Our makeshift photo studio located in Oxide’s basement

On the previous version of our site, all our portfolio pieces were bound to the same dimensions. For the redesign, we set out to find a way to show everything in its ideal size and aspect ratio — meaning that images shouldn’t be constrained to a preset size. Despite necessitating a tricky, ultra-flexible design and a complex back-end to arrange them all, our new images give us significantly more control over how our work is presented.

Throughout this post, on the left you’ll see the way we used to feature a particular portfolio piece, and  on the right, how our work is currently shown.

Logos

Previously, logos were forced into the set box whether they sat on a white background or not. The right image below shows how logos are now able to float freely without the constraint of the defined box. If logos look best on a tinted/textured background, we set a visual standard that would create some consistency across the board.

The previous way we displayed logos (left), and the new unfettered display method

Print (flat)

Posters are now shown flat, as if they’re hung on a white wall. We built several light faux shadows, which are randomly loaded below the image to show the thickness of paper. Flat printed pieces, many of which are in the Info design category, are also shown in this manner. Again, this is all about showing each portfolio piece in its ideal form.

The previous way we displayed print work (left), and the new flat display method

Print (dimension)

Print work, package design, and many of the miscellaneous pieces in our portfolio have dimension, which means they need to be photographed in a way that shows this. Photographing our work in the past meant finding a spot in the office that had an interesting background. Our very inconsistent incandescent lighting (blue, yellow, and white) usually meant a lot of time in photoshop. So, we built build a simple studio in our basement to shoot these piece. We’re now able to take photos with proper lighting quickly and consistently.

The previous way we displayed dimensional print pieces (left), and the new cleaner display method

Everything else

Some pieces in our Everything else category are best shown as a photo. Since everything on our site appears as if it was hung on a wall or photographed on a perfect white backdrop, we decided to make the photos appear as if they lived in the same environment. This is where the styling for the logos with tinted/textured backgrounds came from. The off-white border and random loading faux shadow (already created for the posters) was the best solution.

The previous way we displayed photographs (left), and the new, more consistent display method

Interactive

Showcasing digital work presented a similar challenge: we needed the interactive work to appear as though it was in the same environment as everything else. The answer was to place the work inside a flat screen with a light shadow below it. To stay ahead of the constantly-evolving style of the hardware, we created our own simplified monitor and mobile device that would not be locked to a specific model (and eventually appear outdated). Our devices have no manufacturer logos, buttons, or specific styling cues.

The previous way we displayed online and interactive work (left), and the new contextual display method

GDUSA’s “People to Watch in 2012″ issue

It’s a great honor to be included on this list, and it makes me proud to know that people are taking notice of the good work I’m trying to do. On the other hand, having a national publication tell the world they should be watching you certainly steps up the pressure. It’s good incentive to avoid resting on my laurels, and keep working hard to solve problems, realize meaningful change, help people, and make sense of the world. Beyond that, my next order of business is to start finding a way to get some proper recognition for the other brilliant designers here at Oxide. There’s no way I’d be in GDUSA without them.

Drew Davies featured in GDUSA’s “People to Watch in 2012″

Note: Rather than write a feature on each person from the list, GDUSA conducted email interviews to ask a variety of compelling questions. You can read my answers on the GDUSA site.

Since Oxide’s inception, the 2-D and 3-D versions of the symbol have been used interchangeably, but with an emphasis on the 3-D/bubble version. People have responded really well to the bubble, so we used it pretty much exclusively — as a small adhesive sticker in the real world, and in faux 3-D for print and online.

Oxide’s previous logo (left), and our updated logo

But over 10 years, Oxide’s thought process has moved so significantly towards no-nonsense clarity that the bubble started to feel out of line with our approach. So we’ve moved to the no-nonsense clarity of the 2-D version. And conveniently, since the real bubble on the business cards is actually the 2-D logo with a resin coating, those get to stay as-is.

This transition also allows us to utilize our corporate red more significantly and often (by reversing the logo and type in white). And the original type (set in Fono) has also been replaced with Avenir Next, our long-standing corporate typeface.

Updated letterhead

Drew Davies presents at the Accessible Voting Technology Workshop. Photo by Jared Marcotte.

Far and away the best aspect of the workshop was the ability to work side-by-side with people who really know the breadth of the issues. I got to work directly with elections officials, who have behind-the-scenes knowledge of running an election. And partner with a wide range of those who have first-hand experience using current-day accessible voting technology — people who are blind, deaf, or rely on a wheelchair.

The workshop participants were divided into four small groups, each assigned a different aspect of the elections process: pre-election information, remote voting, in-person voting, and ballot design. My team — ballot design — brainstormed on a wide variety of issues, and eventually chose to pursue the concept of including more instructional and informational data on ballots, located in context where voters need it most. We discussed adding more specific voting instructions in-line, as well as providing contextual information such as descriptions of the political offices and potentially even information about specific candidates. While this kind of support data would be extremely helpful for voters with lower literacy or education levels, it can also be supportive for all voters.

Ballot design concept for an accessible touch-screen voting machine. Artwork by Luke Mastrangelo.

During the second half of the workshop we worked on how this contextual information might manifest itself in the most useful fashion, and how implementation would need to differ from paper to electronic (on-screen) voting. Our concepting also spread into how to design the most usable touch-screen voting interface, and imagined the ideal physical form factor needed on a truly accessible electronic voting machine. A lot of really compelling directions came out of the workshop, and I’m excited to keep working to bring the best ideas to fruition.

What’s next? The AVTI will hold a second workshop later in Feb, then have an open call for grants to begin the real work of implementing solutions.

Concept sketches showing how various personas would interact with an accessible touch-screen voting machine. Artwork by Luke Mastrangelo.

Thank you to the groups who brought the vision of this workshop into reality: the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and the Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access (CATEA) at Georgia Tech University. And a particular thanks to the Georgia Tech School of Industrial Design students who helped us illustrate and elucidate each team’s conceptual ideas, especially our team’s illustration dynamo Luke Mastrangelo.

If you’re inspired by the idea of creating more accessible voting, there’s a great way for you to get involved. ITIF and EAC are calling on everyone, including voters, non-voters, election officials, people with disabilities, designers, engineers, and students, to help us make elections more accessible for everyone. They’ve launched a challenge on openIDEO titled How might we design an accessible election experience for everyone? I personally invite you to join this challenge; submit your inspiration, share your concepting, and participate in the refinement process. Your contributions can help make voting in America a more accessible experience for all of us.

It’s been a little while since the last entry to Fun with code, mostly because I’ve been having quite a bit of fun with code. Alas, this tutorial has a third and final part which will wrap everything up.

Dangerous Territory

Now, here is where I must warn you that the tutorial falls into the area of highly advanced. This function took many hours and many different versions to perfect. The result is a series of looping functions which build and compare arrays in order to properly fill the custom taxonomy with the necessary terms. It also uses the arrays to check whether or not a term should be updated or deleted when its corresponding post is deleted.

As I said before, this one is highly complex, and because of that level of complexity, it can be easy to get lost. This time, I’ll simplify my explanations and provide them inline, directly inside of the code snippet. Look for the light-blue text lines that begin with slashes. If you need any information or specifics on any of the WordPress functions mentioned below, make sure you visit the WordPress codex.

<?php
function custom_register_terms() {
// First, set up the arguments for the WordPress function, get_posts().
	$args = array('post_type' => 'products', 'numberposts', -1);
// Run get_posts() and attach it's output array to the variable, $products.
	$products = get_posts($args);
// Start an empty array which we will fill later.
	$lockdown_products = array();
// Begin running through our array of product posts with a foreach loop.

/* A foreach loop is a special method which allows us to take each part of
an array and run the same group of functions over each one individually. */

// Treat each part of the $products array as an individual piece called $product.
	foreach ( $products as $product ) {
// Save each product's title to a simpler array for comparison purposes later.
		$lockdown_products[$product->post_name] = $product->post_title;
// Use WordPress' get_term_by() function to see if we've already created the association.
		if ( get_term_by('slug', $product->post_name, 'association') == false ) {
// If not, create it using wp_insert_term().
			$insert = array('slug' => $product->post_name);
			wp_insert_term( $product->post_title, 'association', $insert );
		}
	}

/* Now that we're done creating any new terms, let's clean up the existing ones. */

// Get all of the existing association terms and set them to an array called $assocs.
	$assocs = get_terms('association', array('get' => 'all') );
// Run through the new array to see if we need to delete or update anything.
	foreach ( $assocs as $assoc ) {
		if ( $lockdown_products[$assoc->slug] == '') {
// If the current term's post no longer exists, delete it using wp_delete_term().
			wp_delete_term($assoc->term_id, 'association');
		} elseif ( $assoc->name !== $lockdown_products[$assoc->slug] ) {
// Otherwise, update it using wp_update_term(), just in case something has changed.
			$update = array(
				'name' => $lockdown_products[$assoc->slug],
				'slug' => $assoc->slug
			);
			wp_update_term($assoc->term_id, 'association', $update);
		}
	}
}
// Hook the function into WordPress, run it every time something is done to a post.
add_action( 'save_post', 'custom_register_terms', 1);
?>

What we’ve finally accomplished here is a nice, easy method to add a simple interface item which allows us to associate one post to another through WordPress. The possibilities here are endless, and in the case of the new Great Plains Motion Picture Company website, can be quite useful for organizing content and displaying it to the end-user.

For most of us, landing a job in design didn’t just happen. In our field, there is an abundance of applicants and a minimal number of openings. This means that you’re going to have to do everything you can to even get noticed. If you’re getting ready to take the plunge into the frigid waters of the design job market, following these guidelines will help you to get noticed.

Visit studios.

One of the best pieces of advice we can give you; never call a studio to ask if they’re hiring. It’s far too easy for them to say no, which immediately closes the door. The key to getting your foot in the door is asking for a studio tour. There’s usually someone at an office that can take a few minutes to show you around. This gives you an opportunity to not only meet people, but see if it’s actually a place you would want to work. Just because there isn’t a open position posted doesn’t mean there’s nothing available. Visiting a studio is an opportunity to show that you have the talent, personality, and passion to succeed as a designer.

Ask for feedback.

When you call a studio to set up a tour, make sure you ask if they have time to give you some portfolio feedback. If there’s time in their schedule, odds are they’ll be happy to look at your book. Designers appreciate it when you make it clear that you’re looking for feedback and not just praise. Getting feedback allows you to revisit the studio with suggested corrections made to your portfolio. This shows a potential employer that you are willing to learn from them and that you trust their judgment as a design professional. You may not agree with everything they say, but let’s face it, they’re probably right. If you’re really concerned with a suggestion, get a second opinion or ask one of your design professors.

Create an online presence.

Leave behinds are an outdated way of keeping your work in the hands of a potential employers. The Internet is by far the best way to share your work. An online portfolio can be viewed by potential employers and shared around the community, creating opportunities you may not have even known existed. It would be ideal if you designed and developed your own website to showcase your work, but it’s ok if you don’t know code. There are several online resources that allow you to create a clean web presence.

Go to events.

Attending events is a great way to meet potential employers. It shows everyone that you’re interested in what’s going on in the design community. AIGA Nebraska has several events every year including Me, Myself & Design (the annual student event) and internationally-recognized speakers. AIGA isn’t the only show in town. Art shows, PechaKucha night and daOMA events are also great opportunities to meet designers in the area.

Hey students! Live! presented by Joe Sparano and Adam Torpin will be making stops at UNO and Metro this spring!

There were five topics we could select from: opportunity, democracy, equality, justice and community (our selection). It was my responsibility to concept the idea, research other posters, and present my findings to the rest of the team. I made several thumbnails, many of which failed to capture our vision of community — a vitally important and personal issue that’s often seen as everyone else’s responsibility.

But there was one concept that was simple but still carried that complex message. After some brilliant art direction from the guys, we stripped away the clutter and found our solution.

Build a Stronger Nebraska poster for Nebraska Appleseed

This was our thought: Community wouldn’t exist without you. It’s as simple as that. We want to motivate those who are a part of community to keep doing what they’re doing, and we want to encourage those who aren’t in a community to join or create one. It’s inspiring to see people become a part of something bigger than themselves.

The poster was printed on French paper with Pantone black and metallic silver ink. When it made it’s way to the Oxide office, it didn’t look like I had envisioned. It was better. The guys thought so too. They had faith in the poster. They had faith in me. I’m proud of the solution we found and proud to have contributed to a cause that means so much to me.

“Community” is sold out, but you can purchase other posters from the Stronger Nebraska show here.

This list is a direct response to every client interaction we’ve ever had. It’s an acknowledgement that the design process is complex, unpredictable, and personal — and sometimes a little too much for all of us.

This is our manifesto

This list is also an opportunity to align our personal and professional selves. It’s an admission that — as people and as professional designers — we cannot disable our love for the potential of design.

So we’ve taken a look back at our most successful projects, identified the things that really worked, and distilled them down to these 11 things. For the first time, we’re asking all of our new clients to read and agree to these things before we sign a contract. That’s a pretty big deal.

Each of these things addresses a specific part of the design process, and each of them establishes an understanding between us and our clients that provides the best chance so far that we’re all working towards the same goal.

Collectively, they frame a vision of Oxide’s future that allows for more opportunities to solve problems, realize meaningful change, help people, and make sense of the world.

Oxide 10th anniversary logo made with LEGOs

I’m not even sure what I expected Oxide would be after ten years, but I could hardly have dreamed of being where we’re at now. Oxide has grown to four full-time employees, we’ve won every design award I could hope for, we’re a nationally-recognized expert on ballot and election design, and now we even have our own bus rolling the streets of Omaha.

I won’t drag you too far down memory lane, but suffice it to say we’ve had our trials and tribulations, along with unexpected surprises and joyous successes. We’ve generated a lot of design work that I’m immensely proud of, and I continue to love coming to work every day. Even more importantly, the great team we have at Oxide makes me excited for what we’ll be able to accomplish in the future.

A few different people have asked me what I’m most proud of having done over the ten years (other than simply keeping a small business running and vibrant for well past the national average). For me, it’s being able to do something I love in support of the causes I believe in. I’m happy to say that it’s becoming more fashionable for service-oriented businesses to donate some of their time to charitable causes, with some national movements suggesting design firms give 10% of their time to non-profits. But since the very first days of Oxide, employing design in support of others has been about more than meeting quotas or doing the bare minimum.

I’m very proud to say that over half of Oxide’s yearly business is pro bono – design work we do for free or at reduced rates for charitable organizations we think are doing great things in the world. Over the years we’ve worked with a wide range of non-profit organizations including Nebraska AIDS Project, Omaha Community Foundation, Film Streams, Keen Guides, Project Interfaith, Citizens for Equal Protection, Omaha Performing Arts, Campus Kitchens Project, Bench Marks, Omaha Zoo Foundation, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Word Made Flesh, Sari Bari, Ninlil Project, and too many others to list.

I’ll also note that Oxide would not be where we are today without a great set of corporate clients, from one-person startups to Fortune 500 companies. Their trust in our abilities has allowed us to create effective design solutions to help them achieve their business goals. One in particular bears mentioning again: Vic Gutman & Associates was Oxide’s very first client, and they played an integral role in helping Oxide become what it is today. Thanks to Vic, Mindy and the whole VGA team!

Thank you to all of our clients, partners, vendors, supporters, and friends who have helped us achieve this great milestone!

Creating this site has been a dream come true; we’re doing some amazing things here. Not only is the design great, but the functionality behind the scenes allowed me to challenge my abilities. Everything you see going on in the site has been meticulously crafted in order to make it easy for all the guys here at Oxide to create really great looking layouts in blog posts and project pages. Going forward, you’ll see some really nice things happening that should make this site more enjoyable for everybody.

The site comes fully loaded with a ton of great features:

1. HTML5 & CSS3, complete with all those fancy semantic tags and even a few transition animations.
2. A plugin (written by me) which allows for the addition of pull-quotes in post text.
3. A plugin (written by me) which allows for the meticulous ordering of posts, which helps us make the project pages so awesome.
4. Dynamically-sized images which we can change on-the-fly, giving us a great deal of control and versatility when presenting images on the portfolio and project pages.
5. Varied presentation of different image types, giving greater flexibility to the appearance of portfolio pieces. This includes a randomized shadow under some images, giving a more unique feeling than a typical drop-shadow.
6. Better association of blog posts with portfolio pieces, combining every relevant piece of information about a project on a single page.
7. A vastly improved and highly usable comment form. Write a comment, it will make you happier.
8. Searchable portfolio content, and improved overall search functionality. (The search pages work beautifully, by the way – you should search for something now.)
9. Full integration of Avenir® Next, Oxide’s corporate typeface.

Welcome back from trying the new search functionality! (You did go and try it, didn’t you?) I’m sure there are a few more awesome things going on that I’m not remembering, but the point is that overall, a lot of hard work has gone into this not only by me, the code guy, but by everybody here at Oxide pulling together and making this new site happen. Joe will have to tell you about the amazing design for the site, Adam will have to tell you about all the photography, and Drew will have to talk about the arduous task of overseeing such a massive project and seeing that it actually came to completion.

None of this would be possible without this group of individuals. I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to present such an amazing site, and to continue to work with such a great team. All that aside, what is most important here is that the site is better for you, the reader. You see what I did there? I used my pull-quote plugin, it’s really nice.

But wait, there’s more!

I should also inform you that this isn’t everything. We still have plenty of enhancements and improvements to bring to the table, so keep coming back and keep clicking around, the site is only going to get better from here.