My first project from A-Bar Winery is their Painted series of wines. This particular bottle is a merlot; The concept came from a painting of his wife he had in his house, who had done several watercolors of her sisters, most of which were water stained and the paint had run. Each type of wine has the likeness of one of her 5 sisters on it.	Next, was this bottle from Lyon’s Vineyard and Winery. Walking up to the property, replicas of Patience and Fortitude sat solemnly by the door step. It seemed appropriate that they make a cameo on the label. Red wines are red labeled, white wines are green.

Look for these and my other label designs at your local grocer.

Here is Skin smoothing in photoshop 2.0!

Brand New critiques new and redesigned brands. Do all brands meet the intended criteria for which they were designed?The liklihood is is slight, but there are some great ideas coming out of design firms. Even Target’s in-house design team has been winning awards for television, print and packaging for nearly 15 years. While we may or may not agree with their decisions, most critiques are pretty spot on.

Drop over and read some of the comments, leave one of your own. Your opinion always counts.

Story goes :

Shannon (the secretary) has lost her cat and has asked David (the graphic designer) to help with a lost poster. This is their email correspondence…
Read from top to bottom….

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.

This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.

From:David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
That is shocking news.
Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
I never said I don’t like cats. Attached poster as requested.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
It’s a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,
Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don’t come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say Lost.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,
I don’t have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend’s cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter. I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says “I haven’t seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?” you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.
Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I dont have $2000 dollars. What did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.


From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

If you find any of these useful, please, drop a comment and let me know which ones you found most useful.

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These were created with some spray paint and textured paper. I envision these to be used more for texturing than anything, but I think they could be used in a variety of places. For the brushes I made sure to include some corners as well. So hopefully this pack can be useful to yall. I’m attaching a few samples of the texture and the brushes, but there are more in the pack. Enjoy!

(All of the textures are one color. You can easily change the color though in Photoshop. One way would be: Image  -> Adjustments  -> Hue/Saturation. Then use the Hue slider to adjust.)

Download here

Is print marketing dead?

We here it all the time that print is dead. But what does that really mean for us as freelancers? Obviously this is a big deal for industries that have relied on print for such a long time. News, magazines, and direct mail marketing are all industries that need to find a way to adapt in order to survive. This isn’t new information and something many of us have been saying for a long time. But, have you ever stopped to think about how this effects the little guy?

I am under the belief that as print “dies” it will actually become more popular. As the use of print fades, it will actually become more of a novelty and thus attract more attention when used.

Think about it, its always the fads that die out ad then come back that seem to get the most attention.

Why still use print media for marketing and advertising?

Wither you want to admit it or not, there will always be a place for print advertising. However, it will never be as important as it once was. Odds are, there will always be a need for business cards, postcard flyers, and other simple print related products. Even if there isn’t always a need for these items, you will always have people who prefer them to the digital format, or in addition to it.

Another thing to remember about printed materials is that some industry call for them a lot more than others. Some industries have a much greater need for printed materials and probably always will. Places like restaurants, photographers, and artists will always have a need for these things.

What online marketing is best for me?

There are 1001+ books, websites, blogs, and podcasts out there to answer this question. I will however, speak from my own experience as a designer on how I have used online marketing. Obviously I use a blog and vidcasts as a marketing tool to help build up my brand. This is something everyone should be doing in some shape form or fashion. I’m not suggesting you go out and create a “me too” type design blog, but rather one that your clients can look at and see you as a professional based on what you have to say.

I also use some online advertising to help drive traffic to my business websites. I do a little direct advertising on websites who visitors are likely to need a website design. Places to like blogging blogs, niche business websites, and other similar areas. I also occasionally use Google Adsense when I first launch a new site to test out its content and layout.

How do I combine the print and online marketing?

Now this is the true $100,000 question isn’t it? The truth is, there is no real easy way to track the ROI of print advertising for your online business. There are a number of techniques you can do to help give you a better picture of the success of print marketing, but it is still really nothing more than a guess. Below I will outline a few various ways you can use printed materials to help drive traffic to your company website:

1. Turn Your Business Card Into a Coupon
If you are like many small business owners, you give out or leave your business card with almost every person you come in contact with. While the traditional business card is a business staple, many people underestimate its value as a marketing tool. Yes, having your contact information on it is important, but is that really enough to get people to visit your website? Why not turn your business card into a coupon? Adding a simple line that says, “redeem this card for a free social media strategy consultation” is a lot more likely to get people to contact you.

2. Create a Synergy Between Your Print and Online Image
Many designers already know that keeping a cohesive look between ads, website, and marketing materials is important. But, you would be pretty surprised ( or maybe you wont!) at how many small business owners aren’t aware of just how important this is. Using your logo on all your materials is not enough to create a cohesive look. You need to make sure things like colors, fonts, photos, logos, all match up. You don’t want someone thinking they went to the wrong website because it looks nothing like the flyer they have do you?

3. Create a Custom Landing Page for Printed Materials
First, let me say that this is not the same thing as creating a custom URL to try to track ROI from printed materials. Adding a www.mysite.com/nytimes url to your ad the auto redirects to your homepage is a fools attempt to track conversions. The majority of people out there, even the dumbest ones, are smart enough to know they don’t need to type that into the browser. What you need to do is create a landing page that is specific to your printed material and that persuades them to visit that url directly. For example, say your are a wedding photographer, you could create a custom landing page with a contest for seniors to get a free 8×10 print. In this instance, people are a lot more likely to visit the contest url before the root url, thus helping you track your ROI from printed materials.

4. The Power of Curiosity
Many small business owners are afraid of this tactic, but many could greatly profit from it. That said, this idea won’ work for everyone. The idea here is to say as little about your business as possible. For example, if you were a designer, try only printing your website url on the card. Obviously you can’t really track this method, but it is still worth while. Many people will be intrigued at what you do and want to see what you are all about. On a side not though, you need to have a somewhat descriptive url for this to work well.

5. Drive Traffic from Your Website to Your Printed Material
Say what?!? How does this work you are probably asking yourself. This is another tactic that requires a little more work, but one that could work very well for the right business and industry. The idea here is to make your customers have to do some work to be able some sort of discount or special from you. One idea here is to blog about a special on your website. Then tell your readers in order to get it, they must find your “secret flyer” at local downtown retailer. If launched correctly, this could lead to a nice little viral marketing campaign.

Right from my very first client, I have encountered about dozens of clients who just love to criticize just for the sake of it. But these are the provoking things that graphic designers should be responsive of in his career. One must always remember the maxim “client is always right”; and if he isn’t …there are ways of making him understand.

1. Keep it cool – Don’t lose it:

The first and the foremost thing that graphic designer need to make sure is to stay calm while handling client criticism. Graphic designers need to realize that clients are paying for their work and would demand the best possible result. Hence, when faced with design criticism, never lose your cool and stay focused on the project rather than disputes.

2. Talk less – Listen more:

Every client wants to be heard. Whenever clients toss out criticism on designers, it is because they want their requirements to be perfectly heard. The best way to handle clients with fussy approach is to listen more and speak less. Hear out what your client wants to convey to you and then clarify your position.

3. Cut the jargons – Be simple and sweet:

Graphic designers must always remember that their clients may not be graphic designers themselves. Hence it is useless using tough graphic design jargons with them. We may think that using terminologies and graphic design lingos may impress the clients, but it is not always the case. Many clients are layman when it comes to graphic designing and might not like hearing difficult terms such as “filtering”, “saturation”, “Rendering”. Always try to use simple words and try to make sure the client understands.

4. Less attitude -more aptitude:

Often when graphic designers finish with a project, they feel a sense of pride in the completion. This develops an “I can’t be wrong” attitude within the graphic designer. After showing the design to the client, designers believe they cannot be erroneous and thus head out for a clash of words with the client. One must always remember when dealing with client criticism, that aptitude is more important than attitude. You can never battle criticism with a sore attitude. To persuade the client, aptitude is more useful than attitude.

5. Use your head, not heart:

The golden principle of handling design criticism is not to take any reproach personally. Graphic designers must remember that the client relationship is a strictly professional one and taking things personally is not a healthy thing to do. When encountering cynicism, designers should use their head more than their hearts.

6. Avoid blame game:

Playing blame games always lead to aggravating the matter. When a client points out a mistake, graphic designers should acknowledge it rather than blaming the clients for it. This in turn will ignite a blame game and intensify matters even more. So whatever you do, avoid the blame game.

My job was to come up with a packaging system that was inexpensive and easy to produce en mass by one or two people.

Thine solution:

Small burlap bags can be purchased by the thousands for about 12 cents each. Now, given these are only to hold about $4 worth of coffee beans, we needed to give the impression the bag was bigger than it was. So the idea of this cap was introduced to make the bag look bigger and have more visual weight. The cap also had to remain in place after the bag was opened. An A frame cap was placed with a 6 inch long tab that goes down the bag side of the bag, holding it in place. But in order to keep the kind of roast visible after the bag was opened, the roaster could easily tag it with the roast tags, which were printed separately, as each bag was filled with two small tabs fitting into two small business card sized cuts.

Thine result:

Total production cost estimate:

63 cents per bag, including labor.