Introducing the new Kitchen Sink Studios web site!

When a company that specializes in creating exceptional web sites decides to redo its own site, it had better do it right. So when the Kitchen Sink Studios team decided it was time for a new web presence at www.kitchensinkstudios.com, we set the bar high for ourselves.

Our previous site, which launched in early 2008, was an award-winning, 100 percent Flash site. But more and more, our clients are concerned about making sure their web sites are making the most of search engine optimization and can be viewed on all sorts of browsers and mobile devices.

So, we felt it was time to develop a new site that addresses both those concerns. But how would we go about creating the same kind of unique, creative approach that the use of Flash would allow? That was the big question as we started the project, and Creative Director Doug Bell jumped right in with a design that borders on being a work of art.

The answers to the technical issues were a combination of current programming techniques and creative thinking from the big brain of our web guru, Justin Tucker. The new site uses HTML5, CSS3 and jQuery technologies, which allow for the best search engine optimization as well as the ability to view it on all kinds of devices. Highly optimized CSS, streamlined navigation and heavy use of web fonts were just some of many approaches that went into the new site.

The Work section was a particular area of focus. We wanted to visually convey the sort of variety and quality that goes into each Kitchen Sink project. So designers Mike Giles and Sarah Thomas took samples of our work to locations all over downtown — on some of the hottest days of the year — to shoot new photography. The vast majority of the photos in the gallery were taken on an iPhone 4.

We had a few glitches to work out this afternoon, of course. The site will be a work in progress, and we'll be ironing out little things, adding to it and refining it as time goes along. We'll get the word out when if and when we make any significant improvements and modifications.

We're all very proud of the result. Again, you can check it out at www.kitchensinkstudios.com. We hope you enjoy it and have a little fun with it, and feel free to leave your comments about the site below.

Coming Soon: The NEW Kitchen Sink Studios web site

Kitchen Sink Studios is flexing its creative muscles and redoing our company web site!

We've come up with some pretty innovative and exciting concepts that we think you'll like. The target launch date is August 10, 2011 at noon Arizona time. 

We can't tell you a whole lot about it at this point. Well, we could, but it would ruin the surprise. We can, however, tell you the following:

• The new version will have up-to-date, semantic code with HTML5 and CSS3 coding practices. Our current site is 100% Flash, but because we believe everyone should experience some KSS love, we're making it compatible with iOS devices and multiple screen dimensions.

• It ain't gonna navigate like a standard, average web site. 

• Old Blue, the company's vintage Chevy and the closest thing we have to a mascot, will be prominently involved. 

In the meantime, we'll give you some sneak peaks between now and then, including the ones below. More can be viewed through our Facebook page and Twitter feed. 

Featured Project: Linthicum Living

This week's Featured Project is the branding and business system Kitchen Sink Studios, Inc. created for Linthicum Living, Inc. Linthicum Living, Inc. provides those looking for an immediate primary or secondary residence with a home designed by a nationally recognized, independent design team and built by a true custom home builder, Linthicum Custom Builders.

Linthicum wanted to create a brand and business system that would truly set them apart from other companies in the industry while conveying the kind of attention to detail and quality they take pride in as a company. Their custom homes are superior products, and they wanted to convey that through a superior brand.

The Kitchen Sink creative team focused on the fact that each Linthicum project is unique, and wanted to convey that somehow in the brand and business system. The way we ended up doing that was through the use of high-quality photography to create literally 20 different versions of their business card and letterhead.

While each card and letterhead has uniform branding and type treatments, the photography is varied so that the company can visually reinforce just how different its projects are from location to location. The cards and letterhead are accompanied by a containment folder that complements the unique look and feel of the brand.

It was an opportunity for the Kitchen Sink team to take a different approach to the traditional business system and help brand the client in a truly memorable way.

Wanted: Aspiring Jedi graphic designer (contract basis)

Kitchen Sink Studios is looking for a graphic designer. You don't have to be the most experienced, but you do have to have that certain je ne sais quoi. We're looking for someone with 1-3 years of experience in creating captivating designs for print and the web. Full knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is absolutely necessary; HTML and Flash would be extremely useful as well. This would be on a contractor basis for the time being for 20 hours a week, but could blossom into something bigger if all the ducks line up in a row. Salary based on experience and, frankly, how good you are. You also have to like dogs and dig hanging out in one of the coolest office spaces in downtown Phoenix. 

Send a resume, samples (just a few, don't bombard us) and cash (kidding) to Tom Evans at tevans@kitchensinkstudios.com.

Out of hibernation

“Spout Off” has been in hibernation for a few months now due to a variety of circumstances — some good, some bad. But mostly, we’ve had our collective noses to the grindstone and have been enjoying a terrific summer of producing great creative.

And now with summer ending, we’re taking a deep breath and dusting off the old blog to tell you about the news and happenings with your favorite downtown Phoenix design studio.

First of all, big shout out to our long-time client, Pat McGroder of Gallegher and Kennedy, a Phoenix-based law firm. We’re helping him serve his clients by providing top-notch legal animation and video that bring his cases to life. Another shout out to the Plaintiff’s Personal Injury Group at Fennemore Craig, headed up by Marc Lamber and James Goodnow, for bringing us in on several of their cases as well.

Our legal niche is becoming very exciting for us. We’re branching out with new ideas and groundbreaking ways of helping attorneys present critical information. And we’ve enjoyed the opportunity to get to know some of their clients and help them receive the results they deserve in their injury cases.

But that’s not all we’ve been up to. We’ve started to see things move a bit in the business community and some signs of overall economic improvement, and we’ve made some great connections on exciting new projects. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the Arizona Heart Foundation, Downtown Live! and several other significant organizations have brought us on to help tell their story in compelling, innovative ways. We’ll be telling you more about some of our killer projects in the coming weeks.

Finally, we’ll be revving up the First Friday activities at our studio starting on September 3^rd. If you’re down and checking out the scene on Roosevelt, head a block south on Third Street and come say hi. We’ll have artists and performers on hand, and our team would love to catch up with everyone.

Hit us up on Facebook and check back here regularly for updates!

Think people don't notice how your brand is presented? Just ask IKEA

Design-geek issues such as font usage rarely see the light of day in mainstream media, but a recent Time Magazine post is a good reinforcement of how important even the smallest of details can be to your customers.

The piece linked here detailed a backlash against retail giant IKEA for having the gall to change...its primary font. That's right -- after decades of catalogues filled with unpronounceable names in a customized version of the typeface Futura, IKEA is switching to the more internet-friendly Verdana.

Now, perhaps the backlash will be somewhat confined to the design community -- "Verdana, which was invented by Microsoft, was intended to be used on a screen, not on paper," Time tells us -- but regardless, the article proves a point that many companies just don't get when it comes to marketing and brand identity.

People notice small details about a company or organization, and when presented with those details consistently, form impressions in their mind based upon them. Consistency helps define the communication, and when that consistency is removed, it makes people question what's going on with the brand. The switch to Verdana may not result in lower sales of such products as the Aspelund (it's a bed), but it certainly caught the attention of more than a few people.

So what's the best policy? Build a brand identity, maintain it, and even guard it with your life. And if you make a change, it should be for a good reason. Maybe the brand has grown stale and needs a refresher; maybe the target audience has changed over time. IKEA apparently is making the change to save money, which every now and then is a good one too.

But if you think the little details aren't important, think again. Somebody is always going to notice.