Design Category

I have been thinking a lot these days about what it means to be “good”. Good is an adjective, so what does it mean without a noun to end the sentence (I am a good ____.)? And wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world where “to be good” equaled “doing good”?

Need a gentle reminder why you should be a good customer service provider? How about 11 reasons to keep a sharp focus on our customer and their experiences with your brand offering.

Yes, I am the one who tries to avoid buying your coffee. I tell others to resist the convenient temptation of your omnipresence. I believe I am the cause of your recent troubles. I am not apologetic, but I hope that you will learn from your mistakes and rise up to the challenge of being…umm… less starbucksy.

First, Happy New year! We want to thank our clients, readers and all the people we worked with in 2006. It’s because of you, that 2008 seems so full of promise. If January is any indication, we are headed for a year where we will see great impact from our design work. While NDA’s and legal obligations keep me from tooting our horn, we are headed to Paris for a exciting project, that will most likely have a positive global impact. Stay tuned for more details as they become releasable!

This month I write a few tips targeting clients. I think every designer should get their client to read these. And clients: ‘Tis the season to give. So go on, give your designer some love! Here are the 10 things that you can do to share some joy with your designer

I am part of that blurry-eyed generation that is not neatly defined by world politics what is, war, dreams or the lack thereof what is. Instead I am defined by the desire for the “now” of information

For those of you who have never traveled with a designer, your photos must be, well, so normal. However, my poor camera frequently finds itself shooting odd subjects. From garbage cans, street signs or zooming in on random billboards. Visiting a foreign country makes the designer in me work over-time. I want to capture the genius and the obtuse. Here are 5 of the top photos that capture some interesting design solutions (4 good, 1 questionable)

Transformers is the #1 movie as I write this. And “Transformation” is the key to success for brands in the today’s crowded marketplace. If you can inspire people to live differently, do differently, and to re-invent themselves, you are going to be heard and be memorable. Brands that refuse to fit in but redefine the world they are born in reap big rewards

I am a usability and interface snob. I hate using the mouse, and instead look for “accelerators” to get things done. The less menus that stand between me and the task that I want to do, the better. Hence it is only fitting that I share a few apps that help me get things done a bit faster, more efficiently and are the cause for the smallest of celebrations. So here is my top 10 list of apps, big and small (only 2 pay cost money), that help me get stuff done everyday

This article is broken into several parts because this is a loaded topic, with lots of unknowns to unpack. This month, we look at how to know if it’s time to freshen up your website and redesign it.

Let’s talk about building stickiness. Sticky like rice. What makes a website sticky? In other words, why do we go back to same site time and again? With this month’s article I am outing myself as someone who grew up listening to 80-ish (one 90’s and one 70’s song thrown in) music. Here are 5 songs about people who come back to websites and help make them sticky.

The power of design is being used in unlikely places and creating competitive advantage Book in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Design has the power to change (even save) lives for the better and create a more functional economy. Here are 10 reasons why designers rule…

This month, instead of writing an opinion, I want to share the speech that I gave on August 17th at the graduation ceremony for class # 4 at the Digital Design program at VFS

Ethical designers may not be the cheapest designer in town and clients who search by price can sometimes fall prey to unethical designers. I write this article to people who may have asked “how much” before asking anything else. I also address this to fellow designers and hope that we are all respecting what we do, and how we do it

Imagine this, 4000 designers in one room. Now add to this, another 6000 eBay sellers in the room next door. It’s 38 degrees outside and a bunch of men and women are handing out XXX cards to anyone who’d take one. Man, woman or child

I suggest we need to consider two major elements to focus on when it comes to creating successful businesses: Context and the User. This month’ article will focus on context. We will move our attention to the user in next month’ article

Christmas has come and gone. You have eaten more sweet things than you really should have, and are back at work (kinda). Well, we are not quite done with the spirit of giving (or the sugar high!). So this month instead of an article we present to you a wee little document..

I wanted to be skilled in the media of creative production, wanted to become adept with tools that could deliver my art. I wanted to act as a bridge for those who were disenfranchised from the luxuries of media production..

Provocative titles aside, this article is the first in a series that will look at how we all do business together. Is there such a thing as a perfect working relationship?

Trust. A small word. But with big implications. Lack of it will make people unhappy; relationships end and make bitter enemies out of best friends. What does trust mean in the world of branding….

Part of the reason for writing this opinion is to help clients understand why we will brainstorm with them about what we are creating for them. We use two tried and true methods to get us all thinking beyond the comfort of looking at what exists today. To challenge that status quo..

If you didn’t get to go see the Massive Change exhibit you may not realize that we are living in a world that is innovating at a breathlessly fast pace. And, it seems to me, at a far more rapid pace than it ever has before..

I have close friends. They tease me. They say that it is unheard of for a “web designer” to not have a website. They say that it is, in fact, short-sighted for a designer to look for new business instead of making their own website..