Luckily, your lovable branding guide is here to help!

Better yet, the crew over at WP Buffs wanted you to share in on this lovable approach to branding.

So if you’re looking to gain some insights on developing your personal or business brand, check out the video below.

Oh and if you have any questions definitely go ahead and get in touch!

The post Branding AMA with WP Buffs appeared first on David Yarde.

But to talk about design thinking with your local AIGA chapter and a room filled with passionate creatives and nonprofits? Priceless.

However, before I get into all the juicy details of what went down, let’s take a look at what design thinking actually is.

It’s certainly a pretty hot buzzword and one many often hide behind in an attempt to appear smart.

Currently sitting in the middle of classical design practices and creativity at scale, design thinking is an extremely useful way to navigate tons of ideas and possible solutions down into feasible paths of execution.

In short, design thinking is an action-oriented approach to generating creative solutions to complex problems.

So action is what we took to visualize and start on solutions for things like marketing strategies and campaigns, brand organization and positioning, business models, and much more.

We started things off by diving into empathy mapping on the individual layer before moving into applying empathy towards the users.

Usage is quite simple and best used by applying empathy to yourself first.

Otherwise, how will you be able to apply empathy and understanding to the user?

Download the Loveable Empathy Map

When using an empathy map, questions like “What Do They Think and Feel?” or “What Are Their Influences?” open key doors to understanding and connecting with our ideal communities as well as customers.

When applied to yourself, it opens up key perspectives to the stories you tell yourself and how you tell those or your brand stories to others.

Paired together and they ignite a connection that allows for things to remain relevant and valuable in a way that conventional brand and design strategies tend to miss.

As the day progressed, participants of the AIGA Changemakers workshop also had the opportunity to break into various groups and apply the information given earlier in the day.

It was truly impressive to see each team set clear goals, responsibilities, and take action on numerous items within such a short amount of time.

Outside of the amazing energy from start to finish, it was also a consistent experience of diverse thoughts and perspectives.

It didn’t what age, gender, or race was present. It didn’t even matter how much experience you had either, everyone had something valuable to bring to the table and was respected for it.

If anything, that’s how our communities should always be.

Especially if you’re looking to improve the organizational culture from being outdated to one that’s relevant, diverse, and inclusive.

It was also pretty fun to switch things up and pull the online community into the mix of things as well.

Whether it’s mental health, building communities, or even providing resources to remote areas of the world, when done right, design thinking can be a powerful asset to any individual or organization.

While I can go on about design, processes, tools, and how amazing of an experience it was as a creative, I suggest you poke through the slide deck below.

Download The Deck

If there’s one thing you take away from this, I hope it’s this.

Design thinking isn’t a process, it’s a lifestyle.

One that helps to reduce risk, improve creativity, boost opportunities for innovation, and increases sustainability.

So where are you going and how are getting there?

Answering that is one of the best ways to start incorporating design thinking into your creative flow.

Looking to have a design thinking or similar workshop with your team or organization? Send me a message!

The post Design Thinking and Change Making With The AIGA appeared first on David Yarde.

We’re lead early on to believe that respect is something that’s earned.

So we live our lives seeking external validation for what our why should be.

Essentially filling a premium car with unleaded gas.

But what if the reality is that respect isn’t earned but defined?

Meaning, we get the treatment we allow ourselves to receive.

If you allow others to define what and who you should be in order to be viewed as good enough, then you give up who you are just to fit in.

Independent thinking and living isn’t about being reckless.

It’s about understanding that it isn’t about being comfortable for the sake of being accepted.

If anything, it’s about being super uncomfortable as you blaze your own path based on wisdom and your own curiosity.

When pursuing excellence it’s extremely important to be clear on what you’re aiming for excellence within.

Otherwise there will be others that are more than ready to jump in and do it for you.

Which would defeat the point of you being the best version of you.

The post Respect is Defined appeared first on David Yarde.

The unknown is scary.

Until you realize that it’s just a remix of the past.

Yet very few take the chance.

Hopefully that isn’t you.

There’s a certain comfort in the unknown.

It beckons with a sweet mystery that can only be solved when pursued.

When paired with a focused curiosity, things become even more interesting and intense.

There are a few things that you must know before stepping into the unknown.

Some are more obvious than others.

But when applied, they tend to yield often unexpected blessings.

The first, stay true to you and you’ll be able to stay true with others.

It’s when you try to be a reenactment of others instead an original you, problems tend to arise.

This is where prevention beats cure each and every time.

The second is, don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions and follow the path empathy provides.

It’s easy to skate around the issues at hand and act as if everything is peachy.

However, it takes courage to be vulnerable.

Keep in mind vulnerability isn’t about sharing every little detail.

It’s about sharing what’s relevant and that which gives value in the process.

And last but least, show up… consistently..oh and help out.

Most importantly, while being authentic and genuine.

Things that should come naturally after following steps one and two.

The more you show up, the more others can establish a relationship with you.

Show up too often however and it may start to work against you.

Simple as they appear, there’s an art in pulling it all together.

But with a good foundation in place, you’ll find that the unknown becomes a little less scary.

You’ll find that the right people will surround you and the right things will fall into place.

That is if you’re aware that great things can’t be done alone.

In the end it really is up to you.

So what will you do?

The post Comfort In The Unknown appeared first on David Yarde.

Who. What. Where. When. Why. How.

The basic building blocks of asking ourselves the tough but necessary questions.

In order for them to be effective, you’ll need to understand where the problem is but most importantly how you can be of help.

No one likes to be pitched or sold, especially without first a proper relationship.

Before you try to get fancy, listen to the audience you’re looking to serve.

Take the time to show up and help out.

The less you focus on trying to show numbers, is the more numbers tend to follow you.

In reality, context is just another way of understanding  relevance.

Much of how you position your brand, whether personal or business, is all a matter of context.

The post It’s All About Context appeared first on David Yarde.

In this episode, we’re taking a look at the importance of starting with your why.

The post Video: Starting with your why | #alwaysupward ep – 10 appeared first on David Yarde.

At its core typography is one of the items that can either make or the experience a user has while visiting your site. Mobile devices have only put more importance on having good type on your website.

The fonts you select give your site a unique character. They help to convey the purpose found within your website content. One thing good typography can’t fix however is poor content.

Let’s take a look at a few examples of good website typography.

1. World Baking Day

This site features a great mix of lively colors, rounded corners (used appropriately). Mentone and Museo Sans Rounded font faces are combined for a delightful experience. As a person who enjoys the process of creating delightful and delicious desserts for friends, this site certainly brings that joy to the web.

2. Kickpoint

With bold color usage, Kickpoint does an excellent job of delivering a kick by using Maga and Karla throughout the site.

3. Google for Entrepreneurs

Brand extensions often happen in unlikely places. With a product line spanning basically every function of life keeping the content experience consistent across so many mediums and devices is a tall order. Here we have Roboto and Roboto Slab paired together to give an experience that is easily recognizable and provides a harmonious flow to the content of the site.

4. Creatures & Features

This delightful site pairs together Roboto with handwritten type and a splash of Courier.

5. Elbow

It’s great to see examples of great type from all over the world. Here we have the fine folks over at Elbow pairing Galano Grotesque with Maison Neue.

6. Flywheel

When it comes to finding hosting it can be a pain to sift through what features are included and what price am I paying for what. Most web hosts websites tend to leave me feeling as if they may close tomorrow or if they don’t will be a customer experience nightmare to deal with. The guys and gals over at Flywheel have done an excellent job making things easy to navigate. Here we find Montserrat paired with Source Sans Pro.

7. Headspace

Aimed at helping individuals become more creative Headspace uses Brandon Grotesque to effectively navigate users throughout the site. Making information easy to digest and memorable.

Takeaway

As you can see great typography on a website can help share the story of your website in a variety of ways. It can be the difference between someone enjoying a visit to your site and wanting to return and them quickly leaving to go somewhere else.

The post 7 Sites that Use Typography Well In Their Designs appeared first on David Yarde.

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In an effort to promote recycling in the country of Vietnam, 40,000 free caps will be given away when someone purchases the iconic soda drink. In a playful way these caps will transform the average Coca-Cola bottle into items like whistles, paint brushes, bubble makers and even a lamp. The program also will be rolled out across Asia later this year. 

The overall campaign video showcases everyday moments well, with a very generous amount of appearances by the brand. I do wonder if the caps are also made of recycled materials as that part of the story didn’t get translated very well.  In terms of execution, this one gets a solid 10. Be sure to check out the video below.

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