• Okay, today I want to talk about something that is not discussed often enough, and that is investing in typefaces. I think a lot of non-designers might not know, but typefaces can often run between $125-$500 depending upon the required license. Now, I completely understand why typefaces are so expensive — it takes a lot of work & skill to develop them, however not all typefaces are equal! Which brings me to the actual intention of this post — walking you guys through the decision making process when I’m deciding to drop $$$$ on a new typeface. I’ve outlined what I look for before investing, and make some suggestions on special things to pay attention to! 1️⃣ DOES IT COME IN MULTIPLE WEIGHTS? In my mind, the more weights the better. It opens up different possibilities, allowing the typeface to be a bit more versatile. 2️⃣ DOES IT INCLUDE NUMBERS & SPECIAL CHARACTERS? The worst feeling is when you’re working on a project that requires special characters that are not included in the font system — try and get ahead of this by evaluating the system before you buy! 3️⃣ WHAT LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE? This is verrrrrry important to check, especially if your work, which includes the purchased font, is going to be sold on products etc. A commercial print/web license will cover most service based small business owners, but if you intend to sell goods or do any advanced advertising with the typeface, you’ll likely need to explore an extended commercial license. It’s always good to check this upfront, to make sure the license you require is available / within your project budget. 4️⃣ IS THE FONT LEGIBLE? Okay, this should seem obvious, but I swear sometimes it’s not. Fonts can be more / less legible at different sizes, sometimes you can scale down so small, you can no longer read the content. I see this the most often with super thin, low contrast fonts...it’s like they just fade into the background. If you’re buying a font you know you’ll be using at 14px or less, make sure you’ll be able to read it at that size! I can go on for days, but these are the “big” ones in my mind. At the end of the day, for designers typefaces are a business investment.
    00
    Okay, today I want to talk about something that is not discussed often enough, and that is investing in typefaces. I think a lot of non-designers might not know, but typefaces can often run between $125-$500 depending upon the required license. Now, I completely understand why typefaces are so expensive — it takes a lot of work & skill to develop them, however not all typefaces are equal! Which brings me to the actual intention of this post — walking you guys through the decision making process when I’m deciding to drop $$$$ on a new typeface. I’ve outlined what I look for before investing, and make some suggestions on special things to pay attention to! 1️⃣ DOES IT COME IN MULTIPLE WEIGHTS? In my mind, the more weights the better. It opens up different possibilities, allowing the typeface to be a bit more versatile. 2️⃣ DOES IT INCLUDE NUMBERS & SPECIAL CHARACTERS? The worst feeling is when you’re working on a project that requires special characters that are not included in the font system — try and get ahead of this by evaluating the system before you buy! 3️⃣ WHAT LICENSES ARE AVAILABLE? This is verrrrrry important to check, especially if your work, which includes the purchased font, is going to be sold on products etc. A commercial print/web license will cover most service based small business owners, but if you intend to sell goods or do any advanced advertising with the typeface, you’ll likely need to explore an extended commercial license. It’s always good to check this upfront, to make sure the license you require is available / within your project budget. 4️⃣ IS THE FONT LEGIBLE? Okay, this should seem obvious, but I swear sometimes it’s not. Fonts can be more / less legible at different sizes, sometimes you can scale down so small, you can no longer read the content. I see this the most often with super thin, low contrast fonts...it’s like they just fade into the background. If you’re buying a font you know you’ll be using at 14px or less, make sure you’ll be able to read it at that size! I can go on for days, but these are the “big” ones in my mind. At the end of the day, for designers typefaces are a business investment.
  • Okay, so I took a brief little social media break this week as I’ve been feeling a bit ✨creatively exhausted ✨ I know I’m not the only one that struggles with this, and I know how disheartening it can be to feel stuck within your own creativity...especially when you own a business that relies on said creativity. It’s become even more of a challenge for me since COVID began, the things I would typically do to recharge my creativity, like hanging out with friends, traveling, or shopping have become much less commonplace with the pandemic. So while I’m sitting here reminding you to recharge your creative energy....don’t feel bad if it’s harder than normal! (Also, yes, I did list shopping as a creative activity & I have no shame. Let’s call it trend research!)
    00
    Okay, so I took a brief little social media break this week as I’ve been feeling a bit ✨creatively exhausted ✨ I know I’m not the only one that struggles with this, and I know how disheartening it can be to feel stuck within your own creativity...especially when you own a business that relies on said creativity. It’s become even more of a challenge for me since COVID began, the things I would typically do to recharge my creativity, like hanging out with friends, traveling, or shopping have become much less commonplace with the pandemic. So while I’m sitting here reminding you to recharge your creative energy....don’t feel bad if it’s harder than normal! (Also, yes, I did list shopping as a creative activity & I have no shame. Let’s call it trend research!)
  • Do you ever design something that you just love...beyond words? That’s how I’m feeling about this fun Squarespace blog design 🥰 it’s super minimal and clean, but still very impactful. I have to give a huge shoutout to Rache at @squarestylist and her Standout Squarespace course. I thought I knew Squarespace well before her course, but her systems and development process have opened up so many new design doors. If you don’t like Squarespace websites because you think everything looks like a template...you’re just not working with the right people 🙊
    00
    Do you ever design something that you just love...beyond words? That’s how I’m feeling about this fun Squarespace blog design 🥰 it’s super minimal and clean, but still very impactful. I have to give a huge shoutout to Rache at @squarestylist and her Standout Squarespace course. I thought I knew Squarespace well before her course, but her systems and development process have opened up so many new design doors. If you don’t like Squarespace websites because you think everything looks like a template...you’re just not working with the right people 🙊
  • Let’s talk about business processes! Focusing on my process has made working in my business 1000% more enjoyable. When first starting out, I feel like myself (and so many other business owners I know!) just jump right in and while it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s not exactly a comfortable experience. You’re figuring out what works, and what doesn’t work, and a lot of times you’re violating your own personal boundaries by working crazy hours, setting crazy deadlines, etc. It can be a great learning experience, but it’s not sustainable for the long run. Cue business processes. I feel like this is kind of “Phase Two” of the entrepreneurial journey — it’s the necessary ingredient that lets your business scale sustainably. Developing a firm process within my business has helped me: ❥ Plan out my calendar, and determine how much work I can take on at one time ❥ Set boundaries around my client communications & work hours ❥ Set boundaries around the types of projects I’ll take on ❥ Cut down on the amount of time projects take, and the number of project revisions ❥ Reduced stress & increased joy in running a business! So while process over everything might be a bit of an exaggeration....developing a clear cut process for how I handle my client work has been a huge game changer.
    00
    Let’s talk about business processes! Focusing on my process has made working in my business 1000% more enjoyable. When first starting out, I feel like myself (and so many other business owners I know!) just jump right in and while it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s not exactly a comfortable experience. You’re figuring out what works, and what doesn’t work, and a lot of times you’re violating your own personal boundaries by working crazy hours, setting crazy deadlines, etc. It can be a great learning experience, but it’s not sustainable for the long run. Cue business processes. I feel like this is kind of “Phase Two” of the entrepreneurial journey — it’s the necessary ingredient that lets your business scale sustainably. Developing a firm process within my business has helped me: ❥ Plan out my calendar, and determine how much work I can take on at one time ❥ Set boundaries around my client communications & work hours ❥ Set boundaries around the types of projects I’ll take on ❥ Cut down on the amount of time projects take, and the number of project revisions ❥ Reduced stress & increased joy in running a business! So while process over everything might be a bit of an exaggeration....developing a clear cut process for how I handle my client work has been a huge game changer.
  • After 4 days of snow, I am exclusively working from my couch today with lots of candles and coffee close by. I’ve pretty much spent my snow days hibernating in a creative flow — which has been so incredibly productive. I feel like I’ve really started to plan out the rest of my year, which had gotten me really excited for all the things coming my way. With that being said — there’s also some things I’ll be phasing out in the coming months to allow for new, bigger, and better things to take their place. One of those things is my free @canva Instagram templates — I’ll be phasing these out by the end of February, so if you haven’t gotten the chance to download yet...get on it!! You can download via the link in my bio. Like I said, something bigger & better will be taking their place...but the free templates are still pretty fun. 📸: @rubyolivia.photography
    00
    After 4 days of snow, I am exclusively working from my couch today with lots of candles and coffee close by. I’ve pretty much spent my snow days hibernating in a creative flow — which has been so incredibly productive. I feel like I’ve really started to plan out the rest of my year, which had gotten me really excited for all the things coming my way. With that being said — there’s also some things I’ll be phasing out in the coming months to allow for new, bigger, and better things to take their place. One of those things is my free @canva Instagram templates — I’ll be phasing these out by the end of February, so if you haven’t gotten the chance to download yet...get on it!! You can download via the link in my bio. Like I said, something bigger & better will be taking their place...but the free templates are still pretty fun. 📸: @rubyolivia.photography
  • So this isn’t the typeface that I ended up using for this project...but I’m still obsessed with how fun this is. I know there’s so many jokes out there about designers buying typefaces...but honestly I feel like it’s one of the fastest ways to get out of a creative rut 🤷🏻‍♀️ Font is Coolumbus by @tegh.co, available on Creative Market.
    00
    So this isn’t the typeface that I ended up using for this project...but I’m still obsessed with how fun this is. I know there’s so many jokes out there about designers buying typefaces...but honestly I feel like it’s one of the fastest ways to get out of a creative rut 🤷🏻‍♀️ Font is Coolumbus by @tegh.co, available on Creative Market.
  • A little moodboard for today, fueled by an evening of impulsive design & typeface splurges. All images sourced via @pexels
    00
    A little moodboard for today, fueled by an evening of impulsive design & typeface splurges. All images sourced via @pexels
  • Last week I shared a project using a super fun (and free) Google Font, Nova Flat. I’ve spent tons of time recently digging through Google Fonts, so I figured I’d save you all some of the hassle and share (in my opinion) the most underrated Google Fonts of 2021. These are all display fonts, so best used for heading fonts, or anything requiring a larger font. Google fonts are so versatile, they’re especially great if you’re developing templates or any materials that require flexible font licenses.
    00
    Last week I shared a project using a super fun (and free) Google Font, Nova Flat. I’ve spent tons of time recently digging through Google Fonts, so I figured I’d save you all some of the hassle and share (in my opinion) the most underrated Google Fonts of 2021. These are all display fonts, so best used for heading fonts, or anything requiring a larger font. Google fonts are so versatile, they’re especially great if you’re developing templates or any materials that require flexible font licenses.
  • Okay, I figured there’s no better way to start off the new year than with #fridayintroductions & a photo of my face by the lovely @rubyolivia.photography So without further ado...HELLO! My name is Emily and I am the designer behind Refined Studios. I help conscious businesses bring their brand to life & get strategic about their online presence. While I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, in 2021 I hope to help more businesses bring their vision to life online & and find new ways to serve creative business owners. Some fun facts about my 2020: ❥ I just up & moved from NYC to Philly this year, after 3 years in NY ❥ I’ve spent at least 300 hours on Zoom calls...but they were all 100% worth it ❥ I’ve drank approx. 1,000 cups of coffee this past year...perhaps even more 😬 ❥ I’ve invested in my business more than ever before, with @morganrapp’s Design Biz Mastery at the beginning of the year, and closing the year in @squarestylist’s Standout Squarespace All around, 2020 has CLEARLY had its ups & downs. I feel blessed to have even made it into 2021, and hope to carry that feeling into everything I do in the new year. I’m excited for the fresh energy of a new city & new year, and am so thankful to have this wonderful little internet community join me along the way!
    00
    Okay, I figured there’s no better way to start off the new year than with #fridayintroductions & a photo of my face by the lovely @rubyolivia.photography So without further ado...HELLO! My name is Emily and I am the designer behind Refined Studios. I help conscious businesses bring their brand to life & get strategic about their online presence. While I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions, in 2021 I hope to help more businesses bring their vision to life online & and find new ways to serve creative business owners. Some fun facts about my 2020: ❥ I just up & moved from NYC to Philly this year, after 3 years in NY ❥ I’ve spent at least 300 hours on Zoom calls...but they were all 100% worth it ❥ I’ve drank approx. 1,000 cups of coffee this past year...perhaps even more 😬 ❥ I’ve invested in my business more than ever before, with @morganrapp’s Design Biz Mastery at the beginning of the year, and closing the year in @squarestylist’s Standout Squarespace All around, 2020 has CLEARLY had its ups & downs. I feel blessed to have even made it into 2021, and hope to carry that feeling into everything I do in the new year. I’m excited for the fresh energy of a new city & new year, and am so thankful to have this wonderful little internet community join me along the way!
  • ❥ What are you taking into 2021? This year has obviously been uniquely challenging, filled with more up’s and down’s than anyone could’ve imagined. As we head into the final days of the year, I’ve definitely taken time to reflect on how I’ve been handling this year, and consider how I want to show up in 2021. I don’t think the year changing holds any special magic trick, COVID isn’t going away just yet, our country still faces overwhelming problems, but as individuals we all have control over what we choose to carry over into 2021. Personally, I’m hoping to take a little positivity, hope, confidence, and spontaneity into the new year!
    00
    ❥ What are you taking into 2021? This year has obviously been uniquely challenging, filled with more up’s and down’s than anyone could’ve imagined. As we head into the final days of the year, I’ve definitely taken time to reflect on how I’ve been handling this year, and consider how I want to show up in 2021. I don’t think the year changing holds any special magic trick, COVID isn’t going away just yet, our country still faces overwhelming problems, but as individuals we all have control over what we choose to carry over into 2021. Personally, I’m hoping to take a little positivity, hope, confidence, and spontaneity into the new year!