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All (70)Brand Strategy (11)New Mexico Notes (2)Visual Identity (11)WordPress Development (26)Working with a Designer (20)

man in gray sweater standing beside wall

Read Time6 mins

The Elements of User Experience: What Business Owners Should Know Before a Website Project

OnApr 13, 2026
InWorking with a Designer

Jesse James Garrett's five-plane framework explains why some websites just work and others look fine but fall apart. Understanding it will change the questions you ask your designer.

Read Time6 mins

The Real Cost of a Free WordPress Theme

OnApr 13, 2026
InWordPress Development

A free WordPress theme costs nothing to install and somewhere between $3,000 and $15,000 to recover from. Here are the three hidden costs nobody mentions until the bill arrives.

Read Time7 mins

How to Budget for a Brand Project When You’ve Never Hired a Designer

OnApr 13, 2026
InWorking with a Designer

Brand identity for a small business typically costs $5,000–$30,000 in 2026. Here is what each piece actually costs, where to spend first if the budget is tight, and the two mistakes to avoid.

Read Time7 mins

How to Write a Creative Brief That Saves Everyone Time

OnApr 13, 2026
InWorking with a Designer

A creative brief is a business document, not a design document. Here are the six things it needs, what to leave out, and why you are the only person qualified to write it.

Read Time6 mins

Your Homepage Has Five Seconds: What It Needs to Do in Them

OnApr 13, 2026
InWordPress Development

Most visitors who leave a small-business homepage do so in the first ten to twenty seconds. Here are the four things above the fold that earn you the rest of the page.

Read Time6 mins

Three Typography Mistakes That Make Your Brand Look Cheap

OnApr 13, 2026
InVisual Identity

Most typography problems in small-business branding are three specific, common mistakes. Here is what they are, why they happen, and how to fix each one in an afternoon.

Read Time7 mins

Rebrand vs. Refresh: Which Does Your Business Actually Need?

OnApr 9, 2026
InBrand Strategy

Most businesses that think they need a rebrand actually need a refresh, and a few that think they need a refresh really need a rebrand. Here is how to tell which one you are.

Read Time7 mins

How to Vet a WordPress Developer Before You Sign a Contract

OnApr 8, 2026
InWorking with a Designer

Five questions that filter the right WordPress developer from the wrong one, the red flags worth taking seriously, and the things you absolutely have to put in writing.

Adobe building against a bright blue sky.

Read Time6 mins

What Makes a Santa Fe Brand Look Like Santa Fe (Without the Cliches)

OnApr 8, 2026
InNew Mexico Notes

Turquoise, sunsets, and kokopelli are not Santa Fe — they are the souvenir version. Here is what actually makes a brand read as deeply local instead of decorated.

Patrick is a web developer extraordinaire! We worked together on the UI of a web application to rate and review politicians. His deployments were prompt, and above standard. His UI work is clean, and solid. His work is well thought-out, which speaks to his expertise as a brand consultant.

Kuda Bhejana, Entrepreneur, VOXSTA