Birch Studio’s primary output is creativity. All of the work that we produce is custom: graphic design, web design, user interface design, data visualization, etc. To keep our wits about us, we needed a process that could be the same each time for us. The following is a summary of the tips David shared at the seminar hosted by the Center for Non-profit Excellence on July 19, 2011. (more…)
I suspect that PDFs are way more versatile than you know. You probably have seen form fields in a PDF. PDFs also include lots of features that are common on web pages – linking between pages, check boxes, pull-down menus and more. They also allow some of the same high-powered functionality that websites do such as dynamic content and logic-based operations.
Combine this digital DNA with the reliability to hold any page design, regardless of whether it’s seen in a browser, as a stand-alone document, by email, or even printed, and you may start to see PDFs have the power to fill the space between digital and printed media. And maybe even take a bite out of both of their markets. (more…)
Two things that food and information have in common: the more attractive and richer it is, the more we want it.
When you’re really hungry, almost anything tastes good. Eat too much, and it has detrimental effects. The same is true with information. Most of us have more than enough, and it starts to slow us down. But when information must be consumed, it is very helpful to present it in a way that is appetizing, and not just more of the same.
Information Design (more…)
Birch Studio has had a website since the Wild West days of the Internet. Before Google, before Facebook … before your momma got a cell phone. This new site has been completely rewritten to add clarity and definition to our services and products.
Like most of our clients, Birch Studio has developed its business to the point where we outgrew our old website. We got to that point where the website needed to evolve to keep up with our new offerings, new technology and new processes. The aesthetics of site 1.0 drew many positive comments. Site 2.0 was growing in content nearly monthly with our blog posts, new projects and Fish Wrap newsletter. (more…)
… for seasonal greetings all year long, download a PDF here. If you’d like a hard copy of this calendar, suitable for adorning any office, just ask! Birch Studio Season’s Greetings Calendar [820K PDF]
This article is not a tip on what I’ve done as the Creative Director of a Birch Studio, but some information about excellence in general that will hopefully give you license to enhance your own creative skills.
I was just reading Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers. He provides historical facts about many of the world’s top talents – Canadian ice hockey stars, world-class violinists, The Beatles, Bill Gates – which show that in order to master a pursuit, one needs to practice with dedication for many hours over a very long period of time. He puts the number of hours roundly at 10,000. He writes about pianists: (more…)
When we start any significant branding project, we ask a number of questions to lay down the goals and parameters for the project. The primary questions for a logo project are simple but powerful enough to launch us into conversations that guide the rest of the project.
Whether you are developing a logo on your own or hiring a professional, there are three things we recommend you think about deeply prior to putting the first line on paper: (more…)
We had three goals for this piece: introduce a high-end Executive MBA program; write copy at an aspirational level, leaving the details for follow-up pieces; and have it in the Dean’s hands for his international tour in four weeks. We had some thoughts on how to make a single piece of paper say, “I’m worth $130,000+ and an investment of two years of your life.”
Research
We reviewed other MBA programs to determine how they approached marketing their programs, both visually and conceptually. Among those that stood out, we found one with photos of its building on the cover and one with faded silhouettes. Neither presented a very strong point or unique position in the market. (more…)
The goals established for this project were to create a memorable name for the organization; create a logo that balance caring, vulnerability, family and individuals; and create a brochure, website and branding guide. (more…)
