Banana Bulletin

WALNUT CREEK — It’s a downtown divided; north versus south, with Mt. Diablo Boulevard its “Mason-Dixon Line.”

The split between the updated mall and newer shops to the south and the hodgepodge of older businesses and ethnic restaurants to the north is clear, says branding expert Roger Brooks. A fractured downtown can’t thrive, much less bill itself a regional retail destination, he said.

“It’s ridiculous; you should be joined at the hip,” said Brooks of Walnut Creek’s downtown.

To make Walnut Creek’s downtown a brand name, the business association should ditch the slogan “Escape the Ordinary” and build its brand as a tony shopping mecca with choice eateries, a true culinary destination.

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The Host Country of every Olympic and Paralympic Games tells a unique story of culture and imagination through design and artistry. The Vancouver 2010 graphic identity seeks to unify and beautify the Games with a consistent look and feel throughout all its environments and communications. It will also allow VANOC to leave a mark in memories and in photos. Seen on the design of vancouver2010.com, brochures and publications, merchandise and uniforms, the graphic identity elements appear on buildings, street signs, banners and venues, dressing the city and venues in colour during Games time.

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Keyboard shortcuts save so much time and also give your hand a break from the mouse! Give them a try. PC users just use the control key (or alt key) instead of command.

Command-J
Brings up window where you can select which page to jump to.

Command-2, Command-4
Zooms to 200% and 400%.

Command-K
Brings up the preferences window.

Command-TAB
Allows you to switch to other applications or Finder.

W
Shows design in preview mode (without frames or pasteboard).

X
Allows you to switch between fill and stroke in Swatch menu.

E
Selects the Free Transform tool.

Option-Double Click
On any placed image will open image for editing in original application.

Enjoy! And, feel free to share any other time-saving shortcuts that you’ve discovered.

© Copyright 2010. Banana Creative. All rights reserved. Would you like to reproduce portions of this article? Please contact Banana Creative for permission.

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Despite the recent popularity of email marketing and social networking, old-fashioned snail mail marketing is proving to be the key to boosting business. Instead of eliminating or slashing budgets for direct mail, companies should use it to complement other aspects of their marketing approach.

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