reactions

As a marketer, how can you harness Design to support your brand’s strategic goals? When we speak of Design, (notice the capital D) we are of course not only talking about graphics and stylistic treatments (you already knew that right?) but about the organization of information, the hierarchy of messages and brand assets. Starting a project with a creative brief ensures that the visual design that emerges is purposeful, allowing your brand to perform in the market as you intended. It is the objective starting point before the more subjective design process begins.
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We’re pleased to announce that our new packaging and strategic brand development for Wigwam Mills has just been picked-up by Packaging of the World — one of the most prominent packaging design website showcasing the most interesting and creative packaging work worldwide. Its audience includes packaging designers, graphic designers, advertising agencies, students and manufacturers, garnering close to half a million impressions every month.

Check it out now!

MSLK just went live with the sixth in an ongoing series of videos to showcase what we do best: create 360° branding solutions for our clients. The video demonstrates how we guided performance sock manufacturer, Wigwam Mills, towards a refined market position, redesigned their packaging and came up with a new graphic language that they are utilizing in all of their promotional efforts.

Earth conscientious students at Smithton Middle School in Columbia, Missouri have recreated MSLK’s eco-art installation, Watershed. The installation was created by the Eco-Art Club and 6th grade Art Study Hall students. Several months ago, Amy H. Company, Art Specialist at Smithton Middle School read about MSLK’s eco-art installations Take-Less, Watershed, and Urban Tumbleweeds and became inspired. Amy reached out to MSLK asking if it would be ok if she led the students through the process of  recreating Watershed.

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In an effort to bring more recognition to Long Island City, MSLK has been working with the LIC Partnership on a master plan to foster growth. Our design and marketing efforts are helping to bring attention to the thriving economic, industrial and cultural developments that are occurring, making LIC truly a great place to live and work. Like the revitalization of Grand Central Station and Times Square, the visual component of these plans plays a large role in shaping the experience of these places. The main streets and intersections are now branded with bold banners welcoming the public.
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If your brand’s core presence is online, you may have heard about Google Panda, a code name for their new ranking algorithm, still very much a work in progress. With all of the conflicting literature out there, I’m hoping to cut through the clutter, so you can understand what you can be doing to better optimize your site. At its most basic level, the aim of this update is to lower the rank of “low quality” sites and raise the rank of “high quality” sites. Google’s spiders are more “human” than ever and can detect many things they couldn’t previously. So you might be asking yourself, how do I become a high quality site in the eyes of google? Read on to learn about the three big ideas we’ve gleaned from our own research.
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Over the years MSLK has had some truly gifted, inspired, and inspiring interns work in our studio. We find the experience to be rewarding and in many senses a way of giving back, showing others what we’ve learned over the years that has helped make our work award-winning.

Some of our best interns have been the youngest, and last year was no exception. We hosted a summer internship with a young gentleman named Leon Robinson as part of the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum’s 2011 Design Prep Scholar’s program. He worked with us to develop Read the Label, a self-initiated awareness campaign/eco-art project about the harmful ingredients found in everyday products.

The video above features Mr. Robinson recounting his experience here along with many other bright designers of tomorrow telling about their experiences. Congrats to all!

We are honored that the AIGA approached us to create the branding program for their new one and only design competition, Justified. Justified seeks examples of great design with proven track records vis a vis case studies that demonstrate how design has created value for clients and/or society. The landscape of design competitions has changed, and the AIGA is at the forefront, awarding those projects where design has produced measurable results. Read more to get a behind the scenes of our process in crafting this identity.
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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, MSLK’s app, OTO , has been updated with love-inspired themes! Hit your crush with Cupid’s arrow or send kisses their way. It’s a free update if you already have the app. If you don’t have OTO yet, be sure to download it here!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and MSLK is here to give you exactly what you need to share the love.
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