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Archive for February, 2009

Tropicana redesign goes south

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

I was shopping at my local Meijer sometime back, when I noticed that Tropicana Orange Juice was sporting some new packaging. I’ll admit it – I even liked the new, modern design. Fast-forward a few weeks, I’ve been reading some design and branding blogs, and it seems the hard-core Tropicana fans are not loving the new look.

Here are some interesting reads on the subject:

Tropicana Squeezes Out Fresh Design with a Peel

Tropicana Discovers Some Buyers Are Passionate About Packaging

Pepsi Takes the Tropic Out of Tropicana

Perhaps it’s because I wasn’t married to the original design that I find this all a little crazy. Tropicana says they wanted to generate attention for the brand, though I don’t think this is what they had in mind. Clearly, their consumers are comfortable with consistency. I find this snippet from Tropicana’s President particularly interesting:

It was about refreshing and modernizing,” said Tropicana president Neil Campbell. “The entire orange juice category has been in decline for some time. We wanted to create an emotional attachment by ‘heroing’ the juice and trumpeting the natural fruit goodness.”

Emotional attachment indeed. What are your thoughts?

Tags: Design, tropicana
Posted in Design, News | 7 Comments »

Guest Blog: Design Inspiration, Lisa Shaw

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

beyondwords would like to welcome our newest guest blogger, Lisa Shaw. Lisa earned a degree in Professional Writing from Michigan State University and a certificate in book publishing from the University of Denver. Lisa is currently teaching English to students in Busan, South Korea. This guest post is the first in a two-part series of design inspiration.

Be sure to also check out our In the Workplace interview with Lisa!

On my first full day in Korea, I set out on a mission for apartment essentials. For anyone who’s done their fair share of traveling, you can probably guess my methods for acquiring said items — deducing all I could from the pictures on the packaging and hoping for the best. Soap and laundry detergent were easy enough (women smelling clothes, women smelling their hands), and really any hollow cylindrical item can be used as a trash can.

Upon the realization that we needed bleach, however… well, I was anticipating a headache and wishing I had brought my “Say it Right in Korean!” translator book to Family Mart. But then, just as the clouds parted and the angels sang, I saw — Clorox! Absolutely none of the packaging was in English, but there was no doubt in my mind that the white bottle with the simple blue and red label contained one of the most powerful cleaning agents known to man. After adding the bottle to my cart, I silently praised Clorox for their brilliant branding that I had never consciously noticed before.

That said … this set of photos is comprised of a few examples of the typography, logos, and branding that I’ve noticed while walking and shopping around the streets of Busan.

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1) matching bag & box, perfect packaging for sweet barley bread (a delicacy of Gyeoungju).. you can’t see the details, but the beige background is also textured with flecks of light brown, the same color as the barley image;

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2) signage that works in all languages… particularly effective is the PB (Paris Baguette) + Eiffel Tower — whenever you see the Tower, you know tasty pastries are nearby;

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3) a bar that uses great fonts;

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4) I have no idea what this logo is for, but I love the shapes and colors;

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5) all neighborhoods in Busan have uniquely designed manhole coverings — this is one of my favs, in Nampodong;

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6) Clorox bleach, SoKo-style.

Tags: Design, inspiration, PW@MSU, South Korea
Posted in Design | 3 Comments »

In the Workplace with Erin Riojas

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Name: Erin Riojas
Title: Editor
Website/Blog: erinriojas.com
Location: Evanston, Illinois

erin

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
Okay. I graduated from MSU in 2006 with a B.A. in Professional Writing. During my junior and senior years I worked/interned at the MSU Press as the Acquisitions Assistant, reading manuscripts, corresponding with authors, and making copies of things. I was also Fiction Editor of the student-run lit journal, The Offbeat.

Tell us about your current job.
Certainly. I work as an editor for a medical office supply company called Medical Arts Press, which is owned by Quill, which is owned by Staples. Ya dig? It’s sort of like The Office only less funny. I edit every type of media that goes out, including catalogues, emails, web ads, newsletters, and blog entries.

I also write a lot of articles for our newsletter, and for Quill’s two customer newsletters. My favorite thing to do lately is write the cartoons for our newsletter, which is brand new for both me and the newsletter. A lot of my joke ideas get rejected by the higher-ups. I’m too cutting edge for medical offices.

Sometimes they let me do a little design work, too, like build web ads and other random projects.
(more…)

Tags: Editing, In the Workplace
Posted in Career | No Comments »

Calling all Professional Writing Alums!

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Join the newly created Professional Writing Program Alumni Facebook Group!

msu pw program

This will be a space for news, updates, and job leads from the PW@MSU program!

Please feel free to add your photos and videos from your time in the program or feature the work you are doing since you’ve left!

Tags: PW@MSU
Posted in News | No Comments »

In the Workplace with Ryan Doom

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Name: Ryan Doom
Title: President and co-founder of Web Ascender
Websites: www.webascender.com & www.ryandoom.com
Location: East Lansing, Michigan

Ryan Doom

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated from the Michigan State University Computer Science program in 2003. During my stay at MSU, I worked to get a good internship each year that would help prepare me for what businesses would be looking for when I graduated. My senior year I started working almost full time at a software consulting company and worked there for four years. I also have a couple Microsoft certifications. I am currently an MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) and MCAD (Microsoft Certified Application Developer).

Tell us about your current job.
I started a web design, development, and internet marketing business with a long-time friend and schoolmate in 2005. I am currently in charge of all sales, marketing, and project management activities.

(more…)

Tags: In the Workplace
Posted in Career, Design, Web | 4 Comments »

Facebook turns five

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Facebook recently celebrated its fifth anniversary as the most popular social networking site in the world with more than 110 million users.

I remember when I first heard of Facebook as a university student. Since then, my usage of the site has changed as my needs have changed, and I think that this flexibility is what makes Facebook attractive to so many people. From classmates to co-workers to grandmas, people have found that Facebook is an easy way to keep in touch, plan an event, join a cause, or just poke someone.

In “Five Years of Facebook“, Scott Simon talked with Andy Carvin, NPR Social Media Strategist, about how the site got started and how social networking has changed how people use the internet.

“If you do practically anything in the public sphere, you need some kind of presence on Facebook. [...] it’s expected of you to go into that community because it is such a large community. You ignore Facebook at your own peril.”

This quote struck me in two ways. First, since it is becoming expected for people to be on Facebook, that also means that more and more people have profiles, photos, and other information that may be viewable by employers. So while Carvin says that “you ignore Facebook at your own peril”, keep in mind that using Facebook is at your own risk as well.

Second, if you are a professional writer who deals with web design, online communications, or public relations, for example, you will likely be asked by prospective employers what you know about Facebook. This is because Facebook is now an important tool for businesses and organizations and you may be writing and designing for social media strategies that involve it or other social networking tools like Twitter.

If you would like to see how the design of the site has evolved over the years, check out the retrospective slideshow Facebook put together for the occasion. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with social networking and Facebook in the next five years.

Tags: facebook, networking, social media
Posted in Web | No Comments »

No Worker Left Behind

Friday, February 6th, 2009

The Michigan economy has been terrible for a while now, and one way that the state is trying to improve the situation for workers is through No Worker Left Behind (NWLB). From the website:

No Worker Left Behind (NWLB) is Governor Granholm’s vision for accelerating the transition of thousands of workers into good-paying jobs by providing up to two years worth of free tuition at any community college, university, or other approved training provider to gain the skills and credentials for new careers in high-demand occupations, emerging industries, or to start a business. The program will expand on job training and education services currently available to job seekers through Michigan Works! Service Centers.

You may be eligible for this program if you are currently unemployed; have been terminated or laid off; or are employed but have a family income of $40,000 or less per year. The website offers an easy-to-use map of the state that provides users with high demand occupations and job outlooks by county.

Check out the high demand jobs for professional writers in Grand Rapids, Detroit, and Lansing areas:

Allegan and Kent Counties
- Editors
- Graphic designers
- Public relations specialists
- Writers and authors

City of Detroit
- Computer software engineers, applications
- Computer support specialists
- Network systems and data communications analysts

Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties
- Media and communication workers
- Public relations specialists
- Writers and authors

I am glad to see that there is still a demand for professional writers in a state with one of the worst economies. If you are eligible for No Worker Left Behind, check your county to see what jobs and support are available for you.

Tags: jobs, Michigan, Online Resources
Posted in Career | No Comments »

Communication & Web Design

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

I have had many discussions with fellow professional writers about how well-crafted content is essential for good web design, so I was thrilled to see an article from Smashing Magazine about the necessity of good communication for websites.

In “Clear And Effective Communication In Web Design“, web designer and blogger Steven Snell does a fantastic job of breaking down methods of communication, challenges for designers, and communication basics. To help make all of that much easier to do, he also gives tips and goals for creating good communication, along with its results.

But for me the most interesting aspect is that this article reinforces the importance and value of hiring professional writers who have the ability to effectively communicate through writing and design.

Snell talks about how a website needs to quickly and clearly communicate while also showing personality, improving branding, and taking into account the medium and the audience. This should sound familiar. Just look at how some of our “In the Workplace” web designers and developers have defined professional writing:

“Being able to strongly communicate an idea in as few words as possible with enough honesty and candor to grab someone’s attention.” – Joe Sak, XHTML/CSS/JS Web Developer

“Knowing who your target audience is, what your audience is looking for, and tailoring your document to meet those needs. We analyze, synthesize, and deliver.” – Andrew Saulter, Web Designer/Developer

“Communicating clearly and effectively to a specific audience through a specific medium.” – Kristen Byers, New Media Development Specialist

“Being clear and concise when communicating a message.” - John Phillips, User Interface Designer/Developer

Web designers not only need to know how to communicate effectively through their design work, they also need to know how to talk to employers about the need for an effective communicator and web designer. With the current state of the economy, it is more important than ever to be able to communicate your value as a professional writer when writing a resume, designing a portfolio, or interviewing for jobs. Snell’s article provides some great language to do that, so be sure to check it out.

Tags: interviews, jobs, web design
Posted in Design, Web, Writing | 3 Comments »

In the Workplace with Andrew Saulter

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

Name: Andrew Saulter
Title: Web Designer/Developer
Website/Blog: www.tridea-design.com
Location: Brooklyn, NY

Andrew Saulter

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated from Michigan State in 2006 with a B.A. in Professional Writing (Digital and Technical Writing track.) During my education I gravitated towards all things web/design/technology and really took to it. After graduating, I worked as a web designer for MATRIX, Web Master for Kresge Art Museum, and an Interface Developer for JSTOR. In July of 2008, I packed up and made the move to NYC to be with my fiancée and now work for the NYC Campaign Finance Board. I also run my own design shop, Tridea Design, with fellow PW alums John Phillips and Tyler Smeltekop.

Tell us about your current job.
My day job is as Web Designer/Developer for the Campaign Finance Board in lower Manhattan where I work as the sole front-end web designer/developer. The Campaign Finance Board oversees the public funding program for candidates running for public office in NYC, runs the debates for each election, and publishes the print/web voter guide. I started in October and jumped right in to learning about the company and undertaking projects to improve our website.

At night and on weekends I link up with John and Tyler and work on client projects for our company. This allows me to be more flexible in my role and wear many hats. We do print work, logo design, identity packages, and web design/development.

What does a typical day look like for you?
Day to day I get various documents from different units to make web-ready and push out to the site. I’m also trying to usher the website into a new era where we take advantage of social media technologies and more interactive content with our users. My priorities fluctuate based on the time of year and whether we are in an election year or not. During election years, I’m more focused on getting information out for people to make informed decisions as well as posting data on candidate finance summaries. On off-election years I am afforded more time to analyze the site and work on improvements in our content delivery and the technology we use.

For Tridea, my typical day/week consists of finding and approaching new business leads for projects, communicating with clients, managing our current project workloads, and making sure we are churning out great work in an efficient manner. I do both design work and web development.