Non-profits ignite transformation in our communities. From championing and overcoming food insecurity and poverty to resolving inequality, protecting women’s and minority rights, to creating endless innovative solutions to help curtail these and other social problems that isolate our communities and us from each other. How does storytelling play a pivotal piece in the puzzle of social issues?
Complex problems require a lot of resources and a lot of brainpower to overcome. How is it possible to create enough of a wave of excitement to generate action from viewers or your community? How do you pierce someone emotionally to the point where they feel they have to support your brand by volunteering or donating to your cause?
Storytelling. The power of the underdog and the tale-as-old-as-time triumph of the Cinderella story is what motivates viewers to send money your way. If they connect with your brand emotionally – you could have a recurring donor long-term. If you can replicate this type of reaction on a large scale, you could have the funding to make a difference with your organization.
Here are a Few Tips for Effective Storytelling with your Non-profit
Build a community
Building a community that everyone relates to requires empathy, curiosity, research, and patience. Take the time to lean into what the true goals of your nonprofit are and find a consistent way to share this message in a way that will rally others to join your cause.
Start a Conversation
Why should people be passionate about your organization? What is the problem? Can you back up your position with statistics and numbers? These are all questions you have to approach as you look at your non-profit marketing plan. Take to social media and introduce people to the social problem your non-profit is approaching and ask them their thoughts. Conversations get people curious. Starting a conversation in an interesting and creative way is a great way to get peak engagement.
Stay Curious and Strengthen Your Non-profit Messaging
Gather the Stories and Impact of Your Organization on a Blog
Gathering resources, funding, and volunteers is no small task. A great way to maintain a consistent stream of content that reaches the public and aligns with your brand values is to create blog content. Your blog can empower viewers to stand up and take action with you. How do you write in a way that moves people? Blogging is a powerful way to bring new eyes to your website and introduce your mission consistently. Google website crawlers are constantly looking over your site for new content that can be indexed. Do you have the chops to cut through with a message that resonates?
Hit their Pain Points
Make me feel something. That’s what every internet and social media user is looking for in less than 10 seconds. How do you relate to and make someone feel involved with your mission so quickly?
Polish your Writing Tone
Find ways to use messaging in a succinct way that hits on the base instincts of self-preservation and security, creating connections, generating social change, and harnessing creativity. Utilizing these types of call-to-action messages will be most effective in getting the engagement and attention you need.
Tell the Truth
Nothing makes an impact quite like a true story. Whether it be a testimonial from someone who benefitted from your organization or a harrowing story that encourages viewers to stand up and take action. Always protect the privacy of those you receive stories from and be mindful of how to use their stories to enlist help and create an impact with your non-profits.
According to Non-profit Source, non-profits that effectively use storytelling in their fundraising efforts have a donor retention rate of 45% compared to 27% for organizations that do not focus on storytelling. Storytelling fosters a stronger emotional connection with donors and encourages them to stay committed to the cause.
Effective and powerful storytelling, additionally, brings increased donor retention, higher fundraising success, greater engagement on social media, enhanced volunteer participation, improved email response rates, building trust and transparency, humanizing the organization, and more.
Non-Profit Tech for Good Resources
Non-Profit Tech for Good is one of our favorite resources for learning about the best tools for non-profits. These help make a big difference with their webinar series. These tools and organization tips allow your non-profit message to penetrate through the distracting messages of other organizations. These same organizations are vying for the time, attention, and money of other potential donors.
Non-profit messaging appeals to the compassionate nature of our communities. Taking the time to dig deep and harness the message you want to send out to the community will come back to your nonprofit in leaps and bounds. We hope we’ve shared some ideas on how you can make some small adjustments to your nonprofit to make a big impact in attracting others to your cause.
Transcend Ideas is passionate about supporting our local non-profits. Let’s get coffee and discuss how we can promote your mission in an effective and engaging way!
As polarizing as they were, the pandemic-era menus at restaurants deserve credit for the revival of the QR code. Before 2020, this technology was declining, but the need for contact-free options ushered in a new era of creative QR code use within marketing. As the global QR code labels market is projected to grow by an additional 5.6 percent by 2026, exceeding $1 billion, it’s clear that they’re here to stay.
Rightfully so, as it turns out QR codes are an effective marketing tool for business owners. As nearly half of the global population owns a smartphone, most of these devices now come with built-in QR code scanning capabilities, eliminating the need for external apps that used to hinder their functionality. This is a positive development for QR code implementation since they are specifically made for mobile users.
Why should you use QR codes in your small business?
Connecting Print and Digital Marketing: QR codes provide a seamless link between your print materials and digital content.
Information-Rich Design: You can pack more information into your materials without clutter, maintaining an appealing design while delivering valuable content.
Enhanced Design Flexibility: QR codes allow for various design options while ensuring brand consistency. Allowing you to choose custom colors, and designs, and incorporate your own logo.
Targeted Calls to Action: Drive specific customer actions and direct them to relevant web links with ease, breaking through the digital noise.
Efficient Customer Navigation: QR codes facilitate streamlined processes, connecting customers to services like Wi-Fi or customer intake forms effortlessly.
User-Friendly and Cost-Effective: They are easy to implement and budget-friendly, making them accessible for businesses of all sizes.
Data Tracking: QR codes are a valuable tool for tracking customer behavior and collecting analytics data, providing insights for informed marketing strategies.
Did you say Data?
As it turns out, QR codes gather rather useful analytics for businesses through their data-tracking abilities. With services likeQr-code-generator.com by .bitly, you are privy to a CSV report that offers insight; into total QR scans, the geographic location of those scans, the device, and the time the scan was made. These data specs can help business owners pinpoint the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
QR Code Ideas?
One of the many benefits of using QR codes in your marketing strategy is the flexibility they provide, allowing you to customize a highly effective strategy for your business. Given the numerous possibilities, this may seem overwhelming. Here is a list to start as you look to implement QR Codes for your business:
Business Card: Create a QR code that links to a digital business card. This is especially useful in networking scenarios when you don’t have a physical business card on hand.
Social Media: Restaurants, for instance, can place a QR code on their menus, allowing customers to access their social media channels instantly.
Feedback: Implement a QR code on your printed materials to provide clients with a direct way to share their feedback or reviews.
Website: Guide clients directly to your website, where they can find a comprehensive overview of your business concept.
Location: Simplify the process of locating your business by linking a QR code to Google Maps or Waze for easy directions.
We hope our insights have inspired you to explore QR code marketing in your business endeavors. To begin creating your own customized QR codes, you can turn to various software providers. At Transcend Ideas, we favor Qr-code-generator.com! 😃
Does your team need help expanding the reach of your marketing campaigns and business? Let Transcend Ideas take some of the load off and help put QR codes to work for you! Schedule a time to get coffee with us at this link and let’s chat business!
When we think of organizations that need site security we often think of big corporations like Amazon, Target, or Netflix—websites that are visited by millions of people each day and hold important user information. However, small businesses and nonprofits need to take the right steps to help keep confidential data away from hackers.
Smaller organizations also have an obligation to keep clients’ online credit card payments, social security numbers, and other personal data safe. No one wants their personal information to fall into the wrong hands. But smaller organizations sometimes struggle to protect their site because of the complexities of site security. Although you may want to hire someone to help you if online security seems too complicated for you, we thought we’d share some simple ways you can help yourself today!
With or without extra help, a “hacker-free” website is impossible. However, you can improve your website security and follow basic guidelines to deter hacking. Take a look at our guidelines to see where you’re vulnerable and how to fix it.
Create strong passwords and update them regularly
A lot of hacking-related breaches occur because of weak passwords or passwords that are rarely updated. Use a password generator to create a stronger password that is long, uses upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. This can sometimes be a pain, but it’s worth it for the extra security!
If you choose a password instead of using a password generator, don’t pick words or numbers that are predictable like your name, phone number, address, or birthday. A hacker could do a quick background check on you and find this information within minutes.
Another pro tip when it comes to passwords? Use a different password for each platform. Your bank, QuickBooks software, Amazon account, Instagram login, and business website should use completely different passwords.
If you aren’t running a business solo, remind your employees to change their passwords every three months or sooner.
Keep Your Software and Plugins Up-To-Date
This is an easy fix and doesn’t require you to be a computer whiz. Updates exist to fix vulnerabilities in the software and therefore enhance security.
When your website’s software and applications aren’t up-to-date, you leave your whole website at risk. As soon as you see a request for a software or plugin update, don’t ignore it but follow the instructions as soon as you can! Take care of it right away and you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your website is more secure.
Be Cautious When Using Public Wifi
Whether you popped into a coffee shop to work remotely for a few minutes, or you’re using the public internet at an airport, use extreme caution and take preventive measures.
Verify that the network you’re connecting to is the public network. Ask someone in charge or look for signs that mention wifi.
Don’t enter or access sensitive information. Avoid anything where you need to access bank information, use a username and password, enter a social security number, etc.
Never store credit card details to any account—even if it’s the convenient thing to do!
What if you really need to do work on your computer while you’re out and about? Instead of connecting to public wifi, use your hotspot.
Now You Can Take Your Site Security to Another Level
After you’ve completed those simple steps to keep your site secure, you can take it up a notch. You can either educate yourself and implement more security measures on your own, or you can work with a professional to advise you on the latest and most effective security tools.
Want to do everything on your own but don’t know where to start? Make sure you prioritize these security measures
Install Security Socket Layer (SSL) certificates
Back-up Your Website
Use an Effective Anti-Malware Program
Implement the Right Content Management System (CMS)
Use Website Security Testing Tools
Don’t fall prey to hackers this year! Keep your website secure, your clients’ information confidential, and you’ll have more peace of mind while your business thrives.
If thinking about website security sends you into a panic, call Transcend Ideas today! Our team is happy to provide thorough security testing on your site and ensure that you and your customer’s information remain safe from hackers. Let’s get coffee and chat about your options!
As a business owner, it’s easy to divert your attention towards the flashy world of social media marketing. However, what if we told you that email marketing not only leaves a more lasting impression on customers but also boasts a high success rate in converting those impressions into sales?
Leverage the Power of Email Marketing to Retain Customers
It can, also, be tempting to put all your energy into acquiring new clients when it’s a better investment to focus on retaining existing ones. According to MailChimp, our email marketing platform of choice, “customer retention is all about ensuring that existing customers continue to choose your products or services.”
Retention emails, in particular, play a pivotal role in achieving this goal. These targeted communications are designed to reinforce your product or service’s value, nurturing customer loyalty, and promoting continued usage, all while fostering satisfaction and deeper engagement with your brand. According to Heather Devine, the founder of Transcend Ideas, “A well-executed email marketing strategy can tell a story and build lasting relationships between the recipient and the brand. The relationship can be maintained or it can fizzle out, it all depends on utilizing several communication tactics well, including email marketing.”
Why are retention emails so effective?
Existing Customers Buy More Frequently 📈
Market Metric’s data reveals a striking fact: your chances of successfully selling to an existing customer range from 60% to 70%. In contrast, the success rate of closing a new customer hovers much lower, at just 5% to 20%.
Cost-Efficiency 📉
Marketing to existing customers is not only more effective but also lighter on your budget. According to MailChimp, a mere 10% increase in customer retention rates can boost profits by a remarkable 30%.
Freshness and Relevance for Your Brand By staying in touch with your customers through retention emails, your brand remains top-of-mind. This not only ensures their ongoing satisfaction but also increases the likelihood of satisfied customers recommending your brand to potential new customers.
Prioritizing customer retention is a vital component of running a successful business. One way to achieve this is through a well-structured email marketing strategy that maintains a consistent relationship with your existing customers. While organizing such a campaign might seem daunting, it doesn’t need to be complicated. Embrace your brand’s unique personality and the relationships you’ve cultivated. Acustomer communication calendar can help streamline your efforts throughout the year.
Retention emails come in various forms, and the right approach depends on factors such as your unique business, objectives, and the time of year.
Types of Retention Emails
Welcome Emails When a new customer inquires about your business or subscribes to your newsletter, use this opportunity to introduce yourself and showcase the value you offer. Plus, welcome emails often enjoy an above-average open rate.
Announcements and Product Updates When you release a new product or service, share the exciting news with your existing clients. They deserve to be the first to know!
Promotional Emails Reward loyal customers with discounts or promotions, demonstrating your appreciation for their continued support.
Reminder Emails
Help customers keep track of important dates and ensure time-sensitive information stays fresh in their minds. For instance, many non-profits benefit from countdown emails leading to fundraising deadlines, like the Old Bill’s Fun Run giving period in Jackson Hole every fall.
Customer Engagement Emails Customer engagement emails encourage active participation from your customers, inviting them to share feedback, take surveys, or interact with your brand directly. These interactions foster a sense of community and strengthen customer loyalty.
Special Occasion Emails
Recognize holidays or specific seasons with tailored retention emails that align with your brand identity. Be cautious not to get lost in the holiday email clutter; make it work for your brand.
Thank You and Acknowledgment Emails
Take a moment to express gratitude to your customers. ❤️
These are just a handful of examples of retention email types. You know your business best, so get creative and stay consistent!
Is email marketing a foreign territory you don’t want to explore? Let Transcend Ideas fill you in on how we can make email marketing work for your business. We will work with you on the email marketing strategy to best fit your audience and bring great results for your business.
Summer’s come to an end and shorts and sandals are being replaced with jeans and boots. It may seem a little silly to already be thinking about a holiday marketing plan— didn’t summer JUST end? But believe it or not, now is the PERFECT time to get ahead when it comes to the holidays.
Holiday season has a tendency to sneak up on you. Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years seem so far in the future. Before you know it, snowflakes will be falling and the busyness of the holidays will be in full swing. Want to avoid unnecessary stress and burnout this holiday season? Check out our helpful holiday marketing tips and get ahead of the game!
Prioritize Your Holiday Marketing Plan
Brainstorm: Start as soon as you can to brainstorm a holiday marketing plan and put it into place. Holiday sales tend to bring in about 20% of annual sales across most industries. It’s the time of year where a strong marketing plan can bring your business to the top of the competition. Plus, who doesn’t want to end 2023 with a bang?
Your brainstorming session should be where you bring efficiency and creativity together.
Ask for help: Seek out innovative yet reliable marketing plans. Your employees as well as other experts in your industry may have some insight that you didn’t realize you need. Or perhaps you’re friends with an owner of a business very different from yours. You can still bounce ideas off of each other.
Reflect on Your Past Marketing Plans
One of the first steps of an effective marketing plan is to research your own company. Sounds weird? It’s not!
Use historical data to determine if you overspent or underspent on anything last year (we’re talking money or time).
Did you host an event? If so, how effective was it?
Did you create a coupon? If so, how many coupons were used?
Did you write a blog? If so, how many people read it?
Did you update your website? If so, how much more traffic is it seeing?
Did you use social media last year? If so, have your followers increased/do they engage with your material?
Take a closer look at how you’ve been conducting your previous holidays marketing strategies and see what really worked and what could use some extra TLC.
Create a Holiday Offer
Pick a campaign theme and run with it! Each year you should reflect on what you want this holiday season and what your organization or business can provide people. Each year may be drastically different or have subtle nuances. Either way, your holiday campaign should be designed with flavor! Have fun with it. Your campaign is designed around your holiday offer.
Establish a Goal for the Holiday Season
A clear and attainable goal is one of the cornerstones of a great marketing strategy. A goal is not a hope. It’s an objective that you’ve written down and will pursue. Writing down your goal keeps you accountable to it in the future.
Your goals should be SMART – Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound.
Collect $75,000 in donations for ____ charity by December 25, 2023.
Generate 2,000 leads who are interested in our black friday sale by November 22, 2023.
Host 250 participants at the annual _____ event on December 31st, 2023.
You goals could focus on one or multiple categories:
Revenue
Awareness
Leads
Shares
Conversion
Define Your Target Audience
Who are you trying to attract and who do you already attract? Gather as much information about your target audience as possible.
Reflect on your target audience:
Do they like to shop in stores or online?
Do they consume social media on instagram or facebook?
What’s their age demographic?
Are you catering to a high-end consumer or more of the middle class?
Are they locals, tourists, or a mix of both?
When you truly understand your target audience, you understand the best ways to engage them.
Leverage the Right Marketing Channels
After looking at your target audience and writing down your goals this holiday season, you need to determine which marketing channels are best for you.
Marketing is EVERYWHERE these days. Make sure that you’re emphasizing quality over quantity. (Quantity isn’t bad, just make sure that the quality is the priority!) Ask industry experts what they use, take a short class on the latest marketing channels, and be creative.
You may want to optimize these marketing channels:
Website
Email
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
TikTok
Newspaper Ads
Online Reviews
Word of mouth
Paid Advertising
Radio
Chamber of Commerce listing
Sponsorships
Community calendars
Flyers/Posters
Create Your Marketing Calendar
This is an exciting new step! All of your planning and preparation come together in your marketing calendar.
This calendar reminds you of holidays and important nation-wide events such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Small Business Saturday. You can even include other celebrations or noteworthy days like Native American Heritage Month, World Mental Health Day, Daylight Savings, World Coffee Day, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Winter Solstice, or a sporting event.
Plus, this calendar reminds you to release a new promotional video, run a new ad, print and hang a community flier, or post a story on instagram.
No matter what industry you’re in, you NEED a marketing calendar to keep everything straight.
Delegate, Delegate, Delegate
Delegate tasks to keep everything organized and running smoothly. Most of the time, you can’t do everything—and that’s okay!
If an employee is extremely detail oriented and good with numbers—have them order merchandise or supplies.
Do you have an employee is a social butterfly? Encourage them to meet with your advertisers or plan a social event.
Is there an employee who loves to read—have them research your target audience.
Optimize the strengths of others!
Avoid the Biggest Holiday Marketing Plan Mistakes
Now that we’ve discussed what you SHOULD do, let’s quickly go over what you SHOULDN’T.
Only focus on one marketing strategy – this will drastically limit your reach. It’s okay to have one larger marketing strategy but just make sure that it’s not your only one.
Last minute planning – start early! Last minute planning will stress you out and hurt your outcomes.
Not optimizing your mobile site – You need to be accessible online. Like it or not, that’s how the world runs these days. Focus on your online presence and you will reap the rewards.
Ineffective customer service – Be available and fully staffed during the busy holiday season. Customer service can make or break any business. Monitor social media engagement and consider implementing a live chat feature on your website.
Not staying local – One way to stand out is to have a personalized touch to your organization—don’t underestimate the power of your local audience.
The Bottom Line
Design your holiday marketing plan to boost your brand awareness and meet your goals. It’s that simple. Position your brand above others, attract new customers, and keep your loyal ones. Make it great, make it you!
Do you need holiday marketing solutions and don’t know where to start? Schedule a time to grab a coffee and learn how Transcend Ideas can help take the load off this holiday season and provide marketing solutions for your company.
Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her copywriting skills. Meredith helps amplify our client’s messaging through thorough research and thoughtful and relatable writing. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A so you may get to know Meredith in her own words.
Meet Meredith Runkle Olson, Copywriter
1. Where do you hail from? Where do you live now? And how did you come to be there?
I was raised in Maryland but I moved out west for undergrad at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mt. I absolutely love mountain sports and the pace of life here so I doubt that I’ll ever move away! I currently live in Jackson and have called it home for seven years.
2. What do you like to do for fun?
Hiking, trail running, biking, any type of water sport, volleyball and soccer.
3. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? Do you like knowing your work helps others? And what areas are you most passionate about?
I am currently a copywriter. I’ll do anything from blogs to social media posts to editing. When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder. I’m passionate about conservation, the environment, social justice, finances, history, and public policy. I’m the nerd who goes to museums on vacation!
Meredith Runkle Olson
4. What are you grateful for? Big or small?
Jesus, my husband, our baby girl, Helen, the state of Wyoming, family, friends, and the amazing public lands here in the U.S. (There’s so much more but I’ll leave it at that)
5. Do you have any office mates? Animals? Partners?
My favorite office mate is my seven month old baby, Helen 😉 I’m currently a stay at home mom (the best job ever!) and I work part time as a copywriter. My husband works in town and tries to come home on lunch breaks so that all three of us get some quality time together. No doggos, although Helen LOVES animals.
“When I know that my work helps others it makes me want to work even harder.”
Meredith RUnkle Olson
6. What are you looking forward to this Summer?
I’m trying to train for a big trail run in the grand canyon so I’m looking forward to running in the Tetons or the National Forest this summer. Ooo, I can’t forget the people’s market, grass volleyball in May park, and outdoor concerts. There are just so many things in Jackson! No matter what I do, I love to show Helen my favorite spots and activities. My pace of life has dramatically changed since having a baby but I’m learning to love every day and be thankful for the little things.
Meredith in the Tetons
7. Do you have advice to a business or organization that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?
It’s simple, ask the people what they want.
8. For whom do you feel responsible?
I feel the desire to raise Helen and other children we have, in a healthy way. I want them to love nature, eat healthy, stay active, love others, serve those in need, and learn how to be mentally tough. Plus, I definitely feel responsible for the environment. At the rate that the whole world is going, our future generations won’t experience what we do. I want to help our communities focus on sustainable practices in every realm of life. I also want my children to understand finances. Most people my age were never taught how to avoid debt, wisely invest, budget, live frugally, and think about life in the long term. I want to change that for my family. Most Americans have out of control spending habits and I refuse to be a part of that.
9. What are you hopeful for this year?
I want to fully embrace being a great mom! It’s such an important role. I can pursue other things later in life but I can never get back this precious time with my baby. That being said, I still want to be active and show Helen how my hobbies and passions are important to me.
10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.
My husband and I are debt-free (besides a mortgage), I did all 42 miles of the Teton Crest Trail in a single day, and even though I decided not to go this route, I studied hard and got into law school with a great scholarship, and I created life.
Meet Rachael Kennedy, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her project assistance and web skills. Rachael helps amplify our clients through technical adjustments to websites, SEO work, social media and more. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A.
Meet Rachael Kennedy, Project Assistant & IT Support
1. What do you like to do for fun?
I love going on long drives to look for wildlife with my family. Whether we are birding, finding moose, bears, or other large mammals in the Greater Yellowstone. Grand Teton has been one of my favorite places to get great animal pictures. In May, we will see how many brand-new baby bison we can get photos of in Yellowstone. We are looking forward to trying to find some burrowing owls at the start of the summer, too.
2. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? Do you like knowing your work helps others? And what areas are you most passionate about?
I help with marketing, SEO, and website work. I love serving people with technology – it is a field that has many barriers to access and can cause a lot of frustration when things don’t work as anticipated. Taking a load off of people in any small way is rewarding. I’m passionate about front-end work on websites, or UX/UI design. Making navigation across a website for a user as simple, intuitive, and beautiful as possible is a great challenge on every project.
3. What are you grateful for? Big or small?
Connections and community. I find it in a hundred small places now – chatting and laughing in the line at the grocery store with someone about my kiddos, FB groups, family group texts or potlucks, and community events. Maybe especially since Covid, I feel like the world needs each other more than ever and I’m grateful for the beautiful communities I’m a part of.
4. Do you have any animals?
I don’t have any animals, there are too many allergies with my siblings and extended family to have ever had a pet with fur. I have a wide assortment of tropical houseplants that have become my second babies though 🙂 My favorites are the alocasias and calatheas.
5. What are you looking forward to this summer?
I’m looking forward to all the dreamy photoshoots of my babies. The one I’m most excited about is taking my daughter to the lavender fields in Utah for her 4th birthday photos. I still have to decide what I will do for my son’s pictures for the summer – it’s always fun to figure out the perfect setup.
6. Do you have advice for a business or organization that wants to connect with its community and customers these days?
Make your values apparent through your messaging. That’s the fastest way for a potential customer to resonate with your brand. Sharing what you value cuts through a lot of noise.
7. For whom do you feel responsible?
My two darling kiddos <3 They are hilarious and already have their independent little personalities shining through. My daughter is the vibrant, busy socialite, and my son is the laid-back California smile and happy-to-hang-out guy. Both of them bring me so much joy!
8. What are you hopeful for this year?
I want to be more creative in the quiet moments, trying for a few more photos or sketches with the babes during big art messes, laughter, and exploring the world. Telling our stories in more ways and with more mediums than I have done in the past and digitizing assets as I do. This has to be one of childhood’s most magical times, and I don’t want to miss or forget a thing.
9. What are you passionate about?
There are so many complex problems in the world. The problem I seem most drawn to is coming up with economic initiatives for small and rural communities. Access to opportunity has a lot of ripple effects and touches on so many other problems our world faces. Finding ways to cut through conflicting/distracting messaging by building authentic and impactful websites and marketing campaigns that will make a difference in the world is something I think about a lot. Building great relationships and telling a great story – isn’t that the goal of any beautiful life 😉
10. What are you proud of right now? This could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.
I’m in the building routines stage with kiddos right now – when they ask for something in a patient way or don’t have a tantrum when they have to wait, I swear the entire world just stops to enjoy the peaceful moment with us. I want to try a few other things like colored boxes for toys and a visual schedule to keep building on their independence, but it’s all at a great place right now and I’m content with where we are at.
Have you met Meredith? She’s also on the Transcend Ideas team and she is now a new mommy! 🙂 Have you met Brennan? She’s our copywriter and illustrator always ready for adventure.
Are you excited to learn more about the team and look into working with Transcend Ideas on your next project? Let’s get coffee!
In today’s design industry, inclusive design has taken center stage as the prevailing approach. While not a new concept, its influence continues to grow as it becomes more mainstream. The reason behind this shift is clear: inclusive design empowers nearly everyone to engage in digital spaces.
In this post, we will delve into why adopting this philosophy is crucial and explore practical ways to incorporate it into your brand’s design work and digital content. Get ready to unlock the power of inclusivity and revolutionize your design approach.
Accessibility vs. Inclusive design?
What is accessibility? Accessibility in design aims to give people with disabilities access – but this is only the bare minimum for web access to today’s world. The focus is on following ADA compliance via section 508 or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Accessibility is essential but only the beginning of creating an inclusive digital space.
Inclusive design takes accessibility a few steps further. It‘s less concerned about simply meeting requirements and more concentrated on how every user can have the best possible experience. This requires designers to incorporate empathy (link Heather’s blog to the words incorporate empathy) and compassion into their work practice. Inclusive design considers a broad range of challenges that users may face and focuses on creating products that meet users wherever they are. It takes into account the diverse needs of users and aims to create experiences that are accessible and effective for everyone.
Why ‘inclusive design’ matters:
Inclusive design is crucial because it challenges and enhances good design without compromising aesthetics. It allows for a diverse audience to engage with your brand, promoting fairness and equal participation for all individuals. From a business perspective, inclusive design opens doors to potential customers and demonstrates social responsibility. Moreover, it encourages learning from diverse experiences, leading to innovative and user-centric designs. Inclusive design is not just about accessibility; it is about creating better experiences and ensuring equal opportunities for everyone.
Who might benefit from inclusive design:
The answer is everyone. Inclusive design benefits the whole for the better. After all, inclusive design calls on designers to communicate their messaging in the most effective and clear way possible.
However, inclusive design is crucial for ensuring that disabled individuals can fully participate in the digital world. When designing, it is essential to consider the needs of users with visual impairments, hearing impairments, limited motor functions, those on the neurodivergent spectrum, and others who may face barriers to access. By prioritizing inclusivity, we can create digital experiences that accommodate diverse abilities and enable equal participation for all users.
According to the CDC, approximately 25% of adults in the US live with a disability. Furthermore, it is expected that a significant majority of individuals will encounter a temporary or permanent disability at some stage in their lives. These statistics highlight the importance of inclusive design in order to cater to the diverse needs and experiences of individuals with disabilities.
How to make your design work inclusive:
To all fellow designers out there who might want to start incorporating inclusive design practices into their work, there are various elements of design to consider. Doing so will make digital spaces more welcoming and functional for more people. After all, design work is created for humans.
Contrasting colors!
When designers are intentional about choosing contrasting colors, it makes for an overall improved experience. Not only does it make digital spaces accessible for those who might be sight impaired higher contrast benefits the experience of all users.
The Web Contrast Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Contrast ratios can range from 1 (1:1) to 21 (21:1). To get the contrast ratio of two colors, this formula is used L1 meaning the lighter and L2 the darker; (L1 + 0.05) / (L2 + 0.05).
This formula can be confusing and thankfully there are many calculators available to check color contrast. Try testing on Coolors or Webaim. Other sites can help designers generate accessible color palettes like ColorSafe.
It is also a good practice for designers to avoid using pure black (#000000) and pure white (#FFFFFF). When pure black is used in design and as text color, it causes the eyes of readers to strain. It’s best to opt for a dark grey. (see example below)
Font choices matter.
Remember, most of the information that exists online comes in the form of text. You want your users to be able to comprehend and understand what your brand is saying.
Size: Keep the size of your text as large as possible. It is recommended that body text should be no smaller than 12px however a 16px body text is even more inclusive to those who might be sight impaired or those with reading disorders.
Typeface: The style of fonts is an important design decision. Some fonts are known for being more accessible than others. For example, in most cases, it is best to choose a sans-serif font for the body text. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, and Helvetica are good choices for body text. Save fun serif fonts for headings that will be presented in a larger text size.
Weight: This is another font characteristic that can help portray information with clarity. Added weight onto headers and sub-headers can create a visual hierarchy that can help organize information for the reader. This is particularly helpful for neurodivergent folks.
Layout is important!
As mentioned above, visual hierarchy is important. Intentional layout design can significantly improve the comprehension of information.
When bodies of text become too dense, it becomes harder for your entire audience to comprehend. It is recommended that line length should be kept to about 45-75 words long.
Incorporating visual elements is also a great way to enhance the readability of large bodies of text. Creating a balanced look in our work relies on visual hierarchy. We achieve this by using both symmetry and asymmetry in equal measure, ensuring a strong and visually pleasing stability.
Consider Functionality
This topic leans towards the development side of web design however it is important mentioning because functionality needs to be inclusive too. For example, a site that requires a user to hover for navigation is not inclusive design. It really isn’t accessible for anyone, especially those users with motor-related disabilities.
Visual and Audio Processing
People process visual and audio information across a broad spectrum and it is a designer’s job to be aware of this.
Color choices: Selecting suitable colors involves more than just considering contrast; there are additional aspects to keep in mind. For instance, individuals on the neurodivergent spectrum may find intense and vibrant colors overly stimulating and distracting. By opting for clean and simple colors, these issues can be alleviated, leading to more effective information communication. Taking inclusion a step further, offering a dark mode option for your theme can enhance the user experience and make it more enjoyable for certain users.
It is important to remember that color should not be relied upon to convey messages. If a design is not easily discernible in grayscale, it lacks accessibility. Developing the habit of reviewing design drafts in grayscale can ensure inclusion for colorblind users and improve overall accessibility.
Alt text: Ensuring that every image incorporated in a digital environment is accompanied by an alternative text description serves two important purposes. Firstly, it allows users with visual impairments to comprehend the content, and secondly, it contributes to enhancing search engine optimization (SEO).
Audio inclusion: If there is video or audio content available in a digital space, it should be paired with either closed captions or a written transcript to be inclusive to all users. Also, it’s best to skip any auto-play features or just mute any content by default. Whether it’s to accommodate individuals facing sensory overload, hearing impairment, or simply those in quiet environments, being mindful of audio enhances accessibility. Design choices that prioritize audio inclusivity can make content accessible to a wider range of people in various situations.
Inclusive Content
To create inclusive digital spaces, it is crucial to make accessible design choices and also consider the content. Users have varying reading abilities and English may not be their first language. To ensure easy access to information, it is best to use simple words and keep things concise.
Creating inclusive content also involves recognizing the importance of having a diverse team of content creators. By incorporating individuals from various backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, a wider range of voices can contribute to the content production process. This diversity allows for a more accurate and authentic representation of different communities, resulting in content that resonates with a broader audience
Additionally, using supportive language with readers helps foster a positive connection. Try, “Thanks for reading this far. I appreciate your interest in inclusive design. You must really care about the people you design for :)”
Center Disabled People
Disabled individuals have played a significant role as pioneers of inclusive design, yet they haven’t received the recognition they deserve. Their contributions and insights have been instrumental in shaping and advancing inclusive design practices.
‘Crip Technoscience’ is the concept in disability studies and design that centers disabled people as makers and inventors. Two prominent disabled activists, Alice Wong & Aimi Hamraie, discussed this topic in detail on the Critical Design Lab Podcast.
“Non-disabled culture doesn’t recognize us as makers, a lot of the time they don’t recognize that disability culture is full of makers, and people who are expert tinkerers and hackers. And because of that people tend to think about disability in solely medical terms,” Aimi Hamraie
Inclusive design is not just for disabled folks. It improves the digital space for everyone. Disabled folk should be respected for their contributions and viewed as leaders within the inclusive design space.
Adopting inclusive design standards has become the norm in the industry. Embracing these practices not only improves design but also expands accessibility to a wider range of users. And adhering to inclusive design principles does not restrict us as designers; instead, it allows us to create better experiences for all.
Meet Brennan Hussey, who has joined the Transcend Ideas team offering her copywriting and illustration skills. Brennan helps amplify our client’s messaging through thorough extensive research, curiosity, and thoughtful writing. Her illustrations bring a new flavor to our client’s marketing campaigns and for that we are grateful. She shared a bit about herself in this Q and A so you may get to know Brennan in her own words.
Meet Brennan
1. Where do you hail from? where do you live now? and how did you come to be there?
I grew up in Kansas City & Savannah GA, respectively. So therefore I’m a Southerner without a Southern accent. I still say Y’ALL because ‘Y’ALL means ALL’ 🌈
After college, studying Advertising and Communications at UGA, in the best music town in the country, Athens, GA – I migrated out west to be in the mountains. ⛰️ I’ve since lived in Jackson Hole, Idaho, Alaska, and now call Denver home. <3
Brennan and Reed mountain bike together
2. What do you like to do for fun?
FUN?! Oh yeah, I have it.
I live to cook & eat and especially love spending way too much on ingredients for an elaborate meal that will take me over 4 hours to complete. This, friends, and a nice bottle of Chenin Blanc is my idea of the perfect night.
I make an effort to spend as much time outdoors as possible – snowboarding, hiking, biking, playing tennis, & going on hot girl walks around the neighborhood. Cue Tina Turner in the Airpods -may she rest in power.
As a Sagittarius Sun – I’m an absolute walking cliché because I’m a travel addict. The minute I was able to make my own money, I started collecting stamps in my passport. I value how much understanding it has given me about the world around me.
And I LOVE anything to do with art whether that’s creating my own, listening to music, reading books, or indulging in tv and film. Give me all the art. Above anything else. Always.
3. What do you do in your role with Transcend Ideas? do you like knowing your work helps others? and what areas are you most passionate about?
I wear a few different hats for Transcend Ideas as a Content Creator.
First and foremost, I do work as a Content Writer which is a little more in-depth than it sounds. For blog posts and other content, I conduct detailed research, interview experts when needed, draft concise articles, carefully edit, upload it to the client’s CMS, arrange the layout, and amplify the SEO for maximum visibility. There’s a lot to it!
I also work as an Illustrator and Designer which includes drawing custom illustrations, designing event posters, visual content for social media, logo design, and even entire branding campaigns.
I also help collaborate and brainstorm with Heather on working concepts for clients and coming up with new marketing ideas and strategies. We work and communicate really well together and share healthy constructive feedback with one another. I really value her voice and appreciate that she also values mine.
And of course, I like knowing my work helps others. It’s one of the reasons I do what I do. As a writer, I cannot fathom doing anything but speaking my truth and sharing that with others.
My passion burns for a variety of topics. Cross-country skiing, yes. Girl empowerment, absolutely. Renewable energy, but of course. How to identify noxious weeds, bring it on. That’s one of the reasons I make a marvelous content writer, I can get excited about pretty much anything. And we all know excitement can be contagious.
4. What are you grateful for? Big or small?
BIG: The past year has been a year of asking for help. I’m so grateful that my requests have been answered. I feel so supported by my partner, friends, and family. I will always be grateful for that.
5. If your house was on fire and you could save 3 things, what would they be?
Let me preface this by saying, I don’t have any pets (yet). I’d probably grab my Monstera plant, a piece of framed art, and the box of cards & memories I keep under my bed.
I also help collaborate and brainstorm with Heather on working concepts for clients and coming up with new marketing ideas and strategies. We work and communicate really well together and share healthy constructive feedback with one another. I really value her voice and appreciate that she also values mine.
6. What are you looking forward to this summer?
Getting out into the mountains and seeing some live music outdoors. Oooh, also seeing the Barbie Movie that comes out in a few weeks. But would you hate me if I admitted I’m secretly pining for fall? 🍂
7. Do you have advice to a business or organization that wants to connect with their community and customers these days?
I think something that is oftentimes overlooked is not engaging with community members of all ages and demographics. I think we, as a society, can get locked into our own little bubbles and echo chambers. As a millennial, I’ve often felt overlooked by older generations. I don’t want to do this to the younger generations. I want them to know that their opinions matter. So to businesses and organizations, I advise you to cast a wider net and stay open-minded. The wisest among us know they don’t know everything.
8. What can you not stop talking about right now?
Station Eleven. I’m obsessed. It’s a limited series on HBO MAX. After I watched the show, I gobbled up the book it’s based on. It’s a post-apocalyptic story done differently than anything I’ve ever seen in that genre.
9. What are you hopeful for this year?
I’m on a journey of building upon my portfolio and building up my self-confidence. These two things are interconnected and I’m putting the needed work into nurturing them both. And, yes I’m feeling hopeful about it. I’m trying to remind myself to stay hopeful on down days as growth is not linear.
10. What are you proud of right now? Could be a personal accomplishment, big or small.
Learning how to say NO and protect my peace. I don’t feel like our society values this as much as it should. Looking out for your health and well-being is important. Learning to say no to things that will not serve us can sometimes feel counterintuitive. But always listen to your gut. The Olsen twins say it best, “NO, is a full sentence.”
Contact Transcend Ideas today to get Brennan busy working on an illustration or design project for your company!
This is a geek out blog post about Canva. If you haven’t guessed, I love the platform and what they provide businesses. Their platform continues to amaze me and what you can do with it. How may I count the ways.. I love you, Canva!
SVG Magic in Branding Your Business
DeLacy Tea Company – SVG rosehips
Let’s begin with SVGs, which stands for: Scalable Vector Graphics. This handy-dandy format allows for your vector files to be colorized before your eyes. That’s right. Exactly how you can pull an element from Canva and change out a color to your liking? I recently designed something for Mariel’s DeLacy Tea Company. Delacy Tea Company wanted to utilize the rosehips element on different tea labels. Each label needing to be a different color, so making a couple of elements she can then colorize in Canva was huge! An important tip for Illustrator/vector designers: make sure the vector is completely closed so the element can be colorized effectively in Canva. For this sample of their rosehips (right), I had the lines in the leaves transparent and not white so that the rosy color or any color of their choosing can stand out on a contrasting background.
There are some smaller businesses that need to be able to “play” with their logo and with this versatility it allows for a business owner to take it upon themselves to make necessary changes on their own.
From now on, when I package my client’s graphics and hand them over, SVGs will be on that checklist of elements that are an absolute must. Exporting elements for your clients that can be the most useful allows them to move freely in their brand without constraints. All too often clients have shared stories where they are left hopeless with ownership over their own logo files, domain names, hosting for their website, access to their social media platforms, etc. All forthcoming topics I will happily share in our blog.
Some Canva templates provided for marketing campaigns:
Happy Holidays from JH Fire/EMSPeople Spread Love Old Bill’s Fun Run (Insta Square)TCWP Spray Days (Email Newsletter header)People Spread Love Old Bill’s Fun Run (Insta Square)
Bravo goes back to Canva, an Australia-women owned business. Canva has revolutionized graphic design for so many ambitious dreamers. Now design is accessible to anyone that wants to build a business with the help of their design platform. I couldn’t be more excited to recommend them to anyone who works in design or wants to dabble in it.
Canva Custom Template Offerings
$837.00Original price was: $837.00.$669.60Current price is: $669.60.
