The Dangers Of The Internet

June 30th, 2014

When you own a small business, your advertising/marketing budget might not be very important, but this is a mistake. Just like any business you should make a reasonable investment in your image, which means safely buying facebook likes from a trusted provider, having a good-looking website and innovative logo among other things. There are more and more sites available for you to create fast, cheap visual identity materials: logos, business cards, postcards, flyers, you name it… Notice how I used the word “cheap”? I didn’t mean it as “inexpensive…” I really meant it as low quality, lacking the research and creativity your business or product deserves.

Not too long ago, I went to a street fair where two of the artisans were making furniture out of recycled wine barrels. They were selling quite similar products but both had unique characteristics to their work. I quickly grabbed their business cards and thought I would check their websites later. A few days later, I pulled the cards from my wallet and this is what I saw…

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Did I take two of the same artisan’s cards by mistake? No, the names and numbers were definitely different, but which one was which? I had been so impressed by both of their work and now, looking at their business cards, I thought: “This is a joke…” I never called them, I never checked their websites. I was confused and disappointed.

So, how do you make yourself stand out from your neighbor who does the exact same thing you do? Well, you start with a unique logo. It gives your business more credibility and helps potential customers remember you. Don’t go online to create your logo. Sure, you will get it fast and cheap, but so will your competitor.
When you come to Migrate Design for your logo design, there’s a lot of communication involved, we talk, we ask questions. I spend quite some time brainstorming before I even grab my pencil… Pencil, yes! You heard right, the old fashioned pencil and paper.
Your logo starts in my brain, grows on paper and eventually makes it to my computer. I give you options and then I listen to you. It’s YOUR logo, not mine. YOU tell me if I’ve achieved what you were looking for. If you don’t know, that’s okay… I’ve been doing this for 20 years and I’m here to guide you and make sure MY creation fits YOUR needs.

Now you are ready for your business card. Don’t go online! YOUR logo deserves better than being pasted on a stock photography background. I will design and print your business card for you. We can discuss your paper preferences and make sure your card is as unique as your logo.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have two calls to make. I need to help these two artisans set themselves appart from each other, with two unique visual identities even if they’re doing the same craft! It’s possible!

Contact Migrate Design for all your graphic design needs, you won’t be disappointed!

Ongoing work for Look Magazine

March 24th, 2014

I’ve been working with Look Magazine for over 3 years now! What started with only designing a few ads, has now developed into Migrate Design being in charge of all the ads’ creation as well as the magazine layout!

Look Magazine Layout

The main purpose of this magazine is to promote local business in various Southern California cities from Orange County to the Santa Clarita Valley.

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Make sure to Look for the next issue in your mailbox and take advantage of the many offers inside to support small businesses!

You own a small business and wonder how you can boost your foot traffic and improve your sales? Contact Migrate Design to discuss the advertising options available to you.

Letterhead Is Not Dead!

March 5th, 2014

With the explosion of the internet, most of our communication is made through email, text and social media. Regular mail seem like a slow, inefficient thing of the past… However, I think every business should have corporate identity elements like a letterhead and business card to maintain its image. These elements show that your business is established and serious. They help provide trust and credibility.

Your letterhead should of course include your logo, which is the most important element of your visual identity and be consistent with your other branding elements. (You don’t have a logo? Contact Migrate Design as this is where you need to start… )

Your letterhead should be printed professionally and include all your contact information: address, phone, email and website address.

Website, email and social media are crucial in today’s world, but a professionally printed corporate letterhead is just one more element that will define your brand and image to your clients.

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Here’s a peak at my latest letterhead and business card design for Gallery Kara.

Look Magazine – Santa Clarita Edition

March 18th, 2013

Check out your mailbox, a new issue of Look Magazine is out, containing more than 80 ads by Migrate Design!

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Absolut Collection

February 20th, 2013

In the early 90’s, I fell in love with the simplicity and cleverness of the Absolut Vodka ad campaign. I became Absolutely obsessed and started my “Absolut Collection”.

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Did you know that Absolut vodka has been running essentially the same print advertising campaign for 25 years? All 1,500 of the ads in the campaign feature or make sly reference to Absolut’s distinctive bottle, with the stubby neck and see-through label. All also use variations on the two-word tagline used in the original ad, which shows the bottle with a halo above the words Absolut Perfection.

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Over the years, the bottle’s profile has been used to mimic, for example, a ski slope, a polygraph’s printout and the rotund frame of Alfred Hitchcock. There have also been regional variations, including a bottle-shaped swimming pool for the Los Angeles market and a bottle in the shape of New York’s Central Park. In Philadelphia, Absolut ads offered a likeness of Ben Franklin wearing bottle-shaped spectacles.

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Contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring have done ads for Absolut and the company has run ads painted in the style of Rubens and other old masters. Fashion designers Gianni Versace, Helmut Lang, Manolo Blahnik and Anna Molinari have created clothing for ads and promotions; celebrity photographers Herb Ritts and Annie Liebowitz also have taken part. Ads have incorporated album covers from David Bowie, Miles Davis and the Velvet Underground.

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Even though this original campaign came to an end in 2006, I’m still eager to grow my collection – a little over 200 prints so far. So if you come across an Absolut ad, think about me !

If you’d like to see more, don’t forget to visit the “Absolut Gallery

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ARTree 2013 Calendar

January 15th, 2013

As a bud of the ARTree Community Arts Center, Géraldine designed their 2013 calendar.

The calendar showcases the art of children that participated in arts classes from The Newhall Community Center and The Activities Center. With a donation of $5.00 you can enjoy the art of 12 talented artists from our classes this summer and fall. Help support arts education in Santa Clarita by donating $5.00 to a great cause.

The Calendar is available at The Newhall Community Center, The Activities Center and by emailing the ARTree at [email protected] or calling 818 634-4180.

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Brochure For Columbian Financial Group

January 15th, 2013

It’s that time of the year! Our longtime client Unique Events is organizing another event for Columbian Financial Group. The destination: The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, Austria!

Migrate Design rose up to the challenge of creating another brochure for this upscale event.

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Oodles Of Business Cards

July 13th, 2012

If you just started your business, you will need business cards. You may decide to save a few bucks by doing it yourself, but saving money is not really the issue here; time is really what you should be saving. Let us take care of those little details, because you have bigger fish to fry. We never use templates and all of our designs are self created from scratch, which makes the  identity of your company more unique, and your branding more tailored to your industry and the services you offer. A business card is still an important aspect of marketing, and it needs the proper attention of graphic design professionals.

We will also take care of the printing for you with one of our established vendors. We know that businesses adapt, and employees come and go. Regularly updating an existing business card is becoming a necessity, but it shouldn’t be such a big deal. So when you chose Migrate Design to help you with your business card needs, for each business card we create, we will offer one revision for the next 12 months for FREE. You will only have to pay for printing.

Please contact us if you need more information about this new offer.

Nuptial Bliss With A Card

April 4th, 2012

Spring is here and it is the beginning of wedding season! Along with new vegetation, spring escorts new brides and grooms in the making. Peak season for weddings is May through July, and we all know this is just around the corner. There’s so much to do in so little time, you’re starting to panic and who can blame you. There’s a LOT to think about. However, this is supposed to be one the most memorable, happiest moment of your life, SO DELEGATE! Migrate Design cannot bake you a wedding cake, but we can certainly handle and design your marriage announcement package.
From the creation to the printing, we will handle it all and deliver an elegant and refined announcement card that matches your personality. We will design a one-of-a-kind card that is specially tailored around your persona and desires, and we guarantee that your design will not be used for anyone else’s marriage. Well, we might still show it around and pride ourselves in the work we do… like this one ;)

So if you’re thinking about getting married, we hope you will think of us.
Happy wedding ;)

Migrate Baptism And More

January 23rd, 2012

The baptism of a child, a baby shower, a wedding are all so magical, there’s always an emotional desire to remember them forever.

Migrate Design can fashion a powerful heartwarming invitation card. Using only photos and/or design elements from their own collection, they will create a card that will underline your personality and artistic moods. From the color scheme to the choice of designs, each production is unique and tailored to your family’s aspirations.

Migrate Design can also take pictures of your most heartwarming items related to that special occasion, and use them in your creation. From photo shoot to designing the best card, Migrate Design can help making the baptism of your child ever so magical, your baby shower pampered and your wedding one to remember.

So if you live in the Santa Clarita Valley, and you are getting ready for a special occasion, please call and let us show you photo samples of our work. Have a wonderful baptism, wedding, bachelor party or whatever else you need to make special ;)