Happy Holidays from Triple Strength! This year’s holiday card showcases the original artwork of our new designer, Emily Shellenberger. Painted in watercolor and ink, the piece was designed to resemble a classic holiday card, featuring iconic poinsettias. To set this classic card apart from the rest, the vibrant red color and three flowers make the artwork unique to the Triple Strength brand.

Along with the flowers is a separate pull-tab to take in and out that resembles a greenhouse plant marker. On the front is the TS logo, identifying the flowers specifically as Triple Strength poinsettias; on the back are simple directions to care for the beautiful flowers and make them last.

This card was sent to current clients and friends of Triple Strength as a simple reminder that we cherish the relationship we have and hope it continues to grow. Wishing you the best this holiday season and a wonderful new year!

Ten Thousand Villages is a source for unique handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serveware and personal accessories representing the diverse cultures of artisans in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. One of the world’s largest fair trade organizations and a founding member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), the company strives to improve the livelihood of tens of thousands of disadvantaged artisans in 38 countries. They have spent more than 60 years cultivating long-term buying relationships to establish the international trading company they have today.

In Summer 2011, Triple Strength was approached by Ten Thousand Villages to make a bid to design the company’s new ecommerce website. They were in search of a site that would energize the Ten Thousand Villages brand, replicate the store experience online, and share the stories of the artisans. The bid was open to a number of agencies, but it was Triple Strength, with its extensive portfolio of creative and cutting-edge web projects, that was selected to move forward with the site redesign.

The goal was to design a site that allows viewers to easily find and purchase the company’s exclusive items while still functioning as an informational site to learn about the creators and locations where the products are made. The stories of the artisans needed to be as equally weighted as the selling aspects of the site, because the Artisan Story is what separates a plate made in Uganda and sold at Ten Thousand Villages from one sold at Crate and Barrel. The site was designed to reflect the grassroots of the artisans featured; the rich, natural colors and textures are symbolic of the products they craft and sell.

Previous Site

The New Concepts
Three design variations were created to effectively portray the Ten Thousand Villages brand and allow nearly effortless usability.

Concept 1
The first concept uses warm, deep earth tones and natural textures to portray the cultures and heritage reflected in the craftspeople and their products. Torn paper edges along the navigation bar give the site a handmade quality, while unique effects keep the site on the leading edge of functionality. For example, the social media icons on the side of the content bar are designed to slide as you scroll down the page and remain visible at all times. This omnipresence puts customer interaction at the forefront, without being intrusive.

Concept 2
This second concept suggests a more commercially oriented approach. It is clean and light for easy navigation, allowing the products be the focal point. The color palate is muted, off-white and tan with small hints of color to direct attention to buttons and links. Primary ad space would be highlighted at the top, while the rest of the content is clearly defined into three spaces: selling space, secondary ads and blog information.

Concept 3
The final concept is a slight mix of Concepts 1 and 2, with extra care given to the ecommerce and store elements. It has a neutral color scheme and a segmented design. It works well for buying and selling, but is still reflective of the cultures through the green and tan color selections. The bright banners that call out each category make the site’s functionality clear and concise.

Review and Production
After the clients reviewed all three of the design concepts, it was clear they were drawn to the influential textures and rich colors of the first concept. The layout also worked with their idea of the hierarchy and utility for the site.

Triple Strength was selected only for the layout and design of the new site; production for page templates and content implementation began immediately. Ten Thousand Villages would be handling the development and Magento content management system (CMS) integration.

Magento is a leading ecommerce solution providing back-end CMS for a variety of national retailers including Bonobos, the NorthFace, and Ford. With the new CMS each page has its own function and unique display. Purchasing products is much easier with specified categories. Each artisan has a library of media integration, with which they can share their story. Finding these stories is also simplified with an integrated map of their native country and the countries served by Ten Thousand Villages.

Triple Strength appreciated the opportunity to work with such an amazing company, and hopes to work with them as they expand their branding in the future. The experience was more than enjoyable, and we are pleased with the final design. In the future, we hope to enter this design in various competitions. Now that the new TenThousandVillages.com is live, the growth of this long-established fair trade company is sure to increase.

Sitting in the small Philadelphia suburb of Merion, PA, now closed for relocation, lies the world-renown stockpile of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modernist masterpieces, formally collected through the Barnes Foundation. Amassed by the late Dr. Albert Barnes, he began the collection with earnings in professional holdings from antiseptic development in the early 1900s. Twenty-two years later, he established the Barnes Foundation with the mission to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.” Being somewhat of a recluse from the art company in Philadelphia, I say recluse in the most neutral way possible…fierce combatant of the entitled, establishment of the big city is another way to cut it, the collection caused quite a stir over the past decade, with debate over what to do with the priceless collection after the good Doctor’s death in 1951, chronicled thoroughly in the documentary The Art of the Steal (4 stars on the Steve Semanchik video rating system).

After much heated debate, political positioning, and more legal-eeze than dots on a Seurat painting, the collection is to be move to a brand new facility in the heart of down town Philadelphia, caddy-corner to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Along with this new facility, the foundation also updated their identity with materials created by, the always impressive, Abbott Miller and Pentagram. The new logo mimics the symmetrical layout of paintings within the collection’s various installations. Just as the space merges everyday objects such as furniture and knick-knacks with impressionist masterpieces, type, space, color, and alignment are balanced in the new logo to create an experience much like seeing the collection in person. Working alongside the foundation, planners, architects, and builders, Pentagram was also able to assist in wayfinding efforts, environmental design, and other key museum pieces to create a truly cohesive experience.

The new Barnes identity is a good representation of the exhibit experience. It’s balanced and structured, but still shows variety and character, with differentiations in space and shape. The positive and negative spaces created by the reversed out type reinforce the notion of individual works hung in a gallery, each one painstakingly arranged to best utilize the arrangement. The bright orange offers a bold, modern outlook, much like that of its inspiration, Matisse’s Joy of Life. My overall opinion is that Pentagram did a great job, but what, was every graphic designer in Philadelphia busy during this rebranding? A lot of the fluff from city officials during the debates on the collection’s move, was that this collection made Philadelphia an art destination like no other on earth. Couldn’t the same be applied to the design, the environment and the web. In essence, get your own art-controversy NYC…

Endnote: I first heard of the Barnes Foundation through the aforementioned documentary and I instantly gravitated toward Dr. Barnes. He seemed grizzled, spiteful, and somewhat stubborn, much like I see myself getting once I hit that ripe old age. But at the same time, he knew what he wanted, and how to get it, as well as being an AMAZING judge of talent. He bought, now priceless, impressionist art, while the Establishment was calling it garbage. He stood by his conventions, and didn’t let anyone push him around. I was saddened when I heard the collection would be moving…

In past ad campaigns the literal Captain Morgan was either not present, or a more cartoony iteration of the character, which played into the less sophisticated, more party atmosphere of the beverage. An overnight sensation, the campaign grew on the back of the Captain’s easily replicated pose of raising one leg atop a rum barrel (even though most replicants use imaginary ones). ‘Got a Little Captain in You’ became the rallying cry for those making this pose in ridiculous situations. It gained so much popularity that the NFL instituted a ban on the impression due to the frequency of its use during touchdown celebrations.

With new marketing efforts, the partying Captain has evolved into a suave, debonair man-about-town … think of the Dos Equis ‘Most Interesting Man on Earth’, but for hard liquor … and he’s a pirate. Calm and level-headed, this liquor leader diffuses the most chaotic of situations, in the most respectful of manner. Pending bombardment by British naval fleet? Solved with somersault dive from the deck, so picture-perfect that a French judge would have a hard time not holding up the 10 card.

“Our consumers continue to evolve and expand their interests, we recognized that Captain Morgan himself needed to evolve with them,” Brand Director, Tom Herbst. While the Captain may have dialed back his party-hardy lifestyle, his escapades still land him with realistic decisions and situations, much like Captain Morgan consumers. “Each spot showcases a new side of the Captain and reinforces … that even today, they can live like the Captain lived.”

In order to bring to life the 17th Century Pirateer, Daigeo utilized the creative minds at international super-group, and NY Cosmos supporters, Anomaly. They also called upon Academy Award-winning Director, Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech, to craft the briny deep atmosphere of the first commercial spot.

The new Captain identity illustrates a maturity of the brand, and, though I don’t drink it, (we had some rough years, and went through an ugly divorce) I’m really happy with their direction. With anything pirate themed, it’s easy to fall into cliche traps, especially when you’re dealing in alcohol. The more refined persona tailors itself to a more refined consumer (one looking for a drink, rather than one looking to get wasted), and aligns itself with other Daigeo brands.

Here’s to you Captain Morgan, I salute you, sir.

Endnote: While we are on the topic pirate themed alcohols, I’d like to jump ship (pardon the pun) to one of Captain Morgan’s smaller-scale competitors. I heard of Kraken Black Spiced Rum in a Comm Arts Design annual, and if you’re a fan of consumer packaging, then I recommend picking up a bottle, even if you’re not a fan of spiced rum.

Key Components:
•  finger-rings on the bottle, always a selling point for Steve Semanchik, and
•   a spectacular illustration of the mythic Krakken on the label.

All the members of TS would like to thank the past, present and future members of the United States Armed Forces … you are truly Triple Strength.

Endnote: (Above) Cover art for Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA. RIP The Big Man, Clarence Clemons

In his time at TS, Micah has already been an indispensable part of many of TS’s biggest projects. Working on the front- and back-end development of sites such as thecaap.org and cpyb.org, his pitch black office churns out css and site layouts that’ll make a Designer, like myself’s, head spin. Offering knowledge and expertise far beyond his years, Micah presents ideas and solutions to effectively create sites that not only look great, but are technologically cutting-edge and working to perfection. Speaking from experience, I can say that if there’s ever a question about interfaces or a particular functionality technique, it is assured that Micah will offer a number of options, each with a list of pros and cons, as well as his recommendation and why it should be so. It’s always a pleasure to work so closely with a developer that is so passionate and dedicated to the success of each project. We were finally able to lure Micah into a full-time position and we are confident he will help clients and TS alike, to grow and prosper in the future. If you’d like to see more of Micah’s outstanding development prowess, just give the TS office a call and start up a project with us, I’m sure he’d jump at the opportunity.

How incredible it is to see the growth recognized by the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet over the years. It’s amazing to think that some of the finest ballet performers in the country were, at one time, students at CPYB studios in Carlisle, PA. Just as the school has grown — originally conducting classes in the auditorium at Carlisle High School, to its current 10-studio facility that’s instructed over 20,000 students — so too must their identity.

A brand overhaul was in order to re-align how CPYB viewed themselves with how they were perceived by peers. The former identity didn’t fully express the excitement, dedication, and skill put forth every day by the faculty, staff, and student body. Fresh off a redesigned logo, color palette, and standards guidelines, Triple Strength began the extensive process of interpreting CPYB’s fresh look in a visually-striking, functionally-sound web presence that would announce to dance and ballet companies around the globe that the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet was taking center stage as a premier institution for learning and development.

The Concepts
Starting out with a handful of concepts, we narrowed the list to three primary layouts, each with their own strengths and style.

Concept 1

Using dark background colors, Concept 1 featured elements that worked to build a hierarchy of information based on a bright playful color scheme, which drew from CPYB’s freshly updated palette. The site layout optimized search engine features with main content areas dedicated to news and events, which would drive up numbers for unique and returning visits.

Concept 1 also made use of a detailed grid system that replicated CPYB’s focus on perfection and rigorous attention to detail. Spacing, alignment, weight and balance were key components to pulling off the effect. This layout such as this adds a structured quality to the site, recalling CPYB as a trusted and established institution.

Concept 2

The second concept focused more on the student visitor’s perspective of the site. Using imagery that showcased human interaction, whether it be a teacher helping students with technique, performers celebrating their first on-stage experience with loved ones, or some playful time between classes, a large primary image area was meant to draw kids to the program. One of CPYB’s biggest accomplishments was the successful establishment of coed classes. As other schools often lack the numbers to match male and female dancers, CPYB realized this capability and was now able to advertise it to potential dancers. The site would tout that accomplishment.

Concept 2′s design also further enabled users to take an interactive approach. Using different style sheets, at the click of a button visitors would be able to adjust the color scheme of the entire site, giving each user a new experience with each visit.

Concept 3

The final concept looked to mimic the on-stage experience in layout and design, with the key element being CPYB’s extensive catalog of event photography. The easiest way to illustrate CPYB’s top-notch performances was to put them front and center.

Again utilizing a black background, images bleed into the margins of the webpage, creating a stark contrast between performers and page boundaries. The design was meant to recreate an actual theater performance. The lights lower, and the dancers appear from dimly lit wings to create a whimsical experience for the audience to enjoy. Now … imagine that with javascript and css styling.

Review and Production
After meeting again with our clients to gather their feedback and which layout they were drawn to the most, we learned Concepts 1 and 3 seemed to be the crowd favorites, but neither one was a show-stopper (pun intended). We took the strongest elements of the two and began to mesh a stronger, more specialized layout. Merging the large format images of Concept 3 with the SEO-friendly content of Concept 1, the new site was ready to begin the transition for development.

While the introductory work had begun on the homepage, layouts were created for sub-level page templates. Pages were assigned a template according to their depth in the directory. Each main landing page, navigable from the primary navbar, was given Template A. Pages below that were assigned Template B, and below that, Template C. With each lower template, the ratio of image to content decreased. Homepage = 85% image to 15% text, whereas Template C is primarily text, with supplementary images for explanatory purposes.

CPYB was then connected to the TS custom content management system (CMS). This allows CPYB staff and faculty to update and maintain content, images, and other materials with little knowledge of programming. Styles and layout functionality are also programmed into the CMS, keeping pages consistent across the site.

To handle the ballet’s videos, the YouTube API is used as a secondary content management system. With the use of this trusted video management software, the site runs faster by hosting large video files on separate servers, gains greater SEO visibility, and saves money on development costs.

Another cost-cutting measure was to develop a public, and access-only calendar, driven through Google Calendars. Much like the YouTube API, this technique uses a free, dynamic, real-time solution for calendaring software. The API also integrates seamlessly, so the front-end matches the look and design of the rest of the site.

With the new cpyb.org now live, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s brand reinvention is complete. A sum of all the parts — from logo, to color palette, to website — the new CPYB symbolizes energy, sophistication, and fun.

The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet has seen tremendous increases in attendance and overall awareness since its start in 1955. Today’s organization now has an identity that matches its true spirit — standing center stage among other highly reputable dance companies across the country and abroad.

Over the past six months, Triple Strength has been partnering with the Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on event materials for their annual Gala. Each year the event is themed according to one element of the event. The 2011 Gala, honoring the chapter’s 10th anniversary, was deemed the Diamond Gala. The black tie affair was also tagged with the slogan of celebrating Hope • Progress • Inspiration.

To begin the process of creating an identity for the event, TS met with representatives from JDRF and began brainstorming on potential style and visual elements. It was important to play on the history of the event with its ten successful years of supporting the cause of Juvenile Diabetes research. With the reference of the ‘diamond’ anniversary already in hand, it was just a matter of tying it to the spirit and courage that the event stands for. The answer came with a subtle nod to one of the world’s largest pieces of jewelry … the Hope Diamond.

The diamond became the key symbol for the event and emphasized its sophisticated nature. Supplementary design cues such as swash typography, filigreed sconce-like details, and high-contrast graphics give the collateral pieces the ultimate air of sophistication and make the Gala the must-attend event of the year.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is a great organization and it was great to help out with their primary fundraising event. This is not the first year that TS offered its services to JDRF, and we hope it’s not the last. If you would like to get involved, please visit JDRF online at www.jdrf.org.

If you spend as much time as I do driving, road signs and highway markers often fly by at increased speeds without so much as a glance. Interstate, the typeface most closely related to that of highway signage, tends to fade into the landscape as attention can be diverted else where. With its recent adoption by TS for internal and client work, no matter how fast I get to the office, I’m surrounded by the font and it’s many faces and weights. With its growing popularity, I’m waiting for an Interstate film to replace Helvetica as the typography documentary to see.

Interstate is a neo-grotesque typeface, designed by Tobias Frere-Jones, to model closely after the font the US Federal Highway Administration developed in 1949 for road signage. It is also used in Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, and elsewhere because of its readability at a distance and high speeds. When not applied to signage, Interstate is also used as display font for headings, call-outs and other featured content in publications and branding.

With the recent redesign of the TS brand, Interstate was chosen to replace Helvetica and Weidemann, as our studio fonts of choice. The past identity began to feel dated, and Interstate offered a modern alternative, with a number of faces to accompany. The font is strong enough to stand alone, so many applications are derived from typographic word art where the focus is on message.

Clients such as NSVRC and the Institute for Strategic Management Inc. have also been brought into the fold with Interstate being one of, if not the, primary typeface. For the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Interstate pairs with Trajan to balance modern sans serif with a classic serif typeface. With the text-heavy nature of NSVRC publications, Interstate is used in the majority of copy to produce utmost readability in body and focal attention to callouts with bold and other heavier faces. In the case of the Institute for Strategic Management, everything from the logo and brochure, to web site headers and video production elements are all handled with Interstate. The brand is built upon the technical and modern applications of the font and showcases the state-of-the-art techniques ISM utilizes.

With its modern characteristics and contemporary style, it’s hard not to appreciate Interstate for it ability to represent action and progress. Companies and institutions looking to replicate these ideas often employee Interstate somewhere in their identity system. This has been just a tiny sample and there are countless to explore, but, at the very least, this may get you to focus a little longer on the next exit sign you pass.

Some other examples of Interstate