We Heart Studios

35 Excellent Wireframing Resources

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 22:01:09 -0500

Wireframing is one of the most valuable parts of any web design project. It can save a designer tons of time by hashing out the details of a site’s architecture, functionality, and content prior to actually starting a visual design. But if done inefficiently, it can end up costing more time and can even create bigger headaches for both the client and the designer. Read the article at Smashing Magazine

This image just rocks. @zachishere, heads up....

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:12:41 -0500

This image just rocks. @zachishere, heads up. :-)

macaronn:

restartmyheart:

by Yvette Inufio

Branding That "Fits" Inspires & Motivates

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:49:57 -0500

I have something I wanted to share that has been on my mind this week. Many of you know that We Heart Studios is partners and works very closely with the gang over at LightThread (in fact, we’re all in this together - they help with WHS projects also.) We have collaboratively been working on a rebranding effort for the design, marketing and development services we offer in Kansas City (and everywhere) but with the focus being on what we’re doing and representing here locally, and it has been so much fun.

I’ve been restraining myself from talking about it because we are not quite ready to launch the new site and collateral, but the branding, the people and the company we are creating is something that suits me to a T, and hopefully all of us, and it captures the sort of eccentric, funky, fresh, flavorful perspective of our varied team members while giving us something professional to stand behind as a percentage of our clients will always be corporate, enterprise-types in addition to the small-to-medium sized businesses and startups we serve.

We are in the process of becoming the Itch Agency. I can’t wait to show you all the branding and stuff we’re coming up with and get things live… these early days of creation are what get my juices flowing. But the main point of this quick message is this: if your brand is uninspiring, if your company message is flat, if you aren’t excited to “show off” to prospects and friends and family members what you can do, get a pencil and a piece of paper and do the following:

ReThink
ReImagine
ReInvent
ReCreate
ReDefine
ReBoot
RePlenish
ReEnergize
ReDiscover

Life’s too short to have a boring brand!! Find the subtle nuances and essence of the personalities that represent your brand and show that to prospects for a truly unique differentiator… and a more satisfying workday!

(originally posted at weheartbranding)

Interesting formula for design & development...

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:59:50 -0500

Interesting formula for design & development pricing…

nidomi:

The design pricing formula | David Airey, graphic designer

Awesome product design & packaging!! I want these. (via...

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:39:03 -0500

Awesome product design & packaging!! I want these. (via kazzi)

We could all use a little help from a friend sometimes....

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:28:00 -0500

We could all use a little help from a friend sometimes. :-)

kuruyoku:

ねたミシュラン ★は……はやく昇れって！おめーんだYO！！！

matthewb: More examples of Jessica Hische’s hand lettering.

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:11:58 -0500

matthewb:

More examples of Jessica Hische’s hand lettering.

I hate it when this happens! Ooops!...

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 15:52:24 -0500

I hate it when this happens! Ooops! :-)

cookthechef:

fuckyeahstrangefinds:

Real Life Photoshop (by Henry Hadlow)

Just… yes. :-) I’d love to do an entire brand...

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 15:32:26 -0500

Just… yes. :-) I’d love to do an entire brand identity with these colors and subtle vintage style. Graphic, bold and classy. (via sweethomestyle)

I love this set of infographics for safety/caution purposes, and...

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:27:35 -0500

I love this set of infographics for safety/caution purposes, and the comment below about their Japanese styling. Harajuku warnings FTW!

brocatus:

via lickystickypickyme:

I bet this is what Safety signs will look like in 2105 (or in Japan) (Which is almost the same thing)

In case any of you wonder what I look like, working on a Monday...

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:00:43 -0500

In case any of you wonder what I look like, working on a Monday morning…. snicker. :D

theduty:

monkey business.

Web geeks meditating, courtesy of The Joy of Tech...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:27:51 -0500

Web geeks meditating, courtesy of The Joy of Tech & theduty:

(via snuh)

i don’t know about you…

but i’m at peace.

Vintage Fortune Magazine Cover Art

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 10:10:33 -0500

Hat tip to @Modbird on Twitter for this article from ColourLovers, who has assembled some old Fortune magazine cover art. They used a very rich color palette - nothing like the “web 2.0” colors of today, and the emphasis on abstract art is very interesting. Many of these covers would make beautiful paintings… very inspirational for the designer looking for something new to create!

» See all the covers & read the article

I want this piece of fruit! LOL! Neat design - a fruit fantasy....

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 07:14:49 -0500

I want this piece of fruit! LOL! Neat design - a fruit fantasy. :-)

macaronn:

handa:

applearts:

Chung Designs | Kevin Chung’s Design Exploration

Food Face dinnerware makes it okay to play with the food on your...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:54:05 -0500

Food Face dinnerware makes it okay to play with the food on your plate!

jairustonel:

applearts:
Clever Product Design by Fred and Friends | Chung Designs

Would this get your child to eat? Clever idea. :-)

100 Years of Design Manifestos

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:41:26 -0500

100 Years of Design Manifestos:

Links to design manifestos that span 100 years of creativity is an awesome find…

nomada:

1909   The Founding and Manifesto of Futurism, F.T. Marinetti

1914   Manifesto of Futurist Architecture, Antonio Sant’Elia

1922   Manifesto of the Painters’ Union, Taller de Grafica Popular

1923 Topology of Typography, El Lissitzky

1923 The New Typography, László Moholy-Nagy - a call for design against the bourgeois, in support of the proletariat.

1959 The journal “New Graphic Design,” though not explicitly a manifesto, called for a radical rethinking of design along more scientific lines.

1964   First Things First, Ken Garland

1971 La coscienza del designer, Albe Steiner

1978 Atlante Secondo Lenin - not so much a design manifesto, as a designed manifesto. The innovative infographics visualize theories for gaining power.

1979   Ahmedabad Declaration on Industrial Design for Development

1983 The Free Software announcement, later clarified in 1985’s GNU Manifesto

1987 Design memorandum. Dall’etica del progetto al progetto dell’etica.

1989   Carta del progetto grafico

1991 The Social Role of Design, Pierre Bernard

1996   Viewer’s Declaration of Independence

1998 Ne Pas Plier statement

1998   People’s Communication Charter

2000   First Things First update - not just about advertising this time, but setting new values.

2000   Incomplete Manifesto for Growth, Bruce Mau (though I thought Dean Allen did a tidy job ofdemolishing this.)

2001 AIAP, diseno etica e comunicazione

2001   Socialist Designer’s Manifesto - a series of ideologically driven limitations along the lines ofDogme 95.

2002   First Declaration of the St. Moritz Design Summit

2004   The Free Culture Manifesto

2006   The Public Role of the Graphic Designer

2006   Free Font Manifesto, Ellen Lupton

2006   Owner’s Manifesto, The Maker’s Bill of Rights

2008 Metahaven, White Night Before A Manifesto

2009   The Repair Manifesto from Platform21

And a few un-/anti- manifestos:

2008   Project H Design (Anti)Manifesto: A Call To Action For Humanitarian (Product) Design

2009   This is Not Manifesto — towards an alternative design practice - hard-hitting anarchist perspective

LOL!!! at fivis: “Replicating winning concepts was the...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:23:44 -0500

LOL!!! at fivis: “Replicating winning concepts was the original Microsoft success.” If the retail locations repeat the software OS experience, it will be a poor man’s imitation, then I guess.

As an aside, I hope MS will at least attempt to improve upon the customer experience. Last time I was at Apple (3-4 weeks ago in Kansas City), though the interior was cool and hip and I had gadgets to play with, I was ready to buy a Mac immediately and yet had to wait OVER 40 minutes to be waited on, despite chasing people down asking for help. Buyer failure at its worst, even for a fangirl.

fivis:

A slide from a leaked PowerPoint presentation regarding the interior design of the forthcoming Microsoft retail locations. You’ve seen a polished wooden table with products laid out like this before, I’m sure.

I don’t blame them. Replicating winning concepts was the original Microsoft success.

The problem here is, of course, they’ll never be able to make the store’s architecture mimic whatever design motif/era the company is working with, since they don’t make the computers themselves. Duh.

I’m a firm believer that seeing metal and glass laptops lined up in a metal and glass building is a subconscious happy-upper when entering an Apple Store.

This is for my team… thank you for working HARDER, BETTER,...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:02:58 -0500

This is for my team… thank you for working HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER. Keep rocking and being awesome! :-)

brothersbloom: Une Arnaque presque Parfaite! (“An almost...

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:21:53 -0500

brothersbloom:

Une Arnaque presque Parfaite! (“An almost perfect con”) Our French poster. Tres bien.

This French poster is one element of a beautiful brand story created for The Brothers Bloom, A Con Man Movie. Be sure to check out their stunning Tumblr design at http://brothersbloom.tumblr.com Using Tumblr for a movie site this way is just about sublime.

Something to note is that the brand story was not carried through to Facebook & Twitter, and that is a REAL shame because the mood evoked here should have been translated to all media sources. The Twitter page is dull as dirt, and with all this artwork should not have been difficult to brand, and the Facebook site is using a completely different set of graphics and you cannot even tell this is the same movie at a glance. For such a gorgeous, lush, rich branding job this is a disappointment. Don’t do this designers and marketers. Get your dog and pony show planned in advance and execute it consistently EVERYWHERE for maximum brand impact.

Beautiful Steampunk Gadgets

Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:40:30 -0500

@DesignNewz tipped us toward an awesome post filled with delectable Steampunk creations. What I wouldn’t give to sit in front of this beautiful Steampunked computer and keyboard above. Check out the whole article and all the fun fantasy gadgets for more creations like an iPod and headphones and goggles that might make you wince!