My logo for my creative portfolio and lab (where I play & test with jquery).

The logo was a design challenge, in that I wanted to really play off of the idea of a think tank in a much different way than it’s been approached in the past.

I wanted the brain to be apparent, but stylistically minimal. I also wanted the top down view of the head, and was able to give that impression by integrating the Q from the type into the mark.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

I have been Rizzo Mattson’s webmaster for 5 years and this summer we decided it was time for a complete redesign and update. The prior site I had designed was a darker style with more images for the elements (background for menus, content blocks, etc.). I wanted to really clean up the design and put the focus on the content (the real estate for sale and the blog entries).

Below, you will see the custom layout I designed, incorporating Google Streetview and Walkscore in addition to the google map.  For the tech-minded, the script I used for the site, EZ Realty for Joomla, used FETCH for geocoding the property address.  This client’s server was not compatible with the FETCH function, so I rewrote the bit of code to CURL. I submitted it to the developer and she’s used that bit of code for all subsequent releases.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

Logo design for Kennebec Valley Board of Realtors. KVBR serves as a governing board, membership directory and news outlet for area Realtors. Most of KVBR’s communication is with Realtors, however they do produce news releases and additional information for the public.

The logo design needed to convey that KVBR is a professional organization that focuses on real estate. Additionally, in the design, I wanted to play off of the word “Valley” and KVBR’s location. Maine is widely known for it’s coastline, and that theme is often over used in logo design. KVBR is located inland away from the coast, and I wanted to convey the pastoral nature of the area.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

I was contracted by Casco Bay to create a brand identity for them through a redesigned logo and tri-fold brochure. Their prior design work was a fairly standard clip art design that is prevalent for a lot of area home improvement companies.

Casco Bay was interested in capturing higher end clientele and drawing customers from other areas of the state. Through several consultations, we worked together to develop a marketing strategy and a brand strategy, that reflected those goals.

I wanted to get away from the construction feel and design a brochure that was visually engaging and contrasting to other home improvement companies.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

Logo design for MoveMaine.org. Movemaine.org is a social network & trail directory that is under development for hiking and outdoor enthusiasts. The site includes trail maps, features, ratings and additional information. Users will be able to submit trails and have their own profiles, with the ability to save/bookmark trails and add comments to trails within the directory.

In designing this logo, I wanted the site’s purpose to be immediately recognizable, for it to have an outdoorsy feel, and remain relatively simple (single color) for apparel and other marketable items.

Generally speaking, people immediately recognize a bootprint as having an “outdoors” feel. MoveMaine.org wanted that same immediate brand recognition, however it was important to integrate the bootprint in a new way.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

I was asked to create an entire brand identity for National Job Finders. NJF was a start up corporation that works with companies to resolve stagnant workmens comp cases.

This was a new enterprise providing a new service to the insurance industry. In developing the brand, I focused on simplicity and ensuring that the companys purpose was very apparent. Additionally, I wanted the designs to feel established, so that it was not apparent that NJF was a start up. This was reflected in my font choices as a serif font gives the feeling of formality and in color choices, because blue is the most widely used color for corporate logos.

Logo

In developing the brand identity, I wanted to keep the overall theme minimal in grayscale with one color to add punch. Blue was chosen to tie into the national theme, and the final concept is essentially an abstract flag.

Brochure

One page sell sheet for NJF. The design needed to be clean & bold, with an immediate focus drawn to the companys purpose. Instead of overloading a tri-fold brochure with text, I designed a one page brochure that identifies key points and offers a comparison table. Because NJF was providing a new service to the insurance industry, it was important that several key points were immediately apparent to someone looking at the brochure.

Trade Show Banners

3 feet by 7 feet.

These banners were designed to draw attention with a clean crisp style. Due to NJF being a newcomer to the insurance trade show circuit, it was important that the banners would draw questions and initiate conversation with the booth operators. As with the other designs, the key points are immediately visible to someone walking by.

Website

The client wanted a very minimal, white washed website. In keeping with the overall brand identity, the site is in grayscale except for links and headlines which reflect the same color blue as the logo. The site was built with html & css, and then converted to a commercial CMS platform.

NationalJobFinders.com

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

Poster design for my son’s high school Project Graduation. Since standard letter size posters tend to get lost on bulletin boards, I wanted to ensure that the poster was eye catching and would be recognizable from afar as a show.

On a sidenote, Paul Nardizzi is hilarious. Watch the clip.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

From Wikipedia:

Counting coup refers to the winning of prestige in battle by the Plains Indians of North America. Warriors won prestige by acts of bravery in the face of the enemy, and these acts could be recorded in various ways and retold as stories. Any blow struck against the enemy counted as a coup, but the most prestigious acts included touching an enemy warrior, with the hand or with a coup stick, then escaping unharmed. Counting coup could also involve stealing from the enemy. Risk of injury or death was required to count coup. Coups were recorded by notches in the coup stick, or by feathers in the headdress of a warrior who was rewarded with them for an act of bravery.

There are even stories from WWI where the German soldiers were terrified of the American Indian soldiers, because the Indian soldiers would sneak into the German camps at night and Count Coup by waking up the German soldiers and then sneaking back into the night. Counting coup was only recognized if your enemy was aware that you were touching him and then you escaped unharmed.

The inspiration for this piece was that I found the middle piece with the cutout shapes at a steelyard. It immediately reminded me of hoof prints from a horse and then I envisioned a rider and the rest of the piece from there.

This piece was created in 03, and during that time I was intrigued by the personal nature of war by cultures without guns. Your honor and personal power is based on your acts. You are what you survive. Which is a significant difference from todays society, where you are what you buy.

The piece was arc welded with construction grade steel, and a salvaged cast iron wagon wheel. It stands over 10 feet tall and about 6 feet wide.

I currently am in possession of this piece, however I would be willing to donate it to a nonprofit organization that serves American Indians in some capacity.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting

So you need a web developer/designer? If you have little experience in managing your own website or are just making the leap into developing your online business, hiring a web designer/developer can be a daunting task.

First off, you NEED to hire one. There’s no substitute for experience. Many wanna-be entrepreneurs think the internet is the golden goose and don’t realize the amount of time and effort that is required before they will ever see a penny in profit.

That being said, how do you hire a web designer? If you have little knowledge of the industry, how will you know what questions to ask? As a web designer/developer I know what questions a potential client should be asking me. If they don’t ask the right questions, then I make sure I give them the relevant information so I can ensure that they are making an informed decision.

1. Can I see your portfolio?
Looks great – now what? Look for completed projects, not mockups & in development projects. Also, do all of the sites look similar, or are there different designs based upon different projects? Every designer has an aesthetic and design-sensibility; you may see similarities in project to project of certain elements – however, look at the overall design and see if it meets the purpose of the site.

2. Can I see some examples of your work completed on a similar budget and scope?
Let’s compare apples to apples. When you test drive cars, you may want to drive the Porsche, but your budget says otherwise. Have the designer show you some examples of his/her work that is within the realm of what your goals are. Additionally, be aware that you are not going to get a $5,000 website for $500. Be realistic. By asking this question, you will see what you can afford and what you can expect to be delivered for that price.

3. How will the site be managed?
Are you going to rehire the designer every time the site needs an update or blog post? or is the designer building in a method for you to update the site yourself? Many clients focus on the here & now – I want a website – and aren’t thinking long term about site management. A good designer will have already considered this – however, if you don’t ask you may end up with a site that you don’t have the skills to manage.

4. Can you walk me through the development of this project?
Pick a project that is similar to your goal. Listen for the goals of the project and how the designer feels he/she successfully achieved those goals. Ask about specific items within the goal itself. Pay attention to how the developer explains what was done and how it was done. Does he/she speak with confidence, is there a lot of techno-babble, or are they unsure? A good designer should be able to explain the how & why in a concise and clear manner.

5. How would you approach my project and do you have any additional ideas?
You may have an idea of what you want the project to be, but without the experience in the web industry you may not be aware of what’s available. A web designer will have ideas that you have not thought of. Many designers have worked on a wide variety sites and may understand the needs of your project better than you do.

6. What development languages do you speak?
They must answer html and css confidently. Not “some html” or “some css”. These are must haves and are non-negotiable. Some type of javascript is generally helpful (straight javascript, jquery, prototype, mootools, etc.). Depending on the scope of your project, there may be the need for other special development languages – php, .net, and others.

7. What industry sites and blogs do you read regularly?
This question can give you an idea of how in-tune they are with the latest industry trends and technologies, as well as how passionate they are about webdev. It’ll help separate the people who do it as a career AS WELL as a hobby from those who are just sidelining. Get a list of these sites and check them out yourself.

I hope these tips are helpful, and expect part 2 in the following weeks.

Jason Day - Design & Creative Consulting