Color has a huge impact on how customers react to a product. Understanding how colors affect consumer purchasing behavior is highly important for marketers. As the following graphic (via Kissmetrics) shows, 93% of customers place visual appearance and color above other factors when shopping. Customers are persuaded by visual cues, the strongest of which is color

So how does color affect consumer behavior? Different colors are associated with different types of products and shoppers. When designing your product, packaging and logo, make sure to consider who your customers are and what colors will have the greatest influence on them.

Now that we know color is important, what about other factors that influence consumers purchases? Overall design also plays a significant role in consumer purchase decisions, particularly for online shoppers. This graphic shows that 42% of online shoppers base their opinion of a website on overall design alone and 52% said they would not return to a site if it had bad overall aesthetics.

Whether your designing a website, product, or logo, make sure you are using colors and aesthetics that speak to your target customers.

Have more questions about color? Ask us.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

Typography is everywhere, and, without realizing it, it dictates to us the mood and essence of whatever we’re looking at. Much studied and loved by many graphic designers, typography is more than just the words on the page, it can tell a story. Different fonts are like the different characters, making us read differently, with different tempos, different voices, and different moods.

In this campaign from Think! Road Safety from the UK, typography is used to create two different characters and thus a whole back story. The first font looks like one that would be used in a “See Jane Run” book, while the written font looks like the hand of a child drawing with paints. The juxtaposition of the two with the severity of the message creates a compelling argument to be aware of your actions to set a good example for your children. In this example especially, we are confronted with how different fonts have a voice all their own. As you read, switching from one font to the other is like reading a text book to hearing the sound of a child’s voice. When choosing the right font for your branding or advertising, be sure to think of the voice that you want to be heard and how you can play with that to create a strong brand essence.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

Metaphors in ads. They win awards, they get the audience’s attention, and, ultimately, they get people to buy stuff. Do they ever get old? Well, they do, so be careful. Not every fancy photoshopped picture of an elephant in a tutu is going to bring them in in droves. A clever metaphor-based ad must use the product, problem, or idea that your product solves. Make sure it makes sense, and that it can be easily recognizable. The viewer isn’t going to sit there for several minutes trying to figure out deep meaning. Keep it simple.  

With that said, the Scrabble “Slices” campaign perfectly captures the product itself. The way in which the parts of the guitar are organized is even reminiscent of the Scrabble tray that holds the letters, as if it were sitting there waiting for you to organize it on the board for a triple word score. What is so captivating about this campaign is the simplicity of the image and how that communicates so strongly the brand image. It’s playful, fun, and a little weird. Also, when you’re looking at the pieces, it’s difficult to see how they might go together, such as the elephant, but you know immediately when you look at it what it is. Like any good ad, the “Slices” campaign makes you stop and look at it for a minute, because it’s both familiar and puzzling at the same time.

It’s easy to get carried away with flashy graphics and moving pictures, especially when it comes to website design. For some reason, the restaurant community has particularly embraced this idea, perhaps because there isn’t a whole lot of reason to stick around on a restaurant website and just look at food instead of going out and eating it. For this edition of Website Winners and Bloopers we will look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of flash animation on restaurant web design and see how it can be used well, not enough, or perhaps, to induce seizures.

For our winner we will travel across the globe to Greece, where a little restaurant called Arxontiko uses a flash animation intro to great effect. The website is simple. First, a faded moss green baroque pattern covers the background, while a single white plate appears in the center. Scraps of a frilly napkin are used for all the navigation titles, and these appear onto the page. An old crank phonograph pops up in the corner inviting you to play some appropriately old world music. The concept and presentation is simple, and yet so much is communicated. A mix of old and new, tradition and modernism, make it look true to the history of the food, but with a flair for the modern kitschy, funky trend. Animation is used, but it is subtle and not distracting or nauseating.

For our blooper, we have Soup du Jour, a website that simply doesn’t capture the mood of the restaurant. The picture of the place looks very nice, all track lighting and redish wood furniture, but the website doesn’t emulate this in any way. The background looks like stained paper, in a yellow shade, with the titles in that 1997 bright blue. There are about five different fonts, and the size of the screen is adapted for a very small computer, making it look strange aligned against the left. This website doesn’t need a big long Flash intro, but bringing in more design elements to give viewers a sense of what the food is like would greatly improve it. The kind of food this restaurant has isn’t immediately apparent, and even though it’s called “Soup du Jour,” the focus isn’t really on the soup. What the viewer is really confronted with is the giant “Click here for our kids’ menu” which appears very large above a photo of their restaurant. What is nice about using flash animation, is that it guides the viewer’s eye exactly where the designer wants it. But without animation, web designers must also think about where they want the viewer to look first, second, and so on. The kids’ menu may be important, but an introduction to the restaurant itself, like when you’re first meeting a person, would be more appropriate.

Now we’ll go to the opposite end of the spectrum, with a gyro and panini restaurant in Astoria, New York called Pita Pan. With a simple orange background, the intro asks us if we want fresh? Fast?? And then nearly blinds us with the answer: Pita Pan! With flashing white and orange backgrounds. Then it goes through what seems like the entire menu, flashing orange and white and various foods. With slightly overlapping and not-quite-centered titles, this website almost works in a quirky kind of way. But it does bring up the idea that you have to know your audience in order to decide whether or not to use flash animation or any kind of complicated intro. This place seems to serve a younger crowd, perhaps a similar target audience to Taco Bell or Carl’s Jr., but with a healthy twist. For that reason, it works. Had this website been used for either of the first two restaurants, it would have fallen flat.

So, when designing your restaurant’s website, be sure to always take into consideration who you are catering to. What is your audience like? Are they going to sit through a 30-second intro with music and flashing lights or will they get annoyed and go elsewhere? Website animation can be used to evoke a lot of moods, so don’t write it off too soon, but always be aware of your audience and your brand image and make sure your website graphics are in line with that.

Until next time,
The Ruby Porter Team

Recently, Bu-Ya Bookkeeping came to us for help with creating a logo. They're previous logo wasn't really capturing who they were, and because of this, they were lacking brand recognition. Bu-Ya Bookkeeping wanted to portray that they are fun and upbeat while maintaining their professionalism. We examined logos of other companies in the industry and noticed a trend: extremely simple and often flat out boring logos. We wanted Bu-Ya to stand out among this landscape of simple logos. To do this we created a logo that is a little different than most in the industry. We were able to get their fun attitude and professionalism across in this logo, and it is sure to stand out! Here is what we came up with:

In addition to creating a logo, we also designed a new business card for Bu-Ya Bookkeeping that incorporated the new logo. Their previous business card was busy with too many colors and images. The images used did not portray exactly who they are and what they are all about. And, the type was difficult to read as it was set in a very small serif typeface. We designed a more refined business card with a simplified color palette that better conveys the Bu-Ya image. Here is the before and after for the Bu-Ya Bookkeeping business card:

Having a logo that represents your business well is an essential piece of branding your business. A logo allows customers to easily identify you from your competitors. And having your logo live on a business card that is truly useful and functional is like the icing on the cake.

Need help creating a logo for your business? Contact us to find out how.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

This past spring we helped Square Deal Lumber prepare for the Lane County Home & Garden Show. They wanted to make their booth stand out against the competition. Additionally, they wanted to create something to give to customers that would be of value, not just another flyer that gets tossed in the trash the minute they got home. Being a lumber company, they had the construction of their booth handled but they didn't know how to dress it up. To do this we designed a banner that clearly conveyed who Square Deal Lumber is and a rack card that customers could take notes on while talking to booth staff at the trade show.

Here is the rack card we designed:

Because Square Deal Lumber has been around in this community for such a long time (since 1947) we gave the banner a retro feel by using a font that evokes memories of old hand-painted signs and grass/fence graphics that connect to the idea of 1960's backyard barbecues. In addition, we used Polaroid style framing to the photos that showcase the range of services they offer. Because Square Deal Lumber’s products will be used to fit different specifications for each customer, the space for notes allows customers to write down measurements, product information and pricing so that they can easily reference it when they return home.

Trade shows can be tricky, but when effective marketing techniques are used they can yield substantial results. When planning for your next trade show or event, remember the following: with so many similar looking booths yours needs to stand out, customers should be able to easily identify who your company is and what you do from your banner and finally, give the customer something that is of value to them.

Do you need help preparing for an upcoming trade show or event? We'd love to help.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

Outdoor advertising creates an interesting situation for a designer. The space itself becomes part of the ad to create the little world being presented. Simplicity is especially celebrated in outdoor advertising, because the audience isn’t paying that much attention or searching for information or messages. While looking through a magazine, you’d expect to see a lot of ads, maybe read some headlines, because you’re curled up on the couch and paying attention to it. But outside, you’re thinking about being on time for your meeting or picking up the kids or whatever, so simplicity in copy and design are imperative to grab your attention.

With that said, this BBC ad utilizes the space to present its message and its simple copy. The layout invites the reader to engage by turning the corner to read the rest of the headline. And from a lot of angles, as the one pictured, you can see both sides, and are immediately aware of the metaphor in the physical space.

When choosing and designing your outdoor advertising, be sure to be aware of the environment in which it will be placed, because that is as important a component as the target audience or the message itself.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

Recently we worked with the West Eugene Village Homeowners Association (WEV HOA) to do a complete makeover of their website. When WEV HOA contacted us their site functioned poorly and did not convey who they were. It had no formatting and featured colors that would immediately drive viewers away. After giving the site some serious TLC, we made it over into something that is easy to navigate, aesthetically pleasing and clearly conveys who the WEV HOA is. Here is the drastic transformation:

Talk about transformation! The site we designed allows users to easily navigate and find any information they may need. It also provides users with visuals of the homes and neighborhood. We designed the site to convey a friendly and informative feel which their association members are enjoying using.

Does your website need a makeover? We're here to help.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

No one wants to go to the orthodontist. But somehow, in this great nation, braces have become a rite of passage in that awkward phase during late middle school and early high school that almost every kid has to suffer through. With that said, the orthodontist niche is an interesting one: They must appeal to both teens and their parents. For this time around, website winners and bloopers will be looking at a few orthodontists’ websites and seeing how the graphic design of their pages affects the overall mood and experience of the services advertised.

For our winner, we have firstclassbraces.com, Tracy Ouyang’s website for her work at Sylvan Orthodontics and Happy Valley Orthodontics. The home page is very lively, with blue and green swooshes on the top and bottom of the page, and a swirling brown background. The lines are clean, the information is well organized, and the slide show of images really shows the benefits of braces through its smiling faces and happy kids. Basically, it looks professional. Looking professional for any online business is important, but when it comes to the medical field, it is absolutely imperative. Ask yourself: Do I trust this person with my teeth when they can’t even keep the same font on every page of their website? When I can’t find their information or their pictures are too small or don’t look quite right? It may sound silly, but without a clean, organized, graphically pleasing website, how can your potential patient find the information they need and have the confidence to choose you? What’s good about this website, is that the home page has a nice introduction to the practice, which is a great jumping off point for a new patient.

For our bloopers, we have rogerwooley-orthodontist.com, a website that has a lot of good content, but doesn’t have a very consistent or clean layout. The website has a white background with a horizontal stripe of green for its navigation, and Roger’s name on top with a little dotty graphic beneath it. Simple, yes, but it doesn’t really do anything. In fact, this is a good example of “don’t avoid design to keep from messing up.” This is a common strategy among those who don’t think they know anything about design. Making something plain without reason doesn’t make it disappear or less obvious. The white background could be used well, as was done with firstclassbraces.com, but at rogerwooley-orthodontist.com, there is no frame, no border, so the graphics are just kind of floating there without rhyme or reason. On the home page, there is an additional vertical navigation bar, but because it is only text on white, it doesn’t really read that way. There is also no way to get back to the home page, which isn’t really a problem here, since there isn’t any pertinent information on that page anyway… but that’s a problem in itself. Having a welcome page for something like orthodontics, or anything medical, is a good step to making the patient more comfortable. It can also lead them to the next step in setting up an appointment or learning more about the services available.

Another blooper: before and after shots. No, no, NO! www.parksideortho.com is guilty of this one, displaying prominently on their homepage some pictures of teeth and gums changing from messed up to nice and straight. Nice idea, but we don’t want to see that, thanks. Firstclassbraces.com also had a before and after section, but you had to click on it to look at it, so we felt like we weren’t barraged by overbites the minute we went to their site. This is something that is sometimes lost in translation between doctor and patient. Doctors look at that stuff all the time, and it’s not weird or gross, in fact, it’s probably interesting and would seem informative to them. But to a patient it’s, well, unpleasant. We thought that firstclassbraces.com’s approach of showing smiling people with great teeth and no braces on their homepage to be a really effective one. You see the outcome of having braces without seeing a lot of mess in between, which is really the most important part.

Well, it’s been fun, everyone. Don’t forget to pay attention to the minute details of your website’s layout. Have fun. Try things. Don’t be afraid to do something bold, because sometimes that can come out far better than the safe, plain route.

Until next time,
The Ruby Porter Team

For small businesses, Facebook can be a great opportunity to personally connect with your customers, but unlike a webpage or blog, there hasn’t been a lot of leeway for building your brand with graphic design.

However, recent changes in Facebook’s layout have allowed a more personalized look for your business. Here are three easy changes, according to Tim Ware on techipedia.com:

Increase the size of your profile picture: Your profile picture is the most basic visual representation of your brand as it appears on Facebook, so the increase in size to 180 x 540 pixels allows more real estate to show yourself off. The long banner-like profile picture can include information, multiple images, or just a larger picture of your product.

However, keep in mind when you’re deciding on your picture’s size that just because it can be big doesn’t mean it has to be. The long banner pushes down your tab navigation, which is important for interaction with your site. If you don’t need all that space, don’t use it up.

Add a Photostrip: Located at the right of your picture, above your wall, is another interesting graphic addition:  the photostrip. This shows a series of images in a row, and can further help brand your page by incorporating your product, or just using visuals that have to do with your brand, or create the mood you want. You can choose the five images that you want to use, however, you can’t choose the order in which they appear, creating an interesting dilemma. Here’s how some businesses used that as an advantage:

Include Custom Tabs: There are multiple custom tabs available. A welcome page can introduce new customers to your brand using imagery and description in a way that wasn’t possible before on Facebook. Here’s how Soshables used this to create more tabs within their welcome page:

Also, you can include a portfolio tab, to showcase your work. Here’s ours from Ruby Porter:

Always Remember: Be creative! Even when you have limitations, you can come up with some great visual imagery to represent your brand and further engage your audience. As always, if you have questions about any of this, let us know. We’re here to help.

Until next time,
The Ruby Porter Team