Aug/101
The Importance of Your Site’s Homepage
Regardless of your website’s function (e-commerce, organizational, non-profit, etc.), the home page is like a storefront window. It is a peek inside of your website. And if it is not appealing or intriguing, then chances are it is the only thing your users will see because they will likely move on very quickly.
I have written this post more towards the design community, those who do what we do; however there are some very important points made here that will apply even if you are only a website owner. So I encourage you to read on and enjoy!
Picture yourself walking down the street in a busy city full of shops and boutiques, all of which are vying for your business. Unless you are a regular customer, you are basing your opinion of a store almost exclusively on its outward appearance. Questions run through your mind: what does this store sell? What can this store offer me? Does it seem reputable? Are they a chain or local seller? Should I go in? The storefront window is the only chance you have to make an educated guess as to whether the store is worth your time.
Aug/101
What is Branding and Brand Consistency?
What is Branding?
Branding is a often discussed by individuals in the marketing, advertising and design industries, but it is something that is rarely thought about by many small business owners. This is quite unfortunate since branding, if done properly, is one of the most important things a company can do to reach their target market, build recognition and develop customer relationships. Mistakenly, many businesses look no further than a logo when thinking about branding. The issue with this is that a logo cannot and does not exist on its own. Rather, it is a core piece of the puzzle that also includes a wide range of other factors, including colors, patterns, typefaces, imagery, packaging, taglines, wording and more, all of which combine to create your company’s image. The same attention devoted to your logo must be given to these other elements as well if a truly effective brand is to be achieved.
To demonstrate the power of branding, let’s change some popular and effective brands a bit and see if you can still recognize them.
Jul/100
Facebook Is Free to Use (And Always Will Be)
Facebook puts rumors about charging fees to rest. Again.
If you’ve been to the Facebook website recently, you’ve probably noticed there’s something different about it.
After a couple seconds, you realize what’s changed: there’s a new statement from Facebook about the nature of its services. Now when you sign up or log in, you’ll see the following message: Sign Up | It’s free (and always will be)
Jul/102
5 Ways to Use Color to Enhance a Design
In my last post, I began discussing the basics of selecting the right colors to fit your business/organization/group/competitive riverdance troupe. As promised, I’m now going to delve a bit deeper into how color can really be used to enhance a design (logo, website, print materials, etc.), with some real world examples. If used intelligently, color can be so much more than just a decorative element. It can:
Jul/100
How Do I Look?
Note: this post was inspired by a post by Gareth from Down With Design, the original can be read here
Custom VS. Pre-Packaged Designs
Your logo is the first impression customers have of you. Maybe they see it on your website, or on a business card or mailer they received. Wouldn’t you want to be represented by something that says “you”?
Jun/100
Usability Basics: It’s Not Rocket Science
Usability is the technical term for how we use things and with what effort. It is a vital element of a website that affects the success of your website. It takes careful planning and research to make a website usable.
Jun/100
Color 101
Branding is one of the single most important factors in determining how your company is perceived by potential customers. Not a big surprise to most. It will define your business’s appearance, its personality, its demographic and even its values. Perhaps more than any other factor, the colors you adopt are central to creating this first impression. And still it seems that color is not always given the attention it warrants by some business owners.
It’s easy to overlook. After all, what’s so complicated about color? Does it really matter if your marketing materials are green instead of blue? Yes. In fact, even the specific shade of blue you choose can make a big difference. We attach all kinds of emotional and symbolic meanings to colors, sometimes consciously but most often without even thinking about it. Needless to say, it’s important to be aware of these overtones and use them to enhance your message.