Come Celebrate with us in our New Office!

From rainbows to FroYos, 5 Points has everything, including one grateful design studio with some awesome clients and friends. Please join us in our new digs as we celebrate the new year and all things 5 Points.

We’ll also be celebrating the addition of two new team members, Project Manager Chrissy Sedgley and Senior Art Director Jessi Bruton.

We’re on the 4th floor of the 5 Points Theater Building in Suite 401. There will be pizza, beer from Intuition Ale Works, popcorn and hopefully you!

Wednesday, January 11th
5PM – 8PM
RSVP@wingardcreative.com

Congratulations to Our Best of Jax 2011 Award Winning Clients!

Another year brings another Folio Weekly Best of Jax poll, a comprehensive list of superlatives for Northeast Florida living. The annual ballot was filled out by the people all over the area. As the results came in we were more than pleased to see a few of our friends and clients getting the praise they deserve from the area they call home. Join us in celebrating their success!

Restaurant Orsay — Best Restaurant to Impress a Date

Neil Armingeon of St. Johns Riverkeeper — Best Environmental Activist

Intuition Ale Works — Best Neighborhood Bar in Jax

Jim Draper — Best Local Artist

The Cummer Museum and Gardens — Best Museum

Mellow Mushroom — Best Bar to go to After Work; Best Restaurant (Orange Park/Fleming Island); Best Pizza (Orange Park/Fleming Island)

It was an odd coincidence that Jacksonville’s first remotely chilly night of the season occurred on the same evening as AIGA Jacksonville’s Always Summer Poster Show. The annual event prompts designers to take their favorite song of the summer and translate it into poster form. Luckily, the large crowd brought temperatures inside the gallery space right back up to beautiful tropic temperatures.

With inspirations ranging from the guttural underground favorite Tom Waits, to the universally known Kanye West, it proved to be a pretty diverse pool of posters from students, professionals, non-designers and professors.

Naturally, the Wingard Creative crew couldn’t resist the urge to participate with a few posters of our own. Katie was inspired by The Avalanches’ “Since I Left You,” Caitlin based her piece on The Drums’ “Let’s Go Surfing,” and intern Andy interpreted Frank Turner’s “If Ever I Stray.” Our pieces were hung around the wistfully decorated Thieves in the Knight gallery, set to the ultimate summer mixtape, orchestrated by designer/DJ Dennis Eusebio.

Taking the top spot with his interpretation of “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was Bryant Hardwick. Congratulations to Bryant, and everyone who participated. We had a fantastic time, and we can’t wait to see what Summer 2012 will bring!

Conquering the World of Useless Restaurant Websites, One Client at a Time

Slate.com recently featured an incredibly spot-on article about the phenomenon of hideous restaurant websites. From twenty second animations of a chef’s signature to pounding techno bass lines and buttons without labels, a significant percentage of restaurant websites are loaded with web cliches from the 90’s. While diners at large are searching desperately to find menu pricing, directions and phone numbers, many restaurant sites are too busy trying to curate an “experience” that actually keeps users from getting what they want: easy to find, simple to navigate content.

At Wingard Creative, we love working with businesses to create a web presence that give users easy access to the content they need while reflecting the personality and story of the brand. We also love when a client makes it incredibly easy to do so. The website redesign of Restaurant Orsay has been the perfect example of this. We had so much fun building a site that showcases the amazing personality of their restaurant (not to mention their delicious cuisine). The owners of Orsay were brought together by their passion for food, attention to detail, and sense of irreverence that is seen in every part of their establishment. We wanted to share the story of dining there: an intimate, elegant experience of enjoying carefully curated, artisan meals.

We don’t usually begin a design with the mindset of using seven different typefaces, but for a restaurant who thrives on bringing together a variety of elements, it just worked. (About: Hefty, Menu: Raleway, Private Dining: EngraversMT, Hours: Old Standard TT, Reservations: Univers 59, Body Copy: Georgia, Secondary Navigation: Helvetica). Putting them together was a lot of fun. The word “artisan” really inspired that. We wanted the type to reflect the feel of hand-picked, handcrafted, somewhat eclectic collage of “ingredients” that come together to make up something unique but sophisticated.

Keeping the focus on the impact of typography also stayed in line with our goal of a simple user experience. Visitors to the site can immediately make reservations, get directions through Google Maps, call the restaurant, or see what special events are happening with just one click. All of the menus are available on the site in normal web text that allows for easy searching, copying, or pasting. Because we built the site with a full content management system, Orsay can quickly update menu items on the spot, whenever they change (which happens quite frequently at a restaurant whose focus is on local and seasonal ingredients).

Sharing the look and feel of the restaurant was also simple, thanks to amazing photography. Orsay worked with photographer Jensen Hande before they even contacted us about redesigning their site, and we couldn’t have asked for better inspiration. Because we had his photos to reference from the very beginning, we knew they were good enough to carry a lot of the visual load and accomplish the impact Orsay was looking for. The photos flood the background and also flood the senses, allowing the viewer to gain a real feel for what a dining experience at Orsay would be like.

Many of the photos also reference the intimacy of the restaurant by showing a side of it that most people never see, like the kitchen prep and the ticket stubs. That glimpse into the smaller workings of the restaurant was really important to Orsay, to show how much they care about the smallest details, which again reflects that artisan idea.

There was a lot of hard work that went into the site and we made our client really happy, which makes us really happy. They used the phrases “sick” and “on time” a lot, which if you know them, is a very good thing. It may just be one website, but when it comes to changing the landscape of restaurant sites, that’s the best place to start.

Are you always looking for more efficient ways to do things? Does SASS make you smile? Do you immediately "inspect element" when you see a cool new piece of web magic? Then we'd like to meet you.

The person we’re looking for has a passion for the web and all the possibilities it offers. They keep up with forward-focused technology (CSS3, HTML5, latest CMS versions, APIs, OpenID, semantics) and are always bringing new ideas to the table. They know their way around a PC, but are happiest on a Mac. They are a super-nerd, ready to turn a beautiful design into a fully interactive, content-managed website.

NOTE email example sites and resume to crystal@wingardcreative.com and be sure to include the words “Web Developer” in the subject line.

Skills Required

• Find joy in taking flat design comps and making them interactive interfaces (with keen attention to detail)
• Intermediate-level skills with XHTML, CSS, Photoshop, and Illustrator that are rooted in best practices, validation, testing, compatibility, and performance
• Talented user of JavaScript libraries such as jQuery (and can write basic JavaScript by hand when necessary)
• Usability and Cross browser testing (IE7 +)
• General experience with server-side code such as PHP or Ruby on Rails and enjoy learning more
• Solid understanding of programming logic: conditionals, loops, arrays, and so forth.
• Know and enjoy using ExpressionEngine, Wordpress, or other blogging/CMS software
• Resourcefulness
• Appreciate that web standards, accessibility, and usability are essential to uphold.
• Enjoy variety in their work, but remain committed to projects that take weeks of focused effort to complete.
• Able to meet deadlines and manage multiple projects at once.

Awesome BONUS Skills (but not required)

• Blogging / Writing
• Advanced PHP/Ruby coding ability
• Video production
• UI Design
• Mobile App development
• HTML5 animation

Responsibilities

• Website development
• HTML/CSS production
• Hosting and server management
• Blog development
• Client interaction
• Provide reliable ballpark estimates for front-end tasks/deliverables
• Communicating with designers to create solutions
• Time tracking

Benefits

• 5 Points location
• Casual work environment
• Cool clients
• Flexible hours
• Free soda, candy and beer
• Team oriented
• Apple equipment (we’re an all Mac shop)
• Flexibility to define your role and future

MedMal Direct saves doctors money. Plain and simple. And that’s what we wanted to communicate in our latest project for them. MedMal Direct came to us with an idea for a simple video that would quickly explain to doctors why MedMal is the better choice.

We came up with this short, illustrated ad with a friendly, approachable feel and a to-the-point script. We incorporated the apple concept from the logo into most of the scenes, which worked out well.

We also worked with a local video production team, Dripsblack, to animate our illustrations and create an original score. There were a lot of ideas tossed back and forth, drawing revisions, timing tweaks and just general changes that made the project so much better than if we’d just done it alone. We learned a lot about the process of bringing our drawings to life, but as much as we learned, it still kind of feels like magic and we like it that way. They were a dream to work with and we can’t wait for a chance to collaborate with them again. Anyone need a video?

Caroline discovers the true meaning of "farm to table" and learns about eating locally in Jacksonville

Restaurant Orsay is recognized for its fabulously fresh food, and I wanted to witness the freshness first hand by following the food from the farm to the plate! Over the past week, I have followed eggs from being laid in the chicken’s coop at Black Hog Farm to dressing a hamburger sunny side up.

It all began Sunday morning when I took a drive down to East Palatka to see the chickens at Black Hog Farm. Luke, the owner of Black Hog Farm, gave me a tour of the farm and even let me collect eggs with him in the chicken coop. I was a little shy towards the hens, since they were literally surrounding me and definitely not afraid of me. Luke simply took the eggs from all of the nest boxes, put them in an egg carton, and stacked the cartons up to go in the truck for delivery. I was amazed to see the amount of space these hens had to dig in the dirt, lay eggs in the nest boxes, and eat their freshly blended feed, produced from Intuition Ale Works’ spent grain. While I was there, I also visited the huge hogs that were enjoying the mud from Saturday night’s rain. I got a kick out of these almost 500 lb. animals acting like puppies, coming up to the fence for some attention (or food) from Luke. I got a little nervous when a sow was following us around outside of her pen, but Luke didn’t seem to mind. Other animals hanging out on the farm were turkeys, donkeys, pigs, roosters, and more.

The next egg checkpoint was at Restaurant Orsay for the delivery of the Black Hog Farm eggs! Tuesday morning, I went to Orsay and watched Luke take the same types of cartons I saw filled at the farm off of the truck and into the Orsay kitchen. The eggs were now in the hands of Orsay’s executive chef, Brian Siebenschuh. Later that day the eggs would be cleaned and ready for cooking.

Thursday afternoon, I finally got to go to Orsay to witness the cooking of an egg and participate in the tasting of an egg. When I walked into the Orsay kitchen, I once again recognized the egg cartons from the delivery as Chef Brian and I cleaned off the eggs not once but twice to make sure they were perfect. We put the eggs in the first container full of water, rubbed the dirt off with a clean dish sponge, placed them in the second container of water, brushed them off again with a clean dish sponge, then they were ready for the frying pan! Orsay’s General Manager, Crystal Vessels, invited me back into the heat of the kitchen where an egg and a burger were on the stove, cooking for yours truly. Crystal posted me up at the bar with one of their famous Pear Jalapeno Margaritas while I awaited the burger.

The burger came out looking beautiful. It had a sunny side up egg right on top with peppers, lettuce, and onions served on the side along with mouth watering french fries—yum! My first big bite was absolutely delicious; the burger was cooked to perfection and the egg on top gave it a totally new taste! I washed down the salted fries with an ice cold Intuition draft beer. My taste testing was definitely the best part of my “following the food” adventure. The Orsay staff was so friendly and the food was out of this world!

During my visit to Restaurant Orsay, Crystal explained to me why fresh, local food is so important to the Riverside restaurant. “There are so many reasons why we choose to serve the food we do—the freshest food does ultimately taste better, but beyond that, we are part of a community that supports each other,” Crystal said. From Intuition’s spent grain to Black Hog Farm’s eggs to Restaurant Orsay’s eggy burger, the First Coast community can appreciate the freshest food and the local relationships that make it.

Caroline explores the Intuition Ale Works brewery and learns about Women's Intuition Night

Intuition Ale Works has developed a great new way to raise money for charity with their weekly Women’s Intuition Night. Every Thursday night, women receive $1 off pints of beer while Intuition donates $1 from each pint sold to the charity spotlighted for that month. This non-traditional fundraising approach has proven to be beneficial to both Intuition Ale Works and to the chosen charity of the month.

Intuition has hosted an array of charities for Women’s Intuition Night since March, like North Florida Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, St. John’s Riverkeeper, Community Connections and Second Harvest Food Bank. Business Manager Cari Sanchez-Potter says they are booked until the end of the year, and she hasn’t had to call a single charity! Coming up in the roster will be charities like Children’s Miracle Network, Cathedral Arts Project, Sulzbacher Center and more. Each month Intuition will promote the charity with posters and flyers in the Intuition Tap Room and host their Thursday Women’s Intuition Nights for that charity. Intuition just might brew the charity their own special beer, like Riverkeeper Red, which was available during the month of April for the St. John’s Riverkeeper.

Cari says that the turnout each month depends not only on Intuition’s promotions but also on how well the charity promotes the event. Intuition finds that Women’s Intuition Nights have the best turnout when the charity has a main event in the same month. This way, the Women’s Intuition Night and the charitable event correlate, promoting each other. For example, the National MS Society incorporated their Mud Run with Women’s Intuition Nights giving each team a certain week to raise money towards their goal. It was a fun way for the members of each team to invite all of their friends out to donate at Intuition Ale.

Brewer and owner, Ben Davis, came up with the idea of Women’s Intuition Nights to get more women in to the Tap Room. Ben’s theory is if they can get more women in the brewery, then they will certainly attract more men! The promotional exposure for both groups has allowed Women’s Intuition Nights to be beneficial to both Intuition Ale Works and to the charity of the month.

During my visit to Intuition, I also had the opportunity to tour the brewery. It was so interesting to see the brewing process—from their imported German hops through their gigantic fermentation containers to their kegs, sitting in their 32 degree walk-in freezer. The Intuition crew is so enthusiastic about their brewery and would love to give you a tour. Tours are given on Saturday by appointment so please email Cari at cari@intuitionale.com. For more information on Women’s Intuition Nights check out Intuition’s website or shoot Cari an email!

Caroline talks with Jim Draper about the background of his work, his new King Street studio, and his passion for Florida's environment.

Friday morning I (Caroline) had the privilege of meeting and interviewing one of Jacksonville’s most recognized artists, Jim Draper. As a student at Ole Miss, I enjoyed visiting with him about his hometown of Kosciusko, Mississippi and his college experience in Oxford, which sounded much similar to mine. It took us a few minutes to get into the interview, because although we had never met we had many small connections. Jim still has family in Oxford and a niece who I have briefly met at Ole Miss! His son, James, was just a year above me in grade school and his wife, Anne, was my elementary school librarian. As you can probably tell, I get a kick out of small world connections.

We eventually got to the questions I had prepared to ask him. Jim says he always knew he wanted to be an artist and his childhood exposure to Mississippi’s woods made Florida’s nature feel exotic, almost like a foreign country. He is interested in landscape—not so much people or buildings constructed by people. Since plenty of people paint landscapes, I asked him how he makes his landscapes so magical (if you have ever seen one of his paintings, then you know what I’m talking about). His answer was that his paintings are not pictorial; they are narratives. They are not narratives in the sense that they are easily translated, but they are narrative because he incorporates nature’s relationships within its ecosystem. For example, his latest project, “Feast of Flowers,” depicts marsh hibiscuses. By giving the painting a closer look, you can see holes in the leaves of the hibiscus where the caterpillars have munched through the greenery. Although you cannot see the caterpillars, you can see the relationship between the hibiscus and the caterpillars. Jim’s “Feast of Flowers” represents Florida as “La Florida,” the peninsula discovered by Ponce de Leon with limited human activity.

Another new project for Jim is his move to his new studio. Jim is trying to get away from the retail-like feel of his old studio and gravitate towards a warehouse without interruption. “It was difficult to answer to walk-ins if I was painting in the back, especially if I had laid a 20 minute glaze that I had to attend to,” Jim said. His new studio will be further down King Street towards the I-10 overpass, and Jim will be available by appointment. “The economy changed everything and the world must get smarter,” Jim said. Jim is moving towards an online presence, which is why he had Crystal Jones at Wingard Creative help him create a “simple” website. Jim’s work is transitioning from a decorative feel to a reality.

Jim continues to be a Jacksonville activist as he teaches two art classes at the University of North Florida and is currently on the St. John’s Riverkeeper’s board. For the most part Jim would like to see more regulation surrounding Jacksonville’s Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, and septic tank laws. Jim says he can see the degradation of nature each year on his regular visits to the Okefenokee Swamp and other exotic nature spots. We discussed Jacksonville’s vast waterways and how people can take our water for granted because there is so much of it. Jim has slowly drifted to more environmental activist opportunities as opposed to artistic ones.

To conclude our interview, I asked what kind of advice he would give to a young artist or to a 21-year-old college student (me). He told me to be aware of innovation, because beyond this trying economy, individuals will need innovation to be successful. He also said to pick and choose advice because after this economic cycle, the market will never be the same, therefore old techniques may not be relative any longer. The last piece of advice Jim had for me, was to go with the flow and avoid committing to too many theories, because society is constantly changing.

To see Jim Draper’s art, you may visit his website jimdraperart.com or email him at draperjr@gmail.com and make an appointment.

Meet our summer intern Caroline Calhoun

Caroline Calhoun has returned home to Jacksonville for the summer from the University of Mississippi to intern with us. For the month that she is here, Caroline will help us help you. We’ve set up a diverse schedule of field trips and interviews with our clients, giving Caroline a behind-the-scenes look at local businesses, artists, and museums.

Experiencing The Cummer Museum and Gardens’ Neighborhood As Art event, interviewing artist Jim Draper in his new studio, and taking a boat ride with St. John’s Riverkeeper are just a few of Caroline’s plans as an intern here. She can be spotted around town with her new Wingard Creative button, custom made for our Wingard Intern. She will document her excursions by updating our Facebook page and Twitter feed with photos and the latest news from our clients.

As a Marketing/Communications major, Caroline hopes to learn all she can about marketing and advertising from Wingard’s diversified team. “I’m excited to be working for a smaller company, so I have the opportunity to really learn from every angle of an advertising firm,” Caroline says. When she isn’t visiting our clients, Caroline gives us a helping hand around the Wingard office, getting her feet wet in the various projects we’re cooking up.

On her summer weekends, she will take advantage of the Florida sunshine at the pool, the boat, or the beach.

If you’re a Wingard client and would like to invite Caroline to stop by, please email Crystal at crystal@wingardcreative.com.