Here is their old site:

GAPA Website Before

And here is their new site:

GAPA Website After

As you can see, the color palette changed quite a bit. Over time we had started using this nice, soft blue and wanted to use that as a dominant color in the new site. It brings a clean, warm professional feel to every page. We also brought in 4 large buttons to help direct people to the 4 main areas of the site. We also noticed that over time a lot of information had been posted to the homepage which we hadn’t really planned on when we built the last site. To better handle this we created a news feed on the homepage that could showcase all the important news. Also, conferences are very important to GAPA and its members so we wanted to include sidebar items that could advertise the upcoming conference opportunities.  Also while redesigning the website we did a lot of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) work as well as integrate a lot of social media making it easy for visitors to share every page and all content with their friends online.

Visit the new GAPA website now!

Making a Difference, Summer 2010 edition

The Summer edition of Making a Difference, a quarterly publication of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD), has just wrapped up. In addition to it’s stellar design (hey, a designer should be able to toot their own horn) the magazine is full of inspiring articles and information.

The summer edition features the Children’s Freedom Initiative, which aims to move children with disabilities under the age of 22 out of state-run facilities and closer to home. The initiative was formed in 2005 after advocates with the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO) discovered 141 children under the age of 22 living in state-run facilities and other nursing facilities. Mathew Harp, featured on the cover with his mom and sisters, gives an inspiring message about what it meant to him to return home after having to live in a nursing home when he was 21.
Other articles included in this summer edition are:
• Summer Fun for Everyone – summer camps for kids of all abilities
• State Legislature Summary and Outlook
• 20th Anniversary of Americans with Disabilities Act
• Success on the Court – young tennis star soars to the top

A PDF of the magazine can be downloaded here.

Etwoah Landscape Homepage, Designed by O'Neill Communications

Above shows the home page of the new Etowah website. As you can see it focuses heavily on the beautiful, lush landscapes they’ve created and maintained for their clients. Luckily we had some stunning photographs to really bring the site to life!

We also added a link on every page to Etowah’s Kudzu and Yelp listings so that current customers can quickly go on and review Etowah’s services and prospecitve customer can click to see what others have said.

Etowah’s stellar service has also inspired people to write in with kind words and testimonials. To share some of these we created a page of testimonials as well as a widget in the sidebar of every page that rotates through some snippets of the customers’ quotes.

In addition, we also created and installed a customer feedback survey, seasonal calendars and a sign up form for the Etowah Landscape newsletter.

Visit the Etowah Landscape Group website now!

General Overview Brochure

The General Overview brochure is a 14″ x 8.5″ parallel folded, full color brochure. The focus of the piece to is showcase what the gardens are about and what visitors can expect to see and experience during their time in the gardens. The photography for the piece was provided by the gardens and were of such a high quality that they really helped make for a beautiful piece.

Download a PDF of the Smith-Gilbert Gardens
Overview Brochure

Garden Tour Brochure

The Garden Tour brochure is a 25.375″ x 11″ french folded, full color brochure. This piece contains the map of the gardens with detailed explanations of the different points of interest around the gardens as well as a listing of all 30 sculptures, their creators and date of creation.  Once again, all the photography came from the gardens and looks terrific.  Smith-Gilbert Gardens was so happy with the interior map that we were asked to blow it up to poster size so they could display it in their welcome center.

Download a PDF of the Smith-Gilbert Gardens
Garden Tour Brochure

We’ve just finished the latest issue of Making a Difference magazine, a quarterly publication of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD). O’Neill Communications handled the editorial content, cartoon illustration, and overall design of the publication.

The spring 2010 edition features the 12th Annual Disability Day 2010 in Atlanta. Advocates from across the state came together on February 25 to let the Georgia government know that they are ready…ready for the waiting lists to be cleared; ready for legislation to be passed for more readily available accessible housing options; ready for employers to recognize the value that employees with disabilities bring to the workplace…ready for change.

Kathleen Martinez, the assistant secretary for U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), was the co-keynote speaker for Disability Day. “It’s easy to get channeled into a job with low to no expectations,” she continued. “At the Office of Disability Employment Policy, we’re working on developing jobs with actual promotions, retention and satisfaction.”

Also in the spring issue:

• Safe Schools Initiative: Your Child’s Safety on the Line
• Student-Led IEPs Secure a Bright Future
• State Legislature Wraps Up Session

Published by GCDD, this quarterly magazine can be downloaded here.

Do you notice any repeating design elements? Maybe you’ve been using the same font on all of your recent projects. Or maybe all of them basically have the same composition.

I’ve been through several design ruts in my career. First it was squares – they had to be in every design. Then it was thin lines – there wasn’t a headline that could be without them. And most recently, it’s the color green. I still can’t get enough of it!

We all get into our own little ruts from time to time…maybe you’ve eaten the same lunch for the past three months, or have had the exact same hairstyle since 1993. While most of the time these things are harmless, as a designer it’s important to maintain a fresh, unique look for each project. So here are a few suggestions that I use when trying to break free of a design rut:

1. Check out what others are doing. Pull out recent design annuals or find some online design forums to check out. One of my favorites for logos is  logopond.com. Even looking at new color palettes on colourlovers.com can inspire you (okay, me) to move out of your color comfort zone.

2. Call a collaboration and get your coworkers or friends opinions. Getting fresh eyes on a project can often add new life to it. Just make sure to remind everyone that honest answers are better than polite, “that looks nice…” answers.

3. Scrap it. Sometimes starting over with a blank slate is easier than reworking what you currently have.

Those are my solutions for pulling myself out of a rut. Do you have any other suggestions?

So, below are my choices of spring color palettes (which you’ll see all include a shade of green):

What are some of your go to colors? And how do you make sure that they aren’t dominant in all of your color palettes?

In my next blog I’ll explore how to get out of a design rut.

Ah, yes – the dreaded presentation where the presenter thought it was vital to put every word from their presentation onto the screen. Presentation – FAIL! Here’s usually what happens next – instead of the audience anxiously anticipating what the speaker will say next, they skip ahead on the screen and ultimately end up tuning out the presenter. What’s the point of listening if it’s all right there in front of you?

Here’s a few tips to make sure that you’re actually heard in your next presentation:

1. Focus on the key points. What are the main ideas that you want your audience to take away from the presentation?

2. Illustrate rather than spell out your points. Do you have a dramatic statistic that you’d like to focus on? Don’t hide it in copy or another boring chart, instead find a dramatic photo and use it as a callout.

3. Add some humor. Think about it – humor can loosen up any crowd and help keep your audience’s attention. Just make sure to keep it business appropriate!

I challenge you to go ahead and break the vicious cycle of copy heavy presentations! Only you can prevent snooze-fests! And let me know if you have any other suggestions on how you make sure your audience hears you during presentations.

This winter 2010 edition features a wrap up of the ninth annual Making a Difference Discovery Day 2009. National, state and local industry experts gathered in Atlanta for the Executive Briefing – Making Accessible Travel and Tourism a Reality in Georgia, presented by GCDD in collaboration with G3ict and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This year’s theme was different than previous years’ by aiming to make Georgia a model that the rest of the country and world could follow in creating accessible travel situations.

“Atlanta has so much to offer, and has a strong and proud disability community,” Keynote speaker Eric Lipp stated. “Atlanta ranks eighth in top locations to visit in the United States, and in the south Atlanta ranks second only to Orlando.”

Also in this latest issue:

• Parent Protection Act: Employers, Employees Explore Benefits
• Real Communities Initiative Gets Underway
• Be Counted: Census 2010

Published by GCDD, this quarterly magazine can be downloaded here.

Here’s my handy little checklist to help you prepare for your next meeting:

1. Create a quick list of what you need. This doesn’t need to be super detailed, just the basics. And if you’re not exactly sure of all that you need, that’s okay! We’ll be able to suggest more options for your needs based on some basic information.

2. Bring in your current materials. If you don’t have any, don’t worry. It just helps us to see what you’ve done and how we can stay consistent with your branding – if you’re not looking for a total design overhaul.

3. Gather samples that you like. We might notice a theme in your samples that we can build from – like all of them use bright colors or have serif fonts.

4. Know your budget. Don’t let a small budget discourage you. That just means that it’s time for us to get creative with your options.

5. Think of a timeframe. Do you need this for an upcoming event? Or are you just in need of a new look? Regardless, we can help create a realistic timeframe for you.

Those five tips should help to get your next project off to a great start. And when in doubt, bring expensive gifts and endless compliments – designers LOVE that!

Do you have any other suggestions on how to prepare for a meeting with a graphic designer?