Maybe we live in a fishbowl here on MLK in SE Portland, but the world looks pretty amazing from inside this historic building. From here, it’s clear that the streets are overflowing with talented, creative people and that opportunities at the client level are equally immense.

All we need to do is hook everyone up. Consider it done!

Of course, we know first-hand the level of complexity and the speed at which business moves today. It’s dizzying. Add to that the fact that budgets are still lean, and it’s obvious that the pressure is on.

Here at 52, we turn that pressure into diamonds by helping incredible designers, marketers, writers and other brand builders (some 5000 in total) find — not just helplessly seek — the kind of work that challenges them, pays them and drives them forward. In other words, the kind of work that works for them.

Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Our mashup on her timeless words of wisdom is never doubt that a small group of happy, productive creative professionals can change the score for brands. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

We have spent years cultivating relationships with creative, technical and project management talent. We know what makes creative people tick, and we know how to solve complex communications problems for clients. Whatever the marketing challenge, 52’s depth of experience and degree of flexibility gets the job done.

If a project calls for a web developer, we have dozens to fill the need. If, on the other hand, the project calls a room full of developers, designers and writers, we can expertly assemble a custom team just for you.

Give us a ring. We’re excited to learn more about your communications problems and how we can work together to solve them.

By David Burn

Portland—Portland is Beervana, Stumptown, Puddletown, Rip City. There are as many descriptions for Portland as there are prisms to view the city through. From an industry point of view, Portland is a sustainabilty mecca, a hotbed for tech startups, a sportswear capitol and a friendly home to thousands of independent makers and doers.

Eric Hillerns, principal at Pinch says, “Everyone’s an innovator here.” He adds, “Portland is shaped by the idea of design,” hence, the small downtown core and Urban Growth Boundary. By “design” he is speaking about something much larger than graphic design. “Design is manifest in any product we use,” says Hillerns.

With this expansive definition in mind, Hillerns — who also runs the popular single-speaker series, Designspeaks (with with 52’s Brooks Gilley) — teamed with Tsilli Pines of Creative Mornings and a group of stellar event producers to offer something new to members of Portland’s design community, and those interested in the many forms design takes. The collective’s new baby is Design Week Portland, a five-day cross-disciplinary event scheduled to kick off for the first time on October 9. The opening party is at Ace Hotel’s event space, The Cleaners.

Drawing on the exceptional design programming that already exists in Portland, DWP is a new opportunity to promote design as a key industrial sector in Portland (along with the city’s focus on clean tech, advanced manufacturing, software, research and outdoor industries). DWP’s organizers want to highlight much of the existing programming that not everyone in the community knows about or participates in. “We want more awareness for these existing events, many of which are open to the public and free,” says Pines. “The rising tide raises all ships,” she notes.

Gilley, a sponsor, echoes, “In a city this rich in creative talent, we need more than a week to celebrate and showcase what’s here, but this is a great new beginning.” Gilley also notes that the expansiveness of the content—from industrial design to food design and beyond—is an essential part of the larger story. “Like Minneapolis, Portland is a design center, and thousands of people in Portland and elsewhere profit from this fact.”

Interestingly, DWP already has significant momentum behind it for a first-year event. Much of that momentum is due to the uber-talented event organizers, say Pines and Hillerns. The power of word-of-mouth is also helping to get the word out. For Tina Roth Eisenberg, a.k.a. Swiss Miss, a designer based in Brooklyn, DWP is the “only place” she wants to be during the week of October 9-13.

Some of the existing design programming to be featured during DWP includes Kate Bingaman Burt’s “Show and Tell” series at Portland State University, which Pines and Hillerns both describe as amazing, open and free programming. DWP is also bringing in programming unique to the event, including a Design Film Fest featuring six to eight short and full-length films curated by Felix Ng of Singapore. In addition, there will be 50 tours of studios and making spaces.

Portland-based WebVisions put a special workshop together for DWP called “Designing Narrative Media Experience,” and WeMake is hosting “Put A Bird In It,” an event where local designers will create 100 custom birdhouses to be auctioned off to help fund art in public schools. Plus, the 2012 Letterpress Printers Fair takes place on Saturday, October 13, and Power and Light Press’ Type Truck will serve as the event’s mobile headquarters.

For the full slate of events, see designweekportland.com. The conference does not have a single wristband of lanyard for access to events — every event during the conference is managed independently. So, you’ll need to arange your calendar and secure tickets ahead of time for many of the more popular events. For example, Aaron Draplin is speaking, and that means a room full of people. Guaranteed. Note some events are free, while others require a minimum fee.

For more information before, during and after DWP, Clifton Burt and Nicole Lavelle will launch a pop-up blog. There will also be video capture at many of the locations, for viewing at a later date.

David Burn is Chief Storyteller at Bonehook, a Portland-based content marketing and brand identity studio. He’s also the co-founder and editor of AdPulp.com, which covers media, marketing and advertising from the practitioner’s point of view.

By David Burn

Design Week Portland is a collaborative celebration of the city’s uniquely rich design scene, co-created by Eric Hillerns of Designspeaks and Tsilli Pines of Creative Mornings, and sponsored by 52 LTD, plus a handful of others.

“If creativity is Portland’s currency, then the coming weeks are an embarrassment of riches,” says Greg Newland, Executive Vice President of Marketing & PR at Travel Portland. “Portland is a city of design and for design, unique in its approach to defining place, culture and attitude,” adds Hillerns.

Starting Tuesday, October 9th and running through Saturday, October 13th, the first ever Design Week Portland will offer main stage talks, studio tours and a full slate of free and paid design programming at venues throughout the Portland metropolitan area. Please see designweekportland.com for detailed descriptions and exact event details.

Design Week Portland events will be hosted by ADX, AIGA Portland, CreativeCares, CreativeMornings, Designspeaks, Museum of Contemporary Craft, PSU, PNCA, WebVisions, WeMake, and a multitude of complementary organizations, studios and maker spaces.

There’s no badge or wristband to acquire. Please see the online schedule to plan and chart your own path through the week.

“Design Week Portland will be a celebration of design and designers as our city’s most promising cultural and economic resource,” says Hillerns.

Thanks to the many free and affordable events throughout the week, access for students and for those with a casual interest in a wide range of design topics is available.  In other words, this is an inclusive party by design.

David Burn is Chief Storyteller at Bonehook, a Portland-based content marketing and brand identity studio. He’s also the co-founder and editor of AdPulp.com, which covers media, marketing and advertising from the practitioner’s point of view

We first met with the folks at the Portland Schools Foundation five or six months ago. They told us how their work with schools and the community had evolved over the past 17 years. How, as the backbone organization leading the Cradle to Career initiative, their name no longer reflected who they are today.

Instead of going with a traditional graphic design firm, they were looking for a creative partner who could not only develop their new brand, but could also engage the community to share their insights and aspirations. (and all on a shoestring, non-profit-sized budget.)

True to the 52 model, we set out to build the right team for the assignment. We searched for a writer and designer who shared our passion for education and had the experience to boot. Jake Murray (copywriter) and Greg Parra (designer), both accomplished creatives and parents themselves, raised their hands.

In addition, we needed an instigator. Someone with a deep connection to education and the ability to provide an inspirational spark to the community engagement process. Despite a full schedule of speaking engagements around the world, Kevin Carroll was the perfect person for the job and lucky for us, he figured out a way to make it work.

We started by hosting a series of internal discovery and community workshops that eventually led the 52 team to craft a brand platform to guide the naming exploration. We started concepting and presented our shortlist of ideas. One name immediately rose to the top. And so, with the unanimous support of the board, the Portland Schools Foundation has become All Hands Raised–A name that will serve as a rallying cry, mobilizing a diverse community passionate about helping all kids achieve their full potential.

We’re proud to have been partners on this journey and hope to continue to support Dan Ryan and his team as they grow into their new skin. For more about All Hands Raised and the work they do, visit:  All Hands Raised

When the economy went south, marketing budgets were some of the first on the chopping block. So the story goes, lower sales mean less revenue equals scaling back on expenses. Fast-forward two years and we find ourselves still teetering on tough economic times. Is your company now viewing the marketing department as a mitigated expense or an investment opportunity?

Unfortunately, we all know too well that lesser budgets don’t necessarily mean fewer expectations. In fact, in trying times despite waning resources, many marketers are asked to do more with less. Play short-handed. Stretch their dollars. Continue as before but with one hand tied behind their backs. So what do you do? Rely on Twitter and Facebook to weather the storm? We feel your pain.

When business is not “as usual”, traditional marketing resources may need to be reevaluated. You may need to realign your strategy. And the full-service agency you’re currently tethered to might not be the best bang for the buck anymore. If this is the case, consider exploring 52 Limited. Whether sourcing senior freelance talent to fill a temporary void or activating one of our custom project teams to provide fresh creative horsepower, we can keep your brand moving forward without showing up on the CFO’s radar.

By Ryan Gallagher, Account Director @ 52 Limited

Around here we keep our eyes peeled and an ear to the ground for companies that really value good design and support a culture of innovation. (Those companies tend to also be the ones that value their employees and keeping them fulfilled and challenged.) The common thread seems to always be that the decision makers at the top incorporate design and creativity into every aspect of their business. Fast Company’s Alissa Walker recently wrote up a profile of the surprisingly small team running Tumblr. Despite having only a single designer on staff (for now), Tumblr has placed emphasis on good, simple design at the center of all their offerings.

How Tumblr Created A Design Culture With No Design Team

Submit your ideas to engage kids in creative adventures!

Here are two “Brain Food” examples to get you thinking:

MUSEUM MAKER
Find or collect “artifacts” or works of art that are interesting to you. Some people collect shells, postcards, buttons, pictures, or figurines. Decide what you think is important about each artifact or work of art and make labels or signs to go with them. If you would like to give your museum visitors extra information about the objects or art, dive into some research! Arrange your objects or art in a special space, on walls, tables or surfaces where they look good to you. Spend time thinking about how your museum is arranged. Do objects that are similar in some way belong near each other? Where do you put your favorite item? How can you feature your objects the best with light or color? How will visitors look through your museum from start to finish? You can also lead tours through your museum to talk about the objects with your visitors. Be sure to ask them what they see that they like, and why.

HEAR ME ROAR
Go on a hunt to find your own voice. Our ability to make an amazing range of sounds with our voice is often under-explored. Think about the places you’ve been that made you hear your own voice in a new way – your bathroom, a hallway, under a bridge, or in an echo-filled canyon. If you have it, use paper or poster board to create your own megaphone and think about giving your voice a new character in this space. You can use your voice to sing, make noises, tell a story, or let others know what’s on your mind. How far can you make your voice travel? How many different tones can you produce? Can your voice bend around walls? What environments create the most echo? A group of voices who perform together is called a choir or chorus. With a few other friends, you can momentarily claim rooms, alcoves, tunnels, archways, or fields with your new found voices.

Read more Brain Food examples here.

Guidelines for Contributions:

In short, submissions all must include the following elements:
Creative Activity/Exploration + Easy-to-Find Materials + School Subject = Brain Food

The activity should be unique, easy-to-understand, and relate visual art, dance, theater, music, media or design to one or more subjects kids learn in school. Some example subjects are: Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Civics, Cooking, Foreign Language, Geology, Geography, Journalism, Math, Nutrition, Oregon History, Physical Education, Reading, Social Studies, Spelling, Theater, U.S. History, World History, Writing

-Whenever possible make the challenge relevant to the Portland community. This may mean including specific geographic locations and landmarks, history, or environmental details specific to the Pacific Northwest.

-Materials needed to complete the challenge should be easy to find.

-Challenges should focus on creative process rather than final results.

-They should be applicable to children in grades K-8 and performed under the guidance of a parent or teacher.

Submission Instructions:

Email your contribution(s) to socialchange@portland.aiga.org in text form, and attach any relevant images. (Images may or may or may not be used in final implementation). Provide your title for the challenge, and your full name. Once submitted, the challenges/activities will be evaluated and edited by Right Brain staff and teachers. If your submission is chosen, you will receive credit for being a contributor in the final physical piece.

If you have any questions about the above, email Melissa at mdelzio@portland.aiga.org
Remember, keep it simple and fun!
Thanks,
AIGA Portland & The Right Brain Initiative

Background

This project was initiated by the AIGA Portland’s Social Change Committee members Melissa Delzio, Brittany Hanson, and Tina Le. The committee sprung from a national AIGA call for designers to engage more in efforts of social change in their communities. As critical thinkers, artists, professional communicators, and designers have a unique skill set that can utilized by many non-profits. The AIGA Portland Social Change Committee has chosen to partner with The Right Brain Initiative because of their impact on local schools and focus on the arts. To find out more about The Right Brain Initiative visit their websitehttp://therightbraininitiative.org or email Rebecca Burrell rburrell@racc.org.