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Archive for preparing content

Content for Design

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Some handy hints

We often get asked for advice from customers when it comes to supplying their text for different projects so we have decided to put together a few points to help you out.

What we are going to look at is simplifying terminology, cutting out cliches and how  different mediums should display your content.

Simplify terminology

You should really take a good look at your readability and use a more inviting approach, for example:

…Instead of “We thrive on assisting your business” use “We would love to help you out” Also, another great tip is dont use “internal language”  it can be seen as condescending and limits the readers understanding.

Cut out the cliches

Buzzwords are annoying and someitmes look cheap. Just because some other business is using it, doesnt mean you should, it certainly wont make you an “Industry Leader” or “Cutting Edge”, nor will it improve your “customer-focused integration.”

In fact if you want to see what to steer clear of visit  http://www.squidoo.com/businesscliches

Think about the size

Business cards are different in size to an A5 brochure and websites are different to 6 page catalogues.  Each one serves a purpose to deliver specific amounts of content, here is a rough guide:

Business Cards – Name, Slogan, Email, Location, Contact Details… remember it fits in your palm and not everyone has the best eyesight.

Websites - Short sharp paragraphs of USEFUL content… remember WHY your visitor is there in the first place.

Email Signature – Name, Slogan, Email, Address optional… remember its purpose and the speed one flicks through emails.

Catalogues and brochures are used to display more detailed information, but once again being reader friendly is the key.

We are always happy to discuss any  issues you may have with content for design,  feel free to call us and we can evaluate your content for your next big project.

Categories : Print Tips, Web Tips
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Logo design should be stretchy

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Why?

Because a logo design needs to cover a number of key aspects for successful delivery as we will explore in todays entry.

At Mediamojo we understand that a logo is the first point of visual contact for your customers, but we also keep in mind how its going to be used across different mediums. Before we tackle any graphic design project,  careful consideration is given to the following aspects: reproducability, colours, reversability, complex simplicity, font and versatility.

The initial idea…

This is where the target audience is identified, relevant symbolism applied, sketches are made and the main idea conveyed in a few final concepts…

Reproducability

It is very important to think about where the logo is going to appear, what is it going to be printed on and how can it be reproduced to suit other media such as signage and packaging.   Aspects we consider are:  how much detail to add to your logo design. Lots of small shapes and skinny lines should be avoided as they could disappear or print very broken and rough when reduced to small sizes. We also look at the eveness of white negative or white spacing and carefully consider any gradients which may be used to colourise your logo.  As a client you may be very easily tempted to get carried away with your design and add cool or funky effects, but the bottom line is “does it make the design better, or does it make it worse.”    When in doubt, leave it out.

how a logo can be reproduced

Reversability

This is process where your logo should be able to look outstanding on a black background, usually in muted shades of black, grey and white.

Colours

Colour is one of the most emotive elements at your disposal and can vary from warm, cool, neutral, vivid, complimentary, analogous, soft, light, dark, bright and saturated.  Colour unfortunately is bound by ethics and morals so subject matter can never be overlooked when applying colour… for example a butchers would not be painted red, red is alarming and can symbolize blood – in the same way wrong combinations of colours can alter the message such as: primary colours used for a deep and serious Law Firm, reds, yellows and blues symbolise variety and happiness. There are some colours that will convey a message more successfully than others.

How colours can mean different things

Complex simplicity

This could be looked at as bit of an artform at turning something very simple into something interesting by making a couple of graphical adjustments to create a bit of visual flare and excitement.  Overly complex logos are a no no as when reduced for business card or letterhead format  some of the intricate detail can be lost or filled in by printer inks.

Font

In the careful design process, we choose a font that is appropriate and looks great alongside your logo, often customising the type to appear as to be part of the logo.  Often, a logo is simply stylised text so its very important to choose fonts appropriate to the message being conveyed, similar to choosing colour palettes.  An important aspect of font is its readability and the simple rule applies once again – funky things like drop shadows and 3d effects can make things a little hard to read and reproduce, so when in doubt, leave it out.

Keeping type simple and uncluttered

At the end of the day, your logo should be “stretchy” in the way that it should cover all the above aspects and if it is, then your branding for further collateral, websites etc.. will come together very nicely.

We hope this helps and gives you an insight as to how we do things and if you like, let us know!  We look forward to working with you on your next big project!

Categories : Other stuff, Print Tips
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Words are the key!

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Hi from the team at Mediamojo!

When it comes to putting together a website, one of the most crucial aspects is getting your content wording right and selecting relevant keywords.

It’s not a difficult process at all and involves just a little bit of thought.  This will help you to help us in making your site search engine friendly.  So how should you go about coming up with keyword/ phrases?

Here’s a couple of useful steps…

Talk to your target audience and ask them how they would search for your particular product or service.  Some businesses spend thousands on market research of this nature, so if you want to be a formidable business you should definitely have a similar plan of attack.  Gather what they say,  then head to Google Adwords:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal - this will help you find new keyword ideas and allow you to see how many hits different words get.  The higher the hit, the more popular and the harder it is for your site to be found.

Then what?

When it comes to programming and applying keywords/phrases we often get asked where do they go?  Well, they are embedded into the backend of your pages and are seen and read by search engines.  You can actually see these phrases in action on Google:

This makes up part of Search Engine Optimisation, a process where we can help you make your site more visible in todays competetive online world!

If you would like to discuss further how to prepare yourself before handing over a project, feel free to contact either John or Vinny on (07) 5455 5058

Good luck and we look forward to working with you on your next project!

Categories : Web Tips
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