My name is Anna Selby, and I am a junior Graphic Design major at East Carolina University. The field of study I have chosen is a very competitive, talent-driven one and I was absolutely ecstatic to have the opportunity to gain experiences that my fellow classmates are missing out on when they’re laying out at the beach.

Now, to the average college-age person, this internship I have would seem like a nightmare – proofing copies of products? Researching international companies? Compiling a database of useful specialists of the trade? That sounds like the stuff we did all year while we were away at school…

And yet, I could not be more excited about this. I have the opportunity here to learn things that would never be taught to me if I only concentrated on the classes for my fine arts major. Quite a few (albeit, not all) of the people I have classes with really have no idea what kind of job they want to pursue after they achieve their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, and I feel so blessed to have the chance to dip my toes into the waters of an industry that I can really see myself working in one day.

I am not the only lucky student who was able to land an internship at Clear Blue. Laura Yost, a sophomore Public Relations major at the University of South Carolina, is in charge of keeping the sanity around the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays. A true southern girl, she loves country music, summer, and cowboy boots. Although she is in school for a degree in communications, her true passion is photography, and she hopes one day to be able to own a photography business on the side to earn some money and, most importantly, have some fun. She is also incredibly excited about this internship because it will help her gain knowledge for her upcoming classes and for the professional world after graduation.

While our stay here at Clear Blue is only for the summer, we both know that the experiences we will gain are invaluable tokens of knowledge that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. That sounds far better than spending a summer sleeping in or spending hours beside the pool to me!

-Anna Selby, Summer 2011 Intern

I have frequently been at a movie or in a deep conversation when I get an idea for just the right TV concept, an intrusive environmental media idea or pattern for a background image. This can be frustrating as I have missed the last five minutes of Criminal Minds way too many times to scribble away and have annoyed friends who can tell my mind is on something else while they talk. But sometimes it can’t be helped. There are notebooks scattered all over my house, several in my car, one in my bag, so nothing gets lost.

But then there are also those times when nothing seems to rise to the foreground and no ideas emerge. This is when it’s good to have a few tricks to jog inspiration. Here are a few of mine. Maybe they can help you.

1. Switch to a bright colored pen halfway through brainstorming.
2. Try to approach the problem backwards. If you are trying to develop a compelling reason to buy widgets, try to think of ways to unsell widgets.
3. If you are designing for something upscale, see what it would look like juxtaposed with something downscale, like highend jewelry displayed on cement or boulders.
4. Look at design from a country with a language you don’t understand. Their colors, typographic approaches, layout formats will be easier to focus on and will be very different than you are used to.
5. Have a Frappuccino.
6. Change into pajama pants.
7. Watch the style network to stay current in all kinds of design.
8. Read or watch pop culture. Go ahead. Pick up US magazine without guilt. We can’t relate to mass markets without knowing what’s relevant to them.
9. Browse a tech magazine. Wired, Scientific American etc. all offer great knowledge about emerging technologies, and the art direction can often be inspirational as well.
10. Follow @veryshortstory on Twitter.
11. Empty your brain. Go do what you do for a while. Garden, play fetch with your dog, go for a walk, gossip with coworkers. Get your brain off the problem so it can reset itself like a computer.
12. Find a favorite blog or two that get you thinking about things you normally don’t consider. If you are in social media, read a blog about music. If you are in marketing, read a blog about design. Jog the brain.
13. Do a sudoku or a word search. Puzzle solving exercises the brain and keeps it nimble. Like stretching before a work out.
14. Get out of trying to sell to yourself or your client and think like the consumer, end user or target audience. Write what they want to hear, not what you want to say.
15. WW_D? Insert whomever you want in the blank. Ask yourself “What would _________ do?” How would so and so say this or approach this. Insert real, fictional, unrelated people to give a fresh perspective: Donald Trump, Mother Theresa, Kermit the Frog…

Regardless of what you’re working on, inspiration is a valuable commodity. Look for it in unexpected places, listen when it shows up unexpectedly and run with it once you find it.

-Liz Doten, Creative Director

Lately I’ve felt like I’ve been stuck in a type-tunnel. I’ve been designing for a large corporate brand that is very steadfast on using one typeface. Surprisingly, this can be a little relief sometimes when designing. It’s sorta like the uniforms I was forced to wear growing up in a Catholic school. My teachers used to always say how we should be thankful since it was one less decision we had to make. Deep down I knew they were really trying to subdue my style. However, looking back they were right, I go to lay out this clients collateral and I know the typeface search is one less thing I have to allocate time towards.

Even though I may be constricted to the typeface this is only a small aspect of the design. This is where the designer must shine. Realizing where to position and balance the typography is the real challenge. Correct use of the design’s negative space and well-balance typesetting can work to direct the eye, set the mood and pace the reader.

Below are some examples of well-utilized space with type-based in layouts.

by Grain Edit

by Victor Magalhães Silva

by Marco Bernardi

by Beto Nunes

by Ozone Studio

by octaviopv

Finally, just incase you were only reading this post in the event that I share some fonts. Here are a couple to try out that I’ve been enjoying.

by Vissol

by Mario Arturo

-Michael Stout, Graphic Designer

A blog without insight. Hmm.

Content is King. Relevant, insightful, dynamic content. Content that gives a reader a reason to come back for more, again and again. Content that is real and engaging. Expert.

In that vein, we’re going to start mixing things up a little bit for the next few months. Every week a new post will go up on our blog, and subsequently, Facebook and Twitter. The posts will be written by a subject-matter expert at Clear Blue. And, to be clear, by team members, we don’t mean just the intern (which is often what happens in many companies), although he’s going to have to write one or two too.

Among others, our Creative Director, Design Director, Account Supervisor, Media Director, e-Commerce Strategist, and yes, even Robin our President will be contributing to a topic tied directly to her area of expertise.

So, grab your reading glasses, sit back and let’s start a few conversations.

Currently enrolled at UNC Charlotte, Joel will graduate in May with a B.A. in Marketing. He has high aspirations of not living in a cardboard box after he graduates, so he plans on learning valuable skills while working with Clear Blue.  He expects to be well versed in the ins-and-outs of a full service advertising agency, ultimately making himself far more marketable when his internship concludes. That is of course, if we let him leave. Most days you can find him in the library, but on those lucky days when there is no homework you’ll find him playing some kind of sport or just relaxing.

Some quick facts about Joel (kind’ve) and by Joel (certainly):

• Bacon is good on everything
• He doesn’t like writing a bio about himself
• “The Other Guys” is an all-time favorite movie

“Huntersville, North Carolina-based, Clear Blue, Inc. has been hired as the agency of record for Columbus, Georgia-based Char-Broil, LLC. Char-Broil executives cited Clear Blue’s experience and proven results in a broad variety of consumer goods as a key factor.

“We selected Clear Blue because of their ability to demonstrate a level of commitment and deep understanding of our business goals and how to achieve them through strategic, integrated marketing,” said Michelle Zeller, vice president of marketing for Char-Broil.

Char-Broil has recently raised its profile as the innovator of infrared grilling systems, the hottest topic in outdoor cooking today. Char-Broil infrared grills heat the food directly, locking in natural juices and flavors. Other grills heat the air which dries out the food as it cooks.

“Char-Broil has a proud history of leadership and innovation in their category,” said Robin Konieczny, president and chief creative officer of Clear Blue. “We are driven to bring our agency resources – from creative and media planning to digital and social media — to tell the next chapter of the brand’s story.”

About Char-Broil®:
Part of the W.C. Bradley Co. family of brands and based in Columbus, Georgia, Char-Broil (www.charbroil.com) is the leading marketer of infrared, gas, charcoal, portable and electric outdoor barbecue grills sold under the Char-Broil®, Thermos®, Oklahoma Joe’s® and New Braunfels Smoker Company® brand names. Char-Broil markets and distributes a complete line of grills, smokers, fryers and outdoor fireplaces, along with parts and accessories, throughout North America.

About Clear Blue:
Rapidly growing Clear Blue, a full-service integrated branding and marketing communication agency was founded in 1998, serving clients in the US, China and Latin America. The North Carolina based agency employs and engages top leaders skilled at producing insight-driven campaigns utilizing all advertising vehicles, digital and emerging media as well as public relations. Strategic, nimble and entrepreneurial, Clear Blue creates collaborative and transparent relationships with its clients including, Char-Broil, Rubbermaid and LiuGong, to name a few.”

Well, as it turns out, we need someone to make coffee, answer the phones and keep score for us during our ping pong matches too. Sounds interesting enough, right? In partnership with the Belk College of Business at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Clear Blue, Inc. is now accepting resumes for our inaugural 2011 Marketing + Branding internship opportunity.

For more information, hop on over to the UNCC website by clicking this link.

Davidson, NC – October 22, 2010 – Clear Blue, a branding and marketing agency, has added Sherri Oosterhouse as account supervisor and Liz Doten as creative director.

“Our continued growth required adding new senior talent to best serve our clients needs,” said Robin Konieczny, president and chief creative officer. “Sherri’s experience in account management and PR and Liz’s award winning background as a creative director make them ideally suited for the high profile brands that rely on Clear Blue.”

Oosterhouse has more than 20 years experience in facilitating multi-million dollar programs and providing strategic marketing communication consulting for clients including Husqvarna, Miller Brewing Company, Dremel, Northland Cranberries and Marquette University.

Doten is an award winning creative talent whose work has been recognized by Communication Arts Advertising Annual, Archive, New England Best of Broadcast, The Hatch Awards, The Clios, Advertising Age, Adweek, Photo District News, and the Addy Awards. With more than fifteen years of experience with some of the nation’s top advertising agencies, she will lead the creative team and oversee all creative development.

Sherri Oosterhouse, Account Supervisor

Liz Doten, Creative Director

Rapidly growing Clear Blue, a full-service integrated branding and marketing communication agency was founded in 1998, serving clients in the US, China and Latin America. The North Carolina based agency employs and engages top leaders skilled at producing insight-driven campaigns utilizing all advertising vehicles, digital and emerging media as well as public relations. Strategic, nimble and entrepreneurial, Clear Blue creates collaborative and transparent relationships with its clients including, Rubbermaid, Husqvarna, LiuGong and Cherokee Cultural Partners, to name a few. http://www.theclearblue.com

Below is a true story John asked that we share. In it, he talks about his reason and motivation to help the search for a cure.

Three years ago this winter I did a little 5K run sponsored by the YMCA in Kannapolis. Secretly confident, though I hadn’t trained one minute, I nonetheless took off like I knew how. I fell in behind a family participating together. A guy who clearly was a real runner was pushing a bob (stroller for running) and his daughter, who looked nine or 10, ran a little in front. Midway through the race I passed them and thought I would move on though the pack and not see them again that day.

Naturally, the closer to the finish I got, the closer I was to being finished. Finally, I approached the finish line. Around a corner, and up a steep hill, spectators stood on either side of the street. I had no family or friends with me, so I was very surprised when everyone burst into cheers and applause when I turned the corner. And then something happened…that little girl passed me. I had to laugh. Later, I officially met her when I was in a class at the YMCA with her Mom.

Her name is Briana. For the past couple years I’ve checked in on how her running was going. She won a lot of age group medals. This past fall a friend asked if I wanted to run the course for the MS Walk in Kannapolis. He told me to sign up for Briana’s Team. Yes, the same Briana who passed me at the finish line. Briana has MS. Briana Landis is just one of the faces I can put to this cause.

Google her. You’ll be amazed and impressed.

John’s goal is to raise funds and collect names. Everyone who donates has the opportunity to give him a name that will go on the jersey he’s made. Perhaps, a friend or family member who is struggling with MS or did at some other time.

If you would like to help please visit this link and make a small, or large, donation to the National MS Society, on behalf of John Baker. Let’s make a clear difference!