Based upon the goals of the Hair Mill, our vision was to design the website with an elegant flair in mind. To project this feeling immediately upon seeing the site, we decided to use a large photograph of an attractive woman with fantastic hair styling.  We are fond of describing how the use of photography is important than ever. It not only leaves a lasting impression on the web visitor, but helps to strengthen the companies brand.

The website header graphic also uses elements from their logo design. However, in this case we scaled the design element to be larger. It features a different shade of color than what is found elsewhere on the site. Doing so carries the entire design forward while allowing each section of the website to have boundaries. This allows the viewer to segment the various aspects while encouraging website exploration, which is just what this Purcellville firm wanted.

WordPress supports these custom changes such that clients can make changes in the future. The main images on the site were designed in Photoshop using good graphic design skills. Using the WordPress interface features, we were able appropriately place these graphics according to the original website design. The platform is no longer considered a simple blogging tool.

As with all of our clients, we provide Purcellville’s Hair Mill Salon with regular web traffic reports. They are able to see which search works are used by visitors, their geographic location and which pages are viewed most. This analytical data can be used to determine the effectiveness of a marketing campaign, regional awareness and weakness in search result rankings.

Would you like to learn more about website design for your business? Visit our Website Design page, or simply contact Wicked Design.

This building firm required a website design that not only portrayed an updated appearance, but also one that spoke of the quality building services they provide. It was important that the various services provided be presented on he home page in a crisp and clean manner. The related photographs also needed to fully represent the type of work conducted for their clients.

The background of this website design uses a blueprint graphic design, created from an actual custom home project. This serves to immediately portray the theme of the website. This is crucial in grabbing the attention of the website visitor. In the day and age, companies have mere seconds in which to do so. The color palette of the website uses this blue tone throughout the site. This builds a cohesive visual experience. The site itself is built using the WordPress platform.

Below the header design, a large photographic slide show presents the web visitor with sample of the high quality work
provided by Suncrest Builders. WordPress offers a simple design interface, so that Suncrest is able to update this photo display in the future. That way they need not call upon Wicked Design to make simple changes for them. Using a large slide show is another strategy in capturing the attention of those who land upon the site. Visual imagery is an excellent way to leave an impression on those visitors.

Below the photo display are the four categories of the services provided by Suncrest: Custom kitchens, bathrooms, homes and living spaces. Each of these offer links to respective pages. These areas also display crisp photographs that reveal the level of quality that this company provides.

The footer area of this website design include social media links, affiliations and organization memberships. These lower areas encourage the web visitor to explore the website more fully, and engage with their brand. Effective website design needs to accomplish several things, as noted. It not only must be attractive, but also convey a tight and relevant message that leaves an impression on the viewer. All of these features drive additional business for the firm.

Is your company, or organization, considering an updated online presence? Are you seeking to fully leverage today’s technology in ways that increases awareness for your brand or cause? If so, Wicked Design will be happy to provide you with a free consultation. We have helped dozens of Loudoun firms with designing and developing successful websites. You can learn more about our website design services here: wickedesign.com/services/website-design.

Using the combined philosophies of  their class teachings was an important underlying goal in the development of their new logo. Some of the keywords shared during the initial design meetings included strength, core, flow, colorful, original and traditional. It was also deemed important to have the company name be a major component of the final graphic.

With this knowledge in hand, we created a set of original designs for the company. Several different designs were developed for the initial review. The client chose components of those designs that they found attractive, and jettisoned those they did not care for. During the second set of logo designs, we began to get closer to what Loudoun Pilates had in mind.

Our process of creating corporate logos follows this path of submitting several review sets, with each concept containing a unique approach. While the underlying key goals, or words, are kept in mind, various approaches offer the client a wide perspective of design possibilities. Sometimes, up to five sets of reviews are submitted to the customer to allow a broad spectrum of choices.

Early in the design review process, the customer sided with the notion of concentric circles. In subsequent deliveries, we began to focus on this approach.  In the end, the chosen design, seen here, represented what the client had in mind. The ring components emphasis core, or inner strength. The color variations pull the eye toward the center of the design. This not only highlights the company name, but also supports the theme of growth and inner focus.

The faded areas of the rings also draws an ascending line, which helps to signify growth and forward progress. At the same time, the fading effect helps to soften the rings, and the overall design. Centrally located is the company name. The word Pilates features a slightly more heavy impression which immediately conveys the intent of the new company moniker.

Is your company or organization in need of a new logo? Perhaps you need to refresh the one you have. Learn more about our logo design services on our related page: Wickedesign.com/services/logo-design. We’ll be happy to schedule a free consultation and explore with you what is possible.

As with most website design projects, a full understanding of the clients needs are required. Being that the end goal is high client satisfaction (coupled with increased business), understanding these goals should be a designers first initiative.

In this case, Jennifer wanted an elegant online presentation that portrayed the beauty and grace of the service she provides. She had a vision for a taupe, white, and brown palette. She needed the navigation and menu system to be simple and easy to understand. Lastly, photographs representing the type of design service that she offers were to be presented in clean manner.

Taking these requirements into account, we began using these elements in Photoshop to create mock designs. These designs were then shared with the client to being an interactive process of deciding upon a final design. This process of creating bitmap art not only allows for rapid prototyping, but also solidifies the website design before any code is slung.

The final website concept, meant for WordPress development, was then passed along the to web artist who began building the website components. The Bummer Lamb example only required the development of five pages, so the overall project was simple, following the design process. As the pages came to life, Jennifer had the ability to review each, and respond with comments.

Sometimes, creating something simple and elegant can be a difficult challenge. We web technicians are fond of using the latest technology because it delivers new and exciting features. We often need to step back and think from the bottom up, rather than starting with “glossy” ways to represents word and images. Getting back to the basic of design is often called for.

Drawing comparisons between interior design, and web design, is highly relevant in this case. Both artisans are required to identify client goals, evaluate the landscape and then paint their canvases using the tools of their respective trade. The Bummer Lamb design firm is happy with their new website, and we are honored to have designed it.

Wrap yourself in school spirit

Spirit Blankets is a Loudoun County company that markets and sells custom school spirit blankets. These blankets are embroidered with students names, logos representing their sport or extracurricular activity and the school icon. The warm fleece construction can be work at games to demonstrate school spirit in style. The company needed a website design that was not only easy to use and accessible from mobile devices, but also one that allowed online orders to be placed with customization features.

Wicked Design went to work designing a website that met all of the criteria while serving student bodies across Loudoun County. With three schools currently supported, students and parents can order blankets that meet their exact specifications. Included are Woodgrove High, Valley High and Legacy All Stars. Drop down menus offer the web visitor the school choices. Once the specific school blanket page is loaded, the customization options are are presented in a clean and simple manner.

Dozens of school activity and sport icons can be chosen that will be embroidered on the blankets. The students name is entered in the appropriate field and then the order can be completed. The website then sends the selected information to PayPal for purchasing. The blankets cost around $65 dollars each and are usually manufactured within a few weeks.

Commerce enabled websites such as this allow the business owner to focus on operating the business, instead of taking phone calls during the day. Because the Spirit Blankets website is available around the clock, orders can be taken directly from the online store without interrupting business critical operations. Once an order is placed, the business received the orders via email. The email message specifies the exact order specifications, which includes not only the names and icons, but school colors.

Designing websites that provide online purchasing can be a tricky proposition for designers. They not only have to be attractive and simple to use, but also work accurately 100% of the time. This can carry a large responsibility for the web designer and programmer. The platform used in this case is WordPress. The platform offers a great deal of flexibility with a light weight front end to make the entire purchasing experience as pleasant as possible.

WordPress also supports easy updating as the company expands. In the future, Spirit Blankets plans to add several more schools. In doing so, the drop down menu of school choices will need to expand. Beyond that, school choices may need their own menu selections divided by County. WordPress is well equipped to allow for this sort of expansion.

Does you company or organization also required a website with commerce functionality? We at Wicked Design will be happy to schedule a meeting to listen to your goals. We’ll then created a detailed proposal that includes specific visual designs, a schedule and a project quote. To learn more about our website design services, visit our website development page. We hope to hear from you.

It is generally not legal to download and use images, photos and artwork that you happen to find using online search. Even if a piece of content had no copyright information, it does not mean it can be used. In this day and age of ever increasing technical prowess, a copyright owner can quickly search the internet to locate where their property resides, especially in places where it should be.

For example, Google Image search allows you to simply drag a photo onto the search page and discover where else it resides. If you the individual can do this, image what a Fortune 500 could do. However, this is not the real reason not to “borrow” content from the web without permission. It is simply illegal. Even if an image or photo is marked as Creative Commons, it does not explicitly allow you to use it on your site, or in your printed media.

Being a content creator myself, I have a full understanding of the hard work involved in website design, logo creation and the construction of print media. My livelihood depends on my ability to create unique pieces of art and design. The same can be said about your livelihood. We all work hard to be productive and pursue happiness at the same time. However, we certainly don’t want others taking credit for our work.

Even if you are not using someone else’s image, or design, for commercial benefit, it likely still cannot be used for your organization, group or personal endeavor. Using copyrighted material on Facebook remains a gray area at the moment. However, the laws are starting to change.

The rule of thumb to follow is:

1. You created the image or design media being used.

2. You hired an artist or photographer to produce content for you. This assumes you have the right to use the work they produced. Always check.

3. You licensed a photograph or image and have the legal right to present it within the copyright agreement.

These words of advice also flow into use of fonts, background images, cropped photos and other forms of media. Content that is explicitly marked as public domain can be used without having any agreement, but read the fine print. Material and content produced prior to 1923 can be used, and media prior to 1977 without a copyright notice can also be used. However, we are only Wicked artists and not lawyers. Do confirm your rights to be sure.

In summary, you should strive to protect yourself, but also pay for the things you use in life (though the best things are free .

Places to obtain stock photography, artwork and images include the following:

http://www.istockphoto.com

http://www.shutterstock.com

http://www.gettyimages.com

Needless to say, Wicked Design also provides photography services in the Loudoun County and mid-Atlantic regions.

Part of Shamrock’s charm is the historic building that houses the store. The floors are wood, the ceiling is covered with classic tin and the second floor is accessed with a set of creaky stairs. Combine these warm, historic features with a friendly, knowledgeable staff and you have a meaningful shopping experience that harks back to childhood days (mine anyway).

The goal of this new website design was to provide the web visitor with these special qualities while helping to set the shop apart from others in the area. Using the colors of the Shamrock logo, the site was design to carry the palette and brand forward in a meaningful way.

Design began with a custom illustrated banner that presents the shape of a guitar at the top of the page, also known as the header. The guitar design was blended into the header background using several graphic design techniques (Photoshop is an amazing design tool). It was then surrounded by a white glow to make the faded design standout. Essentially, it needed to be visible but not overpowering. Layered on top of the guitar header design you the menu webpage choices, the logo and store information.

Below the header graphic appears a slideshow gallery of images reflecting the warmth and ambiance of the shop. This area of the website serves up a rotating selection of photos taken within the shop; Shamrock events and photographic portraits of the music instructors and various musical instruments for sale, whether new or offered on consignment.

Because Shamrock Music Shoppe is a full service store, the website needed to present all of their services in a clean and simple manner. Below the photo slideshow area is a grid of information boxes that each described various services offered. These include music lessons, specials, products, instrument rentals and an interactive calendar of events.

Each of these website information areas offer their own level of interactivity. Some feature small image galleries of photo in motion, while other offer video of events. This website design demonstrates that visitors can obtain a wide array of information about this Loudoun based music shop without leaving the main page. This encourages a high level of interactivity and exploration, which every website owner wants. The longer a web visitor reviews a website, the more likely they are to visit the store. The design helps to encourage this behavior in a fun and interesting way.

Along the left side of the site, you will find a set of guitar strings that run vertically. Also designed in Photoshop, they help to carry the eye down the site and reinforcing strong design. They were created only a few pixels high, and are duplicated in the Y direction (up and down). The advantage of using this technique (of copying) is that only a small image is required, which makes the loading of the website faster. In the end, the website visitor enjoys a fasted page loading experience.

Along the bottom of the design are the footer widgets. These are small modules of interactive information found at the bottom of all the pages. Again, offering a wealth of information in small places delivers a more enjoyable experience to the visitor. They are not required to drill into every page of the site to locate pertinent information.

Finally, Wicked Design developed ecommerce pages that allow the shop to sell their products directly through the website. Products are offered in three categories; Wimpy Kid autographed books (Jeff Kinney is the brother of the Shamrock store owner, Scott), instruments and branded apparel. All of the items listed on these purchasing pages can be bought online. Therefore, the new website delivers to Shamrock a terrific branding experience, access to products and valuable information to the business.

We thoroughly enjoyed designing and building this website for Shamrock Music. They allowed Wicked Design to have creative license in developing the site. The customer is happy, we’re happy and the website visitors are happy. It’s a win-win for all. If your business, or organization, seeks to develop a creative website experience such as this, then contact us for a free consultation. It’s our job to make you look good. Learn more about our web design services on this page: Wickedesign.com/services/website-design

This holiday graphic design features a likeness of 21st Street in Purcellville, Virginia. Located in western Loudoun County, our small town is an ideal place to spend the holidays.

  For release Tuesday, December 11, 2012

For further information, contact:
Jim Bowman, PBA President
Laura Longley, PBA Marketing Chair

Purcellville Business Association Announces Initiatives New Website, Logo, and Promotions to Add Membership Value and Increase Participation

Purcellville, VA, Dec. 10, 2012-The Purcellville Business Association (PBA) today unveiled its new logo and website. PBA also announced major initiatives for increasing the value of PBA membership and drawing more area businesses into the organization.

“On behalf of the Purcellville Business Association Board of Directors,” said Jim Bowman, president, “I’m delighted to launch these initiatives, which we’ve been developing over the past six months. We’ve also changed our name-from Purcellville Business & Professional Association back to its original, shorter title: Purcellville Business Association. ”But what we’re most excited about is the flexibility of the new website because it provides so many new ways for members to participate and benefit from PBA,” Bowman added.

Among the Purcellville Business Association Initiatives are:

New Online Benefits for Members

• Guest blogging for members on the PBA website and Facebook page, with link to PBA’s LinkedIn page and weekly PBA Update! email.
• Directory links to members’ websites
• Photos and video posting to website events albums
• PBA Member badge for members’ websites

Display Promotion (paid)

Sponsorship Banner: Home page banners feature the month’s four website sponsors – business owner/representative at business location with caption. Sponsorship will also include a feature business profile and links to sponsors’ website and/or Facebook and LinkedIn page. Beginning January 1, 2013.

Business Card Promotion (paid)

• Business Card Corner – Home page feature offering card placement in a rotation of 5 cards per month. Beginning January 1, 2013.
• Business Card Page(s)- card placement available to members beginning Spring 2013.

Members and Nonmembers

• PBA Update! - a weekly news and events email now available by subscription
• PBA LinkedIn Group-a great place to contribute to the conversation.

The new benefits, above, are in addition to PBA’s current benefits package, which includes:

• Quarterly networking mixers held at area businesses
• General meetings/luncheons the second Tuesday of every month but August.
• Speakers and panels with subject matter experts
• Seminars and workshops on new business skills

The Purcellville Business Association website and logo were designed and developed by Dave Levinson, WickeDesign, of Purcellville, with content provided by the PBA Board of Directors and Laura Longley, marketing communications chair.

The Board has retained Laura Longley Marketing, LLC to further develop PBA’s internet marketing strategy and content, as well as day-to-day management of the site, email, and social media.

To learn more about the Purcellville Business Association, membership, subscriptions, promotions and other benefits, please contact Jim Bowman, Daniel Abramson, or Laura Longley.

The Purcellville Business Association is an organization of businesses and individuals who come together to advance and promote the economic, industrial, professional, cultural, and civic welfare of Purcellville and Western Loudoun. Together we grow our businesses, voice our opinions, and plan for our future.

Attached: PBA Logo and Website examples.

]]> http://wickedesign.com/news/press-release-purcellville-business-association/feed/ 0 http://wickedesign.com/news/logo-design-purcellville-business-association/ http://wickedesign.com/news/logo-design-purcellville-business-association/#comments Sat, 27 Oct 2012 17:47:12 +0000 Dave Levinson http://wickedesign.com/?p=1627 Creating a logo design for an organization that represents Loudoun County businesses can be a challenging task. The Purcellville Business Association recently awarded Wicked Design with this task, and the related responsibility that goes with it. The award of this …