Think of the last toddler you saw who so desperately wanted to know "Why?" Part of us is still that toddler wanting to know why the sky is blue. Why is this logo green? Why is the bag brown? Why is my bankcard gold? Sometimes the logic is self-evident; the brown logo is for the local coffeehouse; the package...
If you have worked as a graphic designer for any length of time, you may have heard a few terms thrown around by your clients as they critique your work. You have tried your best to present a well-executed and thoughtfully designed piece and your client says, “It looks nice, but it needs a more, pizzazz. Can you jazz...
It is 2012, and time to connect with other designers for inspiration, collaborations, job leads and general networking. We rounded-up 8 amazing portfolio sites to get your work up and seen. There are plenty of sites like these out there, but we think these are the crème de la crème, enjoy!
As the recession hit and established businesses cut jobs in 2008, an entrepreneurial spike was seen in the US. Many Americans took the opportunity to dig up a long-buried dream of being their own boss while others found themselves forced to dream up a new way to make their mortgage payments. This increase in aspiring entrepreneurs also means an...
When I was a design student, we'd take tours of design studios. At the end of the tour we were offered a question and answer period. One question was asked again and again, "Do you do things by hand or on the computer?" Why was this asked over and over? Why was the question phrased as if the two...
Subjectivity is the curse of design, and designers. Fortunately there’s a valuable, but often overlooked phase in the design process that can remedy this situation - testing. Testing provides designers a chance to see which design solutions will potentially work best. Testing also provides a counter balance to one of the biggest traps designers face – selecting designs based...
Yves Béhar is a visionary. Founder of fuseproject, a San Francisco based design agency, Béhar aims to break into new markets and disrupt old ones by bringing a humanistic approach to his work. You may remember him for the world’s first $100 laptop for the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) organization.
Customers. Audiences. Users. People. However you describe them, they are the reason that businesses and organizations exist, and ultimately they determine whether an organization succeeds or fails in the marketplace. As more and more organizations look to design for strategic advantage, a greater emphasis is being put on understanding how design motivates audiences. When combined with business analysis,...
Senior graphic designer and NOD contributor Chris Costello talks about navigating and transcending crisis in his creative career. I love watching documentaries and reading books about famous artists. What inspires me most about the lives of creative personalities is that they have all gone through times of desperation and uncertainty along the path to greatness. Steve Jobs endured the most...
Generally known for all night parties and scantily-clad beach goers, Miami has now taken on another identity: international art. Over the past 10 years, an international exhibit fair called Art Basel has reinvigorated the art world in Miami and transformed the Miami Beach resort with one of the most prestigious art fairs in the Americas. Although it lasts less...
