What copy do you use in your wireframes or your design compositions?

Well, apparently that’s a heated debate. As a web design agency, we use what’s known as ‘Lorem Ipsum’ – a conflicting practice that can help internal web design teams with projects but make graphic designers rage in the process. The common Latin term Lorem Ipsum, has become synonymous with ‘dummy text’ or ‘filler text’ and is commonly used throughout web page design. Essentially used as placeholder text, it’s a way of signposting text location through a web design and build project, helping all parties to understand the relationship between text layout and typography.

In case you’re not familiar with it, this is the most common form of lorem ipsum text:

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod porro quisquam est qui labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut labore et dolore toil and pain veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco quia dolor sit amet ut aliquip ex de finibus bonorum et malorum.

The text is typically a section of Latin by Cicero. Words are altered, added and removed. Lorem Ipsum doesn’t really mean anything, it consists of many words that do not actually exist in the Latin language. It’s basically nonsense but significant for web design projects.

Why do web developers and graphic designers use it?

Lorem Ipsum helps us to present design concepts to clients without the actual meaning of the copy distracting them. The random text enables people to fully focus on the aesthetics and/or the user journey in the case of web design projects. Today, many designers use Lorem Ipsum generators to obtain the random Latin text. Otherwise, they would have to waste huge amounts of time typing irrelevant text or sourcing content that’s still subject to change.

Lorem Ipsum has gradually evolved to ease the web page design process. It now portrays a more realistic appearance of type on a page compared to previous gibberish. The generators also do a great job of estimating a normal distribution of English words and spaces. This enables clients to work out how much copy they need for their website, graphics, print etc.

Seems good, what’s all the fuss about then?

More often than not, the reality of the final design is different when the real copy fills in the placeholders. In some cases, a bit of redesigning and restructuring must be done.

Here’s what our graphic designers had to say:

“A wireframe’s purpose is purely functional, demonstrating how a user will get from point A-to-B. This method saves time and money at the early stages of the UX process and allows all decision makers to focus on the objective for each web page, making sure those targets are met, before design begins. Since copy influences structure, having it finalised at this point allows for more accurate CTAs and better layouts of content to be implemented.”

Callum Bedward-Brooks
Creative Designer

“It’s better to design with content in mind; rather than designing an idealistic outcome first and then trying to cram the content in afterwards. This methodology always produces more satisfying outcomes and allows attention to detail. Also, there is always a slight chance that web developers may forget to replace the Lorem Ipsum placeholders when building a website. We’ve heard some horror stories from clients and their past web projects where Lorem Ipsum copy has been found months down the line when the site is live.”

Kristen Voisey
Creative Manager

Yet, our web team stands by Lorem Ipsum, saying it’s a key component to web page design:

“Lorem Ipsum is a quick and, from a project budget point of view, cost-effective UI element filler for wireframing stages of a website. It helps with laying out the elements and estimating content needs without worrying about the real copy; that often itself undergoes several rounds of amends prior to the sign-off. Using Lorem Ipsum allows us to fully focus on constructing the user journey. In addition, during the web build stages, it’s easier to spot any text areas that are yet to be updated. If a miscellaneous ”along-the-lines-of” copy is used, there is a higher risk that it might go unnoticed.”

Kristiana Briede
Digital Project Manager

You can see the points made from each side of the project are valid. From our experience, filler text is useful during very early stages of design, when you’re brainstorming layouts and compositions. It gives a rough idea of the aesthetic in low-fidelity prototypes, which is why web designers rely on it to help solve the above-mentioned problems. However, it can have a domino effect if it’s still used during the later stages of a project. For graphic designs, it can affect their designs drastically. If the copy is left until the last minute they’ll need to change the composition of the copy layout and design around it.

For web design projects, it’s incredibly useful, especially when it’s used in combination with some actual copy sign-posts that help to illustrate the user journey. Because the phrase ‘Lorem Ipsum’ is used throughout the filler text, prior to the web project launch, a simple database scan be carried out to ensure that all of the text is found and updated. In conclusion, Lorem Ipsum is a useful tool but the implementation and use of it need to fit your project’s goal.

“Lorem Ipsum is just like every other tool in a designer’s toolkit. When used intentionally, it can help the design process.”

Karen McGrane

What’s your view on this debate? Join in the conversation with us on Twitter.

A little more than one year ago, Instagram announced the launch of IGTV (Instagram TV) to celebrate the channel’s global community of 1 billion users.

So, we thought we’d reflect on how IGTV has performed over the past year, providing you with some expert insight on why you should utilise the platform to grow your brand’s visibility.

What is IGTV?

If by any chance you haven’t heard about or explored the shiny new platform yet, IGTV is a dedicated vertical video channel that’s accessible within Instagram and as a standalone app.

Unlike standard Instagram videos, IGTV videos are designed to be longer. The limit for Instagram video length is 1 minute, where as IGTV allows users to upload uninterrupted 10 minute long videos (or up to an hour for verified accounts). Like traditional TV, IGTV automatically starts playing content as soon as the app has been opened. Users can simply scroll through channels without always having to search for specific content to watch.

Initially, brands were slow to adopt IGTV due to additional production cost and time investment. Creators expressed their lacklustre reception for vertical videos as they’re tough to repurpose for other social media platforms. Despite a poor initial reception, IGTV reinvigorated itself by enabling content creators to share 1 minute long previews of their IGTV channel into the main Instagram feed. Within these previews, users can simply click to watch the rest of the video in IGTV. This vastly improved channel discoverability and engagement with followers. In addition to video previews in the main feed, IGTV content can also be found in the Discover section.

If you’re considering whether or not to use IGTV as part of your content strategy, there’s no better time than now to take the plunge. If you could go back to when YouTube started, you would. Here’s your second chance…

Reach a new audience

IGTV opens a wide door to reach new people, drive awareness, form deeper connections and provide more value. There are many platforms that can be similar in terms of video content and reaching new audiences, such as newsflare, where you can sell your videos as well as get extra exposure, however, those seem to be taking more time to develop the same level of favouritism amongst the general crowd. That being said, with relatively few users on IGTV at the moment, it’s the perfect opportunity to establish your brand within a new platform. Instagram wants you to not only utilise but be creative with the new platform, meaning that brands who engage with it will get incentivised for it. IGTV also showcases new dimensions of your business without limiting your video content by its length or format. Another way that Instagram users can help with growing on this platform, is by utilizing a further resource like an Instagram auto liker so they can build upon their engagement with their audience.

Video is the future of marketing

The prevalence of mobile phones is changing how people consume digital content and entertainment. Cisco predicts by 2021, video content will account for 78% of mobile data traffic and it’s unlikely to subside anytime soon. The statistics tell us that brands need to integrate mobile optimised content as part of their marketing strategy. Accommodating some of your social media effort towards IGTV, could help steer your company into the new era of media consumption. Instagram envisions vertical videos to be on the horizon as the channel continues to develop with these predictions front of mind.

What looks better, sells even better! Companies are spending millions in getting the best shot, marketing their product with the best celebrities. There seems to be an emerging need for new video shoot locations, every day. Everyone wants to stand out of the crowd, in terms of creativity. Moreover, posting on IGTV is free of cost, so spending a little more on videography from somewhere like this Event Video Production company that could help products reach a wider audience would prove beneficial, especially for small businesses.

Drive more organic traffic and leads

Relying solely on organic traffic is tough when you find that the majority of brands pay to play. 92% of small businesses plan to invest even more time and money in social media. If you don’t have a budget for paid social, IGTV can help with that. Unlike Instagram stories, where “swipe up” links are reserved for accounts with over 10k followers, IGTV enables everyone to share a link in the description after posting a video.

79% of consumers prefer watching a video compared to reading about a product, and 64% of consumers have made purchases after watching videos from brands. IGTV is a brilliant way to introduce and educate your followers to products. After introducing the new link share feature, the platform continues to increase the chance of securing potential leads too.

Easy native scheduling

Scheduling posts for Instagram couldn’t be anymore easier right now either! For the longest time social media managers have been using alternative third-party tools to schedule posts (such as Hootsuite or SproutSocial), which have been frustrating to use due to Instagram’s API restricting which information and actions can be accessed. Instagram’s latest addition now allows business accounts to schedule posts via an official app, which can accessed by heading over to Facebook’s creator studio. When you create a new post, you can choose whether you want to schedule a post to your Instagram feed or IGTV, making your social media content plans much more time efficient.

However, content isn’t a one size fits all strategy. For some brands, testing IGTV may be worthwhile if your social content is already video heavy. Utilise it as a creative extension to gain additional reach and engagement. If your current social strategy lacks video content, then you’ll need to consider a few factors. What direction are you planning to take your brand? Are you trying to form a deeper connection with your audience? Will you get more value out of longer videos compared to shorter ones?

These are some simple aspects to think about. If you’re planning to add some new videography into your content marketing mix, then maybe we can help.

What is Sky AdSmart?

On a basic level; Sky AdSmart is tailored, targeted television advertising. However, originally launched in 2014, Sky AdSmart has developed considerably over the years.

It provides a way of showing different ads to different households, even if they’re watching the same programme. It achieves refined, precise targeting by demographic, age, location, affluence, and life-stage.

Recently, the platform has made itself suitable for businesses of all shapes and sizes, where even those with smaller budgets are able to achieve effective results. Its service has also extended to Viacom channels such as Channel 5, MTV, and Comedy Central. What’s more, it’s set to develop even further over the next year with the platform also rolling out over Virgin Media and Now TV.

So, how exactly does Sky AdSmart work?

How does Sky AdSmart work?

Without getting too technical, AdSmart works by sending a library of ads over satellite to the hard-disk of a sky+HD set-top box.

Households can then be selected based on data derived from a combination of Sky’s own data and information from third party data profile experts such as Experian.

Sky has derived hundreds of audience segments so that ads can be marketed based on factors such as home ownership, where people are at in their lives, postcode, affluence, household composition, location etc.

On the affordability and costs side, the platform has also developed to ensure that both businesses accustomed to TV advertising and those who’ve never done it before will benefit equally. For example, because an ad will only play when its specified audience is watching, it ensures money is being spent on the right thing.

AdSmart also only charges an advertiser if 75% or more of their ad is watched. However, this is only the case if the ad is being watched at a normal speed (so no flicking through channels or fast-forwarding).

The diversity of modern audiences is also taken into consideration with this platform. For instance, many of us will watch programmes that have been pre-recorded nowadays. Because this is the case, AdSmart works so that an ad can still be played out on a recorded programme, but only if the viewer is watching at a normal speed.

Stuart Jordan, Jask Creative Managing Director, comments:

Sky Adsmart really is a game changer in TV advertising, especially in opening up this type of advertising to businesses that would never otherwise have thought about TV as being an affordable tactic.

Stuart Jordan
Managing Director

What’s the future like for AdSmart?

The highly-technical advertising tool has grown and developed considerably since its launch over four years ago. However, it’s not settling down just yet.

Last year, Sky and Virgin Media announced their new partnership, which sought to give social media advertising a good run for its money. Virgin alone claims it offers a potential addressable audience of up to 30 million people.

Gareth Bakewell, Sales Manager at Sky AdSmart, explains:

The result of joining forces with such channels is targeted advertising on a larger scale.

Gareth Bakewell
Sales Manager at Sky AdSmart

The rate at which AdSmart is extending means more relevant ads can be shown in front of refined, target audiences.

The platform isn’t only for those with large spends, either – for those on a budget, the minimum spend is £3,000, which will get your ad appearing on over 200 Sky channels. Ultimately, therefore, AdSmart has made TV advertising accessible and effective for local advertisers as well as big brands.

Wherever you stand on visual media and in particular targeted TV advertising, one thing’s for sure: we’ve come a long way from the days of marketing to mass audiences. That said, targeted TV advertising may be beginning to match the efforts of social media in terms of refining audiences and maximising reach.

Sky AdSmart is revolutionising the TV platform to keep up with the success of digital platforms, allowing brands to refine their targeting and be sure their content is reaching the right people.

Would you like to know more? Contact us here!

It’s been over 16 years since we first became specialists in print management.

During that time, we’ve seen the marketing industry – and ourselves – change quite a bit. However, whilst we’ve grown and developed as an agency, print management has always been at the crux of what we do. But what exactly is it? And how can it help you?

The phrase ‘print management’ itself is used in various contexts. So we’ll make it simple. In the world of marketing, print management is the action of managing the entire process of print; from purchasing, proofing and finishing to stocking and distribution.

Printing isn’t as straightforward as it once was – in modern times, many people tend to search for “printing shops near me” or use their smartphones and home printer to get the job done faster. In some cases, they are often faced with a variety of different forms and types. These can generally be categorized as:

• Traditional print items
  Such as posters, brochures, catalogues, business stationery (letterheads, business cards etc)
• Promo items
  Such as pens, mugs, coasters, logo bugs, notepads, stress-reliever toys and chocolates

Because it comes in lots of different forms, you can imagine why managing your print products internally can be time intensive and costly. This is one of the many reasons why businesses choose to outsource the management of their print.

After-all, handing the burden over to someone else with a higher level of knowledge can be a sure way to achieve peace of mind and ultimately – a better end product.

Here’s why…

Outsourcing print management

Don’t get us wrong – it’s easy to understand why internalising your print management possibly seems a more tempting route to take. As the old adage states; if you want something done right, do it yourself. However, this is one instance in which that statement absolutely does not apply.

Firstly, on the surface it may look like it scores on ease, but what you may not realise is you are likely to be losing out on efficiency, cost and time.

In reality, many businesses lack the knowledge, know-how, and time to develop an internal infrastructure to physically manage the purchasing. Or they may not have the need to have a dedicated print specialist in-house, meaning the crucial knowledge never enters the business.

For example, if you run a business in California, outsourcing your printing requirements (such as booklets, invitations, posters, etc.) to companies like Same Day Printing Los Angeles can effectively ‘tie up’ these loose ends and streamline the whole process. That said, a print management company has a thorough understanding of print materials, folds and sizes, paper types, and optimum print quantities, which results in considerable savings per unit, and also keeps brand consistency and quality in line.

Knowledge

Because it’s their area of expertise, print management companies will have a large scope of knowledge up their sleeves.

This in-turn paves the way to delivering cost-effective print products. They’ll know what works and what doesn’t; who’s best suited to your requests and how to save you time and money where necessary.

Similarly, they’ll also be well-accustomed to the terminology. For example, being faced with terms such as ‘web press‘, ‘Scodix digital print‘, ‘thermography‘ or even ‘B1 printer’ is commonplace within print management companies.

Possessing that kind of know-how is the nucleus to all of the benefits that come with outsourcing. So, instead of feeling like you’re stabbing in the dark, you can have the peace of mind knowing it’s all being dealt with in the right way.

Our Print and Planning Executive, Daisy Roberts, has an intrinsic love for all-things print. On the importance of print management, she said;

Without a doubt, one of the best things about outsourcing your print management is efficiency. Simply knowing your requests are being dealt with by people who know what they’re doing is important. 

All of the things that make outsourcing worth it – saving time, money, streamlining the whole process – is on account of not just knowing how to do it, but in knowing how to do it well.

Without a doubt, one of the best things about outsourcing your print management is efficiency. Simply knowing your requests are being dealt with by people who know what they’re doing is important. 

All of the things that make outsourcing worth it – saving time, money, streamlining the whole process – is on account of not just knowing how to do it, but in knowing how to do it well.

Jask

Daisy also had the pleasure of attending The Print Show this year. Aside from learning about the latest developments in the print world, she also appreciated walking in and immediately noticing the unmistakable smell of print products!

Generally, the reality of an internal print management system may be surprising to some. For starters, businesses may be burdening themselves with unnecessary costs without even realising it. On top of that, how can you be sure you’re actually making the right decisions?

And that’s just merely scratching the surface of the issues you may be running into.

Need help with your print management? Our team is here to help! Get in touch today here.

Creative design is at the heart of the marketing communications of any brand. However, if you’re not a graphic designer or if you’ve never worked in the industry before, what exactly is it?

Put simply, one of the main purposes of creative design is communication. It visually translates your organisation and its products and services to the outside world in a way that is designed to really connect to that audience. And this is where the ‘creative’ part comes in.

A simple design can be words, pictures and graphics, all laid out to convey a message. However without some creativity in how this is done, there is a lost opportunity to grab the attention of your audience and present the things about your organisation in a unique way. It’s why creative designers will despair at artwork that looks standard, or boring, or just plain… well, plain! A creative design should really elevate a message, pique the interest of the viewer and represent a brand in the best way possible.

So how does this type of design come about? Well, it begins with the basic brand elements: your logo, colour palette, choice of typography, as well as the basic elements and devices used across your visual communications. Creative design represents your business and mastering the right colour palette or picking just the right font can have a huge impact on the feel and strength of your visual brand.

But creative design isn’t all about creativity for creativity’s sake. Consistency is a crucial factor that can have a huge impact on your organisation’s image. Ensuring the same brand elements flow consistently through all your marketing channels increases recognition, awareness and trust.

So for a professional creative designer, the balance of where and when to add in the flair, the difference, and the creative touch that makes a design really sing and stand out from the crowd is a constant consideration of how a design is working, and what its purpose and audience is.

To give further insight, our Creative Director Matt Ansell and Creative Manager Kristen Voisey share their advice.

Don’t forget, your brand is much more than the logo. You need to consider every aspect from how you interact on social media, to your company’s voice. All of these decisions can be determined in your brand guidelines, which is something we offer here at Jask Creative.

Nailing your company’s creative design and defining brand guidelines does much more than just bringing in client work. It also helps to bring in new staff which in turn brings in new, fresh ideas to the company.

Matt Ansell
Creative Director

The evolution of creative design

Creative design is an ever-developing process – it’s something that never stops. It constantly evolves as your brand grows. Trends play an important part in this evolution and it’s important to adapt to the dynamic creative world before your brand gets lost and outdated.

2018 is the year of modernising vintage trends, however, minimalism and simplification continue to stay. Implementing patterns inspired by the eighties and nineties, using gradients and duotones instead of blocks of colour, and working with bold typography are some of the new go-to trends this year.

Incorporating movement in the form of animation, GIFs or microinteractions are also other popular design trends. You can see the evolution process from static imagery to animation over the past year, and as we demand speed and efficiency from everyday life (including brands), animation is the natural design progression.

Trends continually change, which demands other aspects of your business, such as branding, to keep up to date with them. Companies often rebrand to adapt to the latest trends and to also keep itself from looking outdated.

McDonalds, for example, has rebranded over the years to keep up with changing trends. More recently, it has rebranded to bold, colourful typography on minimalistic, modern packaging.

Yes, trends play an important part in design – of course they do. However, some companies don’t want to be influenced by trends. Instead, they want consistency and a creative design strategy that works best for them. As a company, you have the choice.

 It’s tempting to stay in your comfort zone. To combat this, bringing in young, fresh talent is one way to refresh the creative department and also it brings in new styles and new ways of working.

Another thing you can do to combat a creative rut is to draw inspiration from different sources. Our advice is to follow and absorb everything you can. You can customise your social media channels to get inspiration straight to your fingertips. Pinterest is great for that!

Kristen Voisey
Creative Manager

Responsive Logos

For many brands, creating a responsive logo is an essential step to taking the stress out of rebranding.

Responsive logos aren’t new, in fact they’ve been revolutionsing creative design for the last ten years, and have now become an industry standard. Since mobile web browsing and also browsing on other devices took off, it became essential to have a fully adaptive design strategy and logo.

Graphic Designer Joe Harrison developed the responsive logo project back in 2014. This interactive project enables us to see how traditional logos would have to adapt for today’s multiple devices and various screen sizes. This works by simply applying responsive design principles to them.

The biggest and best brands have been rebranding to a responsive logo over the past few years, with other brands to follow as it is set to continue – it’s the next logical step in meeting the demands of consumers’ modern habits.

Well known companies such as Google and Disney have adopted responsive logos. This has meant they have been able respond to emerging trends faster, and have a constant streamlined and contemporary design strategy that cuts through the noise.

Where will it go next?

Creative design will always be a necessary part of any business and contributes massively to your brand identity. Creative design quickly adapts and paves the way for new trends, and when used effectively, it can help your brand grow and make a big impact on your audience.

It’s hard to predict the future of creative design as trends are constantly changing. Trends could literally go anywhere. They take influence from everything, be it other designers, fashion, architecture and so on.

It’s not just trends that influence creative design. More often than not, big brands pave the way for the latest design crazes, and smaller brands tend to follow.

When Apple and Google changed their design systems and brand marks to a flat design, other companies soon followed suit. 

Matt Ansell
Creative Director

Creative design is vital to any business, as it’s the face of the company. However, it’s important to consider and carefully craft your company ethos to support your creative design.

Remember, branding is more than just the logo!

If you need help with your creative design strategy, you can contact us directly, or you can tweet us.

Print media is not dead – in fact it’s making a comeback. With the impact of technology on print media and with digital taking over, many people would have you believe that there’s now no place for print. However, it’s quite the opposite. As pretty much everything in our lives is internet based, more and more brands are reviving print media, with the most popular types of print still including newspapers, newsletters and magazines.

The print industry is simply evolving. It’s taking shape into something different to suit the needs of the ever-changing, ever-demanding media landscape.

Many brands have spotted this opportunity and are using print media to their advantage, thinking of new and innovative ways to combine digital strategies with print. This may involve creating and printing your own custom booklets, with the help of places like Printivity (https://www.printivity.com/landing/booklets) or through other means of print media that has come back into fashion over the years. Using both digital and print media strategies bridges the gap between online and offline; it connects the customers to the whole marketing journey. The most obvious way we have seen this happening is the use of Quick Response (QR) codes in magazines, combining social media with in-store displays, and using digital opt-ins from direct mailings.

Therefore, more and more companies are reinventing the use of print media, flipping it on its head and creating new ways to entice customers and heighten the buzz around their brand.

6 different types of print media

The rise of the zine

A popular trend amongst digital companies when it comes to print media, is releasing their very own magazines. Such magazines could be a new marketplace for the company to venture into – supporting and strengthening the brands image – or a limited edition token to loyal customers. Ultimately, more and more brands are now expanding out of their digital origins and into the print based world.

Here are just a few well-known digital companies that have turned their hand to print media.

Air BnB

Air BnB created their own travel magazine back in 2014 called ‘Pineapple.’ It was originally designed as a coffee-table magazine to be showcased in their ever-expanding rental homes. It was centred around travel and the stories of their members, but more recently, it has rebranded and joined forces with Hearst to create ‘Airbnbmag’. This features new travel locations, tips for your next holiday and inspiring stories. With a circulation of 350,000 copies, this new chapter for Air BnB is definitely paying off!

Net-a-Porter

The iconic luxury online fashion retailer launched their own print magazine back in 2014, alongside their digital magazine and website. Much like their online shop, Porter magazine provides the latest luxury fashion and beauty trends. Porter also uses its digital origins to its advantage by using the Net-a-Porter app to enable customers to shop the items in the magazine straight on their phone. Net-a-Porter has not only challenged the likes of Vogue and Tatler with its new glossy fashion mag, but it has also reinvented consumers shopping habits.  

Asos

The online fashion giant, Asos, is also another digital-first company that is using the novelty of niché print magazines to its advantage. Originally, the magazine was given away for free to Asos’ most loyal customers (a great marketing strategy), but recently, the mag has become that popular, it’s actually available to buy direct from their website for £1. Asos magazine is now the UK’s most widely-read quarterly fashion magazine, with a circulation rising to more than 700,000 globally. Delving into the print world has been a great move for the online retail icon.

A new spin on the old

Digital companies exploring different ways they can use print media has clearly been an effective move for them. However, companies adopting a digital and print media strategy to come up with creative and innovative marketing campaigns and adverts works just as well for stirring up attention.

Here are just some of the integrated ads that have caught our attention.

Nivea

A couple of years ago, Nivea reinvented the classic magazine advert by adding a unique spin to the old A4 page. To generate new interest in Nivea Sun’s lotions and moisturisers, the adverts were fitted with paper-thin solar panels and a phone plug so customers could charge their phones by the beach without worrying the battery would die. This clever spin on the ‘same old’ magazine advert generated millions of global media impressions, attention and also a few awards. Good work from Nivea!

Kontor Records

Thinking outside the box by embracing technology, Kontor Records reinvented a new way to pitch up-and-coming artists by putting a spin on the much-loved, classic turntable. In order to generate more interest in the artists at their label, they created a bespoke app, a vinyl record player and a paper turntable kit which listeners can put together and play at their convenience. This simple change to a much loved vintage item, not only increased their listener responses, it also made headlines across multiple design mags and newspapers.

Lladro Lighting

Lladro Lighting, a well-established Spanish brand, combined utility, design and innovation with this particular campaign. A few years ago, the brand decided to launch their new range of chandeliers and lamps by creating a pop-up poster which transformed into a corner lamp. A practical yet quirky idea, based on three different colour ways, the campaign was centred around the slogan ‘Lamps can make any corner beautiful.’  The pop-up poster could be fixed to any corner to add light and colour to any room. This was an ingenious idea, and also a bit of a collectors item.

So, there you have it. Print media is not dying, it’s very much still alive and kicking, especially when integrated with contemporary digital strategies. No longer should we view it as print vs digital. Noticing the advantages of print media combined with digital, some of the biggest and best brands are now advocates for an integral strategy like this, with more to follow.

Where do you think print media will go next? You can let us know on Facebook and Twitter or by getting in touch directly here.

Alternatively, head to our print management page to find out more on how we could help you.

Are you unsure what makes a good website? Maybe you have questions on what good website design is or which web design principles you should follow?

Well, we’re here to tell you that website design can be simple! And after working with them for a while now, we understand how crucial a great website is to your brand’s success.

So, to help you get the most from your web presence, follow these 10 steps and you’ll be well on your way to creating great website designs.

1. Organise your sitemap and assets
   
   Creating a great website is as much about design as it is about structure. For structuring, the sitemap is your best friend.Use a sitemap to group sections logically. Bear in mind that too many sections and pages will overwhelm your users and make your website look cluttered.Asset-wise, if you have an existing website, use the sitemap to see what content and pages you already have. Also, look to your other marketing materials to see if content is going to be consistent with what you want on your new website.Imagery is important – we can’t emphasise this enough. Avoid stock imagery where possible, especially cliched images like handshakes, smiling families and picture-perfect posed photos. Bespoke imagery truly is the way forward.
   
   KEY TIP! Before you even consider your website’s features, design or layout you must register your domain name. Use external tools to check domain name availability and costs – and register before you lose it!
   
2. Think user experience and navigation
   
   
   
   What makes a good website? User experience!User experience (UX for short) is a key impression factor. Well designed and thought out websites will encourage and enable users to explore your website with ease. Poor UX design will leave users frustrated and lead them to bounce off.Use competitor websites as a reference point for what you prefer, or not prefer, about their UX. Aside from that, ask users of your current site (if you have one) – there’s no better opinion.If you’re redeveloping an existing site, analytics software can tell you a story. Which areas users are landing on, where they go and where they leave – as well as other key metrics.Do the above and you’ll start to be able to see how you should form the navigation of your site.
   
   KEY POINT! Mobile browsing has overtaken desktop browsing. Well designed websites now provide a mobile-optimised experience, responsive and adaptable to fit different screen sizes.
   
3. Find a reputable full-service agency
   
   Web projects can turn into a nightmare when you have the views of a web developer go against the views of a creative team. You’re suddenly in the middle trying to manage both sides while trying to deliver a complex project.Our advice – use a full-service agency (like us!) to fix this issue. With web developers and creative teams under one roof who understand the project (and one another) your website design doesn’t suffer.Use an agency with a sound digital marketing knowledge too, as they will help ensure your website is visible across the web once launched.
   
4. Insist upon CMS and CRM if possible
   
   For the sustainability of your website, an intuitive CMS (Content Management System) is an absolute must. A user-friendly CMS means you have control. Build new landing pages, edit your website and build data capture forms internally, without having to incur costs from re-instructing your agency.Incorporating a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) will help you track and convert leads that come through your website, but be careful – CRMs can be expensive to maintain.
   
5. Fetch the wireframes
   
   
   
   We often see people getting too caught up with the visuals of their website. Yes, it’s important but you can quickly find yourself in a ‘too many cooks’ scenario – delaying the launch of your website.To avoid this situation, concentrate on wireframes before going onto the creative element. Wireframes display only the functional webpage features. This will allow you to plan from a usability perspective, including placing buttons, content and images where they really matter.
   
6. Bring it to life
   
   Once wireframes have been agreed, it is time for designers to work their magic and apply stunning visuals and brilliant branding.This stage is often known as the ‘website flats’ stage. Website flats are created so that when web developers start coding the site, they understand the website layout and how the pages should look when finished.
   
7. Coding and security
   
   The time for web developers to shine! Understanding coding is like learning a different language. So, don’t worry yourselves here, this is web developer territory. They code until they know your website back to front, and then when they’re done, it’s almost ready to launch. On the security side, web developers should also be making sure that they are using HTTPS encryption, so that any data travelling to and from your website to user devices is secured.
   
8. Populating Content and Testing
   
   
   
   So, you have your finished layout with fully functioning website features and a coded infrastructure. What’s next you ask? Content population and testing.Before launch, your website should be removed of Lorem Ipsum and fully populated with simple yet engaging content.Testing follows, as it’s important to ensure your website looks as good as it can on all devices. Don’t underestimate this stage, as according to Adobe, 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content/layout is unattractive. Today, a well designed website must provide a good experience across all internet browsers and multiple screen sizes – so test away!
   
9. Promoting and refining your new website
   
   Is everything working as it should? Good – you’re now ready to launch!However, don’t just down your tools – your website should evolve constantly.Implement consistent updates with fresh content so you can improve your search engine rankings. To improve SEO, your website content will need to be optimised with keywords you wish to rank for. Take your homepage design for example, be clear on what you do and where you’re located with keywords in mind.Not only that, but you will also need authoritative backlinks (links from other websites that point to your site), as this shows that your website is a credible source in the eyes of Google. Authoritative backlinks can be achieved by good promotion of your content and methods can include social bookmarking and blogger outreach.
   
10. Caching & Content Delivery Networks (CDN)
    
    You’re almost there, we promise! Finally, it’s important to employ a suitable caching mechanism on your server. Doing this will ensure that all files that are not updated on a regular basis can be served faster to your website users. If your site uses a lot of dynamic code this can be cached by the server, allowing it to be accessed much quicker with loading times significantly decreased.Numerous CDN’s now exist, such as Amazon Cloudfront, Cloudflare or Fastly. These networks allow you to host files and control how the user accesses your website’s data. And the best part? CDN’s are distributed throughout the world, allowing data to be accessed at high speeds on a global scale.Many delivery networks such as Cloudflare now also have built in protection for your server, meaning that your data stays secure and any attacks against your server will be mitigated by their network.

So that’s it! Hopefully you now have a clearer idea on what makes a good website.

We know there’s quite a bit to take in but that’s why we’re here to help. We’ve got plenty of experience in website design and by following these web design principles we can make it as simple for you as possible. If you’ve still got questions then just get in touch with our Client Services Director Phil Kean.

You don’t need us to tell you that to fully understand the law takes an extraordinary amount of time, effort and academic intellect.

Law is complex and constantly changing, and this is why videos are so important for legal marketing

Your average client will not have a clear understanding of complex legal matters or proceedings like you do.

If prospective clients are greeted with pages and pages of jargon filled text when they land on your website, it can be detrimental to your chances of landing their business. Unless you have a patient user willing to read and decipher your content, potential clients end up leaving your site because there is too much information to sift through and frustration sets in.

With an increasing trend for visual media, videos can act as a far more effective way of delivering your message concisely, helping explain complex legal matters through visuals and dialogue. Videos are much harder hitting than text, and when done well can capture your audience attention and help convert them into clients.

3 Reasons why you should consider video:

1. Conversion rates increase with video
   
   According to Hyperfine Media, including a video on a landing page can increase conversion by 80%!Why though? Well 90% of users say that videos are helpful in the decision process. That means if you produce a good informative video, your prospective clients are likely to favour you over your competitors. If you can hook your audience, it also stops them leaving your site.
   
2. It’s easier to explain complex legal matters in video
   
   This one is simple – no matter how well you write, it will probably never beat a video of you explaining the same legal matters, proceedings and cases. It’s also a shorter, more concise way of getting the message across.In line with an ever increasing trend for consuming media, now over half of executives (59%) would rather watch video than read text.
   
3. Users recall videos better
   
   80% of users recall a video ad they viewed in the past 30 days, according to Hyperfine Media’s collection of video stats. Whilst this particular statistic is aimed at video adverts, it doesn’t make it any less true that legal video content would be easier to recall over text content.

The benefits of producing high quality, informative video content are clear and thus should form part of your overall content strategy. An engaging video that provides useful, relevant content to your audience can quickly become an information source which is referred back to and shared amongst industry colleagues.

If you’d like to find out more about our video services, click here.

The electric toothbrush should have marked the end of the bog standard toothbrush, with its static bristles and playful colourful tips. Social media should have wiped out the concept of meeting up for coffee and Saturday carnage at the supermarket checkouts should be no more thanks to online shopping and delivery.

But none of the above has happened…why not?

Something the makers of the Back to The Future films acknowledged was the idea that the future doesn’t start from scratch. This concept is clearly evident in the world we live in, and captured perfectly in this photograph of the Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham, specifically of the modern Selfridges building and St Martins Church.

Selfridges building and St Martins Church

Every technological development occurs in a world that still retains everything up until that point. Even in the home, who else had a shelf of VHS tapes with labels like “Terminator 2 – KEEP THIS” and “You’ve Been Framed” next to a DVD player? If you were born after 2000, a VHS cassette is like a bulky rectangular DVD that we used in the late 20th Century to watch, record and accidentally delete films from – the protection mechanism being a hole and some sticky tape. You will never experience the rage provoked by having to rewind a cassette you rented from the video shop because the last person to rent it couldn’t be bothered.

Today’s Use of Print Media

Digital screens have reached a point where they’re no longer prohibitively expensive to use in promotions, even for smaller budgets. But the adverts we see around us are still often on a printed media: the sale signs in a shop window, the catalogue you can pick up from a high street retailer that sounds like Bargos, the large billboards on our streets. Could it be that that digital media isn’t cutting the mustard?

We think not. Digital and printed media simply have their own strengths and weaknesses. One has not replaced the other, one has merely given us two options where there previously wasn’t a choice. Much like how the electric toothbrush has to bow to the flexibility and space saving qualities of a normal toothbrush when packing an overnight bag, the digital screen has to admire how a printed sign manages to stay alive without a constant source of electricity. Many, many businesses still leverage the power of print media in the form of brochures, menus, booklets, business cards, and a whole host of other material for branding and promotion, not to mention information dissemination. Companies like Duplo International have a wide range of printing equipment with versatile functionalities to cater to the thriving print media industry, and it’s not going anywhere soon.

Both print and digital media can be engaging and effective, we simply have to weigh up the options available to us for an individual application and choose on merit.

Merging Print and Digital

Print and digital media occupy the same world and for some time there have been efforts to merge the two. This makes sense now that in almost everybody’s pocket sits a smartphone with enough processing power to crack the Enigma code in the time it takes to say the word “kitten meme”. The usage of smartphones in this digital world is no longer a transition but a revolution. If interested, you can head down to blogs written by Cell Phone Deal and similar others to see the impact of smartphones in this 21st century and how they affect digital media.

That said, a great example of how merging print with digital can be used to good effect is how pin badges have evolved over the years. Pin badges were once a festival fashion staple, and still are, but nowadays you can go online and design your own pin badges on sites like Pincious. From these sites, you can ask for anything you want to be printed on your pin badge, from hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, to QR codes that people can scan if they place their phone near to you. Similarly, Max Factor made its products scannable through a smartphone app. By scanning the product the consumer can gain access to related content such as reviews, tutorial videos and a whole host of other information. The idea came from an analysis of market trends which showed that 70% of women research online before purchasing in-store. By providing this information at all touch points, Max Factor was able to empower the consumer to help them make the right choice.

Visit here for more

We mustn’t forget social media as Twitter hashtags have evidently thrown their online shackles off nowadays and we can happily include a hashtag on a printed advert and not have people flag it up as a spelling mistake or typographical error! We’re even seeing political parties using them in the displays behind speakers who will receive media attention. Also, businesses that are based a lot on social media are able to utilize social media management software from websites like https://reputation.com/products/social-suite/, so they can focus on print media at the same time.

Let us know what you think of printed media in a digital age over on our Twitter or LinkedIn.