CMYK, RGB, Raster, Vector....what does it all mean? Navigate the terms used by designers so you can make the best decisions for your print & web branding projects.

Think you want your neighbor's kid to create your website for you? Think again. Not only does a website require a professional looking website, but most people don't even consider the technicalities of all the back-end work that is done with programmers, security, maintenance, IT, etc. Today, I'll give you a glimpse of what is required just from the designer's perspective.

Today's web designers skills go beyond software knowledge. In addition to technical skills, web designers must possess the following:

These days, great content and images go hand in hand. In fact, image-based social sharing sites like Tumblr and Vine have been gaining ground and as a result Facebook and Twitter have been making their sites more photo-friendly.

This is only a problem when people unknowingly use photos without considering copyright and legal issues. Every blogger is pulling pictures off Pinterest or Google and sharing photos right?  Maybe some are, but they’re doing it wrong.

1. Neglecting the Importance of Repeat Customers

Why would repeat customers be so important to your business? Simply this: trust. Don't forget that 80% of your business comes from those who already are familiar with your products and only 20% of business come from new customers. Think of your repeat customers being the bread and butter for your company.

In social media, the World Cup is becoming the biggest social media event ever. We can learn a few things from World Cup Fever that will guide you in examples of ways to create visual content and user engagement:

1. Always use appropriate humor. You can never go wrong with it. After all, it is the best medicine.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and in the world of web, a picture simply generates more engagement.

This past week, I was introduced to Canva, an online design resource company based in Australia. I was especially excited to read that Former Chief Evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki, joined the ranks of this Canva and  had this to say:

Why should I use the hashtag?

Myth #1. If you build it, they will come.

Did you know that more than half of Americans own or work for a small business? Entrepreneurs were honored and celebrated their efforts this past week during National Small Business Week. According to the US Small Business Administration, 28 million small businesses create two out of every three private sector jobs.   You’ve heard it said that small businesses are the backbone of our nation.

I am not about reinventing the wheel and found that the best resource regarding the social media sizes to be from InfinPixels. 

InfinPixels has made it easy to see not only the required sizes for upload, but also provides a beautiful visual of how the pieces fit for each website starting with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, and Pinterest. Their infographic is beautifully and simply designed.