Q LTD’s work includes defining Yale University’s Computing and the Arts’ brand voice, identity, and Web presence to support an effective marketing and fund-raising foundation for the program.
Yale University’s Computing and the Arts initiative integrates computing science and a specific arts focus drawn from art, history of art, music, drama, and architecture. Yale University’s new initiative is based on the belief that the next generation of computing technologies will be inspired by the arts.
“The world’s most challenging social and economic problems require a new generation of creative people who can dissolve the boundaries between the arts and technology,” said Tom Rieke, president of Q LTD. “So many of the world’s leading universities are now combining academic disciplines that have never collaborated in the past. Q’s assignment is to help establish the new Yale initiative in the top echelon of international opportunities for students and faculty who will lead the next generation of innovation.”
Uniquely positioned for its work with Yale University’s Computing and the Arts, Q LTD has worked on the graphic design for ACM SIGGRAPH’s renowned conferences for more than 15 years. Q LTD also developed a new brand identity for the School of Information Arts + Technology (SIAT) at Simon Fraser University and has a long history of work on a wide variety of projects for the University of Michigan’s School of Engineering, Business School, Medical Center, and other programs.
]]>“Alissa brings a new energy to our team of experienced professionals,” said Christine Golus, vice president, creative director, Q LTD. “Her dependability and strong work ethic combined with excellent design and communication skills will benefit all our clients.”
Ampezzan earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Michigan School of Art & Design.
Most recently, Ms. Ampezzan was assistant designer at University of Michigan College of Engineering, designing new identities for the Multicultural Engineering Programs Office, Center for Entrepreneurship, MPowered Entrepreneurship, International Programs in Engineering, among others.
“Joining Q LTD is very exciting,” said Ampezzan. “I look forward to contributing to the Q team’s stellar work.”
]]>DO:
1. Consider the long-term strategy for the name you’re developing and how the new brand name will fit into your company’s brand architecture and brand portfolio systems.
2. Consider the real fixed and potential costs involved in creating, registering and defending a new name.
3. Keep an open mind and generate a lot of options, hundreds if possible.
4. Set up a defined criterion as to how names will be judged in the process and stick to it.
5. Take the time to conduct native speaker linguistic checks.
6. Seek out and use one of the many specialized naming consultancies and trademark attorneys to help navigate the numerous pitfalls associated with the naming process.
7. Communicate how the name fits into the overall strategy for the business.
8. Allocate the proper amount of time and resources to adequately communicate your new brand name to your intended target audiences.
DON’T:
1. Fall in love with any specific name early in the process.
2. Have too many people involved in the name selection process
3. Have the conversation again. Once the name has been selected do not communicate what the second choice or other options on the list were.
4. Short cut the process, sooner or later shortcuts will comeback to haunt you and could be potentially expensive and embarrassing to your company.
5. Rule out an alternate domain name if the one you’re after is already taken. If another company already has possession of a domain name in which you’re interested, consider creating an alternate version.
6. Rush the process. Naming done well and on a multi-country or global scale takes time.
7. Ask your spouse or close friends for their opinion.
8. Expect to gain 100% consensus from your decision-making team. Select the name that fits your criteria the best.
]]>“Extending SIGGRAPH’s brand into the Asia-Pacific region is a distinct challenge and privilege,” explained Tom Rieke, Q LTD president. “In fact, it’s a great brand adventure, to attract new audiences to this world-famous event from such a fascinating mixture of languages, cultures, and technologies.”
SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 is sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery, whose conferences are highly regarded as the source for information and innovation in digital technologies.
Since the early 1990s, Q LTD has created the visual identity and marketing materials for the annual SIGGRAPH conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, which is held in a different city in North America each year. The North American conference attracts 25,000 - 30,000 attendees from around the world; attendance at the first SIGGRAPH Asia conference is expected to be about 4,000.
ACM SIGGRAPH, the organization that presents the SIGGRAPH conferences, serves its more than 8,000 members and the international computer graphics and interactive techniques community by promoting and supporting the innovation and application of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
About SIGGRAPH
SIGGRAPH is an international organization that fosters a membership community whose core values help them to catalyze the innovation and application of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
About ACM
The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) sponsors SIGGRAPH Asia 2008. ACM is an educational and scientific society uniting the world’s computing educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field’s challenges. ACM strengthens the profession’s collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2008 is scheduled for December 10-13, 2008, at the Suntec International Convention & Exhibition Centre, in Singapore. As with its North American conference, in Asia, SIGGRAPH, the computer graphics industry’s most respected technical and creative organization, will focus on research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education, and the Web.
“SIGGRAPH supports the world’s leading computer graphics professionals and, with SIGGRAPH Asia, an emerging market where those professionals are working, creating and innovating,” said Tom Rieke, president, Q LTD. “This opportunity to work with SIGGRAPH’s new conference venture in Asia extends Q’s emphasis on creating world-class design for international markets. Our partnership with SIGGRAPH, which is widely recognized for its leadership in graphics and interactive techniques, affirms Q LTD’s ability to deliver innovative and evocative results for clients, and supports the company’s international growth strategy.”
Since the early 1990s, Q LTD has created the visual identity and marketing materials for the SIGGRAPH conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, which is held in a different city in North America each year. The North American conference attracts 25,000 - 30,000 attendees from around the world; attendance at the first SIGGRAPH Asia conference is expected to be about 4,000.
“We are really pleased to extend our long-standing collaboration with Q LTD to SIGGRAPH Asia,” said Alyn Rockwood, vice president of SIGGRAPH and chair of the SIGGRAPH Asia Conference Advisory Group. “This is a significant new venture and challenge for the SIGGRAPH organization. Our past experience, confidence, and strong relationship with Q helps ensure its success.”
ACM SIGGRAPH, the organization that presents the SIGGRAPH conferences, serves its more than 8,000 members and the entire computer graphics and interactive techniques community by promoting and supporting the innovation and application of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
For more information on SIGGRAPH Asia: http://www.siggraph.org/asia2008/
]]>“The Kresge Foundation is undergoing a multi-year transition as they expand upon their current grantmaking policies,” explained Christine Golus, vice president, creative director, Q LTD. “The goal of the updated design was to clearly inform audiences of these changes and create a web presence that reflects the Foundation’s high standards and exemplary commitment to the public good. In addition, the navigation retains features that non-profit organizations are familiar with as well as providing improved access to news, program updates, and grantee resources.”
Q LTD created a new, dynamic home page that highlights the Foundation’s three important initiatives: Challenge Grant Program, Detroit Program, and the Green Building Initiative. Additionally, Q LTD provided templating, coding, and production consultation.
“Our web site is our public face to the world and often a grantseeker’s first point of contact with the Kresge Foundation,” says Cynthia Shaw, communications director. “We enlisted the help of Q LTD to update our site because they produce engaging designs that strategically enhance the user experience. This is key. Our goal was to make our programs more accessible to a larger and more diverse array of nonprofit organizations by streamlining and simplifying the user experience. The Q team definitely delivered.”
]]>“Q LTD’s selection by SIAT’s world-class faculty of artists and technologists is a strong affirmation of our branding expertise,” said Tom Rieke, Q LTD president. “SIAT’s new brand system positions the school for success in an intensely competitive environment.”
Q LTD’s brand work for the Vancouver, British Columbia school is visible in its typography, logo, tagline, web site, and other marketing materials. It supports the school’s worldwide reputation as a unique academic center where computer scientists, artists, designers, and social theorists collaborate, invent, research, and develop.
The SIAT logotype that Q LTD developed is a series of distinctive, abstract and linear letterforms that allude to the school’s focus in science, art, and design. Additionally, the linear logo can be used to generate an endless series of patterns, hinting at the organization’s continuous drive to generate new ideas.
Q LTD also developed a new tagline for SIAT: “shaping the next.” The line emphasizes the school’s focus on pushing the creative envelope in education and research.
]]>“Obviously, Q LTD recognizes the value of the ‘Q’ brand and is thrilled that its work has sparked the interest of QVC,” said Scott Hauman, Q LTD director of planning. “As experts in brand development, Q LTD could help QVC make our long-known and highly regarded brand its own.”
Q LTD will offer the letter Q to QVC for $999,999 if executives from the company call in the next 24 hours. There’s only one Q, so the supply is limited.
In addition to attracting national attention to the value of “Q,” Q LTD’s recent work includes branding and marketing support for the annual SIGGRAPH conference, identity design for Simon Fraser University: School of Interactive Arts + Technology, branding and web design for Parentography.com, and design of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources’ new flagship magazine, Stewards.
]]>“Face Tomorrow,” a mixture of robot and human face forms, creates a striking visual identity for SIGGRAPH’s conference theme. The concept is a nod to technology’s role in today’s creative field, with an eye on the next generation of computer graphics and interactive techniques.
“The concept behind ‘Face Tomorrow’ is human/computer interaction, the core of SIGGRAPH’s focus on computer graphics and interactive techniques,” explained Tom Rieke, President, Q LTD. “The half-human, half-robot concept reflects the accelerating collaboration between humans and machines on both sides of the human-versus-technology debate. ‘Face Tomorrow’ highlights SIGGRAPH’s ability to reveal to the industry a preview of things to come.”
“For more than 15 years, Q LTD has supported the evolution of the branding and design industry through its involvement with SIGGRAPH and its creative work for many other clients in North America,” Rieke added.
SIGGRAPH’s “Face Tomorrow” color palette is a monochromatic theme, a departure from previous SIGGRAPH visual identities, with a range of blues representing the conference’s San Diego location.
]]>The new web site design showcases Hollander’s expansive product line with improved navigation, graphical themes, and shopping-cart functionality.
“Q LTD provided a great web site design that captures the look and feel of our retail store and fully met our expectations of the project,” said Tom Hollander, owner of Hollander’s, along with his wife Cindy. Adds Cindy: “We appreciated that Q spent the time to understand our business and our needs first, and then built a web site that was not only functional, but friendly and inviting as well.”
“The 9,000+ sq. ft. brick and mortar store is now beautifully represented online and positions Hollander’s as a leader in the book and paper arts industry,” says Christine Golus, Vice President, Creative Director of Q LTD.”
Hollander’s, a leading source for unique decorative papers, bookbinding tools, and supplies, is located in the historic Kerrytown Shops in downtown Ann Arbor. Hollander’s is one of the largest retail sources of decorative papers in the country. The store also offers Hollander’s School of Book & Paper Arts - a dedicated studio for workshops in book arts, bookbinding, box making, letterpress printing, papermaking, marbling, calligraphy, and printmaking.
]]>“Blaine’s proven experience and unique skill strengthens our core offering,” said Tom Rieke, President, Q LTD. “His exceptional capabilities and past experience managing web development and interactive marketing efforts for AOL Time Warner, Sirius Satellite Radio, Pfizer, and Oxygen Media will benefit all our clients.”
Mr. Roderique earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Indiana University and is currently on track this year to receive a Master of Science, Human-Computer Interaction from the School of Informatics at Indiana University. His professional experience includes various professional positions with the New York Times Digital, TBWA\Chiat\Day, iDeutsch, Sirius Satellite Radio, and AOL Time Warner.
Most recently, Mr. Roderique was Product Manager, New Media at MediaSpan, spearheading the development of content management systems for local media companies, managing product updates, and leading customer-training efforts.
]]>The new web site design, led by Jeff Callender, Q LTD, VP, Design Director, showcases how AirPrint Networks is working to solve the key problem of documenting m-Commerce transactions.
“Q LTD is more than a simple web site shop for us,” said Mark Thirman, Founder/CEO and President of AirPrint Networks. “Q provided us branding counsel that easily transitioned into a consistent web site along with future printed deliverables, and that has helped us establish AirPrint as the pre-eminent provider of mobile commerce and infotainment content in a new product category: secure, on-demand, mobile printing.”
Q LTD will be providing ongoing deliverables to AirPrint, from its initial branding and positioning project, and first phase of the newly released web site, to transforming AirPrint’s web site from a marketing site to a customer provisioning and community site.
“What appealed to Q about AirPrint,” says Tom Rieke, CEO and founder of Q LTD, “is their vision to create a new product category and partner with firms who share that vision and can help shepherd this from ideation through product launch.” “Personally,” said Rieke, “I can’t wait for the AirPrint product and service to launch, because this is something I would use myself.”
Both companies are planning additional work on linking the AirPrint site to include international support and other enhancements.
About AirPrint Networks
AirPrint Networks Inc. provides print-on-demand capabilities for mobile phones via a content delivery platform (software as service) and a small portable mobile printer for ordering, retrieving, and printing transactional content. AirPrint Networks is working to solve the key problem of documenting m-Commerce transactions. This fulfills the need with an accepted method of acknowledging payments: paper. The Company’s mission is to deliver a transactional content creation, management, and distribution platform for leading wireless companies, content providers, and handset/printer OEMs. The founding team includes key executives who have delivered hundreds of products that have delighted millions of customers and earned billions in revenues over several decades. This privately held company has investors including Alps Electric (Japan). For more information, please visit http://www.airprintnetworks.com.
“We are very proud to be working with the School and we are inspired by their critical work in environmental stewardship and conservation of our natural resources,” said Christine Golus, VP, Creative Director.” Stewards will be printed using soy ink on paper stock that contains post-consumer waste fiber and is manufactured with wind power.”
“Stewards magazine visibly represents the qualities that make Q LTD an outstanding design firm—creativity, sophistication, consistency and simplicity,” says Cynthia Shaw, director of communications at the school. “Their attention to detail is unsurpassed. And, most important, the alumni, faculty and students are quite pleased with their new publication.”
About University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment
The School’s overarching objective is to contribute to the protection of the earth’s resources and the achievement of a sustainable society. Through research, teaching, and outreach, faculty, staff, and students are devoted to generating knowledge and developing policies, techniques and skills to help practitioners manage and conserve natural and environmental resources to meet the full range of human needs on a sustainable basis. For more information: http://www.snre.umich.edu.
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