The Trustworthiness of Beards

This chart on The Trustworthiness of Beards has made its way around the Internet, from its creator Matt McInerney’s website to reddit The Laughing Squid to the LA Times. (click on it for a zoomable version)

A general observation — coverage generally seems to equate with trust, except when said coverage is mangy or patchy.  That is, assuming the werewolf is not well-groomed.

A Creatives Perspective v.7 – Reputation

A Freelance designer’s good reputation needs to be one of his most important aspirations. Money and a strong client list are something, but should not be the most important goals. Without a good/excellent reputation one cannot attain those clients or money.

A reputation, good name, is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Also put, we should be more inclined to do that which we may gain and maintain a good name rather than to raise or add to great fortune.

A designer should never compromise his craft for the pursuit of money. The faulty of work should be the utmost goal, so that the word-of-mouth reputation will precede any advertising that you may think you need to do. Networking and face time are told that one should also implore. Your name and face are really what makes up the presence of your company. Communication and commitment to excellence will always provide the continual work that you will need to build both the client list and the income.

A Creatives Perspective v.6 – Lemonade out of lemons

It is true that we are a society that thrives on BAD news, and when we cannot find any from someone else, we make our own. We tend to turn everyday, and regular, struggles into “Your worst day EVER!!!”

I would challenge any designer out there to stop and re-evaluate the true blessings that you really have! As a designer you have the distinct privilege of being trained in the area of “seeing” beauty. Seing it and then interpreting it for others who have not been blessed in the same way! If you only focus on the BAD things around you and that you have been “subject” too, what will prospective clients think of you professionally? Why would they want to work with you if all that you know how to do is to complain about all the things that you have at your disposal.

How ’bout we try to change all that! How ’bout you grab your camera and go take some pictures of the beautiful things in nature that surround you! Go observe through your “trained” eye; maybe that beauty will rub off and inspire you to be appreciative.

How ’bout going back to your desk; make a logo, a website, a brochure, or anything; for that person that is in your life who desperately needs a product like the one that you can provide but cannot afford it! Use generosity to spawn creativity in a positive way. Don’t focus on why you are the victim, but rather, focus on why you have been blessed and how you can affect positive change for the benefit of those around you!

A Creatives Perspective v.5 – Be Prepared

  “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is the Golden Rule. Applied by the religious and the not so religious alike; this simple statement is the ethical and moral fiber to all humans. This rule however, can be applied in more depth than simply a relational/social area alone. This can be applied to the “commercial word” as well. More specifically, and more directly related to this creatives perspective, it can be used as a barometer of good designers vs. great designers.

All designers great and small, start out as production artists. As production artists they learn to use their artistic talents in a “directed” way. They hone their skills by applying them toward a creative goal that has already been hashed out, and now requires that it be “produced” for the director. It is here in these early stages that I make my point. For it is at this stage in any designers career that they can find out whether or not they have what it takes to move up in the “ranks” of the creative industry. It is at this stage that you are also working alongside other production artists. There is the constant threat that you may not even be working on the same project the next day. So, here is where the application of the “Golden Rule” comes in. As a designer you should always strive to be so thorough with your work that you have even gone so far as to “mark your trail” behind you. Practically speaking, one area that this can be done is in Photoshop. If you were working in a large image that will undoubtedly have to be opened again, don’t flatten the layers. Other things that can be done are labeling your layers, or use the newer features, such as adjustment layers. Make it so that if your boss, or your client, or another designer were to come along in your absence, they would be able to make changes with minimal effort. You have given them “written directions” to your map. How lovely would it be in reverse? You open a colleagues file and you find that the way is marked and paved with layer markers, and groups alike that make it simple for you to find the relevant items and make the changes accordingly.

This practice is applicable to all areas of design, not just a simple photoshop tip. Whether it be from the production artist’s perspective, or the creative director’s, it is important to treat others the same way that you would want to be treated. Work “smarter” not “harder”.

A Creatives Perspective v.4 – Flexibility

  So… how many times has a client changed an appointment on you? How many times has it happened to you just as you finished preparing your presentation? What about after you have just traveled 100 miles to get there? Well, count it all joy my friends because the future of your design career will only thrive if you are willing to be the flexible one. The more you make yourself available at any time the more your potential clients will recognize that you are true and sincere about providing them with excellent customer service.

  Granted, this is annoying, but it is true business character building! Your presence in any organization as an “artist” should be that of the representative of good taste. If you were too busy to rearrange your schedule then you show that you really don’t care about the success of your client. Your flexibility shows that you are serious about what you have to offer and that it is capable of standing the test of time. You represent the foundation to your clients marketing. Their outward appearance is the design clothing that you have crafted for their undressed body. If you are willing to meet, present, and produce at a moments notice, then you are worth calling back!

Make sure that your attitude is one of positive solutions, regardless of any ill-timed meeting changes, because today it might just be a meeting change, tomorrow it could be a change in the scope of the project, It could even be a change in your handler/contact!

If you can prove that you always have a solution to offer regardless of the changing times, you become an asset to that client. One of trust, honesty and flexibility!

-Aaron Ford

When Presenting…

As a designer your presentation to a client is the most important part of your entire proposed scope of work. Yet, it is an element of the design process that can easily be forgotten. The presentation will have the most impact on your clients budget, thought process, and willingness to pay you for the creative ideas that ordinarily would not have come across his/her mind alone.

 So, Don’t you think that you aught to pay just as much attention to the appeal of your speech, visual aids, and attire as you do for the actual design campaign that you were hired to produce in the first place? 1st Know your client! Know how they think. How they make their decisions and how they come to their conclusions. 2nd, play to those characteristics, if your client is very visual and has a hard time seeing the forest for all the trees, prepare for that. Visual aids are your best friend. 3rd, Be prepared! Anticipate criticism. Not just positive, but even negative and so-called “useless” criticism. Anticipate by playing the “Devil’s Advocate” prior to any meeting. Have both a positive response and a solution to their possible “train of thought”. Make sure that your visual aids are as complete as possible.

Be confident but not arrogant. Be energetic and positive, but not annoying. Be ready to learn! Your client meetings are for presenting your work, yes, but, they are also an opportunity to learn about your client’s needs. It is a time for hearing their perspective on their area of expertise. You are only there to present to them what they should have already been thinking but do not know how to produce. The most powerful tool that you have in your presentation arsenal is listening and comprehension. If you did not hear what your client said after your presentation, because you were too busy trying to convince them of your ideas, then you have failed. Let your work do the talking and let your ears do all the listening to what is asked of you next!

Delicious Jar and Bottle Labels to Spice Up Your Cupboard

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As found on You the Designer

Inspiration September 29, 2011 by Leah Oripaypay

The kitchen is probably the favorite place of many a mother because it is where good home cooked food is made. Imagine how much more fun the kitchen will be if you have wonderful bottles of condiments and colorful jars of marmalade in them. What a delight that will be!
If you’re designing such bottles (or in this case, labels), you should know that the products you’ll be promoting will go further than a store shelf. Hopefully, your customers will like the packaging enough to reuse them over and over. If they’re well designed as the 40 samples below, I’m pretty sure they’ll both be bought and kept in the cupboard for a long time. Enjoy feasting your eyes on these beautiful custom labels!

A Creatives Perspective

The Hand Sketch vs. the Computer Comp.

The “art” of sketching out an idea for a client seems to be lost in today’s microwave society. Long gone are the days when a sketch book is what you saw in the hands of a professional designer. The first thought that comes to mind when he/she is commissioned to “mock-up” a quick idea of a logo is to pull out his pocket computer  and start mouse clicking away! What has happened to the idea that the “mind” is the best tool for the job? What about the option of showing a client and actual pencil sketch? What happened to the original “art” involved with design. The raw nature of being able to come up with a concept and interpret it through the hand by means of a #2 Pencil? Why should the designer be entrapped and limited by the tools that only photoshop or Illustrator can present by clicking a mouse? There is nothing wrong with representing an idea in its virgin state by reviewing its composition by use of simple hand drawn boxes and lines. That original concept, if it can be composed by hand can be thus redrawn into the computer afterwards. From that point on, the art can be refined to its minor details.

 

All too often in todays society it is common thought that immediate results drive the application of creativity. Unfortunately the quality of creativity suffers when time is forced. When near insane turn-around times are enforced it usually is a natural conclusion to jump on the computer first. The problem that is discovered after a short period of time is that the computer becomes a hinderance to that creativity as well. Creativity by definition should have no boundaries. Yet the applications that are present in said computer become the driving force behind the thought process rather than creativity. For example: If one is merely mildly proficient with a program, psychologically he immediately becomes slave to the capabilities of that program. The “application” of creativity becomes limited by user knowledge. Many young designers also become limited by the feeling that if they did not “produce” the actual piece themselves  then it is no longer their own. On the contrary! The more one can use his connections and resources through a strong and reliable network, the more he becomes empowered by limitless possibilities, and also gets the benefit of honing his skills against others by communicating with those fellow designers. They will bring different and unique perspectives that your original concept may have missed. Perhaps it may even become a better “application” because of it.

 

I challenge you to pick up a pencil and a small sketch book or journal and keep it with you always. You never know when your next great idea will com pouring into your head. Don’t be caught empty handed when it comes knocking… it may only present itself that one time!

Finding something to do!

So, are you between projects? Or are you looking for inspiration while in the middle of a more mundane project? Well, regardless of your situation, as a designer/artist you need to satay fresh. You need to keep your skills sharp. The only way to stay on top of your industry is to redefine your “down” time. Don’t let exhaustion or “burn-outs” be your typical excuse any more. You are called to a higher purpose. Find a way to express your creativity and share it regardless of whether you are getting a paycheck for it or not. Creativity never sleeps. You never stop thinking; therefore, your creative should never be allowed to rest either. If you are out of things to work on and you find yourself on the couch watching TV instead of making your next big design, GET UP! Grab your camera! Go take some pictures. Take a picture of everything and anything! But take these pictures as if you were “art-directing” yourself for

your current project. Remember all those principles that you always apply to your regular work! Treat yourself as the client and the contracted photographer. The intention is to direct yourself to compose these shots to be useful in the purpose of spawning new designs and new campaigns.

Another way to keep your creative drive is to think of a friend or family member who may be starting a new company, or has a service that needs marketing. Go create a whole new campaign for marketing their business or service. Don’t tell them that you are doing this until you have come to a point in the brainstorming and rough draft stages that you can present visuals for them to see while you are pitching your ideas. Fully apply your skills, experience, and passion into this project that you would normally do. But, do it with more pride and passion than you might regularly for a “paying client”. This is your opportunity to present the worlds next best design or art form. The opportunities are endless because you do not have anyone but yourself telling you what to do! You are not handicapped by the corporate head and red tape of inter-office policy and politics. You have the opportunity to apply your trade with as much creativity as you can possibly produce, for someone who will actually appreciate it and uplift it. And, will make money off of it, that will mutually benefit you!

Post your work on your blog, send out emails touting the new and adventurous things that you are excited to be working on currently. Get your name and work out there. Send links to your online portfolio to any and all of your old contacts. Drum up some side work! Make something big happen! You are the only one who can!