All Posts, Branding, Graphic Design, Web Design
Have you ever wondered how some websites are able to integrate images so seamlessly with the background of the page that they just blend in?
Most of those websites accomplish this by removing the original background of the image and either making it transparent (see-through) or changing it to another color or another background all-together. It’s all matched to the theme of the website.
For example, notice the pastor and elder of the First Church of the Living God website (created by Design Theory) in the image below. They blend right in with the clouds in the background.
Today, I will be showing you how to remove the background of an image easily and quickly with Adobe Photoshop.
* Before you start, make sure you have opened an image in Photoshop (File > Open) *
Step 1: Select the Magic Wand Tool
Select the Magic Wand tool, located in the left menu bar.
Step 2: Configure the Magic Wand Tool
Once you have selected the Magic Wand tool, you will need to configure it using the options located near the top menu bar. For basic background removal, tolerance is the only option you need to concern yourself with in the Magic Wand configuration options. Tolerance determines how closely to match colors, and a higher tolerance means a larger selection. For this example, I used a value of 70 for tolerance because if you use anything lower you will get an ugly jagged-edged blue border around the image.
Step 3: Select the Background with the Magic Wand Tool
Now that you have selected the Magic Wand tool and configured its tolerance level, you will need to select the background in the image. Click anywhere in the background of the image and the Magic Wand will automatically detect the colors of the image, and, if there aren’t too many different colors in the image, it will detect the background. Now you see why they call it the “Magic” Wand! In this case, the background is almost a solid blue so the Magic Wand has no trouble detecting the background, and it only takes one click. If the background is not solid, or is busier than the background in this particular example, you will have to hold the shift key while you click on each color that is part of the background (Hold shift + left click). This is a basic tutorial, however, so I won’t be diving into how to do that now.
Step 4: Delete the Background
Now that you have selected the Magic Wand tool, set its tolerance level and selected the background, you simply hit the delete key and voila, no background! You are now free to use this image with just about any background you can think of.
Here is an example of what I did with my tiger:
As you can see, I replaced the background with a solid black color and added some text of a company I made up. This is an example of how you could implement this tiger picture as a logo/header element on your website. There are a lot of other ways to use this skill to make your websites look very professional and seamless.
If you have this skill and use it for your own professional application, please share your experience. If not, was this tutorial helpful to you?
All Posts, Content & Copywriting
Charles Dickens was an Englishman, social critic and author of some of the world’s most well-known fiction stories and hailed as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Great Expectations was set in 1812 and follows the life of Pip, an orphan child who is on an amazing journey of personal growth and character development to become a proper gentleman. Uh, Yvonne…What in the world does this have to do with the business industry? Don’t give up on me yet… The original ending of the book was later revised based on another editorial critic who said that its predecessor was far too sad. So with ego slightly bruised, Dickens rewrote it (Yeah, someone asked Charles Dickens to rewrite one of the most renowned literary pieces in history!) so that Pip marries Estella instead of the original ending which had them passing each other on the street with no apparent love or future in sight. It was then hailed as one of the most brilliant stories and influential literary pieces to be held in ones hands before best-seller lists existed.
Fast forward to 2012. You’ve got this nice small/medium-sized business that’s been running pretty well for several years but with the current “recession” in full swing, you’ve hit a bit of a speed bump (or maybe several nails in 3 tires). You’re sales are down and Abe Lincoln is the reflection of your ROI. You drive to your office wondering if sooner than later your doors will look like one of many that have “Now Leasing” over the door instead of your company sign above it. So what’s a business owner to do when you feel like you can’t spare a nickel, let alone a check with more than (2) 0’s to boost your business and the bottom line? Rethink and re-strategize. Let’s learn from that earlier Dickens example.
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Dickens’ Great Expectations
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Business in Jeopardy
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| An established masterpiece of literature that already had a solid reputation & some notable success |
A well-established but slowly declining business with a seemingly solid clientele but not producing an adequate profit margin. Needing to resort to downsizing personnel, departments or “doing away with” vital parts of your business because of funding. |
| An outside critic thought he could make it better |
Believe it or not, an outside source sometimes can have the best perspective of what your business needs to survive. Sometimes when we’re too close to it, we need a lens adjustment to see outside of what we have been doing and expand our perspective outside of “what we already know”. |
| Considered another outcome. The change embraced and implemented helped the book become one of the greatest among classical literature and Dickens was hailed as a literary genius. |
Maybe it’s a website if you don’t have one. Maybe it’s
rebranding and testing the market with a new look/feel for your online and print marketing materials. Strategize as if it’s business warfare and the life of your business depends on it. Most times how we start is not always how we finish and it’s ok to embrace that. Oftentimes that is the sweetest success and thus the story of getting there! |
Rethink and re-strategize to meet the goal(s) at hand! Don’t be afraid to shift the paradigm or how you think about your business and its road to success!
I’m sure Dickens didn’t expect anyone to come along and tweak his masterpiece but surprisingly, he was open to the idea that someone may just have a better way. The Great Expectations Pip had, were constantly evolving with every ebb and flow of life and unforeseen circumstance. For the sake of the novels success, Dickens was forced to consider the revision if he wanted to see Great Expectations become all that it deserved to be and that which he desired.
What are you willing to do to achieve the Great Expectations you have for your masterpiece?
Web Design
Do you have difficulty getting visitors to come to your website?
The first thought that may go through your mind is that you’re not marketing enough, but you may be overlooking a common problem. Most people who do a search on Google.com don’t spend very much time deciding whether the website they clicked on is where they want to be. Typically, the decision to stay or go will happen within 7 seconds, which is commonly known as the 7 second rule. To ensure visitors are staying on your website after those first 7 seconds your website needs to have:
1. Easily accessible information
2. A user-friendy layout (clear and concise navigation)
3. An attractive design
Here are some examples of websites that DO NOT provide users with these three important design concepts:
Serene-Naturist.com
This website has so many design no-nos, I don’t even know where to begin! First off, all of the extra graphics, such as the butterflies, really distract you from what the website is really about. Secondly, the design does not look professional at all, giving it the impression that it was made by a 10 year old. You definitely don’t want that if you’re going to run a professional business. Also, the page loads very slowly because of the plethora of images and moving graphics that are completely unnecessary.
ChesterTourist.com
This website suffers from what I call “information overload.” The user doesn’t know where to click. There are just way too many links that are placed everywhere and not organized. This website would be a lot easier to navigate if the designer had grouped the links into categories and displayed them in one menu (e.g., a drop down menu).
Those were examples of BAD website design. Here are some examples of GOOD website design:
First Church of the Living God
This website is one of our own (created by the Design Theory team) and highlights some very good aspects of design. Unlike ChesterTourist.com, the navigation is very clear and concise. If you hover over the links on the navigation bar near the top you will see how much easier the website is to navigate with the links grouped into categories and displayed in a drop-down menu, which is what ChesterTourist.com should have done with their links. As you can see, the website is clearly about a church and the information (our services, media, events, etc.) is easily accessible and presented in an attractive, easy-to-read format.
Preston Dental Care
This is another website that we (the Design Theory team) have designed. Again, the navigation is very clear and concise, and easy-to-read. If you want to find out more about what services Preston Dental Care offers, the link for “Services” is right in front of you in large letters.
A very simple, easy-to-read layout is very important for getting more users to come to your website. I think the worst thing you can do is confuse the user. Your business may have the best product or service in the world, but if you don’t present it in a way that is easily accessible on your website, you will have a lot of trouble getting new customers.
Check out our design portfolio if you want to see more examples of GOOD designs 🙂
What about you? Have you seen any websites recently that you loved, or maybe some you wish you hadn’t seen?
Web Development, WordPress
More and more individuals and businesses are using content management systems instead of static HTML sites. Generally, a content management system (CMS) is easier for an end user to update and maintain. However, there are a number of options when it comes to choosing a CMS. Here are some things to consider when helping a client find the content management system that is right for them.
How tech-savy is your client? One of the main reasons to use a CMS is to allow your client to update their own content easily. In order to do this, they will need to be able to use the admin panel. Consider how easy it would be for your particular client to add, modify and delete content. Some of the easier CMS options for a beginner are concrete5 and WordPress. For more advanced users, consider Joomla or Drupal.
What functionality does your client need? This is one of those where you need to find the best tool for the job. There needs to be some balance here–there obviously needs to be enough features to get the site to where the client needs it and perhaps even grow with them into the future, but at the same point it shouldn’t overwhelm them either. This dovetails with the technology level of your client-user.
Also consider also the plugins and the themes available and how they could benefit your client. I would recommend browsing both the official site of the CMS in question as well as any 3rd party sites.
What level of support is available? This is both for your benefit as well as the client’s. How often is the CMS itself updated and how well are changes documented? Is there an active community that you can ask for help if needed? What additional resources are available for you and your clients?
What is your level of comfort? Obviously your skills factor in. What technology are you proficient with? What do you enjoy working with?
Obviously there are many other content management systems available. What do you prefer to use—either on your own or with a client and why?
All Posts
For those outside the marketing realm, let me help define “branding”. Branding is a signature ‘look and feel’ that leverages all of the resources our industry has to offer to make sure that you will be noticed and recognized by consumers and like industry companies.
- Branding is an essential component to any business therefore it’s something you should consistently think about and ensure it evolves on an ongoing basis. Taking time to think about and employ opportunities to promote your brand is both fundamental and key to its success.
- Your brand and marketing materials should precisely detail & sell your product and/or service. If they’re not, they’re wrong. You know the old adage of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it”…well if it is, it’s time to re-think and re-brand.
- C’mon, get focused! Your view of your product/service can sometimes be narrow and if it’s your “baby”, it can be hard to be a tough critic. So if you can’t afford to pay for a professional focus group, here is a suggestion. Get together a group of professional friends from various industries and present your products/service. Offering hors d’oeuvres and beverages is a nice form of compensation. What’s most important though is getting their feedback in writing and implementing their suggestions (if they are good ideas…) into your brand/marketing strategies and promotions.
- Know your street credibility ~ Your brand image as well as its reputation is vital. It’s super important you know what your client base is saying about you…and even your competition. Being armed with this information will allow you to evolve your branding & marketing strategies to thwart the effects of the good or bad press.
- Promote your brand across all landscapes. This should include at a minimum:
∞ direct marketing via mailers;
∞ email campaigns and promotions;
∞ online & in-store promotions; and last but surely not least…
∞ social media, etc.
