Diseño

One more year has concluded and has left us its valuable lessons, adventures and a lot of learning. Both in our daily lives and in the world of Design.

Here at Galahad Studio, we have been working hard all year, from branding projects, to those more avant-garde illustration and animation and it seems that some concepts that we saw and used, are becoming trends.

With them, Graphic Design is reinventing itself more and more, with the styles of some aesthetic and avant-garde movements of the past, to create a bold and colorful vision for the future.

So let's see where the balance tilts this 2019, while we analyze in Exiles from Jupiter, the concepts and styles that in our opinion, are going to be the key in the trends of Design this 2019.

So get ready, whether you are a designer (of any specialty), or if you work with one, because here we will show you our 2019 Predictions, about the trends in Graphic Design for this new year.

Anti-troll clarification!

First of all, at Galahad Studio we are not exactly journalists, detectives, or private investigators, but rather explorers, adventurers and mad scientists.

So, our 2019 Predictions are based rather on an analysis of the color, typographies, shapes and formats that we have observed in the work of designers and design agencies in the world.

So we are probably wrong, but hey!, we believe that no matter the medium, understanding how styles are changing and evolving in the various disciplines involved in Design, keeps our work fresh and helps us offer more and better options to our clients.

Graphic Design is like that, year after year it reinvents itself to offer the best in areas such as fashion, illustration, photography, branding, advertising, etc., so "in tastes genres are broken". So buckle up, don't take it so seriously and have fun!

Explosion of color

If there is a trend in Graphic Design that will surely be fulfilled in these 2019 Predictions, it is the explosion of colors. We are going to witness the revival of the use of colors in all their glory.

Of course, although they are bright colors, matte, metallic, gradients and unlikely combinations, they will be well worked and will be presented without complexes.

This even coincides with Pantone and its color trend forecast for spring and summer 2019. In short: Use bold colors if you want your work or business to stand out.

Isometric Perspective

It is not exactly a new trend, but according to our 2019 Predictions and taking into account the rise of illustrations in all fields of design, we believe that it will finally do boom!

And is that according to some statistics, custom illustrations and more natural images, can be much more effective than any stock photograph.

A unique illustration with bold colors and attractive styles such as isometric, will undoubtedly make any business stand out.

The order of chaos

When people think of "harmony," they often associate it with balance and symmetry, but the reality is that it can be quite the opposite. A design can be chaotic, eclectic, asymmetrical, etc. and still be able to be balanced, by intentionally avoiding a "traditional" harmony.

The glitch, the asymmetry and the use of broken images or disorganized montages, will be some of the effects that will be in trend this 2019.

We believe that an "eclectic" approach, while it can be quite challenging and complicated to achieve, can definitely bring a unique identity to each project.

"Reality 2.0"

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming present in fields such as web design or app design.

Sites such as Facebook or online stores, have already included AR in their websites, both to show their stock, and to show the store itself, through 360 images (a topic we had already talked about in previous publications).

And being a relatively new trend, we believe in our 2019 Predictions, which will be one of the ones we will have to keep an eye on this year.

Real Looking/Caricatured-Looking Photography

The "distracted boyfriend" meme, while brilliant, has also shown us that stock photographs can be EVERYWHERE.

From what we project in our 2019 Predictions, that the boom in the use of stock images will decrease, so now designers will be looking for more natural and unusual photos.

A little hand in hand with this idea, will be increasing the use of "intervened" images, either with graphic elements or illustrations, where the perfection of the models does not matter, but the world or "vibrates" that makes its viewers feel.

Novus ordo seclorum

As if we were fortune tellers of a secret sect, these are some of the trends in Design, which this new year (we believe), will give much to talk about.

Of course there are many others in areas such as typography, animation, branding, illustration and packaging, but we will talk about them in the next blog posts this month. So stay tuned for the rest of our 2019 Predictions.

In Galahad Studio we are interested in being aware of the avant-garde in fashion, art, branding and graphic design, because we seek to generate advertising designed for people. We believe that by knowing the trends, we can be more in touch with people and thus generate more meaningful stories. Get to know Our Services and Projects, we surely have a solution for you. Contact us!

What other holdings do you think will have to continue this new year? Which ones will disappear?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

Technology never stops advancing. Every day new trends emerge that are worth keeping an eye on. More comfortable tools, new formats, etc.

In the world of marketing you must be up to date with what is to come and much more if you focus on everything related to content. Marketing itself has changed radically in the last decade.

Concepts such as growth hacking, material design or inbound marketing, are tools that seek to bring brands closer to their users, to empathize with them. Thinking right about the user is one of the guiding axes of Galahad Studio: Design matters, because the people to whom it is addressed matter.

In this way, these tools seek to make the user experience, one of total immersion with brands. And that's just what 360 Content achieves, putting viewers squarely at the center of the action.

But… Do you know how to generate one? In this blog post, we explain what 360 content is and share some tips and examples to produce yours.

The reality of unidirectional formats

Since 2016, the video trend had already been identified as the epicenter of the marketing world. And it is that the consumption of video is one of the main uses of the Internet.

In fact, YouTube is today the third most visited site globally. It has more and no less, with more than 1000 million viewers. A very high level of rating , don't you think?

Its success is built on the power of choice it provides in users, by choosing "a la carte" from among millions of productions, thus creating a feeling of freedom and link with the content, in the user.

However, the reality is that a video is a kind of "one-way" relationship. You just have to click to play it. You just have to sit and watch and receive impacts. End of story.

And despite this, videos are capable of transmitting millions of emotions. Emotions that through other means, perhaps would be lost along the way. But then how do we make something very effective, even better?

Well, through developing content that generates new experiences and that involve users to break the unidirectionality of the medium. Let's take a 360-degree turn then.

360 degrees of innovation

The 360 contents are a format that goes a step beyond the video and image we know today. They offer a whole new view of what's on the other side of the screen.

This reinvention of conventional media provides a more immersive experience, since the user is placed in the same position from which the video was recorded; At the same time, you can choose to rotate the scene sideways or up and down according to your will. Thus increasing their power of choice and participation, creating a greater sense of freedom and strengthening their bond with the content.Which is another step of virtual reality.

These 360 contents can serve to transport the user to places where they would like to be. For example, a concert by your favorite artist, a futuristic city, the set of your TV show, a sporting event. The possibilities are truly endless.

Different brands are already taking advantage of the possibilities that this tool opens with some notable success stories. However, any brand can reap the benefits of 360 content. To achieve this, we share some tips that you can consider:

First things first…

Get the right equipment, one that allows the production of 360 content. We will not go into much detail, as there are many alternatives, from GoPro cameras to some models of smartphones with integrated 360 cameras.

However, the really important thing is to use creativity. There are already some plugins that allow you to transform images or video into 360. Even platforms like Facebook already integrate this technology properly. Not to mention design software like Cinema 4D or After Effcts. We'll be talking more about this in future posts.

Think about your target in every shot

In any marketing strategy, it is essential that you work on a specific audience and with specific objectives. The360 contains are no exception.

But the target will not only influence when choosing the content of the video, but its angles will also vary depending on your audience. Think about adjusting the perspective according to their preferences, but also appeal to their emotions, consider their age, where would your users like to be? This is vital to engage your viewers in an unforgettable experience.

On the other hand, plan your campaign from the beginning. You can, for example, create a series of videos that will be more effective than a long story. Or insert a series of easter eggs, proposing a non-explicit game of treasure hunting. Here, the element of surprise will function as a differentiator, projecting on your audience, a strong image of innovation and creativity.

"Sell stories… not products"

Telling a story leads to better results. There is no need to make 360 contents a documentary, but to build a story. In that sense, not all stories are suitable to work in this format.

Regardless of whether you choose video or static images, content should always invite viewer interaction to see what else your production has to offer. Generate complicity with your viewers or appeal to their emotions.

But above all, never forget that the main premise is to entertain. Boring content will be quickly forgotten.

The finishing touches

Once you have your 360 video or image, it's time to edit. Therefore, you should consider investing in 360-degree editing programs that help you with the characteristics of these contents, as well as synchronization and stability.

Premiere, AutoPano Video Pro or FCPX are some of the programs that can solve many problems for you. In the same way, find out about the requirements demanded by the platforms to which you want to upload your content. For example on YouTube, you must download the 360 Video Metadata application on your computer, so that the platform itself can read your file as 360 content. Come to us to learn more details.

Video is the king of content

The possibilities generated by 360 content for brands are incredible. It must be recognized that audiovisual content is the one that predominates on the Internet. Or they will be.

And it is estimated that during the next few years, 80% of the content that we will find on the web will be videos. You can see that what a few months ago was just a trend, now in a reality.

And that's where your brand needs to be present. 360 content is one of the most interesting media for digital advertising. Beyond showcasing products, the 360 experience is an opportunity to play with the audience and interact on another level. Need more reasons? Start working in this format We help you!. Our Illustration and Motion Graphics service has no limits and neither do your ideas. Contact us!

Do you know any campaign with 360 content?, Do your favorite brands already use it?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

It is not a lie that month after month, new ideas and techniques emerge that promise to grow a business. Currently, one of the most fashionable words in Digital Marketing and more specifically in the world of Startups, is Growth Hacking.

However, the term is not yet overly widespread outside the United States. In addition to being a Growth Hacker, it seems to be more of a "professional profile" than a specific certification. Will it be yet another innovation in the marketing world or a series of things we already do under a new term?

That is why in Exiles from Jupiter, we have taken on the task of investigating Growth Hacking. In this post we explain what it is, where it comes from, and how you can apply it in your business.

In short…

Growth Hacking is a discipline that seeks, with the minimum possible expense and effort, to quickly and significantly increase the volume of users, or income, or impacts, of our company.

It is not so much a combination of tools and techniques, but rather a different way of seeing and building a market. In this way, it encompasses creative processes, programming, analysis and marketing strategies, to maximize results.

It is born from the need to identify ways of growth, beyond spending money on traditional marketing systems or platforms. In this way, it adapts wonderfully to the world of startups and the philosophy of Lean Start-up, where resources are usually scarce and therefore progress is made with small steps.

Put like that, it looks very good, right? However, there is a fine line between the ethics of some of the practices used. Always remember that the cost of growing our business should never compromise our reputation or the needs of our users.

The Masters of Digital Growth

It seems incredible, but the first mention of Growth Hacking is somewhat invented, because it seems that it comes from the blog Start-up Marketing and its post entitled Where are all of the growth hackers?. However, it is not until some start-ups such as Facebook, Twitter or AirBnb, use these principles, that the concept gains notoriety.

In this way, Sean Ellis (the creator of the entry), describes Growth Hackers as those people who aim to grow the user base of a product or brand. Whose qualities to possess, beyond technical knowledge, is to be analytical, curious, innovative and creative people.

Ideas to "hack" the system

While anyone can prove themselves as a Growth Hacker, few are those who achieve it. First of all, it is necessary to know and work precisely the following steps to implement Growth Hacking in any company:

It will seem heavy to analyze all these aspects of a brand, but just Growth Hacking works, because it combines marketing techniques with engineering. This can be the difference between good marketing and one that doesn't generate results.

Here are some ideas that you can implement in your business (regardless of size or line), always bearing in mind that what we are looking for is the minimum use of resources and a high impact of creativity.

Notes…

Trial and error

While Growth Hacking is not something new in practice, its concept is something interesting to take up. In the ecosystem of companies and competitors, standing out is always important and unfortunately, resources are always scarce, so it is convenient to learn to use them intelligently.

In this way, avoiding unfair or annoying practices (such as spam), Growth Hacking really promotes creativity, analysis and curiosity. In this sense, it adheres to the basic principle of Design that "less is more".

Analyzing everything is key to understanding whether the techniques we test work or not, looking for new formulas and thinking "outside the box" guarantee the success of any company. And you, do you dare to try new marketing ideas? With our advice on Branding and Brand Design, we help you grow your company and make the future you want, reality. Contact us!

As you can see, most of these strategies are focused on the customer and many of them are very small actions, which you can start implementing in your company now.

Do you know other hacking strategies?

Best regards!

One of the goals in my career is to continue learning new things, especially those that help me complement the knowledge I already have. My experience as a designer has always been geared towards illustration, so learning to animate felt like a natural step.

However, I would soon discover that animation is a very broad area of the entire audiovisual production spectrum. In that sense, it can range from a simple motion graphics to publicize a product; to the generation of realistic content for large film productions.

For my part, I have oriented this part of my career to the integration of illustration and animation, as a tool to tell stories and synthesize information. However, the best results are obtained with arduous hours of work.

And even on that practical level, sometimes the plugins already included in After Effects are not enough to get some effects or results. Luckily, there are many resources available that are very useful such as plugins, which allow you to add new functions.

That is why, in this entry of the Blog, I would like to share some Adobe After Effects Plugins and Add-ons, which I have found very useful when generating animated content, either because they allow you to optimize your work, save time or obtain incredible results.

01_Trapcode Private 3.1

When animating, it is relatively "simple" to modify some scenes, either correcting the color or using a green screen to make a montage. But… How to integrate the elements naturally?

Trapcode Particular is a complement that allows you to generate a system of particles in After Effects such as smoke, rain, clouds or dust, all with a high degree of realism, which will make any spectacular scene look.

02_Plexus 3

It is true that "Plexus" is one of those complements that become synonymous with the appearance they generate. But the reality is that, with some expertise, it is able to generate much more than simple textures of points and lines.

Plexus is a plugin developed by Rowbyte Software, which allows you to import 3D models to use their layers, either as containers or as shapes. Without a doubt a great effect with a spectacular result.

03_Shapes Titles Creator V4

I know, I know! The purists will scoff at the idea of using prefabricated graphics, but the truth is that they can be a great time saver. In addition, the vast majority of these plugins contain easily editable elements, so their customization is endless.

Currently, there are many on the market, but personally I recommend the Shapes Titles Creator script, which allows you to generate a wide variety of particles, shapes, titles, lower thirds and 2D effects that will enrich any motion graphics.

04_True Comp Duplicator

As we have already said, time is a crucial factor that determines the quality of a project and even its budget. Therefore, managing to automate certain operations that we would normally perform by hand, is a great advantage.

That is the great virtue of True Comp Duplicator, which allows you to duplicate hierarchies of compositions at various levels of depth. So repeating animation sequences will no longer be a problem.

05_Duik

If you are familiar with animation, you will already know that the handling of Inverse Cinematics (which we will talk about in future posts) is essential for any character to have natural movements.

And while After Effects features a good rigging system, Duik takes it to a whole new level, creating complex rigs that simulate muscles or bones. Plus, it's free! Definitely my favorite among this list of add-ons.

Add-ons to make things easier

Adobe After Effects is a fundamental tool for many artists and animators, thanks to its versatility and positioning in the industry. Therefore, the right add-ons can add new functionality or optimize the workflow.

Increasingly, brands require advanced animations to publicize their products. So versatility and storytelling are becoming the backbone of animation in the industry.At Galahad Studio we are professionals in the creation of animated content, ideal for social networks and startups. Stop spending on flyers or expensive ads to reach hundreds; With our Animation and Motion Graphics service we help you to be seen by thousands. Contact us!

Of course there are many plugins and add-ons to choose from in the market. If you have a favorite that is not on this list, you can leave it in the comments to share with the community. Similarly, we invite you to read our analogous publication about Plugins for Illustrator.

Do you know other useful plugins ?, What other resources do you use in your projects?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

Given the fall into disuse of Flash and the rise of Material Design, alternatives have been sought to give websites a certain dynamism to counteract their natural "flat" appearance.

One of these alternatives is to choose to generate effects and animations in JQuery, being the Parallax Effect (in Spanish parallax), an increasingly widespread trend in the world of web design and animation.

Surely you have seen it thousands of times when entering a website, scrolling and noticing that the background seems to move at a different speed than the content, creating a slight effect of depth and revealing parts that you did not see before.

And although it seems a very current trend, the Parallax Effect is actually a trick with a lot of history. Therefore, on this occasion, we will make a reboot of our previous entry and explain more thoroughly what parallax is and how it is used in Design.

The Modern (but Common) Parallax Effect

Parallax is a design principle of animation, which plays with human perception, in order to create an illusion of spatial depth with two-dimensional means of representation. To understand it better, we will first talk about its origins.

Parallax (from the Greek paralaxis for change, difference) defines a phenomenon of perception by which the position of an object in the visual field changes relative to the point from which it is observed.

This can be exemplified if we raise the thumb at the height of the face, while opening and closing the right and left eye alternately. We will notice that, while the background remains static, our thumb apparently changes position thanks to the distance of our eyes. Simple isn't it?

And although the Parallax Effect is barely appreciated in our day to day, it constitutes one of the foundations of spatial perception. In this way, light reflections from nearby objects move faster on the retina than those from objects at a certain distance, generating an illusion of depth induced by movement.

Animating mice and patrolling the moon

As we mentioned in the introduction, the Parallax Effect is actually a very old trick, invented by Walt Disney to give his films a slight three-dimensionality, trying to achieve greater realism.

The invention itself is called "multiplane camera", since the superposition of planes to generate depth generates the Parallax Effect. I share a video that shows the operation of the Disney multiplane camera.

Later, video game programmers of the 80's imported this concept in order to create the illusion of three-dimensionality with two-dimensional means. Classic games of the type Jump'n'Run or Shoot'em up like Super Mario, Moon Patrol or Jungle Hunt, are a great example of this effect in action:

Ideal for Storytelling and Web Design

Although the Parallax Effect has been used in web design since the late 2000s, it would not be until the Nike nikebetterworld.com page (offline) caused a huge media impact in 2011.

Thus setting a precedent for the trend in web design that uses the Parallax Effect to create an impression of depth in a two-dimensional medium such as the web.

However, although the Parallax Effect is more than interesting to add value to the tedious scroll and surprise the user with something that is not expected, it is not convenient to use it for the simple fact of following the trend. The presence of such effects can be as surprising as it is tiring, for users.

The ideal is to take advantage of this resource as a narrative complement. This possibility of storytelling of Parallax, makes it perfect for landing pages, or websites that try to immerse the user in a story, causing a much more fun communicative experience and close to other media such as video games or comics.

Notable examples

The Parallax Effect polarizes opinions. While many users appreciate the design with this type of effects produced by the movement, others are already tired of a medium no longer so modern, especially if it is used for the sole purpose of being exhibited without a concept that justifies it.

When does the Parallax Effect enrich a website? This depends above all on what you want to achieve with the project and the public. What we can not deny is that it has proven to be an ideal medium to tell stories, so here we share a compilation of pages with Parallax that surely end up convincing you, if you still had doubts, of the incredible of this effect.

Perspective that changes the way we see

Although in principle attractive, scroller pages with Parallax Effect, contain an undeniable potential to improve the storytelling of a brand, but it has also caused its massive (and excessive) use since 2011.

At the end of the day, parallax effects or any other type of animation should be used when they help improve the user experience, highlight content, products, services or encourage the call to action. It goes in that sense, very hand in hand with the principles of material design of which we have already spoken in this blog.

However, the appeal generated by the Parallax Effect is undeniable, as it helps modify the perspective that people have about what a website is and changes the way they see a brand or product. And you, do you dare to give depth to your website? Whether with an online store, landing page or blog, with our Web Design service, forget about missing opportunities and start connecting with everyone.Get to know us!

Do you know more example to share with us? Would you like us to talk about some ways to add this and other effects to your pages?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

Planes, boats, flowers, cranes… Who has not ever folded a sheet of paper to make a figure for mere entertainment?

However, the reality is that Origami, beyond its artistic and entertainment capabilities, has enormous technological potential that is making it the basis of some important innovations.

In this way, after years of effort and research by engineers, physicists, artists, designers and mathematicians, a relationship between technology and this art is being achieved, in order to develop practical applications.

Clothing, furniture, robots, vehicles and even spacecraft are beginning to be developed today, based on the Origami technique. Therefore, in this blog post, we are going to talk about this type of paper engineering and its applications in the design of new technologies.

The ancient art of origami

First of all, let's start by defining what is Origami ?. It is a word of Japanese origin (Oru: fold and Kami: paper) which literally means to fold paper. In Spanish it is called origami, a term composed of papyrus, "paper", and flexus, "to fold".

Origami, in its origin, had a ceremonial and religious sense in ancient Japan. From the noshi, (types of paper offerings made for certain celebrations), the basic forms and diagrams of Origami figures are derived.

It later developed as a hobby and therapeutic resource, even attracting the attention of scientists. And, although it may seem a simple technique, the degree of complexity it can reach, makes some of its creations require days of work and a lot of ingenuity.

In traditional origami, scissors and glue are not used, only the possibilities of paper and hand expertise. The particularity of this technique lies in the transformation of paper (two-dimensional element), in three-dimensional shapes of different sizes and complexities.

Today it is part of the techniques used in paper engineering, thanks to its almost unfathomable potential. Can such an artisanal art then have an effect on today's world?

Science and art in oneself

Since its origins, origami was studied by mathematicians and scientists as a valuable resource for learning geometry, since when you fold a paper lines, segments, angles, polygons and three-dimensional figures are drawn.

By adopting this approach, the field of origami research can be broadened and various problems addressed, thus making origami the basis for applications from various technological sectors.

Next we will talk about some current applications (and some rather futuristic), origami in design and science.

Light as a butterfly, but strong as a tiger

In the simplicity of origami, really lies its strength, so starting from algorithms with basic folds, complex and very resistant structures can be achieved, which applied to other materials, preserve the advantages and properties of origami.

In this way, beverage cans, product packaging, lamps, clothing, or chairs are being reinvented, such as the one designed by the German studio Fuchs + Funke, which was even exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Luxembourg.

The design consists of a cardboard strip that, after a few folds, is transformed into a light chair weighing no more than two kilos, which preserves the beauty and aesthetics of origami.

… So strong that it is capable of stopping a bullet

A real problem of the police (among other agencies) is the ability to keep their officers safe in the face of an armed confrontation. Mainly because the current shields and bulletproof protection systems are very bulky and heavy.

Therefore, considering the lightness and strength in origami structures, a group of engineers and researchers in the United States, has developed an ultra-portable and lightweight bulletproof shield that bends according to origami.

The origami shield is composed of 12 layers of Kevlar and an aluminum layer in the center, capable of stopping various calibers of bullets. In addition to its ingenious structure, it allows a quick deployment in those moments in which every second counts.

So versatile to improve the present…

We have already addressed with the previous examples, the strength that an origami structure allows. However, its compaction properties are also generating significant developments in areas such as biomedicine.

After much research and development, a team of researchers from MIT, the University of Sheffield and the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a small origami robot capable of configuring itself, moving and even swimming.

And it is as curious as practical, because it could be an alternative to perform small interventions (such as removing objects), without the need to perform surgery. The possibilities are many.

… And so versatile to shape the future

Aeronautics is also very interested in studying the possible uses of origami in its sector. Well, origami could provide solutions for a recurring problem, how to optimize the space of the ships during a launch?

There are several NASA projects with the aim of reducing up to ten times the size of solar panels. The idea is to use the principles of origami in the panels to be deployed once in space. Thus reducing costs and risks of damage.

When the paper is folded, the mind wakes up

The rise of origami applications to the world of design and science is becoming increasingly diversified.

Robotics, mathematics and biology already use origami in the design of products and solutions to various unknowns. Its application is breaking down the boundaries between worlds so far apart, through creativity to solve problems.

Origami works in design and also as a base element for other innovative bets. Do you have a creative project that needs another approach? We help you bring it to life! Our design and concept art service has no limits and neither do your ideas. Us!

What does the future hold for us in this field? Will we have smartphones that will unfold when using them? Will we be able to work at the level of atoms? Will it help us conquer space?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

We live in a time when working and economic conditions require us to seek opportunities on our own. But on the other hand, the Market aims to reduce us, simplify us and unite what we are with what we do.

"You do not know how to sell yourself" or "You are a product", are expressions that are heard very frequently when talking about people and their professions. But isn't it wrong and even immoral to talk about people as assets?

That is why the construction of a Personal Branding is the right tool to find and publicize what makes us more people, what makes us unique, valuable and singular, either as professionals and as individuals. But… What about Personal Marketing?

And as no business can survive long without connecting with the public, in this 2nd part of our entry on Personal Branding (the 1st part can be read here), we will share some tips on how to build an effective Personal Marketing strategy.

> 05_ Define your Personal Marketing strategy

First, let's differentiate that the Brand is YOU. The product is what you do for others. Marketing is how you make the above known. Therefore, we need to define these three aspects to know what people need and how we can help them solve it.

Therefore, who will be our customers?, What will be the services we will offer them? and How will we contact them?, are questions that we must always keep in mind when writing your personal marketing strategy.

Thus, once these questions are answered, we can develop a solid strategy that allows us to connect with our future customers. Some ideas with which we can begin to create this strategy are:

> 06_Junta the trash, take out the trash

Nothing takes more time away from your scrambled plan. Organizing the information of your personal marketing project is very important.

In this way, you will be able to start writing documents such as sales notes, portfolios, curriculum (also applies to brands), profiles on social networks, etc.

The value of this, and once you start posting and receiving feedback on your blog, social media, or website, is that you can start measuring the results of your efforts. In this way, you will be able to know if you are doing it right or wrong and how far you are from your goals.

To do this, we can use the comments shared by our customers or the likes on your networks. However, there are also tools such as the statistics generated by Facebook or Google Analytics. To read more about Analytics and what it lets you know about your audience, click on the link.

> 07_Capacítate continuously

Training you continuously ensures you never fall behind the competition and allows you to offer your customers the best solution to their problems.

Finally, improving your personal brand is improving your own person. So go ahead!, read everything you have at your fingertips, attend courses and seminars in person or online. The options are endless and the internet becomes an excellent ally.

Let's get to work!

Whether as a mother, friend, professional, boss, neighbor or in any of the vital roles you play, you always have something to contribute.

Therefore, the first step to position yourself in the minds of others is to find what ONLY you can offer and believe it, the rest is only technique and time.

We recognize it!, developing a Personal Marketing strategy involves, in a way, playing a character. But it is possibly the most difficult of all, yours. Therefore, do not waste your time anymore and leave fears aside. With our advice on Branding and Brand Design, we help you meet your goals and make the future you want, reality. Contact us!

We hope that these tips will be useful to build your personal branding or to improve the one you already have. Stay tuned for future entries and we invite you to read Part 1 of this post.

Did you know about inbound marketing?, Do you know other business models?

Best regards!

Throughout my experience as a designer, I have faced the need to be in constant practice and evolution of my skills and knowledge.

And without a doubt, I can say that learning to animate has been one of the best skills I have had the opportunity to learn, because it is known to everyone, the ability of animations / videos to tell stories and connect with people.

Even, from the artistic point of view, the need to break barriers and learn new techniques goes from the mastery of traditional and digital illustration, to its eventual evolution in movement. And for example I share one of the first projects we did in Galahad Studio as animation in this link.

In this sense, this evolution could continue towards the realization of 3D illustration and animation. However, learning all areas of 3D requires a lot of time and dedication. But what if there was a way to generate an animated fake 3D ? Well, in this blog post, I want to share some tutorials and plugins, which make this idea a reality.

Hold on a second…

First of all, it is important to understand that "three-dimensionality" in a two-dimensional medium is nothing more than a play of light, shadows and perspective.

In this sense, outside of Reality, everything we see on television, movies, magazines, books, etc. that generates a three-dimensional effect, is nothing more than an optical illusion, which causes our brain to interpret those images in different planes. Thus generating the idea of a false "three-dimensionality".

And although it sounds a bit complicated, it is actually a technique that has been used for a long time. I bet you didn't even know that it was Disney himself who generated the first technology that sought to generate depth in animations. The invention itself is called "multiplane camera" and the superposition of planes to generate depth is called parallax or parallax effect, of which by the way we have already written an entry.

Before continuing with what interests us in generating a fake 3D effect, I share a video that shows the operation of Disney's multiplane camera and the parallax:

Parallax + Rigging

Up to this point and having understood and mastered the principle of parallax, we could already develop three-dimensional animations, where the stage would play a vital place in this process, but… What would happen to our characters?

The parallax effect works incredibly when used on backgrounds, simply because the distance between objects (say the sun, the sky, some mountains and our foreground), is noticeable. But it is not so with a character, because their elements (nose, eyes, head, etc.) are not positioned (normally) at great distances from each other.

In that case, we would need to perform a Rigging of our characters. Although its origin is in 3D animation, it is already very common to talk about it in 2D animation. In the end just what we are looking for is to achieve a fake 3D effect.

Rigging is the process of creating a system of digital controls and their subsequent addition to a 3D model, so that it can be easily and efficiently animated. Simply put, it is the creation of a digital puppet.

And it is just this puppet and a subtle animation, which would allow us to generate a 3D fake effect in the expressions and movements of our characters, as we can see in the following video:

Do you notice how a 2D character takes on a whole new dimension by being animated in this way?

¿And… now?

It is true, doing the rigging and parallax in an animation can become a tedious job, although it is fundamental for the creation of our fake 3d effect.

Therefore, I want to talk about a couple of ways to perform the whole process in a simpler way, through plugins. On this occasion, we are going to recommend two, Joysticks 'n Sliders and Duik, both available in After Effects and compatible with each other.

Rigging = Duik

Duik is the whole pandora's box of animation and rigging in Adobe After Effects.

It provides the core rigging tools found in any 3D software, such as IK, drivers, and bones, but adapts them to 2D animation in After Effects.

Developed by the RAINBOX team, Duik allows you to manipulate complex characters and use advanced animation techniques. Highly recommended.

Fake 3D = Joysticks 'n Sliders

Joysticks 'n Sliders is a posture-based rigging system for After Effects, with unlimited applications.

It's a must-have tool for anyone doing character animation in After Effects. And although it is not exactly unique in the market, its great differentiator is that it allows you to animate poses and controls for intermediate movements. Achieving great dynamism and naturalness in the movements.

Developed by Mike Overback, it is a key tool for facial animation, head rotation and posture rigging.

And this is only the beginning

As always, there's a lot to be said for these tools. For its very nature generates infinite possibilities.

Whether keyframes or plugins are used to generate animations, generate a fake 3D in a motion graphic animation, it becomes the possibility of taking 2D illustration to a new level. And if we add to this the use of parallax, the spectacularity would be knocking on the door.

You can also take your brand advertising to another level. We help you bring your new product, character or social media posts to life. Our Illustration and Animation services have no limits and neither do your ideas. Contact us!

Do you know other techniques to develop animation?, Would you like us to talk about them in future posts?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

The color in our lives is very important, because it helps us to warn situations around us, from identifying the seasons by the color of the leaves, such as noticing the "stop" at a traffic light.

However, also on a psychological level it helps us to transmit sensations and emotions. It makes us remember events or enhance emotions such as happiness or nostalgia.

This communicative power has not gone unnoticed in design, in areas such as fashion or advertising, but also in cinema, because through the use of color schemes, filmmakers reinforce or create a feeling in the scenes of their films.

That is why, in this blog post, we will talk about color and its use in cinema; about how filmmakers use it to create certain effects and how it manages to generate some emotions or others.

The color cycle

Color is a tool that serves to make stories convey a specific message or feeling. Therefore, from its good use, the power and aesthetic beauty of the images we see in the cinema arises.

For this reason, the "chromatic circle" is used, with which it is possible to establish criteria to determine the colors that will appear on the screen.

The chromatic circle in its simplified version, has 12 colors based on the colors yellow, red and blue (although there are other chromatic models), which are part of the traditional coloring model. Here are some of the most used schemes:

If you are interested in seeing more examples of color schemes in movie scenes, we invite you to visit http://moviesincolor.com/, where designer Roxy Radulescu has been collecting hundreds of examples.

The colorists

We usually see acting in a film as the most important aspect of it. However, many areas are involved in its production such as makeup, special effects, sound and of course, color.

Those in charge of this last point are the colorists, who are responsible for adjusting the tones in the production of a film. A job that consists much more in creating atmospheres than simply in creating beautiful environments.

Color correction is an art that, since the growing evolution of the digital medium, has been gaining more and more importance, both in high-budget cinema, as well as in the most modest productions and even television.

At their most basic level, colorists (sometimes also called graders) maintain chromatic uniformity scene by scene. However, they are able to manipulate the feelings that the scenes transmit to us. In the following video, you can see more of this relationship between colors and the emotions they convey.

Color and mind

And why do these colors represent these ideas? Why are we able to perceive those emotions described based on the register of tones that colorists have chosen for us? Simple… our biology.

Color has evolved along with us. Thanks to it we obtain information that generates an evolutionary response; This way we know if someone is sick because they turn yellow, that they are angry about the red hue or that certain fruits are not ripe because they are green.

However, it is also true that over the millennia, we have manipulated pigments to represent cultural connotations. In this way, the relationship of concepts we make with colors also has to do with our culture and our conventions.

Not everything is culture, not everything is genetic.

As we have already said, color plays a fundamental aspect in our way of understanding the world and relating to others. Their perception is formed from an interaction between our biological and cultural components.

In this way its meaning varies in each point of the planet. For example, all those works that are not subject to the Western prism, such as the films of China, where red, gold and white mean very different things.

We can conclude then, that the number of options and the intention to play with the feelings of the spectators in the cinema is, without a doubt, an issue that we should always take into account when analyzing the films.

You can also enhance and make your brand's advertising more meaningful. We help you bring your new product, character or social media posts to life. Our Illustration and Animation services have no limits and neither do your ideas. Contact us!

Have you noticed the use of color in this way in the movies? Do your favorite movies take care of this detail?

Don't forget to leave your comments.

Best regards!

We live in a time when working and economic conditions require us to seek opportunities on our own. But on the other hand, the Market aims to reduce us, simplify us and unite what we are with what we do.

"You do not know how to sell yourself" or "You are a product", are expressions that are heard very frequently when talking about people and their professions. But isn't it wrong and even immoral to talk about people as assets?

That is why the construction of a Personal Branding is the right tool to find and publicize what makes us more people, what makes us unique, valuable and singular, either as professionals and as individuals.

And as we can not prevent the rest of the people from comparing us, in this blog post (which we will divide into two parts), we will talk about Personal Branding and how to build a brand that leaves a mark on the minds of others.

The path of a thousand miles…

Building a brand is not exclusive to companies or independent professionals, because we all have something to offer, so we must be able to find the right combination of "ingredients", which make us attractive and unique.

In that sense, we all have a Personal Branding. The really complicated thing, beyond whether it is strong or weak, hated or adored, attractive or neutral, is that we do not know what it is.

In this way, building a Personal Branding as a model of action, will allow us to improve our possibilities. It is an exercise in introspection, perseverance and patience, but we will share some ideas to create (or improve) yours:

> 01_Define your goals

Both in personal and professional life, we can hardly reach our goals, without having defined our objectives before.

That is, if you do not define well where you are going or the reason why you start your brand, you will never know if you are going the right way.

In this sense, there are no good or bad objectives, the important thing is to define them in time and focus the energies (and resources) on achieving them.

Some ideas when creating your own brand could be:

> 02_Elige your audience

In the same way that it is important to have clear goals, it is vital to define to whom our efforts, products and services will be directed.

Otherwise, you run the risk of wasting time and effort in offering something that does not serve your potential customers. To know how to better connect with your audience, we recommend you read our entry on Inbound Marketing.

A good technique when building a personal branding is to create a "customer archetype" (or buyer persona). This semi-fictional simulation will reflect the characteristics of the ideal customers with whom you would like to connect.

This is a very broad topic that we will address in future posts. For now, I recommend you read the following link to learn more about this concept.

> 03_Selecciona the name for your brand

One of the fundamental aspects when creating a personal branding is to choose a name. Also one of the most complicated, because emotional aspects, marketing, personal tastes, etc. intervene.

However, it is important to keep in mind that this identity will represent us for a long time and therefore, it is necessary to choose it carefully. Take your time! and consult your clients, family or friends.

The easiest thing is always to choose our own name, but it does not hurt, perform an analysis based on the competition that already exists, the availability of the domain name (URL) and social networks.

• Competence: Whoever has a very common name, which already exists as a brand or simply wants to be creative, can choose to create one. Be creative, but avoid phonetic similarities or hard-to-pronounce words.
• Domain Name: In addition, it is important to investigate the availability of the domain, even if you do not plan to have a website immediately. This will eventually avoid many setbacks.
• Social Networks: Finally, the name of your personal branding should be easy to write and memorize with the intention of being able to share and create profiles on social networks.

> 04_Definir your products and services

Whether you offer professional products or services, it's important to define what problem you help your customers solve with them. In this way, it is possible to give a name to what you offer.

By this we mean not being obvious. For example, we all know that a lawyer offers legal assistance, but a better way to offer their services would be to generate packages such as "10 hours of legal advice in case of car accident". Do you notice the difference?

In this way, specialized service packages can be generated and it is avoided to be ambiguous with what is offered. With this, we can stand out from our competition and exploit the emerging market of microniches.

We will talk more about microniches and services in future posts, but for now, we recommend you to see Sergio Fernández's masterful lecture on how to sell.

In addition to this, it is necessary to define: What do you like?, What do you know how to do? and What do People Need?. At the end of the day it is your brand and therefore, it is the opportunity to dedicate yourself to what you like the most.

Let's get to work!

Whether as a mother, friend, professional, boss, neighbor or in any of the vital roles you play, you always have something to contribute.

Therefore, the first step to position yourself in the minds of others is to find what ONLY you can offer and believe it, the rest is only technique and time.

We recognize it!, developing a Personal Branding implies, in a way, interpreting a character. But it is possibly the most difficult of all, yours. Therefore, do not waste your time anymore and leave fears aside. With our advice on Branding and Brand Design, we help you meet your goals and make the future you want, reality. Contact us!

We hope that these tips will be useful to build your personal branding. Stay tuned for future posts, while Part 2 of our tips can be read here.

We want to know more about you! Tell us would you like to be an entrepreneur? What do you do best?

Best regards!