Self-Promotion Sample

In a recent posting (The Art of Self-Promotion from earlier this month), I discussed some ideas on how to promote yourself or your company in a unique manner. With October days away, I've decided that I should get a start on my client Christmas gifts this year. I needed to create something that was sure to grab attention and, if at all possible, utilize the skill set that my business is all about.

I know in The Art of Self-Promotion I had suggested the idea of celebrating another holiday and showing client appreciation. But for me personally, this is my favorite time of year and I can't help but join in the season's festivities. Each year, I'm sure to send out cards or a postcard of some sort. This year, I wanted to show my most dedicated and frequent clients just how much I appreciate their business with a little something extra. So, I decided I'd have some custom wine bottle labels created and send those special clients the gift of wine. If they're not big on the alcohol, it's still a great self-promotional piece. You can find both my Christmas wine label below.

a little light reading

I'm not sure how many people reading this are thinking of one day starting their own business. Such a task can seem daunting, intimidating and consuming. When I was ready to leave my full-time job at an advertising agency to start my own thing, I wasn't really sure how to go about it. I couldn't afford not to have a dependable income and the thought of having almost no clients to start with wasn't too appealing either. However, I knew more than anything that I wanted to run my own design business; it was just a matter of getting there.

I started reading up on how other people made the leap. I figured that I could do some learning from their mistakes. One of the best pieces of inspiration and guidance was The Anti 9 to 5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube. This book is filled with not just motivational tips, but actual step-by-step suggestions for even a person who's indecisive about what type of business they'd like to start.

I found it to be incredibly helpful and, in all actuality, a real page turner. Suggestions for networking organizations and websites are also inserted throughout. I strongly suggest to any gal looking to go out on her own!

Good Manners Equals Good Business

The century-old rule of "treat people how you want to be treated" has time and time again proven its truth to me. In an earlier post, I once talked about how showing people that you're thinking of them and dropping a client a nice note is a better way to market than to send out mass postcards or emails (see post title "That Fuzzy Feeling" from August). In truth, I started writing these little "thinking of you" notes because I received one personally from someone I was doing business with. And it made me feel reassurred that I had chosen right company.

Recently, I ran into a client situation where good manners and courtesy came through for me again. I had been working on an account with a client and was sure to treat them as I do all my other accounts: with prompt responses, efficient work paces and thorough communication. Without much warning, another designer had offered a proposal for the project I had already been hired for, and had been working on for about 8 weeks. Confused about the new possible direction, versus the current one I was working on, the client wanted to think about which designer they'd like to continue to work with.

While some designers may have become frustrated and impatient, I told myself to empathize with my client. To let them know that I was surely there for them if they wanted my help and that I would continue to do my best to offer them prompt communication and quality work, should they choose to stay with me. Being a graphic designer, we are often critisized for having egos and thinkig our work is always the better than the next artist's. I wanted to avoid this stereotype as best as possible and continued to tell my client that while I offered them a solution that I thought worked best for their current objectives, we could definitely work together and discuss a new approach to take. I wanted them to be happy and satisfied with not only the design they were choosing, but with the designer as well. Sure enough, my empathy for the client helped me out. The client chose to stay with me, I was sure to say thank you for their continued busienss, and we've moved on to the next phase of the project.

By no means is this post to display the client in a poor light. It is simply one of many examples when good manners, courtesy, and understanding can get you through a rough patch with an account. In all truthfulness, and not to sound corny, I truly feel that the client relationship is stronger and healtheir for having communicated to openly and effectively.

Research, Research

Currently, I'm working on several identity projects for new clients. In beginning the process, it's important that the client give me as much information about their business as possible - their exact services or products, what their client demographic looks like, future business goals, etc. Without this info, it's nearly impossible to create a logo that reflects the true personality of the business.

But these general questions are only the tip of the iceberg. When working on an identity for a new client, I often ask for details so minute that I have people emailing photos of what their furntiure is going to look like. Sound needy? It is, but is has to be.

The logo is one of the most important parts of a company's image; I consider it the business's "wrapping paper." It's what people see and it's definitely part of what makes people want to interact with a company, or not. I feel that asking a client about what their mission statement says is just as important as figuring out what the building itself will look like, or if clients will receive any sort of unique goods or services.

In having all of this information, I feel that as an "outsider" to the client's business, I can fairly assess what type of image it is they're looking for. Furthermore, if a first logo proposal doesn't work out, it creates an even more solid foundation for discussions and revisions.

Keeping Clients Motivated

In my experience, it's not often that graphic designers feel their clients are moving too slow, in terms of project pace. Clients are typically very excited about seeing design revisions and send routine emails to keep the designer informed of thoughts and opinions. The client is very enthusiastic and almost always wants the work to be finished yesterday. But what happens when this pattern isn't taking place - when the client seems to be moving too slowly and appears almost uninterested in the project?

Everyone is busy and our days are filled with tasks and random events that we can't escape from. But how does one keep a client motivated enough to finish a project, if need be? I feel that it's the designer's job to keep a client excited about the design - afterall, we're the ones that love it enough to do it everyday. So if the client becomes disinterested, is the designer to blame?

I've been doing a little research on this topic lately and most other designers seem to make it an issue of money. For example, instead of using a down payment system, charge for every two weeks of work. That way, only two weeks of work can turn into 4 months - thus the proportionate charge is not a huge remaining balance. But I can't help to feel as though this creates a negative process. No one likes making payments - let alone six of them. Doesn't that just create more billing time? Futhermore, doesn't it make the designer appear to be a little money-hungry? Getting paid at every opportunity possible.... maybe it's just a from of protection for the designer that most feel is the right move.

Slow projects take much more time (obviously) and more effort. More emails are sent checking in, more phone calls are made to ask for updates and more time is available for the client to change their mind about the project's direction. All in all, a slow project is a dangerous one.

My suggestion is to simply be a pest - but a good one. Weekly emails and check-ups can turn into twice-a-week reminders. Stating things like, "This is coming along very nicely. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback and am really excited to get this finished up." Creating a positive tone may likely inpsire the client to keep going. If a designer comes across an article or a point of interest that pertains to the client, forward it on with a little note: "Hey, I saw this and thought we could apply this to another project. What do you think?" The biggest motivator is excitement and if the client's not feeling it, make them.

work sample

A while back I was asked to design a logo for a small business out in California - The Modern Woman's Divorce Guide. The company strives to help women who are recently divorced - how to move on, legal issues, etc. I was really excited about working with this client as I'm all about being an independent woman. Unfortunately, the client didn't feel the logos were working for them, but I truly feel proud of the work. In any case, if you know anyone looking for a little direction when it comes to divorce, have them check out www.themodernwomansdivorceguide.com.

The logos are a bit modern in feeling, as the title of the business suggests. One is more whimsical and hopeful while the others (at the request of the client) include an illustration of a "modern" gal.

Season's Greetings?

I've already seen advertisements for business-to-client Christmas cards. Are people really ordering their Christmas cards already?! This got me thinking...

In regards to my most recent post, "The Art of Self-Promotion," I talked about being different and trying to seperate yourself or your business from the crowd. What better opportunity than to not send a Christmas Card? Why not a Happy New Year's card? Or even some cheesy play off of Valentine's Day like, "we love our clients?"

How great would it be if your company's card was not only opened, but actually read? With the masses of cards we all get in the mail from the middle to the end of December, it makes sense that we would want to do something different. Afterall, the whole reason these cards are sent in the first place is to remind our clients about us and to wish them well. Why not wish them well when no one else is?

The Art of Self Promotion

"It's not what you know, it's who you know." We've all heard this little phrase time and time again. But in the business world, how will those people know us enough to remember us if we don't stand apart from the crowd?

Whether we're trying to communicate to current or prospective clients, constant self-promotion is a must. This doesn't mean Xeroxing 500 fliers at your local copy shop and then slapping them up around town on billboards. It means taking your individuality and reinforcing your brand's image on postcards, ads and in newspapers. By creating promotional materials that are consistent with your brand identity, your repeated efforts will surely gain clients' attention.

Everyday our mailboxes are packed full (at work and at home) with direct mail pieces. Sadly, many go straight to the trash and marketing dollars have gone to waste. So how can we promote our business while staying unique enough to be noticed? Here a few ideas:

Idea Box: We all have old ideas for promoting ourselves that we didn't have time to put into motion before. These are marketing opportunities waiting to happen!

Creative and Unique Postcards: Think about sending a strangely shaped piece of direct mail. Or what about a 3-dimensional object? Anything different and unusual is good because you'll surely be seen amongst the junk mail.

Photography: People are visual creatures and they need stuff to look at. If your brochures and communication materials are filled with sentence after sentence, consider investing in some stock photography to liven things up a bit.

Logo Consistency: If your company has five different logos, drop four of them. It takes 3-4 times of staring at your business before a person will remember it. No reason to throw extra logos at them!

Thank You Stationery: I, too, feel that often I don't have time to jot down a hand-written thank you. But imagine a colleague or client's surprise at receiving a nicely, custom designed note card. The handwritten address on the envelope is enough alone to get a person's attention. Plus, people always appreciate the five minutes you're willing to dedicate to them.

Be Yourself: The great thing about people watching is that everyone looks completely different! Businesses are the same way. Bring this individuality out in your company. Don't be afraid to look different and use graphics out of the ordinary - people will remember you more for it!

work sampling

Here's a sample of a current project I'm working on. The client is a spa located in La Crosse, WI. I was told the inspiration for the project was "Alice in Wonderland meets Luxury." How cool is that? Not only is the concept awesome, but the building looks like a duplicate of the Boston Public Library. I'm very inspired by this project. The name of the client is The Batavian Salon and Day Spa, named after the Batavian Republic. I've worked up a few design concepts based on these elements so we'll see what happens!

a trend

There's a trend I've been taking notice of lately in graphic design. I think it's been around for some time, but is becoming more and more prevelant in everyday advertising and graphics. This style is a blend of type and photography meshed with sketches, doodles and hand-written wording. To me, it is reminiscent of the scratchy renderings I'd find on the top of my classroom desks in highschool.

I'm developing a true appreciation for this style, as I feel it brings design from computers and art made by hand closer together. When finished, a cool and almost retro/vintage feel remains. Will it work for all clients? Most likely not. However, you can see in the wedding shoe advertisement below, that I applied this process to one of kick's pieces. It's not as raw, as it has a need for elegance; it has to speak to the right audience. Consequently, the fun and playful message the ad evokes is true to the client's character.

The other two are examples I found of this design trend from printmag.com (Print Magazine's website) and freepeople.com, a clothing boutqiue.

Nothing.

I sign up to receive HOW Design Magazine's e-newsletters. They often offer good adivce about design, creativity and the field of graphic design in general.

In today's email, there was a segment about how to refresh ourselves when our creative juices are no longer flowing. What was their suggestion? Do absolutely nothing. Check out the excerpt below:

An email newsletter from trendmaster Robyn Waters (a former Target exec who gave a great presentation at the HOW Conference a couple of years ago) struck a chord with me: She wrote about the pleasure—the importance—of doing Nothing. About stepping away from the desk, taking time to turn off the mental fire hose of things to do and tasks to complete and emails to send and errands to run. Years of working in a deadline-driven profession have made me a slave to my to-do list—a tendency that unfortunately extends to weekends. Robyn's point was simple: In order to be most effective, creative and successful, we have to let ourselves off the hook and take time to refresh by doing Nothing. Which I'll get to sometime later …

— Bryn Mooth, HOWdesign.com Email Update Editor

I often agree that stepping aside and allowing yourself to be removed from work is a great solution to creative problems. However, most of us are not fortunate enough to take a vacation and drop everything when we feel like it. I like to think that a good substitute, if need be, is to take your work with you elsewhere. A bookstore, a cafe, a park. Anything that might inspire you.

I know it's a little unfair, as I'm currently most fortunate to have a change of scenery for a while. Still, I thought I would share my current source of inspiration to you at the moment. This is the view from my flat's terrace in Montreux, Switzerland.

My Home Away From Home

I thought you might like to see where it is I've been working the past few days. Some of you may think, "You're in another country - go somehwere besides Starbucks!" Be assured, I have indeed read and drank espresso at several cafes. However, this is the gorgeous little Starbucks building I've been bragging up so much. A true source of inspiration for me. Hope you find it as beautiful as I do.

Designing for Start-Ups

Sitting at this great Baroque influenced cafe (which just so happens to be Starbucks) in Switzerland today, I came across an article from HOW magazine. The feature of this article was discussing designing for a start-up company as opposed to an already established business. Check out the excerpt below (click on blog posting title for full article):

Designing for a Startup

It's hard enough to design an identity for a client that already has one in place—what about designing one from scratch? Three designers give insights about how to design for a new startup business.

Of the more than half-million new businesses that open their doors each year, how many will succeed? While there's no standard method of measuring startups and failures, the Small Business Administration reported that in 2005, some 670,000 companies opened their doors. Sadly 80%, or close to half a million of them, closed up shop not long after.

What makes the difference between success and failure? Capitalization, management, competition and market forces are some of the reasons. Branding, marketing and design also play a vital role—and the designer hired to counsel a startup can often help make the difference between profit and loss. HOW asked three designers to share their insights on designing for startups and to feature the identity systems they've created for their clients.

I was sort of surprised about this article. To me, it seemed to give the impression that designing for a start-up company was more difficult. I happen to feel the exact opposite.

For me, starting with a blank slate is the best spot to be in. I have no image standards to try to uphold - instead, I get to create those standards. There's no previous logo to be stuck in my head - I get to create what I feel meets the needs of the client best. Plus, I tend to think there's a little more room for creativity.

While I understand that some clients that are starting up may not have done their demographc homework, I feel that most of them (at least the clients I've come across) are pretty fluent in this area. In my experience, a client that isn't paying enough attention to these major business start-up need-to-knows, isn't paying attention to design either. Just my two cents...

i forgot...

oh, yeah. one more thing. i forgot to include a pic of the lovely few from my room. these are the vineyards of vey vey, switzerland. the mall is on the left while the train station and grocery store are on the right.

i'm in switzerland!

Hello! I'm happy to say I've arrived in one piece, even though there was so much turbulance on my plane ride getting here that I was a wee bit nervous. Vey Vey is beautiful - just as I remember it. The mountains are in full view and the sun is shining.

I sat for about two hours at a cafe this morning trying to get my internet connection up and running and it just wouldn't work out! So here I am, in my hotel lobby, paying for my Internet minutes, and writing as fast as I can because I only bought about 4 hours of time and my computer battery is dying as I type... okay, enough complaining. I'm in Europe.

Yesterday, after I arrived, I walked around Vey Vey and my husband (Shawn) took a few photos for me. I decided I'd share a few sights. Nothing post-card type, but just a few interesting things I came across.

I've decided that during my trip, I'll try to keep my eyes peeled for cool and interesting art or design work. One thing I comletely forgot about in Europe is the great graffiti art - really! I was walking underneath a street and found this amazing cartoon. I wonder how long the person stood in this tunnel and painted this for? Then I came across this little graphic design company. See photo. And finally, I saw this great poster pealing off of a wall on the side of a building. Dont you think that the spray paint and wall texture make a great composition with this peeling poster?

Anyways, I'm sure I'll have more interesting stories to tell later on. Have a good Labor Day.