LogoDesign.net

logodesignnet

Any graphic designer will tell you that there’s a certain rhythm to how they work. It’s true of any field that involves creativity: from data gathering to brainstorming to iteration after iteration until the finished product gradually emerges from the mist. As attached as we get to the habits of creative design, that has never stopped any creative individual from continually searching for ways to streamline the process. We want to make it better because making the process better holds the potential to make us better at what we do. Enter the fledgling world of in the realm of graphic design. artificial intelligence The Brief History of AI in Design Reportedly, AI design tools first began to be used in graphic design around 2016. As with many fields, the introduction of AI raised questions about whether it could potentially make the human element — in this case, graphic designers themselves — obsolete eventually. One research paper on the subject, published by the Journal of Physics, even noted the use of AI design as a “severe threat to the graphic design industry” and to “people engaged in graphic design” ( ),  which, interestingly enough, was recently retracted by the publication in which it appeared, as of just 2022). a paper But were also concerned. Development of AI graphic design tools was spearheaded by computer scientists, not by the graphic designers themselves, which led designers to worry about a lack of communication — or, more importantly, understanding — between two very different disciplines. Would AI design tools be able to combine both form and function or would the rapid generation of artificially-created images edge out the human touch simply based on convenience? other researchers Is it possible that AI design tools might completely change how graphic designers work? The quick answer? Yes. But it’s a good thing. From Theory to Practicality After years of and with others to implement new tools and techniques in order to continually better the process of graphic design, I can say that AI design tools are not only here to stay, they’re here to make design better. I say this because tradition isn’t paramount when it comes to great design; just because something has always been done a certain way, like how designers often follow the , doesn’t mean that way is the most optimal. working as a graphic designer golden rules of logo designing The real plus with AI design is that the initial reaction of fear from the design community has been put to rest: design tools cover a range of functionalities that leave the power in the hands of the designer themselves. Want to focus on creativity and cut down on some of the more generic tasks of graphic design? There’s a tool for that. Want software that will provide suggested edits? There’s a tool for that. Stuck on a project and need some help with ideation? There are tools for that. How about an iteration tool that creates multiple variations of your design? There are tools for that, too. Enter some of the top AI design tools that are fundamentally changing now only how graphic designers are used by brands and clients, but how graphic designers themselves complete their creative process. Khroma A new favorite (and free to boot) for some designers I know, was created as a color combination generation tool, allowing designers (and anyone who wants to give it a try) to browse and compare palettes for their projects. It was created by a designer, George Hastings, and can both speed up palette development for designers and stimulate creativity with AI-generated suggestions. Khroma The tool also offers a personalized aspect to color choice, asking you to choose 50 colors before generating a list of personalized choices to consider. You can upload your in-process images to try colors out in-context of the project. Uizard is an app and website design tool that can be used by both experienced graphic designers and newbies to the design world. It even bills itself as the “design tool for non-designers,” but it comes in handy for web and graphic designers as well. Initially a machine-learning project at its outset, it now boasts over 8,000 new projects each week. Uizard It’s designed to be utilized for wireframe development, , and rapid prototyping. With a rise in the demand for mobile apps, it’s a great place to start for graphic designers who may not have dipped their toes in the app design waters yet but are interested in expanding their skillset. As a big believer in using pencil and paper for brainstorming and initial iterations, the “sketch to design” feature is particularly appealing. web and mobile app development Deep Art Effects is a fun and functional AI design assistant for the ideation and iteration process of graphic design. It includes basic functions such as ideal cropping suggestions, grayscale and color optimization, and intelligent scaling, but the real focus of this tool is the transformation of your graphic design into a variety of different art styles - over 120, at this writing. Deep Art Effects And this isn’t just a question of Snapchat filters. The tool alters and refines your design “into a work of art.” Interestingly, some designers associated with big-name brands use Deep Art Effects, including Samsung and Huawei. Adobe Sensei is a design tool that is focused more on the post-design process, cutting down on the time designers might spend on refining and implementing their designs by streamlining the process of adjusting image size and quality, ensuring discoverability, and guiding marketing and campaign optimization. Sensei Alibaba’s Luban Designed for e-commerce businesses processing hundreds, if not thousands, of products, Luban uses intelligent algorithms and user-generated provisional input to create images and banners for marketing and product promotion. Alibaba officially released the tool in 2015, and since then, it has created tens of millions of images each day, providing them with a one-click input according to the needs of the business. Understandably, high output by the AI and low input by the human graphic designer can lead to a lower-quality end product. However, the main point of AI design tools is to provide what’s needed, and Luban certainly meets a need for Alibaba’s e-commerce merchants: , done quick. Luban well illustrates the wide variety of AI design tools for graphic design; at the same time, it makes clear that the human touch in graphic design is here to stay. image generation Out With the Old, in With AI While using AI design tools can deeply alter the ability and process of a traditional designer, the end result is a range rather than a single point. It’s up to each designer to decide how much they want to be involved and to what extent they want their output changed or enhanced by new technology. In the end, while the full use of AI tools can totally derail the way that graphic designers go about their jobs, the net result is for the good of design — and for the continuation of human designers, hand in hand with AI. AI tools Will some companies abandon human designers and utilize AI design entirely? Alibaba’s experience with Luban suggests that some certainly will, and perhaps more as AI continues to develop. But ultimately, AI tools are just that: tools, not whole-cloth solutions. The fear of AI replacing human graphic designers entirely should be put to the side as unrealistic. In the meantime, graphic designers have a choice: stick to the old ways of working or add a few new AI design tools to your graphic design toolbox. I know which one I would choose.

AI Design Tools That are Changing How Graphic Designers Work

Startups of The Year 2023 Winners: North America 

Heyo, Designers! We are here with the winner announcement of the Branding Writing Contest by HackerNoon and LogoDesign.net! This is one of the mini-writing contests launched in April for our community. Because - mo sponsored tags, mo revenue sharing with our excellent writers. We say it again and again - these contests are our favorite source of revenue stream because we get to share a part of our revenue with our community and recruit some fantastic stories, our writers get rewarded and encouraged for their superb content, and our sponsor connects directly with the tech community. That’s what branding is really about - connecting with real people, isn’t it? Here’s a message from Zaheer Dodhia, CEO of LogoDesign.net, for the contest participants: "Establishing a brand in today’s world is complex. Brands that succeed are ones that learn to adapt, evolve, and differentiate their uniqueness. I’m happy to see so many contributors who have demonstrated this in their thought leadership articles." Let’s have a look at the top 10 stories: The Branding Writing Contest: Top 10 Stories 🔥 Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World by @pakutin
8 Bizarre Lessons from 8 Years of Branding by @walo
UIUX Design v/s Frontend Development by @palakgupta
Beyond Logos and Slogans: Exploring 5 Dimensions of Brand Personality by @khamisihamisi
Why Designers Should Venture Outside Their Industry for Inspiration by @hacker1749004
Tech founder, Why Haven't You Become a Designer Yet? by @qreamindahouse
The Art of Anti-Storytelling in Branding: How Zendesk Stole The Software Adoption Show by @nebojsaneshatodorovic
5 Essential Branding Elements in the Crowded SaaS Space by @SHOBHIT1989.GUPTA
Why Is Building a Strong Brand Pivotal for Ecommerce? by @swetalikar
The Lessons I've Learned After Hosting 70+ Podcast Episodes by @Anna-Nadeina Like every other contest, the editors voted for their favorite story. There’s one difference this time - we have only one winner. 🥁And the Winner Story Is 🥁 Scoring the highest number of votes and reads on HackerNoon in April, Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World by @pakutin wins $1000! https://hackernoon.com/embracing-uncertainty-creating-resilient-products-for-a-changing-world?embedable=true Another example of fun design is ‘chaotic redesigns,’ a recent Twitter trend. This trend appears to be a useful thought exercise in considering people's emotions about modern software and how the concepts that popular products use can be taken to the point of absurdity. Well-deserved win, @pakutin. We will contact you with the next steps to claim the reward. Visit contest.hackernoon.com today to see currently running contests. Keep writing, y’all. Heyo, Designers! We are here with the winner announcement of the Branding Writing Contest by HackerNoon and LogoDesign.net ! This is one of the mini-writing contests launched in April for our community. Because - mo sponsored tags, mo revenue sharing with our excellent writers. Branding Writing Contest by HackerNoon LogoDesign.net We say it again and again - these contests are our favorite source of revenue stream because we get to share a part of our revenue with our community and recruit some fantastic stories, our writers get rewarded and encouraged for their superb content, and our sponsor connects directly with the tech community. That’s what branding is really about - connecting with real people, isn’t it? Here’s a message from Zaheer Dodhia, CEO of LogoDesign.net, for the contest participants: "Establishing a brand in today’s world is complex. Brands that succeed are ones that learn to adapt, evolve, and differentiate their uniqueness. I’m happy to see so many contributors who have demonstrated this in their thought leadership articles." "Establishing a brand in today’s world is complex. Brands that succeed are ones that learn to adapt, evolve, and differentiate their uniqueness. I’m happy to see so many contributors who have demonstrated this in their thought leadership articles." Let’s have a look at the top 10 stories: The Branding Writing Contest: Top 10 Stories 🔥 Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World by @pakutin 8 Bizarre Lessons from 8 Years of Branding by @walo UIUX Design v/s Frontend Development by @palakgupta Beyond Logos and Slogans: Exploring 5 Dimensions of Brand Personality by @khamisihamisi Why Designers Should Venture Outside Their Industry for Inspiration by @hacker1749004 Tech founder, Why Haven't You Become a Designer Yet? by @qreamindahouse The Art of Anti-Storytelling in Branding: How Zendesk Stole The Software Adoption Show by @nebojsaneshatodorovic 5 Essential Branding Elements in the Crowded SaaS Space by @SHOBHIT1989.GUPTA Why Is Building a Strong Brand Pivotal for Ecommerce? by @swetalikar The Lessons I've Learned After Hosting 70+ Podcast Episodes by @Anna-Nadeina Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World by @pakutin Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World @pakutin 8 Bizarre Lessons from 8 Years of Branding by @walo 8 Bizarre Lessons from 8 Years of Branding @walo UIUX Design v/s Frontend Development by @palakgupta UIUX Design v/s Frontend Development @palakgupta Beyond Logos and Slogans: Exploring 5 Dimensions of Brand Personality by @khamisihamisi Beyond Logos and Slogans: Exploring 5 Dimensions of Brand Personality @khamisihamisi Why Designers Should Venture Outside Their Industry for Inspiration by @hacker1749004 Why Designers Should Venture Outside Their Industry for Inspiration @hacker1749004 Tech founder, Why Haven't You Become a Designer Yet? by @qreamindahouse Tech founder, Why Haven't You Become a Designer Yet? @qreamindahouse The Art of Anti-Storytelling in Branding: How Zendesk Stole The Software Adoption Show by @nebojsaneshatodorovic The Art of Anti-Storytelling in Branding: How Zendesk Stole The Software Adoption Show @nebojsaneshatodorovic 5 Essential Branding Elements in the Crowded SaaS Space by @SHOBHIT1989.GUPTA 5 Essential Branding Elements in the Crowded SaaS Space @SHOBHIT1989.GUPTA Why Is Building a Strong Brand Pivotal for Ecommerce? by @swetalikar Why Is Building a Strong Brand Pivotal for Ecommerce? @swetalikar The Lessons I've Learned After Hosting 70+ Podcast Episodes by @Anna-Nadeina The Lessons I've Learned After Hosting 70+ Podcast Episodes @Anna-Nadeina Like every other contest, the editors voted for their favorite story. There’s one difference this time - we have only one winner. 🥁And the Winner Story Is 🥁 Scoring the highest number of votes and reads on HackerNoon in April, Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World by @pakutin wins $1000! Embracing Uncertainty: Creating Resilient Products for a Changing World @pakutin https://hackernoon.com/embracing-uncertainty-creating-resilient-products-for-a-changing-world?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/embracing-uncertainty-creating-resilient-products-for-a-changing-world?embedable=true Another example of fun design is ‘chaotic redesigns,’ a recent Twitter trend. This trend appears to be a useful thought exercise in considering people's emotions about modern software and how the concepts that popular products use can be taken to the point of absurdity. Another example of fun design is ‘chaotic redesigns,’ a recent Twitter trend. This trend appears to be a useful thought exercise in considering people's emotions about modern software and how the concepts that popular products use can be taken to the point of absurdity. Twitter Well-deserved win, @ pakutin . We will contact you with the next steps to claim the reward. pakutin Visit contest.hackernoon.com today to see currently running contests. Keep writing, y’all. contest.hackernoon.com

The Branding Writing Contest: Winner Announcement!

ব্র্যান্ডিং লেখার প্রতিযোগিতা: বিজয়ীর ঘোষণা!

Der Branding-Schreibwettbewerb: Bekanntgabe des Gewinners!

El concurso de escritura de marca: ¡Anuncio del ganador!

Concours d'écriture de marque : annonce du gagnant !

ब्रांडिंग लेखन प्रतियोगिता: विजेता की घोषणा!

ブランディングライティングコンテスト：受賞者発表！

브랜딩 글쓰기 콘테스트: 우승자 발표!

O concurso de redação de marca: anúncio do vencedor!

Marka Yazma Yarışması: Kazananın Açıklanması!

Cuộc thi Viết Thương hiệu: Thông báo Người chiến thắng!

品牌写作比赛：获胜者公布！

Heyo Hackers, We have entered the last week of the by to win $1000! Wanna take a shot at winning the monies? YOU MUST. Our algorithm chooses the top 10 stories weighing the freshness of the content as well, so it’s never too late to submit your story! #branding writing contest LogoDesign.net Some Ideas from the LogoDesign.net Comparison of  different tools for brand designs, including LogoDesign.net Futuristic brands of the world Emotional branding Creating Brand Empathy with AI Branding pitfalls Personal Branding Here are a few topics Suggested by #ChatGPT The Role of Branding in Building Trust and Credibility The Future of Branding: Emerging Trends and Innovations How to Build a Sustainable and Socially Responsible Brand Best Practices for Creating a Memorable Brand Identity Design The Psychology of Branding: How to Influence Customer Behavior Read stories for more ideas. #branding All the best! Visit today to get updates on the new and upcoming writing contests. contests.hackernoon.com

Write a Kick-ass #Branding Story, Win $1,000!

Hey, Designers! HackerNoon has partnered with to bring you the Branding Writing Contest for the month of April 2023. LogoDesign.net What do you think constitutes branding? This contest is open to all writers who are passionate about branding and have a flair for storytelling. If you have ever created a brand or worked on a branding campaign, this is your chance to showcase your expertise and win $1000! The Branding Writing Contest: How To Participate Your story can cover any aspect of branding, including strategy, design, marketing, and more. The best stories will be judged on their creativity, clarity, and relevance to the world of branding. Finally, the stories will be voted on by HackerNoon staff, and the top stories with the most votes will win. Don’t forget to add the hashtags and #logodesigndotnet in your article. #branding So don't wait! Start crafting your best branding story today and submit it to the HackerNoon Branding Writing Contest for a chance to win $$$. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2023, so make sure you get your entry in before it's too late. Good luck! About LogoDesign.net LogoDesign.net is the number one online logo maker tool that makes branding affordable and accessible for startups and small businesses. Our premium quality designs help you launch a unique and eye-catching brand image in just a few clicks. Check out our . brand identity design options The Branding Writing Contest Rules & Guidelines You must be 18+ to enter. Story content can be any original story on . #branding You must , as winners will be contacted via email. create a HackerNoon account Who Can Enter the Contest? Anyone above 18! There are no location restrictions. You have to make a profile on HackerNoon to enter the contest. Can I Write Under a Pen Name? Yes! You can use your real name on your HN profile, a fake name, or even create a persona to write under. How Long Will the Contest Run? April 1 - April 30, 2023 Round 1: Can I submit more than one entry to the contest? Of course, you can! Each story submission shall be considered a new entry into the writing contest. How are the winners selected? We’ll take the top story submissions that generated the most traffic. Those ten stories will be voted on by HackerNoon staff, and the top story with the most votes will win. We are waiting for your submissions! All the best, hackers! Visit to see the new and upcoming writing contests. contests.hackernoon.com

The Branding Writing Contest by LogoDesign and HackerNoon

LogoDesign এবং HackerNoon দ্বারা ব্র্যান্ডিং লেখার প্রতিযোগিতা

Der Branding-Schreibwettbewerb von LogoDesign und HackerNoon

El concurso de escritura de marca de LogoDesign y HackerNoon

Le concours d'écriture de marque par LogoDesign et HackerNoon

लोगो डिज़ाइन और हैकरनून द्वारा ब्रांडिंग लेखन प्रतियोगिता

LogoDesign と HackerNoon によるブランディング ライティング コンテスト

LogoDesign과 HackerNoon이 주최하는 브랜딩 글쓰기 콘테스트

O Concurso de Redação de Branding da LogoDesign e HackerNoon

LogoDesign ve HackerNoon'dan Marka Yazma Yarışması

Cuộc thi viết thương hiệu của LogoDesign và HackerNoon

LogoDesign 和 HackerNoon 举办的品牌写作比赛

Software as a service, or SaaS, is seeing a rise in use as the world continues to turn to virtual platforms for work, communication, and entertainment. SaaS providers can be found at almost every level, for every project or business goal. Ultimately, despite the proliferation of SaaS providers, need will continue to drive the demand. After all, the development of technology continues year by year, and with new tech comes new consumer needs. Designing a SaaS application can take anywhere from two months to a year — or more — depending on the team you have working on it. While the development timeline might seem centered on the actual launch, the goal of getting the SaaS out to the target audience, there are plenty of other vital steps along the way, starting even before technical development begins. With my own SaaS product (a logo maker tool), launched successfully, I’m sharing my experience here with other aspirants. Here are the most important stages of designing a SaaS application. LogoDesign.net Research And Need Assessment By far the most important first step to be taken with the development of any SaaS application or product is to determine whether it needs to be developed to begin with. For example, if there’s no apparent niche that needs to be filled, is it really the best time to develop that particular app? And even if there is a need, is it a big enough need to justify the money and time spent on development, and ensure the success of the application? After that’s considered, what about the issue of competition — is the need already being filled by multiple other SaaS applications? On the other hand, assessing the needs of the consumers can direct SaaS development in the most useful course, providing the app with a ready customer base once it’s launched. Conducting market research before launching the design process involves locating pain points that are in need of solutions. This calls for not only research but an acute awareness of different processes that are carried out in the virtual world; for example, a marketing team that must schedule content that coincides with both advertising and email blasts. Often, the SaaS applications for which there is the most demand are for smaller portions of complicated processes, aimed at streamlining and simplifying tasks. Determine Your Audience Once you’ve determined what the need is for your proposed SaaS application, the next step is to determine your target audience. It’s relatively simple to work backward from need assessment to audience identification — typically, the need that you see will stem from a certain group of people. In the marketing example used earlier, marketing teams are a clear target for your SaaS application or product. Typically, SaaS products are focused on one particular audience, with the application being adjusted and expanded as the needs of that audience adapt and grow. However, you may look at secondary audiences as well — individuals as well as companies that may benefit from your application, for example. A key point here is nailing down the value that your SaaS will hold for your primary and secondary audience. That value may fluctuate depending on the target, but making sure that you have it clearly in mind at the beginning is a core part of directing SaaS development in the most useful fashion. Again, it’s important to go back to the potential for competition. Who are your competitors? What does your potential SaaS application have that they don’t? How will you serve your customers in a better way than they will? How will you add extra value? All of this plays into the ultimate development of any SaaS product or application, so it’s important to have it clear at the very start. Ensuring User-Focused Design The ins and outs of developing a SaaS application are different for each individual project, but if I had to boil it down to one key point, I would say that it is this: remember that it’s all . about the user The viability of a SaaS product, more than almost any other aspect of the virtual world, depends on a workable user interface. User-friendliness is an absolute must. This goes back to knowing your target audience and what their needs are: as you develop your application, think about using it from their perspective. How does it fit into their daily work routine? How does it answer their issues and provide solutions to common problems? What value does it bring for streamlining processes? In pursuit of this goal, one of the most important stages is after the initial iteration of the design and in the first testing phase. If possible, have your application tested out by a member of your core target audience. Get feedback and adjust accordingly. Remember, it’s all about the user, so user-focused, user-friendly design is imperative for the success of your SaaS application or product. Business strategy and branding So you’ve done your research, you’ve built the application, you’ve tested it to ensure functionality and user-friendliness. It’s almost time for the launch — but first, do you have your business strategy and branding in place? Applications, functions, and products all perform best under the larger umbrella of the company behind their design. No SaaS application is an island — typically, SaaS developers have a string of products, all of which work well together and all of which should be marketed as a brand. Branding builds loyalty in your customers, and helps to highlight the reliability of your products. Simple branding may work best for SaaS applications, so as not to draw attention away from the product itself, but even a basic logo design can help to identify your application, make it memorable, and set it apart from your competition. Along with that company branding, your overall business strategy for the launch of the application can enhance recognition and make it more likely that your application will succeed. Who you market to and how you market are big parts of that. Additionally, how you handle customer service — especially questions or complaints right after you launch, a period of time in which there’s almost always some sort of glitch — goes a long way to ensure that you have satisfied customers who will return to use the next iteration of your SaaS application. The Takeaway Developing SaaS applications isn’t a simple process, and along with the design of the product, there are other stages to consider in order to ensure a successful launch — and a long lifespan for your application, even as the world of tech and the needs of consumers continually change. Lead image by Joan Gamell

The Most Important Stages of SaaS Application Design

In an ever-changing world, staying up to date with modern business technologies can provide business owners with the leverage they need to be successful. This means being prosperous in their ventures and relevant in the competitive market. In most cases, using the correct types of technology will facilitate greater efficiency and even productivity. Many different components contribute to the success of a small business. These include providing excellent customer service and maximizing revenues. The right types of technology can help small businesses achieve and exceed all of their business objectives. Let’s have a look at five crucial technologies any small business owner shouldn’t ignore: Effective Logo Making Applications Some small business owners may think that creating the initial logo design and website is a once-off job. They may even plan to use that very same logo and site forever. This is in fact not the way to go. Your online presence, and this includes your business logo, needs ongoing tweaking and improving. Not only is your logo the foundation of your brand identity, but it also distinguishes you from everyone else. Logo Maker by LogoDesign.net A good logo maker software that upholds different types of brand images is so much easier to work with than hiring an expensive graphic designer if your budget is low. This will make it easier to tweak any changes in the early days of your business’s online presence as you explore different designs and decide on what works for your audience. An effective logo and logo making program will be the first step in creating brand awareness among customers wishing to identify with your brand. A few words of advice about logo design. Your logo must be a professional representation of your company. Be professional, yet engaging. Do some research on several different types of logos to get the general idea of what works. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and don’t hesitate to rope in a professional to help. Using a design company that offers support or has an interactive application to use after the fact is always a plus. WFH Technologies With the world finding itself in the grips of a global pandemic, working from home (WFH) is a lot more common than a few months ago. Running your small business from home can be very challenging if you don’t have the right programs or applications to assist you. Luckily, advanced apps can keep you in contact with your employees and customers. Shipping Software for Online Business Some of the applications you can consider include the following: : This app is ideal for businesses where products are sold online and shipped. It allows the business owner to process online orders, track shipments and provide customers with their shipping information. ShipStation Allows users to create docs, spreadsheets, and presentations. It combines basic business functions and eliminates the need for multiple apps to run the various aspects of your business. G-Suite: This nifty app facilitates collecting signatures online or via a mobile device. Using this app ensures that processes aren’t delayed because of a signature that’s short on a document. It also means work can still get done despite lockdown regulations regarding social interactions. DocuSign: Allows business owners to chat, delegate, or assist employees and team members via video conferencing. Having constant communication with your employees will keep morale up and ensure productivity isn’t hampered. A similar program to Skype is Zoom, which is also a popular way of having meetings, doing training and interacting with employees and customers. Skype: This app allows business owners to record employees’ working hours. It prevents payroll confusion and discrepancies. Time Doctor: Mobile Optimization Google estimates that customers spend more time performing searches on their mobiles than on desktops. As a small business owner you’d be wise to cash in on this. The content of your pages should allow for a strong user experience, even when they’re viewing it via mobile devices. Let’s look at a few ways you can improve your site’s mobile experience: 	All videos across your pages should be compatible with smart devices. 	Make sure to use responsive templates for all aspects, including emails, query pages, and contact requests. 	Use short paragraphs and sentences. Potential customers using their mobile devices on the go won’t have time to read through long explanations. 	Use high-quality images. They should also be cropped to maximize the detail you’re trying to advertise. For instance, if you’re selling handbags, the image you use should have the handbag as the focal point. It shouldn’t be somewhere in the background. 	Buttons on the screen should be easy to use on any device. You don’t want a potential customer to have to log in via a computer to view your products because they’ll skip past you and navigate to a competitor’s page. 	Content should be accurate, up to date, and most of all scrollable. Mobile users don’t want to scroll and click through multiple pages just to view the basics. A program called will assist you in testing how effective your mobile optimization is. Enter your URL, wait a few seconds and get a score of how mobile friendly your site is. This will give you an indication of any changes you can make to improve your site. Mobile Website Speed Testing Chatbot Many . Chatbot is an AI program that imitates human interaction. Chatbots interpret questions by potential customers and provide pre-set answers. This technology allows small businesses, without extensive resources, provide answers to general queries that customers may have. small businesses make use of a chatbot program Image Credit Istock/ Blue Planet Studio The chatbot program also helps the small business provide better customer service by answering simple queries immediately where possible. Have you seen a dialog box popping up on the bottom right of your screen when you visit a new page? That’s the chatbot asking you if you need assistance. Simply select a platform, follow the prompts and you’ll have your own chatbot in no time. Some of the popular chatbot platforms available to small businesses include the following: Aivo ItsAlive Bold360 Meya AI MobileMonkey Cyber Security In this day and age where , every person or business with an online presence is at greater risk of exposure. Every small business needs to ensure the cyber safety of employees and customers using their websites and online products. cybercrime is on the increase Investing in firewall protection, security software, and safe backup systems will keep your customers’ personal information secure. Invest in security protocols like password protection, anti-virus software, and secure servers. It’s important to protect sensitive data, banking data and personal information. Invest in known anti-virus protection software with firewall options. Examples of software with effective cyber security features are Norton, AVG, and Also, remember to keep your software up to date. Kaspersky. Conclusion When it comes to the success of your small business, making a great product is only the first step. Correctly marketing your product and the service you offer is equally important. Competing with bigger more diverse companies can be challenging enough for small businesses. So, don’t add to your challenges. Rather build your success story by investing in the basic technologies to enhance and grow your business. By including some of our suggested technologies in your company, you’ll be announcing to the world that your business is here to stay!

5 Small Business Technologies You Can’t Afford to Ignore

What makes you choose one app over another when shopping around? Is it the app icon design? The colour? The logo? The reviews? Have you ever stopped to think about how many apps you actually have on your phone? If you’re like me, you probably have a few on there that you don’t even remember what they do, or when you downloaded them in the first place. Now stop and think about how many apps you don’t have downloaded. What makes the difference between a downloaded app and one that gets put back on the shelf, so to speak? As a matter of fact, there are available through the Apple Store, and 2.8 on Google Play. While there is obviously a lot of crossover between the two platforms, that’s still a staggering amount of apps! 2.2 million apps And if you’re creating your own to put out on the market, the logo you choose can make a huge difference in your success. How to Create Eye-Catching App Icons Creating an app logo isn’t exactly the same process as creating a business logo. While you can still use a lot of the same basic tools and materials as you would when creating a logo for your company, app icons have a different purpose, and the design should fit different criteria. Much like with a company logo, however, your app icon requires thought about the point and purpose of the app, as well as the overall “personality” as expressed through the aesthetics. There are also certain requirements for sizing, and recommendations for depending on the platform you’re designing for. grids and layouts, However, there are certain aspects that can really enhance the optimization of your app icon. And an optimized logo is eye-catching and much more likely to lead the viewer to check out your app and, hopefully, click the download button. So here are some top tips for optimizing your app logo, regardless of the platform. 1. Research the Competition This is a basic tip for logos of any kind, but it’s incredibly important. Don’t rush into creating your app logo without regard for what app logos are already out there. The odds are fairly high that, without proper attention to existing logos, you might end up with a product that looks just a little too much like something else. There’s a lot of potential dangers with creating an app that looks like a copycat. For one thing, it doesn’t at all give your app the chance to establish itself or its personality. It makes your app logo blend in with the crowd. For another, even if your app is the best in your niche, there’s a good chance that app store users might download the competition by mistake unless your app logo is clearly differentiated from all the others. This is commonly seen with certain niches, and can especially be a problem with generic, bland app logos, which can be easily duplicated. For instance, it’s been noted in more than one place that the productivity app niche is apparently obsessed with checkmarks, with nearly all of the app icons in this market featuring a checkmark as their main graphic. Few of them even have noticeable modifications, and most have a flat one-color background. A survey of this market looks like a sea of duplicates. That can’t be good for anyone. So take the time to do your research, and make sure your app icon has a unique symbol that stands out from the crowd. Find out if there is a bandwagon in your particular niche, and then make sure to stay away from it. 2. Remember To Simplify App icons, like other logos, really benefit from a simplified approach. Concepts and art that are too complex are more difficult to understand and remember. And in a limited small space like an app icon, details can be hard to make out. Simplification is often a process of removing elements from your app icon, boiling it down to its most important parts. That often renders the icon easier to comprehend, as well as differentiate from others. In this tutorial, for example, a simple social media app icon with the right color and design can be made distinctive. Video Credit: LogoDesign.net One of the elements that should definitely be removed, according to app icon designer is the text content. Your app doesn’t need its name spelt out; it will probably be included via the interface of the app store. And relying on text content may not only be a poor creative use of the limited space, but it can actually be a distraction for the viewer, as they’re trying to read the small icon and understand the graphic along with it. Michael Flarup Simplification can also mean reducing the number of colors within your graphic, as well as in the app icon itself. How many colors you use depends on the style of graphic and the market you’re in, but it’s easier to comprehend and retain the important information from the icon if the color palette is limited to four or five main colors. The background is another issue, so we’ll talk about that next. 3. Optimize Your Background You really want the individual elements of your icon to stand out. Apart from (and in addition to) carefully choosing those elements, the background factor is a big help here. Of course, there are a number of options to choose from, and what you use in your design will depend on the focal graphic element. But what it comes down to is what really makes the focal point pop. Four possible background choices include: Flat color Gradient Color block Pattern The most optimal background for your app icon will depend on the colors and complexity of your focal graphic. One or two colors in the focal graphic means more room for colors or patterns in the background. More colors in the focal graphic means only one or two in the background. A quick look at some of the most popular app icons on the Apple store and Google Play tells us that one color backgrounds are the go-to for most icons, followed by color gradients. These are often the best way to make your app icon really pop. Color choice for the background is also a consideration. A fairly high contrast between background and focal graphic is a good idea, but make sure not to choose colors that are so opposed to each other that it makes the graphic difficult to look at. Another way to keep opposing colors away from each other is to use a border, so let’s discuss that visibility tip. 4. Add a Border Borders are one of the best ways to up the visibility of your app icon, regardless of the platform, according to designer Michael Flarup. Why? The reason is simply that there’s no way of knowing what background someone will have on their phone — colors, patterns, a photo of their kids or their dog. By adding in a border to your app icon, it gives it a built-in bevel, a neutral zone between the background of a mobile device and your app. Borders are like picture frames, in that they really set off what they’re framing. So apart from the practical consideration of including a border, it can also help your app design to be more visible from a purely aesthetic point of view. Borders are actually not as common as you might think with apps, though some app icons use borders on some platforms or sizes and not others. White and black borders are the most often seen, and they are usually very thin, fine point lines. Try your app with a few different variations to see what works the best for the overall look. 5. Scalability And Sizing A final important aspect of app icon optimization that we will cover here is the sizing and scalability. This is important because it isn’t just a case of one size fits all. Even if you’re only designing for an Apple device, your app icon will still show up in multiple places across the device it’s loaded on to — and what looks good on an iPhone may not look exactly the same on an iPad. So it’s important that you have all the necessary sizes for your icon, to cover all your bases. And your icon should also scale well. It should present the same, regardless of where it is being used. Whether it’s on the home screen or on the settings panel, it needs to be just as crisp and legible as a full-size app icon. If you aren’t going to include a border in your design, then definitely consider colors here as part of the scalability. Because your icon will be used against different backgrounds, try your icon background on a variety of colors to make sure that it is still viewable. For more information on , you may find this blog post helpful. proper sizing and requirements by platform The Upshot Of Optimizing App Icons As I mentioned previously, statistics indicate that there are well over two million available apps, regardless of which platform you choose to use. And there are more than and worldwide. And those numbers are ever-growing! 2.7 billion smartphone users 1.35 billion tablet users On top of all that, the average smartphone or tablet user spends about using downloaded applications. 90% of their device time So your audience is definitely out there. The question is, will you be able to optimize your app icon enough to catch their attention? With these five tips for app icon visibility, your chances of app success are better than ever.

App Icon Design: 5 Tips To Optimize For Better Visibility

The SaaS industry has seen incredible growth in the last few years. claims that around 66% of spending on software is expected to go to SaaS technologies by 2025. BetterCloud statistics indicate that of businesses plan to switch all their systems to SaaS by 2025. reports that 75% of business leaders have moved to SaaS. Gartner 80% Workday While Covid played a role in accelerating the digital transformation journey, it doesn't take away from the fact that SaaS provides several advantages over traditional software, including lower costs, easier deployment, and increased flexibility. These innate capabilities will continue to drive demand for SaaS products. However, this growth has also made the SaaS market very crowded, with new vendors constantly popping up. The top 5 regions for SaaS companies itself have close to 30K companies within them. It makes it difficult for customers to find the right solution for their needs and for SaaS players to sell their products to a large audience. With so many SaaS products coming up in the last few years, you'd think the latest ones will take away the major revenue pie. But it's different from what happened. claims that 2021 was its "biggest year ever," as its revenue increased by 225% in less than 20 months. The number of employees for , the largest SaaS provider in the world, increased from 767 in 2007 to 73,541 in 2022. achieved a record revenue of $17.61 billion for the fiscal Year 2022, with 15% YoY growth. Shopify Salesforce Adobe How Strong Brands Stand Out So what’s common in some of these companies? All of them represent strong brands among customers and continue to strengthen their position even as the SaaS industry gets crowded. Let’s first define brand equity; it is how people see your brand. SaaS How do they recognize you? What makes you different from the others? But coming back to our topic, why branding is important? Crowded markets need companies to create differentiation. With technological advancements happening every week, with every company, it makes it all the more important to create a strong brand that is differentiated among peers. After all, branding is a 360-degree experience that the customer or user has with the brand. There are 5 key aspects that have allowed the world’s top SaaS companies to create a strong brand for themselves. 1) Great designs, consistently! Great designs not only create a strong differentiation visually but also create a recall value. It’s all about how your users, prospects, or even non-customers think about you when they listen to your name. Think brand colors, think brand design, typography, or even nomenclature and articulation. ’s red theme has been consistent for more than 30 years now. Updated for the first time in 1993, it has consistently evolved but stayed true to its red logo color and design which stands for modern, minimalist, and attractive. Adobe Another key design very relevant in today’s digital world is your product pages. Prospects and users can make up their minds within 3 secs of looking at the product pages. An example is how Adobe revamped the webpage, which had 30+ features . Adobe Creative Cloud Express So when Adobe first built its product page, a lot of information was stuffed onto a single page. Not only did this make the page busy and difficult to read, but it also led to a poor user experience (UX). Plus, the page only ranked for brand keywords due to which they were missing out on some serious traffic. To capitalize on this goldmine of keywords, the Adobe team built a network of feature pages. They broke down every feature into digestible terms and created a page around it. This ensured Creative Cloud Express ranks for seriously competitive keywords, boosting organic traffic and overall user experience. The product pages for CC Express have: An above-the-line CTA. Tips on how to use the feature. Details on the specific use cases. A final CTA to the product. Definitely, a good page design that has led to better awareness for Adobe Creative Cloud Express. 2) Great Experience, every time! A large part of having a great brand is how SaaS users experience the brand, be it a sales pitch, a booth visit, a website demo, or an in-person visit to the experience center. Business presentations often overload the audience with one-sided information dumps. Rather than droning on at listeners, it’s much more powerful to share intimate conversations with them. A great example is how ServiceNow does it. InnovationPark program is a series of modular experiences that reflect real-life work scenarios, such as replacing a laptop, refilling a prescription, or preparing a store or event. Over here they lead customers through immersive, tailored sessions to demonstrate what’s possible with ServiceNow technology. Rather than focusing on a particular product, each experience resolves a specific scenario to showcase how versatile tech can be when used across industries and business functions. Just one example is when they put tablets in the hands of attendees. By leading the audience through stories, the presenters make experiences such as chatting with a chatbot, approving a hotel desk for an employee, or communicating with a supplier about a supply chain disruption come alive in the (literal) hands of customers. Instead of sitting back and watching a demo, the audience gets to engage with technology, putting themselves in the shoes of people in various functions, such as a sourcing manager at a logistics company, a patient checking in for surgery, or an expecting parent requesting time off. This empowers them to empathize and see their businesses from different vantage points, eventually building a positive mindset about the product. 3) Community-driven advocacy The growth of SaaS companies is now being driven by how connected and engaged their community of ecosystems is. This allows the community members to help the other community members to drive maximum benefit out of these interactions, which ensures positive word of mouth and greater ecosystem satisfaction. This community could be developers or even product users or partners. A great example here is Salesforce. Salesforce customers need help using . It takes self-trained, motivated admins, developers, and consultants to plug the Salesforce platform into a company's operations. If it's a successful implementation, it takes even more talent to scale up as the Salesforce customer's business grows. To help develop this self-driven talent pool, Salesforce launched Trailhead, a free training site with an outdoorsy theme that includes a gamification element to mark learners' progress. Salesforce A Salesforce Trailblazer, or trainee, will then earn credentials called "badges" and gain skills following guided training paths. This is part of the brilliance of Salesforce, building and continuing to curate this massive community of people -- most of whom are not, and have never been -- employed by Salesforce but are activists and fanatical fans out there. They not only help the community with implementation-related queries but also strengthen the Salesforce brand greatly. Not just Salesforce, you’d notice that most of the top SaaS brands such as Atlassian, and Hubspot have built a strong community of developers, users, admins, partners, or customers to drive higher share-of-voice (SOV). 4) Content is king! still Content plays a great role in building a strong brand value for a SaaS company. For example, it helps improve SEO, reach the right audience, tell a compelling brand story, attract the attention of the right people, position the SaaS company as a thought leader, and so on. Done rightly, content can help drive word-of-mouth marketing by aligning customers with company strategy and encouraging them to tell the same story. While SaaS companies keep building top-of-the-funnel content that is educational, there is none better than Hubspot. You run a quick Google search on anything and , and there is at least one HubSpot article among the top 10 results. This SaaS marketing company has become one of the most trusted sources of information and a well-known name for content marketers the world over. content creation marketing From in-depth B2B content marketing guides to their state of marketing reports, HubSpot has gradually grown into a go-to knowledge hub for both new and seasoned content marketing professionals. Taking inbound marketing to a whole new level  Hubspot has created a winning strategy that reflects positively on its brand and helps it differentiate itself from its peers. Another example is Adobe. Adobe’s blog doesn’t have all the educational articles you’d expect. In addition to the usual how-to posts, Adobe’s blog covers news stories, goings-on in the design and digital worlds, and event coverage. There are plenty of posts packed full of inspiration. there’s a ton of user-generated content. just And After exploring the blog, we figured all Adobe’s content meets at least one of three goals: Inspire Educate Engage By focusing on these high-level (and more abstract) goals, as well as metrics and performance-driven goals, Adobe raises the bar. This in turn makes its content more shareable, more useful, and more likely to turn prospects into customers, and users into advocates. 5) Innovation, always If there was ever one thing that a SaaS company would really love to be known for - then it’s innovation. No tech company has survived the test of time without innovating itself. Innovation refers to keep evolving SaaS solutions to evolving customer needs and remaining relevant to the audience. One such example is ServiceNow. On May 29, 2018, Forbes magazine placed ServiceNow first on its annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. ServiceNow has systemized customer-led innovation by designing partner programs, a customer advisory board, and many other programs that enable employees to listen to customers and build in tandem, responding to their challenges and opportunities with creativity and an innovative mindset. This philosophy placed ServiceNow in a unique position to help during the COVID-19 pandemic where to help build safer workplaces. Servicenow partnered with the state to offer this app as a product, in conjunction with other products it developed, to form Safe Workplace Suite. Washington state created an emergency app Another key example here is Intuit. Intuit's growth strategy has been driven by a combination of in-house innovation and strategic acquisitions. This has led to Intuit being known for its innovative solutions. As an example, Intuit has plans to continually improve the AI-Driven expert platform. This includes the use of AI (Artificial Intelligence) to offer personalized and predictive offers and experiences. In addition, to connecting customers directly with experts such as Accountants to help them file their tax returns. As the SaaS industry grows exponentially, the need for a strong brand will only increase. The above branding aspects and some prominent players mentioned above have been the guiding light for new-age SaaS brands as they learn and create a space for themselves. and #logodesigndotnet #branding The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's via the prompt "times square new york with lots of billboards". AI Image Generator

5 Essential Branding Elements in the Crowded SaaS Space

5 elementos de marca esenciales en el abarrotado espacio SaaS

5 éléments de marque essentiels dans l'espace SaaS bondé

भीड़ भरे सास स्पेस में 5 आवश्यक ब्रांडिंग तत्व

混雑した SaaS 空間における 5 つの重要なブランディング要素

5 elementos de marca essenciais no espaço SaaS lotado

5 yếu tố thương hiệu cần thiết trong không gian SaaS đông đúc

拥挤的 SaaS 空间中的 5 个基本品牌元素

Hey Hackers! If you're a crypto enthusiast or a follower of my blog, you might have heard about the "Zero to Hero" giveaway. But have you ever wondered where the name came from and why it's such a catchy brand? In this article, we'll take a closer look at the origins of the Zero to Hero giveaway and how it became a popular brand among crypto enthusiasts. From the initial struggle to find a suitable name to the final decision to go with "Zero to Hero," we'll explore the journey of this brand and how it has contributed to the growth of the giveaway. But first, what is the , and why should you care? Zero to Hero giveaway As mentioned earlier, it's a monthly crypto giveaway where I have committed to giving away 25% of my monthly blogging income to a lucky follower. The crypto reward is determined by the followers' votes, making it an engaging process where everyone gets to participate. Now, let's get back to the story of the brand name. When I started the giveaway, I struggled mightily to come up with a suitable name. The initial titles I came up with, like "September giveaway" or "bitcoin giveaway", didn't feel like proper branding. After brainstorming for weeks, I finally decided to ask my followers and readers for suggestions. To my surprise, after a couple of days, I started getting a bunch of suggestions from my amazing readers! Some suggestions I received were: Zero to Zillions, ZRR (ZeroRequeimReward), Zero’s Prizes, and finally, Zero to Hero. All of the suggestions utilized the word Zero, as “ZeroRequiem” is the name I write under. Zero to Zillions was a favorite for a while, but after asking close friends and family for their opinions, the majority chose "Zero to Hero." This decision proved to be a turning point for the giveaway as it started gaining traction and continued to grow each month. I believe the Zero to Hero brand name resonates with people as it implies a possibility of transforming from nothing to something great, which is what my giveaway aims to do for the lucky winner. It's also catchy and easy to remember, making it a great branding choice. In conclusion, the story behind the Zero to Hero giveaway brand shows how a simple decision like choosing a name can have a significant impact on the success of a project. The brand has become synonymous with the giveaway, making it more recognizable and easier to promote. If you're looking to start a project or a giveaway, I hope you are able to take some inspiration from my journey and choose a memorable and catchy brand name. What do you think about the brand name “Zero to Hero”? Do you have any better suggestions? Check out my Socials: https://linktr.ee/zerorequiem0x See ya! :)

From Zero to Hero: the Story Behind Naming a Crypto Giveaway Brand

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