For this client they wanted the works – a logo design, wordpress design with custom header, and a twitter background.

These are some of the requests and ideas from the client:

• Wants design to tie together with 2 of her other sites (use of green)
• Likes fresh and clean (use of white) and possibly gray
• Incorporate a pop of color
• Doesn’t want dark colors
• Wants design to be consistent (discussed re-branding)
• Incorporate Headshot

I also asked the client about herself and her business to get an idea about what would best represent her and her brand.  She shared that she is “professional (but SO not corporate), funny and pretty sarcastic, direct – with my clients, and in life, optimistic, motivating/inspiring, great at the big ideas/possibilities, goofy/silly, savvy, genuine, authentic, a go-getter.”  She also shared that her business focuses on:  coaching and consulting, offers business/personal branding services, targets women entrepreneurs, includes coaching, consulting, programs, products etc…

She also included site designs that she liked and what elements she wanted to incorporate from them.  All of the above information  really helped me to visualize her ideas and then take it from there.

I always start with the logo design since everything will pretty much revolve around that.  Because the client was very focused on the topic of branding the first thing I did was take a look at her other websites.

The main theme on the sites is the color green and the dragonfly, so I thought it would be appropriate to carry the same theme into the design I would be working on.  The only reason that I would suggest  starting with a new design would be if the client was going to be changing their other sites as well.  But the client was not planning on doing that.  And since she was very concerned with her branding and being consistent – I let my client know that it would be best to just use the dragonfly logo design that she was already using.  The only problem was that she did not have access to the original image files or the designer who had created it.

So I had to start from scratch and re-create the dragonfly.

It looked nice, but there was something missing – a POP of color.  So I decided to add some. 

Much better!  I then added the title and tag line and here is the final logo design:

The next step was to work on  the WordPress site design.  My client was using the Headway WordPress theme which is one of my favorites because of the ease and simplicity of use.  You really do not need any knowledge of CSS to make color and layout changes – it is great.

Anyway, I proceeded to create the header design.  I knew I wanted to incorporate the logo, her headshot and possibly some elements from the the header on her other site.  This is what I came up with first, but there was still something missing.

Much better!  Love the swirl and flower design

The header is really the starting place for a website design.  I like to install the header first before I start my WordPress customizations.  I then grab the colors and tie them into the overall design.

The colors flow nicely.  I brought the green into the navigation.  I even used the gray / taupe color from the flowers and swirls and used that for the background color.  Now you can see that there is definitely a uniformity between all of her sites.  And the dragonfly design will represent her brand throughout all of her websites.

Lastly, I created her Twitter background which was a no-brainer.  I just took everything from the logo, header, and website and brought it together.

Another happy client!  Yay!

What do you think of the design?  I always love to hear feedback!

To me, Twitter is not just about business, but it is also personal.  I call it “Relational Marketing” – building relationships that help market your business because you get to know people on all different levels.  They begin to trust you because they can see who you really are through your daily communication.

I now have almost 10,000 followers and the number grows each day.  And out of those people, I closely follow about 100 to 200 who I have categorized as friends.  I have a column in my Tweetdeck where I can follow their tweets and keep in touch with them aside from my complete list of followers.  In that list I have all different people from fellow blogging mom friends to long time clients and fellow entrepreneurs.

One of my mom friends, named Alaina, otherwise known as @AlainaFrederick on Twitter who I have known for quite sometime requested my graphic design services.  We have worked together on projects in the past.  She came to me about creating a logo and header design for her blog which she recently moved to a new domain as well as new theme on WordPress.  I asked her my usual list of design questions.

These were a few of her specifications for the logo design:

• Want design to mimic fresh start
• Love colors in Hummingbirds & Dragonflies (maybe use that image)
• Simple / Plain
• Elegent with a hint of fun

I came up with a few different logo drafts for her to choose from.

Alaina and her husband both liked the last one with the hummingbird.  I then created a WordPress header graphic and a 125×125 button to match.

I got specific instructions that she wanted a transparent header design with no background color so that it would work seamlessly on her site.  This is what the logo and header design look like installed on her WordPress blog.

I think it looks awesome, don’t you?  Another happy client!  Thanks Alaina and thanks Twitter for another great business connection!

This client’s requests were fairly simple.  She needed a logo and header design for her new Virtual Assistant business called FPE Services Online.  She specializes in WordPress and Social Media Maintenance.

These were a few of her specifications:

• Some sort of Socialable Icon representing social media maybe?
• Colors – blue and silver
• Graphics in the header to represent social media platforms

With not much to go with, it was really up to me to come up with a design that would best suit her business.  When I plan a design for any graphic, whether it be a logo, header, or even a button ad – I always first take a look at what the business or website is all about.  So, for this graphic, I took the idea of a social icon and came up with a couple different option for her to choose from.

I let her know that my personal favorite was #4.  And she also asked opinions from some of her friends and family and that was one of their top choices as well.  So she decided to go with it.

My next project was taking the logo design and creating a website header for her.  I thought a lot about how to incorporate the different social networking and media icons into the header and then decided to tie in the site’s title “Social Community Organizer”.  When I think about organizing in business, I think about file folders.  So, I decided to create file folder images with the social icons on them.  I also incorporated the circle design from the icons into the background of the header as a faded finish into the blue.  Great opportunity to play with the image fade in one of my favorite (free) design programs called Gimp.

My client was very pleased with the outcome on both the logo and header designs.  Can you believe I didn’t even have to do any revisions?  I LOVE that!

I often look at people’s websites and blogs and envision a new header design for them. I have a wonderful virtual friend who I came to know on Twitter named Melissa (@TheGoldenRuleVA).  She has been extremely supportive of me on both a personal and business level over the past few months that I have known her.  I always appreciate people who take the time out to answer when I tweet.

Well, I decided to check Melissa’s website (www.TheGoldenRuleVA.com) out one day and I saw that she did not have a very nice header.  It was the basic plain header that went with her WordPress theme that included her title and tagline.  I sent her a quick DM and asked her if she would be interested in having me help her with a custom header design.  She agreed and was very excited.

I sent her my usual list of design questions:

These are just some of the ideas that she emailed me:

• Likes golden/orange color.  “Golden”  reminds her of honey and her name even means “Sweet”
• Wants to incorporate bees
• Incorporate pink (her favorite color) in flowers
• Wants to portray personal yet professional image – cute but not too cutesy

So, I took her ideas and came up with this design:

She loved it.  These were her exact words:

“Ooooh I like it!!  Love how you made the background honeycombs!  So cute!  And even the Golden Rule looks like it was written in honey!  So great!”

Her WordPress theme was a little tough.  I had to do some work in the css code to get the header to look right with the search box, but it wound up working out in the end.  So, yet another happy client – which makes me even more happy.

Here is the matching button:

And here is the header in action on her site:

They gave me the title & tagline and pretty much gave me full reign to come up with the design.  I love that!  So here is what I came up with:

These first 2 images are drafts, so you will see that the images are not clear and the stock watermark is visible.  When I create graphics, I do not purchase any stock images until I get approval from the client.

The client liked the first logo image the best.  They said that the second one looked too close to the Coca-Cola logo.  They also said that they wanted the emphasis on “New Media” instead of “Media Market”.  So here is the final logo design with the tagline added:

One the logo was complete, I had to incorporate that into a header design for their Thesis Themed WordPress Site.  I decided to take the logo graphic of those jack looking things and use them within the background of the header.  I used soft transparent colors so they would blend into the design.

My final part in the project was to get Thesis set up for them.  I installed the header, added a nice blue colored background and then finished it off with customizing the navigation by incorporating the colors from the header.

So, there ya have it (as I always say).  A pro bono project that wound up being a winner.  My client and her team love the design and I felt good for helping them out.  They are planning on adding me as a sponsor, so that will be some nice recognition and possibly opportunity for new clients in the future – love that!

So, what do you think?  Do ya like or what?

If your site has a standard header with no life or personality, chances are you are losing more than you are gaining.  Think of your average reader as an 11 year old child. The fact is, that most children are enthused by colors and images more than words. And for many adults this is true as well.  Our internet attention spans are pretty small.  Usually when we visit a website or blog, we can get a feel for what the site represents in only a few seconds.  This is the reason why it is even more important to focus on making the right first impression through a custom header graphic

Here are some examples of unique and eye catching blog and website headers that were created specifically for the client or business by working with them to discuss their needs.

An eye catching website header is the most effective tool that you can offer potential customers in order to draw them to your site and keep them there for an extended period of time.  It will set you apart from the rest and be a vehicle to bringing in more traffic to your site!  And that is really what we want in the end – more readers, more subscribers, more clients.

The header on your site is yours.  That means it represents who you are and what your company stands for.  It is a good idea to makes sure that the header on your website has your style and personality tied into it in some way. That does not mean that if you love lime green, you header should be that color.  But incorporating a few elements of your taste and style is always a great idea.  It simply means that you need to create a header that says YOU without overburdening or scaring the customers away.  You want to stand out above the rest – above your competition. Your website header might be the difference between a potential client choosing you or the other guy.

Hiring a graphic designer or artist to create a custom website banner is pertinent to your online success.   It may be your best investment.  They have an eye for color and design and will tie in those specific details that will help promote your brand, your purpose, and the message you are trying to convey.  The chance that people will look at your header, read your message, and leave your site because of a lack of cohesiveness is a huge possibility that you want to avoid at all costs.

It is also a time saver to have your website header designed by a professional. There is a lot of time spent in locating images, matching colors, and finding just the right font to make sure that the header fits your message. Why waste that time when you can just outsource to someone who knows the work involved and likely has some shortcuts that you are not aware of.

As you take a look at your site and before you contact a designer think about your message, what you want to convey and how you want to convey it.   All of these aspects will be beneficial for the designer as they create your custom website header.

There are many people without an eye for graphic design who try on their own to create a header, and, usually it shows. Don’t let this be you.   You are better off spending the extra money to have a professional do it for you!

If you are ready to set your website or blog apart then please feel free to Contact Us here at DPK Graphic Design.  We would be happy to design an eye catching header or banner for your website or blog today!