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: 
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Reading the Signs: Design on the Road
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, July 12, 2016
Want a surefire way to get graphic designers all riled up? Replace a good typeface with a bad one… all over America. Read Article »
The Secret Life of Sensations: How Design Affects Perception
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Can something as basic as design affect customers’ perception of your product? Big. Fat. YES! But how, you ask? Take a peek behind the curtain and discover for yourself the psychological magic of “sensation transference.” Read Article »
Brand Archetypes — Meet the Innocent
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, December 15, 2015
The cute kid, the dreamer, the optimist, the do-gooder. What do they all have in common? They are manifestations of the Innocent brand archetype, used by corporations to speak to two often unmet needs in our fast-paced, hectic lives – simplicity and happiness. 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 »
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 »
The Role of Psychology in Design
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, May 19, 2015
What role does psychology play in design? A big one. You don't have to be a student of Freud to understand how basic psychological principles, when applied to design, can have a measurable impact. Read Article »
White space is your friend — Minimalist design
Nyla Smith | Thursday, June 16, 2011
Every so often, my dear hubby comes home with a new addition—be it a kitchen gadget, filing cabinet, piece of furniture, etc, that was "just too good of a bargain to pass up." Read Article »
That's just not my (team) color: red and gold
Nyla Smith | Friday, June 03, 2011
"Well those are too close to Redskins colors, soo....let's go with this one instead." This was a comment a client (apparently not a Redskins fan) made after I had presented some color options for his new logo design. Read Article »
The Science of Design: Mathematics
Nyla Smith | Friday, May 27, 2011