Tips, tricks, and inspiration to support your marketing mission
Wonder why you haven’t seen a new post in a few months? We’re taking a break from the blog to better serve our existing clients — but we’re still here to answer your questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out if there’s something you want help troubleshooting!
Got a design in need of a boost? We've got a few monochromatic colors schemes for you!
Don't underestimate the power of a single color. Finding the perfect shade that represents your brand might be all you need to revitalize a stale design.
We've got a few suggestions for you -- test these options out on your design and watch it come to life!
Have success with one of these color schemes? Share a screenshot with us!
Staying up to date with your social media can be a full time job! Posting content every day can seem a little overwhelming, but there are plenty of resources available to help streamline the process.
One | Getting started is one of the hardest parts about social media. Using these tips starting your pages will be easy.
Two | Social Media is how you connect with your audience. Your posts should be strategically planned out in order to see the kind of interaction that you want. Here are 5 habits successful social media experts use to get the most from their efforts.
Three | Making the time for social media can be exhausting, but with the right strategy you can fit it into an hour a day! Use this step-by-step plan to get in the habit of devoting each day to a different task.
Four | When planning out your posts for the week, you want to make sure you’re posting at the right times. This isn’t the same for everyone or every account -- but there are a few times when users are most active online. Don’t hesitate to play around and see what works best for you!
Five | Using tools is a great way to help you stay organized with your posts. These 10 tools will make your managing all your accounts (and your life) a little easier!
Need full time help? We can do that! Social media is a crucial part of any digital marketing plan -- let us reduce your stress and ensure that a good job is being done.
This Friday we’ve rounded up some useful tips and advice from our favorite #girlbosses.
One | Starting off with the queen #girlboss herself! Sophia Amoruso shares her secrets to success.
Two | Are you looking to find your passion, find your main motivation, and perfect your personal brand? Here are 10 books must haves on your bookshelves from creative girl bosses.
Three | For all your being a boss inspiration, check out Ashley Howard’s Girl Boss Motivation Pinterest board.
Four | If you want to be a boss, you have to work like one! We are loving Courtney Whitmore’s home office.
Five | Just in case you forgot :)
Tag your favorite #girlboss in the comments!
Last week on the blog, Camille (our fabulous new Intern) shared her favorite quote -- "If your dreams don't scare you they're not big enough." -- so we decided to her favorite mantra into a daring new download.
Just click to download!
Or check out the mobile version here!
Want to see your favorite quote on one of our Freebies? Comment below!
If you’re like me you haven’t changed your desktop background or iPhone wallpaper in a few months. I realized this week it’s time for change -- so shake it up and try one of these 5 wallpaper designs RIGHT NOW!
One | Summer is right around the corner, brighten up your wallpaper with summer colors!
Two | Patterns are a girls best friend, right? We are loving these fun patterns for your laptop, cell phone, or even coffee cups! (You can find the coffee cups at Target).
Three | If you’re like me, you need all the motivation you can get. Here’s a reminder whenever you’re in need of a pep talk!
Four | Pretty pink, watercolor, and flowers? We’ll take it! Download this free gorgeous wallpaper.
Five | Geometric shapes anyone? For fun prints, check these out!
Which wallpaper did you pick to try out? Let us know in the comments!
Hi all,
I’m Camille Nesi -- Hue & Tone’s newest intern!
I am currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro working to receive my degree in Communication Studies, and plan to *fingers crossed* graduate this December. I started blogging for Hue & Tone almost a month ago, and have loved every minute of it! (Check out one of my favorite Friday Links posts here). What I love about Hue & Tone is that it’s a small business -- I get to gain hands on experience and feel like what I’m doing really affects the bottom line!
Some fun facts about myself:
· I know Greensboro like the back of my hand—I was born and raised here!
· My day doesn’t start until my coffee does.
· My favorite thing to learn more about is creating eye-catching graphics!
· When I’m not blogging, or in school I’m a “barretender” at Pure Barre Greensboro.
· Reality TV is my guilty pleasure (Any Real Housewives series or Dance Moms).
· Tacos are my weakness, (Crafted The Art of the Taco)
· My favorite place to study and work done is Green Joes Coffee Shop.
· Favorite quote: “If your dreams don’t scare you they’re not big enough.”
· If I didn’t have anything to do all day, I would spend it on Pinterest.
· I’m striving to be the next #girlboss (if you haven’t checked out Sophia Amoruso’s book you can pick up a copy from Amazon here).
Let’s be friends! Find me on social media: Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn.
This Friday we’re in a creative state of mind! From creating graphics, hand lettering, and choosing fonts we’ve created a list of links to get you trying something new.
One | Using graphics is a great way to add interest to your blog or website. Spicing up your photos (or stock photos) can be simple. Follow these steps and you’ll be creating graphics like a pro in no time!
Two | Have you ever wondered what the difference between Handlettering and Calligraphy is? Maghon Taylor from All She Wrote Notes, explains it all. She even offers calligraphy classes right here in Greensboro.
Three | Practice makes perfect. Here are 10 free hand lettering practice worksheets to help you learn a new skill.
Four | So you’ve mastered hand lettering... now what? Digitize them through Illustrator! Check out this step-by-step guide to taking your paper to digital.
Five | Picking the right fonts can be critical to making your blog or website give off the right vibe. Lucky for you we found this handy guide to choosing the right fonts.
See you next week for another Friday Link! Have a great weekend and let your creative minds run!
Bringing a brand to life is no small task, and a bad working relationship can steer a project off-the-rails before it even gains momentum. As designers, we know that understanding a client's business and personal taste is key to being able to properly brand a business. In order to appeal to potential customers, we need to have all the right information to create effective logos, websites, promotional materials, and social media posts.
If you’re nervous about working with a designer for the first time, or you feel like you aren’t on the same page about a certain project, these 8 tips will hopefully get you back on the track to a stellar end result:
Make sure you’ve found the right fit. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a few different designers -- grab coffee with them and make sure you find someone that’s easy to talk to, is willing to listen, and understands your business goals.
Explain in your own words. Communication is key -- don’t hold back from expressing yourself just because you don’t know what the technical term for something is. Your opinion is crucial to creating a quality final product -- and one skill no graphic designer has is mind reading.
Provide examples. Bring pictures, prints, ideas, drawings, mood boards, color palettes and more to help your designer get a feel for what you want. Lacking inspiration? Hit up Pinterest.
Be specific with your feedback. Ask questions, tell your designer how you feel, and explain what it is you like or dislike.
Trust the process. The first draft is just the beginning. Do not get discouraged when it is not “perfect.” Your graphic designer is there to work with you through rounds of revisions to reach a finished product you love.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you’re ever unsure about why something was done, don’t hesitate to ask. Your designer wants you to have the best final product possible and is usually happy to explain their creative process.
Think about it like a partnership. If a designer explains a technical reason for why they did something chances are you should listen. You hired a designer because you needed help -- acting like you’re the boss might land you with a less than effective final product.
When you love a piece, say it! There’s nothing better than being acknowledged for your hard work and designers want to hear when they're on the right track. When you love the final result be sure to speak up so that they can get you more of what you love!
Have any additional tips? Encountered a particularly difficult situation you'd like advice on? Share with us in the comments below!
On April 1, 2015, Hue & Tone Creative opened its doors. In a literal sense, we opened one door – to our office on the Revolution Mill campus in Greensboro, NC. Figuratively, it’s been a year of many more doors opening and closing for this business. New clients and partners have made their mark. Processes have been refined. In a personal and professional sense, it’s been a year of learning what works and what doesn’t.
You only get one first year in business – and I want to celebrate all the successes and challenges that entails. So, with that in mind, here’s an overview of the last 365 days!
Getting the keys to our office!
Hue & Tone got its start in early 2015 as the new, relocated home of Hannah Pomphrey Graphic Design. I’ve been a freelance graphic designer since I was about 19, and was coming off a 9-5 stint in marketing. I realized, though, that it was time to start up a bona fide business in my then-new home of Greensboro. Here’s how I described my freelance journey a year ago:
It wasn’t until my first client gave me a $100 “tip” that I realized I had just found my new side hustle. I set out with my VistaPrint business cards in hand to find myself some new clients. I cold-called and did pro-bono work for local nonprofits until I found enough momentum to begin working almost solely on referrals.
Recently, I took a break from freelancing full-time to try out a 9-5. I packed up my mismatched furniture and my massive shoe collection and relocated to Greensboro, NC with the intention of settling into my much more ‘normal’ 9-5 job.
Turns out this 9-5 thing isn’t for everyone. Even the parts of freelancing that I thought weren’t for me – the irregular income, quirky clients, and doing my own taxes – were some of the things I missed the most. While some might call irregular paychecks and lulls in work terrifying, it now seems like some much-needed work/life spice.
A year in, I’d still describe it the same way. Owning your own business isn’t easy – it’s not even in the same universe as easy. But the ability to work for myself – to shape the business objectives of my organization, while still getting my hands messy with design – is rewarding and worthwhile in a way I have a tough time explaining. Given the decision to make again, I’d make the same one.
As I said above, Hue & Tone’s first year in business has been a year of refinement and learning what works. I’ve had the opportunity to work with fabulous clients, new and old, and have worked to improve processes both on the client side and internally.
On average, Hue & Tone typically works with 10 to 20 clients at a time, and the scope of work taken on varies by client. I’ve done print design, web design, videos, social media, and consulting for large corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, and individuals. Some clients seek assistance on a per-project basis, while others hire Hue & Tone on a monthly basis for ongoing projects.
Internally, I’ve worked toward greater cohesion and focus for Hue & Tone as a business. That’s meant asking tough questions about the type of work I do and the clients I seek out. (For example: do I primarily work with local clients, or web-based businesses?) It’s also meant diversifying our portfolio so multiple skills and competencies are being exercised through our current body of work. It’s never my goal to do only social media projects or only video projects or only (fill in the blank here). When possible, I love working with clients across a wide variety of their creative needs – simultaneously working on design, video, and social, for instance. There’s a lot of interplay between different types of creative and having a hand in multiple pieces of the puzzle can add some coherence and visual consistency.
Finally, the growth of the past year has meant I needed to continue defining and re-defining the way Hue & Tone itself is marketed. You may have noticed some changes on our website, and here on the blog as well. I’d love to hear your feedback as I continue to learn what works.
With year one in the books, I’d love to share a few favorites and highlights of the year. Every project was an opportunity to learn and grow, and I’m grateful for each one. Here are a few that stood out…
Comprehensive Branding for CSDHH | Website and branding for CSDHH, a nonprofit that provides communication services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Notable for the opportunity to start from scratch and a desire, on the part of the client, to avoid the obvious.
Revolution Mill Social Media | Design and daily management of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for Revolution Mill. From social graphics to #RevMillGSO, a chance to engage with a broad range of stakeholders (from future leaseholders to the community at large) about the live-work-create environment of Revolution Mill.
Pitch Video for Brown Investment Properties | An opportunity to create something rich, visually appealing, and (no pun intended) creative, while serving a strategic (and serious) purpose.
Throughout the year, this blog has been a reliable place to share the ups and downs of Hue & Tone’s first year in business. Increasingly, it’s also become a place to share design inspiration and a few hints of the colors, textures, and patterns that fuel my imagination each day. Here are a few favorite posts from the year…
One of my favorite aspects of being a local business owner is the opportunity to interact with the community. Here are a few of my favorite Greensboro events!
Coffee & Conversation | A Greensboro Chamber event with for networking and learning about a new, focused topic each time.
IdeaNetwork | Organized by Cochran Creative Group, IdeaNetwork is an opportunity to come together, hear a speaker, then participate in a group discussion on the ideas raised.
Craft Freedom | An initiative to change the North Carolina law that restricts the growth of breweries by placing a cap on the amount of beer they can self-distribute, and a chance to support small businesses’ rights.
When all is said and done, the past year has been a big one – a wild one – a just-plain-irreplaceable one. It’s involved a lot of hard work, both of the creative variety and the messy, hauling-furniture-into-offices variety. None of it would have been possible without the support and partnership of many, so a few thank-yous are in order!
To Hue & Tone’s clients, thank you for your partnership, and for allowing Hue & Tone to help tell your story. It’s an honor every time!
To the community of Greensboro-based designers I’ve met, your advice has been invaluable.
To Sirtuah, and to my family, thank you for your patience and support through the crazy journey of the last year.
To the Greensboro community as a whole, thank you for welcoming me, welcoming Hue & Tone as a business and being a wonderful place to call home.
With all that said…that’s a wrap on Hue & Tone’s first year. It hasn’t been perfect, and I wouldn’t change a thing. Here’s to year two!
Spring has officially sprung -- and with it so has our love of bright colors. Oh wait.... we have that year round.
This mood board uses bright colors to break the mold of what might be considered retro. Instead of a totally throw back style, we're fans of including retro elements -- hints of more muted colors (like the seafoam), groovy lines and streamlined styles.
Until Friday, check out a few of our past mood boards!
Oh Friday, we’ve missed you... We’ll admit, we’re attached at the hip to our phone, so this week we’ve got links on social media, how to unplug, and a surprise throwback we’ve all wanted! Here’s a few articles to kickstart your weekend!
One | Did you know that Twitter celebrated its 10 year anniversary this week? To think, where would we be without these tweets that broke the Internet in the past 10 years?
Two | If you need some organizational help, check out these apps that will organize your life in no time. We love Trello!
Three | Promoting your website or blog is vital at any stage! For those new (and experienced), here are 10 tips to market your blog. (Hint: social media is a major key!)
Four | If you need a break from apps and social media, let’s get back to the books! If you’re in a reading slump, check out how to get out of your reading slump!
Five | Nostalgia Alert! For all the 90’s babies, let’s rejoice! There’s an All That reunion!
Happy Weekend :)
If you think Pinterest is just a site to find cooking recipes, think again! Think of Pinterest as a site where at the click of a search button, you can find any and everything you’re looking for. It's perfect for wardrobe tips, photo styling, and design inspiration (of course)! We love to use Pinterest whenever we get stuck or need a little boost of creativity.
Need your own boost? We’ve picked out our top 10 Pinterest boards to spark design inspiration:
What boards do we need to be following? Leave a comment!
Friday links to keep you inspired for the weekend and the week to come!
One | Do you ever feel in a creativity slump? Check out these tips to destress, and get back to bursting with ideas for your work!
Two | Want to know more about different resources to create a better blog? Here are 15 resources to help your improve your website or the design of your blog.
Three | Make a statement on your blog with a statement graphics! Look at these tips to make an eye catching design!
Four | Think you're ready to try your hand at creating your own logo? With the help of these guidelines you can push your new logo to the next level. (Not so design savvy? This is also a great resource to help you develop some sketches for a designer.)
Five | Easter is right around the corner! If you’re needing a little inspiration for social media posts, check out these social media campaigns to stay festive during the holiday.
As always, have a great weekend, and see you next Friday for another link roundup!
When a great organization does great things, there's nothing better than being a part of it. Our previous client, Rise & Shine, recently reached out as they prepared to celebrate their 20th Anniversary -- and we couldn't wait to be get involved.
Rise & Shine, an afterschool program committed to promoting racial justice and equality, was looking for a fun and energetic logo to represent their 20 Years campaign. You may remember one of our previous projects for Rise & Shine -- a timeless print piece that would appeal to a wide variety of audiences.
We're still in the middle of this project, but the 20-anniversary logo is complete and we couldn't wait to share it! Check out the design here:
We'll be posting flyer designs + bookmarks + ads + more when the project is complete -- but for now keep an eye on Rise & Shine's Facebook page to stay in the loop on their 20-year anniversary celebration.
The weather in Greensboro is heating up which only means one thing - springtime is coming! And, your house isn’t the only thing that could benefit from spring cleaning. It’s the perfect time to take a second look at your brand, website, and social media accounts, so that you can leap into this new season with a fresh style. Here are five resources to help you get started:
One | Consider refreshing (or creating!) your inspiration board of images, colors, and quotes to keep you motivated for the year. Check out tips for designing an inspiration board for your brand!
Two | Spring brings livelier colors to explore! Consider adding some light pastels to your social media content for a fresh contrast that matches the new season. Check out the top colors of Spring 2016.
Three | For reviving your website, consider using different fonts or even using different colors. This free and easy gold font will add a fresh color to liven up any website!
Four | Are you maximizing your online presence? Here are 10 tips on what you can do every week to increase your presence and engagement online.
Five | Warmer weather means more outdoor activities! When you step outside take advantage of your surroundings and grab some nature pics for Instagram! Here are 13 tips on taking better Instagram pictures.
Enjoy the weather! Have a lovely weekend, and keep calm...spring is coming!
We use the blog as a place to experiment. A place to try new things and different styles. Last month we tested the waters with a custom coloring page and now we're giving it a second go.
This page features a hero-style office supplies image. We may be the only one obsessed with art and office supplies, so if that's the case, excuse us while we have our fun!
Download our latest coloring page here.
To round out this week, we’re rounding up the best of the links we’ve shared over the last few months. These are just all around, generally good resources that we couldn’t help but share a second time!
One | Good, free fonts can be hard to find. This list of 60 free minimalist fonts highlights a handful of unique + clean + modern finds -- ones that you won’t see on more basic free font lists.
Two | Typewolf is one of the best sources for everything typography + fonts. With carefully curated lists and resources, you’ll find everything from unique ‘top 10’ lists to font profiles (complete with mixing & match suggestions).
Three | No matter what your goals, these eight inspirational TED Talks are a must watch.
Four | This is a great roundup on apps to boost your productivity as a freelancer. We'll definitely be trying a few of these.
Five | Death to the Stock Photo is one of the first sources people mention for cheap + not-tacky + actually useful stock photos. We see it mentioned constantly, and have even highlighted it a couples of times ourself -- but Death to Stock has come in handy so many times this week that we want to give them another shout out.
Six | The Hue & Tone website runs on Squarespace, and I'm a huge fan. Here's a good summary of the reasons why.
Seven | It’s easy to fall into a rut and start using the same colors -- so when you need a little inspiration check out these 50 creative color schemes.
Which of the links we’ve shared over the past few months have you found the most helpful?
*See all of our link roundups here, or check out our personal favorite -- our Greensboro link roundup -- here.*
It's been a week since we posted our spring-inspired color schemes and the approaching warm weather is still at the front of our mind...
It's been a busy month, and we've needed an extra bit of inspiration. For us, that means browsing Pinterest + design books + local art galleries. Putting together a mood board allows us to draw on an image we find inspiring and see where it takes us... and that was exactly our process for this "Peach in Paradise" mood board!
March is almost here, and hopefully spring isn't much further behind. To celebrate the coming warm weather (and our general love for neon colors) we've compiled a series of 10 pink + purple color schemes.
From grapefruit and salmon to carnation and mauve, pink is one of our all time favorite colors. Though almost always a little bit girly, it can be shockingly versatile. It pairs well with other brights, particularly blues and greens.
Here's our list of 10 custom spring color schemes:
Have a color you don't quite know what to pair with? Send it our way, we'll be happy to put together a few color scheme options for you.
Hi friends, and happy Friday! It's been a fun week full of some new opportunities here at Hue & Tone, and now I'm wrapping things up before heading out to enjoy this weekend's (hopefully) beautiful weather! If, like me, you haven't quite reached the finish line of the work week, here are a few links to push you through.
One | Type design is one of the most demanding (and fascinating) disciplines in the creative world. Here's a roundup of type designers to watch out for in 2016.
Two | For something light, here's a hilarious infographic from the Creative Market blog: how to live like a creative.
Three | Looking for more regular reading material? Check out a few of the 80 best Tumblr blogs for designers.
Four | This is great from the first line: "I’d love to have a toolkit that promised me great, creative ideas every time I sat down to work. Obviously that’s not going to happen—creativity doesn’t come from tools."
Five | Don't forget to check out our free adult coloring page! It's perfect for some weekend relaxation.
Wishing you all a fabulous weekend! We'll be back next week on the blog.
