Came across this Fast Company article authored Rob Girling by via LinkedIn. It discusses how nueroscience is showing that the power of design can be used to help people make positive life choices, such as becoming an organ donor. It's a heady read, but a good one.

On the fourth day since I moved to Jacksonville, I sat in my car outside of a bar called Kickbacks and hyperventilated. I had relocated just months after the start of the recession to a place where I knew no one and had no job. But that night I was hoping to change that.

It was a “Cocktails & Creatives” event put on by AIGA Jacksonville (The Professional Association for Design), and I sucked down my fear long enough to go in there and meet some people. Among them was my future employer, Jeff, who instantly recognized my goofy smile from my self-promotional book, featuring a photo of me smiling goofily in the inside cover.

That night I also met Tiffany Manning and Kellie Osgood, who invited me to participate in a speaking event I couldn’t quite pronounce, but sounded fun enough to agree. The event was called Pecha Kucha (puh-cha-ch-kuh), and it was the Jacksonville chapter of a global event held in over 400 cities. Speakers are invited to share any subject they like, the only catch being they have to do so in 20 slides that last 20 minutes each. After more hyperventilating in the bathroom I gave a talk on my passion for drawing comics, having no idea that somewhere in the crowd was Jeff.

So months passed. I got my dream job (at HDco, if you’re wondering). And I was sad to hear that after a few more shows, Pecha Kucha Jacksonville had been discontinued. It wasn’t until at another Cocktails & Creatives event that I met Justice Kragiel, who shared a similar passion for reigniting this quirky little speaking event.

We teamed up with Tiffany Manning to bring Pecha Kucha to the 5 Points Theatre, where it thrived more than we could have ever hoped. Speakers were invited to talk about the history of Jacksonville, intimate photography projects, the Jacksonville roller derby girls, weird diets, adventures in the wilderness, adventures being shipwrecked, beards, beer. Biking, neuroscientists, robots, coupons, and art initiatives.

The first event we put on at the 5 Points Theatre was Pecha Kucha volume 7 on January 19, 2010. Just this week Pecha Kucha volume 17 was held at Intuition Ale Works. I just couldn’t have been more proud to say it was my tenth show, nor more confident in the future of this event. After two years being a coordinator and a lot of great times, I’m passing the torch to Tommy Hobin, who is a past presenter and expert people person.

When I think back to my Pecha Kucha presentation, when I opened with: “A lot of you may not know me because, well, I haven’t been around very long. This is my third week in town.” I think of all the things Pecha Kucha has given me. More courage to speak in public. The experience of planning my first event. A memorable introduction into a new community. A job that I love. Friends that I love. And the opportunity to meet new people.

The best part of this event was and is the people.

So this coming March, I encourage you to join me in the crowd for this delightfully strange event, and support Tommy as he ushers in a new era for Pecha Kucha Jacksonville. And if you have the courage to stop hyperventilating, maybe you’ll even participate in the show.

Until next time!

~ Stephanie Soden, Brand Designer at HDco

Hope you like the new site.

Also of interest, one of Stephanie’s comics appears in an international publication.

Oh and we have a new intern. Welcome Kayleigh! She’s not on twitter yet so how can we brag about her? For sou can check out her vintage clothing store, Chateau Vintage.

There’s other stuff happening Thursday, May 27:

• From 9:00am-12:30pm Jax AMA is hosting “Marketing Jaguar Pride” at the Main Library downtown. A can’t miss event.
• From 6:30-8:00 is the Power Happy Hour at the University Club. Open to the public. Come get your atomic cocktail and hobnob with Jacksonville’s most fun people.

That’s all for now.

So much has happened since then. We’ve landed a major project with a healthcare system, almost officially launched our ArtShare program and my website photography, invite and announcement biz, www.ilyweddings.com.

ArtShare is probably my most exciting venture. We’ve partnered with Art With a Heart to help completely rebrand their organization. Our brand strategy phase is completed and it’s time to start developing collateral materials. Local Jacksonville designers have already stepped up to the plate to help with print materials and posters.

In January, the Cultural Council and Downtown Vision approached ArtShare with a unique project. They are launching Off the Grid, a program that fills vacant downtown spaces with budding art studios. We connected Kelly Young and David Lee to develop the corporate identity and invite materials. Look forward to official unveiling on March 18.

I’m planning a bridal fashion shoot in March at Walker’s Wine Bar. Very exciting.

Tata for now!

Some photographers are pro-branding, agnostic or anti-branding.

This is what I find startling though. Photographers are story-tellers. A picture is worth a thousand words right? Our clients are looking to us to create images enhance our businesses, our lives. Whether the photos end up in a magazine, photo album or art gallery they become part of the visual language that represents the event, moment in time or organization. In essence, photographers create images that help define brands.

So do photographers need to develop a brand? Well, the only answer is yes, because “you can’t not communicate.” thx @sethgodin. There are no fence sitters.

Either you take an active role in shaping your brand, or the market will do it for you.

Came across this article, via @billyates. http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/12/02/photographer-branding/

Some friends of mine are offering a grant to one lucky/worthy non-profit organization.

Details and application here.

Mac vs. PC, Democrats vs. Republicans, Quark vs. Indesign and of course the timeless battle, Arial vs. Helvetica. Can you tell the difference? I scored 19 out of 20. Duped by Mattel.Take the quiz at Ironic Sans.

“You should come out to Steamworks,” he said, “Every last Tuesday the Beardsmith Society gets together and—talks about having beards.”

Naïve little newcomer to the beach life me, I decided this was probably the coolest club/society/organization I’ve heard of in a long time. I attended my first meeting and found the crowd great and the beard competition (complete with beard and moustache naming) even better. Founder Sean Collins and I crossed paths again when we both gave Pecha Kucha speeches at MOCA Jax—me presenting my off-kilter comics and he promoting the lesser-known but passionately observed hobby of the beard.

Most recently I had the honor of participating in the Beards and Brushes Art Show here in Jacksonville. Facial hair artworks of every shape and form graced the walls of the Bogda Gallery, just as varied as the beards, just as vibrant as their creators.