Search results

The Beauty Palace in Austria's largest shopping center (Shopping City Süd, SCS) asked us for help. They were struggling with design problems and technical issues on their website. People were leaving the website far too quickly and the external impression was negative. The website was self-made, the existing "branding light" was not implemented on the website. die alte Website von Beauty Palace Afterwards, an SEO agency was hired to hopefully increase the website's Google ranking. Various SEO agencies are known to be well-versed in all aspects of getting customers. We took care of the complete relaunch of the website . All technical and visual problems on the website were resolved, the "branding light" was visibly implemented and expanded with meaningful design elements. The user interface was taken to a new level. SEO and design blend harmoniously together. Design success in numbers The numbers speak for themselves: Just one week after going live, the bounce rate of visitors was 25% lower. People stayed on the website much longer than before our design update. Finally! In terms of SEO and Google ranking, the website received more unique visitors than a whopping 92% of comparable websites in the industry after the design update. What a result! With an average of 4 minutes and 21 seconds, people stayed on the website significantly longer than 74% of the competition. A clear advantage in the tough competition among beauty salons. The new website that we implemented for this client ranks better in organic (!) search than 70% of comparable competitor websites. This is once again a classic example of how SEO optimization alone does not optimize Google rankings. It is primarily the design and optimal user guidance that keeps people on the website for a long time and thus has a strong influence on Google rankings. The new web design has been proven to keep visitors on the website longer and people therefore feel comfortable not only in the Beauty Palace, but also on the associated homepage.

In the dynamic world of web design, it's crucial to stay one step ahead, so we're excited to announce that we're now officially certified as Wix Studio Designers. This marks a significant milestone for us and opens up new possibilities for our clients' digital presence. Why web design with Wix Studio? Wix Studio is Wix's latest cutting-edge platform, which stands out for its technological innovations and maximum design freedom. This platform is not just a tool, but a kind of secret weapon that helps us transform our clients' vision into a clean, attractive and functional website. 1. Highest technological standard: With advanced features and seamless integration, Wix Studio offers everything modern websites need. From optimized loading speed to robust security features - so a website not only looks good, but also functions smoothly. 2. Maximum design freedom: Wix Studio focuses on creativity and individuality. It gives us the tools to perfectly reflect a brand identity - from unique layouts to customized interactions. Every design idea can be implemented precisely and without compromise. 3. Perfect implementation of branding: A strong brand deserves a strong online presence. With Wix Studio we can ensure that a corporate identity is presented consistently and effectively on a website. After all, a brand must shine in every detail. What does this mean for our clients? As certified Wix Studio designers, we are not only experts in using this advanced platform, but also well-equipped to put our clients in the best light. We have undergone extensive training and proven that we can meet the highest standards in web design. For our customers this means: - Tailor-made solutions: Every company is unique, and a website must reflect that. No ifs, ands or buts. With our expertise in Wix Studio, we create tailor-made designs that perfectly meet the individual needs of our demanding customers. - Efficient implementation: Thanks to Wix Studio's powerful tools and features, we can complete projects faster and more efficiently without compromising on quality. - Future-proof websites: The continuous development of Wix Studio ensures that our customers' websites are always up to date with the latest technology and adapt to growing requirements. The success of our clients is also our success Our commitment to excellence in design means we always strive to provide the best solutions for our clients. Becoming certified as a Wix Studio Designer is another step in our mission to help our clients strengthen their digital presence and achieve their business goals. Conclusion At a time when the online experience is often critical to business success, our Wix Studio Designer certification provides the advantage and security that many entrepreneurs want from design agencies.

A pack of tea bags costs between 1.50 and 4 euros - depending on the quality and brand. But what makes people spend a whopping 15 euros (or more) on a pack of tea bags? Yes, you read that right. 15 euros for 20 tea bags. The traditional house of Harrods manages to turn tea into a true experience. An experience that begins as soon as you see the beautiful packaging. Of course, Harrods stands for quality. The brand is committed to this promise of quality and must always be kept. People with high standards when it comes to enjoying tea will immediately feel addressed and emotionally engaged. The brand raises high expectations and satisfies them in a perfect way – not only in terms of product quality, but also in terms of product experience! And that's exactly what it's about: turning a product into a real experience. Branding raises expectations and the target group is willing to spend more money to fulfill their high expectations of the product experience. The Harrods branding manages to turn a tea bag packaging into a true work of art. Harmonious color schemes, elegant typography and a coherent design language that skilfully holds the entire tea range together: this is branding as it should be. This is branding that ensures that a pack of tea bags sells for 15 euros. And honestly, who wouldn't want to have a whole collection of these chic little art objects at home?

As we all know, there are many ways to Rome. So how do you get to where you want to go – not to Rome, but out of the swamp of mediocrity and into becoming an absolute top brand? Option 1: You create the branding yourself It costs you a lot of time, energy, nerves and (resulting in) money to set up a holistic branding on your own; not to mention the implementation on all analog and digital touchpoints and the continuous use on all communication channels. Aside from that, you most likely lack the expertise and experience to objectively assess design excellence and actually develop professional branding. In addition, you lose a lot of valuable time that you could otherwise use for your day-to-day business. The likelihood of you transforming into a top brand is extremely small. Option 2: You hire agencies Many agencies, especially well-known ones, are extremely overpriced due to inflated organizational structures, sales-promoting workshops and expensive PR measures. You, as the customer, naturally have to co-finance these expensive PR measures and gimmicky campaigns. For some agencies, just picking up the phone costs money. Speed, agility, flexibility and, unfortunately, sometimes even face-to-face contact with the customer - none of that. Most agencies work with an unnecessarily complicated website CMS that continually eats up time and money just to function. This generates high costs for customers and is passed on with corresponding surcharges. Another problem is the high employee turnover in the agency industry - despite the constant effort to entertain employees (with the resulting costs, which you of course have to co-finance). This means that valuable knowledge and important information is easily lost and you constantly have changing contacts. The likelihood of you transforming into a top brand is there, but at a disproportionately high price (if you haven't been financially eaten up beforehand). Option 3: You hire a new run-of-the-mill designer Many run-of-the-mill designers do not have the necessary expertise to create a holistic branding. After a “pretty” logo (which is often neither functional nor future-proof) and a website, there is not much more. The holistic branding approach and the flexible and modular design system that will guide your company safely into the future are completely missing. You are once again spending money on something so that you have something “pretty” that is not viable in today’s cross-media world. Furthermore, the lack of a design system means that you are dependent on the “back-and-forth designer”. If he is on vacation, you have a problem. If he is sick, you have a problem. If he is busy with another job, you have a problem. The likelihood that you will transform into a top brand is low. Because you will go around in circles and end up where you started: in the swamp of mediocrity. Option 4: You invest in learning material and online courses You invest a lot of time (and sometimes money) in various learning materials in order to learn how to develop a professional branding and implement it on all cross-media touchpoints. This of course keeps you from your day-to-day business, your sales shrink and you cut off the branch you are sitting on. You are also confronted with so much information that you end up not being able to see the forest for the trees. The probability that you will transform into a top brand is also extremely small. Option 5: You hire HCG corporate designs Or you can work with branding experts like HCG corporate designs . My team and I will support your transformation into a top brand with branding that makes complex things much more appealing. With the HCG method, we help service providers to communicate complex services clearly and understandably. We ensure that you successfully transform into a top brand in such a way that your customers, your business partners and your competitors are left speechless. So you save a lot of time, energy and nerves and get excellent expertise and no (!) drop in sales in your day-to-day business.

During a recent review of our branding archive, we came across one of our previous branding projects that unfortunately did not make it to the client's shortlist. Nevertheless, we think: Even if the design was never finalized, it is simply great and must be shown. Copyright: Helene Clara Gamper | HCG corporate designs Unique logo design for a plumbing business The customer’s wish was clear: "We are a plumbing company with heart. We are known locally as 'Readl-Biaga'." “Readl-Biaga” is Tyrolean for pipe bender, fitting for the profession of plumber. Passion for the job should play a central role in the branding. This gave rise to the idea of designing a pipe with a flange in the shape of a heart. A new idea that had not yet existed (at the time). Qualitative logo design starts with a pencil sketch on paper By the way, the idea for a logo design does not come from a computer or artificial "intelligence". No, for us a logo design comes from the heart, the brain, listening to the customer and is of course created by hand. For maximum creative output and the highest quality in the development of a brand, we rely on pencil and paper and initially work with sketches. You can find out more about how we work with sketches for a logo design in a specially produced video. Copyright: Helene Clara Gamper | HCG corporate designs Why wasn't this beautiful branding put into practice? The customer threw out the briefing and requirements and the positioning was supposed to be less emotional and pointed (contrary to the initial requirement) and more geared towards "classic" plumbing businesses. Even though the courage was lacking here, a new, beautiful branding was developed, which you can see in our portfolio.

Entrepreneurs are often told a lie. They are made to believe that all they need is a logo design and a website to get their great product (or their fancy service) out to the people. Or just a website should be enough. Others suggest to entrepreneurs that they first have to spend 6,000, 7,000 or even 8,000 euros on a workshop to even find out that they need professional branding to transform into a top brand. This is how companies' budgets are played with and some agencies get their own sales tactics refinanced by the customer. The real problem: a lacking branding A new logo and a new website alone cannot handle the mammoth task of appearing as a top brand, but they still cost a lot of money. "Run-by-the-mill" designers like to sell it as if a new logo and a new website are enough. You are an expert in your field, in your service, and of course you cannot know how crucial branding really is. How could you? In addition, there are many ready-made templates that you can find cheaply on the Internet or Photoshop buddies that can only take a company a small step further. In plain language, that means you remain stuck in the swamp of mediocrity. This is not about a small start-up run by students or someone who is just starting out on their own to earn a little extra money. A logo and a website are enough to start with. However, we are talking about the transformation from the swamp of mediocrity to an absolute top brand that people can't ignore. The thing is: You need branding , i.e. a coherent, holistic design system, because only then can you convey a consistent brand message across all touchpoints (both analogue and digital) now and in the future. And we think that this can be done without an overpriced workshop. A consistent brand message as the key to the heart of your target group Why is a consistent brand message so important? Quite simply: continuity creates trust. And that is what turns people into paying customers. We have specialized in tackling this problem at its root and solving it – by establishing a recognized and practical branding system (we carry the quality seal of the “initiative corporate design” from “Design Austria”). With our systematic design approach, we help scaleups win more customers in just three months. This ensures clear and understandable communication and a trustworthy continuity that turns people into paying customers.

Redesigning a logo is always a tricky matter. As a brand designer, you feel like you can't please everyone. But: It is not the goal of a designer to please everyone! Causing controversy, standing out from the crowd and taking a stand - that's what professional branding has to do. A logo design doesn't have to please everyone , but it has to give people a certain feeling. Is the branding color copied from Austria's ÖVP? Based in Austria, the CDU turquoise reminded us very much of a dull version of the ÖVP turquoise. The ÖVP is basically the Austrian sister party of the CDU . Under the once celebrated political star Sebastian Kurz , the ÖVP was given a new, more dynamic image; with new branding and the signal color turquoise. Copyright: CDU It is noticeable that the CDU, with its new turquoise, wants to copy the success of the ÖVP's relaunch at the time and is relying on the same color (albeit in a somewhat duller version). Whether this is a smart move in times of allegations of perjury against Sebastian Kurz remains to be seen. Stock exchange or ski jump? As a non-Austrian, the bar chart in the German flag colors probably catches your eye. It is reminiscent of stock market speculation and rising prices. On the other hand, the bars also resemble a ski jump that is arranged in reverse. Intentional? Coincidence? The idea was probably to let the momentum flow into the capital letter "C" in "CDU". Well, you can interpret a lot into a logo. However, our first impression is a watered-down compromise of different elements. Italic party letters do not exactly represent stability and power, which is certainly what the CDU wants to convey. It looks as if too many cooks have spoiled the broth. As if everyone has thrown their own spices into the soup pot and the end result is something that is supposed to look like an upswing but is lagging behind in its value imparting. Unique or a copy? It is common knowledge that a logo design should be unique and recognizable. However, the CDU's new logo design does not have any significant recognition value. The similarity to an everyday bar chart, the logo of the Bridge Street Development Corporation or OVB Vermögensberatung is too great. Our blog article “When a lawyer comes instead of new customers” covers how problematic this can be. In our branding process with the HCG method, a plagiarism check is always included. This means that it is not the lawyer who comes, but new customers.

2020 is over, 2021 is still in its infancy. A good opportunity to reflect on the past year, to appreciate the beautiful moments and to focus on a positive outlook for 2021. In September 2020, I went on a great multi-day hiking trip in the Italian Dolomites, one of the most impressive and beautiful mountain ranges that I have ever seen (and I say that as a Tyrolean!). The tour was organized and hosted by my dear friend Karrie Gregson from Alpenboxx , whom I know from my Hot Yoga Studio Yogahealth . We were a small, nice group of different nationalities, all living in Innsbruck: Karrie from Canada, Olli from Bavaria (Germany), Nolwenn from France, her husband Marek from Poland and I, the only Austrian. The starting point was the Passo Sella Resort - a fantastic resort in an equally fantastic location. High up in the mountains you have a wonderful view. A lot is put into perspective when you change your perspective - what a lovely play on words ;-) ! A different point of view is always positive and also promotes creativity - so especially for me as a designer, hiking in the mountains is a great thing. In the Dolomites I had some time to relax and to reflect on ten years of HCG corporate designs #10yearsHCG . Many doubts plagued me when I started my own business. Because: I started my graphic design business at the beginning of 2010, in the midst of the financial crisis, with just one customer. Not exactly the best conditions. Today I run my one-person company in the 6-digit sales range, as a woman, in an industry with a lot of competition and dumping price providers. Okay, the one-person company status will change ;-). What I have learned over the years - and I would like to pass this on to you as a blog reader: There are always people and companies who need good products and services and are willing to pay for them. The better your product or service, the more professional you are perceived (your brand design makes a significant contribution to this), the more your competitors will be left behind you. So if you're wondering why you should invest: Because you are investing in your future. And that's the best investment you can ever make. The investment in this hiking holiday in the Dolomites was, too, one that I definitely wouldn't want to miss. I spent wonderful days in a beautiful landscape with wonderful people. Thanks at this point to Karrie, Olli, Nolwenn and Marek. And of course we must not forget about Lilli - Karrie and Olli's dog, who entertained us very well with her daring attempts to chase the marmots in the Dolomites. (Video by Karrie Gregson / Alpenboxx ) Thanks to Karrie, Olli, Lilli, Nolwenn, Marek, Peter and all the others of the hiking group for this wonderful time together! After a great 2020, I am now looking forward to 2021, in which many wonderful, creative design projects are waiting for me - and maybe another hike in the Dolomites. And of course I'm also looking forward to a generally more positive mood in the world out there, which will certainly come after all the turbulence of the past year. I am very certain about that.

There are over 2,200 fonts in my digital font library at the moment. They include all-time classics, well-done newbies and outstanding specialities. In this blog article I want to introduce you to six of the fonts that I currently like most: 1. NOYH Noyh is quite a new font which was developed by the Thai Chatnarong Jingsuphatada and published by Typesketchbook . It has a huge bandwidth of different styles (72 to be precise!) and combines a geometric, cool look with subtle round edges. This gives Noyh a nice and modern touch. Currently, Noyh is my absolute favourite in my font library. By the way, a new, more rustic alternative has joined the family quite recently: Noyh A . Combined with Noto Serif Bold (set in majuscules), Noyh looks wonderful, see an example here in one of my latest client projects: 2. NOYH SLIM Staying with Noyh - this time in a condensed style called Noyh Slim. It’s perfect in combination with Noyh Regular for T&Cs or Terms of Use for example. 3. NOTO SERIF I mentioned Noto Serif in point 1. But also on its own, Noto Serif is lovely. A classic elegance, dominant and strong though thanks to quite a high x-height. This makes Noto Serif perfect for reading especially in small sizes and on screens. (PS: Noto Serif was designed by Google Inc.) 4. ANIUK The Viennese typography studio Typejockeys describes their font Aniuk as "quite a cool font family", which it definitely is. Aniuk was designed by Thomas Gabriel and I like the very well executed mix of strength of character, round shapes with a serious touch. When looking at it, you might discover that a lot is bent upwards, making the font kinda smiling at you. And this puts a smile on my face as well. 5. AKKO Akko was created by Akira Kobayashi back in 2011, 2015 it underwent a facelift. I used Akko in the course of a magazine redesign in summer 2017. I bought the font on Fontshop and instantly fell in love with Akko (in my blog post of 19 June 2017 you can find out why). The technical understatement combined with a distinctive look makes this font an all time favourite for me. 6. HENRIETTE Another great piece of work by Typejockeys is Henriette , the reinterpretation of a classic. Something for retro lovers and geeks! How do you like my currently 6 favourite fonts? I’m looking forward to your comments on Facebook and Twitter! #typography #fonts

Microtypographic details (or the mighty tiny details when working with fonts) are probably the supreme discipline in typesetting and brand design. Regardless of whether it is website design , brochure design , logo design or flyer design - a font is not only a transmitter of information, but a very important design element that conveys a feeling for the text and can massively increase the recognition value of a brand - sometimes even more than the logo design itself. We do not want to confuse you with typographical terms. Using some practical examples from our customers, we would like to show you how we use fonts to create special stylistic experiences for our customers. A CASA The brand design of the holiday apartment group A CASA conveys a feeling of exclusivity and luxury. We achieved this by using a serif typeface called Cormorant Garamond by type designer Christian Thalmann. This serif font looks particularly elegant in upper case for headings. In addition, we integrated elegant lines and logo elements for the individual holiday homes as an optical anchor point with the headings. Legally required copy such as general terms and conditions, data privacy information and so on has to look great too. Brand design doesn't stop there. Even in a small font size, the typography has to transport the desired feeling. BLICKPUNKT LKW & BUS Blickpunkt LKW & BUS is Austria's largest transport magazine. In addition to the brand design relaunch , we were also responsible for the new, adapted editorial design of the magazine. The sans-serif font Akko by Japanese font designer Akira Kobayashi is used for the logo, headings and sub-headings. Akko is particularly strong when it comes to the bold style, making it a perfect fit for the transport and logistics industry. The symbol that marks the end of the article is an element derived from the logo font for which Akko Pro was used. Individual but significant features of the brand design are subtly incorporated into the rest of the product. HERBSTFREUDE A handwriting for the logo as well as specially highlighted headlines were particularly important in the brand design of Herbstfreude . After all, Herbstfreude is about humanity, cordiality and caring for (in particular old) people. Halo Handletter by Mario Arturo does a good job here. The serif font Literata by TypeTogether is used for the main copy to convey a feeling of calm and trust. Particular attention is paid to the italic style, which stands out due to its extraordinary characteristics. In addition to that, special ligatures and old-style numerals are very beautifully designed, which gives the copy a very special note. As you can see in the picture below, special ligatures are a special way of combining two consecutive letters. And old style figures are numbers (compared to uppercase figures) that fit harmoniously into the main copy to ensure a more pleasant reading flow. See more about it in this video (in German language): HOLZBAU WEGSCHEIDER Holzbau Wegscheider build houses from natural building materials wood and clay. Values such as durability, longevity and closeness to nature stand in the foreground here. This was achieved by using an impressive typeface called Vollkorn by type designer Friedrich Althausen - a typeface with a strong character. SPEDIFORT In late 2020, e-Learning provider Spedifort hired us to redesign their brand to visualize the transition from a start-up to a premium provider. The sans-serif font Saira with its different styles combines serious objectivity with cool elegance and is ideal to give the brand an IT / tech touch. Take a look at how weak and strong emphasized text looks like in the image above. Wide-spread, bold capital letters or capital letters in a light weight fit extremely well into the overall image of the brand and harmonize with all other design elements. TIROL BOX Trattatello plays a major role in the logo design and brand design of Tirol Box . Trattatello is a beautiful decorative font that is reminiscent of handmade. This was important because Tirol Box almost exclusively contained products that were lovingly made by hand. When you read a text, the look of this text automatically must remind you of a certain brand. That's good brand design. Book your free consultation call to get your very own high-class brand design:

Is your company stuck in the swamp of mediocrity and just can't make it to the next level of sales and status? Do you think a new logo and maybe a new website can fundamentally change that? Wrong thought. Imagine a brand like a human body. The logo is essentially the heart. But it is the branding that brings the entire body together into what it is and ensures that all components work together perfectly. The decisive factor is the transferability of the logo into a brand, i.e. into a corporate design. Why? A logo design may be the heart of a brand, but in the end it is just a symbol. And a symbol alone does not convey any feeling or emotion. Ultimately, it is always emotions and feelings that turn people into paying customers. Even if we believe we are making rational decisions, we make decisions based on gut feeling within a very short space of time and only then try to explain (or "justify") our decision using rational logic. Only a branding that is professionally developed and consistent creates a harmonious whole in the entire company presence - cross-media at all touchpoints, online and offline. If we compare this again with the anatomy of the human body, the logo is the heart of it. The branding is the complex system of organs, fascia, muscle fibers, veins, etc. - everything that makes the human body and makes it unique, makes it functional and capable of survival. Just like with human anatomy, it is the same with a brand. A logo design is all well and good - but without branding it cannot survive. THE TRANSFORMATION TO A TOP BRAND IS AN INVESTMENT THAT PAYS OFF As part of our branding development, our customers receive a clearly structured design system with practicality, including a corporate design manual , which meets the highest quality standards and appeals to the target group on an emotional level. In plain language, this means: You get an external image that really works and raises your company to a completely new level of sales and status. As a top brand, you will experience a completely new quality in many areas of life. Doors will open for you that you thought were firmly closed. You will feel like you have finally arrived .

In manufacturing companies, slow deliveries of raw materials or components lead to situations that were previously unimaginable: the (at least temporary) shutdown of production because orders can simply no longer be met. Added to this is the lack of (suitable) staff - which of course also affects the service sector. A lack of staff causes capacity bottlenecks. Applicants stay away and prefer to go to the "sexy" competition. This mix leads to dangerous capacity bottlenecks, which set in motion a downward spiral that can - and will - break the back of companies in the long run. The competition has more capacity (because there are more applicants) and you are on thin ice. The result: Many companies can no longer take on new customers and are therefore at their limit. Potential customers therefore become customers of the competition . In addition, such a dangerous capacity bottleneck is noticeable among existing customers. It is only a matter of time before they too move to the competition, where they are better served due to the capacity. Independence from suppliers and business partners from abroad is a complex issue in times of closely intertwined business relationships and tight margin calculations. In addition, bottlenecks in the supply of raw materials and components must be resolved primarily at the political level. But what can you do to break this downward spiral? There are two significant adjustments that have been proven to work. MORE APPLICATIONS THAN EVER BEFORE – MORE SEXYNESS WITH EMPLOYER BRANDING The most important step to stop dangerous capacity bottlenecks is to find suitable staff and retain them in the long term. Motivation and emotional attachment to the employer play a crucial role. This is where first-class employer branding comes into play, as we implemented for our client Spedination . Thanks to its branding, Spedination appears super-sexy as a modern employer and receives more applications than ever before. Thomas Kogler, founder and managing director of Spedination GmbH, can choose the best people for his team. "On target and perfectly executed. We get emails from people who have nothing to do with our industry just to say that the website makes them want to work for us." A nice “side effect” of the new branding was a 180% growth in sales just one year after the introduction of the new branding and a successful establishment as a top brand in the region . HIGHER MARGINS THANKS TO TRANSFORMATION INTO A TOP BRAND It should be clear to everyone by now that we cannot work with knock-down prices in Europe. So how can we increase margins accordingly? The best way is to optimize your own product or service in terms of the customer experience. Crises or not, there are always people who are prepared to dig deeper into their pockets and pay a corresponding price for quality - provided you keep your quality promise and give the customer a positive experience that they will not forget. Experience shows that in the long run, quality always prevails. But what is the point of the best quality, the best product, the best service if it is not communicated accordingly? Absolutely nothing. Quality must be made visible to the outside world. This is what first-class branding is for, which we implement for our customers not only in theory but also in practice as part of our 4-step method . The clear positioning as a quality provider is based on the visual transformation to a top brand . We achieve this for our target group in 90 days.