By Jason PutortiSan José / Silicon Valley, Calif.Lead Designer,mint.comFounder, NovauroraTumblr (3.0; @novaurora)http://blog.novaurora.com/<object width="400" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nKdIKP1arF0&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nKdIKP1arF0&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/>Funny series of commercials from Ally. The new brand I think is off to a great start.http://blog.novaurora.com/post/130213157http://blog.novaurora.com/post/130213157Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:47:19 -0700<object width="400" height="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aaJu89iyEhw&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aaJu89iyEhw&rel=0&egm=0&showinfo=0&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="336" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br/><br/><p>The relationship between brands and consumers has irreversibly changed. Just watch how Dave found and fell in love with his ‘blank’ here.</p> <p>Obviously what is needed now is a new marketing paradigm that calls for clients to actually STOP ‘marketing’ and be more engaged in the consumer conversation and act on behalf of the consumer in a way that creates brand advocates.</p> <p>From <a href="http://22squared.com" target="_blank">22squared</a></p>http://blog.novaurora.com/post/128818284http://blog.novaurora.com/post/128818284Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:51:28 -0700<a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/06/15/40-helpful-resources-on-user-interface-design-patterns/">40+ Helpful Resources On User Interface Design Patterns</a>: Another great one from Smashing Magazine. I especially like <a href="http://designsnips.com/" target="_blank">design|snips</a>.http://blog.novaurora.com/post/124721869http://blog.novaurora.com/post/124721869Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:44:32 -0700<a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=137097">Why Starbucks Is Sponsoring MSNBC's 'Morning Joe'</a>: “We don’t see this as a forum for Pumpkin Spiced Latte, but a forum for talking about ethical sourcing, responsible growing of coffee and volunteerism in local communities. I think it’s a very appropriate forum for us to get those types of messages out.” -Terry Davenport, Starbuckshttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/118112705http://blog.novaurora.com/post/118112705Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:38:51 -0700<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/how-self-defeating-corporate-design-process-one-designer-finds-ou">American Airlines Web Site: The Product of a Self-Defeating Design Process</a>: “Great design at places such as Apple isn’t about ‘empowering decision makers’ or whatever that lame B-school buzzword is. It’s about awarding massive power and self-determination to those with the most cohesive vision—that is, the designers. Those are the people with the best idea of what customers want. That’s the essence of ‘design thinking.’”http://blog.novaurora.com/post/117770162http://blog.novaurora.com/post/117770162Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:37:19 -0700designbusiness<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="300" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=808085&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF"><param name="quality" value="best" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="scale" value="showAll" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=808085&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF" /><embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=808085&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br/><br/>“Awesome” commercial from Verizon with Michael Bay.http://blog.novaurora.com/post/117453460http://blog.novaurora.com/post/117453460Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:11:00 -0700advertising<img src="http://14.media.tumblr.com/xoqA7foxqo73ayg6sPDSXTzvo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/>from <a href="http://www.usabilitypost.com/2008/09/29/a-guide-to-choosing-colors-for-your-brand/" target="_blank">A Guide to Choosing Colors for Your Brand</a> by Usability Posthttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/116371063http://blog.novaurora.com/post/116371063Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:59:48 -0700<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/weekinreview/31marsh.html?hp">Warmer, Fuzzier - The Refreshed Logo</a>: From the New York Timeshttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/115427735http://blog.novaurora.com/post/115427735Sat, 30 May 2009 12:55:43 -0700<a href="http://sixrevisions.com/design-showcase-inspiration/40-beautiful-examples-of-minimalism-in-web-design/">40 Beautiful Examples of Minimalism in Web Design</a>: via Six Revisionshttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/112880103http://blog.novaurora.com/post/112880103Mon, 25 May 2009 12:40:00 -0700web design<a href="http://sixrevisions.com/design-showcase-inspiration/25-great-examples-of-using-gradient-effects-in-web-designs/">25 Great Examples of Using Gradient Effects in Web Designs</a>: Also see <a href="http://sixrevisions.com/tutorials/photoshop-tutorials/make-high-impact-backgrounds-for-your-designs-with-photoshop/" target="_blank">Make High-Impact Backgrounds for Your Designs with Photoshop</a>, from Six Revisionshttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/110149674http://blog.novaurora.com/post/110149674Tue, 19 May 2009 14:27:07 -0700<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/135/made-to-stick-getting-your-ideas-to-fly.html">Three Secrets to Make a Message Go Viral</a>: By Dan Heath and Chip Heath for Fast Companyhttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/109580207http://blog.novaurora.com/post/109580207Mon, 18 May 2009 10:54:00 -0700marketing“So what can we learn from Hughes and the design of MyBO? We can learn the value of creating designs that empower and connect… When you successfully create this connection, you’ve set yourself up to benefit from the grassroots campaign known as viral demand. When people love your products, they’re happy to do your PR work for you.”<br/><br/> - <em><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/ravi-sawhney/design-reach/web-design-changed-world?partner=homepage_newsletter" target="_blank">Ravi Sawhney for Fast Company</a></em>http://blog.novaurora.com/post/109579254http://blog.novaurora.com/post/109579254Mon, 18 May 2009 10:51:54 -0700<img src="http://21.media.tumblr.com/xoqA7foxqndbzffvLj8iNuSIo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>Site of the Day: <a href="http://gapersblock.com" target="_blank">Gapers Block</a> for its beautiful grid and typography.http://blog.novaurora.com/post/106459441http://blog.novaurora.com/post/106459441Mon, 11 May 2009 16:09:00 -0700<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20090305-000004&print=1">Success: Winners and Losers</a>: via Psychology Todayhttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/106015154http://blog.novaurora.com/post/106015154Sun, 10 May 2009 16:59:45 -0700<a href="http://mashable.com/2009/03/16/design-inspiration/">100 Great Resources for Design Inspiration</a>: via Mashablehttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/105575191http://blog.novaurora.com/post/105575191Sat, 09 May 2009 14:44:00 -0700web design<a href="http://www.fontsquirrel.com/">Font Squirrel</a>: Handpicked free fonts for graphic designers with commercial-use licenses.http://blog.novaurora.com/post/105173215http://blog.novaurora.com/post/105173215Fri, 08 May 2009 14:12:20 -0700<a href="http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/five-types-of-effective-headers-in-web-design/">Five Types of Effective Headers in Web Design</a>: via Six Revisionshttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/105161272http://blog.novaurora.com/post/105161272Fri, 08 May 2009 13:33:34 -0700<a href="http://mac.appstorm.net/roundups/web-dev/the-ultimate-mac-setup-for-web-designers-60-apps/">The Ultimate Mac Setup for Web Designers</a>: via AppStormhttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/105129162http://blog.novaurora.com/post/105129162Fri, 08 May 2009 11:50:44 -0700<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/linda-tischler/design-times/what-david-kelley-taught-me-about-life-or-why-these-are-good-old-da">17 Career Lessons from Ideo's David Kelley</a>: via FastCompanyhttp://blog.novaurora.com/post/104701044http://blog.novaurora.com/post/104701044Thu, 07 May 2009 13:08:29 -0700<img src="http://9.media.tumblr.com/xoqA7foxqn66cu1klq05B2rRo1_500.png"/><br/><br/>Site of the Day: <a href="http://videoegg.com" target="_blank">videoegg.com</a>http://blog.novaurora.com/post/104337058http://blog.novaurora.com/post/104337058Wed, 06 May 2009 15:57:47 -0700