“Do those two colors go together?” Occasionally I hear some version of the above in an initial branding presentation, usually when I show a direction that pushes past what a client expected. It’s a fair question. Most of us are taught early which colors are safe together and which ones aren’t. But sometimes brand color …
When people think about logo design, there’s often an assumption that more detail means more meaning. But in practice, the opposite tends to be true. The logos that work best are usually the simplest ones. Not necessarily the most minimal—but the most focused. Logos have to work in the real world. A logo doesn’t live …
“How do you create your color palettes?” I’ve been asked that quite a few times over the years. Sometimes to create a successful color palette I seem to rely on intuition, but that’s only because after years of creating color families some things become second nature. There are some basic rules to follow when getting …
Organizations naturally evolve. They grow, expand their services, and often reach audiences they didn’t originally anticipate. But brands don’t always evolve at the same pace. When a brand falls out of sync with the organization it represents, it usually doesn’t happen all at once. It shows up in small ways. Things start to feel just …
As with any project, planning can help you save money and time on your web project. Here are some tips that can help you prepare for a successful web design project. Build a great team A team of people who are actively engaged in the project from beginning to end makes a huge difference in …
Replace or repair? First, do no harm. In many cases, it makes sense to modify rather than replace a logo design. A logo modification can correct issues that are not working in the existing logo while preserving its essential qualities and ideas make the logo a better fit for specific uses (for example social media, video, etc.) modernize the logo by …
Some organizations use the same logo for years without needing to change them. Others seem to restlessly change them every few years. A logo is always an investment. Nothing says more about a design studio’s work than the logos they create. Some hold up year after year, where others last only a few months. The difference emerges from attention to detail, thoughtfulness, …
“all websites look the same” It was a long time coming, but the tools for creating responsive websites work, and work very well. Perhaps too well, because the approach people use for building websites is creating strangely uniform results. The banner, the three columns, the icons, the logo in the corner—perhaps we’ve seen these things a few too many …
When are you finished with your website? You never are, a challenge that makes it difficult to measure progress or evaluate results when a website project is in the works. As a result, a website design process can become a painful, month after month affair that never seems to end. Here are some strategies we’ve used to create …
The process of selecting a web design agency can be difficult. An abundance of companies, technologies, and processes make the selection process challenging and confusing. And with your website often being the first point of contact your audience has with your organization, it’s important that that your website opens the right doors for you. Here are some tips for identifying an …
time, quality, money A time-honored project management principle is that you can pick only two of the above for any project. Whether this idea is true or not, the concept of framing your next web project as a balancing act can help you save time and money. Here are some simple strategies for creating websites on a …
First do no harm! A rebranding process is an opportunity to rethink and realign your organization’s core marketing and communications. It brings assumptions and challenges into the forefront and opens the door to planning ahead. Yet, a rebranding is not always beneficial and may create more problems than it solves. Here are some guidelines that you can use for thinking …
Brand building success. As traditional media is eclipsed by new media, the concept of brand building continues to change in unexpected ways. Speed, adaptability, and collaboration are more important than ever before. Success means meeting today’s challenges, but tomorrow’s as well. Here are some strategies we’ve found helpful for building brands that stand up to …
six things to look for in a website redesign Every website is different; yet, the best sites always have a few things in common. As you consider a website redesign for your company or organization, ensure it uses the following: a clear message that creates clarity about your company or organization, what it does, how …
paying attention to your audience We recently offered to make a referral to a partner company that was declined because of terminology. The client wanted “SEO,” the company didn’t want to sell “SEO,” and the connection wasn’t made.Unfortunately, both sides of the equation were ultimately interested in the same business objective: increasing visibility and search …
approaches for creating value and awareness while dispelling confusion A big part of writing and design is taking complicated messages and making them easy to understand, but also making them interesting and important to the audience. Mark Twain once said: “I would have written you a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time.” A misconception …
Out of all the contest entries, we had 11 that matched all the dancing skeleton illustrations to the correct movie. From the 11 that answered all correctly, Alexandra Wiley was randomly selected to win our bag of chocolate treats from Shew Design and Chocolate Necessities. If you’re still scratching your head about one or two of the …
how web design and messaging can strengthen your brand The most valuable piece of property in the world is the seven square inches your prospective client sees when pulling up your website for the first time. This small parcel of real estate has the critical job of connecting with your audience, either by communicating information …
If you use WordPress or another content management system, you already have the ability to provide new and prospective clients with documents through your website. This capability opens up doors for new ways of interacting with people and can help your audience use your site to solve problems and strengthen their connection with your brand. …
Families of logos and icons are powerful ways of connecting with clients and customers. Where a single logo communicates a single thing, a family of logos talks about similarities, differences, relationships, and choices. Families are about marketing systems and they can benefit your organization’s branding strategy. Visually, a family of icons has one shared element …
