Your often sidetracked, making your copy so accurate that you forget the power that an image holds in your marketing material. The content sells the finer details but the image buys the interest of the reader first. A huge selling point for your marketing materials is a sexy image.

After working so hard on perfecting your text you forget about the images and don’t bother too much about them. Picking, finding and creating images is no easy task so you use no image or any relevant image you can get your hands on, in turn reducing the quality and success of your marketing materials. You’ve underestimated the power of a sexy image!

When I say sexy image I don’t mean sex or nudity! I mean:

Thought provoking, creative, classy, original and strong images. Maybe its a photo or maybe a graphic or maybe a mixture of both. It should :

1.)Strongly convey or reinforce your message in some way
2.)Go beyond the obvious and typical
3.)Grab attention from the viewer

It doesn’t have to be loud or colourful or extremely stylish it just has to reach your audience and raise the emotion you want it to. You have to create and put them into an environment.

In general the problem maybe not be the lack of images used but the quality, so after you’ve finished your text put your thinking cap back on and get creative with your images to make the most of your marketing investment.

You’ve probably heard what I have to say about Microsoft. In fact you’re probably bored of me mentioning problems with Internet Explorer, Word and Frontpage. Despite their dysfunctional software we still use them day in and day out and there’s no arguing that they’ve made an impact on the way we work.

They introduced Office to our world which has become the industry standard all in one business tool. 20 years on their releasing the latest version, Office 2010 with a new look.

Microsoft design has never been trend setting. Their logos, packaging and websites are always pretty standard, clean cut but nothing exceptional unlike its adversaries and colleagues such as Apple or HP.

The logo for Office XP set the brand 10 years ago symbolizing 4 pieces to a puzzle, each section in a different colour representing the office apps (word, powerpoint, excel and Outlook) as well as keeping with the windows theme. It had a slight playfulness to it which was nice but also a little cheap.

The new logo was a big improvement. Cleaner, dynamic, and modern with a small step away from the puzzle pieces. Tying into the new web tools built into office, the logo represented a new facelift that the suite went through but overall it still wasn’t mind blowing. Alongside were new icons which were nice, functional although a little cryptic in some cases.

The 2010 logo shows another step forward in the building of a brand. Moving full circle from the puzzle it’s now a dynamic unified representation of the office suite rather then one that’s separated by shape and colour. The whole design has been meshed into one symbol intended to reflect a suite
that works on multiple levels. Arrows moving from space to space (app to app) creates an energetic and streamlined approach, symbolising a cohesive func
tionality but is it an improvement?

Yes it is but is it mind blowing? Not really. It’s a nice logo and again a step in the right direction but just not there yet. Its layed out well but a small clash is still present between the font style and new icon. Throwing out the old colour scheme was a brave and admired step and the new orange which replaces it is modern and vibrant but is it a bit too orange?

Where MS take a step forward with the logo they also take a huge step back with a new icon set. More cryptic then ever we have an array of colours and letters to remember. Inconsistent typography and a mixed style of buttons. Gradient upon gradient creates mess whilst colourful yet confusing sums it up.

The ideas behind the new identity are strong. A unified, userfriendly and modern approach for the suite but overall in terms of design it’s just pretty generic and quite possibly “unprofessional.”

3/5

Coaches seem to have stepped up the gears in the past years. I’m seeing more of them take a stronger approach to brand, design and marketing. They’re not just setting up shop, their pushing the boat out to make sure that their seen as a unique operator amongst the crowd.

I started creating logos and then went onto complete corporate idenities from web to print but today we’re performing more and more work for coaches with fully interactive websites accompanied with sub-brands, e-shops and more printed material. The new innovative approach is definitely a step in the right direction but is the motive behind the progression the right resolution. Life coaches know they need a brand presence to step out from the crowd but which route should you take?

Problems of a life coach business.

Coaches always make the statement that each of their clients have very different problems. I’ve learnt that so is every life coach. They each have methods for solving problems and its particular compared to the next coach. The average Joe see life coaching as quite generic but each coach has their own twist, style, methods and resources.

This in fact is a unique selling point and possibly the making of your brand. Every life coach sells the same service but its you that makes your company individual. You’re selling yourself as apart of the service and you have to make sure that you portray some of that character in your brand.

When branding a lifecoach business add a little bit of you inside as well.

Your Target Audience:
Most life coaches I come across deal with this problem in a huge way and it takes some time to figure out the answer. The problem is that they’re trying to attract two audiences under one roof, the corporate clientelle and the public.

The first thing to do is split up the groups into three or four because there’s a hidden couple of groups which emerge from the other two. Its not a corporate customer and its not a member of the public, its the self employed or small business owner. They want to focus their career or personal life but their circumstances don’t quite fit into either of the two. This group sits in between making the whole situation a blur. How should you target these groups?

- Should you have 2-3 brands to target each audience?
- One business with 2-3 sub-brands?
- Or a general appeal to all?

Having 2-3 brands is the best idea allowing you to create separate offerings without confusing the groups and not boring the other two audiences. The public don’t want to know about training courses and communication for profit they want to know how it will affect them personally. The corporate clients don’t want to hear about being happy but profitable.

But what about the middle group of professional individuals? They want to know how to do it all but not on a corporate scale, a personal one.
Having separate brands to target each audience provides a specialist and driven strategy allowing you to market the business effectively, drawing a line between the two with no confusion. This is however the costly option requiring most work from you (managing 2-3 brands, 2-3 firms, and 2-3 services).

The second option of having one brand with two sub-brands is the most approachable strategy for you rather then the client. It’s like the above solution except cheaper and manageable allowing your business to develop in your own time, however it must be done strictly keeping a clear indication of what services are offered to the different audiences. It’s 2-3 brands under a motherbrand, an allround solution which is effective but not as clear as the first one.

The third option is the cheapest but not the best as it confuses the audience. It can work but it must be clear and concise. Once you’ve done that it falls under option 2.

Whatever strategy you take, create a clear message to each audience and keep each service individual. Consider your mother-brand and services then break them down into sub-brands.

Design:
Targeting businesses with services is easier then marketing to the public. Businesses want something in-particular, a sense of professionalism, with clear benefits, results and a relation to their business. The public however are attracted by personal attachment and visual results which is hard to do when you don’t know the person or have a product.

The strategy to solve these problems is sub-grouping for your target audience because as large a variety the public are, they still fall into groups and effective design can target that particular group.

Effectively your packaging each solution and directing it at a particular audience, marketing the benefits and results of your sub-brand even though its still available to a wider audience.

Marketing:
With the above design strategy, marketing becomes simpler. Before you had the problem of attracting 2-3 audiences with one piece of communication, neither swinging here or there but with 2-3 brands focusing on 2-3 audiences you can create 2-3 documents, 1 focusing on each for a stronger and specified message to the recipient.

This leads to 2-3 forms of delivery. The previous distribution was sent to both audiences via the same strategy but can now be separated and delivered specifically to reach each target.

The fact is life coaching is not a tradesman, public body or product which offers visual solutions to a problem but it targets the same general public as a service provider.

The strategy of brand, design and marketing for life coaches is an important one which can solve problems and create its own personal niche in the b2b and b2c sector.

Marketing a coaching business is not the easiest of tasks. Do you target the public or the corporates? Its a regular and common problem NLP coaches face and one that was solved visually with Infinity Associates. Having worked for corporations and starting up an array of businesses themselves, Chris & Adria Bannocks combined their creative yet disciplined skillsets for their new venture, Infinity Associates.

Chris and Adria wanted to develop an idea that they’d already put into place (Acuminous LTD), an early phase of an NLP and lifecoaching company which needed a new lease of life, a visual rebrand to match the new strategy behind the business. Based on a modern approach to training, coaching and personal development, it’s a a higher class of service, one which was original, professional yet appealed to both corporate and personal customers with a dynamic twist.

We began with the corporate identity in which Acuminous changed to Infinity Associates and then just to Infinity. Exploring ideas and themes we concluded whether the new company would have a dynamic and techy look or a warmer more friendlier approach.

After many revisions and concepts we designed the new logo along with a subrand to package a particular offering from Infinity, “Brainslim.” Following the logo we developed a matching website with modern functionality such as podcasts, downloads and blogs, all tied up into a CMS to control by the client.
The idea was to make a site which was useful to clients by offering them free advice on personal development. Within 6 weeks Conceptstore helped rebrand Acuminous into www.Inifnityassociates.co.uk.

Just before Christmas my graphics tablet finally broke down on me after 3-4 years. It was a Wacom Graphire 3 A6 size. It wasn’t top of the range but it was a beauty to work with. Never the less it was time for a change but the question was which one should I buy?

The most obvious and typical answer is “Get a Wacom Intuous.” Yes, they are the ones to supposedly get but they are costly, what’s more there seems to be some new players in the tablet field so the question remained “Which one shall I get?”

To get an answer I started scoping out tablet reviews and trying to find out more about them but to be honest the knowledge on tablets is pretty lame:

1.)Most design professionals use tablets yet the reviews on graphic tablets are pretty slim and generic. Its either written by an amateur with no specific user experience or a professional who just gives a general overview.

2.) Most reviews focus on buying your first tablet which was pretty useless for me, I already have one and know how to use it. I wanted some in-depth ideas about buying my second one as a designer.

3.)Designers buy a tablet and use it for 3-5 years. We tend to use only one or two models at a time at the most and therefore we rarely get user experience on using different ones. With this in mind we don’t actually know the difference between one tablet and the next.

4.)The tablet is a tool in which we can’t really measure it’s results. Its a drawing tool but yet it doesn’t have any visual effect on our work. So does it really matter which one you get?

Anyway enough blubbering, here’s what I found out in general before and after buying a new one which may help you to decide when buying yours. This is a comparison and user guide based on Wacom, other tablets and my old graphire

There are a number of factors to consider whether its your first time buying or not:

Sturdiness
consumables
price
size
is it for professional use or private use

We all know about wacom so here’s what you need to know about the others:

Trust, Genius and a few others all sell tablets which are notable. They even claim to have better pressure sensitivity then the wacom and based on amateur reviews they seem to be worth the money (less then half price of a wacom). By no means are they crap but are they as good. I found out that each company actually sells the same tablet in a re-branded format. It’s Aiptek who actually make the tablets amongst other electronics.

Before buying :
Wacom VS others: Sturdiness
One important factor was me was sturdiness. I drop my tablet at least once a week and luckily my old graphire just kept on going, it was actually pretty amazing. After it did finally break, I managed to rewire it and it worked for another year! This alone scored points for Wacom but what about the other tablets.

The other brand tablets were all pretty slim and possibly weak in build. This was off putting for me. I know your not suppose to drop them but I do, so for me Wacom won this round. I could afford to pay more for a sturdy tablet that would not break quickly. I wasn’t sure if the others were capable of the same.

If you are however more careful then me then other tablets are worth considering. They have a whole price range.

Consumables:
Wacoms don’t need any other power supply other then the usb cord. The pen doesn’t need batteries either so there are no other costs apart from nibs (revelation below in “after buying”).

The other brand tablets do need batteries for the pens, so be warned that you will be forking out more every so often for a battery. Re-chargables are a good idea but it is never the less a consumable.

Price:
Price is a big factor but you can make the most of it and get the best tablet for your money. The other tablets are considerably cheaper then Wacom making them very tempting. Although reviews were amateur, they were mostly good experiences and noted as good buys. They all seemed to work well and a bad review was very rare.

If your on a low budget then the other tablets are worth considering but if you really want a Wacom then you can go for an older 2nd hand model which are all very good. Just because there an older model it doesn’t necessarily mean its outdated. It will work and do the same job as the new tablets.

If you’ve got a high budget and you want top of the range then Wacom it is. The size of the tablet will also effect the price range so read on.

Size:
This is a funny factor, whatever brand tablet you use. I was under the impression that the bigger tablets were in some way better then the small ones but despite maybe an extra button or feature they are in fact the same.

It makes no visual difference on your work whether you use a bigger or smaller tablet. The tablet size is actually only a personal preference.

Some like bigger tablets so it feels like your drawing on a A4 sheet of paper. It requires longer strokes and moving your arm/hand much more. I however find that the smaller tablets are much better. Everything is only a hand twitch away allowing me to work faster.

Big tablet users swear by the big sizes and likewise so do the smaller tablet users, so which one do you buy?

The answer is to be very careful in your selection of tablet size as a first time or 2nd time user.
If its your first time then the tablet size you buy will pretty much be the one you’ll always want in the future as you will get used to its spacing and layout. Its not a rule that you have to use the same size forever but you will notice the difference if you buy a different size and it will take some getting use to.

If its your 2nd one then buying a tablet which is a different size to the one you previously had will also take some getting use to. If you want a bigger one then don’t make a huge leap from A6 to A4 as it may very well be a wrong decision when you finally use it. It’ll make a huge difference in your workflow. What was only a flick away is now a whole arm movement.

My Graphire was A6 and my new tablet is an A6 wide. The slight difference has an effect which of course you will get use to but you may find that your preferred your old size tablet instead whether it was bigger or smaller.

Which size to get?
One that suits your budget
One your comfortable drawing on. If you predominantly draw of A4 and its essential for you to do so on the computer then you may prefer a larger tablet.
Medium size tablet is the best all rounder.

Note: Tablets are bigger then the paper size. A6 is the drawable area whilst the tablet is at least another inch bigger allround.

Personal or private use?
I found quite a revelation with this factor. If its for private use then any tablet will pretty much do. Weigh up your options above then pick one best suited.

If its for professional use then consider the above and then consider this.

Are you a digital painter, graphic designer or something else.
The only real sector in which a wacom has great value is digital painting. The features, spec and visual results are actually only notable for them. They’ll see the real effect a wacom has.

If your a graphic designer or something similar the Wacom is very good but you could easily use an older model or another tablet.

Which range?
After all my research I decided on a Wacom. The sturdiness and relaibility was really the wining factor for me.

The next question though was which one.
They have the:
bamboo (entry level, for fun)
Graphire (mid range all rounder) (now discontinued I think)
Intuos (high end for design related businesses)
Cintiq (top dollar!)

Cintiq was out of the question, I can’t afford it!
Bamboo – Seemed a little amateur
Graphire – Had great experience with it but essentially wanted an upgrade
Intuos – Was the the one I wanted but then again the question arises….which one.

Intuos 1,2,3,4

They’ve all had rave reviews and pretty much hold their price, even the older ones. 1 and 2 were out of the question as I did want an upgrade. So the questions was 3 or 4.

I wanted one brand new and went for the the A6 (which is A6 wide as standard) Intuos 4.

User experience:
The box was beautiful . So nice that I didn’t want to open it. After doing so the tablet itself looks great as well. All shiny and scratch free I didn’t want to touch it but I couldn’t resist. After a month or so of usage here’s my final review of the tablet and which one you should buy.

Wacom Intous 4 pros:
-Looks great
-Handles both left and right hand users
-Has several shortcut buttons which are all programmable
-Has a precision button to create presise detailed strokes
-Has an optional submenu button which you can program dozens of functions.
-Comes with 12 different nibs.
-Has an IPOD wheel with another 4 programmable functions (nice for zooming in and out).
-Has a pen stand which doubles as a nib holder and mini wrench tool.

Cons:
-The new INTUOS 4 tablets DO HAVE CONSUMABLES. Unlike my old graphire and other old
intuos tablets, the nibs on the intuos 4 run down really quickly. My old one lasted 3-4 years this one will last 3-6 months dependant on usage. You do get 12 different nibs to hold you down though.

- New surface- The old tablets had a plastic screen which was a little slippery but user able. The new ones have done away with the screen and use a rough paper like texture (hence the nibs wearing). It does feel great but at the same time I instantly knew the nibs were going to wear quickly which made the feature a bit apprehensive.

Final decision: which one should you get!

Whether your a first time, private user or on a budget then to be completely honest it won’t really matter which one you get. They’ll all do the job pretty well, either way you wont know the difference unless you’ve used a particular tablet before (regularly).

Don’t be put off of an older wacom, a lower range wacom or even another brand tablet, you won’t be missing out much. (You may even get more)

If your a professional then the same goes as the above EXCEPT:

1.)Painters – You probably will see the difference and appreciate the features of a wacom, even more so with the new intuos 4. If your on a budget then the Intuos 3 is just as good as a pick without the intuos4 cons and some of its pro features but still a great buy.

2.)Graphic Designers – Main benefits for graphic designers are the new buttons of the Intuos 4. They come in handy and really help to speed up work flow. If your like me having to press Ctrl+Alt+Delete every minute then you’ll know what I mean. It makes the keyboard slightly more redundant and the tablet itself has that Wacom seal of approval.

If on a budget and also don’t want the hassle of new nibs then the old intuos range or even the graphire will do the job ( graphire now taken over by Bamboo business). They both have a couple of buttons and worth the investment just as much as the new intuos.

3.) Professional but on a really tight budget!!!! Try and checkout the bamboo! If an old graphire can do the job then I imagine that a new bamboo will do just as much. (justified by the new bamboo business range I saw today).

Hope this helps and if anyone has an aiptek, i’d love to hear what its like.