January 8, 2010
Cameron Moll, Founder of Authentic Jobs: “The simple fact is this: You, and only you, can determine what works best for you. Regardless of how biased or objectively the advice is phrased, you would be unwise to not consider alternate methods and ideas throughout your entire career. You would be even more unwise to be swayed by every new compelling or forceful argument that comes along merely because it was spoken by someone notable. …
Rest assured a ‘better’ tool, a ‘better’ process, a ‘better’ way will always come along. However, what will remain unchanged is the need for you to know what works best for your personal, project, and client needs—and to adapt when it really is a better way.”
Source: “Do what works best for you, not them” by Cameron Moll
Labels: Work
January 3, 2010
“Let this be the last New Year that you make a ‘new start.’ Think about it. Every January the world makes new resolutions and every February those newly purchased exercise machines become overpriced clothes hangers. Rather than look to the calendar to set an ill-fated point of new beginnings, let every day become its own accomplishment. Start each day with an idea of what you are setting out to achieve, incorporating the resolutions listed above into bite-size, attainable daily goals.
How can you be more productive today? How can you expand awareness of your brand today? Who can you connect …
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Source: “10 New Year’s Resolutions Every Freelancer Should Have”
Via: @jeremyjaymes
Labels: Life | Work
November 23, 2009
Do good work. For us the quality of the work coming out of our studio is THE most important thing, above all else. You are only as good as your last job. Sometimes its easy to get sidetracked by commercial requirements, but for us the number one principle is absolute commitment to work of the highest quality. We try not to stray from that.
Tim Beard, Jonathon Jeffrey and Mason Wells
Directors, Bibliothèque
Source: Bibliothèque Q&A, Dieter Rams’ Exhibit, London Design Museum
Labels: Work
November 14, 2009
“I think it’s absolutely critical to have a strong culture in a studio. A design studio is a living, breathing thing and people generally work extremely hard, so its important the environment and culture supports that. They’re creatively investing themselves in their outcomes so there’s a bit of your blood in everything you deliver. I think that brings a bit more emotion and passion to the process and more emotion and passion means more potential conflict or just more intensity.
It’s very important that people feel valued, that they’re part of the team and that they’re supported. We’ve developed out …
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Source: “Designer Q&A with Soren Luckins” by Raph Goldsworthy
Via: @designdroplets
Labels: Work
October 7, 2009
Adrian Shaughnessy and Tony Brook, Founders of Unit Editions: “As Creative Directors our philosophy is to [give] designers as much freedom as possible, and only intervening when they go off track. Yet it is only possible to adopt a hands-off approach when you work with good people. If you employ second-rate designers then you have to intervene all the time.
It’s the same with the authors or the external designers we decide to work with on books. Editing is like being a Creative Director, it only works if your intervention is wanted and respected, so we’d only want to work with people who felt that our editorial or design interventions were welcome. If we were consonantly at war with an author or a designer then it probably wouldn’t be the sort of book we’d want to publish—although a bit of creative friction can often help reach a deeper and richer outcome.”
Source: “Unit Editions Makes Books for Designers” by Theodore Rosendorf
Labels: Work
September 30, 2009
“1) People don’t accurately self-report what they do. This is useful when studying customers during research, and managing clients during the whole darn life of a project.
2) Design isn’t an analytical process. Creativity requires taking leaps and risks, success requires managing those risks perfectly.
3) Have a mantra. Have a few words you can say to yourself over and over that captures what you want to accomplish in a design. Then make it a point to stop every few days and ask yourself, ‘does the design live up to the mantra?’
4) Always look at least one layer out …
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Source: “Six Questions from Kicker: Gretchen Anderson”
Via: @steveportigal
Labels: Work
August 16, 2009
Nicholas Felton, Designer, and Co-Founder of Daytum: “I approach every project systematically, and develop a set of rules that will help me make something consistent and interesting. With a typeface I’m considering all the angles, lines and transitions which will create a kit of guiding principles that direct every decision. The same is true in a logotype or a diagram or a publication, I try to develop a system that is robust and interesting enough to carry all the parts of the design in a successful manner. …
You have to stay busy. If you’ve got a day job and you’re not doing freelance or personal projects at night, you’re not doing enough. If you’re working for yourself, and not working on the weekends, then you’re basically standing still. Experience and a solid body of work takes time to accumulate, and there’s only one way to get there.”
Source: Interview with Nicholas Felton by Kevin Kelly, Notes on Design
Labels: Work
August 14, 2009
Working in the entertainment industry is really fun (sometimes it doesn’t even feel like a job), but to get here, you have to put in thousands of hours of hard work, blood and sweat. There are no secrets or ‘magic’ buttons to push. Focus on the fundamentals and don’t get caught up on superficial stuff. The latest versions of Photoshop or the coolest MAC/PC are not going to solve your problems. Put away the excuses and the urge to always have the newest things—instead, just work hard.
Feng Zhu
Designer and Founder, FZD School of Design, Singapore
Source: Designer Q&A with Feng Zhu by Raph Goldsworthy
Via: @designdroplets
Labels: Work
