Z Blog

One of the best ways to develop a great user experience is to [empathize with your audience](https://www.ideo.com/images/uploads/news/pdfs/Empathy_on_the_Edge.pdf). With the growth of options for developing digital designs, the limitations on how you can render the experience have dropped significantly. With that, however, there have been [plenty of people pushing the envelope on these capabilities](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/empathic-design-is-empathy-the-ux-holy-grail). Digital designs have become faster, more flexible and more capable. With so many options, the responsibility of the designer has grown. Designers that have no boundaries can find it difficult to reign themselves in. Often, the best designs are those created within the most restrictive boundaries. Therefore, it is very easy for...

I recently received an email that went something like this: "Hello, my name is {ABC} and I am a recent college grad from {XYZ} University. My major was in {relevant field}. Right now I am working part time at {competing agency}. However, I am looking for something full time. And I've heard many wonderful things about {our agency – spelled wrong}. I was wondering if you all were hiring? If so, if you could give me a call at xxx-xxx-xxxx. I would really appreciate it! Thank you so much!" Kudos to this new graduate for taking initiative. It’s not easy trying to break into that...

Quick! What colors do you think of for Halloween? I bet you thought of orange first. It makes perfect sense…pumpkins are orange, leaves are orange and candy corn is orange. Historical credit is given to the Celtics for beginning the Halloween holiday as a festival of the harvest and so the iconic color of autumn was used. The color orange also signifies strength and endurance. Since the [Celtics](http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/10/22/color-inspiration-from-the-history-of-halloween) were involved in wars with Julius Caesar, they may have believed orange gave courage to those who wore the color during battle. Was the color you thought of next purple? But why? Did you think of green...

Two weeks ago, I received an out of the blue offer to go to Washington DC for the [Landmark Music Festival](http://www.landmarkfestival.org/). I had 24 hours notice, and said, “yes,” immediately. Over the course of 48 hours and 1,000 miles traveled, I had an experience that reminded me why I love my career as a graphic designer. There’s something about live music that makes people forget their differences and enjoy the moment. There’s power in moments like that — when people are brought together by understandings and shared experiences. Branding and music festivals, while seemingly very different things, start to relate for me through the idea...

Search engine optimization, as some colleagues will say, is part science and part art. There are so many factors that go into a successful SEO strategy, that it’s quite easy to get confused and lose your way. There are [two distinctions of factors](http://searchengineland.com/seotable): those on page and those off page. While they all matter, I’ve outlined the most important three. ###Content Quality It is imperative to have [well-written and engaging content](http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2014/08/25/the-12-essential-elements-of-high-quality-content/). If your user doesn’t find your content relevant, neither will search engines. Always create content with the user in mind. A great tip is to make your content easily scannable (think lists or bulleted...

Getting and responding to client feedback is one of the most important – and difficult – parts of being an account executive. All too often, clients today send feedback in email, as a list of prescriptive changes that the designers and writers should make. It’s tempting to simply forward (or if you’re really feeling productive, put into a project update) this list. But doing so undermines one of the best ways to get better at your job: take the opportunity to find out why. First, understanding “why” fosters a better relationship with your creatives. Nobody who has spend hours (or days or weeks) working on...

There’s probably no better way to bolster your brand’s credentials as a thought leader than through a smart, targeted content marketing campaign. However, the content many brands produce don’t offer the reader anything relevant or useful, which quickly diminishes that brand’s credibility. Here are some tips to help your brand find its thought leadership voice. ###Listen first You are already listening to the social media buzz in your industry (you are listening, RIGHT?), so develop a short list of topics that you can credibly match up to your organization’s expertise. Make sure you keep a broad lens to see what’s being discussed both upstream and...

By Dillon Wray, Design Co-op Wondering where your motivation has gone? Don’t stress. It always makes things worse. Stress is the problem I encounter when I run out of juice. Working and being in school, I have to look for inspiration everywhere and block out those moments where I feel lost. Scouting out inspiration doesn’t have to mean looking at designer Pinterest boards or pulling images from Google. It’s important to be able to see inspiration around you everyday. Here are three inspirational avenues I explore when seeking to spark creativity: ###3-D Form Growing up, my first passion was architecture. It’s no longer my major,...

By Chelsea DiMarco, Marketing Communications Co-op The transition from college into the “real world” was certainly not an easy one for me. I quickly went from pulling all-nighters to being snuggled in bed by 10 p.m. The repetitiveness of the daily work week reminds me of the back of the shampoo bottle: lather, rinse, repeat. It’s the “repeat” part that often leads people to the Monday blues, daunted by the week that lies ahead. So, is there a way to break this monotonous cycle? ###1. WEEKENDS ARE FOR RELAXING There’s a reason that most people only work Monday through Friday. If we worked 24 hours...

The Golden Boy. Tommy Touchdown. Tom Terrific. These nicknames for New England Patriots superstar quarterback Tom Brady are being substituted with Shady Brady. In fact, recent NBC poll suggests that his image has taken a temporary hit with 34 percent of the public having an unfavorable opinion of him, compared with only 23 percent before the scandal. (However, this poll was taken in August before the NFL reversed his four-game suspension.) Here’s where Tom’s personal brand stands now: + His unlikely start in the league as the 199th pick in the draft is the stuff of legends. + He’s kept his nose clean throughout his...