Now that I have played the bass for a couple of days, I feel compelled to describe my experiences to all of you loyal readers.

In short: It's really hard.

In long: It's really hard.

I suppose the long explanation wasn't any longer, was it? I still have a long way to go until I can play anything even remotely difficult. I have only "mastered" like 2 songs, where "mastered" is defined as being able to usually hit most of the notes sort of well. Ish.

Any tips for improvement are greatly appreciated.

Designing a identity for any project is a difficult undertaking. The design must be simple, yet eye catching. It must instantly communicate its meaning without seeming simplistic or childish. Most importantly, the symbol must succinctly capture the spirit of the organization. Failing to complete any one of these goals leaves the branding weak and ineffective.

When trying to find a brand for this website, for instance, I worked to balance these goals. The "W" logo, in my opinion, uses its simple lines and strict symmetry to catch the eye. It still retains the shape of the letterform while being easily recognizable as a unique symbol. Despite a basic appearance, a lot of thought went into its design. And when it comes right down to it, the amount of thought required for a personal logo is trivial compared to one that would represent hundred of people and seen by thousands more.

That is the problem which I was given. I was tasked with developing a new identity for Cokesbury United Methodist Church. The old one consisted of the denomination's cross and flame logo to the left of the church's name in the somewhat overused "Papyrus" font. For the redesign, I tried to follow the same principles I used on my personal logo: a simple, yet distinctive line drawing. The design, which I presented to the pastor and associate pastor, uses the church's stained glass windows as an inspiration. A series of criss-crossing lines compose the body of the image. From a graphic and illustrative standpoint, it is simple. However, on a more symbolic plane, the uses of a window are limitless.

I know that this discussion seems premature, as I do not yet have the ability to display the new logo and word-mark on this site. Once I obtain that permission though, this thought will be a couple of steps closer to completion. It is my hope that the rebranding, so to speak, will be more publicly unveiled in the coming weeks.

Update (May 14, 2009): Thanks to the expert legal advice from commenters, I have decided to bite the bullet and post both the old and new identities.

It's been a surprisingly long time coming, but this website, as I'm sure you are currently noticing, is finally live. Well, it's partially live, but I'll explain in a moment.

I have been working quite hard to make this blog a solid platform on which to express my yet-to-be-completed thoughts. After many weeks, I think that I've made a good start. If you've frequented blogs in recent years, I hope that the features I've included will seem entirely natural to you. Each post will be tagged with relevant keywords so you can easily filter down results. Posts are also sortable by date. At the bottom of each post is a section for comments. I sincerely hope that we can turn my personal rantings and ravings into a meaningful conversation. (Or perhaps I am overestimating the abilities of the internet.)

If you feel like venturing beyond the blog, you can check out my Clemson ePortfolio and further information about me, although I must warn you that these sections are still under construction. Explore at your own risk.

In all, I have had a great time working in secret on this site, and I hope to continue making it useful to all of you, my "loyal" readers. If you have and problems or suggestions, feel free to email me at wflake@williamflake.com.