NEWS
Graphic Communication for Installation Guides
At Design Interface Inc. we are experienced in product AND graphic design. That expertise led us to a rebranding project of product sheets and installation guides for a Fortune 500 client. We are putting the finishing touches on a 220+ piece collateral program. Working in SolidWorks, InDesign, Illustrator and KeyShot, we are able to position the product, hands and tools to create a storyboard for the installer. Our value added is that we can communicate the best way to install the product.
We used these same techniques on the Information-For-Use (IFU) guide for the basketball training harness shown. Let us help solve your communication challenges, contact Design Interface today.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Introducing the SoleStretch
Over the last year we have been helping to design a new medical device for those suffering from Plantar Fasciitis. It’s inventor, Bill Flickinger, a physiologist by training, calls it the SoleStretch and features a unique design that provides a proper stretch that is controlled, pain-free and non-weight bearing. All exercises are performed while seated which enables the leg and foot muscles to fully relax. The 2-piece handle comes apart for additional exercises and portability. Learn more about this exciting new product at SoleStretch.com
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Creativity Crisis—How To Be Creative On Demand
You are given a new project to work on and it happens, you sit there, staring blankly, and waiting for inspiration to strike. How can this be your a creative person? But even a creative person can’t just turn creativity on and off like a light switch.
Lost mojo is something that affects all of us, at least some of the time. Here are some steps on how to switch on the creative magic when you genuinely need to.
1. Step away from the problem. It helps to step away and give your brain a little time to process things. The chances are that when you return, fresh ideas will come.
2. Make a playlist. Another way to jolt your brain into being more creative is to change up the sounds you’re listening to. Listening to certain bands and albums can help create a clear switch in your mind when you need to be creative.
3. Make a mess. Sometimes your creativity can be held back because you’re trying to devise a refined, finished product at the start, rather than being looser and freer with your ideas. Experiment first, get a huge piece of paper, sketch out anything that comes to you no matter how ridiculous it is put it on paper, and just make a mess.
4. Employ mindfulness. If you’re struggling to be creative, it could be because you’re in the wrong state of mind. So do something about it. Taking the time to be mindful before taking on a creative task or project. Sometimes totally removing yourself from all those thoughts in your head is a helpful way to see the bigger picture.
5. Make things quickly. Having too much time to work on a project can sometimes hold you back. Conversely, putting time restrictions in place can be a great way to unblock your flow.
6. Recreate scenarios. Recreate scenarios where creativity has struck before. Inspiration often comes from something you saw while traveling or just walking outdoors. Try to close your eyes and immerse yourself in your favorite playlist. It can work like magic.
7. Develop a ritual. One of the most effective ways to get your creative juices flowing is to create a ritual of things you do every time you start a new project. Whatever that process consists of; it’ll be so much better than just staring at the walls, waiting for inspiration to strike.
To read the full article go to: https://www.graphicartstoday.com/edition/weekly-branding-brand-2021-02-06?open-article-id=15434785&article-title=how-to-be-creative-on-demand&blog-domain=creativeboom.com&blog-title=creative-
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Book Cover Design + Page Design
Recently we had the pleasure of designing a new book with printed cover and inside pages, Mind IC: Notes on Intellectual Capital Management by Bill Elkington. The cover features Detroit Industry by Diego Rivera, a mural from Detroit Institute of Arts as its flagship image. For the logotype we used Bank Gothic which reflects Bill’s business intent with the book, the inside pages are set in Caslon Pro, an easy-to-read font. We also designed the companion website to go with his new consulting business and to help promote the book.
Keep Design Interface in mind for all your branding and graphic design needs: www.designinterface.com
Mind IC: Notes on Intellectual Capital
For more about the book and Bill Elkington visit www.mindicllc.com
Mural credit: Diego M. Rivera, Detroit Industry, North Wall, 1932-1933, fresco. Detroit Institute of Arts, Gift of Edsel B. Ford, 33.10.N.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
Introducing 3 new logos!
Your logo is a core element of your company identity – it will appear on your business cards, letterheads, packaging, and website. We’d like to share three new logos that were recently created by our talented graphic designers. Each one has a distinct “personality” meant to produce a positive brand experience. The Home Made logo is for a local milling company that wanted to introduce a new line of baked breads. The Pocketbowls identity characterizes a recent idea for an elegant set of glass bowls for dipping. SlipSonic is a clever invention that easily increases the volume of a smart phone speaker.
Do you need a logo designed for your business or product? Contact us to learn how we can help.
Design Interface Inc. can show you what is possible. Our forward-thinking solutions for product design, package design, medical device design, graphic design and photography unlock the value of your ideas as we communicate your message and goals. See more here: https://designinterface.com/
2021 Pantone Color Of The Year
Pantone has announced PANTONE 17-5104 Ultimate Gray and PANTONE 13-0647 Illuminating as the 2021 Pantone Color of the Year. A combination of dull, familiar gray and the bright yellow of lemon skin. It’s a choice for the past year of quarantine.
Ultimate Gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements that are everlasting and provide a firm foundation. The colors of pebbles on the beach, Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness, and resilience. Illuminating is a bright, highlighter-yellow color, is the light at the end of the tunnel, the sun rising over a dark landscape, the dawning of hope.
“The selection of two independent colors highlight how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, conveying the idea that it’s not about one color or one person, it’s about more than one,” commented Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute.
To read more about the Pantone colors of the year visit:
https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year-2021 or https://www.dexigner.com/news/33425
Sit and stand while working…move!
Is it time to invest in making your home or office workstation more ergonomic? If you are one of the 80% of people that experience neck or lower back pain from working on a computer, then you will be doing yourself a favor. And those headaches…they could be coming from your neck.
Recent research from the Univ. of Waterloo points to sitting for 30 minutes and standing for 30 minutes.
https://tinyurl.com/yym6a872. To avoid postural fixity, the ultimate goal is to change postures regularly.
How to do that?
At Design Interface, we started inexpensively with the Home Concept Speedy Stand-up Desk, shown in the illustration. After a year of moving a wooden box around, it was time to upgrade. The next step was to add the Duet Sit-Stand Arms to our keyboard trays. Our final upgrade was to mount our screens to articulating arms to get them at eye level. Each of these moves was after one of us sought medical attention for pain!
Another easy option is a desk riser, it sits on top of an existing desk and raises the keyboard and monitor, some for as low as $160. Humanscale.com offers one of the most beautiful designs.
There’s much more to any ideal ergonomic set-up. Here’s a useful checklist: https://tinyurl.com/y3x78vsb.
Or contact me at Design Interface for help with an individualized workstation assessment.
~ Carla (Ergonomics + Design instructor, Cleveland Institute of Art)
P.S. Oh and one more thing…stop working with your laptop on the couch or bed. Your spine will thank you.
Electric Truck Being Made in Ohio
Northeast Ohioans are excited to finally see the old Lordstown automobile plant coming to life as it ramps up for the production of a brand new electric pickup truck. Called the Endurance, it will be powered by a motor inside each wheel and is expected to have a range of 200 miles and about 600 horsepower. The company making it, Lordstown Motors, said it will hire nearly 1500 workers and hopes to deliver it by September 2021.
The plant was previously operated by GM Motors making the Chevy Cruze for over five years, but eventually shut down in 2017 due to slow sales. All the equipment was left inside and is being repurposed to produce the Endurance, including making the truck’s batteries and motors. CEO Steve Burns plans to market the truck to fleet customers, stating “There is nobody with a full-size truck for workers priced in this range ($52,500), and it is hard to get a lane to yourself in modern-day automotive. Nobody’s playing in this lane right now and we plan to claim it, own it and lead it.“
Design Interface in the CIA Faculty Exhibition 2020
We are proud to be included in the CIA Faculty show with NED basketball training system. The Never Ending Defender allows basketball players to train on their own, especially important in this time of COVID-19. Adrian Slattery was the lead on this project, he teaches Materials & Processes in the Industrial Design (ID) Department. Other team members were Doug Halley and Carla Blackman. She teaches Ergonomics & Design in the ID department.
A tradition that spans more than eight decades, the CIA Faculty Exhibition is a celebration of art, design, and their makers. It provides an opportunity for the public to view new works from our world-renowned faculty.
Public appointments are available Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 5pm beginning Friday, October 23. Groups are limited to five people. All visitors are required to wear masks at all times while in the building. Please contact nwoods@cia.edu to schedule a visit. The show will be on view through Friday, January 29.
Why is Subscription Box Packaging Important?
Packaging is extremely important in the world of subscription boxes, the look and feel of the box matters just as much as its contents. Whether you’re looking for monthly shipments of clothes, makeup, beauty products, candy, healthy snacks, prepared meals, or even kid stuff, there’s literally a box for everyone. The appeal is not the fact that the box is delivered to your door, but the unique retail experience it offers. When surprise and delight are the main drivers of this market, some subscription box packaging has been made to tell a story as you unbox. So it is important to give a lot of thought to your subscription box packaging design, and how the different custom options can work for your brand.
Some of the ways these subscription boxes capture the customer are through custom printed boxes which allow them to show off their personality and brand identity. Custom tissue paper also provides a great opportunity to continue the brand narrative on the inside of your package. Custom stickers are a great focal point in packaging design, they create brand awareness for a low cost. Custom packing tape also is a great option for external branding if custom boxes stretch your budget too far. You can use it to seal up your boxes, but also as decoration for plain packaging.
I was awed when I saw how many subscription boxes exist.
Photos and information from the following sites:
https://urbantastebud.com/
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2019/03/dollar-shave-club-shave-starter-set-review-coupon-march-2019.html
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2020/02/freshly-review-feb-2020.html
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2020/04/society-socks-review-apr-2020.html
https://www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/2019/04/basic-man-review-april-2019.html
