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Category: Design

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Content-First vs Design-First Approach

There are typically two design strategies that are considered when going through a website redesign. A design-first approach prioritizes the creative elements that are desired over the assets that will live on the site. Meanwhile, a content-first approach takes the assets you plan to have and builds the design around them. Both methods can lead to a polished website when it’s all said and done, but is there an approach that is more efficient? Speak has utilized both strategies during r... Read More
Posted by Adam Kalwas Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Design Featured Strategy

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Seeking Inspiration

Steve Jobs famously said, "Picasso had a saying — 'good artists copy; great artists steal' — and we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas." For the record, we’re against stealing but there is no denying that inspiration is everywhere. What I take from Picasso’s quote is the notion that no idea is truly original and it’s how you use the work you are inspired by and make it your own that counts. From our designers to content crea... Read More
Posted by Jessica Freeman Wednesday, February 10, 2021
Design Featured Ideas

Monday, December 7, 2020

Several People Are Typing: Women In Design

Through a Slack discussion with a few of Speak's female designers, we explored their experience in the industry, designers they look up to, and advice they've been given along the way.    here's Today's starting line up:  Jessica: Hi ladies, thanks for joining our discussion on women in design. I’m excited about this conversation and opportunity to understand your perspective a bit more. Let’s dive in. I’d love to start by taki... Read More
Posted by Jessica Freeman Monday, December 7, 2020
Design Featured

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Understanding Web Design: Moodboard 101

If you’ve ever started a home improvement project and looked at magazines or Pinterest for inspiration, then the concept of a moodboard is more familiar to you than you may realize. A moodboard is a collection of inspiration and custom design elements that designers present to clients in order to give them an idea of the design direction for their web design project. It’s definitely more complex than just an inspiration board, but it’s a great jumping off point for designer... Read More
Posted by Whitney Hochstein Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Design Featured

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Web Design 101: Types of Movement

When starting a new website project, one of the most common design requests I hear is, “We want our website to have a lot of movement.” Movement is attention-grabbing and adds a certain level of sophistication to a site, so it makes sense that it is desired by organizations that are going through a website redesign. However, there is a level of complexity to this request. There are several different types of movement, and not all are appropriate for every site.  As a desig... Read More
Posted by Corinne Mizzell Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Design Featured

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Several People Are Typing: Web Design Trends

It's hard to believe that we're halfway through 2020. Through a Slack discussion with a few of Speak's designers, we explored how the current web design trends are playing out, how to know if a trend is right for your organization, and what to expect from web design in the years to come.  Here's today's starting lineup:  Jessica: Hi all, thanks for joining to discuss design trends. Crazy that we are basically halfway through 2020 already. ... Read More
Posted by Jessica Freeman Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Design Featured

Friday, May 22, 2020

Wordpress is great, but it’s not free

Around Speak, we love Wordpress, and we build a lot of websites on Wordpress, but there’s a misconception that we hear from time to time: Wordpress is great because it’s free.  The truth: Wordpress is great, but unless you want a nightmare on your hands, it’s not free. Here are some recommendations that will make your Wordpress-backed website the incredible experience it should be for you and your patrons. Quality setup with respected plugins When building your Word... Read More
Posted by Matt Roberts Friday, May 22, 2020
Design Development Featured

Monday, March 5, 2018

Web Designs Trends to Follow in 2018

When is the last time you redesigned your website? This is a question that we often ask, but sometimes we can make pretty viable guesses based on trends your website holds. For instance, sites that are responsive but not exactly mobile-friendly are likely at least 1-2 years old. Seeing a website that isn’t mobile responsive at all immediately tells us that the site is more than three years old. Additionally, sites that use a completely separate mobile version were likely created more t... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Monday, March 5, 2018
Design Featured

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Why a New Website Deserves Professional Photos

One of the best things you can do for your new website design is to get professional photos taken. Sure, there are plenty of stock photo options out there, and you might even have some of your own photos in a file somewhere. Instead of the using stock photos or cell phone photos, we recommend using professional photos. Reasons Against a Stock Approach While stock photography has grown in quality and relevance and dropped in price, many people can recognize a stock image. That means it&rsq... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Thursday, February 8, 2018
Design Featured Showcase

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Creative Works Conference 2017: What We Took Away

Our creative team just returned from the Creative Works Conference here in Memphis and we wanted to share some insights from the conference. This blog differs from our other expositions. Here you’ll find some inspiration as a creator. You’ll also find encouragement to break free of the mold. We hope you join us in challenging our routines and beliefs of what creating is like and how we create. Get Up Off the Floor “You can’t just lay on the floor.” - Andy M... Read More
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Design Featured Ideas

Friday, September 8, 2017

Seeing a Project Through: How to Effectively Manage a Website Design

Recently I celebrated my 5th Speakiversary, a term you’re probably familiar with if you follow us on any of our social accounts. I have worked at Speak for 5 years, and in those years I have learned plenty about managing a web project. While I have gained terrific insight on what you should do in a project, I feel like the more valuable knowledge is knowing what not to do. Every new opportunity you have to improve on or serve your clients better is a step in the right direction. My bi... Read More
Posted by Meagan Walley Friday, September 8, 2017
Design Featured Ideas

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

4 Major Uses for Video in Web Design [2017]

YouTube is still the second largest search engine. And it’s the third most visited site after Google and Facebook. While we’re mentioning Facebook…what do you see more of in your feed now? Videos? Companies and organizations have used video marketing for several decades, but we’re seeing more because it’s cheaper to produce, quicker to share, and easier to measure. However, it’s easy to point and say “maybe we need a video,” yet on the ... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Design Strategy

Friday, October 14, 2016

Our Top Takeaways from Creative Works 2016

  Last week, three of us from the Creative team had the opportunity to attend the Creative Works Conference here in Memphis to get inspired and tap into the creative process of other pros. We heard from and interacted with creatives from Facebook, Nike Jordan shoes, Reach Records, Kid President, and more who are making waves with their brands.  We were reminded why we create and how to create even on days when the creative tank doesn't quite feel full. We were moti... Read More
Friday, October 14, 2016
Design

Monday, May 2, 2016

Designing in the Browser: How It's Challenging and Rewarding

Recently, the creative team here at Speak made the transition to designing in-browser. That means we are, for the most part, abandoning desktop design tools like Photoshop, Illustrator and Sketch. We've thrown off the shackles of flat concepts and moved to interactive prototyping. While I can't say the transition has been entirely painless, I can definitely say it's been rewarding as well as liberating. Here is an overview of my journey with designing in-browser. Benefits of D... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Monday, May 2, 2016
Design

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Web Usability: It's Time to Start Taking Simple Seriously

Can you remember the last time you bought something? What about the last time you found what you were looking for online? Let’s dive even further. How about the last time you stumbled on a website and felt confident about what you were doing? Mike Moran recently wrote about creating web experiences that people fall in love with and one of the fundamental ways to assist in that is to make your site extremely easy to use. What’s the difference between usability and user experience... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Thursday, March 24, 2016
Design Featured

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Start Getting Emotional: Designing Experiences For People to Fall in Love With

“Good design is good business." Tom Watson, IBM Think about something you love; something that keeps you coming back for more. Maybe something you own that you would buy time and time again. Whether it’s your favorite clothing line in your closet, the favorite car in your garage or even the type of phone in your pocket - chances are the reasons you chose to bring these objects into your life isn’t because they are simply a superior product to others.  The ... Read More
Posted by Michael Moran Wednesday, March 9, 2016
Design Featured

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Digital Spring Cleaning: How to Improve Your Homepage Design

Whether selling products, advocating for a cause, or positioning your business as an industry leader, your website should contain plenty of content to communicate the depth of your expertise and the value of your brand. However, attempting to cram everything onto your homepage is not only ineffective, but also it can overwhelm users and cause them to keep moving. Just like each of the possessions in your house, every piece of content for your website should have a place of its own. You would... Read More
Posted by Megan Jones Thursday, February 11, 2016
Design

Monday, January 25, 2016

New Website Design Launch: Museum of Life and Science - Durham, North Carolina

Imagine this: 84-acres of interactive science park where everyone from young children to seniors can enjoy a two-story science center, one of the largest butterfly conservatories on the East Coast and several beautifully landscaped outdoor exhibits which serve as safe havens for rescued black bears, lemurs and endangered red wolves. Additionally, other attractions include over 60 species of live animals as well as a railway and a dinosaur trail. Sounds like a dream, am I right? If you’re luck... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Monday, January 25, 2016
Design Featured

Friday, August 21, 2015

Site Launch: Hudson Orthodontics

What do you get when you have a fun-loving orthodontist who loves interacting with his patients, and a beautiful, brand new website? Hudson Orthodontics, of course! Last week, the Speak team helped Hudson Orthodontics launch their brand new website and we couldn't be happier with the result! Visit new site .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embe... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Friday, August 21, 2015
Design

Thursday, July 2, 2015

New Website Launches for Memphis Pediatricians and Western Michigan Symphony

New Website Launches We're on our way to celebrate the 4th of July with our family and friends and will be out of the office the rest of the week, but first we couldn't help but share a couple beautiful websites that we've launched recently. Pediatrics East is a well known Memphis pediatric group that specializes in full care from infant to young adulthood. With 5 locations, Peds East needed a website that would accent each location under the same umbrella, and could reach the entire Memphis ... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Thursday, July 2, 2015
Design

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Do You Need a Redesign? New Website Creates Movement for Wolf River Conservancy

With more than seven billion people using the Internet, keeping your website up-to-date and usable can help you accomplish your digital marketing goals. Speak has worked with numerous clients over the years, one of which is the Wolf River Conservancy, on multiple redesign projects, keeping pace with brand growth and evolving technology. Our relationship with The Wolf River Conservancy began four years ago in 2011, when the organization came to Speak to enhance their current web presence. The... Read More
Posted by Amy Dunbar Thursday, February 19, 2015
Design

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Basic Templates vs. Custom Web Design: A Designer's Perspective

Greetings all! My name is John, and I am a web designer here at Speak. I've helped to create a variety of websites in my time here at Speak, but in general, I consider myself a bit of a jack-of-all-trades. I was speaking with a friend of mine recently, who’s also a designer, and the topic of website templates came up. During the conversation, we both agreed that it is not uncommon for freelance designers and design firms to hear things like “Why should I spend several thousand dollars on a cu... Read More
Posted by John Hubler Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Design

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

New Project Launches to Ring in 2015

“The beginning is the most important part of any work.” ― Plato Are you ready for 2015? As we finalize projects from 2014 and dive into new projects for the New Year we are feeling the ease of a clean slate, a breath of fresh air and the 'beginning' of great things. Whether we're continuing on projects that have carried over or starting brand new, there is a sense of renewal to be found in all things. We will be taking time later in January to come together... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Design

Monday, November 17, 2014

Website Redesign: Christian Brothers University

"Your story unfolds through learning, competing, and thriving in our community."   This tagline is the basis for the most recent web design for Christian Brothers University. The lively, dynamic university that offers programs in arts, business, education, engineering and sciences, came to Speak looking for a website that matched their spirit. Through the process of conception, CBU was heavily involved in sharing their long-term goals and vision for the website.   Throu... Read More
Posted by Kindra Svendsen Monday, November 17, 2014
Design

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Responsive Web Design: Creating a Mobile SEO friendly site

Do you know without a doubt that your website needs a redesign? Have you been thinking about ways to reach new customers online but you just are not sure where to start? If you've come to this spot at the end of 2014 and are thinking about your online presence, it's for good reason! Now is the perfect time to shift your focus to digital marketing. In the past 2 years, the world of web design has settled into several new technologies that are making user- engagement and content more co... Read More
Posted by Digital Marketing Team Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Design