Graphic Design articles by the best and brightest in the field

• Four Reasons Why Your Brand Needs a Visual Systemby Gwyneth Dwyer
  What does your brand look like? Is it recognizable—in any medium? Or does it change its appearance and present a confusing array of visual styles? Most organizations understand the strategic importance of a consistent visual style... but fall short on implementation, especially when there are multiple in-house or agency creative teams. more
• Seven Words That Will Make Your Web Site Worth Viewingby Jerry Bader
  What are the seven most important words in Web marketing? Here's a hint: Search, engine, and optimization don't make the cut. So what words do make the list? What are the seven words that will make your Web site worth viewing? more
• Blueprint for Online Success: Understanding the Fundamentals of Web Site Design, Part 2by Peter Sena
  This is the second part of an article that discusses the importance of good Web site design and the process of streamlining the creation of Web sites. more
• Blueprint for Online Success: Understanding the Fundamentals of Web Site Design, Part 1by Peter Sena
  Good site design starts with an idea—not with a technology. In today's internet obsessed world, far too many people are becoming more focused on the latest and greatest Web 2.0 buzzwords than on the fundamental purpose of the Web site. Whether that purpose is to provide information or allow for the purchase of a product or service, there is a main purpose for the site and that needs to be identified. more
• Don't Settle for Web Site Mediocrityby David A. Salinas
  A Web site has to accomplish only two basic things to deliver success for your business—and those two things are mission-critical. A successful Web site must be built from the ground up to attract and capture: first, the attention of your target audience and, second, the attention of the major search engines. more
• 11 Tips to Align PC and Mobile Email Designby Loren McDonald
  The good news: More of your customers can read your email messages on their smartphones now, instead of waiting until they get back to a computer. The bad news: The email that looks so great on your PC may look like a garbled mess on the phone. These HTML cross-platform optimization tips can make your message render better on both PC and mobile phone. more
• Creative Redeemed: How to Achieve Measurable Difference in Online Marketingby Scott Brinker
  The power of great creative is that it over-delivers. It exceeds expectations. It signals that you care about and respect your audience—and it affects your brand when you need it most: the formative moment of a prospect's first impression of you. Measure precisely how much of a difference this makes. more
• Fundamental Design Rules for Email Marketing Successby Winston Bowden
  Good email design is a critical part of ensuring a high response rate. A major frustration within the industry is the lack of standards to guide designers when creating HTML email. Though there isn't one email-marketing design bible, there are fundamental design rules that should be applied. This article reviews some of the high-level design principles as well as more in-depth rules affecting some of the most common issues email marketers face. more
• Why Google's New Web Browser Chrome Matters to Youby David Felfoldi
  Last week Google released Chrome, its new standards-compliant Web browser. But what does that mean to you? Though Google offers a great comic that explains the big changes, it is a bit jargon-heavy and, frankly, long at 32 (comic) pages. Here's an introduction of Chrome for the layman. more
• Simplicity Is the Nature of Great Emailsby Gary Levitt and Rob Lubow
  The modern email inbox is a perpetual promotion machine of colors, styles, and sales pitches all fighting to be seen. In an attempt to break from the herd, many email marketers ironically adopt a herd mentality of more clutter, more content, more, more, more. This misguided pursuit of increased visibility merely leads to increased invisibility. Before joining the invisible ranks of the "clutter cult" of email marketers, consider that a huge body of marketing research demonstrates that the human mind is a sucker for simplicity and focus. The eye embraces that which can be easily digested. Less is more. more
• Three Ways to Take Advantage of the Email Preview Paneby Reggie Brady
  Do you have the preview pane enabled in your inbox? Many of your email recipients use this setting and some even read most of their emails this way. In short, the preview pane is important email real estate, and you can use it to your advantage. What readers see in this area can influence their decision to open your email to read more or to scroll down to see more. more
• How to Make Your Email Program More Productive in 2008by Reggie Brady
  If you haven't done it yet, now is the perfect time to map out plans for your email program. Any changes you might make in the first few months of the year will stand you in good stead; any plans or changes that you implement in the first quarter should pay dividends for the balance of the year. Here are several actionable ideas. more
• Moving Madison Avenue: Finding Advertising Ideas Elsewhereby Martin Lindstrom
  What will happen when ideas become commodities just like everything else? Some people certainly buy ads from advertising agencies on the strength of the agency's own brand name, but is the value of those brands under threat? more
• Repackage, Rebrand & Relaunch? Or Do We Need to Dig Deeper?by Ted Mininni
  Leading consumer-products companies are looking to rebrand, repackage and relaunch... often too frequently. Sometimes, the effort is merely putting a bandage on a deeper sore. It's far less painful to assess lagging sales in a superficial manner than it is to dig deeper into company practices, customer-service issues, and the actual product mix being offered—not to mention how customers are experiencing the brand and whether that brand is delivering on its promises. In fact, companies that really want to dig for the truth ought to seek answers to these questions... . more
• Maximizing Your Web Site's Effectiveness: Q&A with Karen Breen Vogel, CEO of ClearGaugeby Mack Collier
  With the rise of social media and user-generated content, there are more factors than ever to consider when designing a company Web site. Throw in SEO and choosing the proper design/layout for your Web site, and it all gets very confusing... very quickly. Which means that Web site optimization experts such as Karen Breen Vogel are in very high demand. Vogel understands how to lead organic traffic to Web sites—but, perhaps more importantly, she understands how to give those users the content they are looking for when they arrive. Here Vogel cuts through the clutter and gives invaluable advice on how to build disciplined Web site optimization programs that build on strengths and business objectives. more
• PowerPoint, Warts and All: Relearning to Communicateby Abhay Padgaonkar
  PowerPoint recently (and quietly) celebrated its 20th birthday. Why do some people love it while others passionately hate it? And how can we learn from its strength and its limitations, to be better and more effective communicators? more
• Six Tricks for Creating Brand-Building, Sales-Ripping Creative Briefsby Steve McNamara
  Want to make your ads more effective? Project a stronger brand personality?
  
  In this follow-up to a MarketingProfs Classic—and one of our most popular articles ever—the author shares his experiences from some of the world's leading ad agencies. In his view, a well-written creative brief is the road map that will lead the way toward a stronger brand. Here's how. more
• iPhone Debut Rivals Harry Potter Mania... But Will It Last? (Or, Why the iPhone Is Not a Phone)by Paul Paetz
  Does the hype of the iPhone equal runaway success? Is the game already won? Or will there be an equal and opposite reaction when possibility and excitement about the future gives way to reality, and inevitable issues arise with service, availability, bugs in functionality and unfulfilled expectations? more
• The Top 5 Best (and Top 5 Worst) Things About Landing Pagesby Scott Brinker
  Landing pages have become the Omega-3s of Web marketing: if you're not using them and optimizing them ad infinitum, you're squandering your online ad dollars. Or so the landing page optimization crowd would have you believe. In the spirit of probing the pros and cons of this popular post-click marketing format—and, okay, doing a little tongue-in-cheek myth busting—we offer our take of the top 5 best and worst things about landing pages, in contrast to multi-page landing paths. more
• Stop, Thief! How to Protect Your Site from Copyright Infringementby Stephan Spencer
  They say that "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Not if you are a Web site owner and you have a brand to protect! Stephan has seen designs copied, content copied... even entire sites copied. It's easy for someone to "View Source" and take whatever they like, without regard to copyright. Here's what to do about it. more

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Graphic Design case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How Weekly Reader Boosted Renewals by Altering Its Direct Marketing Package and CollateralWeekly Reader
  CASE STUDY: Weekly Reader, a publisher of materials for elementary and secondary schools, needed to improve direct mail renewal rates, which had been trending downward. A simple redesign and copy change worked to increase the response rate and orders for the fall school year. more
• How Sherwin-Williams Used Digital Collateral for a Newly Launched Product to Engage Retailers and ConsumersSherwin-Williams Company, Krylon division
  You have a snazzy new product and need marketing collateral to show it off. You want to rally your sales force around it, and at the same time excite the retailers who'll carry it. Print won't do. But digital will. more
• A Niche E-tailer Sizes Up Glamour... One Customer at a Time, Boosting Sales with a Personalized Web Site ExperienceSydney's Closet
  Five years ago, Sydney's Closet sold only plus-size prom dresses. Since then, however, the company has significantly expanded its lines, and it sought to segment its customers to help deliver content and offers that would be specific to their interests and needs. Here's its approach. more
• How a Web-based Company Increased Leads 90%—and Sales 23%—via PPC-Visitor Profiling, Landing Page PersonalizationCompany: Continental Warranty
  Continental Warranty used pay-per-click ads to generate leads by providing free quotes for extended-warranty coverage. But lead volume had plateaued. So it began to profile its web visitors, then direct them to microsites matching their profiles—and nearly doubled leads. more
• How a Digital Input Device Manufacturer Increased Engagement With Customers, Upped Holiday SalesWacom Technology Corp.
  Wacom's digital pens and their capabilities are well-known in the business world. To continue growing, however, the company needed to address the consumer market. Here's how it effectively reached a new fan community. more
• How an Online Business Increased Conversions (Sales) on Landing Pages by Up to 12%AutoAnything.com
  AutoAnything.com, which sells custom-made automotive accessories and performance parts, designed its homepage almost a decade ago. But as e-commerce has become more competitive, the site needed a strategy. After testing different versions of landing pages, AutoAnything.com increased landing-page conversions by up to 12%. more
• How a B2C Web Site's Landing-Page Tests Resulted in a 67% Jump in ConversionsBabyCenter
  The landing page for a top Web site's most popular search term converted about 30 percent less frequently than the company's general landing page. By simultaneously testing four new versions of the landing page, the site was able to ensure relevance, increasing conversions 67%—and decreasing abandonment rates. more
• How Garden Fresh Realized a Huge Gain in Web Traffic and Longer-Term Loyalty via EmailGarden Fresh Restaurant Corp.
  Garden Fresh Restaurants sought to increase customer engagement with its "Club Veg" loyalty club, totaling more than half a million opt-in members. Its two interactive email campaigns worked like a charm -- leading to huge increases in site traffic and boosting customer loyalty. more
• How a Swiss Co. Doubled US Sales by Convincing Consumers That Its Product Is Hip and Worth a PremiumSIGG USA
  SIGG had been selling its aluminum water and fuel bottles to the US outdoor market for years at a price about twice as much as the closest competitor's. It counted on the Swiss reputation for quality to drive sales—but sales were flat. Then its newly formed US subsidiary made some surprising discoveries via market research. more
• How a Nonprofit Used Member Resources to Increase Brand Awareness Across Multiple MarketsOregon Sports Authority
  The nonprofit Oregon Sports Authority (OSA) was striving to bring new sporting events, teams, and tourist dollars to the state. It also wanted to become the official sports resource for state residents. An overhaul of its promotions and more compelling communication of its brand were the ambitious goals that the four-employee nonprofit set for itself--and achieved, with a little help from a capable member base, which included the likes of Nike. more
• How an Insurance Company Web Site Achieved Significant Increases in Click-Throughs and ConversionsAmerican International Underwriters (AIU)
  By dynamically changing content on its start page to targeted segments of site visitors, along with testing the placement of additional product offerings within the transaction funnel, American International Underwriters upped the conversion rates of several of its products. more
• How a Nonprofit Developed Marketing Materials That Spoke to Its Culturally Diverse Audience, Bringing in New MembersSan Francisco Health Plan
  A nonprofit health-plan provider serving lower-income San Francisco residents was designed for and by the residents it served. The health plan said it took "pride in speaking the language" of its local residents—but the community has large Hispanic, Vietnamese and Chinese populations, as well as other ethnic groups. more
• How a European B2C Manufacturer's Web Site Re-launch Tapped the US Market, Encouraged CommunityDunderdon
  Dunderson, a Swedish manufacturer of high-end urban clothes, wanted to expand its clientele to the key US market. Since the vast majority of its business came from third-party retailers selling to European consumers, it had limited exposure to Americans—mostly through one retail outlet in New York City. At the same time, it wanted to shift its business model more toward direct business-to-consumer sales via its Web site. more
• How a B2C Web Site's Landing-Page Tests Resulted in a 67% Jump in ConversionsBabyCenter
  When a top Web site took a close look its landing pages, company officials noticed something unacceptable: The landing page for the company's most popular search term converted about 30 percent less frequently than the company's general landing page. By simultaneously testing four new versions of the landing page, the site was able to ensure relevance, increasing conversions 67%—and decreasing abandonment rates to boot. For any marketer who struggles to make ads and landing pages directly relevant to the consumer's search, this case study provides valuable insight. more

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Graphic Design online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• Social Media 1.0: What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Video, Widgets, Blogs and MoreAttendee rating:  - Apr 11, 2007
• e-Newsletters: Get Attention and Build LoyaltyAttendee rating:  - Feb 22, 2007
• Crash Course #6: Direct Marketing Creative SavvyAttendee rating:  - Jan 25, 2007
• Best Practices in Web Content: Beauty Doesn't Matter (much)Attendee rating:  - Dec 7, 2006
• Killer Web Content: Make the sale. Deliver the service. Build the brand.Attendee rating:  - Dec 6, 2006
• Crash Course #3: How to Craft a Compelling Direct Marketing Offer and Call-to-ActionAttendee rating:  - Nov 30, 2006
• Email Marketing Success: 10 Campaigns Examined for Better and for WorseAttendee rating:  - Aug 24, 2006
• Demystifying Website Usability: Rapid Research for MarketersAttendee rating:  - Jul 25, 2006
• 12 Creative Campaigns Up Close: Analyzing Direct Marketing CommunicationsAttendee rating:  - Jul 6, 2006
• Behind the Wheel of Web Redesign: What Drives SuccessAttendee rating:  - Oct 6, 2005

Graphic Design: See all 10 seminars

Graphic Design mini articles distilling bite-sized advice (from our Get to the Point newsletters)

• It All Comes Down to ProcessEmail Marketing
  We spend a lot of time discussing topics like deliverability and relevance, but rarely touch on another factor that plays a critical role in successful email marketing campaigns. "Process is ...
• Stay Away from Plug-and-PlayB2B Marketing
  Diana Huff offers an interesting warning to small businesses in a recent post at her B2B Marcom Writer blog: When creating a website, keep away from companies that offer "plug-and-play" ...
• Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a MatchSmall Business
  Anyone can claim to design websites. So before you hire a designer, it's important to ask a few key questions. Oliver Feakins of WebTalent recommends starting with a request to ...
• I'm Too Sexy for My ShirtEmail Marketing
  Abercrombie & Fitch has built a youth-oriented brand around racy images of shirtless men and scantily clad women, often photographed in provocative poses. Subscribers to the clothier's email campaigns are ...
• You Sure Are Testy These DaysEmail Marketing
  Just because an email strategy works for one company—even one very like yours—that doesn't mean it will automatically work for you. "This is due to different cultures and expectations," says ...
• Beware the SpaminatorEmail Marketing
  The best email offer in the world won't accomplish much if it never reaches your intended recipient. Beware:  there are strong forces at work these days trying their best to block your ...
• Do What I Say AND What I DoEmail Marketing
  When David Greiner decided to redesign the Campaign Monitor newsletter—rather than give it a simple facelift—he first studied the advice his company gave to customers. "Turns out we were breaking ...
• A Tale of Two EmailsEmail Marketing
  In a post at the Emma blog, Jim Hitch tells the story of two emails he received within 20 minutes of each other. "They're similar at first glance," he says. ...
• Go gif in a Jiffy!Email Marketing
  "It can be done, I've seen it," says the Email Karma blog of Goodmail's email certification platform, which now enables users to include video in email messages. "However," the blog ...
• Cool Cloaking Device!Search Engine Marketing
  Is your website invisible? If it's not designed to be found by search engine spiders, it might as well be. The key to visibility? Keeping content clear and simple. An ...
• Nah, That's Not Just an Ad. Is It?Interactive Marketing
  You learned in school that there's no such thing as a free lunch. But as cable TV's popularity wanes against the force of the almighty Internet, it looks like "free ...
• Now, That's a Powerful Presence!Search Engine Marketing
  A Web site has to accomplish two crucial things in its quest for success: to attract customers, and to hold their attention. To achieve both, optimum site design is critical. As ...
• You Look Mahvelous!Customer Insight
  Let's face it: as consumers, we're not that good at judging the volume of a product (eg, how much liquid is actually in that bottle or glass of juice). Moreover, ...
• OMG, that looks good!Email Marketing
  If the popularity of the 3G iPhone is any indication—Apple sold over one million units during its first weekend on the market—the smartphone is here to stay. According to Loren ...
• Cut the Mystery Man ActCustomer Insight
  Is it more effective to tell customers your brand name right away in advertising? Or is it better to create a little mystery, and reveal the brand name only at ...
• Do You See What I See?Email Marketing
  It would be terrific if email marketers had universal standards for the creation of all their html messages. In the absence of such comprehensive guidelines, Winston Bowden offers some fundamental design rules ...
• On-the-Fly CreativityMarketing Inspiration
  You spend most of your day trying to be creative, but do you ever stop to ask yourself what creativity is? With a white board, a few markers and a ...
• Give Me a Digital SignInteractive Marketing
  The days of static billboards, posters and traditional advertising signage are numbered. Marketers can now reach their audience in new places. Digital signage will be a $2.6B business by 2010. ...
• Do You Really Want a Logo That Only Costs $100?Small Business
  In a post at his blog, David Airey discusses the strange phenomenon of companies that think they can get a great logo on the cheap. Among the not-unusual postings he ...
• Be a Shape-ShifterCustomer Insight
  Did you ever notice how many products or packages are rectangular? Think tissue box. Think cereal box. Think books. Think paper bags! The list is endless. Apparently, there's a good ...

Graphic Design: See all 28 quick reads

Graphic Design marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Lead Generation How-To Guide
  Great product, great sales team, great marketing collateral - now what? People to sell to, of course. Put your lead generation tactics under the microscope with this enlightening how-to guide. Get more and better qualified leads, faster today.

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