News
July 16th, 2010
Barrel 24-Hour Challenge with BARC
On August 6, we'll be embarking on a 24-hour productivity marathon to create a brand new website and other goodies for BARC (Brookyln Animal Resource Coalition), a no-kill animal shelter in Williamsburg.
We were inspired in part by what the folks at ZURB were doing with ZURBWired and because we really love the work BARC is doing. Andy's dog Milo, who visits us once a week, is a BARC alum and very happy with his new family. We're hoping to provide BARC with the tools to attract even more people who'll adopt these friendly cats and dogs.
We're looking for volunteers to stay up and collaborate with us as well as sponsors who'll hook us up with free stuff for the event.
Learn more about the Barrel 24-Hour Challenge at www.barrelny.com/24
July 8th, 2010
Just Launched: Barnickel Design
We just launched a new website for Barnickel Design, a super-talented Brooklyn-based design studio. They have some amazing print work and t-shirt designs on display. We used ExpressionEngine for the content management system and implemented JQuery for project slideshows. The website design was put together by Rob Barnickel.
July 4th, 2010
Just Launched: Near East Foundation
We're happy to announce the launch of the new website for the Near East Foundation.
The Near East Foundation, founded in 1915 as a humanitarian crisis response to the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, is America's oldest nonsectarian development NGO. It currently helps communities in Middle East and Africa improve their conditions in povert, conflict, and environmental hazards.
The new website, built on ExpressionEngine, makes it very easy for NEF staff members to update the latest projects going on in all the regions. The website also has a Photo Tour section that provides a very visual overview of what NEF does in the different communities. We also used Typekit to enhance the look and feel of the site, but we kept the special font use to the headlines for now since PCs still seem to have a hard time rendering smaller body text.
Visit: www.neareast.org
June 21st, 2010
Our Very First Poster & Lessons in Printmaking
We here at Barrel love bicycles. To show our love, we designed a poster inspired by the craftsmanship of bike frames and the craftiness of kids who build their own tall bikes. Printing took place at the Lower East Side Printshop, a great little nonprofit that's been supporting artists and printmakers since 1968. We're really proud of our bike poster, and we're going to show you how it was made... anyone in the mood for a little printmaking lesson? 
June 1st, 2010
Fours Years Already, Eh?
We celebrated four years of being in business at Barrel today. The team took turns making cocktails (sangria, Sazerac, PB&J, German chocolate cake, Pimm's Cup, the Venetian, margarita, French martini, to name some) and Reggie surprised us with an awesome pork belly bun dish that included mango salsa and caramelized onions. We're very happy and grateful for the way things went in the past year. We'd like to thank all of our clients, family, and friends for their support. Here's to another great year!
May 25th, 2010
New Brink Issue: April 2010
The latest issue of Brink Magazine had a few delays, but it's finally up. This issue features five poems and a fiction piece accompanied by a podcast reading. We also really dig the Coney Island photos by Ali Iovino.
Check it out: www.brinklit.comMay 24th, 2010
Office Prank 6 Weeks in the Making: Web "Masters" Jacket
In the past year, Andy has become the go-to guy for customer support and website maintenance. He regularly works with our clients to make tweaks to websites and to make sure hosting and applications are working properly. He is our webmaster, and we're very happy with his work. He also happens to be an avid golfer with dreams of playing pro one day. He works a flexible schedule that allows him, weather permitting, to hit the golf course up to six days a week.
So when we tuned into the 2010 Masters six weeks ago, we wondered if Andy would ever get to play in the tournament and how cool it would be to see our buddy putting on his Augusta green jacket. Around the same time, we had been high with praise about Andy's work as a "webmaster." It was only natural that we would put the two together to envision a Web "Masters" Jacket.
First came the patch design. All Masters jackets have a patch of the USA with a hole and flag around where Georgia is on the map. We decided to replace the US map with a laptop that looks similar to the one Andy uses to do his work. This is how our design compared with the Masters version:
Next came the green blazer. We found Blazer Depot and saw that they carried an Augusta Green blazer for $129. When we called to ask about it, they recommended that we go with a cheaper Kelly Green blazer that would cost only $49, which would look almost identical to the Augusta Green one anyway. We were pleased. Here is a women's version of the jacket we got:
After the blazer arrived, it was time to get the patch embroidered onto the blazer. Our intern Maggie found ABCDE Embroidery in South Street Seaport and was able to get everything done in just a week. It cost $65 to digitize, embroider, and sew on the patch.
And the moment finally came. Andy came in today and we were ready for him. You can watch a video of what went down on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/barrelny). We turned up the Masters theme song and surprised him with a ceremony. It was a blast. Here are some pics, including a direct comparison with Tiger wearing his jacket:
May 15th, 2010
Stuff We've Been Up To in April & May 2010
It's been a busy spring for us at Barrel. We thought it'd be good to pause for a second and highlight some projects we've been working on:
April 20th, 2010
Astrum Solar @ Go Green Expo
Over the weekend, we took a ride out to Oaks, PA to check in on Astrum Solar and their exhibit at the Go Green Expo. Astrum Solar recently opened up an office in Pennsylvania and plans to offer its solar installation services in more states. We worked closely with them to create marketing and exhibit display materials for the show, including an animated How Solar Works video. It was nice to see the designs all come together in physical form and we finally got to play with the kiosk. We're currently working with Astrum Solar on their next big show, which will be at The Solar & Wind Expo in Maryland from May 7-9.
April 13th, 2010
Just Launched: Arthritis Self-Management
Back in 2006, when we had yet to formalize our company name as Barrel, we were approached by Rapaport Publishing to do identity work and a website design for Diabetes Self-Management, a magazine that offers important news and advice to people with diabetes. The site we completed back in 2007 is still in place today and has increased brand awareness and readership. In December 2009, Rapaport Publishing came back and asked us to take on identity work and website design for their other publication, Arthritis Self-Management. We're happy to announce the launch of the new Arthritis Self-Management website and brand.
April 9th, 2010
Just Launched: Holton Farms
Holton Farms isn't just another farm from beautiful Vermont. It's a farm with a mission to bring fresh produce and meats to New York City, especially under-served neighborhoods. Through its CSA Select Program, Holton Farms lets city dwellers sign up to receive weekly deliveries of seasonal produce. And unlike most community supported agriculture programs where you have to take what they give you, you'll be able to log in online each week to select the fruits, veggies, meats, and dairy products that you want. The website is built on Wordpress.
April 9th, 2010
Barrel Office Opening Party Recap
We had a blast last Saturday night as we welcomed our friends to our new office. Our conference room was turned into a beer pong arena, we set up our own photo booth, and our makeshift bar served cocktails and a keg of Captain Lawrence Liquid Gold all night long. We even gave out an iPad to a lucky raffle winner. And our intern Maggie made Barrel-branded cupcakes!
March 16th, 2010
Barrel Office Opening Party is on April 3rd!
We bought plants the other day and we're waiting for some posters. We even have our pull-up bar installed.
We've settled in to our new space at 104 W 27th Street. And on Saturday, April 3rd, we'd love for you to come by and hang out with us. Drinks and fun guaranteed. Details and a chance to drop us a line at http://party.barrelny.com
March 7th, 2010
Just Launched: The Zelkova Blog
We've designed and developed a brand new blog featuring Jay Levy of Zelkova Ventures. The blog is an extension of the Zelkova website and was built on Wordpress. We used Disqus for commenting and also implemented TweetMeme.
March 1st, 2010
Just Launched: Rachel Comey Men's
We're excited to announce the launch of Rachel Comey Men's, an e-commerce site featuring limited edition men's shoes by fashion designer Rachel Comey. The site features video footage of all the shoes showing their full range of motion.
February 10th, 2010
Sneak Peek: Next Barrel Office
Lease has been signed. Just three blocks up from our current spot. In ten days.
February 6th, 2010
Just Launched: Nutmeg Radio
We're happy to announce the launch of Nutmeg Radio, a new and insightful blog that covers football culture (the soccer kind) from a variety of angles and also promotes people and organizations who use the sport for social change. The site also features an online store that sells "tribute" shirts for smart fans who want to show their allegiance to different teams around the world.
The blog was built on Wordpress and the store was built on BigCartel.Visit: http://www.nutmegradio.com
February 2nd, 2010
New Brink Issue: January 2010
A brand new edition of Brink Magazine is available this week. This issue features five poems, a short story, and our first ever memoir piece. We also have photography of Brooklyn by Katie Chao and Ben Muessig.
Check it out: www.brinklit.comJanuary 28th, 2010
Just Launched: Hertog Global Strategy Initiative at Columbia University
The Hertog Global Strategy Initiative is a research program that employs historical analysis to confront present and future problems in world politics. The program takes place during the summer for twelve weeks at Columbia University and includes lectures and workshops by various experts and academics. We were asked to design and develop a website to help attract applicants for the inaugural program. The site was built on Wordpress.
Visit: http://globalstrategy.columbia.edu/January 18th, 2010
Best MailChimp Login Screen Yet
We're big fans of MailChimp, an email marketing tool that we recommend regularly to clients. Aside from its easy-to-use interface and flexible pricing options, we love how they have fun with their login screen, much like how Google likes to play around with their homepage. This month's MailChimp login screen features an homage to A.A. Milne, the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, and shows an illustration of the MailChimp mascot looking very Pooh-like. It's a nice little touch and something that augments the user experience right from the start.