Research Results Are In
Effective marketing starts with great design. (But you already knew that.)
As it turns out, the Swedes are a fun bunch! This was our first experience working with a client from the land of the Volvo, Sony Ericsson, IKEA . . . and now, TestFreaks. We competed with four other international firms to create a design for the Web site and several online widgets.
View the Project Profile ›
categories
- Branding (1)
- Design (2)
- Miscellany (1)
- Tools of the Trade (2)
recent posts
Target Brand Is Brand New
Retail giant Target is fighting back against a difficult economy by ramping up its spending. Specifically, on new labels, new signage, new advertising, new slogans, new logos, new web ads, new mailers, etc. (yes, all the stuff we love to do). An entirely new brand for its own brand of products, now called: Up & Up.
This is exciting. It demonstrates that the businesses who will survive the trials of a recession are those who are willing to do what it takes to get noticed and always stand out from the crowd.
Here’s a quote from John Quelch, found on “Working Knowledge,” the Harvard Business School blog:
“This is not the time to cut advertising. It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times.”
I quite like the direction Target has taken. I like the implication of “looking up,” the new tag lines, and the natural connection between the arrow and the original target.
The only thing I find difficult to understand is why Target didn’t come to us for help with this project. Onward and upward!
—slw—————
Never Email, Never Lose Another File
Have you ever emailed a file to yourself to work on later from a different computer? Have you ever delivered files on CD or DVD because they were too big to email? Yeah. Me too. It can be most frustrating trying to get a massive file to finally leave your outbox. With clients, I find one of the biggest challenges to working off-site is sharing large files.
We have 3 solutions in place for clients to send files to us, and one solution for 2-way file sharing. So here are some solutions that work for me:
- FTP access
- Custom PHP forms for client uploads
- Dropbox.
FTP works really well for 1-way file transfer but it is sometimes hard to predict just what a user’s experience will be. Each browser seems to have its own way of handling FTP transactions. To simplify, we developed an online file-submission form.
We have 3 basic forms for file submission: for new clients, for existing clients with new projects, and for existing projects that just need a new file. They all perform the same magic but require varying amounts of data input. This is another 1-way solution which doesn’t help deliver files to clients. Enter Dropbox.
Dropbox offers file sync, sharing, and secure backup in one software application that integrates seamlessly with your operating system, and is also accessible from anywhere via the Dropbox website. With a user base that is growing by 200,000 people each month, Dropbox is the leading software of its kind on the market. I discovered Dropbox when my family needed a way for us to share vacation photos from 6 different cameras. We ended up with a shared directory where we could drop all our favorite pics. Since then, I’ve found a million great business uses for it, including syncing my desktop calendar and address book between each of my computers and my iPhone.
Dropbox is free if you have limited storage needs and there is a professional subscription level as well. Dropbox is an excellent solution that has worked flawlessly for my needs, personal and business.
—slw—————
It’s Alive!
I’m really excited about our new website. Years in consideration, months in planning, and several weeks in development, and at last we’ve unveiled the 2009 model IDIstudio.com. Preparing the online portfolio was a really enjoyable stroll down memory lane—we truly have been blessed with great clients and exciting projects. And so I offer my heartfelt appreciation to you.
We hope to put this blog to good use in several ways:
- We hope to inspire you by sharing ideas through project Case Studies.
- We hope to inform you by writing about hardware and software applications in Tools of the Trade.
- We hope to engage you with some beautiful photography.
- We hope to mix things up with entries from guest writers.
We also hope to have no time to do any of the above because we are too busy helping you extend your reach and expand your marketshare. And always . . . exceed your expectations.
—slw—————
Naturally, Good Design Matters
When we take time to pay attention to the natural beauty around us it’s hard not to be humbled by the creative genius behind it all. Have you ever wondered about the importance of the design?
It occurs to me that every animal, bird, insect, flower, and marketing manager has the same primary goal . . . to get noticed! Blending in among competitors is not an option. Every aspect of design has to be considered—color, contrast, position, size, shape, positive and negative space, light and shadow, movement, context, etc. And when we see a hummingbird, halfway along its 1,000-mile migration, stop for a nectar break, it’s clear the design of that flower made a difference.
Naturally, good design matters.
—slw—————
Posted From My iPhone
This changes everything.
—slw—————