Have a new design project and aren’t sure whether to use digital or offset printing? It’s not always easy to know which way to go. Every design project is different, so the answer varies from project to project. It isn’t just a matter of cost, there are many factors to be considered before choosing digital or offset for your printing needs. In order to make an educated decision, it is important to understand each method, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each.
“Less is more” has become a pretty strong trend lately in the world of logo design. More and more brand facelifts are sharing a common theme: simplicity. To name a few just in the past couple weeks, Netflix, Paypal and Avery have followed suit. Take a look:
The temperatures are finally rising and it is starting to really feel like spring around here! I don’t know about you but I am extremely excited to hear the sounds of birds chirping and am thoroughly enjoying watching the trees and flowers start to bloom. It makes me smile. There is just something about spring that makes me feel refreshed. Maybe it’s the annual spring cleaning that happens around my house every year.
With today being the official start of spring, I thought it would be only be fitting to talk about BUNNIES. Although, with the harsh winter temperatures we are still experiencing, I am not sure we will be seeing baby rabbits anytime soon, but they are certainly on the horizon to come!
Over the years, I’ve watched “green” printing practices evolve from being an afterthought to becoming a fact of life, an expectation. Like it or not, sustainability has become an underlying theme that has grown in importance throughout the last decade. Clients today expect and demand sustainable choices. And, as the designer, I have the power to help clients find better solutions which will help them reach their sustainability goals without having to sacrifice or compromise on the “wow-factor.” Eco-consciousness doesn’t have to get in the way of the quality or creativity of the final product. There are many ways to approach a responsibly printed solution that you can be proud of.
I can’t believe another year has passed. So many great things happened in 2013 (especially with the arrival of my little munchkin) but l am really excited for the new opportunities and the clean slate that 2014 brings. I think that with the change of the calendar on January 1st there is also a change in perspective for most people. It is a time when we commit ourselves to new goals and self-improvement with a positive attitude. We can shed the disappointments of the past and start fresh.
Remember when you were a kid and the only thing you had to worry about over the holidays was to make sure you were on your best behavior and that you left Santa a nice note with some cookies for his reindeer before bed so that when Santa arrived he would leave you some presents as a reward for your good behavior? As I get older, the list gets bigger as to what needs to be done and way more stressful – trees to decorate, parties, cookies to bake, an overwhelmingly long list of people to buy for…With less than two weeks left go, I thought I might give you some helpful tips for choosing a meaningful holiday gift for your clients.
If that realization strikes panic inside of you, take a breath, I have a little something fun to help ease you into the holiday and maybe help take some stress out of planning that perfect meal. Every year I go through the same drill of trying to decide whether or not I actually want to host Thanksgiving at my house or not. I am not sure why I always do this because there really isn’t any need for the anxiety. I cook dinner every night for the most part, so why is this day any different?
I confess, I have a new obsession called “logo quiz.” It all started last Friday night when I was out at dinner with family. We had just finished up and all of a sudden my brother-in-law picked up my husband’s sunglasses and started examining them. A couple seconds later he was playing with his phone and was lost “in the zone.” It wasn’t until five minutes later that he actually returned to the conversation at the table and let us in on what he was doing. He was playing “logo quiz” and the logo on my husband’s glasses was one of the ones that had stumped him, so now he had the answer. I was curious, so as soon as we got home I downloaded the app and I was quickly addicted. It is a little something fun for the designer in me and it’s challenging. Now whenever I am out, I am looking at every sign we pass or when we watch tv, I keep my eyes peeled for any of the ones that have been keeping me stumped. All this logo fun got me to thinking, what elements are required to create a great logo? What is it that keeps these particular logos emblazoned in our brains and why are we able to recognize what they are even when we are seeing only part of the logo?
Last weekend I was out running my usual Sunday errands and one of my stops was the grocery store. I had my list ready and was ready to start shopping but when I walked through the door they were handing out coupons for 50% off toilet paper. Now, I normally stick to my list and get in and out, but the coupon seemed too good to pass up. So I added toilet paper to my list. When I got to the aisle and found the toilet paper, I stopped and sort of just stood there. There were so many options, how do I make a decision? This isn’t normally where I buy that kind of stuff so it all seemed really overwhelming.
Take a good, hard look at your website. Compare it to some of your competitors, or some sites with similar goals.
This week, I thought it would be great to recap on the JCPenney rebrand and what has happened since its launch back in early 2012 and what we can take away from it.
