Which means Lemonface Creative has just celebrated their birthday. Nearly double digits. Not long now before we become all moody, unreasonable, indifferent, non-committal and irrational. Best get your work in then while we’re still enthusiastic and keen to please, bhahahahaha.
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Which means Lemonface Creative has just celebrated their birthday. Nearly double digits. Not long now before we become all moody, unreasonable, indifferent, non-committal and irrational. Best get your work in then while we’re still enthusiastic and keen to please, bhahahahaha.
On a serious note through, we’d like to know what Lemonface means to you. What have we done that you’ve loved and what would you like to see more of?
Well, contrary to unpopular opinion, when I’m not to be found frolicking in the sunflower fields I have actually been working hard in the background. Notably, The fourth Womanhood Journal has been printed and was available for International Women's Day (IWD) celebrations in Kāpiti and Horowhenua. IWD is a day when women are recognised for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political.
Me: My name is Sarah-Jayne Shine......and I have an addiction to sunflower fields.
Flower fields Anonymous: Welcome Sarah-Jayne. You’re not alone.
Feels good to have that off my chest. You see I have been spending a little bit toooooo much time frolicking in sunflower fields/wildflower paddocks/pick your own flower fields of late. Just me and my camera. And bees. And some of you lot too.
I’ve really enjoyed producing the odd summer portrait for you and being out in the golden fresh air. That said, I know I really do need to get back into work mode now. Less frolicking. More mahi-ing. Genuine question – anybody else struggling to get back into the ‘24 groove?
Getting back into a work routine is hard especially with a bunch of morning people (great snap by the lovely Helen Wall)
Office life is colourful (both in fashion and personalities) and I love it
Frolicking in flower fields is easy,
Finding said fields is also easier than once thought
Networking - oh how I have missed it! I've been meeting lots of new people this month and it fills my cup!
I currently have multiple to do lists... they are overwhelming, but by taking a few tasks from each list and putting them on my daily to do list, it is much less so.
Having a work space that inspires work, makes all the difference to productivity
Boo has been super lazy this month, rarely makes an appearance from the lair unless food is waved in her face. She is also finding it hard to get into work mode and is not in the party mood.
January can feel like the Monday of months, feel a bit unmotivated, slow to warm to the year ahead, hard to get into the groove, still in holiday mode etc. If this is you as well we have some tips to get you started in 2024, scroll down.
]]>January can feel like the Monday of months, feel a bit unmotivated, slow to warm to the year ahead, hard to get into the groove, still in holiday mode etc. If this is you as well we have some tips to get you started in 2024, scroll down.
Personally, I spent some quality time over the holidays with the Lemonface kid(s). The start of summer has brought a mixture of road trips, house renovations (the joy of choosing the perfect colour for a feature wall is highly recommended) and general exploration of roads I know, and some I don’t. The Wairarapa was magic, we visited Castlepoint, Carterton, Greytown and Masterton. I’m not done yet though so I’m issuing a call to arms by requesting any locations that you love, that you’d think I’d love too. I’d be super keen to compile a list of hidden gems. Send ‘em in so I can share them in the next newsletter. Being able to take off on a whim is one of the joys of being self-employed and I'm super grateful to be able to do so... but only when my workload allows. Obvs.
I had a bit of fun with my friend who was visiting from Melbourne over Christmas. What started off as a random bit of Pinteresting for things to do that we would both enjoy, became a 'ghost shoot'. I haven't laughed so much in ages! I recommend doing something silly like this every now and again, if you want to have a crack at it, let me know, I'd be more than happy to come along for the ride and snap the sillyness!
Instead of my usual self reflection, this month I'm looking at the year as a whole, what do I want to do more of? What can bugger off? Have you done one of these for 2024?
IN
More photography - getting out and about more
Getting organised
Networks - meet new people, build relationships
More creative direction on projects
Collaborations, collaborations, collaborations! I LOVE working within a team environment
Learning new skills
OUT
Procrastination
Half-arsed goals
Posting for the sake of posting on socials
Messy calenders
The home office in the lounge (BYE)
Filling days with 'busy' not productive
DIY (I've done my quota already)
Organise yourself
Plan some easy first days
Sort your inbox
Catch up with colleagues
Sustain your recharged energy
Research your industry
Here's your first pic of Boo for 2024. She's been enjoying strawberries, sunshine and chasing bees in the garden. This photo was taken just before she managed to eat one, causing some distress (me not her) about whether or not that was a good idea. She's still not a fan of the leash.
Catch you next month!
]]>Looking back through Western history, particularly Europe, it's incredible to see how many art movements have made an impact on society. By tracing a timeline through different art movements, we're able to not only see how modern and contemporary art has developed, but also how art reflects its time.
Did you know that Impressionism was once considered an underground, controversial movement? Or that Abstract Expressionism signalled a shift in the art world from Paris to New York? Like building blocks, from Realism to Lowbrow, these different types of art are interconnected. As the creative pendulum swings, artistic styles are often reactions against or homages to their predecessors. By looking back at some of the most important art movements in history, we have a clearer understanding of how famous artists like Turner, Van Gogh, and Warhol have revolutionised the art world. But before I delve too deep into the minds of JW, Vincent, and Andy, let me introduce you to the mind of another...mine.
My favourite subject was without any doubt art history. It provided me with a window, an open door that led to escapism. Legitimate escapism. Escapism that is not considered taboo. I couldn’t get enough of what had gone before me and I took great comfort that tortured minds were obviously not just a 20th/21st century thing. Oh no, I learnt that artists have been mad for years. Hundreds of years. Literally centuries of years. It meant I was positively normal in comparison, well not normal... but you know, not as mad as I thought I was by any means. Certainly not as mad as basket cases with brushes that came before me. Nutters. Delicious nutters every one of them. I was hooked, dragged in and I couldn't get enough of what I was learning. I loved some movements more than others, I mean just because it’s old doesn’t mean its necessarily good, right? Perception and all…The Renaissance, Impressionism, Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau and Dada all resonated with me, and they have instinctually and subconsciously inspired me to this very day. You’ll have seen my socials recently that extol the virtues of past art movements. If not… go take a look on our Instagram or Facebook account.
Note my words carefully here though – I believe in inspiration (obviously) but disagree (strongly) with misappropriation. More on that in September’s blog.
In date order here’s a brief overview of some of my favourite art movements.
From the 14th through to the 17th century, Italy underwent an unprecedented age of enlightenment. Known as the Renaissance—a term derived from the Italian word Rinascimento, or “rebirth”—this period saw increased attention to cultural subjects like art and architecture.
Italian Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Raphael found inspiration in classical art from Ancient Rome and Greece, adopting ancient interests like balance, naturalism, and perspective. In Renaissance-era Italy, this antiquity-inspired approach materialised as humanist portrait painting, anatomically correct sculpture, and harmonious, symmetrical architecture.
Romanticism was a cultural movement that emerged around 1780. Artists like Eugène Delacroix found inspiration in their own imaginations. This introspective approach lent itself to an art form that predominantly explored the spiritual.
Realism was a genre of art that started in France after the French Revolution of 1848. A clear rejection of Romanticism, Realist painters focused on scenes of contemporary people and daily life.
Impressionism started when a group of French artists broke with academic tradition by painting en plein air—a shocking decision when most landscape painters executed their work indoors in a studio.
The original group, which included Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Alfred Sisley, and Frédéric Bazille, was formed in the early 1860s in France. Additional artists would join in forming their own society to exhibit their artwork after being rejected by the traditional French salons, who deemed it too controversial to exhibit. This initial underground exhibition, which took place in 1874, allowed them to gain public favour.
Post-Impressionism 1886 – 1905 covers many different types of art, from the Pointillism of Georges Seurat to the Symbolism of Paul Gauguin.
Not unified by a single style, artists were united by the inclusion of abstract elements and symbolic content in their artwork. Perhaps the most well-known Post-Impressionist is Vincent van Gogh, who used colour and his brushstrokes not to convey the emotional qualities of the landscape, but his own emotions and state of mind.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries were full of experimental artists and new movements. Symbolism (1880-1910) saw the dramatic end of traditional forms of art to pave way for experimental work. It made room for artists to share their emotions, thoughts and ideas with symbols, linework, forms, shapes, colour etc.
Fauvism is the style of les Fauves (French for the wild beasts), a group of early 20th-century modern artists (Matisse, Derain etc.) whose works emphasised painterly qualities and strong colour over the representational or realistic values retained by Impressionism.
The Arts and Crafts Movement started by William Morris has stood the test of time – his wallpapers are still used today! If it’s good, it will last.
Art Nouveau - 1890-1910. This French period modernised art and design – literally translating to ‘new art’– the birth of graphic design in many ways. Alphonse Mucha – Aubrey Beardsley – Toulouse Lautrec were pioneering graphic designers in my opinion. Mucha and Lautrec were commissioned to market famous actoresses and dancers at the Moulin Rouge.
Cubism is one of the most important art movements of the 20th century. Throughout the 1910s and 1920s, two artists in particular (Picasso and Braque) would use geometric forms to build up the final representation. Completely breaking from any previous art movement, objects were analysed and broken apart, only to be reassembled into an abstract form.
This period opened the doors for later art movements, like Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, futurism etc.
The rule book was now becoming a thing of the past. Dada was a 20th-century avant-garde art movement (often referred to as an “anti-art” movement) born out of the tumultuous societal landscape and turmoil of World War I. It began as a vehement reaction and revolt against the horrors of war and the hypocrisy and follies of bourgeois society that had led to it. In a subversion of all aspects of Western civilisation (including its art), the ideals of Dada rejected all logic, reason, rationality, and order—all considered pillars of an evolved and advanced society since the days of the Enlightenment.
A precise definition of Surrealism can be difficult to grasp, but it's clear that this once avant-garde movement has staying power, remaining one of the most approachable art genres, even today. Imaginative imagery spurred by the subconscious is a hallmark of this type of art, which started in the 1920s. The movement began when a group of visual artists adopted automatism, a technique that relied on the subconscious for creativity.
Tapping into the appeal for artists to liberate themselves from restriction and take on total creative freedom, Surrealists often challenged perceptions and reality in their artwork. Part of this came from the juxtaposition of a realistic painting style with unconventional, and unrealistic, subject matters.
Abstract Expressionism is an American art movement—the first to explode on an international scale—that started after World War II. It solidified New York as the new center of the art world, which had traditionally been based in Paris. The genre developed in the 1940s and 1950s and the style takes the spontaneity of Surrealism and injects it with the dark mood of trauma that lingered post-War.
Rising up in the 1950s, Pop Art is a pivotal movement that heralds the onset of contemporary art. This post-war style emerged in Britain and America, including imagery from advertising, comic books, and everyday objects. Often satirical, Pop Art emphasised banal elements of common goods and is frequently thought of as a reaction against the subconscious elements of Abstract Expressionism.
Roy Lichtenstein’s bold, vibrant work is an excellent example of how parody and pop culture merged with fine art to make accessible art. Andy Warhol, the most famous of the Pop Art figures, helped push the revolutionary concept of art as mass production, creating numerous silkscreen series of his popular works.
The Minimalist art movement of the mid 1960’s is often interpreted as a reaction against abstract expressionism and modernism. It anticipated contemporary post minimal art practices, which extend or reflect on minimalism's original objectives.
Photorealism (1970’s) is a style of art that is concerned with the technical ability to wow viewers. Here, artists were most concerned with replicating a photograph to the best of their ability, carefully planning out their work to great effect and eschewing the spontaneity that is the hallmark of Abstract Expressionism. Similar to Pop Art, Photorealism is often focused on imagery related to consumer culture.
Which brings us to where we are today – the period of Postmodernism (1980s to current). Postmodernism is one of the most controversial movements in art and design history which has shattered established ideas about art and design, bringing a new self-awareness about style itself. Postmodernism ranges from the ludicrous to the luxurious – a visually thrilling, multifaceted style..... more graphic design than art design some may say.
Art movements open windows into commentary on society, culture, technology, fashions and trends. And now back to me. I believe that you should live for today but acknowledge that the past has taught us so much.
Right, it’s 5 o’clock somewhere. Must be time for a cheeky Absinthe.
See you next month.
With thanks to research provided by Jessica Stewart and Margherita Cole
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I’ve found myself continually thinking back to important moments, conversations, or turning points with specific clients who have shaped, inspired and ultimately improved the work I produce for them. More than ever, I find myself sharing stories with my peers about what I’ve learned from the very best clients I have the privilege of working for. Things that I couldn't have learned any other way.
This blog is for you dear client and the lessons I’ve learned. From YOU!
It may seem obvious, but some designers sometimes believe otherwise. As much as I rely on background and design research, great clients continually demonstrate their deep intuition about what will work and what won’t work—what will yield the most meaningful material and how it must be sold to the world. When a client idea strikes me as odd or unexpected, I remind myself of how often I’ve seen unexpected ideas yield design work that resonate far beyond what I expected. Our pals at Rogue Raw for example, they knew what they were producing and encouraging was a raw lifestyle for pets, a culture, and so we said, well ok! And we branded them as such.
My expertise only matters if it is uniquely useful to my clients, which is never easy when design needs, projects, and problems evolve so quickly. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. KNOW. YOUR. CLIENT. I’ve recently been upskilling myself and doing some really cool stuff for Mitchpine. They took me on a road trip where I learned all sorts of fascinating nuggets about the forestry industry, and what Mitchpine can do in support. I learned that forestry has multiple problems (forestry wastage - up to 14% of the tree is left on the ground creating slash fields). On my field trip to Kohitere Forest I watched demonstrations on how they do things, with the right machinery and what challenges the forestry block owners and staff face on a daily basis. It was such a great little trip into the forest. Fresh air in the lungs, clear space in the head and tactile sensitivity in the fingertips. It’s so important to get out there. Know your client and understand what they do. I now have enough of an understanding to create some marketing on how Mitchpine can be part of the solution. Once you do understand your client, things click and the designs follow. Top Tip.
Want to know more? Check out what they are up to on their website Mitchpine.co.nz
Sure, my clients love responsiveness, high touch service, and they value a personal relationship that makes working together rewarding and fun. But they also have jobs to do, careers to build, teams to manage, organisations to navigate. Even if the creative I’m doing is central to their work, I’m not needed or wanted at every turn. Sometimes I can help them most by staying out of the way. I feel satisfied when I have laid the foundation for their success; and then it’s back to my desk to get ready for the next round.
Designers like me spend a lot of time “doing” which requires long stretches of uninterrupted time to get work done. Meetings can interrupt the design flow and sometimes feel like a burden. Schedule meetings and invite me but only when I can add value please, like at the very beginning of a project. I can’t stress how important it is for me to be there at the beginning of a project. This allows the client and designer to both scope the project with a wide lens from the outset, before narrowing things down. It means nobody is double guessing. In fact, it means nobody is guessing at all. I don’t do guessing. I let the client learn as I learn. That way, we all learn.
Perhaps the most common characteristic among clients I admire is when they generously share information—about them and their own organisation and about the work I’m producing and why I’m doing it. It’s all about how I meet their needs. The information provides crucial insights for me to do my best work, and it helps me to improve for the next project. It inspires openness on my end, too, so that I communicate clearly and consistently about what I’m doing and how. For example, my client Sally Duxfield; by creating her beautiful books, designing her newsletters and articles, creating digital brochures and yarning away to Sally, I have learnt about the chemicals in our brains and what they do for us. How we should set up ourselves for a productive day. How to prioritise and manage ourselves thanks to her excellent IMPACT-4Q model. Just the other day I learned that our brains are like a filing room, where all our memories get stored, what each sense was doing at the time of that memory. Fascinating.
Want to know more? Check out her books, programmes and all-round treasure chest at her website SallyDuxfield.com
This year alone, I’ve learnt about:
Keep learning people. See you next month.
]]>So, this thing happened. I thought it probably would one day...I’m a designer by trade after all. But when it did happen, it cut deep. Real deep
]]>So, this thing happened. I thought it probably would one day...I’m a designer by trade after all. But when it did happen, it cut deep. Real deep. And I’m not quite sure how to heal the wound.
I can’t go into too much detail (as this is a deeply personal subject) but in essence somebody took something that was not theirs and then passed it off as their own. What makes it worse is that I got wind that they might do this and I politely recommended they didn’t, citing all of the reasons why it was a bad idea – insensitivity around the topic used, misalignment of the topic, use of my intellectual project, lack of consent (mine and the other people involved in the project). But they did. They fu&*ing did anyway.
What they helped themselves to was not a commercial piece of work, it was a very emotive and sensitive piece of work. Personal to me, and personal to the others that the work was based on and dedicated to, who worked with me over 10 months to produce it. This piece of work had blood, sweat, tears, joy, anger, and frustration poured into it. It was my baby, my focus. Then somebody took it, misused it, misappropriated it, diluted it and disrespected it in the process. It undermined the Kaupapa of the project.
And breathe. I am angry. I don’t want to have to invest more time on this issue. But the anger is driving me on, forcing me to take back some degree of control and hopefully prevent this happening to anyone else in the future.
Design intellectual property is creations of the mind. This includes designs, symbols, inventions, artistic and literary works, and names and images that may be used in commerce. Intellectual property is protected by the law through copyright, patents, and trademarks.
So if you’re *lazy *time poor*a thief *naive *ignorant or *all of these then you are not only stealing intellectual property, you are also stealing the creation of someone’s mind. And it happens more often than you think:
There is an inherent risk in creating and releasing design/art/composition in that the integrity applied in the making will be undermined by how it is ‘used’ once it becomes public. With that in mind, I did all I could to safeguard the stories told in the work I created and there was a clear process in place to ensure that those who collaborated on the project had the same ethos – care and sensitivity for nature of the subject and the preciousness of the artworks. For all of the meticulousness in following correct processes, our carefulness and integrity has been undermined by someone who paid no attention to the sensitivity of the project at all. That disregard hurts someone.
The work that was stolen from me concerned the real-life stories of real life people. I was entrusted to create and curate their stories through an artwork. This is what design is all about when you drill down... client comes to designer with a brief. Designer interprets this brief and creates a visual solution. End result? Stories get told that are memorable in their composition and unforgettable in their execution. And when it all goes to plan the stories live on long after a launch date / live date / screening date etc. The sensitivity involved in this particular design is not to be understated.
Would I have been so upset the intellectual property stolen was not on such a sensitive subject? Maybe not.
This is a good learning opportunity though.
This is also a wonderful article on imitation vs inspiration - Credit: https://medium.com/@saldanabilly4/the-difference-between-inspiration-imitation-efd61dfb28eb
Lyndsay Kramer wrote a fabulous piece back in 2018 entitled Things every designer should know about intellectual property & infringement. She notes that as a designer, inspiration is all around you. You might visit a new city and find inspiration in its unique architecture or in a painting, a sculpture, or another work of art. You may find yourself emulating the artists behind those works in your own projects. Nothing exists in a vacuum, your designs included, but there’s a line between being inspired by another work and plagiarizing it. That line is called copyright infringement.
As a designer or artist you need to know exactly where to draw the line between letting someone else’s work inspire you and just plain copying it.
Let’s talk about inspiration. Perhaps there’s an artist out there who really inspires you. If you use that inspiration in your own work, when exactly does inspiration become plagiarism? Plagiarism means imitating another person’s work and passing it off as your own without giving credit to the originator. Inspiration turns into imitation when copying what is considered the crux—or central idea—of the work.
Say another artist’s use of bold color and geometric shapes inspires you. Using the same color schemes and shapes would count as imitation, while interpreting these ideas differently and applying them to your own work in new ways would be considered inspiration. The key is that your application of the idea needs to be transformative, meaning your inspired work needs to be clearly different from the main idea that makes up the original artwork. Here’s how to play it safe when you're unsure: always avoid imitation and aim for transforming and evolving an idea to a point where the connection to the original is not visible anymore.
My advice is to always play it safe. Knowing who owns which rights to a design and how it can be used is crucial. If you’re not sure about whether a design idea is fair use or could potentially be infringement, play it safe and avoid using that design.
The issue becomes more complex when art and design involves sensitive topics. At this point you are no longer only considering imitation of another artist’s work but you are also in danger of treading on the autonomy, safety and empowerment of the human subjects who are part of the art/design. In these instances, a conversation has already happened between the original artist/designer and those human subjects where values, boundaries and privacy have been negotiated and an agreement reached. It is highly unethical and sometimes dangerous to ‘use’ that artwork/design in another way where those subjects are not able to negotiate the further use of their stories. At the heart of the issue is the intent behind the story telling, and when that changes so will the willingness of participants to potentially have their stories used in a new way, to tell a different story or in a different context/space.
I alerted the relevant people to the theft of my intellectual property and the insensitivity of displaying the work without consent of a/myself and b/the others involved in the project.
I requested the work be removed and never displayed again.
I raised the question of using this situation as a learning opportunity for all involved.
I’m still unhappy that it happened in the first place, but I’m glad I stood up for myself and those from the project who couldn’t.
See you next month.
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It's all anyone is talking about: the potential death of Twitter and the race to find a suitable alternative. Yes, there's Bluesky with plenty of scope for development. Or indeed Mastodon. However, the jury is still out. Inevitably, both face the expensive and difficult quest to attract and hold audiences as big as the more established networks.
Threads, however, is backed by a company worth $732.99 billion and is Instagram-related – a platform that remains hugely popular across the age groups, as well as Gen Z who prefer it to Facebook. As such, it already has considerable weight behind it. What's more, it looks like Instagram users will be able to use their handle to log in to Threads and follow their existing contacts, so it's an easy onboarding process.
Funnily enough, Meta chose just the right time to announce Threads' launch, too, as tweet viewing restrictions proved to be the final straw for many Twitter users. As Musk saw people leave in droves, Meta's new app magically appeared in the Apple Store.
It describes itself as "Instagram's text-based conversation app". It promises to be "where communities come together to discuss everything from the topics you care about today to what'll be trending tomorrow". Not much was known pre-launch, other than you'll be able to follow and connect with others who love the same things or "build a loyal following of your own to share your ideas, opinions and creativity with the world".
We can see similar features to Twitter, including liking, reposting and deciding who can reply to your 'threads'.
Interestingly, the name Threads wasn't always destined for this purpose. It was announced in late 2019 as a new "camera-first messaging app", presumably to compete with Snapchat. But that product was later abandoned and put back on the shelf until now.
It's no secret that Meta has had its fair share of controversy in recent years. The topic of privacy keeps popping up (an understatement) and is one of the major reasons some users have moved away from Facebook and Instagram altogether. Even Jack Dorsey, Twitter's co-founder and now Bluesky backer, reminded us of this in a recent tweet that featured a screenshot of Threads' privacy info.
On that note, the Threads app collects data linked to your health and fitness, financial info, contacts, user content, purchases, location, search history, usage data, etc. What's more, the recent EU ruling on the use of personal data presents a major setback for Meta and highlights once again the conversation around privacy. It also means Threads won't be launched in the EU….yet.
To be fair, other social networks like Twitter warn of data usage, too. On its own App Store listing, the platform says data like purchases, location, and contacts may be collected and linked to your identity. And Bluesky admits contact info, identifiers, and user content may be gathered, too.
So that begs the question, should you sign up for more of the same? Although Meta is transparent about its privacy policy and there are lots of ways to manage your profile across Facebook and Instagram, some argue that our data is a high price to pay for access to a free social network. Others, not so much. It's really down to you. No one is forcing any of us to use these services.
It's impossible to say at this point. But Meta is worth hundreds of billions, putting significant weight behind Threads, unlike other recent networks like Bluesky, which only has a quarter of a million users thanks to Musk's recent moves.
It means Threads is unlikely to disappear or struggle to gain traction. And with Instagram users able to easily apply their existing usernames to the new platform, it's a no-brainer for most. Plus, when you consider there are 1.6 billion Instagram users as of April 2023, you can begin to understand the huge potential of Meta's latest venture.
It's not the Metaverse, granted. Nor is it Reels. It's something more accessible to most. And it's perfectly timed when millions are on the hunt for that golden Twitter replacement. Only time, as they say, will tell. We’ll be watching this space, literally. See you next month.
]]>I made a promise to myself during that time that I would never take for granted ever again the sheer unmistakable joy of being able to go somewhere, anywhere else that I wanted to visit. A recent trip to Melbourne justified that promise I made to myself. And it was fabulous. Here's what I got up to…
]]>I made a promise to myself during that time that I would never take for granted ever again the sheer unmistakable joy of being able to go somewhere, anywhere else that I wanted to visit. A recent trip to Melbourne justified that promise I made to myself. And it was fabulous. Here's what I got up to…
Melbourne City from Swan Street Bridge
Most visitors to Melbourne rave about the food, the drinks, the shopping, the culture, the art, the history and the overall feel-good vibe that this fabulous city generates 24/7. Sure, I did *dabble with these things (read on) but the main purpose of the trip was to further enhance and hone my photography skills by capturing the city and surrounding areas in a whistle stop tour that most certainly did not disappoint.
And who better to learn from and be guided by than one of Aussies's very best photography schools - Mark Gray photography, who is considered by many to be Australia's new leading landscape photographer. I signed up to his exclusive Melbourne workshop which is a highly unique 10 hour, 1 day event custom designed to help you learn the skills required to capture professional quality landscape photos in only one day!
You can learn more about Mark and his tours by visiting his website.
His Insta is (obvs) worth following too.
Rather than sitting in a boring classroom environment, budding photographers are escorted around Melbourne and taught essential technical photography skills while visiting stunning locations at the optimum time of the day. The day was structured to include the necessary technical discussions and ample time to capture 6 different locations.
Princes Pier Pylons, Port Melbourne
My tour started and finished at the iconic Flinders Street Station and meandered through magical Melbourne stopping off at the following locations:
Lagoon Pier, Melbourne
It was a really special day and I got so much out of it. I've vowed to apply my learnings to my ongoing photogrpahy journey. In fact I've already signed up for my next course. I can't tell you where just yet... but it will be magical. I know that already. Stay tuned peeps.
Flinders Street Station, Melbourne
So, with all the images I'd taken safely in the can (technical term) I was free to explore the other sides of all that Melbourne had to offer. In no particular order or preference, here's where I went and here's what I did:
Central Melbourne is made for mooching and mooching is what I did. Street food (obviously) and window shopping (I limited myself to buy just a few things).
Deagraves Street, Melbourne
I marvelled at the artworks and art installations around the city and was leftwishing that Levin was as cool and arty as this metropolis.
I caught up with dear friends and got tickets for an obligatory show.
Deagraves Place, Melbourne
I visited (lucky me as it was the last day) of the Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse Exhibition at the NGV (more info here). I was drawn to the footwear (obvs) and headpieces… and as it was packed like sardines in this exhibition, which meant there wasn’t the time or space to actually take a lot in or read the muse/mythos behind each piece, so I took photos of what spoke to me (top tip).
Selection of headpieces and footwear by Alexander McQueen at the Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse Exhibition, NGV, Melbourne
I checked out the National Gallery of Victoria’s classic collection – Hello Picasso, Hello Dali which was incredible.
I spent way too long watching the Aussie birds do their thing on St Kilda Rd strip – Why can’t Levin be this cool - ha!
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
I went to ACMI, (the Australian Centre for the Moving Image) which is Australia's national museum of screen culture including film, television, videogames, digital culture and art. I took in the Goddess: Power, Glamour, Rebellion exhibition. It showcased Inspirational women of the screen (over 120 years) – leading gender revolutionists. The mix of video, sound, fashion and photography meant it was a really special exhibition. So good. More info on this here.
It was a HUGE long weekend that offered no time to rest as there is so much to do here. If you haven't been to Melbourne then you really should. And if you have been to Melbourne then you should really go back. Soon. Tomorrow. Now.
I salute you Melbourne and I miss you already.
Melbourne from Southbank
Thanks for reading, see you next month.
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Business cards, billboards, brochures, websites, brands – every facet of business incorporates some form of graphic design. Creating, memorable and successful graphic design is a crucial skill for advertisers, designers, and business owners.
The field of graphic design has evolved but shows no sign of slowing down. Businesses compete to get the very best graphic designers for marketing, advertising, and web designing. After all, visual impression matters. Here are some telling stats that show the demand for the graphic design industry and graphic designers.
Example of an infographic
OK, we get it - graphic design significantly impacts marketing, web design, and branding. How does this, in turn, play a part in affecting and influencing consumers and their choices?
Right, those are the stats which leaves us with the inevitable question - where to from here?
Well, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again….What you see is what you get….
The global graphic designers industry is ranked #9 among all business activities.
68% of digital marketers use visual assets in content creation.
People remember 65% of visual information 3 days later, versus 10% of written content
80% of digital marketers use graphic design in social media marketing
Today's enterprises require strategic design to stand out from the competition in a world where looks are crucial. The key to standing out from the crowd is your investment in graphic design.
Have a great month. See you in May.
Sources:
*IBIS World / Piktochart / PR Newswire / Zippia.
**All $ quoted are in US$
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And what a year we’ve just had. (I think I said the same last December and maybe the December before that……not sure, you can blame that on the ‘ole brain fog (more of that later).
If 2022 was a movie it’d be a spaghetti Western. There was the good, there was the bad and there was most definitely the fugly.
We celebrated another milestone. We kept our heads above water. We remained afloat. Oh, and we changed our name. On the day of our 7th birthday we officially became known as Lemonface Creative. A subtle change that better reflected who we’ve become. We’re not just a designer anymore – we’ve become strategic, conceptual thinkers and we thought this name better
encapsulates this. Why did we celebrate a ‘little’ birthday? Because it's a cold hard fact that a large percentage of start-ups fail to move beyond the start-up phase. Statistics New Zealand say only 37% of 'micro' businesses, or start-ups, exist after two years. And so that means 63% fail to reach their third birthday, and that’s in normal times. These times are far from normal. So, forgive us for
shouting from the rooftops. We’re not gloating. We’re not boasting. We’re just glad, thankful, grateful, proud, vindicated, confident, strong, purposeful and bloody relieved we made it this far. To those who have come on this journey with us we say thank you. To those who have been on our journey from the start (you know you are) we say thank you very much.
I went to Fiji and switched off. I watched my kids have fun in the sun. I read a book or two. I worked my way through the cocktail menu. I recharged and re-set. Bula to Fiji. I’m most grateful to you.
I collaborated more this year than ever before and really loved it. I opened myself up to other people’s ways of working, tapped into their ideas and inspirations. And as a result, I produced work that was really good. This brought new opportunities, new faces, new clients, and new friends. In many ways collaboration was my personal salvation in 2022.
My workspace at the Other Side has been brilliant, not least for giving me the reason to get out of the house. The other occupants of this funky workspace have been a tonic. Thanks Helen & Karli We’ve done so much together and I feel like it's only just begun. Ka pai wahine!
TEDx happened and it was a great success. Lemonface Creative was brought on board as design lead to create, produce and roll out the materials used in support of and in promotion of TEDxKāpiti, a BIG event for OUR local community. The room was full……nearly full. And it was full of people who wanted to be there. They were there to see the speakers who were hand picked to provide an exceptional day. And they certainly did deliver. There was a buzz on arrival, a palpable buzz of anticipation that was in the air. You could feel it. There was a nervous excitement. And it was ELECTRIC. It was overwhelmingly positive AND people (patrons and potential suppliers) were already talking about the NEXT one.
The Horowhenua Taste Trail returned after a three year hiatus. And it was brilliant. Our lives have been on hold for so long now and to be back in the community seeing my work come to life and be surrounded by so many familiar faces was cathartic. I love where I live and the region that I share with so many great people. I also love food. And drink. So….. you know this really is my kind of gig. And the Taste Trail is ripe for the picking (pun intended) – it can become as big as it wants to be and I look forward to being on that journey with them.
Semi Permanent also returned and was held in Wellington for a welcome change. It was a really good one and I took away new connections and the rekindling of old friends. I took away the sheer delight of being in a dark and beautiful room and the joy of listening. Intently listening. I remembered what life was like pre-pandemic. These are the good times people, and we must never take them for granted.
I got a new camera and I love it. I’ve so enjoyed experimenting with it and getting out there. I see things differently through this new lens of mine. And – I think I’m pretty good you know! There is so much to learn, but isn’t that what life is all about? PLUS I’ve got the BEST tutor just down the hallway to ask for advice and guidance.
I sent care packages, and I received care packages. I’ll never forget this simple gesture. It meant so much during the darkest, foggiest times.
COVID-19 was bad. And it’s not finished with us yet if the latest figures are to be believed. I got hit quite hard by it. And then it lingered. Truth is, it's still lingering. It has fu*ked with my energy levels, my attention span, my get up and go and don’t start me on the ‘ole fog. The fog is real, it rolls in and sticks around for a while before disappearing. Only to roll in again. I hate it. I hate what it’s done to It’s made me doubt myself. It’s made me less brave. It’s diluted me. It’s knocked my confidence and at times my ability to provide the service I’m known for. If I can wish for anything in 2023 then that would be for the fog to eff off.
I intend to offer photography as a genuine new service next year. 2023 will see a few other positive changes from Lemonface Creative too, so stay tuned people, it’s gonna be a good one. Thanks for everything, whānau. Thanks for sticking with me and believing in me. It means everything.
]]>To be back in familiar environment, surrounded by like-minded creative brains listening to the great and the good of the design world was nothing short of cathartic.
Semi Permanent brings together internationally renowned designers, artists and creative icons for live events, presentations, workshops and conversations. We’ve been to several of these now over the years. Historically Semi Permanent has been Auckland based and it was great to have it hosted in Wellington this year, and for the next two years (if the rumours are to be believed). It felt right to be here. The fit felt right. The buzz of anticipation was rife and the excitement at making new acquaintances and making new contacts (friends even) was palpable.
2022 marks the 20th anniversary of Semi Permanent — a demarcation in the evolution of both their purpose and their organisation. A milestone like this triggers a moment of reflection, imploring us to look back on our achievements and mistakes as the things that helped shape where we are today. It begs us to look forward, too, challenging us to think about where we might be in another 20 years’ time, or at least where we hope to be. After all, the future is a destination we can only get to by acknowledging where we come from and deciding what to bring with us and what to leave behind.
the platform ‘PERSPECTIVE’. The way we look at the world has changed, and with this foresight comes a different approach to engaging with the world around us. At a time when traditional binaries are being dismantled — whether sexual, political, cultural or creative — the year ahead seems a timely moment to reassess the lens that we place on our past, present and future, and to make room for new and varied perspectives.
Designed and built in 1912 by Henry Eli White, the Category 1 Heritage status building is home of the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and one of Wellington's favourite theatres.
In 2015 the building was found to be earthquake-prone, and work to strengthen the theatre to a minimum of 67 percent of the New Building Standard started in April 2019 – as well as other improvements including upgrades to staging, lighting, sound, air conditioning and rigging systems, plus fire protection, mechanical and electrical systems.
As we sat and absorbed the beauty and the history of our surroundings, we got to thinking of the gargoyles looking down on us. The gold gilded cherubs mischievously perched above our heads. What did they make of the empty seats below their gaze when the virus and the earthquake-prone issues meant none of us could enter through the theatre doors. We’d like to think they were happy to see us back, and we as patrons were most definitely delighted to be there.
We’ll be honest here. Some Semi Permanent events we have attended have been inspiring, thought provoking and memorable. Others less so. 2022 was a GOOD one. Maybe the hiatus meant we enjoyed it all the more, but the organisers should be praised for curating such a stellar line up of speakers. Each one brought something to the stage. They delivered with enthusiasm and we as patrons lapped it up. And they brought examples of their work to share. This is a must for creatives like us. Yes, we want to know about the psychology and journey of their work, but ultimately, we want to see the end result(s). And we did.
Ethan Eisemann from Slack spoke about translating workplaces into workspaces.
Karen Walker gave us her insight into building a global profile whilst remaining true to home.
Tim Harper of Glorious gave us the low down of NFT’s. We *think* we understand them now!?
Mikaela Jade of Indigital spoke of connecting cultural knowledge and digital skills.
One of our faves was The Sharesies founders who explained how they financially empowered a new generation through technology and creativity.
Tony Bradbourne of the aptly named Special Group gave us his take the value in searching left-of-centre perspectives that then be applied to the many.
The very energetic and recently unemployed Todd Yellin from Netflix and their journey on reshaping the way we consume content.
Rest (our brains and hearts were full at days end).
The extremely confident Hector Ouilhet from Google on getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
Johnson Witehira, Maori artist designer and academic and his incredible work that fuses traditional culture with contemporary practice.
Liz Ham the Sydney based photographer and author spoke of notions of punk and portraiture, fashion and feminism.
Jess Johnson, Kiwi born, NYC based artist discussed the concept world-building in her animation, music, fashion, VR and textile artwork.
Ben Dalgleish and Ian Valentine dove deep into bringing human ideas to life through creative direction, lighting, and production design.
The Foreign Policy Design Group and their unique insights into their independent creative practice.
Tony Holzner on inventing intuitive visitor experiences that inspire curiosity.
Steve Dunstan (hero of ours) demonstrated the strength of a homegrown brand built through community (a much visited and welcome theme this year).
Kris Sowersby talked of type design and delivered a journey from concept to finished product that was personal, and both emotive and creative, a real highlight.
Rik Campbell of RESN on how learning how brands can stand out through digital development, design and immersive experiences.
Danny Coster on developing unique design DNA through elevating your inner champion of bold ideas.
Wade and Leta brought the event to a close by speaking of combining purposeful eclecticism and performative design to create satisfying and emotional values.
Rest, lots and lots of rest!
Well, apart from the obligatory goodie bag(s) we took away the wisdom of some great minds. We took away new connections and the rekindling of old friends. We took away the sheer delight of being in a dark and beautiful room and the joy of listening. Intently listening. We remembered what life was like pre pandemic. These are the good times people, and we must never take them for granted.
Take care, see you next month.
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These dates and the time of the change are heavily publicised in the lead up to the change through television and radio advertisements, local council websites and national newspapers. So how come it always takes me by surprise? And how come I never know if that means MORE sleep or LESS sleep each time the clocks change?
]]>During the daylight-saving months we are on ‘New Zealand daylight time’, which is 1 hour ahead of New Zealand standard time.
These dates and the time of the change are heavily publicised in the lead up to the change through television and radio advertisements, local council websites and national newspapers. So how come it always takes me by surprise? And how come I never know if that means MORE sleep or LESS sleep each time the clocks change?
The rationale for changing the time over the summer months is that more sunlight hours will fall in the early morning if standard time is applied year-round. In summer, these early morning sunlight hours are seen as being wasted as many people are asleep at that time. If the sunlight hours are shifted to the evening, by way of daylight- saving time, they are more useful. Keeping up so far? Good. Carry on.
A 2008 survey found that 82% of New Zealanders approved of daylight-saving time.
Research New Zealand surveyed 1006 members of the public. The survey was conducted between 8 and 29 April 2008 after daylight saving ended. The survey was designed to measure the impact of the extended period of daylight saving on New Zealanders.
Since its inception, there has been much debate over the pros and cons of daylight-saving. Organisations that research sleep care are critical of daylight saving time, particularly the effect it has on public health and safety. They point to studies which indicate it increases the risk of heart-related problems, mood disorders, and motor vehicle accidents.
Take, for example, the European Biological Rhythms Society, European Sleep Research Society, and Society for Research on Biological Rhythms. These 3 societies issued a joint statement to the EU Commission in which they advocated replacing daylight saving time with a standard time. Their statement offered to provide evidence which showed that replacing daylight saving time would reduce the incidence of cancer, reduce consumption of alcohol and tobacco, and improve performance at school and work. This eventually led to the EU Parliament voting to end daylight saving time in 2021.
Following in the footsteps of these societies, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine adopted the position that the US should do away with daylight saving time in favour of a national, fixed, year-round time that aligns best with human biology.
But how exactly does shifting an hour impact our sleep, as well as our health and safety? In this blog, we’ll attempt to answer that question and explore 3 ways to avoid feeling tired when the clocks go forward.
To understand how daylight-saving time affects sleep, we first need to understand there are 3 types of clocks: the sun clock, our body or circadian clock, and our social clock.
The sun clock is set by the rotation of the earth around the sun. The light of the sun and the darkness of the night act as signals that set our body clock. Ideally, both these clocks should be in sync. However, our social clock, set by societies, makes this difficult, with work activities and time with friends often requiring us to wake up or go to sleep outside of daylight periods.
Daylight saving time shifts our social clock an hour forward in the summer, which means less morning light and more evening light, and this shift can lead to our body clocks no longer being in sync with the sun clock or day-night cycles. This creates a feeling similar to jet lag.
True, it is just 1 hour. But one study found that this hour is capable of throwing our body clock so out of sync that it takes weeks to recover. And during this period, we risk facing a number of consequences including:
Waking up feeling tired because of daylight-saving time can result in real-world consequences. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways by which you can mitigate these negative effects.
After daylight-saving time, the sun clock, body clock, and social clock are far from in sync. The best thing to do is to focus on resetting your body clock, which is influenced by behaviour, environment, and medications. Listed below are 3 tips for each of these 3 factors, which can help you reset your body clock and avoid feeling tired when you wake up.
The clocks moving forward means more evening light, and greater exposure to evening light can impact our body clock and push our sleep cycle towards a later bedtime.
Counter this by gradually going to sleep an hour before you normally do in the run up to daylight-saving time. That way your body adjusts to waking up earlier and you still get your usual amount of sleep – which should be between 7 to 9 hours.
It’s also worth going out in the morning or exercising early to get more morning light (avoid working out in the evening or 4 hours to bedtime as this can impact your ability to sleep). Day-time exposure to light can help with resetting your inner clock.
Try to avoid long naps in the afternoon, especially after 3 p.m., as that too can impact your ability to sleep. Your sleep is regulated by homeostatic and circadian processes. The former is referred to as process S, and is sleep pressure that builds up during the day. If you take a long nap, or a nap after 3 p.m., then you risk reducing sleep pressure, thereby making it difficult for you to fall asleep at night.
It’s important to know how to sleep well, especially in terms of developing good sleep habits and an ideal sleep environment.
With daylight-saving time resulting in more evening light, consider investing in blackout curtains or an eye mask to ensure you sleep in complete darkness. Furthermore, with people perhaps keen to enjoy spending time out in the evenings while it’s still light, it might be worth getting ear plugs or a white noise machine to ensure you block out sounds and sleep in silence.
Lastly, avoid using electronic devices or consuming alcohol, caffeine, nicotine or any other stimulant just before bed. Electronic devices emit blue light which, while not as powerful as sunlight, can still affect your body clock. Alcohol reduces sleep quality, while caffeine blocks receptors in your brain that help you to fall asleep.
While various medications exist on the market to promote sleep, their side effect profile and addictive potential limit their widespread use. By contrast, the over-the-counter supplement melatonin offers a more tolerable solution, that can help to accelerate sleep onset and sync your circadian clock.
Right, this blog is making me feel sleepy now. I’m off for a nap. See you next month!
]]>One of the best things about graphic design is that it never stands still for a moment. But that does mean that keeping up with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies can be a bit of a challenge. “Stand still at your peril” I was once told and it’s a piece of advice I’ve long subscribed to. Keeping my mind fresh allows me to stay connected and enthused.
]]>One of the best things about graphic design is that it never stands still for a moment. But that does mean that keeping up with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies can be a bit of a challenge. “Stand still at your peril” I was once told and it’s a piece of advice I’ve long subscribed to. Keeping my mind fresh allows me to stay connected and enthused. And that’s where design blogs come in. The best ones bring you the latest work, best practices, news and conversations in bite-sized chunks that never feel like a chore to read. These blogs can also be a great source of visual inspiration, helping to spark fresh ideas of your own and stop you from becoming creatively stale.
So, in no particular order, here are my current Top 10 design blogs. Some of these are specific to one industry or discipline, some are broad and wide-ranging, but all of them have useful insights for designers as a whole. Enjoy!
When it comes to choosing type, samples set in “the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” aren’t very useful; seeing how real type performs on actual websites is better. That’s why Jeremiah Shoaf set up Typewolf, which shares examples of popular fonts in the wild. Given that so many typography blogs are run by type designers, it’s also refreshing to see one written, instead, by a designer who uses type in their day-to-day work.
For anyone working in packaging design, The Dieline has it all wrapped up. It’s basically the Bible of the sector: a place where the community can review, critique and stay informed of the latest industry trends, and check out design projects being created in the field.
OK, I admit it. I am biased. Unashamedly biased when it comes to typography. But I’m not alone because I Love Typography covers everything from typography and type history to making fonts, and everything in between, including printmaking to book history and occasionally calligraphy. The work of John Boardley, author of “Typographic Firsts: Adventures in Early Printing”, it’s all carefully crafted, authoritative stuff.
Aisle One is a visual journal of design produced by Antonio Carusone. After a four-year hiatus, its accompanying newsletter, Aisle One Digest, returned last November. In its new form, each issue offers all the great design inspiration from the blog, plus photography, film, music, and cultural content.
Dropbox is one of the most popular file sharing and storage apps in the creative profession. I know this as I must use it a billion times a day. But did you know Dropbox also has a blog called Work In Progress, and it’s a great read, too. As well as news about the app, you’ll also find a bunch of great interviews with prominent users. You’ll find articles on work culture (such as ‘Tips for cultivating inspiration and sustaining your creative flow’, and interviews with leading creatives.
As a woman, AND a graphic designer I love this. Women of Graphic Design focuses on exhibiting the contributions of women in graphic design and exploring issues of gender equality in education provided by design institutions. It’s currently on hiatus, but its archive is still worth checking out. (As this is a Tumblr blog, you can just keep clicking the ‘Load more posts’ button at the bottom of the page).
Accessibility is often forgotten in a rush to get designs to market. To keep on top of the latest thinking and techniques, subscribe to this blog by Stark, which helps companies ensure their products are accessible, compliant, and inclusive. Here you’ll find a bunch of useful articles, such as ‘5 mistakes to avoid when making your designs accessible’ and ‘Do virtual whiteboard apps work for everyone?’
Founded by Amber Weaver and led by creative-type-focused media company TYPE01 Ltd, Femme Type celebrates the work of female type designers and type-focused creatives. It aims to encourage women to pursue careers in font design, typography/graphic design, motion, and 3D and font engineering technologies.
Admire The Web showcases the very best in website design, with fresh content every day to keep you inspired. There’s no commentary, but each post features the full web page in all its glory, from top to bottom.
And last, but certainly not least here’s another beautifully designed blog Logo Design Love which focuses on logo designs from around the world. It’s a nicely curated showcase for the latest logos and featuring reviews and commentary around related work, such as logo design books.
Feeling inspired now? Good. You’re welcome. But you should really get back to work. Bills need to be paid after all. See you next month.
]]>I got COVID – the long version and it was pretty rubbish for a while there. My enthusiasm waned, my energy levels nosedived, and my creative juices ran nearly dry. I barely looked outside during this period. But then I got better, stronger and felt enthused again. And I felt it was time to look out of the window again. The new normal is coming I was told. It’s in the post – life is going to be like The Great Gatsby every day. The streets of Levin will be paved with gold. So, I cautiously shuffled across the living room, and I excitedly opened the curtains and I breathed in. And I looked out. I wish I hadn’t!
Levin was hit by a tornado around 6.30am on the 20th May damaging homes, downing power lines and ripping out trees. Drone footage from the Horowhenua District Council shows multiple houses without roofs, and one building completely decimated. The council said drone images showed 50 houses had been damaged. During the tornado a garden shed was flung across the street into a woman's house, which then smashed through the front window of the house.
The woman was taken to hospital.
Another resident said she woke to a "horrendous" noise and was then covered in glass as the tornado hit. It also observed 12,000 lightning strikes in the six hours to 11.30am this morning. The extent of the damage is still unveiling itself, but what we know is that our community still needs help.
Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/467492/damage-to-roads-powerlines-after-tornado-rips-through-levin
Strong winds were experienced elsewhere in the country on Friday. A woman died in Cambridge after being trapped under a fallen tree for around 45 minutes.
In Auckland, the Harbour Bridge was closed for a time as winds reached over 95km/h.
These things happen elsewhere, right? Storm chasers chase tornadoes in America, don’t they? And now Horowhenua obviously. I was told and lead to believe that the good times were coming back after COVID. I beginning to beg to differ.
The cost of living is spiralling. The aisles of value are having a laugh. At us. The situation in Ukraine becomes more serious and heart breaking by the day. On our shores people are still getting sick and dying. Daily. Respected former Prime Ministers are getting assassinated in the street and current comical Prime Ministers are getting the boot. Our Prime Minister said the world is ‘bloody messy’ but remains positive about the future. Watching the news should come with a health warning. Sometimes I want to hide under the duvet, hibernate and take a cautious peek outside in the future when I hope the world be back to normal. But you got to carry on don’t you? My advice is to myself and you, is to concentrate on what we can control. And park what we can’t.
So, I closed the curtains again and then I got thinking. And this is how we can do it. Together.
The uncertain times are leading to an imminent restructuring of the global economic order. Here’s how leaders can begin navigating to what’s next.
‘For some organizations, near-term survival is the only agenda item. Others are peering through the fog of uncertainty, thinking about how to position themselves once the crisis has passed and things return to normal. The question is, ‘What will normal look like?’ While no one can say how long the crisis will last, what we find on the other side will not look like the normal of recent years.’
These words were written 11 years ago, amid the last global financial crisis. They ring true today but if anything, understate the reality the world is currently facing.
It is increasingly clear our era will be defined by a fundamental schism: the period before COVID-19 and the knock-on challenges it brought and the new normal that will emerge in the post-viral era: the “next normal.” In this unprecedented new reality, we will witness a dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order in which business and society have traditionally operated. And in the near future, we will see the beginning of discussion and debate about what the next normal could entail and how sharply its contours will diverge from those that previously shaped our lives.
Here, we attempt to answer the question being posed by leaders across the public, private, and social sectors: What will it take to navigate these crises, now that our traditional metrics and assumptions have been rendered irrelevant? More simply put, it’s our turn to answer a question that many of us once asked of our grandparents: What did you do during the war?
The answer is a call to act across five stages, leading from the crises of today to the next normal that will emerge after our current battles have been won:
Resolve, Resilience, Return, Reimagination, and Reform.
The duration of each stage will vary based on geographic and industry context, and institutions may find themselves operating in more than one stage simultaneously. Collectively, these five stages represent the imperative of our time: the battle against COVID-19 is one that leaders today must win if we are to find an economically and socially viable path to the next normal.
The duration of each stage will vary based on geographic and industry context, and institutions may find themselves operating in more than one stage simultaneously. Collectively, these five stages represent the imperative of our time: winning the battles is one that leaders today must win if we are to find an economically and socially viable path to the next normal.
In almost all countries, crisis-response efforts are in full motion. A large array of public-health interventions has been deployed. Healthcare systems are—explicitly—on a war footing to increase their capacity of beds, supplies, and trained workers.
Efforts are under way to alleviate shortages of much-needed medical supplies. Business-continuity and employee-safety plans have been escalated, with remote work established as the default operating mode. Many are dealing with acute slowdowns in their operations, while some seek to accelerate to meet demand in critical areas spanning food, household supplies, and paper goods. Educational institutions are moving online to provide ongoing learning opportunities as physical classrooms shut down.
And yet, a toxic combination of inaction and paralysis remains, stymying choices that must be made: lockdown or not; isolation or quarantine; shut down the factory now or wait for an order from above. That is why we have called this first stage Resolve: the need to determine the scale, pace, and depth of action required at the state and business levels. As one CEO told us: “I know what to do. I just need to decide whether those who need to act share my resolve to do so.”
The situations have metastasized into a burgeoning crisis for the economy and financial system. The acute pullback in economic activity, necessary to protect public health, is simultaneously jeopardising the economic well-being of citizens and institutions. The rapid succession of liquidity and solvency challenges hitting multiple industries is proving resistant to the efforts of central banks and governments to keep the financial system functioning. A health crisis is turning into a financial crisis as uncertainty about the size, duration, and shape of the decline in GDP and employment undermines what remains of business confidence.
A McKinsey Global Institute analysis, based on multiple sources, indicates that the shock to our livelihoods from the economic impact of virus-suppression efforts could be the biggest in nearly a century. In Europe and the United States, this is likely to lead to a decline in economic activity in a single quarter that proves far greater than the loss of income experienced during the Great Depression.
In the face of these challenges, Resilience is a vital necessity. Near-term issues of cash management for liquidity and solvency are clearly paramount. But soon afterward, businesses will need to act on broader resilience plans as the shock begins to upturn established industry structures, resetting competitive positions forever. Much of the population will experience uncertainty and personal financial stress. Public-, private-, and social-sector leaders will need to make difficult “through cycle” decisions that balance economic and social sustainability, given that social cohesion is already under severe pressure from populism and other challenges that existed pre-coronavirus.
Returning businesses to operational health after a severe shutdown is extremely challenging, as China is finding even as it slowly returns to work. Most industries will need to reactivate their entire supply chain, even as the differential scale and timing of the impact of coronavirus mean that global supply chains face disruption in multiple geographies. The weakest point in the chain will determine the success or otherwise of a return to rehiring, training, and attaining previous levels of workforce productivity. Leaders must therefore reassess their entire business system and plan for contingent actions in order to return their business to effective production at pace and at scale.
Compounding the challenge, winter will bring renewed crisis for many countries. Without a vaccine or effective prophylactic treatment, a rapid return to a rising spread of the virus is a genuine threat. In such a situation, government leaders may face an acutely painful “Sophie’s choice”: mitigating the resurgent risk to lives versus the risk to the population’s health that could follow another sharp economic pullback. Return may therefore require using the hoped-for—but by no means certain—temporary “cease-fire”
A shock of this scale will create a discontinuous shift in the preferences and expectations of individuals as citizens, as employees, and as consumers. These shifts and their impact on how we live, how we work, and how we use technology will emerge more clearly over the coming weeks and months. Institutions that Reimagine themselves to make the most of better insight and foresight, as preferences evolve, will disproportionally succeed. Clearly, the online world of contactless commerce could be bolstered in ways that reshape consumer behaviour forever. But other effects could prove even more significant as the pursuit of efficiency gives way to the requirement of resilience—the end of supply-chain globalisation, for example, if production and sourcing move closer to the end user.
The crises will reveal not just vulnerabilities but opportunities to improve the performance of businesses. Leaders will need to reconsider which costs are truly fixed versus variable, as the shutting down of huge swaths of production sheds light on what is ultimately required versus nice to have. Decisions about how far to flex operations without loss of efficiency will likewise be informed by the experience of closing down much of global production. Opportunities to push the envelope of technology adoption will be accelerated by rapid learning about what it takes to drive productivity when labour is unavailable. The result: a stronger sense of what makes business more resilient to shocks, more productive, and better able to deliver to customers.
The world now has a much sharper definition of what constitutes a black-swan event. This shock will likely give way to a desire to restrict some factors that helped make the coronavirus a global challenge, rather than a local issue to be managed. Governments are likely to feel emboldened and supported by their citizens to take a more active role in shaping economic activity. Business leaders need to anticipate popularly supported changes to policies and regulations as society seeks to avoid, mitigate, and pre-empt a future health crisis of the kind we are experiencing today.
In most economies, a healthcare system little changed since its creation post–World War II will need to determine how to meet such a rapid surge in patient volume, managing seamlessly across in-person and virtual care. Public-health approaches, in an interconnected and highly mobile world, must rethink the speed and global coordination with which they need to react. Policies on critical healthcare infrastructure, strategic reserves of key supplies, and contingency production facilities for critical medical equipment will all need to be addressed. Managers of the financial system and the economy, having learned from the economically induced failures of the last global financial crisis, must now contend with strengthening the system to withstand acute and global exogenous shocks, such as this pandemic’s impact. Educational institutions will need to consider modernising to integrate classroom and distance learning. The list goes on. Only by Reform will we get to where we need to be.
The aftermath of these era defining situations will also provide an opportunity to learn from a plethora of social innovations and experiments, ranging from working from home to large-scale surveillance. With this will come an understanding of which innovations, if adopted permanently, might provide substantial uplift to economic and social welfare—and which would ultimately inhibit the broader betterment of society.
As we consider the scale of change that the world has engendered—and will continue to engender in the months ahead—we feel compelled to reflect not just on the crises of immense proportion but also on an imminent restructuring of the global economic order. How exactly this crises evolve remains to be seen. But the five stages described here offer leaders and ourselves, a clear path to begin navigating to the next normal—a normal that looks unlike any in the years preceding the crises. The crises that changed everything.
Take care of yourselves, put the jug on and pull those curtains wide.
You see, I’ve been feeling odd since I tested positive and that was long ago enough to conclude I’ve got long COVID now. Yup, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it. Because if I do then it would explain a lot about how I’m feeling, and if you give something a name, then you can tame it (more of this to follow).
Testing positive was something that I knew would probably happen one day. ‘Get it out the way’ I thought. Nah, I wish I’d never got it. Symptoms are stopping me doing what I want to do. It’s stopping me doing what I always do. I’ve had to take time off, and those of you who know me well know that I never take time off, ever. It’s knocked my confidence a bit. It’s made me doubt myself. It’s made me forget things.
What was I saying… where was I? Ah yes. It’s made me forgetful.
And I feel tired, so very tired. I’m just about keeping my head above water some days. I’m just about keeping the house going, my business going, my kids going. Just. Research tells me that it won’t last. This shall pass allegedly. It better bloody pass. That’s all I’m saying.
I’m not on a treadmill (that would be too tiring) but I am on some sort of hamster wheel, and it just keeps going round and round and round. Rest. That’s what I need to do. That's what I am constantly being told to do. Be good to myself and kind to others.
My mind bounces around, easily distracted, no focus, and then slows to a mindless meander, can't concentrate. I can work well for up to 90 minutes a day, and then the shutters come down and I have to put the ‘just popped out - back in 22hrs’ sign up because I'm knackered. Tomorrow I’ll be able to put another 90 minutes in. But probably no more. This shall pass. It better bloody pass.
I’ve got ‘The Fog’. Some days it's a thick mind fog. I’ve given the fog a name. He’s called Fergus and he’s there all the time (that’s how I know he’s male). Sometimes he’s Fergus lite and sometimes he’s Fergus heavy. I didn’t invite him in – he just lets himself in whenever he wants and it’s always on his terms you know. When I’m better he won’t come around anymore. He won’t be welcome. He’ll be barred. I’ll trespass him. Yup, that’s what I’ll do.
This shall pass. It better bloody pass.
Then there is the fatigue. If Fergus is chilling, Fatima the fatigue (his annoying and more frustrating cousin) stands in for him.
But until the cousins leave, it’s time I lighten the mood here.
And there are actually some positives to be had in all this. Like what?
The first positive aspect of COVID-19 is the effect on the environment. Carbon emissions are down globally and with manufacturing and air travel grinding to a halt, the planet has had a chance to rejuvenate.
Another positive outcome is a rejuvenated sense of community and social cohesion. Self-isolation challenges us as social animals who desire relationships, contact and interaction with other humans.
COVID-19 is a major market disruptor that has led to unprecedent levels of innovation. Due to the lockdown, so many businesses have had to reinvent themselves with a new 'business as unusual' philosophy.
Coronavirus is driving a new wave of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The global pandemic has become a litmus test for how seriously companies are taking their CSR and their work with key stakeholders: the community, employees, consumers and the environment.
The fifth positive outcome is massive transformation in education. True, most of it was not by choice. With schools closing down all around the world, many teachers are digitalising the classroom, offering online education, educational games and tasks and self-led learning.
Finally, the sixth gift that COVID-19 is giving us is a new sense of appreciation and gratefulness. It has offered us a new perspective on everything we have taken for granted for so long – our freedoms, leisure, connections, work, family and friends. We have never questioned how life as we know it could be suddenly taken away from us.
And people want to help. Not because they FEEL they should but because they actually, really 100% WANT to. I’ve had people falling over each other on my doorstep (no change there then) to drop off care packages or items I or one of the kids need to my whare. I’ve sent them out too of course, but I’ve received them back ten-fold. They’re more than a package – they’re a token of love, appreciation and understanding. They mean a lot. If you’ve had one from me then I hoped it helped. If you sent me one, then thank you, because believe me, it really did help.
And families are talking to each other again. Like really talking. And out of the mouths of babes has come some pretty succinct wisdom. I know a 6yr old who has LOVED the extra time spent with mummy and daddy. I also know a 4yr old who (and I quote) who wants ‘COVID to go to dead town’
You and me both buddy. You and me both.
So, if you are recovering or yet to get it here’s my guide on how to live and work with it. This is what I’ve found out.
If you’ve received a positive test result telling you have COVID-19, you’re probably feeling heaps – shock, stress and worry for yourself and others. All of these feelings are normal and expected.
While your physical health and doing what you can to minimise your chances of spreading the virus are important, it’s also important to look after your mental health throughout this time too. Here’s how:
It’s easy for our minds to jump to worst-case scenarios, especially when we’ve been exposed to years of scary media stories about COVID. But we know most people with COVID are likely to have a mild to moderate infection and will fully recover at home. Try to stay calm and stick to one or two reliable sources of information.
Although you’re physically isolated, one of the best things you can do for your wellbeing is stay connected with your whānau and friends. Being connected helps us feel safer, less stressed and less anxious. Let the people you care about know you’re isolating with COVID and schedule regular catch ups on the phone or by video call. Depending on how you feel, you could also try playing virtual video games with mates, playing online scrabble or other board games, joining or starting a virtual book club etc….
If you’re feeling okay, it can help to create a routine for your days to give them some structure and make things feel a bit less all over the place and a bit more in control. Little rituals like showering and getting dressed or planning consistent meal times can go a long way. Distraction methods are great too. Immerse yourself in a hobby or activity, like mindful colouring, a puzzle or a good book to distract you from worrying about having COVID.
It’s easy to blame ourselves for how we feel or even tell ourselves we should be feeling a different way, but shaming or squashing our feelings makes us feel worse. This is because when we’re feeling lots of emotions, especially anger, fear, tension or anxiety, our brains start pumping out stress hormones and that becomes overwhelming and hard to ignore.
‘Name it to tame it’. Just name what you’re feeling - out loud, by writing it down, or just in your head. This really works! It tells your brain to switch off those stress signals and helps you to start feeling calmer and either a bit more able to focus on solving the problems you can solve, or just able to find other sources of joy.
‘Name it to tame it’ isn’t always easy at first, especially if you’re not used to thinking about your emotions. But it’s a simple trick you can try any time to help you feel a bit better in difficult times.
Try to have some compassion and talk to yourself as you would talk to a loved friend. Life might be difficult right now, and we’ve been living with a lot of anxiety and uncertainty for a long time. However, what you’re feeling is normal and human. Remember: if you’re not feeling great right now, you won’t feel like this forever. Our brains are very good at making us think that what we’re feeling right now is how we will feel in the future, but these challenges will pass. Talking to trusted friends and whānau about how you’re feeling can really help, too.
This shall pass. It better bloody pass.
And when it does, watch out world. That’s all I’m saying.
Take care of yourself and each other. See you next month.
]]>A particularly exciting event here at Lemonface Creative is our approaching 7th anniversary. Yup we’ll be 7 on March 1st. As the big day nears, we’ve been reflecting on the importance of celebrating an anniversary, and what all that entails. Anniversaries are more than opportunities to recognise significant milestones—if properly taken advantage of, they can provide a space for all employees to pause and reflect on their organisation’s journey to the present and recognize their personal role in it. In planning this year’s milestone we’re going to discuss a few ways for YOU to seize the opportunity of celebrating YOUR business.
Because it's a cold hard fact that a large percentage of start-ups fail to move beyond start-up phase. Statistics New Zealand say only 37% of 'micro' businesses, or start-ups, exist after two years. And so that means 63% fail to reach their third birthday, and that’s in normal times. These times are far from normal. So, forgive us for shouting from the rooftops. We’re not gloating. We’re not boasting. We’re just glad, thankful, grateful, proud, vindicated, confident, strong, purposeful and bloody relieved we made it this far. To those who have come on this journey with us we say thank you. To those who have been on our journey from the start (you know you are) we say thank you very much.
Well, not a great deal ‘cos we’re so damn busy! But one thing we have done is change our name ever so slightly. On 1 March we will become officially known as Lemonface Creative. A subtle change that better reflects who we’ve become. We’re not just a designer anymore – we’ve become strategic, conceptual thinkers and we think this name better encapsulates this.
And in recognition and celebration of the 7th anniversary of Lemonface Design Creative we’ve gone all copper! Copper has a symbolic meaning - a reflection of beauty and durability, it reinforces the strength and long-lasting nature of the 7th year milestone. We think it’s perfect.
Each year, businesses look back at different metrics from previous years to measure success and make decisions about what to focus on next. However, it’s just as valuable to take the time to recall the meaningful history of your business. Just like when we reflect on our personal lives during birthdays and anniversaries, encourage looking back on what has worked well for your workplace (and what didn’t), incorporate those experiences and lessons learned into your plans for the future. Every business evolves in different ways and celebrating milestones is a great way to reflect back on the moments that have shaped you.
A lot has changed over the years at Lemonface. However, much has also stayed the same! We were formed in 2015 because we wanted to offer a level of service to the design industry that we thought was lacking. We formed so we could be the team members you need on your side, without the overheads, without the baggage but most definitely with the passion and loyalty. We formed because we’re small enough to be personal, but big enough to offer you a full agency service. In 2020 we moved to a new open office space, which we got to design from scratch. Over the years, there have also been notable constants in our history, including our core values and our commitment to staying true to our strong roots while regularly showcasing how we’ve grown, where we’ve come from and where we’re heading to.
Our mission and culture are constantly intertwined in our approach to the work we produce for our clients. However, we also recognise that our anniversary can serve as a platform on which we can make our core values and culture the stars of the show, as well as an occasion to reinforce them to ourselves.
In addition to spotlighting values, you can use an anniversary as an opportunity to remind yourselves that we are the vessels through which your values are realised. Ultimately, our mission is carried out each day by the way we work. At Lemonface Creative we’ll take this anniversary to rally ourselves to our values by playing an integral role in executing our mission.
And of course, in our new remote reality, it’s more important than ever to foster a community through common values. In a time when we can so easily feel disconnected from one another. An anniversary presents an opportunity to not only celebrate workplace culture and values, but also to share the positives in the industry by strengthening a sense of camaraderie and togetherness.
In addition to reminding your employees that they are integral to your values, it’s important to also recognize them as the people who have made your success possible. After all, you wouldn’t be where you are today without the hard working, dedicated, and innovative people who work for you. Recognising employee efforts signals to them that they are valued members of the team and that the work they do makes an impact.
There are a number of ways to recognise employees during an anniversary celebration. For instance, you can spotlight individuals or give them a special shoutout or kudos in the company newsletter or blog, morning tea shout out, or host a party or event that brings everyone in the organisation together, virtually or in-person. While we have had to think creatively about how to celebrate our 7th anniversary this year due to COVID-19, we are really looking forward to the day when we can all come together and celebrate this significant milestone in our company’s history.
Anniversaries are also an opportunity to honour your customers, clients, and partners, without whom this achievement might not have been possible. Start by reflecting on the relationships you’ve built, including the early partnerships that propelled your business forward, the longstanding partnerships that have evolved and strengthened over time, and the new partnerships that promise exciting opportunities for the future. When expressing your gratitude to your clients and partners, be sure to reaffirm that you are invested in their success and value your continued partnership with them.
At Lemonface Creative we express our gratitude on Labourface Day. It’s special for us as it’s the one day each year where we give thanks to all our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves. And each year we pick a special client/clients and hand deliver a gift. Personally delivering the gift is as important to us as it is to the recipient. It shows we care, it shows we’re thankful, and it shows we appreciate the mutual bond we have for each other.
As we celebrate and reflect on our 7th anniversary, we express our deepest gratitude to all of our clients. This year will be filled with opportunities for reflection, building connections, inevitable challenges and opportunities to celebrate successes. Our advice to you? Be kind to yourself and others and be proud of what you’ve achieved. Happy anniversary!
]]>You’ve worked hard to fully switch off from work mode. If switching your out of office on is the start of your holiday then switching it off most certainly means the end. As soon as that first morning alarm of the year goes off it’s all on again but becoming instantly productive is not always as easy as it seems.
But the good news is that’s ok! We’re human beings, not machines. It’s completely natural to feel a bit sluggish. So why waste all that mental goodwill from your well-earned downtime on negative post-holiday stress?
To help you come back to work in the right frame of mind, we have some tips on how to stay motivated, keep yourself sane and happy, and achieve some wins on your first day back. If you’ve already got through day one / week one by now, we promise the rest of January will be easier
So - how do we get motivated after a holiday?
If you’re gripped by a sense of panic or even guilt when you come back to work from the holidays. You’ve been “switched off” for days and the obvious answer is to make up for lost time, right?
Nope.
Whilst it’s tempting to dive right into massive projects, we recommend baby steps. Easy wins. Easy gratifying wins.
Our brains react positively to seeing progress on tasks no matter the size. Psychologists call this the completion bias, where your brain gets a hit of dopamine whenever you cross off items from your to-do list.
While this bias isn’t always a good thing (it can just as easily put too much emphasis on small tasks instead of focusing on larger goals, it can be a blessing when you’re in a motivational rut.
So how can you use this to stay motivated when coming back to work?
Start with any admin hanging over from last year. Tidy your workspace, freshen your surroundings. Feel good about where you’re at you’ll feel better with what you’re about to do. What tasks do you most like about your job? Identify them. And do them. Repeatedly if you must.
One of the most stressful aspects of coming back to work is facing the onslaught of piled up communication. Your inbox may be fuller than you’d like it to be. But really, how important are the messages in there anyway? The last thing you want to do is spend the first day(s) back chasing inbox zero.
Diving right back into the thick of it isn’t the best answer. Time and task management is where it’s at. Keep your out-of-office reply on for an extra day to calm the influx of messages if you can. Sure, the colleagues sitting next to you know you’re there, but there’s no need for the rest of the world to figure that out. An extra day gives you space to get things sorted out without new expectations piling on.
Forget dealing with emails in chronological order and instead scan your inbox and deal with the most important ones first. You’re more concerned with what happened while you were away, not necessarily when it happened.
You’re not the only one who feels the need to dive right back in after a holiday. And unfortunately, that means lots of requests for meetings, updates, and catch ups. While these are pretty much inevitable, nothing kills your motivation like losing a whole day to them.
One technique you can try is to block out your first hour (or day) back to get grounded, formulate a plan, and reassess your priorities.
Ideally, try and keep your first day back schedule-free from any meetings or appointments—keep it as open as possible so that you have the entire day free to catch up and not feel overwhelmed. If blocking off a full day is out of the question start with an hour or 90 minutes. At a minimum, you should block digital distractions so you can stay focussed and allowing you to feel the rush about making some progress.
Even if you give yourself an hour or two to re-centre yourself in the workspace, it’s common to still be daunted by everything that needs to be done. You’ll have a lot to catch up on. However, most productivity experts suggest taking a few moments to group and prioritise your back to work task list.
Try this:
Start by creating a master list of everything that needs to be done. This means tasks, emails, meetings, catch-ups, 1-on-1s, reports. Everything. Getting all those thoughts out of your head and onto paper will be a huge relief and help you start to make sense of it all.
Choose one thing you can tick off quickly. Those a quick, early win builds confidence and motivation.
Make a plan for the rest of the day. Create a short to-do-list of a handful of tasks pulled from your master list and broken down into bite sized chunks. Feel the satisfaction of striking through those tasks once completed.
Ask them about their break. And ask them how they feel about being back at work. Compare notes and you’ll quickly see that that you’re all in the same waka and that in itself can bring motivation and comfort. Schedule these chats for the afternoons as a reward for getting through the first morning(s).
One of the most undervalued benefits of taking time off is that it allows you to see your workday with fresh eyes. A good vacation pulls you back a little bit, from the day-to-day grind. When you first come back to work, resist the urge to fall back into your old working ways. We all build some bad working habits over time, and holidays give us a fantastic opportunity to improve them.
While you’re getting back into the swing of things, be conscious of your usual actions. What can you be doing better? Use a simple piece of paper to track what you’re doing, when, and why. New year. New you.
Finally, remember that it’s OK to feel a bit flat on your first day back to work. Being productive at work is a marathon, not a sprint. And a slow start is better than a pulled muscle in the first mile. If you’re feeling daunted, then take a step back and walk away.
Take 5 minutes out, get some air, seek some motivation to spur new ideas and refuel your depleted energy stores. Believe in yourself. Remember that you are good at your job. If you weren’t then chances are you wouldn’t be coming back to work anyway. Self-awareness can be one of the most undervalued benefits of taking time off in that it allows you to see your work with fresh eyes.
There’s nothing worse than having a nice, relaxing holiday ruined by the anxiety of coming back to work. Instead, these tips should help you transition back into the workday in a way that works for you.
And remember team - you got this! 2022 bring it on. We’re ready for you.
]]>With Christmas nigh upon us and the ‘silly season’ in swing, this time of the year can be a challenging. We all want to get our jobs out the door, finish our invoicing before the end of the calendar year and make sure we catch up with people in person (traffic light setting permitting) so we can say thanks for everything in 2021 and to look ahead with confidence to 2022. Let’s face it - It’s been tough for many this year. There’s a period of excess coming our way and as we limp to the finish line it’s important to celebrate our wins and fill our gratitude jars (read on for more on this).
Gratitude can make us happier, healthier, and more settled in ourselves. We’ll explore what gratitude is and the benefits it can bring, along with some practical tips for being grateful.
So, I’ll start by saying a big fat, festive thank you to you, our fabulous clients. We’re thankful for the opportunities and challenges you have brought to our table. We’ve made new relationships this year, we’ve strengthened existing relationships and we’re setting the scene for new relationships in 2022. We’d be nothing without you. Thanks.
But first things first what is this ‘gratitude’ we speak of;
gratitude
/ˈɡratɪtjuːd/
noun
Gratitude is defined as a positive emotional reaction that serves a biological purpose. It’s the appreciation of the valuable and meaningful things in our lives.
Numerous studies have shown that gratitude can bring a variety of physical, psychological, emotional and social benefits. It helps us appreciate all the positive elements of our lives and the people in it.
While it might not be an antidote to everything that is challenging us, it can help keep us feel more grounded and positive, especially in these unknown times.
Many of us are familiar with feelings of dissatisfaction – we feel that our lives are incomplete and lacking in the things we crave the most. It’s easy to compare ourselves to the sepia tinted lives of others and assume that we, ourselves are lacking. Gratitude can help with that!
A study at the start of the millennium concluded that those who practised gratitude reported ‘considerably more satisfaction with their lives as a whole. They felt more optimism about the future, as well as a stronger connection with others and that participating in gratitude resulted in substantial and consistent improvements in an individual’s perception of their wellbeing. It improves mood and lowers rates of stress and depression. It appears that gratitude and happiness are closely linked. Who knew?
it's not just an internal and emotional concept. There is evidence to suggest that it can be positive on our physical health. One study from 2014 showed a positive correlation between gratitude and self-reported physical health, propensity for healthy activities, and a willingness to seek help for health concerns. There were further links between gratitude and healthy activities.
One of the markers of long-term wellbeing is self-esteem – an individual’s opinion of their own worth. A study in 2011 found that grateful contemplation could be used as a tool to increase satisfaction with life and self-esteem.
As well as being a positive emotion in itself, gratitude also tends to bring out the best in other sensations. Positive emotions allow people to build psychological, intellectual, and social resources. What’s more, practices such as gratitude may play a role in motivating individuals to engage in positive behaviours leading to self-improvement.
The study found evidence that expressing gratitude helps people with emotions such as connectedness, elevation, and humility. All of these, along with other aspects, are crucial to maintaining a mindful life.
We’ve already seen that gratefulness is a positive trait that can help to improve your mental and physical wellbeing. However, there is also evidence that it can improve our quality of sleep.
Gratitude can make us more helpful, more compassionate, and more forgiving. Several studies have suggested that practising gratitude can also make you more satisfied with our job. All of these are positive traits for the workplace, but the evidence doesn’t end there. A 2016 study found that gratitude and respect in the workplace can help employees feel valued and welcomed in an organisation. Similarly, a 2015 study highlighted that gratitude also helps people find meaning in their jobs.
A recent study explored the link between gratefulness and dealing with difficult experiences. Participants were asked to recall and report on an unpleasant open memory. Those who thought about the positive experiences generally responded more positively than those who only thought about the memory in general terms. The study found that those with gratitude ‘showed more memory closure, less unpleasant emotional impact, and less intrusiveness of the open memory’ than others.
Sound good? It does eh….
The benefits of gratitude and being grateful are clear. So how do we go about tapping into these benefits? Well, there are several exercises and methods that you can implement to practise gratitude. We’ve picked out some of the most common ways to be more grateful:
Gratitude journals. Perhaps the most common and effective way to practise being grateful is through a journal. Essentially, this is just like writing a diary, except rather than recounting the day’s events, you record the things that you’re grateful for. We know a thing or two about these as well having also designed, produced a set for Gernius.
We’re no stranger to gratitude jars and journals at Lemonface Design. We created and still use the jars and journals we produced for our friends at Gernius. Not only does this give you a visual manifestation of the things you’re thankful for, but you can also read the notes back when you need a reminder.
This isn’t something you need to do every day. We dig ours out when we feel the need to. Evidence suggests that one to three times per week may be sufficient. When you write your gratitude journal, you should record five to ten things that you’re grateful for.
You don’t have to write page after page, after page – your gratitude diary could be as simple as a list of bullet points for that particular day.
Of course, it might not be that easy to identify things to be thankful for. Here are a few gratitude journal prompts that can help you:
There is power in gratitude. There is a huge body of evidence to suggest that it can bring many benefits to our mental and physical health, as well as other areas of life. Although it might not be right for everyone, and it certainly isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ - gratitude and happiness are without doubt closely linked.
Look after yourselves and each other. See you next month.
]]>Lemonface Design did some of the above too, but we also made some special deliveries to some special people as part of what we call ‘Lemonface Day’ the one special day each year where we give thanks to our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves.
]]>Some of us planted our summer vegges, some of us stayed in bed and some of us did some DIY *shudder*
Lemonface Design did some of the above too, but we also made some special deliveries to some special people as part of what we call ‘Lemonface Day’ the one special day each year where we give thanks to our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves. It shows we care, it shows we’re thankful, and it shows we appreciate the mutual bond we have for each other. And we produce and deliver a gift as a token of our appreciation. This year we also included our social media followers – our growing army of enthusiastic foot soldiers who engage with us and add such great value to what we do. If you received a gift from us, you sooooo deserved it!
So, what’s this got to do with brand partnerships? Labourface Day 2021 had everything to do with brand partnerships. Let me explain.
But first, a question –
Partnerships bring brands together to help them reach new audiences, offer something new to their customers, and enhance the perception of their brand. For a successful partnership, the two brands need to align so it seems natural and exciting to see them together. So, this magical thing happened.
We got together with Lemon Fellows who are a boutique family business (just down the road from us) that combine traditional Italian Limoncello recipes and methods with the best of fresh New Zealand produce (plus a touch of cheekiness) to craft the finest citrus liqueurs available. Lemonfellows have four simple rules—
They look a bit like us, they think a lot like us, so it seemed only natural to join forces and collaborate on these packages of joy by creating something special for special people.
If you’re thinking a brand partnership would benefit your business, then here are a few tips for you to take on board:
The key to building a solid brand partnership is to work with companies that have a similar target audience or customer segments. If your customers don’t care for your partner’s products and their audience doesn’t care for yours, you’ll both see disappointing results on joint campaigns.
Get yours and their social media followers on board from the get-go. Get them engaged and create something that is fun to participate in, offers an incentive and is never dull. We chose alcohol as a trigger point, but you don’t have to!
Get to know your brand partner inside and out and teach them everything about yours.
Before you agree to work with another company, sit down and clearly explain what you hope to achieve by joining forces. Encourage the other party to do the same. If you get this step out of the way early, you’ll have more time to focus on your marketing campaigns.
Keep a close eye on the progress of your partnerships. Has engagement increased? Are you gaining new followers? Have you picked up new leads / new jobs? By tracking the progress of your partnerships, you can make informed decisions about extending agreements and the direction of future campaigns.
And if you’re looking for extra motivation or inspiration then take a look at these examples of brand partnerships that worked!
21 Examples of Successful Co-Branding Partnerships (And Why They're So Effective) (hubspot.com)
When the right people get together great things can happen. We enjoyed putting our Labourface 2021 campaign so, so much. We hope you enjoyed it too. See you next month.
]]>We work with a variety of clients who work in a variety of industries who have all had to adapt to these changing, unknown times. The one common denominator for them all is that for a period of time they have had to work from home. Some have loved it, others not so much. We saw a post (actually we’ve seen lots of posts) on the subject. This one in particular struck a chord with us.
]]>We work with a variety of clients who work in a variety of industries who have all had to adapt to these changing, unknown times. The one common denominator for them all is that for a period of time they have had to work from home. Some have loved it, others not so much. We saw a post (actually we’ve seen lots of posts) on the subject. This one in particular struck a chord with us.
I think everyone would agree that these are great principles to live and work by in these crazy times. But I bet most of us are still overworking, comparing ourselves against colleagues and putting our physical, mental and emotional needs last. The lack of physical boundaries between home and work, uncertainties around changing alert levels, as well as the blurry economic outlook have triggered increased anxiety, causing a deterioration in our overall physical and mental wellbeing, that, as already reported by many health systems and mental health charities across the world could become an unintended second pandemic.
To coincide with mental health awareness programmes and in response to the detrimental effects this crisis is having on mental health, many organisations are revitalising their employee support programmes. Wellbeing Support Series help us better manage constant change and increased anxiety and they focus on managing mental energy, improving sleep and understanding the physiology and psychology of stress.
But it’s important to view this time as an opportunity for growth too. This is the strange but positive side to adapting to the current times. Sitting with uncertainty is one of the most difficult tasks for any human being to do. Learning how to manage it is one of the best skills you can develop to contribute to mental wellness. Leaders and colleagues have a duty to look out for our own mental wellness and support others to ensure they can survive this crisis and then indeed thrive from all the lessons learnt throughout it. We need to commit to doing it not just during Mental Health Awareness Weeks in the midst of a global crisis, but also today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow.
We’re lucky at Lemonface Design. We can work anywhere at anytime. We have aligned ourselves with like-minded clients and we produce work on their behalf with pride and passion. One of our clients is Sally Duxfield. Above all else Sally is an Experiential Architect, which is a term that is still sometimes met with a slightly blank stare, so if you read just a little further down this page, we’ll tell you exactly what that means.
Sally’s 30+ years’ experience - including studying neuroscience, leading high performance teams, and owning/directing Makahika Outdoor Pursuits Centre - speak to these favourite things impeccably. In other words, she lives and breathes the things she loves the most. The way life ought to be lived.
Experiential Architecture can be most succinctly described as the art of connecting theory and strategy with human emotion. Traditionally we have black and white leadership models on one side, and personality assessments on the other. By combining the two, it reinforces our learning, it prompts us to change our habits, and we experience the learning rather than simply reading it. Learning becomes lived, leadership is long-lasting.
We’ve just helped produce a planning book for Sally ‘Dream, Plan, Do, Be’ which is the first volume in 4 or 5, where she draws down her learnings from the last 30 years and put them in a short succinct usable form with the hope that you'll be able to apply part of her learnings into your busy life and gain 20% more control of your world. If you choose to:
Order her book now and get sorted.
There are heaps of people out there especially in the coaching arena that can help people during this time. Also check out another of our clients Lisa O’Neill. She’s Feisty, funny and fabulous, has written 6 books and she has that rare ability to deliver powerful messages through side-splitting humour.
Check out one of her Living in Lockdown Series – you won’t regret it.
Webinars, planning books, going for a walk, meeting friends, talking, are all tactics to use at this time. But above all else, whatever you do, be kind to yourself.
We have another client who sent the following email to their team the other day. And It’s gold.
"Hey Team, Please Remember...
It’s OK to……
Wise words. Kind words. Take care out there.
]]>Deadlines are part and parcel in the life of a graphic designer. The materials we produce are often used to launch a brand, support a brand, enhance a brand. And these are usually (nearly always) date specific.
]]>/ˈdɛdlʌɪn/
noun
The latest time or date by which something should be completed.
Dealing with deadlines can fraught. Nobody likes to miss a deadline.
Deadlines are part and parcel in the life of a graphic designer. The materials we produce are often used to launch a brand, support a brand, enhance a brand. And these are usually (nearly always) date specific.
Despite the gloomy intro, this is actually an upbeat blog (so don’t run away screaming just yet). Because we can share some tactics you can use to effectively deal with deadlines. Even the scary, unrealistic, are you having a f&**#%g laugh deadlines!
Clients – you can play your part too. It’s a two-way thing. Involve us designers early! Bring us to the table at the start of your projects. Give us EVERYTHING! Let us be there at the very first conversation and we’ll repay the compliment at the project's end. Surprises can and often will rear their ugly head in the cycle of any project, but they can be pre-empted and hopefully prevented with clever planning. Make it easy for us and we’ll make it easy for you.
Deal?
Good, come on a journey with us then. We’re going to look at what we can (and shouId) do before, during, and after our project.
Some of the most effective tactics for effectively managing deadlines start before you begin the work. Here are some steps to take before you begin your projects to ensure that you meet your deadlines:
Once you’ve properly prepared for meeting your deadline, you are ready to start work. Come on then, let’s get busy!
You need to be diligent, realistic and true to yourself and your work during the course of the project if you want to meet your deadline. Here are some techniques to help designers work more efficiently:
Even though the project is done, you’re still not quite done with the deadline. Here are some final steps in the process.
Feeling better now? Good. So are we.
Right…..on to the next job.
You need it when??&&%%!
]]>First up, and this is very important - it’s not all glamour. OK kids? It’s not. Sorry.
I’m a mum to two boys, two dogs and a bearded dragon and they all need feeding.
]]>Well, let me try and tell you.
First up, and this is very important - it’s not all glamour. OK kids? It’s not. Sorry.
I’m a mum to two boys, two dogs and a bearded dragon and they all need feeding. One of them likes bugs for breakfast, one of them likes donuts, two of them are grateful for whatever is given to them and one of them sometimes doesn’t show up for breakfast at all. That’s OK, he’s a good dragon boy really. But what has this got to do with being a designer? It’s got everything to do with being a designer. It’s how I earn my coin and it’s how I put kai on the table. It’s also what I love to do.
So, when the dependents are fed, watered, and off in their various directions I get stuck into my day. And my days are never the same and they very rarely if ever disappoint
There are always different tasks, different clients and different projects to work on. It’s never dull at Lemonface Towers. Typically, the first thing I do after the gentle morning commute (I live in Levin not Rome...or Auckland for that matter) is check on my emails and to-do list for the day. I’ve started using a project management system to manage my time, project deadlines, and all project communications. Prior to this I’d made do with post-it notes and journals and that was fine until I realised I’d run out of wall space to attach any more post-its to and I was on journal #237. Being busy is 92% good as it means you’re good at what you do and it’s 8% scary.
The number of projects I work on throughout an average day varies. Some days, I’ll have 8/10 smaller tasks to accomplish that day for different clients, and other times it might be two or three bigger tasks that require more time and headspace, such as design concepts for the websites currently on the board, logo creation, brand development etc. For these jobs I need to experiment with different layouts, colours, styles, themes and typography.
I’ll usually try to get the smaller, quicker projects done in the morning. That way, I know that I will have the rest of the day to spend on the more time-intensive projects. It’s like being back in school and sitting an exam - answer the questions you know you can finish first and come back to the ones that are a little more challenging later. However, as a designer, you will sometimes get into the zone on a particularly engaging project where ideas just flow to you and you are able to crank out designs in quick succession. This is where the magic happens and where the best work comes from.
There’s not always this luxury though...some days will have copy deadlines, presentation deadlines, print deadlines. And they all have to be met.
Yup there are meetings to factor in. New business meetings, briefing meetings, research meetings, production meetings, progress meetings, debriefing meetings. I’ll meet with printers and discuss paper stocks. Should we print digitally or offset? Would a spot U/V look good on that? What’s the quantity? You need it WHEN???!!! I’m lucky because I work in a very cool collaborative workspace with like minded individuals who offer services that compliment my own. If I need inspiration, a sound board, a quick opinion or sometimes just a cup of coffee then a shout out down the corridor will usually see a fellow collaborator come running. I’m so lucky to do what I do and I’m so lucky to do it where I do.
It varies (thankfully). Currently 60% is web-related, while the other 40% is print, event management, social media management etc…I strive to find time for my own business too. It’s so important to keep an eye on what Lemonface Design do and how we’re perceived. It’s so important to keep an eye on new technology and advances in the industry. It’s so important to keep things fresh. Always fresh, never stale. Stale outlook = stale output. It’s worth repeating that being able to switch it up and work on a variety of projects is hugely refreshing for me. My clients come from a myriad of backgrounds and services. They offer different things. My job is to sell them in the best light. It’s an honour, it’s a privilege. It’s never a chore.
Everywhere and nowhere. Sometimes it flows. Sometimes it trickles. Research plays a big part in inspiration. There’s a science element to design. Trying to understand why people behave the way they do shapes my design output. I owe it to my clients to understand what their offer is, and what makes them special. The better I know them, the better I understand my own work. And if all that fails – fresh air - shoot some snaps, observe what’s going on around me, visit a gallery, chat to a friend. Coffee is good too, and wine (after 5pm obvs).
Um, yes. 100% yes. Lemonface is 6yrs old now and for the first few years we cut a lone path getting to know ourselves and what we wanted to do. We’re growing up now and realising that potential is everywhere. We know who the best people to work with are. We know the best suppliers who offer the best value and service. We pass on our experience to our clients. Now Lemonface trade from a shared workspace where creativity and collaboration oozes from the floorboards. When the key turns in the lock each morning the likelihood of an exceptional day drifts up the staircase with us all too. There’s no drudge, no monotony. Just possibilities. Glorious possibility.
Mind your own business.
]]>In fact we’re in residence with them now in our very own shared workspace; The Other Side - A collaborative creative space for dreamers and doers in Horowhenua.
]]>In fact we’re in residence with them now in our very own shared workspace; The Other Side - A collaborative creative space for dreamers and doers in Horowhenua.
Helen Lea Wall & Karlina Mitchell at The Other Side creative co-working space.
And the great thing about being under the same roof as other like-minded go-getting individuals?
Collaboration. You’ll hear that word repeated often in this blog.
But what is collaboration? Put simply:
noun
The action of working with someone to produce something.
The Other Side is a creative space with a look and feel to inspire our best work. We feel at home here. There’s an energy that comes with the other residents and our collective creativity oozes through the walls. So, when we pitched for and were commissioned a piece of work that would normally be too big for us, we weren’t phased. Quite the opposite in fact. We were enthused.
Why? Because we needed extra resources for this project. And all we had to do was holler down the hallway!
A photographer TICK already in residence
A wordsmith TICK already in residence
A videographer – the photographer knows one of those too so there’s another TICK as good as already in residence.
Add these brains to what Lemonface already has – a strategic designer (moi) and a project Manager (Sean) and we’re good to go.
Sean O'Neill, Karlina Mitchell & Sarah-Jayne Shine working away in the sunshine in Horowhenua.
And the benefit to our new client? – They get the team members they need on their side, without the overheads, without the baggage but most definitely with the passion and loyalty. We’re small enough to be personal, but big enough to offer a full agency service.
We’re one month into the four month project now. We bounce off each other, we listen to each other. We each add our own individual flair but we work collaboratively. AND. IT. WORKS.
Drilling down a little deeper now – what is collaborative design?
You can design a product without collaboration, but it takes a collaborative design process to make that product great. That's why design collaboration is so fundamental. It puts minds together, combining separate, specialised expertise to create solutions that tackle a shared goal. Instead of coming at a problem from one angle, design collaboration places that problem in front of all experts, forcing them to consider new perspectives and possibilities.
The right mindset goes a long way in establishing effective collaboration in the design process. It lays the guidelines for who collaborates, how, and to what end.
Collaboration with our client is as important as collaboration with other designers and team members. We keep OUR clients involved throughout the creation of THEIR project. We take our time to explain options and have discussions with the client to make sure we understand their thoughts. This enables us to get client buy-in from the outset and work from clear beginnings and ends. Larger reveals aren't big surprises, and no one gets to the point where they're seeing work for the first time. It's easy to get caught up in your role and ignore the big picture. By collaborating with our clients we’re fostering closer connections and cultivating a shared responsibility and interest in the success of the product. It’s their journey after all, and the least we can do is walk alongside them!
Clients come to us with complex challenges and goals.
By adopting a context-first approach, we ensure everyone is at the highest level of knowledge. This enables them to make the most informed decisions as they work on the product. To accomplish this, we keep everyone updated on relevant information by bringing in all team members early, documenting and recording meetings, establishing some overlap, and treating the next team member in the process like a customer.
Context is just as important on a case-by-case collaborative basis. Follow these guidelines to keep context first in collaboration:
The Emerge group - Anna Colville-Smith (ACS Marketing), Jess Deacon (Deacon Rd), Steph Bradley (Village Real Estate), Lorraine Hamilton (Coach School) & Sarah-Jayne Shine (Lemonface Design at Lorraine's book launch.
It isn't easy to put your work (and yourself) out there. Emotions can get in the way of providing open and honest feedback, especially when you're worried about hurting the other person's feelings.
That doesn't mean there's no place for emotion in collaboration. How something makes you feel is important in design. We think of and create solutions for people... people who are emotional, and who use emotions in their decisions. Leaving emotion out of the conversation might short-change a potential idea or solution. At best, having a pragmatic discussion around facts and data won't provide the full picture. At worst, it may be a red herring or provide a false narrative. We empower our team to be “fearless” about receiving feedback. This means letting go of any anxieties about being judged for what we create. It also means understanding that we are stronger together and stand a greater chance of creating something great. In being fearless, we better trust and empower each other to give honest and thoughtful feedback.
Feedback should be constructive. Instead of saying you don't like something, frame feedback to point back to the problem you're trying to help solve. Provide actionable steps on improving the work or at the very least the reasoning behind your thinking. And don't forget to express what you like and why.
One way to practice this is to become a better listener.
Often, during a conversation with others, we think more about what we are going to say next rather than what others are saying. This impacts the feedback process, especially in design, because we often know what we want to say before hearing another opinion or solution.
When you choose to listen first and react second, it allows you to fully understand the feedback someone else is presenting and sets you up to go deeper — what is the perspective they're using and the place they're coming from? Chances are this is a perspective you didn't consider during the creation process. By listening to and understanding the context and reasoning behind the feedback you're receiving, you're opening yourself to more ways of looking at, thinking of, and experiencing your design. You can then test these new perspectives against the challenges, goals, and use cases you're designing for to see if they better suit the user.
It's easier to be more receptive of feedback when all collaborators practice active listening. Ultimately, the skill of giving great feedback comes from learning how to receive it. As we make an effort to be better listeners, we also find ourselves becoming more humble and, in our opinion, better designers.
At this point we should really put your mind at rest over something that may be niggling you here. Some may think that collaborating with others in the same light as competing against others for clients. Stepping on each other’s toes if you will.
We don’t.
The competitive spirit is a central element of human nature. Sure.
Competition is not inherently bad,but it can hold us back from achieving our greatest potential because it is inherently divisive. Collaboration, on the other hand, is all about progressing as a whole. There is no winner unless the entire group crosses the finish line together. In that light, collaboration is bigger than one person. It’s a culture. Any staff member, department, or organisation that wants to prioritise collaboration over competition needs to weave it into the very fabric of who they are. Collaborative environments also drive results, but by way of positivity, teamwork, and creativity. There can only be one winner. Collaboration.
It takes design collaboration to tackle the complex, crucial problems that come along with building great products and experiences. By leveraging the specialised expertise of multiple team members across disciplines, design collaboration makes sure teams meet challenges from all perspectives and come to better solutions. With the right mindset, tools, and process, design collaboration empowers teams to go deeper with creative thinking and execution.
Photos by The Nomad Creative
]]>
Wherever you’re at they are designed to help, not hinder.
Think of a brand audit as your finger on your pulse – the pulse of your brand. If the pulse is ticking over nicely, then carry on. If it’s a bit erratic, then maybe some changes need to be made. If your business needs and values are in sync then your general brand health is good. Good brand health = a good position to be in within your sector of business and a head start over your competitors.
The purpose of a brand audit is to work out in real time how your business is performing in the eyes of your customers. A brand audit offers you the following benefits in return:
1: Create an Audit Framework
The first step of your brand audit process is to create a framework. Before you start examining your brand, make a list of topics to be covered and how will you go about the process. We use mind-mapping for this and scribble down everything that directly or indirectly relates to the brands we look after. These are the elements which need to be considered during the brand audit:
2: Question your brand
Checking your website analytics is a good first step to get a bird’s-eye view of the health of your brand. It’s also good to hear directly from your customers to find out how they perceive and speak of your brand. How do they feel when they think of your brand? Check your social channels frequently – what’s the feeling out there? Who’s engaging, sharing and commenting on your posts? What are your followers saying when they comment? Do you have more followers than last month? If not, why not?
3: Put yourself in your customer's shoes
Have you ever wondered what a real customer experiences when he or she engages with your brand? Then put yourself in their shoes.
4: Actions and next steps
Ultimately, a brand audit is redundant if you don’t devise an action plan for the issues highlighted. A detailed report using your findings in the brand audit process and set actionable targets will address those issues.
List all of the problems that turned up during the brand audit process. Next to each issue, write down the action plan(s) required to resolve it along with expected results and a reasonable timeline. Setting a timeline is crucial as each error has its own weight in the functioning of your website and must be timely addressed. The old adage that a builder lives in an unfinished house often, but really shouldn’t, apply here.
On the other side of the coin if your brand is working then celebrate accordingly. Be proud of what you are achieving. Look forward with vigour and excitement. Feel good now? Imagine how good you’ll feel when you next audit your brand!
The greatest investment you can make is in yourself and your brand.
When your action plans are executed, monitor the progress by repeating the brand audit process. Remember that a brand audit is a continuous exercise and must be undertaken regularly. Useful prompts include:
So, the next time you feel that your business is chugging, not purring, it’s a clear sign you need to audit your brand. If have some down time (remember that?!) block yourself out and have a look at your brand. Be your very own mystery shopper – you’ll be the toughest customer of all. Signs that you may need a more in-depth audit include:
Get in touch. Wherever you’re at on your brand journey, we can help you get further. It’s what we do.
]]>Both have their merits.
Except perhaps your cousin who once did an art project. A bad one.
Everyone wants a beautiful website, a killer logo with to-die for marketing assets – but the fact is that many companies simply aren’t willing to pay professional rates for these things, and they’re doing themselves a disservice. They may instead often ask a friend / relative / employee without adequate training, to “have a go” at DIY design. The results ranging from unexciting and commonplace at best, to absolutely appalling (and commercially damaging) at worst.
Don’t ask your cousin, it will only end in tears. Choose someone who actually knows what they’re doing.
Here’s why:
Creating a professional image is the most important reason to hire a graphic designer.
Designers speak the language of colour and imagery. They know the nuances of presenting your business in the manner it warrants and deserves. It only takes a few seconds for a customer to make up their mind about your brand. If your branding is off the mark then you run the risk of potential customers passing you by. If you don't look good or feel good then neither do your customers.
A brand is not only about the graphics or the logo. It's about the company strategy, its mission statement and the visual message it wants to portray. A graphic designer will use their experience to communicate this message to your target audience and create a create brand your customers can trust.
No matter how successful your business is, hiring a graphic designer will ensure you create a successful brand. A brand that your customers and potential customers will want to be a part of and raise your profile above your competitors in the process.
As a business owner, you have enough on your plate already. You are the expert of your business, and a graphic designer is an expert in graphic design. You need to take into account the amount of time it actually takes to come up with a design.
Sometimes the DIY attitude is not always the best course of action. Do you have hours to spend learning a new piece of software, trying to design a logo or a brochure? Does your cousin? A professional designer can come up with a design concept in a fraction of the time with a much better end result. Is the amount of time you'll waste, not to mention the frustration worth it? Nope.
A good quality design will become an asset for your business for a long time. Whereas poor design can have a negative, long lasting impact on your business.
Not hiring a professional to get your branding right in the first instance can be a costly mistake. Hiring an amateur or doing it yourself, means you will more than likely have to re-brand in the future. Paying for great graphic design first time round is less expensive than paying for poor design over and over again. Not to mention the time you will waste re-branding and detrimental impact on your brand. Graphic designers have all the right tools for the job and will improve your efficiency. They know the most cost-effective printing methods to keep external costs down.
Hiring a graphic designer will save you money in the long term, and you will also get a better result. Great design is an investment and will last the test of time. In the words of David Ogilvy:
“Pay people peanuts and you get monkeys.”
As a business owner, no-one knows your business better than you, but it is not always easy to explain this in a visual format. This is where a graphic designer comes in. Sitting down with a designer may give you a fresh perspective on your business you know so well. Their job is to take all your knowledge and ideas and create marketing materials that will resonate with your customers.
Brainstorming with a designer can realise your vision and help you to make informed decisions to go into your marketing strategy. Designers will help point you in the right direction.
It's a given, good design brings great results. Good looking branding material is a nice to have. Good looking branding material that brings results are even better.
Hiring a designer will help you achieve your goals. A well-presented brochure will compel your readers to keep turning pages in the same way a good looking, functional website will guide your users through the buying process. Promotional material that is well-designed will reach more people and convert your leads into customers. Infographics that tell the story of a thousand words will be remembered. More customers will recommend your business to others.
More conversions mean a significant increase in your income.
Do yourself a favour. Take your cousin for a coffee and phone us instead.
]]>
The same rules apply to consultation docs, annual reports, Long Term plans, strategies etc where you need to grab the attention of your audience and keep them engaged throughout. We can transform raw, unappealing data into pages that you WANT to turn, not that you feel you HAVE to turn. Need your story telling? We’ll tell your story.
We don’t do boring and nor should you.
That’s the good news.
The not so good news is that the attention clock is ticking and it only goes up to 8 seconds.
According to a recent study, the average attention span of a person is less than that of a goldfish which means a reader takes 8 seconds to decide if a document is interesting enough to keep reading. We need to engage our audience, tempt them in and ensure they stay absorbed. What can be done in 8 precious seconds?
And here’s more good news; you can do plenty in 8 seconds:
Don’t be afraid of the ticking clock, to some people an 8 second deadline is a luxury.
]]>Design is as solid an investment as you could ever make. Particularly in uncertain times. Designers tell your story. We know how your market will react to a design. We’re translators. We often hear ‘it’s not rocket science!’ Well actually it kind of is. There is a science behind perception and how people absorb and retain information. Design is an aesthetic that relies on psychology, design principles, trends, preferences, biases, perceptions, clarity of message. If that all sounds a bit daunting then you probably need a designer. A good one.
That’s where we can help.
Allow us to elaborate.
Clever businesses know that investing in their brand doesn’t cost – quite the opposite; it pays.
Strangely though, when it comes to investing in design there is often a reluctance to find the budget. – despite the overwhelming importance of presenting your marketing collateral with great design. It is so often the case that when times get tough or when savings need to be made, it’s the creative budget that faces the first cuts, understandable perhaps when you think of small businesses and start-ups with limited resources. Larger and more established businesses also often have selective vision when it comes to design too and the problem is that business owners and directors often only see value in a small handful of activities such as operations, customer acquisition and retention. These all have a simple and measurable ROI (return on investment), and so budgets can be more easily justified
And of course, improving margins. Ah yes, the bottom line.
Design (and its impact) however, is much harder to measure. The difference between “mediocre” and “great” is vast when it comes to design, and companies often fail to see how making an investment in design will feed into those other top priority metrics they care so much about.
During lockdown Lemonface Design remained busy. And this made us both thankful and grateful. But also vindicated. Why? Because we remained visible, front of mind, always open, always receptive and always there. Why? Because if you can get through the fallow times you can reap the rewards when the good times return. We coined a phrase that we used and urged our clients to take on board – ‘don’t hide- seek.’
Bootstrap all you want, but if your business isn’t investing in design, you’re going to end in the forgotten pile. Sorry. Not sorry.
Businesses today have to battle for an increasingly more connected and discerning customer. A customer that has choices. With limited time and so much competition, how can a business adequately explain the need their brand is offering? Through design, that’s how!
Design can be applied to everything from product development to marketing strategies to delivery. And before you know it, right through the culture of a business.
And a business with a good culture is a good business.
We got asked once, ‘OK tell me one good reason why > insert business name here < should invest in design?’
But why stop at one good reason when there are so many:
We mentioned rocket science at the start of the blog, so for all the nerds out there;
According to Adobe, over the span of 10 years, companies with strong designs outperformed those with weak designs by 219% on the S&P 500 Index (a stock market index).
So the numbers truly are in, design sells.
Invest now or pay later.
]]>At Lemonface Design we have a different take on Labour Day. We call it Labourface Day. It’s special for us as it’s the one day each year where we give thanks to all our clients for the work they have given us and the trust they place in us to give their brand the love it deserves. And each year we pick a special client and hand deliver a gift. Personally delivering the gift is as important to us as it is to the recipient. It shows we care, it shows we’re thankful, and it shows we appreciate the mutual bond we have for each other.
2020. You will be remembered for all eternity. You’ve thrown us obstacles and you’ve locked us down. More than once. But we stayed strong and visible. We could have hid, but we decided to seek. And our clients came with us. We salute you. Each and every one of you. And to one client in particular who kept us busy throughout the lockdown periods and trusted us to produce succinct and easily digestible communications in these challenging times.Every Labourface Day we like to spread cheer
And give something back to those we hold dear
A gesture that says we appreciate so very much
For all the work you give us and for showing such trust
You’ve kept us so busy in the strangest of years
Kept us working when the whole nation had fears
You believe in us to deliver your dreams
You’ve made us feel like part of your team.
So this year we cultivated, nurtured and delivered a very special and unique gift. The strictly limited Lemonface Design Tequila Tree. 1/1. Very much a one off – much like the recipient 😊 A tree complete with lemons (of course), Marlborough salt and Patrón tequila (the good stuff). Something a bit quirky, a lot of fun and perfect for the long, warm weekend.
To be able to take a drive and deliver this gift in a beautiful country where we are free to mix, mingle and spread cheer makes us feel blessed. How lucky are we?
So please enjoy your tree whatever the weather
We’re so grateful that circumstance has brought us together
We love you dear client in so many ways
From us to you ‘Happy Labourface Day’!
Happy Lemonface Design, happy client. Shiny happy people.
A big thank you to ALL of our clients wherever in New Zealand you may be. We hope you had a good break. See you in the Silly season!
]]>Lemonface Design are honoured to be the creative force behind this outstanding publication. Shepherdess connects and empowers inspiring women across rural New Zealand by offering a place to share stories. For them to scoop the ‘Hospitality, Entertainment and Tourism Award’ is no mean feat and well-deserved recognition for the whole team. It shows what can be achieved when you have a bunch of people that believe in the same vision all working together. To be recognised in 2020 in a year like no other, is extra special. This award shows a determination to laugh in the face of challenging circumstances, to overcome obstacles and it shows our passion to succeed. To win an award that supports, promotes and recognises local business across Kāpiti & Horowhenua is wonderful!
The Judges Commented:
“The adage: ‘find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life’ fits the Shepherdess. Early in its journey, the Shepherdess’ response showed a very clear passion, an admirable purpose, and has demonstrated solid follow through. Its use of specific social media to create interest and reinforce messages is impressive. The Shepherdess is on the right track to apply more data-driven analysis to help drive advertising and partner revenue. There will be audiences outside the Shepherdess’ initial targets who will love its stories and pictures.”
Thank you to all of you who have supported us every step of the way! We are so grateful to be involved with such amazing businesses and help them realise their visions. It was this time last year that our clients at The Horowhenua Taste Trail took out three awards at the same event!
Image by The Nomad Creative
]]>Graphic design is more than just creating a sharp logo and an attractive colour scheme. Clever graphic design and branding represents the quality of your products and services, how you interact with your customers and the impression you leave in your customer’s mind.
]]>Graphic design is more than just creating a sharp logo and an attractive colour scheme. Clever graphic design and branding represents the quality of your products and services, how you interact with your customers and the impression you leave in your customer’s mind.
These are peculiar times. Many things are uncertain. Sure. ‘The sky is falling’ apparently.
Yeah, nah.
It’s not, it really isn’t.
These are great days and an opportunity for greatness to shine through. We just need to stay visible, be confident and let creativity ooze from our very pores. ‘But I’m not creative’ ‘I couldn’t draw a straight line if I tried’. Sound familiar? Well that’s where we can help.
Of course you may be tempted to use Canva or spend a fiverr. Sure, give it a go and do let us know how you get on. You may strike gold but you may also waste your money.
Better to forge a relationship with a designer who can go on a journey with you, one who is in it for the long haul.
Have you thought about having a designer on a retainer for example?
It’ll cost less than you think, and you’ll instantly have a trusted member of your team on-tap and without the overheads. Or the baggage. Adding value, ideas, loyalty and a clear head when yours may be clouded not knowing what to do next.
Now, more than ever.
You may know what you want, you may not. You may have a brand that needs tickling or you may not have a brand at all. Could be that you don't know what a brand is or what it entails. Or what it can do for your business.
The good news is that we do.
We'll tell your story, we'll shout it from the rooftops through clever, targeted, bespoke and thoughtful design. Ink on paper, pixels on a screen. We do it all.
Now is not the time to hide, it’s time to seek. And when you seek you’ll find:
Your message matters
Graphic design communicates more than just words to your audience. Even simple design elements like font choice and color scheme can help to portray an emotion or feeling that supports your message.
Design is persuasive
Intelligent and bespoke graphic design can persuade your customers to start thinking about your brand.
Consistency is credibility.
Graphic design is important for any business wanting to create credibility in their industry or field of expertise
Creativity kills competition
Now more than ever is the time to stand out from the crowd
Less is more
Graphic design is important for any business looking to share information with ease.
Relationships matter
Graphic design is important for any business wanting to make a positive, lasting impression
As a conversation and potential relationship starter we’re offering a free 30 minute assessment of social media account and/or website – which will provide you with tips to improve visibility in this time.
Seconds out. Ding ding.
]]>And it will pass. Won’t it?
Next question is ‘what do we do in the meantime?’ If we were British (we are) we’d ‘keep calm and carry on’ If we were Kiwi (we’re that too) we’d keep repeating ‘she’ll be right mate’ over and over again. Both admirable outlooks, but are they sustainable in the new normal? Probably not, but herein lies the bigger question; ‘what is the new normal?’
Spoiler alert - this article has far more questions than answers (sorry). We don’t know what the new normal is, or what it will become. But while we’re figuring it out we have to have a plan in mind surely? Lemonface Design have decided to do what we’ve always done – we’re designers and we design with a smile and we deliver on time. Every time. Sometimes ahead of time. Now more than ever we must keep smiling and we must keep delivering. All around us businesses are failing. The news stands of New Zealand will sadly never look the same again. Magazine titles that we know, love and trust have gone. In. The. Blink. Of. An. Eye. Gone. Will they rise again from the ashes of this pandemic? Probably not. Will they be replaced by something else? Hopefully.
Bad news - Global catastrophes change the world, and this pandemic is very much akin to a major war. Even if we contain the Covid-19 crisis within a few months, the legacy of this pandemic will live with us for years, perhaps decades to come. It will change the way we move, build, learn, and connect. There is simply no way that our lives will resume as if this had never happened. And so, while it may feel good in the moment, it is foolish to dive into a frenzy of activity or obsess about your scholarly productivity right now. That is denial and delusion. The emotionally and spiritually sane response is to prepare to be forever changed... when you are ready.
Good news - as a popular adage says, “When times are good you should advertise. When times are bad you must advertise.” This adage resonates strongly within the design fraternity too. There are several reasons to remain visible during a slowdown:
There are a number of examples of brands that benefitted by maintaining their design budgets during economic downturns.
Breakfast Cereal: In the 1920’s, Post was the category leader in the ready-to-eat cereal category. During the Great Depression, Post cut back significantly its marketing budget and rival Kellogg’s doubled theirs, investing heavily in radio and introducing a new cereal called Rice Krispies, featuring “Snap,” “Crackle” and “Pop.” Kellogg’s profits grew by 30% and the company became the category leader, a position it has maintained for decades.
Fast food: In the 1990-91 recession, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell took advantage of McDonald’s decision to drop its marketing and promotion budget. As a result, Pizza Hut increased sales by 61%, Taco Bell sales grew by 40% and McDonald’s sales declined by 28%.
So don’t hide away people. Stay visible. Stay front of mind. If you drift away now, you may never find your way back. Deliver. Always deliver and smile while you’re doing it. We're not saying do it right now. We're saying do it when you are ready. This new world is a lot to process and It's also ok to not be ok right now, this is just food for thought.
Perhaps the best, and certainly our favourite quote about reducing budget in a recession came from Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. When asked, “What do you think about a recession?” he responded, “I thought about it and decided not to participate.”