A Merry Christmas Update

Merry Christmas Bloggees!

After a very long hiatus, I'm back at the blog for a brief update (as well as a goody along the way.

FROMONLINE:
On November 5th, Google honored my new design hero with a Google Doodle, Raymond Loewy. I'd heard briefly of him when I toured the Studebaker Museum in South Bend back in 2002.  Strangely, I never really heard anything about this industrial design leader in art school.  After the doodle came out,  I started researching about him online and was staggered by the amount of work credited to him and his studio (including Air Force One and design work for NASA).  The fact that a designer not only did identity work (Shell, Exxon, etc...), but also worked in aviation and aerospace (two areas that I have a real soft spot for.  To find out more about this icon of American design you can check out the following links...

Wikipedia Article on Raymond Loewy
Raymond Loewy Official Site
Hagley Museum and Library 

Plus, I have picked up a copy of Raymond Lowey's Industrial Design.  I'm pleased to report that it reads a lot better than Paul Rand's writing and I'm enjoying the book.

PERSONALPROJECT 
I came across a really neat design technique via Photoshop.  After viewing the process, it got me thinking...Why not do it in Illustrator and use it to create official cards for the Christmas Exchange Game.

Sample Sheet of the Gift Exchange Cards

 In honor of the Christmas Season I wanted to share with you the red and white versions of the alphabet in Illustrator.

With that, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2014 to you!

SeeYa!
  

An Apology for Perfection

Hey Bloggees,

I wanted to apologize for something that you might not see as an issue…Perfection (or at least the drive to be perfect).  Now before you say anything about improvement or quality, that is not what I'm talking about here (both are crucial).  I'm talking about the drive for perfection (completion).  This self-centered drive is detrimental to clients and to the very things you care about. The drive for this kind of perfection is what I want to apologize for, to you my readers.

How did this come up? This past Labor Day Weekend, Jen and I visited our best friends from college (fellow artists who are married to each other).  I just had dismal results on some postings I had uploaded on dribbble and was questioning my design skill.  That Sunday, we visited they're church, a place I have always walked away with something profound.  Toward the end of his sermon, Steve Daugherty, the teaching pastor, spoke about perfection, which got my attention. He broke down the word per- (complete) -fect (work) and how hard we try to be something that even God himself didn't ask me to be.  That's when it hit me.  I had been trying to do that in my life as a designer.  I wanted to be perceived as a perfect designer to look up to.  I was so focused on being perfect I was letting effect my focus as a blogger and designer.

So, here it goes…
I'm sorry for trying to be the complete designer. I've been more focused on impressing others and being perceived as something which I'm not.   I'm sorry for not being honest with myself and you.  I'm sorry for seeking perfection.

You can hear the sermon here...
( perfection portion of the sermon at the 34:30 marker)

Photo Credit: http://unsplash.com

Learning to Learn...

Hey Bloggees...

What is the key to being an expert?  Academic facts?  Years spent in a specific field?  If you are relying on acquired knowledge and expertise, you may find yourself in trouble.  New technology is developing everyday.  Techniques that work in one situation may not work in another.  These factors alone can hamper your effectiveness to your clients, profession, and career.  So how do you stop that from happening?  What is this key to being an expert.  It is…to keep learning.

Huh?

The Truth of the matter is we should all be learning.  Despite our Academic or Experiencial background we should always be learning.  We should be attentive to other experts in the field, our fellow artisans, and our clients…

Wait a sec.  Our Clients?

That's right.

But they don't know our profession and heaven knows if they'll want some gaudy design element.

 Learning from the client can be a shocker for some people (especially for those of us who are <ahem> experts).  The fact is, our clients know their area of work.  We don't.  As opposed to shooting down their ideas, why not use it as a springboard.  This past week, I was working with a client on a flyer design.  I thought the design was coming along rather nicely.  Then, the representative for the client suggested placing the logo for the company (which I had created) at an angle in the top left corner.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea, to be honest.  However, I took her suggestion into account, went back in, and discovered a way to present the logo even better then the way both of us had originally thought.  The client loved the flyer and I was pleased with the result.  The morale to the story?  Use your client's suggestions as a springboard, not as a source of frustration.

So, how do we keep learning?  Well, to start off, take notes.  Write down everything that you want to learn from lectures, blogs, videos, you name it.  Second, and this is tough… Stay humble.  Realize that you still have a lot to learn and that you can always learn from others.  Lastly, don't debunk what you know, just add to it.  Find ways of doing what you know better.

Now if you will excuse me, this expert has some studying to do… 'Till next time.

When Life Does Not Go Your Way (Or the Way You Planned It)

What were your ambitions in life?  What were your plans after art school?  Land an awesome design gig with major clients like Apple and Nike and enjoying the "good life". So what happens when life throws you a curve ball?  What if instead of a major design studio with design savvy clients, you're working for a small company, or freelancing and you have clients whose design skill maxed out on Office Paint.  What should you do if life is not ending up the way you thought it would be?

To be perfectly honest.  This thought came earlier this week.  It reminded me of my plans and ideas of what life would be like after graduation.  An artsy, Florida studio working with clients that totally got my design sense (Yeah…definitely was fantasizing that).  Instead, I spent the first four years of my design experience was spent making corrections on someone else's design projects (with little bits of design scattered throughout).  Just when I started doing regular design work and get back on track… I found myself moving to Knoxville, moving AWAY from our most of our friends and loved ones.  Plus, I work with clients who do not appreciate design savvy (can I get an amen?)  So as you can see, life hasn't been what I thought it would be.

So, you're probably thinking that my dreams are a bust… Well, they're not, just different.  Recently, Apple CEO Tim Cook shared about a 25 year plan that he wrote for a class at Duke.  Oddly enough, the plan only stayed accurate for 18 - 24 months.  Why?  According to Cook "the journey was not predictable at all." The key to planning from Apple's CEO?  "…prepare."  In essence, don't get thrown by life because it's not working out according to your plan.  Life is unpredictable, learn to see the good in it.

So I'm not working from a successful studio in Florida and I don't have clients that accept my work without question (probably never).  The thing is, I'm doing more design work then I've done in the past and I'm gaining experience with working with clients.  I may not be near friends and loved ones, but I'm making new friends and making new connections.  Sometimes life does not go the way you planned.  The best thing to do then?  Prepare for the unexpected.  'Till next time Bloggees.

The Need for Rest and #Unplug

Hey Bloggees!

Back in February I wrote a post about the rising dependence on social media (see post here).  I noted about two companies who encouraged "disconnecting" from social media and focusing on the world around us... Apparently they weren't the only ones to note this concept.

This past week Fast Company featured #unplug , a collection of articles about resting or "unplugging" from electronic correspondence and the benefits that come with them (increased rest, renewed focus, clearer thinking, etc.).  These observations bring to mind the need to slow down and catch our breath.  We get into this line of thinking that we have to be constantly on top of every piece of information that comes our way.  The truth of the matter is, our brains can't handle all this information.  This constant rush effects our health, our effectiveness as human beings, and as designers.  Needless to say, I'm guilty of binging on information and the overall feeling of needing to be in the know.

These articles have been a real eye-opener about the need to pull away and to rest, not only from social media, but in my life as well.  Even my personal devotions have mentioned the need for rest (see here).  I guess Someone is trying to tell me something.  To be honest, it isn't easy to slow down and rest (especially if you feel like you have to get everything done and you don't want something like "rest" to slow you down).  The truth of the matter is, I need to take breaks (both electronically and in life) in order to recharge my mental batteries.

I hope this blog and these articles will be a help to you!  How do you help yourself rest (electronic or otherwise)?  I'd love to hear about it.  Please leave a comment on the blog (or my facebook or twitter feed).  Now if you'll excuse me, I believe I need to do some resting.... 'Till Next Time Bloggees!

R.E.A.D. Method (TWA Samples)

Hey Blogees!

Welcome back!  We just wrapped up a four week stint on one of my methods for creative graphic design, the R.E.A.D Method (Research, Extract, Apply, Design).  Along the way, we were developing a logo for the fictional rebirth of TWA.  I wanted to share with you some of the ways the new logo could be used.  Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, and thoughts on the blog about these concepts.  Feel free to taking a stab at doing this project.  I would love to see what you came up with!  Hope you Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed the designs samples here and that this four part series has given you ideas of how (or how not to) develop your designs.  I'm open for suggestions on topics, themes, and the like!  By the way, you can find most of these pictures online at sxc.hu.  Have a great weekend and I'll see you next time!

R.E.A.D. Part 4 (D for Design)

Hey Bloggees, Sorry for the delay in the blog post.  I took some time off to spend with family. I hope you all had a fantastic Memorial Day Weekend.

Well, I'm back and ready to conclude the four part series of the R.E.A.D Method. Just to recap, R stands for Research, E for extract, and A for Application.  The final stage is...(Drum roll please)…DESIGN!

The design stage is where final experimentation and design development takes place.  I take the best sketches that I have and scan / photograph them to my computer.  From the sketches, I experiment with various layouts, shapes, and fonts.  To help choose an appropriate font, I develop a list of potential canidates.  The list allows me to evaluate and chose strong font candidates (and even, on some occasions, discover a totally different idea.  Timing always varies in this stage. Sometimes, I do the design in one sitting.  Other times I set the work aside and come back to it later and reevaluate it. All the while, I try to keep the overall concept and usage in mind.  The goal, in the end, is a final design that effective, attractively, and accurately coveys it's message.

TWA Application
 

 I snapped photos of the sketches to be used and dropped them into Illustrator.

From there, I experimented and explored various design options ranging from various shapes to color palettes.  I tried to stay with TWA's red to pay homage to it's history and bringing continuity to the design.  When it came to the font I wanted a contemporary sans serif font that would reflect the forward, innovative nature of the airline.  To that end, after perusing various font options, I selected Aller, a rounded, modern sans-serif.  The font's design implies strength without being too chunky, or rigid.  Aller's font family of various weights and styles (a great thing to keep in mind when choosing a font) helped solidify the decision.  The chevron shape developed through various rounds of experimentation (as well as some inspiration from the British Airways design.  The directional shape of the design implies the company's innovative thinking.  The chevron, made of two different reds, represents how the company started as a merger of two airlines.  The final design works well both in color and black and white, and in various sizes from pins and business card, to billboards and aircraft.

Next time I'll show you the application of the design. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions on this or on another topic, feel free to leave a comment here on the blog.  Hope to hear from you all! 'Till next time!

R.E.A.D. Part 3 (A for Application)

Welcome back to Week 3 of our little mini-series of the R.E.A.D. design method.  We have covered the "R" for Research and "E" for Extract.  We now come to "A" for Application (or Brainstorming, but it would have come out as R.E.B.D….not exactly memorable).  So let's dive in.

WORD LISTS

In the Extraction phase, we distilled our Research down to a slogan / or three words.  From there we form lists for each word.  Any word will suffice.  The point here is to flush out any bad / cliche ideas and spark new ones.  Once the lists are made (10-20 entries) look for exact or similar words in each.  Note those words and make a new list from them.

SKETCHES

Now that you have descriptions to go by, start sketching away ideas.  Aim for at least 25 different ideas.  The exception to this if you hit on a solid concept early on.  If you do, try to come up with a couple of more options to consider.  Don't be discouraged if you don't come up with something in the first sitting or the first few days.

HOW "A" APPLIES TO THE TWA PROJECT

As you can see, I made lists from the three words I extracted, as well as the name and the similar / exact descriptions (see below).

From there I started sketching out ideas.  I experimented with different concepts for travel, direction, and globe.  I also tried to keep in mind what the design would be use on from pins and business cards, to terminal signage and aircraft.  I definitely did plenty of sketches. From these sketches, we'll develop the final logo in next weeks entry...DESIGN.

Next week, we'll wrap up with "D" for Design.  If you have any comments, questions or thoughts, I'd love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment on the blog or at my twitter @jepegdesign.  'Till next time.

R.E.A.D. Part 2 (E for Extract)

Hey Bloggees  Welcome back for the second installment of the R.E.A.D. method of design.  Last time we covered Research (probably one of the most underpracticed steps in the creative process).  This week we're tackling "E", Extract.  The point of extraction is to distill all the information through company history, (if applicable), company goals objectives (new or existing company), and market designs down to the essentials.

A couple of methods could be used to extract the information.  One method is reducing down the information to a slogan, a phrase that encompasses what the company is about or what it is trying to achieve.  A good way to do this is to summarize a common characteristic in the company's history.  The other method is using keyword.  This method condenses this concept down to just three words (or four if you're struggling).  Keep an eye out for repetitive words (i.e. innovation, first, quality, class, etc...). 

These methods could help you distill the information not only from the heritage, but also with the goals and objectives of the client, company goals, and even the design.  The key is to find common elements that could / should be used.  It also helps to study the competition for common elements, as well as find out what will work and what won't.
 
Project Application:  Based off the research I discovered that TWA lead in airline innovation and had strong aviation history with Charles Lindbergh and Howard Hughes.  Using the slogan method, I distilled it to "A Heritage of Innovation".  Narrowing it down even further with the three word method results with "Innovation, Heritage, Legacy".  When studying the logo's history, the common elements that emerged were the color (red), and a sans serif font.

Here is a list of rival logo designs as well as the general characteristics...

This distilling of the facts will help guide the Application portion of the process, which we'll cover next week.  If you have any ideas for future blogs, I'd love to hear from you.  Please leave a comment, thought, or suggestion on the blog site.  'Till next time Bloggees!

R.E.A.D. Method. . .Part 1

Hey Blogees, still waiting to here from you.  In the meantime I want to take you through one of the methods I use for the design process, the R.E.A.D. method (Research, Extract, Apply, Design).  We'll go over each stage of the process over the next four weeks.  To demonstrate this process we'll create a redesigned logo for a defunct airline, TWA.

RESEARCH

Research, the first stage of R.E.A.D, provides direction and resources. This direction can be determined through questions and study.  Questions can gauge  the goals of the company and/or reason for the redesign  (new business, new direction, changes in ownership, refresh, etc.)  These questions could help determine what direction to take.  While questions determine direction, study can provide a vast resource to pool ideas from.  If possible, research the history of the company, and evaluate previous logos.  This study can spark ideas, determine what works, and what doesn't.

Project Application:
To begin we need to find out more about TWA.  For this fictional assignment,  I checked out several websites to study the airline's history.  I also researched the logos of rival airlines to get a general sense of design.  We'll distill the information in the extraction portion of the process.

Websites Used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_World_Airlines
http://www.twaflightattendants.com/liftoffhtml/historytimeline.html
http://www.pbs.org/kcet/chasingthesun/companies/twa.html

The Challenge:
American Airlines wants to revive TWA as the "Airline of the Future".  TWA would serve as the economical, environmental alternative in international travel.  It would utilize the latest in technology to reduce waste and pricing, without sacrificing comfort, space, and style.  TWA will not compete with American but would serve as their international travel partner.

Three Great E-Mails to Sign Up For

Hey Blogees!

Still waiting to hear from you on the next topic to discuss (Book Review, Personal Thoughts, Design Techniques, etc....).  In the meantime, I wanted to share with you top three e-mails that I subscribe to (as well as the perks :-).  Give these sites a whirl.

Commarts Daily
This Daily E-mail feed features news articles, advertising designs (ranging from commercials to print work), and a featured website.

Why You Should Subscribe:  It's a great way to catch up on design news from one of the leading design magazines in the country (without the $45 .

Creative Market
This online design store offers fresh, amazing design solutions for your next project

Why You Should Subscribe:  Receive a $5 credit for signing up.  Receive notifications on free items or new items on the market.

Graphic Design Blender 
 An online blog featuring business and life articles for designers.  

Why You Should Subscribe:  Free E-Book when you sign up.  Fantastic articles on different facets of design life.

So there you have it, three great e-mails to sign up for (as well as the perks).  If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.  Don't forget to suggest a topic for the next blog.  Until then, have a great week!  Cheers!

 
 

Print Production

There is the saying "You should not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes." This principle applies to many areas in life, especially the realm of design.  It's easy to get upset at the guy at the print shop for being so hard to work with.  What you may not realize is that he's probably swamped with other people trying to get their work done ASAP!  As somebody who is now working on the print side of the fence, I want to share some pointers that could be useful before, during, and after your next encounter with the printer.

Before 
Research
Before you start your next print project, Find out what printers are in your area.  Research on the quality of the work, and if possible, who else they have worked for (i.e. businesses, not-for-profits, etc.).  Also find out how much they charge for certain items (like business cards, flyers, posters, etc.).  Ask them about quantity as well.  This could help determine budget costs on your next project.

Plan
After you have decided on which printer to go with, plan your time accordingly.  Find out how much time your printer will need in order to print your project.  Add a couple of days to that to make room for revisions, as well as provide time for the printer to produce your work without rushing it.

Design
Once you have determined your time, find out what paper sizes (8.5 x 11, 11 x 17, 12 x 18, 13 x 19...) and types (text, cover, C1S…) are available for use.  Design your project so it makes the most use of the paper.  For example, maybe instead of doing 8.5 x 11 flyers why not do 5.5 x 8.5 flyers and get double the quantity.  Also, design a template that you could regularly use.  If you are working with a printshop that offers design work, ask if you could use one of their template to layout your project. If your project has a bleed, make sure to provide crop marks and design with an 1/8" bleed.  This will allow some leeway in case the paper shifts (which it does) during production.  Lastly, make sure to use the correct format for your printer.  Do they take PDF's?  Do they prefer Adobe files.  Find out before hand before you get your project printed.

During 
Schedule
You've done the research, planning, and designing for your document.  You're now ready for production.  Here are a few tips to make sure your project makes it safely through the next stage (as opposed to having a really shoddy product and angry client).  If you scheduled a date to bring in your project, make sure to get there on time, or earlier.  Being late with your project could result in additional charges for rushing the project, and a higher likelihood that something bad will happen to it.  If you are dropping a project off and picking it up later, make sure to be readily accessible for corrections / modifications.  Provide your printer with your phone number and e-mail and phone number.  If they do contact you, make sure to respond quickly to make sure that your project moves forward.

Prepare
Even though you have prepped the document the best you can, there is bound to be an issue of some sort.  It could range from a simple typo, to being the wrong format / layout.  Be prepared to provide corrected / modified files as quickly as possible.  Make sure to save in the compatible format and provide all the necessary files. For example, if your printer uses Indesign CS4 for printing, package the file (so it will have the necessary fonts and links), and make sure to save your file as an .idml file (for older formats).  Hopefully, with these helpful tidbits, your project will come out on time, on budget, and on target.

After 
So you've made it through the prep, design, and printing of your project.  You're done right?  Wrong.  There's still a couple of things to take care of, payment and follow-up.  When you started the project, you received a quote on how much it costs.  Keep tabs on any changes or additional charges that could come up.  When the invoice arrives evaluate the actual invoice and the estimate. RESPECTFULLY ask about any additional costs or charges that do come up.  If there are no issues, don't cause one by paying late or griping about the price.  If the printer did a good job, show your appreciation.  Send a Thank You.  Recommend the printer to fellow designers or businesses.  Perhaps even build a working relationship with them.  This appreciation, commendation, and connection could prove beneficial for future clients, discounts on future work, or both.  Even if the service is lousy, handle the situation discretely and respectfully…Then find a quiet place to vent.  There are other printers out there and you will find the right one just for you.

I hope that this article is beneficial for your next printing endeavor.  Do you have any questions, comments, or suggestions?  Post them here.  I'd love to hear from you.  Thanks!

Next Post:  Up to You!  That's right reader!  You determine the next blog post.  Anything!  A Book Review?  Process?  Design Advice?  Q&A?  Submit in your ideas.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Thou Shall Not Use Comic Sans By Sean Adams, Peter Dawson, John Foster, and Tony Seddon - A Book Review

Hey Gang, sorry for the delay of this post.  Life in the graphic design and print business can prove challenging at times!  However, I'm glad to be back am really excited to share with you about the book, Thou Shall Not Use Comic. 

Brief Summary
The book is a compilation of wisdom and knowledge from noteworthy designers (including Sean Adams of Adams-Morika).  The compilation consists of 365 different rules or "commandments".  These commandments are broken down into six, color-coded categories ranging from Type and layout, to imagery and design.  Each author takes one rule and explains it further in a brief "Commentary" section.

The Pluses
+ The book is nicely broken down for easy access and quick reading.
+ The book offers, when appropriate, helpful exceptions to a commandment, usually in the form of another rule.

The Minuses 
– Some language

My Personal Take
Thou Shall Not Use Comic Sans should be a standard part of anyone's library.  Whether you're curious about design or a design veteran, this book provides insightful instruction and helpful advice to help you on your design journey.

Where Can I Get My Copy: 
Hard Copy
 Alibris , Amazon , Barnes & Noble  , Books-A-Million , and E-Bay

Digital
Kindle , Nook , eBook , and iPad

I hope this book review was helpful and informative.  I would love to hear what you would have to say.  Please feel free to leave a comment or suggestion!

Next Time: Helpful Tips for Print Production

What You Didn't Learn in Art School

Don't get me wrong.  I learned a lot in art school.  Stuff like design fundamentals, color theory, typography, and creative problem solving.  Art school taught me the fundamentals and academics.  What it didn't teach me was real world experience.

We've heard the stories...Clients who think they're creative and feel like they know how to design better then you.  Requests that break every design rule / style (Comics Sans anyone?).  Last minute deadlines.  Design changes on a whim.  The worst part?  Having to satisfy your client...over your own preference.  Not the sort of thing you pictured in your design career.

Unfortunately, this is the norm for those of us in this profession.  So how do we handle these challenges (other then curling up in the corner of your favorite coffee shop or changing your profession entirely)?

Realize That It Will Happen – Even the Greats in the design professions had to deal with challenging clients.  If they had to deal with them, you will too.

Determine to Learn – View these challenges as opportunities to learn and grow in your profession (That's how the greats became great).

Rise to the Occasion – This is what separates the greats from the average designer.  Take the limitations and use them to your advantage.  Design No-No's? Make them extraordinary.  Last Minute deadlines?  Make it an exercise in simplicity.  Design change mid-project?  Use it as a time of exploration.

Now could art schools benefit from exercises that incorporate these challenges?  Absolutely.  Hopefully, someday they will.  Until then, experience will have to do for the things that you didn't learn in art school.

Am I on track or way off?  I'd love to hear your real world experiences and how you handled them.  Thanks for tuning in.

Next Time: Thou Shalt Not Use Comic Sans - A Book Review

How Are You Spending Your Nine Years?

designtaxi.com shared an insightful infographic on how we spend out our lives (here).  In a nut shell, after you factor out elements of eating, sleeping, education, work, etc..., we have, on average, nine years in how we use our time.  Nine years.  So, the question is how are we spending those nine years?  Too be perfectly honest it's very easy for me to camp out in front of my Macbook, fire up the Netflix, and spend the time working away on design projects while enjoying some witty entertainment.  However, in the grand scheme of things, that sort of thing doesn't matter.  What does matter is the investments we make with our family, friends, and loved ones.

I had the chance of enjoying one of those moments earlier today.  It had snowed during the morning and my wife, a Florida native with minimum experience with the weather phenomenon, wanted to go outside and walk around.  Personally, I wanted to stay indoors, work on design, and enjoy the day off.  However, we went out and had a nice leisurely walk around the apartment complex.  The walk concluded with some coffee at the apartment offices and quite a few rounds of pool.  We didn't take our i-phones or laptops for the entire excursion, and we had a wonderful time just being together.  The time could have been spent quietly working away on the computer.  Instead, it was spent in personal time with my wife.  A great investment don't you think?

So, how are you spending your nine years.  I'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or comments!

Is Social Media...Social Enough?

Technology is a funny mistress.  One minute it's the best tool on the planet.  The next minute it's either a complete annoyance, or worse, you become so dependent on it, that you can't live without it.  Take Social Media for example.  It's a very useful tool for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues around the world and get latest news and opinions on global events.  However, is it possible that it is causing us to miss out on real life?

Now I'm not advocating that social media is evil or that it is not a great useful tool.  I like social media.  I enjoy checking my Facebook and Twitter accounts to find out what's going on with my friends.  My concern lies on our dependance on it to the extent that we freak out if we haven't checked our Facebook, Twitter, etc.... in the last ten minutes.  Are we so concerned with what's going on online that we forget to value people and events that are right in front of us?

It's funny.  This dependence on social media has not gone unnoticed.  In 2011, an ad for Toyota Versa (here) showed a daughter who was concerned about her parent's social interaction because they only had six friends on Facebook.  Turns out, they're out enjoying life while she sitting at home looking at pictures online.  Point taken.  Recently, Kit Kat created "Wi-Fi Free Zones" (here) to encourage people to get off their devices and spend time enjoying the real world.  Who would have thought in a day where companies are encouraging the latest app, fan page, or website, that a company would be encouraging people to dis-connect from technology.  Don't be surprised if other companies start creating "Technology Free Zones" in order to encourage person-to-person interaction.

So how do we deal with our dependance on social media?  One idea is to create a day of rest from technology.  In a 2011 article for Communications Arts Magazine (here), Ernie Schenck, a contributing writer, described his "Sabbath Project" as "The idea is to take time off, deadlines and paperwork...  In the Manifesto, we’ve adapted our ancestors’ rituals by carving out one day per week to unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors, get with loved ones.”  This time of rest away from technology, in this case social media, allows the individual to focus on the people and events going on around them.  Another way is limiting your access whether with time or equipment.  Use a cell phone for calls and texts only, limit time to an hour or two a day, whatever allows you a break from the dependency.  Finally, ask yourself, is this more important then what's going on around me?

Social media is a great tool of communication and interaction.  However, if we're not careful, we may become so dependent on it that we'll miss out on the important things in life.  In short, don't let life pass you by.  Treasure the moments and the people in your life.  Besides, it'll make a great post online (and who doesn't want that).

(UN)INSPIRED: Breaking Through the Inspirational Barrier

You experienced this situation before.  You decide to do a personal design / illustration project.  You get everything set up to work on it...and nothing.  No inspiration.  No spark. No "Ah Ha!" moment.  So what do you do when you hit the inspirational barrier?"  Here are a few ideas to help you break through.

Procrastinated Projects: Are there any projects you wanted to work on, but haven't had the time?  Well, dust off the cobwebs and start crackin'. 

Start a Series: Pick something you are interested in (i.e. cars, vintage cartoons, etc...) and build a series based off that interest.  Here's a great example.  

Make Something Useful: Design or Illustrate something that could be used by others (a set of icons or generic rendering of a product).  This could be a great project and promotional tool.

Look Around You: Take a few minutes, or a few hours and observe your environment.  For that matter what about a change in environment.  Variety is the spice of life...and the jump start to inspiration.
 
The bottom line.  Don't give up!  Keep at it.  Inspiration does not come on it's own.  Sometimes, you have to work to bring it out.

Did this article help?  Do you have any additional ideas for breaking through the inspiration barrier?  Please leave a comment, thought, or insight.  I'd love to hear it!

New Year / New Changes

Happy 2013 everyone!  Sorry for the lack of posts.  But don't fear bloggies!  With the new year comes a new opportunity to blog more (and hopefully, this will not be like most New Year's Resolutions).  In those blogs, I hope to fulfill the original purpose of the blog, to share insights on design and life to benefit others.

Along with additional blogs, for 2013, the website and blog are being revamped.  The new website will automatically update via my dribbble account and have links to my Facebook, Twitter, and this blog.  Special thanks goes out to my family, fellow designer, Shaun Moynihan, and the great guys at pixel2html.net.

Thanks for stopping by and come back soon to check out the posts!  Happy New Year folks. let's make 2013 a rockin' one! (Now, to those other resolutions...)