Graphic Design for Magicians!!!

[Mason Roberts]

Hey guys,

I recently started up a website with services to help magicians around the world gain a brand identity when it comes to selling themselves or their business. I have been doing graphic design for as long as I can remember having a computer and am currently studying a Bachelor of Arts (Design) at Curtin University of Technology Australia. If you ever need proffessional one to one service then "MMagic" is the place to go!

You can check out all the details at:

www.mmagic.net

I look forward to working with some of you!

Cheers guys,
Mason Roberts

[Doug Thornton]

You have a typo on your site.
"Professional" - one "f".

[Mason Roberts]

Cheers dude, I don't think my Adobe Flash Spell Check is working, its been playing up lately, so forgive the errors!

Thanks again!
Mason Roberts

[Gord]

Very good, very professional stuff.
Best of luck to you.

Gord

[Mason Roberts]

Thanks Gord, I'm glad you like the look of everything! :)

Mason

[Chris Aguilar]

You can check out all the details at:

www.mmagic.net

I look forward to working with some of you!

Cheers guys,
Mason Roberts

Your site is a pretty good example of various elements that make for a poor user experience:

* Flash based, requiring a completely unnecessary click just to "enter".

* Teeny Tiny fixed size text that frankly that's near unreadable at high resolution.

* Awkwardly forces popups on me that don't look good when I've go my browser set to open such things in tabs.

* The "card through window" link actually took me to a page requiring horizontal scrolling. Ugh.

[Mason Roberts]

haha no problems Chris, I never once said I was a website designer! ;)

[mrgoat]

haha no problems Chris, I never once said I was a website designer! ;)

No, but if you are selling design, and have a very poorly designed site, well, you can see where the problem would lie.

It's like going to a interior designer's office and it being a complete mess.

I agree, it's not a good design, bad usability, and is actually hindering your work.

Your designs seem good, but the site is bad. Also, combining magical products for sale and design seems very odd to me. I would make two sites, one for each side of what you do. Also, I would look at a better domain. www.designformagicians.com is available for example. This would be easier to remember and much better for search traffic.

I would also take the prices off. 50 bucks for a logo? That is far too cheap, and would instantly put me off. And I buy design work often.

Also, I wouldn't say you are studying design. I don't want a student, I want a professional. If that makes sense?

And use the domain for your email, having what appears to be a free ISP email as your only contact looks sketchy.

IMHO, obviously, design is subjective.

[Mason Roberts]

Good points! Many have liked the site aside from you two so I think I will stay with it and focus on my services!

As for the two sites, yes thats a good point and may be taken up in the near future.

$50 is a minimum price for the logo design and since this is my first real commercial design on the internet of course the prices will start off cheaper and will rise over time. Don't worry I have a professional designer who is helping me with the business and all its details!

Another good point for the e-mail as a domain name, it is just easier at the moment to use our families (payed for) iinet e-mail system! :)

All I can hope for is that my services help some people with their branding!

Cheers mate,
Mason Roberts

[mrgoat]

Good points! Many have liked the site aside from you two so I think I will stay with it and focus on my services!

That's lovely. I am sure most people are unqualified to actually give you a meaningful opinion though. People here posting saying 'nice', doesn't really mean much. Just bear that in mind.

As for the two sites, yes thats a good point and may be taken up in the near future.

Good :) Just looks odd!

$50 is a minimum price for the logo design and since this is my first real commercial design on the internet of course the prices will start off cheaper and will rise over time.

Anyone in business will tell you it's easier to lower prices than raise them. I buy logo and design services regularly, and 50 bucks would make me think you are a joke. It's FAR TOO CHEAP.

I wouldn't have prices on there at all. Look at some design places sites. They don't put costs on. Not good ones, anyway.

Don't worry I have a professional designer who is helping me with the business and all its details!

I would get another designer. I don't think the chap you are using has a fundamental grasp of usability or design and is making you look amateur. Again, my opinion only :)

Another good point for the e-mail as a domain name, it is just easier at the moment to use our families (payed for) iinet e-mail system! :)

How hard is it to buy a good domain (10 bucks) and point info@designformagicians.com to your iinet email? Not very hard at all is the answer.

Honestly. That is probably the WORST mistake you've made on your site. Really. I would NEVER do business with anyone who uses an ISP's email.

All I can hope for is that my services help some people with their branding!

You can hope that, but with your site the way it is at the moment, I wouldn't employ you, despite the fact I actually like your designs. :)

Not meaning to be rude or piss on your strawberries, just giving advice as an online marketing professional. :)

Damian

[Mason Roberts]

My cousin who is teaching design at university said that I should have my prices higher, but once I discussed what type of market I am directing at (many are young kids these days) that the prices should remain low and rise over time and once my name/website has spread throughout the net!

I already have built in domain e-mails at my dispense, but to set up another account on outlook to redirect e-mails there will disrupt the flow and ease of other business I have going on with the ISP's e-mail... I will do it in time though, mark my words!

Cheers Damien, I will take what you said on board and hopefully improve my business in time! :)

[mrgoat]

My cousin who is teaching design at university said that I should have my prices higher, but once I discussed what type of market I am directing at (many are young kids these days) that the prices should remain low and rise over time and once my name/website has spread throughout the net!

I already have built in domain e-mails at my dispense, but to set up another account on outlook to redirect e-mails there will disrupt the flow and ease of other business I have going on with the ISP's e-mail... I will do it in time though, mark my words!

Cheers Damien, I will take what you said on board and hopefully improve my business in time! :)

I still stand by the fact it is easier to reduce prices than put them up. I would have a special part about being keen to work with students and offering special discounts, contact you for more info etc. Make sense?

Also, you do not need a separate account in Outlook. You forward the mail to x@domain.com to your iinet one. In outlook you then set a different 'reply-to' address for mail coming in via domain.com.

There really is no fiddling about you need to do. :)

Damian

[Mason Roberts]

Ahhh I get ya, but then people could just pose as students for cheaper prices? I suppose they could get school verification details, but thats a bit much... Don't worry the prices will rise soon enough!

Hmm ok I'll look further into the outlook thing, sounds great! :)

Cheers mate, yours and everyones input really is greatly respected and I will use it to better my service!

Cheers guys,
Mason Roberts

[Magic Newswire]

Save for the fact that it is a Flash based site.. looks good

[Mason Roberts]

Haha, cheers mate! I'm only experienced in flash not HTML so much! Forgive me... :)

[Stuart Hooper]

For the last month or so, Mason has been working on a logo and some other designs for me. The Genii forums aren't normally where I would look for this kind of service, but when I saw some of his past work, I decided to give him a shot.

His prices may seem low, but Mason does at least a $1,500 job even though he's only charging a tenth of the money. I know, because I've spent thousands of dollars on graphic design in the past from well recommended designers, and am getting better work out of Mason.

He seems to have a healthy amount of original artistic inspiration, but isn't afraid to change his designs to fit a client's needs. Doesn't complain about any number of emails, or me changing my mind for no reason, and is prompt to send asked for revisions and updates.

My new logo is being printed on Owen's A.T.A. cases as we speak, and over the next few months, as I pick up steam, his advertising will be visible in national media here in Panama.

In case you haven't noticed, I highly recommend Mason's work!

Cheers,

Stuart

[Mason Roberts]

I just updated the website with the logo design I did for Stuart Hooper (above) and a reviews section! You can view the examples of my work (in particular Stuarts) in the Design section of my website!

Thanks again to Stuart for the kind words, they mean a lot! :)

www.mmagic.net

Cheers

Mason

[Greg Edmonds]

Mr Roberts:

I've not looked at your work yet, but if the prices mentioned are correct, you are insulting yourself by charging so little. I did graphic (magazine, book, logo and corporate identity) design as a sideline for several decades. As an undergrad back in the dark ages, I was a pre-med major and commercial art minor. Back then, personal computers didn't even exist, so everything was done by mathematics, straight edges, pencil and ultimately, pen and ink. I've done design and branding consultation work for several of the world's better known performers. I limit my graphic work now to books I'm publishing with my wife, and for my wife's jewelry design business.

If you're any good at all (and from what I've just read, you appear to be), you should be charging much more for logo design. I've done lower cost work for performer friends because they were friends, but you're only hurting yourself and your reputation by charging too little for professional-level work, whether you've established yourself or not. There are graphic guilds and guidebooks which suggest prices you should charge (even in a slow economy). The old adage that "people get what they pay for" is always in the back of a potential client's mind.

You won't charge a magician what you'd charge AT&T for graphic work (I think NASA was my biggest client, and once again, I did the work mostly because I enjoyed doing it, as I'm sure you do). If the client has deeper pockets you shouldn't charge them more because they do, but if your work is going to be used in an international (or local) marketing campaign -- even by a magician -- you should charge accordingly. Remember, your clients are employing your skills to create income; you should be doing the same thing when charging them if you're doing effective work.

I don't want to cast a pall over your expectations regarding your enterprise, but please do make sure you have all of the "brand identity" factors under your belt before advertising that you do. If logo design is your "gift" at the moment, stick with that until you learn the (MANY) other variables involved in the process of building identity. There are very few one-man (or woman) advertising agencies for a reason; no one can "specialize" in everything. I have two friends (both mentalists who started as magicians) who are qualified to build brand identity and correct marketing errors. These guys work only for internationally known corporations. Both fellows employ others in their businesses, too, and both make seven-figure (US dollar) annual incomes. They didn't learn their skills overnight, however. Stick with it, but take it a step at a time.

With best wishes,

Greg Edmonds

[Mason Roberts]

Hey guys,

I filmed myself from start to finish, the process of designing a logo and time lapsed the whole thing for your viewing pleasure! :)

YouTube - Time Lapse Logo Design

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uDnln3dp7E

FINAL: LogoSauce - Saniwares




The Logo:

The brief required me to design a logo for "Saniware" a company which specializes in sanitary wares and bathroom toilet fixtures.

It was essential for the logo to have a distinct logo mark. This mark must be modern, fresh, uncomplicated, bold, positive, and best of all elegant. It also must express modernism, design, high quality and eco-friendliness.

I hope you enjoy!

Cheers,
Mason Roberts

[wkitwizard]

I've been an Art Director/Graphic Designer/Creative Director for over forty years and I just love the people with no taste giving their "two cents" worth of criticism.
As Rodin once said, "To create art is difficult. To criticize art is easy."
If all your taste is in your mouth, try closing it once in a while.