The answer was quite interesting. It’s a mix of social media and updates to the search patterns of the big search engines. OK (yawn) very interesting indeed. But it is, honest, and it has more relevance for graphic design than you might expect.

As social networking has become more popular the type of content on the Internet has changed, people are able to post real time information. What’s happening right now.

Combined with this the main search engines now display live content just like the content from sites submitted and evaluated. The result is that Twitter posts and Facebook pages can get just as much prominence as dedicated webpages, sometimes more because of the way they work and how they’re built. Useful information if you’re working in graphic design and web design.

On the web content is king after all. To find out more check out this article:

> Real Time Search

As the london agency that designed the Eularis branding we already have a very good understanding of how their identity works with their business, and so we had plenty of ideas for the graphic approach to the website design. But with so much rich content our biggest challenge was how to design everything in a way that would be intuitive for visitors to browse the website and still be able to access what they were looking for quickly and easily. 10 clicks to get to an article was never going to be an option for this project.

Our solution for the website design was to create a simple series of tiered pages so visitors can quickly drill in from a section introduction to the key topics and then on to specific reports, articles, podcasts and other digital content. We also redesigned the homepage to give a lighter and more engaging overview of the services Eularis offer and create impact with their distinctive branding.

With marketing budgets being cut or stretched further (but still expected to perform) design is expected to step in and make up the difference.

As well as playing a more strategic role design can offer some very tangible benefits and create real additional value. But to get the best in quality and value, companies still need to invest In their design. Being open with designers about production budgets and expectations means they can deliver innovative solutions that match targets. New materials, ideas and techniques can push things forward within reduced budgets. Good experienced designers will always be able deliver this.

But reducing the investment in the design, reducing the investment in the ideas, will always deliver reduced results. Budget design delivers budget solutions.

Trends in design anticipate a simpler approach, more authentic and relevant. With restricted budgets it’s a time when quality designers can really shine with innovative ideas. Anyone looking to commission projects should be looking for designers who relish the challenge. But be willing to invest enough to get some truly great ideas.

Comment on ‘Brand Image at the Forefront of Innovation’
> Marketing Week

The final stationery design from our graphic design team used the distinctive icon from their brand identity and a combination of colours and illustrations from the extended brand identity palette to give people an individual choice for their business cards.

Transferring graphic design from the printed page to exhibition banners isn’t quite as straightforward as it looks. The physical differences of size, scale and position need to be taken into account. For this project our client was very satisfied with the final result which seamlessly integrated with the rest of our graphic design work on their promotional material.

The simple answer is to have a marketing plan. That will define the insights and outline strategy to inform our designs and give the project structure. Sometimes that’s not available (not everyone has access to marketing resources) and we can help and advise the strategy for the marketing through things like competitor analysis and customer touchpoints.

To get the best from graphic design though, it really does help to have a marketing plan. This article has some helpful tips and a few pointers we use ourselves:

> Simple steps to a marketing plan

Our solution was to create a more contemporary design for the business cards built on their established graphic elements – logo, type style and colour. With such a smooth and rounded brand identity it felt very natural to introduce rounded corners to the cards for a subtle differentiation, and a simple gradient glow on the face of the cards makes a strong use of their colour and the logo more prominent at the same time.

The press adverts cover all the core sectors Clockwork removals cater for – Residential, Commercial, International Relocations and Storage. Where competitors tend to overcomplicate their advertising with multiple messages and offers it was decided that a succinct and clear message, covering exactly what Clockwork Removals offer, would be far more impactful and consistent with the new graphic design and advertising approach.

With so much content one of our biggest tasks was to create a website design that would help visitors to easily browse and find what they were looking for. Luckily we also designed the brand identity for Vision Pictures and had an extended colour palette to help differentiate the main sections. The graphic design elements of the identity also meant we could easily extend the brand across the site and establish a definite presence.

By creating a html email with an editable template Clockwork can enter different fields and linked content for a range of online marketing activities. It enables them to take control of their own online marketing, how and when they use it, as well as their spend. Clockwork simply pay the sending charges for their future campaigns.

The email runs on a very useful mail system so responses, clicked links and other recipient activity can be logged and the data viewed in reports at any time. All very useful tools to compliment online marketing activity as part of your overall strategy.