We wanted to take the same approach when designing Emily’s logo and business cards. Working closely with Emily, we started with a simple EM monogram and began playing with what the configuration could be. We eventually landed on a stylized log treatment of intertwining letterforms. We then printed the business cards using a letterpress and gold foil stamp process with metallic gold edging. All this fancy schmancy print work was executed with the cheapest material we could find—recycled chip board. The result was a fun, quirky and off-kilter piece that, in the spirit of Emily’s approach, has an artistic edge. Just beware of paper cuts.

We achieved a progressive site by implementing some recent web technologies. For example, we illustrated the multitude of restaurants and services in the budding neighborhood by seamlessly incorporating the Google Map API with custom graphics. Flexible, full-screen background images not only highlight the features of the building dramatically, but make the site fluid for browsers and devices of all sizes, including tablets. We broke out of the confines of typical web typography (previously limited to only 5 different fonts) by using Typekit, which allowed us to use the supporting font for 205 Water and thus maintain the brand’s integrity.

These all may seem like trivialities, but like the 205 Water building, these innovative details add up to create a unique and dynamic experience. Once again proof that form and function don’t have to be at odds with one another, but can work together in kick-ass harmony.

The 205 Water building is already getting positive attention from the likes of The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. Listings are posted on StreetEasy.
Launch Site

We here at Rooster love to grow and it always brings us great joy when we see our clients grow, too! Kombucha Brooklyn, our Next Big Small Brand’s first winner, has expanded their line of goods. Put your hands together for KBBK’s Kombucha Home Brew Kit!

Just in time for the holidays, you can now actually give a great gift that keeps on giving. Armed with your very own SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture Of Bacteria and Yeast and kombucha starter), you can make endless batches of your special Kombucha brew. Pair this with the kit’s fun and graphically bold design, making Kombucha has never been easier! You can purchase the kit online and in stores.

As designers here at Rooster, Ricky and I love getting our hands dirty – sometimes with ink and sometimes with leftover pastries from a client meeting. I’m a fan of the AIGA’s Handmade series, but they always seem to sell out before I can say “DIY.” However, with my quick clicking reflexes and Ricky’s southern charm, we managed to secure ourselves a couple of spots at this month’s Handmade event – Bookmaking at the Etsy Lab with Esther K. Smith.

Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Pie Press (center) engaged us in a show-and-tell of books she has written and published through the Press and with other publishers. Purgatory Pie Press celebrates letterpress and bookbinding as artistic crafts, producing lots of beautiful eye candy for all to enjoy.

Once we got settled in, Esther demystified the bookmaking process for us all by teaching us the Japanese Stab Binding technique – a simple and easy-to-learn bookbinding stitch. If you would like to learn more about it, there are many tutorial sites and videos out there that show how it’s done – here’s one.

Armed with a thick stack of paper, strong needle, linen thread – and beer – we got to work.

Ricky sailed through it all and finished two books by the end. I learned a lot of things that night: it’s best to use a needle that’s as thick as the holes you make in the paper; mixing beer with book binding  is a precarious combination; you can make a book out of anything.

Despite almost sewing my finger to the back of my book, I came home triumphant and with a new tool in my design-y toolbox. Guess what everyone’s getting this Christmas…

This past weekend Loren debuted the new packaging at the Brooklyn Flea in Ft. Greene. She was welcomed warmly by flea patrons, or maybe they just wanted her delicious cookies. Either way she completely sold out of product. Catch her next Saturday (10/1) at the Brooklyn Flea in Ft. Greene and the following two Saturdays (10/8 & 10/15) at the Smorgasburg in Williamsburg. Just be sure to get there early before she sells out!

Our advertisement graced the pages of the New York Post (because people may walk around with the Wall Street Journal under their arm, but we all know where they get their news…sadly).

Not just an excuse to get day-drunk, beer was a TT contender to test brand loyalties and see what those loyalties are based on…and maybe get a little tipsy.Lagers are light on the palate spectrum, so I thought it would serve our purpose well.  I selected Stella Artois, Red Stripe, and Brooklyn.  Budweiser would have been perfect for this since everyone loves to hate it, but the grocery store I went to didn’t offer it (now what does THAT say about Budweiser?).

I should have kept the lager challenge Red Stripe and Stella.  Brooklyn is really in a league on its own (for better or worse) — it’s a lager, but significantly more full-bodied.  They say you shouldn’t shop when hungry, well the same apparently is true for buying beer when you need a bit of hair of the dog…I bought too much of what I didn’t need.

The test was structured so that people would see the labels and answer which beer they would buy at a bar.  They were to then taste the beer and select which was best.  Three of seven named Brooklyn as the beer they would buy knowing it’s stronger flavor, two selected Red Stripe because it reminded them of good times, one favored Stella and the last was non-answer (he said it depended on circumstance).

Brooklyn Lager, Stella Artois, Red Stripe

Who won for flavor?  Brooklyn. As mentioned, it doesn’t really compare with the other lagers, so it was more interesting to hear the discussion between Red Stripe and Stella. Which of these beers tasted better?  Red Stripe. Which brand did people THINK would taste better, Stella (yes, even the people who would buy a Red Stripe at a bar).  There was a consensus that Stella’s label was told a better story.  It conveyed an old world, a time when people really knew good beer and weren’t swayed by branding.  Aren’t we suckers.  Once again proving that labels don’t necessarily speak to the quality of their products but definitely impact buying behavior.  Are we brand loyal, yes.  At least when it came to Brooklyn, it was based on experience not advertising/marketing.

Ahem, who’s got the next round?

The Salsa Set Up

I was given the honor of organizing the first Taste Test Thursday of the year. Being from Texas, I naturally thought of chips and salsa. I’ve lived in NYC for 5 years now and while there is a plethora of diverse culinary experiences, the “Tex-Mex” variety is severely lacking. And I’m not talking about Cali-style burrito joints, awesome authentic Mex in the ‘burg, or places named Happy-Friend-Tortilla. I’m talking the kind of Tex-Mex where you can get combo platters with rice and beans and you get free, bottomless chips and salsa when you sit down at your table.

But, I digress…

I always had the counter-intuitive theory that the least desirable packaging design for salsa meant the most tasty (same for wine, but that’s another TTT). The theory is based on the fact that the best tasting salsa is usually fresh, authentic and locally-made. Those kind of salsa companies tend to be small and lack the funds or the awareness for fancy design.

So, I wanted to test this theory with the other Roosters. When I went to Whole Foods, I was surprised to see so many nicely designed salsas and many from Texas (might be because WF is from Austin). Very few had the underwhelming designs I was looking for. So I grabbed 4 salsas that I’ve never tried, brought them to the group and asked them to blindly pick the best tasting and the best design.

The Lineup: A.)Silver Spur B.)Green Mountain Gringo C.)The Brooklyn Salsa Co. D.)Salpica

In the end, my theory did not hold up. Salpica won best tasting, with The Brooklyn Salsa Co. as the very close runner up. The winner based on design was The Brooklyn Salsa Co., followed closely by Silver Spur. The least favorite design: Green Mountain Gringo which was also voted the least tasty. So what does this mean? Maybe it means smaller companies are realizing the importance of good design. Maybe it means that Whole Foods only carries nice looking products. Or just maybe it’s both.

Deliberations went through the evening…the semi-finalists floored us with their entrepreneurialism and tasty morsels.  We wanted everyone to reap the rewards of the prize.  Unfortunately we had to narrow the bunch, but we are confident that we are going to see more than one of these incredible products on store shelves.

Click on the image to read the broadcast of the finalists.

Want to get in on the action?  Attend the January 12 judging festivities at Brooklyn Winery, to sample the finalists’ culinary creations, discover their plans for global domination, and witness the crowning of The Next Big Small Brand!  For tickets click here.

Great turnout at the 2010 Prospect Park Turkey Trot

This fall, I decided to take a running class. I already had the basics down prior to it – move legs in a rapid succession. However, the basics weren’t getting the job done. My running class not only taught me some great breathing and running techniques, but also some confidence in my ability as a runner.

Through out my 10-week class, I made sure to keep the rest of the Roosters up to date on my progress. My 15-minute miles (gasp!) slowly began to decrease as my motivation shot up. There was one Rooster who took a special interest in my new found love – Fernando.

Fernando suggested that we run the 2010 Prospect Park Turkey Trot together. The Turkey Trot became a viable goal for me and to run it together with someone was a plus. Fernando and I met up on Thanksgiving morning, despite the cold and gray skies and made a plan to finish the race together in under 55 minutes. Not only did we finish the race together, we crossed the finish line at 52:39! I brought my average mile time down to 10:32 and am ready for my next race.

The fruit of my 10-week labor