DesignThinkers 2011

Last week I attended RGD Ontario’s DesignThinkers. This two-day conference is a mash up of graphic designers, printers, typographers, artists, web developers, photographers, art directors and others all inspiring and pondering under one collective umbrella. Topics ranged from sustainable printing choices, book design, corporate culture, using metaphors in design and, the most applicable to us here at kitestring, using stories to catapult your brand. RGD always enlists such a great cast of characters to speak about design trends and strategies. This year’s DT included keynotes, Eric Ryan of Method, Steve Edge of Edge Design Ltd., and Jessica Hische of Jessica Hische (totally crushin’).

If you’re a graphic designer, especially an in-house designer, it’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day routine and forget why you wanted to get into this biz in the first place. It’s amazing what a day full of case studies and inspirational talks will do to you to give you that “Oh, yeah, this is why” moment. Here’s a great quote from Eric Ryan, of Method, who started his company when he was 27. The quote is, “have the courage to do it differently”. What a cool mantra for your company to live by. Sometimes different can also translate to memorable. For example, when Method was attempting to break into department store, Target, they teamed up with industrial designer, Karim Rashid (also a past RGDDT keynote speaker), and together created beautiful product packaging that had vibrant personality just like their company. Eric Ryan said that if he and his business partner Adam hadn’t put money into the design of their products they would have never made it on the market.

Another cool thing that I took from this year’s DesignThinkers was (the coolest, most eco-friendliest) paper company, Cascades. Their paper is Canada’s only EcoLogo certified paper manufacturer. Why is that you ask? Because, Cascades makes all of their paper from post consumer waste, in other words, they make paper from our weekly blue bin collections. Along with a host of other reasons why they are the coolest paper manufacturer, their paper mill is powered by biogas made from a near-by landfill’s methane and converted into steam that powers their equipment. WOWZA! Anyways designer friends, start saving up your nickels for RGD’s DesignThinkers now and I’ll see you there next year ready to be amazed.

Did you miss the conference? You can grab some of this year’s highlights from twitter! Just search for the hashtag, rgdDT, and follow everyone’s tweets!

Photos shown above by Spencer Xiong.

It’s been a busy fall here at the studio. Many new branding projects!. So much so, we haven’t had time to update our portfolio. Sad face alert. : ( But it’s in the works. We thought we would give you a sneak preview on some of the brands we have been crafting. Take a look at some of the logo identities below. More updates to come! Happy face alert. : D

As I made my way down the journey of having our first child, my husband and I spent hours and hours discussing (debating, arguing…) over what to name the new little boy that was about to enter our world.

“too stuffy”

“too kiddy”

“too dated”

“too trendy”

the debate went on and on…

When we finally agreed on Jack – it put a smile on our faces. We knew it was going to be the right handle to take our munchkin from newborn cuteness to rockin’ old man that I’m sure he’ll be!

Back at the studio, we also have the opportunity to assist many entrepreneurs craft the perfect name and breathe life into their new business or venture.

And, just like naming our children, we take this task as no small undertaking! After all, your brand name is often the first interaction that your business has with your audience. It must peak interest, stick with them and reaffirm your brand promise (for starters)…all within a name!

Often times we have clients come to us and announce, “I haven’t done anything but, I have a name!”.

Eeek! How can you have a name without having determined your brand character, objective and promise?!? How is this random name going to be the brand spokesperson out there in the market, working hard to gain you recognition in the marketplace? (Can we say ‘square peg in a round hole?!’)

Don’t dismiss the power of a brand name too quickly before reading the following example:

On my travels, I’ve come across a business named “Almost Perfect Frozen Food”. Really? Almost perfect? Is that what you want me to feel as I drive by contemplating whether or not I should stop in? No thanks, I think I’ll pass!

And, as quickly as the car passes by, I’ve made a judgement on the brand! To be fair, I want to assume that they *must* have intended to communicate ‘as close to home cooking without cooking’. (My mind went to the food that you pop in the freezer with the hopes that you caught in before spoiling…the last ditch effort of extending its life just a wee bit longer…)

So, the big lesson here…please, don’t go about naming your business with a willy-nilly, gut feeling. Not because ‘it sounds nice’, or ‘its named after my pet’.

Do yourself a favour – be strategic and craft it to reflect the brand you want to present into the marketplace, one that will speak to your audience, stand the test of time and, leave them with an instant positive impression!

Almost perfect frozen lasagna, anyone!?

Every time we work with Mabel’s Labels our portfolio of awesome, fun work grows a little. That’s because these ladies know how to do it up right when it comes to online communications. The newest edition to this list is the video below for the Mabel’s Labels BlogHer’11 Non-Contest. Check it out…

From conceptual development, script writing, art direction and even acting, we had a blast working on this project. If you think you have what it takes to enter (it’s not that hard really) click here, join the facebook page and give it a go.

BIG thank you to Fenian Films for their awesome videography! You guys rock! : D

The Small Business Enterprise Centre (SBEC) and kitestring are offering up a smorgasbord of branding expertise in three delicious picnic sessions. These three sessions run on February 9, February 16 and February 23 from 5:00 to 8:00pm. The first session, “Gathering Ingredients”, will help you understand how to properly assemble your own brand and learn a fresh philosophy about how to communicate through social media. Second you’ll need to get “In the Kitchen” and define your brand online using the ingredients you’ve gathered. And lastly, your brand will go “To Market, To Market” by collectively developing a fully integrated campaign platform that engages your brand’s target audience through social media. Join in on the (educational) fun by pre-registering with the SBEC by calling 905.540.6400 or send them an email at mail@hamiltonsmallbusiness.ca.

In Episode Three of Shoot the $#!T, Chris and his brother, Marc, blow up the kitestring printer.

Check out older episodes:

Happy September everyone!! I’m super excited to post my blog on the first day on, what I consider to be, one of the best days of the year.

For anyone who actually stuck around for the past few months, instead of basking in the beautiful summer that embraced us, you will know that the kitestring team has been hard at work – “nose to the grindstone” you might say. We’ve actually had a lot of fun working on some amazing projects this summer. Fun as they may be, it was still difficult to ignore the hot temps and cool beaches that were calling our name!

But, as I welcome in September today, I suddenly feel like the very tantalizing summer fever that I had been feeling is finally lifted – hurray!

Today brings a new energy – it’s the day to get ready to settle into the last quarter of the year. Reflect on what’s been, what we’ve checked off of our list and what’s still left to accomplish before the New Year approaches.

So, as the sandal tan fades, I invite you to join in the excitement of the season! The team here at kitestring has been doing just that. We’ve brainstormed, We’ve re-focused, we’re excited, and, believe me, the creative ideas are cookin’! The studio’s a buzz as we work on bringing our latest wacky ideas to life!

Needing a little help coming off of the summer vacation high? No worries, drop by the kitestring studio anytime. We can help you with brainstorming, focusing and re-energizing too (after all, it’s what we love to do).

-jenn

Let me share a little story with you. It’s called ‘When Chris met Jenn’.

You see, Chris and I weren’t always the yin and yang that we are now. In fact, the first time I ever met Chris, we were in a very different scenario…

Enter: Chris & Jenn

Chris was the lead designer at the agency presenting a campaign concept being developed for the company I was working for.

That’s right, I was the ‘client’!

I remember the concept being great – well thought out, met the objective and was beautifully designed. However, instead of this compliment being the first thing out of my mouth, I opted for “Hmmm, you can’t use our logo there. Haven’t you read the brand guidelines”. Chris put a twisted smile on his face , nodded and marked it as a revision to be completed. This is a day that he will never let me live down.

Fast forward 6 years and here we are, steering the ship of our own agency.

At kitestring, we have the opportunity to develop some amazing brands for our clients. We also have the honour of working with some very well established brands each and every day.

In both cases, we understand and value the power that a properly developed and executed brand can play in the success of a business.

Enter: Brand Guidelines.

There’s no doubt that Brand Guidelines are an integral piece of the brand – they help in ensuring that the carefully crafted brand is used properly and consistently when put to the test of ‘the real world’.  It provides both internal stakeholders with an understanding of the brand as well as a tool to effectively communicate with designers, writers, photographers, etc., etc., etc.

The question I’ve been left to ponder for the last few weeks is – how much is ‘too much’ when it comes to brand guidelines? Can there be too much? Can there be too little?

Enter: Reality.

Unfortunately, sometimes reality doesn’t live nice and neatly within a beautifully bound brand book. It’s important to remember that your brand guidelines are just that – guidelines. They’re job is to provide guidance to the creative team and ensure consistency in brand application at all times.

Guidelines should provide enough information and structure to adequately support the brand without enforcing so many rules that it chokes the creative potential.

Remember, your brand is an organic, evolving creature that must fit into an ever changing horizon of advertising and marketing outlets. Take care in ensuring that your brand guidelines are flexible enough to allow you to adapt to this morphing landscape without losing the core essence of the brand.

No doubt, It’s a tricky balance to strike…and so to close… “Jenn’s Guidelines Regarding Guidelines”:

If your brand fits nice and neatly on the back of a cocktail napkin you most likely aren’t providing the structure and support it requires to be used consistently. On the other hand, if your guidelines carry the weight and rigidity of an anvil, chances are there’s too many restraints placed on the brand to grow with your business over time.

Develop and utilize brand guidelines that provide the foundation, are realistic and are flexible enough as not to stifle your brand from reaching its full potential.

- jenn

Chris and I had the pleasure of meeting with a potential client this morning. During our conversation, the idea of ‘building your business success on your own terms’ came up. I actually jotted this line into my notebook as it really stuck with me – what an important concept!

Often new entrepreneurs are faced with the necessity of taking on any work that comes their way in order to build the business – it may be outside of your area of specialty  and it may be for clients that frankly, aren’t fitting into the landscape of what you envisioned. You can’t turn it down, right? YOU NEED THE BUSINESS!

It’s easy to understand this logic and quite honestly, it is most likely necessary. It provides you with work, a track-record and most importantly, capital to keep building your dream. The important thing to remember as you’ smile and service’ your way through these projects is that all of these ‘experiences’ help you define and build your business – and your brand.

Continue to build a strong brand that clearly articulates what your business is and the experience that you promise to your clients. Most importantly, infuse all of this into the marketplace! Ensure that your unique brand is being consistently used in all of your marketing materials (both in print and online) as well as your social networking efforts, face-to-face interactions, your physical environment, the style in which you answer the phone, your business card…I could go on and on.

By doing this, you’ll have your first filter in qualifying clients. The right clients will be naturally attracted to you. Your cultures will align, the work will excite you and TA-DA – you’ll start to build ‘success on your own terms’.

It’s a lovely place to be – you should try it!

- jenn

At kitestring, we often blog about how important building a strong brand is. And, if you’ve been reading our blog posts throughout the year, you also know that a strong brand is not just about the logo or name. Rather, its about the promise and experiences that provide to your customers.

Last week, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I heard a radio commercial promoting ‘TD Holiday Comfort Zone’. It’s a special area that they’ve created in the Upper Canada Mall for any and all TD Canada Trust Card Members. They describe this special ‘zone’ as a place to unwind after the long shopping hours – enjoy free coat check, complimentary hot chocolate, lounge seating (I bet it’s those big comfy green leather chairs…) and even complimentary gift wrapping.

This is my dream! Spending hours in the crazy mall is one of the most stressful elements of the holidays for me. The idea of having a sanctuary in the middle of craziness makes the whole experience feel a little less daunting. Unfortunately, I don’t live very close to Upper Canada Mall but, if I did, I would be there -checkin’ my coat and sipping on hot chocolate!

As I said before, building a brand is all about the experience and feelings you leave your customers with. Kudos to TD Canada Trust for thinking outside of the bankers box and offering their clients a wonderful service and experience this holiday season.