Magna Carta Branding & Website

Over the last few months we have been working on the branding & website in the build up to the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary in 2015 on behalf of HCL.

Work included: branding, logo development, website design & development, interactive elements and copywriting.

View our portfolio to see the results.

Magna Carta Website

Working on behalf of HCL, we have spent the last few months producing a website for the build up to the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary in 2015. We utilised our full spectrum of our services and created everything from the concepts and branding right through to the design & build, copywriting and interactive elements.

Magna Carta Branding

This complete branding exercise for the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary features strong, clean lines that connect clearly to a contemporary world while retaining subtle medieval overtones. This logo will be widely used as part of the national celebrations in the lead up to 2015 and so the logo has been kept as simple as possible to allow for wide variations in how it can be displayed. As part of the branding toolkit we have included the use of reverse type on a series of different colours and background textures to further underscore the Medieval connection.

Presence Spa

After the successful launch of the Spa website several years ago, Ratio7 was asked to refresh the website to mark the relaunch of the Spa, including a new colour scheme.

The website was given a stunning makeover on a tight budget and included new branding and a brown and cream colour scheme that runs throughout the site. The website was search engine optimised to current standards and SIFR technology introduced so the Spa font could be used for the titles across the website.

The difference between good and great

Yesterday I took a much needed day off and headed into London to do some photography and to generally recharge my design batteries.

Now I’m a creature of habit so I started off my day as I always do by visiting one of my favorite coffee shops in Shaftsbury Avenue. I discovered this place a few years ago with a friend and is no normal coffee shop. They served the most amazing organic muffins (warmed to order, I must add), fantastic coffee served in a small trendy soup bowl and even little sachets of hand cleaners which is great if you’ve just come of the tube, topped off with a prompt and friendly service.

However sadly today’s experience was different. The service was terrible, the coffee was served in a standard mug, they were out of hand cleaners and the muffin was served cold. All the things that had made this place stand out from the other thousands of coffee shops had gone.

And how much had it cost this coffee shop to stand out from the others? 20p to heat the muffin? 10p for the hand cleaner and maybe 70p for a trendy soup bowl? No expensive marketing campaign, trendy branding or marketing materials… just £1 – the difference between good and great.

How Do You Know When Your Brand Needs a Revamp?

A brand is the image of a business. It’s amazing how we can take a shape, a colour or a clever idea and combine them to create something that people will instantly recognise.

The best brands are world famous. A successful brand is something that every company and business strives to achieve. But what do you do when you gain that achievement? How long can you hang on to a successful brand for before it needs a revamp?

It’s important here to distinguish between a brand and a logo. A logo could be said to be a part of a brand. Change the logo and you could change the brand in some way. The two are connected but different. You could make alterations to the brand and the logo may no longer be relevant.

Clearly sometimes it is time that catches up with your brand. A brand is all about making people believe your product or business will give them a positive experience. A successful brand sells more products.

Sometimes even a successful brand will come to the end of its lifetime. Sticking with the same brand for years on end gives the image that your business is a stick in the mud that never moves with the times. Take a look at the branding for businesses in the Fifties and see how much of it is the same today. You won’t find much – if anything – that is still around today.

On some occasions a company that wants to take a whole new direction might find its existing branding won’t adapt to go with it. But the views of the public can also make a big difference, since some changes in logos and branding have been met with derision from the public. Clearly you have to consider the views of your audience – it’s not just about what you want to do.

One thing is certain though; you have to get the advice of a professional company in order to consider any changes you want to make to your brand. This is one area where professional knowledge counts for an awful lot.

What’s in a name?

If you’ve ever started a new business, or have been involved in the re-branding of a product or service, you’ll know the problems that name generation can cause. Competition in today’s financial climate is fierce – you need a company/brand name that will really stand out from the crowd. We are told that a name should be unique and applicable to the services that we are providing – the problem is, most of the ‘great’ names have already been taken! The entire process can be very frustrating – you can spend days, weeks or even months searching for the right name, to no avail.

Many people will ask – “what’s in a name?” and “is it really that important?” Of course, the most important aspect of any business is the quality of the products and/or services that you are selling. However, choosing the right company name can certainly help, especially when it comes to the marketing of your business. In an increasingly online world, keywords are becoming more and more important. There are literally millions of websites available online and using the correct keywords can make the difference between success and failure.

When starting a new business, many people will choose a generic name – i.e. ‘Bob’s Builders’ – yes, it does what it says on the tin, but how many other companies are called exactly the same thing? Legally, you may be able to use the name, but are you up against strong competition online and in directory listings? Others will decide to be more creative i.e. they will use a name that doesn’t necessarily describe their key services. This ploy has worked for many companies, here are a few examples; ‘Apple’, ‘Amazon’ and ‘Firebox’ – none of these names directly describe a product or service, but most people will have heard of at least one of them.

So, how can you pick the very best name for your business, and does it really matter anyway? Yes, it’s important to get it right, the last thing that you want is a name change further down the line, creating further expenses. Brainstorming seems to be the best solution – when you are generating your new name, ask for input from other staff members, family, friends or the general public. Some of the most famous names around have been a result of such collaborations.

Also think about your marketing literature and website when you are creating a name, it’s a common error to create overly-long names, then have problems actually fitting them onto your business cards. Your name will be used on all literature and communications going forward, so take a little time to consider your options before jumping in – the time that you spend now will be rewarded in the future!

Small Business Lessons from Google

Google dominates the Internet. Their search engine is a universally used and understood tool. Most of us don’t even understand the scope of Google’s business ventures.

Google started off (in 1998) and continues with this mission: “organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful”. And, as you’ll see in the video below, they say every decision is based on that. But, as an example of a key takeaway for small businesses from Google, they have ventured into a variety of technologies and businesses that don’t seem to fit with their mission.

What else can your business learn from this behemoth?

• Make your name synonymous with what you do. Google went from a company name to a verb-brilliant branding, brilliant business building. Google it!
• Fail fast and often. Google likes quick launches and to tweak issues as they go. They consider every failure a learning experience-which is great advice for anyone, let alone small businesses.
• Don’t ask “why?”. Ask “why not?”
• Aim big-then aim bigger. Really? Google Earth? It doesn’t get much bigger than that.
• Keep looking for and developing diverse revenue streams. At first Google AdWords was not seriously considered-now it is their biggest money maker.
• Continually look for ways to improve what you do best and are known for.

Ratio7 is known for creating exceptional work on time and on budget in a variety of ways.

A Typography Primer

Typography is essentially print styles. Artists and graphic designers and writers see styles everywhere but you may not realize the impact typography has on you and your business message or design intent. However, at Ratio7, we are trained to advise you on which typography style supports and amplifies the message you actually want to send.

Generally speaking, there are two broad categories of typography: serif and sans serif, serif being the little “feet” that letters rest on and sans meaning “without”. The most common of these two types are Times New Roman (serif)  and Arial (sans serif).

In the beginning of the Web days it was felt by most copywriters and web designers/developers that digital medium was best displayed in sans serif font. In fact, you could kind of identify an amateur if they were using a serif type on a website. Boy! Have those days changed!

Generally speaking, serif fonts like Times New Roman or Courier are considered more formal, weighty, serious and traditional. Sans serif, obviously, are considered more casual, cleaner, “cutting-edge” and youthful. However, as soon as you state that, there is an example of someone who has used the opposite-like Ratio7!

The newest trend, seen on sites like Wired.com, is to pair the two: sans serif for headers and contant wtih serif for titles. Yet, if you pick up the magazine itself you would likely see more serif fonts because it is in print.

Before stepping out on a branding path, or if you are considering revisiting your site or graphic presence, be sure to discuss typography with your designer. If you want a bit more (actually a lot more) typography education, you might check out the documentary “Helvetica”.

Colour Trends for the Web

Colour trends vary by genre: home decor, fashion, automotive and, not surprisingly, digital media. Like fashion, certain colours and colour combinations are often in or out, hip or passe’. Who can forget peach and teal from the 1980′s or burgundy and hunter green from the 1990′s? But, like fashion, certain colours and combinations gain new popularity because of their retro feel.

Some colours have staying power and what your digital media needs to say and who it needs to reach is often affected by these standards. Red=power and confidence. Navy or grey=tradition. Green=organic (and now, sustainable). E-commerce sites for little girls are nearly uniformly pink.Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with some of these colours in graphic design if your business needs to send one of these messages.

But if you need to re-brand or start a brand based on the cutting edge, current trends, here are some suggestions:

Vintage Wine per Benjamin Moore

Lemon Citrus Yellow from Colour Futures

Organic Meets Industrial (think soft green and silver or brown and copper)

Retro (yes folks, keep your eyes open for both turquoise, burgundy and hunter green)

Colour is trending a bit more muted, less electric orange and citron green and, instead, more soft clay-like colours.

Keep in mind. Colour, like branding, needs to be updated periodically. Consumers eyes grow accustomed and they stop seeing your logo after many years. A great way to re-brand is through the use of new contemporary colours. If you feel that your business needs a new look to signify new growth or to attract a new demographic of customers, contact Ratio7 for a free consultation. Our web and digital media designers understand the message that colour sends and how it translates onto computer,  television and mobile screens.