client center

Design

website design intranet and extranet design graphic design logo development digital branding user interface design information architecture rich media

Design Science We understand 'design' as a process that takes a wide view of its subject. We are more than graphic designers, more than interface designers, more than brand designers. We are perhaps better described as "design scientists"; trying to systematically understand everything that relates to a project. In some ways we are like ecologists, who are trying to understand the environment that a particular "organism" fits into. Only by understanding the 'whole' context of a design can we achieve the solution we are looking for.

Who are 'they', and what are 'they' looking for? To start, we have to answer some very basic questions about the commercial 'environment' of the client's business. We ask a lot of questions about 'end users'. Who is the end user of the design? Who is the design actually for? What does this end user want; what is their mission? What are they searching for? What does the end user bring to their encounter with the design? What is the overall marketplace that the design has to exist in? How does this larger business context influence our work? And of course, what is the competition like? Working from the answers to these questions, we design for function and utility, as well as for look and feel. In the end the design is only a success if it 'works' for real customers in a real market place.

Why is all your work so different? We are often told that our work looks very different from one client to another, and that we don't seem to have a signature "style", or a "look" that identifies us; we are proud of this, because it is a natural result of our process. In general, we only work for one client in a competitive 'marketplace'. Marketplaces, like ecosystems, are always unique. When we do our job right we make a client look like the "best of breed' in their unique marketplace environment; we want them to stand out, but to also look like they belong to their world. This one-client-per-market approach inevitably gives our work a lot of variety.

Collaboration is key In all cases we are designing as part of the client's team; trying to find a solution to a communications problem that is attached to a business, that operates in a marketplace, that is part of an industry. It's a lot to take into account, but we think it is the minimum to keep in mind as we design.

services design programming analytics & marketing managed services social media marketing email marketing

portfolio Central Vermont Medical Center Cabot Cheese Smugglers' Notch Resort Blue Cross Blue Shield Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks VITL Hanover Theatre VTA Agri-Mark BroadbandVT Biltmore Technologies Elemental Power HKMP National Life Group Foundation Pulmac Sarducci's Restaurant Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC
client list

reading list

Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success

Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business

The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

home about signal people contact
client center client tools login web mail login web mail email address password client tools username password Forgot your password? NOTE: If you are a client of Signal's but your email is hosted elsewhere, create an account email address
	Design website design intranet and extranet design graphic design logo development digital branding user interface design information architecture rich media Design Science We understand 'design' as a process that takes a wide view of its subject. We are more than graphic designers, more than interface designers, more than brand designers. We are perhaps better described as "design scientists"; trying to systematically understand everything that relates to a project. In some ways we are like ecologists, who are trying to understand the environment that a particular "organism" fits into. Only by understanding the 'whole' context of a design can we achieve the solution we are looking for. Who are 'they', and what are 'they' looking for? To start, we have to answer some very basic questions about the commercial 'environment' of the client's business. We ask a lot of questions about 'end users'. Who is the end user of the design? Who is the design actually for? What does this end user want; what is their mission? What are they searching for? What does the end user bring to their encounter with the design? What is the overall marketplace that the design has to exist in? How does this larger business context influence our work? And of course, what is the competition like? Working from the answers to these questions, we design for function and utility, as well as for look and feel. In the end the design is only a success if it 'works' for real customers in a real market place. Why is all your work so different? We are often told that our work looks very different from one client to another, and that we don't seem to have a signature "style", or a "look" that identifies us; we are proud of this, because it is a natural result of our process. In general, we only work for one client in a competitive 'marketplace'. Marketplaces, like ecosystems, are always unique. When we do our job right we make a client look like the "best of breed' in their unique marketplace environment; we want them to stand out, but to also look like they belong to their world. This one-client-per-market approach inevitably gives our work a lot of variety. Collaboration is key In all cases we are designing as part of the client's team; trying to find a solution to a communications problem that is attached to a business, that operates in a marketplace, that is part of an industry. It's a lot to take into account, but we think it is the minimum to keep in mind as we design.	services design programming analytics & marketing managed services social media marketing email marketing portfolio Central Vermont Medical Center Cabot Cheese Smugglers' Notch Resort Blue Cross Blue Shield Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks VITL Hanover Theatre VTA Agri-Mark BroadbandVT Biltmore Technologies Elemental Power HKMP National Life Group Foundation Pulmac Sarducci's Restaurant Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC client list reading list Engage: The Complete Guide for Brands and Businesses to Build, Cultivate, and Measure Success Socialnomics: How social media transforms the way we live and do business The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference

Signal 535 stone cutters way suite 101, montpelier, vt, 05602 tel: 802.229.4149 fax: 802.806.1007 info@signalz.com