More kinetic type for you fine folks

The "Little Big" things

This makes more sense than anything else I've heard in a brainstorm or read in creative brief.

http://www.twistimage.com/mobile/blog/archives/the-little-big-things/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TwistImage+%28Six+Pixels+of+Separation+-+Marketing+and+Communications+Insights+Blog+-+Mitch+Joel+-+Twist+Image%29

How to Have an Idea

Inspiration vs Imitation

Good Fucking Design Advice

From the Rally to Restore Sanity.

Gangsta Lorem ipsum

I'm using this in my 11.2 concepts, yo.

http://www.lorizzle.nl/

;^}

MRF

What is with these vermin selling cars? Eh, works for me...

Gap Introduces New Logo - AdAge

Okay, yay new logo? I guess... but... reminds me a lot of someone else.

Personally, I'd beat the crap out of someone who did this.

ADT drops off alarming direct mail.

Ear Full of Inspiration

Here's a few links to some design podcast that are full of inspiration, tutorial and random creativity and strategy. Give yourself an ear full.

SVA (history, education, and examples)

http://design.sva.edu/site/series

Web Axe (interactive)

http://webaxe.blogspot.com/

Boagworld (interactive)

http://boagworld.com/category/podcast

Steven Heller (history and education)

http://www.hellerbooks.com/docs/podcasts.html

Creative Suite (tutorial)

http://creativesuitepodcast.com/

Accidental Creative (creativity)

http://www.accidentalcreative.com/category/podcasts

Why you don't like changes to your design.

- The Oatmeal

These will never stop. EVAR.

We've all been busy. So you get comics.

Have I mentioned I luvz the infographics? Poster of 2010 tax spending.

foamy awesomeness...

http://artinmycoffee.com/

Love the dragon a couple of pages in. Uh, anyone up for coffee later?

Heh. Monday Fun.

and now for something sillier

Last night, after several long nights at work, what do I do when I get home? I end up watching a design documentary.

Objectified is a documentary about our life we share with manufactured items, an the designers who make those objects. (On Netflix Instant View for those who are interested.) What did I gain out of it? First off, getting to listen to this statement in the original German, awesome.

Good design is innovative.

Good design makes a product useful.

Good design is aesthetic.

Good design helps us to understand a product.

Good design is unobtrusive.

Good design is honest.

Good design is durable.

Good design is consequent to the last detail.

Good design is concerned with the environment.

Good design is as little design as possible.

- Dieter Rams

There was more to it, about how design needs business for it to be able to thrive, how design is often confused with fine art and how very few companies know how to correctly manage and use design. Morsels I chewed on late last night...

The second was on the environmental impact of design. There's a lot I can go into on this, but at the very least I gotta say I'm glad we work on mostly recycled paper, and that with direct we target our audience very closely to make sure we're sending to people who actually want the information we have to offer. We could be designing televisions.

If you're a fan of Helvetica, you'd like this one as well. (It helps if you have a secret glee about ID, like me.) Enjoy.

Bogey Nights numero 4

Team Bogey Nights had a great turnout for game #4. Five designers were able to make it to the game, which means quite a few of us left work before 7pm!

Much to our surprise, we found last week's rogue stuffed koala still had a home on the course. He'd been moved to a perch next to the waterfall. We also played about nine holes where a lone putter was found somewhere near each green. It was a weird, twilight zone situation.

There was no dress up theme for the week, so we all came decked out in our standard team shirts. Next week (and our final game) is pirate night, so the goal is to really show our team spirit!

The highlight of the night came when 2 players - Kimberly and Shaner - nabbed holes in one! It was Kimberly's second of the season. Our golf skillz are clearly improving.

It's been a great season so far, and with one game left, we hope to have our biggest turnout yet. Let's go out with a bang!

Creative Fuel - Pieces of the Puzzle

Today's Creative Fuel meeting brought us back to our "arts and crafts" days.... 

...I found a picture of a well-known cartoon, printed it out and cut it into eight equal pieces (Joe was on PTO today). Each designer was given a piece of the "puzzle" and instructed to create an exact copy of their piece of the puzzle about 25 times bigger than it's original size. Paper, pencils, crayons and sharpies were provided. Oh, and it had to be completed in 20 minutes (of course, always a deadline, right?)! When time was up, each designer assembled their pieces into a giant copy of the original picture that I magically revealed.


The idea behind today's meeting was that, as a team, we each hold a valuable piece of the "puzzle". Sometimes we know the big picture, sometimes we don't. But in the end, we manage to pull through and come up with something that is very rewarding. 

Original Image

Hacker Creation!

And then there were three...

Third mini-golf night, three players...

Sometimes work can get so busy that even with a team of 9, we end up short on players. On this particular night we were short almost everyone, so we recruited our interactive intern: Kim (affectionately called "Kim 2").

Three girls spells FUN! Okay, so our team standing dropped a few notches, but our little team shared a lot of laughs and fun pictures. The fourth hole we played had a rogue koala propped on the rock. And a hole-in-one was finally achieved for team Bogey Nights! Way to go, Kimberly!

The beautiful summer night ended with a waxing gibbous moon lighting our way around the course. Perhaps next week we can share the fun with more of our team. We only have 2 games to go!

Bogey Nights continued... Week 2

Drinks on the Links continued for another exciting week. Luckily we have a team of 9, so we always have members on retainer in case people can't make it to a game. Even so, we topped out at only 5 players this week.

The course didn't have a theme this week, but most of the other teams came fully decked out in outrageous costumes. Aside from our team t-shirts (which are amazing), we actually looked under-dressed.

We played alongside ninjas, toga-wearers, bumblebees, and a guy in a too-small bear suit. Fortunately we have a chance to redeem ourselves next Tuesday when the theme becomes "Nerd Night".

And true to form, the taps were flowing all night. The drinks helped ease our nerves after such a busy week.

Costumes and drinks aside, we played a great game of golf! Last week's leader board put us in 5th place — and I hope to retain our position. We need to emerge as winners!

Stay tuned for the trials and tribulations of week 3!

What a week!

Is it 5:00 yet? Uhg. Talk about a busy week... I don't think a single designer left at a reasonable hour. Did we even leave at all? It felt like one long, never-ending day with no end in sight. The moment we finished one thing it seemed like there were five other things lined up waiting for us.

Jobs have been screaming through the department. New clients, tight deadlines, big ideas, last minute presentation deliverables, oh... and did I mention it's Medicare season?

We all really came together, pitching in to make it happen. Andi in particular could feel the stress levels rising and offered what seemed like never-ending assistance. He was touching his clients one minute, Michelle's clients the next, my clients, Shaner's clients, and on and on. A HUGE help to say the least. He was super flexible, fluidly switching gears at a moment's notice.

All in all I think it's safe to say that this week was a success. Clients were wowed, deadlines were hit, magic was made.

Lindsee had a particularly magical moment today where she actually got to leave her desk for lunch. She didn't leave the building but she did get to eat in the café... standing up... hunched over the counter... shoving food into her mouth... wait. Does that even count?

Needless to say, we made it to Friday. It's 3:30 and we are all starting to see the light leading us into a well-deserved weekend.

Cheese ball shout out: 

It's comforting to know that we've got a strong team to fall back on at times like this. There's no way we could've done it without each other. We're solid!

Bonus video round. “Not all design and writing inspiration has to come from designers and writers. While this may be long, really think about the core message of possibility and connection.” ... It certainly made me want to listen to Classical again.

Friday Fun: Logorama

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

Creative Fuel - Presentations

First... a little background: 
"Creative Fuel" (the meeting) occurs every other Friday. The designers gather for a half hour to recharge their brains. To get the ball rolling. To add fuel to our fire. It's really just a half hour for us to work together as a team "outside of the box". With a little design "lesson" sprinkled in here and there. 


For the past three meetings we have been working on our presentation skills. The first round of presentations was titled "Toastmasters". "How to" topics where thrown into a bowl and each designer took a turn blindly picking a topic out of the bowl and presenting it to the group. We used fun topics that any average person would know something about. And if you didn't... it would be easy to find your way through it. A few of the topics that were pulled (including the presenter) are below:


HOW TO MAKE A SANDWICH (Lindsee)
"Under no circumstances should onions ever be involved when preparing a sandwich."


HOW TO MOW THE LAWN (Michelle)
 "Always wear old shoes that you wouldn't mind getting grass stained."


HOW TO GET OUT OF BED (Patrick)
"Never any reason to get out of bed before 11:00 on a Saturday."


The second round of presentations, which were completed today, involved a bit more planning. The topics were still somewhat "easy" but this time we knew about them weeks in advance so we had time to prepare. Also, these presentations needed to be 4 minutes (2 minutes longer than the toastmasters). Check out some of the topics below:


HOW TO PLAN A BIRTHDAY PARTY (Doces)
"Always try to talk your friends into having the party at their house. This way you won't be burdened with the inevitable clean up"


HOW TO ORDER A PIZZA FOR DELIVERY (Shaner)
"Even if you know what you want, be ready to hear about the "daily specials"."


HOW TO WALK A DOG (Kimberly)
"Never leave the house without the potty bag. You and your dog don't want to get a bad reputation."


HOW TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING (Joe)
"Never go on an empty stomach."


HOW TO TAKE THE PERFECT PICTURE (Mark)
"Try snapping a shot while swinging the camera. Sometimes those pictures are the best."


HOW TO PLAN A VACATION (Andi)
"Know where you're going before you set out. Especially in a foreign country."


Everyone did a great job. The butterflies were definitely there for some but we all powered through and got some great experience presenting in front of a crowd. 


Great job, guys! 

Friday Fun

http://clientsfromhell.net/

We've all gone through it... Hearing those crazy requests from clients or insane statements. This site is a nifty little collection of all those times. Good for a Friday chuckle, and a knowing nod of having been there and done that.

Bogey Nights Round 1

The team gathered at Interbay last night for our first game of Drinks on the Links. Right off the bat we were awarded a stack of spirit points for our matching Bogey Nights t-shirts. We knew right away that all the other teams would be blown away by our planning and creativity. We're a force to be reckoned with.

The course offered three Deschutes Brewery beer selections on tap, as well as tall-boys and a delicious selection of fried food in the clubhouse. Since we care deeply about the environment, all of us purchased plastic reusable mugs for our beer.

The night went off without a hitch. We all had a great time golfing, even when it got so dark we could no longer see what we were doing. Can't wait to repeat the fun for 4 more weeks!

Check out our team page online:

http://www.underdogseattle.com/DOTL/teampage.asp?leaguechoice=1584&teamchoice=22888

MISSING

Has anyone seen Lindsee? She left her desk about an hour ago...

Hitting Those "Realistic" Deadlines

Here's a great link for looking at how we work and how we hit our deadlines:

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/28/passing-the-holy-milestone-how-to-meet-deadlines/

One more, like I promised. "The Secret Powers of Time"

Here's some questions to think over. How does this relate to:

... the perceptions of speed?

... how we approach our various forms of DM (print, e-mail, interactive, DRTV)?

... Interactive marketing and design?

Redux: How to Take the Perfect Picture

For those of you who missed it, and for me, who talked too long to finish the whole thing in four minutes or less...enjoy!

~MRF

How to Take The Perfect Picture

What IS the perfect picture?

- It’s what you saw in your mind.

- It’s what you wanted to express.

What it IS NOT ...

- What someone else would photograph.

- Made with $$$ equipment.

So, what’s the BEST camera?

- It’s the one you want to & do carry with you everywhere.

- Photos are meant to be shared and to communicate.

- An example: www.BestCamera.com - it's an iPhone app / photo blog / and a generally great premise: Easy to take photos, add cool effects and share them.

- Or, also try: Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket.

Before you go ...

- Equipment doesn't actually matter (much).

- It’s the Concept (we’re designers, right?).

- Go for the: Subject / Composition / Design.

So, here are some tips ...

1. Pick a subject & make it the HERO.

2. Wander around the subject or scene / examine the subjects and angles.

3. Keep the Center of interest OUT of the Center of the frame.

4. Ready, FIRE, Aim. Don’t always stare through the viewfinder (one-eyed grandma syndrome). Look at the person you are photographing and smile, interact.

5. Hold the camera other than at eye-level; try getting down on your stomach / crouching / running up onto a balcony / shooting through a shop window. Get a new perspective, match it with the subject and the treatment you want to give it.

*In the 1970's, Garry Winogrand even used to swing his camera by the strap and see what shots he captured.

6. Look for interesting patterns, textures, shapes or forms.

7. Try photographing the Edges of an event for interest... a kid lacing up their soccer shoes, getting dressed for a ballet recital, etc. There’s often a lot more expressive, interesting photos found during those times than during the event itself.

8. Buy the postcard; Don’t bother trying to photograph a sunset (unless it's really freaking amazing).

9. When photographing people, let them a.) Look at the camera, or b.) Smile — But NEVER both at the same time.

10. Environmental portraiture; step back a bit and place your subject in their surroundings -- a farmer’s market, a first car, a sentimental place.

And, remember ...

- Whether digital or film, you’re "painting with light." Begin to pay attention to light of all kinds: reflected light, transmitted light from a light source), back-light, side-light, etc.

Our friend Garry? (from #5 above...) He was once quoted as saying, "I photograph to see what things look like photographed." -- which means photographs usually won’t turn out exactly as you saw them, so go with the flow, get to know how things might turn out, and plan for that.

Hope that helps ... You’ll notice I didn't talk about equipment and geek-stuff at all. These tips and others will take you a lot further to getting nice photos and enjoying it all at the same time.

Thanks!

The surprising truth about what motivates us.

They've got a whole series of these talks done like this. I'll find more. Watch, learn, love.

BRING IT

Check out this site. It's pretty cool.

prettyloaded.com

Pretty Loaded is an archive of preloaders that preload other preloaders . . . which in turn reveal yet more preloaders. Copy that? It's a tribute to a vanishing art form amid a constantly changing digital landscape.

Enjoy.

Putt Putt in T minus 5 days!

Where will the Hacker designers be on August 3rd at 7pm? Teeing off for the first round of Drinks on the Links at the Interbay mini-golf course! Team "Bogey Nights" will storm the course in custom shirts bearing the team logo. For five weeks we'll putt our way through 18 holes in hopes of landing in the number one spot. And even if we don't win at the end of the season, we're sure to have a lot of fun along the way!

Be on the lookout for some fun team pictures during the month of August.

This is your team captain, signing off!