all things inspiring

A New Web Site for Shelley Cowan

Wed, 09 May 2012 12:39:00 GMT

I am thrilled to share with you Shelley Cowan's new web site and beautiful logo.

Shelley Cowan is a Communications Strategist, Anthropologist and Writer who consults companies such as P&G and Petoskey Plastics. She has been successfully working on this field for 20 years and managed to stay at the top of her game without a web site.

Shelley approached De Novo with a vague idea about what she needed her web site to do. We spent a lot of time together analyzing her work and unraveling her competitive advantage. Together, we created a strategy that will grow her reach while addressing her current needs.

It was an amazingly interesting experience that helped me realize how efficient communication and high quality content can make a great difference in a web site. Shelley's constant quest for perfection and accuracy in the use of language taught me to be more subtractive in the way I design myself.

Shelley wrote a wonderful testimonial that I would like to share with you:

"Maria is more than a terrific web designer; she is also a terrific communications strategist. She started by asking, "Why do you want a website?" "How do you expect people find you?" "What do you want them to do as a result?" She listened carefully and translated her understanding into a logo, layout and design in a way that felt a bit magical to me. It's an experience I highly recommend."

She even dedicated a blog to De Novo describing her experience of creating her own web site. You can read her "The Client's Shoes" blog here.

You can visit Shelley's web site at: www.shelleycowan.com or you can visit Shelley's blog at http://blog.shelleycowan.com

Gentle Breeze or the transformation of a static web site to an online business

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:15:00 GMT

I am very excited and want to share with you the launch of an e-commerce site for Gentle Breeze, the Hot Air Ballon company that flies all over the greater Cincinnati area.

Brian Trapp and Laurie Givin, owners of Gentle Breeze, commented: "Maria has done a wonderful job for us! ... She's taken the time to read or hear what we say we want, think about it, analyze it and come back to us with a solution! This is a refreshing experience... Wonderful job!"

Gentle Breeze initially approached De Novo Dezign to create a 5 page, static, brochure type web site for their business. Over the past two years their web site has expanded to include detailed information about their fleet, flying and ballooning. More importantly we added extra functions to facilitate their day to day work and their marketing effort to expand their business, including social media interaction.

The last addition, to what now is a complete on line business, is their shopping cart where exclusive or group rides to metro flights and wedding flights are offered.

Other than the shopping cart the web site enjoys a Content Management System (CMS), complete customer database, e-mail marketing/newsletter and a blog.

Take a look at the cool design and who knows you may want to try a ride!

Gendered LEGO Advertising Remixer

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 20:47:00 GMT

The LEGO Advertising Remixer swaps audio and visuals from ads marketed towards boys and ads marketed towards girls. Tribute to my fanatic LEGO kids!

Day One Journal app

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:18:00 GMT

I came across Day One Journal and loved it. According to the creator's web site It is the easiest to use journal / diary / text logging application for the Mac and it is also the best looking.

Day One is designed and focused to encourage you to write more. Using the Menu Bar quick entry, Reminder system, Calendar view and inspirational messages your memories and thoughts will be preserved. iCloud or Dropbox sync allows easy backup and syncing with the Day One iPhone and iPad applications.

Mac Feature List

iCloud and Dropbox sync to iPhone and iPad
Quick Entry via the Menu Bar
Password Protection
Calendar View
Export
Inspirational Messages
Reminder System
Search
System Hot-key Shortcut
Starred Entries List
Command Line Interface
Multi-Markdown Support

More to come

Tags / Categories
Photo Attachments
Encryption
Location Data

Available at the Apple Store

"The F-Word: Famine Is The Real Obscenity" TV spot

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:38:00 GMT

Created by Wondros, the star-studded 60 second PSA for ONE, gives a verbal middle finger to famine. An endless group of stars implore the public to sign a petition calling on world leaders to end famine in Africa and conclude: We’re not asking for your money. We’re asking for your voice.

ONE is an advocacy and campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

wondros.com, one.org

409 feet of love, fear, hope and Altitude

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:16:00 GMT

Altitude, a creative agency in San Francisco, was invited to design a 400-foot section of the construction barrier mural surrounding the new UCSF Medical Center campus in Mission Bay. Messages of uncertainty, strength, and hope from patients journal entries engage audiences up close, and at a distance, to help shed light on the experience of being young and in a hospital.

What they did is really inspiring.

Altitude, UCSF Medical Center

Agostoni Organic Chocolate

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:36:00 GMT

Agostoni Organic Chocolate new package design.

Great British Chefs identity and app

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:51:00 GMT

London’s hat-trick design created the identity and iPhone and iPad apps for Great British Chefs—which brings together and champions some of the best chefs in Britain. Enjoy!

Nike’s Film Grand Prix winner “Write the Future”

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:02:00 GMT

At the 2011 Cannes Festival of Creativity NIKE won the Grand Prix with the fabulous movie "Write the Future"

TUI Weather Spot by Lucas Zanotto

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 12:45:00 GMT

TUI Weather Spot from Lucas Zanotto on Vimeo.

Steve Jobs on how to live before you die

Fri, 27 May 2011 22:01:00 GMT

Without any comment.

De Novo's latest web site launch: Mt. Sterling Pediatrics

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:19:00 GMT

We love our new website! De Novo Dezign and Maria did a fabulous job creating just what we wanted. Our website is vivid, easy to navigate, and very informative. Maria was extremely easy to work with. She was responsive to our needs and suggestions and was diligent in completing the website. We are very happy with the entire process as well as the end result. Thanks so much De Novo Dezign!

... said Dr, Brandy Fouch who founded the practice in 2009 in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky. Together with Shasta Kessler, the pediatric nurse practitioner and the other staff of the practice they resonate enthusiasm and positive energy. We brainstormed with Dr. Fouch and listened carefully at the message she needed to convey through the site. We also analyzed her client's needs when visiting and navigating through the site and more importantly the tasks they would perform once in the site.

The web site's main goal is to inform about the practice and its policies but also to educate people on child related issues. Moreover, it was important to express the enthusiasm and passion that Mt. Sterling Pediatrics is standing for.

In order to achieve the goals set, the site, at the front end, makes available a breadth of information related both to the practice and to children's health.

Using a clean, easy to navigate layout that makes information easy to find.
Using a search option in all pages for quick search of information.
Repeating useful information such as address, map, telephone numbers and other emergency numbers in every page so that clients do not have to search for them in case of an emergency.
Under quick links the fever control link includes detailed tables of Motrin and Tylenol dosages and other fever related information.
Under "my sick child" and "parent resources" a variety of downloadable files and links to other web sites related to anything a parent with young kids can look for is made available.
The site provides all the information related to Dr. Fouch and her staff, the practice policies and downloadable forms that patients can prepare in advance.
It also uses playful, vibrant colors reminiscent of the practice's interior design.
A clean, modern, easy to read typeface and minimum ornamentation add to the playful design without intervening with the site's functionality.

At the back end the Mt Sterling Pediatrics web site is using an easy to use Content Management System for quick updates, web analytics and e-mail marketing for sending newsletters and other useful e-mails.

You can take a look at the Mt. Sterling Pediatrics web site here.

Dot

Fri, 25 Mar 2011 16:44:00 GMT

Admiring and super sweet. Don't rush it, see it until the end. Love it!

And the inspiring story behind it.

Google introduces Social Search and kills SEO?

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:50:00 GMT

There is an ongoing battle between Google and Facebook on who will win our search preferences. It an attempt to grow its search engine impact Facebook won't give Google access to its social graph data. In response, Google joined forces with every other social network to make Google search more social by incorporating our social preferences to the search results.

Yesterday Google launched an upgrade to its search engine. Now Google users, logged in with their Google account, will receive traditional search results combined with their friends' search history.

The news revolutionize the way web pages and information will be ranked in the future. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) based on keywords will soon be dead as each one of us will see a different page of results, more personal, based on our search history and connections across the different social media.

Watch the Google video to see how our new searches will look like and understand all the details.

What can you do to take advantage of the new situation in the biggest search engine of the world?

Create often fresh, compelling content in your web pages and blogs. More pages means more indexing and more search results for your web site or blog.
After you create your new blog pages submit them to the different social platforms.
Even better, add share buttons to your blog entries to make it easy for others to share your content in social platforms.
Create a strategy on how to expand your social presence as the number of connections you have will affect the way you are ranked.
Share the Google video with other people in your business and embrace the change.

Jens Praet shredded collection

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 14:07:00 GMT

Jens Praet is a Belgian designer living in Panzano in Chianti, Italy. Praet studied industrial design in Florence, Italy. According to his web site Jens has a strong passion for everyday objects, honest materials, finding inspiration in unexpected details and daily issues which often become the starting point in developing a new concept.

In his project "shredded collection" Jens is using shredded paper ranging from office documents to old magazines and mixes them with resin before turning them to furniture using a mold.

The collection is rich in shapes. There is a "shredded" table

shredded bench, sturdy enough to support 2 adults

shredded shelve, made of 4 kilos of magazines can support 50 kilos

... and more.

His work is represented in Industry Gallery (Washington DC) and PlusDesign Gallery (Milano)

To find out more about Jens Praet visit his website www.jenspraet.com