Many Projects in the Works

I feel terrible that I have not posted any new projects, samples or really anything. But on the flip side, I am pleased to announce that I actualy have some projects in the hopper! I am currently working on a marketing campaign for my "day job" to include logo, stationary, ads, web, newsletters, patient education, uniforms, signage, etc. I did some wall art for a client's home, which I am pretty excited about. I had my first Design*Simple print ad run. I am working on a team t-shirt for Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Thus, I am very happy that things are going well for Design*Simple. I really do look forward to having some time (probably the next rainy weekend or when it starts to get cold again) to really work on this blog and get some more samples up! Please leave me a comment if you have any questions or would like me to post anything in particular, and I will do my best to get something uploaded for you.

Changes to the Blog

I have decided to make a couple changes to the blog. I took down the design contest entries and social media because I want to focus more on real small businesses and wedding/party invitation. I also took down social media because I want to imply that as part of my graphic design service. I cannot stress this enough - I still do logos and social media design and managment! If you have any questions or you would like to see more samples of my work, please contact me, and I would be more than estatic to provide the content of the pages I removed.  Thanks.

Wedding Invitations

I am super excited about all the new options for wedding invitations that I can now offer. I have found a great paper supply company and now can say that Design*Simple has over 100 paper options, 150 envelope options, over 300 fonts, and millions of designs! What is even more exciting is how affordable it is to have truely unique wedding invites! Some of the options include metallic paper and envelopes. Pocket folding envelopes. Pouchettes. Boxed invites. Wrapped invites. Even see-through! Tell you friends and spread the work because Design*Simple Couture Wedding Invites are here!

Wedding Invitations/Programs

As we go into spring, I am thrilled to bring you Wedding Invitations/Programs by Design*Simple. Of course, I am always excited to do made-to-order custom designs, but I am posting some "samples" for your viewing pleasure so that you may see just a few of the endless possibilities for your event. I will continue to add more and more designs, so please...enjoy!

Logo Design Contests

I have been doing some Logo designs for online design contests, which I find are quite exhausting. Most of the contests I enter have about 20+ designers and about 200+ competing designs. I am up for a challenge, but I am beginning to find this to be quite ridiculous. I see a lot of really great designs go unnoticed (mine included). I wish there was a way to let the companies that use these design contest sites know that they can hire a freelance graphic designer (like myself or one of the thousand other designers posting their work to these contests) for a lot less money! They would also develop a personal relationship where they could provide one on one feedback and get more for their money. Please spread the word about freelance artists, photographers, authors, and graphic designers when you hear of a need because you will not only be doing our community a favor, but also the company looking for one of these services.

The Power Of Social Media

I know you've seen the advertisements out there for your favorite stores, products, and well pretty much everything out there that say "Like us on Facebook" or "Follow Us on Twitter." Well the reason for this push toward social media is that it works! I know there is a lot of kick-back out there from a lot of small businesses about putting themselves out there on social media, but the fact is that this is the way of the world. Not to mention, it is FREE and EFFECTIVE advertisement. Social media is the only form of advertising short of a face-to-face meeting or a phone call that actively engages your audience.

A testament to the power of social media is one of my favorite accounts. U. Med Aesthetics, and it's founder Dr. Brynn Richardson, recently held an event for a launch of a new product. They sent out mailed invites, email invites, and created a Facebook event. With the Facebook event, they shared the details with their friends and posted the details on Twitter. They maintained their social media daily with occasional reminders of the upcoming event. On the day of their event, they received NO guests/customers from their mailed invites (which costed them a lot of money with no return on the investment). They received 10% of their guests/customers from their emailed invites (which was essentially free). AND...a whopping 90% of their guests/customers came from the work they did with their social media!!! This is AMAZING!

So, I guess my point is that you cannot afford not to have social media if you own a small business or any type of business really. If you are interested in developing social media sites for your business, please feel free to give me a call. I would love to help get you started on a trend that could change your business and your life for the better!

Welcome!

Hello! I am super ecstatic to begin this new endeavor known as Design*Simple, and I hope that it will be welcomed with as much joy as I had in creating it. While the company name and the brilliant ideas/designs are all new, my experience in design goes back a long way. My background is very diverse yet idoneous. I studied Anthropology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and my first internship/employment out of college was to design museum exhibits. During my time with Making History, Inc, I learned the basics of graphic design, flow, coloring, photo editing, media creation, etc. I have worked numerous years in sales and marketing, and I understand just what it takes to draw new clients and keep the ones that you have. Through Design*Simple, I hope that I can help small businesses and individuals to create logos, print ads, mail-outs/invites, signs/graphic media, social media sites, and whatever else they need to help successfully market their business, themselves, or their products. While the task of incorporating these elements into a small business, personal project or event may seem daunting, I am here to make it simple.

Sincerely,

Dana Nuzum