Through the process of a Brand Discovery session and numerous conversations, we discovered some helpful facts to guide our design. We learned there is a perception problem — many of the folks in our community still believe the Children’s Home is a home for orphans. We picked up on a couple of issues that were present in the original brand identity. The main identity has the shape of a building — the organization is not a home, but a “society” that helps children and families. Also, the main identity highlights the words, “Children’s Home” As opposed to “Children’s Home Society.” These are important distinctions we needed to address in the new Design System.

View the work here

ShareThis

Ryan is an accomplished Graphic Designer for both print and web. He is proficient at front-end programming, experienced in environmental design and wayfinding systems, and balances a creative and strategic brain. When you see him, be sure to ask him about being a team rider for a skateboard company, traveling to Australia and the UK in high school as an ambassador, and breakdancing back in the day. Ryan’s interest in multiple disciplines, raw talent, and strategic approach are a few of the many reason why he’s perfectly suited for the Carew Co. environment.

When asked why he made the jump, Ryan said, “I’ve made the move for a different creative opportunity, for a chance to learn and grow professionally and creatively, and to learn as much as I can about the business.” Can’t think of a better place!

Ryan will add to our skill set, creative offering, and bandwidth. We’re proud to have him on the team and have already put him to work for many of our clients. Look for some of his work posted here soon.

ShareThis

There’s more “growth” news to come in the near future. Stay tuned…

ShareThis

Concept development of the campaign was a team effort, but our main focus was the interactive components. We needed a campaign website to deliver the additional videos that were shot, explain the benefits of giving, gather donations, and educate folks on United Way’s operational model. We also suggested a blog as a way to continually communicate with sponsors, donors, and the general public about the progress they are making for the Treasure Valley. The organization now has a platform to tell stories, report successes, and post opinions about the campaign. More importantly, readers of the blog may chime in with their thoughts by posting a comment.

The blog fits seamlessly within the rest of the website in it’s look and feel. We chose WordPress as the platform for ease of use, as United Way is charged with updates. We did a quick training session, and Neva Geisler has been managing the site since. Neva had this to say about the site: “The site has helped United Way by providing a forum to show the organization’s personality, which is very different from its perceived identity. UW is a progressive and smart organization, not some clunky old school dinosaur, and the blog is a great way to communicate that.” Neva also mentioned, “I LOVE blogging. Seriously. I was a little intimidated at first, but now I can see all kinds of applications for it.” We agree, technology is both easy to use and a “game-changer” if properly used.

To date, the annual fundraising campaign has been off to a blistering start. There aren’t exact numbers to report yet, but we’re told that the work has been very well received, strikes an emotional chord, and is key to recent successes. A couple takeaways from our point of view: United Way is an amazing organization with dedicated staff and our community is full of caring people who want to “help the most people.”

Check out the site at HelpTheMostPeople.com.

ShareThis

We have a special place in our heart for The Cabin — it’s been a multi-year relationship based on trust, collaboration, and a mutual respect of creative freedom. We’ve enjoyed helping them to revamp the brand with a new website. We also enjoyed working on direct marketing, collateral, and event promotion throughout the year as part of our in-kind sponsorship.

For the record: the folks at The Cabin are a sharp bunch. Not only as individuals, but as an organization. They are consistent in their approach, helpful to the community, and thankful to everyone that supports the cause. They seem to work well as a team and as facilitators to fill a great need for our community.

As thanks for our donation, every single board member took the time to write a personal note. Every. Single. One. This really struck an emotional chord — it takes a lot of time to thank sponsors (there are 5 others just for the “Readings and Conversations” events alone…). Last time I checked, Board Members of non-profit organizations typically have a day job and are busy people (making a personal sacrifice for the good of a community). This is a smart action for the organization to take — we wish we could take credit for suggesting it. These activities properly thank donors, but also plant a seed for future requests. How could any donor forget the stack of thank you cards? How could they say “no” next year?

This is a fine example of foresight and strategic thinking. Any organization or individual can benefit from picking up a pen and writing a personal note — it goes much farther than an email. A proper thank you is always a great way to strengthen a relationship and set the stage for a great partnership. Whether you are a corporation, individual, or non-profit organization — make sure you have a plan to say “thanks.”

ShareThis

Both logos and brand identities demand the skill set of a visual designer and conceptual thinker. A logo requires an exploration of typography, color, symbology/iconography. Crafting a brand identity requires those important raw materials, as well a search for more meaning and deeper knowledge of what the organization truly stands for. The end goal is to visually represent the brand to attract your “sweet spot” target audience to your brand.

This visual personality is a key differentiator from your competition. This is the representation of an organization’s “way.” The design concept sets the tone and visual language for longer term marketing and advertising. Without exploring the brand first, how can a logo properly reflect these core attributes?

We recently proposed on a brand identity for a new start-up business. The client asked what the typical range was for a brand identity. After a brief rundown of pricing, the client mentioned they could get a logo done for half the cost by another designer. It’s true, you can always find it cheaper (Logoworks.com, for example). But will cheaper be a good long-term solution? Will your customers perceive the difference? Will a less expensive option include the exploration required to do the best job possible? A brand identity is a long-term decision and should be done right the first time — it shouldn’t simply be a logo to stick on your business card or signage.

The cost of acquisition of a brand identity is a bit higher, but the value is easy to measure. The conversation of “who we are,” versus “what we do” is an important shift in view. Looking externally is a crucial view — what your customers perceive is the most important thing to consider.

Our advice: Consider the big-picture value, not simply short-term cost.

ShareThis

Carew Co. was founded on July 1, 2007 — it’s safe to say that we’ve covered some serious ground in our first year: We helped a roster of 28 businesses and organizations during the past year, and found satisfaction in every opportunity. We’ve launched 8 websites (there are 3 currently in production), created 5 logos, completed 3 branding sessions, designed 3 sales collateral kits, 5 business cards, 2 brochures, a series of packaging, a major signage project, 3 direct marketing campaigns, 3 print advertising campaigns, 5 email blasts, and countless other projects along the way.

It’s clear that Boise has a ton of interactive work to get accomplished. We’re proud to be mentioned in the list of agencies who make web-based design a specialty. In this past year, we’ve honed our CSS skills, delivered on some heavy technology offerings (e-commerce, content management systems, portals, etc.), offered up some intuitive interface designs, learned more than anyone wants to know about email marketing, pushed it creatively, and even gathered a bit of business sense along the way.

We take pride helping our clients see a big-picture view of the universe of marketing opportunities. We’ve helped many of our clients over the past year with multi-disciplined marketing plans (anything and everything from traditional to social media to direct marketing). This has been of huge value, as we can truly bring an agency-like experience to smaller/growing businesses (and non-profit groups!). We’ve heard time and time again how valuable our strategic approach is to our clients and partners.

We’ve enjoyed being in high demand and appreciate the referrals and word of mouth. It’s pretty sad that we’ve put off completing our own website for an entire year! On the other hand, it’s pretty amazing that we’ve stayed as busy as we have despite this fact. Thank goodness for the blogosphere to keep a record of our new work and progress. A full website is coming soon. Seriously…

We’re fortunate to have helped a number of non-profit groups this past year (7 to be exact). This is extremely rewarding and a great balance to the creative workload. In addition, we’ve been extremely invested in education and the design community. We’ve spoken at Boise State and NNU, as well as helped a handful of high school aged artists consider the world of graphic design (through shadowing and “show and tells”). Continuing this mission and investment in the design community, we’ve also been heavily involved in the newly formed Idaho chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (Paul is the first-year Board President). Look for more community-based efforts in the near future…

Because of our success, we were able to add our first employee at the 11-month mark. Nate has already been a great asset to Carew Co. clients. He’s had many projects thrown his way in his first couple weeks — from web to print to concept work to an “advergame” interface (and met the challenges). We’re moving and shaking — stay tuned for more news shortly.

We like to offer a sincere thank you to our clients, partners, colleagues, friends, bloggers, Twitterers, baristas, and everyone else that’s been a part of this successful year. We couldn’t have done it without your trust and respect, and look forward to putting another great year under our belts. ¡Gracias!

ShareThis

In addition to a passionate love of design, Nate also plays league hockey (his team made is to the championship at a recent tourney in Phoenix), and is in an accomplished band called, “The Invasion” (who just released an album called “How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Madness“). Between designin’ and rockin’, Nate will “officially” be Mr. Hanson when he marries his fiancée, Claire in early August.

We’ve very excited to have Nate on board — he’ll have a lot to offer our clients and partners. Welcome to the tribe, Nate!

ShareThis

Read the full case study »

ShareThis

AIGA is about breaking barriers — locally, do you really know other designers from other agencies? Boise is such a (strangely) competitive market. This can be difficult for practicing designer, as there isn’t an outlet to compare thinking and conversation about design. AIGA is our trade organization — a space for design professionals to bond and strengthen our community.

Influential (”famous”) designers don’t make it to Idaho as often as they should. I’m not afraid to admit it; Idaho is a bit off the beaten path…Not for long. AIGA Idaho has already been highly visible and embraced by the national chapter. The AIGA Idaho Board is working on the line up for events and speakers for this year. We’ve already made contact with some exciting guests and have some events in the early planning stages.

Our design community needs more conversation and consistency when it comes to business practices. There are many “interesting” situations that we face as designers. It’s difficult to determine what falls in a gray area when it comes to ethics, intellectual property rights, spec work, and “design contests.” Our industry will grow because of this affiliation with the national and other AIGA chapters.

Let’s get to know each other. There are many designers in the area that I know through the work, but have never met in person. Boise and the state of Idaho are very fragmented. We need a better sense of community for Idaho. AIGA will be the catalyst for designers to meet, compare ideas, and better our industry.

This is an exciting step forward for Idaho. I look forward to the future for AIGA Idaho and our design community. There are many things that make Idaho a great place to live and work — this is just the icing on the cake.

If you’re not yet a member, we need your support. If you’re a design professional in Idaho, email me and I’ll tell you why it’s important to join.

ShareThis

The illustration was a blast to work on — check it out here.

ShareThis

ShareThis

View a gallery of the BridgeTower work.

ShareThis

ShareThis

The program at NNU continues to produce talented designers that are vibrant and motivated. Many of them have completed internships and had “real” work to show. The body of work from this graduating class reflected great typographic skills, strong conceptual thinking, and solid design executions. I suggest anyone looking to hire creative folks check out the NNU graduating class — they are a talented group.

ShareThis

The presentation can be downloaded here. Enjoy!

ShareThis

ShareThis

I’ll be addressing the AIGA Idaho Student Group on the “transition to agency life” next Friday, February 22nd. I hope to share some valuable interviewing techniques, how to prepare a strong portfolio, and some things to expect out of agency life. I will never forget my senior year at Tyler School of Art, presenting my portfolio at the New York Art Director’s Club, and beating the streets of New York City for my first job. It was an exciting AND humbling time that I will never forget.

ShareThis

Check out the site here.

ShareThis

I run into many hesitations as soon as the word “blog” enters the conversation with my clients/partners. The biggest worry I hear most often is the commitment to posting content on a near-daily basis. It’s a fact that there is an inherent “promise” to blogging. If you don’t keep it up to date (with good, original content), you may lose visitors. When I pry further in these conversations, I usually find out that these businesses are already creating original content in other areas of the business (newsletters, webinars, white papers, presentations, etc.). It seems to me that repurposing existing content may be a better idea than starting fresh.

I recently attended the first meeting of the Boise Bloggers group (more soon on this…). I had an interesting conversation with Sarah Lewis of Blogging Expertise about ghostwriting. If a business sees the need and doesn’t have the time — this is way to accomplish updates (and a trend in the industry). Hire a writer that has industry expertise or experience with the segment of business. If a blog is on a specific topic of industry, you may pull other posts and articles from the web and offer your opinion about the content. Go ahead. Start a conversation. Demonstrate expertise. Get people talking.

Still don’t buy it? Read “Blogging: More Than Idle Chatter” in the February issue if Inc. Magazine — 100 million blogs can’t be wrong.

UPDATE: If you are in a corporate environment and also believe in blogging, here is an article on how to build internal support for a blog.

ShareThis

ShareThis

Rohit Bhargava (VP of Interactive at Ogilvy) recently blogged about the importance of “personality” when it comes to marketing. His post validates many thoughts I’ve had on the role of personality and voice for marketing activities. It’s crucial.

Every business, large and small, should consider and define the personality. It’s the act of looking outward that offers the truly valuable opinions about a product, service, or business. What a business thinks their personality is can differ from perceptions in the minds of customers, partners, and employees (and, ultimately, the “truth”). I’m a big advocate of upfront research and measurability of every marketing activity. After all, they are all opportunities — make sure your business makes the most of them.

ShareThis

We’re proud to have M2E Power on the roster. It’s incedible to have a client that was mentioned on one of my favorite high-tech blogs, Engadget (not to mention, Forbes, CNET, The Wall Street Journal, and The Nature Conservancy). Someday in the not too distant future, your wireless devices will automatically charge in your pocket.

ShareThis

A recent example of the importance of original content is the recently launched Cinder Wines website. Early in the information architecture phase, we decided a good measure of success would not only measure website visits and email newsletter sign-ups, but how much time visitors spend on the site. In support of this we created the “Winemaker Stories” section of the site. This content has personality that adds dimension to the brand, builds credibility, and brings visitors back for more.

According to website statistics, this “glimpse behind the curtain” has added up to visitors spending an average of 5:47 minutes on the site. This is a lot of time for this website — as there aren’t many pages to it yet. But, more importantly, it proves that people are reading the stories (the “Winemaking Stories” section is the 2nd most viewed page). It’s a fact, crafting original content can make your brand memorable, build credibility, highlight expertise, and create emotional connections that didn’t previously exist.

ShareThis

When I started my business, I decided that this was important to consider. Carew Co. provides services in the form of low and pro bono for many non-profit organizations (To drop a few names: The First Tee of Idaho, The Cabin, The Bridge, Children’s Home Society of Idaho, United Way, and the Bogus Basin Ski Racing Alliance). Working with non-profits is a great experience that can be extremely rewarding.

This year, we’re not sending fruit baskets, boxes of truffles, or tins of popcorn to our clients. Who needs it!? We decided to make a cash donation to the Idaho Food Bank for $1,000. It doesn’t seem like much, but that provides to 5,000 meals that can be served. We had a busy year, so we’re giving back.

Thank you Carew Co. clients large and small!

ShareThis