I'm finding the subject of personal branding of great interest lately. Especially being a design freelancer.
But what is personal branding? Well, what is a brand?! Generally speaking, a brand is the way people associate with, or feel about a product or service. Branding is the act of manipulating that association or feeling to differentiate said product or service from it's competition. So, personal branding is manipulating the way people associate or feel about you. Reading that back, it sounds much more evil than it is!
Think of it this way. If you're going to a job interview, you'll clean your shoes, comb your hair, wear your Sunday best. You want the interviewer to have a good impression of you. Well, in the world of business, and especially online, there's a myriad of ways to 'clean your shoes'.
Andy Goldsworthy is an artist/sculpture/photographer who’s medium is nature itself. Leaves, mud, snow, twigs, trees and rock are all used to create both temporary and permanent sculptures which draw out the character of their environment.
1. Engage the reader with a clear 'call to action'
There's usually a reason why companies send out emails. A lot of the time, this boils down to selling more product.
It's vital to the success of an email to get your potential customers to act (even better if you can add an incentive to do so!). As well as your product information, always include action phrases like 'click here', 'buy now' or 'call now'. Spell out what you'd like your readers to do and you'll see better results than if you don't.
"Don't make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don't hesitate to make it beautiful."
The Shakers, were a religious sect founded in 1774. Their furniture designs - based on principles of simplicity, functionality, and quality - have inspired generations of designers.
50 years ago, record players didn't look like machines. They looked like old-fashioned, brown wood furniture. But in 1956, Dieter Rams's SK4 record player, nicknamed Snow White's Coffin, changed all that.
In my early days of design, art director of Ray Gun Magazine David Carson was the guy to shamelessly copy from reference in your work. Here in this 2003 TED talk he talks about 'design, discovery and humour'. Good stuff.
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