J H I Blog

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.
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Ross Catrow of PharrOut.com sent us this link: a top 10 list for corporate website and social networking do’s and don’ts. There are some thoughts here that can save you a lot of heartache and money if you’re responsible (partly or fully) for this at your organization, or if you work with clients on these tools….

Smashingmagazine.com Harsh Truths about Corporate Websites

Whether you’re a fan of the Cardinals, Steelers, or simply didn’t care to pick sides, if you watched Sunday’s game you probably experienced a barrage of commercials. In my opinion, many of the commercials this year were not as successful as I hoped and failed to grab my attention, but there were a few (very few) that stood out and made me laugh out loud. These were simple and humorous. It takes smarts to be funny.

Jemie liked the 3-D commericals. Here’s a before and after shot. Partying can take its toll.

We designers are always looking for new ways to present information. We scour the internet looking for graphics that are beautiful, effective and, most importantly, compelling. So imagine my delight at finding Toby Ng Kwong To’s “The World of 100.” His posters combine elegant illustrations with some surprising information. It’s also a great way to gain some perspective! Enjoy!

On my way to work this morning, with all of the sleet bouncing off my windshield and the chill in my bones from just looking at people getting into their cars, I couldn’t help but think that a nice cup of hot chocolate, a book and a warm blanket on the couch would be a perfect way to spend the day.  Well eMarketing is really insightful (reading minds in fact), as my daily email from AdAge was waiting in my inbox with the headline “Marketing’s New Red Hot Seller: The Humble Snuggie.”  When I first saw the ad on TV, I had a similar response to Ellen’s.  But, apparently, 4 million people and counting (as there is currently a waiting list to get your hands on one) felt compelled to act to the company’s quirky ad – which according to execs behind the project, made all the difference.

So perhaps I’m a little late to the party: all of a sudden I’m really into GOOD, despite the fact that I’ve known about it for a good (hah) while now. I just never really sat down and gave these people my full attention. That is, until yesterday (mid-informal-brainstorm) when Maya, Carter and I sifted through their site for inspiring infographics.

We found some:

It turns out they’re doing some other pretty cool things over there at good.is. continue reading

If you’ve turned on your TV, read the news online or flipped open your morning paper, you, like me, have been bombarded with nothing but repeats of the same doom and gloom message from the media about the state of our country and the current financial crisis that we can all officially (I think) call a recession.

Luckily, we Americans are a hopeful and enterprising lot, which is what a lot of marketers are betting on as they try to appeal to consumers trying to do more with less.

Here is a quick list of recent campaigns trying to shed a ray of hope through the dark clouds.  Here at JHI, we’re more than ready to put our shades on.

Pepsi, Refresh Everything. The world watched as Pepsi launched their “refreshed” logo on New Year’s Eve in Times Square.  Here is the video just in case you missed it.  And, check out www.refresheverything.com, where just in time for Obama’s Inauguration, visitors can upload a “Dear Mr. President” video.

Allstate, Back to the Basics. Same spokesperson, same “are you in good hands” message with a new “back to the basics in life” theme.  The commercial does a great job of connecting with viewers by touting a “remember the good old days” message.

Coke, Open Happiness. Known for many a happy message, such as “the Coke side of life” in the past, Coke is going toe-to-toe with Pepsi with a new “Open Happiness” slogan. No new creative to show, but be on the lookout in the next couple of weeks.

And, in news from Ad Age, Budweiser plans to run three Super Bowl spots featuring their famous Clydesdales.  Talk about a company that recently went through a lot of change opting to go with the tried and true, a reminder to people that even in tumultuous times, some good things can stay the same.

Presenting Creative

We have a saying here at J H I: sending creative ideas to a client without protection is like sending a toddler out to play in rush hour traffic. Because the fact is, an idea is just that: an idea. It needs the support of the person or people who came up with it, who understand all of the nuances and details that lead to its conception, who know why it’s strong and where it can go, or what can be altered without weakening its core value.

Clients frequently ask us to send initial concepts as pdfs because they are too busy to meet and go over the ideas in person. Of course, technology has made everyone’s workday an accelerated rush from punch-in to punch-out, with packed schedules making it difficult to find even a few minutes to meet. So, unfortunately, despite our deep misgivings, there are times when we are forced to send original, embryonic conceptual ideas alone over the internet. What happens? continue reading

This Saturday, December 12th from 10 am to 5 pm, 40 of Richmond’s best indie crafters in Richmond will be displaying their latest work at the Handmade Holiday Craft Show. This event is sponsored by The Richmond Craft Mafia and will be held at the Visual Arts Center.

(PS – Tickets to the Preview Party on Friday night are available here.)

Please come out and see my latest gourd creations, appearing for the first time under the official name of “Avant-gourde”. This group is brand new and has not yet been featured on my blog. To get a gander of previous pieces, click here.

I HAVE LOTS MORE TO DO AND A COUPLE OF VERRRRY LONG NIGHTS AHEAD OF ME!!! -

(See you at the show!)