Tag Archives: design

Tek Tip for Designers: The Use of White Space

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In any type of design, remember to not only make careful choices about placement of images, text and other elements, but also consider the negative or “white” space surrounding those elements.  Be sure to allow breathing room in your design and only send a “cluttered” jammed pack look if that is the message you want to convey.  A very strong message can be sent with very little text and a lot of white space if done correctly.  If not, your design may seem incomplete.

With anything, good use of white space takes conscious decisions and most of all: practice.

Design or stumble upon any great examples of white space lately?  Post them to our Facebook page to start a conversation!  http://www.facebook.com/TekceteraInc

 

 

Facebook Timeline – Tell your Company’s Story

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On March 30, Facebook will be updating all Pages to the new Timeline layout.  Having control of your branding is crucial.  Therefore, we recommend taking the time to update your page now, before the switch, to avoid the unknown. The good news is we are here to help.  Below I have listed a few of the top cool new features of Facebook Timeline.  Of course there is always more you can do, but this is enough to get you started.  If you read through and are still sighing “ugh, I don’t have time for this,” remember that we have designers on staff ready to help.  Breathe a sigh of relief, pick up the phone and give us a call.

The new Facebook Timeline has really shifted the way businesses can utilize Facebook to their advantage by expressing the personality of the company.  The timeline feature is a better way to tell your company’s story from the day your company was founded until the present time.

Cover Photo:  No longer do you have to rely on a landing / welcome page and small profile picture to show your branding!  Now you can create a 850 x 315px cover image to engage your viewers at first glance.  Use an image that captivates your audience or sends a personal message.  Be creative!  Facebook states that the cover images may NOT contain:

  •     Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”.
  •     Contact info (web address, email, mailing address, phone number) .
  •     Any call to action statements (eg “Book now” or “Tell your friends”).
  •     References to actions such as Like or Share.

Profile Image:  Because your profile image will be your thumbnail on all your posts and in the news feed, make sure you use the most identifiable image associated with your company: your LOGO.  Make the image 180x180px square and don’t forget to adjust your thumbnail so that your logo is clear and completely visible.

Milestones:  This is your chance to tell your story throughout the years!  Dig through those retro images or pull out old branding… use anything personal and showcase big achievements throughout your timeline.  You just started Facebook this year?  So what!  You can add in Milestones from before you joined Facebook to create a fascinating history of your company.

Important Posts:  Once again, choose to take control of your page.  Now that everything is visible, you should go through your posts and decide what you want to show or hide.  You can do this right on your timeline by clicking the pencil (edit) icon, and click “Hide from Page” or you can click on the Admin Panel button in the top left, click “Manage” and then “Use Activity Log.”  The most important posts each week can be pinned to the top of your page (above the fold) by clicking the pencil (edit) icon in the top right corner of the post, then click “Pin to Top.”  This ensures the post will remain at the top for 7 days.  You can also “Highlight” other important posts by clicking the star icon.  You will notice that images are more engaging than text in this layout.  Use that knowledge to your advantage!

As a last little bit of advice, use the preview mode to test at least your profile picture and cover image.  From there you can jump right in and start editing.

Remember that we are always here to help!

Tek Tip: Typeface Anatomy…a Lesson in Typography

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Learning typography terminology is very important.  Understanding each letter and the differences between typefaces gives you better insight and help you grow as a designer.  Below are some terms all designers need to learn.

The baseline is the bottom line on which the letters rest…it is consistent throughout each typeface.  The meanline runs along the top of the lower case levels.  The X-Height is the distance between these two lines.  The Cap Height describes the distance between the baseline and the top of capitalized letters.  Ascenders and Descenders extend beyond the meanline and baseline, respectively.

Bowl and counter often get confused.  The bowl is the area creating a circular space and can be open or closed. The counter is the inside area of a bowl.  The bottom stroke of a letter is known as the leg, such as the labeled section of the k below.  Shoulders are the curved sections of n, m, h, etc just before the leg.

There are more terms to learn that are not listed above.  This is just a few terms to get you started.  Feel free to post others in our comments as you come across them and spread the knowledge!