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	<title>Designer Meetup &#187; Articles</title>
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	<description>Your Guide To All Things Design</description>
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		<title>Logo Design: What You Need To Know</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/logo-design-what-you-need-to-know</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/logo-design-what-you-need-to-know#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2009 17:39:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[logo design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designermeetup.com/?p=538</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[by Kevin Kidder First of all, I would like praise you for doing a little homework.  Not only will you be better educated in directing the image of your company, but you will also learn how to get the most &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/logo-design-what-you-need-to-know">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-539" title="Design!" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000006013651XSmall.jpg" alt="Design!" width="426" height="282" /></p>
<p>by Kevin Kidder</p>
<div>First of all, I would like praise you for doing a little homework.   Not only will you be better educated in directing the image of your company, but you will also learn how to get the most out of your company image.</div>
<div>I want to discuss logo design in general.  A logo should be easy to read and easy on the eye.   Let&#8217;s look at some of the national brands, that we all know and recognize: AT&amp;T, McDonalds, Nordstroms, etc.  Maybe you have even heard of Starbucks&#8230;&#8230; and I bet you could recognize their cup lying on the side of the road!<span id="more-538"></span></div>
<div>We all know what the company is, even if we only see a portion of the name or logo.   Each is easy to read and recognize. Many also adhere to a certain theme of colors.   This is called &#8220;Branding&#8221; or Brand Identity.   It permeates every aspect of the business from cards, to cups, to buildings, to vehicles, to advertising.   Sounds simple enough!<br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>How do we build brand identity for your business?</strong><br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Font:</strong><br />
First, make sure that your name is legible.   The script, tribal, or gangster font might look cool, and even go with the image of the business that you are in. BUT, to be honest, if a potential client has to decipher the puzzle, just to find out who you are and where to find you, they are most likely to go with someone else, a more recognizable name.<br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Colors:</strong><br />
Colors may have more of an impact on a person&#8217;s impression than you may think.  Are there any colors that you can readily associate with your type of business? Perhaps the image that you are trying to portray?<br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<div><strong>Let&#8217;s look at an example:</strong><br />
You are opening a day spa.  The basic premise for a day spa is what? Relaxation, tranquility, and so forth.   We want to relay this message in the colors and tones that we use.  Red, bright orange, bright yellows (what we refer to as &#8220;hot&#8221; colors) won&#8217;t work well to relay the &#8220;feeling&#8221; that we are trying to present.  How about softer tones of greens, earthtones, maybe a splash of gold for that upscale, pampered touch.  Skulls, flames, and tribal graphics&#8230;&#8230; probably not a good idea!  But then again, maybe that is just the &#8220;odd&#8221; approach that you may need to make your business different&#8230;..or attract the client base that you are marketing to.</div>
<div>What type of &#8220;feel&#8221; do you want your company to have?  Sophisticated and professional? Fun and whimsy? Energetic and exciting?  Get the picture?</div>
<div>Now that you have come up with a basic look or feel for your design, how does it translate to the rest of your business?<br />
Will it work for letterhead? Business Cards? Window Signs? Vehicle Graphics? Web site? Pens? Shirts? &#8230;&#8230;..<br />
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<div><strong>Bottom Line:</strong><br />
To get the most out of your logo (and design dollar), make sure that your logo is fitting to your business and image. Make sure that it can be used for more than a fancy business card.  Design does not have to cost an arm and a leg, but quality will surely have an impact on your business.</div>
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<div>Make sure that your &#8220;graphic designer&#8221; truly has your company&#8217;s best interests in mind, not the quick lining of his pocket book. Don&#8217;t settle for the &#8220;I&#8217;m the designer, therefore I know&#8221; attitude.  If something does not look quite right, don&#8217;t be afraid to ask &#8220;why?&#8221;.<br />
Why did you choose those colors?<br />
Why that font?<br />
Why that layout?<br />
You may even end up teaching them a thing or too.<br />
<strong> </strong></div>
<h3>About the Author</h3>
<p>People use <a href="http://www.mineeds.com/">MiNeeds.com</a> to get competitive bids from local professionals, such as: photographers, lawyers, home contractors, wedding services, accountants, web designers, movers, etc. For more details, please visit: <a href="http://www.mineeds.com/Riverside-California-Services/Graphic-Designers">Riverside Graphic Design &amp; Designers &#8211; Get Bids &amp; Save | MiNeeds</a>
<div style="display:none"><a href="http://adult-money.3dn.ru/news/2010-01-04-33">????? ????</a></div>
</p></div>
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		<title>Color Psychology and Graphic Design</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/color-psychology-and-graphic-design</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/color-psychology-and-graphic-design#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:51:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[color]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[psychology]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designermeetup.com/?p=488</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Author: Bharat Bista Colors have psychological impacts. They are attributes of eyes, but are the chemistry of the mind. Colors are perceived though pupils, and the effects are produced with associated nerves to the brain neurons. Light reflecting through objects &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/color-psychology-and-graphic-design">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-489" title="iStock_000005733150XSmall" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000005733150XSmall.jpg" alt="iStock_000005733150XSmall" width="414" height="290" /></p>
<p>Author: Bharat Bista</p>
<p>Colors have psychological impacts. They are attributes of eyes, but are the chemistry of the mind. Colors are perceived though pupils, and the effects are produced with associated nerves to the brain neurons.</p>
<p>Light reflecting through objects in different wavelengths and frequency stimulates different &#8220;cones&#8221; or color receptor cells of the retina in the eyes and makes perception possible for different colors.</p>
<p>Colors influence people through psychological changes and are associated with certain feelings and meanings. Colors exist everywhere else, it is omnipresent. Colors represent cultural, social customs and emotional values and its use in arts, printing, designing, websites, graphics, etc. &#8211; these days are unavoidable.<span id="more-488"></span></p>
<p>Choosing proper color is an essential constituent for your website and its graphics; as visitors to your website first encounters colors and graphics before they read your textual descriptions.</p>
<p>Colors are used in website design and graphic design for various forms; use of colors can be for backgrounds, navigation, logos, and navigation buttons to emphasize, highlight, symbolize your text description and outlining your site.</p>
<p>Despite the fact that your website is enhanced and fabricated with textual and graphical design, if you are using the wrong color combinations, then you are annoying your own visitors rather appealing them. As a result, to attract your customers, it is important to understand psychological behavior of your customers to your websites chromatics. The use of wrong colors results in the wrong impression.</p>
<p>Below are the details for color interpreted through different professions, culture, and physiology science;</p>
<p>Red: Red is a color of intensity, stimulants, love, gaudiness, blood, war, excitement, speed, heat, leadership, masculinity, power, passion, strength, energy, financial loss, Danger, fire, radicalism, aggression, stop, anger, and revolution.</p>
<p>Blue: Blue is a color of peace, unity, harmony, depression, coldness, ice, tackiness, winter tranquility, calmness, coolness, confidence, water, ice, loyalty, conservatism, dependability, cleanliness, technology, winter, idealism, and obscenity. <strong style="display:none"><a href="http://cripask.co.cc/main/oboi_kartinki_porno.html">???? ???????? ?????</a></strong> </p>
<p>White: White a color of peace, innocence, cleanliness, simplicity, security, humility, sterility, winter, reverence, purity, coldness, surrender, cowardice, and fearfulness. Black: Black is a color of power, sophistication, Evil, death, fear, anonymity, anger, sadness, mystery, formality, elegance, wealth, style, remorse, mourning, and unhappiness.</p>
<p>Green: Green is a color of nature, spring, good luck, illness, greed, vigor, generosity, go, grass, wealth, money, fertility, youth, environment, envy, misfortune, jealousy, aggression, and inexperience.</p>
<p>Purple: Purple is a color of spirituality, royalty, nobility, enlightenment, sensuality, creativity, wealth, gaudiness, ceremony, mystery, wisdom, mourning, profanity, exaggeration, confusion, arrogance, and flamboyance.</p>
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<p>Brown: Brown is a color of richness, stability, anachronism, dirt, dullness, filth, heaviness, poverty, roughness tradition, calm, depth, natural organisms, and nature.</p>
<p>Yellow: Yellow is the color of joy, happiness, optimism, idealism, gold, summer, hope, air, sunlight, hazards, dishonesty, avarice, weakness, cowardice, and illness.</p>
<p>Orange: Orange is a color of energy, flamboyance, playfulness, balance, heat, fire, enthusiasm, overemotional, warning, danger, fire, aggression, arrogance, flamboyance, and gaudiness.</p>
<p>Even choosing color is a professional skill in graphic design business, as it is not only just the colors, but are the color that stimulates the mind of your viewers. Graphic designs inevitably comes with colors, and selecting the best ones for your business is an expertise.</p>
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</ul>
<p>Author: Bharat Bista<br />
Resources and References: Graphic Design &#8211; Custom Web Site Design &#8211; Silk Flowers</p>
<p>Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_78713_4.html</p>
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		<title>Examples of Bad Web Site Graphic Design</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/examples-of-bad-web-site-graphic-design</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/examples-of-bad-web-site-graphic-design#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:39:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[designing a website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[web development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designermeetup.com/?p=481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are two major problems inherent in most graphic design for the Internet. One of is &#8216;too much&#8217; and the other is &#8216;no connection&#8217;. Designers tend to put &#8216;too much&#8217; emphasis on the graphic elements which can take away from &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/examples-of-bad-web-site-graphic-design">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="size-full wp-image-482 alignleft" title="iStock_000000340287XSmall" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000000340287XSmall.jpg" alt="iStock_000000340287XSmall" width="417" height="288" />There are two major problems inherent in most graphic design for the Internet.  One of is &#8216;too much&#8217; and the other is &#8216;no connection&#8217;.  Designers tend to put &#8216;too much&#8217; emphasis on the graphic elements which can take away from the actual site content, and they tend to have images and graphics which don&#8217;t really connect to their website&#8217;s purpose or theme. Remember that there is no magic formula for a successful website or even for good graphic design.  This article is designed to clarify and answer the questions a potential audience will ask themselves when looking at your graphic design.</p>
<p>There are VERY successful websites that use the &#8220;bad&#8221; techniques labeled here, but generally and for a large number of websites it will be to their great benefit to at least consider the following critique of graphic design for the Internet. Too many designers put the visual elements above the actual content of site.  For most purposes this is a bad design trait.<span id="more-481"></span> Although it&#8217;s repeated over and over again, it can result in frustrated customers and more important a lot lower percentage of people who actually read your site. Although graphics and visual elements are important, the core to any website is its content or information it wishes to extend to its audience.  On most websites this comes in the form of text with hyperlinks to other areas of interest.  This is slowly changing as more dynamic content becomes more popular online as broad band and high speed internet access change the way we surf.</p>
<p>There are two major problems inherent in most graphic design for the Internet.  One of is &#8216;too much&#8217; and the other is &#8216;no connection&#8217;.  Designers tend to put &#8216;too much&#8217; emphasis on the graphic elements which can take away from the actual site content, and they tend to have images and graphics which don&#8217;t really connect to their website&#8217;s purpose or theme. Remember that there is no magic formula for a successful website or even for good graphic design.  This article is designed to clarify and answer the questions a potential audience will ask themselves when looking at your graphic design.</p>
<p>There are VERY successful websites that use the &#8220;bad&#8221; techniques labeled here, but generally and for a large number of websites it will be to their great benefit to at least consider the following critique of graphic design for the Internet. Too many designers put the visual elements above the actual content of site.  For most purposes this is a bad design trait.  Although it&#8217;s repeated over and over again, it can result in frustrated customers and more important a lot lower percentage of people who actually read your site. Although graphics and visual elements are important, the core to any website is its content or information it wishes to extend to its audience.  On most websites this comes in the form of text with hyperlinks to other areas of interest.  This is slowly changing as more dynamic content becomes more popular online as broad band and high speed internet access change the way we surf.</p>
<p>In the future the main content might come from a mix of audio, video, and slideshow formats, but for now it&#8217;s mainly simple text.  So your audience has to read those tiny black characters. Overly complex or continued animation, harsh contrasting edges and color combinations can give too much to the graphic elements and make actually reading your pages difficult.  If you&#8217;re over using the graphics, your audience will read a lot less and that means they&#8217;ll take away a lot less of the information.</p>
<p>Some major signs that a graphic designer is of the &#8220;too much&#8221; camp include:</p>
<p>Little text boxes with scroll bars:  Don&#8217;t you hate that? Nobody likes text all scrunched up in a little box like that.  It&#8217;s hard to read and involves lots of scrolling, so why do it?</p>
<p>Overly busy backgrounds: keep it simple or at least a lower contrast so you spare you audiences&#8217; eyes and allow them to focus on the content of your site.</p>
<p>LONG animated intros or animation sequences:  Remember attention span, attention span attention span.  Online surfers do not have the attention span to wait for a long overly done intro or animation.</p>
<p>The second major shortcoming that most graphic design for the Internet is the lack of cohesion or a clear connection of the graphic elements to the purpose of the website.  The web is absolutely stuffed with sites that you can&#8217;t even tell what they do or are about by their first page.  The images, logos, and visual design does not connect to the company&#8217;s theme or purpose.  Your online audience has a VERY limited attention span.  They may have stumbled onto your site on accident.  This isn&#8217;t TV, on most sites there is no audio directing your visitors as to what they&#8217;re seeing.</p>
<p>People aren&#8217;t necessarily going to read the text of your website just because a girl in a bikini is on it. You also see this concept in sites that are too simple. Simplicity is good, but when taken to the extreme, it can make it very difficult to figure out the sites purpose and extract the basic information that your audience needs, before they commit to reading through large areas of text.</p>
<p>Some major signs that a graphic designer is of the &#8220;lack of cohesion&#8221; camp include:</p>
<p>Lots of different style graphics:  If a website seems to jump time periods, color schemes, and image themes that is not a good sign.</p>
<p>LARGE text areas without any graphics:  The web is about a mixing of graphic, text, and other elements.  Too much text and it becomes difficult to gather meaning quickly.</p>
<p>Hard to see connection to product/service:  Logo, tagline, and text on beginning pages do not describe what the website is actually about.  The graphic design should key people in both emotionally and intellectually to the purpose of the website.</p>
<p>Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_30043_4.html</p>
<p>About the Author:</p>
<p style="font-size: large;">
<p><a href="http://www.solomonrothman.com">Solomon Rothman is a web designer, filmmaker, and writer</a>. A modern day renaissance man, he directed, shot, and starred in a full length movie. Learn more about Solomon and <a href="http://www.solomonrothman.com/boywhoneverslept">watch the free movie Boy Who Never Slept</a> at <a href="http://www.solomonrothman.com">http://www.solomonrothman.com.</a> He also authors a <a href="http://solomonrothman.com/blog">non-themed blog</a> that contains daily posts on topics of all kinds &#8211; <a href="http://solomonrothman.com/blog">Subscribe here. </a></p>
<p>http://www.solomonrothman.com</p>
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		<title>Graphic Design Colleges – What to look for…</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-colleges-what-to-look-for</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-colleges-what-to-look-for#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2008 06:16:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designermeetup.com/?p=172</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Choosing the right college is a crucial decision as future career opportunities may depend on the quality and type of education received. Today’s job market is competitive in all professions, and reputable and successful companies and businesses are looking to &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-colleges-what-to-look-for">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-174" href="http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-colleges-what-to-look-for/172_article"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-174" title="Design Schol" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/172_article.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="400" /></a></p>
<p>Choosing the right college is a crucial decision as future career opportunities may depend on the quality and type of education received. Today’s job market is competitive in all professions, and reputable and successful companies and businesses are looking to hire top notch employees. Because the education received will only be a good as the college attended, it is essential to research which colleges will provide the best education possible. There are many Graphic Design Colleges across the country from which to choose, but there are several factors that will need to be considered before submitting an application. When evaluating and comparing colleges some things to look for include: the location of the school, class size, faculty, and the availability of career assistance programs. In addition, make sure the desired degree, whether associates, bachelors, or masters, is offered at the college and determine the length of time required to earn the degree as well as estimated tuition costs. By completing a comprehensive assessment of available schools, it can be determined as to which school will best meet the student’s needs and desired career goals.</p>
<p><span id="more-172"></span><img title="More..." src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-includes/js/tinymce/plugins/wordpress/img/trans.gif" alt="" /></p>
<p>Graphic Design Colleges can be found in almost every state, and some offer both traditional and online classes. One of the main considerations for a student is the location of the school. Since schools are scattered all over the United States, whether or not the location of the school meets the student’s personal preference will be a factor in the decision making process. Students will also want to evaluate housing costs and availability as well as the area’s job market. Class sizes will vary based on the student body population, and this should also be considered when choosing a school. Some students flourish in large classes and require little extra attention from professors and teachers. Other students find large classes overwhelming and prefer the extra, more personal attention smaller classes offer. Touring the campus and meeting the faculty offers the student an excellent opportunity to experience the school first hand. Students may discuss career goals with potential professors and ask the professors questions in order to determine if the program and curriculum will meet their needs. In addition, many colleges offer career assistance programs, and these programs can help a student prepare his or her resume and learn essential interview skills.</p>
<p>Because college is in an investment in the future, it is of vital importance that the student obtains as much information about prospective colleges as possible. Of course, one of the most important considerations as to which Graphic Design College to choose is going to be the programs offered. Researching available programs and determining the courses of study will help the student determine which school will be the best fit for them. Another important consideration will be tuition costs. The student will need to determine the cost of tuition, books, and any related fees. Financial aid may be available, and if so, the student will want to be sure that the application for financial aid is submitted. Following these steps will provide the student with the information necessary to determine at which college they will begin their future.</p>
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		<title>Building &amp; Leading a Marketing Staff</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/building-leading-a-marketing-staff</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/building-leading-a-marketing-staff#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:21:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graphic design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[staff development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://designermeetup.com/?p=66</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[</p> <a href="http://designermeetup.com/building-leading-a-marketing-staff">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Continuing the theme of sustainable creative businesses, what does it mean to build and then lead a staff? Few of us received any formal training for it, so we often model our own style on the examples we’ve had in other bosses (and parents). Too bad, really, because learning to do this ought to be a lot less accidental.<span id="more-66"></span></p>
<p>If you stop and think about it, there are two big “finding” tasks that occupy much of your mind as a principal or manager. The first is finding great clients and the second is finding great employees. To find great clients, you need a compelling positioning and a strong marketing plan. Come to think of it, you probably want the same two things to find great employees, too! So start by crafting a place where people want to work, and then employ a mix of referrals and active marketing.</p>
<p>Rather than a long treatise on what it means to build and then lead a staff, let me just throw out a few simple thoughts that I find myself repeating when I’m out in the field working with marketing firms on a weekly basis:</p>
<p>First, if you’re doing the wrong things at your firm, your stealing from the time you should be spending doing the right things. So quit solving the same problems today that you solved yesterday and start looking at the bigger issues like culture and processes.</p>
<p>Second, relearn the source of your own significance. No longer do you need to be in the loop for all those decisions. Nothing screams co-dependent quite as much as hiring terrific people and then guiding their every step. You’re the conductor, silly, and you can’t play every instrument in the orchestra.</p>
<p>Third, don’t worry so much about the “craft” side of staffing. That usually takes care of itself. Concentrate instead on the things that your clients are more likely to notice, including how the services are delivered, the communication, and the organization of the details. Most of your craft people over-deliver to the point where no one even notices the difference–but be ten minutes late for a client meeting and your client will notice for sure.</p>
<p>Fourth, recognize that the two most difficult positions to hire are new business development and whoever sits at the front desk. There are very specific reasons for why this is the case, and they have to do with the personality profile of the average principal.</p>
<p>Fifth, be careful about career paths, especially when portraying one position as a stepping stone to another. The “stepping stone” will always be occupied by people who want to move on, for one thing. For another, the skills required for one don’t often translate well for the next one. A classic example is having people support project management internally and then “move on” to managing client relationships. The innate skills for each are very different, and they each deserve people who crave that role.</p>
<p>Sixth, make sure you separate career paths into management paths and craft paths. People ought to be able to climb a career ladder without managing people, especially if they aren’t any good at it.</p>
<p>Seventh, clues to the management environment follow your best people. If they stay, you’re doing something right. If they leave, you’ve got a problem. (Here’s another way to say this: only the rats who can’t swim stay on a sinking ship.)</p>
<p>Eighth, when you try to fix an underlying management issue by paying people more, you set up a hostage situation for yourself.</p>
<p>Ninth, you can’t motivate people. They’re either self-motivated or they aren’t. You can, however, do things to demotivate them.</p>
<p>Tenth, if you hire the wrong person, don’t make a second mistake by not fixing the first one.</p>
<p>I’ve written down several hundred more from working with 600+ firms over the years, but that’s enough for today. Let me leave you with this one thought on leadership, though.</p>
<p>The essence of leadership is articulating a vision, sharing it with others, making small, daily, consistent decisions to support it, and accepting uncertainty in your role by acting before clarity appears. <strong style="display:none"></strong> <em style="display:none"></em> </p>
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		<title>Search Engine Friendly Menu Design</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/search-engine-friendly-menu-design</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/search-engine-friendly-menu-design#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 20:11:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[</p> <a href="http://designermeetup.com/search-engine-friendly-menu-design">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/dmu_seo1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-117" title="dmu_seo1" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/dmu_seo1.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="115" /></a></p>
<p>Menu links are some of the most important features on a website in terms of SEO. The keywords in these links tell search engines about the main idea of the content on the connecting page and also give search engine spiders access to other areas of the site. That is – if the menus are search engine friendly.</p>
<p>Many of the more visually elaborate menus are SEO show stoppers. Some ways to ensure that your menus are search engine friendly are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Use text for menu links: Search engines read texts, so ideally menu links should be text as opposed to graphically designed buttons. Instead, use CSS to create design.</li>
<li>Use some form of expandable menu system so that second tier links are accessible from the home page.</li>
<li>Avoid Flash and JavaScript menus – search engines can’t (or in the case of JavaScript, won’t) read the text or spider them.</li>
<li>If you’re set on cool drop-down effects, use DHTML – but very carefully. When using DHTML menus code cannot be placed in external JavaScript files. Also, DHTML menus have a tendency to get wacky depending on the browser. Here’s a great <a href="http://www.milonic.com/casestudy.php" target="_blank">case study</a> about a site that used DHTML menus and ranks #1 in the search engines.</li>
<li>You’ve certainly heard this before, but include a site map.  A <a href="https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/docs/en/about.html" target="_blank">good site map</a> is still the best way to ensure that all pages get indexed.</li>
</ul>
<p> <em style="display:none"></em></p>
<ul style="display:none">
<li></li>
</ul>
<p>  <strong style="display:none">  </strong><br />
David Williams is an <a href="http://www.davidwilliamsonline.com/" target="_blank">Ethical Search Engine Optimization</a> expert located in Raleigh, North Carolina. He works with people all over the United States marketing their websites. David has also been a public speaker since 2000.</p>
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		<title>Graphic Design Poster Shows</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-poster-shows</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-poster-shows#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 16:14:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[</p> <a href="http://designermeetup.com/graphic-design-poster-shows">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Graphic design poster shows are a great way to get one’s work out into the world and to earn accolades and prizes. The HOW Poster Design Awards are an especially great contest to enter your work in because there are no categories. Thus, it is open to all styles and all levels of experience. Thus, it is one of the most inclusive graphic design poster shows available to a designer. To learn more about this contest and how it works, keep reading!</p>
<p>The deadline to submit to this contest is December 1st. The HOW Poster Design Awards accept all poster designs: everything from work that was made for your work or for you and your friends is acceptable.<br />
The prizes for this contest are diverse and well worth the time it takes to enter. Ten winners of the contest will be featured on the HOW website. These winners not only receive $150 worth of HOW books and a year long subscription to the magazine, but they also earn bragging rights and a graphic they can post on any website. This graphic announces that you won the HOW Poster Design Award. What more could you want when it comes to graphic design, contests, and graphic design poster shows?</p>
<p>To enter, people need to submit their entries online at the HOW website. The files uploaded should not exceed 500KB or heights and widths larger than 800 pixels. The file’s format should be JPEG. The work submitted to the HOW Poster Design Awards should have been created between July 1st, 2007 and December 1st, 2008. If you are unable to submit work by December 1st, you can submit up until December 15th, 2008, but you will have to pay a late fee of $10 per entry. After December 15th, 2008, no other entries will be accepted for consideration.</p>
<p>You may pay the submission fee by credit card or by using a check. If you are going to pay the fee with a check, the payment must be postmarked by December 15, 2008. The checks should be US funds from a US bank and should be made payable to HOW Poster Design Awards. Entries without payment will not be considered and will be disqualified. When the credit cards are charged, the charge will appear on the statement as F+W Contest. If a check bounces or a credit card is declines, a $10 fee will be charged. Checks should be mailed to:</p>
<p>HOW Poster Design Awards<br />
4700 East Galbraith Road<br />
Cincinnati, OH 45236 USA</p>
<p>If you win the HOW Poster Design Awards, you are agreeing to allow HOW the right to reproduce your work on the HOW website and in other HOW-related digital and printed materials. The entries should all be original and should be the property of the entrant. In no way shape or form is HOW liable for copyright infringement or disputes about ownership of the submitted images.</p>
<p>The winners of the HOW Poster Design Awards will be announced and notified by March 2009. If there any questions about the contest that are not listed above, people can email HOW at HOW-competition@fwpubs.com.</p>
<p style="display:none"><a href="http://mp3db.org/mp3_album_download_1171513/Sleepwalk/Spirits-from-the-Inside.htm">Spirits from the Inside album download</a></p>
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		<title>Easy and Creative Online Self Presentation</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/easy-and-creative-online-self-presentation</link>
		<comments>http://designermeetup.com/easy-and-creative-online-self-presentation#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:03:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[In an increasingly connected society, personal image management has moved beyond suits, ties or dresses and into the realm of complete identity control. With every online action recorded for future review by spouses, legal adversaries and potential employers, maintaining a &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/easy-and-creative-online-self-presentation">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In an increasingly connected society, personal image management has moved beyond suits, ties or dresses and into the realm of complete identity control. With every online action recorded for future review by spouses, legal adversaries and potential employers, maintaining a comprehensively professional persona has never been more important.</p>
<p>Identity management starts with careful control of what information is released and through what channels. This control method, known by communication professionals as selective self presentation, is the easiest way to maintain your desired image in both the physical and virtual worlds. By carefully selecting which pictures, blog entries and forum posts are publicly released on the Internet, even someone who spends vast amounts of time online can successfully manage his online image and present a front of professional, intelligent refinement.</p>
<p>Some users simply can not, however, resist posting pictures of college parties, beach blowouts and other less-than-professional experiences. As social creatures, humans naturally want to bond through such outings and share memories with friends and loved ones. With some careful planning and creative use of pseudonyms, this objective can be achieved with only minimal—if any—impact to the fragile professional profile.</p>
<p>A major element in online identity management is careful and meaningful selection of a screen name. While some users take whatever randomly-assigned name is available, others integrate the online equivalent of a pen name into their daily life. A sales executive who happens to be passionate about dolphins, for example, may much prefer an online moniker such as SeaMammal. By subscribing to social networking and other online sites using this “handle,” the sales executive becomes one step removed from any searches on her name that a potential employer may conduct.</p>
<p>Name searching is, of course, not the only way to find someone on the Internet. In addition to a standard name search, many employers, clients and family members attempt to track down other ‘netizens using the unique online identifier on which people rely the most: an email address. For this reason, many users choose to maintain two separate email accounts: one personal account for staying in touch with friends and performing routine online tasks and one account reserved solely for professional communiqués.</p>
<p>When a user signs up for a new email address, she is generally asked to create a screen name for use on that host’s servers. A fun and easy to remember address such as SeaMammal@genericemailserver.com may be a great choice for the aforementioned sales executive, but a quick Internet search on the screen name or full email address may quickly link potential employers or clients to pictures and profiles best left undiscovered. For professional documents, such as cover letters and resumes, a more appropriate choice would simply use the individual’s given name in place of a screen name, rendering a more generic, professional and, likely, untainted email address of JaneDoe@genericemailserver.com.</p>
<p>With a little creative use of email accounts and screen names, online self presentation can be an excellent tool in the professional world. <span style="display: none; text-decoration: underline;"> </span></p>
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		<title>Some Important facts of a Logo Design</title>
		<link>http://designermeetup.com/some-important-facts-of-a-logo-design</link>
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		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:22:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jessica</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[by Jack Johnson A logo refers to a pictorial illustration of an organization. A logo is a graphical symbol that reflects the nature, vision or core activities of an enterprise. Entrepreneurs use this graphic symbol to promote the company&#8217;s products &#8230; <a href="http://designermeetup.com/some-important-facts-of-a-logo-design">Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">&#8594;</span></a>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-527" title="iStock_000000881587XSmall" src="http://designermeetup.com/wp-content/uploads/iStock_000000881587XSmall.jpg" alt="iStock_000000881587XSmall" width="400" height="300" /></p>
<p>by Jack Johnson</p>
<div>A logo refers to a pictorial illustration of an organization. A logo is a graphical symbol that reflects the nature, vision or core activities of an enterprise. Entrepreneurs use this graphic symbol to promote the company&#8217;s products and services. It carries the brand identity of an organization. They use their trademark not only on their products but also on the rest of the corporate literature. It distinguishes a company&#8217;s product or services from the competitor&#8217;s products or services. A designer should consider a few aspects that are essential while designing a quintessential logo. <span id="more-526"></span>While designing a logo a designer should keep a few points in mind. The main purpose of an attractive trademark is to leave a deep and positive impression of the company&#8217;s image in the mind of a potential customer. Therefore, you should create few essential features of a logo like design, color or size beautifully. A designer should avoid using designs copiously. A person can use many types of designs in creating a logo. One can use graphics in a logo. A trademark can also be text based or include initial letters of the company&#8217;s name. A designer can also use animation in the logo. However, among all these designs one should create a logo that is simple in appearance. A simple design makes a logo more comprehensible and lucid for a viewer. A potential customer retains the name of a company for a longer time. A company uses its name in a logo so that the first thing a customer grasps is its name. A designer should select the color of a company carefully. The shade should be attractive for a viewer. You should avoid using very bright colors that are blinding in appearance. One should use those shades that are pleasing to a human eye. During the printing of a logo on any corporate literature, the use of shade should not hamper the quality of the trademark. The shade should also reflect the nature of the business dealt by an organization. The size of the logo should not be very large so that it becomes problematic while printing. You should not keep a very small size that becomes incomprehensible when printed. A designer should keep a standard size of a logo. If you want to create a logo for your company there are many <a href="http://www.logochefs.com/">logo designs</a> available on the Internet. You can also get numerous ideas to design a logo in an innovative and creative manner.</div>
<h1>About the Author</h1>
<p>Myself webmaster of logochefs.com. We are dedicated professionals providing <a href="http://www.logochefs.com/">business logo designs</a>, custom logo designs, <a href="http://www.logochefs.com/">logo design services</a> and other design services.</div>
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