August 15th, 2010
I’m very proud to announce the unveiling of a website I created for Hypoetical Productions. The video production company wanted a website that had somewhat of an edgy look and feel, but also appear professional and would stand the test of time. The client also requested to have their videos be the main focus of the website, letting their work speak for itself.
The new design is clutter-free, simple, and easy to navigate. I used a dark background which lets the colorful videos stand out and really “pop”. The client was ecstatic with the new design and quickly launched it in place of their previous website.
August 7th, 2010
Those that know me know that I’m a sucker for letterpress. Which is why I recently had my own business cards letterpress printed. I just love the texture of the plushy soft cotton material and how the artwork is embedded into the paper, forming a three-dimensional effect. When you hold a letterpress printed piece in your hands, you know it’s something very special.
Here are some amazing examples of letterpress business cards.
And here are my new business cards. Ta-da!
Images courtesy of: Blush Publishing, Cinzia Bruschini, Studio on Fire, Mikey Burton, Papillon Letterpress, and Cranky Pressman
August 1st, 2010
These days, web designers are given many more choices when it comes to typefaces. No longer are we finding ourselves deciding between Arial and Verdana, or Times New Roman and Georgia. Services like Typekit allow us to choose from hundreds of fonts from some of the world’s best type foundries. With such services already available and many more on the horizon, web designers are faced with new responsibilities that come with choosing fonts for the web. Here are some tips for web designers when choosing fonts to use in their website designs.
Focus on Readability
Just because there are more available fonts does not mean that they are all suitable for websites. When selecting typefaces for body copy, aim for simplicity and readability. Arial is proven font for web use for many reasons. It is clean, crisp, and remains very readable at smaller sizes because of the high x-height. Stay away from fancy display fonts for body copy. They may have more personality, but after reading paragraphs upon paragraphs of text, the users’ eyes will become strained and tired.
Stick to 3 Typefaces or Less
A well-designed website should not use more than 3 different typefaces. Select a font that will be used for body copy throughout the website. Another font style may be applied to headers. The last font could be applied to other areas of the website such as navigational elements, quotes, sidebars, captions, etc. Using more than 3 typefaces will cause the website to look messy and confusing.
Capture the Message
This rule applies to typography in all applications and is equally important when designing for the web. When selecting a font to use on your website, you should first determine the message, type of website, and the target audience. For example, a corporate website would call for more “serious” and straightforward typefaces, while an online clothing boutique would use fancier script fonts or even playful, whimsical fonts. An easy way to determine the style and mood of the website is to ask your clients for some key words that would describe the personality of their business. Examples of great keywords would be: elegant, formal, regal, chic, spunky, modern, and relaxed.
July 23rd, 2010
This week is organization week at HA Design Studio. Managing my own design business means I’m constantly juggling a million different things. Between projects for clients, marketing my own business, invoices, proposals, and trying to have a life outside of work, I think it’s fair to say that it’s time to get organized!
I’ve heard of the project management tool, Basecamp a while back but I’ve put off the “daunting” task of organizing my projects up until this week. Now, I’m wondering why I haven’t done it sooner. Basecamp is an amazing tool for so many reasons.
Here are some of my favorite features:
- Basecamp allows you to create project calendars and share them with your clients. This is especially helpful when there are many people working on the same project. Clients will only be able to see the projects that you assign them to.
- You can upload documents associated with a certain project to share with others. This also comes in handy when you’re away from your computer. Just log on to Basecamp from another computer and download the documents.
- Lastly, you can get Basecamp on your iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. I’ve already downloaded the iPhone app!
Here’s what our projects look like on Basecamp.
June 25th, 2010
Welcome to the HA Design Studio blog! My name is Thuy Ha, the principal designer and owner of HA Design Studio. After years of sitting behind my desk and designing away, I decided to start a blog. This is the place where I would chronicle my daily thoughts & inspirations, provide updates about the studio, give tips & advice, and anything else that I find worth sharing.
I wanted to launch this first blog along with an exciting update to the website. We’ve added a case studies section that features stories about some of the projects that stood out for us. Check out this section to read about our clients’ initial challenges and how HA Design Studio worked with them to achieve incredible results.
Here’s a preview of the new case studies section.
