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!

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!

Creative Genius.....or Utter Madness?

A look into the creative mind of Kalico Design's junior designer, Jen Tyler...

When it comes to the creative process we all have our different ways of going about getting the solution. I’m always looking at different solutions for creative problem solving. This helps me to understand why sometimes it’s so easy to come up with profound and simple solutions to creative problems, and other times I might as well be banging my head against a wall. Do we all share some kind of common method? Are there key points to our madness?

I recently came across a book titled The Creative Process Illustrated: How Advertising's Big Ideas Are Born it includes the personal illustrations of design processes for many famous designers. In the beginning of the book the authors mention a man named Graham Wallas who proposed one of the first creative process models in 1926. It is as follows:

Stage 1. Preparation: The problem to be solved is carefully considered and resources are gathered in order to confront the task. The conscious mind is focused on the problem.
Stage 2. Incubation: Drawing upon these resources, consideration of the problem is internalized and becomes a largely subconscious activity. The mind makes connections more freely and abundantly.
Stage 3. Illumination: Possible solutions to the problem transition from subconscious to conscious thought. This is a moment of insight and optimism.
Stage 4. Verification: Solutions are tested and may be applied if shown to be viable.

My creative process model follows this with slight variations.

Stage 1. Preparation:

Read project brief. Immediately start brainstorming. Word association. How could letters merge and make shapes. Picture a rainbow. Stare into space. Freak out because I’m not in school anymore and don’t have two weeks to sketch one comp for a client!

Stage 2. Incubation:

Put the project out of my mind. (Or try to.) Go home. Watch TV. No, those commercials are not some kind of magical insight into this particular clients problem. No, not everything has a deeper meaning just because you want it to. Try to focus on the project before going to sleep. Maybe dream about the solution.

Stage 3. Illumination:
Wake up. Didn’t have an epiphanic dream? OK, now its crunch time. Back to step one. That sketch still looks the same as when I started – I can do better than that! More sketching. Lets clean it up with our mad computer skills. Apply color theory.
Stage 4. Verification: 

“Presto Chango!” Finally! Give self a hand. Beer anyone!

What is your creative process? We'd love to hear!

(Image courtesy of central)

Logo 2.0!

Woo-Hoo! Our logo redesign for Aaron Haslinger Photography is featured in "Logo 2.0." The inspirational design publication showcases 283 Logo Makeovers, showing the before and after, along with the Design Strategy behind each project, written in the designer’s own words. The eBook, by David E. Carter, is available (along with many other design books!) through Bright Books. (pick up your copy today!)

 

Here's the description and thought-process behind this logo re-design:

Aaron Haslinger is a photographer in the Baltimore/Metro DC area who specializes in weddings, but also does lifestyle and business photography. His original logo, an all-text composition, did not represent his outgoing, personable and creative style. 

Aaron requested we did not use any specific graphics or illustrations, but opted to focus more on his name. So, we melded Aaron's initials, playing with the negative space to create a point of interest. Per Aaron's request, we utilized a bright, vibrant color palette that would appeal to both his primary audience —brides between ages 25-35—as well as his secondary audience, which included both genders and a broader age range. The new look works well in both color and black and white, and the sans serif font choice gives a smooth, contemporary and professional feel.

In conclusion, the new logo mark serves as a better visual representation of Aaron Haslinger himself, as well as his photography business, than his previous logo did.

Do you have a logo that needs a redesign? (insert shameless plug here) Give us a call—we'd love to help! Feel free to visit the Kalico website for additional samples of our logo work!

Solving the Mystery of Who Won It…

This past weekend was award season! Yes, we got to watch Hollywood's elite at The Oscars (complete with J-Lo's possible "costume malfunction" and Angelina Jolie's leg). But, more importantly, in my hometown, we celebrated our local ADDY Awards, the American Advertising Federation's awards competition celebrating the best in advertising and design. As president of my local organization, the AAFGF, I couldn't have been happier with the success of our local awards gala, and was thrilled to celebrate the creative and talented advertising community in our region!

This year's ADDY theme was Clue, with an old Hollywood Glam feel to it (yes, I even tried to dress the part, white gloves and all!). The decor and location was amazing, as were the many professional and student entries on display. Despite being extremely nervous (as in practically shaking, people!) about having to start the night off with a welcome speech as well as give an award presentation, the overall night was extremely fun and exciting.

And, best yet, Kalico Design walked away with a Silver ADDY award for our cover designs for Find It Frederick Magazine! We love working with Find It and are thrilled with the accolade! 

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!

(Event photos to come soon!)

Holy Hell, Where Did January Go!?

Seriously! How is January over already! Historically, January tends to be one of our slower months at Kalico, usually a nice and quiet month— a breath of fresh air after the craziness of December. But, not this year! This January we have been extremely busy with lots of fun projects such as magazines, logos, custom invitations, conference materials, etc. (see some examples above). Trust me, I'm definitely NOT complaining, I just don't know where it all came from!

As I've met with fellow designers and other creatives in my hometown, it seems to be the same across the board. Everyone is uncharacteristically busy for this time of year! What does it mean? Are companies getting smart and starting to put money back into their design, advertising and marketing budgets? Or is this just a surplus from last quarter (which, according to multiple economic reports was one of the fastest growing quarters in the past year...).

What do you think? Did it just happen to be a busy January, or is it a forecast for designers and related professionals in 2012?

Kudos & Snapshots

We are thrilled to have been awarded two American Graphic Design Awards from GDUSA. The American Graphic Design Awards is a national competition open to everyone in the graphic arts community – graphic design firms, advertising agencies, in-house corporate and institutional designers, publishers and other media.  It honors outstanding new work of all kinds including print, packaging, point-of-purchase, internet, interactive and motion graphics.

Kalico's winning work includes business card designs for A Tasty Nosh, a start-up boxed lunch delivery and catering service in Frederick, MD. Additionally, our own self-promotional design for the 2010 Kalico Holiday cards were awarded as well. It is always an honor to have our work recognized!

Plus, check out some of the newest photos of Kalico work samples and headshots! A huge thank you goes out to my ol' college friend, Aaron Haslinger of Aaron Haslinger Photography, for taking some great shots!

Sign, Sign, Everywhere A Sign…

"…Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind!"  OK, so we don't condone blocking the scenery, but we do support using signage or large format printing to help convey your marketing message!

This summer Kalico worked on a variety of large scale signage for our clients, including trade show booth graphics, bus signage, sidewalk signs, and even a mobile kitchen truck wrap—so much fun! But, designing for larger scale materials involves a few different design approaches. Here are some things to consider when planning for your next billboard campaign, booth graphics, or outdoor signage:

1. Is Your Signage Impactful? Use simple, clean text in a very readable typeface. Prioritize your information and keywords effectively. Be clear, concise, and direct with copy and content. Does it grab the viewers attention, either with a headline or image?

2. Is Your Message Clear? Your message and/or product should register quickly. You'll only have a few seconds to grab the viewers attention, whether they are walking or driving by, so you want to be sure they can get all the needed information very quickly. Don’t force your viewers to search for the message. They won’t bother.

3. Is It Worth Remembering? Imagery is often more important than words. The use of a hard-hitting visual element can generate more memorability for the viewer. Use bold, rich colors so your signage stands out from it's surroundings. All elements of the design, including imagery, copy, background, etc, should come together as a single cohesive unit.

Above (and below) are some of the recent sign & booth designs we've created here at Kalico Design.

 In addition, in my research for sign and billboard designs for this article, I came across some other wicked awesome designs and concepts. I just had to share—check these out:

11 Creative Outdoor Advertisement Designs
Best Cool, Clever & Unique Billboards and Outdoor Advertising
50 Creative and Clever Examples of Outdoor Advertising

 

We're In, Baby! Kalico Work Published in Design Annual

We recently received our copy of the 40th Annual Creativity Awards Annual, a 300+ page hard bound book you can find on Amazon or at your local book store, chock-full of award-winning graphic design and package design. Our favorite pages? Pages 93 and 132…check it:

For more information about the Creativity International Awards, visit them online at www.creativityawards.com. We're already getting some work ready to enter into the 41st Awards...fingers crossed!

We're Still Here, We Swear!

OK, OK, so I've definitely been MIA the past few weeks on the blog scene. But, let me tell you, it's been a very busy past few weeks at the Kalico homefront! Take a look at just a few of the recent projects we've been slaving away happily working on and let me know which one is your favorite!

1. Find it Frederick Website: This exciting, fun, Frederick web site launched in March! Check it out here.

 2. Find It Frederick and Frederick County Guide Spring Issues: A few of the quarterly magazines we do the design and layout for.

3. NAVTA Rack Cards: We designed a series of rack cards for this national vet tech association to use at trade shows around the country.

4. Frederick Atlantic Website: This Atlantic League baseball team is looking to move to our area, and they needed a general information website for press and locals to refer to. Check it out here!

5. Various Logo Designs: Just a few samples of some of the Spring logos we've been working on, including a logo for a start-up lunch delivery company, a management company, and a nonprofit's anniversary logo.

So, there you have it, just a few samplings of Kalico's past 2 months. Which project do you like the best and why? What other kinds of articles and information would you like to see on our blog? Stayed tuned for more exciting news and sample project work to come!

Check out the latest Frederick-area Magazines!

As most of you may already know, the past few months have been busy, busy, busy here at Kalico headquarters! Two of our December projects can now be found on newstands, or feel free to read them online too! The Winter 2011 issue of Find It Frederick features stories about the area best hot cocoa, a horse rescue, maple syrup festival and much, much more.

Plus, the Winter issue of The Frederick County Guide (FCG) is also now available! A brand new client for us, FCG provides straightforward facts and interesting articles about real estate, banking, insurance, childcare, education, health care, senior living, and leisure activities in the Frederick area. It also includes detailed reference information about town offices, elected officials, and community services. Plus, don't miss the full calendar of events section on the back pages!

We love working on both these magazines and look forward to the Spring issues! Take a peak below to view the online versions of either magazine, or pick up your own copy at local Frederick locations!

FIND IT FREDERICK!

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

FREDERICK COUNTY GUIDE!

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

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Let us know what you think!

Find It Frederick Fall 2010 is here!

Open publication - Free publishing - More travel

The latest edition of Find It Frederick is now online. Take a look before it hits stands! Or pick up a copy at participating local venues next week, which you can find here.

What's Find it Frederick, you ask? Here's a summary:

FiND iT FREDERiCK is the distinctive shopper's magazine that fuses funky with functional. This (FREE!) portable shopping companion mixes entertaining articles and audacious graphic design (by yours truly!) AND it's small enough to fit in a purse!

Both residents and day-trippers alike are reaching for FiND iT FREDERiCK to see who's who and what's where in and around Frederick, MD—from the newest in noshing to the area's best bargains and most unique finds—to what's hot in culture, arts, and nightlife.

We LOVE working with Find it Frederick! Such fun graphics and great stories, plus ads and information on a ton of local businesses. How do you like the latest issue? Your feedback is encouraged!

Not Too Shabby, If We Do Say So Ourselves...

Our quarterly newsletter design for the Sts. Peter & Paul Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society (longest name EVER!) was recently granted a 1st Place Award of Excellence in recognition of the Most Impressive Printed Newsletter. Competing against Philoptochos associations across the nation, this is a great honor! What the heck is the Philoptochos Association, you ask? In short, it is the women's philanthropic society of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. For a more detailed explanation please visit their website. Special thanks to Donna Moore, Marie Carras and Father Anastasios Kousoulas for their help on this project. 

Need help with your next printed or eNewsletters? Don't be shy, contact us today to schedule a meeting!

Ridin' Along in my Autobmobile...

This past weekend, I happened to be traveling along the roads of West Virginia on the way home from my husband's latest Motocross race. And what should appear before our very eyes...

That's right, it was a large billboard for the Martinsburg-Berkeley County CVB's annual "Pickin' in the Panhandle" BBQ & Bluegrass Festival! Why was this so significant you ask? Well, here's a hint—the CVB is one of my clients and...yep, you guessed it, that wondrous billboard was one of my designs! There's just something exciting about surprisingly seeing your work, larger than life, when your not even expecting it! (and, yes, I do still get excited about seeing my work in use!).

I started working on Pickin' in the Panhandle last year, starting with the recreation of their logo, then moving on to print ads, web banners, and eventually billboards (see some samples below)!

Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it to the Festival last year, but you can bet it's on the calendar for this September—just two weeks away!!

Don't miss it:

Pickin in the Panhandle
September 10-12, 2010
Lazy A Campground
Featuring: The WV State BBQ Championship
Plus Bluegrass Music including Ricky Scaggs, Joe Diffie, Shenandoah and more!

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: Damascus Dental Center

Over the past year and a half, I've had the pleasure of working with Damascus Dental, a cosmetic and laser dental center. With an established practice in Damascus, MD, and the opening of a second office in Mt. Airy, they were looking to rebrand themselves. After our initial client consultation, I got started on the project and have had a solid working relationship ever since!


It all starts with a logo...
The logo developed was a simple, yet still sophisticated, text treatment. Since their focus was on cosmetic and laser dentistry (i.e. no scary drills) I wanted to give the logo a soft, warm, inviting feel (because, really, who actually LIKES going to the dentist!). This ideal is carried out through the use of a scripted, handwritten-styled font, as well as subtle soft colors.




Power to the People...
One of the key words that kept coming up in our initial client consultation was the fact that Damascus Dental prides itself on customer service and happy returning clients. For their marketing materials, such as ads and brochures, I wanted to capture that human element. So, keeping in mind their budget restraints, we utilized a variety of stock photographs highlighting naturally smiling people. Keeping with the simple sophistication of the logo, we opted for clean, bold silhouetted imagery, which truly captures your attention.




Bringing it to the Real World...
Damascus Dental was so invested in and optimistic about their new identity that they used it as the inspiration for the decor and interior design of their brand new office space. A state-of-the art dental center, warm golds and greens pulled from their logo line the walls, and in the center of the waiting area is a custom-created die-cut sign of their new logo. Everywhere you turn, their identity and brand jump right out at you!




What's in Store...
With an established identity system, Damascus Dental continues to promote their new office location and unique laser and cosmetics abilities. We've applied their identity to stationery, signage, brochures, office forms, and are currently working on a new website!




Remember, as a small business, treat your visual brand and identity seriously. Think of it as an investment—something that will give you an instant visual consistency with your existing and potential customers, as well as make you strongly stand out among your competitors. Hire a professional at the start, and you'll have the basis to extend your unique "look" to anything and everything that will come in the future.

Find It Frederick Summer 2010 is here!

Open publication - Free publishing

The summer issue of Find It Frederick is now on news stands! Pick up your copy at one of the participating locations, which you can find here. OR, check out the online version above!

FiND iT FREDERiCK is the distinctive shopper's magazine that fuses funky with functional. This (FREE!) portable shopping companion mixes entertaining articles and audacious graphic design (by yours truly!) AND it's small enough to fit in a purse!

Both residents and day-trippers alike are reaching for FiND iT FREDERiCK to see who's who and what's where in and around Frederick, MD—from the newest in noshing to the area's best bargains and most unique finds—to what's hot in culture, arts, and nightlife.

Make sure to pick up your copy today!

Award Winning Logos!

We are thrilled to announce that Kalico Design has recently been awarded for two of our logo designs-Luna Soma Jiva and Break Some Eggs!

ADDY Award
And the ADDY goes to...yep, you guessed it—Kalico! On Thursday, March 11 we attended the Greater Frederick Advertising Federation's ADDY awards at the Weinberg Center for the Arts. Amidst the variety of 80's inspired costumes (I attempted the Pat Benatar look!), local designers and advertisers were awarded for their creative work! We are happy that our logo design for Luna Soma Jiva, an organization that presents workshops and retreats to bring women together, was awarded with a Silver ADDY!

AGDA Awards
In addition, this morning we were also notified that both our Luna Soma Jiva and Break Some Eggs logos were awarded with American Graphic Design Awards! The AGDA awards are a national competition and judging is based on three criteria: concept (is it a good idea? was the work original?); execution (technical skills involved, presentation); and appropriateness (how effective is the work? does it communicate well).

We are excited to have our work presented by both prestigious design award competitions!

Client Spotlight: DFP Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Downtown Frederick Partnership recently launched their 20th Anniversary program, which will take place starting this holiday season through all of 2010. And Kalico went along for the ride, donating design services to create the 20th anniversary logo, as well as postcards and product posters.

Celebrate Downtown Frederick Partnership’s 20th Anniversary by purchasing unique, limited-edition merchandise from downtown shops — share the wonderful tastes and treats of Downtown Frederick with family and friends! Products will range from a limited-edition snow globe featuring Frederick's famous spires, to specialty hot chocolate, wines, beer, BBQ sauce and much much more! A portion of purchases will
benefit the Partnership as it continues to enhance, promote and preserve Downtown Frederick as a great place to live, work, shop and play.

You won't want to miss these great products from some of your favorite downtown shops! Download a calendar of products and participating shops here!

Natural Health is a Natural Pick for New Design Book

I am excited to announce that one of my editorial layouts for the the Fall 2009 issue of Find It Frederick magazine has been selected to appear in The New Big Book of Layouts! "Tea, Sympathy and Natural Healing" was an article written by Jeanne Marie Ford about alternative and natural health remedies. For the story layout, I decide to go with lots of white space, and large, close-up images depicting different alternative health remedies, which give an overall clean, soft and eye-catching look.

The New Big Book of Layouts, published by HarperCollins and produced by Crescent Hill Books, will be in stores in May 2010. I can't wait to see all the other winning entries! For more information on this book, or other graphic design resources by Crescent Hill, please visit their website.

Goodbye Lazy Days of Summer!

Let me first apologize for my 2 week leave of absence on the blogging. It's been a very busy August at Kalico Design. Goodbye lazy days of summer, hello busy busy fall! Of course, I can't complain about the slew of work that has recently come in (I did just buy a new house, after all!) Check out some of the exciting projects I'll be working on in the upcoming months:

1. Downtown Frederick Partnership's 20th Anniversary: I am super excited to be working with the Downtown Frederick Partnership to celebrate their 20 years of promoting and preserving the vitality of Downtown Frederick. Be on the lookout for an anniversary logo, plus lots of great commemorative products courtesy of local downtown businesses.

2. Find It Frederick: I remember picking up the premiere issue of this Frederick-based magazine and thinking it was the coolest thing ever! I have lived in the Frederick area all my life, but Find It Frederick manages to report on the unique finds throughout the Frederick region—even the things the "locals" don't know about! I am very excited to be working on the the Fall issue of this publication. I'll be sure to let you know when it is available, b/c you won't want to miss it!

3. Damascus Dental of Mt. Airy: I have loved working with this laser dental office over the past year, developing a whole new identity with them. It started with a logo and ended with a new state-of-the-art cosmetic and laser dental center in Mt. Airy MD. (ok, well, the logo at least helped with the office decorating!). I'm getting ready to start revamping this company's website to reflect their new look!

4. Interior Design Services (IDS): Just finished with the logo and business cards for this start-up interior designer who focuses on green, eco-friendly and energy efficient residential and commercial interior design services. I really enjoy working with start-up companies and helping them to develop their brand image! IDS even offers an online consulting services for those DIYers.

These are just a few of the amazing jobs I have coming up! I'll keep you updated on the status of some of them and will also showcase some of the final results. Now, back to the graphic designing...