a strong, serif style that looks confident and certainly not childish. I'm not really sure what the acorn symbolizes, but it does seem to have a scholarly feeling to it. But at the same time, this logo uses turquoise, which seems to be quite a youthful color. That makes the logo seem fun and inviting without appearing foolish. The style of the acorn drawing has a slight doodle feeling to it as well, which makes it seem "younger." But at the same time, it is a clearly executed shape and doesn't look at all messy.

And it's not just the logo itself that has this wonderful balance. The way the whole identity system is applied seems to carry through the balance as well. Take a look at this logo specifically for the SAT. (Sorry it's so small - couldn't find a bigger one.)

It has a similar feeling, don't you think? The clear, confident font with a little bit of fun and youthfulness to it. I like how the design of the official SAT study guide mirrors this concept as well:

It looks official, like something that would have valuable and important information, but at the same time, the graphics look happy. The style of the cover is modern and fun, and looks like something a teen would go for. As a side note, I also like all the white text on the cover. :)

What do you all think of this logo and the rest of the graphics for College Board?

Friday Finds: Book Art

This book wall sculpture is so neat! I really like it. I would make one, but I think I'd have a hard time finding books that I like and yet wouldn't mind cutting up. :) Etsy has so many neat finds.

A Quote Poster

While ago, I had a giveaway for my 300th post. One of the winners was Sarah, and she had me design a quote poster for her! She requested a quote from Corrie ten Boom (which I love), and she wanted me to use orange, white, and a little lime green in the poster.

Here's what I came up with...

I used two different fonts, and also some hand-drawn swirly things. I watermarked the poster with my business name - since it's Sarah's special poster, I wanted to make sure no one else would download it. I'd love your thoughts on this poster though! What do you all think of it?