Genco & Jon Cebecioglu

This week's presenters were Genco and Jon Cebecioglu, brothers, and Partners at Studio Viamin C. Genco is also a graduate of the Web Design program at Sheridan college, so it was cool to hear from another grad who's out there doing well! Before starting his own business and recruiting his brother to partner with him, Genco worked as an Interactive Designer at Ecenricarts, and a Senior Designer at Normative Designs. You can check them out on LinkedIn, or follow them on Twitter @studiovitaminc.

"We believe that brand is the soul of a company. An organic visual language that emcompasses all the qualities of its body. When we design logos, we aim to distill all these qualities and create a soul that can stand the test of time by changing & adapting itself", Studio Vitamin C

A lot of the work that Vitamin C pulls in is from start-up companies who are looking for venture capital. They have this great idea, but need a visual identity to help bring in investors. Apparently Toronto is booming with start-ups like this. Genco and Jon showed us the process of designing the logo and website for Jumpingfish, a company that builds software. It all starts with a questionnaire and a discussion to define the company's objectives. These objectives always need to relate back to the user.

Genco and Jon's main advice was to network and really seek out events where we'd be able to meet industry people and get our foot in the door. They also stressed working really hard on our final projects which is what will be our best showpiece for attracting employers after graduation.

Unfortunately most of the great work they showed us isn't live yet so I can't link to it just yet. Hopefully soon, I will have some more visuals up.

One of Genco's first re-designs at Ecentricarts for Canada's National Ballet. The idea of the mirrored l's comes from one of the first move ballet students learn.


Vitamin C is important!

Studio Vitamin C

376 Bathhurst Street

Toronto, ON. M5T 2S6

Genco 416.388.8849

genco@studiovitaminc.com

Jon 416.824.0328

jon@studiovitaminc.com

Meg Kerr

"Social media is like teen sex. Everyone wants to do it. No one know how. And when it's finally done there is surprise its' not better." Avinash Kausik, Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google.

This week's speaker was Meg Kerr, Social Media Integration Manager at Mosaic Experiential Marketing. Before climbing the ladder at Mosaic, she studied Media, Information & Technoculture at the University of Western Ontario, and Broadcast Journalism at Fanshawe College. Check her out on LinkedIn, or follow her on Twitter @meg_kerr.

This was a really cool presentation, and much different from that others we've had this year. Definitely interesting to hear from a 'social media expert', a term Meg finds funny since social media has only really been relevant in the past five years. Needless to say it's a very important part of any company's marketing strategy now, and there are new jobs being created every day to accommodate this need.

Smirnoff is one of the brands that Meg works on. This one must be fun. Among other things, Meg's team is responsible for posting on Facebook. Important to only post if you have interesting or relevant things to say.

This video has some pretty interesting facts and puts the importance of social media in perspective. Take for instance the fact that 1 in 5 divorces are blamed on facebook!

FOUR SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

Stolen from Cora's Blog from last years class. This is a busy time of year;)

Trend One: Real time and smartphones changes everything

Meg explained how technology allows anyone to share and search for information in real time and from anywhere. It has changed how we get information. It’s traditional word of mouth, but on steroids. Nearly half of Canadians own a smartphone and web traffic on smartphones in Canada grew 193% in the past year. By 2013, mobile phones will overtake personal computers.

An example of real time news is the Tiger Woods scandal. @breakingnews on Twitter was the first outlet to break the story. People are starting to use Twitter for news since they get it quicker. However, there is an issue on speed versus accuracy.


This site helps you wipe out your social media accounts. FAQ: What shall I do after I've killed myself with the web2.0 suicide machine?

Try calling some friends, take a walk in a park or buy a bottle of wine and start enjoying your real life again. Some Social Suiciders reported that their lives has improved by an approximate average of 25%. Don't worry, if you feel empty right after you committed suicide. This is a normal reaction which will slowly fade away within the first 24-72 hours.

Trend Two: Location based

The increase of GPS enabled smartphones is a driving force behind the rise in popularity of location based services – they would not exist without this technology. An example of this service is Foursquare, which works by checking you into locations from your phone. Your Foursquare friends are pinged when you check into a location. You can get points for checking into different locations, can unlock badges, and even be named “Mayor” if you’re checked into a location more than anymore else. Friends can find out when you went into a restaurant and give you tips, such as to order the nachos or to leave because of bad service. Facebook has now followed suit and introduced Check Ins. Will be interesting to see how this affects Foursquare.

Good advice: Don't post about your vacation while on vacation.

Trend Three: Privacy

In order to attract users, the sites must restrict information:
Twitter is the least private and is nearly completely open
You can read anyone’s tweets, whether following them or not
Tweets are indexed in Google
People often link their Foursquare to their Twitter account, which can show the whole entire world where you are in real time
A site the helps you be aware of the safety of location based services is pleaserobme.com. In this website you can search Toronto and find out people who are not in their homes because of their tweets. This website gives awareness to be selective to where you post your Foursquare and who your friends are on the site. The main point is to never link Foursquare to your Twitter.

Trend Four: Social media gets less social

Meg explained how first and second generations of social networking portals were about opening up to the world. However, the third generation is about closing it again. For example, exclusive niche networks are becoming more popular. Examples include Blue Chip Expert where you have to submit a resume and be selected to become a member. Another example is A Private Club which is a social networking website that is for popular and successful New Yorkers. The top seven countries that use Facebook are actually declining in overall number of users. The novelty of first and second-generation social networking websites is dying off.

Damn, Deer Tick is awesome and I didn't even know they were in town. From Meg's Twitter.

Physio Field Trip

Some of the injuries that are commonly found in those who work in web design are: Carpal Tunnel Syndrom, Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, Eye Strain and Sciatic Nerve Irritation.

Allof the injuries are overuse injuries. There are normally signs and symptoms that are precursors to the actual injury. Some common signs and symptoms to watch for are: Tightness and ache in forearms, Knots in shoulders and neck, Tension headache, Tingling or numbness either intermittent or prolonged, Pain that can not be relieved with stretching, Decreased range of motion in neck, shoulders, wrists and lower back.

Almost all of the injuries are caused by changes in posture. Before the symptoms become too aggressive, it is important to do some intervention. If left un-treated they will limit your ability to do your job. Normally due to the cause of the injuries, surgical interventions have limited success.

If you are experiencing sign and symptoms, even mild, you should see a therapist to learn what you can do to prevent further damage.

No matter how well a workstation is designed, problems may arise if attention is not paid to the way the work is done. Working at a computer often involves very few changes in body position. This lack of movement can lead to muscle pain and strain. It is recommended that a 5-10 minute break is taken every hour.

Vary the work tasks. Break up keyboarding tasks work by doing other job duties or tasks that involve moving around or changing body position. Try to stand up and move around. Look away from the screen occasionally and focus your eyes on an object far away. Relax your muscles, stretch and change position.

There are three contact areas in the work space that affect the workers posture: the seat, the work surface and the floor. To ensure the most comfortable posture possible, two of these factors have to be adjusted.

If you can afford to do nothing else, a fully adjustable chair is the undisputable must. The other, and perhaps the most preferable option, would be a fully adjustable desk.

The body positions held while typing and individual typing styles are so significant in the cause of repetitive motion injuries that their impact cannot be overemphasized.

Slouching while sitting with the back slumped against the backrest of the chair compresses the spine and can lead to low back pain. It also puts the head in an imbalanced position contributing to neck and shoulder problems.

Additionally, a slouchy, sitting position encourages the worker to rest the wrists on the edge of the desk in the dorsiflex position (ie hands bent upwards at the wrist) This is one of the most important MUST NOT DO's in RMI prevention.

Jason Bouwman

Today's speaker was Jason Bouwman, a graduate of the Technical Illustration program at Sheridan College and owner of Compass Creative Studio Inc. You can find him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @JayBouwman. Jason didn't show us any work until prodded, but he did give us a lot to think about. This is a guy who spends a lot of time thinking about how he can do things better, and that process was really cool to hear about.

Jason came from a blue collar immigrant family of construction workers and welders. He recognized his creative talent but always felt the responsibility that he would one day want to provide for a family. While studying he realized that grades weren't important, but that his portfolio work is what would get him a job coming out. In second year he started cold calling companies and got his first job at Howard Integrated Communications. He was treated well and worked hard but from the start he had the idea to start his own business.

His freelance took off and when he decided to start hiring and grow his business, he asked his clients what they liked most about working with him. It turns out it wasn't his great illustrations or graphic designs (as he had hoped), but the way he asked questions and got to the root of what they were looking for in their designs. He was able to help the client to develop their core idea, so he became an expert in helping his client to align with the market, not just create great designs.

Jason really stressed the idea of find balance in your life, and making sure that the important things got prioritized. As he said, the big rocks have to go in first. Here's what he means.

This is an exert from an interview I found in West of the City Magazine that sums up a lot of what he spoke about in class about his business ideas.

Compass' tagline is “Let's get real”. “We all hate being sold to, lied to. [Marketing] is a real business function. There' a fine line between getting out and promoting yourself and manipulating people or exploiting their fears and emotions just to sell them something, so we've challenged ourselves but we've also moved to challenge our customers to get real.” Bouwman says potential clients sometimes ask if they can be made to look professional. “The first question we ask is, ‘are you professional?' If you're not, then that's what I want to help you solve, and let's put some creativity towards solving that first before I go and craft a message that could be misrepresenting.” Once that's achieved, Bouwman and his crew will craft a brand message that's as appropriate and as reflective to the truth as they can.

These are a couple examples of their great designs for Let's Landscape and NHL hockey player, Mike Fisher's personal website.

Passion is not enough, it will burn you out. You need skills too, and then you need a market.

One of Jason's designs for the Royal Canadian Mint.

Hard at work.

Alex Pejcic

This week's speaker was Alex Pejcic, Co Founder and Vice President at Sonic Boom Creative Media. Check out his profile on LinkedIn, or follow him on Twitter @alexpjc.

Alex started Sonic Boom in his basement with a couple friends after graduating university with a degree in psychology. After learning some html and building an online hockey pool for their friends they realized they could make some money building web pages. Started going door to door in Hamilton and everything grew from there. These days Sonic Boom helps clients to embrace and maximize what they can do with interactive media. Alex is really energetic and engaging so it's not very hard to see why he's been so successful.



Sonic Booms' home page is awesome. Love how the background image changes each time you visit.

Alex is also an executive member at SODA, Society of Digital Agencies.


Alex was very candid in his presentation and laid out the ad industry as he sees it for us in no uncertain terms. The main message I took from his presentation is to be passionate, and most of all BE A GOOD PERSON. I like that advice.

Understand Our Industry
-understand that you're in an ecosystem
-you need to understand how things work and strategize

Understand and use Social Media
-you need to know whats out there and have an opinion
-be involved
-always be teaching yourself new things

Here's a diagram he showed us that illustrates the different ways of communicating with the consumer.


What will you need to know?
-meaning and role of a brand, 'more than a logo'
-marketing, 'direct and mass'
-latest trends and technologies, 'social design'

What should I possess
-proven skills in your discipline
-strong portfolio
-references, these go a long way
-willingness to learn
-knowledge of the companies your applying to
-POSITIVE ATTITUDE
-PASSION FOR WHAT YOU DO
-HEAD, HEART AND HANDS

Get noticed, recognized and respected. It takes time.
-join interactive media groups
-submit your portfolio to online communities
-create your own online space
-ask for advice and interviews

DON'T HAVE AN EGO, DON'T BE AN IDIOT AND ALWAYS PAY YOU DUES

-but don't confuse confidence with ego
-be prepared to have a thick skin, people will tear apart your work sometimes
-stick somewhere, don't jump around, and show progression
-look for inspiration outside of what you do

Here's a good interview with Alex from Red Canary about Sonic Boom and the industry.