All Articles
This is an archive of all articles from the ohTwentyone blog for the last year, or 999 entries, whichever comes first. If you'd like to see a list of articles filtered by topic, choose from the list on right. We've tried to divide them into logical categories for you. You may also view a complete archive here.
Half Measures Don't Work
or - If You Didn’t Spend Enough, What You Did Spend Was Wasted.
The gist - If the thing that will do the job you need will cost $5,000, and you spend $2,500 on a thing that doesn’t quite do the job, it doesn’t matter how much you saved, because it doesn’t do the job. The money you spent on that thing was wasted. In this entry I use Advertising, Websites and Branding design as a lens to examine the effectiveness of half measures. By which I mean, not at all.
2011 American Graphic Design Awards
ohTwentyone is pleased to announced that we've been awarded nine (9!) American Graphic Design Awards from Graphic Design USA Magazine.
According to GDUSA this year's competition was extremely competitive, drawing over 8,000 entries from all over the country, with only 15% of entries winning American Graphic Design Awards.
LogoLounge 7
ohTwentyone is proud to announce that we'll have work included in the upcoming book LogoLounge 7 from Bill Gardner, Catharine Fishel, and Rockport Publishers.
The LogoLounge series of books is the most popular and best-selling series of logo design books in the world, and among the most respected design competitions in the world as well. A new LogoLounge volume is curated every 18 months, and this edition of the series drew over 36,000 entries from all over the world.
Logo Design Trend: Blatant Fraud
There's been a lot of hubbub this week over a new DIY logo design site that is selling icons from some pretty notable trademark designers as part of its icon library. It seems that almost any logo designer who has had their work published in recent history has had their work pilfered and put up for sale for the low low price of just under $100.
Old Work: The Solution PR Thank You Notes
We're reshooting a few old portfolio pieces in preparation for a new website, and I can't help but grin when I see this old gem for long-time client The Solution PR, so I thought I'd share it.
Wendy and I have worked together since I was living outside of DC, and while we don't do a ton of work for them these days (Wendy now lives in Denver and we're in Dallas), it's always nice to know that they call us to do the stuff that just has to be perfect.
A Tactful Response to Design Contests
There are a lot of design contests going on right now...and the momentum seems to be building. There's also a lot of grousing on the part of designers all over the world, as manifested by initiatives like No!Spec, which ohTwentyone supports. It's a hot topic wherever thoughtful and conscientious designers are gathered.
2011 American Web Design Awards
ohTwentyone is proud to announce that we've received three 2011 American Web Design Awards from Graphic Design USA Magazine.
According to the publisher, entries nearly doubled this year, while the number of creative firms to be honored stayed the same; 100.
We're tremendously honored to have received multiple awards in such a competitive environment. Looking through the winners gallery confirms that the quality of entries this year was also quite a bit higher than years previous, and we're thankful to have done so well.
Are Your Metrics Relevant?
A long-term client and I were talking the other day about interviewing prospective clients, and how the questions they ask that reveal whether or not they will make good clients.
For my client, a Managed Services IT Consultant, the revealing question is "What's your response time and hourly rate?"
New Work: AffordableTexasWills.com
Estate Planning is tough. It's uncomfortable to think about, or it's complicated, or you're unsure how the probate process will work if you misunderstand the implications of your directives. That's what Attorneys are for. But, they're expensive and intimidating, and many people fear them like the dentist.
Awards: Visual Marketing
ohTwentyone is pleased to announce that our ER/DR T-shirt has been selected for inclusion in the upcoming book Visual Marketing: 99 Proven Ways for Small Businesses to Market with Images and Design from Wiley Publishing and co-authored by David Langton of Langton Cherubino Group and Anita Campbell of smallbiztrends.com.
Logo Lounge Master Collection Vol.4
ohTwentyone is pleased to announce that three of our logos have been selected for inclusion in the upcoming Logo Lounge Master Collection: Volume 4, Enclosures and Type.
Logo Lounge is the world's best selling series of logo design books, co-authored by Bill Gardner of Gardner Design and Catharine Fishel, one of the most respected design authors in the world.
Now Hiring: Junior Graphic Designer
ohTwentyone is looking for a Junior Graphic Designer.
As a junior designer you will be responsible for assisting our Principal and Creative Director in designing print, web, and branding materials for our clients, as well as for internal projects and initiatives. You will also manage assets for jobs you are involved with (this means scanning things occasionally), preparing materials for use (meaning converting, retouching, or retyping things clients provide in an unsuitable format) and preparing files for production (meaning preflighting press jobs and slicing up web graphics).
Awards: Trademarks USA 2011
We're really pleased to announce that ohTwentyone has an additional 9 logos chosen for the second round of judging for David Carter's upcoming Trademarks USA.
It's unclear at this time whether they'll be included in the original Trademarks USA publication, or if there will be a second book forthcoming. Either way that's a total of 19 logos that we've had included in Ampixx books in the last year.
