Introducing:
Brochure Ninjas

Custom Brochure Design

Who do you call when you need beautiful brochure design done fast? Introducing Brochure Ninjas.

This the 5th website released this year as part of Cubicle Ninjas’ weekly website experiment. With BusinessCardNinjas.com, PostcardNinjas.com, PosterNinjas.com. and now BrochureNinjas.com, a family of collateral focused sites is beginning to appear. In addition to unique design you even get free printed editions of your final work.

Stay tuned for our new release next week!

Josh Farkas,
Creative Director, Cubicle Ninjas

Introducing:
Poster Ninjas

Custom Designed Posters in 72 hours

Each Monday, for the past three weeks, Cubicle Ninjas has released a new website aimed at making beautiful design beautifully accessible. We began training with Business Card Ninjas and kung-fu flipped to Postcard Ninjas.

Today we’ve excited to share Poster Ninjas. Our talented ninjas design, print, and ship your custom poster creations to safely arrive at your front door. Handmade posters for bands, clubs, businesses, or personal events have never been so easy.

Please be in touch with your feedback, or at our new customer center within Get Satisfaction, and let us know how we can improve. Ideas, suggestions, praise, or even hate mail welcome.

Keep an eye out next week for a new ninja creation!

Josh Farkas,
Creative Director, Cubicle Ninjas

Introducing:
Postcard Ninjas

Custom Postcard Design

Each Monday, for the foreseeable future of 2010, Cubicle Ninjas is launching a new project aimed at making beautiful custom design painless for the everyday consumer.

Today we’re launching Postcard Ninjas. After months of creative exploration we’re proud to share the final result. We hope you enjoy.

Last week we debuted Business Card Ninjas. And in such a short time we’ve been honored to featured on more than 15 design galleries and receive thousands of visitors. But most importantly, we’ve had a chance to create unique collateral with many amazing companies we would never had the chance to meet. Thank you.

In the coming days we will be sharing our the exploration process behind both sites. As always, we’re excited and humbled by your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch (good or bad) and we will take your thoughts to heart.

See you next week for a new and exciting launch!

Josh Farkas
Creative Director, Cubicle Ninjas

Now Hiring: Ninjas

You’re brilliant and we’re hiring.

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Position
Graphic Designer (Full time)

Job Summary
Works with clients to advise, create, and execute design standards and solutions to visual media objectives.

Job Accountabilities

  • Designs art and copy layouts for materials such as publications, brochures, logos, flyers, posters, booklets, whitepapers, slide presentations, and web sites.
  • Works with clients to advise, create, and execute design standards and solutions to visual media objectives.
  • Employs a diverse range of design styles and techniques.
  • Allows their unique creative voice to shine through in all forms of design.
  • Illustrates custom graphics, charts, or design elements.
  • Prepares presentation graphics for slides and slide imaging.
  • Reviews team work and suggests improvements.
  • Assists in quality control by proofing final artwork before submission.
  • Creates samples of finished layout and presents to client or supervisor for approval.
  • Sets production schedules and deadlines for design projects.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

Job Qualifications

  • An jaw-dropping portfolio.
  • A diverse range of design skills (print, web, etc and styles (corporate, playful, grunge, etc).
  • A passionate desire to be the best designer you can be and work with others who demand your best.

Competencies

Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems time efficiently; Gathers and analyzes information; Develops solutions; Uses reason.

Technical Skills - Assesses own strengths and weaknesses; Pursues developmental opportunities; Strives to continuously build knowledge and skills; Shares expertise.

Oral Communication – Speaks clearly and persuasively; Listens and gets clarification when necessary; Responds informatively to questions; Participates in meetings.

Planning/Organizing – Prioritizes and plans work activities; Uses time efficiently; Plans for additional resources; Sets goals and objectives; Organizes or schedules other people and their tasks.

Designs & Develops and produces creative solutions; Translates concepts and information into images; Uses feedback to modify designs; Demonstrates attention to detail.

Cost Consciousness – Works within approved budget; Develops and implements cost saving measures; Conserves company resources.

Written Communication – Writes clearly and concisely; Edits work; Presents data effectively; Able to read and interpret written information.

Cubicle Ninjas Offers

  • A fun and playful start-up culture.
  • The ability to have a large impact on projects for the world’s leading brands.
  • Paid education programs and book credits to help your continued success.

If this position sounds like it might be right for you please be in touch with your portfolio samples, resume, and salary requirements at Jobs@CubicleNinjas.com. We’ll be in touch as soon as we can.

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Position
Web Developer (Full time)

Job Summary
Builds the technical architecture of Web sites or Web-based software products.

Job Accountabilities

  • Builds user interface applications and back-end databases using various programming and scripting languages
  • Creates prototypes and functional specifications for software projects
  • Authors complex Web pages in W3C validating code from finished Photoshop design files
  • Develops within leading content management systems, especially WordPress
  • Addresses development problems with flexibility and creativity
  • Assists in project planning, quality control, and adoption of new development technologies

Job Qualifications

  • Over 3 years of professional web development experience
  • High proficiency within the PHP scripting language
  • Experience developing within and integrating Javascript libraries, such as jQuery.

Skills: Other

  • Speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations
  • Synthesizes complex or diverse information
  • Identify and resolve problems quickly and efficiently
  • Exhibits high attention to detail
  • Exhibits patience and persistence in the face of obstacles
  • Seeks further education and technical training
  • Writes clearly and informatively

Cubicle Ninjas Offers

  • A fun and playful start-up culture
  • The ability to have a large impact on projects for the world’s leading brands
  • Paid education programs and book credits to help your continued success

If this sounds like something you might be interested in please consider submitting a resume, salary requirements, and a bit of code that exemplifies your work to jobs@cubicleninjas.com.

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Introducing:
Business Card Ninjas

Custom Business CardsCubicle Ninjas’ mantra is to make beautiful design for the masses.

Today we’re launching the first of over ten new sites aimed at this goal. Each Monday, for the foreseeable future of 2010, we’ll launch a new project focused on making custom design accessible to real people. Some will be benefit small businesses, others non-profits, others the design community itself. All share the same hope: that the design industry is changing for the better and we can have a say in its future.

After months of creative exploration and testing we’re proud to share our work. Please enjoy Business Card Ninjas.

In the coming days we’ll be sharing our the exploration process behind this site. As always, we’re excited and humbled by your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to be in touch (good or bad) and we will take your thoughts to heart.

And please stay tuned – the best is yet to come!

Josh Farkas
Creative Director, Cubicle Ninjas

Cubicle Ninjas gets Wooed

Our friends over at WooThemes have posted a quick interview about the Cubicle Ninjas philosophy, why we love what we do, and why we adore customizing their themes. You’ll notice that we can’t help but gush. We honestly think WooThemes are the best thing to happen to Wordpress since plugins. A hefty bow to Adii, Magnus, and Mark Forrester for letting us be approved WooThemes Workers.

For extra incentive, we have the first peek at the new Cubicle Ninjas idea dojo (aka. offices)!

Seen in more than 70 galleries and articles about outstanding design (Updated)

Whew!

It has been a wonderful few months here at the Ninja Idea Dojo. Even amid the economic turmoil seen across the world, we’ve seen that Design continues to bring exponential value to clients. Here is proof:

We officially launched a little less than a year ago. No money spent on advertising or promotion.

Yet today we were featured in our 70th article or gallery. That is the power of effective branding and design. This doesn’t even take into account the hundreds of social media links and reviews, tweets, or emails to a friend.

Thanks to all of the new friends and clients who have made this possible! We owe you a giant platonic ninja hug.

Here are a few of our recent mentions:

10 Beautiful Wordpress Sites – Web Designer Mag, 2009

Cubicle Ninjas, your totally badass web design team – My Life Starting Up, 2009

Creative Business Card Designs – Logo Designer Blog, 2009

Featured Artist – Directory for Designers, 2009

We’re the official ninjas of Woo Themes

Featured Artist – ChicagoWebDesigners.org, 2009

CSSchick.com

iCoolz.com.cn

Logospire.com

Update:10 websites built with Wordpress

Update #2: 25 Unique Uses of Wordpress as a CMS (as seen on the front page of Digg)

Update #3: 72 Stunning Business Cards That Will Blow You Away

Update #4: 25 Sites of the Week

Listed on Agency Pimp

Update #5: Business Card 24

Update #5: 30 Great Uses of WordPress

Tell me a story

Businesses are fairytales. They’re really unbelievably optimistic when you think about it. People bound to a logo, moving in unison, and held together because of small stack of legal filings? It doesn’t sound possible in the real world.

Yet these people move mountains. These giants shape our future and give context to our present. They make magic. So whatever story they they tell themselves to work together, they believe it so much they’re willing to give the majority of their lives at this greater goal.

What is your business’ story? One where you save the world from itself. One where without your hard work we’re all doomed. It should leave me wanting more, hoping I’d have a chance to brush up against you in the elevator filled with questions. Make me a believer.

Because when I understand why you really matter, I’ll make your goal my own. And when you head home for the day your doors will still be open, lovingly tended after in the hearts of those that were inspired by a simple tale.

Apple Songsmith

Microsoft announced a new application today called Songsmith. Designed to work the upcoming version of Windows, it is a music program encouraging users to sing as a matching background track is generated. And while novel in concept, the press they’re getting is a little less positive.

picture-1 Apple Songsmith

Why? Well their official advertisement shows it running on an Apple computer.

Lesson: Sometimes it is better not to do an ad then to do one so poorly it can only be used as evidence of your incompetence.

Your Unlimited Ad Budget for 2009

I adore Seth Godin. He has the brevity a haiku poet and the mind of a marketing-focused George Carlin. With a few words he can reveal wonder within the most mundane.

Earlier today he tackled the topic of advertising, or more specifically how your advertising is free when marketing does its job:

If the local bank were offering a sale on dollar bills, ninety cents each, how many would you buy?

Most rational people would say, “I’ll take them all please.” Especially if you had thirty days to pay for them.

So, why, precisely, do you have an ad budget?

If your ads work, if you can measure them and they return more profit than they cost, why not keep buying them until they stop working?

And if they don’t work, why are you running them?

The time-tested response is that you’re not sure, that ads are risky, that you can’t tell. And for some sorts of products and some sorts of ads, you’ll get no argument from me.

Digital ads are different (or they should be). You should know cost per click and revenue per click and be able to make a smart guess about lifetime value of a click. And if that’s positive, buy, buy, buy.

Makes sense! For more Seth Godin goodness take at look at our favorites The Big Red Fez, Purple Cow: Transform Your Business By Being Remarkable, Free Prize Inside!: The Next Big Marketing Idea, and his latest Tribes. Each book is filled with page after page of delicious mind candy.

© 2010 Cubicle Ninjas

Want to chat with a ninja?

Call (630) 940-6337.