Several weeks ago, I decided to design some new business cards for Ribbons of Red. I’ve been fascinated with letterpress for years now, and decided with my new re-brand last year, that I deserved the Ferrari of business cards this year!

I have received a lot of requests from my Facebook Fans (and via email) to post photos of my business cards once they were finished. Late last night I gave my Facebook Fans a sneak peek, but thought it would also be nice to post some bigger, more crisp photos here on the blog. I thought I would also take this opportunity to answer some FAQs I have received about my letterpress cards and letterpress in general.

1. What paper did you use?

Crane Lettra 220lb — it’s nice and thick, and allows for a deep impression!

2. Do you have a letterpress printer in your studio?

I wish! I design for letterpress, but leave the printing to the skilled professionals.

3. How long did the cards take you from start to finish?

Overall, the entire process took about a month and a half from design to delivery. I spent a week creating the design and writing copy; the remainder of the time was spent with the printer. Letterpress printing is a real art and a skilled craft, so it takes some time (especially if your design is complicated), but it was well worth the wait!

4. Do you design letterpress business cards for clients too?

Of course! If you are interested in learning more about letterpress, feel free to get in touch with me through my quote form or shoot me an email.

Hiring the right web and/or graphic designer is essential for any business, but it can be a stressful decision to make. The questions can be endless, and so can the search—especially if you don’t know what to expect or what to even look for when hiring the right design professional.

How will you capture the essence of my business? Will you be receptive to my ideas too? How do I know if Ribbons of Red is the right fit for me? These are great questions to ask and ones that I answer on a daily basis for potential clients. In this post, you will learn about our design process, how we work, and the types of clients we work best with. Ultimately, this post will aid you in deciding if Ribbons of Red is the right web and graphic design studio for you.

Get to Know Ribbons of Red

Before contacting us for a quote, we want you to get to know us first. It may sound silly, but even if you are referred by one of our favorite clients, we really encourage you to look through our website, read our story, and spend lots of time viewing our web and graphic design portfolio. Reading about the studio and our projects will give you a window into our creative process.

What to Expect When Requesting a Quote

If you are interested in working with Ribbons of Red, we ask that you fill out our free quote form to get started. Doing so will help us understand your budget, timeline, and the scope of your project. All quote submissions are replied to within 1-2 business days, and each quote contains not only pricing, but also a detailed description of what is included with each design project you need. The quote form also provides a great starting point for conversation. Along with pricing, we will spend time getting to know your project on a basic level to see if it is inline with the services we offer. If by some chance we find that our talents are not a good fit for your project, we will refer you to one of our trusted colleagues.

Our Design Process

Step 1 – Discovery: We want to get to the heart of what makes you and your business special. Who is your target market? What are your goals? What makes you different from your competition? We ask you all the tough questions through our Design Questionnaire, and then we listen. You can’t give us too much information—we want to hear it all. The more we know, the more we can help you create a fantastic design that will speak, engage, and connect with your own clientele.

Step 2 – Face to Face: Once the Design Questionnaire has been filled out and returned, a formal design meeting is set up. If you are local here in Cincinnati, we’ll probably meet over coffee and sweets! If you are international or across the country, we’ll talk over the phone or on Skype. The Design Questionnaire provides a great starting point for conversation, but talking face to face (or over the phone) will allow me to gauge your personality and get to know you better—an essential part of the design process. During our design meeting we’ll go over your questionnaire, talk about any follow-up questions either of us might have, and start brainstorming for your design project.

Step 3 – Conceptualization: The Design Questionnaire and formal design meeting will be plenty of inspiration for us to get started on your design project. At this point, we throw on some rock music, and get lost in your design for hours… picking the perfect colors, best looking fonts, and carefully choosing a layout that will engage your audience. When the initial concept is completed, you will receive it via email in PDF format, along with a description that explains why we did what we did! From there, we will work together to make any necessary changes until the design is finalized.

Step 4 – Implementation (Website Design and/or Blog Only): Creating a beautiful concept is only half of our job, the other part is making it come to life! During this step, your approved website or blog design will be coded into a functional website. We build all of our websites and blogs either on your server or on our test server, and you will receive a link to watch us work behind the scenes! You can check back whenever you like to see all the progress being made. This also allows us to work closely together to fine tune any last minute changes to copy or small details.

Step 5 – Go Live (Website Design and/or Blog Only): When your website or blog is finished, Ribbons of Red will set it live online so you don’t have to. We’ll talk with your web host and take care of all the geeky little details. And like a proud mama, once your site has been released into the spotlight, we’ll tell everyone we know about it! We even submit our best designs to award shows and popular design galleries in the industry. We want you to get as much exposure as possible—you never know where it might lead!

Are You Our Ideal Client?

We have clients ranging from individual business owners to household names—clients who are local, national, and halfway across the world. Sure, great design comes from hard work and talent, but great design also comes from communication and trust. We only want clients who are serious about their business, trust us, and know that professional design will take their business to the next level.

Our ideal client is someone who…

1. Knows what they want.
We’re not saying you should come armed with a portfolio of design ideas, but we need to know what inspires you, what makes you shine, and what makes you tick! Your ideas and thoughts help us create the best design possible for you and your business. So the more you communicate, the better your designs will be!

2. Hires us for our expertise and talent.
We value your opinion/ideas as we believe design is very much a collaboration; however, giving us a draft logo you came up with or a blog you designed doesn’t really make sense. After all, you hired us for our professional talent and knowledge. So arm us with all the inspiration and ideas you have, but leave the designing to us, won’t you?

3. Realizes design is an investment.
Design is an investment like anything else, and if you aren’t ready to invest in custom design, please wait until you are!

Some Beautiful Words From Our Clients…

“Renee has been such an amazing, integral part of my photography business journey. I can’t put into words how much I appreciate her and her creative genius. She has impeccable attention to detail, wonderful customer service and care, and the ability to deliver above-and-beyond designs. To be honest, I never understood how important it was to invest in branding my business—I sincerely thought that it was something I could do on my own. So I did, and I had a sporadic clients. It wasn’t until Renee created my brand that my business grew. Not many people can pinpoint the day that their business really took off—but I can.” — Christine Pobke, Pobke Photography

“Renee was a complete professional from start to finish. The newsletter she designed perfectly captures the Shootsac brand, as well as the look and feel we wanted. The implementation was flawless and we couldn’t be happier with Ribbons of Red. I would highly recommend Renee to anyone with a design or newsletter need.” — Jessica Claire, Photographer + Shootsac Creator

If you are interested in working with us, give us a shout to get started!

If you are a small business owner, chances are you have a blog. If you don’t, you’ve probably received the look. You know the one, where people are shocked at your missed opportunity. Blogs are fantastic for connecting one-on-one with your audience and for SEO (how your clients find you via Google, Yahoo, etc). Blogs have become a staple and essential part of having a strong online presence as a business.

There are countless factors that go into making a blog successful, from writing engaging copy to the overall design. Below, I’ve highlighted some of the factors that I believe are the most important in achieving a successful blog.

Custom Design

I preach this all the time, but good design sells! A good blog design does not mean purchasing a template off the internet and customizing it. Each photography business is unique and one blog template does not “fit all”. So why would you want to purchase a cookie-cutter template for your unique business? You can’t differentiate yourself from your competition if everyone is using the same template. No matter what you do to customize it, at the end of the day, you’re still using a template. Other photographers know it and so do your clients. Investing in a custom blog design is one of the best moves you can make for your business. Custom blog designs attract more visitors, set you apart from the competition, and generate more revenue over time!

Ease of Connection

Good word of mouth is one of the most effective marketing tools a business can have, so you want to make it easy for people to remember you, talk about you, and eventually connect with you. A blog in itself is a fantastic start, but stopping there is a missed opportunity. Do you have a Facebook Fan Page or Twitter account? If so, your social networks should be displayed prominently on your blog. Social networking plays a huge part in generating word of mouth connections. The more places people see you, the better chance you’ll be remembered and then referred. And the best part? Social networking is free! So make sure people have multiple ways to connect with you and keep in touch with you during a project and even after.

Engaging Content

It may sound like a no brainer, but content is one of the most important parts of your blog. Posting photos from your sessions is only part of your job… writing engaging content is the other. Your photography should always be the main focus, because that’s what people are purchasing from you after all, but you’ve missed a great opportunity if your supporting copy isn’t as interesting as your photos. Each post doesn’t have to be penned like a page out of Romeo and Juliet, but people love stories (and we all know a photo is worth 1,000 words)!

Take the time to write a nice post for each of your sessions. Through your writing, clients can gauge your personality, the passion you have for your work, and get to know your business and how you operate—which are all important factors that determine if someone is going to hire your or not. And if for no other reason, remember: well written content boosts SEO! So make sure you throw a few keywords in for good measure. Your location, type of session (wedding, portrait, children, etc.), and company name are keywords you should try to work into your copy as often as you can—without being obvious, of course!

If you are interested in learning more about about custom blog designs, post a comment below or on our Facebook Fan Page. If you are ready to take your business to the next level, and want to learn more about pricing for a custom blog, fill out the free quote form!

When I am designing, I always need some sort of background noise. I love to play music, but when I’m not, I have HGTV on in the background. I love HGTV! It’s the only station on TV where I can watch people design 24-7. :)

In one episode this week, I saw a show in which a small business office was completely re-designed. Not only was it the office of my dreams (it had a chandelier in it—need I say more?!), but they had by far the coolest idea I’ve ever seen—to build an inspiration wall.

An inspiration wall is a designated place in your office where you can hang ANYTHING that inspires you! One of my goals for 2010 is to migrate from my remote office to a home office, and after hearing about the inspiration wall, I knew my little home office had to sport one!

I am a firm believer that if your space is creative, you will be too! And below are some of the coolest inspiration walls I found in my research. I hope they inspire you as much as they did me!

For those of you who don’t already know, Ribbons of Red is finally on Facebook! After many requests and peer pressure from our clients, we’ve decided to create our own little space there. :) It’s still a work in progress, but we’d love if you would stop by, say hello, and watch our little page grow!

Become a Facebook Fan >

Are business cards still important? I hear that question asked a lot. People seem to think that Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have replaced the need for a professionally designed business card. But that couldn’t be further from the truth and is a dangerous assumption for any small business to make.

Business cards are still very alive and one of the most important marketing tools you can invest in. Not only are they are a direct representation of your company (and your rank within it) but they play a huge part in making your brand look professional and polished.

When Should You Give Out Your Business Card?

Photography or Business Conferences.
You never know who you might meet: your next client, a lifelong friend, or even someone you’d love to team up with in the future!

Client Consultations.
A “take away” makes you look professional and keeps you fresh in your client’s mind. And don’t give them just one business card, give them a few—0ne for themselves and a couple of friends!

Photography Workshops.
Workshops are a great place to connect with like-minded individuals. It’s also a great way to see what your competitors business cards look like. Passing your card out, while collecting others, is a great way to see what your competition is doing and how you measure up. Will your branding be better?

Inspiring Photography Business Cards

1. Conrad Lim Photography

Why it Works: It’s fun without being cliché! The front is simple, professional, and informational; while the back is edgy and upbeat. This photography business card makes great use out of both the front and back. The card is also only two colors—which can really save on printing costs!

2. Studio+Z Films

Why it Works: Not only is this design unique, but the paper stock is too! This design (created by yours truly!) was printed on a pearly white card stock which really makes the design come to life. This business card is eye-catching and goes the extra mile to wow clients with the finish. Studio+Z’s other branded print pieces also use this same card stock, giving their brand a high-end look and feel. Great design combined with a great paper choice will make your card a conversation piece and get clients talking!

3. John Bragg Photography

Why it Works: Although this business card would be fairly expensive to make, the creativity is fantastic and thus worth showcasing. This card was designed to look like an old, vintage photography slip—the kind you would get after you dropped off your film. The detail that went into this card, really makes it a work of art. This photography business card establishes a memorable brand and would also make a client feel hip or cool to work with you!

Need a business card or interested in chatting about one? Get in touch! >

December. A magical, but scary month. A month that bears wonderful food, traditions, laughter, and love, but also a month that requires reflection on my mistakes, accomplishments, and goals for the year to come. A month, in the end, that makes you work as hard as you play—but I would never want it any other way!

Goals, for me, are intimate. Something I don’t normally share with others. They are my most prized dreams, ambitions, and hopes for the New Year. This year, someone told me that goals aren’t goals until you share them with someone. Someone who will hold you to your verbal commitment and cheer you on all year long. So this year, I’ve decided to not only share my top goals for 2010, but also three mistakes and three accomplishments I made in 2009.

Three things I did wrong…

1. Took on clients who were not a good match for my business.
2. Leased an office because I thought that’s what people who “made it” do.
3. Tried to donate a percentage of my income to charity before I was financially ready and knew all the government rules.

Three things I did right…

1. Made and exceeded my yearly salary goal by $13,000.
2. Re-branded my logo and website.
3. Got published in my first international design magazine.

My BIG business goals for 2010…

1. Create a product for Photographers.
2. Meet or beat my new salary goal for 2010.
3. Purchase a new iMac for my business so I can boost productivity.
4. Upgrade to Adobe CS4.
5. Put money into marketing and stirring up buzz.
6. Migrate to a home office and be proud of it.
7. Get corporate photos taken (eek!).

If you are feeling ambitious, and would like to share your mistakes, accomplishments, and goals for next year, then make a comment below. I’d love to hear them! Thanks to all my clients and colleagues for making my 2009 a wildly successful year! Wishing all of you success in 2010!

Merry Christmas!

It’s been a busy couple months here at Ribbons of Red, and I’ve been knee deep in print design, blogsites, and creating lots of logos for photographers. This past week, I finished a logo re-design for my first Australian client—Christine Pobke of Pobke Photography! Christine was such a joy to work with, and I wanted to share an inside look into her wonderful logo project.

About The Pobke Project

Christine specializes in capturing candid photos of children, couples, and families. Her style is beautiful, natural, and fun all wrapped up in one! When Christine first approached me to create a new logo for her photography business, I was instantly captured by her fun-loving, cheery personality. It was obvious that her current logo, although interesting, was not a good representation of herself or her business. After a few design chats, I discovered that Christine needed a logo that not only reflected herself, but one that also appealed to her three markets. Pobke Photography is a young business that is growing, changing, and bettering itself every day. Christine’s new logo also needed to be versatile and something she could grow into, not out of.

The Original Logo

As I’ve mentioned before, a lot of photography logos look the same; many use an initial for a main graphic and stop there. Unfortunately, Chrstine’s original logo had that same look. Although nice, it wasn’t unique. The dark color scheme also seemed a bit mismatched. I just didn’t see Christine as a dark colored girl—her energy is just too radiant! The original logo served as a great first logo, but Christine was ready to take her business to the next level, and so was I!

The New Re-Designed Logo

After getting to know all about Christine and her business, a few concepts came to mind initially. Three concepts were developed, but one in particular stood out far from the rest… which is the finished logo you see today!

The first thing you’ll notice about the new logo is the color scheme. It’s bright and inviting, just like Christine. The colors are playful and punchy for the children she captures, but not too overwhelming and still fun and energetic for the adults. The three circles represent the circular shape of a lens, and the image inside represents what she photographs. Each “lens” captures all three of her target markets: children, couples, and families. It was important for Christine to also grow into her new logo. Now, if at any time she changes markets, any photo inside can change to reflect her new growth. Her tag line, ‘real love. lifestyle portraiture.’ was also added and will can change from “lifestyle” to “wedding” or any other market she wishes to pursue!

To give the logo a final polished look, the three “O’s” in Pobke Photography were colored to match each of the three colored lenses. This addition allows Christine to use her type separately if she wants (as a badge on photos or elsewhere) and her clientele would still understand and recall the connection between her graphic and type!

Final Points

Christine’s new logo now represents her personality and her business, allowing her to better identify with her clientele. Gaining new business is all about the connection you make with a client. Having a logo that people identify with makes your business marketable and profitable!

See what Christine has to say about her new logo >
Need a logo or interested in chatting about one? Get in touch! >

I’ve had quite a few people (clients and readers alike) email me to say how much they enjoyed reading the 7 Great Photography Logo Examples entry I published several weeks ago. A large handful of people expressed interest in similar posts in the future—specifically requesting a list of custom photography websites. I thought this was a great idea—especially since the majority of photographers use templated websites such as BluDomain or BigFolio.

Below, I’ve compiled a small list of my favorite custom photography websites and explained why each one is so wonderful. A lot of photographers don’t know just how powerful a custom photography website (or blog) can be, so I hope this post shines a little light on the subject! :)

Why Custom Photography Websites Are Important

BluDomain and BigFolio websites are popular choices among photographers as they are extremely affordable. Unfortunately, purchasing a pre-made, templated photography website means hundreds (if not thousands) of photographers will eventually own the same website as you—even your competitors! Investing in a custom photography website is very important for those who want to look unique, be seen, and grow their client base. Custom websites allow you to have a design all your own that will showcase your personality and highlight your style resulting in a better overall connection with your audience. And establishing that connection is key to boosting sales and business!

1. Lisa Welge Photography

Above Website: Lisa Welge Photography
Website URL: http://www.lisawelge.com/site.html
Why It Works: Lisa’s photography is not only beautiful, but so is her website. It’s unconventional, unexpected, and painfully cute! An adorably crafted elephant is the basis of Lisa’s brand. Her copy even plays off of her elephant themed website proclaiming “Photos never forget!” and she’s right! This website’s design captures everything Lisa seems to be: fun, silly, creative, full of life, passionate, and artsy. A successful photography website will give clients a window view into your spirit and personality before they even meet or talk with you. In a sea of templated photography websites, Lisa’s site will surely stand out from the rest and one people will quickly pass on to others!

2. Sarah Rhoads Photographers

Above Website: Sarah Rhoads Photographers
Website URL: http://www.sarahrhoads.com/blog
Why It Works: Custom photography blogs are every bit as important as custom website designs, and usually, the two go hand in hand. Sarah’s blog is extremely innovative and creative. The fact that her website flows horizontally, instead of vertically, adds an incredible amount of uniqueness to her brand. Sarah’s known for shooting sessions with Polaroids at times—which is unique and unconventional in itself—so her blog really plays up her entire style. The layout of the blog is wonderful, allowing room for a big, fun photo of Sarah, her Twitter account information, an introductory paragraph, and several of her most recent blog entries. The black and white color scheme puts less emphasis on the site design and more on the photos, allowing them to pop right off the page. There’s an old saying that ‘beauty is in the details’, and Sarah’s blog has plenty of yummy details! Can you spot her quick page navigator or blog entry counter? Both are nice, polished touches that add fun functionality to the site!

3. Kristi Lloyd Photography

Above Website: Kristi Lloyd Photography
Website URL: http://www.kristilloyd.com
Why It Works: Kristi’s website is a perfect example of how to incorporate lots of different colors and patterns into a site while still keeping the main focus on the photography. This website uses a large muted color pallet, along with at least 4 or 5 different patterns—which give the website an earthy and organic feel. The leaves in Kristi’s logo are used as a common theme through out the text and buttons in her website, thus enhancing her brand. This website is not only easy on the eyes but also very easy to use and navigate. My only gripe is that the font is a little hard to read on the text heavy pages—so I would personally make it a little larger. Other than that, this website is a perfect example for those who want to incorporate subtle art into their custom website!

Need a custom photography website or interested in chatting about one? Get in touch! >

This week, Ribbons of Red finished a beautiful, new business card design for Studio+Z Films. Steve always brings lots of energy, ideas, and creativity to each project we work on together (which makes all of his projects a blast to design)! His double-sided business card goes hand in hand with his already existing 5×5 tri-fold brochure design. Both print pieces will be given to potential clients during a first consultation. Steve’s first impression to clients will now be a unified one, and his branding will impress them as much as his talent!

Related Design Projects
Custom Logo Design
Custom Website Design + Blog
5×5 Tri-Fold Brochure

View related web and graphic design projects we’ve done for Studio+Z Films >