So, its finally official! We are launching (and testing) the Jes-M eCommerce site. Take a look at it here. We are thrilled to be about to start offering our products to the masses and that means you! Please take a look at the site and let us know how we can improve. We know that it is basic, but hopefully it will be effective.
Stay tuned for more updates. We are planning on launching a whole other set of product prototypes for testing, quantitative research and voting! That’s right, folks! You will be able to vote on what products you want… have you ever imagined the perfect product and you can’t find it anywhere? We are hear to help you make your dreams come true! Submit a request and let us know what ideas you have!
As with all of our products, we are heavily focused on reuse. Take a look at our DIY area of the site and see how you can reuse our products.
As the mother of a 4 month old I am extremely familiar with the term ‘teething.’ It’s not something I heard other mothers and fathers talk about. Going into it I didn’t think Gavin teething would be a very big deal. He’d probably cry a little and then *pop* he’d have teeth! No. This is not how it works. And like most things having to do with parenting and babies, there is no telling how it’s going to be or when it’s going to happen.
I have to say when it did happen I was a little under prepared. I had gotten a plastic, water-filled teething ring at my baby shower and when my mother suggested that maybe his bouts of tears and open mouthed wailing were the result of teething, I popped it in the freezer and expected that this would be my answer.
Consumer purchasing decisions are based on several factors. Below you will find equations and possible outcomes for a variety of purchasing patterns.
Cost > Quality of Product
Cost = Decision
Buying products when they are on sale or the right price.
Example: Razor Blades. The prices keep increasing and my bank account can’t keep up with my favorite brand. (Not to mention Razor Blades and Shaving Creams packaging are entirely wasteful.) So instead of opting for my favorite brand that creates the smoothest legs in my household, I use Brand B. It is a third of the price but the quality of the product is fair in comparison.
Quality of Product > Cost
Quality = Decision
The Quality of a Product over rules the cost! Although in these times is difficult to make this type of purchase it can happen. Since I decreased my standards for razors I knew I couldn’t do the same for my shaving cream. After feeling not so eco friendly with my razor purchase I felt I needed to balance the equation. After zoning the aisle for eco friendly products I found Kiss My Face Moisture Shave. (A variety of aromas but Cool Mint was my choice) It was a perfect match. Contains no animal ingredients, no artificial colors and was not tested on animals. Also, the bottle is recyclable!
It is difficult being a consumer. There are so many choices that we need to make and so many responsibilities related to the outcome of the decision. Choose wisely and balance the equation.
Starting this fall we will have a series of artists and partners write for our blog about their experience and practices. We have loved collaborating with Chace + Smith for photography (they helped us with Pratt Street Ale House and Mercersburg Summer) and we are loving their amazing creative writing!
What does Americana mean for each of us? Where is that sacred space of nostalgic national identity we each hold in our hearts? Ryan and Larissa Smith of Chace + Smith Photography decided to try and find the answers to these questions on a month-long tour of the American Northwest. Here is an account of what they discovered along the way:
When we wrote a summary of our Creative Highways Project on our website prior to our trip, we described our purpose as “searching for the last bastions of Americana.” What does this mean, and is Americana really disappearing? I believe our search uncovered more than a yes or no answer to this question.
Today is my last day here at Tilt and I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for the opportunities that I’ve gotten while working here.
My primary job at Tilt was designing and pushing forward Jes-M, Tilt’s new eco-friendly product line headed by Jess. I had a blast (no pun intended) working with her and her wonderful drawings. One of the things I love most about design is creating patterns from drawings and I was lucky enough to find a job that allowed me to do just that. Plus, I was able to work with a very talented artist who I’ve grown to respect and adore. Jess’s work is truly wonderful and certainly unique to everything else that’s out there. Her drawings have made beautiful patterns that cover the Jes-M products. Jes-M is in good hands and it’s going to take over stores near you- be on the look out!
Besides creating patterns, I also got to work toward the branding of the company and heading some of the marketing aspects. And on occasion I even got to screen print and paint, which are always fun. I seldom got to work on projects outside of Jes-M, but the few projects I did get to help with, such as an invitation logo for IND and sketches for Baltimore Recreation and Parks, I enjoyed very much.
Personally, I’d like to thank Rachael for finding me and giving me a chance, Mike for teaching me a few things about wordpress and expanding my music playlist, Amber for being there to talk to and laugh with (and Matt too), Jill for helping me out when Jes-M got overwhelming and Jess, for always being there for me and for working through this stuff together. I’m going miss being around talented designers and artists all day long. It’s something I’ve gotten used to, however I do believe I am headed on the right path to finding exactly what I’m meant to do out there in the big bad world.
Thanks for all the good times. Good luck with everything! Come see a hockey game sometime!
Our very good friend Daniel Chen from XtraLab in Taipei has been helping us to gain exposure abroad by wearing our Jes-M Men’s Blast Tee. Here is a picture of him wearing the shirt in his neighborhood.
Taipei is a city built on innovation and technology. A retail depot, Taipei is filled with incredible retail opportunities and deals. I am absolutely floored by the number of stores of one kind of item on a particular street. Each district of the city is known for a unique product or activity; the shoe district is in Ximen, the technology district is in Zhongxiao and the museum row is by Taipei Main Station. It is incredibly interesting to have a city laid out that way.
Our products, fitting in the home and lifestyle arena would be in a location perhaps like Taipei 101!
Our client and friend, Geoff Stack from Stack Coordination, had a wonderful opening last night. It was a fantastic mix of people from Baltimore’s own green family: architects, landscapers, builders, artists, designers, photographers, family, friends, writers, entrepreneurs and certainly a wide variety of green folks.
Check out the video recap from the event. And GO GEOFF!
Why DIY? There are plenty of reasons! Doing-It-Yourself minimizes cost, teaches you new skills, gives you a sense of accomplishment, gives you a one-of-a-kind product, allows you to be creative and most importantly, reduces your environmental footprint. Jes-M is committed to educating consumers on how to reuse products so people understand it is up to each of us individually to make a difference. Each Jes-M product can either be reused, repurposed or completely recycled, and it’s up to you to see that that happens.
We’ve come up with several DIY scenarios for the Jes-M products (all can be found under DIY on our website). Here’s one example:
Decorative Envelope Liners
There are so many things you can do with a few pieces of extra wrapping paper. Here is just one example that you can do to spice up your stationery.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Envelopes (any size)
Pencil
Ruler
Exacto knife and Cutting Mat
Scrap piece of cardboard (or a heavy paper)
Glue/double sided tape
Scrap pieces of wrap paper
Take your envelope and place it open flat against a piece of cardboard. Trace the outside of your envelope on the cardboard using a pencil. (The cardboard will serve as your template).
Cut out the traced paper using a ruler and exacto knife on a cutting mat.
Once you have the exact shape of the envelope cut out of the cardboard, trim the cardboard 1/4 of an inch all the way around, again using a ruler.
Test the trimmed cardboard template in the envelope. Make sure the seal of the envelope isn’t covered by the template.
Using the template, begin cutting liner shapes from your wrapping paper scraps.
When ready, take an envelope liner and place centered into your envelope. Hold the paper in place and fold the flap over to create a fold in your liner. (This will help you when gluing).
Open the envelope flap, leaving the liner still folded, and apply glue or double sided tape along the edges.
Press the flap back up and make sure it’s secure to the envelope. Continue for all and you have a lovely set of envelopes ready for your stationery!
Go to www.jes-m.com to check out more DIY scenarios and view the Jes-M products.
Photograph taken in Cape Cod, MA by Arthur Gonoretzky
Often times, Tilt discusses the fact that visuals have the only true opportunity to create change. As the world’s most global communication method, visuals represent the wave of the future. We are often surrounded by mixed-media with large advertisements, graphics and signage (wayfinding, mostly) providing us with direction on what we should be doing, how we should be doing something and offering us additional suggestions if we don’t want to listen to the first two options provided. Visuals provide a quicker reaction than the written word. Often times people can reference colors, shapes and emotions featured in a visual, so the meaning becomes stronger and longer lasting as a memory.
This month, Cafe Karuba from Kwik Trip Stores was featured as the Top Banana Award in the CSP (Convenience Stores/Petroleum) Magazine. This honor is particularly special since Tilt is responsible for the overhaul of Kwik Trip’s Cafe Karuba Brand earlier this year. Take a look at the before and after photos below and click here to read the entire article from the most recent issue.
We are connectors and social networkers... collaborating as often as we can. Being a part of a global community enables constant flow of ideas and innovation.
