Klündt | Hosmer Blog

Dr. Paraprosdikian?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:51:00 -0700

Writing interesting, appealing headlines and accurate, compelling copy is something we do everyday at Klündt | Hosmer. The English language is interesting and using it to communicate clearly can be difficult, even for native speakers (just ask our Columbian designer, Henry if he always understands what we're talking about!)

A friend of mine emailed me something about a partiular figure of speech that was new to me: the paraprosdikian

A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For example:

If I agreed with you we'd both be wrong.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.

A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.

Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.

I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not sure.

I always take life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a shot of tequila.

You're never too old to learn something stupid.

To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.

I saw a woman wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it...so I said "Implants?"

Some people hear voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever.

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

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And now you know that "paraprosdokian" has nothing to do with assisted suicide.

Rosalia Takes a Tour

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 08:57:00 -0700

We often receive requests from area high school and university instructors wanting to have their marketing classes tour our offices and have a Q&A time with us. We most always say "yes" to these requests, because we remember (oh so long ago) when our own college classes toured local agencies and design firms. We learned a lot then and want to extend that opportunity to current students.

This spring, an art class from Rosalia High School made a trip to Spokane for a tour. This class is special, as it is taught by Fern Feenan, the mother of Lorri Johnston, one of our art directors.

Darin and Lorri hosted the tour of 30 students (which, by the way, is about 50% of Rosalia's high school enrollment!) The students learned about careers in graphic design and viewed the artwork of Tim Lord, which is prominently displayed in our offices.

When they returned back to school, Fern Feenan had her students create thank you cards to send to us. They used cut paper, colored pencils, watercolor and laser printed lettering to make their own custom cards. The thank you cards were very creative and appreciated by our staff.

Lorri's mom taught her own daughter when Lorri was in high school. That art foundation served Lorri well as she continued her education at the Art Institute of Seattle, and after graduation during a successful career in Seattle before moving to Spokane and joining Klündt | Hosmer.

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 08:51:00 -0700

Recently we were working on a new sales brochure for a client. Similar to an earlier design we created in English, this one had to be in Japanese for their Asian sales team.

Laying out Kanji text is always kind of challenging as it is difficult to know where the lines should break or what's a headline or a subhead.

While Mastery was working on the layout, Micah and Steven (two of our programmers) came over to her desk. Now these two guys (Americans through and through) eat bento for lunch, watch anime for entertainment, and collect popular Japanese manga figurines (well, at least Micah does.)

Anyway, while looking over Mastery's shoulder at her computer monitor, they both were able to read some of the Kanji text in her brochure layout. Now, when Henry Ortega (one of our designers who happens to be from Columbia) translates Spanish text in a brochure or website, that's cool. But when two of our "born in the USA" programmers read Japanese, I just think that's awesome.

行く方法人 (way to go guys!)

The Mirror Test

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:42:00 -0700

The late '90s was a great time to be a graphic designer. Not that I'm complaining now, but the turn-of-the-century was a happening time with people investing in dot-coms and starting businesses left and right.

One of those businesses was an on-demand, online printing company called Webprint.

A previous client of ours was a partner in this Bay Area company and he introduced us to his management team. They hired us to design the company's brand identity, services brochure and website. It was cool stuff and fun popping down to San Francisco to do business with those guys. The president of the company was named Jeff Hayzlett. He had a successful background in commercial printing and technology, and investors tended to listen to what he had to say. We enjoyed working with Jeff. He was a nice guy and even took me out on the town when I judged the ADDY Awards in Sioux Falls, SD, his hometown.

It's been quite a while since Klündt | Hosmer has worked with Jeff and his team at Webprint. That business sold and Jeff moved on to other things, including four years as Chief Marketing Officer at Kodak in Rochester, NY. Jeff and I have kept in touch over the years and it is fun to watch the success that he has enjoyed.

His latest endeavor is a book titled, "The Mirror Test: Is Your Business Really Breathing?" Jeff has lead businesses through the boom (and bust) of the dot-com era, through steady growth and into the current economic climate. He is experienced and knows what he's talking about. In fact, none other than Donald Trump, who Jeff worked with on "Celebrity Apprentice" had this to say about "The Mirror Test", "This book is a reflection of marketing genius, read it to find out how companies big and small TRUMP the competition!"

We are excited help promote Jeff's book, his speaking engagements and reminisce about the fun we had branding his company back in the day. And it's STILL a great time to be a graphic designer.

AGORA Award Clients

Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:02:00 -0700

Tomorrow is the Greater Spokane Incorporated AGORA Award ceremony. The AGORA Awards are an annual recognition of regional business excellence.

At the 25th annual award ceremony to be held at the Davenport Hotel, Jean Klündt will present the C. Michael Archer Award for Community Service to this year's recipent. Klündt | Hosmer won the award in 2009.

In looking over the list of finalists, it was encouraging to see that one-third of the 18 finalists have been or are currently our clients. I guess that shows that great businesses recognize the importance of great corporate design.

We would like to congratulate these clients on their hard work and perseverence to become a finalist. Best of luck in tomorrow's accouncement.

Caffe Pazzesco
Catered for You
Design Source
Coffman Engineers
Advantage IQ
Moss Adams, LLP

Design Mimics Life for the CVB

Thu, 13 May 2010 10:22:00 -0700

We recently completed the design and publication of the Spokane Regional Visitors Guide for the CVB. The project is printed in Denver, CO by Publication Printers. As part of the print job, Publication Printers makes large-format posters of each of the three covers.

Before we delivered the posters to Jeanna Hofmeister at the CVB, we stopped by a location on West Riverside to take a photograph of the poster next to the bicycle that is featured on one of the covers.

Even if you live in Spokane, you should get your hands on a copy of the latest Visitors Guide. It is loaded with interesting things to do for locals as well as visitors. Spokane is a walkable, ridable city and this vintage cruiser reflects that aspect of downtown. For online information visit the CVB's website.

Now THAT will get you a professional design!

Tue, 11 May 2010 13:57:00 -0700

Today's blog post courtesy of ClientsFromHell.net.

It's a true-to-life Craigslist ad looking for a graphic designer for a project in Atlanta, GA.

I guess underpaying designers just isn’t offensive enough anymore:

ATLANTA Craigslist Creative Services
“Looking for an edgy, hip logo for our art event to debut spring 2011 in Atlanta. To enter the contest you pay $10.00, submit your design and if we choose your design you will win $100.00 plus VIP admission to the show!”

That would have to be one heck of a show...

If you're in the creative business, you owe it to yourself to check out ClientsFromHell.net. It will (hopefully) make you feel a little better about your OWN clients, and give you a few laughs in the process.

Klündt | Hosmer On Fire at the Spark Awards

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 14:20:00 -0700

Rick Hosmer, Ashley Martin, Diane Mahan and Darin Klündt smiling after the 15th Annual Spark Awards.

Last night, Klündt | Hosmer joined other members of Spokane Regional MarCom Association at The Lincoln Center for the 15th Annual Spark Awards.

Our team was honored with 11 awards for projects that we entered as well as for projects our clients entered.

The following projects were recognized with Merit and Excellence awards.

Merit Awarded Projects Included:
Logan Magazine
Kalispel Tribe Website
Avista Sustainability Brochure
Spokane Regional CVB Tweet Deals Twitter Campaign
Hotstart Tradeshow Display
Pearson Packaging Systems Corporate Brochure
Pearson Packaging Systems Robotic Invasion Campaign

Excellence Awarded Projects Included:
Second Nature Wilderness Programs Website
Avista Corp. 2008 Annual Report
Pearson Packaging Systems Video Interface

The highlight of the evening was when the Spokane Regional CVB Tweet Deals Twitter Campaign that we worked on with the CVB creative team was awarded one of three Brightest Spark Awards for being one of the highest scoring projects. The judging group from Seattle recognized the creativity and effectivness of this campaign and felt that it deserved this special honor.

Klündt | Hosmer thanks our clients for the confidence and trust they have in our firm. We also want to congratulate our strategic communication partners including Desautel Hege Comunications and Hill & Knowlton on the awards they won.

We had a great time at the event and look forward to next year when our own Ashley Martin serves Spokane Regional MarCom Association as president.

But we are still struggling with a question that the emcee asked the crowd at the beginning of the event... What DOES rhyme with "Klündt | Hosmer"?

Illustration or Photography?

Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:26:00 -0700

I recently came across a treatise making the case for the use of illustration in corporate communications pieces. As an illustrator myself (who doesn't get to use my talents very often), I could relate (and agree) to much of what the writer had to say. Unfortunately, there was no byline given for the author, so I am posting the piece below without a credit.

Why Illustration?

Unfortunately, illustration is not at the top of the list when art directors are thinking about solving visual problems.

Sure, there are the devotees out there, particularly on the editorial side, but it's rare to find an advertising agency art director using illustration.

There seems to be a real fear among art directors to hire illustrators. They may think they're giving up creative control, or think that it's too difficult or takes too long to do an illustration. That's where they can benefit from the experience of editorial art directors who have even tighter deadlines.

Working with an illustrator is not difficult, getting visual ideas from illustrators is not a cop-out. Working in partnership with an illustrator can benefit the client and career of any art director.

We believe photography cannot replicate the ideas illustrators dream up. That no amount if digital manipulation can manufacture an idea.

And from our vantage point, we see today's commercial photographers looking all too much the same. Whereas illustration looks as different as the artists themselves.

Everyone considers themselves a photographer, anyone can take a picture. Few can draw or paint one.

And draughtsmanship isn't enough. The true illustrator is a visual problem-solver par excellence. Each brings a unique perspective on our world, a personal vision that is translated in ink, paint or pixels. An idea that echoes our times, as original as original gets.

You can count on one hand the truly extraordinary photographers working today; you can fill a book with the work of today's illustrators.

(The above treatise was taken from the back cover of 3x3 Illustration Directory 2010.

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I know this piece has opened up my eyes to the potential for illustration in corporate and product marketing pieces, both in print and online. Looks like I may have to have to gather up my pens, sharpen my colored pencils and get prepared to make illustration the visual communication medium in an upcoming project.

Competing for the Future... in Spokane

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 09:15:00 -0700

Klündt | Hosmer has created design and marketing materials for Chris Majer, CEO and founder of the Human Potential Project, and author of "The Power to Transform" for over 12 years. Chris is a pioneer in the design of transformational education who has helped organizations ranging from the U.S. Army to AT&T elevate their team performance, turn around failing divisions and meet aggressive growth goals. Klündt | Hosmer's management team went through his extensive program in Minnesota about four years ago. It was an enlightening and benficial experience for our business.

We're happy to help Desautel Hege Communications promote Chris' program to the business community by passing on information that they shared in a recent email announcement.

For the first time, Chris is offering his program locally to business and community leaders in the region. If you have met Chris, you know he's not about the quick fix or miracle pill. His proven methodology is about helping individuals and teams develop new "embodied competencies" that allow them to create and sustain high performance.

"Competing for the Future" is a 6-month program that consists of conferences, assignments and small team coaching. It’s the ideal program for executive or project teams who are starting something new, facing challenges, or looking for a breakthrough in their performance. It's also designed for individuals who want to take their careers to the next level, by learning how to make more powerful offers in the market. Space is limited and the course is expected to sell out. The course kicks off on May 24th, 2010.

You can get more information and enrollment details online.

Contact Mike Hammer, VP of Client Development & Services
770.788.6863 or 770.300.8496
mike.hammer@humanpotentialproject.com

Receive a $400 discount upon registration by entering the code DHCHP2.

Do You Have One Spokane?

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 11:18:00 -0700

Do You Have One Spokane? Well... DO You?

Klündt | Hosmer was excited to work with a mystery client in promoting a special campaign that launched today. Over the next 7 weeks, you'll see billboards, a webpage, videos, print and radio ads, and social media sites asking that question. On May 31 you'll be able to go to DoYouHaveOneSpokane.com to find out WHO does have one, and what you can do to get your own.

Curious?

Don't Look Now, But Your Brand is Showing

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:40:00 -0700

This morning, Sarah Schwering from Desautel Hege Communications and I co-presented a BizStreet presentation on branding to a group of interested members of Greater Spokane Incorporated.

Sarah and I talked through the basics of branding; what it is, why it is important to a business, how to make sure that a brand is authentic, how to manage brand communication and other aspects of successful branding.

Our presentation was projected on-screen, with handouts of real-world printed samples and website examples to reinforce our messages. We also linked to several YouTube videos showcasing the power of consumer-controlled media to criticize companies not authentic to their brand, along with video examples of businesses who are doing it right. Attendees were guided through a brief brand platform exercise to help them determine their brand strengths, competitive positioning and an examination of what makes their business unique.

It was interesting responding to questions and comments from the attendees. Whether the organization was a hotel, a law firm or a fire district, everyone realizes the power of a strong and appropriate brand. Sarah and I know that the better informed potential clients are about the value of branding, the better clients they may become... so we were happy to talk with the group today.

Libby Barnes, VP Membership of Greater Spokane has already received great feedback on our presentation. She is emailing a copy of our presentation to attendees. If you are interested in getting your own .pdf of our presentation, send me an email request at rickh@klundthosmer.com.

Your organization has a brand, whether you control it or not. Don't look now, but your brand is showing. Make sure it is what you want your customers and clients to see.

Is proofreading necessary?

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:51:00 -0700

I found this on a blog that I follow and thought you might find it interesting.

Can you raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can. I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd what I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in what oerdr the ltteres in a word are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is that the frsit and last ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it whotuit a pboerlm. This is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the word as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! …

And when I think of the HOURS we spend proofreading annual reports, brochures and websites...

Pizza with Pearson Packaging

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:21:00 -0800

Any design firm can gripe about their clients. Never enough budget. Impossible deadlines. Way too many changes, etc. But the reality is, some clients are just really great people. While budgets, deadlines and changes may still be tight, it's nice to know when our work and efforts are appreciated by the client beyond their just paying the invoice.

Klündt | Hosmer got to experience that kind of appreciation this afternoon when the Pearson Packaging Systems marketing team dropped by our office with a surprise lunch of Bennidito's pizza, salad, and Darin's favorite frosted cookies from the Rocket.

This week we wrapped up the production of a big website initiative for Pearson Packaging Systems. Our team worked really hard and put in some late nights to get everything designed right, looking good and programmed correctly.

Pearson showed us their appreciation by supplying the lunch goodies and hanging out with us while we all ate together.

What a great way to wrap up a week of hard work. Thanks, Leslie and Janelle! You two (and your company) are awesome clients. We are proud to serve you and happy to have lunch with you, anytime!

Marrying Words and Design at Whitworth

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:47:00 -0800

Yesterday had the opportunity to speak to a class at Whitworth University. These students are learning about designing and editing a literary publication or journal. The class is taught by Thom Caraway. Annie Stillar (who now works in the English Department at Whitworth) recommended to Thom that I speak with his class.

We had an interesting discussion about the relationship with design and writing... how the two must be married in order to convey a consistent and credible presentation to the reader. Using industry stories and examples from our website and sketches on a whiteboard, I explained different options for developing a personality of a publication and how design, layout, font, color, paper and other elements can attract readers and set the stage for the desired message of the text.

It was fun having this dialog with the professor and students. Hopefully, they left the class with a better understanding of the power and influence of design and how it should be an integral (and first-level) component of any written publication.

It was especially nice to see Annie again, have a tour of her new place of employment and laugh together like we did daily when she worked at Klündt | Hosmer.

The Inevitable Finally Happened

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:56:00 -0800

Well, it's official. The venerable Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) has finally passed away.

We have been waiting (and hoping) for this event for quite some time. Supporting websites to function properly in such a geriatric browser was a pain. Born in 2001, IE6 was the browser du jour for many years, but it eclipsed itself with IE7 and IE8.

According to today's article on CNN.com, "Internet Explorer 6 isn't exactly dead yet, and in fact remains widely used. But in recent years, it's been eclipsed by newer, faster browsers that are better equipped to run the Web's latest bells and whistles. Google Docs and Google Sites discontinued support for the browser Monday, and YouTube will follow suit March 13.

"The web has evolved in the last ten years, from simple text pages to rich, interactive applications including video and voice. Unfortunately, very old browsers cannot run many of these new features effectively," wrote a senior product manager in a Google blog post. He urged users to upgrade to more modern browsers."

Klündt | Hosmer has encouraged people to upgrade their Web browsers (away from IE6) for several years. Mastery Sheets (one of our site developers) has wanted to "pull the plug" on IE6 for an equally long time. Now, it appears to be official. A funeral service for IE6 is being held today in Denver, CO. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made toward upgrading your network to IE8, Firefox, Safari, or any current Web browser.

The accompanying graphic is part of the funeral notice designed by Aten Design Group.

Rick Judges Yakima ADDYs

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 10:23:00 -0800

Last month, the Yakima chapter of the American Advertising Federation recruited me to judge the design and advertising entries that were submitted for their 2010 competition.

I worked with Ryan Stemkoski (Zipline Interactive), Jessie Pierpopint (Seven2) and Kevin Armstrong (local freelancer) in judging entries on Saturday. I enjoyed judging with the guys. Everyone had a different specialty and it was kind of fun being the experienced "sage" when it came to judging. A couple of these judges were probably in diapers at the time I submitted my first ADDY entries.

It was interesting to see the work produced by central Washington creative firms and organizations. We selected a "Best of Show" and awarded entries in a variety of print, interactive and media categories.

This morning I received an email from the Yakima AAF group saying that they were "very impressed with the time, genuineness and professionalism (the judges) gave to review the work submitted." Glad to be of service, Yakima Ad Fed.

Alina Wheels into Spokane

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:26:00 -0800

February has already been a great month for marketing and branding seminars and workshops in Spokane.

First, we sponsored and attended GetListed.org's search engine and social media seminar. And right on the heels of that, we participated in a great branding workshop by Alina Wheeler.

Alina is a worldwide branding expert and the author of Designing Brand Identity: an essential guide for the whole branding team, from the CEO to the creative director, to the design and marketing team.

Her book is the first to deconstruct the branding process into a universal, disciplined five-phase methodology. Alina strives to demystify branding, and illuminates the range of tools used by experienced practitioners. Her book demonstrates the relationship between strategy and design, and showcases best practices in the public and private sector around the world.

Darin and Jean Klündt attended Alina's presentation and agreed with what she had to say. It was nice hearing an expert from Philadelphia validate our processes and position on the importance of brand development.

The branding workshop was hosted by Spokane MarCom and held at Gonzaga University's McCarthy Athletic Center. Over 150 local professionals attended her presentation and 80 people participated in a two-hour workshop going into details of Alina's branding methodology.

(L-R) Ashley Martin, Alina Wheeler and Alli Benjamin, MarCom President following the presentation at Gonzaga.

(Thank you to Dean Davis Photography for the above photo.)

Ashley Martin of Klündt | Hosmer was instrumental in bringing Alina Wheeler to Spokane and spearheaded the presentation and workshop for MarCom. Ashley also introduced Alina to samples of our own branding work. Alina liked what she saw and mentioned that she may consider including some of our branding examples and case studies in a future edition of her book. She graciously gave us a signed copy of the current edition (that we are all fighting over at the office.)

You don't have to live in Chicago or Los Angeles to get exposed to the latest expertise on online marketing and branding. When Google and Alina Wheeler come to Spokane, there's definitely something going on here.

GetListed SEO Workshop

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:31:00 -0800

It's not everyday that you get to hang out with reps from Google, bing and nationally-recognized bloggers discussing the topic of search engine optimization and marketing. But about 150 people got to do just that yesterday at GetListed's local university held at Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

The great slate of speakers included Spokane's own Ed Reese of Sixth Man Marketing (and Klündt | Hosmer's great SEO partner), Ryan Hayward of Google, Mikko Ollila of Microsoft (bing), Mike Blumenthal, Mary Bowling of seOverflow, Matt McGee, and David Mimh of GetListed.org.

Ed Reese, Nathan Edminster, Mark Simonds and
Rick Hosmer discuss SEO tactics at a seminar break.

Through entertaining PowerPoint slides (especially Ed's!) and interesting presentations, the speakers ran through an introduction to search engines, the basics of Local Search and website optimization, as well as DYI Internet marketing and leveraging social media to promote business.

It was great seeing several Klündt | Hosmer clients in attendance, and having the chance to meet other business people who want to exhance their online presence through search engines and (hopefully) great website design and development. As Ed Reese said, "...with SEO, good design and content is important, or lots of people will find you and see how bad your site is."

The two, 4-hour seminars were a first for Spokane and according to David Mimh, the event coordinator at GetListed.org, the success of yesterday's session will encourage them to expand the seminar to other markets.

If GetListed comes back next year, make a point of attending. If you attended yesterday's seminar, leave us a comment on what you thought. Klündt | Hosmer was a local sponsor of the event and hope that everyone found it a worthwhile investment in time and the price of attendence.

From the Eyes of an Intern

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:24:00 -0800

Hello Klündt | Hosmer blog readers!

Because it has been fairly busy around here, I, the intern, have been given the task to assist with blog entries. So I decided to write about the company from my own point of view.

Just today I was going through Klündt | Hosmer’s portfolio and got to see work they have done over the past few years.

I’ve heard it said many times that “Spokane is a big city with a small town feel,” and that couldn’t be more true today. I saw "big city" work representing local organizations that I grew up with. What could be more "small town"?

Klündt | Hosmer designed the brand identity for the Spokane County Fair & Expo, which is where I spent a couple of summers serving hot dogs and drinks to Spokane Indian’s Baseball fans. I also grew up with the daughter of the owner of Smith Orthodontics who hired Klündt | Hosmer for brand development work as well. And, as a recent lover of Washington wines, seeing beautifully designed labels that were created for local wineries really hits home for me.

As a lifelong resident of Spokane, looking at Klündt | Hosmer's past work has made me see how they have inspired Spokane to grow for the better. And just from the eyes of an intern, they’ve done a great job.

(That, and I also learned how to type umlauts.)