Hey friends! We’ve made it all the way through the first quarter of 2024. WOOHOO!!! The first 1/4 of the year is historically a busy one for me, and this year was no exception. In March alone, I built 3 websites, created an online shop, designed a logo, and designed + developed 2 email newsletter templates. Plus, I had a handful of other miscellaneous projects for past clients and took a family trip to Arizona for almost a week. Phew! And it doesn’t seem to be slowing down quite yet, but I’m so excited to see what this next quarter brings. I’m hoping to spend some time doing some internal business work + also get away from my desk and out to network with more real life people. So, hit me up if you wanna grab a coffee!

There are about one bazillion things you need to think about when you decide to start a new business, and none of them seem to be any less important than the others. But the one thing can that separate you from your competitors is how you present your brand to the world.

Your business’s image is a vital part of your identity that can set you steps above the others. Creating a cohesive brand for your business can even help build trust with potential clients by projecting a professional image. Tell the world that you have your stuff together and that you demand to be taken seriously!

Here is my list of the 3 branding items you absolutely must have for your new business.

Hey hello and hi there! Once again we’re here at the beginning of a new month, and I’m hoping it’ll be a great one. January and February are hard months for me because 1) I’m usually busy with work projects that were scheduled before the holidays, and 2) being the coldest and darkest months of the year take a toll on my mental health. Even though we’ve had more 60+ sunny days so far in 2024 than I can count! I’ve also been working away behind the scenes on a handful of brand + website projects that I’m looking forward to launching either this month or next. Plus, I’m taking a trip to Arizona in a few weeks, and the warmth will be such a nice break! So, I think March will be a good one!

When you book a website with me, one of the first things we talk about is the power of killer imagery, especially in your website design. While there's nothing wrong with supplementing with stock photography (that's what it's for!), many of my clients are quick to line up a brand photo shoot as soon as their website is in the calendar. But then comes the big question: "What do I tell my photographer to make sure we get what we need?" It's a question I hear a lot, and it makes total sense! So, here’s a little guide I’ve whipped up to help you chat with your photographer like a pro and nail those brand vibes right from the get-go.

Hello and happy February, friends! It’s the shortest month of the year, even with the extra leap day. Which for some reason makes me feel like that means winter will be over sooner, even though logically that doesn’t make a ton of sense. I guess we’ll just have to see what ol’ Punxsutawney Phil says tomorrow (and yes, I did have to look up the spelling on that while writing this). I had a good first month of 2024 for Six Leaf Design, even if it felt a bit chaotic. I was able to book a few upcoming projects, launch a One Week Website, kickoff two new brand projects, and start to get my tax stuff in order (the least fun part of the new year!). So, while January was the longest month in all eternity, I’m still counting it as a good one!

If there's one thing I get super excited about, it's creating brand patterns for clients. It happens to be one of this pattern-obsessed designer’s favorite parts of a branding project. A brand pattern is a distinctive, repeating design that's used as part of a brand's visual identity. It helps to create a cohesive look and feel across different materials and platforms, making a brand more recognizable and memorable. The pattern can be abstract or representational, simple or complex, and I’ll sometimes pull elements from a client’s logo design to make it even more ingrained in the overall brand foundations. It's a versatile tool to inject your business's personality into just about anything and strengthen your brand's appeal and consistency.

So, let’s roll out the patterned carpet! I’m sharing some nifty ways to sprinkle a little more you into your universe with 35 ways to use your brand pattern:

Well, here we are. Start of a new year. All the hubbub from the holidays dying down as we enter into that long, cold, dark stretch before spring laid out in front of us like a never-ending corridor with no doors or windows. Does anyone else feel like these first 3 months of the year stretch on longer than the entire rest of the 9 months combined? December went by so fast that I don't even know if Bob is my uncle or not. I launched 2 websites + developed brand assets for clients in the first week of the month. Then over my holiday break I added a few portfolio entries here and launched 3 new semi-custom brand suites here before Christmas. And I've spent the last week avoiding work and just recharging with lots of coffee, snacks, reading, and kitty cuddles. I hope wherever you were, you were able to get some rest + recharging in yourself.

I recently sat down at a coffee chat with a networking buddy, and he hits me with this bombshell: his friend quoted what could only be described as a small fortune to do his logo design. His disbelief was evident, which led me to drop my own bombshell: I wouldn't do a logo design for less than three times that amount. Cue the disbelief and raised eyebrows. Let me be clear, you don't need a crazy expensive logo to get the job done if it's not worth the price tag to you. But it is important to recognize that a logo isn't just a doodle. It's the face of your business, and that's worth a bit more than pocket change. Here’s why I charge what I do for a well-crafted logo design.

Hi friends! We’re in the home stretch of the year with just one more month to go! I always have a big push the last few weeks before the holidays, and this year is no different with two One Week Website packages scheduled back to back (who did this to me??!!…oh yeah…). But then I get to take the last weeks of the month off from client work and it’ll be a much welcomed break. I’m excited for some down time to rest, work on my own business, and celebrate. But until then, be sure you’re following along on my Instagram, LinkedIn, or Facebook to see when new brands and websites launch if you’re interested in seeing what I’ve been working on!

Color is one of those tricky things that can look different depending on so many factors. Something blue on my screen, might look more purple on your due to the quality of your device, resolution, and individual settings. It gets even more complex when you're comparing the colors on a digital screen, which uses a 3-color process (RGB), to printed colors, which uses a 4-color process (CMYK). Not to mention the differences you may see depending on your printer brand, the quality, ink levels, etc. So, if you've ever wondered why the engaging colors on your screen lose their luster on paper, you're not alone. Let's demystify the reasons behind the color discrepancy between digital screens and print.

Hello hello fine people of the internet! I hope you had the spookiest of Halloween seasons and ate so much candy corn it made you want to barf. Or maybe just the thought of candy corn is enough for that! October was a whirlwind for me with two One Week Websites, a new Brand Foundations package starting, and another brand + website package wrapping up. Plus, I managed to book out the rest of my start dates for 2023, which is a big relief that I'll be all set with projects until after the new year. But I opened my calendar yesterday to suddenly realize that the month was gone and another wallpaper design needed to be created. So here we are!

You've got a business that you work hard on day in and day out, and you're ready to take it to the next level by developing your brand + website design. Now, you're faced with a crucial decision: do you hire a local freelance designer here in Denver, or do you go the agency route? Before you start summoning the corporate cavalry, let me share a few of my thinking-est thoughts on why hiring a freelance designer might be your best choice — or not!

Hello friends! We’re entering the fall season and each morning feels a little chillier than the last (even though it’s still getting up towards the 90s by afternoon here in Denver)! I’m trying to enjoy all the lovely things about this season before the doom and gloom of winter hits. So, let’s list a few of my favorite things about autumn that I’m grateful for, because gratitude can literally rewire your brain to look for the good: sunshine on a crisp day, the pretty leaves changing color, pumpkin spice everything except lattes, big warm hoodie season, yummy comfort food like soups and hot dishes, allllllll the Halloween decorations! That’s all I’ve got for now, but even just thinking about those things helps me remember how much good stuff comes along with the change of seasons.

I know that your business is your baby. You've birthed it, raised it, and watched it develop. So, when it's time to level up your branding or website it's important to decide whether or not working with a freelance designer in Denver is the right choice for you. If you're on the fence, I'm dropping 5 compelling reasons why partnering with a freelancer can be the secret sauce to your business's success.

🎵 Happy workiversary to me 🎵 happy workiversary to me 🎵 happy workiversary dear Six Leaf 🎵 happy workiversary to me! Oh, you didn’t know that September is my workiversary? And this one is a special milestone for me — as of September 1st, I’ve officially been running Six Leaf Design (and creating monthly wallpapers) for 10 years. An entire decade. That means 120 wallpaper designs! I can’t even believe it and honestly, I’m not exactly sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it’s hard not to think that I should be further along. On the other hand, I’m really proud of my business + the work that I do and how far I’ve come in these years. I’m gonna try to focus on the positive hand, and maybe put an ice cream cone in it to celebrate 🍦

One of the biggest jobs your website has is to build credibility for you. And there are lots of ways to do that, but social proof is a super powerful one. What does that mean? It means showing other people have already had a great experience using your product or working with you. Testimonials are one awesome way to do that, but another great way is to display the logos of big, reputable companies you’ve worked with or been featured by. Why does this help build credibility? Well, because if those companies trusted you enough to work with you, then so can Suzie who found you on Instagram!

Well, here we are again. The start of another month. And right when I feel like summer is just beginning, it’s supposed to be winding down. It’s like time is always playing tricks on me. But now is the time I appreciate being in Colorado, because we’ll still have a few more months of hot days and warm nights before that one week of autumn hits us out of nowhere (if you know, you know!). So, I’m gonna try to keep the summer spirit alive as long as I can and enjoy every ounce of it.

I open my email to 5 new messages from my web design client and fight the urge to roll my eyes. It's not that she's a bad client — but we've been working on her site for months, and instead of moving forward, she's asking for punctuation updates on already approved pages. I don't think that's what it's really about. I think it's the fear of putting herself out into the world that's losing her time online, which means losing potential business. Which brings me to the hard news I’ve got for you today: no matter how hard you strive, you'll never achieve a perfect website, brand design, or image. So, I want to talk about how embracing imperfection is the only way to move forward.

Hello summer! It’s here in full force and we’re all ready for it. Well, I am at least. My favorite parts of summer, you ask? For me it’s the slower pace, the warm night walks, and margaritas on patios to name a few. But I recently saw a meme saying the only reason we actually like summer is because we’ve been conditioned to from summer vacation off school as kids. Could be true, but it still feels like there’s a special kind of joy that comes along with summer time. How about you?

When I moved to Denver, I was terrified to enter the field as a newbie graphic designer. I knew how saturated the city was with multiple design schools spewing out amazingly talented people every year, while I was mostly self-taught and fairly inexperienced (I even considered going back to school to get some sort of degree or certificate to prove I knew what I was doing). Now I've got over a decade living + working here under my belt, so I feel pretty confident in what I’m doing. And I can say that while there definitely are tons of designers in the Denver market, doing your due diligence to find the right one for you will pay off in the end.

HERE ARE MY TOP TIPS FOR HIRING A BRAND + WEBSITE DESIGNER IN DENVER TO MAKE YOUR PROJECT A SUCCESS.