Posts Tagged ‘design’

January 18th, 2012

Starla West International Website Redesign

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.

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January 5th, 2012

2011 Logo Review

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. (more…)

December 13th, 2011

All I Want for Christmas is…

Christmas is less than two weeks away now (yikes!), and the time remaining to purchase those all-important gifts is ticking away. No need to panic yet though. In the spirit of holiday giving, we’re sharing a few things from each of our Christmas (or every day) wish lists. Who knows, maybe we’ll spark an idea for that hard-to-buy-for person lingering on your shopping list. Happy holidays and happy shopping!

Brian Gray

Letterpress Calendar

Fabien Barral Letterpress Calendar
I bought the 2011 version of this and really liked it. The 2012 is available now.

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November 30th, 2011

2011 Holiday Card Designs

Even more love to share.

Our team is very pleased to continue our holiday tradition of designing holiday cards for our friends, family, and clients. Each card is blank inside, so they’re perfect for spreading holiday cheer.

We wanted to share our inspirations and thoughts behind each design. We hope you’ll enjoy sending them as much as we have enjoyed making them. Happy Holidays!

Card 1 of 7 // Imagined by Amanda Blackburn

Miles Design Holiday Card - Joy Mittens

2011 has been an exciting year for my family. We welcomed our first son, Graham, into the world in July, and it’s been pure joy (and sleepless nights) ever since! I’m constantly amazed at how quickly he’s growing and changing, and my wish this holiday season is simply to enjoy him. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season will come and go, and I’m sure we won’t get to everything. That’s ok though. At the end of the day, my joy is sitting right in front of me, playing with my fingers and grinning back at me with his big, bright eyes. And, that’s all I really need for Christmas this year!

Merry Christmas, and may you surround yourself with joy and love this holiday season!

Card 2 of 7 // Imagined by April Miles

Miles Design Holiday Card - Wonderland Wreath

I’ve realized recently that with every passing year, holiday traditions become more meaningful to me. I love the nostalgia of childhood memories and the anticipation of creating more memories with our ever-growing extended family and friends.

Each year I look forward to pulling the Christmas decorations out of storage, including my favorite wreath with red berries. We moved into a new home this past summer and have enjoyed finding the perfect spot for each holiday decoration in our new space.

I’ve found myself looking out the window on several occasions, trying to imagine our first Christmas in this new home and the new-to-us landscape covered in snow.

And, I’ve found myself hoping more than anything, regardless of where the days are spent—in very familiar places or places that are just starting to feel like home—that the days are merry, bright, extremely peaceful, and maybe even white.

Card 3 of 7 // Imagined by Ben Seal

Miles Design Holiday Card - Your Own Way

Everyone celebrates the holidays differently. I love hearing about unique traditions and one-of-a-kind recipes. To me, they’re a part of the charm of the season. To that end, I hope this card compels its recipients to think about—and appreciate—their own customs. No matter how zany.

Card 4 of 7 // Imagined by Brian K Gray

Miles Design Holiday Card - Elegant Lines

I wanted something simple and elegant, much like the way Christmas is supposed to be. Too often we get caught up in the retail craziness of today’s Christmas and lose the true reason for the holiday. Soft, whimsical lines create a wintery pattern of silver, while a simple, blue “Merry Christmas” is nested in the middle. Enjoy Christmas with friends and family, but in the midst of all the chaos, remember to take a moment and celebrate the birth of Christ.

Card 5 of 7 // Imagined by Joshua Cook

Miles Design Holiday Card - Modern Manger

Before we become immersed in the complexity of the holiday season, I wanted to design a card that focused on a simple, yet profound, aspect to Christmas. Not Black Friday, not snowflakes nor candy canes, but rather a gift offered to all of us. A gift of Love, Grace and Redemption.

Card 6 of 7 // Imagined by Jon McClure

Miles Design Holiday Card - Ornament

I wanted to create something simple and elegant; something you’d feel good about sending. Because, if you like this card well enough to send it to someone on your list, it just might save you yet another a trip to the store. And, in the time you save, maybe you’ll get a few extra minutes to share with family and friends.

Card 7 of 7 // Imagined by Josh Miles

Miles Design Holiday Card - modern cardinals

Growing up outside of South Bend, a regular recipient of “lake effect snow,” there was often a blanket of white drifting between the trees in my parents’ back yard. It would begin falling in late November and finally recede sometime in April. But every so often, through all of the sleet and snow, one of Mom’s backyard bird feeders would be graced by a pair of cardinals. It’s amazing what a little splash of color will do for your soul during a long, cold winter. It always brought me hope that perhaps spring was near.

This year my wife, daughter, baby to be, and I moved into an older home with lots of trees. Looking out at our back yard I’m greeted by squirrels, chipmunks, and of course, a multitude of birds.

While thinking about my Christmas card design for this year, our new setting brought back memories of my parents’ back yard, and those colorful splashes of inspiration.

It’s with these warm feelings that I’m passing along to you: Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and be sure to keep those bird feeders full this season. Matthew 6:26

Note: We do have a few extra sets this year, so please contact us if you’d like a set yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

November 10th, 2011

2011 Miles Design Holiday Cards

Are you on our mailing list? If you’ve never received our Holiday Cards, you’re in for a treat! Please add your information below and we will send you our seven-card set of the 2011 Miles Design Holiday Cards.

If the form isn’t visible below, click here to submit your info.

September 26th, 2011

Infographic: BSA LifeStructures web analytics
Architecture Firm Website Redesign

After we redesigned the BSA LifeStructures website, we wrote a blog cataloging the architecture firm website redesign to show off some of the new features. And while it’s always fun and exciting to see the design before and after, sometimes the website analytics can be even more impressive.

Okay, so maybe you have to be a little geeky to care about web analytics. The real problem with any kind of statistics is getting them into a format that can be easily understood, especially at a quick glance.

So, we created a report to share with BSA Life Structures, full of infographics, highlighting some of the most statistically dramatic improvements. The following infographic is based on the activity on their website 72 days before the relaunch, as well as the 72 days following the relaunch.

Infographic - Architect Website Redesign - BSA LifeStructures

We had so much fun visualizing this data for BSA LifeStructures, that we’re going to have to create more of these for other projects. If you enjoyed this infographic, please feel free to share on your social networks, just please link back to these original files:

http://www.milesdesign.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/infographic-bsa-analytics-sm1.gif

http://www.milesdesign.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/infographic-bsa-analytics.gif

September 16th, 2011

Brand New Conference: 27-hour adventure

Brand New Conference

If you didn’t hear, I was one of the lucky four people to win the Brand New Conference ticket give-away (video). Of course dropping everything and flying to San Francisco for the day isn’t always the most practical thing to do, but it’s tough to pass up the opportunity.

I’m just crazy (and busy) enough, that I decided to fly out and back the same day.

I’ll be chronicling my 27-hour adventure on this “live blog” – assuming my various devices will have enough charge to make it happen. Wish me luck. (more…)

September 3rd, 2011

Doppelpager logo design – The Brand New Awards

Our recent branding work for Doppelpager, a software as a service (SaaS) solution for marketers, was recognized by the distinguished judges of The Brand New Awards. The Doppelpager logo design was entered in the “professional logo design” category. Among the entries of this category, only 13% of the entries were recognized as winning entries.

The Brand New Awards - Book Cover (more…)

July 14th, 2011

Better Design Tools Don’t Guarantee Better Design.

Have you ever driven past a billboard for an insurance company?

You know the one. A headline set in comic sans about protecting you for the things you care about. A badge-like logo. A photo of two aging guys in suits, smiling grimly, over-layed with a stock photo of a typical family, or summertime activity. Boating. Baseball. Fishing. Family time.

comic sans headline

While vacationing in Florida I saw a really “nice” insurance billboard. I was amazed at how professional and vibrant the photo of the surfer in the background was, and how well the two guys in suits really stood out. (I know, only a designer would notice that stuff.)

Yet immediately after driving past, I didn’t know what the billboard said specifically, or why this company was different. Come to think of it, it may have been for a law practice after all.

The problem with these billboards in the past wasn’t only that their photos were goofy. It was a lack of differentiation, messaging, and reliance on an over-used concept that rendered them billboards as “visual noise” along the highway.

As digital cameras, software, and even just having an iPad makes it easy for just about anyone to design, advertising may be getting better looking, but unfortunately, no less cliché.

So a word to aspiring designers: as you’ve upgraded to better design tools, take a moment to improve your messaging. Be different. Keep the concept simple. Keep the imagery simple. Use as few words as possible for those highway drivers. And be sure it’s easy to read.

Because in the end, design tools are still just tools.

June 17th, 2011

Lessons from Design Legend Stefan Sagmeister

This week I had the honor of representing AIGA Indianapolis (The Professional Association for Design) by introducing Stefan Sagmeister at the IMA (Indianapolis Museum of Art) for “Design & Happiness.”

Stefan Sagmeiser and Josh Miles at IMA

Aside from the pure thrill of sharing the stage with a design legend for three whole minutes, here are a few life lessons I was reminded of that night.

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