It was about a year ago when Partial Gallery approached me with an exciting opportunity. They wanted me to curate a selection of original Canadian art for their website. As someone passionate about art and design, I was thrilled to take on this project. The idea of showcasing Canadian talent and sharing unique pieces with a broader audience was right up my alley.
When I started thinking about which pieces to select, I knew I wanted to focus on something that felt both meaningful and visually striking.
Read MoreYou've heard it before, but it bears repeating: The customer comes first. Always. A common question in branding and marketing webinars is: "How do I market my coffee, winery, baked goods, or fresh-pressed juices?" While it's a great question, if there was one clear answer, wouldn't every brand in these categories be doing the same thing and looking the same to consumers?
Read MoreDuring a recent retail excursion, I stumbled upon some packaging that caught my eye. What struck me was how these brands fully embraced their culture without hesitation. There was no trying to be trendy or playing it safe – just a genuine embrace of their unique aesthetic.
As a consumer, this kind of authenticity speaks volumes. In a busy grocery store, where I'm rushing to check off items from my list, I appreciate when a brand's packaging instantly tells me whether it's for me or not.
Read MoreA small work break a few weeks back included watching “Le Graphisme chez Deberny et Peignot” .
This was a talk hosted by The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and presented by Amelia Hugill-Fontanel presented live this week.
This presentation offered a fascinating glimpse into the world of typography.
What caught my attention was the array of type specimens showcased during the talk. Each typeface had a story to tell, and delving into the history behind them was truly captivating. From classic serif fonts to modern sans-serifs, the diversity of designs showcased the evolution of typography over time.
Read MoreGenuinely curious: Are you creating a product that consumers don’t even know they want yet, or are you following market trends to ensure you meet consumer demands?
Read MoreThe True Cost of Design: Lessons from Jaguar Land Rover
In the realm of business and innovation, the significance of design cannot be overstated.
It's not merely about aesthetics; it's about functionality, user experience, and ultimately, the success of a product or service. This sentiment is poignantly captured in a quote attributed to the CEO of Jaguar Land Rover: "If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design."
Read MoreUnlocking Your Brand's Persona: The Power of a Celebrity Analogy
Crafting the personality of your brand can be a puzzling task for many business owners. It's an abstract concept that often eludes clear definition. However, during the onboarding process, there's one unconventional tactic that sparks instant clarity: asking the question, "What celebrity would you hire to advertise your brand?"
Read MoreThis Friday’s PSA for small business owners is a reminder that when it comes to branding and marketing, the KISS principle (pardon the rudeness!) applies every time:
> Is your logo too detailed? Can it be discerned easily, even from a distance or in a small footprint? Can you remove anything that is extraneous and doesn’t contribute to your brand promise? If there is more than one idea or theme you could be confusing your potential audience, and a confused audience is also a disengaged one!
Read MoreFRIDAY PSA for small business owners: Have you heard the term "300 dpi" and it's made your head swim? Do you want to avoid blurry images in your printed marketing materials? Then read on!
Read MoreAlthough everyone is trying to grab as much "summer" outdoors as we can while it lasts (although let's face it, as food & beverage producers we will be lucky if we can get even one weekend away), these next few weeks also bring us some great TV: the summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Read More“Print is Dead,” they say. But as designers we know nothing can be further from the truth. The reality is how we consume our print has shifted, but it is most definitely not on a ventilator just yet.
Read MoreWhen growing your business from a one-person shop to having employees, you may find yourself with the need to define and create a workplace “culture”. Some business owners take to this responsibility very seriously; others would rather just make a really good product or service and hope the rest will take care of itself.
Read MoreUnless you've been shutting yourself in, both virtually and physically, you've probably sensed a change in the air. The murder of George Floyd sparked a widespread reaction in the States of which we are still seeing the effects. Whether people had just had enough, coupled with months of isolation, many long overdue conversations are now happening and bringing to light some very real, but sometimes hidden, inequalities.
Read More Like most established companies, your business likely has a logo and brand personality with which your loyal clientele is very familiar and can easily recognize. Perhaps you already have a strong visual representation of your company that ties strongly with your industry and sends a message as to what service or product you provide and how.
Read MoreSo it seems as if, at least for now, the threat of the pandemic sweeping Elgin County in a devastating way seems to have abated. We don't know if that means it's gone for good or that we should be bracing for another wave, but in the meantime, life is slowly getting back to normal. And that, for some, means business is back to normal.
Read MoreThe uncertainty of this period of time has changed all the rules of the marketing game. In ordinary circumstances you know how the game is played, and so you act accordingly. But now that there is no clear path forward, do the rules even apply anymore?
Read MoreA recent Facebook post began with the words “I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it’s not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.”
For some of us, our jobs means we have to go to work every day, constantly under threat of something insidious and invisible. We then have to bring the same threat back home to our family. For others, this is a time where our jobs have moved to a home office and taken on an urgent note, at the same time while we try to homeschool our children. And for still others, it's a pleasant opportunity to spend more time with family and bake bread. We need to understand that for some of us, this situation means merely surviving everyday, and for others this could be an opportunity to create something new.
Read MoreI'd like to start by saying: for those of you who put yourselves on the front lines daily, we are very thankful and the sacrifices and risks you are taking are not lost on the rest of us. And for those whose livelihood depends on physical interaction and people coming through your doors, I won't state what's already obvious, but this will be a trying time indeed.
Whether you have a brick and mortar business or are a service provider, this just might be the time in your career to consider bringing some (or more) of your business online.
If you have been hemming and hawing over whether to bring your physical products online and start selling, here are some points to consider.
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