Episode 169: How DIYing Bad Graphics Could Hurt Your Pet Sitting Brand

Since marketing was invented, the need for graphic design has been ever-growing. However, graphics aren't used to simply sell your business like they've been used in the past, instead, they represent your business. Graphics are the foundation of your brand. They not only represent how you present your company but also whether or not potential clients feel a connection with your company, whether your company can be taken seriously to not only clients but possible employees. Today, I partnered up with Annette Mcdonald, the founder of Easil, an online DIY Graphic Design solution for brands and teams, as well as, MD of Copirite, a leading design, print & digital agency located on the Gold Coast, to teach you a little on how DIYing bad graphics could hurt your pet sitting brand.  Biggest Takeaway You Don't Want to Miss Today's DIY graphic design programs have us feeling like graphic designers in training, but oftentimes we mess it up. Without the right knowledge, there's no way for us to definitively know what makes a good design good or a bad design bad. Sometime's we can be thinking it looks perfect while it may not actually be representing our business the way we want it to. To best grow and represent your business, it's important to have graphics that are clear, concise and consistent. Tune in while I dive into Annette's twenty years of experience to bring you tips and tricks on making your designs stand out! Show Highlights What the quality of design says about your pet sitting brand [1:36] Brand Style Guide and Voice Style Guide [2:30] Evoking emotions in your design [5:15] How DIYing bad graphics could hurt your pet sitting brand[8:12] Using design to make a positive impact [11:30] 7 Deadly DIY Design Sins [15:15] How design is different from print to digital [21:48] Links Read the blog 7 Deadly DIY Design Sins Better Marketing with Bella Share the Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 169 of Bella in Your Business. Does creating graphics and videos for your business just make you want to bang your head against the wall? Or maybe you actually really like doing it, but by the end of the day you have no more creative juices in your brain or just seem to always be running out of time. Well, I've got a solution for you today. For a select few of my clients, every month I give them Instagram story graphics that come with captions, square videos to post on their social media, cover videos for their Facebook pages, video outlines so they know what to say or what to write in a blog, two emails to send to their clients, a content calendar showing them exactly when to post it all, and group and private coaching sessions. This program is called Better Marketing with Bella and has been proven to help so many pet businesses. Fill out an application at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. That’s jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing. Hope to see you there. Hi there, I'm Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you've seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you're about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin' in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let's get ready and jump! Welcome to Bella in Your Business. My name is Bella Vasta, and today I've got a special guest for you. Her name is Annette McDonald and she is the founder of Easil, an online DIY graphic design solution for brands and teams, and a leading design, print, and digital agency located on the Gold Coast in Australia. She has over 20 years of proven experience in the advertising, graphic, and print industry. Annette shared that each design element—whether print, web, or social media—adds layers to a business’s image and builds trust step by step. While the tone may differ slightly across platforms, consistency is key. A business should use a brand style guide and voice guide to ensure that fonts, colors, imagery, and tone remain cohesive. A brand style guide contains visual assets—colors (three to six), two to three fonts, imagery, and logo variations—along with instructions for placement and usage. A voice guide, on the other hand, defines the brand’s personality and writing tone so that anyone communicating on behalf of the business sounds consistent. Bella pointed out how specific shades and tones matter for maintaining brand uniformity, and Annette agreed, emphasizing how little details make a big difference. Together they discussed how a consistent visual and verbal identity makes customers feel connected to and confident in a brand. When asked about emotion in design, Annette explained that emotional connection has become essential. For pet industry businesses, designs should convey care and compassion because customers are entrusting something close to their hearts. A professional yet warm tone communicates trust and peace of mind. Bella noted that even unrelated industries use pets in their marketing because animals naturally evoke emotion, to which Annette agreed, adding that pet imagery is universally engaging and builds immediate rapport with audiences. They then discussed the pitfalls of poor design. Annette shared that cluttered, unbalanced graphics can cheapen a company’s image. In design, less is more. Clients often want to cram too much into one graphic, but that overwhelms viewers. A good design conveys one clear message and evokes a feeling. Additional details can be expressed in captions or follow-up content. Clutter—whether in a workspace or a graphic—creates discomfort, while simplicity invites engagement. Bella noted that Facebook’s 20% text rule for ads reinforces this concept. Design consistency across multiple touchpoints—website, print, and social media—builds brand recognition and trust. Annette explained that iconic brands like Apple succeed because their simplicity is intentional and professionally crafted. Simple, well-designed visuals convey clarity and confidence, while cluttered or inconsistent ones cause confusion. They discussed how to make a lasting impression through thoughtful design. Every customer interaction—website visit, social post, or printed brochure—should leave the person feeling exactly how you intend. Write down the emotions you want your brand to evoke, review your materials regularly, and ensure those feelings come through clearly. Bella asked what makes a good design, and Annette introduced her concept of “The Seven Deadly DIY Sins”: Font Envy – Don’t copy fonts from other brands. Use no more than two or three fonts that align with your brand personality. Spacing Greed – Don’t cram too much into one design. Leave “white space” (any color) around elements to give them room to breathe. Sizing Sloth – Resize graphics for each platform; don’t reuse the same image everywhere. Color Gluttony – Don’t overuse colors. Stick to your brand palette for consistency. Filter Lust – Don’t over-filter images. Authenticity is more relatable than perfection. Drop Shadow Wrath – Use shadows lightly and purposefully. Less is more. Proofreading Pride – Always proofread before posting. Typos in graphics undermine professionalism. Bella and Annette laughed about overusing effects—comparing drop shadows to too much bronzer—and emphasized how proofreading can make or break a design’s credibility. They also talked about designing for print versus digital. Print is shifting toward smaller, high-quality runs with tactile finishes like soft lamination that evoke sensory experiences. Because these printed pieces are tangible and permanent, they require more expertise and attention to detail than digital graphics. Finally, Annette explained that a brand should have a suite of logo variations for different applications: horizontal, stacked, round, and watermark options, all sharing the same colors and style. This flexibility allows for appropriate use across different media without distorting or rearranging the logo. Bella wrapped up by sharing her excitement that Annette is now the lead designer for Better Marketing with Bella (Semester One, 2020). Together, they’re raising the bar with strategic, emotion-driven designs that bring all of these principles to life. Bella encouraged listeners to apply for Better Marketing with Bella at jumpconsulting.net/bella-marketing, explaining that returning clients renew first, waitlist members get second priority, and any remaining spots open to the public. She highlighted that the program provides branded graphics, Instagram stories, captions, GIFs, emails, cover and square videos, and content calendars customized with each client’s colors, logos, and fonts. Annette noted that professional designers typically charge between $50–$200 USD per hour, and while DIY tools are great for small tasks, investing in expert design pays off long-term through consistent quality and branding. Bella closed by encouraging listeners to prioritize professional, cohesive design as a long-term investment and thanked Annette for joining the show. So what did you think? Did you love this episode? I sure hope you did because I put a lot of love into this for you. The best way you can show me that is by going to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or wherever you listen to your podcast and leaving a review. I just might read it on the next episode. I also want to remind you that when life gets you down, remember to always keep jumping. Thanks for listening.