Helpful words

Matching a Name to Your Art Direction

Art direction is an integral part of the world — so art directors carry a lot of weight on their shoulders. An artistic concept must be original, compelling and aesthetically pleasing, and it must complement the brand as a whole. If things don’t go well, the responsibility lies in the hands of the art director. No…

Brand building – an exercise in asymmetry

Do you have any idea how many brands are vying for your attention every day? It’s disgusting. Try this, check out that, Like this, Follow that, 20% more, satisfaction guaranteed! So to cope with this media swarm, people naturally employ some quick mental triage in order to decide what to pay attention to and what to…

Branding is just like life: Better to live it than overthink it

I just read an interview with Miuccia Prada by Scottish novelist Andrew O’Hagen. At one point in the conversation, O’Hagen notices that everything Prada is wearing is her own creation. He tells her that if he were in her shoes, he’d sometimes be desperate to get away from the brand. Her answer: “I’m never in…

UPDATE – June 14: Branding live-feed with Eli Altman

Due to unforeseen complications we have to cancel the General Assembly live cast. We’re really sorry it came to this. To make it up to you guys we’re going to do a (free) live cast of the presentation in the form of a Google+ hangout. We’ll post details shortly. Thanks.

Be human – our social media brand guidelines

Most brands can’t keep their legs shut. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter and Tumblr and Instagram and Google Plus. Pin us on Pinterest. They’re like the guy at the bar who will go home with any girl that has a pulse. In the past ten years the number of media outlets has…

Tidepool has launched

For the past 6 months we have been working with an extraordinary group of doctors and software architects on a project to make data from medical devices speak a common language. Named Tidepool, the new non-profit is building an open source software platform initially slated to help the one million people in the U.S. with…

Characteristics of the Best Names for Companies

A company’s name has a lot more to do with its success or failure than you might think. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and in most cases, your business’s first impression will be made when people hear its name. There’s no single method for figuring out the best name for…

Branding is just like life: Play a little hard to get

If people were like companies, we’d all be drunken sailors–telling our stories to anyone who would lend us an ear, and probably a lot of people who aren’t even paying attention. Companies are so eager to make friends that they violate the most basic rule of human engagement, which is: make sure the other person…

What to Name My Company

What branding ultimately comes down to is creating a cohesive identity and personality for your company that sets you apart from the competition. Your company name, logo, writing, and visual and vocal identity elements work together to establish your brand. Though the most successful brands make sure that all of these elements work together to…

Lean startups need lean branding

If you talk to people starting companies, you’ll notice a four letter word that’s rocketing its way to ubiquity. That word is “lean.” This is primarily because of Eric Ries’ New York Times and Amazon bestseller “The Lean Startup.” The book has been lauded by everyone from Mitch Kapor to Tim O’Reilly to Dustin Moskovitz….

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