A Social Gathering

Amanda spent Wednesday evening as the featured speaker for a meeting of the ARCC's young professional's organization. Having managed more than one blog for the past five years, she tallies about 500 visitors daily. Her use of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn—combined with her firm handshake and in-person presence—drew a crowd of about 75 attendees. They listened to ideas on how to make social media work for their businesses, and talked about how to reach a new audience online.

Several in the audience asked us to post the data included in the presentation, and those folks will find some of the graphics below in this entry. Thanks to the Chamber for asking us to speak, to Mike for the photos, and to Derek for his monitor-lugging muscle.

Todd Shimkus introduces Amanda to the Young Professional's Organization.

Amanda stresses the fact that social media users can spot the same, tired old sales pitch from a mile away. And can avoid it with a simple click.

Hi, I'm Papyrus. I am not your friend.

Enough is enough.

Despite our call to arms back in 2007, the typeface is still in circulation, perhaps even gaining popularity. This nearly illegible font is used, time and again, on billboards, menus, and packaging throughout our region.

This is upstate New York, people. Not Egypt.







Still not convinced?





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Bottoms Up

You go into business to do what you love. If you're lucky you work with incredible people and enjoy perks— "Put it on the account" has a nice ring to it, whether it's shots at Ridge Street or pints at Davidson's.

We've just completed the Davidson Brothers brand update. Here's a taste.



Stay tuned for more.






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The New Dinner Party

Every generation faces the threat, if not inevitability, of obsolescence. Digital natives effortlessly manage countless social networking systems from ever-smaller and capable devices alongside valiant digital immigrants. We are all of the latter group here at Trampoline, each with varying degrees of fluency.

Next week we'll be front and center at Dango's Dugout for a social media tutorial. It might seem odd at first blush to do this at a bar, but really, distilled to its purest form, social media is a conversation. And, you talk at bars, right? We find ourselves experimenting with iPhone apps far more often than taking pulls off drinks at bars. The chance to meet with members of the Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce's Young Professionals Organization seemed like a great excuse to start a conversation and, perchance, have a drink.




Every day the prevalence of things like Twitter is growing. Locally, The Post-Star is using Twitter, as are WNYT, WXXA, WRGB , WTEN. Radio stations like Fly 92 and politicians from Hillary Clinton to John McCain are on Twitter. Local organizations ranging from ATF and the Glens Falls Civic Center are on Facebook, while the Times Union has a staggering number of blogs.

It doesn't matter whether you are an individual or a company or tweeting from your cubicle, blogging on your laptop, or sharing your latest shot on flickr from your iPhone, as long as you participate. Are you in?




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Setting the stage

Once upon a time a couple of the Design Tramps worked at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. A friend from WTF, Willie Reale, wrote a show called A Year with Frog and Toad, inspired by the Frog and Toad children's books written by Arnold Lobel. The show continues to play in regional theatres as frogs remain a creature that fascinate people of all ages.



Back in the Berkshires, the Berkshire Museum is hopping on the frog-wagon with the exhibit "Frogs: a Chorus of Colors," running from June through November. Derek Slayton, Design Tramp and rescuer-of-frogs-from-pool-extraordinaire, is generating materials that will leap* from the page to promote the exhibit.




A Ribbiting Exhibit.

We're looking forward to making the trip to Pittsfield this summer to watch the Tramplettes ooh and ah over what is sure to be a fantastic exhibit.

*To Amanda's chagrin, but in the Museum's best interest, Derek passed on the chance to tweak a Devo song as a way of exciting people about the Frogs: a Chorus of Color exhibit.









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Go West Young People

Ok, so the young part may be a bit of a stretch, but the west part is true. Last month we divided and set out to conquer new frontiers, specifically the slopes of Alta as Derek and Paula (with kids in tow) met with the folks at Alta.







After meetings with the folks on the mountain, Derek also met with another client and friend of Trampoline, John Duncan. The skiing was great, the laughter was robust and the future looks promising.

Further west the Magees traveled first to Seattle, navigating past Pioneer Square and on into the thick of the industrial district and finally to the headquarters of BabyLegs. Finley sat in on the meeting and made the most of her BabyLegs-clad limbs to donkey-kick and flirt her way to making Nicole Donnelly, the bubbly mastermind behind the incredibly successful company, giggle. Talk ranged from packaging creative we'd done and photography to textiles, new directions and, ironically, Alta. Nicole sent us off with fresh BabyLegs and the delicious prospect of a BabyLegs project this spring.

After BabyLegs, a quick trip to a boutique for market research for TrinaBags.



Then it was off to Yakima to meet with the gang at Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital and MemFound. We arrived on the rollout day of the second of three programs for Employee Payroll Deduction. Spirits were soaring on the heels of a phenomenal first week. It was thrilling to see everyone so excited.



The participation in the program exceeded expectations and sparked talk of more t-shirts and additional deliverables. Turns out that vendors, patients and hospital higher-ups were also interested in purchasing gear. We were barely off the hospital's campus before we were dreaming up additional creative for the outstanding staff at Memorial and for the people who love the hospital.





Before heading home, the Magee girls made a dazzling appearance on the Capitol Theatre stage and a conversation about a social marketing campaign was sparked. Somewhere between the girls and their baby boomer grandparents, there is an entire audience yet to be reached. We're looking forward to the prospect of setting the stage for the Capitol Theatre to become a place of magic for millennials and gen exers.


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Design, baby.

The trajectory of Trampoline has been mirrored by the thrust of our lives, with personal experiences informing a lot of what we do and sometimes influencing the who and the how significantly.

With a staff of seven and between us 9 Tramplettes ranging in age from 4 months to 11 years, working in the juvenile industry is not just fun, it's kind of where we live. And so it was a treat this winter, to wrap our minds around the newest product from Missy Reder accomplished inventor and entrepreneur.

After an in person meeting and many spirited email volleys a name was born: BabyBond.

One part nursing cover, one part burp cloth and all parts practical. BabyBond allows moms to nurse discreetly, while babies can still look around, flirt, whatever. If you don't believe it, take it from this nursing mom who flew to Seattle (to meet with BabyLegs owner Nicole Donnelly), it works.

There wasn't a single "Oops," or "Surprise!" The efficacy of the product combined with the incredible packaging that Amy Stevens, resident creator of all things elegant and lovely, dreamt up, are sure to position BabyBond as the mother of all nursing covers.







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Off the market

This has nothing to do with real estate. Today's announcement is about something with an ever increasing value: Trina, a songstress, seamstress and Seuss-smith.




All of us at Trampoline would like to give Trina and Kevin our warmest congratulations on their recent engagement. If anyone ever deserved happily ever after, it's the two of you.

Cheers!





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Singular Purpose X2

We all have to wear different hats from time to time. Typically as conditions change, presto chango, you switch seamlessly from one to the next. Sometimes it's not a hat, or a person...confusing?

Let's try this again. Double H Hole in the Woods Ranch was one of our first clients. We recently wrapped up a project for them and it was necessary to ensure that the piece could do double duty: an annual report for two years.

The purpose of the annual report was the same as it has always been: supporting the mission of Double H by illustrating the work that had been done and demonstrating the kind of inspirational work that elicits an emotion. The end result is that those who view the book will feel compelled to give, with volunteer time as precious as financial donation.

Working closely with Linda Smith, we developed a system that would work on its own.



Two covers, two stories and at the heart of both, the artwork of the beautiful souls who find a limitless world at the ranch.



This project was a pleasure, sharing our Business Manager, Paula Slayton, also a registered nurse, for a week at the ranch this summer will be an honor.

Thank you, Double H, for allowing us to be a part of your enduring gift to the people of this community and the campers you welcome year after year.




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Especially Beautiful Philanthropy

As March arrives and dirt-tinged snow blankets everything, as forecasters call for more snow, it's easy to get the late winter doldrums. Sometimes looking at something pretty is all you need to forget the slushy streets and grey skies.

Take a load off and just daydream for a minute, if you feel so inclined visit the Annenberg Foundation, the client that commissioned these postcards and packaging, and be swept away by the inspiration of an organization making a difference.

Henna tattoos in India.

Croker Bay and the Zodiac.


The Wolong Panda Preserve.


Greenland's Ilulisat Glacier.


Outside the Dickey Orphanage in Lhasa Tibet.


Arctic Bay Icebreaker off of Baffin Island.


Petra, Jordan.


Potola Palace pilgrimage






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