Our Go-To Design Sites

Want to study up on design? Subscribe to some great design sites. Here are our top picks:

Invision

–Invision provides a platform for prototyping, collaboration and workflow. You’ll find resources for UX, team-building, and marketing, like inclusive design, how to conduct user research, and ways to empower your design team.

Marvel

–Marvel boasts “the best design articles every day”. Product design, color theory, the ultimate UX reading list have all been covered recently on the blog.

Product Design Weekly

–Check here for digital product design news, like immersive design, how QuickBooks rocks new user onboarding, 5 brainstorming exercises for introverts.

Creative Review

–Boasting “the best in creativity”, you’ll find timely conversations about women of color in design, gender stereotypes, and #MeToo in the creative industry.

UX Design Weekly

–Learn from the best in user experience design, including a practical guide to ethical design, and five tips for a successful career as a UX researcher.

Fast Co Design

–Dig into UI and UX articles, plus product insights and cool things happening with cities and spaces across the country.

Design Week

–With categories including branding, packaging, print, graphics, interactive, interiors, and retail, you’ll find a wide variety of topics and inspiration.

Typewolf

–Typewolf covers “What’s Trending in Type”, like font recommendations and lists, plus guides and resources.

Prototypr

–This is a great resource for anyone with an online retail presence, including user-friendly forms, user-centered transactional email design, and the importance of color for UX.

Designlab Weekly

–Here you’ll have an opportunity to learn 1-on-1 from an expert, plus gain hands-on experience, all built to fit your schedule.

Creative Bloq

–Design inspiration, product reviews, How Tos, and more!

It’s Nice That

–Known for “championing creativity”, Its Nice That features the best of animation, film, graphic design, illustration and photography.

Muzli

–Want design inspiration expertly curated for you? Enter Muzli, the designers’ secret source for relevant design stories and inspiration.

Designer News

–Find stories, jobs and podcasts all catered to the design community.

Sidebar

–Short and sweet, Sidebar highlights the five best design links, every day.

Web Designer News

–Sort by “most voted” or “most clicked” to see content that resonates with designers around the world.

Designboom

–Design, architecture, art, technology…you’ll find a little bit of everything here.

Our Go-To Design Sites2018-05-07T20:42:02+00:00

Internal Communications Case Study

This case study was first published in the PR News Guidebook. 

Major Challenges Faced

José lives and works in Houston as a General Foreman for Wright Tree Service. His colleague David is based in Wichita, and works as a computer programmer for Terra Spectrum Technologies. Both employees work for the same parent company, Wright Service Corp., based in Des Moines. How can their employer make sure these two team members not only feel connected to each other, but also feel connected to the larger organization as a whole?

Wright Service Corp. faces this exact challenge. The parent company was founded in 1961, and has undergone decades of tremendous growth and expansion. Now a prominent national leader in the environmental services industry, they have more than 3,500 employees across six companies all over the United States. The family of companies provides integrated vegetation management, technology solutions, consulting and operations, commercial environmental products, residential and commercial landscaping, tree care, and other outdoor services. While they’re 3,500 employees strong today, their humble beginnings included one man, named John L. Wright, and his wife. The company started as a family business, and the family foundation that it was built on continues yet today.

Due to the nature of the work performed, the number one value of each company is safety. From the CEO to the entry-level tree trimmer, it is vital that each employee embrace the importance of safety training and procedures.

With so many employees all across the country, building a strong and cohesive company culture is a major hurdle. Add the fact that many of the employees require communications in Spanish, and internal communications become doubly challenging.

How can Wright Service Corp. make sure that employees who will never meet, like José in Texas and David in Kansas, still feel connected to the company and embrace its mission and roots of a family founded company?

Strategy

In 2013, we helped this family of businesses develop a company-wide newsletter to address these internal communications hurdles. The publication is 40+ pages, and is distributed in the spring and fall each year. The newsletter is one of the key communication pieces for employees, and serves a variety of functions. First and foremost, they use the newsletter to gain buy-in for the mission and values of the family of companies. “Safety is our highest value, and family remains our foundation,” said Scott Packard, Chairman and CEO. “Our employee newsletter helps to reinforce these two key elements of our company culture”.

The newsletter includes results from initiatives like the Spring Safety Challenge, the Tailgate Safety Contest, and the Turkey Safety Challenge to encourage safe work practices. The company CEO awards an “ESOP Coin” to employees who exhibit company values in an exemplary manner. Coin recipients are also congratulated within the publication.

To help all employees feel valued and included, the Wright Tree Service section of the newsletter is produced in two languages. This helps foster the “family” culture that the CEO and leadership team strive for.

Finally, this internal communications piece tells the unique story of each of the six companies under the Wright Service Corp. umbrella. This is particularly important because Wright Service Corp. is an employee owned company. Giving each employee an overview of successes, company news, and updates helps build a sense of pride and ownership.

Process

The 40-page Wright Service Corp. news-zine is a major undertaking, and has become part of the Wright marketing and communications team’s workflow throughout the year. There is a dedicated email address for employees to submit news, stories, employee kudos, and photos from events. They’ve developed an editorial calendar of important annual events to document & include, like the Annual Awards Banquet, departments that participate in summer sport leagues, employee training sessions, and employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) meetings. The marketing team acts as a historian for the company, taking photos at company events, and keeping a running list of important company news to include. The team also gathers positive customer reviews to share in the publication. Sara Harpenau is the head of the marketing team, and has oversight of all company communications. Her team is tasked with gathering content and company highlights from the executive leadership and management of each of the six companies.

“Our company newsletter is such an important part of the company culture,” said Harpenau. “We invest a lot of hours planning this newsletter and gathering and writing content. The positive feedback we get from employees across the family of companies, as well as retirees and clients when they receive it make it well worth the effort.”

The actual production of the piece usually takes about two months from start to finish. Copy, photos and graphics are submitted to our agency Cooper Smith & Company, and we lay out the publication in chunks, separated by company. This makes editing and proofing much easier, and allows each individual company to maintain its own brand look.

Tactics 

The low frequency of publication (twice a year), means employees look forward to this newsletter and read it carefully. Here is what the publication strives to accomplish:

  • Community Building – Photos from summer leagues and stories of employee success encourages employees to look for themselves and friends in the publication, and helps familiarize team members with one another. There is even a “Sprouts & Shouts” employee news section with photos of new babies and marriage shout outs to encourage personal connection and live out that family focused culture where the company began long ago.
  • Retain Employees – Celebrating professional growth opportunities like the General Foreman School and Leadership Academy is a reminder that the company is committed to its employees. Recognition of ESOP Coin recipients also help employees feel valued.
  • Moral Booster – Kudos from customers, recognition for national awards received, and call outs for new hires/internal promotions keep the “warm fuzzies” going.
  • Celebrate Safety – Results of safety contests and stories of safety efforts reinforce the number one value of all employees. The company also produces safety videos, which are regularly promoted.
  • Encourage Longevity – Photos from the Annual Awards Banquet are included, recognizing employees who have served the company for a milestone increment of years.

Lessons Learned

  • Let employees contribute. Photos, birth announcements, etc. are always very well received, plus contributions from employees help lighten the load of the person in charge of gathering content.
  • Don’t let a language barrier stand in the way of creating community. If a large percentage of your employees speak a language other than English, create alternate versions of the piece. Don’t want to spring for printing in multiple languages? You can have the alternate language version available digitally for download on your website or distribution via email.
  • Take advantage of this communication opportunity. Because this is one of Wright Service Corp.’s key communications throughout the year, they also include inserts about employee incentives, special programs, new benefits, etc.
  • Use a printer that you trust. This sort of publication has many moving pieces (mailing list, different stuffers for different employees, some mailed, some returned to corporate office for internal distribution), and you want to be sure it’s executed flawlessly.
  • Get the most out of your content. Repurpose past newsletter articles on your company blog or website. This will help touch your audience on multiple platforms, boosts SEO, and gives you more mileage from your investment.

Feeling inspired? 

This internal communications format works best for:

  • Large organizations with 100+ employees
  • Families of companies with multiple organizations under one umbrella
  • Organizations with multiple branches or employees working in several locations

Ready to craft your own internal communications piece? Here’s how to get started:

  • Determine the best medium: email, digital publication, print piece
  • Choose your frequency: monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, annually
  • Identify the goal & key messaging: What does your communication need to accomplish? What tone do you want to set?
  • Gather your content: Encourage all employees to submit content. Keep a running list and folder where you can throw ideas and photos throughout the year.
Internal Communications Case Study2018-05-07T21:05:19+00:00

Meet the Artist: Will Bassett

As a 2016 graduate of the Iowa State University College of Design, Will Bassett is the newest member of our design team. He has quickly become an integral member of our agency, working closely with clients to deliver hardworking print & digital communications.

What’s your favorite color palette to work with?

I’m not sure there is a specific color palette that I enjoy over others. I would say in general, my favorite palettes include black and white, plus some soft, natural colors with a powerful, vibrant spot color. I love design that pops, and it usually starts with a strong spot color. If I had to choose, I’d say reds and blues are my favorite to work with, though depending on the day it could be something completely different. It really depends on the project and which side of the bed I woke up on.

What is your favorite typeface and why?

My favorite typeface is probably Futura. I love how simple yet versatile it is. It works when it’s thin, and it works when it’s bold. Futura makes a great headline typeface, body copy, all caps, or upper and lower case. It’s absolutely one of my go-to’s.

 

For a serif typeface, I really enjoy Bodoni. It’s super clean, and the contrasting thin and thick lines make it a beautiful choice when I need a more formal option.

Where do you find design inspiration?

My favorite place to find inspiration is on Behance. It’s a great place to see what designers are doing all over the world. From small, personal projects to corporate branding and major promotions, I think Behance is a wonderful source of inspiration and trends.

Another great place for inspiration and design knowledge is Skillshare. Skillshare is a site where anyone can become a teacher and post tutorials, how-to’s, and technique videos for others to learn from. The site has videos on everything from cooking to technology to business, but the design videos are extremely informative and helpful. There are some really well-known designers who post tutorials on Skillshare like Paula Scher, Aaron Draplin, and more. I highly recommend checking it out!

Tell us about your most memorable project.

I think my most memorable project would have to be a semi trailer wrap that I did for the Iowa DNR’s mobile exhibit. It is certainly the largest project I’ve done in my career so far. Every day I am learning new things, and this was one of the largest learning curves I’ve had as far as scope and technicality.

The trailer exhibit debuted at the Iowa State Fair and travels around to schools and educational events around Iowa to inform the public of the impact of how we live on the environment. I believe that the best design is design for good, and getting the opportunity to create something with so much public impact was incredible. It’s always fun to see something you’ve done out in the world, especially with so many people interacting with it at a place as iconic as the State Fair.

Who are your favorite artists or designers?

One of my favorite design groups out there today is DKNG Studios. DKNG is an illustration-based design firm out of LA consisting of two designers, Dan Kuhlken and Nathan Goldman. I was turned on to them in college, and have been borderline obsessed ever since. They do a lot of promotional work for movies, bands and festivals, and their designs are both intricate and beautiful. These guys are also very involved with Skillshare and are regularly posting tutorials on Adobe Illustrator shortcuts and techniques.

A local designer that I really admire is John Bosley. He is also an illustration-based designer who does mostly screen printing for events and locations around Iowa and the Midwest. His designs are super clean and the compositions are brilliant. A few of his posters may or may not be on my Christmas list this year.

What are your favorite well-executed brands?

In my opinion, Nike is one of the most well-executed brands out there today. They do a great job of appealing to about every demographic while keeping their look and brand consistent and recognizable. You can’t go anywhere without seeing that swoosh, and people (myself included) will certainly pay extra to have that logo on their outfit.

Apple is an easy answer, but I have to say I wasn’t an Apple convert until a few years ago. I used to try to fight the overwhelming Mac/iPhone trend until I visited my dad’s cousin’s house/design studio. He opened up a Power Mac G5 computer so that I could see the inner workings, and it was beautiful. The inside of this computer (that most people would never take the time to look at) was a work of art on its own. Everything had a place. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the clean design and order that Apple prides itself on. I didn’t even want to throw away my MacBook or iPhone boxes because the packaging is so well done. That attention to detail and presentation goes a long way in selling and building brands, and Apple is probably the best there is at it.

Meet the Artist: Will Bassett2018-05-07T21:44:23+00:00

Where Small Budgets Die

We get a lot of clients who see a really cool die cut, fold or finish in their mailbox or at a tradeshow, and want to include something similar in a project.

Special finishes can add big impact, but they require extra production time and quite a bit more budget than you may expect. To avoid sticker shock (especially if you tend to print small quantities like many of our clients), read on to learn more about what it takes to make some of our favorite fancy finishes happen, and when to consider finding the budget for that extra pop.

Die Cutting

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For the most part, those cool edges, shapes and folds you see require a printer’s ‘die’. The metal edge cuts the paper; the rest is padding that pushes the cut sheet back off the edge. Dies range in size from huge (for pocket folders), to small (for a few business cards), and if you create one custom for your company or project, your printer stores them for use when you reprint. You can also request to use dies your printer already has on hand. Most printers or finishing houses have stock dies for things like envelopes, pocket folders, and divider tabs. These kinds of dies are also used to create custom edges, fold-ins, windows, patterns, etc.

Simple die cuts are easy to incorporate even in smaller print runs of 250-500 for business cards, brochures and more. The die is a one-time investment of a few hundred dollars, and only adds a day or two to your turnaround time.

Things get trickier when you use die cuts for direct mail. Non-standard and even non-solid shapes are mailable, but the surcharges are something you’ll want to keep in mind for your budget if you don’t plan on putting your piece in an outer envelope.

 

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Embossing & Foil Stamping

Foil stamping and embossing require a printer’s die also, and are a great way to add depth and dimension to artwork, or bold text on a cover, pocket folder, invitation, or business card. Here are some examples:

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Multilevel dies will cost you more than single level, and you’ll want to invest in a heavy, quality sheet of paper — thick enough to handle the depth of the emboss. Cost and process to emboss and/or foil stamp is similar to die cutting in that a die must be created. There’s usually some back and forth between the designer and the finishing house to get the artwork in just the right level of detail for the size and substrate. Simple embossing can be affordable even for smaller quantities, but the sky is the limit. For example, 500 business cards like these will run you $1500 just for the printing.

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If you want the look of embossing, but don’t have the budget, you can get hand embossers to add a simple seal. They’re usually best used on text weight paper.

Other Finishes

Other cool finishes to explore include spot varnish (pictured), scratch offs, or scratch and sniffs.

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General Rules of Thumb

Intrigued? Here are some words of advice before you decide to add a special finish to your next project:

Add a week (or more!) to your schedule.

Special processes like these take more time, but are worth the wait. Designers need extra time to come up with that cool die cut and make sure the folds work just right. Then the printer has to have a die made. Then once the project is printed, it often has to go to another press specifically to be die cut or embossed, and sometimes to another facility. Plan ahead, and allow for extra time and budget for design, production, and printing. Cool things come to those willing to wait.

Consider your quantity.

Special finishes can double, triple, or quadruple your per-piece cost on small quantities. If you only need 50, 100, or even 250 of an item, you have to weigh whether or not the impact per recipient is worth it. Is it possible to increase the quantity and use those brochures or binders for something else down the road? Or is the event you’re hosting a fancy affair that’s worth the extra cost per invitation for the foil and the multilevel die?

Consider your message.

Does this piece need to help you stand out? Are you offering a high-end product or service? If you’re looking to have a conversation about attention to detail or being the best of the best, detailed finishes provide a wow factor that can be well-worth the price tag.

Where Small Budgets Die2018-05-07T21:52:33+00:00
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