Tools & Resources
A few of our favorite things ….
Winery Branding Tools
Free Creative Brief Template
Are you starting a new wine label project?
Download our free Creative Brief template below
Business Tools
Notion for Life & Project Management
This is the best all-in-one tool for organizing my life.
I have tried so many different ways to keep myself and my projects organized - Trello, Monday, Todoist, Evernote, Apple Notes … and there are probably others, but I am sticking with Notion. I found that the other programs worked for some things, but not others and I love that I can do so much with this one program.
It’s user-friendly and can be as simple or as complex as you would like. I use Notion to keep track of client projects, home projects, travel itineraries and more.
You can start with a free Notion account (for individuals) and use their templates. I upgraded pretty quickly because I loved it from the start.
And one final note …. you can integrate your other apps with Notion: gMail, Slack, and many others.
Fonts
I don’t recommend relying on free fonts you find on the internet. They’re free for a reason - the quality is usually unpredictable, the kerning and spacing is rarely right. Try zooming in on the fonts and you’ll really see the inperfections.
Here are some sources I recommend for finding high quality fonts that won’t break.
Fonts.com
Myfonts.com
Premium font collections: House Fonts Some of my favorites!
Fun, Funky, Modern fonts with personality Hoefler & Co.
Moo Print Online
This is my go-to for budget conscious business card printing. Minimum quantities are easy to meet. Color matching to Pantone is excellent. Quality is very good and consistent.
They have several paper finishes to choose from and also offer “printfinity” which is an option to change the back of your card several times in one print run. Use this option to further strengthen your brand presence.
For several of my clients, I’ve chosen to print their Luxe business cards. They’re thicker, uncoated and have a luxurious feel to them. Just say no to flimsy business cards!
Stickers
Do you have a brand identity that you’re proud of? Use stickers to help people remember you and show how you pay attention to details. Print Stickers with Moo.com Tips for how to use stickers: as labels, for mailers, to close packages, as an insert for when people buy from you, add them to plain bags.
Apple iPad Pro
For calligraphy, drawing, note taking and more.
The iPad Pro is a great tool for drawing, creating art, note taking or for watching movies. Mine integrates with my desktop computer so, I can work on my iPad and my files are accessible from my laptop or desktop via the cloud.
It’s so slim and lightweight that it’s great for travel. You can pair it with a keyboard if you type a lot. With my iPad, I prefer to write, so I have the Apple Pencil.
Make sure you get the Apple Pencil too! It adheres to the side with a magnet and that’s where it charges!
Must-Haves for using with the IPad Pro:
I use my iPad Pro with Procreate and the Adobe Suite (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop). For note taking: download the app GoodNotes. Learn about how I use GoodNotes here.
In Progress
Take your lettering from pencil to vector. Book by Jessica Hische.
Pantone Formula Guide
Color selection in design for print, web and more.
Have you ever purchased a printed item only to have it delivered with colors that look very different from what you intended? Pantone is the definitive color guide for companies and designers. Having a swatch book ensures that whatever colors I specify will appear as I want them to in the final product.