Internship 2011- The Palace Creative Group

The life on an intern... (0)-Intro
<The Palace Creative Group>  (palacecreativegroup.com)

As part of my bachelors program I've had to take on an internship and work 120 hours with a graphic design company. After doing some research and shopping around, drafting a resume, building a portfolio and working on my sales pitch- and months of patients- I finally got the call. It was The Palace Creative Group (My top pick)!
          This is an ongoing feed about my experience in the hunt and in the action for a graphic design internship and hope that it will help some of you out there looking to chase your dreams in providing you with insight, experience and the day-to-day happenings in 'The life of an intern...".

Final Presentation: DMC Children's Hospital Brand Book

DMC Rebrand Project:
Final Brand Book
http://dmcchildrensbrandbook.ueuo.com/ <DMC Brand Book>  

       The final presentation of all the work that's gone into the rebrand project. This website came together in 18 hours and marks a significant combination of both illustration and web design in my career as a Graphic Designer. Check out the book here: http://dmcchildrensbrandbook.ueuo.com/

Webdevtuts- a free blog dedicated to Web Development

Webdevtuts (Resources):
A great web design resource

<original story>  (Webdevtuts.com)

I try and stay current with collecting useful tutorials and information as I incorporate web design into my graphic design regime and this site is a great resource I'd like to share for useful information about current web design. It's current, HTML 5 and CSS 3, and offers clean and easy to understand tutorials for creating elements which are both useful and appealing in web design. Check them out, you'll be glad you did. 

     I am going to try to collect some resources here and post the most useful of the bunch- things I've used in the past, or stumble across in my day-to-day adventures. If you've got some to share, feel free to post responses or email me at Dave.Roberts.Designs@gmail.com and I'd be happy to do a write up!

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #4

DMC Rebrand Project:
Advertising
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

Though magazines, fliers, newspapers and conventional methods of advertising can reach a large audience, I've got bigger plans for displaying the new brand. A featured installment at Hart Plaza in Detroit will both capture the attention and add to the cultural landscape of Jefferson Ave and the recently renovated Riverwalk. This installation will be accompanied by a semi-permanent oil-based chalking of the typographic logo and the unveiling event will be something the entire family can enjoy- with TONS of complimentary chalk to let the citizens of Detroit decorate the plaza in what is sure to be one of the largest collections of child and adult sidewalk art in the Nation. This even should capture national attention and serve the secondary purpose of promoting the rebranding effort through conventional media streams.

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #3

DMC Rebrand Project:
Wayfinding Signage
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

    Here are a few examples of the signs you'd see posted around the hospital. As a principle aspect of the re-brand, consideration was given to the way that children are able to navigate the facility and special attention was given to incorporate elements which allowed them to familiarize themselves with their whereabouts. On the bottom of the floor navigation (top image) a pictograph of a turtle and a large number indicating the floor have been added to the current wayfinding layout to serve this purpose. In addition, the new logo will be posted on each piece of wayfinding signage to consistently and constantly reinforce the brand as patients navigate the facility.
    The second image is of an overhead sign which will hang from the ceiling to indicate direction and reinforce the branding.
    The third image is the room identifier signage which will be posted outside of each room to let people know whats inside.
      Each floor (6 total) will have a unique color and pictograph associated with it to increase navigational efficiency in the facility as well as to provide children with the opportunity to get involved in the "getting around" process. Let's face it- there is nothing worse than being sick AND lost at the same time- and the story is no different for kids. These small details should help to ease the anxiety which is typically associated with a trip to the hospital, particularly for inpatient procedures.

DMC Children's Hospital Rebrand #2

DMC Rebrand Project:
Stationary
<Facebook photo album>  (facebook.com)

Step two in the rebranding effort was creating a stationary kit to include a business card, letterhead and #10 envelope which displayed the logo and additional identity elements. These products were developed using Adobe Illustrator. With 4 weeks left in the project, the hits just keep on rolling. Be sure to check out my Facebook album for complete development process details, and feel free to share my work with your friends, I always appreciate the support, comments and critiques.

The #10 envelope will eventually take two forms: one which is used for newsletter and check-up information which will have a more playful look and this one which will be used for corporate billing and more serious types of mailings.





This letterhead will be used as the generic form for direct mailings to current and potential clients. It may include information about the hospital, updates on new programs, projects and locations. A similar version will be used for the billing statements that is mono-colored and more corporate in design and feel. The idea is to visually separate the good news from the bad news and provide a way for hospital secretaries and staff to visually convey a message of either importance or hopefulness (playful).

Google+: Coming soon

Google+ Coming Soon:
Google gearing up to make a splash in social media

<original story>  (Google.com)

Google is putting together Google+, and it looks fantastic. With the ability to sort your contacts into CIRCLES and join a HUDDLE (group conversation) it seems like Google has really done their homework on how people like to connect. It will be interesting to see how this application rivals established media networks like Facebook and MySpace- as Google is always on the cutting edge of internet technology and comes equipped with the tools of the trade to make your life online that much easier. Take a minute and check out the videos which help to explain this new application- currently still in development- and get signed up to be the first to hear when it goes live. If you are one of the lucky ones, you've gotten in on the Beta testing- let me know how you like it!  

With Google joining the ranks of the social media frenzy which is a force in almost every industry, it makes very clear the importance of networking yourself and getting your work out there to the people who love it most. Google is a monster in the industry and their involvement in creating a new social media platform really emphasizes how far this concept has come from the good ol' HTML days of MySpace. Could Google be gearing up to be the one-stop internet shop for applications of all shapes and sizes? I think so. Im really anxious to try out this new platform!
Find more info at Mashable