Fort Myers Web Design | Brian Joseph Studios » Our Company http://www.brianjosephstudios.com Fort Myers Web Design Naples Web Design Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:08:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Speculative Work and Why It Hurts the Clienthttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client#comments Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:04:53 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1252 We recently received an inquiry  from a well known real estate company based in Southwest Florida.  We were offered the opportunity to enter into a bid process with the hopes of being selected as the winning firm. To enter a bid, the company required that each design firm create two homepage designs for them, and they would select the design they like the most, thus selecting a winner.

The details of what the winner receives are unclear in the inquiry, with the only promise made being that the designer will receive compensation if they are chosen.  This brings us to the major problem with this process:

This company will only compensate the winning firm for their work, time and effort. All other designers that enter a bid receive nothing.

A competition like this is called “Speculative Work” and is disrespectful to both the design industry and the designers involved.

The approach they are pursuing is one that compromises quality of work  and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide.

If this was spec work, one of these dogs would be fed at the end of the race!

AIGA, the nation’s largest and oldest professional association for design, strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project.

There are two main reasons for this position:

  1. To assure the client receives the most appropriate and responsive work. Successful design work results from a collaborative process between a client and the designer with the intention of developing a clear sense of the client’s objectives, competitive situation and needs. Speculative design competitions or processes result in a superficial assessment of the project at hand that is not grounded in a client’s business dynamics. Design creates value for clients as a result of the strategic approach designers take in addressing the problems or needs of the client and only at the end of that process is a “design” created. Speculative or open competitions for work based on a perfunctory problem statement will not result in the best design solution for the client.
  2. Requesting work for free demonstrates a lack of respect for the designer and the design process. Requesting work for free reflects a lack of understanding and respect for the value of effective design as well as the time of the professionals who are asked to provide it. This approach, therefore, reflects on the client’s practices and standards and may be harmful to the professional reputation of both the client and their  business.There are few professions where all possible candidates are asked to do the work first, allowing the buyer to choose which one to compensate for their efforts.

    Just consider the response if you were to ask a dozen lawyers to write a brief for you, from which you would then choose which one to pay!

    We realize that there are some creative professions with a different set of standards, such as advertising and architecture, for which billings are substantial and continuous after you select a firm of record. In those cases, you are not receiving the final outcome (the advertising campaign or the building) for free up front as you would be in receiving a communication design solution.

There are designers and design firms that will agree to “work on spec”. They will most likely be less professional and less experienced  than a firm that disagrees with speculative work.

If a designer agrees to work on spec during the bid process in the hopes of being chosen as the winner, it displays a level of desperation which is a common characteristic of an unsuccessful business. If you as a client choose to work with a designer that agrees to spec work, you should not be surprised when you don’t receive the level of service or quality that you are hoping for.

There is an appropriate way to explore the work of various designers. A more effective and ethical approach to requesting speculative work is to ask designers to submit examples of their work from previous assignments as well as a statement of how they would approach your project. It is also wise to judge a design firm’s merit by reviewing their client list. You can then judge the quality of the designer’s previous work and easily determine the level of skill and experience the designer or firm possesses.

More useful information on spec work can be read here

Update – Sunday, August 1st 2010

We responded to the inquiry notifying the client that we would not be entering into their bid process and we included much of the above information in our email to them. It appears that a few hours after our response, the company has now modified the document (hosted on their servers) that contains the details of the bid process that they are sending to designers.

They are no longer requiring two homepage designs to enter with the bid, but have added the alternative option to meet with them and “schedule a time to show us why….you are different from the rest.”.

This still isn’t ideal , as they are still asking for bidders to present design work for free (unless chosen as the winner) as the first option, but at least we helped to educate them and encouraged them to re-think their process. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/speculative-work-and-why-it-hurts-the-client/feed 0 Get Your Facebook “Like” On With Our New Sharing Featurehttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/get-your-facebook-like-on-with-our-new-sharing-feature http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/get-your-facebook-like-on-with-our-new-sharing-feature#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:49:52 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1154 Last week, Facebook changed the way they handle fan pages. Instead of becoming a fan, you now simply “Like” a specific company, artist, brand etc. ( Do you “like” Brian Joseph Studios yet?)

You will now see something like “John Smith likes Brian Joseph Studios” show up in your friends’ updates when they like something. It seems that the main reason that Facebook changed this function from “become a fan” to “like”, is down to the flexibility of this sharing model.

With the “like” function now in place, Facebook users can not only “like” a company, artists or brands, but they can also “like” specific articles and pages on other sites around the internet, and share them via their Facebook wall.

Screenshot - Brian Joseph Studios Facebook Page

As always here at Brian Joseph Studios, we are ahead of the curve and have already added the ability for our visitors to “like” our blog posts! At the beginning of each article in our blog, you will see the “Like” button along with the names of your friends that “Like” this post also (along with other’s dependent on their Facebook privacy settings) .

So, go ahead and try it out! “Like” this article by clicking the button at the beginning of this article and then visit your Facebook profile page to see your wall updated! (If you are reading this via an RSS reader, you will need to click here to visit this article on site, and to see the “Like” button.)

Thanks for sharing our news with your friends! If you have anything you’d like to share, let us know on Twitter or on our Facebook page. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/get-your-facebook-like-on-with-our-new-sharing-feature/feed 0 Brian Yerkes Selected for Advisory Boardhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:33:26 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1019 As you may know if you are a regular reader of our blog, Brian Yerkes is the owner of Brian Joseph Studios. Brian is a well respected leader in the design industry both locally and internationally, and is a member of various steering committees and boards.

Earlier this week, Rasmussen College, founded in 1900 with campuses in Minnesota, Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, North Dakota and over 12,000 students, contacted Brian to ask if he would be interested in becoming a member of the advisory board for their School of Technology and Design. Brian was chosen as a result of his experience, knowledge and skill displayed in the design and development industry, and he is honored to participate on the advisory board at Rasmussen College.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to really get a closer look at what exactly design and tech students are learning today, and the processes that are involved in their curriculum. I’m looking forward to bringing my experience to the table and hopefully in the long run we can help the students to be even more marketable once they finish their education and go out into the field.” said Yerkes. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/brian-yerkes-selected-for-rasmussen-colleges-school-of-technology-design-advisory-board/feed 0 The History of St. Patrick’s Dayhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/the-history-of-st-patricks-day http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/the-history-of-st-patricks-day#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:54:01 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=1005 Brian Joseph Studios began in Dublin, Ireland several years ago, and so it is only right that we enjoy celebrating St. Paddy’s Day now that we are based in America. After all, our move to America from Ireland is exactly the type of situation that brought about the popularity of this day in America!

Saint Patrick’s Day (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a yearly holiday celebrated on 17 March. It is named after Saint Patrick (circa AD 387–461), the most commonly recognized of the patron saints of Ireland. It began as a purely Catholic holiday and became an official feast day in the early 1600s. However, it has gradually become more of a secular celebration of Ireland’s culture.

It is a public holiday on the island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland) and widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat.

History of St. Patrick’s Day in America:

Irish Society of Boston organized what was not only the first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the colonies but the first recorded Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in the world on 18 March 1737. The first parade in Ireland was not until the 1931 parade in Dublin. This parade in Boston involved Irish immigrant workers marching to make a political statement about how they were not happy with their low social status and their inability to obtain jobs in America. New York’s first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held on 17 March 1762 by Irish soldiers in the British Army.The first celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day in New York City was held at the Crown and Thistle Tavern in 1766, the parades were held as political and social statements because the Irish immigrants were being treated unfairly. In 1780, General George Washington, who commanded soldiers of Irish descent in the Continental Army, allowed his troops a holiday on 17 March “as an act of solidarity with the Irish in their fight for independence.” This event became known as The St. Patrick’s Day Encampment of 1780.

Irish patriotism in New York City continued to soar and the parade in New York City continued to grow. Irish aid societies were created like Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and the Hibernian Society and they marched in the parades too. Finally when many of these aid societies joined forces in 1848 the parade became not only the largest parade in the United States but one of the largest in the world.

source

Here at Brian Joseph Studios, we hope that you enjoy your St. Paddy’s Day celebrations today! You might find a few of us at Johnny Molloy’s Sports Pub in Estero, Florida, or even possibly at Fifth Avenue in Naples, Florida Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/the-history-of-st-patricks-day/feed 0 New Web Design Launch | Let’s Go To Belfast!http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-lets-go-to-belfast http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-lets-go-to-belfast#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:38:22 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=875 We just launched a website for a new client in Dublin, Ireland, “Let’s Go To Belfast!“. This new business operates a day tour from Dublin City to Belfast City, exploring the sites along the way, with an interesting and historical Belfast City tour, guided by a fully qualified Failte Ireland tour guide.

letsgo-blog

Our client was in need of a new website as soon as possible, and so we developed a single page design to get them started immediately. We are currently in the process of developing a full website featuring a blog platform, photo galleries, weekly tour updates and much more.

Together with some search engine marketing, we are currently developing a marketing strategy which includes brochure design and placement and PR with hotels and various other businesses in Dublin City. We are excited to help this new business take off!

Some of the one-page website features include:

  • Custom web design
  • Jquery coding – glide/slide and fade functions
  • CMS system
  • Online booking form with email notifications

Check back here soon to see read about the full website when we complete it. Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-web-design-launch-lets-go-to-belfast/feed 0 Toys for Tots and the Florida Everblades, Fort Myershttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers#comments Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:18:50 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=843 A few members of the Brian Joseph Studios team enjoyed an evening at Germain arena last night attending a Florida Everblades game. Apart from the hockey, there was another special event planned for the evening.

The Florida Everblades organization teamed up with “Toys for Tots” and asked everyone coming to the game to bring a stuffed toy animal to donate to the “Toys for Tots” charity. The plan was for everyone to throw their toy animals onto the ice when the Everblades scored their first goal. Unfortunately, as the end of the 2nd period was nearing, the Everblades were still without a goal, even though they came very close several times.

With about just over a minute left in the second period, it looked like the Everblades had scored, but the puck hit the post and flew across the goal mouth. Several fans in the crowd thought a goal was scored, and started to throw their toys onto the ice. The announcer amusingly instructed everyone “Do not throw your toys yet! They did not score a goal” as hundreds of stuffed toys began to flood the ice. The crowd didn’t take his request to heart, and the onslaught of flying stuffed animals continued, and lasted for at least 20 minutes.

Here is a short video we captured of the flying stuffed toys

The Florida Everblades players helped volunteers on the ice to collect all of the toys, and play resumed once the ice was clear. It was quite a wonderful sight to see so many people in the Southwest Florida community helping out “Toys for Tots” and the number of stuffed animals donated by the crowd was incredible.

Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/toys-for-tots-and-the-florida-everblades-fort-myers/feed 0 Coffee Bar at Bailey’s – Web Design and Logo Designhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/coffee-bar-at-baileys-web-design-and-logo-design http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/coffee-bar-at-baileys-web-design-and-logo-design#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:04:19 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=838 coffee

Coffee Bar @ Bailey’s just opened its doors today on Sanibel Island, Florida, and Brian Joseph Studios was responsible for designing their website and developing the company’s identity/logo design.

The client wanted an “art deco” look, with an old-fashioned feel to it to match the interior design of the cafe. We researched our font library for a suitable look, and with some customizations to the lettering, we began to develop the concept. As with all professional logo designs, the identity had to be clean, organized and simple , yet able to present the message, and the feeling of the cafe.

We came up with the concept of using a coffee stain as the “o” in coffee and along with a right chocolate/coffee color scheme, the identity was born. The client requested that we add the “at Bailey’s” tag to the logo so that Sanibel residents can relate Bailey’s Shopping Center with the Coffee Bar.

The web design came together nicely once the logo design was completed, and it really stands out and continues the memorable look of this new coffee shop on Sanibel.

coffee2

SanibelCoffeeBar.com has an admin area for the client to edit the content, pictures etc, and they will be updating the blog/latest news section frequently with all of the happenings going on at the cafe. We’re excited to see the success of this new business and wish them all the best.

The “Coffee Bar @ Bailey’s” owners are delighted with the finished logo design and web design and we enjoyed working with them on this project.

Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/coffee-bar-at-baileys-web-design-and-logo-design/feed 0 Fort Myers Web Design Firm Helps to Raise $70,000 for Breast Cancer Awarenesshttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/fort-myers-web-design-firm-helps-to-raise-70000-for-breast-cancer-awareness http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/fort-myers-web-design-firm-helps-to-raise-70000-for-breast-cancer-awareness#comments Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:55:25 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=834 Fort Myers web design firm, Brian Joseph Studios donated time and services to the 2009 “All Aboard Against Breast Cancer” Boat Show and Waterside Festival which took place on November 6th – 7th 2009.

The charity festival was organized by Snook Bight Yacht Club & Marina, and Marine Max to generate donations for Susan G. Komen Southwest Florida affiliate, and raised over $70,000 in two days.

Brian Joseph Studios was responsible for the design of all print marketing materials, and the overall online presence of the charity festival event. AllAboardFest.org was developed and launched to provide the event with a powerful website for this new annual event. Facebook and Twitter accounts were also launched as part of an active social media marketing strategy.

As an active member in the Fort Myers community, Brian Joseph Studios donated a large portion of their services to this local charity event and “we are looking forward to assisting with the promotion of this event in the coming years” says Account Executive of Brian Joseph Studios, Sarah McMann.

### Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/fort-myers-web-design-firm-helps-to-raise-70000-for-breast-cancer-awareness/feed 0 New Member Added to “The Exceptional Team” at Brian Joseph Studioshttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-member-added-to-the-exceptional-team-at-brian-joseph-studios http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-member-added-to-the-exceptional-team-at-brian-joseph-studios#comments Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:54:29 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=830 We recently hired Steve Scotino to join our customer service team and take his place on “The Exceptional Team”, our group of wonderful professionals that serve our clients each day. Steve comes to us from a highly successful web design company in New York and we are excited to have his skill and dedication at Brian Joseph Studios.

You can read more about this story in our recent press release – “Naples Web Design Firm Expands “The Exceptional Team” “.

Recent Posts:

]]> http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-member-added-to-the-exceptional-team-at-brian-joseph-studios/feed 0 New Website Launched – Go-SB.comhttp://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-go-sb-com http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/blog/new-website-launched-go-sb-com#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:28:57 +0000 admin http://www.brianjosephstudios.com/?p=826 hdr-gosb

Yesterday, we launched a new client website, GO-SB.com. GO-SB maximizes hospital revenue using specialized knowledge, superior technology and advanced training.

This new company, based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida needed a custom web design fast, and we delivered with powerful results. The new brochure style website was developed on a content management system, providing the client with access to edit the content on each page, add pictures and much more. We enjoyed working with this client on this web design project and look forward to completing several of the others projects in line with them.

Some website features include:

  • Content Management System
  • Custom Web Design
  • Website Hosting
  • Jquery programming
  • CSS / XHTML

You can view the new website by clicking here

Recent Posts:

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