Derbyshire Sunset
A spectacular sunset in Derbyshire.

Derwent Dam
A couple of photographs of Derwent Dam overflowing.


Sunrise at Holmebrook Valley Park
A Frosty Morning

A photograph taken on a very cold, frosty morning. The light was just spectacular!
The Secrets of Design – Proportions.

Have you ever wondered how designers decide where to place things, and just what proportions to use? It can be done by instinct, and it is something most designers begin to see intuitively over the years, however, there is a handy shortcut that can give a blueprint to start off with, and also a great way of checking if a design is on the right path.
Continue reading “The Secrets of Design – Proportions.”The 3 Key Elements of Advertising

Make Advertising Work for You
If you’ve just started a new business, or have an offer to promote, you are going to have to get the word out there one way or another. There are ways to do this for free, of course, but you might be considering an advertising budget as well. Paying for advertising can be something of a gamble (how much of a gamble depends how much you are willing to spend – and on what type of product or service you are advertising), and it is not guaranteed to succeed, but there are certain steps that can be taken to increase the chances of it bringing returns. Advertising does work – if the message is good and well delivered, and if there is sufficient demand for the product offered. If advertising didn’t work at all, big companies wouldn’t pour vast resources into getting their message and name out there – and keeping it out there.
Designing the Layout of a Web Page

Visitors to a website tend to like uncluttered simplicity in the layout, and from a designer’s point of view this helps walk the visitor through the information they need, leading to an action being taken such as making a booking or a purchase. Achieving this means utilising negative space around elements that make up a web page. If elements such as paragraphs and photographs only take up something in the region of about 50% of the screen on a desktop version of a website, it helps the visitor focus on the information presented to them without any distractions (the constraints of a mobile phone screen practically forces the designer to do this in a mobile version of a website).
Continue reading “Designing the Layout of a Web Page”Visit to London
The Secrets of Design – Colour

The colours you see in logos, branding and signage are not chosen at random or by chance. There is a very good reason why specific colours are used to emphasise brand identity or to make us react in a certain way. Colours can affect our mood and even the way food tastes. Here are a few examples of the effect colour can have on us, and what type of business, or industry, is likely to use some of these colours.
Continue reading “The Secrets of Design – Colour”A Visit to Thornbridge Hall

A great day out in the Peak District (with beautiful weather, too) at Thornbridge Hall, Ashford-in-the-Water.
