We recently had the opportunity to work with the wonderful guys at InsulationStop.com to create their blog. InsulationStop.com is a leading energy saving provider of rFoil radiant barrier and reflective foil insulation products. Check them out. You can visit their main site here at www.insulationstop.com and their blog here www.insulationstop.com/radiant-barrier-blog/

Vintage Posters
http://grainedit.com/2010/01/25/vintage-calendars/

Brent Couchman
http://grainedit.com/2010/01/22/brent-couchman/

20 Fonts Ideal for Big and Powerful Headings
http://webdesignledger.com/freebies/20-fonts-ideal-for-big-and-powerful-headings

30 Creative and Inspiring Blog Designs
http://webdesignledger.com/inspiration/30-creative-and-inspiring-blog-designs

30 Websites with Lovely Layout and Typography
http://www.thedesigncubicle.com/2010/01/30-websites-with-lovely-layout-and-typography/

Color Theory for Designers, Part 1: The Meaning of Color
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/28/color-theory-for-designers-part-1-the-meaning-of-color/

I met with two great people this morning over a cup of coffee about a small video we’re working on. Although it was a quick meeting about a very small project, I left feeling energetic and inspired about our what we were going to do and how we were going to make it fun. It was about the ideas and potentials of not only this project, but what it could lead to or generate.

Big projects are great, but we all have to take on the small projects as well that may not have the proper time allowance or budget to work with. This is when the real creativity kicks in. What are you going to do with that logo design that needs to be done the same day. Or the brochure that can only be black and white with no bleeds. What are you kidding me? A $50 banner design due tomorrow? This happens all to often in the design industry since clients are looking to save money and stretch their budgets.

Look past this small project too see what’s next on the horizon. What kind of great project could this lead to? What potentials are there for other work? Don’t be afraid to be generous with your hours from time to time. Good clients will appreciate your short term sacrifice and will reward you with more work in the future. Sometimes a good supply line of work at a slightly lower rate can be in your favor long term.

Be passionate about every project you take on. Big projects and especially the small projects. Bring those small projects to life and give them that extra shine and polish that your clients will love. Make them feel comfortable with you so that when that big project does come along, they’ll think of you first.

Lost Posters

I’m a pretty big lost fan and I have yet to see anything this creative come out of the design world related to this series. If you’re at all interested in design or just good creative ability, this is definitely worth a look.

http://mattsoncreative.com/blog/2010/01/18/lost-posters/

Creative Flash Designs

Flash has been around for quite a while and I’m always amazed at how designers use it to create wonderful web environments that give users the experience that could never be achieved with traditional web design.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/04/02/39-creative-flash-designs/

Truly Stunning Skateboard Designs

I used to hit the streets back in the day with my friends with some pretty cool boards, but I’ve never seen anything like this. These deck designs take skateboard designs to a whole new level. From the use of image to the typography these are sure to give any designer plenty of inspiration.

http://designrfix.com/inspiration/100-stunning-skateboard-designs

Not an after thought. Graphic Design is not an added value. It’s not the icing on the cake and it’s certainly not an afterthought. Design is a necessity. Design has to be considered with any marketing effort or creative projects such as web sites, printed communication, brand marks and colors, advertising and so on. The list goes much farther than that, but my point is, people see YOU as YOUR brand and design is what makes up the visual aspects of your brand. Consider it first and do your homework as a business owner so that you are best representing your business with smart design.

You get what you pay for. Smart designer do their homework and ask lots of questions. Bad designers typically do not research their clients markets and find out who their competitors are. Ask your designer what their intentions are and what their thoughts are on creative direction and strategy. You’re not just buying design, you’re paying someone to think about the future of your business and how to lead you in the right direction. Good design is easy to understand and communicates well. Good design in thought provoking and memorable. Good design is innovative and fresh.

Quality comes with time. Give it time. Creative ideas do not come bursting out of the darkness like a flash of lighting, or come barreling down the road with guns a blazing to save the day. Design is done delicately and develops over a period of time with close attention to detail while taking many different alternatives into consideration. Good designers are very patient and open to many solutions and work toward the best solution possible at the time of need. Take time to consider, research, ask questions, change things, ask more questions… you get the idea.

The value of design does not jump and say here I am, here I am at the beginning of a project. The value of good design is in it’s results. Days, weeks, months, or even years after. Did it stand the test of time? Did it show my customers that I mean business and want to look professional in front of my clients.

There’s the value in graphic design.

Slingshot SEO is an Indianapolis based Search Engine Optimization company employing over 80 search engine optimization experts both in Indiana and around the United States.

Why? Why would anyone want a web site for their business? Needless to say, every business that is serious about finding customers should have a web site? Big or small, they’re an excellent way for customers to find out where you’re located, how much your products cost, and to send you a quick message to tell you how great you’re doing. The process can be simple and straight forward to meet your needs without all the fluff from those big web development agencies.


Who? How in this big world of web design do you find the right folks to design and build your web site? This big question really depends on your needs. If you do any research at all, you’ll find that all web designers and web developers are good at certain things. Ask yourself what it is that you’re really looking for in a good web site. Then go out and find the people who are good at that and have a proven track record. We’re very strongly focused on design and working with your current brand to grow your business. The guy next door may not be so focused on design, but may have a ridiculous amount of knowledge on Search Engine Optimization. Who do you go with? Simply ask yourself what’s important to you.


Finished product? So once you’ve decided why your having a web site built in the first place, and who’s going to do it, how do you know if the guys you picked actually did a good job or not. Well, go back to your business goals and look at what you asked them to do. Did they do it? Was it successful? Maybe you’re goal was to increase sales in 2009. Did it happen? See if there is any measurable information on how your web site created your “success”. Most generally, I’m asked to design a web site for my clients, but what they’re really asking me to do is grow their business. And typically I get asked how I can measure such goals as higher sales, more customers, bigger leads, etc. Although, this is a partnership effort between you and your web designer, you should expect an expert opinion from your designer on the best way to report on such statistics.

The STAR brochure was a fun print project that targeted students in need of mentoring programs. The STAR program helps university students who are on first time academic probation or reinstated for an upcoming semester. Another project completed in collaboration with Partners Printing.

The Office of Academic and Career Development at IUPUI in Indianapolis is an organization committed to the success of individual students as they transition into college and to their degree granting school. They partner with students to develop a coherent and meaningful plan for academic and career success. Completed in collaboration with Partners Printing.