Introduction to Design for Print

There is nothing quite like holding a lovingly crafted brochure fresh off the press. The subtleties of paper stock, spot varnish that lifts the images off the page and the tactile sensation of just holding the finished product. Designing for print brings together the disciplines of the technical knowhow and the creative inspiration that make graphic design so appealing as …

Introduction to Web Design

Understanding how a business and its brand interacts with its customer is an often overlooked aspect of web design. It should be the driving factor in every part of the site from navigation right through to content. Every business needs to have a presence on the web but every site needs to be crafted to present a company’s individual positioning. …

Introduction to Branding

Branding goes way beyond your logo, stationery and signage, and for many it can be thought of as similar to goodwill. Unlike goodwill it includes indirect contact, everything that represents a business and adds to the way someone might think or feel about a company. Managing this record of interaction is a key to being competitive in todays complex business …

Calendar Films

A local Vancouver independent film maker asked me to develop a new identity and stationery package. As a documentary film maker they wanted a clean modern look and feel that reflected the often serious nature of the films they produced. The logo was designed to be used in two forms, with or without the date graphics that symbolize the film …

How to Promote Your Small Business

If you think advertising when you think about promoting your business, you might be surprised to hear that I recommend you change the way your thinking. If you’re thinking word-of-mouth you’re getting warmer, but how do you generate it?

Does Business Need Social Media?

The draw of social media comes in two parts, Reach + Value. I will address the later first as it’s the easiest. As the sites don’t charge for making a profile and displaying your information to the world, some might think the value of social media is…

How to Choose a Graphic Designer?

A Graphic Designer is an essential part of every companies staff from the largest multinational to the start-up local restaurant, but they come in all shapes and sizes so how do you go about choosing one that will match your specific requirements?

What is a CMS?

WordPress, Joomla, Drupal. If you’re not a web site designer or a backend coder then you might be forgiven for thinking they are early twentieth century printing techniques or towns from a far distant land. In fact they are just a sample of current software solutions to a ‘catch-22’ that many small and medium sized businesses face today with their web sites.