How to Discuss the Budget

Greetings from the How Design Conference in Austin. Design Girl and I decided to take a few days off and come down here to learn about what's going on in the design world. One of the presenters (Gridiron Software) shared this video in a session on how to thrive in the down economy. I just had to share. While it's very funny, it's also very true. Enjoy!

IAEE DC Chapter Show Buzz Newsletter

If you've ever spent time with anyone in the expositions and events industry, then you know that they are seriously fun people. They take their work seriously, but the take their fun seriously too.

So, when the DC chapter of International Association of Expositions and Events (IAEE DC) asked us to redesign their bi-monthly chapter newsletter and take over production, we jumped at the chance to work with this crowd.

We started with the newsletter template. The chapter had two goals: they wanted it to look professional, and they wanted a structure that was flexible enough to allow for their varied content. Some issues are full of deep content, while other issues are mostly photos of events.

We created a 4-color template that reflects the sense of fun, but that is also polished and clean. We also provide editorial support, which includes managing the editorial calendar, writing articles, and interviewing members. This new newsletter has been well received, and the National organization has used it as an example of great member outreach.

Amphora Catering Menu

We love a challenge, so when the Amphora Restaurant Group asked us to design a menu for their high-end catering service without using pictures of food, we said "no problem."

Why not use images of food? Because they provide custom events and knew from experience that if they showed pictures of specific food items or past events, then that's what people would want.

The solution? We helped Amphora set a mood for their different menus with beautiful pictures from the regions each of their menus represents. Then we had the menu printed on gorgeous paper, giving the whole brochure a very rich feel.

The result? The clients loved it...the menu reflected the high-quality service they provide and let the clients know they should expect a creative solution for their event.

The Amphora Catering Menu placed in the Art Directors Club of Metro Washington Annual Show in the menu category.

Xpertcolor Direct Mail

We've been working with Xpertcolor for many, many years. They are simply one of the best printers in the DC area. They're a small shop that does extremely high-calibur work. They're customer service is exceptional, and they proactively make sure the work is done right every time. The only problem is, nobody knows about them.

Xpertcolor came to us to help fix this. We helped them develop a direct mail campaign targeted to graphic designers who are looking for high-quality print, good prices, and great service. This series of 12 postcards plays on the fact that people don't know where they are..."X marks the spot." Each piece includes a postcard of a place in the DC area (some obvious, some obscure) with a bit of trivia about it. Of course, we also talk about the quality Xpert delivers.

They launched the campaign in July of 2008, and have had a terrific response. The purpose was to open the door to an target group that is hard to reach, and the piece has done that. In just the first few months, the campaign paid for itself. And, Xpertcolor is beginning to get the notice they deserve.

Greater Reston Arts Center

One of the challenges many of our clients face is figuring out how to convey the feel of their organization and explain everything they do in a very limited space (such as a 4-pg brochure). That was the challenge facing the Great Reston Arts Center when they asked us to develop a brochure for them.

They needed the brochure to do several things: it needed to convey the quality of the programs GRACE offers, it needed to show prospective members the variety of programs (that GRACE is a center for arts education as well as a place to showcase fine arts), and it needed to have the usual information about membership. This was a tall order for a small brochure!

We came up with an Accordion fold brochure that is actually as series of five postcards, each with one word that describes the mission of GRACE. The back has information about the center. The best part, according to the client, was that the brochure fits in a shirt pocket. Prospects liked it too...it gave them a feel for GRACE and what their membership would mean.

GWU Graduate School of Political Management

How do you get a Gen Y person to choose your graduate program over any other? Wait...the first question is really how do you capture they're attention? Those are questions many graduate schools are facing. Competition is tight, and the school needs to capture the potential students fancy immediately in order to even be considered. For many universities, that means completely changing how they reach out to students.

The George Washington University School of Political Management (GSPM) came to us to redesign their recruitment materials. Together, we help them rethink what students need to know to make a decision to imply. We conducted focus groups with current and potential students, interviewed faculty, and researched competitive programs. The result was a the development of a new tagline: Politics from a New Perspective. We then developed an 8 page brochure that captured the energy of the students and the expertise of the faculty, using photos of actual GSPM students. We created separate brochures for each program, which are inserted in a pocket folder. A die cut window on the overview brochure allows the folder to "change" depending on which program brochure is included.

The result is a versatile piece that prospects can identify with. A bonus is a tremendous savings on mail costs (since the brochure drives prospects to the web site for complete course descriptions and degree requirements).

Feedback from the GSPM Marketing Director: “Two Sisters Creative really partnered with us from start to finish on each concept and project. They have taken the time to understand our audience and create materials that reflect our organization and speak to our audience. They have shown infinite patience and true professionalism through all the ups and downs of developing an identity and implementing creative solutions.”