Posts by Susan Sullivan
Color inspiration: yellow and gray
Yellow is a color many people affiliate with joy, elation, happiness, and creativity. It is no wonder companies like Cheerios, McDonalds, Nikon, Shell, Ikea and Amazon, just to name a few, use yellow as their signature or as a significant part of their logo or marketing material. Using yellow on your website is a fast and fun…
Read MoreTypewriter fonts
The thought of composing on an old-fashioned typewriter makes my brain hurt and brings back horrific memories of running out of correction tape and white-out the night before my final essay, worth half my grade, was due. I’m sure I’m not alone in the feeling, and yet, I hear reports here and there that there…
Read MoreFriday Night Fonts: A Tuesday Special
Whether you are a teacher, professor, coach, sorority or fraternity member or just a nerdy and enthusiastic student, it can be hard to find just the right font for that poster or project that is due in less than 2 hours. Well, Sumy Designs is here to help and we’ve has put together this selection of…
Read MoreDesign lingo
Lorem Ipsum Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit … Huh? You will probably see this copy in your initial web design drafts in places where you don’t have your final copy ready. Simply, it is dummy copy that temporarily fills the place of regular copy. Lorem Ipsum has been around since the 1500s and…
Read MoreBefore and After Website Transformations
Sometimes you are just not sure if your website is in need of an update or even a complete redesign. We hear hundreds of excuses from small businesses across the globe about why they haven’t updated their website … A redesign wasn’t our main priority this year …. A new website wasn’t in the budget ….…
Read MoreTips for making copy stand out on backgrounds
Drastic contrasts Using a highly contrasting color will make your text stand out. Use the empty space If your image has an empty space floating around, add the copy and use that space. Be transparent This technique works especially well if you have an image with dark monotone colors. Think outside lines Outline the edges…
Read MoreInterior colors for your website
Sometimes we spend so much time decorating our living spaces, in the colors we love and that make us feel relaxed and comfortable, that we overlook that these same colors can also create the same feeling of content for our websites. Here are some interior spaces and colors that may inspire you to create websites from…
Read MoreSleek and unique sans serif fonts
Sans serif fonts are easy on the eyes and are great for websites, but sometimes they can be a little bit boring. If you are you looking for a sans serif font but are wanting one with a little more pizzaz than just your plain, run-of-the-mill sans serif font, then look no further. Here are…
Read MoreBold and beautiful serifs
My design career started with print design, so serif fonts have a special place in my heart. You see them in magazines, newspapers and in huge headlines all over town. Now, you also see serif fonts as a design trend for websites. You won’t see me complaining about that any anytime soon. Here are some…
Read MoreDesigning better images for Pinterest
Pinterest is a visual take on social media, so if you want your images to be productive you need to make sure they get noticed. Here are a few tips that will help you get more pins on Pinterest: Go faceless Pinterest research has found that pins without faces do better than those with faces.…
Read MoreWhy you shouldn’t stop blogging
There are days when it seems like throwing myself into heavy traffic is a better idea than having to write another a blog post. Really. Somedays, I just want to give up, say goodbye to the blog, and spend my newly allotted time organizing the pantry like a normal, non-blogging human does. But I don’t,…
Read MorePantone’s top 10 spring colors for 2016
Pantone unveils the top colors for spring 2016 and say they will “transport us to a happier, sunnier place where we feel free to express a wittier version of our real selves.” If your website is due for a makeover, try some of these trendsetting colors. This season of colors is bright, cheery and full of…
Read MoreThe making of our first video
When Amy and I decided we were going to give our website a makeover for our 10th anniversary, we decided that it would be a neat idea to include a video to give our clients, and future clients, an up-close and personal look at how work and why we are a good fit to design…
Read MorePreparing for your website’s design
I do the design for all the websites created by Sumy Designs. My ultimate goal is for our clients to have a website they absolutely love, love, love. Of course, the idea of the beginning a website can seem intimidating and I never want our clients to feel overwhelmed; I want the design process to…
Read MorePersonal Branding: What, Why and Who
What is personal branding? Personal branding is the practice of individuals branding themselves to market and promote their careers or status. Most often the branding involves an individual’s name, product or organization. In today’s world, because of the overwhelming presence of social media and online marketing, personal branding is considered, by many, an essential part…
Read MoreGuest Post: How to take a decent selfie for your business
I enjoy taking photos of people, but not many people enjoy getting their photo taken. This is true especially when it’s a head shot for work! This is probably why most of us are afraid to even consider a portrait for our website. Statistically, the 2nd most visited page on a website is the…
Read MoreGreat books for graphic designers
I have a soft spot for design books, especially ones on typography. I spent the first part of my career in advertising and working with publishers, almost all of my work then was with print design. I thought it would be a good idea to share a few of my favorite design books. Of course they all won’t…
Read MoreHow to make stock photos unique
Stock photos are a reality for those of us who don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a professional photographer. But more often than not, someone else in your field will use a similar stock photo on their website. Everyone wants to be unique, so here are some great ways to turn make stock photos unique.…
Read MoreGreat sites to get free photos for your blog
A common question I receive from clients is where they can get quality photos for their blogs and websites. In response, I ask the question, “How much do you want to spend on photography?” The answer is almost always, “As little as possible.” So, I’ve created a list of websites that I reference often that…
Read MoreFinding topics for blog posts
Go through your comments Sometimes all you need to do is reread the comments on previous posts to generate some new ideas. Many times the comments will flip a creative switch and bring a new topic to mind or give you a different perspective to write about. Keep an ongoing list of ideas I have…
Read MoreWhy we think our small business is better than the big ones
Our work is our passion We love what we do and we get to do it every single day. We are incredibly proud of the careers we created and love being a part of the successes of our clients. Our success isn’t defined by making millions, it is defined by hard work and satisfied customers. Speed…
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