illustrator

40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve Your Blog and Business

40 Ways to Use Adobe Illustrator to Improve Your Blog and Business

Adobe Illustrator is my go-to software for anything and everything design-related. It's the one program I truly couldn't work without.

And while it's easy to assume that the program's primary focus is illustration based on the name, there is so much more to this design software. 

With tools for type, color, photo cropping, image tracing, drawing, and much more, it has innumerable benefits for bloggers and business owners, alike.

To get your creative gears turning, here's a look at 40 ways Adobe Illustrator can take your blog and/or business to the next level.

New Elle & Company E-Course Dates and Details!

New Elle & Company E-Course Dates and Details!

When I first started Elle & Company a year and a half ago, my design background gave me an edge in the areas of blogging and business. Because of my experience and training in design school, I was able to easily (and affordably) create my own logo, blog graphics, and website. I felt comfortable designing a cohesive visual identity for my new business.

But I quickly realized that this isn’t the norm. Many creative entrepreneurs, especially those who are just starting out, feel intimidated by design. They run into design needs often, but they don’t know how to create a strong, unified first impression for their audience. They’re often a tight budget, as well, and may not be able to hire an experienced designer.

So last winter I began to brainstorm ways that I could meet the design needs of bloggers and business owners. And that’s where the idea for these upcoming Elle & Company e-courses formed. 

I’m excited to dive into the details of our upcoming e-courses and share some new dates with you today. I’ve built these courses with you in mind, to give you an advantage in the area of design and allow you to feel more comfortable and competent creating graphics for your blog and/or business.  

The 6-Step Guide for Launching Your First E-Course

The 6-Step Guide for Launching Your First E-Course

E-courses are gaining popularity in the creative industry, and for good reason: they’re a scalable source of passive income. They may require more work at the outset, but they have the potential to bring in more money than service-based income sources in the long run.

If you missed my post on passive income a couple weeks ago, be sure to check it out here!

If you’ve been seeking to create another stream of income for your business or you’re hoping to take your business full-time, today’s post is for you. 

I’m taking you behind the scenes of how I successfully launched my first e-course to bring in passive income. My hope is that these 6 simple steps allow you to work smarter, not harder, and take your business to the next level.

10 Practical Steps for a Streamlined Brand

10 Practical Steps for a Streamlined Brand

Most bloggers and entrepreneurs don't have trouble recognizing why branding is important; they have trouble knowing where to start. Last week I covered the why of branding, but today I'm getting practical with the how. Here are 10 steps for creating, refining, and implementing a streamlined brand. 

I thought it would be helpful to provide a case study/example as we go along. Since you'll be putting these steps into practice on your own, I'm sharing how I streamlined the Elle & Company brand.