What exactly do you do?

We create all sorts of communications material, with an emphasis on the "all."  This means websites, movies, ads, identities, books and banners — essentially anything with image and text — although we also do some radio and articles with little imagery.

We endeavor to do this A) artfully, B) with an detailed awareness of the culture of you, the client, and your audience, and of the environment — we specialize in recycled papers and Web hosters that use alternative energy— and C) cost-effectively. 

Again with an emphasis on the "all," since we do it from first sketch to final delivery. Some of our other products include: web mastering and hosting, photography, advertising copy and design, copy editing and writing, packaging, illustration, T-shirts, magazines, billboards, transit ads, architectural banners, posters, cups, bags, brochures, business cards/letterhead packages, hats, bus bench ads, Powerpoint presentations, folders, cartoons, point-of-purchase displays, CD/DVD covers, web ads, political buttons and kitchen magnets (among other items).

How can I get an estimate?

1. Contact us by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone at 888.5MEDIA5 (888.5633425) or in person, what ever you prefer. While personal meetings are excellent for get acquainted and explaining ideas, we can complete and deliver any project without meetings using Skype, Web-delivered PDF proofing and/or FedEx/UPS.

2. Let us know your specifics: What type of project is it? How many different items are involved?  What size are they? Who is your target audience?

It sometimes helps to have a "look-like," something similar to what you are looking for, and a general budget of what you would like to spend.

3. We will expedite a line-itemed estimate or budget back to you within a day or two.  It will serve as our first sketch of the project. And, like all of our sketches, it is easily adjustable to conform to your needs.  

What if I need it really fast?

We are expediting experts. Let us know your timetable and we will meet it — if humanly possible. Naturally, we will inform you if that will incur any rush charges.  

What if I need it really cheap?

Again, we are expediting experts. We are located in West Oakland, California, which keeps overhead down, and we have techniques and vendors that allow us to produce quality creative remarkably cost-effectively. 

In fact, our estimate includes three estimates: A) Standard, what we think it will take to complete your project at the level you indicated in your specifications; B) Budget, what we think we can do it for by streamlining procedure; and C) Full Development or Agency, which includes extra sketches and meetings and is appropriate for high-profile, large-budget or large-audience projects.

Note: We donate some creative services for suitable not-for-profits or start-ups.  

What if it is something really complicated?

We are also intricacy experts. We have managed big productions like feature films, product rollouts and exhibition displays.  Although we have created almost everything in the world of graphics, media and communication, what we haven't already done, we have a broad network of vendors and professional associates to advise us and help us.

What is the best way to increase sales through advertising?

Although there is no magic bullet and advertising communication is both an art and a science, looking good and being easy to understand will always attract more interest than plain and confusing.  But to attract the most interest, it is not enough to just be good looking: you have to tell a precise story appropriate to your audience.

Getting some initial consulting will give you a better picture of your options and potential and what route to go.  We now enjoy a plethora of media, some would say avalanche — Web sites, social media and email blasts have joined but not quite eliminated brochures, newspaper ads, television spots, posters and more. Each is appropriate to different projects and audiences.  There is no one-size-fits-all or off-the-shelf solution.  What is generally needed is a piece appropriately tailored to your identity and your audience.

We need specifics, which means market research, unless you are more or less an expert in your field. You can do the research yourself by interviewing employees, coworkers or customers using some information gathering tricks we can tell you about.

If not, we can do it for you, either on our own or through what we call "Coffee Klatch Market Research," which involves 6-10 people and some snacks. While it is not as high tech as professional market researchers replete with pocket protectors and one-way mirrors, it works well. Indeed, we are well versed in leading meetings, audience analysis, writing and reading questionnaires and identifying "divide issues" or "design glitches."

Once hired, we automatically start researching your field or project on the web, through our contacts and via other channels.  

What is advertising, anyway?

Advertising is any combination of information and art used to initiate a transaction, to tell others about our selves.  It is a normative part of life and can be traced back to the peacock's plumage, lightning bug's glow and moose's antlers.

Advertising is not only commercial; it can be cultural, political, religious or personal.  For further insight into this subject, see our Doniphan Blair's article "The History of Advertising" from InfoArt Magazine, 1993 (NOTE connect to historyofadvertising.html, old site)

What is art, then?

Defining art is hard, of course, although check our Art Quotes (in the upper right of the site) for some colorful suggestions. Whatever art is, however, it is an integral part of advertising design, illustration and photography.  Moreover, in the 20th century, the line between art and advertising has been increasingly blurred. 

Human communication covers a wide spectrum: from the straightforward data of information to the lush complexity of art with advertising somewhere in between. Ironically, since human communication is not only descriptive but self-descriptive — we use the word "I" a lot — it could be said that advertising occupies a central position in our daily discourse.

What is identity?

Identity is the images, ideas or basic feelings about self that sits at the center of any business or institution as well as person. Like art, it is equally hard to define but utterly essential.  All living entities carry some form of identity, ranging from their name and core values to their dreams and aspirations. Considering this, it behooves us to put our public identity to work for — not against — us.

How do I develop my identity?

Developing identity is a magical process for any enterprise, starting with a name and mission statement but efflorescing through design, signage, interior design, language and more. It often obliges some soul searching and answers to questions like, "Who are we and where are we going?"   A common error in identity development is to pick an image that looks fabulous but fails to honestly tell your story or connect to your audience. 

Hence, some consultation, sketching and research is generally useful to review your history and explore your image's potential and possibilities.  Nevertheless, these steps can be abbreviated for simpler projects and many folks are able to solve most of their identity issues on their own. If you bring your own sketch or "look-like" you can jump start identity development and save on sketching.  We are happy to collaborate at any level of the process that serves you best.

The right identity both looks good AND tells your story: what you do, how you do it AND how someone might feel if they participate in it, too.  

This seems complicated: I just need some basic images.  

Admittedly, lot of advertising and branding seems over-the-top and ancillary, especially in our throw-away culture. Indeed, bad advertising and pompous self-identification is a colossal waste of time, money and space. So much so, some have called advertising a capitalist conspiracy.  It can sure seem that way, although it was Soviet artists who developed some of its early principles and religious and royal authorities and their artists were at it many millennia earlier.

For this reason, we offer the One-sketch System which can be done on an hourly basis, even dispensing with the need for an estimate. We just sit down at a coffee shop, one of our drawing tables or over Skype and talk about and sketch out the project.  And then we simply do it.  Depending on the project, it is often possible to produce something surprisingly successful in an hour or two.

OK, so what is the best way to proceed?

A brief free consultation with an image professional is often the best way to get a handle on your situation.  After our first meeting or conversation, we will create a marketing plan or estimate, although, as noted, we can also just start working at an hourly rate. Our estimates are line item and a roadmap of the project — and like a map, you can decide to change course or eliminate or add tasks at any time.  If the changes are a lot, we can re-estimate.  

If you decide to go with us, we usually schedule a more in-depth follow-up meeting or we can simply start. Once we get going, you will probably notice that we strive for BOTH the most creative solutions within the context of your project AND we defer to your identity, style and needs, as explained by you or your representatives, although we will always take the time to point out, or even sketch out, what we think will work best for you, if we think you may be overlooking it.

Advertising and graphics seem expensive: is it really worth it and how can I save money?

Saving money is often job one for the smaller enterprise.  Of course, some folks do well solely by word of mouth.  Others adopt a low-tech or "generic" look as their identity which is inherently less expensive.

But the zero-sum solution — saving money by cutting advertising — is often self-defeating.  As the saying goes "No sign is a sign of no business." In fact, it is precisely when business is slow, in fact, that more outreach is needed.

Unfortunately, simply increasing your outreach with poor imagery is like loading a canon with cotton — it just reminds your audience of something that is not that attractive. 

To insure success, unless you take the time to figure out a look and strategy yourself, the best advise for saving money is to do some sketches and research.  It is helps you obtain quality identity and communication, which saves on production fees both because it gets more audience response and you don't have to go back to the drawing board for something new next month. One killer logo or ad can last a lifetime — look at Coca-Cola.

Occasionally, advertising is compared to war, as in: "Going to the air" (television or now web), "Going to the ground" (direct mail/email/postering), "Intelligence" (market research), etc. But, in my opinion, advertising is better described by Darwin's Sexual Selection and the formation of cooperative relationships. In this paradigm, non-coercive attraction and interest is achieved through better ideas and images.  

In sum, let the best identity as well as product and service win. We are here to help you hook those three structures together.   If you have any other questions, please feel free to click or call.  Thanks.