We’re in a weird spot right now—digital content is an essential part of any marketing campaign, but we’re also still producing a lot of print materials. We can build beautiful, comprehensive campaigns, but the way these two types of media interact with each other is a little awkward. I was recently working on some print […]
Read MoreBetween Kickstarter, Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, e-commerce plugins, etc., it’s easier than ever to sell products direct to consumer. However, many solopreneurs and startups don’t have big budgets for product packaging, and yet they certainly want packaging that reflects the quality of their products. There are some creative options to consider that allow for custom branding, clean […]
Read MoreWhat is the future of design? This question is a constant for most designers. 99U put out an article that posed this question to a number of design experts and visionaries, and they provided their thoughts on what we might see in the next 10 years. A few things stood out to me: The changing role […]
Read MoreBranding a product or service that’s less-than-sexy has its challenges. This great article in FastCo Design highlights some key ways a number of “boring” brands have hit it out of the park with their digital communications. Brand and web design play key roles in their success. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways, along with […]
Read MoreSince the 90’s consumers have been pushing back on advertising. We’re highly critical of traditional advertising — TV, print and radio — and highly skeptical of other forms of advertising. And for good reason. Coca-Cola sponsoring school events feels eerily similar to the way tobacco companies targeted members of the military during World War II. Free cigarettes! And […]
Read MoreOver the weekend, I got to check out the newly remodeled SFMOMA. The remodel is beautiful, as are the numerous exhibits (too many to take in on one visit!). I was really excited to check out the “Typeface Interface” graphic design collection, and it got me thinking about other ways a company can share its brand […]
Read MoreI had the opportunity to check out a number of cool events during last week’s 2016 Design Week Portland, and especially enjoyed hearing Dana Tanamachi’s talk, “Perfectly Imperfect” on Wednesday night at PNCA. It was inspiring to get a glimpse of her background in design, her unexpected successes, and to hear her thoughtful reflections on her evolving work and […]
Read MoreIt’s comin’ up quick! Design Week Portland is “a week-long, city-wide series of programs exploring the process, craft, and practice of design across all disciplines.” April 15-21, all four corners of Portland will see a flurry of design-related talks, events, workshops, studio tours, and shows. This is a huge week for designers, but also offers […]
Read MoreOnce relatively exclusive to the fashion design industry, moodboards are everywhere now–design, architecture, politics, education, therapy…basically anywhere one’s brand or identity is a work in progress. I use them a lot in the design work I do, whether for a brand identity project, or to determine the mood of an internal campaign for an already […]
Read MoreHappy New Year! Do you have any big design plans this year? A rebrand, some new print materials, perhaps an updated website? I’ve been curious about what design trends to expect in 2016, so I looked around to see what the internet creative hivemind is saying. Here are some recurring predictions I noticed: Monochromatic Color […]
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