Last night I attended a “tweet-up” in Columbia, where a group of local “tweeters” got together to put a face to the usernames they have been following on the ever-growing social media tool Twitter.

If you are unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a network of microblogs among users where you are asked to blog or “tweet” in 140 characters or less about the one question; “What are you doing?” You might question why anyone would want any of this information–but if you look at the growing trends of reality tv and other social media outlets like Myspace and Facebook, it is evident that this information is exactly what people want to know. In fact, one of the things that people praised Twitter for repeatedly at the event was the fact that Twitter has now become one of the fastest channels of communication available. No longer is there a need for the middleman investigator to report a current event to a local paper or television station. Now news comes straight from the Blackberry of the observer in the actual moment of the event. Read on CNN how the first photos of the Hudson River plane crash showed up on Twitter before they ever hit the stands.

The event was a perfect introduction to the people who are connected in the area and understand how to use social media to their everyday advantage. We are looking forward to delving in to the twitter scene more ourselves so be sure to look for Orange Element’s on twitter @orange_element

As a way to kick-off our Twitter presence, here is a link to a handful of Twitter tools for today’s freebie and if you search #mdsocial on twitter you can find a list of interesting people who attended the event that you should follow! Hopefully you can join at the next event!

Happy Friday!

I recently discovered Aviary Tools, a suite of Rich Internet Applications (RIA’s), made for creating and editing all types of imagery on the go. Accessible from anywhere, Aviary Tools are internet-based tools with many of the same capabilities of the Adobe Creative Suite–and they’re FREE! The different applications within the Aviary suite include: Phoenix (Image Editor), Peacock (Visual Laboratory), Toucan (Color Swatches), Raven (Vector Editor), Hummingbird (3D Modeler), Ibis (Font Creator), and many, many more. These web-apps are also going to be released as desktop applications that will sync with your online apps, coming soon.

All of the Aviary Tools are based around the idea of a community, where people can share ideas and techniques and even source files, so others can work with them and learn for themselves. A unique idea, and in my opinion, a great entry-point into design for non-designers. While full-time graphic designers will still have to rely on the Adobe Creative Suite, these Aviary tools are something really unique (and powerful) that everyone can learn to use and enjoy. All of their web-apps are platform independent, so they will work on everyone’s computers, too!

Take a look, and let us know what you think in the comments!

Andy
www.orange-element.com

A creation by an Aviary community member (mpeutz):

KERN is an iPhone game perfect for all Graphic Designers! Your goal is to place a missing letter into a falling word while avoiding any unnecessary ligatures. It’s a typographer’s Tetris…check it out!

FORMation’s KERN game for iPhone

Andy
www.orange-element.com 

Marks is Pentagram’s latest book, and is meant to be a companion to their Black Book, which was only released to Pentagram’s friends and clients. Marks features 400 logos Pentagram has designed over the years, dating back to 1962. If this is anything like the Black Book (which we were fortunate enough to win in a contest), Marks should be amazing! It is being produced in a limited edition of 1,000 copies and is printed on French-folded bible paper, bound in a red, cloth-covered softback cover and includes five ribbons for bookmarking. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy-Pentagram’s work is always a great inspiration.

To preorder, visit Amazon.com.

A look inside Marks:

Andy
www.orange-element.com

This morning on NPR, I heard a story that today Tropicana is expected to announce that they are discontinuing their redesigned packaging introduced in early January.

Over the past few weeks, they have received several complaints that the new “squeeze” campaign makes the product indistinguishable from generic store brands. Many people complained they were unable to even find Tropicana products on the shelf, assuming their local store had discontinued Tropicana in the tough economic times. One consumer said there didn’t appear to be anything “premium” about the product worth paying extra for anymore, now that it holds the look of an overpriced generic.

NPR discussed the possibility that, although the rebrand lacks in design, by appearing more generic it portrays the image of being less expensive, thus swaying the purchasing decisions of budget-conscious shoppers in this time of recession. The major problem with this attempt is that once the economy returns and consumer mindset changes, it will take time and money to rebuild the “premium” look Tropicana once held with its original branding.

The New York Times reported that chief creative officer Peter Arnell (of Arnell in New York, who created the redesign) said Tropicana would spend over $35 million on the “Squeeze” campaign. That is a hefty price for a temporary look. While the “squeeze” aspect of the campaign is getting praise for its father and child hugging imagery, which is rare in food ads for its focus on the dad, the consumers have spoken unfavorably.

“Do any of these package-design people actually shop for orange juice?” asked one customer in an e-mail complaint.

The President of Tropicana North America said he underestimated the connection and passion people had for the long-held image of the orange with the straw. With the increased methods of communication through email, blogs, facebook, and others, the consumer reaction came fast and loud. How do you feel about the old orange and straw versus the new squeeze?

In keeping with the theme of our HOW Magazine posts this week, here’s an orange element pinball based wallpaper to bring some retro-fun to your desktop.

1024×768 (best for standard)
1680×1050 (best for widescreen)

Enjoy!

—EJ

www.orange-element.com