Tag: Brand + Design

Speak like a human, not a marketer

One of the reasons people don’t donate, shoppers don’t buy, ideas get ignored, and problems don’t get solved… is because when we engage our audience, we try to impress—rather than connect. We try to wow—instead of giving clarity. We talk like marketers, not people. When clarity...

Brand values

“To me, marketing is about values. This is a very complicated world, it’s a very noisy world. And we’re not going to get the chance to get people to remember much about us. No company is. So we have to be really clear on what we want them to know about us.” — Steve Jobs

What lies within us

Last week our team launched a lustrous, new Virtuous website. It was a tremendous labor of love. At times it was heavier on the labor and lighter on the love 🥴 …but I am incredibly delighted with the outcome of our efforts. I am beaming with pride and overflowing with gratitude...

Differentiation comes from clarity of why

“Companies that offer lots of options are often struggling to differentiate. Differentiation comes from clarity of why not excess of what.” —Simon Sinek

What is marketing?

“Marketing is the generous act of helping someone solve a problem. Their problem. Marketing helps others become who they seek to become.” – Seth Godin

Clarity is kindness

“To be clear, is to be kind” — Brené Brown

The Shaker Design Philosophy

“Don’t make something unless it is both necessary and useful; but if it is both necessary and useful, don’t hesitate to make it beautiful.” – The Shaker Design Philosophy

Simplicity + clarity = great design

“I strive for two things in design: simplicity and clarity. Great design is born of those two things.” —Lindon Leader

Good design is the outcome of good process

The reason good design delivers both a pleasing user experience and the desired outcomes has infinitely more to do with the designer’s process and strategic thinking than it does with any artistic sensibility. Your process is amongst the greatest values you provide to a project.

Conversations about budget

If a potential client is unwilling to answer the “budget” question, then you are starting from a point of distrust. This doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, but it is a red flag and an opportunity to course correct and build trust. “If I tell you my budget is $80k, then you’ll...

Donors, dollars, and communication

At Ascendio we do a lot of thinking around how technology can bridge the gap between the collecting and leveraging of data. In our world this typically deals with how organizations relate to donors (and potential donors) online. What is the most effective way to ask for information or a gift? Why would...

Expertise vs. low cost

Are you being hired based on expertise or cost? The answer to this question shapes how clients will relate to you. If their expectations are different than yours, then you will have an enormous chasm of understanding.

In graphic design, nothing is what it actually is

I like these thoughts by Andy Rutledge: In graphic design, nothing is what it actually is. Everything other than content is representative of something else. A line isn’t a line, it’s a boundary. Don’t need a boundary? Or is that boundary already clear by some other means? Don’t use a line. Same goes...

On confusing landing pages

When a site visitor is confused the easiest path of resolution is the back button.

Raise donors, not dollars

Today I want to briefly address partnership programs. In other words, donors who commit to support your organization on an ongoing basis. Growing relationships with donors isn’t completely different from how you’d cultivate a strong relationship with a friend. Honesty, transparency and accountability...