What's Good To Know?

You may have heard that design is best left to the professionals, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t give it a go yourself. If you have a good eye for design and the skills to create something truly unique, taking on a project as a non designer can be beneficial. However, it’s important to have a good idea of what you are doing and what you want to achieve.

Top Design Tips for Non Designers

• Use a Lot of Contrast - It doesn't matter what you are designing, it is important that you use plenty of contrast between the background and font. You should choose a background color and font color that are very different so as not to cause eye strain when someone is reading the text. You will find that black text and a white background work extremely well, whereas light grays and yellows do not. You don’t want people to have to squint to read anything on the design.
• Choose Almost Black Over Black - Don’t make the mistake of assuming that there is only one type of black color, as this is not the case. Rather than using pure black for text, choose almost black as this is a lot easier to read when it is on a white background.

• Place Important Content First - One of the most important things to think about is placement and layout. When you are designing anything, you should place important information first. You only have a few seconds to engage and interest the audience,which is why the key facts need to be the first thing they see. All important information should be placed at the top of the design and visible from a distance.
• Align Everything - If something doesn't feel right about your design, take a look at the alignment. When the alignment is off, aspects of the design can feel out of place and messy. It’s a lot more aesthetically pleasing to have everything aligned, neat and organized.
• Design in Black and White First - Though you will surely be creating colourful artwork, start off by designing in black and white. Once you have added individual elements and are happy with the layout, add color. This will help you to focus on the design itself, rather than focusing too much on whether or not you are choosing the right colors.  Color evolves emotions, which can make it difficult to see design problems.

Taking on a new design project as a non designer can be daunting, but there’s nothing to say that you can’t create a fantastic logo or banner. Regardless of what you are designing, think carefully about the colors you are using and the layout of text, images and graphics. You should want your design to be unique and intriguing, but you don’t want it to be complicated and confusing. Remember advertisers (the clients your designing for) want a return on investment.  So you’ll soon know if your designs are working or not. If you’d like to find out about measuring ROI – read this Ultimate Banners article.

Author:

Nichelle Antoque
Content Outreach Manager
Ultimate Banners  

Here at Jules Realty Group, we are honoring all veterans with $600 toward their home listing or purchase. How do you get this? Just sign up with JRG by November 30th, 2020 to sell or buy a home by October 31, 2021 and it will be applied when you close!

Start here at https://bit.ly/VeteransSpecialist

It is very disheartening when the plants in your garden fall prey to disease. The question everyone asks is how exactly this came about. In the event that it spreads out will it destroy all your plants? For a fact, preventing disease when it comes to plants depends on the host, pathogens that attack the plants, and the prevailing environmental conditions. It takes all these factors to bring about disease. In that regard, the simplest way of preventing the occurrence of the disease is knocking out one of these factors. 

The best soil

You cannot consider your plants productive and healthy if they are not planted on the right soil. If the soil is not fertile, loamy or permeable then the plants are at risk of infection. Good healthy soil helps develop strong and productive plants. The choice of using chemical soil treatments has raised lots of debate lately. More industry experts seem to be in favor of using organic soil. 

Picking the right plants

Just because you saw an attractive plant while on vacation and noted down its name, it does not mean it will grow in your garden. Before going planting ensure they match the surrounding areas planting conditions. Narrow your choice on those that adjust well to moisture, dimensions, soil quality, and light. Plants resistant to diseases and pests can save you from disappointment. 

Proper spacing

Always ensure there is adequate space for planting as it contributes to the plants' health. Every plant has its own unique set of needs. A few tips worth considering is the air circulation room and size of the pot when planting. If you opted for ground cover species, ensure they are grouped together in beds away from public pathways. If you group them accurately, the need for weeding will be minimized alongside the uneconomical water usage. The rows in between should have ample space to allow for maintenance that way fungal attacks are repelled. There are those who plant tomatoes alongside their fresh organic plants or non-hybrid beans - that way they maximize on the space. 

Predictable watering schedule

You must have a regular watering schedule as it is a must-have requirement for any plants survival. Watering does not mean you have to make them wet. Not all plants demand an equal amount of water. In that regard, do your homework to get the right watering schedule for the particular species. The mornings happen to be the best time for watering plants given the atmosphere is cool and chilled. Unlike noon when the sun is overhead and the place is hot, water loss from evaporation is minimal in the mornings. 

Beddings and their borders

Tender flowers thrive in hot climates and can result in occasional heat waves. Water your lawn as recommended by an experienced botanist. Good examples are the canna, agapanthus, petunias, eucomis, dahlias, zinnia, and lots more. Where planting is required to fill the planting holes and drain it out before setting in the plants. Weeds can easily be killed so this is the best chance of getting them out. 

The planting position matters

If you are planning to drop a dime on high-value plants for your garden landscaping, get an expert opinion on the place you will have them positioned. Surprisingly, some plants thrive when under shade. Also, look at the planting position and ensure its well-drained. If the planting was done in a container ensure there are adequate drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. 

Vegetable and fruit growing

If there is too much exposure to sunshine there might be adverse effects on your crops. For instance, potatoes will fill up with starch, beetroots and carrots will ripen. Tomatoes need the sunshine to ripen to perfection. Plums and pears equally respond well to light and warmth. If there is an extended rainy season there is a high chance of the brown rot disease affecting them. 

Pests to look out for during the hot weather season are the caterpillars, red spider mites and blackflies. If you have to simply squash by hand. Diseases like potato blight are also affected by the weather. 

Greenhouse conservancies

If you intend to fix some greenhouses in your backyard, beware that they easily overheat so manage the temperature. This can be done by shading or taking out some panels. 

About the Author:

Lena is an interior designer at Homes in London, and she loves to be able to help her clients create their dream home because she believes that home isn't just a place, it's a feeling. She is confident that her experiences can help a lot of people so she expresses it through writings. If you need design advice, feel free to reach out to her as she will always be available for those in need. :)

The year 2020 has been a complete surprise!

In the Houston metro area, we have seen a steady increase in population growth which has had the home buyer demand remaining strong as of now and for the foreseeable future!

When Covid hit and we were shut down, some people were a little timid about partaking in anything, including buying a home or selling their home. The house closings never stopped though.  Virtual tour requests skyrocketed. We continue to take extra safety steps to keep our listings clean and safe. So, to be frank, myth busted. Real estate did not falter. If it does in the future, it will come back as it always does. Jules Realty Group saw only one home buyer shy away in April 2020 due to Covid but that was it. That same buyer is actually still actively searching for a home with us now! 

As of today, all of the Houston and surrounding areas, collectively, we have only 3 months of inventory. Simply stated, that is not enough. We need more homes on the market. The population continues to grow here and we need more homes for sale to meet the demand! This could mean getting more for your home or property than you thought possible, if you decide to sell. 

For anyone curious about selling their home or property, I'd highly recommend having your preferred realtor (Jules Realty Group, we hope) to provide you with a home value estimate and on site walkthrough to find comparable values of properties that have sold nearby you to help navigate your actual value. Knowing your actual value will help you decide whether or not selling makes sense for you right now.  Get your free home value report here: julesheggen.com/purl/cmareport.