natalini 4/9/21 natalini 4/9/21

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Grab the closest book, any book accessible. Now, open to a random page and read what’s right in front of you. When I do this, I open a book to exactly what I need to read in that moment. For some reason, the content always relates to what I’m experiencing or advice I need to apply. It’s also a great way for a busy person to get some reading in even if it’s only one page or passage.

My book recommendation with keeping on this week’s subject of branding is, “The Culture Code” by Clotaire Rapaille. This book made a huge impression on me many years ago. Clotaire Rapaille, is a marketing expert who has worked with major corporation around the world to help them understand how they communicate to their customers and how their brand or product is perceived in other cultures. For example; peanut butter’s culture code in America = “a mother's love” whereas in France peanut butter = “another processed food.” There is an emotional connection to peanut butter for Americans from Skippy commercials with a mom drawing a heart in the fresh peanut butter. I have to admit, I love to draw the heart in my newly opened, natural, non-Skippy peanut butter. This emotional connection made an imprint on me notwithstanding my lack of brand loyalty.

Which product’s brand messaging from your childhood created an emotional connection for you?

Take some time this weekend to expand your mind and heart. You are worth it and your friends and family will benefit from having a refreshed version of you afterwards.

natalini 4/8/21 natalini 4/8/21

One Word

Focus on just one word that you need in your life to move through to the next phase. This will be your pivot word. Your word could be; strength, breathe, calm, peace, patience, now or om.

For a deeper experience, here is a calming drink recipe and a 20 minute meditation from The Mindful Movement

Calming Drink Recipe

Squeeze half of a lemon or lime into hot water
1 teaspoon of Raw or Manuka honey
1 small pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt
Option to add a mint or chamomile tea bag
Add fresh mint or chamomile flowers if they are accessible

natalini 4/7/21 natalini 4/7/21

Design Great

Milton Glaser

1929 - 2020

Described as a modern renaissance man, Milton Glaser was a conceptual thinker, inventive and intelligent designer and illustrator. Milton Glaser is the designer of the infamous “I love NY” logo seen worldwide. Milton loved New York so much that he gave the city the logo for free and as of today it earns NYC $30 million per year. In 2009, Glaser was the first graphic designer to have received the National Medal of Arts Award.

Ingredients for great design: seamless user experience, solves a problem, is innovative, aesthetically pleasing, understandable, timeless and honest.

Want to give graphic design a try? Start by writing out your own name or initials as if it are the name of your company or product. Write the letters in lowercase, uppercase, cursive, scratchy quick/casual and serif (with “feet” as in Times New Roman) or san serif (without “feet” like Helvetica). Add colors if you have colored pencils or markers. Close your eyes and write them to take away some self criticism and let your inner child play for a bit. I can see the 80’s bubble letters coming and the graffiti paint drips and arrows too. Just let it out and keep going.

For all of the graphic designers reading this post, this is where you share your favorite personal work, a design tip or the work of your design inspiration.

natalini 4/6/21 natalini 4/6/21

Refreshing Drink Recipe

Customize Your Own Recipe

Choose your favorite fruit flavor; lemon, blueberry, strawberry, mango, pineapple…
Choose your favorite green vegetable; spinach, kale, broccoli…
Choose your favorite hydrating liquid; electrolyte water, coconut water
Choose an anti-inflammatory root; ginger, turmeric, horseradish, cinnamon
Add a dash of Himalayan Pink Salt for extra minerals and pH, improve respiratory health and aides in good digestion.

My drink recipe would look like this:

Lemon
Spinach
Half Essentia Water & Half Coconut Water
Ginger
3 Mint leaves
1 Pinch of Himalayan Pink Salt

natalini 4/5/21 natalini 4/5/21

"What's Your Name, What's Your Sign, What's Your Birthday...?"

…“What’s your wrist tattoo Bible verse say?” - Chris Lane

Photo by: Partik Michalicka @patrikmichalicka

Just kidding, this song popped into my head while writing about branding and logos. It’s great how certain things just connect like that. This type of connection is what a brand strives for, not song lyrics attached to an unrelated topic, but a thought or feeling related to an experience created by a company.

Have you ever wondered what the difference between a brand and a logo are and how they sometimes feel interchangeable? If you’re not a graphic designer or own a marketing business, I’m pretty sure you have. Especially if you have ever fantasized about having your own business. A brand IS the impression and benefits of their product or service. The brand is the stuff ya can’t see whereas the logo consist of an image, graphic, or a logotype (text without a symbol).

Brand = feeling/benefit + Logo = visual/supports the feeling/benefit

This week will be about personal branding and how even if you decided to work for a company until retirement, you can still create a professional brand image for yourself.

Need More…

Design & Wellness Coaching provides you with actionable steps to achieve a balanced mind, body and home with the Roadmap Plan. Included are creative solutions for products and visual merchandising for business owners. Schedule today!