Claire Keane
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Game of Thrones Daily
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
gracie abrams
Keni
blake kathryn
taylor price
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
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@theartofmadeline
ellievsbear
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Kiana Khansmith
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
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YOU ARE THE REASON
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@astrongdesign
International Women's Day 2017
International Women’s Day 2017
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Women have ALWAYS been not just a necessary part of the human race, but powerhouses in advancing both life and…
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How To Get a GOOD logo
How To Get a GOOD logo
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If you read my last blog about Why A Logo Costs More Than $5, I gave a pretty in depth, and honestly kind of harsh, reality check about going cheap with logos.
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Why a Logo Costs More Than $5
Why Logos Are Not $5
If you are in business, chances are you have a logo. Good, bad, or otherwise you have some sort of mark that you slap on business cards, letterheads, your website and social media images. Maybe you’ve give the file to a print shop to make a poster, or a director who is heading some event you’re sponsoring. Maybe you’ve changed the file to be different sizes or shapes (square to horizontal, for…
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My Top 5 Phone Apps to Get Shit Done
My Top 5 Phone Apps to Get Shit Done
It is officially day 6 of Snow Days here in my town – weird for the fact that in Portland it only REALLY snows once every 5 years, and usually for a day and then it’s just above freezing rain all winter. But this winter Mother Nature is laughing at us hysterically because the snow is very much like a Montana October…there’s about 8″ out there. So the whole metro area is SHUT. DOWN!
But that’s not…
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What IS Branding?
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Learning Your Personality Type Can Grow Your Business, Part 2
Learning Your Personality Type Can Grow Your Business, Part 2
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Learning Your Personality Type Can Grow Your Business
How Learning Your Personality Type Can Grow Your Business
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The Mama CEO Planner Review
The Mama CEO Planner Review
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Hello Amanda, i am looking to have a website designed. Can you please contact me. 678-431-5863. Got your name from Gretchen. Thanks, Trollie
Hi there. I am literally NEVER on Tumblr...in fact, I’m moving everything to my website: www.AStrongDesign.net
If you are still needing assistance, please do contact me there. THanks so much.
I've been doing a lot of logos lately, and I like to go over this type of thing with my clients. Ultimately, the color is always their choice, but if they have some direction sometimes the edits are fewer because they get the feeling from their logos they originally intended.
Understanding the science behind color could increase the effectiveness of your company's branding methods.
I am a *DES-IGN-ER!*
This little rant has been spurred by the all-to-familiar client and job search. It seems the trend that is running rapid is to assume a designer is a developer and vise-versa.
Yes, I can do code, understand (as much as I understand basic physics) JavaScript, MySQL, PHP, and Python, as well as build a basic interactive Flash Website.
Yes, most of the developers I have talked to can put together a relatively decent looking webpage, make a logo not suck, and possibly even layout a pretty nice poster.
However, when someone asks for a Web DESIGNER, usually they want us both. They want the graphics to be super sweet, new-age and flashy…but they also want the killer code as well. For these “simple” projects, I’ve seen people offer a “generous” $250.
Now, I’d like to put these into perspective, just for educational purposes:
As a Designer, my main job is to make the page look pretty. I make it aesthetically pleasing, thus giving you a better instant reputation with those that look at your site (for details on that, see my previous post: Aesthetics ARE Important ). I make the whole site look cohesive, adding neat little touches like 3D effects on the tabs and a textured background. I can make the site run, even do some cool picture sliders, add a PayPal store...
A DEVELOPER's main job is to make the site run epically. Want the chat room? The extensive security login? The Disney-esqu interaction? You want a developer. Sure, they can make the site look clean and nice, but most developers I've met contract to me to give them awesome graphics.
Don't get me wrong - there are those that are awesome at both. You will also pay no less than $100 an hour for them, and rightly so!
From a design standpoint, unless there is a promo or special event, logically if I did my job right you should have NO REASON to contact me again. Design services are like ordering pizza...the cheaper you pay, the more it sucks. But it's still a one time thing. You can't expect an amazing pizza for $5, and you can't expect epic design for $250.
On the flipside, the developer very well may become a close friend with how often you will, and should, interact. Codes break, web stuff gets updated constantly (unless you use Internet Explorer), and because they are like siblings that can't get along your web developer will need to make sure that all internet browsers (Google Chrome, FireFox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc) have the right code to run the site correctly.
So next time you say you want a web site designed, make sure you actually know what you need and want...because to hire one and expect the other just frustrates everyone involved.
The Organics of the Machine
Very recently, I took on a website "re-design" for a client that seemed to be relatively cut and dry...no design aspects involved. Update the code to be current industry standard. Period. Nothing difficult or overly time consuming. Right? Oh my was this little bit of HTML a surprise! You remember the 80s horror movie the "Gremlins"? How the little Mogwai "Gizmo" was this adorable fuzzy, cuddly, big-eyed bundle of love, then out of nowhere pieces of him spawn and mutate to be these horrific creatures who become these small, destructive, evil monsters?! Yup. That was this site. I thought I signed up for Gizmo...and ended up dealing with the Gremlin with the Mohawk. The kicker was, it was sneaky. Most of the pages had the same layout, obviously the header and footer were duplicated throughout, and there were not even any external links. But then the bombs were dropped. The client didn't realize that her header had been crooked all along, or that once you center a page, there is background on BOTH sides now, or that to make multiple columns there is different code to make the columns look identical AND completely different, OR MP3s are not just slapped in the background without possible song pirating. I will say the bad was all me (much to my dismay) because I forgot the carnal rule: always ask 800+ questions so both you AND the client know what you are in for. She thought I could just update code (tables and all...oh yea. It was THAT kind of site) and I took HER word for what she described she needed. The truth of the matter is, however, that HTML is organic. It changes, grows and you need to adjust. Being the expert, you never want to hear the initial need and write it off saying: "Sure. Ten hours. Tops." because if they knew what they truly needed and how to write the code, you never would have received that phone call in the first place. Because of this experience, I decided to include three of the basics that you need to detail before quoting, or even starting, any project...especially HTML. This will help both client and designer alike so a fair assessment of time and price can be made. 1) Creative brief. Sure the who, what, when, why, how and where seem obvious. But ARE they? Who, what, and when are a given, usually without needed elaboration. (Sally needs a site by the 31st.) But the why, how and where are the tricky parts. Make sure you truly know the why: To sell more propaganda? To get their name out there? To simply have the information available? To bring their business to the new century, away from the 90s? That will help you decipher how code advanced, graphically heavy, and much meta data is required. Where seems to also be a given, but if you go to upload the site and discover their domain is not forwarded to their hosting, and they don't know how to fix that, it's your job to figure it out. The How is where my folly happened. Get details! Play 500 Questions. Make a site map detailing what pages connect to what, how many pages there will ultimately be, which pages utilize the same code layout, and how much individual CSS will be needed. Are there different backgrounds? How many images will be needed? Will there be MP3s, background music, downloads? Do they have imagery, or need a photographer or will they use stock photos? Physically sketch out EACH page, and make a wireframe for yourself that takes into account all the margins, padding and "div" sizes. Also...to save stress on both sides, ask the client's budget IN the creative brief. If you do all the prep work taking in all details and creep and quote $3000, nothing is more disheartening on both sides than when the clients says: "Oh. We only thought it'd only be about 500 bucks." Knowing their budget helps you adjust how much work and time you put in, while still giving them a decent product. 2) Sketches and maps. We already touched base on this...but it's worth elaborating. Don't mix sketches and wireframes. They are two different beasts...but you need them both. Wireframes will layout the buttons, links, text, and images in grey boxes or just boxes with an "x" in it. Sketches will give the graphic LOOK of the site. Site Maps will help the designer, more than anything, figure out what links go where so you can make sure you have a cohesive path while coding. Here is an example of a wire frame, and a site map both graphically and logically.
3) Time Quote. From the client standpoint, the rest just looks like good preparation, but this is where negotiation, deadlines and costs come into effect. You want to present a time quote that mimics an invoice. Have your logo and contact information at the top. Give an estimated time frame (days, weeks, or hours depending on the project) with details of why: re-writing code, adjusting photos, adding pages, utilizing Flash/JavaScript/jQuery, etc. Take into consideration creep (when the project "creeps" past what you anticipated)...will you offer a discounted rate for creep? Give them some wiggle room for deadlines...make yours a week earlier (if possible) so if a drastic change is needed, you have TIME to adjust. One thing to caution is not to look at a project, chat a bit then offer a quote. Tell them you need to look over materials, interview notes and initial creative brief to give them a fair assessment. Remember to look at their initial budget. Will you charge by the hour, or by project? Will they reimburse you for stock photography (they better!) or will you find other means? Finally 4) The contract and deposit. As a rookie, I learned this the HARD way. NEVER...NE-VER...start a project without the contract signed and deposit received. You WILL get burned. I'd like to say everyone still lives in the 1890s and a handshake is golden, but...not so much. The Contract needs to detail specifically what you will be doing (remember the site map?), how long it will take, what you are charging, how many edits they are allotted before you charge extra, and how much the deposit is, when payments will be made (even if you only do two payments) and how much each consecutive payment is. Also include an "exit clause" in case (god forbid) they are not happy, or you need to fire your client. Will you give refunds (not at all advised)? Do they need to give adequate notice? Pay "x" amount prior to dissolving the relationship? I would also write a line to protect yourself from slander, which could hurt your business, and simply sprout from miscommunication and personality conflicts. In addition, add a clause about communication: "If you don't get back to me, return emails, or give me feedback when requested, I cannot be held responsible for the deadline not being met." Then, print two copies and have each party sign both. Keep it in a file with the rest of the paperwork (details of an organized filing system will be in a new blog soon). The deposit is a great debate. But I've come up with a great formula that helps me: 25% down, or no-less than $150, whichever is greater. I do not take checks, and cash has no record. LUCKILY! There are now personal card readers that take cards and deposit the money directly to your bank, and emails your client (and you) with a receipt. My favorite is Square. The fees are relatively low, you can use an Android and all Apple, or simply go to their site. There is also Intuit and Moblized but I have never used either. If you are able to get these basics down and utilize them for EACH project and client (no matter the size), the stress and miscommunication will be greatly reduced. Hopefully, you'll be able to learn from my mistake and keep your Gizmo, without the threat of the Gremlin! :D PS: Feel free to message me for some great templates to use for each of these examples. Enjoy!
Wordpress VS Static HTML
I recently found this blog that details the pros and cons of both the new world of Wordpress and traditional static HTML. It's very informative...though I will admit the humorous irony when people tell me they think the Wordpress themes and are cheaper than hiring a designer to optimize and individualize their website, when designers (me included) are the ones designing the Wordpress theme...and getting paid for the design that is now utilized by 1000s rather than just that business. My favorite quote from the article is the SEO argument: "Search engines don’t care if you use a state of the art content management system. If you use it the wrong way, you are a looser." I will say, I agree with his closing statement, Wordpress is amazing, but use it wisely...not just to cut costs, because you might cut your own throat in the process. WordPress vs Static Html, is there any difference?
The great debate: "Who cares if its pretty if it doesn't run well!!" "But if its ugly people don't want to be on it anyway!!" Apparently scientist are figuring out that aesthetics really ARE important in not only the time and pleasure given to a website, but the usability and level of return TO said website. I found an article that anyone who HAS a website should read... A great quote from the article: "Can you trust me on this? According to a 2002 study, the “appeal of the overall visual design of a site, including layout, typography, font size, and color schemes,” is the number one factor we use to evaluate a website’s credibility...." Very profound, a bit alarming, and definitely informative!!
A fantastic article on email marketing. But don't think that email marketing is just for Barnes and Noble or Nordstroms! It's great for Newsletters, instruction videos, articles and learning tools. Not to mention weekly updates for your business, coupons or announcements. The beautiful thing, is now you can utilizing coding from your website to make your email marketing look like your site to seamlessly give cohesiveness to your customers, team members, and potential clients!
Why professional logo design does not cost $5.00
A very powerful and blunt look at "why professional logo design does not cost $5.00" written by an amazing veteran designer. "Logo design in today’s world is totally under rated. People do not understand how important a good logo is and how valuable it is to their business and this is why I am going to outline some very important facts telling you exactly why logo design should not cost $5 and why your logo is not something you should take lightly. In broad terms, I will do this by comparing “cheap logo design” to “professional logo design” and I will outline the reasons why professional logo designers do not charge such low fees and why you should invest in a professional logo design...." Read the whole article here.
Probably one of the absolutely best websites I have ever seen. THIS...this is why those "$5 websites in an evening" can't even hold a candle. Because of the interface, the design, and the completely NEW way of thinking, this 10 month old website has OVER 18k "likes" on Facebook, 14.7k Twitter followers...and it is quickly becoming one of the most downloaded apps on iTunes for your iPhone. How's THAT for impact!?! :D