victory has a thousand parents
Years ago, my initial interpretation of the phrase “victory has a thousand parents, but defeat is an orphan” was a cynical one. My take on it was that if a project goes well, people will claim responsibility. The same people will disavow their role if the project meets with a less favorable outcome. As I ...
print intentionally
Despite all predictions to the contrary, printed communications still play a crucial role in how organizations reach out to their audience. Print has changed, though. It is now more an elective than a requirement, and like any choice it benefits from planning and thinking ahead. This can include details like a delivery strategy, or options ...
It’s the return of the contest
It’s the return of the Shew Design contest, this one featuring a cavalcade of the best, funniest, strangest Halloween ads we could find. Logos and other identifiers have been removed. In the spirit of the season, we’ve embraced a wide range of styles and approaches – from the silly to the slightly shocking. Consider yourself ...
clean up your navigation through analytics
Most things are more complicated than they need to be. Navigation is no exception. You can fairly easily see what links people use on your website using traffic evaluation tools such as Google Analytics. More importantly, these tools can show you which links people don’t visit. This can help you make informed decisions about revising ...
artwalk with us
It’s the first Friday of the month. Where will you typically find us that night? At Bellingham’s Artwalk. Downtown is bustling with people going from gallery to gallery, taking breaks for a drink or a meal. Everyone has their list of favorite places to go – we thought we would share ours. First things first. ...
hey, dummy
While developing a packaging concept for a high end manufacturer, we encountered some feedback from a friend of the client who recommended we take an alternate approach. His advice was, literally, “dumb it down.” The product was a gourmet food item (chocolate) for a discriminating, college-educated audience. The argument was based on a perception of the across the board, ever-dwindling ...
making choices, creating value
I constantly think about why people value the things they do, and how design and messaging fit into that larger picture. We recently had a project that gave me a new perspective about these enternal questions. Without giving away the details, here is the situation: the client is an inventor who developed a product that ...
don’t stop believing
Eric and I started commuting to work on our bikes almost a year ago. Details that were normally overlooked were suddenly noticed and studied. This particular stop sign was one of them. “Don’t” had been added to the sign, and at one point someone had handwritten “believing” below this. Later, for whatever reason, “believing” was ...
Social media resources
Thanks to those of you who attended our presentation yesterday. Here are the documents Jackie referenced. Please use these as examples of the planning process she uses to help her clients engage in social media. Resources Sample brain dump Sample social media outline Sample social media calendar We will be happy to meet with you ...
minimalism, trust, and some really good chocolate
Research plays a crucial part of creating good design, and so a designer’s life is essentially a never ending series of opportunities to learn. The best designers are really the best at learning. That’s what I like to say as I help myself to a generous handful of research. My third. “That’s Callebaut, 54%,” Kevin ...
repurposing social media
A social media component can be incorporated into almost all traditional design or communications work, often with very little effort or cost. We recently completed an oversized brochure for Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood. It was first delivered to their audience along with their Spring newsletter, folded like a road map and inserted inside. The featured ...
biking to work
Eric and I have been commuting to work on our bikes for just over half a year now. We started when the weather was gloriously sunny and warm and the leaves were just starting to turn golden, kept biking through the cold and rain, and again in pleasant spring weather. Our odometers are on the ...
