soulsight®

After attending PSFK Salon's Fueling Imagination event last week, we found some great takeaways on brainstorming and the creative process that we just had to share.

- Local t-shirt company Threadless kicked things off with their ode to inspiring awesomeness. Mig Reyes, Brock Rumer and Colleen Wilson shot the breeze about how they've modeled their work around bringing the fun. "Only when you remove the fear and the walls that expectations build up can you really begin to explore."

TAKEAWAY: Let the creative energy really flow with inter-office passion projects and DIY days, where co-workers split up into groups and have until day's end to build something spontaneous. So have fun...and do it with your friends!

- Christina Liedtke, an up-and-coming designer who repurposes discarded materials for couture garments, talked next about her recent Peanut M&M wrapper dress project with TerraCycle and posed the audience with questions regarding what the physical packages we design for mean for our environment. Companies like Bear Naked Packaging and TerraCycle are asking: How can we look at packaging and materials beyond what they are being used for? What waste will they leave? Where will they end up? Is there a way to make more efficient use of the materials?

TAKEAWAY: It's time to rethink how we look at sustainable packaging as a society and how we can reuse, recycle and upcycle in a modern way. We can be just as creative in how we reduce our consumption of new materials.

- Chad Kouri of The Post Family discussed his experience in a design session on letterpress, screenprint, & poster design alongside his Post Family brothers and Craig Newmark of Craigslist. Their goal? To take away all expectations and limits and really try everything, creating a completely organic, open collaboration -- a "together we can know everything" approach (similar to what Google practices). Craig loves history and using historical references as inspiration and building off of things that have been accomplished or struggled with in the past. Don't limit yourself to just the last few years of design blogs, but dig deeper and explore influences such as art in the 20's, renegade photography, literature in the 50's, and ads from the 60's. They created art pieces just to create for a week straight and then gave everything they made away.

TAKEAWAY: Trial and error is the essence of design...When something has failed, take one step back and see if you can change the end result before discarding the idea. Have a plan to not have a plan and give your ideas a chance to grow.

All in all, it was an energizing morning of creative ideas and great insight from really cool people. Some great words to live (and design) by. We look forward to next year!

Today’s lifestyle calls for quick and easy... This instant coffee concept has an innovative approach to ditching the bulky coffee maker. Simply dip the the stick in hot water and the coffee portion will instantly dissolve into your cup as a ready-to-drink coffee beverage. The "take it with you" design serves a dual purpose as a mixing spoon once the coffee melts off. A smart solution for on-the-goers.

Who
You are a self-motivated individual that is excited to learn and be a part of the design industry. Willing to take on any task that comes your way, you are a team player, vital for covering the “between the line” duties and wearing many hats.

Organization is your thing. You are someone who stays on top of things, keeps the studio running, and is prepared to work in a medium-fast pace environment when business calls for it.

People like to be around you. You are the first face to be seen, first voice to be heard. You have a fun and friendly disposition while still being professional.

Qualifications
• 4 year degree from an accredited university
• Microsoft Office + iWork experience – intermediate level
• Extremely organized, multi-tasker
• Personable, team player
• Interest in design/creative work is a plus

Assignment
This is a full-time, entry-level position into the design industry, with room to grow and advancement opportunities once proven.

Responsibilities
Include but are not limited to:
• Front desk duties such as answering the phone – greeting each client/caller with a “smiling” face
• Taking inventory of supplies and placing orders with vendors
• Consistently watching vendor price changes to get the best deal, includes some research
• Assisting in preparation for client meetings – travel arrangements, presentation materials, setting up meeting space/conference calls
• Helping employees with time-sensitive requests
• Running errands such as purchasing competitive product materials, some errands require a car
• Contact person for IT
• Data entry
• Miscellaneous tasks as needed

Company Culture
Work hard, play hard. Work in a fun, creative environment with a close-knit team. Laxed and business casual with sporadic dance parties – we like to celebrate in the fun of our successes and birthdays!

Compensation
$30,000, with annual review

Full benefits including medical coverage, 401K plan and paid holiday/vacation/personal days.

Download a PDF version of the complete Studio Manager job description.

Contact Information
Please include a short paragraph describing the one tangible object you cannot live without and why along with your resume and cover letter. This is meant to be a fun opportunity to share your personality with us!

Please reference ID #8102 in the subject and body of your email.

Whitney Matthews
HR & Benefits Administrator
careers@soulsight.com

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Recently, I've been seeing quite a few things around that make me remember growing up in the 80s. Maybe you are like me and you grew up on synthesized music, bright geometric shapes, pizza rolls and brilliant television shows such as Perfect Strangers and Alf. Maybe you're not, but it's hard not to appreciate some of the ways that designers are borrowing from that era to create catchy pieces.

I found this artist online that I love named Sakke Soini. I've included a Ray Ban ad that Sakke did as well as something that I want to hang somewhere on my wall -- though I have no idea what it's for. Call me weird, but seeing a neon blue tiger wearing a ball cap and spitting guitar chords out of its mouth with the death star looming in the background is nothing short of genius. I've also included a few album covers that have that 80s feel, specifically, the Beck 8-bit disc that looks just like an old Nintendo cartridge. And, of course, the study would not be complete without a set of retro Reebok pumps donning the standard bright color palette of the era. Maybe this trend is more of a small niche than a huge movement, but I know I'm digging it.

Credit: enschedeaanzee.nl

Wish you could snap your fingers and a cold beer shows up? How about a quick phone call? Grolsch has found a refreshing way to bring cold to the streets of the Netherlands with its "Cool*Season" campaign. Just dial up the "Cool*Hotline" and a Grolsch-slinging rep will zoom in on a scooter (complete with refrigerated sidecar, no less) and trade your other brand of beer for a chilled can of Grolsch Premium Pils. Each can features a "Cool*Meter", ensuring you'll get the optimal chilled experience. Very cool.

For more info on other "Cool*Initiatives", visit the Grolsch site.

Unplug Design's Dreamball is simply awesome. It's a perfect example of how inventive design can serve a greater purpose, something more than just nudging one towards one product or another.

Dreamball is a cylindrical, custom aid package delivered to children in developing Third World countries ravaged by war, poverty and famine. It's a new way to think about creating a sustainable package that can be more than just a throwaway vessel for a product.

When the children take the paper off the package and follow the simple patterns and instructions on it, they can building themselves a pretty cool soccer ball. The leftover cylinder can be used to store the soccer balls and rolled to wherever they want to play, and the cardboard is biodegradable. And because most of the soccer is played barefoot, the lightweight, flexible design works great. This really can bring some joy and hope to kids who have not been afforded too much of either. It's always inspiring to see outside-the-box thinking, of course very literally this time, but even more so when it's impacting lives in the best way possible.

Nearly ten years ago, BP rebranded themselves as "beyond petroleum". However, with this year's controversial oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Greenpeace has suggested that the company is in need of a new logo better suited for its "dirty business" and has launched a contest in search of the best redesign. The winning entry will be used as a part of Greenpeace's international tar sands campaign against BP.

To enter Greenpeace's Behind the Logo competition, submit your redesign by June 28th, 5:30 GMT.

For more information on the recent BP Gulf oil spill, visit the Greenpeace site.

In a world of changing demands and definitions, nothing is more in flux than the meaning of the word "luxury". Creating a unique brand experience beyond an emphasis on the product itself is increasingly important. If a holistic experience is created, truly personalized and considered by the consumer as a luxury, then a luxury product is born. For luxury is no longer just Almas caviar, Perrier Jouet champagne and Stuart Weitzman shoes. Luxury is purely in the eye of the beholder.

“Fluxury” is a term coined by trendwatching.com for the ever-evolving definition of luxury. Luxury itself is not a new concept, but its definition is a moving target. While delving further into this new realm of “fluxury”, we have uncovered several examples of how you can start to think about your brand in a new light. By tapping into learnings from the “fluxury” movement, your brand has the potential to not just exceed expectations, but move to unpredictable and rewarding heights of success.

Download Printable Fluxury Movement Insights

Soulsight is not only dedicated to the work we do, we are also dedicated to letting our co-workers know when they are appreciated. Over the past couple weeks, we’ve created an anonymous way to let people know when they’ve been “Caught in the Act”.

The feeling of being appreciated can go a long way. By setting this little card on someone’s desk, you might brighten their day.

Try this! Print these cards out to pass around your work!