Creative Swell Blog

iPhone App – Dragon Dictation

Andy Law — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:04:29 +0000

If you are like me you text way more than you make calls. Last month alone I send over two thousand (2,000) text messages using my iPhone! That’s a lot of typing on my little iPhone keyboard. The new app from Dragon Dictation would have saved me much needed time. Check out the preview images from this app and download it for free via iTunes.

Textured Vector Landscape Tutorial

Andy Law — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:47:20 +0000

Create a stylish textured vector landscape with this Vectuts+ tutorial. Again, I don’t recommend any tutorials to my readers that I have not completed myself. In this tutorial you will learn to use compound shapes, the pencil tool, image embedding and masks. I hope you like the tutorial. Enjoy! Share your artwork once you have completed the tutorial using the comments section below.

Difficulty: Easy Time: 1 Hour

Click on the image to view it in all its textured splendor!

Over 21,000 Unique Views

Andy Law — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:54:49 +0000

Thank you all for making this little blog successful. Starting out with just 1 blog post in November my archives have grown to over 100 strong! Unique page views have hit 21,000 and my reader base is growing monthly. Thank you all for taking part in this little project, I hope to expand my blog’s advertising and get them to offer more contests to my readers! Check back weekly for postings!

Were going though changes

Andy Law — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:24:56 +0000

As you can see the blog is changing its format and styling, instead of going to an “under-construction” page we decided to show you all our customization on the fly, you’ll see the changes as they happen. Hope you enjoy this behind the scenes look.

OkGo new video – This too shall pass

Andy Law — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:54:52 +0000

The new music video from okgo is sure to go viral. Their use of abstract objects to create long drawn out sequences flowing to their new music is sweet and noteworthy. This is not the first time the band has focused on the design of their video rather than the music itself. Still pretty amazing. Check out the video after the jump!

Snail Mail Marketing

Andy Law — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:02:15 +0000

Published in the Small Business section of the January 12th edition of the WSJ was an article on Snail Mail Marketing. Most of us with marketing degrees that graduated after 2001 would probably just pass this article up, “Snail Mail” is a very cliche (often dirty) word in today’s world of Digital Media Marketing. The term “Snail Mail” refers to the (sometimes costly) production of marketing materials sent via regular mail to thousands (or millions) of households.

The article focused on a few firms that migrated (mostly to cut marketing costs) from direct mailers and personal letters to less expensive email and digital marketing. While the cost savings were significant the reaction from long timer customers were disastrous – clients enjoyed (sometimes saved) the letters, monthly mailers and funny postcards. In some cases clients even complained when the mailers stopped. So, what can we learn from this WJS article? A few things. Client Expectations – If you have been producing fun, creative or informative marketing pieces that are sent out regularly to clients you have created an expectation. Stopping the production could spell disastrous for your firm. Modern Media Blunder – “Mature” (the safe way for me to say old people, North of 40) clients in certain industries (think: insurance, health care, real estate) are not as tech savvy as the rest of the world, marketing plans directed at these industries need to be geared towards them. Just because digital marketing cuts costs does not mean it is the best way to go every time. My mom can’t even open her email box daily but she checks the regular mail every day like clock work. Against the Grain – Sometimes its best not do what others are doing. Since companies have slashed their direct-mailing budgets consumers are receiving less and less snail “junk” mail. That means that your marketing piece now has less competition that it did just a few month back and you should continue to produce your direct mailers.

The bottom line – Snail mail is not dead (only wounded) and in the next few years we will see a resurgence of direct-mail marketing. Just a few points to think about with your clients.

My thanks to Dave LaMar (Campbell Graphics) for the article!

T-Shirt Wars!

Andy Law — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 21:56:16 +0000

Check out this creative T-Shirt Wars video from Rhett and Link. More than 220 individually designed t-shirts were created for this video. You can even purchase the very same shirts they wore in this video or design your own. Just click the jump link and check out the video!

What’s the iPad really worth?

Andy Law — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:23:06 +0000

Apple has plenty of buzz surrounding their new hybrid device – the iPad – which was unveiled last month. The tablet is expected to devastate Amazon Kindle sales (and hard copy book sales) with its own apps store, bookstore and gaming capabilities. So what is this coveted iPad really worth? The guys over at iSuppli tore down the device and priced it out based on materials and manufacturing costs. Apple is selling the new device for $499 but what does it cost Apple to manufacture? Check out the breakdown after the jump…you’ll be surprised.

The above chart shows that the $499 price tag on the new device costs Apple little more than $229.35 to manufacture, making it highly profitable. So what does that mean for you? Well, if you are an early adapter of the product you will be hit with the $499 price tag to get your hand on a new iPad, however, if you decided to wait out the storm for a few months Apple will probably lower the cost of the entry device…did somebody say $299? That is pure speculation but Apple has adjusted pricing just months after releasing other high end devices (remember the iPhone!).

Check out other articles on the subject:

Wired Magazine

Gizmodo

Image via flikr – frasperspeirs’

info-graphics are taking off

Andy Law — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:17:20 +0000

Info-graphics are taking off…LITERALLY! This Kulula Airplane got re-branded with some descriptive facts, 101 to be exact. This graphic was created by Kulula’s very own creative team and shares various information about its planes with those on board. FYI the captain is called a “The Big Cheese” the black box is under 42D and the “secret agent code” is OK-PIK. Flying 101 is very useful. Check out more parts of the Kulula craft after the jump.

If I don’t have enough text the gallery looks funny! This is insider information and totally useless. I might as well write blah blah blah, but hey the gallery looks nice, right?

Found on PSFK

Hello my name is: CREATIVE SWELL

Andy Law — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:50:56 +0000

While I’m a fan of shameless self promotion, ALDB (Andy Law Design Blog) was to be a temporary name until I had time to re-brand the blog (6 months later). Without further ado welcome to CREATIVE SWELL! CS will be a place for design inspiration, creative community and tutorials. We are driven by our readers so please tell us what you want…more contests?! interviews?! articles?! Tell us after the jump by leaving a comment.

THANK YOU! We would like to thank our devoted readers, over the first 6 months you have inspired us and helped us form a better design community! Here is to all the new things 2010 will bring us!