Lets keep things simple. We want to design and deploy great looking websites. You need a simple starter website. Shida Studio has a solution: A free website!
 
Here are the conditions:

• 5 pages maximum
• You provide the content and we design, develop and deploy based on our web design standards
• We have our name and link at the bottom of your website
• We are here for support to create the best FREE 5-page website possible

The FREE website will include:

• Fully scalable, beautifully simple design and functionality
• Client supplied content population (Additional charges apply if you need content created)
• 1-hour of free design changes before official launch
• up to 10 custom email addresses (ex. info@domainname.com)
• Optional CMS system install so you can do basic image and text updates on your own (extra $95)

The FREE website will not include:

• 1-year domain name purchase ($11.95 / year)
• Stock photo purchases if needed (typically about $10-$20 each)
• Custom applications, scripts and/or third party developments
• Fancy pantsy demands or unrealistic deadlines (our judgement call). These websites will take anywhere between 5 to 15 days to develop.

Here comes the catch:

• You pay $15.95 / month (+ taxes) for hosting on our shared servers. No long-term contracts or minimums and cancel anytime. You can host with us from month to month or 1 year at a time.

The process:
1) Fill out our website estimate form and we assess if it fits as a “FREE WEBSITE”
2) Provide us with the content (we can help you organize it). We will not start the development until we have a clear understanding and approval of the pages to build
3) We design and develop a beautiful website for you to review
4) You approve or we make a few adjustments (FREE 1 hour of changes included)
5) Hosting payments received and launch!
 

Future growth and support:
We will always be here to support and maintain your new website. Questions you may have about your site or estimates on future additions are free of charge, but after the official launch, if any updates, adjustments, changes or additional pages and/or features are required we will bill at our regular rate of $50 / hour. Be assured that no extra charges will be made without acceptance of an estimate and full approval first.
 

Our goal:
• To build you an effective website
• Grow our own web presence, build working relationships and long-term clients
• To make the internet beautiful and useful

FAQ:
Free? Are you guys nuts?
Maybe. The plan is to make money off of hosting and support. We understand that building a website is a daunting task. This is a plan to simplify the process and kick start a working relationship, continue to develop your new website and hopefully retain you as a valued client. (We do a lot more then just websites!)

Am I dealing with a machine or a person?
Both. We use machines to build your site, but a person will be here for your support and keep the project moving forward. We do prefer to communicate through email to clearly define our tasks and have a record of our correspondence.

Can I take the website elsewhere?
Nope. It was free to begin with! So if you decide to stop hosting with us, you will have to build it on your own.

Who owns the domain name?
You do. You can take the domain name with you if you choose, just not the created website which will be hosted with us. If you already have a domain name hosted with another provider, this is not a problem. We will just need access to it.

What determines a “page”?
Typically a page represents a category of your information. A page can be laid in out in numerous ways, but we define a page as the information pertaining to a main menu item. For example: ( HOMEPAGE / ABOUT US / SERVICES / GALLERY / CONTACT US ). This would be a 5 page website. If you require sub-categories within each main menu item, they would be considered as additional pages. After we review your submitted information regarding your website we can determine if it will fit into our 5 page FREE WEBSITE.

What if I want more then 5 pages?
No problem, whether you know ahead of time that your website will be over 5 pages, or if you want to add pages afterwards, we will build a proper estimate to be approved before we build the additional pages.

What if I want custom features?
Again, not a problem. We will determine before we begin if it fits in our FREE WEBSITE requirements, but if not, we will properly estimate and approve before we develop. With technologies moving lightning speed, a website can do a lot more then just display information

Final Note:
This is a limited time offer and we will start off with building 3 FREE WEBSITES. If the projects are successful and we receive good client feedback, we hope to build more. This will give us enough time to determine if this is a feasible and sustainable plan.
 

Still have questions?
Chat with us via live chat or email us directly with your questions.
 

Let’s get started:
Please contact us with our website estimate form.

Amazing photoshop effect? Wrong. This is a real cloud created by artist Berndnaut Smilde. The clouds are made by a fog machine and carefully regulating the humidity and temperature inside the room. Beautifully captured by photo, before dissipating.

We have created and implemented a custom upload feature on the homepage of the otcommunications.com website. This feature allows clients to select and upload multiple files that would be too large for email. This also eliminates the need for FTP file uploads that may be too complex for clients to use. A simple message and email are sent to both the company and client to notify that a file has been uploaded to the server. The application is mainly used for the magazine CANADIAN FUNERAL NEWS which is a magazine dedicated to the advancement of funeral service in Canada. The magazine of Canadian funeral directors is published 12 times per year by OT Communications Inc.

An article written by Lawrence Ulrich, published in Popular Science, March 2012:
 

Since the days of $4 gas began, the single-cylinder motorcycles and scooters that dominate international megacities have become increasingly common on American streets. Engineers at Yamaha created the Y125 Moegi concept to capitalize on that trend. They based it on the company’s first motorcycle, the 1955 125-cc YA-1, but they also included some modern touches, in particular an ultralight frame and a new cylinder design that could help make the Moegi one of the lightest and most fuel-efficient motorcycles ever.
 

The Y125 Moegi, which is 90 percent aluminum, weighs just 176 pounds (50 pounds less than an entry-level Vespa). Engineers molded the aluminum frame using Yamaha’s proprietary “controlled-filling” die-casting process. Controlled filling reduces air bubbles in the finished parts by 20 percent, making it possible to build strong, thin components that are 30 percent lighter.
 

Like the original YA-1, the Moegi runs on an air-cooled, 125-cc engine, which connects to the bike’s 20-inch rear wheel with a simple belt drive. But engineers replaced the YA-1’s lawnmower-like two-stroke with a low-friction four-stroke. They also incorporated another Yamaha invention: the DiASil cylinder, the world’s first mass-produced all-aluminum, die-cast motorcycle cylinder. The DiASil’s abrasion-resistant aluminum alloy dissipates heat at three times the rate of steel. When the engine isn’t being adequately cooled by the wind (for example, when riding uphill or stuck in traffic), there’s less power loss resulting from increased engine heat.
 

Yamaha hasn’t announced a horse-power rating for the Moegi engine, but 10 to 15 horsepower would be enough to propel a bike this light to 50 mph. Yamaha engineers have said, however, that the Moegi could achieve 188 mpg, which would make it nearly four times as efficient as a typical motorcycle.
 

Mileage: Up to 188 mpg
Weight: 176 pounds

Watch a video here.

The images speaks for itself, but you can read an article about this madness here.
 

Months of planning, design, revisions and development has been put into the successful launch of the new Elisen.com website. Please visit our work at: www.elisen.com
 

Here are some quick snapshots of our process:

Creatively using the environment and surroundings these talented artists see our world in different ways. No credit is given here, because A) I didn’t record where I found these B) art is to be enjoyed.

“The premise for all three came from one single question: What would a child’s drawing look like if it were painted realistically?

It began at the Jersey Shore in 1998, where my niece Jessica often filled my sketchbook with doodles. While I stared at them, I wondered if color, texture and shading could be applied for a 3D effect. As a painter, I made cartoons look three dimensional every day for the likes of Marvel and DC comics, so why couldn’t I apply those same techniques to a kid’s drawing? That was it… no research, no years of toil, just the curiosity of seeing Jessica’s drawings come to life. ”

Illustrations by Dave Devries. Visit his website here: themonsterengine.com

Autostadt in Wolsfburg is well known for their car towers, a 150 feet tall transparent cylindrical building. The towers consist of high rise stacks that are fully automated and deliver about 600 vehicles on an average per day.

This transparent building made of glass encased steel construction servers both as a storage system for approximately 800 new cars and also as a Landmark. Because of its nightly illumination these towers are visible even from a far distance, they look spectacular.

 —> click here to read the rest

A friend Angie MacNeil, showed me a very well done video of a sound clip by Ira Glas, host of the radio and television show This American Life. I’ve always been aware of this concept, however it was put so well into words (literally), that I have to share it. Enjoy!

Obviously, this is only inspirational to those who have or may one day have their own son. Thanks to Mr. Jacques Paradis, who found it and was inspired just the same.

On a topic with a lot of confusion and mixed messages, It was a pleasure to learn from this informative video that explains what key data says about wealth in America. The pace and animation style is original, easy to digest and well thought out. I hope they produce a lot more visual presentations like this one. Produced by Mariana Santos and Simon Rodgers at The Guardian UK. The original post and more information can be found here: http://www.guardiannews.com/world/blog/2011/nov/16/occupy-wall-street-live-protesters-eviction

Looks like this interactive piece was developed back in 2008, but it is still one of the more fascinating things I’ve seen in a long while. Well created and informative. See the interactive visual and read some facts here: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/scale/

Content or Design? – the eternal question that comes up every time we discuss about what is more important for a website to survive, be noticed and have users that would be willing to come back. I would say these two walk hand in hand, design being the body and content being the soul of a website.

It’s like when meeting people – you examine how they look first and then you get to know what they think. But then again, every rule has an exception and it all depends on the individual.

Some people would just browse websites daily in search for a dose of inspiration, looking for good design, caring less about the content; while others are interested to read quality information not caring about the look of the website. There are other people that don’t know what they are looking for and then end up on a beautifully designed website that has cool information on it, hence it is most probably this website will get bookmarked and shared on social networks. It all depends on priorities, but website owners will have to deal with all of these prospective categories, and make sure they attract people to their website with good design and keep them coming back because of the quality content they have. It might sound hard, but not impossible… click here to read the rest of this fantastic article.

In the world of creative print and web design, this video describes it best:

The Future of Self-Improvement, Part I: Grit Is More Important Than Talent by Jocelyn K. Glei

In the late ’60s, Stanford psychologist Walter Mischel performed a now-iconic experiment called the Marshmallow Test, which analyzed the ability of four year olds to exhibit “delayed gratification.” Here’s what happened: Each child was brought into the room and sat down at a table with a delicious treat on it (maybe a marshmallow, maybe a donut). The scientists told the children that they could have a treat now, or, if they waited 15 minutes, they could have two treats. All of the children wanted to wait. (Who doesn’t want more treats?) But many couldn’t. After just a few minutes or less, their resolve would break down and they would eat the marshmallow. But some kids were better at delaying gratification: They were able to hold out for the full 15 minutes.

When the researchers subsequently checked in on these same children in high school, it turned out that those with more self-control — that is, those who held out for 15 minutes — were better behaved, less prone to addiction, and scored higher on the SAT…  Click here to read the entire article!

This is brilliant and well created: http://shouldiworkforfree.com/

Is it for your mom? > Yes > 22 hours of labor and you can’t do ONE goddamn garage sale flyer?? COME ON!

A unique form of artwork that sets this little lady apart from the rest. Mixing traditional drawings with a miniature form of set design, this talented artist created a mood that breathes life into the scenes. Elly Mackay is from Owen Sound, Ontario and she describes her work: “I make my images by painting on yupo paper and cutting it into layers that I set up in a miniature theater. I play with the lights and filters to create the atmosphere and then photograph the scenes.”

Very nice Elly! Visit her website here: http://ellymackay.com/default.aspx

This one really hits the spot. A very good music selection (Willie Nelson cover of the Coldplay song “The Scientist”) to go with this very cute stylized stop motion film. The animation is part of a campaign for Chipotle Mexican Grill to support responsible food production in its restaurants. The film was created by a Johnny Kelly at London-based agency Nexus Productions.

It is about time that the web design world is starting to pick up the use of various font styles! This technology has been around for a while now, however I felt it was never really stable enough to apply to client websites. Google has come on board with their addition to integrating a very nice selection of open source fonts easily into website designs. With google leading the pack, its a sure thing and this opens up a whole new world of web design. Shida Studio is excited.

Visit google web fonts here.

Let us design your next website with this new technology. Contact us today. kenji@shidastudio.com

I know I’m behind the times with this post, however, I still wanted to spread the word The Glitch Mob is a fairly new discovery for me. When I first heard this track, I was blown away. I have been interested in electronic music, and heard some samples of ‘glitch’ used in progressive house tracks that always left me wanting more. I also was intrigued with the rise of Electro, however it never stuck, because the sound was just too dis-organized, and chaotic for my taste. Then enters an underground sound first emerging in the late 90s, and as all sub-divisions of popular music, has its turn to shine in the spotlight. ‘Glitch’ as wiki-pedia describes it, is:

Sources of glitch sound material are usually malfunctioning or abused audio recording devices or digital technology, such as CD skipping, electric hum, digital or analog distortion, bit rate reduction, hardware noise, computer bugs, crashes, vinyl record hiss or scratches and system errors.^[2] In a Computer Music Journal article published in 2000, composer and writer Kim Cascone classifies glitch as a sub-genre of electronica, and used the term post-digital to describe the glitch aesthetic.^[3] Another term for Glitch is Clicks & Cuts (sometimes only Clicks) deriving from the Clicks & Cuts Series released by theMille Plateaux music label, which played a leading role in the development of the genre.

Shida studio is inspired by this, as it is essentially taking a negative source and completely re-arranging, viewing it in a different light and converting it to a positive source of inspiration. Enjoy a track, no doubt to be a classic called: Drive it like you stole it, by The Glitch Mob who is a three-piece electronic group from Los Angeles, composed of Ed Ma, Justin Boreta and Josh Mayer.

Well, this isn’t a new find, and Miss Hayashi-san is getting a lot of exposure around the net, but I still thought I would repost it. There are several blogs that explain her process a lot better, but i’ll provide the summarized version: Its simple really, this young girl jumps off the ground at the right timing giving the illusion of her levitation. She sometimes takes hundreds of photos to get the right shot. An excerpt taken from Geekologie.com states:

“The only way to get a right timing for a shot is jumping a lot,” Hayashi said in an interview with the U.K.’s Daily Mail, dispelling our hopeful illusions that she’s the first human being who can actually fly. “Sometimes I need to jump over 100 times to get a right shot” She does this in front of her camera, mounted on a tripod, and continues to do so until she achieves that perfect, natural-looking “levitation.”

“I got the idea from an English idiom that says ‘to have one’s feet firmly planted on the ground,” she continued. “In Japan, we have the exact same idiom. But I am not a practical person at all. Therefore, I try not to have my feet firmly on the ground’ in my self-portrait photos to show my true self.”

You can visit Natsumi Hayashi’s official website here: http://yowayowacamera.com

Stubbled across a site that had a collection of good quotes displayed in very creative ways. This first one below from Steve Jobs caught my attention and something we aim to accomplish each day. I’ve added a few more of my favourites as well. The entire list can be viewed here.

Here at Shida Studio, we also have a strategic plan. It’s called *doing* things. Contact us today for your graphic design needs. kenji@shidastudio.com

The other day we went to go see one of my favourite movie series. Final Destination 5. While wasting 20 minutes before the movie began, I saw one of those cardboard 3D cutout promotion posters as I was descending the escalators. It was not until I was about 6 feet from the ‘poster’, I noticed that in fact it wasn’t one of those cardboard cutouts, but instead a flat backlit image that really was in 3D! Now I’ve seen these before, when you move your head side to side, and there is a slight difference in the image as you cut the two angles giving the illusion of 3D … but now the 80s are over and this was truly impressive. Not only is the poster design awesome, and depicts the opening disaster scene (which is always the best in these movies), but for my first 3D experience, without the use of glasses, made me believe that there are a lot more things to come.

A recent find, of some dimensional artwork. Dinara Mirtalipova is an inspiring artist whom according to her own bio “… never believed I could make a living being an artist.”. Her soul told her otherwise, and we are glad it did. Not only are the actual illustrations beautiful, but to have the technical ability and patience to cut out each one of these negative shapes is incredible. Please visit her website to view all her talent at: www.mirdinara.com

These furry friends are the creation of Mrs. Vanja Kragulj. The great use of color and the subtle expressions of the ‘zoo babies’ speak for themselves. A fantastic collection of artwork, clearly created from the heart. Three of my personal favourites are posted below. The entire Zoo babies collection can be viewed and purchased at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/vanjakragulj?ref=pr_shop

Every once in a while a new shop pops up in town that really gets me going. Until I taste the food or see how over priced the products are, and all respect is lost. Pikolo Espresso Bar is a new cafe in Montreal, located on Parc ave (3418 B Av. du Parc, Montreal, QC H2X 2H5). This cafe that took me by surprise. Not only is the inside of the cafe gorgeous, but the coffee was excellent and the muffin I had with it was also quite good. I walked in and said “Wow! They really found a nice space to run a coffee shop in.”. I realized just this morning after visiting their Facebook page that their space was created basically from scratch on their own! It is really amazing how they can take a simple ‘space’ and envision something so perfect. I admire businesses that work that level of detail and balance it all from their visual appearance to the quality of their product. Well done Pikolo! I look forward to their website which I assume is in production now …

However, if it isn’t please contact us! We would love to work with you!

I was driving back from a well needed vacation in Prince Edward Island when I spotted a beautiful field of wind turbines. This sparked an instant emotion that I have when I come across wind turbines. I honestly don’t know too much about them and how they work, except of course that they generate electricity from a renewable resource, but there is something more to them for me. Their fluid timeless design, looks like something from another planet or our peaceful attempt to communicate to beings far from earth. I’ve seen white ones, that stand tall against beautiful blue backdrops or ‘black’ shadowed figured that cut out the shades in the sunset. Not only is the design captivating, but it is their it is the motion of these turbines that calms me. Super smooth, giant rotating blades that cut through the air. It is just not something you see everyday. There is a meditative quality to them.  I’m hoping that in the future each home that is build on this earth will require a home wind turbine or ‘home-blade’ attached to them. I think it would add beauty to our homes as well as be a symbol of an idea we all agree on.

Wind turbines hit the three important aspects of what we try to create each day: pleasing design; aesthetics of movement and optimum functionality.

Ok, I didn’t think I would post stuff like this, however, what is interesting about this product is that, I was sitting at a restaurant with my wife and friend, and I was saying, “wouldn’t it be great if there was a digital frame, where I can basically send it to my mom, and she wouldn’t have to do anything technical with it, (except for maybe choose her internet network), then I could control completely what is displayed and when. I thought that it was a great idea, because my mom doesn’t use a computer nor does she have email, Facebook, etc. to view any digital photos that I have. I thought it was such a great idea, that I was going to start something on my own to get this product out there, however (of course) this product already existed, and (of course) it was as awesome as I imagined it and simple to use.  Photos can also be transmitted through a Facebook account or instantly through your smartphone as well! I started thinking more about this product and I can see a lot more use for it in terms of business. For example, entire store chains could set these up on their check out tills, and all the promos and sales could be updated live from one source, and instantly updated. (yes multiple frames can be connected to one account). It is basically a real time visual receiver that needs no changing of USB keys and you don’t even have to touch it, since what is displayed is controlled from an online source. With the Kodak Pulse, the pictures can be controlled by kodakgallery account which is free. Anyway, I’m going to continue my research on this particular product and see how else I could use it for business. More information on the product can be found here: https://www.kodakpulse.com/

If you or your business could benefit somehow with this type of technology and may need some graphic design help to advertise or showcase your products, please contact us. We would love to work with you. kenji@shidastudio.com 

A series of photos by Stewart Isbell on a subject that I really enjoy. Along with the enticing title of the series, these photos stir up a mix of human emotions. This one on the feature post is my favourite as it gave me a feeling of peace. People have mixed feelings when faced with the unknown. Most people face it with fear, but I am attracted to the idea that the unknown brings new hope.

Visit: www.stewartisbell.com for the artists website.

A genius illusion. Glad to know that there are still some nice surprises out there. Please share this post (with the like button) and spread the creative ideas!

I have seen this guys work numerous times in the past, but in bits and pieces. I realized afterwards that he has his own online store and is based out of Auckland, New Zealand. He is recognized not only by his illustrative style, but I would say more for his sense of humor and how he expresses it in his artwork. I admire his ability to think of an idea and stick with that idea through the entire process of creating it, no matter how ridiculous of an idea it is to begin with. It is his execution that really justifies everything. So for Mr. Glenn Jones, the more wacky the idea, the better the final results seem to be. Check out his website here for more: http://store.glennz.com/

Every once in a while an artist comes around that isn’t manufactured or influenced by the industry. True talent always shines through.

An article I came across the other day. I was skimming the article the one photo caption that really sparked my interest was regarding Glossy objects. The article states: “We like glossy objects, perhaps because of hard-wired attraction to water.”. Here is the first part of the article…

The aesthetics of an artifact are the immediate feelings evoked when experiencing that artifact via the sensory system. I consider aesthetic responses to be different from other cognitive responses in at least three ways. Aesthetic response is rapid, usually within seconds of exposure to the artifact. Aesthetic response is involuntary, requiring little if any expenditure of cognitive effort. Aesthetic response is an … read more

Matsuri is a Japanese annual festival full of food, tradition and fun. Come enjoy the festivities.

DATE: Saturday August 13, noon – 9:30 pm

LOCATION: Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre of Montreal

ADDRESS: 8155 rue Rousselot, Montreal, H2E 1Z7

FREE ADMISSION! Okonomiyaki, BBQ corn and other Japanese dishes. Taiko drumming, martial arts, bon door and much more. Don’t miss it.

For more information, visit www.festivaljapon.com

We have ideas, we have the tools and we have the time. Contact us for more information: 514-418-5436 or email: kenji@shidastudio.com