Iteration & Integration
The Blog at Emerald Seven
From free-standing posts about what’s on our minds, to behind-the-scenes stories documenting the design process, the build, or other aspects of our projects, we hope you'll find something here to tickle your fancy, blow your hair back, float your boat, rock your socks off, or do whatever it is that suits you best. Enjoy!
Architecture
Branding
Conceptual
Digital
Musings
Product
Branding, Digital
Introducing Adaptive Reuse for Experience Design & Development
Does the word “redesign” terrify you? How about “adaptive reuse”? You don’t always need the all-in investment of a total redesign and rebuild. Blake Scott explains “adaptive reuse” in the context of digital experiences, and how we used an adaptive reuse strategy to reinvent our very own site, portent.com.
Read more.
Architecture
92nd Street Remodel & Addition: Before & After
Nothing like some dramatic “Before & After” photos to document a major residential remodel and addition! Explore everything from the front entry to the master bath – complete with a narrative about what we changed, and why – and learn what it took to give a house with an odd history a whole new chapter.
Read more.
Branding, Digital
It’s Party Time: Marley Natural Wins Some ADDYs!
Marley Natural won some ADDYs! This gal experienced the awards gala from the outside, but she’s super proud of Blake and the team for pulling it off award-winning style. Clock that as one Silver for design/dev, and another for the social campaign at the Seattle level, and then another Silver for design/dev at regionals! BOOM!
Read more.
Conceptual, Product
TECHlace 3D Printed Jewelry Proposal: Design Process
A behind-the-scenes look at the design process for the TECHlace entry to the 2015 Wonderluk Design Competition for 3D Printed Jewelry, discussing how the proposal was developed from concept through execution.
Read more.
Branding, Digital
Light It Up: Marley Natural International Brand Launch Website
Every journey has a story. This story takes you behind-the-scenes of our journey through integrative web design & development for the international brand launch of Marley Natural, the official cannabis brand of Bob Marley. From early concept ideation, to an early morning, high-profile launch, follow along the path that led to that moment of “lighting it up.”
Read more.
Architecture
Quick Fixes for Workspaces: The Creative Team Room at Portent, Inc.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all affected by our environment, both physically and emotionally. It impacts the work we do, and how we feel while doing it. Luckily, even a difficult space can be improved with a few, basic, low impact, low cost interventions.
Read more.
Architecture, Digital
What Does Architecture Have to Do with Web Design & Development?
There’s a good reason that information technology professionals have co-opted the terminology of traditional architects and engineers. The processes of creating physical spaces and information spaces require similar strategies for problem-solving, throughout design and development, and both are focused on handling complexity elegantly.
Read more.
Architecture
92nd Street Remodel & Addition: Early Design Sketches
Designing a house is no small endeavor, and visualizing ideas is key. Not everyone can imagine a space from an architectural drawing, so quickly executed graphic sketches can be very useful to communicate ideas as the design process unfolds. This collection explores an early phase of design for the 92nd Street Remodel & Addition.
Read more.
Branding
A Shot at a Yahoo Logo Revamp
Dear Yahoo, The ’90s called. They want their logo back... Yahoo just admitted publicly what people under 35 have known for years: they are the mascot of “Old People Internet.” Well, Yahoo, the time is ripe for you to build a cocoon, spend some time reorganizing your entire being, and then emerge relevant again. But, just one thing: it better be with a new logo, like, say, this one.
Read more.
Branding, Conceptual, Product
A ShoeBox for Nike Reuse-A-Shoe
The successful launch of the ShoeBox Installation on the University of Oregon campus caught the attention of Nike Corporate, who asked us to pull together a proposal for a ShoeBox customized for Nike Reuse-A-Shoe that could potentially boost shoe recycling collection at Nike stores.
Read more.
Branding, Product
ShoeBox Installation: The Build
The story behind the construction of the ShoeBox Installation, a philanthropic initiative at the University of Oregon, benefiting Nike Reuse-A-Shoe & Hope4Hoopers. The ShoeBox is a flagship shoe recycling bin built of salvaged materials, designed to promote – and encourage participation in – a campus-wide shoe collection drive led by “A Step in the Right Direction.”
Read more.
Musings, Product
Entering the FLOR Carpet Tile Design Contest
Sometimes, submitting to a design contest means submitting more than just your entry. Sometimes, it means submitting to using poorly-designed web tools. And, yes, sometimes, it means submitting to grinning and bearing it because it’s just not that big of a deal. But, still, please, everyone, retire your dated web tools! This is why.
Read more.
Digital, Musings
Serendipitous Juxtaposition: Sleuth & Substance, A Digital Pinboard
In the world of Pinterest and Tumblr, digital pinboards are all the rage, and for good reason. Curation is king, and I love it, but, let me tell you, this girl can organize the rest of you under the table, and yet sometimes, it’s still serendipitous juxtaposition that wins it all and drops the mic.
Read more.
Architecture, Conceptual
Post-Production Rendering: Before & After
Through the fog of the last term of architecture school, I realized I didn’t have any photorealistic renderings in my portfolio, and so, I dipped my toe in to explore what it takes to convert an image from barren to believable. What does it take? Boatloads, and boatloads of post-production.
Read more.
Product
Wedged Walnut Cabinet: The Build
A consolidated collection of posts on the construction/build process for the Wedged Walnut Cabinet, a one-off piece of furniture. Composed of walnut, formaldehyde-free MDF, and brushed steel, the Wedged Walnut Cabinet was built by hand in the wood shop at the University of Oregon School of Allied Arts.
Read more.
Product
Wedged Walnut Cabinet: Design Process
A consolidated collection of posts on the design process of the Wedged Walnut Cabinet, a one-off piece of hand-built furniture designed to become a modern heirloom. From early conceptual sketches and schemes that didn’t make the cut, to a final rendered proposal, trace the evolution of the project before it was realized in the wood shop.
Read more.
Product
Stealth Whimsy Side Table: The Build
A consolidated collection of posts on the construction/build process for the Stealth Whimsy Side Table, a one-off piece of conceptual furniture. Composed of ApplePly, laser cut acrylic, and hot rolled steel, the Stealth Whimsy Side Table was built by hand in the wood shop at the University of Oregon School of Allied Arts.
Read more.
Product
Stealth Whimsy Side Table: Design Process
A consolidated collection of posts on the design process of the Stealth Whimsy Side Table, a one-off piece of conceptual furniture that switches between “rest” and “play” at the whim of the user. The table thereby draws attention to itself, taking a firm stance in support of a Side Table Revolution.
Read more.Did we pique your interest?
How about a taking a gander at the services we offer, or exploring our portfolio?
Our Design, Development, and Content Services
Our agile creative studio based in Seattle offers services in interdisciplinary design, modern web development, and custom-crafted content. We love to work in both digital and physical media, and can help you strategize how to best leverage your web presence and print collateral to meet your needs.
Our Integrated Portfolio of Work
Check out the glamour shots of our work, explore a little about how these projects came to be, and learn about how their design and development characteristics support their success. If you ever have any questions about a project and whether or not an aspect of it could suit your needs, don’t hesitate to ask.
Can we help you with anything?
Or, would you like to join our (rarely used) mailing list?
Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have for us about our services, our work, or anything else that’s got you curious.
