Are you a devoted fan of the Disney+ show, Mandalorian, and love to show off your love for the legendary space warrior? We've got great news for you - we've designed a unique t-shirt that is inspired by the show's rich history and features a modern interpretation of the iconic Mythosaur emblem.
The Mythosaur has long been associated with the Mandalorian culture and symbolizes strength, power, and honor. Our design pays homage to this by incorporating a modern take on the emblem. The design is sleek and stylish, with sharp lines and bold colors that are sure to turn heads wherever you go. Not only does our Mandalorian t-shirt look great, but it's also made with high-quality materials that ensure its longevity. The t-shirt is crafted from soft and breathable cotton, making it comfortable to wear all day long. Whether you're attending a Star Wars-themed event or simply lounging at home, this t-shirt is the perfect way to show your love for the Mandalorian. The Mandalorians are a group of humans from the planet Mandalore who are known for their warrior skills, distinctive armor, and strict code of honor. They have a long and complex history, which includes a period of conflict with the Jedi Order. Throughout the Star Wars canon, Mandalorian culture and history have been explored in detail, including their wars with the Jedi, the fall of their civilization, and their eventual resurgence. The Mandalorian series on Disney+ has shed further light on the Mandalorian culture, including their adherence to the "Way of the Mandalore" and their use of the Beskar metal, which is used to forge their iconic armor. Our Mandalorian t-shirt is a must-have for all Star Wars fans who love the Mandalorian's rich history and the iconic Mythosaur emblem. With its modern design and high-quality materials, it's sure to become a favorite among the fandom. So why wait? Get yours today and join the ranks of the galaxy's most devoted Mandalorian enthusiasts!
0 Comments
As a comic book fan and graphic designer, Stan Lee has been a major inspiration to me both personally and professionally. His imaginative storytelling and character development has impacted the comic book industry in countless ways, and has pushed me to think outside the box in my own creative work. Whenever I'm working on a new comic or design project, I often find myself asking, "What would Stan Lee do?" His bold approach to creativity has encouraged me to take risks and never settle for anything less than the best. In short, Stan Lee's contributions to the world of comics and design will always be a source of inspiration for me. I've always been fascinated by the way Stan Lee approached character development. He had a way of creating characters that were relatable and flawed, yet still heroic and aspirational. His characters were fully realized individuals with unique personalities and backgrounds, and he was able to infuse them with a sense of humor and humanity that made them more than just one-dimensional superheroes. This approach has had a major impact on my own comic book work, as I strive to create characters that are complex, relatable, and engaging to readers. I've learned from Stan Lee that a great character can be the foundation of an amazing story, and that developing those characters takes time, effort, and a willingness to explore different angles and possibilities. In my professional graphic design work, Stan Lee's influence is equally profound. One of the things that stands out to me about Stan Lee's work is his ability to create characters that are instantly recognizable and memorable. Whether it's Spider-Man's red and blue suit, or the Hulk's green skin and ripped purple pants, his characters have an iconic look and feel that has become synonymous with the Marvel brand. This has taught me the importance of creating strong visual branding in my own design work, and has encouraged me to think creatively about how to make my designs stand out and make an impact. We celebrate the birthday of the legendary Stan Lee who would have turned 100 years old on December 28, 2022. Stan Lee wasn't just a writer of superheroes, he was one himself! He gave life to some of the most iconic characters and teams in comic book history like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Avengers, and the X-Men. He was instrumental in shaping Marvel Comics into what it is today. To honor the legacy of this comic book legend, we've designed a special t-shirt that pays homage to his incredible contributions to the world of superheroes. Wear it proudly and let everyone know that you're a true believer in the power of comic books and the impact that Stan Lee had on the genre. Excelsior! How to Make Your Brand Stand Out in a Digital World In today's digital age, having a logo that stands out is crucial for any business's branding efforts. As a creative director, I recommend keeping the logo design simple, adaptable, and scalable, with a strong color palette and typography. Consistency, uniqueness, and the ability to tell a brand's story are also important factors to consider. By focusing on these elements, businesses can create a logo that effectively represents their brand and helps them stand out in the crowded digital space. As a creative director, I have seen numerous businesses struggle to create logos that make a lasting impact in the digital age. In today's world, where businesses are vying for the attention of their target audience on various digital platforms, a logo that stands out and is easily recognizable is crucial. So, what makes a logo stand out in the digital age? Here are a few key factors:
In conclusion, a logo is a critical element of any brand's visual identity. A logo that stands out in the digital age is simple, flexible, consistent, scalable, unique, and tells a story. By considering these factors, businesses can create a logo that effectively represents their brand and helps them stand out in the crowded digital space. Typography is all about the way that words look when they are written down. For print, that means thinking about things like the size of the words, the spacing between them, and the style of the letters. We want to make sure that the words are easy to read and look nice on the page. For digital applications, we have to think about how the words look on a screen. We need to make sure that they are big enough to read, and that they are clear and easy to see even on a small screen. Both for print and digital, we need to choose the right kind of letters and fonts to use, so that the words look good and make sense. We want to make sure that the words are easy to understand, and that they match the overall style of the project. So, in short, typography is all about making words look nice and easy to read, whether they are on paper or on a screen. In today's digital age, typography plays a critical role in creating effective communication. The right font, size, and spacing can make all the difference in how your message is received by your audience. From websites and social media to print materials, typography can transform your brand and message and set you apart from your competition. This post explores the power of typography and provides insights on how to use it effectively to communicate your message and achieve your business goals. Whether you're a designer, marketer, or business owner, this post will provide you with valuable tips and strategies to help you make the most of typography in your communication efforts. Below are some common frequently asked Question san basic terms of Typography. What are the best Typefaces to use for Print & Digital work? There are many typefaces to choose from, and the best ones to use depend on the specific project and its goals. However, I can give you some general guidelines for choosing typefaces for print and digital work: For print work, it's important to choose typefaces that are easy to read and that look good on the page. Serif typefaces (like Times New Roman) are often used in printed materials because they are easy to read in longer passages of text. Sans-serif typefaces (like Arial or Helvetica) can also work well for printed materials, particularly for headings or short sections of text. For digital work, it's important to choose typefaces that are easy to read on a screen. Sans-serif typefaces tend to work well in digital applications because they are easier to read at smaller sizes. Some good choices for digital typefaces include Arial, Verdana, and Open Sans. It's also important to consider the overall style and tone of the project when choosing typefaces. For example, a modern or minimalist project may benefit from a clean, simple sans-serif typeface, while a more traditional project may benefit from a classic serif typeface. Ultimately, the best typeface for a project will depend on a variety of factors, including the audience, the project goals, and the overall design. What about Social Media? When it comes to choosing fonts for social media, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you want to make sure that the font is legible and easy to read, even on smaller screens. Second, you want to choose a font that fits the overall style and tone of your brand or social media account. Finally, you may want to consider using a font that is widely available across different platforms and devices. Here are some fonts that are popular for social media:
Remember, the best font for your social media posts will depend on your specific needs and goals. Experiment with different fonts and styles to find what works best for your brand or social media account. Anatomy of a Typeface Here are some of the different parts that make up a typeface:
Typography is important for several reasons. First, it ensures that text is easy to read and understand by using appropriate font size, spacing, and alignment. This is especially important for people with visual impairments. Second, typography greatly affects the overall look and feel of a design. It can create a sense of harmony and balance, and help convey the intended mood or tone of the content. Third, typography can be used to communicate information beyond just the words on the page. It can indicate emphasis, create hierarchy, and help guide the reader through the content. Finally, typography plays a key role in branding and can help establish a consistent visual identity. In short, understanding typography is essential for effective and successful visual communication, whether it's for digital or print applications. What are some programs that leverage Typography? There are several programs that are commonly used for typography. Here are a few of the most popular ones:
Ultimately, the best program for typography will depend on your specific needs and preferences. For professional print design, InDesign is often the go-to choice, while Illustrator is great for vector-based typography work. For basic typography needs, Word or Google Docs can suffice. How important is Typography, really? Typography can be used to communicate powerful messages and ideas, and can be a key element in creating effective campaigns for social change. Typography can influence social change in several ways. First, it can be used to create a sense of urgency or importance around a particular issue. The use of bold or large typography, for example, can grab people's attention and make them more likely to pay attention to a message. Typography can also be used to create a sense of unity and community around a particular cause. Consistent use of typography across multiple platforms, such as social media, print media, and websites, can help create a cohesive and recognizable visual identity for a movement or campaign. Typography can also be used to challenge social norms and stereotypes. The choice of typography can subvert expectations and challenge traditional ideas, making people rethink their assumptions and beliefs. Overall, typography can be a powerful tool for social change. By using typography effectively, designers and activists can create messages that inspire action, challenge social norms, and bring attention to important issues. Good typography theory is a set of principles and best practices that help designers create effective and visually appealing typography. It involves key elements such as legibility, hierarchy, contrast, alignment, consistency, and context. Typography that is legible and easy to read is essential, and appropriate font sizes, line spacing, and letter spacing should be selected. Hierarchy is used to guide the reader's eye, while contrast creates visual interest and hierarchy. Alignment creates order and organization, while consistency helps create a cohesive visual identity. Context is also important, and the medium and audience should be considered. By applying these principles, designers can create typography that is both effective and visually appealing, ensuring that their message is communicated clearly and engagingly
5 Easy Steps for Creating Awesome Designs in 2023! To create good designs in 2023, it is important to understand the purpose and audience for the design, which will help you tailor your design to meet their needs. User experience should be a top priority, ensuring that your design is easy to use, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing. Responsive design is also crucial to account for the increasing use of mobile devices, and accessibility should be incorporated to make your work inclusive to everyone. Finally, it is important to stay updated with the latest design trends and technologies, which will help you create modern and effective designs that meet the needs of today's digital landscape.
We understand the importance of understanding the purpose and audience before starting any design work. Knowing who you're designing for and why will help you create a design that's not only visually appealing but also effective in meeting the needs of your intended audience. Prioritizing user experience (UX) is also crucial in any design work. Ensuring that the design is intuitive, easy to use, and aesthetically pleasing is the key to creating a successful design. User testing is also essential to get feedback and make improvements.
In 2023, responsive design is a must for any design work. With the increasing use of mobile devices, it's important to create designs that are optimized for different screen sizes and devices. Testing your designs on various devices will help ensure that they look good and function properly on different devices. Incorporating accessibility in your design work is also important to make your work inclusive and accessible to everyone. This includes making sure the design is readable, easy to navigate, and has appropriate color contrast for those with visual impairments. It's crucial to stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and technologies to ensure your work is relevant and effective. This includes learning new design tools and techniques, and staying informed about design trends and industry best practices. Being on top of the latest design developments can help you create innovative and creative designs that stand out from the rest. How do you increase your social media engagement if you're a small or medium-sized company so that your social visibility grows? The quick and easy answers to that question so that you don't have to read the entire article are the following. This way, you can get back to what you need to do rather than spending 5 or 10 minutes reading the article.
Test and analyze content types Testing new forms of content can feel a little intimidating, mainly if your company is accustomed to doing things a specific way. However, one thing that can help you mitigate the risk and the fear of not knowing whether your new strategy is working or not is to have a content calendar outlining content topics/categories and how they will be communicated. Each piece of content must also be in line with the metrics you want to measure so that you can determine why a piece of content performed the way it did. If you're not sure how to get started, here are few things you can think about when deciding the best format for social media and how to communicate a message. What if I don't have a budget large budget? Let's assume that you have decided that you want to try video for your social media platforms. Hiring a videographer to shoot and create a video can be costly if it is a one-off asset. However, instead of creating one video and hoping to perform well, you can still shoot one video and divide it into smaller pieces that put a story together. This way, you have a campaign that you can test, measure, and improve on your next campaign or your successive iterations of content. Share information that your audience will love How do you know what kind of information or content your audience will like? Again, this goes back to testing different types of content and formats that cohesively come together so that you can measure and identify trends in your analytics. Your audience will tell you that they like your content based on likes, comments, shares, saves, or direct messages that you receive. However, this is not to say that these are the only metrics to look at if you are creating a campaign. It's important to think about how other metrics may signal that your audience on social media likes your content. For example, maybe a piece of content you designed or created for a campaign is meant to drive traffic to your website, and you expect to drive 2000 users from IG to your website because you want people to know about your product or service. If you get less than 2000, does it mean that it fails? If you get double the amount of traffic to your website, does it mean it succeeded? Different purposes have different metrics, and how your audience shows you that they like your content depends on how your expectations are set from the beginning. Develop a consistent brand per platform Depending on the industry and the market you cater to, it's important to create content with how you want to present your brand on social media. Social media is a very loose, conversational channel that can show your brand's different facets of your company. It doesn't mean that your web brand should directly translate to Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok. For instance, Apple does not create content focused on Apple products on Instagram. Boeing does not just focus on commercial aviation. The creative direction and the communication that your brand can establish on social channels are dependent on the goals your company wants to develop. Identify the best times and days to post Did you know that if you disregard the times and days in which your audience is most active with your content and on your profile, you can be the one inhibiting your social media growth? Despite differing opinions on when and how frequently to post, the times and days are available to you on your business Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube profiles shining light for your business to post and create content on your terms and in the needs of your business. This is your personalized agenda on determining the frequency and days you should consider posting. Reply back to people who comment on your posts. Are you replying to comments people leave? Do you only answer to the negative comments and leave the positive comments out? One of the simplest things that can help you increase your social media visibility is replying to comments people leave on your social media account. Believe it or not, people remember the comments they leave and whether you respond to them or not. If they are your biggest fan, they love your brand; they want to connect that someone inside your company takes the time to reply to them. Replying to someone signals to someone that they are important to your business, reinforcing the relationship a customer or a fan has with your brand. Why is social media engagement important? Social media engagement is the one key that enables your business to establish authority. People make a common mistake to assume that likes, comments, and shares are one way to measure engagement. Engagement is a two-way street. The second way your business should consider measuring engagement should be spending time replying to people or connecting with other people on social media and reaching out to those who liked your post, spending time on competitor accounts, and commenting on their posts. An additional metric people don't look at is how many messages were sent out via direct messages and comments. The more you spend time connecting with other accounts, Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, TikTok, improves the overall social media visibility, the audience groups you are connecting with to discover your profile and look at your content. Additionally, you also receive look-alike content in your suggestions page or explorer pages that you can use to reach out to similar accounts for your business and also build upon who your ideal client is. Is social media engagement the only metric that I should worry about to improve my business? Social media engagement is one thing to look at when people are considering options for a solution. People who like, comment, share, or save your posts are because they express intent and are in the consideration stage of their buyer's journey. This is one reason why replying back to your comments, reaching out to people who liked or shared your post is crucial because you are actively engaging in their journey. It's a personalized approach that can signal to your biggest followers, fans and customers, how much you care about them and how much they're willing to vouch for you. All elements from developing a brand, creating different content topics, replying, and understanding your audience's time frames are most active create a winning social media strategy that will get your social media up and running in no time. So how do you get started? There are a few things to consider for your approach. First, why is social media essential for your business, and how is a social media strategy going to improve your business performance? This is an important question because what we see happen is that there is a lot of business who see other companies doing social media and experience social media envy. Many companies take a one-to-one approach where they believe that the website brand should translate to social media and end up with content focused entirely on the business. In other situations, companies don't' know how social media is contributing to their business objectives or how social integrates into the fabric of the business. Remember, social media is not about you; it's about them. It's also important to note that your social audience is not a 1 to 1 comparison to your general company audience. Assuming that your social audience will resonate with the same message as your general company audience is a sure-fire not to reach your business objectives on social. Social media moves a lot faster than everything else, and to help your business, Astrobrand Media conducts a SWOT analysis to solve challenges and create your goals. Having an actionable social strategy allows us to dig deep into the numbers and the audience's sentiment on social so that you can find new customers and grow your business. If you're considering having a social media program that works for your business, your marketing team must work alongside creative minds to brainstorm ideas, conduct research, and layout the communication that aligns with your business goals and your audience. That way, you have measurable insights on how you're approaching your objectives if you're hitting your targets that you have outlines for your business on social.
Recently we had an opportunity to design a cover for an annual report. In case you didn't know, annual reports gives a run down about the financial success (or failure) of an organization and other business information. Needless to say it's an important document. Using a new tagline, Ionis Pharmaceuticals wanted a new look for their 2020 report. We documented some of our design process. Design Basics | Layout thumbnail sketches Thumbnails The best ideas start with a sketch. Thumbnails are mini sketches that express initial layouts. It is a great way to get ideas on paper and see what composition & layouts look like before putting a lot of work into them. You can disregard ideas that do not work. This technique is great for prototyping. Some designers feel more comfortable using software like Adobe Fresco on the IPad but nothing beats the feel of ink on the texture of paper. Software | Adobe In-Design The King of Layout This is the shop standard for us. Adobe In-Design provides us with the ability to design and prototype quickly. It combines assets from Adobe Photoshop & Adobe Illustrator in a way that allows for ultimate creativity. Adobe In-Design gives you ultimate control of typography. We breakdown software into image manipulation, primarily done in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustration for vector artwork and In-Design combines everything in a delicious recipe. Assets | Gathering Resources Copy, Logos, Typography, Photography Where does it start, where do you start? The client should provide you assets and design specification details. The client should give you the text they want appeared on the cover, their logo and the size of the piece you are designing, in our instance it was letter size, 8.5" x 11". If they want specific photography the client will provide it as well. If they don't have a library, sourcing photography from an agency is extremely important. You need to have the rights to use the photo or illustration you want to use for the design. You can not pull images from Instagram or Google and use it. Resources we use are Shutterstock.com, Envato.com & GettyImages.com. These websites allow you to use the images with rights but there is a cost associated with it. You don't own the photos, it's almost renting them for a specific project. Fonts Like photos, you need to have the rights to use fonts/ typefaces. We use Adobe Fonts, it gives you unlimited use and it integrates into The Adobe Creative Suite extremely well. Another resource we like are Google Fonts. You can source fonts in other ways but you have to be cautious when there are free fonts. They seem really cool and great but they may not work and may be trojan horses for viruses. Now that you have all the moving pieces, it's time to design. Below is the design progress. DESIGN TIMERound 1 | Initial design comps using the same design elements with different photography. Design Round 1 This was our initial design concepts. Pioneering new markets makes you think of the future, the future of hope and care. The future of innovations and new medicines. The first design shows a patient with ALS, look up into the sky. The second photo shows a mother with her child. The third is a child exploring the unknown with wondrous curiosity. The feedback was they wanted to use more patients that use their medicines and more variations on design. Initially they wanted to keep the same design language they used in the prior year. Round 2 | Design variations, using different elements and layouts. Design Round 2 Based on the last feed back, we accessed their photo library and designed new concepts. The first design show movement adding a modern flow design element. Lighting up the photography, layout two breaks up the background with the foreground using the a strong branded color swatch. We use a modern background texture to encoke energy and the future. Concept three grounds us with a tender moment with a dad and his son playing in the waves. A pop of color is used to divide the family, separating them from the background and giving them more life. The final design is a family portrait with a hexagonal pattern showing technology connecting science and humanity. Round 3 | These were the final 2 versions. Design Round 3 We nailed it. With some of the adjustments to the typography and graphic elements. Below is their final choice. Final Cover The Final Design Recap | Planning
Key Takeaways Planning is key for any design process. Planning out your layouts, preparing your assets before you design will make the the process go more smoothly. Knowing where to source your design assets is extremely important. I have seen a designer go completely go through the design process, get the project approved but they didn't get the get the correct copyrights for the main photo they used resulting in delaying the process and requiring another approval cycle. There are definitely more steps involved in designing but this was a light overview of the process. Our team specializes in design, mixing typography and photography. If you need help sourcing assets or need help with a project, drop us a line and we can collaborate or work on a project together. It's 11:30 PM, you're on the 15th edit of the branding deck, and the marketing team has a presentation in the morning. You get a text message saying, "Can you rework the photo in part A, section 3? The photo was in the design presentation deck throughout 15 revisions, and they want the photo edited at zero hours! Arrrgggghhhh, you yell... in your head... quietly... because everyone in the house is asleep, and you quietly put on your thinking cap and get back to work. Sound all too familiar? We have been in the creative & marketing world for over 20 years, and our Creative Director Mike Matamala, has seen it all. He shares one of the most frustrating but necessary parts of the creative process, the REWORK! Rework creates division from the vision. As designers, we are problem solvers, not artists but using our creative tools and techniques to guide the narrative. At times in my career, I've had to compromise the vision to get approval. It gets tricky, especially when there is an approval committee. Usually, it's with a board of directors, and everyone has an opinion; the finance guy/gal doesn't get it but has a lot to say. Here are some techniques I use to help overcome some of the challenges when working with clients or if you're an in-house designer:
Make yourself feel better I designed a shirt out of encouragement and as a reminder that as you rework the problem, it may get a little fuzzy due to seesawing, up and down, back and around due to revisions. I was working with an amazing copywriter, and she was developing the language and the concept for a new branding theme. It was going to run for the year, and she was in the thick of it in a not-so-good day. She sounded defeated. I texted her, Rework is the Death of Creativity, and so, the shirt was born! It is a reminder that Rework is the Death of Creativity, and if you remember the first bullet point from the list above, "They HIRED you for a particular set of skills, your vision, and ideas," you can take back control of your sanity and creative direction. Working in the creative world, the number of revisions that come in can drive you insane. Even when you follow the creative brief with precision as a German engineer. Designed out of blood, sweat, and tears poured on a project, this is a war cry for any content creator! And if you ever feel defeated, discouraged, and burned out, take time to create and design something for yourself. This shirt is the first time I designed something for myself in an extremely long time. I have to admit, it did help me feel better! You're a small business owner, a medium-sized business owner, or you work for a business that is considering using social media for business. You see large companies on all social media platforms, and you're thinking, "How can I leverage social media?' and "What is the value that it's going to bring to your business?" Should you hire someone to launch, manage, create, analyze and strategize? Or should you hire an inside team, a freelancer, or a marketing agency, maybe? How about the social media platforms? Are you going to be using Clubhouse, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, BIGO, Cameo, and Snapchat? Or are you going to focus on a few? Or when is it really the right time to start using social media for business? Can social media really help your business? The answer to those questions really is, "It depends on you and where your business is at." We're going to help you acquire clarity on whether you should be on social media, the platforms to use, how you should start, and when is the time that you should hire someone for social media. The cost of running your social media efforts can differ depending on how many social media platforms you use, the people you hire, the types of campaigns you run, and if you're leveraging social media advertising and what you want to accomplish. Alright, let's tackle question one. Should my business be on social media? This is a straightforward question to answer, and the reason for that is because we must first determine what you're in the business of and if your customers are online. So how are we able to determine that? Here is an overview of the most used social media platforms as compiled by Hootsuite and We Are Social. Facebook is by in large, has the most users worldwide. From this graph, you can see that the adoption of social media worldwide is mainstream, and your customer can be found across different platforms depending on a few key demographics. To determine which platform your audience is most likely using, the Pew Research center has identified that different platforms appeal to different age groups. For example, from the graph, you can see that YouTube and Facebook are used by almost any age group, compared to Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, where the audience is younger. LinkedIn skews a little bit older to a professional audience.
Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/ Gender When considering your target audience's gender LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter have a similar reach among men and women. On the other hand, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram skew towards females, and Pinterest is predominantly female.
Source: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
Why is this information important? (What social media platforms should I use?) For simplicity, let's assume your business is a sporting goods company, and one of your core verticals is selling women's attire and other sporting goods for women. An ideal approach would be to use Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest and create content for a specific age group you want to connect with on each platform. We outline and map out who your ideal customer is for each social media platform. That way, everything social media marketing activity can be measured, improved, and see the overall impact it has on your account and business growth. Is it necessary to go after all social platforms? Not really. Just because many companies are using all social media platforms, it doesn't mean that your company should. Having alignment with your business goals and adopting the platforms that will support your goals is more important. Let's say, for example, that one of your goals is to get sales from social media. Your company wants to promote a sale towards women who enjoy sports, are working professionals. As outlined above, the topmost ideal platforms would be Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. But let's say that you want to implement a video strategy, then YouTube would also be a great fit because your ideal customer also spends time on YouTube. What social media can and cannot do? Another factor to consider on whether you should use social media for your brand is your business growth state and its priorities to grow your business. Your business is like a car, and social media is the front left tire of your business. By itself, social media isn't going to pull the entire weight of your business. It's kind of like if a business relied solely on ranking number one on the first page of Google for leads, only relying on sales teams, or solely relying on Google Ads. Your company has multiple sources in which it connects with prospects, and each method needs to be organized to meet your business goals. Social media should be integrated within your company's fabric to provide an outstanding customer experience, excellent brand recognition, and responsiveness to an audience who finds your brand. As an integral part of your business, it improves your brand's visibility, increases brand awareness, generates web traffic, and gets sales and conversion. If your social media initiatives are siloed from other functions and focus exclusively on sales, you will most likely not get the benefits you would like from social media. The purpose of social media is to build relationships so that when your audience is ready to purchase from you, your brand is already there. Or, you may be a business with established social media channels, and your purpose of hiring may be dependent on a campaign that you want to launch. So what are your next steps? If you're set to explore the possibilities of social media and discover the path in which you can take, connect with us. We promise that we won't do any selling because we don't know if we are a good fit for you.
The QR code has had a resurgence since the pandemic hit in early 2020. Many restaurants shifted from having printed menus to having QR codes on their tables and their signage. But what happened to QR codes, and where did they go.
Invented 25 years ago, Hara Masahiro created the Quick Response (QR) Code. It was developed to replace a barcode system because it was inefficient; employees at the company he worked at had to scan boxes multiple times. (Full Story) As a designer, I hated them. It was a square white box with smaller black ones that had no personality. Not only that, people would have to download a separate application on their mobile device to make it work. I used them on packaging, postcards & posters. We would code in custom URLs to track interactions, and we never got a hit. In my design life, it was rarely used and would persuade customers not to use them. They slowly faded away in my work until March 2020. I was designing a 200+ page companion book for The Hairdresser Power Challenge Show when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Salons across the nation were closed or operated at a limited capacity due to pandemic restriction. The initial plan was to have the book displayed in every salon that promoted the show and Enjoy hair products. One of the closure's limitations was not to have items customers can touch and possibly spread infections. The company was lucky; just before business closures, the company received quotes for printing, but the company never pulled the print trigger. The company still wanted to showcase the book to its partners and partner's customers nation-wide, so it pivoted.
The Company Pivots
It changed its tactics. Instead of shipping a 200-page book, the company sent window clings with a QR code that led readers to the book's content. It would have been a shame if the company didn't share the fantastic work of the stylist. You can scan the QR code with your smart device, and it would take you to a landing page hosting the book. There is their work: Hairdresser Power Challenge Beauty Book
Reintroducing the QR Code
Little did people know that a tool that so many marketers and designers hated on would come back. Almost considered extinct with little or no use in the consumer industry, the QR code became one of the most valued tools for many companies worldwide. Especially in restaurants that allowed limited seating capacity, it enabled businesses to provide a touch-free experience while keeping their customers safe. It offered their customers a digital menu to load on their phones by simply opening up their camera app, pointing it toward the QR Code, and voila information at your fingertips. A touchless experience that disabled the spread of infection, but most importantly, kept businesses running and connected with their customers. In the beauty and cosmetics industry, the company took care of its partners by implementing the QR code. It enabled my company's partners to keep connected with their customers while visiting the salon at a limited capacity.
Since this project, it definitely opened our eyes. There is an application for every design element as long as it is functional and solves a particular problem.
Contact Us |