Launching a new brand is one of the most exciting milestones in the business development process. It’s at this point that you really put a stake in the ground and say, ‘This is who we are, this is what we do, and this is where we’re going’. For business owners, launching a new brand is not only wildly exciting because it’s the first time you’re able to communicate these things publicly, but also because this ‘unveiling’ represents weeks, months and oftentimes years of planning…
Read MoreI recently talked to a client that just refreshed her brand, got a new website, and wanted to know how to take her brand to the next level. The problem? Her budget was tight for the next few months before she could look at running a serious digital advertising campaign. I get it. Doing a brand makeover or building a website is an investment. And once it's done, you want to introduce the new look to the world. So here's what I would do.…
Read MoreI really admire Apple’s brand. I refer to Apple a lot as a brand leader in branding consults with our clients. Their carefully planned branding communications almost seem effortless, but the simplicity of the communication is what makes Apple’s brand have the consistency we have all come to know and respect. Sure, there’s a huge marketing department at Apple. Every detail of visual communication goes through a rigorous marketing and design process. But behind every decision, there’s a core foundation - “Is this a…
Read MoreRecently I was scrolling through my Facebook feed, when to my horror I spotted a familiar stock image. I recognised it as one that a very high-profile client of mine was using to represent their brand in a large portion of their marketing campaign. Only now, I saw that the very same image was now being used by another brand, one that's highly controversial. Of course the potential confusion was compromising my client's brand integrity, and it could have real consequences to their business. Unfortunately this…
Read MoreDo you love a particular colour but aren’t sure what colours might complement it? Ever wondered how to get your brand colours right and know how to use the right colours in your design? Wish you shared professional designers’ knowledge on pairing colours? You’ve come to the right place! In this article, I’m going to let you in on a design school secret on the topic of colour, as well as a primer on how to select colours for your next design project. (You’re…
Read MoreWhen it comes to selling products or services to your customers, many businesses think their sales pitch speaks the loudest in converting enquiries to sales. In truth, your customers already have an impression of you well before you have the opportunity to say a word. They’re already forming an opinion of your service or product just based on your branding. Your brand influences your customers – positively or negatively – long before you ever have the opportunity to speak with them. Because of this…
Read MoreA strong social media presence is so important when you’re running a business, but that doesn’t necessarily make maintaining one easy! With so many things pulling at our time and attention, and the constantly challenge of creating fresh content, it’s very common to become overwhelmed by the whole thing and to feel like just giving up. That feeling becomes even stronger when we’re not seeing the return we hoped for in terms of increased fans and followers and growing revenue. I am inspired to…
Read MoreIf you’ve got a logo, and you’ve used a good designer, chances are you’ve heard the term “EPS” file. Whether that be someone asking for your logo in this file format to use, or because a professional designer has mentioned they’ve included this file type in your logo pack when they designed your logo in the first instance. An EPS file is the most valuable logo file you have - it’s your logo’s most RAW signature! But what about other file types - Jpeg…
Read MoreI feel extremely grateful that I’ve been able to build a career as a graphic designer and be creative every single day. I understand that many aspiring artists and graphic designers struggle to make a career out of their talent, and this drives me all the more to make sure our industry grows and engenders a strong legacy. To share this ethos, I also like to regularly connect with art and design students. Recently, I was asked to speak about what I’ve learnt in…
Read MorePhotoshop is an excellent tool we design folk often use. Though I do feel like Photoshop, thanks to the slang and mainstream media, is the tool that receives the most recognition despite there being an array of programs in a designer’s toolbox. I often hear - “You can use Photoshop to make that look good, right?” And it’s even reached the stage where Photoshop is used as a verb - “I’m just Photoshopping it, okay?” Curiously, Photoshop has somehow become “famous.” I think that’s…
Read More