2017 Best Sellers

With the year coming to a close I thought I'd take time to access which items in my shop were a hit, so I focus on creating more of what I know customers will love in the ensuing year. This was truly my best year to date, and look forward to many more helping creative business owners solve their marketing issues without sacrificing time and money doing so! 

Browse on to find the top 10 designs below! 

1. Media Kit Template - 2 Page

“This Media Kit was perfect for what I needed it for. simple layout, easy to insert my own pictures and any questions I needed answer, were answered promptly! Highly recommend this seller for any media kit you may need!! - Shawn Renner”

“Beautiful template, and easy to personalize. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a quick option for an eye-catching and professional kit.” - Iris Watts”

“Love this template!! - Bethany Campbell”

View in shop!

2. Year in Review Card Template

“PERFECT!! Thank you so very much! - Abigail Harris”

“This was a beautiful design! I have never used photoshop, so it was a bit complicated to navigate for me. Despite that, I really loved the final product! - Courtney”

View in Shop! 

3. Spring Mini Session Marketing Board 

“One of my favorite templates I have purchased so far. We will definitely be using Stephanie’s products again! - Hope Davis”

“Great product and easy to customize if you are familiar with photo shop layers. Beautiful layout and type. - Nicola Proctor”

View in Shop!

4. Photography Print Release 

“Beautiful print release template. Will be purchasing other templates from this shop soon. - Ashley Sebaaly”

View in Shop!

5. Newborn Pricing Template 

“After scouring through Etsy for a new pricing template, I came across this one and loved the design! I wanted something clean looking, and this was perfect. This template was also incredibly easy to use and input my information. I’d definitely purchase from this shop again soon! - Mallory Ruggiero”

“Perfectly organized, beautiful and easy to use. - Heather Woolard”

View in Shop!

6. Photography Price List 

“So cute & my clients think so too! - Jenny Gregory”

View in Shop

7. Newborn Photography Magazine Template 

“Such a great template and easy to use! Everyone has loved our template guide for newborns! - Ashley Photography”

“bought it together with other matching templates from this designer and I´m loving them all! - Irina Jomir”

View in Shop!

8. Photography Referral Card  

“BEAUTIFUL! Instantly in my inbox and easy to personalize. - Heather Woolard”

View in Shop

9. Lifestyle Photography Pricing Guide 

“Absolutely love this design. I have purchased over 14 pricing guides and none of them came close to the look I was really wanting. I absolutely love this. I finally have a guide to give my clients that represents my brand. - kteegirl24”

View in Shop

10. Newborn Photographer Pricing Guide 

“Thank you Stephanie, excellent product! Beautiful, classic and professional. Your easy to customise templates have saved me lots of time and hair pulling moments by not having to worry about the formatting and design lol! Thank you again - I really appreciate it :) - Nikki”

View in Shop

 

 

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New in the Shop: Senior Photographer Marketing Suite

So you want to brand your photography business?

Many photographers think they need to invest thousands in a professional designer from the start which oftentimes can be detrimental as your plans may change as your business grows. Which is why I'm happy to share my collection of pre-designed Photographer Templates with you! My professionals templates are simple and consistent enough (using the same fonts, colors) to grow with you and that allow a professional, recognizable presence across all touch points.

Inside each marketing set you'll find everything you need to effectively enhance your photography business: 

• Price Guide: http://bit.ly/2s9z8ok
• Marketing Board: http://bit.ly/2sTosqJ
• Marketing Board II: http://bit.ly/2tettgX
• Trifold Brochure: http://bit.ly/2se9f1Q
• 5x5 Accordion: http://bit.ly/2tNrXzg
• Gift Card: http://bit.ly/2seMaMo
• Folding Thank You Card: http://bit.ly/2tdeJyq
• Business Card: http://bit.ly/2tNAXEs
• 22-Page Magazine Guide: http://bit.ly/2u97SCX
  
   

View the set below:

Here's what some customers had to say about our photographer templates:

"This is an excellent template. It's easy to use and beautiful. The seller was also very responsive and helpful. I will be buying more products from her in the future. Thank you!" - Jennifer Gulizia

"Such a gorgeous design! Very easy to use and perfect for what I was looking for. Will definitely come back to make more purchases on other items!" - Kasondra Armstrong

"Love using Stephanies designs, they are gorgeous, easy to use and so well played out for clients to read!" - Ashlee McKay

KEEP BROWSING:
 

20 Collateral Item Ideas for Your Creative Business

We all know how essential consistency is to a memorable brand. 

Cohesive fonts and colors, logos and patterns imprint your brand into potential clients and customers mind until they start to associate them with your business. 

Take Apple for instance. 

You don't need to see their logo to identify their sleek, modern packaging or their minimal, attractive design that enhances the usability of their website. 

Or if you notice someone carrying a signature blue box with a white ribbon, you know they made a purchase from Tiffany's. You don't have to see the logo to recognize the brand. 

These design elements are central to a visual brand; consistent across all touchpoints. 

The same is true and beneficial for your business - and the easiest ways to do achieve brand consistency is through collateral items. 

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20 Collateral Item Ideas for Your Creative Business

As mentioned above, a collateral item is any branded design element a customer comes across when in contact with your business. It can be as simple as a rack card at a venue or a seasonal door decal on a storefront window. 

When thinking of collateral items, it's important to think of your marketing and which items the customer would get the most use out of. From there, your designer can infuse your brand into each unique collateral piece. 

Here are 20 ideas you may implement in your marketing to create a professional experience with your customers and clients. 

1 | Social Media Images

Convey your brand beyond your site (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter) with social media graphics with social media images. Are you going to share quotes, tips, stats, or how-to's? Create templates to maintain consistency and save time and energy in Photoshop. 

2 | Gift Cards

Example: By Stephanie Design

Everyone loves gift cards - they're simple and no fuss, yet they work at retaining new and existing clients for your business. So it's a win/win! 

Make it fun for others to pass on your services to others with a branded gift card. 

3 | Media Kits

Example: By Stephanie Design

Anyone that is looking to connect with brands and create sponsorship opportunities should start with a media kit. They come in the form of multiple-page PDFs that provide blog statistics and audience demographics to prospective advertisers. 

Create a positive first impression in a sea of blogs with a well-branded and professionally-designed media kit and stand apart from the crowd. 

4 | Email Signatures

A consistent, professional brand is carried across the big things and in the small things, too. Email is a common place for people to come in contact with your brand. A simple email signature creates brand recognition and encourages people to follow along with you elsewhere. 

5 | Contracts, Timelines, and Quotes

Don't fall victim to a basic Word doc to correspond with clients. 

Make them more visually appealing and professional by adding your brand colors and fonts. 

6 | Blog Post Graphics

Example: By Stephanie Design

Would viewers recognize your blog graphics if they popped up in their Pinterest feed? 

Design blog post graphics with intention by aligning them as closely as possible to the aesthetic of your overall design. Remember, they should always compliment your site design, too. 
 

7 | Facebook Header & Profile Photo

Create recognition with your fans every time a post pops up in their feed by having a simple, memorable icon or logo displayed. The cover photo is where you can flex your creativity! 

8 | Shop Banners

If you run a shop on Etsy or another online platform, you're probably already aware of the need for a branded banner to attract customers to your shop. 
 

9 | Pricing Guides

Example: By Stephanie Design

Even if you feature your pricing on your website, it's a great idea to have a pricing guide PDF on hand to send to prospective clients via email to give them a well-rounded picture of your offerings. 

Foster a positive first impression by putting more intention into the design of your pricing guides. Streamlined fonts, colors, and photos consistent with your website create a cohesive branded image. 

10 | Business Cards

Example: By Stephanie Design

Whether it's at a networking event or simply to create a connection, having a business card on hand is a pretty good idea. Even more important in this digital age to have your website URL and social handles at the ready. 

There's no need to use a boring business card template when you can create a custom design that blends seamlessly with your brand. 

11 | Brochures

Example: By Stephanie Design 

Whether you're preparing for a promotional event, creating a go-to menu, or outlining your different services packages, a brochure that is consistent with the rest of your brand will attract your ideal clients easier. 

12 | Greeting Cards, Postcards & Notecards

You might incorporate snail mail into your client experience. If you're a shop owner who sends out orders on a regular basis, don't underestimate the importance of a simple greeting card in creating brand recognition and enhancing professionalism.  

13 | Stamps & Stickers

I'm a sucker for great packaging! Give your packaging alittle facelift with branded stamps and stickers to appear more intentional and professional. 

14 | Email Templates

Example: By Stephanie Design

Your followers on Twitter might only be interested in articles you share. Your followers on Instagram might only be following you to see pretty photos.

But with email you have direct access to your customers. Create a strong e-mail marketing presence by creating templates to maintain consistency, save time, and create recognition with your audience. 

15 | Mugs, Shirts, Bags

These are the most common things that come to mind when 'collateral' items used for promotion come to mind. 

While business in the digital age means an entirely different means of marketing, these still may be used in fostering brand awareness. 

16 | Presentation Slides

Hosting a live webinar or speaking at a conference? 

Show your work and company profile on another level with branded slides for that lasting impression. 

17 | Handouts

Along with branded slides, it's often helpful to have a handout or a worksheet to help participants of an online course, workshop, or consultation to follow along and take notes. Incorporating your brand fonts, colors, and borders goes a long way in making your presentation more professional. 

18 | Social Media Icons

Example: By Stephanie Design

It's really in the details. Even something as small and seemingly insignificant as social media icons can reflect the rest of your brand and make your site appear more professional and cohesive. 

19 | Event Badges

Event badges are great for giving out to those who attend your business or blogging event. Make them more visually appealing (and professional) by branding them! 

20 | Signage

This is probably a no-brainer, but signage is an important collateral item. Have a pop-up shop or brick-and-mortar store? You'll need a sign with your logo to help customers find you! 

There may be restrictions or guidelines you have to follow depending on where you're renting your space, but is worthwhile to consider this important facet of a consistent, professional brand. 

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These are just a sampling of collateral items that may be helpful for your brand. Little details are easy to overlook, but once you have a foundation laid you'll see how easy it is to create consistency, professionalism, and memorability throughout the touchpoint of your brand. 

Are there any other collateral items you’ve utilized for your business? How many of these visuals have you already created for your brand?

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Want to Get a Jumpstart Started Creating Collateral Items? 

The Design Shop is full of ready-made, professionally-designed marketing templates, including business cards, pricing guides, email templates, blog post images, gift cards, and much more! 

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RELATED POSTS:

5 Modern, Easy-to-Edit Media Kit Templates For Bloggers

Many bloggers know a media kit is essential tool to have on hand if you want to work with brands. But putting together a well-designed media kit that has companies excited about what you have to offer while managing the time-consuming tasks of running your blog can seem daunting. So, I've done a lot of the legwork for you - simply plug in your text and customize the template to suit your brand! 

Additionally, if you're interested in learning what you should include in your media kit as a blogger, I've put together a comprehensive post that takes the guesswork out developing one custom-tailored to the clientele you're trying to attain! 

Now onto the media kit templates! 

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1 |  Fashion Blogger Media Kits 

This 4-page media kit tells a visual story of your brand as a fashion or beauty blogger. If you're looking to stand out and get noticed, this media kit has all the right information that brands are looking for! 

Purchase this Media Kit

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2 | Clean Media Kit Template

Anyone that needs a media kit and is unsure where to start, I'd suggest choosing a very clean, chic design like the above. You can easily customize the look and feel to fit your niche and brand without a custom price tag! 

Purchase this Media Kit

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3 | Modern Press Kit Template 

A beautiful and professional media kit tells your brand story and helps convince brands your blog is the right investment for your their advertising purposes. Quality design engages the customer and helps establish yourself as an expert in your field. My templates aren't overly-designed, but still provide enough simple design elements to make them fun and easy to use. 

Purchase this Media Kit

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4 | One-Page Media Kit Template 

This one-page media kit provides brands a quick yet thorough snapshot of key facts & statistics of your blog to get you up and running. You can easily add, move, or change sections to suit your needs. 

Purchase this Media Kit

5 | Elegant Blog Media Kit Template

With a sophisticated type selection and muted color palette, this 2-page blogger media kit allows your work to shine. Save it as a PDF and send it along with an email correspondence, or print it out for in-person meetings. 

Purchase this Media Kit

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"As a blogger, Stephanie’s media kits are super useful. They’re easy to use — you just input your brand/blog info using Photoshop. These media kits are also the perfect tool for brand collaborations or simply keeping track of your personal brand and its growth. This is my favorite media kit template and I’m obsessed with this business card template. Love!"

These customizable designs were created to be simple, yet beautiful and can stay with you as your business and brand continues to expand and grow! 

- Suzannah, Style & Beauty Blogger
With Love, Suzannah Hyche

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What makes a media kit stand out to you? Which of the above is your favorite design? 

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Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign: Which One Is Best for You?

Most bloggers and business owners know how useful the Adobe Creative Suite is for their creative projects - their simply is no other program that offers as many benefits. On the other hand there are times when clients ask me which program is most suitable for carrying out their creative project, and since I know the programs inside and out, I'm quick to explain why.

So, I thought it would be helpful to discuss the important similarities and differences of each program so you can easily pinpoint the best solution for your next project. 

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Photoshop 

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Let's start with Photoshop - a program I utilize a lot! Photoshop is best for editing and modifying photos, so if you use many photographs in your work, whether taken yourself of purchased from stock photo sites, this is the best option for you. 

Beyond the advanced photo editing features, Photoshop is also known for it's many unique filters, special effects, and product mockup capabilities. Is also the tool most commonly used by Web Designers, making it a great option for creating digital artwork along with website needs such as blog post graphics, social media images, and social icons.

Photoshop can be used to: 

• Correct exposure or modifying color
• Crop, align, and rotate photos to achieve better compositions 
• Restore and retouch images
• Combine multiple images into composites
• Simulate a variety of photographic lens effects
• Create textures within images or backgrounds
• Create comps of websites and mobile applications
• Apply special effects like blurs and lighting effects
• Repair videos
• Create 3D shapes for use in other applications

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Illustrator

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Illustrator, on the other hand, is an excellent choice if you have several graphic and branding design needs. This software creates vector images, which deal with mathematical logarithms.  So, if you ever intend to print your documents, you're in luck as you can scale them up to any size without sacrificing quality or resolution. This is why Illustrator is a perfect fit for logos and light print material. Heavy photo editing? Leave those tasks to Photoshop. 

Illustrator can be used to: 

• Create clean visual compositions that can be scaled infinitely without losing quality
• Create freehand drawings and illustrations
• Trace and recolor scanned-in artwork
• Create logos, icons, and other complex shapes
• Create website mockups and graphics for use across multiple screens

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InDesign

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Lastly, InDesign is the industry-standard software for publication design, interactive pdf documents, digital magazines, and e-publications. So if you have any document that requires several pages of text, you'll find this program the most useful. Think of it as the last stop in the creative process after you'd edited your images and created your graphics but need to tie everything together into an attractive layout design. 

InDesign can be used to:

• Create rich typographic layouts
• Assemble photos and artwork into designs quickly and easily
• Create styles to change the look and feel of their document
• Package files for commercial print in a quick and organized manner
• Create rich interactive documents
• Build interactive PDF forms to collect data from customers

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As you can see each program has its own unique functions and capabilities and since they're all apart of the Adobe Creative Suite, are compatible with each other and many times go hand-in-hand. If you're a blogger or business owner with reoccurring marketing needs, I highly recommend checking out the Adobe Creative Cloud, which can be subscribed to for a reasonable monthly price. You can learn more here. Each application puts it's own unique world of opportunities at your fingertips! 

Grab your Free Photoshop Shortcuts Guide!

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Do you use Adobe Creative Suite for your blog or business? Which programs do you use most often and which are you favorite features? Do you work more with photos or graphics? 

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My Advice for Aspiring Graphic Designers

Many of the posts on this blog are geared at potential clients, such as How to Make a Media Kit That Sounds Out, How to Choose the Perfect Color Palette for Your Small Business, and How to Create Your Signature Brand Style, but I thought it would be beneficial to share little bit of my own background in the field of design for those new to the blog and may be interested in transitioning into a creative role. 

Upon graduating from design school I immediately accepted an internship at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in their design/production dept. It was my first taste designing a cohesive visual identity across all platforms and mediums for a large brand.

After that I held at role at a marketing agency, working on various campaigns for small to medium-sized businesses before starting my own freelance business for small business owners in need of graphic design services for their brand. 

Whether you hold a 4 year degree or are self-taught, I really think there is room for everyone with a passion for design to pursue it. So if you're just starting out in the field of graphic design and looking for some advice, I'd come up with a few key takeaways from my years of experience in the field you may benefit from.. 

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Always Start With the Fundamentals 

Design is all about communication. You should always strive to effectively communicate the right message to a viewer, foremost. 

With the technology right at our fingertips, it's easier than before to dive right into these programs in hopes of creating pretty things we think will resonate with our ideal customer.

Before you get occupied trying to learn the latest version of Adobe Creative Suite, it's really important to have the basics of design in your back pocket. 

Have you ever viewed a magazine and thought the layout just didn't 'flow' in a way that is natural, or thought a logo or website didn't accurately reflect a business' mission? 

Designers solve complex problems visually through the use of fonts, colors, graphics, illustration, and patterns. 

If you're interested in learning more I suggest starting with the principles of Visual Hierarchy, Color Theory, and Typography to hone your skills. One you understand the reason why certain colors work together, why a pair of fonts compliment each other so nicely, and why certain layouts contribute to a better user experience for a website, you'll be able to clearly communicate your design decisions to clients and build credibility with clients. 

Related Posts: How to Chose the Perfect Color Palette For Your Small Business

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Foster Postive Client Relationships

When a customer takes the leap to invest in their business with me, they are entrusting me to help establish their online presence. I don't take that investment lightly. whether it's a purchase in my shop, or a brand design package. 

Clear and easy communication is therefore essential. In order to clearly visually communicate the mission or purpose of a brand, I have to understand the business behind it. The best way to do this is to ask as many questions as you can upfront before the design process begins, ensuring you and the client are both on the same page. 

I have an in-depth questionnaire I give to all branding design clients, and I make sure to check in with them throughout the design process for feedback and input. Once the project wraps up clients are welcome to email with with any questions about their brand or advice, as well. 

With my online store I've gotten numerous requests for tutorials to walk customers through how to edit the templates in Photoshop, so I've since implemented a video tutorials section that helps them easily navigate Photoshop and make adjustments to their template. 

Listening to customers can take many different forms for your business, but I'd start by clearly laying out your design process, create in-depth questionnaires, and being receptive to feedback throughout the process. The more clarification you have upfront, the more the design process and client relationship will the built on trust, honesty, and respect. 

Want to make sure you're hitting every mark of the design process? Download my FREE design process cheatsheet below and make sure you're including them in your brand design process. 

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Build Your Portfolio 

If you're just getting off the ground, utilize the time you have building up your business by developing a portfolio of the work you'd like to do. If you don't yet have paying clients, create your own hypothetical design projects. I'd suggest sticking to a timeline when creating these projects, that way you have a realistic picture of how long it will take you to complete and can accurately estimate when your paying clients come. Don't be afraid to put these projects in your portfolio, as these self-initiated projects are still an example of the quality of work you can deliver. 

Related: Mark Bowley has penned an excellent article on preparing and talking about your design portfolio.

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Done is Better Than Perfect

As designers we tend to be perfectionists. While this can be an asset, it can also hinder you in many ways, too. If you've ever struggled with finding a stopping point with a project because you think there's something missing or it can be better, you know what I'm talking about. 

This is another benefit of adhering to a timeline and having designated steps within your design process - it forces you to utilize your time wisely, do a great job, and leave the endless tweaks and adjustments by the wayside. 

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Show Confidence 

It's important to note that even designers that been through rounds of critiques in design school, have field experience, and hold a degree even have bouts of self-doubt at times. This uneasiness can show through and affect how seriously a client takes you.

This feeling of uneasiness will dissolve with time and experience. Looking at the examples above of how to foster a positive client relationship is one jumping off point. You should do everything you can to show the client their in good hands, including educating them throughout the process, explaining your concepts, and helping them through decisions, showing confidence in your own abilities even in times when you're not 100% feeling it yourself. 

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Continue to Learn 

The only constant about the design field is change! Just when you think you've learned every software, tool, or trick of the trade, something new comes along to keep you on your toes. By staying up-to-date and adhering to these new methods of learning it's so much easier to stay inspired and avoid burnout. So subscribe to design blogs, take a class and learn a new skill, or simply update your software or download that new app to keep your skill set current.

I know I only brushed the surface of what being a Graphic Designer entails, so I'd like to take some of my own advice and ask fellow designers if you have any advice of your own you'd like to add? 

 

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