Maybe it’s just me, but when I see the term ‘inspired’ within a design companies title, I almost always become suspicious — it’s akin to a car sales man asking me to trust him… if you have to showcase the meaning, you’re aware the fact you’re blatantly lacking within that very description.
Imagine my surprise as I wake up to find two design firms in a state I call home (well, home away from home for 5 years now as a San Francisco Creative Director, and yes I’m bias to Chicago over Sycamore anyday, I am a city kid) lobbying for the same design inspiration. Sad to say, Design Inspired seems to have been inspired by the layout, style, design, html (even commenting out the old links not relevant to the inspired site), css (hell even the dimensions of the container and names for the classes and id’s), the exact same images, and all around look and feel from Duo Consulting.
It’s difficult enough to make it in an industry full of freelancers and home grown developers, but we succeed by professionalism and support. If you don’t compare your profession to other high end trade services governed by peer rules, then I guess that’s the difference my clients get when they hire me over you.
If you’re a client or potential client of Design Inspired, I’d ask yourself this: If a company will rip it’s own designs from other designers, how unique will your product be from them? What exactly are you paying for then?
It’s a realistic question, and a common one indeed.
Side notation: When doing an angled corner on an organic shape, Design Inspired, It’s important to reference the flow of the organic line into a smooth transition. Don’t fret, we learn this the first go around in Illustrator – don’t angle the square to the exact mid point of the circle, it isn’t a perfect transition as you can see from the edges of your logo. Quark learned this (as I’m sure you’re inspired by) from their prior, and questionable logo design.
