If you’ve picked up any of the Adobe CS3 applications, you may have noticed that they “come with” Adobe Stock Photos. I put that in quotes because to some extent Adobe treats this feature as a bigger selling point for CS3 than it really is. In fact, Adobe Stock Photos is available through Adobe Bridge (which comes with most...
Curious George, the storybook monkey, is over retirement age these days. So the odds are good you grew up with Curious George books, television shows or movies. The “good little monkey who was always very curious” is a great image to keep in mind during difficult conversations with clients. Just ask someone else from the family tree: the gorilla.
Clients. They’re your bread and butter, the conduit for doing the work you love. They can also be the thorns in your side, inducing digital dread of email and fear of phones. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll offer five tips for jump-starting dialogue with clients—before, during, or after things get messy. These five tips will help you...
In my last post, I addressed a new and irrefutable ability to quantity design’s ROI. Way cool! Now we can prove design’s specific contribution to bottom line profits! That’s gotta be good. Right? Well…Before we jump at the prospect of quantifying design, we should strongly consider if we should.What are the ramifications of measuring design? How will this change...
You asked your legal, copyright and trademark questions, and Jean has answered! All questions are taken from comments posted on the original ‘Ask Jean’ post. We invite you to ask more questions. Dear Jean, I draw designs for greeting cards (my own little “company” for family and friends, complete with logo.) After much encouragement, I would like to attempt...
Being environmentally conscious is a trend for some, a way of life for others, but either way you see it, it can play a big role in your graphic design work. If you want your designs to go green (or if your client does!), your first thought is probably recycled papers, then maybe soy inks. These readily available, earth-friendly...
Part Two of a Two-Part Series. Earlier this year, I received an email from a woman who was impressed by specific samples she had seen on my website, and wanted to hire me for an illustration project. Her company was developing proprietary technologies and needed a drawing of a prototype village that showed how these technologies could be used...
Kitchen designers figured this out a long time ago: the better the flow, the more productive output. The famed kitchen work triangle—that connection between sink/stove/fridge—makes it easier for the cook to maneuver without wasted motion. If you haven’t already, start applying that principle to your own workspace. Don’t worry about the “right” way; you’re looking for your best way...
Certain teachers, professors, and mentors stick with you. It’s a familiar theme. In fact, there are motion pictures dedicated to this notion—To Sir, with Love, Dead Poets Society, and Mr. Holland’s Opus come to mind—as well as books, songs, and probably dozens of other forms of communication and entertainment. One of my inspirations, Fred Rubeck, a professor in the...
I recently had to find a landscaper for my home, and doing so reminded me how much typography affects buying decisions, whether we realize it consciously or not. I first called the landscaper whose Yellow Pages ad had the cleanest and most modern typography. I also called one with a much more dated and sloppy ad. Both ads stood...
