FYI
A Sad Goodbye
It is with both happiness and sadness that I write my final blog. I am happy and excited as I am off to start a big adventure exploring the world (well, just Europe for now but it is good place to start) but sad because I am leaving the best job I have ever had.
Just over two years ago, Transformer made the brave decision to take on this loud, fresh out of training, very talkative girl they knew little about. They have trained and nurtured me into a person who now feels confident to take on the next stage of More >
A new designer
It all began last July when I started my short two week internship with Transformer. After the first few days, I already knew that this little design studio… well, not so little design studio anymore, would be an awesome place to come to every day. Right from the start I was able to help with some very noteworthy and interesting jobs that got my creative juices flowing. (more…)
Can We Make A Difference?
This week I reconnected with some old friends from my teenage years, courtesy of Facebook. One of them just wrote to me “Not lost your political spirit I see”. He’ll probably ‘unfriend’ me soon as he sees my prolific posting on social issues like inequality, housing, child poverty, rates of imprisonment etc (my sons have threatened to!). Before he does I’ve reposted a link to the Herald series ‘Divided Auckland’ , in which Nigel and I participated.
One year later I’m asking myself , “what have I achieved to make the world a better place?” The answer is “not as much as More >
Counting Our Blessings
Interesting day the other day. I had a visit from a lady I know slightly, who was picking up some donations for charity. She brought me a plant and commented on my weight loss, putting me in a very good mood. During the course of our conversation it emerged that her husband had been unemployed for three months and was now in the cyclone hit Pacific as his father had just died. Her son has a disability and needs more surgery next year. Despite having very little income she has continued her voluntary work for at least two charities that More >
Award Winning Clients
What a couple of weeks it has been! Three of our clients have won awards:
AA Insurance, Atoll CDs and Brisbane Housing Company.
Content Maintenance – Boring But Necessary
Having been in the client’s shoes commissioning a website, I find I’m still stuck there updating it! Updating Facebook is a lot easier and putting a Facebook feed onto the website was a stroke of genius as new content arrives there with hardly any effort from me. Sadly that’s not enough though….
Here’s Transformer’s take on why content maintenance is so important and why it can be neglected:
Out of date or inaccurate information or simply a site that looks ‘inactive’ can create a bad impression with customers and potential customers, it’s your ‘shop window’.
Updating a website is also important for Search More >
Aussies hired to sell NZ tourism
Design made front page of the Herald the other day (must have been a light news day’)with a story about how an Australian design agency had been awarded a contract to ‘sell New Zealand. We’re proud of the Designers Institute of New Zealand (of which Nigel is a professional member) for getting the story out.’
We discussed the issue in the studio. Nigel’s comments were:
I do think it’s wrong to award government contracts like this to overseas companies for a few of reasons:
1. Times are lean and the NZ design industry needs the work
2. It’s about telling stories and by being local it’s easier More >
RAW art – website now live
To follow up on the announcement of an exhibition of my paintings with two other Auckland artists… I’m very happy to say that the website is now live – www.raw-art.co.nz.
The brand identity was fun to do – we wanted something strong, black and white, modern, fresh and perhaps a little disconcerting. It had to be very different to the majority of brand marks in the art world (either ultra-minimal sans serifs or splattery/brush strokes). I came up with it fairly quickly but instead of trusting instinct, made the mistake of trying lots of alternative ideas ‘just in case’. As so More >
Commissioning A New Website (Stepping Into The Client’s Shoes)
Who knew commissioning a new website was such hard work? Not me, merely the business manager and co owner of a graphic and web design company. I’ve only ever seen it from the designer’s point of view. All that changed when I joined a committee and volunteered to manage the creation of a new website for Auckland Home Educators.
Of course the first thing I did was convince Nigel that Transformer should do the work for free. Being such a kind hearted person he agreed and promptly delegated it to Angela! However he did insist that in return AHE would have to More >