One type of jumpstart for your design work is the logo or graphic building block. You may have seen clip art selections that are nothing more than circles, squares, lines, swooshes, and other shapes. You may find a stand-alone use for this clip art, but another way to use them is similar to using templates for your brochure or newsletter — use them as the basis for your logo designs or illustrations for your publications. Take them apart, recolor them, mix them with other shapes, text, or clip art.
Build a logo or illustration
To get you started, try this collection of 24 designs that you can use for inspiration or as the starting element in your own designs. Best of all, it's free. The designs are available in three formats: .ttf (Window TrueType font), .cdr (CorelDRAW), and .ai (Adobe Illustrator). The logos/graphics shown in the sidebar were created using three different designs from this Circular Building Blocks collection.
- Acme Paddle Cruises: A portion of the design looks like the letter A. Darken just one piece and add the rest of the text.
- Frank's Flowers: The shape alone suggests a flower but by flipping and enlarging one petal then adding color it becomes even more like a flower and the first letter of the name.
- Light the Night: Simply slice one circular design in half then add color and text.
