I am so excited to reveal my blog’s new redesign with you
today!
I gave a creative brief to my friend Amy Bartle at Simple Style Solutions who helped me by designing the new header, background and
custom buttons.
As a fashion stylist and blogger, Amy understands the
role that image plays in communicating a brand message. She now offers her expertise
to small businesses wanting to develop their brand and expand their on-line
profile through blogs, social media, free sites and practical advice on digital
photography.
What and who inspired you to create your
business?
“After taking a short break from fashion
styling while I raised my son, Noah, I got into blogging as an outlet for the
creativity I was missing from working on magazines. I loved the process, but
learnt quite quickly that there are limitations to what you can do with very
basic knowledge, so I began taking classes both on-line and at local colleges
trying to fill in the gaps in my design knowledge.
One of the most inspiring
courses was “Blogging Your Way” with Holly Becker of the brilliant blog decor8. She runs regular courses to help people develop their blogs and brands, and I
felt like I wanted to share some of my knowledge and experience with other
women. It started as sitting down with family and friends helping them build
their own blogs or websites on free platforms like blogger, and I'm hoping to
be running my first workshop soon. It sits nicely with my new personal styling
service and gives me the time to spend with my son.”
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| Amy's personal blog Karma and Cupcakes |
What does your service offer?
“It is a very relaxed approach to design,
working closely with individuals to develop their own ideas and give them the
knowledge and confidence to do what they would like with their blog and social
media presence. I was always intimidated by the web design world and the costs
that were involved, but with a little guidance a lot more is possible than we
imagine."
What do you want to achieve for your
clients?
“Foremost a design they love without the
designer price-tag! Also the confidence that they can move forward and develop
their own ideas and brand independently, to feel a little empowered in the
tech-world.”
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| Parenting website Chatterbox designed by Amy Bartle |
Some bloggers enjoy the blogging process but lack the "technical know-how",
what advice would you give them?
“There are so many amazing resources
on-line, tutorials and guidance that are free, this is a great place to start.
Aside from Holly's courses [which you have to pay for] some of my favorites
are Pugly Pixel, and the Biz
Ladies on Design Sponge. Download a photo editing package like
Photoshop, if you can't afford a professional package like this there are some
great free sites that will work well to edit your pictures and design posts -
one of my favorites is Pixlr. Great pictures are so
important to building your blog. Beautiful, unique content can be posted to
sharing sites like Pinterest to drive traffic to your site.”
What brands/companies/blogs are doing it right, that we should keep an eye on?
“There are so many out there it is almost
impossible to choose a few. The most effective blogs for me have a simple
design and a very clear message. Here are just a handful:
Any other advice you would like to share?
“A little knowledge goes a long way, I
would really encourage anyone starting a small business to make sure they are
in control of their web presence [if you are hiring someone else to design your
website etc. be sure to read the small print carefully]. The more informed and
empowered you are with your business on-line, the stronger your brand will be.”
Being a fashion stylist Amy also offers a new type of personal
styling and shopping experience to those living in the UK. The service offers a
tailor-made wardrobe edit, with styling suggestions and ideas to update your
style to fit your lifestyle and budget. It can help to simplify your life as a
busy working or full-time mom juggling life’s demands. Maybe your body size has
changed since having a baby, or you are thinking about going back to work and
need to adjust your wardrobe for the next chapter in your life?
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| Amy Bartle's editorial styling |
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