I’ve spent most of my professional life involved in visual communications, but that’s not what I studied as an undergrad (environmental education, at Hampshire College) because I didn’t even know what graphic design was then, and I was terribly intimidated by the “art students”. By my late twenties I had taken a single life-transforming class…
If you dream of making your content more engaging so people actually read it, try adding some simple infographics. This engages the reader by making it easier for them to understand your point. It’s kind of like a visual pull-quote. Here’s five ideas – and lots of examples – of how you can use simple…
Earlier this week I attended the annual conference of the International Forum of Visual Practitioners for the first time. I’ve been curious about this area of practice for a while, but could I be any good at it? I’d read The Graphic Facilitator’s Guide, Brandy Agerbeck’s first book. She’s a leading practitioner and thought leader…
A few years ago, a small performing arts organization in California was having an identity crisis. They were asking themselves the question: Who are we – really?! Background Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization was founded in 1993. Back then they didn’t want to be known only as a drum and bugle corps, an organization that…
Knowing who you are as an organization and how you are perceived is a critical part of the branding process. Once you’ve got a handle on your mission, vision, values, and messages (congrats!), you’ll want to start disseminating your brand identity to the world. But do you really know who you’re trying to reach? A…
We know that branding is a great way to uncover and define an organization’s authentic self. But did you know that some of the most authentic stories may come from the past? A group that’s growing its brand reputation and perception should consider not only look into the future, but backwards, too – to identify and honor…
A Mood board is a tool that can be used during branding to help organizations get a sense of how their brand is evolving. Mood boards are a collage of: Colors Textures Patterns Images I’m a creative person and graphic designer. Even if I’m not working on a project that involves designing visual identity, I’ll start to…
Lately I’ve found myself in the odd position of recommending an organization not pursue developing a new (or re-designing their existing) logo and tagline. Why do people so commonly think it should be their first marketing step, and why am I – a branding consultant – pulling back the reins? Your logo is good enough…
I spent the first week of August on a road trip with my husband visiting Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky, to go mountain biking. We planned one night en route near Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, where we booked a place to stay on Airbnb. I was immediately attracted to Jamie’s…
Let’s say your nonprofit is going through a rebranding, and it’s time to review logo options from your designer or design firm. The ensuing discussion can easily become derailed and devolve into a subjective discussion of who likes blue and who hates orange. It’s important to move beyond personal judgements to ensure you end up…
