Design - from all angles
A blog about branding, marketing, and design, mostly through the lens of practical psychology, intended to be a resource to small businesses and entrepreneurs. Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Nyla Smith, owner of n-Vision Designs. {Subscribe to the RSS feed here: }
"V" is for Vector
Nyla Smith | Wednesday, April 27, 2016
You just got off the phone with your graphic designer and your head is swimming with terms like vector, bitmap, and raster. Even though it may have sounded like it, your designer wasn’t speaking a foreign language! Let’s look at these different image types and clear up the confusion. Read Article »
"N" is for Negative Space (How to Use Gestalt Theory for a Memorable Logo)
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Don’t be fooled by the term “negative space.” When it comes to logo design, negative space can be used in very positive ways. As with many other aspects of design, we can look to the field of psychology for insight on how to use negative space to create a memorable logo. Read Article »
Plagiarism and the 2020 Olympics Logo
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Plagiarism is a pretty big deal when you’re accused of copying your high school English paper. It’s an even bigger deal when you’re accused of stealing the 2020 Summer Olympics logo design. Ruh roh, Raggy… Read Article »
"F" is for: Favicon
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, August 18, 2015
A favicon (the term is a mashup of “favorites icon”) is one of those little details that should be a part of your visual brand. Go the extra step to reinforce your visual brand and enhance your users' experience of browsing your website by creating a custom favicon. Read Article »
Color: It's All in Your Head
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, June 09, 2015
Here's something to consider...if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is there to see it, did it have a color? There's no denying that color is all around us, but how we perceive it is all in the eye of the beholder. Read Article »
Branding Mistakes: Targeting Everyone, Reaching No One
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, May 12, 2015
As you're developing your brand, one of the first questions you'll need to answer is,"Who am I doing this for?" Defining and reaching your target audience will be your main challenges. If you think you need to target every Tom, Dick, and Harriet in the world, then you may be in for a rude awakening. Read Article »
How to Avoid Brand Schizophrenia
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, May 05, 2015
Are you a company that suffers from brand schizophrenia? While "branding" can be daunting, there is one tool that EVERY business of any size can use to put their best foot forward. Are you using it? Read Article »
Should I include trademark symbols in my logo?
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, October 21, 2014
So, you've got a brand new logo! High five! Now, you start to notice that some other logos have ™ or ®, and you begin to wonder... what's the difference, and are you supposed to have it on your logo? Read Article »
What we can learn from Google's Doodles
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, September 23, 2014