Hey, We're Published

Our very own B(oNE)

We recently attended the 13th biannual AIGA Best of New England awards – or better known as the B(oNE) Show. And guess what… we won Alphabet Arm Design’s very first B(oNE) award! Our winning entry was none other than the logo and office system for Proof Wine Marketing. With over 500 entries and only about 50 winners, we are very excited to be holding our very own B(oNE) award. We were amazed at the high quality of work represented at the award ceremony and we are truly honored to be among such talented designers.

BoNE

all the kids are doin' it…

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The Grams, IG, Instagrandma, Insta, gramz, no matter what you call it, it’s become a social media phenomenon.
We are rather excited to report that NBC News just filed a report highlighting our lil’ Instagram feed > read it here.
 
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And check our placement on the homepage, we ranked higher than that wannabe Cronut! Take that – trans fats!
We spoke to Jim Collins, Director of Multimedia and discussed of passion for Instragram, the community itself, and how it all ties back into our design work here at the studio.
 
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And of course, if you’d like to see our IG feed, kindly follow us at @alphabetarm
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tee it up!


Woo Hoo! We are always stoked when someone takes the time to write about the studio or review our work. Recently, The Tee Gazette posted a very nice piece about us. The Tee Gazette reviews a boatload of apparel companies and designers who specialize in apparel design, so yeah, it’s pretty sweet. We recently got turned onto the site after one of our clients, Invisible Sun, had some of their shirts reviewed. We were so inspired, we worked up this lovely t-shirt design!

Get Rad

Growing up, one of the first things that inspired us to get into art and design were skateboards graphics. They’re striking, brazen, even subversive and just plain cool. Skateboards have always been a medium we’re drawn to. So, you could say we are stoked to be among the artists and designers selected in Rockports’s latest: Inside the World of Board Graphics. The book is chock full of amazing the art that adorns skate / surf / snow boards. Besides that, the book itself was expertly designed by Modern Dog, a studio who’s work has always inspired us.

Good Morning, Indeed

We were enthusiastic to see some of our business card designs among those featured on CBS Sunday Morning. We’ve been long-time fans of the show and it was awesome to see our designs on screen along with the iconic Sunday Morning sun logo. See the video here.
Here are some screenshots…

Check out the highlighted business cards we’ve designed over the years.

The Show of Poster Prowess


The Say Something Poster Project concludes it’s epic battle of considered communication and stunning design at the end of this month. Curated by the savvy Jason Stevens, the competition benefits The Home for Little Wanderers. Among an impressive line-up of caregivers, creatives and professors, our very own Art Director was selected as a judge for the contest. The project concludes with a gallery show of the final 25 semi-final posters to be whittled down to the final 10. Should YOU get involved? In a word – Yes.

Location: The Fourth Wall gallery
132 Brookline Avenue Boston MA
Date: February 26th, 2011 – Time: 7:00pm – 11:00pm

What's going on AFTA work next week?

AIGA AFTA hosted by Alphabet Arm Design
We’re hosting an AIGA event, that’s what. AIGA:Boston AFTA events are agenda-less, free-form gatherings of area creative folk. Each month a different firm gets to pick the place and play host for the evening. For July, it’s ABC’s turn, and we’re going to do it right by hosting the shindig at ROCCA, just down-stairs from our studio. The event is going down July 16th, with the fun starting at 6pm and going until 9pm. Drop in, meet the crew, talk shop and have a good time. For those anxious types who just can’t wait until next week, we suggest thinking about what your favorite album of all time is. It just might come in handy…
For more info, check out the official even page here. A not-required-but-much-appreciated RSVP and more info here.

South By…

South By South West, as you probably know, is an unstoppable beast of music festival and a monster media event. Aaron and Chris are headed down to Austin, TX to represent Alphabet Arm. They’ll be shaking hands, making connections and rocking out with all sorts of big shots down in the Lone Star State. So if you happen to find yourself at SXSW and you see two tall New Englanders on bikes (pasty white from a long, cold winter) you should say hello. They’re nice dudes and they won’t bite — unless you have tacos.
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We make it rain…logos

From time to time, we get asked about the philosophy and process behind our logos. Affluent Magazine recently asked us how we approach logos, and how companies should address the challenge of identity/branding development in light of the current economic down-turn. The article went live yesterday, and it’s a good insight into how we approach the logo design process. It also showcases a few examples of recent logos we’ve designed that have helped to generated business and shape brands. Check the article out here, then peep the yacht reviews for your place on Nantucket.
Affluent Magazine article

In good company

A new article just went up on boston.com that discusses some of the more publicised identity revamps of the past year or so. We’ve always maintained that a fresh identity can be a great way to stay relevant. It can often be the best course of action when a business has changed its course or had a leadership shift.
There are certainly some big brands showcased, and we’re proud to have a few identities that we’ve designed in the mix. The logos that we did for our friends at Cable Car Cinema & Cafe and The Wine Bottega wrap up the gallery. Take a look at the article and see the comparison of the old and new identities.
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ABC Q&A

Aaron was recently profiled on SmartMoney.com. Each week they feature an entrepreneur who they believe is standing out from the crowd. You can check out his interview [here] and make your own call!
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Big Fish Belyea

This past weekend Aaron traveled to CT to judge the Connecticut Art Directors Club annual awards show. He spent a couple days reviewing hundreds of projects along side a high-profile lineup including photographer John Madere, Josh Silverman of Schwadesign, photographer Rick Koconis and Megan O’Connell of Hill Holliday. The CADC awards show always proves to be a great show featuring the best work in CT. This year’s Show is being held at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration on June 18th. A portion of the entry fees will be donated to the Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program at the Mystic Aquarium and Institute for Exploration!
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Are you ready to Rumble?

For the 5th year, Alpbabet Arm is involved with the WBCN Rock N’ Roll Rumble. As we’ve done in the past, we provide the Grand Prize winner with a complimentary CD Art Direction package. Not only will they win a hoard of recording time to work on their record, we’ll make sure they look pretty too! Lucky them huh? Winners in the past have included The Gentlemen, Dresden Dolls and Township.
WBCN Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble logo

The People's Champion

Last month we posted about, our very own, Chris Piascik being selected to compete in the Boston Cut & Paste Digital Design Tournament. Well, it happened, on March 14th to be exact. Crowds of people filled the Cyclorama, Boston Center for the Arts to watch 8 designers (for the 2D competition) go head to head in a battle royal. The concept was simple, though ridiculous, design something from scratch, based on a theme, within fifteen minutes. Oh, and do it in front of a huge crowd of people.
Chris was ready for the challenge and made us proud. At the end of the night of he was declared “First Runner Up,” and more importantly, he won the “People’s Choice” award. He’ll always be our champion!
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Photography by Jason Lewis

Texas Fame!

While at SXSW this past week we checked out the always amazing, Flatstock poster exhibition. One of Texas’ local news channels, KVUE, was on the scene. They approached us, asking if they could interview us and then follow us a round a bit. We happily obliged, of course.
You can check out the video [here].