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It’s a bird, it’s a plane…no its Clark Kent’s look-alike! Yes, he is just as talented and smart as he appears. Russ is one of the most genuine folks in the industry I have ran into. We actually met at a wedding we shot in Dallas. Not only are his dance moves out of this world, but so are his skills in helping businesses create and maintain an identity. As small business owners, sometimes we think we can do it all. It is important from the beginning to know what you are good at and where you will need expertise to help your business succeed. Web designing, branding, and your identity are something to take very serious! It is also a topic we are not all schooled in. Getting your business off on the right foot is so important. Everyone enjoy Russ! He is willing to answer your questions and help get your business where you always dreamed it could go! Make sure to read to the end of this post to enter for a FREE CONSULTATION with Russ! xx, Leaha
Russ McMinn is the Superman you need for your business!
Russ McMinn
Graphic Designer / Web designer / Branding expert / Awesome dude
Tell us something about yourself that has nothing to do with your job?
I love cooking! I really enjoy the creative outlet that can be created through food and cooking. I get to test out all of my new recipes and stuff on my wife. I’ve always said I wanted to open my own restaurant some day, maybe I still will.
What or who inspired you to be a web and graphic designer?
The person who inspired me to be a graphic designer is my wife, Brandi. She saw in me a truly talented designer and pushed me to go to school to pursue my dream. If it weren’t for her I don’t know if I would be doing this today.
How long have you been a professional Designer?
I have been a professional designer for 7 years.
And when did you know you wanted to be a Designer?
I guess the first time I decided to be a designer was in college where I kind of drifted for a while until I found Graphic design. I started off designing shirts for bands in Lubbock, TX and everyone really liked the stuff I was doing. Like I said before my wife saw my enthusiasm and talent and pushed me to go to school for what I saw as fun. I have been going strong ever since.
Describe your style in 3 words.
Clean, Elegant, Clever.
What type of services do you offer? How long does the logo/branding/site design, etc. usually take?
Services I offer are Logos, Branding Packages, Web design, Print and advertising, Design consultation, and Creative direction. Length of project can vary from client to client and from project to project. I like to move my projects along as quickly as my clients feel comfortable with. That being said I always like to involve my clients in the process and create a collaborative atmosphere where everyone is always informed of what is going on.
Many people are using Pinterest to explore ideas for their company, branding, inspiration board, etc. Do you suggest they look to the internet for this inspiration or from their own personal things? WHY?
I think looking for design inspiration ideas for yourself or your company on the internet is a great idea! Pinterest is cool and there are a lot of other great websites out there that offer a lot of inspiration as well. For example: behance.net, underconsideration.com, abduzeedo.com, mr-cup.com/blog.html. I do it myself for research on projects that I am doing and recommend my clients do the same. Putting that time in on research yourself can greatly involve you in the process as well, which is fantastic. I also think that taking inspiration from your personal things can help you a lot as well. It can really show your own individual style and puts a personal twist on your branding.
What exactly is BRANDING?
Branding is the overall feeling and unique experience you provide your customers or clients. It communicates your individual message to the world. This is the same for personal branding as well as business branding. The key to great branding is to be thoroughly genuine in all aspects of your message and design. Successful branding is not only a logo, or colors, or even really awesome advertising and graphics, it is the overall consistent positive experience you provide. Remember that it can take only a few seconds for a customer to evaluate you and decide whether or not they want to do business with you. There are many ways to go about branding yourself or your business. Here is my typical process for setting up a strong brand for my clients:
PLANNING PHASE – this phase is the roadmap or blueprints for your brand
- Planning – Set out a plan to fully coordinate your online and offline presence to your clients. Along with this, have a timeline for implementation.
- Strategy – How will you differentiate yourself from everyone else? How will you convey the feelings you want to evoke with your brand? How will you provide unique services and experiences to your clients?
- Identity – Who are you and what message do you want to send to the world.
DESIGN PHASE : This is the big one, the visual pay off of all the planning. Good visual design is probably the most important aspect of the process because it is what is going to attract a potential customer to your brand.
- Logo- A great logo not only quickly identifies who you are, it must also simply and elegantly convey your message and overall brand. Your logo is probably the single most important aspect of your brand.
Color choice: Colors can set a mood, create a feeling, or turn people away. The right color or combination of colors set the stage for your brand’s experience. Here are a few color palettes from famous brands.
Here is an infographic that goes into more detail describing colors in branding: Colors for Branding
Printed materials: Everything from Business cards and Letterheads to initial advertising and promotions.
Website: A good website should convey all of the feelings of the rest of your brand as well as enhance the users experience with you or your company. Your website is the face of your company, it is the modern storefront. User experience with your website is just as important as the experience you provide offline.
MAINTAIN YOUR BRAND: This phase is for after you’ve “opened the doors”.
- Service: Providing amazing services and experiences for your clients to keep them coming back is an obvious but often overlooked area of branding.
- Marketing / Advertising: Continuing to promote yourself and what you have to offer is key to staying in people’s minds.
- Online / Social Media interaction: It is important to stay engaged with your audience through all avenues available like social media. Interacting through social media gives you the opportunity to communicate directly to your audience and them directly with you. It also allows for you to advertise and promote yourself online for free.
Successful branding needs to be a synchronized experience, look, and feeling
throughout every outlet possible.
What are your goals for the future?
I would love to grow my business and my family. Hopefully soon I will have a brick and mortar location, with employees and all that. Really my goals are simple – to continue to be happy and keep doing what I love.
Russ is giving away a FREE consultation of your overall branding, logo, website and identity! HOW COOL!
Click to Enter and see Details! Winner announced Feb 21st!
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