by restaurantspider | Jun 25, 2018 | What's New
Do you ever have the feeling that you need to make a change but you end up not following through with it because you’re so used to the norm? I know I do… a lot. The reason why change is so hard is that the norm becomes a part of us so we fight with all our might to protect it.
Well, I have a huge change coming. In the next couple of months, I will be changing the company name ASBA Creative Studio to Restaurant Spider. This name has been in the works for quite some time but it was originally going to be the name of a subsidiary of ASBA Creative Studio. After some thought about that, I decided it would be best for myself and company to keep it as one company but go with the name Restaurant Spider as it’s more catchy, speaks to my target audience and great for SEO.
How did the name Restaurant Spider emerge?
I’m sure everyone will agree that the spider is a super hardworking creature of nature. I like to think of myself that way and I believe that it is a great asset to have. In addition owners of restaurants, caterers and the like are the same way. Always busy and always making calculated decisions. This is why the name Restaurant spider came to mind.
What will change?
At this point, the only thing changing is the name. The website design, branding (except the logo), website content will remain the same but we do plan on restructuring the current website design offerings. More information on that to come.
I wish I could say that it is going to be a piece of cake to get this done but I definitely cannot.
My agenda includes:
- Creating a new logo (this is going to be fun!)
- Moving this website to the new domain
- Updating all the content to reflect the new name
- Making sure links and backlinks for SEO are taken care of
- Updating all social media
- the list goes on
Wish me luck folks.
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So, what do you think about the new name? Comment below.
by restaurantspider | Apr 27, 2018 | Design Tips
I often run into the questions, “what goes into making a logo” or “how do you make your logos” so I decided to put together a post on my process.
Designing a logo alone takes a huge amount of time and brain power and quite frankly, it should. It is the one graphic that represents a business or an individual so it must be well thought out. My process has evolved over the years to be more streamlined but since every business is different there are tweaks from time to time.
Now let’s dive into the process. The following steps give you a snapshot of what designing a logo entails in my world.
The Logo Design Process
Research
To start off, I set a few days to research alone. It is here that I go through the brand questionnaire form that I have each of my clients fill out before the project begins. This form gives me an insight into the client’s business, their needs and wants and a bit of a glimpse into their design perspective. The research done at this stage is very important because it sets the stage for the design. It allows you to learn more about the industry you’re designing for and your client’s competitors. In addition, it gives you a dedicated time to research logos that inspire you for the project. These key research points get your creativity started and gets you mentally ready for the project.
List of relatable words & Imagery
At this stage, I use the research from the previous phase to list out random words and find imagery related the client’s business/goals, the industry, tools, and components of the trade and the little moving parts that make up these tools. For example, let’s say you’re designing for a salon, words like dryer, comb, heat, hair etc can really get your mind working and the creative juices flowing.
Numerous Sketches
Here is when I take a pen or pencil to paper. I sketch out all the possible ideas. I usually sketch out between 50-100 loose sketches. This seems like a lot but it is way less than I used to do lol. Yeah, I really love doing this. At Cal State Fullerton I had to sketch at least 300 logos for a project. My process definitely evolved based on time, for me and for my clients. Nevertheless, sketching at least 300 logo ideas has been a great foundation for me as a brand identity designer.
Pick best logo ideas
Now, it’s time to pick a few ideas. I take some time to narrow it down. I sought out the ones with the most potential and transfer them into Adobe Illustrator. Depending on the idea, I would either manually recreate them or scan them to retrace in Adobe Illustrator. All ideas are comped out in black and white.
Create multiple logo versions
At this stage, I create multiple versions of each one of the developed ideas to see where they can take me. I combine ideas and deduct from others.
Narrow it down
Here, I finally choose the best 3 to review with the client. Sometimes it’s not easy for me to narrow down to 3 so, I sneak in a 4th 🙂
Finalizing
Finally, based on feedback, I make alterations to the chosen design or go straight to applying color to it. Then I make my final presentation.
As you can see, creating a logo can rack up many hours to get it right for whomever you are designing for. There are a few occasions where your first logo idea ends up being the best idea but that does not happen every day. A logo is the most important part of our visual identity so it should not be taken lightly.
Here are a few tips to help provide success to your logo design
- Make sure your logo is easy to read in small-sized documents
- Do not over complicate
- Use colors that stand out
- Pay close attention to typography
- Pay attention to the main use of the logo as provided by the client
I hope this has given you an insight into the logo making process. Any questions? Comment below
by restaurantspider | Apr 4, 2018 | What's New
Does hard work really pay off?
This is a question that I have asked myself during these first few months of solo entrepreneurship. The norm is working tirelessly and worrying constantly about achieving a steady flow of income. Without a doubt, many entrepreneurs can relate to this, especially when their business is young. When you’re featured in a magazine, online or physical, you finally feel a payoff. So I am taking a moment to celebrate it!
I am proud to announce that in early March, I got featured in Voyage LA! Voyage LA is an online magazine that focusses on shedding light on small businesses, mom-n-pops, and hole-in-the-walls in the LA area. It was a wonderful experience and it gave me an avenue to give the world some insight into who I am, how I got started and learn about what I do for the community.
A link to the article is below.
Meet Anthea Ancalade of ASBA Creative Studio & Designs by Anthea in Sunland
by restaurantspider | Jan 1, 2018 | Personal, Updates
Phew, what a year 2017 was.
There were many ups, downs and a lot in between but I am very thankful for all of it. Some of the highlights I would like to mention were:
- Business school with Marie Forleo
- An end to my full-time job
- A start on a new adventure as a full-time designer for myself
- Pushed ASBA Creative Studio to focus on restaurants, bakeries, and caterers and set up Designs by Anthea to retain and attract clients for everything else.
- Lots of blogging ?
- The launch of my Etsy store
- Personal, family, and business growth
- New partnerships
One thing I did learn and am continuing to learn is that building a business is one of the best things you could ever do with your career. Every day is a learning opportunity that increases growth as a business owner and a human being. The sucky part of it all is that it takes a huge toll on your body and well being. Sleepless nights, constant worry, spats of crying ( yah.. i’m serious) and with all that taking care of a family affect the body physically and mentally. On the bright side, all of this has given me the strength to keep on going and plan out my work and personal life better. I am therefore pumped up for 2018 and can’t wait to implement new scheduling tools, new policies, new prices and work with more amazing clients.
Peace out 2017. Hello, 2018!
by restaurantspider | Dec 13, 2017 | Restaurant Tips, Website Tips
Many restaurants feel stuck when it comes to making a decision about a website because of various reasons. This is very unfortunate because they are not aware of the various options out there that can get them started. Well, today I would like to talk about menu websites and how they could be just what certain restaurants need at a given time. Let’s dive in.
A menu website is a website that has a sole purpose of displaying your food menu but still contains information on how to find you and contact you.
- A menu website can be great for a restaurant that doesn’t have the necessary funds to commit to a full website at the moment but needs to get started.
- A restaurant that does have have the time right now to put into planning a full website
- A restaurant that knows the value of an online presence
- Great for online search
- Convenient for your customers
- Fast and easy to update
- A quick way to get an online presence
- Keep your domain name occupied
- Start gaining a following
- Ability to drive more traffic to your restaurant
So, is a menu website right for you? Learn More about the menu website package we have here at Restaurant Spider or just send us a message if you have questions.
