# DesignUps > DesignUps Blog | Design & Branding Inspiration | Get news and insights including thoughts by our creative web design team in Nashville, TN. --- ## Pages - [Antonino Salon & Spa](https://designups.com/our-work/antonino-minimal-website-design-branding/): DesignUps created new minimalist design and branding for Antonino. Website development for the site matches the brand design direction. - [Rocky Run](https://designups.com/our-work/rocky-run-event-website-development/): A Rocky Themed Race Deserves a Great Website. We developed an athletic event website matching the race branding and spirit. What a knockout! - [Salto de Fe](https://designups.com/our-work/salto-de-fe-hospitality-design/): DesignUps provided web design and development for Salto de Fe, a ranch and wellness retreat with a focus on hospitality. - [Fernweh](https://designups.com/our-work/fernweh-event-design-website/): Design for Outdoor Adventure Company - Fernweh creates unforgettable adventures. We provided an event website design for bookings. - [Sam Wasserman](https://designups.com/about/sam-wasserman/): Sam Wasserman has worked with DesignUps creative agency for 10 years. Sam is the lead designer & an experienced developer. - [Simon Carr](https://designups.com/about/simon-carr-design-director/): Simon Carr is the founder of DesignUps creative agency. Simon is the design director, a brand specialist & expert developer. - [Ravens Crest Distilling](https://designups.com/our-work/ravens-crest-distilling/): We provided branding & design for a craft distillery in Lexington KY. Ravens Crest Distilling project included logo design and illustration. - [Awesome](https://designups.com/awesome/): You are awesome Expect correspondence soon! - [Privacy Policy](https://designups.com/privacy-policy/): This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when using the DesignUps website. - [Sitemap](https://designups.com/sitemap/): DesignUps website sitemap, covering all pages and posts on the website. Find resources for your next web design or branding project. - [Service Industry](https://designups.com/service-industry-designs-branding/): DesignUps understands design and branding for the service industry. Having a strong website design is crucial for growing your business. - [Healthcare](https://designups.com/healthcare-design-agency/): We work with Healthcare companies in Nashville. We have experience developing large healthcare websites + custom development on WordPress. - [Non Profit](https://designups.com/non-profit-design-agency/): Non-Profit Designer in Nashville. We implement content strategies + design that drive donations and stimulates your audience to engage with your non-profit. - [Entertaiment](https://designups.com/musicians-bands-entertainment-design/): DesignUps loves creating entertainment websites, with a focus on design and marketing. We work with Nashville area musicians and bands. - [Technology](https://designups.com/technology-design-agency/): We love working with technology companies. We do web design for technology companies to help market products and connect customers. - [Insights](https://designups.com/blog/): DesignUps Blog | Design & Branding Inspiration | Get news and insights including thoughts by our creative web design team in Nashville, TN. - [Nashville Web Design: Crafting Masterpieces that Captivate & Convert](https://designups.com/web-design-nashville/): Are you looking for the premier Nashville web design company? Our agency has experts in website design and development. - [About](https://designups.com/about/): We are a Design Agency offering custom web development + Branding in Nashville. We work with Brands, Startups, Tech and Healthcare. - [What We Do](https://designups.com/services/): DesignUps is creative agency in Nashville, TN specializing in branding, web design & development, art direction, SEO and marketing. - [Waterbox](https://designups.com/our-work/product-branding-design-systems-waterbox/): DesignUps created product branding and design systems for Waterbox. Custom design solutions were applied to product and marketing materials. - [Rock The Ocean](https://designups.com/our-work/design-for-nonprofit-rock-the-ocean/): Design for a Nonprofit Saving the Ocean. DesignUps cares about partnering with companies dedicated to good causes like Rock The Ocean. - [Foundation](https://designups.com/our-work/foundation/): We worked with Foundation to build an engaging website that reflects their next-level bitcoin technology products and design-driven mission. - [Best Nashville Branding Agency – Drive Brand Success](https://designups.com/branding-agency-nashville/): Looking for a leading branding agency in Nashville? Our team offers expert brand strategies and designs to boost your business identity. Get started today. - [Home](https://designups.com/): DesignUps offers creative web design, development and branding for every business in Nashville. Ready to elevate your brand & drive results? - [PTP Live](https://designups.com/our-work/ptp-live/): PTP Live specializes in crafting unique live experiences. PTP came to DesignUps to revamp their branding and Nashville website design. - [Nashville Design Week 2023](https://designups.com/our-work/nashville-design-week-2023/): DesignUps partnered with Nashville Design Week 2023. It's been a great experience to work with amazing local folks. - [The Gallatin Hotel](https://designups.com/our-work/gallatin-hotel-nashville-website/): DesignUps developed a unique and fun website for the Gallatin Hotel in Nashville, TN. The design is engaging, easy to use and gets results! - [Contact Us](https://designups.com/contact/): Contact DesignUps. We are based Nashville, TN. Our team members are experienced designers, developers who can help you reach your goals. - [Sumitovant Biopharma](https://designups.com/our-work/sumitovant-biopharma/): Tech Design and Branding for Sumitovant Biopharma. We created a unique logo design for the tech company and developed a WordPress website. - [Trace Ventures](https://designups.com/our-work/trace-ventures/): Trace Ventures is a Nashville design / build company that wanted to highlight their portfolio with a modern website. - [Tennessee Arts Commission](https://designups.com/our-work/tennessee-arts-commission/): We designed a custom WordPress website for the Tennessee Arts Commission. This non-profit hired us to refresh several wordpress websites. - [WXNA](https://designups.com/our-work/wxna-nonprofit-design-nashville/): WXNA is the best radio station in Nashville, TN. We provided a modern website design and development for their new WordPress website. - [The Ryman](https://designups.com/our-work/ryman-nashville-website-development/): We designed a website for a famous entertainment venue - The Ryman in Nashville TN. The website development was done with WordPress. - [Our Work](https://designups.com/our-work/): Our web design portfolio features custom WordPress development and branding for clients that need help with their company website design. --- ## Posts - [The Best Logo Design in Nashville TN: A Guide to Creating a Memorable Brand](https://designups.com/best-logo-design-in-nashville-tn/): A well-designed logo is crucial for building a brand identity. Hire professional logo designers in Nashville, TN for you company’s logo. - [Fernweh Guided Expeditions](https://designups.com/fernweh-event-design-website/): We created an event design website offering trip booking for adventure lovers. Fernweh creates guided expeditions across the country! - [DesignUps Agency Featured on Awwwards](https://designups.com/designups-agency-featured-on-awwwards/): We worked for months on end to rebrand our company and design a new website. Our website design is now featured on Awwwards and the FWA. - [Behind the DesignUps rebrand](https://designups.com/designups-rebrand/): Branding is important for any business, and we put a lot of thought into how we want to be perceived. Check out the new look. - [Our Design Agency's Mission and Core Values](https://designups.com/mission-statement-design-core-values/): Our Mission as a creative design agency. We believe in the power of design to inform, influence and change the world around us. - [Meet the DesignUps team](https://designups.com/meet-the-creative-design-team/): DesignUps is a full-service creative agency in Nashville, TN. Nashville web design solutions and brand strategy are our expertise. - [Motion Design for Brands and Campaigns: An Opportunity for Innovation](https://designups.com/motion-design-for-brands-campaigns-nashville/): Motion Design for Brands and Campaigns. Why aren't you taking advantage of this opportunity to Innovate? - [How to Facilitate the Design Process with a Mood Board](https://designups.com/facilitate-design-process-with-a-mood-board/): When starting a new creative project it is a good idea to facilitate the design process with a mood board. - [Successful Rebrands: Thoughts on What Makes a Brand Evolution Successful](https://designups.com/what-makes-a-successful-rebrand/): What Makes a Successful Rebrand? We've gathered examples and have some thoughts on the brands evolution. Are you looking to rebrand? - [Does your Business need a New Logo and Copyright?](https://designups.com/business-need-logo-copyright-trademark/): By common law, a logo is trademarked when it's deemed finished. Using the logo in commerce and proving the logo creation, date and time helps. - [Recent Branding Project for Wild Lavender Interiors](https://designups.com/recent-branding-projects-interior-designer-nashville/): A recent branding project for Wild Lavender Interiors in Nashville, TN. Visual identity and branding are important for new businesses. - [How Design is Forever Linked with Fashion](https://designups.com/how-design-is-forever-linked-with-fashion/): The number has risen exponentially and this will only continue as the demand for clothes does. - [Influencer Culture: why it exists and why it matters](https://designups.com/influencer-culture-design-trend/): Influencers are a critical component of branding, and finding the right influencer can help build your business and consumer demand. - [Top Nonprofit Web Solutions: A comprehensive guide to building a successful online presence](https://designups.com/website-nonprofit-guide-to-building-online-presence/): Top Nonprofit Web Solutions: A Comprehensive Guide to Building a Successful Online Presence. Learn about website nonprofit branding. - [A Step-by-Step Guide to Effective Brand Creation: 8 Steps to Build a Strong Brand](https://designups.com/brand-creation-essentials-guide/): Learn how we approach branding through the development of brand assets, brand style guides and how to promote and grow your brand - [Why Website Design is Important for Business](https://designups.com/why-web-design-is-important-for-business/): Having a well-designed website is important for your business. It can be a great advertisement for the goods & services your company offers. - [Tips for Creating Effective Typography Design](https://designups.com/tips-for-creating-effective-typography/): Kelsey talks about tips for creating effective typography: Why typography is important, the basics of typography design and more. - [Creating a Visual Brand Design - How to Start the Process](https://designups.com/creating-a-visual-brand-identity/): Creating a visual brand identity is a difficult task. Here are some thoughts on how to start the branding process & best practices. - [Maximum Creativity: creative process, inspiration and goals](https://designups.com/maximum-creativity-staying-creative/): Creativity is crucial for designers. The creative process is important, so are goals and inspiration. Learn how we refuel and stay creative. - [TN Designs that Get Noticed](https://designups.com/tn-designs-that-get-noticed/): Showcase your Tennessee-themed creativity with an eye-catching design! Here is your complete guide to TN design tips, tricks, and more. - [Do's and Don'ts of Communicating with Your Web Designer for Best Results](https://designups.com/communicate-with-your-website-designer/): A Quality Website is Important for a Business. Here's how to effectively communicate with your website designer for the best results. - [Getting Noticed with Weird Design](https://designups.com/weird-design-good-ux/): When new memories are formed, it's typically because something we experience was different. It's good to push boundaries. Be remembered. - [UX Matters, Make sure website visitors feel valued and heard!](https://designups.com/website-ux-design-visitors/): UX Matters, make sure website visitors feel valued! We have some tips on design and best practices to make sure people stick around. - [Content Before Design: Why It Should Precede in the Design Process](https://designups.com/design-process-content-before-design/): Design Process: Why Content Should Precede Design. We have tips and advice on creating valuable designs without wasting time. - [Web Design: The Effectiveness of Personalized Landing Pages](https://designups.com/creating-web-design-landing-pages/): Web Design: The Effectiveness of Personalized Landing Pages. This form of customization is a great method of engagement. - [Staying Focused: for Designers & Creatives](https://designups.com/staying-focused-for-designers-creatives/): Staying Focused and Time Management for Designers & Creatives. In this article we explore tools and techniques for staying focused. - [Web Developers Pick: The Best Code Editors](https://designups.com/web-developers-pick-best-code-editors/): As web developers we are always interested in the best tools. Here are our picks for the best code editors to use. - [Bad Website Design: UX Trends To Avoid](https://designups.com/bad-website-design-ux-trends-to-avoid/): Bad UX: Web Design Trends To Avoid. Not all design trends are successful. We evaluate and avoid certain trends that aren't effective. - [Is Dark Mode Good for Design?](https://designups.com/dark-mode-design/): Dark Mode. It certainly has become popular, but is it a good thing? Join us as we look at usage to find out. - [Web Design Jobs Nashville: Exploring the Growing Industry](https://designups.com/nashville-growing-web-design-industry/): Nashville has a fast growing web design industry with opportunities for developers and designers to make an impact in music city. - [Future Web Design Trends](https://designups.com/future-web-design-trends/): Websites have become the main way for businesses to communicate. Is your company on trend? Let's review some successful and trendy brands. - [Making a Career Change to Web Development](https://designups.com/career-change-to-web-development/): You may think, is Web Development really for me? It’s not for everyone, but don't let the technical aspects scare you away. - [Great Times at Nashville Design Week 2019](https://designups.com/great-times-at-nashville-design-week-2019/): The 2019 Nashville Design Week was one to remember. Our agency hosted an open house and gave a design presentation. - [Coding Challenge: Infinite Art with SASS](https://designups.com/code-challenge-infinite-art-with-sass/): Using SASS/CSS to quickly create interesting designs & art. - [Nashville Design Week: Let's Get Weird](https://designups.com/nashville-design-week-lets-get-weird/): Nashville Design Week! DesignUps participated in Design Week with a presentation on why uniqueness + vulnerability are important in design. - [Web Development: WordPress, Still the Best Option](https://designups.com/web-development-wordpress-best-option/): There are many web publishing options available, but WordPress is still the best platform for web development. - [Music Industry Designers: A Look at Design in the Music Industry](https://designups.com/design-in-the-music-industry/): Entertainment Industry Design, Why it Matters. Musicians create art in the same way that designers create visuals. We explore the overlap. - [Coding Challenge: Dancing with CSS](https://designups.com/coding-challenge-dancing-with-css/): We love CSS and sometimes writing code for fun is the best way to learn. In this Coding Challenge we will be dancing. - [FEAT: An Art Show by DesignUps](https://designups.com/art-show-by-designers-and-coders/): From June - July 2019 DesignUps hosted a curated art show in Houston Station. Who knew that web designers and coders could paint too?! - [Awwwards Digital Thinkers Conference NYC Recap](https://designups.com/awwwards-digital-thinkers-design-conference-nyc/): Simon Carr is a judge for the international web design awards group Awwwards. He was invited to NYC for the conference for creatives. - [Web Development with CSS and JavaScript](https://designups.com/web-development-css-javascript/): Web developers have lots of tools at their disposal but we find that CSS and JavaScript can handle 99% of the heavy lifting. - [Urban Architecture + Human Interaction: Creating Beautiful Cities](https://designups.com/urban-architecture-and-human-interaction/): Architecture and human interaction design have a lot in common. This combination has created amazing design around the world. - [Nashville Design Week Recap](https://designups.com/nashville-design-week-2018-recap/): DesignUps participated in Nashville Design Week. We held an open house and hosted a talk titled "Design is For People That Love to Learn" - [Design For Happiness: The Holy Grail of UX Design](https://designups.com/designing-for-happiness-ux-design/): Can you design for happiness? UX Design has the power to make strong connections and change perceptions. Let's explore. - [Creative Works Conference in Memphis TN - A Recap](https://designups.com/creative-works-tennessee-designers/): We had a blast at Creative Works Conference in Memphis TN. Getting to meet other designers and hear inspiring stories was a real treat. - [Join DesignUps for Nashville Design Week](https://designups.com/join-designups-for-nashville-design-week/): Nashville Design Week is coming and we are excited to host Nashville area creatives and designers at our office in Houston Station. - [Design Influencers Spotlight #2](https://designups.com/design-influencers-spotlight-2/): We love finding new inspiration. Here's a few fantastic designers and artists that you should definitely check out. - [Logo Design - It's Not Just a Logo](https://designups.com/logo-design-not-just-a-logo/): What is logo design? A logo is an important aspect of any effective marketing model. But a successful logo is more than that - Find out more! - [DesignUps is Going to Creative Works](https://designups.com/designups-is-going-to-creative-works/): We're headed to Creative Works Conference in Memphis TN and we are pretty excited about it. Big names in our industry will be spotlighted. - [Environmental Design - How to reduce waste via good design](https://designups.com/environmental-design-reduce-waste/): Environmental design and sustainability practices allow us as designers and humans to reduce waste. Let's explore our options together. - [E-Book: Design for Email Campaigns](https://designups.com/design-for-email-campaigns/): How to create strong email campaings. Effective digital marketing is essential to any marketing campaign and email is a top channel. - [Art: A Funny Thing in Business](https://designups.com/art-a-funny-thing-in-business/): Art and business does not have to be a dull matter but rather, we can allow for humor and art to provide a sense of positivity. - [Design Trends: Thoughts on Brutalism](https://designups.com/design-trends-thoughts-on-brutalism/): Design trends come and go. Brutalism is well.. brutal. It grabs attention, but not always in a positive way. But does it work? - [Design Influencers Spotlight #1](https://designups.com/design-influencers-spotlight-1/): We love finding great inspiration. Here are some new designers and artists that you should definitely check out. - [For-Profit Social Enterprises: A Sustainable Business Model](https://designups.com/profit-social-enterprises-sustainable-business-model/): For-Profit Social Enterprises. Can it be sustainable? These companies are run like a business but incorporate a social mission. - [Brand Design - Empower The Seekers](https://designups.com/brand-design-empower-the-seekers/): Smart brands empower the seekers to help market their company and product. This article explores this brand design philosophy. - [The Importance of Brand Guidelines for Design](https://designups.com/importance-of-brand-guides-design/): Having clearly defined brand guidelines is essential to creating consistent and cohesive brand strategy and designs. - [2018 Web Design Trends](https://designups.com/2018-web-design-trends/): As technological capabilities increase, more people will have access to an increasingly beautiful web. The 2018 trends were something else. - [Type Design: Hand Lettering](https://designups.com/type-design-hand-lettering/): Type design is an important part of design and branding. In some cases it makes sense to go with a hand drawn element. - [Good Times and Gutenberg at WordCamp US 2017](https://designups.com/gutenberg-wordcamp-us-2017-nashville/): Wordcamp US 2017 was in our hometown of Nashville, TN. We met lots of amazing WordPress developers and learned about Gutenberg. - [5 Design Thinking Fundamentals](https://designups.com/change-process-5-design-thinking-fundamentals/): Design thinking is a philosophy and way of looking at design that allows us to solve problems creatively. Read the article to learn more. - [When is it Time for a Website Redesign?](https://designups.com/website-redesign-nashville/): Every business knows that feeling of dread when your website starts to feel outdated and unloved. Let us help create a new design! - [Our Favorite Recent Rebrands](https://designups.com/favorite-recent-rebrands/): Some companies do rebranding better than others. Here are our picks for the best recent rebrands. So many great branding and design ideas! - [We're Looking for a Talented Intern!](https://designups.com/designer-developer-internship-position-2017/): DesignUps is on the lookout for a Web Designer / Developer Internship. Working with our team on digital design, development and strategy. - [Goal Driven Design for your Website | Design Process & Goals](https://designups.com/goal-driven-design-website/): Every company needs a website, but its important to start the process with the principles of goal-driven design for your website. - [6 Responsive Design Tools for Web Designers](https://designups.com/design-tools-for-web-designers/): We review 7 responsive web design tools. Building a website with these frameworks can make everything work better. - [Our 4 Favorite Design Driven Startups](https://designups.com/our-4-favorite-design-driven-startups/): Read about our favorite 4 design driven startups. These companies have made a name for themselves with exception user experiences. - [Thanks for the Recognition and Awards!](https://designups.com/thanks-recognition-awards/): DesignUps has received multiple awards for their new website design on the WordPress platform. We can help your company get noticed too! - [Simon Carr Joins the CSS Design Awards Judging Panel](https://designups.com/simon-carr-joins-css-design-awards/): Simon Carr, founder of DesignUps has joined the CSS Design Awards Judging Panel. This international panel evaluates website design trends. - [Our Mission as a Web Design Company](https://designups.com/web-design-company-philosophy/): DesignUps is more than a Web Design Company. We implement design thinking & strategy into our creative process and brand development. - [Why Nashville is Perfect for Startups Building a Brand](https://designups.com/nashville-for-startups-building-a-brand/): Nashville, TN is the perfect place for Startups Building a Brand. The access to talented designers and developers is amazing! --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages - Published: 2024-06-25 - Modified: 2024-08-21 - URL: https://designups.com/awesome/ You are awesome Expect correspondence soon! --- > This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when using the DesignUps website. - Published: 2024-06-14 - Modified: 2024-08-27 - URL: https://designups.com/privacy-policy/ Effective date: August 22, 2024 DesignUps (“us”, “we”, or “our”) operates the www. designups. com website (the “Service”). This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our Service and the choices you have associated with that data. We use your data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. Definitions Service Service is the www. designups. com website operated by DesignUps (Pixel Cast Media LLC) Personal Data Personal Data means data about a living individual who can be identified from those data (or from those and other information either in our possession or likely to come into our possession). Usage Data Usage Data is data collected automatically either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit). Cookies Cookies are small pieces of data stored on your device (computer or mobile device). Information Collection and Use We collect several different types of information for various purposes to provide and improve our Service to you. Types of Data Collected PERSONAL DATA While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you (“Personal Data”). Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to: Email address First name and last name Phone number Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code,... --- > DesignUps understands design and branding for the service industry. Having a strong website design is crucial for growing your business. - Published: 2024-05-19 - Modified: 2024-08-21 - URL: https://designups.com/service-industry-designs-branding/ We understand that creating something or selling a service takes skill and dedication. We help service businesses create a strong online presence. Your company website is crucial for growing your products and educating clients about your business. Service Industry Designs That Convert Marketing your products to the online community is an effective way to increase leads. Having a strong website design is crucial for expanding your audience’s knowledge of your product or service, and it sets the tone with your customers. We’re here to help you quickly gain attention, provide clear information, and be visually engaging. We understand the importance of presenting your services effectively, and having and online presence is a major step. We can present your product beautifully across all platforms so that gathering information on your website is seamless and consistent. We provide strong imagery, and our firm understanding of design and how it drives engagement will capture your visitor’s attention. --- > We work with Healthcare companies in Nashville. We have experience developing large healthcare websites + custom development on WordPress. - Published: 2024-05-19 - Modified: 2024-08-21 - URL: https://designups.com/healthcare-design-agency/ Nashville is arguably the capital of U. S. healthcare or the Silicon Valley of healthcare, and DesignUps understands the challenges and expectations in this industry. We work with Healthcare companies in Nashville Companies in the health care industry face competition from emerging technologies and its of critical importance to be ahead of the curve. Our goal is to handle the burden of website development so you can get back to business, where you are needed by doctors and have to focus on patient care. Is your business a member of the nashville health care council? We'd love to help you out. With DesignUps as your partner, we are able to handle your web design, website development, branding, campaign strategy, and all other aspects of successfully marketing your business. We have years of experience working with clients in the healthcare industry, and this understanding allows us to execute solutions that will excite executives as well as casual website visitors. --- > Non-Profit Designer in Nashville. We implement content strategies + design that drive donations and stimulates your audience to engage with your non-profit. - Published: 2024-05-19 - Modified: 2024-08-21 - URL: https://designups.com/non-profit-design-agency/ Let's Make the World Better. We are non-profit designers in Nashville, TN. We implement content strategies and design that drive donations and stimulates your audience to engage with your non-profit. We Share the Values of Non-Profits We recognize the dedication and unique needs of a non-profit. We strive to increase awareness and attract donors by making your website experience as seamless as possible. It can be challenging to engage with your community in this ever-changing technological world. This is why our expertise and comprehensive understanding of technology and web design can benefit your cause. At DesignUps, we know how to implement content strategies and effective design that drives donations and stimulates your audience to learn more about your non-profit. Online fundraising has become the norm, and we can help you take advantage of this method of engaging with your community. You’ll work with designers who are passionate about charitable work and want you to have a successful online presence. Our marketing and digital strategies can expand your non-profit’s effect on the community. Website Design and Development for Nonprofit Companies --- > DesignUps loves creating entertainment websites, with a focus on design and marketing. We work with Nashville area musicians and bands. - Published: 2024-05-19 - Modified: 2024-09-01 - URL: https://designups.com/musicians-bands-entertainment-design/ Let's Rock Together. We know exactly how tough it is for artists in Music City. We provide excellent and affordable tools for marketing music, merchandise and ticket sales. We're Musicians, We Get It We are stationed in the heart of Music City, just a few blocks from Music Row. DesignUps has enjoyed working with many artist and managers in the music business and has created many entertainment websites. We know exactly how tough it is for artists and we can provide excellent and affordable tools for marketing music, merchandise and ticket sales. Our services including building artist websites from scratch, or designing in harmony with existing artwork from album releases or press kits. Our experienced web design team will be able to provide great entertainment websites that help build your audience. All sites are built on WordPress which allows easy content editing, bloging or posting new tunes online. With a bit of help from us, you will be able to focus on your passion. Rock on! Live Entertainment Design Our team of creative web designers have a lot of expertise working in the field of live entertainment design. When working with event venues, record labels or ticketing companies we have several options for building custom events driven websites. Our experience in the entertainment industry has produced results for small artists and famed venues such as the Ryman Auditorium. The Ryman website was featured as a "webpick" on Communication Arts. --- > We love working with technology companies. We do web design for technology companies to help market products and connect customers. - Published: 2024-05-19 - Modified: 2024-08-21 - URL: https://designups.com/technology-design-agency/ We are Passionate About Technology. Working with technology companies is the core of our business. We use technology on a daily basis and understand tech design for startups and applications. We Partner With Technology Companies Working with technology companies is the core of our business. We do a lot of web design for technology companies and care about partnering with companies who are innovating. Our experience in the technology field includes startups, fin tech companies, healthcare technology, marketing technology and product technology. When designing a website for a tech company we take time to focus on the user experience, load speed and other intangibles. Many technology companies work in a constant cycle of developing and optimizing their products. Because of the intense focus, it makes sense to partner with a company like DesignUps so that the technical experts can get back to building amazing products. Our team of web developer experts crafts modern technology websites and application designs. When we partner with technology companies our track record points to an increase in customer conversions and an increase in brand loyalty. To stay ahead of the curve, contact us for a strategy session. --- > Are you looking for the premier Nashville web design company? Our agency has experts in website design and development. - Published: 2024-05-14 - Modified: 2024-09-10 - URL: https://designups.com/web-design-nashville/ Web Design in Nashville: Crafting Masterpieces that Captivate & Convert We use creativity and technology to form websites in Nashville that captivate your audience, enhance user engagement, and drive conversions. Let us transform your online presence into an unforgettable experience that stands out in the digital world. Create Engaging Websites with Web Design Services in Nashville We build digital experiences seamlessly integrated with powerful tools like WordPress, HubSpot, WooCommerce, and Shopify. Our expert web developers and designers understand the true value of user experience, content management, usability, and driving conversions. We are masters of responsive design techniques, ensuring your website looks and performs beautifully on any device, whether it's a mobile phone or a desktop computer. Take the meaningful route and connect with your audience— turn your visitors into loyal customers. We will help you achieve your goals by focusing on creating engaging, user-friendly interfaces and leveraging the latest in web technologies. How Web Design Can Turn the Marketing Game Around A well-designed website attracts visitors and builds trust and credibility. It reflects the professionalism and quality of your brand, influencing visitors' perceptions and decisions. A visually appealing website can improve user experience, making it easier for visitors to find the necessary information. Moreover, web design impacts your site's performance and accessibility. By prioritizing usability, accessibility, and aesthetics, web design enhances user satisfaction and contributes to the success of your online presence, helping you achieve your business goals. Our Core Principles We follow a set of core principles that drive... --- --- ## Posts > A well-designed logo is crucial for building a brand identity. Hire professional logo designers in Nashville, TN for you company’s logo. - Published: 2025-06-24 - Modified: 2025-07-07 - URL: https://designups.com/best-logo-design-in-nashville-tn/ - Categories: Branding, Design Understanding the Importance of Logo Design A well-designed logo is crucial for building a strong brand identity and establishing a memorable impression. A company's logo can make or break a business, as it is often the first visual representation of a company that customers see. Potential customers may see your logo on social media, advertisements, business cards, videos or even billboards. Professional logo designers can help to you to differentiate your business from its competitors and establish a unique brand identity. Working with qualified designers also means that you will have access to build additional marketing materials, including business cards, websites, and social media assets. Some businesses will want to copyright their logo or brand mark to make sure it is protected from being used by competitors. The Logo Design Process The logo design process typically begins with a consultation, where the designer can gain an understanding the client’s brand vision and goals. Next is the research and discovery phase, where the designer will explore existing solutions and establish a new and unique path for their clients. Once a path has been established, the designer will then create multiple logo design concepts for the client to review and provide feedback on. The designer will refine the design based on the client’s feedback until a final logo design is agreed upon. At the end of the logo design process the designer builds the final package for the logo files which typically includes high-resolution raster images and vectors in several formats, and... --- > We created an event design website offering trip booking for adventure lovers. Fernweh creates guided expeditions across the country! - Published: 2024-12-03 - Modified: 2024-12-03 - URL: https://designups.com/fernweh-event-design-website/ - Categories: Design Bringing the Outdoors Online: A Web Design Project for Guided Adventures When you think about guided outdoor expeditions—whether it's hiking, kayaking, or stargazing—you probably picture people in awe of nature, exploring stunning landscapes with expert guides. However, outdoor expeditions can be completely customizable with the help of experts who create guided adventures which is exactly what our newest client, Fernweh, does! We worked with Fernweh to create a dynamic website design that allows people discover their services, book trips, and get excited about their next outdoor journey. Here’s how we built a site that captures the spirit of the outdoors while making it super easy to book a trip! Getting Inside the Adventurer’s Mind Before diving into design and development, we had to understand the audience. Fernweh offers guided trips for people who love the outdoors, whether they’re seasoned adventurers or newbies looking to explore something new. These adventurers are usually on the lookout for more than just a fun activity—they’re seeking an experience that connects them with nature and gives them that sense of awe and discovery. We wanted the site to reflect the thrill and beauty of outdoor adventures while also making the booking process as smooth as possible. No one wants to be stuck on a confusing website when they’re planning their next epic trip! What We Wanted the Site to Do 1. Show Off the Beauty of Nature Let’s face it—when you’re booking a trip into the wild, you want to feel the adventure before you... --- > We worked for months on end to rebrand our company and design a new website. Our website design is now featured on Awwwards and the FWA. - Published: 2024-09-12 - Modified: 2024-09-12 - URL: https://designups.com/designups-agency-featured-on-awwwards/ - Categories: Design We Have Some Big News We worked for months on end to rebrand our company and now people are noticing. Today our website is featured on Awwwards as a Nominee. Want to support us? You can do so by voting for our website here. Awwwards recognizes the talent and effort of the best web designers, developers and agencies in the world. FWA Feature Our website is also featured on the FWA site as well! Check it out here. More Recognition We have also received recognition from other web design industry publications: Website of the Day by Top CSS Gallery Special Kudos by CSS Design Awards Star Award by CSS Winner Thanks so much for recognizing our hard work, we couldn't be more proud! --- > Branding is important for any business, and we put a lot of thought into how we want to be perceived. Check out the new look. - Published: 2024-09-12 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/designups-rebrand/ - Categories: Branding - Tags: branding, rebrand A New Look with Purpose Our brand identity is the foundation of the entire DesignUps experience. The DesignUps origin story began in 2009 when founder Simon Carr was working on music row in Nashville, TN. In the early days the company was known as work/by/simon. After a couple of successful years it became obvious that the brand needed to evolve to be less personal and more aspirational. In 2012 the transition to the DesignUps brand began. It felt good to have a new identity, but it was only the beginning of a new chapter. Today DesignUps is recognized as a leader in interactive design and development. Our previous brand served us well for nearly a decade, but our ambitious view for the future created a need for a new presence. Defining our Brand Definition of DesignUps DesignUps (noun). Design for an upward trajectory, or an aspirational sentiment. Achieving with design. Our brand name is a combination of two words which both imply movement. The name DesignUps is unique because it can have many interpretations, but above all it is memorable and thought provoking. DesignUps Logo Lockup Our Symbol and Logotype We choose to base the updated brandmark around the idea of upward movement and being elevated by design. The brandmark symbolizes our focus on technology with reference to a mouse cursor, while also being simplistic and open to interpretation. We believe that the brandmark captures our ambition and passion. DesignUps Logo Animation Bringing the Logo to Life Cool logo, but... --- > Our Mission as a creative design agency. We believe in the power of design to inform, influence and change the world around us. - Published: 2024-09-05 - Modified: 2024-09-09 - URL: https://designups.com/mission-statement-design-core-values/ - Categories: Marketing We believe in the power of design to inform, influence and change the world around us. Our Mission DesignUps' mission is to unite vision, strategy and design to create meaningful impact. We help companies become the leader in their field by providing insightful design solutions and building engaging digital experiences. Our focus on technology and innovation creates measurable results for the companies we work with. We are committed to helping brands, companies and organizations rise to the top of their fields through visual design, branding and communications expertise. Our unique approach combines technologic innovation and strategic thinking to clearly communicate your brand’s mission and values. Design is more than just how something looks, it's an experience that leaves a lasting impression. Core Values of our Design Agency As a creative agency we understand that our ideas and processes are a key component to our mission and success. We have distilled our core values to three simple but important elements. These core values help to differentiate our agency from competitors and provide a fresh perspective. Collaboration We take the time to listen to our partners and figure things out together. Every successful project involves some type of collaboration and we enjoy working with other designers, developers, account managers and marketing managers. If you are looking to hire a design agency, it is critical to make sure that you can have open and honest conversations. We work directly with business owners to understand their obstacles and help solve problems together. A great... --- > DesignUps is a full-service creative agency in Nashville, TN. Nashville web design solutions and brand strategy are our expertise. - Published: 2024-09-02 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/meet-the-creative-design-team/ - Categories: Team DesignUps We are a full-service creative agency in one of the fastest growing cities in America. We live, work and play in Nashville, TN where musicians come to realize their dreams and people from all over the world come to experience the unique culture of music city. Our creative design team are experts who are committed to developing creative assets, engaging stories and strategic designs. Each project is important and has its own goals and target audience. We work directly with business owners to understand their struggles and help craft solutions that deliver results. Our belief is that you don't need to hire a large agency to get amazing creative services. Many times, having more people involved just means more noise and more conflicting ideas. We believe that the combination of our experience and tight-knit team allows us to deliver world-class results for our clients. Ready to meet the people who make the creative solutions? Simon Carr / Design Director Simon is an O. G. designer with 30 years of experience designing and building interactive experiences. Sometime in the early 90s Simon got a copy of photoshop and also taught himself how to code. Ever since then he has been constantly creating. For friends, clients and himself. During Simon’s career path he has worked on creative projects ranging from animated music videos, to developing Beyonce’s website in 2009. He has served as an international design judge for both Awwwards and CSS Design Awards. Outside of work, Simon loves to explore and... --- > Motion Design for Brands and Campaigns. Why aren't you taking advantage of this opportunity to Innovate? - Published: 2024-08-15 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/motion-design-for-brands-campaigns-nashville/ - Categories: Motion Design One effective way to cut through today’s cluttered media environment is by adding motion graphics to your design campaign. One day, a customer visited us for assistance, and we showcased how motion graphics could enhance their campaign, setting them apart from the competition. At risk of coming across as a gimmick if overused or used carelessly, adding a few motion graphics or video can add a differentiating aspect to your design that can set you apart from your competition. Adding some finishing touches are a great way to make a website stand out in today’s crowded market. Video and animations can expand or freshen up a design campaign as there are many ways motion graphics can be easily added into your campaign during the preliminary design process or afterward. Statistics about video consumption are telling. The advantage video has in being highly shareable is also a convincing statistic as “Social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined. ”(Brightcove). Video is a compelling, entertaining, and engaging medium. Find other services offered by DesignUps to enhance your design and marketing efforts. Video and movement are a powerful way to gain attention and convey information. Video invokes a strong instinctual psychological response, so why not use these instincts to your advantage to convey an important message and get better results for your design or marketing campaign? We offer a comprehensive range of services at DesignUps, including consulting, design, bindery, scanning, archiving, packaging, fulfillment, and IT support. We are in what... --- > When starting a new creative project it is a good idea to facilitate the design process with a mood board. - Published: 2024-08-07 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/facilitate-design-process-with-a-mood-board/ - Categories: Design Visually representing inspiration through a mood board is the most effective way to convey your design ideas in the actual design process. To create mood boards, you can use both digital and physical formats to gather inspiration and align team visions. It becomes even more critical when working with a team of creatives in which everyone has their hands in the design process. Sometimes even your client doesn’t have a specific visual direction in mind. Creating a mood board can quickly get everyone on the same page and facilitate a smoother, more collaborative approach to any design project. What is a Mood Board? A visual tool to communicate design concepts and ideas A mood board is a powerful visual tool that encapsulates the aesthetic, tone, and atmosphere of a project. It’s essentially a curated collection of images, colors, textures, and sometimes even typography that collectively evoke a specific mood or feeling. Designers, illustrators, photographers, and filmmakers often use mood boards to communicate their creative vision and inspire their work. By visually representing the desired outcome, mood boards make abstract ideas more concrete and accessible. A way to build consensus and facilitate emotional connection Mood boards are invaluable for building consensus among design teams and stakeholders. They provide a clear visual direction, ensuring that everyone involved in the project is on the same page. This alignment is crucial, especially when the client or team members have different interpretations of the project’s goals. Additionally, mood boards help facilitate an emotional connection with... --- > What Makes a Successful Rebrand? We've gathered examples and have some thoughts on the brands evolution. Are you looking to rebrand? - Published: 2024-07-25 - Modified: 2025-07-07 - URL: https://designups.com/what-makes-a-successful-rebrand/ - Categories: Branding - Tags: branding, rebrand Rebranding is tough. What makes a successful rebrand? The solutions may be very different, depending on the goals you want to achieve. In this blog post we will examine the motivations behind rebranding and why or why not it may be needed. Changing the appearance of an established brand can be a bit daunting. The first step is to decide if you do indeed need to rebrand, and why. Once you get that down, you’re just about halfway there. The rebranding process involves significant changes and updates to reshape your identity and public perception. Your audience will let you know when you are doing things right (or wrong), so a good approach to finding out might be to talk to them about how you can better serve their needs and then ask yourself how you can best provide for them. Understanding Rebranding Rebranding is a strategic move that gives a company a fresh look and feel. It involves changing your name, logo, or overall image to create a new identity that better fits your goals and resonates with your audience. Rebranding can be a response to changes in the market, industry, or consumer preferences. A successful rebrand can significantly boost brand recognition, loyalty, and revenue. By aligning your brand with current trends and customer expectations, you can ensure that your business remains relevant and competitive. Here are a few signs you may be ready for a new logo rebrand: 1. Your company seems dated compared to competitors in your industry.... --- > By common law, a logo is trademarked when it's deemed finished. Using the logo in commerce and proving the logo creation, date and time helps. - Published: 2024-07-22 - Modified: 2024-09-09 - URL: https://designups.com/business-need-logo-copyright-trademark/ - Categories: Branding Branding identity: The logo copyright question. A guide to protecting your business Your business just worked with a designer to create a great new identity for your company. But that doesn't mean you own the copyright to the logo! There is a simple process to follow that ensures you have full legal control over your logo. Having your new logo trademarked can seem like a difficult process. However the steps are fairly simple, and our agency has expertise in this area. We are not lawyers (and you should definitely consult with one) but our thoughts on logo trademarks can help many businesses understand the process. Our branding process involves naming for new businesses and creating unique brand marks. Some businesses may find an advantage in having their logo and brand protected with a trademark. The company name or logo can be registered, in conjunction with trademark attorneys. How to Copyright a Logo Did you know that copyright is an automatic right at the moment the design of the logo is deemed finished? You will need to be able to prove that you created the logo and the date of creation. That’s all there is to it! Copyright is an automatic right under international law, but you must prove ownership by showing you created the logo and the date. Registering with the U. S. Copyright Office can provide additional protection. It is important to note that copyright protects the design and originality of your logo, but not the name of your... --- > A recent branding project for Wild Lavender Interiors in Nashville, TN. Visual identity and branding are important for new businesses. - Published: 2024-07-12 - Modified: 2024-09-09 - URL: https://designups.com/recent-branding-projects-interior-designer-nashville/ - Categories: Branding We've been busy helping new companies get off the ground. Branding is one of the most important aspects of setting up a new business. Branding affects how people view the company, whether or not it is memorable and it helps to form lasting connections with clients and buyers. Wild Lavender Interiors We were approach by Ailen Niedfeld about branding for her fast growing interior design business. Ailen described her style as classic and elevated. Laying the Groundwork We took inspiration from examples of the interiors designs Ailen has created in the past, sampling the color palette directly from her work. When presenting initial ideas to clients we like to create mood boards. For this project we included samples of elegant serif fonts and color palette options as well. What's Next? After gathering feedback from the mood board, we used that direction to guide the branding elements. We refined the color choices and narrowed down the typography. While reviewing the logo concepts we were challenged by Ailen to incorporate more organic shapes into the logo. The idea of a realistic lavender branch was an integral part of the final logo design. The Result We evaluated all options and presented them to the client. The final touches involved making sure that the organic shapes tied in neatly with the logo typography. Additional Branding Elements After finalizing the logo, we explored how the brand designs would translate as a social media icon, business cards and other promotional materials. How will the brand evolve?... --- > The number has risen exponentially and this will only continue as the demand for clothes does. - Published: 2024-04-24 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/how-design-is-forever-linked-with-fashion/ - Categories: Design According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were about 20,560 fashion designers working in the United States as of May 2022. The number has risen exponentially and this will only continue as the demand for clothes does. But how does fashion affect the job of the everyday graphic designer? Well, fashion is just as much of an art as design. Francis Bacon even said once that “Fashion is only the attempt to realize art in living forms and social intercourse. ” Both being facets of art and reflections of society, fashion and design are linked in a number of ways and seem to become more and more visually and conceptually linked every day. The job of the graphic designer can relate to that of a fashion designer in that design can directly apply to fashion, their basics overlap, and they can and do have similar inspirations. Design Applies to Fashion The most obvious and direct examples of this link are the countless times that fashion designers have partnered directly with artists and brand designers to create outfits featuring their work. One example of this that will forever live in the memory of all who love fashion or art is when contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama teamed up with Louis Vuitton in 2012 to create a fashion line incorporating her signature polka-dots. Louis Vuitton, a very well known high-end brand, has notably made a habit of featuring artists' designs. (Image from louisvuitton. com) This phenomenon of designs being used... --- > Influencers are a critical component of branding, and finding the right influencer can help build your business and consumer demand. - Published: 2024-04-17 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/influencer-culture-design-trend/ - Categories: Branding Gigi Hadid on the cover of the first issue of Vogue Arabia Being an Influencer: Complications In a world increasingly molded, shaped, and dissected through social media, we have seen a rise in the importance of the “Influencer” in building and developing our cultural norms. An entire new sector of celebrity has been created in which individuals like Danielle Bernstein of WeWoreWhat or Vanessa Hong of the Haute Pursuit have found fame by building immense numbers of followers on Instagram and their corresponding fashion / lifestyle blogs. On the other end, entire families like the Kardashians / Jenners have seen a rise to fame by doing nothing more than growing up entirely under the public eye and proceeding to be unabashedly themselves despite bouts of controversy. In a New York Times article “The Rise and (Maybe) Fall of Influencers,” Vanessa Friedman tackles the discussion of influencer culture and the interaction between the personal and business sides of being a cultural icon. The article sets off by discussing photographer Mario Testino’s choice to feature Kendall Jenner on the 10th anniversary cover of Vogue India. Naturally, Jenner faced backlash as people were appalled that Vogue was unable to find a singular Indian model to be on the cover of such a paramount issue. However, Friedman considers whether Jenner is truly at fault or if Vogue or even only Mario Testino are to blame for being insensitive to a culture. The article proceeds to discuss a plethora of other ad campaigns in which... --- > Top Nonprofit Web Solutions: A Comprehensive Guide to Building a Successful Online Presence. Learn about website nonprofit branding. - Published: 2024-03-18 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/website-nonprofit-guide-to-building-online-presence/ - Categories: Web Design Setting Goals and Objectives Your nonprofit has big plans, but before you can fully engage in your mission it’s critical to have rock-solid goals and objectives. Define Your Mission and Vision To build a successful brand you have to define your mission and vision. This begins with clearly articulating your nonprofit’s goals through the creation of a mission statement and a vision statement. Defining these statements will help you ensure that your website aligns with the organization’s mission and supports your operations. Identify Your Target Audience Who does your nonprofit serve? You must understand your audience’s needs, preferences and their behaviors. Creating a persona will help you identify your target audience and you can use this persona (or ideal customer) to guide your website design, branding and content. Your content strategy can be developed based around what you have learned about your target audience. Determine Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) How do you measure success, or know that you are making progress? The best approach is to establish metrics that will allow you to measure website success for donations, engagement and conversions. These key performance metrics are also critical in terms of tracking website analytics so that you can monitor progress and make data-driven decisions. One important consideration is to set realistic goals and benchmarks for your website’s performance. Choosing the Right Nonprofit Web Design Agency What to Look for in a Nonprofit Web Design Agency Choosing the right partner to help elevate your nonprofit can be a challenge. One... --- > Learn how we approach branding through the development of brand assets, brand style guides and how to promote and grow your brand - Published: 2024-02-02 - Modified: 2025-07-02 - URL: https://designups.com/brand-creation-essentials-guide/ - Categories: Branding Why Focus on Branding? A strong brand has consistent voice, allowing your audience to get the same experience across all of the channels that your brand exists in. Step 1: Define Your Brand Foundation Outline your brand’s purpose and create a mission statement that outlines the goals and direction of the company. Your core values will help you to identify your target audience and their needs. Once critical thing to do is develop a unique value proposition (UVP) that sets your brand apart. The make-up of your audience will help define the ideal imagery and tone to use when communicating to potential clients. Another important aspect is to research your competitors and market trends. Find businesses that share similar audiences and learn about their marketing practices. If your competitors have a website, make sure to evaluate the key words and terms they use along with their tone of voice and marketing message. When creating your own brand foundation, focus on your most unique services and build a strategy that sets your brand apart from the rest. Step 2: Develop Your Brand Identity After you have created a brand positioning statement that defines your brand’s unique value proposition it is time to refine the brand identity. Your brand identity or logo design will be the first thing many people see, and will be the foundation for your brand. It should emphasize your brand’s core values to connect to your audience. We recently wrote a post about the importance of logo design.... --- > Having a well-designed website is important for your business. It can be a great advertisement for the goods & services your company offers. - Published: 2024-01-29 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/why-web-design-is-important-for-business/ - Categories: Design, Development Does your website have an impact on your business? In a word, yes! Developing a well-designed website for a business is imperative since modern technology has ultimately changed the way business is conducted. Consumers have adapted to the digital age, so it’s time for you too. It’s important to know the many advantages of having a website and how it can take your business to the next level. Having a solid web presence can be a great advertisement for the goods and services your company delivers. The website can also lead to conversions, whether that is a contact form, or ordering goods and services. A successful business website should also establish and proclaim the values and brand your business represents. Having a well thought out, easy to use website is essential for your business and it’s important to plan and create actionable goals for your website. 97 percent of consumers go online to find a local business, so you better have a website for those consumers to visit. Consumers will find you more professional, and it’s been proven that a company can make almost 4 times as much revenue with an online presence. 30 percent of consumers won’t even consider you if you don’t exist online. Since the majority of consumers use websites to locate and engage with a business, you’re losing revenue and customers if you simply can’t be searched. Additionally, a company's credibility is often based on its web design, with 75 percent of users making snap judgments... --- > Kelsey talks about tips for creating effective typography: Why typography is important, the basics of typography design and more. - Published: 2023-11-15 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/tips-for-creating-effective-typography/ - Categories: Design What is Typography? Design-wise, typography is the visual style or stylization of text. It is all around us from the menu at your favorite restaurant to the shampoo bottle in your shower. Still, it can be one of the hardest things to work and experiment with when you first start designing. The importance of typography is something that designers must understand and learn master over time. Typography is the art and science of arranging typefaces to communicate a message effectively. Selecting appropriate typefaces for body copy is crucial to enhance readability and user experience. Definition and Importance of Typography in Design Typography is the art and science of arranging typefaces to communicate a message effectively. It is a crucial aspect of design, as it can make or break the visual appeal and readability of a text. Good typography is essential in design, as it helps to establish a strong visual hierarchy, provides a graphic balance to the website, and sets the product’s overall tone. It also plays a significant role in building brand recognition, influencing decision-making, and holding the attention of readers. In essence, good typography reinforces the message you want to convey, making it more engaging and easier to understand. Whether you are designing a website, a brochure, or a product label, the way you arrange your text can significantly impact how your audience perceives and interacts with your content. By paying attention to typography, you can create designs that are not only visually appealing but also effective in... --- > Creating a visual brand identity is a difficult task. Here are some thoughts on how to start the branding process & best practices. - Published: 2023-07-06 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/creating-a-visual-brand-identity/ - Categories: Branding, Design A visual brand identity is the set of visual elements that define a brand. This can include logos, color palettes, fonts, and other graphic elements. These elements are of much importance because they completely define a brand’s first impression to a client or customer. This can make these identities difficult to design because there is so much thought that must go into them. You must think about the customers or clients of the company and you must think about the company itself, ensuring that the design choices align with the brand's personality. What is Visual Identity? Visual identity refers to the visual elements that represent a brand, including its logo, color palette, typography, imagery, and physical brand assets. These elements work together to create a cohesive visual identity that communicates a brand’s message and values to its target audience. A strong visual identity is essential for building brand recognition and creating a consistent brand image. It helps to differentiate a brand from its competitors and ensures that the brand’s personality is clearly conveyed. By carefully selecting and combining these visual elements, businesses can create a visual identity that resonates with their audience and supports their overall branding efforts. Why Does Developing a Visual Brand Identity Matter? Developing a visual brand identity is crucial for any business aiming to establish a strong brand presence. A well-designed visual identity can create a positive first impression, build trust and credibility with customers, and set a brand apart from its competitors. It communicates a... --- > Creativity is crucial for designers. The creative process is important, so are goals and inspiration. Learn how we refuel and stay creative. - Published: 2023-06-24 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/maximum-creativity-staying-creative/ - Categories: Design Inspiration If you work in a creative field, keeping a consistent stream of creativity is important. But it can take a lot of energy to come up with new ideas and execute them efficiently every day. So how do you stay creative and not run out the fuel you need to keep going? Try a New Process The process you use can have a great effect on your final output. If you're stuck on a problem and your normal way of doing things isn’t generating results you want, switch up the process. Use some new tools or try using techniques that are outside of you comfort zone. When you change the process, you give more room for new ideas to develop and create new pathways to a wider variety of design solutions. Look to Nature Take a walk or hike and get out in nature. Nature is full of all kinds of patterns and forms and you may find inspiration in some unexpected places. The exercise can also help to burn off any frustration and boost creativity. Take Time to Relax It's good to take some time to breathe. Not every minute has to be extremely productive. Kick back, watch a new show, or play a game. Do something that is enjoyable to unwind before you get back into the grind. Focus On a Hobby Put some effort into a passion project, even if it’s only 30 minutes a day. Creating things you are proud of will make you happy. It... --- > Showcase your Tennessee-themed creativity with an eye-catching design! Here is your complete guide to TN design tips, tricks, and more. - Published: 2023-05-17 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/tn-designs-that-get-noticed/ - Categories: Design You can express your unique vision and Tennessee pride in the form of creative design. With this complete guide to TN design, you'll find all the tips and resources to create a memorable, eye-catching Tennessee-themed design. Incorporate Tennessee Symbols. One of the best ways to instantly add an extra hint of Tennessee pride to any design is by incorporating symbols associated with the state. From famous images like Elvis Presley and the Dollywood theme park, to notable images such as mountains, guitars and state flags, there are lots of options when it comes to adding distinctive symbols. Incorporate these symbols into your design in such a way that they stand out - so that anyone viewing your design can quickly recognize it's Tennessee-themed. Sample of western style font 'Dude' by Dan Gneiding Use Interesting Typefaces and Fonts. When it comes to designing a Tennessee-themed project, you should not underestimate the power of typography. By utilizing typefaces and fonts inspired by the state, you can further emphasize the local flavor of your design. Look for both traditional and modern renditions of western and vintage typefaces as well as retro-inspired fonts that evoke a sense of Nashville and country music culture. Additionally, be sure to pair your chosen font with complementary colors to add vibrancy, contrast and interest to your design. Add Visual Interest with Textures and Patterns. Another great way to give your Tennessee design a local flavor is to incorporate textures and patterns in the form of shapes and illustrations.... --- > A Quality Website is Important for a Business. Here's how to effectively communicate with your website designer for the best results. - Published: 2022-11-02 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/communicate-with-your-website-designer/ - Categories: Design The art of communicating the do's and don'ts with your business’s website designer is a science. That’s why we here at DesignUps have developed this brief guide to help you along in that journey – all in order to ensure the final product will be exactly what you’re looking for – new leads and increased sales. A Quality Website is Important for a Business and Website Visitors In this day and age, if your company does not have a well-designed website where potential customers can familiarize themselves with your brand – and the goods and services you offer – you will be forever looking up at your competitors from a severe disadvantage. Therefore, it is imperative you invest in your website’s design. This is where a website designer will come in – in order to help you achieve that vision your business needs. A well-designed website also plays a crucial role in digital marketing, enhancing user experience and helping to retain visitors. Choosing the Right Web Designer What to Look for in a Web Designer When searching for a web designer, it’s essential to find someone who truly understands your business goals and target market. A good web designer should not only create a visually appealing website but also ensure it provides a great user experience for your website visitors. Here are some key things to look for in a web designer: A Strong Portfolio: Review their previous work to see if their style aligns with your vision. A diverse... --- > When new memories are formed, it's typically because something we experience was different. It's good to push boundaries. Be remembered. - Published: 2022-10-02 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/weird-design-good-ux/ - Categories: Art, Design What makes great design memorable? Maybe it comes through in some unique process or technique, or perhaps you have that special style that was developed over years of practice. Whatever it is, something about it shines through. And let’s be honest. When we pick our favorite work, either our own or from others, it’s probably... well, kind of weird. Here's a list of some weird and unique designs that we love: Sagmeister & Walsh We couldn’t really have a blog post about weird design without mentioning Sagmeister & Walsh, whose agency created some of the strangest and bold designs around. Their name is almost synonymous with 'weird design'. But that’s also part of what makes the work so memorable. That, plus the high levels of practical craft that goes into their design. More on Sagmeister & Walsh Left: Obsessions Make My Life Worse And My Work Better, 2008 Right: Book Cover - Things I have learned in my life so far, 2008 Frank Gehry The contemporary buildings by Frank Gehry take on shapes that seem to defy almost every conceivable architectural rule. The twisted and abstract forms create a contrast to stand out against the surrounding and more regular cityscape. More About Frank Gehry Left: Stata Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Right: Dancing House, Prague, Czech Republic Louis Wain Wain's name as 'The Man Who Drew Cats' is definitely well earned. The late 19th to early 20th century artist left behind 1000s of illustrations of cats in many different styles.... --- > UX Matters, make sure website visitors feel valued! We have some tips on design and best practices to make sure people stick around. - Published: 2022-09-10 - Modified: 2025-07-07 - URL: https://designups.com/website-ux-design-visitors/ - Categories: Web Design It’s important to understand your customers while remaining inclusive. Human’s want to feel respected in their daily lives, and they want to feel accepted when visiting your website as well. If a user feels that your content doesn’t respect who they are, they’ll probably go and find another website that does. This is why it’s critical to be mindful of the many ways you can ensure users feel valued. Effective UX design not only enhances customer satisfaction but also drives successful lead generation and overall business performance. You can start by editing your content to eliminate any verbiage that makes assumptions about the reader. While marketing uses assumptions and judgements to cater to a target audience, it can be easy to scare off users with offhanded remarks. Users may view a call-out or judgmental statement as arrogance. Make sure that your tone remains accepting and less narrow-minded, and it could open up a larger audience. Show users that you respect their time through efficient use of content and navigation. First and foremost, it’s crucial that every page on your site loads quickly. Your users will often view a page not loading in 5 seconds or less as a reason to go find another website that won’t take up more of their time. Additionally, browser compatibility issues can frustrate users if your site doesn’t function properly across different web browsers. Users are often searching for a quick solution or answer, and then they’ll go back to their day. This is why... --- > Design Process: Why Content Should Precede Design. We have tips and advice on creating valuable designs without wasting time. - Published: 2022-05-24 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/design-process-content-before-design/ - Categories: Digital Marketing Many will argue what should come first: content or design? When creating a website, both go hand-in-hand and are the main influences to visitors. It’s easy to get excited about the design of a project and forget about the content, and you may intentionally want to wait to see how the content fits. The content, however, has such an impact on design, that designing around all the content will most likely be a more beneficial tactic. It’s true that design without content won’t serve a purpose in the online world. Users are looking for a specific solution to a problem or searching for a topic on their mind, so design alone won’t get you search results. We understand you’re looking for high conversion rates and search engine rankings, so both design and content need to be considered in your process. For the initial stages of your site however, you may need to choose a focus for things to take off. Design may be a foundation for content creators to write on, but the design is arguably more influenced by the content than vice-versa. Conducting a Competitive Analysis by exploring competitors websites can provide valuable insights into effective design and content strategies. Your website primarily exists to serve content to the user, and design serves to support the content. For design to be effective, it needs to have an understanding of the content so that they both excel. Visitors should be drawn in to your website by the design, but keep... --- > Web Design: The Effectiveness of Personalized Landing Pages. This form of customization is a great method of engagement. - Published: 2022-01-10 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/creating-web-design-landing-pages/ - Categories: Digital Marketing Landing pages provide unique engagement with the visitor, and personalization of this is a great to way create effective marketing. Your landing page serves to cater to the visitor’s specific needs. With this, you can speak to them directly and showcase attentiveness and trust automatically. Instead of having general verbiage and content on your site, you can provide a customized experience by personalizing many aspects of your marketing strategy. An important use of personalization is through your calls to action. Personalized elements in this marketing technique are proven to drive conversions, by 42% to be exact. (Hubspot) You can tailor you calls to action by gathering the user’s location, referral source, and device. You can even gather more personal information from a visitor once they sign up for subscriptions or fill out forms. This means you can build trust by calling them out by name, or refer to their location to provide content based on this. You can use analytics to gather information about your visitors and track habits. An Airbnb landing page generated by user location. Now that you’ve gathered this information, how do you use it on your site? It’s effective to personalize content, offers, thank you pages, and suggesting related articles. For instance, you know that a visitor has viewed a couple of blog posts, and you can now link other suggested blogs or pages that contain any matching phrases and content. Take things up a notch and even call the user and their habits out with... --- > Staying Focused and Time Management for Designers & Creatives. In this article we explore tools and techniques for staying focused. - Published: 2021-11-22 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/staying-focused-for-designers-creatives/ - Categories: Design Inspiration So you’ve set your goals for the New Year and started feeling ambitious. Now, have you already felt that momentum slip away and you can’t seem to get back into work-mode after the holidays? There are some helpful ways to combat the many distractions in your way, and that starts with creating the right workspace. The environment you work in is the base for how you manage your time. Let some natural light into your office space, and make sure your desk and chair are comfortable and ergonomic. Working from your couch or a cluttered room is a recipe for many distractions, so tidying up and organizing your space can help keep your mind from wondering. If other people inhabit your space, make sure you have boundaries and “office hours” set so that you have the space you need to focus on your work. Don’t let your social life and related technologies let your mind stray. Set a time or break each day to catch up on social calls and emails, and it’s probably best to check your personal social media accounts at the end of the working day. It’s easy to find yourself scrolling through Facebook or Instagram for far longer than you anticipated, so reducing the temptation will certainly increase your workflow. Try using the Google Chrome extension, StayFocused, to block certain sites or set time limits on browsing. You can also turn off Push Notifications and keep your phone on silent. If you’re the type of person... --- > As web developers we are always interested in the best tools. Here are our picks for the best code editors to use. - Published: 2021-07-16 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/web-developers-pick-best-code-editors/ - Categories: Development There are several code editors out there that will impact your workflow and productivity. To select the code editor that’s best for you, you should find one that’s customizable, clearly shows where edits need to be made, and has an intuitive user experience. Consider some of these best code editors that are around in 2020 based on price and features. Sublime Text Sublime Text is one of the most popular code editors out there. It has high speed, stability, and customizability; but it will cost you $80 for a license to use it. You can however use their free indefinite preview if you don’t mind regular pop-ups asking about payment. It may be worth it as Sublime Text is extremely extensible, and you can utilize numerous plugins to customize your experience and code more efficiently. Visit Sublime Text Atom Atom is a great free option for a code editor, and it’s an open source software developed by GitHub. Stylistically it resembles Sublime Text, but it also easily integrates with Git and GitHub. The software launches slower than other editors, but the stability and speed have improved since its initial development. Atom’s ease-of-use, reliability, and zero price tag make it a great contender for code editing. Visit Atom Brackets Brackets is another great free option and Adobe’s version of an open-source code editor. It looks sleek and is well suited for Mac users, while it also focuses primarily on front end technologies. It offers quick CSS editing without having to spend... --- > Bad UX: Web Design Trends To Avoid. Not all design trends are successful. We evaluate and avoid certain trends that aren't effective. - Published: 2020-09-06 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/bad-website-design-ux-trends-to-avoid/ - Categories: Web Design Out with the old and in the with the new. It’s a brand new year and a great time to say goodbye to some web design trends. Adapting to new technology and features is an important step in the web industry. It can be difficult to let things go, but we think it’s time to move on from outdated techniques like annoying pop-ups, stereotypical stock photos, and mobile sites without PWA’s. Marie Kondo would probably agree, it’s time to get rid of these design trends that don’t bring us joy. Hiring a professional firm for website design can ensure your site makes a positive first impression on potential customers. It’s far too common to have a website load, and you’re immediately bombarded by a pop-up. It may be an ad, subscription request, log-in, video, or live chat. Whatever it may be, I think we’re all sick of having to go through multiple clicks to deny a message just to see the home page. The auto play videos are also a features that can lose your audience. How about when you get to reading a page’s content or blog, and mid sentence you’re caught with a pop-up? If you’re tired of losing your place in an article and want to take back control, let’s just get rid of the pop-up. We’ve seen those standard, posed stock photos for years now. You can probably imagine an image of someone caressing a coffee mug, a boring office meeting, or a stiff handshake. Let’s... --- > Dark Mode. It certainly has become popular, but is it a good thing? Join us as we look at usage to find out. - Published: 2020-03-12 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/dark-mode-design/ - Categories: Web Design The future just got a whole lot darker, and it’s not just Apple users who are embracing it. While dark interfaces have been around for a while, there’s been an increase in dark mode options just in the past year among computer operating systems and smartphones. Dark mode can make it easier on the eyes while we’re constantly surrounded by screens, you can extend your battery life with less light, and many users agree that it’s aesthetically pleasing. The brightness on your screen can commonly cause eye fatigue, migraines, and sleep disruption. Many dark mode users find that the feature helps with these ailments. If done correctly, the contrast in light and dark on the screen can improve readability while in dark mode. It’s important to note that automatic dark mode features can help when out using a device in bright light, and the full use of dark mode at night will show a noticeable difference in readability and accessibility of content. What used to be known as night mode is now a popular concept to use during all parts of the day. Dark mode is becoming the norm, and it’s apparent that designers and web developers need to pay attention. An automatic dark mode feature can also be enabled on many devices, so those who still only want to use dark mode at night can have it auto adjust based on the time. These adjustments make the most out of your battery life, so battery won’t need to be... --- > Nashville has a fast growing web design industry with opportunities for developers and designers to make an impact in music city. - Published: 2019-12-10 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/nashville-growing-web-design-industry/ - Categories: Web Design Nashville has become the star-studded hub for startups, medical fields, tech, and music industries alike. Something they all have in common is the rise in jobs for designers and developers, making the city a place to be if you’re tech savvy and ready to empower your portfolio. Both Web Development companies and entrepreneurs can take advantage of this flourishing market, and it doesn’t seem like the jobs will be going away anytime soon. Audience segmentation is crucial in enhancing marketing strategies and content delivery for these companies. The health industry is definitely a contributing factor to the increase in tech related jobs, giving web developers the space to showcase their creative talent for attentive crowds. Hospitals, specialized medical companies, and health education fields are all in need of websites and software. Many are also adapting to changing technology, so companies are looking for apps and more technical developers to create many methods of education and supplying information. The health industry is vast and continues to grow in Nashville, giving energy to a bountiful pool of job opportunity. Nashville also offers a melody of career outlets across the music business, from big name labels to independent artists head starting their own brand. Rather than seeking pre-existing venue of employees with music related degrees and experience, these companies are actively looking for autonomous designers and web developers to create an effective online brand. Companies are also evolving into the digital world, creating music apps and software to compete with modern technology. With... --- > Websites have become the main way for businesses to communicate. Is your company on trend? Let's review some successful and trendy brands. - Published: 2019-12-05 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/future-web-design-trends/ - Categories: Web Design The year 2020 is right at our fingertips, so what trends and possibilities should we look out for in the web design world? Many new trends, styles, and existing techniques will set the tone for the next decade and encourage a new year of innovation. Designers are leaning towards embracing dark mode, smart video and 3D design, and minimalism combined with playful characteristics. Since many operating systems are supporting dark mode now, users are increasingly adopting dark mode for aesthetic purposes, better night vision, and less strain on the eyes. Apple even offers advice on how to adapt to dark mode, and it certainly encourages a more thoughtful approach to design based on the user’s display. Web developers can now utilize the “prefer-color-scheme” in code to alter elements in favor of more contrast, degree of dark, and change in color. It’s important to understand that your design can be less effective if you’re not catering to dark mode, and with increased popularity it’s clear that developers will be embracing the dark side in the new year. Smart video and 3D design are two more complex features that are evolving and being featured more. Using videos, animation, parallax scrolling, and a combination of these elements is a forerunning theme for many web developers and designers. 3D design is becoming more available, and it certainly creates an edge and level of sophistication. The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks is a great website example that utilizes 360 degree videos and parallax scrolling... --- > You may think, is Web Development really for me? It’s not for everyone, but don't let the technical aspects scare you away. - Published: 2019-11-19 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/career-change-to-web-development/ - Categories: Development Feeling burnt out or unsatisfied in your career field can be disconcerting. If you’re motivated to make a career change, the Web Development Industry could be a rewarding path. Many people looking for new careers discover that they may have to take a pay cut, find themselves just as miserable in a new field, and have a difficult time finding jobs. In the Web Industry you can find the income you need, flexibility, and a skillset in which you enjoy creating. You may be thinking, is Web Development really for me? It’s not for everyone, but you shouldn’t let the technical aspect of the business scare you away. You don’t need a technical or analytical brain to flourish in the Web Industry, and there are many facets of the industry that are well diverse. Similarly to how anyone has the capability to learn a new language, you can pick up web design and coding at any age and with any skillset. Not having a technical background can also work to your advantage, as you can provide a personal approach to communication with clients and mold your existing talents with the tech industry. You also have many resources out there to begin your journey into the Web Development world. Whether you want to join a bootcamp or become self taught and create a portfolio, there are many ways to start your career. Often when looking for a new job, you realize that you’ll have to start at the bottom and take... --- > The 2019 Nashville Design Week was one to remember. Our agency hosted an open house and gave a design presentation. - Published: 2019-11-13 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/great-times-at-nashville-design-week-2019/ - Categories: Community, Design, News Hill Creative Collective Open House Our first stop on the first day of Nashville Design Week 2019 was the Hill Creative Collective Open House. The Hill Creative Collective houses some awesome businesses such as Grand Palace Silkscreen, Southern Lights Electric, New Hat Projects, Oil / Lumber and many more. It was great to meet all the various creative people in the community. We enjoyed learning about each business and getting to know the people who make the Hill Creative Collective such a unique place. Showing our support for some amazing businesses at the Hill Creative Collective Open House. Some cool merch and skateboard designs at Grand Palace. The used silkscreens are a great touch! This incredible silkscreen press can probably do just about any printing job. DesignUps Open House and Talk - "Lets Get Weird, a Practical Guide to Finding Your Voice" We participated in the WeHo studio crawl as part of the 2019 Nashville Design Week. Nashville Design Week is a great opportunity to share perspectives on design and get to know creatives from all over Nashville. We get to learn so much, and give back as well. So we want to help promote embracing what makes you unique. By sharing personal stories and observations we hope to give others the confidence to embrace their uniqueness and strengthen their voice as designers. Having a chat with you beautiful people after the talk! After the talk we took some more time to get to know everyone a bit better. We... --- > Using SASS/CSS to quickly create interesting designs & art. - Published: 2019-11-11 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/code-challenge-infinite-art-with-sass/ - Categories: Design Inspiration, Web Design Let's keep the spirit of Nashville Design Week going and dive into how we can quickly build some fun designs, like the one you see above, using SASS & CSS. We're going to keep it simple and use CodePen for our challenge this time around. All we need in our html file is a tag and an tag... . well, 500 's but I'm going to make it easy on you. Hop on into this CodePen for a head start. So, now we need to do a little bit of styling to that massive amount of tags. Go ahead and copy this bit of code over to your head start pen: ul li { list-style: none; position: absolute; padding: 5px; box-shadow:rgba(0, 0, 0, . 6) -1px 2px 0px; transform-origin: center bottom; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: double 50px red; mix-blend-mode: normal; } ul { position: absolute; left: 45%; top: 40%; } Once that is copied over you should have something that looks like this: That's a nice square. Now that all the boring stuff is out of the way, we are about 15 lines of code away from some really neat designs. This last bit of code is going to be using SASS and an @for rule. It might look a little complicated at first but once you see what it does and how it works, your creativity is going to soar to new heights. Alright, let's transform that square into something a little more fun. This is the code... --- > Nashville Design Week! DesignUps participated in Design Week with a presentation on why uniqueness + vulnerability are important in design. - Published: 2019-10-25 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/nashville-design-week-lets-get-weird/ - Categories: News Let's Get Weird - Practical Advice on Cultivating Your Voice Creativity is an amazing thing. It allows us the ability to be vulnerable and explore new ideas. Sometimes it can also make people think we are a bit weird. This talk aims to promote embracing what makes you unique. In a world where most people want to fit in or do what was successful for someone else, we will advocate finding your own answers and your own path. Our goal is to help designers embrace their own unique qualities and perspectives. By sharing personal stories and observations from popular brands we hope to give others the confidence to embrace their uniqueness and strengthen their voice as designers. Come see us @ Houston Station Tue, November 5, 2019 4PM – 5PM: Open House 5PM – 6PM: Talk Get your tickets here! --- > There are many web publishing options available, but WordPress is still the best platform for web development. - Published: 2019-10-25 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/web-development-wordpress-best-option/ - Categories: Web Design Deciding on how to build your website can be daunting, and WordPress is a good option that can eliminate some of your stress. WordPress can be used for any type of website you desire, such as an online store or a blog. It’s user-friendly, so you don’t have to be a web developer to use WordPress, and you have full ownership over your website unlike many other options. The software is also free to start a blog and costs are minimal for web hosting. Since WordPress is Open Source software, using it is free with the ability to modify and build upon it with the community. WordPress hosting on the web will cost you roughly $7. 99 per month for hosting and $14 per year for the domain name. (WP Beginner) You can use almost any web host since WordPress powers about 61. 4% of websites. (w3techs. com) Both paid and free plugins and themes are available to use as well. It may be a common misconception that WordPress is only for blogging, but it’s actually fully capable of letting your imagination run wild. Although WordPress was initially developed as a blogging software, you can now use it for e-commerce, portfolios, galleries, business websites, and more! Simple plugins and themes are here to help you create the website of your dreams. Of course, a blog can still exist as part of your development process and it may ultimately benefit you. One of the biggest selling points of WordPress is that... --- > Entertainment Industry Design, Why it Matters. Musicians create art in the same way that designers create visuals. We explore the overlap. - Published: 2019-10-17 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/design-in-the-music-industry/ - Categories: Design Is music only auditory? This day and age it’s becoming increasingly apparent that the music industry benefits greatly from design, and vice versa. The visual aspects of an artist’s career are included in album covers and on their websites, and music companies are more in need of good designers within the competitive design world. Music and design is an appealing combo. The creativity that exists in both fields can go hand-in-hand, and it’s important to understand how the dynamics between a designer and the music should meld. A designer creating an album cover for an artist needs to be familiar with the music on the album. The label needs to see a web designer’s portfolio to match the designer’s style with the aesthetic of the artist. Design can also be crucial in most cases, and it’s exemplified in modern radio. My personal experience as a radio DJ has helped me realize that a radio station (both terrestrial and online) needs quality web content. Streaming radio online is increasingly popular, so a radio station’s website needs proper streaming capabilities. When a listener visits the station’s website to stream or to find information, it’s also important that the website is easy to navigate and doesn’t look outdated. The website can be the listener’s first impression of the radio station, so it should initially intrigue the listener visually. Similarly, the album art of an artist’s work can be the first attribute that’s judged by a listener. The album art is also now part... --- > We love CSS and sometimes writing code for fun is the best way to learn. In this Coding Challenge we will be dancing. - Published: 2019-10-10 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/coding-challenge-dancing-with-css/ - Categories: Design Inspiration, Web Design Let's be honest, it's hard to go a single day without seeing a meme or GIF. I'll admit, they're entertaining and there is nothing quite like your favorite GIF that explains how you feel. Eventually though, they get a little... . boring. It's time to spice things up! That's exactly what I set out to do with this challenge. We need to get a couple things before we can begin: A code editor. I'll be using VS Code. A GIF with a transparent or solid white background, preferably transparent though. Once you have those two things, we're all set! Open your code editor and create a new HTML file, I'll keep it simple and title mine "index. html" We only need to place two tags inside your to make this work (you could get away with only one), a tag with a tag inside. Like so: Once you have those two tags in we place, we need to put some text in your paragraph tag. A lot of text. VS Code has Emmet Commands built right into the editor, so, all we need to do is type "lorem5000" + tab to generate all the text we will ever need. 5000 words to be exact. If you don't have that option, you can simply copy and paste some lorem text from this lorem generator. Now we are done with the HTML and it should look similar to this. Now, I know what you are thinking. "This is just a giant wall... --- > From June - July 2019 DesignUps hosted a curated art show in Houston Station. Who knew that web designers and coders could paint too?! - Published: 2019-05-29 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/art-show-by-designers-and-coders/ - Categories: Art, News We have big news! Art by the DesignUps team is going to be on display for 2 months as part of the Nashville Art Crawl. The art includes paintings and digital illustrations by Simon Carr, Megan Durbin, Aaron Hutcheson and Sam Wasserman. Why are we doing this? We love to create. Having a creative outlet (aside from design and branding) is an important way for us to express ourselves. Is the show open to the public? Heck yes it is! Come by Houston Station as part of the Art Crawl on June 1st or July 6th. Or if you prefer to view the art without the crowd, you can come by at any time during the 2 months it will be up. The Details: Houston Station (2nd Floor Hall Gallery) 438 Houston Street, Nashville TN 37203 June 1st - July 31st Want to see a preview of some of the art? Keep Scrolling!   Art Preview: Simon Carr Art Preview: Megan Durbin Art Preview: Aaron Hutcheson Art Preview: Sam Wasserman --- > Simon Carr is a judge for the international web design awards group Awwwards. He was invited to NYC for the conference for creatives. - Published: 2019-05-24 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/awwwards-digital-thinkers-design-conference-nyc/ - Categories: News In November 2018 DesignUps founder, Simon Carr, went to NYC for the Awwwards Digital Thinkers Conference as a member of the Awwwards Jury. Spending time in NYC was amazing, as was getting to meet talented designers from around the world. The networking events were very well put together, especially getting to listed to Pablo Stanley talk about his process and give advice. During the event an un-expected snow storm hit the city. It made for beautiful photos and a fun adventure in New York. Below are some photos from the trip! The flight over New York City at night. At the pre-conference event. Pablo Stanley gave a great speech. The dogs! ! ! A city with a rich art history. Left: Painter doing a study of a master. Right: Amazing show at the Whitney Museum. A mural in one of New York's first snows of the year. --- > Web developers have lots of tools at their disposal but we find that CSS and JavaScript can handle 99% of the heavy lifting. - Published: 2018-11-30 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/web-development-css-javascript/ - Categories: Web Design Here's one thing you should know about web development... The Details Matter. Small details can make a big difference between a functional website and a truly great user experience. Most modern websites incorporate smooth loading or animation effects by using CSS transitions. CSS3 transitions are highly effective and can have a dramatic impact on the look and feel of a site. When CSS3 transitions tag team with a couple of lines of jQuery we can begin to delve into programming interactivity on the web. #1 - Shrinking Navigation Header The lion's share of websites online today utilize a sticky navigation header. When a user loads a page on the site the navigation header oftentimes has a larger vertical height so the branding logo and navigation become more prominent. As the user scrolls down the page the nav header decreases in size vertically so the focus is more so on the content on the page yet visiting other pages on the site is and immediate action. See the Pen zMyeZR by Aaron (@squarehippo) on CodePen. #2 - Toggling Expander Accordion expanders are a useful way to hide secondary or tertiary content on a page. Numerous frontend frameworks such as foundation or bootstrap include an accordion expander but sometimes I prefer something that i can have more control over and leaves the design free of styles to overwrite. See the Pen Toggle Down Expander by Aaron (@squarehippo) on CodePen. #3 - Modals and Overlays Overlays and modal windows are another type of... --- > Architecture and human interaction design have a lot in common. This combination has created amazing design around the world. - Published: 2018-11-27 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/urban-architecture-and-human-interaction/ - Categories: Environmental Design We have grown into a world that is fascinated by the glass high rise and the monotony of vertical living. One in which creativity has faced a stall in architectural innovation because we, as humans and developers, have wearily strayed away from funding urban projects that differ from the safety of our traditions. We have insisted on building cookie cutter cities rather than ones defined by their individuality and lack of conformity. But, as our world is slowly evolving to push for more environmentally conscious structures focused on sustainability, we must also think about how creativity and originality are going to play a necessary role in building cities that are aesthetically sustainable. In a talk entitled “Why the Buildings of Our Future Will Be Shaped by You” Marc Kushner talks about the one quality that all of the cities we travel to have: an innate ability to encourage its visitors to walk everywhere. In a list of cities, he discusses tourist destination locales such as Paris, where wide vistas lead way into architectural monuments carefully crafted and adorned with cafes sprawling with outdoor seating. So why, he asks, do we insist on building repetitive cities? Why do we not support the creative freedom to develop cities that inspire visitors to walk and interact with the buildings that surround them. Kushner argues that the successful cities, those with the most sustainable design, will be those in which we allow architects and designers to take the creative initiative to build something new.... --- > DesignUps participated in Nashville Design Week. We held an open house and hosted a talk titled "Design is For People That Love to Learn" - Published: 2018-11-14 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/nashville-design-week-2018-recap/ - Categories: Team DesignUps As the first ever Nashville Design Week comes to a close, we are so excited for our community and the momentum for our city going forward. With 90 events, Nashville Design Week has exposed lots of people to the creative industries in Nashville. We care deeply about our community and were pumped to participate, hosting 2 events. Our first event was an open house which was a lot of fun. We opened our doors and hosted a good group of people in our studio space. Our visitors ranged from experienced designers, to business owners to people who just moved to Nashville and want to get involved in the creative community. Having Fun! A stop motion time lapse. Wow, that was fun. Our 2nd Event was a talk titled "Design is For People That Love to Learn". The idea behind the talk was to question what design is and how it can add value. Most people think of design as a visual thing, but we defined it as Problem Solving. Reframing it in this way, it's possible to see how design effects all aspects of our lives. When solving problems, the most important part is to accurately define the problem you are solving. "If I had an Hour to Solve a problem... I Would Spend 55 Minutes Defining the Problem and then 5 Minutes Solving It. " - Albert Einstein Even though he's not traditionally recognized as a designer, Einstein has a great quote summarizing the importance of defining a problem... --- > Can you design for happiness? UX Design has the power to make strong connections and change perceptions. Let's explore. - Published: 2018-11-01 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/designing-for-happiness-ux-design/ - Categories: Design Inspiration When I started my design career, one of my main goals was to create things that have real emotional impact. I most appreciate design that makes me stop and look, or compels me to interact on a deeper level. At its core, design has the power to make strong connections and change perceptions. Design permeates our culture, but we are often flooded with so much of it that even a lot of very good design can become easy to ignore. However, by strategically designing our environments and experiences, we can significantly enhance our day-to-day happiness and lead a happy life. But what really influences us to interact and connect with design on an emotional level? Understanding Human Happiness Human happiness is a complex and multifaceted concept that has intrigued philosophers, psychologists, and researchers for centuries. At its core, happiness is a positive emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, contentment, and fulfillment. Daniel Gilbert, a renowned Harvard social psychologist, emphasizes that happiness is a fundamental aspect of human life, and understanding what contributes to it is essential. Research reveals that human beings possess a unique capacity for happiness, influenced by a blend of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors. Positive mood, mental wellbeing, and self-confidence are crucial components of happiness. These elements can be nurtured through intentional activities and practices, such as mindfulness, gratitude, and engaging in fulfilling activities. By focusing on these aspects, we can enhance our overall sense of happiness and lead a more satisfying life. Say it loud... --- > We had a blast at Creative Works Conference in Memphis TN. Getting to meet other designers and hear inspiring stories was a real treat. - Published: 2018-10-18 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/creative-works-tennessee-designers/ - Categories: Team DesignUps What an Amazing Event! As a company, we have kept our eye out for good design events in our home state of Tennessee. Creative Works has been on our radar for a couple years now. This year our design team made the trip to Memphis and we were blown away by the event, including the speakers, the venue and the city of Memphis! Below is a photo-based recap of our experience. Welcome to Memphis! It was hard to miss the Creative Works signage, displayed 20 feet tall on the side of the Halloran Centre. Josh Horton has organized the event since its inception. Above, Josh gives the opening speech with an inspirational message "Be present. Be open. Be enough. " He also joked that he always cries when talking. It wasn't a joke. He loves this event + Memphis, and it shows. Lauren Hom talks about her experiences in lettering, and featured some fantastic side projects that grow into new areas of work. It was inspirational hearing how her career blossomed when she started offering to do chalk signage for local restaurants. And her current focus has been food-based art like the playful headwear in the photo above. Adam JK gave a hilarious and entertaining speech about his methods and his work. He reminded creatives that you don't have to over-complicate work to find great success. The city of Memphis breathes art & soul. This mural was down the street from the conference and is a good example of the... --- > Nashville Design Week is coming and we are excited to host Nashville area creatives and designers at our office in Houston Station. - Published: 2018-10-09 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/join-designups-for-nashville-design-week/ - Categories: News, Team DesignUps We're participating in the First Ever Nashville Design Week! Nashville Design Week is a week-long, city-wide series of interdisciplinary programs and events to unite the design community, promote collaboration and idea sharing, engage the public, and elevate the impact of Nashville’s design economy. We're pumped to see Nashville's design community continue to grow, and that's why we are hosting 2 Events. Please join us for one (or both) of the events listed below. Event #1 Open Studio Hosted by DesignUps Thursday Nov 08, 2018 DesignUps will be open for participants to see our working environment and learn how we collaborate and execute our ideas. Several members of our team will be present to discuss their career path, education and how they work within the field of design. Our team members have various levels of education and experience with graduates from Watkins College of Art, Savannah College of Art and Design etc. Register For the Event (Free) Event #2 Design is for People that Love to Learn Monday Nov 12, 2018 A discussion on what it means to be a designer, but also to stay in the field and continue to grow. As expectations change and tools evolve it is important to embrace new methods and techniques. Simon will challenge ideas of what design is, and show examples of unexpected solutions. Followed by questions / answers from participants. Register For the Event (Free) We hope to see you there. If you want to go but can't make it, drop us an... --- > We love finding new inspiration. Here's a few fantastic designers and artists that you should definitely check out. - Published: 2018-09-26 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/design-influencers-spotlight-2/ - Categories: Art, Design Inspiration Looking for new artists to add to your Instagram feed? Or maybe you're interested in getting someone a unique gift? Then you're in the right place! Loreta Isac by Loreta Isac. Portfolio Site Loreta Isac is an illustrator based in Romania. She creates illustrations for nearly anything you can think of. Such as package design, editorial pieces, books, and short animations. Her color palettes are strong but calming. Her work varies from simple color blocks to detailed and intricate, and she excels at both. She's almost always open for an opportunity to work with someone new. Stephanie Medeiros Instagram Stephanie is co-founder and creative director of the branding studio Oro Agency, originally from Brazil they're currently living in LA. Proudly non-binary, they actively create work that addresses the unique experiences that LGBTQ+ people deal with. Stephanie also makes a lot of work that focuses on their own insecurities, showing some real bravery by allowing themselves to be vulnerable. Created forThe Center in NYC. Sonia Lazo by Sonia Lazo. Shop Sonia Lazo is an illustrator from El Salvador. She paints watercolor scenes that are vibrant and colorful, and also draws rocking little comics that serve as a commentary on the many existential crises that so many artists share. On instagram, she also shares her outfits and she is one hell of a fashion icon. She's also an apprentice tattoo artist at Valhalla Tattoo Studio. Valeria Varez Portfolio Site Instagram Valeria Varez is a freelance illustrator in Mexico City. They create show... --- > What is logo design? A logo is an important aspect of any effective marketing model. But a successful logo is more than that - Find out more! - Published: 2018-09-25 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/logo-design-not-just-a-logo/ - Categories: Branding A company logo is an important aspect of any effective marketing model, I can bring up brands like Coca-Cola, Mercedes, or Nike and I can be nearly certain that any person I am talking to already has a visual of those logos in their head. Living in a technological based world that puts emphasis on visual stimulation especially in branding, it can seem like the logo is the most essential aspect of marketing. But, in reality, the logo is only half of what makes a marketing campaign effective. The messaging that accompanies a logo stands as the harder-working, under-appreciated, other half of marketing. In a sense, a branding message is the structural foundation behind an otherwise shallow logo. Without an effective and nearly addictive message, a purely visual message is ineffective. Additionally, the appropriate use of logos based on whether the material is intended for public or internal use is crucial for maintaining consistency and clarity. Details in storytelling, especially through visual elements, enhance communication and portray the authenticity of the work. So, let’s take a look at your favorite brands and the messages that have pushed them to the top. Understanding the Importance of Logo Design A logo is much more than just a visual mark; it is the face of a brand, encapsulating its identity and values. When you create a logo, you are crafting an image that will become synonymous with your brand’s products or services. This visual representation plays a crucial role in establishing a brand’s... --- > We're headed to Creative Works Conference in Memphis TN and we are pretty excited about it. Big names in our industry will be spotlighted. - Published: 2018-09-17 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/designups-is-going-to-creative-works/ - Categories: News, Team DesignUps We’re going to the Creative Works Conference! It’s this October 4-6th in Memphis and we’re pretty excited. Why exactly, you might ask? Oh, let me elaborate... SO MANY AWESOME PEOPLE ARE GOING. AND WE’RE GOING. We have been reviewing the work of all the designers and talented creative professionals who will be speaking at the event. To make this short and sweet, these talented folks are grouped below by type! (Haha, that’s a pun) Stellar work 1. OMFGCO 2. Darn Good. Meg does a great job at designing her own brand. She obviously has a great grip on branding - she offers one on one brand consulting and workshops about self-employment. I was born in 1990. The internet and I became BFFL’s around 1994. This site is nostalgic. 3. Being a big fan of hand lettering, I clicked on Lauren Hom, the creator of Hom Sweet Hom, first. WE ARE VERY SAD THAT HER WORKSHOP IS SOLD OUT BTW. Lauren’s work is simple but funny (in the best way ever). WenDivas is a project highlighted by Adobe. 2. Shawna X 3. Bob Ewing has skills. 4. So does Mark! 5. Ryan Booth - This is Where We Live Killing it on Instagram Follow these accounts. Trust me. https://www. instagram. com/adamjk/ https://www. instagram. com/eighthourday/ https://www. instagram. com/markcaneso/ https://www. instagram. com/shawnax/ https://www. instagram. com/darngooood/ https://www. instagram. com/homsweethom/ https://www. instagram. com/talentshow. co/ https://www. instagram. com/thebrianfrench/ https://www. instagram. com/bobewing_/ https://www. instagram. com/omfgco/ Goodies: My favorite As a woman, I have a shameless love/hate relationship... --- > Environmental design and sustainability practices allow us as designers and humans to reduce waste. Let's explore our options together. - Published: 2018-09-04 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/environmental-design-reduce-waste/ - Categories: Environmental Design Our era is characterized by an extreme focus on user-ease. We have grown up in a world that has marginalized the value of quality, made-to-last, reusable pieces and has opted into a culture that favors continually buying substandard, cheap, disposable items. In America, industry, advertising, and capitalism have collectively swindled us into believing that quantity means quality and we have fallen into the mindset that we always need more. Since a vast amount of people are restricted to tight budgets, it is logical that the masses are drawn to the low prices of disposable items. For others, it is always the question of why pay more if you can pay less? Right? But pricing is not the only incentive to buying environmentally toxic items. In an increasingly competitive world where we are constantly distracted and worn out by social media and technology, there is an obvious attractiveness to buying materials created specifically as a method of reducing human energy expenditure. We have been convinced that we simply do not have the time for the upkeep required by having reusable items and we may as well preserve our few ounces of energy for the important thing: making money. It admittedly makes sense why so many people opt into conducting lives that produce immense amounts of waste, but, we have come to an age where we need to seriously start thinking about how these ease-of-use decisions are effecting our world. We need to selflessly stop being cheap and lazy and start incorporating... --- > How to create strong email campaings. Effective digital marketing is essential to any marketing campaign and email is a top channel. - Published: 2018-08-28 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/design-for-email-campaigns/ - Categories: Digital Marketing Effective digital marketing is essential to any marketing campaign. Storytelling is about capturing your audience, encouraging them to be curious and then allowing them to become interested in whatever service or product you are looking to sell. Want to continue reading? Sign up below to receive the free E-Book! * After signing up, you will receive an email with a link to download the E-Book (function($) {window. fnames = new Array; window. ftypes = new Array;fnames='EMAIL';ftypes='email';fnames='ADDRESS';ftypes='address';fnames='PHONE';ftypes='phone';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery. noConflict(true); 01. Choosing Your Story Before you begin a mail campaign, think about why you are sending it. What aspect of your company do you think will intrigue your audience? And what aspects of your company do you wish your audience knew more about? For example, perhaps you sell a service and therefore wish that you could make your company and employees more personable and attractive to customers. For one, you could consider focusing on a single employee per campaign and give an in depth look at their personal stories including silly blurbs about what they enjoy outside of work or their favorite music, etc. This technique breaks down the digital walls separating your employee from the customer and gives the customer a better feeling about who they are working with. Engaging Your Audience Remember, you are reaching out to PEOPLE Think about it, no customer wants to deal with a robot when trying to communicate with your company. Giving users a sense that your employees are real, available, and amicable... --- > Art and business does not have to be a dull matter but rather, we can allow for humor and art to provide a sense of positivity. - Published: 2018-08-23 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/art-a-funny-thing-in-business/ - Categories: Design Inspiration Many look at historic art as a very serious genre, typified by the large, intimidating, grandiose museum structures strewn across every major city. We think of endless walls adorned with bigger than life Renaissance paintings depicting glorified versions of historic events and biblical stories. Every work of art hangs in a perfectly aligned, scientifically thought out order within the safe borders of their intensely intricate golden frames. “Historic Art” brings to mind Impressionist paintings characterized by pastel colors and ephemeral brushstrokes. Or it brings to mind the Italian Renaissance, an era that, for so many, can be broken down to a singular image by Leonardo— the Mona Lisa. Therefore, when we think of the art that hangs within our National Gallery, we oft fail to think of the funny and silly images that pop up somewhat randomly within the collection. James Gillray - Midas, Transmuting All into Paper (Left),James Gillray - Weird-Sisters; Ministers of Darkness; Minions of the Moon (Right) For curators Jonathan Bober, Andrew W. Mellon (senior curator of prints and drawings), Judith Brodie (curator and head of the department of American and modern prints and drawings), and Stacey Sell (associate curator, department of old master drawings), finding a laugh and light heartedness in viewing art became the fundamental ideal for their new exhibit “Sense of Humor” at the National Gallery in Washington D. C. , on exhibit from July 15 2018- January 6 2019. The new exhibit aims to point out the deliberate jabs and jokes clearly illustrated... --- > Design trends come and go. Brutalism is well.. brutal. It grabs attention, but not always in a positive way. But does it work? - Published: 2018-07-23 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/design-trends-thoughts-on-brutalism/ - Categories: Design Inspiration, Web Design Brutalism is taking over the web. You may have noticed a number of websites that deviate from modern design practices, or at least call back to earlier forms of design. Loud headlines, repeating patterns, and basic web elements make these webpages stand out from more precise and meticulously crafted sites. OFIS Architects - Izola Social Housing Although many brutalist influenced websites may seem coarse and almost aggressive, the term brutalism has nothing to do with the word ‘brutal. ’ Brutalism comes from the French word 'béton brut' or ‘raw concrete. ’ It was first used to describe a form of architecture that gained prevalence in the 1950s. Brutalism as a building style is defined by its rugged concrete structures formed with repeating patterns and modules. Like the architecture, brutalist web design is often seen as ugly, overstated, haphazard, or even unnavigable. But, that’s very far from the truth. While many brutalist sites certainly take design to a bizarre extreme and violate just about every design formula, the thoughts behind a stripped down page that relies on only essential elements have a lot of value. The core messaging and typography then have more room to shine. In the early web, few people owned a copy of any sort of layout software, and the best way to build a website was entirely from scratch. If you wanted a personal website, there weren’t too many options but to do it all yourself. Since then, the design process has become much more refined. But... --- > We love finding great inspiration. Here are some new designers and artists that you should definitely check out. - Published: 2018-07-09 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/design-influencers-spotlight-1/ - Categories: Art, Design Inspiration I regularly look for new artists to follow, and I think it's important to share talented people! Keeping up with artists who are active is one of the most motivating activities around for me. Below are some artists that create awesome work! Cour Billadeaux "Witchy" pattern by Cour Billadeau. Portfolio Site Cour is an illustrator, ui/ux developer, and game developer who also works in comic art, printmaking, and bookbinding. They create adorable patterns (among many other things) that are available on a huge variety of products. They've worked with some awesome clients like Naughty Dog, creating an illustration for The Last of Us, and created a limited edition screen print for the Mass Effect series for Bioware. Rachel Sender Rachel Sender is a graphic designer and illustrator. Currently she's primarily doing editorial illustration work. Rachel has a unique creative style - that she describes as "minimal, clean, colorful and playful. " She also creates absolutely adorable ceramic pieces including: planters, vases, and hanging pots. You can see her ceramic pieces here. She's taking a break from her studio, because there's a baby on the way! The shop is staying open though, so go check it out! Editorial illustration for this article: Water Is Life: Four Months at Standing Rock. By Rachel Sender Darcy Buttons designed by Darcy Darcy founded Riotcakes to bring out more of the good in the world, by spreading positivity and love. She creates all of the designs featured throughout the store. The pieces featured in the... --- > For-Profit Social Enterprises. Can it be sustainable? These companies are run like a business but incorporate a social mission. - Published: 2018-06-19 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/profit-social-enterprises-sustainable-business-model/ - Categories: Environmental Design Social Enterprise: A social enterprise is an entity that is run like a business but has the quality of incorporating a social mission. This business model allows a company to sell products / services to fund economic, social and often environmental goals. In the context of eco fashion, a for-profit social enterprise like Reformation, founded by Yael Aflalo, seeks to redefine the fashion industry by prioritizing sustainability and eco-friendliness without sacrificing style. What is a For-Profit Social Enterprise? A for-profit social enterprise is a business that combines the pursuit of financial returns with a commitment to creating positive social and environmental impact. These enterprises aim to address specific social or environmental issues while generating revenue and profits. In the context of sustainable fashion, a for-profit social enterprise like Reformation, founded by Yael Aflalo, seeks to redefine the fashion industry by prioritizing sustainability and eco-friendliness without sacrificing style. Reformation’s innovative approach includes using sustainable fabrics, eco-friendly packaging, and transparent reporting of their environmental impact. By doing so, they demonstrate that it is possible to create fashionable, high-quality clothing while maintaining a strong commitment to sustainability. Benefits and Challenges of For-Profit Social Enterprises For-profit social enterprises offer several benefits, including: Increased financial sustainability: By generating revenue and profits, these enterprises can sustain themselves and scale their impact without relying on donations or grants. Innovative solutions: For-profit social enterprises can leverage market forces to drive innovation and create new solutions to social and environmental problems. Measurable impact: These enterprises can track and measure... --- > Smart brands empower the seekers to help market their company and product. This article explores this brand design philosophy. - Published: 2018-06-06 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/brand-design-empower-the-seekers/ - Categories: Branding What is it that you want, right at this moment? Maybe you want a quick bite to eat, or you're thinking about that vacation right around the corner. Maybe you just want to kick back and catch up on some of your favorite shows. Whatever it is, you probably know where to find it and there are many brands geared to fill your day-to-day needs. Seekers now own the market, and they don't need to be told what's cool. If you don't deliver something desirable, it will be ignored. Users will just gravitate to things that are more in line with their short-term needs, which will probably be available. It’s also not just about what the user needs, but how those needs are satisfied. The how may even be the most important part. Good brands have always been more than nice logos or aesthetics, and that’s more true than ever now. The best brand experiences create an engaging and positive experience through interaction and meeting our more consistent desires. When UrbanSpoon was bought by Zomato, the migrating users were less than happy. They didn’t like the new interface. And one of the key features that attracted many people to UrbanSpoon in the first place was phased out completely. Of course, I'm talking about the restaurant slot machine. Indecisive about a place to eat? Make it a game. Lock in a few categories such as food type or price, shake your phone and find a random place to go. So what... --- > Having clearly defined brand guidelines is essential to creating consistent and cohesive brand strategy and designs. - Published: 2018-03-20 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/importance-of-brand-guides-design/ - Categories: Branding, Design Why brand identity? Having brand guidelines, or a style guide is important for quite a few reasons: It establishes the voice of your company and keeps branding brand consistent through different types of marketing. This will lead your audience towards trusting your brand because it has a consistent voice. A well-defined brand's identity ensures a cohesive and professional image that enhances perceived value. There’s no mixup on colors or typefaces. This could be considered the most important since it’s so easy to notice, it can be embarrassing if there’s a mixup. It saves a ton of time. When you work with a new designer, in-house or outsourced, the time saved when they have a brand guide to reference instead of having to research your brand is invaluable. Maintaining a consistent brand tone through these guidelines also ensures that the choice of words aligns with the brand's values and personality. What are brand guidelines? Alright, so you’ve realized what an important role brand guidelines plays in your company, let’s talk about some absolute basics of what should be in it to keep your brand identity consistent. Brand colors. You should have your primary colors, and accent colors if you have them. Be sure to specify which ones are the primary colors. It’s not enough to just have the color in the style guide, you should list the HEX code and the RGB code. This guarantees that there won’t be a silly mix up. Fonts. If your brand only uses one font,... --- > As technological capabilities increase, more people will have access to an increasingly beautiful web. The 2018 trends were something else. - Published: 2018-02-06 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/2018-web-design-trends/ - Categories: Web Design As technological capabilities increase, more people will have access to an increasingly beautiful web. Wide use of VR is right around the corner, and fiber connections for just about everyone isn't too far off. As a result, designers can flex their creativity with higher quality images, HD video and fresh ways to view content. This will all lead to much more vivid and engaging web experiences. Here's some web design trends we think will be making a big impact in 2018: 01. Double Exposure & Duotones Image by 7h10 A little bit of nostalgia never hurts. Double exposure and duotone effects call back to more traditional photographic and print techniques. This can be a very striking effect, especially combined with 2018's more vibrant color schemes. 02. Glitch Effect Glitch Art by Leonardo Suozzo Photo editing software isn't the only way to create amazing graphics. Typically the glitch effect is created by corrupting an image file in some way. For a long time, glitching photos has been a sort of underground art form produced by a thriving community. Glitch art has now come into the mainstream, so expect to see a ton of it in 2018. 03. Cinemagraphs Cinemagraph by Ben Burton Design Cinemagraphs land somewhere in between video and gif. They are created by animating isolated areas of an image and have an almost dreamy effect. Cinemagraphs add a style of movement and focus to an image without the need for a large video file. 04. Variable fonts Image by... --- > Type design is an important part of design and branding. In some cases it makes sense to go with a hand drawn element. - Published: 2017-12-27 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/type-design-hand-lettering/ - Categories: Design Inspiration Hand lettering has been one of the most prominent fads over the past year. It can be a great way to give your product or business a bit of character (just don’t over use it) (seriously). Hand lettering has its place, and can be a ton of fun to work with. Whether its for personal work or a way to relax, here are a few steps that can help you get a smooth start with your own hand lettering. The first step is to practice. A lot. Trace fonts. Write your alphabet 50 times. Practice keeping a steady hand. It'll be easier to keep a smooth line (if that's what you're going for) if you're sitting at a desk where you can get the right support. Find artists that hand letter in a style that you admire, this will help give you a direction within your own work! If there are artists whose style you envy, copy their style for a while to help you understand it a little more, and move towards your own style. Some of the artists that I follow are: Kate Moross, Becky Simpson, and Kate Bingaman-burt. You need to try all sorts of different pens, markers, and brushes. Find what you’re most comfortable working with and practice even more with it. If you’re comfortable with the pen you’re holding then you are more likely to be happy with the final product. I know the amount of different options can be overwhelming when it comes to... --- > Wordcamp US 2017 was in our hometown of Nashville, TN. We met lots of amazing WordPress developers and learned about Gutenberg. - Published: 2017-12-07 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/gutenberg-wordcamp-us-2017-nashville/ - Categories: News, Team DesignUps Back in 2016 when it was announced that WordCamp US would be in Nashville for 2017 and 2018 we were quite excited. Being based in Nashville, TN - it provides a unique opportunity to participate in one the largest and most popular development communities in the comfort of our home base. Now that the event has come and gone, we have finally gotten a chance to catch our breath. The view from the Music City Center balcony at WordCamp US 2017. The Talks Were Excellent We were able to attend a variety of talks including WordPress with GraphQL, Amazon Web Services, Remote Working, Diversity, CSS Grid, WordPress Media and of course, Gutenberg! All of the talks were great, with ample seating for all, multiple projectors for each room and a group of qualified and diverse speakers. One talk that resonated with us was "How Working Remote Saved My Life" by Aaron Douglas. Aaron provided some really good advice for working remotely including different techniques and apps that help him stay on task. Meditation and journaling were 2 of the things Aaron does at the start of every day. Consistent exercise during the day was another item that helped Aaron stay on task. Even though remote work is not always possible, we believe companies should be flexible about remote work. In our industry it is sometimes good to have a break from distractions and focus on personal health. Gutenberg and the WordPress of Tomorrow Morten Rand-Hendriksen gave an energetic talk about... --- > Design thinking is a philosophy and way of looking at design that allows us to solve problems creatively. Read the article to learn more. - Published: 2017-09-13 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/change-process-5-design-thinking-fundamentals/ - Categories: Design Design thinking is incredibly useful in helping to build your business and establish solid ground in your niche. Some level of design is necessary for just about any business and the fundamentals of visual design can be applied across the board to many other areas of business. Learning a designer's mindset can help to improve your understanding of how people might respond and interact with your ideas. 01. Discovery/Research So you have a great idea, but that idea need shaping. Making sure it’s well developed will take research and refining. You’ll need to find out what’s already out there, and what can you do better than anyone else. Most ideas aren’t totally unique, but you can bring together combinations of skills to come up with a service that gives a totally unique impression. 02. Generate Ideas Write down everything. Try not to censor yourself, even if you think of something that might be a bit off, it could lead to other pathways or new ways of thinking about your business. Use this time to outline both immediate and long-term goals. 03. Create Start outlining your best thoughts and build upon them. The more output you have, the better. Be prepared to experiment with different content or further refine finished content down the line. It's okay to make lots of changes, especially in the early stages. Finding the right path can take a lot of trial and error, so don't worry if you have to rethink and revamp your ideas down... --- > Every business knows that feeling of dread when your website starts to feel outdated and unloved. Let us help create a new design! - Published: 2017-08-31 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/website-redesign-nashville/ - Categories: Web Design So you’re thinking about a redesign. The modern web is fast paced and constantly changing. Being up-to-date with modern technologies and web design practices is necessary to stay on top and keep new users coming in. Here are some important items to consider if you are thinking about doing a redesign. (more... ) --- > Some companies do rebranding better than others. Here are our picks for the best recent rebrands. So many great branding and design ideas! - Published: 2017-08-08 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/favorite-recent-rebrands/ - Categories: Branding Rebranding is an important process that any business will have to consider at some point in their development. The landscape is always changing, and some of the best rebrands showcase how companies can successfully adapt to these changes. As new technology, products and services come in, the old ways of doing things become outmoded or obsolete. A good brand should be flexible enough to survive those changes, but sometimes there is simply a need to reestablish a brand’s value in the marketplace. Here are some of our favorite rebrands in technology from 2016 and 2017: (more... ) --- > DesignUps is on the lookout for a Web Designer / Developer Internship. Working with our team on digital design, development and strategy. - Published: 2017-06-22 - Modified: 2024-09-05 - URL: https://designups.com/designer-developer-internship-position-2017/ - Categories: Team DesignUps DesignUps is on the lookout for an intern for the Summer of 2017 or Fall of 2017. Working directly with our team, you’ll have the chance to work hands-on with our clients on digital design, development and/or strategy. (more... ) --- > Every company needs a website, but its important to start the process with the principles of goal-driven design for your website. - Published: 2017-06-16 - Modified: 2025-07-07 - URL: https://designups.com/goal-driven-design-website/ - Categories: Digital Marketing These days every company, organization and product has its own website. Many of these websites are full of information and marketing messages, but in most cases the website does not have the desired effect. This is because the website wasn’t created with the principles of goal-driven design. So, how can this be changed? The first step is to ask: “Why do we need a website? ” Many companies have fairly basic needs: to educate people about what they do, establish their company as experts in their industry etc. Sometimes companies require better goal setting and a more defined outcome. For example: Sell an item Generate a sales lead Capture Data Get return visits from users Serve dynamic content based on user settings Goal Driven Design, Website Wireframes Once this targeted goal is identified, its time to re-evaluate your website to turn it into a goal driven website. Early in the planning stages of the website, its important to discuss with clients what their goals are and determine primary goals, secondary goals and also define what the non-essential items are. The primary goals will require thought in terms of how to call attention to the message and creating content that makes a user want to take action. Sometimes this is obvious such as placing a short contact form or a large button, but in other cases it may require a combination of images, text and appropriately labeled buttons. Believe it or not, its easier to be successful when you have fewer... --- > We review 7 responsive web design tools. Building a website with these frameworks can make everything work better. - Published: 2017-06-16 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/design-tools-for-web-designers/ - Categories: Web Design What is Responsive Web Design? Responsive web design is a modern approach to web development that ensures your website looks great and functions well on any device, whether it’s a desktop computer, tablet, or mobile phone. This technique involves creating web pages that can adapt to various screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations. By using flexible grids, flexible images, and media queries, responsive web design allows your content to be easily readable and navigable across different devices. It’s not a standalone technology but a set of best practices aimed at delivering a seamless user experience, regardless of the device being used. Key Principles of Responsive Design To create a truly responsive site, there are several key principles you should follow: Flexible Grids: These grids can adjust to different screen sizes and resolutions, ensuring your layout remains consistent. Flexible Images: Images that scale up or down depending on the screen size help maintain visual integrity. Media Queries: These allow you to apply different styles based on the screen size and device, making your design adaptable. Mobile-First Design: Start by designing for mobile devices and then scale up for larger screens. This ensures a solid foundation for smaller devices. User-Centered Design: Always prioritize the user’s needs and experience. A responsive web design should be intuitive and user-friendly. By adhering to these principles, you can create a responsive web that offers a great user experience on any device. What Makes a Good Responsive Web Design Framework? When choosing a responsive web design framework, look... --- > Read about our favorite 4 design driven startups. These companies have made a name for themselves with exception user experiences. - Published: 2017-05-10 - Modified: 2024-09-13 - URL: https://designups.com/our-4-favorite-design-driven-startups/ - Categories: Design, News Some of the biggest and best startups in the world use Design as their differentiator and as a way to add value. These companies understand that design is a process which relates to meaning, strategy and usability. As a result they are able to improve on the pre-existing experiences in differing industries. Here are our picks for the startups using design to effectively establish and grow their business and products. (more... ) --- > DesignUps has received multiple awards for their new website design on the WordPress platform. We can help your company get noticed too! - Published: 2017-03-23 - Modified: 2024-09-12 - URL: https://designups.com/thanks-recognition-awards/ - Categories: News, Team DesignUps Its been a whirlwind since the new DesignUps website launched in November of 2015. Several online publications have taken notice and we would like to thank them. Web Design Inspiration - Has featured DesignUps prominently FWA - Design was Shortlisted French Design Index - Site of the day Awwwards CSS Design Awards --- > Simon Carr, founder of DesignUps has joined the CSS Design Awards Judging Panel. This international panel evaluates website design trends. - Published: 2017-02-20 - Modified: 2024-09-05 - URL: https://designups.com/simon-carr-joins-css-design-awards/ - Categories: News, Team DesignUps Simon Carr, the founder and Creative Director at DesignUps was recently selected to be a judge for CSS Design Awards. Simon has been involved in the web design community since 1995 when he first discovered the "view source" function in Netscape. Since then Simon has been lucky enough to work with many talented designers and developers and smart enough to learn from them. CSS Design Awards is one or the largest and most well known International Web Awards. It offers a platform that showcases freelance designers, web design studios and web design agencies that push the boundaries of creativity, usability and functionality. (more... ) --- > DesignUps is more than a Web Design Company. We implement design thinking & strategy into our creative process and brand development. - Published: 2015-11-06 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/web-design-company-philosophy/ - Categories: Web Design Our mission is to help tell your story through our finely crafted process of design thinking and building of experiences. We know that the details make the difference. We believe Design is the visual representation of strategy. As an Example: You have an idea, but how do you tell people about it? Words are great, images are better. A simple drawing or diagram can help explain any idea. This is why we start with design and use it as a strategic tool. At DesignUps we make it a point to focus on the design, whether it is a user interface design or how a polished design is executed in the browser. This focus on design at all steps of the process produces results that connect with consumers and leads to measurable results. (more... ) --- > Nashville, TN is the perfect place for Startups Building a Brand. The access to talented designers and developers is amazing! - Published: 2015-11-02 - Modified: 2025-06-25 - URL: https://designups.com/nashville-for-startups-building-a-brand/ - Categories: Branding, Design Launching a Startup? Building a Brand? Nashville is the Spot. Welcome to the most creative place in America. When you think of Nashville and its place in creativity, the music industry is the main thing people think about. However, the music industry creates a strong draw for visual creatives (designers, photographers, developers, craftsmen) who want to be surrounded by that culture and work with them. And yes, we just listed developers as a creative profession. (more... ) --- ---