As a designer blogs are apart of everyday tasks whether you enjoy them or not, so you better get used to layouts! Luckily i enjoy creating these layouts because they are an opportunity to use unique, creative and clever design to intrigue your targeted audience. Sometimes the process is pretty straight forward and other times it is a pain in the butt! 

To start keep in mind you will need to use certain key words, buzz words and catch phrases on top of the copy you will be using for the blog. Try not to exhaust all your Realestate on the page right away and keep in mind negative space is not a bad thing. I tend to try and keep things to a minimum until i get feedback from my copy editors after a first round of revisions then add more details as you narrow down the copy blocks and icons/ photos. 

 Try not to get stuck on on layout you like, instead test the waters with different shapes, colors and font because even though you find the design appealing chances are your client will not have the same taste. Try to keep the design process open minded and avoid getting backed into a corner by being able to drop one layout and move to the next. This will help prevent emotional investment on your designs and ease the let down if your client isn't fully on board with your designs. 


In conclusion just remember that Blogs are a great way to network with fashion, foodies, and everything in between types of enthusiasts so be nice. Understand that your average person does not understand design and sometimes compromises must be made to please the client. Have fun and remember that in the end your getting paid to draw!  

Taking a leap into the void alone is always nerve racking. Over time I have learned that there is truth to the old saying "safety in numbers". Having like minded teammates is a necessary asset, you will accomplish more and cover more ground trust me.

That being said, We Out Here Crew was the solution to that numbers dilemma.  Chance has it I was recently reunited with an old acquaintance named Miguel.  Those that have heard  this amazing producers music know him by Jedi Beanz "all styles no genre" Dj and producer. We had a lot to catch up on and in the middle of tough talks of past attempts to bring together a team of like minded individuals we realized something we each has a similar interest.

We decided to test the waters of gathering artists of all walks of life to se what each of us had to offer ion a creative atmosphere dubbed the We Out Here Crew or simply WOHC [woke] Crew. Meetings were held in order to judge the artists admissions and level of drive towards tasks on a weekly basis. Goals were set and exceeded day by day, week by week, and moving towards months. We are aiming to create an interactive production team geared to create a mind altering experience through a creative and professional experience. Stay tuned for me events and updates on our house parties and opens here to come.

         Being on top of trending social calendar dates and events is a sure way to help drive new traffic towards your site through the use of social media campaigns. It is a very useful tool combining your graphic design knowledge and special events to spark new design elements when hitting those difficult road blocks every designer faces. Finding the specific dates that relate to your brand or small business is important to remain consistent and not appear to be throwing useless designs out the window trying to seem trendy so choose wisely.
Running a social media account based on design is very simple and easy to create using a few key points to stay on track

Keep the design consistent!

Design can often cloud the point of the tag line you are trying to get across when faced with odd-ball product or services you struggle to create content for. This is  a very common issue when your like myself and have a million different design ideas running through your head at once. Draft a simple list of guidelines that each of the designs should consist of utilizing certain fonts ,design elements, and color charts to retain uniform across the board on all social media platforms.  

Have a set time schedule and stick to it!

Having a set time schedule for your posts during your campaigns is key here especially if feedback and customer satisfaction is the end goal. FB and Twitter both have feature to schedule posts (Tweet deck will need to be used for twitter scheduling). IG does not have a scheduling feature but its a good habit to just get into routine to post so you remember to reply to customers and check other platforms while your there on your phone. 

Have fun!

When designing for campaigns remember to have fun! your customer should feel your level of passion, drive, and commitment in your design work. When stress is high designs are sacrificed and often very apparent to not only other designers but also your audience so be sure to give yourself an appropriate deadlines to complete each design and be able to have fun with your artwork. 

If you are a small business, new brand or just looking to channel some new stimulating traffic towards your channel then web based artwork is definitely something you should pay very close attention to. As a graphic designer one the most frequently requested designs is web banners and channel art hands down. Think of it this way, when you walk into a dealership to buy a new car is the dealership light outside flickering and taped to the wall?. When dealing with a website or social media accounts, remember that design is your chance to really impress new traffic visiting your site.

I know sometimes after purchasing a website, and typing all that content that channel art is the last thing on your mind. Leave the design work to the professionals and stay focused on your business, because trying to wear multiple hats can appear very transparent to your customers. In the end it will all pay off and you will be glad you spent a little upfront and saved that much more in the end.

Design should remain simple and relatable to your brand or the campaign you have set into motion. Keeping your graphic design simple is the way to go. Short, sweet,  and to the point is what most audiences want especially when its a quality product. Try sticking with a single font style and size for all your images being used, this will simplify the design process and allow for ease of mass production on social media campaigns. 

Keep up with your competition! Stay in tuned with what your competitors are doing and try to move in a similar fashion. Now days everyone wants to stand apart, but in the beginning its not wise to gamble if your looking for success. Of course be you in your own self, just realize that not everyone will be attracted to your vision so its up to you to set guidelines until you gain traction on your own.  Once you have setup a stable branding platforms then move forward with unique marketing tactics utilizing your own creative ideas and flavors to carry you into the future. 

 

     As a graphic designer it's extremely important to know your ins and outs of all aspects of design and when it comes to Logo design you have to be able to hit a home run every time with your client. This graphic is composed of only four layers and was drafted for a personal trainer in Colorado. Even though the design is geared for gym members, it does not consist of dumbbells and weights. Instead I chose to use the element of the mountains to bring home the sense of strength with this graphic.

The font choice i designed resembles "Element" with my twist on combining sections of the text to create unity throughout the design. For the lower section of the font i went with my go to font style choice of Bebas. In combination the two fonts made a perfect harmony of stylish and modern which is exactly what i wanted. I typically tend to stick away from more than two font styles when it comes to logos to avoid confusion with my audience.

A logo should be clean, simple and elegant to be eye catching in the minimalist of ways!. When i draft logo designs i always try to think "NIKE" and how can i create my own NIKE check. Lets face it not everyone is into swirls, bells, and glitter so try to remain middle grounded when it comes to design and think simple! I also try to only use a maximum of three design elements in my more complex designs to avoid clashing with fonts and colors.

All of this is just advise and what i have experienced in my career, but just like life all rules are meant to be broken so design on my friends and thanks again for reading.   

   

Today was my first attempt at setting up some light painting using my trusty Nikon D5000, some small props, and using only my cell phone as a light source. Many of the images were out of focus and kinda difficult obtain. I do not have a completely dark area to work with for this shoot so we are going to make due with waiting until sundown.

The first few images were way over exposed and came out very distorted, but after a few test shots and getting my exposure dialed in i quickly had very cool images to work with. The cell phone  (I phone 6+) was a great source for light for my first choice. I was able to easily turn up or down the intensity of the light using either the front screen or my flashlight app. I attempted to use colors from my screen but they did not have the density i wanted, even after P.P they were just not what i was looking for. 

I left this shoot feeling good and had many images to show for it! It's a great feeling knowing the ease it took in creating amazing art with such simple tools. I would really like to take another stab at this style of shoot with more lights, different props and possibly a better lens.

Really excited to have the opportunity to attend the Meeting of the minds conference in Anaheim California on June 23rd, 2016! i will be attending as a photographer on the behalf of a recent client of mine. i will be shooting with a cannon 7D and two lenses. I'm very excited to get some hands on experience with the 7D and see what i'm capable of with some upgraded tools.

The shoot will be begin around 10am and should last no later than 2pm. I'm hoping to obtain some new professional lifestyle photos to use in future professional service style marketing campaigns. I'm not to sure how the traffic of attendants will react to the camera and i hope i do not cause interference with the booth.

This will be an experience for me and will be extremely helpful in getting to see how the client i am designing for interacts with his or her potential leads. I believe this will aid in my efforts in understanding who my market is, and how they react to my design elements being used at the conference.