Inspired by the presentations at the Future Midwest 2010 event in Royal Oak and the PRSA 2010 Michigan conference in Novi, I started the site Germans in Michigan on Facebook in April 2010.
Goals of the page Germans In Michigan
- Sharing resources, tips and experiences about living in Michigan.
- Sharing news about Germany and Michigan.
- Networking and helping Germans in Michigan connect and integrate.
- Sharing job leads for German speakers.
- Promoting German businesses located in Michigan.
- Finding new friends, answers, help & having fun while socializing online!
If you are German and live in Michigan or if you are interested in Germany and its people and culture, this is the place to share experiences, tips, news and other information about the Great Lakes State and Germany.
Everybody is welcome to add comments or ask questions, to spread the word and share the link with German friends living in Michigan.
Facebook and Graphic Design
I always try to brand the page with a custom header and profile picture that represent the group in a positive way and that relate to the audience.
Since gnomes are known for being a typical German thing, and because a bunch of them reside in German front yards and gardens, these little fellows often show up in the header or the profile picture of the group’s Facebook page.
Just recently, I found a helpful tutorial on how to design a Facebook header and profile picture combination. I used splash brushes and created a header in the colors of the German flag. For the profile picture, I chose the silhouette of a garden gnome with the outline of Michigan as the background. The design was created in one file and the profile picture seems to be a part of the header. The author of the tutorial called it an integrated Facebook masthead design.
I also designed an example for my page Gnome Designs.
One of my peers, Alexander Moinet of Moinet Designs, recorded a video tutorial that demonstrates a similar way to achieve the same outcome.
It’s fun to create and makes a Facebook Page look professional and creative. Try it out for yourself and connect with Germans in Michigan and Gnome Designs on Facebook!