Give the gift of Viral:A New Twist on the Holiday Card

The Holiday Greeting card that encourages you to pass it on...



Every year, even creative types like us enjoy a love-hate relationship with Holiday greeting card design. Although we've designed a few award-winners in the past, that only serves to push us to a higher standard for what to do for an encore. This year we wanted to create a greeting card that the recipient was encouraged to immediately re-gift.

So this year instead of designing just one card, we had everyone from our office design their own card. We committed to a color palette, size, paper, and production restrictions (just like a client project) and had everyone work on their own concepts. We then packaged the final set of seven designs up with instructions to "share the love this Holiday." We even created a custom rubber stamping system to embellish the corrugated mailing envelope.


Here's a sample press sheet. All seven designs were printed using the same set of five inks, on one sheet of paper.


Here's what the set looked like together.


We created our own custom stamp to embellish the corrugated envelopes.




And here's another view of the complete set.

And finally, we created a website under our infamous microsite, HolidayCow.com - wherein visitors can gain further insights behind each unique design. We also have a few other pics up on our Miles Design Facebook page.

If you've not received a set, we still have a few left. Just send us your mailing info. In the spirit of "viral season", pass this along to everyone you come into contact with. Happy Holidays!

We welcome your feedback...

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Desiging for Impact: Citizen Effect

Miles Design had the pleasure of working with Citizen Effect (formerly 1WELL) to redesign their website and user experience, working closely with the team at ThriveSmart.

These brilliant and dedicated folks are committed to impacting third world countries in the areas of food, water, energy, health, and education through people they call "Citizen Philanthropists."

You won't find any celebrity endorsements here - Citizen Philanthropists are everyday people making serious impact in third world countries.

Here's how it works. A Citizen Philanthropist becomes the project's fund-raising quarterback, organizing anything from Facebook fundraisers, to garage sales or even dance-a-thons, all to raise money for a project of their choosing. Visitors can search for projects by global location, project type, or population impacted.

From their website citizeneffect.org you can search from projects like this one in Zambia in need of a "Women's Centre." What's really cool about Citizen Effect is how intricately it's tied to various social networks as well. Citizen Philanthropists can blog about their project right on the website, and as a project grows, various photos, videos, and other media will be posted.

So if you're looking for a way to design a little impact this holiday season, check out citizeneffect.org and see if you find a project that speaks to your heart.

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Help Us Give Back - Holiday Gift Drive

We all know that the holidays can be a particularly stressful time of year--especially when the pressure to provide everyday necessities can be overwhelming or even impossible. Miles Design has been blessed with a year of growth, and our focus this holiday season is on sharing and giving back. And, we have a hunch that many of you, our clients and friends, will want to join us in our efforts.

"How?" you ask.
Miles Design will be supporting The Shepherd Community Center and their Annual Christmas Gift Drive. The Shepherd Community Center has been serving children and families on the Near East Side of Indianapolis for twenty-five years, and their Christmas Shop is a great opportunity for area parents and children alike to select both gifts and essentials for their loved ones. The shop relies on donations--toys, gift items, clothing and money--and we're confident that, with your help, we can fill it with a lot of great things.

Click here for a Needs List. All items should be new and unwrapped.

We'll gladly accept any donations at our office through December 14th, so if a) you'll be in the area, b) we have a meeting planned, or c) you just want to stop for a visit, we hope you will consider contributing to this worthwhile cause!

Happy Holidays, and thank you all for a great year!

Note: If it's more convenient, you can certainly drop off directly at the Shepherd Community. Click here for more information.

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PRIME: Celebrating Design Excellence in Indianapolis

Good things are happening for the Indianapolis design community and Miles Design! PRIME--the first annual AIGA Indy Design Awards Show--is opening to the public this Friday, and we're excited to share that four of our entries were chosen to be included in the show.

For those of you not familiar with PRIME, or AIGA Indy for that matter, here's a quick background on both. AIGA, the professional association for design, is the oldest and largest professional design organization consisting of more than 22,000 members and 64 local chapters across the country. Our local Indianapolis chapter represents design students, professionals, and educators all across Indiana--providing a mix of events, initiatives, outreach programs, and more.

This is the first year for PRIME, and it's been a long time coming! The pieces honored this year were selected for their visual excellence and demonstration of strong design processes and real-world, measurable results for the client. The judges, no doubt, had some very tough decisions to make, and I don't envy them one bit! Accepted work will be on display until Thanksgiving at Dean Johnson Gallery in downtown Indianapolis. After that, a book showcasing the work will be created and distributed both locally and to AIGA chapters across the country.

Miles Design is honored to be recognized among our peers, and we're even more excited that we can be a part of a show that celebrates the great design happening in and around Indy. There's a lot of talent here, and we're thrilled to be a part of it! If you're free Friday, November 6th, we hope you'll have a chance to mix and mingle with us at the show opening. And, if you find yourself downtown before Thanksgiving, take some time to stop by the gallery. We promise you won't be disappointed!

PRIME - First Friday Opening
Friday, November 6
5:00-9:00 pm
Dean Johnson Gallery - 646 Massachusetts Avenue

Accepted entries from Miles Design include:
1. Knozone - www.knozone.com
2. Miles Design - 2009 New Year's Card
3. Kevin Kennedy Associates - Identity System
4. BRAND PHOTODESIGN - Identity System

Congratulations to all the designers with work on display and to all of the companies, clients, and individuals being recognized along with them.

For more information on PRIME and AIGA Indy, visit www.indianapolis.aiga.org

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