Introducing Designed 2 Stick, January 23, 2020

I’m Mrg Simon (Mrg rhymes with berg) and I am the force that is Designed 2 Stick. But what exactly IS Designed 2 Stick and where does that name come from?
 
First and foremost, Designed 2 Stick – or D2S as I sometimes call it – is about transforming from the ordinary to the extraordinary. I had a satisfying 30-year career as a business lawyer, but it wasn’t lighting a fire within me any longer. I may have the brains of a lawyer but I also have the soul of an artist, and that artist was ready to take center stage. I began by designing stickers, postcards, t-shirts and gifts that I sold online. That first sticker I made was, quite literally, designed to stick ... to anything.
 
With that confidence, I began my graphic design business with the skills I had developed as a lawyer who often had to create exhibits, PowerPoint presentations, 200-page regulatory filings, quickly and professionally for decisionmakers. What set my work apart was the visuals. Beautiful, clean, and simple graphics and photos. At first, I did it out of necessity and then I taught myself more software and design skills, and learned from some of the best visual educators in the business, like Eugene Chang. To effectively call people to action, any message should be capable of being reduced to a memorable bumper sticker. Messages of all sorts – legal or otherwise – function most effectively when they are created to be “sticky.” (This “stickiness” factor was described brilliantly by Malcolm Gladwell in his book “The Tipping Point,” published in 2000.)
 
I help businesses and nonprofits transform their messaging by helping their audiences visualize their message. Gone is business as usual – whatever they’ve been teaching at seminars and in classrooms doesn’t work in the crowded media marketplace.
 
One of the things I love to do for a small business is help them transform their messaging in their PowerPoint presentations to potential customers, allies, or donors. When I deliver the “after” version to compare to their “before” they are speechless. It’s simple and clear. It uses sound persuasive design principles while at the same time being beautiful. Because a PowerPoint is all about connecting with your audience. All communication is. Start with your focus on your audience; understand that 80% of all learning is visual. Those two things (and a deep bench of stock photos) will take you far. You can see samples of my work on my website at the link below.
 
The D2S approach is effective: When I do a wholesale revision of a PowerPoint, for example, the client is speechless and the D2S way proves highly effective (new clients, donors, and collaborations across industries). Transformation. It happens when we start with what will make the message stick for the audience. The same goes for marketing brochures, employee training materials, and more. Be open to the possibilities!
 
In 2020, I’m adding another transformational service: KonMari home organization. More about that in the next installment.
 
Along the way, I found personal transformation in the philosophy behind the home tidying movement created by Marie Kondo. Using Japanese principles and home clutter as her tools, her KonMari Method™ helps people simplify their life by surrounding themselves with things and people that bring them joy. I experienced it when I first KonMari’d my living space and developed a clear vision for my future. I’m now surrounded by joy in so many forms, that it inspired me to become a KonMari Consultant so I can share this same transformational joy with others. Like the philosophy used in the D2S graphic design business, KonMari focuses on simplifying our lives so that we can live the life we intend to. It’s not about minimalism or forcing people to discard everything they own; it’s about being intentional. And it, too, is transformational.
 
So whether you have a business that needs fresh marketing materials, technical manuals, PowerPoint, or any other communication to cut through the media clutter, or you’ve become overwhelmed with physical clutter, I can help you transform to realize your vision for your future. I can make it Designed 2 Stick.


Contact me at mrg.simon@designed2stick.com or at 605-929-1493.