Firebelly Design Pop-Up Shop, Friday Dec. 4, 5-10 pm

“Firebelly is a super-talented team of patient listeners, genius problem solvers and forward thinking designers.” www.firebellydesign.com

Twice a year, the geniuses at Firebelly Design open their doors to the rest of the design community for a sneak peak at what it’s like to work for one of Chicago’s hottest design studios. I was fortunate enough to land a last-minute spot for Firebelly Design’s studio tour on Nov. 20.

Your next chance to meet the team on their turf is this Friday at the Holiday Pop-Up Shop on December 4, 2009, 5-10 PM at the Firebelly Design Studio. The studio is located at 2701 W Thomas St, 2nd Fl, Chicago, Il 60622.

Find some fabulous, unique holiday gifts and support a great cause – 50% of all proceeds benefit Reason to Give, Firebelly’s not-for-profit program that directly serves the residents of the Humboldt Park neighborhood in Chicago.

Reason to Give makes it simple and fast to donate directly to the immediate needs of the neighborhood’s residents. On the Reason to Give website, you can watch a video to learn about the family you are donating to and target your donation to a specific item, like a bed. All donors receive a certificate of thanks, but extra-generous donors receive cool swag. Donating $20+ earns you a t-shirt and donating $100+ earns you a t-shirt and a tote bag.

At the Pop-Up Shop, 50% of the sales benefit Reason to Give — so, purchase some unique, affordable holiday gifts, support the arts AND donate to a great charity. It doesn’t get much better. See you there! (and, don’t forget to check out the 50 under $50 art wall)

(Note: Video originally posted here)

Bierut’s stack of 86 notebooks is both impressive and inspiring (and another great defense as to why I refuse to throw design-related items away). The pile of basic composition notebooks contains invaluable notes and ideas that lead to some pretty monumental design work – like the environmental graphics for the New York Times Building.

He likens his craft to medicine — just as a doctor cannot practice medicine without patients, as a designer, he cannot practice without clients. “The ‘sicker,’ the better,” Bierut says, with a laugh.

In this 19 minute video, Bierut outlines five lessons he has learned over the years and illustrates them through five completed projects. The one I identified with most is “Listen first, then design” — a principle I try to live by with each new project. Although clients come to designers with problems to solve, as Bierut says in lesson #3 — “The problem contains the solution.” Clients hold the answers to their own problems, we just need to help them find it.

“Remember who you’re doing it for and why you’re doing it and you can’t go wrong.”

– Michael Bierut

What do you think of Bierut’s “secrets”?