Some projects are clear cut, others are not.

As a full-service company, we see a lot of versatility in the work we do — video production, animation, website development, illustration, brochures, catalogs. I could go on but I think my point is clear.

There’s one constant variable throughout it all — the client steers the project. Our ability to provide any service needed, from programming to copywriting services, means that we can go in any direction a client wants.

If they call about a website and through discussion decide a video would also be appropriate, we can do it.  If they want to add a certification or training component to a CD-ROM, we can do it. Tracking usage, logo design, tradeshow banner, video script — we can do all of that too.

A prime example of our ability to meet just about any need, is a client we are currently working with on a variety of projects. They began wanting marketing and branding, and from there it’s mushroomed. We have gone from logo design to video to website development and back to video again. This client’s business is growing rapidly and as his needs and focus shift, we shift with him, providing exactly what is needed to meet his vision.

Not all projects are like this. Some are straight forward.

But regardless of the size or scope, through our vast ability and focus on customization we are establishing relationships, not just providing services.

Whether it’s a DVD or a little bit of everything, our clients are getting a partner not just a vendor.

I picked up a new game yesterday for my Nintendo DS. It’s called “The World Ends with You.” I was initially turned on to this game by the rave reviews of the game play by the enthusiastic press. After having played the game for myself, however, I have to say that it is the design aesthetic that really hooked me.

The look is very reminiscent of Japanese anime cartoons, however, it has an edgy quality to it that I can’t quite describe. It is simultaneously stylish and gritty, like the well-thought out graffiti murals that are intentionally done on the walls of inner city parks.

I love the style of this game, and it is games like this that inspire me with my work in 2D animation. At DDA I have an incredible opportunity to work with the uniquely talented artists who excel at fusing their own creative flair with a professional style. Whether it is Carrie expertly designing a professional corporate website, Judy hand crafting an eye-catching trade show brochure, or Melissa going wild on one of her amazingly inventive and unique character designs for animation, DDA’s artists are second to none. While our inspirations and influences come from a vast number of sources, the creative talent at work here at DDA is always a joy to watch in action!

We won’t tell you what you want to hear.

But that doesn’t mean that you’re not going to like what we say.

It’s common practice in the world of business to say whatever you need to to turn that prospect into a customer or client. Unfortunately this holds true with some marketing and advertising and website development companies — specifically the latter, as I have seen the victims firsthand.

At DDA, there is none of that. I am involved in a lot of conferences as part of New Business Development and if a project is not the right fit for us, we can’t meet a deadline, or if we feel the client is making a bad move, David will tell them.

And no one has complained as of yet. We are upfront with every project we undertake, whether it’s video production, animation, website design and development or illustration. We never try to add on services or additional work unless we feel that it truly needed to help that particular business or client succeed.

As someone who is in the process of buying a car and who has dealt with one too many people promising a whole lot and giving very little, it’s refreshing to know that there is a company that will give it to you straight.

I read recently that a UN Relief Agency (UNWRA) was adjusting its forecast of the number of starving people worldwide dramatically upwards. From memory, I believe the number forecast just a few years ago was less than 600 million, a huge number and about 10% of the world’s population, to a number closer to 1.5 billion. This projection was to occur by the year 2015, again from memory.

The reason was because of the push in some countries, especially in South America and the U.S., to produce Ethanol. That’s correct, in our endeavor to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, we are producing less rice and other crops for food and using the land for growing corn and sugar cane to be turned into fuel. The second impact of this is that land is being cleared from pristine areas, like the rain forest, at a record pace to have more land to grow Ethanol related crops.

The biggest irony is that, especially in the case of corn, it takes almost as much energy to grow the corn, harvest and transport it, and refine it into Ethanol as is gained by the resulting fuel itself. About 90% as much.

So, the upshot is that we are starving people, destroying the ecosystem and producing little or no energy gain all in the interest of reducing our dependence on Petroleum. This is the law of unintended consequence.

Now you might ask, how does this law apply to DDA’s immediate world and our drive to produce high quality and affordable state-of-the-art custom marketing and advertising for clients in the corporate, medical, financial, manufacturing and educational arenas?

On a grand scale, and with a birds-eye-view, I can safely say that everything an individual does in life, and at work, begins with an intention. At DDA, we try hard to avoid unintended consequences by always encouraging and maintaining the best of intentions. Wanting to produce the best website design, video production, photography, animation, print design, catalog, custom programming application, illustration or copy writing, at the lowest cost, in the most efficient and client-friendly manner may not totally eliminate the law of unintended consequences, but it sets a course that is more clear, more fair, and more likely to get both DDA and the client organization to the place we all want to be.

Back in the day, when someone asked what I did for a living, well, it was an easy answer, reporter.

Since joining Dynamic Digital Advertising (DDA), however, it’s not so easy. To say that I am a writer doesn’t exactly encompass everything I do and to say that I work for a digital advertising agency doesn’t either.

The truth is DDA isn’t that easy to explain in just a few words. I can describe us as a web development company, a video production studio, graphic design, programming, illustration, you name it. If it relates to anything design, digital, or technical, chances are, we can probably claim that name as well.

And then you have to consider our approach to projects. It’s not typically what you think of when you hear the words advertising or marketing. We take an entirely different approach than any other agency, or search engine marketing company, or marketing firm out there.

Ours is a holistic approach, a full-bodied solution in an age where our industry still remains so fragmented. A look at our Executive Summary gives a glimpse at what makes us different but it’s our work that speaks volumes. In all that we do, whether it’s website design and development, integrated video, search engine optimization, or even copywriting, DDA strives to bring innovative and unique solutions to fully meet the needs of our clients.

As expected, when you work for a company that is on the cutting-edge, your job is going to be a bit different as well. Working with so many services under one roof, I am constantly learning about different mediums and technologies and learning how to explain and describe those to my clients.

But perhaps my favorite part is in New Business Development where I get to see the ideas for this innovation just starting to form.

There’s a lot of complexities to DDA and in my job, but that’s OK. Now, I’ve learned that answering the “What do you do for a living?” question will require four more words than before, “Well, let me tell you.”

Using the computer as a common medium for printed design, website design, and video has resulted in each specialty influencing each other. Whatever our specialty, each of us has become somewhat of a multimediast.

For example, printed design sometimes looks more like website design through the organization of its content. Article outlines are often designed like website buttons.

Websites use callouts like in printed media, except they become buttons. Flipbooks (virtual books that can be flipped through, complete with page turning mpeg sounds) have become popular on websites.

Video is frequently used on websites in the form of a spokesperson.

Illustration construction and deconstruction (like Harold and the Purple Crayon) has become popular in video.

What does this mean? I like to think of it like multiculturism. Different media worlds getting to know each other, curious, and finding appreciation for what is unique and getting excited about what is similar. Ultimately, it’s a bigger playground!

Over the last few weeks, I have become a bit of a conference call connoisseur and thanks to our live video feed, I’ve also been sharpening my on-camera skills.

What I’ve learned more than anything, is that the majority of projects — regardless if it’s video,website, animation or illustration — all begin in similar ways, an idea, a need, a void to be filled. Once that is discovered, it’s flushed out, mulled over, and eventually a way to fix, enhance, or fill it is discovered.

But what’s next? You have a project that you’re ready to take to the next level. Which steps will best help you go from concept to reality?

There’s a number of factors to consider — budget, timeframe, what you’re looking to achieve, the audience you are attempting to reach, the multiple options that exist within the medium you chose. It’s not an easy task and one that calls for significant consideration. Because what you are looking for and what you put as your top priorities will determine the company you choose.

At DDA, we get a lot of inquiries, some we know aren’t the right match for us from the beginning, others take a conference call or further e-mails to figure out. But that’s exactly what it is when you are looking for any kind of company, whether it’s full-service like ourselves, marketing or advertising agencies, or web development and design companies — a match.

During our initial conference call, we walk through the details of the project. If it’s video we discuss length, actors needed, animation, editing, etc. Brochures or other print work we go through dimensions, specs, illustrations, and so on. If a project is not right for us or vice versa, David will let the prospective client know.

So make sure when you are ready to take get your project started that you not only know what you would like to do –3D Modeling, Search Engine Optimization, Webcasting — but what it is you want to accomplish. Determine your goals, what’s of the utmost importance to you, whether you’re money, timeline, or detail driven and that will lead you to the company that’s best for you.

When we moved into our house just before Christmas there was not much that we wanted to change with the landscaping.

As the weather gets nicer, we keep finding things that we want to change. We have removed a garden area and yard space in order to widen the driveway, took down a large Holly tree on the side of the house, and just completed pulling the English Ivy from a large portion of the front yard.

We are slowly making the space ours, rather than someone else’s. Next on our list is to have the large, over-grown, diseased Spruce tree that stands 15 feet outside our front door taken down and hauled away. As we search for the best price, I am amazed at the lack of customer service that these tree service companies offer.

On Friday, an estimator from one of these companies came to my house. As he was inspecting the tree and doing what it is they do to price taking a tree down, he kept asking me questions about the other estimates that we had received. I was not going to lie to him so I told him what the ballpark price was of the estimates. As I said the price he stopped everything he was doing, looked at me and said that he could not beat that price so he was not going to give me an estimate. With that, he got back in his truck and pulled away.

Customer service is usually someone’s first impression of a company. At DDA, we put our prospective and existing clients at the top of the list. We take pride in our quick turn-around time for estimates as well as our attention to detail. DDA offers an array of services to meet your marketing and advertising needs. Whether you are looking for website design, video, illustration, print design and production, or SEO services we can answer your questions and meet you deadlines.

This week has been pretty eventful at DDA. I was able to complete a priority trade show graphic, send out finished illustrations, start on two new sell sheet projects and a new website template and see two sites go live. We also put up the DDA sign yesterday. Yep, all in a week’s work. I have to admit that I am pretty happy with the trade show graphic. I love textures, layering and silhouetted figures, so when I got this job I knew what I wanted out of it. I was fortunate enough to find great vector based images on stock sites that would help bring the piece to life. I was also fortunate enough to have a client that loved the final product. I’d love to see it printed. I’m sure it will be impressive at 9 x 9 ft!

Today officially marks one year that I have been at Dynamic Digital Advertising.  It’s hard to believe. Looking at my bulging file cabinet, however, it seems a little more believable.

As a writer, working at a full-service company like DDA has expanded my knowledge on so many different topics and mediums. Like the  three fellow professional writers who also act as Project Coordinators and in New Business Development, I am constantly running back and forth between departments, which often means some quick education.

Admittedly, I did not know much about programming. But with a team of highly-experienced programmers, I always have back up.  Thanks to our transfer to a new and advanced server system, I got a quick lesson in domain names, DNS, and hosting overall. I now have a working knowledge and can answer questions if needed. Who would’ve thought.

I also got to know more about Video Production by assisting with  development of the DDA Video Actors’ Network.

I tweaked scripts, prepared them for teleprompter, and gave brief overviews to the actors coming in. With so much video integration that we do for website development, I also got a lot of experience in video shoots, helping clients to find the right talent, working with our Casting Director to schedule and order necessary props and clothing, and making sure everything was running smoothly.

Then there’s website development in general, learning the mechanics of development and the techniques unique to DDA.

I know I have written it before, but I am always amazed by the talent that exists under one roof — the illustrators, graphic designers, animators, programmers, videographers, website developers, and, maybe I am a bit biased, most notably, my fellow writers.