Over the past month we have attended college portfolio shows and mentored high schoolers hoping to attend a college graphic design program. As the graduation season concludes it got us thinking about advice we wish someone would have given us before entering the field. So here are 5 pieces of advice for recent graduates. 1. …
Being a designer is about more than just making things look good. Every project we work on is important, but some are truly special. When we are trusted by businesses or individuals with projects that are very meaningful to them we have a responsibility to deliver that message with care. There are certain projects that …
We recently had a client come to us with a looming deadline and a problem. They had asked a different designer to do work for them and they were unhappy with the outcome. Long story short, we took over the project and met the deadline. This brings up an important question though: what do you …
There are parts of a brand that are easier to control than others. Your visual identity is one of them. Take a moment and perform what we call a “Table Test.” Gather examples of graphics your company uses: business cards, letterhead, advertisements, etc. Now spread them out on a table and take a good look …
The Kristin Mitchell Design, Inc. staff recently went on a field trip to Epic Systems and toured their office, errr we mean campus. Epic is a health care software company headquartered in Verona, Wisconsin. No, we aren’t in the market for a medical records system, we wanted to see the campus a mere 30 miles …
What is a brand anyway? The term “brand” has been around since before the 12th century, though the meaning was a bit different at that time – to quite literally burn a mark. When you think about it though that is exactly what businesses are trying to do: burn a mark in our minds. Over …
“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Vince Lombardi One of the main reasons we are able to provide our clients with a great customer experience is the ability of our staff to work as a team. We understand …
As graphic designers we can’t help but scrutinize all visual solutions around us – from billboards to kleenex boxes. So one can imagine how difficult it is for us to develop a visual identity for ourselves. We knew it was time for a rebrand based on the growth of our company over the last few …
Why blog? To which we say: why not? We are constantly advising clients in meetings, presentations or just general correspondence, so why not compile that information and become a resource. We can keep information to ourselves and help no one, or we can share and hopefully help someone. We hope to help fellow graphic designers, …
