Skybox Creative is currently in the process of making a promotional video about our company and what we do here on a daily basis (which is a whole lot of varied design, from branding and print, to web and user interface). We thought it was high time this award-winning San Diego branding and web design firm put ourselves, but mostly our work, out in front of the camera in a creative, docu-style video. Our production team – R&R Productions, have been incredibly professional and helpful in achieving our story board vision. The video will be posted here LIVE in few weeks, so definitely check back for the final product!

For now, we’ll wet your appetite with a few BEHIND THE SCENES photos…

Skybox Ink Presents…

Promote Your Business from Skybox Creative on Vimeo.

Learn how to make more money and promote your business more effectively! Summed up in one simple concept, your business materials (online and offline) are a reflection of who you are.

Skybox Ink is a subdivision of Skybox Creative, a studio with a focus on branding, graphic design, web design and multimedia.

Skybox Creative, an Award-Winning Web Design Studio in San Diego, has moved offices. We are located in Mission Valley, the heart of San Diego – within 10-15 minutes from pretty much anything in San Diego. We invite you to visit our new space and learn about the services we offer!

Map provided by Google

In August 2006 Angelina Sereno started Skybox Creative out of a spare bedroom in her home. Eventually she moved into a small office and then a larger office. Now on to the 4th office for the ever-growing company, the team finally has the space they need to spread their wings. Noticing a disconnect in the advertising and web design industry, she decided to start her own firm. She noticed that there were plenty of branding studios and fair share of web development companies, but there weren’t many companies that mastered both. With a background in advertising and print design, she brings with her over 10 years of experience building strong, lasting brands. Through her vision and inspiration, she attracted a stellar group of like-minded designers and tech-savvy programmers to create the Skybox team.

Our Web Design Portfolio has a great balance between function and creativity. We believe that if we don’t help your business grow, we’re not doing our job. Making sure your selling points are compelling and easily understood, while improving the public perception of your organization are our primary goals.

Skybox also added a printing division called Skybox Ink. Skybox Ink has a wide variety of printing products and options, including green printing (recycled paper and soy-based inks). From business cards to tri-fold brochures, corporate folders to vinyl banners and vehicle wraps, we’ve got you covered. Contact us for details!

Skybox Creative is celebrating our fourth year in business in August 2010 – Annual Mixer date to be announced (See Mixer photos)! Subsequently, we will be opening our east coast office then as well! Subscribe to our RSS feed to stay in the loop with Skybox news!

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/

CLIENT
LifeSource BioSolutions, LLC.

CHALLENGE
LifeSource BioMedical, LLC, a start-up provider of drug discovery, pre-clinical research, and development services utilizing in vivo testing, sought to establish credibility and recognition in a heavily saturated market. Although LifeSource’s testing procedures are performed in the most humane ways, animal research remains a sensitive topic. This required Skybox to be meticulous and conscientious in the selection of imagery and verbal content.

SOLUTION
Initiating the logo development, Skybox explored a wide range of options related to science and technology imagery: molecules to microscopes, simple to complex. At the conclusion of the process, we developed a dynamic flame symbol which bears resemblance to a DNA strand. The upward spiraling symbol is positive and life-giving. Skybox then developed a color palette unique to a marketplace dominated by medical white and blue, positioning LifeSource to stand apart from the competition. Skybox also capitalized on LifeSource’s location on the NASA Ames campus to further enhance the company’s credibility, prominently highlighting the NASA name on all communication tools.

RESULTS
From an impressive web presentation to trade show display and all corporate collateral in between, LifeSource displays professionalism, brand consistency and, most importantly, a clear message. LifeSource has experienced significant growth in staff and size since its inception. Subsequent to the visual branding campaign, the company has been purchased and anticipates continued prosperity. The LifeSource brand image is by far the most unique and compelling image in its market segment.

LifeSource BioMedical Web Design

LifeSource BioMedical Brochure Design

LifeSource BioMedical Trade Show Design

TESTIMONIAL
“It all started with a simple logo design: The Skybox Creative team was referred to me and what a find! The team at Skybox Creative are by far the best web designers we have had the good fortune to work with. They not only designed the new site for my latest company, but they also put together a lovely holding site while the project was under way. Even the simple holding site was so nice that people were constantly asking me who designed it for us. To top it off, it was easily populated and updated by us “non-web” folks in the office. Not only do we strongly recommend Skybox Creative  for your web design needs, but we are, in fact using them again and again!! Thanks Skybox and great job – definitely the best brand development company.”

C.L., Former President
LifeSource BioMedical, LLC.

Skybox Ink made our way to the PIAexpo 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center on February 25. The event boasted a wide variety of printing and related industries. It was a great place to check out the best new paper stocks, coating options and everything innovative happening in the printing industry. A huge theme echoed throughout the event was eco-friendly printing, and we were happy to spread the word about Skybox Ink’s use of green materials such as recycled stocks and soy/vegetable based inks.

Skybox had the chance to meet with Adam Hale of Blend, a well-branded printing company who prides themselves on exceptional digital printing. As we got to chatting about coating options and elaborate branded materials, Hale pointed us in the direction of Creative Coatings, a company in San Diego that specializes in unique coating treatments.

We also stopped by the Mohawk Fine Papers booth and picked up some of their latest samples, as well as In To Ink Letterpress, which had some truly beautiful invitations and envelopes. They describe their letterpress work as:

“having a look and a mystique that is not able to be replicated on an offset press. There is texture and dimensional feel to many letterpress projects. There is also the opportunity for the project to be more of a hands-on crafted piece. We strongly encourage any of our clients utilizing our letterpress department to be press side during the creation of their project. This allows a fine tuning to your desired look.” Courtesy of intoink.com

We’re a month into 2010, and it has been a busy and fulfilling year already!

Skybox Creative’s eco-friendly printing business, Skybox Ink is doing increasingly well, and we are consistently expanding product options and paper stocks. New this year is 100# Linen and rounded corners for business cards and postcards – definitely check out the site – 250 business cards start as low as $14!

Skybox Creative has also been working with some wonderful clients, both new additions to our business family and some long-standing relationships. SKIN1 by Dr. Gram recently changed its name to GRAM Skincare, and we are the branding firm revamping their new look (updated packaging and logo to be presented Spring 2010!)

We are also very excited to be working with new client Iaomai Medical Ministries, a medical outreach non-profit here in San Diego. We are currently in the final stages of their website redesign, and it has been a wonderful experience working with people who are so giving of their time, expertise and spirit to make this world a healthier, happier place. Last year, they provided medical care to almost 1400 people in Guatemala during a 10-day outreach trip – incredible!

Mark it on your calendar – Thursday, March 18, 2010 – the next installment of “Green is the New Black.” Skybox Ink, in association with Skybox Creative, welcomes everyone to our Green Networking Quarterly Series at Se San Diego Hotel in the Gaslamp. More details to come soon, but there will be raffle prizes, great conversation and eco-friendly business brainstorming shared by all!

We’ll do our best to keep you current on everything Skybox here on our blog, but please drop us a line at 619.381.3825 or email info@skyboxcreative.com to inquire about our services!

Check out how large and small companies are reinventing their brand image at http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

This site is a great resource for learning about what some of the corporate mega companies are doing to modernize, elevate and sustain branding supremacy.

To find out more about building a brand for your company, contact info@skyboxcreative.com or call 619.381.3825

Skybox Creative is an award-winning web design and branding firm in San Diego. Specializing in all things graphic design, Skybox works hand-in-hand with companies to create lasting, clean and distinctive imagery for your company in the medium of web, print, email, trade show + more.

iStock Design Spotlight is a designer showcase on the stock photography and design community website http://www.istockphoto.com/. They include a variety of categories including print design, promotional materials, web design, graphic design and more. Designs are hand picked to be showcased as inspiration for other artists. Multiple designs from Skybox Creative have been selected for the Spotlight, below are a few of the most recent.

View the Design Spotlight selections here:

LifeSource BioMedical Trade Show Booth Design
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26945

SKIN1 Web Design and Development
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26946

Miracle Recovery Tri-Fold Brochure Design
http://www.istockphoto.com/design_spotlight_details.php?ID=26947

So you have 3 kids, a lively variety of ages, and the toys are piling up faster than you keep track, not to mention the bills. Guess what, it’s time to move to a new house! You cringe as you peer into the garage where dozens of barely-used toys are tossed in a heap covered in a thick layer of dust. If dust was the only problem, you might be able to sell them, but the sun has gotten to them, so there is really no good option. Sadly most of them end up in the trash…you think to yourself, there’s got to be a better way!

This is exactly what happened to Carlos Algarin, founder of rentAtoy, Inc. (http://www.rentatoy.com).

With a genius idea on his hands, he started his research and found out that a few successful toy rental companies already existed, most of them outside of the U.S. It was confirmed, he had a valid business idea on his hands, the brainstorming process began. How would rentAtoy create a superior brand in an industry that is still unfamiliar to the average consumer?

Enter Skybox Creative (http://www.skyboxcreative.com). With extensive B2C experience and local landmark clients, such as Pangaea Outpost (Pacific Beach), Flower Hill Promenade (Del Mar) and the San Diego Film Festival, rentAtoy sought out their award-winning branding + web design expertise. Skybox Creative pulled up their sleeves and got to work on the promising new brand.

Everything from the candy color palette to the shinny, playful logo scream ‘kid-friendly’. Skybox Creative wanted to create a memorable tagline that would drive the message home for parents: Happiness Delivered. Short and sweet. The tagline curves under the logo to form a smile, reinforcing the message non-verbally. The meerkat mascots were modeled after Carlos’s 3 munchkins, personalities, favorite toys and all.

Brand Identity + Character Development

The biggest challenge of all was that often the first thing that came to mind was germs! With a ‘clean feeling’ baby blue in the background and an impressive flash video reinforcing that the toys are GUARANTEED Safe and Clean, the web site was an instant hit! Skybox Creative also encouraged a safety tab in the main navigation for those concerned, where they could read about rentAtoy’s strict safety standards. As a father of three, Carlos would never allow anything to be shipped that he would not give to his own children.

On the Back of their business cards, it says it all: fresh toys delivered to your door every month. save time. save money. be green. This concise statement became the staple of their advertising and branding campaign for one good reason, people get it.

San Diego is excited about rentAtoy! They have already received tons of press from Channel 8 News to Channel 6 News (Select Rent-A-Toy video on the left to view), Fox News and more. Their stellar brand image and messaging give rentAtoy a competitive advantage over their single U.S. competitor who clearly did not invest much into their brand identity.

Filled with ambition and armed with the right tools, rentAtoy is on their way to the top. Thanks to Skybox Creative, their dream is now a reality. Watch as they grow.