When Allovus started 12 years ago, we were a tiny company of about 6 individuals. Our focus back then was icons. Even though we focus heavily on UX careers today, we are still a force to be reckoned with when it comes to icon design! The Allovus Studios team takes on projects big and small, … Continue reading
Icons have been around a long, long time. From ancient petroglyphs and hieroglyphs to the modern tech world, icons have always held a place of importance in our lives. Why is that? Because symbols can break through language barriers and can convey information immediately without using up so much visual real estate. Allovus Studios Director … Continue reading
If there’s anyone who knows icons like the back of their hand, it’s David Hose. David has been designing and producing icons since 1997. His first job out of college was designing icons for Microsoft BackOffice. Since then, he’s been deeply immersed in all things icon and has played many different roles in their creation. … Continue reading
In a recent article in Medium written by head of Microsoft Office design, Jon Friedman, he revealed how the newest version of icons were evolved to support the changing environment of design. The article states, “… design teams across the company came together as a collective to develop design guidelines that encourage individuality while creating … Continue reading
Our company knows icons—we make thousands of them for our clients every year. So, when we saw Emojify, an app by a Singaporean-based company called VoidWorks, we got a little excited. (Check out our Emoji icon work for Windows.) Use your smartphone to take some cool photos, then Emojify it with the app. (Only 99 … Continue reading
Coming this fall is Apple’s new iOS 7. The company’s marketing message hits home how Apple products have become a part of our everyday lives. The products themselves take a backseat… but how we use them to make our lives better takes center stage. But how does the new OS look? Rumor had it that … Continue reading
That old static accessibility icon just got a new makeover, thanks to the Accessibility Icon Project. According to Fast Company, two collaborators, Sara Hendren, a graduate of Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, and Brian Glenney, a philosophy professor at Gordon College in Massachusetts, were looking to change the public’s awareness of people with disabilities. (See Fast … Continue reading
© MARTINA DALTON, Designer, Allovus Design Skills that can translate well in a variety of careers are important in any kind of economy. Design and illustration skills are no exception. Susan Roth has been making art in some capacity or another for a number of years. She’s worked in the software industry as an illustrator, … Continue reading
© STEVE GODFREY, UX Designer, Allovus Design First, a bit of simplified visual history. In the beginning, there was Graphic Design. Graphic Designers could make logos and designs that appeared on things. Cave dwellers did great wildlife symbols that told stories. Aztecs had terrific graphic symbols that look good on T-shirts to this day. Monks with specialized … Continue reading
You can often find David Hose in front of his computer, managing a multitude of icon projects. Sometimes project management gets stressful, and the long hours spent sitting in an office chair can be hard on his body. But David has a secret weapon against stress and fatigue—he gets on his bike, and rides. Allovus: … Continue reading
Leave it to New York to just tell it to you straight. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a recent story, a prickly situation, or a standards manual. Check out the site The Standards Manual brought to you by designers Niko Skourtis, Jesse Reed, and Hamish Smyth as an homage and archival record of the first … Continue reading
Symbols are the most direct way to communicate without words. Where did the heart shape come from? Most people would agree that it does not really resemble the shape of the actual human heart. There are varying theories about the origins of the heart image. Some theorize that the shape comes from seed of the silphium … Continue reading
Allovus sweats the small stuff, especially pixels. Our Icon Team recently created an unique set of 750+ icons for Windows Phone, OS, Window Live, and Mobile called “Emoji,” named for the Japanese term for the picture characters of emoticons used in Japanese electronic messages. We collaborated with the Windows product group to deliver the complexity … Continue reading
The beginning of every new year is always filled with predictions. By way of Gizmodo, check out what Gannon Burgett of The Industry believes the top 13 trends in the design community will be this coming year. Among the top trends: flat design (Windows8), fewer buttons, larger typefaces, GIFs as design elements … and more. Continue reading