API, or application program interface, is a source code base that is released by the developers of an app that allow communication between the platform and third party applications. Foursquare, Facebook, Twitter, to name a few, each have their own APIs that developers can utilize so their apps can communicate with these platforms. The result of this technology is a collaborative atmosphere where information is shared and sometimes even controlled centrally.

Up until recently, I haven’t been exposed a great deal with using APIs. The only APIs I have interacted with are Google Maps and the occasional Facebook commenting system on other websites. Since I’ve become a little more in the know as to what APIs are, and how they can empower an app/service, I’ve become more fond of apps/services that use them.

Path Mobile App

Path, a journal-like, mobile-only software, is an excellent example as to how developers and designers alike are making use of APIs. Path, which is very similar to the popular social media services pointed out above, is actually a hub of sorts. It allows for content published in the app to be pushed to Twitter, Foursquare, Tumblr, and Facebook. Path is an interesting step in mobile software. For starters, it is mobile-only, meaning users can only post content from their mobile device. You can still “like” and comment on content in the web version, but only by clicking through a permalink when an update is posted. This facet of the software was a little jarring at first, but what Path has created is an on-the-go social media platform that makes use of these popular services. For me, it made me more willing to trust and engage with the app. Not to mention it’s incredibly well designed.

I’m not necessarily here to plug Path, but I wanted to take a minute and share a service that I enjoy using. Path was an acquired taste, and I think it’s important to note that partnerships with the big players might even help start-ups like Path gain momentum. No one wants to post their content to a service that will die in a few months. With the conceived failure of Google+, I have been left a little exasperated when it comes to the birth of new social media platforms. The fresh approach to Path is they aren’t necessarily introducing something new, rather, they are building on the services we use today. In Path, I am able to check in on Foursquare, push to Twitter, and post pictures and status updates to Facebook. All the while it lives in my Path timeline.

APIs are something a developer or designer (and even client) should consider when starting a project. It is true that APIs are not always viable, but in situations where they are, it creates a more comfortable user experience. In the case of Path, I was at ease using this program as it used the APIs of other services that I have come to know and trust. All of these are important components that factor into the success of an app or service.

While waiting for my flight at Reagan National Airport, I happened to look up and experience one of the most striking technology campaigns I’ve seen in a while. The Smarter Planet campaign, designed by Ogilvy Paris for IBM, employs a collection of simple yet sophisticated illustrations by Noma Bar titled Outcomes. His work precisely uses shapes, form, and negative space showcasing his skills as an artist, illustrator, and designer. The resulting images are deceivingly simple and often require an extra moment to see the meaning within. I only wished I had taken a photo of the actual display at the airport, however the images below should give you a good idea.

Noma Bar's Outcomes illustrations for IBM's Smarter Planet campaign

The Smithsonian announced this weekend that they are launching a new brand line, “Seriously Amazing.” Before you read any further, in the interest of complete disclosure, you should know that Grafik has worked with the Smithsonian on many of their initiatives including the branding of the National Museum of the American Indian, and a brand exercise for the Smithsonian Institution’s Latino Center. And we have had a beef over the years, on behalf of all of the excellent branding firms in Washington, D.C., that we are never invited to the dance. So in the context of having a large chip on my shoulder, I have to say that the new tagline for the Smithsonian is really pretty good—excellent in fact. The firm called in for the assignment is a well-known branding agency in NYC, London, and Dubai Wolff Olins and branding museums and international institutions is their specialty.

A news item in the Washington Post on Sunday shows that Wolff Olins spent the time to research, and get input from many of the museum directors and board members. As a pre-eminently political beast it must have been a huge endeavor to interview all of the people necessary to build consensus for the new line—one that costs $1 million dollars. It seems they hit the nail right on the head, getting a huge round of applause when they launched the brand last week.

I personally like “Seriously Amazing” as it taps into the research as well as the vast store of treasures that are held by all of the museums making up the Institution. Known for years as the “Nation’s Attic,” the new tagline has a more forward direction. It remains to be seen how the mark will play out in future fundraising and the awareness building campaign.

Job well done, Wolff Olins! Oh, and a note to self: Every time the Smithsonian cries poor to our local D.C. agencies, we should think of the tagline’s million dollar price tag and refuse to do their work on a pro bono basis.

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.

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.

I am a sucker for beautiful packaging. So it is no surprise that while drifting through the aisles at my local Safeway three years ago, I spied some hand soap and moisturizer that was absolutely beautiful and also at closeout prices. Needless to say, as the bargain shopper that I am, I scarfed up 10 bars of soap and several bottles of body wash. And that is how I was introduced to the Method brand, one of the most progressive brands in the market today.

When customers expressed their thoughts on the blog to changes to the packaging, a Method employee gave an informed and thoughtful response

I recommend spending some time on their website and to pay close attention to their social media (Twitter and Facebook) since they seem to be doing everything right. They use their site and their blog to tap into the desires of their loyal fan base—and most importantly they actually listen and act on what users say. Take the pink grapefruit dish soap. Now this is a dish soap that I can really get behind—it has a lovely smell, has great packaging and is priced right. About a year ago they decided to change not only the packaging, but to rotate in a new fragrance. BTW—they are unique in that they are constantly changing fragrances and producing limited editions. If a limited edition proves to be very popular, it is elevated to permanent status. Well, pink grapefruit was rotated out. Pink grapefruit lovers were irked, voiced their complaints, and the company has brought back the fragrance and will most likely give it permanent status.

Not only is Method customer friendly, but environmentally friendly as well. Method uses the minimum amount of materials when creating their package design, and the few materials that are used, are  biodegradable. Even the product (inside their package) has been designed to be eco friendly as well. Their site has a section devoted to the environment, their products and many of the their mantras have to do with being more eco-friendly.

Perhaps what I like most about this brand is that they are aggressive about engaging their audience. Their blog is up-to-date and interesting. They listen to and respond to comments in a thoughtful way, and their web presence fosters a friendly, engaged, progressive brand, and most importantly, they have brought back pink grapefruit!

Grafik has been honored a Silver Award by The International Academy of Visual Arts W³ Awards for our work on Software AG’s “Know” campaign at knowyoursupplychain.com.

The W³ Awards is a web competition comprised of and judged by preeminent executives from businesses of all sizes, such as Disney, Yahoo, and Microsoft, and recognizes small firms to Fortune 500 companies for their work online—websites, marketing campaigns, and videos. The W³ Awards received over 3,000 entries this year and we are proud to be among those honored. Other winners include EXPO, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and Volunteers of America.

The W³ firmly believes that recognition from the Academy proves to your clients and your peers that your work is truly outstanding.

Gift cards available to all guests wherein you can donate the amount enclosed to a charity of your choice

Client: Anybill
Title: Doing Good is Good for Business, Event Branding
Exposure: Logo / Save-the-Date Email / Invitation / Event Signage / PowerPoint / Additional Event Collateral: T-shirt, napkins, name tag, and photobooth artwork
The Challenge: Generate interest in attending an annual informative event on corporate social responsibility hosted by Anybill on the rooftop of Charlie Palmer Steak
The Solution: Brand the event — “Doing Good is Good for Business”
The Result: Drawing in nearly 100 guests, this was Anybill’s most successful event in their philanthropic series to date. The overwhelming feedback leaves a lot of anticipation for next year.

“Doing Good is Good for Business is an effort to bring together the local business and social community for a common cause and purpose. That purpose is to highlight and foster the relationship between business and community, while recognizing that one cannot exist without the other.  In fact, it is a co-dependent and symbiotic relationship. When local business supports the community, the community in turn can better support local businesses. We believe this to be true and have demonstrated our commitment to this principle through our support of Companies for Causes, the Catalogue of Philanthropy – Greater Washington, and our own in-house Corporate Social Responsibility program, Pay It Forward.”

Peter Bepler, President/Co-Founder of Anybill

Invitation (cover)

Invitation (interior)

Banners

Napkins

T-shirt modeled by Grafik designer Brandon