Creating a Home Office that Invigorates Creativity

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When you have been toiling away at work for hours on end, it’s easy to lose your creative drive and become bogged down in the minutia of your day-to-day operational demands. For anyone working in graphic design, this creativity block can be a serious detriment to your business’s prosperity. That’s why we at Modernize have found it to be essential to have a home office that recharges your creative batteries, all while promoting productivity and organization, too.

Increased Productivity

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Usually a person’s home is where they find solace, and it is when your mind is the most at peace that your creative juices will flow freely. A study conducted by Stanford University noted that in-office employees were 13 percent less productive than their home-based counterparts due in large part to noisier working environments and far more illnesses. By working from home, you are in charge of every aspect of the space from music selection to temperature, giving you an office where you will be the most comfortable. Plus, when you work from home you are able to optimize each minute of your work day by not wasting time in sitting in traffic twice a day!

Inspirational Nooks

 

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Sometimes you have to see past the computer screen to know exactly what to design in the digital world. By having a home office that surrounds you in inspiration rather than a dull cubicle, all you need to do in order to break through a mental block is to look around your office to find that creative boost. Whether it’s pictures of your family on vacation, an item of geeky fandom, or a painting of enlightening quote, these elements will help put your task into perspective and refocus your attention on solving the task at hand.

Clutter is Killer and Aesthetic is Key

When you are designing your home office, though, show some restraint on not overcrowding your space with these motivational items. Scientists at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute have found that when your environment is cluttered, it makes it significantly more challenging for you to be able to concentrate. Since you have the freedom to design your space as you see fit, opt for a streamlined office aesthetic that makes you feel invigorated and refreshed, being sure to include plenty of organizational solutions.

Improved Finances

If you are one of the many graphic designers who have chosen to run their own business or be an independent contractor, then it is especially beneficial to choose a home office versus a traditional office environment. Creativity is virtually impossible when you are stressed about being able to pay your bills. A home office will not only lower your overhead, but it can put money back in your pocket when you take advantage of any tax deductions available for an at-home business.

By taking the time to think about what inspires you and your career goals, you can create a home office that invigorates your creativity and optimizes your productivity.

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11 of the Most Stunning & Minimalistic Beer and Cider Labels Ever

Beers and ciders that are consumed by most people around the world are nothing special; they’re mass-produced in large factories with little/no variation in flavour between each batch.

Typically, the bottle labels are the same as the beer: boring, plain, and offer no real sense of personality behind the brand. It’s usually all about packing as many colours and as much information as possible on to the label in the hope that the brand will stand out on the supermarket shelves.

However, if you look at the craft beer (and cider) market, you’ll notice something quite interesting: not only are the beers generally better quality, but a lot of the bottle labels are quite simple, minimalistic, and pay homage to the brewery and/or brewers.

I thought it would be nice to showcase some of these labels, so I’ve rounded up some of my personal favourites below.

#1 – Serpent Cider

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Serpent Cider is a product originating from Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, and as you can see, the labelling manages to be extremely colourful and flamboyant, while still maintaining it’s minimalism.

The design itself features an illustration of Ogopopo; a monster that is reported to live in the Okanagan Lake. You’ll notice that there is a small paragraph of text on the back of the bottle explaining the legend of the monster.

Interestingly, the bottle only makes use of blue, green and red (which helps to maintain the simplicity).

#2 – Deep Love IPA

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Deep Love is a Norwegian craft beer brand and much like Serpent Cider (above), the bottle also features an illustration of a sea monster (although it appears to be a beer-loving octopus, in this case).

According to the creators of the beer, it has a unique flavour, and therefore needed a unique packaging design to go along with it.

Rather than a simple beer label, this bottle actually features text and illustrations that have been printed directly onto the bottle itself. The result is a simple yet elegant design that certainly grabs the eye.

#3 – Shilling IPA

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Shilling is a beer brand started by Uli Bacher and describes itself as having a “Scottish soul” and an “Austrian heart” – certainly a unique blend of characteristics for any beer.

Much like the Deep Love IPA (above), this beer also features a non-traditional label in the sense that there is no label; the branding is instead printed directly onto the bottle itself.

However, the bottle does also feature a couple of smaller labels – notably the “India Pale Ale” labelling at the top of the bottle, and a similar label attached by string (you can get beer and cider labels from fastlabels.co.uk or another similar printing company).

#4 – Hardside Cider

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Hardside Cider is a Virginia-based company with a passion for hard cider. However, this company doesn’t only produce apple cider, but also apricot cider and a number of other unique recipes.

No matter what flavour of cider you opt for, the labelling remains consistent and minimalistic. You can see from the two ciders pictured (apple and apricot) that the labels are virtually identical. Both feature the brand name, the location in which it was made, and a couple of pieces of other important information.

The only difference between the two bottles is the printed flavour (“apple” and “apricot” respectively), and the photograph of the fruit used in production.

#5 – Spontaneously Fermented Cider

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Spontaneously Fermented Cider is a brand with simplicity at its heart, which is reflected in the beautiful bottle labels they use.

All four ciders/beers that are part of the Spontaneously Fermented Series are given Baroque style labels (see image above) and feature a minimal amount of written information (i.e. the name of the company, the alcohol percentage, and the flavour – that’s it).

Each label utilises only one colour (e.g. red, in the example above), although the bottle uses two shades of that colour (the darker shade for the label background, and the lighter shade for the design itself).

#6 – Rare Barrel – Sour Beer

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Rare Barrel is a small scale microbrewery, which exclusively brews sour beers (as they believe the process brews unique tasting beers); they’re based in Berkley, California.

With such a unique beer, Rare Barrel hired a graphic design company to create some unique bottle labels for the product. The brief was simple: celebrate the mixing of unique flavours in sour beers.

The result was this extremely colourful – yet also extremely simple – beer label that instantly grabs your attention. The minimalistic illustrations relate to the title of the beer (e.g. cosmic dust).

#7 – Super Jay American Pale Ale

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Super Jay hired the creative firm, PWW, to create these unique and minimalistic beer labels for their American Pale Ale.

These are perhaps one of the most simplistic labels on the list, as they feature nothing but the name of the company (Super Jay), the type of beer (American Pale Ale), and the company logo.

However, there is also the addition of two locations on the label (i.e. “LDN” and “NWT), as the Super Jay brand is all about combining different beers from different times/places.

#8 – Brooks Dry Cider

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Brooks Dry Ciders not only feature beautifully simple bottle labels, but there’s also a fascinating backstory to them.

In 1846, the area north of San Francisco Bay, California was briefly under military control from a short-lived state named the California Republic. The California Republic may not have been around long, but it was around long enough to create its own flag, which featured an image of a grizzly bear.

With Brooks Dry Cider fermented brewed in Napa, California, the designers opted to use “Brooks the Bear” as a mascot for the brand; he now features on every bottle of cider doing various things (e.g. riding a motorcycle).

#9 – PangPang

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PangPang is a microbrewery based in Sweden, which produces a range of interestingly-titled beers, such as “Bamboleo”, “Libertango”, and “Tiki-Tango”.

Each of these beers are part of the brewery’s “Summer Series”, so it was important that the bottle labels not only represented the brand (which is far from “traditional”), but also the essence of summer.

Therefore, the designer opted to use bright, summery colours (e.g. blue, pink, yellow) for the beers. You’ll notice that only one colour is used per beer type, which helps to keep things clean and simple.

#10 – Hoogan’s Cider

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Hoogan’s Cider is an award-winning cider brand located in England, UK. All of their ciders are produced from fresh pressed English apples from orchards in Herefordshire, Gloustershire and Worcestershire.

The bottle labels for Hoogan’s cider are not only simple, but also remain consistent throughout the range of different ciders on offer (e.g. dry cider, medium cider, etc.). The only thing that changes on the labels is the colour scheme and the illustration of the fruit used to produce it (i.e. apple or pear).

It’s about as simple as it gets.

#11 – Left Field Cider Co.

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Left Field Cider Co. is a unique cider brand that was founded by two sisters; their ciders are brewed and bottled at a family ranch in Mamette Lake, BC.

Because the ranch produces different ciders at different times of the year, it was important that the bottle labels were adaptable for each cider. Therefore, the brand created this simple yet smart design that allows the batch number, year and blend details to be filled in by hand.

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Win a Membership Account from PixelKit and Access Thousands of Premium Graphic Files

Have you been searching for high quality UI kits that provide you with everything you need all in one place? If so, you’ve finally found it with PixelKit. This resource is the only solution you will ever need for your website designs.

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With PixelKit, you will be able to create clean, consistent projects faster than ever. All of the elements you need will be right there together, eliminating unnecessary and time-consuming searches.

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This set of icons is created with a detailed flat style that adds the perfect touch of modernism to your projects.

App Icons

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This kit is designed for those creating a hotel, vacation resort, or similar types of websites. The elements are designed to give you all the tools you need for the niche, with a beautiful, modern feel.

Hotel UI Kit

Red Carpet UI Kit

The modern flat style of this kit is the perfect look for cinema or television oriented websites, including blogs and eCommerce sites. You will have all the tools you need to create a stunning site that is slick, yet easy to navigate and designed to meet your exact needs.

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Ready to Win?

  1. The first step is to respond to this post and tell us how you would use the premiumPixelKit graphics in the comments section.
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As an added bonus, make sure to check out our HTML templates. Free PixelKit  Bootstrap UI Kits. With just a quick download, you will have interesting templates that add the perfect touch to your website design.

Dedicated Graphic Designers Vs Freelancers – Who Should You Hire?

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Hiring decisions can spell the difference between the success and failure of a project. That’s why it’s important that you get the best candidate for the job. Take as much time as you need. Don’t hire right away. Wait until you hire the right one.

Keep this mind, whether you’re on the lookout for a dedicated designer or a freelancer. Don’t quite know when to pick a freelance graphic designer over a dedicated one and vice versa? Here are some tips to point you in the right direction.

Deliverables schedule

In an article on LinkedIn about freelance writers, the author says that finding out “how often you’ll need new content may be the deciding factor in hiring a freelancer.” The same logic applies if you’re considering the services of a freelance web designer. Do you need new visual content supplied to you on a regular basis? When you say regular, do you really mean once a month or on a weekly basis?

If you just need new content occasionally, then keeping a dedicated person or team on the payroll, just to handle the work, is a tad wasteful. If this is all you need, hiring a freelancer is your best option. Sites like Designhill make this easy and convenient for you.

Advantages of hiring freelancers

Going for the services of a freelance graphic designer at Designhill means you won’t have to pay for benefits, insurance and taxes to get the design you need. There are no sick leaves or vacation leaves to worry about either. This is especially true if you only need a couple of one-offs, like a logo design, perhaps, or a remake on your existing site design. After that, the deal’s done and you both go your separate ways.

In the article “Should I Hire a Freelancer or Employee?” posted on the Coworks site, one section mentions another advantage to hiring a freelancer, over a dedicated one. You can get freelance graphic web designers based on the skill set or specialty you need. With this, you won’t have to find and hire the multi-disciplinary—the jack of all trades—designer. Designers with technical know-how in as many fields or types of design work as possible sound like a godsend. But they rarely fall at your feet in batches. At best, you’ll end up with one who’s good at four out of six or two out of four. Getting a designer who specializes in logo design or front-end applications is the next best thing because it does away with all that.

Also, the really best ones command a hefty fee. This isn’t ideal if you’re working on a budget.

Perks of a dedicated designer

However, if you need visual content pretty regularly—that covers daily to weekly deliverables—you might want to take on the idea of hiring a dedicated designer for that. In this case, you’re definitely going to need a bigger budget. But you can count on a couple of handy perks to offset the expense. Since hiring dedicated designers mean you share the same office space with them every day, they also get to have a hand in the office culture and team you’re building. Built on trust and honesty, professional relationships like this can last for years and even help both of you succeed in your careers.

The third option

Thanks to the internet, hiring anywhere in the world isn’t a problem anymore. With sites like Designhill offering you a network of designers—from web designers and logo designers to illustrators and graphic artists—you’ve now got access to a huge talent pool out there. The bigger it is, the better your chances are at finding the right person for the job. When you find the best ones, then count yourself lucky. Keep these freelancers on your roster of go-to experts for when you need something new. You get the quality you need but at a much lower cost than keeping a dedicated designer on your payroll.

Hongkiat’s article, “Hiring Freelance Contractors: 8 Things You Need to Know,” gives helpful insight into how you can find the right freelancer for your project.

  1. Check the portfolio. This is one of the first things you’ll have to look at. Evaluate the style and quality of the work. Does it match what you want and need?
  2. Set the ground rules. Make sure the designer knows everything you need him/her to know. This includes project details, deadlines and pay rate.
  3. Don’t go for cheap. While hiring freelancers are more affordable, automatically going for designers that offer the lowest rates out there can be more trouble than help.
  4. Be fair. Respect the work that designers do. Pay designers at fair rates. You’re already saving up on medical insurance coverage, leaves and taxes.
  5. Don’t forget about references. If you want to be extra sure, then ask after references. Call them up. If you’re satisfied with the feedback you get, then set a meet up and start the ball rolling.

5 Don’ts When You Start Your eCommerce Site

Thrilled that you’re finally starting your own online shop? Here are a few tips that could prove useful to you as you begin to build your business from the ground up:

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1. Let go of the assumption that sales would just automatically start to pouring in the minute you put up your site.

Having an online site ensures that you have online visibility. This adds to the credibility of your business. Any business that can’t have its own site might even be perceived as shady. That’s why many shoppers are wary to trust businesses that don’t have online presences. With web-based solutions and platforms that offer easy-to-use systems, owning a site is now the norm.

However, having a site doesn’t guarantee sales and conversions, especially not if you don’t know anything about what you’re doing on the site. Is the content optimized for mobile? Do you offer online credit card payment options for your customers? Do you have a long list of product pages that need to be trimmed? Or maybe your checkout process is too long? You’ve got a lot to learn to improve your site’s performance. It would be great if you already know a few things before you got started.

If you don’t and you think your time is better spent elsewhere, particularly in planning marketing campaigns, then why not hire someone to take care of these things for you? Just make sure to check the output every step of the way so you know they’re getting the vibe, the tone, the character you want for your brand.

2. Don’t expect to earn money right away.

You’re not going to get rich, not right away, maybe not even after a few weeks. So don’t expect your money to return to you twofold or triple-fold. That’s not the way this works. However, if you’re patient and you’ve got passion for the business, then there’s a bigger chance that you’ll find yourself succeeding one day. It’s a long road to success though so you’ve got to be able to last that long.

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Make sure you have plenty of money, not just for capital, but to take care of your living expenses along with your emergencies, while you try to get the business off the ground.

3. Don’t do everything.

You can be the boss, the mentor, the occasional comedian providing your team with much-needed comic relief. But you can’t be the editor, the writer, the designer, and the strategist at the same time. You can’t be everyone and you can’t do everybody’s job. You shouldn’t even try.

Do what you’re best at. If that means you have to spend a good amount of your time every day developing campaigns or thinking about how to come up with creative ways to use Scrapebox, then do it. That’s your core competency. Don’t lose that by trying to be everything that your team needs. Learn to delegate. Learn to trust your team, if you have one. If you don’t, then hire somebody, even just one person to help you out.

4. Don’t quit—at least not yet.

Starting your own eCommerce site is tough work. There are plenty of growing pains to overcome. There are days that you’ll be too busy to even look in the mirror, and days when all you’ll want to do is sleep. But you wanted this, you said yes, you committed to this project. So even when you feel you’re at the lowest point of being an entrepreneur, when you think the business isn’t going to go anywhere, that’s when you’ll have to remind yourself not to give up, not to quit. Give the business a chance. Don’t pull up stakes until you’re absolutely sure. And even then, you should still try and talk yourself out of it.

There is, however, a difference between having a bad day and not being fit for the work at all. If you know it’s just a bad day, then distract yourself until it goes away.

5. Don’t work for more than 12 hours every day.

If you have to do 12 hours of work or more just for the business to survive, then you’ve got to know that the set-up you have isn’t going to be feasible in the long run. If you can, hire a person or two to take over some of your work or better yet use a reputed software like Shopify, if delegation is the problem. If it isn’t, find a way to develop a process that allows you to shave as much time off that 12-hour time frame as possible. While the idea of working hard is commendable, working smart is a better option. If you can revise your process so that a lot of the work can be automated, or if you could use templates, that would create a more efficient and happier you in the end.

Guilty of doing a few items on the list? No worries, you’ve got plenty of time to get these bad habits out of your system and make a change for the better.