Design - from all angles
A blog about design, though not in the strictest sense of the word. Marketing / branding resources and musings of a web and graphic designer who sees the world through Pantone-colored glasses and a 12-column responsive grid. {Subscribe to the RSS feed here: 
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"Z" is for: Zapier
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, August 02, 2016
Have you ever wished you could accelerate your administrative tasks? Streamline your spreadsheets? Fast-track your follow-ups? Guess what — there’s a Zap for that. If you’ve never used or heard of Zapier, you may be working harder than you need to. Read on to see if Zapier is the life hack you’ve been dreaming of. Read Article »
Brand Archetypes — Meet the Everyman
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, May 03, 2016
It seems one of the highest compliments bestowed upon a celebrity is that the superstar “is so down to earth!” The comfort and appeal of knowing that something or someone who is larger than life is actually “just one of us” is the pull of the Everyman archetype, and brands who are relatable in this way will go a long way in capturing the hearts of their consumers. Read Article »
"U" is for User Experience: Why Your Website is Not Your Own
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, March 29, 2016
So you dropped a few grand last year on a new website. You also paid for a domain name and some web hosting, both registered in your name. Congrats! You are now the proud owner of a website. Or are you? Read Article »
"T" is for Typo: Why Good Grammar is Good for Business
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Possibly the most expensive typo in history was made by NASA in 1962. The omission of a single hyphen in a mathematical calculation resulted in the destruction of Mariner 1 mere minutes after launch and cost $80 million. While your typos may not cause rockets to explode midair, they could keep your profits from skyrocketing. Read Article »
Brand Archetypes — Meet the Caregiver
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, December 29, 2015
The Caregiver brand archetype can be summed up in two words: compassionate and self-sacrificing. Picture the empathetic nurse or the helpful concierge, and you will see how the Caregiver archetype is a personality fit for brands which aim to nurture or serve others, from healthcare, to nonprofit, to hospitality industries. Read Article »
Is Your Website Ready for a Record-Breaking Black Friday?
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, October 27, 2015
If you own a business that sells products online, you’ve got exactly one month to get your website ready for Black Friday. So before the ghosts and princesses start knocking at your door this weekend, grab a handful of those fun-size Snickers for yourself and take a look at your business website. Is it ready for the impending virtual rush? Read Article »
Quality, Speed, and Price. Choose 3?
Nyla Smith | Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Nope, pick two. You may have heard it before; it's certainly not a new concept. (There are plenty of variations floating about: quality, time, money; quality, service, cost; good, fast, cheap.. it's all the same.) Read Article »
Designing Stop Signs
Nyla Smith | Wednesday, February 09, 2011
I've worked with all kinds of people. Some people turn out to be very opinionated. Some people constantly call back with "just one more tiny change" each time they've gotten any type of feedback from others. Some people want to use neon green even if neon green is absolutely the wrong color to use, simply because neon green is their favorite color. Get my drift? Read Article »
A designer's head is never cold
Nyla Smith | Thursday, January 27, 2011