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We found this on the website CardObserver and thought it was unique enough to share. This is a limited edition bottle opener business card. Promotional item designed to be kept somewhere safe. Makes effective use of the logo in a memorable and useful way. Who doesn’t like to end their work day with a refreshing beverage?
Our only wish was that this business card design was for a beverage or nightlife/social company instead of a oilfield waste management company. Unless this card was handed out internally at a corporate function, outsiders may not make the connection (if there is one) between beverages and oilfield waste. But, who couldn’t use a bottle opener, and a pocket size one too! It fits right in your wallet.
This website has a compilation of everything, and we highly recommend perusing through their website anytime you need to shake up your creative juices or just to have some designer eye candy. This is an excellent resource for inspiration and to get ideas. Check out Graphic Exchange. They change up their intro page every now and then. To entice you on what you’ve been missing, here are a couple of those images below. Enjoy!
Recently we were asked by Back to Nature Heath and Wellness Center to revamp their logo and to provide a new business card design for them. Their logo is not featured on their website, but it was a green silhouette of a palm tree and that was it. The owner of the company is especially fond of palm trees and all things tropical.
Back to Nature Health and Wellness Center, located in the cozy water-town of Annapolis, Maryland, is a privately owned, community-based holistic health practice. They provide awareness and preventative therapies including colon therapy, REIKI, foot reflexology, ear candling, and lecture/seminars. We knew instantly that we wanted to build upon that palm tree but also give it a bit of dimension.
The free flowing three-quarter length circle was actually inspired by the coffee rim stain that is often left on a napkin or counter when one lifts up their mug (ha! let this be proof that the possibilities of coffee are endless!). The inner circle is symbolic of the warm rays of the sun, and really it was a clever way for us to add some additional color into the logo. The sun also provides a perfect backdrop for the silhouette palm tree, which we decided should have a slight curve to it instead of going straight up and down. After viewing several different fonts, we decided that the words “Back To Nature” would look best if the letters were free flowing, similar to the style of the “coffee” circle. The finished result is something we all agreed was very natural, simple and straight forward.
Back to Nature Health and Wellness Center had a lot of information for their business cards! We instantly agreed that a double sided card would be best. And who does not like rounded corners? The back of the card has a matte finish that allows for writing down a client’s next appointment, and it also features a favorite palm tree picture of the client. Through the division of space, we were able to get the client’s logo (in a nice size) on the front of the card, plus all of the client’s contact information as well as services that they provide. The front of the card has an aqueous coating allowing for a semi-gloss finish.
We hope to have the opportunity to expand the design concept and style of their new logo into several print and online pieces for them in the near future.
We originally found this product on the packaging design blog The Dieline, and we thought it was so simple and yet so clever. Especially if you are someone who is making a statement or if you have a room where the interior design is earthy/natural, these book marks will work perfectly for you. See below for an example of how great these markers look together when displayed throughout various pages of a book. Now the contents of your book shelf can easily be transformed into a work of art. You can purchase them at Yuruliku.
When you can’t say it with words, say it with images. We are often impressed by the lengths that some of our clients go to in order to explain what they mean. Some of them have a blank canvas and let us go to town, while others already know what they like in terms of style or design elements. We think both ways of approaching creative projects are acceptable.
When you are looking to have design work done, say for example, a new website or a new logo, one way for you to personally start brainstorming is to open up your friendly search engine and see what’s out there. Know one knows your brand from your perspective better than you. And you should be familiar with your industry too. As you are browsing through various websites for inspiration, you may not know why a certain site or design element speaks to you, and you don’t have to know. But, it would ultimately be in your best interest to flag it, to take a screen shot of it, and to create a folder on your computer filled with items that you know you like. This way, when you are ready to bring a design firm on board for a creative project and you are given that free consultation, you can make the most value of that time and really make sure that both parties are on the same page.
This in no way means that you are taking over the creative direction of the project or labeling yourself as a designer. It simply means you have an idea or you have something you like and you just want to put it out on the table. We appreciate moments like this because it allows us to see where you are coming from and your thought process on the project.
So, let’s get you started with looking for some visual stimuli! Image searches on the internet are always fun because you’ll never know what you’ll find. But, if you are on the look out for some more direct means of creative inspiration, we recommend the following powerhouses to get you started. You’ll always find something fun and interesting on the sites below, and hey, you might even spark a great idea that could be the core of your next project.
Design*Sponge
http://www.designspongeonline.com/
Design*Sponge is a daily website dedicated to home and product design run by Brooklyn-based writer, Grace Bonney. Launched in August of 2004, Design*Sponge was declared a “Martha Stewart Living for the Millennials” (NY Times, 2008) and features store and product reviews, city, product, and gift guides, diy projects, before & after furniture and home makeovers, home tours, recipes, videos and podcasts, and trend forecasting. In addition, Design*Sponge is dedicated to covering student design, national and international design shows. The site is updated constantly throughout the day (with an average of 6-10 posts a day), and attracts a core group of devoted readers.
The Design Inspiration
http://thedesigninspiration.com
A categorized collection of websites, articles, logos, illustrations, photos, patterns and more to tickle your fancy and get your creative juices flowing.
Web Crème
http://www.webcreme.com/
A catalog site featuring some cutting edge, well designed websites. You can click on the pictures of the sites featured to visit the sites and see how user friendly they are.
Design Flavr
http://www.designflavr.com/
Designflavr is a moderated art and design showcase built upon user submissions.
The Dieline
http://www.thedieline.com
Established in 2007 by Andrew Gibbs, The Dieline is dedicated to the progress of the package design industry and its practitioners, students and enthusiasts. Its purpose is to define and promote the world’s best examples of packaging, and provide a place where the package design community can review, critique and stay informed of the latest industry trends and design projects being created in the field. The Dieline has quickly grown into the most visited website on package design in the world, and has become the voice of the industry. It is an active sponsor of the Pentawards, the first and only professional design competition devoted exclusively to the art of brand packaging, further promoting the field.
As you may know, our website, www.jwatsoncreative.com, just went live on October 21st, in the weee hours of the night as we perfecting the code and loaded everything up. We thought this would be a great opportunity to use the first post of our new blog home to introduce ourselves and let you know what we’re all about. And, to also introduce you to the types of content you will find on our new blog home.
Where we come from, if you can dream it, we can build it.
JWatson Creative is a full service graphic design and marketing firm built upon a strong foundation of delivering high quality creative work that will produce results for our clients. No matter the size or scope of your project, we can develop an innovative solution that is right for you. Through effective planning and establishing a comprehensive strategy, we can execute an integrated, consistent message or brand through multiple mediums.
JWatson Creative works one on one with our clients to ensure that your needs are met and that our projects are aligned with your business and campaign goals. Our commitment is to deliver functional design that generates stellar results. We aim to exceed your expectations with every project.
Do you have a marketing campaign you want to get off the ground? Looking to have your website redesigned? Or perhaps you are in search of a corporate identity. Contact us for a free consultation today.
Our plans for this blog:
We will be posting the latest and greatest on marketing and design trends, visual design inspiration, tips of the trade, professional advice, questions & answers, and more. We will also feature some amazing projects from our portfolio, so you can know whats happening behind the scenes in our office. Stay tune for our future articles and let us be your resource for creativity and beyond.
