Stock Photography | The good and the bad

When you're using stock photography a lot can go wrong. The trick to using these photos is selecting pictures that feel natural and inviting. When you use photos that feel artificial or uninviting, all of a sudden you feel less trustworthy to the client which can hurt your business. The goal is to use images that your customers and potential clients can relate to. Let's quickly breeze through what you shouldn't be using and why.

Things that could never happen

One of the most important aspects of picking photos is making sure they feel realistic and appropriate for your business. Most conceptual images are impersonal, confusing and do nothing more than add a graphic to a piece of paper. These can really distract from your message.

 

Inflating your Company

When people look at your marketing materials or website, they're not only looking at what you offer but they want to get a feel for who you are. If you're misrepresenting yourself with photos that inflate, they don't get a very clear picture which can be off-putting.

 

Overly Happy People

I'm sure there are a lot of people who are excited to be working, but I'd give most people about a 3-5 on the exuberance scale. Even if your job or office is really fantastic, don't show people at an 11, it just feels unrealisitc to be that excited at work.

 

Direct Eye Contact

These types of images just don't feel natural. If you need a shot of someone looking into the camera, try a shot of only one person looking, a whole group just makes the photo feel manufactured.

 

Handshakes

I'm sure there are lots of people that shake hands on a regular basis but these types of photos are terribly overused. If you want to set yourself apart from other companies, don't use this style of photography.

 

So, what should you be using? The photos you use should feel like ones you could potentially take. They should feel consistent with the type of company you are or that you're promoting. If you're looking for images of people, they should feel natural and look like the type of person you're targeting, both in dress, context and overall style. The best thing to do if you're unsure is write down your ideal image, What does that picture look like? What is the tone? What is happening in the photo? Go into your search with a very specific image in mind, a lot of times you'll find it, if you can't find exactly what you're looking for, you can compromise a little bit but if you go in with no parameters a lot of times you'll end up with a really cliché picture.

I've pulled a few photos that feel more natural and realistic for business images, I hope these guidelines help you on your next search!

Work Smarter with These Productivity Tips

One thing employers and clients have consistently complimented me on is my ability to produce high-quality work quickly and efficiently. I've always gravitated towards jobs where speed and accuracy were critical, so I've learned a lot along the way about working smarter. Below are my top 8 tips for working smarter and getting things done more efficiently.

1. Work on your memory

Improving your ability to recall information quickly will save you a lot of time digging through emails or notebooks and answering questions. How many times has someone asked you a question that you know the answer to or have written down somewhere and you need to go back and sift through information, search, or call people to get the answer? Being able to recall information saves a lot of time. Getting enough sleep, exercising, and living a healthy lifestyle can help. There are quite a few techniques for remembering information; this is a great article that covers quite a few of them. You can also play memory games on websites like Lumosity that are both fun and helpful in improving your memory.

2. Stay Organized

It's difficult to get anything done if you're not organized. Having an organized desk, computer, inbox, and mindset will keep everything on track.

3. Batch your work

Even the smallest tasks can end up taking quite a bit of time if you do them individually. By grouping like tasks together weekly or every few days, you'll be able to finish them much more efficiently. Take a week to jot down the types of things you do each day and then evaluate. Pick out a few things or a few types of task you do multiple times a day or week, is there a way to group them? If you check your email every 5 minutes, could you do it 3 times a day instead, or if you have a bit of administrative work on your plate each day, could you designate one day a week for that? The point is, doing similar tasks together when you're already in the mind set of that particular task makes them easier and faster to accomplish.

4. Systemize

By developing consistent systems for things that you do, you'll start to improve them and therefore become more efficient at them. If you do things slightly differently every time you'll be losing time by troubleshooting.

5. Have something going on in the background

This is one of my favorites because it helps you do twice the amount of work in the same time. Figure out areas where you can schedule things to happen behind-the-scenes or have additional work simultaneously taking place and you'll be able to accomplish two things at once. For example, in your personal life, having a load of laundry or the dishes humming along when you're doing some cleaning or having a contractor come work on the lawn while you're working on painting. In your business life, schedule social media and blog posts or autopay on some of your bills or hire an accountant to handle your finances while you focus on your business. The more you can set up to happen while you're working on something else, the more you'll be able to accomplish.

6. Prioritize

I have a system for prioritizing that works well for me. I grab a sheet of paper and draw a horizontal line about 1/3 of the way down the page. Anything above the line is something that absolutely must happen today, anything below the line is something that I'd love to get done but doesn't have a big consequence if it I don't get it done. By listing items this way, the 'must do' list feels more manageable, and if you're basing your priorities on the negative consequence associated with it, it becomes much clearer which items need to get done right away. Usually I end up cruising through the 'must do's' and get quite a few of the other items done too.

7. Stay Focused

Distractions and Interruptions waste so much time. The distraction itself eats up valuable time, but getting re-acclimated with your previous task takes time, too. Just because your phone is ringing or your inbox is dinging doesn't mean you have to address it at that moment; wait until you're done with your task and handle it then.

8. Identify what needs to be done and do it

Pretty standard productivity advice. Things pile up when you don't take action immediately, and that can lead to an overwhelming amount of work. When something needs to happen, don't think about it, just do it!

 

Do you have special tricks that help you work smarter? I'd love to hear what they are! Leave a comment below and let me know how you work efficiently.


Running a Creative Business with Studio MOD(ish)

Caty and Darlene are the talented duo behind Studio MOD(ish), a high-end, full-service Interior Design firm located in Washington, D.C.

What is your Interior Design background and how did Studio MOD(ish) begin?

Caty Well, formally, my bachelor’s degree is in visual arts. When I was in college, I was still unsure of what career to pursue, but I knew my general direction had to be based in the arts. Several years ago, I made the decision to obtain my masters in Interior Design and enrolled at Pratt in Brooklyn. As life often happens, my husband was offered an amazing position in Washington, D.C., which brought me to the area. My education has served as an amazing foundation for my career in interiors, but obtaining actual experience in the field is what I value most.

For me, the concept of MOD(ish) began years ago. I always knew I wanted to work for myself, but it's quite intimidating to take the first leap. The motivation and inspiration finally arrived when I met Darlene at a furniture company in D.C. We loved every aspect of working together; we were productive, creative, and most of all, we straight up enjoyed each other's company. For me, it doesn't get any better than that. One day Darlene exclaimed out of the blue, "we should go into business together." Since that day we've never looked back!

Darlene I have my B.F.A. from Howard University in Interior Design, and I also spent a significant amount of my time there in the Architecture school. I’ve always loved all aspects of the design and construction industry, so in the beginning I wanted it ALL: Architecture, Interior Design, Project Management. I always knew that at some point in my life I would be a business owner, and when I met Caty the timing felt perfect! Our design sensibilities aligned flawlessly (not to mention our boisterous sense of humor) and things sort of flowed from there.

How did you transition from working together to running a business together?

Caty It first started with a lot of planning on our daily commute. On our days off we met to work on the business. Though in retrospect we were a little "green” at starting and running a business, we just had to bite the bullet and commit to our fledgling company full time. So scary but so invigorating!

Darlene As Caty said it began with LOTS AND LOTS of planning, hashing things out and brainstorming ideas. Since we already worked together we had a pretty good idea of what each other’s work ethic was like (which was super important to me; I admired Caty’s drive to get things done and done properly). We started meeting during our lunch hours, then on our days off and soon enough all we could talk about was MOD(ish).

You have such an amazing sense of style, where do you look to find inspiration?

Caty I was raised by my father, who never let me read magazines because of their negative portrayal of women, their bodies, and focus on superficial things. I truly believe that's allowed me to develop my own individual style without worry of current trends and the constraints of fitting in. (I'm grinning as I type this.) That said, the furniture and home design industry has a tendency to lag the fashion industry by a year. Whenever I feel stuck or uninspired I look to fashion to bring fresh ideas.

Darlene I draw inspiration from everywhere! I love browsing through magazines and blogs to stay educated on what the current trends are but am equally as excited by the most random things. The most important thing about a design to me is that it’s functional and it’s heavily infused with our client’s character.

What do you like best about owning your own business?

Caty The freedom to be creative and make my own decisions. The partnership when we develop our design concepts and the excitement and appreciation of our clients.

What is one business mantra that has served you well?

Caty I feel a little silly, but I don't really prescribe to a particular business mantra. Our field of work is so personal, clients invite us into their homes and lives and we have to masterfully procure what we learn about them into a design.  The most valuable thing I've learned since starting Studio MOD(ish) is to follow my gut.  I suppose that's more of a mantra for life.

Darlene I agree with Caty. When we started we assumed everyone would be honest and trustworthy, but unfortunately we’ve learned otherwise on our journey. As a business owner, you sort of have a sixth sense when it comes to your clients and colleagues, so trusting your intuition is paramount. If it doesn’t feel good, walk away from it.

How do you stay motivated?

Caty Our clients are a huge motivation, their enthusiasm is infectious.

Darlene I love the satisfaction of being able to help our clients fall head-over-heels in love with their homes. That’s our goal with every single project!

What is one lesson that you've learned the hard way?

Caty Always sign a contract before beginning a project. I will leave it at that :)

Darlene What Caty said!

What is your dream project?

Caty For me, any client that is open and receptive to our work and allows total creative freedom is a dream project for me. Sure, the decadence of an endless budget is pretty tempting, but what's more exciting is an enthusiastic and trusting client.

Darlene Gimme that million dollar project, yo! Just kidding. A client that trusts our vision and gives us space to be creative is always a dream. As a creative, having space to think and design in my bubble is important and it’s amazing when a client gets that.

What is your advice for someone just starting out?

Caty Be confident in yourself, your talents, your education, your opinions, and your decisions. Expect to make mistakes and don't dwell on it when you do, move forward and appreciate those moments for what they are; great learning opportunities.

Darlene With hard work, dedication and the willingness to continue learning anything is possible.

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