You know that drawer where you have that unsightly spaghetti-like glob of rubber bands that you just can’t seem to throw out because it seems wasteful? The ones that you are sure you will need someday…Today is the day!

Send them to us…we are always in a growth mode and we don’t want to leave our pet rubber band ball behind…

J H I
2016 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23220

iPad Magazine Art Direction from Brad Colbow on Vimeo.

A central location to share and obtain information; it makes so much sense until you realize that the “marketing volume” is at a confusing,  brain-melting level. A classic and definable example of how way too much information shuts down the viewer. There is often so much to see that we can see nothing at all! We switch into self-protection mode and use our internal volume knob to turn down the experience to a more manageable level…but what is lost in the act of doing this may be the most valuable information of all.

We think that the correct strategy (in support of our “keep it focused and simple” philosophy) is to create an island of calm in the chaos. Control the experience. Offer a logical visual and auditory conversation so that the prospect gets just the message you want them to get. Don’t ask them figure it out…their brain was exhausted soon after they entered the show!

The trade show can be an extremely effective marketing investment if well conceived and executed. Let’s discuss your next event…

Photo by Ishtar (http://www.igougo.com/journal-j6573-Istanbul-The_Wait_for_Turkey_-_Finally.html) Thank you!

As never before in history, we are being literally attacked by a tsunami of incoming data, messages, tweets, and all manner of advertising and social connections. Readers/viewers bristle at the thought of wading through paragraphs of copy when they are already thinking about what they will need to move onto as soon as they are done here. So, as a designer, has dealing with pervasive societal Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) become the playing field where successful communications are crafted?

Instead of organizing a lot information into a predetermined box, if we can define the idea and create a concept to express that idea, do we really need a lot of words? The words will be necessary, but later on in the progression of the conversation, but not in the beginning, where it’s critical to get attention in today’s loud media whirlwind.

By example, several years ago, while traveling in Sicily on a quest to visit the famous pastry shops of the island, we stopped at Maricante’s Pastry Shop in the ancient port of Siracusa. (They now have a web site:  http://www.barmarciante.it/HOME.HTM). Ask for a business card and you get this simple idea:

Depending on how you hold the card you either see a smiling face with the inscription: “I ate a pastry from Maricante”, or, I’m obviously having a bad day frowning face with the inscription: “I didn’t eat a pastry from Maricante”. Bypassing the layers of details that may explain why, they get right to the point: happy or sad, the choice is yours. You know all you need to know right now. The product is made with love and is intended to make you feel good…don’t you want that? The mental synapses fire faster than any computer processor and the reader instantaneously attaches a lifetime of experience unclouded by extraneous and complicated layers of information.

Fast-forward to an earlier Apple Computer campaign and poster for the brightly colored bubble Macs from a few year ago. Again, a strong strategic vision and simple and powerful expression create a conversation that defies words! Yum.

Yum says it all, doesn’t it? Not delicious, or any other word, but the quick non-labored immediate response we reserve for when we are surprised by how good something is and don’t feel the need to investigate why. We see it and we know it’s good. But, what is it that’s good: the arrangement of the products in a circle in all their attractive colors; the unique forward thinking demonstrated by a company that would even consider producing such a modern and compelling product? Or, is it expressive of the affirmation of the already common knowledge that to buy and use an Apple computer is an uncomplicated and delicious experience? It’s all of the above.

How does this thinking get applied to the many different forms of communication that we need to produce like web sites and brochures, where a few more words are critical because we are operating in a different venue? The answer lies in strong strategic thinking and a commitment by all parties involved to respect the position of our audience and engage them without unnecessarily burdening them. A marketing communications conversation has a beginning, middle and end. Are we being conscious of the first impression we are making? As our audiences get to know us, are we giving them just what they need at that particular point so that they will actually want to move forward with us? Do we really stop and anticipate their needs or are we just doing data dumps and hoping for the best?

At J H I, we take this seriously; strategy in the development of concept, copy, design and a clear understanding of the proposed conversation form the structure of the process we pursue for our clients.

Our wonderful clients at the Richmond Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau asked us to do some visual thinking and create an identity that needed to contain an unusually large amount of information. The design was developed by researching broadsides (posters) and other graphic design from the era to create an identity that blended the historic event with the excitement of the 150th commemoration. It’s a smart solution with a strong graphic look that will be instantly recognizable when used by many partners and it contains a memorable Union battle cry as its distinctive and unique call to action. This is the result…

Now, I’m not so sure…

The prize: a beautiful three dimensional letter “A”, recognition in our community for outstanding work, and the continued admiration of her team members here at J H I.

The winning design is for our client, The Visual Arts Center, who presented a landmark exhibition of portraits of U.S. servicewomen, very forcefully and sensitively photographed by renowned photographer Sascha Pflaeging. J H I produced an oversized brochure for the gallery show.

Maya           >           Carter           >           Lindsay

Also honored were the rest of the design team for their individual contributions: Lindsay for St. Catherine’s “Now” Magazine, quite possibly the most impressive private school magazine today, and Maya for a J H I self-promotion, the “Hold” issue of our “differentia” magazine.

To quote the judges: “ …if you have a great concept, present it and get out of the way”. And, that’s really true for graphic design in general. The astute designer’s job is to perfectly blend the elements of image and typography to allow the content to express itself. Often, if you are cognizant of the design, it is getting in the way of communication. That’s a very difficult place to get to. Restraint is everything in art…commercial or otherwise. Carter, Lindsay and Maya all achieved that, each in their own way, with their work.

To quote the judges once more: “impressive”. We agree.

The internet is great for so many things, but just try and find a mailbox that you are in love with and…forget it! Especially if you want one with your company identity on it…nada.

So, wanting a heavily-branded J H I mailbox that was also a comfortable visual fit with our midcentury modern building, we decided to “gulp” have it custom made. We went to Old Dominion Metal Products, which has made all of our galvanized aluminum work surfaces and they said: “sure”. They can do anything, and I mean ANYTHING with metal. But what about the cost? 100% pure, last longer than any of us, hand-made, stainless steel, mounting holes and rubber cushions for the lid so it closes nicely…surprisingly LESS than we expected and less than many, many of the mailboxes we decided were better off left out in internet land.

When we have mail for pickup, we just hang one of our J H I rings over the side to let the postman know that he’s got mail. Anyone have any ideas about how we can get even more J H I symbols on our mailbox??? If you want a beautiful powder-coated J H I ring, just stop by.

Freshly uncrated today in our entry/conference are two stunning Bertoia Diamond Chairs manufactured by Knoll.

These unique chairs are the 1952 visionary brainchild of the Italian-born designer and elegant metal sculptor, Harry Bertoia. They are iconic; they define an era. And, they not only look great, they are surprisingly comfortable.

We believe that great design never goes out of style, and no one embraces the application of this concept better than the Italians. I love to lose myself in old monochromatic photographs of post-war Italian residential interiors where finely detailed and crafted baroque furniture communicates so warmly with Art Deco of the 30’s, imposing 1940’s fascist design sensibility, and the fanciful Carlo Molino designs of the 1950’s.  I admire the lack of rigidity and the desegregation that creates a beautiful and harmonious stew of design passions.

The point is, that when you mix high quality design with high quality design, no matter when or where it was conceived, it always seems to mesh perfectly, and the net effect is an explosive, multi-directional, multi-level design experience. At J H I, we refer to it as “dimensional design”: design that pushes the viewer beyond the obvious and expected, and throws open the doors of emotional engagement.

No company has worked harder and longer than Knoll to honor the great design of the past and continuously create the furniture icons of the future. Knoll’s products live in the pantheon of manufacturing superstars, and, by definition, they are the essence of “timeless classic”, in vision, in detailing, in manufacturing.

Amazingly, for over 25 years, I have been sitting in a now worn and familiar old shoe of a Knoll desk chair designed by arguably the greatest of modern architects: Eero Saarinen. A while ago, I, like everyone else, fell under the spell of the wildly successful Aeron Chair. It didn’t take long before I returned to the comfort of my Saarinen Executive Conference Chair. No levers, no adjustable lumbar, no special tilt angles or space age fabric. Amazing, I still find myself looking at it and wondering just what is it about this quiet, confident, unassuming piece of furniture that makes it so enduringly comfortable?” Could it be as simple and yet as complex as: Good Design?