Design Exploration of marketing and print companies

I started in graphic design over 20 years ago, when all graphic artists worked in print. I have experience with silkscreen, offset, litho, flexography, rotogravure, and web printing. Even though I now work digitally, almost 95% of my work ends up in print. Therefore it is no wonder I am drawn to companies that have a strong print background. For my design exploration I have chosen two companies that have strong print backgrounds, but have decided to have their web sites developed using Flash.

The Curiosity Group is a creative marketing agency based in Portland, Oregon, with strong roots in traditional print media, but has adapted their approach to include digital media. The interface of their site is simple, and whimsical using a flying elephant as a pre-loader, and other seemingly non-sequitor images that reside on the pages.

The core philosophy of Curiosity Group is to combine passion, creativity, and humanity to the projects they work on. This is evident by some of the non-client projects they produce that promote the green movement.

The Curiosity Group produces both traditional print media and digital media for clients as diverse as Apple, Microsoft, Disney, Dreamworks, HP, Nike, CBS, the LPGA, and Flash music videos for bands. They also maintain a blog called killedthecat.com (as in curiosity killed the cat) that details many of the ongoing projects at Curiosity Group.

The one drawback to their site is that is very heavy on graphic content, and the pre-loader takes forever before you are redirected to the page you want. Be prepared to be patient, even if you have a broadband connection.

Chromozone is a large format display printer, producing graphic displays for tradeshows, point-of-purchase displays, and retail signage located in the UK. They started out as a photographic printing specialist. Going digital in 1992 they expanded their business to become a color bureau service provider in 1993.

The Chromozone site is quite intriguing using color, shapes, and movement to draw you in to explore. The site has a traditional menu layout across the top, but that ‘s the only thing traditional about it. The site has more of a game-like feel about it. It even utilizes an overview in the lower-left corner that helps you know where your mouse is in relation to the ever-moving links on the page. Each time you visit a new page the transitions draw you in with an explosion of color, shapes, transparency, and depth. Just moving the mouse around gives you the sense that you are free-floating, or swimming.

Chromozone uses high-end large format printers to produce displays for their clients, and they have produced a high-end Flash site that is fun to play with, and their site is cutting edge just like their printers.

Jeff Ryan