A few of my favorite things:
• Google Alerts | If you want to know what’s trending now or what is up-and-coming on the web, then you will want fine-tune your search by using this great tool. Type in “small business” or any other subject and include the negative results with the positive for the best possible research.
• WordPress | Well known and popular these days... very user friendly! Everybody's using it on their blogs or websites. Visit my wordpress portfolio www.nancyarcherdesign.com
• Firefox | A world-class web browser and a very necessary tool. It's the best browser ever.
• Colorzilla for Firefox | Advanced colorful goodies for your web designs.
Animoto | A simple video slideshow tool. Create one in minutes with your pictures! Easily add a slideshow to your social media, YouTube channel, website, or small business blog. Try it for free and see what you think!
Blurb | Make your own books. Photo books, portfolio books, poetry books, fiction, non-fiction, publish your book, it's amazingly easy and affordable. I am so hooked.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Better Tweets
Improve your Tweets!
Learn how to be a better tweeter and get a positive response from your audience.
A few tips:
• Be spontaneous, it’s part of the charm!
• Be aware of what you’re saying. Stay away from useless information.
• Present fresh, valued content in real time.
• Keep it brief & to-the-point.
• Avoid personal details, such as: “I’m tired of cleaning.”
• Create a buzz. Hook your audience with a link to learn more.
• Ask questions!
• Promote yourself!
Follow me
Learn how to be a better tweeter and get a positive response from your audience.
A few tips:
• Be spontaneous, it’s part of the charm!
• Be aware of what you’re saying. Stay away from useless information.
• Present fresh, valued content in real time.
• Keep it brief & to-the-point.
• Avoid personal details, such as: “I’m tired of cleaning.”
• Create a buzz. Hook your audience with a link to learn more.
• Ask questions!
• Promote yourself!
Follow me
Stock Photography
Boy do I love stock photos. They really make advertising and design that much stronger. I am so inspired by what other people see from behind the lens.I have found that istock photo is one of the best around. Just thought I would share!
View istock | Great imagery & value
View istock | Great imagery & value
 |
| http://www.istockphoto.com/ |
Color Trends
What do people notice? What do they want to see? What is trending now? What is the psychology of color? Discover the latest color trends for 2012 on the COLOURlovers site. It’s for anyone who’s inspired to build the best possible brand for their business or event.
So what is the color of the year in 2012? TANGERINE ORANGE! Read more on www.colourlovers.com with Leatrice Eisman, “the international color guru.” Her color expertise is recognized worldwide, especially as a prime consultant to Pantone®.
Business color trends for 2012 are bright, bold, blocks of color. Bold blues and greens, citrus hues, accents of gray, overall colors that make people happy and promote feelings of joy.
The look for branding is simple, not overly complicated. I’ve seen a lot of grays mixed with citrus colors lately. It’s a nice combination. Vintage style, retro colors and prints, with hand-made elements are also popular this year.
Color trends are always changing, so I'll be checking back with COLOURlovers to stay current. It's my favorite.
LOVE this palette!
View it on their website!
Free Icons
Free icons? I found one at www.iconfinder.com
To find my free icon, all I did was type my subject into the web browser. I wanted yellow birds but I found some lovely blue birds that would need to be color corrected in Photoshop. I downloaded the icon for free as a png (no white background). Then, I opened the blue birds in Photoshop CS5 to make them yellow. I went to “image – adjust – hue and saturation” and presto! Yellow birds. It’s that easy. Remember to save!
Logos are really important when branding your company. Good luck!
To find my free icon, all I did was type my subject into the web browser. I wanted yellow birds but I found some lovely blue birds that would need to be color corrected in Photoshop. I downloaded the icon for free as a png (no white background). Then, I opened the blue birds in Photoshop CS5 to make them yellow. I went to “image – adjust – hue and saturation” and presto! Yellow birds. It’s that easy. Remember to save!
Logos are really important when branding your company. Good luck!
Business Partnerships/Networking
Business Partnerships/Networking
Developing key business partnerships to lighten your load is so important in today’s fast paced corporate world.
There are times when you need to connect and build contracts with another companies to make your own company stronger. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and we need partnerships to build on those areas when it counts. I can not stress enough the importance of partnerships, networking, relationship building, etc. to stay up to date on the very best tools for success. People need people and companies need each other too.
As an independent designer, I saw this need for myself last fall. I have a partnership with SuperGraphics in Seattle, WA to strengthen my home-based graphic design business.
We work together with key clients, such as Nordstrom, Inc. by providing a friendly team approach.
It’s a great big corporate world out there – it’s a good idea to build as many business relationships and partnerships as possible. Those partnerships will open new doors and lead you down new paths you never thought possible.
It’s worth it to do your research and make those connections. Even if you’re independent like me, a partnership is a very good thing. Remember to submit a contract before beginning any new business adventures.
View SuperGraphics portfolio
Developing key business partnerships to lighten your load is so important in today’s fast paced corporate world.
There are times when you need to connect and build contracts with another companies to make your own company stronger. We all have our own strengths and weaknesses and we need partnerships to build on those areas when it counts. I can not stress enough the importance of partnerships, networking, relationship building, etc. to stay up to date on the very best tools for success. People need people and companies need each other too.
As an independent designer, I saw this need for myself last fall. I have a partnership with SuperGraphics in Seattle, WA to strengthen my home-based graphic design business.
We work together with key clients, such as Nordstrom, Inc. by providing a friendly team approach.
It’s a great big corporate world out there – it’s a good idea to build as many business relationships and partnerships as possible. Those partnerships will open new doors and lead you down new paths you never thought possible.
It’s worth it to do your research and make those connections. Even if you’re independent like me, a partnership is a very good thing. Remember to submit a contract before beginning any new business adventures.
View SuperGraphics portfolio
Thursday, June 21, 2012
NANCY ARCHER DESIGN www.nancyarcherdesign.com
creative writing + graphic design
branding and advertising for print, web and social media
FOCUS + VISION
• To work with business owners + non-profits + event planners + designers + bloggers + ministry leaders + churches + inspired individuals who love design and creative writing.
• To build relationships in the community that inspire and connect.
• To share and swap creative ideas + design tips to benefit others
DESIGN PARTNERSHIP/SUPERGRAPHICS
Got a BIG idea? Need a BIG print? SuperGraphics in Seattle, WA, specializes in extra-large graphic prints (signage, over-size banners, bus and van wraps, wallpaper and more) for any environment. They printed and installed the graphics for the Seahawks Stadium. They also manage large, high-end accounts. Our current client partnership is with Nordstrom where we installed text graphics on some local delivery vans.
Contact me for a quote from SuperGraphics for any large scale, high-end branding idea. I can answer any questions you have! nancyarcherdesign@yahoo.com
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