For the past couple of months, we have been working with Lynn Terry Photography to create a new identity system and website.

The new site features the ability to add new images, portfolio categories, and news without knowing a lick of programming, making it easier to keep the site updated and fresh.

This should prove to be a great tool since one of the biggest questions we are asked is, “Can I update it myself?” For this website, the answer is simply YES! YES! YES! Check it out.

With ’social networking’ being a keyword in everyone’s vocabulary these days, starting a Facebook Group or MySpace page is often a first step in reaching out through the online community. Of course, the popularity and success of Facebook and MySpace haven’t gone unnoticed by other online ventures trying to meet the increasing demand and needs of social networking, and have led to a number of spin-offs with their own approaches. One site that has recently been in the spotlight is Ning, a social community site that allows users to join and also create their own social networks. In most aspects Ning functions similarly to Facebook groups – free and easy to set up, a quick way to reach out to people online. However, there are a few added elements that make it unique.

Some of the cool features of Ning:

• Each social network created has a simple url, in the form of www.networkname.ning.com – this makes it easy to remember and link to from emails and other sites.
• Visitors can create usernames unique to each social network. Rather than having to join the massive and exposed network of facebook in order to view groups, you can join a small network focusing on your specialized interest (i.e. hobbies, place of employment, charity group, etc).
• Network organizers can customize the appearance of the web pages, using templates, adding graphics, and organizing widgets.
• Organizers can post events, general announcements, and control viewability and membership.
• Registered users can post comments, forum topics, videos, music, photos, and links.

The applications for Ning are endless – great for educators, activity clubs, neighborhood associations, local retail, entertainment venues, fan clubs, and so forth.

Check it out!

For the past couple of years, the team at Big Wheel has donated time to create and maintain a small micro-site for a charity Golf Outing for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

So if you are interested in supporting our troops and love golf, it’s a great opportunity to show your support. The event takes place Sunday, August 30, 2009. Visit www.semperfigolf.com to learn more.

My son’s teacher e-mailed us a PowerPoint presentation that my son did for one of his third grade assignments. Besides the fact that it was kind of cute and it was teaching him computer and communication skills, it’s still PowerPoint.

PowerPoint is an epidemic of misguided expression that has taken over the board room. Sitting through meetings comprised of oodles of meaningless slides has become a corporate skill set, not to mention the “art” of creating such masterpieces.

AND THEY ARE EMBEDDING THIS INTEREST EARLY IN GRADE SCHOOL!

But the revolution is near. Neglected briefs, memos and whitepapers are organizing a revolt. Their leaders are Edward Tufte and David Byrne. Mr. Tufte, the godfather of information architecture, published an essay a few years ago titled “The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within” which is very critical of the effectiveness of PowerPoint presentations and continues the fight to this day. Mr. Byrne, of Talking Heads fame, created a satirical art exhibition using only PowerPoint with its drawing tools and the included clip art to poke fun at how business people communicate and how “good” the tools they use are. And there are others, like Steve Jobs of Apple, who’s always noted for his masterful presentations void of bullet points and maybe even Al Gore for his global warming triumph.

I guess it’s good my son will be able to express himself in the vernacular of his peers, but I’m afraid we’re stuck with PowerPoint lunches for at least another generation.

Make you smart.

American Express Open has created a site/blog, Open Forum, with content contributed by some of the brightest entrepreneurial thinkers in the game today. With names like Guy Kawasaki and Seth Godin writing articles regularly, it’s one of the best sources of business information I’ve found.

A strong identity can make or break you. Without it, a good business can look subpar. With it, it can lead to great things, shape human perception, and add credibility to your organization before anyone even does research about what you are truly all about.

Creating strong identities is one thing we particularly enjoy, as often times, these initial decisions help shape the future successes of things to come. Above is a sampling of some of the identities we have been fortunate to work on. Enjoy!

As a fan of designer Marian Bantjes’ work, I often frequent her web site to see what new and inspiring things she’s working on. She recently posted about a project for PennySmash, an art initiative in Toronto. You know those machines at the zoo where you put a penny in and crank, and you receive back a flattened copper oval with an alligator or elephant on it? Well PennySmash is just like that, but instead you’re getting your own little piece of art! Marian Bantjes is currently one of several artist to have created a design for this machine. There’s something so pleasant about exchanging a couple dollars and a penny in return for a token of creativity, yours to keep or regift or do what you like. This reminds me of a similar venture I encountered in Chicago at the Chicago Cultural Center – the Art-o-Mat. Art-o-Mat outfits old cigarette vending machines to also sell small pieces of art. For the same price as a pack of cigarettes, you can take home a piece of art from a local artist. I took a look at their locations page, and as it turns out, there is an Art-o-Mat machine in St. Louis’ own COCA! I’ll definitely have to check it out.

Art by Shawn Hazen, 'Empathy' penny by Marian Bantjes