The completion of One Clever Fish should not be rushed, as our work ethic surely isn’t (unless it’s a last minute job). So go on over to the site and check out our progression. You can even send us an email or two.
One half of the One Clever Fish teamed participated in the Online News Association’s (ONA) Parachute Training Initiative. The goal of the workshop was to learn how to effectively use and embrace new media. Our favorite presentation was by Robert Hernandez (@webjournalist) titled Harnessing the Power of Social Media. Within his presentation, he posted this very engaging YouTube bit. Some of the statistics are a bit antiquated, but you’ll get the point. Check out the video. You’ll definitely be in awe.
A few weeks ago, mental_floss magazine posted a story titled How 16 Electronics Companies Got Their Name. It’s quite interesting how some were not so fancy and had to be changed after people could not pronounce them. Over the course of two months, we (The One Clever Fish team) went back and forth about what we should call our new “initiative”. We knew it had to be, of course, unique. We scratched our head, picked up some pencils and paper, and started the process of brain storming. Though our process was tedious and not very long, we still had a few names that we kicked around.
Why did One Clever Fish stick?
Just look at the name! Who would pass up the opportunity to work with us?! On a serious note, One Clever Fish fits our personalities and vision. The overall concept of One Clever Fish is to merge the thoughts and creativity of a photographer and graphic artist. With these two powers combined, it’s sure to be amazing outcomes of work.
What is the Lyceum Collective?
Long story short, we’re the branding school of thought. Lyceum is the garden at Athens in which Aristotle taught philosophy. We’ll be using our city, the Internet, our website and blog to teach the simple and complex forms of branding. Just think of us as a growing collective that wants to educate small start-up businesses how to brand themselves effectively through photography and graphic design.
A lot of responsibility comes with a name. Make sure your brand speaks volumes.
The person who recommended this book needs to be given a hand clap that can be heard around the world. Literally. We read books that not only teach us how to perfect our craft, but our character as well. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie is highly recommended text for those looking to improve their attitudes towards people and especially potential clients. The main rules to learn in this book are:
The six ways to make people like you
The twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking
The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment
How to… is a book we plan to keep on our desks as a personal character bible when certain situations arise. The most important lesson we both learned was remembering a person’s name is the sweetest and most important sound in any language. In other words, don’t perceive your clients as just that; your “client”. They do have a name. Respect it. Live it. Remember it.
There are hundreds of Design firms to choose from, some firms will design a logo for organizations within hours, others will take weeks or months. The question about cookie cutter firms is not whether this type of firm is a good fit for your organization, the question is which firm will solve your problem and or do the job right. A cookie cutter firm is a design firm that will provide you with a pretty image very quickly, when I say quickly, I mean within 24 hours. This is attractive because of the quick return but it could be devastating to the life of your organization’s brand. You can tell which firms are “cookie cutter” firms by immediately viewing their home page. If they offer to create your brand in 24-48 hours for $50-$300, you can guarantee you are going to get what you paid for! I use to work for a company like this and we created at the least 250 logo concepts per day. Its was like a third world sweat shop. What I’m presenting is a right and wrong way to design. Yes, there is a right and wrong way to design, as with most things in life there are rules, and the application of these rules are essential to the life of a brand. Creativity is totally different than design, creativity has no boundaries but in order for creativity to be productive it has to be structured through design. The Number one reason we buy anything is because it was designed for a detailed reason and or advertised to and for a specific audience. If your designer can not orally define the principles of design correctly, chances are your logo design will be incorrect as well. There are many other variables that apply to the success of design such as your target audience, competitors, industry, etc. But the most important visual factor is well thought through designs that take longer than one day- if we’re all being honest with ourselves. The point is that it takes time and effort to develop a successful logo, yet alone an identity or a brand. But don’t just take my word for it. Check out this book: Really Good Logos Explained.
Please don’t waste your money with cookie cutter logo design firms.
If you’re going to waste that kind of money and time, try fishing. It’s more relaxing.
Every kid had ambitions of being the best at something. Champions of building the best structure with your Legos was one of those task. We even built things outside of the instructions that were inside of the box. Do we still use the concept of building things outside of the instructions that are given? [Note: That last statement is definitely coming from us reading Seth Godin's blog and current book.]
Lego “Cl!ck” reminds us that once that great idea comes to mind and instantly clicks, then we know we have something spectacular.
The luxurious Louis Vuitton will be debuting their iPad cases in 2011. This only adds to the addiction of wanting an iPad. What better way to show your and our clients our portfolios and show how well our iPad is protected from the elements? You be the judge.
Stop motion videos have been the latest rage. And we’re falling right in line with it. Have you ever thought about touring the world in 80 seconds? If you have, here’s your chance. This particular stop motion project was done in only three weeks. Here’s their blurb about the project…
A tour of the world in 80 seconds. Directed by Romain Pergeaux & Alex Profit. A project done in only 3 weeks. The making of the video, pictures and an interview of Alex Profit can be seen at www.tourdumonde80.fr.
Our tour included stops in London – Cairo – Mumbay – Hong Kong – Tokyo – San Francisco – New York – London. This route is a tribute to the famous Jules Verne’s book “Le tour du monde en 80 jours”.
As technology progresses, we often forget about the nostalgic process of things we do now. One is exterior advertising. Remember those images that were on the side of the walls of buildings downtown in your city? They are now fading memories. The film Up There shows the tedious process of making those amazing images come alive. When you pass by something similar, be appreciative of those who took their precious time, standing on dangerous ledges to advertise your favorite soft drink.
Make sure you’re over 18 to visit their website for more information.
via LikeCool
