Handcraft Strikes Back: Buttons, Badges, Pins and Clips
Buttons, badges and pins stand for a medium which is often underestimated and not taken seriously. That’s a pity, because designed properly, badges and buttons can effectively communicate ideas to your potential customers and impress them with something creative and beautiful.
In this post we cover some interesting ideas for design of buttons, badges, pins and clips — traditional handcraft which can be attached to cloth, bags, documents and whatever you can think of. You may use them to deliver some idea or message, in web design (e.g. Missy makes use of them) or in the merchandise for promotion purposes.
Not all examples presented below fit to all environments; some of them are more likely to be used in informal environments. You don’t want to have a Bart Simpson screaming at your boss during the job interview, do you? You may want to check out some ideas for laptop sleeves, skins and stickers as well.
Why buttons?
Buttons are powerful because they show what is important to the person wearing it, which ideas he or she supports and what kind of a person you are dealing with. Some buttons can make people pass away with a subtle smile, the other ones can send a message to the world, and as such, pose a very powerful medium to explore. Which is why we, designers, can make use of them, packaging ideas in small and “portable” objects of daily life.
So why not surprise your clients by handing in some pretty and creative pins, buttons or stickers one can attach to cloth, bags, laptops or personal documents? In most online-shops you can upload your own designs and produce dozens of buttons at a very cheap price. Therefore we want to focus your attention on the power of buttons and badges and give you some ideas for your future designs.
Buttons and Badges
Toy Robots – pinback buttons
Robots in the town! And they are pretty sweet, too!
We steal your mail to keep you safe
“Just in time for the postal rate increase.” Sometimes, buttons can make something think or laugh. This button may not make any sense, but it is provoking and as such desevers a place in our selection.
Ampersand button
If you love ampersands, you’ll love this button, too.
Bird Talk (Red) badge
A twittering button for Twitter users. Or maybe talking about birds is one of your favourite subjects?
Cassette Tape buttons
Cassette Tape for record collectors. You can show what is important to you without saying a word about it.
Angel Tea badge
“Tea is a gift from the gods. Coffee is a gift from the ninnies.”
Simpsons badges
Badges: good. The Simpsons badges: better.
Buttons for Designers
Nintendo DS Lite button, Mario, Adobe and… do you recognize the man at the right in the second row?
BSW Buttons by ~thagerott
Pure typography can also be used for badges and buttons.
Mozilla and RSS buttons
The promotion of your products can be done with badges. In the examples below Firefox, Thunderbird and RSS buttons are presented. Well, literally RSS-buttons.
Dessert K: Kiwi Jelly
Mmmmm, tasty! Dessert Kiwi Jelly and Apple Pie. This fruity dessert is really happy. Dessert A-Z button series by hakee+ from Hong Kong.
Hello Jupiter Four Buttons
Buttons can also be pretty colorful.
sketchBot Buttons
These characters are pretty tough and sweet.
“i love u…” button
That’s an interesting idea. Two characters communicate via, well, external medium — a piece of thread.
Pop Labs Buttons
Pop Labs buttons have the form of a bottle cap.
Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel Buttons
Bota Fora Goma!
Buttons have a form of a cloth button.
Space Invader badges
Space Invaders are coming back. Pixel art can be used for badges as well.
Geek Set
Have you even been in love with the square root?
Uber Geek Badges
Have you even been in loved with the square root?
Empressr Buttons
Icons can communicate ideas in your design projects. They can communicate ideas through your buttons as well.
1 + 1 = 2
Well, that’s kind of clear, but cute also.
Stencil Graffiti Button Set – Star Wars Fighters
Grunge and Graffiti art applied to buttons design.
Bookworm buttons
Sending the message in the office.
Skull Rock 6-Pack
Skulls don’t have to be scary. They can be sweet, too.
Spock pins
Made from 1960s Star Trek comic book.
ajoelha
Pop art collage. “Get on your knees and confess”.
Toilet Paper Buttons
Hm, this is an unusual theme for buttons design. But that’s exactly what makes them different. We don’t know what is the idea behind, though.
Mi prima Carnal
Love is in the air. And on your button.
Proud to be green
Simple, nice and clean pattern on greenish buttons.
Sweet Skull 6-Pack
Unusual design: these pinback buttons with Japanese skulls and sweets on silver and red shiny, sparkly hologram papers.
Rob Jan’s “Fantastique” badge cloak
This is the back of a Star Trek Klingon patterned Science Fiction and Fantasy trophy cloak. This view shows the back and two side panels fully deployed. All of the badges are either drawn in the computer, obtained on line or hand drawn and painted by Rob Jan. Impressive.
Handcraft
Crafting 365, day 173 – pink teacups
Last Click
Sources and Resources
- Buttons, Badges and Pins collection
- Badge Club
- Pin Collectors
- Pins, Buttons, Badges Pool
- koolbadges Buttons Stream
- Etsy is a marketplace where buttons designers offer literally thousands of various buttons, badges, pins and further handmade artworks.
V1
May 19th, 2008 1:14 amButton MADNESS :o
ferdinand
May 19th, 2008 1:37 amOMG these are amazing. I want them all! I’m particularly fond of the one looking like a clothing button and the fabric ones. I should really invest in a button-machine.
thanks for the great post.
Kari Pätilä
May 19th, 2008 1:48 amThe guy is Anton Chigurh, played by Javier Bardem from the movie No Country for Old Men. I really want one of those…
donjuanyasin
May 19th, 2008 1:50 amvery good :) i like it
Ehab
May 19th, 2008 1:52 amHi :)
Any tutorials on how to make those nice badges @ home ?
ashvin
May 19th, 2008 2:16 amAwesome post!
The man at the right in the second row in buttons for designers… is he the guy from No country for old men?
Thats one of the coolest ive ever seen! :)
ferdinand
May 19th, 2008 2:44 amjust found this site and I think it is worth mentioning here: http://www.prickie.com. They’ve got tons of buttons designed by over a hundred different artists. This should keep you busy for some time.
Two Socks
May 19th, 2008 2:47 amI agree buttons can make a nice thankyou for a client (not that I believe it would be enough on its own). Love the one that says “No I won’t fix your computer” man I need millions of those!!!
The Bloggers' Times
May 19th, 2008 3:51 amOh..My God. Great Smashingmagazine. keeeeeep posting.
Daniel
May 19th, 2008 3:57 amI REALLY want those robot buttons!
Rob
May 19th, 2008 3:58 amFirefox button melts my heart.
bee
May 19th, 2008 4:11 amNever thought about buttons before, but I’ll love them from now on!
Jimbo
May 19th, 2008 5:12 amStick to websites
Fachia
May 19th, 2008 6:24 amI’d ever used Mozilla logo above at my blog TheFachia.com
Angel
May 19th, 2008 8:01 amCan anyone point me to a link to a PSD for a button-pin? Please? :)
Edward
May 19th, 2008 8:40 amFor my 30th birthday my girlfriend and her daughter made buttons with some of my old school pictures and other childhood images on them for guests to wear at my party. They were a hit and it was hilarious to see everyone walking around with my old dorky photos pinned on them.
j
May 19th, 2008 9:53 amweb design…?
Ann
May 19th, 2008 10:22 amAwesome, the creativity on some of those…. great work as usual! There is also quite a lot about actual lapel pins online… a great site with tons of info is Pins.com…
Pete
May 19th, 2008 10:46 amAwesome!
Can anybody recommended a place to get my own buttons printed? Google throws up so many options I don’t know which ones to trust.
Santiago
May 19th, 2008 11:54 amReally COOL!
thanks for this post!
joao
May 19th, 2008 3:36 pmreally cool this works.
I’m also preparing a collection of buttons, soon i will upload it
Aikyrie
May 19th, 2008 5:08 pm:O omg…i want one!
Spongepuppy
May 19th, 2008 5:25 pmThanks for this update on such an intellectually bankrupt subject. My loins quiver with anticipation of your next piece of so-called “designer” inspiration.
Bobby
May 19th, 2008 6:31 pmReminds me of my doodling days over at the drawing board….
The Big Felafel
May 19th, 2008 11:17 pmMy favorite by far is the toilet paper button!
Rutger Zandman
May 20th, 2008 1:38 amJustr bought a button making machine two daus before I saw this article. Pins RULE!
Mike Calimbas
May 20th, 2008 5:43 amlots of awesome and original designs! i’m particularly fond of the Pop Labs buttons but of course I’m a little biased! Go Melly!
Mike Calimbas
May 20th, 2008 5:45 amA lot of original and unique designs! I’m particularly fond of the Pop Labs buttons but of course I’m a little biased! Go Melly!
Fath
May 20th, 2008 6:33 amAhaha! Cuteness!
mel
May 20th, 2008 7:49 amLove this post – inspired me to make something not computer related!
Danny
May 20th, 2008 10:51 amShesh, doesn’t anyone remember wearitwithpride.com? kick ass button site in the threadless vein, they had some superdope buttons on there.
Josep
May 20th, 2008 10:42 pmThank you for your nice review.
We’re the ones than make the “love” badges. Greetings from the sunny Alicante (Spain).
eshaman
May 20th, 2008 11:11 pmhaha !!!
badgesquared, based in Bendigo!!
Awesome! Time for me to finally get those badges that I designed 10 years ago made :-P
Steve
May 21st, 2008 3:57 amThanks for featuring my Sketchbot buttons in your article. Really cool to see the diversity of designs and styles out there!
AmandaFaith
May 21st, 2008 12:42 pmAaargh….!!! Where was this post two weeks ago? Our non-profit organization just did buttons to raise money. Fortunately, we have regular access to a machine and we have plenty of cool parts left over. :) Thanks for the future inspiration.
pingoole
May 21st, 2008 9:43 pmCool!
Need: “No I wont fix your computer”
Jessica
May 22nd, 2008 3:04 pmI LOVE those!!! I want the CS3 logo ones :)
Jessica
May 22nd, 2008 3:09 pmI absolutely LOVE the CS3 icon ones!
Another cool button site http://www.button-bitch.com
Josh
May 22nd, 2008 8:39 pmI didn’t see PinPops on there
Doc
May 26th, 2008 7:34 pmI used to make buttons to sell in my old DIY distro a few years ago.. I sold a lot of punk-related stuff but also had a category for geeky buttons (gamer culture, old school computers etc) that were just as popular. I closed the distro when I moved but thinking of bringing it back.
Still got a lot of parts for 1″ buttons.. should use these up somehow (doc@websurfsyou.su) ;)
Pam
June 21st, 2008 2:12 pmI’m trying to find a way to make pin buttons for my church with our own design; do you know a website for that?
john welsh
July 5th, 2008 12:16 pmcould you tell me what is the smallist dia you make iam looking for a 4mm…. it would be the corps badge of the royal marines i can supply the photo of the badge if you can help i would be very greatful … johnwelshno1@tiscali.co.uk
jay
August 12th, 2008 4:33 amomg i love it
Adi
August 22nd, 2008 3:15 amThat was stupid!
Rob Jan
September 10th, 2008 2:57 amAn honour to discover my wee badge cloak ranked amongst such good company!
Ta very much.
Willie
September 16th, 2008 1:37 amI only make 3 inch buttons, pin-back or key-chain. I can help if you can’t find a source. All I need is a good picture file.
Williemail68-plus@yahoo.com
StumbleGenius
December 1st, 2008 8:49 pmStumbleGenius just Stumbling on thru, StumbleUpon big thumbs up to you, hope to see you on more stumble trips soon. Merry seasons greetings.
lol button up tight now ;)
Read you later or tweet me on Twitter @StumbleGenius … tweet you soon ???
Radio_Owl
December 10th, 2008 12:30 pmNice collection! You might also want to check out http://www.lollypins.com for some very unique and original buttons.
mimi
January 21st, 2009 5:37 am<3 them …. :D
Brian Richardson
May 1st, 2009 8:37 pmI am looking for a source that can produce a two-color, heavy gauge plastic (or light metal) pin or badge that would measure roughly 4 inches square. There will be three different variants of the same basic design. The initial production would be about 5,000 pieces. I am interested in receiving some bids.
Theraisa K
June 26th, 2010 3:46 pmI never really paid much attention to button design before. But now that I see the samples you provided; it would be a great way to market your brand/identity/self! I think I may just look into creating some buttons for myself. Thanks :)
Liam
July 26th, 2012 9:49 pmSome really cool button badges on show in this article. If anyone happens to have the time and a slight interest check out my button badge website at badgebeast.co.uk
Designing and making button badges is our passion and i love everything that goes into a good considered design. Some awesome ideas here, think the radial ones make a real impact.
Thanks for the article.