Blog
As you might expect from communication professionals, we’re an opinionated bunch. Follow our blog for our personal takes on what’s happening.
16
May | 2013
- Principal + Creative Director
As part of a recent Red Rocket Lunch & Learn Session, I invited a guest speaker (Victoria Mitchell) to educate and, in many ways, remind us of the importance of good office ergonomics. From good posture and preventative measures to various stretches, the hour-long info session gave everyone in the office a renewed perspective on the benefits of taking care of one’s self.
25
Apr | 2013
- Web Project Manager
Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better.
- John Updike
As a new addition to Red Rocket Creative Strategies, so far I have attended 3 awesome lunch-and-learns organized by Rocketeers: one about antique book collecting, another about the biology of tattoos, and the most recent was an awesome talk about the Big Bang (science not the tv show).
10
Apr | 2013
- Communications Designer
I have done a lot of logos and brand developments so far in my short career (just over 75 individual brands/brand updates), and the one thing that seems to never change is the confusion clients have about the difference between the two. I've tried to explain it in many different ways, but the main analogy I use to help explain is the 'anatomy of a brand.'
21
Mar | 2013
- Junior Graphic Designer
A Match Made in Hell
The original concept of crowdsourcing was very smart. Maybe even genius. It’s an old concept, but modern-day crowdsourcing gathers internet brainpower from all over the world to achieve a common goal (for example, Wikipedia, WikiLeaks, WordPress). Crowdsourcing also makes people feel they are part of a community and that they are contributing to a greater good.
06
Mar | 2013
- Business Development
Investor Relations (IR) professionals tell me their biggest challenge with presentations is keeping the amount of information to a minimum. By the time the project has been vetted by the CEO, CFO, COO, geologist, lawyer or whoever else gets to contribute, the slides can overflow with details that greatly bog down a presentation.
28
Feb | 2013
- Client Services Director
Exceptional client service is about going beyond what is realistically expected of you. It is about surprising expectations and delighting clients, turning them into enthusiastic referral sources that stick with you not only because you do great work but also because the value you bring goes well beyond the physical deliverable.
21
Feb | 2013
- Front End Developer
Cross-browser refers to the ability of a website, web application, HTML construct or client-side script to function in environments that provide its required features and to bow out or degrade gracefully when features are absent or lacking. - Wikipedia
13
Feb | 2013
- Office Administrator + Proofreader
Putting together a group of talented designers and creators isn’t enough to make a successful creative team. The people and their skill sets are the first step in the process of producing effective communication solutions.
With a group of individuals, it is important to be sure that they have the abilities you will need (illustrator? Photoshop technician? Copywriter?). Sometimes double-duty and cross-training are helpful; sometimes they confuse the issue of ultimate responsibility. As well, interpersonal communication and cooperation must be clear and ever-present.
31
Jan | 2013
- Principal + Marketing Director
What does a design team bring to the party?
Don’t they simply take my content and make it look pretty?
Good design is about a whole lot more.
It’s about clear communication and the ability to convey information in a concise, user-friendly manner.
Good design informs, engages, persuades and sells.
In fact, in an environment where credibility and reputation are vital, the use of good design has never been so important.
Much more than just aesthetics
23
Jan | 2013
- Senior Web Developer
The best software developers continually try to automate their own work. But is that something that you should be doing as well?
You might think that automating your own work would be a self-defeating activity. Why put yourself out of work?! Well... it turns out that the software world is in a constant state of making significant efficiency gains. Anecdotally, we often build websites today in better than half the time it would have taken to build a similar website a decade ago.