If you’re anything like us, you spent a good portion of your holidays in the kitchen, whipping up some old favorite dishes and perhaps trying some new recipes. Over the years we’ve learned that it’s important to be familiar with a whole recipe before getting started— otherwise you might end up with missing ingredients or half-baked ideas.
Good design boils down to a lot of the same principles you might see while baking or cooking. Even if you’ve got all the right ingredients on hand, combining them all in just the right proportions is key to creating something that will please the senses. It’s finding that perfect blend of ingredients that truly brings out the desired flavor of what you’re going for—and that’s what gets people coming back, asking for seconds.
As we embark on this new year, we wanted to share a few of our favorite design recipes in support of whatever your strategic branding and marketing goals might be. We proudly create from scratch, and while we won’t give away our special sauce, we hope this recipe sampling gives you food for thought.
1. Recipe: Brand
It’s never too late to create a good starter, even if you’ve already tried before. A solid brand identity is ultimately your meal ticket, so make sure you take the time and effort to get it right.
Ingredients:
1 logo (can be unique, timeless, or trendy)
A generous pour of personality
1 tagline (optional)
3-5 colors
A dollop of engaging typography
1 style guide
Recipe will produce a unique, consistent taste that your audience will enjoy for years to come!
2. Recipe: Website
People’s tastes change over time, and so should your website.
Ingredients:
1 sitemap
1 beautiful layout for every page
A handful of content:
– 1 part informative
– 1 part engaging
A sprinkle of high-quality imagery
A pinch of interactivity
Combine everything together on your favorite hosting platform. Allow your website time to simmer to ensure all ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Be sure to test your website before serving!
3. Recipe: Email blast
When you need to dish out fresh insights to your target audience, a well-designed email blast is the way to go.
Ingredients:
1 mailchimp account
1 1/2 hours of time
3 images
2 paragraphs
a splash of creativity
a dash of perserverance
Mix it all together on a weekday morning and send it out to your contacts after a quick proofread. Serve with a powerful call to action!
If you’ve got a lot on your plate and need design help, we’ll gladly provide you with more personalized recipe ideas. Rebranding is our bread and butter – reach out for a taste of our family secrets!
