How 2 Design.com is smash hit across the web

01
TOP ELEVEN
ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
INDEX
04 / CHARITY AUCTION SCORE
08 / TOP 10 WORST ALBUM COVERS
01 / HOW2DESIGN.COM IS SMASH HIT
05 / H2D HARMONIZES WITH CANNELLI
09 / SECOND LIFE® VIRTUAL MUSIC, REAL CASH
02 / CALLING ALL FANS: H2D IS ON FACEBOOK!
06 / H2D AND LIBERTY BANK MAKE HEADLINES 10 / FINE ART DUO EXTENDS US TOURS
03 / GET YOUR SPRING MERCH FIX
07 / NEW KOFC RETAIL CATALOG HITS PRESSES 11 / H2D AWARDED WILMER SHIELDS GOLD
How 2Design.com is smash hit across the web
The crowd roars as How2Design launches site and receives waves of global applause.
#
Clockwise from left: BestFlash featured How2Design.com in their 6 best sites of the week in April. Cult-Foo,
a daily website dedicated to everything related to outstanding web design and technologies, names
How2Design.com as April’s “Site of the Month.” How2Design.com featured overseas on UK’s TheFWA.com
(Favourite Web Awards) recognizing the latest and best cutting-edge website designs. How2Design.com
makes the international “Top 40” on DesignCharts.com, a weekly chart system that tracks “best of
the best” website designs, based on the traffic “Airplay”received from a network of award websites.
We, of course, are particular to their operating slogan:“Because Web Designers Are the New Rock Stars!”
©2009 HOW2DESIGN
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
02
TOP ELEVEN
ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
calling all fans: h2d is on facebook!
How 2 Design has joined Facebook and invites you and everyone you know to
join our studio Fan Page. Even if you’re not on Facebook, all are free to visit
our newly launched Fan Page, featuring all sorts of cool links, photos, and
more. And make sure to drop by frequently to see what we’re up to and what
we’re into, then let us know what you think. #
CLICK TO VISIT OUR FAN PAGE
03
TOP ELEVEN
ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
RPS TEE
BE THE
ENVY OF YOUR BLOCK
WITH THIS GRAPHIC TEE
FEATURING OUR TWIST OF
THE TOOLS OF OUR TRADE
WITH THE CLASSIC SPORT
ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS.
OF COURSE, IN OUR WORLD
“ROCK ALWAYS WINS.”
RPS GRAPHIC TEE
4 STYLES FROM $28.00
get your
merch fix!
Some of our most
sought-after promo
items, as well as our
new rocker gear,
are now available in
limited quantities
as H2D Editions.
Get ‘em while
they last!
LOOK GOOD SEE YOURSELF LOOKING BACK AT
A SMILE WITH A LOOK GOOD MIRROR ON YOUR OWN
WALL. A PORTION OF THE PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE
SEVA FOUNDATION. INCLUDES OUR MINI BOOKLET
KEEPSAKE TO COMMEMORATE THE DONATION.
WALL MIRROR $44.00
(back)
(BACK)
YOUR TURN
PERFECT FOR HOME OR OFFICE, IT
HANGS OVER THE BACK OF A DOOR TO HELP MAKE
EVERY DECISION A “SLAM DUNK.” A PORTION OF THE
PROCEEDS WILL GO TO BOUNDLESS PLAYGROUNDS.
BALL & HOOP SET $38.00
PIN BIN
THIS COOL LITTLE TIN COMES LOADED
WITH 15 STYLIN 1" ROCKER PINS. INCLUDES TWO
H2D PINS, AND 13 ASSORTED ABSTRACT CLIPS OF
OUR WORK MADE FROM ACTUAL PRESS SHEETS.
NO TWO SETS ALIKE!
PIN BIN, SET OF 15 $18.00
CLICK HE
FOR OUR RE
SPI
NEW ORD FFY
ER
FORM!
H2D CAN STAY ORGANIZED AND FIGHT HUNGER
WITH A SET OF EIGHT BUTTON MAGNETS, FEATURING
OUR WORD PAIRS, AND SOME MADE FROM ACTUAL
NEWSPRINT GROCERY FLYERS. A PORTION OF THE
PROCEEDS WILL GO TO THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE:
THE CT FOOD BANK OR FEEDING AMERICA.
MAGNET/MEMO SET $48.00
TICK TOCK THIS COULD BE YOUR TIME!
NOW YOU CAN OWN YOUR VERY OWN TICK TOCK
CHALKBOARD WALL CLOCK. QUANTITIES ARE
LIMITED SO DON’T LET THIS OFFER PASS YOU BY…
WALL CLOCK $55.00
(SLEEVE)
04
TOP ELEVEN
ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
h2d’s charity auction score:
fine art by kids, for kids…
a win-win!
FEBRUARY 27, 2009 As part of How2Design’s outreach, and in support of our studio’s
local community, we recently participated in an art auction for A.W. Cox Elementary
School. The event featured a collection of artwork from an auction house, but the work
that captured our eye was created by actual A.W. Cox students: each of these were
culminations of the group efforts of entire classrooms, with each child contributing to
the greater complete piece. All of the work was nothing short of stellar — in fact quite
imaginative and inspiring — and H2D was fortunate enough to take home two kid’s
pieces that we think especially rocked. The first, created by first-graders (including
our very own junior H2D group member Nolan Kearns) is a photomontage of musical
instruments and flowers, for which each student captured their own unique views of
a still life with snapshots, which were then all reassembled into a wonderful new piece
of art. The second, by Cox second-graders, was an extraordinary wonderland painted
on a donated acoustic guitar. The magical landscape-in-the-round is bursting with
happiness, spanning land, sea, and air in such an inventive way. A big thanks goes out
to all of the fantastic student artists, and we hope the Guilford school benefits in many
ways from all who contributed to the truly creative fund-raiser!
http://www.guilford.k12.ct.us/~cox/
#
05
h2d harmonizes with cannelli,
makes greeting card sing
HOW2DESIGN BEGINS EACH YEAR
WITH A SPECIAL GREETING AND
GIFT In appreciation for our good
fortune, and as a gesture of thanks
to our clients, this greeting typically
takes the form of a creative keepsake
— which in recent years has also
been combined with a charitable
donation in the name of our clients.
This year, to mark the launch of our
new rockin’ site, and to punctuate
the site’s concept with added meaning,
we decided to give to Neighborhood
Music School and Little Kids Rock to
encourage children and adults alike
to experiment, learn, and grow with
music.
Our love for fine paper and exquisite
letterpress led us right to Cannelli
Printing to be our trusted partner
for the production.
#
“Cannelli Printing is a family-owned and operated business.
My grandfather, Antonio Cannelli, opened his New Haven
print shop in 1911 after immigrating to the US as a teenager
and learning his trade in Boston. My father, Victor, came
into the business in 1946. I joined the company in 1979,
carrying the family tradition into its third generation.”
06
07
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ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
New k-of-c retail
catalog hits presses
H2d and Liberty bank make
headlines, all good news
GOING INTO ITS TENTH YEAR, THE LIBERTY BANK ANNUAL REPORT PROGRAM HAS
BEEN A HOW2DESIGN EXCLUSIVE Through the years, we have worked with Liberty
Bank to create one award-winning design after another. Each time we challenge ourselves to push the limits of our creativity further and further.
For many, this year has brought great distress to the banking world, and the news
media has consistently been filled with seemingly nothing but negative headlines for
most any topic dealing with finances. But being a mutual savings institution with the
strength and support of a strong community network, Liberty Bank reported record
numbers and was quite fortunate to have nothing but good news to share with its public.
So to celebrate their success, How2Design decided to create this year’s annual report
as an actual newspaper to deliver the news in proper fashion.
Liberty Bank’s founding branch on Main Street Middletown has been in the same
location since 1837, so the idea of the traditional newspaper concept for the annual’s
form-factor and harking back to the early roots of the bank for inspiration was even
more appropriate — especially now, as the fate of printed newspapers is unknown.
Featuring the Pulitzer-level work of Lanny Nagler Photography, the layout was created
at full newspaper scale and printed to look and feel just like a real paper, too (but without
all the messy smudgy ink, of course). The reports were then packaged for the branches
in actual newspaper delivery bags, and at the annual meeting were hand-delivered to
attendees from custom news carrier bags.
How2Design also produced 5-foot-tall exhibit graphics for the meeting that showed
actual news headlines from key 2008 editions of The Wall Street Journal, contrasted
with each of Liberty Bank’s positive headlines from 2008. Extra! Extra!
#
NEW 2009/10 EDITION HITS
KNIGHTS’ MAILBOXES ALL
ACROSS THE US, AFTER
OUR ‘08 CATALOG REDESIGN
PROMPTS OFF-THE-CHARTS
SALES FIGURES Last year,
the Knights of Columbus
called on H2D to revamp their
national retail catalog. Our
complete reboot of the 38page, full-color book was
extremely well received. When
the numbers came in for 2008
sales, we were thrilled to learn
the Knights yielded nearly a
30% increase!
And we found the second
volume to be just as exciting
as the first. Once again we
teamed up with photographer
Gerry Wenner and directed
the cover location shoot on the
Quinnipiac River in New Haven
where the Knights are headquartered.
The sophomore issue included
new products, featuring more
still life and model setups,
And it is no coincidence that
the new design
transcended all
market trends
and generated
new sales like
never before —
even through one
of retail’s most
difficult time in
recent years.
This is what How2Design
knows best: that design is
50% visual and 50% strategic
— and the success of the new
catalog speaks volumes for
both the fresh new look and
the critical thinking that we
invested up front.
.
along with several
new studio shots that we
photographed in-house using
How2Design’s newly upgraded
digital lab equipment.
#
08
WIN A
FREE
TEE SHIR
T!
TOP ELEVEN
ALL-ACCESS
NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
top 10 worst album
covers: a definitive list
Both designers and music
afficionados alike know that
the cover of an album has the
power to become as iconic as
the music itself. We present
to you our top 10 picks of those
covers that seem to somehow
disregard this convention,
yet still possess a mysterious
allure and stand out in their
own special way. Behold! #
1. THE FRIVOLOUS FIVE SOUR
CREAM & OTHER DELIGHTS,
2. ALLA PUGATJOVA SUPERMAN EVERY NIGHT AND EVERY
DAY, 3. JONAH JONES I DIG
CHICKS, 4. PAUL PINCUS
AND HIS ORCHESTRA MUSIC
FOR HAPPY OCCASIONS,
5. PADDY ROBERTS SONGS
FOR GAY DOGS, 6. HEINO EIN
BLUMENSTRAUß, DER NIE
VERWELKT, 7. ALI & HIS GANG
VS. MR. TOOTH DECAY, 8. IRA
NORTH IF I WERE A WOMAN,
9. COLONEL SANDERS TIJUANA
PICNIC, 10. HARRY BREUER
AND HIS QUARTET MALLET
MISCHIEF.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Have your own wonderfully terrible albums? We’d love to see them! Email us your worst album cover.
Judged by our staff, winning entries will make the “Fan’s Top 10” in the next Backstage. The #1 spot gets an H2D tee!
09
Avatar performer Cylindrian Rutabaga, shown with real-life folk singer Grace Buford.
second life®
combines
virtual music,
real cash
JOHN D. SUTTER, CNN It’s 9 a.m.
when Cylindrian Rutabaga takes the
microphone at a familiar bar. Fans of
the show dance to show their support.
10
TOP ELEVEN
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NEWSFEED
SPRING 09 EDITION
fine art duo extends us tours
NASHVILLE, TN Our very own Ruth
Zelanski, and husband Ron Lambert,
have been busy cranking out their
continual creativity in both professional
lives and as working, showing fine
artists. So be sure to check out their
recent works and happenings, and for
more, visit:
#
Ron’s site at www.RonLambertArt.com,
and Ruth’s Etsy jewelry shop.
But the performer isn't shocked when
hordes of fans start teleporting into
the room. After all, Cylindrian lives in
the online community of Second Life®.
Here, anything goes.
With the recording industry in nearshambles and the recession taking a
hit on art of all kinds, some musicians,
visual artists and fashion designers
have turned to another virtual frontier
— Second Life — to sell CDs, earn tips,
move paintings and grow international
followings.
The realm of Second Life (available free
online) allows users to create avatar
versions of themselves. These virtual
personas mingle about in a threedimensional, pixilated world not entirely
unlike our own: Second Lifers own
digital real estate, go to virtual jobs and
attend virtual concerts and art shows.
They also spend money.
Second Life avatars purchase goods
and services with a currency called
Linden Dollars, or L$. They sometimes
pay to attend concerts and often tip
the performers in the virtual venues.
Others buy clothing and hairdos for
their online personas.
Space Between Segments #1–4: ink,
color photo, watercolor on paper 19"x19"
(Above) Selection from the series In Still: digital print
(Below) I Hope This Makes You Feel Better:
acoustic installation; baltic birch, silver mylar,
plexiglas, subwoofers
More than 1 million people have signed
up to use the program since it was
created in 1999 by a San Francisco, CA
company called Linden Lab.
As life in the real world gets tougher,
more artists are turning to Second Life
to supplement their incomes.
“You’ve got professional musicians
from all genres coming into Second
Life now and playing,” he said. “The
Internet is a great equalizer. You have
people who have never played in front
of anybody in their life getting a shot.”
Some avatars look nothing like their
owners, but Cylindrian the computer
creation looks somewhat similar to
real-world folk musician Grace Buford,
who controls the virtual-world singer
from a cramped home office in suburban
Atlanta, GA.
#
click to read full story
Migrations (the parts of yourself that are left behind, the parts of yourself that are found): diptych;
part of series, digital prints
11
#####
mccf publication wins highest national honor
for excellence in communications
For over eight years now
How2Design has produced
the flagship news vehicle
for the Middlesex County
Community Foundation
(MCCF) as an in-kind donation to the foundation,
and each year since the
first issue, the publication
has garnered the critical
support of local audiences,
but it has also received
accolades within its greater
industry. This year, MCCF
and How2Design have been
named award winners for
excellence in communications by the Wilmer Shields
Rich Awards Program—
receiving yet another Gold
Award, the highest national
honor! Sponsored by the
Council on Foundations, the
annual awards program
and in 2006 underwent
a name change, adopting
the foundation’s slogan:
“Good People, Great Things.”
received numerous Bronze
and Silver Awards over the
years in the category of
annual / biennial reports.
of more than 2,100 grantmaking foundations and
corporations. For more
information about the work
“An elegant combination of design and
photography, creatively packaged in
black & white … beautiful in its simplicity!”
recognizes effective communications efforts that
increase public awareness
of foundations and corporate
giving programs.
The quarterly newsletter
first began in 2001 under
the moniker “InKind Words,”
The newsletter category,
however, is not the only
area of recognition in which
MCCF and H2D have been
named by the awards
program. H2D has created
award-winning annual
reports for MCCF that have
The Gold Award will be
presented at the Council’s
60th Annual Conference in
Atlanta, GA, on Tuesday,
May 5, 2009.
The Council on Foundations is
a DC area-based nonprofit
membership association
of the Council, please visit
www.cof.org.
To learn more about all of
the Good People and Great
Things of MCCF, you can
check them out online at
MiddlesexCountyCF.org.
YOU DIDN’T HEAR?
CHECK OUT OUR ARCHIVES:
CADC “Eleven” AMP Microsite
Backstage Winter 08 Edition
CADC 2007 Press Release
CADC 2006 Press Release
H2D Honored with 2 Spots
in Mohawk Annual Report Kit
HOW 2 DESIGN
303 NORTH RIVER STREET
GUILFORD CONNECTICUT 06437
203 / 458 9300
OR YOU CAN EMAIL US HERE!
©2009 HOW 2 DESIGN, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “BACKSTAGE” IS THE OFFICIAL TOP ELEVEN ALL-ACCESS NEWSFEED OF HOW 2 DESIGN ROCKS.COM. UPDATED AND PUBLISHED
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