Ally Simpson

Simple Logo Design

Posted by Ally Simpson | Jan 25, 2018 |

What do we mean when we say simple logo design? A company’s logo is its shorthand, a visual cue that tells a story of the brand’s culture, behaviour, and values… A logo needs to be “true,” in the sense that it should not be fundamentally tied to a trend… Logos used to have to be recognisable down to the size that they would be represented on a business card. Now they have to work at much smaller sizes, because they’ll be seen on mobile screens, That’s actually the reason why so many logos have become “flatter,” in the...

Simple minimal design

Posted by Ally Simpson | Jan 11, 2018 |

The Forecast from the editors and bureaux of Monocle magazine is ‘a survey of the forces set to shape the year ahead.’ Their predictions and ideas always make for fascinating reading. As I picked up this years edition I was struck again by the cover design. So simple. So effective. Simple minimal design isn’t always an easy sell for designers though. I wrestle with this often. Clients may think that two colours isn’t enough, or that somehow more colour means ‘eye-catching’ and attractive. That doesn’t always make sense. It certainly isn’t always true. The Forecast cover is a fabulous...

Good Design

Posted by Ally Simpson | Jan 9, 2018 |

There’s a difference between good design and nice design. Effective design is probably different again but with elements of good and nice maybe present. That said, a lot of design is subjective. In an ongoing series of posts here at Ballymena Today, I hope to unpack some of my own experience as a designer. There will be inspiration, ideas and challenges along the way as we look at various types of design. My main aim is to provide useful information. Designing for a range of different clients can be challenging but also rewarding. People have such varying opinions on...

The unfair advantage

Posted by Ally Simpson | Dec 6, 2017 |

Here’s a sign I’ve never seen hanging in a corporate office, a mechanic’s garage or a politician’s headquarters: WE HAVE AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE: We care more. It’s easy to promise and difficult to do. But if you did it, it would work. More than any other skill or attitude, this is what keeps me (and people like me) coming back. – from Seth’s Blog here. I’m sure you know businesses and organisations that you support often because they care about what they do. They care about the product, customer, service, relationship and outcome. They aren’t only about money...

AM Vintage Cycles

Posted by Ally Simpson | Nov 17, 2017 |

I wonder if any Ballymena Today readers recognise the sticker in the picture above? I’d be amazed if loads don’t. I recently spoke with Colin who runs AM Vintage Cycles about an old bike that my father in-law had passed on to me. After a quick chat about what we could do to restore the bicycle Colin got to work. AM Vintage Cycles is an independent vintage bicycle workshop based in the north of Ireland. Originally bought in A Moore & Son on Linenhall Street, this bike came from a long-standing Ballymena business where Id guess thousands of bicycles...

Author: Ally Simpson

Simple Logo Design

Simple minimal design

Good Design

The unfair advantage

AM Vintage Cycles

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