Inspiration from McDill branding, digital and design pros

Enjoy explanations, tips and deep thoughts

Video Conference Etiquette

By now, we’re all familiar with meeting online. Today, Zoom has 300 million daily meeting participants, a massive incr... Read more >

The Importance of Brand Colors

Your brand probably has a signature color. But, to make it a truly powerful brand, you need a palette of colors that com... Read more >

5 Things I’ve Learned About Digital Marketing Post-COVID

5 Things I’ve Learned About Digital Marketing Post-COVID

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that having a digital-first mindset is a must. But the evolution, ... Read more >

McDill Creative Recipe

Engaging your agency, one ingredient at a time

Anyone that knows me, knows I LOVE to bake. It’s my jam – even to the chagrin of my husband. I can make some kick-as... Read more >

Cheers to 2022!

What a martini can tell us about the year ahead - A glass half full is only half the story. ... Read more >

Happy Milwaukee Day!

We are proud to say that we have been a part of Milwaukee’s cherished history for over 40 years, and are honored to ha... Read more >

McDill animated gif logo shows silhouette of a person pulling a light pull cord animated the logo from black and white to color

A return to the bright side

They say adversity builds character. If that is the case, 2020 provided us all with enough mettle to last a lifetime.... Read more >

graphic of the word revisions being marked up

Managing Revisions – and Your Budget

There’s no easier way to blow your precious budget than to make umpteen revisions on a single project. During my tenur... Read more >

Thank You Note

The Art Of The Handwritten Thank You Note

Some might say that writing a personal thank you note is a dying art, but I think otherwise.... Read more >

Cheers to 40 years

A bright green square

Forty years ago when we first considered naming our business, Dillon McCarthy sounded too much like Lennon and McCartney... Read more >

Person reading a tablet

F-Patterns and Layer Cakes: Writing for Scanners

Design is key in controlling how people scan. And here’s how writing can make a difference.... Read more >

McDill office

Creative life, for the most part

I realized that what I needed, wanted and could have, was a job that would be a part of my life, or rather, a life that ... Read more >

Questions

Are you asking enough questions?

Client services teams must discover what isn’t being said to truly understand the challenges clients are looking to so... Read more >

McDill logo mark

Hey Logo, Meet Your Mark

When MLB approached us to design a new logo for the Milwaukee Brewers, they really weren’t so interested in a new logo... Read more >

Phone

You never get a second chance at first impressions

A little note from our intern Olivia, regarding making first impressions via phone.... Read more >

PowerPoint cover

10 tips for a well-designed PowerPoint

Here are some tips to create a fresh, engaging and inspiring presentation.... Read more >

Six months in graphic

Six Months In

A recent grad’s perspective on entering the design biz. Read some of my takeaways.... Read more >

Proofread keyboard

Proofreading 101: (Spell)check yourself

Whether it’s an internal newsletter, new business proposal or routine email, make time to proofread your writing.... Read more >

Brand guidelines graphic

Brand Guidelines 102

So, our company has this set of brand guidelines…now what? How do we know if our creative is properly representing our... Read more >

Graphic design tools

Thirty-five years

McDill Design turns 35 this year and in that time everything has changed and yet so much is still the same. Things are e... Read more >

Graffiti

Designing minds: Making a mark

Graffiti, the scourge of urban development, it turns out, is a condition of human life. The drive to inform the world of... Read more >

Coca-Cola Brand Guidelines

Brand Guidelines 101

A brand is a visual representation of an organization or business, its mission and, usually, its products and services.... Read more >

Orange image

Everyone’s a critic

Criticism is an important part of the design process. It’s how we refine our concepts, make them stronger, prettier, m... Read more >

Responsive Web Design

Adaptive vs. Responsive Design

How do we make our sites support multiple devices? And how do we improve the user experience, regardless of the device b... Read more >

Image of people with questions

How to find the right partner for your design project

The prospect of hiring a design firm may appear to be just as difficult as the design process itself. Here are some tips... Read more >

Simple

Simple Isn’t Easy

At its core, a logo should be simple, unique and instantly recognizable. See some examples of companies who have strong ... Read more >

Milwaukee Brewers Sausages

Designing Sausages

A little history about bringing the Milwaukee Brewers' racing cartoon sausages to life.... Read more >

Interesting design

Designing Minds, Part 1

Part of being a graphic designer is the ability to see things in a way that other people probably don’t. There is rare... Read more >

Beers

Beer Browsing

Exploring different beers for their design... and taste.... Read more >

White Space graphic

There’s Nothing Here To Fear

Whitespace is one of the most valuable elements of great design. It is the one element that gives design sophistication,... Read more >

App keyboard graphic

There’s An App For That

App development creates an interesting design and programming challenge. User experience varies greatly depending on the... Read more >

Art by Cynthia Lund Torroll

They Keep Me In The Back

They keep me in the back... a little note from Cindy.... Read more >

Helmet art

Art That Protects Your Head

As a racecar driver my helmet is a priceless item because I can't race without it. As it turns out, without racing helme... Read more >

1950's Imperial

Nifty Fifties

Designers look to all sorts of places for inspiration, for me one of those places is 1950’s. After the severity of the... Read more >

McDill graphic

McDill Evolution

Welcome to our first blog. You will hear our thoughts on graphic design, digital and print, typography, color and probab... Read more >