Tips & Tricks | Connection, Charisma, and Drive = Consistent Clients

I have worked with people for many years and in many different settings; retail, hospitality, health care, office work, agency, studio, firm, corporate. In all of those environments, I have found a commonality: People enjoy working with people that they enjoy and people skills have held more weight in my career than my design skills.

Talking to my clients as if they are humans has been so essential to not only securing them, but has (many times) led to me being referred over & over again.

SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HELPED ME :

Being vocal - disclosing my thoughts, ideas, excitement, and experience with similar projects. Also, relaying my knowledge of the possible approaches to the execution of the project from start to finish.

Laughter - it eases the client up to feel comfortable with me and allows them to realize that this is one human speaking with another. It’s an un-robotic conversation and great relationship-builder. Wit and a touch of sarcasm can be a very beneficial tool. Be careful to not get too comfy as you are not speaking with a friend. This is business.

Prioritize your clients - you can’t get everything done for everyone in one day or even one week, sometimes. Being openly communicative about my schedule, divulging a deadline/timeline for the clients’ needs, and responding to emails & calls in a timely manner.

Boundaries:
• I usually respond to emails within 1-2 hours, but 24 hours is not an abnormal timeframe (we are all busy).
• I typically do not take calls nor answer emails after 6pm and on the weekends, but working myself can sometimes mean later nights to meet a deadline.
• Getting “too chummy” with clients has worked against me. Cussing, being a jokester, regularly not meeting deadlines/not letting a client know that it may take longer than my proposed deadline(s), etc.
• Address stressful client conversations with calmness and be willing to stand up for yourself.
For example: ”I hear what you are saying and understand where you are coming from, I do not appreciate and don’t respect being yelled at.”

DIVINELY GOLDEN

The Golden Ratio:
Also known as the Golden Section, the Golden Mean or the Divine Proportion, is derived from the Fibonacci Sequence in which each number is the sum of the two numbers before it…Seems a bit overwhelming with this sort of math, but don’t worry.

You start with a rectangle that fits the parameters of the Fibonacci Sequence and then continuously draw squares within that rectangular sequence. This can go on into infinity. Remember thats there’s magic in number 1.618.

WHAT’S THIS GOT TO DO WITH DESIGN?:

1. Creates harmony & proportion that our minds are subconsciously attracted to.

2. Helps to build hierarchy with your typography.

3. Aids in the creation of impactful & eye-catching logos.

4. Develops inspiring layouts for editorial, web, and other printed materials.

Tips & Tricks | Creating an Online Design Portfolio

This is the opportunity to introduce yourself on the digital frontlines. Like anything else design-oriented, a portfolio is to be treated in the same manner; it is to be designed, curated, and organized in a fashion that highlights YOU as a designer and as a human. Showcase projects, passions, experiences, and expertise. In the end, it’s what gets you hired.

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN DESIGNING A PORTFOLIO:

Presentation is everything - bring your work to life
with staging photos of work and/or mockups.

Quality over quantity - it’s good practice to feature your absolute best pieces instead of cramming in anything & everything.

Build a website that’s easy to maintain - time is money and time is life. Make it easy on yourself by creating something that makes it swiftly efficient to upload new projects and insert thoughtful copy.

Boundaries Will Give You Wings

Setting healthy, professional boundaries is a skill that takes time, patience, and testing.

For me, it’s a constant learning process, as each clients is unique. Communication styles, demeanor, personality. This has brought me to the realization that I’m not only solution-maker for graphics/visuals, but also a solution-maker for effectively communicating with clients.

There will be clients that are super fluid, clients that yell, clients that micromanage, clients that praise. There are so many different experiences and all of them beneficial.

How I’ve dealt with difficulties in relation to clients:

1. Stay calm, breathe, and respond in a neutral manner?

2. Deplete my ego and think about how to move forward.

3. Stand up for myself: I know my worth as a designer and person, and no client has the right to be disrespectful. When this happens, I can calmly let them know that, “I am not ok with be spoken to in that manner.” More often than not, the client is receptive, things are calmed, and we move forward.

4. It is ok to say “no” to a client. Whether it is to a deadline, a timeline, or a simple ask. Learning what I can and can not do/take on is a constant learning process.

DID YOU KNOW? | RESEARCH IS HALF OF THE ADVENTURE

Logo design requires a vast amount of research to achieve amazing logo options. In my experience, I have spent between 15 and 20 hours on the entirety of the research process. This includes the preliminary meeting with the client to discuss their wants & needs (logo look & feel, style, color palette, audience, etc.).

WHERE YOUR RESEARCH TIME WILL BE SPENT:

• Company’s industry
• Competitors
• Audience/target market/target demographic(s)
• Inspiration (logo books, design site/blogs, etc.)
• Preliminary brainstorming
• Sketching design options
• Font options

IMPORTANT TIPS | DESIGNING FOR PRINT

Printed materials play a vital role in the world of graphic design. As a society, we have become more and more accustomed to seeing design on a screen. The way that the majority of it consumed these days, makes printed work all the more precious. To actually hold something in your hands and interact with it is very invigorating to me as a designer. Here are some key tips when designing for print.

WHAT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:

• Convert all RGB images to CMYK
• Outline all fonts/package your files
• Check your image resolution
• Ensure that you set bleeds
• Delete all unused swatches
• SPELL CHECK

How Many Logos Do You See?

When it comes to logos, I believe that less is more with showing logo designs. I sketch out many ideas in pencil and pick my favorite ones (usually 4-5) prior to getting on my computer. It is there that I narrow down my concepts to a total of 3. Sending 3 options helps me to spend an efficient amount of time on refining my concepts and providing clients with well thought out & intentional pieces to choose from.

My approach has also helped in limiting the amount of “Frankensteining” that may happen; the client taking bits & pieces from multiple designs to create an entirely new logo.

Questions I ask myself before sending designs to clients:

1. What are my most thought out ideas/designs?

2. Do I showcase my favorite option first or last? (I like to place it last, as it’s the final thing that’s left in their mind)

3. Have I provided them with an at least one option that is the direction in what they vocalized they’re looking for?

4. Am I proud of what i’ve created?

An InDesign Slay for CMYK

When getting your InDesign files ready for print, part of the process is ensuring that all images and graphics are in CMYK color mode for best printing results.

In the “Links” panel, you can click on any link and in the “Link Info” section you will find the “Color Space” description which tells you whether your link is RGB or CMYK.

THE QUICK FIX FOR YOUR RGB PICS:

1. Right click any link in your “Links” panel and highlight Edit With > Adobe Photoshop

2. In the top menu in Photoshop, select Image > Mode > CMYK and save your image.

3. Next to your link in InDesign, double click the little yellow symbol with an exclamation mark on it. This will update it to your newly saved CMYK link.

Tips & Tricks | The Typeface Magic of Alternative Glyphs

You’ve researched, found, and downloaded a beautiful font for your project…the problem is those awe-inspiring letterforms that you saw in the demo designs are not showing up when you type. We now enter the magic of alternative glyphs that will solve this road block.

WHAT YOU DO TO GET THOSE ELUSIVE LETTERFORMS IN ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR:

1. Click Window > Type > Glyphs

2. In the Glyphs panel, click the drop-down menu and select Entire Font

3. Search away for those special alternatives you’ve been craving.

PUT THE FLEX ON YOUR UX

With rapid growth in technological advances, the constant metamorphosing in the realm of graphic design, and the escalating decline in attention spans from increasing waves of stimuli incessantly bouncing around, RESEARCH IS EVERYTHING.

WAYS TO CAPTIVATE YOUR AUDIENCE & INFLUENCE WEBSITE TRAFFIC:

• Illustrations
• Animations
• Creative scrolling
• Bold colors
• Custom fonts
• 3D depth

Color Palette Creation

Colors bring another element of personality to any design. Just like with fonts, colors provide a mood, personality, voice, and an overall experience for the viewer. Creating a color palette is combining different colors in an appealing & enticing manner to enhance the tone you want to relay.

WAYS TO NARROW DOWN A GREAT COLOR PALETTE:

• Educate yourself on what colors symbolize
• Research similar/competitor brands
• Think about the mood you want to create
• Play around & have fun trying new things

Feeling the Fonts | Logo Design

Getting “funky” with your font choices is always a fun process for me when designing logos. Typefaces have a range of character that, when combined with icons, graphics, symbols, etc., can immensely increase the personality of a logo.

Some great font resources:
• myfonts.com
• thedesignersfoundry.com
• swisstypefaces.com

Things to consider when choosing a font for your logo designs:

1. What “voice” do you want to evoke?:
   • elegance
   • quirkiness
   • sleek/modern

2. Who is your audience?

3. Do you want a bold punch or a delicate touch?

4. Try to get out of your comfort zone and use non-mainstream typefaces.

DID YOU KNOW? | Fonts Have a Personality

Every single font is designed & built to exude very specific moods and personality traits. They influence the way your audience perceives your brand.

There are very subtle & approachable ones (check out Verlag and Pluto Sans), classic & elegant ones (check out Bodoni and Didot), bold & aggressive ones (check out Hanley Block Display and Acropolis HTF), and many more. Your choice of font(s) are directly related to and a part of your brand; it’s another added accent to the “voice” of your company. How do you want your business to be portrayed? You have a plethora of choices and so much to play with to make your message explode in the marketplace

The Importance of Logo Design

Did you know that first impressions are everything? When it comes to a logo design, this is no exception. Your logo is typically the first thing that your potential client(s) will see and it’s the initial chance to grab their attention.

It is of paramount importance to ask yourself these questions when pursuing the task of logo generation:

1. What is the voice of my company?

2. Who is my audience?

3. How will I stand apart from my competition?

Tips & Tricks | Boost SEO with these photo goals

SEO (search engine optimization) is the process of optimizing your website to get organic, or un-paid, traffic from a search engine to your website.

When it comes to the photos that you upload to your website, there is more to take into account than optimizing them for web-use.

WHAT TO DO TO MAKE YOUR IMAGES COUNT:

1. Choose the best file type

   • JPGs for photos
   • PNG for most custom graphics, screenshots, and logos (PNG files have a transparent background.)
   • SVG for custom graphics or logos that will be viewed in many different sizes (SVG files scale to a variety of sizes without losing quality.)
   • GIFs for animated or moving graphics

2. Save your image files at 600 KB or less for best results. You don’t wanna slow down your website’s load time.

3. Name your image files with 3-4 words to that describe what it is. Your company name needs be included, preferably at the end.

   (example: logo-agnes-design-by-c.jpg

IMPORTANT TIPS | ICONS

Flat, outlined, smooth, crisp, clean, three-dimensional…icons are in our everyday lives.

icon [ahy-kon]
1. a picture, image, or other representation.
2. a sign or representation that stands for its object by virtue of a resemblance or analogy to it.

Icon creation brings an extension of your brands’ message and “voice.” Always take into account the mood & personality that you’re trying to convey when beginning your journey. Remember, icons are at their best when they can be quickly identified.

WHAT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT:

• Clarity - communicate the concept quickly
• Alignment - create balance & align the elements
• Readability - be sure it’s not hyper-detailed and easy for the eye to decipher
• Concision - if using descriptive copy, express your idea in just a few words
• Personality - ensure there’s uniqueness and relay a mood

DID YOU KNOW? | SOME INSIGHT ON X-HEIGHT

The x-height is a reference to the height of the lowercase x in a typeface at any point size. It assists in providing a way of measuring/ describing the overall proportions of a typeface.

WHY X-HEIGHT IS IMPORTANT IN TYPOGRAPHY:

• Determines the readability of a typeface.

• Tall heights are most readable as headlines.

• The small ones make for great choices for body copy.