1. Work anytime, anywhere

As long as you have internet access and a computer, a laptop, or a smartphone, you can access your documents. No need to worry about using a USB to transfer your files from computer to computer.

2. Work with anyone

No Gmail account? No problem! If you’re working with someone who doesn’t have a Gmail account, you can still share files. Under the share settings, click “change” and change the visibility options to “anyone with the link.”

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Are the gears in your holiday marketing plan already moving? Have you solidified all of the details? Do you have a clear direction on how you’re going to maximize your resources to yield a successful holiday sales cycle? Here are a few tips to consider:

Retail Sales

Taking a look at the retail trends from the last few years is a great way to add insight to your holiday marketing plan. Nearly 20% of total retail sales happen between November and December, where sales are projected to reach $617 billion in 2015. Starting early and planning ahead will ensure your business can get in on the action.

Shopping Days

Black Friday used to be the busiest day for shopping, but the rise in online shopping is changing the way consumers shop. Black Friday, while still a big deal, is not the biggest money-maker of the year. Many stores now open on Thanksgiving, and Cyber Monday has picked up a lot of steam. Shoppers are buying all season long and looking for the best deals. Starting promotions early and running throughout the holiday season is a great way to keep business flowing throughout the holiday months.
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@annariflebond, https://instagram.com/annariflebond/

Anna Bond, owner (along with her husband) and creative director for the stationery and gift brand Rifle Paper Co. is one of my favorites to follow on Instagram. And, I am not alone. With over 281k followers, Anna is no stranger to Instagram. Her account is upbeat, beautiful, and inspiring with a balance in posts across work, product, and home life. Her work at Rifle Paper Co. is known for beautiful hand painted floral prints and has been expanding from paper goods to clothing lines, home goods, and wall paper. (Seriously, I want to cover my house in her wallpaper.) Follow her and take a look at Rifle Paper Co.’s website too! Continue reading …

Welcome CG favorite illustrator Christiane Engel as she talks about how she got started as an illustrator…

CE: I get asked this a lot….here’s the long version of the answer. 🙂

When I was studying arts in Germany, I tried everything from painting, printing, photography, typography, graphic design, animation and some filming, it was that kind of school were you were left free to explore all mediums and encouraged to find your own voice through creative play rather than by doing exams.

I stuck with illustration and animation and found out I had the most fun when I could tell stories and apply my art to something.

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It is important to understand that the “how” of people making purchasing decisions is changing. Consumers use personal electronic devices to scan bar codes, check reviews, ask for advice, pay their tabs and organize their lives.

The children of baby boomers, known as Generation Y or millenials, are the largest consumer generation. Many millenials trust the opinions of strangers over friends, which means social media may not always be the best way to reach them. Instead, they prefer to look towards blogs, websites, and apps where experts share tips. When making purchasing decisions, millenials especially tend to consult a variety of avenues from Amazon to Yelp to YouTube. This means companies need to create engaging content for clients to consume and share. Social media has accelerated the ability to make these connections; it allows marketers to link up with people instantaneously, less formally. It’s so much easier than before to find communities of like-minded people. Continue reading …

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram integration tips

Originally, social media sites were created for people and friends to connect with one another, but they’ve grown far beyond pics, vids and status updates. This rich environment has attracted many companies who have begun using the Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to their advantage. These three mega platforms are much more than separate websites. Each of these networks seamlessly connects to one another and can be used to target different audiences.

Don’t focus your attention on just one social media platform. Users are expecting integration. Continue reading …

 

Well, yes it can.

Technology has drastically changed the ways consumers receive and use information. When using Facebook as a marketing strategy, you have two options: paid media or earned media. By using paid media, you can get your message out to the right people—your target audience. You have the ability to manage which information goes out and control the number of ads displayed. Analytics allows you to see the impact your Facebook ads are having on your page. Through tracking and analytics, advertisers specify either a single action or multiple actions to be measured for any ad group; you can track likes, page posts, comments, mentions, check-ins, photos, and shares. But, just because you are forcing people to look at what you have to say through paid advertisements, doesn’t mean they’ll take notice. You still want to generate worthwhile, interesting content for people to enjoy. Continue reading …

Erik Johansson
http://erikjohanssonphoto.com

I love Erik Johansson’s work for its surrealist quality and painterly feel. A single piece of his work might actually contain hundreds of different images, yet his goal is still for it to look like it was all captured in 1 shot. Johansson says he takes a problem-solving approach to his work, collecting material to convey an idea. As a graphic artist, I can relate and appreciate this approach as I use it everyday in my work as well. While Johansson considers his personal work to be closest to his heart, he has created work for some major companies such as Google, Adobe, and Microsoft. I highly suggest checking out some of his work; it’s really exciting to look at from an artistry perspective.

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The book cover archive
http://bookcoverarchive.com

Our own Kristin Resch, CG Production Manager, found and shared this site with all of us here at Composure. I might be stealing from her list here (sorry Kristin!), but I love surfing through this endless grid of beautifully designed book covers. Full of impactful type, strong photography, beautiful illustration, and well thought out color and layout, its a quick go-to when you need a boost of creativity (or possibly a new reading recommendation)!

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Jessica Hische, https://jessicahische.is

Many of you are likely Jessica Hische fans already, but I have to include her to this list. Hische’s work is really what originally got me interested in hand lettering. Her distinctive style is very illustrative, colorful, creative and recognizable. If you dig her work as much as I do, check out the class she teaches on Skillshare!  Continue reading …