It is now really telling to me how much of a difference it makes when a kitchen design company puts a lot of capital into their resources. This is of course in comparison to those other companies who think they’ll make bigger profit margins because they’re taking the easy way out and not spending on important resources.

A month ago when I went to consult the specialists at The Kitchen Design Centre it became apparent to me that they’ve spent big to make big. I stepped into their pristine showroom to start the consultation about my new kitchen and a group of kitchen designers consulted me as to which design I was after. Each designer seemed to specialise in their own type of area so only one was associated to me once I made my choice clear.  We sat down in one of the offices and the designer brought out his fancy Macbook that had this unbelievable looking design program open. It looked like something out of the future it was that impressive. Colours, lines, 3D shapes, you name it!

That was me just seeing the program on face value. It was even better when we used it. Never have I seen such complex and advanced technology used with such ease. I can’t exactly remember what the graphic design program was called but I am going to recommend it to my sister who is a graphic designer because I know that she was looking for software that could do something similar to what this program did.

To cut a long story short, the kitchen that was to be standing in my house in three months time was there on the computer screen looking as if someone had taken a photo of a real life kitchen. The program was so realistic and showed every single little detail you need to know. The dimensions, the colours, the overall size and most importantly – the design was prevalent.

While I had the trust in The Kitchen Design Centre to continue providing the best designer kitchens in the state like they always do, I was more impressed with the processes they go through to get them to a stage ready to build their kitchens. In the old days they used to sketch up drawings on big pieces of paper and it would the roughest of drafts that clients would somehow be confident in. Fast forward 20 years and now there are these programs which make the kitchen for you and give the client an even greater degree of confidence in what is being built.

I would like to give a big thank you and an even bigger recommendation to The Kitchen Design Centre for anyone that needs their kitchen redone or modified.

Web and Graphic Design Interlinked

Graphic design is the creative process  used to convey a certain message to a certain audience. Companies usually have a logo and branding designed by a graphic designer, and then later down the track, a website designed by a web designer. Is this the right way to go about it? Will jobs cross over and will creative plans suffer because there are two teams designing and creating one vision?

Graphic designers traditionally aren’t specialists in web design. And web designers, are the ones to turn to for all things web design.

I have come across certain brands and stores, and then gone online and see a website that didn’t align with the products and stores I’d previously stepped foot in. A brand and all that is associated with a brand, its products, services, need to align the entire way through a company.

One website I visited recently, has done a great job with their website and branding. The website is Sienna Mt Waverley and they have display homes in Melbourne that can be viewed and also display homes for sale in Melbourne.

Their website is appropriate for their industry and their vision. They are selling the dream of living somewhere peaceful, somewhere with nature and they are selling these display homes for sale that are offering an idea of comfort, style and luxury.

The colours the web designers have chosen are effective for a few reasons. The white and simple clean, modern style black font, go well together and create a readable and bright and light website. The big focus on images is perfect for their nature focused ideal way of living. The graphics are sleek and modern and not overly fussy. There aren’t too many flashy or outrageous techniques used on this website, but what has been used is appropriate and up to date and well suited for the industry.

This is just one website I have found, and I could spend all day writing about good examples, bad examples and interesting, questionable examples. However, today, I just wanted to put my thoughts out there and commend this one website on doing a clean, well designed and information-appropriate website.

After having a look through the house and land packages Melbourne has to offer it clicked to me that all the designs for affordable living display homesacross our beautiful city are computer generated through the most technologically advanced programs.

I am currently in the midst of looking for some Mount Waverley Real estate as I begin my journey to Melbourne’s south-east from the north. Mount Waverley really appealed to me because of its close proximity to local shopping centres, schools and other recreational facilities.

When I went for my appointment with the people from Sienna Mt Waverley they showed me the way they design their houses with all these technologically savvy programs. It was quite amazing to see (not having ever been in that kind of industry) the way that companies produce the way a house will look on the computer and then 6-12 months later that exact same house is standing in real life. To me it’s quite astonishing! All these programs are so advanced compared to what graphic designers used to do. No longer is there sketching drafts and plans on big pieces of paper!

Sienna Mt Waverley gives the customer the whole nine yards when it comes to service. From the moment you speak to them on the phone to when you finally have your house standing; there is no better company in the industry.

To add to this brilliant level of service, the end product is always of high quality. If you go on to their website or even visit their properties in person, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Whether you’re after a house for your family or yourself, Sienna are very flexible in how they can design their properties and have the end goal of always achieving the customers’ requests.

I would like to know if anyone out there is familiar with these graphic design programs these companies use. Additionally if anyone else has used Sienna Mt Waverley to purchase a house and land package or tour a display home, was your experience as memorable and smooth as mine? Would love to hear some comments and get some interaction here to discuss the goodness of Sienna Mt Waverley.

All comments, questions, thoughts and queries are appreciated!

I love a company that dates back over 100 years from an international heritage and is still running today. I find it amazing how the transition from starting a company overseas to bringing it to another country can be so easy. Burgess Printing dates way back to 1868 in Australia when the Ulrich family were engraving seals for the Royal Family and the Government. By 1950, they had moved out to Australia and started a labels business before 20 years later selling it to the Burgess Family.

This kind of business I have a lot of respect for not only because they excel in package designand product packaging, but because of the evolution of a small Austrian family business that has become one of the proudest packaging and design businesses in Australia.

Burgess Printing is a terrific company that love to work hard and produce results for their clients in the way of self adhesive labels, packaged labels and other printing and design products. Every time I used Burgess to design the labels for my business they always remember me and never get my order wrong. It is usually delivered on time, packaged carefully and they always invoice me correctly. These sound like things that companies should always get right but you’d be surprised how many companies don’t get this right.

You can tell within the Burgess business there is a huge emphasis on teamwork and family spirit. This kind of spirit and enthusiasm in the workplace is a recipe for success and it makes you want to work in an environment like that.

To the team at Burgess Printing, I command you on your longstanding family business and team culture that has put you in the position you are today as a market-leading company.

Your utopia is not too far away

The recent revelation of the Lancemore Group has provided those who enjoy the combination of wineries, day spas and accommodation with a breath of fresh air. To make things easier, they offer a website that is so interactive that when you’re browsing, it makes you feel as if you’re at that Werribee winery or you’re a part of the wonderful Mt.Macedon accommodation they offer.

The Lancemore Group have a profound understanding of how business and pleasure do not have to be mutually exclusive. Too often do businesses not associate the two together because they are afraid of compromise. At the Lancemore Group they have taken this in their stride and combined the two by providing four locations with tranquillity, business and pleasure all blended into one. Why not have facilities that don’t only host your conferences but also allows you to relax and be pampered? Why not go out for dinner with the people you just attempted to strike a business deal with?

Times are changing and no longer are business conferences your regular meeting for three hours where it is just a walk in, discuss business matters and walk out. Instead, now businesses understand that a good rapport can be built not just from inside the conference room but alternatively; dinners, lunches and spa outings are considered acceptable and beneficial in developing business relationships.

Additionally, The Lancemore Group take huge pride in the way they present themselves. They have a website that is so modern and so easy-to-use that it makes the browsing experience thoroughly enjoyable. Too often do companies rush the way they design their website and offer something unprofessional that doesn’t capture the interest of those browsing. Lancemore have a full appreciation of the importance of offering a professional and classy website and extend all their services through it in attention-grabbing ways. Spa retreats Victoria wide have never looked this good online so if you’re after a service that embodies peace, tranquillity and relaxation; The Lancemore Group are here to assist you.

Cranes for Everyone!

There is a huge difference between a company that has qualified and well-trained employees compared to a company that takes the easy way out to reduce their wages and pay unqualified workmen.

I run a construction business that is very dependent on the lifting equipment (cranes and hoists especially) and we only want the best. We believe that if you have to pay more to get the best then we are happy to do so because in the long-run this will almost always benefit your business.

This seems to be the approach that JDN Monocrane also takes as they only employ the best electricians and engineers and it is so evident! We buy all overhead cranes and other lifting equipment from JDN and have been doing so for the past three years. Not once have we had any problems with any of the equipment that we have acquired from them and we are sure that it will continue to be this way.

When you employ staff that are highly qualified and have been in the industry for many years it makes a huge difference to the product or service you produce. Because our business is so dependent on the equipment that is provided to us, we had to search for a long time to find a company that supplied us with what JDN Monocrane does.

There are good business decisions and great business decisions; there is no doubt this was a great business decision.

We can safely say that the money we’ve generated from our business has a lot to do with the quality equipment JDN Monocrane has supplied us with for the past three years.

Into the future, when you’re making a business decision, do not be scared to spend that little bit extra if it means you suffer financially in the short-term because as people always say, “quality rises to the top” and we’ve found this out by using JDN Monocrane.

Should Graphic Designers Do Background Checks?

What should designers take into consideration when creating new logos and websites? I want to discuss this with you today, since I have been speaking with other graphic designers, like myself, what and how far a designer should delve into a company and industry before creating designs? I found the topic very interesting and we came up with some unique tips and tricks and our ideas and rules did vary.

So personally, I like to know quite a bit about the company, the industry and competitors of the company that I am designing for. Whether I am designing a website, or a logo, I like to know as much as I can. I like to know who the target market is, because it helps me to understand who will be viewing the website, or logo, who I am aiming to attract. This all will determine what colours, styles and size I will use. How simple the website should be, I can advise how much content I think is appropriate for the website and how much will overcrowd and cause confusion.

A delicate or sensitive topic is going to be different in the way I approach it, to a female fashion online store. The online fashion store can be bright, loud, in your face, as I want to attract as many people as possible. I want to make it striking and memorable. I don’t mind if I have males or females browsing through it, the more people the better, males can use it for presents, and females will possibly share it with others, it is about making it memorable.

The other side of the spectrum would be a sensitive topic. Like women’s health ‘down below’, for example.  Aci-Jel is an interesting example. A website I discovered whilst looking for a good example to discuss with others. I like this website for its simplistic, yet fresh web design. I like the colours being soft, and I like the large amount of white they have used. There is also ample information and the website is easy to navigate through, all relevant for the industry and brand. It is a website promoting two products. Whilst discussing certain women’s health issues. The website provides information on Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), and discusses the symptoms and possible causes.

The website also discusses vaginal discharge. See how the website has been designed to make presenting this information attractive, clear and appropriate. I think the designers have done a fantastic job making it suitable for the specific target market.

 

Design Seamless SEO For Your Website

Seamlessly implementing SEO into your current website is possible if the specialists you choose to hire know what they are doing. I searched all over Australia for a reputable company that could help take my website to the top of search result pages. I spoke to many companies and many people who claimed to do this and that. However some companies would only let you begin work with them if you signed up to a contract. I wasn’t willing to do this as I needed to be able to stop paying for a service if I felt it was doing my business any good. SEO Melbourne and SEO Sydney companies vary slightly, but seem to all aim for the one goal.

I chose OnlySEO as I felt they weren’t a huge company who would treat me as a number, and I liked their unique strategy that seemed to work very well for their current clients. I now use SEO services from this company which has since led to an increase in sales. It didn’t mess with my website or my current information on there, so it was a nice smooth process.

SEO Melbourne Specialists Guarantee Results

OnlySEO is one of the leading SEO companies who specialise in search engine optimisation. Whilst searching for SEO Melbourne, SEO Sydney, Brisbane and Perth companies, I discovered some similarities and some differences in the various companies. Many businesses claimed they were experts and could achieve certain goals but they locked you into a contract, now who is comfortable doing that, when you don’t even know if it will work.

SEO services can vary and depending on your budget and industry, will determine what the best strategy for you will be.  I found OnlySEO to be a professional and specialist company who care about each of their clients. Their website is informative and encourages a potential client to make an enquiry, which is a great way to start the process.

Class, Professionalism and Dedication all in one

For years now I have gone to Burgess Printing expecting a standard of service and always having my expectations exceeded. This is Burgess Printing’s speciality; the ability to offer a level of service that is unrivalled in their field and constantly gets better. My business is hugely dependent on label printing and food packaging design and I have never had an issue with them.

Their service, their staff, their promptness; it’s all such a beautiful blend of a successful business who loves to put their customers’ priorities at the top of their business goals. When you’re the client of a business who structures themselves up like this then you know that you’re in good hands. To put some icing on the cake, they have the most amazing range of labels; including self adhesive labels of any sort that can be tailored to suit your business.