Peter Hill Design Blog

FAQs and You

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:29:00 +0000

What does high-res mean? PMS, EPS, CMYK, RGB, PDF? With all the acronyms flying around how can we make it easier to understand these design terms? At least twice a week, we have to explain that a photo or logo just pulled from a website isn't usable in a printed piece. 72 vs 300 dpi is hard to grasp for more. What about domain names versus hosting accounts? This is another common one. Or EPS files versus jpegs?

Here are basic answers to some of these frequently asked questions:

High-Res or High-Resolution is required for anything printed. Any image needs to be 300dpi or dots per inch. Most images used on the web or on screen are 72 dpi, which will result in a low quality print (even though it looks fine on screen!). If you don’t have Photoshop to check the resolution, here is a quick way to tell if the image is print quality. Check the file size. A print-ready file is usually 1 megabyte or more, while a low-res image is usually under 1MB.

EPS or Encapsulated PostScript is a file format used for illustrations and vector-based graphics. What does vector mean? Vector is an image or graphic that is made up of points and lines. This is how a designer creates shapes and fonts. The difference between vector and raster is that the shapes can still be manipulated when they are vector through a program like Adobe Illustrator. Raster is more like a Photoshop image. EPS files are preferred for working with logo files because they can be placed over a background color or image and are already ‘outlined’. A rasterized logo as a default would be on a white background. An EPS image can also be blown up to whatever size necessary – like for a large sign on a building, without losing resolution because the file is all based on vector points and not pixels.

CMYK/RGB/PMS are all color terms. CMYK refers to cyan, magenta, yellow and black which is how most printers output color. RGB refers to red, green and blue – these colors are used to make up a digital display. When working with images for print, they should be switched to a CMYK file format for accurate printing but web images should stay at RGB. PMS refers to the Pantone Matching System. This color system is widely used as the standard for printing colors. Each color can be ordered as straight ink but formulas are also provided to make the same color using CMYK inks. Graphic programs use the Pantone library of colors so the print outputs already have the color break formulas in them.

Domain Names vs. Hosting are both web-related terms. In order to have a website, a domain name or URL is needed. Domain names can be purchased through companies like GoDaddy, Network Solutions and myriad of others for 1 year or more. But purchasing a domain name is just the first step. A hosting account is still needed. Hosting is usually charged monthly. This charge is for the server space the website files will reside on. Web hosting can be purchased through numerous companies and often web developers prefer to host the sites they work on. After hosting is set-up, the domain name can be pointed to the hosting company so the web files show up on the right web address.

Most people don’t need to know all these terms which is why they choose to work with a professional designer or web developer. But it seems like more and more people are taking things into their own hands. Many people have Photoshop now and have company logos or product images that need to be managed. Websites are not just for business anymore as many people have personal sites, side projects, hobby or family sites. With the world becoming more and more digital everyday, some basic knowledge of color, resolution and file formats is necessary. This is just the tip of the iceberg!

Searchability

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Everyone wants to come up first in Google or be remembered with a quick and easy URL for people to quickly type in. But often, this isn’t always the case. Allowing customers to easily find you is the most important marketing that a company can do.

What can you do to ensure you are memorable? Maybe you are a .net instead of .com, or a commonly misspelled word. The best thing to do is buy various URLs and have them automatically redirect to your main site. I often type in ‘reality’ instead of ‘realty’ when I go to EdinaRealty.com. Lucky for me, they own that misspelled URL too so I never even have to correct myself.

“I am on the 17^th page of Google results,” said my client yesterday. ‘How can this be?’ they asked.

Companies are always seeking to improve their searchability. My first question back is usually, “When did you last updated anything on your site?” Content should be continually added, tweaked and kept fresh. Add some location keywords through headers, copy and captions to ensure you come in location searches too.

Have you looked at the data? Review your site’s traffic through Google Analytics and find out how people are currently finding you. The keywords, page views and traffic sources can give some valuable insight. If all the traffic already knows your name or is coming up organically, then maybe coming up in Google searches might not be that important. You already have brand equity and are memorable now – people know you. But how do you reach the people who don’t know you?

You get what you pay for! If you really want traffic, then set a monthly online ad budget and start getting results. Try pay-per-click campaigns with Google, Yahoo, Bing, Facebook, LinkedIn and mobile networks. Target specific geographic areas and demographics per campaign and network.

What else have you done on the web that might link back to you? Add links to any news stories or press releases on other sites. Try getting listed in industry directories or pay for banner ads on industry sites. Add social media icons and links on every page of your site. Make sure to get social media user names that are easy to find and are close to your company name. Tweet on industry topics of the day. Start engaging and get followers. 1 out of every 8 minutes online is spent on Facebook according to ComScore, so boosting your Facebook presence can’t hurt either. Try posting special offers, trivia and other ‘insider-only’ information to track and see the pay-offs. Start a blog with an RSS feed and regularly post on relevant topics.

All of these tactics take time and money, so sit down and strategize before you jump in head-first. As in all marketing, it’s best to evaluate what’s broken and what needs fixing. Who is your core audience; how can you try to reach them? Testing 1 or 2 approaches at a time is a great way to evaluate what works on a small level. The key to every online approach is consistency. It’s never really finished because there is always more you can do and the next big thing is right around the corner.

Brand Legacy

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 01:57:00 +0000

Peter Hill, the founder of Peter Hill Design, passed away last January after battling bladder cancer. Peter’s friends recently gathered to play in the first annual, memorial charity golf tournament in his name. This event exceeded all expectations for participation and funds raised. The generosity and outpouring of support continues to amaze me. Peter left a lasting impression on so many people.

I am proud to carry on his legacy as the new company owner to the business he created over 13 years ago. As we planned my purchase of the company last fall between his chemo treatments and settling into our new office space, keeping his name as the company name was always a topic of discussion.

If we changed our name, how would the brand continue and our clients find us? If we kept it, how would we explain who Peter Hill was to new clients? My biggest fear was losing clients to too much change and the impression that the company no longer existed. Keeping the name was one way for us to show them our service would stay consistent. Many companies face these challenges, but especially when the founder’s namesake is in the company name. Does the founder in fact become the brand?

Many law firms continue with partner names in their titles long after the partner leaves. If Oprah died tomorrow would HARPO cease to exist? I doubt it. The brand equity that she has created is off the charts successful. As much as Oprah brings to her company, she has a whole team around her that really helped create her brand. Ralph Lauren is on the verge of retirement at the age of 73 and his megabrand will likely continue as-is without his leadership. His son, David, is posed to take over according to a recent Fast Company magazine article. Although David has a different vision, he will take his father’s company and continue to build on the established brand equity. It helps that David has the same last name but even if he didn't, I am sure “Ralph Lauren” will still be in existence years from now.

It’s been 9 months for now us without Peter, and so far the name has stuck. Our brand has stayed consistent and our clients have stayed with us. Peter’s name truly became the company brand. Prospects haven’t inquired to why there is no longer a ‘Peter Hill’ at Peter Hill Design. Our company culture, without our original leader, isn't too terribly different from when I started here over 10 years ago. Our small, close-knit team has stayed working together and our vendor and client relationships have stayed consistent.

What’s behind the name is what makes it valuable – the customer relationships, products and people. We might change our name down the road, but for now, "Peter Hill Design" still has brand equity and a nice ring to it!

Monogramming Madness

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:51:00 +0000

From iPad covers to dishes, everything has a monogram lately. Pottery Barn features a whole online monogram shop with towels, table linens, glasses, picture frames and jewelry boxes. Etsy.com features baby clothes, linens, wall art, hats, soaps and even decorative pillows. Home décor catalogs are showing headboards, lampshades and bedspreads with monograms.

Giving newly married couple monogrammed gifts isn’t a new idea, but decorating our homes and offices with our initials is a current trend. Since when do we need to have our initials on everything we own? I doubt it is because we think we might lose our belongings. In this mass-produced world we live in, it just might give us a sense of having something uniquely hand-made and exclusively “ours” as it incorporates our own personal flair.

Monogrammed or personalized stationery has been popular for a while, but using an initial as a personal trademark is a trend that looks like is here to stay. It gives something a personal touch – a kind of human ‘territory marking’.

Back in the Victorian era, monograms symbolized the upper class. Those in higher classes adapted the monogram as a symbol of their place in society. Today, corporations often shorten their names to initials and then use the monogram as a design element. Law, engineering, consulting and architecture firms often go for this approach as their firm names are commonly made up of three last names and one is sure to be too many syllables!

For instance, it is much easier to use the shortened ‘PWC’ instead of ‘Price Waterhouse Coopers’. The space that the full three-word name takes up for a logo or design element is quiet long. But do big scrolling initial letters as a design element really say anything about what service or product a company offers? An embroidered ‘LK’ on a golf shirt doesn’t immediately read top-rated law firm or a brochure with a BKV doesn’t necessarily say ‘award-winning architecture firm’. Just like an appliquéd pink “M” on my briefcase doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know my name. But people are drawn to monograms because they give a sense of personal pride. My briefcase screams, “I am ‘M’!” A monogram then becomes a personal logo of sorts.

When it comes to this monogramming madness craze, less is more. One article of clothing or an accessory works but embracing this trend throughout our home décor becomes overkill. Linens are one thing but soaps, pillows, lamps AND a bathmat? What’s happens when you want to donate that “W” pillow to Goodwill? These items become harder to reuse for sure. Using company monograms as a design element can work too but used in the right instance. A simple watermark on a letterhead done correctly can be beautiful but using initials in a direct mail piece probably isn’t the best marketing idea. Let’s remember that not everyone always knows what those letters stand for!

Getting the News Out

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Every company faces the same challenges when it comes to putting their own news out. Everyone seems to want regular news out but few get organized to achieve that goal. Sales departments want to get a regular newsletter started but there is no one internal to pull it all together. Who is going to come up with the topics, write the stories, get company or customer sign-offs, design the template and execute the distribution?

There are a lot of things that must come together to publish a successful, ongoing newsletter. Someone has to gather the newsworthy information and companies assign stories to different people. But if one person drops the ball, the whole project gets held up and news can become outdated quickly. We recommend one point-person for the newsletter who will assign and review articles and keep the project on-time.

Speaking of timing, what is the right amount of frequency for a newsletter? Quarterly seems manageable, but if articles are in-depth, you need to be working on the next issue as soon as you finish one. By the time it gets written, edited, signed-off and distributed, months can fly by. Monthly allows more timely news but can be hard to turn it that quickly without a dedicated team committed to the issue deadline.

Then there is the question of distribution, email or print. Many are ditching the printed version for an electronic form; either a PDF attachment or html email. But how often do these newsletters go unread because they get lost amongst thousands of emails? Should you email and print? Do you want the newsletter in a sales kit?

One of our clients has written a 4-page quarterly newsletter for his financial planning clients for years now. He did a survey and most of his audience preferred a printed version. His clients continue to tell him they like to receive it in the mail. Clients sit down with a cup of coffee or stick the issue in their bag to read on the plane or while waiting for a meeting. One survey by Vertis Communications said that only 53% of women ages 25-44 read email advertisements while 85% read direct mail marketing pieces. Maybe there is something to be said for staying with a printed version.

If your newsletter goes out electronically, you might use a PDF because the end users can print it themselves. An html e-blast can be more valuable so the stories can be searchable and housed within a website. Many services allow you to customize their html templates, upload your list and bam – send it out. The key is to pick a service that is easy to use, cost-effective and has subscribe/unsubscribe features to keep your email list up to date.

Which brings us to audience. As with any communication, know your audience, what they will value reading, and how they prefer to get their news. When in doubt, ask! It’s a great idea to add a survey to your next issue.

Does anyone else have tips for creating and maintaining a company newsletter?

Long Live Handwriting!

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:06:00 +0000

What will happen when the world no longer knows how to sign their names? Will everyone use printed block letters to sign legal forms or checks or even credit card receipts at a restaurant?

There is a great debate going around not teaching cursive in schools. Many schools have already shifted from less penmanship to more keyboarding. Supposedly, there is not enough time in the day for all the subjects kids must learn today and handwriting is one of those getting cut.

While keyboarding is ever important in our digital world, what will happen to the lost art of cursive? And if script writing it isn’t taught, will our children know how to read it? Many historical documents are in cursive including The Declaration of Independence. Formal wedding invitations with lots of loops and curls could be a thing of the past. Script fonts could go away entirely. Those fonts designed to look like handwriting will lose their relevancy for sure.

What happens to our personal brands if we no longer have signatures? A signature is a direct link into a person’s identity. The long curves of our capital letters and way we scribble our middle initial is unique. A slanted signature can show that the signer is left or right-handed. Handwriting experts have said that Barack Obama’s signature shows “intelligence, fluidity and fast thinking.”

No one will collect souvenirs with famous people’s autographs anymore without unique signatures. Trying to sell that foul ball you got signed by the baseball star on eBay won’t be worth as much when the name is spelled out in 3^rd grade all caps letters. Will there be such a thing as ‘book signings’? I can’t imagine authors sitting at a table printing their names.

When future generations grow up to sign away their life on their student loan forms, they will block print their names. When they write a thank you note it will be in print – WAIT – they will never send a handwritten thank you note. They will type it or just send a text, right? Maybe this is why children don’t need to learn how to write in cursive because everything is being done electronically. Some students can even use computers for standardized tests now.

A signature is something that is supposed to be ‘one of a kind,’ similar to our fingerprints. Used on everything from mortgage papers to driver’s licenses, our signatures are even used by banks it to verify deposits. Forgery would be more common if everyone printed his or her names. In the future, will our signatures become some form of electronic signature using fingerprints or microchips?

Formal letters from CEOs and Presidents are signed to show importance as well as give a personal touch. It looks like they took the time to sign that formal letter. Our signatures say something about each of us. It’s sad to think that a ‘#’ or ‘@ ‘before our name will be the new signature. The “new handwriting” will be designated by the font style in our emails. Is script doomed to be forever dead?

It is Just too Easy to Share...

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:22:00 +0000

It can make us all squirm – thinking about the threat of a colleague or employee crossing the line with your corporate brand via social media. Social media is difficult to ignore for its power to communicate. But what if it’s not always positive? An American Red Cross employee accidentally tweeted a beer-related post to the charity's Twitter account, rather than to her personal account. Not long after that came the Chrysler Corporation that tweeted about the bad driving habits of people in Detroit.

Freedom of expression and ease of use makes everyone a ‘publisher’ nowadays. Companies have been afraid to open the floodgates on social media in case people say bad things about them because online opinions can spread far and wide – and quickly. But ‘word of mouth’ has always been around – these technologies are just new ways of spreading it. These conversations would be going on anyway, so businesses might as well figure out a way to join in and effectively manage their message.

Whether it’s a disgruntled employee or an unhappy customer, negative posts can be damaging to a brand and business. Here are some tips to prevent an errant ‘post’ and manage your online reputation:

Develop an internal social media policy including who posts for company. It should include guidelines for response comments and privacy rules.
Carry your brand voice and common sense to social media. It’s public!
Know the legal issues around identity disclosure on comments. No ‘fake’ reviews!
Review posts frequently and quickly remove any out of bounds posts. Use online tools to monitor your brand and all activity.
Take a deep breath before responding to comments. If you’re unsure, have someone review your post for tone.

But mistakes happen, even on large companies’ sites, but monitoring often lets you catch mistakes faster and minimize the damage. There are all sorts of new social media tools out there that can automate this process and allow you to respond quickly to negative discussions.

If there is unfavorable chatter, here are some ways to put out the flames. Always own up and admit the mistake. Make sure to apologize publicly and personally to any one harmed by the mistake. The Red Cross has been praised for using humor in response to their employee’s beer-talking tweet and turned it into a way to gather donations.

Then make sure to pull any damaging content offline– but don’t pretend ‘this never happened’. Use the mistake as a teachable moment and don’t stop the conversation or social media initiatives all together. Not everyone is going to love you, your business or your product so pessimism is inevitable. Hopefully any negativity can be easily downplayed and turned into a positive.

My Digital Wish List

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:51:00 +0000

From how far digital presses have come, they still have a ways to go to overcome some common challenges.

I wish digital presses could…

Print letterheads.
For the small identity project, this would be ideal. For some reason the letterhead isn’t an option because the digital presses leave a slight coating on the paper that makes it hard to rerun it through a customer’s inkjet or laser printer afterwards.

Print envelopes.
Envelopes, we all know this one. They just can’t line up right unless they are run flat and then converted which is too pricey for most jobs. #10s would complete the identity package or announcement envelopes would be great for party or wedding invitations. Think of the impact of 4-color printed envelopes in combination with variable data?

Print spot colors.
Ever wish you could match something else that ran offset? Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to run a spot color along with a digital job? HP just introduced white ink; maybe spot ink is next?

Print heavier stock/130#.
In the design world, the thicker the better – that’s been the trend. Some business cards are now like chipboard they are so thick. Does heavier imply more expensive or important?

Increase the sheet size to accommodate folders.
13x19 is a bit limiting right? Folders would be the ideal project to run digitally as many customers tend to not need very many. These are expensive projects as the converting and die costs add up. Many times folders are done with just 1 or 2-color printing to keep the costs down. This is a design challenge, especially for company that uses a 3 or 4-color logo.

Getting Hitched

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:46:00 +0000

Summer is here and wedding season is in full bloom. Did you know that June is the most popular month for weddings? $72 billion per year is spent on weddings and the average wedding budget is $20,000. How much of that budget is spent on invitations and printing?

Some experts say that between 5-10% of the overall wedding budget is to be spent on invitations and related stationary expenses. The Bridal Association of America estimates that couples on average spend$659 on wedding invitations and reply cards for the big day. Of course many bride and grooms spend much more and also many spend less.

From thermography and letterpress to digital printing and DIY kits, wedding invitation design and production can run the gamut. Custom calligraphy for the envelopes, foil lined enclosure envelopes, ribbons, sparkly metallic paper and wax embossed stamps all can up the ante too. Letterpress printing has been a trend right now but it can be pricey. Digital printing has really opened up the doors for invitations to bring in full color printing on high-end colored papers. No more 1-color printing on the basic house stock anymore!

With all these choices, how does one pick a design direction? The most important factor in designing a wedding invitation is to make sure the invitations set the stage for the type of event it is going to be. If the affair is going to be a formal sit-down dinner then the invite should reflect that versus an informal outside barbeque. An invitation for a cocktail reception at an art museum should have a different feel than a church wedding and traditional country club reception would. The invitation is the guests’ first glimpse into the event and sets the tone through the look and feel.

Secondly, the invitations should reflect the personality of the couple. I’ve seen lovely formal invitations that don’t fit a couple’s fun-spirited and down-to-earth vibe at all. Some of the best wedding invitations are the ones that are “out-of-the-box” and have a little bit of spunk to them. Forget simply matching the color of the bridesmaids dresses and calling that the ‘theme’ of the invite.

On our recent project, ‘Jill & Julian’, a simple color palette of blue brings a sophistication to the invitation but adds a twist by using variety of patterns and shades of blues. Navy blue wouldn’t automatically come to mind for a wedding invite but mixed with the lighter blue and teal shades, the piece really came together. From stripes to decorative ornaments, the patterns really add depth and interest. Incorporating multiple fonts and varying the typesetting also adds a whimsical touch and a glimpse into the couple’s personality. Digitally printed on a HP Indigo, the cream stock adds another layer of elegance to the whole package.

How long did this wedding package take to design from concept to production? A typical bride needs months to determine the event’s details, including her style for the big day. But once all the details are figured out, it still takes time to nail down specifics for the invitation including how to handle the RSVPs and dinner selections to the driving directions on the map. From the initial ‘Save the Date’ to the final product, ‘Jill & Julian’ took about 4 months. Considering that the average length of a couple’s engagement is 17 months, there should be plenty of time to really dive into all the paper and design options out there. But add in the time necessary to get RSVPs back – after the engagement ring is on the finger, the invitation design should begin. You never know, a bride just might change her mind a couple times along the way too.

Mergers and Acquisitions

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Wed, 04 May 2011 18:53:00 +0000

As the world watched the royal wedding in awe, it got me thinking about mergers. How are William & Kate going to merge their personal brands? In this case, Kate might just be joining the royal family and losing her whole sense of personal brand to this larger force. Considering the royal family has the ultimate brand standards, Kate will definitely have a strict path to follow. But does the same happen in more “common” marriages or mergers?

It happens with company mergers all the time. AT&T Wireless became Cingular Wireless and then turned back to being AT&T. The Cingular name is now gone completely but they kept some of their brand equity through their use of the orange color. Sometimes large corporations swallow up small companies and the small company loses it’s name and brand entirely.

Are women who keep their name after marriage holding out to keep their brand? Catherine Middleton is now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge or can also be called His Royal Highness Princess William of Wales, or Her Royal Highness Catherine of Wales. Is the simple ‘Kate Middleton’ gone for good? Some women try incorporating their maiden name into their married name and have two names like Hilary Rodham Clinton.

Some companies do a transitional period for people to get used to the new name and brand after a merger or acquisition. One of our clients started off as Doboy, then they were bought by SIG, a Switzerland company and became SIG Doboy, then Bosch bought them and they became Bosch Doboy and now they are known as just Bosch Packaging Technology, Inc. They went through many years of keeping the Doboy brand alive until finally dropping it.

Another client has just updated their 90 year-old brand from Howard R. Green Company to HR Green. It took them many years to take this big step and lose the iconic handwritten “g” in their logo, as well as their founder’s full name. But the easy part of the change was that their customers and internal staff were already using HR Green when speaking because the original name was long and cumbersome to say and write. Their URL and email addresses had also been hrgreen.com for many years so the transition had unconsciously begun before they even knew they were doing it.

Name and brand changes can be confusing to the public and the customer’s perception of a company. Is Comcast now Xfinity or is Xfinity Comcast’s way of naming their products and services? As a Comcast customer, I don’t think it’s very clear. When considering a merger or brand and name change, proper planning is necessary to limit this confusion and get everyone on the same page – internally and externally. From presenting the new names and logos together on everything from marketing materials to invoices to having the right message come across when someone answers the phone – this all must be considered.

I am sure William and Kate have thought long and hard about what it means to formally merge and become the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; what it means to their personal identities as well as their new fame as a royal couple. Let’s just hope that the public takes hold of their new titles and their supporters continue their enthusiasm for the union.

Reproducing Consistent Color – Is it Possible?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:15:00 +0000

How do we achieve the perfect PMS corporate blue across all mediums and keep it consistent? The blue on screen looks different than on a billboard, a printed ad or a tradeshow booth. The same blue on uncoated or coated paper printed at the same printer using the same ink will look different.

As designers, we do the best we can to know these tricks of the trade and create consistent color. But will the client notice or care that their PMS corporate blue can’t be replicated when printed digitally CMYK versus 1-color offset? Do they need to know the intricacies of the printing process – RGB, CMYK, PMS, different papers and substrates – it sounds like a foreign language to most.

Some clients don’t care. Some clients care too much. As much as we can explain the reasons for the slight differences, it will never make much sense to most people. Even though digital printing is not at all new now, it still needs explanation – the method, the outcome, the pricing: “The price per piece goes down with offset printing, its ideal for quantities of 500 or more. The price per piece stays about the same for digital printing no matter the quantity.”

Consistent color is so important to brands that it is necessary for designers and brand managers to police this and attempt to make the assigned PMS color appear to match throughout all of its uses. But what about when a client wants a specific color to match on an electronic letterhead on their screen and on their desktop inkjet print-out? And still match on their client’s screen and corporate laser printer – it’s just unattainable. We have to manage these expectations and explain that it is nearly impossible to control all of these printer outputs and monitor settings.

All these things considered, here are some tips to maintain color consistency:

Ideally, choose a PMS color that has a good CMYK break
When printing uncoated versus coated, adjust the PMS – usually just adjusting one up or down works
Beware of colors with a lot of opaque white or reflux blue in their make-up, they never look right digitally printed or process offset
Adding a 5^th color to a 4-color offset job isn’t that expensive and give you peace of mind that the corporate color will be printed accurately
Most importantly, create a document with all the standard color variations including RGB breaks for Word, CMYK breaks, PMS coated versus uncoated, Hex colors for web – stick to it and pass it around for everyone to use as reference!

The Creative Process

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:14:00 +0000

Everyone’s creative process is different. Do you start with a blank sheet of paper, a white screen and stare at it until something pops into your head or jump right in and get going? I like to mull things over for a couple days and start with an idea or vision of what I am going to do.

Sometimes thoughts come to me while I am driving or sleeping and I wake up with a vision of how I am going to do something. My friend says her best creative comes to her in the shower. I also know people like to work in coffee shops with the buzz of people, music and caffeine all around them. I can’t disagree that a good cup of joe always helps get the mind moving. Another colleague likes to share all her ideas and talk through them.

What’s your creative process? Do you start with words, photos or maybe a sketch? If I don’t have a clear direction to begin with, I may need to get inspiration from surfing the web for either stock photos or fonts or just browse other web sites. Books are great, but sitting in front of the computer is just easier since we are all so programmed to multi-task anyway – God forbid we miss an email coming in.

I also have a collection of ‘cool samples’, that’s the label on my bin. I save direct mail pieces, invitations, magazine articles or anything I see that seems to have ‘done it right’ – whether it’s a great headline, a smart way to do a reply card or call to action, or something with fun colors or paper. It’s useful to look through these things periodically and see what others have done.

Then there are those great resources that paper and print reps are always bringing in to inspire us. Some have lovely foil embossing techniques others have crazy one-of-a-kind die-cuts or 10+ color fluorescent UV printing. I love seeing all these fancy techniques and sometimes it sparks an idea. Often, clients can’t always afford these over-the-top extras, but sometimes there is a way to achieve a similar technique affordably too.

The best way to get inspired could be to just get out of your element. Stop in a gift shop, the grocery store or hop on the subway or a bus – just somewhere with a lot of sights and sounds. Just sitting in quiet place – a park or quiet café with just a notebook and your thoughts can be a nice way to clear your mind and allow creative ideas to stream in too.

To me the hardest part about the creative process is the idea. Once something is down on paper or started on the computer, editing it to be a solid final creative entity is easy. Figuring out how to turn on the creative juices is one thing but working on something in progress is another. So start thinking, get inspired and work ‘your process’. Once you’ve identified what your process is, it’s a lot easier to know how to work with it, not against it.

Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, BlogSpot, Yelp…

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Everyone’s into social media now and as designers, we’ve held back a bit. Not that we don’t use social media to connect with friends, but as a business tool there’s something a bit limiting about a square picture in a strictly designed templated page layout that puts us off. But it’s changing daily and becoming so popular that some companies are even using Facebook over their main web site to connect with their customers.

Do our social media choices define our style? A friend of mine does financial communications and is all about LinkedIn – it’s more formal, less chatty and all about business connections. A produce market client swears by their Facebook page where they put up daily deals and what’s fresh. Another is a ‘Yelper’; she loves the short reviews. Twitter of course sings for brevity, not much for looks. Everyone should now get on board and learn how to embrace these mediums because it’s become the way of the world.

If properly planned out, it is possible to use social media and have a defined brand and style. Most company logos need to be adjusted to fit the pre-determined pixel sizes instead of just slapping it up there and getting partly cut-off. The tone and voice of the posts or tweets need to be defined and consistent. The best way to do this is to set up a style guide or make sure one person is responsible for postings. The communications need to be regular and frequent. Nothing looks worse than seeing that the latest post is from 3 months ago. The photos need to reflect the company’s brand and always stay professional (no happy hour photos!)

With so much communication happening through these new online channels, is there a place for print? Print has just become the vehicle to drive customers online. Something printed still stands out more amongst the clutter and glut of email and social media posts. A nicely designed printed invitation in a sparkly envelope is still the best medium for parties or weddings. But now the RSVP can now be an online reply instead of mail-back card.

A magazine ad can promote a company’s social media sites for special insider offers. Direct mail campaigns can use variable data to personalize customer’s names and drive them to unique landing pages. And who doesn’t like to get something personally addressed to them in the mail? Imagine if holiday cards become links to Facebook family photos or family blogs sites instead of the yearly letters? It’s starting to happen but something just gets a bit lost in translation, it’s less personal and more public.

Doesn’t there still needs to be a balance? It can’t go all online, can it? As designers and marketers, we can embrace what should go online – timely communications and customer engagement campaigns. Let’s create digital brands that best fit these mediums but still produce some lovely printed pieces that drive social media traffic for our customers.

A Burst of Sunshine

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:08:00 +0000

Lemon, citrus, charteuse, goldenrod, mustard, solar. Whatever shade you call it – it’s yellow.

Yellow is everywhere right now. From wall colors to dishes to clothing, retailers have the trend pegged. Crate & Barrel’s new catalog features a ‘banana’ colored mixing bowl and J.Crew is promoting custom Sperry duck boots in ‘lemon twist’. Benjamin Moore is showing kitchen walls painted ‘grape green’ against dark chocolate cabinets. And Nordstrom’s features a pattern of yellow sun rings on their main Juniors’ webpage. Shop windows, catalogs, commercials, product packaging and websites are all featuring this peppy color. It must be because springtime is calling for a little bit of sunshine to brighten our dull and dark winter palettes.

It’s easy to follow this design trend. Pair a citrus yellow with charcoal gray or black to tone it down, or a complete a vibrant palette with a pool blue, grass green and tangerine orange. For a modern look, use lots of white and a splash of hot pink against big blocks of lemony yellow. Or mix a soft butter yellow with light teal, pale pink and brown for a vintage inspired design.

Printing on a yellow paper stock is also a way to get a richer hue instead of printing a process yellow on a white stock. Using yellow on the web is a bit trickier; it doesn’t always display accurately on monitors and can be hard to read as type. It makes a great background, though, and a variety of colors look great with it.

Does this yellow trend invoke happiness? It sure is cheerful. Picture a field of daffodils or sunflowers against a cloud-free blue sky. It can only make you smile.

Will the lean to yellow last? Unless you are planning to completely overhaul your brand look, corporate colors, wardrobe or living room, your splash with yellow doesn’t need to stand the test of time. Like the sun, you can just welcome its presence, especially after a dreary winter. Everyone seems hungry for this burst of color to brighten the more neutral hues around us. So go ahead, find a yellow hue that’s right for you. Feel the glow!

What’s Your Personal Brand?

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:07:00 +0000

I recently designed a program for my friend and former boss’ memorial service. The program was supposed to reflect him and his style. It got me thinking about everything that goes into a personal style or brand. How do we determine what someone else’s style is?

Maybe it’s in the clothes we wear, be it all black and grey or bright orange and red. Many friends reminisced about my boss’ bright pink shirts and bold purple ties. It could be reflected in the patterns we love – soft feminine florals, bold stripes or textured neutrals. Some choose to make a personal statement through how they decorate their houses or offices. I love sleek and modern interior décor but usually surround myself with a mix of modern and traditional pieces since all modern can be stark and cold.

All of us have a personal style, but not everyone is deliberate about translating that to our personal brand. I designed and digitally printed personalized thank you notes with hot pink, purple and spring green graphics on a softwhite paper for my daughter after she was born. Everyone said how cute they were and that they are “so her”. Did I start creating her brand already as an infant by the typeface, color and paper choices? I wonder if she’ll choose a completely different style and brand as she gets older – no doubt!

I designed an identity for a colleague a while ago who has bold, curly red hair. I created a twisty curly red graphic element that tied into the letters in her name. She continues to use this for her personal stationery and claims it “fits her perfectly”. This red curly-q is now part of her personal brand, a trademark of sorts.

In branding and design, we are taught to be consistent. It’s almost driven down our throats and in turn we teach our clients to be consistent. Use your logo in the same way every time, stick to the brand manual and use the same colors and fonts, pick a standard paper – all these choices create your brand.

Maybe our personal brand is just ingrained in who we are. It’s how we sign our name, the words we use, our speaking style and the colors we prefer. And while consistency can be a good thing, sometimes we all can become a bit stale even in our personal brand. Always wearing all black and white and pinstriped? Shake it up a bit – it’s a new year. Add a dash of citrus yellow or a pop of red, splurge on a new striped lunch bag, change your default email font to a serif instead of Arial, or spec a colored envelope for your next identity project instead of white. Come on, even corporate brands need a bit of refreshing now and then.

Design on a Deadline

noreply@blogger.com (Peter Hill Design) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:57:00 +0000

Does the adrenaline rush of working on a tight deadline produce your finest creative inspiration?

Sometimes deadlines are self-induced or sometimes they can be client driven, either way, pressure is pressure. Who knows, maybe your best work is done while the clock is ticking down to zero? Or are you more of a slow cooker, simmering ideas to perfection over several days or weeks if you can get them? Whichever way your creative personality leans, it is hard to escape the inevitable reality of deadline pressure in the commercial design world.

My fear is that work done under-the-gun gets sloppy. Extra spaces get missed, paper selections aren’t considered and printing options become limited, stock photos don’t get color-corrected and the ultimate, typos don’t jump out on the page. A tight deadline can create a slippery slope for a good job to go bad when too much of a rush is put on something. What if a URL is misspelled, or a phone number is inverted on a direct mail piece? The call to action is then useless and the whole piece is a failure.

As designers and project managers, ensuring an ample timeline for any project is a necessity to curb these kinds of quick mistakes. Managing client expectations of timing and delivery is key. Closely reviewing hard copies of printer proofs is also important. Looking at a pdf on screen doesn’t always do the trick, especially if you’ve sent a similar pdf to the printer for output. Have you ever tried to ask your client for more time or a project extension? Try it – maybe no one will blink an eye at the request.

How do we handle the creative team that would rather design under pressure and leave everything on their plates to the last minute anyway? It’s hard to change how people work their creative process. Back in college, some of my classmates would work all night on an oil painting the day before it’s due. The painting usually turned out fabulous, but using 3 fans to try dry it an hour before class the next day is a little overboard. I prefer to have time to go back and review my work and improve it.

There are times where pressure is just what you need to get the work pumped out. A looming deadline will make anyone kick it up into high gear and really focus because you have to nail on the first try. There is no time for exploration, just dive in and get it done. I will often have a deadline in my head for a couple days and be contemplating the final outcome. Then sitting down and doing the work is not as hard. But a fast turnaround is a fast turnaround and the standard of quality work can still be there, in fact it can have the best outcome.

If you don’t like pressure just try it sometime – the adrenaline rush can be invigorating. Close down your email and shut off your cell phone, pour a cup of coffee and turn on your hour timer and see what you can get done. Or if you are always racing the clock, try faking yourself out with a day earlier deadline and see if you still can perform. Perhaps you will have time to refine it to perfection OR maybe you are just meant to live in the pressure cooker?