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Flight of the Conchords!!!

Here at OFB we love comedy. One of our favorite groups is this the New Zealand duo Flight of the Conchords. Whether we are watching them hate Austrailans or run away from their greatest fan Mel, they always make me laugh uncontrollably.

I was fortunate to see them on May 5th at the Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. The place was sold out. It was amazing. Check out some videos below. The first one was their first song. They came out dressed up as their famous Robots.

This next one was by far the funniest act they had.

You can also learn more about their act here.

The Official Flight of the Conchords Site

The Best Business Card in the WORLD!!!

Now, this guy is on to something! I mean, he has his face on the card ... AND ... It doesn't FIT in a rolodex because it doesn't BELONG in a rolodex!

Serious or not? You be the judge!

"Wild" About Simplicity

If you looooove hot dogs, then you should loooove Wild About Harry's over on Knox Street in Dallas. Now, this little hole in the wall serves the best hot dogs in Dallas by my opinion. Everyone has been to a Deli that has a lot of different styles of sandwiches with different combinations of condiments, veggies and meats on it. Wild About Harry's does the same thing those deli's do to sandwiches to their hot dogs. They not only have hot dogs, they also have delicious custard with unique flavors. You can smell the sweet aroma from a block away, and it makes your mouth water.

But this post isn't about their hot dogs and how yummy they are, this post is about... you guessed it... their website. Now, the site isn't the best in the world, but it is so easy to get around on. Their navigation isn't hidden, it is right out front for you to see. There are no complications to really mess with what is actually there. It serves its purpose beautifully. People want to see the food, they show it. People want to see the menu, they supply it. There is no beating around the bush... everything is right there for you to find.

It also really captures the atmosphere of Wild About Harry's. Every time I go in there, every one is so friendly and patient. Plus with the human sized hot dogs and french fries that are laughing in the corner really brighten up the mood. If you ever go into the place with a bad attitude, you won't leave with one. The site being so simple also really reflects their attitude. The restaurant isn't a complicated place... so why have a complicated website. Now, is this the design that we would have done at OFB, no. There are a lot of different ways we could have made the design more interesting. (Maybe more pink... you can't have enough pink!!! wink wink) But as far as functionality goes, it fits in with this family run business.

So next time you are at the Apple Store or Crate and Barrel, stop in Wild About Harry's and get one of their special hot dogs or delicious custard. My favorite is the Key Lime Pie Custard.... yum!

Natural Inspiration

Most everyone when they start art school of any kind has the question "What is Art?" presented to them. It is a question that has no exact answer, because everyone has a different interpretation of what "art" is.

Art can be the graffiti on the side of an abandoned train car. It can be a master of a certain skill, or it can be a famous deteriorating, oil on poplar painting of a reserved woman sitting in front of a washed out landscape with folded arms. Art is... everything. It can be just as much intentional as unintentional. So where do artists get inspiration for something that is "everywhere and everything"?

This past week the OFB Directors went on a trip to get inspired for an upcoming project, but what happened, was so much more. We rented an RV, all piled in it, and drove south of Dallas. We hit sites such as the Dinosaur Valley State Park, where we saw real dinosaur footprints. We visited the small, interesting towns of Glen Rose, Hico, Hamilton, and Comanche. We experienced the locals, bad driving, and good food. In these small towns, collectively we found inspiration in old signage, beat up campers on the side of the road, and assorted trinkets in antique shops.

But what truly inspired me? What caught my attention the most out of the whole trip? Was it watching our film crew take stellar photographs, or learning more about my fellow coworkers? Just like art is everything and everywhere, so was my inspiration. I found it in the strangest places.

My main source of inspiration was the vastness of the Texas countryside. I am from a small town, and I am used to looking out and seeing nothing on the highway, but this took it to new levels. Just the orange soil hitting that extremely rich blue sky had my eyes dancing with excitement. And at night seeing a fresh sky with sparkling stars, made me miss the country. There is so much inspiration that can be drawn from the natural earth, such as color, textures, rhythm, and harmony.

I have seen the best examples of nature literally in the front seat of a car, bus and RV, so this trip was just the ticket. If you want to see another example of an OFB nature packed road trip, check out our Taos, New Mexico post.

**Photos by Summer Berdin

Having fun with RSS Buttons

RSS is a web feed that allows users to subscribe to certain websites. People use them to get updates such as new blog entries, headlines, podcasts, media uploads and much more from their favorite sites. This way, the user doesn't really have to keep checking a site constantly to see if it is updated. It also keeps the user in touch with a specific website. Sometimes the feed can be just a summary encouraging the reader to go to the full article on a site, or it could be the whole article.

The trick about RSS feeds, is getting people to actually subscribe to them. Everyone knows the typical RSS button. Now, since they are some sort of a necessity, RSS feed buttons are becoming more and more clever.

Just an average RSS feed button can be boring and not jump out at anyone; however, you have to take into consideration who you are designing for. I am not saying, that if your site is reaching for a very professional, sophisticated audience your RSS feed button should be super stripped down and boring. You could have a basic button, but have it more sleek or glossy. The thing is, you WANT someone to see the button and not skip over it because it fades into the actual design.

You also have to make sure that your RSS feed button is still easily identifiable. The actual icon shouldn't be hidden. Its surroundings are what is important and the most creative. Creating scenarios for this specific icon can be so original. Think about designing a restaurant site. Maybe your RSS feed icon be in place of meat that is on a fork. Or the RSS icon could be presented as a meal with the whole table setting. The ideas are endless.

I have uploaded some very interesting RSS feed icons that are just so unique and fun. From aliens to martini drinks, nothing can stop anyone's imagination.

**Please note these buttons uploaded are for viewing only**

Buffalo Shepherd's Pie

Here at OFB we all have our favorite buffalo dishes. Mine is Buffalo Meat pie. Katie's, Jennifer's, Christine's and Cameron's are buffalo burgers. Ann's is meatloaf, and Ben's is tenderloin.

Now, here is a recipe that will definitely make your mouth water while not overloading your caloric intake. Buffalo Shepherd's Pie.

    * 2 heads of Cauliflower
    * 1 small tub of light Philadelphia regular cream cheese
    * 1 large egg yolk
    * 1/2 cup chicken broth
    * 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    * 1 3/4 pounds ground bison
    * 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
    * 1 onion, chopped
    * 2 tablespoons light margarine
    * 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
    * 1 cup beef broth
    * 2 teaspoons Worcestershire
    * 1/2 cup frozen peas
    * 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    * 1 cup of 2% cheddar cheese

Clean the cauliflower and boil it until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain cauliflower pour them into a bowl, and start to mash them a little. Combine cream cheese, egg yolk and chicken broth in a separate bowl. Add the mixture into cauliflower and mash in until smooth.

While the cauliflower boils, preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil to the hot pan with the bison. You can season the meat with salt and pepper for more flavor. Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a second small skillet over medium heat cook butter and flour together for about 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken the gravy, which might take a up to 5 minutes. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. then stir in your peas.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon cauliflower over meat evenly. Top cauliflower with paprika and cheese and broil until the cheese has a crispy texture on top.

Last... enjoy!

You can also use substitute the cauliflower for potatoes for a more traditional Shepherd's Pie. Other meats you can use are lamb and beef.

Pumpkin Taste Explosion

No its not QUITE Christmas time, but Thanksgiving is on its way. Now that Halloween is over, we can put away all of that candy corn and chocolate and focus more on things like pumpkin pie and dressing.

Everyone knows at OFB that I love to cook. I am not the best cook in the world, but I do use to great recipes. One of my favorite Holiday treats is Paula Deen's Pumpkin Bread. It is so easy to make, and is fun for your tummy. If you don't know who Paula Deen is, then SHAME ON YOU! She has her own show on Food Network Channel and has many many cook books. She also has a great website! She runs a fabulous (so I hear) restaurant with her two sons called The Lady & Sons in Savannah, Georgia. She is a true southern belle, and she definitely cooks like one. Her food is terrific!

This specific recipe is from her Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook and The Lady & Sons, Too! I cook this every year for the office, and let me just say that it lasts maybe a day. It is good on its own, but even better with butter or cream cheese spread on it... of course it is Fat free, calorie free and has no carbs. NOT!

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, your pick
2 cups canned pumpkin
2/3 cups water

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans (or 3 smaller loaf pans). Combine the sugar and oil together in a mixer. Blend the eggs, pumpkin, and water separately. Now, take another bowl and combine the rest of your ingredients. Once you are done, add it slowly to the cream mixture. Fill the pans equally and bake for one our or until the loaves are golden brown.

Right before I put my batter in the oven, I like to sprinkly brown sugar on top for an extra sweet explosion.

OFB Halloween

Here at OneFastBuffalo, the leadership team takes Halloween VERY seriously. We basically dress up, and find a place where we know NO ONE will be dressed up for lunch. Today we went to Rockfish, and yes, everyone stared! It was awesome. Here is what we all dressed up as:

Katie - Sarah Palin

Ann - Where's Waldo's girlfriend Wenda

Christine - a Las Vegas flamenco dancer

Caroline - a banana

JP - Ali G

Ben - a Jedi Knight

Also, we had 2 OFB dogs. Lucy, a Yorkie, was dressed up as a pumpkin. Sydney, a Scottie, was a bumble bee.

Designing for Your Audience

When you first start to design, you have to think of one MAJOR element. Your audience. Knowing your audience is a key element in having a successful website. A good example of how to design for your audience comes from National Geographic.

Their regular site is definitely geared for an audience that is more mature audience that definitely has a passion for learning. The navigation is thorough and easy to find. Each section of their navigation leads to a different audience. When you click on MUSIC, it takes you to a page that is targeting a younger audience than the main page. It has very urban, hip hop elements that keep this section young and fresh.

Their KIDS section is perfectly appealing to that very young age. Bright colors and games are just what kids want. The navigation is completely different. It is on top and has images to help communicate with that young audience. Even the advertising at the top of the page is entertaining. There are little frogs jumping across the screen. This page has what it takes to keep a kid occupied and entertained.

The HISTORY page isn't that much different than the main page. But what it does, is very subtle. It has several textures that are applied to create this sense of time, and its effect it has on the site. It definitely grabs hold of the history buff type.

So, I am not going to go through every page and discuss it with you. But I can ask you to go through their site and decide yourself on who the audience is for each page. You might even learn something interesting while you are there.

The Movie Poster

Graphic Design reaches to the mass media in so many ways. One way that I really notice is through movie posters. Now a days, movie posters are becoming better and better. You can tell that more and more research has gone into them.

What got me really thinking about movie posters and their design all started with V for Vendetta. This poster really had an impression on me. Having gone to design school, I noticed that this poster looked somewhat familiar. I felt as if I were looking at a German propaganda poster.

It is amazing the impact that World War I and II had on graphic design. With this particular poster, it had an even bigger impact. Of course the story was heavily influenced on fascism and totalitarianism, similar to the WWII period, inflicting us in the modern world. So, it is only right to make a movie poster that is heavily influenced on that same idea...right?

Well, this is was the first movie poster that I actually researched, and apparently I was not the only one who was intrigued by it. I learned that the poster WAS in fact inspired by Pre-Soviet/Bolshevik propaganda posters from the Lenin/Stalin era.

Joel Silver, who produced V for Vendetta said that "(he) wanted people to feel as if the posters came directly from the movie, that they were actually in the movie" He wanted the person looking at the poster to FEEL that it were an actual propaganda poster and not just a movie poster. He wanted it to feel real, as if the movie weren't a movie.

So, now whenever I go to the theater, which is fairly often, I really like to study movie trailers. They truly do inspire me to push myself harder than ever. I can honestly say that if a movie poster is really bad, I probably won't go see that particular movie. Just like any design, you want to invoke an emotion where someone wants to know more about it. That is what design is all about. It is there to intrigue your senses, to get you involved.

I have posted other posters besides V for Vendetta for you to enjoy, and I challenge you to research them. Don't try to find out who did them, but what inspired them. The answers you may find could be more interesting than the movie material itself.

State Fair Website.

We at OFB take the State Fair very very seriously. We went this past week as a group to enjoy the sun and fun. Ann Bui, our Brand Strategist, is a regular visitor of the State Fair’s website. She even used it to print off the list of fried heart attacks, I mean fried foods we're going to all try. She even highlighted them. (Shhhhh. Act like I didn’t tell you.) So, I decided to check out the website for myself.

The site has been well planned out to consider its broad audience. The site is bright, but the colors blend together so well that it doesn’t distract. The colors don’t really target a specific audience either. They are playful while staying professional and informative. The vignettes to the right have been created in this softer web 2.0 feeling to keep the site modern for the more web savvy crowd, while sticking out enough for anyone to find the most common areas of the site easier.

The homepage has a green carousel that slides through pictures. This is a quick interactive piece that shows the user that the Fair DOES have something for everyone. Plus the movement is a great way to communicate with a user.

Even though the site is easy to use and super clean, there are areas that naturally I will pick at. Since the site is very informative and has a lot of information, the Calendar of Events feels like an afterthought. There is SO much going on at the Fair, which I feel that they could have made it more visual. They do have a good sorting function where you can find certain events by categories. Also they have a function where you can make your own schedule. I just wish they would have made the calendar more interactive. For example; they could have made the calendar full sized. When you rolled over that day, they events all popped up. Or maybe they had a full sized calendar with that same sorting function. So if you wanted to see all the shows, you could see them actually on the calendar rather than a list. It is just easier, in my opinion to see were the actual day falls in a week than seeing it in a list.

Another annoyance, the site has a few places that when you click on a link, it opens in a new tab. However, when you click on Livestock’s Competition, it goes to a different site on that same page rather than opening up a link. I know that the average user really doesn’t like to have a tab or a new window open, but if a site is going to do it one way, it should be consistent and do it the same way throughout the site.

Ok, I really could go all day nitpicking this site to pieces, but I am not. But I will leave you with this. If you do visit the site, there is one thing any user should not miss. You can’t visit the site without hearing Big Tex Speak.

Flash. Why and When.

The first thing when someone thinks about a website is its interactive ability. Most sites that have games and animated feedback are usually all Flash sites. A really good example of a fun, interactive site, is the Altoids site. It has SO many fun games, and you in a way forget that you are on a site that is for breath mints. You can paint your own beard on The Unbelievable Beardo, experience the magician Sour-O that takes over your desktop, and send someone special a singing telegram.

With Flash sites, you can say what you need to say through this visual message. You can have animations that really attract the viewer in a way where they don't want to leave your site. Everything has been story boarded out and created into a movie to get the viewer to receive your message in a very effective way.

Another great thing about Flash sites, is that you don't have to worry about your site looking different on Explorer than on Firefox. It doesn't matter! It should play the same. The only thing is, that the user must have the most recent Flash player, which is easy to get and free. Someone might consider downloading the Flash player a downside, but I just think if you are one of those people who consider that as a bad thing, it just means you are lazy. It isn't hard to search "Flash Player" and find what you are looking for.

So, while an all Flash site maybe fun and entertaining, it does have downsides. We have clients, who don't really understand the web, want us to design a site where they can upload their own videos, images and content. Basically they want a site that they have complete control over, then they show us the example they have envisioned....an ALL Flash site. So here is my first problem. We CAN build you an awesome Flash site with fun extras on it, BUT once it has been created, the site you have, is done. You have no control over changing the site. There isn't a backend system where you can change out a sentence or an image. What you see is what you get.

The main reason of having a website is for a bigger population to see your company or work. And a way to do that is through SEO (Search Engine Optimization). You want someone to be able to find you on the big internet super highway easily. Flash sites hide a lot of information that can help users find your site faster.

Another downside is the loading time. Now, not all Flash sites take forever to load. But there are some sites that take long enough to lose its views. No one wants to wait more than 30 seconds for a site to load.

So, there are pros and cons to an all Flash site. But if you want a Flash site that has it all, you really have to incorporate Flash and HTML to create a hybrid site. This is extremely popular. Flash is used for the navigations of sites, main advertising, and much more. So, don't count Flash completely out, it still has that interactivity that can improve any site.

Be a Developer's Dream Come True

What is the worst thing you can do once you handoff your artwork to developers? Not having completed work. I have learned that developers do not like to guess. Reason is, they do not know what you are thinking, and they shouldn’t have to try and figure out your design.

But I am also not necessarily referring to missing pages within a website that you, the designer, honestly forgot about or just didn’t think about. I am also referring to the art files. If you give the developer an art file in which the layers and or groups are not organized, this just makes it a million times harder for them. Being organized within your files is very important. What I am going to do is give you tips that will help you become a developer’s dream designer. Another plus is, it will help you not pull your hair out late at night when you are skimming through your million of layers to fine the smallest design element.

Group Your Sections: Either create a separate page for each main section and all its subsections, or one massive psd with the whole site in its entirety, group them. For example, if I am working on a site with 4 main sections in the navigation, I will have each in a different psd. So make sure the developer knows what order they go in, I number them. Yes, I am sure that if they looked at the jpgs they probably can figure it out, but that takes time. Their work is already hard enough, make it as easy as 1, 2, 3….literally.

Clean up your files: For me being such a pack rat, cleaning up other people’s psds, is one of my favorite things to do. I know, strange, but I am the Monica Gellar of web file cleaning. So, as a designer, don’t be lazy. If you aren’t going to use a layer, don’t just turn it off… throw it away.

Communication is the key: Now, when the client has approved the design, and you have your files ready to go, help a developer out by creating some kind of document with thorough explanations. Have rollovers in your file? Write out where they are and what group they are in. Have a special way you want something to work? Take screen shots of examples, and or give links to examples. Basically, go through everything you can possibly think of. Doing this, you also should realize if you are missing anything.

When you think about these three steps, you really have to look at it as forming new and good habits. Trust me, the better your files and explanations, the more awesome your final piece will be.

Stay....Cuil?

First I bet most of you are thinking, what is Cuil.com? Well, Cuil.com according to wikipedia is a "search engine that organizes web pages by content and displays relatively long entries along with thumbnail pictures for many results. It claims to have a larger index than any other search engine, with about 120 billion web pages."

Basically it is a new search engine that was created by former Google employees. It is supposed to be bigger and better than Google's search engine, which is the search engine I rely on most.

But is it really better?

With any site, it did have its problems, but my personal opinion is that I am SO used to how other major search engines layout their information, seeing Cuil's really got bothered me. For me, Cuil's search engine is pretty good. I found information quite easily, but the columns...YUCK! I don't know why, but it is really hard to for me to decide which result is the best one. With Google, Yahoo and Ask, they lay it out for me with the first result being (usually) exactly what I need. Does Cuil have to "look" different to be better? Can Cuil have an option to view your results in a list like the other search engines?

One more huge aspect of Cuil is their name. For me, it is a little hard to remember because I am terrible at names and spelling. Do I spell it "Cool" or "Cuil"? The first time I went to the search engine, it took me a couple of times before I even found it. It isn't as easy as Google or Yahoo.

Like anything else, users will break out of their routines and really start using Cuil.com fluently. I have already started using it as just an extra resource. Having another search engine only helps us find exactly what we are looking for.

So, what do you think about Cuil?

iTunes … the greatest work companion.

We at OneFastBuffalo are huge music fans. From rap to bluegrass, we all have our favorites. Music also helps us not only get things done, but keeps us doing great work. Sometimes we play music out loud, but mostly we listen to them on our headphones.

Basically music keeps us focused. For me, I have a very random mix of music. From T.I to Etta James, I have a little bit of everything. But what do I listen to that really keeps me going? I have different tunes for different types of work.

For more corporate work, I really love to rock out to 80’s alternative rock/pop. I know, I know. Sounds a little silly. But one of my favorites is the 80’s band New Order. Maybe its my love for Molly Ringwald movies such as Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, but New Order with their quirky sound really keeps me going.

When I am finishing out projects, I have a tendency to listen to film scores. This type of music is very soothing and calming. I have a playlist that will last me all day long. My favorites are those of James Horner (Braveheart and The New World), James Newton Howard (The Village and The Dark Knight), David Julyan (The Prestige and The Descent), Howard Shore (Lord of the Rings Trilogy and A History of Violence), Tyler Bates (Dawn of the Dead and 300) and former Nine Inch Nails band member Charlie Clouser (Dead Silence and the Saw movies). Movie scores just have this magic to them. Even if I haven’t seen the movie, the music is just so enchanting and gives me a little creative drive.

I also like to listen to music from certain soundtracks. I will list just a few, because I could go on for days. First is the Garden State soundtrack. This soundtrack had so many new and fresh music paired along with some oldies that I just adore. The music on this soundtrack compliments each other so well. It is the perfect balance. The second soundtrack is the Marie Antoinette soundtrack. I love Sophia Coppola movies, and the soundtrack for this movie was so eclectic and quirky. Bands such as New Order to The Cure seem to make me forget that this is from a movie where the French monarchy is on the verge of being overthrown, yet it has some music that actually fits the period in which Marie Antoinette lived. This soundtrack particularly keeps me on my toes. The last soundtrack is the Batman Forever soundtrack. I know you really want to laugh right now, but I am serious. This soundtrack has tunes such as U2’s “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me” that I can put on repeat and never get tired of. This is a definite work soundtrack from the best pre Christopher Nolan Batman movies.

Now, I bet if you asked everyone around our office or your own, we all have our styles of music that listen to during the day. Bottom line, we listen to what keeps us happy and creating great work. If you listen closely, you might even hear one of us singing.