Broadcast email design
Broadcast email has become a powerful marketing tool and an effective means of maintaining contact with a company’s existing and potential customers. Abuses of graphical email, however, have underscored the need to design such emails with care and attention.
An email’s design must strike the right balance between visual splash and meaningful content. A successful broadcast email will reinforce the company’s visual identity through a layout consistent with that of the company's website; focus the recipient’s attention on the key message(s) communicated via the email; and make intelligent use of images in observance of the recipient’s bandwidth constraints.
Typically, one or two HTML-based email templates are created, based on sample content provided by the client. One template is usually designed for single-message "campaign" style emails, while the other is designed to collect news headlines and highlights in a periodic newsletter. Newsletters are tested against both desktop- and browser-based email clients.
Search engine optimization
Designing a website that is compelling, beautiful, and highly usable does not ensure it will be a successful one. If it isn't seen by its intended audience, no amount of redesigning will help your website stand out in a crowded Internet.
As search engines have become more ubiquitous and their results more precise, they are now the leading gateway between users and your site. Care must be taken to ensure your site is visible to search engines and tailored to their idiosyncrasies; subtle changes to both content and coding can greatly affect its rankings. Meanwhile, your site must remain easily navigable and the integrity of its content must be preserved; a website must both attract and retain users, after all.
Identifying keywords aligned with your organization is the first step in search engine optimization. j.dubbs design can then work with you and/or an SEO specialist to tailor the site's content and code to these terms, thereby ensuring greater visibility across leading search engines. SEO best practices are followed when coding every website.
Product collateral design
Print collateral can communicate a product’s features and benefits in ways that a website cannot. Because on-screen text of substantial length is not conducive to careful analysis or study, a print-ready alternative offers many users a more legible means of learning about a company’s products.
When distributed digitally as a PDF, product collateral can take on a life of its own, being forwarded from one decision maker in an organization to another, reaching prospective customers that a company’s website might not. In hardcopy, product datasheets, brochures, case studies and position papers offer portability and endurance not found in online materials. "Premium content" such as whitepapers, position papers, and market research can also be effective lead-generation tools on your website.
Print collateral is developed in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator using content provided by the client, and may be exported to PDF, EPS, or other formats ready for printing or online distribution.
Identity design
A good logo combines icon and type to succinctly communicate the values of the company it represents. Conceptually it must be unique and distinctive, establish an appropriate and positive image, and capture the imagination of its target audience. Technically it must be applicable to both print and electronic media and "read" legibly at a vast array of sizes and distances, whether a small imprint on a business card or scaled up to a bannerstand or other tradeshow signage.
Typically identity design begins with a handful of monochomatic glyph and type treatments, one or two of which are selected for further refinement. Once refined, a range of color explorations is presented, after which a complete two-color mark is finalized. Optionally, supporting print collateral (e.g., business cards, letterhead) and on-screen collateral (e.g., promotional badges) may also be created.
Supporting visual design
Supporting visuals such as conceptual illustrations, architecture diagrams, and interactive content can greatly enhance a website’s visual appeal, making the site’s design more memorable and its content more compelling.
Visuals can often communicate concepts in ways that paragraphs or bullets cannot; simultaneously they help direct users' attention to the surrounding textual content for additional detail. Illustrations and diagrams appeal to users disinclined to read large passages of text, ensuring the site speaks to as wide an audience as possible.
Architecture diagrams and conceptual illustrators are designed as vector-based artwork using Adobe Illustrator. Such materials are typically multi-purpose, working equally well in a company’s website as they do in print materials.
Tradeshow signage
Commanding attention on a crowded tradeshow floor can be challenging for even the largest booths. Compelling, coordinated backdrop signage, bannerstands, tabletop displays, badges and handouts can greatly improve a company's tradeshow visibility and presence.
j.dubbs design can help you extend your corporate aesthetic and website messaging to your tradeshow booth, adapting to the specific needs of large-format signage. A combination of reusable elements and unique, one-off campaigns ensures both the longevity and relevance of your booth.
Tradeshow signage is developed in Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator using content provided by the client. Artwork is exported to PDF, EPS, or a print-ready format specified by your vendor, then uploaded to the vendor's server for production.
