The Bloc Creative: Blog » News http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:03:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 We’re moving! http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/were-moving/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/were-moving/#comments Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:12:14 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=678 Get ready, LA. David was just hired as an assistant editor at Disney Animation in Burbank, so we’ll be moving up there over the next few weeks! We’re super excited for the changes this will bring to The Bloc Creative. Meanwhile, we have projects to complete and boxes to stuff, but we’ll be back in full force soon!

]]> http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/were-moving/feed/ 2 We’ve rebranded! http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/weve-rebranded/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/weve-rebranded/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 17:00:34 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=493 You must have noticed by now (unless you’re reading this by RSS or simply blamed the lighting): we have a completely new look for 2010! Not only did we give the website a refresh as promised, we built a brand new identity that we think suits us much better.

The Logo

As we began planning the changes intended for our website, we realized we wanted to go much further than that. We felt our previous identity gave us a nice, neutral look but didn’t infuse any personality into our brand. We wanted something with a little character, a little whimsy, and just a touch of the professional. Beyond that, it needed to reference the meaning behind “bloc” (an alliance for a common goal).

The new logo.

The new logo.

We love that robots are known for their expert assistance (and sometimes for taking over the world, but we promise not to), and we felt their whimsical yet solid look was just right for our new identity!

The Website

If you’ve already taken a look around, you may have noticed we changed the site more cosmetically than structurally. But we have added a brand new section called Freebies where you’ll find our free downloads and links to good stuff we recommend.

Our About and Contact pages have been adjusted quite a bit, so you might also take a look around there.

Feedback

We’d love to hear what you think about the redesign, so feel free to leave a comment below!

]]> http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/weve-rebranded/feed/ 0 Interviewed on Mirificam Press! http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/interviewed-on-mirificam-press/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/interviewed-on-mirificam-press/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 16:33:39 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=301 Matthew Griffin of Mirificam Press recently interviewed me with some excellent questions on worldview and design. My interview was published today, third in a series. Go check it out, and be sure to read the other interviews in the series!

]]> http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/interviewed-on-mirificam-press/feed/ 0 Upcoming Indie Arts and Crafts Festival http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/upcoming-indie-arts-and-crafts-festiva/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/upcoming-indie-arts-and-crafts-festiva/#comments Wed, 13 May 2009 16:41:31 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=294 If you’re in the Orange County area this Sunday (May 17), stop by our booth at the Patchwork Show to buy hand printed goods from my line Whisper. I’ll be selling printed shirts, stationery, coasters, tea towels, and stickers, with David’s help.

Patchwork Show

The festival will be in Santa Ana’s museum district, in the Harveys lot (3011 N Main Street). Hope to see you there!

]]> http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/upcoming-indie-arts-and-crafts-festiva/feed/ 0 Changes and Improvements http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/changes-and-improvements/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/changes-and-improvements/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:59:21 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=25 If you visited our site before today, you’ll notice that the entire design is changed to better fit our brand. As the site neared completion, I realized I was not completely pleased with the appearance, and I never let an imperfect design pass through without repair.

Behind the Redesign

The first problem I had with my previous design was that it didn’t properly portray our brand. The header image was loosely based on our logo mark, but the true mark was nowhere to be found. The logotype sat on a sign in a corner because I found no room for it elsewhere. Altogether, The Bloc Creative didn’t have much of a presence on its own blog!

Other issues with the design included the lack of an accent color, the oversized header image, and the problem of reading white text on a dark background.

before

To solve these problems, I used the actual logo mark for the header image and gave it a handmade, hand printed look. Because I reduced the size of the header image, I was able to put the logotype in a more suitable position in line with the updated menu. I then improved the color problems with a few adjustments.

after

Other Improvements

On the improved site you’ll also find that the portfolio now looks more a part of its own page, the contact form has been updated with the option of subscribing to our newsletter, and a new FAQ page is now available.

The Light Ahead

The official site launch will take place in just four days, and there is still much work to be done. If you’d like to be notified of the official launch and the freebies that will be introduced with it, you can subscribe to either our RSS feed or our newsletter. Until then, we’ll be hard at work!

]]> http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/changes-and-improvements/feed/ 0 Things Soon to Come http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/things-soon-to-come/ http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/things-soon-to-come/#comments Mon, 19 Jan 2009 06:30:28 +0000 Brooke http://www.thebloccreative.com/blog/?p=3 It’s almost time for the February 1st unveiling of the new site! To receive our first newsletter with notification of the unveiling and access to freebies, fill out our contact form with “Newsletter” as the subject line. We’re excited to take on our new name!

Until then, a good deal of work remains. The blog itself is hardly presentable in its current sidebar-less condition, and the overall design of the site also needs a bit of adjusting, but everything will soon be finalized. Meanwhile, you can browse our portfolio or learn more about us.

Nice to meet you!

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