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Soft Drink Company Internal Brand Messaging (NDA in Place)

Three Lions Food Truck Branding

TBD Stadium Concessions

HWYLER Website

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quitfacebook

Why I Quit Facebook

Hello you might have found me via the LA Times article where I was interviewed by David Sarno. He hit the nail on the head with his article but I wanted to elaborate on my thoughts. Below is a quick “stream on conscious” reasoning. You can see my final post David wrote about here: http://www.facebook.com/everydream

Since March I have slowly (but surely) been deleting every posts, check-in, tag, like, and photo from my Facebook. It has taken hours, nay days, to delete my presence on Facebook. I am not talking about “deactivating” my account – I mean 100% deleting my Facebook footprint. The plan was for me to delete everything I could and then post a short write-up about Facebook and why I quit. This was easier said than done. I won’t go into much detail but you cannot delete everything, Facebook won’t let you. And things you believed were deleted, sometimes they come back. But that is a story for a different time. This post is about WHY I quit Facebook. It is based on a somewhat paranoid vision of the future and the upcoming Initial Public Offering of the company who is using YOU for profit.

Let’s begin.

Continue reading “Why I Quit Facebook” »

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Dear Apple, Please Steal This Idea

Dear Apple,

I love your app “Cards” for my iPhone. I have used it a few times and it makes creating customized cards for my family and friends very easy! Plus, I don’t even have to go to the Post Office! Score!

But I do have one suggestion – hell, you can even steal this idea, I don’t care.

You need to add the ability to send a card with an iTunes/AppStore/Apple gift card inside. Did I just blow your mind? Did I just bring you one or two million bucks in one sentence? Maybe!

To me, you are leaving “money on the table” from people such as myself who would like to send cards to my four iPod Touch toting nephews with a gift card.

Also, keep up the good work!

Love,

J.B.

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Learn from the Savants of Experience: Warby Parker

Six months ago I read about a New York City based company named Warby Parker which sold prescription eye-glasses online. At the time I was not interested in purchasing and browsed the website quickly. They escaped from my mind until I saw a co-worker with new glasses and asked her about them. She mentioned Warby Parker. That night I went to the website and over the next couple weeks went through their sales process. What I came away with was the utmost respect for the company, a great product, and the best e-commerce experience I have ever had. It was the calculated, but organic, experience that resonated with me.

Warby Parker aligns their branded sales process around the company’s vision, action, expression, and experience. It is this alignment that creates brand advocates because it goes beyond the typical “sell-a-product” and engages the customer on an emotional level. Below are a few of my experiences with the brand that made me think twice of how companies can connect emotionally with customers.

Continue reading “Learn from the Savants of Experience: Warby Parker” »

Make no time for cynics. Make no time for pessimists. Their aim is to make company to their misery. To make you fear what they fear.
A big part of my life right now is to :

REMOVE JUNK THOUGHT

A big part of my life right now.

getting_rid_of_timesucks

Getting Rid of “Time Sucks” or At Least Trying

We all have them – black holes of time. Television, video games, and an old hobby are my “time sucks”. These small activities consistently drain hours out of my day and the ability for me to be productive. They make me angry. They distract me from my goals. And yet week after week, somehow, I am compelled to partake in them. I, to a certain extent, am my own worst enemy. Are you?

Below I outline my biggest “time sucks” and how I am dealing with them… and I will keep you posted on how they go as the year progresses.

Continue reading “Getting Rid of “Time Sucks” or At Least Trying” »

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New Beginnings And Moving Forward

For this post I just wanted to discuss why there has not been many updates to this website the last several months. In an effort to move myself into a much better position for long term career growth, I switched jobs. The past eight years I have been offered many exciting opportunities but all of those opportunities have been on the outskirts of the career path I truly wanted to pursue – experiential and branded environments. I am happy to announce I have taken a job at HKS Architects here in Dallas as a Senior Designer in their BrandSpace group. In my new position I will be helping to develop experiences, branded environments, and holistic design solutions for a variety of project types and clients.

On top of that, I have been working on multiple personal projects that are an extension of my love for all design. I am excited to share these with you over the next year as they are completed and launched.

The above are just part of an overall plan I am executing. I have not reached my final destination… and the destination could change as life moves forward. With any change comes more opportunity to grow and to pursue dreams and happiness.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to discuss options for designers who might be feeling “career stagnation” due to the recession or overall career apathy.

Continue reading “New Beginnings And Moving Forward” »

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3 Tips For Leading (Your Team) In A Design Presentation

Here are three tips to help any leader who is mentoring presentation-capable designers. The key to leading design presentations isn’t about being in the spotlight but by creating appearances and knowing when to step in to make thoughtful and impactful comments.

Continue reading “3 Tips For Leading (Your Team) In A Design Presentation” »

Curated_Vol2

Curated Reading: Volume 02 / October 10, 2011

Welcome to Volume 2 of a fairly new feature on the site entitled “Curated Reading”. For the past couple weeks I have been saving articles I find interesting and then pick the best of the bunch for you. Let me know if you have other articles or books I should be reading.

This collection has been inspired by Steve Jobs. The man who I believe is the greatest visionary of our time. He taught me to look to the future for inspiration now, to not give up on a vision, and that editing your work is the most important part of design.

Continue reading “Curated Reading: Volume 02 / October 10, 2011” »

Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.