# Big Max's Studio

> Divi 5 Expert | WordPress Website Design

> Admin Email: patti@bigmaxsstudio.com


## Posts

### Divi 5 and the Case of the Duplicate Product Descriptions

When the WooCommerce modules for Divi 5 were finally released, I couldn’t wait to test them out. I upgraded one of my websites immediately, excited to see what this long-awaited version could do. The first time I opened a product page, it looked just like the WooCommerce default layout, nothing like the custom design I had created. Then I noticed something even stranger: each product description was showing up twice.



At first, I figured it was something simple, maybe a caching hiccup or a shortcode issue. I ran through my usual checklist: cleared the cache, checked the Theme Builder, re-saved permalinks, but nothing fixed it.



So, I opened a chat with Elegant Themes’ AI assistant, Finn.



Finn was polite, cheerful, and confident. We spent about 45 minutes together while he walked me through an array of “try this” steps. We deactivated plugins, re-enabled modules, and adjusted builder settings. None of it worked. At one point, Finn told me that with Divi 5, I could no longer design unique layouts for individual product categories; everything supposedly had to live under the “All Products” tab. That didn’t sound right, but I played along.



Eventually, Finn admitted defeat and passed my ticket to a human.



The first support rep told me everything looked fine on their end. The second said the problem was related to a setting under Theme Options → Builder → Product Content, and that it needed to be set to “Build from Scratch.” Mine already was. Every time I tried to change it back to “Default,” it would immediately revert to “Build from Scratch.”



The third support person replied, saying, “We’ve already explained the fix.” (Spoiler: they hadn’t.)



At that point, I knew it was time to start sleuthing on my own.



This particular site was built before Divi 4 introduced the Theme Builder, back when each product page was created manually using Divi’s wireframe view. Once the original wireframe layout was designed, I duplicated that page each time I added a new product, and by the time Divi 5 came along, I had 92 product pages built this way.



When Divi 4 was released, the Theme Builder automatically overrode those old layouts, so I never thought twice about the underlying wireframes. Apparently, Divi 5 doesn’t do that.



By pure accident, I opened one of the affected product pages in the default editor and saw that the old wireframe layout was still there. That was my lightbulb moment. Divi 5 wasn’t overriding the embedded wireframe; it was displaying both the wireframe and the Theme Builder layout at the same time.



Once I deleted the old wireframe from each product page, the duplicate descriptions disappeared, and everything worked perfectly.



What’s funny is that, in the middle of all this, I upgraded another WooCommerce site to Divi 5, and that one had zero problems. It didn’t dawn on me at the time, but that site’s product layouts were created entirely in the Theme Builder, with no old wireframes lurking beneath the surface. That was the key difference.



In hindsight, it makes sense. Divi 5 has a completely rebuilt architecture designed for speed and efficiency. But that also means it handles older structures differently. Any content you manually built before the Theme Builder existed may still be hiding behind the scenes, ready to cause confusion after you upgrade.



So if you’re upgrading to Divi 5 and your product descriptions (or any content) suddenly start repeating, check for leftover wireframes. Delete them, and your pages will go back to normal.



It’s a small fix that took me hours to find, but hopefully sharing it saves someone else the trouble.



Because while I can forgive Finn the AI for missing it, I expected at least one of the humans to connect the dots.



Despite the rocky start, I’m really enjoying Divi 5. It’s faster, cleaner, and much easier to work with — and once you understand how it thinks, it’s a fantastic upgrade.

### Why Your Business Needs an AI + Media Profile

When you think about your business, what comes to mind first? Your products? Your services? Maybe your website or your social media feed? All of those matter, of course, but they’re only pieces of the bigger picture. What really sets a strong brand apart is consistency: how your story, visuals, and messaging all connect across every channel.



That’s where the AI + Media Profile comes in.



In today’s fast-paced, content-driven world, your brand needs a clear and consistent identity. With the rise of AI tools and media automation, small businesses and entrepreneurs have an opportunity like never before to amplify their voice, if they have the right foundation in place. An AI + Media Profile gives you that foundation.



What Is an AI + Media Profile?



Think of it as your brand’s blueprint for both people and machines. It’s not just a logo file or a color palette (though those are included), it’s a living, breathing guide to how your business should look, sound, and show up in the world.




Visual Identity – logos, colors, fonts, imagery style



Messaging Framework – your brand story, tagline, tone of voice, keywords



AI Integration – how your brand is “understood” by tools like ChatGPT, Canva, and other platforms you might use for content creation



Media Alignment – ensuring your website, social channels, and marketing materials all pull from the same playbook




It’s the difference between posting “whatever works today” versus creating a cohesive, memorable brand that builds recognition and trust.



Why It Matters More Now Than Ever




AI Isn’t the Future; It’s Here.Whether you use Canva, ChatGPT, or automated scheduling platforms, AI tools are shaping the way businesses create content. But here’s the truth: AI only works as well as the inputs it’s given. If you haven’t defined your brand clearly, the content it generates will feel generic. A profile ensures AI outputs sound like you.



Consistency Builds Trust.Imagine meeting someone who introduces themselves differently every time. You’d have a hard time trusting them. The same goes for brands. Customers want to know what to expect. When your visuals and voice are aligned, your audience instantly recognizes you, whether they’re opening an email, scrolling Instagram, or visiting your website.



Saves Time (and Stress).If you’ve ever sat down to write a post or design a graphic and thought, “Where do I even start?”, you know how draining inconsistency can be. With an AI + Media Profile, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It’s a ready-to-go resource that makes content creation faster, easier, and more effective.



Prepares You for Growth.Whether you’re ready to hire help, collaborate with partners, or outsource projects, your profile acts as the handbook for anyone working with your brand. It prevents missteps, saves money, and keeps your business identity intact as you grow.




The Big Max’s Studio Approach



At Big Max’s Studio, I don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Your AI + Media Profile is customized for your business, your industry, and your goals. We’ll dig into:




Who you serve (your target audience)



What makes you different (your differentiators)



How you want to sound (your tone and voice)



What platforms matter most to you (so your visuals are optimized where they’ll be used)




By the end, you’ll walk away with a polished profile that you can hand to any AI tool, designer, writer, or assistant, and know they’ll create content that feels exactly like your brand.



The Bottom Line



Your AI + Media Profile isn’t just another “branding document.” It’s the bridge between your ideas and how they show up in the world. It’s your safeguard against generic content, inconsistent messaging, and wasted effort. Most importantly, it’s your key to showing up with clarity and confidence, whether you’re DIY-ing your marketing or working with a team.



So, ask yourself: Do my customers instantly recognize me across all platforms? Do my tools know how to represent me?



If the answer isn’t a confident yes, it’s time to create your AI + Media Profile.



At Big Max’s Studio, I’ll help you pull everything together into a profile that’s authentic, professional, and ready for both people and AI to understand. Because when your brand is consistent, it’s not just easier for you—it’s unforgettable for your audience.

### The #1 Branding Mistake I See (And How to Avoid It)

Branding is more than just a logo — it’s how your business shows up in the world. But after years of working with small business owners, I’ve noticed one mistake that pops up again and again: inconsistency.







The Problem: Inconsistent branding sends mixed signals.




Why it makes you forgettable



Examples (logo variations, changing fonts, off-brand colors)





Why It Happens:

DIY design without a style guide



Mixing Canva templates with no plan



Not knowing what your “core” brand elements are





The Fix:

Create (and stick to) a brand style guide



Choose 1–2 main fonts, 1–2 brand colors, and a logo version for all uses



Use templates that match your style guide





The Results:

Increased recognition



A more professional, trustworthy presence



Clients who remember and recommend you






If your branding feels all over the place, you’re not alone — but it’s fixable.



Let’s create a brand + website that gets you remembered for all the right reasons.








BOOK A CONSULTATION

### Kathy’s Florist and the Case of the Black Flowers

Kathy has always been a flower girl.



In the 1970s, she was the kid with dirt under her fingernails and daisies behind her ears — hand-tying wildflowers into jars and painting petunias onto her school folders. Her nickname in the neighborhood? “The Flower Girl.”



Fast-forward to today: Kathy runs a thriving floral business with a loyal client base and a delivery truck covered in hand-painted retro blooms — a groovy nod to her roots.



But when she came to me, her logo was black.



Her website was ancient.



And her brand? It didn’t match her at all.



The Black Logo (And the Printer Who Chose It)



Kathy’s original logo had been created years ago by a local printer.



They used thermography, a raised ink process that, at the time, only allowed for one color. And that color? Was black.



So Kathy ended up with a black-on-black floral logo that stuck around way too long. It made its way onto her business cards, her signs, and eventually her website… even though it looked nothing like the joyful work she was doing every day.



The Website: Outdated, Unsearchable, and Overpriced



On top of the logo issue, Kathy’s website was locked into an old Teleflora template, a clunky, outdated platform that hadn’t been updated in years.



The site didn’t reflect her brand, wasn’t optimized for mobile, and cost her hundreds every month in maintenance fees and commissions. She couldn’t update her own content, track leads, or make real design changes. It was costing her a fortune and converting almost nothing.



When we finally pulled up her analytics, she was shocked:



People were visiting, but leaving fast. Her site was giving “corporate flower chain”, not “local, high-touch designer.”



The Disconnect Was Hurting Her Business



Kathy’s flowers are full of color, personality, and charm. But her brand, from the stiff fonts to the moody logo to the outdated website, wasn’t communicating any of that.



And when your visuals don’t match your value?



Potential customers get confused.



Confused customers don’t buy.



What We Did (A Very Gentle Makeover)



We didn’t reinvent Kathy’s business. We just brought it back to her.



Here’s how we helped her bloom:




Logo redesign inspired by her hand-painted flower truck (yes, we kept the retro spirit!)



A warm color palette of blush, sage, and cream, a huge upgrade from funereal black



Font pairing that felt elegant, friendly, and refined



A brand-new WordPress website built with Divi, mobile-friendly, SEO-ready, and completely under her control



Custom galleries, testimonials, and booking flows that showcase her talent and convert viewers into customers




Now Her Brand Feels Like Her



Since launching her new site and brand, Kathy’s noticed a shift:




Clients comment on how beautiful and “personal” her site feels



Her bounce rate has dropped, and inquiries have gone up



She’s saving hundreds every month by ditching Teleflora



And best of all? Her business finally reflects the woman behind the blooms








The Moral of the Story?



Your fonts, your colors, your website, they all speak for you before you ever say a word.



And if they’re saying something off-brand, outdated, or just plain boring… your business will suffer, no matter how talented you are.



Kathy’s work was always stunning.



Now, her brand tells the same story.



Is your website or logo stuck in the past?



Or worse, designed by someone who didn’t know you at all?



Let’s fix that.



Book a free 30-minute call and we’ll chat about how to bring your brand into alignment with the work you’re actually doing.



Let’s Talk Branding

### Is Divi 5 Finally Ready? My First Hands-On Review

We’ve been hearing about Divi 5 since 2023. Back then, the promise was a full release by January 2024. Fast-forward to July 2025, and it's still in alpha. So I stayed away… until now.



In one of my membership groups, a designer shared her experience building a simple brochure site using Divi 5. Not only did it look great, it performed well. Then she went bigger — a site with 12 plugins and some serious custom CSS. Still, no issues.



So I decided to give it a try — on a staging site (because I do not recommend doing this on a live website). Here’s what I found.



Installation & Migration



After installing Divi 5, I ran the Divi 5 Migrator (you’ll find it under the Divi tab). It gave me a compatibility report showing what would and wouldn’t work. For me, everything — all pages and posts — came through fine. Sort of.



One Image Quirk



Images showed up in the builder but didn’t appear live. If your layout uses a Featured Image, just click into the module, re-select Featured Image from the menu, and save. Easy fix.



However, if the image is linked to a page, you’ll need to relink it manually. It’s not difficult, just tedious — especially if you have a lot of images. That said, I was relieved it wasn’t worse. I had visions of relinking every image across dozens of posts.



Plugins: What Works (and What Doesn’t)



Out of all my plugins, only Smart Slider 3 Pro raised a red flag. The backend looks a little odd — every slide is stacked in a long vertical row — but the front end renders correctly. According to their support, they’re waiting on the final release of Divi 5 before updating.



Here’s a list of plugins I tested that worked with no issues:




Accessibility by UserWay



Blog2Social



Connector GravityForms MailerLite



Essential Grid



Google Analytics Dashboard for WP



Gravity Booster (Style & Layouts)



Gravity Forms



Gravity SMTP



MailerLite



Passster



Pixel Caffeine



SEOPress



Sucuri Security



SVG Support




I expected more conflicts, but even my more complex tools held up just fine.



Clean-Up Bonus: Less Custom CSS



One of the biggest (and most satisfying) surprises? I was able to clean up a huge chunk of custom CSS.



Divi 5 handles spacing, alignment, and responsiveness much better out of the box — which meant I could delete a boatload of old CSS. If you’ve been carrying around a bloated stylesheet like I have, this is your chance to lighten the load.



Responsive Editing Got a Glow-Up



Responsive editing is way more intuitive. No more clicking tiny icons to switch between Desktop, Tablet, and Smartphone views. In fact, the little phone icon is gone entirely.



Divi now lets you edit each view more naturally, and switching between them feels smoother than ever.



Builder Experience: Smoother, Faster, Calmer



When you click “Edit with Divi,” you’re no longer greeted by the spinning blue and green balls of doom. Instead, a clean square loads — and loads fast.



While editing, I didn’t experience any lag, weird jumps, or saving issues. Saving a page felt stable and responsive, which is a huge improvement for an alpha build.



But What About WooCommerce?



That’s the one area that’s not ready. Divi 5’s WooCommerce modules haven’t been rebuilt yet. So if you’re working on an e-commerce site, this isn’t the version to use.



Right now, I wouldn’t put a client’s store on Divi 5 — not unless you're comfortable building on hopes and prayers.



Final Verdict



Would I build client sites in Divi 5 Alpha? For brochure-style websites, absolutely — especially now that I’ve tested it on a safe staging site. It’s faster, cleaner, and a real upgrade in terms of editing experience. After you move from your staging site to the live site, do a clean sweep of all pages; something might just change you.



Just don’t go installing it on a live site (yet). Test first, expect a few quirks — especially with images and sliders — and you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised. And if you’ve been carrying around too much CSS, Divi 5 might just give you the freedom to toss it.



✨ Curious if your site is ready for Divi 5? Let’s talk it through before you dive in. Book a free 30-minute consult and I’ll help you figure out your best move.

### The Art of Font Pairing: How to Use Free Canva Fonts to Elevate Your Design

Whether you're creating a wedding invitation, building a brand, or designing social media graphics, your font choices matter. Fonts aren't just decorative; they set the tone, establish hierarchy, and help your message resonate. At Big Max’s Studio and Patti & Hank, we’re passionate about helping people design with confidence, whether you're DIY-ing your wedding or refining your business identity.



Here’s how to make free Canva fonts look like a million bucks.



Why Font Pairing Matters



Using two or three well-paired fonts creates contrast and visual interest while still feeling cohesive. When done right, pairing fonts can:




Clarify your message



Create mood and personality



Guide the reader’s eye



Make a design feel polished and professional




For Branding and Web Design



Your fonts say a lot about your business. A modern sans-serif paired with a structured serif or friendly script can shape the personality of your brand.



Try These:




Libre Baskerville + Montserrat – Editorial elegance for creative professionals



Bellaboo + Poppins – Boutique-style whimsy with clear legibility



Playlist Script + Tenor Sans – A bit of flair for headings, grounded by neat body copy




Remember: consistency is key. Limit yourself to two fonts per project, and use them purposefully—one for headlines, one for body copy.



Quick Tips for Perfect Pairings:




Pair contrast + complement: One expressive, one simple.



Avoid combining two elaborate fonts (it gets chaotic).



Use Canva’s “spacing” and “size” tools to establish visual hierarchy.



Always test on mobile to see if your design will be viewed on screen.




 Final Thoughts



Fonts have the power to turn a plain design into something truly memorable. Whether you're sending out wedding invitations or promoting your next big idea, smart font choices will help you communicate clearly and beautifully.



Need help making it all come together? At Big Max’s Studio, we design full brand identities, websites, and style guides with fonts that match your business perfectly.



Let’s make something beautiful—together.

### How to Choose Graphics for Your Logo—And What Not to Use

Big Max’s Guide to Smart, Strategic Branding



You’ve got your business name, a mission you believe in, and a big vision. Now it’s time to create a logo that reflects all of that—and more. But here’s the thing: choosing the right graphic for your logo isn’t as easy as dropping a pretty icon into Canva and calling it a day.



Your logo isn’t just a placeholder. It’s the face of your brand, and first impressions matter.



Here’s how to choose a logo graphic that works, plus a few things you’ll want to avoid at all costs.



What to Look For in Logo Graphics



1. Relevance to Your BrandYour graphic should reflect what you do or how you want people to feel about your brand. A boutique bakery might lean into a whimsical whisk or floral illustration; a law firm, not so much.



2. Simplicity WinsThink timeless, not trendy. Your graphic should be clean, easy to identify at a glance, and scalable (more on that below). Less is usually more.



3. Versatility Is KeyA strong logo works on a website header, social media profile, product packaging, or printed material. Make sure your graphic looks good, large and small, in color and black & white.



4. Custom Is Always BetterWhere possible, invest in a custom illustration or icon that’s uniquely yours. If that’s not an option yet, choose graphics that can be modified and personalized to avoid that “template” look.



5. Cohesive With TypographyYour graphic and typeface need to work together, not compete. Look for balance—visually and stylistically.



What Not to Use in Your Logo



1. Stock Icons Everyone Has SeenIf you found it on the first page of Canva or a free icon site, chances are a dozen other businesses are using it too. That doesn’t build trust or recognition.



2. Too Much DetailLogos with tiny, intricate details can look muddy when scaled down. Save the artistic flair for other design assets—your logo needs to be crisp and readable.



3. Clip Art or EmojisThey might be cute, but they don’t communicate professionalism. You want your logo to say “established brand,” not “group project.”



4. Photos or GradientsWhile beautiful in other contexts, photos and complex gradients don’t scale well for logos. Flat, simple shapes are best for consistent branding.



5. Trendy Graphics That Will Date FastThat ultra-minimal squiggle or Y2K glitter blob might be all over Instagram today, but will it still feel fresh in five years? Choose longevity over trends.



Bonus Tip: Test It at Different Sizes



Before you commit, print it out small. Shrink it down to favicon size. Put it over a dark background. If your logo still looks good in all formats, you’re on the right track.



Need Help? That’s What I’m Here For



At Big Max’s Studio, I help small businesses and DIY entrepreneurs turn their vision into visuals—logos included. Whether you're starting from scratch or trying to upgrade a so-so design, I can guide you toward a graphic that reflects your brand and stands the test of time.



Let’s make something you’re proud to put your name on. Book a free discovery call →

### Divi AI Images

I've never been a gardener. I love looking at beautiful gardens. But dirt underneath my nails is not something I enjoy. Even wearing gloves I end up with dirt under my nails. Ugh!



My mom has been in her home for almost 60 years, and the gardens around the house were old and tired. Not only were they tried they had more weeds than flowers. At 91 she no longer has the energy to get out and weed them when necessary. And I don't have the time or the desire.



Especially in our front yard, not wanting more weeds than flowers, I put on my gardening gloves and started cleaning up her Irises. They went from being in the ground to 4 half whiskey barrels. She loved it. When things came back to life this spring, there were far fewer weeds, making it easier for her or me to handle.



When spring sprung this year, it was time to attack the remainder of her gardens. They were such a disaster we had them completely dug out and started over. English roses were planted in both the front and backyard. I have loved the English Rose forever. A bucket list dream of mine is to have a true English Rose garden bench and all.



After watching Nick Roche's video on Divi's new "quick-sites", I decided to give the program a spin. My first problem if you don't already have a Divi AI account, you have to sign up for the program on a 30-day trial or purchase it. I passed on both options.



I decided to try Divi's AI in the images module. I could not have been more disappointed. I used my love for English roses as the subject. More specifically, English rose garden, English rose garden with bench, etc. The more detailed I got the worse the images were. All were dark and dreary like the one above. I spent about 10 minutes trying to find something that resembled what I needed. Nick had said in the video that the images come from Unsplash. On an independent search through Unsplash, while I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, there were much better images than what I got through Divi AI.



Here's what I was looking for, I found it at Adobe Stock Images.







In conclusion, if you are looking for a random image on your subject, and not something specific, Divi AI for the image module might work for you. Otherwise, don't waste your time, go to your normal source and save your time and energy.

### The problem with using decorative fonts

Decorative fonts can indeed add a unique and eye-catching flair to your designs, but there are several considerations to keep in mind regarding readability and accessibility:




Legibility: Decorative fonts can often be intricate or have unusual shapes that make them difficult to read, especially at smaller sizes. This can be a significant issue for people with visual impairments or dyslexia.



Context Appropriateness: While decorative fonts are great for headlines, titles, or graphic elements, they are usually not suitable for body text or long paragraphs. Overuse can make your content harder to digest.



Cultural Considerations: Some decorative fonts may have stylized elements that can be misinterpreted or culturally insensitive if not carefully chosen.



Consistency: Using too many different types of decorative fonts in one design can lead to a cluttered and unprofessional appearance. It’s often best to limit the number of fonts you use.



Screen Compatibility: Some decorative fonts may not render well on all devices, especially older or mobile screens, leading to potential readability issues.



Loading Times: Embedded fonts can increase the loading time of a webpage if not properly optimized or if they are large in file size.




In summary, while decorative fonts can enhance the visual appeal of your design, ensuring readability and accessibility for all users is paramount. It's always a good practice to test your design on different devices and get feedback from a diverse audience to make sure it is both attractive and functional.

### Bertha.ai an Impressive AI Tool

I've worked with ChatGPT and Divi AI. I like both, but use Chatgpt because it's free. That was until yesterday after watching a webinar on Bertha.ai. After the first ten minutes, I was hooked. After, thirty-five minutes I purchased the plugin.



I'm terrible with alt-text descriptions on images. I was never sure how much information I was supposed to add. Many times, I never even bothered to put anything there. After installing Bertha.ai, the first thing I did was use it on all of the images in my Media Library. Within forty-five minutes to an hour, eighty images had proper alt-text descriptions.



Bonus: now when images are uploaded, alt-text descriptions are automatically added.



Next, I let Bertha.ai tackle the SEO on my latest blog post. Again, I was amazed at what she, came up with. The best way to think about Bertha.ai is as your copilot. What a copilot she is. With the suggestions, I got on how SEO titles and meta descriptions could be written, I started to see mistakes that I had been making. Most often, I just used the title of the article and some excerpts from the blog post.



The three paragraphs above were written by me. Then I ran them through Bertha.ai, here is the rewrite:




Many people overlook the importance of alt-text descriptions for images, but they're crucial not only for accessibility purposes but also for improving SEO. Filling in these details can be a meticulous task, which is why using Bertha.ai makes such a difference. In less than an hour, I managed to add proper alt-text to eighty images—something that might have taken me much longer or perhaps never got done at all. Automating the addition of alt-text descriptions not only saves time but also ensures that all images are accessible and SEO-friendly right from the start.But Bertha.ai doesn't just stop at images; it's a powerhouse for optimizing your content across the board. When I turned to it for help with the SEO on my latest blog post, the results were immediate and impressive. Viewing Bertha.ai as your copilot makes perfect sense because of how it complements your work and enhances it. The recommendations for SEO titles and meta descriptions were eye-opening. I began to recognize and correct common mistakes, like simply using the article’s title and some excerpts for meta descriptions.




The only correction to the Bertha.ai generated text was changing "you" to either "I", "my" or "me".



I have much more to learn about what Bertha.ai can do. But for just $10.00 a month or $96.00 a year, you’re getting a tool that not only saves you time but also enhances your content quality and SEO effectiveness.

### What is the difference between a script, handwritten, or calligraphy font?

Indeed, distinguishing between script, handwritten, and calligraphy fonts can sometimes be tricky, as they share similar characteristics. Here's a breakdown to help differentiate them:




Script Font:

Script fonts mimic the appearance of cursive handwriting or calligraphy.



They often have flowing, connected letters with varying stroke thickness.



Script fonts can range from formal and elegant to casual and playful.



These fonts are commonly used in invitations, branding, and formal documents.





Handwritten Font:

Handwritten fonts replicate the natural imperfections and variations of individual handwriting.



They may include irregular strokes, inconsistent letterforms, and a more informal appearance.



Handwritten fonts add a personal touch to designs and are often used in casual or creative projects.





Calligraphy Font:

Calligraphy fonts imitate the art of traditional calligraphy, which involves skilled penmanship or brushwork.



They feature stylized and often elaborate letterforms with flourishes and decorative elements.



Calligraphy fonts evoke elegance, sophistication, and craftsmanship.



These fonts are commonly used in formal invitations, certificates, and high-end branding.






So, while modern calligraphy fonts like the one used for "Spring" in the image may resemble handwritten fonts at first glance, they are specifically designed to emulate the artistry of calligraphy rather than natural handwriting.

### When to and when not to use script fonts

The benefits of using a script font



Using script fonts effectively can add a touch of elegance, personality, or informality to your design. Here are some tips on how to use them correctly:



Legibility: Ensure that the script font you choose is legible, especially when used in smaller sizes or for longer passages of text. Some script fonts are highly decorative and might be more suitable for titles or headings rather than body text.



Contrast: Pair script fonts with contrasting typefaces to create visual interest and maintain readability. For example, pair a script font with a sans-serif or serif font to create a balanced composition.



Hierarchy: Use script fonts to emphasize key elements such as headings, titles, or important phrases. This helps create a hierarchy and guides the reader's attention through the design.



Spacing and Kerning: Pay attention to the spacing and kerning of script fonts to ensure that the letters flow smoothly and are easily readable. Adjust the tracking and kerning as needed to optimize legibility and aesthetics.



Context: Consider the context in which the script font will be used. Script fonts may be appropriate for certain design projects such as wedding invitations, greeting cards, or branding materials, but may not be suitable for others like technical documents or formal reports.



Consistency: Maintain consistency in the use of script fonts throughout your design to create a cohesive look and feel. Use the same script font for similar elements across different pages or sections of your design.



Size and Scale: Pay attention to the size and scale of script fonts relative to other elements in your design. Avoid using script fonts at very small sizes, as they may become difficult to read, especially when printed or viewed on screens.



Color and Texture: Experiment with different colors and textures to enhance the appearance of script fonts. Consider using subtle gradients, shadows, or textures to add depth and dimension to the text.



Avoid Overuse: Use script fonts sparingly to prevent them from overpowering your design. Reserve script fonts for special occasions or to add emphasis to specific elements rather than using them for all text.



Test and Iterate: Finally, test different script fonts and combinations to see what works best for your design. Don't be afraid to iterate and make adjustments until you achieve the desired look and feel.



When not to use a script font



While script fonts can add flair and personality to your design, there are certain situations where it's best to avoid using them:



Formal Documents: For formal documents such as business reports, legal contracts, or academic papers, it's generally best to avoid script fonts. Stick to more traditional and readable typefaces like serif or sans-serif fonts for better professionalism and readability.



Small Text: Script fonts tend to be less legible, especially when used at small sizes. Avoid using script fonts for body text or small labels where readability is crucial. Opt for more legible fonts that are designed for small sizes.



Digital Screens: Script fonts can be difficult to read on digital screens, particularly at smaller sizes or low resolutions. When designing for digital platforms such as websites, mobile apps, or presentations, choose fonts that are optimized for screen readability.



Accessibility Considerations: Script fonts may pose accessibility challenges for individuals with visual impairments or dyslexia. These fonts can be harder to read for some people, so it's important to prioritize accessibility by choosing fonts that are clear and easy to read for all users.



Technical Documents: Avoid using script fonts in technical documents such as manuals, instructions, or technical reports where clarity and precision are essential. Stick to simple, easy-to-read fonts that convey information clearly without distractions.



Corporate Branding: While script fonts can be used effectively in branding to convey a specific tone or personality, they may not always align with the brand image or values of a corporate entity. Consider the brand's identity and target audience before incorporating script fonts into corporate branding materials.



Multilingual Content: Script fonts may not support all languages or character sets, which can lead to inconsistencies or readability issues in multilingual content. Choose fonts that support the languages used in your content to ensure consistent readability across different languages.



Emergency Information: In situations where clarity and urgency are paramount, such as emergency signs, safety instructions, or warning labels, avoid using script fonts. Opt for highly legible fonts with clear letterforms to ensure that the information is easily understood at a glance.



By being mindful of these situations and considering the readability, context, and audience preferences, you can make informed decisions about when to use or avoid using script fonts in your design projects. 



In the end, the biggest rule is never to use all caps when you are using a script font.

### Should you use a retro font for your logo

Whether or not to use a retro font in your logo depends on various factors such as your brand identity, target audience, and the message you want to convey. They can evoke a sense of nostalgia and convey a vintage or classic vibe, which may be suitable for certain brands aiming to appeal to a particular demographic or evoke a specific era. Remember to ensure that your retro font aligns with your brand personality and doesn't clash with the overall design aesthetic.



Here are some considerations:




Brand Identity: Does a retro font align with your brand's personality and values? If your brand has a vintage or nostalgic theme, a retro font might be appropriate. However, if your brand is modern and forward-thinking, a retro font might create a conflicting message.



Target Audience: Consider your target demographic. Will they resonate with a retro aesthetic? If your audience consists of younger individuals who may not have a connection to the era represented by the retro font, it might not be as effective.



Legibility and Versatility: Ensure that the retro font you choose is legible and versatile across various applications. Some retro fonts can be ornate or difficult to read, which might not be suitable for a logo that needs to be quickly recognizable.



Timelessness: Consider whether the retro font will stand the test of time or if it might become outdated quickly. While retro aesthetics can be trendy, they can also feel dated if not executed carefully.



Competition: Evaluate what your competitors are doing. If many of them are using retro fonts, it might be an opportunity to stand out by choosing a different approach.




Ultimately, the decision to use a retro font in your logo should be based on a thorough understanding of your brand, audience, and design objectives. It's often helpful to work with a professional designer who can create a logo that effectively communicates your brand identity while considering all of these factors.

### When to use a retro font

You love them. Maybe when you were a teenager you made invitations with them, because they were the hottest thing going in the wonderful world of fonts. But it's 70 years later so when is the correct time to use them now?



Retro fonts can add a nostalgic or vintage feel to your design, evoking a sense of the past. Here are some situations where retro fonts might be particularly suitable:




Period-specific Projects: If you're working on a project set in a particular era, using a font from that time can help create an authentic atmosphere. For example, if you're designing materials for a 1950s-themed event, using fonts popular during that era can enhance the theme.



Vintage Branding: Retro fonts can be excellent choices for businesses or products aiming to evoke nostalgia or a sense of heritage. They can be particularly effective for brands that want to convey a sense of tradition or longevity.



Event Invitations and Flyers: Whether it's a themed party, a retro-style wedding, or a vintage fair, using retro fonts on invitations, flyers, or posters can set the tone and capture the theme effectively.



Art and Design Projects: Retro fonts can add flair to art projects, posters, or digital artwork. They can help create a specific aesthetic or mood, depending on the project's objectives.



Website Design: Incorporating retro fonts into website design can give a unique and memorable look to your site. However, it's essential to ensure that the font choice aligns with the overall branding and purpose of the website.



Packaging and Labels: Retro fonts can be eye-catching on product packaging and labels, particularly for items aiming for a vintage or nostalgic appeal.



Movie Posters and Book Covers: For films, books, or other media set in the past or aiming for a retro vibe, using appropriate fonts can help reinforce the time period or aesthetic the work is trying to evoke.




Remember, while retro fonts can be visually appealing and evoke a sense of nostalgia, it's crucial to choose fonts that are still readable and appropriate for the context. Additionally, be mindful of copyright when selecting fonts for commercial projects.

### They said it would be easy, but it wasn't

Building a website will be challenging, especially if you're new to web development or design. While some platforms offer simplified drag-and-drop interfaces, the process will involve a learning curve. Sometimes that learning curve will be very steep. Here are a few reasons why building a DIY website might not be as easy as expected:




Complexity: Websites can range from simple, single-page sites to complex, multi-page platforms with dynamic content and functionality. Depending on your needs, the complexity of designing and developing your site can vary greatly.



Technical Skills: Even with user-friendly website builders, some technical knowledge is often required. Understanding concepts like domain registration, hosting, HTML, CSS, and possibly scripting languages like JavaScript can be necessary to customize your site effectively.



Design Challenges: Creating a visually appealing and user-friendly design requires an understanding of design principles such as layout, typography, color theory, and user experience (UX) design. This can be overwhelming for beginners.



Content Creation: Crafting compelling content that engages your audience and communicates your message effectively is crucial for any website. This includes writing text, creating images, and possibly producing multimedia content like videos.



Time and Effort: Building a website takes time and effort, especially if you want it to be professional-looking and functional. It's not something you can usually complete in just a few hours, particularly if you're learning as you go.



Maintenance: Once your website is live, you must maintain it by updating content, fixing bugs, and ensuring security. This ongoing responsibility can be another challenge for DIY website owners.




While building a website yourself can be rewarding and cost-effective, it's okay to seek help if you're feeling overwhelmed. It can also cost you more time and money than you planned for, let's chat.

### Why you should not to use website builders such Wix, Squarespace and Shopify

While website builders have their advantages, they may not be the ideal solution for everyone or every type of website. Here are some reasons why you might reconsider using a website builder:



Dependency on the Platform:



When you use a website builder, you're tied to the platform's infrastructure and features. If the platform undergoes significant changes, or if you decide to switch to a different solution, migrating your website may be challenging, and you might lose some features or design elements.



Subscription Costs:



While website builders can be cost-effective, the subscription costs can add up over time. If you need advanced features or want to remove platform branding, you may have to opt for higher-tier plans, which can be more expensive.



Performance Concerns:



Some website builders may not offer the same level of performance optimization as custom-built or more advanced CMS solutions. This could impact your website's speed and user experience, which are crucial factors for visitor satisfaction and search engine rankings.



Limited E-Commerce Capabilities:



If you plan to run a complex e-commerce website with extensive product catalogs, sophisticated payment options, and advanced inventory management, certain website builders might not provide the level of functionality you need.



Ownership and Control:



When you use a website builder, you're subject to the terms and conditions of the platform. This may limit your control over your website, and in some cases, you might not truly own the code or have the ability to move your site elsewhere easily.



Security Concerns:



While reputable website builders implement security measures, the level of security might not match what you could achieve with a professionally developed website. This could be a concern, especially if your website handles sensitive information.



Learning Curve for Advanced Features:



While website builders are designed to be user-friendly, learning to use more advanced features or customization options may still require time and effort. For users with specific technical requirements, a more developer-friendly platform might be a better choice.



In summary, website builders are excellent for many users, but they may not be the best fit for everyone. Before choosing a website builder, consider your specific needs, future growth plans, and the level of customization and control you require for your website. If you have complex requirements, working with a professional web developer or using a more advanced CMS might be a better choice.

### Problems with DIY

Designing a website on your own can be a fun and fulfilling experience, but it’s important to be aware of the potential risks and challenges. Here are some factors to consider before taking the DIY route:



Lack of Professionalism



DIY websites might not have the polished and expert design that comes with hiring a professional. This can impact the credibility of your website, especially if it represents a business or brand.



Limited Functionality



DIY website builders often offer a limited range of features and templates, making it difficult to customize and add advanced functionalities without coding knowledge.



Time-Consuming



Designing a website from scratch can be time-consuming, especially if you’re new to the process. Your time might be better spent on other important aspects of your business.



Inconsistency Across Devices



Ensuring that your website looks and functions well on different devices and browsers can be challenging. DIY websites may not automatically adapt to various screen sizes, leading to a poor user experience.



SEO Challenges



Effective search engine optimization is essential for your website’s visibility. DIY websites may not have the same level of optimization as professionally designed sites, affecting your search engine rankings.



Security Concerns



DIY websites may not have robust security measures, making them more vulnerable to hacking and other malicious activities.



Limited Customization



While DIY website builders offer templates, there may be limitations on how much you can customize the design. This can result in a generic-looking website that doesn’t stand out.



Scalability Issues



As your business or project grows, a DIY platform might not have the scalability to meet your expanding needs. You might have to migrate to a more powerful platform or hire a professional to redesign your site.



Dependency on Platform



When using a DIY website builder, you rely on that specific platform. If the platform faces significant changes or goes out of business, it can impact your website’s functionality and continuity.



Maintenance Challenges



Keeping your website up-to-date with the latest features, security patches, and content changes can be challenging for DIY users who lack technical know-how.



Before embarking on a DIY website project, carefully assess your skills, the complexity of your needs, and the long-term goals of your project. If professionalism, functionality, and scalability are important to you, it might be worth considering the expertise of a professional web designer or developer.

### The surprises you find in a good newsletter to your fan base.

Yesterday I sent out a newsletter for another website, and when looking at the stats, what surprised me the most was the percentage of people who open the email on their mobile devices.



Eighty-one percent of those who opened the email were on a mobile device. Twelve percent were on desktop, with the remaining opening the email in a webmail platform.



I don't follow the theory to develop for mobile-first, but I test each page of a website on a smartphone and tablet. All of my websites are created with Divi, which you can easily switch from desktop to tablet and then to mobile. While the views in each one of the stages have gotten better, I still find you need to look at them on an actual device. Especially a tablet.



I can't believe how many websites I go to on my iPad Air 4, holding it vertically and say, "Did anyone look at this?" I prefer having my iPad vertical, and the problem for the company is, nine times out of ten, instead of switching the iPad horizontally, I leave the website.



Another surprising statistic



As I mentioned in my last article, I've never been consistent about writing blog posts on my websites. Part of the reason is I never know what to write. 



Yesterday, I decided it was way past time to get something on my website, 3 lovable labs; after all, the holidays are just around the corner, and I wanted people to start thinking about their cards.



My topic was part sad, and part feels good. I wrote about how and why a year ago we had to say goodbye to the third member of our 3 lovable labs team Hank. I also introduce them to our newest lab, Koda.



I wasn't sure how people would receive; I didn't want to sound like a pitty piece, but much to my surprise, my open rate was thirty-eight percent, and the click-through rate was fifteen percent. Not bad since the people on this list hadn't heard from me in four months.



As a bonus, the story about Hank brought some engagement with my readers. 



Are you ready to start your email marketing campaign?



Let's chat.

### Why you should consider making the switch to Mailerlite

I had been with MailChimp since 2010. Well, I should say I have had an account with them since 2010. I didn't know who I would email, as I spoke to my clients regularly. Further, I had no idea what to put in an email. Maybe once or twice a year, I would send out an email. Clients get one and usually call and ask why I was sending them the emails. There certainly wasn’t a sign-up form to get my free e-book. I didn’t have an e-book to give away.



That was until 2018 when I took a course on how to build my client base and was given an e-book to put on my website. Excited, I got to work and put a sign-up form on my website, advertised it, and my little list started to grow. I stopped advertising, the list stopped growing, and again, I rarely sent anything out.



In 2020, I took another course on lead magnets and discovered the importance of A/B Testing, how to divide up your list into audiences, and how essential automation is.



I now had two e-books, each with a different audience in mind. I logged into my free MailChimp account, ready to head off to the races. Much to my surprise, there was no A/B Testing; with the free account, you could only have one audience and only one automation.



Not wanting to start paying $14.99 a month and only having A/B testing, one audience, and one automation, I decided to set up a Mailerlite account for free. After importing the names from my MailChimp account, I fell in love with the platform.



The layouts were clean and modern and extremely easy to customize. Because I was new to the platform, it took me roughly three hours to get my three groups, and an automation sequence for each group set up. The three hours were well spent because now everything was finally set up as it should be.



I’m now looking forward to using the A/B testing to find out what those on my email list are truly interested in and how together we can grow their businesses with email marketing.



Are you stuck in MailChimp and can't expand your email marketing to where you'd like it to be?







I'm now Mailerlite Certified and together can take your email marketing to a whole new level.



Let's chat 

### Sorry, This File Type Is Not Permitted for Security Reasons

You are trying to upload an image,  document, video, or a custom font to WordPress and you get this message:




Sorry, This File Type Is Not Permitted for Security Reasons




Fear not there are two very easy solutions. But first, it is recommended that you back up your site no matter what solution you choose.



Access to the wp-config.php file through a C-Panel File Manager



1. Once in the File Manager locate the wp-config.php file and click the edit button.



2. Find the line /*That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging.*/ and place this code snippet just above it.



define(‘ALLOW_UNFILTERED_UPLOADS’, true);



3. Click Save.



FTP/SFTP access to the wp-config.php file



1. Log into your FTP/SFTP account by using an FTP/SFTP click like FileZilla.



2. Locate the wp-config.php file and right-click to edit the file or you can download it to your computer.



3. Find the line /*That’s all, stop editing! Happy blogging.*/ and place this code snippet just above it.



define(‘ALLOW_UNFILTERED_UPLOADS’, true);



4. Save and re-upload your file.



 With either solution, to finish, you will need to log out of WordPress and then log back in.



Going forward, you should be able to upload any file without triggering the error message.

### My favorite part of SitePresser

My favorite place to get my images for my child themes is either Pixabay or Unsplash. This was never a problem until I wanted to sell them on Elegant Themes. Unless you own the images you are using in your child themes, all other images must use the CC0 license on the images. CC0 is a license that allows copyright owners to release their works with no restrictions at all.



On several of them, I had 20 or more images for different galleries. The thought of having to replace every one of them was absolutely both aggravating and terrifying on how much time this was going to take me.



When I mentioned this to Melissa, she responded with, “Use the Image Replacement Tool?” Not wanting to sound like I hadn’t done my homework on the plugin, I responded with “Of course,” and headed off to find out more about it.



Oh, my word, for me at least, this is the best part of the plugin. I can’t even begin to estimate how many hours were saved.



Under Tools, all you have to do is:




Click the Run Tool



Toggle the Enable Export Image Replacement button



Click Save Settings




From there, choose the images you wish to use for replacement and click Save Placeholders. All that is left to is scroll through your images and decide which ones you want to “Mark as Save” by toggling the button.



That’s it!

### Completing the license.txt file

I’ve been selling child themes on Elegant Marketplace since 2015, as well as my own website shortly thereafter. I had never been required or thought about adding a license.txt file. Further, I did not know that Unsplash, Pixel, and Pixabay (where I get 99% of my photos) were not compatible with the GPLv2 license. That is until I applied and was accepted to sell my child themes on Elegant Theme’s Marketplace.



For some reason, after downloading a copy of the license.txt file, I found it quite baffling and left it in my to-do pile. My biggest question was, “Where was I supposed to find the information they were asking for?”



After taking a breath and a step back, I started digging around the Plugin Editor to see how others were filling the bloody thing out. Finally, that gave me my “lightbulb” moment and suddenly I realized there was nothing to it.



Let’s break it down:




Main Product License



====================



Product Name = The name of your child theme



————



– Copyright: 2020 Company Name  = Your company name and year of the copyright



– License: GPL



– License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html



This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify



it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by



the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or



(at your option) any later version.



This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,



but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of



MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the



GNU General Public License for more details.



You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License



along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software



Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA



Third Party Code Credits



========================



This section applies to all the plugins, code snippets, CSS files, JS files and anything else that you downloaded from an external source, that is included in your child theme. For your plugins, you will find the information in the Plugin Editor under the individual plugin. Look for either a “readme.txt” or “license.txt” file. All you do is copy and paste the information.



Animate CSS



———–



– File Location: /product-name/css/animate.css (the url of the product)



– License: MIT



– License URI: https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT



Smooth Scroll



————-



– File Location: /product-name/js/smoothscroll.js



– License: MIT



– License URI: https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT



WP Color Picker



—————



– File Location: /product-name/js/color-picker.js



– License: GPLv2



– License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.en.html



Third Party Media Credits



=========================



This section applies to photos and illustrations. If you are going to sell your child themes on Elegant Themes Marketplace, you are only allowed to include images from:




io



com



photos



com



com



com




Cityscape Photo – Name of the photo from the website you downloaded it from.



—————



– Source: https://stocksnap.io/photo/GX1SSPLWUS



– License: CC0



– License URI: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/



Sunset Photo



————



– Source: https://skitterphoto.com/photos/1035/golden-eye



– License: CC0



– License URI: https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/




Or purchase the SitePresser plugin run it and download the zipped file. Unzip the file and there is a newly created license.txt file for you.

### Are you having trouble focusing now working at home?

Roughly twelve years ago, I moved my office home from my “dream” office; that was until my dream office became my nightmare. I hated to leave it; there was nothing like it in Fort Lauderdale.



Located on the swanky Las Olas Boulevard, it looked like it belonged in the Back Bay area of Boston or Soho in New York. Two picture windows overlooking the street, high ceilings, and the original hardwood floors that were fifty years old when I first moved in.



With a downturn in the economy and space available at home for an office, the realization came that I needed to close that chapter of my business life and start a new one. With the move and set-up complete, I worried about how I was going to make this work. I had read stories of how wonderful it was to go to work in your pajamas and that you could work whenever you wanted to. Deep down, I knew neither one of those options was good for my attention span, which is the size of a nat.



From day one here are the rules I set up:




I never went to the office in my pajamas. I dressed as I did when I drove to the office.



Office hours remained the same nine to five.



I stayed in the office until noon when I broke for lunch.



After lunch, I worked until five.




With those rules well in place, the transition went great. In eight short years, it has become surprisingly easy to go to the office in my pajamas, work for a couple of hours, and then get dressed for the office. I now stop whenever I want, run errands, or later in the day stop and make plans to go back after dinner.



Here’s how the changes are working for me now:




The work I do manage to get done in my pajamas is never the same quality as when dressed for the office. I usually end up redoing what I did.



Since my business consists of both print work and website work, at times I do need to go to my printer, I don’t need to go to the grocery store at 10:30 am.



Rarely, if ever do I go back to the office after dinner.




Currently, I’m out of town, but when I get back, I will be going back to my original rules.



Are you new to working at home, do you need some help in getting things set up?



Let’s chat.

### Automation; Henry Ford had the right idea

Getting automated brings changes



For years I’ve had a free MailChimp account and during those same years, I’ve had some kind of a “Sign up for my newsletter” form on my website. I had collected 36 subscribers but I am ashamed to admit not one person has heard from me since they signed up. Part of the reason, actually it’s the biggest reason, I had no idea what to send to them.



With a move from Florida to Colorado coming later this year, and not knowing what is going to happen to my local referral business, I knew I needed to get my online marketing organized and joined Melissa Love’s “The Marketing Fix” late last year. Last week’s “Email Marketing” course was quite an eye-opener to all I was doing wrong, and not just not sending anything to my list.



When MailChimp announced that with their free plan, you were only going to be allowed one automation, I paid no attention to it. After all, I had no idea what I was even going to automate. When someone landed on my website and subscribed to one of my e-books, the generic thank-you page popped up and soon the PDF arrived on the screen for download. Again, what was I going to automate?



Then in last week’s course, I learned why you need to have an automated thank-you email instead of the generic thank-you page. Duh! But not just for your giveaways, but also for your form submissions. Another duh! Now my free MailChimp account was no longer working for me. Having just run a Facebook Ad campaign and even though I picked up another 11 subscribers, I still wasn’t going to pay for their next level of service.



A few years back I had heard positive feedback about Mailerlite but didn’t think much more about it. Having been mentioned in the course that their free version was a good alternative to MailChimp I looked into it. Immediately, I fell in love with their interface. In no time my enormous list was imported into Mailerlite and shortly, I had my first automated thank-you ready to go.



For my free e-books, I use Elegant Theme’s Bloom opt-in plugin and it integrates with Mailerlite with no problem. On a roll with getting everything automated, I soon hit a brick wall with my Caldera Forms submissions; there is no direct integration with Mailerlite. Well, actually there is but it was going to cost $247.00 a year. Forty-eight people on my list do not justify a $247.00 yearly expense.



I had switched from Gravity Forms to Caldera Forms roughly four years ago. Initially, it was for costs. I had a Gravity Forms developer license and used that license on all of the websites I built. The problem was none of my clients needed all the plugins offered, nor did I. At the time, my clients and myself included just had a simple contact form on our websites. Further, I added up the costs over the years and was quite surprised when it totaled $800.00. With $100.00 here and $100.00 there, sometimes you don’t realize exactly how much you are paying for plugins.



Not only did my clients and I benefit from the free version of Caldera Forms, but I also enjoyed the drag-and-drop builder. No CSS code is required to make more than one column, and you get to see how it looks without going into preview mode. The two things I dislike about Gravity Forms the most are. As much as I like Caldera Forms, as I said above, I just can’t justify the cost of integrating them with Mailerlite.



Back to Gravity Forms, I went, only this time just purchasing an individual license. I still don’t care for the drag-and-drop interface, but it’s integrating with Mailerlite beautifully, and in the end, that’s all that is important.



Do you need to automate your email marketing and need some help, let’s chat?

### An award-winning dream comes true

Way back in the dark ages when we did everything by hand in art school, one of my favorite classes was package design. For our final, we were to take a current product and redesign it. Since, I’m Irish, half from the orange side and half from the green side, I decided to redesign the green and white Twinings Irish Breakfast Tea box. My redesign had the background of the box in orange, white type, and a green three-leaf clover.



Since graduation, I’ve designed plenty of logos, business cards, stationery packs, newspapers, brochures, etc., but something was missing. That was my dream to design a product box and then see it on store shelves.



The dream came true in 2019. A client who I design and maintain two hair product websites for came to me and asked if I’d be interested in designing a box for a flat iron they were developing. I said yes with no hesitation.



They wanted their design to be nothing like what is already on the shelves. Part of this request was made easy as the plain box already stood out from what you see in the stores.



After I designed the logo, we decided the background of the box would be black, and the type and logo in Pantone 877, a metallic gray, elegant and not overbearing. Also, when necessary instead of using the Pantone color, forty percent black could be used and there would not be any visible difference.



With the logo and colors designed, next came my biggest challenge. The flat iron product line comes in two different styles, but the client only wanted one box. Since elegance was what we were going for in the design, I was opposed to a design that would have someone taking a Sharpie pen and putting an X in the appropriate spot. I had visions of gigantic Xs on the box somewhere close to where they were supposed to be. After a lot of back and forth with the client, he gave in to having two separate boxes.



Once the decision was made to design two separate boxes, he still wanted to show both flat irons on the box. Putting both on the front of the box wouldn’t work as that would still require a spot for an X. Besides both flat irons on the front of the box were confusing to us, and more than likely would leave the potential buyer confused as to what was really in the box.



Having four sides of the box to work with, I decided to put one flat iron with the information about it on the top of the box and the other on the bottom. With the way the box opens, it is easy for someone to figure out which flat iron is in the box.



Was this an award-winning design?



For the past three years, I’ve entered the annual American Graphic Design Award competition. I’ve been selected for logo design, website design, and a book cover design. With my dream design job was completed, and all involved in the project feeling the design far superior to anything in the stores, the question became; was it an award-winning design?



Yes. I entered the competition on a Friday and was notified on the following Monday, that out of 12,000 entries, 600 designs were selected as winners, mine was given the award in the package design category. An award-winning dream comes to life.



Not only is the package design great, and I’m not the only one who says that, but the flat iron is also the best I’ve ever used. To learn more about the flat iron, go to RegalVTShine, where they are also available for purchase.



Do you have a product you want to bring to the market, but can’t figure out where to start with the design, let’s chat?

### The age-old question; should you put your company name in the footer of a website you’ve designed?

This has been a conundrum for me since I started designing websites twenty years ago. On one hand, I liken it to how I feel about car dealerships who paste their logo on the back of your beautiful new car. Who gave them the right to do that? Didn’t you pay them for the car? Did that payment come with the obligation to market for them? Do they really think when someone sees a car with their logo on it, that someone thinks, “Hey I’ve got to call them, I bet they have really good deals?” Probably not.



On the other hand, if the client doesn’t have a problem with it then what does it matter? Besides in a world that is overpopulated with website designers, how is anyone supposed to find me, if I don’t put my name in the footer with a link to my website? I realize the question does not take into account referrals and paid ads.



Over the last twenty years, I have resolved my conundrum by answering in the affirmative to the second set of questions. And over that time period, I have only had one client, that asked me to remove my name, and I did.



This week, an incident brought a different light to this question. A call came in, and went like this:




Me:  Big Max’s Studio



Caller:  I’d like to speak to the manager.



Me:  That’s me.



Caller:  My name is Bob and I’m the owner of ABC website company, and I designed the website EFG company and you stole my design and put your company name on it.



Me:  Excuse me what are you talking about.



Bob:  With his voice getting louder, I designed EFG’s website, and you stole the design.



Me:  Bob, that is not the website you designed. The website you designed for them was in WP Bakery. The website they have now was redesigned in Divi.



Bob:  I did not design that in WP Bakery, it was designed in Divi. We are well known Divi experts. You stole my design. How would you feel if I stole one of your designs or if I started letting everyone know that you steal others’ work and call it your own?



Me:  Bob I did not steal your work. You did design that website in WP Bakery. I can’t remember from which website you bought that theme, but you didn’t design it.



Bob:  No, I didn’t buy a premade design, that was designed in Divi and you stole it.




Seeing that this was going nowhere, and with my blood pressure beginning to rise, I hung up. But I began to again question whether I really wanted to put my company name with a link to my website in the footer, this time for a different reason.



I took over this account almost two years ago. When I did, I was appalled at what I found. Immediately I encouraged the client to take down the blog that he had been “writing” for them, as every article had been plagiarized. They agreed. He was posting these plagiarized blog writings once a week and it was costing them $500 a month.



Reviewing the plugins, he used, I found that none of the premium ones had been purchased, and consequently, none of them had been updated in over a year.



Before the clients, a husband and wife team decided to switch everything over to me, she wrote to him on numerous occasions, regarding the issues above and several other things, none of which he responded to.



Not having a working knowledge of WP Bakery, and not liking what I had seen with all of the premium plugins he had used and not paid for, I approached the client about redoing the website in Divi. This is the software I use on a daily basis and getting rid of the premium plugins he had used that were going to cost them several hundred dollars a year to maintain. They agreed and only asked that I keep the look of the website as they liked that. I agreed.



After I hung up with Bob, I called the client and told him about the call. He brought up an interesting question, “That’s my website, I paid for it. Don’t I have the right to decide whose name can be on it? What if I don’t want his name on it anymore?”



I answered, “Yes, but someone does not have the right to put their name on if they did not design it. If we had left the original design up, what would have been appropriate is to just take his name off.”



“It’s two years later and he is just now bringing this up?” He asked.



“Yep, he is certainly on top of the of things. My main concern is if he follows through with his threats of spreading the word that I steal designs. I’ll be watching my Facebook and LinkedIn accounts closely for a while.”



“I don’t think he’ll do anything.”



“Probably not, but you never know.”



Back to the original question, to put my company name in the footer with a link to my website going forward. Yes, as long as the client agrees. After all, in twenty years, he is the first person to make these allegations. Besides, I’ve lost count of how many websites I’ve taken over, redesigned, and put my name at the bottom and never heard from the previous designer.



Do you really know how your website was designed or what software is being used? Do you know if you actually have a license to use that software? If not, let’s chat.

### A profession that needs some kind of certification program

We don’t build or change buildings, we don’t cut people open, we don’t drill or remove anyone’s teeth so why on earth would we need a certification program?



We are in a profession that allows anyone to start a website design business claiming they are an expert at this and an expert at that with absolutely no verification or proof. There are testimonials and reviews. But who really wrote those? Is there any way to actually talk to the person who wrote one? Is that person even real? Are the people listed just a bunch of family members trying to help a cousin, brother son or daughter out? You have no way of knowing.



Perhaps they have a certificate from this place or that. Who says those certificates actually mean that they know how to design your website correctly? They don’t. Most of the certificates out there mean they have taken someone’s course on how to charge more than they thought they could. I know I took one. And yes, I have two certificates from such courses on my website.



By now, you may be asking where this is coming from and where am I going with it.



A year ago, I took over a website where the client paid a significant amount of money to have it designed, and later for the designer to write and post articles on the blog. When I first took over the website, I found the “designer,” and I use that term very loosely purchased a predesigned theme from themeforest.net. That is the only thing he actually purchased. The theme was designed with the plugins LayerSlider and WP-Bakery. Neither had actually been purchased and consequently, neither had been updated. There were numerous other plugins included, again none of which had been purchased, and had not been updated. Of the 50-plus plugins installed, there wasn’t one security plugin installed.



I made the necessary changes and updates, had the client purchase the plugins they needed to, and kept things as they were. I am not a fan of WP-Bakery and after working with it for a year, I couldn’t take it anymore and approached the client about switching to the page builder I use, Divi. Having recently designed another website for them using Divi, which they liked, made my argument stronger. They agreed to have me change out the website page builder from WP-Bakery to Divi.



Anyone who has tackled the headache of taking a website from one-page builder to another knows the only way you can do this is by reinventing the wheel.  So, I migrated the current website over to my development server and began rebuilding the website.



Now that I was taking a serious look at what was looming in the backend of this website the word shocked does even begin to describe what I found.



There were sixty-one pages there that had nothing to do with the website.



There were thirty-five plugins that had nothing to do with the website.



Product pages that had every category known to mankind checked. Kind of defeats the purpose of “categories.”



Images ranged in size from 600px by 600px (a correct size) to images that were 4344px by 4566px. There were other images even larger.



If the designer had been a lawyer, doctor, architect, etc. he could have been charged with malpractice.



On his website, it states that he is “A Yext Certified Technology Partner.” Having never heard of Yext, I learned the following:




“Yext is the leading Digital Knowledge Management (DKM) platform. Our mission is to give companies control over their brand experiences across the digital universe of maps, apps, search engines, voice assistants, and other intelligent services that drive consumer discovery, decision, and action. Today, thousands of businesses including brands like Taco Bell, Rite Aid, and Steward Health Care use the Yext Knowledge Engine™ to manage their digital knowledge in order to boost brand engagement, drive foot traffic, and increase sales.”




Another certificate that means nothing but looks impressive.



While there are a plethora of universities and colleges that offer degree and certificate programs out there, is it not the time for an organization such as the “American Institute of Graphic Arts” also known as “AIGA the Professional Association for Design” to come up with some kind of design certification program? A program that when you have their logo on your website, means more than you just paid them for a year’s membership.



Seeing so many people in Facebook groups, stating, “Hey I just started my website design business, does anyone know where I can get started?”  It seems to me the first thing they should do is get certified with a certification that actually means they know what they are doing.



Did you get snookered by someone who had impressive certificates on their website, but your website is slow, and you don’t know what is looming in the backend, let’s chat.

### Why you don’t rent your website

What do you mean by “Don’t rent your website?” Are you on Squarespace, Weebly, Wix or using a website builder provided by your hosting company? Then you are renting your website.



Here are four examples of why you should not rent your website



Sorry, your access is denied!



If at any given moment they decide you have violated one or several of the terms of their agreement, without notice to you, they can and will shut your website down. Remember accepting the terms of the agreement? Did you read it? More than likely not, because who does that? Once you discover your website is missing, you will then spend the next several hours or days pleading with them to get your files back. Some by telephone, others on “live chat.” Those on live chat are usually working with several people at one time.



Who really owns your content?



In the various agreements, they all state that you retain the ownership of your content, BUT they have permission to use it. It’s not just that you’ve given them permission to use your content, you’ve also given them permission to change and/or modify your website. Remember it’s legally theirs, you are just a renter.



Terrible SEO (Search Engine Optimization)



On all of the rental platforms, their SEO is terrible. Many consider this to be one of the worst issues with using them. By not having access to the code, you can’t structure your data properly. Proper structure is how you rank higher in Google or other search engines.



Are their platforms ADA-compliant?



For me, this is the worst issue of them all. In November 2018, I wrote on this topic and I’ll be doing an update shortly. Quickly, last year there were 2,258 lawsuits filed by 50 plaintiffs. In order, the three highest states were New York, Florida, and California. As I discussed in the prior article, fifteen wineries in New York had just been sued by one plaintiff.



Wix’s ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Compliance statement:



Important:




Wix.com cannot guarantee or ensure that the use of our services is compliant with all accessibility laws and worldwide regulations.



You are responsible for reviewing and complying with local legislation applicable to you or to your site visitors.




Weebly’s ADA Compliance:



From the community forum, as of July 2018, they are still working on a solution. Currently, it’s up to the person developing the website to make sure they build a website that is compliant. This is from one of their users:



“I use Weebly drag and drop builder specifically because I don’t have the time to figure out where, or how, to change HTML & CSS codes.”



Squarespace’s ADA Compliance:



Note: This guide is available as a resource to help you get started, but shouldn’t be construed or relied upon as legal advice. Squarespace can’t provide advice about making your site compliant with specific web accessibility laws or acts.



With respect to the various hosting companies that offer website builders, the information on their websites was much the same.



Sadly, not one of them has anything in place to fully protect their renters. Further, if litigation is brought against one of their renters, the renter has no recourse against them.



Your website is an investment just like your home



How excited were you the day you bought your first home? Finally, you could stop making someone else rich and begin to build your own wealth. Renting your website from Wix, Weebly, Squarespace or using a template from your hosting company is doing the exact same thing. Making someone else rich.



Yes, you’ll still have fees for owning your own website, but just like owning a home, you now own the design.  Further, nobody will use your images and content as theirs. At least not legally.



If you decide you don’t like your hosting company, all you have to do is download your files and move to another one. Usually, in about 45 minutes you’ll be up and running with the new hosting company and you continue to grow your business.



What happens when you get sick and tired of the company you are renting your website from, or they decide they are sick and tired of you? You have nothing. Well, hopefully, you still have all of the images and text that you wrote on your own computer. How long is it going to take you to recreate all of that into a website? Longer than 45 minutes.



With respect to the fees I pay my hosting company, I look at it as a utility fee. I need lights, internet, and electricity to work. I also need a company with a powerful server to host my website.



Regarding the ADA compliance issues, if your website is developed in WordPress, there are currently three plugins you can use to become compliant. Two are free Accessibility by UserWay (the one I use and wrote on back in November) and WP Accessibility. Then from the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, you can purchase one for $347 per year. I still feel comfortable with the free one from UserWay.



Are you looking to get away from renting your website?



Where do you want to be with your website in 10 years?



Let’s chat.

### Be careful about what you wish for

A client decided to run Google Ads on two products that they are trying to get some traction on. One of the ads stated:




Hair Loss Treatment | Hair Loss ShampooFree Samples. Reactivates hair follicle stem cells, causing a new cycle of hair growth!




Both started with Free Samples.



Interest was picking up, and of course, those who wanted more than two free samples started showing up with their shenanigans. They were being weeded out, and the client was happy with the response they were getting.



That was until Friday, April 12th around 11:00 a.m., when suddenly, on their Facebook page they started getting messages like the following:




I’m having difficulty accessing your sample offer. Please help. I’ve been trying for over 2.5 hours.




By noon, over fifty people had gone to their Facebook page and messaged them complaining that they couldn’t get on the website and get their free samples. The samples are 1.5 oz bottles of shampoos and conditioners.



At this point, they had no idea how many people had ordered the samples, as by now their website had gone down. And they were looking for me to find out what was going on, further whatever was happening, PLEASE shut everything down.



Once I was able to get into their hosting account, I found that their allotted resources had been maxed out, which is what took their website down. After making some changes to their hosting and disabling all of their plugins, I was finally able to get the website back up.



Activating the plugins one at a time, I found the culprit causing the problems, WooCommerce. Again, once I disabled WooCommerce, the website worked fine. I then took a look at WordFence to see what kind of live traffic they were getting. I almost fell off my chair, someone was hitting their website every second landing on the free sample page.



Speaking with some colleagues, we all came to the same conclusion that due to the amount of traffic, more than likely the WooCommerce plugin was corrupted, and reinstalling it should fix the problems. No, that didn’t fix the problems. Our next theory was that a core WordPress file had been corrupted. Ugh, not difficult, but time-consuming, it was now time to uninstall and reinstall the entire website. Hopefully, this would solve the problem.



While I was going through the process, I went in search of finding who started all of this. I came across a website called, “Yo! Free Samples.” They had put one of the Google Ads on their website, and Facebook page, and probably sent an e-mail blast to all of their subscribers. They have 52,000+ Facebook people who like their page alone. A call to the client went something like this,



“Ever heard of Yo! Free Samples?”



“What, what did you say?”



“Ever heard of Yo! Free Samples?”



“Uh, no, what is it?”



“Well apparently, you and I are the only ones who have not heard of it. It’s a website where they list all of the free samples they find on the internet. And they listed our free sample page. This is where all of the traffic is coming from.”



“Shut it down now.”



“I have, the free sample page has been changed to the samples, and the front-page popup now says the offer is over.”



“Thanks.”



Once I had everything reinstalled the website worked fine. In the end, they received 1,649 orders for the free samples within a couple of hours of Yo! Free Samples publicizing the offer. Over 100 people messaged them on Facebook complaining that they couldn’t get their free samples.



It is unbelievable to me, that so many people were desperate to get their hands on two 1.5 oz samples of shampoo and conditioner.



Be careful about what you wish for.



Need help with Google Ads. Let’s chat.  

### The death of the sidebar



### Silencing the voices in my head

We all have them, the voices that wake you up in the middle of the night, or are sitting on your shoulder during the day asking, “What are you thinking? Who told you could do that? Why would anyone listen to you?” They go on and on, and you continue to listen to them. Well, at least I do. That was until a couple of weeks ago.



In January, a friend talked me into applying to be a speaker at WordCamp Miami 2019 on my e-book “How Color Can Work for You.” Not being one to shy away from applying for all kinds of things, I did. A couple of weeks later I got my acceptance email and didn’t think much more about it. That was until just before I was ready to speak.



I liked my presentation; I had practiced it several times. So much so that while walking my dog I could almost say the entire thing to myself from memory. I even went through the entire thing with a friend. But as I set up my computer and got my microphones ready. Yes, microphones, there were two of them one for the group I was speaking to and the other for the live stream for people all over the world to hear. They started.



One after another, “What are you doing? Do you know you are going to talk too fast? Do you really think you can do this? What makes you an expert?” Left with no other choice, I took a deep breath, and silently said to myself, “Oh shut up! Enough of you and your negative vibes! Yes, I can do this!” 



With what seemed like a flash, suddenly I was saying out loud, “Hi, my name is Patricia Meyer and I’m the CEO, COO, CFO, and head janitor of Big Max’s Studio, a creative agency in Fort Lauderdale, Florida…”



The rest is history, the presentation was well received, and hopefully, the voices have taken up residence in someone else’s head.



Are you holding yourself back because of the voices in your head? They are easier to get rid of than you may think. Let’s chat.

### Rejection - how it's delivered matters

Rejection is something no one likes. Sometimes it stings and other times the comments are good for reflection. Could your work or performance have been better? With one group of people, you get awards, with another, they leave you feeling that perhaps you should change professions. Or why were you crazy enough to even think about applying?



Over the last several years I have entered Graphic Design USA’s “American Graphic Design Awards” in three different categories logo design, website design, and books. I received their award in all three categories. I still remember how I felt when I saw first the award. Remembering that feeling has helped soften the gutt kick to the email below.



Creative Market is a place I often go to for inexpensive artwork for wedding invitations, backgrounds for custom Christmas cards I design, images for mockup artwork, and the like. I have been successfully selling a few predesigned WordPress child themes on another online marketplace and on this website and decided to apply to Creative Market. Twelve hours later, I received the following, I copied it directly, typos included:








Hi Patricia



Thank you for your interest in Creative Market and for taking the time to apply to open a shop! We wanted to take a moment to give you some feedback on your application.



After looking over your application, the quality of the work you’re currently presenting doesn’t match the standards we’ve set for our community. However, with a little time, we think your work could improve and transform into products that would be successful on our marketplace.



Here are some tips to help you get accepted:




Show completed products that you intend to sell



Demonstrate how your products would be useful for customers



Remove items from your portfolio that do not represent your best work




If it’s helpful to you, we recommend checking out the How-To and Tips & Trickssections of our blog, where you can learn about successfully presenting your work to Creative Market customers.



Please note that if you plan on reapplying, we won’t be able to accept you if you submit the same portfolio. Follow the guidelines above, make sure you put your best work forward, and update your portfolio to reflect it. When you’re ready, please re-submit your shop application by filling out this form again.



Sincerely,The Creative Market Team



Please note: Due to the large number of shop requests we receive, we cannot provide individual feedback. Thank you for understanding!




I was on the telephone with a client and when the email came in, and in the middle of our conversation I blurted out, “What the hell, who sends something like this?” Well, that sparked her curiosity, and followed with “Sends what?”



“Here I’ll forward it to you?”



“Okay, and shortly she blurted out, “Who in the hell sends something like this? Who are these people and why would you want to be involved with them? I would expect my daughter to get something like this from one of her teachers, but not a company.” Her daughter is going to a high school dedicated to the arts.



I also shared the email with a couple of other friends who all had the same response. The overwhelming consensus was perhaps they needed to re-read or more than likely read it for the first time, Emily Post.



As I said, in the beginning, there are ways to let someone know you don’t care to sell their products or use their services, without kicking them in the gut. Would it not have been better for Creative Market to say something along the lines “Sorry at the present time our market is saturated with what you are selling, and we are not opening new shops at this time.”



I find it interesting that they have an article on their website titled “9 Ways to Calm Your Brain When You’ve Been Rejected.” Right after they tell you to take a moment and cry it out, of course, they tell you it isn’t personal. Further, “It’s not you, it’s the product.” No, it’s personal to the person who just received their email and created the product. I’m quite sure the product did not produce itself.



All artwork is subjective. What is pleasing to someone, may have someone else saying, “What were they thinking?” Again, everyone knows you can’t please everyone no matter how hard you try. The question then is, why insult someone if you don’t like what they are offering?



In the end, I won’t be reapplying. The samples in my portfolio are complete, they would be useful to their customers, and they show my best work. At least that’s what I’ve been told by present and former clients, and Graphic Design USA three years in a row.



I do have a couple of questions for The Creative Market Team:




Did they really review my portfolio? If they are that swamped with people wanting to open stores, I’d expect it to take them a little longer than twelve hours to respond.



How would they possibly know whether something in my portfolio was completed or not?




If you have been following my posts, you know I always end with let’s chat, so if you like to add something to the conversation, let’s chat.

### Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colors: Part Two – How Color Works for You

Did you ever wonder why your first box of crayons had only eight colors? It all started in 1926 when the maker of crayons Binney & Smith acquired the Munsell Color Company’s line of crayons. The Munsell company had based their product line on the color wheel and in 1930 Binney & Smith, also adopted the use of the color wheel.



How does the color wheel work? It’s broken down into three sections, primary, secondary, and tertiary.



Primary Colors







Where everything begins:



Red, Yellow, and Blue



On the color wheel, you see red is at the top and yellow is on the right with blue being on the left.



Secondary Colors



Next comes the secondary colors which are a mix of the primary colors:



Red and Yellow = Orange



Yellow and Blue = Green



Blue and Red = Purple



You will find orange in the upper right-hand side, purple in the left-hand side, and green at the bottom of the color wheel above.



Tertiary Colors



When you mix primary and secondary colors, you get tertiary colors which are:



Red-orange, Yellow-orange, Yellow-green, Blue-green, Blue-purple and Red-purple



On the color wheel, you will see that, red-orange sits between red and orange, yellow-orange between orange and yellow, yellow-green between yellow and green, blue-green between green and blue, blue-purple between blue and purple and finally, red-purple between purple and red.



Color Harmony



You achieve color harmony when the colors are pleasing to the eye. Viewers will be engaged, and it creates an inner sense of order and balance. When something is not harmonious, it will be seen as either boring or chaotic. If the visual experience is so bland, you will not engage a viewer. On the other hand, you will not engage a viewer, if something overdone or so chaotic. It is built into our brains what we cannot understand, we reject. Color harmony requires a logical structure and a sense of order.



Formulas for Color Harmony



Formulas to achieve color harmony can be a simple process or something that will make you want to rip your hair out. It all depends on how many colors you want to mix together. 













Analogous Colors



Analogous colors are any three colors that are side by side on a 12-part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominate.









Split-Complementary Colors



Split-complementary colors work similarly to complementary, but they use more colors. As an example, if you choose the blue color you need to take two others which are adjacent to its opposite color meaning yellow and red. The contrast here is less sharp than in complementary colors but it allows the use of more colors.















Complementary Colors



Complementary colors are any two colors that are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green. These opposing colors create an unconscious peach of mind and well-being.









Double-Complementary Colors



Double-complementary colors are the most difficult to balance. You use four colors from the wheel which are complementary pairs. When you connect the points, they form the square. It is hard to harmonize but if done correctly, the results are stunning.











The answer to “Why did your first box of crayons have only eight colors?” As you learned in “The Basics: Part One – How Color Can Work for You” they are the basics.



Are you trying to combine colors, but they just don’t look right, let’s chat?

### The Basics: Part One – How Color Can Work for You



### Time well spent, at least I thought so and so did many others

Time, it’s something none of us seem to have enough of. When you talk about free time, for many that’s just a dream. So, when decided to not only purchase wreaths for my relatives who are buried in military cemeteries but to also volunteer to place them I hoped this was going to be time well spent. I could not have been happier.



For those who don’t know about the non-profit Wreaths Across America (“WAA”), it is an organization started by Morrill Worcester, owner of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington, Maine. Here is his story and how WAA began:



Morrill Worcester, the owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine, was a 12-year-old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News when he won a trip to Washington D.C. His first trip to our nation’s capital was one he would never forget, and Arlington National Cemetery made an especially indelible impression on him. This experience followed him throughout his life and successful career, reminding him that his good fortune was due, in large part, to the values of this nation and the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.



In 1992, Worcester Wreath found themselves with a surplus of wreaths nearing the end of the holiday season. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington, Worcester realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the aid of Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for the wreaths to be placed at Arlington in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.



The organization’s mission is to,



REMEMBER our fallen U. S. Veterans



HONOR those who serve



TEACH children the value of freedom



The annual tribute went on quietly for several years, until 2005, when a photo of the stones at Arlington, adorned with wreaths and covered in snow, circulated around the internet. Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their National and State cemeteries, or to simply share their stories and thank Morrill Worcester for honoring our nation’s heroes. December 13, 2008, was unanimously voted by the US Congress as “Wreaths Across America Day.” For more information, please see their website.



I’ve known about them for several years and it was always, “One of the things I was going to do.” After seeing them on a morning news show this year, I asked myself, “What am I waiting for?” and went on the website and ordered two wreaths, one for my grandparents and one for my uncle. But I still didn’t click the volunteer button. A few days later, I went back and click the volunteer button. Once I registered, I was surprised to see that 188 people had already registered to lay wreaths at South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida.



Lake Worth is about 45 minutes north of me, so I left in plenty of time to get there to see the ceremony before the wreath laying began. Imagine my surprise when I got there and had to park almost a mile away on the side of the road from the gates to the cemetery. I was planning on parking at the cemetery. Silly me.



As I got to the main area, now late, there were hundreds of people already there. Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies, a high school soccer team. And last but not least, motorcycle clubs. Easily there where are at least 100 or more bikers. Most are a little older than me, and many are Vietnam veterans.



After the ceremony, the chaos of the wreath laying began. The wreaths were in boxes inside Walmart semi-trucks. Once they started handing out the wreaths everyone was trying to grab one. Yes, they had enough for everyone, but everyone wanted to make sure they got one. To watch eight-year-old Cub Scouts and Brownies run from the truck to a grave, state the person’s name, and say, “Thank you for your service.” then immediately run back to get another one was heartwarming.



Others that were there were family members and friends looking for a loved one’s grave. They had a map of the cemetery that was highlighted in yellow where their family member and or friends were. Some took pictures standing behind the headstone with the wreath placed. Yes, there were tears in my eyes.



As we walked further back into the rows of headstones, the question became amongst the crowd, “Do we place them on Jewish graves?” No one seemed to know, so I found someone with the organization and his answer was, “Don’t worry about it, after everyone leaves, we remove them from the Jewish graves. Typically, we only have enough for the Christian graves.” The organization calls it a wreath of honor, but due to the fact they do it near Christmas and use red ribbons and ferns, symbols of Christmas, others don’t see it that way. With that, they decided to just remove them from all Jewish graves. The farther back we went fewer and fewer people were placing them on Jewish graves.



The area of the cemetery I was in was people who passed between 2008 to 2009. All either served in WWII or Korea. Fitting as my grandfather was in WWII and my uncle was in Korea. Not having a family member there, I found a veteran whose last name was Smith, my grandparents and uncle’s last name, and said, “Patrick J. Smith, thank you for your service.” I think I placed about fifteen wreaths, and after I placed the last one, I decided my mission was accomplished. It was a cool day in South Florida, but the humidity was 98% and from where I was I had another mile walk ahead of me to get back to my car.



I don’t know what I was really expecting, it never crossed my mind that families and friends would be there looking for loved ones. What I do know is, it made my time well spent, and I’ll do it again next year.



If you have an organization that is close to your heart that needs help in getting noticed, then let’s chat?

### ADA accessibility compliance; time to comply is now not later

ADA accessibility (Americans with Disabilities Act), we’ve all heard about it, and most of us have probably thought about it, but how many of us have actually done something about it? After a quick search through a number of websites from medium and small companies, I could not find one that was compliant. If you are in the United States, the time is now for you to get compliant.



This all started the other day when a friend who is a wine distributor called and said, “There is an article in Wine Spectator about fifteen wineries on Long Island being sued because their websites weren’t accessible to the visually impaired.” I responded with, “Please forward me the article.”



Lawsuits are being filed all over the country for non-compliance with the ADA’s Title III, Section 508 (Website Accessibility) requirements. For all of 2017, there were 7,663 lawsuits filed. In the first half of 2018, there were 4,965 filed. It is projected that there will be a 30% increase in filings, by the end of 2018.



California leads this year with 2,155, followed by New York with 1,026, then Florida with 882. After Florida, the numbers drop considerably with only seven other states having claims filed. Those include Arizona (87), Pennsylvania (73), Texas (68), Georgia (65), Louisiana (57), Massachusetts (49), and New Jersey (48).



A problem for everyone at this point in time is, the Department of Justice does not have any clear guidelines in place on how the ADA applies to the internet. According to the article, “The department is still evaluating whether specific web-accessibility standards are necessary to ensure compliance with the ADA. For a compatible set of online-compliance standards, they have opted to refer to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Unfortunately, this has given lawyers looking to make a quick buck an express pass on the lawsuit superhighway.



In 2017, a class-action suit was filed against Blick Art Materials, LLC (“Blick[s]”). While the suit is still in its infancy, the Judge has already dismissed Blick’s Motion to Dismiss. The Plaintiff(s) claims in the lawsuit Blick’s website is “difficult, if not impossible for blind customers to use.” It is the intent of the lawsuit to cover all legally blind individuals. Blick’s is a New York corporation and the New York courts have adopted and ordered businesses to comply with the W3C guidelines. This includes implementing features like screen-reading software, making the color, word spacing, and text size customizable to website visitors. All browsers, i.e., Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc. already make it very easy to change your text size.



While this would be wonderful in a perfect world, Chris Danielsen, director of public relations for the National Federation of the Blind, recommends that businesses with online platforms work directly with visually-impaired consumers. The theory is “It basically incorporates human testing into the process of making a website accessible.” As I said, this would be wonderful in a perfect world.



After reading the article and my research, I realized it was now time for me to get my website and my client’s websites compliant. I’m not in the mood for a lawsuit and neither are they. But the first question was, “Exactly how do I go about doing this?” It’s not possible for me to have a visually-impaired person sitting next to me going over every single client’s website.



Since were are no longer just worrying about images and alt tags, a quick Google search brought up several plugins that offered solutions. The plugin I found most user-friendly and free was Accessibility by UserWay. They have over 5,000 active installations and a strong five-star rating. With the UserWay widget, without refactoring your website’s existing code, the following is taken care of:



The existing code will be increased to be compliant with WCAG 2.0, ATAG 2.0, and Section 508 requirements.



Strengthen any weak spots that might cause issues.



Your website will be more accessible for those with mobility issues as well.



I’ve installed it on my website as well as several clients’ websites, and the process takes roughly 10 minutes. While it may not cover everything, because at this point in time no one knows what everything is, I and my clients can at least prove we are trying to help those who are visually and mobility impaired.



If your website is on the Squarespace, Weebly, or the Wix platform, none of them have any solutions. They have a lot of suggestions, with statements like “Coming Soon,” and then this from Wix:



Currently, you can improve your site’s accessibility by following the steps in this article. However, Wix.com cannot guarantee or ensure that the use of our services is compliant with all accessibility laws and worldwide regulations.



Important:



You are responsible for reviewing and complying with local legislation applicable to you or to your site visitors.



We are always working to update and improve our products, and your feedback is hugely appreciated.



Are you on one of these platforms? Or do you need help with setting up the Accessibility by UserWay plugin, then let’s chat?

### An image is worth a 1,000 words; or is it?

An image; how many times have you heard that it speaks louder than words? In most cases that’s true, but what happens when it’s not?



When your client sends you an image that they firmly believe is, “Just what we need for the website,” and all you want to say is, “Really?!” What do you do next?



Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “Well it’s your website, whatever.”



Call the client and try not to sound too condescending when questioning their idea of a great image.



Find your trusty Photoshop expert and hope they can do something with it without costing an arm and a leg.



Open Photoshop or Photoshop Elements and hope that you can fix it.



Say under your breath one more time, “Why didn’t they just use a professional photographer, don’t they understand how important this is?”



Actually, the above image was shot by a professional photographer, and I was in the photo shoot. From years of experience, I knew in advance I was going to have to take the background out. Rant time; I’ll never understand why when you use a white backdrop, it comes out gray. Rant over.



This shot was one of many, and they all looked the same. Further, the shots looked great on the display of the camera. It wasn’t until I opened them on my big beautiful 27” display that I saw they looked like they had been out drinking all night.



Did I panic? No, because I know how to use two wonderful tools in Photoshop. With years of experience using the Polygonal Lasso and the Transform Skew Tools I knew I could fix them without a problem. These tools are also found in Photoshop Elements.



If you’ve never heard of the Polygonal Lasso and Transform Skew Tools or just haven’t had any success using them, then my step-by-step free tutorial, “5 Easy Steps to Remove Unwanted Backgrounds and Straightening Crooked Images Quickly” is for you. In this tutorial, you will learn my process and become comfortable with each tool in no time.



You completed the tutorial, and are comfortable using the tools, but just don’t want to work with them, so let’s chat.

### Typography; a wonderful world of typefaces for everyone

Typography; for some it is a mystery for others it’s a world of wonder. I fall into the second group. For as far back as I can remember, studying the different nuances of all of the typefaces out there has been a joy for me.

I’ve always felt fortunate to have gone to art school when I did. The computer was just coming into play so all mockups were done by hand. You hand-lettered all of your type with a radiograph pen. To this day, I believe this practice gives you a much better understanding of how typefaces work together. As much as I enjoyed that time, even I don’t hand-letter any longer, but I do apply the rules I learned then now.
The difference between a typeface and a font
The first thing you need to understand is the difference between a typeface and a font. A typeface is the actual character set you use, such as Helvetica, Calibri, Times, etc. A font is the specific style and size of the typeface. For example, you choose Helvetica as your typeface, then set the size to 12pt and the style to bold, that is your font.
What makes a typeface work
To help you understand what makes a typeface work, here are the five elements of a typeface as in the pictured above.
The point size refers to the total height of a font
The x-height refers to the distance between the top and bottom (or baseline) of a lowercase letter
The cap height refers to the distance between the top of the lowercase and the top of the uppercase
The ascender is the portion of the uppercase that ascends from the cap height line to the top of the lowercase
And, the descender is the portion of the lowercase that descends past the baseline.

The six typeface categories
There is some disagreement in the typography world of whether there are five or six categories. The disagreement is whether typefaces considered handwritten belong under script or a category of its own. For me, I believe it’s a category of its own. Below are samples of each category:


How to choose a typeface to match your design
Think of typefaces having personalities. If you are designing an invitation for a child’s birthday party, you are going to want something playfully like these found at Creative Market. And they have many more you can play with. Most of these would fall under the Decorative category so you would want to use them sparingly. To complement the decorative font, you want to use something more neutral from the sans-serif or serif typefaces.


		
		
			
				
			
			
				
			
			
				
			
		

Mixing the sans-serif and serifs in the design
Sans-serif and serifs mix well together. Although there is an ongoing debate about this, serif typefaces work better for the text in a print document, while sans-serifs typefaces work better for text on-screen.  The theory is, in printed pieces, serif typefaces are thought to move the eye along more effectively and increase your reading speed. Whereas, sans-serif typefaces with their simplified letters display more clear on-screen.

Whether you are designing for print or a digital piece, you want to create a contrast. Mixing sans-serif and serifs is a good first start. Follow that with different font weights and heights to make different areas stand apart from one another. You can also change the kerning. Kerning is the space between each letter. If you are designing a website, whether, in WordPress or any other program, it’s called letter-spacing.

Now with that being said, you can achieve the same goal by using one typeface and make the same changes mentioned above.

The one thing you want to avoid is causing a conflict. What causes conflicts are if, you use a fine serif typeface and then combine it with a heavy sans-serif typeface. You could quickly end up with a Goliath and David look.

Good rules for pairing typefaces  to follow are:



With respect to slab-serif and handwritten, they come under sans-serif and script respectively.
Limited the number of typefaces you use
Out of all the rules there are in typography, this should be number one. The tried and true rule is on any project you should use no more than two or three typefaces. The only era that broke this rule on a regular base is the Victorian era. But back then everything was overly decorative. Once again it’s that old saying, less is more.

The best way to get comfortable in the wonderful world of typography is to just play around with all of the different typefaces out there. And the best place I stumbled across the other day on Product Hunt to find all of the kinds of different type foundries (people and or companies that design typefaces) is the Type Foundry Index. The website is incredible, the best part being is they tell you which foundries allow you to test out their typefaces. I always prefer to test drive a new typeface family before I download it, install it and then decide I can't stand the thing.

If you are having problems with your typography, let's chat.

### No, Facebook should not be your company’s website, and here’s why



### Ready.Set.Launch.! A custom Wordpress website in a week



### Divi vs. Elementor and GeneratePress

I have been using Divi by Elegant Themes since late 2014. During that time I have developed approximately 80 websites, as well as developed and sold child themes. Last year, I authored the book “Dos and Dont’s + 30 + Divi CSS Snippets + Manually Moving WordPress.” I’m not sure whether I would have accomplished all that had I, not dove into Divi head first.

For the last couple of months, I was becoming more and more frustrated with Divi. Primarily due to the constant updates. Sometimes two a week. It was being to feel as though modifications were being made to the software, update notices sent, but, the modifications were never really tested for potential problems. Almost immediately, people would be complaining that an update broke their website. A couple of days later, I see another update notice to fix the problems that were caused by the update a couple of days earlier. Managing numerous websites, it was just becoming too much.

While my tendency is to do all of my designing on the backside, I decided it was time to start using the visual builder on the last site I built with Divi.  I enjoyed being able to see it come to life. That enjoyment soon came to an end with more timeout errors and failed saves than I could have possibly imagined.

Now that I was hooked on the potential for a visual builder, I went in search of another solution. I chose GeneratePress and Elementor. First, neither of the free versions satisfied everything I wanted to do on my first build. So, I purchase both pro versions. One thing I’ve always liked about Divi is the lifetime license. Unfortunately, they are the only ones in the world of pages builders that offer one.

Building my first site with Elementor and GeneratePress went very smooth. It was a simple one-page website that didn’t require any extra coding. I was happy and decided to dive in a little deeper, and began converting my website. Since I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel, I just migrated my Divi website to my local server and started changing out the pages from one platform to the other.

Overall, the process went well, but here are some of the hiccups:

 	Knowing it was going to be a pain, removing all of the shortcodes was frustrating and I soon began to question, why so much was necessary.
 	Trying to get a full-width image with Elementor and GeneratePress is a very convoluted task. Why three steps?
 	GeneratePress no longer supporting Font Awesome seems strange. The philosophy less is better doesn’t really fly when you have to add another plugin to accomplish this.
 	Speaking of plugins, it began to feel in order for me to do a lot of tasks that are built into Divi, I was having to buy another plugin to accomplish things. I like to keep my plugins to a minimum.
 	Caldera Forms integration is awkward. The only way I could insert a form without having to go back and forth getting the shortcode for a particular form was to use another plugin.
 	The lack of integration with Essential Grid was frustrating.

In the end, what do I prefer, I’d like a combination of all three pieces of software. Divi right now is winning for a couple of reasons:

 	Plugins that rely on for almost all builds are easily integrated as stated above.
 	I like the page builder and theme is one product.
 	Never knew I liked the Project section in Divi until I didn't have it.
 	I soon learned to love the built-in items in the Secondary Menu. Although I accomplish what I wanted with just a little CSS.
 	As stated earlier, the biggest drawback for me for both Elementor and GeneratorPress is the lack of lifetime licenses. At some point, it seems as though things should be consider paid in full. Otherwise, are we not just renting the platforms? Also if a client whose website I built on Divi decides not to use me for a care plan, I don’t worry about the Divi license. I made my investment back on it long ago. Further, I feel awkward to quote a price to design a website, which includes the cost of the software to later say, “Oh by the way you need to start paying for the glue that is holding your website together.” That may be a generational thing.

With my program that is being launched next, “Ready Set Launch” I can see more websites not heavy with galleries being built with Elementor and GeneratePress. And, yes, there will be a disclaimer that once the contract is completed, the client will have to put both licenses in their name.

For those of you who were curious to see which platform my website is now on, yes it’s still Divi. While a great deal has been changed over, there is so much more to do and I’ve learned what I wanted to.

Having any questions?

Let’s chat.

 

 

 

 

### How long will it take to design or redesign my website?

The best and most honest answer, to the famous question of, "How long?" It depends, as there are many parts to put a website together, for both the client and the designer.

When I first speak with a prospective new client I ask the following questions:
For someone who either has a website currently or has had a website:

 	If you had a website but are no longer using it, do you have any of the content from that website?
 	What don’t you like about your current or previous website?
 	What do you like about your current or previous website?
 	How long has your current website been live?
 	When did you take your previous website down?
 	What parts would you like to change and what parts would you like to keep?

For a prospective new client who has never had a website:

 	Is your written content ready?
 	Do you need help with writing your content?
 	Do you have the photographs you would like to use?
 	Are you going to need to purchase some stock photography? If so, what is your budget?
 	Do you have a logo or do you need one designed?
 	If you need a logo designed what are your favorite colors?
 	Do you have an icon you would like to use in your logo?
 	Do you have any products you are going to want to sell on your website?
 	If so, do you have professional photographs of your product(s) or do you need help in finding a photographer?
 	Does your industry require you to have specific privacy or terms and condition pages? If so, do you have the information available or is there a resource we can get the information from?

Once the prospective client and I have gone through the answers to each of the questions above, we can then lay out a plan to design or redesign a website.

So as you can see, the answer to the question, “How long will it take to design or redesign my website?” really is “It depends.”

Are you stuck in trying to get your website launched? Do you know it needs a facelift but not sure what you want?

Have the questions above helped you, but you don’t know where to turn?

Let’s chat.

### Licenses keys, do you own them or does the website developer/designer?

The answer is, it depends on the developer/designers business model. For me, the answer is both.

All of my WordPress designs are based on Elegant Themes’ Divi theme. If you are reading this and don’t know what a theme is, we discussed it in last week’s article, “Great, this WordPress theme comes with everything I need!”

In 2013, I purchased a lifetime license from them for $180.00. I’m not a big fan of paying for annual subscriptions year after year. It’s kind of like leasing a car, someone’s making money on it and it’s not me. I’m now making money each and every time I begin a new website build. I insert my username and license key and don’t think any more about it.

I often read about designers being upset that a client has decided not to use them to maintain their website after it goes live, and they immediately want to remove all of the software licenses. If it’s a lifetime license, I find this both childish and petty. I’ve always wanted to answer them with, “What’s the big deal? Haven’t you made your costs back several times over?” If the client decides not to use me to maintain their website, I wish them luck and move on.

Now if we are talking about an annual license, that’s a different story. Remember, for me, this only applies to plugins. Plugins are the software that makes the bells and whistles of your website sparkle. I’ve changed how I handle this over the last couple of years. In the beginning, I would put all licenses in my name, and allowed the reoccurring charges to keep hitting my credit year after year. Yeah, sometimes I’m a little slow on things. Even in the beginning, my process was to first look for a free version, not all free versions are poorly written. If a free version is not available, then I look for a solution that offers a lifetime license. If it’s a plugin that I feel I’ll use more than once, I’ll buy a lifetime license. Again, if it’s used over and over again, I’ll more than make my cost back.

When it comes to plugins that only offer annual subscriptions, I contact the client and explain the research I’ve done, why I feel they need this particular plugin. We discuss the costs now and what they will be forward. If approved, all of the information is in the client’s name.

There is a theory out there that WordPress offers a free solution, and that is partially true. You can use a free theme and free plugins. But, more times than not, you won’t end up with the website you were hoping for.

The licensing business in the WordPress world is huge. In 2017, ThemeForest sold $138 million in themes only. The only statistics I could find on plugins was from December 2016, where it was estimated that there were over 56 million free and paid available. As I said it’s a huge business.

The answer to the question of who owns the license(s) for the software making your website hum along, unfortunately, if your developer/designer hasn’t discussed this with you, is, who knows.

Do you know what theme and plugins are driving your website?

Do you know if you own the licenses? If you leave your developer/designer are you in for a very rude surprise.

If the answer is either “I don’t know” or “No,” let’s chat.

Photographic by Richard Payette on Unsplash

### Great, this WordPress theme comes with everything I need!

Or does it really? A few weeks ago I wrote about taking over the maintenance of a WordPress website and how in my initial review, I found numerous problems. I now know how the problems started, a WordPress theme that had everything included. Or so the original company thought, or maybe they knew the scam they are running.

Since I am both a WordPress developer and designer, I don’t buy premade themes. The difference being a developer you can write code. A designer does not. What is a theme you ask? The best way to describe it is from WordPress Codex:
A WordPress Theme is a collection of files that work together to produce a graphical interface with an underlying unifying design for a weblog. These files are called template files. A Theme modifies the way the site is displayed, without modifying the underlying software.
The original company who put this website together purchased a pre-made theme that came with the following premium plugins:

 	Visual Composer is now known as WPBakery
 	LayerSlider

A plugin is a fancy word for software and premium means you have to purchase it. Once you purchase it you will get a license key that gives you support and future updates to the software. If you remember back when I first took a look under the hood of this website, twenty-two plugins needed to be updated.

In moving this website from one hosting account to another, immediately I knew LayerSlider had never been purchased. Any page that had a slideshow on it was blank. While it had been installed, and yes you can use it without a license at some point in time, it will quit working and render your pages blank.

Once I started updating all of the other plugins, I soon discovered Visual Composer/WPBakery also came installed, but the former company never purchased a license for this software either. The day soon became one of sending emails to the client, “Oh, by the way, you need to purchase….” With the final email being, “Oh, you need to purchase a license for the theme they used.” Yes, the theme was also several versions out-of-date and needed to be updated.

The moral of this story, not only buyer beware as to who is building and or maintaining your website, but, if you choose to purchase a predesigned theme, buyer beware of what really comes with it. Further, how much are all of the extras that make this theme sparkle going to cost you? Are they one-time purchases or do you have to renew them every year?

For this client, the, “Oh you need to purchase…,” emails only cost them $132.00. One of the plugins is a yearly license, so every year it’s another $45.00. Not much, except they paid thousands originally for their website.

Do you know what’s under the hood of your website? Was all of the software making your website purr purchased if necessary?

If not or you don’t know, let’s chat.

### What do you really know about the company you are purchasing your website maintenance from or design for that matter?

I’m taking over the maintenance on a website that hasn’t been updated, in, I don’t know how long. When I first logged into the Dashboard area, I found there were twenty-one plugins and a theme that needed to be updated. I do know that has been at least four months since any updates were done. The Yoast SEO plugin installed is version is 6.1.1 and the updated version is 7.4.2. Their 6.1.1 version was current in January 2018. In the world of WordPress updates, we all know four months is a very long time.

The incoming client was paying $50 a month for hosting and maintenance, and expecting to get:
Basic Support
Software Updates
Uptime & Security Monitoring
30 Minutes Support Time
The above list is pretty much the standard for all basic WordPress maintenance care plans. As the Dashboard clearly shows, they did not get what they paid for.

When this website was developed, the developer installed the Contact-7 Form plugin. In order for a form to retain the information submitted, an addon plugin is required. That wasn’t done. As instructed, customers have been submitting the form for the warranty on the products they have purchased. Unfortunately, she has no record of any of those registrations. As the client put it to me the other day, “So my registrations are just going to la la land?” Sadly, I had to respond with yes.

The company that was handling the maintenance is the same company that developed the website. Or is it? Trying to get the form submissions to work has been an ongoing problem for her. The “developer,” and I’m now using that term very loosely, the only answer has been, “I just don’t understand why you aren’t getting the registrations.” She’s had a few other questions for him, and his standard answer has been, “I’ll have to get back with you on that.” The client now believes that the development of this website was farmed out to a third party, and he knows nothing about website development. So do I.

When hiring a website maintenance and or development company, I recommend you ask for references that you can contact. Unfortunately, it is very easy for someone to cut and paste very impressive company logos and place them on their website giving you the buyer the impression they are clients of that company.

On the website for this particular company, it states that they have built websites for: “hedge funds, professional athletes, medical software companies, internet security firms, interior designers, TV personalities, political campaigns, As Seen on TV products, famous artists, heavyweight boxing promoters, actors, lawyers, and of course bars, restaurants, and hotels.” Funny, not really, but there is no portfolio on his website from all of this prior work.

Before I agree to take on any new WordPress maintenance client, I ask for the login information into the Dashboard. I need to know what I’m getting myself into for couple reasons:

 	What is the structure of the website, i.e. was it built correctly.
 	What plugins were used and have they been kept up to date?
 	If the website is not working properly what are the problems, and do I know how to fix them?

After I answer the questions above, I can then recommend the right WordPress maintenance care plan for them. Or, chose not to take the project on.

If you contact a company for continuing maintenance on your WordPress website, and you are not asked for the login information to the Dashboard, before they give you a price, as Jenny said, “Run Forrest, Run!”

As far as design goes, if the company claims to have built websites for just about every professional imageable but has no portfolio, again, “Run Forrest, Run!”

Do you need a WordPress maintenance company you can trust?

Does your current WordPress website need a facelift or do you need a new WordPress website?

If so, let’s talk.

### One-page or a multi-page website? Which is best for you?

After suggesting a one-page website to a potential client, the response was, “A one-page website? What can I possibly accomplish with that?” I explained that since there was only minimal content, it would be more beneficial than a multi-page website, “You will not be putting little drips and drabbles on several pages, making your visitors experience less than desirable.” Like many with a new business, they wanted to take a tri-fold brochure and turn it into a website.

Until recently, I hadn’t been completely sold on them either. That was until my client, Jim Bertrand of Bertrand Landscaping came to me and said he wanted all of his categories and images on his homepage. I believe my first comment was, “Why?”
“I was in Paris this summer looking for a restaurant and came across this site. Look all of you have to do is scroll up and you see everything you need. Aren’t websites supposed to be designed for mobile first nowadays?”
“Yes, when designing a website, I do think of mobile first. But, Jim you have five categories all with at least six images each. That’s thirty images loading on one page. I don’t recommend it. I can’t image how long it’s going to take for all of those images to completely load.”
“When I first meet with a new client, none of them have a laptop with them, they are on their phones or tablets. I need for them to see everything on my website as quickly as possible,” he said.
“Okay, we'll give it a try.”
Much to my surprise when finished, it did load quickly, and I liked the look on both desktop, laptop and mobile.

This was an easy transition as each gallery had been built with the Essential Grid plugin. Once the different sections were set up on the homepage, all I had to do was input the shortcodes for the individual galleries. He wanted to keep the navigation menu, so instead of linking to the different pages, I changed the navigation to link to the different sections.

As far as content goes, on Jim’s multipage website there was only one section on his homepage that had any written content. His content is his images.

Yes, converting his multipage site to a one-page website was the right decision.

I’ve become a big fan of one-page designs and have converted several clients multipage websites into a single page. All of them are for very specific industries and have minimal content. The websites are:

Lisa Curtin and Associates

Cando Computer Services

Florida Notary a Mobile Notary Service

Cold Air Now

Michell Gordon Studio

Is a one-page website right for you?

Let’s explore your needs and find out what will work best for you.

### Inspiration; where do you find it when designing a logo?

Inspiration; where do you find it when a client comes to you for a new logo design is a question I’m often asked.

When I first speak with a client regarding a new logo design, I ask them two questions:

 	What are your favorite colors?
 	Do you have an icon idea that you would like your logo design to have in it?

Here are two recent logo designs from the answers to those two questions.

The MullenGroup
Kathy Mullen found me through LinkedIn Profinder. She is a realtor and while new to the Palm Beach Gardens area, she is a Florida native. Acknowledging it was cliché, she knew she wanted a palm tree in her logo. Her favorite color is magenta.
With magenta being such a strong color, I wanted the accent color to be soft and complimentary. I accomplished this by using fifty-percent of black. Once the business cards were printed on a fourteen point matte paper with a silk finish, the gray actually took on the look of silver.
When it came to the palm tree, I didn’t want to just plop a tree anywhere just for the sake of plopping a palm tree in the design. In the near future, Kathy will have other realtors working underneath her, the palm tree was designed as an umbrella to cover the group.
The fonts I used were Frutiger Roman and Baskerville Regular
Athena Tergis

Athena is a world renown Irish fiddle player. Last year, I designed for her and her husband, Mario Bollag the award-winning website Terrasole for their Italian winery. She came to me this year to design her website. My first step though was to design her logo.
When I asked Athena, about her favorite colors and what she would like in her logo, her response was, “I don’t know, what do you think?”
I definitely thought the logo needed a fiddle, but not just an image of a fiddle. I wanted it to be more of a suggestion of a fiddle. Being known for five pegged fiddle, the design also had to include the fifth peg.
When it came to the colors, I wanted a green, but not Kelly green and went with Pantone 5753, more of an olive green. For the fiddle, I knew I didn’t want to use brown since there are many brown and gold tones in her fiddle. I chose to go with Pantone 132 one of their gold colors.
The fonts I used were Goudy Old Style and Frutiger Light.
Inspiration; what is your inspiration for a  logo design? Do you currently have a logo that needs to be freshened up? Click here and let’s talk about it.

### Word is not a typewriter; nor is it a design program!

Recently, I went round and round with a client on why she shouldn't use Word to layout a book she was independently publishing. A member of her family had worked on it with her using Word for the layout and design. When he finished, he prepared a PDF (Portable Document Format)  and though everything was fine. No, it wasn't.

Sometimes when I see something that makes my skin crawl, yes, bad typography will make my skin crawl my level of tack seems to be quite low. Since I was designing the cover of the book, she stopped by to work on it with me, and, happened to have the manuscript with her. As I flipped through the pages, I became more and more horrified that she was going to send this off to the printer. This was a life goal of hers to finally have a book published with her name on it. For years, she had helped others get their books published, but none of them had her name on it.

Finally, I had seen enough and out came, "You can't publish this. It looks incredibly unprofessional. You have double spaces, and sometimes even more after all of your punctuation! There are half inch gaps between words on some pages! Send me the file and I'll lay it out correctly." Thankfully she agreed.

Upon opening the document, the first thing I did was a Find/Replace on the number of spaces after a period. Up came 721 instances of double, triple and quadruple spaces. In the typography and publishing world, that means there were 721 typos. I did the same for question marks, explanation marks, and colons. While not as many, all had too many spaces.

This is not a new argument for me. It always starts with, "But I was taught you always put two spaces after a period."

"That's true and so was I, but things have changed and I'll explain what has changed."

Back when we were all typing on a typewriter, the characters were monospaced, meaning each character took the same amount of space. But, in 1966, IBM introduced the IBM Composer later called the IBM Selectric Composer which was the first typewriter that did proportional spacing. Actually, it was referred to as the first desktop typesetting machine.

With the advent of the IBM Selectric Composer, no longer did an (m) and a period (.) take the same amount of space. A good example is the letter (i) takes up about one-fifth of the space as an (m). When using any word processing program today such as Word, Pages or any of the open source programs out there, the program will automatically put a space and a half when you type a period, question mark, explanation mark or colon. By the way, this also applies to the Internet.

Why shouldn't we use Word or any of other word processing programs as design programs you ask. The reason is very simple, that's not what they were made for.

In print media, the greater percent of documents are set to justify the text.  What justify means is, every line on the right side of the document ends exactly at the setting of the right margin. Further, I'm starting to see more and more websites using justify with the same poor results. The problem with all word processing and website publishing programs is, while they can calculate the proportional space of each character, they are terrible at calculating the space between words. It's almost as if it is a guessing game for them. It seems they are all programmed to just put big spaces in between words to achieve the goal of justifying the text. While there are workarounds, such as putting hard returns (holding the shift bar when you hit the return key) to close the space, those offer a whole new set of problems.

If you send your document by PDF you'll be fine. If you send your document as a Word, Pages, etc., it's a hit or miss situation on whether the hard returns will come out in the same place. This also holds true for the Internet with the advent of responsive design. Further, if you send or upload your word processing document to someone to lay it out in one of the true design programs such as InDesign or Quark, all of those hard returns have to be removed. While that can be done by using Fine/Replace, the person who is attempting to layout your document will be saying very unkind things about you in the process.

For more of the does and don'ts in both print and internet publishing, whether you are on a Mac, PC or are a blogger, order a copy of  "The Mac is Not a Typewriter" written by Robin Williams. Original published it in 1989, with the 2nd edition being published in 2003, the information still holds true to today.

In the end, my question is if you've just finished a lifelong goal of writing a book or your dream website, is it not worth it, to do it correctly?

### All for the love of beautiful fonts

I've always wanted to design a font set. Today I read about a challenge on Instagram called "My Beautiful Alphabet (#mybeautifulalphabet)." The goal is to design a font for each letter of the alphabet for the next 26 weeks. The font can be drawn by hand, roughly sketched, or you can take a font already created and alter or embellish it.

I jumped at the challenge. To create the letter A, I started on my Wacom tablet drawing out the basic lines. After I had the lines positioned where I wanted them, I then applied different point sizes of the Calligraphy brush in Illustrator.

### No, You Don't Look Cool Smoking!

Of all the important dates in my life that I can’t remember, this is one I’ve never forgotten, May 24, 1982, the day I quit smoking. I had taken a job where there was an absolute no questions asked no smoking policy. I wasn't even allowed to become one of the many who had recently been relegated to standing outside for smoking breaks.

I was never a heavy smoker, but I started in the sixth grade. After all, Rodney Wilson smoked, and he was cool, and I had a huge crush on him. So during recess, a few of us would sneak down to the creek for a quick smoke. In junior high and high school, it was an on and off thing. Actually, until the day I quit, I was an on and off again smoker. When I became an adult, I smoked because my grandmother did and I wanted to be just like her. If memory serves me, she wasn’t thrilled that I had picked up her “nasty habit” as she referred to it.

So, why am I writing about this now you ask? Two days ago one of my very closest friends and client Lisa, had a carotid endarterectomy. She’s fifty-eight years old.

Three days before Thanksgiving, Lisa lost the sight in her left eye for a short time. It scared her and her family. Her daughter Sally first comment was, “Mom that’s a stroke.” At about the same time Sally said that Lisa said, “Hey my sight is back.” No one thought much more about it.

A few hours later, it happened again. After the second episode, as Lisa put it, “I was in the bathroom taking a handful of aspirin.” I don’t think she was taking a handful, but I would have done the same thing.

She went for almost two weeks without having another episode. Then while she was getting ready to go to the gym, it happened again. This time she decided to call her doctor. Her doctor’s response, “Lisa, get to the ER now.”

That was a Friday, on Saturday morning both her daughter and I received the following text,

“So, I’m in the hospital. Apparently, that left eye blindness was a TIA, several of them.  Having all kinds of tests. This blows!”

For those who don’t know what TIA stands for, it's transient ischemic attack. Meaning a neurological event with the signs and symptoms of a stroke, but which go away within a short period. Also called a mini-stroke, a TIA is due to a temporary lack of adequate blood and oxygen (ischemia) to the brain.

On Tuesday, Lisa found out her left carotid artery was ninety-five percent blocked. Again, she is fifty-eight years old. The single reason for this, smoking. Her doctors, she has many of them now feel she was a TIA away from having a major stroke.

Lisa has a good forty years of smoking behind her. Yes, behind her. Both the ER doctor and her new cardiologist made the following statement, “You’ve just stopped smoking.” Her cardiologist put it this way, “If you don’t stop smoking now, I won’t help you.”

Before her surgery, Lisa asked her cardiologist if she could have a stroke while waiting for her surgery. His answer, “Yes, but more than likely you won’t for a couple of reasons. One, we have you on aspirin and Lipitor. Two, you quit smoking four days ago. “

Sally has also decided to quit smoking, putting a good twenty years of smoking behind her. Why did Sally start, “It was the cool thing to do in high school.”

No, it is not the cool thing to do. Further, it doesn’t make you look cool, and I hope this is a wake-up call to anyone who is in their teens, twenties, thirties, forties, fifties or whatever your age. The best thing I ever did for myself was to take that job thirty-five years ago.

### Four Questions to Ask When Someone Is Designing a Logo for You

Will the logo be unique – Copycat logos will only fail and be confusing to your clients and or customers. A unique logo design will stand the test of time. A logo that is designed with today’s latest trends will quickly look dated and need to be replaced.



Will the logo be functional – Great logo design will easily work on the web, promotional products, signage, and your stationery.



Will the logo represent my company – Your logo sets the tone for your company.  The style of the logo must be easily identified with the industry/products/services you market.



Will the logo follow solid basic design principles – It should be obvious for the necessity of a great logo. It must be designed well, work well and look good.







The award-winning logo design above was designed for my stationery company patti & hank. Since the time I started Big Max’s Studio invitations were part of my business. That worked well for years, but early last year, I asked myself and a lot of friends the following question,



“What sounds better an invitation from “Big Max’s Studio” invitation or an invitation from “patti & hank?” Yes, another company name with one of our Labrador retrievers in it. I just can’t help it. As I write this is he’s right behind my chair relaxing.



Everyone said patti & hank. So began the process to create the new brand. My main goal was elegance, but not fluff. I’ll be upfront, my invitations are not cheap. They are all custom designs that require hours of hand gluing and cutting. Also, most include hand-tied bows and things like raffia.



I wanted the following to be used in the design:



A script font since they are based on writing with a quill or metal nib of a pen. Primarily I was looking for something that had more of a calligraphy look to it. To only use lower case.



To only use lower case. That eliminated a lot of the overly what I call “swirly” fonts.



The ampersand sign was to be the icon of the design.



Finally, and probably the most important to be timeless.



The font chosen for patti & hank was Carolyn Pro Black and for the ampersand, I started with Bernhard Modern and modified it. For the tagline descriptions, I used Gills San, one of my “go-to” fonts.



Not sure where to start with your logo? Please give me a ring and let’s see what we can design together.


## Pages

### Big Max's Studio - AI + Media Profile



### Instagram



### From DIY to Design Pro



### Consultation



### E-book Guide Download



### Mom's 90th Birthday



### The Process



### Website in a Week - Ready.Set.Launch.!



### General Thank You



### RSL Thank You



### Color Thank You



### Color Landing Page



### Accessibility



### Application



### FAQ

faqs
						we all have questions
						
						
					
				
					
				
				
				
			
				
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				


Big Max's Studio has been building web experiences since 2001 and in that time have gained a vast amount of experience and knowledge. This FAQ page was crafted to answer many of the frequently asked questions we were asked along the way.
I’m new to this whole website thing, how does it work?
Never fear, that’s why I am here. You can learn about my time-proven process in our process section.
How much does a website cost?
The cost of a website can vary depending on various factors, just like the cost of a house may vary. Though our website projects generally start in the $3,600 range for basic ten (10) page business site and range upward depending on your unique needs.
How long does it take to design and build a website?
The time it takes to produce a website depends on the size and complexity of your site and the quality of content that you have ready to go. A basic website typically takes around 4 weeks from beginning to end.
Do I need my own domain name and web hosting?
Yes, and I can help you get this set up.  I can also work with your existing provider. I am not a web hosting company.
Will my website work on mobile devices?
Yes, it will. All the websites I design work on all devices.
Do you do e-commerce/Online Store websites?
Yes, I do!
What is a Content Management System?
A Content Management System is a tool that allows you to maintain the pages of your website yourself, without the need for any technical skills. A CMS allows you to edit and add pages, images, products or blog entries to your website. No additional software is required – all you need is a web browser and an internet connection.
Do you provide training?
Yes, I provide all of my clients with training on maintaining their website.
Can you help me with Social Media and Email Marketing?
Yes, I can. As part of your project, I can include social media and email marketing services.
What is Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)?
Search Engine Optimisation is all about getting your website higher up in the search results on search engines such as Google. The higher up the results you are the more traffic (and customers) you’re likely to get.

There are many aspects that go into achieving good SEO, and one of the most important is the copy (words) on your website. Focus on well written, keyword rich and appropriate content is the key.
Do you write the content for my site?
Yes, I can write your content. There will be an additional cost depending on the amount of content that needs to be written.
Can you design my logo?
Yes, I can create your logo. Cost for logo design starts at $500.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is your address on the internet. Typically this would be something like yourcompany.com.au
What is web hosting?
Web hosting is a service that allows your website to be viewed on the Internet. It’s basically a computer housed in a data centre that runs your website and email.

### Get-Started

get-started
						how we will work together
						
						
					
				
					
				
				
				
			
				
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have Goals
						Boring, I know, but if you don’t know where you’re going you’ll have no idea you’ve arrived if and when you get there. If you don’t have clear goals, this will be our first step in working together.
					
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have Passion
						Building an audience online is hard work and it takes time. Passion is the fuel you need to keep going when all the chips are down and you feel like you’re smashing your head against a brick wall.
					
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have Budget
						If you really want to knock one out of the park, you’re going to need to invest some cash. That’s just the way it is.

You don’t need to re-mortgage your house but you are going to need to treat this as an investment and if you do everything I tell you, you’ll get a positive return.
					
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have An Audience
						Building an audience through blogging, podcasting, interviews, white papers, presentations, speaking, and education is the only way to generate new customers online.

If you don’t already have an audience you should be prepared to build one.
					
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have A Team
						I don’t enjoy watching my clients meltdown so if you don’t have a team don't worry. It could be as simple as a virtual assistant to help out a few hours a week or a fully-fledged content production team, either way, you’re going to need help.
					
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
					
					
						You Have Time
						During the development process, at times, this endeavor will require 100% undivided attention. At other times, I will be working quietly in the background development a site beyond what you have imagined.
					
				
			
				Apply Now

### Privacy



### Store

shop
						child themes and ebooks
						
						
					
				
					
				
				
				
			
				
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				All of our child themes come with six months of support and are built off of the Divi Frame work.

### My Account

[woocommerce_my_account]

### Checkout

[woocommerce_checkout]

### Cart



### Shop



### Divi WordPress Design



### Design Blog



### Brochure Design

Brochure Design
						
						
						
					
				
					
				
				
				
			
				
				
			
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				
				 [gridfx posttypes=attachment include_terms=38]

### Graphic Design Print



### Big Max's Studio



### About



### Contact



### Kind Words



### Logo, Identity and Branding Design




## Projects

### Williams Alderson Marketing



### Loving Leaders Dog Training



### Love Your Pet Raw Foods



### The PEAAC



### Reen Writes



### Ground Cherry Press



### Curated Audio



### Big Happy Family Audio



### RegalVTShine



### Smitty's Old Fashioned Butcher Shop



### Chef Steven Petusevsky



### Flowers by Kathy



### Patti & Hank



### Edelson & Company, P. A.



### Tenderfoot Training



### Athena Tergis