325studio

AIGA Websites - Two Thumbs Down

2007-04-06T14:45:00.000-06:00

As I was doing a little research on the different AIGA chapter websites, I realized how poorly designed they all are. The most impressive ones were template driven so multiple chapters had the same site. Beyond the template sites, the next best one was Colorado's, and I wasn't at all impressed with that. My chapter is the Salt Lake City and I don't love the design, but at least it is clean and organized well. What happened to setting the standard in design. The UI is horrible on most of them. I think we need to raise the bar a little for these websites.
You can check out a few of them here.

CSS Naked Day

2007-04-05T09:32:00.000-06:00

What happened to the design?

It's the
Annual CSS Naked Day.

CSS Naked Day: "The idea behind this event is to promote Web Standards. Plain and simple. This includes proper use of (x)html, semantic markup, a good hierarchy structure, and of course, a good 'ol play on words.

More Interview Advice

2007-04-04T15:39:00.000-06:00

Relax, relax, relax. This is by far the best advice I can offer. If you can stay relaxed, you'll remain more focused, you'll speak more clearly, you'll present yourself more confidently. Fancy that, you might even enjoy the experience.

Here are some more great tips when interviewing from our web friend, Cameron Moll. The relax section was his first suggestion but his article is loaded more tips and some items to prepare for. He gives an outline of what he looks for and is probably true in most places.

25% - Portfolio
25% - Creative thinking
25% - Communication skills
25% - Team fit

Read the full article for some great advice.

The Golden Spike Failure

2007-03-30T13:00:00.000-06:00

Over the past little while I've noticed some billboards about the Golden Spike with a website address on it. I noticed the billboard because I love trains and was excited that they might be doing something to commemorate the event. So, I put the web address into my phone so I could remember to visit the site. Well, today I remembered and found some time to look it up, and much to my dismay, it was a marketing outdoor test. It was all done to get people to remember the date of when the spike was driven and to prove that outdoor advertising worked.
First of all, I didn't know the exact date before and I probably still couldn't answer it correctly now. I didn't take interest in the billboard because it was just there. I took interest in the billboard because I am interested in the subject they had on the board - trains.
Second, The website wasn't good at all. It's a black background with white text. They could at least have invested time into the site. Speaking of bad design, the billboard wasn't that great either. The test the should do is how a poorly designed campaign would compare to a well designed campaign.
I was very disappointed and frustrated that I invested the time to look it up. They say the test works and I'm sure it does, but for someone seeing the board and hoping it was something more, it failed.

Arial or Helvetica

2007-03-28T13:10:00.000-06:00

Once there was a typeface called Helvetica.
It was extremely popular.
Later came a software company called Microsoft.
They "borrowed" Helvetica for their operating system and called it Arial.
This inferior typeface is now on millions of desktops all over the world.
Can you tell the difference between the original and the rip-off in these ten examples?

Thinking Update

2007-03-27T08:29:00.000-06:00

It has been sometime since I have written and there are a lot of items going on. Some of the more worthy-to-note ones are the redesign of the TIME Magazine by Pentagram. I think the new layout and design is brilliant. I have given Pentagram a hard time in the past, but they did an amazing job with this.
There is a great read on the Digital Web Magazine site in their "The Working Designer" column. It is an article about the redesigning the ExpressionEngine Site by Jesse Bennett-Chamberlain.

Interviews

2007-03-12T13:38:00.000-06:00

I recently had the chance to interview some well qualified designers for a in-house design position. While the overall feel of the interviews was good, there were a few things that could've been better. I'm not saying the I know how to do a perfect interview, but some of the items were common sense and others were things that you need to do as a designer.
So, here is a quick list of things to remember when interviewing;

Bring a hard copy of your portfolio. There is nothing more frustrating than watching someone try to figure out how to get there cd or flash drive running on a computer. If you are going to do that, make sure you bring your own computer and have it ready to go.
When the person interviewing you is trying to finish up, don't interrupt them to show them more of your work -- it's over.
If at all possible, answer the questions with work from your portfolio. This is another good reason to have a hard copy.
Don't ask questions that are not relevant to the position your are applying for.
Don't make yourself seem superior to the one interviewing you. This ties in with not asking irrelevant questions.
And finally, send a follow up thank you letter. Whether it is an email or a letter you send in the mail, always send one.

If anyone has some other good tips, I'd love to hear them.

History Swiss Graphic Design

2007-03-08T14:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a great source for Swiss Design. Everyone loves to learn about Swiss design.

Vox. again?

2007-03-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Okay, I didn't realize how often the Vox newsletter comes. I'm getting a little bored with posting these, so unless I love them, you wont see as much

Five Principles to Design By

2007-03-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

Bokardo - Social Web Design:

"Designers do not create experiences, they create artifacts to experience. This subtle distinction makes all the difference, as it places the designer at the service of the user, and not the other way around. This doesn’t rule out innovation, it doesn’t prevent a designer to leap beyond what is accepted as state-of-the-art. It just means that the experience of a design doesn’t happen simply because the designer says it does, it happens when a user actually reports it."

AIGA Redesign

2007-03-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this will be hitting a lot of blogs but the AIGA redesigned their website. It was designed by Happy Cog. I have to say that the new design is a huge improvement over the last one. I do hope that the bright orange "open" sign will be leaving soon.
There seems to be some confusion on the AIGA redesign, Andy Rutledge dislikes the design and brings up the point that multiple fonts are being use.
Quoted from his website, Design View, he states;

"The markup is certainly a vast improvement over the kludge they had before (even so, I've still not taken a hard look at it), but now they seem to have abandoned any reference to advisable graphic design. For instance, here are a couple of interesting stats regarding the new design (just on the main page):
- Fonts/Faces: 6 (plus italics and bold styles)
- Link Colors: 6
- Link Styles: 2 (decorated and undecorated)"

On the other hand, we have SimpleBits saying "using just two web fonts and a splash of Interstate".

It all goes back to personal opinion and if you want to know how many fonts are being used, you better go count for yourself.

Healing Light Reiki Center

2007-03-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Healing Light Reiki Training Center for the kind words.

Tony's business, 325studio, provides visual communications in the form of logo, graphic & web design and small business solutions. We have found he has an excellent eye for color and clarity and great marketing with integrity.

I have had the opportunity to work with Lisa and Bridget on designing the Healing Light Reiki Center website and I'm glad they are pleased with the results.
Lisa came to me wanting a nice simple website that she could send here clients to for information on getting treatments and taking classes. She is continuing to expand her website and in the future she will be offering audio CD's on Chakra treatments for people to purchase. I will also have the opportunity to work with her on the design of the packaging. For anyone interested in learning more, visit Healing Light Reiki Center for more information.

Here is a little information on Lisa.

Lisa Ross-Walker is an international Reiki Master Instructor who has been avidly studying and teaching Reiki for over eight years. She actually started her career as a Massage Therapist over 20 years ago when she founded Well-Being Massage and Wellness Center still located in Orem, UT, and has nearly two decades of experience in teaching massage therapy, meditation classes, wellness workshops, and providing effective healing retreats.

Give Better Presentations

2007-02-24T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a great article (Seven Steps to Better Presentations, by Jeffrey Veen) on giving presentations. I don't do a lot of keynote presentations, but I do a lot of teaching in religious classes and all the same points still work. Here is a quick glance at the seven steps;

Tell stories
Show pictures
Don't apologize
Start strong
End strong too
Stand
Pause

Business 2.0 Startups to Watch

2007-02-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

25 startups to watch|Business 2.0:

"It's getting crowded on the Web 2.0 frontier, but there are still some startups that truly stand out. Business 2.0 Magazine identifies the ones most likely to strike gold in 2007."

Congrats to Logoworks.

Vox Illustration

2007-02-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the new Vox illustration from their newsletter.

Design Gets Its Due in Davos

2007-02-21T08:49:00.000-07:00

There is a great article in Business Week Online about the impact that design will have in the future for companies. It's titled "Design Gets Its Due in Davos". At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, there will be a lot more presentations on design or creativity. Design is starting to get its dues.

"The global management paradigm is clearly shifting from left to right brain thinking. The new management mantra of the 21st century is breakthrough innovation via creative-design thinking. It's replacing the old business-value proposition of incremental improvement through control that's still being taught in most B-schools and peddled by most consulting companies (sorry, but in this era of dramatic change)."

Symbol signs

2007-02-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

I just came across the symbol signs created by the AIGA for the U.S. DAT. I'm sure everyone knows about these already, but if not, you can view them and download them for free. Here is a brief description on the symbol signs taken from the AIGA website.

This system of 50 symbol signs was designed for use at the crossroads of modern life: in airports and other transportation hubs and at large international events. Produced through a collaboration between the AIGA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, they are an example of how public-minded designers can address a universal communication need.

Desperate for Designers

2007-02-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Are we really this desperate for designers in the US? I'm not against the designers from India, but this is taking the "everyone thinks there a designer" to a new level. Putting some copy into a template doesn't constitute a designer. I have more to say on this but feel I must hold back.
Take a look for yourself at www.hire-a-designer.com

Andy Rutledge - Web Misunderstandards

2007-02-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

In response to an email blaming web standards for limitations on Design, Andy Rutledge sets a few misconceptions straight in his article Web Misunderstandards.

"Create the designs you want. Be conscious of the practical characteristics of the medium, but create anything you can conceive of and know that you’ll not be limited when you take your work online, even in a manner consistent with Web standards."

Don't make us tell you twice

2007-02-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

For all you hit-men out there, this is one poster that is truly inspiring. I came across this poster on df.

Influence vs. Inspiration

2007-02-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here is some great wisdom by Moll.

"Influence is cheap. Because of that, its utility is short-lived. It may even serve as little more than a platform for duplication.
Inspiration, on the other hand, comes at a price. Its utility is nurtured and harvested over time -- months, even years -- through personal experiences. I might even argue it's the catalyst of true creativity."

Quote of the Day

2007-02-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Brought to by Core77 and Dilworth.

"School is about learning how to learn. That shouldn't end once you get a diploma. The challenge is to find an environment where you can continue to feed yourself creatively, that stimulates your curiosities and challenges your intellect. This is a lifelong process."

Successful Brainstorming

2007-02-01T11:43:00.000-07:00

"Brainstorming is a key activity in building any product. It evolves a concept into a series of ideas, and those ideas into the necessary vision to actually get started with the real work. It is a fundamental part of any business."

Here is a great article on successful Brainstorming.
It includes four steps;
1) Keep things visual.
2) Don't be afraid of ideas.
3) Bring fresh people into the idea.
4) It's never early for a prototype.

Tweak podcast

2007-02-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have recently come across a great podcast that is worth listening to. It is called Tweak and is created specifically for the creative entrepreneurs. If you are a freelance designer there are a lot of things discussed that are very beneficial. The cast is hosted by Josh Iwatawho is a web designer based out of the Portland/Vancouver area. He also runs a small web design company called Fallout Media.
The podcast is short but has enough information to get you thinking. Right now it is on episode 4, so you have plenty of time to get caught up on past casts.
Go check it out.

Vox Illustration

2007-02-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Yet another Vox Illustration. Not as good as the others but certainly fits the holiday season.