Blog

Buying locally was easy in a population with pride in local goods and services. My struggle and the internal conversation began not only when I left the Austin area but also when I landed in yet another part of the country running my own graphic design business. How can I encourage buying locally when my locale changes frequently?

I’ve been doing my own research and have been asked by others for solutions on a number of…

Simple design isn’t simple to create. Learn how the illusion of simplicity increases perceived brand value for San Antonio’s high-end entrepreneurs.

Branding isn’t about a pretty logo, swirly typography, pastels, pinks, flowers, birds, “empowering” women, or how much you love coffee. Apparently, everyone’s doing it, which is reason enough for why you shouldn’t. Branding is about the needs of your clients, having a unique, consistent, and compelling story that separates you from the crowd of competition.

At WordCamp Seattle in 2018, I talked about how I was “cleaning” up my own business and creating…

WordCamp Seattle 2018 is a wrap! Rhonda Negard and Kim Thornton look back at the sessions and note their take-aways.

A friend was adopted when adoptions were closed, meaning she could never know her biological mother or father–a story to make Ancestry irresistible.

GDPR and What It Means for Your Business The GDPR takes effect on May 25th: What you need…

Cyberbullying does not exclusively target individuals. Businesses can also be the targets. In 2017, a tow truck operator sued the creator of a Facebook page that claimed to be a public service announcement regarding allegedly fraudulent conduct of the tow truck operator. (Thanks to Todd Brogowski at Todd’s Written Word, LLC for assisting me on this writing project to address this important topic.)

A great book for more focused marketing on customer values and diversity, which can mean lifestyles, priorities, levels of affluence, cultural values, etc.

Certain aesthetics are more appealing to certain socio-economic classes. This deceptively simple, monoline design uses a monochromatic color palette to appeal to wealthier clients and the businesses that serve them.

The original logo and concept are clever with the shape of the elephant’s face, changing directions at the trunk and tusks. However, there are three reasons why this clever logo wasn’t working as effectively as it should.

Candace and Bill invited me to join their podcast to discuss the value of design and a little bit about my career evolution.

Rebranding a roaming hairstylist: How can she rebrand to attract new clients for other services without losing her existing client base?

How aesthetics and attractiveness perception biases influence our emotional connection (behavior). Aesthetic design is perceived as user-friendly. Likewise, perceived high attractiveness is associated with intelligence, morality, and sociability. Therefore, aesthetic design and inherent aesthetic human features contribute to even greater influence together.