Contrast is created by including elements that arevisually distinct from one another in terms of color, size, font, shape, and so on.

Contrast 

Composition represents the arrangement of design elements that give your work a well-defined and easy-to-navigate structure. In graphic design, it is called "layout" and plays a significant role in creating an enjoyable experience.

Composition & Layout

Hierarchy refers to the organization of elements based on their level of importance in order to add structure, establish visual organization, generate impact, and make it easier for the viewer to navigate. In order to create hierarchy, you can use tools like size, positions, color, contrast, repetition, alignment.

HIERARCHY

A mock-up is an easy approach to test your design ideas of your products to see how they will look like in a physical form. It can help you save time and money if the final product is not satisfying.

Mock-Up

File formats help you encode art, graphics and photos digitally. The common formats include: AI, EPS, PDF for vector graphics and GIF, JPEG, PNG, PSD and TIFF for raster graphics.

FILE TYPES

White-space or negative-space is the distance orspace that doesn't contain any, images graphics, or text. It can help layouts breathe and make things look less cluttered.

White-Space

Widows and orphans refer to lonely words separated from the paragraph, either at the top or at the bottom. Rags refer to the line breaks at sides of each paragraph.

WIDOWS, ORPHANS & RAGS

Stock photos are existing licensed images that are created by a third party. The major benefit of using stock content is that it reduces costs by providing content you might otherwise need to make or hire for. It has a tendency to look fake ifoverused and lowers the credibility of your brand.

STOCK CONTENT

As design gets more and more integrated into businesses it’s crucial that business leaders know how to speak the language. These ideas cover the basics of design language so you can start communicating better with your creative team!

Here are eight design process terms every executive needs to know to have effective communication with their designer.

marketingandsales

Marketing & Sales

problemsolving

Problem Solving

communication

Communication

business

Business

product

Product & Design

8 Design terms every business leader should know

People who regularly practice gratefulness report increased levels of happiness and psychological well-being. <ol><li>They sleep Better</li><li>They have more success at work</li><li>They have better relationships</li><li>They see and value gifts more</li></ol>This is one easy way to start your morning right. I like to use my iPad and voice dictation.

Write in your gratitude journal. 

While you are asleep, your body replenishes energy, repairs itself, and balances the hormones in the body. This usually results in toxins and other waste materials being released. 1 Glass of Water Will:<ol><li>flush out any unwanted toxins from your body. </li><li>Kickstart your body and increase alertness</li><li>Drinking water on an empty stomach can give your diet a boost and help in raising the metabolism by 25%</li></ol>

Drink 1 glass of water ASAP

Not only will washing your face in the morning get you out of bed. It will also help you stay looking pristine and confident. <ol><li>Removes unwanted skin debris during sleep. </li><li>Eliminates skin-producing oils and irritants.</li><li>Helps wake you up and open your eyes.</li></ol>

Wash your face

Starting your morning right can have a drastic effect on the rest of your day. It dictates how you will treat others, how you will view perspectives, and ultimately how happy you will be. All great leaders have a morning routine and this is a simple yet effective one I believe everyone can start implementing ASAP. 

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

motivationandinspiration

Motivation & Inspiration

entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

The Humble Morning Ritual

There are many free tools and resources that can get your new brand looking professional. This is my recommended list. I will update as I discover better tools.

How can new start-ups leverage technology?

Emails are so important, especially in B2B. Make sure you look like a real person with a real company the next time you cold email a prospect. It will make a difference. If you want a step-by-step guide on how to make a free one using <a href="https://signaturehound.com/">signature hound</a>, visit my article: <a href="https://www.evolvbam.com/post/create-an-email-signature">Create an Email Signature</a>.

Get a Great Looking Email Signature.

Every business needs to attempt to create a worthwhile brand. It doesn't always mean hiring expensive branding agencies and creating elaborate experiences. Looking legit can be affordable. 

startup

Startups

The Start-Up's Guide to Affordable, Professional Branding.

Author Blair Enns highlights what he believes are the 12 proclamations every professional creative firm should follow when they want to start running a successful practice. The 12 Proclamations:<ol><li>We will specialize </li><li>We Will Replace Presentations with Conversations</li><li>We Will Diagnose Before We Prescribe</li><li>We Will Rethink What it Means to Sell</li><li>We Will Do With Words What We Used to Do With Paper</li><li>We Will Be Selective</li><li>We Will Build Expertise Rapidly</li><li>We Will Not Solve Problems Before We Are Paid</li><li>We Will Address Issues of Money Early</li><li>We Will Refuse to Work at a Loss</li><li>We Will Charge More</li><li>We Will Hold Our Heads High</li></ol>

What is the Win Without Pitching Manifesto?

"If we are not seen as more expert than our competition, then we will be viewed as one in the sea of many and we will have little power in our relationships with our clients and prospects."We Must<ol><li>Choose a focus.</li><li>Articulate that focus via a consistent claim of expertise.</li><li>Constantly work to build the missing skills, abilities, and processes necessary to support our particular focus. </li></ol>What does this mean:Creatives often want to provide their services to every potential customer that comes their way. This is wrong. Focus on specializing in a particular service and industry segment.

I | We Will Specialize

"We will break free from our addiction to the big reveal and the adrenaline rush of putting ourselves in the win or lose situation of the presentation. Until we break ourselves from this addiction we will never get rid of the pitch."We Must:<ol><li>Establish the rules of collaboration before every engagement.</li><li>Never present creative work without an agreed-upon strategy.</li><li>Encourage client input on strategy.</li><li>Always review strategy before any creative work is shown.</li><li>Have fewer options of better quality.</li><li>Always present our work to decision-makers.</li></ol>What does this mean:Avoid one-sided pitching or presenting.

II | We Will Replace Presentations with Conversations

"Well it is common practice in the creative profession to prescribe solutions without fully and accurately diagnosing the problem. In almost every other profession such a sequence would render the professional liable for malpractice. Too often we are guilty of this flawed process and our clients are guilty of trying to impose such a process through the pitch."We must:<ol><li>Diagnose the problem </li><li>Prescribe the therapy</li><li>Apply the therapy</li><li>Reapply the therapy as necessary.</li></ol>What does this mean:A doctor will never start operating based on a self-diagnosis from a patient. Treat your clients the same.

III | We Will Diagnose Before We Prescribe.

"The first thing we must understand if we are to approach selling properly and respectfully, is that the client's motivation and by necessity our role as a salesperson evolves as he progresses through the buying cycle."To sell we must:<ol><li>Help the unaware.</li><li>Inspire the interested. </li><li>Reassure those who have formed intent. </li></ol>What does this mean: Many clients are unaware of bottlenecks within their business. Our job is not to sell a solution but to help them discover new opportunities, and inspire them to take action all through a careful and articulate demonstration of our expertise.

IV | We Will Rethink What It Means To Sell

As I continue to reread this book I will add more proclamation summaries and interpretations. Stash this if you love the book!  Erick Leon is a creative director and brand strategist at <a href="https://www.evolvbam.com">Evolv Branding Advertising & Marketing.</a>

Blair Enns takes a deep dive into what it takes to make a name for yourself as an agency or creative firm.  Explore the 12 proclamations with me as I reread the book! 

creativity

Creativity

books

Books

A manifesto of business practices for those who sell ideas and advice, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto lays out twelve steps in the form of proclamations that owners of creative businesses can take to distance themselves from their competition, regain the high ground in their client relationships and learn to win business without first parting with their thinking or writing lengthy proposals. The twelve proclamations were written to inspire owners of independent creative businesses (e.g.: design firms & advertising agencies) to rethink how their services are bought and sold. Anyone who sells ideas or advice will find relevance in their teachings. -- Amazon.

Blair Enns

The Win Without Pitching Manifesto

BAT is a token on the Brave browser that was built on top of the Ethereum token.Users with the brave browser have their interactions with digital ads stored on a blockchain ledger. From this information, BAT tokens are distributed to users and publishers on behalf of the marketing budget of the business. This allows for the right content to be served to users at the right time drastically increasing ad ROI. Publishers can also receive BAT tokens from users who find their content worthwhile. People's attention is more important than ever. Brave pays users for it. Read more about <a href="https://www.evolvbam.com/post/the-future-of-small-business-advertising">Brave.</a>

BASIC ATTENTION TOKEN & BRAVE BROWSER

It's important to constantly be keeping up to date with what the future of advertising beholds. This is my compilation of new SAAS companies, new advertising tactics, & marketing strategies. 

The future of Advertising

Under the pressure of hitting deadlines and meeting client expectations, it can be difficult to take a step back and really appreciate those who make some of the work possible. Here's a reminder to all the creative directors out there who work with freelancers:<ol><li class="ql-align-justify">They need context and clear direction.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">Like you, they need breathing room and time for revisions. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Review and support their work on digital platforms. </li><li class="ql-align-justify">Validate their strengths and support growth.</li><li class="ql-align-justify">If their work was bad, respectfully articulate why and never lie.</li></ol>Treat freelancers better, it's good for your brand. <a href="https://www.evolvbam.com/post/what-is-a-creative">Learn about creatives</a>

How to treat a creative freelancer.

Creatives want to tackle every problem that comes their way. Very rarely will you hear them say, "I can't do that." As creative leaders, we must understand the pride creatives hold and account for their ambition, and prevent their eventual burnout. If you don't bring up mental health as the leader, who will?Why do mental health and workload checkups matter?<ol><li>Provides a chance for your team to communicate difficulties in their life.</li><li>Cultivates a culture of asking for helping when work gets tough.</li><li>Shows that you care about people first. Then results. </li><li>Build loyalty and work-life balance for your team</li></ol>

Have mental health & workload conversations often.

In order to make great work, you need to surround yourself with great people. These are some reminders for the art directors, creative directors, and entrepreneurs who also believe that people come first, then their output. 