We recently worked on a fascinating branding and interactive design project for an online video sharing social network community about the non-religious aspects of Jesus. Yup, Jesus without the dogma. With a jaded Jew, a crappy Christian and a bunch of misfits on our team with various religious backgrounds and beliefs, we tucked into this challenge intent on setting aside our own biases and assumptions in pursuit of the best possible solution.

With the help of designer Nancy Wu, we developed a logo design that emphasizes the exchange of ideas and like-minded community using visual language of quotations that also symbolize talking heads. In a nod to classic Christian iconography, there’s even a subtle cross hidden in the negative space between the quote elements. Can you see it? There it is!

After some intense analysis of the goals and content of their website, we developed a a strategic plan and developed a killer interface design using the new brand elements. The development team is hard at work bringing this complex website to life.

We’re proud of the final result and feel it nicely tells the story of this unique brand quite well. Though a brand new identity, it has already started to get some attention from the design community, such as this feature on Icorgada’s Galeria.

Congratulations and very good luck to our friends at Yaaway.com as they launched a beta version of the website this week to begin promotion efforts and start building the community that will drive this unique social network. It’s still in a development form and being updated weekly as they integrate new features and design improvements, but we encourage you to check it out at www.yaaway.com.

I gave up band in grade 10. After that it was too serious a commitment to practice and performing. Clearly Nathan “Flutebox” Lee kept it up. This dude is doing some seriously amazing shit on his flute. And that’s not even a euphamism! Well, maybe you can’t even learn this in band camp or whatever, but check it out. Then, be amazed by the beat box (if you can limit calling what “Beardyman” does to that description. This was performed at some Google function or other in London. Thanks to Derrick for bringing this to our attention. A good Friday afternoon interlude.

First off, congrats to Firefox for a smashingly successful launch of Firefox 3. Almost 30 million downloads worldwide (as displayed on the cool map on SpreadFirefox.com which itself is good overview of a savy web audience worldwide).

Apart from just being “better” and looking cool (mmm…brushed steel…) there are a few fundamental changes to how Firefox works, particularly to the Developer in me. The way that input fields and buttons have been changed so they are now in line with Safari (for all you Mac users. I’m not sure about PC’s…anyone?)

I also just stumbled on another “small” change that has some rather impactful results! I’ve been resizing text with “Apple +” or “Apple -” now for a while (Substitute Ctl for Apple on PC’s me thinks) and code websites accordingly. As developers, we can also size in em’s so that vertical heights are also scaled with text to maintain rhythm. Heights in em’s and width’s in px’s; fairly standard.

But all of this suddenly changed with FF3. Resizing text suddenly resized everything. Not only all CSS measurements, but also images. Images become pixelated but text continues to be sharp (as opposed to the Apple + two finger scroll). All of this courtesy of a preference available under the View > Zoom menu. Check/Uncheck “Zoom Text Only” to toggle back and forth. Neat eh? Can’t decide whether I’ll stick to the new way of resizing or go back to the old.

Apparently this has been going around for a little while, but the sheer effort, not to mention volume of paint, of this street art (I hesitate to call it grafitti) is impressive. Muto is “an ambiguous animation painted on public walls” according to Blu, the Italian artist behind this. Blu is known for the political and social messages in his work and I’m sure you can easily draw connections to another well-known artist, Banksy. Check out the rest of Blu’s site. The sketchbook is amazing. (via Gizmodo)

Industrial Brand was honoured to design and produce promotional materials for Surrey Art Gallery’s newly launched Glocal Project. Glocal is a recent project co-developed by our friend and collaborator Jer Thorp (blprnt.com), who will be projecting the project on the 3rd floor rotunda of the Vancouver Art Gallery at tonight’s FUSE event from 10pm to 3am. The event itself runs all night (6pm - 6am) with beer gardens, DJs and all kinds of things - and the exhibitions are all open for you to peruse.

Members can skip the line, but they are expecting 5,000+ people, so get their early (or late).

Today Rogers Wireless formally announced their iPhone package rates. Set to be available July 11th, this is the newest 3G iPhone 2.0 for $199 for the 8GB or $299 for 16GB. Plans start at $60, and frankly, seem pretty decent all things considered, though I’m not keen on paying more on top of that for caller id functionality.

I wouldn’t consider myself an early adopter exactly. I tend to ride out technology to somewhere mid-life cycle to avoid the glitches and high costs normally associated with being the first kid on the block with the latest and greatest. And in some respects might even be considered a downright Luddite when it comes to really maximizing the features of my three year old Motorola Razr, but you know, it does what it’s supposed to really well.

I also really like the slim, sleek Razr, especially come summer when it slips into my shorts or shirt pocket and I can barely tell it’s there. Yet, I want (read: have to have) an iPhone. Admittedly, I’m a member of the Apple cult. I can’t imaging life without a Mac. We have them here and always buy Apple stuff when it’s time. I still don’t get why my parents have a PC, and it drives me crazy whenever I get asked to help them with it.

So, iPhone, why do I want you so? Well, I don’t like carrying three devices if I can help it, and you can replace my Nano as a music player. You’re also going to integrate seamlessly with my MacBook, iTunes and iPhoto. I like that. Warning: if you see me, I’m going to whip it out and start showing you pictures of my new daughter. So cute. Oh, and you are small, slim and not going to make people wonder if I’m carrying a phone in my pocket or just happy to see them.

Will I use all the features? Max out my data plan? Respond to emails and text messages any more responsively. Probably not. Will I line up at a store for my black 16GB. Not bloody likely. But, Rogers, I am coming your way. Sorry Telus.

A hearty congratulations to IBC Brand Director Matt SamyciaWood for being awarded the MGDC certified professional designer designation by The Society of Graphic Designers of Canada [GDC]. Considering Matt has a Masters of Design and has been working as a communications designer for a decade, it’s long overdue.

Eva solo is a Danish company creating beautiful and simple recreations of everyday products.Check out the site.

One of my good friends recently got accepted into Oxford to do his MBA in Social Entrepreneurship. One big hurdle, the program costs $90,000. The solution? Start a campaign to get 30,000 people to donate $3 each called 3 Bucks for Brendan. The Reward? A warm fuzzy feeling that investing couch change to help Brendan gain tools to make the world a better place.

But this isn’t a fleeting idea for Brendan. He’s already worked with Engineers Without Borders, sat on their Board and founded a Professional Chapter. Through his role with Engineers Without Borders he’s twice worked to develop potable water technologies in Southern Senegal and is completing his Masters in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge.

Go check out 3bucksforbrendan.com and check out what he has to say. If he convinces you that his goal is worthy of your donation then you can help him out. After all, it’s only change…

This past Friday marked the launch and public debut (party!) of our client CondoVue’s website, and essentially, their business. For us, it’s terrific to finally be able to show off the identity we did for them earlier this year. I suggested smashing a bottle of champagne against the iMac they were demo-ing the site on as a grand way to ‘launch’ the site. They’re happy as hell, but still in beta so are holding on the bottle launches.

First off, a big congratulations guys!

So what is it? CondoVue is a web service that connects condo buyers and developers. It gives condo buyers free access to search a database of new condo developments in Western Canada, making the task of finding the perfect place that much easier, and hopefully comparisons more meaningful.

For developers, CondoVue is a marketing tool that provides an unparalleled platform to leverage their brand and showcase their new development online.

There’s no shortage of developers and buyers who were practically begging for something like this, and hopefully the market trends here spell success for CondoVue. Keep your eyes on it as more features get added regularly and critical mass develops.

Industrial Brand Creative was invited to lead a branding presentation to the Young Construction Professionals with an emphasis on personal branding.

Young Construction Professionals is an networking group created to educate the young professionals working in the construction industry.

The presentation was at the Harley-Davidson Trev Deeley Motorcycles showroom in the state-of-the-art presentation room. The customer service and facility was impeccable. Many people prior to the presentation people visited the Classic Harley-Davidson exhibition highlighting bikes from the early 20’s to modern day.

Branding presentation

I met fellow Vancouverite Stewart Butterfield (of Flickr fame) briefly a few years ago and various friends of mine know him well. So for me it wasn’t such a surprise that Butterfield’s recent resignation letter to Yahoo was a little bizarre, but really, “tin-smithing”? Perhaps Stewart’s next career will be as a fiction writer?

Getting a coffee this morning I was confronted by a compelling stack of promotional material for something called The Cheaper Show. Like most, I’m swayed by a bargain, so was curious.

Turns out, the flyer is for a group show/sale by no less that 150 artists. 300 pieces of art, each $200. A great way for those emerging artists to gain exposure, and the newby art collector to spend some dough on something original, and support the artist (75% goes back to the artist). Nice.

Saturday, June 21st
7pm to midnight
142 Water Street
Vancouver, BC

True to the name, admission is free. Check it out.

Young designers often ask us what the most important skills or things to know are. And they are invariably surprised when we say the ability to write proficiently in English (with correct grammar and spelling) is critical in the communication design field. Why that is such a surprise?

The website EnglishFail.wordpress.com is an hilarious collection of English grammar mistakes, spelling flubs and punctuation stupidity that would make your old high school English teacher cry.