General Business Blog

Why Market Positioning Matters in Graphic Design

One of graphic design’s best friends is marketing. The two disciplines work together towards the same goals – getting businesses noticed so they can get more sales and thrive. Market Positioning, sometimes shortened down simply to “positioning or position” is a tenet...

3 Popular Types of Logos

When it comes to starting a business the first thing everyone thinks about is getting a logo. A logo is a design that represents a business. It can use words, letters, or images to convey information about the personality and type of business to potential customers....

Goal Creation Tips for the Newbie Goal Setter

With the end of the year coming up, I started doing what I do every November, I started working on my goals for the next year.  It was a great tip I got years ago, from a mentor I had. What I didn’t know at the time was that less than 20% of people create goals. An...

Why Not All Graphic Design is the Same

“What do you mean you don’t create websites, you’re a designer right? Don't you all do the same thing?”  I hear this all the time when I have to explain to someone that I don't create websites but exclusively focus on creating marketing materials. What a lot of people...

“The Supposed To Life”: Why Strategy Matters

I love writing about design and business, but sometimes I want a break from it to talk about other things. This article is half mindset work and half practical advice and relates to life just as much as it does your business. The number one thing that I hear from...

3 reasons people are loyal to brands

When it comes to the products & services that fill our daily lives, we all have our favorites and our reasons for our loyalty to certain brands. If you feel like this loyalty to a brand makes you a little odd or set in your ways, it doesn't. Overall, around 8 out...

Ask the Designer: Common Questions about Stock Art and Stock Media

I spend a lot of time discussing art and media with my clients. A topic of conversation that usually comes up is stock art and stock media. Stock photography alone makes an appearance in half of all ads with 9 out of 10 digital marketers using stock photos in their...

5 ways to boost the visibility of a business

Visibility. It’s a word thrown around on the internet a lot these days. What it means for business owners is advertising and putting your business out in front of potential customers. Businesses need visibility to grow - especially if you're in a fairly saturated...

5 Common Design Terms and What They Mean!

Every industry has its jargon. The words specific to their profession that someone outside the industry would scratch their heads at and graphic design is no different. I do my best to avoid using industry-specific terms because I know my clients don’t know what they...

5 Things That Set A Business Up For Success

Everyone wants a piece of the American Dream and for many, that means starting a business and being their own boss! Unfortunately, the statistics for new businesses aren’t very optimistic as 80% of all businesses fail.  In order for your company to be part of that 20%...

5 Smartphone Apps I Use to Run My Business

It takes a lot to run a business and we all have our tools to get it done. Here are 5 apps on my phone that I love and use regularly for my business. DISCLAIMER: I do not have anything to do with any of these apps! I just like them and recommend them as a fan!...

5 common design choices that make a design less attractive

I’ve spent close to a decade doing graphic design in Orange County, California and I’ve seen a lot of designs that have these same unfortunate choices in them. It makes them stick out as something created by a newer designer or non-designer and can change the...

How to Determine Your Business’s Ideal Client

We talk about needing Ideal clients in your business. It’s mentioned that these are the people who want, need and will like who you are and what you’re offering them. It’s also well recognized that these folks are different for each business. The question I feel like...

The Art of the Visual Rebrand

Maybe your company has grown a lot recently. Perhaps you just don’t like the logo you had at first, it doesn’t fit your vision. You’re actually a lot more specialized than your old logo makes you out to be or you just inherited the family business and want to...

The Number One Mistake I Struggle To Fix as a Designer

The number one mistake that I struggle to fix as a designer: poorly written text. I love talking about graphic design and the different elements that make up a good design, like the colors, fonts and more. Here’s the thing, that’s not all graphic design is. Under the...