A special thanks to all of our in kind donors: Southern Wine and Spirits , Publix, 71 Proof, In Tents Events, Target, Turkey Hill Farm,  Market Square Liquors, and New Leaf Market.

Check out our latest video to learn more about the “Sweeter Side” event.

At Onyx Group we believe that good design results in positive change. With each “Sweeter Side” event we, as individuals and a community, can work together to design a positive future. Check back in with us at  www.onyxcreates.com for information on our future “Sweeter Side” events.

Here are some useful strategies to help satisfy and motivate the new generation of employees:

Real-time Feedback: The traditional performance management process has become ineffective. Gen Y needs real-time feedback, positive and negative, in order to make necessary adjustments required for successful performance.

Communication: Gen Y is comprised of extreme communicators and is accustomed to using a variety of media to communicate. Taking advantage of social media tools can help centralize communication among the members of the organization and reinforce key messaging from management to staff.

Mentoring: By establishing a mentoring program, organizations present Gen Y with the opportunity to develop their career path within the organization and learn from experienced employees. In addition this allows for reverse mentoring to occur, as Gen Y can teach members of older generations how to use technology to increase overall efficiency.

Time/Place Flexibility: Shifting focus from hours-worked to results-achieved and allowing flexibility in location can allow employees to work at the time/place that best maximizes their productivity.

For additional management tips read the full  Developing a New Paradigm for Managing Gen Y article.

1. Focus on the eyes – It’s that simple. The eyes are the most important part of the photo – so make sure they are tack sharp. Manual focus will help you get the results you need.

2. Framing – Do not center frame everything. Diving into some photography ‘rules’ – you want to practice the “Rule of Thirds.” Imagine the picture with a tic-tac-toe board over the frame – you want the focus to be on a “line” or “corner” in  1/3 or 2/3 of the frame. This example will help you imagine the lines.

3. Separate the subject – While on-location portraits are also about the environment the main focus is on the subject. Separating the subject from the background will get your great results. This is achieved by using a longer lens; 50mm or ideally 80mm+ achieves great results. In conjunction with a long lens, a shallow depth of field is achieved with the use of open F –stops i.e. ƒ1.8, ƒ2.0, ƒ2.8. Here are examples showing the difference.

4. Click & Process – Once you have your settings dialed in, focused on the eyes and properly frame – release the shutter. After the picture is taken, that isn’t the end though. Upload to your computer, open your photo-editing software and being processing the image. A few basic things to enhance the image – contrast, sharpening, saturation, color temperature. See below images for before and after.

I hope this has given you a little insight on getting better on-location portraits. Small increments make the big differences, but there is a lot to keep on your mind when you’re ready to release that shutter. Happy clicking!

It’s take your child to work day! Meet our youngest “employee,” Nadia’s niece, Juliana.

Every year, “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day” helps children across the nation discover the power and possibilities associated with a balanced work and family life. This national public education program connects what children learn at school with the actual working world and encourages them to dream about the future.

This year, Nadia’s son couldn’t come into the office (he was out sick too many days last week), so she borrowed her niece for the day instead.

We’re happy to have Nadia’s niece helping out around the office today.  She got to go on an exciting trip downtown to celebrate Earth Day and the launch of a project that Onyx collaborated on, A Bag’s Life.  Her new friend, Chris Doolin a local lobbyist, was nice enough to give her a first class tour of the Capitol.  She even learned where the secret snack room for the lobbyists is.  But most importantly she observed a live legislative session.  Talk about a real world education!

After her big day at the Capitol, she got to eat lunch looking over Florida State University’s stadium at the University Center.  They were out of chocolate muffins but she had a good lunch, nonetheless.  She even got to walk on the football field.

After she got into the office, she worked on her science research about how to boil water.  We think this could help some of our office mate’s cooking skills.  So thanks for the tips, Juliana!

To wrap up the day, she spent some time in the conference room learning about blogs and even helped write this one!  Take Juliana’s advice to heart “Onyx is very cool and I learned new words.”



Keep in mind this is only a small selection on the tweets we sent out this week. The best way to keep up to date with us and check out awesome links is by following @OnyxGroup.

We love Lamar’s creative new use for their “between ad signs,” providing a place for Conan:

http://bit.ly/bntTgf

Check out this sneak peek at Twitter’s Redesign:

http://bit.ly/aAYNxw

A Basic Look at Typography in Web Design:

http://bit.ly/aOk9On

Looking for inspiration? These interviews with designers, developers and bloggers offer some excellent insights:

http://bit.ly/bE3BQR

How to Make a Screencast for Your Website:

http://bit.ly/d043nU

10 Steps to a Stronger Professional Network:

http://bit.ly/c5GORh

What Is YOUR Personal Brand?

http://bit.ly/ab9Snv

For some Monday morning inspiration check out these creative white letterpress business cards:

http://bit.ly/99U5I6

http://adage.com/

Here are some interesting facts about Rachelle:

• She is inspired by human-centered design, finding real solutions for real problems.
• She has been a pastry chef, an Alaskan canoe guide, an interior designer, and worked in investments. We dare you to find something she hasn’t tried!
• She is a green guru, she’s even a LEED Accredited Professional.
• She is a current events junkie, who reads The Economist and The New York Times.
• Graduated from Metro State Denver, B.S. Finance in 2002 and she earned her M.F.A. Interior Design in 2008.

For additional information about Rachelle check out her full bio under the about section.

We are excited to announce that Angel Acevedo will be transiting from his part time designer position into a new role as Onyx Group’s Art Director aka “The Snazzy Sensei.”Angel will be  keeping Onyx Group’s creative fresh with his design expertise.

Here are some interesting facts about Angel:

• His creative process consists of a numerous amounts of smoothie and pizza   breaks.
• One of the few people that believes paper and typography are equally as sexy.
• Fancy’s himself not as an award winning designer, but more as a super genius.
• Moonlights as a DJ in Miami.
• He uses Darkwing Duck’s motto as his personal creative strategy; “Let’s Get Dangerous.”
• Graduated with his B.A. from Miami International University of Art & Design in 2010

For additional information about Angel check out his full bio under the about section.

3.  Know your market.  By segmenting the market and learning the demographics, locations, values, lifestyles and behaviors of your clients, you can assess the revenue potential within these markets. This will help you develop a plan to reach your most profitable and viable customers.

4.  Know the central players. Understanding the competition can help when planning is necessary for success of a new venture. You need to research what competitors are doing right and determine where there is room for improvement.

5.  Be prepared to adapt.  In other words, embrace social media.  No, you can’t hide from it.  It is not a fad.  It is here to stay.  Learn the platforms, determine your goals and use the vast array of analytics software to analyze what is attracting your customers and clients.

At the end of the strategic planning process you walk away with a deeper understanding of the market and your brand’s position. A successful strategic plan works as a road map to success by helping you to create achievable goals and focus on the core values of your business while conveying a consistent message to your customers.

When you’re starting a new enterprise, it pays to be strategic.   We can help you develop a dynamic strategic plan to guide you in launching your business. Contact us at info@onyxcreates.com for details on our launch services.

Keep in mind this is only a small selection on the tweets we sent out this week. The best way to keep up to date with us and check out awesome links is by following @OnyxGroup.

For some Monday morning inspiration check out these beautiful business card designs:

http://bit.ly/aPPMyy

Welcome to the Attention Age, Now What? Part one of our two part series on this new age in strategic planning:

http://bit.ly/desPMI

Font choice can make or break a design. Here are four techniques to help you successfully combine fonts:

http://bit.ly/bSeh26

Discover the strategy behind this brilliant redesign! Chiquita Banana Brand Refresh:

http://bit.ly/d8ZrvX

Four Steps For Effective Cross-Cultural Website Design:

http://bit.ly/9Mytkx

10 Essential Rules for Brands in Social Media:

http://bit.ly/ayS417

How to avoid creativity burnout:

http://bit.ly/baFgPp

Why location marketing is the new point-of-purchase:

http://bit.ly/aOkkke.

Why @ Is Held in Such High Design Esteem:

http://nyti.ms/96TGSp

Check out this excellent new stop motion commercial for Amazon:

http://bit.ly/cxk4rj

Times have changed — and so has how people get their information.  The Age of Information is over.  After 20 years, enter: The Attention Age.

We are bombarded by information. Data is filtered to us based on our recent Google searches, iTunes purchase history, Facebook profile and any other footprint we make in cyber world.  What has happened as a result of this information overload?  People are starting to selectively filter our information via RSS feeds, twitter updates of selected individuals and companies and constantly updating Google Reader to make sure that the information that we are getting is the information that we want.

So how does this affect the launch of your business? You need to develop a branding strategy that cuts through the noise.

The first major step is creating a dynamic and achievable strategic plan. You need to know where you’re going before you start moving forward. This helps to ensure you stay true to your brand identity and assists in setting achievable goals.  Follow us in this two part blog as we take a deeper look into the strategic planning process and its key components.

1.   Know who you are.  Test assumptions, ask difficult questions and determine your guiding principles. By knowing what your business represents and what you’re not willing to compromise, you can ensure that you maintain these principles in every aspect of your business. The goal is to walk away with a vision that you can incorporate into daily operations of your business.

2.  Know your strengths and problems.  Analysis of internal factors, strengths and problems, as well as external factors, threats and opportunities, is key to creating a successful brand. By conducting a thorough SWOP analysis we gain a greater understanding of the political and economic climate and identify the current industry trends.

Join us next week to learn more about the second part of the strategic planning process. Contact us at info@onyxcreates.com for details on our launch services.