Sadly, we’ve out grown our blogger blog. But we’re happy to announce that we’ve moved on to bigger and better things! If you aren’t automatically redirected, join us at our NEW BLOG for all of the creative thoughts, ideas and musings of the Moxie Creative Studio staff.
We may be a little wacky at times, but don’t let that scare you. Deep down, we’re just like everyone else, and we just want someone to talk to. Here are a few times on how to communicate with a graphic designer to build a strong and lasting relationship.
Be Specific.
When starting a new project with a graphic designer, provide as much information as possible. In fact, give too much information. Include the product/service, what makes it unique, the target audience (and specific info about the audience if it is available) and any other information that you think will be useful. As designers, the most information we have, the more effective we are.
Provide Examples.
If you have something in mind, if there’s a specific style that you like, or if you have some favorite design examples, send them our way! If you don’t have anything in mind, be open to the designer‘s ideas and suggestions. Or take some time to search out some styles that you like and think relate to your product/service.
Give Feedback.
If a color isn’t speaking to you, or if a photo isn’t telling your story like you think it should, make sure that you speak up. We love to hear what our customers think, and enjoy working with them to finalize their project. Both positive and negative feedback is needed to make sure that you are happy with the final product.
Be Honest.
We’re strong, we can take criticism. If you’re not happy with the design direction, be honest! We’ve built up a tough skin over the years, and we won’t take it personally. We’ll just try, try again, until you are happy. Kind of like the little engine that could, we will make sure you are happy with the final product.
Give Us Time!
In a perfect world, there would always be enough time for each project. But, in a graphic designer’s world, that rarely happens. While we sometimes thrive on short deadlines, for projects that need a little more thought or a little extra TLC, make sure you allow your graphic designers enough time to devote to your project. In the end, you will be happy that you did.
Be Accessible.
As we begin a new project we often have questions, need clarification or just need to talk about your project to get the creative juices flowing. Not being able to reach a customer can be a big frustration and the design process can slow down or stop all together. Help us help you! Responding quickly to voice mail and email helps keep projects moving along, and keeps everyone’s sanity in check.
You Catch More Flies With Honey Than Vinegar.
Sometimes just a simple “thank you” lets us know that you value our talent, our time and the project that we’ve completed for you. A small sign of appreciation makes us happy to go the extra-EXTRA mile for our customers! The next time you have a rush project, don’t forget the “pat-on-the-back” (or perhaps a box of chocolate) to the designer who helped you in your time of need. It makes all of the difference in the world.
We hope this makes your life a little easier. If you have any questions or need help creating a marketing piece for your company, please contact us! At Moxie, we are here to serve our customers, to help YOU SUCCEED!
www.thinkmoxie.com | 715.359.7141 | info@thinkmoxie.com
What’s the #1 most important thing to consider when you create a new marketing piece? You might think it is your product or service. Perhaps you would say it’s your boss (who doesn’t want to make their boss happy?). Think again. The most important thing to consider is your target market. They are, after all, the driving force behind the success of your brand.
Who Are They?
First and foremost, who are you trying to reach? If you are selling a new line of athletic shoes, you are probably going to target serious athletes, not serious couch potatoes. Make sure you know who needs your product, their age, their gender, marital status, income range, favorite color. Everything that makes them, who they are. Now, zero in on those people and find ways to target the.
How Do They Communicate?
Does your target market Twitter from dawn to mid-night? Or do they prefer the lost art of hand written letters? Knowing how your market communicates, what they read and what music they listen to not only tells you how to find them, but it also shows you how to effectively reach them.
What Do They Need?
How can your product or service improve the life of your target market? Will your product easy the worries of a new mother? Or help a business owner organize and prioritize? Whatever you are selling, make sure that your main focus is on the benefit to the customer.
How Can You Relate?
One of the best ways to connect with your target market is to relate to them on a personal level. It is the foundation to building trust and a life-long relationship. Go ahead, make it personal.
Design To Fit THEIR Needs.
Now that you have figured out who your target audience is make sure that ALL of your marketing materials communicate directly to your audience. Just because your favorite color is magenta, doesn’t mean that your target market will appreciate its vivacity. Make sure that you keep in mind who you are targeting and why, and everything will fall into place.
We hope this makes your life a little easier. If you have any questions or need help creating a marketing piece for your target market please contact us! At Moxie, we are here to serve our customers, to help YOU SUCCEED!
www.thinkmoxie.com | 715.359.7141 | info@thinkmoxie.com
So you need a web site designed. Or a new logo. Or a fancy-pants brochure to sell your amazing product (your product IS amazing after all!). You want the best-of-the-best, but you also have a budget to keep in mind. What to do, what to do? There are so many graphic design options available, but you want to make the right decision. We can help! Here are just a few of the many, many, many reasons that you should work with a professional graphic design team on your next print or web project.
Quality, Quality, Quality.
Anyone can learn the necessary design programs, but it takes a special kind of talent to take an idea and turn it into something amazing. It is not enough just to make a brochure or a web site look good, it has to serve a purpose. Are you trying to sell a product, promote a service or raise money for a charity? Whatever your goal, you need a creative team that has the skills to make your marketing materials sing!
Know-How.
You’re never too old to learn a new trick. That’s our way of thinking (not that we’re old…29 is definitely NOT old!). We’re constantly learning new programs, keeping up-to-date on the latest SEO techniques, and picking the brains of printers so we have the knowledge to provide our customers with the best end product possible. After all, you deserve the best.
Customer Service.
Above all, you need a graphic design team that knows how to treat a customer…like they are the only one who exists! We make sure to put your project first and to give it our full attention. If you’re not happy, we’re not happy. And we like to be happy!
You Get What You Pay For.
It’s a tough economy and we understand that everyone is trying to cut costs and save money. But remember, you get what you pay for. You could hire a designer who promises to design your new brochure for really cheap. Too-good-to-be-true cheap. But after countless rounds of designs, you’re not happy with the outcome and instead of saving money, you’ve actually wasted it. You need a creative team that understands your needs and can deliver. In the long run, your initial investment is worth more if the final product effectively sells your company or product.
We hope this makes your decision a little easier. If you have any questions, please ask us! At Moxie, we are here to serve our customers, to help YOU SUCCEED!
“The design is done, now what do I do?”
If it’s a printed piece, the answer is to find a printer. As designers, we work with printers on a regular basis so we know how the process goes. What specifications to include, how to look at a proof, what questions to ask. But as a professional in a different field, it would be difficult to guess what to look for when choosing or working with a printer. So we are going to let you — Yes, YOU! — behind the curtain, share some of the knowledge we’ve acquired over the years (not too many years, since we are all 29 years or younger... just don’t look at our driver’s license). Before choosing a printer, please review our top five tips we’ve put together about the printing process.
The IMFB showcases three different paper selections. The brochure/folder cover had to be sturdy and hold it’s form well. It basically has to be an impenetrable fortress. So we settled on the Intrigue™ Folding Carton Stock in White (18 pt). It was printed with 4-color process with a custom die cut for the cover and folder. It also features an antique gold spiral binding. The inside pages needed to be a little flashier than the cover, so we went with the Royal Laid® in Natural (80 lb Cover). The Laid finish helps to reinforce the “green” message, and showcases one of the hottest paper trends for 2009: texture. Also printed with 4-color process, the rounded corners add another design element to give it that little extra somethin’ somethin’. The inserts demanded that they be strong and durable, since they will have to endure being taken in and out of the folder over and over and over again. Royal Resource® in Brilliant White (130 lb Cover) was the perfect match. This sturdy paper in bright blue-white beautifully shows off 4-color process and can stand up to even the roughest hands.
What is next for the IMFB and Intrigue? Soon it will be hitting the fine packaging market, and we are confident that it will go far. In the future, we have dreams of using the IMFB to showcase even more WP papers and printing techniques. Call it the IMFB 2.0. Perhaps a web site with up-to-date information is written in the stars? Who knows, maybe some day you will see Intrigue tweeting away, or maybe it will have a blog of its own. When you have such a fantastic product, and the service and brand power of WP behind it, who knows where life will take you.
It’s finally here! I know that you’ve been patiently waiting. Well, maybe not patiently. Part two of our creative inspirations. For you reading pleasure, here are just a few more of the many, many was to find inspiration. Helping Others Sometimes the most inspiring thing that you can do is helping others. Whether that means giving a co-worker feedback on a web site they are designing, brainstorming ad concepts with a team, or participating in on-line forums such as SmashingMagazine the Graphic Design Forum or Estetica. Just knowing that I've helped create that glimmer in someone's eye when they have an idea, or helped solve a problem that someone has been stuck on, reminds me that the work I do has value, and gives me that extra little push and boost in confidence that is needed to be creative. Pro Bono Work Similar to being inspired by helping others, doing work for a good cause, something that gives you the warm fuzzys, can bring out the best creative ideas. Creating a web site that helps young pregnant women in need, a web site and CD that helps to raise money for children in Africa, a web site raising donations for a sick little girl, any cause or fundraiser that pulls at your heart strings and bring tears to your eyes can be the best inspiration around. It's so important to know that creative work has value, that it can inspire someone to donate, to reach out and help someone in need, or to help spread the word about a cause that affects them personally. Keeping Up with the Trends Sometimes all it takes is browsing through the latest design annual from Print, How or CommArts. Just reviewing the outstanding design pieces of the year will open your mind and start the ideas flowing. A great font in a brochure combined with an illustrated logo style and a patterned background from a web site can be combined to make a fresh and exciting Call for Entries. Don't be afraid to borrow pieces from another design and make it your own. Who knows, maybe you'll come up with something so innovative that it will end up in next years design annual, and you will be the inspiration for another creative-blocked designer! Other People Sometimes all it takes to get out of a mind block is just talking to those around you, be that coworkers, spouse, family, friends, or that friendly man at the gas station (you know, the one who hangs out there all day, everyday). Each person, with their unique interests and out look on life, can get you thinking in a new direction, maybe one that you never would have explored before. Next thing you know, a brilliant idea a ad is born. Just like magic. Do Something Mindless Every once in a while all it takes for creative genius to strike is just giving your mind a break and letting it do it's own thing. That could mean doodling, not anything in particular, just letting your mind go to see where it will take you. What's that on the napkin you just scribbled all over? Hey, it's a brilliant logo! Or lose yourself in a book or movie (it can even be one of those cheesy romance movies, no one is judging!). If you just let your mind go, no pressure, no one breathing down your neck, brilliance will strike. And you actually get to sit down and enjoy yourself for once. What Inspires You? I'd love to keep this post going, but I need some help! What gets you out of your rut and into the creative zone? I'd love to hear your creative inspirations.
It's happened to all of us, even the most seasoned design professionals. You sit down at your computer, ready to produce some amazing work for a new project that you are super excited about. You have your mouse in one hand, and some Starbucks in the other. And then…nothing. No ideas. No glimmer of creative brilliance. Now what?
There are many, many different ways to find creative inspiration, and while different things work for different creatives, here are a few things that spark ideas every time. And this is just part one of a two (or more) part series.
Music
For the longest time, Mike Doughty's Haughty Melodic could inspire me when nothing else would. I can't really explain it. There isn't one specific song, it isn't because it is a ground-breaking album, he isn't even one of my top 5 favorite artists. But there's just something about it that allows me to open my mind, and then the ideas start flowing. I must admit that I haven't listened to this album for a while, probably at least a year, but I bet that the next time I get stuck and need an idea, I can put on this album, sit back and let the ideas come to me.
Pressure
Believe it or not, I'm most productive, and creative, when there's pressure. A quick deadline, a new and exciting project, work overload. There's something about the added pressure that gets my heart racing, my blood boiling, and the ideas flowing. Of course, sometimes this backfires and too much pressure makes my mind lock up tight, no ideas, no confidence, no time left. But then I simply turn on Busting Up a Starbucks (see inspiration #1) and I'm back in business.
New Environment
Sometimes the best thing to do is to just get out. Leave the office or home, sit outside, get some coffee (yes, Starbucks can be an inspiration), window shop, browse through the local unique flower shop. Anything to get your out of your chair, to get your body and mind moving again. Something just a simple change of location can give your mind the spark it needs to start working. But don't stay away too long, there's still a lot pressure waiting for you back at the office.
Interior & Fashion Design
That's right, interior and fashion design and graphic design influence each other. Who knew? Interior and fashion design trends are a great source for beautiful textures and colors interacting together. A funky chair could inspire a logo. A new fabric pattern could inspire a web site. The possibilities really are endless, so don't feel bad about looking at newest fashions at work! It's all in the name of inspiration.
Art History
It's true history repeats itself, but who said that has to be bad thing? Knowing where art and design comes from, what worked and what didn't, is a great way to find inspiration. While browsing through some old art books something from the Art Deco era will catch your eye, and inspire a new logo. Maybe the red and orange hues in the sunset in Edvard Munch’s The Scream inspire a color palette for an annual report. So browse through those art history books, visit an art museum, paint-by-number, what ever floats your artistic boat.
What Inspires You? Part two (and maybe part three, four, five…) of this post could use some more ideas. What gets you out of your rut and into the creative zone? I'd love to hear your creative inspirations.
I recently read an article discussing drop down menus and their effectiveness, and it got me thinking. As a designer I never saw drop down menus as a problem before, unless they were poorly executed. But this article got me thinking about how and when drop down menus should be used and what their purpose is. Here are some of my more brilliant thoughts.
The first and most important purpose of a drop down menu is to de-clutter. Some sites have so much content that it just doesn't make sense to list all of the individual links on the home page. It would be overwhelming, cause confusion, and as a result, drive away traffic. Adding drop down menus can help make a web site look more appealing, cleaner and more professional. It also allows the site to be more user-friendly because visitors don't have to sift through a ton of information/links to find the one or two links that they are interested in. It makes the visitors’ experience more enjoyable and informative, and that is after all the main goal of a web site.
A secondary, but still important purpose, is that drop down menus give the site individuality. There are endless options for drop down menus, and as long as they are executed well, they add a positive note to the visitors experience, making the site more enjoyable and more memorable. By doing something unique and creative with the drop downs, you give visitors something to remember, and that will keep them coming back.
And of course, the obvious (and kind of boring) reason that drop down menus are a good idea: the links are organized by topic. This makes it quick and easy to find a specific subject, then find all of the content on the site that relates to it. Visitors can navigate to the topics they want to learn more about, and avoid those they do not. This way visitors don't have to read through pages of content before they find what they are looking for. It gives the visitor more control over what they see, and doesn't waste their time with content that they are not interested in.
But of course, drop down menus can go horribly wrong. If they are not carefully planned, the menus can interfere with the rest of the site, they may not function properly or they make the site more cluttered and difficult to navigate through. All of this creates a bad visitor experience and deters visitors from exploring more of the site, or from visiting it again.
Good Examples of Drop Down Menus
www.jnj.com - fluid motion, doesn't interfere with the content on the page, helps organize and declutter the home page. This type of drop down is a strong design element on the site, the menus are part of the design, not an afterthought.
www.mediatemple.net - Simple and effective way to organize multiple links.
www.tnvacation.com - Simple drop down menus that don't interfere with the content on the site.
www.fossil.com - Simple drop downs that are minimized, not really a design element, just a way to organize links
www.flowrestaurant.com - A fun and simple example of drop down menus that reinforces the design on the rest of the site.
www.hopewausau.org - Simple drop down menus that don't interfere with the design or content.
Drop Down Menus Gone Bad
www.navigantconsulting.com - The menus interfere with the text on the index page, making it difficult to read the links.
www.digg.com - This may be a personal preference, but I expect drop down menus to appear when I hover over the link. I don't expect to have to click on it to see the rest of the menu. So, while these menus are functional, it would make more sense that they automatically appear when you hover over the link.
www.alienware.com - Menus are difficult to read (black on black)
Thanks for stopping by our blog! Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are Moxie Creative Studio, a creative branding studio that specializes in print and web design and programming. We also dabble in copy writing, photography and video. With the help of a few partners, we can also offer marketing services.
Our studio has grown almost exclusively from client referrals and we a very proud of that. Our work speaks for itself and sells itself.
Our passion for design is fueled by the desire to make a difference in our community and in the world. In addition to our normal customers, those who pay the bills, we also do a lot of donation work. Those feel-good projects where we get to help others and their causes, and know that we are making a difference.
The purpose of our blog is to discuss topics about the design industry, new technology that impacts our careers and lives and to keep everyone up-to-date with the events at Moxie. It is our goal to have a new post every week, maybe more, maybe less depending on our work load at the time. Stay tuned for more!
