Check out the new site: 

www.sizeandshapefitness.com

The "Do Not Disturb" feature has really captured my attention in many ways. I has made me think about my phone and what and where I use it especially during the evening hours. I used to just turn my phone to "Airplane Mode" and go to bed. That would mean that if anyone would call they would get my voice mail. That would mean that if there was an emergency with a close friend or family and they tried to call I would not pick up and not able to help if I could. The "Do Not Disturb" feature lets you pick contacts off your list to allow through and you can even set it to activate and deactivate at certain times of the day. 

One thing other than turning it on at night I have also started picking parts of the day to turn it on. Again the obvious feature is that it does not allow phone calls to come through except for who you designate but it also does not notify you of emails and or text from those outside groups. 

I find myself picking up my phone for no reason at all just to check email or text. What a waste of time I think most every time I do that. Putting my phone on "Do Not Disturb" and setting it on my desk has really allowed me to focus on my task during the day or hour that I choose more effectively. 

Please "Do Not Disturb"

Needless to say the client has a little reservations about it.  I totally understand where he is coming from because "white space" in design kinda goes in the same line as awkward silence in conversation. Our world is so crowded with sound, lights, and visual stimulation that it is hard when we encounter silence, darkness and in this case a BLANK AREA!

I havent quite convinced him to go with it and I am not too stubborn to thank that it is the best design for the project (everything can be done better) but it is always fun to help the client see that sometimes in this world of excess that LESS IS MORE can stand out.

I grabbed a copy of Mental_Floss (www.mentalfloss.com) in the Tampa airport before we boarded and like any other magazine I thumbed through it looking a pictures and the overall design. What happend next was not normal of me. I actually started to read the thing. It was not like any other magazine I have "read". There were no story of Britney Spears, President Obama or any of the normal dribble you find that we deem "entertainment". This copy of Mental_Floss started throwing fun facts about vegetables of all things. I learned why the Queens Army pinned leeks to their berets. I learned that Odysseus thought that carrots would keep his army in the Trojan horse from having to poop, but as we know now that is not the case. And I am sure most of us do not know why our words for "Cow", "Sheep", "Swine", or "Calf" is German and the words we use to describe it after it is cooked - "Beef", "Mutton", "Pork", and "Veal" is French. You will have to read the magazine for that. 

The design and layout was very fresh and clean. I loved how one whole article was a full spread picture with small "bubbles" that highlighted the "Secrets of Synchronized Swimming" - I you just want to know what they use to keep their hair in place?

Needless to say I enjoyed actually reading the articles and I read it from cover to cover. And the only mention of a celebrity in the whole thing was how Chenel No. 5 was so popular with or without Marilyn Monroe.

Try it out and you might find your mind on vacation from the normal junk to something that you can actually use.

Congratulations to Beverly Hills Essentials on the launch of your new and now third store.

Visit their site at www.beverlyhillsessentials.com

We are excited to announce that StonePillow Design is one of the many great sponsors for this years "Psycle for Families" on Saturday, April 16 held here in Edmond, OK.

This is a new venture for the company and we are pumped to say the least to be a part of the community in such a way that helps many people. Follow the links below for more information.

Article

Edmond Family Counseling

What do you do when your best is your worst. As a designer it is not very long until you realize that even when your work is solid and thoughtful some clients are just not seeing it. And this is no slight to the client. Design and Art are in the same boat when it come to subjectivity. But what happens when you and the client do not see eye to eye? The best thing is to keep the communication door open.

I have been terrible when it comes to this but I have learned when the communication is open and honest then the job will get done. Yes you might have to change the design (product or service) but what is important is that you and your client see the process through. This will build the trust between you and your clients now and in the future.

So go out there and do your worst!

1. Marketing Research
2. Competitive Analysis (What is your competition doing right or wrong)
3. Pricing of my goods or services
4. Positioning (How do I get my product in the hands of who is looking for it)
5. Naming and Branding (Am I up-to-date with my logo or look of my company)

Outbound consist of

1. Advertising and Promotions
2. Media relations
3. Sales
4. Customer Service
5. Customer Satisfaction
6. Social Networking

Like most I can get caught up in the Outbound Marketing thinking that it is all about the advertising but when you do the right research from the Inbound side and align yourself with knowledge then the advertising and sales come much easier. And you are able use your advertising budget with more focus and precision.

With all the talk about the iPad and now all the competitors coming out with their own version of a digital tablet, what does the print media have to offer? I have to admit that the iPad and all the other gadgets coming out really do open up a new way and in many respects a better way to deliver some material. Like a magazine for example, you can deliver it digitally along with live links to the advertisers websites and even blogs concerning the same subject. This will and has really been a plus for the industry but to say that the iPad and its cohorts will take over and even kill the print industry is absurd. I would like to think that the digital media and print will work well together in fact help support one another. There are very few time when I do get a printed piece that does not directs me to more information on their website, twitter or Facebook pages. What I think is funny is to walk into a tiny restaurant and see "Follow Us on Twitter!" Even though that sign was not a highly produced piece it still was printed and used to communicate something. What I love is when you see a commercial and it states "See our ad in such and such magazine" which in point helps my point. A highly thought out designed printed piece can be very useful along side your website in help promoting a special event or a product. If you are a service based company developing a brochure or one sheet to hand out to your customers with bullet points of your services offered can really help drive business to your website where you can then be a little more lengthy in your description. What I love when I design a business card these days is that I can fill it up with design not description. Which brings me to a revelation of sorts…the more digital we become the more we print designers can use the space more efficiently. I can now say a lot with just a "www". Use both to help your business because in a sense they both help each other.

Did you know that a website can become stagnant even if you change the content all the time? The look and feel of your website is just as important as what you say. Your website is a great tool but if you never change the content or even worse never change the look - people quit looking. This goes for me as well. My website has been sitting here for probably 6 months or more without any new content. Its not like I haven't been working. I have just not put the time into it. Now I don't want to get into all that New Years resolution mumbo jumbo because all that is just meant to be broken. A website typically has about a two to three year life-span if that. After that the look needs to be updated. Just watch and see on some of your favorite big boy sites. They are always updating to new technology, look, and feel. Try it out this year. And maybe I will too.