Structure

08/21/2018

BRAND FLEXIBILITY ... for a good cause.

Is flexibility built into your brand?

08/21/2018

Animal Crackers are free to roam! Finally.

Smart (really smart) packaging update. But did this really need a push from PETA?

After more than a century behind bars, the beasts on boxes of animal crackers are roaming free. Mondelez International, the parent company of Nabisco, has redesigned the p

10/15/2017

This is such a sweet ad for Tile - a mini tracker you can attach to objects, enabling you to find the again.

As I watched this, what I truly recognized is that the creative director had to have a good understanding of what a child imagines (and worries about) when a plush toy, doll, or pet goes missing. Children are incredibly empathetic ... it is much harder for them to "let go" of something lost and "move on." In fact, it is because of their high degree of empathy that they can experience trauma.

Do we shut off empathy in a child when we expect them to "grow up and get over it?"

Tile is a great product - not only for things belonging to children but also for seniors who lose purses and mobile phones.

'Ernie' Has a Long Way to Go in Push From Deutsch L.A.

10/13/2017

The picture on the left was the original stock image. In under an hour it became the photo you see on the right.

Can you see all the changes that were made? What are your thoughts?

10/07/2017

10/02/2017

Some of us are VERY sensitive to using just the right font for a project. Very sensitive.

(I feel his pain. 💔)

The new season of Saturday Night Live began last night

09/30/2017

"The biggest secret to success is to start.

09/18/2017

Some people thrive on challenges; there is a personal recognition of growth with every challenge we face and deal with - regardless of whether we

08/26/2017

The POSITIVE POWER of GOOD DESIGN

07/03/2017

Sometimes creative inspiration takes a little more time than we'd like.

06/05/2017

Work snacks.

Dell LOVE!! My other beast is an Alienware (also Dell), "The orange your Apple will never compare with!" (c) 2017

06/05/2017

Listening + Understanding ... are the Foundation to anything you will create for another.

04/24/2017

This new font by Dan Rhatigan is beautiful, well-crafted ... and eco-friendly. Watch!

Ryman Eco

Monotype's Dan Rhatigan discusses Ryman Eco, the world's most beautiful sustainable font.

04/08/2017

I have just reorganized my PORTFOLIO on Krop! Please check it out and give me your feedback. I have a lot more to post and descriptions to add, still. But I made good progress for a one day effort.

An artist/designer must be a translator, who can take an idea from a person's description (and sometimes their thoughts) and develop it into something that works -- something that gets results. That is Lizanne Webb. She is the perfect morph of conventional and innovative. She can take a radical idea...

03/04/2017

This a fabulous font! It's half priced and very reasonable to begin with. Only $42.50 to get the whole family TODAY!! Thought I'd share with my creative friends (that's most of you). ;-)

Welcome to Free Font Friday, where we showcase our favorite free font finds! This week's typeface is Sua by Fabio Haag. Download today!

03/03/2017

Although weak on branding, the design of this packaging for pasta is fantastic! When you think about what good packaging is supposed to accomplish; draw attention, visual appeal, tempt, be memorable ... this accomplishes all those goals. Kudos to the designer.

10/19/2016

04/18/2016

Breaking the stereotypes. After all the "Occupy" protests of 6-7 years ago and often justifiable "bank-bashing," Spring Bank is leading the way in showing the banking industry how to be a truly GOOD bank. The often frustrated, underserved population of NYC now has a banking ally who will help them get loans, build savings and a better credit rating.

Spring Bank is not only the ONLY certified B-Corp bank not just in NYC, nor the State of New York but, in all the North East. How's them apples NY?

Spring Bank is now in Very Good Company!

We have officially become a B-Corporation, asserting that we meet rigorous standards of social performance, accountability, and transparency. How many other banks can say that?

This past Thursday (April 14, 2016), Spring Bank joined an elite group of corporations across America who are formally recognized as a 'force for good' by obtaining B-Corporation status.

B-Corps are a new type of company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. All total there are only 1,686 B-Corps and of those, only 4 are banks. Of those four, we are the only B-Corp bank in all of New York City.

If that doesn't impress you, you should know that B-Corp certification is hard-to-get recognition, verifying that we “use business as a force for good” and meet rigorous standards of social performance, accountability, and transparency.

The team here at Spring Bank worked diligently on the B-Corp application. Special thanks to Barry Mann, our CFO, for the financial documentation that assured our attaining this status.
https://www.bcorporation.net/

03/04/2016

In response to Donald J. Trump need to defend the size of his endowments as part of last night's GOP debate ...

08/10/2015

Wondering if your current Windows software will be compatible with Windows 10? Microsoft has a website for that.

See what works on the latest Windows versions. Download software updates and device drivers for your products.

08/05/2015

I ask you ... where are peoples' manners?

I would love to know your opinions on this. ;-)

Tonight I had an unpleasant connection request. It was one of many I get weekly from complete strangers. I read the invite, hoping for some insight into why this person wanted to connect. Sadly, they had used LinkedIn's default connection message so I went to their profile to see if I could figure o…

06/16/2015

Simple yet so effective. Whether you agree or not, the message is clear. I can think of several other ways that this could be accomplished. How about you?

"Don't measure a woman's worth by her clothes"

05/11/2015

How a clever, creative and very on-target commercial comes together. This works because it has a sense of whimsy and humor ... which also make it memorable.

This clever stop motion creation is a commercial for Newman's Own salad dressing. Appropriate, right?

04/29/2015

Today is the LAST DAY of Fonts.com's I have already grabbed a few (some at half price) and may grab a few more today.

Working with professional fonts makes a huge difference in the quality of your finished work. Fonts.com has been good to designers and studios in offering professional, licensed fonts at discount many times throughout the year. Theirs is email I welcome!

Check out the fonts on sale. Many of these are font families (3 or more variations) which allow you greater design latitude.

Share your Fontacular experience with the world at using the hashtag . to be entered to win prizes from our awesome partners Sakura of America, the official Big Scripts Sale mug and more...

04/29/2015

A LITTLE INSPIRATION:

Whether you're a foodie or a creative who deals with food & beverage, this fabulous infographic from Shutterstock will show you the current trends in the foods we're eating, the settings we like to associate with those foods, along with some quite excellent food photography.

Which of these foods are your favorites? Which do you feel they left out?

"Feast": Food and Beverage Trends by Shutterstock

04/29/2015

I would love to thank Bloomberg for saying this.

Helvetica, YES! But also consider any other clean, sans serif font with a two-story lower case "a." If the lower case "e" in a font has a slight angle, that alone adds a subtle hint of pizzazz. Keep it clean and simple.

Using Times New Roman is the typeface equivalent of wearing sweatpants to an interview

03/18/2015

Tag this BAD BRAND

" ...this plan exemplifies what happens when a CEO's ego meets the most useless manifestation of 'corporate social responsibility' resulting in an inexplicable fiasco that will garner much PR for the Starbucks corporation without advancing America's incredibly complex racial problems one iota." ~ GAWKER

I am normally a Starbucks fan (really) but this is ridiculous! And yes, I personal and intense discussion on race is not what I expect or want when I order my Vente Iced Latte with Sugar-Free Hazelnut (really yummy).

The backlash is growing. They have posted nothing on their social networks about this new program and, if they had, it has been removed already. I suspect Starbucks will quietly withdraw and rethink a more appropriate, feasible and less confrontational approach. (we hope).

Discussing UNITY and shared existence is much more important than discussing what sets us apart.

It's a shame they sullied their brand with this level of stupidity.

Okay, well, now Starbucks is planning on starting a national dialogue on race that will consist of talking to your Starbucks barista, about race. What are you doing, Starbucks? What? Are? You doing?

03/01/2015

Brilliant Exploitation of by various brands that have a vested interest in reminding you of their brand-specific colors and taglines.

What a day the Internet had yesterday. First we watched llamas on the loose.

07/22/2014

Having trouble putting your MISSION STATEMENT together? Here's a little inspiration (playfully).

Music video by "Weird Al" Yankovic performing Mission Statement. (C) 2014 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment

07/15/2014

This is a BEAUTIFUL THING!!!

Homelessfonts.org Homelessfonts is an Arrels Foundation initiative which consists of creating a collection of typefaces based on the handwriting of homeless....

06/18/2014

If you want to create MEANINGFUL and HONEST food and beverage packaging that will draw attention on the shelf, let me know! Otherwise, you can do this ... (but be careful, consumers are getting wise).

1. Get the consumers attention. (I design very eye-catching packaging)

2. Be honest and realisting in the claims you make on the packaging. (I can guide you in appropriate labeling)

3. Deliver on quality and product promises. (I can't help you with this part - It's all up to you!)

Watch out for the "nutrition buzzwords" that aren't all they're cracked up to be.

04/17/2014

What goes into making a TYPEFACE? How many of you have considered a typeface to be a unique design form? How carefully do you choose a typeface for your projects? Here's a little inspiration from Adobe

And YES ... Typography and Architecture are related with respect to the mental design process.

Please share the typefaces you've designed.

See how New World School of the Arts designer Angelica Baini creates an emotional connection between people, places and fonts.

03/29/2014

What advertising SHOULDN'T be!

Stock footage brand Dissolve puts its product to good use to call out lazy marketers peddling empty ideas.

This Is a Generic Brand Video is a generic brand video of "This Is a Generic Brand Video," written by Kendra Eash for McSweeney's Internet Tendency. No surpr...

11/27/2013

Who knew. Kinda awesome for people doing retouching on models or even doctors doing cosmetic surgery.

The PANTONE SkinTone Guide was created by scientifically measuring thousands of actual skin tones across the full spectrum of human skin types.

09/12/2013

This video should AMAZE and INSPIRE.

Rugged outdoor boot & apparel company Wolverine 1000 Mile Collection features chalk artist Dana Tanamachi in their "Kindred Spirits" series.

Dana Tanamachi/The Chalk Lettering Artist

09/11/2013

"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral." ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"Throughout history, it is our places of worship that we consistently rally and join together to rebuild when they are destroyed. If then, architecture is to be considered the highest form of art, a cathedral is possibly the highest form of architecture because it incorporates within its design an intangible added quality ... the human spirit, itself." ~ Lizanne Webb, Montreal, 1997

[Photo: A rendering of the completed plaza courtesy of Silverstein Properties]

09/08/2013

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED: Brands are like gardens, left unattended ... they die.

Billabong is drowning in red ink and has now written down its namesake brand to zero.

09/08/2013

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED: Big Brands CAN Fail!

It's a tale of many troubles for the teen-clothing retailer.

09/05/2013

EPIC Job Interview Hoax!
LG stages hoax on job applicants to emphasize how "realistic" images appear on their screens. Was it acting? Does it matter?

This video shows the setup and reactions.

What would you do in this situation?? Great idea by LG! Property of: http://www.lg.com http://onlygreatestads.wordpress.com

08/20/2013

THE MYSTERY of SHOEFITI (sneakers on powerlines) SOLVED?
It's about leaving your mark and communal memory.

I found this today via SCPR (Southern California Public Radio) KPCC, Los Angeles, CA. But having lived in NYC, Chicago and now, L.A. I have always wondered why people would throw a perfectly good pair of sneakers over a powerline. I asked friends who had lived in those places all their lives and got mixed answers.

This is a fun 14 minute look at the subject. Enjoy!

Murder, s*x, drugs, art, politics… sneakers hanging on telephone lines have become a powerful urban symbol, inspiring genesis theories both hilarious and sinister.…