I just wanted to share with you a site I'm working on for custom jewelry designer, and friend, Tim Briscoe. His work under the label "Baubles by Briscoe" is both whimsical and elegant. Check out the site at BaublesByBriscoe.com, become a fan on Facebook, check BBB out at TheAlexandriaLife.com/baubles-by-briscoe-alexandria, and follow him on Twitter.com/TimBriscoe.






Where you can find Tim Briscoe and Baubles by Briscoe online:
http://www.baublesbybriscoe.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Baubles-by-Briscoe/76234629859
http://www.yelp.com/biz/baubles-by-briscoe-arlington
http://www.thebethesdalife.com/baubles-by-briscoe-bethesda
http://twitter.com/timbriscoe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27tl_tYzcP0
http://vimeo.com/4587503

Labels: Baubles by Briscoe, BBB, design, Facebook, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Tim Briscoe

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

Yet again, I've uploaded the new JustinSchuck.com to the site, Version 6.3. What's appearing there now is just a holding page. I'm still working on the sub-pages and additional features, but I thought it made sense to get this out there. What had been up there since January contained no photos above the fold which is just silly and goes against my own advice. Also, once the new site is online, the blog you are reading now will be 100% integrated into the design of the main site.

I think you'll like the new design direction. I want the site to be clean, colorful, and easy to navigate. I really want to thank all my friends for the valuable free market research they've provided the last couple of weeks.

Labels: Blog, design, Identity, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company

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

Originally Scheduled: November 3, 2008
Updated: December 19, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design, consulting and event planning services, announced in an online webcast today that it has completed the sale and merger of its various operations in an effort to raise capital and streamline operations.

Earlier this year company president Justin A. Schuck announced plans to sell domain assets, and merge the less successful divisions of the company in an effort to reduce overhead. Schuck also previously announced plans to move the company from Washington D.C. to Dallas, TX. While plans to formally move the company are in the works, the company is not likely to relocate until all restructuring efforts have been completed..

The merger of Innovative Brand Concepts and That’s Sick Viral Marketing into JSDS has been finalized forming the newly rebranded JSDS design + consulting. JSDS is now better capitalized to continue a projected path of growth through 2009, and Schuck also hinted at a new pricing structure for JSDS to better serve companies in the changing market. Acknowledging the company had seen an unexpectedly large number of account defaults in Q2 and Q3 2008 (totaling more than $50,000 in lost revenue), Schuck expects the division to regain full profitability within the next four quarters.

As part of the company’s drive to generate revenue, the Schuck Interactive Group (SiG) was sold to its strategic partner Enterprise Applications PH of the Philippines. JS+Co. will maintain ownership of the SiG domain (www.ischuck.com) and the rights to the SiG name.

“While our domain fire sale wasn’t as productive as I would have preferred, we are in negotiations to sell a bundles of domains, including those not previously listed. These negotiations are ongoing, but we hope to have the completed in the next few months.” Schuck said in his webcast. He continued saying that any unsold domains posted for sale would be sold through an online service.

Schuck said that while this has been a “tumultuous” year for the company, he expects the company to be in a stronger position going forward.

In August, Schuck announced the formation of a new partnership with L/A Events, the world’s new premiere event planning firm. “We’ve started the soft launch of L/A Event’s new website:
anlaevent.com. It’s very exciting.” Schuck continued that “although we are entering a deep recession, Andrea and I feel that L/A Events is in a better position than other event planning firms. Because of our unique partnership with preferred vendors, and the cost savings from our innovative website, we can offer our services at a fraction of the cost.”

PR-Nov3_Update.pdf

Labels: Blog, business, Dallas, design, DFW, Domains, Events, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, L/A Events, News, Press Release, Sale, Schuck Interactive Group, Texas, washington dc

I wanted to post reviews of Justin Schuck Photography by actual clients taken from various sources. I have not edited or altered these reviews in any way. The first three reviews were rejected and removed from our page on Yelp.com, but I thought you should know what these people have said in order to set the record straight. (Star rating is out of a possible five stars.)

4-Stars / ANDREW L. writes:
This guy is brilliant, if not a moron. His work is outstanding, but being a solo operation has its drawbacks and it occasionally shows. My company has a contract with him where he basically has to jump and run any time we assign him a project. I was a photo minor so I just have to give him some props because he makes boring stuff look good. Sometimes he even makes "stuff" look hot. We had him photograph about 200 random products for sale on our website and he suggested doing something different with the background. We used this alley behind his apartment building at night to photograph all these bottles of shampoo and whatnot. I mean, who thinks of that? That's the brilliant part.

I will say that he's usually pretty good about following-up, if not incessant. Usually. There's been times where he's been MIA, but whatever. No 5 stars because no one's perfect. Except for maybe Richard Avedon.

5-Stars / ANDREW T. writes:
I'm surprised to see these negative reviews. Justin has always provided my company (and my family) with great customer service. He's punctual, polite, displays manners, he turns things around on the spot. We once needed something delivered to our office in NY for our catalog and because it was past the time for FedEx, he actually drove a hard drive with video and images to our editor so they could get cracking on it before the next day. Now that's what I call client devotion and service. I hope he remembers why clients like us always hire him.

Great results, best price, unbeatable service.

5-Stars / MADELEINE J. writes:
Well, Justin has to be not only one of the best photographers I've ever seen, but he has this tortured, gentle spirit. He's kind, mannerly and works really well with children. I have a daughter with cerebral palsy and a son with autism and a husband who hates to have his photo taken. And I'm no better. I didn't realize it but Justin had experience with special needs kids. He came over two weekends in a row before our family shoot just so that my family could be comfortable in front of him. He didn't ask for any additional money, nor did he accept a tip. He knew that these pictures were so important to me. As you can imagine, we've never had a good portrait taken before him.

Justin was kind, soft and gentle. And he made us all laugh. It was actually fun. I didn't even know that was possible. There is a kindness in his heart that comes out when he's working with kids. My daughter really responded to him. There's a picture of me crying and her laughing and happy. I would trust him with anything.

Other reviews appearing on our Yelp.com listing:

5-Stars / ALLISON C. writes:
It was only after a few hours of contacting Justin to photograph an up scale outdoors event at Bryant Park in New York City had he personally taken care of all his travel arrangements and sent me the logistics. I communicated the time and place and he showed up early and ready to work. The photographs were so amazing that I called Justin to help me with a personal project of my own.

I wanted to restore and enlarge a very old photograph of my parents from about 40 years ago for their Anniversary. I was slammed at work all week and could not get out to Bethesda so Justin drove to Alexandria (in a snow storm!) picked up the photo and then dropped it off at my house in Maryland a day later at 1am before I was leaving to go out of town!!! The picture of my parents was beautiful and they couldn't believe how well it had been restored.

Many many thanks Justin!

5-Stars / ANDREA K. writes:
Where do I begin? I hired Justin on more than one occasion. First to shoot mine and my husbands special day back in 2007. Everything went very smoothly, from the initial meeting and engagement session to our special day. Justin showed up to my wedding with 2 assistants and took over 2,000 photos. Not only did he do an amazing job at the wedding, but right after the wedding ( about 2 weeks ) we got our proofs online.. once we picked out our proofs we received our prints in an extremely short time. He was able to turn around the photos from our wonderful day so quickly that I was in shock and able to give some out as Christmas presents.

After enjoying that experience with him, I contracted him to do a photo shoot for a advertising campaign I was working on. Again, another amazing experience. As a graphic designer we are usually expected to be the ones to art direct the shots but he was so creative and had so many great ideas that he was able to get better shots that I was directing him too. After I put the photos into the ad campaign I went on to win numerous awards because of the great overall concept and photography. Thanks Justin!

I highly recommend Justin for any photography needs... again, if i haven't said it enough, hes an amazing photographer and an amazing person!

Reviews I've received on LinkedIn:

Scott L. Rolle
Fmr. State's Attorney, Frederick County Maryland
2006 MD Attorney General Candidate
This guy is, quite simply, the best photographer/website designer in the DC area. He is reliable, creative, reasonable and a pleasure to work with. You simply can't do any better. In addition to taking phenomenal pictures for my campaign, he put together the best political website I have ever seen. We received thousands of compliments on it. I look forward to working with him on the next go 'round!

Jacquelyn Muller
Vice President, Corporate Communications/Public Relations
Education Management, LLC
Justin has done a great deal of work for The Art Institutes --- most notably the Passion for Fashion Competition in NYC, the Americans for the Arts Poster Competition and many others. He is a consummate professional who aspires to the highest levels of excellence. I know I can count on Justin to produce a top notch product for our promotional purposes.

Carmen Moreira Prassas
Wedding Client
Justin was very professional and and attentive to our needs. He asked us in advance what pictures we wanted to make sure he took and he was able to execute them in a creative way. The pictures came out beautifully and I would not have changed a thing about them.

Recommendations I received for a recent White House appointment:

Morad Ghorban
Political Director, Iranian-American PAC
I'm honored to recommend Mr. Justine Schuck for the post of White House Photo Director. The following information should help introduce him as well as convey my wholehearted recommendation for his appointment as President-elect Obama’s chief photographer.

I worked closely with Justine in July of 2003 when he was hired to photograph the kick-off event for the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) in Washington, D.C. on July 22nd. The event marked IAPAC’s formal entry into the American political arena and was attended by three United States Senators-The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, The Honorable Charles E. Schumer of New York, and The Honorable Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, as well as by distinguished Iranian Americans from many sectors of American society.

Justine did a terrific job photographing the event! Despite the fact that the crowd at the event was so large that the room in which the reception was held was overflowing, he blended into the background and was unobtrusive. At same time, Justine was able to capture the true essence of the event with fascinating photographs of the senators and guests interacting and responding to each other.

Justine delivered a top quality product with quick turnaround time. He was trustworthy, meticulous, industrious, and above all a true pleasure to work with. His infectious personality along with authentic professional mannerism makes him an excellent candidate for the position of White House Photo Director.

Allison Campbell
Account Executive, Precision Meetings & Events
Justin Schuck has worked with Precision Meeting & Events for the past few years solely photographing one of our most prevalent events of the year. Every December, The Pond at Bryant Park in NYC is turned into a winter wonderland in which, one of our biggest clients, the Canadian Tourism Commission along with other Canadian partners, host a 250 – 300 person party at Celsius, a temporary event space built just for Canada. Justin photographed the event in December of 2006 as well as in December of 2007. Last year being my first year at Precision, calling Justin was one of the easiest details of planning the event. Since he had experience from the year before, all I had to do was tell him the date and time of the event and that was it. Justin made his own travel arrangements, promptly confirmed via phone calls and emails and arrived to the event early in order for him to introduce himself, walk the space and get comfortable in his surroundings. Justin was professional, respectful and incredibly easy to work with. For the most part, Justin blended into the background of the event, making it seem like he wasn’t even there, however there were other times where he made the people he was taking photos of open up and feel completely comfortable to have their photos taken, a task that is never easy for anyone.

I was lucky enough to have a few of my family members attend the event last year and introduced them to Justin. Justin was polite and even cracked a few jokes making us all laugh while he was taking our pictures which made for a great series of photos that Justin was generous enough to edit and give to me as a special unnecessary but much appreciated gift. Justin turned the photos around in a matter of hours after the event much to my amaze. The photos were fantastic and captured all elements of the event from the décor to the guests (including VIP) to the lighting to the entertainment.

Justin did some personal photo restoration for me as well last year. He took a 3 x 3 photo from 40 years ago and restored it into an 8 _ x 11 picture that looked only a few years old that I was able to give to my parents for their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Justin went out of his way to drive to my office to pick up the photo, take it back to his studio to edit overnight and then personally delivered it to my house the following evening before I left to drive to NY the next day. I have only seed Justin once or twice since last December, however we keep in touch and he is by far one of my favorite people to work with, not only in DC but anywhere. I would be more than happy to discuss any other recommendation or information you need regarding Justin Schuck and Justin Schuck Photography. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Bottom line is that I'm imperfect, but I do work hard and I have the credentials and clients to prove it. As many of you know, this has been not only a difficult year for the company financially, but also for me personally. It wouldn't be fair to drag all that stuff up here, but suffice it to say I've become an expert on death and tragedy.

2009 is looking to be a good year, and with the new administration in the White House, I hope it's a sign that great things are coming.

Thank you to the clients who have stuck with me through these turbulent months. I will never forget it.

Labels: Blog, business, Family, Frederick County, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, recommendations, reviews, Scott Rolle, studio, washington dc

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design and marketing services, announced today a new service called “Let’s Paint.”

Company president Justin Schuck has been painting homes and offices for years, and recently he’s been branching out to friends and family, bringing his eye for detail to another field. “We’ve thought of hundreds of different things to call this service from ‘Designers for better bedrooms’ to ‘Artists for Bathrooms.’” Schuck adds that painting has “always been a work of love.”

Schuck has some experience in the interior design area. In 2000 he started Foster’s Interior Fusions with a partner as a division of Foster Industries. Let’s Paint will be the first service offered directly from Justin Schuck and Company and hints at exciting things to come.

The first advertisement reads: “We’ve thought of hundreds of different things to call this service from “Designers for better bedrooms” to “Artists for Bathrooms.” Whatever we call it, we’re offering a new service, something we’re good at: painting. What’s really crazy is that we’re offering our services starting at $200 per room, not including the cost of paint and supplies. We’ve got drop cloths and almost everything else. We’ll tell you what you need when we give you our free estimate. We can do it all from painting a bedroom green to applying venetian plaster to using suede techniques. And the best part is, we’re artists who understand color and focus on details. We’ll even walk your dog. Rooms starting at $200. Call 301 300 1350 today.”

Innovative thinking and competitive pricing from will set Let’s Paint apart from any competitor. Images of recent projects can be found at Schuck’s blog at JustinSchuck.com/blog.




PR-Lets_Paint.pdf

Labels: JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Maryland, Painting, Press Release, Virginia, washington dc

In addition to publishing press releases, I thought it might be a good idea to showcase some projects I've been working on. The first design you see is from December 2006 when Justin Schuck Photography opened it's interactive photo/media studio in one of the Dubai Media City free zone with our GCC communications partner Sabi Communications.



The following two designs are current works-in-progress. They need help and I've been focused on other things at the moment, but I wanted to post these just to get a feel for what both of my readers (joke) think. I keep going back and forth as to whether I want them to be more of a poster or a magazine spread.

Labels: business, Case Study, design, Dubai, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Marketing, photography, studio

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative photography, design and marketing firm, announced today that it will sell a portion of its domain holdings. The following 15 domains will be available for purchase:

ShameClothing.com
ShameBrands.com
ShameJeans.com
ShameDenim.com
AndrewLiberty.com
AndrewTennant.com
FosterIndustries.com
TheFosterCompanies.com
CrackHeadBitch.com
PunkMotherFuckers.com
PoliticsAside.net
MyGayPenPal.com
TimeIsGoingByReallyReallyReallyReallySlow.com
RolleLaw.com
LAgenceDeSchuck.com

The domain sale is set to begin on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 and will continue through September 30, 2008. All the domains being offered will have a set-price of $35 through the sale period. Domains not sold by September 30 will be sold through BuyDomains.com at variably higher prices in addition to brokerage fees.

Any inquires about specific domains should call (301) 300-1350 or email info@JustinSchuckCo.com.

PR-Domain_Sale.pdf

Labels: Domains, JSDS, Justin Schuck, News, Newsworthy, Press Release, Sale, Schuck Interactive Group

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative photography, design and marketing firm, was founded just over four years ago by an optimistic entrepreneur who knew a thing or two about success in design and photography. Formed out of the ashes of The Foster Companies, Justin Schuck and Company provides a diverse international clientèle with a complex suite of services including photography, design, and domain management.

Since 2004, company founder Justin Schuck aimed to provide the highest level of customer service with an emphasis on personal relationships and client confidentiality. "Serving high-profile clients in five countries has been an honor." Schuck says. "I've had the great opportunity to meet amazing people and work with some of the most important people in the world."

In a meeting on August 1, Schuck announced that one of the company's largest clients, a political organization, will be defaulting on an invoice of over $5500. This client has canceled future contracts worth over $18,000 due to their pending bankruptcy reorganization. The client's identity is protected by a mutual confidential disclosure agreement that will remain in effect until both parties agree to the public disclosure or if Justin Schuck and Company is named as a debtor in the client's bankruptcy.

Schuck goes on to say, "This will be an extremely difficult time for the company. We are looking into what options are available for us to generate revenue to compensate for the shortfall. With the dramatic rise in energy prices over the last year, we've seen a decrease in the size and scope of many contracts, but we never expected this. When our clients don't meet their obligations to us, especially for completed services and delivered products, it makes it very difficult for us to maintain our financial and contractual obligations."

As a result of this loss of business, there will be some significant changes to the company. Effective immediately, Justin Schuck and Company's newest venture, That's Sick Viral Marketing, will be folded into the JSDS division as part of the consolidation of the business. "Innovative Brand Concepts and Schuck Interactive Group's merger into JSDS will be accelerated in an attempt to drastically reduce overhead. We need to cut our losses while we still can." Schuck contends that the company can come out of this period stronger and leaner, but it's not going to come "without some serious shrinking pains." He adds that "our operations and ability to survive will depend on our ability to renegotiate our existing vendor contracts, reduce labor costs and significantly reduce overhead. We have photography contracts stretching in to 2010 and I want those clients to know that we will be there to capture those special moments."

The company is expected to announce in the coming days plans to sell assets in order to generate revenue, in addition to entering into negotiations with clients who are more than 30 days past due on their accounts.

"If we are not able to secure additional revenue streams it will be difficult to keep our heads above water. I've been doing my part to keep costs under control as much as possible, but as indicated in our recent financial disclosure filings, I have not drawn a salary since May." This isn't the first time Schuck has forgone salary to help his business maximize liquidity. For part of 2000 and 2001, Schuck went without compensation during the reorganization of Foster Companies.

"I'm a tough cookie and I know that in the end, my life will continue to be blessed with new opportunities for success." Schuck said.

PR-State_of_Company.pdf

Labels: Blog, business, JSDS, Justin Schuck, News, Press Release

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

Perhaps you noticed the somewhat sudden design change. Yeppers, gone is the tired previous design. There are still a few kinks to be worked out, but I'm glad this new, clean version is online and here to stay.

I definitely took my own advice about self-editing (see "Four steps forward"). I removed so many unnecessary elements and it looks so much better. I decided that the thick black border had to go and it totally fixed what was wrong with the design. You'll notice a few changes in the near future, including a better system of organizing posts and blog labels, but I don't want too much change just yet.

So, gone is:

And happy am I.

Labels: Blog, design, JSDS, Justin Schuck

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

Finally! An updated design with just a hint of samples!


(Yes Andy, I know it's just a big JPEG, but I'm focusing on photo client projects, not the JSDS site. At least there's something up there!)

Labels: design, JSDS

Here is an update to the PoliticsAside.net site template. We recently removed all the formatting for the old site and chose a simple, text-only version while we test the new designs. It's less complicated that way. I want to go in a more monochromatic direction. This has two benefits: it creates the illusion of being more "anti" while drawing greater attention to the donate button. There are still hints of the previous red, white and blue theme, but subtlety is cousin of revolution. (Or something like that...)



I've also taken advantage of the same original template created for PoliticsAside.net and used it for the new website for the Law Offices of Matthew Bennett. This takes us in a completely different direction from the current site at BennettShoemaker.com. With the separation of the two partners, it was essential to revamp the brand. It's still a work-in-progress and will likely change some before the final design is complete.

Labels: design, JSDS, Justin Schuck

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

Design is on the horizon at JS+Co. We're in the process of major overhauls of all the branded sites, including some of our newest ventures. JustinSchuck.com, the site for Justin Schuck Photography, has been in a state of constant redevelopment for over two years. We are pleased to announce that we've assigned our newest (and hopefully final) designer, Andrea K, to the task.



This means of course that we'll have to scale back our timetable for deployment, however, we know it will be worth the wait. Soon you will notice a new placeholder graphic (see above). We will be eliminating the "vintage" portion of the site to create and allow for server-side testing of the new site. During this time we will not have online galleries, but we will have a downloadable PDF packet containing a number of our images in album form. Clients will also be directed to call or email the studio to learn more.



As mentioned above, we have retooled JustinSchuckCo.com, the main site of the company to reflect the new address and the new members of the JSCo family. Soon there will be even more consolidation.

Justin Schuck Design Studio is now JSDS print/web/publication. The functions of Schuck Interactive Group and its partners will be folded into JSDS. Innovative Brand Concepts will soon be merged into the newest marketing arm That's Sick Viral Marketing. That's Sick is currently engaged with the largest cable channel to provide innovative marketing campaigns through social media using viral web techniques. We are also working with one of the hippest record companies in America to spread the word about their newest talent. More to come on that. (L'Agence and HelveticaSaves.org were merged earlier this year into the Innovative Brand Concepts division.)



There are exciting changes ahead with a focus on our clients. This is going to be an exciting year. Just you wait.

Labels: design, JSDS