Posts by KA+A Staff

While at college, I’ve had many opportunities to develop, and redevelop, my own understanding of what it means to be a leader. Through example, observation, exposure, defining, reading, questioning, exploring, researching, and listening, I’ve documented several key components that can help curate a person’s character for optimum lead-ability.

A very pivotal event happened during one semester that has helped shape my identity as well as my desire to lead. As the year began, our class was split into groups of 6. Our goal as a group was to efficiently work together to solve real-world problems with realistic solutions. Among my team were two very dominant and assertive individuals, two somewhat dominant and assertive individuals, and two not so dominant or assertive individuals. We started…

“Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter.” – Design for the other 90%

These are startling statistics, despite the more socially aware we become each day. How then, can design become a dynamic force in saving and transforming lives, at home and around the world?

Recently I went to see my family in Ecuador. Even though I was excited and eager to get back to my country, I was already beginning to contemplate the design challenges that I would…

I finally got around to reading Purple Cow by Seth Godin. I know, in today’s standards of time, a five-year old book might as well be Gilgamesh. But I found its “aged” information to be quite enjoyable, and one page in particular is still stuck in my head. Its header simply read “Cheating,” and it went on to briefly describe eight high-profile companies and how they are doing just that. Here are a few of the book’s examples:

• Starbucks is cheating. The coffee bar phenomenon was invented by them, and now whenever we think of coffee, we think Starbucks.
• Amazon.com is cheating. Their free shipping and huge selection give them an unfair advantage over the neighborhood store.
• HBO is cheating. Because they have to program

Branding is something I’m passionate about, and my time as an intern at Kristian Andersen + Associates has helped me take that passion from an exciting dream to an exciting reality. That said, when I got the opportunity to do a freelance re-brand for a major operation, I offered my services up in a heartbeat and without charge. In all honesty, I felt like I should be paying them, not the other way around. While I’m happy with my experience, I’ve learned some lessons since then.

When young designers want to pad their portfolios with high-profile work, they’re often tempted to volunteer their services like I did. After all, most large companies don’t exactly jump for joy at the thought of paying a student for “amateur” work. And we…

Define Daily (03) : Brandmark

A brandmark, also known as a logo, is an essential component of any successful branding campaign. It is a visual element of brand identity and can appear as a symbol, a wordmark, or any combination of these devices. When driven by strategy, it transcends mere aesthetics and provides measurable value to organizations that embrace it as a competitive advantage. A well-executed brandmark becomes a lifelong asset to an organization by providing visibility, power and cachet.

Define Daily Archive :

• (01) : Brand / Brand Name
• (02) : UX

The late Dr. Seuss once said, “Only you can make your mind up! You’re the only one!”

As of yesterday, his theory is up for debate.

For the dithering souls of this world, Flickr’s co-founder has created Hunch.com–a website committed to helping you make decisions.

This could be beautiful. This could be tragic. I just don’t know.…

It’s not easy to be an intern these days. With everyone from college graduates to high school seniors vying over the same shallow pool of positions, we are left with plenty of fish on the sand. To top it off, many of those who get to swim are having to pay for the opportunity.

Needless to say, when Kristian Andersen + Associate’s extended their summer internship position to me, I was thrilled. The prospect of having a job at all was magical (my hometown had the biggest year-over-year unemployment increase in the nation), but the prospect of having a job that resonated with my personality was sublime.

Last fall, I was fortunate to hear Zappos.com’s CEO, Tony Hsieh, lecture on the importance of measuring…