Alexander Isley Design Inc. established its corporate design portfolio via book and album covers and is beginning its third decade, attracting clients with a “what if” mindset that”™s not afraid to color outside the lines.
“We get a lot of our work through referrals and word of mouth, which is nice, but that”™s not to say that we don”™t promote ourselves,” said Aline Hilford, managing director and principal at Alexander Isley. “We try to approach organizations that we think we”™d be a good fit with.”
In 2004, the firm was approached to do one of their most comprehensive project by Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, a nonprofit located on the Rockefeller estate in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., which contains a farm, kitchen, classroom, laboratory, campus and restaurant. Alexander Isley created the estate”™s entire public identity.
“A lot of our clients overlap in terms of trying to send a good message and being responsible and also trying to convey some type of excitement and compassion,” said Alexander Isely, creative director and principal. “When people want to hire us there”™s this sort of belief and exuberance that comes through, and that”™s because we”™re not faking it. We can really help spread the good word.”
The company was approached two years ago by the music-television channel VH1 to do work for its nonprofit sector, VH1 Save the Music Foundation, run by Quincy Jones.
Hilford said Jones”™ work is bringing results for inner-city kids. “They raise money to help put musical instruments, programs and teachers in the urban school systems throughout the country,” she said.
At the same time, Alexander Isley was also approached by French Toast School Uniforms, which creates uniforms for public schools that have found a positive influence through the use of uniforms.
“It was very interesting that we were doing work for these two companies that had such similar things going on,” said Hilford.
The relationship with clients at Alexander Isley typical lasts for years.
“We”™re doing work now on the U.S. Green Buildings Council and the Girl Scouts, but actually the messages are tied in with some of the Stone Barns stuff,” said Isley. “You sit back and see that 80 percent of what they”™re trying to get across is identical.”
Isley”™s ideal client is a second-place company that realizes the need to set itself apart.
“The work we do makes more of a statement, so it”™s more of a risk,” said Isley. “The companies that can be not so uptight about their message or image usually have more self-confidence.”
According to Hilford, the economy has affected the communications design industry in positive and negative ways.
“I think on the negative side, most of our clients aren”™t cutting budgets dramatically, but they”™re being very cautious and aware,” said Hilford. “On the positive side, people do feel that this is an excellent opportunity to be heard because there is this period of commercial quiet right now where people are scared and a lot of their competitors are not spending. It”™s an excellent opportunity for companies to speak in confidence.”
According to Isley, being too cautious and putting your head in the sand can be synonymous with irrelevance. “It”™s really a good time to keep your message out there and hold steady,” he said. “There”™s no clutter for a message right now.”
