We’re talking about copyright infringement in this blog post. Before we dive in, it’s worth noting that we’re obviously not lawyers, so this is obviously not legal advice.  That being said, we’re also not trying to get ourselves (or you) sued when we’re given an inspiration piece. There’s a huge difference between being inspired by someone else’s design and straight-up copying their design. When someone else’s idea appeals to a client, people ask us to do ‘something just like this’ all the time. However, this opens you up to potential ramifications that can be costly, both with your time and money. At the very least it opens you up to an annoying cease and desist and forces you to redesign.  Inspiration Vs. Copyright Infringement For instance, you can look at a home decor company’s logo and decide it’s perfect for your macrame shop. You love the basic, straight lines forming

Let’s discuss the importance of branding done right, right from the start. Rebranding is always a possibility when necessary, but it’s invaluable to avoid it whenever possible. It’s overwhelming and intimidating to new business owners to invest in the brand identity of their business. Logos, websites, signage, company colors and fonts. It’s a lot to consider. It’s a lot to pay for when funds are limited. Many business owners are so eager to get started that their mindset shifts to one of this is good enough for now, I can polish it up later.  The Upgrade Later Mindset Sometimes people are pigeonholed out of duty. Their sister-in-law is a freelance designer and they’re obligated to hire her. Except she isn’t educated in the field, she just happened to discover something she was naturally good at. So she delivers a logo made out of clipart that can’t be transferred to anything

Browse these top design tips for a good design to ensure your design (whether it’s a website, logo, flier, whatever) is attractive, readable, and most importantly, effective. These design tips are straightforward and help whether you are trying to come up with your own concept or are evaluating one delivered to you from a designer. Design Tip #1: Keep It Simple And by this we don’t mean boring or amateur. We mean your design should be concise, using only what’s important to your message and editing out the rest.  There’s nothing worse than an overwhelming design. When designs are too busy, they are hard to read. If your design is meant to bring in conversions, it needs to be understandable. If your design is neither readable nor understandable, there’s no trust built in you or your company, which is harmful to your success for obvious reasons. Tons of complicated lines

Polarity Design Team is your one-stop shop for your design and collateral needs. We take jobs that usually take 2, 3, or even 4 companies to accomplish and facilitate them all in one place. We’ll design your projects, proof them out, order the prints, and coordinate delivery for you. Many design firms will send you your files, then you’re on your own to get them printed (and good luck figuring out if you want uncoated 16 point paper or a gloss finish 14 point). Let alone the hassle of proofing out the prints or troubleshooting errors. The DIY Mentality Think of it in terms of health goals. Obviously, you can evaluate your goals, do the research, and calculate your ideal macronutrients. Then you absolutely can go to the grocery store, purchase your ingredients, and prepare each of your meals every week. It saves you money, sure. But it’s time-consuming and

We have 7 red flags to look out for when you’re trying to find a reputable designer. It’s scary to spend money on a professional when there’s no guarantee you’ll be happy with their work. Many of these tips can be seen before you put down a deposit. Use them to help you navigate the waters.   Designer Red Flag One: Lack of Communication If a designer you’re working with struggles with communication, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll struggle right from the start. If you send an email/text/leave a message and it takes them three weeks to respond, it’s a designer red flag. This is a good sign your designer will routinely go radio silent throughout the duration of your project. This not only makes even simple projects take longer than necessary, but is also frustrating to the client. A solid, reputable designer should respond to your inquiry within

A good graphic designer should be your digital hairdresser. Not only should they be able to make you (read: your company) look beautiful, but they should also be able to tell you if something you want isn’t going to work.  If you’ve ever sat down in your salon chair and showed your stylist a picture of what you want, you’re probably in the company of 98% of everyone else who’s ever been to a salon. If your stylist has ever looked at that photo and said, “oh honey, no,” you’re in the company of a much smaller (though frankly lucky) group of people.  It’s disappointing when the look you have in mind is shot down. But you know what’s more disappointing? Getting home and realizing that you went home with a cut that doesn’t work for you. Hiring a good graphic designer may have similar interactions. A Good Stylist at

There are a bunch of reasons your brand needs to look pretty, but brand recognition is probably at the top of them. A well-put-together scheme lends credibility to your company, eliminates confusion among your audience, and helps make your design choices easier. A solid brand identity tells a story about your company before you ever say a word (read about it here.) Reason One: Eliminates Brand Confusion Brand confusion is a kiss of death for companies looking to build and maintain a loyal customer base. Think of McDonald’s. You see those golden arches from the freeway on a road trip and you know you’re on track for a Big Mac. However, if you saw a gigantic M that was turquoise you may be confused. It’s shaped like a McDonald’s but isn’t the right color. Is it McDonald’s? Has someone repurposed the sign? Is it an entirely different company? You don’t

Your brand identity is composed of all visible elements of your brand—logo, color, design, etc. that identify and distinguish your brand in your audience’s mind. This is characterized by your company’s official font, specific color codes, and a consistent logo across platforms. Your brand identity also includes the language used in your marketing and company culture. There’s also a lot that goes into it that is hard to define. Photography style (saturation levels, lighting/mood, warmth, etc.), the types of imagery you use (jewelry on a marble block or jewelry on a person?), the kind of verbiage you use (biker shorts or booty shorts), and the tone of language used (signing emails with sincerely vs. peace out). Your brand identity tells a story about you, your company, your values, and your quality, all without you ever saying a word. The Brand Identity Struggle This all sounds easy enough, but a lot

If you’re debating between hiring a graphic/web design freelancer vs. hiring a graphic web/design agency, you’re not alone. Is one better than the other? Is one more reliable or dependable? What about the thing everyone dreads most about any service — the dreaded invoice. Imagine it with us (or maybe you don’t have to imagine. Maybe this is your life right now). You’re starting a business. Costs are adding up. You’re trying to decide where you can save, downsize, or consolidate your (possibly limited) resources. You’ve already come to the realization that doing your own graphic/web design isn’t a good fit for you. You need to hire a professional. But who do you hire? The Complexities of Each Project Before deciding between a graphic/web design freelancer and a graphic/web design agency, you need to understand what goes into each type of project. Your average web design project requires: Project Management

You’ll see a ton of marketing touting the benefits of building your own websites vs. hiring a professional website designer. These marketing campaigns are brilliant in pointing out all the reasons to build your own website using a website builder such as Wix or Squarespace. Just based on the ads, even we, a professional design agency, can see the draw for consumers. However, these ads also studiously leave out the cons to not having a professional do it. Not only that, but even when doing your research on the site or speaking to a sales rep, they still won’t tell you the cons so you jump into it without knowing all of the nitty gritty details. A long, uncomfortable consultation with a client is actually what prompted this blog post, in hopes of improving the informed consent of individuals before they put all of their eggs into the Wix basket.