‘Things We’ve Learned So Far’ - the Slides

Thanks to Midtown Printing

Last year, we did branding and identity work for U.S. Crisis Care, a non-profit organization that helps communities provide support to people affected by sudden traumatic events.

Our good friends at Midtown Printing helped the organization by generously donating labor and printing for some of their promotional collateral.

So a big thank you to Skip Bray and everyone at Midtown Printing for helping out and doing a little good in the world. You rock.

‘Brand New’ Honors Atomicdust with Two Identity Design Awards

We’re happy to announce that Atomicdust’s work for Pastaria has been recognized by the Brand New Awards for ‘Logo Design’ and ‘Comprehensive Identity’.

Organized by UnderConsideration, the Brand New Awards is a judged competition that celebrates the best identity work produced around the world. The competition places as much importance on concept and execution as it does on strategy and business decisions by focusing on the work itself, the process, and the client’s involvement. 

There were more than 700 submissions from around the world, and only 75 were selected as winners - and two of them were for our work with Pastaria. It’s exciting to see our design work for a St. Louis business shown on a world stage.

And congratulations to our St. Louis friends and neighbors at TOKY whose work was also honored. Out of all the entries in the category, only three logos were given the highest-awarded rating of five stars - and to think that two of them came from the same block in St. Louis is pretty amazing. #STL

Thoughts on HIMSS 2013 and Healthcare Marketing

Healthcare marketing gets a bad rap. It’s typically known as cold, semi-generic and filled with the classic “battle of bullet points” approach. Maybe that’s what I find so exciting about it. Because when you approach it the right way, your work can tower above the sea of mediocre websites, brochures and trade show booths.

Speaking of trade show booths, last week a handful of Atomicdust staff and I were down in New Orleans for the 2013 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition. It’s one of the largest healthcare trade shows around, run by a not-for-profit that’s focused on improving healthcare through the better use of IT and management systems. Read more about our thoughts on healthcare marketing at HIMSS. 

Valentine’s Desktop Wallpaper from Atomicdust

We just got back from Colorado, and we know the month is half over. Still, we wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day with this single, special desktop. So go ahead and download it for your phone, tablet or desktop and spread the love today!

Midwest Pride, and       a T-shirt Giveaway.

This summer, I got an email from a design student wondering if I could answer some questions about our Midwest-based marketing agency.

Most of the questions were common - size of staff, types of services, etc. But one of the questions stood out to me. In summary...

“What bests describes your agency:”

A: A large coastal agency working with large consumer brands.
B: A midwest agency working with B2B brands and healthcare.

The question really stuck with me. We proudly do a lot of work for local clients, including B2B brands and healthcare marketing. But is that alone what defines us? And not just our agency, but the thousands of creatives in the Midwest? Are Midwest creative firms just a stereotype?

I believe that the internet dissolved any geographic barriers that might have challenged Midwest agencies decades ago. Many client rosters now include global brands as well as local and regional ones. And the talent pool is growing and changing in response. There are more great designers, writers, developers, and strategists in the Midwest than ever before. Clients don’t have to travel to the coast to find world class creatives.

I never responded to the student's survey. Instead we took the time to make some Midwest T-shirts to give away on Facebook as a thank you to the creatives in St. Louis and throughout the Midwest who inspire us every day. We’re giving away five a week, or you’re welcome to come by our office and grab one.

And if you're ever curious about the endless creative talent in the Midwest, consider attending the Weapons of Mass Creation Festival in Cleveland.

Mike Spakowski is Principal / Creative Director of Atomicdust and is involved with the day-to-day design strategy, art direction and studio management.

Visiting the Eames House

While attending a conference in LA, a few of us at Atomicdust had the chance to sneak away for a few hours and visit the Eames House, the home of famed designers Charles and Ray Eames.

The Eames are considered legends in the field of design, and getting a chance to wander about where your heroes once lived was humbling and inspirational.

The Eames have always been important to me, not just for the wonderful pieces they created over the years, but as a reminder that creativity can transcend category. Charles and Ray were know mainly as furniture designers, but they used their studio and resources to pursue ideas they were passionate about, like graphic design, short films, children’s toys, and architecture. I also consider them one of the first branding companies, for the identity work and exhibits they created for IBM.

“The most important thing is that you love what you are doing, and the second that you are not afraid of where your next idea will lead.”
― Charles Eames

The house is hidden away in a back lot of an affluent neighborhood in Pacific Palisades. If you weren’t looking for it, you might never know it was there. But there it stands, serving as a reminder that good design is functional, practical and timeless.

If you find yourself in the Los Angles area and are a fan of mid-century modern design and architecture, you should consider visiting the Eames House.

Thanks to the nice people at the Eames Foundation for letting us stop by. 

Check out more pictures of the Eames House on our Facebook page.

Mike Spakowski is Principal / Creative Director of Atomicdust and is involved with the day-to-day design strategy, art direction and studio management.

Understanding Responsive Website Design. An Overview for Marketing Managers

We’ve been reading a lot about responsive website design on the web (it’s a very popular topic) and thought we would put together an overview for Marketing Managers that might have questions about the topic. What is responsive design? And why does it matter?

Read, 'Understanding Responsive Website Design. An Overview for Marketing Managers.'

Now Hiring: Web Developer

Atomicdust is looking for a developer capable of collaborating with designers and others during the concept phase of a project, bringing original ideas and best practices to the table. Day-to-day tasks include converting Photoshop and Illustrator layouts into working, standards-compliant websites as well as updating and maintaining client websites.

Interested? Find out more...