branding

Building Better Branding Through Online Community

05 August 2019

Whether you’re promoting your own brand or a client’s, keeping your team interested in the project Slack channel, or sparking more engagement in your org’s online training program, the common denominator for success is: COMMUNITY. Build with the best intentions Building community in a way that feels (and is) authentic could seem either easy or…

the power of logos

Formula 1, Airbnb and the Power of Logos

21 November 2018

It’s not every day that graphic design makes the front page, at least at least not as the topic for discussion. Uber’s made the news again recently, with yet another new logo—their fourth in recent years. Dunkin’ Donuts just announced that they are dropping “Donuts” from their well-known logo. Even the Ad Council replaced its…

PPC advertising

What Is Pay Per Click Advertising, and Is It Right for You?

04 September 2018

So, you have a website, and a blog…what’s next? It’s no good pushing your content out into the ether, never to be consumed by anyone. Even worse is having an amazing product or service that no one knows about. So how do you keep your content from getting lost out there amongst all the choices…

brand strategy

Do All Designers Create Logos? How Much Should a Logo Cost?

29 May 2018

The myth of the Five Dollar Logo, and why it matters for your brand strategy. The conversation always goes something like this: “So, I’m starting a new business and well…I need a logo. Interested?” If we’re on the phone, what usually follows is a pause. If we’re communicating by email, there’s usually a suspiciously long…

Typeface/Font* Selection: A Practical Guide

25 October 2017

We could also call this post, “how to avoid being spoofed on Saturday Night Live.” As evidenced by a recent SNL sketch which lampoons the font chosen for the movie Avatar, proper typeface selection—awareness of which was once generally considered limited to graphic designers like myself—has entered into the mainstream consciousness. That’s a good thing, and…

Beetles, Brand Consistency and Why It All Matters

12 May 2017

It all started with a beetle. No, not the beetle of the oft-cited ’50s and ’60s Volkswagen advertising campaign. Think smaller. I’d just discovered that the tiny (and dreaded) Ips beetle had decided to make the beautiful large spruce in our front yard its new home. The one beetle soon became many beetles, the tree…

Situation: Fact Check

28 April 2017

Everything under the sun is searchable and finable on the Internet. That means it’s fairly easy to fall prey to clickbait, fake news and other dubious rabbit holes while conducting research, business or learning online. Now more than ever, it’s vital that we all get in the habit of checking facts to fish out the fakery…

Authenticity: Now, More Than Ever!

31 March 2017

Fake news abounds these days, and it’s both necessary and exhausting trying to determine what’s real. While you might be getting near the edge of your comfort zone over our current political climate, professionally speaking, you gotta get real and get to work. A common challenge in just about any line of business is how…

Cut Through the Clutter: Find Your Online Voice

19 January 2017

In the many crazy, chaotic months leading up to this fine new year (yay 2017!), people have been motivated to speak out more than ever. Whether you’re planning to launch a new entrepreneurial endeavor, crank out creative like nobody’s business, or just storm the castle, it is mission critical that you do so in a…

How to Have Better Online Conversations

15 December 2016

Many of us are moved to speak up and speak out, perhaps these days more than ever. You may have recently been moved to blog more than usual, or compelled to comment boldly on issues you care about deeply on Facebook or other social media sites. Whatever your reasons for presenting a more active voice…