Typos are frustrating and can easily slip through when you’re rushing or losing focus. Sometimes, even when you’re careful, missing or incorrect information from a client or colleague can lead to costly errors. Here’s a closer look at why typos happen, how they can go unnoticed, and strategies to prevent them. Dot Com or Dot…
What key components go on the back cover of your book? I recently saw a book cover diagram on Pinterest. It showed the back cover, spine and front cover with margins, and placement of elements. Overall, I agreed with the image. However, the diagram’s back cover repeated the book title, subtitle and author’s name. This…
Have you seen Magic Spoon cereal at the store? I saw these colorful boxes at Target. This brand is different from the other breakfast cereals—its uniquely crafted package makes it stand out in the cereal aisle. Eye-catching Each Magic Spoon flavor has a different illustration on the box made up of modern, fanciful characters. The…
Sometimes the most impactful design projects arise from modest beginnings. Recently, I had the privilege of working on a small catalog project for a group of dedicated Sisters who manage bookstores and publish materials for a religious order. Targeting the vibrant and diverse Hispanic community, this project yielded successful results at a recent conference. Meeting the Challenge The Sisters…
Elegantissima, the Design & Typography of Louise Fili by Louise Fili is a beautiful book filled with impressive designs—a compilation of identity projects, branding, and logo designs. While I was watching an online course called, “Expressive Lettering with Swashes and Flourishes,” the speaker, designer Dan Forster, was inspired by Louise Fili and showed examples from her book. I was…
Seasonal holiday promotions begin in summer, way ahead of fall. “Pumpkin Spice” is everywhere, and Christmas displays are popping up already. All of these products are competing for buyers’ attention, and one of them certainly captured mine. While I was shopping at Target, I saw new boxes of Halloween cereal that stopped me. A separate…
My friend Bobbi wrote to me: “I’m frustrated with this photo stock website, which was my image source. I seem to recall you suggested several sites—some free—for graphic images, but I can’t find them. Do you remember what they were? I really need a new source.” Many online resources I replied, “Here you go!” and…
The little brown book was the final touch and “show stopper” to a project that started in August 2021. My client, Jan, showed me an existing pocket-sized prayer book, The Rule of the Secular Order. The cover was laminated on a red-paper stock with gold-foil stamping. Jan had an upcoming conference in August 2022 and hoped…
The annual report cover for the Society of the Sacred Heart began with an amaryllis watercolor painting by Sister Donna Dolan. “We are struck by her amaryllis surrounded in darkness. Image-wise and symbolically, it just feels right for the cover. Donna is working on getting us a high-resolution image, but this is what we’d like…
I said goodbye to our old portfolios this week. My partner, Gary, and I were cleaning out the office closet. There were four portfolios filled with past printed samples. We had used them to show potential clients our work, hopefully, to win a client over, and to sell our creative services. The portfolios were filled…