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Last month Twitter announced photo tagging and the ability to upload up to four photos to a tweet. In a continued effort to move away from the straight text filled timeline, Twitter announced a complete redesign of their profile pages on their official blog last month.

The new design takes a few visual cues Facebook and it all starts at the top. Your profile now has a large header image that expands the width of the browser window. This goes along with a profile photo that is layered above the left column and the cover image. Stuck to the header image you’ll see the common Twitter navigation items with their respective counts; including Following, Followers and a large ‘Follow’ button. The individual details for the profile, including bio, location and website, appear move to the left column under the profile photo. Rounding out the left column we have links to Photos/Videos and the shared followers with the user.

Tweets take center stage as the main column contains the main feed. Along the top of the feed you get two tabs to flip between: “Tweets” and “Tweets with Replies,” highlighting how users interact with each other within the Twitter world. Using the new Facebook Newsfeed as a reference, tweets that contain Videos and Photos now show a large preview within the timeline. Showing videos/photos in the feed keeps the user engaged with visual content without leaving the feed.

The timeline also has two new features that are worth highlighting. First is the ability to pin a tweet to the top of the timeline. This allows users to highlight a specific announcement or information without having to retweet it every 2 hours; Fast Company points out that “this acts as almost a supplement to your bio: while the latter tells people information about you, the pinned tweet is a snapshot of what you’re all about now”. The other feature is the appearance of “Most Popular” tweets in a timeline. Twitter has always tracked tweets and shown the number of interactions they received. Now, they are using those stats to display the most favorite and retweeted posts, with a larger font size.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the new navigation below the header image when it sticks below the main navigation (fixed at the top of the window) as you scroll down the timeline. It is really strange that there is a gap in between the navigation bars—it looks more like a mistake than anything else. I would have preferred to have those links fixed along the left or right sidebar to clean up the header area as you scroll down. Another interesting issue that some of our clients have experienced is that it is no longer possible to add photos or patterns to the background of a Twitter page—instead users are limited to selecting solid colors only. This is meant to avoid distracting from the twitter feed, but some users will miss this feature.

Overall, it is a fantastic redesign. It shows that Twitter believes visual content is very important to its future, while showcasing Twitter as a user-friendly platform to new users. Detractors will point out that the new profiles are similar to Facebook; but this doesn’t take away from the fact that the cleaner, more visually engaging layout is a sure winner for Twitter.

By: Emilio Servigon, Web Designer & Developer

What do you do when your nation’s flag is too similar to the country right next door? When other countries confuse your nation’s flag with the other? Or when over half the population no longer thinks that it is relevant to them or represents the diversity of people living there? These are the questions that Kiwis from New Zealand have been debating and will possibly be voting on later this year.

Can you identify which of these flags belongs to which country? In case you couldn’t spot the subtle differences between the Australia flag (on the right) and New Zealand’s flag (on the left), you’re not alone—even officials in Canada displayed the wrong flag throughout Ottawa when Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke visited in 1985.

The problem with Australia and New Zealand’s flags, aside from differentiating the two fierce rivals, is that they both use the Southern Cross constellation of stars on blue. From a perception and nationalistic point of view, many in New Zealand feel that their national flag doesn’t truly represent their culture or values; especially the qualities of the indigenous Maori people.

The similarities between Australia and New Zealand’s flags are not an isolated issue. Several former British colonies, now part of the Commonwealth of Nations, face the same dilemma in that it is hard to distinguish one from another just by viewing their flags.

This “branding” problem stems from the days of the former British Empire—when flags based on naval insignia and colors were used to identify the territories administered by the English crown. All of these flags incorporated the Union Jack (United Kingdom flag) displayed on a red, blue, or white field. A corresponding crest, pattern or other graphic device was then used to signify individual colonies. Many of these nations are still part of the Commonwealth of Nations, and use the same flags from Imperial times to distinguish their national identity.

The debate that is currently raging regarding changing New Zealand’s flag is how best to represent the country’s diversity, character, and values. Ideas for a new flag include changing the flag to that of the country’s beloved All Blacks rugby team: a black flag with a silver fern. Such a drastic change would be similar to the one that Canada went through in 1965, when it changed from its Imperial-rooted flag to the now ubiquitous and beloved Maple Leaf.

While the debate over the Kiwi flag is far from over (a recent vote in their parliament tabled the conversation for now), it is very likely that a new flag will be designed and flown soon. Branding New Zealand by adopting a new flag will help build perception and relevance in the eyes of its people, as well as differentiate them from the Aussies next door.

By: Ryan Hembree, Principal | Brand & Creative Strategy

Jimmy Fallon is having quite the career—from SNL, to film, to having an ice cream named after him, to late night, to hosting the Emmy’s, to becoming the host of The Tonight Show. He seems like a guy that has worked, and worked extremely hard, to get where he is. While some people are disappointed that Jimmy has taken over The Tonight Show, many are delighted to have his fresh personality as the new host. Fallon seems like a good evolution to late night comedy: less standing on a stage and saying funny jokes, and a more modern approach using skits and viral video to get a laugh.

His previous endeavor, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, was incredibly successful. He has a knack for getting well known celebrities to join him in ridiculous comedic skits, allowing him to take advantage of the more accessible YouTube approach to comedy. But I’m not here to rave about Fallon, let’s talk about the new identity for The Tonight Show.

The new identity, produced by Pentagram’s Emily Oberman, uses a simplistic sans-serif logotype encased inside a full, silver-ish moon. This is a big change from the crescent moon, which had been in use since 1962, when Johnny Carson took over as host from Jack Parr. The new look utilizes the full moon as a vessel for the logotype. The chosen typeface has a metropolitan feel without being too delicate, which is perfect for the show’s move from California to New York. The first and last letters, “T” and “N”, break the border in almost a perfect diagonal across the moon. Using both left and right alignment creates an eccentric feel, but a strict underlying grid brings it all back together.

Comparing the new Tonight Show logo to the “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” one is bittersweet. “Late Night’s” logo used bright colors and an overall more “fun” approach—with a slightly compressed typeface and a distinctly funky “J” that was just weird enough to be perfect for late night. The bright colors were a nice touch as well, symbolizing the charismatic and outgoing Fallon. The new logo, however, does not have these characteristics, but perhaps is more appropriate to be a bit toned down, less outgoing and more “classy.” When Conan made his run at The Tonight Show, the logo introduced for him was beyond strange, and looked more like a game show than the longest running, regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States.

The campaign leading up to Fallon’s takeover was executed in a stylish way, using the exaggerated moon in different photos of the New York landscape and next to iconic landmarks. Using de-saturated colors and perfectly planned perspectives, the new logo lives in smart spaces. Personally, I like the contrast between Jimmy’s fun, almost ridiculous personality and the new look—if it was as outgoing and strange as Fallon, we would hear people saying that it makes him seem unprofessional, or too “out there.” This is The Tonight Show, and that alone deserves a logo that can be respected and enjoyed for many years. Overall, I think Oberman achieved that goal and has well exceeded it by creating a perfectly integrated campaign.

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In developing the new Tonight Show logo, Oberman and her team investigated the history of the late night television universe, using circles. Definitely worth taking a look at the infographic, below (click on the image):

By: Neil Ryan, Art Director

When I think of any private label brand, an ultra-generic package with simple text describing what’s inside often comes to mind. Rice Pops, Corn Flakes, Detergent. Even the names sound generic. No interjection of style, no slick marketing buzz words, and very little thought taken into consideration. Take for example the picture below.

The premise that a store brand has to exude a “cheap” look is broken by a snack artist–one in particular. Appropriately dubbed ‘The Snack Artist,’ Safeway’s private label packaging is quite the opposite of “cheap” or “generic looking.” It is playful, whimsical and unlike many other store brands, actually has some personality.

It’s not uncommon for a private label brand to have good design (see Target’s Archer Farms brand), but Safeway’s brand has a different overarching theme with clever names and interesting doodles. Each product has a photo of the enclosed item, placed front and center (and if that is where the design stopped, this article wouldn’t exist). Inked on top of that image (always in black), is an illustration that takes this packaging from bland to flavorful. The illustration style has much personality with thick and thin lines, and the interaction between photo-realistic and illustration adds to the personality. There is a nice balance between illustration and product image–giving a glimpse into a deeper story.

The naming goes hand in hand with the illustration: “Mariacheese” next to an Amigo using a triangle-shaped Nacho Cheese Tortilla Chip as a musical instrument is perfectly executed. The front center does not feature the name of the item, and I couldn’t be more delighted. There is something to be said for letting the image and illustration elements take the main stage of each package and creating an interaction between the buyer and the package.

The personality is written (or drawn) all over the package, and all of this personality makes me think I am buying something more unique, not just a pre-boxed food item—something that could be framed and hung on a wall. And at a much lower cost than a large brand, this is a huge benefit, making this a win/win for both Safeway and the customer.

By: Justin Leatherman, Art Director

7-Eleven is a convenience store and gas station with more than 51,000 locations around the world. Their Big Gulps, Slurpees, hot dogs and other snacks are enjoyed by millions in 16 different countries. 7-Eleven has been known as a place for the not-so-health-conscious­; until now. The chain is beginning to change from the inside out.

As 7-Eleven shifts its target demographic to health-conscious women and millennials, it realized it needed to change its identity. From an updated logo, to a new interior design, to restocking shelves with healthier options, 7-Eleven is continuing to transform its retail stores—thanks to a little help from WD Partners (Dublin, OH).

WD, a company specializing in customer experience for global food and retail brands, began to innovate 7-Eleven’s customer experience with a fresh update to the logo. The outdated, 43-year-old logo looked as though it was ready to retire, with its ever-present green and orange stripes and nocturnal, greasy rest stop feel. The new logo looks modern and fresh, while maintaining a connection to the former identity through the use of a red and orange color scheme and the numeral “7.” It places an all-lowercase “eleven” to the right of the “7”, except for smaller placements, when it appears across the seven on a bright green background.

The fresh logo compliments the interior’s new, “green” feel. The overall design of the stores includes bright colored paint accents, white tiles, granite flooring, green furniture, and food stations marked with light, catchy sayings in simple serif fonts. It appears as though 7-Eleven is trying to create an all-natural vibe, saying “so long” to processed foods and “hello” to healthier, freshly made edibles.

I am impressed with both the external and internal changes 7-Eleven is beginning to implement throughout its stores. Many retail stores advertise to try and fool their customers into believing they are achieving a healthier lifestyle; or change their look. 7-Eleven, however, is actually going beyond their fresh rebrand and revitalizing their menu to incorporate a new line of fresh foods, such as lean turkey and yogurt parfaits, while taking existing products and slimming them down into smaller portions. Not only does 7-Eleven’s new brand look good, but it tastes good and is better for you, too.

By: Ashley Faubel, Designer

All images from FastCompany.

Started in 2008 in New York City, CreativeMornings is a breakfast lecture series for creative people, open to anyone and free to attend. Attendees are treated to breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning every month. Today, it has grown to 58 chapter cities that host CreativeMornings talks every month, all organized by volunteer members and all around the same global theme.

In September, after a successful Kickstarter campaign that gathered donations from 1,200 individuals, CreativeMornings launched their new web presence.  The first interactions with it make it feel friendly and easy to navigate. The homepage has a very clear message that includes an introduction to the program, the latest global theme and the upcoming events.

Comparing this site to other talk-centric websites such as TED or BigThink, we can see that CreativeMornings has focused more on content and left unnecessary, flashy elements aside. The presentation of the homepage is clear, modern and concise; nothing feels over the top and all of the content serves a purpose, even the section below the fold that displays all of the social media content. This area helps showcase the community aspect that has helped CreativeMornings grow throughout the years.

I’ve followed CreativeMornings primarily as a source of creatively inspiring talks, which makes the complete archive of every single talk a perfect place to start digging into the site. The ‘Talks’ page offers a comprehensive filtering system that allows users to separate talks by different search criteria, including: Themes, Language and Location. Once the user clicks on a specific talk, we are treated to a large viewing area above the fold, and below more details about the talk including the Chapter, a short bio of the speaker, and technical details of that particular day such as location, date and sponsors for the day.

Another aspect that separates CreativeMornings from other conference-like events is the sense of community. The new website encourages users to sign up and be part of a global network of attendees. Users can tag quotes, share talk photos, and post comments on each individual talk page. You can also create a profile, follow other attendees, and save talks to watch later.

Overall, CreativeMornings a beautiful site full of vibrant colors and a great contrast between images and complementary elements. The City chapters are color coordinated, with their own three-letter code. Built with responsive technology, the site degrades perfectly across mobile devices, with only slight changes in the navigation. After what I would consider a successful redesign, CreativeMornings now has a web presence that pairs well with the great content they have providing creative individuals for the past five years.

By: Emilio Servigon, Web Designer