Turning negative into positive and reaping the rewards!

1. Establish your process.

When you first start a business if can easy to feel overwhelmed. There are a million things to do and as a result you allow yourself to be pulled in just as many directions. Why is this considered a negative in our books? Being unorganized and all over the place more often than not results in details being overlooked which can lead to unhappy clients and poor production. Take the time to sit down and develop complete contracts, an efficient sign-off system, comprehensive project planners and keep on top of your administration tasks. Establishing a clear process to your project will make the work more professional, more efficient and more enjoyable.

2. Be accessible to clients.

Maintain an open dialogue with your clients and encourage them to pepper you with questions if they have concerns about their project. Remember, you are the expert in your field and what may be considered common sense to you can seem completely foreign to others. Creating a formal checklist prior to project commencement can help address any client questions or concerns straight away and help both parties find each other on the same page.

3.  Time is money.

This phrase is a cliche for a reason – it’s true! As much as it is important to create a positive client relationship, it can be difficult to differentiate between exceptional customer service and billable hours. Email communication, phone calls, and meetings all add up into hours of a day. By clarifying the difference in your company between daily communications and billable time you can exponentially increase your profitability.  Be sure that your time is reflected fairly within your quotes.

4. Listen for passion.

In any creative industry, especially media-related, listening is one of the most important skills you can exercise. In Arlene Dickinson’s book, Persuasion, she talks about “dream building” versus “pain stopping.” Interestingly enough, the more listening you do, the more one of these “sides” will arise in a conversation. For instance, I once met with a client who wanted to start a company that would be in direct competition with the one he just left. From his choice of words and tone, I realized that this business venture was as much about “pain stopping” as it was about “dreaming building.” Interestingly enough, our relationship ended on a sour note. Was I surprised? Not really. This “dream” wasn’t as much about him as it was about out-doing his former employer.  Thankfully, the above example is far less common than those looking to build a company based on a genuine love for what they do or sell. The moral of the story, however, is to recognize passion in your clients and work with people who are pursuing positivity. Anything else will bring you down by association.

5. Embrace the unexpected.

Every now and then a little treasure will cross your path, completely out of the blue, often times in the form of an amazing individual or a random idea. When hiring for your company look for people who will work well with the team to create incredible new projects and new ventures for your business. Ask yourself and your employees, how can we take risks? How can we improve? How can we become the best we can be? Growth only happens with change, so encourage your company to change for the better and the people within it to share their ideas, no matter how outrageous! You never know where the next crazy notion might take you.

6. Let it go.

Everybody encounters negativity in their life. A nasty email, a harsh word, a glaring criticism or even hurtful gossip – it all swirls around and can sometimes leave us feeling paralysed. The secret to overcoming this less than pleasant phenomenon? Let – it – go. Is it easier said then done? Absolutely. But it will pay off in the end. Dwelling upon the negative only holds you back, so remember to take deep breaths and push forward.

7. Follow the rules

This might sound a bit like being a ‘goody goody,’ but rules in business are there for a reason. Do not allow making exceptions for friends and people you like to become a habit, because your generosity will ultimately take valuable time and resources away from your business. Stick to your working outlines. It just makes life easier and less dramatic.

8. Listen to your gut.

In case you didn’t know, your gut knows everything. Don’t be afraid to recognize a bully, those individuals who may try to take advantage of your services. Be confident in your company’s policies and in yourself. Working for a bully, whether it be a contractor, a coworker, or a client, will effect everybody negatively. Take note of your first impressions and if your gut says something is wrong, chances are it is.

9. Speak up.

Remember the saying, “The client is always right?” Well, it’s wrong. Often times clients will make decisions that clash with your expert opinion and advice and blindly following their lead can result in less than desirable work for your portfolio. Do not be afraid to present your concerns or offer kindly feedback. The client hired you for a reason, for your skills and for your knowledge, so do not shy away. Of course, remaining respectful of a client’s wishes should go without saying, but do not sacrifice your standards without at least voicing your concerns. More often than not an honest and open conversation will result in a wonderful final product.

10. Explore.

Go above and beyond in all aspects of your life. Take a professional course to sharpen those skills, read a good book to spark your imagination, try something completely new just to discover a new side of yourself. Push yourself to be better than your present version and your business will evolve with you.

The Original Concept

Design Concept One
Elegance meets Royalty
Rationale
Cathy’s mission for “The Cake Whisperer” is to appeal to brides and the wedding industry (including local wedding planners) To do so, the team at Cinnamon’s goal was to turn her “cutesy” look into something more elegant and glamorous. We played with the classic look of satin ribbons giving the cake a regal and luxurious appearance.

Color Palette
Cathy wanted to avoid baby pinks and blues, so we played up the look with luxe creams, peaches and rich deep pinks.

Client Feedback
Cathy liked this look, but thought that the ribbons didn’t translate. She liked the regal feel of the logo – but it wasn’t love at first sight.

Design Concept Two
Retro meets Pretty
Rationale
This concept appeals to a more playful and retro approach that is very evident in Cathy’s cakes and personal style. We played up polka dots and stripes, but kept them classic to avoid looking too cute.

Color Palette
We felt that this particular logo looked quite interesting in a number of colour palettes and showcased a few concepts for Cathy to choose from.  Each combo is unique and creates a completely different impact. The first is softer and seems to balance the retro and classic. The second, is more punchy and playful. Finally, the third parallels Concept One’s rich palette.

Client Feedback
Cathy felt this look was too retro and didn’t seem detailed enough. She felt is didn’t reflect the work she does (the polka dots and stripes) Cathy felt the blues and reds were not hitting the mark either – generally speaking, these concepts were not speaking to her at all.

Design Concept Three
Sweet meets Romantic

Rationale
Concept three is Victorian and modern. Although Cathy wasn’t sure she wanted an actual cake in the logo (perhaps too literal) we felt that it showcased her attention to detail. Paired with a very regal and feminine font – over all this look encompassed a delicate and pretty brand voice. 

Color Palette
Keeping with Cathy’s request to avoid pinks and blues, we went with softer oranges and browns. In doing so, the logo appears very soft and warm – giving it a high end look.

Client Feedback
Cathy wanted to revisit the elegant look, but with this logo realized that perhaps it just isn’t representative of her style or vision for her business. Although she recognized she was gearing her look to the wedding market, the logo was not reflective of her passionate and fun side. The good news was that the font choice was a hit! She felt that the image of the cake and font didn’t work together and was disjointed. Cathy wanted something less obvious, perhaps something more playful and clever.

Design Concept Four (the WINNER!)
Elegance meets Playful

Rationale
Concept Four meets all of the criteria! Playful, clever, punchy, and yummy! With this flirtatious and iconic look we felt that Cathy would be able to use this logo as an icon that would stand out in the Ottawa Wedding scene. 

Color Palette
We kept the orange and chocolate brown and introduced purple! With this unexpected colour combo, we had a delicious winner!

Client Feedback
” I love it! I opened up the file, and literally just smiled to myself. Perfect combination of fun, elegance and Victorian flair. Great work!” Enough said!

Watch out for more to come for the Cake Whisperer! Social Media, marketing and a new website on its way! Be sure to check her out in the mean time.. this girl makes a MEAN cake.

We are so pleased to be working on all of her branding items including stationery, social media, web, wedding kit and more! We can’t wait to showcase this eye catching brand. Check out her beautiful photography on her blog!

For now, we are pleased to present the first tweaks… and the evolution of her brand:

The Original Logo

1. Competitive Audit/Market Evaluation
Before a designer gets moving on an identity, it is important they they understand your industry and your future place within it. At Cinnamon, we offer a full audit, but this does come at a cost. To save money, we also give you the opportunity to do so on our online form. This is a free tool that allows you to help in this process. A competitive audit and  readout should not be over looked or under valued, but for those on a budget – a questionnaire is a good start and we will fill in the rest.

2. Logo Identity
Your logo is a big deal. It is often under estimated and put together without enough thought or dedication to your future success. A logo sets the tone for your future brand, and is a very integral part of your brand as a whole. A good brand is a SUM of ALL of it’s parts, and a good brand visually starts here. Although, not the most sophisticated example, McDonald’s “golden arches” have been a long lasting symbol that is absolutly recognized by everyone all over the world. We all know that when looking for a quick pit stop (and we don’t see a Tim Horton’s) we look for the big yellow “M”.

A good logo makes an impact and most importantly is memorable and professional. A logo should be created in a design format and available to you in an EPS file type. (ie a vector) If your designer does not provide this, ask for it. It is absolutely essential. This will guarentee your logo always looks clean and crisp no matter the application.

3. Stationery
A lot of people might argue that printed items are a marketing tool of the past. At Cinnamon, we agree that some businesses don’t need as many print items – but we stand by the importance of a business card and letterhead. Business cards are still a great way to make an impression (given they are dynamic and professional) and a letterhead (even if it is only used online and sent out as a pdf) is an essential tool for invoices, quotes, and general business docs. Of course, we love pretty brochures, clever marketing hand outs, and eye catching signage – but we know this can get costly. Start with the basics, and branch out as your company can afford it.

4. Social Media
Social media is one of the most affordable tools a small business or start up can use to grow their business. We know it can feel overwheleming, but if you don’t have a facebook page, twitter account and/or LinkedIn profile we would suggest that you go do it right now! Or, if the thought is still too scary, start with one and move on to the others as your feel comfortable. Social media only works well if you actually use it, so although the thought of jumping right in sounds great – we suggest that you make an effort to master at least one. A facebook fan page is (in our opinion) the easiest, so we often suggest to clients that they start here. A post a day to start is better than nothing, and you will be amazed at how quickly it can increase your Google ratings and general SEO. Social media is free marketing – so we strongly suggest you use it!

5. Online Presence
If a website is out of the question right now, we suggest that a blog is the next best option. Websites are expensive (well the good ones at least) and although they are probably your number one marketing tool, we suggest that until it is in your budget you hold off (rather then spending a few hundred bucks on an unprofessional website that sacrifices your brand integrity) A web presence is absolutly essential, so social media and a blog can be enough to start you on the right foot. That being said, the blog’s look should also be consistent with your brand and designed by a professional. It sounds silly, but it will go a long way in setting the tone of your business. First impressions are key, and if your business is launched without a strong identity you risk not being taken seriously. Take the time to make sure you have created a unified look, so that you are recognizable and memorable. Once you have established this, hopefully your business will start rolling in the moola and a website design is just around the corner!

Our best advice for small businesses or start ups is to build your brand in steps. Think about every step carefully and move forward as your budget allows. You might have to skip a few steps here and there… but try to avoid the above ones (they are worth it) and will take you and your business that much farther!

Here’s to a new era! The Cinnamon girls are ready…

BEVERLY

1. What do you do at Cinnamon?
I am a design thinker! I work directly with clients to create dynamic and eye catching graphics that speak to their audience and improve their branding identity. My expertise lies in my ability to create refreshing design solutions that create impact!

2. What would your three dream Jeopardy categories be?
Adobe Illustrator short cuts, Name that Tune, Will it Sink or Float

3. What’s always in your fridge?
Beer, salsa and eggs

4. What fictional character would you eat?
A California Raisin

5. What’s your biggest professional challenge?
It’s really important to me that I maintain a knowledge base on upcoming and current hardware/software web trends so that I can apply these tools to my designs.

6. Why are you the spiciest Cinnamon employee?
Because I am going to be the first Cinnamon employee to complete the “Cinnamon Challenge.” (more information to follow)

ALYSSA

1. What do you do at Cinnamon?
As the Office Hero at Cinnamon Toast, I complete umpteen awesomely administrative tasks! I handle everything from contracts and invoicing to client relations and office organization. I take care of most of the office duties that fall outside of design and client meetings. I do my best to ensure that the Cinnamon experience is smooth, enjoyable and on time.

Unofficially, I entertain the office by dancing, singing, doing accents, showing my favourite YouTube videos and acting as the official  ‘Googler’.

2. What would your three dream Jeopardy categories be?
Slang Definitions, Friends (TV series), Volleyball Lingo

3. What’s always in your fridge?
Hummus (you can dip in it, scoop it, spread it and it is just so delish!)
Coffee Cream (I can’t live without my morning coffee)
Apple Sauce (often ate straight out the jar)

4. What fictional character would you eat?
Mr. Potato Head… potatoes are my favourite food!

5. What’s your biggest professional challenge?
The hardest thing at work is not to get distracted by watch the girls design all day… it is very mesmerizing!  Oh and working with Beverly… she’s smelly. :p

6. Why are you the spiciest Cinnamon employee?
I am the spiciest Cinnamon team member for I drink lots of Cinnamon Dolce lattés. Hmm, yummy.

ALIX

1. What do you do at Cinnamon?
I am a creative thinker, designer, and magician. I turn less than desired creative into something that not only looks great, but is practical and works with almost anything.

2. What would your three dream Jeopardy categories be?
Is this edible?, WOOF, Name that Smelly Marker

3. What’s always in your fridge?
Onions, Cheese Slices, Ketchup

4. What fictional character would you eat?
Mr. Crabs (from Sponge Bob)

5. What’s your biggest professional challenge?
I find the balance between client feedback and making professional visually pleasing design decisions a struggle. Sometimes it would be amazing to design without any strings!

6. Why are you the spiciest Cinnamon employee?
I was the first official Cinnamon employee. I am the original Cinnamon Girl!

BRONWYN

1. What do you do at Cinnamon?
My roll at Cinnamon has drastically changed over our five years in business! In the beginning, I did everything (including my accounting which is a scary thought!) Currently, my role involves client relations, creative direction and project management.

2. What would your three dream Jeopardy categories be?
Identify the Cheese, Name that Typeface, Dirty Dancing 1987

3. What’s always in your fridge?
Cucumber, yogurt & cheese.

4. What fictional character would you eat?
Strawberry Short Cake

5. What’s your biggest professional challenge?
Not sweating the small stuff! Learning to know when letting something go is a better approach than getting worked up over nothing.

1. Dark, fuzzy, low res, unprofessional photography

One of our main beliefs is that the quality of your photography will directly impact the quality of your marketing collateral or website. Some sites, are so beautiful (without much design work) due to the quality and professionalism of their photography. We strongly recommend that unless it is for social media and blogging, all photos used in promotion of your company should be in line with your companies values. Cheap and unprofessional just won’t cut it.

Check out these local photographers for some beautiful inspiration!
www.unioneleven.com
www.ambphoto.com
www.juliecbutlerphotography.com

2. Too much Copy

Information is 100% vital to a successful campaign. (ie fantastic copy is absolutly an integral part of any brand) but, keep it simple. Sometimes, we are asked to fit a novel into a brochure and not only does it not fit, but it is also confusing to your audience.  Key targeted points are essential when communicating and idea, business value or sales pitch. Keep your message balanced and clear – avoid long over the top content that will only bore your audience.

3. Adding a snap shot of your Pet

We love animals! We do. We actually have quite the animal farm between all the staff members at Cinnamon, but unless you’re a pet shop or vet, adding pictures of your pet to your website might distract your users from understanding your websites main goal and mission . We know they are adorable (ours are especially – meet Brooklyn to your left) but your professionalism is seriously at risk.

4. The Cheese Factor

This can include a number of little no no’s. Cute and clever is absolutly a fun approach, but a cheesy approach can put a damper on any brand or marketing initiative. For example, avoid a sales pitch right off the bat. There is nothing worse than thinking someone actually has an interest in you or your business to click and find it is nothing more then a pitch for a product or service. Avoid using numerous one liners in a row that sound like a cheap sales pitch. (ie, SALE SALE SALE – ORDER NOW – DON’T MISS OUT)  Instead try a call to action that is helpful or useful to your user – such as “Take the Tour” or  “Get started”

5. Too many freebies

The odd deal here and there to promote your business is nothing to be ashamed off. We have all reduced our fees or offered initiatives to our clients, but too many can cheapen your brand and your companies value. Sometimes offering items for free can actually hurt your business. Consumers want to know they are buying a good product or service. Sometimes, clients even want to know they are buying “the best” – and let’s be honest, those that offer the best services or product don’t need to offer freebies. If I am interested in buying a luxury car such as a Porsche or Mercedes and the sales associate tells me they are selling it to be for 40% off, I might think there is actually something wrong with the car. Don’t under estimate what your worth – if your good, the results and value will shine through.

As consumers, we purchase products/services because we believe in a brand. We believe that perhaps, Nike is better suited to us then Adidas, or in contrast, one might purchase make up from The Body Shop as they market themselves as against animal cruelty and testing. Whatever the reason, research indicates that consumers are shopping with their personal values in mind.  Here’s a quick check list to keep in mind whenever dealing with your companies most valued possession… its brand! (and its brand promise)

1. The Assets – Whether, in the beginning, it is just one page outlining your companies colour palettes, fonts and logo treatments or more significantly, a fifty page document that outlines core messages, values, expectations and branding tools – a Style Guide is an essential asset to building brand integrity. Style guides create a point of reference which allow a company to launch their brand externally, opens doors to future applications and encourages accountability.

2. Commitment – Now that you have your brand in place, nurture it! An individual (or for larger companies, a large group of people) have the responsibility of protecting such assets. Compromising the quality of your brand (visuals, vision, values and message) is absolutly a sustainability no no.  Can you imagine if Dove suddenly hired a super model to market a new product after working so hard to push natural and attainable beauty? Or on a smaller scale, if a company known for maintaining a unique approach resorted to slapping their well established design elements together without taking the time to think about their target audience? Managing a brand identity system is not an easy task – but is 100% necessary to a companies integrity and success.

3.  Consistency & Standards – It is essential that everyone that works with and for you, understand your brand and its values. Everyone within your company needs to know what the brand stands for. Consistency and building internal (and external) standards saves money, time and encourages business growth. These standards consist of everything from the way you answer the phones to your typography choice on your exterior signage.

The value of your brand is an essential part of your companies success. Protect it and preserve it. In our particular line of work, a fuzzy logo, a dark photograph, or comic sans makes us quiver. For others, a cranky sales associate, an over salted muffin or (gasp) a hair dresser with split ends are all examples of a brand gone astray.  Be firm with your brand and make consistent choices. As a result, you will naturally showcase to your consumer the value of choosing your product or services.

Alas, mind readers we are not. Within that last year, I have finally come to grips with this and I have done my best to pass this notion off to our designers. Otherwise, we can drown ourselves in the guilt of not being able make the client happy, and as a result, blame ourselves for not “getting” it.

Acceptance is the first step towards evolving, and I have 100% (well 98.5%) accepted the fact that not only am I not a mind reader, I also don’t want to be. Our job is to create a visual solution that isn’t exactly want the client wants, and rather, a concept that the client didn’t even know they wanted.

As designers, how can we do our best to avoid the deadly mind reading trap? Our top five tips:

1. Watch for the signs
Clients often say the same things and although some of the messages are 100% genuine and in the end turn out to be true, the sentence “You’re the designer and I trust you know what I mean and/or what you are doing…” are definitely nice thoughts; they are also red flags. This can often mean, that a client doesn’t have the slightest idea of what they want, and only until they see a visual will be able to tell you (to the pixel width). Although, being a design puppet will create cash flow, it will not create outstanding design or marketing results. Listen to your client, (we all could do more of this) but also guide them into a creative solution and direction that will create the most impact. If the communication lines are open, and the pixel width and hue of green are still being debated on, move on to read tip number four.

2. Sign a contract
This sounds obvious, but it can save you a lot of time and back and forth. Make sure your contract is clear and outlines your policies in regards to creative. Time is money, and just because the client (after ten rounds of revisions) doesn’t love it, doesn’t mean you don’t get paid for you time. Make this crystal clear in your contract.

3. Get a deposit
Although, in the perfect world everyone would get paid for their time and worth, in many  creative industries this is often wishful thinking.  Our products are not always tactile, and if a client doesn’t think the design hits the mark they might refuse to pay for it. Hopefully, you will avoided this issue by following point number two, but if not, at least you have some money for your time (we ask for 50% up front).

4. Break up
Generally speaking, as mentioned above, clients don’t know exactly what they want, and if they did they wouldn’t need us. It is our job to problem solve and create a solution that exceeds their expectations (and will grow and increase their bottom line). Of course – this all sounds wonderful, but beware, even Don Draper fell short at times and no matter how hard he tried to reinvent the wheel, the client and his vision were not ever going to line up. So, sometimes, we all need to do as the great Don Draper has done in the past and walk away. Breaking up is hard to do, but parting ways will often save you your sanity and your bank account.

5. Honesty
We all know that creating an open dialogue with your client is an essential asset. Being honest about expectations and results upfront goes a long way. As designers, we want to blow our client away with designs and ideas that can often become close to our heart. Being honest from day one and avoiding the mind reading trap can go miles. If your client draws you a picture on a napkin, tell them upfront that recreating this image will be next to impossible. Tell them what you can do, and what you can’t. Trying to be a super hero will only create expectations that you will not be able to live up to.

We are constantly making active choices and placing new processes in place in an attempt to avoid these situations which leave a bitter taste in the mouths of all the parties involved. Of course, you win some and you lose some. At some point in our careers we have all  left a project of 20 hours and counting without payment. This hurts the bank and your pride. Plus it leaves you with the incredibly unpleasant feeling of being taken advantage of. Sometimes it’s worth going after them, and sometimes, licking your wounds and learning from the experience leads to greater endeavors and the ability to harvest dynamic, successful and honest client relationships.