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 Monday, March 15, 2010
People Will Come
Planning and hosting the HOW Conference (or, in this year's case, that plus the In-HOWse Designer Conference and Creative Freelancer Conference, ALL AT THE SAME TIME) is kind of like planning and hosting a party for friends. Just on a larger scale. There's all the logistics involved: setting the date, planning the menu, ordering the booze, cleaning up the house, choosing decorations. You send out invitations ... and then ... and then ... you wait to see if people will come. You ask people to RSVP by a certain date, and you just cross your fingers that all your fun friends will say, "Count us in!"
As of last Friday's early registration date, lots (I mean lots) of designers have responded, "Count us in!" A full three months yet to go before our events in Denver, and we're thrilled already with the turnout.
To quote James Earl Jones in one of my favorite movies: "People will come, Ray. People will most definitely come."
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Monday, March 15, 2010 7:05:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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Thursday, March 11, 2010
Like a Coupon in the Sunday Paper
Well, not exactly a coupon in the clip-it-out-and-save-a-buck-on-deodorant sort of way, but you can still score savings off the full registration for all three design events coming to Denver in June--the HOW Design Conference, In-HOWse Designer Conference and Creative Freelancer Conference--if you sign up by March 12. That's tomorrow, so get crackin'!
Won't you be all smart, saving your company, your design firm or yourself a nice bit of cash? (We won't tell if you use that money to cover your bar tab.)
Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Conference
Thursday, March 11, 2010 7:41:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, March 03, 2010
More Conference Goodies
We're adding new sessions and features at the HOW conference trifecta in Denver at such a fast clip that I'm having a hard time keeping track of it all.
If you missed it, see yesterday's post about a new 2-day, hands-on workshop with Russell Brown, plus scoop on Lunch with a Speaker.
Last week, we announced a special evening session with Kit Hinrichs and Trish Witkowski that's all about playing with (and folding) paper; it's presented by Sappi Fine Paper. You'll learn all kinds of fun tricks to inspire new design ideas.
In-HOWse Conference speakers Andy Epstein and Dyana Valentine have extended an open invitation for in-house design teams attending both In-HOWse and HOW to an In-House In-Therapy dinner. Join Andy and Dyana for some straight talk over a great meal, where you can vent, commiserate and help each other solve issues. Get the details and find out how to sign up on the In-HOWse Designer Blog; space is limited.
Coming soon, we'll have news about yet another workshop for those of you interested in learning how to design for the iPad, Kindle and other digital platforms. This session will be a must-attend if you're keen to explore these new technologies and boost your skills.
And, we'll have scoop on a special presentation by Leatrice Eiseman, the renowned color guru and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. You'll definitely want to make time to attend Leatrice's session—she's a terrific presenter, with lots of great info and inspiration on color.
Tune in here for more news leading up to Denver, and be sure to subscribe to the free HOW Design Conference newsletter to get all the latest info.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Wednesday, March 03, 2010 3:30:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Cool New Stuff at the HOW Conference
If you're in the loop on HOW Conference news, you've probably heard all about the Early Bird registration deadline that's coming up on March 12. What you may not have yet heard about is all the cool new stuff we have planned for the event in Denver. Like:
The amazing Russell Brown, always a HOW favorite (seriously: thousands of people get up early to hit his 7 a.m. Photoshop session every year), returns not only with his morning gig, but also with a 2-day (June 5 & 6), hands-on Photoshop workshop designed to teach you the latest tricks. Bring your own Mac or PC and get ready for a deep dive into Photoshop—you'll become an expert user and have a whole lotta fun.
You love hearing from the brightest minds in the design field—now get some quality face-time with speakers over lunch on Monday, June 7. We're bringing back the popular and uniquely HOW experience, Dinner with a Speaker, during the lunchtime break instead of evening.
By request, we've added the Un-Conference at HOW—a dedicated meeting space that's available to you throughout the event. Got an interesting topic you want to talk about? Schedule
your topic on the whiteboard outside the room; anyone who’s interested
can stop by for your session. We've also invited speakers to continue their dialogue with you after their sessions.
Find out more about all the other goings-on, like the return of the Designer's Marketplace, on the Events page at HOWConference.com.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Tuesday, March 02, 2010 1:41:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 22, 2010
Our Q&A with Justin Ahrens
I hosted a lively Q&A today with Justin Ahrens, the principal of Geneva, IL-based Rule29 design, founder of the Design Sobriety blog and upcoming HOW Conference speaker. Justin is presenting the session, Life Kerning: Where Life & Creativity Meet in Denver. Here's the text of our conversation.
First, tell us a bit about you: work you do, where you’re located, # of staff ...
I'm the principal and creative director of Rule29 a strategic creative firm outside of Chicago in Geneva, IL
We are a team of 8ish making creative matter™ for a variety of companies small and large who love to collaborate
We don't specialize but tend to do a lot of branding, book and unique promotional projects
We enjoy great music, walks on the beach, tasty cookies, cold beer, tom foolery, & changing the world - not in that order
I gotta ask: What’s the significance of the name? Are there Rules 1–28?
I wanted a name that would get people to ask what it meant - then I would get into our story. I have made rules 1-28 just because
Love the title of your session in Denver: Life Kerning. What inspired that?
Starting Rule29 I looked for info on how to balance life, work, family, etc. because it was tough for me - I worked a ton
The best thing I found was meeting fellow designers at conferences, AIGA, etc. and learning from them
And over time I have tried different things, kept notes, shared ideas, & continually strive to find better ways of doing things
I have found that often we need to simply make small adjustments in a couple areas for things to fall in place better
This reminded of me of the art of kerning—paying attention and refining the small things, to make the whole that much better
You’ve got a big family with young kids; your wife works with you. How do you keep it all together?
Hahaha, it's a lot of work. But great communication, vodka, iCal and 15 years of working things out with my wife has helped
I also strive to integrate my career and life in a way that supports and develops both
My kids come with me to the office, we do projects together, I have them do photo shoots with me at times too
Design isn’t a career; it’s more of a lifestyle. Creative ppl have a hard time getting out of work mode. Do you?
I do ... Because we pour so much of our energy, emotion, and brains into what we do. It's hard to not let it overwhelm your thoughts
After the Boston HOWConference Rule29 started a blog to help talk biz & life. Check it out at designersobriety.com
It's something that David Baker talks a lot about ... designers need 2 find creative outlets OUTSIDE of their work.
I agree we need to get away from work, but I think those activities, whatever they are can make you a better creative
So, the trick is letting your outside interests cross-pollinate your design work. What do you do 4 inspiration?
It has changed over the years. The things my kids say tend to make me think —they see the world so simply. Great lessons there
Movies are a huge inspiration—I love great stories. Music always has to be on. My fellow designers of course and reading
What are you reading right now?
Just finished Linchpin by Seth Godin and Don Miller's latest book - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
I'm also reading with my daughter Percy Jackson and the Olympians series...I think I enjoy it more than she does
Tell us about your project for Life In Abundance ... it’s so cool what your firm has been doing to spotlight the plight of poor kids in Africa.
One of our missions at Rule29 is to be involved in our community. Both locally and globally when possible.
Through a crazy chain of events I felt like Africa was somewhere we should go, and before I knew it I was visiting the slums
When I met LIA I fell in love with their model. They work to change communities with a sustainable holistic approach
They work in 7 of the poorest countries in the world and are helping with Aids, water, education, microfinance, vulnerable kids
We have picked them as one of our pro bono projects where we give several years of strategy, design and help to
Last year we made our first film which has raised close to 300k to help the street children in Ethiopia for the next several years
We are going back in April, to try to do the same in Kenya. The film will be about microfinance in the largest slum in Africa
We have an author going with who is trying to raise the money we need to get there, another example of fun collaboration
All in all it has changed the way we look at the world and has shown us design can be a powerful game changer
So your involvement isn’t just a one-off project but more a longer-term an engagement?
Yeah, once we saw we could make such an impact we were committed. Of course you could do the same in the States
What's the single most important thing a designer can do 2 achieve that balance, that perfectly kerned life?
One secret has less to do with mnging ur time effectively & evrything to do w maintaining a laser-like focus on 1 thing at a time.
Posted by Bryn
Designers | HOW Conference
Monday, February 22, 2010 8:58:35 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Cheap HOW Conference Travel
The HOW team just took advantage of some fairly reasonable airfare deals going on right now to book our travel to Denver for the trio of design conferences in June. Doing a bit of research on Expedia, I found fares from NYC and Atlanta for about $210, and from Chicago or LA for $160. Now's a good time to make your flight arrangements.
While you’re at it, don’t forget to book your hotel room. We’ve arranged discounted room blocks at hotels near the Colorado Convention Center (HOW’s home base)—get the details here. The Hyatt hotel directly across the street will be home to both the Creative Freelancer Conference and the In-HOWse Designer Conference. The Sheraton hotel downtown will also be packed with designers that week. We recommend you book either of those two hotels soon, as rooms will go quickly.
If you’re thinking about saving a few bucks at that super-cheap hotel on the outskirts of town, you might want to reconsider.
First, Conference hotels are convenient. We arrange discounted rates with the hotels closest to the actual event—so you don’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to make it to the convention center for the first session of the day (you’ll also save on cab fare).
Second, hotel lobbies and elevators are great places to continue the networking you started at the Conference. You’ll likely meet several of your fellow attendees on your way to and from the hotel—this is your chance to make dinner plans, compare notes on sessions and just generally make another connection. This is a huge part of the Conference experience.
Get more info on HOW Conference discounted hotel rates—and other travel discounts—here.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Monday, February 22, 2010 4:08:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow Day!
Yours truly is currently the only one who's made it here to HOW HQ (as of 8:30-ish ET), thanks to the third wave of a multi-day snowstorm that's still going strong. (I know, we don't have it nearly as bad as those of you in the Mid-Atlantic.) Still, some people somewhere are actually enjoying the snow ... like designer/photographer Missy Bergen in Denver. Missy sent a shot of her snowboard, bedazzled with a few HOW Conference stickers, which were included in HOW's current January/February issue. Wish we were there, seriously!
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:37:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Meet a Creative Freelancer
We weren't surprised to learn that Bay Area writer/marketing consultant Alisa Bonsignore was the first person to register for this year's Creative Freelancer Conference. She's been to the first two. I recently interviewed Alisa about what she's learned from past CFC's and what she hopes to gain from the event in Denver.
First, Alisa, give me the details about you and your business: Where are you located, what kind of work do you do, where do you work and what’s your target market? Give me your elevator speech!
Giving you my elevator pitch is actually a great CFC story. When I attended CFC08, Dyana Valentine did her "Hello, I'm really good at" session. I sat at the table and lumbered through my usual explanation: "I work with high tech and healthcare companies, and I do marketing, light technical and clinical writing to help a variety of audiences make sense of the company's products and technical benefits...." It was awful. And as these three ladies tossed some phrases around, I ended up streamlining bit by bit: I help people understand technical jargon. I make complicated ideas seem more clear. And then, out of the blue, came "I clarify complex ideas." That's now my website and tagline, something quick and straightforward that fits on a business card (or in Dyana's case, a name tag!)
The official elevator pitch: I clarify complex ideas for high tech and healthcare clients, transforming sophisticated technical and clinical concepts into concise communications that get results.
I live and work in the San Francisco bay area. I have a home office, but I try to spend two afternoons a week at the coffee shop so that I can get outside the house and have a bit of contact with the outside world. And you'd be amazed by how many people I run into and network with, just by parking myself at a table with my computer.
You’ve been to the first two Creative Freelancer Conferences—how has
the information you learned affected your freelance business?
CFC08 was a complete revelation. It reminded me that even though I'm just one person, I am a business. In the first month after the conference, I gathered the courage to fire the nightmare client; I consulted with an attorney to create a new contract and project proposal; I developed my new brand and tagline; I overhauled my marketing materials and website so everything had one consistent look, feel and voice; and I completely changed my pricing structure.
And then a year passed. By the time CFC09 rolled around, I had started backsliding into some bad habits. It came at just the right time to give me a fresh kick in the butt and remind myself that I need to get outside my little creative head and remember to think like a business. I came out of that conference with a renewed commitment to work/life balance and thanks to June Walker's session, I started thinking more about taxes and deductions.
Who's been your favorite CFC speaker, and why?
Of course I've learned something from every speaker, but it's the most energetic ones that are the most memorable. Colleen Wainwright is great, but I have a special place in my heart for Dyana Valentine because of that "a-ha!" moment at her '08 session.
What kind of connections have you made with other freelancers? Has that helped your business?
I've met tons of designers, and that's come in very handy for me. I've had clients who needed design-side recommendations, and it's great to have a large stack of business cards to choose from. Clients always appreciate a personal recommendation.
What are you most looking forward to in Denver?
I always leave the conferences feeling very invigorated. Most conferences help you creatively, but this conference exists solely to help you improve yourself professionally. When you check out of the hotel, you have a completely different mindset about your business than you did when you checked in. That's huge. As I said earlier, I need that annual reminder and kick in the butt to do the things that will help my business grow.
I think that this year will be even better because of the chance to cross paths with the HOW and In-HOWse attendees. I'm hoping for some great networking opportunities that we didn't have when the conferences were separated by time and distance.
What prompted you to sign up so quickly when registration opened?
I knew that I wanted to go again this year, and was planning to take advantage of the early bird discount in January. But with a few days left in the year, it occurred to me that it would be worth a call to my accountant to see if I could register and take the deduction against my 2009 income. He gave it the green light and I signed up immediately. I wouldn't have done that two years ago, but now I give thought to how the timing of different expenditures can have business and tax benefits.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Tuesday, February 09, 2010 3:17:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, February 04, 2010
Q&A with HOW Conference Speaker Marcia Hoeck
About a year ago, a design-firm principal e-mailed to pitch an article she'd like to write for HOW about the tough lessons she'd learned about managing creative people. I knew of Marcia Hoeck and her firm, and the article was a perfect fit. Marcia's advice was so helpful that we invited her to present at this year's HOW Conference in Denver. And she agreed to be a part of our first Twitterview with a speaker.
Catch Marcia's session, Be a Better Manager, in Denver, and watch for other speaker Twitterviews in the coming weeks.
Here's the text of our conversation:
Marcia, you ran a successful Midwest design firm for 25 years. Tell us a bit about that business.
Focus on marcom (foodservice) & corp communication, print base, Toledo OH & Phx offices. 8-9 people, mix of on-site & virtual
And you recently sold your firm to an employee. Was that a bittersweet event?
Sold to 3 former employees, surprisingly emotional but cool experience. Like saying goodbye to a baby, but time to go
How did you know that you were ready to move on, and that this was the right time?
25 years is a LONG time! It ran very well by itself, and I was ready for a new experience. I love to learn new things
Is it fair to say that you’re now teaching other entrepreneurs to avoid the mistakes you made along the way?
YES! You learn a lot in 25 years—stability is important, & the challenges stay the same. Entrepreneurs are different from 'normal' people
Love that: Entrepreneurs are different from ‘normal’ people. In what way, do you think?
Bright shiny object syndrome, "I can do it myself!", won't let go but don't have patience for details, off in the clouds a lot ...
So entrepreneur = creative, scattered, a bit ADD. What are challenges in BEING creative and MANAGING creative people?
Balance. Being involved vs letting go. "I wanna DO it!" Empowering vs directing. Focusing on the value of each person.
Plus creative people can be a handful, as you know! :)
Ah yes … letting go when you really want to design something yourself. You wrote a terrific piece for HOW about managing a great team. What’s the 1 biggest thing you learned about management?
Everything I learned is big! But biggest is: 1st, you need great people. Then, you need to let go. It's not about you, but how you handle it
How did you make time to run your biz AND design AND develop consulting practice? Is that where letting go comes in?
Ah! That's the secret! Yes, it's great people, the way you treat them, the systems you set up, & letting go. It's a balance.
What was the 1 management task that you most struggled with in running your own biz?
For me it WAS just that: the balance. I'm a natural steamroller. You walk a fine line.
What can a designer not in a management position do to help shape the culture of his/her workplace?
Be valuable! Step up. Take on the tasks no one else wants 2 do, like you own the place (in a good way). You'll become integral.
How similar are people-management issues in a design firm vs. an in-house creative dept?
People issues are people issues, anywhere. You just have less control in-house.
Think entrepreneurially. U can build a culture of interdependence on values w/in a dept w/the right mgr. People valuing people is the key.
How do you get over the urge of wanting to design it all?
U never get over the urge of wanting 2 design it! I lock my hands behind my back & hold my tongue 4 the good of the biz. :)
Posted by Bryn
Design Resources | HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Thursday, February 04, 2010 8:05:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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20 Years of the HOW Conference
Hard to believe that we'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of the HOW Design Conference in Denver this June. Even harder to believe that I was at the first one. Yes, I was in grade school at the time.
I love that my HOW Conference colleagues had the idea for this year's program brochure to create a collage out of previous materials. It's kind of a historical overview of design trends: Note the cover designed by Chicago's Carlos Segura (upper right corner), with the composited, photocopied type style that was current in 1993. (If memory serves, Segura's design for the conference provoked a late-night conversation during the event over style vs. legibility ... one of many such conversations ongoing in the days of Segura and Carson and other ground-breakers.)
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:18:06 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 25, 2010
HOW Conference Stickers: Cast Your Vote
Maybe it's just us, but we've been having a load of fun here at HOW HQ with the photos that graphic designers have been sending showing the HOW Conference save-the-date sticker in action. In case it's NOT just us and you're enjoying the images, too, we've set up a little gallery on HOWConference.com, where you can see them all and vote for your favorite. Voting continues through February 12, and the image with the most stars gets a prize. Pick up the current issue of HOW magazine to see what all the sticker fuss is about.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Monday, January 25, 2010 4:59:33 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, January 22, 2010
Last Dog Photo, We Swear
Our HOW Conference colleague, Katie Dehner (you'll see her masterful copywriting all over the Conference website and marketing materials), got in on the dog/sticker fun. Apparently, her Airedale, Ellie, will eat just about anything.
I'll try my best to make this the last dog/sticker photo I post ... unless more adorable shots come in.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Friday, January 22, 2010 4:29:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 21, 2010
HOW Loves Dogs
HOW Conference speaker, book author, magazine contributor and all-around fantastic human being Sam Harrison (@zingzone on Twitter) sent a photo of his Jack Russell Terrier, Zipper, with a HOW sticker on his tummy. I love the action shot ... Zipper looks like he's got endless amounts of energy.
(Yes, I'll admit that I'm a geek for this dog/sticker meme--so sue me!) C'mon ... you know your dog wants to play, too. Send a photo (HOWConference@fwmedia.com) of your pooch sporting a HOW sticker and I'll post it here!
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Thursday, January 21, 2010 7:30:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Gone to the Dogs
If you saw my posts yesterday showing photos of designers' doggies showing off their HOW Conference stickers ... and if you know me at all ... you totally saw this coming: Last night, I stuck a sticker on the nose of my beloved four-legged friend, Wrigley, and snapped a pic. Meet Wrigley, the unofficial HOW Conference Canine Mascot.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Thursday, January 21, 2010 3:10:05 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Sneak Preview: 2010 HOW Conference Poster!
OK, OK ... we swear this'll be the last HOW Conference post of the day. But you HAVE to see this year's poster! Denver design-and-screenprinting studio Idaho Stew created the 2010 HOW Conference poster, and boy, did they rock it. We love the oblique Denver references (flying squirrels), the offbeat humor and, well, the whole thing. Idaho Stew has our HUGE thanks for their late-night work on this project!
Since the 2007 conference in Atlanta, we've worked with a local studio that's known for poster design—and the HOW posters have become a bit of a collector's item. (See previous posters here.)
Stu and Nicky Alden of Idaho Stew are planning to produce a limited-edition run (with, they say, 12 different screen pulls) that they'll offer for sale in Denver. You can bet I'll be purchasing one to add to my collection.
In the meantime, you can get your own photographic version (below)—catch the forthcoming International Design Annual issue (on newsstands at the end of next month).
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 7:26:47 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Dogs Rule
Following our earlier post today with pictures of Helen and Roxy, we've had a query about whether dogs are allowed at the HOW Conference. I've no idea if the Colorado Convention Center is dog-friendly (probably not, if I had to guess), but still it's fun to imagine tails wagging all over the place. I know my four-legged pal would have a blast. This new photo comes from Lidia Varesco in Chicago, who says Essie would love to attend.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 5:45:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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The Doggies Love the HOW Conference
Here at HOW HQ, the majority of us are dog owners (make that, devoted dog lovers). So we cracked up at a couple of the photos that have come in showing the HOW Conference sticker in action: on da doggies! We've covered the size scale, as one of the pups is a Chihuahua and the other a Great Dane. Clearly, the HOW Conference has gone to the dogs.
Designer Leah Cox's Chihuahua, Helen:
Buzz Miller's oh-so-patient Great Dane, Roxy:
See more HOW Conference stickers here. To get in on the action, find the stickers in HOW's January/February issue (now on newsstands or available here), snap a photo and send it to HOWConference@fwmedia.com.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, January 20, 2010 2:11:41 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Stickin' it to the Resume
We had a whole bunch of submissions last week from designers showing off their HOW Conference fandom by placing the stickers (found in HOW's current issue) in various spots, snapping pix and e-mailing them to us. This clever application comes from Joe Ribaudo, a designer in the Boston area who's currently job-searching.
This one's stuck to my resume; I'm hoping that I'll be able to make it to this year's conference!
Last year was my first time attending a HOW Conference, and I was blown away by the sheer amount of relevant information that I was able to absorb over the week in Austin—every penny was well spent! Keep up the great work with the magazine and the conference!
Good luck with the job hunt, Joe (Boston-area design firms, check out Joe's blog). Hope we see you in Denver!
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 2:20:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 14, 2010
Double Stickiness
Here's a great strategy: Use the HOW Conference stickers (you'll find 'em in our current issue) to send a subtle message to your manager that you'd love to attend.
Designer Rachel Watters took that approach, and sent us a photo of her effort.
I put a sticker on my boss’s computer monitor on a sticky note…that was my way of telling him I wanted to go. Plus, it was double stickiness.
Sticky sweet.
Indeed! See previously submitted HOW Conference stickers here, and keep 'em coming!
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Thursday, January 14, 2010 3:49:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 11, 2010
More HOW Sticker Fun
We've been gathering snapshots of the HOW Conference save-the-date sticker in action from designers who are sending them in to HOWConference@fwmedia.com. See last week's post, and a previous photo of a sticker adorning a designer's Christmas tree. If you want to play along, check out the current 25th Anniversary issue of HOW, find the stickers, stick 'em and send us your pix. Today's photo comes from a designer named Darci. Looks like this was a fun night at the bar.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Monday, January 11, 2010 8:24:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 07, 2010
Stickiness
As the current January/February issue of HOW starts circulating, designers are finding the HOW Conference stickers bound into the issue and are sending us photos of where they've stuck 'em. See the photo we posted on Monday. Interested in playing at home? Find the new issue at your favorite bookstore (or here), find the stickers (between pages 68 and 69), stick 'em, take a picture and send it to HOWConference@fwmedia.com.
This one that came in today from designer Amy Stemper cracked us up:
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Thursday, January 07, 2010 7:14:04 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 04, 2010
HOW Conference Love
Over the holidays, we had an e-mail from West Hartford, CT-based graphic designer Gary Holmes, with a photo showing how he'd embellished his Christmas tree with a little HOW Conference love. Thanks, Gary!
Pick up a copy of the new January/February issue of HOW (you DO know it's our anniversary, right?) and look for the insert between pages 68 & 69 for your own set of HOW Conference stickers. Stick 'em wherever you, well, stick stickers, snap a photo and send it to HOWConference@fwmedia.com. We're collecting pix of the stix in action and will post our faves in this very space.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Monday, January 04, 2010 6:09:56 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Our Favorite HOW Magazine Covers
So, you may have heard us mention recently that HOW celebrates the magazine's 25th year (and the Conference's 20th) in 2010. In honor of that, we've pored through 150 previous issues to choose our top 25 cover designs. Over the years, we've been fortunate to work with contributors like David Carson, Scott Makela, Laurie DeMartino and illustrator Hadley Hooper to create HOW's cover.
Check out our gallery of magazine cover designs, and cast your vote for your own favorite! And if you haven't seen it on a newsstand near you, pick up your copy of HOW's January/February Anniversary Issue at MyDesignShop.com.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, December 22, 2009 1:43:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
HOW Conference: Our Cheap Advertising Ploys
We all know times are tough, so we here at HOW HQ are minding how we spend our pennies on advertising and promotion. Here's our new campaign for the 2010 HOW Design Conference in Denver ...
(kidding)
Actually, this comes courtesy of longtime HOW Forum and Conference Forum dude Smitcat ... aka Keith Smith, who's on our Conference Advisory Board for 2010. Smit is well known as the instigator of the annual HOW Conference pub crawl ... if you want in on that deal, join the Conference Forum so you know the inside scoop.
And, if you want to create your own ad campaign, check out the cool HOW Conference stickers in the January/February issue of HOW. Stick 'em on stuff, snap a pic and send it to HOWConference@fwmedia.com.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Thursday, December 17, 2009 9:37:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 14, 2009
HOW Conference 2010 Doors Open!
We've gotten a jump-start on the 2010 HOW Design Conference, launching the website and opening registration earlier than usual. And while I always look forward to the conference, I'm particularly psyched about the 2010 edition ...
On the occasion of our 20th anniversary, we're bringing together the
HOW Conference, the Creative Freelancer Conference and the In-HOWse
Designer Conference for a week of design awesomeness in Denver next
June 5-10.
For CFC and In-HOWse attendees, that means
access to extra stuff (like a major keynote presentation and a big
Resource Center and bookstore) that you haven't previously had. For HOW Conference fans, it means more opportunities to connect with other designers and a big, swanky opening night bash.
Designers whose companies send them to the HOW Conference should consider coming a couple of days early to hit CFC. In-house design managers, consider making Denver a destination for your whole team: You can attend the management-oriented In-HOWse Designer Conference, while your staff gets inspired at HOW.
Program details for the Creative Freelancer and In-HOWse Conferences will be announced very soon. We're excited to see you in Denver!
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference
Monday, December 14, 2009 2:57:54 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 10, 2009
2 Milestones of Note
We're staring 2010 in the face and looking forward with excitement, 'cause HOW celebrates two big milestones in '10: the magazine's 25th year and the conference's 20th. Already we have a few celebratory activities planning, including a fabulous 25-day giveaway of 25 HOW goodies beginning in January. And we're throwing the doors wide open for 2010 HOW Conference in Denver and expanding our guest list (more scoop on the super-special conference coming soon).
In the meantime, we're gathering some fun, graphic-design articles related to the number 25 exclusively on HOWdesign.com. First up: We scoped out 25 prophetic, compelling, interesting or just plain silly quotes and headlines from HOW's 25 years. Like this:
“Computers do not make everything look alike. It’s just that so many people tend to sit at the computer and do the same things.”
—Scott Makela, August 1994
Read more from 25 years of design history here.
Watch for more exclusive articles and for info on our anniversary giveaway here.
And here's a sneak peek at the cover of HOW's anniversary issue (cover lettering by Darren Booth). Watch for it on newsstands at the end of December.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Conference | HOW Magazine
Thursday, December 10, 2009 7:44:53 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009 |