Color Speaks: Using the Right Colors in Your Branding

By Mike Jones on June 1, 2017

Think about the McDonald’s logo right now.

What color is that M?

Yup, it’s yellow. Or, gold, if you prefer. (Ya know…Golden Arches?)

I’ll bet it took you .3684 seconds to come up with that answer. Why? Because McDonald’s has been very purposeful in their use of color over the years. When you’re driving down the road and you see that yellow M, there’s no doubt that a Big Mac and Coke are within reach (and if you’re hungry…they just bought themselves some business).

Why do you think they chose gold/yellow? Could it be because yellow is very easily seen? How about because yellow denotes friendliness/happiness? With a tagline like I’m Lovin’ It, they’d certainly want to stay away from colors like sludge green . . .

Read more

11 Web Design Don’ts for 2017

By Mike Jones on April 18, 2017

If your business is like most, your website is a huge part of your marketing and sales success. (81% of shoppers research online before buying. And that percentage increases to 94% when talking about B2B buyers!)

Of course, if you’re selling products directly from your website, this is absolutely true. But even if you’re selling services that require an in-person sale, your website can be one of your biggest marketing tools.

Knowing how important your website is, continually optimizing is your best chance to get more (and better) qualified leads and sales. Sometimes optimizing your website means just some tweaks here and there. And sometimes it demands a complete overhaul.

Either way – whether you’re making some tweaks or redesigning the whole website from . . .

Read more

Method+Madness 2016 Recap

By Alex Leiphart on November 11, 2016

Every year, the folks at AIGA Arizona put on Phoenix Design Week – a week dedicated to the vibrant design community in Phoenix. The week typically kicks off with Method + Madness, a two-day design conference hosted in the heart of Downtown Phoenix.

I attended both days of the conference, held down the fort at our Taftly pop-up shop, and picked up some valuable insights from the presenting speakers.

The first day began with a keynote speech from AIGA Director, Julie Anixter. She talked about how understanding the business of design is just as important as understanding design itself. Designers are more than just designers – they’re facilitators, leaders, researchers, system thinkers, narrators, visualizers, strategists, educators, innovators, and entrepreneurs.

If designers understand the . . .

Read more

Unified Design: The Next Frontier in Branding

By Stephanie Haworth on June 15, 2016

Someone once said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

This quote doesn’t just apply to life. The same is true for your brand. Customers often go on a multi-screen journey with your brand as they move from device to device.

You probably do it too.

Have you ever used your iPhone to fill up your online shopping cart, but then finished the transaction on your laptop? Maybe you’ve started watching an amazing new show on your living room TV, and then picked it back up the next day on your Netflix mobile app.

Welcome to the new norm.

Read more

What’s Your Mood?

By Resound Creative on June 30, 2015

Imagine walking into an artist’s studio. You will certainly see a huge array of colors, paints, brushes, palettes, you name it. If that artist is painting at that moment, and you were to look at the palette the artist is using on his current art board, without even seeing the painting, you can kind of get a feeling for the mood of that painting.

If there were dark shades of blues, purples, grays and black mixed together and being used, you wouldn’t think that they are trying to portray a daylight scene. You’d probably guess that it were either of a night sky, or just a darker theme in general.

In a similar sense, we like to provide the mood of your . . .

Read more

Thoughts on “The Fold”

By Resound Creative on April 18, 2013

Apparently people are still talking about “the fold” on their websites, as if website users don’t know how to scroll. The discussion should really be about whether your web page gives users a reason to scroll.

Why do people continue down a new hiking path they’ve not been down before? Because they are continually given views that inspire.

Why do people turn the page on the book they’re reading? Because the words they just read intrigued them and they want more.

And to put it bluntly: why do people reach back into that potato chip bag for another handful, yet again? Because the last bite not only delighted but left them wanting just a little bit more.

On the web, this is primarily the role . . .

Read more