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Demystifying the Website Brief: A Guide for Clients

As a client, you play a vital role in ensuring that your website accurately represents your business and meets your objectives. To kickstart the design process, your web designer will rely on a comprehensive website brief. But what exactly is a website brief, and what should you expect when providing one to your designer? In this blog post, I aim to demystify the website brief by providing you with insights into what to expect and how to effectively communicate your vision and requirements to yo...

Embrace the Great Outdoors: Fuelling Creativity as a Graphic Designer

Today, I want to share a little secret that has been a game-changer for me as a graphic designer. It's all about the magic of taking breaks and immersing yourself in the great outdoors. Trust me when I say, it's not just about getting a breath of fresh air but also recharging your creative batteries and letting your imagination run wild. So, grab your sunglasses, put on your adventure hat, and let's dive into why stepping outside can breathe new life into your designs!...

Elevate Your Brand with Designerbloom: Unleash the Power of Visual Design

As a Wellington-based graphic designer, I specialise in crafting visually stunning branding and web design solutions that leave a lasting impression. Whether you're just starting out or looking to revamp your existing brand, I can help you achieve visual clarity across all platforms and take your brand to the next level. At Designerbloom, I've had the opportunity to work on a wide range of design projects, giving me a deep understanding of what it takes to make an impact in your market. I believ...

My Award Winning Websites!

It's such an honour to have the opportunity to create beautifully functional websites for my clients through the Rocketspark website platform. To be recognised for my efforts, along with the copywriters, photographers and of course the clients... is the icing on top of the cake!I am thrilled to showcase my Partner Website of the Month winning sites below, along with the feedback from the Rocketspark team....

Mental Health and Creativity ~ Q&A with Jason

I was honoured when Jason from Rocketspark asked if I would answer some questions about mental health and creativity. You can see the full article here, I will copy it below too....

I was featured on Design Assembly!

When Rocketspark asked if I would submit a Fresh From the Field article to Design Assembly I was both honoured and excited, and when I discovered they had chosen to feature me... I was thrilled!You can see the full article here, I will also copy it below too....

How to use handwritten fonts in your branding

I initially created a collection of graphics for an Instagram post during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic; "With unpredictable finances during this time I would like to offer some tips for DIY branding!⁠ This first tip is about using handwritten fonts for your social media tiles.⁠ I hope these tips come in handy for you!" – The post ended up being super helpful to those who saw it, so I have decided to turn it into this Blog....

Why isn’t my new website showing on Google?

Google is an incredibly powerful and smart tool, but it can be a little slow. If your beautiful new website is not appearing in Google searches for your business name it's likely because Google hasn't indexed your website yet. When Google has indexed a website, it means the website has been found by the Google crawler bots, and added to their list of Live websites. A process that can take anywhere from just 4 days, to six months! When you publish a new blog post, site page, or website in ge...

Spotlight on Sara-Jane Austen, from The Freelance Village

Our villagers get to be involved in some amazing projects with awesome clients and this month we’re shining a spotlight on Sara-Jane Austen – a graphic designer from Wellington who specialises in visual branding and web design.  As you can see from her work below – she's an absolute rockstar! And we're so happy that she is a part of our village of freelancers....

What are logo variations?

A brand identity consists of so much more than one logo. Here I will explain what logo variations are, why you ideally should have them, and how to use them in your business....

Why do my colours look different when printed?

There are different types of colours; RGB, CMYK and PMS....

Restaurant Logo & Branding Design

When Tylor, Owner and Founder of Off The Hook Bar & Eatery, first made contact with me he was searching for a designer who was just a single person and not a big company, because he felt that a smaller design company would be able to tailor something more specific to his business and listen to his ideas.Tylor knew he needed a professional logo and branding as he was wishing to create an upmarket bar on Auckland's waterfront. He understood that branding is the face of the business and needs to lo...

How to get the perfect images for your website

There are so many talented photographers out there. You may have fallen in love with the images on their social accounts, or they've taken great family images your friends, or a cute baby, or they took your wedding photos and you think they're the greatest – and I bet they are! I follow many photographers and I am mesmerised by their talents and great eye. However, taking images for websites is a different ballgame. Here I will explain why....

How to best reflect your business with your shopfront signage

In early 2021 Jaideep and Sonali – proud owners of the Centre Of Dental Excellence in Tawa, Wellington (https://www.dental.net.nz/) - connected with Jo from Ctrl+P (https://ctrlpforprint.co.nz/) about printing and replacing their signage. Jo contacted me about designing the rebrand; “The name is staying but they’d like to refresh the colours and present a more clean and modern look – I know you’ll be able to work with them to create the right look.”  Sonali, Practice Manager, fo...

How to create an email signature in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo & Apple Mail

In this video tutorial, Jo will take you step-by-step on how to create a professional email signature for all the main email providers and go over some best practice tips.You will learn how to create an email signature in Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo & Apple Mail, and in this tutorial, Jo shows you that you can include images, links, social media, and a promotional banner....

Everything you need to know about logo files

Whether it's a custom or pre-made logo, you need to understand logo files so you can use the best version of your logo for your business.Logo files have different types that allow you to use your logo on different platforms and medium. For example, a logo that you'll place on your website would be a different file from what you are going to use for your printed merchandise or promotions....

What pages should you have on your website?

Having a beautiful online presence is important, but so is deciding what content will be on your site.To help you get started, I’ve listed 8 pages which I feel are essential for your website as a small business, and some tips for what to include on those pages....

Shutterstock's colour palettes for your brand

At the start of any design project I ask my clients for examples of other businesses which appeal to them, both personally and professionally. I then take these preferences to create a colour palette which will embody what their business is all about, attract the right clientele, and contain the essence of who they are and what makes them unique. When you're not thinking about colours daily it can be hard to know where to begin! I saw this wonderful blog on the Shutterstock website and thought I...

How to get your business found on Google

This makes it very important for businesses to have their website feature in the top search results. You can get your own business listed on Google easily and quickly by using Google My Business....

Brand photoshoot - 10 steps to getting the most out of yours

Branding photoshoots create a sense of trust in you and your business. If potential clients feel connected to you through your stories and images they're more likely to want to invest in you, rather than a 'faceless' brand.⁠ The idea of being photographed can seem too daunting, and you may be tempted to use stock images so you don’t have to get in front of the camera. Even though we have thousands of free stock images available to us, nothing beats unique and personalised images for your own...

How to plan your website content in 3 simple steps

What should you write? How many pages do you need and which ones? On top of that, your website content needs to be strategic, not just sound nice. You want your website content to: welcome visitorshelp them understand what you do and how you can helphelp them feel comfortable to buy your products or hire you....

What is a brand?

Imagine a look for your business that you (and your audience) want to dive into and never leave, which also tells a story to your audience about who you are. Do you love various different design styles and feel like a bit of a magpie, wanting to have a bit of everything, and finding it hard to narrow things down?!Do you wish for a logo and visual design style that reflects your level of professionalism and expertise?Do you feel like you try to reinvent the wheel on every marketing piec...

Let’s create your dream client avatar!

A huge part of the Logo and Branding process requires a strong understanding of your target market. This blog aims to help you figure out who your target market is....

What's in a name? How to choose your brand name

Over the years I’ve worked with many start-ups, and have gained some valuable knowledge about choosing a name. I am no expert in this area, but I can offer some handy kick-starter tips… Key points to keep in mind when choosing your brand name: Is it available?Is it search friendly?Get creativeDon’t offendBe official  ...

How to know when you need a rebrand

your ideal clients looking at your branding and website and breathing a sigh of relief, knowing that they have found the person to solve their problems.  To feel confident to move forward because everything you are communicating tells them you’re going to deliver. But right now, if someone was to make a first impression from the way you’re presenting yourself, you feel they wouldn’t get you. They wouldn’t feel like they can totally trust you....