Client Spotlight :: Noteable Progressions

When Noteable Progressions came to us in need of an identity, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a unique client.

Owned and operated by Darcy Lipscomb, a Board Certified Music Therapist and Neurologic Music Therapist, Noteable Progressions helps people of all ages and abilities realize their potential through the use of music-based therapeutic interventions.

Darcy needed us to create a new brand identity for her company—something to give her a professional and respected look, while still representing her work in the field of music. We first created her logo, combining the form of the human head with the treble clef symbol, to give a harmonious mix of science and music. The logo and color palette were applied to business cards and stationary, as well as a website and facebook banner. Last but not least, we worked with Noteable Progressions to create super fun egg shakers to use with her clients and at other events.

Recently, we were awarded a Silver Addy for the Noteable Progressions logo design in the 2013 American Advertising Federations Addy Awards. We are so fortunate to have great clients like Darcy at Noteable Progressions, who allow us to flex our creativity!

Kalico Joins the {ADDY} Circus!

Yep, we did it. We ran off and joined the Circus. OK, OK, so we didn't join the actual circus (though imagine what it would be like to swing from a trapeze or walk a tight rope!) But we did attend ADDYs Under the Big Top—and boy did we have a great time!

The AAF Greater Frederick, our local chapter of the national trade organization, the American Advertising Federation, hosted a vintage circus-themed awards event this past weekend—complete with sword swallower, unicyclist and other amazing circus acts. The ADDYs is a three-tiered competition celebrating the best creative work in the advertising industry—from graphic design, to illustration, video and web design. We were honored to join our fellow creatives and cheer on the amazing and talented advertising community in our region!

Best yet, this year Kalico was awarded two silver ADDY awards: one for the editorial design and layout for the "Trip Across the Sky" article in Find It Frederick magazine as well as the logo design for Noteable Progressions Music Therapy. We are so lucky to have such wonderful clients and are truly honored with these awards!

Congratulations to all of the Frederick-area ADDY winners. We sure are lucky to be in business in an area so rich with creative talent, and so blessed with such supportive colleagues! 

Will You Be My Valentine…Font?

As a special Valentine's Day treat, we wanted to share with you some great fonts that remind us of love and friendship. (And the best part is—they're all low-cost or FREE! Just be sure to read the usage rights!) From classic to quirky, these fonts can make even the most unromantic message seem like a Casanova original. Well, that may be stretching it a bit. But we'll let you be the judge:

We hope you'll get some use out of these lovely, fun fonts for Cupid's Day! See below for a little bit of info about each typeface, as well as links to where you can find them! Happy Valentines Day from Kalico Design!

Wisdom Script  by James T. Edmondson was designed for Woods of Wisdom, a 50 part poster series on bad advice. But we promise you that using THIS font for Valentine's Day would be GOOD advice!

Sunshine in my Soul was created by Kimberly Geswein and is a lovely, playful handwritten script. 

Available in two styles – normal and sketch, this font has a sweet and delicate look not just in caps!

Seriously, can you go wrong with candy hearts on V-Day? A sweet combination of handwriting and illustration make this a fun and friendly font.

A classical romantic script. Be careful with the spacing on this one. A little bit goes a long way, though, and this font can produce a beautiful and extravagant piece.

Knight in shining armor anyone?! Who says chivalry is dead? Not when you dawn your princess a parchment sporting this writing!  You'll be a knight gleaming with "amore". (We crack ourselves up over here!)

First appearing as numerals only. Ribbon was designed by Dan Gneiding.

Vevey font was originally inspired by travel posters from the French Riviera. I know this font takes me away!

Pompadour! This font only comes in numerals. But oh what numerals they are. It is best used large so be creative in how you place it!

"Seasons Greetings"; A Historical Overview of the Christmas Card

As the Holidays quickly approach, you may be sending or receiving those holiday greetings. But how did this tradition begin and what has made it the popular symbol it is today?

The first commercially mass produced Christmas card was illustrated by John Calcott Horsley in 1843. Horsley was a painter of the time known for his subject matter that romanticized scenes of everyday life in the English countryside where he resided. Sir Henry Cole commissioned Horsley when he found himself to be too busy to hand write the traditional holiday greetings that year. While reception of this card was not taken lightly (it depicted children enjoying wine with their family) the idea of the illustrated card became a huge success and other commercial printers soon followed suit.

With the introduction of cheaper printing methods, 20 years later the Christmas card could be bought and sent by the general public – an act previously limited to the wealthy.

In the beginning, Christmas card graphics were not like the ones we see today. Instead of seasonal or religious depictions, images were meant to remind people that spring was approaching (an idea we, personally, tend to love!). Children and animals were the most popular themes.

During the world wars, access to German printers was cut off and companies like Hallmark and American Greetings saw a boom in sales when they encouraged Americans to send cards to soldiers in support. In the 1950s, subject matter of a more risque nature could also be found like the ones pictured below. These cards were produced in response to a times when Americans began to question tradition.

More recently people have resorted to making their own Christmas cards. Today's ease of photography production and at-home printing capabilities give individuals access that wasn't available 20 years ago. A popular choice is the family photograph with a seasonal design and message. The photo can be taken digitally and easily placed into templates at local vendors. With email and cellular communications being standard, some people choose to send out e-cards. However, the Christmas card still accounts for over half of all sales in the greeting card industry and is still widely and warmly received. So, did you send out cards this year?

Pinterest is Open for Business!

Earlier in the year we did a post on how effective Pinterest can be as a marketing tool for your business. However, just recently Pinterest offered a new set of terms targeted specifically to businesses. These new terms now supply specialized provisions separate from those of a personal account.

For instance, Pinterest has made the "pin it" and "follow me" buttons, as well as the "profile" and "board" widgets very easy to incorporate into an existing business website. These buttons increase pinner traffic to your website by engaging users to link to things they like while they are there.

But one of the best resources we have found with these new offerings is Pinterest's case studies and best practices examples.

In one case study offered by Etsy they explain how adding a business account increased traffic to their individual shops and has outperformed the "like" button on Facebook in referral traffic. While business accounts usually have boards that are curated and maintained by specified users and not the general public, Etsy shares a strategy in their study of how allowing "guest pinners" diversified the content of their boards and drove more traffic to their actual site.

Etsy is just one case study offered to get your creative Pinterest juices flowing. There are several others including Jetsetter, Allrecipes, Organized Interiors, and Petplan Insurance. Additionally there are tips and tricks on how to make your business become successful through Pinterest marketing. So check it out. You can convert your existing account to a business account with the click of a button, or you can create a new Pinterest business account in just a few easy steps. We just set up our own Kalico business Pinterest page—check it out at www.pinterest.com/kalicodesign!

My Business Card is Nearsighted

Recently Kim mentioned to me a new technology creeping its way into the business card market. Known as NFC or Near-Field Communication, this new technology allows you to program a certain amount of digital information onto a tiny microchip embedded within your business card. When someone touches the smart card to their smartphone (sorry, no i phones), it is told what to do. This usually means pulling information from the web, such as contact info, video, or even downloading an app. Card owners can re-write the info over and over.  Even if you have given the card away you still have access to re-write the data.

This all sounds pretty amazing. But is it really necessary to "bump" my phone into your business card to get your information? And at what cost? MOO.com currently has the market cornered on the business card aspect of this hot new trend, and their product will not available to the masses until 2013.

But what you may not know is that people have been creating their own NFC cards without the help of MOO since the technology has arisen. Tagstand is an online vendor that provides NFC tags and applications. For only a $1.00 you can purchase your own sticker the diameter of a quarter and as thin as a sheet of paper. Now you don't have to be held back by the pre-fab dimensions and design limitations of MOO.

This new NFC technology seems like it has endless applications and possibilities. It may be the next hottest thing since the QR code. But right now users seem to be happy to ride this one out. Could this just be another "myspace"?

Client Spotlight :: Healthful Mama

We love working with all our clients (seriously, we mean that sincerely). But as we've mentioned before, when we are asked to create things for clients promoting healthy lifestyles we get especially excited. Recently, we had a great opportunity to work with Healthful Mama to create design solutions for both print and web.

Written by Gretchen Sowers, Healthful Mama is a blog focused on natural and holistic living. Blog topics range from creating a healthy home, toxin-free environments, diet-based health solutions and recipes using whole food ingredients.

When Gretchen first came to us, she was looking for a more professional visual brand for Healthful Mama. Beginning with the blog header, we established a natural-looking textured background, paired with rich, earthy colors and fun typography. This look was carried over to a 2-sided business card (equipped with a QR code and all!), web banner graphics, facebook and twitter profile graphics, as well as customized social media icons.

This was definitely a fun project to work on, and right up our alley! We were thrilled with the opportunity to work with Gretchen and Healthful Mama and look forward to more projects like this in the future!

Lost Type Co-Op – A Dream Come True!

Recently, I came across this amazing website. I was re-directed there to see about downloading a font I had researched online. Once I explored the site, I realized I had stumbled upon a magical place!

Founded by designers Riley Cran and Tyler Galpin, the Lost Type Co-Op is a very unique type foundry. It's Pay-What-You-Want Type foundry, the first of its kind, and offers users the option to “pay-whatever-you want” (even if it's $0). All contributions are paid directly to the designers. Lost type takes no cuts of the sales, and holds no funds.

Lost Type Co-op has become a full fledged foundry, distributing quality fonts from designers all over the world!

When you're viewing the fonts on the site make sure you notice the photos along the bottom and the white box on the right. These areas will give you the useful info on what actually comes with the font.

Interested in submitting a font? Shoot them an email and maybe you can be one of the designers whose work becomes showcased.

So, go ahead. Check out Lost Type, I know it'll definitely be bookmarked on my browser!

A Taste of Americana: Hatch Show Print!

Recently, I was fortunate to visit Nashville, TN for a business conference. (More info on the conference to come...my mind is STILL spinning with all the great info I sucked up there!). But, luckily while in The Music City, I got to visit the iconic and historic Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress print shops in America!

As you walk into Hatch Show Print's storefront on Nashville's Broadway Street (though be forewarned, they will be moving locations very soon!), it's like you can hear angels singing! OK, I'm being over dramatic, but seriously, you are greeted with walls lined with old letterpress forms, and walls completely covered in colorful posters, for as far as the eye can see! It was a designer's happy place!

Opening in 1879 (yes, that old!) by the Hatch family, the print shop flourished during the days when show business was get-up-and-go business. Whether circus, minstrel show, vaudeville act, or carnival, show posters created the excitement that sold the show, covering the sides of buildings and barns in cities and towns throughout the country. Later on Hatch became well known for their music posters, featuring not only famous country artists, from Hank Williams to Johnny Cash to Garth Brooks, but also musicians of all genres.  

Hatch Show Print has captured American history, southern culture, and entertainment without losing that irresistible appeal of turn-of-the-century design aesthetics. For all you music lovers, Americana buffs, graphic arts collectors, graphic designers, and commercial advertisers of all persuasions out there, if you ever find yourself in the Nashville area, be sure to stop by Hatch Show Print, you won't regret it!

Now, I'll just need to figure out where to hang my two new Hatch Prints!

Special thanks to Jonathan Boehman of Immersion Active for introducing a few of his fellow designers to Hatch Show Print!

Client Spotlight :: Wholistic Woman Retreats

While we love working with a wide variety of clients, there's a special place in our hearts when we get to work with those promoting healthy, organic and/or holistic lifestyles. So, naturally, we were thrilled when Wholistic Woman Retreats approached us with a need for some updated branding and marketing materials.

The mission of Wholistic Woman Retreats is to provide a variety of retreat and networking opportunities for busy women to refocus, rest and grow their whole self: body, heart, mind, and spirit. The group empowers women to reconnect with their inner wisdom while supporting personal and professional growth in an atmosphere that is relaxing, fun, and supportive.

When we first started working with Wholistic Woman Retreats, they already had a number of marketing materials in use, but were looking for a more uniformed and professional brand. Starting with small tweaks to their existing logo, we expanded on a new design direction for their web header, print advertising and eBlasts. Using the organization's own photography,  the new marketing materials focus on showing the personal connections, experiences and relationships of members and retreat attendees.
 

We've had a great time working with Wholistic Woman Retreats and can't wait to attend some of their retreat events (including one this weekend…yay!). We look forward to working with this amazing group of women and helping their organization grow!

In It to Win It!

Hooray! We were just awarded three American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA magazine.

For almost 50 years, GD:USA  has sponsored national design competitions that spotlight areas of excellence and opportunity for creative professionals. The American Graphic Design Awards is their largest competition open to advertising agencies, graphic design firms, corporations, institutions, publishers and more. It honors outstanding work across all kinds of media: print and collateral, advertising and sales promotion, corporate identity and logos, internet and interactive design, motion graphics and more. With over 8,000 entries, only a selective 15% are recognized with an award—boy are we honored (and super excited, we might add!)

Our winning work included:

1. Kalico Design Earth Day Spring Promotion
(Category: Self Promotion)

2. Equinox Dance Company 10-Year Anniversary Performance Campaign
(Category: Public Service & Pro Bono)

3. A Tasty Nosh Website Design
(Category: Internet Design)

WooHoo! We're very excited and honored to be awarded, yet were even more excited to have such wonderful clients as well as such creative and fulfilling projects to work on!

Design Find :: allen + roth

We'll be starting a new blog series called Design Find, where will highlight some design and marketing pieces that really catch our eye. It'll be full of everyday pieces—something spotted at a local business, a unique direct mail piece we receive, a sign or billboard that we pass by—pieces that we just happen upon.

Additionally, if you spot a really great piece of graphic design, take a quick photo and either post it to our facebook or twitter pages, or email it to us. Let us know where you spotted it and what it was for, along with your name. If we're impressed too, we'll highlight it on this blog!

So, for our first Design Find…

I spotted these allen + roth postcards at our local Lowes while looking for some paint samples. The unique way they highlighted the color sample, along with the fun and inviting black and white photography, made these postcards hard for me to pass up. Additionally, while you can't really tell in the photo, there is also a spot varnish on the color sample, which makes the color really pop. All in all, these allen + roth paint sample postcards were definitely an awesome design find!

Favorite "F" words: FREE and FONTS!

Who doesn’t love free? And who doesn’t love fonts? (well, okay, at least WE love fonts!) For those of you who love both, we've put together a list of some our favorites. First up, Kalico's graphic designer, Jen Tyler lists some of her favorite FREE fonts…

It was a hard task to limit the list to so few. However, these are the ones that made the cut in my book. (Kim will be adding her favorites in a later post so keep an eye out.) If you find you can’t live without them either, just click on the name and you’ll be re-directed to download the font.

I love the controlled curvy nature of this script. Its perfect connections (“ligatures”) really give me an affinity for this font. It makes a bold statement and is also fun used as outlines.

This delicate little font could be used in so many instances. Holidays, Babies, Handwriting, the list goes on and on.

This is probably one of the fonts I use the most. I have been giving it a rest for a little while but it seems to work almost anywhere. It makes a nice statement alone as well as in a group

Fun in outlines or with a color dropped behind it. The rough edges add a nice texture too!

A great retro inspired script font.

I like the imperfection of this font. It has that indie feel to it. It also comes with a nice set of anchor-dings. However, use caution. This font has no numerals.

A nice throwback font. Endless possibilities. Best used as a display font, we wouldn't recommend using this below 18pt.

I like this font for its playfulness. The texture makes it feel more natural. This also has many applications and is fun paired with an equally thinner font.

Okay so this font is not “FREE”, it's “free for personal use” and you should always make sure and check the terms of use before you use a font. That being said, this font is so beautiful. It just makes my imagination soar.

For a quick a recap, take a look at all of them together, below. And stay tuned for Kim's list of favorites to come soon! Plus, let us know what some of your favorite FREE fonts are!

Print Isn't Dead! (Annual Print Design Survey)

For the past 49 years, Graphic Design USA magazine publishes a print design survey that takes a pulse on the print industry. Over the years, their findings proved that yes, digital marketing is on the rise (and will continue to be an important part of marketing campaigns), but print will never die!

Some of their data shows print provides a high ROI, print drives online traffic, print periodical readership is actually growing, print readers spend more time per advertisement or per page, print reaches demographics not on the grid, not to mention print can be sustainable and tree-friendly. But, in addition, print also offers a much more tangible, permanent, physical, and ultimately more personal experience.

As predominately print designers, we couldn't agree more with GD USA's findings. All in all, We don't think the print industry will be disappearing anytime soon, but it's had to shift focus a little bit and integrate better with digital marketing! "Print is Getting Smarter!"

Download GD: USA's full print design survey here and let us know what YOU think!