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 Bob Wallace
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 Bob Wallace
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 Leslie Worth
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 Liana Safian
Amazing opportunities lie ahead in the realm of integrated marketing!
Imagine you receive an invitation to something intriguing. Something that appeals to your specific interests, feeds your curiosity, and gradually leads you to a magical experience that engages you.
It sounds more like something out of a Harry Potter movie than what we often think of as advertising, but people and agencies are crafting such campaigns regularly. And not only have they been effective in creating product awareness, they are becoming a respected and recognized method – even receiving awards at Webbys.
Add comment August 1, 2012 Noel Henneman
Designing Toys
The power of good design takes on many forms and can solve a wide range of challenges. Finding compelling toys for autistic children is one of those challenges. See what two child specialists, an engineer, and an industrial designer at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand have been up to: Meet “Auti,” the Training Toy for Autistic Children.
Add comment July 23, 2012 Gail Snow
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 Gail Snow
What is Your Social Network Doing for You?
A recent experience with a very successful event that was announced solely via social media prompted me to examine my social network usage. (more…)
Add comment June 6, 2012 Liana Safian
Do You Trust Your Social Network?
Would you attend a public event announced solely via one Facebook post on one fan page?
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1 comment May 30, 2012 Liana Safian
Web-based Applications: Best Practices
One of the services we offer to clients is a usability review of web sites or web-based tools. Sometimes we then are fortunate to help improve the site or tool. Being given the opportunity to review interfaces created by other firms means that we continue to develop our awareness and sensitivity to user interfaces. Because of this background, when we use web sites or web-based applications, we look at them a little differently than the casual user might.
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Add comment May 22, 2012 Diane Kenedy
