May 2010
3 posts
Long gone: Goodbye to the ultimate Michigan brand.
Born in Georgia in 1918, Ernie Harwell wasn’t made in Detroit. Rather, and more importantly, he was one of the things that made Detroit.
For generations of fans in Michigan, Ernie Harwell was the Detroit Tigers, as synonymous with the team as the old English D’s. Both of them. Personally, I can’t imagine my childhood without him.
I was thirteen years old on October 14, 1984. The Tigers won the...
Listen more, but keep talking.
Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of talk about listening. This was especially true at the informative and inspiring FutureMidwest conference. By now, we all know that it’s about creating brand conversations rather than just spouting the corporate point of view through traditional media channels. Two-way dialogue is the name of the game going forward.
By listening, you gain invaluable insights...
April 2010
5 posts
Old Rules vs. New Rules
Brand Building (old rules) > Brand Momentum (new rules)
Consistency > Surprise
Endorsement > Cultural relevance and buzz
Investment as currency > Ideas as currency
Announcement > Conversation
Retail is the opposite of branding > Retail IS branding
The medium dictates the ideas > Ideas find a medium
Now is the time to brand up and be counted.
- Scott Hauman
Pencil Vs. Camera
Talented Belgian artist, Ben Heine, overlays reality with a touch of illustrated whimsy.
Click here for more.
Living Future Midwest Everyday.
The 2010 conference may be over, but the Future Midwest Movement is just beginning. I’m hearing a lot buzz about Future Midwest 2011, and I’m eager to start planning as well. But let’s remember we can live Future Midwest right now. Everyday.
People came to the conference for different reasons, but I believe everyone left feeling the same way – inspired. I know I did. There are so many talented,...
See you in the future midwest...
Was it weird that I started to think about next year’s FutureMidwest conference while the current one was still going on?
Trying to sum up the details of what was discussed and shared at the conference wouldn’t be possible. But the message that was floating in the room larger than the projected space cow on the ceiling was one of optimism and ambition.
To be honest, I really...
A special delivery from Daggerfin
The FutureMidwest event just got a littler sweeter.
Daggerfin has commissioned Justin Bruursema from Burly Surfboards to craft a custom made surfboard for the FutureMidwest 2010 event. Justin is a surfer/shaper from Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is building a classic single fin longboard that is perfect for learning to surf the Great Lakes, or for the seasoned rider who has honed his/her surfing...
March 2010
2 posts
5 tags
Nick Tassone
Poster artist Nick Tassone re-imagines the posters of classic Stephen King stories with these slick two-color treatments rendered in all their stylish, reductionist glory. Simple but effective.
You can see his other designs in the series here.
5 tags
Alidade Capital
We recently created a brand identity and platform for a group of real-estate investors under the Daggerfin created moniker Alidade.
An alidade is a device that allows one to sight a distant object and use the line of sight to perform a task. The name was arrived on after an extensive brand development program including the Alidade partners. With the name settled upon, an identity was developed...
February 2010
1 post
Snowgate 2010
Yesterday’s snowstorm divided the studio into two camps: those who dared to brave the Michigan elements, and those who may lack in the gusto department.
Below is an illustration of what someone who falls in the latter category may have found waiting in his office upon arrival.
Image Key:
1. “Mice on Ice”
2. Snow seat
3. Looking for a pen?
4. Snow pedicure
5. Trash is...
January 2010
1 post
Creative License-Plate
Here’s a list of currently available license plates within the state of Michigan. Someone needs to jump on the Pantone one ASAP. Check out the interface at the Michigan Department of State website. I wonder if Terri Lynn Land knew we would have so much fun typesetting with Michigan license plates. Unfortunately there are no kerning or letterspacing features in development.
—Austin
December 2009
4 posts
Looking forward to 2010
It’s hard to believe that 2009 is already over. The end of the year is always a good time to acknowledge your accomplishments, looking back over the last 365 days to see where your journey has taken you.
That’s not what this post is about, however.
We’ve always preferred looking forward to backwards. In that fine Daggerfin spirit, we’d like to send 2009 off to the great beyond with the crew’s...
Happy Holidays from Daggerfin!
Happy Holidays from everyone at Daggerfin. We’ve just completed the annual Airing of Grievances at the studio and are getting ready to start the Feats of Strength, but before we get too carried away we wanted to say thanks and best wishes.
Want your very own high-res Daggerfin Santa? Click to download.
Building a web presence from the ground up.
Although some brands have a unique personality, the challenge lies in communicating that personality into unique and inspired applications. An example of this is how a brand’s personality can evolve into a web presence. Often a point of differentiation can be a tagline or a positioning statement. But it also can manifest itself visually, and not just in the form of a color palette or typeface. The...
The Latest Conversation at Module
The Latest Conversation at Module:
Applying the Right Kind of Lens
Just as professional photographers use special lenses for capturing subject matter properly, marketing and brand professionals need special lenses to uncover, analyze, and solve today’s branding challenges. Scott Hauman, Director of Brand Strategy for Daggerfin, puts it into perspective.
Read more
October 2009
5 posts
Happy Halloween From Daggerfin!
Itza me Mario! Imma gonna ween!
"The Daggerpins" Logo Competition...Entries
Thanks to all who sent logos in, entries will still be accepted for a couple more days while we deliberate. So here they are in no particular order:
A. From Kellie:
B. From Doug:
C. From George:
D. From Austin (Disqualified):
E. From John (John says, “Late and low-rez, done in 10 minutes by a copywriter. Still, wuz fun.”):
F. From Jim:
"The Daggerpins" Logo Competition...
The Daggerfin bowling team is in need of an identity, and for once we would like to be the client. We are asking for design submissions over the next week from anyone with a passion for retro, smokey, poorly-lit bowling alleys and stale beer. Please send designs in EPS format (outline your fonts) to comeaboard@daggerfin.com, we will be posting them on our blog as we receive them. The winning...
Google and Design, Oil and Water →
Recently Marissa Mayer of Google spoke at an AIGA conference, giving a brief look into data overload at the notoriously un-designed Google.
Creativity is a Buoy in Our Tough Economy
If thinking outside the box is critical for survival in poor economic times, how do you get outside the box in the first place? I like to leverage creativity. Creativity is manifested in many different forms: through ideas, concepts, processes, language, visuals, communication, etc. — just about any task or situation you can think of, creativity can be applied to it. Multiple solutions await any...
September 2009
2 posts
It's Good To Be a Challenger
I love challenger brands. The underdog. The organization with limited resources. They have something the top dog once had but may no longer be in touch with: passion, desire and that gut feeling that they’re about to do and be a part of something bigger and better (even if currently nobody can see that but themselves). They have a vision and so does their leadership team. I’ll take a...
3 tags
The Definition of Verbal Branding
I’m often asked what the term “verbal branding” means. Yesterday, the question came up in a phone conference. Here is my take on the important subject:
A brand is all the things (both tangible and intangible) that create your experience of a company, product, service, or organization, and even a destination. That experience leaves you with an impression. And your impression, once...
August 2009
1 post
3 tags
Can Poetry and Commerce Work Together?
I came across a fantastic article posted in Saturday’s NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/opinion/16heitman.html
It sheds light on Marianne Moore, the famous American writer, who was asked by Ford Motor Company to help solve their naming challenges in 1955. She offered dreamy and thought-provoking suggestions, such as, “the Ford Silver Sword,” “Intelligent Bullet,” “the Ford...
July 2009
2 posts
2 tags
Tips for Creating Engaging Communities
One of the best ways to create sustainable, long-lasting word of mouth is through the building and nurturing of a healthy online community. Here are two tips to help make yours better:
1) Create focused communities
People tend to organize themselves around specific ideas or topics they’re passionate about — not big picture, vague causes. Ensure your communities stay active by creating...
2 tags
Sears Tower becomes Willis Tower
Today, the iconic Chicago, Illinois, skyscraper is now named Willis Tower. But a lot of people are not happy about it. There are more than 92,000 people that have joined a group on Facebook called People Against the Sears Tower Name Change. And there are five other Facebook sites, 1 Myspace group and a Twitter group, all dedicated to reverse the name change for the tower. The effort has gathered...
June 2009
14 posts
Amazing Stop Motion →
Technology may aid design, but amazing results can still be achieved through more conventional means.
Always nice to see a retro take getting amazing results.
Design or Die! →
Note: a version of this post first appeared at http://cplcreative.wordpress.com
Toward the beginning of John Moore’s (Brand Autopsy) visual encapsulation of Marty Neumeier’s The Designful…
Rebranding a City: Fail →
I was in Cincinnati last year for less than 24 hours and in that limited time I got to see some amazing architecture and get a little taste of the city, which feels nothing like the new logo for the official City of Cincinnati released last week.
Typography's Role in the Newspaper Recession →
To cope with rising costs, The New York Times Magazine cuts pages, but packs in just as much content with a new typeface.
Like every other print publication, The New York Times Magazine has…
The Ever-Present Beauty of Apple Apps →
Apple put together a live wall featuring 20,000 of the most popular iphone applications, sorted by color.
Quicktime's New Face →
Quicktime, Apple’s prevalent media technology, is seeing its latest incarnation within a den of Snow Leopards, announced this last Monday at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 2009. As with almost every updated release of the Quicktime, a new icon emerges
How to Put Design in the Driver’s Seat →
In my work I get to experience a lot of companies. Big and small, new and old, tech and craft, domestic and international. All over the place. And more often than not, people come to us…
Herman Miller Debuts Its Newest Office Chair, the... →
A high-tech design whose lines were inspired by a modern masterpiece
Next week, Herman Miller is set to unveil its newest office chair at NeoCon, the world’s largest office-furniture fair.
…
Roadmap for Recovery: Five Ways to Come Out on... →
In my last post, I shared five short-term strategies for surviving the downturn by using design thinking as a roadmap to connect your business with consumers. Once you’ve weathered the worst…
Big in Japan: Report From Asia's Most Influential... →
The largest design trade fair in the East, Interior Lifestyle provides a unique opportunity to see which furniture and textile trends are, indeed, big in Japan. Although tiny when compared to…
Design Is Too Important to Be Left to the Thinkers →
Recently, at a conference reception (think wine and cubes of cheese), a well-known and influential member of the academic community said to me: “Design strategy is far too important to be left to…
Branding Bunny Burgers →
Branding’s a pretty brutal business, as any designer will tell you. But for a look at the complicated issues around pushing a product you can’t quite get behind, it doesn’t get much better…
The Supreme Court's Website Is Due for a Redesign →
Have you ever visited the Supreme Court’s website? Sure, it’s simple enough, but the thing looks like it was last touched in 1995, by a Web designer working for Prodigy (remember them?)….
Do You Obey Design Rules? →
A new book upholds—and subverts—51 common catchphrases for design.
We like to think design is a field of unfettered creativity—an industry that abhors the proverbial box. In actuality it sags…
May 2009
3 posts
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.”
– Mark Twain
2 tags
Trademark, now more than ever!
We are witnessing the filing and registration of more trademarks and domain names than ever before. The good news is that more and more people are becoming aware of the value of a federally registered trademark and therefore are readily investing in marks that may have millions of dollars worth of goodwill some day. However, in a few recent naming engagements, we have also been getting push back...
3 tags
Breaking the Cycle: How effective insight...
Being a marketing leader today is like trying to scale Mount Everest every few weeks without the proper support team, climbing equipment and favorable weather conditions.
How has it come to this? The relentless corporate pressure to quickly build brand equity, generate more leads, monitor performance, and outpace the competition, all with shrinking operating budgets and overworked skeleton crews...