Skybox Creative Blog

When Applied Fiber, the world’s leading provider of terminated fiber tension systems, noticed Skybox Creative’s online portfolio, they knew they’d found a fit for the re-branding and web design they’d been looking for. San Diego-based Skybox began work on the rebrand in April, 2011.

The client was looking to develop a more modern, masculine look. New products and growth in the Florida-based company prompted them to reconsider the message they were sending with their old color palette – soft blue, light gray and a thin font.

Applied Fiber Logo - Before + After

Skybox jumped in to give the company the look and feel they aspired to. Keeping the icon on the left of the logo was important to Applied Fiber — it’s the universal symbol for fiber. But we identified darker tones of blue and gray to give the design a more modern feel. The darker shades really hit on the growing company’s maturation and expanding business. It also adds gravity, masculinity and sophistication to the look and feel of the brand. We also designed new typography for the brand. Slightly thicker, it has a more substantial feel and really fits an established company that is growing its brand along with its business.

For the website design, multiple layout, design and color options were explored. A few of the initial design comps are shown below.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

For the final website design, the client chose a simple, clean design direction focusing on the products and expertise.

Applied Fiber Final Web Design

Part of delivering that sleek, modern feel, too, was simplifying the design. Each web page now features simple, clean design and easy-to-navigate web pages. The photography we chose is sleek and the close-up product shots foreground the technology without losing the visual appeal.

Our design choices were in-step with the company’s goals for growth and their forward-looking philosophy. For Applied Fiber, reaching out to a San Diego-based company for rebranding and redesign turned out to be a good move – and we’re proud to be working with them!

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

“Green” is practically a brand in itself. It’s a label put on products from lightbulbs to SUVs that always brings with it its own design considerations. Images of palm fronds and panda bears used to say ecology, but now, with the green explosion, companies are looking for less literal, more creative ways to say they care about the planet. The San Diego web design and branding firm, Skybox Creative was brought in to bring the brand to life.

We approached their branding from a holistic perspective taking into account everything from product name – “Save me” which is short for “Save Mother Earth” – to their logo design, packaging design and temporary landing page/web page. Each one of our design choices support the feel and philosophy of the company.

Simple Design

Skybox Creative chose a clean, simple and (literally) green design scheme that underscores the company’s eco-friendly message. Their logo features smooth lines, a friendly font and creative use of batteries inside the lettering. The tone of the company is clear – the lower-case lettering tell us that they’re young and fresh and the clever use of batteries inside the letter “m” speaks to a fun and friendly attitude. Their tagline, too, “Save a battery. Save the planet.” is short and sweet – see how simple their green solution is?

The web design color choices underscore the simplicity of the product and the mission. A white backdrop with green and charcoal lettering makes for an easy to read, clean website.

Custom Info Graphics

Save Me’s website makes great use of fun, friendly graphics. We created custom “How it Works” illustrations that are bold and completely stylized to match the look and feel of the brand. Save Me’s overall message that saving the planet can be easy is clearly communicated throughout the brand materials. The illustrations are clean and simple, like the rest of the company’s design. And the Info graphics – the single icons against green circles anchor the page with color, without veering from the clean and clear design look of the company.

Maybe Kermit was wrong. Maybe it IS easy being green. At least Save Me makes it look that way.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

When it comes to manipulating or creating graphics, designers need to make smart technical decisions about whether their creation calls for a vector or a raster program. The differences between the two can affect not only the look of the final image, but also the ease of creating it and the quality of its future use by a client.

Vector graphics are usually created in Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, Adobe Flash, or other vector illustration programs. Vectors are unique in that the images are defined by math, and not pixels, so they’re composed of equations of lines, objects, and fills. Because of this, vector graphics can be scaled up or down, infinitely, without losing image quality or altering the file size. Check out this great resource for finding free vector graphics!

A vector logo design by Skybox Creative

A raster image, by comparison, is essentially a grid composed of millions of pixels, each with an assigned color value. When a raster image is enlarged, it looses detail and clarity because it only has the data from the original smaller image to spread across a larger area. Because of this, consideration of resolution when creating or printing an image is crucial to its ultimate level of quality. Raster-based image editors include Adobe Photoshop and GIMP.

A raster photograph, enhanced with photoshop

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of using either vector or raster? Let’s take a quick look at how they compare.

Vector

PROS
1. Smaller file sizes – good for storage and transfer.
2. Never have to worry about resolution.
3. Easily converted to other formats.

CONS
1. Doesn’t handle photographic detail well.
2. File types are less supported.
3. Not optimal for applying effects.

Raster

PROS
1. Best for displaying and editing photographs
2. Easily apply effects to images
3. Easy to insert into documents and presentations

CONS
1. Resolution dependent – image size can greatly affect image quality
2. File size can be very large if there are too many pixels
3. Difficult to convert to vector format

Knowing these pros and cons should help you decide when to use which format. In general, if you are creating something for scale, such as brand identity print work that demands clean lines and defined shapes, vector is the way to go. If your imaging process is going to involve manipulations or applying effects like fills and textures to a detailed illustration or photograph, raster is the best option.

Skybox Creative is a brand consultancy with an emphasis on web development and technology solutions. Get in touch today! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

New Dental Choice is a membership-based program that simplifies the search for an affordable dental plan, and they have just launched their new and easy-to-use website designed by Skybox Creative, San Diego’s premier web design and branding firm. Take a look at the site here!

The need for a dental plan that suits a specific set of needs is what has drawn thousands of people to New Dental Choice’s unique membership plan. Users can choose an individual, family, or group plan, and they can rest assured that the network of dentists allied with NDC’s program are the same as the ones offered by major insurance carriers and Fortune 500 companies. An affordable alternative to dental insurance, New Dental Choice boasts plans that are void of annual premiums, deductibles, and waiting periods.

In line with New Dental Choice’s philosophy of keeping it straightforward yet specially tailored, Skybox has set up a web 2.0 navigation menu that allows users to search for a suitable dental plan using three different approaches. The site’s color palette is now consistent with their new branding – it is illuminated by fresh, modern, cool blue gradients, and the introduction of vibrant pops of lime green modules and buttons on each page present straightforward searching and sign-up features.

A site map is easily accessible on the foot of each page, and includes the useful links found in the navigation bar, as well as ways to find out more about the company and connect with it via various branches of social media. Skybox Creative is excited to match New Dental Choice’s convenient services with this fittingly user-friendly website design.

Questions? Email us at info@skyboxcreative.com

Skybox Creative, Inc. – Elevate your business with Web 2.0 web design.

There has been much discussion and debate around the proposed launch of the revised Starbucks Brand Identity. I’ve been involved in forums and branding groups that have been discussing the topic over the last few months and have heard a lot of conflicting opinions on the topic.

I stepped into Starbucks yesterday to grab an afternoon Mocha and witnessed the brand roll out first hand, from the signage on the door, to the gift cards, mugs, sleeves, coffee packaging and more, the new logo was everywhere (except the cups, strangely enough)… these things take time. As any company knows, the roll out of a re-branding campaign takes time to implement, leaving old logos floating around for months and sometimes years. Think about the overhaul of such a decision in a large corporate entity like Starbucks! On the inside, we’re talking letterhead, corporate binders, internal communication documents, email signatures, etc. On the consumer side, there is each individual store to overhaul (all 17,009 of them) along with ad campaigns, packaging, promotional items, etc. This is no easy task!

Personally, I love the new logo, I think it is a natural evolution of any iconic brand to morph into a more simplified and memorable stamp that speaks for the name. Look at Nike, a classic example of an icon that no longer needs a name, this shows the power of symbolism and brand recognition. It certainly didn’t happen over night though, the powerhouse has been at it for 40 years… longer than I’ve been on this planet!

What do you think of the new brand? Better or worse? Let us know your thoughts below!

Questions? Email us at info@skyboxcreative.com

Skybox Creative, Inc. – Elevate your business with iconic brand + web design.

San Diego Based Award-Winning Creative Studio, Skybox Creative, launches it’s first video to give you a sneak peak into their branding strategy, design process and proven results. Our documentary-style video includes a bit about our services, work samples and testimonials from a few happy clients.

Best Web Design and Branding Studio from Skybox Creative on Vimeo.

Watch the video and get in touch with us today! info@skyboxcreative.com

ChinaTel Group Inc. (“ChinaTel”), a provider of engineering, deployment, and operations services related to the development of wireless broadband telecommunications networks, just launched their brand new website created by San Diego’s premier web design and branding firm, Skybox Creative. View the site here!

Skybox Creative was responsible for the entire re-branding, including a logo re-design, print collateral materials and web design. A dynamic Flash presentation and Javascript maps were created to for an interactive user experience throughout the site. Organized by an easy-to-navigate information architecture, the new website provides a wealth of information, news, video and highlights on some of ChinaTel’s biggest projects across the globe. An advanced, up-to-the-minute quote calculator was included using a tool provided by QuoteMedia. Streaming video was added through the company’s Vimeo account as well as links to all social media profiles, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The ChinaTel website is equipped with up all the advanced features to elevate the company’s brand position.

Operating as a $217M company (Market Cap 4/30/10) currently building and operating vast networks in parts of Asia and South America, ChinaTel is committed to the growth of telecommunication and wireless broadband providing service to growing communities around the world. A major project ChinaTel has been aggressively pursuing is the deployment of a 3.5 gigahertz (GHz) wireless broadband network using WiMAX technology to provide access to 29 cities in the People’s Republic of China through a partnership with CECT-Chinacomm Communications Co., Ltd., a basic telecommunications service operator in China. The company has also acquired 95% of Perusat S.A., a Peruvian telecommunications company, to widen its international footprint and capitalize on Peru’s expanding economy and telecommunications market.

We would like to thank ChinaTel Group, Inc., for allowing us the opportunity to work with them on their new website and brand identity. For more information, please visit http://www.chinatelgroup.com/

Working in web design and brand development, we are often glued to a Mac computer screen, but it’s always fun to get out into the business world and talk shop with other local professionals. San Diego is booming with a variety of networking events, geared to basically any industry you can think of. Skybox Creative ventured into the biotechnology world Thursday morning during the Bagels @ BIOCOM networking event.

Skybox has worked in the biotech industry on several different projects that included both web development and brand identity (Catalyst Biosolutions as an example). Our style is very clean + corporate, which suits this client’s demographic, so we wanted to learn more about membership to BIOCOM and how to become acquainted with their community of local companies.

We learned about joining the BIOCOM Purchasing Group, which negotiates significant, volume-based savings and favorable terms on products and services frequently used in the life science industry.

We also had the pleasure of mingling with some of the BIOCOM staff, including CEO Joseph Panetta and Director of Communications Teri Somers.

We met some additional interesting people in attendance, including Michael Young, a life sciences marketing executive, Terry Quinn of Global Manufacturing, John E.H. Cox of SourceSolution and Daniel H. Schumann of Invetech.