Category: Uncategorized

The Expansive World of PR Design

On December 5, 2023

The Importance and Utilization of PR Design

PR Design is a wonderful way to engage your audience visually and draw attention to your brand. Combining public relations with creative elements allows for the integration of brand messaging formatted for a new digital world. Considering many social matter platforms are visually based, or picture-sharing apps, it is important to format our messaging for these platforms.

Ways I Learned More about PR Design

PLATFORMS

Throughout my time as a PR Design student, I felt it was crucial to introduce PR design to anyone by starting with platforms first. I first started with Adobe Indesign, which took a lot of trial and error.

From margins, columns and the selection tool; all of it felt like a big confusing mess at first. You must take it slow and stay calm! I recommend watching tutorials and using the Adobe Learn feature.

Indesign is great for the majority of PR design projects and allows you to customize as much as you need. By the end of every project I used InDesign on, I felt like I started to like it more and more.

Adobe Photoshop is similar to Indesign as they both were difficult at first. Photoshop is more catered towards trying to retouch and edit specific photos, not specifically for layout.

Canva was a great beginner-friendly platform that I feel like is optimal for social media, and quick projects like headers, and logos.

DESIGN ELEMENTS

There are a few key rules that I picked up as I created my designs.

1.) Golden Rule of Three

According to Interaction-design.org, the rule can be followed “You place a simple grid overlay (divided equally into thirds, both horizontally and vertically) on the space to be used for the design.”

2.) Keep it Consistent!

According to BlackIllustrations.com, “When your brand is consistent in its design approach, users will recognize and remember it more easily. Consistency also helps to create a sense of trust with your audience.”

3.) Choose a Layout that Keeps Reader’s Eyes Engaged

For this rule, I chose several different types of layouts from a wonderful resource to show you! My favorite layout was the Z layout, as I felt it drew the reader’s eyes the most efficiently!

AUDIENCES

As discussed in my previous blog posts, Mejuri and the Magic of Marketing & Staking in Your Stakeholders, we touched on how crucial it is to cater your design to your target audience.

We know as designers that what may appeal to Gen-Z may not appeal to the baby boomer generation based on culture, exposure, and technology usage.

There have been many instances where brands have not aligned their spokesperson, or designs to their brand’s audience and have received major backlash. Keeping in mind your audience allows for a better two-way communication channel, and makes your audience feel seen!

For example, if you start watching the Great British Baking Show and they have a collaboration with a Monster Truck brand, you’d be confused and feel like there wasn’t much thought to that choice.

Recap

All in all, combining all of these elements has made my process of designing much more organized, and efficient. I think that learning different elements of design is crucial to ensuring your design achieves the goals you want. Combining design with PR requires research and background information to connect your designs with your audiences, and make sure your messaging fits those audiences.

Remember! It is super important to continue to practice and experience new platforms, layouts, and elements of design before you get a finished product. Make sure to make your design process fun, and you’ll see a better product in the end.

Reflecting on My Time With Digital Designs

By Zoe Taylor

On November 29, 2023

In Uncategorized

Utilizing digital designs is a new way for communicators and organizations to reach their audiences. With digital designing, there is a lot of fluidity in the process, as you see how the design integrates along different platforms like mobile, desktop, and tablets.

What is Digital Design?

Digital design is exactly how it sounds, designs that are adapted for usage in the digital realm. These can be seen as social media graphics and posts, headers, email newsletters, digital flyers, and much more.

Typically most things that are traditionally printed: can be transformed into a digital component. However, this process requires trial and error as many layouts need to fit a certain screen size.

Why I Prefer Going Digital

Using digital designs opened a new world for me. With printing, several factors come into play: bleed and slug, color printing accurately, scale, etc. For example in a brochure, you have to calculate the fold to have it align correctly when you print. However, in digital designs, you can see how a design will look on a screen as you work.

However, if you are still very interested in printing your designs, check out some of my blog posts on the different tips and tricks for printed designs.

My Creative Process: Taylor Communications

For my new brand, Taylor Communications I constructed a e-newsletter promoting some of my helpful articles on design tips. I gauged my newsletter to an audience who is already interested in Taylor Communications, but may not be engaged. My goal is to have this audience interact with my website and become more invested in Taylor Communications as a brand.

Choosing a Platform

For my email newsletter, I chose to utilize the infamous MailChimp. I have never used MailChimp and was impressed by the user-friendly layout. They offered a variety of design layouts and I drew my inspiration from there. I applied a template and customized it.

The Design of Taylor Communications: November Newsletter

I created a Canva header titled “November Newsletter” with the font of my logo pasted across the top.

Under my header, I put a brief introductory statement before jumping into the body content of the newsletter,

“Here to teach you how to build mutually beneficial relationships with target audiences and stakeholders through the power of design.”

I chose to do this so that people knew what they were about to get into before reading further!

After scrolling, viewers can see I have thumbnailed four of the most helpful articles that I wanted to spotlight. These thumbnails have a hyperlink linking to the original blog, and the title is hyperlinked as well for optimal usage by viewers. The blogs I chose to highlight are:

Elements of the E-Newsletter

I utilized several design elements for my newsletter. The first one is space. I think having too busy of an email can almost look like a spam email. It is essential to keep things clean and concise. I also used thumbnails to preview my blog posts.

I added a boilerplate for my PR agency at the bottom, and highlighted it in a blue color to tie back to my header and logo!

Final Thoughts

Overall I enjoyed the process of creating an e-newsletter. I feel the digital design space allows for more adaptive thinking, and was able to be very flexible in the ideas I had for my design. I loved the platform MailChimp as it streamlines the process entirely.

Staying Motivated to Move!

By Zoe Taylor

On April 1, 2023

In Uncategorized

Staying active and prioritizing your health when you’re a college student or someone with a tight schedule can be one of the most challenging things to do. I struggle with this as I don’t have any significant weight loss or body goals; therefore, staying active is for being healthy. It is hard to prioritize this, but we all know the importance of having a healthy body and mind! Therefore, Im here to provide my top tips on staying motivated to move!

Pick out some tunes

Every good workout starts with a playlist that energizes us. Songs with a steady rhythm or beat can provide a rhythm to go with during runs and reps when lifting weights.

Here are some of my TOP workout songs to get your body moving:

What’s Next? – Drake

Cooler than Me (Single Mix) – Mike Posner

Make sure to check out my workout playlist!

Follow Along

My biggest tip for getting up and doing the workout is following along! I love to watch youtube videos for EVERYTHING. Of course, this includes working out & staying active. I find that when I watch youtube videos instead of trying to come up with the workout myself, I feel a lot more motivated because it takes a layer off that might deter me from actually doing the exercise.

I also found that to increase productivity, a lot of people will body double:

“Body doubling is a tool some adults use to help them start and complete projects. Sometimes referred to as an accountability partner, it is a technique for better productivity.”
Chadd.org, 2023

For example, doing workouts through a youtube video is a form of virtual body doubling!

Cute Workout Gear

Nothing makes us feel our best like a brand-new outfit. This idea transfers to gym time too! Invest in your gear and make it feel customized to you. I have hot-pink workout sets that make me feel amazing at the gym.

Tailoring your gear to your personality goes deeper than just outfits. Upgrade or personalize your gym bag, yoga mats, weights, and water bottles!

Another factor is that spending money on these items will make you more inclined to use them. Dressing the part will allow more room to feel confident in your skills and capabilities in the gym!

Switch it Up!

Working out shouldn’t just be for a utility, or it will ALWAYS feel like a chore. Make sure to incorporate variety and things that you enjoy.

For me, when I feel like I am in a rut, I will dance to my favorite songs for an hour and consider that my workout. However, movements don’t have to be black and white and are just as valid if they don’t fit the traditional “lifting weights and pumping iron.”

Prioritize your fun and make it an enjoyable experience for you. Reframing exercise as a hobby rather than a chore, you can completely rewire your brain to look forward to your time at the gym!

Exercise should always be an activity that improves your quality of life. When working out, make sure not to be motivated for the wrong reasons. Exercising because of lousy self-image and letting your self-hatred fuel you can be a reason why you burn out. Having exercise be a priority because you enjoy it, and it makes you feel good is a great way to stay motivated.

It can be hard to find time; however, changing your life can create time to be active. For example, walking to work or class can be a form of being busy that doesn’t require a set chunk of time in your schedule.

However you choose to stay motivated, ensure you are happy and healthy! Good luck!

How Hobbies will Revamp your Life

By Zoe Taylor

On April 1, 2023

In Uncategorized

Hobbies are something I feel are WAY too overlooked. When life starts getting stressful, the first things people drop are their hobbies. However, hobbies are integral to 1.) being a fascinating human being, 2. providing fulfillment to our lives.

Let’s talk about some of my hobbies and hobbies that I have wanted to try.

Hiking

I love to hike. Hiking brings a level of peace that no other hobby can. Walking through nature, you hear all the sounds, like the rustling of trees and wildlife, and smell things like fresh pine and wildflowers. Hiking is a form of meditation for me and allows me to disconnect from everything else and truly feel very grounded.

Another pro is getting to wear cute workout sets and taking snacks for a cute picnic by a scenic view!

Mixing Music

This is a random one, but one I have had so much fun with. For Christmas, I asked my family for a starter “DJ Kit,” where I could also mess with the reverb on songs and other settings. This one is a lot of fun- I can immerse myself in music and tune out the rest of the world as I listen to new rhythms and melodies I can create.

Here is a link to my DJ Starter Kit.

Yoga

I have been falling in love with yoga lately. I have tried many different forms of exercise and feel that yoga has been 1) low impact and 2) easy to fit into my everyday life.

Yoga is one of those hobbies that can be done almost anywhere at any time. Lately, I have been doing a little bit of morning yoga in my bed and feel that being able to make time for my hobbies has drastically increased my outlook on life.

For yoga, I don’t go to classes. However, I watch youtube videos that can give a wide range of types of yoga. For example, here is my favorite “early morning” yoga routine:

Wake Up Yoga 11-minute Morning Yoga Practice. Yoga with Adrienne

Pottery

Okay, this is one hobby I have only tried a couple of times but am intrigued about! I have seen “at-home” pottery kits going viral and have been dying to try them. I don’t know much about pottery besides my high-school pottery class, but I enjoyed working hands-on with art. Creating a piece of art to display around your home with your hands is a liberating feeling that I truly want to experience!

Learning to Green-Thumb

I am a notorious plant killer, and all by accident. I love having houseplants. They brighten up a home so well and add an extra layer. However, I am always disappointed when it hits the 1-month mark, and my plants look droopy. So to combat this, I would love to allocate some time to do a deep dive into all my plants and learn how to properly take care of them!

Several books online can help with most common house plants, and if you harbor an exotic plant, the internet has so many resources for all the plant parents out there!

Creating a Mood-Board

“Mood-Boarding” is one of my favorite passive forms of manifesting and allows me to be focused on my goals while still having fun. I love utilizing Pinterest for my mood boards, it can be so fun to look at pictures that inspire you and categorize them. Here is one of my past “mood boards”.

Hobbies really allow us to embrace our creative expression and be well-rounded individuals. Hobbies also can help us have an answer to that dreaded interview question, “tell me about yourself.” Overall, having interests for pleasure and not a necessity is vital to avoiding burnout and having a healthy and balanced life.

My “Go To” Apps as a Young Adult

By Zoe Taylor

On March 31, 2023

In Uncategorized

In 2023, we will use our phones more than ever. And even if I try and break the bad habit, it is hard to rationalize it because of how easy it has made my life. So, although apps play a huge role in an organized life, I will show you my top apps for young adults!

Google Calendar

Yes, I have raved about this app in other posts, but that shows how much I use it! My boyfriend and I use google calendar for everything. For example, we share a calendar called “Zoe and Drake’s Calendar.” On this calendar, we put EVERYTHING. I mean from work shifts to when the trash cans must be pulled out to the curb, expiration dates, and more. We both have a busy schedules, so google calendar has been a lifesaver. We can see when we have time for dates and what our upcoming week looks like.

Suppose you feel overwhelmed with house responsibilities, classes, and appointments. I cannot say enough good things about this app!

Mint

Mint is another heavy hitter for me. Being a young adult comes with financial struggles for most people. Especially when you are in school! I downloaded Mint the day I turned 18 to manage my credit score and practice financial literacy. On the Mint app, you link your bank account and credit information. Once connected, you have all of your finances in one spot. Mint tracks your spending habits and graphs them for you weekly.

Mint also gives you a sum of all the money in your accounts, showing your net worth. On Mint, you can also add different assets, such as properties.

I love the mint app as it helps me keep track of student loans and spending habits and gives me a broad look at my financial situation at any given time.

Provided by Intuit (creator of Mint app)

Yelp

I feel that Yelp is one of those apps that everyone knows about but doesn’t see the full potential of the app. Yelp provides every single detail you need to know about a business before you try to visit it. Yelp has been fantastic in keeping business hours updated and preventing me from wasting time, money, or gas. I also love Yelp because the app provides a “featured” tab- letting you explore new restaurants, spas, and other things in your area. I love this aspect because it is a common struggle of never knowing what I want to eat or getting sick of the usual restaurants in my area.

Yelp also allows users to leave reviews; this feature has been a holy grail. I have been interested in going somewhere several times, and I checked the reviews and was happy I didn’t. So again, Yelp saves you time, money, and effort.

Fig

This is definitely for a more niche group of young adults with food allergies.

I have severe gluten intolerance and struggle with finding food as quickly as others. For example, the grocery store used to be a two- or three-hour excursion, and now with the fig app, I can scan an item, and it tells me if it has gluten in it.

There have been instances where I thought a product at the grocery store was “gluten-free,” and it turns out it wasn’t. So now, when I utilize the Fig app, I don’t have to worry about hidden gluten ingredients; I can only buy what I can eat.

If you try any of these apps, let me know how you like them! They have made my life a lot more efficient and organized, and as a young adult, that is critical.

Why I chose Public Relations

By Zoe Taylor

On March 31, 2023

In Uncategorized

Choosing a major in college is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I went through several majors as I took courses in high school, and I changed again during my first year. As a sophomore wrapping up their semester, I am confident In my major, Public Relations. So… how did I get here?

The first major I selected was Political Science. I am very passionate about politics and believe that they can change every person’s experience in this country. However, as I took a few courses, I realized, “wow, this is a lot of talk about the internal side of the government.” I quickly fell bored with discussing the processes by which the government does things. I had a different idea in my head of what I wanted to do: advocate!

Wanting to use my voice and advocate led me to Journalism. Journalism was a fun major; I worked for my university newspaper and took a writing class. I fell in love with writing and planning to strategically use my words for different outcomes. However, there was a catch: interviews. I hated conducting one on ones with people. Half of the time, people would cancel last minute, or I just felt that I liked to be the “big picture” person and create the interview goals, not do them!

This led me to where I am today, a public relations major. I wanted to use my strategic frame of thought but not have to dig for content. I loved writing and creating ideas that would later translate into public relations campaigns.

I would love to say that I arrived at this swift conclusion alone. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. My best friend is a senior at the University of Oklahoma, and she chose public relations as her interest. As I went to her for guidance is selecting a career path, she displayed her love for public relations and truly inspired me to take it on. Now a year later, I love it more and more every day.

Aliana Head (Public Relations Bestie) is on the left side.

Why Am I So Excited?

Honestly, utilizing social media (specifically TikTok) has given me the idea of an actual “day in the lives” of public relations specialists, and I couldn’t be more excited. I love interacting with brands as a consumer, and getting to interact with the public on account of a brand is even more exciting. I plan to showcase my drive, attention to detail, and creative communication style to excel in the field.

If you have any interest in the public relations field, do it! I have had a fantastic time educating myself about the area, and I hope always to stay learning.