by Craig Fairley | Jan 3, 2014 | Websites
If you have a website built on a content management system such as WordPress, Joomla or Droopal (and there are many others), this specifically affects you. Setting up your site on a content management system is not a one-time deal. Just like any other software, it...
by Craig Fairley | Jun 24, 2013 | Brand development, Industry Observations, Marketing Tips, Websites
Yesterday, June 23, I had the chance to attend Wordcamp, a one-day conference in Hamilton, Ontario. It was a gathering of enthusiasts of the WordPress website content management system. Wordcamps take place all over the world and this was the first one for Hamilton....
by Craig Fairley | May 1, 2013 | Industry Observations, Marketing Tips
Everybody feels good when a design hits the mark – it looks good and, more importantly, it gets the job done. But that success isn’t by accident. A successful design project will have started with a tool that clearly communicates what the project is, its...
by Craig Fairley | Jan 7, 2013 | Industry Observations
Many of us feel we have missed the boat when it comes to the inventive genius of people like Steve Jobs. We feel stuck in a rut. Amanda Lang feels you can change that with one question: Why? The Chief Business Correspondent for CBC and co-host of the Lang &...
by Craig Fairley | Dec 10, 2012 | Design Sense
A recent visit to a friend’s home was a much anticipated event. Not just for the great company and excellent food we were promised, but for the opportunity to see something she owns. After warm welcomes all around, I looked around to see if I can spot it. There...
by Craig Fairley | Nov 7, 2012 | Industry Observations
A colleague recently asked me about the availability of free fonts and heard a rumour that fonts are in fact covered by a licence. She heard correctly, fonts are licenced software. That is how font designers earn a living, by selling a licence. It’s just like...
by Craig Fairley | Oct 22, 2012 | Industry Observations
The selection of environment-friendly paper for printing has become more mainstream than it was in the past. There are now a few options to print buyers. Paper and the forestry industry has responded with a couple of different certification initiatives to ensure you...
by Craig Fairley | Oct 11, 2012 | Design Sense
Recently I have had some clients ask me what font was used in designing their logo. I did not give a straight answer. Why? There are three main reasons: The client wants to start using the font for practically everything. I know their motives. The sales manager may...
by Craig Fairley | Sep 30, 2012 | Marketing Tips
This is an article I wrote several years ago, but I think there’s value in bringing it to the front again. It had a lot of positive response. 1. Don’t Wait – Go For It Plants will start to send up shoots as soon as they can. When planning your...
by Craig Fairley | Sep 25, 2012 | Design Sense
When I began in this business, it quickly became clear that there are fundamental rules in graphic design. Things like, certain fonts should not be combined, don’t use too many fonts, conservative businesses use conservative colours, make good use of white...
