Digital Decor :  Decorating for Halloween

Deciding on whether or not to decorate your logo for Halloween?  This topic fuels many heated debates between promotions departments and graphic teams.

Take a look to see what some companies find to be acceptable Halloween  Digital Decor.
Muwwahhhh haaa hah hah hahhha ha

Google set a new bar for clever digital decor. A look back at Halloween with Google over the years.

 

My first company meeting.  I was an eager 15 minutes ahead, palms sweaty, brought in as the new Webmaster to a company at a time in which they actually had to create the position.  I sat quietly and listened to both department heads argue their points.

Sales Department Head:  “You don’t ever change the logo.  It must remain consistent!”

Promotions department Head:  “Think outside the box.  Not everything has to go exactly by the book!”

This topic of argument, I would come to find out, was usually one way or another brought into every Monday meeting.

At the time, design being my strong suit, I felt strongly that the logo should remain consistent.  Over the last 15 years, I realized that there is room for compromise and both sides are little bit wrong and a little bit right.

As long as some key elements stayed in place we could play a bit with the overall design and even the Logo itself.  The trick is knowing what these key elements are, fighting for them to remain consistent and being able to back up your opinion with facts.

Keep it balanced. As seen in Target’s logo, If you change the color, keep the overall look.  MTV chooses to keep the structure and change up the colors.  Too much of both can be distracting.
 

There are a lot of do’s and don’ts in design and I have seen many of these don’ts broken. Some done well and others not so well.  Once you go down this road, it can be hard to not stray too far off the beaten path.  However, if done clever, one does not have to compromise professionalism in design for decor.  A big trick in digital decor is being able to intelligently communicate your point of view and then convince others why it is such a great idea. But is it?

Basic questions to keep in mind.

Who else is doing it?
Just because “they’re all doing it” doesn’t always mean it’s good for you.  What’s good for the goose isn’t always good for the gander.  However, you do see more and more companies willing to let go of the rigid design rules of the past.  Watching what other large design teams are doing is a good way to step up your game.

How well known is your company?
Keep in mind, everyone knows who “Pepsi” is. They are familiar with the brand, and know what they are buying.  Pepsi is a household name hence, they have given themselves years of branding to earn their creative freedom.

Are there key elements in the design that will remain the same?
Take a look at some logo designs altered in the name of current festivities.  Take note of the key elements in the design that remain consistent. Break it down, what has or hasn’t changed.  It may at first seem obvious, making a detailed note of what changes are made will help you keep perspective.

Is the design professional?
Over the years I have seen too many good designs go bad from the simple fact that there are too many cooks in the kitchen.  Some changes implemented give way to loss of integrity of the design.  Its important to remember, once you open this door, no matter what your great intentions were, that design “rules” are often left up to interpretation whether the ultimate decider is actually skilled in this area or not.