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How to Choose a Graphic Designer
Tweet It’s more than knowing the software. What You Should Know to Choose a Graphic Designer. I recently spent an enjoyable hour reminiscing about obsolete graphic design materials with former classmates on Facebook. Those who became designers after the birth of the Mac do not have the same memories of rapidograph pens, waxers, rubylith or kneaded erasers. Does remembering the “good ol’ days” make us better designers? No, of course not. In the same sense, knowledge of graphic design software does not necessarily make...
read moreFolds and Bleeds
Use a Brochure Template For Printing You want to print a standard size tri-fold brochure. The paper dimensions are 11″ wide x 8.5″ high. The paper just folds in three, right? Just divide 11″ by 3 to determine where the panels fold. Actually that’s not correct. Professional designers know that the fold needs to accommodate the thickness of the paper. The panel that folds on the inside would be a bit shorter. What if your brochure has a color background. Do you create your 8.5″ x 11″ brochure with a...
read moreDoes your audience know your services and products?
Marketing your Services and Products Going beyond the elevator speech A recent article in the Daily Herald revealed that “Forty percent of the typical service firm’s clients are using multiple providers to get their jobs done…Clients don’t know all the services their provider offers.” Your audience may not know as much about your company’s capabilities as you think they do. You are probably familiar with networking and the practice of the “elevator speech;” 30 seconds to convey the scope of products...
read moreFundraising on a Shoestring
Old Fat Guy Idol puts the FUN in Fundraising It’s October 1, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It seems a timely blog post would be about Old Fat Guy Idol, a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day I founded with some old high school friends, and the marketing created for this event. Let me start the story by mentioning that I had not been in touch with my old friends for decades. In 2009 we had reconnected through Facebook, and had a class reunion. We were from a small high school, only 37 in our graduating class. I convinced my...
read morePrint Marketing Idea #1
Paper Airplane Print Marketing Idea Looking for an effective promotion piece to hand out at the next networking event or trade show? Something inexpensive, fun and customized with your logo, tagline and contact information? What is more fun, or less expensive, than a paper airplane? If you remember the last time you made a paper airplane, you’ll remember that all you needed was a sheet of paper. Once folded, it’s a fun item to toss around a room, or compete with others. Better yet, it will help you stand out from your competition....
read moreBauhaus Graphic Design
The Bauhaus Impact on Graphic Design Last week I visited an exhibition at the Ukrainian Museum of Modern Art in Chicago on the Chicago Bauhaus Legacy. Perhaps, if you are not a designer, you don’t know what the Bauhaus is. Even if you do, you might not understand the connection to Chicago. In brief, the Bauhaus was a revolutionary design school founded in Germany after World War I. Before the Bauhaus, applied arts such as graphic design, photography, architecture were not recognized as “Art.” The Bauhaus believed that fine...
read moreBatavia United Way Website
Batavia United Way Website Redesign Client: Batavia United Way Industry: non-profit Project: website redesign Problem: Batavia United Way felt their old website was outdated in many ways. It had been designed by a volunteer with some programming knowledge, but the local non-profit did not have any one on staff who knew how to maintain or update the site. The original site design was based upon a template provided by the national United Way organization, and featured links to the national site. Over time many of these sites had been...
read moreShould You Edit Your Own Website?
Making Edits to Your Website I just finished a new website for a local nonprofit. A case study of the project will be in an upcoming newsletter. The site was created in WordPress, a popular content management system used by bloggers and growing in popularity because it is easy to learn and edit your website without knowing code. As I was preparing a training document to review with my client, which is part of the website package I offer, I wondered how my client would edit images to the correct size for the homepage slide show. As a...
read moreMarketing for Next Year
Want to Grow Your Business? Start Planning Now. I’ve been spending the last few weeks moving dirt around. Due to a recent construction project, I’ve had to replant a portion of my yard. I’ve been hauling wheelbarrows of dirt, relocating plants, sowing grass seed, and planting bulbs. It’s the end of summer, and I’m planting in preparation for next year. As I was shoveling dirt yesterday, a thought occurred to me, “This is a bit like marketing.” “Market today for next year’s business”...
read moreMarketing 101
Last year I was invited to give a presentation on marketing to the Rosalind Franklin School of Medicine and Science. I was advised I was addressing students; the information needed to be brief, and basic. Although this was “marketing 101,” and directed to new medical practices, this information may be helpful to your organization. Below are some key points from my presentation. Marketing is more than just advertising. It’s exposure and communication. It takes 5-7 exposures to make an impression. Don’t run an ad once...
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