The next Likemind Vancouver event will be held at 8am on Friday, July 16th and hosted by Starbucks Coffee at 977 Mainland Street (at Nelson) in Yaletown, Vancouver (Click here for directions).

Free coffee and snacks will be generously provided to those who come early, so come join a group of like-minded creative professionals and start your day with some good conversation over a cup of good coffee.

Remember to confirm your RSVP on the Facebook group page, invite a friend, and bring your travel mug. See you there!

PS – If you bring your camera along, please upload your shots and share them with the 70 other Likemind groups in cities around the world!

Last year our brand identity project for Yaaway was featured in BIV’s special AdPages issue in an article called Logos Stick written by Jill Lambert. This year we are proud to have some of our work and opinions featured by BIV again, this time in an article in the AdPages 2010 20th anniversary edition called What Meets the Eye.

Written by Noa Blouberman, the article is a look at some of the key aspects behind effective visual design solutions with some tips for business, and features a recent ad campaign we created for Bikram’s Metrotown Yoga as well as the identity and campaign we developed for Amacon’s District real estate development project on South Main.

Click here for a PDF of the article in question without downloading the entire e-book or 10MB PDF.

Matt recently wrote a great article about why he was excited about the upcoming Icograda Design Week Vancouver 2010 conference.

This week Icograda released this animated promo video about the theme of Design Currency created by Rethink, Giant Ant Media, Todd Smith Design and Wave Productions—all studios in Vancouver, BC.

The coolest thing for me is that the video is old school flipbook animation, not computer trickery. The production team literally printed and photographed 2,180 custom bills to create the effect. Here are some behind the scenes photos showing how they did it.

Pretty cool work guys—well done!

After a lengthy search resulting in dozens of portfolio reviews and interviews, Industrial Brand is proud to announce the newest member of its growing communication design team.

Joanna Ambrosio was born in Mexico City and raised in Guadalajara and graduated with honours from the ITESO before finishing her Masters of Design in Vancouver at Emily Carr University of Art + Design, where she was chosen as class valedictorian. As Industrial Brand’s newest Communication Designer, Joanna brings over six years of international experience working as a Communication Designer in Canada, Indonesia and Mexico.

Joanna’s passion as a designer is exploring the different possibilities that hybrid design brings to a stream of creative discipline, and how this diversity can be used as a tool to expand the relationship between space, culture and creativity.

A co-founder of the creative collective Gámomo Creative Lab, where she served as Head Designer overseeing the publishing of Mátika Magazine for the past six years, Joanna’ strong background in identity and print design is complimented by her abilities in strategy development, design research, web interface design, and environmental installations.

Joanna loves working with people from around the world and different perspectives on collaborative projects, and is committed to a life-long learning experience both in and outside the job. Like most Mexicans, she’s crazy about good food, so she’ll fit in easily at Industrial Brand.

Welcome Joanna! We’re looking forward to seeing your work and your contributions to this blog!

“We need a Facebook page and a Twitter account, right?” ask many of our clients these days. Much like clients who want news sections or blogs as part of their websites, our answer is always “It really depends.”

If social media channels are where a majority of your audience is spending their time, then yes, you should probably consider making it part of your marketing and communications plan. But if you don’t formulate a strategy and stick to it, you could make a mess and even undermine your brand in the minds of that same audience.

Many of our clients have jumped into the “Twittersphere“, convinced there is benefit in engaging an audience using this new form of communication through micro-blogging. However, some take on this activity without the aid of a formal strategy to guide them and as a result get caught up in tweeting often instead of tweeting well, risking turning off the new audience they’ve attracted.

One of our clients recently engaged the services of two PR & communications professionals and challenged them to build their brand presence online using Twitter. They came out of the gate strong, using some clever posts to get the attention of dozens, then hundreds, of followers. But as they got more comfortable with this new voice, and others in the group joined in the publishing of tweets, they began to post too frequently (and at the wrong times) and the content of their posts were increasingly less relevant to their business and its audience.

Our advice? Focus. It was time to re-examine the strategic plan outlining why they were using social media in the first place. A social media plan is terribly important if you want a tool like Twitter to work for you.

One of the fundamental issues behind a decision to engage in social media with business has to be the goals and objectives. As with any marketing initiative, it is imperative to consider who your target audience is, how they are using social media and most importantly the core message you want to share with your audience. Lastly, some thought toward how success in this new realm will be measured is highly recommended to avoid endlessly investing time with no notion of what positive impact the effort is having

Our client stated that they were expanding their tweets beyond their niche focus to integrate others’ posts (retweets) and local events to establish community relations. This might be a smart strategy if used wisely, but could undermine the whole effort if it resulted in a drift away from the core message and numerous tweets which ultimately serve to annoy their audience.

As much as social media can be a fabulous way to create large ’social’ networks, when used in the service of business, it works best when focused on expressing or reinforcing that ONE THING that a business does best.

For example, a restaurant may choose to use Twitter to foster a genuine relationship with an online community–especially if there is something unique about the restaurant that people may not know about from existing channels. This audience might be grateful to read posts about location openings, new dishes, special offers, contents, events, even customer polls, but that same audience might not appreciate being inundated by frequent, irrelevant or even confusing tweets.

Many social media experts will argue that using Twitter is about creating a conversation, which we agree with, and having a human tone and friendly interactions can be a good way to engage a community in a dialogue, but one should remember that this is still a business/consumer relationship. A corporate Twitter account isn’t probably the best place for chit chat with strangers, clogging others’ Twitter stream.

It’s a good idea to remember that you’re not buddies, and keep casual conversations to a minimum—just enough ton invite or welcome new members to your tribe. If tweets are meaningless gibberish without clicking on “In Reply To…”, or merely retweets of some local Twitterstar with little relevance to your core message, then you are risking annoying your audience and might suffer the dreaded “unfollow”.

Our experience has shown that personalized, original content wins over repurposed content every time, so when tempted to reply, quote or retweet anything, our advice is to pause to recall your strategy, asking yourself “Is this the right tone or relate to our core message?” or “Will our audience understand or even care about this?”

Another risk when tweeting for business is too frequent of posts, which is a common reason for users to unfollow an account. If you have a lot to say, stop to ask yourself “Have I tweeted too much today?” or “Should I schedule this for later?” knowing that there are spikes in Twitter activity in late morning with the peak actually between 3–4pm. Avoid posting a flurry of tweets in a row if you can help it.

Using the restaurant example, perhaps tweets about offers or specials could be scheduled for late afternoon or early evening, resulting in the highest revenue return as people consider where to dine that night.

One company who we think does a tremendous job of using social media to build their business is Rouxbe.com, a Vancouver-based online cooking school and recipe website. They know exactly who their audience is and what they are interested in, and they never stray from their core message.

They tweet original and relevant content just frequently enough to stay top of mind and at strategic times during the day. They also use a variety of online media tools such as Netvibes to track mentions of key words and phrases that appear in the Twittersphere so they can respond to them strategically. They’re cunning in fact.

When someone posts a tweet that says something like “I wish I new how to cook”, they engage them by following them, followed up with a short greeting along with appropriate links to pages on their online cooking school. If someone posts something specific, like “I’d love to learn how to make pad thai,” they respond with a direct link to that recipe with video instructions.

“We hope to do more on the social media side, and for me it’s all about providing a service to others—even if this just means reading, comment or contributing to others.” says Rouxbe founder Joe Girad. “What we try NOT to focus on is “pitching” Rouxbe too often.” This strategy is results in a quick, inoffensive and effective way of engaging people, and their social media efforts have not only helped create a large community, but more importantly a highly focused one that actually spends money on the  company’s website!

Going back to the restaurant example, perhaps the chef decides to do create a special dish? This is a terrific example of what to feature on their Twitter channel! Heck, they could even link to info on the qualities and characteristics of the ingredients and done well, this will compel people to engage in conversation, others to come to the restaurant to try it out.

Of course a restaurant doesn’t want to sound desperate, but some have even started using Twitter to offer special discounts to users and post information on waiting time for tables. Useful and relevant to that audience, making them feel like they have a genuine relationship with the business—like they are part of their tribe.

There are a couple key things to keep in mind when using Twitter. Twitter is just a tool—in fact, it’s a very easy thing to learn how to use—but it takes training and practice to become an effective Twitter user. Also, there is a huge difference between people AT a company and the way they tweet versus the way the company itself tweets to its audience. Forget that and things can backfire quickly.

To summarize, using Twitter can be a powerful business tool used to attract a broader audience when used cleverly as part of a social media strategy, but it can also be a risky proposition if not done well.  When focused and on message, Twitter can help build a business and increase the value of its brand, but used haphazardly and in an unfocused manner, a business runs the risk of annoying and even alienating consumers, causing potentially irreparable damage to the relationship. The key to success is a well-considered strategy resulting in a set of rules understood by all participating in social media outreach.

Now consider all the other social media tools you can use, such as Blogs (yours and others), Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, Digg, Technorati, Tumblr, Foursquare, Gowalla…the list goes on. The  reality is that unless you employ a dedicated, full-time  marketing person to create and maintain a comprehensive program, you’ll not likely want (or need) to engage in all of these channels—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go secure accounts in all of them before someone else does!

UPDATE: As of March 15, 2010, we have concluded our hunt for a communication designer, resulting in the hiring of Joanna Ambrosio as described on our website. We are still seeking applicants to expand our external web developer vendor team.

Industrial Brand is looking for the next member of their communication design team. If you think that’s you, visit this job posting on GDC.net and convince us you’re the right choice.

We’re also seeking additional interactive developers to add to our external team of trusted vendors. If you’re interested in working with our team, visit this job posting on GDC.net and show us why we’d be foolish not to hire you.

Before you send us that cover letter and resume PDF you have at the ready, please note the requirements and instructions in the job postings. You might also want to read this first and take it to heart.

Our very own Matt SamyciaWood was featured in a recent issue of Business in Vancouver with his article A Home Business is Still a Business. Addressing some of the more common mistakes with branding a business, Matt shares insights into how those very same lessons can guide a home-based business to consistent messaging and success.

Jim Rimmer died last week and I really wasn’t sure I wanted to post anything online after writing a tribute post for my recently deceased friend Leo Obstbaum. Losing people takes the wind right out of your sails. Then I found the following letter which was part of the nomination a group of us submitted for the Order of British Columbia last year. Unfortunately Jim was not selected as a recipient.

Dear Eric,

It was very nice to speak with you recently and learn of your nomination of our friend Jim Rimmer for the Order of British Columbia. As you know, I was the Executive Officer with the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada who nominated Mr. Rimmer for a Fellowship within GDC—our highest honour in the nation within the profession of graphic design. I did so in order to recognize and bring honour to this man and his remarkable achievements and contributions to our profession and industry.

I am convinced that Jim Rimmer is one of Canada’s living national treasures, and one of the finest British Columbians I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He’s so much more than the designer, illustrator, printer, publisher, and one of the few remaining typography and letterpress craftsmen alive today. He has been a teacher, a mentor, a kind friend, and inspiration to a very long list of printers, type designers, publishers, students, teachers, design firms, type foundries, and book lovers throughout his long career—a career that has lasted six decades and is still going strong.

Mr. Rimmer is an example of what dedication to a craft can accomplish. He is an amazing, creative, faithful traditionalist, but managed to remain relevant by fearlessly embracing new technologies that may have seemed at the time to render his previous training obsolete. Yet all the while he has managed also to keep alive the craft of hot type, hand-cut prints, letterpress lithography. Jim’s books and prints feel good, they smell good, they read well. His books are cherished by many as not only things to read, but things to admire and enjoy. Jim is one of the only remaining masters and should be cherished.

But that’s not the only reason I feel Jim deserves recognition. Jim has inspired many young people to rediscover the craft behind his type, prints and books. He has inspired numerous generations of designers; designers who now work as the visual storytellers of culture. Those creative professionals are now spread across this land and across the world, each of them remembering the lessons that this quiet man who showed them the way. The way it used to be done: by hand. But also showed them how the skills of that craft are relevant today in this fast-paced world of computers and digital media. The day we lose Jim Rimmer will be a sad day indeed, but he will leave behind a lasting legacy and an army of design practitioners better for having known him.

And to know Jim Rimmer personally is truly a pleasure. He’s such a generous and humble character, always respectful, encouraging and kind, often going to great lengths to help others with no need for credit or recognition. Many have described him as a maverick, a renegade even, quietly following his own path. And that too is a great quality that many British Columbians can proudly relate to.

I am humbled when I consider Mr. Rimmer’s history and contributions as both a craftsman of old as well as an innovator with creative genius, and wish to enthusiastically support your initiative in nominating him for the Order of British Columbia. He is a shining example of what the caliber of person I wish British Columbia to be known for.

Note: The typeface this letter is composed in is Jim Rimmer’s Albertan, named after his lovely wife Alberta, which he first hand-engraved for his private press in 1980.  It’s still as wonderful a face now as it was nearly 30 years ago.

We miss you Jim.

[photo credit Robert McCamant/The Caxtonian]

Happy New Year! The first Likemind event of 2010 is scheduled for 8am, January 15th and will be hosted by W2 Community Arts at the W2 Culture + Media House at 112 West Hastings Street (the Perel building across the street from the fancy new Woodwards building).

Coffee and treats are being provided by Salt Spring Coffee this month, so come join a group of like-minded creative professionals and start your day with some good conversation and a cup of quality, fair trade and organically grown coffee.

Remember to confirm your RSVP on the Facebook group page, invite a friend, and bring your travel mug. See you there!

PS – Can some of you remember to bring a camera and take some updated shots we can share with the nearly 70 other Likemind groups around the world?

We just received the Call For Entries for Graphex 2010—GDC’s biennial national design awards. The concept is “A Reflection Of The Best Designers In Canada”, so I photographed myself reflected in the shiny mirror postcard. Does this mean I’m now among the best designers in Canada? No, but maybe it’ll bring some luck as we get ready to submit a bunch of work from the past couple years. Fingers crossed!

I see GDC has created a public Graphex 2010 group on Flickr, so hopefully more designers across the country will post similar photos of themselves.