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I still get excited when I hear the soft chime of Outlook telling me I have a new message. Receiving email makes me feel important. But, as we have all experienced, there’s too much spam. In fact, in this technology age where spam is so prevalent, we as humans have begun to learn a few subconscious ways of visually filtering spam. In a fraction of a second, our highly critical eyes run all emails through a simple test: is it designed, or was it typed?

When my preview pane shows me a beautifully crafted message with a logoed banner-image spanning the top and a brand-consistent color scheme… delete — and often without even thinking. But, just as any spam filter often does, this test can sometimes create false positives. For example, I deleted the email below twice before the sender finally called asking: “didn’t you get my email?”

Outlook, in all its wonders, has actually served to propagate this problem. By use of their “themes” and “stationery” features, they have encouraged users to over-design their emails. After a rebranding project for an old client, he then tasked me with developing such a tool so that every email would show-off his new logo. The result: less responses, more confusion, and a communication breakdown — quite the opposite of the desired impact for a rebrand, wouldn’t you say?

When it comes to email design, minimalism is much more than an aesthetic principal, it’s a functional requirement. In order to get past the subconscious spam filter, you must end your love affair with your logo. In the hierarchy of the message layout, your logo doesn’t come first. Graphics don’t come first. The first thing the eye must see is a simple, unassuming text-based message.

Ironically, the most heinous spammers in the world were actually among the first to figure this out. In order to dupe our well-trained subconscious spam filters, unscrupulous email marketers would have us believe that this message was personal by appealing to the same simple test: make it look typed, not designed. There is a lesson to learn, however, even for legitimate email marketers seeking higher open and click rates: maybe branding isn’t the point? Maybe, just maybe, you’re sending that email to thousands of subscribers to communicate a message, not just imprint your logo on the reader’s memory. Design with that objective in mind and avoid the devastatingly branded email.

http://www.logodesignlove.com/branded-email

1. A logo doesn’t need to say what a company does
Restaurant logos don’t need to show food, dentist logos don’t need to show teeth, furniture store logos don’t need to show furniture. Just because it’s relevant, doesn’t mean you can’t do better.

The Mercedes logo isn’t a car. The Virgin Atlantic logo isn’t an aeroplane. The Apple logo isn’t a computer. Etc. Etc.

2. Not every logo needs a mark
Sometimes a client just needs a professional logotype to identify their business. Don’t be afraid to ask what they think.

3. Two-way process
Remember, things might not always pan out as you hope. Your client might request something you disagree with. If that happens, try giving them what they want, then show them what you believe is an improvement, and why. They’re less likely to be so resistant if they already see how their thoughts pan out.

4. Picasso started somewhere
You don’t need to be an artist to realise the benefits of logo sketching. Ideas can flow much faster between a pen and paper than they can a mouse and monitor.

5. Under-promise, over-deliver
If you’re unsure how long a task will take to complete, estimate longer. Design projects are like construction work — you piece lots of little elements together to form a greater whole, and setbacks can crop up at any time.

6. Leave trends to the fashion industry
Trends come and go, and when you’re talking about changing a pair of jeans, or buying a new dress, that’s fine, but where your brand identity is concerned, longevity is key.

Don’t follow the pack.

Stand out.

7. Work in black first
By leaving colour to the end of the process, you focus on the idea. No amount of gradient or colour will rescue a poorly designed mark.

8. Keep it appropriate
Designing for a lawyer? Ditch the fun approach. Designing for a kid’s TV show? Nothing too serious. I could go on, but you get the picture.

9. A simple logo aids recognition
Keeping the design simple allows for flexibility in size. Ideally, your design should work at a minimum of around one inch without loss of detail. Look at the logos of large corporations like Mitsubishi, Samsung, FedEx, BBC etc. Their logos look simple and are easier to recognise because of it.

10. One thing to remember
That’s it. Leave your client with just one thing to remember about the design. All strong logos have one single feature to help them stand out.

Not two, three, or four.

One.

http://www.logodesignlove.com/logo-design-tips

HOW DO THE DIVISIONS OPERATE?

Each division of Daedylus stands on its own, but can also easily integrate together and share information. In this way, Daedylus is able to give small projects dedicated resources and individualized attention, while also being scalable to tackle large, complex projects requiring multiple resources from different divisions.

Explore our 3Division System below and what each has to offer:

Daedylus can help create a professional online web presence for your business.  A new or redesigned website can make a huge difference in your sales leads and company growth. We will work with you to:

• Understand the nature of your business
• Define the products and services you offer
• Understand your target market and industry

Check out samples of our work below:

Nothing reaches the consumer more often than the image you put forth first and foremost.

Corporate branding is an ongoing process of self inspection and management, and NOT simply a one-time exercise as most companies do. It translates your Corporate Identity into a visual Corporate Image.

Your Brand is your own internal image of yourself, the ideals it embraces reflected to the general population. It is something that must be constantly cultivated in all aspects of performance. So what makes a successful Corporate Image?

It must do 2 things:
It must differentiate you from your competition
It must create value recognition of your products / services

Explain to us your goals and drives, and allow us to capture that image and reflect that internally as a reminder to your employees, and outwardly to clients. Create or Redefine an existing brand to keep up with the ever changing pace and landscape of the business world.

-“HOW DO WE DO THIS?”

Daedylus professionals will take you through our entire 3DIVISION process. We begin by dissecting the guts of your company. — What makes you tick? — Who are your target markets or key clientele? –
We then develop your corporate image by finding solutions for and developing the following material:

• A Company Name
• Logo Design (and corporate colors)
• Website Design and Development
• Online Marketing Campaign with Quantifiable results
• Corporate Identity Package

Explore Daedylus and 3DIVISION to learn more about our process and how we can effectively help you.

With Daedylus Hosting, you receive the following:

• 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
• No setup fees
• Unlimited Bandwidth*
• Unlimited Storage*

*Available with premium Hosting plans

With Daedylus as your partner, we can help you:

• Define your target market through our Market Analysis
• Analyze your current website structure and propose improvements for search engine visibility and improved rankings
• Research, development, and create new optimized content
• Advise you on conversion improvement, web site usage, and keywords to target
• Tailor a marketing campaign that will interact with your customers in various stages of engagement, including:
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising
  • E-mail Marketing
  • Banner Ads
  • Social Networking
• Track results through analytics reporting

Daedylus will work with you to market your business online by tying together both the creative and technical aspects of the Internet, including: design, development, advertising, and sales.  Contact us now to get started!

Daedylus Designs Division is the root of Daedylus and is by far the most comprehensive.  Our Designers play roles throughout our 3DIVISION process and have backgrounds ranging from Architectural Design to Graphic Design, providing you with a truly COMPLETE designer.

HOW DOES THAT HELP ME?

Designers with wide backgrounds bring more insight and innovation to any project, regardless of project type.  We encourage our designers to continually think outside the box, and ultimately that helps YOU.

Take advantage of our designers who have experience in corporate design and marketability, as well as the architectural and building industries.

Explore what Daedylus Design can do for you:

Corporate Branding

Logo Design

Corporate Identity Packages

Visual Marketing Material

–for Architects and Builders

Architectural Renderings

Skilled Designers and Draftsmen

WHY DOES THAT MATTER?

The breadth and depth of our experience allows us to formulate the full life-cycle for your site, rather than being hired guns for just one phase of it. We strive to use the latest cutting edge technologies while actively implementing open-source software to minimize costs.

No project is too large or small for us to implement, and we can find robust solutions to fit any budget. Explore what Daedylus Solutions can do for you:

Web Development

eCommerce

Content Management

Hosting

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

The Internet has brought business and media to a global audience. The interactive nature of Internet marketing to provide instant responses is a unique quality of the medium and can be leveraged to maximize returns. Daedylus Strategies connects you with your customers and enables you to reach a wide audience for a fraction of traditional advertising budgets.

Explore what Daedylus Strategies can do for you:

Online Marketing Campaigns

Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Marketing

Social Networking