Today I've launched my first project as Creative Director for the RGA. It's a campaign to get Jerry Brown, the former two-term governor of California, to release his public records from when he was in office three decades ago. Since he is seeking a 3rd term in office, it seems logical that we should know what he did while in office.

The concept, design, branding, and social media was designed and created by yours truly. The video was directed and co-produced by an amazing talent, Lucas R. Baiano. Erik Rapprich was the interactive and development genius who put this all together, making this project a reality. And of course, the masterful script from wordsmith Tim Murtaugh.

This was a real team effort, and I couldn't be happier with the final results!

WEBSITE: http://whatsbrowndone.com
TWITTER: http://twitter.com/WhatsBrownDone
VIDEO ON YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Okd2JCq5dg

WATCH THE VIDEO (starring yours truly) IN HD HERE:

---

Read the official RGA press release here: http://www.rga.org/homepage/rga-website-exposes-jerry-brown%E2%80%99s-record-demands-release-of-papers/

---

I look forward to showing you everything I create going forward. Let me know your thoughts on this one!





 

Labels: 2010 Election, Advertising, California, design, FOI, Jerry Brown, Justin Schuck, politics

Check out this video I put together. It's a compilation of work I've done through the years. Some of the grainier images were ones I shot on film. For a lot of my older stuff I only have low-to-medium-resolution files so if you're watching in HQ, you might notice a difference.

Anyhow, check it out. The slide show plays to Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger." (Check out another cool YouTube video called "Daft Hands"

Labels: Advertising, Gallery, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck Photography, Video

Even though I am just getting over Swine Flu (just kidding—it's really just a horrible cold), I thought I would get on my web cam to vlog and tell you a bit more about my business and why you need to hire Justin Schuck Photography for your next portrait, special event, hotel, product catalog, real property or editorial assignment. The video features music by Yogstar.

On Vimeo:

Justin Schuck Photography - Asking for your business from Justin Schuck on Vimeo.

On YouTube:

Labels: Advertising, Blog, business, design, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Justin Schuck Photography, New York, Twitter, Video, Vlog

We're coming up on the best time of Spring, and Summer's just around the corner. There are loads of reasons to hire a photographer, be that for an engagement portrait, an advertisement, a website, or for personal use.

Only a professional photographer can give your business the edge your it needs to effectively compete in this economy. Only Justin Schuck understands how

Give Justin Schuck Photography a call today: 301-300-1350

I've put together two graphics as part of my new spring marketing push. Check them out:




Justin Schuck Photography, since 1997
JustinSchuck.com / Facebook / Flickr / Twitter

Labels: Advertising, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Marketing, photography

Here's the new ad I'm running for Headshots. Here's what the ad says:

Headshots for the people. Do you need headshots to help you jump-start your acting career? Are you looking for portraits that show your style with spontaneity? We are offering a $75 Headshot Special: 30 minute location portrait session, 3 high-res images on disk with retouching, and PDF for 8x10 headshot with your name. Call 301 300 1350 or email info@justinschuck.com today. Check out our images at Flickr.com/photos/JustinSchuck or follow us on your favorite social network.

Check out the ad here: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/crs/1054235264.html

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, New York, photography, washington dc

Here's the new NYC Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Event Special ad. We're offering from now through February 22nd event photography coverage for just $150 for up to 3 Hours. In addition to photo coverage, we're including high resolution images on disk, and we can even FTP them to a server within hours of your event for press and web release. For an additional $50 we can place the images online through Collages.net for your guests to view and order prints. It’s time you see the high-quality images our clients have come to expect. Call or email us today to take advantage of this limited-time offer.

See the ad: http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/evs/1034726542.html

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, photography

Check out our new ad on Craigslist in Washington DC!

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, photography

Here's a sneak peek at the new ad to be gracing Craigslist in Washington DC and New York. Let me know what you think. (Thanks Chris for you input!)

Labels: Advertising, design, Justin Schuck + Company, photography, Sale

I'm really proud to announce the release of a little video from the election. I've been wanting to get this out here. Working with that org this spring/summer—the one that screwed me—I didn't have time for much else.

In 2000 I was the volunteer coordinator with McCain Youth 2000. It was a great experience and he ran an honorable campaign. But something was different this time around. Here's a little ditty I put together that *should have* aired before the election. (But then there was a death in the family just before the election, and then I got sidetracked with a work backlog.)

So, to the tune of Kate Nash's "Foundations" here's "Political Foundations." I purchased the instrumental tracks without the voices, but I felt that unless you knew the song you wouldn't get the flow without context.

If there are any female vocalists with a similar range out there, please call or email me!



Please visit my page at: YouTube.com/JASchuck and leave a comment and a rating. Thank you so much.

(If I had more time I could have done a more well-produced sample but my Final Cut Pro HD crapped out on me!)

Labels: Advertising, America, Art, Barack Obama, Big News, Blog, business, Democrat, design, John McCain, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Obama-Biden, President-elect, Video

In 2005 I hosted a series of forums for energy providers discussing ways they could use energy conservation as part of a broader marketing campaign. The benefits of this new "greenvertising" strategy seemed obvious to me on several fronts. Energy providers, especially those in competitive energy markets, would be able to reduce consumption using a myriad of innovative power management devices like the EleSaver. Not only would they reduce the strain on the current electrical grid, but they would slow the need for increased capacity and the capital costs associated with infrastructure creation. In addition to these obvious benefits, line operator labor shrinkage would be offset by the creation of new jobs focused on installing power management devices at sub stations, industrial complexes and at an infinite number of other installations.

In my meetings with energy executives I stressed the need to appear ahead of the curve on energy policy. The market has always awarded the innovative thinkers and those who leap forward. As you might imagine, my predictions of a looming energy crisis were viewed with marked skepticism and brushed off as the rants of a young liberal. How prescient I now seem. These same executives are now frantically working to transform the image of the energy industry as one that is forward thinking and invested in responsible ways to reduce consumption.

And how are they achieving this? One word: Greenvertising. I started using this term when I was the Director of Marketing and Operations for SaveTech Ltd./Electric Energy Savings Systems. In 2005 gas prices hovered near $2.15 per gallon until hurricanes Katrina and Rita led to a surge in energy prices across the country. Oil was near $50 per barrel. Now we have seen a 200% increase in fuel costs. The bad news about our current energy crisis is that it's accelerating inflation and weakening the U.S. dollar. However, a side benefit of the changing market is that companies from every industry see value in reducing overall energy consumption and implementing green advertising campaigns.

I've just finished some ad designs for The Inn at Andrews-Green. Take a peek:




Greenvertising isn't an entirely new concept, but it is another effective way for companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors in any market. The smart thing about Andrews-Green is that their capital investments in energy infrastructure will save them thousands and potentially millions of dollars during the life of the inn. Now that's some green everyone can appreciate.

Labels: Advertising, business, Case Study, design, Gulf Coast, Hurricane Katrina, Identity, JSDS, Marketing, Maryland, washington dc

Often in design there's a tendency to go overboard, to over design, and I am guilty of this on every single design project I have ever worked from the original Foster Industries logo¹ that I designed when I was 16 to the current Justin Schuck Photography logo². The problem often lies in the drive for perfection clouded by wanting a project to be "everything," when design merely needs to be "something."

I know how easy it is to be carried away with a project. You've put together 3-4 different design directions, and once you've narrowed things down to your final choice you find yourself drunk with ideas and concentrate too heavily on unimportant details. You go over every individual pixel, but it is in this focus that you lose sight of the greater balance of a project.

When I think I have completed a design, I take a step back and ask myself what can I delete? What can I remove from the design? This is usually my saving grace and it is always my advice to other designers. The ability to self-edit in design, in production, in sculpture, in politics is the ability to understand your audience. Nothing was every made better by being made more complicated³.

Too often I see over-thought, over-wrought designs and logos. I see printed annual reports designed in PowerPoint using the same clip-art that Microsoft has included in its programs when Windows 3.1 was king. This disgusts me. Good designers know to remove elements that distract and emphasize elements that enhance the overall objective. If you're designing a report that covers dry subject matter, adding cheesy graphical elements isn't going to make the material any more interesting. In this case, smart font choices balanced with appropriate white space can create a document that is both a pleasure to read, but serves its function well.

I have seen great website designs using complex static and motion graphical elements, but the sites that get it right are the ones where the design is not overboard. (The only exception to the rule of self editing is if your product or client is over-the-top. Paris Hilton as a brand comes to mind, but I still urge caution.)

Another thing that works for me when creating brand identities is to visualize the logo on everything from a kitchen knife to a race car. When I've narrowed down my design to the final direction, I place the logo on hundreds of things I find around my house. Ovens, fans, phones, irons, printers, cars, bags, envelopes, paper, trash cans, buttons, ties, stickers, soda cans, detergent bottles... I could go on forever. This is important for one main reason: you never know what industry a company or organization may go next, or on what product they might want their logo for company-branded gifts. You'll know right away whether the design you chose will accurately represent the company. Even if you're not including more complex items appearing on the website, you'll know if the brand is reinforced.

Applying a logo across a broad range of relevant and irrelevant products also serves another purpose. By experiencing your design this way, you will be better able to argue the merits of the design in any meeting with a client because you have already thought your way down every path the company might grow in the future. And you might be surprised that the client is encouraged to think in a new way about corporate gifts. (It's the design equivalent to adding on to a sale.)

When I reach the end of a given project, I love putting design elements into a digital compost pile to be reincarnated in a future project. I'll keep elements in a complex Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign file for safe keeping. I save everything, even ideas. I recently (about 6 months ago) returned to keeping a "Musebook." I use this to chart thoughts and ideas on designs, political marketing strategies, notes on meetings, you name it. For me and my oft-scattered mind, it's important to have not only all of my ideas in one place, but to have them on good old fashioned paper. It's surge-proof.

Bottom line: remove elements to simplify your design; use clean, easy-to-read fonts with balanced whitespace; lose the gimmicks and focus on how the brand can be represented across a multitude of platforms. Follow these rules and you'll find yourself doing better work.

---

¹ The original Foster Industries logo does not exist in digital form, nor does the original font (Traffic) for the "FI" so the representation appearing above is not 100% accurate, but you get the idea. Yes, I know it's bad. I was sixteen!


² I think I'm happy with the current iteration. It conforms to my desire for symmetry in design and architecture. The current logo came out of a design study to determine what would fit best on our branded products like proof boxes, bags, polos, etc.

³ Stay tuned for a future blog on the logo of "TSG Holdings." I put the name in quotes because I'm not convinced it's a real company. Have you seen their visually offensive logo on M Street NW mocking designers everywhere? It's the worst company logo I have ever seen. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad if it weren't new!

Labels: Advertising, business, design, Identity, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Marketing

I'm working on a few projects right now, including some case studies.



One thing I've been focusing on is a new ad campaign for Duron Paints & Wallcoverings (a division of The Sherwin-Williams Company). I've also tried revamping the logo and I'm working on a few slogans. "Paint in color" seems to be my favorite at the moment. Having "Paints & Wallcoverings" as part of the logo might not be necessary as they have an established brand identity with commercial clients. The idea with the "little boxes" design study is to test the idea of using "drab" paint swatches contrasted with bright vibrant colors while trying to create motion within the space. It's a work in progress, but the Flash potential is great. One thought is to create a paint game or tool using Shockwave to take people from "drab to fab" in no time flat. (This same tool could be applied across a broad range of brands and using in various other applications, including in-store kiosks.)

The hope/focus is to build on the brand and make Duron a designer's must-have. Designers appreciate good design, clean logos and a cohesive brand strategy. Duron does not have that. As a part of Sherwin-Williams, it might be a better option to market the Duron brand as the "green" division in order to capitalize on the current wave of eco-centric consumer interest.

As I've stated for many years now, if you look at economic downturns or slowdowns in market growth, you'll notice a trend after the initial shock of the lowered sales revenues and market adjustments: advertising and design budgets generally increase. Most companies understand that the best time to invest in smart, focused and brand-developing advertising is when the market is souring. There is never a more important time than an economic slowdown to prove to customers your company's value and to create or enhance a need. Aside from having a solid product or service, advertising and design is the most fundamentally important thing any company can invest in order to whether the storm while increasing brand loyalty and exposure.


We're also working on developing the branding for a new campaign strategy and design firm. The idea is to capitalize on the growing emphasis of campaigning through the web. The idea behind the above design directions is to no only think about potential slogans and their marketing potential, but also convey a non-partisan approach to campaign website design, administration and strategy. We're playing with color, but I'm a big fan of Pantone 412-406. Especially when it's paired with minty 351 or cool blue 3105. I'm liking 1767 pink this week too.

Labels: Advertising, Case Study, design, Duron, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Marketing

I just want to let you in on a well-known secret. I have, along with others, gone over and over on the various design directions for my main photography website, JustinSchuck.com — where this blog is hosted. I'm a consummate perfectionist with a revisionist streak. Here now are some screen shots (in chronological order) of my design evolutions.

The design below was originally designed as a placeholder. Theoretically there was going to be a flash version of the site where the boxes moved around on mouseover and the images would change up and have lots of funky transitions. After about 6 months or more of the placeholder, I started making updates and expansions which leads us to the next design.



So this was the last real evolution of the design still visible on the vintage (legacy) site still hosted on the main server. I eventually reached the point of frustration and admitted that the site wasn't going to change much and I made some adjustments to typeface and the structure of the site.



Before I settled on the semi-permanent design direction above I started working on several new design directions at once. The next four designs were worked on simultaneously. You can clearly tell which design directions received the most attention. You may also note the temporary name change. At the time we were starting this project we were also taking on financial partners to build what could have been "The Justin Schuck Gallery & Studio." There were several designs in this direction, including full identity and letterhead designs.



Again, playing with typeface and trying to think how I wanted my brand represented, I worked towards the following design, but I was really unhappy with it. The "logo" appearing below was also used for marketing materials and display items, some of which I still use today, although not often. We were still going back and forth as to what the new company should be called, ultimately Justin Schuck Photography was the most appropriate.



I was going back and forth on a daily basis as to whether or not I should use my "tag" signature, which I still really like to this day and hope to find some way to use it. But who knows, it's the alt-rocker in me. The following design is a better example of logical navigation occurring "above the fold" as it were. This design was also the first time all four cities appeared in a design. The four cities were later incorporated into the "vintage" design and still appear there today.



This is a progression of the above design. The navigation would animate and "light up" the tab color. This also recalls design elements of my acclaimed original JustinSchuck.com which functioned solely as a personal website. That design is buried somewhere on a CD in storage. Anyhow, back to the design below... I really liked this design, but there was something holding me back from implementing the design. I think the biggest barrier to it's implementation was navigation partially obscured below the fold on a 640x480 template. I honestly can't remember.



What was most likely the death knell for the site above is the design below. It's one of those epiphany designs that occur between the hours of first darkness and first light. I remember working on the design for at least three days straight before making additional changes as evidenced in the following design.



I love the picture of the kids below and seeing this again reminds me that I need to put together a serious gallery of all my work for the last 12 years. There's some really good stuff in there if I do say so myself. Back to designs...

I changed the background to gray, put telephone numbers and email at the top which would allow for navigation going down the side. This is also when our company tag line became "Photography for the way you live.™" which is still pending. We also developed a working click-through for the Online Previews service. It was great to see the design come so far. This really was my favorite, but after some server-side testing, some focus groups and a changing design team, this too was abandoned.



This little piece was for our other-branded sites as part of a broader internet ranking strategy for our Dubai sites. It was an extremely effective campaign – perhaps too effective – but was eventually taken down due to the closing of our full-time Dubai operations earlier this year.



After no real progress had been made, and with the current design at the time reaching five years of age, I finally threw the following design up on the site. The "vintage" site is such a mess, especially with so many revisions and so many hands touching it. The code is all kinds of fouled up, and I consider myself as one of the most organized and obsessive-compulsive HTML coders on the planet. The only reason the vintage site is still live is so I don't have to create another temporary site that would likely become semi-permanent.




I really like where the most current site design is going, and it serves as the inspiration of the next site. Hopefully some time soon we will have the new site design templates posted. Because seriously, I've had way too much JustinSchuck.com. (That's why I've transfered "the power" over the new design direction over to my lovely Andrea.)

Labels: Advertising, Art, Case Study, design, Dubai, Identity, Justin Schuck, Photo, photography