Graphic Design and Web design

New Responsive Website Design for Book – Discovering Michigan County by County

On June 27, 2013   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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New homes page of Discovering Michigan County by County website.

New version of book website design by Connection Group

Screen cap of Discovering Michigan County by County website.

Original screen cap of the website.

Connection Group is pleased to share a recently completed responsive website design for books. Take a look at the before and after images of the customized website design utilizing a WordPress back CMS. The original book website was initially designed by a company that utilizes templates for their customer websites and author Barbara Vandermolen wanted a more customized, contemporary,  website that would function well and still reflect high quality. Connection Group had so much fun going through all the beautiful photography the author has gathered through her over six years of research. Photography, design, and visuals can make or break a responsive website design or print marketing items and Connection Group staff is in heaven when we can play with a catalog of images at this level.
This fabulous book is full of these gorgeous photos in full color that show off the wonders of Michigan County by County. Author Barbara Vandermolen celebrates her home state of Michigan by paying homage to each county in this recently released book “Discovering Michigan County by County” Your A-Z Guide to each of the 83 counties in the Great Lakes State. This tome is  616 pages of pure beauty. The photos alone will hold your interest and attract visitors to the fine Pure Michigan state. The author cleverly outlined each of the 83 chapters to feature details of  every county in Michigan. Each chapter is an A-Z Guide of the county. “A” highlights agriculture, “B” features Bridges or Boats, etc. This informative book is a great find for travelers and residents alike. Clearly Barbara’s effort was a labor of love and Connection Group was honored to work with her to create a new website design that represents the quality Barbara has strived for and reached with this beautiful book. Read more or purchase the book.

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How to Choose Website Fonts

On April 24, 2013   /   Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
Samples of the web fonts: Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Verdana, and Georgia.

Web font samples

The look of your website affects how your customers think about you and your business. You need an easy-to-navigate layout, a professional-looking logo, and site colors that reflect your business. In addition, your choice of website fonts sends a subtle, but very important, message about your brand.
While you can take your pick of the countless fonts available on the web, you should put some thought into your decision. You’ll want fonts that are web-safe and easy to read online. You want a font that says you’re trustworthy and a professional. At the same time, you want to be consistent with your personality and brand, whether it’s a straight-laced legal site or one with a bit of whimsy and fun.
Web-safe Fonts
Not all fonts available for download are web-safe. You want your site’s content to be readable to everyone who visits, wherever they may be, and whatever device or web browser they may be using. Web-safe fonts help eliminate barriers such as broken layouts and misaligned text.  Examples of these widely-used website fonts are Times New Roman, Arial, Courier, Helvetica, Verdana, and Georgia.
Font Size
Reading material on the web is different from reading print. While the 12-point font size is commonly used for letters and other print documents, it is not always a good choice for websites.
Don’t make your readers squint when they visit your website. Make the experience as comfortable and as pleasant as you can. The web standard today is 14-16 points for most online text. This size makes your content easy to read for most users.
For headers (eg., post titles and subtitles within the text), use slightly bigger fonts to make scanning easier.
Simple vs. Fancy Fonts
The general rule in website design is to use simple fonts for the majority of the content. However, there’s also a place for fancy fonts.
If you work in a creative industry, or one that places a premium on artistic ability, a clever sprinkling of a fancy or unique font will help boost a reader’s perception of your skills. You’ll see examples of these in websites for graphic designers, fancy restaurants, illustrators, fabric artists, etc. Such fancy fonts will be out of place for most construction firms, doctors’ clinics, etc., which should go for simpler typography.
A Note About Color
While your website’s color scheme should reflect your brand and logo, you should still strive for readability and a clean overall look. When it comes to the content area, the best approach is a black or dark grey font against a white or nearly white background.
Exceptions can be made for media-heavy sites (those that have mostly videos and photos). But if text is your primary content, black-on-white in the post area is your best bet. You can spice up your website with color elsewhere (header image, sidebar buttons, links, title text, etc.).
Your website fonts are among the easiest design elements to change. However, their effects on your web presence are also easy to overlook. Use these design tips to make sure that every detail of your website conforms with your marketing values and goals.

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Top 10 Tips for Creating A Great Business Card Design

On April 22, 2013   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Business card sample of Bear Creek MaintenanceBusiness cards are still the best and most cost effective form of advertising your business or freelance work. The surest way to stand out like a start up is to say “I don’t have a business card yet.” The next best way to scream novice is to have a  business card design that looks like you designed and printed it yourself.
A business card design should quickly and clearly communicate what your business is. Creating a great business card design that will stay in the forefront of a prospect’s mind says it is customized for you and your company.

  1. Be Clear – Choose a font that is clearly legible. You don’t have to stick to the same standard fonts that are on everyone’s computer. Choose a font with personality that suits your brand just be sure it can be read. Print a proof at 100% size and have a variety of people read it. Don’t close out the senior market because they can’t read your card!
  2. Keep It Clean – A business card should not replace your brochure or website. Add contact information, a tag line if you have one or a coupled of products and services you offer. If you choose to add all of your products and service or other information, consider using the second side of the business card.
  3. Stand Out  – Nothing helps build a brand quicker than a custom logo design. Nothing beats a brand image that demonstrates your commitment to quality, and quickly communicates who you are like a professional logo design. Choose colors that are noticeable and suitable to your brand.
  4. Cover It – It’s important to include all points of contact. Include your company name, your name,  phone number(s), address, email and website. Include the best phone number for customers to reach you. If you don’t want to list your cell or fax number, it is not necessary. Web or home based businesses do not need to include addresses on their cards if they prefer. For independent company representatives, it is good practice to include the corporate headquarters address.
  5. Hold On – Compare the weight of the paper from business cards you have received. Which ones feel best? A flimsy stock will not hold up over time and can easily be lost. Choose card stock, preferably 12 pt and up.
  6. Finish Strong – A gloss- or UV-coated stock is more durable than an uncoated sheet, but it also shows finger prints and glare in high light. An uncoated or matte finish business card stock is more understated. A graphic designer or printer can help you determine which can suit your brand best.
  7. Add Value – Include a coupon, a calendar or dates to remember to encourage the recipient to hold on to your card. Add these to the back of the card so as not to compete with your contact information on the front.
  8. Look Closely – Whether you do it yourself or outsource design, make sure someone who hasn’t been a part of the design process proofs it before it goes to print. Call the phone numbers listed, check the emails and website URLs before printing your business cards.
  9. Show Off – Photos are a custom touch to business cards. Realtors, consultants and professional speakers business card designs benefit greatly by including their image. A picture offers recall for many years after a meeting; just be sure to use a current photo. You can also use a photo of your product, a shot of your corporate office building (if it is attractive), or a photo or graphic that is connected to your industry.
  10. Convey Class  – A business card from your desktop printer screams low standards. Plus inkjet prints dissolve before your eyes with any contact with water!  Full color business cards printed professionally are very economical and show you are committed to presenting your business in the highest class.

There are a few free business card design websites that offer hundreds of pre-made business card design templates. These sites often offer very inexpensive (sometimes free printing). For start up companies on limited budgets, this seems like a great solution. So thousands or companies utilize these business card templates – every day. I remember attending a networking event one evening where I brought back four business cards that were exactly the same design, same ink colors, same logo, etc. and they were all for a different company (and in some cases a different industry). Customize your business card to have top-of-the-mind awareness. If you are a commercial builder, you don’t’ want to be confused with the unlicensed home remodeler in your town because you are distributing the same business card designs.
Connection Group offers custom business card designs as an individual service and as part of our graphic design packages. Call us today for a business card design consultation. We can provide individual business card designs and cards for all of your staff and contractors. We’re happy to brainstorm unique added value ideas including calls to action and informational tips to help people hold to and continue to reference them. Receive
Fay's Evelyn Bay Coffee Shop Business Card  Phoenix Advisors Business Card samples  KISSolution Business Card Sample - Tammey Wine

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10 Tips – DIY Small Business Logo Design

On March 26, 2013   /   Entrepreneurs - Small Business, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   1 Comment
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For some people, putting together a DIY small business logo design is easy. Anyone with a computer and software can do it. Can you believe a person built a logo in Microsoft Excel?
It’s often too easy to distinguish a professional logo design from a DIY small business logo design. These tips can save you grace, time, and money.

charlie's-bar-and-grill-logos1. Color Can Cost You

Remember that your digital logo is in RGB. For professional printing purposes, you will need it converted to the CMYK color ink model. For specialty advertising, promotional products, labels, etc., you’ll get a better price if you use spot or pantone (PMS) colors instead of 4-color process printing. Save money and time by making sure you have all formats in place before ordering printing, creating displays, etc. Learn more about the color models in our recent blog post: DIY Graphic Design – Reproducing Your Small Business Logo Design and DIY Design: How to Choose Colors for Your Small Business Logo and Brand.

2. Can You See Me Know?

Your screen is right in front of you and possibly blown up 1000 percent larger than an actual business card. Make sure your logo is legible when it is reduced to fit clearly on a business card. Print at 100% to check legibility.

3. Consider Old Eyes

Depending on who your small business is marketing to, you’ll want to remember that as the population gets older, eyes can’ distinguish certain colors on top of similar colors. Make sure to balance and contrast colors especially when you are placing color on color.

4. Match Your Font Personalities

wirth-and-fedewa-construction-logo-designNow that you are a designer, it is no longer ‘type.’ Instead, we are sculpting with fonts. My first caution is to please not treat them like they are shoes. ‘The more, the merrier’ doesn’t apply to fonts. We must limit ourselves. Too many styles will appear erratic.
Choose a font that is legible from a distance. This doesn’t mean it has to be simple or boring. A stylish font that communicates clearly establishes a  brand.
Which style feels right for your business? A flowing script, or a vintage schoolhouse font for a bridal shop logo? Solid bold sans serif, or edgy and grungy for a manufacturing firm logo? Choose what fits and keep it clean.

5. Logo Size Matters

Your computer screen is 72 dots per inch (DPI). To reproduce a logo that is clean and crisp when printed professionally, your logo needs to be at least 300 dpi. As a guide for business card, brochure or pocket folder printing, your logo file should be 300 dpi by a minimum of 4” tall. Don’t worry about the width as long as it is equal or larger than 4”. For small business exhibit design and other sign designs including vehicle graphics, I say go as big as you can with your logo file – vehicle wraps cover a lot of area, you want your logo to be crisp and clean even at 8” if it is called to.

6. Use Effects with Caution

Be careful with effects that overwhelm your font or graphics. Effects often use shadowing that may distort your business logo when printed or when it is enlarged on a screen that’s bigger than the original. Don’t let your small business logo look as though it’s from a horror film. Unless it is a horror film.

7. No Stealing!

OMGosh get your hands out of the Google images cookie jar! I know everything looks so good in there but you just can’t have it.
Fortunately, there are plenty of clip art resources and stock photos sites available. You probably have some installed with your software. Don’t get crazy and use the same stick person image from Microsoft Office that millions have used in their logos since the 90s’. Be unique, how can you change a stock graphic to make it your own?
There are free resources for stock images online and some with fees that have limits on use. Read use terms carefully. Be careful and respectful,  and follow online copyright law.

original cartoon illustration logo8. Eye-Catching Original Graphics

Using graphics in a small business logo design is a great way to help your logo design stand out. If your artist  (wife, kid, guy you met at church…) draws a logo graphic for you, the bigger the original, the better. When you scan the logo into your computer, scan it at 100%. If it is a digital illustration the original should be saved at a high resoluton from it’s native application.
An original illustration of a house for a custom home builders logo that is only 1” wide will not reproduce well once it is blown up to fit the side of a vehicle. A small original may also limit how much color can be added. Be sure the style suits the message you want to Not a DIY small business logo design but a logo for Custom Home Builder logo designportray for your small business.

9. Admit When You Need Help

If you find you are spending every weekend for a month researching and designing and restarting to design a logo for your small business, stop.  Think about the value you place on your time as a busy small business owner. Instead, put in a few hours doing what you are skilled at and take the money you made to pay a professional.

10. Honest Feedback

Most important of all, get feedback on your design. Share ideas with your family, friends, people who know nothing about your business and people who know you and that you respect.
Please don’t ask a professional graphic designer for an opinion on your DIY small business logo design unless you are ready to hear the truth. I love it when I can say, it works; good balance and choice of colors, etc. When there are issues… and  you already told me your daughter designed it for you… I’m in a bad spot.  The designer in me knows it’s my job to create strong brand identities. The human says, I can’t squash a kid or a parent’s dream. Prepare yourself to hear the professional truth, maybe don’t have your daughter in the meeting!

Start your DIY small business logo design

All the best on your business endeavor and enjoy creating your DIY small business logo design and honing brand message!

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DIY Graphic Design – Reproducing Your Small Business Logo Design

On March 23, 2013   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   2 Comments
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small-business-logo-design-by-connection-graphicsWhether you created your small business logo design or you worked with a graphic design firm, have logo files in each color format. From start-up businesses to non-profit associations, all companies and organizations have a variety of marketing and communication pieces to produce. Each format has specific color requirements.
If you’re printing business cards, you will need your logo in CMYK and/or a standard spot or PMS color. If you’re logo is for your a website, make sure it is in RGB. If you will be ordering shipping labels or printing in t-shirts, etc., you will probably want to provide a black only logo or a spot color logo to save cost. Refer to our recent blog entry on DIY Design-How to Choose Color for Your Small Business Logo Design.
Some software has limits to saving a logo in specified color formats. Graphic designers use software such as the graphic design industry standard, Adobe® Creative Suite. A large variety of color libraries are preinstalled in professional design and editing programs, including Pantone color books.
For desktop publishing software such as Microsoft Office Suite, the options may be limited to the format you save the file in. Save your small business logo as an eps file in Word . In the ‘Save as’ dialog box, you can choose CMYK or RGB, etc. At this writing, Microsoft Office Suite programs did not have the capability to create Pantone® spot colors.

Reproducing your small business logo design

Let your printer know your goals when you send your small business logo to print. When getting bids for printing, get prices for spot color and full color. Compare which best fits your budget.
If you  choose the less expensive option of spot color, include your logo in spot color. If you have chosen a Pantone® color, there may be an up-charge for custom Pantone® inks. If your small business logo isn’t spot color, tell your printer that your logo is in RGB or CMYK.  The printer can quote charges for converting your logo. It’s much better to have all the color formats in place ahead of time. Additional design and set-up fees, along with delayed delivery may result.

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Small Business Website Design Powered by WordPress

On February 27, 2013   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   4 Comments
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rls energy - small business website design rlsenergy.com
Rob Sepeter of RLS Energy contacted Connection Group for a small business website design. Mr. Sepeter found Connection Group when he visited a website we designed for a local retail gift and nursery shop, Hidden Trail. Hidden Trail Gift Shoppe specializes in nature themed gifts for home and garden, plus fresh plants and holiday greens. The website design quickly communicates this nature and environmental niche.
Although the original RLSEnergy.com website functioned and had similar content Mr. Sepeter felt the website design was not reflective of his clientele or the environmental nature of the products he offers. Another issue Mr. Sepeter asked us to address was the inability with the old site for ease in updates. Connection Group needed to set up a back end content management area where he or a staff person could easily and quickly edit website content, without having to have a PhD in web programming and development.
RLS is a start up company and serves customers throughout Michigan. RLSEnergy.com didn’t require a lot of automation or bells and whistles that e-commerce websites and some larger company websites often need. Connection Group solution for the small business website design that RLS Energy needed was to set up a website powered by the WordPress content management system (CMS). Choosing WordPress allowed us to keep the cost effective for the small business owner and also allow ease in website updates by any staff member. WordPress also offers numerous plug-ins that assist blog and small business website owners with automated features to help with SEO, comments, calendars, pretty much anything a website manager could need to optimize a website for effectiveness. Information on website and blog plugins are a whole different post but are an important considerations when looking at blog and website solution for your small business.
rls energy logo small business website designRLS Energy is enjoying the new environmental website design and in just one half hour content management training session they are now able to easily post project and merchandise photos and updates. Do you think a WordPress blog or small business website design would work for your company? Connect with us and let’s talk about your digital marketing and communication goals. We can help you choose the best blog or website solution that will grow with your company and allow you to control updates at the level you desire.
Stay connected!

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Let Your Image Speak for You

On January 31, 2012   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   1 Comment
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Pung Foundation logo created for mid-Michigan based concrete construction and renovation service company.

Phones have been ringing, emails are flowing in, social media posts are crammed with new business start ups ready to make a difference. New entrepreneurs are emerging with products and services that can change the world – or at least their communities and bank books. Ahhh, the passion of entrepreneurs!
I love when new start ups come to Connection Group for a graphic design or marketing consultation. I know when they start here they are serious about their approach and their image. I get to see their eyes light up, hear their story, and feel their drive. New business start ups come to us with a lot of questions, hope and dreams and often very limited budgets. It is our job to understand their goals, their philosophy, their market, their budget, service or product, and provide guidance to them that will assist their business launch without breaking the bank.
McNaughton and Gunn logo

McNaughton and Gunn is a 50+ year old book printer headquartered in Michigan

One of the first recommendations I make to business owners is to start with a professional logo. So many software programs and websites out there have stock art that people can place on a business card, throw a phone number and website next to and convince themselves they are the next Apple or HP. Online printers spout 250 free business cards, free icons, free templates. What cash crunched start up can resist’, FREE graphic design, FREE business cards?
We have all been to a networking event where we come back to the office and have two or more identical design business cards or two cards with the same logo or clip art. image. The designs and logos are the same the only difference is the names on them – one is a massage therapist, one is a florist, and another is a dog groomer. One was a contractor who specialized in tile installation, the other does windows. Now which one was the it that I wanted to refer to my mother? None of them. Why? Because they are not unique, they do not stand out from the crowd and chances are that is the way they will run their business. These owners did not take their business or craft seriously enough to invest in their image  – they decided their business was only worth a free set of business cards.
Women In Successful Enterprises logo

Logo created for WISE, a Michigan based organization comprised of second stage women owned businesses.

So when I have a start up company call or email and say they understand the importance of presenting themselves professionally but don’t know where to start, my question is not, ‘What is your budget?’, my question is, “When can we set up a time to meet?” I love an entrepreneur, I am one, I know small businesses make a difference in their communities and can change the world. I want to help the good ones to succeed.
Stay connected!
Join us on Facebook.com/connectiongraphics

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Graphic Designer with Graphic Design Solutions- the 'Wiz" of Everything

On October 31, 2011   /   General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   1 Comment
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graphic design solutions - graphic designer at computer with pantone chartThis summer I renewed my subscription to Print magazine for the first time in quite a few years. Each year a higher percentage of Connection Graphic’s customer graphic design solutions are digital or web based. Our focus and research is keeping current with electronic solutions and techniques.  A Print Magazine direct mail piece convinced me I deserved to indulge my love of print design.
While luxuriating in the recent issue an article by Rick Poynor resonated with my thoughts on the evolution of graphic design. How has my role as a graphic designer evolved? Even though graphic designers have been creating since the 1930s, I remember a mere decade ago having to explain to people what I did as a graphic designer.
My work designations were visual communication director, publication specialist, marketing director, graphic artist, graphic designer. Under all guises, my tasks in each position were virtually the same – a rose by any other name.
Graphic design solutions  for the masses
Viewers are influenced by strategic and creative graphic design solutions in every media throughout the world. From website design, to packaging, print literature, billboards and video, graphic design is in the heart of all brand development and communications.
In this digital world a graphic designer can’t just excel in logo design. Designers must have a strong grasp of website design and digital graphic design solutions.
A graphic designer has always been a problem solver and visual magician. Artistic expression, interdisciplinary skills and reasoning come together to create graphic design solutions. We are called to be product developers, typesetters, coders, writers and more. The beauty is, we can, we will — we are. Successful graphic designers welcome every challenge. As a result, Graphic designers understand future generations will be even more discerning in their product and service choices. Customers will continue to challenge our ability to balance creative visuals with clear messages. We will continue to deliver graphic design solutions that hit the mark.
A rose by any other name…
Rick Poyner and others may argue that the evolution of the industry may require a new title and graphic design is now an outmoded term. As a seasoned graphic designer I am grateful for the new discerning and savvy clientele. Finally, I appreciate not having to explain what a graphic designer does. I will  answer to whatever name or tasks evolve.  In response, I will continue to deliver creative graphic design solutions that communicate clearly and effectively.

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Do You Know What Your Real Job Is? Graphic Design Job Duties Sure Have Changed!

On May 9, 2011   /   Branding - Marketing, General, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Illustration of Connie Sweet electronic design illustration‘When you were a kid, could you, your teachers, or your parents imagine your current job? … ‘
My job has changed profoundly over my  20+ years in graphic design. In addition, new industries and jobs have developed that didn’t exist in the field when I chose graphic design as my career. In art school we had to sketch out concepts and handwrite text. My first real graphic designer job, I had to determine character count by hand then spec it for a typesetter – heaven forbid if there was a change in the copy after this step. Now, as owner of a graphic design and marketing firm specializing in brand marketing and website design, the occupation I enjoy as a graphic designer is a far cry from the description from the Kendall College of Art Design catalog back then.
Is your job title one that was included in a compiled Occupation List from Middle School? Is the title the same with vastly different tasks and techniques? Or has the original job you started fresh out of school been eliminated and you have reinvented yourself along the way?
While considering the industries I have been fortunate to work with through Connection Group, brick and mortar retail, real estate brokerages, marketing firms, I have seen and felt the tremendous changes each has implemented to continually evolve to meet todays business climate. How much has your ‘occupation type’ changed since you started your career path? I would love to hear where you started and where you are now, how vastly your tasks have changed since you entered the job market and set your career path.
Stay connected!

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