mizrahi exchange : something for you to chew on

Laurie Mizrahi to serve as panelist in Think Big Forum, “Branding and the Customer Experience”

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

This year's Think Big Forum, "Branding and the Customer Experience", will feature keynote speaker Maxine Clark and a panel discussion with regional women executives and entrepreneurs about creating strong brands that drive greater engagement through meaningful customer interactions and ways to develop personal brands for greater business success.

Forum Agenda

8:00 – 8:30 Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 Keynote Speaker
Maxine Clark, CEO and Founder of Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc.

9:30 – 10:00 Networking Break

10:15 – 11:30 Branding Panel:
Michele Petruccelli, President of Petruccelli Strategic Marketing Consulting
Susan Gregg Koger, Chief Creative Officer and Lead Buyer, ModCloth
Donna Sturgess, President and Founding Partner, Buyology(also former global head of innovation, GlaxoSmithKline)
Laurie R. Mizrahi, President of Mizrahi, Inc. and Interim Vice President Creative, GNC Corporation.

11:30 – 11:45 Closing

Registration and Directions
Fee : $45.00
Location : Chatham University Athletic & Fitness Center
No directions available

Event Contact Information
Rebecca Harris
412-365-1301
rharris@chatham.edu

Google offers help for U.S. nonprofits

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0400

U.S.-based nonprofit organizations can get discounts on advertising and Google Apps subscriptions as part of a new Google for Nonprofits program launched today.

Nonprofits will be able to take advantage of the exclusive offers through a one-stop application process. If approved, they can get up to $10,000 a month in Google AdWords advertising, free or discounted use of Google Apps, and access to premium features on YouTube and Google's mapping technologies...

Ultimate Guide to the New Facebook Page Design

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0500

In the Spirit of Giving: Volunteer Work in Web Design

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0500

5 Reasons Why No One Is Reading Your Email Newsletter

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Some great ideas for increasing open rates and conversions on your next email newsletter.

Giving Users Some Credit

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

"Websites are designed to be used by people of varying backgrounds, educations and technical levels. One of the challenges we face when designing for the Web is finding a way to create sites and applications that can be accessed by a widely disparate audience while avoiding the pitfall of sacrificing the quality of our work to cater to the dreaded ‘lowest common denominator.’"

The Steve Jobs Simplicity Test for PowerPoint Presentations

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0400

A great lesson on how PowerPoint presentations should be designed. Visually support your verbal communication, without overloading the audience with distracting content.

"As you know, most PowerPoint presentations are boring and ineffective. Here’s why. We create them not to convey crucial information, but rather to help us ease our uncomfortableness with public speaking. I’m convinced this is true. We use PPT like a magician uses a lovely assistant — to misdirect the attention of the audience."

10 things never to leave out of a web design brief

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

A nice primer on developing a project brief or RFP for a website.

"Some agencies like to receive a brief that gives a steer as to the feeling, tone and style of a creative project. Others are far more concerned with the minutiae. And some prefer to write their own briefs based on a consultation with the client.

There is no right and wrong way to draw up a brief, save for the fact that good briefs will provide clear and detailed guidance to an agency, and in doing so produce good results. Bad briefs will do the reverse, wasting time and money and no doubt fraying nerves and tempers to varying degrees."

10 Keys to Effective Non-Profit Organization Websites

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0500

A concise overview of some of the key things to consider when developing a website for a non-profit organization. Also includes some very nice examples of non-profits websites.

The Cure for Content-Delay Syndrome

Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

It is perhaps the market forces driving web development projects that find us aligning ourselves with the lexicons of marketing and advertising rather than publishing. As a result, we have lots of "brand identity guidelines," but not so many "style guides" (for content, at least). We have "strategists," but no "commissioning editors," and we more often "go live" than "publish." Hence, we tend to first think "copywriter" when trying to get our content sorted, whereas very often an editor is the person we should be engaging.

A Layperson's Guide to Graphic Design

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Considering graphic design's ubiquity in modern life, I'm not sure that many people (non-designers that is) understand much about it. It's something that people encounter every day - perhaps every minute of their waking lives - yet they hardly bother to consider the impact, either for good or bad, that it has on their lives. It's a subject that means a great deal to the people who do it for a living, but rarely means much to the people it's aimed at.

7 Components for a Successful Web Site Redesign

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

At this point in time, almost every website project that comes our way is a redesign of an existing site. This article lays out in a very concise manner, some of the unique challenges and opportunities that exist with redesign projects.

Best Global Brands

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Continuing to build brands or create them is often a challenge in this tough economy. I feel that BusinessWeek continually provides insight and expertise in their Annual Ranking of the 100 Best Global Brands. The article and the accompanying video clearly articulate the need to stay focused and invested in branding during a recession.

Xerox Gets a Brand Makeover

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When I worked at Siegel & Gale in the early 1980s, one of my favorite projects was being part of the design team that was working on the relaunch of the Xerox brand. My role was designing the documentation for a project code named "Arthur". It was one of the first personal computers–and at the time–an unbelievable opportunity. Quarterly, we met with the extended Xerox design team from other studios from across the country, the likes of which included Massimo Vignelli and Michael Bierut. Others were designing the identity, the products themselves and the advertising agency was planning the product line launch. As a young designer, it was a thrill to watch how these experienced "brand experts" worked together.

So, I’ve always kept my eye on Xerox. Here is the latest brand renewal.

Javascript In Modern Web Design

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Javascript is becoming an increasingly important part of building a functional and engaging standards-based web site. The CSS takeover has been all about building accessible sites with cross-platform functionality (read: the opposite of Flash sites), but with the advent of Javascript frameworks like JQuery, we can have our cake and eat it, too. See how designers can implement Flash-like interactive components in a way that will even work on Internet Explorer 6!

The Discipline of Content Strategy

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The State of the Annual Report

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I have been involved in the communication and design of annual reports since 1985. Here is an article, written in Plain English, that I feel accurately reflects what is happening to annual reports and 10-K wraps in today's regulatory and cost-conscious climate.

Global Trends in Investor Relations

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Annual Reports are just one vehicle that corporations use to communicate with stakeholders. Investor Relations Officers today are focused on a multitude of issues that involve communications and disclose, including earnings calls, roadshows, one-on-one meetings with top management, corporate social responsibility, and optimal analyst coverage. This article published by The Bank of New York Mellon gives a broad view of trends in 2008.

E-proxies land with e-thud: Voting plunges

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0400

How to Understand Your Users with Personas

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

"Personas are a powerful tool for helping you to better understand the needs of your users. In this comic, drawn exclusively for Think Vitamin, you’ll learn more about Personas and how they’ll revolutionize the way you design and build web sites."

Google Analytics Gets Even Better

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Google Analytics is a very powerful tool for monitoring your website, and one that we install on every site we develop. And one of the best things about it is that it keeps getting better. This article provides an informative overview of the latest upgrades and features.

BusinessWeek Names 100 Best Global Brands for 2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Every year over the past decade, BusinessWeek and Interbrand have partnered to evaluate and choose the best brands of the year. Increasingly, establishing, creating and maintaining brand value has moved to the forefront of business planning for many corporate leaders today. We are often asked to help clients either establish a new brand, or refresh an existing brand. We help our clients to understand the differences between creating a corporate identity (which may only involve establishing a consistent look and feel), to communicating their unique value proposition and message to a targeted market. This year, trust and credibility are two of the hot topics. Read about how the 100 Best Global Brands are measured and ranked.

Website Recommendation: Identityworks

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0400

This site presents thoughtful analysis of brands that have recently gone through a redesign. Some very insightful observations with a business minded perspective. Definitely worth bookmarking.

Webdesigner Depot Deconstructs the new CNN.com

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Website Content Planning The Right Way

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Some great tips on how to approach the planning and development of content for a website. This is really a critical stage in the web design process and also one of the most difficult. Its easy to get anxious and want to jump right into the interface design. A good content plan will make sure everything comes together smoothly, and will make a signficant contribution to the success of the site.

Read the full article

5 Reasons Why No One Is Reading Your Email Newsletter

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0400

Some great ideas for increasing open rates and conversions on your next email newsletter.

Read the full article.