Eight design principles for nonprofits

27. Jul | 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

21. Jul | 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

21. Jul | by | strategic design | 0 comments

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.

13. Jul | by | strategic design | 0 comments

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

Three essential principals of strategic design for today’s economy

12. Jul | by | strategic design | 0 comments

First 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. I just finished an enlightening and thoughtful book on the strategic importance of design in business today. I’m going to share with you some of what I believe to be critically necessary aspects from the book that all business decision-makers should embrace. I’ll start with what I think are the three principals of strategic design in today’s economy. 1. Design is more than aesthetics. Strategic designers are more than decorators of your communications … Continued

Email marketing — you can’t ignore its effectiveness

11. Jul | by | Design/marketing insights | 0 comments

Email marketing can give you a ROI that exceeds any other marketing channel — $43 in return for every dollar invested. For a comparison, non-catalog direct mail returns about $15 for every dollar and catalog direct mail returns about $7 (according to DMA’s Power of Direct economic impact study). For tips and in-depth email marketing best practices, listen to this podcast that includes email experts from ReturnPath, Constant Contact and Smith-Harmon: http://www.box.net/shared/nmkz98ilki At Evolv Design, we can help you develop an email campaign that will tie into your current brand, if you have one, or help you build your brand … Continued

It’s all about impact.

10. Jul | by | "It's all about…" | 0 comments

  You know the old question “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”. From a marketing and design perspective, this is a particularly relevant question to ask. If your marketing/design message is not heard, does it make a sound? No, probably not. It’s all about impact. Maximizing the impact of your message will greatly increase it’s chances of being heard. Creating a giant “tree” that is quickly and efficiently dropped so that it maximizes its impact will absolutely make a sound that will be heard. Take a … Continued

It’s all about voice.

10. Jul | by | "It's all about…" | 0 comments

  To me, typography has a voice. It can be forceful. Timid. Upscale. Cheap. Persistent. Animated. This is somewhat subjective and can vary depending on the viewers’ perspective. It is, however, a significant part of how you communicate to your audience. And finding the right voice for your company or organization takes careful thought and care.   Take a look at the examples below: Can you guess the products/companies behind the examples above? One is Audi. One is Mini. One is Dodge Ram. I’ll bet you can guess it even without seeing the rest of the ad. They are all … Continued

It’s all about the process.

10. Jul | by | "It's all about…" | 0 comments

Successful design generally follows a path. The path normally takes these steps: Problem definition and research Concept/idea development Design development Execution Evaluation Seems simple, right? However, along the way the path has forks that will influence the design. Influences like trends, business operations, clients’ opinions, and the end users/viewers’ opinions all factor into the direction the design will take. At its core, though, design is about problem solving. Flexible and adaptive methods of problem solving are key to getting to a solution that answers the original problem. Projects will bend and sway to get to successful design solutions—influenced along the … Continued

Be powerful beyond measure

9. Jul | by | Design/marketing insights | 0 comments

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” —Marianne Williamson. Powerful beyond measure. That’s … Continued