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: }
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 »
Fonts That Make Me Giddy: Rotundus
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, January 05, 2016
Modern and elegant, this condensed typeface feels classy and almost timeless. And yet, as all giddiness-inducing fonts do, it has a style all its own. Read Article »
"K" is for: Kerning
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Let me let you in on a little trick of professional graphic designers. This little last-minute tweak can make a huge difference—and it’s a key factor separating the amateurs from the experts. Read Article »
"I" is for: Italic (Faux vs. True)
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, September 15, 2015
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a larger-than-life illustration of "when bad italics happen to good fonts." This Leaning Tower Phenomenon, if you will, often occurs as a byproduct of good people who just don't know any better. Read on to make sure you're not committing this typographical sin. Read Article »
Fonts That Make Me Giddy: Ropa Soft Pro
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, June 30, 2015
It's all about the curves. When you need a bold, yet feminine typeface, look no further than Ropa Soft Pro. No hard edges here, folks. Read Article »
Designing Web Visuals: DIY or Hire a Professional?
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Any business that is serious about their content strategy for online marketing will always have a frequent need for web visuals: social media banners, website banners, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) ads, and Facebook ads, to name a few. Unless you have an in-house design team, you’ll likely face the question, "Do I create the graphics myself or do I hire a professional designer?" 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 »
Fonts That Make Me Giddy: Catalina
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, November 04, 2014
Hand drawn fonts are all the rage right now, and I love it. In a digital age where everything is shiny and technical and precisely perfect, it is nice to be reminded of the freedom, the quirkiness, the imperfect humanity of the handmade. Read Article »
Font vs Typeface — What's the difference?
Nyla Smith | Tuesday, August 12, 2014