I give you Michigan Apples. Apples are Michigan’s largest and most valuable fruit crop, with an estimated economic impact of $700 million annually. Along with a website overhaul, we developed a new logo for the Apples folks to use in their promotional materials.

Check out the photo below and view the results in a local Meijer supermarket. Seeing our designs come to life is something special that never gets old!

Keating led a tutorial workshop for creating a tablet version of a publication, using as an example MUSES magazine (designed by BCP), the annual publication of the MSU College of Arts and Letters. Using a PDF of the magazine, he “cut it up” to enable him to reorganize the information in a tablet-friendly manner.

Unfortunately, a number of the laptops that were provided to participants had various software and access issues so many participants were not able to follow along. However, much was still learned from observing Keating at work and listening to his tips and techniques.

Keating emphasized the importance of designing a layout that is appropriate to the subject matter and readership. Some publications are best designed with an emphasis on images, with copy being available as a secondary “button,” while others may function better by giving priority to text.

He also emphasized the importance of providing a clear and well-designed how-to-use navigation section at the beginning of a publication.

Keating said that while tablet and other forms of electronic publications are most definitely on the rise, he believes it will be many years before we see the end of printed versions of most of them.

Dustin was recently “drafted” to Dribbble, a private beta internet community of designers created by Dan Cederholm and Rich Thornett. Dribbble “players”–who work in a variety of graphic design-related areas, but are mostly web and interface designers–post tiny screenshots of work in progress. Other players can then comment on the “shots” (are you sensing a theme here?). It’s a great way for designers to get high-quality feedback from top people in the industry. And we obviously agree that Dustin should be included in that group!

As Dustin puts it, “The cool thing is that they limit the number of drafted players, so the quality is ultra-high and the feedback is really good.”

It works like Twitter in that players can follow other players to keep up with their latest work. Players can also “like” individual posted pieces–basically like voting for their favorites–if they choose.

We all know that critiques from respected members of our industry sharpen our skills and make our work better. But in the end, clients benefit too–from work that is fresh, innovative, and reflective of some of the best creative thinking in the country.

(Note to clients: As important as feedback is, it’s trumped by client confidentiality. If you own the rights to a work in progress, we won’t post a “shot” of it without your permission.)