Industry jargon vs plain speech
I’ve been working in the design industry, well forever. Most of it, I’ve been working as an independent – directly with my clients, small business owners. Because I’ve not worked in a lot of agencies, I sometimes lose track of industry jargon. I pick up lingo mostly from online reading – thought-leaders, bloggers, social media […]
Mysterious cycles of productivity
People who deal with bipolar disorder experience a continual cycle of extreme ups and downs – the ups containing boundless energy and creativity, and the downs on the opposite end of the spectrum, depressive and low energy. Sometimes dangerously so. For people dealing with this disorder, treatment can often make a big difference – evening […]
Falling in love and the benefit of perspective
I think I’m in love. I can’t stop staring. I may turn away from the object of my affection for a moment or two but my eyes are inevitably drawn back to gaze upon my love. It’s hard not to want to show everyone this thing of beauty, this wonderful thing, this thing I just […]
Give me the tools of the master
Yes, tools matter. The biggest complaint I get from clients who switch to my services after working with another designer is “can you get the file sizes smaller”? The problem usually lies in someone using the wrong tools. In this case, the tools refer to software choices and how they are used. It seems a […]
Design and puzzles – my favorite things
I’ve always loved puzzles – jigsaw, crossword, word games, whatever you’ve got. I think that’s one of the things that makes me passionate about design. Every design project is a puzzle – a problem-solving exercise. The pursuit of the answer is fun – and finding the right answer can be incredibly satisfying. Design and puzzles […]
Branding bands, a case study
One of my clients is the new Milwaukee-based band, The Hungry Williams. (Ok, full disclosure, this is John’s band – John is my sweetie.) Being that I’m a branding and digital designer, and John has played with dozens of bands over the years, we bring unique perspectives to the endeavor of effective brand marketing for […]
Top 5 ways to be self-employed AND productive
Number one thing people ask when I tell them I’m self-employed and I work from home: “How do you do that? I’d never get anything done!” Well – first of all if I didn’t get anything done, my self-employment gig would have died a quick death many years ago. Instead I’m in my 19th year of self-employment. […]
Pop goes the art
With the sad news that iconic pop artist James Rosenquist passed this week, it got me thinking about the overlap of art and design, and how that has affected my work. Prior to Rosenquist and his contemporaries – Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein and others of the era – the art created for advertising was very separate from […]
Fast, cheap AND great – how do you like your graphic design?
To promise great, fast and cheap as a matter of course degrades the creative process and does a disservice to the graphic design industry as a whole. You might be able to pull that kind of service out once in a blue moon, but certainly you can’t promise that every time. Creative inspiration doesn’t turn on like a light switch. And even if it could be done, it shouldn’t be done.
Top 15 to-dos from CFC2011
Whew! I’ve been furiously taking notes for the last two days… What a whirlwind. You see, I just got back from How Magazine’s Creative Freelancer Conference. True to my first attendance in 2008, I have returned inspired and motivated to work on my business as well as equipped with lots of great ideas to help […]