The ’90s might be backing a comeback in fashion, but certainly not in web design! I recently had the pleasure of redesigning a website stuck in the ’90s and bringing it—and the business it represents—into the 20th century.

When Gotham Organizers’ founder Lisa Zaslow first contacted us to redesign her company’s website, she knew she was ready for an update. Already a frequent tweeter and Facebooker with a sizable online following, her out-of-date website did not reflect her passion for technology, nor did it provide any sort of link between the site and the world of social media… there wasn’t even a blog function on the site!

In addition to providing a blog, these are some more of the special functions we incorporated into the new site:

• Several opportunities to sign up for the Gotham Organizers email list
• “Like this” and “tweet this” links on each blog post
• “For further reading” recommended related blog posts after each post
• A custom homepage with featured sections to highlight main services and recent news
• Featured, randomly-generated testimonials in the sidebar
• Easily-updatable before and after photo galleries to highlight Gotham Organizers’ work
• A contact page that provides several different options for contacting the company at the client’s conveneience

After we launched, we had a two-hour one-on-one WordPress tutorial session, where I took her through the backend of the site. Because we used WordPress to power the site, Lisa now has complete control over her content and can easily make updates, add new posts, and keep the information current and up-to-date.

On the design side of things, although we were keeping the existing logo, I still approached the creative process as I would a complete rebrand, as the business itself was in need of a complete new look. The client is, of course, a professional organizer, so keeping the design neat and the information easy to find and well—ahem—organized were key. However, since organizing can be construed as somewhat grim by those most in need of it, I also aimed to keep things bright/light/fun in color palate and layout.

To see the site in action and learn more about Gotham Organizers’ services, visit the newly launched site at gothamorganizers.com. For a look at the before and afters of the original site and our newly launched redesigned site, click on the thumbnails below:

Some of my favorite design/photography/art/technology/branding/just-for-fun things on the interwebs this month: click on a thumbnail below, follow the links in the captions, and enjoy!

Like these links? Want more? “Like” Loki Loki on Facebook and/or follow @lokitimestwo on Twitter.

Custom-designed Facebook landing tabs (and complimentary profile pictures) are a fantastic way to “brand” your business’s Facebook page, bringing the look and feel of your website through to your page.

When doing a full marketing design package for a client (see our menu for the Full Enchilada), I generally recommend that in addition to the logo, website, business cards, letterhead, enewsletter template, signage (if applicable), etc., we also do a custom design for Facebook and a custom background for Twitter too—if your goal is to build a recognizable brand, you best brand everything you can!

Generally, a custom ‘Welcome’ tab is set to be the default landing tab for new Facebook visitors to your page—your existing fans will go straight to the wall—so it should be thought of as an introduction to your business and a hook to get folks to like your page (i.e. want to get regular updates from you via their feed).

There are a lot of different options for what you can include, from one giant photo to multiple widgets pulling in a Twitter and/or RSS feed, a newsletter sign-up form, an embedded video, a poll, or a plain ol’ paragraph. You can even choose to display certain things to non-fans only (like a “like us” reminder and arrow pointing to the “like” button) and other things to fans only (providing an incentive for folks to like your page). Each client has different goals for their Facebook page, so custom is the way to go.

Some examples of Loki Loki designed custom Facebook tabs (developed using the ShortStack application):

Designers & Books landing tab
Veronica Brett landing tab
Maine’iac Primitive Movement, Welcome tab
Maine’iac Primitive Movement, About Us tab
Maine’iac Primitive Movement, New Client Specials tab
In Good Company, Welcome tab
In Good Company, About Us tab
In Good Company, ‘The Big Enough Company’ tab
My own Loki Loki landing tab

Ready to discuss possibilities for upgrading your company’s Facebook page with a Loki Loki designed custom landing tab? Contact us today.

Damien Hirst: The Complete Spot Paintings 1986-2011 is currently on exhibit at the several Gagosian Galleries throughout the world through February 18th: New York, London, Athens, Beverly Hills, Hong Kong, Geneva, Rome, and Paris. Luckily NYC is home to three Gagosian Galleries, which made for a very fun day of gallery-hopping and spot seeing this past Saturday.

The beau and I started at the 24th Street location, walked over to the very nearby 21st Street location, then hitched our way uptown to the massive three-story-plus-a-massive-shop-next-door Upper East Side location (which is conveniently across the street from The Carlyle and its swanky bar). Photography inside the galleries is a no-no (rather than the overkill on security staff, a sign or two might have helped), but I was able to sneak a few covert pics for this post (below).

My first exposure to Hirst’s work was back in 1999 when the Brooklyn Museum hosted the controversial Sensation exhibit. Since then, I’ve visited his shark suspended in formaldehyde at The Met and contemplated blowing the rent money on a diamond-dusted skull print. I even wish I owned a home so I could wallpaper the bathroom in his religious pill art ‘Pharmacy’ wallpaper. I admit it—I’m a fan. And this is why I could never be a hipster: something’s popularity has never deterred me from liking it.

So how was it? Well, I don’t think I’m going to shock anyone by telling you that it’s a LOT of spots (or dots or polkadots or circles) and a LOT of color. I happen to like polkadots and color and the Spot Paintings in general, so I was a happy camper. Was it too much? You know, I thought it would be, but the more pieces we saw, the more I appreciated the collection as a whole. Some were enormous with just four giant spots, some were so tiny that I couldn’t make out the colors of the dots until I was inches away from the canvas, some were packed with bright color, some were more muted, some were on round canvases, some square, some rectangular, some hung vertically, some horizontally, and some made me dizzy. And all of them together made me happy.

Make a day of it! Visit all three Gagosian Galleries in NYC:

555 West 24th Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)
Hours: Tue-Sat 10-6

522 West 21st Street (between 10th and 11th Avenues)
Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6

980 Madison Avenue (between 76th and 77th Streets)
Hours: Tue-Sat 10-6

For further reading:
The Gagosian Galleries website
TODAY: Gagosian Gallery launches worldwide exhibition of 25 years of spot paintings by Damien Hirst from Hirst’s site OtherCriteria.com
Damien Hirst’s Spot Paintings Take Over the World from Newsweek
Hirst, Globally Dotting His ‘I’ from The New York Times
Spots and Sharks and Maggots and Money: How Damien Hirst took over the world. From New York Magazine
Damien Hirst’s ‘Complete Spot Paintings’: 10 Reviews from GalleristNY

My clients want a website that looks beautiful, engages their audience, and highlights their product/service… But they also want one that they can manage on their own without having to learn a whole new skill set or pay someone each and every time they need to post to their blog or update their hours. This is why I work with WordPress: it’s completely customizable and user-friendly. However, it’s always necessary to provide some guidance, hence this, the second installment in a series of “Your WordPress Website” articles designed to help you better manage your Loki Loki-made WordPress website.

Maintaining your WordPress website by keeping it up-to-date is vital to keeping if functioning properly and keeping it secure from hackers. Because some updates can cause hiccoughs with your site, always make sure you have a current back-up and a bit of extra time in case you need to do some reformatting after an update.

Let’s get started: Log in to the back-end of your site (http://YourURL.com/wp-admin) with your WordPress username and password.

Now: Update your plugins.
On-Going: Update them regularly throughout the year

WordPress makes it easy to update your plugins automatically—Bluehost.com has easy-to-follow instructions. After you’ve updated, check your site to make sure everything’s looking okay and functioning properly.

Now: Do a full back-up of your website and then upgrade to the most current version of Wordpres.
On-Going: Make sure your site is scheduled for regular, automated back-ups throughout the year and regularly update your version of WordPress as upgrades are offered.

To do a full back-up of your website, log in via FTP and copy all of your website’s files to your computer.
Next, to ensure your site is regularly backed-up, choose a backup plugin, install, and configure for automatic updates.

Now: Update your copyright dates in the footer of your website
On-Going: Create lots of new content in 2012!

If you have a Loki Loki-made website, chances are your copyright info is either in the footer hook or a footer widget.

To update copyright info in the footer hook:
From your WP dashboard, go to: Appearance > Thesis Openhook
Scroll down to the bottom and find the ‘Footer’ Openhook.
Update your copyright to include 2012, i.e.: © (that’s computer speak for ‘©’) 2008-2012.

To update copyright info in a footer widget:
From your WP dashboard, go to: Appearance > Widgets
Look for the widget with your copyright info in it (i.e. ‘Footer 4′).
Update your copyright to include 2012, i.e.: © (that’s computer speak for ‘©’) 2008-2012.

Further reading: Your WordPress Website, Part 1: Adding and Updating Posts, Pages, and Pictures
Make sure you don’t miss new “Your WordPress Website” articles! Sign up for the Loki Loki newsletter, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.

Duane Reade started their massive rebranding in 2009. Until two months ago, my Duane Reade, at the corner of Flatbush and 7th Avenues in Park Slope, Brooklyn, avoided the changes happening to its siblings all over the city, and wore its worn and faded red, white, and blue sign and dated interior proudly all of its operational 24 hours a day.

It’s “my” Duane Reade not only because it’s local to me, but because the desk in my home office overlooks the storefront and all its 24 hour hubbub. So for the past couple of months, since they decided that this DR was next up for a facelift, I’ve been watching the construction workers come and go, disputes on the sidewalk over permits (from what I could discern), a new sign go up, then come down, then go back up again.

Branding and rebranding is part of my everyday life anyway, so it’s been fun to see it happening is such a major way through my window. Obviously the new look, both inside and out, is a major improvement, bringing Duane Reade into the modern age and making it very much more “New York” in the sense that it’s as chic as a drugstore can be—not to mention that it’s now dressed in the most New York of colors: black.

Val Brown’s piece for the Huffington Post from July, 2009, entitled Duane Reade Rebrands. New Yorkers Rejoice. points out that they did a lot right with the rebranding, but reminds us of the most important lesson of rebranding: it’s not all about looks, but also product, message, and customer service. Considering how understaffed the registers are and how much the pharmacists seem to hate the entire world, let’s hope they’re doing more than angling the shelves and selling hummus and instead truly rebranding. Because if they insist on putting all of the local mom-and-pop pharmacies out of business, I hope that at the very least they respect us enough to attempt to provide  some of the personal attention a drugstore that’s mine should offer.

Check out our most recent website launch: Rosky Legal Education, a professional writing and editing firm providing editing services, individual writing instruction, and group workshops for professionals and institutions.

Their former site was very law firm-esque in white, maroon, and dark grey. With their new, modern, purple-and-black-on-birch logo, I was given the opportunity to upgrade the web design to match, taking it from geek to chic. The result is clean and professional, yet stylish and warm— precisely what we were going for.

In addition to the new look, we also upgraded the functionality of the site by moving to a WordPress platform (where we’re using the Thesis theme, of course) and, with the help of CrushLabs migration team, took their blog, pls clarify, from a separate URL and platform on Tumblr and integrated it into their website.

To explore the site and learn more about the services and staff of Rosky Legal Education, check out their website: www.RoskyLegalEd.com. And while you’re there, don’t pass up the opportunity to let language entertain you by checking out pls clarify.

While the irony that Small Business Saturday is presented by American Express (not exactly a mom-an-pop operation) isn’t lost on me, it’s a great idea and a much-needed alternative to the aptly named “Black Friday.” Of course, we should all be shopping small, local businesses as much as possible, not just one day a year, but hey—in this Walmart World, it’s a good place to start. Red or blue, everyone can agree that shopping local is good for the economy, good for building community, and good for America. So get out there and support small, local business with me this Saturday! Who knows? You might just like it. Bonus: you can eat the good leftovers while everyone else is at the mall on Friday.

Further reading:
Top Ten Reasons to Love U.S. Small Business
Small Business Drives U.S. Economy
American Express’s Small Business Saturday Official Website
What Are the Benefits of Businesses for the Local Economy?

The Bergdorf Goodman holiday windows are arguably the most ambitious and grand in all of New York and I am always eager to check them out. Imagine my delight when I was able to get a sneak peek a few days before they opened to the public when happening to pass by just as they were being examined by the stylists: The curtains were partially pulled back and I was enchanted by the glimpses I got of fabulous fashion and over-the-top styling. I made a trip back once they officially opened and snapped the photos below… The theme this year is animals, and each window had its own take on the theme, from Brass Menagerie to my favorite, Testing the Waters. If you’re in New York, you must really go see them for yourself—the depth and detail is hard to convey in a photo (particularly one taken on a phone). While you’re at it, step inside to take in all of the fabulous fashions. Even though it’s a store for the 1%, anyone can browse, spritz on the Tom Ford perfumes, swipe on some YSL Rouge Volupte, and feel like a million bucks.

The Kelly Wearstler designed BG restaurant on the 7th floor is one of my favorite spots in New York. Sofía Vergara could have been quoting me when she said in this month’s InStyle, “My happy place is BG, the restaurant on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman. It’s all full of beautiful people… drinking good wine.” The cocktails might be a bit pricey, but a) they’re delicious, and b) to sit in that setting, with that view… Priceless.

In addition to the gorgeous window displays, the luxe surroundings, and the fantastic cocktails, Bergdorf Goodman delivers on customer service like no other. I mean, I guess if you’re paying a month’s rent on something, you’d hope they’d be polite, but in NYC retail, that’s not always the case… The Beau wanted to spoil me with a Proenza Schouler PS1 bag for our anniversary this past February and didn’t know they carried them at BG, so bought it at… Well, let’s just say it’s another midtown department store… And sadly didn’t feel good about it, as he went relatively ignored at the counter and then was treated rather rudely during checkout. He gave me the gift, told me the story, and we promptly returned the bag, then walked over to Bergdorf’s where we were fawned over and got the bag under much happier circumstances. Okay, but sales people kissing up to you when you’re buying something expensive, that shouldn’t be so rare, right? Fast-forward 8 months and the clasp of my investment bag breaks, coincidentally, in the elevator at Bergdorf’s. We brought it to the counter to see if they could recommend a repair shop, and before we knew it, they were replacing my beat-up, broken PS1 with a brand new one, right off the shelf. Now that’s customer service.

Win this watercolor map print by Jessica Durrant!

Anyone who likes Loki Loki on Facebook, follows @lokitimestwo on Twitter, and/or signs up for the Loki Loki mailing list in the next two weeks (between now and midnight EST on November 15, 2011), will be entered for a chance to win an 8.5″ x 11″ print from Jessica’s World Map Series (a $25 priceless value).

Like, follow, and subscribe for three chances to win!

A little over a year ago I was working with Alexandra Greenawalt, fashion stylist extraordinaire, on her logo and website designs. It being her industry, Alexandra had the idea to feature a fashion illustration of herself on the site, so she reached out to an artist she found on Etsy to commission the custom piece… And that’s how I became aware of the amazingly talented Jessica Durrant.

Fast-forward a year and I’m completely overwhelmed at the idea of finding a photograph for my own website bio. Lightbulb moment: I love Alexandra’s illustration—that’s what I should do too! I might not be in the fashion industry in the strictest sense, but fashion certainly inspires everything I do… I reached out to Jessica and before I knew it, I was commissioning my very own portrait. The process was new to me, and I’m sure I was a bit too picky (we can’t help but be most critical when we’re the subjects!), but Jessica was never anything short of gracious, patient, and beyond-kind in all of our communications. After several drafts (first in pencil to get the pose, then with color, then with some details altered, then, finally, the final), I honestly couldn’t be happier with it. Not only is it a unique way to represent myself without defaulting to a photo, it adds texture, depth, interest, and art to my website… Something I strive for here and with my clients’ projects.

An illustrated journey of the creative process behind the Jessica Durrant portrait of me on the About page of this site: 

The Loki Loki Q&A with Jessica Durrant, Illustrator

Jessica Durrant is an Atlanta-based freelance illustrator with a passion for fashion and a killer (and super popular) Etsy store. Her fashion- and travel-inspired pieces are vivid, imaginative, and timeless, and her watercolor drips and splatters add a high-art edge. In addition to the aforementioned portrait of me, Jessica also illustrated the storefront on the homepage of this site and has collaborated with me for the first in a series of home/body stress-relief iPhone and iPad apps (Like, follow, and/or subscribe for news on its up-coming release)… And I hope/plan to continue to work with her again and again!

Tell us a bit about your art training/background:
I’ve been drawing since I could pick up a pencil. I concentrated on art more in high school in large part due to the encouragement of my art teacher, Ms. Lyle; it was only natural for me to study art in college. My emphasis was in illustration, but I also started interning and then working at our school’s art gallery. I was afraid to get out of school and try to make it as an artist at that point in my life—I felt safety in looking for work in the arts administration side of things. So I worked at a couple of art museums. I loved doing that for a couple of years, but I knew I needed to get back into the process of creating—I missed being drawing and painting. When I came back home from my first trip to Europe at 25, a fire was lit inside of me to create again. It was a long process of doing little things here and there until circumstances at the end of the Summer of 2009 allowed me to see clearly that it was a now-or-never type situation: either I was going to give it my all, try to create artwork that I could be proud of and get it out there, or I was never going to do anything about it. Two years later to be illustrating full-time and selling personal work in my Etsy shop is a dream come true.

What inspires you?
So many things can inspire an artist. I would say the biggest inspirations for me are other artists, nature, fashion, traveling, and music.

I know you teach art, you have your Etsy store, and you also do custom commissions (hallelujah!)… Do you think that diversifying is a necessary part of being a working artist?
I sure do! In college you are well aware to make it as a full-time artist isn’t something that happens overnight or something that happens for everyone. Most artists will not get out of school and sell a painting for $10,000—that is extremely rare. There are no shortcuts to becoming a great artist, but because we live in 2011 there are so many ways to earn money through your art now more than ever. It’s a tough profession—always has been, always will be. But if you have determination to pay the bills with it, you’ll find a way to make it work.

What do you find most challenging about being a working artist?
It can be that you work in solitude. But that is also something that can work for you as well. It’s also knowing that it is highly underappreciated profession, even in 2011. When you tell someone you’re an artist either the person thinks it’s the coolest thing ever, or they think you’re lying and it’s just a hobby. That kind of b.s. gets so many artists riled up.

Most rewarding?
I get paid to draw.

What advice would you give an illustrator wanting to build a business?
Start with the basics: have a strong portfolio that you are proud of, get some business cards and a website. When you don’t get the jobs or work you want, take that time to keep building the best portfolio you can. I always use my slower times to create my personal work.

What do you think is the key to your Etsy success?
Hah. It took a while to figure out Etsy! I didn’t know a soul who used it at that point in my life. Make sure to tag and describe your work as best as you can so that it’s very search friendly. Have great photos or scans of your work. And of course, relist as much as you can. Getting my work on the front page numerous times has opened doors for me. Even if you are spending $20 a month on relisting in the beginning, look at it as an investment and a platform to find an audience that will love and buy your work. You’ve got to spend money to make money, you know?

I know you have some exciting projects/news as of late (HGTV, Anthropologie, etc.). Can you tell us a little bit about them and how they came about?
Sure! Well, I licensed some illustrations to a children’s clothing company called Curio & Kind—a line that sells at Nordstrom and other U.S. retailers. It will be out Spring 2012 and I’m super proud of the quality of the line and what illustrations they choose to use. A couple of weeks ago, someone from Emily Henderson of HGTV‘s team contacted me about using one of my illustrations in her gift guide—will reveal more on that soon via my website and blog! And an Antrhopologie store in Westport, CT will be displaying some of my work in their store in 2012. And loads more of things that I can’t always share because that is the way the business works. I’m still shocked when people contact me about new exciting projects—sometimes I feel like they’ve plucked me out of obscurity… But then I remind myself that I’ve worked hard to stay true to myself and only create things I love and that were inspired. I think people can tell that. At least I hope so. Most people seem to find my work through Etsy, Tumblr, or blogs. Those are great, great tools for artists.

For more Jessica, visit her Etsy shop, follow her on Twitter, and check out her website. 

And don’t forget to enter for your chance to win one of her famous watercolor map prints! Anyone who likes Loki Loki on Facebook, follows @lokitimestwo on Twitter, and/or signs up for the Loki Loki mailing list in the next two weeks (between now and the end of the day, November 15, 2011), will be entered automatically!