When you run an online business, your online presence can make or break your business. This applies to people who have an ecommerce store and tradies or professionals who advertise their services online, as much as it does to online marketers. Your online presence can take many forms, from how you interact with your customers […]
Is your website mobile friendly? How do you check and what are your options? Responsive vs dedicated mobile websites – which is best for your business?
6 tips for WordPress beginners that will help you make the most out of WordPress, increase your loading speeds and save you lots of wasted time.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is a vital part of your website, so here are 20 SEO tips to help increase your rankings, gain more traffic and ramp up sales.
Are your marketing materials filled with meaningless, trendy buzzwords? It’s time to take a fresh approach and communicate your intentions clearly and succinctly.
The advantages and disadvantages of simple and minimalistic flat web designs vs realism based, 3D skeuomorphism designs for your business.
5 steps that will help ensure your branding starts off from a point of strength
Rebranding your company involves 5 strategic steps that successfully reposition your brand within the marketplace.
Rebranding mistakes abound – here are two big brands that got it wrong and how you can avoid their mistakes.
Branding is not a short term marketing campaign – it is the fundamental core of a company. Your brand is not only your logo, it is your message to the world.
In todays’ global marketplace and with the rise of the internet, consumer influence is a huge factor in the success or demise of a brand. Refreshing your brand and subsequent message helps to refocus your offering, your team and lets your clients know that your listening and ready to adapt to their needs.
Every successful business owner has had to answer one single question – why should consumers buy our products or services? And it is your USP that helps to answer that question. So what is a USP? Your USP is your unique selling proposition. It is a statement or phrase that sets you apart from the […]
ShoeBox Creative is a graphic design company in the Northern Beaches of Sydney, and we specialise in communication solutions for businesses. Specifically, we focus on brand design - we help you identify and build a brand that sends a clear message to your customers about your product or services.
Forecasting the near future in design is a reflection of society’s concerns. With such rapid shifts in technology and social media, consumers react to a fear of being left behind. At one time, keeping up with trends meant reading a monthly journal. Now, not only do we have to read daily blogs, but we are […]
We are proud to announce that the first range of Tasty Cards have been delivered hot out of the oven and are currently making their way into selected shops around Australia and the UK.
Over the past 15 weeks I have been lucky enough to assistant teach at Billy Blue College of Design in Sydney with Amanda Teer, the students are in their final year on a course that teaches the fundamentals of good design communication.
After completing two new artworks, I was surprised when Poppy, my 4 year old daughter grabbed hold of the reference photos and decided that they were too dull. After a quick think about which colours their faces suited, off she went with her brushes and watercolour set.
It is quite rare that I go back to see a piece of visual art three times, but that is exactly what I did last week and quite possibly I will go again! The Clock by Christian Marclay is one of the most amazing pieces of moving visual art I have seen and it is […]
A very good friend who is listed below guided me to Derek Sivers website and suggested I have a go at making this list. Without using an address book, phone or the ever present facebook, the idea is to list all the friends I have met and connected with in my life so far, its a fun exercise and one that helps you realise that you meet some pretty amazing people in this life, something to be eternally grateful for!
Some fantastic talks over at the99percent.com which I recommend you check out if you have ever suffered from the fear of failure, Milton Glaser is my favourite which you can watch below, awesome! Milton Glaser on the fear of failure
Amazing animated GIFs created by Jamie Beck, a NYC based photographer. The allure is simple: rather than overtly drawing your attention to obvious movement, these animations are very subtle and controlled. I think they are gorgeous!!
I read a very interesting chapter in John Maeda’s book ‘Simplicity’ today, it spoke about how in some cases, a certain kind of more is always better than less–more care, more love, and more meaningful actions. In the design world that I live in, I work to the mantra that less is more–less words, less […]
Very excited to announce that one of my designs has been chosen to feature in the wear it with pride campaign. Please support this worthy cause… Thanks guys
I read this wonderful comment today that really summed up my feelings about running a business… Show me that you solve my problems better than anyone else, show me that you’ve done it before, show me that you care about me and give me a customer experience that I’ll remember – then I’m a push […]
Vince Frost has always been an inspiration and in this video he explains why… In the studio from Vince Frost on Vimeo.
Today I took my daughter for her first taste of art that does not involve cutting, sticking or glitter and generally leaves the hands clean after viewing. Yes, we ventured into the world of the Archibald at the Art Gallery in Sydney, and after queuing for what seemed like an extraordinary amount of time for […]
I regularly follow the great advice by the guys over at Flying Solo and this one by Zern really struck a chord with me so I thought I would regurgitate some of his fine words so others could benefit. The conventional business world is obsessed with big. The prevailing myth is that bigger is better […]
In these slightly uncertain times, it seems as if we still want answers and who better to provide them than Google. As a daily Google user I am not surprised that its brand value has risen by 25%, there really does not seem to be any other search engine on peoples lips! Be sure to […]
Amazing oil paintings by Parisian artist Francoise Nielly, who uses a palette knife to achieve the dramatic textures and bold line work that punctuates her portraits. Check out her website to see how she paints so dramatically. Oh so talented!!
The city of Melbourne has recently unveiled its new logo, the big M. Designed by Landor Associates in Sydney the Lord Mayor had this to say: ‘The new design will become an icon for Melbourne, synonymous with the modern, vibrant, cool city Melbourne is today and will continue to be in the future.’ There has […]
Japan’s graphic design master Shigeo Fukuda passed away last month. Fukuda created thousands of optical illusion posters — and some installations — that are so simple, clever and memorable and kept wowing the world for nearly fifty years. I had the joy of hearing him talk in Melbourne a few years ago and was so wowed by […]
Each year brandchannel.com does a huge survey into what brands are surging forward and which could do with some expert tweaking. So, just what does a man in Algeria between the ages of 40 and 45 feel about the McDonald’s brand? Or what does a woman in the Philippines between the ages of 26 and […]
Known as the Sliding House, this unique piece of architectural lateral thinking was designed by London-based practice de Rijke Marsh Morgan. The brief was for a self-build house where the client could grow food, entertain, enjoy the landscape and basically retire in peace. The outcome was three buildings arranged along a longitudinal axis, with a […]
A few weeks ago we wrote about the Brandjunkie awards, well the global results are in, from the most controversial brands to the most enticing package designs – highlighted by the thoughts, insights and opinions of all those who participated in the survey. Be sure to check the results here: www.brandchannel.com
The awards, hosted by Greenpeace Australia Pacific in conjunction with UniLife Inc. and the University of South Australia, were created to help raise awareness of environmental issues through innovation and creativity. Open to entrants worldwide until June 15, 2009, the brief is to design a poster that delivers the message “Be a Part of the […]
By now many of you are already informed about the proposed Orphan Works Act being introduced to the U.S. house and senate. For those unaware, this legislation, if enacted, can effectively undermine and dismantle your existing copyright protection. Currently, copyright is granted the moment a work is created. This new Orphan Works legislation proposes a […]
Effort is a choice, at least make it on purpose: 1. Delete 120 minutes a day of ‘spare time’ from your life. This can include TV, reading the newspaper, commuting, wasting time in social networks and meetings. Up to you. 2. Spend the 120 minutes doing this instead: Exercise for thirty minutes.
Stress is a function of our primal origins. When the body is under stress, it boosts production of cortisol to support the ‘fight or flight’ response we all have at the heart of our operating system. If the hormone remains elevated in the bloodstream for long periods of time, though, it wears down the immune […]
My bestest buddy Tommy Penton is about to release his new book called Tate to Tate, its an amazing illustrated journey through the Southbank of London, where the reader is taken on a visual journey from the Tate Britain to the Tate Modern. Tommy’s illustration style is truly amazing with so much to see in […]
I was wandering around the web today, as you do, and came across and interesting collection of ideas for self promoting ourselves, I have included the first 10 here and will include the link so you can read the rest, if you have any additional ideas that are not included, send them in and we […]
1. Don’t just fill up space Just like you need darkness to appreciate light, you need white space to make your documents more legible. You don’t have to fill up every square centimetre with text or images: less IS more. Increasing the margins of your typical A4 document by 2cm will often improve the layout […]
Wow, isn’t it amazing how these days we have so much access to viewing the talents of so many people around the world, the reason I am writing this is that I read this month’s copy of idN magazine and its so full of raw talent, people doing amazing things that really push the boundaries […]
while surfing today, we saw what looked like an enormous fish jump out of the water and chase something, it wasnt a dolphin, hmmmmm. I wonder if your brain always play tricks on you as in your subconscious you are almost expecting to see something scary///Good design day today, started work on the bitmap paintings […]