Ask The Expert Session on Ladies Who Launch
June 7th, 2011
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being featured on Ladies Who Launch in an Ask The Expert session. The live Q & A session was created by LWL as a way for industry professionals to share their expertise with the community, promote their business simultaneously and provide valuable learnings to your fellow launchers.
The ladies asked really great questions, many of them I often hear from new clients. Read the entire Q & A session below:
Q. Hello! I’m in the process of changing my major to Graphic Design, and will hopefully graduate with a degree in it within the next year. I’m not entirely sure of what I’m going to do when I graduate, however. I was just wondering if you had any advice for someone who was trying to start a career in Graphic Design.
A. In my opinion, the best place to work for designers is a design firm. You will be able to interact with clients, work on a wide variety of projects, and learn so much from fellow designers in the firm. I would not recommend starting off doing freelance as there wouldn’t be much interaction and learning involved when you’re on your own. Lastly, find a mentor, whether it’s someone in the same field or just someone you look up to, a mentor will guide you in your career and give you tons of great advice.
Q. I’m thinking of developing an e-zine for our company. First, is there a free (or low-cost) flipbook software that you recommend? I’ve seen that people use Issuu.com, but I’m not sure about that. What do you think? Also, how long do you recommend that a magazine be? That is, how many pages?
A. There are some other software that you can use to create your ezine. You can take a look at some of my recommended links below. However, I think that Issuu is one of the top contenders. I recommend keeping the magazine somewhat short and to the point, with the most important content in the beginning of the document. As far as the specific page numbers, I don’t have a recommendation for that. You can learn more about creating ezines here http://www.zmoon.com/articles/newsletter12.shtml. http://www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions http://www.yudu.com http://www.slideshare.net http://www.lulu.com.
Q. Who has ownership of the finished website?
A. After the websites are completed, I give full ownership of the finished website to my clients. All I ask for is permission to show the website as a part of my portfolio on my own website.
Q. I make organic and chemical free healing skincare products. I am now working on packaging. I would like to have a label design than can be easily edited for different formulations. What format would this be and where would I look to have these custom labels printed in smaller runs?
A. I usually create my label designs in Adobe Illustrator which is a design software. This gives me more freedom in terms of design while other applications such as Word would be more restrictive. However, I can also work in Word if the client needs to have an editable version that they can keep updating themselves. For printing small runs, I suggest you find a local print shop that offers digital printing. The cost for digital printing is much lower compared to other types of printing and you can do small runs.
Q. Does the graphic design of the site need to be tested for browser compatibility?
A. Yes, all websites need to be tested for browser compatibility. Each browser displays websites differently and this could affect the design of the site. I test my websites on all major browsers to make sure that they display consistently across all browsers.
Q. How long does it usually take to design a website? Weeks, Months?
A. My websites usually take at least 4 weeks to design. Of course this all depends on the scope of the website. A 5-7 page website takes about 4 weeks while an e-commerce website would take longer to complete.
Q. What is the latest trend in graphic design, colors?
A. The current color trend in graphic design as well as web design are bright, yet pale colors. Some of the colors for 2011 include honeysuckle, vintage wine, and citrus yellow. Another trend is contrasting colors – desaturated images and icons with strong yellow, orange, and red text is a strong trend. Earthly tones are also big in 2011.
Topic: Newsworthy
Newly Launched: Premier Pizza
January 23rd, 2011Happy New Year everyone! There’s no better way to kick-start my first blog of the year than to introduce my latest website design – Premier Pizza! The Fremont-based pizzeria recently decided to expand their menu by adding great new pastas, salads and appetizers. With their updated menu, Premier Pizza wanted a fresh, new website that would showcase the delicious foods that they had to offer. The owner wanted the new website to be elegant and modern but still warm and friendly, much like the restaurant itself. The final design is just that – a sleek and simple design that is warm and inviting. The owners could not be more pleased with their new website.
Take a look at the 4 home page slides below (they actually slide). The website can be seen at www.premierpizzapasta.com.
Topic: Newsworthy
Club 365 Logo and Buckslip
November 21st, 2010Whenever I can, I try to squeeze some pro bono projects into my busy schedule. These are the projects that touch my heart and give me the most satisfaction. So, even if I’m juggling 5 different projects with looming deadlines, I still find time for pro bono work. Recently, I was contacted by the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation to work on a small project for them. It was such a pleasant surprise since I’ve always admired the foundation and what they do for children with life-threatening medical conditions. The project involved designing a logo and a buckslip to promote their monthly giving club called Club 365. Within a couple weeks, I came up with the following designs which have been approved, not to mention, very well received by members of the foundation. I am so glad to have been able to help the foundation in some small way and hope to receive many more projects from Make-A-Wish.
Topic: Resources
Why Your Business Needs a Memorable Logo
October 22nd, 2010I came across an article from Entrepreneur.com that describes the importance of a logo and why it is crucial, if not vital to the success of your business. If you own a business, large or small, this article is a must read.
Crafting a Memorable Logo
By John Williams
Historically, logos have been more of a luxury than a necessity. Businesses once attracted customers because they were the only game in town, so to speak. But that’s no longer the case. Today’s highly competitive industries, global markets and visually oriented consumers have catapulted the logo to prominence. Now your logo is one of the most critical components of your brand. So how can something so little make such a big difference to the success of your business?
1. Your branding efforts not only start with your logo but are dictated by it. Your logo appears on all your sales tools, from your business cards and stationary to your website. As a result, your logo design influences the design of all your sales tools–for better or worse. A professional-looking logo can be leveraged to create professional-looking materials. A poorly designed logo can’t. In other words, you need a “brandable” logo–one you can make use of when designing other materials to brand your company.
Brandable logos are scalable, memorable and meaningful. If people can’t remember what your logo looks like, they won’t remember your brand. Think of the logos of some of the popular brands today. Do you think of M-shaped arches, a shell or a swoosh? All are simple concepts, effectively employed by McDonalds, Shell and Nike. How can you tell if a logo’s going to be memorable? If you can’t look at a logo for fewer than 10 seconds and re-draw it with decent accuracy, it’s probably too complex to be easily remembered. (Besides being difficult to remember, most complex logos can’t effectively be reduced in size or rendered in black and white, making them useless for such elements as fax cover sheets and other business forms.)
2. Your logo is a quick visual cue that conveys the essence of your brand in an age when image is everything and time is short. Perhaps you’ve heard the writer’s lament that “nobody reads anymore.” In today’s markets, not only do you face ever-increasing competition, you also face an audience accustomed to visually stimulating media, convenience and instant gratification. Sure, a few people may read your entire ad, more may read some of it–but everyone will SEE it. The overwhelming amount of choices faced by time-crunched consumers forces them to identify shortcuts. Your logo is such a shortcut: it instantly conveys your brand message and emotional appeal.
3. Awareness and familiarity are keys to growing your business, and your logo is instrumental in both areas. Your logo is your brand’s most basic graphic element. It ties together all your sales materials–in fact, your logo may be the only visual element your materials have in common. The right logo helps solidify customer loyalty while differentiating you from the competition.
4. Your logo may be the only thing by which a potential customer can judge your business. Think of small newspaper or Yellow Pages ads. Often all that fits in these small spaces is your contact information and your logo. If your logo projects the right image, it may be the sole reason someone decides to try your company. Conversely, if it looks unprofessional or unclear, it alone may be the reason they choose to look somewhere else.
5. Your logo affords a unique opportunity for you to look like a bigger (that is, more established) business than what you are. With the right logo, you can look like a larger company that’s been around for awhile even if you have only one employee and just opened your doors last month. People who see it will associate the positive attributes of big companies–like security and financial stability–with your company. And you can still deliver the entrepreneurial qualities–like personal attention and superior customer service–that you’re known for.
Building a solid brand identity is pivotal to success in business today. Lay the right foundation with a professional, brandable logo.
Read the article on Entrepreneur.com.
Topic: Resources