Customized Stationary

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on September 7, 2010

Just a quick taste for some recent custom stationary I have created.  Holiday cards are going to be here before you know it!  Let me know if you are interested in getting some!

Marketing 101 – pretty simple.

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on August 31, 2010

I feel like the summer just passed me by and I have no idea where it went!  With two kids home and tons of activities to get to, time just kind of passed with0ut me being present.  So, now that they are back in school, I am going to try and “get back” into my rhythm again.

First thing on my agenda is to get back into cardio shape!  While I have been doing Pilates and loving it, I need to still get in that cardio.  After much deliberation (over a few cocktails non the less…) Dean and I have decided that Farrell’s needs to take a rest and we are going to give KOSAMA a run for it’s money!

Because I am a marketing freak and love to analyze people’s businesses just on how they react to a potential client, I decided to put KOSAMA to the test!  I called and left a message one morning that I was interested in signing up and so was my husband and friend.  I thought if I mentioned more than just me it would be a little more bait on the hook for them.  And guess what… he never called me back.  I waited 24 hours and nothing.  Now, if I was starting a business like this, my #1 priority would be to get people in there to pay the bills!  I realize they are just opening and the place was still a vacant unfinished space at this point, but without customers, it is kind of hard to pay the bills.

So, in my own fashion, I stop by.  No one there but construction workers.  Then I try and see if I can find any info on the place to take a look at.  Nothing.  Ouch!  At this point, I am growing  a little weary of the whole place and frankly their management style!

But because I am so intrigued and want to know more, I stopped by later that afternoon and lucky for THEM the owner is there.  After my brief, kind of nice, kind of meaningful “Why didn’t you call me back?” conversation, the manager has managed to suck me into this place and showered me with apologies.  I am looking at this situation as maybe a place I can be of assistance.

Yesterday we had to meet and do all of our initial assessments.  Today is day 1 – plyometrics.  I am so scared.  Never done those before and they just sound painful.  But, I will be there with my bucket of water… and a business card.  These people need some marketing help, quick!!!

What I have been working on lately….

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on July 15, 2010

I am in dire need to update my website right now with my latest works!  Is it a good problem when I don’t have (or make) the time to keep my site updated but can spend hours working on all my clients materials!!!???  So, before I update some projects, logos, and websites on here.  I will give you a sneak peak through my blog.

IAFP – International Association for Food Protection

I have had the pleasureof assisting these awesome people with their latest project, creating a theme around their 2011 Annual Event in Milwaukee.  They are also marking their 100th year of service and were in need of a logo to state this.  While these two events are completely separate, we needed to make sure the “looks” worked well together.

Here is the 100th Anniversary logo we came up with.

I will post the annual event material soon!  The colors aren’t coming through correctly this morning…

studio 3

We have been busy getting business cards, letterhead, flyers and everything else in order for Amanda at studio 3.  Below is a taste of what their business cards are going to look like.  Very happy with the way things are turning out for her!  We are doing a front and back full color business card.

I could upload more, but instead I need to get working on studio 3′s newsletter!  Yes, another thing to add to my list of capabilities.  I am designing newsletters and sending them out every month for clients.  Calling myself their “Virtual Assistant!”

Choosing the correct business (brand) name

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on May 25, 2010

It is small business week and the blogs that I am reading this week are packed full of great useful tips for me and many of my clients.  The one that is on my mind right now is regarding how to choose you business name.

When I look back at choosing my companies name, I can honestly say, I started with just my name being business name.  Then, I moved on to my initials.  Pretty common moves so far…  Then, I added 26 (my anniversary date) to my initials.  It was starting to feel better but we were still not there.  Then, my husband called one day and said, “I got it, Design 26!”  I loved it right away.  It sounded catchy yet creative yet it was going to require someone to think “I wonder what the 26 stands for???”  For me, I felt that would bring my customer closer to building a relationship with me.  They would reach out and ask what the significance was of the 26.

My company name stayed that way until I re-organized my website.  In that process, I was consulted to add the word “Graphic” to my name.  Design is a very broad word and adding the word graphic to it would give my customers that much more knowledge in what I offer.  It also would help Google find me when that customer searches for a graphic designer as opposed to just a designer.

So, my name has been changed now for a little over six months.  My business cards haven’t changed yet.  They will once this stack runs dry.  I would love to hear your thoughts regarding my process.  Recently I had someone ask me what a graphic designer even did.  That made me think again about whether or not I had chosen the correct name…

Can folding your marketing materials really give you an edge?

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on May 20, 2010

I recently listened to a conference call over the internet put on by a lady who is literally obsessed with folding!  I have to admit, I haven’t really given folding so much thought but listening to her really changed my mind.  Her first piece of helpful advise was to mock up your piece and fold it the way it is going to be folded.  Then, watch your audience member view the piece.  Are they catching the key points that you are wanting them to see in the order you are intending?  Sounds like a novel idea, but I don’t think we always find ourselves doing that.

After seeing her many examples of amazing work (very jealous designer here…) where the items are designed around a particular fold, I have to admit, they caught my attention.  Let’s be honest, how many tri-fold brochures really capture our attention and make us want to “Read more!”  Just turning your tri-fold horizontal is enough of a change to capture the audience’s attention.

My favorite fold has to be with the double gate fold.  I received a small piece that came folded down to a 4×6 size.   But when I opened it up, it was so captivating and I couldn’t help but read more!

Check out her site for some interesting info on folding – www.foldfactory.com.  Confirmed to me that there really is someone obsessed about EVERYTHING!!!  My wheels are turning with ideas on how to fold that next marketing piece!!!

This new world of social media.

Posted in: Graphic Design Blog by Jennifer Slagle on April 27, 2010

Since I have starting blogging, I have also starting to kept a closer eye on my facebook and twitter pages.  I have found that with my analytics page on google, I can see where the bulk of my business has been coming from!  It is kind of a trip some days for me.  I always thought that most of the people reading my blog and viewing my site was coming from either referrals or facbook and twitter.  What I have found though is that my number one place of referrals is coming from Linkedin.  Who would have thought?  I have an account on there but don’t update my status (ever actually until yesterday) and have not really focused on maintaining those contacts like I guess I need to be.

So, yesterday I sent out a ton of requests to people to be a connection with me, recommend my work, or let me join their groups on Linkedin.  Just when I thought that I was in the big world all alone as a freelancer, I now feel like I have a whole group of supporters to rely on and get answers to problems when I get stuck.

What other forms of social media are out there that I haven’t even dipped my toe in yet?  I have heard of yelp and flicr, but haven’t really done much with them.  I guess I have learned my lesson and need to get on that quickly!

If we aren’t friends yet on these different forms of social media that I am connected to, invite me!  I would love to connect with you!