5 Branding Best Practices for Your Business Written by ocreations guest blogger, Elena Stewart from elenastewart.com As a new business owner, you want your brand to stand out. But what if we told you branding is about much more than just finding the ideal color scheme or working out the perfect logo? Ocreations Design Solutions has the advice you need to start strong and attract your dream customers. Think of Branding in a Broader Sense You might think of [...]
THE IMPORTANCE OF ILLUSTRATIONS IN DESIGN “A picture is worth a thousand words” is a phrase that applies to the design world. Designers create and utilize visual representations on a daily basis. Sometimes designers use photographs in their design, whereas other times, designers incorporate custom illustrations into their design. Custom illustrations can be extremely beneficial in a variety of scenarios. Graphic Design vs. Illustration Though graphic designers and illustrators are technically two different job titles, they tend to overlap. [...]
HOW TO DESIGN CUSTOM EYE-CATCHING ICONS Originating in the 1500s from the Latin word ‘eikon,’ the word icon means likeness, or image. Every day, we come across all sorts of icons – whether it’s on a website, the apps on our mobile devices, or messaging with emojis. Icons can convey an expression, thought or idea through a simple visual depiction. Sure, there are stock icons you can purchase for a design project – but why buy stock when you could [...]
Best Formats to Save a Logo File for a Client So, you’ve designed a logo with a client and got final approval - congrats! But… now what? At ocreations, we love working with new brands and save out logo formats on a consistent basis. Needless to say, we’ve got a pretty good process down over the years. Here’s our guide for both designers and clients, to understand how to save out file types, what they mean, and how they should [...]
Questions to Ask a Client When Building a Brand So, you have a potential new client who’s coming to you to build a brand? How exciting! Kickoff meetings are pertinent in meeting your potential client in person, and get a better understanding of what they look to accomplish with you. Building a brand is a much larger task than just designing an icon or logo – it’s setting a standard for a company as a whole, and telling the [...]
SINCERELY, YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE If there’s one thing you shouldn’t be doing in your emails, it’s re-typing your name/contact info at the end of every message. Many corporations already have templates for their employees and have their IT department create a signature for them. However, if you’re an entrepreneur, student, or small business owner, you might be feeling a little lost as to where to begin. That’s what we’re here for! Here’s what to consider when creating an email [...]
TRICKS & TREATS FOR YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA THIS HALLOWEEN Halloween is the perfect time to amp up your social media in preparation for the holidays ahead. Save the last-minute decisions for your Halloween costume this season, and try some of these tricks and treats on your social media platforms this year. Come Up With Relevant Posts Come up with eye-catching creative for Halloween that relates back to your company. Is your company in the food industry? Create [...]
WHEN IN DOUBT – BE ABLE TO TAKE GOOD PHOTOS ON YOUR PHONE. Photos can sometimes tell a story better than words can, especially in today’s social media culture. Yes, our last blog post was about hiring professional photographers for branding, and we still stand by that. However, if your brand relies heavily on social posts and will spend a lot of time using social media on a daily basis, your budget could quickly run out using a professional [...]
STARTING A NEW BRAND? INVEST IN GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY. Yes, logos are one of the most important elements of a brand; however, one element of branding that often gets pushed to the side is the photography that will be used to portray the brand. It is so important to get the right photography for your brand. We have a few tips for getting the right photographer, the right shots, what it may cost, and everything in between. WHY INVESTING [...]
BRANDING – MORE THAN JUST A QUICK LOGO When your business is in its beginning stages, you immediately think about getting a logo ASAP. Sure, there are online sources that can make you a $20 logo, but at that price, you’re getting a single icon, not a brand. It is important to realize that there is a lot more than goes into the creation of a brand than meets the eye, and a logo is merely a stepping stone [...]
