There are 2 things in life that I love above all others: new people and accessories. A few weeks ago, J H I got one of each! Stephanie recently graduated from VCU in graphic design. She also spent a semester studying architecture in Copenhagen which means she speaks Danish. That adds one more language to the J H I repertoire, bringing the grand total to 4 different languages! She is also a great asset as a talented designer and a very hard worker.
The long-awaited RMCVB shopping bags arrived the very same week as Stephanie did and she jumped right in and helped us show off the fun Virginia-themed illustration. The bags are stylish and fun and a great way to promote the Richmond Region!
I absolutely adore this fun and clever campaign promoting a library in Kansas City, MO. Nothing makes me happier than beautiful, smart design paired with a good story.
For more information go here. For more pictures go here.
We’ve recently teamed up with Carpenter Co. to provide the branding and signage for Carpenter’s latest PR campaign, “Sleep Better. Dream Bigger.” Over the past 4 weeks, the folks of Stephenville, TX (singer Jewel’s hometown, population 15,000) have had the ability to visit the Sleep Better showroom and learn how to get a better night’s sleep. Leading up to the showroom opening and last night’s live performance by Jewel, we helped the Carpenter folks create a mobile billboard on the trailer of one of their fleet vehicles! Visit www.sleepbetter.org for more info on the campaign and to read the Stephenville Dreams blog!
I recently returned from an amazing first trip to the Pacific Northwest. We spent 3 days in Portland, Oregon; 2 days driving south along the coast; 1 night camping in Humboldt Redwoods State Park; 3 days in San Francisco, California; 1 day in Santa Cruz, California and 1 day driving north along I-5 (past Mt. Shasta).
From magnificent vistas to retro signage, the whole trip was an endless feast for the eyes. It was also an endless feast for my belly, not pictured.
Above, left to right, starting at top row: Cool hand-painted signs in Portland; Lemons growing on a tree in Santa Cruz; Sign for Grant’s Pass, Oregon; Tiles in a SF BART station; Retro sign on the Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz; Hand-made kooky sign at Voodoo Doughnut Too in Portland; Stenciled sidewalk in SF; More Santa Cruz signage; Hand-painted pattern on SF store window; Golden Gate Bridge; Beautiful view somewhere along Hwy 1; View from the roof of our hostel, SF; View from Haight, SF; Dolores Park, SF; Eel River, CA; Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk; Me in the Redwoods; A rose at our table in Vita, a restaurant in Portland (Rose City).
These mugs are basically a comic strip with the superpower of containing my morning beverage of choice. The mug in the top row is an historical artifact at my J H I desk, having been with me through various office configurations and my transition from multiple cups of coffee daily to the occasional half-caff or Earl Grey.
The pair were part of a thank-you gift from ceramicist Adams Puryear, for putting he and a friend up on my futon as they passed through RVA a few years ago. They serve as daily reminders of two important life lessons:
- Remember to appreciate silliness.
- Tofu always wins.
I really think I got the better end of the deal.
(Click the photo to view it larger and “read” the comic.)
For a moment, I thought I was dreaming on the 2.5 hour car ride from Austin airport to Waldemar ranch. The desert was expansive and the landscape idyllic even if it was composed of mainly dirt, rocks, and cacti. I appreciated the calming effect it had on me, in a way foreshadowing what would be a relaxed and rustic experience during the next 4 days.
continue reading
I can’t wait until summer. Festivals, swimming, and sunshine all make this my favorite season. This summer, there’s something else to look forward to! At the end of May, a new store will be opening in Mathews, Virginia. Real Goods will focus on small batch Virginia products, promising “exceptional foods from local sources.” The owners, Rosemary Griffith and Rob Acosta-Lewis, have traveled all over the state looking for growers and artisans whose wares (and stories) remind us how diverse Virginia is. Everything from fresh flowers, to microbrews, from bread to soaps and lotions will be sold in the sunny yellow shop on Main Street. I can’t wait to stop in this summer!
Recently J H I designed not one, but TWO (dare we say gorgeous) new websites for Better Housing Coalition. To make it easier for different users to find the information they need, we split the vast amount of content that was previously on one site into two: betterhousingcoalition.org (above) and bhchomes.org (below). The first site will tell you everything you want to know about Better Housing Coalition, an award-winning non-profit organization that changes lives and transforms communities through high quality affordable housing. (Please consider making a donation while you’re on their site.) The second is where to go for details on buying or renting one of their beautiful, eco-friendly apartments and homes.
BHC is remarkable, smart and really good at what they do, and it’s been an honor to work with them and to make our own small contribution to improving affordable housing right here in RVA.
Here at JHI, we are big fans of billboards: they are quick to the point and they reach your customers where they are – being in their car and seeing billboards about cars is not lost on me in this instance! We’ve done quite a few in our time for clients, and although we’d like to take the credit for this one by a BMW dealer – this stroke of genius is entirely theirs. Not only does it directly respond to a competitor in a tongue-in-cheek way, it has also caught the attention of the blogosphere and the twitterverse – thanks to a blog post on the BMWBlog. Interestingly enough, BMWBlog isn’t owned by BMW AG, and I would bet their marketing and PR people are having a good day given all of the positive goodwill spreading around the net since the post on Monday. Well played indeed.
I love living in a city with so many wonderful events. During the spring, summer and fall it seems that there is something to look forward to every weekend. We have the Richmond Folk Festival, Friday Cheers, the upcoming Monument Avenue 10k and dozens more. This year, we have one more! Our friends over at Venture Richmond have been helping to plan a new, action-packed festival. Dominion Riverrock (sponsored in part by our client, RVA Construction) will celebrate Richmond’s unique riverside culture. According to the website:
Dominion Riverrock unites the community through a unique mix of sports, music and fun, set against the backdrop of Richmond’s downtown riverfront. The party begins on Friday with a live performance by Rusted Root…a Mud Run…and an acrobatic freestyle bike competition. Then, join in the fun Saturday as athletes from around the region square off in high-adrenaline activities both in and around the river—like the James River Scramble trail run, mountain biking, kayaking and much more. With additional musical performances, spectator water sports like the highflying water dogs, food, exhibits, a downtown Bar Crawl and more, Dominion Riverrock is sure to make a splash as Richmond’s premier river event.
Visit their website for more information! We hope to see everyone there!
