In order to make a marketing message memorable, it has to be "sticky". Made to Stick, a great book by Chip and Dan Heath, offers tips and templates on how to get your marketing messages to stick in the public's mind. Not only is the book informative, it is engaging and a fun read filled with urban myths and...
"Design" is a term that has crossed boundaries, from the creative to the practical. You can thank Apple for bringing public awareness to good design and that awareness has now spread to the common consumer. Tim Brown, CEO of branding giant, IDEO has written Change by Design which examines how the creative process and design methods are helpful in all...
Many amateur Web designers (often business owners themselves) don't take a user's experience into account when setting up their site. A good user experience (UX) is crucial in improving a site's bounce rate (how fast your readers leave your site). The longer a viewer is on the site, the more likely they are to become a...
Fast Company has a brilliant article reminding business that, despite new media, internet, social networking, a company's brand remains important to your businesses results. Here's a summary for those of you tempted to ignore or downplay the importance of this business basic Your brand needs to be believable and your team needs to buy into what it stands...
Color is an extremely important part of graphic design. Most people do not realize that color conveys emotion and how formal the message of your design pieces are. Changing a color scheme on a layout can completely change the look and feel of what you are trying to say to your customers or clients. As...
Creativity isn't important just for artists, musicians, graphic designers and writers. These days everyone in business is tasked with being more innovative. So how do you get those juices flowing when you don't feel like you are a creative person? Let's dispel this myth: Only certain people are creative. Not true! Whether it is writing a business...
Consider a Web site your "home away from home". It is the landing destination for current or would-be customers and it is imperative that it be graphically appealing with solid content and an easy user experience. What do all these things mean though? What is graphically appealing? How do you define solid content or a...
Logo design is an art and a science. The process can seem a bit tedious and like it is lacking a structured process. There is no way to do logo design without a great relationship between designer and client. Lots of communication and tweaking are involved until the client feels fully satisfied. There are a few...
So few people send mail anymore. It is a digital era and most of our communication is by phone or email. Actually going to the post box and opening an envelope, without a bill inside, is a rarity. And, thus, it is an easy way to stand out. Holiday season is upon us, so we not create a unique and...
Graphic design firms, like Ratio7, probably take for granted that the general public understands what they do and what their service offerings are. So, what can you expect in regards to services when you contact Ratio7? The core of where you begin is with branding (or re-branding). A graphic design firm, like Ratio7, will meet with you...