It’s been a number of busy weeks back to back to back around here, and thus the blog has suffered. I will hopefully get back onto it next week. In the meantime, this is just a quick notice that I updated the design page with a handful of projects.
Working on lots more projects including a database management system for all the car donation sites we’ve done, an email campaign for BankFIRST, a health insurance site catering to members of UFC and their fans (just… I know…), a couple landing pages for a new publishing company and a site for a wine cellar company in Seattle. Giddy up!!
So my Blue Wagon partner Ryan has spent three weeks in the last month 0ut west working on the production for Storyville Coffee. They are shooting high end pieces for their company’s product, process and mission. I’d not heard of the company til he told me about them. However, after looking into it a little more (their story/model is very unique) I was really impressed by the design and branding. For a brand new company, I’m really impressed by the polished nature of everything they do. I ordered a half pound in the mail and the physical packaging didn’t disappoint.
The box and label are very attractive. Inside, underneath the branded tissue paper and sticker is a detailed letter to the buyer with an intro to the product and company. Further inside is the coffee in a very well assembled bag, along with a sexy DVD and booklet with company info and brewing instructions.
Take a look at this picture and ask yourself if you’d be interested in having needles inserted into you, herbs concocted for you, and your credit card information on file here. I would venture to guess you’d opt out.
The reality is that I just returned from one of many trips to this Eastern medicine center where I did all of those things. My wife and I have been regulars there for about a decade and it never ceases to amaze me how the external representation of the business is nothing like the quality on the inside. The staff are some of the nicest people and the results that we’ve experienced have put traditional American medicine to shame more often than not.
It reminded me of Scott Belsky’s example at the 99% conference about the Joshua Bell experiment – “Don’t let your genius go unnoticed.”
Part of me wishes they would move into a more traditional and comfortable office space in order to be respected for the facade in front of the practice. On the other hand, it’s kind of nice to know the well kept secret that many people drive past each day unknowingly.
We decided to build our own heavy duty skater dolly for use with larger equipment like the RED (and the bulky tripod that goes with it). Our smaller slider works great for short distances and with lighter equipment like the Canon 5D. But if we need to go far, it’s going to require longer legs.
After a trip to the Orlando skate park for some wheels and bearings, I was able to hit up Lowe’s for the rest of the equipment. All things told, it cost around $250 for all the supplies (the wheels and bearings being the most expensive part).
While I cut, hacked and drilled, Ryan set up the 5D on the smaller dolly and got some fun footage of the building process. Then we switched at the end while he operated the RED camera on the completed dolly. Enjoy.
During the Tour de France, the team at DeepLocal was able to make a huge impact with their pneumatic spraypaint machine along the tour route. Together with Nike and Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG campaign, the creation was aimed allowing people to put their messages in bright yellow paint for the racers and cameras to see. More than 36,000 people submitted messages to the cause via Twitter and text message which were then cued into the software program by DeepLocal.
This is how the tradition looked originally.
You can see more pics of the Chalkbot project at DeepLocal’s site.
Here’s a great little video summing up the project as well.
The famous Wally yachts have been outdone by their own developer, which is quite a task. Michael Bay used the 70m Wallypower in his film The Island where it looked so futuristic and geeked out that a lot of people thought it was CGI. Not sure if the power producer will be able to pull off getting one of these new creations into a future feature.
I kind of don’t even know how to preface the pictures and video. I’m still somewhat breathless. See the WHY site for more details and tech specs.
This article from FastCompany’s design blog showcases some of the greatest creative office space I’ve seen. Thanks Alissa Walker for bringing these to our attention! Below are some of my favorites from the feature (where you can also see comments from architects/designers on the projects).
Since most of what we’ve been working on lately has been for the web, we’ve not gotten to use the same variety of typefaces that we do when working on print material. However, after looking at these two sites today it’s a reminder of how far a well executed font can go.
This crew has got their thing down. You know it’s going well when your company has 10 people and all you’re doing is creating the best typefaces you can. My favorites are the new Vitesse and Gotham Narrow series.
They not only provide great font files, but have also incorporated their work into great design pieces. I love the Slab Blocks and PLINC Blocks as well as the pillows. And a cast iron ampersand for $250, who couldn’t use one!?
My brother and talented photog just completed his series of portraits of Millenial Generation-ers called Here and Now. It’s part of his work in progress toward his MFA in Photography at Savannah College of Art and Design. I love the look of the vintage Bronica medium format film. Very soft and detailed.
Inside, underneath the branded tissue paper and sticker is a detailed letter to the buyer with an intro to the product and company.
Further inside is the coffee in a very well assembled bag, along with a sexy DVD and booklet with company info and brewing instructions.
