It is a known fact that current societal trends drive the design world to create innovative concepts. Due to a cultural shift in the last several years, we are seeing a major evolution in the direction of branding and logos, particularly in the large corporate logo markets. The mega-corp icons of the dotcom yesteryear were usually characterized by a seriousness and intimidation that left consumers feeling distanced from the company. Today, however, we live in a world of instantaneous information that provides the tools for smaller businesses to gain as much recognition, if not more, as big establishments. In response, branding is a shifting toward strategies that lie in a more affable territory.  Read more...

Over the duration of my college career I discovered I have a strong preference for hand-crafted design. Throughout my first year at TBG I have tried to work it into as many projects as I can. This style of design fits well with our pro-bono work for a local ballet school and Habitat for Humanity. However, the majority of our regular clients are hi-tech, B2B companies, and the issue that always arises is: “Is there a place for hand crafted design in the hi-tech B2B world?”  Read more...

Halloween is the one time of the year where we all seek a bit of fear. Whether it’s watching scary movies or dressing up in a ghoulish costume, we love the excitement and adrenalin created by fear. The rest of the year, however, we do everything we can to avoid fear because it sucks the joy out of our lives and compromises our decision-making. This is true not only in our personal lives, but in the way we conduct ourselves at work.

For marketers, fear impacts our decision making at work on three levels; our personal fears, our clients fears, and our audiences’ fears.  Read more...

The other day, I came across these videos on a site called “The Fun Theory”. According to its creators, the site ” is dedicated to the thought that something as simple as fun is the easiest way to change people’s behaviour for the better”.  Read more...

“The Times They Are a-Changin”.
This famous lyric that Bob Dylan wrote in 1963 has never been more relevant to the world than it is right now—particularly to the world of marketing. The increased pressure for profitability, the disappearance of television’s mass marketing approach and the emergence of online social media has created a new set of fuzzy rules and expectations for marketing professionals who want their work to remain relevant.

The question now is how do we profitize, personalize and create community within marketing? The answer is not so much a single action item as it is a broad shift in mindset.  Read more...

We used to have a red upholstered chair and ottoman in our office. It was incredibly ugly. However, it moved with us wherever we went and had multiple homes around the office. It was the JuJu chair, and it had indescribable creative power…at least for me.  Read more...

As a continuation of my post Going from 0-60, I thought I would focus specifically on my experiences with Twitter. At this point I know you may be on Twitter overload since everyone and their brother is talking about it. That said, I thought I would still share some helpful tips and perspectives on how Twitter can be used as a great business resource. The running joke about Twitter is that it is a pointless waste of time where people post insipid food updates, but I have learned that it can be a great tool for businesses of any size. Here’s why.  Read more...

Good communication skills have a broad application.

Oh so many years ago, when I declared my collegiate major in English, my academic advisor assumed I would bolster that particular field of study with a minor in education. “Oh nay, nay,” was my response—well, maybe not those exact words. But while my refusal may have been a bit more timid, it was firm. I had no interest in teaching and I could not be dissuaded from my course. I could read the obvious consternation and concern on the face of Beulah Baker, my advisor, but my course and my course work were set in my mind. I was going to be a writer and nothing else. I’m certain Beulah thought I would starve.  Read more...

Since starting at The Basis Group I have realized the vast difference between school and the real world, and, wow!, what a gap. Though still a student, I’ve realized in order to prepare for this transition you must take the initiative or you will find yourself in a constant struggle fighting to keep up. I obviously struggle with my inexperience and lack of know-how in daily situations, and I’m confident that every other graduate will come across these same struggles. The selling point here is that you can never be fully prepared for what is to come, but I know without doubt there are ways to help lessen the blow. Looking at some areas of concern I will walk you through what has been successful in my attempt for preparedness in the design field.  Read more...

As I have moved into my new position as designer, I have begun to work on projects that involve strict corporate guidelines. I, like many designers, find that such rigid restrictions can kill all creativity. So I decided to explore what I feel are the problems with many corporate guidelines and how they could be resolved.  Read more...