Friday, October 23, 2009

more than just numbers


> Last month, I had a restless night. One where I woke up and couldn't fall asleep again because a stream of thoughts and ideas kept rushing around. The next morning, I actually liked one of the ideas that had been plaguing me the night before, and I started working it out to see how it would look on paper, literally.
> From earlier blog entries, you might know that I have an obsession with, and a collection of wood block type. I bought a stamp pad, and stamped out all the number blocks that I own, then scanned and arranged them into a calendar page. I am really happy with how it looks. I think a whole calendar repeating the same graphic numbers over again might be too much, but I'm still toying with ideas on how to shake it up and make each page unique. In the meantime, here's January...

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

small details

> Designers have a lot of pressure on them to have a unique business card, so I was pleased the other day after a meeting to get the response, "oh, that's cool!" when I gave out my card. The size isn't typical, and one side of it is almost solid green. It's simple, but intentionally-so. Everything about it reflects my company's brand.
> A business card is small, but can be powerful. When you give it out, you tell people, "I will be gone soon, but this will remind you of me later. This will make you want to contact me when you need my skills." It not only communicates information about your business and how to contact you, but should reflect your personality and image as well. If your card isn't making a statement that stands out and gives someone a positive recall about meeting you, it may not be communicating beyond the literal information on the card.
> There are a lot of ways to make your card unique. This web site has some great examples: http://creativebits.org/cool_business_card_designs
But it's important that the elements used reflect you or your business. A plastic see-through card is interesting and might get you some positive feedback about the unique quality of your card. But if you're a window cleaner, using a plastic see-through card makes a much stronger and applicable statement!
> The internet has made a lot of technologies and vendors available and accessible to anyone. They make it easy to "design" your own cards, and save a few bucks by not hiring a professional designer. However, the power of a creative mind, someone who can come up with a great solution, and the right printing technique that reflect your business accurately and creatively will make the difference between having a creative, but generic card, or a card with a creative, powerful message that accurately represents you and your company.

Monday, October 5, 2009

peek at m web

> Why is it so difficult for designers to design for themselves? I don't know the answer, but I admit I'm one of many who has this flaw. I've been working on a web redesign in my "spare" time for awhile now. I finally realized I needed to schedule time for myself and stop waiting for a "good time" to do it.
> And it's working. It's designed! I'm spending a little time each day working on the copy, and I'm nearly ready to send files to the programmers.
> I thought you might like to peek at the new landing page of mGraphicDesign. The beginning functionality is similar to my previous site, but that's where similarity ends. This is more than just a facelift.