Our President, Lance Wain, circulated an email that mandated all employees must attend a meeting to be held in the lobby of our building at exactly 12:10pm last Tuesday. There was no additional information given. Each of us tried in earnest to get out of him what this was all about—including Judy, our CEO. Greg Appler, (who refuses to attend any meetings without first being given the agenda) was particularly sour. I had an RFP due and a conference call at 2:00pm. Others speculated we were leaving to play paintball. This really agitated me. I had no time for paintball. I grabbed some soggy salad from the fridge. I was wearing heels—I had an earlier meeting. I was agitated. This had better be good.

Grafik team on the way to EYA luncheon

Lance started talking some B.S. about promising our insurance rep that we would get ten minutes of exercise in once a month and it was a gorgeous day and we were going to take a walk together. We filed out of the building as a group, (it was a really amazing day) and started walking down Fairfax Street in Old Town. Just as my heels really started to bug me, we arrived at the very nice Italian joint around the corner, and were directed into the private room in the rear of the restaurant where one of our longstanding clients, EYA, was waiting. This was a complete surprise to every one of us.

Terry Eakin, Bob Youngentob, Preston Innerst, Jennifer McIvor, Brian Jackson, Frank Connor—all of EYA were standing amidst a room set for a beautiful lunch. They invited us in and before sitting down, Terry and Bob, the founders and  of the company told us that Preston (VP, Sales & Marketing) and Lance had been in cahoots to pull off this lunch, for the sole reason that EYA was so very grateful to Grafik for all of the hard work and the consistently excellent product that they had received over the years. That they were sincere and their remarks heartfelt, was beyond obvious. Bob Youngentob spoke with passion and authenticity when he said that Grafik had changed the way his company did business.

EYA's logo

Now, I gotta say something. I “do” new business. And I have been listening for three years as many at my firm have been telling the story of how Life Within Walking Distance was more than a tagline, but a corporate mantra that had completely transformed the way EYA acquired and evaluated their properties, as well as developed their sales strategies. In short, the brand strategy we developed, transformed everything about their company.

Hearing this from Bob’s mouth and watching the faces of my coworkers, as well as those of the others on the EYA team, was a huge moment of pride for me. It made all of the versions I had previously heard completely credible, and erased all doubt. It is very rare to experience those moments in my business and it was a great day for my company. And, for a gal who “does new biz” I really got to feel the deep impact of what my people do. And even better, we all got to experience it together. It was awesome.

You probably thought I meant that effective marketing communications changed EYA . . . but really, it changed Grafik that day. I think we all felt, thanks to Lance being able to keep that very big mouth shut, knowing what we can do together when we have a great client like EYA.

Thanks Lance. And thanks EYA.

Algorithmic art

Algorithmic art is a subset of generative art that is the result of an algorithmic process—devised by an artist—usually using a random process to produce variation based on external inputs.

If that run-on sentence sounds like a bunch of gibberish, think of the algorithm as an elaborate recipe and the inputs as your assorted ingredients. Where it gets interesting, is that in this type of art you can generate an infinite number of results by using different “ingredients” based on the original recipe.  These inputs can be random number generators or some other source of data like frames from a movie.

I first became interested in algorithmic art back in 2006 through a project by BMW. BMW commissioned artist and designer, Joshua Davis, to develop an algorithm to generate a set of 500 limited edition prints, based on the forms found in the Z4 coupe that they were launching at the time. The pioneering aspect of Davis’ work was that each print was entirely unique and comprised on average of 120,0000 layers and 50,000 vectors, all generated by the algorithm. It was a highly complex process that required Davis to check countless iterations of his code to ensure that it would produce viable results. After months of intensive code refinement, his computer and printer begin to generate the artwork, as he supervised each output, print by print.

One of Artist Joshua Davis' algorithmic illustrations

Paul Krix is another artist who I recently discovered who uses algorithms to individually laser cut jewelry that is aesthetically informed by patterns in nature. The early seeds of his inspiration were planted when Krix read a paper that compared city street networks with common leaf vein patterns, concluding that pictures of either were indistinguishable to most people. Krix decided to use this research as a foundation to his modeling algorithm, and drew inspiration from various natural patterns and processes that are both beautiful and complex: crystal growth, moth wing patterns, leaf veins, tree growth, petals, and the zoological colorings/patterns.

Pieces from Paul Krix's jewelry line called Neat Objects

The idea of “one-of-a-kind” is something that is lost in this age of perfect digital copies and mass production. It’s fascinating to see how designers and artists are pushing  technology to create artwork that is entirely unique, and yet at the same time repeatable because it is digitally informed. This is where it’s worth emphasizing that the artist’s self-made algorithms are an integral part of the authorship, as well as being the medium through which the ideas are conveyed.

So if you’re inspired, learn a new programming language. Become your own factory. And start creating.

It's time to grow a Mo'

It’s Movember! For those of you not in the know, Movember is a month-long campaign where men (Mo Bros) let their facial hairs grow to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other cancers affecting men. There are almost 93,242 men in the United States who will be growing a variety of mustaches and a whopping 169,773 in the UK. (I guess they like mustaches more in Britain.) Not only are the men responsible for growing a hairy upper lip, but they are also responsible for getting financial support for their efforts.

We are proud to announce that our own president, Lance Wain, has joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation‘s team and is looking forward to attending a ‘stache bash at the end of the month. Grafik is proud to announce that we have donated funds for this worthy event, and we encourage all those who love Lance and support the efforts to fight prostate cancer, to step up the plate and support this worthy cause.

Grafik President Lance Wain growing out his 'stache!

The Honda In America web and mobile site

Grafik helped Honda GR shift into high gear with the launch of www.hondainamerica.com. Directed towards policymakers on the Hill, the site features the most up-to-date information about Honda’s efforts in the areas of fuel efficiency and advanced safety technology, as well as detailed investment data about the company’s manufacturing, employment, and purchasing history in America.

“It’s a responsive web design, which means it adapts to its environment. The same site looks different on the web and on mobile,” said Greg Appler, VP Interactive for Grafik. This provided great cost savings to Honda, as they didn’t have to build a separate mobile site, but their users are able to easily view the site on mobile devices. “Additionally, the magazine style format leverages contemporary experience technologies to enhance interaction and usability.”

In previous years, Grafik helped Honda GR produce a comprehensive data book, however with this new effort, not only is the company able to extend its reach—but it is more environmentally sustainable.

“We now offer our audiences the same valuable information, and more, via the web with HondaInAmerica.com,” said Edward B. Cohen, Vice President Government & Industry Relations for Honda North America, Inc.

Grafik was so proud of the work, we entered it into the DC Ad Club’s Best of DC Agency Showcase, featuring the year’s best marketing presented by the area’s top creative agencies.  The panel of judges selected the site to be among the work that will be presented. On November 15, Greg Appler and Creative Director Gregg Glaviano will share the inspiration behind the execution of this, deemed one of the best marketing campaigns of 2011.

Internet users evolve faster than the internet itself. The massive movement of personal data onto the web has triggered the birth and death of many web services. As the internet continues to evolve, with big players like Twitter and Facebook, one can only imagine what happens when those services have failed to keep up with the crowd. In the wake of so many dead web services lie the stale collection of user-generated content. I kind of wish I could take it all back. Problem is not all of it is available in an easy format and the trouble of downloading that content supersedes the sentimental nature of said content. This might be changing as both new and old services begin to see the importance of owning your own content.

When Google+ soft-launched earlier this year, many users worldwide praised its advent; Facebook finally had a competitor. After years of Facebook burnout, I was ready to ditch the social media behemoth for a fresh new service. I found it was easier said than done. The hangup was abandoning years of data; a visual and textual account of my online interactions with people in my life.

I was reading an interview in November’s issue of .net magazine. The interview was with GimmeBar’s founder, Cameron Koczon. GimmeBar is a very promising service, still in beta, that allows for users to collect snippets of text and imagery around the web. It was important for Koczon and the GimmeBar team to allow users to own their curated content. The users of GimmeBar can at any time batch download all their snippets. I can’t describe what a breath of fresh air this idea is. It’s simple, but the implications are profound.

Facebook's new archive feature

Shortly after reading that article, I stumbled upon Facebook’s Archive. I can’t stress how I literally stumbled upon it. This service was launched without much publicity (can you blame them?). This new capability allows for users to download their entire Facebook history. History includes: “your photos, wall posts, messages, and other information” as described in the Account Settings. Both GimmeBar and Facebook provide an archive that is raw data, not a proprietary file structure.

A download capability reflects that users are sharing more sensitive information on platforms that don’t give them complete control. As the web service market continues to expand and evolve, this ability will hopefully be integrated into every service, providing a security and peace of mind to users.

I was driving into work this week and almost plowed into a Mid States Oil truck. I was captivated by the ad on the back of the truck. It was yet another rip off of the famous, and wildly popular Got Milk? ad campaign that was launched in 1995 for the National Milk Processor Board. Someone somewhere in the marketing department at Mid States Oil thought it would be a good idea to show a sexy female with an oil mustache. What were they thinking?

Got Oil? Campaign

The Got Milk? campaign was, and is, nothing short of brilliant.

Goodby Silverstein & Partners has probably won every award in the book and according to their website there is a 90 percent awareness factor for the campaign—nothing short of astounding. The campaign has been going strong and is kept relevant by using popular stars such as Hugh Jackman, Taylor Swift, and even the Simpsons.

Taylor Swift posing for the Got Milk? Campaign

Hugh Jackman showing off more than his milk mustache

But along with fame comes imitation.

Got Milk? has been spun off to: Got balls?, Got Beignets?, Got Rice?, Got Mold?, Got Pancakes?, Got Junk?, even Got Pigeons? It turns out that they have created a wonderful website called “milking ‘got milk?‘” Here you can find lists of imitators—each one sillier than the next. Their photo gallery is open to new examples submitted by anyone who finds a Got fill-in-the-blank image and it is supported by a Twitter feed and Facebook page.

Do any of the submissions come anywhere close to the original—not even in the same galaxy. In fact, looking at the milk rip–offs, I have only two words that perfectly describe what I see: Got Poop?

A funny Got Milk? spin-off...Got Poop?

Last week, I opened an email from a client—to say the least, I was pleased at what I received in my inbox. Let me just start by mentioning, the greatest part of being a designer is seeing your finished work have a life outside of the studio.

Over the summer, I was heading back to DC from the beach. I was nearing the Bay Bridge stopped at a red light, and saw one of JK Moving Service’s brand-new, 53-foot moving trucks in oncoming traffic. This truck makes a huge statement when you see it on the highway or down the street in your neighborhood. I simply remember the sheer excitement of seeing my design the first time driving down the road on the pristine, glowing-white 18-wheeler.

JK Moving Services truck

So back to this email. I began to read it and it was not about a current project, rather it was about cake. Yes, cake. Unfortunately, there was no actual cake on my desk to blissfully devour, but the email left me drooling just as if there were. JK had a meeting with a contact of theirs and decided they needed to really make an impression, so one member of the staff baked a cake modeled after a JK Moving Services truck! If seeing my work on the highway wasn’t enough—now it had been “temporarily immortalized” with delicious ingredients that are easily consumed. It makes me think of TV shows where people create the cakes to commemorate things like a beloved Disney character or a famous landmark—all with a story to tell. This cake may not be on some prime-time television bake-off, but in my eyes, it sure feels like someone was inspired enough by my design to pay tribute to it. Obviously this wasn’t the case, but just let me have my moment.

Homemade JK Moving cake

As cool as it is to see a logo, identity, or website outside of the studio that I’ve worked on, this definitely takes the cake (that pun is super intended). It’s amazing to see just how much life can be injected into a brand—especially when that brand is given an extension like a cake. I mean, who doesn’t like cake?

By the way, my birthday is coming up. Now how do I get my hands on one of them cakes?

Looks delicious!

Illuminated LED on a MacBook Pro

I was watching TV the other week when the screen suddenly powered down and went blank. The status light that would normally be a solid red to indicate it was off, was flashing in a rapid, urgent succession, indicating to me that something grave had transpired.

Connected to the TV lay one of my Apple computers. The gentle, white, undulating light on the front reassuringly communicated to me that unlike its TV cousin—it was not dead—it was merely “sleeping.”

There are things we immediately, if subconsciously, find comforting or soothing and, in that moment, I found comfort in that little white light. In designing and engineering something as complicated as a computer, a status light seems like a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. But it’s details like this that can psychologically make a block of aluminum and silicon more communicative and more personal. And it took Apple two patents and hundreds of hours in R&D to make it happen.

In July 2002, Apple filed a patent for a “Breathing Status LED Indicator” (No. US 6,658,577 B2). The status light is intentionally designed to simulate sleep and the patent filing described it as a “blinking effect of the sleep-mode indicator in accordance with the present invention mimics the rhythm of breathing which is psychologically appealing.”

Prior to the patent filing, Apple carried out research into breathing rates during sleep and found that the average respiratory rate for adults is 12–20 breaths per minute. They used a rate of 12 cycles per minute (the low end of the scale) to derive a model for how the light should behave to create a feeling of calm and make the product seem more human.

But finding the right rate wasn’t enough, they needed the light to not just blink, but “breathe.” Most previous sleep LEDs were just driven directly from the system chipset and could only switch on or off and not have the gradual glow that Apple integrated into their devices. This meant going to the expense of creating a new controller chip which could drive the LED light and change its brightness when the main CPU was shut down, all without harming battery life.

On more recent machines, you’ll also notice that the status light is completely invisible from the surface when the computer is in use. There’s no transparent plastic or glass where the light emanates from. The light seems to glow straight off the surface of the aluminum and, in fact, that’s exactly what it’s doing.

This feat of engineering is achieved though Apple’s “Invisible, light-transmissive display” (No Us. 7,880,131). During the manufacturing process of the computer body, a CNC machine first thins out the aluminum. Then a laser drill creates small perforations for the LED light to shine through, creating the illusion of a seamless surface when the light is off.

Several years ago Dell decided to mimic Apple, and add a similar sleep status feature to their computers. They decided to use a rate of 40 cycles per minute for their indicator. Comically, this is the average respiratory rate for adults during strenuous exercise—not very indicative of sleep.

Attention to detail is what makes Apple products feel so impeccable. The team there doesn’t just pore over financial spreadsheets and personnel issues as most companies do. They don’t just think about design, they obsess over it to the smallest details. There are many companies that have the talent and the resources to potentially mimic Apple’s success, but without getting the details right, it ends up just looking like strenuous exercise—inelegant and labored.

LinkedIn, Aim, Digg, Myspace, Squidoo, Facebook, Twitter and Reddit express some holiday cheer!

It’s now November and Christmas is just 52 days away. Gift shopping, turkey feasting, and snow shoveling (Hope I don’t jinx it!) seem to occupy the top of your to-do list, and tweeting and posting may not be such a priority. Anyone who engages in social media, either personally or professionally, knows that it’s one of those tasks you know you have dedicate time to, but when things get crazy busy with work projects and personal schedules, it’s what usually gets pushed aside. Here are a few basic tips to keep in mind that will make sure your Klout score doesn’t suffer during one of the busiest times of the year.

1. Start now and plan ahead

Take a cue from department stores that are already playing Christmas songs and selling holiday decor. Start thinking about what topics you should be blogging, posting, and tweeting about now so, when you have to leave work early for that holiday party, you’re covered. Tools like HootSuite and Crowdbooster allow you to schedule tweets and Facebook posts to be published at a future, predetermined time which is really useful when you’re out on vacation or just plain swamped.

2. Be timely and newsworthy

The risk you encounter when you schedule tweets and posts is that your content may be stale (or as Eric would say, “So nine minutes ago!”) by the time it gets pushed out. For your content to stay relevant, don’t just say what happened, but include your take on it. Don’t tweet “It’s 52 days till Christmas,” but say “Tips for tweeting your Christmas countdown.” This is where your brand’s voice comes in giving your content added value.

3. Go mobile

If you haven’t already, definitely get access to your social platforms on your smart phone. Some of you might be thinking that this is a given, but just this week, I’ve encountered a few people who work in the online media field who don’t have Twitter and Facebook apps on their phone. Enough said.

4. Keep your audience top of mind

It’s important to remind yourself when generating content, that your audience is in the same boat. They’re also as busy as you, if not more, and you have a smaller window of opportunity to engage them. Echoing number 2, be smart about when and what you tweet. If you know that most of your audience tend to comment on Facebook during their lunch break, then concentrate your Facebook activity at that time. Crowdbooster has a useful feature that gives you suggested times on when you should tweet and Facebook post based on previous clicks, replies, and shares on your content.

5. Get in the holiday spirit

One “perk” of this busy season is since there is a lot going on, there’s more to talk about. Do your coworkers decorate their offices? (Yes, Danielle, I’m talking about you.) Is your company holding a holiday marketing campaign, sale, promotion or the like? These all make for good ideas for blogging, posting, and tweeting. Tis’ the season to be jolly after all.

These simple and somewhat logical tips do not only apply to the holiday season and can be quite helpful if practiced throughout the year. Just based on my informal research, people rarely follow all of the above which can save you a lot of time and maybe even your sanity. If you have any other tips in mind, please do share!

Your Bounce Rate is 46 percent, your average page views have declined after a recent site redesign, and the average time on your site has fallen. What do these numbers really mean? How do they and other metrics drive increased revenue, decreased costs, customer retention, or other online objectives?

It depends.

Are users coming from a search engine to view one news article and leaving with their content goals met? Or do users arrive at the site, find it’s not the site they were looking for, and bolt? Either scenario would explain a high Bounce Rate.

How about an increase in overall visitors? That’s got to be a good thing, right?

Well, probably. But do visitor counts increase in general across your industry—maybe seasonally for holiday sales? And are your increases underperforming the industry average? If so, your gain may also be your lost opportunity.

Most site analytics are value-free, and generate more questions than answers—and smart questions are definitely needed. But further analyses or testing is required to answer those questions, and to understand how best to impact online behavior and grow your bottom line.

What do these figures mean?

There are a multiplicity of tools and measurement strategies you can engage—and you should be using more than one. One of the easiest to implement and most powerful is the on-exit, in-line site survey. You don’t need to be an expert to build one—just review your site metrics, generate hypotheses, and then craft a short set of questions that will test your hypotheses. You can be up and running in hours and have more meaningful quantitative and qualitative feedback than you ever imagined.

What do visitors come to the site for? Ask. Did they get what they came for? Ask. Would they like other content, features, or functions? Ask. Will they come back? Just ask.

Some of the things you’ll want to consider when building an online survey are:

• the number of questions—they should be limited to encourage participation and completion
• industry and competitive benchmarks that you can measure against (e.g., ACSI, Compete)
• Google Analytics—integration with survey tool for targeting and segmentation
• quantitative feedback—(e.g., rating from 1–10) that will make the case to management
• qualitative feedback—open-field, voice of customer that will seal the deal with management

Each survey you complete will generate new insights, new improvements, and new surveys that can and should grow into an important program of continuous learning and optimization. Again, you can be up and running in no time. Feel free to give us a call if you need an assist.

(In his book, Web Analytics 2.0, Avinash Kaushik updates and expands on his earlier work, Web Analytics: An Hour A Day. I highly recommend it for all of our clients. Pick up a copy at Amazon or, if you’re in the office, ask me for one of our extra copies. We keep a few on hand for our clients. Also, consider Q4 by iPerceptions, a free (or paid) on-exit survey tool developed in collaboration with Mr. Kaushik).