Buildabrand.com has launched it's beta version. It claims to provide "high quality 'strategically correct' branding for your start-up for about the same price as domain registration, effectively bypassing what is a traditionally expensive and time-consuming process."

Here's the article: http://uk.techcrunch.com/2009/08/10/buildabrand-offers-startups-high-quality-branding-for-the-price-of-a-domain/

Buying a brand off the shelf just seems like a bad idea in the first place. The whole obsolescence age is coming to a head and we're realizing how poorly we've treated our natural resources as well as our natural ability (and need) to compete. I can't help but think this might be the continuation of a failing and self-destructive path. Large agencies are expensive for the small business owner. However, other small business agencies help with that obstacle. Many of our friends own or work with small independent shops. This Build-A-Brand model is no different than going to big box and shunning local business.

Here at McKinney, most of us live in the very unique and progressive town of Durham. I don't shop at "big box" stores on a daily or weekly basis. I know my local business owner and I come in regularly to support their shops.

Many Durhamites do the same. (Sorry, I don't intend to leave out Carrboro or Hillsborough.) It really does help build up, rather than starve, a region or town of it's local trade.

The "Build-A-Brand" model seems to be offering a great "service" for smaller businesses that can't afford to compete with the large budgets of big business. But, in reality, it's short changing what is a thriving back and forth trade between fellow small business owners. If the smaller agency employees can't afford to buy the coffee from the family owned coffee shop, then the coffee shop begins to lose business. From there, the cycle starts to become apparent. For anyone that views these templated branding sites like "Build-A-Brand" as a good deal, save some money, do it right, and hire an agency.

I'm hooking this up in my house asap! Hulu has been making some serious strides lately. Hulu Desktop will enable users to watch Hulu streams as they would their TV. With your PC or Mac remote, you can watch episodes and movies in your queue, fast forward, rewind, skip... all that jazz.

Hulu Desktop is the future of TV

It's true, they are an evil plot to destroy the world.

After reading Walt's post, and then Trevor's post, a project I found while parousing the internet came to mind.

The Dollar ReDe$ign Project. And, it's accompanying blog.

Currency is, in a way, brand collateral for a country. Right now, our dollar is weak. When your current brand is failing, you reinvent it.

The Dollar ReDe$ign Project is doing exactly that. It's interesting to see how people are envisioning America through it's currency design.

Here's one example:

Our current currency looks towards the past in rembrance of our forefathers. As our current leader has said many times, it's time to look to the future. I wonder how that could shape a new currency design.

Dear Santa,

Please and thank you.

Love,

Anna.

http://teenageengineering.com/products/op-1/

I came across this:

by: Peter Fischli & David Weiss.

via: http://www.todayandtomorrow.net

These are some really great points to keep in mind. Many of them we do everyday in our work. However, some we might not do as often as we should. I know I don't. But what I really like about this list is how it makes me remember that everything involves a kind of patience that can be difficult to practice.

 Ah yes. The ever important Call-To-Action button. I came across a great blog entry that breaks it down for anyone and everyone that ever wanted to know what makes them shine.  A few points from the article include how to write for them, how to properly size them, how to use color wisely, and how to position them on a page.

UX Booth : Good Call-To-Action Buttons

Let's talk about it here. Facebook has opened a can of worms. Remember when they tried to slip us a Mickey and use all of our content however they want even if we close our accounts? Yea, they took it back. I forgot that for a bit so that I wouldn't stay angry at them.

But then, Trevor sent this out. He explained "In summary brand pages will no longer be treated as static destinations as they are now.  Instead a brand page will be very similar to standard Facebook profile- giving brands the ability to become ‘publishers’ of information and messages in the same way that other users do today." So, Facebook will be giving brands more power, but how will they wield it? We're in the business of advertising and Facebook has given us an opportunity. But I also can't help but think, is this a sign of the apocalypse? My opinion is that most brands will not use this new power smartly, but will alienate the users and cause mass hysteria. And then a new social network will take its place. On the other hand, we could start collecting free things by annoying our friends. Get a free Stuffed Crust Pizza by tagging 50 of your friends in an Ad Note. 

I mean, we already have "facebook gifts" where you purchase an IMAGE for a dollar and give the IMAGE to a friend as if it is the real thing. I thought that was plenty. 

But for reals, it's time to really look at how to use this new "power" in a smart, non-annoying way that can really open new doors. Will brands be further personified? I mean, if you can carry on a conversation with Wendy from the actual Wendy's, could you learn that the most popular dishes are fries dipped in chocolate frosty? 

So, what do you think? 

The administration released these new logos for two projects that have been established:American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) & U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) team.

I think government design IS getting better, but I find the Tiger logo a bit confusing. However, I do like the type treatment.

What do you think of the logos? 

Other new additions to the design pile would be the whitehouse.gov site (launched at inauguration). I'm very happy that the government embraced web 2.0 standards. It kinda makes my heart warm.

I came across this image today and was compelled to share. This print was inspired by the President's speech explaining that we don't just live in the United States of America, but that we ARE the United States of America. We're not just a country made up of red states and blue states.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31219120@N03/sets/72157613764730093/

Two interesting things here. A great image expressing our new path in America, and the idea that if you put a message to the President on the Internet, will it eventually get to him? It reminds me of the message in a bottle. I wonder if he'll see it.

We've all seen the news, read the articles, and talked about it, but the credit crisis never really made sense to me. I didn't really get what all the reporters and economists were talking about in the media largely because I'm better with visualizations. Jonathan Jarvis made a great visual explanation of what happened to our economy through imagery and animation. 

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

I'm curious to see how this clarifies things for others or if some things were not considered in the visualization. What do you think?