Soak It Up

"We are only here for a short time, so why not soak it up? Be happy. Have a little fun" This is one of my favorite quotes coming out of my interview with Diane Whiddon. As busy, career-driven, corporate managers or executives, sometimes we forget about scheduling fun, lightening up or even allowing our marketing tactics to drive a little laughter.

A Marketing Heart

Having started in law school, and experimented with writing, Diane always had a passion for graphic design. She learned early (pre AI days) about website design on many different platforms. Understanding key trends as they evolved over the years and typical minimalist web layouts was just part of the learning curve. Diane had an instinct that "marketing at it's heart is a form of self expression." Her clients understand that what she delivers is more than just a website or a social media campaign - it's the brand's heart.

Searching for the Fun

When I asked Diane about her work mission, her answer laid the groundwork for the business she is building - the business of joy. "I want to revolutionize the way people get websites. I want it to be easy, seamless, without all the stress, overwhelming work, and hours and hours of time that people have to go through with other designers. And of course I want them to have gorgeous websites they’re proud of and THAT WORK. That’s my passion," claimed Diane.

"Marketing can be fun!! We forget that. I want to put that back into the website design process," Diane further explained.

AI + Creativity = Laughter + Confidence

One of the surprises that Diane did not see coming was the way people feel about themselves when they see their new AI brand photos. They love them! The photos always inspire a newfound sense of confidence and pride, just like a really well-done traditional photoshoot. "They love how those new photos make them feel, especially because we’re usually able to make some sort of dream come true, for example, take pictures at the beach, or downtown Chicago, or give them a new, modern office. It’s amazing what those images do for my clients confidence in themselves and their new website."

Mission Control

AI tools can really uplevel someone’s brand now. Traditionally, a graphic designer would have to find a good photographer who understands brand images, has the skill set to provide great headshots, and also deliver good images for a website (a skill that is difficult to find). On top of that, one would have to also hire an artist to create custom art that supports those images. Thanks to the skills Diane has mastered combined with the right AI tools, she can now do all that herself, in a fraction of the time.?Successfully. She is now truly mission control.

For example, one of Diane's recent clients who runs a therapy practice, and she wanted a soft, nurturing site update. "Not only am I doing an AI Photoshoot for her, but I’ve given her custom line drawings, art images, and stock images to really give her site depth," says Diane. And she completed the work in a few hours versus a few weeks. The client is happy and the result is stunning.?

Putting Client Needs First

When it comes to how Diane wants her clients to feel, of course she wants them to be proud of their new design. She also wants them to be excited about it and want to show it off. When they love their website and want to show it off, their marketing gets a lot easier. Not to mention more effective. "Ads and social media campaigns fall flat if the website you’re sending all that traffic to won’t convert," says Diane. It's essential for successful long term.?

But other than that, Diane does not really want them to think about their website at all. She wants it to just work. Period. "I want it to be invisible to them," says Diane. That usually means that it attracts clients, converts leads, and is easy to update and maintain, without them having to learn a Calculus-level amount of new stuff. Without having to pay someone else tons of money to keep their site current. Their new site should be a source of ease and possibility, not a source of worry and problems.?

In Your Joy...

While Diane raves about the power of Midjourney, and the power of her clients having more fun, when I asked her about what she does for fun, she had to think for a minute, as she has many passions, and her clients and work already bring her so much joy. She finally confessed that she is a history buff and absolutely loves submarines. They fascinate her. So just maybe there is a reader that will contract her to do some creative submarine imagery work. One never knows! What she does know is this, "when we are in our joy, it's easy. Easy to live. Easy to laugh. Easy to work. Easy to sell. So why not be in our joy?" I believe Diane has a point! (And many, many happy clients)!

You can find Diane Whiddon here on LinkedIn. Or you can visit her site or email her at [email protected]

Stay tuned for her new You Tube Channel under her name. Diane is going be sharing no cost and low cost tips for those starting up businesses that don't need to spend big bucks on websites just yet. The tools have gotten so much easier, but there is always room for help and clarity from great talented designers like Diane.

#thedailygood #creativity #graphicdesign #womeninai #artificialintelligence