branding

Storytelling in Business: the Devil is in the Details

30 November 2020

What drives a great story? The devil does, of course. Having something interesting to say–what novelists would call a good plot–is essential, but a great story hinges on its minutia. Details matter. Generalizations are boring. Unfortunately, minutia can also be as boring as hell. Too much of it, that is. That’s the devilish pitfall in…

What’s a Brand Bible, and What Do You Need to Make One?

10 November 2020

It happens more and more these days. Young, scrappy startups want copy and some taglines for their new app, gizmo, or e-commerce initiative. Maybe they’re even open to a new name. “Tell me about your brand,” I ask to get the ball rolling. Is there an existing style guide? Press releases, sell sheet, or an…

Building Better Branding Through Online Community

05 August 2019

Whether you’re promoting your own brand or a client’s, keeping your team interested in the project Slack channel, or sparking more engagement in your org’s online training program, the common denominator for success is: COMMUNITY. Build with the best intentions Building community in a way that feels (and is) authentic could seem either easy or…

the power of logos

Formula 1, Airbnb and the Power of Logos

21 November 2018

It’s not every day that graphic design makes the front page, at least at least not as the topic for discussion. Uber’s made the news again recently, with yet another new logo—their fourth in recent years. Dunkin’ Donuts just announced that they are dropping “Donuts” from their well-known logo. Even the Ad Council replaced its…

PPC advertising

What Is Pay Per Click Advertising, and Is It Right for You?

04 September 2018

So, you have a website, and a blog…what’s next? It’s no good pushing your content out into the ether, never to be consumed by anyone. Even worse is having an amazing product or service that no one knows about. So how do you keep your content from getting lost out there amongst all the choices…

brand strategy

Do All Designers Create Logos? How Much Should a Logo Cost?

29 May 2018

The myth of the Five Dollar Logo, and why it matters for your brand strategy. The conversation always goes something like this: “So, I’m starting a new business and well…I need a logo. Interested?” If we’re on the phone, what usually follows is a pause. If we’re communicating by email, there’s usually a suspiciously long…

Typeface/Font* Selection: A Practical Guide

25 October 2017

We could also call this post, “how to avoid being spoofed on Saturday Night Live.” As evidenced by a recent SNL sketch which lampoons the font chosen for the movie Avatar, proper typeface selection—awareness of which was once generally considered limited to graphic designers like myself—has entered into the mainstream consciousness. That’s a good thing, and…

Beetles, Brand Consistency and Why It All Matters

12 May 2017

It all started with a beetle. No, not the beetle of the oft-cited ’50s and ’60s Volkswagen advertising campaign. Think smaller. I’d just discovered that the tiny (and dreaded) Ips beetle had decided to make the beautiful large spruce in our front yard its new home. The one beetle soon became many beetles, the tree…

Situation: Fact Check

28 April 2017

Everything under the sun is searchable and finable on the Internet. That means it’s fairly easy to fall prey to clickbait, fake news and other dubious rabbit holes while conducting research, business or learning online. Now more than ever, it’s vital that we all get in the habit of checking facts to fish out the fakery…

Authenticity: Now, More Than Ever!

31 March 2017

Fake news abounds these days, and it’s both necessary and exhausting trying to determine what’s real. While you might be getting near the edge of your comfort zone over our current political climate, professionally speaking, you gotta get real and get to work. A common challenge in just about any line of business is how…