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
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
