The human brain is the most complex and misunderstood organism in the universe. It serves as the control center for all of our motor function and movement, it makes decisions and recognizes associations and differences between multiple objects and systems simultaneously. But possibly the single most unique thing about our brains, and what sets us apart from the animals, is our ability to imagine.

The world we live in today with all of our transportation methods, communication options, modern medicine, technology, entertainment, literature, and millions of other things, have become the realized product of someones, or some groups imagination. We are not only able to make sense of the world around us, but we can make better sense of the future in front of us.

Is our imagination however, something intuitive and forever utilized? The answer is NO. The reason for this blog is to further the movement of cultivating and nurturing human creativity and imagination. If we are not careful, it becomes easy to fall into the mundane, the routine, and out of thinking beyond what we already know and understand. We get comfortable with the way things are and atrophy our imagination muscle.

There is great hope however, never before has man seen such a rapid increase in innovation and
progressive design. The New England Historical Society has tracked the increased industrial progression across the globe over the past 200 years, and identified a rapid exponential growth pattern in human innovation. The study measures product and service advancements as it pertains to items sold and implemented. Since the early nineteenth century, Innovation has increased in an enormous rate, and is only growing.

Creativity has many definitions, but one that seems to fit quite well, is – the imagination put to purpose. What then becomes the purpose of creativity? it is the opportunity for creating a better world around us, and for those who come after us. As each of us take part in supporting new ideas, radical ideas, and think beyond what is already understood, we will be helping to progress the cause of human imagination.

The next time you use your iPhone, or prepare a meal in minutes in the microwave, when you travel across continents in less than a day due to air travel, remember, that was all once stored only inside a persons head. It started as imagination, that progressed into in idea, that idea was put into testing and refining, until eventually it was produced and later nearly perfected. Seeing how far we’ve come and where we are going, only begs the question – what other seeds of thought are out there? And where do they reside? Are there any within the unending expanse of cognition within your head? My answer to that is YES, and it is your opportunity to let it out.

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Jon Baddley, Director of Business Development at AXIS-41, a branding and marketing firm in Salt Lake City. Jon has been in the business nearly 20 years and works with top brands in their industry, this is how our conversation went:

 

IN: What are some of the biggest challenges in creating an effective brand?

Jon: A brand becomes everything a person associates with a company, their product, their practice, or their service. In order to communicate what the company really wants to communicate they need to know what their own business model is, so that we can build a reflective brand around that business model. If the client is still a little unsure about their business model, it can be difficult to know how to effectively brand.

IN: Would you explain the basic model process of creating and building a brand from start to finish?

Jon: We really feel that a brand is much more than just a logo or trademark. When a client approaches us to help them build their brand, we try to understand who they are and what they represent. This usually starts with meeting the client several times, and going to see how they operate. When we start to gain an understanding for who they are, we are then able to bring that out in the form of colors and typeface, logos, touchpoint experiences, community involvement, and a whole lot of other ways to get them recognized in the most correct way, that communicates to the public who they really are.

IN: What issues arise when you don’t see eye to eye with a client?

Jon: Well, we really don’t get too far down the line and have many misunderstandings occur. We are not a quick and dirty logo producer, or just service clients who want a quick facelift. In our initial meetings we get to know our clients and their needs, as well as they get to know us and our practice. If both of our needs and practice don’t match up, we usually arrive to that pretty early on in the relationship. Once we have established a working relationship however, ours, and the clients expectations are usually very clear.

IN: What is your favorite part of the whole process?

Jon: Ha, well there really are many things I enjoy about this work, but I guess I would have to say seeing what the client thinks about how we are able to represent them. So often a company will see what we have created for them, and they will be amazed at how well that tells their story.

IN: Alright, well thank you very much Jon, I really appreciate your time with this, and hope the best for you and AXIS-41.

Jon: Thank you.

Have you ever thought of an idea for a product, but couldn’t quit explain it? Our minds are a universe of incredible ideas, and one thing that usually keeps those ideas from being realized is the inability to express those ideas to others, or to get others on board to see the same vision that you have.

In the past, a person would have needed to master the art of 2D sketching and drawing in order to effectively convey what they were thinking. In todays world like never before, we have the tools to not only create 3D images of what is inside our heads, but animations, and even 3D models. This post is all about the 3D world of bringing our ideas to life.

3D modeling software:

There are a lot of options when it comes to 3D modeling software. One that has been of interest to me lately is by the company, Solidworks. With this kind of software, a person can model an idea in a very realistic way. Soon your idea can be viewed by others, complete with all the right materials, and textures. 

3D Printing:

Printers just print flat images on paper right? Well, most of them, “yes”. But a relatively new technology has emerged over the past ten years that allows for a specific product’s concept to become an actual tangible 3D model. No longer does a designer need to spend the enormous amount of money in tooling and manufacturing costs, and wait the several week process, just to get a quick sampling of what they are working on. Now in just a few minutes, a printer laying down a specially formulated epoxy/resin type formula can “print” a fully functioning model of your project.

There will always be room for the napkin sketch, and 2D ideations, but the technology for showcasing the ideas we have are incredible. These technologies don’t necessarily allow for ideas to come about that would have otherwise never been, that is what our completely irreplaceable minds are for, but they certainly do speed up the process.

 

Shutter bug? NO way, this is a spider!

Looking like something out of a Transformers movie, the new Cineskates tripod wheels can make any homespun movie look like a million bucks.

Besides the years of experience, training, talent, and skill of a professional movie producer, there have really only been two things separating an amateur from the professional cinematography world; quality video equipment and stabilization. While affordable HD camera technology has stormed the home use market in just the past few years, it is now lack of stabilization, and smooth camera angles that scream amateur loud and clear. until now, capturing a smooth side panning shot, or rotational view, a person would have needed to invest in expensive camera tracks and wheel set-ups. Cineskates seems to have nailed it with this new attachment for the Gorrilllapod tripods. 

With easy snap-on set ups, the rubber skate wheels allow for almost flawlessly smooth movement of the camera. The shots look amazingly professional and the whole set up is so versatile and portable. Studying at MIT, this Jensen fella has designed and created this “why didn’t I think of that?” project. In his Kickstarter video he also explains his plans for motorized wheels, (of which I assume will be remote controlled) and other additions to this great idea. To learn more bout Cineskates and to view Justin’s Kickstarter video visit: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jj1/cineskates-camera-sliders.

 

We have always been surrounded by marketing and logos. Big brands and advertisements are familiar grounds for all of us, but it is changing. In the past it was rare to see a logo on a shirt or piece of clothing. most branding was kept to the storefront, the business card, and the letterhead. Only in the past 20 years have we begun seeing branding promoted so heavily by the customer. Today logos adorn clothing and cars, stickers and sporting events. Are corporations the ones bringing it to us, or have we been the ones in the drivers seat, propelling this movement forward? Companies no longer need to just appeal to their user, they need to build a culture, and as much as we might think we hate this inundation of corporate identity, we actually love it! Otherwise it wouldn’t exist.

My favorite example of capitalizing big on this idea is Red Bull Energy Drinks. Red Bull was a great idea, and the creator of the energy drink craze. But how did they go about getting into the market? For one thing, they didn’t buy a bunch of airtime on a radio station, or list in a magazine. The creators of Red Bull understood the power of culture, the stickiness of loyalty and belonging. They knew that if they could build a culture that the rising generation could identify with, they would have a loyal customer base. And loyal they have been. The energy drink industry has exploded, with dozens of other competitors to run with the bulls. Soon, drinks from these other brands offered flavor varieties, and larger cans, bright flashy branding and creative pop-tops. But still Red Bull flies off the shelves as the best selling energy drink in America.

Branding is no longer just about repetitious exposure. But the right exposure generating the right response. Red Bull drinkers continue to pick the blue and silver cans because they want to feel part of the culture Red Bull has created. It’s probably rare to see Red Bull as one of many other sponsors at a sporting event, and that’s because they don’t sponsor events, they create their own. Bringing in the biggest names of a particular sport or activity, Red Bull hosts their very own events making them the primary and pretty much only sponsor. In some cases they have not only started their own event, but invented their own sport, drawing the attention of millions. Red bull has come to represent much more than a refreshing energy beverage, they are now an elite group of people bringing entertainment to the world, and supporting an almost fanciful lifestyle enjoyed by but a few, and observed by many.

When a person is confronted with making a selection of which of the many energy drink to go with, more powerful to resist than taste, value, drinkability, and energy content, is culture! You might not be the one jumping from a plane, or skimming across the water on a kite board. You may not be drifting around a corner at 90MPH in a F1 race car, or darting around air pylons in a dynamic race pane, but when you have that can with the distinct Red Bull logo in your hand, when you drink the same thing as your heros and icons, when you wear the logo on your hat or t-shirt, you have joined their ranks, you have become part of the team. You might be a bench warming nobody, but hey, thats good enough to pick Red Bull over any other brand.

This idea of culture is huge! Anymore, if a person doesn’t believe in your product enough to want to help you promote it, they won’t believe in it enough to even buy it.  We feel a personal connection and representation of who we are with the products we buy. For brand loyalty to be displayed by the consumer, a company must display a ten fold measure of that loyalty back, combined with trust, consistency, and innovative progression forward. The stakes are high, but when done right, a company can expect exponential growth and market share due to their growing corporate culture. Does every company need to put on their own events and invent new sports to build a culture? Of course not, but the principle of building something consumers not only need but can join you in believing in, is what will climb any venture to the top!

 

Branding…..One hundred years ago that word would have only lead people to think about how one farmer can tell his cattle from another.

Today is no different! When a certain company or group decide on a name and logo, the iron is readied and the permenant impression is made. Sifting through the millions of trademarks and logos we all encounter, we can instantly recognize one company over another, more than that, we can recognize the character and personality of that group. Colors, font choices, and the arrangement of simple shapes and lines tell an immediate story about what or who it represents.

The effective design and use of brand identity is paramount to any company gaining recognition, and maintaining the reputation they need.

If corporate branding wasn’t cool enough. The rebranding of an already successful well known entity can be very interesting to see. The success of which can be seen immediately, later down the road, or never.

Comedy Central has released their new logo this year, and this is what people are saying about it:

“serious and boring”; “simple AND boring”; “BORING, LAME, UNINTEREST­ING”; “It’s worse than awful: it’s boring”; “Boring!”; “boringly corporate”

What did the designers have to say about it?:

“One of the things we looked at constantly as we were developing the brand redesign is that it needed to become a next-generation brand package,”

“In the old world you could do a logo mark that was dominant for print. You don’t want that anymore. The way a brand moves in a digital space — where everything moves — is as relevant to your experience as a static logo.”

The copyright is the ultimate emblem of the corporate world. Here, Comedy Central is literally turning it on its head. The joke is subtle but clever. You don’t need comic sans and a brick backdrop at the Ha Ha Club to say “funny.” The new logo brands Comedy Central as funny — and subtly suggests that they’ve got a lock on laughs.Brands are becoming more about how they behave than how they look static. I think this redesign hit the “bulls-eye”. Talk about design with a function; the right branding can be your greatest salesperson, and you don’t even have to pay out it’s commissions.

It is certainly the single biggest event to have hit this country in my lifetime, and I think we can all remember where we were and what we were doing on that frightening morning in 2001.

The details of that day forever remain etched in our minds because of the powerful emotion attached to what had happened. United as a national family, our hearts broke as the terror of that act swept immediately across the entire country.

Our sympathies and tears went out to the men and women and their beloved families and friends that left this Earth that day, and together we fought in support of bringing justice to those responsible.

Now ten years later we have dusted ourselves off and rebuilt. A memorial dedicated to all the heros of that day, living and passed, stands with a museum and reflection pools to show the world our strength and resiliency.

I am so proud to be a part of this amazing country. Where we enjoy a very expensive and priceless freedom. I love this country not because of what we have, but because of who we are. Thank you to those who gave of themselves when it was so needed, thank you to a country that knows how to show brotherly kindness when it really counts, and thank you to the good good men and women who continue to serve in the cause of freedom today, because you are willing to sacrifice your lives, we all owe you ours.

The biggest Gnar award  goes to those people who make, and continue to make this country the greatest country in the world.

Happy tenth Patriots day! God bless us!


One of the hottest buzzwords lately is – “green energy”.

Even using the color green in their branding and product design, one company has captured the power of a very renewable source of energy and deserves the Gnar of the day award.

Goal Zero, has taken portable solar power to the next level. With sleek designs, convenient sizes, and cutting edge technology, these products allow power usage anywhere the sunshines, and especially when it doesn’t. nice work Goal zero!