openbox9

Our 5 Favorite Minor League Baseball Logos

August 4th, 2011 // // Topic: , ,

We all know the Yankees, the Sox, and the Nationals, and we know their familiar branding. The simple N and Y, the swirly W, but for a second put those aside and focus on a different, lesser-known group – the Minor Leagues. These teams are scattered all across the country, and offer some of the [...]

How “The Boy Who Lived” Changed Design

July 20th, 2011 // // Topic: , , ,

Nothing is hotter this summer than Harry Potter (except the temperature here in DC). Our entire culture, my entire generation, has been influenced by this 7 book, 8 movie monstrosity of fantasy. The Washington Post declared that “to read Rowling is to pack a bag and make a visit,” and I for one can think [...]

Logo creation process for Ya Mama

June 23rd, 2011 // // Topic: ,

This is the company name of a foundation in Oman that works to enhance the physical, economic and social well-being of women and their families. I had the privilege of being the lead designer on the logo creation as well as an identity system and more. I’m going to bring you along the journey of [...]

7 Websites to Inspire Summer Creativity

June 14th, 2011 // // Topic: , ,

Ahh, summertime! A perfect time to recharge and look for new routes for inspiration. If you ever do find yourself sitting at home, hopelessly hunting for some sort of design motivation, fear not, openbox9 is here to help! We now present 7 aesthetically inspirational websites. (Careful though, these might be enough to motivate you to [...]

Favorite Flag Designs

June 14th, 2011 // // Topic: ,

Happy Flag Day. With much respect to the stars and stripes I wanted to honor those other well designed flags out there – here are a few of my favorite well designed flags: Chicago with your baby blue and twinkling stars – this is a cutie pie design. Can you see the stars square dancing [...]

Demystifying image file formats

June 1st, 2011 // // Topic: ,

Vector vs. Raster Vector images are created using geometrical formulas in programs such as Adobe Illustrator. Vector artwork is made up of a series of points and lines that uses math to determine how to fill the space between those points. Because it is math-based vector artwork can be scaled infinitely without losing quality, as [...]

5 ways to get creative

May 20th, 2011 // // Topic: ,

“I’m just not creative,” a client will say, “you’re a designer, can you help me think of ideas?” All designers hear this – from clients, friends, even family members. The thing is, most of us wouldn’t say that we are exceptionally creative either; we just know the process of reaching out and finding those good, [...]

openbox9 is looking for a designer!

April 18th, 2011 // // Topic: , ,

Ready to use your design talent for good? Ready to work in an environment that will challenge you with exciting responsibilities? Ready to have fun designing comprehensive solutions? We would like to hear from you. Designers at openbox9 are: Well versed in designing positive user-experiences for online projects Understand the importance of function before form [...]

What is design thinking?

March 17th, 2011 // // Topic:

I had the privilege of having drinks with Ellen Lupton last week (think: water + 50 other people in the room). Her topic: “what is design and design thinking?” Defining design is like catching a slippery pig with greased hands. Many have tried, few have succeeded. Ellen didn’t try to catch the pig, but gave [...]

Why HTML5 should be exciting to you!

March 9th, 2011 // // Topic:

It’s been over a decade since HTML4 came out and the web has made significant changes since then. There are many more online users, the development of open source browsers and applications have increased, as well as their capabilities. If the phrase “HTML5” leaves you slightly puzzled, Wikipedia explains it this way: “HTML5 is the [...]