Anyway, I’ve avoided making any commitment to playing music regularly for over ten years, but these guys play just the type of jams I enjoy so I’m starting to play more often & was happy with this low rent video off a still camera stuck on a conga drum in the corner, with the second warm-up jam of the night, an original that I only just heard tonight for the second time:

Island Sign was honored recently, by the request to produce and install all the graphics for a new exhibit at The Maui Ocean Center, Hawaii’s Top Rated Family Attraction! (Zagat Survey US Family Travel Guide)

This new Coral Reefs exhibit, with its interactive models and live coral examples, is comprised of about 35 feet of full color artwork, prepared by Geoff Moore of Silver Moon Design, and several cut out openings in the wall for aquarium tanks, a video screen, & a cutaway glimpse into a coral sculpture. The display also incorporates electronic devices to activate lighting & audio responses to help engage & educate visitors.

Our role at Island Sign included some consultation prior to construction & completion of the artwork. We were able to assist in the coordination of material choices, & construction methods prior to our installation of the graphics. Our new CNC router came into play for cutting precise aquarium & video screen openings in the wall panels, as well as custom contoured acrylic used in the exhibit.

The 32 foot continuous display wraps over 10 folds in the wall, over a hidden door, & six openings in the wall, such as those pictured above. Our Mimaki printer, & Sony production computer were pushed to capacity, ripping massive high resolution files to produce this display with a minimum of seams.

this may also encourage others to post links for their friends to check it out so, it’s one way that having a blog, & using social networking can help raise awareness of who you are & what you are doing.

The above discussion came from the sharing of a funny video. And it IS funny, so I decided to post it here to share a little humor this morning

This post isn’t really all that much of a marketing article, but I categorized it under Marketing Articles, because it is an exploration of a marketing concept.  Be real. Tell a story. Go out and interact with the community, but build a an identity & a reputation around you. Your company may have (or be) a brand, but you are also building brand identity through your actions & comments, your likes & dislikes & your overall presence in the marketplace.

Your life in business is not always about business, but it’s always about you. If you have a sense of humor, share it. Sometimes sharing of the things that make you who you are will also help you become familiar & will create a following of people who appreciate you & grow to trust you. Familiarity & trust are obviously important ingredients for successful business relationships, so establishing these emotions where you also do business makes sense.

COMPANY-RELATED QUESTIONS

1- How would you describe your services and/or products?

2- What are the long term goals of your company?

3- Why do you want a new logo? (if they already have one) What do you want your new logo to accomplish?
This question helps to understand the problem.

4- Who are your main competitors?
Having clients provide links allows you to get a better feel for their market and competition.

5- How are you different from your competitors?

6- What’s the age range of your target customer base?
Helps in creating an overall feeling and impression of the logo.

PROJECT-RELATED QUESTIONS

7- Do you have a tag line? If so, would you like it stated along side your logo?

8- Do you have any specific imagery in mind for your logo?

9- Do you have any color preferences, or existing brand colors?

10- Do you have any colors that you do not wish to use?

11- What adjectives should best describe your logo?

12- What feeling or message do you want your logo to convey to those who view it?

13- How do you prefer your logo to be worded or written out?
Example: thedesigncubicle or the design cubicle

14- How would you like the typography to appear?
Example: script, bold, light, hand drawn, custom lettering

15- Where will you logo be used?
Example: print, web…

16- Where will your logo primarily be used?
If the primary usage is for the web, typically horizontal logos work best.

17- What’s your preferred deadline, time frame or exact date of completion?

18- Budget?
This is where I provide various pricing and concept numbers.

19- Would you like any addition design services to be packaged with your new logo?
Example: business cards, envelops, letterheads, etc.

20- What logos appeal to you and why?
Another question they can also with links and visual examples.

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

I also like to leave my clients with a field or extra room at the end where they can provide additional details and comments.

Remember, being a graphic designer means you are a problem solver. You cannot solve a problem without knowing what the problem is – asking questions is a great start.

What questions do you ask your clients prior to starting a project? Feel free to add to the above questions in the comments below.

The entertainment will be provided by a very special talent by the name of Paula Fuga who will be doing a solo performance showcasing her incredible voice, songwriting & ukulele playing. If you are not yet familiar with Paula’s music, you will undoubtedly be hearing more about this rising star. Jack Johnson invited her to perform at the 2008 Kokua Festival which helped her move into becoming a household name.

From an interview in the San Francisco Chronicle, “Fuga credits “American Idol” with opening doors for her within Hawaii – and for giving her a business partner, a production assistant on the show who later helped her start her own record label. Her musical influences include Motown, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin – “she’s my favorite, I love the old-school bluesy style of music” – and Bob Marley; Fuga also sings in the nine-piece roots-reggae band DubKonscious.

“I do the music that’s within me,” Fuga said. “It took a long time to realize that I didn’t have to sing in Hawaiian to make Hawaiian music, because I am Hawaiian.”

In addition to this top notch entertainment, the event will also feature exotic gourmet style grinds from our friends & clients, Star Anise (a familiar vendor at several MACC events) who will be providing Indian and South-East Asian cuisine including Vegetarian Samosas, Chicken Satay Skewers, with peanut sauce & Shrimp Shumai.

The finest in handcrafted local brews will be served, with 3 different award winning flavors from Maui Brewing Company!

Photo Credit © Kathleen Walling Fry

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The first time I saw Paula Fuga play live was a result of my own invitation to play percussion with some musicians I’ve been working with for many years. I brought a pair of congas & discovered the hostess was a client of mine. Some months later, she remembered my congas when she needed to locate a set to loan Paula’s percussionist flying in for a benefit event. I agreed to loan my instrument & was treated to an invitation to watch the soulful performance.

Earlier this year another client, Wings Hawaii, was celebrating their anniversary & I agreed to sponsor the event with some digital printing work, & Paula was the musical guest of honor again.

Here is a glimpse or two into why she is such a popular performer & a source of inspiration through the beauty of her ukulele playing, her songwriting, & most of all, her incredible voice!

The second one was from my event, when Paula let me sit in for a song. I played pretty quite, but i was an honor!