Posts by Simon Browne

Are design subscriptions any good for small businesses?

Are design subscriptions any good for small businesses? Small businesses’ design needs are as broad and varied as global brands, so could a design subscription be the answer to their requirements? What is a design subscription? Definitions vary, so we defined a design subscription as: It’s a service where you pay a monthly fee and […]

Design Costs: Don’t Pay Too Much

Are you paying too much for design services?  How much is “too Much” As with many things, the ideal design costs differ from person to person: one person’s project design budget for just one project may be another’s annual design budget! The purpose of this post is not to qualify the different scales of spend […]

Do fliers still work as a marketing tool in the digital age?

There is a presumption that if a marketing promotion is not ‘digital,’ it is redundant or backward thinking. We investigate if this is true and if there is still room for a good old-fashioned flier in the marketing mix. Do Fliers still work in the age of digital marketing?   Fly away, digital… Before discussing […]

How has commissioning a design agency changed?

Everything changes, but the rate of change in how design agencies are commissioned has been incredible over the last few years. We examine why? The 4 Biggest Factors Commissioning a design agency has changed in recent years due to various technological, cultural, and economic shifts. Some of the ways that the process of commissioning a […]

How to choose a graphic design agency that is right for your needs

Finding the right design agency can be guaranteed by asking just five questions. Answer these before you even start looking at design agencies. Hard Questions So much of the design process and industry revolves around asking difficult questions and then finding the perfect solution to the challenge. Honestly answering questions is key, but when looking […]

10 tips for designing magazines

Designing magazines can be a daunting task for some; avoid some common pitfalls with our helpful guide. Magazines are part of everyday life, from weekly chat mags to monthly journals & publications aimed at public or private readerships. The task of creating a magazine or improving an existing one can be a challenge, so here […]

10 tips for effective packaging design

When it comes to creating effective packaging design, it is essential to consider both Form and Function What makes for great packaging is open to much discussion, but everyone is more than aware of bad packaging. Ensure that you create the very best packaging possible by considering our top 10 tips for effective packaging design: […]

10 Benefits of using a larger design agency (but not one that’s too large)

Choose the design agency that suits the company you are going to be and the results will speak for themselves. Choosing the right design agency is business critical and should be approached in the same way that any significant investment in your company’s growth is, carefully and methodically. We have put together our top 10 […]

In the digital age, are printed magazines still viable?

If you were to walk down the aisle of WHSmith’s or even the magazine aisle in your supermarket, you would hardly consider the future of printed magazines to be in jeopardy.

How can a design subscription save you more than time and money?

How to hire a Graphic Design Agency

Chances are, if you are reading this you googled about hiring designers: whether that was how to hire a graphic designer or what questions to ask when hiring a graphic designer or even how you engage a graphic design agency.

What is a Corporate Identity?

Asking the internet for a definition usually gives you a lot of surface-level waffle. While sites like Wikipedia offer an informative answer for corporate identity, it’s important to dive deeper and really get to know it. They explain it as: “The manner in which a corporation, firm or business enterprise presents itself to the public. […]

How to get the best from a branding workshop

As with many things in life, what you get is very dependent on what you put in! The same is true for branding workshop activities.

10 Tips to achieve the best poster design

Want to know Toasts poster design ideas? The following tips outline our thoughts on what makes a good poster design and avoid having to rely on free poster design templates which aren’t worth the money!

Unlimited graphic design services – too good to be true?

New doesn’t necessarily mean better for what you need.  If you’ve been on the hunt for a new design agency in the UK, you’ve likely noticed a surge in websites promoting unlimited graphic design UK services. However, the concept of unlimited design services isn’t entirely new. Unlimited design services by another name. Subscription-based design services […]

Top 10 Tips to get the very best corporate brochure design

Corporate brochure design should not be a difficult or troublesome experience, so we have compiled a list of Toast’s top 10 things to consider. Toast has helped businesses with corporate brochure design ideas since 1997. We have created business brochures that have allowed clients to sell everything from the smallest plastic grommet to the largest […]

‘Digital’ and ‘print ready’ PDFs – what are the differences    

Digital and print ready PDFs – what are the differences     You have had your brochure designed and then the designer supplies you with a digital and ‘print ready’ PDFs, so why have they done this and what is the difference? Being able to tell Digital and Print Ready PDFs apart is key. When creating anything […]

File Formats – Whats What

It’s important to choose the right file formats for images to get the best results. However you want your files, you should probably research the formats you need for whatever you want to do with them. To help you make sense of them, we’ve compiled a list of file formats and their various uses. So, […]

RGB and CMYK colour formats – does it matter what I use?    

RGB and CMYK colour formats – does it matter what I use?     RGB and CMYK are colour formats that are used in 2 different fields. RGB CMYK are commonly referred to as ‘screen’ and ‘print’. Toast can help with every aspect of your marketing. Talk To Toast Today. RGB RGB is used for screen […]

Are you looking for a new design agency?

Are you looking for a new design agency? There could be a host of different reasons to look, but what should you look for? When we are approached by a client looking to work with us, we don’t focus on what their previous design agency did wrong but choose to concentrate on how we can […]

Biggest PR challenges in 2018?

What are the biggest PR challenges 2018? Biggest PR challenges 2018?  Public Relations professionals appreciate an agency that understands the pressures they are under. The biggest PR challenges in 2018 include: Fake news – thanks to well-known advocates of the term, ‘Fake News’ or facts that you disagree with will continue to impact on professionals […]

Are you planning on improving your marketing & print?

Are you looking forward to marketing in the coming year? Are you confident in the effectiveness of your current marketing materials? As the holiday season comes to a conclusion, thoughts move to the new year and the possible opportunities that the year may bring. Are you confident that you are going to achieve the results […]

What is building a brand all about?

Building a brand? If you need to create a new brand or rejuvenate a flagging/unsuccessful brand then there is no shortage of articles and advice all saying that you should build you brand but gloss over exactly how! Simply put – Brand building is the combined result of a well thought-out and carefully delivered brand […]

Identify the marketing challenge…

The best creative design agency is one that is as eager to understand the problem, as it is to create the solution. When choosing a creative design agency, you obviously want to make sure that they can deliver creative solutions, but the difference between a good and a great creative agency is the ability to understand the marketing challenge before trying to answer it.

Logo workshop for startups: Branding your Success

Get your strategy right from the very beginning. Investing in a team that can provide a logo workshop for your branding is your best bet.  In the last few years, we have seen an explosion in the number of startups in a whole range of sectors from food and drink through to brand new niche […]

Using a brand workshop to review and re-engage your brand

It has been said that working on your brand “as you go” is like trying to change the tyres on your car while you’re still driving it! Well, it might not be that bad but it certainly isn’t the best way of using a brand workshop to review and reinvent your brand or update your […]

Clever use of Infographics in Annual Report Design

As the audience for Annual Reports broadens the use of bespoke infographics is now more popular than ever as a way of presenting information in a quick, clear and informative format.  The clever use of Infographics in annual reports is an ever-growing trend, as the audiences for annual reports grow. The need to make complex data […]

How do I improve my marketing?

How do I improve my marketing? If you are asking this question then you are ahead of the game of those that think that their marketing can’t be improved. Convention suggests this is where we should sell in Toast but instead we will answer your question. To do this we keep things simple and focus on the most important (we don’t apologise if these seem obvious) questions, which are…

Creative ideas for promotional giveaways

Everyone wants a bag of goodies after leaving an event.  People love branded giveaways. The different types of items available can be staggering, and to be honest a little bewildering – just because you can put your brand on an item doesn’t mean it is a good reflection on your company or organisation. Are you […]

How do I audit my marketing?

Most marketing teams have a whole range of marketing materials; some of it new but most of it will be historic. In some cases pieces will have been created purely to address a short term tactical need but doesn’t necessarily support the overall brand strategy. Different creative teams may have created some with different expectations on brand or corporate styling. However you have got there, there is a feeling of needing to get to grips with what you have but where do you start? Can you be objective?

Give your brand, design and marketing a full service

Give your brand, design and marketing a full service: Are you happy with your brand & marketing performance? Are you hitting your targets and achieving your goals? Would you appreciate an impartial opinion and help to Identify & resolve any issues?

Creating brand consistency in Marketing Materials

How to create brand consistency in marketing materials Due to the high level of integration that is now demanded by modern marketing campaigns, it is now obvious that brand consistency is important in your marketing collateral. Brand consistency should be achieved across not only the campaigns but the underlying strategy.     So why is […]

We solve marketing problems with design

I am quite regularly asked what Toast Design does and the simple answer is: we solve marketing problems with design. This does throw some people as they were expecting a menu of different design services. We do have a list of services, but that’s not what we do, we use these services to solve problems. […]

How to engage your target audience with effective marketing design

What is your target market and how do you engage with them? Knowing how to engage your target audience with effective marketing collateral design is a perennial challenge.  Toast is the perfect partner to help you identify who the target audience is, what profile or persona they reflect and then how best to use this […]

Some helpful tips when creating your next newsletter design

Newsletters have always been the go-to option for marketing design teams that want to update or advise their various audiences. The popularity of this format of marketing material is one of its biggest challenges when creating a new one. The question often lost is how do you make the newsletter engage with your audience? If you […]

Successful product launch – designed for maximum impact

If you are looking for help launch a new product in the market or even just a simple new product launch checklist then read on. The most successful product launch is the one that is prepared well and based around a solid strategy with comprehensive planning, as Benjamin Franklin advised – Failing to plan is […]

What are pop up exhibition stands?

Its a term you have seen used when it comes to exhibitions, but what are they and is it the right exhibition format for you? Pop up display stands consist of a pre-constructed folded down metal frame that ‘pops’ up into place to form a skeleton frame from which you can then attach display graphic panels via magnetic strips. As […]

What is branding?

It involves every aspect of communication you have with customers, staff and other audiences – so what is branding? Here at Toast, we have developed our own unique approach to delivering branding strategies for our client’s products, services and organisations and answer the question: What is Branding? We don’t believe in just making things look […]

First impressions last with luxury brochure design

In this day and age, with consumers being sold to every minute of the day, it is even more important that you consider every aspect of that FIRST IMPRESSION.

Creating great catalogue design

Toast Design have a range of clients that require complex sales tools from folders to niche brochures, but all depend on us to deliver great catalogue design.

Outsourced design services for PR agencies

Toast Design provide outsourced design services for PR agencies and they are really happy with the results.

Charity brochure designers

Brochures need to work hard these days, never has this been truer than with Charity brochures. Getting the most out of your budget isn’t so much a desire as a business prerequisite.

Luxury Brochure Design for brands

Here at Toast we have helped our clients sell everything from widgets to thingy-m-bobs but some of the very best luxury brochure design has been driven by prestigious brands…