The Onyx Group recently visited Creative Circus in the everlasting search for the perfect designer.  At Onyx, we believe that creativity and good design are vital to the business process.  We think that design belongs at every tier of an organization.  From planning to client contact – good design is a key factor to success.  And a good designer – one that understands creative branding, social media and current trends is important to us.

Onyx has gathered a team of dynamic individuals with cross-disciplinary backgrounds.  From finance, computer science, graphic and interior design to the school of hard knocks (we have several entrepreneurs on staff) – we are as diverse as a young firm can be.

The collaborative environment at Onyx echoes what we saw under “The Big Top.”  We love that both creative skills and development skills are a focus of the school.  And we are particularly excited about the addition of the new Development Branch.  Because here at Onyx, developers and designers collaborate towards one main goal – creativity without sacrificing function.  We were impressed with the students and recent grads.  So if you are interested in joining our diverse and creative team, please let us know…

Onyx Group is pleased to announce several organizational changes that will enhance our ability to offer outstanding services to our clients in 2010:

•    Nick Williams has transitioned into Onyx Group’s Communications Manager, where he will be focusing heavily on marketing.  “I am thrilled to be able to work on Onyx’s marketing efforts,” Nick says.  “There are so many things involved with our brand awareness, and we have some awesome ideas in store for 2010.”

•    After joining the team late last year, Neil Bell (aka “Mr. Media”) is settling into his business development position.  Neil brings a plethora of knowledge and skill to the team and is already off to a strong start in 2010.

•    Onyx Group welcomes Adrian Mummey, who will be helping to take our websites to the next level of excellence as our new Information Engineer (aka “Web Nomad”).  For more information on Adrian, check out the About section of our newly-updated web site.

•    Megan Valente has transitioned from her position as general intern to her new position as Communications Assistant (aka “The Connector”).  She will be helping with Onyx’s social networking and will be manning the front desk.

•    Bill Mattox recently joined the Onyx Group as our resident Wordsmith.  An experienced writer, Bill (aka “The Chaperone”) is a KCCI Catalyst for 2010 along with Onyx Principal Nadia Kamal.

With so many new things going on at Onyx, we are excited about the year ahead.  Please check out our refurbished website at www.onyxcreates.com.  If you have any questions or want to talk about how we can help your business succeed in 2010, please give us a call at (850) 877-3930.

Happy Holidays from Onyx Group! Some interesting holiday related facts about our Onyx Group team members:

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Every year we watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation while we put the tree up.

-Kris, “The Über-Doodler”

What is the most interesting gift you’ve ever received?

When I was thirteen my dad gave me a Bozo the Clown phone for Christmas. It’s still my favorite gift ever.

-Audrey, “The Whoa-man”

What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Two years ago we gave my daughter a Schroeder piano for Christmas. She was thrilled! The look on her face when she played it was amazing.

-Neil, “Mr. Media”

What is your holiday wish this year?

I would love for the Chargers to win the Super Bowl (a late present is okay), a Red Ryder BB Gun, and more camera gear.

-Nick, “The Man”

Happy Holidays!

With the holidays close upon us, I’d like to say a special thank you to all of our clients for their love and support this year!  Have a joyful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year. I’m confident that 2010 will be an even more successful year for both Onyx Group and our clients! Best wishes from our Onyx Group family to yours.

-Nadia, “The Check Signer”

Juliette:
My internship at Onyx Group has been such a rewarding experience. I was able to work with a group of talented communications professionals. My projects provided me hands on experience in marketing communication. Tasked with creating a strategic marketing plan for Onyx Group, I was able to utilize my skills in research, critical thinking and strategic planning.  Also, I had an opportunity to plan and execute the company’s charity event “Toast to Donate” with my fellow intern Megan, which was very fun and valuable to me. We brainstormed ideas, developed the action plan, and worked on every detail for the event.

I love the corporate culture of Onyx Group. The company encourages open dialogue and everyone’s opinions are valued.  The team at Onyx Group is willing to share their experiences and give us great support.

Megan:
As an intern at Onyx Group, I had the opportunity to participate in various stages of a campaign from strategic planning to copy writing. For the ‘Shop Local Wakulla’ campaign, I was able to utilize my advertising education to help write a storyboard that became the final commercial. I attended networking events where I got to meet Tallahassee professionals and gained valuable insight into how Onyx Group lives their brand. Overall, this has been a great opportunity for me to gain real world experience in the marketing communications industry.

Onyx Group offers an excellent learning environment because the entire staff is passionate about fostering new talent. The best advice I have for future interns is to be flexible, Onyx Group is a fast paced and creative company where everyday offers something new.

For more information on internship opportunities at Onyx Group email info@onyxcreates.com.

In this interview our Über-Doodler, Kris Carter, shares some of his creative insight and offers advice to up and coming designers.

How did you become a graphic designer?

My mom is a hand painter and air brusher back in Maine. Her creativity inspired me to be creative. I got my start when my mom and I launched a sign design company together. Then when I came to Florida I worked for Nadia as a graphic designer. When she decided to create Onyx Group I agreed to come on as a partner.

What do you most enjoy about being a graphic designer?

I love being creative day to day. It’s fulfilling to use my creativity making something tangible that benefits our clients.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

Running a fast growing company is a constant challenge. The key is to be adaptable to change and to have a dedicated team.  I enjoy dealing with the Onyx staff, and believe that an open door policy is essential for successful leadership.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

I’m inspired by everything in my environment. I keep up with trends in the market, graphic design is constantly evolving. When I’m really focusing I like to listen to music to keep me in the zone.

Do you have a favorite project that you’ve worked on?

One of my favorite projects to date was the BevShots design. It’s a trendy and new age product. I had a lot of fun creating their design.  Also I loved having the opportunity to develop a fully custom e-commerce system for the site.

Are there any new trends in graphic design we should keep an eye out for?

I’m really excited about the new motion graphics trend. It provides a whole new dimension to web development. This new technology will help create interest in our client’s sites and will engage their customers.

Do you have any advice for those interested in becoming graphic designers?

Focus on creating a diverse portfolio! Having a good personality is important and creativity is a given, but ninety nine percent of the time a portfolio speaks for itself.

If you have any additional questions for Kris about graphic design please DM them to @OnyxGroup on twitter or email info@onyxcreates.com and we’ll answer them for you in our next blog.

1.    The Staff (aka the coolest people you’ll ever meet)
Everyone who works at Onyx Group is here for a reason. We come from diverse backgrounds and bring talent, experience, and passion to our work.

“We’re colleagues, but we’re also friends. I love coming to work every day because I enjoy my work and there’s never a dull moment in the office.”
–Nick Williams, The Man.

2.    Free Flowing Ideas
Group brainstorming sessions are how we keep ideas free flowing and where everyone’s ideas are heard. This produces some of our most creative concepts, because ideas build upon each other and everyone has a chance to contribute. In addition, we have an open office plan that fosters relationships between employees and helps keep everyone on the same page.

3.  Strong Client Relationships
We value our relationships with clients and love to exceed their expectations. We understand our clients and show them how our work can help them succeed. By maintaining close relationships with clients, they become an extension of the Onyx Group family.

“We try our hardest to get to know our clients – not just as clients, but as people. It’s easier to work with someone you’re comfortable with. We truly look at it as a relationship. There are even some clients we spend time with off the clock.”
–Amanda Doumanian, The Planner.

4.    Chloe
Her constant curiosity keeps everyone on their toes. She livens up the office and adds a playful mood to everyone’s day. She loves attention and makes certain that everyone says ‘hi’ to her when they visit our office.

“Hi, Hello! Let’s play fetch.”
–Chloe, The Office Dog.

5.    Creative Leadership
Last but certainly not least is our fearless leadership, Nadia and Kris. They understand the value of creativity in the work place and go out of their way to foster it. Our open office structure ensures that they are easily accessible. Our staff knows they can share their ideas and get immediate feedback.

“Our goal is to create a workplace environment where our employees feel valued and respected. We want our employees to enjoy coming into work every day, because when people are happy it shows in their work.”
–Nadia Kamal, Agency Principal.

The Knight Foundation is a national organization dedicated to fostering journalistic excellence and community revitalization. In January 2007, Tallahassee was selected by the Knight Foundation as one of three cities nationwide to receive funding for community-driven initiatives aimed at boosting the local economy.

Richard Florida, a professor of Business and Creativity at the University of Toronto and author of the national bestseller The Rise of the Creative Class has conducted extensive research into the creative sector which is comprised of technology, arts, managerial and education based positions. Florida’s research into the economic implications of the creative sector became the foundation for The Knight Creative Communities Initiative a partnership between the Knight Foundation and Richard Florida’s Creative Class Group.

The KCCI catalysts will create a unified vision for Tallahassee’s future and an accompanying plan to help the community reach that vision. Catalysts will commit one year to educate, engage and enable fellow citizens in their initiatives.

“I’m very honored and excited to be a part of this group. As co-owner of Onyx Group, a local strategic marketing agency, I understand the value of creativity in the work place. I believe that my experience will allow me to contribute a unique and valuable perspective that will help foster creativity and prosperity in the community,” says Nadia Kamal.

Main goals for the catalysts include generating a greater local awareness of Tallahassee’s strengths and assets; achieving broader recognition of the value of the creative sector; and creating initiatives that improve communication and development in the areas of talent, technology, tolerance and territorial assets.

The focus of this year’s initiatives is to determine ways to make the Tallahassee area more attractive to young professionals in creative sector jobs.

Onyx Group is excited for Nadia and hopes that this year’s group of catalysts has success in achieving their goals!

Onyx Group is participating in the 2009 Big Bend Start! Heart Walk event that will be held Saturday, October 17th at Tom Brown Park. We have pledged to raise $2,500 to support the event and the American Heart Association.

In an effort to raise awareness for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk Event and to help us reach our goal we will be hosting the “Toast To Donate” Heart Walk event at The Winery @  The Red Bar, 1122 Thomasville Road, on Wednesday, September 23rd from 5:30 to 8:30pm.

Our event will include a wine tasting of four wines selected by The Winery and hors d’oeuvres. The $25 ticket includes entrance into the event as well as one complimentary ticket for our raffle. Extra raffle tickets will be available at the event for one dollar each or four dollars for the purchase of five tickets.

The raffle prizes include:
o    Boot Camps To Go has donated a free month of boot camp valued at $130.
o    Synergy Salon is providing a gift basket that includes products and a gift certificate for $25 in services.
o    Gibbs and Culpepper has donated a 10% off coupon that can be used toward any tree service.

All the raffle items have been donated by local vendors. We are still accepting donations for raffle prizes so feel free to contact us if you’re interested in donating. Thank you all for the support!
To purchase tickets in advance just stop by the Onyx Group office, 1120 Thomasville Road. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the door the night of the event.

All proceeds from the event will go toward the support of The American Heart Association in the fight against heart disease. Heart related health issues have touched most of our lives in one way or another: heart disease and stroke are the nation’s number 1 and number 3 killers respectively, do your part to help in the fight against heart disease.

Remember to come out for the event Wednesday, September 23rd at the The Winery and show your support for a great cause!

For more information, contact Megan Valente or Elyse Gibson at Onyx Group (850)877-3930 or send an email to intern@onyxcreates.com.

Our graduate intern Jue Lutz is a graduate student at Florida State in the Integrated Marketing Communications program. As an intern she will be responsible for assisting in researching and strategic planning as well as identifying new business opportunities.  In order for you to get to know Jue better here are some interesting facts about Mrs. Lutz:

She is originally from Beijing and got her undergraduate degree in advertising from the Beijing Technology and Business University.

She loves to travel and is a self proclaimed movie buff. This works out well when she’s traveling back and forth from her home town, hooray for in flight movies!

She really enjoys watching the TV show Top Chef. Her favorite dishes are soup and fish.

Why she loves Onyx: “It’s exhilarating working with a talented and creative team. I’m excited about gaining real world experience in a marketing communication agency.”

Our under graduate intern Megan Valente is a junior at Florida state in the advertising major. She’s excited to gain experience applying her new skills in a real world agency. Her responsibilities as an intern will include assisting in office administration, identifying new business opportunities and helping out with public relations. In order for you to get to know Megan better here are some interesting facts about Miss Valente:

Her favorite sports teams include the Florida State Seminoles (she’s been a fan since the cradle) and the Tampa Bay Rays.

She believes that acting like a child is the key to happiness. Bubbles, finger paints, side walk chalk and a little creativity can fix almost any problem.

She enjoys watching the shows 30 Rock, The Office and Project Runway.  Recently she has become addicted to Hulu.com and catches up on missed episodes there.

Something unexpected about Megan, she’s a Girl Scout. In high school Megan received her gold award for organizing a literacy campaign in an inner city community and thus became a Girl Scout for life.

Why she loves Onyx:  “Everyone at Onyx is so energetic and creative. There’s never a dull moment in the office and I feel comfortable and encouraged to learn here.”

Welcome to the Onyx team Megan and Jue!

Money raised from the Sock Hop event will help the ELC raise funds to help less fortunate children and families, specifically benefiting ELC’s scholarship fund that helps families that do not qualify for the School Readiness program. These Care Scholarship funds combined with the numerous support services provided to the families by the ELC, will ensure that children are more likely to receive a high quality early learning experience, ensuring that each child will be ready for school and ready for life. “This is a great event with a wonderful goal at it’s core: helping children and families,” says Nadia Kamal, Onyx Group Agency Principal.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets to the event, or becoming an event sponsor, visit www.elcbigbend.org. Tickets are $25 each and sponsorship opportunities are still available!