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Smartie Pants Smart Meter Labels

June 2nd, 2009 by Chief Nut

I see our client, PaladinID, got picked up by Yahoo Finance today with their announcement of their new fade-resistant flexographic ink. OK, OK, I can see your eyes rolling back in your head after reading a phrase like “fade-resistant flexographic ink!” You’re probably saying to yourself, “what could possibly be less cool!” Oh NO, mon frere, here’s why it is very cool …

The folks at PaladinID recently discovered that, due to an aging and unsupported line of printers, there was no answer to the burning question, “How can I create a durable, color, variable printing, barcode label for use outdoors that won’t fade in just a couple of years?” I know I’ve personally asked myself that question at least twice this week (not). But seriously, think about it — how many things do you see labeled outdoors! Dana Ritchie, owner of PaladinID, saw the cool factor here and hired a chemist to solve this very problem.

They are now the ONLY producer of fade-resistant color inks for use in barcode labeling of the hot, Hot, HOT “Smart Meter” industry (if you’re not sure what that is, please Google it. You’ll be hearing a lot about it. Pres. Obama is pushing hard for these things). Other applications could be outdoor signage, outdoor tanks, electrical poles, gas cylinders, etc. The list goes on and on.

How would YOU like to be the only producer in the world of a necessasary feature for a hot, up and coming product? Can you say, “BIG DEAL?” Seeee! I told you it was cool, Mr. Smartie pants! [Bravo, Dana!]

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Tagline, slogan, motto - what’s the diff?

December 16th, 2008 by Content Crusader

Here are the definitions for each of these words from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary:

Tagline: A reiterated phrase identified with an individual, group, or product

Slogan: A brief attention-getting phrase used in advertising or promotion

Motto: A short expression of a guiding principle

Still confused?

A tagline is a phrase connected to either a company’s or a product’s brand. “We Try Harder” is the tagline for Avis and “Mmm, Mmm, Good” represents Campbell’s Soup. Each of these phrases tells you something about the company without speaking directly about their products or services.

A slogan is tied to a campaign. One of the latest campaign slogans is “Change We Need” used for Barack Obama’s presidential bid. Another older and successful slogan is “He likes it! Hey Mikey!” used in the ad campaign for Life cereal.

Mottos express how a company describes itself. Macy’s department store motto is “Be everywhere, do everything, and never fail to astonish the customer”. It’s a description of how they feel they should do business.

Shrug these off as useless marketing nonsense? Well, see if you can you identify these taglines: “I’m Lovin It” and “They’re Grrrreat!”? They provide instant recognition for the company (McDonalds) or product (Frosted Flakes) for which they are associated. They stick in the mind of consumers and have long-lasting value.

Hopefully this post provides some clarity. The impact of taglines, slogans and mottos is Grrrreat! They get a point across and provoke emotion. If you’re already considering writing a tagline, slogan or motto we suggest that you Just Do It!

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The Ten Commandments

October 17th, 2008 by Pixel Pixie

While surfing the internet today I came across Dieter Rams, pretty cool name, that’s what I thought too. From what I’ve read he is an influential industrial designer of the 20th century, but I’m not going to sit here and give you a biography. What intrigued me most was his “ten commandments” of good design and how this short list of elements could be applied to not only other forms of design, but to most other businesses.

Here’s the list:

Innovative
Useful
Aesthetic
Self-explanatory
Unobtrusive
Honest
Durable
Thorough
Environmentally-friendly
As little design as possible

I could talk for hours about how this list applies directly and indirectly to my field, but as for you … I ask you to take a look at it and determine how these items can benefit you and your business.

Resources:
http://www.vitsoe.com/
http://blog.kimvallee.com/

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A few things we can learn from – Andy Warhol

October 10th, 2008 by Pixel Pixie

I am compelled to write a blog after visiting the Currier Art Museum in Manchester, with it’s new first-time exhibit “Pop Politics” by Andy Warhol. Simply Amazing. It really got me thinking. Unfortunately most of what people know about Warhol is “Oh he’s the Campbell soup guy”. Well, yes that is true, but Warhol is so much more than that, I think as a professional designers, we can learn a lot from him. Let’s dig in.

My favorite piece at this show was “Red Lenin” – I found not only the subject but also the execution compelling. As designers what can we take away from this particular piece? Some questions to get your little brain going:
Scale: This piece is 39.4 x 29.5 in – Would it have this much impact at another size? What if it was smaller?
Placement/ Cropping: Just the bust of Lenin is present, he is pretty much dead center, and staring straight ahead. – What if he was looking away, what if this was a full length view? What if he only took up a 2in. section in the corner?
Color: This canvas is saturated in bright red, the skin in yellow. – What if it was saturated in bright green? What if his skin was peach colored? Would it conjure up the same emotions?
Medium: This is a silk screen. – What if it was a charcoal drawing? A watercolor?
Message: Art means different things to different people, that goes without saying. I am not sure what Warhol’s intentions were in creating this piece, but I have definite opinions about what this piece says to me, and I’ve formulated these opinions based on the above key components. If those components were in any way different, they most certainly would have changed Warhol’s message.

All of these items are something to think of not only when analyzing fine art, but when creating a commercial piece of work. Each of Warhol’s choices bring up a certain emotion, I am sure they were meticulously and specifically chosen. Are you that specific when creating design work? Warhol wanted to create a definitive emotion with his choices, just as you (or I) want to create a specific emotion in commercial design pieces. Are you as calculated as Warhol?

What else can we learn from Warhol?

A point that speaks to me is that he started out as a graphic (or commercial) designer (I have something in common with Andy Warhol, YES!). But unlike me I guess most of his purpose and pop art in general was to blur that line between – commercial art – and fine art. Basically to show us that commercial art could be fine art. His artwork was mass produced, by this he tried to show us that these two disciplines are truly interchangeable. I can say that I strive to translate my knowledge and abilities of fine art and art history into my commercial work. As I mentioned above the basics of symmetry, color theory, layout and a thousand other principals can be broadly applied from a fine art education to my current career as a graphic designer and vice versa.

No matter what medium or discipline we choose, we speak to people visually and that is what I think art is all about. If you’re in the NH area any time soon, I recommend that you swing by the Currier and see what you can take personally from this exhibit, and apply to your own life and work.

This piece is part of a group writing project created by www.Designer-Daily.com

Resources:
The wonderful Art History Department at Plymouth State University
http://www.currier.org/nowonview.aspx
http://www.artnet.com/artwork/425755825/424912690/andy-warhol-red-lenin.html
http://anarddesign.blogspot.com/2007/04/andy-warhol-1928-1987-bio.html

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The Getty Center - Pure Inspiration

October 3rd, 2008 by Pixel Pixie

I am writing to pass on this little jewel of art and culture that I would have never known about had it not been for some friends giving me some great advice as to where to visit while in Southern California. If you ever find yourself near L.A. you HAVE to visit the Getty Center. I had no idea what I was in for, I thought it would be just another fine art museum, I was so wrong! I knew I was in for something special when I realized that the way up to the center which is located on the top of a small mountain was by a little train.

This is easily the most amazing place I have been in this country. Talk about inspirational the beautiful, colorful gardens, a panoramic view of L.A. combined with art from the last 500 years or so, gave me about a thousand ideas that I can’t wait to incorporate into my own art and design. For a creative professional it doesn’t get much better than the opportunity to visit such a unique place. Heck, I don’t even think you need to be in the area, I think it’s worth a special trip.

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Take a vacation from design? No, Thanks

September 22nd, 2008 by Pixel Pixie

Late last night as I flew back to NH from San Diego, I got to thinking: What can I blog about from my vacation?
Throughout the trip I found myself examining business cards, commenting on font selections, identifying process v. digital printing, hoarding paper bags and napkins with interesting illustrations or copywriting – all while my friends looked on with confusion. One encounter sticks in my mind, while attending a craft fair imagine the utter shock and disbelief I met when I overheard an artist say he did not have business cards – I had to turn and leave in order to stop myself from keeling over. Overall I accrued a nice little collection of business cards, brochures, and about a million other little items, perfect for my inspiration folder.

I think I speak not only for myself but most other designers out there, you may be on vacation but in the end you’re still a designer. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Inspiration for Designers

September 12th, 2008 by Design Diva

Today marks the day of my first blog post. I have many excuses why I haven’t started blogging yet – but today is different because I don’t have an excuse to not write one. Instead my excuse is just the opposite… you know how it goes, everyone has been there… You get into the office, turn on your computer and you’re just not “feeling it”. Well, that’s what happened to me on this Friday morning. And that is why I have dedicated my first blog post to my sources of inspiration. People think that designers always have ideas coming out the wazoo, but that’s not always true. “Designers-block” can get the best of us at times. So where do we so-called “creative people” go, when we are feeling, well, er… not so creative.

One of my favorite places to go is Smashing Magazine. It is a great resource for developers and designers. Daily posts include featured photographs, contests, freebies, design showcases, latest trends, and tutorials.

Done – Daily Design Workout is the personal blog of Jonas Buntenbruch. Each day his blog features a new workout – don’t start sweating yet – this is not the kind of workout that you might expect. His daily work out is “mini-design” that is created in 30 to 60 minutes as a challenge as a test to his design skills. This is by far one of my favorite places to visit, plus anyone can rise to the challenge of this workout – all you need is a fountain soda and deep bowl of buttery popcorn and your computer in order to participate.

Another web site that is a recent discovery of mine is Just Creative Design, which is a personal blog site written by Australian designer Jacob Cass.

Twitter is one of the latest trends in online communication – you can communicate and connect with people through the exchange of short messages. I like to check out web links that are posted by the people I am following. Inspiration comes in all forms.

Sometimes visiting blogs or web sites that have nothing to do with graphic design are helpful way to get new ideas, so long as they are visually interesting, that is. Two that I enjoy in particular are: Hostess with the Mostess and Design Sponge Online.

Of course there are millions and millions of sources for inspiration. This is a just a small sampling of sites that are old stand-bys for me. Good luck and get inspired!

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All Eights

August 8th, 2008 by Chief Nut

This has nothing to do with brand or marketing or social media … but it’s kinda fun, so I couldn’t resist.

The time stamp for this post is 08:08.08, 08/08/08. Today, I hope your luck number is “8″!

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I Love New York?

June 15th, 2008 by Chief Nut

I’m sitting in an outdoor terrace of a quaint little Turkish restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. While anxiously waiting for the of start tomorrow’s WidgetWeb Expo I’m relegated to connecting with the ‘outside world’ via my iPhone. What strikes me most, in the moment, is how NYC is really an amazing slice of the ‘real’ world … so rich in cultural diversity. What a shame it would have been to take a seat inside the restaurant and miss out on the people watching. This, in a way is like social media. If we sit alone, immersed in our own little lives, never looking outward, we’ll miss out on connecting with an entire world, even if it’s just connecting by observation.

Forgive me if I seem melancholic … I’m missing my boys on this Father’s Day.

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What a Month!

March 3rd, 2008 by Chief Nut

A client who subscribes to this blog pointed out that it’s been more than a month since I last posted. Other than a crazy mad launch of a new Social Networking site, a big-time scare where I thought I had a heart attack (and the subsequent revisiting of my life priorities), and the continued successful growth of Acorn Creative, the month has been pretty light weight.

I decided this morning to dive back into the blogosphere … OK, it’s less like “diving” and more like wading out into the shallow end of the kiddy pool. But I am back in the game. Hope you missed me.

Now for the post …
Also in the past month, I’ve given NUMEROUS training programs to clients on the use of Dreamweaver and WordPress. The question always comes up, “can I add pictures?” “Of course”, is the reply … and I proceed to tell them that there are any number of free or low cost applications that will allow them to resize, crop and save (pretty much all you need to do for blogging or simple page creation).

For all of you looking for an online app that will do the job, here’s a post from Mashable that reviews seven image editing tools. Take your pick.

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