How we think

Unlocking Marketing Magic with AI: Insights from Ashley Laabs of Composure Digital

In this exciting episode, Amber Jacobs, owner of Amber Design, sits down with Ashley Laabs, Head of Content at Composure Digital. Join us as we dive deep into the world of marketing and branding, exploring how Ashley and Amber create magical content for their clients. 🚀✨ It’s our responsibility as creatives to be those tastemakers. In a way, this is where it can be helpful to use A.I., and this is where it can be harmful if humans stop producing relevant new content. – Ashley Laabs Topics Covered: The role of AI in content creation and its impact on trust and authenticity. The evolution of marketing agencies and the shift towards a more flexible, freelance-driven model. The importance of personal branding and building genuine connections on platforms like LinkedIn. Ethical considerations and best practices for using AI in creative work. Reflections on the recent Writers Guild strike and its implications for content creators.   About Our Guest: Ashley Laabs brings a wealth of experience in content strategy and brand messaging, having worked with everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 giants like Amazon, T-Mobile, eBay, and Acer. Learn about her journey from running a trade magazine to leading content at […]

Acronym Logo Meanings that Will Surprise You

Recognize any of these logos? Of course you do—they’re some of the most well-known brands in the world. Many of them are household names but what do they all have in common though? They’re all logos for companies whose name is an acronym, and they’re all logos with the acronym as the logo monogram wordmark. Now for another question: do you know what these acronyms stand for? KFC, BR, and VW are easy, but what about Fiat, CNN, ABC, IBM, H&M, or 3M? They’re all logos we see almost daily, but isn’t it interesting that most people don’t even know what many of them mean or stand for, and we only know a company by the acronym? Check out our top 35 logos in the list below and see if any of these surprise you. Let me know! 1. KFC – Kentucky Fried Chicken 2. UPS – United Parcel Service 3. PBS – Public Broadcasting Service 4. AFLAC – American Family Life Assurance Company 5. NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration 6. VAIO – Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer 7. HBO – Home Box Office 8. HP – Hewlett-Packard 9. EA – Electronic Arts 10. BECU – Boeing Employee Credit […]

Graphic Design & Entrepreneurship – King’s High School

How Amber Chose Graphic Design as a Career and How She Became a Business Owner Amber shares her wisdom, life lessons and business experience with the DECA leadership class of King’s High School, in Seattle, WA. She shares stories of how she chose graphic design as a major at Western Washington University, how she got started in the design industry in the greater Seattle area and how she transitioned in to entrepreneurship.

End-to-end Logo Process and Delivery – B2B Networking Group

Amber shares her end-to-end custom logo process and deliverables with a B2B Networking group out of Snohomish, WA. It shows the thought process behind what goes into a successful logo. Her scalable and repeatable process has shown to be successful for countless happy clients. Amber shares her passion for process and exceptional design.

Becoming an Entrepreneur – Columbia College

Amber speaks to the marketing class at Columbia College on how to be an entrepreneur and make it in your chosen field by recounting her own experiences, lessons and wisdom. Time Stamps: 00:10: Amber’s background and journey of entrepreneurship 09:50: Sales Funnels 13:25: what’s been the hardest part of owning and running your own business? Was there ever a point where you thought you’d need to go back to working for someone else? 16:25: Marketing Strategy 21:50: How did you go about doing your own business’s marketing? Did you do ads on IG or Facebook? 28:00: How do you help entrepreneurs and small business owners? 29:45: Do you think all your follow up practices help get you more business? 32:20: Advice for young entrepreneurs and going out on their own 35:05: What kind of sacrifices does a young business owner need to make stepping into self employment “Amber is an awesome powerhouse of knowledge. As a guest speaker in my marketing class, she connected with college students by sharing her story in an educational, entertaining, and engaging manner. Students benefited from a succinct, big picture approach to marketing with full scalability to private, non-profit, corporate, and government organizations and inspired […]

The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

Acronym Logo Meanings that Will Surprise You

Recognize any of these logos? Of course you do—they’re some of the most well-known brands in the world. Many of them are household names but what do they all have in common though? They’re all logos for companies whose name is an acronym, and they’re all logos with the acronym as the logo monogram wordmark. Now for another question: do you know what these acronyms stand for? KFC, BR, and VW are easy, but what about Fiat, CNN, ABC, IBM, H&M, or 3M? They’re all logos we see almost daily, but isn’t it interesting that most people don’t even know what many of them mean or stand for, and we only know a company by the acronym? Check out our top 35 logos in the list below and see if any of these surprise you. Let me know! 1. KFC – Kentucky Fried Chicken 2. UPS – United Parcel Service 3. PBS – Public Broadcasting Service 4. AFLAC – American Family Life Assurance Company 5. NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration 6. VAIO – Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer 7. HBO – Home Box Office 8. HP – Hewlett-Packard 9. EA – Electronic Arts 10. BECU – Boeing Employee Credit […]

Graphic Design & Entrepreneurship – King’s High School

How Amber Chose Graphic Design as a Career and How She Became a Business Owner Amber shares her wisdom, life lessons and business experience with the DECA leadership class of King’s High School, in Seattle, WA. She shares stories of how she chose graphic design as a major at Western Washington University, how she got started in the design industry in the greater Seattle area and how she transitioned in to entrepreneurship.

End-to-end Logo Process and Delivery – B2B Networking Group

Amber shares her end-to-end custom logo process and deliverables with a B2B Networking group out of Snohomish, WA. It shows the thought process behind what goes into a successful logo. Her scalable and repeatable process has shown to be successful for countless happy clients. Amber shares her passion for process and exceptional design.

Becoming an Entrepreneur – Columbia College

Amber speaks to the marketing class at Columbia College on how to be an entrepreneur and make it in your chosen field by recounting her own experiences, lessons and wisdom. Time Stamps: 00:10: Amber’s background and journey of entrepreneurship 09:50: Sales Funnels 13:25: what’s been the hardest part of owning and running your own business? Was there ever a point where you thought you’d need to go back to working for someone else? 16:25: Marketing Strategy 21:50: How did you go about doing your own business’s marketing? Did you do ads on IG or Facebook? 28:00: How do you help entrepreneurs and small business owners? 29:45: Do you think all your follow up practices help get you more business? 32:20: Advice for young entrepreneurs and going out on their own 35:05: What kind of sacrifices does a young business owner need to make stepping into self employment “Amber is an awesome powerhouse of knowledge. As a guest speaker in my marketing class, she connected with college students by sharing her story in an educational, entertaining, and engaging manner. Students benefited from a succinct, big picture approach to marketing with full scalability to private, non-profit, corporate, and government organizations and inspired […]

New Year, New PODCAST!

For Amber Design, 2021 was very much about setting the foundation for a big growth year in 2022. While Amber prepared for some family expansion, she also made some key business decisions that have and will continue to help the brand of “Awesome Amber” grow to new heights. One of our biggest goals for 2022 is to increase and expand our reach. Enter: Amber Energy – The Podcast!   We started Amber Energy in an effort to not just talk about graphic design. Although that is a big subject we’ll be covering regularly, we also plan to go into all things business ownership, career success, and all the personal nuts and bolts that have to be tightened and oiled in order for life to keep on moving. Amber has a unique story. She’s the definition of a “self-made” woman making it in the world. She grew up in rural Western Washington on a farm with daily lessons in hard work, perseverance, and grit that would later pay off when experiencing the various hardships she’d come to face (more on that in a later episode). In high school, it became clear early on that Amber was an exceptional artist–she drew her […]

Amber Design Named a Leading Women-Owned Company for 2020

At Amber Design, we are the perfect one-stop-shop for a company’s visual design needs. We produce high-quality logos, branding and marketing materials to help your business stand out from the crowd. We are excited to be recognized as a woman-owned business on Clutch and I’ve been officially certified by Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE)! Amber Design has been ranked as one of the highest-performing companies on the Clutch directory. It’s an honor to be ranked among such wonderful women-owned companies.       Clutch is a platform that highlights the top-performing B2B firms. Their team of analysts is located in Washington, DC, and they conduct independent research into B2B service providers. The site features reviews left by the past clients of companies as well as verified ratings and rankings. We are also featured on Clutch’s sister site, the Manifest! The Manifest is another B2B resource that includes industry experts by sorting B2B companies into shortlists according to their location and main services offered. The platform also features business survey data and how-to guides to help clients through the buying process. We are thrilled to announce that Amber Design has been ranked as a top […]

Amber Design Receives Clutch Leaders Award

Recently, among 127 firms, Amber Design has been awarded among top companies on Clutch for the graphic design category in Seattle. Clutch is an established B2B reviews platform that helps firms across the globe connect with the solution providers that they need in order to improve effectiveness and increase productivity. To be eligible for a Clutch Leader Award, companies must exhibit an unusually high ability to deliver top-tier work to their clients. Receiving this award is no small feat, and we’re extremely appreciative of this recognition. Amber Jacobs of Amber Design has over 12 years of experience in the graphic design industry. She did the corporate 9-5 thing learning and navigating at various Fortune 500 companies, creative agencies, and smaller businesses over the years, ultimately leading her to launch her solo business, Amber Design. “Who doesn’t want to be THE leader. I lost interest in following the leader years ago and took my own business path. The trail hasn’t been easy but it’s been well worth the journey. I can’t wait to see what the next decade of adventures will bring.” – Amber, Amber Design Adding on that, a visual case study site and Clutch’s sister company – Visual Objects also recognized her work among […]

Making My Passion Part of My Career.

Click, Click, Boom! Showcasing Photography as a service. For a very long time I’ve enjoyed photography, it’s another outlet for my artistic passions. I love capturing people in the moment, animals in their natural environment, or beautiful scenery I encounter along my many adventures. The phrase “gotta catch em all” sometimes runs through my head as I’m feverishly snapping photos. I love sharing what I’m able to capture on social media, as well as printing and framing them for friends and family. Historically, my subject matter has been family events and hiking trips but lately it has been my son, Caden. I love setting up and art directing his monthly progress photoshoots, using them as opportunities to experiment with lighting and camera settings to capture his best looks. Someone much smarter than me once said “do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”. So, it only seems like a logical step to merge my passion for photography with my design and marketing collateral services. I’ve spent the last several years honing my photography skills, ensuring I have what it takes. I’ve taken classes from professional photographers to learn from their years of experience, bought far […]

Designer’s Curse

Sitting at a restaurant table, glancing over the menu, trying to focus on what to eat and I’m completely distracted by the eatery’s font choices and the severe typography hierarchy issues. Strolling past store fronts, all the while judging the logos on their signs hanging from the walkway covers. Driving down the road, glancing at the billboards I pass and cringing at the terrible image and headline choices. It’s at the point now, that my husband knows the difference between leading and kerning. I’ve had to share my pain with someone! At the very least, vocalize what I see. He can tell when I’m silently judging what I see, or will even point out a questionable design himself before I have a chance to see. We end up having a quiet chuckle together about the awful design, and the fact that I can’t help myself from saying something. It’s the designer’s curse. You are trained to analyze and create beautiful logos, displays and layouts. The problem is, it’s hard to turn off this way of thinking; it’s ingrained in every designer. No matter where you look, you’re bombarded with design (the good, the bad and the ugly). The awful designs […]

Making it in the “big” city; Seattle.

How did I go from budding artist to full time independent business owner boss girl? It took time, sweat equity, and a constant drive to be the best version of myself. Growing up, I always enjoyed drawing and painting my friends, household objects, flowers and animals in the small town of Port Orchard, WA. As a teenager, my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and I replied, “An artist!” My father wouldn’t allow me to be a starving artist, and told me I needed to pick something else. I was bummed. Throughout school I took all the computer and art classes I could. I had great promise as an artist, and computers were the thing in the 90’s, so I knew my future was in both…somehow. Then it happened, second semester of my senior year I was taking a computer CAD class, and my teacher quickly learned that I was also a good artist and recommended graphic design as a profession. At first, I had no idea what graphic design was, but my teacher explained it, “You see that logo, that billboard ,that magazine spread…a graphic designer did that…it’s art on the computer.” I […]

Unlocking Marketing Magic with AI: Insights from Ashley Laabs of Composure Digital

In this exciting episode, Amber Jacobs, owner of Amber Design, sits down with Ashley Laabs, Head of Content at Composure Digital. Join us as we dive deep into the world of marketing and branding, exploring how Ashley and Amber create magical content for their clients. 🚀✨ It’s our responsibility as creatives to be those tastemakers. In a way, this is where it can be helpful to use A.I., and this is where it can be harmful if humans stop producing relevant new content. – Ashley Laabs Topics Covered: The role of AI in content creation and its impact on trust and authenticity. The evolution of marketing agencies and the shift towards a more flexible, freelance-driven model. The importance of personal branding and building genuine connections on platforms like LinkedIn. Ethical considerations and best practices for using AI in creative work. Reflections on the recent Writers Guild strike and its implications for content creators.   About Our Guest: Ashley Laabs brings a wealth of experience in content strategy and brand messaging, having worked with everyone from small businesses to Fortune 500 giants like Amazon, T-Mobile, eBay, and Acer. Learn about her journey from running a trade magazine to leading content at […]

Graphic Design & Entrepreneurship – King’s High School

How Amber Chose Graphic Design as a Career and How She Became a Business Owner Amber shares her wisdom, life lessons and business experience with the DECA leadership class of King’s High School, in Seattle, WA. She shares stories of how she chose graphic design as a major at Western Washington University, how she got started in the design industry in the greater Seattle area and how she transitioned in to entrepreneurship.

End-to-end Logo Process and Delivery – B2B Networking Group

Amber shares her end-to-end custom logo process and deliverables with a B2B Networking group out of Snohomish, WA. It shows the thought process behind what goes into a successful logo. Her scalable and repeatable process has shown to be successful for countless happy clients. Amber shares her passion for process and exceptional design.

Becoming an Entrepreneur – Columbia College

Amber speaks to the marketing class at Columbia College on how to be an entrepreneur and make it in your chosen field by recounting her own experiences, lessons and wisdom. Time Stamps: 00:10: Amber’s background and journey of entrepreneurship 09:50: Sales Funnels 13:25: what’s been the hardest part of owning and running your own business? Was there ever a point where you thought you’d need to go back to working for someone else? 16:25: Marketing Strategy 21:50: How did you go about doing your own business’s marketing? Did you do ads on IG or Facebook? 28:00: How do you help entrepreneurs and small business owners? 29:45: Do you think all your follow up practices help get you more business? 32:20: Advice for young entrepreneurs and going out on their own 35:05: What kind of sacrifices does a young business owner need to make stepping into self employment “Amber is an awesome powerhouse of knowledge. As a guest speaker in my marketing class, she connected with college students by sharing her story in an educational, entertaining, and engaging manner. Students benefited from a succinct, big picture approach to marketing with full scalability to private, non-profit, corporate, and government organizations and inspired […]

The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

5 Tools for Achieving Work-Life Balance

What is work-life Balance anyway? Well, let me paint you a picture of what it is NOT: It’s 5:05 PM and you still haven’t closed your laptop. Again. You tell yourself, “30 more minutes to finish this project!” but you know even that means you’re still going to be missing out on quality time with your family. Or maybe you’re skipping your workout. You’re kicking yourself because you did this yesterday too. And every day last week, you worked straight through lunch. It feels like there’s no time for “you” and you’re desperate for that thing called “balance” people talk about. You end up finally going home, but you still open back up your email to “check in” one last time before bed. Does this sound familiar? What’s the next part of this story? For a lot of people, the next chapter involves continuing to work like this, grinding away until you’re miserable at your job and resent the company or your boss for working you this hard. But for others, maybe that late night is just the wake-up call you needed to set some boundaries and find some semblance of balance with your work and home life. I have definitely […]

Evolve, or Get Left in the Dust

We live in a rapidly changing world. News stories and trends come and go in minutes it seems. As soon as we get used to the update on our phone we just installed, the next one is ready to confuse us all over again. One minute you and your business may be on top of the world and the next, someone else is sitting comfortably on your throne because they found a way to show your market that they’re bigger, faster, stronger, prettier, edgier…you get the idea. So how do you keep up? Is it even possible? Only if you commit to learning endlessly and evolving with the times. As a graphic designer, I’ve had to do this myself quite a bit over the years. When I got out of college in 2008, logos, websites, and branding looked very different from what you see today. Colors and textures were popular then that you’d never see today. Website and e-commerce systems and features moved wildly different from todays’. And don’t even get me started on social media! When I was first starting out in design, Myspace was still king, and Instagram wasn’t even a glimmer in our eyes yet. I’ve had […]

10 Tips for Selling Like a Pro

I recently did a speaking engagement for Western Washington University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. I am honored to give back to my alumni in such a way and would like to share some of those takeaways. Understanding your marketing and sales funnel is very important any businesses success, and the following 10 tips will help you make that happen. Create awareness and interest in your product or service. This means beautiful lifestyle and product photos and videos, showcasing your portfolio and marketing. Marketing your product and services on your website, telling people about it via email, social and google ads etc. The goal is to stay top of mind. Know your target demographic – Who can afford you, what type of person wants or needs your product or service, where do they hang out—network there. What problem does your product or service solve? I help businesses be the best version of themselves in a visual way. I help them look their part in their industry and help them drive sales for their products or services. Why would someone buy your product or service – What sets it or you apart? Knowing your value proposition is super important. People hire me because I’m a bubbly, […]

Creating the Complete Content Marketing Package for your Website Launch

What should be on your website? Who is it for? What problem are you solving for them? These are all the things I consider when working with my clients and helps me determine the best sales funnel flow, layout and content modules used in a website design. I will also enlist the help of videographers and copywriters to add to my design and photography skills. Here are some ideas to consider for your website to help convert prospective clients or customers into sales or contracts. If you are a service: Consider a photoshoot of your employees in action. This could be as simple as an employee on the phone in your office, or possibly during a customer interaction. People want to see who they would be working with or purchasing from. An inviting photo of a team member may just be what helps to close the deal. Consider video, including such information as a brief overview of your company, how and why you got started. You may also break down your process or work flow, a bit of a “what to expect” tutorial. People want to understand what they are paying for, and what it entails. Compile interesting statistics, certifications, […]

5 Ways to Elevate your Brand Awareness

Your brand is your bond. It is everything your customer sees and touches. It is the total experience. Making the right impression is important to creating a lasting partnership and it’s the little things that can be the most impactful part of that. Your brand tells people who you are, what you do and how you do it. Here are five things you can do to elevate your brand and awareness. 1. Create an Experience Whether an in-person meeting or an online connection, create an experience. Does your outfit match your brand (are you dressing the part)? Is your website friendly and easy to navigate? Do you have an automated welcome email? Do you have a branded shipping box or excellent packaging? Remember your brand is everything your customer touches and sees. From a social media post, to a brochure or an ad. It is your color palette, fonts, logo and imagery that help to create that total experience. Be memorable! 2. Invest in Professional Photography and Videography People want to see you, your business as well as your products. If you don’t take pride in the way they look, why should your customers and clients be interested in them? […]

8 Foundational Steps to Starting a Business

When I got my business license many years ago, I wish my college would have made this a part of their curriculum, or someone would have mentored me or taught me this. Instead, like many entrepreneurs, I learned on the fly with lots of trial and error and it took “getting burned” a few times before I learned “the ropes” of being in business for myself. I graduated from Western Washington University during a large recession. Many companies were not hiring and contract work was all that was available. I guess I was unknowingly smart and got a business license so I could begin writing off expenses and mileage. I worked many years designing for others but knew I had a deep desire to call my own shots someday. I learned all I could about all parts of the business at those companies and agencies. From business development to accounts payable and everything in between. About 5 years ago, I thought I was in my “dream job”. After working there for a year and a half, the company re-organized and I was not apart of their future plans. It was at that moment, I was fed up with not being […]

Is your brand looking stale?

New year, new you. With the passing of another year, this is a great time to reflect on the last year and set goals for the coming year. As a business, we often gauge our success based on fiscal revenue or growth. Did we meet our sales goals? How much growth have we experienced year over year? Do we need to expand, possibly through more employees or through improved logistics? Other times we look at efficiencies and the role they play in our success. Where can we improve processes and systems to better reach our goals? Sales and marketing play a key role in both revenue and growth as well as its efficiencies. Sales are the obvious contributor, but when sales stagnate or more growth is desired, we can look to marketing. We must evaluate; what the competition is doing? How can we differentiate ourselves and our brand? Are we effectively targeting and reaching our key demographic? How does our product or service fit into the current landscape? We are living in a rapidly changing world; people are constantly being bombarded with ads and information. A business needs to make sure that their products and services stay visible, reach their […]

Pro tips for young design professionals

Are you a budding designer to be? I vividly remembering being one! Despite being determined and willing to hustle, landing my first job was not an easy task. Looking back I wish I had a mentor give me some simple tips, that may have made it easier to succeed. Here are those tips I wish I knew then.   Design your resume, but don’t overdo it with icons and personal interests. HR and talent recruiters still like to see a simple resume that they can easily read, which showcases your job experiences, skills and education. Remove the dates from your resume when starting out. HR and art directors don’t need to know when you graduated, or how green you are. Hook them with a solid resume and win them over in an interview. Have an online portfolio to showcase your work and skills. Explain the brief and problem for each example, describing the creative process you followed to find a solution. Also highlight any challenges you faced, and what you did to overcome them. Ask for informational interviews. Take art and creative directors out for coffee or a meal. Ask them about how they got started, what they love about […]

How to Keep Growing your Business: To be Good at Anything is to Stay Consistent with Dusty Hoerler of Craftsman Plumbing

In this episode of the Amber Energy Podcast, we sit down with Dusty Hoerler, the founder of Craftsman Plumbing, to explore the journey of building a strong brand and planning for a strategic exit. Dusty shares his experiences from starting Craftsman Plumbing, growing the company over the past decade, and creating a memorable customer experience. 🎙️ Episode Highlights: The importance of a strong brand and customer experience. Navigating the highs and lows of entrepreneurship. Tips for long-term business growth and sustainability. Dusty’s approach to community involvement and networking. Strategies for planning and executing a successful business exit. 🔗 Connect with Dusty Hoerler: Website LinkedIn  Facebook Instagram YouTube Pinterest Google Yelp Houzz Amber Design – Logo & Marketing portfolio page About Our Guest: Dusty Hoerler grew up on a small farm in Curlew, Washington. Born into a family of plumbers, you could say that the craft runs in his blood. He started plumbing at age 12 on the weekends, and did the same during the summers every year until he was 18. Commercial dive school took him to Seattle after high school, where he fell in love with the neighborhood of Ballard, where Craftsman Plumbing operates today. After spending a few […]

Graphic Design & Entrepreneurship – King’s High School

How Amber Chose Graphic Design as a Career and How She Became a Business Owner Amber shares her wisdom, life lessons and business experience with the DECA leadership class of King’s High School, in Seattle, WA. She shares stories of how she chose graphic design as a major at Western Washington University, how she got started in the design industry in the greater Seattle area and how she transitioned in to entrepreneurship.

How to Sell like a Pro – Western Washington University

Amber Jacobs spoke with Meg Weber and the Western Washington University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation class on the topic of sales funnels and how to retain business. Amber shares her pearls of wisdom and insights along the way as well as many tips and tricks. Outline: Intros WWU graduating year How you got started as an entrepreneur Your business and kickoff Your brand Sales funnel Biz Dev Estimates Follow up Closing (getting over fear), knowing your value Nurturing ongoing relationships Watch on Facebook Live

The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

New Year, New PODCAST!

For Amber Design, 2021 was very much about setting the foundation for a big growth year in 2022. While Amber prepared for some family expansion, she also made some key business decisions that have and will continue to help the brand of “Awesome Amber” grow to new heights. One of our biggest goals for 2022 is to increase and expand our reach. Enter: Amber Energy – The Podcast!   We started Amber Energy in an effort to not just talk about graphic design. Although that is a big subject we’ll be covering regularly, we also plan to go into all things business ownership, career success, and all the personal nuts and bolts that have to be tightened and oiled in order for life to keep on moving. Amber has a unique story. She’s the definition of a “self-made” woman making it in the world. She grew up in rural Western Washington on a farm with daily lessons in hard work, perseverance, and grit that would later pay off when experiencing the various hardships she’d come to face (more on that in a later episode). In high school, it became clear early on that Amber was an exceptional artist–she drew her […]

5 Tools for Achieving Work-Life Balance

What is work-life Balance anyway? Well, let me paint you a picture of what it is NOT: It’s 5:05 PM and you still haven’t closed your laptop. Again. You tell yourself, “30 more minutes to finish this project!” but you know even that means you’re still going to be missing out on quality time with your family. Or maybe you’re skipping your workout. You’re kicking yourself because you did this yesterday too. And every day last week, you worked straight through lunch. It feels like there’s no time for “you” and you’re desperate for that thing called “balance” people talk about. You end up finally going home, but you still open back up your email to “check in” one last time before bed. Does this sound familiar? What’s the next part of this story? For a lot of people, the next chapter involves continuing to work like this, grinding away until you’re miserable at your job and resent the company or your boss for working you this hard. But for others, maybe that late night is just the wake-up call you needed to set some boundaries and find some semblance of balance with your work and home life. I have definitely […]

Amber Design Named a Leading Women-Owned Company for 2020

At Amber Design, we are the perfect one-stop-shop for a company’s visual design needs. We produce high-quality logos, branding and marketing materials to help your business stand out from the crowd. We are excited to be recognized as a woman-owned business on Clutch and I’ve been officially certified by Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE)! Amber Design has been ranked as one of the highest-performing companies on the Clutch directory. It’s an honor to be ranked among such wonderful women-owned companies.       Clutch is a platform that highlights the top-performing B2B firms. Their team of analysts is located in Washington, DC, and they conduct independent research into B2B service providers. The site features reviews left by the past clients of companies as well as verified ratings and rankings. We are also featured on Clutch’s sister site, the Manifest! The Manifest is another B2B resource that includes industry experts by sorting B2B companies into shortlists according to their location and main services offered. The platform also features business survey data and how-to guides to help clients through the buying process. We are thrilled to announce that Amber Design has been ranked as a top […]

Evolve, or Get Left in the Dust

We live in a rapidly changing world. News stories and trends come and go in minutes it seems. As soon as we get used to the update on our phone we just installed, the next one is ready to confuse us all over again. One minute you and your business may be on top of the world and the next, someone else is sitting comfortably on your throne because they found a way to show your market that they’re bigger, faster, stronger, prettier, edgier…you get the idea. So how do you keep up? Is it even possible? Only if you commit to learning endlessly and evolving with the times. As a graphic designer, I’ve had to do this myself quite a bit over the years. When I got out of college in 2008, logos, websites, and branding looked very different from what you see today. Colors and textures were popular then that you’d never see today. Website and e-commerce systems and features moved wildly different from todays’. And don’t even get me started on social media! When I was first starting out in design, Myspace was still king, and Instagram wasn’t even a glimmer in our eyes yet. I’ve had […]

8 Foundational Steps to Starting a Business

When I got my business license many years ago, I wish my college would have made this a part of their curriculum, or someone would have mentored me or taught me this. Instead, like many entrepreneurs, I learned on the fly with lots of trial and error and it took “getting burned” a few times before I learned “the ropes” of being in business for myself. I graduated from Western Washington University during a large recession. Many companies were not hiring and contract work was all that was available. I guess I was unknowingly smart and got a business license so I could begin writing off expenses and mileage. I worked many years designing for others but knew I had a deep desire to call my own shots someday. I learned all I could about all parts of the business at those companies and agencies. From business development to accounts payable and everything in between. About 5 years ago, I thought I was in my “dream job”. After working there for a year and a half, the company re-organized and I was not apart of their future plans. It was at that moment, I was fed up with not being […]

Graphic Design & Entrepreneurship – King’s High School

How Amber Chose Graphic Design as a Career and How She Became a Business Owner Amber shares her wisdom, life lessons and business experience with the DECA leadership class of King’s High School, in Seattle, WA. She shares stories of how she chose graphic design as a major at Western Washington University, how she got started in the design industry in the greater Seattle area and how she transitioned in to entrepreneurship.

How to Sell like a Pro – Western Washington University

Amber Jacobs spoke with Meg Weber and the Western Washington University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation class on the topic of sales funnels and how to retain business. Amber shares her pearls of wisdom and insights along the way as well as many tips and tricks. Outline: Intros WWU graduating year How you got started as an entrepreneur Your business and kickoff Your brand Sales funnel Biz Dev Estimates Follow up Closing (getting over fear), knowing your value Nurturing ongoing relationships Watch on Facebook Live

The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

Acronym Logo Meanings that Will Surprise You

Recognize any of these logos? Of course you do—they’re some of the most well-known brands in the world. Many of them are household names but what do they all have in common though? They’re all logos for companies whose name is an acronym, and they’re all logos with the acronym as the logo monogram wordmark. Now for another question: do you know what these acronyms stand for? KFC, BR, and VW are easy, but what about Fiat, CNN, ABC, IBM, H&M, or 3M? They’re all logos we see almost daily, but isn’t it interesting that most people don’t even know what many of them mean or stand for, and we only know a company by the acronym? Check out our top 35 logos in the list below and see if any of these surprise you. Let me know! 1. KFC – Kentucky Fried Chicken 2. UPS – United Parcel Service 3. PBS – Public Broadcasting Service 4. AFLAC – American Family Life Assurance Company 5. NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration 6. VAIO – Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer 7. HBO – Home Box Office 8. HP – Hewlett-Packard 9. EA – Electronic Arts 10. BECU – Boeing Employee Credit […]

10 Tips for Selling Like a Pro

I recently did a speaking engagement for Western Washington University’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation class. I am honored to give back to my alumni in such a way and would like to share some of those takeaways. Understanding your marketing and sales funnel is very important any businesses success, and the following 10 tips will help you make that happen. Create awareness and interest in your product or service. This means beautiful lifestyle and product photos and videos, showcasing your portfolio and marketing. Marketing your product and services on your website, telling people about it via email, social and google ads etc. The goal is to stay top of mind. Know your target demographic – Who can afford you, what type of person wants or needs your product or service, where do they hang out—network there. What problem does your product or service solve? I help businesses be the best version of themselves in a visual way. I help them look their part in their industry and help them drive sales for their products or services. Why would someone buy your product or service – What sets it or you apart? Knowing your value proposition is super important. People hire me because I’m a bubbly, […]

Creating the Complete Content Marketing Package for your Website Launch

What should be on your website? Who is it for? What problem are you solving for them? These are all the things I consider when working with my clients and helps me determine the best sales funnel flow, layout and content modules used in a website design. I will also enlist the help of videographers and copywriters to add to my design and photography skills. Here are some ideas to consider for your website to help convert prospective clients or customers into sales or contracts. If you are a service: Consider a photoshoot of your employees in action. This could be as simple as an employee on the phone in your office, or possibly during a customer interaction. People want to see who they would be working with or purchasing from. An inviting photo of a team member may just be what helps to close the deal. Consider video, including such information as a brief overview of your company, how and why you got started. You may also break down your process or work flow, a bit of a “what to expect” tutorial. People want to understand what they are paying for, and what it entails. Compile interesting statistics, certifications, […]

8 Foundational Steps to Starting a Business

When I got my business license many years ago, I wish my college would have made this a part of their curriculum, or someone would have mentored me or taught me this. Instead, like many entrepreneurs, I learned on the fly with lots of trial and error and it took “getting burned” a few times before I learned “the ropes” of being in business for myself. I graduated from Western Washington University during a large recession. Many companies were not hiring and contract work was all that was available. I guess I was unknowingly smart and got a business license so I could begin writing off expenses and mileage. I worked many years designing for others but knew I had a deep desire to call my own shots someday. I learned all I could about all parts of the business at those companies and agencies. From business development to accounts payable and everything in between. About 5 years ago, I thought I was in my “dream job”. After working there for a year and a half, the company re-organized and I was not apart of their future plans. It was at that moment, I was fed up with not being […]

Designer’s Curse

Sitting at a restaurant table, glancing over the menu, trying to focus on what to eat and I’m completely distracted by the eatery’s font choices and the severe typography hierarchy issues. Strolling past store fronts, all the while judging the logos on their signs hanging from the walkway covers. Driving down the road, glancing at the billboards I pass and cringing at the terrible image and headline choices. It’s at the point now, that my husband knows the difference between leading and kerning. I’ve had to share my pain with someone! At the very least, vocalize what I see. He can tell when I’m silently judging what I see, or will even point out a questionable design himself before I have a chance to see. We end up having a quiet chuckle together about the awful design, and the fact that I can’t help myself from saying something. It’s the designer’s curse. You are trained to analyze and create beautiful logos, displays and layouts. The problem is, it’s hard to turn off this way of thinking; it’s ingrained in every designer. No matter where you look, you’re bombarded with design (the good, the bad and the ugly). The awful designs […]

Is your brand looking stale?

New year, new you. With the passing of another year, this is a great time to reflect on the last year and set goals for the coming year. As a business, we often gauge our success based on fiscal revenue or growth. Did we meet our sales goals? How much growth have we experienced year over year? Do we need to expand, possibly through more employees or through improved logistics? Other times we look at efficiencies and the role they play in our success. Where can we improve processes and systems to better reach our goals? Sales and marketing play a key role in both revenue and growth as well as its efficiencies. Sales are the obvious contributor, but when sales stagnate or more growth is desired, we can look to marketing. We must evaluate; what the competition is doing? How can we differentiate ourselves and our brand? Are we effectively targeting and reaching our key demographic? How does our product or service fit into the current landscape? We are living in a rapidly changing world; people are constantly being bombarded with ads and information. A business needs to make sure that their products and services stay visible, reach their […]

What makes a good logo?

Your logo is the foundation and center-piece of your brand. It is an investment that you can have for a lifetime. Nailing this important foundational piece is critical. The font(s), symbol, layout, color(s) and tone tell your consumers a lot about your brand. It can say ‘friendly’ or strong by the color option, it could say what industry you’re in by the font choice. Your logo is a first impression about you and your company. It needs to be simple, scalable, appropriate, memorable, and timeless. The simplicity of a logo makes creating it look so easy. Not everyone understands the process and time that goes into creating a custom logo. A good logo follows a creative process that ensures a final solution where the client is happy and proud. It starts with a brief and discovery. This questionnaire guides the design team in a clear direction. Then the designer researches, gets inspired and sketches symbols and layouts. The designer might do a competitive analysis to understand the industry and what the consumers needs might be. Sketching around the brief and research is arguably one of the most important phases. There is reflection, feedback and rounds of revisions and refinement involved […]

Pro tips for young design professionals

Are you a budding designer to be? I vividly remembering being one! Despite being determined and willing to hustle, landing my first job was not an easy task. Looking back I wish I had a mentor give me some simple tips, that may have made it easier to succeed. Here are those tips I wish I knew then.   Design your resume, but don’t overdo it with icons and personal interests. HR and talent recruiters still like to see a simple resume that they can easily read, which showcases your job experiences, skills and education. Remove the dates from your resume when starting out. HR and art directors don’t need to know when you graduated, or how green you are. Hook them with a solid resume and win them over in an interview. Have an online portfolio to showcase your work and skills. Explain the brief and problem for each example, describing the creative process you followed to find a solution. Also highlight any challenges you faced, and what you did to overcome them. Ask for informational interviews. Take art and creative directors out for coffee or a meal. Ask them about how they got started, what they love about […]

Amber Design Named a Leading Women-Owned Company for 2020

At Amber Design, we are the perfect one-stop-shop for a company’s visual design needs. We produce high-quality logos, branding and marketing materials to help your business stand out from the crowd. We are excited to be recognized as a woman-owned business on Clutch and I’ve been officially certified by Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE)! Amber Design has been ranked as one of the highest-performing companies on the Clutch directory. It’s an honor to be ranked among such wonderful women-owned companies.       Clutch is a platform that highlights the top-performing B2B firms. Their team of analysts is located in Washington, DC, and they conduct independent research into B2B service providers. The site features reviews left by the past clients of companies as well as verified ratings and rankings. We are also featured on Clutch’s sister site, the Manifest! The Manifest is another B2B resource that includes industry experts by sorting B2B companies into shortlists according to their location and main services offered. The platform also features business survey data and how-to guides to help clients through the buying process. We are thrilled to announce that Amber Design has been ranked as a top […]

Amber Design Receives Clutch Leaders Award

Recently, among 127 firms, Amber Design has been awarded among top companies on Clutch for the graphic design category in Seattle. Clutch is an established B2B reviews platform that helps firms across the globe connect with the solution providers that they need in order to improve effectiveness and increase productivity. To be eligible for a Clutch Leader Award, companies must exhibit an unusually high ability to deliver top-tier work to their clients. Receiving this award is no small feat, and we’re extremely appreciative of this recognition. Amber Jacobs of Amber Design has over 12 years of experience in the graphic design industry. She did the corporate 9-5 thing learning and navigating at various Fortune 500 companies, creative agencies, and smaller businesses over the years, ultimately leading her to launch her solo business, Amber Design. “Who doesn’t want to be THE leader. I lost interest in following the leader years ago and took my own business path. The trail hasn’t been easy but it’s been well worth the journey. I can’t wait to see what the next decade of adventures will bring.” – Amber, Amber Design Adding on that, a visual case study site and Clutch’s sister company – Visual Objects also recognized her work among […]

Amber Design Recognized as a Global Leader by Clutch!

Mobile web design is a critical component of your marketing strategy. It’s no longer just nice-to-have—it’s rapidly becoming an industry standard. When your business relies on an aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly interface, it’s crucial that you find a reliable design partner. Here at Amber Design, we’ve got your creative bases covered. With an expansive knowledge of both design principles and trends, we’ll deliver compelling products that can generate leads for all your print and web needs. Why trust us? We’re glad you asked! Clutch.co—a B2B ratings and reviews platform—has recognized us as an industry leader in the design segment. Clutch’s verified client reviews allow companies to demonstrate expertise and credibility to prospective clients. Here’s a couple of satisfied reviewers that can attest to the quality of our work: On top of being featured on Clutch, you can also visit us on Clutch’s cooler sister of a website: the Manifest, a company blog resource that can guide your B2B decisions. You can also view our stunning work on Visual Objects, which shows off business portfolios of design agencies. Since we’re a customer-driven business ourselves, we’re thrilled to have received recognition from such a client-driven platform. It only motivates us to continue creating the most beautiful solutions for your business. Get started […]