DBL MEDIA Studio™ / Your Image. Our Job!

Branding: Logo and stationery for Eli's Cakes

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 13:17:00 -0400

Once our friends at Eli’s Cakes in Venezuela contacted us to amp their brand, we knew this would be an interesting project. They asked to maintain an angelical touch to it and colors that co-relate with the soothing and tasty treats they offer. Business cards were printed on a 16pt Silk Laminated stock with Spot-UV accents and 1/4” rounded corners. You be the judge and let us know what you think!

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#hashtags are a current event now at Facebook

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:57:00 -0400

Hashtags are not just a static and plain text on Facebook anymore. The social media giant is giving users the capability to create, search, and click on hashtags now. After many years, Twitter promoted live convos and updates on live events by the use of hashtags as many of you know by now.

On the other hand, the hashtag streams will be limited by clicking on the Privacy Settings. Only content and posts made by “friends” will be made visible.

#Enjoy!

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Rome wasn't built in one day, your logo shouldn't be either.

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:58:00 -0400

Logos come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. Some explain what the company does while others are abstract. Some are beautiful while others are just plain ugly. But at the end of the day, there is no set template for the art of designing a logo. Things would be kind of boring if there was, don’t you think? So now you ask, if none of these factors are what make a great logo, then what is it?

Well it’s simple, the logo has to be original and different from the thousands of other companies out there. If you notice, giants like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Disney, and Apple all have very distinct logos that make them stand out from the rest. This is the key to a successful logo.

But I lied, it’s not as simple as it seems… Here is what happens behind the scenes to design logos for our clients.

1. Client Research

The first step in creating a logo is having a real conversation with the clients. Everyone has different tastes, so when creating a logo, we have to be very mindful of what the clients want. We sit with each one of them to get an overall feel of his/her personality, values, and company culture. This helps us narrow down ideas and see what the clients like and dislike. It saves us plenty of headaches down the road and it’s a a nice way to build great business relationships.

2. Industry Research

After getting to know the clients, we have to look into the industry that they’re in. That way we can see who the target audience is and who they have to compete against. Knowing the target audience gives us a great vantage point that we can use to create something that both the clients and customers will love. Looking into the competition gives us a way to know what to avoid because the last thing you want to do is create a logo that reminds the target customer of the clients’ competition.

3. Logo Application

This is one of the most critical parts of creating a logo. We have to keep in mind when and how the logo will be displayed. Factors such as orientation, readability, and color play a huge role in how a logo will look whether it’s on a website or on a huge banner in downtown. For this reason, we have to think carefully and weed out ideas that simply won’t apply for these situations. You don’t want to be stuck with a vertical logo on a website or tiny font that no one can read on a business card.

4. Rough Drafts & Digitalization

Now THIS is where the magic happens! After all the research is done, we finally begin drawing up dozens of original ideas that we feel will work for both the client and the customers. Once we are done brainstorming, we narrow down the options and show the clients the best designs that will stand out from the crowd. Once the clients have chosen the logo(s) that they like, we begin the digital process of vectorizing the design. Designing the logo as a vector is a must because you will be able to resize it without losing any quality.

5. Refinement

During this process, we add details and receive feedback from the clients. We also provide a few variations of the design and color palette to give the clients a few final options to choose from. We then go through a series of revisions until the clients are happy with their final logo. Once the logo is ready to go, we can move on to the rest of the client’s branding.

6. Brand Identity

So the hard part is over, but we’re not done yet. A good logo is nothing if it is not applied properly. During this stage, we begin working on business cards, websites, signage, vehicle wraps, and even promotional items to show off your new logo. Even though this step is optional, most clients prefer to keep all of their design themes similar to each other and create a custom package to fit their needs.

So in other words, it is not a simple to create a logo as some think. It takes time, patience, and creativity to make a timeless logo that will get the attention of the target audience. We follow these steps almost religiously to provide our clients with the best possible work. So if you’re in need of a logo, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We mind your business :)

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Search Engine Optimizers beware, theres a new google update in town.

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:06:00 -0400

Late last week, Google launched its most recent algorithm update in the form of Penguin 2.0. There was a lot of speculative discussion leading up to the release about just what changes this new Penguin would reveal.

For now, less than a week since Penguin 2.0 rolled out, the actual effects of this update are obviously still pretty obscure and unclear, but already some trends have begun to emerge that hint at what exactly is changing for search engine optimization professionals and content marketers.

So, what exactly will it mean to work on the Web and practice search engine optimization for your website or blog in a post-Penguin 2.0 world? Keep reading to find out.

Authority Matters (More)

Google is going to be paying much closer attention to your credentials, so if your site is considered an authority in your specific niche, expect to see that pay off in the form of higher rankings on the search engine.

Changing the Way We Guest Blog

One of the biggest things that Google seems to be interested in targeting are sites that have a lot of outbound links pointing at just one website, as opposed to various links to many different authoritative websites. This will (or should) have a major effect on the way that content marketers and bloggers choose the websites that they write guest blog posts for. With this in mind, writers should make sure they select sites that don’t link to low-quality sites and are unquestionably relevant to the site that they intend to link back to in their posts. Of course, this should be a common best practice for all guest bloggers already, but with the genesis of Penguin 2.0, those that do publish non-relevant links and content together on a regular basis will feel the sting with regards to devaluation of their own blogs.

The Advertorial Question

Advertorials tread murky water when it comes to the black hat/white hat ethics debate, but most people don’t consider this type of content to be “bad,” per se. That being said, it is sort of frowned upon, and Google likely won’t be recognizing those who publish advertorials as true “authorities,” and they should not be expecting link credibility from the search engine if they publish them.

The Death of Content Spam

Google has finally tied a direct penalty to the much-maligned art of content spam. This obviously means that any sites that “feature” user-generated content spam will be hurt on the SERPs as a result. Webmasters should take note and check their sites, and particularly their blogs and comments sections, to seek out things like multiple https or terms like “free shipping” to uncover (and then remove) content spam. They can do this by using a database crawler tool or Google’s site:domain.com “words go here” feature. (It should be noted that especially capable spammers might make it so that their efforts can’t be discovered without performing a Google search.)

Enough with the Over-Optimization

Sites that use their navigation, header and/or footer areas to include more keywords as a way to rank higher for those terms, or sites that add a superfluous amount of header and footer links for those keywords, will be working in vain now. In fact, they may even end up penalized by Google for their slightly spammy over-optimization efforts, and nobody wants that.

Keeping Ads in Check

In order to keep websites and domains from being landing pages for a bunch of ads, Google has started handing out penalties to sites that put too many advertisements above the fold. Of course, the famously vague company doesn’t exactly tell us what “too many” really means, but it’s at least enough to go off of for now. Just make sure you keep it down (down below the fold, that is).

An Increase in Clusters

Despite the fact that Google likes to have as much variety as possible on the first page of the SERPs, it looks like the search engine will be displaying more clusters of multiple pages from the same domain. The catch, of course, is that the domain and its pages are of a high quality in the first place.

Crawlability is Key

Crawl errors that diminish the spiders’ ability to scan your website to determine its authority, and thus ranking position, will now have a greater impact on your overall SEO efforts. Crawl errors affect a site’s strength and authority, and that will become a bigger problem on the post-Penguin 2.0 Web. Fortunately, you can go into Google Webmaster Tools, check your crawl rate and uncover any issues the spiders may be having, so that you can get on top of correcting them ASAP.

-Source

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5 Tips for Acquiring Responsive Subscribers

Mon, 13 May 2013 16:15:00 -0400

When it comes to launching a successful email marketing campaign, obtaining a large email list is only half the battle.

Ensuring your subscribers are high quality is just as important - if not more important - as maintaining a large number of subscribers. After all, a massive list of unresponsive consumers is less effective than a small list full of responsive consumers. Check out the tips below to guarantee the subscribers on your list will engage with your messages:

1. Identify your objective

Consumers aren’t going to sign up to receive your email promotions or newsletters if they don’t know what they are going to get, which is why it is up to you to tell them. For example, if you’re a retailer primarily sending out promotions and exclusive product information, make sure to say that on the sign-up form, just as Smashbox cosmetics does.

2. Stay on a schedule

Don’t depend on subscribers to be responsive if they can’t depend on you to deliver content, however, it is just as important to not over-deliver messages. For instance, if you promise to deliver a weekly newsletter during the initial subscription sign-up, make sure to fulfill that promise. By being consistent, your subscribers will know what to expect and be more likely to open your emails. They might even end up searching for your messages within their inbox on a regular basis.

3. Segment lists

It is important to know what your customers want so that you can send them relevant information, as this will result in higher open and engagement rates. The best way to make sure that your audience is receiving pertinent content is by allowing them to choose what they are most interested in when they subscribe. For example, Time allows subscribers to select the type of newsletters they’d like to receive during the initial sign-up process.

4. Use double opt-in

It can be simple to foster a large email list through strategies like offering a promotion or giveaway in exchange for subscriber information, but doing this can also lead to subscribers who simply joined your list for a freebie. In order to ensure that your subscribers are responsive, marketers can use a double opt-in strategy. This technique sends a verification email to every subscriber, in which they must click on the link within the message to be added to the marketer’s list. This technique not only makes sure subscribers are responsive, but can also help businesses get rid of low-quality (of not bogus) data in their lists.

5. Get personal

While you may have already taken steps to segment your email lists, it is also important to track each subscriber’s activity, so you can reach out to them based on the actions they take. Something as simple as sending a welcome message to a new subscriber is one way to stay personal. Additionally, sending a follow-up message to a consumer who abandoned their cart on your site is not only personal, but can also help you save the sale, build a relationship with the customer and create a more responsive subscriber.

-Source

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Pros and Cons of Responsive Web Design

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:14:00 -0400

With the huge growth of users accessing the web through tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices; websites with a fixed layout just don’t cut it anymore. The problem with fixed layout websites is that not all devices are created equal. The changes in width make it nearly impossible to view fixed websites in certain devices with small screens. The demand for mobile-friendly websites has definitely increased over the last few years.

This is where responsive layouts come in… They allow your website to read your device’s screen resolution and resize itself to fit. Your website will be perfectly viewable whether you see it from a smartphone, tablet, or pc. But since nothing is perfect, there are pro and cons to this layout. Check them out below and decide what’s best for you!

Pros of responsive web design:

Consistent experiences across all devices
Single code base
Improved SEO
Single URL for all devices

Cons of responsive web design:

Pages are more time consuming to create
They require new content management workflows
They require new image optimization processes
Minimal support for responsive web design in e-commerce for merchandizing or visualization

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Check out the Webby Awards winners you Webby people!

Thu, 02 May 2013 12:34:42 -0400

Below you may find a link to the present and past list of winners for the Webby Awards. For those of you that don’t know what the Webby Awards are, picture the Oscars for Web and Online design. We thought you creative and curious people might enjoy it and hopefully get inspiration from what you see. Click away and enjoy!

http://winners.webbyawards.com/2013

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For a quote on your new website or other online services click here!

Facebook rolls out with a new logo ladies and gents.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:50:00 -0400

The social media giant presented a new “f” on Friday in the company’s news site. For the first time in many years, they have polished their look and injected botox to rejuvenate some of its icons.

As you can see on the picture above, they completed some tweeks to its brand identity. Bringing the “f” closer to the bottom edge, slanting some of the features and eliminating the faded white line.

Also, the mobile icon, politics, security and others have been redesigned and have included their signature blue to create a uniform look.

What do you think about their new logo and icons?

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here!

Happy Earth Day!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:38:00 -0400

This is part of a Vinyl Window Decal that we made for our...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:43:58 -0400

This is part of a Vinyl Window Decal that we made for our friends at “Thriving in the Black” located at Sunset Place Mall in Miami. If you need anything similar, contact marketing@dblmedia.com or 305-320-6223

Have your creative juices dried up? Check this site for designers, by designers...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:33:00 -0400

This cool search engine helps you find inspiration by looking up relevant searches on Behance, Dribbble, and Designspiration at the same time. Colleagues, you won’t regret it.

niice.co

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here!

Need Blog Post Ideas? 3 Easy Templates to Get You Writing -- Now

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:27:01 -0400

If you own or manage a business blog, you know how difficult it can be to keep up with the type of regular publishing calendar that’s needed to form a connection with your audience. Dare to slack off even a few times and miss a few weeks of posting, and you’ll likely find that the readership you so carefully cultivated has all but disappeared in favor of greener, more regularly updated pastures.

So if you’re struggling to come up with new content ideas to fill these potential gaps, consider the following blog post templates. These basic structures can be reworked over and over again — giving you the steady stream of content needed to sustain your blog’s reader base.

1. Lists
The list post is a popular type of blog post, given that it’s often easy to write and tends to be more widely shared among social connections than other types of articles. You’ve probably seen these posts all over your favorite blogs. This very article is an example of a list post, in that it discusses a list of three possible blog post types to consider when you’re out of content ideas.

Writing a list post involves coming up with a collection of different items that suit an overall theme that’s related to the subject of your site, an industry issue or any other topic of interest to your readers.

Your list posts don’t need to feature only a few items. Including 25, 50 or even 100 or more items can help to create great reference posts for your readers, without requiring the mental effort needed to draft lengthy content-driven posts instead.

2. Link round-ups
Another popular type of blog post is the “link round-up.” Instead of writing an entire post of your own fresh content, gather links to interesting articles throughout your industry and compile them into a new post on your own site. When pulling content for your link round-ups, be sure to pull from reputable websites in your own industry and related fields.

Not only do readers often appreciate discovering new websites through link round-up posts, sharing another author’s content on your own site can help build rapport with him or her. These relationships could eventually lead to reciprocal link round-up mentions, guest post opportunities and more.

3. Quick interviews
Finally, if you can’t come up with anything interesting to say on your own, why not try an interview post? These are fairly self-explanatory, as they consist of asking another person a series of questions via email, phone call or video chat.

Ideally, the person you’re interviewing should be someone whose experiences and interests enable him or her to provide valuable answers to your readers.

This type of blog post offers a hidden advantage: Interviewing the right people — that is, people with significant influence in your industry — can send a flood of traffic back to your blog if your interview subject happens to mention the post to his or her followers. Though you may not have the clout to secure these types of posts initially, building up a solid reputation as a good interviewer can help you to eventually land the interview subjects who can dramatically expand your blog’s recognition.

However, keep in mind that interviews take time to produce. Not only will you need to initiate contact with potential subjects in advance, your final posts may be delayed based on these subjects’ schedules.

For this reason, interview posts should be looked at as a way to fill your future post slots with interesting content that doesn’t require much effort on your part. If you’re in need of an immediate article, both list posts and link round-up posts can help you to develop content quickly in order to prevent your blog from drying up and your readership from disappearing.

Source: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225665#ixzz2Q68uzxjD

laughingsquid: Mod Men, Photo Series Exploring How the World of...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:19:24 -0400

laughingsquid:

Mod Men, Photo Series Exploring How the World of ‘Mad Men’ Would Look in the 21st Century

Real-time Events Now in Google Analytics

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:12:35 -0400

Google’s real-time reports are one of the far more engaging reporting features for digital marketers as they can provide immediate insights into the performance of campaigns. But now the Google Analytics feature iss even better thanks to greater support for Events.

Say for example that you want to track specific interactions on a page (or website) such as a link click and do so independently of pagevies. Google Analytics newly enhanced real-time reports not only shows the top events as they occur but provides the ability to filter on particular event categories (from link clicks to downloads). The depth of these intelligence reports could prove quite useful to both marketers and website managers. For example, say some news event occurs and there is an increase in a pageviews for an article/post that was previously written. In this scenario, the website manager might want to highlight the content in some manner on the homepage and the marketer may want to redistribute it through social media channels. As Google suggested, having access to this level of data is akin to being about to pour fuel on the social media fire.

Google introduced three other features worthy of note, including reports to understand whether real-time traffic is from desktops, tablets or mobile, create shortcuts to favorite real-time segments, and the ability to compare real-time filtered data again overall real-time data.

Source: Website Magazine

Printing: Comparing HIgh Quality and Budget

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 14:43:47 -0400

Like with most purchases that you make, the two most important factors to take into consideration are the quality and the price of the product. This also applies to printing, where so many printing methods, materials, and cuts are available. Here’s our take on this.

High Quality Printing

We believe that quality is one of the top priorities when it comes to printing because these products are what will speak for you and your company. Whether you are just beginning your business or are a seasoned veteran in your industry, your customers will be attracted to do business with you if you carry yourself professionally. A business card printed on computer paper screams “amateur” while a business card with Silk Lamination, Foil, and Spot UV will show your client that you pay attention to detail.I personally feel more comfortable doing business with someone that has a nice business card or website, don’t you? So, if you’re willing to spend a few more bucks, you will receive more feedback from your clients and that investment will pay itself in the long run.

Budget Printing

We understand that not everyone can spend a lot of money on printing, even if they wanted to. So, we work with the budget that you have, to bring you good quality products that are affordable. Even though these products may not have all the bells and whistles, they still get the job done. Remember the “amateur” computer paper business cards that I mentioned before? Well that’s not what you’ll be getting either… You can spend as little as $30 and get 500 business cards on great quality paper with UV coating. In conjunction with a good design, these business cards will still pack a punch and bring you lots of business.

Whether you want the most fancy plastic business cards or just need something reliable for a low price, you can count on us.

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here!

Don't Call It A Comeback!

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 14:03:00 -0500

These are some package designs for cereals in the 80’s. We hope your taste buds find it nostalgic. Enjoy!

-Source

Get your E-Mail Campaign Noticed!

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 14:00:39 -0500

Even though some companies have forgotten a bit of the personal touch (Yes, I’m calling an e-mail personal), sending out a campaign, newsletter, or even offer is still appreciated by your public, colleagues and others. An e-mail campaign is a simple, low-cost, and effective if you know how to use it properly. You don’t want to be considered SPAM? Or do you? (No, not the canned meat). Retail companies are fiercely pushing e-mail campaigns as a way to attract customer to price-diculous sales and make conversions. Why won’t you do it? After all, we’re in the digital age. Check out these tips to create a good e-campaign:

-Now, what makes an e-mail relevant or even eye-catching? Well, plain and simple. The TITLE. The title of your campaign is going to make the difference between a prospect opening it or simply sending it to trash bin hell. Be creative about your e-mail titles and create a sense of curiosity.

-This one is a pretty obvious one but only send out e-mails to people who are interested in your services, might, or will in the near future. Make it relevant people!

-Another way to catch a customers eye is to use your own pictures. It gives it a personal touch and a sense of security. Anyone could go online and use stock pictures for free (illegally) or simply purchase some images with 50 employees smiling when in reality it’s only one dude/gal behind a computer screen.

-Keeping it simple will take you places. People are tired of the business jargon and like the information to be brief, entertaining, and to the point. I believe you’re tight on your schedule as well right?

-Create a campaign that others could share. For example, every time I bump into an interesting topic or article that I receive I inmediately share it with my co-workers, colleagues and even customers if it applies to their business concept. People would appreciate that and you would have created a viral e-mail. Make it easy for the recipient to share on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or others by adding links to them.

Best of luck on getting your message out there!

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here!

Article by: Enrique Cardozo (Sales @ DBL Media)

Check out this deal of the week and save big! For info on our...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:41:51 -0500

Check out this deal of the week and save big!

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here.

How To Deal With Unorganized Clients?

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:25:00 -0500

Having clients in the Graphic Design industry can be tricky when you have your first sit down with them. Most of the clients would tell you they don’t know what they want while others know and envision exactly what they want whether it is creatively correct for their brand or not. After all, you’re being hired to be a creative. When meeting with clients for the first of 50th time, be prepared and make them be aware they should be prepared as well so it would make their lives and yours easier. Here are some tips for you to have up your sleeve that work for meetings:

Study your client - Before taking on a project, you must understand where the client’s idea or need come from. Dig deep into the concept of their business and paint a visual mock-up picture of how your idea would look. If this doesn’t work, go back to the imaginary drawing board and present other ideas prior to taking time on an actual proof. Also, trust your gut when taking on a project. If the client doesn’t make you feel at ease from the minute you meet, this may not be a good client to have.

Explain the design process - In order to avoid misunderstandings or frustration with the design process, make sure you explain to your client that designing is a meticulous process where you sit down, doodle, erase, doodle some more, digitize and then present. The more you explain to your client about the design process, the more receptive they’re going to be and aware of where their project is at that point. Promising a 24 hour turn-around might turn into a lame design or an unhappy customer.

Hold their hands - After all, you’re being hired to get creative. Sometimes your costumer lacks creativity, didn’t go to school for it or simply doesn’t have the time and would rather hire a professional to do the work. Remember they don’t understand CMYK, Bleeds or Illustrator slangs. Be patient and explain what approach they should take to make their design recognizable and create an impact. Familiarize them in order areas such as printing, marketing and web.

Friendly Reminders - Even unorganized clients are willing to send you all the information at the tip of their hands but sometimes their busy lifestyle would not permit 5 minutes of their time to sit down and get that info package you’ve waiting for the past 2 weeks. Be patient and send them polite e-mails to remind them you need the information in order to move forward with the project or the consequences it might face if they fail to deliver.

Stick to the contract - A contract is something you should always keep handy for clients to protect your interests and avoid being bullied by them. Not all clients are naive and innocent. On the other hand, this might put a serious perspective on the client for their own project. Sometimes the client would not take their own project seriously. Time is of the essence so by sticking to a well laid out contract this will help you get paid efficiently and on time.

On the other side of the stick, keep yourself organized, polite and professional at all times. The end result of a happy customer will be satisfying and will only result in referrals which are good for your pockets. Best of luck out there and go find those clients that fit your niche!

For info on our printing, professional logos, design, and web services click here!

We all know that nothing says “I love you” like a...

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 10:41:00 -0500

We all know that nothing says “I love you” like a set of business cards, a logo, or a website… So since we love our customers, we decided to give you a little gift ;)