November 02, 2016 | DesignStrategyTechnology

Digital First - Rethinking the College Viewbook

Over the years, we have worked with many colleges and universities on a wide array of marketing materials, and we have found one common denominator when it comes to traditional student viewbooks: They tend to look and sound the same. The formulaic approach that so many colleges take to this printed brochure geared towards incoming students generally includes uninspired photography — students...

April 13, 2016 | Design

Hearts in Design: Where Is the Love?

The heart symbol is, by all accounts, one of the most overused images in all of graphic design. While rudimentary images of the heart symbol date back to as early as the 30 th century BC, credit for bringing the image to the forefront of the mainstream consciousness typically goes to designer Milton Glaser and his iconic late 1970s I ❤ NY campaign — which is said to have been sketched in a taxi...

March 16, 2016 | Design

Web vs. Print: Key Considerations for Font Use

Choosing a font to represent a brand is really akin to answering this question: What is the specific response we want to elicit from our audience? It’s design specialization at its best. Choosing a font gives a voice and tone to the written communication of the brand. As multimedia designers, we appreciate having a deep toolbox of typography choices that allow us to select the right tool for the...

February 18, 2016 | DesignStrategy

5 Considerations for Effective Arts and Culture Branding

Over the years, our agency has developed a pretty strong foothold in the arts and culture community in the tri-state region. One of our first big breaks came in 2007 with a contract for a rebranding project and comprehensive marketing and design support for the Mann Center, and we’ve been working with them ever since in a variety of different capacities as the organization and its programming...

December 08, 2015 | Design

Giving Print Its Props

When electronic media and social marketing hit their stride, some said print was finished. But the reality is print messaging offers a way to really connect with consumers in a world full of distractions. Brochures, magazines, books, and direct-mail communications stand out from the crowd, when done the right way with great graphic design and craftsmanship. Here are some of the top reasons why we...

December 08, 2015 | Design

Letting the Cat out of the Bag: Character-Based Branding

While conceptualizing and designing brand characters and mascots can be a good deal of fun, it requires a serious approach in order to strike the right balance of graphics, messaging, and appeal. Whe n done right, characters bring brands to life, while endearing businesses to their clients — and they provide endless opportunity for engagement, particularly in social media marketing channels...

December 07, 2015 | DesignTechnology

5 User Experience Sins You Just Accept Every Day

I've always had a knack for learning user interfaces. From getting the VCR to stop blinking 12:00 to swiping my way around my first touchscreen, it's something that's always come easy to me. I've also spent a lot of time using that knack to teach other people how to use and understand technology. As a result, it's easy for me to immediately pick up on things that I know would cause confusion and...

July 23, 2015 | Design

Getting Permanent Access Tokens From Facebook for Activity Feeds

We've worked on a number of sites where we've built custom Facebook feeds into our design. The driving reason behind doing this is to allow us to design the feeds however we pleased, without being constrained by the pre-created snippets that Facebook provides. You can see an example of a custom feed on the homepage of The American College Center for Veterans Affairs . We are using Drupal's Feeds...

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