Posts on branding & websites, business and client work.
Have you ever tried to design something and couldn’t quite put your finger on why it wasn’t working? If so, this series is for you.
ver the past few years I have discovered a few tips and tricks for designing pieces like flyers, cards, advertisements, magazines, or books.
I will walk you through a few simple rules for making a card.
This series will consist of 3 Parts. Part 2 will be covering hierarchy + typography, and part 3 will be about choosing color.
Let’s dive in.
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If you read my last post How to Create Quality Photography for Social Media, Part 1 you learned all about how to choose your props, set up your studio, style your photos, compose your photos, and capture your images. You learned a few rules of photography like rule of thirds and balance.
ow that you’ve had time to practice styling and snap a few images, lets talk about selecting the right photos and how to edit them.
Today, I’m going to walk you through my process and talk about the tools I use. I will also break down some of the adjustment tools in Instagram and hopefully give you a better understanding of what each function does.
When I began to work on launching my new company, I knew I would need to develop a specific look for my business and social media platforms. I knew I wanted my brand to be clean, airy and simple with pops of color, but I wasn’t sure how to accomplish that through photography.
I started doing research.
I would google, “How to take professional-looking images,” and “how to photograph for your blog.” I also spent a lot of time looking at what others in my industry were doing. I took notes of what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what kind of props they were using. I debated whether I liked the more organized, aligned style or if I should go for a more organic, messy feel.
While it was great to do research, and it gave me a base knowledge of what I needed to know, I realized I would only truly learn by doing. So that’s what I did.
I started experimenting and figuring it out. And that’s when I really came into my own. Now I want you to do the same—here are the first five steps to taking quality photos.
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One easy way to spruce up a flyer, invitation, or handout is to download a new font and sub it in for one of the typical defaults. It is a simple way to add a level of originality and sophistication.
So here are 12 fabulous free fonts!
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Have you ever said to yourself, “I’m not creative enough,” or “I’m not qualified,” or “I don’t have what it takes.” Every entrepreneur on earth has had these same thoughts at one point or another. I can’t tell you how many times I have questioned if I have what it takes to be a successful designer or business owner.
I had these thoughts this week actually, which is what prompted me to write this post. Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve discovered a few ways to silence that little voice in our head telling us we can’t…
Happy Friday!
For the longest time I have wanted to do a series of products based on the book of James. I love James and have learned so much each time I've read through it.
So today I thought I would take a few of my favorite verses and turn them into daily reminders.
Download yours for FREE below!
Since high school I have dreamed of being self-employed. Back then I liked the idea of being my own boss and sleeping in as often as I wanted. But the older I became, the more I realized being your own boss comes with a lot of responsibility. It's not always easy and accommodating, but more often than not it requires a large amount of discipline. Discipline to work even when you don't necessarily feel like it.
When deciding to leave my full-time position I had to weigh all the odds, create a pros and cons list and prioritize all aspects of my life.
For many people, being self-employed means they no longer have to answer to their terrible boss or go to a job they really don't enjoy.
But for me it wasn't about that. For me, it came down to one really simple yet important thing—Freedom.
You know when you see that superhero mom juggling 2 or 3 kids, a dog, and countless other things and you immediately ask yourself, “How does she do that?” Or when you see the restaurant or coffee shop owner who seems to be working every single moment the lights are on? I have certainly thought, “I wonder how they do that,” so many times in life. I would bet they have a list of “things” they would tell you they couldn’t live without.
I am definitely not a superhero mom (or a mom in general) and I don’t run a restaurant or coffee shop, but as a designer and business owner I also have a list of items that make my life a whole lot easier. Here's my top 10 list.
Designing for yourself as a designer is a really tall order. It’s so hard to decide which direction to go, because your options are endless. When I began to work on the branding package for Casi Long Design, I tried to treat the project like I would any other client.
I forced myself to answer questions I would have my clients answer: Who is your target audience? What are the emotions you want your brand to convey? How would you describe your brand’s style and personality?
A few words I came up with were classic, simple, airy, clean, fresh, authentic.
Using those 6 words and a simple, 7-step process, I was able to develop my own brand into something I can be proud of. Here’s how you can too!
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