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Sustainable Graphic Design

Sustainability refers to the balanced use of natural, social, and economic resources for the continued health of the planet for future generations. This means minimizing the use of processes and materials that will jeopardize the ability of future generations to survive and thrive. Manifestations of sustainable design require renewable resources, impact the environment minimally, and connect people with the natural environment. Sustainable design principles While the practical application varies among disciplines, some common principles are as follows: Low-impact materials: choose non-toxic, sustainably produced or recycled materials which require little energy to process Energy efficiency: use manufacturing processes and produce products which require less energy Emotionally durable design: reducing consumption and waste of resources by increasing the durability of relationships between people and products, through design Design for reuse and recycling: “Products, processes, and systems should be designed for performance in a commercial ‘afterlife’.” Design impact measures for total carbon footprint and lifecycle assessment for any resource used are increasingly required and available. Many are complex, but some give quick and accurate whole-earth estimates of impacts. One measure estimates any spending as consuming an average economic share of global energy use of 8,000 BTU (8,400 kJ) per dollar and producing CO2 at the average rate of 0.57 kg of CO2 per dollar (1995 dollars US) from DOE figures. Biomimicry: “redesigning industrial systems on biological lines … enabling the constant reuse of materials in continuous closed cycles…” Renewable resource: materials should come from nearby (local or bioregional), sustainably managed renewable sources that can be composted when their usefulness has been exhausted. What is Sustainable Graphic Design? Sustainable graphic design is the application of sustainability principles to graphic design. It considers the environmental impacts of graphic design products (such as packaging, printed materials, publications, etc.) throughout a life cycle that includes: raw material; transformation; manufacturing; transportation; use; and disposal. (Wikipedia.org) The Sustainability Checklist for Packaging Whilst there isn’t a ‘one strategy fits all’ approach when it comes to sustainable packaging, the FDF (the Food & Drink Federation) and INCPEN (the Industry Council for research on Packaging and the Environment) have jointly prepared: ‘Packaging for people, planet and pro t – a sustainability checklist’. (http://www.fdf.org.uk/publicgeneral/Packagingchecklist.pdf) The checklist is designed to help companies choose and optimise their packaging systems in order to continuously improve the sustainability of their value chains. Fast Steps To Greener Printing Use less paper by specifying lighterweight paper, using both sides, and…

We live in a branded world. Everything is branded, whether it is a large corporation, small tech startup, or your new business idea. They all need identity systems in order to attract and retain customers. Business who understands the true value of investing in branding understands they’ll get a return. The value of your brand is determined by your customer. The way they perceive, feel, connect and act as a result of your brand- this is brand equity. Investing in your brand will allow you to tap into these value-driving elements. Let’s take a look at the important ways a strong brand impacts your business: 1. It builds trust and name recognition You need to find a way to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack, and that’s exactly what branding does. Branding invokes a feeling of trust. When people recognise who you are, there’s familiarity that makes it comfortable to do business with you. A professional appearance builds credibility. 2. Branding builds financial value A strong brand usually guarantees future business. 3. It drives consistency A focus on branding forces you to consider exactly what your visual language should be, what colours you employ, how your marketing materials visually and emotionally communicate. Having these decisions made makes future strategies easier to put together and keeps your brand consistent. 4. It keeps employees on-track When your employees understand what your company stands for and who it’s aiming to serve, it helps them with brand recall, that allows them to think about the brand in all of their daily interactions with their colleagues and their clients. 5. Your brand is one of your most valuable assets With a brand that justifies differentiation, companies can command a premium price, increased awareness helps to build brand equity, recognition, and customer loyalty, boosting the value and reach of your company. 6. Brands set expectations We live in a world based on promises. We have an unspoken contract with the people we live and work with, that they will do what they say they’ll do. We have similar agreements with companies, products and services.

When it comes to branding, the power of colour is both emotional and practical. On an emotional level, it can affect how consumers feel when they look at a brand, while on a practical level it can help a brand stand out in the crowd. A number of studies on the relationship between colour and branding reveal that up to 90% of snap judgments made about products can be based on colour alone, that colours influence how consumers view the ‘personality’ of the brand in question, and that the relationship between brands and colour hinges on the perceived appropriateness of the colour being the right ‘fit’ for the particular brand. When you learn the psychology behind colour, your branding colours can speak and attract your most valuable clients. People are visual beings and colour evokes emotion, reinforcing your brand characteristics. For your business branding, you can use colour to gain your audience’s attention, put them in a specific frame of mind, and positively impact their emotions. RED Red – For Danger, Passion, Excitement & Energy Red is the colour of fire, danger, and blood on one hand; and love, sexuality and passion on the other. It is a bold, energetic and lively colour that can symbolize strength, confidence and power. Red is probably still one of the best marketing colours you can use to attract more attention. It’s associated with passion and excitement as well as with creating a sense of urgency. Meaning: Power Passion Energy Fearlessness Strength Excitement ORANGE Orange – Fresh, Youthful, Creative & Adventurous Blending the warmth of red and the optimism of yellow, orange communicates activity and energy. Meaning: Courage Confidence Warmth Innovation Friendliness Energy YELLOW Yellow – Optimistic, Cheerful, Playful & Happy Yellow communicates cheerfulness, friendliness, joy and energy, it can also be associated with mental clarity and intellect. Yellow is the colour we notice fastest, especially in our peripheral vision, which explains why it is used for tennis balls, police tape, security vests, road signs, and school buses. It is also a colour often used by many companies to signify optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Meaning: Optimism Warmth Happiness Creativity Intellect Extraversion GREEN Green – Natural, Vitality, Prestige & Wealth Green has two very common meanings that are quite paradoxical; one being nature and the environment, and the other being finance and wealth. When it comes to nature, green represents plant life and growth and is consequently used…

Archetype: (ahr-ki-tahyp) noun: a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, universally present in individual psyches: a model or first form prototype. Rooted in our collective unconscious, the concept of an archetype shaping a personality was advanced by C.G.Jung. Archetypes represent a pattern of ideas and way of thinking that is consistent across time, generations and cultures. Their use in a brand context typically categorizes them into 12 primary archetypes, symbolizing basic human motivations, meanings, values and traits. The use of archetypes is a proven method for revealing truly unique brand characters. An archetypal approach is a key source of differentiation in a competitive landscape. Archetypes help uncover and bring your story to life in a way that creates magnetic attraction- the illusive piece that builds lasting value. Archetypes help us understand what motivates an individual, and they work in a similar way for a brand. When revealed, and made intentional, these universal patters of behaviour can help individuals and companies stay true to their mission and brand promise. Functioning as a sort of compass, this creates loyalty with all stakeholders, including buyers, suppliers, shareholders, and employees. If a brand is about what you stand for, then embodying your organisation’s archetype can guide brand development and connect people to your organisation, in subtle yet powerful ways. A 2000 study by Y&R and Stern Stewart showed that the strength of a brand identity’s archetypal association positively influenced the company’s real asset valuation by 66%. Working with archetypes to guide the strategy, relationships, products, services and artifacts for your business helps to resolve brand and culture inconsistencies, enhance trust and relatedness with all stakeholders, and increases your impact. “You now have to decide what ‘image’ you want for your brand. Image means personality. Products, like people, have personalities, and they can make or break them in the market place”.- David Ogilvy To create a strong archetype- driven strategy, brands must consider: – The archetype description: The personality traits, common behaviours, and brands and characters that embody this archetype – The brand idea: How does it tie to the archetype? – The brand’s personality attributes, which should be based on the archetype – The brand’s beliefs and values, which should represent the archetype The 12 Archetypes Each individual archetype has its own set of values, mission statement and personality traits. While your brand may identify with a few different archetypes, typically one…

Brand Identity was mentioned for the first time in Europe by Kapferer in 1986. It is the outward expression of the brand including its name, trademark, communications and visual appearance. The brand’s identity is its fundamental means of consumer recognition and symbolizes the brand’s differentiation from competitors. Strong brands are capable of weaving all aspects into an effective whole in order to create a concise, clear and appealing brand identity. Jean-Noel Kapferer Professor Jean-Noel Kapferer represents brand identity diagrammatically as a six sided prism: Aspects of Brand Identity Prism: 1. Physique is the set of the brand’s physical features, which are evoked in people’s minds when the brand name is mentioned. Kapferer states that this aspect has to be considered the basis of the brand. Key questions regarding this aspect are: what does the brand look like? What can a consumer do with it in terms of functionality? And how can it be recognized? It is also important to have a clear flagship product representing the brand’s overall qualities. A good example is- in Kapferer’s opinion – the Orangina brand. Due to the consistent use of the round orange-textured bottle, Orangina has managed to create a differentiating and recognizable market position for the brand. Kapferer furthermore states that no brand will be able to do without drawing attention to its material benefits. Even strong image brands, such as Hugo Boss, Max Factor and D&G, have to express in their advertising that they are selling clothes and/or lipstick. The tricky part is to do so in a recognizable and differentiating fashion. 2. Personality is the brand’s character. By communicating with consumers in a certain way, these can be given the feeling that all brand-related communication actually constitutes a person with specific character traits speaking to them. This can be realized by using a specific style of writing, using specific design features, and using specific colour schemes, for example. Endorsements in the shape of persons recommending a brand can literally give flesh to a brand’s character. Well-known examples are George Clooney for Nespresso and Jamie Oliver for Sainsbury’s. 3. Culture is the system of values and basic principles on which a brand has to base its behaviour (products and communication). Culture is the direct link between brand and organisation. Many associations in this area are linked to the country of origin; Coca-Cola appeals to American values, Mercedes-Benz to German…

What is a brand? According to Wikipedia “a brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or other feature that distinguishes an organization or product from its rivals in the eyes of the customer.” The practice of branding is thought to have begun with the ancient Egyptians who were known to have engaged in livestock branding as early as 2,700 BC. Branding was used to differentiate one person’s cattle from another’s by means of a distinctive symbol burned into the animal’s skin with a hot branding iron. If a person would steal the animals, anyone could detect the symbol and deduce the actual owner. However, the term has been extended to mean a strategic personality for a product or company, so that ‘brand’ now suggests the values and promises that a consumer may perceive and buy into. In a nutshell “Branding is a set of marketing and communication methods that help to distinguish a company or products from competitors, aiming to create a lasting impression in the minds of customers. The key components that form a brand’s toolbox include a brand’s identity, brand communication (such as by logos and trademarks), brand awareness, brand loyalty, and various branding (brand management) strategies.”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brand A brand can deliver: • Awareness • Improved image and perception of value • Preference for product/service • Increased engagement and market share • Loyalty • Increased revenue Branding is a very complex topic and plenty of books are written about it. It is not easy to define what a brand is, along with how to create, manage, and value it. I would like to include a part of a well written, and well-researched, in-depth article about essentials of branding by Landor. This article was first published as Chapter 4 in The Big Book of Marketing: Lessons and Best Practices from the World’s Greatest Companies, edited by Anthony G. Bennett (McGraw-Hill, 2010). “There are museum brands (Guggenheim, Smithsonian), people brands (Martha Stewart, David Beckham), political brands (Labour versus Conservatives), destination brands (Australia, Hong Kong), sport brands (Manchester United, New York Yankees, Super Bowl), nonprofit brands (Red Cross, Oxfam, RED), branded associations (YMCA, PGA), along with the product, service, and corporate brands with which we are all familiar. Brands help people make a choice, a choice among salts, financial institutions, political parties, and so on, and the choices are increasing. The purpose of branding is to ensure that your product…

A handy page full of resources, tools and business apps for entrepreneurs and business people. DIRECTORIES Startup Stash– A curated directory of 400 resources & tools for startups Maker book– A directory of the best free resources for creatives Marketing Stack– A curated directory of marketing resources & tools Blue vertigo– A directory of web design resources Freebie.Supply– Awesome free things for entrepreneurs & startups NoDesk– A curated collection of resources for the digital nomad Content Marketing– Stack A curated directory of content marketing resources Startup Resources– Tightly curated lists of the best startup tools Startup with Google– “With products, insights, and community programs, we support those who move things forward” Tools and resources, by Nesta NAME GENERATORS Domainr– Free domain name search Knowem– Search tool for domains and trademarks Impossibility– The best domain name generator ever Wordoid– suggests creative names for your product, domain, or product HOSTING HostWinds VPS– Web hosting Siteground– Secure and tailored web hosting Bluehost– Hosting BUILDING WEBSITE WordPress.org– Open source software you can use to create a beautiful website, blog, or app Genesis Framework– Genesis provides the secure and search-engine-optimized foundation Squarespace– Website builder PortfolioBox– Online portfolio builder for creatives Themeforest– Website themes and templates ECOMMERCE Shopify– Sell your product on this popular online store WooCommerce– WordPress ecommerce plugin PAYMENT Stripe– APIs and tools to accept and manage online payments Paypal– Send and receive payments online Quickbooks– Online accounting software FreshBooks– Small business accounting software Wave– Free accounting software and seamlessly integrated financial services ANALYTICS Google Analytics– Free web analytics and optimizer SEMRush– Advanced SEO/PPC keyword research tool Google AdWords– A free AdWords tool and Keyword Planner KISSmetrics– “Track, analyze and optimize your digital marketing performance. We show you what’s working and what’s not across all campaigns.” Google Trends– Provides the most popular online searches Google Keyword Planner– See how many people are searching relevant terms EMAIL MailChimp– Used to gain subscriber profiles and send out personalized and automated emails Boomerang– Gmail tool used to schedule emails and follow-up reminders SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING Hootsuite– “Manage social networks, schedule messages, engage your audiences, and measure ROI right from the dashboard” Buffer– Simple social media marketing software AUTOMATION/ BOTS ManyChat– ManyChat lets you create a Facebook Messenger bot for marketing, sales and support Chatfuel– Facebook bot builder Drift– Conversational marketing platform PR HARO (Help A Reporter Out) – share your expertise with a reporter PRWeb– The…

My design process for a full Brand Package looks something like this. First week Step 1: Research & Discovery – Research, filling out creative briefs, website planner, creating a mood board and brand strategy guide. Research phase usually entails taking into account competitors, market trends, product/service differentiators, the history of the business, and the future of it as well. I also set up a private board on Pinterest for clients to fill it with images, as it is a handy tool for rounding up visual inspiration online for a brand. After collecting all information and inspiration, I spend time sketching logo ideas. I digitize the sketches and prepare 3 solid concepts for the logo. After discussing the three options, one logo option is chosen for finalizing. Two revisions Second week Step 2: Brand Identity Design – Finalizing logo Third and fourth weeks Step 2: Brand Identity Design – Brandbook creation (if applicable) Step 3: Marketing Materials – Social media banners, business cards, newsletter templates, etc. Step 4: Website Design – WordPress or Squarespace setup, page layout, brand & content implementation. Step 5: Launch! All process takes approximately 1 month.