NorthPoint Blog

    • Home
    • Main Website
    • Hot Box
    • Hot Items
    • Pixels To Print
    • All Posts

    Design projects yield a bunch of creative ideas, some good and some not-so good. Ultimately, only one option gets the final approval and you’re left with all these left over ideas and designs. These eventually get laid to rest in the design graveyard – some to never see the light of day again. However, there are instances where you can to bring your designs, or at least some elements, back to life.

    Why Design Graveyards are important:

    1. You learning new skills from exploring different options.
    2. You learn from mistakes either conceptually or with the design.
    3. You can always re-use elements you’ve created elsewhere.
    4. These designs and ideas could act as ready-made design somewhere else!

    So keep your design graveyard cataloged so you can go back and dig up items you may need in the future.

    Here are some past projects at NorthPoint where designs and ideas changed a lot compared to the approved design.

    1. Swag Hoodie

    2. Water Bottle Design from the Game of Thrones Hot Box

    3. Box Design from the Shark Week Hot Box

    4. Bottle Opener Design

    5. NorthPoint Logo

    Continue Reading
    Forest Green

    Price Point: Different for each item

    Available Colors: 
    Forest Green

    Perfect For: Employee Appreciation Gifts / Client Appreciation Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Holiday Giveaways / Executive Gifts / New Hire Giveaways / Tradeshow Giveaways 

    Stop what you're doing...take a look around...and check out all of the different colors that you're surrounded by! Color is present everywhere in our everyday lives, playing a vital role in the world in which we live, yet we RARELY take the time to sit and watch the sunset. With color playing such a prominent role in our lives, we thought we'd let you know about one color that's stood out from the rest this season. Forest Green is the newest on-trend color for this fall/winter. From products like notebooks, pens, and padfolios,  to backpacks, hats, and sweatshirts are all GOING FOREST GREEN. So whether you want to show your support for the going green initiative, or you just want to stay on-trend for your latest event, just ask NorthPoint to help point you in the right direction for the hottest products this season in the trendiest color! 
    Continue Reading
    There are two types of designers – those who name their layers and those that don’t. We’ve all been there, opening an old project file and looking at the layers panel and thinking, “What did I do?!” You scroll through all the layers and groups trying to find this one element you, in the moment, thought was a good idea to lock but now need to locate to unlock. All of this frustration could have been avoided if you named and organized your layers. For those resistant to change, here are two main reasons to adding this to your process:

    Organization:
    Number one, you can find elements quicker. The amount of time it takes to name and organize layers is much less than the time wasted looking through your layers for something you can’t find.

    Thinking of others:
    Number two, be considerate with naming and organizing in case your file is opened up by another designer. Instead of having them hunt through an organized-mess you may understand, create a fool-proof naming and grouping scheme to help explain where to find elements even when you’re not present. 

    Now you’re saying, “Yes, I’ve seen the light! How can I change?” Here are some tips to help you get started.



    Change the layer name. Whether using Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign or other design programs with a layers panel, simply double click the layer name to change it!

    You can also organize by color. Change the layer color within the layer dialog’s options.

    Name your grouped assets. It’s helpful to group an asset’s different lines, shapes, images, or text boxes together to make them easier to move without leaving something behind. You can also name these groups or even their individual elements to help identify important ones.

    Utilize NorthPoint's design services on your next project!

    Continue Reading
    Apple, Beats, Amazon

    Price Point: Different for each item

    Available Colors: 
    Different for each item

    Perfect For: Employee Appreciation Gifts / Client Appreciation Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Holiday Giveaways / Executive Gifts

    "Alexa, place another order with NorthPoint for the hottest swag of the century!" Did you know that NorthPoint not only has the best promotional products, but that we can actually put your logo on products with brand names like Beats, Amazon, and Apple? This includes items like the Beats Pill, Echo Dot, and Apple Air Pods 2nd generation (absolutely outrageous)! With the holidays slowly but surely beginning to creep up on us, make sure you've got amazing gifts for everyone in the office! Kellie and Ali in marketing, they're getting new Apple Air Pods! Adam in sales, he's getting a brand new Beats Pill speaker! And let's not forget Carrie in HR, she's getting an Echo Dot! Give the gift of brand name products with your brilliant logo to help you stand out from the crowd this holiday season!! 
    Continue Reading

    In recent years, hand-written fonts have started to become popular within the design community. This may be due to the need for contrast with the use of the clean and simple design language we’ve seen in our daily lives in recent years. Pairing a clean sans-serif font with a hand-written font adds a sense of humanity to a design, and the organic strokes are popular with green and natural branding.

    With so many options infiltrating the typeface market, how does one choose the right option for them? Enter MyFonts. This typeface resource has a plethora of different hand-written looks. Here are some of my favorites that touch on different styles for any occasion. Consider pairing a hand-written font on your next campaign!

    Stormy Youth


    Authentica


    Kokomo Breeze


    Brush Up


    Lumios Marker


    Pinto


    Inspecture


    Hero



    Brushtones



    Daft Brush


    Continue Reading
    The Carry On Cocktail Kit

    Price Point: $24.00 - $36.11

    Available Flavors: 
    Gin and Tonic, Moscow Mule, Bloody Mary, Old Fashion

    Perfect For: Employee Appreciation Gifts / Client Appreciation Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Travel Gifts / Holiday Giveaways

    "Buddy the Elf what's your favorite cocktail?" Honestly, we know that's not quite how the quote goes, but it's close enough right!!? Anyways, we've found your newest travel companion for the holidays and no it's not a piece of luggage or your mother-in-law. This is the Carry On Cocktail Kit! You have a choice of either a beautiful Bloody Mary, a generous Gin and Tonic, a magical Moscow Mule, or an outstanding Old Fashion. Each kit includes the tools to craft your special treat, a recipe card to help you create the magic, a travel sized bar spoon for mixing, and a linen coaster to really bring the class! All you need to bring is the hard stuff and VIOLA you are now a bartender and a lot less stressed. Let people know who the life of the party is by adding your logo to the tin and give the gift of relaxation this holiday season! 

    Continue Reading
    Typography can take years to master with countless hours of practice and a skillful eye. Why not make it fun by utilizing online exercises (games) to help? Here are some websites that offer exercises for different areas of typography to test your knowledge!


    Kerntype
    Kerning is the process of adjusting spacing between letters in a word. Sometimes this spacing can be too much or not enough and requires the need for manual kerning for each letter. Think you have what it takes to be the Master Kerner?

    Type Connection
    This typographic match-making game can help you learn how to effectively pair fonts together. Plus you will learn more about the history behind the typeface and much more!

    Typewar
    Have you seen or worked with fonts over and over again that you can practically identify them by the letter? Then this test if for you! 

    Shape Type
    This exercise focuses on font design itself. Fix missing areas of these letters to gain an eye for smooth curves and appropriate line weights. 

    Shoot the Serif
    Quickly distinguish serif and sans-serif letters as you race against the clock!
    Continue Reading
    Roots73 Apparel

    Price Point: Varies By Item

    Available Colors: 
    Varies By Item

    Perfect For: Employee Appreciation Gifts / Client Appreciation Gifts / Corporate Swag Stores / Tradeshow Apparel / Internal Apparel / Holiday Gifts

    It's officially time to put away those beach chairs and bathing suits because the holiday season is slowly creeping up on us and with that brings the dreaded New England weather. One way to beat the cold this winter is by bundling up in our brand new Roots73 apparel! With apparel inspired by the rugged beauty of Algonquin Park, Roots73 pieces can be dressed up or down to allow you to give the gift of corporate comfort this season. We've also got a wide range of styles and accessories, so there's sure to be something that everyone will love!
    Continue Reading

    Throwing a lot of data at someone all at once is overwhelming, so that’s where Infographics can make it less painful. Data visualization through graphs and charts has been around for a long time, but going beyond the basic by using design is what makes infographics so popular. When you fuse imagery with information, people are eager to learn! Between textbooks, business reports, and all over the web, infographics are a great tool for sharing information.

    Click the images below to view the full infographic.

    1. The ABC of Design
    via DesignMantic

    2. Staying Happy & Healthy at Work
    via UltimateMats

    3. The Chart of Controllers
    via Pop Chart

    4. How to Make Apple Pie
    via Fine Dining Lovers

    5. Social Sites Explained
    via AddThis

    6. Impact of Music on Workplace Productivity
    via WebFX

    7. Inception Timeline
    via Behance

    8. How to Focus at Work
    via Onward

    9. Live Wind Map
    via Hint.fm

    10. Culture Creators
    via Dowitcher Designs


    Want to visualize your data with an infographic? Reach out to NorthPoint and utilize our design team!
    Continue Reading
    Newer
    Stories
    Older
    Stories

    Categories

    • Hot Box (10)
    • Hot Item Of The Week (156)
    • Pixels To Print (100)

    Search the Blog

    Blog Archive

    • September 2022 (1)
    • July 2022 (1)
    • May 2022 (1)
    • April 2022 (3)
    • March 2022 (2)
    • February 2022 (2)
    • January 2022 (4)
    • December 2021 (3)
    • November 2021 (2)
    • October 2021 (2)
    • September 2021 (3)
    • August 2021 (4)
    • July 2021 (3)
    • June 2021 (4)
    • May 2021 (4)
    • April 2021 (5)
    • March 2021 (4)
    • February 2021 (4)
    • January 2021 (4)
    • December 2020 (5)
    • November 2020 (5)
    • October 2020 (5)
    • September 2020 (8)
    • August 2020 (9)
    • July 2020 (1)
    • May 2020 (2)
    • April 2020 (3)
    • March 2020 (9)
    • February 2020 (8)
    • January 2020 (9)
    • December 2019 (7)
    • November 2019 (8)
    • October 2019 (9)
    • September 2019 (9)
    • August 2019 (9)
    • July 2019 (9)
    • June 2019 (8)
    • May 2019 (9)
    • April 2019 (10)
    • March 2019 (8)
    • February 2019 (9)
    • January 2019 (8)
    • December 2018 (4)
    • November 2018 (4)
    • October 2018 (5)
    • September 2018 (4)
    • August 2018 (4)
    • July 2018 (4)
    • June 2018 (4)
    • May 2018 (5)
    • April 2018 (4)
    • March 2018 (5)
    • February 2018 (5)
    • January 2018 (2)
    • December 2017 (1)
    • July 2017 (1)
    • June 2017 (1)
    • May 2017 (1)
    • April 2017 (1)
    • March 2017 (1)
    • February 2017 (1)
    • January 2017 (1)
    • October 2016 (1)

    Created with by BeautyTemplates and Infinyteam

    Back to top