For years, the website design market used to fall into three separate entities for website design and development: (i) graphics and animation studios, specializing in custom graphic design and creative animations, (ii) website marketing/promotion firms, (iii) Web programming companies specializing in database-driven website development. Most small business firms all over the world heavily rely on the services of such web development firms as they usually cater to small business website design by providing web based marketing methods that small companies can afford due to small budgets.

Depending on the effectiveness of such web-based marketing, clients often see incredible successful results from clicks to conversion. Web marketing firms that create a full plan for their clients using both the strategic and tactical methods crafted by specialists/consultants in turn are able to give small or large businesses increased sales. Small business firms today look forward to the professional creative website design and strategic web development and web promotion companies for the simple reason that they want their site to have the look and usability of a Fortune 500 company site without having to spend huge bucks for it.

1. Cutting-edge small business website design, tailor-made to provide broad market exposure of the products and services to potential clients.
2. Highly scalable digital website designs, aimed at boosting up the growth and realization of the full perspective of the small business houses.
3. Small business website design strategies including full-featured e-commerce solutions, to help these businesses deploy cost-effective, powerful e-commerce stores.
4. Customized search engine optimization services, based upon individual needs and goals.

Ideally, one should always trust a professional web development firm that gathers relevant information about their clients' business through hours of discussion, clear up ideas about the requirement, nature and goal of the clients' business. Based on these details, experienced, skilled web designers and developers carry out extensive research to find out the best small business website solution.

On the other hand, creative, innovative content writers create specific and unique content for small business website requirements, thereby enhancing business prospects. Finally, website maintenance and search engine optimization techniques that comprise scientifically proven techniques available at a competitive price are sure to give your business a boost. Flash Presentation, Multimedia Presentation, Multi-lingual website development and E-Commerce integration solutions complement these customized website solutions for brightening the online and even the offline image of small business firms.

To ensure success of your small business through a unique website presentation, it is important that you develop a five-step process for creating websites that meet your customer's goals.

Consulting: Every website starts with an idea. Perhaps you've been thinking about developing a website, or redesigning your existing site. At the consulting stage, a professional website development firm would strive to clear all doubts about the clients' requirements.

Website Design: After the initial consultation, the website development firm solidifies the clients' ideas by creating a blueprint for their site by employing something they call "Strategic Design".

Website Development: The website development project is then handled by a creator' hive, composed of specialists who handle their own respective pieces of the site development.

Web Hosting: Since websites are an intricate interplay of graphics, text, programming and computer resources, building your site on a rock-solid web hosting foundation is critical to its marketing success.

A. Custom Web Design - The Only Way Forward For Your Business
If you are thinking about setting up an online presence, getting the right website design is one of the most important decisions you will make. Of course Search Engine Optimization, Pay Per Click advertising and other website marketing techniques are important additional considerations, but your first step must be to ensure your website looks professional giving your visitors the feeling they can trust your company with their personal and credit card details, if selling off the page.

Creating your website design yourself may not be the answer. Unless you are employed as a web designer or have a designer's "eye", a homemade website will almost always looks amateurish and generally speaking, they do not inspire trust and confidence which is what you want you need if your your website is to generate leads or sales for your business.
Another common mistake people make is to use the default web design templates that comes with their web design software program (like Dreamweaver or FrontPage) or the SiteBuilder software that comes free as part of their web hosting account.

If you were going to setup a new shop or office in your local area selling your goods or services, would you copy another shop's layout and design to save you time or money?
When a professional web designer creates a custom web design, your business receives a visual impact presenting a professional presence not only "wowing" your visitors but instilling trust and confidence so the visitor will hopefully become your customer. Presenting an amateur web identity simply will not cut the mustard.

Starting an online business creates enough challenges for business owners, so be smart and outsource the tasks you do not have the expertise or time to implement properly. Let professional web designers do what they do best so you can move your business forward.

Designing a fully integrated, customer-focused website will enhance your profits. The purpose of your website can be exploited to its full potential by allowing experienced website developers to hone your concept into a polished cohesive web presence.

The success or failure of your business may depend on how well these design elements are followed.

B. Web Design Companies - How To Choose The Right One For Your Business
That means getting a professional web development company to develop your site and create web based solutions for your business. But before approaching a web design company, you should clarify your requirements. What's the purpose of your web site? The first thing you would probably do if you live in Liverpool is, go to Google and search for web design companies in Liverpool. Take the advantage of the global reach of the internet and search for web design agencies in UK.

If you do not have the staff, then web based solutions could be the right option for your web development, which are offered by many web design agencies in the UK, how would you find these companies? Just do a quick search in Google for web design agencies UK and it should bring up a long list of web design agencies in the UK. But then it is down to you to single out the right company for your web development needs. Web design companies in London would tend to be more expensive compared to the rest of the country.

Finally we come to the all-important step of choosing a web design company. Remember that building a website involves the separate skills of design and development. You need a company with expertise in both web design and web development. And if the firm has business skills, then better still, as you will find if you search for web design companies in Birmingham, they have a lot of al round skills in web development and offering web based solutions.

In fact the ideal web design and web development firm should also offer SEO consulting and marketing advice. Searching for web design companies Leeds would give you less choice of web development and SEO, however, if you searched for web design companies Manchester or web design companies London, you would find more companies with mixtures of different skill sets to make your web design and web development project successful, also the firm should be knowledgeable about the fast-changing world of ecommerce and be able to offer solutions such as database integration, content management, and shopping carts, for example.

The first thing to do is to make a shortlist of website design and web development companies and check their online portfolios. Check if the company has offered web based solutions in the past, ask if you can speak to any of their client who have had web based solutions and web development done from them. Remember, you want to find one firm that can handle both the design and development aspects of website creation. Then, get in touch with existing clients and ask about their experience with the web design company.

It's not easy to find the right website design company for your needs. You can find web design companies in all of the UK's major cities such as Manchester, London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds.

The answer to whether an online degree is right for you depends on several questions only you can answer but research has demonstrated online distance education is as effective as traditional education.

Both forms of education require the use of technology and provide ample learning opportunities for students to participate in. Furthermore, studies have shown there are no significant differences in final course grades between distance education and traditional education. It was found many online education methods fit perfectly with students’s preferred learning style including the ability to work on course material in their own time frame.

Advantages of an Online Graphic Design Education
The main advantage of pursuing an online education is accessibility. As an adult, you often don’t have the time or ability to go a traditional school to earn a higher degree. It may be family; it may be a full time job. Either way, an online distant education program provides the flexibility needed to further your education.

With online education as long as you have access to the Internet, you can “make it to class”. And your classes are available 24/7.
Study Pace – for those of us who don’t learn at the same pace as others, an online degree program allows you to learn at a pace that fits your style.
Self Motivation – many employers will look at your online degree and appreciate your initiative and self motivation.
Flexibility – Web based degree programs allow you to learn when you have the time to learn not when you are told to learn.
Self Discipline – to be successful in life and career, you have to have self-discipline. To be successful in distant education programs, you have to have self-discipline. It’s not always easy to get work done if someone isn’t there reminding you all the time.

What Should You Expect From An Online Education
This tends to work in favor of students who are extremely shy and stay out of conversations in traditional settings.
Work – just because you are not attending a physical classroom setting doesn’t mean you don’t have to work. You will be involved in group projects, writing papers, posting responses to the class message board while taking practice quizzes and discussing topics with fellow students. There are other online students with more experience available to answer your questions or help with a difficult assignment.

Requirements for Online Graphic Design Degree Programs
First of all, you need a computer with hardware and software that is compatible with the schools programs.
Peripheral Equipment - most schools are going to require you have access to a CD burner or DVD burner, printer, scanner, digital camera and digital drawing tablet.

Conclusion
If you are interested in going back to school for a degree in graphic design but don’t have the flexibility to go to a traditional school setting, an online education is a great alternative.
The next step is to find distant learning programs in graphic design that fit your needs.

A. Web Design and Multimedia Online
An education in Web Design and Multimedia prepares professionals that develop, design and maintain websites, and integrate media. Online Web Design and Multimedia Schools teach more than basic design principles. Online Web Design and Multimedia Schools place a strong emphasis on electronic media and the Internet, teaching uses of the latest web design and computer-based design and illustration software.

Online Vocational certification in Web Design and Multimedia is available, and demonstrates competence in a particular area. Both vocational certification and bachelor's degrees are available through Online Design and Multimedia Schools.

While web designers are responsible for website design and website creation, multimedia professionals are responsible for the interactive content of websites, video games, and computer games. Online Design and Multimedia Schools allow for specialization in both fields.

B. Get the Competitive Edge with Online Web Design or Graphic Design Certification or Degrees
Great Career Opportunity in Web and Graphic Design
Web design specialists are in high demand. While new web design software programs are developed each year, the essential skills in site aesthetics and functionality remain constant. For those already in the web design field, online classes offer certification training in the latest releases of existing and new web design software programs to advance your skill level and credentials to open doors to career opportunities.

Courses in the latest PHP, HTML, and WYSYWYG web design programs (Dreamweaver, FrontPage, ColdFusion, and more) are offered at most online college and university web design training programs that provide accelerated, self-paced modules to enhance your education.

Career Opportunities
Graduates of web design programs work in all sectors of the economy, including web design boutiques, major corporate web design and hosting companies, and businesses in the financial, manufacturing, entertainment, marketing, search placement, and technical consulting fields.

Graphic Design Opportunities
Graphic design pros work in a diverse field that includes corporate, entertainment, retail, advertising, education, health care, and manufacturing industries. Many graphic design college and university training programs place you directly at the heart of the profession, creating internships with graphic design firms or production companies that allow you to integrate your training as well as to develop life-long career networks.

Coursework
Online graphic design courses are known for their unique self-paced flexibility. If you're already in the graphic design profession, you can advance your career through software certification courses that won't interfere with your busy work schedule.

Online Education Opportunities

Fashion designer school is for people that have a passion or extreme interest in all things fashion. Fashion designers will be taught to sketch their ideas, draw and cut patterns, create simple garments, fit and modify finished garments, arrange showings for press as well as buyers, compare merchandise to that of competitors, learn how to keep current, and how to visit textile showrooms when they attend fashion design school. These skills will all contribute to helping someone with a passion for fashion develop their skill and utilize it in the real world.

Most fashion designers are self-employed and simply design for individual clients. A great way to learn how to create your own methods of creating great clothing, accessories, or jewelry is to become a designer's assistant. Some fashion designers work for larger firms and this may be a great way to get a fashion designer education when you get out of fashion designer school, as well. These firms or corporations typically have a head designer, which is responsible for most of the creative aspects and supervision of the design room staff.

Assistant designers are often hired by firms and often make the first patterns and help the head designer oversee creative and personnel issues. There are also specialty designers that may be hired by corporations that will work with other designers to help create limited or special lines of clothing. Special designers will often have a specific article of clothing or accessory that they work with and often they design for a specific market or country and can play a vital role in a large design company.

There are also theatrical costume designers that create costumes or articles of clothing and accessories for plays, movies, or other theatrical productions and these designers may work on contract. The work environment for every designer varies, as some work in very professional settings while others work in very cramped and rushed environments. If you are looking at working for a firm, be sure to ask hard questions about the work environment and schedule.

Just because you just graduated from fashion designer school doesn't mean that you should be subjected to less than comfortable working conditions! Freelance fashion designer work can also be done outside of your own job so that you can slowly create your own client base away from your corporate job.
Many designers make more than $20 an hour and the average salary for a designer is more than $57,000 a year!

A. The World of Fashion
Introduction
Fashion industry is seeing a steep rise all over the world. As a result the career opportunities and competiveness between the people associated with the fashion industry are also increasing. There are various career options available in the fashion arena like fashion designing, marketing, merchandising and fashion consulting. There is an increased demand for skilled and talented people for the above mentioned positions in the fashion world.

Acquiring a fashion degree is an easy task as there are many institutes who offer the training, degrees & diplomas. Fashion market is continuously evolving. The trends change seasonably. Fashion is never stagnant, it is never stable. Although to achieve success in fashion industry is not an easy task it requires lots of struggle, hard work and patience.

Being in fashion field is purely business whether you are a designer or a ramp model. Fashion is not everyone’s cup of tea as it puts forth long hours of working, unpredictable work culture and stress for meeting the deadline. There are lots of career opportunities available here like- modeling, fashion-designing, retailing, marketing, planning, and distribution. Many technological advancement tools are being developed for fashion industry like CAD/CAM, e-fit, etc.

B. Fashion Theory - How To Calculate Your Clothing Budget
I suggested to Aisha, a recent client, that she invest in a durable leather handbag. Aisha argued that she simply couldn't afford to spend upwards of $300. The remarkable thing about this was that once we analyzed her recent clothing purchases we realized that she was spending about $300 monthly on clothing! The end result was that her closet was essentially bursting at the seams with discount and poorly constructed clothing.

Establishing a budget is a very difficult question to answer from a general perspective because everyone's financial and clothing situation is different. If you have a job that allows you to work in a casual environment where some of your everyday clothing can be incorporated into you daily work outfits, I would estimate the overall clothing allowance to be somewhere around 7%. Keep in mind, this budget should include the costs of alterations and professional cleaning services.

Example 1: Aisha works in a business casual environment. Her salary is $37,000. Her clothing allowance is: $2,590.

Example 2: Elaine works in a professional business environment. Her salary is $85,000. Her clothing allowance is: $8,500.

1. Invest in Investment Pieces: Investment pieces are just that - "investment" pieces! For classics, I recommend shopping at a formula store. A formula store is typically a specialty retail store that stocks key basics. Some great formula stores are Gap, Ann Taylor LOFT and The Limited. The great thing about a formula store is that once you find the sizes and styles that suit you best, you can shop there season to season with little difficulty. These are great stores for purchasing a classic a-line skirt, trousers, jeans, button-ups, and tees, tanks and camis of variety.

2. Don't Be a Label Whore: When it comes to beautiful dresses, handbags, shoes and scarves there are some designers that are simply ahead of the par, however to simply focus all of your efforts into collecting clothing that has a designer label tag regardless of how flattering or well-fitting the item is - is simply not a good option.

3. Do Apply The Cost-Per-Wear Concept: To get back to the example I gave previously of Aisha spending $300 on a leather handbag. If Aisha carried this handbag for just six months her cost per wear would be $50. If you're carrying a lot of debt (particularly from past shopping activities) you really need to think long and hard about plunking 7-10% of your income towards clothing. A simple rule of thumb I often use is "Don't buy it unless you can afford to buy two." The amount of your clothing budget should match or exceed the amount you are saving or applying towards debt repayment. Here are two great ideas for actually staying on budget.

Low Tech Option: If your budget allows for $200 to be spent a month on clothing. When shopping for clothing only spend what is in the envelope. Once this amount is gone you have exhausted your clothing budget for the month.

High Tech Option: Set up a separate checking account (I suggest an ING Orange account) and have a specific amount deposited into your account periodically; for example $50 a week. When shopping for clothing only use the debit card associated with this checking account.

4. Maximize Your Budget: A pair of Jimmy Choo shoes is no longer $500. EBay and consignment stores are a great source for stretching your clothing allowance.

I recently worked as Special Features Manager for two lifestyle exhibitions, and as part of my brief, I had to deliver catwalk design shows for both a Spanish and Italian show.
The Italian show, Viva Italia, was a huge success, easy to source designer outfits - we had some fabulous clothes and everyone fell over themselves to show on the catwalk. There was a huge enthusiasm amongst retailers, designers and models. The Spanish show, Viva Espana, was still a great success, but it was so difficult to source designs that were Spanish.

Thank goodness for the wonderful PR team for Armand Basi - they were warm, friendly and incredibly helpful. Any ideas?

A. Italian Designer Jewelry History
The history of jewelry design in Italy is rich, diverse and passionate. Modern Italian designer jewelry draws from traditions in fine craftsmanship that dates back centuries. In many of the works by classical Italian jewelry designers, you see traces of Egyptian, Greek and Asian culture. From the 9th to 4th centuries B.C., these early Italian jewelry designers, whose gold jewelry designs have never been equaled in beauty, perfected the techniques that are still in use in making Italian designer jewelry today.

A prime example of the value jewelers place on their craft is seen in the life of one of the best known 19th century Italian jewelry designers, Pio Fortuna Castellani, who studied and revived the Etruscan "granulation" technique for crafting gold jewelry. The demand for gold Italian designer jewelry of today has not lessened, but the wonderful Italian sterling silver jewelry cannot be ignored either.

Now there are Italian jewelry designers that have chosen to work exclusively in the highest quality sterling silver, creating beautiful ornaments for every part of the body. The demand for Italian designer jewelry is the result of high production standards along with the originality, quality and diversity. The history of craftsmanship of Italian designer jewelry has always been highly valued, whether it was for gold, sterling silver or gemstone pieces.

Italian designer jewelry today continues to make fashion history with designs in bold and delicate gold, oversized and trendy sterling silver with diamonds or semi-precious gemstones. When you are ready to adorn your body with something beautiful, take advantage of the rich history of Italian designer jewelry to satisfy your every desire.

B. Italian Designer Sterling Silver Jewelry
While gold is ever popular, more Italian jewelry designers are turning to sterling silver to express their creativity, such as Stefani Argento, who manufactures beautiful designs exclusively in .925 sterling silver. In Valenza, the famous Italian city which is the undisputed world leader in jewelry designed with precious stones, you will find them combined in remarkable designs in silver.

Because of its high quality, the sterling silver jewelry of Italian designers is in high demand throughout the world. In fact, Italy is the power center of the European jewelry industry, with silver and gold articles covering 70% of the total production. There are over 10,000 companies operating in jewelry industry, employing 40,000 people for production.

Italy's history of fine jewelry design and craftsmanship continues today in both classical and contemporary styles. While gold designs are prized for their delicate artistry, in sterling silver the trend is oversized. Today's silver jewelry piece does not go unnoticed, the styles vary from sharp, angular shapes with alternating softer, rounder ones. The "au natural" designs combine wood with silver.

Where to Find Italian Designer Sterling Silver Jewelry
The jewelry-making districts of Italy are legend. You will find many top quality Italian designers with sterling silver jewelry showrooms in Arezzo and Vincenza. The designs you will find produced by these craftsmen honor the long history and tradition high quality of Italian silver jewelry. Italy designers are world renowned as the world leader in jewelry production because of their outstanding technical skills, which accounts for the abundance of jewelry schools in most of the cities of Italy, which hosts thousands of jewelry students from all over the world.

Chandeliers are customarily installed only in foyers or dining areas of grandiosely elegant homes, supposedly a housing interior embellishment exclusive to the rich. Elaborate chandeliers that comprise of cut crystal or glass have been considered as status symbols, a signature of affluence. The aesthetic quality of chandeliers can render an inviting atmosphere and an arty accent to any home space. Chandeliers have been popularly hung over living areas, sleeping quarters, breakfast nooks, and kitchens in addition to traditionally familiar places.

Besides the conventional formal-type crystal chandeliers, one can now find stained-glass teacup, colonial, revival, and various other contemporary varieties of chandeliers for embellishing home interiors. Chandeliers can cost a lot of money irrespective of their particular style. Top chandelier designers recommend home owners to choose a chandelier that harmonizes with the time period and overall architectural motif of the house rather than getting trendy and selecting the current fad in style. For an average home owner, buying a new chandelier every time decorative tastes evolve is really not a luxury.

When shopping for chandeliers, the first aspect to consider is the size of the room where it is meant to be hung. The chandelier should follow a simple proportion rule: approximately two inches in diameter for every foot of the room’s total width. For example, if the living area is fifteen feet wide all in all, the appropriate diameter of the chandelier should be about 30 inches.

Suppose that a certain tall hutch is fixed in the living room. It is not advised to hang the chandelier directly above this piece of furniture because it will render a cluttered look to the room. The dimensions of the chandelier should be in proportion to that centerpiece. Another rule of thumb to abide by is to select a chandelier size which measures approximately a third of the diameter of the centerpiece.

The last aspect to be accounted for is lighting. Furthermore, the chandelier’s brightness should not overwhelm a second light source. One can also utilize table lamps, floor lamps, and corner lamps to aid in illuminating the room.

A. Interior Design - The Meaning of Colors
We live surrounded by colors, shades and light. You can choose the colors for your wardrobe according to your mood and change them as often as you like, but you cannot change the colors of a room so easily. When you start decorating a room it is very important that you choose the colors right.

Interior designers use a color wheel to choose colors and tones that match. You should know that there are active colors (such as red, yellow and orange), passive colors (blue, green and purple) and neutral colors (white, black, gray, beige and brown). neutral; and passive colors calm the atmosphere.

You want a room full of energy, use orange. You want to chill - take blue. So let's see what each color means, for colors are not given the same meaning all over the world. Red is for many the color of passionate love: a red rose, a red box of chocolates on Valentines Day, a red heart, but in South Africa red means mourning. Red is also the most common color found in national flags. Red is also the color of blood - red eggs at Easter symbolize the blood of Christ and good luck. Red is good luck also in China, where it is also used as wedding color. If you like red, creating an interior decoration with a Chinese theme is a perfect choice.

Green is the color of nature. In ancient times green was the color of honor and victory. In Ireland, this is still the color of good luck. Choose an Irish theme if you like dark green. Blue is the most common color used in interior decoration - it relaxes and refreshes, it provides for a feeling of safety. Purple is a royal color. In ancient times purple was difficult to obtain - the color was extracted from Purpura snails. This is also the color of inspiration, so if you are an artist, a room with purple accents might stimulate your mind. Yellow and orange are extremely warm colors. Take care how you use orange and yellow in interior decorations: both stand out and tend to dominate the room. Black and white are neutral. White is purity, kindness, peace and loyalty.

B. Interior Design Color Trends: An Emotional Connection with Paint
Earth tones may very well dominate interior design in 2007, but that doesn’t mean homeowners won’t also seek the excitement of fiery red or the comfort of soothing blue. And interior designers agree that no matter what hue ultimately wins “most popular” status this year, consumers are growing savvier about creating mood with color.

Davidson has designed sets for television shows, including the new sitcom In Case of Emergency, as well as for film and television dramas, including Kill Bill, Adaptation, and Bones. The type of show strongly influences his palette, he said.

“If it’s a comedy, I might use bolder and flatter colors. Davidson uses his experience analyzing film and television scripts to better understand the needs of his residential clients.

The Consumer is the Trend
Turner, a color forecaster and interior designer based in Alta Loma, Calif., said manufacturers of everything from home décor products to automobiles want to know what excites consumers. And they count on color experts like Turner to tell them.

“Color decisions are costly,” she said. Turner is a member of the Color Marketing Group, or CMG, of Alexandria, Va., a nonprofit organization of design professionals. Twice a year Turner and her peers meet to discuss what spectrum of colors they sense consumers want. And event imaginable – celebrity awards shows, international crises, elections, new product packaging – may provide clues to color trends that may take years to emerge. Deep blues might remain popular because they suggest tranquility. “We feel safe with blue. That’s why police often dress in blue. Color does affect us emotionally,” she said.

Whatever ultimately are seen as the top colors of 2007, it’s a safe bet that shades of red and blue will be among them. For example, the Pantone Color Institute in Carlstadt, N.J., has named Chili Pepper the color of the year for 2007.

CMG has announced that down-to-earth colors will dominate interior decoration in 2007. Yet at the CMG convention in Denver last April, more than 400 design professionals also noted that red and blue would remain influential colors throughout 2007.

CMG members said the popularity of red -- a color that can both cool and warm – reveals the consumers need to make an emotional connection with color. The Sherwin-Williams color trends of 2007 provide a little of something for everyone. The Sherwin-Williams trend menu embraces the whole spectrum of colors other experts say will dominate 2007, from muted down-to-earth tones to the sexy influence of flaming red.

The 2007 Screen Actors Guild Awards in January were a walking, talking epitome of this year’s range of interior design color trends: Some female celebrities graced the traditional red carpet wearing gowns fashioned in muted flesh, jewel and earth tones, while others went to extremes with crimson, turquoise and emerald green. Because experts like Turner and Davidson say getting to know your own tastes and tendencies will help when choosing color for your living space.

If you’re unsure of what colors best suit you, consider taking the color personality test provided by Better Homes and Gardens. To find the test, go to www.bhg.com and type “color personality test” in the search area. If you decide choosing color is just too difficult and think that just painting everything white is an easy solution, think again, says West Hollywood designer Brad Dunning. Choosing the right white, for example,” he said. Dunning said his cautionary tale is indicative of how careful homeowners must be when choosing color. “In some cases, the tiniest bit of pink in floor material will ruin the white.”

There was a time people thought the world was flat. Over time all of these fairytales have proven untrue. So it is with interior design. Until recently, many people held the belief that having their home decorated by an interior designer was reserved for the rich and famous. Fact is, many people of average income who live in a middleclass neighborhood are frequently surprised to learn they can easily afford the services of an interior designer.

In other cases, many folks prefer to learn tips about design so they have the flexibility to redo a room on a whim. It is not uncommon to completely redo a room for a one time social event such as a birthday celebration, a graduation or a wedding. With some simple tips, even the most inexperienced person can easily spruce up a room. Is it art deco, traditional, Mediterranean, western, modern, or contemporary? Avoid rugs and chairs that stain easily if there will be a lot of traffic in the room.

Be very careful to scale your furniture to the size of the room. If you have a very large space you can break up the area into little sitting groups or area groups. Area rugs are another tool many designers use to break up large spaces. A variety of paint colors and wall textures can make even the most mundane room come to life.

Small space decorating is fast becoming a favorite topic for many people as real estate prices rise. Think priorities when it comes to small spaces. In some cases you can easily convert the kitchen table to your workspace provided you have cabinet space handy for supplies. A chest of drawers can easily serve this purpose by holding office supplies, linens, or even computer components. If you are considering utilizing the services of a designer, do your homework. Check their portfolio and references.

A. Your Interior Design Questions Answered
Mankind has gone through vast changes throughout history. Technology is constantly changing.

Why should our sense of style not change as well?
People want their living spaces and their office spaces to change as they age. Interior design changes as the times change. In this article, we will cover how design changes and how it affects you and your spaces.

How does interior design affect me?
Look at the walls and the ceilings.

What color are the walls?
When you ask yourself these questions, you are, in effect, answering how interior design affects you. There are some designs that instantly make people feel at home. The ability of an interior designer is to transform a space and have it leave an impact on someone. Even simply painting a wall has an affect on a person's mood and productivity level. Interior design affects you every day in the buildings and rooms that you find yourself in.

What types of careers can you have as an interior designer?
You may think that all interior designers concentrate on colors for sofas in people's living rooms but you would be wrong. The field of interior design is very vast. Some professionals choose to focus more on corporate designs. Some choose to focus on industrial designs and of course some will focus on home designs.

Does architecture affect interior design?
Architecture plays a tremendous role in interior design. Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural works have had a profound impact on many interior designers. His clean lines and use of form lend itself well to modern decorating. If your home's architecture has sweeping columns, grand arches and decorative features embedded in the overall design, a decorator may not feel that modern decorations fit the overall room or home.

Are there any publications for interior design?
There are countless publications devoted to the interior design industry. Some of the most famous publications are "Town & Country," "This Old House," and "Martha Stewart Living." You can flip through the glossy pages and find a wide variety of ideas to decorate your living space.

B. Who Are The Famous Interior Designers
Despite what you may think famous interior designers are not thin on the ground, and there are a great many of them gracing the halls of celebrity today. The reason for this almost unheard of fame can be solely attributed to the fact that interior design didn't truly take off until the latter half of the 20th century.

In fact until the 20th century there weren't necessarily any famous interior designers per se. Yes, there were famous interior designers for dissimilar era's but fame as we infer it didn't come until very newly when there was a flock of interest in all things DIY. For the most part these famous interior designers gained their fame through the usual means of achieving fame, through the TV. They appeared in numerous Television home improvement programs, and they held numerous, televised DIY (Do It Yourself) programs and fundamentally got their face well recognized to the public. And that's how famous interior designers of the last decade of the twentieth c achieved more than a meek fame.

There are of course more famous interior designers than the ones you see on TV. Then there are the famous interior designers who have been about for what seems like forever and a day and who have made a family name for themselves through their relentless efforts. Yes, it isn't all play, many times it is long hours to get to that place of fame.These interior decorators are much lauded in their world and are the pundits from whom the new generation of interior decorators learn their craft.

So as you look for the names of famous interior designers you need to understand and accept that you won't be able to find all of them just because you look through interior magazines. Sometimes these famous interior designers like to keep their celebrity under raps. Famous interior designers aren't host, but there are a sizable number of them, and they all have gifts of talent and one thing in common. Just remember, you could one day walk right past a famous interior designer and not even know it.

Logos can be described as visual icons that provide a unique identification element to a business or product. Logos provide quick visual recognition of a Company which in-turn builds branding. Business owners and overly enthusiastic artists can often go astray in their efforts to design the perfect logo.

Remember that your logo is a business tool. A logo is not an art piece! A logo design should take into consideration how, when and where the logo will be used. A logo has a cost impact upon your business from the day that it is introduced. There is more to designing a logo than simply hiring an artist or online art shop to assemble shapes and colors – it is a business decision.

Create your logo using vector graphics software. Simply put, images done in vector graphics can be resized and maintain design integrity. You can create your original image in any software but have it redone in a vector graphics format before you print or reproduce your logo. After all, a logo is all about sharp image.

Avoid complicated and intricate designs. A logo that is too intricate hinders rapid visual identification. Note the simplicity and high visual impact of the Nike “Swish”, an excellent image. Another reason to avoid complicated designs is that they do not reduce well. A busy, intricate logo on the side of a company truck may look wonderful but when the same logo is reduced in size for use on a business card it may become a meaningless blob of ink.

Limit color selection to a maximum of three colors. One, your printing costs for printing business cards, letterhead, envelops, labels, etc. are increased for every additional color that you require. Your “cheap” logo design could end up costing you a lot of money. Consider a logo that has overlaid images of different colors – looks nice, right?

Consistency and control in font usage. Any font style should be sans serif and typically non-script to improve clarity in small format reproduction. An exception is a logo/name where the logo is the script font such as the trade name of a popular soft drink in a uniquely shaped bottle.

Check Trademark and Registration Rights. While a new logo runs a low statistical chance of violating any trademark or registration rights of any existing logo it is not a bad idea to make some effort to confirm this before you publish your new logo. And after you have settled on a final logo design you should take the effort to register or trademark your own logo. If you need an example of why then consider the yellow pages “Walking Fingers” logo.

A. How Much Is A Great Business Logo Really Worth?
A great logo can help a business project a positive image while a bad logo can bring a negative impression about a company. If a logo is the company spokesman, how much is it really worth?

Cheap logo designs are all over the Internet - logo designs under $150!, $99 logo designs, $75 logo designs, $49 logo designs and even lower! You will easily find a wide range of prices for logo design on the Internet. Be careful of cheap logo design offers, some designers may be using clip art. A logo design that includes a royalty free piece of clip art cannot be copyrighted.

That same piece of clip art could be used on dozens of other logo designs. A designers portfolio should be displayed and there should be a wide variety of logo samples. Some logo designers charge one flat fee for a logo with no questions asked. Can you imagine Coca-Cola purchasing a logo design for $99? All designs are not equal. Some logo designers charge additional costs for extra colors, extra modifications and extra preliminary designs. How much is a logo design really worth? A logo design is more valuable to a company than a single spot illustration. A logo has more value than just the hours spent on creating it. It becomes the companies identity.

Professional graphic design rates average anywhere from $30 to $75 per hour. If you see a logo design priced at $125 and that designer charges $50 per hour for design work, do you assume that they spent 2.5 hours on your logo? That price would include the time spent to contact you, the research done on your company and competition, the preliminary ideas, the changes, the finalizing of the logo, the file prep for each different format, sending the logo, billing and allowing you to have all rights to the design. So how much time was actually spent creating your logo?

Many professional graphic designers would be hard pressed to create a top notch illustration for under $150 let alone a creative, well designed logo. So beware of logos priced under $150, you may get what you pay for.

There's even more confusion about logo pricing. Some designers base their logo rates on several of these factors:
Logo Modifications - You could get charged for each time you want a change or modification to your logo. If a logo designer asks the right questions, does the research and stays in close communication with the client there should be no need for major changes during the creation of a logo design. Be a good communicator and explain to the logo designer exactly what you want your logo to be saying about your business.

Extra Colors - Printers charge more for extra colors. If a logo designer charges more for a two color logo than they do for a three color logo, get a detailed explanation as to why. A logo designer should be able to decide for you the correct amount of preliminary designs it will require to create your perfect logo. An example would be asking for a yellow duck logo design and changing your mind to a red dog design once the logos are presented to you.

Adding an identity program to your logo is a legitimate cost. Designing the business card, letterhead and envelope layouts are normally a higher priced package. You should receive camera ready files for each design.

There is a standard reference for pricing graphic design and corporate identity projects. Any logo designer can purchase the book. A professional graphic designer would have a tough time supporting a family and a studio designing all of their logos below $200.

I'm not writing this to give exact prices for a logo design because each logo designers circumstances are different. The standard logo design rates are based on two major components, company size and application or distribution size. The majority of logo designs created over the Internet are created for small companies and individuals with limited application and distribution uses. Fortune 500 companies normally pay much higher logo design rates and use advertising agencies.

My conclusion is that the value of a logo should be based on a few important criteria:
1. Experience of the logo designer
2. Size & budget of the company using the logo
3. Scope and usage of the logo
4. Difficulty of the design

An individual or small company with small to average uses should be prepared to pay anywhere from $300 to $1500 for a top quality, professional logo design. What's included with your logo? You will then have to pay another graphic designer or printer to create the correct files. Be aware of what file types you will be needing and ask your logo designer what file types are included in their price.

The most common file types needed are AI (Illustrator) and EPS for most professional print jobs. These are vector format files. These files should be in a CMYK color format. Be aware that not all colors translate well on the Internet, especially GIF files. Ask if the logo designer used web safe colors. You should receive crisp 72 dpi files for the Internet. Be sure and ask your logo designer about your logo colors. You will need this information each time your logo is printed. Ask your designer how long they keep your logo on file in case you lose your versions later down the road.

You should also receive all rights (copyrights) to your logo. How long have they designed logos? In closing let me say that the information above is a personal opinion and is taken from years of searching logo design web sites and reading books on graphic design. An advertising agency handles logo design on a larger scale and incorporates an entire corporate identity service. Their logo design rates are many times higher than a graphic designers.