We love being involved with jobs that promote fellowship and outdoor activity in the summer, and the Des Moines Ultimate Frisbee Summer League is just that! For more information or to get involved with the Ultimate Summer League visit http://www.iowaultimate.com/dm/sleague.asp
We recently printed some T-shirts for the 1st Annual Race For Hope in Des Moines. A great cause, now with great shirts. For more information or to get involved with Race For Hope visit http://www.raceforhopedsm.org/
Our friends. Your friends. Old friends. New friends.
A few times a year, all of these people converge on our shop. And the best of those times happens to be this Friday, November 16th, at the East Village Prominade. A lot of our fellow East Village shops stay open late as thousands of people kick off their holiday shopping season. We just stay open late and give food away.
Host Restaurant is bringing down grub, Exile is bringing over some brews. We might even get really crazy and have some eggnog, who knows.
Bring friends, let’s hang out.
Friday, November 16th from 6:00- 9:00PM
I dare you to read through the list below without getting hungry.
We have the best clients. This is a list of some of the amazing “restaurants” we have gotten to team up with over the last few years. We have printed their shirts, created their websites, printed their menus, created their logos, etc.
I would highly suggest you give them your patronage.
-Justin
Did we forget you? Let us know! Would you like to be on this list? Contact us and let us help you out!
Tartine
Proof
Red Bistro
Baru 66 - Cooking Class
Palmer's Catering
A couple of days ago as we were commemorating our two year anniversary by downing a celebratory Gin and Tonic, Ben and I started feeling an impudent mixture of nostalgia and confidence. We decided to write up a quick list of things that we have learned over the past couple of years in hopes that it will help others in trying their own thing as well.
1. Surround yourself with talented people that you actually like. The people you work with every day become like a second family. Get used to it. They will represent you and you will need to trust them. If you wouldn’t grab drinks with someone more than once, why would you want to work with them every day? If you really like someone, but they can’t do what you need, don’t hire them. There are over 300 million people in America; don’t sell yourself short.
2. Surround yourself with good customers. After about six months of doing work for businesses, individuals, churches, and organizations, we began to realize that not all customers are created equal. There were many who were ecstatic with the work that we did for them. They brought us cookies and beer. You should ALWAYS put extra effort into these relationships.
Then there were the OTHER ones. As soon as the number on the caller ID was recognized, our shop became a giant game of hot potato played with the ringing phone. These customers sucked up time and energy and then complained about our pricing. We try to end these relationships as quickly as possible.
3. Maintain yourself. I have been learning a lot lately about how to take a step back from the business. There will be good days and there will be bad days. I am learning not to stress out when things go wrong and accept the fact that shit’s about to hit the fan when things are going well. Life goes on, so embrace the day for what it is. Maintaining this balance is crucial to success.
Now go make your community better.
When 8/7 Central split off from Raygun at the beginning of 2010, we consisted of six and a half guys who had just a vague idea of what we were doing. We hadn’t yet screen printed a poster, written a website contract, or even figured out how to pay taxes correctly. We had space to spare, and we wisely filled that space with a dart place (an oche, as we later learned) and a leaning place (modeled by Zach).
Fast forward two years to present day and we are bursting at the seams. We have more people than desks, more screens than shelves, and most of our meetings take place off-site. It is incredibly difficult to thrive in this chaos.
So… we are moving to larger confines! We will still be in the East Village, in fact, we will still be on the same street. Our new space is situated between Jimmy Johns and The Continental, and will feature proper ventilation (no more fumes!), a conference room area (no more people up in your bidness!), a real bathroom (no more standing water!), ample desk space (no touching!) and several other tricks we aren’t quite ready to reveal yet (no telling!).
More info on the new space and the open houses will be dropping as we get moved in in early April.
In truth, it takes a lot more work than can be shown in five photographs, but here is a brief pictorial summary of Jon doing what he does better than anyone.
Watch for the posters to be popping up around town soon. The CD release show will be Saturday night at the Vaudeville Mews. We all know you’re just going to be sitting around in your underwear eating pizza that night anyway; now you have no excuse not to go.
If you are looking for something to do this Thursday (or even if you have plans) Badowers is showing off their new remodeling and branding. The party goes from 5 until 8, with the official after-party taking place at the nearby Alpine Lounge.
Lining up Badower’s new vision with an appropriate visual identity was the challenge. We felt that the way it was before referenced a very specific era and spoke to a definite iconic visual language that has nothing to do with how Badowers saw themselves moving forward.
After developing a compass statement for the new vision, we felt that we needed to go further back into history to help determine the future of the Badowers identity. We needed to rediscover a typeface that reflects the simplicity, durability and timelessness of men’s wardrobe staples. Furthermore, accessibility, simplification and functionality needed to enter men’s social conscious before the notion of what a timeless wardrobe staple could be established. For example, the looms of the industrial revolution made material more accessible. The Gold Rush and mining lead to denim as a widely used functional work pant. Men were moving away from the embroidered and jewelled and towards simple and formal comfort. Many sanserif typefaces came into existence around the same time as these historical markers with the same accessible, simple and functional purpose. By applying the actual scale of a man to the letter forms, we narrowed our selection to the typeface that you now see Badowers using. The colors dark grey (90% black) and white are used for their functionality.
We were also asked to help create a look book. Not to be confused with a catalog, the look book’s purpose is to build excitement around Badowers. It gives us a glimpse into who Badowers is as well as allowing the viewer to project themselves into the lifestyle environment it creates. In this look book you may notice a white line running throughout the some of the spreads. This line references a “dynamic thread” connecting the range of classic wardrobe staples that Badowers has to offer.
Our own Garrett Cornelison was tapped as the photographer to shoot the look book. With the help of Jen Morrow, he scouted the coolest spots along Ingersoll within an 8 block radius of the store. David Bartells, the model, showed up around 5am so they could capture some of the moody early morning light over the eastern horizon. Here is a sneak peek of what will be available to all who come Thursday night.
As if you haven’t heard, 80-35 is this weekend. Today the Volunteer shirts are rolling off the presses, and you can get one. Sign up to help here. In case fulfilling your civic duty isn’t enough, it also helps that you get a free ticket and a t-shirt(designed by our friends over at Saturday Mfg.). Also: Big credit to the folks over at Volunteer Local for, among other things, herding the masses. As long as we are name dropping, our friends at Sheer Focus built the beautiful 80-35 site. More 80-35 shirts to come.
In 2007 an epiphany occurred to Charles Youel, the foremost of the Minnesotans. A lot of his friends who were avid bikers also enjoyed screen printed posters. That year he began ARTCRANK, a bicycle-inspired poster show. Since he began, the show has expanded to Denver, Portland, San Francisco, Bend, London, St. Louis, and Des Moines. ARTCRANK features original artwork from 30 local artists, and it is taking place this Thursday night at the Des Moines Social Club in the Kirkwood Lounge.
We were charged with creating the official show posters, t-shirts, and promotional materials for ARTCRANK: Des Moines this year. Hope to see you all there.
A visual representation of 8/7 Central at 10:00 in the morning, April 28, 2011.
We recently launched a site for Quarter After 5, a slick site that is hoping to become the go to site for the Des Moines music scene. We recently caught up with Tony, who invented the brainchild. Then the brainchild invented the site.
Q: So why Des Moines? What gets your pumped about the city?
A: To be honest, I dreamed up QA5 on a long and lonely drive back to Des Moines from Tucson. It may have been the combination of sleep deprivation and lack of any food, but I tend to get my best ideas on a mixture of the two. Des Moines is my home and has been for the past 25 years. I know every bit of this city, and I know what it has to offer. I’ve found that Des Moines is very predictable, but every now and then you get a flash of the unexpected and those moments get me truly excited about what Des Moines can be. I think relating the music scene to a flash like that is definitely a possibility but it needs a spark. Hopefully QA5 can be that spark. I’m hoping it raises the bar for creativity in the community.
Q: When you’re not around a venue, what ends up consuming your time?
A: Listening to music. I love music and everything about it, it can be visceral or very refined and everywhere in between. If I don’t have headphones on, it means I’m talking to someone. I love meeting new people and getting to know them. If I’m not talking to someone or have headphones on, it probably means I’m asleep. I am a notorious light sleeper though. I’m always up for an adventure and spontaneity, the more unpredictable my life is, the better.
Q: Where does QA5 go next?
A: I want QA5 to start free forming its own music community. I want QA5 to make our music community so accessible. I’ve always viewed the music scene, anywhere I go, as a closed off and elite group. Des Moines is primed to be that change. I hope QA5 can connect the fans to our great musicians and create a unique environment.QA5 is going to morph into something I can’t even fathom, but as long as it is working in the right direction (which is positive growth for our community), then I have no problem letting it roll on its own. I’m sure there will be some bumps, but as long as we can keep it moving, I think it will be such an invaluable tool for everyone in Des Moines.
Q: What act would you most want to see come to Des Moines, and what venue would you want to see them at?
A: Let’s just do a sweet mashup. Kings of Leon/Black Keys/Bon Iver. It would sound miserable, but god I would love to see all three. As for a venue to house that? I don’t think we have one to house that awesomeness. Can we rip out all of the walls on Terrace Hill and have a house party? If not, let’s just have it packed to the brim at the Mews. Seriously, someone get them here and I will buy everyone kegs of Newcastle.
Q: What is currently missing from the Des Moines music scene?
A: Continuity and accessibility. Des Moines should be the standard for any growing art community. We have so many avenues to adventure down, but people don’t seem to take them. I don’t know if it’s from a lack of knowing about it, or the fear of the adventure. All I know is, QA5 has a great opportunity to open doors for people, seriously if I am the “doorman” for the music community, I would love it. Just make sure to tip me well when you leave.
Godspeed, Tony White. Check out his site here.