Aibrean's Studio Blog

Sending the right message

2009-05-13T08:23:00.003-04:00

Monday this week I was looking at a billboard and did a double take. I realized now what the sign was supposed to read. It was an advertisement for a soft drink and it was SUPPOSED to say something along the lines of "Save Your Buck". Well the billboard was placed near the ground off the highway and accessible to people. Someone had gotten creative and changed the "B" to an "F". Now the whole message was gone and it was derogatory. It didn't last long because today (Wednesday) I noticed the billboard was replaced (same billboard but sans graffiti).

That was an expensive oops on the part of making sure your ad placement is out of reach from looters if your message could be easily edited to send the wrong message.

On a side note, a person would have less than a second to read the billboard as it was immediately after an overpass.

Can you handle it?

2009-05-12T13:36:00.003-04:00

When you decide to start a campaign to give away a free product or service, make sure you can handle the effects and make sure you are checking your back. Check your inventory, staff, profit margin, etc. to see if it's a viable option.

CASE IN POINT: KFC "UNTHINK" NEEDED TO "RETHINK"

KFC just recently started a campaign to "unthink" the name fried out of their name. They are now offering grilled chicken. As seen on Oprah (I'm not sure the details of this since I don't watch Oprah), the fast food giant decided to start giving away 2 pieces of chicken, 2 sides, and 1 biscuit for two weeks (excluding Mother's Day).

From a press release on their website:

Following an unprecedented and overwhelming response to a free offer of a Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal, KFC has announced that it can no longer accept the free coupon at this time, but that it will introduce a rain check program to take care of inconvenienced customers.

Now I doubt that people are going to look at KFC with the same attitude because they aren't going to want to go through all the trouble of getting a rain check on a discount. You never know - it's free food.

I actually participated in this and the store I went to was absolute chaos. People were being helped in front of me and behind me to catch up on the orders and there was a 10 minute wait time for the new grilled chicken - so much for "unthinking" it as they started handing out ANY kind of chicken. This completely looses the entire base of what the promotion was about.

Even when/if they have this new two week run of a free meal, since it is two weeks, they will probably have the same issues as before.

CASE IN POINT: DOMINOS FAKE PROMOTION BECOMES REAL

Dominos had considered running a promotion and then changed their minds. Unfortunately they forgot to remove the promo code from their online ordering system. Someone typed in the code by chance and by the end of the night there were 11,000 free pizzas ordered from the site.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T07:19:00.002-04:00

It's easy being green

I keep my business carbon footprint very low. In a year, I only print out a handfull of paper (and that's pretty much just for the Hermes Awards entries). As you know, clients are invoiced electronically and can pay electronically to reduce the amount of paper waste. Even when it comes down to tax time, I do it all electronically and choose direct deposit. There are several little ways you can be green too. Try going for paperless billing on your utilities and banking. It is not only better for the environment, it's cheaper for the companies (mailing costs always keep going up).

Celebrate Earth Day with Hemp

You probably read my mention of the donation to Meadwestvaco of the hemp jewelry I made. Why not get one for yourself? http://www.hempharbor.com. I also can do custom requests.

Is your hosting company green?

I use 1and1 for my website hosting. Recently I learned that they buy certificates to match 100% of the energy consumed in their data centers. That saves 30,000 tons of CO2 emissions every year! What does yours do?

Podcasting - From Basics to Feed

2009-04-16T11:44:00.012-04:00

This is also published as a Knol on Google.

Most people approach podcasts as something that is hard to do and put together and when you start talking about their feeds, it goes right over their head. This is a simple process in reality and is easy enough to do for anyone. You can also make a podcast out of a radio drama, informational material, or discussing something that is important to you.

Not everyone will tell you what you need to do after you've recorded your audio. I will.

Getting Started
First off you are going to need a topic. A podcast can be anything from a hobby you like to following your favorite TV show and commentating on it. The dictionary definition of a podcast is a "Web-based audio broadcast via an RSS feed, accessed by subscription over the Internet" so it can be about anything or for anything as long as you keep up with it. Once you have the topic set in your mind you are going to need to get an idea of how many episodes you will have, how often you will record, and how often you will release them (to keep an audience hooked, having a regular schedule of releases helps).

Supply List

Microphone (possibly other accessories like a preamp, sound card with XLR connections and XLR cable)
Computer
Recording Program
Web space for uploading media (there are some that are free which I'll explain later)
Pop Filter (not required, but helpful to get rid of plosives - see glossary)

I have a Shure KSM27 microphone that I use for voice acting but anything that keeps background noise to a minimum is good (I've heard that the Snowball is a good choice as well). A condenser mic is your best choice as well as one that is cardioid (picks up when it's pointed in one direction) as it keeps out background noise from behind itself. You can record with any mic, but the better the quality, the less distracting it is for the audience that is listening so I recommend you work with better equipment to get better results.

If you are using something like the Shure, you will need a preamp (A device that detects and strengthens weak signals, for more powerful amplification) in order to power the microphone. Shure uses Phantom Power (it needs power from an outside source rather than internal batteries) so the preamp powers it. I personally use the TubePRE. Then I have XLR cable that goes from the mic to the preamp and then one from the preamp to the sound card (I have the SoundBlaster XFI so the plug-in is on the front of the computer where my cd drives are).

You need a computer or some other way to record the audio and a program as well. One of the voice actors in my own podcast audio drama, Lady From Day records using a keyboard. Audacity is a free recording program that is easy to get set up. There are others of course that are more elaborate like Adobe Audition, but Audacity will do the basics fine. If you are planning on doing an audio drama then something more elaborate makes mixing easier. If you are the only one speaking into the mic or have people with you in the same room, Audacity will be fine.

Recording

When you record, you want to be sure that your microphone is pointed in the right direction (some aren't completely obvious). Based on the recording software you have, I've found that the frequency of 44100 at 16 bit and a bitrate of 192 is best. In Audacity you will see the frequency at the bottom left and when you click on it, you can change it. In Audacity you can edit the ID3 tags directly in it. You just click on Project in the menu and Edit ID3 Tags.... When you are finished recording, be sure to save it as an MP3. When you have finished saving and if you aren't using Audacity to record you can edit the ID3 tags this way: find the file (in Windows) you right click on the file, choose Properties, and then go to details and click to edit.

Make note of the length of the podcast (in my case as you can find from the Details tab, it was 6 minutes and 12 seconds (6:12).

After recording and saving be sure to look at the General information in the file Properties. You need to get the data of the file size as well. You need this is byte format. Mine in this case is 8941568 (I use the bigger number).

Publishing Online and Making a Feed
If you don't have a place to upload your MP3 file, no worries! I personally have not used these services but I'm letting you know they are available. Ourmedia is free for podcasters to upload their files. You need a spot to be able to upload the MP3 and XML file or be able to create an XML on the site that you can link to.

There are plenty of places that offer an all-in-one solution but I'm here to give a walkthrough for people who want to do it themselves without the help of a third party. First, you need to upload your MP3 files to your server. Once there, you need to make the XML feed which is the core element to a podcast. This is the information that iTunes and other podcast directories will pull to get your graphic (if you put one for the production) and you podcast episodes.

The basics of the XML feed are here (I can't paste here due to the blog's limitations): http://knol.google.com/k/april-sadowski/podcasting-from-basics-to-feed/1ubp4172sf1v3/3?pli=1#Publishing_Online_and_Making_a_Feed

One you have all that done, the only thing you need to do to add episodes is repeat the item contents.

When you have finished with your XML file save it as .XML. Upload it to your web space. XML requirements are always changing. Validate your feed to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Submitting to iTunes and other Podcast Directories
If you have a valid feed, head on over to FeedBurner (which is now owned by Google so it's all streamlined with Google Accounts). Create an account if it's required. If not, log in and then input your Feed XML file where it says Burn a feed right this instant. Type your blog or feed address here: and then check I'm a podcaster and click next to be walked through the addition process. You can add ads to your feed or subscription buttons and links to your page through Feedburner.

You will have a link something like this: http://feeds2.feedburner.com/LadyFromDay

In order to find your link, just click on My Feeds and click the RSS icon next to the Feed title. Go to Podcasts, and then scroll down to the bottom left where it says Learn More and then Submit a Podcast. It will ask you to put in your feed URL (use the one from Feedburner) and then it will show you a preview of your podcast. If everything looks good click submit and you've got it submitted to iTunes. It takes a day or two to be approved and listed.

From then on, I recommend submitting to podcast directories. Typically all you do is sign up on the site and plug in your feed (xml file link) and possible add in some Here are some to get you started:

* Podcast Blaster (they also offer a feed generator)
* Dramapod (for audio dramas)
* Digital Podcast
* Podcast Alley
* The Podcast Directory

Additional Resources
These are great resources for podcasters and an easy way to get yourself out there.

* Feedburner (excellent way to track subscribers, send email updates, etc.)
* iTunes Tech Specs
* Feed Validator
* Audacity

Glossary of Terms (Courtesy of Wikipedia/Dictionary)
Bit Rate - The speed of data flow over time (ex. bits per second). Also refers to the amount of data bits in one second of audio file.
Cardioid - Unidirectional microphone with a heart-shaped sensitivity pattern
Condenser Microphone - Condenser microphones span the range from inexpensive karaoke microphones to high-fidelity recording microphones. They generally produce a high-quality audio signal and are now the popular choice in laboratory and studio recording applications. They require a power source, provided either from microphone inputs as phantom power or from a small battery. Power is necessary for establishing the capacitor plate voltage, and is also needed for internal amplification of the signal to a useful output level. Condenser microphones are also available with two diaphragms, the signals from which can be electrically connected such as to provide a range of polar patterns (see below), such as cardioid, omnidirectional and figure-eight.
Feed - Data provided to users to give them frequently updated content. The source content is linked to.
Frequency - The number of occurrences of a repeating wavelength per unit of time.
ID3 Tag - Data such as the file's title, performer, category and even cover art to stored directly in the file.
Plosives - Of, relating to, or being a speech sound produced by complete closure of the oral passage and subsequent release accompanied by a burst of air, as in the sound (p) in pit or (d) in dog. When applied to recording, these words can overload a microphone (see this article)
Preamp - It functions to increase the input audio signal strength. In some cases, it provides a power source to the microphone.
Podcast - A broadcast of multimedia information (usually audio) over the internet. For example, music, lectures, and announcements are often podcast.
RSS - The XML format used in feeds.
XML - A markup language for documents containing structured information

Site Changes

2009-04-10T21:05:00.001-04:00

If you have noticed, I had to rehash my project management and ticket area because of updating my hosting server. I might have had to start from scratch database wise (still working on it) so bear with.

Don't Let Cost Undercut Quality

2009-02-02T12:19:00.001-05:00

I was reading on the HOW design forum today and noticed a post by Jeff Fisher about Forbes magazine. Forbes had described the graphic design business field "snooty" and two men having made a company where hundreds of designers submit for undervalued "prize" money. Ironically the owners of this new company have backgrounds in design it seems so I suppose that would make them "snooty".

One of the owners had this to say:

"The beauty of our site is that it doesn't matter if you have a degree from the Rhode Island School of Design or if you're a grandma in Tennessee with a bunch of free time and Adobe Illustrator"

If you wanted a lawyer and they hadn't gone to school or passed the BAR, would YOU hire them? If you wanted a meal at a nice restaurant but the cook hadn't been trained in food prep and sanitation would you eat there? Now of course there are some times when a designer doesn't need training, they are an absolute natural. You as a client SHOULD be able to research the designer and find out what their background is and their projects and their clients.

The issue with sites like this (contests) is that a designer can't have a real relationship with the client. They are so concerned about how their design is going to fare against other designs that they probably spent way to time on the design and even if they didn't completely miss the mark, they "might" win money but they should have made more given the time spent over the concept and the infinitesimal amount of revisions required before the client makes any actual decision. To top that off, if the client receives less than 25 concepts he can bail and get his deposit back.

Problems with contests for clients

If you are a client here are some other issues with this kind of method - you pay a company to find you artwork...isn't that essentially the same as hiring a firm with designers as employees?
You may have no idea who is submitting artwork.
You also may or may not have the luxury of knowing who designed your art so if there is a need for edits later you will have to hire someone to edit is since these sites don't cover edit contests later.
You don't have any kind of assurance that these designers aren't ripping the art from someone else.
You can't follow up for additional design work later that uses the same branding
They devalue the industry (how would you like your company selling stuff for really cheap just to get some kind of money...not even necessarily a profit?)
Amateur individuals (typically the people who accept contests are in need of money and are desperate and willing to steal other people's work for it. Also, you may find yourself with a bunch of designs that you don't like but you have to pick and pay for one).
Devalues you (you might have to pay to post your project but any Joe can submit a design).
Even if you get the file in the right format, the designer might have not formatted the actual artwork correctly (fonts that aren't converted to outlines, shapes that aren't merged, strokes not converted, etc).
If you are able to contact the designer later, you might have issues dealing with them. They may take forever to get in touch with you.
Your needs may not be 100% met.

Problems with contests for designers

You can't get all the detailed information you may need to be able to properly design for the client and typically contact is restrained so if you need to ask a question you can't.
The client can withdraw their contest and then if you've worked on it there was 0% chance of winning. You will never have a guarantee of payment.
You are devaluing yourself. You are willing to work for less and people will take advantage of that. Then you will have to cut brainstorming and quality design time to make up for it.
You might have to transfer copyright (sure it's all good and all if the company pays well but for $100? it's not worth it!). Some sites have copyrights transferred even if you DON'T win!
You have no way of knowing how your artwork will end up and whether or not those who get the artwork know how to use it and so you could be represented poorly.
Typically you won't have a contract so there is no way to protect yourself and your work.

When Advertising Crosses the Line

2008-11-12T11:17:00.001-05:00

I was reading up on blog posts on a local design firm (of which I won't mention so they can't find this post). There was a seminar held at Think^TV in 2005 (I started working there in 2007 so I wasn't on staff at the time thank goodness...or I would've had a vocal fit...reason following) about Guerilla Marketing. The Greater Dayton Advertising Association (formerly the Dayton Ad Club) holds seminars at Think^TV (where I am the Art Director) very often. We donate the space to them and "local firm's" owner religiously attends the seminars. Well this particular seminar the "local firm" decides to get creative in an unwholesome way. They write on the Think^TV building walls and sidewalk with chalk such as "You can read a book about "Guerrilla Marketers" or you can hire one." and "It costs big money to put your name here or here (with arrows pointing to the names of Think^TV donors engraved in marble along the sidewalk) but chalk is cheap."

Now the staff at Think^TV hosed down the chalk. The "local firm" put it back up before the seminar.

Keeping that in mind...Think^TV is donating the space. Think^TV is the most widely used nonprofit, educational and cultural service in southwestern Ohio. Each week more than 750,000 viewers watch Think^TV. More than 1,000 schools serving more than 400,000 students, K-12, receive our daily educational programming and services. Think^TV is funded by a public-private partnership including government support and community-based support from individuals, foundations and corporations. More than 17,000 individuals voluntarily support our public television stations by becoming Think^TV members each year. Their support is critical to our annual operating budget.

That said, I think the "local firm" crossed the line and it was definitely done in poor taste. What they did insulted the character of Think^TV and the seminar attendees (and some of those represent ad agencies who are just trying to better fulfill client needs). I can't believe "local firm" hasn't been banned from the premises. The firm got an ADDY for their chalk graffiti but I can't imagine it ever being a true success.

Custom Tutorials

2008-08-08T10:46:00.000-04:00

Need a little foot in the door with Photoshop? I've created (and I'm continuing to create) a series of small walk-throughs on various topics. I started this up from helping people on Yahoo! Answers in the photography section.

Here is what you can find so far:
Polaroid Effect -> GO
Black and White and Color in a photo ->GO
Color Effects -> GO
Vector Look -> GO
Create Border -> GO

Enjoy!

Crimping My Style

2008-07-18T22:14:00.000-04:00

PROBLEM:
So you have a design or illustration style in mind for your project. You take a look at various sites for different people and you don't see anything you like because you think their work doesn't fit into what you are thinking.

SOLUTION:
Designers and illustrator design primarily FOR their clients (unless they are a fine artist) and thus their styles are defined by the clients preferences and project requirements. If you don't see a style you like but you like the work the designer or illustrator likes, ASK THEM if they can do it! More likely than not they have already but they just don't have it in their portfolio or they just haven't had the opportunity to do it. Just because I don't have flash presentations in my portfolio doesn't mean I haven't done them. They are too big to post and typically are confidential in nature but that doesn't mean I couldn't send a cleaned version by mail for preview.

I saw one job posting that requested illustrators for a site and the poster showed three VERY different artistic styles (simple and minimal, detailed and three dimensional, and highly stylized) but based their decision what was in portfolio of illustrators rather than the overall quality of work and skill without ever showing the illustrators an example of the style of the site itself.

We aren't mind-readers! If you have an idea, please be specific so we can visualize what you want or show us an example that is exact!

What defines a logo?

2008-06-23T14:25:00.000-04:00

Logo: a graphic representation or symbol of a company name, trademark, abbreviation, etc., often uniquely designed for ready recognition.

Someone had made a post on a forum I frequent about wanting a logo done (for free). My comment was to put together some text that reflected their style. They came back and said "but I want a logo". That got me thinking. What really defines a logo?

Obviously you want the logo to reflect yourself or your company or your product in some way or form. This does not have to be done with a fancy graphical illustration. If you notice, FedEx's logo for instance makes use of white space to form an arrow. If you are working with the environment you could have the text a green or blue. If you are working in the food industry then a brown, yellow, or red might due as they often are associated together. If you are working with technology it wouldn't make sense to use a frilly font.

Here are some things I consider when designing a logo:

Your personal style - you are more likely to like what I design when it reflects what you like and what defines you. If you aren't a fan of swooshes because they are overused then I shouldn't be using them!

Icon/Type - sometimes a logo is fine in just type by itself, but sometimes it needs a graphical representation to go along with it. A logo can be a combination of type and a graphic (logotype and logo icon).

Simplicity - you want to make sure that your logo reads well scaled down for things such as business cards and promotional materials. I make sure that illustrations if used (and I illustrate them myself) are not too highly detailed but are detailed enough to be able to understand quickly their meaning/use.

Vector base - you also want to make sure that your logo doesn't look pixelated when scaled up for large format printing and signage or vehicle decals. I work in Illustrator to make sure all work is deliverable in a format you can use on any medium. If you want Photoshop effects, you need to understand the limitations of raster-based graphics which is primarily conformed to the original designed size. There are some instances where this might work such as a blog or web-based use where the design will never be used elsewhere or needed in a higher resolution for printing.

Black and White - I always make sure that the logo can be easily transitioned to black and white and now deliver files with a black and white version. You might not think you need it, but if you are sending a fax then if you have a color logo it will most likely be lost as faxes do not perform in anything other than black and white (no grayscale).

Trendiness - I try and not look at current trends because they can easily date a logo (swooshes, gradients such as in web 2.0 logos, transparency, etc). You want to pay for something that is timeless like a Rolex where it looks good at any age. Obviously, there are times when certain things are required in order to define your company and that takes an exception, but being trendy for trendiness' sake is not necessary.

Firefox 3

2008-06-18T14:14:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't know, Firefox 3 just hit the internet waves! I highly recommend it for internet security and stability. If you still like Internet Explorer, I found a really cool add-on called IE tab which actually loads Internet Explorer in a tab inside of Firefox 3. I've also discovered FireShot which you can use to take screenshots and email them or open them in an editor using the right click menu.

Never Enough Tags

2008-06-10T17:54:00.001-04:00

Are you working on optimizing your website for search engines? Are you wondering how much money I pay into advertising? I don't invest a dime! I have spent most of my time saturating the web with myself. I am involved in many forums, directories, and I cross-link with my own other personal websites. My website content has been adjusted to provide more text and information that can be brought up on Google (such as my FAQ). I also make use of ALT tag references (every image can be ALT tagged). I make sure that I keep META tags because whether you believe it or not...I think it's better that they are there than not.

At any rate, make sure the content of your website is heavily populated with your keywords! There is a nice little Firefox extension that I have called SEOQuake that helps speed up that process. It will tell you your keyword density and how it related to advertisers based on Google statistics.

Make sure that you are utilizing the Heading and Paragraph functions of your website correctly. If you are using CSS then you can easily update your CSS so instead of a .title class you use h1.

Diet and Exercise

2008-04-14T11:39:00.001-04:00

Are you trying to skim off some extra dollars from your budget? Try doing some exercise before getting a quote! One of the biggest pitfalls is expecting the designer to come up with "everything". You can save money by doing some minor legwork yourself. Sometimes there are clients that want a website but don't have a logo or copy. I can make a logo, sure, but it's going to cost you. I can put in copy, sure, but it's going to cost you.

Here are some bits of advice.

Ideally you want to start from the bottom up. Work out your marketing plan and available budget before even trying to go and get a quote from a designer. Plan on getting your logo first rather than at the same time as another project. It will save you in the long run because while I'm working on the website and logo, you could already be handing out business cards with the logo on them. A web presence is good, but your whole company "brand" is going to revolve around the logo, not the website.
When getting a budget put together, realize that anything you don't have (photos, text, existing collateral) is going to make the design process longer and more expensive. I have to scout photos that you have to approve and purchase. I do check out micro-stock sites (more semi-pro level at cheaper costs). If I do writing, I have to do research and you have to approve it. If you have existing collateral you want the design to reflect, it speeds up the design process as I can mimic style and keep your brand consistent.
If you are wanting design done, have examples of other styles and designs you like ready to show me. This will get me an idea of your design style and also keeps my concepts in line with what you would approve of.
It's not always good to jump ahead and purchase a website domain before anything else. Sometimes, web hosts offer free domains within their hosting packages (like 1and1 which I use). Keep that in mind when you are getting ready to have web design done.
When thinking about your website, keep in mind that additional pages cost more money to quote so think ahead. When you want a product page, do you also want subpages for different product categories?
Make sure your designer is proficient on the spot and keep with that same designer (why ditch someone that works well with you and produces results that work?). The designer should be someone you feel comfortable working with and can trust. The designer should be good at what they do. So many times I get a client that had a previous designer work on the project and they were unfamiliar with proper design techniques in that medium. A logo created in Photoshop is going to looked pixelated and blurry on a billboard. Make sure your designer knows what they are doing. Look into their clients, references, educational background, etc. Your design is an investment, and you want to make sure the most able person is working on it. You don't want to invest into a designer that can't do the job and then have to pay someone else to recreate it.

So you may notice that even through all your exercise, you are still gaining weight. Remember, muscle is heaver than fat so it might take a while to notice results but it's going to make your company stronger, more attractive, and will cost less for design in the future!

Is any overhaul a minor one?

2008-03-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

As you might have noticed, Aibrean's Studio got a major facelift. My major reasons why I did this was to attract business that would otherwise go to a design firm and also make it more user-friendly for existing clients. I've started to branch out integration so that clients receive a login and can view everything for their account with me in one location. I have the contract, estimate, and concepts/final design available for viewing there as well as easy bill payment through Google Checkout.

You might notice some things have been renamed, so feel free to browse around the site and get re-adjusted.

Discovering Aibrean's Studio

2008-03-06T12:45:00.000-05:00

I was reading the AIGA Client Design Guide (for client's of AIGA members to get an idea of client processes). I came across some questions for designers from clients. I felt like answering them.

Here they are:

How does the firm like to work?
Well I personally like to work directly with you, the client. I also like to make you, the client, feel that you are always #1 (even if you aren't). I give you the utmost attention, and try to make turn-around times short so you feel that you are always the top of my list for priority.
Who are it's clients?
I have worked as an independent consultant in many design firms in addition to my personal business of Aibrean's Studio. I have worked with NCR, Ferrari, Standard Register, MeadWestvaco, NewPage, LexisNexis, AAA, Vision Marketing Group, PLIE, as well as many other diverse clients ranging from musicians and tax professionals, to non-profit groups and software companies. That range enables me to work within a variety of design styles with the knowledge of the type of audience base you have.
How knowledgeable is the firm about their clients?
Not only do I talk to them, but I also take advantage of the internet and research my clients and their competition/relevant market. It's not just about making you look good, it's about making you look better!
How is the firm viewed by their clients? By the firm's peers?
Client referrals (a previous client recommends me to another person who becomes a new client) are about 90% of my business. I get the other 10% from the internet and the local AFA membership list. Being a member of the Greater Dayton Advertising Association, I am involved in local professional development meetings as well as volunteer service for the Association in local advertising events. Recently I helped set up for the Hermes award judging. I also have won two Hermes awards in the past two years...a lot to be said of an individual in the business working against other multi-staffed firms that have very extensive job budgets. I am affordable AND award-winning.
What is the firm's design process?
First off, upon initial contact, I have the client fill out a design checklist (these can be found at the right sidebar of my contact page). This gives me an in-depth look at the audience, deadline, subject matter, overall idea, and budget. It's not worth the client's time or mine if the project doesn't have a budget I can work with, but it is if I can quote significantly less knowing more about the project before-hand. After the design checklist is completed, I give the client an estimate and a contract they can sign if everything is in order. From there I start researching and concepting. I send the client an initial rough concept to see if I'm in the right direction. If I am way off, I revise and send a new concept (perhaps altogether from scratch), and if I'm on target I work forward.
What kind of design experience does the firm have?
I have over 5 years of design experience. I have worked in 3 design firms as a consultant as well as my own design business. I am currently active as an Art Director at a local non-profit. I also have a degree in Applied Business in Advertising Art from the most award-winning college here, The School of Advertising Art.
What kind of results has the firm acheived?
I have always delivered 100% satisfaction. In terms of actual noted success, I have two Hermes awards from the GDAA. One of my email campaigns had such a good response the company told me they had more contacts in two days than they had in two years.
Who will work on your project?
I do. If there is something I am not able to do (such as advanced programming...I'm a designer not a coder) I will let you know and give you a quote on the service from programmers I have worked with in the past. I also enable you to personally talk with them if needed. They are local as well so if you are a local client, we can meet together to discuss options.
Does the firm understand the business?
Yes I do, and if I didn't I wouldn't be in business.

2008 Bronze Award

2008-02-10T09:08:00.000-05:00

I attended the Hermes awards last night and I won a Bronze Award. That is quite an achievement coming from the fact that this year had the highest entries and Interactive was one of the largest categories with 10 Silvers and 21 Bronzes. I was the only individual to submit and win anything.

It says a lot :)

Hermes Awards

2008-01-21T10:52:00.000-05:00

Well I was notified today that the Dimebag Darrell Tribute Album website I designed in Flash won a Hermes award. I will find out what level at the awards banquet on Feburary 9, 2008. I know from setting up tables that this year there were a lot of really good pieces out there. I really was hoping at least one of my web designs would come through (I submitted 3). Hopefully next year I will win something in print but my competition is steep. I am competing with all the local design agencies, whose clients have multi-thousand dollar budgets and they are working with a design team. For me to win ANYTHING is a huge honor!

Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to create award-winning designs for you!

Hermes Awards!

2008-01-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

A little background before I start rambling..

The Greater Dayton Advertising Association's Hermes competition is the first tier in the American Advertising Federation's three-tiered ADDY competition. Entering the Hermes/ADDY competition supports our entire industry, because the AAF and its local and district affiliates use the proceeds to enhance advertising through programs such as public service, internships, advocacy groups, advertising education, and consumer awareness.
In each division the Hermes (GOLD ADDY) is recognition of the highest level of creative excellence and superior to all other entries in the competition. Entries also considered outstanding and worthy of recognition receive a SILVER ADDY or a BRONZE ADDY. The number of awards given in each category is determined by the out of market judges, based on their opinion of the quality of the work in that category. Those who win the Hermes (Gold ADDY) will automatically be forwarded to the 5th District competition. Those winning Silver ADDY's are eligible to forward that work on to District. Winners of the District competition will advance to the National ADDY competition.

I entered the Vision Marketing Group email campaign last year and it won a Bronze. I am competing with local advertising and interactive marketing firms in the Dayton area. This year I am entering 6 total pieces (2 HTML websites, 1 Flash website, 1 marketing campaign, and 2 logos). If you are a client I will keep you posted immediately if I were to receive anything. Otherwise, stay tuned and if I get anything, I'll reveal after the show on February 9th.

The Gimmick That Stole Christmas

2008-01-03T13:56:00.001-05:00

By April Smith, Aibrean's Studio

It is a little late for Christmas, but then again, it was a little late when I was watching ABC’s Duel on their website. Have you ever really thought about those marketing ploys that holiday advertisers make to get swarms of parents in their stores (with their children) to buy things for their children that they don’t need?

Advertising gimmicks and marketing ploys may just be the trigger that starts a conversation between you and your child (or if you are a child -- between you and your parent) about the existence of characters such as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer and Santa. These kinds of conversations might be sparked if you enjoy game shows and watching game shows with said child/parent. I was watching ABC’s Duel and while fixated on who was going to win, I discovered to my amusement, that Rudolph was an advertising gimmick through one of the questions. Montgomery Ward was too cheap in 1939 to out-source a Christmas story so they had one of their copy writer’s work up one to use for a children’s coloring book promotion that we now know as Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. After the writer got rights to the story, he had his brother-in-law write up lyrics, sent them off to famous singers, and then it was recorded by one and sold -- to the count of fifteen million copies. A small price to pay for explaining the existence of Rudolph -- and to that end -- Santa, just after watching an innocent game of Duel?

But what about the advertising changes so that people aren’t offended? Really, if you don’t want to call it a “Christmas” tree, why don’t you hang it upside down in your house? That’s how it used to be before Martin Luther changed tradition. The nativity scene is now oh so “off-limits”, but Santa was created from a Bishop who used his inheritance to help those impoverished. It’s quite a transition from the modern-day Santa that was created by Coca-Cola to increase their sales isn’t it?

Have those gimmicks that are now weaved into threads of reality stolen Christmas? Have they delved deeper into uprooting our morals? Shall we choose to lie in order to diminish chaos, but still give into those advertisers who clean our pocketbooks so tiny tots can bang on their new toys merrily? This commercialism has faded the true reality until a family sits beside a newly purchased television, watching a newly released gameshow. Then the question pops up and is answered… but then the audience, the family sitting at home gets bombarded with the all too real question from a child,

“Rudolph isn’t real? What about Santa?”

NO!SPEC

2007-12-14T09:54:00.000-05:00

Just an FYI to inform people why I don't do spec-work. (and please note these descriptions are referenced at www.no-spec.com which is VERY informative to clients). If you have ever tried to get me to do it, I usually hand you a non-disclosure agreement which basically says I'm entitled to some kind of payment for work done, even if you don't use it. It would be like having a home re-modeler come into your house and then after they started on the job, you decide you want to go with someone else. They are entitled to some compensation.

What is spec work?
Basically, its any kind of creative work rendered and submitted, either partial or completed, by a designer to a prospective client/employer before taking steps to secure both their work and an equitable fee. Under these conditions, a designer will often be requested to submit work under the guise of either a contest or an entry exam on actual, existing jobs as a “test” of their skill. In addition, the designer normally unwittingly loses all rights to their creative work because they failed to protect themselves by means of a signed binding contract or agreement. The client/employer often uses this freely gained work as they see fit without fear of legal reprocussion.

If I can’t decide whether I like a design before I pay it, how do I know I am going to get a good one?
This is why it pays to use a professional designer. Professional designers are just that - professionals. They are experts in their craft. It is their job to do good work.

I personally am a member of the Greater Dayton Advertising Association, a division of the American Advertising Federation (the oldest national advertising trade association). I have a list of references that would be more than happy to give you their feedback on how well their projects were completed.I do offer discounted rates for non-profits, and designs with link-backs. I sometimes am willing to do a trade of service/product if there is a need for it.

Life Changes

2007-12-13T14:06:00.000-05:00

I am still deciding on this, but if you notice in February that the name on here changes to April Sadowski, it is because I'm getting married on January 26! I am also going to be moving (I have already gotten most of my things moved in to my new house) so there will be a little bit of downtime. I will be able to check my messages and be able to Meebo chat with you. Remember my IM is AibreanStudio on AIM, if I'm not online it will send directly to my phone (I am also able to receive email from there as well.

I do have a laptop with wi-fi access and it is fast and loaded with the Adobe suite. Push-comes-to-shove I am able to work on that. Just don't expect a super fast turnaround time like you are used to :)

New Updates

2007-12-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I've updated my website with additional portfolio items. I added the salviaextracts.com website layout, and a couple of Think^TV printed pieces such as the Exploring Our Economy curriculum kit (shown here), educational department brochure, and the company holiday card. Also, I have a Facebook fan page for Aibrean's Studio that you are welcome to become a fan of. If you like me let me know!