Behind the Scenes

For quite a while now, we’ve been building websites exclusively with CSS for both style, and structure. “Who cares” you might say… Which is exactly the reaction we would probably expect. We try not to beat our clients and friends over the head with technology. We just ask that they assume we have it handled for them…

The CSS thing is kind of a biggy though. Building a website with CSS creates many advantages. CSS websites are:
* less expensive to maintain
* less expensive to redesign
* often times better performers in search engine rankings
* less susceptible to obsolescence

CSS is the way of the future, some day there won’t be anything else… If you’re considering a website (re)design with us, or heaven forbid with someone else, do yourself a favor and learn a bit about CSS. It will have a tangible effect on the results of the long term success of your website.

Learn a bit more:

wikipedia
More
Good for Google
css-discuss

The Specialist

We’ve lost a few RFP’s in the last year. Each one of them hurts… We spend a lot of time, research, and sweat when we respond to a request for a proposal. If it’s worth doing, -it’s worth doing well. Overall, our ratio of landing RFP’s has been very high,(still is) but we’re noticing a trend. We call it the specialist trend.

In the advertising/design business, a new breed of company is emerging. They do business the same as before, they read the same textbooks they did a year ago, they apply the same logic the industry has been using for decades, -but now they’re specialists.

It all starts with the having more than one of a certain type of client in your portfolio. For example, we have done a few travel agent websites, and even more commercial real estate websites. In each case, if we were so inclined, we could spin off a brand new entity: “EM-travel”, or “EM-Real Estate” might be good names. We would instantly gain much more credibility since our new companies “specialize” in a marketing a specific industry. If trends hold true, we would be especially persuasive selling to customers out of state…

We always enjoy bucking trends at Entermotion, -but we admit that we too have a specialty. We specialize in listening to our clients’ needs. We specialize in working within budgets big and small. We specialize in being fascinated by your product whether it comes in a cardboard box, or divided by the acre. We specialize in figuring out ways to make your business more attractive, more efficient, and more successful.

Fundamentals – Questioning your identity

We do a lot of logo, and identity design. It’s always interesting to see how a company, or an individual reacts to the process. It’s a catharsis of sorts. It forces you to ask questions you may be uncomfortable with, or unfamiliar with. Logos have implied meaning; -almost like a rorschach they create introspection.

If you’re starting a business, or reinventing one, we’ve put together a quick list of conversation starter questions that may help you clarify your brand. It’s not an easy process, and it will likely be a bit maddening. -Every journey begins with the first step…

Questions for identity design and branding
All questions refer to your brand in the first person (I)

1. If I were a car I would be:
2. Why?
3. If I were a soft drink I would be:
4. Why?
5. If I were another product I would be:
6. Why?
7. When I walk into the room people will:
8. I am (check any that apply)
   modern
   friendly
   savvy
   traditional
   speedy
   helpful
   hot
   young
   soft
   hard
   methodical
   safe
   exciting
   deliberate
   inexpensive
   luxurious
   kitschy
   cute
   masculine
   sweet
   intelligent
   simple
   elegant
   beautiful
   triumphant
   small
   efficient
   humble
   strong
9. My business is:
10. I excel by:
11. My competition thinks I am:
12. I think I am:
13. I am excellent because I:
14. My only fear is that I am:
15. If I have to lose a customer I want to lose them because of:
16. When people speak of doing business with me, i want them to say:
17. In 20 years this I will be:
18. If I do this one thing I will have succeeded:
19. If I do this one thing, I will have failed:
20. __________ is the engine of my growth.

Saul Bass: first day of class

You can talk about Saul Bass and of course he had a tremendous impact on motion design for decades.

Taking things further, -inspired by (but actually created by Nexus ) Saul Bass’s The Man with the Golden Arm the opening credits for Catch Me If You Can are classes 101 through 501 in videography, composition, and playfulness.

inspired by cpluv

Glimpses of genius beauty and novelty – really looking

• Knowing your fonts – Arial or Helvetica
• Know when to stop – Dairy Queen
• Know how to stay organized – the oldest interface
• Speaking with color – It seems more exotic when you spell it with a ‘u’

via: waxy, kottke, and 43 folders