Eight design principles for nonprofits

| by | strategic design | 0 comments

I was reading a post on mashable.com this morning and saw a list of design rules for nonprofits that I thought would be appropriate to share in this post. These tips were gathered from designers and creatives who work with nonprofits. The original post included 10 rules, but I think these eight are the most important: 1. Highlight the organization’s positive impact. This is kind of a no brainer so you can see why it’s the first rule. Telling your story by sharing the impact your organization makes is critical to getting donors to engage and want to help. 2. Let the design tell … Continued

Digital marketing trends for 2015

| by | Design/marketing insights | 0 comments

Last year, digital marketing accounted for 25% of all marketing dollars spent. And according to a Gartner survey, that will rise to 33% this year. As a nonprofit, it’s essential to plan and implement your digital marketing strategies in areas considered most important in 2015. Based on an article in the Huffington Post, here are some predicted areas for concentration: 1. Email marketing Create smarter, more targeted content that speaks to your audience. 2. Building connections by building relationships Your audience will give to organizations that they know, like and trust. Social media helps establish personal relationships quickly and for very little cost. Nonprofits that connect by being more … Continued

Research-based design = insightful design solutions

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Third in a series of posts highlighting the importance of strategic design in today’s economy. It is inspired by the book “the Strategic Designer” by David Holston. Charles Eames, one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, stated that effective design cannot depend solely on a designer’s preferences. Instead, it should be strongly influenced by business goals and customer needs. This of course seems obvious. However, it takes research to determine what those goals and needs are. Design research can take many forms. There are companies who focus strictly on market research and can do in-depth analysis of … Continued

Client/Designer relationship: The client always comes first.

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Second in a series of posts highlighting the importance of strategic design in today’s economy. It is inspired by the book “the Strategic Designer” by David Holston. The title says it all. It’s all about the client and the problem he/she wants to solve. As a designer, this can be challenging. We put our years of experience and education on the line when we present our ideas. Our heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears can be all wrapped into solutions to our clients’ problems. When we don’t see things the same, issues arise. There’s a disconnect. Figuring out the source … Continued

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