This was my second year to participate in the Bigger Picture Show. (Kudos to the International Film Festival and Lodge for a great show!) As usual, a crop of top Indianapolis designers were called on to contribute their reinterpretations of classic movie posters.

Last year, I redesigned Psycho. This year, I was awarded the Oliver Stone film, JFK. The Kennedy conspiracy has always fascinated me, so it was a special treat to get to design a poster for this film.

Although JFK was released in 1991, it was obviously all about the sixties. So, in keeping with my self-imposed requirements from last year, I wanted to create something that felt like it might have been produced in the sixties as well: limited color palette, limited typography (Helvetica), and zero reliance on filters, drop shadows, or other effects.

Worth noting, I think this year’s collection may have been the best year so far for the Bigger Picture Show, which really sets the bar that much higher for 2013.

Oliver Stone’s film, JFK, explores the complexities and many points of view concerning President Kennedy’s assassination: how it may have been planned, executed, and subsequently covered up. Stone’s film clocks in at over three hours. It’s gritty, dizzying, and at times a little overwhelming, which I think was an ingenious way to frame such a complex story.

In redesigning the poster for JFK, I wanted to create a poster that gave a nod to the film’s tension, but ultimately felt respectful to the late President.

You’ll see below a few of my working concepts. The first played off of the theory of multiple gunmen. The second was more of a nod to the President’s legacy, and while while the third worked very well as a poster, it just felt wrong.

For my submission, I decided to go with a more understated, minimal design. The stars in the design represent Kennedy’s role as the thirty-fifth President of the United States of America.

Perhaps the final design feels more like a tribute than a movie poster. But I’m okay with that.

Have you seen the film JFK? What do you think?

The future of the mobile web?
According to analytics firm StatCounter, users accessing the Web through mobile devices has almost doubled every year since 2009. In its latest report, StatCounter says that global Internet usage through mobile devices rose to 8.5%, nearly doubling the 2011 figure of 4.3%.

What is Responsive Web Design?
Responsive web design was defined by Ethan Marcotte, technical editor of A List Apart as, “the act of creating various forms of the same basic site design that are optimized for different ranges of browser widths.”

Simply put, responsive Web Design allows you to design and develop one website that adapts to any device such as an iPhone, iPad, desktop computer, laptop, and even mobile devices that are yet to be released.

The benefits seem pretty huge, but let’s look at some of the most common questions people have about responsive design.

Would you recommend this for all companies?
Like most things, no one company or client is the same. It would depend on the type of product they are selling and their target audience. Before making a decision, first analyze your Google Analytics to see if your site is being viewed mostly via desktop or mobile. If you have a good mix, I would recommend looking into a responsive design.

Will it take more time to design/develop a responsive website?
In most cases, I would say yes it should take more time, but that depends on the complexity of the website. The real benefit of having a responsive site is it eliminates the need for an alternate, device-specific version or app.

Web app or responsive?
For some time now a separate web app was the user–friendly way to reach your customers on mobile devices. If you have multiple versions to support, that means you have multiple versions to update, whereas a responsive design is one site that simply “responds” to the device it’s being viewed with. So in theory, you won’t have to build a new app for when the iPhone 10 arrives.

Would I spend more money going this route?
With new processes and development comes a learning curve. Not all companies are taking on responsive web design quite yet, but it never hurts to ask. Responsive web design tends to cost more based on the time it takes to design and develop, but may be cheaper than building a website and multiple device specific versions. Your pricing will definitely increase with functionality and amount of unique page layouts (which is the same with a static website). Long term this functionality and user experience will pay for itself.

Why should you consider creating a responsive based website?
1. Improve access and usability for your website across all platforms.
2. Cost and maintenance is less than having a separate website and web app.
3. Your website becomes truly usable across multiple devices.
4. It forces you to think about creating a user-friendly experience.
5. You understand that it’s ALL about the end user.

TOOLS/REFERENCES

Things to consider before deciding to make your website responsive.
• Time and Money
• Browser Support
• Performance
• Content
• Website vs. Web App

Best practices for early development/design.
• Content Check
• Start Small (mobile first)
• Make it modular
• Always Be Optimizing

List of companies that are using responsive web design:
• Solo
• Fork
• Teixido
• Do Lectures
• Sparkbox

In case you’re curious, our site is not responsive yet…
Stay tuned!

List of references.
• Ethan Marcotte (Author of Responsive Web Design)
• Treehouse (Web Design and Development Learning Site)
• Get Skeleton (A Beautiful Boilerplate for Responsive Development)

Keep checking our site as we will be showcasing new examples of responsive designs soon.

Everyone seems to be throwing around the terms “brand” and “branding” lately, but what do they really mean? Let’s see.

The American Marketing Association defines a brand as a “Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”

I would say that is incorrect. Your name, term, symbol or other features are brand elements—but not your brand. Would you know a BMW without it’s badging? Sure. Could you walk into a logo-less Apple store and know where you are? Of course. What about a Starbucks without the mermaid? All of those companies have created brands that extend far beyond their brand elements.

To me, your brand is “the feeling your audience has when they interact with your product or service.”

Did the American Marketing Association get it completely wrong? I think not. The term that seems to fit best is “design”. The design is the key. Not just graphic design, but every kind of design: from your logo and stationery to the way you interact with customers. That all impacts that feeling your audience has for you.

Decide what your audience wants, or better yet, what they need. Then become it. Make sure everything you do is designed around that central idea—from your logo, to your web site, to the music you play, to emails you send. Then (and this is important) don’t change it until the needs and wants of your audience changes.

In case you missed the exciting news, our branding and design firm has relocated to Carmel City Center.

People keep telling us, “We didn’t know you were moving!” And the funny thing is, we didn’t either. We had the opportunity (and a short window of time) to move to a new suite in our old building, or try something new.

So we opted for something really new.

This may be a long-term home for us, or just a summer home… we’ll know more in the coming weeks, so be sure to stay tuned.

We’re just starting to get settled into this brand new, mixed-use facility, as well as all of the neighboring restaurants, including a Hubbard and Cravens (coming soon)! As you can maybe tell from the images, the raw concrete, glass, and steel interior is pretty darn cool and inspiring.

City Center is at the SW corner of 126th street and Rangeline Road in Carmel, just a few minutes north of Indianapolis, and just south of the Art & Design District.

Enjoy the additional photos, and be sure to drop by to visit our new design firm office.

Have you heard? Miles Design is on the move. In just a few (very short) weeks, we’ll be packing up our things and heading to a new, fresh space. We’re excited for this transition, although the thought of packing up our office is daunting.

We realize that this is the perfect opportunity (and the perfect time of year, ironically) for some serious spring cleaning around here. Who knows what we’ll find when we start digging around in the depths of our cabinets and closets, but chances are, much of it can likely be left behind.

Spring cleaning doesn’t only apply to our tangible possessions. It can also apply to your brand assets. When was the last time you took the time to “spring clean” your brand? Much like objects that accumulate over years of staying in the same place, your brand can accumulate baggage as it grows and transitions to accommodate new needs, audiences, and goals.

Could your brand use some purging? Here are five tips for simplifying, organizing, and streamlining your brand communications.

1. Cut the clutter.
Assess your brand materials. Are they all current, or are you still hanging onto old, outdated materials for fear that you might need them again some day? Chances are, these materials don’t reflect your current brand and goals, and you need to let go.

2. Keep things fresh and relevant.
When was the last time you updated your website? Are you on the 15th reprint of that dated marketing brochure from 10 years ago, or worse yet, do you still have boxes of brochures you’ll never use? If you discover irrelevant materials that are still in use, assess whether the piece has a place in your current marketing plan, and if so, make plans to revamp it.

3. Streamline your communication.
We’re often tempted, for the sake of time and resources, to create “quick-fix” solutions rather than tackling the bigger-picture problem. These materials may work well short-term, but they could be cluttering your overall brand. If you find yourself knee deep in these one-off solutions, take take time to address your bigger picture goals and needs and determine whether one cohesive solution could work better.

4. Simplify your message.
Who are you speaking to, and what are you saying? Are you communicating with them with one cohesive voice so your message is loud and clear? If you’re still sending direct mail campaigns to an outdated audience just because that’s what you’ve always done, it’s time to reassess.

5. Repeat. Often.
It feels good to check these tasks off of your to-do list, but maintaining your brand should be an ongoing responsibility, not a one time event. You can save valuable time and money if you regularly assess and re-evaluate your materials and communications. And, that’s a good thing.

The benefits of a good spring cleaning and purging are well worth the effort. You’ll feel lighter, leaner, and more efficient as you charge ahead in life and business. And, while we often reserve it for once a year (or for a big move in our case), a regular maintenance strategy will make maintaining your brand much easier and less daunting throughout the year. If you need help with creating and maintaining a strong brand, it just so happens we specialize in it.

What do you consider the most daunting task of spring cleaning? We’d love to hear from you.

Our design firm was pleased to learn that eight of our recent logo designs were selected as award-winning logo designs by our peers, which are featured in the new book, iheartlogos season two.

If you’re keeping score at home, you may recall that we had fifteen logos featured in the inaugural iheartlogos season one. In my opinion, season two boasts an even stronger batch of logos and identities from designers around the world.

Every book is hand stamped and signed. We got number 228 / 1000 this time around.

Without further ado, here are our eight award-winning logo design entries from season two:

Studio Thirteen

Montage

Church Shield

Rebloom Uptown

Doppelpager

If you’re interested, you can order the iheartlogos limited-edition season two book here.

I’m addicted to the BBC TV series, Top Gear. I’m not sure if it’s the dry humor, the amazing cars, or simply the British accents that make the show so delightful. Whatever it is, I’m addicted.

Last week I watched a rerun of this 2007 episode, featuring the Porsche 911 GT3: a stripped down, no-frills, raw power, sports car.

Starting at 1:45 in this segment, host Richard Hammond explores what a “daft” idea it is to design a car with an engine in the back. Yet after 40+ years of designing 911s, German engineers and designers are showing no signs of moving the engine forward.”It’s like building a pyramid with the pointy bit at the bottom… that should be rubbish.”

As Hammond notes, “German engineers don’t do u-turns, so it’s still out there in the back. Wherever it is though, what an engine!”

Although the 911′s rear-engine seemed like a stumbling block, it didn’t negatively impact the Porsche’s performance or design at all.

For me, this was a huge epiphany.
And a little freeing.

I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I want every detail to be perfect before I “ship” anything.

Our firm uses tools like Basecamp, Google Docs, and more, to catalog our processes and communicate with our clients. It’s easy for me to get caught up in the imperfection of what the to-do lists look like, or that they aren’t color-coded the way I might like. And while the perfectionist in me sees these types of things as “problems,” they’re actually more akin to the engine in the back of a Porsche.

If this is freeing for you and your team too, keep these things in mind:

• Identify tools and processes that help move you forward.
• Design within your proven processes, and don’t let them slow you down.
• Ignore the imperfections of any “rear-engine” issues.
• Watch more British television.

What are the rear-engine problems in your organization? How can you design and innovate around them? Please share your ideas below.

With Super Bowl XLVI being hosted here in Indianapolis, we’ve had some unique insight into the time and energy it takes to plan and execute the Super Bowl experience. Similar to building a Bold and effective brand strategy, Super Bowl prep is no simple task. Here are a few similarities that the two share:

1. Planning Starts Early.
Indianapolis won the bid to host the 2012 Super Bowl in May 2008. That means it has taken roughly 45+ months of preparation. Although the game is being held in Lucas Oil Stadium, there is much more that comes into play such as hotel accommodations, way finding, parking, etc. which required the city to evaluate the impact of hosting beyond just the stadium.

Whether you’re in the early phases of hiring a branding firm, building a brand intentionally or you’re maintaining a strong, existing brand, it’s important to make time to evaluate the big picture. How is our web presence impacting our brand? Is our internal culture consistent with the brand we’re trying to establish? Every decision you make has an impact on the brand to some capacity.

2. Defining Roles is Essential
The Indianapolis Super Bowl Host committee consists of 32 staff members and 3 legacy project members. Each member has specific responsibilities that are required if the event is going to be successful. If one or two committee members slack off, it’s going to make it harder to achieve the level of success the city is aiming for.

Metaphorically speaking, your brand has a committee too. You have a number of players that, when working collectively, can maximize the perception and success of your brand. Instead of people, your committee is made of your logo, your voice, web presence, print collateral and internal culture. Defining brand elements will keep you in control of your brand rather than your brand (or lack there of) preventing you from greater success.

3. Connecting on an Emotional Level
Game day is quickly approaching and downtown Indianapolis has been transformed into Super Bowl Village. From a local perspective, excitement in Indianapolis has reached a whole new level. Now we know which two teams will be competing for the championship, and excitement is gaining momentum on a national level too.The local and national buzz regarding the Super Bowl only adds to the anticipation but also contributes the Super Bowl brand.

What are people saying about your brand? Most of what’s being said is emotionally driven—it’s positive or negative. Emotions play a role in “business decisions,” and if your prospect can’t find an emotional connection with some aspect of the brand, it’s going to be an incredibly difficult sell.

4. Commitment and Follow Through Are a Must
Not only does the Indianapolis Super Bowl Committee have specific roles but they also have commitments. Without the commitment of following through they are left with only great ideas. Unfortunately, great ideas aren’t enough to successfully host the Superbowl.

Some of the strongest and most well-known brands that exist today are successful because their companies are committed to the integrity of the brand. They understand the importance of identity and have taken time to plan, define roles, and connect emotionally with their audience. Most have extensive brand guidelines that map out exactly how to handle the visual aspects to the brand. Every decision that impacts their brand is made intentionally.

5. Always Seek Out Ways to Improve
Over the past 45+ months, I’m sure tweaks were made to the Super Bowl Planning process to enhance the experience. We are just days away from the big game, and already Indianapolis is receiving great reviews nationwide. When you plan early, you’re giving yourself time to adjust along the way. This is also true for your brand. It’s imperative in a competitive market to be continually improving your message and awareness.

We’re only 30 days into the new year, and you still have plenty of time to plan and develop your bold brand. Choosing to build your brand with these five similarities in mind will result in a brand strong enough to withstand our rapidly changing world. It’s not a quick and easy task, but it’s never too early to start the conversation.

Have you been downtown to see the Super Bowl Village? Which element had the greatest impact on your experience?

Recently we were contracted by Starla West International to improve and enhance their overall messaging and brand identity. One piece of this included a full website redesign.

Click the image above to see the changes made on the homepage.

Our goal was to increase usability and overall navigation throughout the site, with a fresh new look that speaks to the target market. Below you can see some of the unique features that were introduced on the new website.

1. Collapsible Sub Navigation. The collapsible sub navigation for the Corporate and Individual pages allow the viewer to easily navigate within the current section.

2. Graphic Banners. Along with the increased functionality of the site, we also wanted to enhance the overall message and voice. The banners create a sense of style and hierarchy and aid in navigation throughout the site.

3. Interactive Calendar. We created a custom calendar that allows the viewer to easily find events and view specific event details, all within this site.

4. Calendar Details & Integration. Usability is extremely important on the web, and this calendar allows you to seamlessly toggle between the calendar view and the event details.

5. One Click Registration. On the events page, we incorporated a sidebar feature allowing one click registration for five upcoming events.

6. Custom Twitter Feed. A custom feed that pulls the three most recent tweets.

7. Condensed Blog Posts. Creating condensed blog posts allows the viewer to quickly scan for the post they are interested in. Once you read more, you can Retweet, Like, and comment.

 

8. Randomized Testimonials. We implemented a testimonial randomizer within the CMS, which also condenses and links to the full testimonial.

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Overall they were very pleased with the visual and functionality improvements on this website. Check it out for yourself at StarlaWestInternational.com and see the features live.

We would love feedback, so feel free to comment on the redesign.

Welcome to 2012. Thank goodness. 2011 was a horrible number to kern.

It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday hullabaloo and forget to reflect on what you accomplished. We’ve had the opportunity to work with some great clients in 2011 and 2012 is looking even better. Today we sat down and reviewed the logos we created for 10 companies in 2011. They include a wide range, from a civil engineering firm to a children’s app store resource for busy parents. Each is unique yet fits well into their respective marketplace.

So, take a gander through these works and then take a moment to reflect on what you accomplished last year.

client: 250OK // email deliverability

client: BEA Consulting // higher education resource

client: HWC Engineering // civil engineering firm

client: KinderTown // an app store resource for parents

client: Lappin 180 // consulting firm for sales teams

client: Pam’s Party to Beat ALZ // event to benefit Alzheimer’s

client: PureZen Dentistry

client: RFP Attorney // online resource for attorneys and clients

client: SMPS Heartland // regional professional services marketing event

client: Starla West International // image consultant