Thought Lab!

The ThoughtLab's website is a Utah web development company. Not only do they offer the service design, but search engine optimization, CMS: which allows clients to easily update sites regularly, and custom built software to manage any companies needs.

The content provides a clean, direct approach to illustrating and itemizing the products, and services provided by the ThoughtLab. In the "What we do" page defines the company's direction.

"The ThoughtLab combines unusual depth in technology and user-centric design to develop engaging, effective solutions for your business."

The ThoughtLab is intuitive design. Making the function of using their websites in an inherit fashion directing users candidly to a companies specific product and/or service. The best prototype of the capability of their company is through their personal distinguishing branding. The grid woven through the ThoughtLab is precise direction for users to experience their unique workflow. The site offers a conspicuous view of their passion and teamwork happening within this company. Not only does this company look fun to work with, but to work for.

The site is captivating by pulling the audience using interactive imagery from the white board through the animation of the brain images changing through the pages. The creative design from the duel pane design offering contrast between the olive green background to the white background for the text offering an easily read forum. The text is a few shades dark green offering seamless consistency. While contrasting with white. The emphasis of contrast careful, keeping content unobtrusive retaining attention. (I read everything on this site, Which, doesn't happen often because the relationship between imagery, and clever branding (ThoughtLab), all stand of the foundation of scrupulous content.)

The ThoughtLab accentuates their desire to produce deliberate work to raise the bar in internet marketing. Their purpose is about quality, not blind quantity. (They give a shit about their clients, and they can help them reach full potential.)

The ThougthLab is engaging because it immediately captures attention with the white board animation; which becomes interactive. It provokes interest leading the eye down to a brief description of the company's purpose to provide tailored design and software exhausting all technology possible to best serve their clients. The audience is drawn in to explore the other pages of the sit;, which, isn't overloaded with distracting imagery or content. Everything on this site has a specific purpose and function being intuitive and/or informational. The size of the website isn't daunting burdening the user while still achieving a balance of keeping the viewers enticing.

Satan. . .

Shoot Tight

Font. . .again

Bennett speaks in St George

The republican party held celebratory breakfast in honor of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, on Saturday morning. Senator Robert Bennett flew all night from Washington, where he and other republican's fought to keep the over a 1000 page stimulus package from passing. The bill was passed without one representative either from the house or senate having read it in its entirety. The bill became available at eleven p.m. eastern time on thursday. In normal circumstances the bill would would require at least 48 hours, and pass through at least three committees before a vote would occur. But the recent rule changes in the house and senate allowed for protocol to be skipped over the biggest bill every passed by the United States government. The bill passed through both houses by 5:30 p.m. friday

There were several speakers, but none were as captivating as Senator Bennett. He expressed his frustrations with the stimulus bill and how the republicans were shunned from its development. He expressed his concern for our local and international economy, and ensures he will continue to act on behalf of utah and for our best interests. He spoke with passion and conviction.

Though both parties have been guilty of closed door legislation; it doesn't make it right for anyone to do it. It is shameful our government is comprised of 'mature' adults, and they can behave no better then students at any junior high.


Note: If you want to be a fly on the wall, don't lean against the wall and turn the lights off. People tend to notice. Thankfully Senator Bennett's son Jim, is a former teacher and director of mine and gave me a front row seat to the event.

Font

This project was time consuming. Surprisingly I didn't hate this assignment as much as I thought until I got to W. W was rough. The tutorial provided by fontstruct is very helpful, but I struggled with defining the voice of the font. I cloned a font I liked and used it as a template. My font looks very different from the one I cloned, but it got me started. In class you discussed scanning our own hand in, but fontstruct didn't allow for it. Instead I tried to develop a font which could be handwriting. I purposefully left negative space in each letter to add noise to the script. When trying to make something inconsistent it's challenging, because your brain wants to organize and balance. I tried to find an equilibrium between spontaneous and ordered design. 

A font can define a brand. Gatorade, Nike, Mac, and others can be easily identified by it's typography without needing to see the entire ad (if any) or brand name. Lettering is  a powerful tool when used properly (like all things). The best marketing is clever and the style of font has the capability to exaggerate or simplify content. 

Design

Originally, I thought covering Dexter's ad campaign (which should be checked out!) for season three, but it was a mountain of material.

 As an alternative commercials seemed to be a clever choice since the super-bowl was last night. I thought surely there will be something inspiring. Unfortunately, I found the line up devoid of brilliance. Nothing blew my skirt up. So, I resorted to the wealth of Youtube.

This advertisement for car sales is an excellent example of poor design. It's a local ad, which runs in Georgia. The demographic seems to young people with less than sterling credit. In an attempt to identify with the market base i.e. "homies" it achieves a condescending depiction rap as a art form and the hip hop community. The fact, that a white middle aged man is dressed in a black wig acting as a "pimp" named "Credit Macdaddy" should say it all. To contrast with the beat spiting pimp are two painfully enthusiastic hicks cheering Macdaddy on. (I think their cousins live on my block.) The graphic displaying the company logo and name is blue, bold and moving demands attention. The graphic the least as obnoxious as Credit Macdaddy's painful attempt at rapping. The commercial is shot simply enough, but the content and graphics are the deplorable. There has to be an alternative to patronizing rather than identifying with your demographic for attention.

Affect: Umm, I'm horrified. . .This local ad makes me thankful for our lame, but at least not rapping or throwing a pies in our local ads. 

Cognitive: What did I learn? Other than never go to Georgia? For $799 the credit "Macdaddy" can get me out of the haze.

Psychomotor: The commercial got me me to first laugh, want to turn it off, and share my the horror.

Contrast with the Law of Proximity:  If you dress like a flavor flav, drive like flav, talk like flav, it doesn't make you flav. (Sub clock for dolla' signs.)




Honestly, who hasn't been in a public place with a kid like this? From a storytelling stand point it's effective because it transports you to the perspective of the parent (depending on your skema) or the annoyed bystander painfully observing the outrageous behavior. The color temperature of the picture is nice, the use of depth of field, and I specifically like the angle looking down on the kid when he is rolling on the floor. The story telling in this commercial is concise, authentic, straightforward, savvy and hysterical. This commercial is successful because it is IDENTIFIABLE! 

Affect/Cognitive: A loud awakening to the importance of birth control. I can't help but notice how the father struggles suffers from exhaustion and/or patience. (Besides it's not "pc" to spank him in front of all those people.) Just a helpful reminder to be ready to be a parent, because it is a struggle.

Psychomotor: Every sex education class needs to air this commercial! I'll think twice about amount at least on of the many consequences of unprotected sex. I think I'll use a condom next time. What about you?

Law of Closure: None of the adults need to verbalize their frustration, annoyance and horror, because their face says it all. (In my opinion the greatest drama is silent.)

Law of Pragnanz: Sex=Children