STIR

214 East Roosevelt

2011-05-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

214 West Roosevelt is more than an address. Inspired by the Bauhaus movement, it’s a place where new things start – new companies, new events, new ideas. Making your own rules is a powerful way to live. When you make the rules, you enjoy the exhilaration of running in the lead and breathing rarefied air. Some people know that 214 and the MonOrchid Gallery were ground zero for First Fridays and the downtown Phoenix art revival. But few know that 214 was an incubator for blockbuster television programs, including ‘Lost’, and boasts client portfolios that include Dreamworks, Procter & Gamble, and Coca-Cola. No matter what the address, the philosophy is the same – two minds are better than one, and infinitely better when you’re writing your own rules. Whatever the address, collaboration is always ground zero.

Customer Optimized

2011-04-01T16:05:00.000-07:00

Everyone talks about Search Engine Optimization, but are you Customer optimized? Now is the time to figure out how the sausage is made. No matter how good the product or service is, if it isn't optimized to fill your customer's needs and dreams, someone else will take them from you.

Customer optimization means to always focus on your audience. Compared to your competitors, do you work? Are you easy to buy from? Are you affordable? If customers do not convert, then you are irrelevant, untrustworthy, or unremarkable.

Who is your audience? Everyone? Really? Just how does one serve everyone? You cannot be all things to all people. In fact, the more you limit the audience the more likely you are to succeed.

Steve Jobs of Apple—the company that told you to ‘Think Different’— gained traction with creative, left-brain designers who demanded high-performance perfection and he took care of them. These designers became dedicated advocates. Secondary markets followed later.

If you discover what your primary market wants most, and then give it to them, you will never go hungry. Remember, a good bratwurst doesn’t start out yummy looking.

Lead With Brand

2011-03-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Remember Elmer’s Glue—how it smells, how it oozed out of the bottle, and how if you rubbed it all over your hand it would pick up your hand prints and you could make skin? That’s the power of a brand.
What does “Lead With Brand” mean? Your brand is a series of relationships from the visionary, to the team, to the product, to the public
.
Brands like Apple, Nike, and Coke own powerful connections that go beyond the goods they sell, relationships that create an unreasonable loyalty at the cash register. If we can’t connect people to the brand’s product, image, or service, failure is inevitable.

Your brand started with a flash of brilliance that made you abandon all reason and embark on a bold, entrepreneurial venture. Given purpose and direction, that spark becomes a driving vision that attracts people and clients to you.

When you hire staff, competing agendas increase and it’s easy to lose control without unflinching guidelines. Brand alignment ensures your entire team is pulling together, true to the vision, preserving and building relationships of integrity.

Brands are relationships. Branding ensures you are accountable to the vision.
Be true. Be real. Be the brand. Be the glue that ties everything together.

Social Media - So What

2011-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

If you've been living in a yurt, herding sheep in Western China for the last five years. you might not know the behemoth that is social media. The rest of us have either been assimilated or are doggedly resisting to the bitter end. Resistance is futile.

Social media is a Trojan horse in the marketing world. It seems to be taking over and everyone is scrambling to find ways to manage and monetize it. It’s a young medium—capricious and temperamental. Those who tame it may just obtain the elusive and coveted Holy Grail of marketing: word of mouth buzz.

Many claim to have captured and ridden the unicorn—unfortunately few are able to deliver it to your door. Malpractice is rampant. True social media masters are a new and rare breed. But once you get past the mystery and the hype, it’s like every other medium… only different.

Just because “social media” is the buzzword doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

Social media is not a silver bullet and is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Seasoned marketing practitioners know that social media is a tool that has to be wielded with skill and considered in relation to the larger strategy.

Effective social media campaigns are not free or cheap. The entry fee for SEO starts at $1,500 – 5,000 per month and the big boys are spending millions. Facebook, Twitter and hundreds of other social engines make up a fluid web that is still quickly evolving. As yet, there are few rules to act as guideposts and skilled managers are required to effectively navigate and harness this force of nature.

The fact is that while social media is very effective for some business categories, others may gain little from this medium initially and social media campaigns are only as effective as the strategy behind them.

When it comes down to it, marketing is still about relationships—whatever the medium. Yurt-dwelling sheepherders may know nothing about modern social media, but they know they have to deliver the goods and take care of their trade partners.

The important thing is to optimize your business to fit your customers, wherever they are found. Are you customer optimized? This may be the most important question you ever ask yourself.

Extreme Sheep herding - From the hills of Wales armed to the teeth with sheep, LEDs and a camera, to create a huge amazing LED display. These guys get "social media"

Choose One (Product, Image, Service)

2011-03-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

If you sell bananas, which are you selling, product, image or service?

We believe the right answer is service—service is the human part of every business—service shares the vision and creates alignment. Service builds relationships. With bananas, it’s getting the fruit from South America, through customs, over highways, and to the grocery store before they turn brown.

“Image” is the standard agency answer. Product and image are important, but ultimately business is driven by relationships. When a product does what it’s supposed to do it creates a relationship. Image starts the relationship, but service is the driver.

Sometimes the best service is self-service. Netflix and Redbox offer no face-to-face relationships, but actually deliver service far beyond that available at Blockbuster. Netflix understood people in today’s world, how they work and how they live. Then they delivered exactly what people wanted, right to their door.

Be the best of the bunch.

2011-03-03T22:52:00.000-07:00

Heaven was used in acclaimed skate film Fully Flared directed by Spike Jonze and Ty Evans. The collaboration inspired the directors to take footage and re-edit a sequence of shots that shows the Lakai skateboarding team demonstrating their considerable skills as they navigate through and around various exploding obstacles. With "Heaven" as the musical backdrop, the resulting marriage of sound to picture is quite extroaordinary. Dig It!

Testing

2011-02-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Successful brands never recklessly gamble their brand equity. Just because Chicken Little says "the sky is falling" doesn't mean it is. You need a little free-range testing.

Remarkably, people risk everything to launch a new venture and never bother to ask their customers what they want. These people may as well take their seed capital to Vegas and put it on red. Procter & Gamble is one of the biggest brands ever created. They don’t go on hunches. Before any major new brand or brand change they test.

Self-delusion is perhaps single fastest company killer. Test groups keep us from drinking our own Kool-Aid. When Oldsmobile came out with the ‘This is not your father’s Oldsmobile’ campaign, they immediately lost 27% of their market. Why? Because it still looked like your father’s Oldsmobile and it offended the fathers! They were drinking their own Kool-Aid.

Never assume you know what your customers want. Ask them. Then shut up and listen. If you listen very carefully they may quietly, inadvertently tell you their secret—the secret to your success. Be smart, do this, and build your brand the right way.

The building where Gerard and Edwin Perkins invented en:Kool-Aid.
Located at 518 W. 1st St. in en:Hastings, Nebraska

Market Worthy?

2011-02-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

Being 'productized' goes way beyond product engineering. It's not a product until you have a pipeline, a delivery system, a message, a communication strategy, and a driving customer need. "If you build it, they will come" is a road to ruin.

When you’re market-ready, your vision, service, and market are all in alignment. You are branded and service-focused. You are meaningful, credible, and different. You are customer optimized—you solve their problems, conveniently and affordably. And hopefully you’re capitalized.

You have the right solution, right message, right market, at the right time. You are poised to connect with your customers and create unreasonable loyalty at the cash register. This relationship requires constant vigilance—communication, course adjustments, repositioning.

On purpose or on accident, you will be branded. Better it be the brand you intend.

"...it is awe-inspiring to realize that John Deere has been doing business since 1837." -- Dr. Michael Hammer, Author of Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution

New Logo for Starbucks

2011-01-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

To continue today’s topic of company branding, take a look at Starbucks new logo. Not only did they remove the “Starbucks Coffee” text, but they also reduced the mark to one color.

“Starbucks says the changes amount to more than nips and tucks to its favorite lady. The fresh look goes with a new direction for the company as it makes its way back from its toughest times in its 40-year history.” - MSNBC

As we continue moving forward in this new year, it is no secret that many resolutions involve spending less and saving more, which might include cutting out a $5 cup of coffee each morning.

Do you think a fresh look will help Starbucks pull through?

Brand Positioning Workshops

2011-01-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

In the best of economies, new initiatives require smart planning and sharp execution. Overcoming stagnant markets, anemic budgets, and desperate competition demands something bigger: You must rewrite the rules.

While airlines contemplate charging you to use restrooms, Southwest Airlines still checks bags for free. Harley Davidson took a stalled counter-culture brand and repackaged it for doctors and lawyers. Both companies write their own rules.

Workshops help you focus your assets, build a game plan, get noticed, and dig out. Here’s where we excel:

New initiatives – making them customer-optimized and market-ready.
New brands – doing it right from the start.
New campaigns – advertising is more complicated and important than ever.
Positioning – making sure you’re meaningful, credible and different.
Creating alignment – getting everyone to pull together.
Customer research – few companies actually take this one critical step.
Testing – dig into the hearts and minds of your customers, they can tell you how to win.

Digital Design Tournament 2009

2009-02-18T13:05:00.008-07:00

Cut&Paste's Digital Design Tournament 2009 kicks off in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 21. The competition formats are 2D Design, 3D Design, and Motion Design. Although the call for entries for North American cities is now closed, you can still buy tickets to attend the event. Click here for a list of cities and dates.

Sedona Landscapes

2009-02-12T11:56:00.005-07:00

I wanted to share some beautiful photos recently taken in the magnificent landscape of Sedona.

Along with incredible scenery they have one of a kind art galleries to visit. This is a perfect day trip.

The Friendliest 4-Letter Word

2009-02-04T09:35:00.005-07:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner. I'm digging the love notes that Night Owl Paper Goods is making. The cards are keepers long after the holiday is over.

2009-02-02T10:58:00.004-07:00

A few pics of Brian and the new mural on our studio at the MonOrchid. If you are looking to lease space in our studio take a look at the following link for a floor plan.

Studio Tour

Lending an Extra Hand

2009-01-30T10:16:00.003-07:00

This photo by James Koepnick symbolizes a very basic human act we all could stand to benefit from. "lending an extra hand" is a great act of kindness no matter how big or small it is. The outcome is always a positive step in the right direction helping people pull together.

Flock

2009-01-26T08:30:00.005-07:00

It has been over two years since the MonOrchid gallery has been opened to the public. I remember back in 2001 when we started the blenderHaüs concept and the collective artist talent that blessed and enriched this great community. The efforts that fueled this environment sparked from an economy very similar to that of today. At this moment it was the crash of the .com bubble and the tragedy of 9/11 that brought so many of us together. All of us were looking for something different.... a concept that allowed us to think freely and join talents to create the perfect synergy. Many of us had lost jobs and survival was the inspiration for our togetherness.

The gallery thrived, artists came from all over the country, SHADE magazine emerged, and people worked together unified with a common goal. Collaboration and the connection of people working together was achieved and it was tremendous.

The doors will open again this March after 2 years of quit and we will work to restore these ideals once again. I'm so excited and it is ironic to me that I find this happening again in a similar economic time.

It is an honor and a privilege to have local artist and painter Brian Boner paint the mural on our building (MonOrchid) that will set the stage for the next phase of our studio. The painting that you see on the blog is one of his works and the inspiration.

I ask Brian to speak a little about the birds and what this meant to him as an artist. Brian responded , "It is something about the instinctual way they rely on each other, working together making constant progress. The migration of the flock and the unison, not of one bird but the entire group." It reminds him of the growing community of artists in downtown Phoenix who have been working together. You can see the progress and it is not based on one individual, but the collection of many.

To see more of Brian's paintings go to his website at:

www.brianboner.com

Black and White

2009-01-19T11:35:00.002-07:00

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

What's Your Type?

2009-01-14T10:23:00.008-07:00

Typefaces express personality. Would the Orange County Choppers merchandise look nearly as cool if they had used Comic Sans or Times New Roman instead of an old English style typeface? Do you find that you gravitate toward a certain typeface when writing an email or purchasing a type-designed t-shirt? PBS.org has a fun quiz you can take to discover which font best represents your personality.

Art for Poetry

2009-01-09T10:45:00.007-07:00

November 15, 2008 - February 8, 2009 Harnett Gallery will be showcasing 54 complex drawings made by artist Elihu Vedder to accompany Omar Khayyám’s classic 12th century Persian poem, the Rubáiyát. This is a very unique exhibit and this is the first time it has been shown in the southwest.

Visual Resolutions

2009-01-06T13:55:00.004-07:00

There are a lot of us out there who are visual learners – we learn things best by seeing them and we prefer using images, pictures, colors, and maps to organize information and communicate our ideas. If this describes you, then why not consider applying your visual learning style to your New Year’s resolutions by creating image boards to communicate your goals. You may find that a daily visual reminder of your goals inspires you more than words on a Post-It stuck to the bathroom mirror.

Apache

2009-01-06T10:14:00.004-07:00

The Apache Skateboard team out of San Carlos Az. These guys are great and our studio did a feature article on them in Shade magazine in the July 04 issue. Nice to see they are still being recognized for their designs and riding skills. If you'd like to see more of the photography check out Brendan Moore Photography. Brendan has been following these guys and other interesting people.

www.brendanmoorephoto.com

Air cooled People

2008-12-29T21:39:00.010-07:00

I ran across these ads from 1963 while touring the Antique Trove. This place is one of my favorites when it comes to finding antiques and collectables. You really have to love Volkswagen.

It's Not Just The Alphabet

2008-12-24T10:06:00.006-07:00

Have you ever really taken the time to look at a word? To see it as art? Just think of the impact that is portrayed by the way a letter is curved, stretched, shrunk, and made bigger. It gets a certain point across just by the way it looks. In the book Typography Workbook by Timothy Samara there are endless demonstrations of how to communicate with type. It shows the mechanics, form and function of a letter as well as how type and image can be integrated.

Visual Thinking

2008-12-17T09:31:00.003-07:00

If you asked a classroom of elementary school-aged children for a show of hands as to who among them is an artist, you can bet that nearly every hand is raised. As children we love to draw and have not yet developed a fear of our art being critiqued. Somewhere around the time when drawing is no longer part of our daily learning - and instead becomes an "elective" - many people become uncomfortable drawing, especially in front of others. The book "The Back of the Napkin" offers a bit of pen-to-paper therapy for people who have internalized the statement, "I can't draw." The author writes from the perspective that any problem can be made clearer with a picture and that the use of computer-generated graphics (aka clip art) causes us to limit our visualization of creative solutions.

10 really useful iPhone tips

2008-12-16T08:18:00.002-07:00

I've noticed lately that, while the iPhone has a very broad appeal, it seems to have been adopted particularly quickly by marketing and advertising professionals. The iPhone has so many different uses, and if you have one, you know what I mean. I have quite a few apps on my multiple home screens, so sometimes the 'phone' part of this little device becomes obscured by its other functions. Part of this is because the phone is controlled almost entirely by 'virtual' buttons - so the tactile feel real buttons has been lost. Here's a tip to get the tactile feel back to the main function of your iPhone: in Settings > General > Home Button, you can set a preference to make a double-click on your Home Button take you to your Favorites list. The nice thing about this is that you can this without looking, scrolling, and tapping - like when you're driving :). For more really useful tips, visit the Taptaptap blog here.

New York Holiday Spirit

2008-12-11T10:43:00.005-07:00

If you are looking for one of many spectacular sites to see during the holiday season there is no place like New York. This photo taken by Gerald Brimacombe shows the illumination one will see when they visit Rockefeller Center. There is also a huge ice rink for all to come and skate away on while enjoying classical holiday music. Make sure to add a visit to Radio City Music Hall for a show of a lifetime!

Visual Presentation of Information

2008-12-10T11:53:00.003-07:00

In his book “Beautiful Evidence,” Edward Tufte discusses how ready-made PowerPoint templates have the unintended consequence of weakening verbal and spatial thinking by replacing a thoughtful exchange of ideas with the reading of bullet points. Tufte aptly states, “PowerPoint allows speakers to pretend that they are giving a real talk, and audiences to pretend that they are listening.” A company’s marketing department does a great disservice to the organization when it becomes preoccupied with adhering to prepared format rather than evaluating the best method for delivering content.

Starts with a sketch

2008-12-08T20:33:00.004-07:00

"Progress depends on how fast we can let go of the past"

This picture and quote above came from one of my most favorite brands John Deere and the book "Genuine Value" the John Deere Journey.

In the 1900's, most of the great ideas at John Deere would have been sketched with chalk on the shop floor and then tried in steel or wood. The factories at John Deere had rows of drafting tables where engineers hand-figured calculations before making scale layouts and drawings of their latest ideas.

Today I'm reminded once again of how important that sketch paper really is...

Jack of all Arts

2008-12-05T08:34:00.005-07:00

Evgueni Naverniouk is a name that is probably unfamiliar to most, and that is truly a shame. He was born in Moscow then his family immigrated to Vancouver to make a better life for themselves. Evgueni is an extremely talented web designer, writer, graphic artist, and musician/composer. Pop over to his site and see for yourself. I would especially recommend the music section on his site where he tends to blend a little Paul Simon with Tangerine Dream to make a delightfully refreshing sound.

Santa's Come In All Mediums

2008-12-04T11:40:00.004-07:00

Here is a beautiful example of someone who has the gift of wood carving. This Santa mask was carved from basswood, painted with oils and then sealed with an antique wash for that aged look. Very unique! Check out HGTV share my craft for more visions of creativity by Nay and others.

These Cards Are Anything But Wooden

2008-12-02T21:08:00.009-07:00

If you are looking for a holiday card that will be displayed front and center on grandma's credenza, check out Night Owl Paper Goods. Their clever combination of retro imagery, colors and textures seem to create what I can only describe as the print design equivalence to holiday comfort food.

Cutting edge Flash

2008-11-25T09:13:00.003-07:00

We know the power of Flash as it relates to a rich experience on the web. We use Flash to create user interfaces for web sites, and we use Flash to view video on sites such as YouTube and Google Video. But the depth of Flash can be much, much deeper. Paul Neave is pushing the limits of Flash in a fun and visually creative way. His online lab has games, and plenty of eye candy - check it out. Neave Labs

Flicking the Light: The Fall

2008-11-21T08:29:00.007-07:00

The Fall is a visually stunning movie. While there is a definite plot and some decent acting, this is more about the scenery and locations. This movie was shot entirely in 26 locations in 18 different countries and contains no computer generated special effects. From an artistic standpoint, it's spectacular to watch. Almost like watching a giant painting that goes on for nearly 2 hours. A definite must for the eye-candy enthusiast.

The Power of Paint

2008-11-20T11:25:00.004-07:00

Browsing through the book called Trompe L'oeil At Home I found this one of a kind masterpiece. Artist Thomas Masaryk has created this piano to look like it has been inlaid with stones such as tiger's eye, lapis, lazuli, and marble. I have never seen such a colorful and detailed instrument. Unbelievable!

To see an outstanding variety of images and techniques view the book:

Trompe L'oeil At Home by Karen Chambers

Forewood by Jocasta Innes

Published by Rizzoli

Data as Art

2008-11-19T17:21:00.008-07:00

Any time a large amount of data is collected, we tend to see patterns emerge - these patterns can easily be put into bar graphs or a pie chart and the significance of the data is easily apparent. But sometimes data doesn't easily flow into a chart because it is too complex, or sometimes it overlaps other parts of data that have equal or more importance relative to the first data set. This requires a special display of the statistics that, when treated with a creative eye, can become visually rich and even beautiful. More examples of beautiful data can be found here. Hat tip to Shawn for sharing that link.

Design for All?

2008-11-19T13:56:00.005-07:00

A new hive catalog arrived in my mailbox this week. Hive sells products by some of my favorite designers - Charles & Ray Eames, George Nelson, Eero Saarinen. There is this clever wall clock that I’ve been eyeing for some time. It’s the Nelson Ball Clock and hive sells it for $337. This got me thinking about the idea of good design being set a price point where only true design enthusiasts can afford to purchase it versus Target’s motto of Design for All. Target sells what they call a “wooden ball clock inspired by George Nelson” for $40. What accounts for this price disparity? Is it simply the result of one product being an original George Nelson design? Is there a difference in the materials used to produce these two products? Does the price difference indicate a discrepancy in the labor conditions and environmental standards under which the clocks were manufactured? Does buying a well-designed product at a higher price point ensure that the lifecycle of that product is ethically and environmentally sound? Does it guarantee that you can be proud to display the product as a statement of your design taste as well as a statement of your humanity?

Electric Arguments

2008-11-19T09:00:00.005-07:00

If you like your sonic landscapes so thick that you can actually see the ridges and valleys, then the upcoming new release by The Fireman is for you. "Electric Arguments" will be their first album to feature vocals and their third offering in fifteen years since their debut album, "Strawberries Oceans Ships Forests" (1993), and their sophomore release of "Rushes" (1998).

To coincide with this new album, they have just unveiled their first website: The Fireman Music. Fresh out of the bubble wrap it still has that new site smell. The effort poured into the sonic experience has spilled over to the effort put into the visual experience of their site. Check it out!

[album image taken from Amazon.com]

Cultural icon

2008-11-18T15:49:00.006-07:00

Bond's appeal has remained global since the release of Dr. No, launched in 1962.
Even today, almost anyone from any generation can name their favorite Bond.

"James Bond" movie posters - the official collection from Tony Nourand captures the graphics that defined the legend. If you haven't seen this book and you love Bond and classic movie posters this will be a favorite. The featured Poster is from designer David Chasman - Date of release May 1963