In an earlier post, I talked about the fact that every person is an artist. However, notice that I didn’t say that every person is a designer. But, it’s just because they haven’t learned yet.

See, good design is a skill that can be learned. While some are more naturally inclined to good design than others, you can learn the basics of space and type-faces and color–enough to make a big difference in the way you present press kits, blogs, resumes, reports, powerpoints and portfolios.

Here are few things to consider for your next project.

PERSONALITY: Your project has a personality. Figure out what that is from a design standpoint before you implement.

COLOR: Loud colors are not always the colors that get noticed.

TYPE-FACE: Again, something subtle may be what really grabs attention.

ORIGINALITY: You could print your resume on white paper with your name at the top, but so can everyone else. Even changing up the paper stock or paper size can be the difference between blending in and standing out.

Now get out there are start being inspired. And if you’re a crafty kind of person, you have to check out DIY: Design it Yourself. This book is very much worth buying.

Why are you in business? It’s possible that you have some altruistic reason for making money, but it’s also possible that you’re doing it all for you. If that’s the case, don’t overlook the value of giving away some of your money.

What?

Yes, I think there’s value in giving away money, besides the obvious good feelings it gives you. I think people who may be reluctant to buy or support at first, would probably be more likely to give if you were doing something good with the money or part of it at least.

Think of when someone comes to your house. Are you more likely to buy a subscription or purchase a candy bar if they are raising money for charity or if they say they just want some spending cash? We all like to think we’re spending money wisely and everyone likes to give back. Think of the (PRODUCT)RED campaign or Tom’s Shoes. We like the products, but it really helps when the money’s going to a good cause.

And even if you don’t improve your bottom line as a result of your cause marketing effort, everyone will be better off as a result of it.