News

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).

This week many of us others in Aotearoa enjoyed Labour Day by taking the day off and not doing very much at all. 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.

Read that again. Slowly. And read it again.

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.

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.

So, I often get asked – ‘OMG your job sounds amazing’ But what do you all day? 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.

We recently picked up a very exciting piece of work. Bigger than normal for us admittedly, but still very much within our scope. Especially as we have recently aligned ourselves with some of the best brains in the region.

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.

Contrary to popular belief auditing your brand can be swift, painless, easy, and wait for it…enjoyable. Brand audits can be wholesale belt and braces or a quick state of the nation overview. They can be a quick check in to make sure you’re still on track and following your dreams, or they can be deep dive and analytic driven.

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.