Elements and Benefits of Graphic Designing

Graphic Design is all about communicating your message through visuals whereby visual information is given form and structure, so as to communicate your unique message and reflect your unique identity.In today’s busy and noisy world, where no one has time to observe things going around, only a good piece of graphics can get you noticed and I strongly believe nothing better than a logo can help you to be remembered for ages.

Logo designing is a mix of engineering and art. The best logos in the world are comprised of simple text and uncomplicated graphics. A logo should have some basic character to qualify as a professional logo. It’s not all about appearance.

When you own a small business, it’s certainly important to spend your marketing budget wisely.Every brochure, advertisement, and business card that you pass out plays an important role in establishing the image of your company. The same is true of your company’s logo and website. The graphic design skills and techniques used to create the materials that represent your company to prospective customers and other individuals establish your company’s corporate identity. Why would you risk sending the wrong message about your business by relying on amateur graphic design work that you create yourself.

The graphic design process is crucial to any business, making it stand out head and shoulders from the competition. Whether it is the design of an entire corporate campaign or the creation of a simple company logo it still has to work effectively for you. The most commonly described elements of design are:

• Lines


• Shapes


• Mass or Size


• Texture


• Color


• Form


• Space


• Value (lightness or darkness)

Whether yours is a small business organization in its budding stages or already a large scale business, logo always is an essential part of your company.

Some of the benefits of a good logo design are:

Logo helps to give your company and your company website a complete identity. Viewers identify your organization with your company logo.

The main aim of your website is to attract viewers, build their trust and make them come back to your site over and over again. If your company logo has that power which has already been stored in the viewer’s minds in just one or two visits, he might remember your company website whenever he is online in search of some common information.

A logo helps to enhance the personality of your company’s online presence.

It is said that images speak louder than words. A logo which is a graphical presentation of words and images speak more powerfully than the plain text on your site.

Logo helps in brand building for your company and its website.

The list of benefits a good logo would have over a company can be endless. But to summarize, logo designing is the most important element and the first element to lead you to the success ladder.

HiSpirits Technologies provides high end Graphic Designes and Website Design.

The 5 Big No’s of Designing a Postcard

Planning on printing postcards for your business? People can distinguish a professionally designed postcard with just a quick look at its layout and orientation. Every postcard has to give out the same sophistication and energy as you. Avoid embarrassing yourself ruining your reputation. Just remember the 5 big no's of postcard design to ensure the quality of all postcard printing projects with your life's work on the line.

NO Clutter!

Postcards are simple. There is no need to make them complicated. There is elegance in simplicity as they say. Keep it clean, keep the message clear. Postcard printing is not about having the most elements on their layout.

NO Long Messages!

Postcards are well known for brevity, being able to convey the bearer's message with a few short lines. There is not much space to work with in a postcard, so keep the copy brief, but meaningful.

NO Collages!

One main image is enough to tell the story of your postcard design. This has to be applied for both the front and back of your postcard layout and carefully supervised during printing. The more images on a postcard the higher the risks of confusing the recipient.

NO Weird Fonts!

Words are supposed to be readable, not playful. Weird font type choices can lead to a costly mistake. Your copy and content are designed to work together and are useless if unreadable. Chances are that people will not take the effort deciphering your postcard. Wouldn't it be odd to greet Christmas with a ghoulish typeset? Yikes!

NO Multi-Color Text!

Summer is not psychedelic, so don't play around with too much colored texts. Not only does it degrades your postcard design, but makes your messages hard to understand. So stick with the standards to achieve classy and timeless postcard prints.

Postcard printing is a popular and inexpensive way of advertising. As a part of direct mail marketing, postcard mailers go directly to specific people you believe are interested in your business. Making a good impression through your postcard design is crucial.

These are just a few of the common mistakes made when designing postcards. I'm sure there are more of them around, but so far this is a basic guide to avoid making mistakes. Hopefully you can create postcard designs of substance. Modern technology has also made it easier to obtain an expertly designed postcard online visit www.mypostcardprinting.com for more details and inspiration. Go ahead, design your own or have it designed for you. Just remember to watch out for the 5 big no's of postcard designs. Have fun and good luck!

How to Send Electronic Greeting Cards

Electronic greeting cards serve a great purpose. They enable you communicate your affection or feeling in a convenient manner. Electronic greeting cards are different from the rest. They give you a chance to send cards electronically or through emails. There are countless sites that offer free electronic cards for all people who wish to send them. The cards will be for different occasions; as many occasions as you wish. The following is a good example of special days that cards are sent for. You will find cards for Valentines, birthdays, anniversary, friendships, thank you cards and the list goes on and on. The first thing will be to look for a good site that offers the cards. You will be glad to know that most cards offered by sites are absolutely free. Different sites offer different cards and you will be interested in the variety that is available. It will not hurt for you to take time and go through the cards.

Electronic greeting cards are not just colorful but come with great messages on them. You will be amazed at the different styles and designs that electronic greeting cards come with. Over and above this, you will have an opportunity to design your very own cards. This is where you are given the option of creating a background, choosing colors, writing the message and so on. You do not have to wish that the card was a little different because you can make that difference. Make sure you do not miss the chance to customize your card. The design and the colors you choose should please the person you are sending the card to. Plus, you have numerous chances of sending as many cards as you want. The possibilities are endless and there are no limits. This is truly an amazing breakthrough when it comes to passing on some love.

The process of creating and sending the electronic greeting cards is simple and straight forward. There are no complications and you cannot go wrong. You will also find that, if you want to create a card in advance then send it when you choose; it will be possible. In other words, you can select the dates in which you want the card to reach. For example, if you are sending a Valentines card, you can have it delivered on the actual date. This is pretty interesting and it will provide a lot of flexibility in this regard. Be sure to enter the information required accurately. For example, the email address needs to be correct. You will be notified when the card reaches the recipient. Take advantage of these free cards today and see the difference. On sites that provide the cards, you will have the option of viewing the most popular cards. This way, you will have an idea of the kind of card to send. Also, you will find a list of the newest cards and, it is upon you to take your pick. Choose as many cards as you want and send them to your friends and all your loved ones.

Graphic Designing - History And Resources

‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ goes the old adage, and no one can question either the truth or the pertinence of the remark. Anyone is naturally more attracted to an image than he or she is to a lot of written words. Keeping all this in mind, advertising for products and services using images and graphics makes a lot of sense.

Symbols have been a part and parcel of the story of human history. All the ancient civilisations and cultures had their own set of symbols and signs that defined their belief system and their way of life. In fact, the alphabets that form the basis of our spoken and written languages have evolved from the pictorial representation of objects around us.

Coming into modern civilised society, these symbols, while changing the role they played, did not lose their pre-eminence in shaping the society. Just think about the Nazi swastika and the Holy Cross. Symbols have evoked in us all the possible emotions; faith, hatred and love to name just a few.

Keeping the historical and psychological significance of symbols in mind, graphic designers try to create designs that can convey the major features or discerning characteristics of the product or service they are making the designs for.

mdsDESIGN, which was formed in 2002 by Marie deFontenay Coles, is a graphic designing firm providing innovative design solutions to customers all over Australia. The areas covered by mdsDESIGN include high-end graphic design, web design and advertising. Marie deFontenay Coles, the founder of the company also works as the (hold your breath) Director, Client Manager, Art Director, Designer, Print Production, Producer and Receptionist. This is someone who believes in multi-tasking. mdsDESIGN is also a member of the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA).

The business model adopted by mdsDESIGN is unique in the field of graphic designing. The boutique style business allows this personalised service, building client relationships and providing complete attention to detail from the initial concept to the final production. With a grand total of 25 years of experience behind her, Marie is sure to provide you with the exact solution for your designing needs. The company provides designs and solutions for: logos, brand or corporate identity, brand naming and identity, brand revitalisation, brochures, leaflets and catalogues, corporate literature, environments/signage, displays, website design, point of sale, packaging, print and press advertising. So for all your design and advertising needs, just visit www.mdsdesign.com.au. On the site you can know more about Marie and mdsDESIGN and also have a look at examples of various creative solutions provided by the company over the years.

The website that can make money

Get the design and layout in place

Once you have laid out the structure of your website, the next step would be to consider the design. The design of any website forms the first impression of anyone who clicks on the website. If the design were repelling, then visitors to that site would not bother reading the content no matter how well written the content is. What aspects of design should be considered then? Firstly, decide on the colors, keeping in mind the target audience. Based on the specific preferences of the intended audience and the reasons for the developing a website, the design should be implemented.

Considering the layout of the website is also an important aspect of planning a website. Layout is all about how various elements are arranged in the site. For instance, the title of the website should be featured in a prominent position. After all, you are trying to sell your company name along with what you have to offer. You should also bear in mind the placement of navigation buttons and/or links of the website. They should be created such that the layout does not look too messy or crowded.

Content and usability

Writing for the web varies greatly from writing for newspapers or newsletters. Most times, people scan for the information they want rather than reading everything from start to end. As such, the easier it is for visitors to read, the more likely they will be able to absorb the information you have laid out. While technology can help you build your Ecommerce site, for that site to be effective, the content must be clear and concise. Some examples of keeping language simple, avoiding technical jargon would be to use short words where possible. In addition, complex sentence structures should be avoided and active voice is preferred over passive voice.

Each idea should be presented in different paragraphs. This way, readers will be clear about what each idea is without being confused. Instead of randomly scanning information, by reading one idea presented in one paragraph, readers will be able to get a gist of the ideas presented. With the content in hand, the planning process of developing website becomes clearer. Based on the content, the builder can now proceed with arranging links, text, images, organization of content, etc.

Conclusion

One can never finish the process of creating a website. Because of the dynamic nature of search engines, website owners have to constantly modify their sites to enhance their ranking in search engine listings. Every page in the website has to be rich in captivating information. The goal of business sites should be that of giving visitors the information they want without beating around the bush. As such, planning of any website is the first step towards success.

Design Is Just As Important As The Printing

As an online printing company owner, I see firsthand the orders that come through from the web to print. It is amazing to see the wide spectrum of files that come through from novice to expert designers. It seems as though the majority of time spent on completing a printing order is on the design and setup process.

There are precise specifications for each printed project. For example, when designing a business card, flyer or anything else that requires a bleed off the edge (no white space) the file needs to be set up oversized. Most offset printing companies require a minimum of 1/8 inch over where you want to trim. This allows for enough room to trim all the way around the edge allowing the ink to bleed of the edge, and giving a nice professional look.

Another tip when designing projects to be printed is when you are using the color blue. I can’t tell you how many times we have printed a project with blue ink and it turns out looking purple. There is a reason for this and it is all in the design process. Blue is close to purple in the CMYK color spectrum, and it is very important to make sure to leave at least a 30% difference in your Cyan and Magenta values. Projects come through using 100% Cyan and 100% Magenta which on the computer screen will appear to be blue. But, when printed through the offset process, the project may appear purple. The best solution would be to always use a low amount of Magenta whenever using high amounts of Cyan, example: C-100 M-70 Y-0 K-0.

The printing technology nowadays is unprecedented. The capabilities of these machines are out of this world. I am surprised when I see a project come in that has obviously not been designed by a professional. The printing costs are the same whether you design, or you have an experienced graphic designer do the work. Why spend the money on a project that is portraying your business as less professional? I am of the opinion that it is always better to spend a few extra dollars on design to maximize the impact of any printing project. In fact, some files that aren’t prepared correctly need to be corrected by the printer which there is usually always a fee, so in the end, it will benefit you to have it done right the first time.

Business is more competitive in a down economy. There is less to go around when people stop buying. So, if you are a company that advertises through flyers, door hangers, notepads or postcards-make sure to hire a graphic design professional for your printed projects. It just might be the difference between you getting the job or account versus your competitor.

All You Need To Know About Traffic Signs

Traffic signs are very important for travelers and drivers alike. Erected at conspicuous places of roads, traffic signs provide useful information to road users. It also helps prevent road accidents and reduce risks in driving.

We all know what traffic signs are for but are we also familiar with the different categories of traffic signs? According to the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, traffic signs have eight categories: (1) danger warning signs, (2) priority signs, (3) prohibitory or restrictive signs, (4) mandatory signs, (5) special regulation signs, (6) information, facilities or service signs, (7) direction, position or indication signs, and (8) additional panels.

In the United States, though, the categories, placement, and graphic standards for traffic signs and pavement markings are legally defined in the Federal Highway Administration's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices as the standard.

Historically speaking, the earliest traffic signs were milestones and these were mostly for directional purposes rather than controlling the flow of traffic. The Early Romans erected columns throughout the Roman Empire to give travelers an approximation of how far they are still are from Rome.

However, with the development of automobiles, there arose a need for uniform traffic and other road signs as a means to prevent road accidents. One of the first modern-day road sign systems was devised by the Italian Touring Club in 1895. By 1900, a Congress of the International League of Touring Organizations in Paris was considering proposals for standardization of road signage. Between 1926 and 1949, the intensive work on international road signs led to the development of the European road sign system. It was only in the 1960s when the United States adopted developing its signage system.

Aside from consistency of images, color schemes were also implemented for uniformity. In North America as well as in Australia and New Zealand, the following colors have significant meanings, to wit: * Black/regulation; Blue: road user services guidance, tourist information, and evacuation route; * Brown: recreational and cultural interest area guidance; * Fluorescent Pink: incident management; * Coral: unassigned; * Fluorescent Yellow-Green: pedestrian warning, bicycle warning, playground warning, school bus and school warning; * Green: indicated movements permitted, direction guidance; * Light Blue/unassigned Orange: temporary traffic control; * Light Blue: unassigned; * Purple: unassigned; * Red: stop or prohibition; * White: regulation; * Yellow: warning

The color code listed above establishes general meanings for 10 colors of a total of 13 colors that have been identified as being appropriate for use in conveying traffic control information. The three colors for which general meanings have not yet been assigned are being reserved for future applications that will be determined only by FHWA after consultation with the States, the engineering community, plus the general public.

Businesses in the US also erect their own traffic signs for their respective establishments. With the growing demand for signage specialists, many companies now offer signage that meet regulations for standard signs including the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and US Department of Transportation (DOT) specifications.

Radecal Signs and Graphics complete a new design

Taps Plumbers merchant supplies, part of the Thompson builders merchants, came to us for vehicle graphics design and the application of the final product.

The vehicle mentioned was a large wheel based vehicle that was to have full vehicle graphics applied. As you can see from tthe picture below the design was very striking.

If you would like to read more about us as a company please see below:

We are a sign company based in Washington, and we manufacture and install signage ranging from fascia boards, vehicle livery, car graphics, window graphics, light boxes, post mounted external signs, stainless steel flat lettering, halo illuminated 3d signs, cable & rod systems and graphic displays, to mention a few of the many products we offer.

We have the capability to handle any sign work involving, Aluminium, Dibond and Foamex signage, full colour digital imaging and 3d lettering either fabricated metal lettering or CNC routed and laser profiled. We also supply business cards laminated and none laminated, letter heads, flyers, posters, labels (waterproof), stickers, A-board advertising, health and safety, window manifestations and water jet solutions. Our present customer base ranges from small businesses to large corporate organisations (Vantec, Nissan, Komatsu, Parker Hannifin) Councils and newspaper publishers.

Radecal are very customer orientated, offering a design service and fast turnaround of sign making. We are always looking for efficient solutions to our customer's signage requirements. Part of our business offers highly advanced sign manufacturing machinery to the sign business as a whole, making us competitive in the sign, advertising and graphics industry.

The Timeless Brand Identity

The entire universe is in a state of entropy. This means that change is both inevitable and unavoidable. Staying the same is an impossibility. The best we can hope for is to choose wisely the speed and direction of each of our changes.”

Nothing reflects a company’s vision, personality and strategy more than its brand image. And nothing expresses an organisation’s brand image more quickly than its logo. Your logo, or brand identity, is the visual centrepiece of your organisation.

As the primary visual connection with consumers your logo has a powerful influence on brand perception, and whether consumers decide to engage.

The dynamics of new economies intensify the role of branding and demand clear and cut through communication. Changing markets, increasing competition and educated consumers make it more challenging to build brand recognition.

How can my logo stand out?

The answer lies in a back to basics approach: simplicity. There is no greater visual relief than a simple, well designed logo that at first glance captures the name and feel of a company.

These days our minds are in such overwhelm processing the demands of visual stimulation that we filter out anything too colourful, complicated and wordy. We want simple, positive communication we can relate to and remember easily.

A good logo needs to evoke a specific emotional response in the consumer for it to be remembered.

Imagine your logo to be a dynamic organism with its very own characteristics. Like a person it has a certain personality that is visually captured in its design, look and feel. Bubbly or serious, funky or conservative – the important thing is to make your logo accessible to the people it comes in contact with and create an emotional connection with the consumer.

Emotional connectivity and simplicity, in fact, increase your brand’s chances for longevity, a crucial factor in building a successful brand.

Let’s briefly consider some of the most successful companies of our time, all of which feature a simple logo at the centre of their brand: IBM, JetStar, Greenpeace and BMW, coupled with all time branding favourites McDonald’s and Coca-Cola. All proudly stand behind extraordinarily simple logos. For most it’s their company name written in a unique typeface and typically stylised. Whilst their brands are powered by intelligent marketing campaigns their logos remained untouched.

The important message here is to demand less of your logo and approach it from a perspective of simplicity. Initially, furnish it with the bare essentials and allow it the freedom to evolve.

Designing your logo for the future
Every brand undergoes revitalising to adapt to new challenges and maintain relevance.
Most successful global companies today have undergone at least one re-branding process. Some, such as National Australia Bank (now known as NAB) started from scratch and introduced a new logo along with a fresh brand image and strategy. Others such as Apple opted to keep their logo and instead simplify and streamline its look to sit effortlessly with their marketing activity.

A vital component for a successful re-brand is detachment. There is no way a logo can become a successful brand ambassador if the company it represents remains too attached to an outdated image. Attachment can be counterproductive to rejuvenating a tired brand and can eventually mean its downfall. As a basic rule; if decreasing sales, global trends, changing environments and vanishing consumers signal change, it’s time to let go and follow suit.

Embrace change. We all need and desire change and it’s only fear that holds us back from becoming who we truly like to be. Remember that fear is simply an illusion and serves only to encourage our growth. The same applies to your brand identity. Make it bold and courageous and you’ll be surprised where it takes you.

How can I simplify my logo?
It is a legacy of the 90s that sees most company logos overloaded with marketing messages competing for space with other equally weighty logos.

The most effective way to rectify this is to start from scratch, as did NAB. Discard what you don’t need, condense the messages down to a simple statement that summarise into a company tag line, and virtually strip down your logo to the name and personality of the company.

If starting at point zero is not an option consider a re-brand. As mentioned previously, a re-brand is a perfect way to revitalise a company image, create new momentum, stimulate existing clients and even attract new customers. Sometimes the simplicity of a new colour and typeface, or an edgy style of photography makes a significant difference.

Seek out professional help and advice. A good branding consultant is more than a graphic designer. The best ones will actively listen and help you devise a concise brief. They’ll assist in developing new visions, understand your products, expand demographic focus and even streamline business operations. Rein them in when needed and be open to their areas of influence

Internet Branding - A Success Story

Brand marketing is the mantra behind every successful business.Whether you are conscious about the fact or not you have a brand. Every company,small or big is branded since the consumers have developed certain ideas about your products,your services and your company.You can not create a brand,you can only control it.In order to get positive feed back from the customers brand identity marketing is absolutely necessary.

Brand marketing can be done in a number of ways but the most effective of all is probably Internet branding.It helps you to reach a huge audience world wide at the same time which would not have been possible otherwise.The consumers consider Internet to be their largest touch point and judge a company on the basis of its online branding experience.

Internet gives you the opportunity to strengthen your brand through social networking campaigns,online press release, YouTube,link bating,PPC campaign,SEO and so on.Internet gives you an exposure to a vast market place but the competition is tough.Customers who prefer to buy products or services online depend on brand name.So it is very important for you to spread your brand awareness among customers.

Internet branding strategies have something in common with branding strategies in other mediums.But the most important thing about online branding is creating satisfactory user experience.Branding online is much more than just great tagline,logo, graphics and key messages.It is about customers' direct interaction with the brand.

If you are building your brand online undoubtedly you should have the skills,an ad agency has.But that is not the end of the story.You also need to plan a website considering why people will visit it and how soon they can find what they are looking for.Therefore usability and easy navigation are the more important factors to be considered in case of Internet branding.

In other medias like TV,radio or magazine the customers can only see the advertisement.They are passive recipient.But they can not buy the products or service immediately.Internet gives them this opportunity.However in order to make the customers willing to buy your product or service you need to satisfy their interests by providing them exactly what they are searching for on the web.

When you build a website remember that quality content and graphics are not enough to attract the customers.It also demands intuitive navigation,personalization,functionality speed,security,ease of use,privacy assurance and great customer service.

It is not something very unusual to discover that a successful builder of corporate branding strategies has failed on the Internet.Follow a few tips and no one can stop you from reaching the goal.

Build your website from the customers' point of view.Try to provide what they want.Always use informative content and relevant graphics in your site.Earning trust is very important.A message from the CEO can help you to gain faith of the customers.Finally keep them reminding of your presence through email,newsletter and so on.

Internet branding can earn you much more profit than any other medium.Unlike other mediums you can advertise with much less resource and at a reasonable price.Above all you can advertise your service or product 24x7.Go online and see the difference.