Figment Design

Category: web design & development

  • Why Social Media is Best Viewed as a Long-Term Investment

    Why Social Media is Best Viewed as a Long-Term Investment

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    Social media is an important tool, but in our experience, many SMBs (Small and Midsized Businesses) don’t fully understand how to harness this channel. When businesses realize the amount of work and time necessary to make these platforms yield results, they often lose enthusiasm. Social media efforts go silent, and all of that time is wasted.

    Unfortunately, social media marketing doesn’t usually reach its full potential immediately, and sometimes it can take years to develop a highly engaged audience for your brand. Recent industry reports from Social Media Examiner highlight the differences between brands that are new to the social media game and those with a long history in the field.

    Social Media Effectiveness and Long-Term Trends

    One of the most compelling highlights of the 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report is the examination of social media marketing success over time. The longer a brand or business has been using social media, the better the success it reports.

    Of those who are just starting with social media marketing and have less than 12 months in the game:

    • 34% say social media improves sales
    • 48% say social media develops loyal fans
    • 60% say social media increases traffic

    When you ask seasoned social media marketers to assess these same areas, you’ll see dramatically different results. Among those who have been using social media for more than five years, you’ll find:

    • 66% say social media improves sales
    • 83% say social media develops loyal fans
    • 87% say social media increases traffic

    Now you may think that brands and businesses who have a longer history with social media would naturally perceive a greater rate of success, while those who are new to the arena feel that it’s underperforming simply because their expectations are too high. However, it’s worth noting that both sets of brands and businesses reported the highest success rates with traffic, followed by loyalty and sales.

    Keeping Up with the Landscape

    Social media marketing is becoming a staple of many marketing plans. When asked to rate their agreement with the statement, “I have integrated social media into my traditional marketing activities” — 23 percent of brands and businesses strongly agreed and 58 percent agreed. However, 40 percent of brands and businesses also said that social media marketing has become increasingly difficult over the last 12 months.

    Social media trends are changing, and not all marketers are sure about the best way to keep up. Though 67 percent of marketers plan to increase Facebook activities and 86 percent regularly use Facebook ads, a stunning 40 percent of these marketers said they didn’t know if their Facebook traffic had declined, and 35 percent were unsure whether their marketing efforts on the site were effective.

    Understanding the Platforms

    Though SMBs and marketers widely agree that social media is important, they face many difficulties measuring their success and targeting the right approaches. According to Social Media Today, the longer a brand or business is involved with social media, the more time they invest in these platforms on a weekly basis.

    Those who have less than a year of experience with social media usually spend 5 hours or less on the endeavor each week. Meanwhile, those with at least two years of experience spend six hours or more with their social media.

    The reason for this growing investment in time is simple. As businesses and brands come to understand all the possibilities and opportunities, the investment in social media platforms naturally grows.

    Measurable Social Media Solutions for Today’s SMB

    Want to cash in on the benefits of social media marketing? Turn to experienced professionals who already understand this landscape. Give them time to work their magic and understand that the most impressive returns on your efforts may come years in the future.

    The Figment Design team specializes in planning, managing, and curating social media for SMBs. We build a measurable social media presence that will pay off in the long run for your business.

  • RESPONSIVE HTML EMAILS: SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE

    RESPONSIVE HTML EMAILS: SIMPLE & EFFECTIVE

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    While an email (E-Blast) newsletter can look superb in the inbox, when squeezed onto a small screen, it can become unusable with small fonts, narrow columns and broken layouts. Users are able to zoom in but are then constantly and infuriatingly required to scroll horizontally. Links appear small and congested, with no regard for large fingers on touch-screen displays and low-contrast designs on small viewports, dimmed to save power, often become unreadable.

    Over the past few years, mobile usage has sparked an evolution in the way that we approach delivering content to online users. The ultimate goal is a fluid, mobile and one school of thought has emerged: responsive design.

    What this means is that getting your email newsletter to display optimally on mobile devices is just as important as ensuring it can be read in email clients like Outlook and Gmail.

    GETTING STARTED

    HTML E-mails suffer from a lack of standards. Email layouts must be created with tables because of the outdated HTML rendering engines of some email clients plus CSS must be applied inline. Several email clients will completely disregard any style declarations made in the <head> section as well. Now that you understand this, let’s work on correcting it.

    Coding for responsive emails

    When designers talk about “Media Queries”, they’re not talking about a separate style sheet, but the code/CSS that appears within the curly brackets of a media query. Here’s what a basic one looks like:


    @media only screen and (max-device-width: 480px) {
    /* mobile-specific CSS styles go here */ {
    }
    }

    Let’s break down what is the @media declaration. In order to make it mobile-specific, we have some criteria that have to be met before the email client uses the styles. The @media only screen specifies, “use only” on a specific screen size. This is important, as many, but not all mobile devices have a viewable area of 480px wide or less. While max-device-width: 480px is commonly used (as it’s the width of an iPhone display in landscape mode), you can tweak this to accommodate larger mobile displays, such as those on tablet devices.

    Designing The Responsive Layout

    While one-column HTML email layouts are generally the way to go when optimizing for mobile devices, there is an elegant way to create responsive 2-column layouts, without resorting to mile-long style sheets in media queries.

    While 2-column layouts often allow more content to feature above-the-fold on desktop email clients like Outlook, they’re a pain to read and navigate on mobile devices.

    Single column layout

    Single column layouts don’t have particular needs. Since they do not need to rearrange elements, we have only to take care that all widths degrades gracefully to match device sizes (width: 100%;). Rather than Responsive design, this is a classic example of scalable design.

    Multicolumn layout

    Multicolumn layouts require your columns to be rearranged as device width decreases. It makes no difference whether you’re working with two columns, three or more: you will need to display them vertically instead than horizontally.

    There are two ways to accomplish this:

    Using nested tables or Changing table cells display property.

    Nested Tables Layout

    Email composition often requires you to use nested tables. This has always been considered the best way to ensure client compatibility, but on the other hand the resulting code is very dirty and practically illegible.

    The trick is the use of the table align=”left” attribute that causes tables to align horizontally.

    Every element must have a specific width and their total must have the same value as their container.

    When the device width decreases, we have to resize the container and force all the tables-columns to 100% width.


    table[class="body_table"] {
    width: 600px;
    }
    table[class="column_table"] {
    width: 180px;
    }
    table[class="spacer_table"] {
    width: 30px;
    height:30px;
    }
    @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) {
    table[class="body_table"] {
    width: 420px!important;
    }
    table[class="column_table"] {
    width: 100%!important;
    }
    }

    This technique ensures compatibility with most of the email of clients.

    Changing table cells display property

    The second way to built multi-columns email, is more elegant and uses native CSS rules.

    This technique consists in changing the default table cells display property when device width decreases. This causes the cells to re-stack vertically:


    table[class="body_table"] {
    width: 600px;
    }
    table td[class="column"] {
    height:100px;
    width:200px;
    }
    @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { table[class="body_table"] {
    width: 440px!important;
    }
    table td[class="column"] {
    width:100%!important;
    display: block!important;
    }
    }

    Optimizing images for mobile

    In responsive emails, images don’t require anything more than the responsive technique (img {max-width: 100%;}) we currently use.

    Now to make sure the messages on images are readable is a different story. Because of the limited amount of screen available on mobile viewports that images have we need to consider on how to property display our message. However, solid CSS support in clients like iPhone has gives us a number of ways you can be clever about their use.

    Using background images for better headers

    Normally you wouldn’t recommend that anyone use background images in their email, but in the case of iPhone and Android default Mail, we’re using clients with solid CSS support and all the benefits that media queries can bring. One of these benefits is being able to substitute images when an email campaign is viewed on a mobile device, by hiding the original and letting the beautiful, mobile-friendly image shine through.

     

    Traditionally, we’ve recommended that images be resized as to fit within the viewport of mobile devices. However, the issue with resizing images in this way is that it can make any information therein too small to read or understand. A better option is to create a unique image specifically for mobile subscribers. Surrounding the image in a table cell or div does this, then creating a media query that hides the original and shows another header image as a background image instead.

    IN CONCLUSION

    Responsive email design is still a compromise. But as technology progresses it’s becoming easier to provide users with appropriate layouts that they can effortlessly consume and interact with. Growing support for media queries in email has changed the landscape of mobile email optimization and provides us with a platform to improve the user experience on more devices.

    The mobile landscape is changing and likewise, so is the techniques for best catering your email for the variety of email clients out there.

  • Determining Reach & Frequency

    Determining Reach & Frequency

    Frequency-art

    You want your television and radio advertising campaigns to help increase your client base, boost sales, and strengthen loyalty. However, what metrics are you using to determine when you’re meeting these goals?

    Along with gross rating points (GRP), reach and frequency are some of the most essential numbers to figure out advertising effectiveness. Understanding these metrics will help you achieve your short- and long-term advertising goals.

    Understanding Reach

    Reach is the percentage of targets who are exposed to your media at least once during a predetermined period of time. Your brand needs at least 50 percent reach to survive, but higher reach is always better, particularly at the beginning of a new campaign. The highest reach you can typically achieve is 99 percent.

    To properly determine reach, you need to define who your target audience is. Reach isn’t a percentage of total customers, but rather a percentage of a specified audience. For example, you may want to reach homeowners in a particular metropolitan area or within a certain demographic. You will determine how many people you want to connect to within this audience and calculate the reach of your campaign as a percentage of that.

    Figuring out Frequency

    Frequency is the average number of times a household is exposed to your campaign over a set period of time. It’s found by dividing your campaign’s total GRP by its reach; however, the real trick lies in figuring out your campaign’s optimal frequency to achieve maximum effectiveness. In academic circles, the process for figuring this out is known as “frequency value planning.”

    The lowest average frequency is 2 or 3, while the highest average frequency is 12. While you want to increase frequency beyond a single exposure, customers can experience burnout if the frequency is too high for too long. However, in some cases, a hyper-frequent campaign can be invaluable for drowning out your competition and getting faster recognition from your audience.

    Frequency versus Reach:
    Which Matters Most?

    Both reach and frequency are important to consider throughout the lifecycle of your campaign. But the value you place on these metrics really depends on your goals and the buying cycle for your product.

    Reach should be a high priority with a new campaign. If you’re promoting new products, packaging, or distribution, then reach is where you want to focus. Concentrating on reach is also more effective with a broad demographic.

    Frequency is a more important metric for facing stiff competition in your industry. When you’re struggling to establish yourself as an industry leader with your targeted audience, frequency is your primary focus. Frequency is most important for a narrowly defined audience within a very specific demographic.

    Having a professional media buying team on your side will help you understand the finer points of frequency and reach and target the right numbers for each campaign. Figment Design uses a proven, evidence-based approach to help our clients determine the reach and frequency goals of all their media buys. Our media planning team has the experience to achieve the optimal reach and frequency for your campaigns with as little waste as possible.

    For more information on how our company can help your business grow please fill out the form below.

  • Augmented Reality in Marketing

    Augmented Reality in Marketing

    Bring everyday objects to life

    aug·men·ted re·al·i·ty

    An enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device (as a smartphone camera); also : the technology used to create augmented reality.

    before-after

    Connect digital content with the real world using an augmented reality app. Scan print materials enhanced to view rich digital experiences right on top! Then be amazed as extra digital content appears, allowing you to interact with your world in a whole new way!

    qr-ar

    Download app and try it with the two samples below.

    an-play apple-store

    Sample 1

    FD_Services

    Sample 2

    VIDEODISPLAY

  • Don’t Be Last In Search Results

    Don’t Be Last In Search Results

    Take Your Google Search To The Next Level With Figment Design

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    Online Marketing Opportunities SEO/SEM/PPC

    A great website attracts more visitors, entices them to stay on the site longer, maximizes your conversion rate and increases sales. But how do you get them there? We have a full array of products that can deliver qualified visitors to your site. After all, you don’t need traffic… You need the RIGHT traffic!

    Having your site fully optimized for (Search Engine Optimization) improves your organic ranking and your site’s visibility, which in turn helps to achieve more qualified traffic.

    We combine many key steps to improve your site’s ranking; on-page/off-page tactics, key word analysis, code optimization, link building, professionally written content, PPC-pay per click, banner ads, full mobile capabilities and a fully integrated reporting system that makes sense.

    seo-res

    If interested in one of the
    Services or to request a meeting
    so we can provide a detailed
    custom program click below

    click-btn

  • Looking For A Better Balance Between Direct And OTA Booking?

    Looking For A Better Balance Between Direct And OTA Booking?

    Complete Resort Packages – Figment Design
    Looking For A Better Balance Between Direct And OTA Booking?

    res-eb

    Looking For A Better Balance Between Direct And OTA Bookings? There’s no magic button that suddenly opens the floodgates to direct bookings. And while your striving to earn more direct bookings, how do you keep your market share of OTA business. Find out how we can help you adjust your revenue scale in a more favorable balance. COMPLETE RESORT PACKAGES, WEB/ONLINE PACKAGES, CREATIVE/BRANDING PACKAGES. Find Out More

    We Truly are a FULL Service Agency. At Figment Design we realize that clients are our partners and that we are an extension of their sales and marketing team. As a creative agency and marketing agency, we don’t just produce the work and walk away, we care about the results for our clients, and we work hard to ensure the results generate business.Whether it’s to develop your brand through new and exciting creative design, or to develop effective media campaigns that reach the right target, Located in Miami, FL (Coconut Grove) The Figment Design has a team that will focus on you and meet your needs. We pride ourselves in being hands on. This is an advertising agency that will actually listen to your needs, work diligently in collaboration with you, your thoughts, ideas and concerns, with the ultimate goal of generating powerful results. Though services are expansive and cover a lot of ground within this industry, the professionals at Figment have been working in their respective fields for many years successfully and can easily navigate our clients/partners through the various aspects of the advertising process. We are a full service agency offering all services from Creative Development to final production… we are A Creative Powerhouse. We offer our expertise in all aspects of advertising including: graphic design, web design, full service printing, direct mail, brochures, fulfillment and distribution. Additionally, we proudly offer photography, media planning and buying, promotional items, vehicle wraps and trade-show displays. And with an industry that is always changing and making technological advances, additional services are being added every day in order to better service our clients and their needs. (FIG-muh-nt) a mere mental invention, a creative imagination… isn’t this where advertising and marketing starts. We are the Creative Powerhouse that will take the time to learn your business and your competition, we then develop a business identity wrapped around you… and then the fun begins. Our creative team goes to work making you stand out from your competition. Once that is done, then the strategic thinking comes in and our marketing team figures out where your creative will earn you the best ROI. What is it worth if it doesn’t get to the right people and why waste money on the wrong people. We provide all services from start to finish, creative, web, marketing strategies, media buying and placement, even fulfillment and direct mail. Executive Offices – Coconut Grove (Miami, FL). Production – Doral, FL
  • Advertising

    Advertising

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    What is Advertising, really?

    Advertising is a form of communication for marketing and used to encourage or persuade your audience (viewers, readers or listeners; sometimes a specific group) to continue or take some new action. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering.  Advertising messages are usually paid for by sponsors and viewed via various traditional media; including mass media such as newspaper, magazines, television commercial, radio advertisement, outdoor advertising or direct mail; or new advertising media such as blogs, websites, banner ads, PPC or text messages.

    Commercial advertisers often seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through “branding” and brand building, which involves associating a product name or image with certain qualities in the minds of consumers. Non-commercial advertisers who spend money to advertise items other than a consumer product or service include political parties, interest groups, religious organizations and governmental agencies.

    Figment Design, an Advertising Agency located in the heart of Coconut Grove (Miami) – We love what we do and it shows in our work and our dedication.

    At Figment Design we realize that clients are our partners and that we are an extension of their internal sales and Marketing & Advertising team. As a creative advertising agency, we don’t just produce the work and walk away, we care about the results for our clients, and we work hard to ensure the results generate business both local and online.

    Whether it’s to develop your brand through new and exciting creative design, web design, internet advertising, conventional advertising or to develop effective media campaigns that reach the right target, Figment Design has a team that will focus on you and meet your needs. We pride ourselves in being hands on. This is a professional advertising agency that will actually listen to your advertising, marketing and website needs, work diligently in collaboration with you, your thoughts, ideas and concerns, with the ultimate goal of generating powerful results both online and using conventional methods.  We work with all local business in florida both large and small customers as well as national and international clients for their advertising, creative and marketing needs.

    [rev_slider_vc alias=”services”]

    We Truly are a FULL Service Advertising Agency that specializes in Design, Branding & Marketing

    We offer our expertise in all aspects of advertising

    Though our advertising, marketing and design services are expansive and cover a lot of ground within this industry, the professionals at Figment Design (Coconut Grove), Miami Advertising Agency have been working in their respective fields for many years successfully and can easily navigate our clients/partners through the various aspects of the advertising / marketing / design process.

    We offer our advertising, marketing and design expertise in all aspects of advertising including: graphic design, web design, website development, wordpress development, wordpress design, online advertising, web marketing, full service printing, direct mail, brochures, fulfillment and distribution. Additionally, we proudly offer photography, aerial photography & video, media planning and buying, promotional items, vehicle wraps and trade-show displays. With an industry that is always changing and making technological advances, additional services are being added every day in order to better service our clients and their advertising, marketing and design needs.

    [cudazi_tab_group][cudazi_tab title=’Services’][wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    SERVICES

    We Truly are a FULL Service Agency Though services are expansive and cover a lot of ground within this industry, the professionals at Figment have been working in their respective fields for many years successfully and can easily navigate our clients/partners through the various aspects of the advertising process. We offer our expertise in all aspects of advertising including: graphic design, web design, full service printing, direct mail, brochures, fulfillment and distribution. Additionally, we proudly offer photography, media planning and buying, promotional items, vehicle wraps and tradeshow displays. And with an industry that is always changing and making technological advances, additional services are being added every day in order to better service our clients and their needs. [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Media’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    MEDIA • MARKETING

    Your brand and message may be great…but who is seeing it? No matter how good your message is, if it doesn’t get in front of the right audience, then it is just a waste. Our CEO likes to say, “don’t advertise a pork chop sale to the pigs, advertise it to the pig farmers!” We not only focus on your message, but that its getting to the audience that will respond and be interested. The days of throwing mud at the side of the building and seeing what sticks is gone, now it is all about the ROI. Let us show you what our media department can do for you: research, planning, placement and management. Click here for more about Media Marketing [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Brand’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    BRAND

    Who Are you?…Really!! If your branding is not consistent, then how are your customers going to recognize you in a sea of competition. You have to know who you are, before you decide what you look like. If you need help with branding, we have a team of professionals ready to create a new brand or re-brand what you have. Let us show you a look that says who you are; we can help you find yourself, or re-define yourself. Click here for more about Branding [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Print’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    PRINT

    Yes, we still print on that white stuff… Even though the industry has changed; printing has also evolved and now there are new papers, new inks and different types of specialized printing styles. With so many different types of printing, it’s always reassuring that your agency knows the methods inside and out. We not only understand it, we specialize in it. From Sheet Fed, to Web, to large format, to shirts and promotional items…it all falls under printing. So let us work with you on your next project and show you the difference. Click here for more about Print [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Web’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    WEB

    Everyone is using it…even you! No matter what you do, it seems that somehow or someway you have to use the internet. The first thing you do to “check something out” is to look them up on the web. Make sure that your web presence is searchable, but then make sure your future clients are just as comfortable on your site as they would in your lobby. Make your site inviting. Figment has your solution; from initial design, development, programming, mobile devices and much more. Click here for more about Web [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Photography’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    PHOTOGRAPHY

    A picture is worth a 1,000……yes, we all know that one! But it’s still true. If you are looking to promote a product, food, hotel, business, anything, you have to have something to show the customer that is appealing. In today’s world where everyone has a camera, you find a lot of “Photographers”, but when the final shots come in, this is when you find out the truth. So many details go into a real photo shoot: Lighting, time of day, location, models, travel…we plan according to the clients final production and we make sure our client has peace of mind all along the way. Click here for more about Photography [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Aerial Photography’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    AERIAL & PHOTOGRAPHY

    HD Aerial Photography & Video All of our helicopters have functioning gimball mounts that are stabilized using the latest technology to eliminate as much vibration as possible. This is especially important when using smaller version cameras that don’t have the stabilizing lenses. All of our ships will fly with GoPro Hero II cameras. These are known for their quality, color enhancements, and just an all around great video camera for the size. These cameras are small enough that our helicopters can maneuver quickly and have good flexibility in the air. Click here for Aerial Photography [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [cudazi_tab title=’Video’] [wc_row][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”first”] [/wc_column][wc_column size=”one-half” position=”last”]

    Video & Production

    This is not your family or wedding video we’re talking about. Today there are so many different ways to create commercials, documentaries, webisodes and more. And each of these has a different budget that varies according to quality and production. At Figment we have experience in shooting large scale productions to small viral video sequences. We can create storyboards for your project, plan the shoot, organize locations, directors and videographers, and edit in-house; from pre to post, we’re ready to roll. [/wc_column][/wc_row] [/cudazi_tab] [/cudazi_tab_group]

    [rev_slider_vc alias=”work”]
    Figment_Mob1_480x480

    Some examples of our work.  Below you will find several pieces of our work including large format printing, design, marketing, advertising, print, web, development, animation, logo design, wraps both for vehicle and windows as well as outdoor signs, billboards, videos and trade show displays.   Simply click the icons below to view our advertising, marketing and design examples.

    [g-collection cid=”143″ filter=”0″]

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    We realize that clients are our partners and that we are an extension of their sales and marketing team. As a creative agency and marketing agency, we don’t just produce the work and walk away, we care about the results for our clients, and we work hard to ensure the results generate business.

    [cs-extra-map heading_size=”h1″ address=”2977 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133″ coordinate=”25.7276882,-80.2411857″ infoclick=”1″ infowidth=”200″ type=”TERRAIN” zoom=”13″ width=”auto” height=”350px” scrollwheel=”” pancontrol=”” zoomcontrol=”” scalecontrol=”” maptypecontrol=”” streetviewcontrol=”1″ overviewmapcontrol=”1″ api=”AIzaSyDQULkLFBBs6U06_zKUtuB4BzD0TWEH3Wg” markercoordinate=”25.7276882,-80.2411857″ markertitle=”Figment Design
    2977 McFarlane Road, Coconut Grove, FL 33133″ markerdesc=”Branding – Creative – Web – Social – Marketing – Photography – Video” style=”blue-water”][/cs-extra-map]

    Please fill this form

    or contact us using the information on the right

  • Figment Design – A New Year A New Look

    Figment Design – A New Year A New Look

    Figment Design’s new site is brand new!

    01

    New ways to check our Work!

    02

    It’s easy to check out our Services!

    03

  • Things to Do and Places to Go When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry

    Things to Do and Places to Go When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry

    You’ve been busy creating campaign concepts, logo designs or ad copy and things are clicking and when the next job comes along you feel like your creative tank is empty. We all know and dread that this day will come. You think and think and the ideas just don’t come easily or at all. What do you do to get that creative spark back? Depending on the project you are working on, there are several things you can do to help yourself. Keep in mind this is not an exact science. One or all of these suggestions may or may not work for you or as they say… “Your mileage may vary”.

    1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

    When given the assignment, if client is present or you’re working with the art director, don’t be afraid to ask questions and take good notes. Also, if you are working with a copywriter, good collaboration can make all the difference in the world. There is a great article at Roundpeg, “Help Me Help You: 5 Tips for Working with a Copywriter“ that offers great tips on the subject.

    1. Try and talk your way out of it.

    Sometimes talking about it with others can help trigger an idea. Talk with other co-workers and designers about your creative funk and be open to suggestions. If you’re a freelancer and work alone, talk with other designers you have collaborated with or friends that are designers. You never know, someone may just say that one word that triggers a spark. Friends help friends.

    1. A change of scenery might do you good.

    If sitting behind your desk staring at the screen isn’t helping you, then grab yourself a pad and a pencil. Moving away from the electronic routine is what I sometimes prefer rather than bringing along a tablet or laptop. Changing up the usual modus operandi can make you think in a different way. Go sit on the couch, go to a Starbucks, or grab some fresh air on a balcony or terrace. Just by changing your surroundings, you’ll stimulate your brain just by what you see going around you. Sometimes if things are too hectic in the office and there’s too much commotion, opt to move somewhere else. If you can’t, put on some headphones and play some music you really like to groove to. I have found that going to your local bookstore is great place for inspiration. Looking at design books or magazines can get the creative juices flowing. You might even find a new magazine you’ll want to subscribe to.

    1. Don’t underestimate the power of the thumbnail sketch.

    I know we are in the digital age but sometimes you can’t beat roughing out ideas or layout compositions on paper with my personal favorite… Post-its. If you have a tablet with a stylus that works too! Sometimes I might have a small kernel of an idea. I start with simple roughs of the layout and pretty soon it will snowball to several thumbnail iterations. I will take that and go back to my Mac and build on. Sometimes simpler beginnings are a better start in getting an idea to grow.

     

    1. Rev up the search engine!

    With the Internet, we have an unlimited archive within reach of our fingertips. There are hundreds and thousands of sites that can guide and inspire. They can offer great case studies of how others have tackled creative challenges. The Internet can also offer you a global perspective. The worldwide web really is worldwide and can offer ideas and suggestions from freelancers and firms from around the world. Some of my personal favorite sites are:

    creative well

    http://www.deviantart.com/ (Illustrations)

    https://www.behance.net/     (Graphic Design, Photography, Interaction,  Design, Art Direction, Illustration)

    https://www.tumblr.com/     (Graphic Design, Photography, Interaction, Design, Art Direction, Illustration and more!)

    http://www.adteachings.com/ (Copywriting and Print Campaigns)

    http://www.aiga.org/ (American Institute of Graphic Arts)

  • Content, Social Media

    “Content is Fire, Social Media is Gasoline.”

    – Jay Bear, Convince and Convert