openbox9 » announcement

The day made for openbox9 – 9/9/09

michael — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:30:25 +0000

Nine, nine, nine — yes, yes, yes, this is the best day! It is the day made for openbox9 and it will never repeat, so please join us in nines… eat nine grapes with nine toothpicks, say “bunny” nine times, scratch your foot nine times while singing 99 red balloons… make it pure nine madness.

We are by no means celebrating openbox9 but more giving thanks for all the incredible work we’ve been blessed to work on. Without our clients we are openbox-zero.

Here’s what the folks at openbox9 will be doing on this grand day of nines (in case you’re asking):

Wrapping up an annual report for a charter school organization making a difference in the lives of 37,000 students — Imagine Schools.
Continuing our efforts designing websites for the org that is helping preserve the wildlife for our children – National Wildlife Federation. To date we’ve designed over 30 unique screens and 6 subsites. Not to mention some branding work.
Hard to think about Christmas on September 9th, 2009 but we are designing the online catalog for Food for the Hungry where you can purchase needed gifts on someone’s behalf to help feed the poor.
John Calvin you’re 500 years old. We are fortunate enough to design the promotional materials for the “Calvin in the Capital” speaker series at Christ Reformed Church.
Our grand friends at Parkside Church will soon have a welcome booklet hot off the printing press.
We will also be brainstorming ideas for a buck-rogers themed Crossroads church gathering. Last year we did an elephant on a tightrope for the bigtop theme… submit ideas please!
A community cannot thrive unless both genders play a part in development. This is the study of USAID and we are in the midst of designing a plethora of materials including a 100 page field handbook.
We’ll be checking in on the BEFORE project google ad buys and making necessary adjustments.
Then nine small tinkle tweaks to Taggle’s social-networking site design; nine push-ups everytime someone says nine, nine, nine; and the putting the final touches on a interactive website filled with databases galore (you didn’t know we programmed? Oh yeah we program with vigor and panache).

Those are the nine things we’ll be slinging our computer mouse’s to as we sing to the band The Ting Tings. What nine things will you do?

Craving more updates from openbox9 – check out the refreshed portfolio.

Safe Housing for Families – Website Consultation

michael — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:56:40 +0000

For those that live in northern Virginia, please look into supporting Doorways for Woman and Families. They are a wonderful organization that provide needed services for families of violent situations by offering safe housing and life changing education. They are celebrating 30 years in service and recently won the 2009 Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management.

openbox9 is providing usability and fundraising strategy for their upcoming new website (to launch later this summer). While we are not designing the site we are proud to have a small role in helping Doorways communicate their passion to help the families in Virginia.

Our experience in this cause, started last summer with the redesign and development of Tahirih Justice Mission’s new website. While different organizations, the two organizations have made an impact on us with the stories of tragedy and victory. If we all start seeing each mother in harm’s way, as our own mother, I know we can end the cycle of violence.

Before there was a BEFORE

michael — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:32:22 +0000

A new joint program between Swiss Peace and the Alliance for Peacebuilding needed a complete marketing foundation. First a name. After many name ideas present by openbox9, the choice selection was BEFORE. The mission of the program is the prevention of political violence in fragile states. Imagine if we could stop wars before they began. These organizations are doing just that and have seen the success of the work in the recently peaceful elections in Guinea-Bissau.

openbox9 is currently working on their printed materials as well as their website – stay tuned for the unveiling.

National Mentoring Month Website

michael — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 18:24:21 +0000

Have you ever thought about the people that help craft who you are today? January is the month where we should all run out and hug that mentor and consider being a mentor to someone else. Thank you MENTOR and Harvard for inviting openbox9 to join in!

Lost Sparrow goes to Slamdance

michael — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:50:03 +0000

The Slamdance Film festival, in Park City Utah, will be premiering the latest film from Chris Billings. The film, Lost Sparrow, is a gripping movie about one family confronting the horrific past. It is a movie we hope will be getting much more accolades as it deserves them all.

openbox9 designed all the packaging, posters, collateral pieces and website for Lost Sparrow.

openbox9′s life gets wild

michael — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 18:43:39 +0000

We are thrilled to announce the starting of a exciting union between the National Wildlife Federation and openbox9. NWF mission is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children’s future. The hearts in this organization are huge! openbox9 has been asked to tackle its brand. It will be a large undertaking to establish consistency through all of its sub-brands, campaigns and products. The secret thrill is the chance to work on Ranger Rick pieces. Rockon Ranger Rick, rockon.

Union Rescue Mission prepares site for Thanksgiving

michael — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:04:23 +0000

Masterworks approached openbox9 to assist with designing a thanksgiving campaign site for LA’s largest shelter Union Rescue Mission- and this is one amazing shelter. Here is just a little about them:

Last Month at-a-glance

20,846 Nights of Shelter
79,381 Meals served
214 Mental Health Clinic sessions
75 Legal Aid Clinic visits
444 Dental Clinic visits
325 Health Center visits
1,301 Volunteer visits
4,047 Hours Volunteers donated

Worldvision, Outreach, Zondervan and openbox9 Initiate Design Waltz

michael — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:32:16 +0000

With many churches short on time and fresh ideas to mobilize their congregation to serve their community, Faith in Action initiative wants to create a movement by providing resources and a platform to connect church leaders to their community. openbox9 is thrilled to be part of this grassroots dance by providing the user experience strategy and design.

openbox9 joins mission to aide immigrants fleeing violence

michael — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:37:43 +0000

For many women living in a violent situation, fleeing is a difficult thing to do. The Tahirih Justice Center is inspired by these situations to provide women who flee the free legal services they need to become the women they want to be and gain the freedom they never had. openbox9 will be helping design and build a website that will tell the story of pain and victory, encourage a population to support Tahirih’s mission and speak to the policy makers on Capitol Hill to help these women.