Blog

There’s no way around it, we’ve been M.I.A. Missing a week or two is one thing, but when you have been “radio-silent” for as long as we have, it’s time to start ‘splaining. First off, we are alive and well. … Read More

A particular tool in Indesign that offers an endless array of possibilities is the Gradient Tool. So, in keeping with the Master Pages post from last week, we’re going to continue with a basic look at the Gradient Tool and … Read More

It’s that time of year when the leaves are changing, pumpkin spice is added to most drinks and cobwebs that were previously considered unsightly are now ambiance. In the spirit of the season, let’s do something scary and tackle the … Read More

It’s difficult to even fathom these days how information was shared and processed prior to email and electronic communication. The speed and ease of the communication methods, in addition to the number of people that can be included, makes it … Read More

Most of the time when we are hired to do refresh, it is for a logo or brochure. However, we were recently approached to do a refresh of a different kind. Blain’s Farm & Fleet hired us to design motorized … Read More

When something is intuitive we can lose an awareness of what it truly contributes to a project because it is something that we do so naturally. Or, we take it for granted thinking that everyone has that same knowledge or … Read More

If you were going to be attending an event at someone’s house and they provided directions, you would think that those directions would be accurate, right? I mean, who knows better than the owner/host the best directions for making the … Read More

The potential downside of staying in one place for too long is that you become accustom to a specific perspective. I once heard it said that, “If you are use to seeing a birds-eye-view, then be sure to make an … Read More

It’s always good to have a clear understanding of industry terms. It can be the difference between contributing to a project’s success versus dropping the ball on important details. In order to help teams (both creatives and those who work … Read More

Sitting in a corner conference room, with light from two walls of windows streaming in, we just finished making our presentation. There’s always that moment before the client speaks when fingers are internally crossed and you’re holding your breath, wondering … Read More

There is a moment in a card game when it’s time to show what you’ve been holding. However you have been playing up until that point is no longer relevant because you are about to show everyone your hand. It is … Read More

A few years back we embarked on a cross-country family roadtrip. We were trekking out to visit family in Colorado and decided to lean into the “half the fun is getting there” approach. I’m a bit of a planner, so … Read More

A few years ago I read a book by Patrick Lencioni titled, Getting Naked (Be VERY careful about Googling it). Aside from enjoying the topics he covered in the book and finding it a very clear, easy read, the one thing … Read More

In talking with other designers recently we were sharing about projects we were working on and commiserating about challenges that can arise while doing our jobs. It became clear that a number of the challenges we each experienced had very … Read More

When growing up one of my most hated periodic chores was having to clean and organize my room. It’s not that I was extremely messy or unorganized, but over time the basic order deteriorated to chaos with the exception of … Read More

The basis of every project you put together is your document. While it’s not too overwhelming, as we start to share what we know about InDesign, it’s helpful to take it back to the bare basics to make sure we’re … Read More

There is no shortage of poorly designed materials in the world. We’ve all seen crummy brochures, clunky websites, and cheap logos. However, good design is not something that is only available to those willing to sojourn to Makku Picchu where … Read More

When you’re working in InDesign, there’s virtually no way to avoid dealing with the intersection of copy and images, it’s kind of InDesign’s thing. You can certainly just place the images willy-nilly and let the chips fall where they may. … Read More

We’ve all been there. Working with text in Adobe InDesign and suddenly we realize the content needs to be formatted with tabs, but rather than wrestle with that intimidating tool, we resort to hitting the space bar multiple times to … Read More

Over the years we have acquired a few hacks which make life easier when we are designing. A lot of times we use them without really thinking much about it, but we thought it might be helpful to share them. … Read More

I recently had the opportunity to speak at a local school on Career Day. It’s a wonderful opportunity for kids to be exposed to a variety of careers and hopefully get the wheels turning in their minds about what interests … Read More

Imagine a world-renowned, first-class, professional chef preparing their iconic dish. How likely do you think it would be for the chef to allow people to add whatever ingredients and spices they wish to his dish? He has taken the time … Read More

Both Rebecca and I have been attending more networking events recently and one question we are guaranteed to get is, “Do companies STILL print things?” It’s almost to the point that I have a flat, red spot on my forehead … Read More

Alright, this is not really a huge revelation, but the lion’s share of talent in our design company is not held by me. I’ll pause for a moment while you pick yourself off the ground and recover your composure (laughter … Read More

Today, we want to share some of our tips around what to do when working with low-quality images. Obviously, it would be great if every image you worked with was taken by a professional photographer, well lit, and perfectly composed. … Read More

No matter how long you have been in business it’s only a matter of time before you encounter a tough season. While the circumstances will vary — turmoil with a client, shifts in the industry, or challenges within your team … Read More

When you are starting a business there are countless decisions to be made, including, who is your target market, what are your values and priorities, and what kind of triangle are you? Wait… what? All projects and products are comprised … Read More

One of the most daunting tasks for a designer can be the concept phase of a project. Feeling the weight of responsibility to find the big idea for a particular project can be overwhelming. However, having a solid process to … Read More

There’s a minute left on the clock… your team is down 3 points… the ball is snapped to the quarterback, who fakes left and then grapevines to the right and hands you the football. What do you do? OK, clearly … Read More

The world can be divided into 2 camps: People who LOVE checklists and those who have yet to come to their senses about checklists. Clearly, I am one of those Checklist people. Checking items off a list is one of … Read More

It’s no secret I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth. I’m not going to say I can’t control myself, but it may be for the best if I’m not left alone for too long with a plate of goodies … Read More

These past few weeks we have talked about what makes a successful brochure. The type of brochure that captures the attention of your audience, while setting you apart from competitors. A well-designed brochure: has a clear hierarchy utilizes key design … Read More

Color is a massive topic. Entire college classes are dedicated to the topic of color theory. Which makes sense when you think about how powerful color can be. Many studies have been done on the impact of color in marketing. … Read More

Each week we have been sharing the elements a good designer uses to build a strong brochure. You may never have given these topics much thought before, but we guarantee they are essential parts of every brochure that catches your … Read More

We have been building a case to show how good design is the key to creating effective brochures that will enhance your brand and clearly communicate your message. Last week we shared our process for color-correcting photos because having dynamic … Read More

In the past few weeks during our “What makes a well-designed brochure” series, we’ve looked at Hierarchy and C.R.A.P. (Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity), now we’re going to take a closer look at how to maximize the quality of your images … Read More

Last week we introduced the importance of brochure design having a hierarchy. When a designer creates a hierarchy, they are organizing content for the reader so the message is clear and the overall tone of the brochure is consistent with … Read More

A year or two ago, we received an invitation from a friend to our first wine tasting. Now, we enjoy wine, but are not in any way well-versed in the intricacies of evaluating them. We basically have two levels of … Read More

Regularly, in this blog we talk about the value of print brochures. When done well, we believe it is an effective tool that has the power to influence your audience. However, we don’t advocate doing print solely for the sake … Read More

Color can be an intimidating topic. There are entire courses dedicated to color theory and many artists who have dedicated their careers to studying color. While the amount of information may be vast, it’s still important for designers to understand … Read More

For many people, the end of the year is a time to reflect on the past year as well as look ahead, and potentially set some goals for the new one. In that spirit, let’s look at some missteps in … Read More

The holidays are upon us and, regardless of how you celebrate, there is one thing that is universal, everyone enjoys getting a gift. In thinking about it, I started to see similarities between gifts and brochures. So grab a cup … Read More

There is a prevalent myth that people are either “left-brain dominant” or “right-brain dominant”. The Left Brainers are more analytical and logical, while the Right Brainers are intuitive and creative. Current research has shown the brain is not split and … Read More

If you are in business, you have a message to share with an audience. The clarity of the message and the way it is communicated has direct impact on your business. Some people believe that all brochures are the same. … Read More

The old expression “Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater” is a caution to not discard something of value while you are getting rid of something undesirable. I see this dynamic happening today in the narrative about print. In … Read More

As people gather this Thanksgiving to enjoy a holiday meal some families have a tradition of sharing something they are thankful for. Well… grab a chair and pass the cranberries because I’d like to share something that I am thankful … Read More

The parable of the blind men and an elephant is a story of a group of blind men who are interacting with an elephant for the first time. Each one is describing the part that is in front of him … Read More

There is something about a strong finish that is very satisfying. Have you ever read a good book that kept you engaged the entire time? As you start to near the end of the story you may feel a sense … Read More

Print is Dead. Those words can haunt a young designer who has just spent the past few years pursuing their visual communication degree. It’s now “all things digital” so either get on board or jump ship to another career choice. … Read More

It was 2000, I was newly self-employed and working hard to make contacts with potential clients or at least people who may know people looking for a designer. The internet was not the information highway that it is today, instead … Read More

While attending a networking gathering, I had pivotal moment in my professional career. After some time mingling with other attendees there was a speaker discussing the latest trends in marketing. While he talked about aspects of social media and the … Read More