Clear Communication. Cooperative Teamwork. Creative Execution.
We partner with you to deliver exactly what your constituents want and need
We partner with you to deliver exactly what your constituents want and need
Lisa's Program Management Tip – 05.01.2023
How to implement best practices from start to finish
Do you prefer navy blue or electric orange? The styles you like reflect your approach to the world. Conservative individuals, for example, relate differently to the public than progressive, free spirits. As a result, these contrasting personalities will cultivate different customers. We help you express the distinctive flavor of your business. And when you portray your image correctly, the customers you attract will be the customers you keep.
Dynamic Makeovers
Most of us hate to throw away old clothing, because it's familiar, comfortable. But if you're stuck in the last decade, few people will take you seriously. You can't present yourself as an expert in your field when your look has grown old and tired. Similar to a surgical facelift, a winning corporate redesign will tweak your established style and recapture your professional vitality.
Functional Design
Usefulness is more important than looking good. Although friends and family may excuse occasional blemishes, they will rarely tolerate wasted time or energy. At SGS DESIGN AND MORE, we produce intuitive layouts. From main headings to the fine print, our materials remain uncluttered and easy for your customers to follow. We take design seriously — but never at the expense of clear communication.
Don't Mix Photographs and Artwork
Your final product will have a greater sense of organization when you put similar things together. Try to create the impression of a dominant shape, such as a square or rectangle. You can either make every individual element echo that shape, or together they could form a recognizable figure.
Then wrap your applicable text around each grouping. Again, strive to make your effort look planned — clean, neat and easy to follow. Sometimes it helps to draw temporary horizontal or vertical lines and align your text to those guidelines. (Don't forget to erase them when you're done.)
Discover the "text boxes" available in your publishing or word-processing software and use them often. That way, you can determine exactly where your verbiage starts and stops.
Attain a sense of organization that satisfies the eye and offers your readers
maximum readability."
James Craig, Designing with Type
"Visually, a strong black-and-white edge is powerful and exciting."
Try Black and White as Design Elements
When designing newsletters, advertisements or brochures, some of us utilize lots of small clipart images "to fill space." Hold it! You want that space to work for you, so don't be so quick to get rid of it.
The trick is to relegate white space to the outside of your layout. It acts as breathing room for your reader. Filling space from border to border can create a claustrophobic effect — a feeling you don't want to afflict on your audience, especially if you want these individuals to hang around.
When you must include several photos or illustrations, group them logically toward the center of your design. Together, they will act as a single focal point for your piece. Your reader needs something to attract his eye and show him where to start considering your message.
Use One or Two Big Images
Take a peek at the graphic elements on this page. Black and white not only conveys a strong statement, it also usually reproduces well. Look for clipart where the artist has drawn negative images. In the case above, the large white heart in the background and the reversed letters in the word YOUTH play against their adjacent black forms.
If you can create attractive and compelling designs with only black and white at your disposal, you will learn valuable principals that will improve all your publications. Have fun experimenting with this simple, yet powerful visual technique.
Please do not reproduce material listed on this website