Whitespace is also known as ‘negative space’. It’s an area of your design that is not – I repeat NOT – filled with content. Furthermore, tt’s also a majorly important design element as it grants your design the breathing room it could need, it will also help your designs that are looking clumsy and overly complicated. My main point is that whitespace can make designs look CLEAN, so please don’t let clients, account handlers, managers ruin your designs with the old saying “Can’t something go there?”

Can you not put something there? – Dinosaurs to every designer ever

What is Whitespace?

Whitespace is the portion of the page left blank; it can be the space between images, graphics, margins and borders. It’s also the space between columns, between lines of text or numbers that provides visual breathing space for the eye.

It’s super-duper important!

Whitespace is an important element of design for good reason, not only for readability but for all those design snobs out there too, who like to focus your attention on the more intricate parts of the design.

Negative Space? – Trust me this is a positive!

Negative space is, quite simply put at best the space that surrounds an object in an image. It is just as important as that focal point of the object itself, negative space can help define the boundaries of positive space (the image/artwork) and brings a healthy balance to the overall piece of artwork.

All in all, don’t be afraid of whitespace. It’s your friend, not your foe.

Article by Marketing Manager Adam Wood

Another year has passed and what a year it was for social media. The question is though, is 2018 the year your institution embraces Social?

Why be on Social Media?

We’ve covered it before, there’s plenty of reasons to be on there from connecting with students or parents, engaging in conversation around your sector or involving your audience. (Check out the article here). However, what is stopping you from embracing it?

The Stats:

In case you’re thinking that social media isn’t the place for your institution and maybe even thinking ‘my audience isn’t there’. Here are just a few stats that may convince you otherwise:

• There are 3.03 billion active Social Media users
• Social Media users grew by 121 million between Q2 2017 and Q3 2017 (that’s a new Social Media user every 15 seconds).
• Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp handle 60 billion messages a day
• 22% of the world’s total population uses Facebook
• There are 500 million Tweets sent each day. That’s 6,000 Tweets every second
• 77% of Twitter users feel more positive about a brand when their Tweet has been replied to
• There are 800 million Monthly Active Users on Instagram

 So how can this relate to my School?

 When it comes to referring to ‘brands’ on social media, you need to start thinking of your institution as a brand and how traditional advertising methods are changing. With this in mind, how is your school keeping up to date with parents, students and stakeholders? You may have a school website which features a blog, but how does your audience know about your blog? When are they going to know there’s news on the school site? How are you going to draw in new students on open days? Through SMART social media advertising.

How can we help?

We offer various solutions at Creativeworld to assist in your social media strategy. This ranges from running your day to day social media activity to paid social media campaigns to working with you on content creation and strategy. Want to know more? Why not arrange a meeting with our team of marketing specialists for a free analysis on how we think social media could work for your institution.

If you have any further enquiries please do not hesitate to contact a member of our team:

Dan Palmer
Sales Executive
E: Dan@creativeworld.co.uk
T: 01282 858200

OR

Adam Wood
Marketing & Social Media Manager
E: Adam@creativeworld.co.uk
T: 01282 858200

‘It was around a year and a half ago that I’d found out I’d got the A-level results I needed to get into uni. What was my reaction? When I received my results, I was overjoyed, however at the thought of going to university, not so much. My initial gut feeling made me realise that maybe university wasn’t the right choice for me. The idea of getting into £15,000 worth of debt to do something I really wasn’t sure about, in my opinion, wasn’t the smartest move. Don’t get me wrong, I think uni is the right path for a lot of people, but I knew it wasn’t for me.

So, what did I do?

I did what a lot of people my age did. I took a gap year. That’s the first thing I would thoroughly recommend; if you don’t know what to do, take the time to regroup, work and see what it is that you’re passionate about.

How did I end up getting a digital marketing apprenticeship?

I worked at a well-known coffee shop chain for a while and despite being able to make a pretty good latte, I again found myself questioning what I wanted out of this ‘gap year’. I wasn’t enjoying what I was doing and I still recognised that I didn’t want to go to university. So quite by accident, I got in touch with The White Room. After a while, I went for an interview for a ‘digital marketing apprenticeship’, something which I didn’t have any real idea about. What I didn’t realise at the time is how much of an impact social media had on my life. Little did I comprehend how powerful a marketing tool social media can be.

To cut a long story short…

I got the job. 12 months down the line, I’ve found a job that I love. I work with a fantastic team who are always there to bounce advice off and give me the support to help me learn and grow as a marketeer. I’ve had the opportunity to work on some excellent projects with the team and believe that despite still having a lot to learn, I’ve come a long way in my own development. It’s been a privilege to work for a company who has produced some of the finest marketing material for countless high profile property investment opportunities including the Royal Liver Building, Blanchardstown, The Tara Collection and much more.

The highlights…

I’ve worked on many different social media projects, from short campaigns to those that have lasted more than 12 months. Some highlights have been collaborating with the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on a short campaign which resulted in the appointment of a new director of strategy at the trust. Another has been working with e-learning video production company VideoTile to build their brand awareness, a project which has gone from strength to strength.

One thing I love about the job is that it’s always changing. There’s always a new tool or platform which offers something different so it’s a challenge to stay ahead of the game, but that’s what makes it exciting. I enjoy coming up with creative ideas and concepts with the team and really appreciate the professionals I’m surrounded by who are there to support me and help me grow in my role. Another aspect I’ve enjoyed is the working with the White Room to complete my apprenticeship. During the course, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a huge range of apprentices who all have their own specialities in different aspects of digital marketing.

So, what next?

Ultimately, I know I have a lot to work on, as I mentioned earlier, social media is an ever-changing beast. I’m also hoping to expand my skill sets in SEO and Web design/development. I’m really enjoying my time working here at Creativeworld and I’m looking forward to my future here at the company.’

Tom has now completed his Digital Marketing apprenticeship with the White Room as part of the Creative Pioneers programme. We’re also delighted to announce that Tom has come on board as a digital marketing executive and will have a big role to play within the marketing team. If you would like to get in touch with Tom for any questions regarding his experiences as a digital marketing apprentice, get in touch:

Here is what Marketing Manager Adam Wood has to say about Tom becoming a full-time member of the team: “It’s been a pleasure working with Tom over the past 12 months, and for him to accept the job role he has become an asset to the ever expanding digital marketing team and has a big future here at Creativeworld.”

If you would like to get in touch with Tom for any questions regarding his experiences as a digital marketing apprentice, get in touch:

Email:  tom@creativeworld.co.uk. 

Connect with Tom on LinkedIn

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