Specter Last Resort Belt

Besides covering you ass, this thing could save it too. The next best thing to a bat-belt – but probably what the dark night carries all of his gadgets on. Check out the Specter Last Resort Belt ($25-$32). made from Mil-Spec parachute webbing, the belt can be used to fully support one's body weight for rappelling or harnessing, and you can easily attach a carabiner and/or grapling hook.

Logo and Website ReDesign for AGE

Akron Gear is a gear manufacturing company based in Akron, OH. They initially hired me to redesign their website, however after looking over their materials, I noticed that their logo could use some finessing. Since they've been around for a number of years, and the owner was quite fond of the current logo, we decided that a simple update was a good move. After some back and forth, we able to simplify it to it's current form. Here’s how this project went.

My primary goal was to simplify the site. It was incredibly busy and cluttered with info, some of which was outdated. They wanted something that would communicate exactly who they are and clearly display the products and services they offer. They wanted something customers could easily navigate, leading them to do one of 3 things: fill out a form, call, or e-mail. They wanted this to work in a manner as quickly and easily as possible.

View the site here >

Note: Dryclean Books

A friend Paul Merrill, commented a while back on vague icon usage. He found the wash/dry icons pretty nebulous. As did I. I never would have even noticed this icon had he not pointed it out. I happened across this little icon on a book my wife was reading. And apparently you can’t just throw your dirty book in the washing machine.

Why is Brand Identity Important?

In one paragraph:
As consumers we buy based on our perceptions. This perception (what people think about your organization) is known as your brand. And our perceptions are shaped by the way we experience (through our senses) organizations via their materials known as their brand identity. These materials include everything we can sense: What we see, like brochures. What we touch. What we smell. What we taste. What we hear, like radio advertisements or the way you answer the telephone to the way you phrase your mission statement.


So, to sum up:
Brand Identity(business materials) shapes Perception and Perception determines sales(or buy-in, etc.).


Thanks Alina Wheeler.

Hybrid Hummer

Ha. A hybrid Hummer(see below left tail light).

I like it, man!

Zoo Scale

I just thought this was a great way to represent comparative weights on a scale.

Ethiopia Jacket

I designed the graphic beneath “Ethiopia” for a church’s youthgroup who went there to help out on an orphanage in 2007.

Armageddon! It’s the End of the…

Jesus?? He didn’t come this evening, but man what an amazing sky!

Happy 420 Day! (Please, Nobody Go Psycho)

I'm no hippie – or druggie. I simply believe that the government should stay our of our lives. If someone wants to smoke "the marijuana", so what? What business is it of yours or mine? Now, if that person harms me, then it's my business. And if all that person is doing is getting brain damage, that's his/her choice. Just, don't make me pay for his MedicAid because that person is too stoned to get a job.

Nice Logo

Can't remember where I found this, but whoever you are, "Nice work! Keep it up!"

Contrast

What a cute little vintage mini – for this monster truck to smash!

Man Grows Tree Inside Lung!

Talk about becoming one with nature. Pocahontas would be proud!

iSkin Saved iPhone from Serious Road-rash

Since I didn't have another camera on me, I had to re-staged this. But this is where(on the roof of my Corolla) I found my iPhone after driving .9 miles to the library. Apparently in the shuffle of getting the fam in the car, I'd set it up here and forgotten about it. iSkin(along with the Almighty) had my back. Thanks!

New MuteMath Spotlight Video

MUTEMATH - Spotlight
So bad! As in to the bone! Is he having to sing extra slow and time it just right!?? And I guess they'd have to be clapping slow too. Slow funny. These guys are amazing!

Kinkos Poster

Kinkos seems to be stepping up their game! I love environmental graphics like this! Sorry FedEx, though I'm a loyal devotee, I don't think I'll ever break the habit of calling your retail stores Kinkos. Maybe my kids will.

Car = Dust

Wow! Was that real!?? I thought for sure this was CG. I had no idea the Mythbusters were capable of breaking the sound barrier! Watch the side shot of the car (what appears to be)...I won't give it way! Just watch it.

Create an iPhone Icon

As more and more cellphone users join the apple side, you may want to think about creating an iPhone icon for your website. I did b/c I have so many readers who(not only are cool and therefore have an iPhone) have to read and re-read my blog just about every second of every day. To make it easy on them, I've created a icon they can put on their home screen. I'm not sure if your readers are that dedicated, but mine are. Here's how it's done:

1. Create an image 57 x 57 pixels (apple will round the corners and gloss it for you)
2. Save your image to photobucket, picasa, or some other photo hosting website
3. a.) Save it as apple-touch-icon.png and add it in the root of your server, so in my case:
OR
b.) Place a link to your image between the tags <head></head> of your site.

Thanks Ian

iSkin Port Cover

I wish iSkin would have just kept this little port hole cover attached. I lost my first one, so they kindly sent me a new one(or two) to experiment with. So as not to loose them again, I connected them with fishing line(passed through with a needle), tied it in a knot, and melted it together.

Conservative Design

Do liberals have a corner on creativity?

I'm finding that not only are a lot of Conservative messages difficult to muddle through, a lot of design done for certain operations only reinforce the stereotype that they are out of touch and irrelevant. Don't be one of them.

When I compare organizations, I see a big difference in the area of creativity, communication(layout), professionalism, and most of all – branding.

I think in the coming generation that, unless you can clearly and succinctly state your case, you will fail. Get to the point fast. Use your branding elements; and if you don't have consistent branding elements established, get them!

"There are organizations doing great things, but they just don't know how to say it!"

The Difference Between Brand and Brand Identity

Your Brand is the perception that people have of your company.
Your Brand Identity is what you use to shape people's perception.
What we see (e.g.: logo).
What we touch (e.g.: brochure).
What we smell (e.g.: retail store).
What we taste (e.g.: your food).
What we hear (e.g.: like radio advertisements to the way you phrase your mission statement.)

When Good Old-Fashioned Competition Gets in the Way

I never thought I'd hear myself(as someone who believes in capitalism) say this, but I think the competitive spirit might be getting in the way of Capitalism. Can we please unite already? Under the few causes we believe in? I know it's kind of Socialistic/Marxist and all but...Until we do this, do you think we might be duplicating our efforts here?

Take this Tea Party deal for instance. Why are there so many different websites up? It seems like everyone and their Native American buddy has thrown one up. Which one do I go to? Which one is the real deal? teapartyday.com? taxdayteaparty.com? And for crying out loud, those two were in the same article in World. And there's this one. Who knows how many more are out there. Tea Partiers, I wish you well.

Surfs Up!

I’m not a surfer. But I thought this was a good use of negative space in forming the surfboard.

Phil's Toilet

My brother in law is an engineer. Can you tell!?
It's funny, but I love how efficient he is!

Logo/Tag Line Placement

How do you add a tag line to a logo? This question haunted me for quite a while but recently I think I was able to work it out with a few buddies of mine.

I used to think that the tag line unbalanced the logo, but I think that might just be the nature of tag lines. THE most important thing is your logo. The tag line is secondary, thus rightfully named, a tag line, because you tag it on. Adding an additional, but minor element(such as a tag line) may not require the original composition to adjust. This exercise may help:

1. You need to look at the logo without the tag line first, and ask yourself, “Does the logo(bug+word) look right”
2. Then(w/out adjusting your logo) tag the line of copy to your logo where it best fits.

Southwest is Nuts!

This weekend I flew Southwest from Denver to Fort Lauderdale, FL. I couldn't believe my eyes – I was staring at a little golden pack of sweet and salty goodness – peanuts!? That right. Honey roasted even. And they did not disappoint. As good as I remembered them. Yum! Thanks Stacy! I bet it's been over 10 years since I've had peanuts on an airplane.

When's the last time you were offered peanuts on a plane?

Oh, they even had catchy phrases printed on the pack like:
"Tasty Fares" and "Crunch the Numbers"

And here's a nifty way to eat them
Step:
1. Open
2. Pour into mouth

MmmMmmm!

Guess Who Makes this Laptop?

That's right. It's an Apple Macbook. Everybody is using it. It took me like 15 seconds to find one in World.

Do you know why you can so easily guess this? You know why this works so well?
It's not their logo. It's the very design of their product. I can't tell you how many movies or magazine ads I see with an Apple computer in them. I don't even have to see the Apple logo.

See, Apple has this genius idea of making all of their products look relatively the same. You know why this doesn't work for Dell? HP? Gateway? The products are so different from one another within the brand, but I wouldn't be able to tell one brand from another(except for Apple).

One of the Coolest Wastes of 5 Minutes Ever!

Actually it was only about a minute, thirty. Then I lost interest. So maybe it's not that cool. But here it is. I hope you find it enjoyable and waste more time than I did. Here: nownetwork.

Great Funny Danger Icon

Somebody had a lot of fun illustrating the graphic for this project. Not to be out-funned, the copywriter wasn’t about to pass up this opportunity! I passed this while strolling the construction site of Living Way Fellowship at Wildcat and Broadway.

Free Audio Bible(New Testament) MP3

Simply reading the Bible just doesn't compare to this! Not to be cliché, but the gospels really do come to life. You've got to download this! You have to first download an App, but then you can download your New Testament. Each chapter is an MP3, so I just keep them in my iTunes library.

Oh! And you can download up to five different versions. I got the KJV.

Not a bad ministry either. I support. They work with oneverse who let nationals do the translating. Why do the nationals do it? B/c they are stoked to! They want their family, friends , and communities to be able to read the Bible themselves.

Effective Email

See the "After" Version and the website.

I got an email the other day form my parents(See "Before" image). Apparently this was being forwarded around asking folks to send a teabag in in defiance of Washington's taxing us. But there were a few issues I had with it.

Here is a list of some problems and how they could improve on their marketing:

1. Get to the point FAST. It took way too long to get to the point.

2. Provide web links. There wasn't a SINGLE link in the email.

3. Avoid saying things like, "Send this to everyone in your address book." The last paragraph made it feel like a chain letter.

4. Headers are nice. Use them. There was no layout. Provide some kind of hierarchy to organize the content.

5. There was no masthead. Image headers are a great way to pull your audience into your email and gives you a credibility that far surpasses text only emails.