Iterative Design: Gain Valuable Insights For Your Product Development
0 Comments4 Minutes
How do you create a website or platform that resonates with users? This is the overarching question, not just in web design, but in the entirety of product development. While it can be hard to predict the certainty of success, there are strategies that designers can use to better understand users. With iterative design, designers can test their product and gain valuable feedback to create a more effective final product. What is Iterative Design? Iterative design is essentially a cyclic…
Design Superior Digital Products Using the Laws of UX
0 Comments6 Minutes
In user experience (UX) design, we examine how the user interacts with a digital product in terms of its usability, accessibility, and desirability. To that end, designers need to be able to anticipate the user's needs and expectations. By using the laws of UX, designers can develop a deeper understanding of user behaviors and create more meaningful products. Backed by various psychological principles and studies, a set of laws have been established in user experience design which can be…
Building Consistency For a Better Customer Experience
0 Comments7 Minutes
When it comes to web design, it’s easy to see the value in prioritizing experiences. Considering that lead generation and sales are major objectives, evaluating how users feel when navigating a website is definitely significant. Thus, designing for user experience will naturally benefit the site’s performance. However, the value that experiences bring to the brand itself is often overlooked. Aiming for enhanced user experience in digital channels is undoubtedly essential. But to be…
ArtVersion is a Top B2B Company in Illinois for 2020
0 Comments3 Minutes
At ArtVersion, we put our clients before anything else! As designers, we pride ourselves on our highly collaborative approach and problem-solving skills. We are creative strategists and visual storytellers. Every year, Clutch announces their Leader Awards, a list of the top-performing B2B companies on their site according to geographic location and service line. This year, Clutch has named ArtVersion a top B2B company in Illinois in the advertising and marketing…
Transforming the Digital Customer Experience
0 Comments5 Minutes
There are many reasons why conversions are made or lost - and optimization cannot be made on mapping every move of every user. If drop rates are way up or way down, then the data is reviewed and changes made - but this could be too little too late. With solid customer experience (CX) strategy in place, a business can retain more customers and make more meaningful connections. In fact, recent studies have shown that having an ongoing customer experience strategy in place has increased revenues…
UX and Ecommerce: Ensuring a Positive Experience
0 Comments4 Minutes
Every business wants to provide top-notch user experience, drawing in repeat customers and attracting new ones through referral and reputation - since there are countless options, consumers will choose your e-commerce site if they have a superior UX. Below are a few of the steps that can get you to that high-quality status. Research Before beginning any UX design initiative, gather data about your users and what type of experience they want to have (since every industry is tailored to a…
Web Design – Visual Design and Narrative Alignment
0 Comments9 Minutes
When most companies think of web design, they only focus on the visual aspects. Creating a visual aesthetic or standing out with a flashy visual presentation is usually the goal. However, this can mislead their brand as it's their unique brand characteristics that will allow them to connect with their audience and have a unique identity. Companies need to align their visual design with their unique narrative in order to make an impact with their website and further their branding initiatives.……
Driven By Design: The Brand Refresh
0 Comments5 Minutes
We exist in a design-driven culture. More specifically, consumers are driven to engage with businesses and brands that focus attention and importance on design as the first line of engagement. This is with good reason as a design-driven approach to branding and user experience can create a lasting and positive impact, even making or breaking a conversion strategy. From health care to finance to tech, it’s clear that the culture of continual design innovation is expected, and along with the…
Key Insights on Jetpack for WordPress
0 Comments4 Minutes
Heading into the Fall season, brands can make concentrated efforts to keep owned content running fresh. Websites and other corresponding digital channels can be tuned up for optimization. Jetpack by WordPress is a step in the right direction. On the heels of over 5 million active installations (and counting), Jetpack is a leading WordPress plugin created by Automattic, the site infrastructure powerhouse behind WordPress. Jetpack is loaded with practical site customization and security tools…
The Impact of Design Systems on Brand Experience
0 Comments4 Minutes
In today’s digitally-driven culture, delivering exceptionally designed products is paramount. As the user experience becomes ever more significant in today’s world, brands are finding they need to evolve faster than ever before to keep pace with innovation. With this as their goal, many influential brands have transformed the way they design digital products by implementing their own unique design systems. Design Systems Simply put, design systems incorporate a collection of reusable…
5 Pro Tips for Overcoming Creative Blocks
0 Comments5 Minutes
Regardless of experience or skill level, every designer will inevitably face stuck points in their work. While creative blocks can be incredibly frustrating and disheartening, they can actually help you grow and become a better designer. There are several strategies that can help you overcome creative blocks. These tips can help get your creative juices flowing again so you can get back on track to success. 1. Back to Basics In today’s digital age, designers are often stuck in front of…
Adapting Familiar Pathways: Creating Ideal Journeys and Pathways
0 Comments4 Minutes
To design and develop an impactful website, there must be specific design elements, calls to actions, and interactions that engage the user dynamically and engagingly. Good design is in the details, and creating a user experience that will excite, resonate, and convert users to the brand's service or product is a best practice solution and overall goal. Influential Journeys and Pathways When creating a journey and pathway that will engage the user throughout a website is done…
User-Centered Design: Prioritizing User Experience
0 Comments6 Minutes
In a digital environment moving toward more personalized experiences, there are unfortunately still some websites that prioritize its own objectives over a user-centered design. These sites mistakenly begin designing their site before considering how users will interact with it. A user-focused approach, on the other hand, employs the exact opposite strategy. This way of thinking recognizes the need to think about the end user right from the beginning. In user-centered design, the website…
Flat Design: The Solution For Improved Usability?
0 Comments5 Minutes
As competition between brands grows fierce within the digital space, the focus on user experience has become more prominent than ever before. In web design, the visual elements play an active role in supporting the user journey. Various design techniques often emerge and, along with creating more attractive interfaces, prove influential in a user's decision-making process. Flat design is one trend that stands out in responsive web design, focusing on improving the functionality and…
Achieve Striking Visual Balance With Negative Space
0 Comments4 Minutes
Striking visual design is all about balance. In web design, this visual balance can be achieved provided that each element within the user interface (UI) has an appropriate amount of space and prominence. Intentional treatment of negative space can offer a stunning visual impact and contribute to a seamless user experience (UX). Negative space, also called white space, is a fundamental design element describing the areas between different elements within a design. Although the name may…
Design Strategies to Erase Cognitive Friction
0 Comments12 Minutes
Make no mistake that fluid, unified web design is an irreplaceable factor in the “big picture” of brand strategies for conversion and retention. There’s a ton of noise out there. Ambitious, emerging brands across a wide range of categories are saturating the marketplace like crazy. It’s no surprise that it takes more than a few impressions for people to remember a brand. The reality is that, for online audiences, marketing messaging, promotional information and other mission-laden content…
Embracing A Mobile-First Design Approach
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For many people, their mobile device is considered a necessity. In fact, most people don't leave their house without it. Since most of us have our phones on us at all times, it makes sense that we also use them when going online. As mobile usage continues to increase around the world, embracing a mobile-first design can be a highly effective strategy for your website. What is Mobile-First Design? Contrary to popular belief, a mobile-first approach is not the same as responsive design.…
Digital Strategy: How to Strengthen Your Presence Online
0 Comments5 Minutes
We are living in a digitally-driven world. As society moves further into this digital space, brands are compelled to follow its lead and boost their presence online. A comprehensive digital strategy seeks to optimize all the potential touchpoints with the brand throughout the customer journey online. These various components, when executed effectively, work in conjunction with one another to help shape consumer perceptions and strengthen the brand. 1. Mobile-Friendly Website Above all…
Considering Color Combinations In Web Design
0 Comments6 Minutes
In any design, color is highly significant. We often think of color as purely aesthetic, used only to please the eye or “look pretty.” But in actuality, its function goes beyond artistic expression. In fact, color combinations play a major role in web design, effectively setting the tone and communicating a site's purpose. Although colors certainly do add to the visual appeal of a website, a good designer chooses them with careful intention. Considering a site’s objectives, specific color…
Elevating Brand Strategy with Wireframing Exercises
0 Comments3 Minutes
In the Age of Information, a brand’s vision is only as powerful as the content representing it. Users are tasked with deciphering several layers of messaging, ranging from social media platforms to paid advertising to descriptive text, to help them make educated decisions about whether or not a brand clicks with their objectives. The journey to understanding is an uphill battle that’s only becoming steeper, with diminishing user attention spans a well-documented reality. An assortment of…
Design Sprints: The Shortcut to Insightful Innovation
0 Comments7 Minutes
Our society is continually inspired by innovation. As we seek new trends, brands strive to stay ahead of the game and offer the next “big thing.” Design sprints give brands the opportunity to test ideas with consumers before development, ensuring the final product achieves the greatest impact. The challenge with designing a new product often lies in understanding. A brand may seize on a potential opportunity, launching into a full product development project without having a full grasp on…
Design’s Influence on Brilliant Fashion Strategy
0 Comments18 Minutes
With a crisp breeze circulating through the Windy City, summer is in the air. As 2020's halftime rolls around, with brands again shining on full display, the seasonal shift has a way of reminding us that the world of fashion cannot and will not standstill. Fashion is a category with enormous consumer spending implications and little margin for error (or ordinary) as space clutters. The essence of brand loyalty is always earned and always fluid, but never guaranteed, especially for consumers…
How Relevant Keywords Can Elevate User Experience
0 Comments6 Minutes
There's no doubt that search engine optimization (SEO) is important for your brand's digital presence. One of the key considerations involves using relevant keywords that guide users to your web content. In addition to increased visibility, implementing relevant keywords to target your user can enhance their overall user experience (UX) within your website. Choosing the most effective keywords to use throughout your website can be challenging. Whichever words or phrases you use should allow…
COVID-19 Update: ArtVersion Remains Open During Pandemic
0 Comments2 Minutes
Dear Clients and Partners, First and foremost, we would like to thank all of our Frontliners and Essential Workers and express our gratitude for all you are doing throughout these challenging times. We have been very honored to be involved with all of you. With the collective mission of making the world a better place, this involvement has kept us inspired and creative during the last two and a half months working from home. On June 1, 2020 we will return to our offices to carry on…
The Revolution of Educational Technology
0 Comments8 Minutes
2020 has been a year of uncertainties, one that’s a reminder of just how critical it is to remain nimble & adaptive as a brand or business. Thus far, the state of emergency from today's COVID-19 health crisis has been devastating enough to diminish the relevance of almost every economic sector imaginable. From travel to hospitality to restaurants to retail to entertainment and everything in-between, there’s been an abrupt disharmony in the traditional business-to-consumer model. Many…
Adopting an Agile Brand Strategy for Long-term Sustainability
0 Comments3 Minutes
It’s no secret that in our rapidly changing world, having a dynamic brand strategy is a must. Companies that prioritize an agile brand strategy are better prepared to respond effectively when faced with disruptions or challenges. In order for a business to be sustainable, it needs to able to adapt when necessary. The market is constantly evolving as new technologies and trends emerge. Adopting an agile brand strategy can give brands the flexibility to adjust when the market shifts or…
Principles of Compelling User Interface (UI) Design
0 Comments10 Minutes
It’s difficult to imagine a time when society wasn’t glued to a screen. The breakthrough of computers, engineered by the familiar tech giants of today (Apple and IBM), first accelerated medium- to large-sized business objectives in the mid-1980s. The emergence of mobile devices, expected to eclipse 3.8 billion global users by 2021, was unleashed when the world’s first SMS message was sent in 1992. Tablet usage spiked in 2014 and has seen an approximate 50% increase in total monthly users…
Establishing User Touchpoints to Optimize Interactions
0 Comments3 Minutes
The key to user-centered design, as the name suggests, lies in fundamentally understanding the user. Acknowledging their goals by anticipating the user touchpoints within the design can pave the way to achieving unparalleled user experience (UX). Mapping the user journey is crucial to optimizing interactions and improving UX design. It encourages designers to be mindful of user pathways as they outline the ideal layout and structure of the website. However, representing the entirety of the…
Brand conception design, identity and new website launched for a client amid COVID-19 outbreak
0 Comments2 Minutes
While the economy is on hold, we see innovation flourishing during the Coronavirus fight. In these unprecedented times, those that are resilient and adaptable are the ones that change the world. Companies are exploring new methods and tools that didn’t exist before. Talking about being adaptable, innovative, and resilient, during these unprecedented times, take a look at what our friends from New Orleans, Louisiana are doing. With printing temporarily on hold, eighteen-year-old…
Embracing the Art of Personalization
0 Comments11 Minutes
As a majority of the global population remains grounded in a home setting, observant (from at least six feet away) about the surrounding world from a distance, the ways in which brands are reacting, adapting and interacting is suddenly under a microscope. With eyeballs on out-of-home media fading and targeted messaging starting to blend together, it’s difficult to imagine a time period in the digital age that’s forced more pressure on brands to get creative about connecting with consumers.……
Advantages of Mapping the Customer Journey
0 Comments5 Minutes
The customer experience is the foundation underlying any business. Whether the customer is a market consumer or the user on a website, delivering a positive experience is vital to a business's long-term success. A detailed understanding of customers and their experience is critical then to successful business outcomes. To understand the customer, a business must evaluate all the potential interactions a customer has with the brand through customer journey mapping. The customer journey tells…
ArtVersion Remains Open During COVID-19 Pandemic
0 Comments4 Minutes
To our Clients and Partners, We know that organizations and companies depend on ArtVersion as a technology provider for the essential infrastructure, business continuity and communication services we provide. We understand the critical role we play in the functioning and operation of a companies’ communication and information channels and we are incredibly honored by the trust you have all placed in us. Due to the latest COVID-19 guidelines set forth in the Executive Order 20-10, our…
How a Creative Agency Can Support Your Business, Small or Large
0 Comments7 Minutes
The world stands still with unpredictability. As a creative community, we are stuck in unprecedented times, forced to adjust to an evolving workplace dynamic and ‘roll with the punches’ so to speak. The prolonged impact of COVID-19 remains dramatic and looms large while the economy presses on, searching for answers and battling through a whirlwind of hysteria. Pretty much every industry under the sun has been reeling from the pandemic, and the ripple effect isn’t likely to slow down for the…
Executing a Successful Brand Strategy
0 Comments5 Minutes
An effective brand — more than just a clever name and attractive logo — represents the very core of a business. Your brand defines your purpose and communicates your value within the marketplace. It is your most valuable asset as a business. Without a strong brand, your audience will not know who you are or what you can provide them. Branding is a way that you can stand out against competitors and create a relationship with your audience. With this in mind, developing a brand strategy will…
Branding for the Financial Market
0 Comments8 Minutes
Consumers today are presented with endless options when searching for financial institutions. With many offering similar selections of products and services, choosing the right partner can become difficult. Consequently, the competition to gain consumer recognition has become fierce. The challenge for financial institutions is how to distinguish themselves from their competitors and win the consumer’s favor. It is therefore imperative for institutions to emphasize its unique value proposition…
The Impact of Dark Mode
0 Comments7 Minutes
Halfway through last year, the tech empire Apple announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference that it would be unleashing the Dark Mode visual format on iOS. Deemed as more favorable on the eyes in low-light environments, this feature would enable iPhone users the option for an alternate color scheme on their mobile devices that creates an inverted viewing experience. Up until that point in June 2019, Dark Mode was only available with MacOS on Mac computers (which began in September……
Top Design Trends of 2020
0 Comments9 Minutes
Articulating ideas in a dynamic, powerful visual format is often a challenging journey for both creators and users. Whether it’s overcoming shorter attention spans of younger generations or untangling hidden symbolism represented through brand features, pinpointing an exact “science” behind compelling graphic design is a tricky puzzle to solve. Despite this complexity, brilliant concepts will emerge. What brings hope and optimism is the ascension of Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) to…
Website Accessibility: Best Practices to Improve User Experience
0 Comments6 Minutes
Throughout the inception of a new website, a brand will consider various elements such as its design, content, and structure. While each of these features is fundamental to the success of the website, it is equally important to ensure that the final product will be accessible to as many users as possible. User accessibility refers to an interface’s ability to accommodate all people, regardless of their hardware, software, language, location, or capabilities. In this way, a website can be…
A Guide to Original Design Elements
0 Comments6 Minutes
For brands, earning the attention of today’s consumers, particularly younger generations, is a daunting proposition that will continue to remain tricky as the world spins with more content and information circulation than ever before. Generation Z, expected to account for 40% of all U.S. consumers in 2020, responds well to visual content but will remain attentive on subjects for just eight seconds. The estimated attention span of Millennial users is only slightly longer at twelve seconds.…
Best Practices for Brand Strategy on Social Media
0 Comments9 Minutes
The year 2020 will mark sixteen years since the birth of Facebook, now totaled at approximately 2.4 billion users. 2020 will also indicate almost fifteen years since Twitter, ten years since Instagram, and nine years since Snapchat. TikTok’s popularity has emerged this year. Consumer preference for various forms of social media, compared to traditional media, has climbed at an unfathomable rate. Social media platforms are used by one-in-three people globally, and more than two-thirds of…
How Brands Are Profiting from “Experience”
0 Comments4 Minutes
It seems that almost every month, another legacy “big box” store closes its doors due to lack of sales, failure to achieve brand relevancy or even both. Gone are the days of quantity over quality. The large majority of consumers are shifting priorities away from products to experiences, and many brands are having difficulty keeping up. Brands that neglect this change in preference are paying the price, literally. Today, experiential tactics serve as an innovation tool to maintain relevance and…
Designing for Powerful Brand Identity
0 Comments5 Minutes
The Swoosh. The Golden Arches. Tony the Tiger. A brand’s identity is only as strong as the characteristics representing it. The world’s most successful brands are able to spark an immediate association with the modern consumer through pronounced attributes that speak to them on an emotional level. Whether this association is positive or negative, these are the attributes by which consumers will define the brand. Although the average person is exposed to more than 5,000 brand messages per…
Cognitively Demanding Tasks: Influence on Workflows
0 Comments3 Minutes
Designing and developing a powerful user experience is more than just choosing exciting colors and creating dynamic, meaningful graphics. Additionally, user experience design focuses on the workflow of internal processes that deliver impactful results for a brand. When evaluating creative partners to collaborate with, it’s important to learn about how agencies manage their internal team practices and workflows with the client. Understanding how a company prioritizes tasks will help determine…
User Experience Evolution: The Future of UI/UX
0 Comments5 Minutes
The term “user experience” has grown in popularity over the last decade. As we near the end of 2019, reflecting on the term and where it started gives us guidance on how it will continue to evolve in the new decade. Research suggests that the emphasis on experiences over products cannot be underestimated by brands. While both of these tangible elements of the user experience play a role in unlocking consumer loyalty, experiences are proving to be more effective for tapping into the modern…
Connecting Audience Through Personalization
0 Comments4 Minutes
It’s no secret that brands’ pursuit of consumer loyalty has become an increasingly tricky proposition as the marketplace gradually clutters with the competition. A majority of consumers have held relationships with specific brands for 10 or more years, validating the idea that this elusive consumer loyalty is oftentimes a journey rather than a destination. Trust and an emotional connection to a brand are what fuel this journey. This trust from the consumer cannot be achieved without a brand…
Cision PR Web Highlights ArtVersion in Most Recent Articles
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Cision PR Web features ArtVersion in two articles by SoftwareDevelopmentCompany.co. ArtVersion was highlighted as The Top Outsourcing Software Development Companies of 2019 and as one of The Top 5 Services That Custom Software Development Companies Provide. SoftwareDevelopmentCompany.co is a B2B marketplace connecting brands with software developers, researched the best outsourcing software developers who can build professional custom software solutions for businesses around the world.…
Web Design: Terms to Know and Factors to Consider
0 Comments6 Minutes
When beginning the process of interviewing and vetting out possible creative partners to design or refresh your website, it is important to think about certain details and factors that could impact the process. From researching platforms, content management systems and placing proper long-term goals and priorities for the website that are critical to a successful website and collaborative collaboration with an agency. Research Platforms Take into account what the overall function and…
Customizing Call to Actions: How to Create an Engaging and Unique CTA
0 Comments5 Minutes
Implementing targeted and curated Call to Actions (CTA) is important to engage the user to navigate and explore the interface. Commonly, we see this for a discount in exchange for an email. A pop-up for a brand would prompt the user if you would like 10% and content would follow with “No thanks, I want to pay full price” which puts the action into perspective for the user. There are three main types of CTAS, which include: Basic CTA -- This is a call-to-action that does not…
Meaningful Design: How Effective Design is Invisible
0 Comments3 Minutes
When we think of a brand that is known for its designs and overall game-changing branding we think of Apple. From the sleek design, user-friendly user face and simplistic aesthetic and curated options for settings and customized settings, what isn’t to like- which is most likely why you are reading this on an iPhone or Mac. Apple was able to harness the power in simplistic but impactful design with minimal colors, shapes and customizable options. Influences that Impact Design …
Ad Age Features ArtVersion in Recent Article
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ArtVersion featured in a new article by Ad Age. Ad Age Amp is a new platform for creative work, companies and people. Showcase your expertise, accolades and campaigns while leveraging the credibility of Ad Age and Ad Age Creativity. Ad Age Amp can be used by companies and brands of all sizes, plus individuals at any stage in their career. Ad Age recently added a new feature to Amp profile pages and featured ArtVersion for example of companies who are utilizing it. Ad Age Amp isn’t another…
Impacting Brand Experience and Customer Interaction Collaboratively
0 Comments4 Minutes
When creating and manifesting design with clients, it is important to emphasize a creative process that's collaborative. Our design process is an iterative and collaborative environment that includes; implementing key strategies, providing data-driven designs that develop meaningful and cross-functional deliverables. Consistently enforcing this progress is how impactful customer interactions and experiences are created. Design Sprint Process Through a uniquely collaborative approach,…
Data Driven Design: How Data Forms Experiences
0 Comments4 Minutes
To understand and the journey of a consumer, it is important to analyze why they make the decisions they do. This means understanding their motives for purchasing; from the grocery store, clothes to appliances everyone has motives and reasons for their behavior. Factors can include environment, politics, and economy which impact the way a user interacts with brands and companies daily. Why Data Matters Data is at the forefront of everything we do. From logging on social media,…
Web Design: Understanding and Implementing Best Practices
0 Comments4 Minutes
As a brand, it is always important to keep up with best practices- from business to customer relations and even how you present yourself as an organization. This applies to your website, business cards and overall brand impact on consumers. When beginning to research website designs, styles and hosting options- it can become very overwhelming. We recommend following these best practices when embarking on the journey to upgrade your website. Focus on Target Audience and User…
ArtVersion Receives Consecutive Recognition by Clutch
0 Comments2 Minutes
ArtVersion has been recognized as an industry leader in branding, graphic and web design strategy in multiple categories. In recent reports, Clutch has recognized ArtVersion in Most-Highly Ranked B2B Companies, Top Chicago Company for Developers, Creative and Design, Advertising and Marketing and more. Clutch selects award recipients based on a holistic set of factors, including market presence and work portfolio. Above all, client feedback is central to the evaluation. Clutch analysts have…
Headless CMS: What to Know and How it Can Benefit A Business
0 Comments3 Minutes
It can be challenging as an organization to keep up with the latest technology developments and how they can improve your internal systems that are in place. Managing and storing content for products, articles and more impacts overall web and app performance in addition to conversion and accessibility. This is a great place to start exploring the other options outside of a traditional content management system (CMS). Headless CMS: What does this mean? A headless CMS consists of an…
React and Angular: How These Technologies are Impacting Development
0 Comments3 Minutes
React and Angular are open-source front-end frameworks that allow developers to craft complicated and reactive apps or sites that run in a web browser or mobile device. These frameworks are built on Javascript, a powerful programming language that can run natively in web browsers create structure, styling, interaction, and motion on the fly. Both of these frameworks are able to create fast user experiences with single-page applications so when a user visits a URL the web browser turns into a…
Chatbots: The Much-Needed Assistance to Enhance User Experience
0 Comments4 Minutes
This process is all too common- Searching for a product or service, land on a website and then call or send an email to have a simple question answered and no response. This is not only frustrating but then a user will become impatient and move on to the next company. Conversations, transactions, and needs are met with a level of efficiency and consumers hold this standard to the way they consume products and utilize services. Chatbots hold more value now than ever and consumers want instant…
How Website Content and SEO Integration that Impact Conversion Rates
0 Comments5 Minutes
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) best practices start with a general overview of research, keywords, blogs, and content, which can make understanding the full scope of SEO intimating. Gathering research and sifting through data to understand the way consumer searches for a brand is the best place to start. SEO simply is the study of how a user searches for a product or service, on what device, their geographic location and what keywords are they implementing when executing a search. SEO…
The Connection Between Design and Development: An Influential Partnership
0 Comments5 Minutes
Designers and developers work in two different worlds. The design usually focuses on graphics, interface features and placement of menus and overall color schemes. Development specializes in back and front-end work that usually involves code and highly detailed information. Design and development prioritize different objectives in order to accomplish the same mission and overall goal for the brand. When starting a project, it can be tempting to give one more attention than the other, when they…
ArtVersion Experience Lab Launches in Downtown Chicago
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ArtVersion is proud to announce the opening of the Experience Lab in the heart of the finical district of Chicago. The ArtVersion Experience Lab is the premier usability testing and UX research space in Chicago featuring state-of-the-art usability testing technology allowing you to gain a better understanding of how users perceive and experience your brand. Our Mission We created this space as a destination for brands to engage in an experience-driven, hands-on collaboration to…
Rethinking Brand Strategy in the Age of Customer Experience
0 Comments4 Minutes
Integrating UX design into marketing and brand strategies generate a viable and impactful connection between a brand and consumer. Shifting the focus to the user when developing a conceptual framework for marketing and branding collaboratively connect a brand, user, and customer experience together. Consumer Perspective A consumer has a multitude of options that influence purchasing decisions. Gone are the days of just a few resources and outlets to buy a product, but now an…
Creating Engagement: 5 Tips for Better Website Content
0 Comments5 Minutes
Creating a narrative that a user can connect with is imperative when developing brand materials and overall design. The tonality implemented throughout a website is linked and identified with the brand. Using proper keywords and direction to structure the data so the user can digest the information successfully, is imperative. The goal for a visitor is to land on a website and explore, absorb and convert. When engagement is high, an audience is more likely to return to a brand for their…
ArtVersion Named Top Web Developer by Clutch
0 Comments4 Minutes
ArtVersion is excited to announce that we have been ranked by Clutch as one of the top small business web designers in the world in their new 2019 report. Clutch is a B2B ratings and reviews site based in Washington. They use market research and reviews of a company’s work to rank businesses in categories according to their service focus and location. We are ranked by Clutch as one of the best boutique branding agencies and as one of the top small business web designers.……
UX Design: Where to Get Started
0 Comments8 Minutes
Every design projects requires a thought out process, particularly in the beginning stages. This isn't any different for UX design. Whether you are working on an app or web site, you'll want to create a strong foundation which will lead to an outstanding user experience. Without a strong foundation, you'll find yourself jumping from one small detail to another. A lot of time, energy, and money will be wasted as a result. So the question is: where do you get started? Start with…
UI Design and UX Design – Working Together As One
0 Comments7 Minutes
When it comes to designing a website, digital product, interface, or app, it's important focus on the UX design as well as the UI design. Often the UI gets more attention because it's clearly visible to the designer. However, the UI is only one part of the overall user experience (UX) design process. So how do you go about making sure that both designs work together as one? Begin the Design with UI but Understand the Greater Goal At the end of the day the user experience…
Brand Refresh for Fortune 500 – When Do We Need To Rebrand?
0 Comments8 Minutes
As a Fortune 500 company, the decision to rebrand is a big decision. The rebranding will involve changing advertising and marketing campaigns for many channels. It'll mean that your visual presentation of your brand will need an overhaul (magazines, billboards, catalogs, business cards, web design, general graphic design, etc.). That's why you need to ensure that you're making the right decision, well thought out for a long term. So the question is: when do you need to rebrand? 1. When…
UI and UX Design: Disciplines that Influence Strategy
0 Comments4 Minutes
UI (user interface) and UX (user experience) are industry tools that are utilized to develop design and product to work closely together to stimulate interaction between a user and a product or service. User-centered design is just a starting point when strategizing one touch point to another. UI and UX equip designers with insights from content to analytics which create a smooth process that is driven by both strategy and user testing that influence overall brand interaction. ……
WooCommerce Development – Platform to Allow Growth of Your Business
0 Comments6 Minutes
If you're selling any kind of product online, one of the easiest platforms you can use to manage an eCommerce site is WordPress functionality with WooCommerce. While there are many different eCommerce solutions in the market like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, there are several reasons why WooCommerce it might be the better choice for your business. Why Choose It Over Other Solutions? The first is that it works with WordPress. If you already have a marketing or presentational…
A Design Consultancy: The ArtVersion Design Perspective
0 Comments5 Minutes
Developing from the design perspective activates impactful messaging from a brand. As a creative agency we work with a variety of clients to develop branding, graphic and web design that elevate brand messaging and overall design. In our experience, an effective brand vision is ideally portrayed from a visual design perspective from a design system created with several components in place. It is important to take a contextual approach with visual and narrative creative assets in mind. User…
How a Brand Can Benefit from a Meaningful User Persona Development
0 Comments5 Minutes
Gathering, analyzing and converting data to develop user personas for a brand or company is a critical step in creating business strategies. From web design to cross channel marketing initiatives, creating and utilizing user personas impacts audience strategies and conversion outcomes. Just as defining your target market, investing in further research to identify user personas is necessary when strategizing and crafting consumer strategies. When in the development process for web-design,…
IPEVO VZ-X: Agency User Testing Experience
0 Comments6 Minutes
A core component of our agency culture is continuing to innovate, design and create best practices for UI/UX design. We are continuously looking for a way to approach data to create a model digital experience. Serving many different industries, it is critical that there is accurate data to support our design product. Agency Approach to VZ-X Our team works in a collaborative environment. From developers, strategists and designers we are always working on a wide range of projects.…
Finding Your Fit: Selecting The Right Creative Agency For Your Business
0 Comments6 Minutes
Agency-client relationships are an exciting start of a creative and business collaboration together. Instead of viewing this relationship as short-term project-based engagement, view this relationship as a team - an extension of your internal team. Adopting this perspective enables a seamless and natural process when inquiry and obstacles arise throughout the scope of work and beyond. Choosing an agency based on surface levels or based on their specialization may seem like a no brainer, but…
From Concept to Launch: Authentically Reflecting Brand Vision Through Web Design and Development
0 Comments6 Minutes
Now more than ever, website design is usually the first connection a user makes with a brand. So its fitting that an increasing number of businesses are seeking to create an online experience that authentically reflects their perspective and offering. From strategy to launch, with so many elements required to create the ideal user experience, site owners can feel overwhelmed with the idea of engaging in a new or refreshed website design process. The good news is, with some planning, phase work…
Assessing ROI: Effectively Measuring Marketing Tools to Track and Improve Value
0 Comments7 Minutes
From traditional marketing campaigns such as white papers and brochures to digital and social media implementations - it can be difficult to track what the benefits are without the use of right tools and analysis. For a business to understand what applications can help with distinguishing return on investment in marketing efforts, a great starting point is to identify company goals rather than direct profit. While the overall goal for a business is to increase profit, generating growth it is…
A PLAN TO REBRAND: REFRESHING A BRAND TO INCREASE PROFIT, STAY RELEVANT AND INCREASE VISIBILITY
0 Comments9 Minutes
For many businesses, time is almost always at a minimum and a rebrand isn’t always top of mind. However, refreshing a brand is not only necessary to stay relevant, but directly influences profit. A brand refresh is a way to promote a new and improved brand, website and visuals. The process can actually be a great tool for a brand to learn more about their vision, with the correct tools and assistance. While a brand refresh doesn’t mean a brand is completely revamped or unrecognizable, it is…
ArtVersion Named Top User Experience Design Agency in Chicago
0 Comments5 Minutes
The Manifest has released their February 2019 report reflecting the Top 25 User Experience (UX) agencies in Chicago, with ArtVersion recognized at the top of the list as the number one agency for outstanding comprehensive work in user experience (UX), consecutively in 2018 and 2019. Clients of ArtVersion state; “I feel like they’re almost a member of our family. They’ve been great over the years, and I was actually able to work with ArtVersion remotely for the first several years. To me, being…
Designing Web Sites For Corporations, Brands, Startups and Small Business
0 Comments8 Minutes
When strategizing for a web design project, it’s important to make a distinction between small business, and corporate approach. Small businesses, startups, brands and corporations all have different needs and goals for their websites user experience. To understand this on a deeper level, you have to explore the reasons why. Small Businesses Market on Fewer Channels Small businesses may only need to focus on a few channels such as social media, email, and website, perhaps also a blog.…
Designing For Brands and Brand Experience
0 Comments8 Minutes
When it comes to designing for brands, there needs to be a lot of thought and work that goes into the project. There are multiple elements that you need to consider, especially if the business is in a competitive industry or market. It's more than a matter of creating a web design that's visually appealing, design marketing collateral that connects the audience and engaging user interfaces with the carefully crafted pathways. Let's go into all the elements that lead to great branding design.……
ArtVersion Named Leader in Clutch Global Awards
0 Comments3 Minutes
Clutch, the DC-based ratings and reviews platform, just released its annual Global Awards, and we are excited to announce that Artversion was named as the #1 Digital Design Agency worldwide. We are also very excited to be named to the Clutch 1000. In fact, we are among the top 15 companies on the entire platform, which features over 5,000 companies with reviews. The ranking criteria were rigorous. Independent Analysts at Clutch spoke with our clients to conduct case study-like reviews.…
MAGENTO: CHOOSING THE RIGHT CMS FOR ECOMMERCE
0 Comments4 Minutes
For any business, whether brick and mortar or solely web-based, choosing a content management system for your eCommerce store is a hot topic these days, and it’s critical to understand that they are simply not all created equal. Magento eCommerce is one of the more popular platforms available and has distinct features that make it a solid choice with companies reporting between a 10 to 80% increase in sales due to robust Magento functions. Users also consistently report good experiences with…
A Plan to Launch: Strategic Mobile App Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
A great idea, enthusiastic innovators, a solid development team, and a great UI design. It may seem simple to gather the core elements of a winning mobile app, however, the result is only as good as the makers behind it. A creative and strategic team must ideate and collaborate from concept to launch in order to deliver the most optimal user experience possible. With that first-of-its-kind idea in place, the journey and design are the next most important factors at hand. Sticking to a set of…
Creative Perspective: Branding Concept, Strategy & Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
There are many parts of branding from strategy, positioning, culture, to the brand statement. However, the design is obviously the most recognizable aspect of branding. Design and branding are inseparable but businesses often confuse the relationship between the two. The award-winning design team at ArtVersion is no stranger to tackling branding efforts including brand launches and brand refreshes. Working with a global set of clients has taught the collaborative group many lessons on how to…
Digital Authenticity: Building the Ideal Brand Voice Through Web Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
Brand culture embodies the core value of what a company offers and what they stand behind – so it’s critical that the digital persona reflect this accurately. One of the most powerful branding tools to express this point of view is through web design. It’s these channels that drive us to connect with a brand – if we choose to engage, and ultimately make a conversion. Trust reigns supreme in the digital environment – and at the end of the day, it all depends on the users view of the brand. For…
5 Reasons to Implement WordPress for Enterprise
0 Comments5 Minutes
Because of size and reach, enterprise businesses must be equipped with a scalable and secure web presence to compete in their markets. As a result, new enterprise WordPress VIP and plugins are being developed to provide a more robust system and streamline processes for brands of all shapes and sizes. If you’re already an alternate free theme or third party theme for your WordPress site or another platform altogether, here’s are some strong reasons to invest in WordPress for enterprise. Digital…
Scaling Up: Design that Achieves Business Goals
0 Comments3 Minutes
A single truth for businesses everywhere, whether it’s realized or not: is that every company is a brand and every business owner is a marketer. Many consider themselves as simply salespeople representing a product or service, which is why - all too often - branding can be overlooked. Consciously or not, businesses are making branding decisions every day and it’s critically important to make these decisions with the overall company goals in mind. One Design, Multiple Goals In order to align…
How Web Presence Impacts Overall Brand Positioning
0 Comments5 Minutes
Recent research about how small businesses use websites and social media suggests some striking trends: One in five small businesses use social media in place of a website, yet 24% of small businesses report that they do not have a formal strategy guiding their social media presence. The findings come from Clutch, a research and reviews firm based in Washington DC. “Sometimes business owners think web design is the last thing they need to think about,” says Vanessa Petersen, ArtVersion’s…
Cultivating Innovation: Viewing Constraints As Opportunity
0 Comments3 Minutes
With business growth as the goal of most brand strategies, innovation has become a necessary aspect of making market impact. Within the creative industry, stakeholders are faced with a daily challenge - given a set of guidelines to create the next big thing. To some, this process can be seen as daunting, cumbersome and even stifling with no creative outlet. But the reality is that creativity can actually flourish under pressure. When it comes to design, campaigns and brand initiatives -…
Design DNA: Achieving Brand Transparency
0 Comments3 Minutes
Creating the pathways to deliver the optimal brand experience through design requires the careful and meaningful integration of strategy and creativity to produce the ideal outcome for both company and consumer. There’s little question as to what a brand needs to serve it’s user – information, trust, intelligence, and speed – just to name a few, but it’s a level of transparency, delivering authenticity that is essential to creating meaningful engagement. An open view into an organization breeds…
ArtVersion Presented With Nine Top Honors from Vega Awards
0 Comments3 Minutes
Celebrating the best in digital media excellence, each year, Vega Digital Awards recognizes and honors the outstanding performance, talent and effort of the best digital and creative professionals, web developers, web designers and web agencies around the world. Alongside the best ad agencies, public relations firms, interactive agencies, web designers - ArtVersion is pleased to have been awarded a record 9 honors for 2017, including four prestigious Canopus (1st Place) Awards and five Centauri…
Brand Centered Marketing: Imagery Affects Strategy
0 Comments3 Minutes
In marketing and advertising, whether print or digital, no element is arguably more essential than imagery. With roughly 80 percent of consumers more likely to read a piece of content that contains colorful, relevant visuals - an integrated and aligning image strategy is a highly effective method for increasing market share. If a brand is not effectively using imagery as a part of an overall marketing strategy - it is missing out on revenues and valuable conversion opportunities. Marketing…
Brand Experience is All-Inclusive
0 Comments3 Minutes
It's easy to get immersed in the digital aspect of a brand experience with measurable ROI and supporting interactive elements, but creating a total brand experience goes far beyond virtual. Successful brand strategy and campaign development encompass touchpoints that expand to all aspects of a user's relationship with a company or brand. From the first point of contact to conversion all the way to customer retention strategies - brands must leverage all platforms possible to guide the…
Trending Web Design: Card & Dynamic Grid Layouts
0 Comments3 Minutes
Whether a website design is minimalist or maximalist in style, one layout element remains true - the design must be sharp and easy for the user to navigate. Grid and card layouts have become widely used for sites of all types, but primarily for pages with a high volume of data or relevant calls to action. The popularity of cards can best be attributed to the rise of mobile usage. Though it is used widely by designers and developers – the trend will certainly continue – and for good reason.…
Right Now: Five Packaging Trends Driving Brand Growth
0 Comments4 Minutes
Packaging design trends provide us with direct insight into what consumers feel, what problems they need to solve and what is coming next. Today, it's all about connection, understanding and engagement. Designers are tasked with uncovering, realizing and articulating what is important to a consumer and to direct that experience. Through story, shape and structure, designers and brands can deliver the experience to make invaluable connections that last a lifetime. Brand Basic Gone are the days…
Merging Marketing, Design and Sales Efforts Into An Aligning Digital Strategy
0 Comments4 Minutes
Today, standard business operations increasingly exist primarily on digital platforms, challenging users’ relationships and interactions with an organization. Vital to a successful business, these channels must be recognized, developed and thoughtfully implemented. Acting as the fundamental delivery method of determining this engagement, the use of a digital strategy is essential for any organization. With the goal of brand awareness, increased outreach and market share gain, business owners…
Key Principles of Creating an Immersive Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
It's now more important than ever to deliver an online experience that authentically delivers the perspective of the brand it represents. Leveraging a combination of visual, contextual, graphic and textual elements – a brand has the ability to make stronger connections. From initial perceptions to emotions and behavioral responses – the more connective the experience is, the deeper the loyalty between brand and user will be. By approaching a strategy inclusive of immersive web design - users…
A Plan To Innovate: How Companies Can Benefit From Visual Branding
0 Comments4 Minutes
Breaking into any given market is a bit like being blindfolded. You know you have a great product or service, but unless the positioning is right, the strategy has a fifty percent chance of failure. The right positioning consists of a series of elements including design, which arguably has the power to make or break the whole implementation. Design is much more than just a visual representation of a product, brand or service. Brand design or visual branding, when done right, approaches all…
Making an Impact with Package Design In The Digital Environment
0 Comments3 Minutes
Today more than ever, packaging design matters to the customer experience. It can be an invisible element, seamless to the product’s function, or serve as an extension of the product itself. Packaging trends can be relative to the industry and product, while elements of packaging like material and appearance are reflective of cultural and user sets. Interaction with packaging has the power to connect customers to a brand for life, so it’s essential that the design and format be eye-catching,…
Elements to Look For When Deciding On an Outside Team for Marketing Collaboration
0 Comments4 Minutes
From startup to enterprise, there are a myriad of challenges in hiring the right creative team for any given project. Finding the right group of individuals to handle a product launch, event campaign or website design can be a daunting task, even holding the health of the business in the balance, so choosing the right agency to partner with is vital to a positive outcome. Even if conducted solely in-house with internal teams who have an intimate understanding of the brand at hand, each branding…
Life Cycle of the Web Design Process: A Unified Perspective
0 Comments7 Minutes
Achieving an optimal website design requires a strategy that aligns with the goals of the business it represents. When approaching web design, many jump right to the 'design' portion. Thoughts of imagery, interactivity, and dynamic visuals come to mind. To attain the ideal UX, before entering this exciting design phase, the strategy and wireframing process should take place, with web designers taking a first step in projects through a layout strategy to suit the needs of the client and user.…
Getting to Know Your Conversion Goals
0 Comments3 Minutes
Whether coming to our agency for a site refresh, rebrand or identity development - all of our clients have one thing in common: they want to make their business better. But what does that mean? Working back to establish goals and how these goals can be met is essential to determining what the conversion points will be on a digital product being designed. Is the goal increased revenue, customer satisfaction or greater market share? Setting these clear objectives when strategizing design is the…
Design Language: The Power of Consistency
0 Comments3 Minutes
Creating a digital experience that features consistent elements throughout is a core principle in successful design. Consistency is a critical component of user experience design, content strategy and user interface design that promotes intuitive experiences. When design elements feature consistency in both their look and feel as well as functionality, users can move about the interface with an ease of use, allowing them to focus on executing the task and not learning how the product UI works…
Microinteractions: the Secret Driving Force of UX
0 Comments4 Minutes
Design is in the details - and nowhere does this ring more true than with the design and implementation of a website. It is within these details that the heart of the optimal user experience resides and it is an essential task to ensure they are not missed. Designers must delve into the journey, placing themselves in the mind of the user to understand each step to reach the destination. For this purpose, microinteractions serve as the essential function to drive the core experience, ultimately…
Increasing Engagement: Aligning Visual and Contextual Content
0 Comments5 Minutes
The simple truth is that users now depend on visuals to be the deciding factor in choosing what content is worth engaging with. In a content-first, social-first atmosphere because people are constantly bombarded with content its important to get your message across quickly, pack a punch, and make it as easy as possible to consume and engage. Without the right imagery – the audience might as well be looking at a blank canvas. There is no company or brand in the world that isn’t engaging in some…
6 Ways to Improve User Experience Through Content Strategy
0 Comments5 Minutes
Designers, marketers and business owners have a great deal to gain (and learn) from content strategy. A single sentence of copy can easily be ignored with a user scrolling right past, but if called out with the right mix of design and content implementations - it can be the key to conversion. Whether digital media or print assets, beginning a design process with content strategy is a way to ensure that the brand will be shown in the most authentic and intuitive manner. When a design and content…
ArtVersion: Most Promising Web Development & Design Solution Provider of 2016
0 Comments2 Minutes
CIOReview announces ArtVersion as one among the 20 Most Promising Web Development Solution Providers of 2016. Selected by a distinguished panel comprising of industry CEOs, CIOs, IT VPs including CIOReview editorial board, we are pleased to be included in this esteemed list of industry agents. This ranking is based on ArtVersion’s specialties in Web Design, Web Development, Graphic Design, Visual Branding, and UI/UX Design. Equipped with proven solutions driven by best practices, we offer…
ArtVersion Interactive, Chicago Based Creative Agency accepted into Forbes Agency Council
0 Comments7 Minutes
We are proud to announce that our creative agency has been accepted into the Forbes Agency Council, an invitation-only community for agencies and agency professionals from many public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. ArtVersion Chicago, joins other Forbes Agency Council members, who are hand-selected, to become part of a curated network of successful peers and get access to a variety of exclusive resources, including the opportunity to publish and distribute…
A Tailored Approach: Personalization and Customization in UX Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
In the realm of user experience, customization has long been the gold standard that users have come to expect in their interactions. Increasingly, those customized experiences are being tasked to take a step further into a more personalized product. This shift is driven by the need to offer the most tailored experience that expressly serves the need of the targeted user set, and further - can become a different experience for each individual user based on dialing in their own settings. The…
Wireframing and the UI/UX Design Process
0 Comments3 Minutes
When kicking off a web design project, it's no secret that clients would like to get to the design phase as quickly as possible. Even if there is a clear understanding of the project being user experience centered, everyone wants to see color and content, both visual and contextual as soon as they can. Providing a high-level view of what a site will look like, this lo-fi versioning of a website gives a ‘black and white’ skeletal representation of what the mapping (both navigation and…
Delivering a Cohesive Event Marketing Campaign Experience
0 Comments3 Minutes
Whether a trade show, conference or annual meeting - hosting or participating in events are a large part of a company’s budget for the year. Regardless of it’s size or stature, some form of event collateral must be distributed to help gain exposure and deliver a return on the investment of the event itself. From attendance building pre-event awareness to post-event follow up and lead generation follow up - event collateral, both print and digital - is critical to getting the word out and making…
Start Making Sense: Content Strategy In Web Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
One of the most effective ways to increase the UX on a site is with the use of content strategy. The problem, however, is that many site owners looking to launch a new site, or engaging in a redesign, don't see content strategy as an integral part of the design process. Look at it this way - 'web design' at it's core is pretty straightforward. People know what the deliverable is, and (generally) know what to expect from that process. When it comes to content, it's not so clear cut - but the…
Simplicity and Storytelling in Packaging Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
It’s no secret that storytelling has become an important marketing method to reach an audience in the most authentic way possible. Telling the brand story is critical to all aspects of a brand’s identity, including packaging design. Through contextual and visual storytelling in package design - a person can more easily make a connection with the product, building a higher level of trust and the possibility of becoming a long term brand advocate. Expressing a clear point of view and telling the…
AMP Project: What You Need to Know Now
0 Comments3 Minutes
AMP, or Accelerated Mobile Pages, is a project introduced by Google last year. Initially designed for news results and ‘top stories’, AMP’s capabilities have recently expanded into main search results. Available to any digital publisher, AMP is an open standard that enables pages to load quickly on mobile devices. In terms of what mobile search users will experience, pages that are AMP optimized will display the AMP lightning bolt in search results, indicating that the page and it’s content is…
Building Ecommerce: Increasing Conversions
0 Comments5 Minutes
It’s estimated that over half of visitors to an ecommerce site will abandon their shopping carts for some reason or another. While there are many reasons, both known and unknown to the site owner, there are several elements that should be present to make the path to conversion as easy as possible for users. While a well-designed website may be a fully functional platform, ecommerce is complex and must be approached in a customized manner to the business. Though platforms such as Magento,…
Refreshing Your Manufacturing Website
0 Comments4 Minutes
Technology changes fast, and while most manufacturers stay on top of up to date advancements with their products, their websites can become outdated when updated only with basic maintenance. Left un-optimized, the market facing website of a manufacturer can reflect poorly on the company, reflecting the sense that the brand might not be up to date with with the latest technologies - from their product lines to their digital presence. While a full website redesign is recommended every few years,…
Marketing Strategy: Do You Need a Sub-Brand?
0 Comments5 Minutes
Whether in the early stages of brand building, or a well-known household brand - it’s possible that the use of a sub-brand could increase sales and market awareness for a product or series of products that may be under the radar, or waiting to be launched. While there are numerous strategies to implement successful corporate branding, the use of sub-brands is the chosen path for many - from manufacturing to higher education. Sub-branding, sometimes referred to as a subsidiary or extension brand…
5 Reasons to Consider a Microsite for Your Business
0 Comments3 Minutes
The use and benefits of a microsite can many times go under the radar when strategizing for marketing initiatives. In reality, they are a valuable tool in promoting an event, campaign or product launch. In its most basic form, a microsite is a website that features affiliated or branded content from a specific company or organization - but that is located away from the actual homepage of the business itself. The site has its own URL, however some companies choose to create a similar extension…
Successfully Launching a New Product Into a Crowded Marketplace
0 Comments3 Minutes
It’s official, half of the year is behind us - and fourth quarter is around the corner. For many companies, this is the ‘bread and butter’ of their financial goals and can make or break a year. Having a great product is only half the battle, launching a product that will be profitable and even disrupt the market - requires a great deal of planning, strategy and hands-on effort. Once upon a time, a company could launch a product by simply attending an industry specific trade show or hiring a PR…
5 Creative Branding Strategies That Use Non Traditional Content
0 Comments4 Minutes
One of the best ways to use brand your company is through the use of content. A great piece of content that is marketed effectively will help bring awareness to your brand while also building your credibility. While you can probably use standard articles in your branding efforts, non traditional content can often be a better alternative as content in the form of videos and images can really pick up momentum on social media and really help you get the word out there. Here are five types of non…
How to Get Set Up for Usability, UI and UX Testing
0 Comments4 Minutes
Many marketing managers know that they want to improve their website’s usability, UI, and UX, but don’t quite know how to approach such a project. They often don’t know where to start or what to pay attention. To make any kind of design testing worthwhile, you have to break it down into simple steps and stay focused on what you want to achieve. The first step to getting set up for any kind of testing is to first observe what’s happening on your website. You can do this with the usage of click…
5 Tips for Improving Your App’s UX Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
Just because your app has a great design doesn't necessarily mean that your users will be ecstatic about using it. App UX design is just as important as the visual presentation of the app. Without optimizing for user experience, you'll frustrate your users with redundant tasks, unintuitive user interaction, or useless functionalities. Here are some great tips for improving your app UX design. Tip #1: Optimize functionalities and make it clear what users should do As an example, if there is a…
How Does Your Site Measure Up?
0 Comments1 Minutes
As if we needed another reminder that web usability has become an integral part of user experience - Google released a new service to test your site's usability and speed on mobile and desktop. If you've been putting off the inevitable - checking your website for usability has never been easier. The highly user-friendly interface provides a simple prompt to enter your URL and within seconds, a full report of what is working and what needs to be optimized on your site is delivered. The tool is…
Designing Digital Experiences in Fashion
0 Comments4 Minutes
Marketing and brand strategy for fashion, lifestyle and luxury brands has now clearly shifted to a predominantly digital experience that goes far beyond an online purchase. To grow brand visibility and gain community engagement, the communication style requires a multi-dimensional, cross-channel approach with emotional content experiences at strategic touch points. Design companies are now fast becoming media companies - creating digital media experiences for fashion and lifestyle brands is,…
Reinventing Retail: Tapping Into Experiential Ecommerce
0 Comments5 Minutes
At one point in time, online purchasing was seen as simply a cheaper and more convenient source for goods and services than buying in-store. With the growth of Ecommerce, consumers now have touch points across both digital and in-store experiences to drive conversion and inform their purchases. Taking into consideration the emotional connection derived from an in-store experience, retailers and service providers offering Ecommerce can no longer operate on a basic one size fits all platform for…
White Papers: A Marketing Tool for Greater Visibility
0 Comments4 Minutes
Designed to educate the market about a product or service, the white paper is a document that complements the selling process with authorotative facts crafted to inform the user and heighten their knowledge about the brand or organization. Some may say that the white paper could be swapped for more flashy platforms such as video but theres arguably no better way to gain the trust of an audience than the use of this tried and tested format. With quality content and great design - a white paper…
Designing for Healthcare: Improving Patient-Provider Communication
0 Comments3 Minutes
Perhaps the most critically important industry to adopt a user-centered approach to design is that of healthcare. Personalized engagement is of the utmost importance to an environment where the relationship with between patient and provider can at times seem rigid and cold. The human factor in healthcare marketing has become essential in optimizing communications and improving processes. Not only does usability come into play with regard to content strategies, but brand storytelling must…
Experience Is Everything
0 Comments6 Minutes
Experience can take many forms. Experience is all around us. Experience is the product. Experience is the best teacher. Experience is everything. Whether its conscious or fades into the background, an experience is the totality of many parts coming together to create a perception that is sensory, informational, useful and observational. We learn from experiences, and gain experience. Meaning, once we experience something, we are knowledgeable on the topic and able to form studied opinion, and…
Event Marketing: Getting it Right Every Time
0 Comments7 Minutes
Whether its an annual trade show, sales meeting, summit or exhibition - having a brand presence at industry conferences and trade shows is a necessary element of any event marketing strategy. More often than not, the lead up to an event is chaotic, consisting of late night runs to the printer, last minute strategy meetings and early flights. Creating a timeline leading up to the event, aligning a team on messaging and determining what collateral needs to be implemented will pay off in spades to…
A Website Redesign for Better Usability
0 Comments4 Minutes
User experience and web usability are significant aspects of a websites core functionality that every company must pay attention to for the current and long term health of their organization. Usability, while seemingly invisible, encompasses everything from SEO, conversion ratios, user experience and authority in the market. Embarking on a usability path and building a strategy can be a challenging task, however it is one that will pay off in spades if implemented well and maintained through…
New Design Trends that are Being Used to Create Impactful Annual Reports
0 Comments4 Minutes
With everything else that needs to be done in a company, it goes without saying that the average annual report design is often overlooked. For this reason, the typical company annual report is wordy, filled with industry jargon, and simply boring. You don’t have to treat your annual report as most companies do and treat it as a formality. It can be used as a channel to catch the interest of potential investors, help secure business partners, and act as a branding vehicle. They key is to use…
A Better Content Management System for a More Agile Business
0 Comments5 Minutes
While it may not seem that choosing the right content management system has to do with branding authenticity, there is a clear connection. The fact is that most content management systems put in place fail because of human factors (i.e.) the system is too complicated, the user is inexperienced, there are too many steps, the specifications don't fit the company and so on. While some multi step systems may work for one enterprise, it might not work for another. Choosing the right system can open…
Responsive Design is the Answer
0 Comments4 Minutes
We all know how important it is to have a mobile friendly web design at this day and age. Almost everybody uses their smartphone or tablet to browse the Internet. Despite that, many websites still haven’t adapted to these user habits with responsive design. Some are still using mobile-dedicated websites or worse, are still serving their desktop sites to mobile users. If you belong in either of these categories, here are some reasons why responsive web design is the answer. Responsive design is…
Creating a Market Segment Expansion Strategy
0 Comments5 Minutes
Entering a new market can be a daunting task. Whether battling a sales slump, identifying a group of customers who could benefit from a specific product or moving into a new region - segmentation has many benefits to boost business and gain new visibility. Its important to be aware that there is no business out there that is taking advantage of it's entire (possible) customer base. An exploration into market segmentation is, simply put, finding new ways to grow as a company. As long as the…
VERSIONS™ Collective Manifesto Is Here
0 Comments4 Minutes
Versions Collective, the ArtVersion design collaborative, has released volume 1.03 of their publication discussing the design process its and relation to technology, the VERSIONS™ Collective Manifesto. In the book, the creative think-tank explores how the experience of both print and digital design has evolved and what the current landscape looks like. Ignited by a simple conversation at ArtVersion’s Chicago office, the VERSIONS™ Collective Manifesto publication was imagined as…
7 Best Practices for Your Site’s Call to Action
0 Comments4 Minutes
One of the most neglected parts of a sales page’s web design is the call to action button (CTA). A call to action button or link is basically the device that is used to get users to take some kind of action whether it’s signing up to an email list or going through with a purchase. Many marketers do not do enough to create a compelling CTA while others highlight the CTA in the wrong manner. A strong CTA will increase your conversion rates while also improving your site’s web usability. If you…
Interaction Design: Connecting The Elements
0 Comments3 Minutes
In the rapidly and constantly changing landscape of both graphic and web design, Interaction Design is a continual evolution to connect the parts to create a system that is ideal for the user. In many ways, in the hierarchy of digital design, Interaction Design is the conduit and sum of all the parts. In breaking down the elements - whether text or imagery, Interaction Design creates a pathway to engagement through actions such as clicks, taps, swipes and signups that truly make the experience…
Positioning Your Annual Report as A Marketing Tool
0 Comments3 Minutes
At the beginning of the year, many companies, organizations and non-profits are gathering information for their annual report. For many, it’s become a task that is done with little changes and thus, little excitement. Contrary to popular belief, this necessary tool doesn't have to be such a mundane pursuit. The benefits of the annual report are far-reaching, and the organizations that require them to know their value. While many boards and stakeholders do require this yearly snapshot, some…
3 Roles that Your Web Design Plays in Your Digital Marketing
0 Comments4 Minutes
Is your web design fulfill its role in your digital marketing? If you’re like many marketers, you may be wondering about the meaning behind this question. While you may see web design as mainly having a presented oriented purpose, it has many roles in digital marketing. Here are a few examples to help you understand why different designs are needed for different purposes. 1. Content Consumption and Proliferation While the quality of your content and the copy used to capture the user’s attention…
From UI/UX to Usability
0 Comments5 Minutes
Here are some simple fixes that you can apply to your site today. User Experience (UX Design) 1. Test for simplicity and proper functionality. Does your shopping cart correctly adjust to users adding or removing items? Do actions on your site provide a clear solution and are they instantly rewarding to users? Are there any browsing activities that are redundant? Use and test your site extensively to find any elements that might take away from the browsing experience. 2. Make sure your content…
Web Design Trends to Be Aware of in 2016
0 Comments5 Minutes
2015 saw the popularization of many web design trends such as storytelling centered design, unique typography, and minimalism. Many of these designs were effective in getting visitors to focus on the content and less on the visual aspects of the site. Despite that, these designs still produced attractive designs reminiscent of focus and minimalist elegance. With 2016 in sight, there are new emerging trends that are standing out. Some may work wonders for your site while some may be lackluster.…
How Web Design Affects Marketing Initiatives
0 Comments4 Minutes
Are you planning on launching a marketing initiative soon? While you may have worked on all the aspects of the campaign from the audience targeting, copy, to the brand, but you may not have put enough work into the actual design. This is a common mistake that is made in many companies due to the desire to minimize spending on other aspects of a campaign that isn’t marketing. Design in marketing is important for several reasons as it impacts marketing in many ways. For example, web design can…
5 Essential Website Features to Have in 2016
0 Comments5 Minutes
From search engine guidelines to software updates, the terrain of the online world is changing constantly - and 2016 - it seems will be no exception. At the top of every companies marketing strategy for 2016 should be a handful of essential elements that a website must have to be competitive. Whether looking to optimize an existing site or starting from the ground up, these features are non-negotiable. #1: Responsive Design Responsive web design (RWD) is the process of constructing your website…
Are You Experienced?
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It is one thing to deliver a great product, but can you back it up with a total brand experience? Industry research leader (Gartner) predicted that by 2016, 89 percent of companies would expect to compete mostly on the basis of customer experience (CX). The problem is that most organizations either lag in their customer experience strategy, or worse, don't have one at all. Whether consumer or business, it's no surprise that for a product to take off it needs to work efficiently and be designed…
Redefining User Experience for the Offline Brand
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It shouldn't be surprising that the majority of interaction done with a brand today is via the digital experience. From discoveries to first impressions to ultimate conversions, a meaningful relationship between consumer and brand can successfully, and solely exist - online. For businesses, the ability to market to users at any time or day in a targeted way via data has shifted the way we do business, created an expanded market reach and is even changing the way we communicate, on and offline.…
7 Tools to Boost Online Holiday Marketing Campaigns
0 Comments7 Minutes
Campaigns, promotions, sales, marketing pushes - however you name it - the holidays are upon us and with that a barrage of offers, steals and deals that are too good to pass up and some that fall flat. Many consider the holiday shopping season to be a make-or-break proposition with a strong online sales season having the capacity to set the financial tone for the whole year ahead. With a somewhat soft Black Friday in the books, its clear that shoppers are opting out of the in store rush (even…
The Importance of Aligning Your Website Design with a Corporate Marketing Strategy
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Is your website design meeting the needs of your corporate marketing strategy? Right now, you may have an outstanding looking web design but it may actually be counterproductive to your marketing strategy. When it comes to design, many companies focus on the brand, the website conversion goal, and even trying to get the visitor to take some kind of action. Those are legitimate focus points to design a site around but not necessarily ideal and only ones you should focus on. To help you…
Improving Company Culture With an Agile Approach
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More often than not, the means to completing a project with the ideal outcome consists of working with a team. Collaborating can help the process along and help ease ‘stuck spots’ that are bound to arise. Building a team with a variance of individual talents will not only assist in the initial idea creation process, but will allow for specific stakeholders to be accountable for the areas of the work that they most align with. Believe the hype. Though it may feel overused, it should not be…
User Experience – Should You Even Care?
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User experience is a pretty hot topic in the design industry but is it really for everyone? There are a large number of sites that are designed simply for conversion. They ignore UX design altogether because it takes away from the capital they’re going to use for their advertising and marketing campaigns. After all, if the conversion focused designs are working, why change the focus to UX? There are several reasons why UX matters ever if it doesn’t seem to matter for you right now. 1. It helps…
Reinventing The Intuitive User Experience
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If the term ‘intuitive’ is beginning to sound like the mantra of UX, you aren't alone. Technology has become a staple of our lives - like air or water for some. Many businesses, and for better or worse, individuals - seemingly couldn't exist without the advances we see today. Making the experience of technology - whether it be a digital interface or tangible device, integrate seamlessly into our lives has become a necessary aspect. A cumbersome site or gadget simply will not make the cut.…
Properly Relaunch Your Website with a Brand Refresh
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Planning on relaunching your newly rebranded website? There’s probably a ton of things that you’ve already worked on to ensure that your brand refresh goes off without a hitch. However, there are a few small important details that you may miss. Here are some things that you should be aware of as you get into launching your newly branded website. 1. Audit your website extensively. Make sure you fix all the errors, set up 301 redirects, remove the old components of your brand/website, and ensure…
Designing a Brand Around the Product
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Many companies work on their brand as a strategy for marketing their products. However, many overlook the fact that it may just be as effective, if not more effective to work on the branding of their products. If you think about it, most of interaction you have with prospects revolve around the product. Consumers look at the logo, the packaging, the advertising, the reputation and of course brand promise. The reviews and the product design of the product before they buy. If that’s not a great…
Why a Digital Agency Should Be Your Go-to Solution for Your Next Project
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Are you trying to develop a new website, redesign your product, create a new brand, or launch an online marketing campaign? Many enterprises and business opt to do it themselves or hire a freelancer to save money on their project. However, it may be a better idea to go with a digital agency. You can avoid the frustrations and pitfalls that many business owners face with the other options. Why go with a digital agency? First, a great agency has worked with worked with numerous clients already.…
Is Ambiguity Really Bad When It Comes to Creative Work?
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When it comes to working with a creative agency the premise is that the agency should know exactly how to proceed with the project. But if you look at it clearly, all projects are different and all brands/companies require a unique approach. Sometimes it just comes down to a situation where not everything can be meticulously planned and crafted. But is this kind of ambiguity necessarily a bad thing? Not exactly. Ambiguity means not knowing how everything should come together. It doesn’t mean…
Mastering the Art of Customer Engagement Marketing
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Traditionally, customers have always been critical to the success of a brand - however, today’s consumer seems to hold all the cards. With the rise of community brand building via social media and the web, marketers, brands and business owners must look to the consumer for the keys to provide heightened satisfaction and brand loyalty. Because of this ‘always on’ status and ability to find product information almost immediately, the customer is in control of their own experience, and this trend…
Engaging with A Creative Agency for Brand Refresh and Site Redesign
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So you’ve come to the conclusion that your brand presentation is looking outdated, that your website is far from engaging, and that your positioning strategy needs a change. If you’re seeking help from an agency for a brand refresh or a web redesign, you need to be able to ask the right questions and work with the agency in the right manner to get the maximum value you can possibly get. Here are some tips to follow whether you’ve started working with an agency already or you’re in the midst of…
Simple Optimization Tips for Boosting Facebook Business Engagement
0 Comments7 Minutes
Social media management can be a tricky balance for a brand or business. It's one thing to connect personally with family photos, vacations and the link but for a company to truly connect with it's customer base and potential customers, each brand must become fully fluent in the platform that best suits it and resonate it's true message. Many agree that a company must have a social media presence to truly connect with it's audience, and Facebook is the main event. It can however, be winding…
Off the Shelf: Creating the Ideal Packaging Design
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In an increasingly digital environment, it's important for those with a physical product offering to remember that packaging design can be one of the most useful tools in your marketing strategy. Packaging encompasses a huge part in attracting consumers and building brand value and experience that your users will have – ignoring those elements can lessen brand credibility and may even take away from your sales. #1: Packaging Is Your First Line of Defense Engaging with the user and generating…
Experimental Web Development Techniques and Trends You Should Consider
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Web development has come a long way in just the last few years alone. Responsive design has become the standard and there has been a shift towards simpler designs. Technology has also made it more viable for websites to be more interactive with its users. There are tons of new web development techniques that the web design/development industry is talking about with all the new advancements. If you want to improve your UI and UX, here are some experimental and trendy techniques you should test…
4 Logo Design Tips from The Experts
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Brand identity is all around from print & packaging to digital, so its no surprise that the ArtVersion team has had logo design on the brain for awhile. We sat down with a few of our designers for their take on what essential elements are required for an effective logo. All agreed that the competition is tougher than ever before for a brand to thrive in the marketplace. If designed well, a logo can do much more than just look pretty - it can establish credibility, build trust and allow a…
Here’s What’s Working in Web Design Today
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Web design has come a long way over the last few years. What used to be accepted as normal can actually be something that makes you blend in with the masses rather than helping you stand out. That’s why you need to know what is working today to be relevant to your audience. So without further ado, here is a list of what design trends businesses are having success with and why. 1. Unique Web Typography The last font you should use is arial on your website. Not only is it hard to read on mobile…
Generating Leads Through Digital Content Marketing
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It may be surprising to know that the majority of leads that actually result in conversion in todays market are derived from digital marketing efforts. Companies that engage in a lead generation strategy that consists of a focus on optimized content - whether purchased, personalized or organic - were much more profitable than those who implemented more traditional channels for their marketing approach. The problem is, that the the content of many companies, while informative, does not engage…
5 Ways to Build An Experiential Digital Brand
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For a brand to make a truly authentic connection to a user, it must extend many aspects of its persona throughout the digital experience. From initial perceptions to emotions and behavioral responses - the more resonant the experience is, the deeper the loyalty between and brand and user will be. Forging these connections through a screen can be a challenge, even more so as mobile usage continues to rise. Its now more important than ever to implement a website design that captures the true…
From Dawn to Data: Tapping Into Analytics To Optimize UX
0 Comments4 Minutes
Understanding user behavior in the digital environment is paramount to refining and optimizing a marketing strategy or new implementation. Through smarter analytics, a business can make decisions based on a user's true wants and needs - delivering a more controlled and authentic experience. Equipped with these intelligent insights, the optimal technology can be implemented to achieve the ideal approach to a digital strategy. The main objective of web analytics is to take a close, in-depth look…
Use Case: Creating A Digital Content Strategy
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Creating a sustainable and regenerating approach to content is essential to effectively connect with various types of users across multiple channels and increase conversions. Consistent messaging is vital to designing the foundation for which a brand can begin to be followed and trusted, one of the main reasons why a user will visit in the first place and really the only reason why they might ever return. Taking into consideration vast market share of users, organizations must appeal to and…
Implementing A Digital Personalization Strategy to Achieve Heightened Conversion
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A digital approach to personalization, if orchestrated well, provides users with an experience that is specific to their interests and behaviors. A personalization strategy can range from the use of complex data usage – which offers recommendations based upon viewing history, or a simple approach on a more customer service oriented platform. Delivering a successful personalization strategy can be very tricky if not planned and implemented with the detail that users expect. Many initiatives…
Common User Interface Elements for Better Usability
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When it comes to UI design, most designers accept most user interface elements as they are. But improving these simple looking elements can lead to a big difference in your site’s web usability. One critical thing to remember is that users use the web by scanning and often miss out on what you may think are obvious website elements. Here are some common user interface you can improve to make sure your users get it right the first time around. 1. Collapsible and Expandable Content Collapsible…
Why Improve Visual Design to Improve Web Usability?
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When a conversation about web usability comes up, it’s usually about making changes to elements that relate to task based interactions. The reality is that the visual presentation has a huge role in how users interact with a website. This may not seem evident because you are not really “using” how something looks. However, visual design has a big influence on the interactive elements of a website. A concept that will help you understand the Importance of web design is the idea of a visual path.…
5 Elements of An Effective Logo Design
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An effective logo can be the catalyst for a great product or company launch. They are the ultimate in visual storytelling and can send a message of inspiration, creativity, wealth, fun and so on. Having an innovative product or service is a start, but logo design is the biggest reflection of a company and is the foundation of the brand it represents. Embarking on the process of designing a logo is critically important to the bottom line of a company, as well as it's a stake in the marketplace.…
Understanding the Relationship between User Experience and Web Usability
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Web usability and user experience are both essential to a success of a website. Based on ideas that you have gotten about web usability, you may think that web usability is basically a synonym for user experience. The accurate definition is that usability is about how easy it is to use something. Just because something is easy to use does not mean it will lead to a positive experience. Of course, the easier it is to use something, the more it moves towards a positive experience. However,…
A Case Study On How a Product Brand Refresh Can Effect Your Company
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Have you recently analized brand behind your products? If you have a brand for your product line, have you ever thought about brand refresh and why its important to keep brand currant? For many companies, products take on a life of their own. They can often develop into entities that are separate from the parent company, sort of sub-brands. That’s because products can be targeted to an audience that the parent company isn’t known to target. In such a case, it becomes very important to manage…
Mapping the Customer Journey for the Ideal User Experience
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Whether a marketer, UX designer or developer - the goal of understanding the user experience to engage and make conversions applies to all. There are many ways to gather information to more clearly understand the user with most becoming more advanced as greater importance is placed on UI/UX.It’s no longer enough to simply understand the basic needs of a user. A site must be designed and developed to cater to the actions and perceptions that occur at all touchpoints. To understand customers…
What’s Trending in UI: A Designer’s Perspective
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Trends within the user interface landscape change rapidly as new ideas and innovations occur - so it’s critical to stay on top of whats new. Some new trends in the industry are brand new trials; others embrace the older and well-used methods, tweaking them slightly to adapt within the interface and new technological advancement. The following are some of the new (and critical) elements that have caught the eye of ux/ui designers industrywide. As always, with new ideas and implementations,…
Trial and Error: UX Strategies to Experiment With
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Everyone is thinking of their own ways to improve upon the user experience – since every organization, designer and developer has their own tried and true strategies in place, this idea diversification is remarkably constructive to the user and design community. Of course, every brand (whether a startup or an established organization) has a unique strategy, planned concisely to appeal to their own market segment(s) - while sticking to what works, it important to 'change it up' from time to time…
Versions Receives Honorable Mention from Awwwards
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Chicago, Illinois – Versions Collective, the creative collaboration from Artversion Interactive, is pleased to announce an Honorable Mention Award from the Awwwards recognizing achievement in both the design and development of the VERSIONS™ website. This recent and exciting collaborative project by the agile team at ArtVersion was designed and developed fully in house, utilizing expertise in ux/ui strategies, usability, content and creativity. ‘Versions is truly a passion project, and…
Positioning Your Content Marketing for Lead Generation
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Creating great content is top of mind for an increasing number of companies looking to expand market share, and with that new content marketing plans are popping up like wildfire. It’s one thing to take great content, design a strategy and build an editorial calendar with countless activities - but quite another to position content that directly influences, and may even guarantee, a conversion. Because lead generation is a critical activity for all businesses (in fact, their livelihood), and…
5 Things You Can Do to Jumpstart a Corporate Brand Refresh
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Does your corporate brand image need a change? Is your visual presentation out of date or do you need to change your position in the marketplace? If so, a corporate brand refresh may be in order. However, undergoing such a project is no small task. It will require an extensive strategy session, multiple design projects, and countless iterations. If you feel that you need a change now, it might be a more practical decision to make some quick immediate changes to feel it out. Here are five things…
Versions Collective recognized for Awwwards nomination
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The VERSIONS™ Collective website has has been nominated for Site of the Day and consideration for publication in “The Best 365 Websites Around The World” for 2015 by Awwwards. The team at ArtVersion Interactive is pleased to announce the nomination of VERSIONS™ for Site of the Day by the Awwwards - recognizing the work of the ArtVersion firmwide creative collaborative initiative. “We are thrilled to bring Versions to the design community, and are honored to be included alongside…
Tailoring Your Branding Strategy Based on the Influencer
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If your goal is to partner up with influencers in your market, it’s ideal to tailor your message to their audience. While it is definitely easier to create a general customization based on multiple groups of audiences, it really does pay to tailor your message to each audience. In this case, you will want to tailor your brand to that audience to get the maximum ROI from your marketing campaigns. The challenge is in changing your branding strategy to suit each audience. To really get an idea of…
Monetizing Your Digital Content
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With a sharp focus on content strategy and the reach of digital advertising, right now brands are at a great advantage to be able to position themselves to many users, increasing their market share exponentially. Linear advertising in the way of banner ads and pop ups via sale by click are no longer the preferred method as consumers have become bombarded with the noise of content that is not relevant to them. This is where the content marketing stream comes in. Marketers must shift their view…
Creating A More Agile Brand Through Content Strategy
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Content is vital to designing the foundation for which a brand can begin to be followed and trusted. It’s why people come to websites in the first place and really the only reason why they might ever return. A truly effective content strategy shares information with consumers to help them improve their lives. It’s become increasingly clear that content is the cement that helps build an organization’s infrastructure and keeps the house from falling down. Brands, bloggers and businesses are…
Web Usability’s Affect on Your Website Development
0 Comments6 Minutes
There are so many components that come together to synthesize a valid website. Everything from the colors used, typography to the spacing between lines of content aesthetics determine how successful and purpusful a company website and the online presence is. The one problem that many websites still face is that they are not built with users in mind. Instead of focusing on search engines and repetitive content and keywords, creating an environment where content is accessible, purposefully built…
Up Close And Personal: Putting the Individual Back into User Persona Development
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An important element of usability testing for web design and development is the practice of persona crafting that can be studied to gather crucial information, benefiting the user interface and user experience designs. Often overlooked in the initial stages of website planning, design and development - the practice of developing user personas is a keystone of delivering an experience that is truly tailored to it's user. The majority of information in the development of user personas is through…
5 Tips for Boosting Conversion Rates Through Video
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A solid content strategy, site architecture and usability testing can do incredible things for user engagement and conversion to create this connection, however, the scales are tipping for some toward a more interactive environment. The most effective experiential application to cultivate this connection, is the use of the moving image. As video becomes more and more prevalent through the immediate use of mobile phones with quality results and taking into consideration that video is popping up…
The Connection Between Corporate Website Design and Branding Aspects
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When it comes to corporate web design, many corporations overlook the purpose of branding and focus too much on themselves. If you look at the websites of several corporations, you’ll find that many of them talk about what they do, their past history and what they’re doing now. The atmosphere is often cold, dull and boring. It’s no wonder that these websites spark very little interest. These websites lack a strong brand identity that connects the audience to their companies. If you think about…
5 Common Mistakes Made in Responsive eCommerce Design and Development
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Are you planning on undergoing a major responsive design project for your eCommerce site? If so, it’s important that you become aware of the common mistakes that are made with responsive design. These mistakes can cost you a lot of time and money which is a big deal because you’re already in the middle of transitioning your website with the responsive move. 1. Not Optimizing for Speed Internet and processing speeds are much slower on mobile devices. That’s why you have to optimize your website…
The Ecommerce Effect: Meeting the Needs of a Digital Consumer
0 Comments6 Minutes
For any business, whether brick and mortar or solely web based, ecommerce is the name of the proverbial game. Online sales worldwide have reached an all time high in the trillions and it’s clear that the majority of consumers do much of their shopping, if not all, online. This trend is only on the upswing, and with that, technological developments must keep up to meet the demand. In a traditional face-to-face commerce setting, the saying goes ‘the customer is always right’ (albeit, at times…
Setting A Strategy for Mobile Site Optimization
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We’ve all known that mobile is rising quickly as the main platform for users across the board, but now the stakes are higher. Mobile usability will now count as a search ranking factor beginning this month (April 21st, to be exact), and now is the time to pay attention. Mobile search results will now reflect how mobile-friendly sites are, and if a website isn’t optimized for mobile browsing, it will most likely drop in ranking. Google has even gone so far as to send site owners warnings and…
Delivering Your Best Work Through Collaboration
0 Comments6 Minutes
When most companies need branding work, the first thing they think about is finding the right designer for the job. A great designer is definitely capable of creating a solid design but cannot do all the heavy lifting with regard to strategy and planning. Creating an award winning design or campaign is a team effort. There are many parts of developing a brand that most people aren’t aware of, especially if the goal is to create an outstanding final product. This is where the benefit of working…
Elements of Successful Packaging Design Development
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As the digital environment develops and expands - so does the packaging landscape. Much of what we see in the world of high fashion inspires what mass market retailers develop and even home decor - this is the same trickle-down effect from digital trends down to physical print packaging. From authentic/heritage graphics that connect with a personal aspect to minimalism/less is more/pure the immediacy of the digital world’s trending aesthetic is reflected on store shelves soon after. The…
The Five Pillars of Design Simplicity
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The process of designing and developing a site that is simple yet effective can be a daunting one. Many shy away from a minimalist approach to content and design because adding, rather than subtracting, is just easier. Distilling information down to the core meaning, while remaining coherent and resonant is a powerful approach and can mean, among many other benefits, a sustained level of heightened conversion and better user experience. In our approach to simplicity, we have found that the…
Branding Through Interface Design
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When it comes to branding, it’s easy to go overboard with making sure that your brand has prominent presence in all of your interactions with prospects and customers. It’s probably a better idea to find a right balance so that you don’t let the brand overshadow other important aspects in your interactions. But one area of branding that companies often seem to overlook is their interface design. Whether it’s an app, actual product, or website, companies often go with a generic presentation and…
How to Promote a Culture of Content in Your Company
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Content marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies today because of the fact it helps with your branding initiatives, accelerates your SEO campaign, and helps you build an audience. For this reason, many companies opt to set up a team solely to implement this strategy. But it shouldn’t be just limited to such a team. Promoting a culture of content can help generate great ideas, increase production, and new strategies. You can start this by encouraging everyone to contribute and…
Driving Business Growth Through Good Design
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We exist in a design-driven culture. It's a catchphrase that exists much like innovation culture. Both exist in delivering the elements that have become prerequisites in doing business today. It's not only the aspects (logo, letterhead, website) of a brand that are masterfully crafted - the entire experience is designed from content to packaging, ideally creating a consistent and impactful product from A to Z. A design-driven approach to branding and user experience can create lasting and…
Building Site Architecture for Better SEO
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People use the internet for everything, infusing it into brand strategy and necessary for everyday collaboration and client communication. Websites have become a crucial point for brands, providing an excellent user experience with a versatile website to go along with it. SEO assists search engines in finding, indexing and ranking your web pages according to relevance and page strength. Planning out your SEO makes a significant difference when it comes to leveraging your online traffic. Search…
What You Need to Know about The Internet of Things
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With constant developments in mobile technology, the recent release of the Apple Watch and the popularity of Google's Nest, the future of object connection is becoming a clear reality. It may seem like designers and inventors are taking a page out of a Jetsons episode, but that fantasy is now, and only growing by the day. The Internet of Things, otherwise known as the IoT refers to the application of connectivity to objects that connect with each other such as watches, eyeglasses, cars, coffee…
5 Platforms for Effective Digital Storytelling
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Visual storytelling, when combined with the right measure of image and often sound, creates a level of connection and intrigue that no other technique can achieve. Emotion, anticipation and stimulation reward the active participant with a resulting heightened engagement for the site owner. Alternately, average content puts the user in a passive mode where they either consume the content or leave the website altogether. Visual stories, on the other hand, are interactive and get people to commit…
Today We Are Designing User Experiences
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In most scenarios, websites are created to meet the goals of a business. The common thought is that creating it from a different perspective detracts from meeting the goals of the business, but that does not have to be a reality. Many businesses are starting to embrace the perspective of the user and experimenting (even fully adopting) with user centered design. Why is such importance being placed on the customer experience when working with websites? Naturally, the web has gone through many…
Cultivating Digital Trust Through Solid Brand Attributes
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Building trust in the digital environment is a hot topic these days - and for good reason. The key to successful brand building is the presence of brand attributes that actually deliver on their promise, positioned to the right consumer. It is one thing to be interested in a brand, but quite another to become connected and engage with it. The process that converts a prospective customer into a loyal follower is a multi-faceted feat of branding as well as a dedication to a sustained service…
How to Approach a Redesign Project
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Has that inevitable time to redesign the corporate website come upon you? As your company grows, changes are needed and reflecting it on your website is often one of the most critical steps to moving forward. The problem is that changing when you’ve gotten comfortable with the status quo can be scary and confusing. You don’t know what to change, where to start, or how to go about doing it. Here are some guidelines that can help you get over the hurdle if you’re in the state of mind. #1 Create…
Using Responsive Web Design and UI Elements The Right Way
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If you are run an eCommerce business or depend on mobile traffic for your business, you’ve probably been hammered the benefits of responsive design into your head one too many times. If you tried to convert your site into a responsive one or have at least experimented with it, then you know that it’s easier said than done. The concept of a responsive website makes sense, but using a responsive website will not guarantee you an increase in sales or traffic if it’s not implemented correctly. The…
Intelligent Analytics: Making Big Data Work
0 Comments2 Minutes
Understanding user behavior in the digital environment is paramount to refining and optimizing a marketing strategy or new implementation. Through smarter analytics, a business can make decisions based on a user’s true wants and needs - delivering a more controlled and authentic experience. With the ability to gather data, equipped with these intelligent insights, the optimal technology can be implemented to achieve the ideal approach to a digital strategy - transforming big data into smart…
Content Strategy: Crafting Shareable Messaging
0 Comments4 Minutes
In the current digital landscape, content strategy has become the name of the game, and shareability is one of the most important aspects for a content marketing strategy to gain traction. The challenge comes in formulating relevant content in a manner that makes people take note, and become involved - ultimately opening your message up to their circle by sharing it with their community. There is no magic bullet in creating a viral campaign, but a few strategic approaches can take some of the…
Interactive Design: Tips for Creating Interaction on Sites
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The future of content or even web design could possibly be interaction and engagement. With everybody trying to compete for the user’s attention, it’s becoming more important to find ways to engage your audience. Adding interaction was always a risky endeavor because there was a high possibility that users would abandon the website due to browser conflicts and loading issues. Interaction is no longer a problem because most browser are up to date and the majority of web users are on high speed…
Type Talk: Sweden Sans
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National anthems, state birds, state trees - flags. These elements are all packaged by design to brand and differentiate one nation, group or state from another - so why not a national typeface? Enter Sweden Sans. The team of designers at the Soderhavet agency was recently commissioned to design a national identity for the nordic country well known for its design prowess. The typeface that emerged is what you would expect from the Swedes - modern and fresh but with a warm and inviting aspect.…
5 Reasons to Use Visual Storytelling for Web, Print and Marketing
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There is a rising trend of using visual storytelling to sell products, educate consumers, and connect with audiences. This comes as no surprise as visual elements make content pop to eyes in a way that text alone simply cannot. While visual storytelling is pretty common in the digital medium, it’s not used as much in other marketing channel. If you haven’t used visual storytelling or have only used it in a limited manner, here are five reasons why you should increase its usage it in all…
Adaptive Web Design – What Is It and Should You Care About It?
0 Comments4 Minutes
For quite some time now, responsive design has been the talk of the town. However, adaptive web design has been creeping up in conversations more and more. Adaptive design has the same purpose of responsive design which is to deliver the optimal browsing experience by serving the site for the user’s device. It differs in that adaptive design is about customizing a website to deliver the relevant viewing format whereas responsive rearranges an existing website to display the optimal viewing…
Right Image, Right Brand: Choosing Your Photography Style
0 Comments4 Minutes
Point, click and shoot. It’s just that easy, right? It may seem that equipped with the wealth of technological tools at our fingertips today, that everyone can become a photographer - this couldn't be further from the truth. While it may not take a lifetime to hone the skill, taking and applying the right images to a brand requires a balance of aesthetic and technique to get right. The application of the appropriate image on a web page or in print will capture the users attention, educate and…
What Kind of Innovator Are You?
0 Comments3 Minutes
With an incredibly competitive market and a demanding customer base, businesses require an innovation culture to stay relevant. Many employ one of two types of innovation, even without knowing it. Incremental Innovation More often, unaware of it’s process, a company innovates through an incremental process. This is considerably the more conservative method and exists on small, gradual improvements to a product or service. This may not even be seen as innovation during implementation, but in…
Elements of a Successful Product Launch
0 Comments5 Minutes
With the ushering in of a New Year comes a plethora of bright and shiny new product releases. These roll-outs are critical to the bottom line of a brand, and can set the tone for the year ahead. It’s widely known that a large percentage of all new product releases do not meet revenue goals, delivering a failed launch attempt. Even a great product, if not properly executed or supported, can flounder. For launches to even have a winning chance, the marketing, strategy and creative teams must work…
When Less is More: Minimalist Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
Information has become prevalent and even numbing - so it’s vital to deliver on-point messaging through knock out design. The best way to get a foot in the proverbial door is thorough visual presentation. Messaging that is straightforward, paired with simple design can prove to be more valuable than those filled with unnecessary intricacies. The user will will respond to minimalist approach intuitively absorbing the visual, and becoming immersed in what truly matters: the information. Engaging…
Thinking Beyond the Logo: A Packaging Primer
0 Comments5 Minutes
Unless a consumer already has knowledge or experience on the quality of a product, they must be drawn into the experience visually. We are all attracted initially, whether we’d like to admit it or not, by the commanding attention of a good, or bad packaging design. While the importance of a great logo plays a big part, the effective implementation of visually appealing and striking design through packaging has an immeasurable impact on prospective customers. The importance of packaging both in…
Engaging Your Audience With Better Content
0 Comments5 Minutes
Experiential engagement comes first. We have to like the way something looks, smells, sounds or tastes to be be drawn in for more. To that end, good content is guided by a thoughtful and intentional desire to help a user flow through a meaningful experience - this is where content is the driver for the long game. With a focus on unique benefits, key goals and objectives, the strategy is driven by crafted content that is meaningful and measurable. Successful content creation will create…
Responsive Web Design – The Hype is Justified!
0 Comments4 Minutes
Imagine - you walk into an office building and the walls are bare, the hallways are difficult to navigate, and the message of the company isn’t clear or is extremely complicated to decipher. As a customer, your immediate reaction is to turn on your heel and walk right out. Investing energy and time just to figure out what the company stands for will exhaust your audience and can lose your business countless leads and resources. Approach your website and brand design the same way that you…
Building A Creative Infrastructure
0 Comments3 Minutes
Organizational structures are built - block by block consisting of values, ideals and beliefs. Separately, they are abstract, but come together to form a narrative infrastructure. This is the framework for which a brand forms and comes into being, ideally evolving & refreshing over time. As additional systems are designed & added in response to users and marketplace ideals, the structure retains its sound quality and remains limber as the result of a constant stream of creative…
IS YOUR BRAND READY (YET)?
0 Comments3 Minutes
In the current climate of immediate gratification and changing tastes, its more important than ever to bend but not break. Existing as a relevant, purposeful, innovative, conscious, inclusive and self-aware brand have become prerequisites to thrive in the market. These are the qualities that will make people pause, listen and pay attention. Users demand a brand they can grow with, that earns their trust and makes them feel valued. People want to evolve with a brand whose content, products and…
Design Can’t Fix Bad Content
0 Comments4 Minutes
Content is vital to designing the foundation for a which a brand can begin to be followed and trusted. It’s why people come to websites in the first place and really the only reason why they might ever return. A truly effective content strategy shares information with consumers to help them improve their lives. It’s become increasingly clear that content is the cement that helps build an organization’s infrastructure and keeps the house from falling down. Brands, bloggers and businesses are…
UX for Ecommerce: What To Know
0 Comments3 Minutes
Ecommerce remains one of the most important fields of web service, astonishing everyone with the rapid developments in technology and integration with new marketing concepts. A truly successful ecommerce platform attracts and retains many users, and combines a pleasant shopping experience with a low-cost and optimal way of advertising. What Users Are Looking For Internet users are looking for the ideal ecommerce experience. But what does that truly mean? Let’s look deeper into what it means…
The Lifecycle of a Startup
0 Comments4 Minutes
As an organization ventures on its first steps, the delicate lifecycle of a startup begins. Concept A fantastic idea has been developed that will accomplish X, Y, Z. But at this stage, the focus is on the idea, conception and inspiration rather than facts and research. Determining if there is a market for the product or service is the next logical step for an organization, along with electing how the offered solution will increase revenue or reduce any costs for the consumer. Seed Here is…
What You May Be Overlooking When It Comes to eCommerce User Interface Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
A well designed user interface makes a world of a difference for eCommerce sites. It can improve the conversion rate, make it easier for users to find what they are looking for, builds trust and credibility, and makes browsing through the site a breeze. Because eCommerce sites are some of the most complex types of sites you can build, you need to put in a lot of thought, planning and effort into creating a UI design that facilitates and prompts action. Of course, the fundamentals of great UI…
Web Usability: Where to Begin
0 Comments4 Minutes
Are you looking to improve web usability but don’t know where to start? Web usability is about trying to make sure that your website is as intuitive and easy to use as possible. Trying to decide on a course of action isn’t clear when there are so many things to work on. If you know that your website needs an overhaul, here are some areas that you can change to yield big changes in your results. It’s always a good idea to work on your accessibility issues. Ensure that your website loads quickly…
5 Reasons to Invest in WordPress Web Development and Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
By now, you’ve probably heard about the many benefits of running WordPress as your CMS platform. In fact, you may already be running WordPress right now on your website. But while WordPress is a low entry platform that can be adapted for both small and developed businesses, it seems that very few companies are investing in WordPress web design and development. If you’re already using some free theme or third party theme for your WordPress site, here’s are some strong reasons to invest in…
Start Your Brand Refresh with Web Redesign
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Reinventing your brand is an inevitable part of running a company. Many companies go back to the drawing board to find a different way to represent their brand due to market changes, new changes or upcoming trends. And while implementing a successful brand refresh is far from easy, it is far easier if you start with a website redesign. Why is this so? Your website provides a good idea of how your presentation will look and how people respond to it before you implement brand changes all across…
WordPress for Magazine Publishers
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Why WordPress Is The Perfect Platform for Small and Large Magazine Publishers As a publisher, it becomes difficult to manage and update a site due to the amount of content that is being added on a regular basis. WordPress is the perfect platform if this is the kind of business you are running or building. While it looks very simple when you set it up right out the box, you can transform it to a publishing site that rivals some of the most well known sites with the right customizations. Here…
Tips for Storytelling and Storymaking in Brand Building – A Useful Guide for Creative Blocks
0 Comments5 Minutes
Creating a powerful story for your brand isn’t a new concept but few companies manage to get it right. You see examples everywhere on TV from story oriented branding campaigns that are dry to engaging brand stories that pique interest or stir up emotions. Fortunately, using the Internet as the platform gives you a chance to find out what stories really resonate with your audience. So what are some of the things that you need to do in order to create engaging brand stories? First, you need to…
Startup Marketing Fundamentals That You Can’t Ignore
0 Comments5 Minutes
One of the biggest challenges for startups is coming up with a way to generate new customers on a regular basis. While coming up with creative marketing strategies is the solution, limited budgets and lack of hired talent usually hinder efforts. That usually leaves the founders of the company and a small team to come up with a strategy that creates the best return on investment with the budget that’s available. There are several main points to focus on if this describes your situation. The…
Brand Refresh – Starting With Your Web Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
Your brand is no longer a stationary element in a static market place. Companies must evolve faster than ever, delving deep into their culture and vision and seeing who they really are as an organization. Every market goes through changes and transitions - if companies want to remain afloat and swim ahead of the current, they must ensure that their brand is keeping up with the (often escalated) pace. Organizations that have been in the industry for years can derive enormous benefit from a…
Responsive Web Design Effect on eCommerce Sites
0 Comments5 Minutes
Responsive web design has become one of the most important trends in the world of digital marketing. As you may already know, responsive design “responds” to the device the user is using to deliver the best possible browsing experience. However, the majority eCommerce companies have not embraced this web design format. If you belong in this group, there are several reasons why you should make the change. The first reason is that more people are making purchases from mobile devices whether it’s…
Startup Branding – What Factors Can Help You Win in a Crowded Marketplace?
0 Comments4 Minutes
Getting noticed in a marketplace as a startup can be challenging. On top of having to be innovative, you have to compete with established leaders that can quickly snuff you out before you get going. So when it comes to making your big debut and sustaining the buzz you’ve created, the proper startup branding strategy is essential. It can be the one factor that can make or break a company’s momentum. There are multiple aspects of branding that you need to think about before developing your plan…
Custom Photography for the Web: Making Unique Corporate Sites
0 Comments4 Minutes
When designing your website, it’s important to make sure that you use images that reflect what your brand is about and is also relevant to what your site is trying to achieve. While it may be cheaper to go to one of the stock photography websites for your web design, it’s a better investment to go with custom photography. There are several reasons why custom photography is the way to go. First, you want your photo to communicate the correct message. If you use stock photography, you’ll never be…
Web Design and Development Trends You Need to Be Aware Of
0 Comments5 Minutes
Web design and development has come a long way in the last few years. Technology has evolved at a fast rate, user consumption has changed, and users are responding differently to websites. Designers have also found certain styles that work better than others and have updated design standards for the best results. Here are some of the trends you need to be aware of to keep up with what’s going on in the industry and adapt this knowledge to your own website. Using HTML5‘s Unique Features HTML5 is…
Web Design for Startups
0 Comments5 Minutes
As a startup, you only have one chance to make an impression. In the beginning, you’ll likely get a lot of press and coverage about your company. If people start flocking to your website and find it lackluster, it will seem like a contradiction to all the great things that they’ve been hearing about. In addition to creating an impression, you need to create a connection with your brand so that your company is remembered. So how do you go about crafting the right web design? The first part of…
How to Come Up With a Remarkable Web Design Strategy
0 Comments6 Minutes
Having a clearly defined and planned web design strategy is vital to making sure that your website design and development moves forward without a hitch. Without a good strategy, you’ll end up working on aspects of web design that doesn’t add much value to your business and go back and forth trying to fix mistakes. Here is some valuable advice for building a web design strategy that elevates your business and supports your business goals. Define The Purpose Of Your Website Although it may seem…
Dedicated Mobile Website or Responsive Website
0 Comments4 Minutes
Before deciding whether to go the responsive or dedicated web design route it is important to know what kind of content the site will be featuring. If the site will have lots of text, images, and/or video then creating a responsive website would be the most logical choice. There is little need if any to alter that type of content, which simplifies the transitions between different devices. Dedicated mobile websites may be a better choice if the content will be fundamentally different on mobile…
5 Tips for Making Your Web Design and Redesign Projects a Success
0 Comments4 Minutes
Whether you’re designing a website from scratch or redesigning an existing website, you need to know how you’re going to go about with the project. You need clear objectives and specific actionable information on what you’re going to do with your design. Every website will have different goals, so there isn’t a universal guideline that you can follow. However, here are some tips to making sure you’re doing the right things with your web design. Tip #1: Design Around the Brand The brand doesn’t…
What Business Owners Need to Know About eCommerce Responsive Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
Does your e-commerce website use responsive web design? If not, you currently belong in the majority group. It is estimated that less than ten percent of all online retailers have switched to the responsive format. One possible reason why is that going back and redesigning an entire retail website can be a daunting task. But the other big possibility is that online retailers are unsure whether or not it’s the right decision for their online store. To give you an idea of whether responsive is…
Site Redesign to Match Your Brand
0 Comments5 Minutes
Does your website reflect your brand? Does it invoke all the emotional triggers of your brand or convey the unique qualities that represent your brand? Unfortunately, most businesses have followed industry standard designs as it is a best practice to do so. Today, it is more important than ever to have a strong unique identity that distinguishes your website in relation to your brand. Branding is as much about your web design as it is about repeat exposure in the digital space. As a brand, you…
User Experience Designed Right
0 Comments4 Minutes
If your goal is to improve conversion and engagement on your website, mobile app or even application, you need to start by focusing on user experience design. Many business owners focus too much on the actual words and copy on the web page, and not enough on the design. Some understand that they need to work on the design but do not really have the skills to come up with concepts that can improve their metrics. So the question is: How do you go about implementing UX design if you don’t have…
The Next Evolution for Web Design and Integrated Media
0 Comments4 Minutes
Did you know that your web design can be the catalyst for a viral marketing campaign? While many marketers really don’t think much about design beyond aesthetics and conversions, design can generate a firestorm of traffic, referrals and press. Parallax design is one example where design is being used to increase referrals, brand awareness, new leads and even customers. It is engaging, interactive, interesting and entertaining. This may not sound like it would lead to cold hard numbers for the…
Instilling Identity into Your Website
0 Comments4 Minutes
Like most companies, you probably have a goal for your website. It may be to build an audience, generate sales, or provide a service. And like most people, you probably designed your website according to your goals and thought that would suffice. However, one of the big components that you’re probably missing out on is branding and storytelling. Most companies focus too much on getting the desired response from the user and end up looking like the rest of their competitors, loosing a soul of…
Creative Agency: Find an Agency that Fits Your Organization
0 Comments4 Minutes
Finding the right creative agency for your organization can be a tough process. Choosing the wrong agency can mean delayed projects, increased cost and even bring mediocre results. While it may sound like a good idea to look for an agency based on their geo location, this may actually back fire, in todays electronic world typically face to face meetings can be conducted over the video conference. You want to find an agency that fits your organization in every way possible. Here are some of the…
Startups: Design a Better Brand
0 Comments4 Minutes
Many startups focus on marketing their innovative product or service and don’t focus enough on their brand. But as a new company, it’s important to put your branding on the forefront as it will allow you to properly position your company in a competitive marketplace while also giving you the momentum to scale the business. The first step of this process is starting with a brand design that speaks to the target audience. One of the challenges that startups have is trying to stand out in a sea of…
Creative Agency – Creating a Cool Factor for Your Brand
0 Comments4 Minutes
With large marketing platforms like blogs and social media, building awareness for a brand has become easier than ever. Despite that, many brands still fall short in getting the kinds of results they’re after. They still can’t manage to create conversations on their blog, build followers for their Facebook pages, or get industry coverage for their brand. Too many brands think that the problem lies in marketing, so they continuously invest their budget into marketing with minimal results. If…
Parallax, Storytelling and More: New Web Trends that are Making Companies Rethink Design
0 Comments1 Minutes
There are many new web trends that are making companies rethink their web design. These new design approaches are changing the way users interact with websites, users identify with the company brand, and how engagement is created. A few of the trends that are making waves include Parallex, storytelling and brand focused design. What You Need to Know About Parallax Design What is it? - Parallax design is a method of design that uses multiple layers of graphics at different speeds to create an…
5 Tips to Create an Integrated Content Marketing Plan
0 Comments5 Minutes
There’s no going around it anymore. Content marketing has become a core marketing strategy for businesses that want to thrive in the digital space. Great content helps create relationships, followers, shares and engagement. One of the biggest reasons more companies are being drawn to it is because search and paid search have become more competitive and difficult. While some companies are using content as a core strategy with great success, it is best to integrate it with your other marketing…
Parallax, Storytelling and More: New Web Trends that are Making Companies Rethink Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
What You Need to Know About Storytelling What is it? – Storytelling focused design uses visual presentation and content to draw users into the website. There whole point is to provide a story oriented setting and use progression to engage users deeper throughout the browsing experience. A good example of story oriented content is infographics. It uses graphics along with content to draw people in and provide a structure for them to consume the content. How it’s being used – Companies like…
The Visual Branding Aspect Through Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Every company, whether small or large, will need to focus on their brand if they want to differentiate themselves and create a strong identity in their industry and marketplace. The biggest mistake that companies make is focusing too much on the logo and message. While these two things make up a large component of the brand, the overall visual presentation is missing. This is especially evident in the web design of these company websites. While the core elements of the brand are there, the…
Designing an Engaging Corporate Website
0 Comments3 Minutes
For most companies, a corporate website is designed to provide information about to the public, prospects, customers, potential business partners and investors. Unfortunately, the language and web design tends to lose users as a result of the “corporate” design and language. This leads to users abandoning the website or feeling disconnected from your message. The solution then is to come up with engaging web design that makes users want to use and interact with the website, which would then get…
Do You Need a Microsite? Understanding Its Purpose and Benefits
0 Comments3 Minutes
Many marketers and companies build microsites (also called minisites) despite the fact that they have a primary website. In case you are not familiar with then, microsites are small websites with minimal functionalities and purposes. The goal of regular websites is to deliver content, educate users about your products, market the company or brand, and provide customer support. Microsites, on the other hand, might have the singular goal of capturing leads to educate and follow up for a sale.…
Telling Your Corporate Story
0 Comments4 Minutes
As a corporation, it’s important for your audience and customers to understand what your organization about. The best way to do so is to use storytelling. While many corporations understand that, they make the mistake of focusing on the narrative and talk too much about themselves. You can even call it the curse of the elevator speech. The target audience and customers are then left asking “what did that have to do with me?” Rather than go with that tried and tired approach, you need to focus…
Why User Interface Design for Learning Management Systems Is Vital
0 Comments3 Minutes
Many learning management systems (LMS) often look like a software that was built in the 90s. While it may achieve the objectives the organization set out for, it is inefficient and outdated. These platforms are often unorganized, unintuitive and downright clunky. If your organization is using a learning management system that fits this description, you need to fix it with proper UI design. There are many aspects of UI design that will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your learning…
4 Things You Need to Know About the Parallax Web Design Trend
0 Comments4 Minutes
More companies are using parallax web design method to showcase their products, tell stories, and get more engagement out of their content. This new design method uses CSS to manipulate multiple layers so that each layer moves at a different speed. This results in the visuals of a webpage come to life as you scroll through it. It brings everything from text, images, charts and multimedia together in a captivating long page format. So what is it that you need to know about this new web design…
Understanding Web Design for Startups
0 Comments4 Minutes
As a startup, your goal is to make a big splash in the marketplace and ride that momentum to success. But with an ocean of other startups in the marketplace, it can become very difficult to stand out. One of the best ways for startups to get the much needed attention is to create stunning web design. Outstanding web design is no longer an option. It is essential for business success in a business atmosphere where everyone is fighting to get a piece of the pie. Web design is also no longer about…
Web Development WordPress
0 Comments4 Minutes
WordPress is one of the best content manage systems you can use to build your site on. It’s requires the lowest skill cap, has the most plugin accessibility, and super intuitive backend. If you’re goal is to start building on this platform or switch to it from another platform, it’s important that you have a web development work on your project. ArtVersion can build you a WordPress site that is designed to the highest standards, has all the functionalities you need, and is optimized for the…
Magento Responsive Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Of all the eCommerce platforms currently available, Magento is by far the most popular option. Other platforms may come with certain advantageous features, but Magento offers more in the way of scalability and long-term stability for new businesses looking to take a leadership role in their markets. This is a robust platform with features such as: Open-source, which offers a strong appeal for developers Easy to customize with readily available extensions and add-on modules Accessible with a…
Storytelling Through Web Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
The most powerful element of online marketing is not creating great content. It also is not creating great products and services. Both of these are vitally important, and without great content, products and services, a company will never reach its full potential. The most important element in online marketing is web design. Great design is the foot in the door. A website's design is the first thing someone sees when they land on a homepage, blog or product listing. If the design is terrible or…
Design Strategies For UI/UX
0 Comments4 Minutes
Once an idea for a website is developed, the actual design phase can begin. This much is obvious. Most people focus on different design elements they want to include. They focus on color schemes, font sizes and and whether they should include things like image sliders. These are all important, but what they fail to cover adequately is the way users will use the site. User interface (UI) and user experience (UX) are critical and require significant planning and strategy when developing a new…
Building A Brand Through Visual Storytelling
0 Comments3 Minutes
The best marketers have always been the best storytellers. People want to find the best products and services to suit their needs, but more than anything, they want to be told a great story. How will this product change my life? In what ways will this service make me more efficient at my job and free up time to spend with my family? These questions can be answered through bullet points covering product and service features, but they are better answered through creative marketing that tells a…
Site Design And Market Relevance
0 Comments4 Minutes
Web design plays a bigger role in the success of an online business than most would like to admit. The adage that "content is king" only holds true if people appreciate the site it resides on. Great content on a sloppily designed site will struggle to attract and retain readers. With that said, a website design needs to be relevant to the market that it hopes to reach. This includes everything from typography, color schemes and even features like image carousels and audio components. Getting…
Content Strategy: The Importance of Reflecting Company Philosophy, Culture and Story On Your Website
0 Comments5 Minutes
One of the things that many companies fail to realize is that their websites communicate the essence of what their company is about. If you think about it, it's very rare for a customer to come into one of your offices to see how your company actually operates. The only realistic way to have potential customers really experience your company is through your website. That’s why a website must go beyond selling products and services and stay consistent with its offline brand. To really understand…
5 Best Practices for Creating Outstanding Web Usability
0 Comments4 Minutes
Web usability is a significant aspect of web design that every company needs to work on. The reason why is because it affects everything from your site’s authority, virality, stickiness, to your conversion ratios. Taking on the task of improving usability is challenging but here are five best practices to get you moving in the right direction. 1. Design with both your goals and the user’s goals in mind. The bottom line is that you built your website because you wanted people to come in and take…
The Relationship Between User Interface and User Experience
0 Comments3 Minutes
More and more the battle for success online is being won by those websites that understand best the relationship between user interface (UI), and user experience (UX). Many people believe that UI equals UX, and vice versa. This is not entirely true. To understand the relationship between the two, it is important to get a simple explanation of what each represents. User Interface User interface is a part of the user experience. In short, it is the way that a user works within the system used by…
Usability, Experience, and Interaction
0 Comments3 Minutes
The hub of the usability, experience and the interaction a user has with anything from web design interface to every day products, focuses on only one thing: The users to have the best experience possible. The better the experience they have the more they will be willing to return back to your website or buy that product again which is one of the ultimate goals to keep people going to your site. When designing a site you need to make sure it not only looks good visually but that it is serving…
Did somebody say: Above the fold
0 Comments4 Minutes
The phase “above the fold” was relevant, and still is, when using it in context of newspaper design and layout but when using it in terms of web design “above the fold” has lost a lot of its meaning. In the 90’s most computer screens were lower in the resolution and smaller making the “above the fold” design more achievable since the viewing size of the site would be more consistent than it is now a days. Technology has evolved throughout the years and now there are a wide variety of screen…
Exploring The Magneto eCommerce Platform
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The world of eCommerce solutions has been crowded for a while. Businesses can choose from custom proprietary shopping carts, hosted ecommerce solution and of course our favorite open source solutions. There are positives and negatives like in anything else and choosing the backend for your store is no easy task. In the open source work Magneto is being used more often than any others for some specific reasons we will cover bellow. Usability, available extensions, and the ability to scale up as…
It Never Hurts to Ask
0 Comments1 Minutes
Sometimes when you are unsure of something you may hesitate to ask someone for help and you think you can figure it out. Yes, eventually you may be able to figure out how to do it but in the long run it is better just to ask for help. This will save you a lot of time and you will know that you are doing it correct the first time. Once you ask for help you can write it down so you wont forget how to do it because sometimes if you try and figure it out on your own you might forget how you even…
How Responsive Web Design Changed the Web
0 Comments6 Minutes
One of the most game-changing trends in the Internet marketing industry has been responsive web design. This web design approach builds a website so that it adapts to the platform and device that the visitor is using. For instance, a visitor using an iPhone will be presented with an iPhone optimized browsing experience. If that same visitor switches to a tablet, he will be presented with a website that’s optimized for tablets. How Responsive Websites Are Changing the Industry The rise of…
First Impressions
0 Comments1 Minutes
When meeting anyone, let alone a potential client, it is very important to make a great first impression. This first impression is what they will have to compare you to others if they are deciding what company they want to go with for their project. The key things you should do when making your first impression is to make them feel comfortable so they can picture working with you in the future, really understand their focus and goals to make them realize the project will be meaningful to their…
The Connection Between Graphic Design and Company Branding
0 Comments3 Minutes
A company is only so good as their brand. It is possible to have the best products and services in a market and to fail if the brand is not communicated to the customers. Having a powerful visual branding creates a competitive advantage that cannot be replicated in any other way. While it may not come to mind as the first or most important thing with regards to business success, graphic design plays a critical role in developing or re-establishing a powerful brand. First, we need to understand…
Don’t Jump to Impossible
0 Comments1 Minutes
It is an easy way out to say something is impossible when at first you do not know the answer on how to solve something. ‘Impossible’ is an overused word and majority of the time isn’t true. Once you brainstorm, explore all your options and do some research there is a great chance that you can find a successful solution to the “impossible” problem. After reviewing and thinking about all the options and there really is no solution then you can say that the problem is impossible to solve. When…
Knowledge of Technology
0 Comments2 Minutes
When you work with something everyday, like technology, sometimes it is easy to forget that not everyone has the same knowledge as you. We experience this daily with the web design projetcs. Since your knowledge is not the same as everyone else you have to make sure that everything is laid out in the simplest form so that anyone can understand. This is important because there can be confusion or mix-ups from someone who does not know as much as you do and might accidentally do something they…
Achieving Brand Consistency Through Effective Web Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
If content is king, then proper web design is the heir to the throne. Not only does a well designed website convey a sense of professionalism, it also works as an important driver of brand recognition. Companies often invest money into marketing campaigns, content development, product research and development and web design, but they pay little attention to where and how all of this intersects. There are only few other things worse than an inconsistent brand identity; no branding at all and no…
Why Is Web Design The Most Important Part Of Your Marketing?
0 Comments4 Minutes
Download Infographics Many business executives overlook the importance of web design in overall marketing performance, but truth is it can make or break your campaign, especially if you’re marketing online. While your company marketing may be what gets grabs people’s attention and gets them to take action, your web design will often decide whether or not they make the purchase. Here are some strong arguments to prove the importance of web design in a marketing campaign. Studies show that 75…
Infographics vs Text: A Question Of Engagement
0 Comments4 Minutes
Everyone has heard the phrase "content is king." The idea being that content of a superb quality is the key to attract new leads and to build a recognizable brand. There are exceptions where sub par content ranks well and somehow helps businesses grow, but in the vast majority of situations, content truly is king. The question then, is to determine which type of content to create. Infographics have been a hot topic in the internet marketing world. Written text has fallen out of style, and…
Stock vs. Custom Icons: Which Is the Better Choice?
0 Comments3 Minutes
When it comes to using icons for business, most companies turn to stock icons for convenience. These icons can be found on many free graphics websites and can generally get the job done. But if your intent is to capture the attention of your audience and impress them, you want to go with custom icons design. Your visual presentation speaks volumes about your value and uniqueness as a company. Getting proper custom icon design is an important element in your visual presentation and should not be…
How Companies Can Use Creative Agencies Advantageously
0 Comments3 Minutes
A creative agency can make your marketing and branding more effective. Sadly, most companies don’t have the slightest clue on how to best utilize the unique talents of such agencies. They simply rely on them when they need well designed visual presentations and overlook how the visually creative aspects of a marketing and branding campaign can impact the bottom line. Here are several ways a creative agency can be used: Brand and corporate identity revamp All companies need to change with the…
Designing Great Websites the ArtVersion Way
0 Comments6 Minutes
One area of web design that sets us apart is user experience. We have talked about the importance of user experience many times and we are adamant about creating a site that people like to use, find intuitive, and want to come back to. In fact, we take it so seriously that we constantly question our designs by challenging it. We are always trying to see how useful it is and what the experience is from the user end perspective so that our clients realize a noticeable difference in their site’s…
Creating Effective Website Calls to Action
0 Comments5 Minutes
Having effective calls to action is an essential element that every website needs. But how do you create a call to action that gets people to act? Simply asking for people to take action isn’t enough to get them to do what you want. What most website owners don’t understand is that there are many techniques that make the calls to action work. Here are five ways to create effective calls to action. Technique #1: Craft an Enticing Offer - What is the person getting by taking the action? You need…
How to Boost Your Social Media Engagement
0 Comments6 Minutes
Written by Craig Robinson Engaging on social media is something that goes well beyond having someone click “like” on your post or even commenting on a photo or video. Every click and comment does count, but engagement in social media is something that’s ongoing. It’s dialogue; it’s meaningful conversations, even extending to legitimate relationships. When you’re speaking about social media engagement, you’re talking about a blog-like following to your social page, discussion-forum-like dialogue…
How to Properly Create Sitemaps
0 Comments3 Minutes
Whether you’re setting up a new website or planning to start a redesign project, you need to have a proper sitemap set up to help your pages get indexed in the search engines. Sitemaps also help the search engines find pages of your site that cannot be found through your navigation links. Every now and then, a visitor may even use it to find a page on your site that is relevant to what they are looking for. This is the perfect example of a sitemap improving user experience. Okay, now you…
How a Creative Agency Can Help Make an Impact On Your Brand
0 Comments4 Minutes
When most companies start thinking about changing or updating their brand, the focus automatically goes to the marketing aspect of the brand. The discussion talks about changing the image of the brand, the message of the brand, and how it will be represented in the media. However, you need to focus on the public “face” of your brand, which is its visual representation. This is where a creative agency like us comes in. We work on all aspects of the visual presentation from the logo, content,…
It’s Time to Put the Megaphone Down
0 Comments4 Minutes
In the early days of Internet marketing, many direct response experts taught digital marketers to focus on the bottom line. The message they tried to drive home was that marketers needed to sell and ask for the sale, rather than dance around the topic and hope that the visitor buys. It seemed that a large number of digital marketers took the advice to heart. Most websites you come across today start by hitting you with their sales message and are specifically designed to close the sale. But as…
Key Elements All Corporate Websites Should Have
0 Comments4 Minutes
Making sure that you have a proper corporate web design should be a top priority as your corporate site represents your whole organization and is a front for your company’s reputation. Unfortunately, many corporate websites you see online are inconsistent, unorganized and unfocused. In order to make sure your online efforts hit the mark, here are the five key elements we feel a corporate website should have. 1. Consistency with Printed Presentation By changing your corporate presentation on…
5 Main Elements for Mobile Web Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
With mobile device usage continuing to increase by leaps and bounds, businesses have to build mobile websites to take advantage of the trend. However, building a mobile website isn’t as simple as building a miniature version of your main site. You need the right elements to make your mobile web design successful and really provide a great user experience for mobile visitors. Here are the five elements we feel are important. 1. Design and Information Architecture Design and information…
Setting Up Website Architecture in Respect to Web Usability
0 Comments4 Minutes
When designing a website, it’s important to understand that website architecture has to be set up in respect to web usability. It may seem like the two are very similar but they are actually quite different in how they are applied to a web development project. Website architecture is like the framework for a house whereas a site’s usability is everything within that framework. On the broader scale, architecture is like a subset of the subject of usability. So how do you start the process of…
Logo Design
0 Comments1 Minutes
There are a few things to consider when you want to create a logo for your company. You will have to evaluate your company and what you want to have represent the company visually and what kind of feel you want it to give off. A logo is a key element to a company’s brand identity, this is usually the first thing that a customer see’s and associates with the company. Once you figure out the route you want to take with a logo this is when you will need to come up with a color palette that you…
Data Entry and Site Architecture
0 Comments1 Minutes
Data entry and site architecture is an important process when creating a website, it is the foundation to any web site design. The data you are entering is the main content that you wish to share with your audience. You want to make sure that the information that you are planning entering will be beneficial to the audience so it keeps them interested and staying on your web site. For ideal user experience and web usability you need to make sure that everything you say in your website has a…
Getting Ahead With Content Marketing
0 Comments3 Minutes
Content marketing is all the rage these days. In addition to paid advertising, many businesses are shifting towards a content based approach to gain exposure and bring in new business. Content marketing takes place in several forms. For a business, this may be a company newsletter, a blog, media releases and press relations, and the act of guest blogging. Let's look at each of these one by one. Newsletters Newsletters are advantageous for two reasons. The first is that in order to receive it,…
Can Infographics Be Used for Whitepapers and Other Marketing Strategies?
0 Comments4 Minutes
One of the best ways to make an impact is to use infographics as part of your marketing strategy. An infographic is basically content that uses visual presentations to deliver information. Because they are visual, they are easier to understand and quicker to consume. This type of content has become very popular online but it isn’t just a random trend that’s bound to fizzle out. Many Internet marketers are using infographics as a part of a Content Marketing to bring in traffic, leads and links…
Today’s Trends in Web Development and Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
Web development and design has gone through some big changes over the past few years. The changes stem from new technologies being available, new platforms becoming viable, and social media opening up their APIs to the public. Taking advantages of these trends can only make web development and design easier to develop and manage. It also gives you more ways connect with their audience. Trend #1: Using Content Management Systems to Build Sites and eCommerce Stores More web design firms are…
The Top Questions You Need to Ask Yourself and Your Team When Redesigning a Website
0 Comments5 Minutes
Redesigning a website is often a bigger project than it seems. It can be confusing, time consuming and tedious. That’s why it’s important to have a clear vision for your website redesign. The clearer you are about what your goals are, the smoother the project will be. However, figuring out what to do is a challenge in itself. To make it easier, here are the top questions you need to ask yourself and your team. Starting With The End In Mind The last thing you want to happen is realizing that…
The Importance of Having the Right Creative Team for Your Project
0 Comments3 Minutes
When it comes to creating a brand identity, new website design, product identity or packaging, you rely on your creative team to get the job done. For companies that do not have their own creative department, it means outsourcing to a firm with the experience and expertise to work on the project. However, it’s important to choose a team that is on the same page and is integrated with a marketing department for a quality final product. For many companies, the go to solution is to find the…
Brand Refresh: Establishing a New Brand Identity
0 Comments4 Minutes
For companies, changes in the industry and marketplace are inevitable. However, it’s not very often that companies adapt to these changes through their brand adjusting branding strategies and initiatives. In fact, it’s essential to change your brand’s image if it doesn’t reflect the current trends of your customers. Companies that do not adapt to these changes often lose market share and the competitive edge necessary to attract customers. So how do you do a brand refresh? The first…
What’s the Best Way to Market Your Website?
0 Comments4 Minutes
After finishing the development of your website, the next step is to actually start marketing it. But what do you do? Which strategies and channels should you be using? Before going into all the options, you should start by double-checking your web design and its user interface design. You want to make sure that your website is designed for conversions, properly represents your brand, and can be used with different platforms such as mobile and tablets. Targeted Visitors If you’re okay with your…
Beyond Web Design: Web Usability’s Impact on a Site’s Success
0 Comments4 Minutes
One aspect of web design that is often overlooked web usability. How a site looks is just one part of the overall design process. There are many more complex reasons behind design decisions. Much of them lie in designing around how visitors behave on a website. The goal should be to create a design that leads to higher conversions and better engagement, and that is what web usability aims to do. How to Start Measuring Web Usability To start the process of improving your site’s usability, you’ll…
The Future of Web Development: Responsive Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Many businesses started building mobile sites as a response to the growing trend of people using mobile devices to surf the net. But a better solution has come along in responsive web design (RWD). This is a type of design where your website detects the platform that is being used and automatically responds by displaying a website that is optimized and formatted for the platform. For example, a website may display the standard design on a PC, but it will show a different design when viewed on a…
Why iPad Publishing Can Be One of the Best Publishing Mediums
0 Comments1 Minutes
Many companies are unaware of iPad publishing. It can be a great medium to publish newsletters, brochures and catalogs. iPad published material can be distributed privately or publicly. You would use private iPad publishing for redistributing your corporate training materials or sale brochures to your team and salesforce, updates can be done on the fly which reduces distribution costs. The most important elements in successful iPad publishing are design, aesthetics, usability. Publicly…
Using Unique and Proper Brochure and Catalog Design for Effective Marketing
0 Comments1 Minutes
One of the common ways to market is to use brochures. Brochures can be one of the best ways to educate prospects about your product or service. However, brochures are often dull, boring and unorganized. It’s not that brochures are not an effective way to market, it’s because most brochures are not designed optimally. When designed correctly, brochure design can be eye-catching, engaging and interesting. They can sell prospects on a product or service without hard selling the reader. Design…
Graphic Design that Impacts Branding Initiatives and Marketing
0 Comments2 Minutes
Most companies are unaware how big of an impact graphic design has on their branding and marketing. Design plays a role in every form of communication from brochures, websites, to mailing packages. Design can make a company stay congruent with their branding efforts and support a company’s main message. It can also help establish a strong corporate identity, which will help the company stay focused on their mission. Visual Branding’s Unique Role In Branding and Marketing Graphic design for…
Why Visual Branding Is So Important
0 Comments4 Minutes
Visual branding is the process of using graphic design to deliver a message that is congruent with your message. Metaphorically, you have to look at design as the framework that your message is centered around. If you think about it, trying to give off the image of being a customer-centered company would not work if the design that surrounds your communication gives off the feeling that the focus is more on the company. You want to make sure that the design represents your message properly.…
Branding Is an Investment, Not an Expense
0 Comments1 Minute
Many companies think that branding is an unnecessary expense but this is actually far from reality. Branding can serve as a foundation for every form of communication for a business from phone calls, Internet marketing, print ads, to television ads. When most people look for a product or service, they think of the brand that left the biggest impression on them. This influences them to do business with that brand over a random business.
The Importance of Website Usability
0 Comments3 Minutes
Begin By Analyzing User Activity The first step in determining website usability is analyses and tracking. Businesses can use heat maps, track click activity, track the time spent on a site, and measure click-through rates to other links. Tracking activity will allow businesses to figure out what’s working and what’s not. Recording the data for future comparison will allow for gradual improvements of the site’s usability. What Can Be Done To Improve The Site? The second step is to start coming…
Graphic Design That Makes You Different Makes a Difference
0 Comments2 Minutes
As we go about our daily lives, the world around us is one defined by graphic design. From the packaging for our breakfast cereal to the billboards that line the roadways, we’re constantly surrounded by designs competing for out attention. While some designs grab us and truly make us stop to think about a message, others merely blend in with the whole. When looking to get a message out there, strive to create a unique brand identity. This is the road to success and graphic design is the…
Responsive Web Design is Something to Get Excited About
0 Comments2 Minutes
A wave of mobile web and tablet internet browsing use has ushered in an exciting new era for web design.The driving philosophy behind this trend is simple. If your design responds to the user, the user will respond to you. In this way, responsive web design cannot be ignored. With countless users now browsing the internet primarily on their phones and tablets, the user expectation of what a mobile web browsing experience should look and feel like has shifted dramatically. Mobile users expect to…
The Importance of Good Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
When you are running a business or trying to promote your brand understanding the importance of good web design and branding can mean the difference between finding success and falling flat with online competitors. Implementing good web design can be done by working towards developing a branding and marketing strategy that will help you to reach any intended audience you have in mind. If you are interested in redesigning your current website but you are unfamiliar with elements of good web…
The Mobile Revolution
0 Comments3 Minutes
When it comes to the web capable platforms, the mobile web has created its own revolutions over the past five years, and seems to have no plans on stopping anytime soon. The mobile revolution took off mid way through 2007, and has provided our web visitors with another outlet to receive information faster, whenever they want and where ever they want. As we review the mobile revolution, do any of us have any doubt with the mobile web helping to grow our businesses? The mobile web is the fast…
Visual Branding
0 Comments3 Minutes
Corporate identity is an essential part of any brand, organization, small business, or corporation. As we look at who we are and what we do, establishing a brand and visual identity around these goals and achievements is more than just appropriate. As we all understand by now, our brands need more than a verbal identity and brand promise, brands need a strong visual identity. Visual branding is a concept of adding graphical, visual elements, and building corporate image that will become…
Your Brand, UI/UX and Responsive Web Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
The aspects and elements offered by our current brands that reflect on to our online presence are extremely important features we offer to our current and growing target audiences. When it comes to designing elements for the web, we must always remember to keep in mind the user experience and our mobile attendance. As we look at our brands and our online livelihood, have any of us neglected to provide the right elements that will allow our user experiences to be exactly the same across all web…
Presenting a Brand Mascot
0 Comments2 Minutes
When it comes to our brand and the visual elements that are represent in our branding strategies, help to provide a visual connect from our target audiences with us. Visual elements that are able to communicate with our target audiences, as well as reflect all aspects of our brand are key to visual branding success. As we continue to grow our visual branding strategies, have you ever neglected to present a brand mascot to your target audience? Corporate brand mascots are an exceptional way to…
e-Mail Promotional Marketing
0 Comments2 Minutes
The holiday season is an exceptional time to become extremely creative with our promotional material and advertisements. This time of the year also offers our organizations an open door to push as much promotional material as we want, because many members of our target audiences are looking to achieve as many deals as they can as this point. As we grow into the holiday season, have you forgotten to produce online e-Mail promotions to present to your target audience? e-Mail promotional marketing…
The Responsive Desktop
0 Comments3 Minutes
In today’s day and age, when it comes to the web we mostly hear about the mobile movement, and how it has transformed the world. With this in mind, the mobile web has changed the world and it keeps changing every day as more and more technology comes out to the public. The mobile world has made such a huge impact, it has not only pushed desktop browsing out of the way as the number one web browsing platform; it has almost pushed away desktop browsing altogether. As new technology comes out, and…
Dedicated Mobile Sites Today or Yesterday
0 Comments4 Minutes
The mobile web is the fastest growing web capable platform, which does not seem to be slowing down for anyone or anything lately, and has no plans to stop its progress. After the launch of the mobile web in 2007, came the invention of the dedicated mobile sites. As the mobile web world keeps pushing further into the future, we may start to notice a down fall of dedicated mobile sites. When reviewing your mobile web presence, is your site a dedicated mobile site and do you plan to stay with that…
Building Your Perfect User Interface
0 Comments2 Minutes
Websites, our online presences that should always fully reflect every aspect of our corporate identities’, brands’ and organizations’, to show our audience exactly who we are, through the internet as a marketing tool. Within our organizations’ websites, the most prominent aspect our target audience is going to remember is their experience they had with the user interface. When we are thinking about the user experience, we present to our target audience, have you ever notice that you are not…
Unique Icons
0 Comments2 Minutes
The internet presents a collection of tools for our organizations to utilize, which will bring in an array of benefits. Throughout all the tools that we can utilize on the internet, the ones having to deal with our own websites’ are the most important. After creating your site have you neglected to utilize all the tools that are optimized for your current web site? The graphic tools that we can be utilizing within our website should be unique, one of a kind and different than everyone else’s in…
Why e-Commerce
0 Comments2 Minutes
In today’s day and age, we are always trying to find new ways to market, advertise, promote and sell our products to consumers, across multiple target audiences. Finding new ways to expand our current target audiences, and sell more products seem like it can be a difficult task, and although, many of us have already thought of this, but the internet provides many hidden tools within the e-Commerce platform that can help boost all of our business. When we decide to establish an e-Commerce site,…
Responsive Web Design and the Future
0 Comments3 Minutes
The 2012 calendar is winding down, and coming to an end very soon. As we look into the future, there are already quite a few new innovative advancement in the web world, which we should be utilizing to prevent our organizations’ from falling behind, not only in our online strategies, but with business all together. After reviewing your online presence, have you neglected to implement the new advances that can further your online presence? Within the past five years, since the launch of the…
Understanding User Interface and User Experience
0 Comments6 Minutes
The mobile web is the fastest growing web capable platform. As the mobile web grows new concepts are being released every day, to make mobile users more comfortable with their online experiences. Recently the mobile web browsing has surpassed desktop browsing as the most used web browsers in the world. After reviewing your current website have you neglected to keep mobile users in mind? As technology advances throughout the entire web there are a couple of aspects we need to keep in mind, to…
The Interactive User Interface
0 Comments3 Minutes
The user Interface design may be portrayed in any creative elements possible. Throughout the user interface design there are many differ approach we can take to present our experience for the end-user. While designing your user interface have you neglected to think about interaction from the end-users point of view? The user experience is the most prominent aspects, about our organizations’ websites that the end-user will remember. As many of us know providing a well establishing user…
SEO and Content Strategies
0 Comments3 Minutes
Within our organizations’ websites, we want it to appear at the top of the first page on any and all search engines. Having strong SEO strategies behind our websites’, can have any size company, large medium or small, achieve top success on search engines. When reviewing your SEO strategies have you neglected to think about all the content strategies that could be utilized to boost your search engine rankings? When developing our strong SEO strategies we must keep in mind the content strategies…
Your Target Audience and the User Interface
0 Comments2 Minutes
When it comes to your target audience, the importance of them towards your organization is a vital aspect, which your organization would like to control, to keep your organization’s livelihood at its highest potential. Your target audience has certain expectations of your organization, and how things should be presented to them. The user interface design is one of those vital aspects your organization holds that directly affects your target audience. When thinking about all the aspect that…
The Open User Interface
0 Comments2 Minutes
The user interface, on any website, is the unbounded mark your target audience has, for your organization, after viewing your website, on the internet. Being able to control every aspect, of your website, will allow you to establish that one of a kind, award-winning, first-class user interface, which will provide a time-honored user experience that we are all hoping for. The question we all should be asking is if your website is built on an open-source platform, so you are allowed to update…
Rethinking Your Logo Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
An organization’s logo is the visual aspect, which their target audience relates and refers them to. Having a logo that is unique and fully understands your organization’s livelihood, will help your brand stand out from the rest, in your current industry market. Does your organization present a logo, to the public, which stands out from the rest? Many organizations believe they can get away with designing their own logo, with the use of clip-art. They see this to be a cost effective way to…
The e-Commerce Experience
0 Comments3 Minutes
Online shopping has become the easiest way for consumers, to purchase items, without any extensive effort, on their end. e-Commerce sites are designed and implemented, by companies, to expand their reach, to a larger target audience, while selling and distributing, their products, at the same time. As your organization, moves in the e-Commerce world, do you have an appropriate user experience, for your target audience? The user experience, on any website, is the most important aspect, which is…
Trade Show Booth Designs
0 Comments2 Minutes
In many industry markets’, trade shows present organizations, with opportunities, to improve their business, as well as expand their clientele, within their industry community. Many times, having the right tools, displayed at your booth during, the trade show can change your whole outcome, of the shows. When your organization sets up a booth, at a trade show, do you present materials that are visually appealing, to show goers? The ideas, around trade shows, have been helping business advance,…
The SaaS Interface
0 Comments3 Minutes
Software as a Service (SaaS), is an everlasting, growing, industry, which does not seem to be slowing down, anytime soon. The advances in cloud services, being used for SaaS purposes, have opened a range of doors, for more organizations to start utilizing these services, to advance their already existing service. As your organization adventures, into the SaaS world, have you presented an appropriate user interface, for your end-users? The user interface design, on any SaaS site is very…
Interactive Promotional Materials
0 Comments4 Minutes
Interactive promotional materials are becoming the most popular way of sending information, to your target audience. With the vast growth, on the mobile internet, over the past couple of years, interactive promotional material has spiked an all-time high. As your organization movies into the digital realm, do you have promotional material that will allow your audience to interact with it? Promotional materials have been giving organizations’ target audiences a look into their corporate…
The Open Source Experience
0 Comments2 Minutes
When establishing your website, finding a host that allows for open source back ends, may be very difficult. In today’s world, many organizations do not even own the rights to their website. Does your organization, have full rights over your current website, or are you currently locked in an uncontrollable contract with your current host. When many, think about the user experience, they never think about all the elements that are put into effect, to create such an amazing time for the end-user.…
Branding With the Mobile Web
0 Comments3 Minutes
The concepts of branding are on an everlasting evolution, as new technologies are becoming available to the public. The ideas and strategies behind branding are growing every day. As the mobile web grows into becoming the most used web capable platform, is your brand ready to handle all the mobile users? The concept of corporate branding has been around since individuals started promoting their business; to expand their, audience, reach. Branding comes from the idea of presenting an identity,…
The Dedicated Mobile Interface
0 Comments2 Minutes
The mobile website world is growing faster than ever today. Building a site with an outstanding user interface, will institute an award-winning user experience for your mobile users. When designing your mobile site, have you allowed yourself, to establish an interface, which is appropriate for the mobile user? Dedicated mobile sites are a way of designing websites strictly for mobile use. These sites are comparably smaller than your main website, except they are designed to be appropriately,…
The Responsive Experience
0 Comments3 Minutes
The end-user experience is the driving force that keeps your organization’s web presence alive. As the world pushes more towards the mobile internet, having a user experience that is appropriate for the mobile web is crucial, for your organization’s livelihood. After establishing your mobile existence, have you neglected to provide your end-user an experience that is similar to the already existing one on your main website? When designing your site for the mobile web world, you will want to…
Dedicated Mobile vs. Responsive Web Design
0 Comments5 Minutes
In every great area of technology, there are always two platforms, which are always portrayed as battling, to become the number one platform being used. Today, that battle is being fought, over the mobile internet, by dedicated mobile sites and responsive web design (RWD). As your organization moves into the mobile web world, which platform do you believe is a best fit, for not only your organization, but your target audience as well? As the mobile world continues to grow, the battle between…
Social Media and the User Experience
0 Comments4 Minutes
Social media is not only becoming the forerunner, it is also becoming the easiest way, for organizations to connect and establish feedback, from their target audience. For many organizations, getting involved in social media is something new; however, most of them have already taken the plunge into the social networking world. Although, you have already set up your social sites, have you neglected to integrate them with your already existing user experience? Social media networks have opened an…
Branding Through the User Interface
0 Comments4 Minutes
New advances in branding are popping up every day, as more marketing strategies and techniques are being introduced to the public, it is becoming easier and easier for organizations to push their brands to the world. As your organization’s pushing into the future, have you neglected to take advantage of these advances in marketing and branding? The user interface design is set up to expand your brand identity to a larger target audience. Every organization should display a user interface face…
Breaking Out of Your Old User Interface into Something New
0 Comments3 Minutes
Technology is growing faster today than it ever has before. According to Morgan Stanley, the world is in its 5th technological evolution, within the last 50 years. With technology moving at the rate it is, do you have a website, along with a user interface and user experience, which can compete with today’s standards? Many organizations have well established websites, which were created within the past decade. Although, these websites may have been exceptional at the time they were designed,…
Expanding Your Individual Brands
0 Comments3 Minutes
Brands have a collection of aspects to them that should be presented across all platforms of their corporate image. When reviewing your corporate identity, have you neglected to market all the aspects of your Brand lately? Many believe that only larger brands acquire the power to establish multiple, as well as sub, brands, within their already existing brand, which is frankly not true. Expanding your already established brand, by creating brands in the order of your current products will ensure…
Finding Your Responsive Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
Responsive web design (RWD) is no longer a futuristic way of designing websites, it is happening now! RWD takes away the hassle of having to maintain more than one site for mobile purposes; it allows you to only design one site that is flexible enough for all web capable platforms. The design aspects of the user interface should represent your organization’s story, throughout the whole site. Having a unique user interface and experience will help grow your target audience. Being able to ensure…
The End-User Experience
0 Comments2 Minutes
User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are the most imperative aspects being utilized by end-users. We establish and design websites for the end-user. With well established interfaces, the experience for any user will project a greater return on investments for your organization. The end-user is the most important experience for any website. This experience will determine how well established your organization is on the web, as well as give the user an assumption of what your organization…
The Responsive Interface
0 Comments2 Minutes
A website’s user interface is one of the most important elements that make up the user experience. The question you should be thinking about is if your user interface provides the same experience across all web capable platforms? The user interface design assists in establishing the user experience, by providing look and feel elements, which present visual appealing aspects for the user. In the past, the user experience was limited to computer use only. Today, more and more web capable devices…
Going Mobile with Responsive Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
Mobile web browsing is becoming the most popular way of accessing the web. With your organizations website up and running, have you neglected to notice if it is compatible with mobile devices? Many organizations are become very worried about their presence on the mobile web. These organizations do not want to spend the time and effort maintaining more than one website, to accommodate mobile users. However, they would also like to have these users be part of their target audience. The Solution…
Annual Reports
0 Comments3 Minutes
Annual reports are designed to present financial information, based on the past fiscal year, to stockholders and investors. As the year begins to wind down have you neglected to create a design that will amaze your target audience. When designing your annual report, you should present a design that is unique as well as different from your competitors, but still presents your organizations brand and your industry markets. Your design should have integrated content that is well balanced. Well…
Innovative User Interface Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
In today’s fast growing world, it is becoming easier and easier for organizations to fall behind in our technological movements. As the mobile web browsing world grows larger and larger, it is now time to ask your self if your organization has a user interface design that will provide and exceptional experience for both your desktop users as well as your mobile users? Mobile web capable devices have established a unique user experience , which is completely different from any other media…
Expanding The User Experience
0 Comments1 Minutes
When your target audience begins to grow, you may neglect to notice that your user experience has begun to change. As you learn more about your target audience, you will want to adjust your user interface to expand the experience to their needs. Many believe that their user interface will work just as well for their starting audience as it would for any audience, which is not always the case. When updating your user interface for your ever-expanding target audience, remember to keep in mind…
UI and UX: How They Impact Our Lives
0 Comments2 Minutes
Throughout the creation, as well as the upkeep, of many organizations websites’, the ideas of Users Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) tend to get pushed under rug a lot. When designing, redesigning or updating your organization’s website have you neglected to think about the end user and only establish new content for yourself? UI and UX are becoming extremely important aspects in not only the web world, but also in our daily lives. Today 90% of all media interactions are screen…
Most Important Elements in User Interface Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
For most organizations, establishing a website is one of their top priorities. However, having a design that is appropriate and user friendly is not always the first thing that comes to mind when establishing new sites. Many have tendencies to want their site to be unique, different, and have aspects that are appealing to the eye; all of these items are exceptional ideas, nevertheless, the most pertinent aspect is your user experience. The most important element you must remember is that sites…
Content Strategies
0 Comments3 Minutes
An organization’s livelihood is comprised of how much information they are willing to present to their target audiences. Throughout all the campaigns and programs your organization has executed, have you ever noticed that you just were not fully connecting with your target audience as much as you would like to? Creating effective content for not only your website, but your social sites and print materials as well is becoming crucial for an organization’s livelihood. Establishing content for…
The Ins and Outs of Responsive Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Responsive web design (RWD), what is it? Why is it important? And how can it benefit my organizations? These are really great questions to ask when you first come across RWD. RWD is a way of designing for the web, which allows you to only create one website that is compatible with standard computer screens and all web capable devices (smart phones, tablets, TV screens etc…). RWD is a flexible grid pattern that will adjust with any screen size. Today you are able to link all your web capable…
Mobile Commerce (m-Commerce)
0 Comments5 Minutes
Mobile browsing has become the fastest way for consumers to access the web. As the mobile world continues to grow more and more consumers are strictly using mobile devices to purchases items rather than taking the time to fire up their computers. By 2013 mobile devices will pass PCs and become the dominate format for accessing the web. Furthermore, the question you should be asking is if your e-Commerce site is set up for the mobile use? E-commerce websites are setup for companies to promote as…
Photography
0 Comments4 Minutes
Photography is the visual forerunner, which assists target audiences in identifying with an organization’s brand. Audiences are able to obtain an inside look and feel into how your organization interacts with society through the use of photos. Have you neglected to notice that your current photos are outdated and need to be update, or that you do not have enough photos for your audience to view? Current and updated photos on your organization’s website, social sites, brochures, flyers and other…
Integrating Social Media on Your Website
0 Comments3 Minutes
Social Media is becoming the forerunner for Internet marketing. Everyday organizations are establishing social media campaigns to get their messages across to their target audiences. While utilizing the vast amount of social sites have you mistakenly neglected to integrate them on your website? Integrating social media into your site is crucial for your target audiences to stay aware and involved in all of your programs and campaigns. Every organization should have easily accessible links to…
User Interface and User Experience on Mobile Browsing
0 Comments4 Minutes
Mobile web browsing is the fastest way users can view internet content. 28% of the U.S. population is utilizing mobile devices as the primary way of accessing the web. When looking over your website have you ever noticed that it is not mobile friendly, meaning users have to pinch to zoom in order to view your content? User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) are the most important components for any website besides the content. We establish and design websites for the end user; with the…
Social Media Marketing
0 Comments5 Minutes
Social media is becoming essential for organizations; everyday more and more companies are creating Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc. pages. Social media can help any organization reach out to a much wider audiences that they did not have access to before. Although many companies just create social media pages because they believe they have to, they may not be utilizing them to their full extent. Marketing through social media is a simple process once you understand how to use it. When learning…
Email Marketing
0 Comments3 Minutes
Email marketing is a great way for any organization to implement their advertising strategies without the overwhelming coasts of billboards, electric signs, print ads, etc. Advertising can be very costly and many believe that email marketing is ineffective and sent directly to junk mail when it appears in ones inbox. Any organization can have the perfect email marketing platform with a mixture of the right design and content. When designing your email marketing messages, you must keep in mind…
Mobile Devices, Your Website and More
0 Comments3 Minutes
More and more smart phones and tablets are being utilized every day. These devices are able to do just about anything, and have become the fastest way of receiving information. How often do you find yourself reaching for you phone rather than turning your computer on? Viewing websites, downloading information and even purchasing items on mobile devices is becoming more and more popular with consumers; the days of only being able to view information on a computer are long gone. Mobile websites…
Designing a Logo for All Forms of Media
0 Comments2 Minutes
New types of media are being released into the world everyday and it is appropriate for every business to have a logo that is versatile throughout all media platforms. When viewing your corporate logo, have you ever noticed that it only looks outstanding on your computer screen but not on any other platform? Logos are a vital aspect in companies and should appear consistent throughout all different media. Older dated logos may have a rough time adapting to new forms of media, and is logical for…
User Experience and User Interface Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Effective web app essentially employs SaaS modalities that provide applications, which are as rich and accessible. The best web apps employ integrative branding models. This is why SaaS need to have a user interface design that conforms with end user experience needs. Visually expressive UI design can make brand both instantly recognizable and memorable to the public and targeted audiences. However, they also must be intuitive in order to be effective. Design aesthetics must also include all of…
eCommerce Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
One way to quickly to lose potential customers from your online store is with confusing UI design. Whether you have an affiliate shop that looks too similar to the original, you don't customize your software to give the visitor an unique user experience or you use unprofessional graphics because you didn't think you could afford professional eCommerce web design, you're hurting yourself in the end. Can You Afford Professional Web Design? The one thing that puts many website and small business…
Ensure Maximum Website Usability to Boost Business Success
0 Comments2 Minutes
An astounding number of business leaders rely upon a company website to build brand awareness and drive sales. When developing a website for business use, it is essential to remember that the overall user experience (UX) a website can provide will determine the website's success by and large. In general, the more usable a website is, the more likely consumers will be to visit that website time and time again. Website usability encompasses any number of user interface design (UI) and user…
What is RWD?
0 Comments3 Minutes
Due to the fact that many Internet users are now using mobile devices like smart phones and tablets, having a mobile friendly website has never been more important. As a result, responsive web design (RWD) is becoming a growing trend. To get a better understanding of what this type of web design is all about, let's discuss how it works and why it just might be the wave of the future. Responsive web design revolves around using programming technologies like jQuery, CSS3 and HTML5 which allow…
User Interface Design and User Experience for SaaS
0 Comments3 Minutes
As cloud computing’s Software as a Service (SaaS) grows, and more companies launch their applications as web-powered portals, discussions about user experience (SaaS UX) and user interface design (SaaS UI) become increasingly more important. Utility-based computing in the cloud will still have all the resources of on site applications, but with the simplicity and clarity to work well on any smart phone or tablet’s browser, and without the same update and maintanence issues. Employees, clients,…
How Graphic Design Affects Your Business’s Public Appearance
0 Comments3 Minutes
Graphic design is the creation of graphics by an artist that articulate your brand message, meaning and promise, all by using visual communication. Branding is incredibly important for a business to get their name recognized by potential customers. Think of how many products people associate the brand name with over the actual name of the product, such as Band Aid becoming a general term for adhesive bandages, while it is actually a trademarked name of one particular manufacturer. What can…
Website Usability
0 Comments2 Minutes
Your website's user interface design should be a coming together of streamlined website usability and your company's look and brand. How consumers interact with your website will often determine whether or not they use your product or visit your site again. From a technical perspective, the site must be functional and easy to redesign and edit as needed. From a consumer perspective the UI must be streamlined, easy to use, and bring the user to its final intent in as few actions as possible.…
Corporate Identity Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
The Corporate ID (identity) is the essential persona that a business, company or entity uses to facilitate attaining their business goals and objectives. Usually, it is manifested visibly through logo design, branding and other trademarks. Typically, the most successful companies use corporate identity design to effectively establish themselves and grow in the marketplace. Effective corporate identity strategies include: Differentiation. In the highly competitive marketplace, branding needs to…
Why Responsive Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
It seems in our everyday lives that we are never more than an arm's length away from access to the internet. This is thanks in large part to all the different types of devices that we can take practically anywhere. However, with all this expanded technology, web designers began to encounter obstacles, namely the limited accessibility of website features on portable devices. In the beginning, people who handled web design only had to worry about how web pages performed on home computers so…
Optimizing Your eCommerce Web Design
0 Comments4 Minutes
Having a website can help you promote any type of business that you have, whether it is a traditional business or an virtual eCommerce store. Regardless of what type of business your website is about, it is essential that you have a user-friendly web design throughout your site. eCommerce Web Design is perhaps the most crucial element that you should focus on when building your websites. Users want a user interface design that is easy for them to use. This makes it easier for them to navigate…
Benefits of Responsive Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
In today's society, people are accessing the Internet via a multitude of devices including handheld ones. Due to the popularity of surfing the web on such devices as smart phones and tablets, many businesses are investing in responsive web design as this helps make websites flexible in their formats. When web designers create a website, they benefit from using a set of techniques which are known as responsive web design. These techniques allow both the images and layouts of web pages to be…
What is Responsive Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
The responsive web design concept allows a web designer to create a web page that will show on all mobile devices and browsers regardless of the monitor, screen size or resolution. Put another way, a basic web site is created that will work on desk top computers, laptops, smartphones and tablets. This technique creates web pages that are user-friendly. This is accomplished by writing particular source codes to create the web page. The responsive web design technique eliminates the headache and…
Mobile Web Design: Why It Is Important
0 Comments2 Minutes
Nowadays, almost everyone has a smartphone or tablet computer. Because these devices have different resolutions and functionality than that of a desktop computer, some websites do not appear properly and are hard to read and navigate. This is why it is important for websites to have a Mobile Site Design that is optimized for smartphones and tablets or utilize upcoming Responsive Web Design technologies that will dynamically adjust page layout independent of screen resolutions. Mobile website…
The Importance of Web Design
0 Comments1 Minutes
Whether you are launching your very own business, or if you are thinking of having your own personal blog online, the website design that goes into representing you company is just as important as the products, services, or the content that you have to offer. Responsive Web Design is vital in today's world, as it is a way to give a first impression to potential clients and customers, regardless of the item or service you want to have available. Integrating website design to help with branding…
UX and UI Design to the Rescue
0 Comments3 Minutes
User interface design in a nut shell is the development of web based applications that are easy for users to understand that are not only functional but complete. If this is the idea of your interface model everything else will fall into place with your interface application. Whether you’re an up and coming entrepreneur or an avid blogger that is interested in broadening your Internet audience, your own personal website may be the way to gain more awareness of your product, business, or an…
Best Practices in Corporate Identity Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Have you ever been handed a card with a great logo design on it? Ever wondered what it took to get that design just right for the branding process? Corporate Identity Design is more than just pasting a logo on receivable items. It is about extending your brand and includes all of your contact information, as well as brand messages. The basic concept is to keep your image, colors and styles the same throughout everything it's placed on. What Promotional Items Are Used For Corporate Identity…
Best Practices in Graphic Design for Corporate Identities and Branding
0 Comments2 Minutes
So many people try to come up with snappy slogans and sleek design branding, only to have traffic to their website crawl froward at a snail's pace. The key to convincing web design is to formulate a brand that truly resonates with the customer. If you're using neutral colors and bland script to communicate how beautiful your makeup is, chances are that people will close the window after just a few seconds. A few seconds is all it takes for someone to make their first impression, so you have to…
The Importance of Professional Website Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
If you sell online, you need to put some serious thought into using professional website design, content strategy and marketing plan. If you do not yet have your company website, you may be tempted to create one yourself, but the importance of a web page to an online business has become too important to do it yourself. If you already have a website that you created, you may also want to contact a professional for a new web design or perhaps a redesign of the one you already have. The reason for…
Branding Through Graphics
0 Comments2 Minutes
A professional graphic design firm can help your business establish optimal company branding. If you are preparing to open a new business, startup branding is essential. From the beginning when you first open your doors for business, you want customers to associate your product or service with clean and professional graphic images. This often comes in the form of a logo design and website design and print collateral. Branding through graphics includes using your logo on a company sign outdoors…
The Fundamentals of Good Mobile Website Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
As mobile devices become more prevalent, website designers are more concerned with mobile site design than ever before. Businesses depend on effective mobile websites to help users make purchasing decisions as they travel to marketplaces and as they search online for merchandise, restaurants, salons and clothing stores. Make Everything Legible One of the major concerns for websites seeking attention from mobile users is the amount of space that users have on their mobile phones. Since there is…
Internship Experience
0 Comments7 Minutes
By Kellie Julius ArtVersion Interactive, located on the third floor on Skokie Hwy doesn't look like much on the outside but stepping inside one will notice there is a lot to be learned and a lot to take in. Starting here in May as an intern I wasn't sure if I would be taking phone calls or running to fetch the daily mail. I quickly found out that making coffee and picking up lunch was only asked of me on few days. Other than that I was thrown in to action. My first project, a website, having…
The Benefits Of Hiring A Creative Agency
0 Comments4 Minutes
No matter what kind of business you are in and no matter how large or small that business is, chances are that at some point you will come to a time when you need to contact a creative agency. Whether you're looking to put together a brochure or design a pamphlet, looking for someone to help with web design, planning a new marketing campaign or just trying to get some new ideas, a creative design firm can help you in your business ventures. A creative design firm is not only highly skilled and…
Web Design for Non Profits
0 Comments2 Minutes
Many people get involved with non-profits because of how they make them feel. Part of what contributes to how an individual feels is the overall appearance of the marketing materials that the non-profit uses to market itself. Graphic design plays a major role in how an organization presents its brand identity. Website Usability Effective design requires that the website not only have an attractive appearance, but also that it be usable enough that users can effectively accomplish what they came…
A Web Design Company Creates Attention Grabbing Websites
0 Comments3 Minutes
If you truly want to market your business, you are going to have to have an eye-catching website designed to attract attention. Chances are, you are too busy worrying about your company to take the time to figure out how to design a website yourself. If you have no experience with creating purpose-built visual communications and graphic design that will truly lure potential customers to your website, it can be a difficult job. This is when hiring a professional web design company can be of…
User Interface Design of Your eCommerce Website
0 Comments2 Minutes
The user interface design of your eCommerce web development is absolutely essential to the success of your online marketing program. People want to know that they can trust you to lead them quickly and easily through the sales process without having to worry about the safety of their financial or personal information. On another level, your user interface design shows your customers that know what you are doing. In terms of overall web design, the most effective designs are the ones that are…
Graphic Design Today
0 Comments3 Minutes
The graphic design, catalog design and brochure design for your business have become more and more important, and its not longer a luxury but necessity. Businesses are looking for more cost effective ways to advertise themselves without giving up their reach, and many of them are looking back to the print that they once thought were obsolete. The corporate recognition that a good brochure design brings when it is delivered into the mailbox or into the hand of a potential customer is something…
The Importance Of Corporate Identity Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
If you are starting a new company, creating a corporate identity which will make you stand out in the marketplace is essential. Getting a foothold in the marketplace can be challenging. Competition can be fierce. It's essential you develop a unique brand identity. There are a number of ways to do this. Important corporate ID factors for startups include having the right graphics in your logo and marketing materials. It's also important you give some thought to the right branding strategies.…
Market Trends Demand Cutting Edge Mobile Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
As the number of connected mobile users explodes exponentially, the need for cutting edge mobile site design is growing rapidly. Mobile phones and tablets are now equipped with sophisticated browsers that allow users to search the web and make purchases on the fly. According to projections by research firm Gartner, 2013 will make the first time mobile web users outnumber those on a desktop system. Make sure that your company is prepared for this mobile web turnover rather sooner then latter.…
eCommerce Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Although web design is essential for all businesses, the user interface design of an eCommerce website is especially important. Good e-commerce web design means that the entire sales process is organized within an easy-to-use user interface design. Your customer should have no trouble moving from the landing page of your website all the way to the checkout page where the conversion action will be performed. A good eCommerce website involves design that is unique to your company while still…
Corporate Identity Summary
0 Comments3 Minutes
A company is only as strong as its branding. When you think of the most powerful, influential companies, it is hard not to think of their branding; if I were to mention a Bull logo, odds are good you would think of Meryl Lynch, for example. The same applies to most companies that have climbed to the top of their corporate hill and planted their flag there. This is not to say that the logo design has to be particularly strong, only that a company that has not looked at its corporate identity…
The Importance of Corporate Web Design in Brand Recognition
0 Comments3 Minutes
The importance of excellent corporate web design often goes unrealized. A website is another vehicle that represents what your company or product promises. Web design, branding and colors all work together to portray the message that you want to send to a person In order to make a sale. Brand recognition is nothing new. It allows people to instantaneously recognize your company, your products or your services. Branding, when made clear, should allow a customer to instantly recognize your…
The Impact of Company Websites on Consumers
0 Comments3 Minutes
In today’s market, consumers are constantly flocking to the Internet to research companies and brands. Therefore, it is more important than ever that companies establish a professional online presence to serve as an invaluable first impression. The web design is an imperative characteristic that is equally important as the overall website content. A poor web design appears uninviting and it is proven that users on visually appealing websites with a clean and elegant user interface design will…
Small Business Response to Mobile Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Recent surveys showed that 75 percent of small businesses have not developed mobile web pages for smartphones. An additional 86 percent have not designed a mobile website design for tablets. About 40 percent of businesses have no clue how their web page appears on a mobile device. Weigh this against the fact that 84 percent of smartphone users are surfing the Internet from their mobile devices, looking for information. In a nutshell, these surveys are stating that millions of potential…
Designing Website for Non Profit Organizations
0 Comments2 Minutes
The primary objective of a non profit website is to inform its readers of the charity and its mission and to request that visitors pledge a donation. While most charitable organizations are worthy of donations, some do not receive those much needed funds because the website loses its donors’ interest. The need for an inventive non profit web design that maintains potential donor's interest is crucial. Website visitors tend to have short attention spans, so when a potential donor comes upon a…
The Importance of Branding in Marketing Materials
0 Comments2 Minutes
The thing that makes one company stand out against a sea of others in similar markets is visual branding. Companies often spend tons of money-making their brands clear on their websites, but they sometimes overlook other important aspects of consistency of images with their print design. Many people still find services and products through brochures. They may be waiting in line at a convenience store, sitting on a bus, riding on a train or requesting additional company information they can read…
The Importance Of Logo Design For Branding
0 Comments3 Minutes
Take a look at any major brand. They all have an easily recognizable company logo. Every time you see the company or their products, the logo design perfectly aligns with the company's name, brand and purpose. When you first start a business, take care when choosing the company logo as it can and should become a large part of brand recognition. The logo design you choose should be simple enough to work across all types of media. For instance, your logo should still look great in a colorful…
Logo Design and Corporate Identity
0 Comments1 Minutes
Your corporate identity design is the face of your business. It is the first thing customers see when they are researching your business, so it is important to have a logo design that is professional and eye catching. A well designed logo will be the basis of your company's branding and will be carried out through your company's marketing, brochures, paperwork, and website. Your company logo design should reflect your corporate culture, goals and philosophy and convey a specific idea and…
Why Mobile Web Destinations are Essential
0 Comments2 Minutes
With millions of individuals carrying smartphones in their pockets, it has never been more essential for businesses to begin developing mobile websites. More than 50% of searches performed on the Internet for local businesses take place on a mobile phone. Often times, these searches are conducted by everyday users looking for a business to visit immediately. Without a mobile website, companies are missing out on huge amounts of potential traffic. Those visitors will no doubt find another…
Why Corporate Web Design is Important in Business
0 Comments2 Minutes
In order to maximize customer interaction, a business needs to have a proper company website. Corporate web design differs from personal website design in a variety of ways. A personal website or blog is there to publish content based on specific topics of interest. They don't always have a single purpose, and they aren't usually selling anything. The first glaring difference is that personal website design is done to make it appealing to the owner. There is no focus on appealing to a wide or…
Package Design And Branding Are Connected
0 Comments2 Minutes
As I walk down the aisles of a store, I often notice something that's annoying: packages that were opened. The product is still inside. In many cases, the packaging is still in good condition. This represents a failure in packaging design. Let's reconstruct what must have happened. A customer thought about making a purchase, couldn't examine the product thoroughly and opened the package to find out more. If a buyer has to go through that then the product package design has failed. The impulse…
Quality Corporate Web Design Can Make a Big Impact
0 Comments2 Minutes
Creating a dynamic and unique website is no small undertaking, with many different elements factoring into the overall look and vibe of a web destination. Choosing the web design company that will be able to reflects the identity of your organization in question is a vital step towards creating a functions rich website, that will be able to support your company growth for many years to come. Regardless of whether a company is startup or established corporation that is seeking a complete website…
Don’t Forget The User In Your E-commerce Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
If you think web design for your website is all about your company, you're only partially right. Of course, you want to sell your brand and make the strongest possible impression, but successful eCommerce web development demands a strong focus on site users. And, success is what it's all about. When we design for the web, we pay particular attention to the user experience and user needs. That means creating an eCommerce website that integrates a user interface design that is functional,…
Mobile Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
As e-Commerce continues to flow to the mobile environment, business owners are fighting each other to outlearn the new format that works for the mobile website design and better conversions. Although the platform is only few years old, there are already some standards for mobile site design formatting axioms that ensure a better viewership for a corporate mobile site. Below are a few of the ways in which you can make your mobile site design more appealing to your target customer. Make sure that…
The Importance of Web User Interface Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
Ever since the dot-come bubble of the mid-1990s, thousands of businesses have made a presence online. Although doing so is a very wise decision, it must be done correctly in order to be effective. As a result, the success of a website depends on numerous design, development, and marketing factors. One of the most important of these factors falls under the category of design, which is user interface design. Also known as user experience "UX" and user interface "UI" design is what makes the…
Microsites and Landing Pages Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
In order to maximize the potential of your business, it is important to implement both landing pages and microsites when creating your company's web design. Landing pages are typically one page extensions of a website. A landing pages design is vital in convincing your customers to take advantage of special offers, products, and services they may otherwise ignore. Utilizing several different landing pages in your web design will maximize the effectiveness of your business and its search engine…
Mobile Web Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
E-commerce is heading strong to the mobile environment. Most online marketing experts agree that any business that is looking to establish itself must have a mobile website presence. The most important aspect of mobile advertising is the mobile website design that initially attracts and holds the customer through the entire sales process. The reason that mobile site design is so important to the marketing campaign of a business is that the customer of today will not go any farther into a…
10 reasons you need to update your website!
0 Comments3 Minutes
There are many companies sitting on the fence debating whether or not to update their website. Many companies have had damaging experiences with web developers especially in the early era of the web from 1997-2008. Many website developers were holding peoples websites hostage. Websites used to cost $20,000 to 100,000 to design. Your company is having finical difficulties. Whatever your reason is, you need to realize things have changed. Web design prices have gone down, back-ends or content…
Microsites vrs. Landing Pages
0 Comments4 Minutes
We understand that landing pages and microsites seem like basically the same thing. They have similar purpose and design. There are some key differences that we will get into in terms of use and marketing purposes but first lets define each... Landing Pages Landing pages are usually a one-page creation is a single web page that appears in response to clicking on an advertisement. Landing pages are created on the main page but
Branding and Consistency
0 Comments2 Minutes
Recently at the ArtVersion offices we had a client who needed help re-branding. They were looking for a new logo, color scheme, basically the works. As we were preparing their brand analysis we realized their websites branding was
Youtube & Website Commercials
0 Comments2 Minutes
One of the most underrated and under used social media platforms for corporations, small business and personal brands is youtube. People love consuming content on youtube whether its just watching humors videos, music videos, inspirational videos youtube is an amazing source of information and entertainment.
Website Navigation – Keep it Redundant and Simple!
0 Comments3 Minutes
When it comes to creating user-friendly websites keeping it “simple” with your design is always better. It's also vital that with your website navigation you remember that redundancy equals good user experience. It’s important to remember that there is still a large audience of people 40 and over that are not computer savvy. They still have a hard time finding valuable information when they visit your website. This doesn't mean pile all the information you can on your home page it means to…
The Importance Of Custom Icon Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Custom Icon design is often over looked when considering your website. Creating a unique user experience with eye catching custom icons is a great way to hook your user’s attention while browsing your web page. Design is all about communication: it doesn't matter how important or exciting the information that you’re sharing if you fail to capture the attention of your guests. When initially viewing a website, most users will first scan your page for
Corporate Website Design Trends 2012
0 Comments5 Minutes
Your corporate website is the face of your business online. Companies are starting to realize that their web layout is as important to their brand voice or company image as their logo, mission statement or other forms of advertisement. Many companies neglect or fail to realize the value their website design has to your end user.
Mobile, Mobile And More Mobile! Are You Prepared??
0 Comments3 Minutes
It’s inevitable that mobile web browsing will be king by 2015. If your company, business or brand isn't considering mobile in 2012 you will be left in the dust. Mobile is set up to win with its convenience, price point, availability and the everyday users increasing trust of mobile shopping and banking your business should be thinking mobile, mobile and more
Brand Voice & Social Media
0 Comments4 Minutes
We all know that social media is the new frontier for your marketing efforts. Companies have finally got the memo and are taking their first steps into the social media world. We understand there is going to be a learning curve until your marketing team finds their recipe for social media success. The first year will be a lot of trial and error and figuring out what your audience enjoys on these platforms. The exciting thing is your on your way to
Responsive Web Design
0 Comments3 Minutes
Welcome back brand builders. Today at the ArtVersion offices we were having a conversation with a new client. We suggested to them that their new website should have RESPONSIVE WEB DESIGN. When we mentioned this we were met with blank stares. This gave me the idea to blog about this subject to our readers.
6 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Flash Sites Like The Plague
0 Comments6 Minutes
I’ve never liked flash websites even when they became popular from 2000-2006. They always had problems. They usually take way too long to load. They often have annoying intros that last 60 seconds on a website I want to spend less than 60 seconds. The list goes on and on. I’m always passionate when I talk with a new client who thinks they want to create their website with flash. Long story short any smart business will avoid flash like the plague. Besides my own personal bias, I’ll give you 6…
Quick Glance: Setting Up A Corporate Blog
0 Comments1 Minutes
Hey Brand Builders here is a quick run down on corporate blogs. The data, Business that blog see: 55% more visitors to their website. 97% more links to their website which is a primary factor in where your website shows up
Letterpress Printing is back and better than ever!
0 Comments2 Minutes
Welcome back brand builders. Today I wanted to write about Letterpress Printing. The letterpress was invented by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1440s and the technology didn't get much improvement to the industrial revolution. Letterpress printing was once the backbone of the American print media. Since the invention of digital printers and other less expensive methods, the art-form has been considered a dying art but in the last 10 years, there has been a spike in interest from people looking for a…
Newsletters, time to go plain text!
0 Comments5 Minutes
A welcome back brand builder here is our marketing tip of the week. In the last 2 or 3 years, social media has become the dominant force in many businesses' online marketing strategies. It’s easy to overlook or forget how vital it is to continue sending out your newsletters to your email list. Although over the years email marketing has gotten a bad reputation it’s still a crucial part of your brand's overall strategy. Email is still sacred ground for a good majority of your clients and…
Packaging Design is your last line of defense!
0 Comments7 Minutes
Welcome brand builders, This week we are talking about the importance of packaging design and how it is the last line of defense for your brand.
Brands will become Media Properties!
0 Comments1 Minutes
In the last decade we've seen a tremendous surge in technology. Our phones now act as video cameras, digital cameras, laptops, music players and gaming systems. Creating media has become cheaper and cheaper over the years. Cameras, editing, music, videos,
Marketers are the new Publishers
0 Comments11 Minutes
(listen to the podcast on this same subject by clicking here.) Welcome brand builders ... Recently I read an article by Mike Moran that was titled “Publishing is dying because marketers are the new publishers.” I thought this would be an interesting subject to cover in a podcast because if your a commuter you see it on the trains, you see it on the street you see it everywhere. No longer are people reading the paper on the train next to you they are staring at their phones, headphones on…
What are microsites, and why should I use them?
0 Comments6 Minutes
What are microsites, and why should I use them? Simply put, a microsite is a mini Web site created for a specific audience with a single purpose. It can be one Web page or a cluster of pages. Linked to your main Web site or not. You choose. That’s the power of a microsite—its flexibility. Here are some of the top reasons to build microsites into your online strategy. Top 5 reasons to use a microsite They’re fast to produce. In general, microsites aren't nearly as deep or wide in scope as a…
Brand Voice
0 Comments6 Minutes
Let’s break brand voice into 4 important categories: CHARACTER/PERSONA This is the starting point for the development or furthering of your brand voice: Who does your brand sound like? In order to determine this, you may need to first determine who your customers are, so you can assume a persona for the brand that will resonate with your primary target audience. If you have multiple audiences you may need to have a more flexible brand voice, or you may determine that you need multiple social…
Listening is more important than talking on social networks.
0 Comments2 Minutes
Listening is more important than talking on social networks. I wanted to make a short blog to begin this week because I’ve been bothered by this one subject that keeps coming up with all my clients. They all want to know the best way to blast their message or they are only concerned with what they should say on twitter and facebook. I’ve been in meetings with a few larger clients the last few weeks but this also pertains to any size business. The last 100 years besides focus groups marketers…
Twitter vrs. Linkedin part 2
0 Comments4 Minutes
Twitter – Listen and Engage In the last blog I talked about twitter vrs. Linkedin and why I think twitter is the better networking tool. I ended that blog by stating that "search.twitter.com and listening" is the reason twitter is my crown jewel in social networking for businesses. Most businesses use twitter as a broadcast channel like TV, radio or print. They blast their messages out to their followers without any real engagement. Twitter is best used by any sized company as a two way…
Twitter vrs. Linkedin | The Board Room vrs. The Bar
0 Comments2 Minutes
Blog Post 7 – Twitter vrs. Linkedin | The Board Room vrs. The Bar When I consult many corporate professionals and businesses on networking on line they all only talk about LinkedIn. I agree with them that LinkedIn is a great tool for networking. It allows you to target key people in a business that you want to engage with and creates an opportunity to contact them. It’s even more powerful if you get the paid service. The problem with LinkedIn is that it makes you feel like a starving artist…
E-commerce websites
0 Comments1 Minutes
Despite any financial recession and economic stress, online purchasing continues to grow. Expansion of the market and evolving technology that simplifies our daily lives help to set the pace of e-commerce design. Customers want the shopping process to be quick and easy, and merchants want to increase sales by making their stores attractive and popular. Thus, e-commerce design tends to combine a look and usability that is at once unique and
Brand Positioning Checklist
0 Comments1 Minutes
Use the following to understand your brand positioning: 1. Brand Attributes What the brand delivers through features and benefits to consumers. 2. Consumer Expectations What consumers expect to receive from the brand. 3. Competitor attributes
10 principles that we keep in mind for designing user interface!
0 Comments8 Minutes
UX / UI Most of our clients are familiar with web design jargon, but when we refer to user interface design, we often get blank stares. That’s why today we’re going to explain what it is and why it is the most important element in successfully building software, websites, e-commerce sites, and Web apps.User interface design is the design of computers, appliances, machines, apps, software, and websites that focus on the user’s experience and interaction. Basically, it makes the user’s…
10 Questions to ask yourself when Designing a Company Logo
0 Comments2 Minutes
Recently we finished a logo for our client 2nd Street Bistro, an organic direct to market restaurant located in Highland Park, IL. It got me thinking how simple yet crucial a logo is for your brand no matter how small or large your company, business or personal brand is. A logo is the foundation of your visual branding and the face of your business. When creating your logo you should ask yourself 10 questions? Is it both well-planned and original? Is it different than your competitors? Will…
9 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Redesigning Your Website
0 Comments9 Minutes
9 Questions to ask yourself before redesigning your website! What is the purpose of the website? Are you looking to increase your sales? Perhaps you want to make your site more social by intertwining social networking sites and features such as twitter and facebook. Are you looking to get customer feedback and make your site more interactive? Are you planning on updating your site often or is this something that will stay the same for the most part. Is it time to change your branding? Has…
Social Media is not the Savior
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Today in the ArtVersion office we had a client say “I read in an article that if I tweet about my product and post on facebook I’ll be fine.” Our client is a social media Novice and starting a new company based on selling products online. It’s IMPORTANT that all business small and large realize that social media marketing is not the SAVIOR for your business. I've had numerous clients with false expectations for what social media will do for their company. It’s not their fault it’s the result…
Brands Becoming Media Properties
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In the last decade we've seen a tremendous surge in technology. Our phones now act as video cameras, digital cameras, laptops, music players and gaming systems. Creating media has become cheaper and cheaper over the years. Editing, music, videos, professional photography can all be done by purchasing a few thousand dollars worth of gear. Hobbyists have become nationally recognized artists and more. The point I'm trying to make is that
Social Media & Website Integration
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Social Media & Website Integration Websites are a crucial part of a business’s overall marketing strategy. For some companies it’s their store front, sales or marketing platform and more. Websites need to be simple, functional, smart and creative to hold a viewers attention long enough to accomplish your companies mission. However like a billboard, yelp add, google places or a magazine ad, website’s for the most part a PUSH marketing device. They are mostly one way communication with your…
The rabbit verses the turtle : Social Media Marketing
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I stressed in a previous blog post the creation of social media platforms are as monumental to our society as the invention of TV, Radio & print media. In that same article I also emphasized the importance to be on these platforms earlier rather than later. With that being said the strategies you’re implementing for your social media campaigns have to be geared to the marathon and not the sprint. Social Media marketer Gary Vaynerchuk compares many companies to 16 year boys when first…
Social Media: Getting Started why & how?
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Getting Started why & how? Why? People in general don’t like change. We like things just the way they are. In business we always say if it’s not broken don’t fix it. I’m sure you’re familiar with hundreds of similar themed metaphors. At the same time any smart business is always looking for an edge or advantage to stay ahead of your competition. When Radio & TV first appeared there was plenty of businesses that hesitated to use those mediums for various reasons. I understand it can…
Why Social Media?
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Let's be clear, creating a twitter, facebook or any other social media network, just to say your company has one isn't what we're talking about. Social media is an extension of what a great business does well already: listening, engaging, customer service, and building lasting relationships with clients and customers. Over the years these principles have never changed, just the tools we use to actively practice these essential business practices have changed. Originally it was a handshake…
Custom Templates for PowerPoint and Keynote
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With the high standards of today's marketing, a custom PowerPoint template or a custom Keynote template is as essential for a proper presentation as business cards or social media are to everyday marketing. Some presentations are so important that a single blunder can mean the difference between corporate disaster and corporate success. Yet, for some unknown reason, many companies fail to consider the importance of maintaining a consistent design throughout the graphic design elements of a…
Rediscover Your Brand Episode #3
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This is Rediscover Your Brand Episode #3 transcription reference. Title: “Combining Web and Print” To listen to the podcast please go to http://podcast.artversion.com
Mobile Friendly Web Design
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Mobile friendly web design begins with a good knowledge of handheld devices. Many people already switched from featured phones to smart phones. According to some respective research organization mobile device usage will surpass desktop computers in year 2013. In fact, the difference between a net-books and tablets such as an iPad are disappearing, because these new devices can now access wireless networks providing Internet connections virtually anywhere.
Corporate Identity Design
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Having a good image is the most important thing in today's aggressive and competitive corporate market. It will show your values and gains trust from your clients. Your company identity will be a collection of your company's morals and business values. The right graphic design firm can guide you in the development of an effective Corporate Identity Design for your company. Having a Corporate Identity Design will give you a better corporate image than just having an impressive logo. A strong…
Package Design for Your Product
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Anytime that you are marketing a retail product package design is the most important factor. People notice the package and if it is attractive, branding will soar. Having a great package design is the key to gaining consumers. It will give name recognition and also entice people to buy. Many customers buy a product solely on the way that it looks. That is why packaging is so important. It is the first thing that people see when they are shopping. They notice the nicely packaged goods before…
Rediscover Your Brand Episode #2
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This is Rediscover Your Brand Episode #2 transcription reference. Title: “Why It’s Important To Know The Main Purpose Of Your Website” To listen to the podcast please go to https://artversion.com/podcast/
Rediscover Your Brand Episode #1
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This is Rediscover Your Brand Episode #1 transcription reference. Title: “Brand Consistency and Visual Branding tips” To listen to the podcast please go to https://artversion.com/podcast/
The Importance of User Interface Design
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It is important for any web designer to design functional sites that can easily generate interest and online traffic among the internet users. The user interface design of your site plays an vital role in bringing high volume web traffic to it. Therefore, web designers should give due importance to the user interface of the site which is being designed by them.
Web Design Strategy
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It is a well known fact that world is gradually shifting its entire operations on the internet. This was inevitable as we all have got used to controlling almost everything using the computers and cell phones.
Rediscover Your Brand Podcast
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Starting in June 2011 ArtVersion will start podcast titled: Rediscover Your Brand. In this new podcast we will cover tips and tricks for keeping your visual brand fresh and current by featuring industry celebrated techniques and standards that are proven to help successfully brand a business.
Visual Branding in Graphic Design
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Setting a corporate image is one of the most important things a company can do. Designers will prepare an image for you that will set the tone for your company to its consumers. This image should represent your company and what its intentions are, as well as a symbol that is pleasing and easy to remember. The level of graphic design involved in your visual branding can set your company apart from the rest. Using a graphic design firm that knows how to develop visual branding based on the needs…
Web Design For eCommerce Is Different
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Web design is always interesting topic that people of all backgrounds and interests seem to be exploring. What's interesting to see online and throughout publications is the amount of people that seem to know what they are doing when it comes to web design.
eCommerce Web Design
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Entering into the world of eCommerce there are a few things that are of major importance. On the side of web design, we've got you covered. When it comes to opening your own eCommerce shop on the world wide web, it's key that your eCommerce web design and user interface design include not only a “wow” factor, but are simple for your customers to navigate. Along with the importance of web design, you as a client should also be able to properly navigate and operate your site and that's where the…
Content Marketing for Small Businesses
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Site Creator just released the findings of their first annual Small Business Usage Study. The results confirm that all small businesses should update their website, incorporate a blog, and integrate social media into their marketing strategies.
5 Important Questions to Ask When Working on a Website
0 Comments4 Minutes
The process that goes into creating a website can be very organic and alive. Certain web design elements might seem right at the beginning of a project that need tweaking by the end. What you originally imagine in your mind doesn’t always end up being the end product. However, that doesn’t mean you can jump into a project with a fuzzy vision of the what the end will look like. Knowing the answers to the follow questions will help make sure you end up with a website that fits your needs:……
Why it’s Important to Know The Main Purpose of Your Website
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If you are working on your first website or redesigning a website that isn’t functioning as well as it should, there is one important decision you need to make:
The Secret to Website Readability
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The success of a website hinges on may factors. One that is often overlooked in favor of graphics and color choices is the readability of the site. Long paragraphs of text will scare potential visitors away faster than a “closed” sign. In order to ensure your site’s text is bringing customers in, not shooing them away, follow these three tips:
How to Merge Your Marketing and Sales with Your Website
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When promoting a business, there are many variables that will lead to results. Marketing a company is not just building a website. Look back through your hard drive, you will find power point presentations, brochures, sales letters, operation manuals, direct mail, and so much more. All of these marketing materials are valuable. So why are they not on your website?
How to Promote Your New Website
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Having a new web site designed or updating an old one is a very exciting time for your company! Yet many companies launch their new sites without any grand gestures or drama. Why not use this opportunity to create some buzz and build anticipation? Customers love to know you’re constantly working to improve your business and will be curious to see what your new site looks like. Capitalize on this opportunity.
Why a Yearly Website Upgrade is Important
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At the beginning of every year ArtVersion upgrades our website design. We’re hoping to roll out our new web site in the next month or so. Over the past few years we’ve gotten questions from our clients asking why we do this. Here are the three main reasons we update our site once a year, and why you should consider dong it as well:
Design Elements to Add to a Company Blog
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If one of your new years resolutions is to incorporate a blog on your company’s website, there are a few must-have design elements to keep in mind. It’s important to keep the color scheme of your blog, your website, and your marketing materials the same. There can be different variations of the same color scheme, but for the most part, the colors need to brand your blog to the rest of your company.
Consider Putting an eBook on Your Website
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One secret weapon of online marketers is using eBooks as a way to entice visitors to divulge their email addresses. This is how your site works without an eBook:
The Important Elements of a Website
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Designing a good website is about more than picking a color scheme and slapping on a header. The truly great websites have a few elements that need to be top-notch in order for the website to wow.
Top Website Marketing Trends for 2011
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You knew this was coming. How could we let January pass without doing a trend prediction? Here is what we’ll be watching for as 2011 passes by:
The Benefits of a Minimalist Website Design
0 Comments2 Minutes
A minimalist web design is not for every company or every industry, but when it fits in with the goals of a website, it can have many benefits. Minimalism has been popular for years and is starting to gain recognition not just in design, but in the way people are choosing to live their lives. It seems the 21st century is one where people prefer purging to hoarding, and clean spaces and design are a welcome refuge from the busyness and unpredictability of everyday life.
Print is Not Dead
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Web marketing seems to be taking over the world, and for good reason. A solid web site and web marketing campaign can do more for a business than most people realize. However, we’d like to suggest today that a campaign that uses BOTH web and print can make an even stronger statement.
How Design Can Shape a Business
0 Comments2 Minutes
Graphic design is one of the most important aspects to any business. The ability to sell products and convey a message visually gives companies a creative edge over their competitors. Most businesses aren’t sure how to incorporate graphic design into their work. Here are steps you can follow in order to learn how to use design to visually capture your customers. The first step is to understand where you need design and why. Are there places on your website that seems to confuse people? Would an…
How to Market a Website
0 Comments3 Minutes
Most businesses view their website as a marketing tool to promote their business. A good site is a strong marketing tool. It disseminates information, allows visitors to get in contact, positions you as an expert in your field and so much more. However, it’s important to remember that even though your site is a marketing tool itself, it also needs to be marketed.