Author: Jeff St. John

web design

How Contemporary are You Online?

by Jeff St. John

Is your website responsive? How is your SEO? Um, what is SEO again?

The technologies we use today to communicate with our clientele go way beyond what we’ve been familiar with in the past. There are more opportunities in which to connect with them, while not only pushing content, but also pulling it from them. Our customers are viewing us by smartphone, tablet, notebooks and desktops – each of these devices need to present content with a meaningful, “user-friendly” experience in mind. Does your website present that experience? Is it responsive to the myriad devices we consume content through daily?

Design Your (Content) Message

With search engine (SE) algorithms, the information we deliver (and receive back) from our websites, e-newsletters, blog posts, and social media can be incredibly informational and beneficial in how your business is both perceived and ranked when potential clientele are searching the Internet – not only for your organization, but with key words in those posts about your services; your industry; and your clients’ relationships within the industry.

Build a Strong SEO Foundation

You want to be noticed, right? Many experts believe that keyword research is the most important aspect in increasing your online recognition and therefore new business opportunities. This is a good place to start, investing heavily in keyword research, as it pertains to your to the various audiences you want to reach. Understand those audiences and what they’re searching for. Use both free and subscriber tools like, Google Analytics or Google Adwords, that will help you plan and expand your SE rankings.

Be keenly aware of the content that you post, both through social media and your website. Do this regularly. Yet don’t overstuff with keywords. It’s best to have one precise and well-targeted keyword phrase per page. Also be critically aware of how that content is viewed by your audiences. If the structure, flow and the loading time are awkward, you will be sure to lose them or keep them from reaching deeper into the content you’re delivering. Expand and integrate your messaging across all SE platforms, to insure optimal online rankings. Contact us for a free assessment of your current Internet marketing efforts.

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Blik's Picks Image

Blik’s Picks for February & March 2016

by Jeff St. John

Blik’s Picks, a list of art, culture, and things to do in and around San Diego during the months of February and March.

Ed Ruscha Then & Now: Paintings From The 1960s And 2000s

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (Jan 30 – Apr 04)

Ernesto Neto: Mother Body Emotional Densities,
For Alive Temple Time Baby Son

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (Nov 20, 2015 – Feb 21)

SAN DIEGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL

(Mar 10–20)

Field Trip: Explore Tijuana’s Vibrant Art Scene

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Tijuana (Feb 19)

ATHENAEUM ART CENTER STUDIO

Take a class at the new at the Athenaeum Art Center at Bread & Salt in Logan Heights

 

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Print vs Web

Coordinating Your Brand’s Execution – Screen versus Print

by Jeff St. John

How we communicate our brands has taken on some very complex sets of guidelines, even rules, to render them effectively and with value. Too many times organizations want to execute what they’ve created in print, the same way online, or vice versa. There are many instances where web experts fail to realize the benefits of good typographic solutions online or the user’s experience of choices, while other times traditional designers want to instill the nuances of print characteristics in a screen environment. The two, if pursued with the same set of standards, will always fail. Here’s a great link to the key differences between the two and what marketing experts should keep in mind, when executing their brand assets across these very distinct mediums. Many thanks to Janie Kliever for this article.

 

Canva – Print vs Web

 

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Everything is Design

Everything is Design

by Jeff St. John

Ask a hundred different people what ‘design’ is and you’re likely to get a hundred different answers, but no answer is more succinct than that famous line above from design legend, Paul Rand. Sir Paul was a staunch believer that our “visual language” is intricately woven through the form and function of everyday objects and services we provide.  It was his belief that each and every design decision should be utterly premeditated and that those decisions should very clearly (and cleverly) communicate the idea of a product or service.
http://mcny.org/exhibition/everything-design

Everything we build, manufacture or express – everything – has been designed. Good design is what guides us through the day. It keeps our coffee hot, our backs comfortable, and prompts our daily actions. When design is really good, it inspires us and motivates us with promises of comfort, of belonging and fulfillment. Design is everything and for everyone. It is the embodiment of who we are and how we invariably connect with one another.

 

Photo Credits:
http://pistachiowriting.com/2011/12/02/the-best-cup-of-coffee-all-day/

Rene Redzepi on creativity, fear, legacy and a changing restaurant industry

Aerial Freeway Photos Give Engineers Their Due as Geometric Artists


http://elepho.com/cool-lighting-decoration-using-tensor-desk-lamps/captivating-pictures-for-brass-and-wood-halogen-tensor-desk-lamps-for-lighting-decoration/
http://conservefewell.org/humanitys-relationship-with-the-natural-world/
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/rip-massimo-vignelli-subway-map-legend.html#

 

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Art of the open air and free the art brochure

Free the Art

by Jeff St. John

Our creative relationship with the San Diego Museum of Art began more than 20 years ago. At Blik, we are honored to once again provide marketing and brand communication services to one of San Diego’s most significant cultural institutions, through their upcoming permanent exhibition titled, Art of the Open Air. Beginning in January of 2016, SDMA will bring 8 significant sculptures out into the Plaza de Panama, offering free public access to sculpture by highly influential artists, such as Alexander Calder, Joan Miró, and Francisco Zúñiga. Blik’s partnership with SDMA involved creating an exhibition identity, brochures, posters, and materials to support fundraising efforts that will provide conservation and installation of these sculptures, as well as educational programs and docent tours. Yes, the parking lot and cars are long gone, so we hope you attend the opening reception, we encourage you to contribute to this cause, or just come to visit the Plaza when they’ve been installed.

To contribute click here.

Free the art photo for the san diego museum of art

 

 

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