They shoot, they score! We are pleased to announce that the logo OtherWisz Creative designed during the branding of the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum (BHE+M) was published in a new book released February, 2012: LogoLounge Master Library, Volume 4. The new book, published by Rockport, is part of a seven-volume series written and curated by Catharine Fishel and Bill Gardner which includes outstanding type and calligraphy logos chosen from designers all over the world.

Dr. Joseph Gambacorta , president of  the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum added, “By taking the time to understand our goals, OtherWisz created a memorable visual identity for our museum- they are helping our vision become a reality.”

A strong brand includes a set of rules, standards and visuals that must be followed to keep a uniformed, organized and professional image. Think of all the strong brands you know. What comes to mind first? Disney, McDonalds, FedEx, how about the U.S. Government? By controlling and monitoring all aspects of your company you can control your brand, strengthen it.

A company looking to change their image may undergo a ‘brand makeover’- which doesn’t happen overnight. Brand development should never be treated as a project with a beginning and an end – branding your company is an ongoing process.

“Branding is believing in the quality of your product or service and getting your whole company behind it. Your brand is the manner in which you conduct your business.”

Brand development consists of 4 main aspects:

Initial Strategy/ Brand Audit

This is the research and planning that takes into account understanding every aspect of your business, your marketplace and your customers. We use these insights to formulating a plan for the future.

Overall Identity

This is the outward expression of your company – your brand identity. It is important to think about all connections between your company and the outside world. Your company identity is an impression based on graphics, interaction and perceptions.

Ongoing Management

Keeping it all together. This can consist of a guidebook – a set of rules – that governs the company’s brand and image. Management includes meetings with employees and customers regularly to gauge their thoughts and impressions on your company.

Complete Experience

You must continue to monitor and control all connections between your customers and your company. You must make sure your customers are getting a positive experience from working with your company. Every new project that comes up from this point must adhere to strict brand guidelines.

Re-branding is more that designing a new logo or a new brochure. It is a a complete experience based on research, analyzing, possible repositioning, and continual management as the brand is strengthened over time. It is important that you control the perception of your company by the outside word including vendors, customers, partners, and even your competition. Let OtherWisz help you design a positive, professional brand that promote a clear message and understanding of your companies core values. Call us about starting with a brand audit today.

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“We have improved the overall user experience with this website,” stated owner Mark Wisz, “We’ve added an advanced search feature, that easily sorts and filters results and expanded the product pages to include larger photos, more product details, as well as links to related items and helpful videos. This creates a more educated and satisfying purchasing experience for the customers.”

“The website is now a more effective marketing tool for Tomric to promote their products,” added co-owner Jill Wisz, “The redesigned website puts the focus on Tomric as experts in their field — by making it an educational resource for chocolate makers. By putting control of the site in the hands of the client, we gave them the ability to update and edit products, site content and home page features to keep the site fresh and informative for repeat visitors.”

Founded in 1962, Tomric Systems designs and manufactures high-quality, thermoformed plastic candy molds, packaging and insert trays. Located in Buffalo, NY, their customers include The White House, Hershey, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Godiva and Lake Champlain chocolates. More information about Tomric is available on their website at www.Tomric.com.

OtherWisz Creative Corporation is an award-winning, comprehensive graphic design and advertising firm, located at 252 Lexington Avenue, Buffalo, New York. With over 20 years experience in graphic design, the firm specializes in web design and identity design for local and national companies. Clients include Jack Hunt Coin Broker, United Way, Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Independent Nursing Care, Vintage Canoeworks, Garrett Leather, Kenmore Development and the Buffalo Sabres. For more information about OtherWisz Creative Corporation, please visit their website at www.OtherWisz.com or telephone at 716-882-3803.

View this Tomric project on the OtherWisz Creative website.

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When it came time to showcase their work to a large audience, Frank North America Showcase Systems came to OtherWisz Creative. We developed this understated, modern, portfolio website to cleanly present the simple beauty of their custom made glass cases and museum vitrines.

See more work we’ve completed for Jack Hunt Coin Brokers

This project holds as an example of how design is used to present large quantities of information in order to be better understood by an audience. Well received by the client and the community, this booklet has already undergone a second printing in its first year of use.

See additional work we’ve completed for United Way of Buffalo & Erie County.

Managing their old website was a chore for the staff at Tomric Systems, a Buffalo, NY manufacturer and reseller of chocolate making moulds and equipment. For the Tomric customer, finding items was a nightmare – online orders were often abandoned in favor of a telephone order. The new OtherWisz Creative designed website solves these issues, making the purchasing process easier for both the Tomric Systems team and the chocolatier.

The new Tomric website features a robust Content Management System (CMS) and Ecommerce Solution that has improved usability and customer satisfaction. Customers can now search the approximate 3,000 products by keyword, seasonal theme, type, size and much more. With the Advanced Mould Search, shoppers can easily pinpoint results, narrowing their criteria to find the exact mould or tool in no time at all.

Dynamic product pages give Tomric shoppers full product details, large photos, and related products, as well as reviews, links to videos and the ability to share product information via email or various social media platforms. Website content is completely managed by Tomric’s internal staff and letting them set up special offers and discounts in-house as well as change prices, post new products, edit text, and add photos & videos on-the-fly.

“It is quite an honor to be recognized by a national design magazine such as Graphic Design USA,” stated owner Mark Wisz, “to be chosen from over 8,000 entries puts OtherWisz Creative in a select group of winners including some of the top design firms in the country.”

“We are thrilled to see the projects we have designed for Boston Valley Terra Cotta continue to receive honors.” added co-owner Jill Wisz, “It is satisfying to have our website work recognized as well, as we are always preaching the marriage of usability and good design to our clients.”

OtherWisz designed projects recognized by GDUSA span from corporate identity and logos, with the Cocktails in Character Identity OtherWisz designed for the Literacy Volunteers of Buffalo and Erie County annual event, to print and collateral, in recognition of the Stationery, Pocket Folder and Terraclad Brochure OtherWisz created for Boston Valley Terra Cotta. An Awards Certificate of Excellence in internet and interactive design was presented for the Boston Valley Terra Cotta Website and the Heart of the City Neighborhood Website. The team also garnered recognition for the Buffalo Sabres 40th Anniversary Exhibit it designed for Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum in the p-o-p, display, signs and exhibits category, a first for OtherWisz in this category.

OtherWisz Creative Corporation is an award-winning, comprehensive graphic design and advertising firm, located at 252 Lexington Avenue, Buffalo, New York. With over 20 years experience in graphic design, they specialize in website packages and identity design for local and national companies. Clients include Jack Hunt Coin Broker, United Way, Boston Valley Terra Cotta, Independent Nursing Care, Vintage Canoeworks, Culinary Art’s Specialties, Kenmore Development and the Buffalo Sabres.

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This exhibit consists of 2 large glass cases and 5 smaller ‘trophy’ cases displaying sticks, jerseys are other hockey collectibles mixed with icons and glass graphics. It can be viewed on the second floor of First Niagara Center, Buffalo, New York for the duration of the 2011-12 NHL Season.

See more work we’ve completed for the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum