Psychology-Driven Brand Design. Creating and Refining Remarkable Brand Identities.

Collection: A to Z

Back to the basics… and then some! The ABCs of Design and Marketing, from A – Z.

“Z” is for: Zapier

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.

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“Y” is for: YouTube

Could YouTube be the magic bullet for all of your marketing goals? In all honesty, you could develop your entire business marketing plan around YouTube. I’m not saying you should do that, but since YouTube is recognized as the second largest search engine, you might want to think twice before you decide to ignore it.

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“X” is for: X-factor

No, I’m not referring to the singing competition with the ever-delightful Simon Cowell. Good news: you don’t need to be able to sing or perform in order for your brand to have an x-factor. Do you know what yours is?

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“W” is for Watermark

Watermarks grace dollar bills, important documents, and checks and are there to prove authenticity, origin, or ownership. But what role do they play in online images and your marketing images?

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“V” is for Vector

You just got off the phone with your graphic designer and your head is swimming with terms like vector, bitmap, and raster. Even though it may have sounded like it, your designer wasn’t speaking a foreign language! Let’s look at these different image types and clear up the confusion.

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“T” is for Typo: Why Good Grammar is Good for Business

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.

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“R” is for: Robots

Robots may not rule the world just yet, but they do rule the Internet. What do robots have to do with the World Wide Web? Let me explain.

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“Q” is for: QR Code

QR codes are soooo 2011. The QR code has been declared dead over and over again, but was it ever really alive? Let’s take a closer look at this misunderstood technology and you can decide for yourself.

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“P” is for: Pantone 2016 Color(s) of the Year!

For the first time ever, Pantone’s Color of the Year is a duo. That’s right, the color for 2016 is actually two — Rose Quartz and Serenity. Another notable “first” is that it represents a departure from the usual bold rich color typically given this honor, being the first pastel shades in a decade. This is quite a shift from the norm — what does it mean?

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“O” is for Offset Printing

I remember quite distinctly a time back in 2004, when this thing called ‘digital printing’ was scoffed at by ‘real’ designers. It was cheap and produced inferior results as compared to traditional offset printing. Well now it’s almost 2016 and technology has come a long way. Is offset printing still the best way to print?

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“M” is for: Monochromatic (One is the Loveliest Color)

It was September of 1965 when the color television revolution changed the world. Programming previously watched in shades of gray was now bursting in full color for all to see! It’s understandable that we are drawn to color; we equate it with life and vibrancy. So when I tell you that monochromatic has merits, don’t tune me out just yet!

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“L” is for: Landing Page

Landing pages should be part of any online marketing strategy. They are an integral part of the sales/lead generation process. Learn why a website isn’t enough and why you need landing pages to truly be successful in selling.

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“K” is for: Kerning

Let me let you in on a little trick of professional graphic designers. This little last-minute tweak can make a huge difference—and it’s a key factor separating the amateurs from the experts.

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“J” is for: Joy

As we make our way through the ABC’s of marketing and design terminology, you wouldn’t naturally assume that “joy” would be on that list. But it is, for two reasons, and let me tell you what they are.

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“I” is for: Italic (Faux vs. True)

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a larger-than-life illustration of “when bad italics happen to good fonts.” This Leaning Tower Phenomenon, if you will, often occurs as a byproduct of good people who just don’t know any better. Read on to make sure you’re not committing this typographical sin.

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“H” is for: Hexadecimal

Do you ever find yourself frustrated over color? For instance, do you know how to ensure that your brand colors will be consistent across every form of advertising that you use — from your print to your online marketing efforts? Here is a quick lesson that can help.

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“G” is for: Glossy

Ooh, shiny! Do you like gloss? Well, who doesn’t? When deciding on the print options of your marketing materials, the question to go glossy or matte is a common one. It’s a simple enough question, but there are actually a few different ways to achieve a glossy look — any one of which can give you a different result. Read this before you order your next print job to make sure you know what you’re getting.

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“F” is for: Favicon

A favicon (the term is a mashup of “favorites icon”) is one of those little details that should be a part of your visual brand. Go the extra step to reinforce your visual brand and enhance your users’ experience of browsing your website by creating a custom favicon.

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