A big gracias to all our friends and clients who stopped by to enjoy the festivities. We also want to thank Cooking Girl Christa Carretero for the amazing food! For those of you who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you next year. Remember, it is always the first Friday in May, so mark it down on your calendars now!

We have posted photos from our Fiesta photo booth and from our friend and gracious photographer Jameson Harding! Be sure to check out the fun and merriment on our Facebook fan page.

The OKC bus map we just finished for COTPA will be available in print later in the year; we will let you know as soon as it is off the press! In the meantime, plan your ride with the online version, available on the METRO Transit website.

A completely open view of one side of the map.

Textual identification of routes.

A selection of the legend showing the route key.

A close-up of the Transit Center in Downtown OKC.

It seems like we have gotten something in the mail every day this week about holiday promotions. I can’t believe it’s that time of year already!

I know with the economy the way it is, more and more people are going to send electronic greetings and use social media to convey their sentiments this coming holiday season. But it seems to me, especially in times like these, the things that really stand out are the paper things, the printed things, the beautiful things you get in the mail that you can touch and feel. The kind of pieces that people keep.

Now, if you have 100,000 plus customers I know it is much more expensive to deliver a custom made holiday card. However, if you traditionally send out 1,000 to 5,000 pieces, often you can afford a custom design.

For those of you considering this option, you may be wondering what on earth you will put on your cards and how they can be used as an effective marketing tool. The truth is, the best designs evolve through a process that begins with an objective that fits with your business strategy and ends with a creative, functional, beautiful solution, because every piece of communication is part of your brand.

The final card or holiday promotion should reflect your company’s key message(s) to your employees and your customers. Think about the impression you want to leave on the person who receives this card. What does your holiday greeting say about the way you do business?

For instance, if you want to promote your company’s green efforts, then obviously the design should use sustainable materials and your message should be that of sustainability.

Whereas, if you intend your message to be sensitive to the current economic climate, your card can reflect the concept of conservatism and express appreciation for clients and the business they give. You can also focus on sincere traditions of the holiday season that don’t cost anything, like spreading joy, thoughtfulness and care for your fellow man.

In the end, no matter what your message is or how you send it, you are leaving an impression. It should be memorable and intentional, and for the holidays, wonderful.

Happy Holidays.

She will be honored at the Design Legends Gala at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City this September. Fellows are designers who “have made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community as well as in their local AIGA chapter.”

Sarah has truly contributed to the local design community. In 1996, she founded the Oklahoma chapter of AIGA. She served as president from 1996-1999 and as a board member and advisor for more than a decade. In 2004, Sarah was chosen for the Journal Record’s “Achievers under 40” and for “Forty under 40” in OKCBusiness. Sarah has also been honored as a three-time finalist for the Journal Record Woman of the Year and 2006 marked her induction into the Circle of Excellence.

Sarah is only the second designer from Oklahoma to be honored with this prestigious award and we at S Design are very proud of our fearless leader.

Follow sdesigninc on twitter and get an inside look into Sarah’s trip to NYC!

The simple aim of our blog is to share with you some of the knowledge we have gained over the years, give you a glimpse into our corporate culture here at S Design and just put up useful, entertaining and interesting stuff.

You can expect to find a new blog post here every week, so be on the look-out!

In the meantime, we value your feedback. So, if you have any comments or suggestions, or have something you want to learn about, then post a comment. It will be great to hear from you.

The Clampitt Bowling Classic, sponsored by Clampitt Paper, Neenah and Sappi, was a blast. S Design’s team, while not very good, still had a great time. And the poster/invite designed by yours truly was a hit!