The Design Entrepreneur. A book review.

 The Design Entrepreneur by Steven Heller and Lita Talarico

Truth be told, I haven't probed this publication yet. My dear sister-in-law gifted it to me for Christmas and the package yielded large eyes and a smile. Design. Entrepreneur. Two of my favorite words.

The book was published in 2008; I'm not sure how it's been overlooked in my quest for design literature. Happily, it's to be ignored no longer. The title's tagline is "Turning Graphic Design into Goods That Sell" and the back cover boasts this statement (also seen below): "Designers are used to working for clients, but there is nothing better than when the client is oneself. Graphic and product designers, who are skilled with the tools and masters of aesthetics, are now in the forefront of this growing entrepreneur movement." If that was true in 2008, it's only more true as we break into 2011.

I can't speak for all designers, but I know that I have an unrelenting desire to find myself at that forefront, the one that involves two of my favorite words: Design. Entrepreneur. Through the text, 50+ designers/studios are profiled, each study showcasing their commercial creations. The book is practically jumping off my desk, powered by inspiration. All the written words around these designers' energy and innovation seem to give it life, a vivacity I'm dying to lasso and convert into my flavor of fire. I've got a plan or two up my sleeve for 2011. At the moment the before-mentioned plans are simply burning a hole in my sweater. If you're a designer and you have some ideas about how to navigate through this uncharted territory, or don't have any ideas but would really like a few, join me in reading through these case studies. Then let's chat.

I Wonder. A book review.

Okay, so I've been waiting for this little treasure to land on my doorstep for months now. I was one of the geeky pre-ordering people who signed up for I Wonder by Marian Bantjes as soon as they let me.

Confession: I haven't even read it yet...but was too excited to capture the silky and metallic components and share with you to wait until I made it all the way through. It's really really really really beautiful. Or, as the author says herself, "it is a feast for visual gluttons." It's fun to hold, too. Silky and smooth with a built-in royal ribbon bookmark, it's quite possibly the highest quality book I've ever owned.

In lieu of me writing about the book as if I had read it, I'm going to link you right to Marian's site where she talks about the content and process and shows snapshots of page proofs: Read Marians' words about the book. I guess that makes this post title untrue. Oops. As a self-proclaimed visual glutton, I'm sure Marian would understand. She probably judges books by their covers, too.

Staunch the salivation and click your way to Amazon to buy a copy for yourself. You'll have to deal with a very greedy visual glutton if you want to peek at mine. Good luck.

Good Jobs for Good Girls. Vintage Book Brilliance.

It's no secret I love an old book. You can imagine my excitement when a family just down the street had a garage sale that included boxes upon boxes upon boxes of fragile, old, aromatic books. Good Jobs for Good Girls is one that I found there and I can't help but share the sardonic writing, clever illustrations and overall bold statement the author makes through the publication with you all. Plus, it included a chapter on Advertising. And one on Accounting, which I think may be where Madonna found some of her signature inspiration. Look closely. Amazing.

Good Jobs for Good Girls was written by Harford Powel and published in 1945; it's a sharp and witty manual for how to find an interesting career....and then escape it. According to Jennifer Schiffner in her senior thesis for Boston College, "The farce of a title denoted the male-centered view of the work force and the commodification of women through the act of marriage." The book is a glimpse into the past, albeit a sarcastic one. I guess in some ways the sarcasm is even more telling of the times than a serious piece of literature might be.

Enough of my rambling. Read some of it for yourself:

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"'Suffering cats!' you may say. 'Is this another book about women's problems…?' No, dearest reader, this is not just another book. It is the first book that tells, in simple words, how you can find an interesting career and escape from it soon.

The following pages give you important facts, not commonly known, about the most popular kinds of work for women. Skip those which do not seem most interesting to you. Any man who gives you a job will think that you are primarily interested in the hours and the salary. Let him think so. Let him discover by gentle stages that you are far most intelligent an seductive than that. There will always be plenty of dumb bunnies who are willing to do all the dull drudgery in every office and factory. Don't you do it! See to it that you always bring your employer the charm of your personality, the maddening effect of your beauty, and the inspiration of a romance with you."

advertising
mad men and merry maidens

The advertising business seems like a bright girl's paradise, when you are on the outside looking in…
Perhaps you have wanted to write. Perhaps you think it would be fun to dash off slogans, and radio plays, and new things to put on television, and dashing pages for the fashion magazines, and clever ideas for electric signs, and…

sorrows of the woman copy writer
Man after man will dash up to you with whoops of glee, and say he is terribly busy, and will you go to bat right away and write seven overdue magazine advertisements, and two or three short newspaper pieces, and maybe a booklet, and, oh yes! - he has to take them all to Chicago on the Centry tonight but he knows how quick and clever you are!
You can do it for one man.
You might do it for two!
But can you do it for twelve strong men, all seeking last-minute copy?
Copy! That's what they call it - copy! But unluckily you can't copy all of it. You haven't time to get up from your typewriter and search for things you can copy.
Hour after hour, year after year, you sit glued to your chair, pounding out the praises of goods you have never seen, for readers who will never read, and radio listeners who will never listen…

Intelligent reader, advertising copy is not for you. Not even the Chairman himself looks at you with his weary eye and says: "Dearie, I am confident that you, and only you, can give our new candy-laxative account a compelling, modern sales twist." But mostly they just swear at you.


to sum it up
There is a higher career. There is one career in which you never get exhausted, never get out of bed one moment before you please, and never lack money to buy anything that strikes your fancy. This career is marriage.
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Unfortunately, the book has been out of print for ages. So if you'd like to read more, I'd recommend you get your rummage on and keep your eyes peeled for a bright blue cover radiating beams of sarcasm.

Stylepedia. A book review.

I'm addicted to Louise Fili. 100%.

She's collaborated with Steven Heller on several publications. My goal is to get my hands on every single one. There really couldn't be a more dynamic, design-oriented pair. Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design Mannerisms, Quirks, and Conceits is one of the books that's been on my list. Apparently it's been on lot of others lists, too; I couldn't find it at any of the local bookstores. Eventually an Amazon merchant came to the rescue. I now have an beautifully-tabbed, already-loved copy of Stylepedia on my desk. In it, more than 100 entries define specific design styles. It's a brainiac designer's dream-come-true. I. Can't. Get. Enough.

Now, if I can just find the time to study it, I'll be a happy camper. I guess it's a good thing that there's waaaay to much to digest quickly. I'm definitely raising my glass and flipping those pages to Fili and Heller's mindful contribution to my library.

Designers Don't Read

Fortunately for Austin Howe, this is just the title of his book and not a statement of truth.

I took a speed-reading class in middle school. (Yes, really.) Regardless, it is hard for this designer to find time to read. And when I do, I want to read something good. Something with lasting power. Something worth remembering and sharing.  Something like what Austin Howe has compiled in Designers Don't Read. It's crisp, audacious and stirring.

Earlier this week I serendipitously jumped into a project that Austin Howe had previously worked on and came home to find his book had been plonked through my mail slot. I know. Bizarre. Howe bizarre, to be precise. Through these two very unrelated but ultimately very related events, Howe's legendary skill and insight has swooped into my life.

Designers Don't Read is written with the premise that designers are busy (Amen!) and need bite-size inspiration (double Amen!). Howe's gone so far as to indicate the approximate amount of time it will take one to read each essay-slash-chapter.

I nested down vowing to read only the first chapter that night and savor the remainder over time. Then I blinked and was on page sixty-six. I have a feeling that my speed-reading skills aren't at all the reason I blasted through those pages quickly.

Howe's written such compelling, digestible content. I've already scribbled all over on the pages connecting the dots between so many half-thoughts I've had that he's fully articulated.

"So, I guess my encouragement to smart, strategic, ambitious 'graphic designers' is this: stop thinking of yourself as a 'graphic designer' because if you are smart, strategic and ambitious, you are most definitely designing more than 'graphics.' You are not just a 'creative problem solver.' either, although that is no doubt a job requirement…

"Think bigger. Broader. Wider. Higher. Refuse to be thought of as a decorator, or worse, as a production artist - someone whose job it is to take someone else's ideas and make them look good."

"Designers are not decorators; they are problem solvers. And it takes brains to solve problems, not just taste."

This stuff is literary tonic for the languishing designer's soul.

Our Portland Story | Sneak Peek #2

Waaaay back in April last year I posted about my assignment for Our Portland Story. Now, almost a year later, Melissa Delzio is wrapping the project up and is left with a few orphan stories. She asked if I'd be willing to adopt one and I emphatically said, "Yes!" I said yes because this project represents collaboration and creativity: two things I want to foster in my personal and professional life.

Here are the two layouts I've worked up for a story by Suzy Vitello about Tyron Creek and the love of her life. Her story begins, "For outdoorsy types, there is no sexier place to fall in love than Portland." Isn't that great!? And so true! Portland boasts some of the best hiking, biking, climbing and just plain 'ol views in the world. But enough from me....read Suzy's story in the pages below. Each page uses the same content and illustrative trail map, but was designed to communicate differently. The first is subtle and feminine. The second is forward and energetic. Which speaks most to you?

The Clark Boys | Photo Book

I'm so glad I can finally share this project! I've been waiting because it was a Christmas gift to my in-laws and I didn't want to spoil the surprise. Last Christmas I scavenged through a large cardboard box full of old photos of my husband and his family (which includes three younger brothers!). I came out with 100+ photos that I brought home, scanned, edited, and compiled into this photo book.

You've gotta have the classic tub shot...

And all the sports....

And the vacations to Disneyland...

And the messy baby....

I started and ended with some photos from even before the boys were born. The baby in this image is my mom-in-law. I hate to think of what happens to photos over the years when they haven't been digitized. Now we don't have to worry about that; the book turned out to be a great keepsake for all of us in the Clark Clan. It was created using blurb.com. Just like the Weber-Capell Wedding book.

DIY Coloring Book | For the holiday or any day.

If you like to get crafty and have Photoshop and one last loved one or little munchkin on your list you'd like to give something special, this is for you. Better hurry - you have less than 24 hours to get it done!

My girlfriend had me help her create a coloring book from some of her photos as a Christmas gift. She got the idea from a website she ran across earlier this year; I take no credit, but I love it and wanted to share with all you DIYers. My sister's step-daughter, Sydney, is 9-years-old, so a coloring book seemed like the perfect gift I could custom make for her. Here's how I went about creating it*:

1. Start with selected photo open in Photoshop.

2. Make the photo black and white: Image > Mode > Grayscale

3. Adjust the contrast in the photo: Image > Adjustments > Levels
Move the black arrow and the white arrow in towards the gray arrow to get more contrast.

4. Turn the photo into an illustration: Filter > Sketch > Photocopy
The size of your photo will affect the way this step works. The larger the photo the more crisp the lines in your illustration will be.

5. Clean up the illustration: Filter > Sketch > Stamp
Adjust the Light/Dark Balance and Smoothness bars until you're happy with your image.

6. Save and print! I put a nice thick border around my images and printed each one out on an 8.5x11" sheet of thick white paper.

7. Give and color! Here are a couple other pages from Sydney's Christmas coloring book:

Merry Christmas, Sydney!
*I'm using CS3, so depending on your version of the software, your commands and the results may be different.

Be a business owner, not a busyness owner.

When I flew to Eastern Washington to attend the most recent Who Let The Girls Out!? event, I met a girl who became a fast friend. While we were standing in line waiting to board, she complimented my shoes. Undoubtedly, that's the quickest way to befriend a woman. We went on to chat about work, family and life. She recommended I pick up "The 4-Hour Work Week" by Timothy Ferriss, but 'read it with a grain of salt'. That I did. It's a fairly extreme take on how to conduct your business and your life. I found it to be very interesting and it has made me start asking a lot of questions of myself as a business owner....and my sometime futile attempt not to become a busyness owner on top of it. Using the energy and motivation I have to make a difference rather than running around in circles. Being busy and being active are two very different things.

Here are just a few thought-provoking points straight from the book:

• Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty.
• Are you better off than you were one year ago, one month ago, or one week ago?
• To enjoy life, you don't need fancy nonsense, but you do need to control your time and realize that most things just aren't as serious as you make them out to be.
• Define your nightmare. The absolute worst that could happen if you did what you are considering?
• What are you putting off out of fear?
• Usually, what we most fear doing is what we most need to do.
• What is it costing you - financially, emotionally and physically - to postpone action?
• What are you waiting for?
• The most important habit of those who excel and enjoy doing so: action.
• Slow down and remember this: Most things make no difference. Being busy is a form of laziness - lazy thinking and indiscriminate action.

Superfood for the brain

A wise man once said, "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you'll go."* I think he's right. Good books are like superfood for the brain. I've got a fresh new library card and have been putting it to use.

Most recently I devoured Seth Godin's The Dip and Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers. There were so many things that made me say, "No way!". Here are just a few:

From "Outliers":

• The values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
• The closer psychologists look at the careers of the gifted, the smaller the role innate talent seems to play and the bigger the role preparation seems to play
• The 10,000 hour rule: “In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice-skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, this number comes up again and again. Ten thousand hours is equivalent to roughly three hours a day, or 20 hours a week, of practice over 10 years… No one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.“ (Quoting neurologist Daniel Levitin)
  

From "The Dip":

• In a competitive world, adversity is your ally. The harder it gets, the better chance you have of insulating yourself from the competition.
• The next time you catch yourself being average when you feel like quitting, realize that you have only two good choices: Quit or be exceptional.
• ... the real success goes to those who obsess. The focus that leads you through the Dip to the other side is rewarded by a marketplace in search of the best in the world. A woodpecker can tap twenty times on a thousand trees and get nowhere, but stay busy. Or he can tap twenty-thousand times on one tree and get dinner.
• And this one, from a previous post: "Quit the wrong stuff. Stick with the right stuff. Have the guts to do one or the other."

An unexpected similarity and underlying theme in both books is that being good at something takes work. Lots of work. There is just no way around it. That said, I better do a little less blogging and a little more working...Eek! Off to add to my 10,000 hour work log and continued design obsession!

*Quote from Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

My brain is like the Ford factory. Part II: The process.

As promised, here is James Webb Young's outline of what idea-making looks like, exactly. He says, "...the production of ideas is just as definite a process as the production of Fords; that the production of ideas, too, runs on an assembly line..."

And this is what the assembly line looks like:

"First, the gathering of raw materials - both the materials of your immediate problem and the materials which come from a constant enrichment of your store of general knowledge. Second, the working over of these materials in your mind. Third, the incubating stage, where you let something beside the conscious mind do the work of synthesis. Fourth, the actual birth of the Idea - the 'Eureka! I have it!' stage. And fifth, the final shaping and development of the idea to practical usefulness."

Really? That's it?

He addresses scoffing of simplicity in his book: "...the formula is so simple to state that few who hear it really believe it in...while simple to state, it actually requires the hardest kind of intellectual work to follow, so that not all who accept it use it."

I want to be one who accepts and uses it. It seems the reward will be amply worth the work.

If you want to know more about each of the above stages, I highly encourage you to buy and/or read more about his book, A Technique for Producing Ideas.

My brain is like the Ford factory.

According to James Webb Young, that is. The following excerpt is from the McGraw-Hill Advertising Classic, A Technique for Producing Ideas. I've found myself thinking of his theory over and over since I read the book last week. I think he's right.

"An idea, I thought, has some of that mysterious quality which romance lends to tales of the sudden appearance of the islands in the South Seas. There, according to ancient mariners, in spots where charts showed only deep blue sea, there would suddenly appear a lovely atoll above the surface of the waters. An air of magic hung above it. And so it is, I thought, with Ideas. They appear just as suddenly above the surface of the mind - and with that same air of magic and unaccountability.

But the scientist knows that the South Sea atoll is the work of countless, unseen coral builders, working below the surface of the sea.

And so I asked myself: 'Is an idea, too, like this? Is it only the final result of a long series of unseen idea-building processes which go on beneath the surface of the conscious mind?

'If so, can these processes be identified, so that they can consciously be followed and utilized? In short, can a formula or technique be developed in answer to the question: How do you get ideas?'

What I now propose to you is the result of a long-time pondering of these questions and of close observation of the work of idea-producing men with whom I have had associations.

This has brought me to the conclusion that the production of ideas is just as definite a process as the production of Fords; that the production of ideas, too, runs on an assembly line; that in this production the mind follows an operative technique which can be learned and controlled; and that its effective use is just as much a matter of practice in the technique as is the effective use of any tool."

I'll share his outline of the process later this week.

We're bookin' it! Pitchbookin' it, that is.

Project: StudioM Mini Pitchbook

Goal: Create a StudioM promotional piece that is cost-efficient, versatile and distinctive.

Components: Pre-made paper cover, 2 Screw posts, 20 pages of content (work samples, testimonials, contact information and the like)
Specifications: 6x6", 1/4" thick