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Pick up your phone and look at your three most used apps. Now think about how you found them. Did you read the text underneath or did you immediately find what you needed based on the app icons? If you’re like me you probably answered “icons,” and until just a moment ago had completely forgotten […]

We always talk about the ways companies can improve their branding, but rarely does anyone ever mention what happens once a brand has, for lack of better words, “made it.” No brand is perfect, there’s always room for change and improvement, but for many brands, the day does come when they reach a comfortable level […]

No one, aside from maybe a racecar driver, wants to feel rushed in their job. Even designers, many who are used to working in a fast paced environment, know that a good outcome takes time. However, that being said, %#*& happens. Sometimes there is no way to avoid a rush project. Last minute changes happen […]

Don’t worry, this is not going to be another post about politics. The internet is saturated with articles for your reading pleasure, and let’s be honest, you’re only going to read the ones that align with your own beliefs anyways. So check your politics at the door, because this isn’t Facebook and we’re going to […]

There is a lot of debate these days on whether a homepage should still be considered the most important page on a website. There’s no doubt this used to be true, but with the current state of social media things have changed. We now have a desire to constantly share and link directly to pages […]

We’re all familiar with the idea of the “fun quirky office.” Maybe you’ve seen a friend from high school posting things on Facebook and wondered to yourself (or commented, if that’s your thing) “does this company ever get any work done?” Generally, this type of environment is reserved for tech companies or creative industries, but […]

What do most charity events, art fairs, business conferences and internet cat video festivals have in common? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t Lil Bub. These drastically different types of events have one major thing in common – the support of corporate sponsors. An event doesn’t have to be huge in order to benefit from a sponsor […]

Everyone knows the expression “rules are made to be broken.” Depending on the circumstances, the phrase can be used in a positive or negative way. But what about when it’s used in marketing and branding? Setting guidelines is a crucial step when branding a new company and following these rules when a brand is established and […]

If you’ve found yourself anywhere near the Internet over the past few years you’ve inevitably been made aware of a company rebranding controversy. Everyone seems to have a strong opinion when it comes to these design critiques, and it doesn’t seem to matter whether the critics have any design background or not. On one hand, […]

“But everyone else is doing it!” We’ve all heard or even personally thought this phrase before. Sometimes in business following the crowd is a good idea because the choices are based on forward thinking trends. Other times, it can be dangerous to blindly follow the example of other brands, especially knowing some marketing trends have […]

It’s no secret most designers (myself included) get excited when we run across a great book cover. I’ve even written about them in the past and recapped some of my favorites and why I think they were so successful. I’m one of those odd creatures who despite it being 2016, still prefers a physical book over an […]

I don’t do resolutions for the new year. Besides being a pessimist and somewhat of a contrarian, I just don’t like setting unrealistic and/or cliché goals for myself. I do however, like starting the year off with a little bit of design research and thinking about ways to improve my own process and expand my […]

So, you found yourself in the presence of a graphic designer? Congratulations! (or apologies?) I’m sure you’ve noticed we can be a little odd and neurotic. Our habits tend to get so deeply ingrained we have a hard time turning them off, and that can get pretty irritating for the innocent bystanders we call friends […]

Everyone loves an occasional road trip, right? Sometimes it’s nice to just hop in the car with friends or family and travel to a new location. I know plenty of people who have gone on road trips to see natural parks, historical sites and even breweries. But I know far fewer people who have gone […]

Every time I turn around it seems there’s another site or app making it easy for just about anyone to do their own design work. This isn’t strictly a graphic design thing of course. Sites like Pinterest are filled with tutorials on how to DIY everything from simple crafts to major home improvements and renovations. The […]