Branding Refresh: Hue & Tone's brighter, cleaner new look

As my small business grows, I have a better understanding of who we are and who we’re trying to reach. When I founded Hue & Tone, I went with muted, simple colors – but quickly found that this very basic palette was limiting.

Hue & Tone’s refreshed branding is cleaner, brighter, and better represents who we are and what we do – without being such an overhaul that we’ve become unrecognizable. A wider range of colors and textures, along with an expanded font palette, offer visual flexibility and do a better job of telling our story.

Check out the before and after here: 

Branding Refresh: Hue & Tone's brighter, cleaner new look -- Hue & Tone Creative

Branding Refresh: Hue & Tone's brighter, cleaner new look -- Hue & Tone Creative

How do you feel about your business's branding? Does it tell your story well, or is it time for a refresh?

What we've been working on...

You may have noticed that we haven't been around much on the blog lately. Our days have been filled to the brim -- packed with social media scheduling, logo design, video shoots, client meetings, and a few cups of coffee to keep it moving along. 

 It has been harried and busy and interesting and fun. On a serious note, I'm grateful for the opportunity to support organizations and individuals as they sort through the puzzle of explaining who they are to their audiences. It's my favorite kind of work and I'm glad I get to do it every day. 

Moving on, though, I wanted to share a little of what I've been working on since I last spent time in this space.

What we've been working on... -- Hue & Tone Creative

Downtown Greensboro banners

Front

Front

Back

Back

I've loved making a home in Greensboro, NC. It's one of those cities that's the perfect size -- big enough that there's plenty to do, small enough to know your neighbors -- and there are great things happening downtown. I partnered with the City of Greensboro to design these banners, which augment the city's placemaking efforts and establish the feel of downtown Greensboro for visitors and locals alike.

Action Greensboro print ad

This ad captures the spirit of Action Greensboro, which harnesses the energy of local business, education and government to strengthen the economy and ensure a great quality of life in Greensboro. This design needed to be clean and simple, while still capturing the verve and vibrancy of the work.

Social Media - Revolution Mill

I'm lucky to call Revolution Mill my home away from home (it's the location we chose for Hue & Tone's offices). Revolution Mill is a new live/work/play development in downtown Greensboro; the site has a rich history and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Social media for this client has to strike a balance; we need to highlight the great opportunities at Revolution Mill now (from studio, office, and event space to restaurant concepts and residential coming soon) while remaining grounded in the history of the space and sharing the story of preservation that's happening. 

I'd love to know -- what projects have you been working on lately? 

Calendar Download: July

We've been swamped, but it was great to take a quick break from all of our client work to create a fun freebie download! Check out what we came up with below. We love the neutral color scheme for the July mobile wallpaper -- just click to download.

What kind of freebies would you like to see? Let us know in the comments! 

Hannah PomphreyComment
A Beginner's Guide to Finding a Job: Tips for a Successful Job Search

Hi everyone! Kelly Roberts here -- aka Intern Kelly -- I am a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and am currently looking for my first "real" job. Through my internship at Hue & Tone I am learning tips and tricks for becoming a more competitive job applicant. Over the next few weeks I'll be updating you on my progress through the blog, so feel free to follow along! 


Job Searching -- Hue & Tone Creative

Now that you have your resume perfected and your personal brand established, it’s time to begin the job search! One of the most important things to remember is to be patient – there are so many steps between finding an appealing job and actually getting an offer.

·      Start with job sites like Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor and Simply Hired. These job engines are a great place to start your search – you can search by title and location to start to get a feel for what’s available in your area.

·      Branch out from job search sites. Know who the big players are in your industry or area? Head to their websites and check out the job openings there. Some companies don’t utilize tools like Indeed, or they may offer more information about a position on their own websites – don’t risk missing out on an opportunity!

·      Don’t confine yourself to just searching on the Internet. Ask friends and family to keep an ear out for you – you never know who they know that might be hiring. Plus, using a family connection may help you get an interview.

TIP: Keep a log/running list of businesses and positions that you are applying for so that if a recruiter calls you out of the blue, you can refer to your list to see which job they are referring to. Keep in mind that phone interviews can happen at any time and are usually the first step in the interview process—be prepared!

·      Keep your applications narrow. It is VERY easy to get carried away when applying for jobs, especially when sites like Indeed allow you to apply with a preloaded resume.  Don’t waste your time applying for jobs that are far outside of your range of experience or aren’t in a feasible location.

·      Use Glassdoor to get an idea of expected salary. Once you’ve found a few positions you’re interested in, use Glassdoor to get an idea of the typical salary for that position. You don’t want to waste your time applying for a job that is paying dramatically below market rate. Some applications even ask you for expected salary – if you’re required to give an answer, use Glassdoor to guide you.

·      Be realistic. As a recent graduate you’re most likely going to only qualify for entry-level positions. It might not be as glamorous as you imagined or pay what you want, but it’s the first step in your career and should be treated as a learning experience. If you’ve been searching for months, don’t miss out on a good opportunity because you’re holding out for the perfect job.

And remember -- whatever you do, don't get discouraged! 

A Beginner's Guide to Finding a Job (Part 2): Resumes

Hi everyone! Kelly Roberts here -- aka Intern Kelly -- I am a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and am currently looking for my first "real" job. Through my internship at Hue & Tone I am learning tips and tricks for becoming a more competitive job applicant. Over the next few weeks I'll be updating you on my progress through the blog, so feel free to follow along! 


No matter who you talk to — professors, classmates, or business professionals — everyone has a different opinion on the “correct” way to construct your resume.  One of the most important things to keep in mind is that your resume should be tailored to fit your industry.  Below are a few classic tips that you should ALWAYS keep in mind when writing and editing your resume.  Enjoy!  

Resume Tips & Tricks -- Hue & Tone Creative
A Beginner's Guide to Finding a Job (Part 1): Brand Yourself

Hi everyone! Kelly Roberts here -- aka Intern Kelly -- I am a recent graduate of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and am currently looking for my first "real" job. Through my internship at Hue & Tone I am learning tips and tricks for becoming a more competitive job applicant. Over the next few weeks I'll be updating you on my progress through the blog, so feel free to follow along! 

Intern Kelly -- Hue & Tone Creative
Finding a Job, Part One: Brand Yourself -- Hue & Tone Creative

1.   Reflect on who you are and what you have to offer.
This calls for self-reflection time. This can be very challenging, because there can be many different things that make you, you. It is important to establish the things that you enjoy, and are good at. Not just professionally, but personally as well. What are your best skills? Honesty is key, stay true to yourself – and when in doubt, ask those around you what stands out to them.  

2.   Build a personal website.
Build a site filled with blog entries, a record of your professional endeavors, and work samples. I cannot express the importance of this enough! Especially in the creative industry, it is important to have a portfolio of your work – and an Internet portfolio is the way to go. This gives potential employers the opportunity to get a feel for who you are before bringing you in for a face-to-face interview. It is one thing to tell potential employers about your successful work, but it is another to actually show them.

3.    Clean up your social media accounts.
Make sure you’re projecting a professional persona online. By changing your privacy settings on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook you can control who can view your posts, pictures, and thoughts. You want to make sure that the way you are presenting yourself on social media is a good reflection of you as a professional. Most importantly, don’t forget to keep your experience up to date on your LinkedIn.

4.   Understand the expectations of your industry.
Each professional industry has its own rules, which your personal brand should follow. Do plenty of research to find out who the major players in your industry are, how much color you should use on your resume, and what kind of salary you should expect. Don’t hesitate to reach out to a favorite professor as you explore your field – they’re there to help. As you build your brand, broadcast a physical appearance that balances your personal style and the expectations associated with the industry or career you plan to pursue.

5.   Use social media to market your new online brand.
Once you have established your brand, you own the right to flaunt it! Use social media to your advantage – post Facebook statuses and tweets letting your followers know that you are in the job market. Brag about your specialties and abilities, and pay the extra money to update your LinkedIn profile! 

6.   Network in-person.
Technology is awesome for making and keeping connections; however, it does not replace face-to-face time. Facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language are just a few of the things that make a huge difference in a conversation. Relationships typically grow stronger when you interact with someone in-person, it’s often easier to relate to them and it shows you're invested in getting to know them as well.

Stay tuned for next week's blog post on how to make your resume stand out from the crowd. Have a question in the meantime? Email me at kerober2@gmail.com

Branding (Part 3): Creating a consistent brand on social media

Note: Today’s installment of the branding series is a guest post from Meghan Frick

You probably don’t need to be told that social media’s a powerful tool for your business – whatever your business is. And social media is important for your business for the same reasons it’s such a force in your personal life – it’s a way to build real friendships and networks, based around pretty much anything.

At its core and at its best, social media is about relationships. You are in the best position to strengthen your business when you are building genuine relationships with potential clients, customers, and partners.

That’s easier to do when your social media accounts are tied together with a consistent visual and editorial brand. When you post and when you interact with other users, people should know – seamlessly, easily – who they’re interacting with. Here are a few easy ways to strengthen your social branding.

1. Brand your images

Watermarking the photos you post to social media is a simple way to include a visual reminder of your business and what it stands for in nearly every post. Here’s how we do this at my day job. There are a ton of different options for branding your photos, but we accomplished this effect by converting our logo into a Photoshop brush preset.

Tip: Unless you’re a photography business – meaning your images are the product you sell – don’t make your watermark so obtrusive that it would deter other users from sharing your images. In most industries, you want people sharing your images on social! The brand is more of a visual cue than a banner proclaiming “this is mine!” 

2. Take advantage of valuable real estate

Any social media account you create comes with some built-in real estate that allows you to communicate your visual brand. Think cover photos, profile images, “about” sections, etc. Don’t let these go to waste. For your cover images, create collages or sharp, appealing graphics. Use sections like your Twitter bio to point to other content, like your most recent blog post or your business’s other social-media accounts. Never leave a profile picture or a bio blank – be strategic in your use of these “built-in” sections.

3. Pay careful attention to consistency of quality

Put another way: if you’re going to put it out there, make it good. Shoot and select sharp photos. Carefully proof your writing – and, if you’re prone to mistakes, let someone else comb through it too. Develop a consistent editorial style (for example, refer to yourself and your business in the same way; no fluctuating between I and we). Develop a reasonable consistency of written tone – many accounts do well with a decidedly untraditional tone, but you don’t want to switch between that and super-seriousness.

I’ll end with a warning, though.

I approach social media – even for business purposes – with an attitude of “inspiration, not rules.” If I’m tweeting live and don’t have time to brand a photo, I post the photo anyway. If a slightly blurry image reflects an exceptional moment, I sharpen it up as much as I can in Photoshop…and then I post it anyway. You don’t want to seem canned, and you don’t want your branding efforts to detract from real communication and opportunities to share what you and your organization are all about.

How do you brand your social media accounts? How has social media been valuable to you as a professional? Let us know in the comments!

Meghan Frick is a communications and social media specialist for the Georgia Department of Education by day, and a blogger and freelancer by night. Connect with her on Twitter, Instagram, or her blog.

Calendar Download: June

We can't believe it's almost June! Celebrate by downloading our new mobile wallpaper -- it's convenient and cute! Plus, there's two designs to pick from. 

The best news? We'll be releasing a new design every month! 

Just click to download! 

Freebie: "You got this" Wallpaper

Spend a little time with me and I'm sure you'll hear me use the phrase "You got this!" at least once. And who doesn't want a fun little reminder that you have everything under control? 

Click the image to download the "You got this" wallpaper! 

Check out the mobile version HERE!

Want to see one of your favorite phrases on our upcoming Freebie downloads? Shoot us an email at hannah@hueandtonecreative.com to send us your suggestion!

A Few Favorite Projects

Things are moving quickly here at Hue & Tone, and I’ll have updates on a few new projects to share soon! For now, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite projects from the past. 

Elgie – Jewelry + Design
Laura, the owner of an accessories-based boutique startup, came to me wanting branding (web and print) that matched her stylish, edgy aesthetic.  The project gave me a chance to wade into a little bit of everything, from an Etsy-integrated website to print collateral. We wove all of that together with a colorful, geometric design that was cohesive, appealing, and fun.

Branding + Resumes 
I LOVE creating resumes and other personal branding materials for clients. It’s an opportunity to get to know someone and figure out how to communicate their strengths; plus, every industry is different so the design options vary. I’ve done bright, punchy colors for an actress; neat, modular blocks for a PR rep, clean and simple for an architect, and a little of everything else, too. 

Living to Grow, Growing to Live 
Creating this ten-minute documentary on sustainability and 21st-century marketing was the best opportunity. It gave me the chance to edit, assign, build a story and really summarize a complicated issue in a fast-paced, visually appealing way. I love projects that allow me use my skills in communication to create a compelling message. 

Do you need help telling a visually grabbing story? Want to fall in love with your own personal brand? Let’s talk! hannah@hueandtonecreative.com

Branding (Part 2): Elements of a cohesive brand
Branding (Part 2): Elements of a cohesive brand -- Hue & Tone Creative

Once you have your business plan in place it’s time to start thinking about how you’re going to brand your business. Branding means so much more then just having a cute logo and matching graphics – in addition to being visually appealing, it should be informed by your target demographic, and be uniquely tailored to your services.

Branding (Part 2): Elements of a cohesive brand -- Hue & Tone Creative

Visual Branding:
Investing in professional, cohesive branding is important. Savvy consumers and clients will be quick to judge, and depending on your niche, might be immediately turned off by sloppy graphics.

Potential clients often come to me after their business is established; ready to invest in branding and finally get the look they’ve always wanted. But more often then not, they’ve already invested significant money in outdoor signage or print materials. It ends up costing them more in the long run to re-brand their business, than if they had made an investment up front.

When just starting out investing in a logo and a cohesive color and font palette should be top priority. Don’t underestimate your customers – they can spot a VistaPrint template from a mile away. 

Don’t forget about social media while you’re developing your visual brand. Consider asking your designer to put together at least one set of custom cover photos together for all the social media platforms you plan to utilize. Having a few options to use in rotation will be worth the investment and will save you countless hours of trying to resize the artwork you have to fit each platform.

Focus/Niche:
Branding your business is not an arbitrary process – all of your client-facing communication (both visual and written) should have a consistent feel based on your target audience or ideal client.

Don’t have a business plan that clearly identifies your goal audience? Think about who you want to walk through the front of your store or follow you on Facebook. What about your services or products will draw people to your store?

You can either narrow down a general group – like women 18-35 who have an interest in handmade goods and are looking for personalized products – or you can create a single, ideal persona to appeal to. Some businesses create a single idea client to tailor their message to – for example, “Catherine” is a 23-year-old single mother who has an obsession with handmade wallets.

Whatever way you choose to go about defining an ideal client, keep them in mind at all times when giving your elevator pitch, talking to your designer and establishing your social media profiles.

Tone/Style:
Often overlooked, written communication is as important as visuals when it comes to strong branding. Think about your company’s values and how you want customers to view you. Keep your message focused and communicate brand values whenever possible.

Decide whether you want to be seen as a relatable friend or a voice of authority. How colloquial or casual do you want to be? Do you want to address your customers as “that dude” or “a valued customer?”

Like with your visual branding, cohesion is key – writing content for social media should be assigned to only one or two people to help ensure a cohesive tone of voice. 

Not sure how your branding stacks up to the competition? Shoot an email to Hannah@hueandtonecreative.com and let us do an audit of your branding!

Branding (Part 1): 5 Questions to Help You Name Your Business
Branding1Graphic-01.jpg

Of all the elements of branding your business, selecting a name may be one of the strangest, most challenging parts.

In my first round of owning a creative business, I was just “Hannah Pomphrey Graphic Design.” It became pretty clear to me by the second time around that I wanted a distinct name for my business…but I wasn’t sure yet what that name was going to be.

As you know, I eventually settled on Hue & Tone Creative – which I LOVE – but it took a while to get there. If you’re lucky, your first idea will be a totally original one, and no existing businesses will have a similar name. That’s not quite how it happened over here, though.

If you’re starting the process of narrowing down a name, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself to help streamline the process.

 

1: Should I use my name?

Whether or not you want to use your own name for your business is one of the first things to consider. Often businesses start organically and individuals naturally fall in to using their given name. If you’ve already built your business using your own name, and have significant recognition in your community, chances are you should keep it that way.

Not liking your name, having a super generic name or having a name that’s a little tricky to spell are considerations if you’re starting a brand-new business, but they’re iffy justifications for changing the name of an already-thriving operation.

Tip: Not sure about your name? How about your initials?

If you’re starting from square one and aren’t sure which route to go, think about where you want to position yourself in your market. If you’re running a web based business and your name’s Anna Smith, you’re making it hard for potential clients to find you. If you’re aiming to reach local clients only, this might not be a problem.

Take into account whether you plan to remain a one-person operation long-term. If you’re looking to grow your business quickly or might acquire a partner, you may want to go ahead and incorporate and build your business under a less personal name.

Tip: If you’re in a small town market and want to keep business local, a corporate-sounding name risks making clients think you’re going to be charging corporate rates.

 

2: What are my services?

Make sure your business name reflects the services you’re offering to customers. It sounds obvious, but you’ve only got a few words to communicate to clients what you do and it won’t serve you to mislead them.

Make a list of your services and see what fits best. Should you be New Name Creative, New Name Social, New Name Marketing, or New Name Studio?

For example, if you’re really looking to work primarily with social media clients, you’re going to confuse people by using the word “Creative” in your business name. Likewise, if you’re a broader creative business you shouldn’t be “New Name Social.” Some words might be catchier or trendier, but if they don’t reflect what you do, you’re going to miss out on potential clients.

If you’re not sure what fits best, go back to the drawing board and figure out who your ideal client is before naming your business. You can’t appeal to everyone – so don’t try. Tailor your branding to the clients you hope to attract.

 

3: What are some things people might associate with me or my business?

Is there something you’re known for? Do you always wear pink; do you have a well known nickname? Are you obsessed with a certain animal?

Make a list of words people may associate with you, interests and hobbies. Star the ones that would be most relevant to your business’s services and see what you can do with that!

Exhausted those ideas? Move on to making a list of qualities you’d like people to associate with your business or a list of industry terms.

Tip: Try to keep your name around or under 13 characters. 

 

4: Is this name taken?

Once you have a list of potential names, use GoDaddy to see if a similar domain is available. Then, conduct a Google search to see if anyone else has the same name. Next, make sure there is something that works available on all the major social media networks. People need to be able to find you as easily as possible – and consistency is key.

Things like being consistent with the editorial aspects – for instance, whether you use a numeral “4” or spell out the word “four” – will only increase your brand cohesion. The shorter the better – we opted for “@hueandtone” on our social media, even though our website also has the word creative (www.hueandtonecreative.com). 

Tip: Ask yourself -- is this name clear, concise, compelling and consistent? 

I was originally obsessed with the idea of “Top Knot Creative,” but someone had recently purchased the domain and claimed the Facebook page. Instead of getting stuck on trying to make one thing work (I then got fixated on Top Knot Studio) keep looking around and trying new names.

Can’t seem to find anything that’s available? Don’t get discouraged. Keep trying different combinations until you find something that works. You’ll get there!

 

5: What do other people think?

When you finally think you have a winner, conduct a quick focus group with your friends and family and see what they think. I’d originally decided on “Mood Creative” – I even had the domain in my GoDaddy Cart – when all my friends told me it made them think of tie-dye and drugs. After hearing this from four different people, I realized I should probably move on.

If your friends and family who love you don’t like your new name, imagine how hard it’s going to be to get complete strangers on board. 


After making my way through these steps (some more than once), we are now Hue & Tone Creative – and I couldn’t be happier with the name.

If you already own a creative business, how did you come up with its name? If you’re making business plans for the future, what other branding info would be helpful to you?

Project Highlight: Rise & Shine One Page

We just completed the design of this evergreen one page for Rise & Shine, an afterschool program committed to promoting racial justice and equality. This was an especially fun project for us, because we love working with small non-profits to find creative, cost effective solutions. Our goal here was to create a print piece that would be timeless and appeal to a wide variety of audiences. 

Click the image to get a closer look! 

Freebie: Mother's Day Card

Want to avoid having to stop by the store? Cutting it a little close on purchasing a Mother's Day card? Print this one out instead!

Click the preview to download a two-sided card! 

(Formatted for regular paper and specifically designed to not use all your ink!)

10 Things I’ve Learned in My First Few Weeks of Owning Hue & Tone
10 Things I've Learned in My First Few Weeks of Full Time Business

As of May 6, I’m five weeks into owning and operating Hue & Tone full-time! We’ve moved into our new office, I’ve traded in my business casual for skinny jeans, I’ve sent what feels like 8,000 emails…and along the way, I’ve learned SO much. Here are a few takeaways from five weeks of full-time business ownership.

1. Having a dedicated workspace makes productivity 10x easier. I went with full-on office space, but a well-styled corner in your apartment can produce the same effect!

10 Things I’ve Learned in My First Few Weeks of Owning Hue & Tone -- Hue & Tone Creative

2. Making friends makes a difference. Set up lunches. Step out for coffee. If you’re in a new workspace, introduce yourself to your neighbors. Connections will bolster your business, but they’ll also enrich your life.

3. Give yourself twice the time you THINK you need to assemble your IKEA office furniture. It’s so cheap. It’s so stylish. But easy to put together, it’s not.

4. Allow yourself plenty of second chances. A new business comes with new tasks – some of them familiar, some of them brand-new. When your first try is a no-go, allow yourself another…and another.

5. Always plan for more paperwork than you expect. Especially if you’re planning to have a physical storefront…making that happen = paperwork for days.

6. Have patience with yourself as you develop a space. You will need a million things you weren’t thinking of (power strips and paperclips, anyone?) and, if you’re like me, you’ll be making coffee on the floor for the first few months. Be patient! You’ll make it all happen – you just need time.

7. Clients need to know that you’re willing to develop a relationship with them. This is something I already knew from my freelancing days, but it’s been reinforced the last few weeks. Sometimes it’s all about being available for a phone call or a last-minute email.

8. Every market is different. As in – very, very different. If you’re starting over in a whole new place, like we are, give yourself time to get to adjust to new realities in pricing, competition, etc.

9.  Working “from home” or even “from your office” never means just that. You’re going to be working from all over the place! I realized that at the bank. And Office Depot. And Harris Teeter.

10. You have to celebrate the little victories. Like your first new client, a new Facebook fan, or a beautifully lit photo. Or, you could celebrate buying a place to keep your coffee maker. I’m sure I will…once I get around to it.

Want to learn more about my journey to Hue & Tone? There's a blog post for that. And follow along with me on Facebook and Twitter as I continue to chase my small business dream.

Meet Intern Kelly

Name:  Kelly Roberts

Job: Marketing Intern at Hue & Tone + graduating senior at UNCG

Major:  Communication Studies

Minor: English

Hobbies/activities/Interests:  I just finished my last season on UNCG’s dance team, and have been dancing since I was a little girl.  That has always and will always be a passion of mine.  I also love exercising, being outdoors, and vacationing with family and friends. 

What’s your dream job?
Although my idea of a “dream job” changes almost every week, I do know that I want to do something that will both challenge me and allow me to interact with others on a daily basis.

Why did you want to intern at Hue & Tone?
The fact that it is a new business really excited me, I wanted to be a part of the process of a new business starting up, growing and developing. I also knew that it would be a great opportunity to work with and learn!

What project in Hue & Tone’s portfolio stood out to you most?
The video project about Appalachian's response to 9/11 stood out the most to me. The video was put together so well, and I really liked the message that it sent out. Often times during tragedies, people think that small gestures don’t make a difference, but this video shows that they actually do.    

What are you most excited to learn/work on? 
I am really excited to do blogging for Hue & Tone. I also am excited to learn more about designing and structuring web pages for clients. 

Ways to Develop Your Portfolio as a College Student
Ways to Develop Your Portfolio as a College Student -- Hue & Tone

If you’re a creative in college, you probably have your eye on what comes next. You may choose to start a business, like I did. Maybe you’ll try your hand at a corporate job. Either way, you’ll need a strong portfolio to get there. Read on for a few ways to make that happen.

1. Join your campus newspaper. Or magazine. Or anything.

I can’t even lie about it…I lived at my college newspaper. And my high school newspaper. Because of that, I had the opportunity to shoot and edit video, design print pages, start a blog, be the boss, draw a paycheck, write editorials, make infographics…basically, a little of everything. That’s the biggest plus of working for a college organization. There’s nothing you can’t try.

2. Offer pro-bono services

What are you passionate about? What keeps you awake at night? Whatever it is, there’s a nonprofit (or 20) serving the cause. Reach out and offer your services -- yes, for free. You’re giving back and honing your skills at the same time!

3. Do internships. Do a ton of internships.

I spent my college years trying my hand at any internship that sounded appealing, from a small design firm to a daily newspaper to a nonprofit solely focused on building a solar house. And I couldn’t recommend that strategy more. You may be noticing a theme here, and that’s – try a little of everything. You’ll diversify your portfolio, and you’ll know what you really love doing.

4. Team up with your friends

When your best friend’s hosting an event and needs a flyer designed, say yes! In return, she can teach you how to shoot a photo, or compose a perfect Tweet, or whatever she does best. Building relationships with other smart, creative people, working together and sharing skills, is a great way to build your body of work and learn new skills.

Looking to gather your work together in a portfolio site, or develop your personal branding materials? Let’s talk! hannah@hueandtonecreative.com.

What I'm Working On: April Roundup

PROJECT I JUST WRAPPED UP

This UU Chapter was looking for something that would incorporate imagery from the national Unitarian Universalist Association (the flame) with imagery that would represent the local branch (mountains). Rich colors and varied typography enhance this new logo.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON NOW

R&S_hue&tone.jpg

A one-page handout for Rise & Shine, an afterschool program committed to promoting racial justice and equality. We’re in the planning stages of creating this evergreen piece that will be used to promote Rise & Shine to potential volunteers and participants. 

JennyAustinPreview-01.jpg

A new website for Los Angeles based actress Jenny Austin. We’ve worked with Jenny in the past to develop her personal branding and a new resume – now we’re excited to collaborate on a new personal site to show off her talent.