Hile Design has been selected by Guardian Industries as their agency of record to head up branding and marketing for Guardian’s residential glass products division, ClimaGuard. Hile’s job is to help define key selling points and messaging and implement web-based and print advertising to Guardian’s customers—leading window manufacturers.

Guardian, founded in 1937 and headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of float glass and fabricated glass products. The company is also a supplier to automotive makers, offering a variety of exterior products, as well as being a major manufacturer of residential and commercial building materials.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to review design portfolios at our local community college. I’ve participated in this program for the past several years, where local agency staff and freelance creatives fill out forms offering feedback on the quality and creativity of the students’ work. The portfolios vary greatly in design quality and thoughtfulness, but there are usually a few standouts. This year I also had the opportunity to meet some of the students, and our firm even enlisted a recent graduate to help us with some production design. When I talk to the students, it is good for my ego since they manifest a reverence that borders on awe. It’s true that these neophytes have a lot to learn, but they also have a lot to give. They can even serve as role models for the creatives with decades of experience under their belts. Read the rest of this entry »

Hile Design LLC has been chosen by Ann Arbor–based Land Architects, Inc. to redesign the company’s logo and website. Land Architects is a design/build company devoted to the art of developing highly creative and artistic landscape design solutions for residential, commercial, and public spaces.

Hile Design LLC has created the corporate mascot “Gary” and associated characters “The Greens” for Grasshopper (formerly GotVMail), a Boston-based company aimed at empowering entrepreneurs to start and grow their small businesses from anywhere, using any phone. See full details »