SEYMOUR | A Garrett County Arts Council Brand
THRILLER | The Event & Fundraiser for Samantha Funding The Arts
OAKLAND A&E | Miami Vice & Little Havana Club Night
THE WORLDS | 2014 World Canoe Kayak Event
THE DEEP CREEK EXPERIENCE: It Took A Village... Or Five!
ASSETBOOK: The Brand & RadarMan!
PAROLE-BOARDS.com: Life-On-The-Outside [LOTO] Parole Boards is a Garrett County business built from the ground up.
Creating a website and making it work is a process that marries design and logistics (logistics: the detailed coordination of a complex operation involving many people, facilities, or supplies). First, trust that "good looks" should support the content (not the other way around) to sustain relevance. Clients provide the raw material to fulfill the need for substance, and the designer/writer is responsible for bringing it to life, using the vehicle of an online medium. Keep in mind, it's no different than a really upscale brochure, except in the ways it's not the same. It can be edited at any time. Clear value propositions that are based on persistent market awareness, and are always up-to-date, will keep the site working hard even while a client is sleeping.
Bottom line, clients should know who their market is... know what their market loves and needs, and use that wisdom to send concise messages, engaging them both online and off.
In the case where a client is advertising on an external site, those ads should be consistent with their own branding (print & web).
If you haven’t been to “Websites 1”, this is a continuation of that discussion. This page is devoted to sites with a “COMMERCE” component which drives them in a different direction while maintaining an online brand presence. Selling products (physical, virtual, or service) and taking donations are the chief uses of the online store. All of those revenue sources are tied to a practice of accepting sales online.
This is sometimes a big leap for merchants with traditional stores, but it’s really a natural progression… progress being the keyword within. These are unique times in the 2020s, and adaptation is a very real part of success. Making the decision to sell online isn’t a drastic one with online website platforms shifting to accommodate the need to reach consumers in every community. Selling online is no longer just for the “Big Guys”. It’s a way to keep selling to a captive audience who just wants a burger or a floral arrangement without walking into a traditional store. The overhead (transaction fees) is no more than a regular, in-store credit card sale through your bank.
The almighty logo! Why is it so important to business owners? Well, it's the centerpiece of their identity, their image... call it branding if you like, it's a big deal. And for that reason, it's a source of great entrepreneurial pride and inspiration. It's a challenge for both client and designer at a moment when all the pieces are fitting together. Among the countless risk assessments, business plans, and sleepless nights, the mythical, idealized logo has been occupying a tiny corner of the client's head-space. Now it's time for it to become real. That's why it's important.
If a business or non-profit is rebranding itself, the reasons could be anything from a desire to look more current, to changes in the purpose and structure of the business. Perception really is everything. How do you want to be seen? Style & image top the logo check-list, but does your logo attract the market you want?
Logo design possibilities are literally limitless, but to be useful a logo needs to be authentic, and true to the product or service. When a client can clearly define the core, constant features and assets of their company, that's the first step toward beginning a logo project. That's when it's easy.
Then, the designer can work to pare down the vast number of possible solutions to a manageable array. The process will undoubtely produce multiple directions and subtle options to be analyzed and considered. This methodology, and the end product, often illuminate and reinforce core concepts of the business identity that, initially, may not have been as concrete. That's when it's fun.
Is the the power of print undeniable? It's a question that needs answered, so absolutely, YES! Hand-held, printed promotional pieces still build necessary diversity within a marketing plan. The misconception that print is not a modern medium fuels an impulse to put all the marketing and messaging eggs in the online and social media baskets for delivery to the marketplace. In truth, printed devices are essential to keeping a balance of vehicles that drive brand recognition, define image and make value propositions clear.
Whatever form it takes... gloss, matte, recycled or synthetic, offset or digital, large scale or wallet-sized, print is still the hammer in the advertising tool box.
Categories of Print materials:
GENERAL PRINT | Business cards, Brochures, Direct Mail, Postcards, Rack Cards, Posters, Event Tickets, Branded Promotional Materials, Office Documents [letterhead, envelope, etc.], Presentation Materials
BRANDED PROMOTIONAL | Apparel [T-shirts, hats, etc.], Premiums [coffee cups, umbrellas, etc.]
ADVERTISING | Magazine & Newspaper Ads, Billboards
[Eloqui is a print broker and passes any discounts on to its clients... no mark-up. Managing print is a major part graphic design services.]
This is a mode of promotion that uses scale to its advantage... and it works both ways. It's very affordable now, with digital printing, to "explode" marketing materials to sizes that attract attention at trade shows and events, using larger-than-life, colorful images and type to draw in interested "shoppers". It's super effective and has a terrific return-on-investment. So it follows that traditional banners (with almost no size limitations) and retractable banner stands (upwards of 8ft.) have become a driving force in outdoor and large-venue marketing, along with full-out, room-sized displays with lights and work stations built in. Splendid investments if you're taking the show on the road.
In the reverse of that idea, you can take a large-scale concept that's comprised of multiple enterprises or many elements, and put them in context with each other to show that they work together as a whole. In this exhibit approach (used for display cases), the elements are scaled down to make them fit into a comprehensible area that's still large, compared to most advertising mediums. Complex relationships between businesses are easier to organize, mentally. Glass display cases are sometimes hard to take advantage of, but a diorama is an old-school way to exploit the space using 2-dimensional images to imply depth. Incorporating an actual 3-D element or two is a helpful trick.
There's a lot to signage that's sometimes undersold and overlooked. The beauty of all exterior and interior messaging is that it gives a business a sense of belonging and has a permanence that's hard to achieve any other way.
There's no time for cold feet when planning signage, it's the original "GO BIG", or well, forget it. Mastering the scale and proportion of outdoor branding is a big part of succeeding. Allowing enough time to do mock-ups and really understand the location and the surrounding elements; buildings, other signage, access to the business, etc., can help to avoid mistakes that are painful to correct. Making sure the branding is finalized before applying it to signage helps avoid missteps and frustration down the road.
Large-scale branding that's done professionally plays a major, positive role in introducing your business to the community and can be equal to an invitation. Signs for way-finding, like parking and directional helpers are important and appreciated by patrons, this builds trust in the brand.
The modern menu can be many things. It can send a message of style and status in the industry or it can make customers feel at home and comfortable with the cuisine. There are some limitations with menu design that can be challenging but because they are "functional" design, organization and readability come first. A successful menu streamlines the dinning experience, and there are benefits to servers and kitchen staff when a menu works well... and ultimately to the bottom line.
Photography has become an affordable marketing medium, and where a picture once said "a thousand words", custom imagery has become so accessible there are no limits. With lower-priced digital printing and online exposure available to any business, color photos are now a central component of virtually all advertising. Digital cameras have replaced film and the expense of developing, so shooting custom photos, as opposed to buying stock, fits into most budgets, even when using a professional.
And the rewards are immeasurable. Quality, well-placed photos quickly build a tangible picture of a client's value proposition, and send a message to their market that's not just words... it's believable.
Photography has become an affordable marketing medium, and where a picture once said "a thousand words", custom imagery has become so accessible there are no limits. With lower-priced digital printing and online exposure available to any business, color photos are now a central component of virtually all advertising. Digital cameras have replaced film and the expense of developing, so shooting custom photos, as opposed to buying stock, fits into most budgets, even when using a professional.
And the rewards are immeasurable. Quality, well-placed photos quickly build a tangible picture of a client's value proposition, and send a message to their market that's not just words... it's believable.
Photography has become an affordable marketing medium, and where a picture once said "a thousand words", custom imagery has become so accessible there are no limits. With lower-priced digital printing and online exposure available to any business, color photos are now a central component of virtually all advertising. Digital cameras have replaced film and the expense of developing, so shooting custom photos, as opposed to buying stock, fits into most budgets, even when using a professional.
And the rewards are immeasurable. Quality, well-placed photos quickly build a tangible picture of a client's value proposition, and send a message to their market that's not just words... it's believable.
Photography has become an affordable marketing medium, and where a picture once said "a thousand words", custom imagery has become so accessible there are no limits. With lower-priced digital printing and online exposure available to any business, color photos are now a central component of virtually all advertising. Digital cameras have replaced film and the expense of developing, so shooting custom photos, as opposed to buying stock, fits into most budgets, even when using a professional.
And the rewards are immeasurable. Quality, well-placed photos quickly build a tangible picture of a client's value proposition, and send a message to their market that's not just words... it's believable.
There are times when illustration is the very best way to send a message or set a tone. Occasionally, it can be used just for the shear surprise of it. It's a less common way to present imagery so it has "freshness" going for it. When it's a viable solution it can really set the project free from boundaries and looking like the competition.
