DW's Blog

Cool!

by DW Green — June 7, 2023

Brand marks are simple, clean, and an easy-to-remember graphic representation of a company’s Brand name.

Cool, as in the context of slang, as an interjection to express acceptance, approval or admiration. And what’s more cool—neat, nifty, boss, keen, groovy— than a brand mark or Icon. Brand marks are simple, clean, and an easy to remember graphic representation of a company’s Brand name. Brand marks are like punctuation symbols:. stop, pause; pause longer! exclamation mark? question mark Brand marks and icons can represent a deeper meaning of a company’s purpose or an abstract expression like the Nike swoosh. We have a Northwest client whose brand mark is a sailboat. Who would have thought of a sailboat icon for a food store? The sailboat is very meaningful to their company culture. It’s meaningful to me too. I’m proud to wear their caps and jackets that showcase their company icon.The DW Green icon reflects our design and life mantra “Less is greater than more.”So, if you’re considering a new or updated design for your company’s brand mark, give us a call.

Kinship With Truth

by DW Green — May 31, 2023

A lifetime kinship with Truth.

Friendship itself is a metaphor for another kind of friendship, our lifetime kinship with Truth, with Love, with Unity, with God. We may spend much of our time unaware and unenlightened, yet the presence of Truth and God, like a deep and ancient friend, can shape our entire lives.

Read More – I Got You

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by DW Green — May 24, 2023

Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.

Do you recognize any of these comments: “We have always done it this way”, “We tried that once and it didn’t work”, “The big chains don’t do it that way” “Our wholesaler thinks that would be a mistake”. Sadly, these comments are more common than you might think. Consider a different perspective. Have a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing.This seems like a principle to live life by. I’d like to think I have an open mind, or mostly an open mind! But then this statement isn’t about having an open mind, it’s about having a mind that is open to everything. I’m sure I’ve discounted or rejected things from either an unwitting bias or an unpleasant or unsuccessful comparable experience. A mind that is open to everything is a mind that is open to trying new and different things, and understanding a different point of view, a different way of doing.I think the second part of the statement “attached to nothing” is more difficult to achieve. Why? Because what we’re attached to, is often an attachment to our identity. If I do this or that, I might look dumb, or unsophisticated or foolish or some other negative quality. Those are possible outcomes. I know I’ve...

by DW Green — May 17, 2023

Well-placed signs and story telling add to the magic and message of BUY ME!!

Yep, retail is all about presentation and merchandising! Especially food retailing. People eat with their eyes. They purchase with their eyes. Of all the varied supermarket activities, the single most important, the most valued, the skill set to “own”, the key to competitive advantage is presentation/merchandising. Even the value of “street appeal” rests in the appearance of the storefront from a distance.Presentation and merchandising set the tone for the entire shopping experience. Its what creates the “likeability”, “comfortability” and “authenticity” of the retail brand. Its what creates sales and additional sales and additional sales. Of course, readable, well-designed, well-placed signs and story telling add to the magic and message of BUY ME!!If you could do just one thing for the balance of the year, work on improving your store presentation and merchandising skills. If you do, you will experience a handsome increase in sales!

Read More – Guest Vacation Blog

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by DW Green — May 10, 2023

And in the end, listen to some Beatles music this week!

And in the end, the love you take
Is equal to the love you make.”
—Lennon-McCartney, The End, Abby Road 1969“And in the end”, when your career has concluded, and when life on Earth is over, what truly matters, is that the love you received is equal to the love you gave. This isn’t a Pollyanna mind-set, it’s a Universal Truth.In the long run, whether you’re negotiating with vendors, or working in relationships with employees or customers you always get back what you are willing to give. In Adam’s The Pope blog, Milt Jones is remembered for his kindness, generosity and loving spirit. While a shrewd negotiator, Milt’s success was built on his compassion and commitment of service to others.Love ‘em or otherwise, the Koch family has built an incredibly successful and financially rewarding business. “As CEO of Koch Industries, Inc., I am proud to work with principled people who help themselves by helping others improve their lives. I am dedicated to pursuing only a certain kind of profit—what we call ‘good profit’. …Good profit comes from making a contribution in society—not from corporate welfare or other ways of taking advantage of...

by DW Green — May 3, 2023

Neurobics: mental exercises designed to create new neural pathways in the brain using the senses in unconventional ways.

I can attest to too many tests. Testing 1, 2, 3, 4…Therefore, I propose a simple brain exercise. Hmmm, I seem to misspell exercise every time I type it! Sometimes I mispell misspell. Anyway, not difficult exercises like brainteasers, riddles, conundrums or cross word puzzles. This is a simple neurobic exercise from a great book; Keep Your Brain Alive. 83 Neurobic Exercises to Help Prevent Memory Loss & Increase Mental Fitness. —Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., & Manning Rubin“Neurobics is a scientifically based program that helps you modify your behavior by introducing the unexpected to your brain and enlisting the aid of all your senses as you go through your day. An active brain is a healthy brain, while inaction leads to reduced brain fitness. Or in simpler terms—“Use it or loose it.”All of us have our morning rituals to get us quickly and “mindlessly” out the door. These set routines allow the brain to go on automatic pilot and be more efficient. And at bedtime, when we need to wind down from a day of mental and physical exertion, routines are similarly comforting.Because routines are so ingrained in our m...

by DW Green — April 26, 2023

Kindness increase’s one’s own true power without exacting any toll.

There’s much distress, conflict, distrust, anger, and fear, in America. And yet, there have been many examples of selflessness, heroism, courage, love and compassion during the pandemic. Same country. My prescription for the former is the root of the later. Kindness. Some might say that kindness is Pollyanna, naivete or even weakness. I disagree.Simple kindness to one’s self and all that lives is the most powerful transformational force of all. Kindness produces no backlash, has no downside, and never leads to loss or despair. Kindness increase’s one’s own true power without exacting any toll. But to reach maximum power, such kindness can permit no exceptions, nor can it be practiced with the expectation of some selfish reward. And its effect is as far reaching as it is subtle.

Read More – Miriam

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by DW Green — April 19, 2023

Let go, detach, and enjoy the flow.

Attachment is one of those awareness things. If you’re not aware of being attached to something, attachment just happens. But when you become aware that you’re attached to something, you can choose to remain attached or you can choose to detach yourself from it. Being attached to outcomes is particularly problematic. Why? Because you can’t control outcomes. One is responsible for the intention and effort but not the result, which is dependent on many other conditions and factors that are nonpersonal.It’s common to attach yourself to outcomes in an automatic and seemingly unconscious way. Notice where in life you are attached to the way something “should” be, whether that’s with people, circumstances, or yourself. By noticing when (not if) you are attached, you can consciously choose to detach, which frees you to:

Be your true self
Say what you truly feel
Allow others to be themselves

Detachment is freedom. This freedom is the “not knowing” or the field of uncertainty marked by:

Magic
Mystery
Adventure

It’s human nature to want to know how things will turn out. But, if you already know the ending, that’s no fun. Let go, detach, and en...

by DW Green — April 12, 2023

Music needs space (time) between notes in order to build rhythm and melody. Visual design needs space between elements in order to effectively communicate.

Advertising design is very subjective. An ad that looks good or bad to me often provokes the opposite reaction in someone else. To each his own, but keep in mind that design is a skill, it’s a discipline, an art. Much as a musician seeks to understand pitch and rhythm, melody and tempo, a designer seeks a greater understanding and control over:
Unity
Gestalt
Space
Dominance
Hierarchy
Balance
Color Part 1: Theory
Color Part 2: How to Use ColorFor example, whitespace or negative space is the space between design elements. It’s just as important than the space you fill and is one of the most neglected components of visual design.Day only exists in comparison to night and in much the same way your positive space (where design elements are located) only exist in comparison to the empty space around them. Without whitespace, designs become crowded and chaotic. There’s no flow of movement from one element to the next.Space is the context in which your message is perceived. Without ample space communication is difficult. Imagine a piece of music where every note ...

by DW Green — April 5, 2023

What we need to learn comes when we need it.

Reflecting on the wisdom of others is a very meaningful activity for me. My wish is you will find value in doing so too.An excerpt from Mark Nepo’s excellent book, The Book Of Awakening.Repetition is Not Failure. Ask the waves, ask the leaves, ask the wind.By Mark Nepo“There is no expected pace for inner learning. What we need to learn comes when we need it, no matter how old or young, no matter how many times we have to start over, no matter how many times we have to learn the same lesson. We fall down as many times as we need to, to learn how to fall and get up. We misunderstand the many voices of truth as many times as we need to, to truly hear the diversity that surrounds us. We suffer our pain as often as necessary for us to learn how to break and how to heal. No one really likes this, of course, but we deal with our dislike in the same way, again and again, until we learn what we need to know about the humility of acceptance.”