J Taylor Design - Blog

Using Backblaze To Backup Client Files

2013-05-07T14:16:36+00:00

File backup is important. Regardless if we are talking about personal photos or client work, if you lose a digital file, it is likely that it is not coming back. Tools like Dropbox can help alleviate the frustration of losing files. iCloud is another avenue that can be taken to help keep things in order. However, sometimes the price to space ratio may not make sense for your situation. This is where Backblaze may be the solution for you. We utilize both Dropbox and Backblaze to safely and security handle our client files. We use Dropbox for any current work, then we archive previous work on a local storage solution that gets backed up daily through Backblaze. The pricing of Backblaze is incredible at $5 or less per month. The best part is that there is no limit to the amount of files that can be backed up. Initial Setup Of Backblaze Is Incredibly Easy When we first started using Backblaze we had about 280GB of files, so the initial upload to Backblaze took a little while. Thankfully Backblaze runs in the background doing what it needs to while not bogging down the internet connection. After about a week, all of our files were uploaded. Backblaze checks daily for new/altered/removed files, so it only needs to update when something has changed. Additionally, Backblaze will back up connected external drives, and allows us to select what is and is not backed up. If Something Goes Wrong With Your Backed Up Computer… Backblaze makes it easy to restore any of your lost files in the case something goes wrong with your computer. In our circumstance, having to download more than 280GB would take some time. To speed up the process, Backblaze offers to send out flash drives or hard drives with your files for a small fee. Backblaze For Mobile Backblaze recently released their free mobile app that allows you to access, download, and share your data. This is yet another great resource that Backblaze offers its customers. Versioning, Security, Multiple Computers, etc. Backblaze offers a great toolkit of features. For us, it made perfect sense to use Backblaze with keeping our client files safe and secure. Check out the “How It Works” breakdown to see if Backblaze is right for you.

Arrested Development Quotes

2013-04-30T18:10:05+00:00

Here at J Taylor Design, we consistently work on side projects to help stay creative. Some are more serious, while others are just for fun. Our Arrested Development Quotes site is one of those that is “just for fun.” For those who enjoy smart comedy and have not seen Arrested Development, drop what you are doing, join Netflix (if you are not a member already), start watching Arrested Development and “taste the happy.” All new episodes are airing in less than a month on May 26th exclusively on Netflix. With their most recent episode airing in 2006, Arrested Development is one of an exclusive list of shows to be brought back after cancellation. Be sure to check out the show if you have not yet done so, as once the new episodes air, you will have surely heard about it then. For all of those familiar, visit our Arrested Development Quotes site and enjoy reminiscing through all the great one liners.

Photojojo Macro Focus iPhone Lens

2013-04-22T13:56:13+00:00

After wrapping up a recent project, our awesome client surprised us with a “thank you” gift certificate to The Photojojo Store. Knowing our passion for photography, they hit the nail on the head with this gift. After browsing the site, narrowing the list of “wants” from what is offered proved challenging; however, one of the gadgets we came home with was the Photojojo Macro/Wide Lens for iPhone. The lens comes with both macro and wide options (simply unscrew the lens piece for macro). All you need to do is stick a little metal piece around the camera of your iPhone. From there, connect the magnetic end of the lens to your iPhone. A Couple Test Shots For fans of photography (especially iPhone photography), we would definitely recommend checking out The Photojojo Store. There is a ton of options to choose from to help extend your iPhoneography palette.

Unsubscribe From Useless Newsletters

2013-04-11T13:48:49+00:00

With Spring here, we thought we would share a little cleaning tip that we started doing a few months back. That tip is unsubscribing from unnecessary email newsletters. Trust me. Once you start, you will feel so much better about your inbox. According to the Radicati Group, the average person sends and receives 105 emails per day. For some that number will sound high, while others may wish for a number that low. Regardless of where you are at, there is room for improvement. When you purchase something online or sign up to be a member of a website, oftentimes you may be added to an email list automatically. That might not be a bad thing if you are interested in their emails. However, for all others that you do not want simply unsubscribe. It is a waste of your time to have to delete the emails as they come in if they are of no use to you. Save yourself a bit of time here and there by cleaning up your inbox. Annoying Caveat We Have Noticed With technology being as incredible as it is, it is surprising to me to see a “you will be removed from our mailing list within 10 days” message when I unsubscribe from a newsletter. It really should be instantaneous. However, if you do start unsubscribing from useless newsletters, you may run into a similar message. Beware Of Spam Newsletters If you are receiving an email from a company that you do not remember utilizing before, it could be that the message is spam. In that case, you do not want to use any links in that email - including an unsubscribe link. If you are getting those types of messages in your inbox, simply mark them as spam. All Cleaned Up? Sign Up For Ours Now that your inbox is all cleaned up, if you would like to stay in the loop with what is going on here at J Taylor Design, sign up for our infrequent newsletter, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Photo Manipulation Speed Retouch

2013-04-10T14:00:35+00:00

A couple months ago, we posted an entry showcasing our caricature photo series. We got some great responses on them. Since most people thought we used an iPhone app to make them (Apple’s marketing does work), we decided to put together a “speed retouch” video showing the process in Photoshop on a simple example.

Discover New York And Beyond

2013-03-18T17:45:32+00:00

We have proudly been working with Discover New York And Beyond for more than 5 years now. Since working with the team at Discover New York And Beyond, the site has been consistently growing. With growth comes change. This year, we have helped refocus the DNY website into a clean, modern package that lends itself to their constantly growing content structure. Discover New York and Beyond is thrilled with our new website designed and developed by J Taylor Design. Their ability to help design and then deliver updates quickly allows our clients to stay current with what’s happening in NYC! Learn more about Discover New York And Beyond at www.dnykg.com

Old Fashioned Spring Fair Design

2013-03-15T15:40:07+00:00

Our friends over at House On The Rock Family Church tasked us to brand their new Old Fashioned Spring Fair annual event. They knew they wanted an old fashioned feel, to highlight some of the different contests that they will be featuring, and (wisely) that they did not want to have too much verbiage. We had a lot of fun creating the final look and feel of their newest event, which is featured above.

Wright Veterinary Medical Center

2013-03-12T13:50:21+00:00

Wright Veterinary Medical Center is a company who is focused on providing quality services. This also includes getting information to their clients through all outlets. We proudly help WVMC with all aspects of their marketing from business cards to their website. Over the last year we have seen their web traffic continue to grow, with many users visiting on mobile devices. Understanding the importance of their mobile users, we set out to redesign their website responsively, to ensure their site works great on all devices. We are more than pleased with the final product. Working with J Taylor Design makes it easy for us to maintain the website, and keeping it current for our clients. Learn more about Wright Veterinary Medical Center at www.wrightvet.com

2013 Addy Awards

2013-03-04T15:00:08+00:00

This weekend we had the chance to bump elbows with our friends and colleagues at the AAF Greater Lehigh Valley Addy Awards. This year’s Addy Awards, where design studios from all over the Lehigh Valley are awarded for the year’s achievements, were held at the beautiful Hotel Bethlehem. Congratulations to all the winners; here is to a year of exciting creativity!

Funny Cartoonish Portraits

2013-02-27T17:41:51+00:00

Earlier this year we posted an article sharing some fun photos from personal travels. We are at it again with this post, but it has taken a different turn with our fun caricatures series.