​I’ll admit, I’m being dragged kicking and screaming into the Wordpress world. Not that I dislike Wordpress; I’ve talked in the past about how it was a terrific blogging tool. But while others happily embraced it years ago, until recently we still weren’t fans of using it to build entire content-managed sites. But my… how things have changed. »

While stock art, stock layouts, templates, and impressively good starter layouts in consumer applications have sped along the democratization of design, I was recently reminded, as a designer, I still have some special knowledge and experience. I’m not pompous, I’m merely acknowledging that, as a professional, I have specific knowledge within my field and industry.  »

When you’re starting a business or launching a project finding the right partners can be critical to your success. You’ll carefully select business partners, manufacturing partners, suppliers, and even sales partners. But all too frequently the graphic design partner isn’t a partner at all. Instead, some fledgling companies outsource their branding and marketing to the lowest bidders - or worse, end up using crowd sourced providers or cycle through dozens of designers. »

We’re asked all the time to “make this an infographic.” It’s amusing at times - because sometimes data is really best illustrated with a simple graph or chart. In fact, adding visual elements would only sabotage the legibility. So we have to strike a delicate balance even though we know… sometimes it’s not an infographic; it’s simply a chart. »

I noticed early in my ad career that outside the owner’s offices there were very few older individuals in the agency business. But being young I never dwelt on it. But here I am 20+ years into my career and I notice the opposite - everyone is so young? »

As a designer and marketer I’m a strong believer that good design and branding translates into better positioning in the market. While it’s not the absolute necessity for success, it is a higher priority then some give credit. Good design can offer a leg up on competition and help foster trust in a fledgling business or startup.  »

One of the most recent – and high profile – cases involving a product that “misinforms” consumers by using oversized packaging that makes the product appear larger, ended with Proctor and Gamble (P&G) settling for $850,000, and committing to changing the packaging for many of its Olay skin care products. It was interesting to read the comments and opinions online in response to this case. Some readers were outraged at many companies who seem to employ such tactics, while many others (correctly) pointed out that the packaging in question clearly stated the number of ounces of product, and that the size of the packaging is only a part of the overall picture. »

There are several challenges you’ll encounter when printing packaging across the U.S. and overseas. Time zones, language barriers, and the inability to go on press quickly or consistently are some of the most obvious. But recently, we encountered a new issue – our package design involved some unique hot stamp foil colors. »

In most industries, technology has shortened the turnaround time – and the creative field is no exception. But in a recent clickz.com article by Anji Ismail, he explains the future is already rapidly materializing. What was a week timeline is now 48 hours. And what was 48 hours is now 24 hours. To address this, big agencies are already distributing their work forces globally so creative teams can pass projects around the world – so the agency is always on.  »

That may read like a self-serving bit of advice, but it’s actually simply a retailing axiom. If your product packaging, ecommerce website, or retail store is attractive there’s a very good chance you’ll be more successful. »