Color. It assaults our eye wherever we go. It evokes emotion within us, it makes us ask questions, and it draws us in. Color can strip us of our defenses and make us want something we previously decided we didn’t need. And here’s where it’s important to pay attention: Color can be ammunition for businesses, taking consumers prisoner and demanding that they pay attention to the services and products being offered. If businesses want to make sure they have to best weapons in their arsenal, they must pay attention to the current trends, the aesthetic components that consumers are craving. Sound a bit intimidating? Don’t worry! We have you covered with this on-trend color guide that will have consumers eating out of the palm of your hand.  

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What do you think of when you hear the word rebranding? Slapping a new logo on your website? Shifting a few words around in your company’s description? Or do you think of a complete overhaul? If rebranding is something you are considering for your business, here are four mistakes you need to avoid.

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“Never make your customer feel stupid.” 

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  We believe most of the time it happens unintentionally, but customer relationships sometimes take a wrong turn because of a poor tone of voice or ill-advised choice of words. At Oblique, we value our clients and continually work on building strong relationships. Why work with a branding and design agency, or any company, that makes you feel inferior? 

When you put it that way, it really seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? 

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Digital nomadism is such a hot trend right now and we at Oblique get why. Who doesn’t fantasize about traveling the world, experiencing different cultures and getting paid at the same time? Doesn’t the idea of working by the beach one day and cozying up in some remote cottage the next sound amazing? We certainly think so. But we have to ask ourselves,  “Could our Colorado branding agency pull it off?”

Photo credit: Lindsay Hickey @lindsay_hix

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Photo by rawpixel.com on Unsplash

At Oblique, we work with clients and partners of all kinds, many of whom have started their own companies. It made us wonder if we’re seeing a fundamental change in the workplace through the lens of advertising agency design work, so we decided to do some research. (more…)

As graphic designers and brand specialists, we’re always looking for inspiration that will strengthen our creative chops. Recently, we’ve been exchanging insights shared by Chip Kidd, power-house New York based book jacket designer and winner of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award. Here are a few reminders from a recent article and how we put them into effect across our own branding, interactive and packaging projects. (more…)

When talking minimalism, simpler does not mean easier. In fact, it is extremely challenging to create great interactive web design with all the functionality users need and few extra elements, which is what minimalism strives toward. The great Antoine De Saint-Exuprery put it perfectly when he said “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away,” and the team at Oblique’s web design firm couldn’t agree more. We want to guide you through the primary elements of minimalism and what to remember when it comes to color, typography and whitespace. To get you in the right mindset, here is an example of how Apple masters minimalism. (more…)

Packaging design might just be one of our most favorite areas of expertise here at Oblique. We wanted to share a few of our (not so secret) secrets on how we approach and execute package design. Everyone knows when it comes to packaging design, it must be eye catching and appealing. Food products need to make consumers salivate, beauty products should be desirable and healthcare products need to look trustworthy and safe. But there are other details that should to be taken into consideration when creating a new package, no matter what what category it falls under. Here at Oblique, we look past the obvious and into the details. (more…)

Think your site might need a facelift? Before you call your web design firm, first ask yourself what your current site is lacking, what is working and what isn’t. Some say that you must update your website every three to five years. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing, depending on your users and your company. A redesign could attract new customers and increase conversions, but it can also put off current customers that are comfortable and familiar with your site. Let’s be honest, most users hate change. (more…)

There has been a lot of talk inside the creative design team at Oblique about the idea of inspiration. Who and what inspires us? Why is inspiration important? Where do you find inspiration? (more…)