http://www.version-x.com/blog/ Version-X Design en steve@version-x.com Copyright 2010 2010-02-02T20:58:56+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/an_updated_booth_for_macadamia/ http://www.version-x.com/site/an_updated_booth_for_macadamia/#When:19:58:56Z The updated trade show booth we designed for our client, Macadamia, was unveiled at ISSE 2010 in Long Beach this weekend.  Check out some of the photos. The trade show booth we designed for our client, Macadamia, was a huge success again when it was on display with some new updates at the 2010 International Salon & Spa Expo in Long Beach this weekend. The unique environment we designed for them drew big crowds to the booth where industry professionals could come test out the products as well as soak up the unique branding and packaging that we created for Macadamia. Here are some photos from the show floor.       Design, News 2010-02-02T19:58:56+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/two_new_book_placements/ http://www.version-x.com/site/two_new_book_placements/#When:00:44:12Z Several of our projects were featured in two recently published books, “Market Smart” and “Really Good Packaging Explained”.  Take a look at some pictures of the books and placements. Several of our projects were featured in two new design books: "Market Smart" & "Really Good Packaging Explained".  The website we designed for Scratt Surf was featured in "market Smart" and both the M2 and Metropolis Technology Flat Iron packaging were featured in "Really Good Packaging Explained". We've know they would be featured for a while now, but just recently got our hands on copies of books.  Take a look at some pictures below. News 2010-01-28T00:44:12+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/macadamia_trade_show_booth/ http://www.version-x.com/site/macadamia_trade_show_booth/#When:17:26:32Z In addition to the branding and packaging, we designed a tradeshow booth for our client, Macadamia.  Here are some images from the show floor of Cosmoprof ‘09. In addition to the branding and packaging, we designed a tradeshow booth for our client, Macadamia. The booth came together great and was a big hit at the show. Here are some images from the show floor of Cosmoprof '09. Design 2009-08-12T17:26:32+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/coming_soon_the_new_groovehouse.com/ http://www.version-x.com/site/coming_soon_the_new_groovehouse.com/#When:17:05:40Z We’re wrapping up the design phase of an all new look for Groove House, a CD & DVD manufacturing company. Take a look! We're wrapping up the design phase of an all new look for Groove House, a CD & DVD manufacturing company. Take a look! Design, Web 2009-05-27T17:05:40+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/designing_the_macadamia_logo/ http://www.version-x.com/site/designing_the_macadamia_logo/#When:15:38:04Z Take an in depth look at how we designed the logo for Macadamia, from concept to completion. We were approached by one of our long time clients to design the logo and packaging for their new line of hair care products. The products are heavily based around Macadamia oil, so the Macadamia nut became the source of inspiration for the logo. We felt that a literal representation of a Macadamia nut would be a bit too "on the nose" and not particularly interesting or memorable and started playing with more abstracted representations. During the research process, a particular image of a split open Macadamia nut in it's bright green skin caught our attention, as it almost looked like a cross-section or dissection of the nut. We sketched up a bunch of different variations and came up with a few that we felt were heading in the right direction. Both versions became fully realized, but the image on the right was ultimately chosen due to the fact that it was a stronger mark when rendered in one or two colors (important for the packaging) as well as the fact that it started taking on the form of a droplet of oil. Finally, we chose a typeface that had some interest to it and a slightly exotic feel which we then modified for the final logo. Design, Identity 2009-04-03T15:38:04+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/metropolis_packaging1/ http://www.version-x.com/site/metropolis_packaging1/#When:22:31:25Z The Metropolis packaging we designed is now hitting the shelves! New packaging for their L-Ion Mini Wireless Iron, T-Ion Travel Dryer, Ti-Ion Mini Iron, T-Ion Iron, S-Nano Iron and T-Ion Digital Iron! The Metropolis packaging we designed is now hitting the shelves! New packaging for their L-Ion Mini Wireless Iron, T-Ion Travel Dryer, Ti-Ion Mini Iron, T-Ion Iron, S-Nano Iron and T-Ion Digital Iron! L-Ion Mini Wireless Iron: we went with a hard plastic box with artwork leaving a large window to best showcase the products impressively small size and sleek appearance. T-Ion Travel Dryer: we gave it a simple flush closing box with artwork in line with the rest of Metropolis' products and spot UV.   Ti-Ion Mini Iron: we used foil stamp on the sides to emphasis the shiny, titanium qualities along with the rest of the artwork.   T-Ion Iron, S-Nano Iron and T-Ion Digital Iron: we designed all the full sized iron boxes in a unique shape that opens much like a book to reveal the actual product, with a cover that clasps with invisible magnets. Print 2009-01-19T22:31:25+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/an_introduction_to_seo/ http://www.version-x.com/site/an_introduction_to_seo/#When:18:20:47Z A great many people and businesses are familiar with the concept of being able to increase traffic to their website and improving their status and rank in regards to search engine results.  Most people, however, are unaware of how this is achieved and what it entails.  The purpose of this brief article is to provide a more clear understanding of what this very important but oftentimes overlooked aspect of marketing your business is all about. A great many people and businesses are familiar with the concept of being able to increase traffic to their website and improving their status and rank in regards to search engine results. Most people, however, are unaware of how this is achieved and what it entails. The purpose of this brief article is to provide a more clear understanding of what this very important but oftentimes overlooked aspect of marketing your business is all about. A SUCCESSFUL WEBSITE There are two key aspects to a successful web presence. The first part is the design and development of a compelling and easy to use website that achieves your business objectives. But just putting a great website out there on the internet is not enough. You need people, the right people, actually visiting your website for it to be a success. The web is no Field of Dreams, just because you build it does not mean they will come. Getting visitors to show up is what the second aspect, SEO, is all about. WHAT IS AN SEO CAMPAIGN? SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and an SEO Campaign is an orchestrated effort to improve your website’s standings in a person’s search for terms relevant to your business. Essentially the goal in layman’s terms is to come up as close to the top of the list as possible in the results of a search performed by someone (on Goggle, Yahoo! etc.) who is looking for something that has to do with your company and its products or services. There are a variety of ways to do this, some legitimate, others less so. We will focus on the legitimate ones since they will provide the most relevant visitors and long term benefits and results. SEO PART ONE: OPTIMIZE YOUR SITE An SEO Campaign has two parts to it. Part One has to do with what you can do within the confines of your own website to improve your ranking for important keywords. One major aspect of this is the actual development of your website from a programming standpoint to ensure that the site has been built in a way that is maximizing its ability to be “crawled” by the major search engines. Google et al. have programs called bots that scour the internet documenting the content of any website it can find. The keywords that the search engine associates with your site and how relevant they are is heavily based on the information these bots find when they crawl through your web pages. In order to not only be seen by these bots but to also be associated with the keywords that are most important to your company your website needs to be constructed in a particular way and avoid certain pitfalls that will diminish your ranking or possibly even make you essentially invisible to our little bot friends. Other things that can be done within your own site to improve your ranking involve injecting the keywords you want to be associated with into your content and adding additional compelling content of this nature that will get attention from others. SEO PART TWO: WEB MARKETING So Part One has to do with your website and optimizing it for crawlability. Part Two is basically all of the things you can do out there on the net that are beyond the confines of your site. This is commonly referred to as web marketing since it is geared towards getting the word out there about your company to other sites in a way that associates your company name and website address with your important keywords. Things such as getting press releases posted on various sites and getting interest from other websites who then link to your site from theirs are both ways of essentially expanding your company’s presence on the web as a whole. The more places you’re mentioned in conjunction with your targeted keywords the more the search engines consider you important and relevant to those keywords. SUMMING IT UP This particular article’s purpose was to give a broad, SEO for Dummies kind of description of what search engine optimization is all about. Obviously there are many different steps and procedures that need to be done to achieve a successful SEO campaign, most of them requiring a strong understanding of best practices, what the search engines are looking for/punish you for, and a knack for analyzing a company, the keyword research data and making an educated selection of the appropriate, optimal keywords. You should now be ready to move onto and digest the more specific details at this point. A more robust breakdown of what’s involved and all of the requisite confusing techno-jargon that comes along with it is available on our SEO Services page. Web 2008-10-24T18:20:47+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/featured_by_this_aint_no_disco/ http://www.version-x.com/site/featured_by_this_aint_no_disco/#When:22:16:54Z Our lovely office has been accepted by This Aint No disco to be featured in their ‘portfolio of some of the best agency interiors in the world’. Our lovely office has been accepted by This Aint No disco to be featured in their 'portfolio of some of the best agency interiors in the world'. Check us out here and while you're at it, go ahead and rate our space! News 2008-09-22T22:16:54+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/inluxuria_iphone_website/ http://www.version-x.com/site/inluxuria_iphone_website/#When:16:24:41Z The new iPhone version of inluxuria.com is now live. As the site we developed for Inluxuria is an all Flash site, the client wanted a way for potential customers to view the content of their site on their cellphones (read iPhones) as they are often traveling. While the site is viewable in any phone browser, it was developed with the iPhone in mind so we were able to take advantage of browser features like rounder corners with CSS. Anyone with an iPhone can check the site out here. Web 2008-08-28T16:24:41+00:00 http://www.version-x.com/site/promotional_folders_for_version_x/ http://www.version-x.com/site/promotional_folders_for_version_x/#When:00:03:19Z We now have our very own folders! Beautifully designed by our team, with full-color panels inside and out, will make them the perfect companion for our promotional packs, proposals and contracts. Prospective or existing clients - expect to get your next literature from Version-X in style! We now have our very own folders! Beautifully designed by our team, with full-color panels inside and out, will make them the perfect companion for our promotional packs, proposals and contracts. Prospective or existing clients - expect to get your next literature from Version-X in style! Print 2008-08-08T00:03:19+00:00