|| Studios 4thirteen ||

My Approach
Graphic Design is all about communication; delivering a message from one to another. And there are a million and one ways to do it. But regardless of how "cool," "elegant," or "frakking* awesome" the design might be, the message must still be clearly communicated. It's with this understanding that I work.

I operate openly and honestly with all my clients to create a lasting and beneficial relationship. I will work with you to help anticipate future needs helping to reduce, or remove, future costs. The attitude and environment here is relaxed. The work is professional.

* - "frakking" is a make-believe expletive from the awesome show Battlestar Galactica. As you can see, my inner geek runs deep.

What I Do
Logo design and Corporate Identity (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc...), Direct Mail, Datasheets/Whitepapers, Posters, Packaging, Advertising, Signage, Web Design, Web Development using .php, .jsp, Java Servlets, Javascript, .html, .css, MySQL, Pervasive, SQL & ODBC, E-Commerce, Flash Websites, Flash animations, Flash product demonstrations, and the dreaded Powerpoint.

Clients
I've done work with some amazing people from all over the country. Most of my clients are in the Bay Area and Central Coast, but I've also worked with people in San Diego, Oregon, New York, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, and even Switzerland and Sri Lanka. Here's who I'm working with now:

Aperial Technology Ventures, LLC., The Coastlands (Aptos Foursquare Church), CHW Dominican Hospital, Dominican Oaks, Eternity Skate, Exquisite Designs, Joya Baby, Kelly McCord Photography, Meade Construction Group Inc., Milkdudz (now Milkthreadz), The Nation, Service-Sys, Smith-Wagle Commercial Management, Technology Vision Group, TVR Communications (Saint Joseph of Orange Hospital in Anaheim, CA, Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.), TriCord Stone Technologies, Inc.

Testimonials
If you've got something nice to say, email it on over, and I'll put it up.

"Studios 4thirteen created our company's marketing image from scratch before the company even opened for business. We only gave Ross a general idea of who we were and how we hoped to be perceived. We gave him total artistic freedom to turn that minimally defined brand image into a complete portfolio of graphic art, corporate brochures, all the printed materials needed to run a business, signage, advertising, and a website which is the envy of our industry. The results are stunning. We have been extremely successful in our first five years of business and our marketing materials, graphics and website are as fresh and powerful today as they were on Day 1."

"Sure, my partners and our amazing staff earned this success, but Ross' invention of our "look" has contributed hugely to our credibility as a sophisticated state-of-the-art builder. It has done wonders for our recruiting buzz and the development of our cultural image. That's a pretty massive accomplishment for even the largest marketing graphics companies. Ross did it all as a start-up company himself. He takes our success personally and that, in addition to his incredible vision and skills, makes all the difference."

Andrew W. Meade, P.E., President
Meade Construction Group, Inc.
San Jose, CA

"After working remotely with Ross on internal design projects, we collaborated on a discovery team charged with developing a user interface for a complex interactive television project at a leading southern California health care provider. After interviewing over 100 managers and executives, Ross created and presented solid concepts that became the foundation for the deployed (and widely praised) user interface. Since then, we've worked with Ross on interactive tv projects and digital marketing campaigns. Rock solid design. Clear as glass about schedules and dependencies. Reliable. Understands and respects requirements. A great guy to have on your team."

Tom Stitt, Managing Director & Cofounder
Aperial Corporation
Redwood City, CA

"Ross did an absolutely great job in creating our logo. We got everything we wanted - from esthetics to image to versatility in a variety of uses: business cards, brochures, web, Indy car decals, tattoos. All within our budget. We're extremely happy. And I'm not saying this just because Ross is my nephew."

Rich McCord
Ways to Freedom
Ananda Village, CA

"Ross joined PointBlank Marketing as a design intern with a ton of talent but little experience. He proved to be a quick study. He was hard-working, curious and willing to learn. He picked up every technical skill he needed. He had a great 'eye' and his visual ideas infused new life into the agency. Ross has a personality full of energy, humor and kindness. He has become a good friend. And it is great to work with him because we have a good laugh any time we get together! He now is the consumate professional running his own design business, Studios 4thirteen. I continue to value his ideas and work. SullivanWorks (my agency) has hired him several times for web, animation, identity and collateral design. He reliably produces top quality work, on schedule." April 29, 2009

Nate Digre, Director of Creative Services, PointBlank Marketing
Managed Ross at PointBlank Marketing

Company Name
It comes from the book of Philippians in the New Testament. Chapter 4, Verse 13: "I can do all things in Him who gives me strength."

Unauthorized Autobiography
I graduated from Santa Clara University in 1998 with a Bachelor's Degree in Art. My design career began in 1997 as a junior designer/errand boy/footstool at PointBlank Marketing in Campbell, CA. In 1999 I began working at MoonCheese Studios primarily designing websites during the dot.com boom - it was a wild and wacky time. After 9 months of driving over highway 17 in rush-hour traffic, I said, "the hell with this," and began working at McDill Associates in Soquel as a Web Designer focused primarily on technology-driven clients - most of their client base at the time was in the agricultural market. After McDill, I spent 6 months working at Photoflex as the Senior Designer and Art Director. Much of the work done here was directing photoshoots, which was a lot of fun. From 2002 to 2004 I was employed at Envision Media in Santa Cruz as a Senior Designer working on such clients as Essex Property Trust and Cisco Systems. In June of 2004, I launched Studios 4thirteen, and I couldn't be happier. Well, I suppose one could always be happier, but you know, I'm pretty happy and stuff.

I live with my wife (a super-amazing, über-fantastic photographer whose work you can see here) and two children on the Central Coast of California. We also have a dog named Pippin (named after Pippin, aka Peregrin Took, from The Lord of the Rings. No, he is not named after the apple, nor is he named after the once popular Scottie Pippin of the Chicago Bulls (like that scary homeless man at the park thought). I like WWII history, Smithwicks beer, and Sharks hockey - did you see what happened the other night?! Unbelievable. I've also recently become addicted to playing Rock Band (that game is SO fun). You should definitely play it some time.

Infrequently Asked Questions
Have a question you need answering? Send it over and I'll get to work on it right away.

Q. How did you get into the whole "art" thing?
A. I've always been artistic. But my high school art teacher, Lee Akamichi, and my good friends The Campbells, really inspired me to pursue it professionally.

Q. What is the meaning of it all? The secret of the universe?
A. 42

Q. Who would win in a fight - Indiana Jones or Han Solo?
A. As long as Chewbacca wasn't around, probably Indiana.

Q. Favorite Captain?
A. Kirk, Picard and Janeway were all great captains. Han Solo was pretty good too (I mean, the guy did the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs!). Also, let's not forget Captain Lee Adama from BSG 75. But I think I'm gonna have to go with Malcolm Reynolds. Also, Captain Piett did a pretty good job finding the hidden rebel base on the Hoth System. So kudos to him. Definitely NOT Cap'n Crunch - his cereal, unless given perfect soak time, always tears up the roof of my mouth.

Q. What about Akbar?
A. It's Admiral Akbar, not Captain Akbar.

Q. Oh. Right. Okay, Favorite Website?
A. Digg.com

Q. Favorite Book?
A. Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield. I also like The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien.

Q. Favorite Band?
A. Definitely Led Zeppelin.

Q. Do you know any famous people?
A. Well, I don't want to brag, but I do have Anthony Daniels as friend on Facebook.

Q. Who?
A. Ugh. The guy who played C-3PO in all the Star Wars movies.

Q. You must watch a lot of geeky tv shows?
A. Well, yes. A few. I'm a big fan of Battlestar Galactica. Firefly was a really great show. Other than that, LOST and just like everyone else. Oh, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was very good. I also like The Office. But who doesn't?

Q. Do you think there is alien life out there?
A. Yeah, probably. Not necessarily intelligent life though. Probably some kind of space rat or something.

Q. You seem pretty geeky. How on earth did you find a woman to marry you?
A. I know - shocking, huh. The best thing about it - I was a total dork in high school with hardly any friends. And yet somehow, I managed to marry a Homecoming Queen. Sweet, sweet Victory!


	Background. My Approach Graphic Design is all about communication; delivering a message from one to another. And there are a million and one ways to do it. But regardless of how "cool," "elegant," or "frakking* awesome" the design might be, the message must still be clearly communicated. It's with this understanding that I work. I operate openly and honestly with all my clients to create a lasting and beneficial relationship. I will work with you to help anticipate future needs helping to reduce, or remove, future costs. The attitude and environment here is relaxed. The work is professional. * - "frakking" is a make-believe expletive from the awesome show Battlestar Galactica. As you can see, my inner geek runs deep. What I Do Logo design and Corporate Identity (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc...), Direct Mail, Datasheets/Whitepapers, Posters, Packaging, Advertising, Signage, Web Design, Web Development using .php, .jsp, Java Servlets, Javascript, .html, .css, MySQL, Pervasive, SQL & ODBC, E-Commerce, Flash Websites, Flash animations, Flash product demonstrations, and the dreaded Powerpoint. Clients I've done work with some amazing people from all over the country. Most of my clients are in the Bay Area and Central Coast, but I've also worked with people in San Diego, Oregon, New York, Florida, Maryland, Ohio, Washington, and even Switzerland and Sri Lanka. Here's who I'm working with now: Aperial Technology Ventures, LLC., The Coastlands (Aptos Foursquare Church), CHW Dominican Hospital, Dominican Oaks, Eternity Skate, Exquisite Designs, Joya Baby, Kelly McCord Photography, Meade Construction Group Inc., Milkdudz (now Milkthreadz), The Nation, Service-Sys, Smith-Wagle Commercial Management, Technology Vision Group, TVR Communications (Saint Joseph of Orange Hospital in Anaheim, CA, Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.), TriCord Stone Technologies, Inc. Testimonials If you've got something nice to say, email it on over, and I'll put it up. "Studios 4thirteen created our company's marketing image from scratch before the company even opened for business. We only gave Ross a general idea of who we were and how we hoped to be perceived. We gave him total artistic freedom to turn that minimally defined brand image into a complete portfolio of graphic art, corporate brochures, all the printed materials needed to run a business, signage, advertising, and a website which is the envy of our industry. The results are stunning. We have been extremely successful in our first five years of business and our marketing materials, graphics and website are as fresh and powerful today as they were on Day 1." "Sure, my partners and our amazing staff earned this success, but Ross' invention of our "look" has contributed hugely to our credibility as a sophisticated state-of-the-art builder. It has done wonders for our recruiting buzz and the development of our cultural image. That's a pretty massive accomplishment for even the largest marketing graphics companies. Ross did it all as a start-up company himself. He takes our success personally and that, in addition to his incredible vision and skills, makes all the difference." Andrew W. Meade, P.E., President Meade Construction Group, Inc. San Jose, CA "After working remotely with Ross on internal design projects, we collaborated on a discovery team charged with developing a user interface for a complex interactive television project at a leading southern California health care provider. After interviewing over 100 managers and executives, Ross created and presented solid concepts that became the foundation for the deployed (and widely praised) user interface. Since then, we've worked with Ross on interactive tv projects and digital marketing campaigns. Rock solid design. Clear as glass about schedules and dependencies. Reliable. Understands and respects requirements. A great guy to have on your team." Tom Stitt, Managing Director & Cofounder Aperial Corporation Redwood City, CA "Ross did an absolutely great job in creating our logo. We got everything we wanted - from esthetics to image to versatility in a variety of uses: business cards, brochures, web, Indy car decals, tattoos. All within our budget. We're extremely happy. And I'm not saying this just because Ross is my nephew." Rich McCord Ways to Freedom Ananda Village, CA "Ross joined PointBlank Marketing as a design intern with a ton of talent but little experience. He proved to be a quick study. He was hard-working, curious and willing to learn. He picked up every technical skill he needed. He had a great 'eye' and his visual ideas infused new life into the agency. Ross has a personality full of energy, humor and kindness. He has become a good friend. And it is great to work with him because we have a good laugh any time we get together! He now is the consumate professional running his own design business, Studios 4thirteen. I continue to value his ideas and work. SullivanWorks (my agency) has hired him several times for web, animation, identity and collateral design. He reliably produces top quality work, on schedule." April 29, 2009 Nate Digre, Director of Creative Services, PointBlank Marketing Managed Ross at PointBlank Marketing Company Name It comes from the book of Philippians in the New Testament. Chapter 4, Verse 13: "I can do all things in Him who gives me strength." Unauthorized Autobiography I graduated from Santa Clara University in 1998 with a Bachelor's Degree in Art. My design career began in 1997 as a junior designer/errand boy/footstool at PointBlank Marketing in Campbell, CA. In 1999 I began working at MoonCheese Studios primarily designing websites during the dot.com boom - it was a wild and wacky time. After 9 months of driving over highway 17 in rush-hour traffic, I said, "the hell with this," and began working at McDill Associates in Soquel as a Web Designer focused primarily on technology-driven clients - most of their client base at the time was in the agricultural market. After McDill, I spent 6 months working at Photoflex as the Senior Designer and Art Director. Much of the work done here was directing photoshoots, which was a lot of fun. From 2002 to 2004 I was employed at Envision Media in Santa Cruz as a Senior Designer working on such clients as Essex Property Trust and Cisco Systems. In June of 2004, I launched Studios 4thirteen, and I couldn't be happier. Well, I suppose one could always be happier, but you know, I'm pretty happy and stuff. I live with my wife (a super-amazing, über-fantastic photographer whose work you can see here) and two children on the Central Coast of California. We also have a dog named Pippin (named after Pippin, aka Peregrin Took, from The Lord of the Rings. No, he is not named after the apple, nor is he named after the once popular Scottie Pippin of the Chicago Bulls (like that scary homeless man at the park thought). I like WWII history, Smithwicks beer, and Sharks hockey - did you see what happened the other night?! Unbelievable. I've also recently become addicted to playing Rock Band (that game is SO fun). You should definitely play it some time. Infrequently Asked Questions Have a question you need answering? Send it over and I'll get to work on it right away. Q. How did you get into the whole "art" thing? A. I've always been artistic. But my high school art teacher, Lee Akamichi, and my good friends The Campbells, really inspired me to pursue it professionally. Q. What is the meaning of it all? The secret of the universe? A. 42 Q. Who would win in a fight - Indiana Jones or Han Solo? A. As long as Chewbacca wasn't around, probably Indiana. Q. Favorite Captain? A. Kirk, Picard and Janeway were all great captains. Han Solo was pretty good too (I mean, the guy did the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs!). Also, let's not forget Captain Lee Adama from BSG 75. But I think I'm gonna have to go with Malcolm Reynolds. Also, Captain Piett did a pretty good job finding the hidden rebel base on the Hoth System. So kudos to him. Definitely NOT Cap'n Crunch - his cereal, unless given perfect soak time, always tears up the roof of my mouth. Q. What about Akbar? A. It's Admiral Akbar, not Captain Akbar. Q. Oh. Right. Okay, Favorite Website? A. Digg.com Q. Favorite Book? A. Gates of Fire, Steven Pressfield. I also like The Hobbit, by JRR Tolkien. Q. Favorite Band? A. Definitely Led Zeppelin. Q. Do you know any famous people? A. Well, I don't want to brag, but I do have Anthony Daniels as friend on Facebook. Q. Who? A. Ugh. The guy who played C-3PO in all the Star Wars movies. Q. You must watch a lot of geeky tv shows? A. Well, yes. A few. I'm a big fan of Battlestar Galactica. Firefly was a really great show. Other than that, LOST and just like everyone else. Oh, and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog was very good. I also like The Office. But who doesn't? Q. Do you think there is alien life out there? A. Yeah, probably. Not necessarily intelligent life though. Probably some kind of space rat or something. Q. You seem pretty geeky. How on earth did you find a woman to marry you? A. I know - shocking, huh. The best thing about it - I was a total dork in high school with hardly any friends. And yet somehow, I managed to marry a Homecoming Queen. Sweet, sweet Victory!