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Archive for the ‘Just For Fun’ Category
Posted: Monday, June 21, 2010 in Clients, Design, Inspiration, Logo Design
 Creating a logo for an eCommerce website is a very specific challenge for a number of reasons. To begin with, you’ll often be working with a client with little (or no) experience with designers, or even with the concept of design. That can lead to some pretty literal design work, but it can also free you from the constraints of traditional logo design in the sense that you don’t necessarily have to consider how the logo will look in one color, a half-inch across, printed on the barrel of a pen. It isn’t better or worse than “traditional” logo design… just different. When you know that the primary (and often singular) use of your logo design will be in the header of an eCommerce site, your priorities shift. It’s a different world.
That’s not to say that some good old traditional logo design skills aren’t called for. Take the logo at the top of the post, for instance. It would be right at home on the barrel of a pen (or on a t-shirt or billboard) but it also has all of the elements you expect in an eCommerce logo. First, it’s horizontal. That’s not a requirement, of course, but since vertical space is much more valuable than horizontal in web design, you’ll find that the lion’s share of eCommerce logos are wider than they are tall. (There are always exceptions…) Second, it’s a quick read, both literally and figuratively. Not only can you read the copy, but the color palette and the stylized blades of grass give you a pretty good idea of what you’ll find on the site. Finally, it’s not challenging. In a lot of “best of” logo lists, you’ll find that the ability to hide the intent of the logo so that the viewer has to figure it out is a highly prized characteristic. If one has to look at a logo for a minute to “get it” designers go crazy patting each other on the back for their mutual cleverness. We love that stuff, too, but much of it simply isn’t practical for eCommerce. (There are always exceptions…)
Continue reading and see the rest of the logos after the jump…
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Posted: Thursday, June 17, 2010 in Brand Labs, Just For Fun, Typography
Today, we offer to you our first ever Brand Labs-created True Type font! And it’s totally FREE! Inspired by vintage theater marquees with their faceted, plastic letters, Wednesday Matinee Shadow is an all-caps display font that’s sure to drum up some nostalgia for bygone days spent in the cool dark of the mid-summer weekday matinee. Download it by hitting the link below and use it at will. Personal use, commercial use… whatever you like! It’s just one more way for us to say we love you and we’d like to take our relationship to the next level.
Enjoy!
Click here to download Wednesday Matinee Shadow for free!
Posted: Thursday, June 3, 2010 in Industry, Just For Fun
 We have always been pretty inconsistent in describing what we do here at Brand Labs. Sometimes we design web sites. Sometimes we design websites. Sometimes we just design sites. In our defense, there has never been a recognized, definitively correct option to describe this thing you’re looking at, but the fine folks who put out the Associated Press Stylebook (note: not style book) have finally laid this issue to rest by proclaiming in their 2010 edition that the correct term is website. One word.
There. Now everything is fixed and we can all go about the task of living our lives unencumbered by the weight of this grammatical ambiguity.
(via Wired)
Posted: Friday, May 21, 2010 in Just For Fun
You can play it… fo reals. Check it out.
Posted: Monday, May 17, 2010 in Community, Inspiration
 As we’ve previously mentioned, we’ve recently begun to donate a laptop a week to the One Laptop Per Child program. In addition to the warm feeling that we get inside from the thought of a new laptop finding its way into the hands of a needy child every single week, we also received a more tangible benefit as a result of our philanthropy – a brand, spanking new OLPC XO 1.5 laptop!
When the box arrived on Friday, we held our enthusiasm in check just long enough to break out the camera and document the unboxing for the benefit of those who will never have the opportunity to get their hands on this remarkable little machine. Please excuse the occasional blurriness. Our hands were shaking with the delight that we feel whenever there’s a new gadget in the immediate area.
Check out the pics after the jump…
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Posted: Friday, May 14, 2010 in Clients, Just For Fun, Rochester
 South Street Skate Park, our across-the-street neighbors, are celebrating the Grand Opening of their new retail store on Main Street in beautiful downtown Rochester, MI today from 3-8 pm.
We’re sure there will be a great deal of sick shredding and rad wheelboard trickery for all of the young people. If you’re in the area and have no fear of breaking a hip, you should definitely check it out.
We, on the other hand, will be settling in with a nice bowl of Cream of Wheat and watching a Matlock marathon on Lifetime while we shake our fists at the neighbor kids until they get off of our lawn.
Congrats on the new digs, South Street!
Posted: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 in Clients, Film, Television
 The Red Hat Society Store was our first client (back when they were known as Red Hats and More). We’ve been working with them for years, but without a doubt, the release of Damon Wayans’ novel, “Red Hats”, is the most unexpected bit of Red Hat news we’ve ever come across.
Damon Wayons (most widely known as a member of the comedic dynasty that includes his brothers Shawn, Marlon and Keenan) starred in the ABC sitcom, My Wife and Kids, as well as the films “Mo’ Money” and “I’m Gonna Get You Sucka”. It’s fair to say that with that professional history, Wayans seems the least likely person to write a novel about the Red Hat Society in the voice of an elderly woman… and yet, here we are.
Wayans is already a bestselling author for his book “Bootleg” – a collection of jokes and observations from his stand-up act, but “Red Hats” is his debut novel. We haven’t read it yet, but from the reviews that we’ve seen, if you’re an old lady or someone who TIVOs Hallmark movies, you’ll love it.
… in related news, Dane Cook has announced that he’ll soon be releasing 7 volumes of poetry based on the works of 17th century French philosopher, René Descartes, and Dora the Explorer will be starring in an off-broadway production of David Mamet’s “Glengarry Glen Ross”.
Posted: Thursday, May 6, 2010 in Community, Just For Fun, Michigan, Rochester
 If you follow this blog at all, you know Pauline Alexander. As one of our lead designers, her work has been featured here regularly, which is why we have mixed emotions when we tell you that Pauline Alexander is no longer an employee of Brand Labs. She was great, but as of last Saturday night, she’s long gone.
She’s been replaced by this new woman, Pauline Turner. Sure, she looks just like our old Pauline, but who knows what she’s capable of? All we have to say is that this Turner woman has some pretty big shoes to fill when she shows up here next week. We sincerely hope she’s up to the challenge.
Our congratulations and good wishes go out to Pauline and her new husband, Nathan. May each of your days be better than the last.
… now get your ass back here. Your work is really piling up.
 In 2010 a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn’t commit. The unit promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Rochester, Michigan underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as salespeople for a boutique eCommerce agency. If you have a Volusion problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them (perhaps by calling 877-837-4792), maybe you can hire the B-Team.
Posted: Thursday, April 8, 2010 in Collectibles, Film, Volusion Site Design
 As we mentioned in this post, we’ve been working on a new site for BTTF.net that is both rad and totally awesome. Well, it’s the future now and the new site is live!
BTTF.net is your one-stop shop for all things having to do with the timeless Back to the Future trilogy. Need a factory-sealed copy of the BTTF game for your NES? They’ve got it. How about a BTTF pill box? Check.
Now, we could certainly fill this blog with the dozens and dozens of Back to the Future jokes that occurred to us when we sat down to write this, but for the sake of retaining some small scrap of dignity, we’ll refrain.
… you’re waiting for a joke, aren’t you? We said we were going to refrain and we meant it.
… still no jokes. Seriously.
… we’re not kidding. Just go visit BTTF.net. It’s your density… uh, we mean destiny.
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