Infographics

Feb 12 2014

Difficult Web Design Clients – here’s what you could say…

We came across this great infographic recently, which pretty much sums up the things bad web design clients say (sure, it’s a bit of a generalisation, but, yes, these clients are out there)…

In light of this infographic, we thought we’d share what you (as the designer) could say as well as what you (the client) should say…

First, have a gander through this delightful infographic from Inspiration Feed:

[click on the image to enlarge it and see it in all its awesomeness]

Let’s being with “make it pop”

Here are some alternatives:

Client: “Please can you make it more appealing by adding…” Just because you are the client doesn’t mean you can’t offer constructive advice.

Designer (in response to “make it pop”): How would you like us to make it pop?” Sometimes, as designers, we forget that we don’t just have to do what is asked (no matter how vague) – the more you ask, the more you know.

“I love this! But my business partner feels like the entire colour palette needs to change. This is easy though, right?”

Client: “I am not sure about the colours. What other colours will work and will this take a long time to change?”

Designer: “Here are some colour alternatives – what colours can you suggest? Yes, it could take a while to change, which will extend our deadline – is it a necessity to change it?” You are allowed to question your client (in a polite and respectful manner).

“I love this, but can you give this section a bit more flair and pizazz?”

Client: “I love this section, but it feels like something is missing – could we maybe add [insert helpful idea] or could you suggest what could liven it up a bit?” If you give your designer something to work with (a suggestion) they will know what you are after and will happily offer some “pizazz”.

Designer: “What do you love about it? Is there something you would like to see more of? Have a look at the other sections that you are happy with and see if there is something we can use from there.” Your client won’t get more involved if you don’t allow them to be.

Dissecting the rest of the infographic…

For clients – the gist is that vagueness will not get you anywhere – “what happens in vagueness, stays in vagueness” – be honest with your opinion, but be specific and offer clear guidelines.

For designers:

Make your contract water-tight, clear, and covering all of these potential hic-ups.

Set up another contract once the design has been approved (before work begins).

Get that deposit and only begin once it is paid.

Set a clear deadline.

Do you have anything to add? What resonated with you when reading this infographic? Please comment below, we’d love to hear your thoughts on dealing with web design clients…

Feb 07 2014

Infographic Friday: Creative Resumes to inspire your own

We all know how tedious it can be to write out a resume – just think how your potential employer must feel reading though pages and pages of Word Documents – Word Document CV’s are a thing of the past, the way forward is creative, well designed resumes that reflect your skills and your personality…

We came across an amazing selection of creative resumes on Inspiration Feed, and here are our 4 favourites:

What we love about Tina Chen’s Resume:

1. Simplicity

2. Use of colour

3. Quirky Personal touches

What we love about Jimmy Raheriarisoa’s Resume:

1. The fun, cartoon-style images

2. The beehive design

3. The use of shapes and typography

What we love about John Florez’s Resume:

1. The yellow, grey and turquoise colour combination

2. The creative graphs

3. Font choice

What we love about Hee Sun Kim’s Resume:

1. The use of badges, ribbons and speech bubbles

2. Simple and to-the-point “about me” section

3. Complimentary fonts used

If you have found some other inspiring creative resumes, comment below and we’ll check them out…

Jan 31 2014

Infographic Friday: Grow your business

Today we got inspired by infographics that are all about growing your business and getting you to the point of success!

Grow your business thought content marketing – dendritepark.com

Grow your business with the power of Pinterest – fastcodedesign.com

What good is having a business if you have nothing to share with people to let them know what you are all about? – Source Unknown

These three infographics highlight 3 important aspects to incorporate when starting a business – an effective business card, clever and frequent content marketing, and using social media platforms, such as Pinterest, to get your business some exposure.

Jan 24 2014

Infographic Friday: A slight hipster theme…

It was completely unintentional that the theme of this week’s infographics would be hipster related, but we came across these and loved them!

What do we love about them? We love the use of flat design, the neutral colour schemes, and individuality that each one possesses…

The Hipster Logo Guide – blogvecindad.com

Unfortunately, the following infographics did not come with a source (via Pinterest)…

Have you come across any great hipster infographics lately? Share the source below – we’d love to check them out…

Jan 22 2014

What to do after you’ve written a blog post

You’ve done the research, you’ve poured the coffee, you’ve written the blog, but now what? What can you do to ensure that your blog post is seen, read, and shared? Here are 8 tips on what to do when you’ve finished writing your blog post…

1. Keywords, keywords, keywords

Make sure that you have relevant keywords in your blog and that they appear in your title, the first paragraph, as well as your meta description.

2. Check your post’s URL

Your blog post’s URL should contain your keyword/keywords – when posting to social media platforms, remember to shorten your link using the Google URL Shortener.

3. Share your post on social media more than once

You might find that posting your blog post just once will not get you much exposure – try posting it on different days and at different times on as many platforms as you can. Having said this, remember to not come across as a spammer…

4. Post your blog on other like-minded sites

Share your blog with other social media pages that will appreciate your information/content.

5. Connect with others by commenting on other blogs

Whenever you read a blog that interests you and relates to your blog post, make a comment and suggest people come and have a look at your blog.

6. Add your blog to your newsletter and email signature

This is a great way to get your blog out there – even if you don’t have a newsletter, just include a link to your new blog above or below your email signature.

7. Tag people/businesses that will find your blog helpful and interesting

When sharing your post on social media platforms, tag other pages that will appreciate your content and who are most likely to retweet it and share it with their followers.

8. Ask for exposure

Get in touch with other bloggers and ask them to share your blog on social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, or ask them to mention your blog in their next blog post.

For more helpful tips, have a look at this great infographic we found by Inspiration Feed: