19 Mar 2020
Business, Community, Design Permalink

Pulse Check!

March 19, 2020

What a time, friends. We are all experiencing various forms of concern and worry. Rightfully so.

The more I run into business owners or hop on a call with a client, and even ourselves in business, we hear more and more concern around income as our economy is taking a hit. To be expected as we navigate a pandemic that is slowing us all down and forcing us into isolated bubbles. There are a million articles out there about how to work from home successfully. Our business functions primarily off of remote status, so we are pretty comfortable with this demand. That being said, we are more than happy to share some of our pro-tips, should you need some guidance.

What I do want to talk about is what you can do in the meantime to keep your projects or business moving forward.

First… keep pedaling!

The rest will follow.

Reimagine. Reinvent. Redefine.

We are in a time of question and forced isolation, revealing an opportunity to reimagine some efforts. Often, we start to get complacent with how things are operating. Then we start falling into a routine. Maybe tasks and operations start feeling drabbish and not as exciting as they once were? Perhaps we need a new approach. Being in self-isolation or for some of us as of today are in mandatory quarantine, this is turning out to be a great time to [pause] and reimagine our approaches.

Evaluate current approaches and reinvent the way we do things. You can spend some energy on how you want to market your products or services moving forward and reinvent your approach. Given our current times and dependency on digital platforms for working remotely, maybe coming up with a social media campaign is in order. Come up with new ways to communicate with your audience.

This is also a great time to focus on some business goals. Maybe some that have been pushed to the side, or setting new goals. Collectively, we might be thinking of new ways to rebuild after this epidemic. But in the meantime, DON’T STOP MOVING! If you’re slowing down, this is a great time to redefine your work and your approach.

What is D564 doing, you wonder?

We still have work to do. So we are focused on our client needs as well as our own during this turbulent time. Yes, we are concerned about the impacts on the other side of COVID-19, but we are staying focused on what needs to be completed in the meantime and focused on some future planning.

Oddly enough, I’ve found this a motivating time to start writing again. I think it’s the nurturer in me that wants to address the reality of it all and find supportive ideas to share to keep us all “out of our heads.” I also want to encourage continued forward movement, because there is an end to this virus at some point. So, however, we can stay productive and relevant in our work the better off we will be on the other side of this. I believe that!

What are you doing during these rapidly changing times? What projects are you focused on during COVID-19 slowdowns or shutdowns?

***

Let me know what you need to get through this time, even if it’s just a supportive ear. Your business has to keep pushing forward. Collectively, our resources might feel slim-pickings right now in crisis, but we at D564 are understanding and supportive.

We can help with:
Logo Design
Creative Strategy and Communications Plan on digital platforms
Website Design

Stay healthy and safe out there!

Let’s Ride.

 

15 Mar 2020
Business, Community, Design Permalink

COVID-19 and Business

March 15, 2020

It is indeed a turbulent time for all of us, as we are all shifting gears and watching shut-downs and taking our precautions to maintain optimum health. The impacts of this can affect us all in business for months to come. Hopefully, we can limit how much we are all impacted. For the sake of our communities and local businesses, we want to share a few ways that you can still stay involved in supporting our local economies.

RESTAURANTS:

Many restaurants are offering and encouraging patrons to come through and are stepping up in offering pick-up orders. Check-in with your favorite go-to’s and see how you can continue to support these businesses.

SERVICES:

Similar to Design5sixty4’s current setup, many tech, design/creative services, and print services can be done over the phone, email, zoom meetings, and remote/work from home. Keep your projects moving where you can.

GIFT CARDS:

You can also purchase gift cards at just about any establishment that you can use when all of this blows over. Online shopping is available for just about everything, even in your local community. Some of those face-time dependent businesses on the fringes that could benefit the most from gift card purchases that come to mind are massage therapists, photographers, artists, gyms and wellness studios (yoga, pilates, etc.). There’s plenty to list beyond these few, but you get the idea, we hope.

 

Also

BE KIND!

There are a lot of folks behind the check-out counters working hard to maintain clean spaces and get you out the door with your products—Thank them.

While we’re thanking people, be sure to thank your service members who are on the front-lines — medics especially. From what we can see, it’s an incredibly difficult time for them right now.

Don’t be a hoarder. Get what you need and make sure you’re leaving some items on the shelves for those who may be in dire need of things like medicines.

Do your due diligence before venturing out—if you are not feeling well, stay home. Follow the CDC and your state recommendations in self-care and social distancing.

 

design5sixty4, let's ride

As mentioned in a previous update, Design5sixty4 and our sister company VIVI Printing will be doing business during these times. We want to encourage our current clients and potential incoming to continue being active in our conversations and projects.

12 Mar 2020
Business, Design Permalink

COVID-19 Cycles Through

March 12, 2020

Hello, Friends!

Well, this is quite a time we’re experiencing, yes? We are watching closely. And as COVID-19 (coronavirus) is rapidly changing, we are thinking about ways to protect ourselves and each other. I won’t go into hygiene practices. I trust that you are all active on that front, but also you can refer to the CDC for some best practices. What I will go ahead and share, though, is what we are doing to make sure our clients are still taken care of as we navigate this rapidly changing situation.

The CDC has shared that one of the most effective measures for minimizing the spread of COVID-19 is social distancing, and we are on board. It is our ethical duty to protect our clients and ourselves from risk, and each other as a whole. We will be continuing the work that needs to be done, so nothing stops here on that front; however we will be limiting our face-time meetings.

While I love seeing your wonderful faces, there are a few things to consider if we meet or you meet with others:

  1. If you feel sick, please reschedule. We are all human and completely understand and respect a cautious effort.
  2. Zoom, Google Meetup, and just about any virtual tool are all great options for conferencing! We’ll be using these tools often.
  3. Be kind.

Now, let’s get back to it!

 

Let’s Ride.

design5sixty4, let's ride

 

18 Feb 2020
Business, Design Permalink

2020—Coming in HOT!

February 18, 2020

We rolled right into 2020 with full schedules and deadlines to meet. A few new updates to share:

Updating the portfolio: We don’t have the full stack in there quite yet, but we added a few new pieces for ya to look at. From logos to web and apps, to print design, we’re covering various mediums that support business goals.

Our Sister-Company: Formerly known as Olympic City Printing, VIVI Print is in full swing and we are taking orders for your printing needs—whatever they are, we can help your project from start to finish. Screen printing, dye sublimation, vinyl decals, large format printing… we got you covered.



Feeling flat on your creative strategy? Let’s air up those tires! Let’s Ride!

16 Oct 2019
Business, Creative Strategy, Design, Uncategorized Permalink

Understanding Demographics and Empathy for Your Business

October 16, 2019

Understanding your demographics is important to the choices you make for marketing, visual communications, along with many other elements that tie the design into your work. It’s business, baby.

Here, we’ll cover a bit about what you know already when it comes to demographics, and dive a little deeper about what you may be missing in your research.

Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research or the demographic profiles used in such research.

…or otherwise, statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within it.

Commonly-used demographics include

      • race
      • age
      • income
      • disabilities
      • mobility (in terms of travel time to work or the number of vehicles available)
      • educational attainment
      • homeownership
      • employment status
      • location

Something is missing there, that’s a lot of important information and necessary data… Demographics are leaving out emotional triggers. And in this digital age, people are looking for ways to feel human and connect. How are we keeping the human in the process?

Empathy.

Empathy feels like a buzz-word and has been picking up a lot of steam for a couple of years now, and for good reason. Studies show that almost ALL decisions are based on emotion. So, let’s ponder:

Are you connecting with your audience on a human level? One that makes them feel that you are the answer to their need at hand?

Design for Emotion.

We won’t dive too deep into the science, but in a snapshot, when we are making real-world decisions, our sensory sends a signal to our internal knowledge about what’s rewarding and what’s risky, what’s comforting, what’s rational, what’s emotional… the emotional care about what you want, and the rational care about the problem you’re solving. As mentioned above, emotion wins always and so our advice is to design for the emotion, provide content for the rationalizing. Think about the flow of response when someone is contemplating your service or product. It looks a little something like this:

  1. We have our visceral response (immediate)

  2. Followed by our behavioral response (reaction)

  3. And then the reflective response (what changes within ourselves or the customer)

When you can set aside your own assumptions about the world, you can gain insight into your audience and their needs.

 

 

Next Steps.

Include in your demographic research, a focus on empathy and what triggers emotion—empathic design. When we pour some energy into research, empathy, and then immerse ourselves, we can better understand what triggers emotion in communication design and make empathy our goal. Then be sure to detach from the deep study so the work can be done.

If you’re feeling like you’re missing the mark somehow or just not connecting with your audience, this new insight you can learn can help guide your next strategy and visual communication that could plug that void you may have.

 

Final thoughts:

Art drives a visceral response. Ideas drive a behavioral response. Ideals drive a reflective response or a change of perspective — and this allows for advocacy. Whether it’s realigning content for your website, or creating a new campaign, when you can connect with your audience and address these emotions, you are that much closer to building that new relationship and even more importantly, trust.
Pro-tip: Do not confuse this with or get lost in manipulation! Be authentic and true to who you are, and you will meet your new client, customer, audience where they are.
***
Curious to learn more? We can help! Send us a note and let’s talk about your research efforts.

 

25 Sep 2019
#bettertogether, AIGA, Business, Community, Design, Goals Permalink

Shifting seasons.

September 25, 2019

Farewell Summer, welcome Autumn.

Wow — this summer has blown by, friends! Really, this entire year is just about gone as quick as it arrived. That being said, the days have been full, and we are full of gratitude for the design and strategic work that has kept us focused and forward-moving. Here’s a recap of our summer and some updates for you:

We moved!

Design5sixty4 and Olympic City Printing are now under one roof! While it was hard to move away from our first office space at the fantastic Cottonwood Center for the Arts. A grounded decision made for both of our businesses—we are loving our new location in Colorado Springs. We will be hosting an open house this fall and will share dates for that in the coming weeks.
New location:

308 W Fillmore St
Suite 105
Colorado Springs, CO 80910

AIGA.

Onward with support for AIGA, the Professional Association for Design, I am supporting the Chapter Advisory Council as their Chair. Having served on the council for just under 3 years, I was invited to lead this group in ways that aim to strengthen and support both chapters and National. I have a dream team to work with on this initiative and am excited about this opportunity.

Business as usual.

The day-to-day work stays on a nice flow, and we are grateful for the ongoing and new work that keeps us steady and renewed. Through app design and development, branding, websites, etc.—each client, we help achieve their goals, in turn, helping us reach ours. We are forever grateful for these relationships that we continue to build and strengthen!

 

Finally (but not the end)

With the changing seasons, usually Spring and Autumn, we take a step back to review where we’ve been and where we’re going. I’m focusing energy on some new goals both personally and professionally. After a whirlwind of a summer, I’m feeling grounded as the dust is settling, and feeling a sense of renewed energy to push through the next couple of seasons — a personal fave time of year. So, stick around, we have some fun projects to share, and some insights to help your businesses as you approach the next couple of seasons ahead as well.

Shifting seasons in Colorado Springs.

 

We love hearing about your goals as you evolve. Maybe we can help? Reach out if you have a new business project on your radar.

10 May 2019
Business, Design Permalink
Communication, Connection D564

How great design builds great brands.

May 10, 2019

Communication and emotional connection get you closer to your customer.

 

Your product or service is amazing! You’ve worked hard on your business or product, and you have lofty goals for it! Now that it’s all built out and ready to rock, how are you getting it out there and how are you connecting with your customer base?

People are ready to pay a premium for an experience that is emotionally positive. The design represents part of the value in the equation of driving sales. When people feel the connection that has been designed for them, they see your value and you become a ‘need’ in their lives; and that my friends, becomes your competitive advantage.

So what does that look like?

It’s the quality of your product or service. It’s the experience of the product itself, and customer service if something goes wonky. A lot goes into the trust, relationship building, and your commitment to providing the best service and support for your customer or client. And let’s not forget—your expertise in the service you are providing.

You want to give your customer the sense that when they purchase a product or sign up for your services, that they’ve joined something amazing. You want the people who do business with you to feel like they are a part of a community, a shared experience.

 

Embrace design.

The design should embody a positive and emotional customer experience. From the way you engage in person, on social media, the package design, or how you communicate with your prospective audience through your website. It’s all an ecosystem that you build and nurture to capture the entire experience.

For example, let’s look at Nike—easy analysis. Their running shoes are great, the product is supportive as is their customer service, comfortable shoes, great design, etc. The same applies to their Nike Run Club app—a supportive app with feel-good progression notifications, comfortable in training sessions/coaching, great design of the app, easy to connect with the running community, etc. Their NRC Instagram account embraces all the samples listed, and they do a great job at engaging with the audience around questions regarding the shoes. Nike has created an ecosystem of customer support and experience.

 

Tips.

Ask yourself the following:

  • What do I want the customer to feel when engaging with my product or messaging?
  • What do I want the customer to feel when using my product or service?
  • What am I learning from their experience of my product or service?

Figure out what platforms of communications work best for you in your industry.

Know your voice and showcase what makes you authentic in the world of abundance.

Tell your story.

Create your ecosystem.

Why now?

“We’ve moved from an economy of mass production to one of mass customization” M. Neumeier

In relation to a point listed above around abundance—Instead of 5 variants of ketchup as it was about 15 years ago or so, there are FIFTY! How do you stand out in a world of so many options? You can’t sell on features and benefits so easily now, so you’re selling on an emotional connection. This is a tough piece for many companies who are set on the numbers because emotions are not the data points that you can plug into a spreadsheet.

Design is a living, evolving process. We are in a time of building human connections in a digital age. You learn from mistakes, you refresh, you take risks (often, hopefully) — it’s how you grow in business. Your environment—either in the storefront or online—demands intentional design for that total customer experience and emotional connection.

If you are not integrating the design of the customer experience by now, you might want to consider this as an option.

Are you making the right connections?
How are you making connections?

 

 

 

Unsure on how to answer some of these questions? We got you  — Contact us and we can help assess your situation.

20 Mar 2019
Uncategorized Permalink
pricing-creative-services

On Pricing: Creative Services

March 20, 2019

Whether you’re a creative who is unsure of how to price your work, or a business who is unsure of what to pay for creative services—the goal of this article is to give both sides some “food for thought.”

This is a topic that comes up often. In fact, I was just sitting with an individual (non-creative) who shared what prices they were getting from designers and it just blew my mind. That ultimately led to a great conversation about industry standards and the like. This same conversation comes up with fellow designers often who are charging low prices for their creative services—equally evolving into great conversations and hopefully a boost in confidence for designers to not sell yourselves short, while charging a fair price for your client.

In general, design services vary by skill-set and experience. This will affect the cost at the end of the day. That being said… there is a baseline to work off of to be in the general ballpark.

Industry standards

Data is amazing. And thanks to companies and organizations like The Creative Group and the Graphic Artist Guild, we have a really great idea as to what designers should be paid. Whether designers are looking to be hired in-house, as well as what to charge when working independently, or businesses looking to hire. These are all amazing assets that help maintain a standard within the industry and to price projects fairly for both the designer and the client. Updated guides are published regularly and available.

Designers, this is for your toolkit:

The Graphic Artist Guild
The Creative Group Salary Guide

For your business looking to hire, Salary.com and Creative Group Salary Guide are great guides to understanding what to pay in your area.

Pro-tip: The lowest price should never be a goal. It hurts the industry as a whole and devalues the services we provide. That being said, while we will always run into designers underpricing—it really benefits all of us to understand our areas and utilize industry recommendations (graphic artist guild again) to find your sweet spot.

VALUE

Designers: You are worth it. When I hear that you are independent designing logos for $50-100 a pop, I am first and foremost concerned at how you are making ends meet?! Secondly, you are undercutting the design industry. Now, we all can’t be priced the same because we are in varying levels of experience, that being said, there is a baseline in the industry that you can work your way around, and at least be consistent with the industry as a whole. This also helps you educate potential clients on what you’re providing as they consider you for creative services.

Things to consider: What are you providing? What is the client getting at the end of the day?

Businesses: When you’re looking for creative services, you are getting a whole heck of a lot of expertise who support and guide you through your business needs in the marketing and creative arena. Consider this when you’re hiring or contracting for creative services—the same way you go to your trusted mechanic to take care of your vehicle, or go to your doctor as a trusted consultant on your health.

Things to consider: What are you looking to accomplish? Web design, marketing, branding, etc… Hire or contract accordingly to the appropriate skillset. Also, meet these creatives—virtually or in person— to find the right fit for your company goals.

A Healthy Relationship

Relationship building and trust are important to a healthy client+designer relationship. This is a two way street.

Designers: Your projects go so much better when you are invested in the client as they are in you. This raises your value to the client or business. Get to know them and their market, so you can be thorough in your approach to whatever problem you are trying to solve.

Business: When I work with businesses and organizations, I am working WITH you, because our results are stronger when you are involved in the process. I believe in this for every designer’s approach. You know your business better than I do, or anyone outside of your day-to-day. Outside of research on our end to learn more about your company, designers are providing a service and expertise in enhancing your visibility, strategic approach, and so on.

***

At the end of the day, we all want to succeed. And we can!

#bettertogether

***

For business: We understand that your needs are specific and different than the business next door. Reach out to discuss what we can do for you.

For creatives: We are supportive in raising you up! If you’re feeling a little flat on your business approach, let’s chat! Schedule a meeting through the Business Coaching for Creatives platform.

07 Feb 2019
Uncategorized Permalink

On legibility.

February 7, 2019

Good legibility offers up good visual communication.

After stumbling up some efforts at visual communication that have been challenging legibility, which for both the business and the audience is a heavy dose of a disservice.

Good legibility allows users to grasp your message without having to think. If something is illegible or even slightly complicated, users may pause—even a taking a second interferes with the message. Sure, the message gets processed, but if your audience has to take the extra time to absorb the content, a design problem exists. And if they’re online, they are likely going to move on, because let’s face it, the web is an instant gratification space.

So, where do we go from here? Let’s run through a few tips to help you whether you’re a designer, or a business looking for some tips in your DIY marketing efforts.

Tips for legibility

Clear letterforms.
Silhouettes of each letter needs to be distinct and clear.

No complications.
Find a typeface that is almost geometric and devoid of excess frills. If this is unfamiliar territory for you, start with this beautiful list published by DTALE Design Studio.

Good kerning. 
Just as your lines need adequate space, so do your letters. Create equal amounts of space between letters; not too loose, nor too tight.

Good leading.
Be generous with your leading (or line height). Give your lines of text some room to breath, allowing for ease of reading for your viewer.

Open space.
The shape and size of the counter and bowl (curved stroke enclosing the counter) or enclosed space in a letterform can affect readability. Looks for typefaces that breath and feel open.

Consider your environment.

Where are you communicating with your audience? Let’s focus on social media and mobile devices for example since this is what sparked this article.

Let’s say you’re creating a post or promotion for an upcoming event on Instagram with a message over an image, be sure to consider the screen size that people are viewing your posts. A couple of quick tips:
• Limit your text on that image—save it for a caption.
• Use good fonts (shared above) that are easy to read when overlaying an image, especially.
• Set up the art and dimensions for the appropriate platform you’re posting on. This hubspot guide is a great resource for dimensions for every social media outlet.

In this first sample below, we are going all in—notice how the legibility takes a hit when we throw in the entire “kitchen sink”.

bright idea, text heavy sample

In this second image below, we cleaned it up, leaving the bottom details (placeholder text) for the caption to support the image.

bright idea, text easy sample
Details go here to support your image. vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate.
#hashtag #hashtag #bestpractices

Clear, concise and legibility within your messaging, along with solid visuals will go a long way! Easy day, right?

You don’t have to go it alone.

We understand that sometimes you want to get all the information out in one shot on one image. Efficient, right? But consider this—if legibility is tough for you, it’s certainly difficult for your audience. We also understand that often—because of budget or whatever the case may be you’re trying to wear all the hats. We want to take this opportunity to share a friendly reminder that there are many creatives and marketing brilliance in your area that consult and support visual communications for businesses like yours.

If you need some ideas and support, we’ve got your back. Let’s Ride.