e!

Super Dip.

2012-02-06T14:53:00.001-08:00

Is everyone recovered from stuffing your face during the Super Bowl yesterday? Here is a recipe for the appetizer item that went the fastest at the Super Bowl party of an e! team member. It's Buffalo Chicken Dip, and it's delicious.

Buffalo Chicken Dip As Made by The Bitten Word
Adapted from Frank's RedHot

INGREDIENTS

8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup blue cheese salad dressing
1/2 cup buffalo sauce or buffalo style barbecue sauce
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (shredded mozzarella cheese can be substituted)
2 cups shredded meat from a fully cooked rotisserie chicken

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a deep baking dish, mix cream cheese, salad dress, buffalo sauce, and cheese. Stir until combined. Stir in chicken.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes, until the dish is heated through. Serve with crackers, pita chips, sliced bread or vegetables.

NOTE: Depending on your tastes and the ingredients on hand, you can use 1/2 cup ranch or blue cheese salad rather than 1/4 cup of each. Similarly, you can mix blue cheese and mozzarella, or use portions of each.

image: The Bitten Word.

Seeking Part-Time Web Developer

2012-01-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

EffectiveDesign Studio, an established Seattle based full serviceGraphic Design firm, seeks a Part-TimeWeb Developer (Front-End/Interface Systems) to play an integral part in creating effective and engaginguser experiences and client websites.

Job Description:
·   Develop websites, e-marketing items, online solutions and more, with an eye for design anduser interaction.

·    Design user interface, interaction flow, and UIarchitecture of content-rich, websites and applications.

·    Collaborate with the design team to ensure superior userexperience, brand expression, standards and usability.

·    Articulate user experience issues and advocatefor/incorporate usability findings, customer input, site analytics data, andother research to a user-centered design process.

·    Create user scenarios, wireframes, task flows, mockups, andrelated materials.

·    Develop/Support/Maintain consistency and quality acrossapplications and websites using UI style guides and specifications.

·    Communicate design feedback, project status, timelines,conceptual ideas and design rationale to management and design team.

·    Perform competitive design research and identify media,technology and design innovations, improvements and opportunities.

Your Skills:
·    3+ years of experience designing user-friendly interactivesolutions for websites and applications, including content-rich,consumer-facing products.

· Degree in Interactive Design, Web Development,User-Centered Design, Graphic Design or related field.

·    Proficiency with appropriate design and prototypingtools, including Adobe Creative Suite, full knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript,Flash, PHP, MySQL, etc., as well as working knowledge Word, Excel, andPowerPoint.

·    Experience with custom and open source content managementsolutions such as WordPress, Joomla & Drupal preferred.

·    Skilled at creating a range of user experience designdeliverables.

·    Knowledge of capabilities and limitations of webtechnologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Flash, PHP, MySQL,etc.).

·    Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal,and collaborative skills.

·    Knowledge of basic SEO practices, and experience analyzingresults data.

·    Experience balancing multiple projects concurrently.

· Local candidates only please, no relocation expensesprovided.

Compensation: Competitive salary DOE

To Apply: please send your resume, work samples or online portfolioto info@effectivedesign.com.

Junior Graphic Designer Wanted

2012-01-09T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here at e! we are looking for a talented Junior Graphic Designer. Please see the following description and contact us if you're interested.

EffectiveDesign Studio, an established Seattle based full serviceGraphic Design firm, seeks a JuniorGraphic Designer to play an integral part in creating effective and engaging graphicdesign work.

Job Description:
·   Work with lead Designer to create designs and produce graphics. Signage, ads, floor plans, brochures, etc.

·    Significant production work right out of the gate will berequired. Must be extremely proficient in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign.

·    Strong understanding and demonstrated aptitude for designprinciples including typography, layout and color theory.

·    Communicate design feedback, project status, timelines,conceptual ideas and design rationale to management and design team.

·    Perform competitive design research and identify media,technology and design innovations, improvements and opportunities.

Your Skills:
·    1+ years of experience designing and producing graphicmaterials or a strong portfolio.

· Degree in Graphic Design or related field preferred.

·    Proficiency with appropriate design and productiontools, including Adobe Creative Suite 5 (Mac), with working knowledge of Word,Excel, and PowerPoint. HTML and CSS, as well as Interactive experience a plus.

·    Excellent attention to detail, focused and self-starting.

·    Able to handle multiple projects at one time and ability tolearn quickly.

· Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal,and collaborative skills.

· Strong production skills.

· Must love dogs.

Compensation: Competitive salary DOE & medical/dental benefits.

To Apply: please send your resume, work samples or online portfolio toinfo@effectivedesign.com.

The Impact of Social Media & Blogging

2011-12-22T15:15:00.000-08:00

It seems ironic to talk about blogging on our blog, but it's almost the holidays and I'm feeling a little feisty. To those of us who champion social media and thought leadership as a means to reach your audience, the benefits are so obvious that they can be difficult to explain.

Thanks to the smart people at Volinsky Consulting who created an infographic that easily explains the benefits of an online media strategy that includes good SEO, blogging, thought leadership and social media.

Check out this clip or view the full infographic.

Deck the Halls! And the Walls?

2011-12-09T11:19:00.001-08:00

Our gift to you this year is custom wallpapers for your desktop computer, mobile device or tablet. We hope you enjoy them, there's one that's sure to fit your Holiday mood whether it's Bah Humbug, Merry & Bright or just enjoying the Cold Weather (or not enjoying it so much). Feel free to share these links with anyone who could use a little Holiday cheer.

Happy Holidays from e!

Brrr!

Preview
Android: 480 x 800
iPhone: 640 x 960
iPad: 1024 x 1024
Desktop: 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440

Bah Humbug

Preview
Android: 640 x 960
iPhone: 480 x 800
iPad: 1024 x 1024
Desktop: 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440

Merry & Bright

Preview
Android: 480 x 800
iPhone: , 640 x 960
iPad: 1024 x 1024
Desktop: 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440

Snow

Preview
Android: 480 x 800
iPhone: 640 x 960
iPad: 1024 x 1024
Desktop: 1680 x 1050, 1920 x 1080, 2560 x 1440

Music Video or Game? Maybe Both.

2011-12-07T13:40:00.001-08:00

Have you ever seen a music video that was interactive? Androp's latest release for their song Bell is part game, part user experience and totally fun. You simply type in a message and the game takes letters from your words to create a character that you can control through a series of environments. In our experiments, your character could be a horse, dog or a giraffe, depending on what you type.

While jumping scorpions, running from tarantulas and dodging rhinos is fun in it's own right, the real beauty of the video game is the way the animals are cleverly crafted from letters, in real time. Watching those letters explode, then reorganize themselves after a collision, could keep me entertained for hours.

Try it for yourself by visiting www.androp.jp/bell/.

Browser Trends: Chrome is Winning

2011-12-01T09:23:00.001-08:00

It's been growing in popularity faster than Mozilla's Firefox and has now become the world's second favorite browser. *

Personally, it's become my favorite except for the fact that there's only a light version of Firebug (which I use a lot for development). So I end up using two browsers — Firefox for development and Chrome for everything else.

* Browser Trends December 2011: Chrome Becomes the World’s Second Favorite Browser
* StatCounter.com

Lucy Takes Root

2011-11-29T13:57:00.001-08:00

Brand ID for New Napa Valley Restaurant

Reflecting Executive Chef Victor Scargle’s locally-sourced organic approach, the modern logo is simple and stunning. The menu system’s natural wood textures and elegant typography enhance the restaurant’s farm-to-table style. With the fresh menu changing often, all restaurant menus are kept up-to-date by utilizing a Word template system, then printing in-house on preprinted stock. Experience the brand first hand by stopping in at Lucy Restaurant and Bar in the Bardessono Hotel, Napa Valley.

Going Mobile

2011-11-29T13:41:00.001-08:00

Global mobile traffic data grew 159% in 2010, nearly tripling for the third year in a row.* Capture your market share with a website designed by Effective Design Studio. We develop responsive web solutions that maximize our client’s marketing reach. A responsive website is a web solution that elegantly scales to the format of the viewing device–desktop, tablet, or mobile device — with striking results.

Our latest web launch is a new responsive website for Seattle Dances!, a Plymouth Housing Group annual fundraising event now in its third year. With a 397% increase in mobile device usage over last year, the Seattle Dances website needed redesigning to improve access anywhere, anytime. The new responsive website maximizes online donations and voting opportunities for fans supporting their favorite dancers — all from their mobile device. Additionally, the website is built on a WordPress platform with built in content management tools, allowing Plymouth staff to make ongoing updates throughout the event season.

Before you begin developing your new website, talk to the professionals at Effective Design Studio. Responsive web solutions for the growing Mobile market.

* Cisco Report

Team e!

2011-11-28T13:50:00.001-08:00

Holly and Kristine were able to meet up over the Thanksgiving break in Arizona for a local "Turkey Trot" race.

Having fun on the run

Here at e! we're always looking for ways to quantify our success, but Kristine Svehla-Brown takes it to the next level. This year she cycled, ran, and swam in five long distance events, including two 70.3 triathlons. Add up the distances of her races alone, and they're equal to driving from Vancouver, B.C. to Salem, Oregon.

What keeps her motivated? Well, her finisher medal in the shape of Texas is a favorite. And swimming in the clear blue water at the Chelan Man Olympic triathlon is still fresh in her mind. But really – it's the endorphins of training along with the opportunity to do many events with family and friends that keep her signing up for more.

And apparently it can be contagious, as our own Holly Perkins just completed 11 weeks of training and rocked her first Seattle 1/2 Marathon on a very soggy Sunday after Thanksgiving!

Kristine is not sure what's exactly on the docket for next year, but she's thinking of putting her first full marathon on the list. Perhaps Holly is crazy enough to join her? (Hint, hint?)

Polygon Northwest: Leading the Way!

2011-11-28T13:22:00.001-08:00

By listening to its customers, Polygon Northwest continues to be one of the leading new home builders in the Pacific Northwest. For nearly 15 years, Effective Design Studio has provided graphic design and marketing services for Polygon Northwest, launching new communities throughout Washington and Oregon. From print collateral systems to custom sales environments, together we maximize every opportunity to reach new audiences.

As the real estate market evolves, and technologies advance, so do the way we reach customers. Now more than ever, we employ online strategies, email marketing, and social media campaigns to expand Polygon’s marketing reach.

These marketing campaigns are tracked, and the results are sensational. A recent social media campaign quickly added 160 new Facebook fans, and the latest print campaign saw an increase of 25–30% in ad effectiveness. Now that’s results!

What do CNN, Lollapalooza and Volkswagen all have in common?

2011-11-21T16:03:00.001-08:00

They all use WordPress. What started as an open source blogging tool and publishing platform is quickly becoming the tool of choice for Content Management Systems used for everything from the coffee shop on the corner to major news outlets. Not to mention Katy Perry and Jay-Z.

As it turns out, here at e! we are on the cutting edge. We've been busy creating custom web solutions using WordPress for clients for the past few years. Check out our lastest project for Plymouth Housing Group's Seattle Dances. It's even optimized for mobile devices!

Contact us to find out how we can help you build your business through the Web.

The End of Summer

2011-09-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

by: Kristine Svehla-Brown, Senior Designer

Ah, the end of summer has arrived. Here in Seattle we are enjoying a late, but wonderful burst of great weather, no matter if the calendar says summer or fall. Everyone is squeezing in outdoor activities before we are forced inside with our books and lattes.

Each September, my co-workers at e! generously contribute to my fundraising for the Bike MS Washington Ride. The Bike MS event is a two-day cycling event through Skagit, Whatcom and Island Counties. The routes range from 22 to 92 miles on the first day, and 52 and 72 miles on the second day. There are scenic views along the routes, stocked rest-stops, and a festive finish line party. It’s a great event for a great cause and this year’s event didn’t disappoint with such amazing weather.

To ride a bike more than 100 miles over 2 days might seem a bit crazy, but it has become a great love of mine. 6 years ago I did my first long-distance bike ride. It was a 50 mile route on a Cascade Bicycle Club event called “Flying Wheels”, and it was the longest I had ever ridden a bike. I was riding an old mountain bike that my husband reconditioned for me with slick tires and a new seat. I know he was afraid I wouldn’t be able to make the whole 50 miles, but I proudly called him from a rest stop with just 10 miles to go before I finished the ride. Back then, I was in awe of fit bikers in black spandex that seemed to pedal so effortlessly up our Pacific Northwest hills. I loved to joke that I was just riding from rest-stop to rest-stop for the snacks! (Delicious snacks!)

The following spring, I invested in a road bike. I was hooked on cycling and surprised by my own ability to ride far distances. I took on the challenge to get faster and better at riding the hills. I trained and rode in my first RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC), a 186 mile, 2-day ride. And then at the suggestion of a friend, triathlons came into the picture! I realized the time I spent swimming, biking and running was countering the time I spent sitting at a computer all day. In my profession and our society filled with gadgets, I enjoyed the time to detach from computers, tv and electronics and enjoy the world around me. Now don’t get me wrong, I love what I do, but at a certain age it becomes apparent that sitting sedentary all day is not the best thing for a person physically or mentally. I’ve been a graphic designer for more than 20 years. That’s well over 40,000 hours of sitting!

Over the past 6 years I have a good collection of event t-shirts, finisher medals and MEMORIES. This summer alone I’ve done: Ironman Texas 70.3, Seattle Rock n’ Roll 1/2 Marathon, Chelan Man Olympic Triathlon, RSVP (Ride from Seattle to Vancouver, BC) and the Bike MS Washington Ride. I’m also ramping back up for another 70.3 Triathlon in November in Texas. I’m not fast, nor do I break any records, but I’ve taken on the motto to “keep moving forward”. I’ve found that endurance is my thing and I love the challenge. I also love to encourage others to participate in cycling and triathlon. You are stronger than you think!

SO HOW CAN YOU GET STARTED?

We are fortunate that Cascade Bicycle Club, the largest bicycling club in the US, is based right here in Seattle. In addition to their organized events, they offer free daily rides to everyone and they also advocate for better, safer cycling for all. I also have joined in on free workouts with the Luna Chix Triathlon team. Luna has local teams all around the country in running, cycling, and triathlon. Their mission is to support women of all ages and abilities who want to be active and inspire others to do the same. Not surprisingly, triathlon is one of the fastest growing sport in the U.S.

So, whatever your motivation for getting out there.... fun, adventure, fitness, or just snacks.... go for it! Below are a list of resources, and if you have any questions or need some advice on how to get started, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kristine@effectivedesign.com.

And always, KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Cascade Bicycle Club
Amazing cycling club. Website includes forums and links to their famous organized rides like STP, RSVP, Chilly Hilly, and more.
http://www.cascade.org

Luna Chix
Great advice and free workouts for women. (And always free Luna bars!)
http://teamlunachix.com/

Active.com
Great resource, links, and registration for hundreds of events. Find an event, sign up, and go for it!
http://www.active.com/

Hal Higdon
As a non-runner, I love Hal's approach! His website offers free training plans for whatever race distance you’re going for and whatever level you’re starting at. He’s also very realistic and forgiving for people with busy schedules!
http://halhigdon.com/

5 Reasons Why Websites Still Matter

2011-09-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

We came across a great article on why websites still matter. Check out the article below. Here at Effective Design Studio we not only do great website design, we can give you a complete content management system that allows you to keep your website up to date yourself. Contact us today to learn more.

Five Reasons Why Websites Still Matter
by: Mikal E. Belicove

Source: The Daily Dose blog

You know you must leverage Facebook, Twitter and word-of-mouth marketing to increase awareness of your brand. But the fact is, websites remain infinitely more popular with consumers than all of the business pages on social media sites combined.

Only 22 percent of those of us online in the U.S. visit a branded social networking page such as those found on Facebook, while 62 percent of us regularly visit branded websites, according to the latest Global Web Index report. If you were starting to let your site become outdated or haggard, consider a refresh. After all, as these figures note, websites still matter.

Here are five reasons why you shouldn't ignore yours:

1. Branding: Since it's your site, you set the design, which affords you the flexibility to optimize the user experience in ways that directly support your business model and brand-related goals. There's no competition on your website, just a branded experience that you direct yourself.

read the rest of the article here.

Building Your Multi-family Brand

2011-09-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

With the uptick of new apartment buildings in the Puget Sound region, competition for those signed leases will be high. To capture your market share, there are a few things you should know about renters.

Apartment renters are historically fickle, moving to the latest hip new apartment at the end of every lease. They love the carefree lifestyle of renting – and enjoy being a part of what is new. Consequently, apartment marketing must appeal to their gypsy souls. This is where the fun begins.

Start building a brand with the right name and brand identity that differentiates your apartment community from the competition. Each community has its Unique Selling Proposition (USP). This might be building amenities, location, transportation access, architectural style, luxury, sustainability, views and more. We dug into our archives to share a few favorites that really delivered on their USP.

The Bravern — modern luxury lifestyle
Island Square — classic Mercer Island style
Equinox — South Lake Union living
Site 17 — funky, old time Belltown vibe

Great branding and design as the foundation of a robust marketing program quickly delivered signed leases for these communities.

Who is the one-stop design firm for naming, branding, web design, mobile sites, SEO, social media, blogs, online ads, eblasts, newsletters, and events? It’s Effective Design Studio! We are creators of robust marketing programs that get the word out and the renters in. Find out more by contacting us today.

Asset Management Marketing Toolkit

2011-09-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Maximizing your commercial property’s marketing potential is critical in the current market conditions. Developing a smart marketing toolkit gives properties the boost they need to bring in the leases.

Oakhurst Center is one example of a property that needed a new toolkit. We recently completed a branding and signage system design for this Bellevue, WA property. Working with the leasing and building ownership teams, we developed a new brand identity for the business center, along with a complete interior and exterior signage system – expertly implemented by The Sign Factory. The site enhancements created a fresh look for the campus, and broadened its market appeal.

Effective Design Studio designs complete Asset Management MarketingToolkits, including collateral systems, signage programs, websites, mobile sites, and leasing environments. These branded marketing systems build ROI for your property. On the boards – Columbia Center Leasing Center – stay tuned!

Call us today at 206.328.8989 to learn more!

e! Goes Mobile

2011-09-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

We're excited to announce that we have launched the mobile version of our website (whoot!). Please experience it for yourself — simply visit our website from your mobile device and you'll automatically be directed to the fast, slimmed-down version of our site.

Before creating our site we set a few simple goals:

Make content easy to find
Files should be as small as possible to minimize load time
Maintain the visual identity that is established for our brand

Our mobile site meets all of the goals while maintaining our high standards of functionality and design.

Certain experiences are different on desktop computers than on a mobile device. Take scrolling for example. The fundamentals of good web design tell us that scrolling is bad, but touch technology has made scrolling fun, thus shifting the paradigm. We’ve embraced this shift to make our site easy and fun to navigate.

The mobile nature of handheld devices means that an Internet connection cannot be assumed to be consistent. As anyone who's traveled through downtown Seattle while surfing on their smart phone can attest (not while driving, of course!), data connections can be incredibly spotty when you're on the move. Planting enough data on each page helps us to minimize page transfers. This allows our user to absorb a good quantity of information before they commit to visiting another page.

Mobile usage is growing every day. The data from our top clients shows a 500% increase in mobile usage in 2011 compared to the year before. To keep growing numbers of mobile viewers (i.e. potential new clients) from experiencing the frustration of long download times and difficult navigation, now may be right time to develop your company’s mobile site. And, of course, we’d be glad to help.

Guido's Corner

2011-09-09T17:13:00.000-07:00

Well hello there! Long time no bark. It's still summer and there's still time to take some quick day trips from Seattle. Since I visit Yakima a lot (my Mom's from there) I thought I would share some of my favorite stops along I-90. I really like riding in the car so when the folks say "let's go bye-bye" my tail starts wagging and I'm ready to rock.

One of my favorite towns along I-90 is Snoqualmie, just a 30-minute drive and you're there! It's so close, yet feels so far away. I'm not allowed to go to the Falls there but you should check them out, I hear they're amazing! If you can splurge a little why not do lunch at Salish Lodge overlooking the Falls? There's also a casino nearby and don't forget to check out downtown Snoqualmie, it's quaint and loaded with shops and restaurants to browse. With Mt. Si nearby there is also tons of hiking in the area.

A little further east along I-90 and we find ourselves in Roslyn. This town was made famous by being a filming location for Northern Exposure back in the day, but it's so much more than that! With the recent addition of Suncadia Resort nearby you can golf, dine, shop and play in this very small town. Don't leave without stopping by The Brick, Washington's oldest operating bar!

And finally, have you been to Yakima lately? It's booming! Stop by the visitor center when you get there, but here are some fun ideas: winery tours, a visit to Ummelina Day Spa, lunch at Geppetto's, shopping at the Farmer's Market, dinner at Gasperetti's, float the Yakima River, and more! The fun things to do there are plenty and the sunny days last well into the fall.

Gotta run, I think I hear the car starting up!

Good Examples of Responsive Web Design

2011-09-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

We love responsive design -- sites that adjust the layout according to a user's screen size, platform and orientation. It means that the site looks good and is easy to read in practically every scenario.

Here are some examples that we like.

Three Column - Standard computer

Two Column - Tablet in portrait orientation

One Column - Phone

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

One Column - Phone

Three Column - Standard computer

Infographic about Facebook Interactions

2011-08-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

MoonToast brings us a fantastic infographic about the anatomy of a Facebook fan. It clarifies the capabilities for each tier of connection and demystifies how Facebook determines what is "Top News."

Click on the graphic to see the full version.

Read the original post at MoonToast.

Thinking of starting on your Annual Report for 2011 - is yours pretty enough?

2011-08-25T10:48:00.000-07:00

We found the following study quite interesting. The design of your Annual Report does matter!

via the University of Miami School of Business website:
A Prettier Annual Report Makes Investors Value a Company Higher, Says Study from University of Miami School of Business
As firms begin the 2011 annual report process, which many do at this time of year, they may want to pay closer attention to the way those reports look. A recent study out of the School of Business Administration found that investors, regardless of their experience, place a higher value on firms with attractive annual reports than they do on those that produce less attractive reports. The study found that annual reports that utilize more color are perceived to have at least one percent higher annual revenues than those with lackluster designs.

“The role of aesthetics in consumer goods like those you’d find on store shelves has been widely studied, but our research is novel in that we look at this effect in the extreme context of financial decision-making and what we find is just how boundless the role of aesthetics can be,” said Claudia Townsend, assistant professor of marketing at the School of Business, who conducted the research with Suzanne Shu at UCLA. “Better-looking documents produce increased pride of ownership for a company, and this pride increases valuation. People are not aware of the effect of aesthetics on their financial decisions and we found that when their attention was drawn to this issue they were able to overcome the bias and make wiser investments.”

Researchers conducted a series of three studies: one with finance students, one with members of the general population, and one with more experienced investors. Respondents in each study indicated that the design of a firm’s annual report would be of little significance in their valuation of a company. But after reviewing the first few pages and/or a sampling of annual reports, participants rated firms with more attractive reports higher than those with less attractive reports.

Specifically:

In the student study, in which participants were given the first three pages of two annual reports with the same financial information, the students priced the stock shares of a firm with the more attractive annual report nearly 70 percent higher than shares of a firm with the less attractive report.

In the general population study, respondents gave the product of a company with a more attractive annual report an average rating of 5.08 on a seven-point scale versus a rating of 4.79 for the product of a company with a less attractive annual report.
In the study involving experienced investors, in which participants were asked to rank companies based on how likely they would be to invest in those firms, the findings suggested that including an additional color throughout a firm’s annual report would have the same impact on an investor’s firm ranking as a 20 percent improvement in revenue from the previous year.

“The implications of these findings should point firms in the direction of good graphic designers,” added Townsend. “After all, it is a lot easier to add color to a printed piece of paper than to add revenue to a company’s bottom line.”

The research paper can be found online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740810000677.

Here is the Annual Report e! recently designed for Plymouth Housing Group:

Contact Effective Design Studio today with any Annual Report design needs.

Just for Fun - Bumbershoot Ads

2011-08-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that we get to design something that resembles a rock poster, so when Polygon NW asked us to create an ad for the Bumbershoot guide we were thrilled. We had fun coming up with ideas that would catch the attention of the concert-goers and be appropriate to the event.

Here are some of our comps, starting with the the winning design. Enjoy!

All images © Effective Design Studio

Leave it to Apple to create the coolest projector yet

2011-08-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Image: Patently Apple

Just the other day, the e! team was discussing ways to capitalize on new technology to improve our presentations. Like many of our clients, we still rely on traditional means -- projectors or LCD monitors powered by a laptop -- but we want to use a handheld device, like an iPad, to wirelessly run the show. This conversation spun off a flurry of research within our office that will undoubtedly help us improve our presentations.

But that was last week. Yesterday, a patent was uncovered that gave us a glimpse into what Apple has planned for our future. It appears that they're integrating a projector into their iPhones and iPads, which is great, but not really newsworthy since other devices are already doing that.

The headline to this story is that the projection will recognize gestures. Not the device, but the projection. You could interact with your projections by enlarging an area of an image or moving elements. Basically, whatever you could do on your touch device would be possible on the projected image.

This advancement could help us improve the quality of our presentations, but it could also enable us to collaborate in a more meaningful way. Our brainstorming or critique sessions could take on a whole new life if multiple people could interact with the projected digital elements.

Now to hope that Apple develops the technology quickly.

If you want more details about the Apple patent and the projector technology, check out Wired.com's coverage of the story.

Our logo design is moving on up...

2011-08-11T09:40:00.001-07:00

...to reside, in a deluxe data center in the sky.

Several years ago we designed the Intergate logo for the Sabey corporation. Since then the logo has been on the move and can be seen on all their data centers across the nation. Recently Sabey acquired the principal interest in 375 Pearl Street in Manhattan. This Effective Design Studio designed logo is moving on up!

This new data center will be repositioned as Intergate.Manhattan, a one million square foot technology focused commercial tower. To read more about the project, please view Sabey's press release here.

Here's a little more of our graphic and signage work from the past. This is the monument sign we designed for Intergate.West which is the headquarters of Sabey Data Centers. Congratulations to Sabey on their growth and here's to the e! designed logo spreading across the nation!

Own Your Own Piece of the Internet for Only $185,000

2011-07-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (that's ICANN to you), just voted to extend the possibilities for domain extensions to absolutely anything – provided you can pony up the cash and prove that you have a legitimate claim to the name.

To avoid any confusion, what we're talking about is the part of an internet address after the dot. For example, .com, .gov, .uk, or any of the 22 suffixes that appear in a URL. Now a company is free to put their own stamp on their address and, assumably, sells domains with that extension. Cannon, Unicef and Paris (the city, not the heiress) have already expressed their intentions to purchase their own names.

To avoid the hijacking that happened in the '90's, they’ve implemented a policy of reviewing every application to make sure the organization has a legitimate business plan and a legal claim to the dot name. If more than one company wants the same name, it will go to auction where the highest bidder wins. Any Joe-off-the-street cannot purchase a dot name unless he provides business details, which is meant to stop people from hoarding names for resale.

This is pretty exciting news for anyone who's ever tried to find a decent domain name. Websites are so important to a business' livelihood that it's not an uncommon practice to wait to commit to a new business name, until you've seen what domains are available. This has led to some pretty crazy names. Luckily, alternate dot names have been gaining acceptance which should help us move away from creating unintelligible business names, just to secure an unused dot com.

The Move to Alternate Domains

The website Good is an example of this move. Their URL– good.is –says more about their mission statement than any other address could. The premise of their business is spreading the word about acts of goodness throughout the world, especially in sustainability, human rights and culture. Their domain is their mission: Good Is.... The website itself answer the end of the sentence.

Here are few other examples that add meaning to the domain name:

• Connect.me: a service that manages all of your social media.
• Aquent.us: more relevant because they have offices in other countries. The .us moniker is becoming very popular.
• CentralCoop.coop: too bad for them someone already owns central.coop because it would be even better without the redundancy.

Not only do alternate domains provide a way to bring more meaning to your web address, it helps that there isn't as much competition so acquiring a concise and appropriate name is easier.

The Google Effect

In the end, it probably doesn't even matter what your domain name is. Browsers have become more like cell phones in that there's almost no reason to remember a URL anymore. Between the auto-fill in the address bar, the integrated search bar and the advanced bookmarking capabilities of modern browsers, it's possible to find anything you want without ever knowing the address. More than ever, the domain name is less important than communicating relevant information about your company, so the audience can Google you when it's convenient for them.

The question is: if the name you want is not available as a dot com, is it better for you to select an alternate dot name or pick a dot com that is too long, or doesn't really describe your business? There's no one-size-fits-all answer, but the more options we have, the more likely it is that you'll find something that works for you. Or hey, if you've got an extra $185K lying around, you might want to spring for your very own dot name. Now wouldn't that be fun?

New Banners For The Bravern

2011-07-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

We just finished installing banners for the residential towers at The Bravern in Bellevue. These beauties allow light to pass through so the interior corridors remain well lit, while the banners appear opaque from the exterior.

Google Adword's Most Expensive Keywords

2011-07-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what the most competitive terms are for the text ads that appear next to your search results in Google? Those ads, known as Adwords, are a highly lucrative business for the search company and account for 97% of their $33.3 billion in revenue. But who are the biggest bidders? Check out this great infographic by WordStream for the details.

Click here to see a larger version of this graphic.

The Results Are In!

2011-07-05T16:12:00.000-07:00

“I can’t thank you, and your team, enough for all the work that has been put into “improving” our site. From the first meeting with your team I knew that we would be able to accomplish our goal. You really do have an extraordinary group of people working with you. Carolyn and Holly were great to work with – professional, responsive, and truly know their stuff. The site is so much more exciting and dynamic now! Thank you!”

Carol Lobaito

Director of Sales & Marketing

The Arctic Club Seattle - a DoubleTree by Hilton

The e! team was selected by The Arctic Club Seattle, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, to enhance the performance of their Dome Room website. The Dome Room is one of Seattle’s premier venues for weddings and events. However, the Dome Room’s website would rarely show up in search engines, severely limiting sales opportunities.

We met with Carol Lobaito, Director of Sales and Marketing for The Arctic Club Seattle, to discuss their big-picture goal of increasing site visitations through search engine optimization (SEO). Through careful analysis, we developed an SEO strategy that was customized specifically to meet their goals. Our plan took into account the site as a whole, with consideration for their desired demographic. Our approach included optimizing site content and site structure, plus catering to a wider variety of devices including mobile devices.

Previously the top keywords used to find the Dome Room website were specific to the hotel and the venue. By casting a broader net, the website can be found through a wide range of keywords that are likely to be searched by potential customers and people unfamiliar with the property. This has given The Arctic Club Seattle the opportunity to reach a wider audience and be much more competitive with other venues in the region.

The result was a dramatic increase in site traffic.
Results are measured month over month

The overall increase in traffic was 320%

Search engine referrals increased by 825%

Mobile traffic increased approximately 20 times over, or by 1,995%

If your website would benefit from an increase in website traffic and search engine optimization, you should contact the e! team today.

Click here to visit The Dome Room website.

Looking Good In Grandview

2011-07-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

Effective Design Studio was selected by the City of Grandview in eastern Washington to design their new gateway sign and banner program, as part of a city-wide beautification program.

Through a design process that included a charrette with city officials, we explored several design directions, taking into account culture and heritage, structure, wind load factors, lighting, and materials.

The final designs incorporate the city’s logo and agricultural themes that are the heart of this community. This project was a grassroots effort by the city, which engaged many of the residents, city council and prominent businesses in the design review process. Once given options, they were quickly able to decide on the final design. Dedication for the whole beautification project was May 12, 2011.

Visit the City of Granview portfolio page for more pictures of this project.

High Style for a High Rise Collateral System

2011-07-05T15:18:00.000-07:00

With heightened competition in office leasing, Beacon Capital moved to maximize their lease conversion ratios. To successfully achieve this goal, they brought in Effective Design Studio to design a new marketing collateral system for their West Coast portfolio, which consists of Class A buildings and landmark properties.

Effective Design Studio collaborated with the client and the leasing teams for each property to review their research and utilize their experience to develop a distinctive voice for all marketing communications. e! designed powerful graphic elements including maps and plans, and presented a 2-tiered collateral system to embrace the breadth of their portfolio of properties. The final result showcases their world-class portfolio in enduring style.

Visit our project profile for more photographs.

CNN reads the e! blog

2011-05-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

A few months ago I wrote about the enormous potential I see for the future development of the iPad. For those of you who haven't read the post, I'll summarize. That device has changed my expectations for the web. It seems that tablets have created a platform that is satisfying on more levels than a simple desktop or laptop computer. Up until now, the experience of using the Internet instead of traditional print materials has been an exercise in give and take. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. It's easier to find information and there's much more of it, but we've been forced to accept a degraded level of enjoyment, satisfaction and ease of use.

In my article, I compared CNN.com's home page to that of the Daily Beast. CNN is simply a list of headlines, similar to a table of contents and not any more interesting; The Daily Beast is buffet of visual information organized into a clear hierarchy which uses images to quickly communicate. Quality of content aside, these are two totally different approaches to delivering the news.

A few weeks ago, CNN launched a beta version of what they're calling their Tablet View which is a version of the site that is re-imagined to present the news in a more visual way. The articles are presented with an image and headline, arranged from most important in the larger column on the left to least important in the smallest column on the right. When you select a story, it pops up and allows you to read a portion of the article, click through to the full story, or go to the next one.

For those of you familiar with Flipboard, Taptu or The Daily, you'll notice that CNN's tablet view has taken a page out of their book. One of the significant features of these apps is their ability to give you a quick idea of an article without bogging you down with too much content, until you're ready to commit. It reminds me of the front page of a traditional newspaper. Short blurbs of multiple articles, and you have to turn the page to finish reading. Flipboard does this perfectly and it also allows you resize and organize these articles within your board (see a video of this in action). Why did we have to come so far to return to a concept that has been in use for decades?

The CNN version is still in beta, and you can tell. It appears they tried to implement a new system without considering if the content will actually work in the new layout (one stock chart would be more than enough, thank you very much). The design and implementation is not in the same league as Flipboard or the other apps, and I would guess CNN developed this as a proof of concept, not a fully-fleshed out design. If not, CNN please give me a call. We need to talk.

The significance in CNN spending resources to investigate this approach is that it validates the idea of a paradigm shift in our expectations for web-based experiences, and therefore what we as designers/developers need to consider. It seems the collective expectation is that everything should be more interactive -- or experiential -- and offered to us in a manner similar to the offline world. And we are just now becoming capable of delivering on that demand. Just imagine if you walked into Barnes & Noble to buy a magazine and they simply handed you a list of titles and didn't allow you to browse through the covers with their beautiful, glossy photos and flashy headlines. Would you buy anything?

As humans we're susceptible to the emotions brought on by images and colors. Over the years we've grown to crave this stimulus and the online world has struggled to deliver that emotional payload, and has suffered for it. Online advertising rarely garners the prices that print ads command. This shift represents a move toward a more emotional, and therefore satisfying, experience on the web. I believe this will usher in a new era where you can find multi-sensory experiences through technology that are as satisfying as their tangible, offline counterparts. It might not happen overnight, but I feel like we now know what we've been working towards.

Effective Design Turns 30!

2011-04-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Founded on April 1st, 1981 by Caroline & Michael Scull, Effective Design Studio knows that companies who survive three recessions have someone to thank, and that is our clients. Thank you for trusting your branding and graphic design to our firm.

We have evolved with the changing technologies over a period of three decades, from drawing tables and rubylith to 0S X 10.6 and CS 5. Our knowledge and expertise of the latest technological advancements provide us the skills to create compelling brand experiences and interactive design that extends your company's brand reach across all media platforms. Our work gets more exciting every year.

Above all else, the lasting relationships we have made along the way that mean the most.

THANK YOU!

William Wright Photography: Beautiful Images Demand Simplicity

2011-04-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

In his search for an online solution that reflected his brand, and provided content management tools, Bill Wright turned to Effective Design Studio.

Having recently designed the new brand identity for William Wright Photography, our team understood the company's core values and personal style. It was also important that the design solution be simple yet rich, to provide a neutral background to display his award-winning images. The result is outstanding. His collections of exceptional photography can be viewed at www.williamwrightphoto.com.

Keep it current: Now more than ever, a company's website needs to allow for fluid content. Keeping your company's latest work and news on your website allows for more opportunities to connect with clients in a meaningful way. Read our blog article on how integration tools can allow clients to manage and update their websites themselves or contact us for more details.

Keep It Current

2011-04-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

Static HTML sites are becoming a thing of the past. Clients now frequently want the ability to update content on their own schedule without having to go back to the site’s original designer for each and every change. We can't blame them. Clients who make changes as often as they need to can keep overhead lower, and keep content more current. Who doesn't want to do that?

CMS Solutions
There are more options for CMS (Content Management Systems) solutions every day. They are becoming lighter weight, easier to install and more non-tech friendly. The types of CMSs vary widely from software such as Adobe Contribute, blog-based software like WordPress, to more robust systems like Joomla or Drupal — not to mention all the options in between. Custom systems can also be designed depending on the needs of the client.

The CMS system you choose depends on what you need it to do for you. For example, one company might want to be able to add new articles to their blog and have them appear on the home page, while rarely making changes to the rest of the pages on their site. This was the case when we worked with Plymouth Housing Group and William Wright Photography. Other companies might want the freedom to change just a few pages but with high frequency, as Urban Visions did for their vacancy listings. Finally, some need control of the entire site in order to keep up with an ever-evolving event, like Plymouth Housing did for their "Seattle Dances" fundraising event. Here at e!, we were able to work with each of these clients to customize their CMS solution.

Customizing the Look
Maintaining the client's brand and messaging is top priority. But as designers, we know that the design and content need to look great to get visitors engaged and spend the maximum time on your site. The longer they stay, the more great content they will find delivering your message. So, even moreThe good news is that in addition to becoming easier to build and update, these tools are also becoming easier to customize for the look and feel.

Getting There From Here
Do we have you intrigued? Interested in a new web solution or Content Management System so you can have control of your web site? Contact us to find out how we can help you find the right solution to for your web presence.

Article sources:

Friday Fun: Gratuitous Guido Shots

2011-04-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

Guido enjoyed our St. Patrick's Day celebration!

We had a visit from Aflac and Guido got a duck! (New toys make the tail wag!)

Effective and ColorGraphics Win Craftnet Award

2011-03-25T11:30:00.000-07:00

Our very own Kristine Svehla-Brown was recognized for her unique folio design with a 2010 Gold Award & Gold International Award from Craftnet. The system featured a folder with magnetic closure which housed a custom spiral bound tab set. It's a beautiful piece that was made possible by the expertise of our friend Mike Fitzgerald at ColorGraphics in Seattle.

ColorGraphics has been winning Craftnet awards for years and we were happy to partner with them for this project. Congrats to Kristine and Mike!

Pinterest: Saving Us From Ourselves

2011-03-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

As designers we tend to be more visually motivated than the average Joe. I realized I had a problem when my friends started asking me for the PMS color of real life items -- and I didn't realize they were teasing me. I mean, everybody knows that "black" rain clouds in Seattle are actually PMS 7546, right?

Now I save my friends the pain of listening to me gush about the beautiful decenders on Bickham Script or rant on the proper use of Papyrus. I now curate my own collection of beautiful and inspirational things on Pinterest. It's great because I can get gift ideas from their pin boards, and they can comment on how great Bickham Script really is, after viewing my pinned text sample.

Check out Pinterest and you might want to start a pin board of your own. Afterall, it's cheaper than therapy.

e! Logos Selected for Publication

2011-03-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

We're excited to announce that our logos for Element and Palisades have been selected for probable inclusion in the next Logo Lounge book. The Master Library series is Logo Lounge's newest undertaking and will include 7 books categorized by logo style. The theme for the fourth book in the series is "Typography & Enclosures."

The Café Palma logo was included in an older version of Logo Lounge.

Internet Explorer — Hello and Goodbye

2011-03-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, IE9!

Microsoft will release their final version of Internet Explorer 9 tonight at 9:00 pm Pacific Time during the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. You will be able to download your copy here and here.

Sorry XP users, it will only work on systems with Windows Vista or Windows 7 installed. So if you're still using XP (it was a great operating system and got us through a couple of not-so great operating systems) it might finally be time to upgrade.

Goodbye, IE6!

And speaking of upgrading… The worldwide market share for Internet Explorer 6 finally dipped below 5% in December 2010. Web designers and developers all over the world were filled with geeky glee to hear that Microsoft has launched a campaign to rid the web of IE6.

So now you have two choices, if your system uses Windows Vista or Windows 7 you could be among the first to take IE9 out for a spin. If you're using Windows XP, then you'll want to stick with Internet Explorer 8. In either case, you'll have a vastly improved web experience.

Note: If you're using a Mac operating system there is nothing to see here, carry on.

Google Filters the Internet for You

2011-03-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

Eli Pariser spoke at TED 2011 about how the internet -- or rather your internet -- is getting smaller. In an attempt to personalize your search results, Google is filtering all possible answers to your internet queries and serving only the ones it thinks you will like. I see how this could be considered an improvement, but it makes me worry about the availability of information and my ability to see the big picture.

I also question if this will affect our ability as marketers to reach our audiences. Google's ever-evolving algorithm makes search engine optimization a challenge, but trying to infiltrate personal preferences (as interpreted by Google) is another task entirely.

Below I've posted Wired's article on Pariser's talk. Hopefully it will give you something to think about without keeping you up at night.

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TED 2011: Junk Food Algorithms and the World They Feed Us
Wired.com | By Kim Zetter | March 4, 2011

LONG BEACH, California — With the birth of the internet came the promise — or so the myth goes — of broadened horizons and fantastic new opportunities to connect people and viewpoints in ways we could not have imagined.

But in reality, political activist Eli Pariser told the Technology Entertainment and Design conference on Wednesday, the internet has quickly encased us in personalization bubbles where increasingly the only people and ideas we encounter are the ones we already know.

Pariser, a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and former executive director of MoveOn.org, said the Facebooks and Googles of the internet are tweaking their algorithms to personalize user experience, filtering content that shows us only what it thinks we want to see rather than all we can — and should.

“It’s your own personal, unique universe of information that you live in online,” Pariser said. “What’s in it depends on who you are and what you do. But the thing is, you don’t decide what gets in, and you don’t see what gets edited out.”

Take his Facebook page, for example. Pariser used to receive comments and links from readers on both sides of the political spectrum. Then one day he noticed his conservative friends had disappeared; only links from his liberal friends remained. Facebook, without asking him, had seen that he clicked more often on links from left-leaning friends and simply edited out the rest. The site used an algorithm that hides from view the kinds of content it has determined, from your past activity, that you are less likely to interact with.

Facebook isn’t alone in doing this kind of personalization, of course. Two people in different regions with different interests will receive different Google results when typing in the same search terms. To test it, Pariser asked friends in different locations to search on the protests in Egypt and send him screenshots of their results. While his friend Scott’s results were full of links about the protests, Daniel’s results were not.

Google’s algorithm considers 57 different elements in catering its search results for you, and as a result, “there is no standard Google search anymore,” said Pariser, who is writing a book on the political and social effects of web personalization.

Being exposed to different viewpoints and information is good for us, because it speaks to our various selves and competing interests. But too much personalization threatens to make us one-dimensional.

He pointed to research on Netflix queues that examined how some films move quickly to the top of a user’s queue while others languish at the bottom of the list, never to be viewed. Iron Man, for example, zips right up to the top and out the Netflix door to the user’s doorstep, while a documentary like Waiting for Superman never makes it to the user’s mailbox.

The Netflix queue exposes an ethics struggle between our more impulsive selves and the better selves we strive to be, the research showed.

“We all want to be someone who has watched Rashomon,” Pariser said, “but right now we want to watch Ace Ventura for the fourth time.”

Filters that focus on what we click on first or most often, he said, cater to these impulses and end up serving us information junk food instead of a balanced information diet.

The internet was supposed to rid us of traditional media gatekeepers who controlled the flow of information. “But what we’re seeing is a passing of the torch from human gatekeepers to algorithmic ones,” he said.

If algorithms are going to curate the world and decide what we get to see, he said, then they should show us not just things we think we want to see but also things that are uncomfortable and challenging and that include other points of view.

He closed with an appeal to the Google and social media executives in the audience.

“We really need for you to make sure that these algorithms have encoded in them a sense of the public life, a sense of civic responsibility,” he said. “We need to make sure that they’re transparent so we can see what gets through and what doesn’t, and so we can decide what gets through and what doesn’t.

“We need the internet to connect us and introduce us to new ideas and people and different perspectives,” he continued, “and it’s not going to do that if it leaves us all isolated in a web of one.”

Photo: Eli Pariser (James Duncan Davidson/TED)

Apple Introduces New Connection Port for Faster Transfers

2011-02-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

snipped from wired.com

Apple on Thursday refreshed the MacBook family with faster processors, more-powerful graphic cards and, most notably, a new connection port called Thunderbolt.

Ranging from 13 to 17 inches in screen size, the notebooks ship with the brand-new Thunderbolt connectivity standard that Apple co-developed with Intel.

Thunderbolt can transfer up to 10 Gbps, which is theoretically 12 times faster than the previous FireWire 800 connectivity standard. This is usually where you’d connect an external accessory such as a hard drive.

Apple has historically been nimble with pushing new connectivity standards. Apple created the FireWire connectivity standard before it became widely adopted in the PC industry.

Read the full article at wired.com or get technical with Intel's description Thunderbolt.

Image courtesy of Intel.

News Corp. launches app-only newspaper

2011-02-04T10:06:00.000-08:00

snipped from Wired.com

"In its first editorial, The Daily bills itself as “the newspaper of the 21st Century.” In truth, News Corp.’s stab at a daily news publication produced solely for tablets looks a lot like a re-imagined digital magazine that is updated every day.

Wednesday’s launch event announced that The Daily will be free for the first two weeks, thanks to a sponsorship from Verizon, making it well worth a peek. Thereafter it’s $1 for a week, or $40 for a year — and it’s the first publication Apple will permit to sell subscriptions within the app, not through the iTunes store.

Time will tell if that’s a good model for newspapers, magazines and readers. But at first blush, The Daily looks like it may be onto something editorially, even if the economics are a challenge.

After a splash screen — accompanied by unnecessary audio — the reader is taken to a starting window that is both a dashboard and a home page. Right away, The Daily seems to have solved a Big Problem faced by publishers in print, on the web and in apps: How do you convey the totality of your content without overwhelming the reader and blurring everything?

The Daily uses the cover-flow paradigm popularized by Apple in iTunes. Lateral swipes move you swiftly through the page thumbnails, all rendered large enough for you to quickly glean what they contain. They are always in view."

Read the full article.

Image courtesy of Wired.

What does it mean to create meaningful experiences?

2011-01-27T14:54:00.000-08:00

This article is based on a lecture by Nathan Shedroff entitled "Making Successful Experiences." You can follow along with the slides from his presentation by downloading the pdf.

While design is pretty intuitive to designers, we all have projects that are smashing successes and others that are brutal failures. Nathan Shedroff's goal is to create a strategy for tapping into the brilliance that creates the successes. He aims to do so by identifying what really motivates people, and understanding the depth of the emotions and reactions that go into the decision making process.

To be clear, we're talking about Experience Design (XD). This is a big term that's being peddled as the Next Big Thing, but the concept is sound and has been around for quite a while. The concept of Experience Design suggests that to create a deep and empowering relationship with a brand, you need to deliver something meaningful to your audience. And you need to follow it up at every touch point, whether it is product packaging, experience with customer service, or the tone of email correspondence; everything contributes to the experience.

Nathan proposes that our decision-making process runs through five compound layers. The more levels you can penetrate, the more meaningful or satisfying the experience will be. The first level is features. Does this service or product offer the things that I need? If so, does it do it at a price I'm willing to pay? If yes, then move on to: emotions. Does this fit all of the above criteria AND make me feel good? Does it make me feel better about myself in some way (younger, smarter, more affluent)? If the answer is yes in a deep enough way, it can override the first two levels. For example, it could make me feel so good about myself that I'll pay more than I intended, or live without some of the features I thought were necessary. Emotions can be intense and they have the capability to override the pragmatic side of our brain.

The next level is values. Does this align with how I see my peers and myself? Is it me? Then at the core of values is meaning. Does this touch on a deeper meaning? Does it offer me freedom, validation, security or enlightenment? These are the things that drive us; the deeply seeded values and motivators that we each possess.

Nathan suggests that there are 15 core meanings: accomplishment, beauty, creation, community, duty, enlightenment, freedom, harmony, justice, oneness, redemption, security, truth, validation and wonder. These meanings are more powerful than price or performance, less fleeting than emotions and they transcend our values. "The most successful experiences are meaningful." Meaning is the deepest connection you can make.

In order to touch these meanings, we need to be honest about our audience, ourselves and our company (or client). Prioritize the top five meanings for those three groups and then see which concepts are common between them. If you have 2-3 in common -- great! If there is only one, then you should try to identify why. Is the organization courting the wrong customers? Are your values stopping you from being the best person for this job?

Once you know what the core meanings are, you can apply them to everything your company does. These should be at the core of your business strategy, not just your brand strategy. Every decision should be weighed against these principles to make sure your brand and the overall experience is on target.

At this point, many people are probably thinking "Wait a minute, this is a lot of work, and most of it is done before we even get to design the product." That's true, and while it's easy to simply compete on price and features, the problem is that the competition is much fiercer and the profit margins much smaller for that kind of commoditized item. Additionally, when it comes time for the consumer to replace the item, you're back at square one, competing against your peers on price and features.

The opposite of this is to create a product or service that appeals to your customers on the deepest level, which fosters repeat business and creates brand evangelists out of your customer base. They tell their friends and family who are likely share some of their core values, and it creates pods of fiercely loyal customers. At this point, price and features are much less important.

More can be read about this topic in Nathan's book "Making Meaning: How Successful Businesses Deliver Meaningful Customer Experience" available at Amazon.com or by visiting his website makingmeaning.org.

Design Win!

2011-01-27T13:26:00.000-08:00

261 sexy miles to the gallon. Volkswagon's XL1 concept car:

"...highly anticipated XL1 hybrid concept car: with a look that's part Prius, part Tesla, and part... DeLorean (dig those split windows and gullwing doors, Marty!), the XL1 appears to be stuffing 10 pounds of futurism into a five-pound bag."

Read all about it at Co.Design's blog.

Kickstarter: A clever concept for funding ideas

2011-01-21T13:56:00.000-08:00

If you've heard of Kickstarter, chances are you've heard about the record-breaking feat by Minimal Inc who raised $600K to fund their iPod Nano watch. Since CNN covered the story in early December 2010, the company has raised even more money -- almost one million dollars in total. It's pretty amazing if you consider the money they didn't spend in market research, and the time they didn't lose trying to court investors. They simply created their idea and put it to the people.

There are so many different ideas on Kickstarter, there's literally something for everyone. The best part is that if you chose to fund an idea, you get something for your money and there are many different levels of commitment.

It's all in the spirit of giving life to new, creative ideas. Who doesn't love that?

Checkitout: http://www.kickstarter.com

The Evolution of Digital Media

2011-01-14T10:09:00.000-08:00

The popularity of the iPad has exceeded most people's expectations, yet there are still those who don't understand its necessity. My only explanation is that they haven't used one. Many technologies over the years have claimed to change the way you live, but this is the first to have such a profound effect on my life. It has truly changed the way I look at everything and opened my eyes to what the future will be.

The switch to digital media has been both exciting and disappointing. Yes, I can organize my life better than ever before, but the experience of using many digital resources doesn't give me the satisfaction that I get from traditional means. CNN.com's new(ish) design is great example. There's more content than ever before, but the front page is a bit like reading the table of contents of an encyclopedia. Snore-fest. Yet because they create high-quality content, they continue to get hordes of visitors every day. Conversely, The Daily Beast has grown into a competitor because they use a format that presents the news in a way that's reminiscent of a printed newspaper, with big photos and hierarchical headlines. Because of this they've managed to garner quite a following, even though their content is not of the same caliber as CNN.

This principle is even more obvious when you bring the iPad into the equation. For the first time since print was declared dead, some apps have been introduced that create digital experiences that satisfy on a deeper level than just the analytical quest for facts. Some of my favorite examples are Food & Wine, Wired and Dwell's magazine apps. I subscribe to the print version of Food & Wine and when my new issue arrives, I'm like a kid with a new toy. I take the time to sift through the recipes and get lost in the beautiful pictures. The quiet, focused time is a luxury that I enjoy infinitely.

However, when it comes to cooking these recipes, more often than not, I go to my computer because I can do a quick search and find exactly what I want. My recipe software is easy to use, but couldn't be less exciting. Browsing through a list of recipe titles is about as appealing as having a man describe a sexy new pair of boots (uuh, they're black and they go on your feet). If I know what I want, it's easy, but the act of passively browsing and allowing something to inspire me is all but lost. In the end, food is so much more than just a list of ingredients, it's a multi-sensory experience and those qualities cannot be communicated in a five word title.

The iPad version of Food & Wine is the opposite of this experience. The design is similar to the printed version, but the added functionality offered by the iPad platform makes the experience even deeper. Using the iPad app gives me the same kind satisfaction I get when flipping through the print version of the magazine. It's a passive experience that allows the analytical side of the brain to sit back while the creative side takes over. It allows the experience to be emotional, inspirational and satisfying.

This kind of experience has been missing from our digital lives, and now that it's here, the future seems up for reinterpretation. Finally we can have all of the functionality of the digital age, coupled with the satisfaction of an experience rooted in the emotions that we're used to experiencing in our offline lives.

Bardessono Holiday Ad

2010-12-09T10:12:00.000-08:00

We are in full festive Holiday swing here and this ad for Bardessono in Napa Valley makes us want to curl up by the fire. We can almost smell all that "green" now!

Plymouth Housing gets a new Website

2010-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

We are very excited to announce we have finished the design of the new Plymouth Housing Group website. We are happy to report they are quite pleased with the results! What do you think of it? Head on over to www.plymouthhousing.org and see for yourself.

Cold weather hours are here...

2010-10-21T14:06:00.001-07:00

Iron Will & Nerves of Steel

2010-09-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here at e!, graphic design isn't all we're interested in. Two of our very own, superstar Designer Kristine, and rockstar Office Manager Jodi, recently partook in some amazing adventures! Read their firsthand accounts right now...

Ironman 70.3 Lake Stevens - Kristine Svehla-Brown

I competed in my first 1/2-Iron distance triathlon. The event was in Lake Stevens, Washington held on August 15th. A 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. It was an epic day. It just so happens to have been one of the hottest days of the year at 95 degrees! It being my first race at this distance, together with the hot temps, I was happy to have crossed the finish line that day. Now that I've had a bit of time to recover... I'm already planning on doing another 70.3 race with my older brother next year. Crazy? Yeah.

41 Story Rappel off Rainier Tower - Jodi Picatti

On August 14th I went Over The Edge in support of Special Olympics Washington. What is going "Over the Edge"? Well, it was rappelling off of Rainier Tower, which is 514 feet tall. What a rush it was to step over the edge of the roof and begin my descent. I received great advice from and practiced with the volunteers that day, but nothing prepared my body for the rush of adrenaline I received. It lasted well into the evening! My decent took about 12 minutes. I probably wouldn't do it again, but I'm glad I did it! Special Olympics Washington is an amazing organization that my sister Janine was a participant with for many years while we were growing up. If you haven't see the joy that competing brings these athletes first-hand, you're missing out! This event raised over $180k for Special Olympics of Washington. Being able to rappel off of Rainier Tower and support a good cause at the same time was a dream come true.

Summer Recipe!

2010-08-05T16:29:00.001-07:00

ummer is in full swing!

We've been getting affogatos at Tully's so it must be.

Here's a recipe from last year's Holiday cookbook that would be delicious right about now.

Yucatán Shrimp Cocktail Salad (Serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

¼ cup fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

1 cup chopped seeded Pablano peppers

½ cup thinly sliced celery

½ cup sliced green onions

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup diced peeled avocado

Cooking spray

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shrimp and red pepper; sauté 4 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine juice, vinegar, honey, and salt in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add cucumber and remaining ingredients; toss well. Add shrimp mixture; toss well.

Voila! Summertime on a plate.

Recipe by Holly.

And if you need some graphic design done here in Seattle, look no further. We are even more effective this year since it hasn't been 104 degrees in this historical building with no A/C. (Yet.)

e! notes is fresh!

2010-07-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of e! notes is hot off the wire!

Check it out by clicking here.

Happy Summer Everyone!

2010-06-08T09:36:00.001-07:00

We finally have a sunny day here in Seattle so we wanted to remind you that we just switched to summer hours. Now get out there and enjoy the summer everyone!

Seattle Dances was a Huge Success!

2010-05-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

Plymouth Housing Group's event: Seattle Dances! (based on Dancing with the Stars) was a huge success as a fundraiser. We were proud to work on the website and collateral for the event, a few of us were even on the decorations committee. Seattle Dances raised $408,000.00 for PHG. Please visit the website to see how the evening played out and which celebrity shuffled away as the winner!

Effective Design Studio is hiring!

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Say what? It's rare that people are hiring nowadays, but we are! We are looking for an amazing Web Developer/User Experience Designer. Trust us when we say you have some big shoes to fill. If you, or anyone you know might be a fit for us please check out our job listing:

Web Developer/User Experience Designer.

Thanks!

WEB DEVELOPERS! by Nick, Programmerman via Flickr

UPDATE! 5/10: We have found our Web Developer and couldn't be happier! Welcome to the e! Team Carolyn!

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-17T16:10:00.000-08:00

e! wishes you a great big Happy Holidays to you and yours. We just finished with our annual Holiday Luncheon and it was a smashing success. A great time was had by all and we are now all officially in the Holiday spirit! We look forward to 2010 and all the fun projects that it is sure to bring. We wish you comfort and joy in the New Year. And now, here's Guido to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

that's what I said, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

e! Wins Silver Award at Nationals

2009-12-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Effective Design Studio is excited to announce that we are a 2010 Nationals Awards Finalist and recipient of a Silver Award for the "Best Website for a Community" for One Main Street's website: www.onemainstreet.com. The Silver Award Winners are the top vote recipients in each category and are finalists for the Gold Award, winners of which will be announced and presented at The Nationals Awards ceremony on January 19, 2010 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Now in its 29th year, The Nationals pays tribute to superior new-home sales and marketing achievements by individual sales and marketing professionals, homebuilders and associates, and sales and marketing councils. The competition is presented by the National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC), a council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

We are proud of the work we are doing on the One Main Street website and appreciate the recognition. These luxury condos in Bellevue, WA have been fun to market, and the development and sales teams have been wonderful to work with. We look forward to the awards ceremony in January and are hoping to bring home the Gold!

Harnessing the Power of Social Media

2009-11-23T13:30:00.001-08:00

Our team at Effective Design Studio has been analyzing the effects of social media on the business marketplace with tools such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs. Social media is the hottest new marketing innovation in the today’s business marketplace and it’s a trend that keeps growing.

Let’s start with some facts. The usage of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter now span the globe. The current global audience for Facebook alone is over 300 million users and Facebook reports 50% of those active users log on any given day. Even President Obama has a Facebook page! To better understand the demographics of its users, there are a handful of sites that track data and generate daily reports from Facebook's advertising tool. This helps marketers and researchers understand how to best utilize Facebook, and what messages would resonate with its audience outreach.

So, is social media the right opportunity for your company?

The answer is most likely, YES! For example, recent Facebook data reports suggest that social media is catching on across all age groups. As you may assume, the younger tech-minded generation is the largest market segment, and this still remains true. However the 35-54 year old demographic grew by almost 300% in 2008 and the 55+ demographic was the second fastest growing with an increase of almost 200%. That same group of 55+ users continued to grow in the first half of 2009 by a staggering 513%. With this data, most companies will find their target market falls within the parameters of Facebook audiences.

It is important to remember, although Facebook is generally seen as a social platform i.e. sharing personal photos and events with friends and family, Facebook also allows businesses to publish up-to-the-minute information when users become a “fan” of your page. This can make it a very easy and effective tool for keeping audiences informed and engaged in your company.

Easy updating doesn’t mean meaningless content. Like all marketing communications, social media should be brand-centric and meaningful to your company’s target audience by reinforcing key points of differentiation. With every communication, keep your marketing goals in mind. Building brand influence through social media is completely possible if used correctly. More than 10 million users become fans of pages on Facebook each day. These real-time updates might be information you would not spend time and resources to update constantly on your website. Who would see them? But with so many users on Facebook daily, these smaller tidbits of information can be updated and seen frequently.

Interested in more ideas on how you can harness the power of social media?

Give us a call today to find out more. 206 328 8989 or email caroline@effectivedesign.com.

e! is in the top 25

2009-11-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

Just released last week by the Puget Sound Business Journal was the list of the "Top Graphic Design Firms" in the Seattle area. Effective Design Studio was number 25 this year. We are happy to be included on this list and have enjoyed working in the Puget Sound region and beyond for the last 28 years.

Plymouth Housing Group Luncheon Huge Success!

2009-10-16T11:53:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite clients, Plymouth Housing Group just had their annual Key to Hope Luncheon and it was a huge success! Effective Design Studio once again helped out with the design of collateral for the event. We are proud to sponsor such a worthy organization.

Paul Lambros, Executive Director of Plymouth Housing gives us the wrap up:

"Wednesday's 6^th annual "Key to Hope" luncheon was a wonderful day for Plymouth Housing Group. Over 1,100 people attended the event at the Seattle Convention Center, which was a record breaker for us.

We are deeply grateful to you, our luncheon guests and sponsors, who contributed almost $400,000 to support Plymouth programs and services! This generous funding will help keep the over 1,000 people who live at Plymouth stable in housing for the long term--thank you!

And best of all, we were all deeply inspired by Dr. Maya Angelou, who gave a wonderful talk full of wit and wisdom. Who knew she was so funny?

Thank you for battling the rain and parking snafus to join us. We hope to see you again next year, hopefully without the above impediments!

Thank you again for all you do to help end homelessness."

We look forward to next year's event and our continued graphic design work with Plymouth Housing, one of Seattle's great charitable organizations.

A Fun and Effective DIY Project...

2009-09-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

Here at Effective Design Studio we do a lot of Real Estate Marketing design work. The Real Estate market is on the rebound, but competition is still fierce to make your product stand out from the rest.

I’m personally trying to sell my condo right now (great timing eh?) and my Realtor suggested some large artwork to highlight the 19’ walls in my unit. I decided to make some pieces myself, a little DIY project. It turned out to be so simple I thought I would share it with you. Now you can make your own fabric wall art. Enjoy!

Supplies:
* Fabric
* Canvas Stretcher Frame Bars (art supply store)
* Staple Gun
* Measuring Tape
* Scissors

I got my fabric at IKEA, they have big bold prints that are perfect for this. Here are some of the options that they had:

Measure your wall to see which size will fit best. Choose your frame sizes. I went with two 44” squares. You can mix and match stretcher bar frame pieces to create any size you wish. They snap together, so minimal assembly is required.

Iron your fabric and lay it out on the floor. Place your assembled frame on top of it and make sure the print lines up in the frame they way you like. Trim off any excess and staple the remaining fabric to the frame. Pull the fabric tight so it is smooth on the frame. Begin in the center of each side and work your way out with the staples. For the corners – fold them like you are wrapping a present.

Voila! You now have a new piece of artwork! Here's how mine turned out:

Good luck and have fun!

A Visit to the City of Roses

2009-08-26T11:44:00.001-07:00

It’s always fun to visit Portland, for work (installing displays at a new Polygon Northwest Sales Center) or play (eating my way through the city).

Despite the downturn in the housing market our long-term client Polygon Northwest has been selling strong. (Yeah!) Their communities offer great value and quality to savvy homebuyers. Their newest offering, The Overlook, features amazingly livable home plans including flats and townhomes. AND they are priced from the $160’s. Seriously, I may move to Portland and buy two. Such a deal!

The Overlook is located in the master-planned community of Timberland, which has grown by leaps and bounds since the last time I visited. Where once there were just a few buildings and a small sales center, there are now strolling neighbors, charming parks, apartments, town houses, condominium suites and more.

For the new sales center, we were asked to help with the design of the sales path and all of the displays. We needed to meld the previous rustic look of Timberland with a bit more urban flavor. These are a few pictures of the install in progress.

Besides making sure the install went smoothly, I took an extra day to play, eat and shop. (Tax free – whoo-hoo!) It was exciting to try some of Portland’s well-know street food vendors. My favorite bite came from a vendor at the Saturday Market. They were making hand dipped corn dogs. All organic and local sourcing of course, and it was fabulous! And, no trip would be complete without a Voodoo Donut. They were out of maple bars with bacon, so I settled for a simple chocolate glazed treat. Not as exciting, but still delicious.

If you’re planning a trip to Portland, I highly recommend the deLuxe Hotel. This is my second stay with them, and it’s been lovely both times. The hotel is located just outside of downtown, but is walking distance to all the attractions, and the Pearl and Nob Hill neighborhoods. Their staff is always extremely professional and helpful, but never stuffy. And the renovated historic building takes you back to a time when elegance was the rule, not the exception.

Marriage Between Digital Media & the Traditional Print Ad

2009-08-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

Clipped from wired.com.

"In the latest example of finding media innovation where you’d least expect it, CBS is embedding a video player in a print ad in Entertainment Weekly that will serve up a buffet of its fall TV lineup.

The CBS foray into a print-digital alliance plays full-motion video at a crisp resolution. The ad, dubbed by CBS and partner Pepsi Max “the first-ever VIP (video-in-print) promotion,” works like one of those audio greeting cards. Opening the page activates the player, which is a quarter-inch–thick screen seen through a cutaway between two pages concealing the larger circuit board underneath."

Read the full article...

Supporting Plymouth Housing Group

2009-08-18T15:47:00.000-07:00

It was back in 2007 that I ran into my friend, Marianne Painter, on the street in front of the office. Marianne was a former client from my pre-Effective Design Studio days. The chance meeting was rather serendipitous -- Marianne had recently taken a position at Plymouth Housing Group and needed graphic design help.

I was excited to introduce Marianne to the team at Effective Design. We had a meet-and-greet where Caroline and Joy explained our qualifications and Marianne introduced us to Plymouth’s mission in-depth. The meeting was successful and it looked as if Marianne would use e! for several projects. (Score one for me -- right?)

Not long after Marianne left our offices, Caroline and Joy came to my desk. They were hovering with "Cheshire Cat" grins on their faces. (Was I in trouble?!) Caroline proceeded to tell me, “We just wanted to let you know... (oh no, here it comes!) ...we have decided to take on Plymouth Housing Group as a pro-bono client.”

That was BEYOND what I was expecting that day. And a real “win” for all involved. Caroline had been impressed by Plymouth’s commitment to ending homelessness -- providing not only low-cost housing, but also essential services to its residents.

I'm proud to say, e!’s relationship with Plymouth continues today. We just finished their 2008 Annual Report, we are currently working on materials for Plymouth’s annual benefit luncheon (featuring Maya Angelou), and designing materials for their 2010 fundraiser “Seattle Dances”.

We hope you’ll join us in supporting this amazing organization. http://www.plymouthhousing.org

More Updates to Our Website

2009-08-17T16:22:00.000-07:00

We've been redeveloping our website over the last year and the full site is finally finished. Phew! It's true what they say about doing work for yourself -- it's always much harder, but worth the reward. Check out our new website and let us know what you think.