Today, we have launched a brand new site for Jason Spray, personal trainer and Strength & Conditioning coach for MTSU football in Middle Tennessee. Please check it out and if you want to get fit, he’s your coach!
New website design and launch! Jasonspray.com
August 4th, 2011
New work: Jessicacrate.com
August 1st, 2011We’re proud to announce the launch of a brand new client website, Jessicacrate.comSee the before and after below!
My logo design will not save your company.
April 13th, 2011
I tell my clients all the time,
“If you’ve come to me for a great price on a logo and your plan is to grab it and go on your way then I’ll do it for $50 bucks”.
I tell them this because I have a philosophy and an understanding of the relationship between a brand experience and a consumer that I have come to embrace over my career. My sentiment comes from a good place and admittedly I tend to wrap it in a bit of drama to get attention, but the point is simple: my logo design will not save your company.
I am a brand strategist & consultant first and a designer last. The act of ‘branding’ is an all encompassing act for any product, service or company. From the logo to the new hire training materials, your brand should be procured and managed. To assume you can ‘set it and forget it’ is dangerous. The fact is, you have a brand already. Every company does. What you can not ascertain is the magnetism of your brand, the direction of your brand or the long-term strategy of it. People that you do business with are developing deep psychological imagery of who and what your products and services are to them at all times and if you’re leaving it up to luck to define, you may end up losing out to competition.
Great brand experiences are the result of endless attention to detail, research, testing and repetitious creativity. It’s also that ‘something’ that can enable you to charge more for your products or services than the competition while actually BUILDING market share.
Your logo is the foundation and the hero of your entire brand. It is and should be valued, but if your efforts stop at that…then the value never achieves fruition. What would Nike’s brand have become without those great ad spots, the tagline “Just Do It” or …great shoes? Meticulous planning, foresight and strategy grew the brand to what it is today.
*My inspiration for this piece comes from Fastcompany.com today. Please check this article for more on the subject matter:
http://www.fastcompany.com/1745884/how-to-build-an-unforgettable-smashable-brand-identity-hint-its-not-the-logo
Firefly Logic Website and Logo redesign
March 12th, 2011
Recently, I was hired to redesign the website for my good friends at Firefly Logic in Nashville. Firefly Logic is a software development company that has a heavy focus on Microsoft’s technology while also staying wide open to new technology and platforms such as Apple’s iPhone / iPad apps.
I was excited to begin working on this project and wanted to share some of my process here. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Golds and 1 Judge’s Choice Award at the 2011 Addy’s!
February 22nd, 2011Rutherford County Design Agency Wins 3 Gold Awards
Murfreesboro, Tennessee – February 21, 2011 -
When the phone rang last Saturday night, the last thing CEED Creative owner and MTSU alumnus, Phillip Maddox, expected to hear was that he had won 3 gold awards and 1 Judges Choice award for his design work, but that’s exactly what his client called to tell him.
User Experience in the Bathroom. Wait, What?
January 28th, 2011One of the reasons I started CEED Creative is to solve problems. I use Design as a discipline to solve real-world problems large and small. Design is not just about logos, business cards or billboards. It’s a problem solving tool. One of the most interesting things about being a designer is that the majority of what I see and interact with is typically broken or inefficient in my eyes. I observe things that I deem ‘broken’ everywhere I go. From the confusing layout on a menu while trying to order at a restaurant to the completely overly-complicated and broken healthcare system in the U.S. (more on that in another post).
I wanted to take a minute to talk about a taboo subject; the loo, bog, john, oval office, bathroom, washroom, restroom. Whatever you call it, the vast majority of them are inefficient. Read the rest of this entry »
Bridging the Gap: Pro bono design project for GiveCamp Nashville
January 20th, 2011Over the weekend of January 14th – 16th I volunteered at an event called “GiveCamp”. GiveCamp is a Microsoft sponsored event that was hosted locally by one of my clients, Firefly Logic. The premise of the event was to bring together designers, developers, project manager and database administrators who could donate their skills to aid a non-profit. Most of the projects revolve heavily around technology and included websites and web applications.
The team I was assigned to was for the non-profit, The Nashville Bridge. This non-profit provides mentoring and tutoring over a 6 year period to Metro Nashville students where the drop out rate is exceptionally high. The school has Summer program annually that brings in 30 children from grades 7-12 to do activities and study curriculum as well. Read the rest of this entry »
Design is a Game Changer. The Oregon Ducks: Case Study
January 10th, 2011
Design Case Study:
University of Oregon Ducks Football Uniforms
The Oregon Ducks, #2 ranked college football team and participant in the 2010 BCS bowl is well-known for the unique uniforms. Called outlandish by some and innovative by others, they are definitely out of the ordinary. From diamond plate patterns, to neon yellow sock and shoes, the designers at Nike Corporation really mix it up when putting together the looks.
I believe that design can make a tangible impact in all facets of life, even on the football field. My theory is that the Oregon Ducks have risen to fame and success in part because of their uniform designs and I want to outline some of the facts to look at whether this may or may not be true.
Your Brand 101. It’s Alive!!
December 31st, 2010
Two of the most common misconceptions I have to overcome with my clients is that:
a.)
Your brand is a logo or business card
or
b.)
Once you’ve ‘got one’, you’re done.
Defining a Brand
First, it’s important that we resolve the issue of defining what a brand is. The term originates from the usage of a metal branding rod to mark cattle so that it was clear who the owner was. It’s inception is still very metaphorical and appropriate to it’s application even today. So, without over-complicating it…a brand is the perceived personality of your product, service, or company. Read the rest of this entry »
Free holiday desktop & mobile wallpaper is here!
November 26th, 2010It’s that time of year and we believe in giving back, so here’s some free goodies for the gizmos and gadgets in your life. Add a little holiday flare to your desktop background or mobile device wallpaper with these “Bad Santa” downloads!
DESKTOP WALLPAPERS
MOBILE WALLPAPERS