Howdy, the overall relationship is splashes of colour (as seen in the logo, in their Work/Folio) against a full screen background of gradient gray tones and type (especially in the Mr. Lee Flash). In short it is done to create a sense of drama.

I assume the overlay of the full screen techy pixel grid adds a sense of logical order and acts as a separation/screen between the background of Flash imagery and foreground of text blocks n' stuff to 'sit' on.

The techy pixel grid is a graphic design widely used throughout the internet (especially in the late '90s lol), and so too are the images desaturated and adjusted through various Adobe Level, Curves, and some Filters (such as Gaussian Blur) for the Flash sequences. And, the compositional technique of dominant gray tones with splashes of colour ain't nothing new or proprietary either. The techniques of lesser sized graphic elements overlaid upon full screen Flash is nothing new either.

I use the same compositional techniques on my tumblr: graphicdeclaration.tumblr.com - except I used a reverse dynamic relationship. I have lesser sized colourful imagery moving over a full screen static background of gray tones ...the techy grid would be out of place, but having said that the frames in which the images rest is something of a grid in itself. And perhaps that is where you might experiment also...

Sorry I don't know that typeface - others here surely might. You can bet your sweet ampersand on that :)

I would generally advise against mimicking the look of another company that also shares the same name. Copyright is one thing, confusing people (as to what's separate companies and what's supposed to belong together) is another.

> I really want mine to reflect [their site design and logo]
> without infringing on copyright issues

Tina, it's common for designers to be inspired by the work of others, but you need to develop your own identity, not simply imitate someone else's logo and site design with minimal changes to avoid legal issues. Especially since your company name is similar.

I agree with the above comments and I put together four quickys to illustrate how the same design concept is used fresh each time...

Good luck, hope that helps.

Tina, first things first: what is your site about?

Liking how something looks is one thing,
blindly trying to mimic it is another.

hhp

Go to the original at least: www.group94.be

An all-flash site in 2012. Retro!

So is Ourtype’s site, which is also made by g94.