Gorgeous. dense. loud. Anything but boring. The most "maxed out" of all these design styles, Visual & Vintage brands crank the volume up to 11. When you look at a Visual & Vintage website or logo, you get an immediate impression of what that brand stands for and what their personality could ... KEEP READING
Designtastic
Signature Style #4: Royal & Premium
A polished, high-end look for premium brands. You want the luxe life, and you want to work with people who have the same quality taste. You take the reigns when it comes to planning setting high financial goals - you're fully committed to creating a business that gets you the best kind of ... KEEP READING
Signature Style #3: Elegant & Feminine
Decorative design for stylish ladypreneurs Women in many different industries choose to market themselves as Elegant & Feminine to greater reflect their own personal sense of style. Many women choose this brand design because it's one of the most enjoyable to DIY - an entrepreneur's main goal ... KEEP READING
Signature Style #2: Bright & Bold
Simple design & POP colors create memorable brand experiences. Sometimes having a LOUD taste really comes in handy - especially when you're looking to create a brand that stands out from others in your field. What sets this Signature Style apart from the others in my collection is the ... KEEP READING
Signature Style #1: Clean & Professional
Flat design with a crisp, modern edge. The first of my Signature Style blog series is also the least "styled" look of all. Clean & professional design can also be thought of as modern design, which always takes a backseat to photography and content. If you're looking to spend less time on Canva ... KEEP READING
3 Incredible Tools for Habit Building
As someone who's been #workfromwherever boss babe for over 3 years now, it's taken me a long time to find the value of routine. In fact, one of the reasons I was so jazzed to run my own business was so I wouldn't have to live by someone else's rules. I wanted full control of my life and my ... KEEP READING
How I keep thousands of design assets organized
I admit, I have SO many design files & assets on my computer it's a bit baffling. I've been collecting photos, icons, and artwork from all over the web since I got into graphic design in 2007 (wow has it been 10 years already?) I'm often asked how I keep everything organized. My folder system ... KEEP READING
How to use Stock Photos for your Website and Marketing
"Should I feel bad about using too many stock photos?" "Can I use different types of photos, or should I have a common 'theme' to maintain consistency?" "What even is a 'graphic' and how does it relate to my marketing?" I get asked about website graphics all the time during my Q&A's. It's ... KEEP READING
3 Fresh challenges to skyrocket your brand
It's hard to admit when there's gaps in your education. As much as I am a pro at website development and Photoshop wizardry, there are some important business & marketing skills that were never really covered in my education. But until recently, I just chugged along, content with my ... KEEP READING
Understanding Websites for Beginners
So what exactly goes into a website? Here's a quick cheatsheet for the tech newbies out there. The modern web can be described very simply as domain - hosting - platform - theme. 1. Domain Your domain is, simply put, the address (or URL) where your website lives Examples: designmastermind.nyc, ... KEEP READING
The Benefits of Working Late
The night is my playground. When the world quiets down, my mind wakes up. I especially love working at night. Nothing makes me happier than digging deep into a client project till the early hours of the morning, completely losing track of time and producing some amazing, creative work to show the ... KEEP READING
Toolkit to Boost Productivity Everyday
A work-from-anywhere diva is only as good as her toolkit. So the first thing you do when you start building your business and developing promotional material? Develop a toolkit. The best possible toolkit you can get your hands on. Search out new programs and try new tools until you find the stuff ... KEEP READING
Ask a designer part 3: Photomania
#1: Where can I get beautiful stock photos? PAID: 1. I LOVE Creative Market. They have great fonts, photos, and vectors for you to use in your backgrounds and graphics. 2. If you know that you’re going to want stock photos for your posts and marketing materials, Shutterstock is a great ... KEEP READING
5 Tips for Working From Home
Working from home has the most ridiculous blessing: curse ratio I've ever experienced. When I started working from home full time almost 3 years ago, I was so stunned by the change in lifestyle that I didn't know how where to begin. I was so used to my entire schedule being determined by someone ... KEEP READING
Ask a designer part 2: Website platforms demystified
How do I choose between Squarespace and Wordpress? What about OptimizePress? Where does that come in? - It depends on how you want to use your website, and whether you intend to bring on a graphic designer as part of your team at any point down the line. I’ll walk you some pros and cons of ... KEEP READING
A Designer’s Manifesto
Okay so this particular manifesto isn't going to be a forceful declaration or a statement of purpose. It's more like a set of priorities that I keep in the back of my mind every day to help make running my business as smooth a process as humanly possible. 1) A designer is only as good as her ... KEEP READING
Ask a designer part 1: Creating a premium brand identity
#1: What is brand identity? Do I need an icon? - Brand identity is the face of your business. It’s the photos you use, the fonts you choose, and the colors you add to your buttons and headlines. At the front of it all, is your logo. - You don’t need an icon with your logo unless it’s an actual ... KEEP READING
Simple websites that make a HUGE impact
There is a massive amount of content on the internet, but not every website is worth coming back to time and time again. These 9 sites I list below have helped me gain stability in my career, and continue to inspire me on a daily basis. I have used them to continue my education, find inspiration, ... KEEP READING
