Posts filed under ‘HB Design’
Broadsides!
Our broadside ordering process is up and running! You can now order a print of our holiday card. This is the newest broadside poster from HB Design. Supplies are limited.
Add comment April 12, 2013
Generic Brand Names
Many words we all use in basic conversation were once or are still a trademarked brand name of one company or another. Sharpie, post-it, wite-out, band-aid—all of these are nouns that we use to refer any number of items: permanent markers, adhesive note paper, correction fluid, and self-adhesive bandage.
Of course if you go onto a web site or read a brochure from a competing company who produces one of these products under a different name you will see the generic name and not the brand name of the other company. Avery uses the term “permanent marker” for their line of Marks-A-Lot® indelible markers, but of course if you asked someone to hand you a sharpie and they gave you a Marks-A-Lot® marker you probably wouldn’t say “no, I wanted a Sharpie® brand marker.” (more…)
Add comment February 26, 2013
The Importance of Typography
I love typography. A LOT. I always have. As strange as it sounds, it’s always been an important part of me, even as a kid. I was the kid drawing logos at age six. There will be more about my type obsession later…
Anyway, a while back, I fed my type obsession and ventured over to McMenamins Kennedy School Theater to attend the Portland premier of Linotype: The Film. It was a fascinating and entertaining documentary about typography and the history of the Linotype machine, invented by Otto Mergenthaler in 1886. For those of you who are thinking “I’ve heard of that word, but I have no idea what the heck it is,” read on.
A Linotype machine
Add comment February 12, 2013
An Idea Leads to A Change
Each morning, before I go to work, I take an hour and ride my spinning bike. I love this early morning exercise time—it is an hour of the day when my mind clears and I have no interruptions or distractions, and creative thoughts flow freely.
The other day I began to think about some work things: how to energize our blog posts, how to utilize our letterpress, how to present new design to our clients, old technology, new technology—sounds random but that’s how my mind sometimes works. Anyway, I came up with an idea that I’m really excited about, and here it is. (more…)
Add comment January 15, 2013
The Power of the Infographic
In my last post, I talked about the idea of C2CB presentation tools. For those who ask “what is C2CB” and don’t want to take the time to do a little hunting, I’ll fill you in.
Client to Client’s Boss communication. Internal selling of ideas to other team members. If you didn’t read it, it’s a good one, check it out. If you did, you know what I’m talking about.
The first project I’d like to share is an infographic that was actually used to convince our client of an idea, which she passed through to her team for buy off.
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1 comment December 18, 2012
Printing Holiday Cards on Our Letterpress
This year’s HB Design Holiday gift has an extra special hand-made touch. We printed holiday cards on our new in-office letterpress. “New” being a relative term. The cards were printed on a Vandercook Proof Press circa 1936. Check out a few shots from the process.
UPDATE: Request a print of our holiday card. Limited to supply on hand.
Add comment November 28, 2012
An Introduction to {HB}design’s own letterpress
Leslie, our creative director, gave the company our first training session on our letterpress. Below are some photos, click to see larger views. (more…)
2 comments November 6, 2012
Presentation Tools for the C2CB Audience
Here at HB Design, we spend most days strategizing, concepting, designing and implementing amazing solutions for our clients. Most of our solutions target B2B, B2C or even internal client audiences, but there is one other area where our expertise can really make a difference: C2C communications. That’s client to client. Or maybe I should call it C2CB (client to client’s boss). Whatever the name, we find that our clients need excellent presentation tools to communicate ideas internally, to help them sell ideas to their boss or bosses’ boss before moving to the next step. We’ve helped our clients sell quite a few great ideas this way.
Intra-client presentation is a very important but often overlooked part of the whole design process. We obviously need to communicate our ideas to our clients clearly, but often, they need to sell our ideas internally. And that internal sell can be difficult. Our clients often need to sell to an audience that may not understand marketing and design. They usually have very little time. And often we aren’t at the presentation, so they are getting the information second hand. The old telephone game. That’s a lot for our clients to overcome.
With good internal presentation tools, clients understand our intentions and then have the means to pass that understanding through to their team. It’s an often overlooked, but very important, part of the design process. (more…)
1 comment August 20, 2012
The World in Motion
Last month I had the opportunity to write an editorial article for Media Inc. magazine—an industry leading Northwest marketing and advertising publication. I wanted to examine a topic that was not only relevant but that provided opportunities for fellow industry members. Here at HB Design, we’ve experienced a drastic increase in motion graphics work throughout the last few years. I was excited to share with others the benefits and value of digital multimedia as an educational and awareness building device. You can check out the full article here.
Add comment August 9, 2012
Homeless Teens Graduate
Today was an extraordinary day for a group of homeless Portland teenagers. They graduated from high school. Over the past few years, they’ve worked hard to change the trajectory of their young lives and reinvent a promising future via hard work and education. Today they arrived on the threshold of a better future sans the love, support, and encouragement of solid parentage.
I volunteer with Outside In, a social service organization that addresses the needs of homeless and other marginalized people in Portland. Without their help, this day may not have happened for these promising individuals. I’ve attended many graduations over the years but none of them has ever felt so joyous. I wanted to congratulate each of these graduates and wish them well on the road ahead.
Check out more about preventing the tragedy of homeless youth.
If you want to get involved with helping area homeless youth check out www.outsidein.org. It takes a whole village and many of us have much to give in terms of our time, expertise, or financial assistance.
Update: Outside In posted photos from the graduation ceremony on their Facebook page.
Add comment June 28, 2012
