{"id":23,"date":"2022-05-20T08:07:21","date_gmt":"2022-05-20T08:07:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cosmosads.com\/blog\/?p=23"},"modified":"2023-04-04T11:29:58","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T11:29:58","slug":"we-pride-ourselves-on-artistic-integrity-in-everything-we-create","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cosmosads.com\/blog\/2022\/05\/20\/we-pride-ourselves-on-artistic-integrity-in-everything-we-create\/","title":{"rendered":"We pride ourselves on artistic integrity in everything we create"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Crafted<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0was established in 2011 by\u00a0Peter Mendez and Greg Valvano<\/strong>. The partners had previously worked in the large advertising agency world as Creative Directors, handling fully integrated campaigns for clients such as BMW, Nike, NFL and Visa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught up with Valvano to talk about his views on the industry and how he works.
Father of twin daughters, Valvano is a music and art lover, who, when it comes to creativity, puts its trusts fully on intuition. \u201cCreativity<\/strong>\u00a0is being able to do what your mind tells you, without thinking twice about it. You\u2019ve gotta trust your gut and give it a shot, regardless of what others may think,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since launch,\u00a0Crafted<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0has grown to establish itself as a successful, full-service digital shop. With an extremely talented and experienced core creative team, Crafted continues to work with the industry\u2019s long-established brands, as well as some really promising startups on the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you describe your agency in three words?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Quality. Experienced. Different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you get started in the industry?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I actually majored in both 3D and photography during my college years. I always saw myself working for an animation studio but then I realized I could create really compelling digital experiences through a blend of each artistic skill that I\u2019ve acquired in my life. My backgrounds in 3D modeling, lighting and traditional painting still play a large role in what we create every day at Crafted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are there online publications, professionals, industry leaders you follow?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I draw a lot of my inspiration from all types of artists but music is really my greatest outlet for creativity. Although I enjoy some relaxing mood setters from time to time, my roots are honestly in the Indie\/Punk rock scene. There\u2019s just something about that genre that appeals to me. Maybe it\u2019s the honesty and energy involved, or just the concept of \u201cthinking for yourself\u201d that truly inspires me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which cities outside where you live interest you creatively?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Outside of NYC,\u00a0Palo Alto<\/strong>\u00a0is an obvious one.\u00a0San Francisco<\/strong>\u00a0is another creative, free thinking city where art thrives. Having spent so much time on the east coast, the west side coastline has always been appealing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please list a few of your favorite digital brands:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I always enjoyed working on\u00a0Nike<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0BMW<\/strong>. Those brands really\u00a0push the limits<\/strong>\u00a0and allow their creative teams to explore emerging technology and the unique cultures within their brand\u2019s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you like doing in your free time?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When I\u2019m not enjoying my time at home with my beautiful, two-year-old\u00a0twin daughters<\/strong>, I also like to get out for the occasional\u00a0run<\/strong>\u00a0or pick up the\u00a0guitar<\/strong>\u00a0for a few minutes of some downtime. Basically, anything to clear my mind from the daily grind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you work out your design taking into account your target audience or users?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before we create a User Interface, we always work to establish an\u00a0Art Direction<\/strong>. This allows us to create the visual language that aligns with our audience and the brand\u2019s personality. Being able to produce the right visual feel is essential in building out a compelling, yet simple UI that\u2019s universally understood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can build an\u00a0authentic relationship<\/strong>\u00a0with your viewers\/visitors, you\u2019ve created a successful marketing experience on both sides of the spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which web tools you use?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For starters, we couldn\u2019t live without\u00a0PhotoShop<\/strong>. It all begins there. When it comes to prototyping, we usually run everything through the\u00a0InVision<\/strong>\u00a0platform to get a feel for the overall User experience before we start coding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can you tell us about a project you worked on and that was especially successful?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We just recently wrapped up the launch of\u00a0MusicFolio<\/strong><\/a>, a revolutionary sheet music authoring iPad app. We went through an extensive UX exploration before nailing down a seamless, cloud-based workflow for casual and professional musicians. Everyone was really happy with how it all turned out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you imagine the UX concept to work in the future?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I think the\u00a0prototyping<\/strong>\u00a0aspect will continue to become a larger part of the UX process. It\u2019s all about\u00a0how a new User reacts<\/strong>\u00a0to a product the first time. There\u2019s nothing more substantial than first-hand feedback from someone physically finding their way around the product you\u2019ve just built from scratch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you organise your team and their tasks to guarantee quality assurance (QA)?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We have a pretty\u00a0solid process<\/strong>\u00a0from start to finish. Each phase of the project receives undivided attention and focus from the respective team members, assuring that we hit all of our marks, while allowing time for our team to push the limits and try new things. Along the way, there\u2019s\u00a0constant communication<\/strong>\u00a0between team members and the client. It\u2019s always an ongoing conversation that can pivot at any moment to make sure we\u2019re getting the best results possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name a challenge your team is currently facing.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lots of work, ha. We\u2019re always keeping busy but we\u2019re constantly on top of it all. It just means a few extra hours here and there but we never let the quality of the work become compromised. We pride ourselves on artistic integrity in everything we create.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What piece of advice would you give a recent grad looking to work in digital marketing?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry about impressing others<\/strong>. Do what you love and the success will come with it. If you fail, keep trying until you get it. In the famous words of the painter, art instructor and TV host,\u00a0Mr. Bob Ross<\/strong>, \u201cTalent is a pursued interest. Anything that you\u2019re willing to practice, you can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Geny Caloisi.\u00a0<\/strong>Original article ran on\u00a0topinteractiveagencies.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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