Smashing Magazine - Creative Business Cards

Smashing Magazine compiled a bunch of really creative business cards which are incredibly inspirational for anyone looking to have a card designed. A few of my favourites are below and the rest of the examples can be found here.

[image credit: Brandon Knowlden]

[image credit: Y&R]

[image credit: Ralev]

[image credit: Taste of Ink Studio]

An apple a day...

Second type/illustration attempt...

[image credit: me]

Lazy Days of Summer

I was thinking of cottages, hazy skies and vivid sunsets when creating this little illustrated phrase! My goal is to create some type of design or visual idea every couple of days.

[image credit: me]

10 Things You Can Do to Keep a Customer - Ivana Taylor

This is a great article from Marketing Strategist Ivana Taylor with simple, but important points on keeping a customer. Summarized, those points are:

1) Calculate your customer net worth
2) Identify what is most important to your customers
3) Review the next customer letter you see and remove all elements of "corporate-speak" from it
4) Get employees involved in building your brand and communicating with customers
5) Create a "key account" plan for a critical customer
6) Offer an insane guarantee
7) Give them the star treatment
8) Create an advisory board
9) Monthly "surprise gift"
10) LOVE them

Check out the rest of the article on the American Express Open Forum here.

Project Thirty Three

The owner of Jive Time Records in Seattle scans in vintage record covers to a blog called Project Thirty Three. Check it out here...http://www.projectthirtythree.com/

Memorial University - Research Report

University research combined with some of the top movies of all time. An article in the National Post yesterday highlighted the fact that a research report does not have to be boring. "The Shining: Research Stars 2010" promotes Memorial University's "research stars" through blockbuster film posters. For example, the faculty of the Ocean Sciences Centre are featured on a "Ocean's 16" poster. A few of my favourites are includes below and the rest of the report images can be found here.

[image credit: Memorial University]

Rolling Roadshow Posters - Olly Moss

The Rolling Roadshow is a collaboration with Levi's and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema who put on a tour of famous movies including the Rocky series, The Blues Brothers, and Jackie Brown among others. Movie posters for each film were re-designed by Olly Moss and they are stunning examples of silkscreening. Here are a few of my favourites, but check out the rest here by clicking on "design" then "rolling roadshow."

[image credit: Olly Moss]