RKS and Neuma Present Amuen.com:  Inspire and Be Inspired!

Thousand Oaks, California, April 21, 2009 – World-recognized strategy, innovation, and design consultancy RKS, in collaboration with Neuma, is proud to announce the debut of Amuen.com, the new social network where creative souls can connect to celebrate, showcase, and inspire all kinds of creativity and art.

When it comes to reasons to live, art and human interaction top the list for Carson Hill, painter, tattoo artist, and inventor.  “Art is very inspiring – to me the universe and everything in it is art,” said Carson.  Steve Johnson, Carson’s right hand at Neuma (the company behind the Neuma Hybrid) comes from a very different, but no less creative world.  Odds are that you’ve seen Steve’s work.  Before joining Neuma, the graphic and digital artist created playback animations for TV shows including 24, Bones, Criminal Minds, Without a Trace, and Close to Home.  “There were probably two years where every night I could turn to pretty much any channel and, if I watched for five minutes, I could see something I made show up on TV.”  But then the writer’s strike hit and Steve found himself with time on his hands.  So he started helping out Carson.  By the time the strike was over, things were going so well that Steve decided to stick around.   TV’s loss is Neuma and Amuen’s gain.

The idea for Amuen (am-yoo-en) struck when Carson and Steve realized there was a need for a site that welcomes creatives and artists of all types.  No matter what your medium, there are elements of the creative process that transcend any one discipline.  From inspiration to execution through public appreciation, artistic journeys have key elements and experiences in common.  The RKS-designed Amuen.com is a social network dedicated to the journeys of painters, musicians, sculptors, photographers, writers, enthusiasts, and everyone in between.  It’s the free online community where creative souls can connect to celebrate, showcase, and inspire all kinds of creativity and art. 

Though a fair number of the site’s early members come from the land of Neuma and tattoos, Carson and Steve are dedicated to welcoming all kinds of creatives into the site… and they know the right kind of bait.  To mark the debut of Amuen, Carson and Steve are challenging members to create the best, most creative profile page.  The winner will get a new 13” aluminum unibody MacBook, complete with a custom skin designed by Carson.  And for those who prefer to keep a lower profile (so to speak), there’s a contest for them, too.  The member with the most referrals resulting in membership will win a 16GB iPod Touch – also with a custom skin designed by Carson.  The contest is open to anyone.  Details are on the site. 
 
Why the name Amuen?  Well, Amuen is a type of African word that means “spirits,” – a nod to the creative spirit within each of us.  Neuma on the other hand, is Latin for “spirited” or air-powered.  Oh, and if you hadn't noticed, Amuen is Neuma spelled backwards.  But that’s strictly coincidence. 
High resolution images are available at www.rksdesign.com/press/amuen

About RKS: 

RKS is an Industrial Design consultancy offering a full range of strategy, innovation, and design services.  Consistently ranked in Business Week's Top 10 Industrial Design firms, RKS has a 28-year legacy of transforming client inspirations and aspirations into powerful business results.  The Southern California-based firm is widely know for Psycho-Aesthetics®, their philosophy of emotionally connecting consumers to brands through design.  Its clients include JBL Professional, LG, HP, KOR Water, Vestalife, Zyliss USA, Sprint, Panavision, Intel, Hamilton Medical, Medtronic, Discus Dental, and many more.  RKS has won more than 80 product design awards globally, and has been issued more than 150 patents.  Find out more at:  Hwww.rksdesign.comH.

About Amuen:

RKS AND NEUMA USHER IN A NEW AGE OF TATTOO ARTISTRY, COMFORT, AND SAFETY

Thousand Oaks, California, April 8, 2009 – World-recognized strategy, innovation, and design consultancy RKS is proud to announce the introduction of the Neuma Hybrid Tattoo Machine, as RKS helps Neuma revolutionize the tattoo industry and usher in a new age of artistry, comfort, and safety. The superior technology of Neuma tattoo machines benefits tattoo collectors and artists alike – with the lighter-weight, fully-autoclavable tattoo machine delivering a less painful tattoo experience and drastically reduced healing times.

When you climb into a chair, ready to have a needle pierce your skin at the rate of 80 to 150 times per second, a little pain reduction would be nice and protection from blood-borne disease is essential. Unfortunately for many, the technology behind traditional electric coil tattoo machines has barely evolved since its invention in the late 1800’s. Still in wide use today, these machines are heavy, awkward, loud, temperamental, and, worst of all, they can’t be sterilized in medical grade autoclave machines.
Dissatisfied with traditional coil machines, award-winning tattoo artist and inventor Carson Hill set out to create a completely new kind of tattoo technology – the first air-powered tattoo machine. Carved out of solid aluminum years before the MacBook made it cool, the original pneumatic tattoo machine, known as the Neuma2, was light-weight and fully-autoclavable. Hill knew the tattoo artists would greatly benefit from this feather-weight machine. Traditional coil machines typically weigh 8.5 to 9.5 ounces, with some brass-framed machines weighing over 12 ounces. The heavy weight and awkward balance of these machines is hard on tattoo artists, making long sessions difficult and sending some into early retirement with carpal tunnel syndrome. But there was an unexpected bonus of the light-weight Neuma. The collector – the person on the business end of the needle – experiences less pain. According to world-class tattoo artist, Mike DeVries, “it’s been confirmed time and time again, that the Neuma hurts less.”

While there are many variables affecting pain perception, from an individual’s tolerance, to an artist’s technique, top tattoo artist Mario Rosenau has been on both ends of the needle and agrees. “I’ve been tattooed with both, and personally, I feel that it hurts less with Neuma,” said Rosenau. “I think a lot of it has to do with the weight of the machine. When it’s heavy it just seems like it just forces your hand to be a little bit heavier.” Collectors also benefit from the softer “hit” of the Neuma with drastically reduced healing times, reported to be half that of tattoos done with traditional coil machines.

The latest evolution of the Neuma, the Neuma Hybrid, is the result of Hill’s desire to constantly push for improvements. Hill listened carefully to suggestions from artists and engaged RKS to re-engineer and re-design the Neuma2. The result is the Neuma Hybrid. At only 3.7 ounces in its pneumatic configuration, the Hybrid still weights less than half as much as traditional coil machines. Packed inside this small but powerful package is an improved pneumatic design for greater efficiency and less air consumption, a larger impeller for more torque, a cushioned armature for compliance, a variable stroke-length, an improved collet, and optimized cycle timing for less drag on the skin when lining.

The “hybrid” part comes in when Neuma tattoo artists want to take the show on the road. Year-round and world-wide, tattoo artists travel to expos to create their art right before their fans’ eyes. With the baggage restrictions now in force by airlines, it’s becoming more of a challenge to travel with an air compressor. The Neuma and RKS teams brainstormed an ideal solution… a motorized module that magnetically-couples with the Neuma to transform it into an electric-powered tattoo machine. This means that Neuma artists can have the Neuma performance they love in an electric configuration that still weighs a full third less than traditional coil machines. And, most importantly, the pneumatic machine is still fully-autoclavable.

The Neuma benefits for artists continue. “The light weight, balance and the slim design help you maneuver the machine around better and get into angles you can’t get as easy with a coil,” said DeVries. The Neuma’s consistency and reliability are also key in freeing artists to focus on their art. Traditional coil machines are finicky and constantly in need of tuning, so artists have to alternate between dual roles as mechanic and artist. With the Neuma, they can forget the machine and concentrate on their art. “I think that it opens up broader possibilities artistically when you’re using a Neuma,” said Rosenau. “And that’s the big thing with it, and how it’s pushing what a lot of people can do…. An artist can create art with anything. But you have tools that make things easier to get an end result, and I think that’s what you have with the Neuma.”
Whether you’re an artist, a long-time collector, or someone who’s been tempted but afraid to get a tattoo, the Neuma Hybrid represents a breakthrough in delivering a safer, less-painful, tattoo experience. And as for Carson Hill, perhaps Rosenau said it best, “He’s developed something that’s changing the way tattoos are done and the look of tattoos. He has his own little place in tattoo history.”

Hearing that makes Hill squirm a little. He’s not thinking about history. He’s just doing what he can to improve his art and his machines.
High resolution images are available at:
www.rksdesign.com/press/neuma

About RKS: RKS is an Industrial Design consultancy offering a full range of strategy, innovation, and design services. Consistently ranked in Business Week's Top 10 Industrial Design firms, RKS has a 28-year legacy of transforming client inspirations and aspirations into powerful business results. The Southern California-based firm is widely know for Psycho-Aesthetics®, their philosophy of emotionally connecting consumers to brands through design. Its clients include JBL Professional, LG, HP, KOR Water, Vestalife, Zyliss USA, Sprint, Panavision, Intel, Hamilton Medical, Medtronic, Discus Dental, and many more. RKS has won more than 80 product design awards globally, and has been issued more than 150 patents. Find out more at: www.rksdesign.com.

About Neuma: Neuma Tattoo Machines, Inc. had its beginnings in 2000 when tattoo artist Carson Hill invented the first and only pneumatic tattoo machine – the first major technological development in tattooing in over a century. At Neuma, our goal is to always be reaching for the next improvement in our equipment and in our customer service. Our aim is to offer the best possible tools that will empower tattoo artists to achieve new heights in their art and provide a safer tattooing experience for everyone. To find out more about the Neuma Hybrid or to find a Neuma Tattoo artist, go to: www.neumatattoomachines.com.