…the more they stay the same. That’s the quote, isn’t it?

Things have changed a bit (again) since my last post many months ago. I no longer have the booth space in the craft mall, for one thing. It seems the people who shopped there were looking more for baby gifts and trinkets, rather than handmade artistic pottery and home decor items. It was an educational experience, though — it gave me a new understanding of arts and crafts marketing that I hadn’t had before. (You can check out my work in my Flickr portfolio on my Clay Harmony website.)

Last fall, I got another, entirely different perspective on what I’m doing at Clay Harmony. I went to the Oklahoma Arts Conference in Tulsa last October, where I was surrounded by about 300 artists of all types — fine artists, as well as writers, musicians, dancers, and other artists working in less common mediums like my polymer clay or another lady I met who painted on silk.

That conference really opened my eyes and made me realize that what I do is more art than craft — no wonder I didn’t do well at the craft mall! They were the wrong audience for my art. I had suspected as much before going to the conference, but the things I learned there confirmed it.

During one of the sessions, I showed someone a bracelet I wore to demonstrate the answer to the repeatedly asked question, “What do you do?” That person happened to work at the Gilcrease art museum in Tulsa, and she suggested that my jewelry would fit in well in their museum gift shop. Yes! That would be the proper place to display my creations! It made perfect sense.

So, one of my goals this year are to upgrade the quality of my jewelry, using sterling silver hardware instead of “costume jewelry” fittings, for example, so I can approach museum and gallery gift shops with confidence. It looks like I’ll end up with two product lines — higher-end pieces for the gift shops, and lower-cost items for the handful of craft shows I plan to do this year.

Another goal I have set for myself is to finish writing a book about my mother’s life. I have much of it written, but need to refine it and add pictures and other details to it. I’ve joined a writer’s group online to help with the writing part, and plan to self-publish it by the end of this year.

With my desktop publishing skills, why not? The book will be a good challenge, and I think it will be a very satisfying project on a personal and professional level. Stay tuned!

In the past few months, my focus and attention has been concentrated on a new business venture that has nothing to do with typesetting or web design. I have opened a small store (booth space, actually) in an upscale gift gallery called Showplace Market in Moore, Oklahoma.

The name of my store is Clay Harmony, and it features handmade, original polymer clay artwork from myself and several other talented local artists. You can see examples of the items on the shelves at my website or my fan page on Facebook. You can also “Like” my Facebook page by going to the Clay Harmony website and clicking the icon in the left sidebar.

As far as OK Type is concerned, I will service my existing customers in whatever projects they require (whether print or web design), but will limit the new website design customers I take on. New print media projects are welcome, however! I love creating flyers, forms and long-format documents like annual reports or technical manuals. Those projects are the foundation of my typesetting business, and since I’ve been doing them for over 20 years, they’re my “first love” that I can’t get away from.

There are many styles of navigation menus available for websites, but the one thing they should have in common is that they allow the person viewing the website to find the information they’re looking for in the most efficient way possible. Most sites accomplish this very well, but unfortunately some don’t.

We have become very impatient in our online browsing – and the navigation menu is the gateway to the information on the site. If we can’t find what we’re looking for in a couple of clicks (or at least feel like we’re getting closer to finding it), we just move on to another site. Customers are won or lost in just a few seconds, and the navigation is the first and best opportunity to keep viewers on your site instead of a competitor’s.

Working hand-in-hand with a well-organized and easily navigable menu, a search box is essential to all but the simplest of websites. If you’re looking for a specific item, the search box is definitely the most direct avenue to find it. It’s amazing that many sites (sometimes for large companies) don’t have this simple-to-implement and highly beneficial option available.

I’m a huge proponent of function over form, especially with regard to website navigation. Of course, the navigation can be styled so that it’s pleasant to look at – but above all, it must serve the purpose for which it was intended. Let OK Type lead your customers to the right place in a short time!

I know a guy who’s been a customer of mine for over 20 years. He’s definitely an “idea person” – you know the type. He is a smart marketer of his services, was a social networking genius long before Facebook was invented, and is one of the funniest and nicest people I know. But in spite of his accomplishments and fine character, he has a flaw – he can’t write well.

Without doubt, it’s because his mind is going faster than his #2 pencil (he writes everything in longhand), but he leaves out words occasionally and writes incomplete or run-on sentences routinely. And his spelling and penmanship skills – well, let’s just say they’re not the best, either.

I know all this because he writes a blog entitled “Whaddaya Say, Glen Ray?” and I edit it for him. I can interpret the intent of his writing 99% of the time, so he allows me to adjust his manuscript to make it more readable and understandable. I would never alter the context or meaning of his blog posts, but I might change a few words to enhance the flow of the article. I also fact-check names, places and events, when necessary.

If you’re also an idea person who has something to say but aren’t terribly comfortable with your spelling or grammar skills, OK Type can assist you with that. Let your voice be heard – no one has to know you had a little help!

Nothing gets done without communication and collaboration, and that is definitely true when trying to create a website or develop a professionally designed printed document. You are the only person who knows your business inside and out, and your willingness to share your insights and provide feedback throughout the process will largely determine the quality of your project’s outcome.

The frequency of communication is also important. If I’m working on your project and submit information requests to you for content, photos or feedback on some aspect of the job, your timely response will help move the project along. Even though I get a good idea of your goals at the beginning of the process, there are always smaller details that don’t become apparent until later – and sometimes your answers to my requests for information make all the difference. This is even more true when you have a specific deadline in mind.

Even though your project may be nothing more exotic than creating or redesigning a business form, a dialogue is definitely necessary between the parties involved. Without feedback, I’m shooting in the dark and likely to waste time for both of us. Your input helps me aim better, so let’s talk!

How do you introduce yourself to your customers? Most likely, the first in-person exposure to your company’s image is by means of your business card. It gives your prospective customer all the information they need in order to do business with you.

Another thing your business card provides is a lightning-quick first impression of what you do and how professional you are. A well laid-out business card presents the information in an organized manner, likely accompanied with a logo or other image that provides a hint as to the type of business you’re in.

Since the “real estate” on a 2”x3.5” business card is so limited, every detail counts. The text should be perfectly aligned, the type style should complement the tone of the business, the size of the type should indicate which sections are more important, and the graphic should convey additional information about the company. Even a millimeter of misalignment in any of the elements on the card can make it look out of balance or jumbled.

Even with today’s heavy reliance on e-mail and other electronic communications, sometimes there’s nothing like a snail-mail letter to make the just right impression. To complete the basic identity package for your company, coordinating letterhead and printed envelopes give all your correspondence a professional polish.

Spiff up your company’s image with new stationery designed by OK Type today!

Would your business benefit from providing your customers with detailed instruction or installation manuals, spec sheets, parts lists or other technical documents? If your product needs to be assembled by the purchaser, you definitely need to tell (and show) them how to put it together. Clearly written and illustrated instructions make for a happy customer, and I can tell you from experience instructions written with poor grammar or incomplete directions cause a great deal of confusion and frustration.

I have had many years of exposure to editing and writing technical documents and marketing materials in the course of my corporate employment, and have always been strong in spelling, grammar and vocabulary. I know how to write in a clear and concise manner, and am careful to visualize each step in the process, so that no crucial step is left undocumented. I can also create technical drawings and diagrams for your document.

I use style sheets to ensure consistency in the formatting of long-form documents from beginning to end. Again, these documents are extensions of your company’s image, and if it looks like an eighth-grader put it together, your customers may not be terribly impressed with your company or your product. You may know everything there is to know about your product, but if you don’t demonstrate that expertise in everything your customer sees, you’ll lose respect in their eyes.

Type is obviously important to me, since it’s a part of my business name. The printed word is powerful, both in its content and its appearance. You’re an expert in your field, and so am I. So, let’s talk!

Most businesses use forms for one purpose or another in the course of their daily operations. Whether it’s an employment application, order form, invoice, or any number of other information-gathering documents, each form conveys an image of your company to those who see it. Their perception may be subliminal, but I guarantee they are forming an opinion – and whether it’s positive or negative depends on you.

There is an art to form design, just as there is in any printed document. If the type is too small, the spaces for filling in answers is insufficient, the order of information requested is illogical or the layout is jumbled, it makes the form so much more difficult to fill out efficiently. It’s that frustration that may translate to a less than stellar view of your business, even though your product or service may be excellent.

OK Type is experienced in creating forms that work well. Although a form’s design is necessarily utilitarian, there’s no rule that says it can’t be eye-pleasing as well.

Of course, many forms are exclusively used as printed documents meant to be filled in by hand. But more and more, forms are e-mailed to the recipient, filled out on their computer and returned electronically. The same layout can be used for both hard copy and electronic completion, but there are a few tricks that make the online process run more smoothly.

OK Type has been creating forms for more than 20 years. Let us design one for you!

How do you reach your customers? Is it by handing out business cards, networking at trade shows, putting an ad in the newspaper, having a business directory listing, or inviting visitors to your website?

It’s important to cross-promote your business using different media. For example, your website should be listed on all your printed materials. At trade shows, you can hand out magnets or stickers with a catchy theme to make your business memorable after the event. Your website should definitely have a contact form to make it easy for visitors to show interest or ask questions. If they see your name online, in print and in person, they may take that multi-media exposure as a sign that you’re an expert in your field.

The more often you “reach out and touch” people and make them aware of your company’s existence, the more likely you will be able to convert them into customers. Contact OK Type today by filling out the contact form, and let’s talk!

I’ve always had a special place in my heart for people with an entrepreneurial spirit, who have an idea and the passion to put that idea into action by creating a business around it.

Maybe I feel that way because that same spirit lives within me, and I have a real understanding of a new business owner’s mindset. Fortunately, with 20+ years in the desktop publishing field, I also have the expertise to assist you in transforming your idea into a business entity that’s visible in the marketplace.

So, whether you’re just starting out and need a logo, business cards and stationery, or if you want to extend the reach of your already-established business by adding an online presence, OK Type is here to help. Fill out the contact form, and let’s talk!