Registering a Trademark: The Basics

by Curt Hamilton
President

stories directory client lounge

Clients ask about this all the time. Here’s the basic approach:

The first step is to make sure the mark you wish to register is not already registered. You may conduct a search online for free via the TESS (Trademark Electronic Search System definition) database. If your mark includes a design element, you will need to search it by using a design code after consulting the online Design Search Code Manual.

Once you have determined that the chosen trademark is not already taken, you will need to draft a description of goods and/or services with which the mark is used or will be used.

Another consideration is the depiction of your mark. Every application must include a clear representation of the mark definition you want to register. There are two possible mark formats: (1) standard character format definition; or (2) stylized definition or design format. The standard character format should be used to register word(s), letter(s), number(s) or any combination thereof, without claim to any particular font style, size, or color, and absent any design element. Registration of a mark in the standard character format will provide broad rights, namely use in any manner of presentation. The stylized or design format, on the other hand, is appropriate if you wish to register a mark with a design element or word(s) or letter(s) having a particular stylized appearance that you wish to protect. The two types of mark formats cannot be mixed in one mark; do not submit a representation of a mark that attempts to combine a standard character format and a stylized or design format.

Filing a Trademark Application

You may file your trademark application online using TEAS e Biz - the Trademark Electronic Application System. TEAS allows you to fill out an application form and check it for completeness, and then submit the application directly to the USPTO over the internet. You can pay by credit card, through an existing USPTO deposit account, or via electronic funds transfer.

You may also contact the Trademark Assistance Center at 1-800-786-9199 for a hard copy of the Basic Facts brochure, or a paper form. Paper forms are not processed as quickly as those submitted electronically, however.

And before you do all this, call Design Design to make sure your registering a good mark!

You can register your trademark online at http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm

What is D2 Bank?

by Curt Hamilton
President

stories directory client lounge financial portfolio d2 bank website

It started as a trickle. A small consulting project through a business party we work with with for Chase Bank. Then, the call came in that we were being considered for an ATM surround (the branded fixture that surrounds the machine itself) for LaSalle Bank. The major factor in determining the best firm available to handle this type of project came down to our ability to steadfastly insist on brand consistency throughout the design, fabrication, manufacturing and installation process. We created pages upon pages of design and manufacturing standards after the initial design renderings were submitted and approved. The project was not limited to new ATM surrounds, towers, toppers and drive-up kiosks. In involved an estimated 100 sites that needed retrofit environmental and physically manufactured design elements. And, it was in both the Chicago and Michigan markets. The standardization of branded elements led to our involvement in supervising the design and manufacturing of signage also. That was also a huge project spread out over a couple of years. The scope of the signage design responsibility included wall, monument, pedestal, wayfinding, directional, ATM, windows and doors. The banking industry is full of signs.

So, all of that work led to merchandising, print, POP, product promotions, and a number of projects that were submitted, some approved, of creative initiatives that lacked easily definable categories.

This client led to other clients which led to banks buying other banks, creating more work and as we further developed our knowledge of the financial industry, its clients, products, environment and culture. Which led me to think the expertise we gained went far beyond a passing knowledge of bank branding and marketing. And although we worked for a number of years for larger banking institutions, the talents we applied and lessons we learned were not only transferable to smaller banks, but essential. The banking industry products and services are rather similar to the bulk of the banking customers. Convenience and trust are often the deciding factors in both choosing a bank, say for your checking account needs, and further investing in additional banking services such as loans and investments. Trust = quality brand.

What's the next step if this is your industry? Visit http://www.d2bank.com and read through the site, view our portfolio samples and decide if your bank or financial institution can use a visual marketing and branding upgrade. It may not be a calculatable number that you may be comfortable with, but investing your banking image and brand can equate to big increases in the bottom line. That's what design can do in a number-laden industry. Believe.

XXV - 25 Years in Business

by Curt Hamilton
President

stories directory client lounge professional profile historical photos

Here’s my story. In the winter of 1980, I left the world of the paycheck kingdom and, with a partner and against parental advice, rented a small office on Main Street in Evanston and named my new business Stripes Visual Communications. We took our life savings and plopped down a month’s rent, bought a couple of drawing boards and a stat camera, and opened our doors in January of 1981 with (almost) no clients. Alas, after about a year, we still had (almost) no clients. Things changes shortly after that (whew!), and things took off. This small taste of success led to striking out on my own, sans partner, and renaming the firm Design Design Communications in 1984. I moved into a warehouse on Chicago’s near west side (691 N. Sangamon St.) because it was near a photographer I knew and I had gone to a punk rock party there before. Very analytical choice.

Working primarily for PR firms and Rockwell International, we again moved when the building went condo in the winter of 1987. This time, to another eerily big loft space with strange art (mine), green walls and no individual offices, except a couple of half walls for myself and the “computer room”.

We enjoyed ten years at 311 North Des Plaines before moving to the big time in a real office, complete with a custom build-out and room for about a dozen employees at 1333 North Kingsbury St. Still pretty much River West, and never too far from the Matchbox Tavern at the corner of Milwaukee and Chicago Avenues.

Now, eight years later we find Design Design in the shadows of Wrigley Field, with our logo on the awning of a vintage brownstone.

There has always been great clients, great employees, tough deadlines and hard work. But there has always been fun and passion, also. So, here I am, 25 years later, depending on how you count the years, still doing what I was meant to do with enthusiasm and pride. Thank you.

What to Look For When Hiring a Designer

by Curt Hamilton
President

with copywriter
Stokes Schwartz

stories directory client lounge

Most business owners and sales managers aren’t often in a position of hiring creative talent. They often attempt to fall back on a set of traditional hiring criteria, which pairs experience against competitive pricing combined with a cursory look at a portfolio whose talents he may find it difficult to judge. When interviewing or searching for a designer or design firm, consider the following suggestions.

Graphic design is a professional career choice. Like other arts, many designers have a natural ability to create work that is impressive on many levels. Good graphic design, including print and Web, depend on this natural talent to be honed and refined in a well-respected design school to prepare them for a competitive and rewarding career. Review the educational background, work history, references and experience of the designer as well as samples of their work before making your decision. In other words, don’t choose the cousin of your neighbor because they just bought a cool Mac and once did a flyer for a local rock band.

The rates charged by designers vary greatly. The discrepancy is usually in the talent of the designer. The great design work you see by major retailers such as Starbucks and Nike are a result of hiring the superstar professionals and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for many of the projects. Don’t expect to pay a few hundred dollars for top talent. Weigh the potential impact of the design’s campaign to determine a budget. If you expect your sales to increase 15% based on a new image, print materials and a Website overhaul, then establish your budget based on the potential upside of the success. Having consistent, clean, professional materials as part of your sales and brand arsenal can make a huge difference in the customers and clients perception of the quality of service or product you provide.

Be wary of any talent you find on the Web based on price. There’s a whole industry out there that have streamlined the process of generating cookie cutter Websites, logos, and postcards that depend on you spending hours of your own time doing much of the work yourself. And when the going gets tough, the designer you barely know gets going. He has no vested interest in your success and is likely not interested in a long-term investment of their time to understand your business. You can search the Web, but use the results wisely.

Look for designers with a broad array of creative skills that apply well across many platforms and disciplines, especially if you’re a small or mid-sized firm. Your sales and marketing materials will maintain a consistent look and feel, and you’ll spend less of your own time educating different professionals about your business. The flip side formula, which can work for larger business, is the combination of an ad agency, graphic design firm, internet marketing firm and public relations firm working in tandem to cost a tremendous amount of money and time management. Good for a select few Fortune 500, not a good choice for most.

Finally, choose a designer you like. It sounds simple, but when discussing and trading ideas back and forth, you need a healthy respect of what each person brings to the table, sometimes resulting in ego clashing. Having an argument about whether blue or green is a better choice for the cover may not seem like a deal breaker, but it’s helpful to be working with a designer whose skill set may be different from a CEO, but with whom you’ll still be able to have a smile and a chat.