Just thought I would share the creative direction process I use when someone hires me to design their website or marketing materials. Everything is a collaboration. Some companies have a formalized process where they send a series of questions. I just do it by email with a few short ones. I don’t want them to feel they have to answer every single question before I start designing though, so this is just a general rule to go by.

These can be applied to websites and other design projects…

What do you want people to think of and feel when the view your website, or logo, or marketing material?

Can you give me a few examples of what you like in design?

What do you think your brand is and personality?

What colors do you prefer and why?

What type of style do you prefer?

For websites…

Can you show me a few websites that you like the design of and why?

What type of layout do you like? For example, left sidebar, top, right…

Without creative direction it is virtually impossible to create together, so these questions help to get the process started.  Sometimes I get lucky and hit the design mark on the very first try.  I love that.  Sometimes my first proof spurs them on to narrow their tastes down.  Naturally, I prefer option number one.   Oh, of course it does help if they already like what I have done because of course my personality goes into all the work I do as well.

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!

Ok, first I will start off with my disclaimer.  I am NOT a professional astrologer…BUT, I have been studying it since 1999 and I like to look at what is coming up.  It is nice using whatever tools are available to make things smoother and astrology does this for me.  So, I thought I would write a bit about mercury retrograde.

Mercury retrograde is a time when it appears that this little planet is moving backwards from the earth’s perspecitive.  It really isn’t but it appears that way due to it’s orbit.  Mercury rules communications, thoughts, transportation, communication devices including computers and the internet.  When mercury goes backwards for three weeks, it’s time to re-evaluate, re-access, re-do, strategize, and make better existing situations.  Equipment tends to break down, needing replacing.  Oh yeah, it’s also a good period to re-confirm schedules because these things get messed up.  Mercury went retrograde on April 18th and will go forward again on May 11th.

How does mercury retrograde effect my website and graphic design business?  Well, I seem to be getting more than my fair share of re-doing design projects. Or, as a project progresses, information I just wasn’t aware of pops up that slows me down and makes me re-evaluate how to go forward.  I have been having computer issues.  I have been having air conditioning issues.  My top of the line sampson juicer needs to get a certain part replaced before I can use it again.  I am thinking that after this little planet goes forward, all the replacement parts and redoing will make for a more solid foundatation. These are not big things, just annoying things that are making me stop and think, which is what this time is for.

It is also great for redoing current web design projects or redoing your business card or logo.  I am using the time to redo my website, yet again.  I have to say I really like the new design I am working on so am pretty sure this one is going to stick.  I seem to have a re-occuring theme of re-doing the design of my site once or twice a year…but this time, I sat down and put myself through what I ask clients to do for me for creative direction. The result is coming out nice, if I do say so myself.  Like I said, mercury retrograde is a good time for re-dos!

My conclusion – we have until the 11th to re-do and re-evaluate.  If you have a current website or design project that you are not happy with, contact me to get it re-done!

Here is another article on the ‘grade…Mercury Retrograde and what it means…

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!

This is something I have noticed over the past few weeks.  I started a part time job at one of my clients galleries, Tia Crystal, doing some promotional work on the web and basically taking care of any inquiries on the phone or walks ins…it’s fun and a little extra money.  I have been going there one day a week for the past four weeks and have noticed an energy change, for the better, from being there.  My energy level improves and I able to focus more on the task at hand.  Why is this?  Well, it’s my opinion it’s all the crystal artwork and the huge amethyst and quartz crystals all over the place.  Tia uses ground up crystal and regular sized crystals in almost all of her artwork, so naturally I might be the benefactor of good vibes!  Does my place have good vibes?  I think so, but I don’t have enormous crystals around my apartment and embedded in my own artwork…it goes to show you…energy can be enhanced in a multitude of ways…

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!

I got my aura photo taken at The House of Tia Crystal yesterday…

Aura photography is basically Kirlian Photograph, where an objects energy field can be photographed.  I won’t go into the mechanics of it because you can read it about it online by doing a google search or looking in wikipedia…but it is pretty cool…

Mine is orange, artistic = creative, emotional – red = passionate and creative, yellow = optimistic and spontaneous, happy and friendly, and white = spiritually motivated and loving.  I was happy about the white being in there because every few years I get my aura photographed, for fun, and I am always orange and red.  It is nice to see I am finally “getting it” and becoming more connected spiritually.

The woman who did the aura photography travels around Florida and does the work…she was really nice.  She said the orange on the left meant that money was coming into my life…hey, that is always good news!  You can check out her website at www.AuraVisions.net .

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!

Sunday I went to the Lake Worth Street Painting Festival.  It was cool to look at other people’s work and in a different medium than computer graphics, which is mine….naturally.  I think it’s a good idea to take your view off of what you normally do, just to get another perspective.  On another note, I was in a craft store on Friday night…sort of like an ah haaa moment…I need to get a hobby!  I used to paint alot…would love to do that again…or make stuff NOT computerized, as much as I love what I do…

Here are some photos from the festival…

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year to everyone…2009 has had some definite lessons and blessings at the same time.  I had some opportunities to learn and get clients started on custom wordpress blogs and ecommerce shopping carts.  I also got myself on facebook, which opened up a whole new world for long lost friends and acquaintances and new business opportunities.

I have been studying and learning astrology for about ten years now and find it most helpful to give yourself a heads up for lean times as well as abundant times.  Today we have a lunar eclipse at 10 degrees cancer.  Lunar eclipses signify an accumulation of the lessons and events you have been working on over the past six months.  Eclipses occur twice a year, in pairs, with a lunar followed by a solar two weeks later.  Of course, solar eclipses are new beginnings and today is a lunar one, which is endings.  So today, on New Year’s Eve, ask yourself what have you learned over the past six months and what is happening now to bring that to a head?   For me, I have had some lessons in business such “Gee, that wasn’t such a good idea, don’t think I will do that again….” to new beginnings in relationships and getting a handle on stress.   This eclipse is a personal one for me since I have natal mars at 12 degrees cancer.  The planet mars in astrology symbolizes how you go after things, anger issues, stress…etc. and the eclipse today sets it off, in my chart.    All in all, I am looking forward to change.

My message to myself and everybody else  is take steps toward your happiness in a more direct way than ever possible as you are responsible for it. Take time to play and have fun because it is just as important as working and making money.  Things become easier and more flowing when there is joy in everyday life.   Your happiness contributes to the overall collective vibe, so make it a top priority!

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Heather is the owner and creative director of Third Eye Studio, a graphic/web/art studio located in Lake Worth, South Florida.

…specializing in creative and unique custom print and web design. Let me help you grow your business!