Every time I go the the grocery store my wife always has to bring me back to reality…no, I’m not price comparing and no, I’m not imagining what it would be like to go on one of those $1,000 shopping sprees where you head right for the meat department…

Instead, I’m looking at packaging. I haven’t done a lot of packaging design in my day, yet, but I still find myself trying to figure out why certain choices are made and why others are not made.

For example, the nutrition section. You know, where you find all the energy bars. I was standing there, staring the other night and this was what I saw. HOLY SOLAR FLARE! I felt like I was on the sun. Ninety percent of the designs were of these energetic colors, which makes sense if you’re looking to get energy from these things, but then there was a crazy amount of reflective materials, beaming little bits of light and color from their neighbors package back at me. I felt like I was in a psychedelic, coke trance back in the 70′s or something.

I only ask…is there another way to show energetic effects without screaming at people? Type? Subtle colors…This would be truly a challenging problem to solve, one that intrigues me.

PS – I really don’t get the purple…

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I recently finished reading Seventy-nine Short Essays on Design by Michael Bierut and I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed the book. It is also comforting to listen to someone that has been so successful in the business talk to candidly about his experiences and take on design in the past, present and future.

Photo taken from Pentagram.com

I’ll admit, there are some ramblings in this book that I don’t get. I’m either not experienced enough or educated enough in Visual Communications to understand what Bierut is talking about. However, there are a lot of things he says that either made me literally ‘LOL’ or just had me shaking my head going, “Yea, you’re right!”

The real treasure of this book is the Appendix. Each chapter is listed, what type it was set in and references any of the source materials Bierut was referring to in his writings. I love this because you can see type, in action, and dig out the design annual or poster or whatever it may be that Bierut was discussing.

Good book Michael!

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This past Saturday morning, while most people are sleeping away or watching NFL playoffs, I was excitedly learning the old art of letterpress. For those who don’t know, letterpress is the process of printing which utilizing raised type which is inked by rollers and pressed onto paper. This form of printing dates back 100′s of years and was standard up until the 1950′s.

Over the past 3 years I have taken a very large interest in typography and when I saw that a local educational center, the Independent Publishing Resource Center, was putting on a class called “Intro to Letterpress”, I had to join.

The class consisted of an overview of the letterpress process, an introduction to presses, cutting paper, setting type, preparing the chase for printing, inking and finally, printing!!! It was a very fun class that took us step by step through how the process works, focusing on the rules and limitation of the resource center. (Once you complete the intro class you can go in whenever you want and keep on printing as long as you are a member.)

There was a lot to learn but the thing that really stuck with me is having a much more intimate relationship with things that I take for granted on my computer. Setting justification, leading, line spacing and font choices is much more thought provoking when you are touching physical pieces.

We broke off into groups, came up with sayings and set our type. I was more curious about the process than actually making anything that I could use, so the girl I was paired up with had a phrase that she wanted to put on a postcard. We worked together, taking turns putting lines of type into our composition stick, placing the quoins and furniture in the chase for a tight fit, inking the press and finally pressing out some prints.

I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty, smelling ink and, believe it or not, standing and working. I am often stuck behind my desk or sitting on my couch to much to realize how much I enjoy physical labor.

Now that I’ve completed the class and have a membership, I may have to think up a few things I’d like to print up and go back and practice. Who knows, maybe I’ll setup a store someday. Regardless, it was fun to learn the process, play with sorts of type and print. I highly recommend giving it a go, or something like it, if you have an opportunity.

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It is the New Year and it seems that no matter where I turn I see something about New Year’s Resolutions. I’m all for taking an opportunity to start a new, but I stopped participating in the ritual because I tend to have a new resolution every month as I continue to find things that I like and want to incorporate into my life.

For example, this year I want to read more, exercise more, draw/sketch more, take more photos, eat better and do anything that can help me become a better designer. Obviously that is to much to focus on, but I don’t want to pigeon hole myself

So in the end, I’ve decided to try and take a page out of The Book of Tetsuo, my cat.

I really don’t know how to sum up my cat unless I just said, he is lazy and loving. He sleeps…about 22 hours a day, which is where the lazy comes from. But he also is the most loving cat I have ever met in my life. This, again is hard to explain, but he always wants to lay with you, sit by you, be pet by you and is always purring. He will literally do anything to get next to you or in your face to hug, hold, pet or kiss him. He may look like a grumpy man, but he is a ball of love.

There are often times that my wife, myself and the cat are laying on the couch watching a movie and I look over at him and he seems SO happy to be there, in that moment, not wanting anything else. Utter bliss.

This is the lesson I want to try and take from him. Personally, I have a lot of drive and want to continue to grow as a designer, take on more projects, meet new people…I mean, just look at my previous list at the top of the page? But I want to start taking Tetsuo’s lead and enjoying my moments with my loved ones more. To stop wanting something that I don’t even know if it exists and just enjoy my life, my work and the people around me more.

So, in the end, you could say one of my New Year’s Resolutions is to be more like my cat…

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There are many reasons why I decided to become a graphic designer. They range from the fact that I won a coloring contest in kindergarten to this professional idealistic viewpoint that I have towards the fact that, even though graphic design has been around for some time now…there is still a world filled with crummy design.

One of those reasons in between is this feeling that I get when I see my work, out in public. It is hard to explain. I spend a lot of time behind my desk… That feeling of accomplishment, that feeling that people are at least seeing my work, the feeling of pride.

To spare you all of the needless details, it took me a long time to get where I am and I am still no where near where I’d like to be, but I keep inching towards my goal. So, when I see my work out in the public eye I feel a small sense of pride that I am still moving along my path. I have been doing a little bit of graphic design work for Migration Brewing here in Portland. The guys that run this brewery are great and we have worked out a partnership that benefits both of us. One of my favorite aspects of doing work for them is that they allow me a lot of creative freedom. Which is good and bad. It’s good because it allows me to explore new ideas, techniques and colors I don’t normally use and it’s bad because I just can’t stop playing.

Recently, I did their New Year’s Eve Bash poster. I don’t ever get to put type on a different axis other than horizontal so I really wanted to explore it. I drew a little inspiration from all the Swiss design that continues to drive me and came up with this design. I was over at Migration for their New Year’s Eve Bash and as I wandered around the bar, I passed their Christmas tree, and what did I see as an ornament on the tree? My design.

I’m sure they put it there for marketing reasons. People will walk past it and look at the tree and probably see the advertisement for the holiday party…but there is a small part of me that likes to believe the idea that they thought it was so beautiful that it could decorate their tree. Like I said, pride…

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I recently finished off another book that I borrowed from the wonderful library at the Art Institute in Portland where I teach. I try and try to keep reading books on design, but to be honest, sometimes I just have to be in the mood. I suppose it is that way with anything.

Anyway, I just finished off Layout Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Using Grids (Essential Design Handbooks). This book was a fantastic read and I found it more inspirational than informative. What I mean is, a good 85 of these were things I already knew, but if your anything like me, you only retain about 10% of anything you read. So that meant that even though 85 of these principles were familiar, I probably only knew 10 of them off the top of my head.

So the strength of this book comes for the quick refresher that it affords me. A lot of times when I sit down to layout information I generally look for ways to organize it to make sense. You know, put like things together, lead the reader to pertinent information, draw attention to important pieces of info and keep them engaged using effective design, just to name a couple. However, sometimes the information doesn’t just tell me how it wants to be laid out. Sometimes, I have to work with it a little bit, organize it, understand it before I can start to see how it would best be presented to the viewer. That is where this book comes in. I don’t always see the solution and sometimes immersing myself in the information, then scanning a book like this will spark the idea that best serves the content.

If you haven’t read it, I’d suggest it. As soon as I have a few extra bucks, I’ll be putting this one on my shelf.

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I was digging through some old files today and I realized that when I first started doing design it was because of Photoshop. See, when I was a wee design tot, I loved doing everything in Photoshop. I did logos, photography work and even layout of text in Photoshop. OH NO, you may say. And I’d agree. My how much we grow?

Anyway, I found Photoshop to be the most fun to work in because you could basically cut up photos and do different, crazy and wacky things inside of it. I remember the first project we did in college. We had to take vegetables that were photographs on white, cut them out and create some sort of character with them. Even that was fun and interesting. So from there on I did nothing but Photoshop tutorials.

However though, in the last couple of years my work brought me more into using InDesign and Illustrator more than Photoshop. I occasionally did some retouching in Photoshop or making old people look young…and aside from doing web design, I didn’t use PS much. I’ve kept my skills up by doing web design and the occasional tutorial…

Anyway, enough rambling. One of the things I always liked doing was making photos look different than they were suppose too. One in particular was of a elderly community living center that wanted us to do a commercial for them. However, when they decided to have us snap photos, it was the dead of winter. Instead of saying no, we can’t do that, we took the shot and I ended up doing my best with Photoshop to make it look like it wasn’t winter.

Basically, I focused mainly on grass, leaves, sky and the reflections in the windows. I think I did a pretty decent job for what I had to work with. The only thing that really sticks out to me is that I had to blur a few things and with today’s cameras, it looks a bit unnatural. But to the average Joe, watching it move across the TV screen, it is unnoticeable.

Point of the matter is. I really need to get back in to Photo Manipulation. I’m sure I can come up with some crazy stuff. I just need a topic and a camera.

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I’ll admit, this is a little bit of a no brainer and I’m sure all of you have heard it before. But let this serve as a reminder that during a really crappy economy, whether you are looking for a job, freelance work or a change in careers, it should be known that it isn’t what you know, but who you know.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. You could be awesome at After Effects, the best there is, but if no one knows you, you will never find work doing it. You may have the greatest resume in the corporate world, but if no one knows your looking for a job, you’ll never get it.

What it all comes down to is that, now more than ever, it is important to get out and introduce yourself to people you have never talked to and to reconnect with those people you haven’t talked with a long time. Especially if your looking for work. I don’t know how many times I’ve not been working and I feel like I’m making ground when I go out and talk with people.

Sure, it’s uncomfortable walking into a place that you don’t know anyone. It’s hard to find common ground sometimes and it can right out be a horrible experience. But it is worth it. When you meet those special few people or get a job lead it pays for it. I highly suggest taking some time at least monthly, to put yourself in a position where you don’t know anyone and see if you can meet 2 new people. It is not that hard. You just gotta do it.

Moving from a place that I knew a lot of people to a place that I didn’t know anyone has forced me to take measures into my own hands to plug-in to what is around me.

Here are some places I’ve found success.

Local Organizations

For example, AIGA holds an event monthly called dMob where all creatives get together and hang out. See if your line of work has an organization that you didn’t even know about.

Local Events

Look for them, they are there. Find one that interests you.

Hobby Groups

Do you like collecting rocks? See if there is anyone in your town that does to. Meet them, see what they do and don’t forget to tell them what you do.

Talk to bartenders

Even if you don’t drink, get in there. They know a lot more about what is going on and who is who than you think.

Twitter!

Use Twitter to find trending topics that interest you and see if you can strike up a conversation with the people talking about it. You may find yourself with a new email contact and even a new friend.

Get Involved

There are tons of things you can do for your community that will put you in touch with a bunch of other people that you don’t know. Donate some time at a shelter, human society or habitat for humanity. Best part of this, you know these people are kind. Again, who are they, what do they do? Be sure to have your business card ready.

Any Opportunity

There are tons of opportunities to network with people by just being a friend. Go your your friends wedding receptions, bridal showers, graduations, BBQ’s, kids baseball games, etc. Not only will you build those core relationships by showing that you care, but you’ll be surprised how many new people you can meet if you just put yourself out there a little bit.

Be prepared, be open minded and always look for a way to connect with people. This could be your ticket to more work. If nothing else, your proving to yourself that you can communicate with people like you used to on the first day of high school. Always build your network because it isn’t what you know, it’s who you know…

Cheers

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Last Thursday marked the first class of the summer session where I teach. This is the second time I’ve taught this particular class, Concept Development and I have to admit, the second go around is already off to a better start than the previous class. It is important to note that no matter how hard you try to plan for teaching a class or how organized you may be, you are still not going to be ready 100%.

The second time teaching Concept Development I ended up shifting some of the class lectures and assignments around. It just makes more sense to go the new route. Our first discussion this session was about story telling and how the basic, fundamentals of a good story can be drawn back to breaking down the original message into building blocks of words, images, phrases, ideas that are easy to read and understand.

Some of you may know what I’m referring to, word association. I have found that word association can greatly increase the probability of a good idea and an idea that will stick around and evolve.

In one instance I had students tell me what their original idea was when I gave them a headline. Each student did a classic comparison of one versus the other, literally. Right next to each other in an ad. After we established our headline into single words started breaking down those words we ended up coming up with an image that was much more powerful, engaging and still had that quality of comparison that the headline required. However, the key was that it wasn’t just the same old thing that everyone was talking about doing. It was an image that told a story and had the capability of being a strong visual. I’d get into more detail, but being this is my first post about class, I’d like to leave some of it private.

So I’ll leave you with this. I am really enjoying teaching, especially now that I’ve got one session under my belt. But I’m also enjoying teaching because it is helping my professional as well. I’m learning a lot while I speak about things to my students. I’m finding access to ideas and information that I didn’t have previously. But most of all, when students tell you that they don’t see why or how they’d ever use something that you teach them, then you go on to show them why and you get one of those “Ah ha!” moments with your students…it is priceless. Eyes light up and excitement ensues. That, my friends, is something I never had before.

Cheers

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User Experience Design is something that I have always had a great passion for but I have never been able to figure out a way to break into it more than just web site design. For those who don’t know, user experience design goes MUCH further than just a web interface. It dips into everything that an individual uses. A razor, airport, contact form, mobile phone and so on. Anything that you have an experience with using, has some sort of user experience design consideration behind it.

I always find myself playing with apps, working on the web, running through a store and always find something that I quite literally can’t stand. Common sense things, for example, while visiting Rogue’s Pub in downtown Portland, their bathroom signs said “Hops” and “Barley”. I couldn’t stand this. Where do I go to take a pee? Not only that, but I became obsessed with watching people go to the bathroom and try to figure it out. This is a prime example of a poor user experience. Why would you ever want to have your patrons guessing if they will be walking in on a lady going to the bathroom in an attempt to merely relieve themselves, just to have the cutesy use of beer ingredients on your doors?

Needless to say, in my quest to make things more usable and pretty, I wrote “Men” and “Women” on the doors. I’m sure I was thanked 100′s without even knowing it.

I have some practical experience doing user experience design for a back end web application as well. Last summer/fall I worked with State Bank in Fargo, ND and it’s developers to design the funnels, flows, copy and look for their back end customer portal. You can see my user experience design project here.

I enjoyed this project because I was paid to do one job. Research, explore and design a simple and practical way to help users find and use the new web application correctly. I feel I have a knack for seeing what people are going to do before they do it. As common sense as a lot of user design is, a lot of people ignore and expect people to figure it out. In my opinion though, people are so different and have so many different experiences that all different avenues should be explored and taken into consideration to prevent them from, one clicking out of your site.

Needless to say, I’d love a chance to learn more about User Experience Design. I’d really like an opportunity to practice it some more and possibly find some sort of mentor within the field. If you know anyone or have any good links, please feel free to forward them my way.

Cheers

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