We’ve been working feverishly over the past several months on the re-branding of our design studio, eljl (pronounced el-gel). After several years of trying to explain the acronym to others and listening to the pronunciation be hacked, stabbed and utterly murdered on a regular basis, we came to the decision to do a complete makeover-starting with our name.

I’ve learned a lot over the past few years about the power of clear and concise branding. The public in general prefers a straight forward, clear message (not surprisingly). Most people simply don’t want to spend the time required figuring out a deeper meaning that is cloaked in obscurity (again, no surprise there). The ultimate goal should be to bait, cast and hook the viewer without leaving them wondering what’s on the line.

This realization, while not having really impeded our business development, is one that I wish I had truly listened to and learned a few years ago. It would have have cut out hours of explanation about our name and purpose. At the time, though, I was more interested in creating something truly unique-a one of a kind representation of who we were and what we did. I was thinking right brained and ignoring the left. There has to be some business practicality applied to the artistic endeavor. Otherwise, you’re standing in the left field while everyone’s hitting to the right.

The real lesson I’ve learned, though, is that it’s not okay to work in a vacuum. I’ve always been the type of designer who’s believed that I can do every aspect of a job, and that I shouldn’t have to call on others to help me out of a bind. But this is faulty thinking. The simple truth of the matter is that if you try to specialize in everything, you end up being in the middle of the road in a lot of areas, rather than truly exceptional in a few-another lesson it took me way too long to learn.

When it comes to deciding on anything regarding your personal brand, the prudent designer will develop several layers of quality control. If you’re the private type and not big on sharing details on a project too soon (which has typically been me), find individuals who you are close to and hit them up for a little help and objectivity. If it’s not a colleague then get your family involved. If it’s not your family, then grab a complete stranger (hit up the homeless guy playing guitar outside the coffee place down the street). The point is to get input and then listen to it. This will help you to get an outsiders viewpoint on your approach to the problem, which is invaluable. It can save you literally hours or months of misguided direction.

While we’re not at the end of the road on our re-brand quite yet, we are starting to wrap it up. We will be something new, fresh and shiny. A collective with a purpose and a name that doesn’t leave our friends and clients wondering what we were smoking.

Jill and I have the opportunity to work once again with the very talented Jolby on a piece for their upcoming show with Ashley Forrette, entitled Sea Legs, opening in Portland this month. We’ve begun work on a large scale felt two headed sea serpent coiled around an anchor. The piece, when finished, will be approximately 4′x3′ with lots of lovely texturing and layering and will represent the largest plush piece we’ve done to date.

This is the second show that we have done with Jolby, and both have been fantastic experiences. They’re really good about giving us a rough idea of what they’re looking for and rough color choices and then letting us jump in and do what we do.

The show will be held at Together Gallery here in PDX and opens on February 25 and runs for about a month. If you have a chance, come on out and support some great local talent.

Throughout the course of a designer’s career there are always a series of projects that are taken on to fulfill their own vision of what design should be. These projects live outside the normal studio-client workflow-out of the purview of any “outsider” input. The results of these personal ventures remain free of commercial influence, further the design dialogue and satisfy the need for the creative voice.

I recently set out on this path to personal creation in the form of the online design publication, SweetMachiMachi. SMx2, as it has come to be called around our studio, has been a long time in coming, but until last month remained nothing more than a series of notes in my personal design/idea journal (a book that could be the subject of an entire post on its own).

I’ve spent several years writing and editing for publications (design and otherwise), and while each publication I’ve worked for has provided a great experience, I’ve always been subject to editorial discretion when it came to subject matter and content that I’ve been allowed to cover. Many of my ideas on how a publication should be run and what it should cover have had to remain mine.

With the creation of SMx2 that gets to change. The editorial vision of the publication becomes a micro-cosm of my views (and by default future contributors’ views) of the design world. It is my hope that this publication can adequately represent the diversity, beauty and talent that the modern design profession has to offer and a resource for other designers and non-designers who are looking for a bit of inspiration.

Throughout the course of this publication’s life there will be many changes to format and structure I’m sure, but it will always strive to remain true to the idea of exposing the world to new designers, artists and studios and the work the create.

I firmly subscribe to the thought of designer as publisher/entrepreneur and take stock in the fact that creatives have the responsibility to create and contribute outside of the typical studio/client framework. SweetMachiMachi is just one small contribution, but hopefully through its posts it will provide a subtext into the larger, more diverse world of design.