• Design Love: Moodboards


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    Good designers have different processes when starting a project. Some sketch, others research, and some make moodboards. Great designers do all 3. The moodboard is a combination of styles, photos, and colors that the designer identifies with the brand – prior to it’s conception. It literally sets the “mood” for the project, by defining a direction for the brand. The designer can then show the client these moodboards and start the official brand design from there. So, taking from one of these beautiful stages, I’d like to showcase some of my favorite moodboards from around the web…

    { Each moodboard is linked to the source, so enjoy & click away! }


    BlackWhite MoodBoard


    BreannaBoard1


    GritWitBoard


    StudioSweet Board


    RoseMoodBoard


    AmyZhangBoad


    BreannaBoard3


    AmyZhangBoard2



  • Branding 101: Love it or Hate it?


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    If you’re a branding-junkie, like me, then you’ll appreciate the awesomeness of Brand New, a website showcasing corporate brand identities – and sometimes ripping them apart. On this site you may find some start-up logos, but most are updated brand identities – which is where the real fun begins. I took a few screenshots of one case study on the website – that I really liked – for the company Cystic Fibrosis Trust:

    CysticFibrosis Case1

    First, the author showcases the original logo and then the new logo, side-by-side, for your consideration. Below this showcase, the author of the blog writes some details about the company along with his opinion on the changes.

    CysticFibrosis Case7

    Above you can see some of the brands old look. It doesn’t truly capture your attention. I would say it falls into the category of “the-typical-boring-organization-look” and we all know nobody likes typical. The company’s cause is amazing and deserves peoples attention, but it was lacking pizazz. I needed a refresh; a new start. And that exactly what it got…

    New Logo, Up Close & Personal

    Here is the new logo. It says the organization’s name, “Cystic Fibrosis,” but also incorporates the tagline of “Cystic Fibrosis is…” all in one. It’s clever and vibrant, which are two very important ingredients in great brand design.

    CysticFibrosis Case3

    With these simple post-it style images, the designer portrayed important information in a way that catches the audiences attention. The style is consistent with the new logo and it keeps this “heavy” information “lightweight” and fun.

    CysticFibrosis Case4

    CysticFibrosis Case5

    CysticFibrosis Case6

    The application of the new logo and branding is just divine. It’s clean cut and minimal, but still overflows with information for the viewer. For example, the three poster designs display an emotional connection to the cause – with the dancer, the roses, and the runner. Then the posters simply invite the audience to join at the locations specified as the bottom.

    The runner is my favorite poster; as she runs towards the information, directing the audience to go to the Virgin London Marathon and join the Cystic Fibrosis Trust team, the white-space and yellow arrows give the feeling of fast movement and urgency. Lastly, the stand up billboards – with the children – add a further emotional connection, reminding the audience that kids are affected too. The brand design is consistent and memorable, which is vital to a long lasting identity.

    I hope you enjoyed this review – and if you want to see more awesome before and after brand identity reviews, head on over to Brand New. Below each review is a voting poll and an active comments section, where users share their own personal opinions. It’s a great way to open your mind to what people look for in a great identity!



  • Web Dummies: Things Are Getting Pinteresting!


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    If you’re not on the social media giant Pinterest, then you’re missing out!

    Let’s begin with the basics: I started pinning in what feels like forever ago, but it was probably some time in 2010. The site wasn’t what it is now – granted, the design has stayed pretty much consistent and the user-interface has always been very friendly; yet, the following that Pinterest has now is just enormous. In January 2012, comScore reported the site had 11.7 million unique users, making it the fastest site in history to break through the 10 million unique visitor mark.


    Pinterest1

    { My Pinterest Profile }


    Everyone seems to be joining Pinterest – from big businesses to personal users. And with the sites immense growth comes innovative ideas for sharing and reaching more people. I love the Pinterest App on my cell (available for Android and iPhone) because I love to pin while I’m waiting for anything. It’s a sweet way to pass the time; looking up design inspirations or delicious recipes. But what matters most is what you have for later – Pinterest gives you the satisfaction of knowing that all of that information is stored there, in an organized and conveniently-linked manner.

    Now for the goodies – literally. They’ve got a whole page of Pinterest Goodies where they’ve created some fantastic tools for business’ and personal brands:

    Buttons + Widgets: Integrate the Pin It Button, Follow Button, Profile Widget, or Board Widget to get more engagement from pinners and traffic back your site; and don’t forget to Verify Your Site.

    Also, if you’re a WordPress blogger – like me – then you’ll love this plugin that adds a “Pin It” button as you hover over blog images. Recently, I stumbled upon another plugin called Alpine Photo Tile that showcases your most recent pins on a site page.

    By simply searching online, you’ll find an endless list of plugins and widgets for Pinterest + WordPress.


    Now for some visual fun. Here are a few examples of the Board Widget being integrated into a post. By clicking anywhere on the images below, you’ll be directed to any of the following boards: Design + Typography, Home + Garden, or Delicious Delights; yet the best part is that it’s constantly going to showcase the most recent pins. It’s sheer awesomeness:





    It doesn’t seem like the Pinterest trend will subside anytime soon. Which is why I’m recommending you to jump on board, if you haven’t already! There’s lots of help on the Pinterest site to get you started. Plus, it’s truly one of the most user-friendly websites out there. The inspirations are endless and the organization is perfect.

    { Check out Pinterest and be sure to follow me when you get there! }



  • Linkspirations: January 2013


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    PAN_March_620



  • My Daily View: Baseling 2012


    DT_Cat_DailyView

    After a very eventful week, Art Basel 2012 has come to an end. Miami can now return to its normal homeostasis of moderately-horrible traffic and extremely hot winters. All shall now return to the way it was; the way the locals like it.

    But although it’s over, we will truly miss Art Basel and everything it brings to the city. Like its never-ending block parties in Wynwood and sponsored alcohol at almost every gallery.

    I am sure that we Miamians will mostly miss the amazing artists and their live-art displays which took place so vividly throughout Art Basel’s time. There’s nothing like walking down the streets of Wynwood or Miami Beach and seeing an artistic piece coming together.

    This year, I snapped away shot after shot of art that caught-my-eye. Unfortunately, my point-and-shoot died this summer, so I stuck to capturing images with my handy dandy smart phone. Add that plus some awesome Instagram filters, and voilà! Magical photos are now available for your viewing pleasure.


    { Noteable Galleries & Artists }
    Wynwood Cigar Factory · Evoca1 · Faith47 · Tati Suarez · Pulse Miami · Banksy · Spinello Projects · Gallery 212 · Basel Biergarten · The Flower Bombs · La Pandilla · AsIf’s Guns · Mr. Brainwash · Shepard Fairey · Peter Tunney


    So without further adieu, I invite you to please enjoy some of my favorite Art Basel 2012 treasures, caught on camera. Enjoy!:



  • Design Love: Pick Two!


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    { Source }

    [ This is true 100% of the time! ]



  • Web Dummies: Blogging? Choose WordPress!


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    Almost 1,500 people can’t be wrong!
    Wordpress.org is where you should open, create,
    and customize your new and soon-to-be-amazing blog.

    It’s an open source blogging platform with extensive customization capabilities. You can install themes into the program and customize everything from layout, to fonts, to colors, and much more. It’s also notorious for its plugins and widgets servicing pretty much everything you need on your blog. From newsletter sign-ups to running SEO keywords for individual blog posts, WordPress plugins do it all. It also incorporates spam protection in your comments, has a mobile-app where you can quickly update and respond to comments from, and is always easy to upgrade. This blogging platform just gets better with every update. So don’t wait any longer, start blogging about whatever you want!

    Ready to learn more about blogging and WordPress.org? Join me for a one-on-one consulting session. We’ll go step-by-step and in-depth as to how to start your WordPress blog site – plus tricks to make the site more user friendly and attention grabbing. Not sure exactly what you need help with? Contact me and I’ll help point you to the right starting-location.