PRESS RELEASE | Graphic Designer & Website Designer.

Are you looking for a Graphic and Website Designer that is dependable, timely and an expert in many different fields? Creative Director Lee Ault of Dreamkatcha has over 20 years experience in the desktop publishing, graphic design and website design fields. From small start up companies to multi national corporations, Lee has worked with hundreds of satisfied customers over the last two decades. Enabling them to improve their market reach, to add that “WOW” factor to their printed and online media and enabling them dominate their prospective markets.

If it’s a brand new website you require, an attractive brochure or promotional media such as posters and flyers, then speak to Lee at Dreamkatcha. Whatever your project, no matter how large or how small – chances are Lee has done something similar before. Having worked with so many clients over the years, Lee has learnt that a good relationship with his customers is imperative to a productive working ethic. Communication is a must for any successful design project. If a client can’t talk familiarly with their designer, then the creative process becomes disjointed and unproductive. Lee believes that his friendly, no nonsense approach to each project and his clients, enables the creative juices to flow from both ends. This allows both client and designer to bounce off each other and to really get an understanding of the final goal.

Because of this approach to a working relationship, the majority of Lee’s clients continue to work with him on current and further projects. This includes completely new projects requiring completely new skills, or simply alterations and maintenance of a current design or website.

Having just one designer take care of all your creative needs is beneficial in many ways. Not only have you already established a level of trust and understanding of one another, but you also understand how each other work. If it’s deadlines that are crucial to you, or maybe it’s attention to detail such as colours, measurements or a certain design style you are fond of, all of this information is already stored in the mind of your designer. This allows more time to be spent on the project at hand without the need to run through all of this again. Moreover, he will always have copies of your previous work backed up that you can refer back to at a moments notice, and any stock media of files that you have been using in previous projects can be called back in to play in an instant.

Another reason to keep hold of your designer is that he will be able to gage how long most of your projects to work, and also how you work with him. This will enable him to factor in your work immediately to his monthly routine, possibly leap frogging your work to the top of the pile of projects to be completed.

Lee Ault at Dreamkatcha provides the creative solution you've been searching for and is looking forward to working with you in the future.

7 Reasons why you need to update your business website. (Publish 2nd to last - Delete this)

Design trends and online technology change so frequently these days, that it's hard to keep up for most companies. Although staying current with trends may not be top of your marketing list, staying up to date with online technology is essential. Most people think they can have a website designed once and that it's now good for the next 10 years..or even forever. Sadly this is not the case, but how do you know when it's time for an overhaul? It's not like websites (and corporate/promotional media) has an expiry date like stale food in a supermarket. To make sure you capitalise on all of the new online opportunities and maximise your incoming traffic, a stale website could be the one thing holding you back.

Most companies that shun the thought of further outlay for their website are really shooting themselves in the foot. It many not have been in your initial budget, but spending some extra cash on a new website could render a high return on your investment. Every company should consider revamping their website at leaset every 2-3 years.

What does a stale website say about your company?

Having an old, uninspiring company website can be almost as damaging as not having one at all. If your site still looks like it did 10 years ago, the chances are it's not doing you any favours. Moreover, if your site was designed in Adobe Flash (as so many were in this time period) then your site also isn't displaying on half of the worlds devices. Below we will discuss the reasons for creating a brand new website and also some more obvious pointers that your old site is now obsolete.1. Your Website Isn't responsive (mobile-friendly)
With 40% of websites being viewed on mobile devices and growing fast, if your website isn't responsive it's time for a new one. This is probably one of the most important and most common reasons to start looking for a web designer. Mobile viewers want fast loading, intuitive websites that are easy to navigate and easy to read. Features such as one click phone dialling and other new "intelligent" features are only available to the user if they have been specially programmed. You simply wont find these on an older website.

2. An outdated and stale design
The second most common reason for a website being redesigned is age. Your website may have looked passable 10 years ago when web design was largely still in it's infancy, but today's websites are a whole new story. First impressions count if you are trying to entice a new customer or client. A website that is too basic or looks like it was designed with old technologies will send your target audience running a mile. If you take into account that your website's appearance is a direct reflection of your business image, then it makes sense to make sure it's polished.

3. Online web builders are a waste of time and money
The third reason that most companies hunt for a professional web designer, is that they have tried to use an online web builder. At Dreamkatcha we constantly have requests from new customers, asking if we can take their attempt at creating a company website for free and turn it into a fully functioning website. Unfortunately, the answer is always NO! Due to the way that these online web builders are rigged, the site is truly stuck with the originating company. The website cant be migrated like a usual website and the code is hidden from all other web developers. This is completely intentional and locks you in to the ever rising hosting charges and optional (yet really essential) extras. We have written a whole article on this common mistake here.

4. The technology is out of date
Even if your website was created with the latest technology 5 years ago, if it hasn't been updated on a regular basis, it's dangerously out of date. I say dangerous because hackers and viruses evolve at the same rate as technology does, sometimes even quicker. Whatever security your website had in place 5 years ago, won't be effective in today's minefield of risks and threats. This is especially true if your site was created with a CMS platform such as Wordpress or Joomla. This software is open source and is freely available to the public and unfortunately, hackers. This means once a liability is found in the code, it is freely available to everyone. This leaves your website open for attack from even the most novice of trouble makers. If you want to larn more about website security, read this article.

5. Ever evolving browsers and operating systems
There seems to be a new IOS or new website browser created every month these days! Thankfully, most people stick the main players such as Firefox, Safari and Chrome. Although these browsers all use similar structures, they all display your site slightly differently. Due to the endless variations of themes and base platforms this can leave your site displaying irregularly on some browsers. This is usually ironed out once your web designer has finished on the creative side and began to troubleshoot across browsers. If they haven't then you need to find a new designer. Read this article to help you find a good web designer.
But what happens when you software company releases a major update to their browser? These updates are usually minor and nothing to worry about, but over time there will be some fairly large reprogramming. This can leave your website almost unreadable with elements displaying all over the shop. What's worse is that functionality will also halt, leaving contact forms and other essential elements completely useless.

6. Products or features are out of date
Businesses change and grow over the years. luckily your online marketing can be changed without having to spend your entire budget on printing new media. You may have a range of products that you no longer sell, or perhaps have a whole new section to add. You may also have services that you no longer provide, or the focus of you business has now changed and you want to promote something new. If your web designer hasn't included a CMS (Content Management System) then you are most likely going to need a professional to make these changes for you.

7. Your website is underperforming
If you aren’t getting the results You expected from your website, then maybe you just cant see how bad it is. Not everybody is web design savvy and it's easy to be convinced by others that your website is great...even by your web designer! You may believe your site is functioning as it should be, yet most viewers are simply put off and jump ship. This could be down to a number of reasons, such as dull and uninspiring design, or poor user interface making it near impossible to navigate.

Many of these problems can be down to not hiring the right web designer. If you have tried to hire someone on the cheap such as a friend or amateur from freelance websites or abroad, then unfortunately you get what you paid for! Save yourself a lot of time, money and stress - hire a professional web designer from the start!

If you want to know what changes you should make? Read our next article coming soon....

If you would like to know what Dreamkatcha could do for your business website, to help increase traffic and revenue, contact us today via our website.

7 Changes to make to your website right now! Publish last

So you've decided to take the plunge and redesign/revamp your website. If you are still deciding if a new website is a good idea, read this article to help you make up your mind. But what exactly needs to change, other than the obvious errors such as being unresponsive or a security risk? In this article we will point out a few things that should be considered when talking to your new web designer.

1. Security
What platform was your website created on? What security is in place to protect you? What plug-ins are fighting the hackers off every day? Unless you have a very good web designer, (look no further than Dreamkatcha!) the chances are you don't really know a lot about these very important features. If you want to learn more about online security, read here
Has your website been updated on a regular basis, by this we mean weekly! Most plug-ins, themes and operating systems are updated as regularly as every week, anything not updated immediately is a huge security risk to your website. Make sure the latest security plug-ins such as Ithemes Security is not only in-place but updated as soon as a new version is released.

2. Add a CMS (Content Management System)
In todays fast paced and ever changing online market, it is essential that you can edit or expand your website yourself. With the addition of a CMS such as Wordpress or Joomla, you are largely free to work on your own site for no extra cost, saving you lots of money for those little edits here and there. With a platform such as Wordpress you can instantly improve the overal security of your website. It may be the most commonly hacked type of website, but this is largely due to the sheer number of Wordpress installations out there. As long as it is setup correctly and kept up to date, you will have access to a great number of free plug-ins. Utilising these products can enable you to have valuable security measures in place that would otherwise cost a small fortune.

3. Flexible contact solutions
Does you website have a contact form? The chances are your answer is yes, but is it performing to the bast of it's ability? Simply having a name, telephone, email and message field will be taking the essentials, but it could be doing a lot more. Talk to your designer about other possibilities such as expanding your form criteria to things like area placement, company details, client budget and even more specific project requirements. This can help you build a better picture of the project at hand, before you make that initial phone call or email.

4. Email catchment and call to action
Two of the most common additions that we are asked for are opt-in email catchment forms and a call to action. These features have blown up over the last few years and everyone is using them. If you want to get someone's email address for various reasons, such as newsletters or promtional work, then having a simple opt-in form is an easy way to facilitate this. A call to action on specific pages or in a focus area can give the viewer that extra nudge they need to make that all important first contact.

5. Speed up your website
If a website is taking an overly long time to load on a mobile device or computer, the chances are the viewer will simpy skip to the next website on the search engine. Most websites that were created a few years ago will have outdated code. This may cause the website to run more slowly or even display completely wrong on some devices. If the site was created by an amateur then they may have used the wrong types of images that are not optimised for web use. There could also be plugins that are unnecessary, incompatible or to bulky for your website. The list is almost endless, so make sure your designer understands that a fast website is crucial in these days of mobile website viewing.

6. User interface isn't everything
Although surveys show that the number one thing viewers want from a website is good usability, don't overlook aesthetics. Your website may be intuitive and easy to navigate, but a high bounce rate could point to a plain and lifeless design. Many web developers online will claim to also be a web designer. This is largely uncommon and the results will always be visible in the final website when posted online. The code may be of high quality and the site may operate perfectly to your needs, but if there isn't the magic injection of creativity there, audiences will give it a miss. Think about when you are surfing the web - when you reach a page that has that WOW factor you instantly take an interested in the contact of the site. Make sure your site has good functionality, but don't overlook the importance of creative web design.

7. Hosting and updates
Make sure that your designer (or you) is keeping your website updated. This will keep your site protected from hackers and malware. It will also ensure that your website is compatible with any plug-ins or external Apps that you are running. Also ensure that your web designer is using a reputable hosting provider such as Siteground. This will always leave you in the most capable hands when it comes to site speed, security and many other optional features that are largely unavailable or expensive with other providers.

If you really care about the success of your business, then looking into these few areas of your website will help gain high returns for minimal outlay. If you are interested in having your website redesigned or revamped, contact Dreamkatcha via our website

Who Remembers Cow Gum? This is How We Did It

Image Source: http://www.forgottenartsupplies.com/?what=artifacts&image_id=272

At one time, Cow gum was part of many drawing offices for paste-up work

In our previous article on classic album covers using Comic Sans, there was a passing reference to Windows ‘95.  Well before then, cutting and pasting images from a clipboard meant just that to the average computer user.  In the drawing office, no graphic artist till the 1980s or thereabouts was without this product: 
Cow gum.

Contrary to popular belief, Cow gum has nothing to do with the bovine creature.  It was a liquid petroleum rubber based glue (similar to the stuff used in Vaseline).  This was used for mounting and sticking paper onto paper or card.  It came in a red and white tin and took a long time to dry.  Sometimes, a residue of Cow gum may be present on the sheet.  This was rectified by means of a special eraser.

Why Cow gum?  It is named after F.P. Cow, the manufacturers of the product.  With the arrival of the Apple Macintosh and desktop publishing software, it became obsolete as creating page layouts and artwork moved into the digital age.  The fixative also gave off fumes which gave creatives a bit of a high.

Today, you can get a substitute to Cow gum.  Ivy’s equivalent is known as Studio Gum, which is basically the same stuff.  There is also another version manufactured by Toucan.  Its packaging style pays homage to F.P. Cow’s rubber-based fixative.

How to Ruin an Album Cover: Use Comic Sans

How classic album covers are being spoiled with the Comic Sans typeface - and clip art

Vinyl is big business.  Over the last year, vinyl restored its position as Britain’s biggest selling physical music format.  Even with a limited number of releases, mainly reissues of classic albums.  In some cases, LPs have been purchased as wall art instead of its intended use: the mutual enjoyment of a seminal album or single.  Funnily enough, most of the classic LPs and 45s were released before the arrival of the bete noire of typefaces.  Ladies and gentlemen, you have guessed right if you thought the typeface was Comic Sans.

Comic Sans is a typeface associated with Microsoft Windows.  It was first used as a friendly alternative to the sans-serif typefaces on Microsoft Bob.  Though Bob flopped, its epiphany came in September 1995 when The Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up was used to advertise Windows ‘95.  It became a friendly go-to typeface for community group posters, word processing, and the butt of all typographical jokes.

As well as its intended purpose, it appeared on shop signs - even for funeral directors’ units.  Also in serious correspondence.  Its notoriety was so great that some wags decided to ‘pay tribute’ to classic albums, by replacing the original typeface with Comic Sans.  There are several websites dedicated to the cause.  The NME has picked up on this phenomenon.

Never Mind The Typefaces…

The NME’s article from last month shows twelve classic albums with the Comic Sans treatment.  Though the effect isn’t too pervasive on The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine album, it is incongruous as hell on The Velvet Underground’s and Nico’s Andy Warhol album.  As for The Sex Pistols’ classic LP from 1977, oh dear.

...Here’s the Clip Art

Besides the NME’s article, the Clip Art Covers Tumblr blog goes a step further.  Popular posters and album covers are overhauled with clip art as well as the dreaded Comic Sans typeface.  If you thought the efforts on the NME’s pieces were bad, Clip Art Covers’ show how unspeakably bad they could be (with clipart and Comic Sans).

Try it yourself

Sorry, but we at Dreamkatcha couldn’t resist the Art Attack reference.  All you need to do is pick an album from your collection.  Then, open up your copy of Microsoft Word, use the Comic Sans typeface and plunder the clipart library of your hard drive (or server space if on Microsoft’s cloud hosted version of MS Office).  Once you’ve finished, print or share on social networking sites.