The Hello Lovely graphic design blog is packed with advice on design, branding and self publishing problems.
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I was talking to a copywriter client last week about his website, which we are in the process of creating, and he happened to say hard it was writing his own words. I hear this a lot and it’s the same for me with my promotional work and this website. When you go public it’s scary isn’t it?
Fonts and how they are used is so important to setting the scene. This goes for memes, websites, print, branding… anywhere you write words and that’s a lot of places. Typography and the way it’s used is always a key part of the branding process
How you structure your website and design it, plays a huge part in how long visitors stay on the page and what they do when they get there.
If a book is well written, it deserves the investment of design. Reader inattention can be avoided with the thoughtful and careful consideration of an experienced book designer. Watch this video to learn more.
How do you know which is best for the work you’re doing? In general, there are graphics formats suitable for printing which have a higher resolution and those for on-screen viewing or online publishing. Within each group, there are also formats that are better than others for the same task. Here’s the Hello Lovely run down on file types.
It’s CodeWeek EU from 6th to 21st October 2018. This initiative is all bringing code to all, making it fun and engaging. Supported by the major tech companies like Apple, it’s for all ages. One of the key aims has been about developing skills and I guess leads to the question, does a UX designer need to know code?
“Drive The Network asked award-winning creative and designer Berenice Smith of Hello Lovely to answer questions about how to design a book. There’s a lot more to it than we thought!”
They have a series of interviews with freelancers where we can share our experiences (good and bad), the highs and lows of working life and advice. I was featured on the page last month and you can read about my journey and why I think it’s good to code!
A brandmark is a symbol that sits with a brand. Some brand are typographic based such as the Science Museum. Find out more about logos..
Asking your customers about brand research will help you to realise how healthy your brand is. If you can identify the threats, you can make opportunities. If you’re new to business, working out your values will help customers to appreciate them. How do you go about it?
We've added in a brief byline on Squarespace because it often appears in searches with Wix and Weebly, unfairly so in our opinion. Wix and Weebly are both template driven which sounds a bit like Squarespace so you might wonder why one costs more than the other.
Keeping legal and being on the right side of complicated copyright law is a continual worry for writers, publishers... Anyone who creates original work or needs to obtain other work to complete the project such as images or text extracts should be aware of copyright but the laws around the world are all complex and vary from country to country. Here's a few tips.
There will be many times during the writing of your book when you need help, you may be stuck with a plot or character development or need manuscript feedback or assistance in employing services. Here are a few tips.
It can feel overwhelming, all this talk of branding and logos that pops up on platforms so I thought I'd explain a little about what a brand is, and what a logo is.
It's true that publishing hasn't been the most environmentally friendly business. Book publishing has been named in the past as the third largest industrial greenhouse emitter when it comes to pulp and paper.
This debate reminds me of the Mac versus Windows arguments that still rage on the internet and in offices all over the world. The short answer is that there isn't a right or wrong choice, in my opinion. Both have options that work better for some businesses and services and are excellent choices for website building. So here are my comparisons (the longer answer!) so you can decide if WordPress (WP) or Squarespace seems more suitable for you. If you'd like to explore them in more detail then do get in touch, I love to make websites accessible.
It's really tempting to go for something quick and easy when the pennies are tight, isn't it? Keeping an eye on cost saving is critical for a new business. I wanted to write about the ethics of low cost design and give you some background on how these sites work so you can decide if they are right for you. I’ll also explain why I don't offer my design services on these sites.
I fess up, I struggled with a G because I thought of galley proofs but these environmentally unfriendly, tree eating ways of proofing are mostly confined to the past as designers and printers look at online proofing for speed and to be green. And that thought made me think of going green! Not like Kermit or changing your book cover to Pantone 381 (a personal favourite) but by adopting planet friendly publishing and design. This year I have set myself the challenge of never buying a new book to reduce my carbon footprint and here are my thoughts on being a planet-friendly creative because this applies to everyone.
Once the book has been printed or formatted and you have celebrated your wonderful achievement, there are copies to be sold. If you've done the right thing and got a designer to provide a striking cover design then you're on the way, but the most beautiful design won't sell you copies by itself. So how can you raise the game and be your own sales team if you're as introverted as me?
The editor is essential if you want a good read but what does an editor do and why are they different to a proofreader? Let Hello Lovely explain!
I have had some great responses to this A-Z series, especially about book covers and I thought I'd share this post from September when I talked about the anatomy of a book cover. The image in this post is a really useful explanation of each part of a book. This title has now gone to press and has generated £4,000 of sales for this fledgeling publishing cooperative…
How do you fancy some fun exercises to help you work out your business brand? You'll be pleased to know that I'm hosting a workshop with Drive The Network and Eagle Labs/Barclays on defining your brand and visual profile.
Designers can provide more than just visuals for your book. We can also offer other elements to support new authors and publishers in their business by knowing about print, the ePublishing process, promotional material and websites. Without question, authors and publishers will come up against one or two if not all four of these areas on their journey from manuscript to publication. Always employ an experienced publishing designer as books and publishing require different technical and visual skills than you'd find in web design. Some designer have the experience in both, as I have, and can offer a full service or elements of it. Here are my tops tips on getting the best for your budget and from your designer.
8 tips and tricks to improve your business card design.
Once you've taken delivery of your branding package, it's really important to make sure that you are getting the maximum impact from your image use. Why? Your literature and communications work best for your business when they are consistent with your company's established image and increase your audience through trust and familiarity. Here are my top tips.
I have run cover design workshops for the MA in Publishing degree at Anglia Ruskin University. One of my favourite tasks is to use a well-established text and present all the different covers which have been published. I often use Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca which has been published by many different imprints, the design altered to printing and design technology, cultural and taste. The text hierarchy alters as the author became popular and the marketing of the book took a different turn from gothic to romance and back again. Here’s my top tips on designing a book cover.
What funds you need depend on how you are producing your book (pitching to publishers independently or via an agent, or self-publishing), if the book is print or eBook and what skills you’ll need to contract in. Here's my handy guide to essential publishing costs.
Printed or online planners are a great idea to showcase your expertise in your subject. A planning book can show off tips on social media marketing, boost sales for an online course or help to support students or patients on courses in any subject. It’s about this time of year when you need to think about the content and design of your course and how you might deliver this. I have worked on planners and calendars in agencies for many years and have seen many problems, so here are my top tips.
Design thinking puts the customer at the heart of a process. It can be applied to the design of a book cover, navigating the inside text pages, or branding, websites and the development of a new project or service. The term was developed in start-ups and companies looking at lean developments but it can be used in any size of business. What does it mean in real life?
The passing of the old year to the new isn’t signified merely by the gleeful unwrapping of a new planner (the fabulous Dream Plan Do from The Design Trust for me) but by a pause for reflection. What went well, what could be done better and are the years going faster as we get older?