First, it was a website. Then, an iphone app that allows you to make the same instant Helvetica posters.
Now available in the iTunes App Store, the SwissmakerPro app is the most advanced Helvetica poster generator on the market. In fact, it’s the only Helvetica poster generator on the market!
The Pro version of the Swissmaker enables the designer to make perfect black and white Helvetica posters, with a twist. To be a professional designer, you must be able to use type and image. So, with your iPhone and iPod Touch, you can add a photo from your photo library to your poster! So now, with the SwissmakerPro, you are a “Professional Graphic Designer”.
But Wait! There’s more!
In addition to adding photos from your library, we have given you the ability to take photos on the fly with your built in iPhone camera! Try it with friends!
Apparently, long time software developers are finally making bank by creating one of those $1.99 iPhone apps. I have now read countless articles about struggling software companies who are giving up their pc/mac box development, for the iPhone platform.
So what’s in an iPhone app? Well, from what we can see, besides some code and graphics, there is an underlying philosophy that has put up the white flag to proprietary software piracy. Software companies have, and are beginning to understand that there is no bringing down piracy. The old mentality and business model of “big box, big software, big price” has been eradicated by open, collaborative development, and the iPhone has brought the same software development strategy to a mobile and light weight, if not viral stage.
Lets do a quick calculation for an example iPhone app’s annual revenue: 200 downloads/day x 1.99/download x 365 Days = $145,270!
Above: Microsoft’s Surface Interface. Proprietary madness. Lets go open-source and make it available to everyone!
In typical Dirk+Weiss fashion, we are building an interface for this years 2009 AIGA BoNE Show. This kiosk combines projection and a touch input device, powered by a custom software interface.
The purpose of this kiosk is to showcase the website winners of this years Best of New England design competition. Our goal is to create an interface that is not only well designed, but extremely intuitive.
The next generation of software interface is well, interface-less. Menu’s are going away and being replaced by hand gestures and organic content design. Thanks to a generous donation from TechSuperpowers in Boston, we have access to a MacMini and other various components for hardware. Come by the show in June, to check it out!
AIGA BoNE Show 2009 Info >>
Go ahead, click around. This is our “Transparent Relaunch” of the Dirk+Weiss Brand. Countless times we have been asked, “what is it you do exactly?” The typical response you may hear is “we are a design and technology firm”.
And we still are, but different.
After some great brainstorming and critically mapping of our original business model, it became instantly clear that what we were doing for our clients was more than just design and programming, and was more in the Marketing arena. We were always trying to find what field exactly uses graphic design and technology combined. Our solution was to re-structure our business model and brand as a fully capable, creative marketing agency.
If you follow our blog, you know that we know, transparency is king. Just like our advice we give to our clients, we applied to Dirk+Weiss. The cases are real, the videos are real, results are quantifiable and we can help make you money. Enjoy.
So you have all heard us talk about the infamous The Media is Dying twitter feed. The man behind the tweets has shared with us many interesting tidbits about the world of print media. Day after day the tweets pile on about CEOs of magazines and newspapers shifting gears and leaving. Not to mention the countless bankruptcy announcements and transitions planned to move the printed publications online.
Named Armstrong, the former communications manager at MySpace.com, the tweeter behind The Media is Dying has written an article for Businessweek online, and has expressed his thoughts and possible reasons for the current state of printed media. Some things are obvious, and some things are not. Here is a quote that hits close to the Dirk+Weiss philosophy:
“So where does this leave us? The days of information monopoly are over, and that’s a fundamental shift. And the industry should be further along than it is. Rather than saying, “Here’s everything we think is relevant to you—and we even put it in sections!” how about, “What do you want to know about today?” Or, for even greater efficiency: “Tick these boxes, and we’ll make a newspaper just for you.” -Armstrong, Businessweek
