Category Archives: Publishing

Brave New World with Bodhi

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When nature photographer Middleton Evans asked us to turn his mountain of photographs of a dog named Bodhi into a children’s book, we faced two “never did that before” challenges.

Create Backwards

The first challenge related to the writing process. “Most children’s books start out as a story told with words, then the story gets illustrated,” says writer Sue Kline. “We were trying to do the opposite. We had years of Bodhi ‘illustrations.’ Could we find the stories hidden among them?” Sue spent hours with the photographs of Bodhi until they were as familiar to her as old family snapshots. Soon Bodhi’s personality emerged and even a voice. He was no longer a dog; he had become the audience she was writing for: a child.

“Once I saw Bodhi that way—being silly, feeling lonely, getting excited, loving adventures—I could ‘hear’ the potential stories in the photos,” Sue says. “I could look at a photo and know what he was feeling and what he would do next.”

Putting the “e” in “eBook”

The second challenge required that we enter the brave new world (for us) of digital book publishing. And because our collective enthusiasm makes it impossible merely to dip a toe in the water, we dove into the deep end. We weren’t going to produce any old eBook! No, our eBook would have sound effects (screeching eagles! rumbling snow plows! grumbling bears!). Our eBook would have narration. No, wait, our eBook would have voices for every character, not just a narrator.

Switcheroo

We set out to publish a read-aloud eBook with the just released ePub3.0 specifications. And just when we polished off our first two eBooks, Apple changed the guidelines for children’s read-aloud books in the iTunes store, requiring us to recode every page of both books (sigh).

But the result, we think, is worth the effort. Tell us what you think. The Bodhi books are available now at the iBookstore.

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How About You?

If there is a book in you waiting to come out, contact us to help find it and bring it to the world.

Let Go My Logo

When Thompson Suburban Dental Laboratory came to us for a web redesign, they were not the local small business they had once been. Their responsiveness to new products and breakthroughs in technology had made them a mature regional lab able to surpass their chief competitor—China—in quality, personal service, and speed of delivery to busy dentists.

Identity Crisis

We wanted our client’s website to look as current and professional as they are. Then came the rub. TSDL was reluctant to redesign their logo. Their existing logo had been with them from the beginning and was immediately recognized by their customers. Dropping it felt like dropping their identity, and that carries an emotional toll. But their identity had changed. Their logo needed to change to keep up.

Money Matters

Then there was the financial cost. TSDL’s logo was everywhere: in their office space, on their supplies and uniforms, on their marketing materials. Everywhere. Were they willing to bear the dollar cost of dropping an old, reliable logo for a new, untested one?

Smiles All Around

Once they took the leap of faith and embraced the logo redesign, they never looked back. The result is a clean and appropriate look for a business that uses technology to restore natural beauty to smiles. We are all smiling now.

Thompson Suburban Logo DesignThompson Suburban Web DesignThompson Suburban Web Design

Forget Me Not

Florist Brochure

Romance of Flowers makes events special with the perfect flower arrangements for the occasion. We created a brochure to show how flowers make the occasion memorable.

  • Half-page format is easy to handle
  • Colorful images bring the brochure to life
  • Oval theme shows off the elegance of the arrangements
DVD Packaging Design Spinervals

Sports Coach DVD Packaging Design

Go Ahead…Judge a Video by its Cover

When Coach Troy needed to upgrade the packaging for his growing series of workout and instructional videos, he came to Accent for a fresh burst of creativity. We designed the packaging for Runervals, Spinervals, and the new MultiSport Instructional Series.

  • New photos provide a fresh look
  • Design enables online browsing of low-resolution images
  • Difficulty rating integrates perfectly into the design

DVD Packaging Design Spinervals

DVD Packaging Design Runervals

Passion that Pops

Package Design for “Passion” DVD


After creating the PEP Impact DVD, we designed the packaging to make it shine. As a result, Gerry can pass out the video with confidence.

  • The simple curve integrates the content with the logo
  • Professional photography makes a great first impression
  • Featured testimonials build interest and anticipation

No More Pain in the Neck

Physical Therapy Brochure for Shulman & Associates

As a specialist in head and neck pain, David Shulman, RPT, needed a professional brochure for his expanding physical therapy practice. This tri-fold with an additional slanted flap creates just the impression he needed. This design has received rave reviews from customers and designers alike.

  • Purple and green color scheme set the emotional tone for a creative healing environment
  • Photos and illustrations establish a friendly theme
  • Testimonials and great copy writing establish credibility

Sleek and Unexpected

Mortgage Company Brochure

Access One Mortgage Group came to Accent with a challenge: since every company seems to have a brochure, how could they make theirs stand out from the crowd?

In response, we created a brochure that is strikingly simple. It looks good, feels good, and sounds good. Accent was responsible for every step—writing, photography, design, and production—working closely with Access One to convey the company’s energy and professionalism.

  • The brochure echoes the website’s design and content for a unified image
  • Careful balance of testimonials, photos, and text lends visual appeal
  • Custom graphics clearly illustrate the loan process

Blend of Form and Function

Collision Repair Brochure

A good brochure requires a strategic balance of information and artistry.

In the case of Chesapeake Collision, the brochure needed to serve three purposes: advertise the company, provide an accident report form, and serve as a means of tracking referrals.

We revamped the company’s existing brochure, substantially editing the text. We also created an appealing design that features a clean, modern typeface, ample white space, and a subtly textured background.

  • Two removable inserts are smoothly integrated into brochure
  • High-quality paper and printing produce an upscale look and feel
  • Carefully chosen images reinforce company’s identity