This is a playbill I created for Erasing the Distance’s event last Friday:

The event (in honor of National Eating Disorder Awareness week) was incredibly powerful, and completely sold out. I am really proud to work with such a fabulous organization.

(I designed their logo and identity, among other things…)

I think it’s fair to say that most designers have at least a little touch of OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). I like my pages neat, clean, and with plenty of white space. I can tell if the leading (line spacing) is off by a point or two. It drives me insane, even if I know my client probably can’t tell the difference. “Only you would catch that…” I’ve heard it a million times.

Even though the final product is perfectly polished, the process is far from it. Here’s an inside peek at one of my current projects — photographing my work for a presentation I’m giving later this week:

The setup:

1. a pane of glass from my computer desk
2. white foam core and paper
3. 3 clamp lights and 100-watt bulbs (from Menards)
4. paper to diffuse the light (from Calumet Photographic)
5. 1 large table
6. 3 chairs (to hold the lights)
7. Canon PowerShot SX100IS (8 MP) camera

Not the most glamorous setup, but here’s a sample image that came out of my shoot tonight:

Hope you enjoyed this “behind-the-scenes” look at my process!

PS – Many thanks to the fabulous woman who helped me out at Calumet Photographic (Chicago) this morning. She answered all my questions and even sketched out the proper setup for me.

“It follows that every design presentation is inevitably, at least in part, an exercise in bullshit. The design process always combines the pursuit of functional goals with countless intuitive, even irrational decisions. The functional requirements—the house needs a bathroom, the headlines have to be legible, the toothbrush has to fit in your mouth—are concrete and often measurable. The intuitive decisions, on the other hand, are more or less beyond honest explanation.”

—Michael Bierut
“On (Design) Bullshit” from 79 Short Essays on Design (Amazon affiliate link)

Frankly, I think clients hire designers based on the “bullshit” (intuitive decisions) – not on the functional requirements. I can’t explain to you why I think the headlines look better in Bodoni or why the logo looks better two pixels to the left. It just does.

I think almost anyone can read a few books or take a few classes and satisfy the basic design needs. They can talk about functionality. But there is something to be said for those that absorb the world around them and develop an eye that just “knows” what to pick.

These same designers also “know” that the following conversation doesn’t fly with clients:

Client: Why did you pick that font?

Designer: “Uh… I dunno. I just liked it.”

No. Instead we launch into these winded, passionate explanations… talking about things like mood, and what the type evokes. Honestly, it’s pure bullshit (and I’m sure our clients know it). But we will paint whatever picture we have to in order to convince the client to come along with us. Granted, they are paying us (hopefully) very good money, and I can understand why they deserve a better explanation than “Uh… I dunno.”

So, dear designers, if your clients aren’t taking your advice – don’t automatically assume that your design skills are lacking…try practicing your “bullshitting.” Try to say something about why you think Futura is more appropriate than Papyrus. I think clients trust us more when we talk with them, not at them. And good clients are the first to acknowledge that you know more than they do on the subject — after all, that’s why they hired you.

And, clients, perhaps try to be open to the idea that we can’t always concisely articulate the why part. I don’t know that a chef would be able to explain how he or she balanced the flavors to create something so delicious. It’s subjective. It’s intuitive. And it’s what distinguishes one designer from another.

…or is this just more (design) bullshit?

I developed a new project tracking/scheduling/to-do system last week. It involves a big orange wall and a color-coded system of Post-Its. I run the days of the week across the top (with today at the far left) and I run clients/projects down the left side. Green means active, blue means inactive (I’m waiting for materials from a client, the project hasn’t started, etc.) So far, I love it.

I should probably back up a bit…I am a perpetual list-maker. I always have a to-do list, a to-pack list (for trips), a to-buy list, a i-wish-i-could-buy list, etc. I’ve also tried a TON of different methods for keeping track of my projects/schedule, because something inevitably falls through the cracks, no matter how hard I try.

I liked Ta-da Lists from 37 Signals, but it was really hard to move tasks from day to day. My lists got really long and overwhelming. So, then I tried TeuxDeux, which is very cool-looking and designer-y. It has great drag-n-drop features, but…if I didn’t log in…I didn’t see my list. And stuff didn’t get done.

Scrap paper lists are handy, but they can get lost, or shoved under a pile of papers.

This new system (which I don’t have a name for yet) takes my list and blows it up. I can easily move a Post-It from one day to another, and it only takes seconds. Some are really generic (like “comps due”) and I reuse those over and over again and others are very specific (“research paper tray”).

I think the best part is that it has helped me visually see how much I have on my plate for the day, and whether or not it’s realistic. It is also great for quantifying how many days I have until that next phase of the project is due. Monday deadlines always seem to creep up (“oh, that’s not due until next week”) but it’s easier to see them coming now, since they’re not on the next page of my planner.

Pulling Post-Its off the wall is also somehow more satisfying than crossing something off a list. Maybe because it’s completely gone. No clutter, no reminder that I originally had 10 things to do — I only focus on what’s left.

Is it a little crazy? Over the top? Yeah, probably. I think it works for me because it’s outside of my line of vision while I’m concentrating on a task, but any time I enter or leave the room — BAM. Reminders.

Today I had a lot to do, so I made a quick #1-10 list of mini-tasks…that helped a lot too. I didn’t have to continually “go back to the wall” and stare for awhile to figure out what the next-most-important thing was. It’s 5:00, and I’m right where I expected to be in that list. And that never happens.

How do you stay on top of your to-do list?

Feeling kind of cranky? Maybe even a little bitter? Yeah, I was too. It’s Monday, it’s cold and dreary in Chicago, I have jet lag from my trip to LA and I didn’t have any caffeine today. And then I did this one quick thing, and I felt a lot better.

Stop whatever you’re doing right now, go over to LinkedIn or Biznik and write someone a recommendation.

I mean it. Right now.

Scroll through your list of contacts and pick one person that you think does something awesome — it could be a client, a former co-worker, a professor — anyone. Take a few minutes (it really won’t take more than 15 minutes) and write a few sentences about them.

When you are done, I guarantee that you will feel awesome. Better than when that first sip of coffee starts kicking in on Monday morning. I can also guarantee that the person you just wrote about will feel awesome when they read it. It is a genuine, unexpected display of appreciation. Who knows, they may even feel inclined to write a bit of praise on your profile. Even if they don’t, I think writing recommendations looks great to prospective employers or clients — who wouldn’t want to work with someone that openly applauds and recognizes the work of others?

I know that you’re busy. I’m busy too. (As a side note, you might want to check out Chris Guillebeau’s article: “I’ve just been so busy lately.”) But, being busy isn’t an excuse not to acknowledge and thank the people who have positively impacted our lives — AND both LinkedIn and Biznik make it incredibly simple to display that positive message to the public.

Now, go for it!

I recently completed this project for the Neo-Futurists, a non-profit theater group in Chicago. Using their existing logo and brand, I developed new business cards and a thank you note.

“The Neo-Futurists don’t really do ‘normal’ plays. Their shows – original works that are more theme-based than plot-based – are brainy and whimsical and so uniquely constructed, you might often find yourself wondering why you ever gave a fart about so-called normal plays.”

– Nina Metz, New City

The Neo’s signature show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, (currently in its 21st year) is featured on the back of the card.

The thank you note is 3.5″ x 9″ (fits in a standard #10 envelope) and uses a piece of torn notebook paper as imagery to reinforce the DIY nature of the Neo’s brand.

Check out more of my work here!

I designed these calendars and printed them at Spudnik Press during a five-week “Makin’ Posters” screen printing class. (The next class starts in March.) It was a more arduous process than I expected, but absolutely worth it. I sent the limited-edition prints to clients, family and friends for the holidays.

Happy New Year!

I’m one of those people that gets sick. Often. I eat pretty well, drink plenty of water, and I get at least 7 hours of sleep most nights. I wash my hands and I dress warmly during these winter months. I still get sick the most out of anyone in my family.

I made it through the first few months of flu season with zero problems — I attributed it to my recent change of scenery. I used to be on-site in a corporate office 4 days a week, where someone was always coughing and sneezing. Now, I’m by myself, and I make sure to keep my desk clean. However, yesterday I got smacked with a pretty nasty case of the stomach flu. (I blame it on the 30 people we had over for Christmas…all those germs!)

Thankfully, it only lasted about 12-15 hours, and it didn’t really start until after work. I was back in the office today by noon. But, as I was lying in my bed in utter agony, I couldn’t help but wonder … what would happen if this lasted a week? or if I was on a huge deadline?

In an office, a co-worker can always pick up your slack, but what happens when you’re a one-man show?

Freelance Folder recommends finding someone that could fill in checking email and answering phone calls while you’re out. Or someone that could pick up your work  for a few days. This all sounds well and good, but if you’re really so down and out that you can’t work … will you be able to bring someone totally out of the loop up to speed? This seems like it would be just as hard as doing the work yourself.

It seems like my laptop was the best business investment I’ve made thus far, because I could still check and respond to email and read some blog posts while I was curled up in the fetal position. I’m not sure I could do any hard-core design work, but it was way better than having to sit at a desk.

Colleen Wainwright, aka the Communicatrix, wrote a post in May about what happened when her chronic illness flared up. She writes 6 blog posts a week, and realized (only when she was too ill to do anything about it) that she didn’t have any extra “evergreen” material hanging around for just such emergencies. She also advises finding a buddy that can help cover for you in a time of need, and being sure to take care of yourself — aka not working 10-12 hour days, 7 days a week.

Kristine Kathryn Rusch writes about the other side of illness — what about when you’re not on your deathbed with the flu, but you just don’t feel “good” ? When you’re your own boss, it can be too easy to take a day off. She writes about how a quick fictitious conversation with an imaginary boss can be a good barometer about whether or not you really need to take some time off.

Honestly, I didn’t get much of anything accomplished yesterday. I sat and stared at my computer screen all day, trying to remember what the hell I was supposed to be working on. I should have taken that time to do some mindless (but necessary) work — sorting tax receipts, filing, clearing off my desk, cleaning out my inbox(es), etc. I could have been productive, even though I wasn’t feeling my best.

What do you do when illness (serious or otherwise) strikes?

The whole idea of “words versus actions” is a theme I’ve been contemplating a lot lately. It came up during many coaching sessions over the last few months. It was going to be the theme of my solo Senior Show at DePaul (which I never ended up doing because I got scared/overwhelmed).

I wanted to call it “Show. Don’t tell.” which is a term (I think) I heard first from my professor in my Intro to Journalism back in 2004. The idea behind it in journalistic writing is to hold objectivity and “truth” as the utmost goal – I can’t write, “Susie Jones is kind.” because that would be the opinion of me, the writer, and that sentence alone doesn’t mean anything. However, if I wrote “Each week, Susie Jones donates half of groceries she buys to a local homeless shelter. She spends her weekends walking dogs for the Anti-Cruelty Society and reading stories to children at her local library.” I didn’t tell you that Susie was kind, I showed you all the kind things Susie does and let you decide for yourself what type of person you think Susie is.

The whole point is: it’s simple to say it, but far more difficult to show it. We’re all big talkers, myself included. When I say I’m going to do something, I have every intention of doing it. I’m not purposefully lying to anyone…but then I don’t always follow through. I’ve been telling people that I started a blog. Yes, technically I started a blog on Nov. 16, 2009. But, this is only my sixth entry… and one of those six was only a “hey! I have a new website!” entry.

I’ve been reading a lot of blogs, for research, and thinking plenty about what types of entries I should write, but I haven’t actually written and published very many. I have four half-written entries saved as drafts.

My half-started blog isn’t the only adventure I’ve begun and neglected. I’ve been reading plenty of articles on uncluttering and simple living, but my office is still a mess and my inbox can’t hold any more paper. I’ve researched exercise plans and set goals, but frequently take 1-2 month leaves of absence from the YMCA. You get the idea.

I think the most important thing I’ve learned this year is to pay attention to words versus actions. It’s important to listen to what others have to say, but it is even more important (and difficult) to pay attention to their behavior. It’s crucial to see the differences and to pick up on them as early as possible. Realizing this has helped me have healthier relationships with my family and with clients. It has helped me take things less personally and move on when appropriate. Had I picked up on things a little sooner, 2009 may have been far less stressful.

One thing I learned about myself this year is that I need to be held accountable and have hard deadlines, or else (1) I don’t accomplish anything or (2) it takes me much longer than it “should” have. I’ve started seeking help from other people to kick my kiester in the direction of my goals. Kristie Bavaro, an executive coach, has helped me focus and decide what type of a career I want for myself. I’ve decided that I am committed to having my own business as a designer/consultant, and I don’t want to be an employee. I also signed up for a virtual group where Ilise Benun of Marketing Mentor helped me finally overhaul my website (and make it business/marketing focused) after over a year of me saying “Man, I really need to work on my website.” I’m working with Ilise again in the grow your business marketing group. It’s definitely hard work (and I’m still procrastinating a little), but I know I wouldn’t be working on it at all without her help, and the help of the other members of the group.

In general, I hate New Years resolutions and I don’t make them anymore. They’re all “tell” and no “show.” Do you know anyone who followed through on one? For the whole year (and beyond)? I seriously think it’s worse than giving up chocolate fore Lent. Instead, I’m thinking about personal and business goals for 2010 and a tentative action-plan to get me there. Once I decide, I’ll be sure to post them…and be accountable.

Photo by: http://mudstencils.com/share-street/

/ CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

I’ve always thought there is something really beautiful about graffiti and street art, but I can’t condone the defacing of public property. (Chicago’s taxes are already way too high.)

This morning, I learned about mud stencils (from Kirk Roberts via the Kernspiracy mailing list) which could be a very unique, eco-friendly way to spread your marketing message. The darkness of the mud feels like black spray paint, and offers more opportunities for high-contrast, eye-catching messaging than sidewalk chalk. Chalk messages were really big on my college campus … I’m curious to see if mud stencils catch on.

Once Chicago thaws out in the spring, I’m really curious to try out this new technique. It’s pretty straightforward: all you need is a stencil cut out of mylar (the same material used for overhead transparency sheets), a sponge or roller, some tape, a bucket, dirt, and water. Draw your design (or print it out) and place a piece of mylar over it. Using an X-acto knife, cut out your stencil. Mix up your batch of mud until it has the consistency of peanut butter (if it is too runny, your design will bleed).  Tape your stencil to a sidewalk or wall and apply the mud using a sponge or roller. Remove the stencil… bam. Marketing with mud.

More inspiration here:

• Mud Stencils
• other Mud Stencils
• Mud Stencils in Chicago
• InHabitat

Would you consider commissioning mud stencils for your next project?