Professional photography can make the difference between selling a product or not. It also impacts upon the opinion a customer makes about your business and whether they will do business with you or not.
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As a graphic designer, I am exceptionally aware of the importance of making a positive first impression. That’s why I advocate for businesses to use only professionally designed graphics. I’m also a professional photographer, and I also know that the photos a business use have the power to make or break their success.

​Why Professional Photos Are a Must Have for Businesses
Anyone with a camera can take a photo. But not everyone can take a great photo. Like for business images and graphics, there are plenty of DIY opportunities for product photos, marketing photos and headshots. I don’t recommend those though, because the cost of achieving a negative first impression is enormous. 
Five reasons why I advocate businesses to use professional photography include:

1. Brand representation – photos of your products, people and workplace are seen as being representative of your business. They communicate to your customers about what your business is about, it’s values and personality. 
2. First impressions – you have two seconds to make a positive first impression. Using professional photos of your products and other business related aspects helps you achieve that! 
3. Competitive edge – the way something looks is judged, and customers will compare the differences between your website, social media feed and product photos and those of your competitors. The ones that look the most professional will be from the business who gets the customer.
4. Personalisation – stock photos can look good, but they don’t offer the personalisation custom photography can provide. They allow your customers to get to know you and your business, rather than see a generic image that can convey incorrect messages about your brand.
5. Sharable – the internet and social media are a hive of photographs, with the best of them being shared around the world. Yes, there is the risk of photos being used by others, but with careful watermarking, this can be reduced. Professional photos are more likely to be shared and engaged with by your audience, increasing the reach of your brand.

As a professional photographer, I would be honoured to help capture the essence of your brand for you. Please get in touch and let’s have a chat about the product photography, marketing photos and headshots for your business today.

Colour - Glorious Colour! Colour can make or break the visual impact of your brand.

Do you like to create your own social media graphics but don’t know where to start? Do you have images and photos that you would like to choose your colours from but are unsure which colours to pick.

While doing this yourself can be cost effective, you can waste a lot of time if you do not know what you are doing. It can also result in graphics that look unprofessional. Graphic designers, like One Bite Design, have an expert eye for what looks good and understand how colours work alone and together. This is something that may not come naturally to everyone or maybe something that people haven’t been taught. Did you know that not all reds ‘go together’ - not all blues ‘are created equal’. Base colours are important.

So let’s look into some reasons and tips why selecting colours from your images / photos to use for your business is important.

3 Important Things To Note When Creating A Graphic 

1. Choose the right colours
   The first thing you want to consider is the target audience you are wanting to reach with the graphic? Are you a building company where it is predominantly male oriented. Are you marketing to mothers of young children? Your colour choices are likely to be quite different. Also have a think about how you want people to feel when they see your image. Do you want them to be excited and happy? Or perhaps you want them to feel calm and peaceful? You may want to convey solidarity and trust. Colours are capable of creating emotions. Have a look at this website to find some of the emotions related to different colours. 
   
   
2. Colours can create a strong unity within the graphic 
   Having all the colours you use tie in with the chosen image creates unity. The brain is then able to process what it sees easily making the impact of the graphic more beneficial. There isn’t a minimum of colours to select from an image but I advise having no more than 4 colours in the designed graphic. You can either use contrasting colours or you can chose colours that complement each other.  I have found this website helpful for looking at colour combinations.
   
   
3. Be sure to include your logo on your design
   Having your logo somewhere on your design is so important, it keeps your branding consistent and obvious for the world to see the business behind the graphic. The logo you use doesn’t always need to be a full colour / full text version. A watermark version of your logo works just as well. Having multiple versions of your logo is so beneficial when you are designing your own graphics. Check out one of my most popular blogs regarding logo design versions.

So… how do I select a colour from an image?
There are a few good websites that can do this for you but Image Color Picker comes highly recommended. You can upload your own image, use the online colour code from a website, or get the online colour code from a picture via the website link.  You use the online image colour picker to select a colour and get the online Colour Code of the selected pixel. You also get the multiple websafe colour information.

Which colours should I pick out?
Check out the 2 samples (below) of colours picked from the same image. Shout out to Nikki at AmbiDexi for letting me use her product and photo for this example. I am sure that from the first glance you can see which image is more appealing. The product used in this image is bright, fun, young and happy. In the first image that One Bite designed, the colours selected are vibrant and used from the girls tutus. The second image shows colours also picked from the same image but they are far less inviting. The colours in this graphic appear dull and dreary, they do not evoke a happy, exciting time for children. From this example you can clearly see which would be the right colours to use for this design. The distinctions are not always that clear and you may require some professional help. With each design you put out for your business make sure that you are designing it targeted at the right people. This does not only come down to the colours you use but also the image and even the relating text. 

​“Help!' I hear you say, 'I’m overwhelmed!'

Never fear! Help is at hand.  Helen, at One Bite Design, with 20 years experience, knows very well what colours work best to bring out of images. If you do not have either the time or desire to pick colours from your images for your design work, get in touch with One Bite Design today and I’ll apply my creative eye and understanding of how colours work to bring out the very best with your images, logo and over all branding.

​Successful branding occurs when your brand makes a deep connection with your followers. It’s what they use when building a relationship and developing an opinion about your business. A successful brand needs to convey messages about your business’:

• Purpose & Vision
• Values & Beliefs
• Position in the Market
• Personality
• Tone of Voice & Language
• Key Messages & Stories

But successful branding is more than your logo, business name or tagline. It’s more than having a flash website with all the bells and whistles, more than eye catching social media posts and more than having a recognisable brand. A business which has created a successful brand image, will be one which presents a consistent image.  

How to Achieve Successful Branding
As consistency is key in achieving a successful brand image, you first need to ensure all your ducks are in a row. This means reviewing your branding guide or having a graphic designer create one for your business. Inside this guide, you can expect to see details of the visual aspects of your brand, including your logo variations, fonts, styles and colours. A branding guide can also contain details about the vocabulary used, what can be shared on social media and other decisions about your brand’s visibility.
You then use your branding guide to ensure your brand image is consistent wherever it can be seen:

• Logo variations are used in the right places
• Colours used in social media are identical to your website and print advertising
• Font usage is consistent, including both heading and paragraph fonts

By being consistent with your branding, you are helping to build recognition, loyalty and trust amongst new and existing followers. If you are the owner operator of your business, then you have the sole responsibility in using your branding guide. If you outsource your web design or social media posts, sharing a copy of your brand guide with them will ensure they too practice consistency of your business’ brand image.

Where to Next for Your Brand?
It’s always a good idea to review your branding regularly. Check that it continues to portray the same messages to your audience and resonates with them, has an appropriate appearance for your industry and has all the key visual aspects included in your brand guide. What was once suitable for your business may not be now. That’s where I can help. 

As your graphic designer, I can work with your existing brand to develop a new look or simply tweak the existing look. Big or small, my design skills will help ensure your business makes a positive first impression. Get in touch and let’s have a chat or check out my current branding packages.

Many businesses are using Canva to help them create graphics for their website and social media platforms. Some even use it as a way to create documents such as flyers or posters for printing. As a graphic designer, I’ve got many clients who use Canva to edit the text and images of the Facebook or Instagram templates I’ve designed for them. It’s a very powerful tool and one I think is well worth using.

​But it has its limitations.

Recently I had a client come to me about a graphic they’d created using Canva. They’d spent a considerable amount of time organising and placing the content and were happy with the finished product. That is, until they tried to print it off.

Canva is great in that you can use all of the available features, upload and use graphics, change colours, choose fonts and edit text. In fact, you can create pretty much what you want and envision, within Canva’s limits.

Problem is, Canva isn’t a graphic designer.
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When using Canva, my client created their ideal graphic for their business. But not being a graphic designer, they didn’t know about needing to check font sizes, printing margins, pixel sizes and good colour choices. Canva by nature being software and not a graphic designer, didn’t provide any guidance to help.

End result was a design file which looked good on the screen when viewed using Canva but was unsuitable for printing or uploading to the web.

Canva Can Compliment but Not Replace Graphic Designers
I like to think of Canva as a useful tool, a bit like a fork. It is suitable for using with small pieces, but with the big ones, you need a better tool.

As a graphic designer, I use my years of experience and knowledge to produce graphics my clients can use anywhere. I understand where text is best positioned on a page, which colours work well together and which types of graphic file formats you’ll need. The work I design for you is fit for purpose and best of all, you don’t need to lift a finger.
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To learn more about my graphic design services or to discuss a custom design you need help with, please get in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.

How can you tell if you need a brand makeover? Does your logo become outdated after a certain number of years? Is it based upon changes happening in your business? Or is it necessary if you buy someone else’s business?

As a graphic designer, I not only help create new brands, but also offer a brand makeover or rebrand for businesses who need a change. This could be for all sorts of reasons, including that they just feel like something new. I thought it would be helpful to give you a checklist of examples when a brand makeover may be appropriate, plus explain what can be included in such a makeover.

Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Brand Makeover
Not sure if you need a new logo, new colours or new web graphics? Here are a few of the most common reasons why businesses have a brand makeover or rebrand:

• There has been a merger with another brand, and they need to incorporate both business’ graphics together as a cohesive unit.
• When a new owner takes over the business and wants it to reflect more of their own views that what is currently offered.
• If a negative image or connotation is associated with the old brand, a makeover can remove and disassociate itself from that.
• When you are wanting to attract a different target audience and your current branding doesn’t sit well with your new demographic.
• To prevent being seen as an outdated brand, with a brand makeover helping you keep up with the current market.
• When you want to draw attention to your brand, such as before launching a new product or to stand out above your competition.
• If legal issues pop up, including your branding being too similar to an existing business.

Regardless of your reasons, I’d love to help create a fresh new look for your brand. Get in touch today to discuss options or view my branding packages to learn more.

What Are Your Options for a Brand Makeover?
When most people think about branding, they are referring to the logo. But there are plenty of other branding bits and pieces to consider. Let’s take a look at a few of the key areas:

• Logo – by far one of the most important branding features, a well-designed logo conveys much more than your business name. From your business’ personality, values, target audience and products, your logo is a key business asset. A logo makeover can mean starting from scratch and designing something new, tweaking a part of it or updating the colours.
• Website – if you are happy with your logo, maybe just give your website a makeover itself. This refers to things such as a website template, new web banners, graphics and font.
• Workplace – here you can consider your actual workplace that your customers visit. Does it look appealing? In need of new signage, fresh paint and new furniture?

A brand makeover does require the use of professionals who specialise in these areas, as explained in our article Why a DIY Logo is a Big Mistake. I’d love to learn more about your business and how I can help with your rebrand or makeover. Get in touch today and let’s chat!

​Let’s dive into what brand consistency looks like within a business, plus four of the key benefits it can provide your business, and how you too can use it to increase your level of success.
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If there was one thing I wish every business used, it would be brand consistency. This simple yet effective tool holds the power to not only reach others, but to show them what your business stands for. By having brand consistency throughout all your business’ website, social media and marketing endeavours, your audience will receive the same message wherever they are.

What Does Brand Consistency Look Like?
A business with brand consistency delivers the same message to its audience regardless of where that audience is or the method of communication with that audience. This includes:

• Using your main and/or logo variations 
• Keeping your colour palette and font use consistent
• Using the same tone and type of voice
• Keeping your image and artwork types similar

Ideally all the visual aspects of your brand would have been identified during your start-up phase. Your visual brand aspects, including logo, colours and fonts, are best compiled by a graphic designer who can put together a comprehensive brand guide for you to follow. I would be honoured to help you with this – check out my Design and Brand Packages or contact me today.

4 Important Benefits of Having Brand Consistency
There are numerous benefits to having and using brand consistency within your business. Four which I strongly feel are important are:

1. Building brand trust and loyalty among your audience – when you use brand consistency, your audience easily builds confidence in your business. 
2. Increasing brand awareness – people purchase from or choose to use a brand they recognise. By keeping your visual message similar, they quickly grow to recognise your logo, brand voice and colours, making it easily visible and memorable against your competitors. 
3. Demonstrating that your business is dependable and trustworthy – as people get to know your business, they build an understanding about what it represents and who it is. Using the same consistency with your brand image helps them feel that your business is reliable and something they want to engage with.
4. Helping balance perceptions and expectations people have of your business – through consistent brand imagery, customers develop an expectation that they will receive the same service and/or products no matter when they engage with you.  

Since the arrival of COVID-19, more businesses than ever have turned to social media to connect with their audience. Those that demonstrate a consistent visual brand do well because they are instantly recognised, grow brand loyalty and increase the number of followers. Using professionally designed social media templates is an important tool, and one that I can provide, as well as a complete branding package. 
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Be noticed and remembered for all the right reasons by using a consistent visual brand image – get in touch with me today and let’s talk about it! 

First impressions matter!
​A prospective customer or client will decide whether to use your business or not within the first two seconds, based upon what your business looks like. But why do people make that decision based upon what your business ‘looks like’ and not what it can do? Because our brains analyse visual information much easily than any other type. In fact, we process visual information 60,000 times faster than written text and around 90% of the communication within our brains is through visual impulses. This makes having great visual content for our businesses vital to achieve success.

​Getting Your Business Noticed Visually
 
To get your business noticed, it needs to present an attractive appearance to the world. The best way to do this is to utilise the skills of a professional graphic designer. They will ensure all your design work is:

• Branded for your business – a business name without a graphic is simply a piece of easily forgotten text. It is when you turn your business name into a logo that it becomes far more memorable. A graphic designer will work with you to create a visual marketing package for your brand which incorporates the colours and images which both of you feel represents your business. The branding created for your business must be unique, clearly identifiable and professional in appearance to make that vital positive first impression.
• Uniform – all your business marketing resources needs to be uniform, regardless of where they are found. That means the fonts, colours, logo and graphics used on these materials need to remain the same. Customers and clients are more likely to recognise your brand over another if you keep all the visual aspects the same. It may sound strange, but when things remain constant over a variety of mediums, customer loyalty is also increased.
• Professional – your business’ credibility is essential for you to gain more customers and grow. Therefore, all your graphic work must look professional and the best way to achieve that is by hiring a graphic designer. Research has shown that of the ten most critical factors people use when determining the perceived credibility of a business is, the sixth most important was a professional looking and well-presented website. A graphic designer can help you achieve this by creating headers or banners, suggesting which text type, colour and size to use, as well as creating a logo which personifies your business.

​How One Bite Graphic Design Can Help You Get Noticed
 
Helen can help you with creating professionally designed logos, business cards, Facebook covers, social media graphics and website graphics for your business. She will work with you to alter your existing branding or create new from scratch. Having had over two decades of experience in the graphic design industry, Helen knows exactly how to create memorable and attention grabbing visual content so important to get noticed and grow your business.
 
Contact Helen today to discuss the ways she can help improve the visual appearance of your business and get it noticed! 

When you come across a new business, what is one of the first things you look at? Yes thats right, its their business logo.

Your logo not only sets you apart from other businesses, it can help give clients an idea of who you are, what you do and what they can expect from your business.

While logo design is a science in itself, once you have the perfect logo, how and where can you best use it to promote your business?

Let’s look at some of the options for where you can use your business logo...

Traditional Business Logo Placement
First up, your logo should be added to some of the, physical components of your business. That means your business cards, letterheads, invoices, email footers, and other routine aspects of your day to day business.

Once you have the paper options covered off, it is time to look at the fabric options. Of course you want to have your logo appear on company uniforms. But even if you don’t necessarily have a uniform for your business, a branded shirt or hoody can do wonders to drum up interest in your brand.
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Lucky for you, we design and print custom apparel here at One Bite Design. So whether you are manning a market stall, doing a Facebook live, or simply getting your groceries, you can get your logo and branding out there!

Have a look at how well Sharon from Totally Balmy uses her logo and branding to promote her business! This brand is one of my favourites! Love seeing it in so many places!

Packaging
If packaging is part of your company’s operation, you have a big opportunity to showcase your logo. You can print it on tissue paper or other packaging materials, boxes, address labels and printed inclusions.

Get creative - restaurants can present burgers in logo-printed wrappers, fruit sellers can pop stickers onto their produce - when it comes to packaging, think outside the box, as it were!

Social Media
Your online presence is just as important as your offline one. Your business logo should feature heavily on your website and the various social media platforms you choose to use.

From your Facebook cover image, to branded social media templates, to your YouTube profile pic, each appearance of your logo needs to fit the right dimensions and format for the platform.
For decades, businesses have been printing their logos on “freebies” - notepads, fridge magnets, pens, desk calendars, mousepads and other rather mundane office supplies. While this is still a great idea in the right framework, there are almost unlimited options available to get your name on any number of products relevant to your business.

Got a business with a tech slant? Print your logo onto flash drives. Own a sporting goods store? Get some Frisbees branded. Have a café in your workplace for clients, with a barista (lucky you) - impress potential customers by having your logo created in coffee art on top of their cups of joe!
You can even be environmentally friendly and help save the planet by printing your logo on reusable straws, shopping bags, water bottles or travel mugs.

The options are endless - from cellphone cases and tote bags to lip balms and umbrellas, you can make your mark on a wide range of swag.

Signage
Get creative with your signage. Whether it’s a physical business, trade show or other event you don’t need to rely on one store-front sign. Technology provides you with so many more cool solutions like wall or window decals, A-frame chalk boards, ceiling or floor tiles, or digital display boards.

How about a “gobo”? This is a stencil cut out of glass or metal which is slotted in front of a spotlight - the shape can be projected onto any backdrop - tables, floors, ceilings or feature walls.
Don’t forget your vehicles - branding your company car, truck or van with your logo can be invaluable for drawing in new customers.

Go Viral
Social media is an integral part of your marketing strategy. But it can be hard to get traction on many of the platforms. A great way to get exposure for your business is to go viral!
Everybody loves a good meme, so if you come up with any for your business, make sure that your logo appears on them. That way when they get liked, loved, and shared, your branding will be in front of lots of interested eyes.
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When it comes to where you use your business logo, you are only limited by your creativity and budget. Regardless of where you are going to put your logo, you need to make sure you have an attractive and professional design to begin with. Here at One Bite Graphic Design we specialise in logos and can provide you with the perfect design and format to ensure your logo really makes its mark. 

Get in touch with Helen today and start the amazing journey of branding your business. If you already have your logo designed but want to further enhance your brand awareness get in touch today as well. There are infinite places you can use your logo and branding! Get stuck in to it!

Changing Your Branding: A Beginner’s Guide 101
When you rebrand, it can be a partial or complete rebranding. You can choose between:

• Replacing the logo, but keeping everything else
• Changing the colours and font, but keeping the logo
• Adding phrases to your logo
•  Expanding your branding with additional colours and graphics
• Editing the logo​​
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In the end though, your new branding still needs to reflect your business, in that it must:

• Be consistent
• Focus on your ideal customer or client
• Be unique
• Reflect your brand’s personality
• Be easily recognisable
• Tells your business’ story
• Can be used in many places and in many ways

Pros and Cons of Rebranding
When you alter your branding, you’re doing it with the desire to grow your business. In order to make the right decision, you need to weigh up the pros and cons.

The pros of rebranding include:

• Get new customers
• Increased engagement on social media
• Meet new goals
• You get to start again!

The cons of rebranding include:

• You can lose customers
• You’re no longer instantly identifiable
• It takes time to rebuild your business’ recognition
• ​It can be very costly

A great way to promote your business, rebranded or not, is to list it in a directory. Business Networking NZ offers a free NZ business directory listing and it’s a great way to increase your online presence. Come and add your details today!