No, I'm not. And don't plan to be. EVER. I've created this basic website (and I've tried to make it fun), which serves my needs very well. I care nothing for social media, especially since I’ve made it this far without it. Besides, social media in its various forms now resembles a colossal, incurable metastasized digital cancer, and I actively try to avoid those.

Yes, I do. But I don’t use it...yet. Maybe in the future if I have something relevant to contribute. As for teaching, it is an art...there are splendid teachers on the Web for you to find. I’m simply not cut out for that. And besides, art cannot be taught...it is innate. You can certainly develop it, but you have to have it in the first place. So if you want a premium logo with lasting oomph, then yeah, I’m your guy. Teaching? Not so much.

It took me 25 years to decide on a web presence for myself, and I didn't even know who the late Paul Rand was (not to be confused with Rand Paul, who is an awful U.S. politician and an even worse human being) up until a few months ago (love that Westinghouse logo!) simply because I never felt the need to inquire further on this subject. I've always done my thing alone and was never truly interested in the graphic design field, probably because I specialize in logos and wasn't curious enough to explore it. Among the very few names I'm now aware of, I guess I'd say Aaron Draplin, not so much because he's an awesome designer, but because he's an awesome human being and you can't help but admire his obvious passion for his craft too.

These are the prices I'm comfortable with. Actually my pricing hasn't changed all that much in 25 years, just the way I scale it now. If you consider that a logo is supposed to be a long-term expense/investment for an entity/project, it becomes clear that my prices are extremely reasonable. While I fully understand the reasons why a top marketing or graphic design firm will charge upwards of $30 000 for a logo, I still can't bring myself to bill those kinds of amounts, even though my work delivers the same results. While the logo plays a pivotal part in defining an identity (and consequently its brand), I've always maintained that genius and greed must not be tethered, so that creativity doesn't become overpriced. Corporations willing to pay this much money for a logo can entirely afford it, but at the same time, why would they? Is this a clout thing?...I don't know. I just know that in the end, I'm perfectly content charging these prices to Pfizer or Marvel Studios as I am to a local coffee shop or hair salon. And to be clear, YES, any of my logos will rival any other created by prestigious firms, so if paying more means elevated status, you can always say what you want...just don't show them the invoice!...I won't mind!

Well, this obviously depends on a multitude of factors, not the least of which is the client's total satisfaction. Since I charge an all-inclusive fee for a project, the only true variant which needs to be established is the budget I'll be working with. After this is determined, I'm off with the information provided and my creativity and research take care of the rest. This can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. Yes, I do impose a time limit on a project, but I'm very generous in that regard, even with revisions. Of course if I realized during the process that I can't deliver the result I'm paid for, then I would simply terminate the project and the client would ultimately end up paying nothing (that's zero, including the reimbursement of the small deposit I ask for at the start, which is normally NOT refundable). I say *would* because this situation has never occurred in more than 27 years of creating logos, and I have the utmost confidence in my abilities as a logoist. I will find the solution, and it will kick ass. It's as simple as that.

NEVER. Unless I’m specifically asked to do so and even then, it would be a private process between the person asking and myself, and no one else. I would never use another artist’s work to promote myself, nevermind without their express permission. There are entirely too many graphic designers and marketing experts out there doing that under the guise of “helping” others. While their intentions may be genuinely sincere in some cases, you don’t take it upon yourself to evaluate other people’s work unless you are implicitly asked. As competent as you may be, this is arrogant to say the least. In fact there are a few well-known logos which are either boring, average or in some rare cases downright ugly, but you'll never know which ones because I'll always refrain from pointing them out publicly, as it would serve no purpose whatsoever. Want my help on a logo you've designed but are in limbo with? Drop me a line, and I'll give you direction for free with great pleasure...between the two of us!

That I used to be an elite bodybuilder (and truly hardcore! I'm talking Dorian Yates hardcore here, for those who know who that is...). I even won the title of Mr. Canada in 1990! A lifetime ago though...In fact my work ethic comes in part from my bodybuilding background (quite simply, the hardest sport in the world). I was also one of those cerebral athletes, always wanting to comprehend the physiological processes by which my body reacted the way it did, and so over the years I acquired an enormous breadth of knowledge pertaining to the human body, which...unfortunately...has nothing to do with logos.

Yeah...N-O. Logo creation doesn't work like that. While this isn't rocket science, it does present intricate challenges and thought processes that need to be structured, so what is "trending", or some other entity's logo which was created expressly for it, is not at all the way to proceed. I've always stayed away from trends, which come and go on a yearly basis and may impede the ability to focus on the right elements that will produce a timeless result. Never was a "trender" to begin with, so this is an easy pass for me. Now, when I say that I let minimalism, symmetry and simplicity guide my creation process, it really means that in the end, these qualities emerge from the resulting image. I never set out to create something while keeping a few key words in mind that might skew my creative instincts sideways and pollute the result. The client is always free to provide me with some specs or wishes, and I may try to incorporate them in the design if possible. However the goal is to come up with the best possible logo for a project's ID needs, and this should be prioritized above all else. Trends are invented and set forth by people like Meryl Streep's detestable character in the movie The Devil Wears Prada...truly laughable people who think they have some sort of power over society. And the truth is, of course they do since society loves to be told what to do. But a brilliant designer stays away from that, not as a form of rebellion, but as a natural artistic reflex. And no, I couldn't care any less about Pantone's "color of the year" ritual or the "golden ratio".

I guess there are basic ones, which doesn't mean you can't deviate a little and still end up with an awesome identifier. Because that's what a logo does: it IDENTIFIES. So there's your first so-called rule, but it's a pretty obvious one. And while a logo serves to ID, it doesn't mean that it can't say something as well, so in the end, recognition can also become a message. Relevancy is certainly another, but then again, Apple's logo has nothing to do with their products, so there ya go. Let's see...what else? Simplicity? Yes, but that's not a rule, it's the result of great design and doesn't need to be "applied". Besides, logos can be fun without being overly complicated. I'll tell ya, some of these 100K logos out there are bland to the point of intellectual laziness!...As for originality or distinctiveness, this is another "rule" that comes naturally, so there's ultimately no need to keep it in mind. For me, symmetry (and visual balance or relation between fonts and/or shapes) is the most important "rule", and maybe the only one you truly need to focus on from beginning to end, because the human eye is unforgiving, and this whether or not the beholder possesses graphic design notions of any kind.

No. L-O-G-O-S. They have several names : glyphs, badges, icons, emblems, symbols, seals, crests, insignias, and a slew of other synonyms that describe them, take your pick, I do those. So again, if your project doesn't involve creating, refining, modifying or redesigning a logo, I'm not your guy. HOWEVER, every once in a while I'll have an idea for some kind of digital art project that I may or may not sell, and if so this will be viewable/available through my landing page.

Starting from scratch, creating. You have no idea how exciting it is for me to be able to create something and give it life, of sorts. The part I hate most? Delivery of the files to the client, which means that the project is over.

Yes. Although I'm not a font creator, custom lettering is a part of logo design & creation. This is, however, a costly and lengthy process, works on an entirely different level than a logo alone, and generally only applies to corporations looking to build a truly distinct image or branding. My fee for such a project averages $40K (exclusive and perpetual ownership by the client) and can take at least three months to complete. I also ask for an upfront 50% of the fee, with the other half payable upon completion and satisfaction.

Of course! It's my job to find a solution, isn't it? I'm more than happy to show them what they need, and it's up to me to do it in my capacity as a logoist. I don't need direction, I need information. :)

By all means, challenge me.