Try These On For Size...

In my last post, I said that I've had a few posts sitting, waiting to be published. Well wait no longer. I've been reading books when ever I have some quite free time (which is becoming less and less for some unfortunate reason) and I'd like to fill you in on what those books are. I know that this posts probably isn't the most thrilling and profound post you will ever see gracing this blog but these books have really helped me in the past few months and I thought you might want to check them out.

So... Book number one in no particular order:
The Visual Display of Quantitative Data - Edward R. Tufte.
Now I already know what you are thinking and yes it is a little "heady" but if you are ever in a position that requires you to understand and create a graph or diagram, this book will help you immensely. It's not the easiest read I've ever sat down with but to this date, it has been the most helpful. Tufte discusses the designers responsibilities to the audience when creating graphs, charts, and diagrams and how to be the most efficient while doing so. I can't recommend this book enough.

Book number two:
Trek, David Carson recent work - published by Ginko Press.
The last book that I suggested was completely informative and purposefully very intelligent. This book shouldn't cause you to walk away with a slight headache and more questions then when you started out. Instead this book offers you short glimpses into the mind and approach of one of the most renown graphic designers in the world (David Carson if you didn't grab that from the title of the book). A great read, terribly interesting and overall, I really liked it. I don't know if it needs to be part of the collection but it sure as hell doesn't make it look bad.

Book number three:
The Graphic Design Business Book - Tad Crawford.
So this book's title pretty much says it all. Yes this book is for all you designers out there who want to have your own business or already do. Basically this book hits on all the finer points of running and owning you own business. The best part about being a designer is that if you are doing any freelance work, whether it is your full time gig or if you moon light to make the rent, you are your own business. This book can be very helpful for any designer out there who is doing more than just showing up for their nine to five and then going home. With chapters like establishing your business plan, negotiating contracts, and taxes; this book becomes your go to source for all graphic designer business practices.

I have a few books that I'm reading right now and I can't comment on the quite yet because I haven't finished them. Two of them are by the same guy that wrote A Visual Display of Quantitative Information (Edward R. Tufte). They are called Envisioning Information and Visual Explanations. I don't think a designers library can be considered complete without these three books gracing the shelves. The other book that I'm reading along side the other two is Understanding Design by Kees Dorst. I haven't made it too deep into this book yet so I can't comment on it as well as I would like but it basically is a book of reflections on being a designer. I'm guessing if you are reading this blog to see what my reflections are about design, you might really like this book as well.

Well that is it for now. Six books should keep any designer busy reading for a couple months so I'll make another post then about more books I'm reading (I'm obviously going to make other post in the meantime but if this is the only reason you stopped by, well now you have a better idea of when to come back). Keep checking back, with the school year rapidly coming to a close and the design community will shortly be inundated by young fresh talent (basically you my readers) I will be writing a post on how and where to find jobs. Until then, Adios

The Impossible Client...

To everybody out there, I am sure you have worked with a very difficult client. I will bet that each of you could tell me, in a heart beat, the name of your client and the project you worked on that made them go down in your personal history as the toughest to satisfy. It might have been that they were constantly changing their mind or maybe it is that they had no clue about what it is exactly they wanted. Maybe they expected the world and never understood that it came at a price (that they were unwilling to pay). Whatever the case may be, we have all gone through that torture at one point or another.

This may be true but I think there is one client many of you might have over looked. Someone for whom you have done countless work, who is the hardest client of all to please, and they pay next to nothing for your services. I am referring to the person staring back at you in the mirror.

As you might be aware, I am currently in a personal re-branding phase and it has been made painfully clear that you are your hardest client. If you think of this in a logical perspective, this doesn't make a lot of sense. Who else knows you better than yourself? That is the ultimate goal when doing work for someone. Truly understanding who this person is, their likes and dislikes, and what they are trying to convey to those interested in them. The difficulty comes when you are trying to interpret how other people are going to view you. You have to remove yourself from yourself (this is as difficult to explain as it is to actually accomplish) and try to complete work with an unbiased opinion. It can also be difficult for those of us who are closet perfectionist to decide when enough is enough or when to push it further.

You can get around these problems pertaining to creating work for yourself by asking a friend or colleague to assist. If they are gracious enough, they might be willing to do it for free if in return you do the same for them. Defiantly a fair trade because more than likely they struggle with the same difficulties. This doesn't mean that it won't be any easier but you do avoid the problem of designing in a vacuum. Having someone's opinion can be an invaluable advantage when trying to re-brand yourself.

The benefits that can come from doing work for yourself or working with colleagues on your own material can very easily out weight the negatives. Be aware of the questions you are asking yourself, take note on how you respond, and if you would want your client to respond differently. Try asking yourself different questions to see if you can learn more from different methods of questioning. When doing work for yourself, you have the greatest opportunity to experiment on workflow, interviews, and creativity. Don't set to many limits and let yourself explore the usually unimaginable.

Update from Yours Truly...

You may have noticed I've been blogging a little more recently. This is occurring for a few reasons and I'd like to take some time and let you know why. First and foremost, I haven't blogged in a while which means that I have a lot of posts building up in me and I need to get them out before they escape my memory. Secondly, I am making a conscious move to increase my virtual presence and identity. One of the best ways I know how to do that is by blogging. The more posts I have out there, the more I appeal to the masses and touch on subjects they want to read about... hopefully. Lastly, I am currently in a rework phase on my personal website and I've been thinking that I might incorporate a blog into it as well. My personal website blog will not only contain posts from Shades of Gray but other posts as well that you won't find here. You'll have to check it out when it is complete. Right now I'm hopping to have my website up and running by Nov. 13th ... I'll keep you posted on that. I want both my blogs to run parallel to each other with each one touching on certain subjects while leaving certain topics for one or the other. I'm really excited to see how pairing these two blogs together will work.

Since I don't have anything profound to leave you with, I think I'm going to take this opportunity to end this blog with a couple quotes. They are some of my favorites so I hope you enjoy. Both are from Stephen Leacock.

Advertising may be described as the science of arresting human intelligence long enough to get money from it.

It may be those who do most, dream most.

I am a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

The "Yes" Man No More...

As a young designer, I left college with the mentality that I should always say that you (my client) are right and yes I can do that for you. I guess I felt that if I said no, that my clients would have their "feelings" hurt or that I would develop the stigma of the designer who couldn't measure up. After having dealt with clients that are either well informed or completely unaware, my stance on being the "Yes Man" has changed. Some people understand design like they understand rocket science. They know it exists but are completely oblivious to the amount of work and thought that goes into some of the simplest creations. It is a completely foreign language that they simply cannot understand. Designers understand the complexities that are inherent when it comes to developing good design from scratch, but "Joe the Plumber" doesn't (sorry... but I had to use this terminology. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to be like the Pres. candidates!).

I am not saying that you should say No to everyone that comes knocking at your door asking for design. Really, I think you should say that you can work with them no matter what but you need to set certain rules and criteria when it comes to working with people that are uninformed. Expressing your concerns upfront with your client can be the foundation to an open communication and trust. That is usually what it boils down to with people that are uninformed. They need to know that they can trust you to accomplish exactly what they are expecting from you.

This is all great but I haven't really given you a real life example for you to see exactly what I mean.

Let's say you have been doing work for a client for the past three months. The work has been pretty steady and they have worshiped you for the hard work and the excellent designs you have provided them over and over again. You're two days away from the deadline to complete all the elements for their campaign. You agreed to a definite list of deliverables and the deadline is absolute. Now your client wants to add four more pieces of collateral and three more pages to their website. What do you say?

First I think you need to sit down with them and really discuss what it is they are asking for. Make them completely aware of the amount of working they are now asking you to do. Bring your planner so that you know what you have already planned for the next couple days. Ask yourself "is this even close to being feasible" and "how much more work do you want to do for this client?" Obviously you need to let them know that the cost of your services is going to increase because of the amount of work has also increased (In most cases, they are already expecting this but it is best to communicate everything that will be affected by this last minute addition... always best to cover yourself just incase). If you can't possibly complete everything by the drop dead date of a couple days out (which is the probable outcome of your conversation), you need to start cutting desired work or pushing them past the deadline. Create a list of everything you have remaining to complete and say, "what do you want to cut from the list of deliverables" or "what is least important to you?" They need to know that these last minute additions have consequences. Be sure you get them to sign off on a final decision ... again just to cover yourself.

Most of you probably understand why this is important. Like I said earlier, you need to have an open line of communication at all times with your clients. They will appreciate it and communicating with them will make your life ten times less stressful. All this is to ensure that your client doesn't take advantage of you and your work ethic. This is a lesson that they teach you back in elementary school and one that can be used throughout your life. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie is a great book (a children's book but it carries a great lesson within). It speaks exactly to the point I am trying to make but puts it in the simplest of terms. Basically what the book is saying is that if you give in once, the person asking for the favor is bound to think you will give in again and then start to take advantage of you. You should check it out (If someone asks why you are checking out a childrens book, you can blame it on me). Your clients need to know that at some point you can no longer be the "Yes Man".

Check these out...

Lately, many of my post have been about what I've experienced in the past year and a half of working. I know that these insights can be very helpful for many of you who are just now entering the design profession or thinking about pursuing a career in design. Most schools that I know of don't offer a course on the abstract working life and therefore I hope these post have been helpful. It is my hope that you can take from these post what you need to be better prepared for what is inevitably going to come to you. Still, what I've come to realize is that there is so much more out there to supplement what I've been saying since the inception of this blog. So today I'd like to take some time and mention a few of the other sources that have exposed me to valuable information. I'm not saying you have to read or watch any of the following to become successful but it is never a bad thing to be informed about what is out there. So with out further adieu, my list of external sources:

Helvetica (the movie) - Yes, I know what you are thinking. They made a movie/documentary about a font. Not just any font mind you, but possibly the most successful font ever. It is worth checking out to hear what some of the greats say about typesetting and font creation. It is interesting, informative, and unique which makes it a near absolute must (at least in my mind). I'll warn you. If you are feeling slightly sleeping, I would not pop this movie in the DVD player in hopes that it will keep you awake. This is not the action packed documentary like Super Size me but I'm still highly recommending it to all designers out there.

The Art of Looking Sideways - I've blogged about this book before but I really like this book and think every designer should read it at some point of their life (sooner rather than later). Written by Alan Fletcher, this book offers intellectual insight into the mind of a great designer. It covers his inner thought on life, design, art, communication, and so much more. He kept notes most of his life and this book is out come of that. Phaidon says this about it, "An irresistible visual and verbal feast for everyone who enjoys the creative interplay of word and image." Can you think of a better book for designers?

Breaking into Graphic Design - This book really helped me prepare for the interviews that most of you will experience in the coming months. Michael Jefferson is a designer just like you and I. He is young and had many hardships in getting a job. He kept notes on what he felt he did right or wrong and then went back and interviewed those that interviewed him. It is really interesting to hear what some of the top agencies are looking for and how they think you should interact with those who are going to be hiring you.

How Magazine - This magazine is a really useful tool for designers of all ages. There are columns that offer advice to those looking for jobs or are in need of direction for their small design shops. Along with all this, I've found that this publication can be a great place to look for creative inspiration. If you are a little hesitant about subscribing to How Magazine, don't worry. There is a website that offers nearly the same amount of help, advice, and info.

AIGA - I'm am almost sure that most of you out there are already more than aware of this organization. Still, believe it or not, there are some people out there who are unaware of this seemingly invaluable group and this is my chance to inform them. This international organization is the largest grouping of creative professionals. It is a great way to get involved with the design community and develop an excellent network of creative friends. Through AIGA, you have access to endless contacts, great design inspiration, and competitions that can boost you to international stardom (that might be a stretch but not entirely unlikely).

I know there are other pieces of literature and movies out there that I am sure are more than helpful. I thought it best however not to drown you in words all at once. What I am thinking is that every now and then I'll drop post like this that will point you in their direction. So keep a keen eye open for more post like this. I promise that the above and the more to come will help you in some manner. You will never know unless you check them out.

The Economy and a Designer...

The economy is in shambles. It's kind of scary to hear that all the "experts" are saying this is an international crisis. It is no longer just an American problem but the entire global community is facing a financially uncertain couple years. I have no doubt that we all will come out of this with bumps and bruises on our nest eggs but I don't think we (the general public) will be missing any arms or legs. That being said, everyone seems to be cutting cost where ever they can. Some are driving less, cooking meals at home instead of eating out, shopping at Walmart, and reconsidering their everyday expenses. For many business owners this is a very bad trend that could possibly lead to many of them going out of business. However, as a young designer, I am not so worried. I might even go as far as to say I'm secretly smiling.

I was once told that a smart business practice is to spend more advertising money when the economy is on the down and out. Why you might ask? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure but I've been hearing that more and more. Spend more money now to gain a competitive advantage. It goes against the typical thought process of save your money for a rainy day. However, when you sit down and think things through a little bit, it starts to make sense. All of the competition is sitting back waiting for things to get better while you are out there gaining recognition and impressions on your customers. Still, how does this effect a designer. More importantly how does this affect young freelance designers that are just entering the design community. Here is the silver lining in all of this mess that is constantly swirling around us.

As young designers, we are cheap, fresh, and hungry for work. Like I said, businesses are trying to cut cost where ever possible. One place where they can cut cost is by using young freelancers with little overhead costs compared to the large design agencies that are more expensive. This means that there is a lot of freelance work out there. Even more, there are a lot of freelance jobs out there that would normally go to agencies but are now on the open market for all to bid on. What better way to beef up your portfolio than to get a bunch of work from a variety different businesses. It can also be nice because typically, younger designers are not making millions of dollars. Freelance work can pad your wallet and help with paying the bills.

So where does someone find freelance work? Good question. Most of my work has been through my network of friends and co-workers but there are also web sites out there for freelance creative professionals such as ourselves. A few that I know of are: Craigslist, Elance, and iFreelance. I am sure there are more and if anyone knows of any please share for the rest of us to check them out.

I guess what I'm trying to say to those young designers out there is just to sit back, breath deep, and realize that this economic fall out isn't such a bad thing. Take advantage of all the work out there, get your name noticed and who knows, you could make it big.

The World of Freelance...

It wasn't too long ago that I graduated from college. I gave myself about 30 seconds to catch my breath and then I busted out of the cocoon of the college environment and crashed into the real working world. Literally, the next day, I had someone asking me if I was interested in competing for a freelance job. It was then that I realized no one had ever explained anything to me about freelancing. I was slightly overwhelmed. Instead of dragging my heals, I accepted the challenge and landed my first job.

It is hard for me to believe that my school is the only one who doesn't offer freelance 101. Although there were plenty of business courses to take, I took none. I thought my time would be better spent learning how to communicate and understand people. So, today I'm going to offer up a few suggestions that I have learned either the hard way or by observation and discussion.

1. Get Everything in Writing - There is nothing more powerful than something in writing that proves your point. You don't need it to be a physical piece of paper, emails and txt's work just fine too (just be sure to save them ... don't delete them. DUH!). This way if the unthinkable happens and your client refuses to pay, you have documents that will hold up in court.

2. NETWORK - I can't press this more. Knowing people and being visible is the only way you are going to achieve any kind of success. If you are freelancing right now, you probably already know this but some people think work is just going to fall on your laps. It won't. There are plenty of groups and organizations out there that are solely meant to facilitate freelancers. Find them and love them.

3. Rehearse - You will never know what a client is going to say but you can pretend to have the interview with them. It is better to walk in somewhat prepared then not at all. Have your rate prepared, a tentative timeline for completion, the file formats that you are going to provide, and questions about the project you need to have answered. If it helps, get a friend to act like your potential clients so that you can practice in front of people.

4. Look Professional - I know we are all designers and we like to march to our own drum but don't show up in jean with holes in the butt and bed head. Look like you care.

5. Use Good Interviewing Techniques - the simplest of things can sometimes make the biggest impact. Keeping eye contact, taking notes, moving your head slightly and keeping you posture somewhat erect are all good practices. People feel like you are really listening (you really should be listening too).

6. Keep Track of Expenses - It is amazing what you can write off in your taxes if you are a freelancer. Everything from pens to possibly even your car can all be business expenses. Be careful not to go overboard and expense everything you own. The government doesn't appreciate that too much and I'm almost positive it isn't legal.

7. Invoice - A lot of professionals would like invoices for their own records. Provide one just in case. It makes you look a little more professional.

8. Confidence - If you can project confidence and knowledge about the project, your client will be reassured he or she has made the right choice in you. Speak with a professional tone, use good interviewing techniques, and be relaxed are great ways to show this. Make sure that your client leaves trusting you will accomplish what they want. It makes the whole process go much more smoothly.

These are just a few of the things I've realized since entering the professional world. I know there are countless other lessons to be learned and when I experience them, I'll be sure to pass them on to you. If you have anything you think needs to be added, please let me know and I'll append my list. I'd like to get a really long list so your input would be greatly appreciated.

Did You Miss Me?...

Welcome to the real world. I have to keep telling myself that everyday after work. A little over a year ago I was accustomed to waking up a few hours after the sun and crawling into bed a few hours before the next morning beckoned me to do it all again. Now however, the sun and I compete to see who can rise first and I am sorry to say that in my old age, midnight is turning out to be nearly impossible (excluding weekends of course). What I am trying to convey to you, my loyal readers, is that I have had absolutely zero time for anything outside of work. It should come as good news to you out there that I am once again in control of the ceaseless barrage of responsibilities and have now discovered time to blog once more.

So you may ask yourself, what is it that I have been up to in the past three months that I have been M.I.A? Surely there are some stories that need to be shared or some insight that I have stumbled upon as I gain experience in the working world. As far as stories go, I have a few that will make for a good read and they will come in the next few posts. They are laced with helpful knowledge and even some humor. The insight which seemed to appear from time to time in my weekly posts has not left me. I am bursting at the seams with advice that in the past few short months I have acquired. Words of wisdom from people who I greatly respect in both the business and advertising world will be shared along with new designers and new places of reference. There are a few books that I can't recommend more highly that will change your perspective on employment and design. As always, I will continue to share my personal life lessons and hope that you, my readers, take from them what you want.

If it isn't obvious yet, let me make this extremely clear and concise. I'M BACK! Check back as frequently as you'd like because I am going to try and bombard you with posts to the point you might as well be reading a novel.

Disconnected and out of touch...

I've been MIA for the past few days. This was planned and much needed because I have a feeling the flood gates are going to open and I will be drowning in work for the next two months. So I have taken time to take a few deep breaths and am now ready to dive deep into endless hours and constant work. The best part about this weekend vacation to rural Pennsylvania was that I was completely disconnected from everything. I had no internet access, no phone reception, and only a couple channels of television which were constantly showing golf (I love golf but after two hours I can do without watching it). So what did I do? I read. I read a couple books about our little design community. These books offered advice, tips and tricks to make it in our field, and even some humor about the stereotypes we designers are given. They were great reads and I'll be making a post soon about books to look into as a designer. I figured in a month or so it would be great to have a list for summer reading.

Now you may ask yourself, why do we care what Chris did on vacation. Good question and really I'm using my relative abandonment of technology as an excuse for me not having a post for my Who Are We series. I use the internet to do the majority of my research so it was nearly impossible for me this weekend. I promise I'll have one tomorrow. You should check back to see who I've decided to highlight this week.

This isn't the only reason why I've decided to mention my weekend plans. It dawned on me a couple days ago that even though I was on vacation, I really wasn't. I was still reading about graphic design, I was still out networking and picking up clients, I was even still designing (albeit on a napkin in a bar one night but it may have won me some work... so it counts). I think that as a young person still trying to secure my place in the graphic design community, I have learned that you are never really done working. You may be at the office for ten to fourteen hours a day but that doesn't mean when you walk out that door your are done. At the bar talking with people, you may be networking which is helping your freelance career. Even while you are sleeping, you mind should be subconsciously thinking of graphic treatment, typography, and color choice.

Don't misunderstand me. I don't mean that if you are not dreaming of design you are a bad designer. I am just saying that there are people out there that are. They eat, sleep, and breathe design. There is not a single activity or second that is dedicated to anything else but their design career/work. Maybe as you gain more experience and amass a larger reputation, you can afford the luxury of complete relaxation but I tend to think that isn't the case. Our field is a highly competitive one and to play game with all of the competition out there, you have to make some sacrifices. Thankfully we have a field that allows for work to be fun, exciting, social, and evolving so this level of dedication isn't awful and dull. So think about your level of commitment and ask yourself, "Am I disconnected and out of touch with the design field, or am I living design?"

Who Are We (Part:16)...

There are some designers that are well known. There are even some designers with a Wikipedia page. In most cases that I have found, those that have a Wikipedia page have at most a couple paragraphs about their life and their contributions to the design community. This weeks addition to my Who Are We posts trumps that because not only is his work amazing and known all over the world but his Wikipedia page is the longest of any designer I have stumbled across. It's crazy to think but you can almost judge the importance of an individual by the length of their Wikipedia page, but that is for another post.

Neville Brody is a graphic designer, typographer, and art director. He has been in the industry longer than I have been alive. This is a great accomplishment because of all the changes our field has undergone in the past 20 years. Yet he still remains current and an exceptional designer. If you are into the music scene and are thinking about gearing your graphic design career in that direction, this is a man you must know and worship. He has done record covers for multiple artist including, James Brown, The Covenant, Level 42, and many others. His accomplishments don't stop there. He has been an influential component in experimental typography through many different mediums. The kicker, that sets this man apart from most other designers, is that he wrote a book. Big deal you might say because there is a flood of graphic design books out there. His book is different. It is the world's best selling graphic design book with over 120,000 books sold. Not too shabby Neville. In case you are curious about this book it's "The Graphic Language of Neville Brody" by Jon Wozencroft. I haven't read it yet but I just bought it off of Amazon and should be waist deep in it by the end of next week.

Take a look into this man, I promise you will not be disappointed. His work is outstanding and inspirational. Let me know what you think of this man. As always I would love to hear from everyone out there. If you have any suggestions for next weeks Who Are We post let me know. I will look into them and you could see them up here sometime soon.

Who Are We (Part:15)...

I know I missed my usual deadline for my weekly post Who Are We and again I'm sorry (I don't mean for this to be a reoccurring theme!). This time however I had a reason for not posting on Monday. I wanted to start April off with a great addition to my blog. I wanted to add something different and take my blog someplace it had never been. I've explored the western European states, ventured into Russia, and of course, tackled the United States. It seems odd that I have yet to find someone from my neighbor to the north. But no longer because this week I am taking you to the great country of Canada to highlight a designer who is more than deserving of a place in my Who Are We posts.

This remarkable woman's name is Carole Guevin and she currently resides in Montreal, Quebec. Her job title is listed as Chief Imagineer at PixelTable. I'm assuming that this is along the lines of CEO or Lead Art Director because of her success story that I read while researching her. She is taking a company that had been purchased from a conglomerate and reworking it, head to toe, while still remaining connected with the existing clients. She understands that a smooth transition is the key to achieving this daunting task.

But how does all this tie into the graphic design community? Well, besides the fact that she is indeed an excellent designer (which you can see for yourself at her companies website: PixelTable), she is also into blogging. Yes, you're right, last week I also mentioned designer who is a "blogger". Just like Debbie Millman, Carole Guevin is known for both her graphic design accomplishments and her creative blog. Her blog, NetDiver, has been named by leading leading professionals as one of the 42 Design/Tech Magazines To Read and was part of the 100 Websites You Should Know and Use lecture given by Julius Wiedemann. NetDiver offers interesting reads, current design community news, and great designs in general. It's a great place to go when you are in need of some inspiration or you just have a few minutes to spare in-between projects. Check it out when you have some spare time, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Let me know what you think of this weeks addition to my weekly Who Are We posts. As always, I am constantly in search of great designers to research and add to my blog. If you have someone in mind, send me an email or just simply comment. I will look into them and who knows, you could see them up here some time soon.

The Swiss Army Knife Approach...

I've started to notice a trend that is rising up within the graphic design community. No longer is it enough to be just a designer. You have to have something else going for you as well. I'm not sure if it is because the pay isn't there (I don't think that's the case... we get paid pretty good for just drawing) but more and more I am noticing designers entering the field with multiple disciplines. Sometimes the fields or interests compliment each other and sometimes they are completely opposite. Personally, I'm of the mindset that the more you know the better off you are. So who's to say you can't have a biology degree and still be a designer; Margo Chase (Who Are We - Part: 2) did it and she is one of the most respected designers in America today. Other designers like Randy J Hunt (Who Are We - Part: 10) are pushing the envelope by being a business man, designer, and basically a social worker (I'm not sure how to categorize his efforts in helping the less fortunate) . People like this are perfect examples of why you should not just take a 9-5 and be happy doing just that. Stretch yourself.

We are designers. We live in a world that revolves around marketing, advertising, and sales. We understand the angles and know what the consumer is thinking. So lets apply what we know to ourselves. Ask yourself, would you want to buy a pocketknife with only one blade or ten? I know, it depends on what you're using this knife for but work with me here. Most people would see the ten bladed pocketknife, snatch it up, and probably pay more for it. Same applies for designers or any professional for that matter. If you are able to accomplish what three people can, you're an extremely marketable individual and pretty valuable as well.

So when it comes to competing in today’s emerging design community, you cannot be caught sitting on the sidelines. There are too many people out there wanting to know more and do more. You cannot afford to be left behind. As young designers, this is a golden opportunity. We are not stuck in a rut, having mastered only one aspect of an expanding field. Branching out is not a goal we must set for ourselves to stay current. We are already there. We are free to experience every option, learning as we go, and applying those experiences to better our career and ourselves. Dare to push yourself and expand you capabilities. Ultimately, you will be the one who benefits from it.

Spotlight Search: Design Inspiration...

Wouldn't it be great if when you hit that inevitable mind block during a project you could hit a couple keys and search for inspiration. Most designers after being in the real world for a while build up a bunch of prior concepts that they can return to for help in tearing down the walls of a mind block. Maybe those more experienced know of places on the web that can either offer advice or inspire you so that you can beat that lingering brain fart. One thing your not really taught in school, that you most likely pick up on the job, is where to look for new and fresh ideas. So I thought I would share a few sites that might help when your feeling creatively challenged (these are most likely familiar to a lot of you out there but maybe not).

1. HOW Magazine - A design/Creative/Business magazine/website with a lot of great articles online to help offer ways of breaking through some of the most common design barriers. It also has great information on the global design community. Most of the articles are pretty interesting and worth checking out.

2. DeviantART - It's kinda like a social network for amateur and professional artist alike. It's a great way to see what some of the young undiscovered talent is doing out there. It can help when trying to get a read on what the younger generation is into and doing.

3. DesignFLOOD - More for the web designers among us but who says print designers can't take inspiration from websites. It's a site that has multiple pages of links to some of the most creative websites I've seen. You can vote on which ones you like and don't like. It's another great way to keep your finger on the pulse of design.

4. CMYK Mag - Another heavy weight in the design magazine/website arena. Basically HOW Mag and CMYK Mag are along the same lines although they may not appreciate me saying this. They have different writers and therefore different articles but both appeal to the same demographic.

5. Best Brand of the World - This site isn't really about inspiration but it can be a big help when doing logo designs or using corporate logos in a project. If you ever need a logo (ex: VW, Smirnoff,etc...) look here. It's my bet that they have it along with all the restrictions that go along with how you can use the logo. Best part is that they tend to be in vector format so they can be resized easily.

There are countless others out there that are great for inspiration and help it's just a matter of finding or hearing about them. If you have any sites that you think have been invaluable to your creativity or design and you want to share them, post them in the comments or shoot me an email and i'll include them in a later post. I'll keep looking and my ears open for any more sites and when I find them, I'll post them.

Who Are We (Part:13)...

The past few weeks I have been talking about designers from either the distant past or my relative geographical proximity so this week I feel as though I should expand on my boundaries a little. In order to do this I am heading across the pond to a island called the United Kingdom, more specifically London. A friend introduced me to this designer over the weekend (we were at a bar enjoying a cocktail at an Irish bar ... Happy St. Patty's day) and so I checked him out and decided I would like to feature him this week. So without further ado, this weeks designer for my weekly Who Are We posts is a man by the name of Kam Tang.

Tang is not unlike most designers out there that like to think of themselves and a combination of artist and designer. A student of both the old and new ways of creating graphic images, Tang is able to appreciate the intricacies of well thought out simple graphic or a elaborate flowing image. With educational training in Illustration from the Royal College of Art, his understanding of design is nothing to be overlooked. His client list is impressive enough to make some large design agencies blush and yet this man is doing it all as a free-lance artist. Just to give you a feel for who Tang has done work for, here is a list of some of his clients. I think you might have heard of a couple: The Guardian, Wired, Arena, Wallpaper, Adidas, Nike, Sony, Gnarles Barkley and the Royal Mail. Not so bad in my book. If your interested in who this designer is you can check out his Wikipedia site. His website is worth checking out but unfortunately there is only a limited amount of art (google images has much more of his work).

Let me know what you think of this weeks addition to the Who Are We family. As always, if you have a designer in mind that you think I should look into, leave a message and I'll check them out. You could see them up here sometime soon.

What Makes Your Cube Creative...

In a working world surrounded by four free-standing walls, it is hard to find great inspiration from your surroundings. That doesn't mean that it isn't there, just that you need to look harder. Some people take their work space and turn it into some sort of theme park, others litter the walls with notes and other assortments, but what ever you do, it must speak to you.

I'm interested to hear what other designers and creative individuals out there do to make their work space more conducive to the nature of their profession. You can post a picture, describe it in word if you'd like, you can even make a crayon drawing and submit it. I'm just very curious to see the lengths some people will go to make their environment creative.

I'll start things off...

My "cube" is four walls covered with notes, color palettes, thumb-tacks, and posters. My shelves are littered with books that focus on design and help stir my creativity. Out the door is a window that looks over downtown Denver. It helps me feel like I'm not trapped in a cell. Computers and monitors consume most of the space on my desk but their is still room for a notepad when I need to sketch up an idea. It's not the most creative environment but I'm still in the process of making it my own.

-Chris Nuernberger-

Careful, Confidential...

Working in the business world, sometimes you are told things that probably shouldn't be repeated outside of your office. Other times you know more about something than the rest of the public but you are still asked to keep things confidential. I was going to make a post last week about certain information that has been floating around my office. It is nothing scandalous or really that secret but I was reminded by a fellow colleague that even though I may not view this as a confidential piece of information, others (more importantly, those who have the power to fire me) might think differently.

So I'd like to take this time to offer a piece of advice to those out there that are just entering the working world and may not have a complete understanding of what confidential means. It means, anything you hear, read, write, or look at cannot leave your work with out expressed approval. If you're going to take it and place it on a blog (like I was about to) you have to go through your PR department, your SVP of marketing and get written consent to publish anything having to do with you place of employment. If you ever have even the slightest concern about whether or not you should talk about this, just ask someone and I'm sure they will be able to guide you and possibly save you from a lot of trouble.

So whether you're blogging or just chatting with some friends at a bar, remember your job hinges on what you say and to whom. Better to learn your lesson through reading about it than experiencing it through your own mistakes.

Who Are We (Part:11)...

So last week I brought you a young man who is doing amazing work with helping mankind in mind. The week before I spoke about David Carson. He could possibly be the most well known graphic designer in the world. He lives in London. For this week however I would like to highlight America's take on designer royalty. This designer comes from, where else, New York city. Actually he was born in Pennsylvania but has since moved east to the big apple. Who is this man who USA Today calls the "closest thing to a graphic design rock-star?"

His name is Chip Kidd.

He is mostly known for his unique approach to book covers and his ridiculous pace at which he cranks them out. He is so good at what he does that some authors, like Oliver Sacks, require their contracts have clauses in them stating that Chip Kidd must design their book cover. A following like that doesn't come easy. Besides having the lure to attract such a loyal following, his list of authors is just as impressive.

There are a couple of websites that you should check out if your interested in Chip Kidd. First is his website. It has a blog that has some interesting quotes and links to some of his other pages and projects. The other site I will be posting on later in more depth later but you should check it out now. It's called ilovedesign.com and it's from Quark. They're starting to change things up a little bit and I think this site offers a unique mingling of the design community and a social networking concept. There are interview clips with Chip Kidd and a couple other great designers. It is defiantly worth the time to check it out and see what they have to say.

As always, I am interested in what you think about this weeks addition to Who Are We? If you have any suggestions for me, please don't hesitate to let me know. I will look into them and you might see them up here in the future.

An Ever Shrinking World...

This may not surprise many of you but the world is shrinking. Obviously I don't mean that the world is physically shrinking but that it is becoming increasingly easier to communicate, travel, and do business with all corners of the globe. This notion of a shrinking world has hit me a couple times in the past week or two and I thought it important to mention.

Some of you, my readers, may not be aware of this but this blog in its self is an international tool of communication. I don't simply write for my fellow countrymen but for an international audience. This blog has readers from 26 different countries and of those, Spain and the United Kingdom are at the top of my hits lists. So I'd like to take this opportunity to say hello to the international audience that this blog receives. Welcome, Hola, Bienvenue, Willkommen.

Another eye opening experience to fact that this world is in a constant state of shrinking is that the company that I work for just had it's yearly corporate meeting. It lasted a week and we had people flown in from over fifteen different countries. There was so much culture and difference present. Yet we were all here for the same reason speaking the same language with relative ease. Also with this company, every time we take a design to press it has to go through translation; getting translated into the basic five international languages: French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Chinese. It is an interesting feeling to know that your designs are being seen all over the world. I don't think that this feeling is as rare as it may have been twenty years ago which is even more evidence that this world is getting smaller and smaller.

I'd like to throw a piece of advice at you and you can take it with a grain of salt but here it goes. Realize that your culture is not the only one on this planet. Everyone has their own beliefs, practices, traditions, and ways of life and to be intolerant is career suicide. In this fast paced world, being a mono-lingual individual places a glass ceiling over your head in the professional world but having the ability to communicate on an international level opens countless doors and opportunities. Personally I have taken five years of French and can only ask your name and sing the national anthem, I know enough german to ask where the bathroom is, and I think I can order a drink in spanish (an obvious necessity while in Spain). Needless to say that I am not the international person that I should be although I plan to remedy that soon enough. I think that we need to start to realize that the vast distance that our grandparents understood as a reason for remaining mono-lingual is vanishing if it has not already disappeared. Soon the only way to survive will be to communicate effortlessly in multiple languages. It would be smart to anticipate this change and prepare yourself for the inevitable.

So with that I leave you. Au revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci, Adiós, and Goodbye. (Thanks to Babel fish for the translations!)

Who Are We (Part:10)...

This week I would like to do something just a little different for my weekly post of Who Are We. Instead of focusing on a designer that has already made it and has accomplished the unimaginable. I would like to bring to the forefront an up-and-coming designer (according to STEP Magazine) who has the potential to shock and awe us with his future.

His name is Randy J. Hunt and he is changing the shape of our profession. No longer is it just OK to be a good designer. Now it takes a thirst to be so much more, to do things not only better but different and with on a bigger scale. Randy has done just that. He has started CitizenScholar, SuperCorp, The Amazing Project and many other things. Not to bad for a man young enough to be the son of most of the people I have mentioned in my weekly posts.

You should check out Randy J. Hunt's website and look at what he is doing and what he has started. Many of his works and projects are geared towards helping those that are less fortunate. A worthy cause in my book. Let me know what you think of this designer entrepreneur. As Always, if you have any suggestions for next week or any week for that matter, don't hesitate to comment or send me your thoughts. I'll check them out and you might see them up here on my blog.

Play Hard, Work Even Harder...

As a young person who has just walked into the business world, I am quickly learning the unspoken rules that are associated with youth and inexperience. What has become even more clear is that this is going to be the most difficult part of my life. Trying to make it in a field that is super saturated with talented and driven individuals. I think that it is very important that as a young person we work hard, make some sacrifices, and never give up. You might be wondering what I mean by sacrifices. Those late nights in the middle of the week that leave you hurting the following morning are going to have to be far and few between. The days of only working to get by are no longer an option. It is no longer all fun and games, this is the real world.

Even though I may sound like I am trying to suck all the fun out of being a young person with a career ahead of him, I am not. I am merely reordering the old adage of "Work Hard, Play Even Harder" to "Play Hard, Work Even Harder." A young person has a lot to prove, especially when they are first starting out and if he or she lets to much fun get in the way, it could cost them severely. Use your best judgement when your ordering your Jack and Cokes at the bar on Wednesday. Party hard on the weekend but during the week, keep your nose to the grind stone and I promise it will pay off in the end.