News

November 2011

Tuesday, November 15th — Karl Heine | Noble Desktop NYC | 2 sessions 3–5 and 6–8

Staying invisible — easy. Staying at the top of the list — challenging. This seminar is about maximizing visibility to get hired — fulltime, freelance and project-based. With too much information jamming the Internet, representation and navigation has become an art form. We will explore how the old rules still apply in the new world.

The plan of action: SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), The three Cs, What you don't know will hurt you, The seven Rs, Hanging with the wrong crowd, What I did last summer, Presentation nightmares, The WOW factor, Winning vs whining

Wednesday, November 9th — A2A Studio Solutions presents Jessica Hische | www.a2a.com

Jessica Hische — Cutting her teeth with New York's Louise Fili Ltd. and Philadelphia's Headcase Design before striking out on her own, Jessica Hische has compiled an impressive portfolio encompassing illustration, lettering, and commercial typefaces. Along with an enviable client list, she is recognized as one of today's most influential emerging voices in typographic design.

Jessica Hische is a letterer, illustrator, and self-described "avid internetter", best known for her personal projects Daily Drop Cap and the Should I Work for Free flowchart. Just five years out of college, she currently serves on the TDC board of Directors and is one of the more accomplished young "designistrators" working today.

Schedule: 6:00 – 7:00 | Cocktails and Homemade Culinary Delights

7:00 – 8:30 | Jessica Hische Program | Q&A 8:30 – 10:00  More Cocktails and Tasty Treats

This event is part of the A to A Studio Solutions Seminar Series. Remember there is NO charge for this event. Seating is extremely limited. Make your reservation as soon as possible. To reserve your seat, email: allanw@a2a.com

This event is co-sponsored by The Type Directors' Club

October 2011

October 5th — Gerard Huerta — A2A Studio Solutions

Huerta is responsible for an astonishing number of the most iconic and recognizable logos in contemporary society.

Born and raised in Southern California — educated at the Art Center College of Design, Huerta's bio is literally too lengthy to list; a veritable laundry list of "who's who" in the entertainment world.  His work includes logos for the music groups Boston, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Bob Dylan, and the Charlie Daniels Band. Huerta then went on to develop logos for HBO, People Magazine, Swiss Army Brands, Time, Money Magazine, Pepsi, Nabisco. His innovative and exceedingly memorable masthead designs have revolutionized brands and transcended beyond mere graphic design.  Everyone knows Gerard Huerta, they just don't know it. 

Cove House | 47 Euclid Avenue, Stamford, CT 06902 | 203.388.9050 | www.a2a.com

Schedule: 6:00 – 7:00 | Cocktails and Homemade Culinary Delights

7:00 – 8:30 | Gerard Huerta Program | Q & A 8:30 – 10:00  More Cocktails and Tasty Treats | Coffee, Tea & Dessert

This event is part of the A to A Studio Solutions Seminar Series. Remember there is NO charge for this event.

Seating is extremely limited. Make your reservation as soon as possible. To reserve your seat, email: allanw@a2a.com

September 2011

A late September weekend in NYC — Reboot Retool Refuel brings a cross section of knowledgeable professionals speaking on topics every designer, illustrator and creative needs to capture to stay competitive. The Graphics Artist Guild is hosting this event at Pratt on 144 West 14 Street, Between 6th and 7th Avenues. Kicking off Saturday morning, I will be speaking on a valuable topic — Fast Forward — continuing with our mission — creating best practices to Get Noticed. Visual communications have been evolving at a breakneck speed. How you show and what you show it on is a vital piece of your presentation. Staying up and ready to communicate with your audience is as critical as what you are representing in your work.

The Speakers — Daniel Palevin, Ilise Benun/Marketing Mentor, Gerard Huerta, Karl Heine, Margaret Cusack, Tom White, Christopher Irving and Tim Goldman. Check out the entire schedule to take in the whole weekend or a small piece. Register early — highly recommended to enjoy the whole weekend of inspiration with your peers. Thanks again to Mark Bennett/Graphic Artist Guild President for creating this venue for the entire creative community.

Images: © Graphic Artists Guild, kHyal/GetfiZz.com

August 2011
July 2011

June 2011

May 2011

April 2011

March 2011

February 2011

The Fairfield County Adobe Users Group was founded in 2010 by Adam Wahler of A to A Studio Solutions, then joined by Karl Heine of creativeplacement and kHyal™ of fiZz. The Fairfield County Adobe Users Group will meet once a month at alternating locations in Stamford and South Norwalk. Monthly meetings are of free of charge to all Adobe users. Join us on facebook and spread the word on our event page. Manipulating Photoshop featuring Juliano Michelangelo Barrotti on Wednesday, February 9th at 7pm. This is a free event. Several spots left. RSVP early.

The mission of the group is to provide an open forum for creative professionals using Adobe products to share and expand their knowledge across all relevant Adobe platforms. The group is founded on a self-help concept used within the context of community for continued learning opportunities through the collective knowledge base and expertise of its’ members.

The Fairfield County Adobe Users Group will meet once a month at alternating locations at A to A Studio Solutions in Stamford and PUSH/creativeplacement in South Norwalk. For more information, call Karl Heine at 203-838-7772 or Adam Wahler at 203-388-9050.

This Workshop has been postponed until later this spring. To be announced. Gourmet Typography Workshop | Friday, February 18th 9am – 4:30pm
Every creative professional, including the most seasoned designer, can benefit from learning to communicate more effectively with type. These sessions will give you the expert-level typographic skills and aesthetics necessary to master typography, and visibly improve your type. Gourmet Typography Training will sharpen your eye and reignite your passion for typography. Take control of your type instead of letting it control you!

Topics covered include:
• OpenType explained
• Are you a type criminal? The worst (and most common) type crimes
• How to finesse your typography, including letter spacing, word spacing, kerning, alignment, and more.
• Software secrets to setting professional typography
• Kerning demystified

$295/professional | $195/student | Group rates available call Karl Heine @ 203-838-5555
A healthy breakfast and lunch will be included for this workshop. Limited seating — RSVP early.

About the Speaker
Ilene Strizver, founder of The Type Studio, is a typographic consultant, designer, writer and educator specializing in all aspect of visual communication, from the æsthetic to the technical. Ilene formerly was the Director of Typeface Development for International Typeface Corporation (ITC) where she developed more than 300 notable text and display typefaces. She writes the popular column, fy(t)i For Your Typographic Information for fonts.com, as well as TypeTalk for creativepro.com. Her book, Type Rules! The Designers Guide to Professional Typography, 3rd edition, has received numerous accolades from the type and design community. She conducts her widely acclaimed Gourmet Typography Workshops internationally.

Thanks Ilene for making our first Salon of 2011 a success!

Are you a type criminal? Don’t be afraid to confess — even the most seasoned designer can commit an occasional type crime, by accident or inattention. Join Ilene Strizver of The Type Studio and find out as she discusses the 10 worst type crimes, and signs copies of the newly released 3rd edition of her book, Type Rules! The designer’s guide to professional typography. Whether you are a designer, art director, educator, or student (or even an editor or marketing professional!) don’t miss this opportunity to meet Ilene and experience her dynamic presentation style. Free event.

December 2010

Spark Your Creativity and Challenge Your Intellect

If you have a degree in what field is it? I come from the school of hard knocks. I attended Emerson College, The Art Institute of Boston, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and Boston Film and Video Foundation in the 1980s but couldn’t sit still long enough to graduate. When I moved to Los Angeles, I attended programs on legal issues in the visual arts at Loyola Law School then got distracted by the cause of one of the speakers—Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts—and became a fundraising chair for them and abandoned my studies while working in Beverly Hills for an art gallery and also for a restorer. The gallery taught me how to market expensive art and put on celebrity events; the restorer taught me the art of making period picture frames for LACMA, the Getty and the Norton Simon Museum. It was fascinating work that involved finishing hand-carved, gold leaf frames to make them appear centuries old. Truth be told, I learned about design in my childhood from reading the books and back issues of annuals and magazines like CA that I found on my father’s bookcase. I learned it quietly and alone inside my head and later I disciplined myself to execute it successfully through a continuous stream of failures that I worked through until they shined. I’m still doing that. More...


November 2010

The Fairfield County Adobe Users Group launches on November 17th at 6:30pm with an Open House at A to A Studio Solutions in Stamford. The group was the brainchild of Adam Wahler of A to A, then joined by Karl Heine of creativeplacement and kHyal™ of fiZz.

The mission of the group is to provide an open forum for creative professionals using Adobe products to share and expand their knowledge across all relevant Adobe platforms. The group is founded on a self-help concept used within the context of community for continued learning opportunities through the collective knowledge base and expertise of its’ members.

The Fairfield County Adobe Users Group will meet once a month at alternating locations in Stamford and South Norwalk. Monthly meetings are of free of charge to all Adobe users. Join us on facebook and spread the word on our event page.

For more information, call Karl Heine at 203-838-7772 or Adam Wahler at 203-388-9050. Click here to RSVP.

kHyal™ + Karl Heine join forces again! GetNoticed! Career + SocialMedia Visibility. Learn important tactics, techniques and competencies critical for success at any stage of your creative career — plus, simple steps to rise above the clutter and get noticed.

Our fourth engagement — @ AWNY (Advertising Women of New York) | 54th annual Advertising Career Conference. Saturday, November 13 from 2pm (Our engagement). (Fashion Institute of Technology) FIT 27th Street & 7th Avenue. This event is outstanding — key industry leaders speaking freely about the industry and what will give you the edge when seeking your first job out of school. All students — communication, marketing, advertising and design should attend. Registration deadline is November 5th.

Social Media Sync | kHyal™ | the Grove | 9:00am, Tuesday, November 23 2010
Hot Coffee, Pancakes and Innovative Ideas.

Wake up and meet up with the Twittersphere, FourSquare, bloggers, and Facebook friends in the Greater New Haven Community to discuss innovative ways social media is being used to grow businesses, develop communities, and create social change. Each week we will feature a different social media professional to speak about how they are using social media in new ways. Social Media Sync is a great way to network, connect, and learn.

As our featured presenter for November 9th we are pleased to welcome kHyal™ of fiZz, a results driven effervescent communication agency. fiZz is a strategy-driven collaborative studio with a focus on integrating social marketing tools. Everything we do targets maximum reach for your project goals. We don’t let our right brain fool our left brain. And, we don’t let our left brain dilute the power of our work. We believe in balance. The best of all worlds, skillfully meshed to deliver measurable results.

October 2010
A to A Studio Solutions | In Control. Sometimes | Carin Goldberg 6:00pm to 10:00pm | Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Since 1982 Carin designed hundreds of book jackets for every major American publishing house. In recent years her image making has expanded to publication design and brand consulting for clients including The Gap (AR Media), Time Inc., Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, The School of Visual Arts and Sterling Brands. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious AIGA Gold Medal, an honor considered to be the highest in America recognizing an exemplary career inn graphic design.

In November 2010, a retrospective of her work and career will be exhibited at Musée Géo-Charles, Échirolles, France. Carin Goldberg will talk about how she manages (and doesn't manage) her career, her clients, her personal life, and her work after 35 years of practice.


In 2011, PUSH goes mobile with Design Camp on Block Island. Revel in nature with like-minded creative professionals for three days of hedonistic play and design learning. Stay tuned as we develop and solidify the schedule for an intense three days of design thinking and workshops in a breathtaking world of natural beauty. On the menu: welcome dinner by a master chef, typography in nature, plein air painting, found object sculpture workshop, natural clay spa on the beach and more!

PUSH is an ongoing series of handcrafted workshops, salons and events developed to expand the learning opportunities of creative professionals at every stage in their careers. From tips on typography and the lost art of letterpress — to rapidly evolving emerging interactive technologies. From creating a portfolio for success — to techniques that get your resume noticed. From how to present your best self in an interview — to mapping out a career shift — and more. PUSH provides the tools and training to keep you pushing toward your goals.

September 2010

kHyal™ + Karl Heine join forces again! GetNoticed! Career and SocialMedia Visibility. Learn important tactics, techniques and competencies critical for success at any stage of your creative career — plus, simple steps to rise above the clutter and get noticed.

Our third engagement — @ School of Visual Arts/NYC on Thursday, September 23 from 7 – 9pm. SVA Amphitheater, 209 E. 23 Street, 3rd floor.

Our store is live! — New posts every day! DesignerGrill is a collaboration between design team kHyal™ and Karl Heine. It combines their love of art, design, technology, fashion, style, food, books, events, education, music, travel, adventure and more! Join us on Facebook/Karl, Facebook/kHyal™,Twitter @karlheine and @kHyal.

A to A Studio Solutions Event | Our Monthly Free / No-Charge-to-Attend Event | Typographic Tattoo | Ina Saltz | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Wednesday, September 22, 2010 | 6:00PM – 10:00PM

Etched in Flesh: Garamond, Helvetica, Univers, Caslon and more. Typographic tattoo expert Ina Saltz will share images and the fascinating stories behind the tattoos from her new book, "Body Type 2: More Typographic Tattoos" (the sequel to "Body Type: Intimate Messages Etched in Flesh"). Reserve Early — seating is limited. Contact Allan Wahler at 203-388-9050 or email.






A to A Studio Solutions Event | Our Monthly Free / No-Charge-to-Attend Event | Gail Anderson | 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Thursday, April 22, 2010

It may be a stereotype, but creative people tend to be magnets for weird, odd or unusual stuff. But it turns out that all that stuff-from bottle caps to interesting postcards-can have a positive impact on your work. Gail Anderson is the creative director at SpotCo, a New-York based agency that specializes in creating artwork and campaigns for Broadway theater. Prior to this, she served as senior art director at Rolling Stone magazine. Gail's work has been recognized by the Society of Publication Designers, the Type Directors Club, AIGA, Communication Arts and Print; she is also the co-author, with Steven Heller, of New Vintage Type, Astounding Photoshop Effects, American Typeplay and the upcoming New Ornamental Type.

kHyal™ + Karl Heine join forces launching GetNoticed! Career and SocialMedia Visibility. Our first engagement — CADC | 2010 Student Conference @ Sacred Heart University on Saturday, March 27th.

Recycle Your Inspiration. Give your unwanted books and publications a new life. Young minds entering the creative industry need inspiration. Design students to collections sitting on your bookshelf collecting dust. Our BookDrive initiative — sponsored by PUSH, DesignerGrill and Mohawk Fine Papers — will pick up any design-related books or publications you choose to donate at your location.
Drop-offs are also welcome at the following locations during regular business hours (call for details). creativeplacement/Karl | 203-838-7772, Mascola/Nick | 203-469-6900, Co:lab/Troy | 860-951-7782, Taylor Design/Steve | 203-969-7900. Details.

February 2010

January 29th, kHyal™ and Karl presented Career and Social Media Bootcamp to the entire student body at the Creative Circus. Immediately following, we did a Podcast (Episode# 71) hosted by Dan Balser. DGMS — Don't Get Me Started. Dan interviews creative professionals with a voice and influence on the industry with insight for his Creative Circus student population.

Dan Balser has been an advertising copywriter for 19 years, and since 2002 he has been a teacher and Department Head at The Creative Circus advertising school in Atlanta. More inspiratation at The Headline-A-Day Page.

January 2010

Felt & Wire Article | Sketchbook: Heine's Journals build histories & futures

It was my Grandmother who inspired me to create DesignerJournals. She was a consummate adventurer and documented all of her experiences. I found this out simply by being a passenger on her travels — not a passenger by any particular means — but as a guest on her adventures in the filtering light of my youth. More

Designer Journals are available in three cover materials — linoleum, recycled leather, and wetsuit — with 33 different designs and colors, wire coil bound and bleed-proof. The materials chosen are sustainable; the interior sheets are 100% postconsumer waste, the covers are made from postconsumer waste materials and recycled fiber, and the wire coil binding
is 90% recycled steel. More at MohawkPaper/news

Live and Happening! DesignerGrill is a collaboration between design team kHyal™ and Karl Heine. It combines their love of art, design, technology, fashion, style, food, books, events, education, music, travel, adventure and more!

Kicking off the new year, kHyal™ and Karl will present an exciting multimedia venue combining social media + career bootcamp to the entire student body at the Creative Circus in Atlanta Georgia on January 29th. Thanks to DC Washington/Director of Career Services.

December 2009

Thursday 7–10, December 10, 2009

Rock the block at the rockinest party for creative professionals this year in SoNo!

Network with peers, expand your horizons, enjoy gourmet tastes
of favorite area food and wine purveyors, dance until you drop,
celebrate the magic of SoNo while making new industry connections!

Join the party at Palace Digital Studios in their newly rennovated sound stage, a former Vaudeville Theatre where Mae West and Harry Houdini once performed!

This event is presented to you by Palace Digital Studios, fiZz Agency, creativeplacement and DesignerGrill.com. Register.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

A to A Studio Solutions and Adobe® Systems presented

"Professional Techniques with Adobe Photoshop®, Lightroom®, and Illustrator®"
Most graphics professionals spend much of their lives in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Lightroom, but how many really *know* these products well? In this two hour presentation, designer and Adobe Certified Expert Scott Citron will wow you some of the best tips and tricks for using these amazingly powerful applications. If you make your living in any of these programs but know there's more to know, you won't want to miss this fantastic (and fun) evening. Scott Citron is the principal of Scott Citron Design, a one-man shop in Manhattan that specializes in fine design for print and web. Years ago he became interested in Adobe InDesign and taught a series of 23 InDesign workshops in NY and CT for Adobe following the release of InDesign v2.0.

November 2009

Our offical Launch! DesignerGrill is a collaboration between design team kHyal™ and Karl Heine. It combines their love of art, design, technology, fashion, style, food, books, events, education, music, travel, adventure and more!

October 2009

AIGA Metro-North | Dead Brands Halloween Party in Sleepy Hollow with Michael Bierut

AIGA’s Metro-North chapter invites you to join us for a frighteningly fun evening of talk, pageantry, and snacking. We will begin at 6pm with wine and finger-food, followed by a ghastly talk by Michael Bierut on dead and resurrected brands. Next, a dead brand pageant and crowning for the best dead brand costume. (There will be prizes!) And in the end, music to wake the dead. Check here for more.

aigametro-north.ning.com/events/dead-brandsmichael-bierut
Come costumed as your favorite dead brand—or come as you wish!

Karl Heine | Guest Speaker | CCSU/CT | October 28th @ 2pm | DES 438

Karl Heine will present the latest chapter in his series of "Designing a Better Design Career". The Look, The Book, The Hook highlights the three main elements needed for a successful communication with the design community. The Design Communications Program at Central Connecticut State University chaired by Sue Vial, a key member of CCSU for over 20 years. Sue also heads up Central Design which is an in house design agency at CCSU enabling design students to get out side design projects from design firms and corporations.

Portfolio Center Review | 11am–7pm ADC/NYC | visit protfoliocenter.com for details and future school events/registration.








A Better World by Design creates connections to make our world a better place. October 2–4@Brown & RISD, Providence, RI

A Better World by Design conferece was an outstanding forum bringing a global community of innovators to Providence, Rhode Island, to reach across disciplines and unite under a common goal. Presenters shared engaging stories, workshops gave creative insight, and discussions reframed perspectives. A Better World by Design was an immersive experience that clarified our understanding of the power of design, technology, and enterprise to reshape our communities and sustain our environment.

AIGA Metro-North | First Annual Chapter Meeting | Join us and make a difference!
Location: A to A Studio Solutions | Time: 7:00pm Thursday, October 1st.
Check here for more. aigametro-north.ning.com/

September 2009

Taste of SoNo | Change the Date | Spring 2010 | A Food Odessey

Based on renewed interest from several restaurants, we decided to return to the original venue season and hold our benefit in the spring. Stay tuned for more as we approach 2010.

The Taste of SoNo originated from my idea of bringing the creative community together, integrating a networking event with a tasting of the finest cuisine South Norwalk has to offer.

I wanted to share my love of this neighborhood and its restaurants with my clients by creating a memorable themed event appealing to the creative community and sharing the tastes of the top-notch SoNo restaurants that enrich the downtown scene. Our website: tasteofsono.com is in the make over phase. Tickets will go on sale, January 1, 2010.

Joshua Onysko, Founder + CEO of Pangea Organics spoke to our AIGA metro-north chapter at Earthplace in Westport. We brought together many industry professionals from Fairfield, Westchester and Hartford counties to hear Joshua tell his interesting journey over the last 10 years that put Pangea on the map. To join our chapter, call Karl Heine @ 203-838-7772. Add your name to our mailing list, click here. aiga mailing list For more information about the AIGA, visit aiga.org






August 2009

Our InDesign/Workshop with Scott Citron on Friday, August 21st was well received. Attendees from Westchester, Fairfield and Hartford Counties included a cross section of professionals from design studios, corporate art departments and independent freelancers. Rounding off our group were two students. One from Middlesex College the other from Moore College of Art. Thanks again to Scott Citron for a great workshop! For information about future workshops, training or salons call Karl Heine @ 203-838-5555.

July 2009

Our High-Rez Photoshop/Workshop on Friday, July 31 featured Juliano Michelangelo Barrotti was a big hit. Special offer, "The Adventures of Edward the Mouse" is available for $95.
First 25 orders with be autographed and personalized. Click here for details.

AIGA/Fast Brands featuring Matt Biespiel/McDonald's | July 16

Spark/nyc BBQ | July 14

CADC/Milton Glaser Movie | July 9

May 2009

University of Bridgeport | Alumni Event/Senior Show: May 2

RISD | Senior Recruiment: May 4

Syracuse University, Lubin House/NYC: May 5–6

SVA | ADC/NYC: Senior Show: May 6–8

Tisch School/NYC: Senior Show: May 11

Pratt | Senior Show/NYC: May 12

ADC/Coroflot/NYC: May 15

ICFF/NYC: May 16

April 2009

Quinnipiac University | Speaking engagement: April 30 at 9:30

University or Bridgeport | Student show: April 30 at 4:30pm–7pm

CADC | Student Conference, University of Hartford, April 25 (Saturday). All students enrolled in design, fine art or marketing programs should attend this all day event. Alexander Isley will delivery the keynote address.

Speaking engagement: SVA, Ilene Strizver's Typography class, April 21 at 7pm.

April 16–17. This was an outstanding event. When ideas do happen, it is not by accident. What separates creative people who make their ideas happen from the constant dreamers? Behance is partnering with Cool Hunting to host "99%": a conference that focuses less on inspiration, and more on how idea generation and organization come together to make ideas happen.

One True City | Metro-North premier event was a hugh success. James Sanders presented a lively history of New York City through architecture, history and film. Following his presentation, James signed his two books; Celluloid Skyline and New York, An Illustrated History. Thanks to UCONN Stamford for hosting our opening. Visit aiga.org for upcoming events for the Metro-North and the Connecticut AIGA chapters.




Speaking/recruitment: Syracuse University, Design Career Fair April 2–3.


March 2009

Announcement: We are improving and upgrading our website this month and just soft launched an exciting new website, talentEducation To help our design community professionals grow while developing better skills for a more rewarding career. Visit for details. Stay tuned to get tuned up!

Free At Noble Desktop Headquarters/NYC, March 26th at 7pm. Call NobleDesktop for reservations. An afternoon session was added due to popular demand. Networking Drive + Passion + Skills = Opportunity

Are you a Design Professional who’s looking to get more out of your studio or career? Are you in pursuit of true happiness? Are you wasting valuable time stuck in the process, instead of focusing on what drives your passion? Learn why you need multiple marketing efforts in your repertoire.

Our Premier Push Salon | March 12th. Many thanks to Scott Carson who provided a rich format of valuable information for increasing awareness in email marketing.

February 2009
Carnegie Mellon | Confluence '09 | "Designing a Better Design Career". Speaking about real world tools to land a great design. The next day, we interviewed students in communication design, interactive, and industrial design. Thanks again to Carnegie Mellon and the entire career services staff.

January 2009

Our sponsored Inspirational Jam at O'Neil's had a super turn out with over 50+ attendees. Thanks to Rachel Rowan and the cadc. For up coming events, visit: cadc.org

Back from a great west coast trip mostly in and around SanFrancisco. We were at Macworld checking out the latest and greatest releases. We spent a lot of time with the lynda.com crew. The show was a bit smaller from previous years but well worth it. New development from a couple small companies not in the spotlight: Solio who produces a solar charger for iPhone, iPod and other related devices. Check it out at Solio.com

The other cool company was Livescribe. They produce the PULSE smartpen. A pen and special notebook that can record your handwriting, voice with a very high degree of accurancy. The next generation in early spring, will be a self printable digital-read paper so the pen is all you need. Check it out at Livescribe.com

The Advocate's article, December 31, 2008. Excerpt: "The arts commission got help from creativeplacement, a recruitment firm for designers with offices on North Main Street, to find artists to create the posters for the campaign, dubbed It's a Wonderful Norwalk."

The designers were allowed free reign, with the caveat that the posters not be overtly religious or political, and promote peace and goodwill.

"I actually think it went exceptionally well," said Karl Heine, principal at creativeplacement, whose wife, kHyal, who owns the fiZz agency, created the poster at Sweet Rexie's. Click here to read the whole article.

December 2008

We are please to announce the Pushworkshop and fiZz identity just won awards in Graphic Design USA under Logos, Trademarks and Symbols. Published in the GD USA November/December 2008 issue on page 197. Visit: GDUSA.com.
kHyal's agency, develops effervescent creative strategies for branding and technology projects large and small. fiZz delivers supreme results in branding, interactive, website development, marketing communications and public relations. Website: getfizz.com

365: AIGA Design Exhibition 29 | 12/11/08–2/20/09

Art Basel 08 | Miami, FL

Karl, kHyal and Tyler had a great trip to Miami. A few photos are on Karl's facebook page.

Karl Heine was invited back to speak about how to prepare yourself for the real world. Ilene Strizver, Instructor and typography expert and founder of the The Type Studio invites Karl to speak to her class each semester. Karl spoke about what to expect when you leave school and how to communicate to design professionals, responding to Internet postings, what's happening with social media, and current trends in the industries.

November 2008

CCSU/CT | Invited Speaker

Karl Heine was invited to speak to the December 2008 graduating seniors in the Design Communications Program at Central Connecticut State University. Sue Vial, asked Karl to share his insights and in depth knowledge on what's happening now. Sue Vial has been key member of CCSU for over 20 years. Sue also heads up Central Design which is an in house design agency at CCSU enabling design students to produce real projects from CCSU internal programs, outside design firms and corporations. Hot topics: Social Media Craze (Networking in the real world), resumes (designing and writing effective communication that works), Relationship building (establishing contact outside the university. It's not what you know, it's who you know), interviewing (research, prep and looking your best), Foot hold (keep your name in front of prosective hiring managers).

October 2008
Push Presented I'm an Awesome Acrobat | View all the details

This unique salon was an eye opener into Acrobat and reveal an interactive side rarely explored with this program Many thanks to E Fitz Smtih for a great presentation. We love this story! Our friend and colleague, designer E Fitz Smith, took our Scott Citron CS3 workshop earlier this year; then came to us with something that she learned through his book, which we gave to folks who had attended our workshop. The result is this salon taught by E Fitz Smith on creating simple interactive presentations with web page clickability. Join us for I'm An Awesome Acrobat! and impress your friends, co-workers and clients with the awesome skills you'll take away. To see what new Acrobat tricks E Fitz Smith has created visit pdfpix website

The Engraved Invitation with Cannelli Printing and Mohawk Paper was great. Top-notch samples of letterpress, engraving, hot stamping, debossing and embossing were featured. Many thanks to Roxanne and Sandra from Cannelli Printing+ Lee Moody and Cindy from Mohawk Paper.

Our New Gift of Learning Rewards Program | lynda.com |

The Gift of Learning Rewards Program. Click the image at the top of the page for the 40% savings code. You'll get a one-year Premium Subscription to the lynda.com Online Training Library®—that's anytime access to over 34,000 video tutorials.

The talentEd Referral Program offers a special deal. Refer a job candidate to creativeplacement, we place your candidate, you'll get a one-year free Premium Subscription to lynda.com Click the link to refer a collegue, friend or yourself. See requirements and rules on the referral page.

Using lynda.com will increase your skills to improve your expertise.

To join our list, enter your name and email in the upper box to the right. We will keep you informed with job alerts, Push | salons, workshops, events, and blog. Our list is private, only reaching out to the creative community and is never sold. For general inquiries email or call our office anytime@ 203-838-5555.

Our salon High-Rez Emotion featuring Juliano Barrotti of Barrotti Pictures was a huge hit. Thanks Juliano. Click the image above, to see his Journey.

The Pushworkshop salon concept keeps pushing the educational model and the focuses on topics from high level digital illustration with old school ideology Pencil to Pixel with Gerard Huerta, The Art of Presentation featuring Stuart Einhorn of PortfolioBox, High-Rez Emotion with Juliano Barrotti, The Engraved Invitation with Cannelli Printing plus Mohawk Fine Papers, FlashHero with Noble Desktop, and I'am an Awesome Acrobat with E Ftiz to wrap up the season.

For all the details go to pushworkshops.com Pushworkshops, salons and events. All salons will be held at our space in the heart of SoNo, 13 North Main Street, South Norwalk, CT. Limit: 70 attendees. The Salon series will run from July–November.
pushworkshops/store. For more information call 203-838-5555.

June 2008
Communication Arts | Insight Feature Interview | 6/04/08
Insight, Education, Information. A featured interview with Karl Heine on the interactive Communcation Arts website. Entire article

April 2008
Our Mastering InDesign workshop was a great success and Scott's book Professional Design Techniques was the added bonus. Thanks Scott, we greatly appreciate your wisdom. Scott will be returning for 2 more workshops in the fall. For further information call 203-838-5555.

RISD | In The Hot Seat

March 2008
On March 11th, Karl Heine was one of two design professionals invited to participate in RISD's "In the Hot Seat": Artful Interviewing & Negotiating for Creative Jobs," as part of their Reality Check, Practical Information for Entering the Professional Art and Design World program. For this event, Heine executed a mock interview with a graduating RISD student in front of 75 other art and design students, teaching them how to answer interview questions and present themselves and their portfolios in real world settings. The program was designed to help graduates understand what questions to ask interviewers and how to negotiate their salary and benefits. Heine has had a 15-year relationship with RISD's career development office and will return to participate in the student portfolio reviews in mid-April.

Communication Arts | Freelance Rewards

Adding to the rewards program, the Freelance Rewards program offers a year subsrciption to the pinnacle communication design publication, Communication Arts. Register online at creativeplacement.com/ca. For participation and requirements give us a call at 203-838-7772.

Push Workshops | Workshops | Salons | Events

January 2008
creativeplacement proudly presents Push Workshops, an ongoing series of hand crafted workshops, salons and events to inspire and educate.

Push Workshops was developed to expand the learning opportunities of creative professionals at every stage in their careers. From tips on typography, mastering design software, the lost art of engraving, the best way to organize your portfolio, techniques to make your resume sizzle, how to present your best self in an interview, mapping out a career shift and more. We provide the tools and training to keep you pushing toward your goals.

For all the details, visit pushworkshops.com

CCSU/CT | Invited Speaker

Karl Heine was invited to speak to the graduating seniors in the Design Communications Program at Central Connecticut State University. Sue Vial, asked Karl to share his vision with her top design students. Sue Vial has been key member of CCSU for over 20 years. Sue also heads up Central Design which is an in house design agency at CCSU enabling design students to get out side design projects from design firms and corporations. This programs allows practical experience prior to working professionally after graduation. Karl addressed many of the issues students face upon graduation. Details included: establishing contact outside the university, preparing a designed based resume, interviewing methodology and keep your name in front of prosective hiring managers.

University of Bridgeport/CT | Invited Speaker

November 2007

Karl Heine was invited to speak at his alma mater The University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT. Amy Papaelias, Instructor packed the Carlson Art Gallery with graphic design/industrial design students. Karl spoke on the recent changes and best practices in getting in front of prospective employers in the creative community. Details included: First contact, resume design/development, preparing visuals and interviewing methodology.

Taste of SoNo | The Next Party | 3/26/09

The Taste of SoNo | March 26 2009 will be a great time. To sign up early, contact us at 203-838-5555. We will have items for sale shortly at our store. Email

October 2007

The Taste of SoNo, The Delicious Sequel was a hugh success with over 150 creative professionals gathering to sample the cuisine of SoNo’s top restaurants. Our A-list of creatives migrated from Fairfield, Westchester, Hartford and New Haven Counties, and NYC will gather in style to network and groove while sampling the finest fare in Fairfield County.

Due to the tremendious support, we were able to donate $2,500 from the proceeds to the Carriage Barn Arts Center’s Creative Community Connections program, which began by targeting the Bridgeport public schools that have removed all art curriculum from elementary students due to restrictions in funding. The program strives to bring back the arts to all children who desperately need a new perspective in their curriculum. Our Taste of SoNo products will be live shortly.

Visit www.tasteofsono.com/products

(ICC) Independent Creative Club/CT | Guest Speaker

October 2007

Karl Heine was invited to speak at The Independent Creative Club in Hartford, CT. Amanda Spielman, Founder of ICC and Creative Director of Spielman Design invited Karl to speak to the ICC members on how to generate and keep the approach alive when seeking new business as a small independent design professional. Karl spoke in depth about how to be different. The evening included a deep exchange of information from delivery of dimensional mailings to reinventing yourself in a competitive market.

Freelance Rewards | CA

September 2007

Adding to our rewards program, creativeplacement announced Freelance Rewards at Flash Forward Conference in Boston hosted by lynda.com. We are participating in the conference with our crew and exhibit booth during the Expo on Friday, September 21st. The Freelance Rewards program offers a year subsrciption to the pinnacle communication design publication, Communication Arts. Register online starting September 21, 2007. For participation and requirements give us a call or visit creativeplacement.com/ca

iPhone Rewards | Connect in style

August 2007

We kicked off our hottest creativeplacement rewards program ever at The 31st Annual SoNo Arts Celebration August 4–5, 2007. Created by Karl Heine to connect in style. Touch the pad above, or link here to register you referral: creativeplacement.com/iphone

See the email campaign at creativeplacement.com/iphone/email

CADC Awards | Heavy Metal

July 2007

Taste of SoNo posters strike again.

The CADC 31st Annual show "Design Ain't Pretty" Taste of SoNo Poster added 2 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Excellence Awards. The posters have collected 13 awards in 3 major shows to date. Karl Heine and Dan Camera were Co-Creative Directors.

Executive Board CADC 2007–2008 | 2nd term

Summer 2007

Karl Heine was re-elected to the Executive Board of The Connecticut Art Directors Club for the 2007–2008 season. Karl decided to sign on again to help promote the CADC throughout the state and bring more awareness to Fairfield County. Throughout the past several years, Karl has assisted the CADC by speaking at the Annual Student Conference at the University of Hartford. For details, and to see what is happening in the Connecticut design community, visit cadc.org. We have included the April press release from the CADC Newsletter.

Download Taste of SoNo PR

SVA/NYC | Invited Speaker/Recruiter

May 2007

Karl Heine has been invited to speak about how to prepare yourself for the real world. Ilene Strizver, Instructor and typography expert and founder of the The Type Studio invited Karl to speak to her class on typography. Karl spoke about what to expect when you leave school and how to communicate to design professionals, human resources and responding to Internet postings. Details included: resume development, preparing visuals and interviewing methodology. SVA invited us back for the 2007 graduating class of outstanding talent. creativeplacement was the only recruitment agency invited from Connecticut. The 2007 graduating class was an amazing group of students from around the world and local to the greater metro area.

Pratt Institute/NYC | Invited Recruiter

May 2007

Karl Heine was invited to participate in the Pratt Institute Annual Portfolio Show for graduating seniors in the 4-year program and graduate students who completed a masters program. Top agencies, design firms, marketing companies and a select group of recruiters were in attendance. creativeplacement was the only recruitment agency invited from Connecticut. The 2007 graduating class was an amazing group of talented students from around the world and local to the greater metro area.

Syracuse University/NYC | Invited Recruiter

May 2007

Karl Heine was invited to participate in the Syracuse University Annual Portfolio Show for graduating seniors in the design, illustration and advertising programs. Top agencies, design firms, marketing companies and a select group of recruiters were in attendance. creativeplacement was the only recruitment agency invited from Connecticut.

CADC Student Conference Hartford, CT | Speaker

April 2007

Karl Heine was invited back again for the 5th time by the Connecticut Art Directors Club to speak at the University of Hartford about career development to graduating seniors and other students in attendance. Karl gave 3 separate speeches due to the size of the available room and the amount of students that attended this year's conference. Students in attendance were from University of Connecticut, University of New Haven, Trinity College, Southern Connecticut State University, and University of Hartford. In addition, Karl stayed after the discussion to offer advice and answer questions, review portfolios and what it takes to land your first job after graduation.

Dynamic Graphics Magazine | Contributing Writer

March 2007

Karl Heine was invited to contribute his expert views best practices dealing with freelance agencies and ideal preparation when clients are starting their search for talent. Maria Piscopo a highly esteemed writer of creative industry books and articles was the inteviewer. Direct link: Dynamic Graphic article. Download the PDF.