This fantastic infographic by British Design Experts is a great resource for understanding why we choose the colors we choose for you. It’s really not arbitrary, but an artful balance of brand execution, competitive advantage, and aesthetic appeal. All colors have positive and negative aspects, it’s how well you utilize them that makes the difference … Continue reading →

A little fun for your Friday! Look familiar? … Continue reading →

There’s always room for improvement, as evidenced by this evolution of the band-aid by Taiwanese university students. The adhesive bandage was originally designed in 1920 by a Johnson & Johnson employee for his wife who had a bad habit of cutting herself while cooking (my vice as well) … Continue reading →

There’s a reason why corporations can spend millions developing a new logo: it takes research, thought, and design development — time, that is — to get it exactly right. There are some great logos out there, and then there are those logos that go the extra mile to include symbolism that the viewer may not even (consciously) notice! Here are six great examples of how a logo design can be pushed to subtly include additional visual information that takes it from good to brilliant … Continue reading →

In celebration of the company’s 50th birthday, color sherpa PANTONE just released this awesome infographic recapping 50 years of color trends. Are we feeling nostalgic yet? I think my favorite is the psychedelic 60s. The Rainbow of Brands at the bottom is also pretty great … Continue reading →

I love Dove. And that’s exactly what their marketing department wants. Even with this knowledge, I still can’t help myself. To be more specific, I love their “real beauty” campaign. You’ll remember these ladies… This is a great example of repositioning a brand to appeal to the emotional inner core of their demographic, which clearly they understand very well. “It’s ok to be me.” “I’m beautiful as I am.” These undercurrents come across clearly throughout the campaign. … Continue reading →

As I’ve said on this blog before, the Internet is here to stay, so why not connect on Facebook? Here are five fine reasons … Continue reading →

During my last real job, I got to work in this lovely building in the Pearl district of Portland Oregon in the early 2000s, when building was booming there. My employer, the conservation nonprofit Ecotrust, purchased the old warehouse and renovated it to LEED Gold specifications. It was the first U.S. Green Building Council’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification for a renovated building. And it is beautiful. I had the … Continue reading →

The Name Change. It’s a huge decision, no doubt. Some companies put it off for years, even though they know that the name of their company is not just holding them back from achieving their big vision, but is actually detrimental to business. There are lots of factors that should go into making the decision, most importantly the brand equity and reputation the current name holds and the resources available to shift to a new … Continue reading →

I just found this great article on Mashable that you might enjoy: Five Tips to Maximize Your Brand’s Facebook Reach. “The bottom line is that Facebook wants people consuming content, so its algorithm rewards the brands that create the coolest content.” If you think you aren’t cool enough, here are some points to focus on. 1. Know Your Audience A no-brainer, right? But study the Insights on your page — at what time of day are fans reading … Continue reading →