Archive for the ‘Design’ Category

Design :: Billboards: The Good vs. Bad

Posted March 20th, 2012 in Design | No Comments

Billboard ads are huge, expensive and don’t seem to be going anywhere in the world of advertising. We’re so used to seeing billboards on the roads that their messages aren’t really resonating with their intended viewers.

This Mr. Clean advertisement is simple and makes a bold statement by using a city crosswalk. Its unusual landscape breaks the norm of traditional advertising and makes this Proctor & Gamble marketing piece both enjoyable and memorable.

While this Bic Razor billboard was a more costly advertisement, its message truly creates a “buzz” around a common household item.

Not all billboards are as effective as the few listed above – some advertisements fail to be as thoughtful, insipiring or memorable.

The logo for the 2012 London Olympics has received mixed reviews. Many people are not seeing what the logo truly is – the numbers 20 and 12 stacked on top each other. This is a typographical error on the designer part – with a different type treatment, the viewer would be able to easily understand the design.

The image above represents an entire breed of poorly designed ads. We see this type of advertisements on billboards, busses and newspapers featuring too much text, color and making it hard to find any pieces of information worth committing to memory. Although these types of billboards liter the highway, they often go unnoticed and easily forgettable.

~David

Design :: Yale School of Engineering Magazine

Posted January 19th, 2012 in Blog, Design | No Comments

This is the second year in a row we’ve worked with the Yale School of Engineering to design and layout their magazine. Check out the entire publication digitally here and let us know what you think!

{images ©Anna Sawin}

Design :: The Perfect Pair | May/Lancaster Wedding Invitations

Posted January 17th, 2012 in Blog, Design | 3 Comments

On a colorful, brisk October day in New Hampshire, our  friend and former Elements employee Chelsea Lancaster married Matthew May in a memorable, unique and beautifully designed ceremony.

There were special touches throughout Chelsea and Matt’s entire union – beginning with the save-the-date postcards Elements was lucky enough to design with a “Perfect Pair” theme and style reflecting the elegant French market-inspired style of their ceremony. Ben carefully drew the hand-lettering on front of the cards, which were then sent off to Cannelli Printing to be letter-pressed, sent back to us for watercolor, custom sticker and rubber stamp touches, and at last finished with vintage postage stamps that the bride applied and mailed off with care to guest as close as Branford and as far away as England and Australia.

The Save-The-Date Postcards

When the day finally arrived, it was a colorful, crisp autumn day in New Hampshire.

The invitations we designed reflected the gorgeous autumn palette Chelsea had carefully chosen and perfectly tied together her vision and style for the wedding and all the details  – from her dress to the menu, flowers and tabletop decor – which were all lovingly pulled together with the assistance of wedding planner extraordinaire – our friend Traci Garceau of 25 Thompson.

The Invitations


Everything was perfect. Just reflecting back on Chelsea and Matt’s wedding weekend as I write this post, I can easily recall all the special touches, careful planning and sentimental surprises that Chelsea and Matt sprinkled throughout. It was magical, romantic and just simply unforgettable.


Thank you Chelsea and Matt May!

~Amy

{images of invitations and postcards ©Anna Sawin; images of bride + groom, bridal party, tabletop, programs ©Simone Gutkin of Archive Photography}


Before and After :: CT Stone Advertising

Posted February 22nd, 2011 in Before and After, Design | No Comments



In the process of bringing all of Connecticut Stone’s marketing materials under the aegis of  the new positioning developed by Elements, we recently re-designed their print advertisements. Placing more emphasis on the natural aspect of their product, and bringing a human element into the mix, we created ads that change seasonally to reflect current initiatives while feeling current, and relevant—regardless of the time of year in which they run. The look, feel and language of the ads were updated to be consistent with Connecticut Stone’s other communications.

Changing the Wood Creek Brand Landscape

Posted August 12th, 2010 in Design | No Comments

Leveraging their name to help create an identity that would feel credible and established, Elements helped Wood Creek Capital Management take their identity program to a level more fitting their company.