HOW magazine article on business enhancement

Good article on how design companies can hone their business offerings:
http://www.howdesign.com/article/buildbetterbrand/

Tool to track credit card debt by applying sticker on card

I came up with Credit Card Tracker based upon something my dad was doing: he was taping piece of paper with the interest rate written on them on the back of his credit cards. Credit Card Tracker turns this into an easy to apply sticker.

I have also been experimenting with a paper sleeve in which you store your credit card, and write the APR, month, etc. on the outside of the sleeve. With the sleeve, you can separate the card and the information, thereby you can avoid letting waiters see your notes (if that makes you uncomfortable; it's not for me). You can also keep track of past balances and APRs by looking at past sleeves.

There apparently is a need to cut our debt with some sort of tool like these. The New York Times said in an article:

The typical American carries a $9,000 credit card balance from month to month. Say this card charges an annual 18 percent interest rate and allows paying as little as 2 percent of the balance each month. Even if no more charges are made on the card and the minimum payments is made on time every month, it would take 47 years to pay it off, according to the National Foundation of Credit Counselors. By then, total payments would be $32,994, including $23,994 in interest.

The full article can be found by clicking here

Apartment Apparel t-shirts written up on The Real Deal, CityFile, and Curbed.com websites

We're happy to share that The Real Deal magazine wrote about a Solarek Studio product on its home page today. The Real Deal, whose print magazine and website cover the New York real estate market, features Solarek's Apartment Apparel line.
Our products were then picked up and posted on Curbed.com and CityFile.
Above please find some screen shots from these websites.
Below please find the article from The Real Deal.
Our items can be found here: http://newyorkcityapartments.spreadshirt.com/us/US/Shop/

Thank you,

Jason
...............................

March, 04, 2009
Wear your home hunt on your sleeve
By Jovana Rizzo
The Real Deal

In addition to listing your apartment with brokers or on Craigslist, you can now advertise your real estate search on your chest.
East Village graphic designer Jason Solarek has created T-shirts and buttons with the phrases "I need an apartment to rent" and "I have an apartment for rent," giving people an opportunity to facilitate real estate transactions during an ordinary day.
Solarek, the creative director of advertising agency Solarek Studios, came up with the idea for the shirts because he kept running into people who were talking about trying to find, or get rid of, apartments. He launched the shirts on his Web site last week.
"A lot of people are always asking friends [about apartments], or mention things in passing. There are a lot of missed opportunities to be able to exchange information," Solarek said, adding that his T-shirts could inspire conversation between people in real estate limbo.
The shirts come in male, female and v-neck versions, and are priced at $25 to $27. Whether people wear the shirts for fashion or to actually advertise their apartments remains to be seen.
Paul Purcell, co-founder of Charles Rutenberg in New York, said sellers obviously still need a broker's services to sell homes, but "it forces us to think in different ways," whether it's advertising on a T-shirt or on Facebook. In November, one man took selling his apartment into his own hands by walking around the city with a cardboard ad, yelling "apartment for sale!"
And even if the shirts don't help someone find an apartment, Solarek says they are appropriate for the city's obsession with real estate.
"In New York, the first thing people say to each other is 'Hi, nice to meet you, how much do you pay for your apartment? Or do you have an apartment for rent? Or I have an apartment for rent," Solarek said. "I think that the shirt is apropos for the time and a tongue in cheek representation of our New York real estate mindset."

Gotham Comedy Club poster update

This image shows two Gotham posters that we designed. The one on the left is one of the originals from October, and the one on the right is a more recent design. The difference: we've moved to using color pictures to make the poster more compelling to encourage attendance and purchases. The color layouts are slightly more work, but worth it. The image also show the photos that were used to make the poster. When I make the posters, I seek to close in on the comedian's face and eyes, which I think draws people in. To catch a show at Gotham Comedy Club, please visit their website - please click here.