Designer Insider

Kutztown University Portfolio Review

designdesign — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:00:43 +0000

Erika and I had the pleasure of going to Kutztown University’s Communication Design Portfolio Review last Thursday. It was really fun to go back to my Alma mater and review portfolios of this year’s graduating seniors. Their work was very strong, and I loved hearing about their though process behind their work. We enjoyed meeting with the students and giving them advice on their work. We wish the best of luck to each and every student!

- Natalie

Women In Business Dinner

designdesign — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:44:57 +0000

The women of DesignDesign, Inc. enjoy attending the annual Chester County Chamber Business & Industry Women-in-Business dinner. Last night, entrepreneur, Joan Welsh was acknowledged for her outstanding achievements in the business industry. Joan founded Kashbox Coaching and is the author of three books. Joan is a well-known women’s advocate and a community volunteer. Women in the community are proud of all she has achieved. Congratulations, Joan, on being recognized as the 2012 Female Business Leader of the year!

designdesign — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:20:02 +0000

E-commerce sites make it easy and convenient to sell products on the internet – Check out 20 of the best E-commerce sites today! At DesignDesign, we can take your business to the next level with a customized and interactive e-commerce site. Contact us today so we can discuss how we can create a virtual storefront for your business.

Visit www.thewoodlandsatphillips.com to view a recent e-commerce site that we designed and programmed.

Retro Ads

designdesign — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:10:59 +0000

I find it so interesting how much design has changed over the years. You can easily tell from the imagery, the font selection, and the colors used which decade something was designed in. It is also exciting to find something that is “timeless” and that no matter when it was designed, it still “works” today. Newsweek Magazine recently featured the show Mad Men on the cover of the issue. The ads featured inside all resembled the 1960′s to correspond to the issue’s theme. Some of the advertisements were originals, and others were designed to look retro. Can you tell which are originals? View all of the ads here.

Greetings from the Mushroom Capital of the World!

designdesign — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:01:21 +0000

Being a design firm located in the mushroom capital of the world, we get to work closely with several large producers of mushrooms. I am especially happy about this because I LOVE mushrooms! One of our clients, To-Jo Mushrooms, came to us with a new product. They have created “microwavable mushrooms” which sautée perfectly in the microwave.. in just four minutes. They originally had someone create a label (below), but unfortunately the design had lacked the proper messaging that it needed. We were then given the opportunity to redesign and market the mushrooms.

Since the microwavable product is sold in the produce aisle alongside fresh mushrooms, we created messaging to ensure consumers understood the use of the product. We developed a product-line name for To-Jo to differentiate the mushroom from other To-Jo products. To ensure clarity in the use of the product, we transformed the hierarchy from the old label prioritizing keywords, like “microwavable.” We also incorporated phrasing to reference the flavor and taste of the mushrooms. In developing copy, we conveyed the easy preparation through highlighting the short cooking time.

Brand Early to Build Marketing Success

designdesign — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:13:14 +0000

As a new business, you may think that you can put your brand on the back burner. You’re being strategic with every dollar, making big decisions and looking with a magnifying glass before you leap…

But your brand is important and defining your image with professionals early will save you money in the long run. The budget required to recover is much greater than doing it right the first time. You wouldn’t show up to a prospective client in dirty clothes, with the intention of dressing professionally after they hire you to do the work. Shortcuts will almost always end up costing more in the end.

Decide what audiences you want to attract; what products or services you want to offer to them and how you stack up against your competition. A professional design and marketing firm will utilize this information to define a mark, font, colors and a formation that connects effectively with your targets the first time, giving you the ability in the future, to build other useful marketing tools on a strong foundation.

~ Erika

Recent MEDdesign Blog Posts

designdesign — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:25:08 +0000

We contributed to the MEDdesign Blog: “Which comes first, the Chicken or the Egg?” Check it out today! You need to register to see the blog post, but it is free to join!

http://www.medicaldevicesummit.com/Main/Blogs/126.aspx

We also contributed “Product Development Process Safeguards.”

http://www.medicaldevicesummit.com/Main/Blogs/152.aspx

The Marketing Mix

designdesign — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 18:18:52 +0000

Abide by the 4 P’s of marketing to ensure you are putting the right product (service) in the right place (market) at the right price at the right time.

Product (Service)
Price
Place
Promotion

Although some marketing decisions may come naturally, other decisions require a reliable resource to define consistent branding and develop a successful campaign. Each component of the marketing mix is equally as important as the next. Consider these questions pertaining to the 4 P’s before establishing your next campaign.

Product:

What do your customers want?
What are the features of your product that customers find desirable?
How will the product/service be used?
What does the product look like? Size, shape, color, etc.
How will the product be branded? Campaign color scheme, font, overall feel/style, etc.
How will your product differ from competition?

Place:

Where will customers look for your product?
Where do customers look for competitor’s product?
How will your product get the most exposure/be the most accessible?
- In a retail store vs. e-commerce
- Convenience store vs. destination
- Strip mall vs. stand-alone store front
- What distribution channels will you utilize?

Price:

What is the perceived value of the product?
Has competition established price points?
How sensitive is your target market to a slight increase/decrease in price?

Promotion:

How to reach your defined target market?
Where will your promotional campaigns receive the most exposure to the intended market?
Timing – when is the best time to reach your target market?
How can your campaign stand out from competition?

There are many other questions and important factors to consider in developing a well-rounded marketing campaign. Consulting a marketing firm can help to ensure an efficient and effective use of your marketing budget.

Tis the Season!

designdesign — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 21:09:38 +0000

We had our annual Holiday Work Party last weekend at Krazy Kats. It was a very nice night with delicious food and great company! Here are a few pictures that I was able to snap before dinner.

designdesign — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:16:01 +0000

With so much social media out there now, it can be difficult to decide what platform make sense for you professionally and for your business.

LinkedIn accounts can be developed for businesses as well as for individuals. The individual accounts can certainly be useful when utilized correctly. On a singular account level, think about LinkedIn like a personal Rolodex. Not only is it a contact sphere of people you know or would like to stay connected with, but it’s also a means of connecting with others who your contacts may have a relationship with.

Just like many of the other online tools, LinkedIn is a means of marketing oneself. The information that you present regarding your position, your experience, your skills and your goals, is the information that someone will use to form an opinion about you.

What do you want other professionals to know about you?

How do you want to present yourself to the world?

Keep in mind the impression you want to give to those who know you, who may recommend you and who may connect you with someone in their personal network.

To view our Design Director’s LinkedIn profile, click here.