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ARCHITECTS BLEND DESIGN AND NEW MEDIA INTO HYBRID CREATIVE AGENCY FOR NEW ECONOMY
Archimage, Inc. answers New Economy design needs for The Walt Disney Company, Nintendo, Merrill Lynch, eCitySuites, The AAC Group, CompuBank, GE Financial Networks and Others
Houston, May 24, 2000 -- It's an exciting time for creative service agencies. As with thousands of businesses making the jump
from the Old to the New Economy, computers are "changing everything." Excitement comes not only from an increase in
clients - a burst of start-up, dot-com companies - but also from the new media agencies use to tell client stories to the
public.
Also exciting is who's doing the work. Traditional lines of distinction between advertising, public relations,
architecture, computer programming and graphic design are blurring. Hybrid agencies are cropping up combining
creative talents in new ways. Their list of services is impressive: from Web site development to building and
interior design, from visual identity and logo graphics to advertising and public relations, from multimedia to
video production, and from e-commerce consulting to Intranet deployment. New creative boutiques mix design with
qualities needed to thrive in the New Economy - qualities like speed, flexibility and market savvy.
One such creative boutique is Houston-based Archimage, Inc. The firm has been part of the transformation of traditional
creative services markets for more than 15 years. "We started as an architectural firm in the early 1980s designing
office buildings, churches and restaurants," said Richard Buday, AIA, president of Archimage. "As our computer
skills expanded, we added computer graphics and imagery, animation, multimedia and Web site development to our
list of services. Our background in architecture and design, combined with our project management skills,
matched what our clients were looking for in a creative firm."
Over the years, Archimage has designed buildings for Time Warner Communications, office interiors for Compaq Computer
Corporation, computer animation for The Walt Disney Company and Nintendo, and computer game graphics for Knowledge
Adventure. Today, Archimage also is designing Web sites for CompuBank, GE Financial Networks, Ziff-Davis Publications and
eCitySuites.
To create and maintain excitement among customers, Buday believes New Economy companies need a range of design
services spanning various mediums. "In today's highly visual marketplace, there's no telling where interior
or graphic design begins and Web development or animation ends," he notes. Archimage's endless variety of
design commissions include CD-ROMs, computer animation, logos, trade show booths and multimedia presentations in
addition to traditional architecture and interior design.
Not all New Economy creative shops have backgrounds in architecture. Some are graphic design firms or advertising
agencies that have expanded into interactive media and the Web. Others are network integrators that have hired
design talent to offer a suite of New Economy services to businesses. Still, Buday believes architects may be
best positioned to exploit the new opportunities in visual design. "Architects are trained as visual problem
solvers in school," Buday said. "That's why many of the world's best photographers, industrial designers, furniture
designers, automobile designers and graphic designers have architecture degrees."
No matter what their background, however, creative shops for the New Economy have many similar traits, such as:
Built for Speed
Dot-com and other Internet start-up companies are compelled to raise funds, develop materials and get their messages to
market at dizzying speeds. They pour money into marketing budgets to quickly ramp up consumer awareness to stake claim
within a market segment or product category. Branding and other marketing plans are highly compressed. A creative agency of
the New Economy must excel at high creativity and instant turnaround under fire. Whether it's a road show multimedia presentation
for potential investors, a consumer brochure or a CD-ROM press kit, the New Economy creative shop must fulfill client requests
with speed, accuracy and quality. Many advertising agencies are accustomed to work needed "yesterday," but extremely short
time frames are now the norm - not the exception. Speed without a loss of quality will remain a competitive advantage for
creative agencies in the New Economy.
The Importance of the Visual
Like television, multimedia or Web experiences are highly visual and aural. CD-ROMs and Web sites must be compelling.
New creative shops make business solutions appealing to the senses. This can be
difficult in an age where everyone's a Web site critic. It also can be challenging to design for an unknown
audience and an unknown venue. You never know if your Web site customer will be one person sitting at his or
her office desktop, a family at home, a child at school or a business person on an airplane.
Experience with Start-ups
Effective New Economy agencies will have experience working with clients that are raising venture capital and courting new
investors. The challenges of start-up are unique. Most need to make a splash with analysts, investors, current customers,
potential customers, trade media, consumer media and other key interest groups. The best agencies thrive on developing
creative solutions with each of these groups in mind. Agencies also must enjoy working with the same entrepreneurial
spirit as their clients.
Interdisciplinary Teams
Writers, interior designers, event planners, graphics and graphics artists, and account staff - you name it, the creative
shop for the New Economy has them all. Or, they have access to a broad range of talent. Diversity of skills and experiences
adds to the energy and spirit of the firm and helps inspire innovative solutions. A wider range of talent also benefits
clients looking for a one-stop shop that meets many, if not all, their creative services needs.
Integration Across Mediums
Integration among visual, audio, print and even different computer platforms is critical to maintaining a consistent
look and feel for the company. The new creative shop excels at integrating a Web site, Intranet, print collateral, trade
show visuals, media materials, online and broadcast advertising, and special event design. They can even merge the
interior design of the offices to reflect consistent qualities of the brand or company. While some may not produce
each of these elements, a successful creative agency must have the vision to integrate all of the pieces of the
marketing communications puzzle.
A Vision for the Next Business Evolution
Most importantly, the creative shop for the New Economy must be visionary. The shop must have a deep understanding of how
to build a brand across a wide range of mediums. Says Buday, "we do more than design logos, develop Web sites or create
workplace environments. We build a comprehensive and meaningful identity that will grow with the company - critical
ingredients in the New Economy."
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Archimage was founded in 1983 as a multi-discipline design studio. Projects
include office buildings for Time Warner Communications, corporate interiors for Compaq
Computer Corporation, computer animation for Nintendo and The Walt Disney Company, CD-ROM
games for Knowledge Adventure, television commercials for Volvo, and Web sites for Ziff-Davis
Publications and Baylor College of Medicine. The firm has won more than 30 international
awards for its work.
Contact:
Jerald Reichstein, AIA
Archimage, Inc.
tel: 713.523.3425
email: jr@archimageonline.com
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