1.1 explain the importance of defining market segments to the development and achievement of the marketing strategy
Customer classifications
1.2a) Business customers
1.2b) leisure customers
1.3 explain how the characteristics, motivations and behaviours of potential target customers are identified
In order to market your product or service, it is imperative that you tailor your marketing and sales efforts to specifically reach the segment of population that will most likely buy your product or service. It is critical that you first determine or clearly identify your primary market. Your energies and funds then can be spent more efficiently.
If you don’t know who your customers are, how will you be able to assess whether you are meeting their needs? Since success depends on your being able to meet customers’ needs and desires, you must know who your customers are, what they want, where they live and what they can afford.
We’ve all heard a business owner say, "My product is terrific! It appeals to everyone." Many of us have also seen small businesses that try to be all things to all people. This is a difficult, if not impossible, bridge to cross.
Targeting your market is simply defining who your primary customer will be. The market should be measurable, sufficiently large and reachable.
Types of Markets
A market is simply any group of actual or potential buyers of a product. There are three major types of markets.The consumer market. Individuals and households who buy goods for their own use or benefit are part of the consumer market. Drug and grocery items are the most common types of consumer products. The industrial market. Individuals, groups or organizations that purchase your product or service for direct use in producing other products or for use in their day-to-day operations. The reseller market. Middlemen or intermediaries, such as wholesalers and retailers, who buy finished goods and resell them for a profit.
Step One — Identify Why A Customer Would Want To Buy Your Product/Service
The first step in identifying your target market is understanding what your products/services have to offer to a group of people or businesses. To do this, identify your product or service’s features and benefits. A feature is a characteristic of a product/service that automatically comes with it.
Step Two: Segment Your Overall Market
It is a natural instinct to want to target as many people and groups as possible. However, by doing this your promotional strategy will never talk specifically to any one group, and you will most likely turn many potential customers off. Your promotional budget will be much more cost effective if you promote to one type of customer and speak directly to them. This allows you to create a highly focused campaign that will directly meet the needs and desires of a specific group. Again, this is called market segmentation.
Market segmentation is the process of breaking down a larger target market into smaller segments with specific characteristics. Each group requires different promotional strategies and marketing mixes because each group has different wants and needs. Segmentation will help you customize a product/service or other parts of a marketing mix, such as advertising, to reach and meet the specific needs of a narrowly defined customer group.
An example of market segmentation is the athletic shoe industry. Major manufactures of athletic shoes have several segmented markets. One segment is based on gender and the other segment is based on the type of sport or activity. They have different promotional campaigns for each market segment.
Larger markets are most typically divided into smaller target market segments on the basis of geographic, demographic, psychographic and behavioristic characteristics:Geographic. Potential customers are in a local, state, regional or national marketplace segment. If you are selling a product such as farm equipment, geographic location will remain a major factor in segmenting your target markets since your customers are located in particular rural areas. Or, if you own a retail store, geographic location of the store is one of the most important considerations.
Climate is a commonly used geographic segmentation variable that affects industries such as heating and air conditioning, sporting equipment, lawn equipment and building materials.
Decide if your business is going to do business on a local, regional, national or international level. Identify the geographic region where your market is located. Identify specific boundaries within which you will do business.Demographic. Potential customers are identified by criteria such as age, race, religion, gender, income level, family size, occupation, education level and marital status. Choose those characteristics of your demographic target market that relates to the interest, need and ability of the customer to purchase your product or service.
For example, a target market for a real estate developer selling luxury vacation homes near Walt Disney World would include professional married couples approximately 30 to 45 years old with young children, and with incomes of more than $100,000.
Psychographic. Many businesses offer products based on the attitudes, beliefs and emotions of their target market. The desire for status, enhanced appearance and more money are examples of psychographic variables. They are the factors that influence your customers’ purchasing decision. A seller of luxury items would appeal to an individual’s desire for status symbols.
Business customers, as well as consumers, can be described in psychographic terms. Some companies view themselves as cutting edge or high tech, while others consider themselves socially responsible, stable and strong. Still others see themselves as innovative and creative. These distinctions help in determining how your company is positioned and how you can use the company’s position as a marketing tactic.
For example: Southwest Airlines has positioned itself as an innovative and fun airline that takes passengers on short, inexpensive excursions, whereas Delta chooses to promote reliability and safety.
Behavioristic. Products and services are purchased for a variety of reasons.
Business owners must determine what those reasons are, such as: brand, loyalty, cost, how frequently and at what time of year customers in a segment use and consume products. It’s important to understand the buying habits and patterns of your customers. Consumers do not rush and buy the first car they see, or the first sofa they sit on. A Fortune 500 company doesn’t typically make quick purchasing decisions.
Answer the following questions regarding your market.
Reason/occasion for purchase?
Number of times they’ll purchase?
Timetable of purchase, every week, month, quarter, etc.?
Amount of product/service purchased?
How long to make a decision to purchase?
Where customer purchases and/or uses product/service?
Most businesses use a combination of the above to segment their markets. Demographic and geographic criteria will usually qualify your target markets so you can establish if segment members have enough money to purchase your offering or if they’re in a location that’s accessible to the product. Most businesses then use the psychographic and behavioristic factors to construct a promotional campaign that will appeal to the target market.
Step Three: Research Your Market
demographic data
The primary vehicles to obtain this information are surveys and focus groups. Surveys are typically anonymous and try to reach as many members of a target market as possible. Focus groups, on the other hand, attempt to get an understanding of a specific market segment by questioning eight to 12 members of that group to discover what psychographic and behavioristic factors might motivate the entire group.
1.4 explain how to cluster customers with similar characteristics
Segmentation
When you segment you know who to target.
If I’m selling an expensive little black dress,
I want to target women who have a high annual household income.
In this case I’m defining the limits of the group.
Women.
With annual incomes over a hundred thousand dollars who have
purchased similar items in that product category.
It’s natural to assume that this group of women would (be able to) buy my store’s dresses.
Clustering
Clustering is the process of using machine learning and algorithms
to identify how different types of data are related and creating new segments
based on those relationships. Clustering finds the relationship between data points
so they can be segmented.
In the following mockup of a cluster model for my black dress customers we see that
many of the women purchased a dress in the first two months of the year and were in their early twenties
1.5 describe how to confirm that proposed segments are real, distinctive, viable and their buying power measurable
Audience amount of people targeted suppliers demographicsTo confirm that segments are real and measurable they must be profitable and sales must be measured for each segment so each segment has a way of being measures.
A successful market segment will usually meet the following criteria:
Clearly Defined and Distinguishable Segment
The chosen segments should be clearly defined to avoid doubt about which part of the market, the firm's marketing activities are aimed at. Otherwise there is a risk that market activities will "spill over" into different segments. If there is more than one segment, you will need to assess whether each segment will require specific marketing. For example if married and unmarried men behave similarly when purchasing shoes, there is little value in placing them in different segments.
Measurability of Segment
Before embarking on a sales strategy it is important to know the size of existing sales in that segment. A firm also needs to know how product sales are growing in the chosen segment. If you can not measure the growth rate, it will be difficult to assess whether your chosen segment is profitable. Accessibility of Segment
Accessibility includes communicating with your customers; communication is usually through the internet, TV, radio. However if target customers do not use these things it will be difficult to communicate with them. Post is also a challenge unless you can find out where people making up your market segment live. If you cannot target your segment effectively through marketing communication your marketing strategy will fail.
The other aspect of accessibility is being able to distribute your product to your chosen segment. For example a shop based in South London is unlikely to get a large number of customers from North England. In this instance the shop will have to reassess its chosen segment or think about solutions to help accessibility such as selling to customers through the internet.
Size and Suitability Of Segment
Firms need to ensure that the segment is suitable by ensuring that consumers making up the segment are likely to buy the product and have the spending power to buy the product. There also needs to be an opportunity to increase product sales within the chosen segment.
For example if the firm's chosen segment involves selling smart phones to people aged 20-30 who don't own a smart phone. If 95% of this age group own a smart phone, the chosen segment will probably need to be reconsidered as only 5% of the chosen segment don't own a smart phone.
On the other hand if the firm's marketing strategy involves persuading people to replace their smart phone it may be a suitable segment as 95% of the segment are the type of people likely to buy smart phones.
Segment suitability also includes the size of the segment. If the segment is too small, potential for sales growth will be limited. If is is too large, it will be difficult to create marketing activities to suit all of the groups included in the segment.
Actionability of Segment
Even if all of the criteria listed above are satisfied a segment is unsuitable unless the business has the resources to cater for the needs of the segment. For example a small business with a £45000 turnover may struggle to fulfil a multi- million pound manufacturing contract.
Segmentation is a form of critical evaluation rather than a prescribed process or system, and hence no two markets are defined and segmented in the same way. However there are a number of underpinning criteria that assist us with segmentation:
Is the segment viable? Can we make a profit from it?
Is the segment accessible? How easy is it for us to get into the segment?
Is the segment measurable? Can we obtain realistic data to consider its potential?
The are many ways that a segment can be considered. For example, the auto market could be segmented by: driver age, engine size, model type, cost, and so on.
However the more general bases include:
by geography – such as where in the world was the product bought.
by psychographics – such as lifestyle or beliefs.
by socio-cultural factors – such as class.
by demography – such as age, sex, and so on.
A company will evaluate each segment based upon potential business success. Opportunities will depend upon factors such as: the potential growth of the segment the state of competitive rivalry within the segment how much profit the segment will deliver how big the segment is how the segment fits with the current direction of the company and its vision.
1.6explain how to evaluate the profitability and stability of market segments
Market segments are evaluated by how stable and don’t vanish over time, customers in the same segments will want the same things and it will respond well to a constantly given marketing stimulus.
Segmentation is a central aspect of a marketing strategy, and must be constantly assessed, measured, validated, and refined through financial and statistical methods. It is important to make sure the marketing segmentation is still profitable and stable.1.7describe how a range of products may appeal to different market segments
Car industry The are many ways that a segment can be considered. For example, the auto market could be segmented by: driver age, engine size, model type, cost, and so on.1.8explain the motivators and inhibitors that influence customer behaviour
Motivators and inhibitors 1.8a) Aspirations 1.8b) lifestyle 1.8c) income 1.8d) time 1.8e) status 1.8f) family
1.9explain the use of Customer Relationship Management.
Be able to use a range of creative thinking techniques to generate ideas and responses
2.1
Clarify information using questions asked from different perspectives
2.2
Analyse a variety of information sources
Global warming statistics...what do they tell us
2.3
Interpret the central questions, issues and challenges from given information
2.4
Critically compare pre-conceptions and assumptions to determine actual constraints in defining a problem for resolution
2.5
Review and revise barriers to creative thinking from individuals and organisations Watch the video from Ken Robinson Schools kill creativity and make notes about the barriers talked about that stifle creativity and creative thinking
Barrier 1: We Are Not In A Creative Sector
You may not be an organisation that is in the creative sector but that does not mean that you should not be looking at different ways of doing things.
Barrier 2: I Don’t Have Time
As a leader there are two very distinct but interrelated roles to consider: taking care of the present and building long term sustained success in the future. It is easy to fill your schedule with the here and now and fool yourself into believing you have no time.
Barrier 3: Being Passive
By that I mean waiting for someone else to come up with the answer and then trying to lift it and shoe horn it into your organisation.
Barrier 4: Over Control
Much is said and written about employee engagement. The fact is employees will only engage if they feel that if they come up with an idea it will be given appropriate consideration. If you want to control everything you will never get creativity.
Barrier 5: No Incentive
Take a look at the reward structures in your organisation. Do they reward people who come up with good solutions or do they just treat people as if they are all the same?
Barrier 6: Fear of Failure
Every organisation needs to take some degree of risk. Those risks might result in successes sometimes and failure at other times. If you fear failure, your organisation, team or function will always be sub-optimal in terms of results. We often learn more when we fail than when we succeed.
Barrier 7: Complacency
The minute you think you have it cracked you are in dangerous waters. Just look at organisations that were around in the past who are not any longer. Don’t ever think that you have it all cracked.
Do you have the tendency to focus on the negative aspects of new ideas when creating a display, like too expensive – too difficult – I don't have the knowledge/ skills / time / space – we can't do it because…..
Are you seeing all the ‘why-nots’ instead of the ‘let’s-do-it-even- though”
Instead of seeing the obstacles and barriers switch your focus: How can I / we make this work or what would we need? Can I stretch finances by begging and buying 2nd hand? Who has the required skills, or can I learn those skills? How can I generate time? What space would be perfect?
Fear of Failure
Be Prepared to Learn
You might have a fear of looking foolish or being laughed at when creating an elaborate or unusual display. Most people think that others will judge them negatively when trying something unfamiliar but most people love to see creative ideas coming to life. Maybe it is your own insecurity that holds you back? Or lack of support? Have you talked about your plans with colleagues or supervisor?
We never laugh at a child's first attempt to talk, walk, and draw. We encourage them. Lots of adults have lost confidence in trying out new skills. They fear negative judgement from themselves or others. Be courageous – ignore that voice in your head saying you might fail to do a perfect job. If you’re disappointed with your first attempt, learn from it and DON’T STOP. Trying again and again is the only way to learn what works and what doesn’t.
Executive Stress
Make Time for Creativity
You might not have the time to think creatively. The over-stressed person finds it difficult to think objectively at all. Stress reduces the quality of all mental processes. It limits creative thinking because that requires inspiration and exploration. Thinking outside the box requires a relaxed state of mind.
Managing day-to-day operations is important, but it shouldn’t prevent new ideas and a fresh approach. Don’t think of new displays or ideas when in the middle of managing accounts. But before you go to sleep is perfect. Guide your thinking; let your mind drift off. That space between being awake and asleep is a fantastic source of ideas…. Allow your mind to welcome images that pop up.
Following Rules
Circumvent Status Quo
You might not be aware that it hampers the creativity when you have a tendency to conform to accepted patterns of belief or thought – the rules and limitations of the status quo. You restrict yourself with staying on the safe side. You prevent yourself from being open to suggestions and ideas that are new or not associated with your field of work.
Some rules are necessary. We don’t want to offend or harm others with displaying ideas or concepts that are offensive. But we often create our own imaginary rules when it comes to making displays. We assume we know what others would accept or not without much evidence. Imagine 5 different people, a medical student, art teacher, chaplain, fashionista and jazz singer and envisage how they would react to your display.
Making Assumptions
Be Open Minded
Conscious and unconscious assumptions restrict creative thinking. Are you sure that a specific subject is not done? Is it the topic that is taboo? Religious reasons? Is it a touchy subject or is it because you feel uncomfortable tackling the issue, not knowing how to make a display about it?
Identify and examine the assumptions you are making to ensure they are not excluding new ideas. Talk with a variety of people, old, young, conservative and progressive and figure out what it is that might make the topic unfavourable for a display (excluding obvious reasons). But don't be afraid to stand out. Trust your own capability and intelligence.
Over-reliance on Logic
Let Go of Old Concepts
Investing all your intellect into logical or analytical thinking – the step-by-step approach – excludes imagination, intuition, emotion or humour. Use your emotions to create a display, if it makes you smile it makes others smile. If it makes you happy it makes others happy and if it makes you think about the theme of your display it draws people in and they will stop and contemplate the philosophy or opinion that you (indirectly) portray.
Creativity is not the product of logical thought. Itis the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is looking with fresh eyes at old ways of doing and improving them. But even if your intellect works in a logical and analytical way, you still can create fantastic displays. Just let go of the assumption that it needs to be functional or logical. Allow yourself to ‘fool around’ with materials and concepts. Be wild!! You might be surprised what you come up with.
2.6
Analyse realities beyond the current situation and take risks with ideas and thought processes
2.7
Investigate familiar sources of information for new inspiration
2.8
Record observations, experiences, ideas and reflective thoughts to broaden personal knowledge base
2.9
Demonstrate an acceptance of the opportunity for revelation when least expected
2.10
Identify connections and associations from things that seem unconnected
2.11
Identify, interrogate and challenge assumptions behind existing ideas
2.12
Critically compare a range of different solutions and ideas
2.13
Evaluate ideas and situations in new ways to change perspective
2.14
Review and revise ideas with others to identify how they might be changed or improved
2.15
Review and revise own thought patterns and ways of responding to work and life situations
Not everyone has the cash to spend kitting themselves out with the most expensive graphic design software, particularly when starting a new business or embarking on a new career in design. Many will default to Adobe's fantastic Creative Cloud suite of applications, but for those who want to do the groundwork there is a lot of free graphic design software out there that can do the job just as well.
But to save you from doing said groundwork, and to help separate the wheat from the chaff, we've compiled this list and divided it into five sections:
Vector art
Image editing
3D software
Data visualization
Other useful tools
So scroll through this list and try out some of the free applications available to you – you may not need that Adobe subscription after all…
Vectr's online options make it great for live collaboration
Platform: Online, Mac, Windows, Linux, Chromebook
Available both as a browser-based web app and as a stand-alone desktop app, Vectr is a free editor for creating 2D vector graphics. With all the vector features you'd hope for, plus plenty of options for using filters, shadows and fonts, it's versatile enough for day-to-day design tasks such as creating icons, websites, illustrations, logos and more. Particularly useful are its live collaboration and synchronisation options, enabling you to hook up with anyone, anywhere to create in tandem.
Although SVG-Edit is limited to the SVG format it's surprisingly capable for free graphic design software
Platform: Web Browser
If you're looking to quickly output SVG, or edit an existing SVG file, there are a few online editors that will do the job just as well as Adobe Illustrator. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is an open format that allows you to reproduce your Vector drawings programmatically, and one of the nicest projects is SVG-Edit.
This is built entirely on HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript without requiring any server-side processing. So not only can you use it to create and edit documents, but as it's open source you can also download and modify the code – making your own version if you want.
The standard, albeit basic, toolset of every vector-image editor is here, and although it's limited to the SVG format it's surprisingly capable.
Free graphic design software Inkscape has very good SVG integration and supports a number of advanced features
Platform: Windows/Linux (Mac possible if you're technically minded)
As with many of the free options available, Inkscape focuses on the SVG format as its primary file format. This highly capable editor has a very good SVG integration, supporting many of the more advanced features that aren't always available in other apps – such as alpha blending, cloned objects, and markers.
Full support for different colour modes means this is a viable alternative to Illustrator for both print and web design, and although the interface is somewhat simpler than Illustrator, it's still possible to achieve extremely sophisticated artwork. Of particular note is the ability to trace bitmap images, support for variable width strokes and native import of Illustrator files.
There are source binaries available for Windows, Linux, and Mac, and compiled versions currently offered for Windows and Linux.
DrawPlus isn't really intended for professionals, but it's got some impressive feature considering it is free graphic design software
Platform: Windows
Although at first sight you might think DrawPlus isn't really intended as an app for professionals, it's actually surprisingly capable, and as it's offered in a free version it muscled its way into our list of free graphic design software. DrawPlus is designed to be intuitive in use, and has a wide range of tools that mirror functionality in Illustrator, but in a more approachable manner.
There are also some nice extra features that are actually implemented in a more user-friendly way than Adobe's software – 3D being a prime example, where you can quickly make an object 3D via extrusion, apply a wide range of 3D styles or draw your own bevel profile that's instantly applied to your object. Similarly there's a collection of brushes and pre-defined templates to get you started working quickly.
The app works happily in CMYK, allowing you to easily output print-ready artwork and it's also capable of working with Pantone colour profiles.
Designed with the VFX industry and concept artists, illustrators, matte and texture artists in mind, Krita is a free and open source painting tool that's been in development for over 10 years. It comes with a full set of brushes suitable for all manner of work, and there's a whole host of plugins available, from advanced filters to painting assistants for perspective work, and the latest version boasts features improved graphics tablet suport, OpenGL zooming and a wraparound mode for texture painting.
Free graphic design software Pixlr comes with more than 600 effects
Platform: iOS, Android
Pixlr claims to be "the most popular online photo editor in the world", which may have something to do with the fact that it's free graphic design software.
But it also boasts more than 600 effects, overlays, and borders and lets you do all the main things you'd expect from a photo editor, from cropping and re-sizing to removing red-eye and whitening teeth.
And if you're used to using Photoshop, then you'll find Pixlr's user interface easy to pick up quickly, as it's very similar. This free app is available in both iOS and Android varieties.
For photo editing, free graphic design software Paint.net is an excellent alternative to Photoshop
Platform: Windows
Paint.net is a Windows-based alternative to the Paint editor that Microsoft shipped with versions of Windows. Don't let that put you off, though, as it's surprisingly capable, useful and free graphic design software.
The focus is on ease of use, and there's a definite tendancy towards photo editing rather than artistic creation. That said, there are a range of special effects available, allowing you to easily create fake perspective, blend and push pixels around the canvas, tile and repeat selections, and so on.
A good range of selection tools, support for layers, and adjustments such as curves and brightness/contrast mean that Paint.net is a great alternative to Photoshop for photo editing, especially if you can do without some of the more recent additions to Photoshop's toolset.
Free graphic design software Sumopaint works in the browser, and requires Adobe Flash to use
Platform: Web browser (requires Adobe Flash Player)
Sumopaint is a highly capable browser-based image editor. All the standard features you'd expect from a desktop tool are present and correct (and by buying the Pro version for $19 you can install a desktop version of the app if you prefer).
You need the Adobe Flash Player to use this tool, so you're not going be using Sumopaint on your iPad. That said, it's lightweight and quick to load, and the free version is very usable.
The standard range of tools and adjustments you'd expect are all included. Brushes, pencils, shapes, text, cloning, gradients, etc are all quickly accessed from the Photoshop-esque floating toolbar. It can also open saved documents from your hard drive, making Sumopaint a perfectly viable option for editing and reediting.
GIMP is a popular, free graphic design software alternative to Photoshop
Platform: Linux, Windows, Mac
Open-source free graphic design software that debuted on Unix-based platforms, GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. Today it's available in versions for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
GIMP's interface differs somewhat from Photoshop, but a version of GIMP is available that mimics Adobe's look and feel, making it easier to migrate over if you're ditching Photoshop. The full suite of tools is available here – everything you're accustomed to is within easy reach, including painting tools, colour correction, cloning, selection, and enhancement.
The team that oversees development has worked hard to ensure compatibility too, so you'll be able to work with all the popular file formats without any trouble at all. You'll also find a very capable file manager built in, along similar lines to Adobe's Bridge.
Normally retailing at $249, 3D software Daz Studio is currently available to download completely free of charge
Platform: Mac, Windows
Daz Studio is a 3D figure customisation, posing and animation tool that enables artists of all skill levels to creating digital art using virtual people, animals, props, vehicles, accessories and environments.
With Daz Studio, you can create custom 3D characters and avatars, design virtual environments, produce graphic design elements and much more. The latest version of Daz Studio 4.5 normally retails at $249 but is currently available to download free of charge.
The superb animation Big Buck Bunny was made using free graphic design software tool Blender
Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
If you're serious about 3D but struggling to afford software, then you're in luck. Blender is a free, open source 3D content creation suite, available for all major operating systems.
Started by Blender Foundation founder Ton Roosendaal back in 2002, Blender is now largest open source tool for 3D creation. Its makers are constantly working on its development, but you can pretty much do anything 3D related with this software, including modelling, texturing, animation, rendering and compositing.
Master the art of digital sculpting with Pixologic's free graphic design software Sculptris
Platform: Mac, Windows
If you're interested in the art of digital sculpting, check out 3D software Sculptris, from Pixologic. Perfect for all skill levels, the software is a great starting point for users new to the discipline and more experienced CG artists will find the software a quick and easy way to realise concepts.
Sculptris is based on Pixologic's ZBrush, the most widely-used digital sculpting application in today's market. So, when you're ready to move on to the next level of detailing, skills learned in Sculptris can be directly translated into ZBrush.
Get to grips with the Houdini graphic design software with this free Apprentice version
Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux
Houdini is a 3D animation and visual effects tool, used widely throughout the media industry for film, broadcast, entertainment and visualisation. And its cheapest version costs just a little under $2000.
But the makers of the programme – Side Effects Software – are a good bunch and, knowing that cost can be an issue, offer an Apprentice version for free. With this you can access all of the features of the full version in order to develop your skills in the software and work on personal projects. The programme is purely for use non-commercial and learning purposes.
Google chart tools are powerful, simple to use, and free. You can choose from a variety of charts and configure an extensive set of options to perfectly match the look and feel of your website. By connecting your data in real time, Google Developers is the perfect infographic generator for your website.
Free graphic design software Easel.ly offers a dozen free templates to start you off
Platform: Web browser
This free web-based infographic tool offers you a dozen free templates to start you off, which are easily customisable.
You get access to a library of things like arrows, shapes and connector lines, and you can customize the text with range of fonts, colours, text styles and sizes. The tool also lets you upload your graphics and position them with one touch.
Customising the data that makes up the infographic takes place in an Excel style spreadsheet
Platform: Web browser
Infogr.am is a great free tool which offers access to a wide variety of graphs, charts and maps as well as the ability to upload pictures and videos to create cool infographics.
Customising the data that makes up the infographic takes place in an Excel style spreadsheet and can easily be edited, watching the software automatically change the look of the infographic to perfectly represent your data. When you're happy with your infographic you can publish it to the Infogram website for all to enjoy and even embed it in to your own website or share it via social media.
Harlem Shake - remember that? Visual.ly is great free graphic design software plus a community for infographics creators
Platform: Web browser
Visual.ly is a community platform for data visualization and infographics set up in 2011. It allows you both to create infographics and get them shared on social media. The website is also able to match those commissioning infographics – including brands, companies and agencies – with its community over more than 35,000 designers.
How to create a presentation that will impress - use Prezi's free graphic design software
Platform: Web browser
Prezi is a stylish online presentation creation tool that lets you use images, videos, objects or simple text, and animate them using a wide range of effects. It supports all the major mobile and desktop platforms and allows you to run your presentations as executable files as well.
The finished presentations can also be shared directly from Prezi on all major social networks. Prezi comes both as a free and paid service, but even the free version has all the options you need.
Expression Web is free graphic design software to download from Microsoft's website
Platform: Windows
If you're a PC user, Microsoft has made its Expression Web 4.0 software free of charge. There's no tech support available for free downloaders but its a pretty powerful alternative to likes of Dreamweaver that won't cost you a penny. In this article, illustrator, artist and graphic designer Stefan Lindblad explains why it offers an alternative worth investigating.
No list of great free graphic design software would be complete without Google Web Fonts
The Google Web Fonts project – renamed Google Fonts – recently did a deal with font service Monotype to make its free fonts available for desktop use. Monotype's SkyFonts software is normally used to rent commercial fonts for short-term use.
But the new deal means you can access desktop versions of hundreds of Google Fonts – previously only available for use as web fonts – via SkyFonts, for as long as you want. You can also find more free fonts right here on Creative Bloq...
Sign up for Behance using either your email address or via your social network
With millions of views each month, online creative community Behance is quickly becoming the place to be for artists of all disciplines. It's a fantastic way to see what your peers are up to as well as finding new work and creative inspiration from top web designers and agencies. Find the best ways to get your work noticed on Behance here.
Create your own portfolio blog with Wordpress's free graphic design software
There are a whole lot of designers who don't have their own blog, but it's a great way to showcase your fantastic work, get recognition in your industry, earn extra income and get new clients.
WordPress is the most popular platform for blogging, and while it can be a little fiddly to set up, there's lots of helpful information online to get you going. Check out these articles:
Dribbble is a great source of inspiration as well as a designer's tool
Dribbble enables designers to share their creations easily, and is a good source of inspiration as well as a great way to promote your own work. Check out this article to find out which designers you should be following on Dribbble.
