DesignPoint | insight | November 2012

November 2012

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You’re Covered
Our Latest Cover Designs

Brand New
Logos Hitting the Street

Recent Projects
Brochures and More

Matching Game
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

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Mobile Education Store Upgrades Its Brand

As of June 11, 2012, there were approximately 650,000 apps in the App Store according to Apple CEO Tim Cook. That number is likely to increase as developers create new applications for iOS devices. As this mountain of apps grows larger, developers are being challenged to make their apps stand out from the crowd to reach the maximum number of potential customers. This is a new arena for an old problem, and we are excited to help the Mobile Education Store climb to the top of the mountain.

The apps developed by the Mobile Education Store are designed to meet some very specific gaps in the education market. They discovered, through personal experience, that educational software for special needs students was expensive, limited, and ultimately ineffective. They also found that the applications lacked the critical feature of engaging students and making them actually want to play and learn. Realizing that the only way they were going to get what they needed was to create it themselves, the Mobile Education Store got to work and created a suite of iOS apps — each designed to address a specific language-related challenge for special needs students. Reviews of the apps were overwhelmingly positive, so the next challenge became spreading the word.

Recognizing the need to reach customers outside of the App Store, Mobile Education Store had already invested in a logo and website, but they did not feel like the website was visually appealing enough to encourage people to find out more and download their software. They knew that they needed to provide a professional and attractive experience for site visitors to better reflect the same qualities they had worked so hard to incorporate into their apps. After meeting with them and getting a look at their applications, we rebranded their website and worked with our developer to ensure that the content and features of their site would drive traffic quickly and easily to their online catalog — and ultimately to the App Store to finalize purchases. The fact that the final transactions would be completed on the App Store made development of the Mobile Education Store’s website quite a bit easier because shopping carts, secure servers, and merchant accounts would not be necessary.

A big part of Mobile Education Store’s strategy for increasing awareness of their software is to attend tradeshows and to talk with educators and parents directly whenever possible. To help make a lasting impression in those meetings and elsewhere, we have furnished the Mobile Education Store with attractive roll-up banners, flyers and business cards. We also recently designed some app-specific cards to help promote the website and allow for quick access via mobile devices. These app cards are business card size, contain information about a specific app, and include a QR code that takes a smartphone user directly to the app's review page.

The Mobile Education Store is not out of ideas yet. They continue to develop new and innovative apps which help schools utilize emerging technology and reach students in ways that keep them interested and engaged. We are looking forward to partnering with them as they continue to innovate in the realm of educational software.

A sampling of Mobile Education Store’s current advertising materials...

We’ve Got You Covered

Here are a few recent titles we’ve designed for Baker Publishing Group, Presbyterian Publishing, and author Sarah DuVal which are now available at the usual book outlets...

Brand New

The identity of a company or organization is centered around its logo. A good logo should be unique, immediately recognizable and useable in a variety of applications. Here are some of our recent creations...

Projects Flying Out the Door

Here are a few projects that have already spread wings and left the nest...

Kailia Walter began her racing career in 2008 after catching the bug during a family outing at a local karting track, and hasn't looked back since — except to see if anyone is trying to pass her. While many teenagers were spending their weekends at the mall, Kailia was tearing around a racetrack at highway speeds, and doing it very, very well. These days she is racing a Mazda Spec Miata for ProFinish Motorsports and is reaching out to sponsors to help keep her on the track. We created her W Racing logo when she first started out, and recently designed a large format tri-fold brochure as a promotional piece she can use when meeting with potential sponsors. It dynamically tells the story of the girl from Oregon who likes to drive REALLY fast:

We highlighted the logo for Next Step Business Coaching in our December 2011 issue, and since then have used their new identity to produce various marketing materials. Their business cards and brochure have a sturdy feel with large blocks of text and color that reinforce both the steps in the logo and their message of experience and knowledge. The QR code used on their business card is becoming a staple in advertising these days. It provides a quick and convenient way for customers to digitally interact with items you hand them, and is a great tool for getting them additional information that may not fit in the advertising space. In this case, the QR code creates a vcard (or digital address card) that smart phone users can save directly to their address books:

CrisDental is a growing dental practice with multiple locations from Roseburg to Salem. They have a fun and welcoming style designed to encourage people, who might be a bit nervous about the dentist, to stop in or call to make an appointment. Their materials are closely based on the style of their website, which also reflects the interior decorating at their flagship location in Roseburg. We truly admire that level of consistency in a brand! CrisDental also makes great use of a call to action in all of their flyers and ads, normally in the form of a coupon or special offer. A call to action is one of the best ways to measure the reach and effectiveness of your marketing materials. People may not volunteer information about how they learned about your company, but they will often mention the deal that convinced them to pick up the phone:

Matching Game: Favorite Ice Cream Flavor

Arguably, the phrase “We’re going to Disneyland!” is the number one guaranteed way to make a kid smile, but a close second has to be, “Let's go get ice cream!” It seems like there is something for everyone in the millions of available options. Whether you like vanilla or some flavor you can only get on the black market, it is hard not to get excited about that cold, creamy, delicious treat. Hey, I know! Let's go get ice cream at Disneyland! Roll over each scoop to see our favorites.

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Did You Know?

Action Comics #1 is the most valuable comic book ever — sold at auction in 2011 for $2.16 million. It introduced Superman to the world in April 1938 and is the Holy Grail of comic books. Before Action Comics #1, there was no such thing as a superhero or a man who could fly. Comics weren’t even that popular. It’s the single most important event in comic book history.

What’s New?

Go Healthy Cafe provides great tasting fast food for health conscious people. If this billboard makes your mouth water, it shows that good product photography can go a long way towards capturing new business. Consider investing in a good digital camera or enlisting the services of a professional photographer to give you an edge.

Visit our website to see more design samples at www.designpointinc.com