Canright Designers’ Blog

Today I attended Creative Mornings, which featured a talk by Scott Thomas. Creative Mornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series. The events are free of charge, feature a 20-minute talk, and even include coffee to help kick start your Friday.

Scott Thomas is a designer/developer well-known for his work with Designing Obama. He spoke about a new project he has been developing called The Noun Project. The project features an immense catalog of universal icons available for public use, and even provides cross language translation.

Creative Mornings was started in New York by Tina Roth Eisenberg (you may have heard of her blog and design studio swissmiss) who wanted to create accessible events for people to come together and become inspired.

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Each Tuesday in our morning meeting, we have the chance to talk about what inspires us. We all agreed that this talk, featuring Yves Béhar and his idea of 360° design, was a great way to start the day. Check out Yves’ talk at CUSP 2011. Yves talks about asking the right questions, and how his team re-imagined something as simple as a shoe box.

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Why Canright loves type, and why you should care.
The purpose of this series is to open the conversation to the friends, clients and followers of Canright. These topics and classifications have been made countless times before, but are here on our blog to spread the word to our extended community.

At Canright, we have a special appreciation for typography. Collin’s family owned a newspaper, sharpening his eye for quality type from an early age. Christina has a background in magazine layout and publication design, which requires an innate attention to detail. Personally, I love graphic design because I love words and letters. Experimenting with typefaces infuses the same words with new voices and personalities. The three of us together, in addition to Canright’s newest designer, Caroline—fresh out of the University of Illinois graphic design program—are a team of type aficionados with different perspectives.

Before desktop publishing became available to the general public, typesetting was an art left only to type professionals. Now, however, anyone can set type on their personal computer. This is both incredibly liberating, allowing more and more people to become a part of the design world. At the same time, this revolution means more people are using software to set type, relying too heavily on the software to make decisions on spacing and size that a practiced professional would see and take care of easily.

Why should you care? Incorrectly set typography reflects poorly on your brand. The best brands in the world have used elegant typography that makes their content accessible to their customers. Thoughtful typography becomes seamless with your message and your brand. It is the charge of a graphic designer or art director to choose typefaces that are appropriate for the project, and to choose type for a purpose. The fonts that you use for your brand will reflect your brand personality, so it is important that this is considered. Just like color, the type on your products, collateral and messaging send your brand personality out into the world. It is our job to help our clients make sure their brand is sending the right message.  There is a professionalism that’s conveyed with beautifully set and easy to read typography. It says “I care that you read this,” it invites you to read it.

If you want to know more, please see the resources below.
Links, References & Resources:
http://cgstudents.net/specific/indd/in_english/typog_rules.pdf
http://thephuse.com/contests/the-taxonomy-of-type/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/05/06/50-helpful-typography-tools-and-resources/
http://www.helveticafilm.com/

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Normally, when I think of networking, my mind draws this picture: Nametags, hotel conference rooms, uncomfortable conversations, old carpet. The last networking event I attended, however, drew this picture: great atmosphere, comfortable conversations, awesome venue.

In pursuit of improving my ability to network, the Canrights recently sent me to a networking event hosted by the Business Marketing Association Chicago Young Professionals. The event was all about networking, getting social, and meeting new people. I was a bit apprehensive (as you can imagine from my thoughts on networking above). I became interested however because the event was being held at Old Town Social, a well-known and popular spot just a hop from our River North office. The night of the event, after some introductions, some mingling and some great drinks, we broke off into groups where we could discuss networking with other young professionals under the guidance of one experienced professional.

The points that were made in our conversation were simple, but so important to remember:

• Read the news, keep up on recent technology, have interests that you can readily draw upon in conversation.
• Have a firm handshake, avoid politics, and try not to ask “What do you do?” first thing, considering today’s job market.
• Every week it is crucial to do your own personal research on topics you’re interested in and to keep yourself interesting. Try reading a couple blogs you’re interested in every week, or try Google Reader to keep you on top of your game.
• The follow up after a meeting is just as important as creating a memorable conversation. Continue to follow up with contacts when you start to lose touch.

One of the biggest points made at this BMA event was the importance of not becoming outdated and keeping up with the times. Be conscious of your web presence and social media, respond to emails and messages in a timely manner, and be ready for the next big thing. Today, we all know what Twitter and Facebook are, but what will be next, and how will you respond?

This event broke my previous belief that networking was boring. The event itself was fresh and exciting, and if I want to be a successful networker, I too need to be fresh and exciting in my conversations, my work and my ideas.

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Grain edit is one of my favorite design blogs. They focus on design from the 50s-70s and work that is inspired from that era. Among other things, they feature interviews and studio visits with top notch designers and illustrators.

I have always respected the work of visual masters such as Milton Glaser, Paul Rand, and Herb Lubalin, so it’s no surprise that this is one of my favorite sources for inspiration. Take a look at some of the work/articles posted by clicking the sample images below.

Christina

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This morning for our Inspiration Meeting, I shared a cultural tradition called Pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs). Many of you are probably familiar with these intricately decorated eggs, but I bet you haven’t tried making one!

I had my first experience creaing Pysanky years ago in my high school Russian class, so I thought it’d be a fun thing to try again.

The process of dying the eggs is slightly complicated because you have to plan ahead what your finished egg will look like. Once you get the hang of it, though, it’s a very rewarding experience.

Basically, you dye the egg in order from lightest to darkest, covering with wax the parts you don’t want dyed another color. Here’s a basic look at decorating and dying your egg (for more detailed instructions, go here):

It’s always a good idea to start with a plan. Know which colors you will use and what order you should go in. In our example, we’ve got five colors, so the dye order should be (from lightest to darkest): (white), yellow, orange, magenta, then blue.

First, using the kistka (the wax stylus), draw the swirls onto the egg (this part will stay white). Then put the egg into the yellow dye.

Now you have a yellow egg (left). Next, draw/fill in the parts you want to remain yellow, like the line, polka dots and the entire top cap of the egg (center). Place the egg in the orange dye.

Now you have an orange egg (left). Using the kistka, color in the band you want to keep orange (center). (Yes, it looks like an orange bumblebee. Don’t worry, it won’t stay this way.) Place the egg in the magenta dye.

You now have a magenta egg (left). Go ahead and fill in the middle band with wax (center). Place egg in the blue dye.

Now your egg should be pretty much covered in wax except for the blue bottom (left). How do you remove the wax? Just hold the egg close to the candle flame and wipe the egg with a paper towel when the wax begins to melt. Do this until there is no more wax on the egg. It’s a bit tedious, but the results are amazing!

Here are some of the eggs we created (see below). As you can see, we strayed from the more traditional patterns and colors and improvised what we thought would look cool.

It’s always fun to put a new twist on an old tradition. Hope this inspires you to try your hand at pysanky-making.

-Aya

Tags: decorating, dying, inspiration, pysanky, Ukrainian Easter Eggs
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In writing copy for a client’s website today, and in working with our own website, I am facing a navigation problem: what one of Canright’s designers refers to as “floating pages.” These are pages that do not appear in the site’s main navigation but are important content pages.

One example on our site is the “Treasury Management Communication” page. It’s a special industry page, and because we do not have an “Industry” section in our navigation, it hangs in the site. I primarily send it as a link in emails, and last week I gave the URL out over the phone.

A client site I am working on has a number of pages like that. We have the main navigation items each clicking through to a landing page with general information. The items in the drop-down menu on the home page go to more specific content pages. We then have links within the content that lead to what we’re calling “floating pages.” They’re not quite “orphan pages,” as they are linked to and from other pages, but they’re also not found in any navigation or menu.

Are they a problem?

Many designers maintain a general rule of thumb called the “three-click rule”: a visitor should be able to get to any page on a site within three clicks. As long as one can find a page within three clicks, perhaps it is not so problematic to have pages not in any sort of formal navigational menu.

What do you think?

For more on web design trends, see “What’s Next in Web Design,” an article from the design firm Information Architects. This article does not specifically address the navigational problem above, but it comes close in tending to prefer the simple over the complex.

-Collin

Tags: Web Design
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Many of the businesses we work with want stand-out marketing pieces but don’t want to break their bank.

Stationery and sellsheets are good examples of these sorts of marketing collateral. Most businesses prefer these be customized and include the company’s current information.

One of our law firm clients, for example, lists all of its attorneys on the first page of its letterhead. Yet, as attorneys come and go, it’s not cost-effective to professionally print new stationery every time someone new joins the firm.

Our solution to this is to offer clients the option to print their own stationery and other marketing materials without having to go to an outside vendor. As a designer who’s trained in programs like Adobe InDesign, I’m hesitant to say it, but the solution we offer is customized templates in Microsoft Word.

We can design a custom template in Word that reflects the integrity of our clients’ branding. Even for the avid Word user, trying to create a sharp (and stable) layout in Word is no walk in the park. We do the grunt work and give our clients the template that’s easy to use and easy to edit.

By having a custom template in Word, our clients, like the law firm I mentioned, are able to swap out names on letterhead and print in-house, saving time and money.

With the money they save, we encourage clients to print their materials on paper other than standard copier paper. We’ll give recommendations for what type of paper to use. There is an excellent paper supplier with a store in Chicago, which offers affordable reams of high-quality papers.

We’re always looking for ways to decrease your costs without sacrificing design quality. If you’d like more information, give us a call!

-Aya

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We always get a number of lovely holiday cards—some are pop-ups, some have some really beautiful illustrations on the front. But, from a marketing perspective, the ones that stood out this year for us were the ones that were unusual and highly creative. Innotech Benefit Solutions sent us a card with the word JOY on the cover, with the O being the image of their logo. Our staff was delighted, since it got our attention, yet wasn’t commercial-feeling. It felt joyful and gave us the impression of a company that loves what they do. The other card that got our attention was from a friend at JP Morgan Compensation and Benefit Strategies. They took a humorous take on the iphone and its many apps. Each app on the card identified a person at the firm: our friend Tom had the “Caroling Buddy” app, while other colleagues were identified with apps such as “Toast Giver,” “Snowball Pitcher,” and “Festive Tie Wearer,” among others. The message on the front: “Holiday apps you may find useful…(and inside) “in addition to all the special gifts we bring you the rest of the year.” Acknowledging the business aspect, yet creative, warm and tasteful. Who ever said financial and benefits people weren’t creative? —Christina

Tags: B2B marketing, benefits, compensation, creativity, financial, holiday cards, holiday marketing, marketing
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NOTE TO READERS: Since I’ve posted this blog, I received an email from The Point (the website that organized the donation collections to Yele) which stated that:
“…late last week, official tax documents were released that reveal questionable accounting practices on behalf of Yele.org and its founders. To avoid controversy and ensure that every penny donated goes directly to the struggling people of Haiti, we have decided to redirect our charity efforts towards The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. This fund was established by President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush to help support immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts in Haiti. All funds pledged through The Point towards, “Helping Haiti!” will be donated directly to Doctors Without Borders. If you would rather withdraw your donation, simply log in to The Point and edit your pledge to $0 (http://www.thepoint.com/campaigns/campaign-0-61). We’ll leave the donation page open for a couple more days to give you all a chance to decide. Thank you again for your incredible generosity in this time of great need.”

I apologize if I mislead any readers. I hope that people will still find it in their hearts to help out those in need. See my comments below for alternate organizations to which you can donate.

Thanks,
-Aya

Today I was inspired to donate to the Haiti earthquake relief, thanks to Groupon. Groupon, a project of The Point, has set up a donation page, turning their “collective buying power” into “collective donation power.”

100% of the donations will go to Yele Haiti, the organization set up by Wyclef Jean. (Prior to the earthquake, Yele Haiti’s mission was to transform the country through educational, sports, arts and environmental programs. Currently, the organization is focusing solely on the devastation in Haiti and what it can do to help.) Collected funds will go to support the victims of the earthquake.

I hope you feel inspired to help out as well. You can either donate through Groupon/The Point here, or donate directly to Yele Haiti here.

-Aya

Tags: Groupon, Haiti, The Point, Wyclef Jean, Yele Haiti
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