We draw inspiration from our surroundings every day. We can spend time in tea and coffee shops, taste the hot tea on our tongues, and something will just click.
It's a special moment when you find inspiration from your surroundings. And from there, you can expand on that idea! Whether it's through writing in your journal, drawing, or keeping that momentum going by exploring your city!
Read MoreWe may think the answer is simple, but it is actually much more than a combination of your business’ name and colors. Let me share what I told my friend with you.
Read MoreYou know that feeling when you hear a certain song, smell something that brings back a memory, or experience the cool feeling of autumn kissing your cheeks reminding you why it's your favorite season?
That magical feeling is what curated branded photography conveys to your potential clients. It pulls at the heartstrings and provides a glimpse of who you and your brand are. You instantly become more approachable, more hireable, and you'll end up booking more of your ideal client because they'll feel like they know you.
Read More"Time flies" is an understatement. It feels like I launched Blades Creative *blinked* and BAM, seven years have passed!
A little background, I started my graphic career in Chattanooga. I studied design at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and I had the opportunity to work with my city, countless nonprofits, and local entrepreneurs that gave the city so much life. While working with them, I also realized I was in the same position as many local entrepreneurs.
As they grew their business, I grew mine.
Read MoreDid you know that 90% of the decisions we make as human beings are based on emotions?
As humans, we are emotional beings. Our feelings can influence where we go, what we do, and even who we spend our time with. Notice how some people and places fuel you, and other places can be tiring, draining, or something entirely different? It has to do with the energy that a person or place carries.
Read MoreLet's talk about one of the creepiest parts of running a business... scope creep. 😉
Scope creep is when the scope of a project changes, and a project gets additional tasks or deliverables added on to a project outside the existing "scope" of work. As a result, the work starts to extend or "creep" past what was initially discussed and agreed on. Get it? Scope Creep?
Read MoreSince Blades Creative launched in 2015, we have worked with many clients and created beautiful designs. While I have shared snippets of the process on Instagram and walked you through the brand creation side, much more is happening behind the scenes.
Read MoreWe've all heard of the aesthetic Instagram feed, and I love them! I'm obsessed with a brand that can create a cohesive feel post to post. Where each image connects and the brand has the opportunity to shine through and tell its story. Instagram is all about creating; creating posts, engagement, and reels, all to differentiate your brand and business from everyone else.
Read MoreJust like your brand’s logo design, your brand colors tell a story about your company, with little to no words. Color is likely one of the first things your customers will notice about your product or your company. And because colors evoke certain feelings and convey specific information, you want to be really thoughtful about the colors you use for your brand.
Read MoreAt Blades Creative, we love talking about the wonderful vendors and partners we get to work with, or the tools we use regularly that make a big impact on our branding and packaging design work.
Read MoreIf you caught our last blog post about the rules of effective packaging design, you know that the Blades Creative team puts a lot of thought into our clients’ physical packaging. It’s important that your packaging looks good, but it should also fulfill your business and product needs.
Read MoreTalk to someone with a design-based mind about what makes great packaging design, and you’ll probably get lots of great advice about what your packaging looks like. Details like the colors you use, typography you choose, and how it fits your brand are definitely important. But that’s not all that goes into effective packaging design!
Read MoreA logo, by definition, is a symbol made up of images, shapes, and text that come together to identify a business. A good logo does more than identify a business, though. If it’s designed well, a logo should tell the business’s story effectively in just one look.
Read MoreYour brand should tell a story — your story. When the visual aspects of your brand like colors, logos, and most importantly, images, don’t reflect you and your business the way you’d like, it may be time for a brand photoshoot.
When done well, a brand photoshoot should produce photos that represent you and your biz authentically. It’s well worth the investment! To get the most out of your brand photoshoot, you’ll want to spend a little time preparing beforehand.
Read MoreThink of branding as the face of your business. It’s what customers see first, it’s how you’re remembered, and it often sets you apart from your competition, when it’s done well. (And okay, when it’s done poorly, too!)
Great branding takes great design work. That’s why your brand and business can probably benefit from partnering with a retainer-based designer.
Read MoreI'll be the first to say: 2021 was a long (and interesting) year. While many of us faced our own challenges and had our huge wins, I know that reflecting on the year past helps us all prepare for the year ahead. I also think that reviewing our progress and really celebrating our accomplishments can help us feel better about where we are, and the goals we’ve set for ourselves.
Read MoreIn the middle of 2020, I started to feel that the Blades Creative logo, fonts, colors, and my overall brand felt disconnected from where I was in my business. Honestly, my work had evolved into something new. The way my visual brand looked no longer represented the business accurately, and I also knew that I need to make some updates internally to how I wanted to work after years of growth.
Read MoreThe holidays may not be your favorite time of year, and that’s okay. (Fellow Halloween and autumn lovers, raise your hands!) The pressure to tie up end-of-year business as an entrepreneur can make it a tough season. Add in buying great gifts not only for loved ones, but for clients? It’s enough to make anyone want to hide under a blanket and zone out on some Netflix.
However, the benefits of giving your clients gifts far outweigh the extra planning and expense.
Read MoreAs a small design studio currently based in lovely Austin, Texas, I’ve had the chance to meet so many cool and creative entrepreneurs. I hate to play favorites, but I especially love working with female entrepreneurs in the wellness space. Wanna know why?
Read MoreHear the word “thumbnail” and you probably think of those tiny images on YouTube that let you preview videos before watching them. But when it comes to graphic design, a thumbnail is a small image that acts as a placeholder for a larger, full-sized image.
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