Part of this business is the ability to turn out work at a timely rate for clients who need it now, because if you can’t do it, they will find someone who can, and willing. Yes, things take time to custom tailor a clients needs for various projects, but when its a pretty cut and...
As we continue to have new devices, new resolutions, new viewports and the growing need for responsive design, we must admit that the fold no longer exists. We are not working on 800×600 monitors. The web is changing, fluid, and non-linear and we need to stop the notion that our websites are built to not...
Throughout my life I learned a few important things. One of them that always has stuck with me is the idea of the importance of the process. No matter what you do, how you do it and how you get there is just as important as the end result. The process is just as important...
Good design comes with experience, but also revising and taking your time. Design isn’t about owning a tool on your computer or having a folder full of free fonts. Design is about taking an idea and creativity communicating it to your audience. This article will describe a few key steps that I take with every...
I believe that everything is designed. Whether intentionally, or by complete accident; everything designed is created by a series of decisions. Design is goals set into action. Goals are one of the foundational parts of design. Whether it’s a web, brand, print or apparel project – goals are the steps we take to execute on...
Nothing is perfect on the web. We are always changing, growing, and evolving. From the responsive design approach, the various available devices, the growing demographics of our audience, and the constant progression of technology; it’s time we have a Wabi-Sabi perspective of the web. Wabi-sabi (???) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The...
As a designer, it gets hard to become inspired. It’s one of those constant struggles where you look and search and seek to find inspiration in every place around you. This post is about how to find inspiration and what I do, personally, to become inspired. Hopefully this may, ahem, inspire you to find some...
Functionality without beauty is meaningless. Today I listened to S. Sagmeister shares his thoughts on a podcast about how Design without functionality will be embarrassing to us in the future and that he compared it to Soviet design following the collapse of the Bauhaus era. Beauty is a human element that is needed in all...
Driving decisions on dollars and conversion is half the battle – keeping design human centered is key. I sat in a room and listened to an executive describe design direction and his recommendation on color palettes based on his personal preference. This decision of a color battle had been ongoing at this company for years....
While at Disney, I served as part of the weekly Style Guide Counsel. The goal was two-fold – 1. To present new work and ideas; then discuss how these fit into the overall brand strategy with the design platform (Note: when I say “design platform” I mean everything from development, ux, content and visual work)....