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 Wednesday, November 11, 2009 Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Boost Your Business Savvy
Yeah, yeah, we know designers don't have business degrees. Which is why HOW helps you figure out the business side of design. Two upcoming DesignCasts (note our catchy new word for webinars) do just that. Sign up, sit at your desk, interact & learn.
Presenting Killer Proposals
Tuesday, November 10, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
presented by Ilise Benun
Ever sent a proposal off and ... just waited for a response? No more. You'll find out exactly what a proposal is and how you can use the
document, as well as the proposal process, to give your prospect the
information they need to make the right decision: to hire you!
Register now!
How to Survive as a Freelance Designer
Thursday, November 19, 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m PT
presented by Jeff Fisher
Thriving as a creative freelancer is an act of balance: too much work vs. too little, too much client contact vs. not enough. Jeff will show you how to position your business to command respect from clients & prospects, how to make marketing an enjoyable part of your day-to-day, and how to work wherever you want: the coffee shop, the beach, a villa in Italy ...Register now—and get a FREE digital edition of HOW's Self-Promotion 2009 issue!
Posted by Bryn
Design Resources | Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, November 10, 2009 4:19:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00) 
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Monday, November 02, 2009
Big HOW Conference News!
We're really excited to announce some big news: We're teaming up three hot HOW events, all in Denver next June. As we mark the 20th anniversary of the HOW Design Conference, this will be the must-attend design event of the year.
The 2010 HOW Design Conference will be held June 6-9 at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver. The Creative Freelancer Conference will be held June 5-6 and the In-HOWse Designer Conference will be June 6-8, also in Denver.
Designers who also freelance now have the option of attending THE business conference for solopreneurs as an add-on to the HOW Design Conference. In-house design managers can focus on topics like leadership, management and efficiency at the In-HOWse Designer Conference, while their staff members attend the HOW Conference for a big dose of creative inspiration at the very same time.
What’s in it for you?
• All the great sessions and speakers you’ve come to expect from HOW events
• Programs focused specifically for the Creative Freelancer Conference and the In-HOWse Designer Conference, plus lots of extras that have never before been part of those events
• An unmistakable energy that ignites when the design community comes together
• A once-a-year opportunity to network with other creative pros
• Unparalleled access to information and inspiration in the better-than-ever Design Resource Center and HOW Bookstore
• The biggest design party of the year, under one roof.
Put it on your calendar, add it to your budget and start your networking now. Trust me, this is THE design event you won’t want to miss.
Visit HOWconference.com, CreativeFreelancerConference.com or InHOWseConference.com to learn more about the events, and sign up for the free e-mail newsletter so you'll be among the first to know when speakers and sessions are announced in the coming weeks.
I hope you'll join me in Denver next June for a whole pile of design awesomeness.
Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine | Industry News
Monday, November 02, 2009 4:55:32 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 16, 2009
Quiet Next Week
The whole HOW gang will be out the week of October 19, first setting up and then joining judges Pum Lefebure, Derek Sussner and Tim Smith as they evaluate several thousand entries in our International Design Awards.
So the blog will be quiet. But we'll be tweeting about the work we're seeing and about the process itself. Be sure to follow HOWbrand on Twitter! And we may post a few photos of the action on our Facebook page.
And in the meantime, check out last year's Best of Show winner.
Posted by Bryn
HOW Magazine
Friday, October 16, 2009 9:51:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Ad Collage
Linda Nakanishi is a graphic/web designer, a part time web design teacher at Humber College in Toronto, Canada, and a lifelong crafter. She recently decided to use the paper ads in old issues of HOW for her Upcycle Collage Project.
I enjoy reading this magazine and often keep the issues for references.
And one thing I noticed in every issue were these great paper company
ads showcasing some great paper finishes, laser cutting and vivid
images. But at the end of the day they were still advertising, so I
thought since they are not an integral part of being a reference, I
thought I’d give the paper ads a new life in my collage project. My
rule is to only use the paper ads, seeing as they are the only ads that
are two sided and do not have articles on the backside.
 Posted by Megan
Designers | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 1:36:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 12, 2009
Fun at Work
As we were planning the cover of this year's Business Annual, it occurred to us (coincidentally) that all of the firms featured in the issue are finding killer ways to make their work fun. Which, naturally, led to a bit of play with the cover concept. Here's a sneak peek at this year's Business Annual cover, coming soon to a newsstand near you. (Yep, that's Play-Doh.)
'Cause, really, shouldn't work be fun? We think so!
HOW Magazine
Monday, October 12, 2009 4:04:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Live Webinar: Smart Salary Negotiation
Want a bigger paycheck? (Yeah -- us, too.) Turns out, ya gotta ask for a raise, especially in this tight economy when companies aren't exactly handing out dollars.
Hiring expert Megan Slabinski has all the ins and outs of salary negotiation in a live one-hour webinar, Recession-Proof Salary Negotiation Skills, on Thursday at 4pmET/1pmPT. Learn current salary trends in the design field, how to ask for a raise, and what kinds of non-monetary compensation you can negotiate for if money isn't an option.
Register now (you'll probably make back the $39).
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, October 12, 2009 3:39:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 05, 2009
HOW Insider
We're excited to announce a new membership program called HOW Insider, which includes:
* A year's subscription to HOW Magazine. (retail value $79.70)
* One year online access to over 13 years of award winning graphic design from the industry's most prestigious competition -- PRINT Regional Design Annual. (retail value ($49.00)
* FREE access to our most popular webcast – Print to Web – an hour long tutorial on why and how to become more web savvy. (retail value $69.00)
* Plus 10% off event registrations as well as all purchases made at mydesignshop.com throughout the year
This is a total retail value of $197.70 for only $49.95. Pretty cool!
Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Monday, October 05, 2009 5:26:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Same Language
Feel like you're speaking French when you talk with your clients and colleagues who AREN'T designers? Then today's live webinar is for you. Learn how to communicate with those folks, how to sell your ideas, how to gain respect.
Communication Strategies for Creatives: Connect with Your Clients & Co-workers Live Webcast Registration — today at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
Register now!
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, September 17, 2009 4:25:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 10, 2009
Boost Your Brains
Fall's all back-to-school and everything, and HOW has some upcoming learning opportunities that'll help boost your career.
We posted yesterday about the September 17 webinar (that's next Thursday) with in-house design guru Andy Epstein, Communication Strategies for Designers, and we're getting calls from designers interested in signing up! More info about Andy's excellent presentation and a registration link here.
Then, on Wednesday, September 23 we're starting a new webinar series, Controlling the Money Conversation with Ilise Benun -- a four-part series focused on getting you more comfortable talking with your clients about money and more confident in pricing your work. Get all the scoop on that series (and save if you sign up for all 4 sessions) here. Of course, you can choose any one individual session if that works best for you.
Coming up on Thursday, September 24, is a webcast sponsored by Getty, THE SIMPLE—Visual trends that cut through the clutter. Getty shares its proprietary visual research to unveil current cultural and design trends that can help shape your best work. More on that and registration (that one's FREE!) here.
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:41:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 09, 2009
What's Up This Week?
Two of our most excellent colleagues are in DC to host this week's InHOWse Designer Conference, including Megan, who gives this blog most of its care and feeding. Megan is our most prolific blogstress, but the rest of us will try to keep up. Meantime, if you're missing out on the InHOWse event this week, you can catch snippets of what's going on by following @HOWbrand on Twitter and searching for the #IHConf-tagged tweets.
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, September 09, 2009 2:07:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Losing Our Minds
FYI, our corporate email server is down so we can neither send nor receive messages right now. Write us letter or give us a call!Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 7:40:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Design Bootcamps: Coming Soon to a City Near You!
Back in the spring, when it became evident that some of the folks who wanted to come to the HOW Design Conference couldn't (thanks, economy!), we pondered ways to bring HOW to the masses. Hence, a brand-new series of events this fall: HOW Designers' Bootcamps.
Take four top HOW speakers/authors, send them to major design hubs, have them lead intensive, day-and-a-half workshops on topics important to designers -- you've got the new bootcamp series. The sessions are interactive, hands-on and practical.
Get more information on all the sessions and download brochures here.
Here's the lineup:
Running a Successful Design Business
Save $100 if you register by 8/18
September 17 & 18, New York City
Daniel Schutzsmith
Ideal for creative studio owners, freelancers, project managers and
business developers, this workshop will explore every aspect of running
a creative business.
Moving from Print to Web
September 29 & 30, Atlanta
Patrick McNeil
Get past initial roadblocks as you
move from print to web design, with in-depth information on both the
creative and technical aspects of digital design. Bring your laptop!!!
Marketing and Self-Promotion
October 20 & 21, Minneapolis
Jeff Fisher
Learn how to fine-tune your promotion skills for design business survival in any economy.
Building a Profitable Creative Business
October 26 & 27, Seattle
Emily Cohen
Get the skills and tools you need to run, manage and maintain a profitable and successful creative business.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:55:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 17, 2009 Thursday, August 13, 2009 Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Freelancers: Join a Tribe!
Ivette Cortes, a Chicago-area designer, recently spoke with designer and business coach Peleg Top (co-founder with HOW of the Creative Freelancer Conference) about a "tribe" that she joined along with 8 other CFC attendees who met at last year's event for the first time. Cortes and the tribe have stayed in touch since then, helping each other with business issues. Here's a snip:
I noticed on the message board that one of the attendees had put up a note about organizing a group for dinner. After the session I met the group and we had such a great time that I took a cue from you, Peleg, and suggested that we form a tribe. There were nine of us who went out to dinner and by the end of the conference we had four more. Whenever we have work-related problems, someone shouts it out and most of the time one of us has had a similar issue and can give advice.
It's a great example of how creatives, especially freelancers, can tap a network of peers to share their advice and expertise. They collaborated on a name, Solo Mafioso, and are working on a logo. Awesome!!!
Listen here.
Design Resources | Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 1:41:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 10, 2009
Film Preview at CFC
If you're joining us for the Creative Freelancer Conference at the end of this month (and you should, if you're a creative freelancer), you'll get a sneak peek at an upcoming documentary called "Shine." This "big film about small business" is being produced by Biznik.com and is due out in 2010. The Biznik folks are bringing a preview screening to CFC in San Diego, with never-before-seen clips and outtakes. The film is co-directed by Dan McComb and Ben Medina -- it tells the unheralded stories of entrepreneurs struggling to build the businesses of their dreams (kinda like you, huh?).
Watch the trailers + read the press release here. And learn more about the rest of the Creative Freelancer Conference program.
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, August 10, 2009 7:07:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Designer, Promote Thyself!
Whether you're in business for yourself or for someone else, your success and career development as a designer depend on how well you package and promote Brand You. Learn from Jeff Fisher, the guy who's done that better than most, in this week's HOW webinar, "Packaging, Planning and Promoting Yourself." Join Jeff and ask questions during this live interactive event on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT. Register now!
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, August 10, 2009 4:02:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 31, 2009 Wednesday, July 29, 2009
HOW News This Week!
Lots of goings-on here at HOW HQ that you absolutely must know about!
• There's just two more days for you to submit your best interactive design work to this year's HOW Interactive Design Awards: B2B, consumer & self-promo websites, banners, motion design, games and more. Entry deadline is July 31, so get to it.
• Jessie posted yesterday about the early registration date for our In-HOWse Designer Conference, also July 31. Save $200 by signing up this week! Corporate creative managers, you can't miss this event -- you'll hear from in-house veterans Michael Lejeune, Stanley Hainesworth, Andy Epstein, Chris Pullman, riCardo Crespo and Jennifer Miller. (Together, they've worked for top-notch organizations: Mattel, Starbucks, LA County Metro, WGBH, CVS, Target, etc., etc.)
• Freelance designers, dig this: You can attend this year's Creative Freelance Conference in San Diego (August 26-28) for less than a grand. There's never been a better time to work on developing your freelance biz. Plus, we've added a payment plan and extended the Early-Bird discount to make it even easier for you to attend. Got a friend who freelances? Sweet! Refer a friend, and his/her registration is half off. (Then agree to split the discount.) Freelancers who attended last year raved about the conference--hear what they have to say.
• Design-firm principals/owners/leaders: This is THE year you should consider attending HOW's Mind Your Own Business Conference. As the economy picks up, you must be ideally positioned to take advantage of new clients and markets. Rethink how and why you run your business, working alongside other principals and speakers including Tim Williams, Emily Cohen, David Berman and Donna Karlin. Check out our MYOB group on LinkedIn.
• While you have your calendar open, be sure to put a star on September 1 -- that's the deadline to enter HOW's biggest competition, the International Design Awards. Find out more here.
Call for Entries | Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 3:37:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Gone Fishin'
Well, actually we've gone judging ... we'll be spending Wednesday and Thursday evaluating entries in the In-HOWse Design Awards. The blog will be quiet, but we'll be posting on Twitter about what we're seeing (no, we won't blab who the winners are). Follow HOW on Twitter, if you don't already.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 9:49:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Write Off Your Conference Expenses
Yeah, we know that taxes aren't? (isn't?) the super-sexiest topic. But if you're a freelancer, managing your tax burden is paramount to your financial health.
So this is big: Self-employed creatives can deduct many of their expenses related to professional development. In a new blog post, June Walker, author of Self Employed Tax Solutions explains how. Here's a snippet:
As a freelancer in these tough economic times your vacation has
likely been put on hold. Any of your money that’s not going to living
necessities is probably going toward a work search rather than airfare
to an island destination.Well, here’s a way to get a change of scenery and acquire more tools
to expand your earning potential. Let Uncle Sam and his state taxing
cousins foot the bill for about one-third the cost of the Creative
Freelancer Conference in San Diego. Yes, that’s right, as a self-employed person, the cost of the conference is a complete business expense deduction.
Why are we telling you this? Well, because the early registration deadline for this year's Creative Freelancer Conference is tomorrow. All told, the pricetag for the whole CFC experience, including hotel and airfare, is less than $1,000. (Summer airfare to San Diego is a steal right now.) What are you waiting for? Register now! This is one business decision you won't regret.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, July 14, 2009 2:19:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Calling All Freelance Creatives
There's no two ways about it: you HAVE to join us for the second Creative Freelancer Conference in San Diego, August 26-28. Why? Here's a snapshot of what the designers/writers/photographers who attended last year say about their CFC experience:
Untitled from Creative Freelancer on Vimeo. I'll be there. Will you?
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, July 08, 2009 4:36:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Learn from the Best Biz Minds
We've just announced the speaker lineup for this year's Mind Your Own
Business conference in Scottsdale, October 1 through 4. You'll hear
from past MYOB favorites Donna Karlin and Tim Williams, plus new-to-MYOB
experts like Larry Melnick and David Berman.
We've also built in
working time so you'll have ample opportunity to work together or on
your own and begin applying what you learn directly to your firm. Plus,
you'll hear from your peers who've gone through the challenging process
of specializing their firms and thrived as a result.
Network with other
principals, share your challenges and successes -- and do it all in a
fantastic resort setting. (Discussion groups by the pool, anyone?)
There's never been a more crucial time for you to attend MYOB. Learn more and register today. And be sure to join the active MYOB group on LinkedIn to connect with other creative leaders.
Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, July 07, 2009 3:33:25 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, July 02, 2009
Web Design for Print Designers
So you're comfortable in the world of ink-on-paper. But your clients need campaigns that cross from print to digital media. How can you translate your print skills to web projects? Easy. Learn from a pro in HOW's next webinar, From Print to Web: Translating Your Skills to New Media and Markets. Join presenter Mark O'Brien in this live, interactive session on Thursday, July 9 at 4 p.m. ET. Register now!
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, July 02, 2009 5:33:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Heading to the HOW Conference?
We're just two working days away from heading to Austin for this year's big HOW Design Conference, so I wanted to share some last-minute info and advice for anyone who's planning to join us (and I hope YOU are!):
• Beat the crowd at the registration desk and pick up your conference badge and materials starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 23, on the first floor of the Austin Convention Center. Registration is open throughout the event.
• Expect it to be blazin' hot outside and pretty cool inside the meeting space. Dress code ranges from business casual to T-shirts and jeans.
• We'll be tweeting and blogging live during the conference, so stay tuned here for scoop, and follow us on Twitter: @HOWmag. Join the HOW Conference Twibe, and tag your tweets #HOWConf.
• Looking for places to eat and things to do in Austin? There's no shortage of either, so start here.
What's more, there are lots of extra activities on the agenda (official and otherwise) next week, including:
• A lunch group for designers who work for churches and other religious organizations on Thursday
• A lunch group for designers who work in-house on Friday
• A gay bar crawl following the Friday night reception
• A bar crawl on Sixth Street on Tuesday night
• Fun stuff for folks who aren't into bar crawls
• The Designers Marketplace on Thursday evening
• Design History and Practice: Mano a Mano, a bracket-style tournament hosted by Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio on Thursday night
See y'all in Austin. I'll have my boots on!
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, June 19, 2009 4:00:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, June 04, 2009 Thursday, May 21, 2009
New HOW Conference Sessions Added
Perhaps you do a little freelance work on the side. Or maybe you envision a full-time career as a freelance designer but are unsure about some key business topics you'll need to succeed.
We've teamed up with longtime HOW partners Peleg Top and Ilise Benun to develop a mini-track at the HOW Design Conference just for freelancers or would-be freelancers. These brand-new sessions will all take place on Thursday, June 25. The Town Hall sessions will have a Q&A format, so bring any questions you have about pricing and promoting your work. Learn more about these freelance design sessions here.
- Money Talk: How to Talk to Your Clients About Fees
- Freelancer Town Hall: Pricing and Money with Peleg Top
- Do You Have What It Takes to be a Successful Freelancer?
- Freelancer Town Hall: Marketing and Self-Promotion with Ilise Benun
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, May 21, 2009 8:02:00 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 14, 2009
Put Facebook to Work for You
... and Twitter, and LinkedIn, and ...
If you're using social networking, are you really USING it or just killing time? And if you're not a user, do you wonder what all the fuss is about? Join design-firm principal/branding guru/social media expert Tim Pederson in next week's live HOW webinar to learn all you need to know about: 5 Ways to Use Social Media to Grow Your (and Your Clients') Business. Spend an hour, and Tim will tell you how to put all those tweets, posts and profiles to work in building your client base. Register now!
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Monday, May 11, 2009
Test Your Knowledge of Design History
Friends of HOW Bryony Gomez-Palacio and Armin Vit, newly moved to Austin, TX, are joining us at the HOW Conference as hosts of a new event designed to test how well you paid attention in art history.
They're celebrating the launch of their new book, "Graphic Design Referenced" with Design History and Practice: Mano-a-Mano -- a showdown pitting 16 worthy contestants who'll vie for a free registration to the 2010 HOW Conference. We haven't done anything like this before, but we're pretty certain it'll be great fun.
Go here for more information about the event, and sign up ... if you dare.
Posted by BrynEvents | HOW Magazine
Monday, May 11, 2009 9:19:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 06, 2009
No Posts On Thursday
The HOWblog will be moving to a new server on Thursday, so there won't be any new posts until Friday. See you then! Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 6:49:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 04, 2009
For Freelancers
Creative Freelancer Conference co-host Ilise Benun has put together a panel discussion for her live webinar at 7 p.m. ET tonight—featuring straight talk and real answers from pros who are successfully freelancing now. The panelists cover a range of specialties and experiences—from writing to design to strategy—so no matter what type of freelancer you are, you're sure to get practical, real-world information you can use to build your own successful freelance career. You'll learn: - The attitudes and techniques required to get work right now
- The most viable industries and market sectors that are growing right now where you can find new clients
- The strongest and most effective marketing tools, including how to get work through Twitter
Get more info and register for this live, one-hour event.
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, May 04, 2009 3:27:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Making a Cover
HOW's very resourceful associate editor, Jessica Kuhn, posted a Q&A with our equally resourceful art director, Bridgid McCarren, that takes you behind the scenes in the making of the new issue's cover. Bridgid took this issue's theme of hands-on creativity to heart as she painted and stenciled the logo. 
HOW Magazine
Monday, May 04, 2009 3:14:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Reflex Blue Show
I had the pleasure of joining hosts Nate Voss and Donovan Beery (and our friend Steve Gordon) for their Reflex Blue Show podcast. Thanks, guys! 
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, April 30, 2009 7:10:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
11 Good Reasons
Presenting Our Top 11 Reasons Why You Should Register for the HOW Design Conference This Week (we couldn't stop at 10): 11. You'll have a chance to stockpile paper samples, stock photo catalogs and tons of other swag in the Resource Center. 10. Airfare to Austin is cheap from just about anywhere. 9. Closing party theme—Keep Austin Weird—is a great excuse to get your funk on. 8. New Designer's Marketplace is a good source for well-made gifts to take back to your colleagues. 7. This year's speaker lineup is especially good-looking. 6. You can totally customize the program to your personal interests. Like, maybe, this session: Freud, Sex and Graphic Design. 5. Mark Randall's closing session will totally fire you up for changing the world through your work. 4. You'll have a chance to meet the HOW staff and pitch to be in the magazine. 3. We have absolutely no idea what Marc English will do onstage, but we're pretty sure it'll be inspiring. 2. You'll be even smarter when you leave Austin, with your brain packed full of new info on branding, Flash, color, fonts, marketing, business, leadership, creativity and more. 1. You'll save 100 smackers if you register by midnight Friday.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, April 28, 2009 1:24:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 27, 2009
Create a Custom HOW Conference Program
HOW Conference veterans know that picking what sessions to attend can be both the easiest and the hardest thing about going: easy, because you can drop into any session you want, and hard, because with 50-ish sessions, there's a lot to choose from. So we're giving you a bit of help. In addition to the "tracks" of related sessions (Creativity, Business, Career, In-House, Tech & Production and Disciplines), we've developed a list of recommended sessions for designers of all stripes. Are you a freelance designer? Here's a lineup of presentations for you. A digital/interactive designer? Here you go. Easy, huh?
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, April 27, 2009 1:52:51 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Creativity: The Issue
We're proud as peacocks of our brand-new issue, which taps into the DIY trend that's shaping design—and provides tons of information and inspiration to fuel your creativity. Among our fave features is the one created by senior editor Megan Lane Patrick, art director Bridgid McCarren, writer Michelle Taute and photographer Al Parrish: a step-by-step guide to printing by hand. It's fitting that hand-printing can be a real cost-saver; you'll find other budget-friendly tips for paper and printing, too. Take a peek inside the issue, and watch for yours in the mail (or pick up a copy at your local bookstore or at HOWbookstore.com).
HOW Magazine
Friday, April 24, 2009 2:29:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 23, 2009
Panicked About Pricing?
Fretful about your fees? Relax. We'll have some answers and some aspirin to cure your pricing headaches in today's HOW webinar, when consultant Emily Cohen will walk you through four strategies and four best practices for setting, sticking to and discussing your design fees. It's this afternoon at 4 p.m. ET, so sign up now; just a few seats remain available.
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, April 23, 2009 1:30:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Making the Case for the Conference
Sure, YOU know how great the HOW conference experience can be—how it refuels your passion for your work, connects you with other designers, sharpens your business skills and boosts your design career. But as you're making a case to attend this year's event, your boss will want to know what's in it for the company. Why should it pay to send you? Ah—you knew we'd help you with that, right? Here's a strategy for convincing your boss to send you to HOW. For starters, see all the sessions that will help you help your company with key initiatives—branding, organizational communication, efficient project-management, sync'ing business with design, connecting with consumers. Then, consider all the software training available: Where else will you learn about Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, QuarkXPress, Flash and After Effects—from the best instructors in the business—in one place? Whoa—think about the Resource Center: talk about your one-stop shop for paper samples, vendor connections and info about new products and services that'll help your business work smarter. Finally, you can share your conference learnings with your colleagues. Here are some great ideas on how to do that. Still need help convincing your boss? Just copy and paste this text into an e-mail and hit Send. See you in Austin!
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 1:49:16 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Design Economic Summit
The stock market is up (mostly), economic stimulus money is hitting the street and people are getting tax rebates. Still, designers may be feeling uncertain about how the economy is affecting their work. You know you can count on HOW to help your design business and career thrive! So we've put together a special panel of design pros at the HOW Design Conference to address the economy head-on. They'll share what they're experiencing across the country, and take your questions and comments. You'll come away with a better handle on -- and hopefully more confidence in -- where design is heading these days. Yet another reason to register for the conference before the May 1 early registration deadline.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 1:41:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Light Posting
The HOW staff will be mostly out of the office this week for the Promotion Design Awards. That means light blogging, but we'll be gathering lots of great design work to share in the magazine. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, April 21, 2009 12:49:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 13, 2009
Pricing Webinar Next Week!
These questions plague most designers: Am I charging enough for my work? Or too much? And how do I talk with my clients about my fees? If you're vexed by pricing, relax -- in next week's HOW webinar, consultant Emily Cohen will give you 4 strategies for setting, sticking to and talking about your fees. Get more scoop on the session here. Join us on Thursday, April 23 at 4:00 ET/1:00 PT for this one-hour, live session -- you'll be able to ask Emily questions about your own pricing dilemmas. Registration is now open -- sign up now, as space is limited and these sessions have been filling up quickly.
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, April 13, 2009 2:11:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Calling all Freelancers
If you're a creative solopreneur, you're probably seeking business guidance, inspiration and a kick in the pants to jump-start your marketing efforts. Good news: you can get all that -- from expert speakers who've been there -- at the second annual Creative Freelancer Conference presented by HOW and Marketing Mentor. We've just opened registration, so make your plans now to join us in San Diego, August 26 to 28. A few program highlights: • The exceptionally talented solopreneur Petrula Vrontikis will help you answer the question, "What does your freelance business want to be when it grows up?" • June Walker, a tax consultant who works with independent professionals, will share strategies for minimizing and simplifying your taxes • Communication guru and blogger extraordinaire Colleen Wainright will give you "astoundingly simple" strategies for making social media work as a free marketing tool • Plus, we've added in-depth post-conference workshops that will guide you in setting your pricing structure and developing a customized and targeted marketing plan you can start using right away. Check out the full program here. Really, there's no better time to invest a couple of intensive days in making your solo biz all it can be. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, April 08, 2009 7:50:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 03, 2009
HOW Forum Maintenance Today
The time is officially here where the HOW Forum, which has grown so nicely
thanks to all of your support, is being switched over to a new server
that can better handle the amount of traffic. We thank you
for your continued patience in the time leading up to this transition.
During a few hours today, the forum may be shut down, as to
ensure that the transition happens smoothly without any of our favorite
threads being lost. Please bear with us a little longer. Our emedia team is working hard to make sure the forum is preserved during this switch.
Posted by Jessie
Designers | HOW Magazine
Friday, April 03, 2009 2:40:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, March 27, 2009
It's 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 big savings off the full HOW Conference registration if you sign up by Wednesday, April. That's next week, so get crackin'!
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, March 27, 2009 2:03:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Recession-Proof Webinar Thursday
Tired of all the doom-and-gloom? Do something! In tomorrow's live webinar, Mary-Lynn Bellamy-Willms will help you find 5 smart things you can do NOW to make sure your design practice survives -- and even thrives -- in this tight economy. One hour + $69 = one smart investment in your firm. Register now.
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 2:05:40 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sneak Peek @ HOW's June Issue
We don't often do sneak peeks at upcoming issues, but as we send the May/June issue of HOW to the printer today, I'm so geeked about this edition that I can't keep it under wraps. One of my favorite features in the issue taps into the whole DIY/handcrafted movement that's shaping design right now. Art director Bridgid McCarren, senior editor Megan Patrick and photographer Al Parrish teamed up to create three original projects and document their process. The projects involved different hand-printing processes: screen printing, stenciling and block printing. You'll get a step-by-step photo tutorial and materials list for each technique, so you can print your own personal projects or inject a bit of handcraft into your client work. Here are a few shots of the screen-printing project, a fun little stationery set.  
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, March 17, 2009 3:04:51 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, March 16, 2009
Meet the New Boss
Gary Lynch has joined F+W Media as publisher and editorial director for the design community, which includes HOW and our sister publications, Print and I.D. magazines. Lynch is a media industry veteran with previous stops at Reuters, Incisive Media and Thomson Media.
HOW Magazine | Industry News
Monday, March 16, 2009 4:36:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, February 23, 2009
Find HOW on Twitter
HOW Magazine
Monday, February 23, 2009 6:08:49 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Harness Those Killer Ideas
Just a little creative jolt, precisely when you need it: HOW is teaming up with Stefan Mumaw on a webinar this Thursday: 7 Killer Steps to Generating Big, Fat, Hairy Design Ideas. One hour could save your brain. Really. Details: Thursday, February 26 from 4 to 5 p.m. ET/ 1 to 2 p.m. PT. More info here. What you'll learn: • What ‘Creative Training’ can do to pump up your flabby ideator.
• How the biggest ideas hide behind the smallest questions.
• How laying on the floor can make ideas reach the roof.
• The benefits of assembling your own creative posse.
• How play can be work, and vice versa.
• How what you can reach right now may be all you need to trigger an idea torrent.
Go ahead and register now. Only a few seats are left!
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, February 23, 2009 4:55:19 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, February 20, 2009
Lovin' Austin
In advance of the HOW Design Conference in Austin that's coming up in June, we're checking out the city's vibrant creative scene. First stop: the blog AllThingsAustinDesign.com, where Adrienne Breaux spotlights cool architecture, design, art events, landscaping, local crafts and more. Adrienne shares her fave things about her hometown over on the HOW Conference Blog. We're big fans! 
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, February 20, 2009 9:08:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, February 19, 2009
Dealing with a Sucky Economy
Yep, it’s official: We’re in a recession. Have been since December 2007. All hell is breaking loose, we’re all going to lose our jobs, and we’ll be subsisting on peanut butter (yikes!) and ramen noodles within weeks. Or so you’d believe if you listen to economists, financial experts and reporters.
Frankly, I’m tired of all that. Seeing as how I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl, I prefer to find opportunity amid the chaos. Don’t get me wrong: The tough economy is hitting pretty close to home (trust me, publishing is a business you don’t want to be in these days).
But I also believe the crunch will prompt us, and businesses around the globe, to make smarter decisions, to focus and to pursue what matters. And those things, in the long term, will set us up for success. Here’s what I mean:
Make smarter decisions. As resources (both people and finances) get tighter, big companies and small design agencies can’t afford to pursue half-baked ideas that don’t have real potential. We simply can’t spin our wheels making products our customers don’t want, or extending brands beyond their logical audiences. As designer and business coach Peleg Top argues in HOW's April Business column, we can’t spend foolishly to upgrade to the new cell phone we don’t need, or to write a new car off as a company expense. We need to be smart and strategic about how we spend our time, money and manpower.
Focus. If you’re a freelance designer or design firm that takes any project from any client who knocks on your door, you’re probably feeling the pinch more acutely than your peers who specialize in specific markets or categories. Why? Because your clients don’t perceive you as an expert who’s vital to the very survival of their businesses. For years, gurus like David Baker have touted the value of finding a focused market for your design services, so you can develop a deep and valuable understanding of your clients’ needs and goals. Companies retain relationships with their key partners during a downturn.
Pursue what matters. An article published by the American Marketing Association in 1993 ( cited here), following the 1991–1992 recession, reported that companies that invested marketing dollars during the down economy gained market share—and kept it. Now’s the time to ramp up your marketing efforts, especially if your business is slow. Instead of laying off staff, spend those unbilled hours on projects for your firm. If you’re a solo designer, invest in your career by learning one of the many in-demand skills.
Panic? That’s for weenies. Be smart, focus and pursue what matters. We’ll all be fine.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, February 19, 2009 7:26:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, February 06, 2009
HOW Webinar: Wrangling Great Ideas
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, February 06, 2009 3:14:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Ice Storm!
HOW headquarters is without power today due to a nasty ice storm. Our email is down and it doesn't seem like the phones are working either. But the website is up. It must be hosted away from our Cincinnati offices. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:19:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 26, 2009
Tell Us What You Think
HOW has begun hosting a series of monthly webinars for designers, and response to our first sessions has been terrific. In order to gauge what topics you're most interested in, we've put together a brief survey. Please take just a moment to tell us what you think -- and you'll be registered for a drawing to receive a collection of HOW Books. Thanks!
Take the survey.
HOW Magazine
Monday, January 26, 2009 4:11:12 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 19, 2009
HOW Conference Registration Now Open!
Here's a bit of good news for a Monday: Registration for the 09 HOW Design Conference is now open! Visit HOWconference.com for the complete lineup of speakers, which includes the super-talented Michael Osborne, web-design visionary Cameron Moll, Austinites DJ Stout and Marc English (not presenting together, though I'd pay good money to see that), Photoshop guru Russell Brown, craftivist Kate Bingaman-Burt, Whole Foods in-housers Jill Hagelstein and Heather Kennedy, and the creative genii behind the Hoops & Yoyo phenomenon. As if that weren't enough (and by gosh, dontcha think it oughta be??) ... we're hosting a first-ever marketplace for attendees who design, make and sell their own goods. And of course, all the extras you've come to expect like Studio Tours and a rockin' closing party. Important linkage: • Register before April 1 for the best price (and check out all the new package deals) • Dig all the sessions• Check the Conference Blog for news and scoop • All about AustinSo, um, we're pretty excited. Join us, won't you?
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, January 19, 2009 1:28:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, January 05, 2009
A Post-Holiday Deal for You
Everyone knows that NOW is the time to make purchases, what with all the sales going on. No different in the HOW bookstore. Here's the deal: Buy the CD compilation of all 2008 issues of HOW magazine, and get the 2007 collection (also on disk) free. So, let's see what that adds up to: • 12 great issues of your favorite design magazine • 533 award-winning print and interactive designs • 240 top promotion designs • 11 case studies of business-savvy design firms • hourly rate AND salary survey reports • 1600+ pages of design inspiration Plus, all the issues are searchable, portable -- and, best of all, you don't have to share with your co-workers. The whole shebang for just 35 bucks. Just enter the promo code HW07CD. Buy the 2008 Annual and get the 2007 Annual Free
HOW Magazine
Monday, January 05, 2009 7:01:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Our Type of Cover
Forgive our bragging, but we're keen on the typographic cover that HOW's art director Bridgid McCarren concocted for the new issue. She scouted a local antiques dealer's warehouse of vintage type and found three lovely letters (that, fortunately, read correctly in reverse); local photographer Randy Hoover shot the image. You'll find the issue here or at your favorite bookstore now. 
HOW Magazine
Monday, January 05, 2009 2:52:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
And To All a Good Night
Happy holidays from HOW HQ; we're watching the freezing rain this afternoon, buttoning up some year-end projects and preparing to take some time off. The blog will be mighty quiet until we're all back in the office on January 5. Happy holidays, and happy New Year! Posted by Bryn
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 6:05:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Enjoy the Holiday
For our U.S. friends, enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday this week; for our overseas friends, enjoy the peace and quiet on Thursday and Friday, when your American clients and colleagues won't bother you. The HOW blog will be quiet, too, with the team taking a bit of time off beginning later today. See you next week! Posted by the HOW gang
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 4:07:02 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
A Class Project
Former HOW art director Amy Hawk and two of her fellow instructors at the University of Akron (John Morrison and Dave Szalay) recently gave their Type 3 classes an assignment that Amy knows all too well: design a cover for HOW's Self-Promotion Issue. Amy forwarded all the cover designs here to HOW HQ and asked us to choose the three strongest designs. Here's the work that caught our eyes: First place, by Ashley Engelhardt: We liked the scribbled HOW logo, the great contrast, the textured background and the concept itself, which references the Xeroxed personal ads with the little tear-off tabs that are ubiquitous on college campuses.  Second place, by Melissa Olson: Though we were a bit befuddled by the weird family photo, we liked the cover-as-corkboard concept and thought the masking-tape logo treatment was clever.  Third place, by Rachel Von Hendrix: The typographic illustration, though not an original idea, was well-done, and we liked the color scheme.  And we selected a runner up, too, by Slyeri Lee. We didn't get it, but we thought the image was cool.  Posted by Bryn
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 7:08:07 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Safeguard Your Career in a Tough Economy
Let's face reality. Times are tough. The economy is
in the dumpster. Companies are downsizing and clients aren't spending
as much as they did. You need an edge to get ahead.
Here's the edge you need: Make Yourself Priceless, a HOW webinar presented by Jeni Herberger on Thursday, October 30. Register now and join the live interactive presentation at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on Thursday.
We're offering a $20 discount on this session; invest just $49 and an hour of your time, and you'll get information you need to better understand your clients' business, speak the language of your company and increase your value as a designer.
Register now! Use code desau21 when you register to receive the $20 discount.
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 4:00:25 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 24, 2008
You'll Have to Wait and See
Our kick-@ss panel of judges wrapped up their work a half-day early on Thursday evening, much to our immense gratitude. Our hugest thanks go to Stefan Bucher, Shannon Carter and Lisa Sanger for their keen eyes and strong backs. Stefan summed up their picks (more than 200 in all) thusly: "All the work used its format well and to the utmost." Right. Stay tuned for the April 2009 issue of HOW to see all the glorious designs. In the meantime, check out our gallery of past HOW award winners.
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, October 24, 2008 4:24:57 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, October 17, 2008
The Week Of October 20
The entire HOW staff will be away from the office the week of October 20 to facilitate the HOW International Design Awards. The cavernous facility we use does not have internet access so blog posts will be short, random and/or at odd times. But rest assured we'll be digging through piles of design work to find the best of the best, which we'll bring you in the March/April 2009 issue. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Friday, October 17, 2008 8:20:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, September 29, 2008
MYOB Day 3
Talk about brain overload. With 10 new speakers on this year's roster, there was a TON of great business information shared during MYOB. More recap: From Katherine Spencer Lee of The Creative Group on finding, hiring and keeping the best talent: • Never use a previous job description when hiring; challenge yourself to create a new one. Ask yourself, what has changed? And then develop a new job description based on your current needs. • Invest the most time in your best people, not your underperformers. Do this: On one side of a sheet of paper, list the staffers you spend the most time on. Flip the paper over and write the names of top contributors. Do both sides match? If not, you may need to reallocate your time. • Develop a set of 8 to 10 questions you ask everyone you interview. Each should have strategic significance. By asking the same questions every time, you can better compare applicants and avoid the "halo effect" -- that tendency we have to hire people who are like us. From Ed Fiander and Linda Rappaport of Gazelle Strategic Partners on strategic planning: • Use the Balanced Scorecard for planning your firm's growth • As we head into an uncertain economy, now is exactly the right moment to devote time to strategic planning work. • Everything -- staff development, business processes, customer relations, financial systems -- stems from your vision and strategy. Everything. From Darryl Salerno of Second Quadrant Solutions on presentations: • Learn to read your audience, using a formula that's loosely based on the DISC profile: Thinkers, Feelers, Intuitors, Sensors. • Avoid canned presentations (the dreaded "Dog and Pony Show") -- they're about you, not your client/client to be. Instead, probe their needs and talk about your capabilities as proof that you can meet those needs. • The first 30 to 90 seconds of your presentation are crucial; you need to engage your audience at the start. How? Ask a yes/no question; tell a joke; state a fact; make an emphatic statement; use a quote. • Practice every major presentation -- every time! Do it two ways: in real time, and dramatically condensed. By doing the latter, you'll see where the "meat" of your presentation lies, and you'll be prepared if the client suddenly tells you you have 30 minutes instead of 90. From Donna Karlin of A Better Perspective on leadership: • Pay attention. To your own hidden leadership qualities (those things the people around you respond to but that you may not consider leadership traits). To your own success. • Find the extraordinary in an ordinary day. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, September 29, 2008 2:16:31 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Saturday, September 27, 2008
MYOB Day 2
Where to start? There was too much information in play on the first full day of the MYOB Conference: selling, finance, staffing, relationships. I took pages of notes, and I'm not even an attendee -- all the principals in the room were scribbling. A few highlights from the sessions: From Darryl Salerno on building client relationships: • Networking is the primary sales activity for a design firm; you should spend 20% of your time on developing relationships • Don't pursue relationships purely for business ends, but rather because you're genuinely interested in connecting. Put something into the relationship, and the business results will come. • Each week: call 3-5 people you know, call 2-3 people you don't know; meet with 1-2 people you know and with 1-2 people you don't know • Prompted by Darryl's comments about the value of LinkedIn, I'll be creating an MYOB group on the networking site From Blair Enns on the sales function: • The selling cycle for a design firm involves 7 steps: Planning (positioning); Lead Generation; Qualifying (determining whether your client to be is in the early stage or late stage of buying); Nurturing (staying in front of your early-stage clients to be); Closing your late-stage clients to be; Diagnosing & Prescribing; Executing • In a small firm, the principal might do all those activities; in a larger firm, she can delegate some. But she can't delegate the Planning and Closing stages. • A design firm (of any size) should shoot for 10 clients ongoing, each contributing 10% of the firm's revenue. Every year, as 2-4 clients leave, the business-development function is geared toward replacing those 2-4 clients. Sounds simple, eh? • Set a "minimum level of engagement" -- that's the 10% of your firm's revenue -- and, get this: tell your prospects that's what you expect. The right clients will agree; the wrong ones will walk away from the table. From Rick Gould: • 30% profitability is achievable for design firms; most operate way below that. • The key is watching your finances and hitting benchmarks, like keeping compensation at or below 50%, rent at or below 7%, operating expenses at or below 10%, sales costs at or below 3%. • The goal is to build your firm's value so you can ultimately sell it. I'll do a final recap on Monday. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Saturday, September 27, 2008 1:00:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 26, 2008
MYOB Day 1
Blair Enns made a repeat appearance to kickoff MYOB last night, with a presentation that was as thought-provoking as his previous gigs. Specialization has been a constant theme at all MYOB conferences (learn more about that here) -- the idea that design firms that develop deep expertise in a particular market, discipline or category have huge advantages over firms that do all work for all clients. Enns definitely espouses that idea, and he talked about creating a positioning strategy. Positioning, he says, starts with your specialty -- expertise makes up 85% of your firm's identity. Then he talked about the role of personality, passion and ideology in crafting the last 15%, what he calls the "flavor" -- the tie-breaker element when a client is considering working with you. Enns noted that designers often pour too much passion into their work and thus burn out. Likewise, personality isn't a good foundation for your position, because, as Enns says, most firms have similar personalities (we're fun! we love our clients! we have dogs in the office!). Rather, ideology should be the generator of a firm's "flavor" -- a higher goal, a bigger philosophy, a flag in the sand that tells clients and employees what you believe in. It was very smart stuff that had people in deep conversation throughout the evening. More later on Day 2. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, September 26, 2008 12:52:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 25, 2008
Minding Our Business
I'm in Austin this week and weekend for HOW's Mind Your Own Business Conference. With all due apologies to my colleagues, Megan and Bridgid, who are holding down the fort at HOW HQ, the conference venue, the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort, absolutely rawks. (They'll get theirs next week, though, when they head to San Francisco, which I adore, to host our in-house event.) The conference kicks off this evening, but in between collating paper and stuffing binders, I've had a chance to explore this place; it's like summer camp for grown ups. Archery, tennis, golf, kayaking, s'mores over the firepit in the evening. But for the really sweet bar, I could just as well be at Gnaw Bone Camp in Southern Indiana circa 1980. I still have my archery badge. We're all in store for two and a half hard-core days of focused business work, and that's the M.O. for MYOB. From the beginning, we've chosen resort-y locations for the event, knowing that design-firm principals rarely take vacations (though they should). So we've set MYOB up as a way for folks to take a vacation from their business even while they're working on it. First up tonight: The ever thought-provoking (and provocative) Blair Enns, back for a third perspective-shattering presentation at MYOB. I'll be posting tomorrow and Saturday with details on the sessions. Assuming I can get wireless out by the pool.  Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, September 25, 2008 6:50:56 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Designer, Promote Thyself
HOW's been helping designers spread the word about their work for eons, practically since the magazine started in the late 80s. So we're happy to be a part of the AIGA Orange County Ultimate Promo Show & Expo. If you're in the OC, plan to attend this event, where you can take a look at winners from HOW's 2008 Promotion Design Awards, plus get expert advice on promoting your design business from a panel of veterans including Sean Adams and Petrula Vrontikis (hosted by yours truly). I'll have a few copies of HOW and some other goodies on hand to give away, as well.  Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, September 22, 2008 7:19:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008
New HOW Design Competition!
I have ... let's see ... six posters in my tiny little office (including four from past HOW Design Conferences). I collect vintage posters at home ( see Wednesday, March 12 post). I [heart] posters. In fact, the winner of this year's International Design Awards was, you guessed it: a poster campaign.  So we've decided to launch a design competition that spotlights my favorite kind of design project. (drumroll please ...) Here's the brand-new HOW Poster Design Awards. It's pretty slick: You can enter and upload your work entirely online. Judging panel is to be announced; the entry deadline is December 1. We'll profile the top 10 winners on HOWdesign.com. |
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008
In-House Designers: Making Connections
I'll admit my bias, but I really love the conferences that the HOW team hosts. Specifically, I love all the connections that happen: between the speakers and attendees, among attendees themselves (and also between our team and our audience). If you're an in-house designer, chances are good that you have few opportunities to make meaningful connections with other designers -- other right-brain types like you. Which is what next month's In-HOWse Designer Conference is all about. If you're thinking about going to San Francisco for this event, be sure to make your arrangements right away. The hotel discount we've secured will expire at midnight tomorrow (Wednesday). Learn more about that here. And if JetBlue flies into your hometown, you can score a 5% discount ( here). Still undecided? Here's why you should go.  
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, September 09, 2008 8:37:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Promotion Design Award Winner
For those of you playing along at home, you'll want to check out the winner of HOW's most recent design competition: our Promotion Design Awards. Sure, you say to yourself, it's such a cliche that a paper/printer promotion wins a design competition. But trust us: we KNOW paper promos ( we get a zillion of 'em), and this one flat-out ROCKS. While you're reading about this year's winner, take a listen to the free podcast we created to take you behind the scenes during the judging process as the jury deliberates which of several contenders will score the Best of Show spot. 
HOW Magazine | Industry News
Tuesday, September 09, 2008 4:47:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, September 08, 2008
A Freelance Revolution
A week after the Creative Freelancer Conference wrapped, and we're still getting amazing stories from attendees who are rethinking the way they do business. You'll find a whole list of links to photos (including the one below by Nicholas Nawroth) and posts on the CFC Blog, but the story that rocked my world today came from freelance writer Sarah Daly, who wrote to say that she walked into a client meeting last week armed with renewed confidence in her work and her fees—and she landed a brand-new gig! Seriously, we can't make this stuff up. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, September 08, 2008 4:19:05 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 02, 2008
CFC Yearbook
Chicago-based freelancer Ian Arsenault graciously volunteered last week to shoot Day 3 of the Creative Freelancer Conference. Good thing, because my average photo skills plus the hotel's wonky lighting meant my own snaps were less than stellar. Ian shared his pics, which you can find on his Facebook page (friend him first, if you haven't already). Speaker Lee Silber:  Speaker Jeff Fisher:  Three lovely attendees:  Three (lovely?) hosts:  Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, September 02, 2008 4:53:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, August 29, 2008
CFC: Day 3
OK, so this is my second attempt to post this review of the Creative Freelancer Conference; my first, done just after the event wrapped earlier today, ended badly when the hotel internet connection kicked me off and lost my work. Ah, technology. Regardless, it was a terrific event, and the first of what I'm sure will be an ongoing gathering of solo creative types. The thing that stood out today was Lee Silber's personal slideshow, which he created as a vision of his ideal life. It was made up of his own photos, found images, key words meaningful to him and a soundtrack; Lee keeps it on his iPhone and on his desktop computer as a regular reminder of what he's really working for (and toward). Lee's time-management seminar was great. The ever-generous Jeff Fisher wound things up with an overview of his experiences and advice on running a well-balanced freelance gig, gleaned from his 30 years on his own. I like to think that Jeff was freelancing when freelancing wasn't cool. If you are a freelancer, stay tuned to CreativeFreelancerConference.com and its companion blog, which we expect to become a community for people like you. The connections that were developed here in Chicago are too valuable to be lost, so we'll create a meeting spot online. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, August 29, 2008 11:08:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, August 28, 2008
More from CFC
I love the moment at an event like the Creative Freelancers Conference, when the people in the room look around and suddenly realize they're not alone. (It happened, too, at the In-HOWse Designer Conference, when all those corporate creatives, people who often are the only right brains in the room.) You recognize that there are lots and lots of people who have the same joys and challenges that you encounter in running your business. Cool. Today's agenda carries on the introductory lesson from last night, with a whole notebook full of nuts-and-bolts strategies and tactics on client relationships and marketing. Following the eagerly attended breakfast roundtable discussions this morning, Joan Gladstone kicked off with a conversation about how to make clients love you. She started by talking about why clients leave (they're frustrated by a lack of follow-through, communication, enthusiasm or chemistry with their creative-service firm). And then she offered 12 tips on keeping that flame burning brightly. Some of it sounds simple enough (i.e., under-promise and over-deliver). But when you think about what those old rules mean (i.e., don't agree, out of desperation or eagerness, to deadlines you can't meet), you realize how NOT simple it is. This morning's second session featured Colleen Wainright (my new idol) and Ilise Benun talking about how to build a marketing machine. They boiled this nebulous and intimidating concept (marketing) down to five must-have tools: a marketing-savvy website, e-mail marketing, networking, research calls (we don't call them cold calls anymore) and printed materials. They gave everyone a homework assignment: Come up with your 10-word blurb. Fill in the blanks: I work with ___________ and I help them ___________ .
The key is starting this phrase with the market or group you're targeting. As the speakers noted, marketing is all about your prospects, not about you. More later ... Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, August 28, 2008 7:21:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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CFC: Day 1 Rocked
During the opening Creative Freelancer Conference session on Wednesday afternoon, I noted that when Peleg Top, Ilise Benun, HOW conference director Sara Dumford and I met one year ago to discuss an event for freelancers, we thought we were on to something. Yesterday, I KNEW we were on to something. The 225+ people in the room were so eager for information, so energized by making connections, so encouraged that they aren't alone in their business joys and challenges. It's a great group. Our conference co-hosts started off with a session that spotlighted the myths and realities of being a successful (emphasis on that) solopreneur. They went through 8 essential elements of a freelance business, from client relationships to business policies to work/life balance, and offered one key takeaway for each. The session was essentially a preview of the marketing, pricing, client relationship and time-management sessions to come. Then, Dyana Valentine led a terrific workshop about creative collaboration. Collaboration? At a conference for freelancers? Of course: You may not have office-mates, but you certainly have collaborative efforts, with vendors, clients -- and, most important (as this conference is hammering home) with the myriad other freelance creatives with whom you can connect.  
Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, August 28, 2008 1:02:14 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Live from Chicago
HOW's brand-new Creative Freelancer Conference is just a few minutes from kicking off, and I'm almost giddy about this first-ever event! The opening keynote is at 4:00 ET; unfortunately since the hotel doesn't have wifi in the meeting rooms (boo!), my plans to live-blog the event won't be so "live" after all. But I'll post a few notes from the opening session later this evening, and chime in as I can in between tomorrow's jam-packed day of sessions. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, August 27, 2008 7:51:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, August 25, 2008
La Vida Freelance
Tomorrow, I'm off to Chicago's Hyatt Regency hotel for HOW's first-ever Creative Freelancer Conference, where I'll be mingling with 225+ independent-minded creative types. For the first time, I'll feel like an attendee at one of our conferences, as this one is geared not just toward designers but also to people like me: writers (and also illustrators, photographers and other creative pros). Like most creatives, I've had opportunity to do some freelancing, either between "real" jobs or on the side. So I'm quite interested in what the speakers have to say, and keen to network with other "solopreneurs." Assuming my schedule and internet access go as planned, I intend to do some live blogging from the event, so stay tuned Wednesday through Friday.
If you're joining us for this conference, you'll find me here:  Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, August 25, 2008 3:25:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Post-Vacation Blues
It’s hard to imagine, but with Labor Day right around the corner,
summer is nearing its end. If you’re planning a getaway to enjoy the
final days of warm weather, chances are it’s not leaving the office
that you find most difficult, it’s returning. In a survey by The
Creative Group, one in three (33%) advertising and marketing executives
polled said they dread the work awaiting their return. Another 10% said
they prevent this scenario by rarely going on vacations. Here are steps
you can take to ensure you’re productive instead of panic-stricken when
you get back. Read more.Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:42:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Going to Austin
I'm a huge fan of Austin, so I'm super psyched that HOW's Mind Your Own Business conference is heading there this fall. If you run a design firm, you should make the trip, too (and sign up this week, as our $100-off discount registration offer ends Friday!). In addition to the amazing resort location for this year's MYOB, we've boosted the program with special sessions targeting large and small firms, and also focused breakout sessions led by veteran design-firm principals with advice to share. We're also encouraging principals to stay through Sunday (after the formal program ends Saturday night) to take advantage of optional working time, software user groups and more. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 2:19:35 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 21, 2008
Join Us This Week!
Looking to finesse your creative career? Seeking a better balance between the work that you enjoy and the life that you want? Join popular HOW Conference speaker Jeni Herberger as she presents a one-hour, interactive live webinar this week. Jeni's session last month drew rave reviews from participants, so you won't want to miss this week's presentation. Get more info about the series.In Jeni's Designing Your Reality session on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, you'll learn: • How to look at your life priorities to create your own reality
• How to recognize what you value the most
• How to find your self in your work life Even better, we're offering $20 off and a free HOW Career Guide to sweeten the pot. Register today! Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, July 21, 2008 4:27:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 14, 2008
For Your Design Business & Career
Think of this as Summer School for Creatives: HOW has two events coming soon that'll help shape your design career and boost your freelance business. Our brand-new Creative Freelancer Conference, August 27, 28 & 29 in Chicago, is all about getting the work you want from the clients you want at the price you want. Lots of solo creatives have already signed up, so you know the vibe will be great and the information valuable. Tomorrow, July 15, is the early-bird deadline, so register now and save some cash. Next week, get a handle on your design career with Jeni Herberger's webinar, Designing Your Reality. Jeni's June webinar drew rave reviews from participants, so her next sessions (July 24 and August 21) are definitely something you won't want to miss. We're offering a special discounted price plus a nifty freebie ( a free downloadable HOW Career Guide for Designers) if you sign up now.
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, July 14, 2008 2:57:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 07, 2008
In Case You Missed It
If you missed out on the HOW Design Conference (or if you missed a couple of key sessions), you can still catch it -- vicariously -- now that we've made session MP3s and handouts available. MP3s of regular sessions are $15; workshops are $19, and the whole shebang (that's 56 sessions) is $199. Handouts, on the other hand, are free. In-house designers especially were loving Andy Epstein's session, Visuals & Verbals; that presentation is among those now available.  Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, July 07, 2008 2:56:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 30, 2008
MYOB Love
Choosing my favorite among HOW's four design conference is sort of like choosing a favorite among your four children: I love them all in different ways. But if I had HAD to pick a very favorite, I'd pick our Mind Your Own Business Conference, the business event just for design-firm principals. Why? Partly because it's intimate and less overwhelming than the big HOW Conference. But mostly because IT WORKS. It makes a difference. Like for the firm we profiled in the magazine that saw a huge growth in profitability and a huge decline in the number of hours the principals worked—specifically after they implemented what they'd learned at MYOB. We've just launched the site for this year's MYOB Conference, September 27-29 in one of my favorite cities: Austin. ( Seriously, check out this sweet resort.) This year's program includes a bunch of new stuff, like sessions targeted for large or small firms, peer-to-peer learning sessions and an optional working day on Sunday where principals can work on their own, team up with a speaker or get hands-on training on time-management and billing tools. Learn about what's new, and sign up early to score a discount. Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, June 30, 2008 8:31:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Frenemies At Work
Some people are so competitive on the job that they’ll do just about
anything to get ahead. And few things can wreak havoc at work like a
colleague who seems friendly but secretly tries to make you look bad.
What do you do when you find you have a frenemy at the gate? Following
are some tips:
Call their bluff. A frenemy’s behavior can often catch
you off guard. For example, say you find out a new designer you’ve
trained and taken out to lunch took full credit for a project in which
you did half the work. Your best course of action in such a
circumstance is to have a private, straightforward conversation with
him or her. Tell the person exactly how you feel and listen to the
response. Is the designer genuinely apologetic or defensive? Even
though confronting the coworker may not change his or her way of
operating, it will let your frenemy know you’re not an easy target.
Remain professional. If you’ve been burned by
someone, it may be tempting to give the person a taste of his or her
own medicine. But try to behave in a professional, tactful manner while
also keeping your guard up. As with gossip or office politics, it’s
better to remain above the fray as much as possible. If you get
involved in a tit-for-tat game, you can damage your credibility. Read more. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Monday, June 30, 2008 2:08:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 23, 2008
That Feels Good
We're feeling warm & fuzzy this morning, thanks to some kind feedback on recent HOW efforts. First, over in the Forum, designers are posting some nice comments about our brand-new July/August issue, which is hitting newsstands and mailboxes as we speak. And Jeni Herberger, who's presenting the current HOW webinar series on professional growth for designers, shared a neat email she received from a designer who participated in last Thursday's session: I signed up for this webinar at the last minute, and mainly because I got an email for $20 off...and to be honest, I am SO glad I did. It was inspiring. It made me really want to sit down and create my career brief...and not be so caught up in what I think others want from me, but rather staying true to myself and what I really want to do. So thank you!
Thanks to everyone who participated in the webinar session. If you missed it, you can still sign up to access the archived version, and you can plan to attend the next two sessions: July 24 (Designing Your Reality) and August 21 (Making Yourself Priceless in a Crowded Market).
HOW Magazine
Monday, June 23, 2008 2:43:31 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Career Development Webinar This Week!
Do you aspire to own your own design firm? To lead an in-house creative team? To become the most fabulously valuable asset to your current employer? Learn how to chart the course of your design career with popular HOW speaker and career expert Jeni Herberger, in a one-hour live webinar on Thursday, June 19. Find out more about the event here. And when you register for the HOW Professional Development Webinar you can score $20 off (discount price = $49) by entering this code: desjn19.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, June 17, 2008 4:17:15 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, June 12, 2008
Brains for Business
Most designers haven't had the benefit of business training; they learn about self-promotion and management through real-world experience--and through making mistakes. We've focused a lot of magazine coverage over the years on business issues for designers. In fact, that's one of HOW's missions: to help creative professionals run more successful businesses, whether that's an in-house group, a freelance practice or a design firm.  So now we've compiled the best business advice from the past 3 years' worth of issues into one place: the new Designer's Good Business Guide. It's full of marketing advice, business strategy, profiles of business-savvy design firms, plus links to additional online content, all in an easy-to-download PDF format. And it's a great deal: Through the end of July, we're making it available for $12.95 (regular price is $15). Summer's a good time to brush up on your business expertise and gear up for success. Learn more about the Designer's Good Business Guide.
Design Resources | HOW Magazine
Thursday, June 12, 2008 2:15:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 09, 2008
Yep, We're On Facebook Now!
So HOW is officially a part of the Facebook bandwagon. Because we know that you have a Facebook page, too, be sure to add us as a friend and join the HOW group. Then, if you've been to any of our events, post your photos or hook up with other designers who are our friends, too. 
HOW Magazine | Industry News
Monday, June 09, 2008 3:22:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Design 2.0
 We've just posted a few goodies from HOW's August issue, which is shipping to subscribers now and will be on newsstands in the next week. We had a lot of fun with this issue's topic: the big design trend of incorporating handmade elements. I loved the Editor's Note that senior editor Megan Patrick wrote for this issue, so I thought I'd share it here: I’ve been wondering for the last few months what kind of effect Web 2.0 and social networking might have on design, both online and in print. It feels like there’s a huge shift just percolating under the surface, but I wasn’t able to articulate what was coming until now. I just got back from the 2008 SXSW Interactive Conference and the ideas all of the speakers shared are starting to gel in my brain.
What we’re facing is a radical shift in the roles designers play in our culture and economy, a shift from creators to facilitators of participation, conversation and collaboration. And it’s already starting to happen.
Check out the Poetic Licence website on page 48. Instead of creating a single look for the site, the designers instead made an engine that allows users to customize their experience. Not only that, but if you play with the site enough, you’re rewarded with a coupon for a 10% discount.
In the fashion world, NikeiD lets users create their own shoes. But not everyone has been happy with their creations, so Nike developed a NikeiD Studio at Niketown in New York City, complete with computer stations and design consultants. And in the realm of product design, the Japanese company Muji solicits new ideas from its customers, who then vote on which items should be put into production.
So how might this play out in other kinds of design? There are several scenarios. How about a customizable brochure that contains only the specific information each customer wants. As print-on-demand technology improves, this is becoming more and more possible. Even easier would be a customizable PDF. The user could choose from a selection of text and images to create a totally personalized magazine or newsletter. The possibilities are endless.
And that’s exactly the role designers will play in the future: as engineers of possibility. So don’t worry when amateurs mess around in Photoshop; it’s just a tool. And don’t close yourself off from consumer feedback; dialogue with your end customer will make your work that much stronger.
There’s an uncomfortable but exciting tension right now between creator and consumer, creativity and technology. That tension shaped the stories in this issue, which focus on the role of the handmade in design. It’s a trend that’s been building for the last several years, but even more interesting is the trend of using technology to bring a handmade or customized feel to a mass-produced object.
It’s an exciting time to be in the business of communication, and I look forward to seeing how Design 2.0 develops.
HOW Magazine | Thought Provoking
Wednesday, June 04, 2008 9:43:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 29, 2008
New HOW Webinars
 Back by popular demand, frequent HOW speaker Jeni Herberger is joining us to present a series of webinars this summer. If your design career could use a tune-up (especially if you're looking to make yourself indispensable in this uncertain economy), sign up for HOW's Professional Growth Webinar Series. Jeni will help you outline your career goals, successfully balance your work and
professional life, and develop the strategic-thinking skills you need
to get ahead in the design field—all in three one-hour webinar
sessions.
All sessions are archived, so you can register and view them any time.
(If you registered for the live event, you'll also have online access
to the webinar for 12 months afterward, so you can watch it again and
again as a refresher course.) Register now for the first session on Thursday, June 19.
About the presenterJeni draws on her 20 years in the creative field, including her experience running a creative staffing firm, Big Fish. Her engaging and informative presentation style has earned her big props at various HOW events. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, May 29, 2008 2:39:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Calling All Freelancers
So, you're running your own solo creative gig, and you love working for yourself. Awesome. But my bet is that you're finding it a bit more challenging than the romantic notion you had about freelancing before you started. (In my brief stint as a freelance writer, I hated the business-development side of things.) We've heard more than a few of you say you wished there was some way you could learn all the business and marketing stuff you need to know when you're on your own. That's what the new Creative Freelancer Conference is all about. HOW and Marketing Mentor are teaming up on this first-time event, August 27-29 in Chicago. We've just launched the conference website, where you'll find info on sessions and speakers (most of them seasoned freelancers themselves), plus some helpful resources and a blog. This conference isn't just for designers: if you know any freelance copywriters, illustrators or photographers, let them know about it, too. It'll be a place where designers can network with other creatives whose services they might need. Like HOW's very first conference for in-house designers 3 years ago, we expect this event to fill up fast. Interested? Learn more and register now.
Events | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:43:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Wow
I can't believe it's over. Really. This time last week, we were all
in Boston, juiced up on caffeine and creative energy, and here we are
now back at our desks.
A huge thanks to all of you in the design community -- nearly
4,000 of you! -- who attended, making this the biggest HOW Conference
ever. It was such a blast being with ALL of you in Boston last week.
As I was digging through the mountain of email that came in
last week, one message from a conference attendee stood out: She sent
in a request for tips or advice for keeping that HOW vibe going strong
now that we're all back at work. So in lieu of a session-by-session
recap, I'll share some ideas for extending that creative energy in the
coming months.
• First, unpack. Remember all the paper samples, photo
catalogs and print brochures you picked up in the Resource Center --
the stuff you spent an hour in line waiting to ship home? Yeah, that.
Unbox everything, and place your conference binder on your desk beside
your Mac for more inspiration this week.
• Schedule a show-and-tell. Set a half-hour meeting
this week to share all the goodies you collected in the Resource Center
with your team. If you chatted with a vendor and got scoop on a new
product, be sure to pass that info along to your colleagues.
• Relive the experience. If you purchased the
registration package that included all the MP3s (from sessions whose
presenters gave us permission to audio-record), you're all set. If you
didn't, then check the conference website this week and purchase select
sessions you want. Schedule brown-bag lunch meetings with your team
once a week for the next several weeks, cue up the audio and get an
hour's worth of instant inspiration. A few of my fave sessions that
would make great post-conference listening:
Bill Strickland's inspiring keynote
Justin Ahrens' Designer Sobriety
Maggie Macnab's Decoding Design
Von Glitschka's awesome Illustrative Design
Erin Sarpa and Steven Morris' session, Lovin' Your Job
Joe Duffy's A Designed Life
• Make your own presentation. Last year, a design firm
here in Cincinnati scheduled a meeting where two designers who attended
HOW in Atlanta gave a casual presentation about all they'd seen and
learned. They put together a simple slideshow of photos and shared the
key ideas they brought home to the office.
• Do your homework. In their session, Lovin' Your Job,
Erin Sarpa and Steven Morris asked the audience to complete several
worksheets, and then gave everyone a homework assignment to work on
when they got back to the office. If you were in that session -- or
even if you weren't -- do these career-affirming exercises.
• Review your notes. While the information is still
fresh, go back through the notes you took in your conference binder.
Jot down new thoughts that come to mind, use a highlighter pen to mark
key ideas that you want to remember, fill out any worksheets or
checklists provided by the speakers. Make notes on handouts for
sessions you missed, too. Keep the binder as a resource you can refer
back to six months from now.
• Stay connected. If you
were in Steve Gordon's Networking Lunch, you heard his advice on this
topic: Don't let that stack of business cards you collected in Boston
lie in a pile on your desk. This week, send emails to people you met
and want to stay in touch with. Encourage a longer-term connection and
build your network.
Stay tuned this week for more post-conference goodness, including links to photo sets, other blogs and more.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, May 27, 2008 2:55:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Visual Textures
As part of Jim Krause's "Smashing Photography" pre-conference workshop, he had us tackle three assignments in and around the room we were meeting in. The first assignment was to capture visual textures, abstract images that can be used in backgrounds and layers of design work. One of the best ways to capture texture is to get really close to whatever you're shooting. Here are three of my images:  This is a close up of a curtain in the room.  This is ice floating in a clear pitcher on the speaker's table.  This is a super close up of a slinky. Posted by Megan
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 10:09:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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2 Busy 2 Blog
Dang it Bryn, you're making me look like a slacker with all your posts. When are you doing this? It's 4:17 on Tuesday and I'm only now finding a few minutes to pull out my computer. I was blown away by the the two sessions I saw today. Charles Anderson is a wise and generous man with endless creativity. The big lesson I got from his session is the value of persistence and believing in your own vision. There was a similar theme to Chris Sickels' presentation about his creative process. He shared his roughest early sketches, through tight drawings to 3D sculptures to animation. It was incredably inspiring to see the creative process laid bare. I had my own creative fun a few days ago at Jim Krause's pre-conference workshop "Smashing Photography." I'll post a few of my fun photos later. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 9:23:12 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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News Flash: Speak Up Blogs HOW
Turns out, Doug Bartow is doing a waaayyy better job of live blogging the conference than we are. (Hopefully, we can be forgiven; our time isn't exactly our own this week. Seriously. You should see my schedule.) Check out Speak Up for play-by-play details.
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 7:35:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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HOW Conference: Day 2
Another morning when I could use a clone, but since I'm not introducing a session I'm free to hop among the three openers this morning: Debbie Millman & Michael Bierut, Charles Anderson and Katherine McCoy. Debbie and Michael are engaged in a really neat conversation covering a lot of ground, from tips on personal hygiene (Michael's daughter advises singing "Happy Birthday" three times while washing your hands to be sure you're nice and clean) to selling your ideas. Michael offers three tips: Listen to clients, and they'll stop being freaked out by your mysterious creativity; understand the politics and power roles in the room during a meeting ("all you do is create the script for the little play they're acting out for each other"); adopt a "rope-a-dope" strategy (let the clients tire themselves out discussing one idea, then surprise them with a better one). In Hall D, Charles Anderson is showing a ton of his firm's terrific product designs, from his super cool stuff more than a decade ago for Paramout to his current CSA images. He shares a bit of wisdom from one of his manufacturing partners: If it smells, it sells. The reality of the marketplace means that gorgeously designed things will sell less than run-of-the-mill, cheaply produced goods. And here in Ballroom B, Katherine McCoy has invited us all into the Wayback Machine for a fantastic trip through the Swiss influence on design in 1960s and 70s America. Long live Helvetica! Posted by Bryn
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, May 20, 2008 3:14:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 19, 2008
HOW Conference: Day 1
Today's the day I wish I could be cloned: I really wanted to see all 3 general sessions this morning: John Bielenberg talking about his Project M, Robynne Raye and Michael Strassburger of Modern Dog and Joe Duffy. I introduced Joe and was glad I stayed through the whole session. He didn't just show case studies of his firm's amazing work, but he pulled back the curtain to share his creative process. He showed numerous examples of the visual collages his team puts together to inform every project. Joe uses this method for everything from his own family projects to his most notable client projects. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, May 19, 2008 4:46:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Live from the HOW Conference
As time permits, we'll be blogging live from the HOW Design Conference in Boston this week. First up, Sunday's workshops, Studio Tours and a rockin' opening keynote. Friend of HOW Steve Gordon hosted the networking lunch this year (see the HOW Conference blog for a preview of Steve's presentation). He gave a shout-out to yours truly:  Last night, I snapped a (dark) picture from the stage: 
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, May 19, 2008 4:33:21 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Fitting In Fast At A New Job
Just as every person has a unique personality, so does every business.
This is why hiring managers consider how well your personality matches
the firm’s corporate culture, in addition to your skills and talents,
when deciding whether to extend a job offer.
However, assessing your fit in a company before you’re hired is an
inexact science; it’s a prediction similar to recommendations you might
get from Amazon that say, “Since you enjoyed 'Marley & Me: Life and
Love with the World’s Worst Dog,' we thought you’d also enjoy 'Help Me,
Mr. Mutt!: Expert Answers for Dogs with People.'” You won’t know if you
like the new book until you read it, and you won’t fully acclimate to a
new corporate culture—or the characteristics, nuances and unwritten
rules of an organization—until you’re there.
In fact, in a recent survey by The Creative Group, four out of 10
executives polled said acclimating to a firm’s corporate culture poses
the greatest challenge for advertising and marketing professionals
starting a job. While most managers understand you need time to adapt,
they’ll also take note of how you go about doing so. Following is
advice on how to assimilate as quickly as possible. Read more.Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 14, 2008 3:01:33 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, May 05, 2008
It's Back: HOW Salary Survey
We're all paying more at the pump and at the grocery checkout these days, so our paychecks are stretched thin. If you're wondering how your income stacks up against others in the design field, then you'll be interested in HOW's 2008 Design Salary Survey, which we're conducting now through July 18. And we need your help! Graphic designers, please take HOW's Salary Survey so we can compile the broadest and most accurate report possible on salaries, bonuses and benefits in the industry. It'll take just a few minutes of your time, and it'll help us create a regional snapshot of what designers in your area are bringing home. Plus, by participating you'll be eligible for a drawing to win a free one-year subscription to HOW magazine!
Take the HOW Salary Survey now!
Design Resources | HOW Magazine
Monday, May 05, 2008 4:02:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Your First Job
Carmen Pease, who writes HOW's email newsletter, is starting a new feature called "Design Question of the Week." Here's the first question: "What was the best and/or worst part of your first design job? What made it memorable?" You can share your answer and see what other designers had to say in the Forum.
Best part:
Design was a new department with
the company, so we got to really make it our own and stretch our design
legs while we figured out what the heck we were going to do with it.
Worst part:
Design was a new department with the company, so they had no clue what
to pay us and thus decided the answer was "not very much".
Memorable:
When we came up with our "no altering photos of anyone with Photoshop
installed on their computer" pact - turnabout is fair play after all.
Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, April 29, 2008 1:50:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 28, 2008
Everything's Coming Up ... Radishes
If you're a HOW subscriber (or if you've ventured into a bookstore in the past several days), you may have seen the latest issue, with the HOW logo made out of bright green seedlings. Given both the season and the content (the issue's all about nurturing and harvesting your creative energies), the garden theme seemed ever so appropriate. During our cover brainstorm session, we talked about actually growing the logo. Seeing as how I fancy myself quite the green thumb, I offered to give it a shot. Art director Bridgid McCarren and I discussed what kind of seeds might make pretty little sproutlings, and we settled on trying two kinds: grass and radishes. Me, I love the little heart-shaped radish seedlings. We purchased soil, seeds and planting trays, cut templates of the logo that we carefully filled with seeds and set the whole works up in the sunny window in my cube. Then we waited. Turns out, when radishes sprout, they really take off! By the time of the photo shoot, they were way too tall and leggy to "read" as the logo. They'd grown perhaps a bit too well. (The grass seed? A total dud.) So Bridgid, bless her soul, took tiny scissors and tweezers and "planted" just the tops of the baby radishes to form the logo that you see on the cover. It wasn't a Photoshop job, but it did take a bit of creative engineering to pull off. Click on the cover below to see the lineup of creative goodness in the issue. 
HOW Magazine
Monday, April 28, 2008 4:24:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 21, 2008
Micro-trends
Over the past three days, the HOW magazine team pored through nearly 3,000 entries in our latest Promotion Design Competition. It gave us a micro-level look at design trends throughout the U.S. and in a few well-represented European countries (Croatian design rocks). The majority of work was solid -- nicely designed, appropriate for the message, with decent production values. But about 125 entries really stood out for conceptual excellence, stellar design and top-notch production. (Stay tuned for HOW's September/October issue for a look at those top projects, or peek at past design competition winners here.) In the meantime, here's a list of the trends we spotted among the entries: HotWood-grain paper (like Gmund’s Savanna line) Vintage imagery, found materials and influences (like these) Screen printing (especially for projects other than posters) Gritty, realistic photography Instead of sending tchotchkes to clients, making a donation in their name and sending a thoughtful and well-designed token of that donation Cloth shopping bags with your logo or message On the way outTiny patterns (though we still love them) Brown/blue or brown/chartreuse color palettes Buttons Greeting cards and wrapping paper as client gifts NotCustomizing a Viewmaster with slides of your portfolio Making your staff pose for a goofy holiday photo Desktop calendars packaged in a CD case Coasters T-shirts with your logo or message
HOW Magazine
Monday, April 21, 2008 3:56:01 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Design and Music
The HOW staff always plays music during competition judging. Design and tunes just seem to go together. Over on Design Observer, they're conducting an informal poll about what designers like to listen to while they work. The selections are all over the map, but you may discover some good new music. We discovered an interesting CD that was entered in the competition. The design didn't make it into the winners pile, but we did throw the disc on because we were intrigued by the title: Songs For Ice Cream Trucks. The music did indeed evoke a certain ice cream truck quality. We especially like the track "Where Do Ice Cream Trucks Go in the Winter?"  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine | Just for Fun
Monday, April 21, 2008 3:47:06 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 17, 2008
Most Unusual
This morning, I'm offering an unofficial award for most unusual entry. The winner is Lincoln, NE-based the minnow PROJECT for their Heat Activated Urinal Billboards for Spilker Ales. The "billboards" are stickered inside urinals. At first, it looks like there's a big black square in the middle. But add a warm stream, and a fire hydrant is revealed. 
Posted by Megan
Designers | HOW Magazine
Thursday, April 17, 2008 1:42:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Promotion Design Awards
Live from the HOW Promotion Design Awards judging. Here's one of the largest categories, Client Promotions.  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 1:42:36 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 11, 2008
Save $50 on the HOW Conference
If you're considering attending the HOW Design Conference in Boston next month, here are two reasons why you'll want to jump on that today: • If you register by midnight tonight, you can still score 50 bucks off the registration price. • Space in the conference hotels and in goodies like the Studio Tours is filling up fast. Linkage: See who's attendingGet scoop on all things conference-relatedCheck out the fantastic speaker lineup (Charles Anderson, Debbie Millman, Michael Bierut, Julieanne Kost, Katherine McCoy, Joe Duffy, etc., etc., etc.) Find out about sessions, tours, workshops and more
Events | HOW Magazine
Friday, April 11, 2008 5:00:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, March 14, 2008
HOW Are We Doing?
We'd like to know how the design community connects with the various
aspects of the HOW brand, so we can develop new ideas to help you be
more creative and more successful. Please take our short survey and
you'll be entered to win a free subscription to HOW (if you already
subscribe, we'll extend your subscription for one year). The
15-question survey should only take about 5 to 7 minutes to complete.
Please be assured that your responses will be treated in absolute
confidence and used only in combination with those of other readers.
For official sweepstakes rules, visit
www.howdesign.com/SurveySweepstakesRules. Thanks for taking the survey and giving your input! 
HOW Magazine
Friday, March 14, 2008 2:33:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Poster Children
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, February 26, 2008 3:52:15 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Win A Free HOW Subscription
Stock photography is a key component of every designer's toolbox. So we want to know how you use stock images and which stock-photo companies you like best. Then, we plan to share that information with HOW readers in our August 2008 issue. Please take our short survey and you'll be entered to win a freer subscription to HOW (if you already subscribe, we'll extend your sub for one year; open to U.S. residents only). The 16-question survey should only take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Please be assured that your responses will be treated in absolute confidene and used only in combination with those of other readers. For official sweepstake rules, click here. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 3:24:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Welcome To The New HOWdesign.com
Be sure to poke around our revamped site and let us know what you think. The goal of the project was to make content much easier to find (and to update).  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, February 05, 2008 6:53:53 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 17, 2008
Wicked Cool
We're absolutely lovin' the poster that Clifford Stoltze and his team in Boston have created for this year's HOW Conference. Keep an eye out in the March/April issue for a full-size pull out. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Thursday, January 17, 2008 2:11:24 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, January 09, 2008
HOW Online Exclusive
Great Expectations by Todd Henry For some artists, our expectations of ourselves and our work form a
subconscious barrier to full, free creativity. In my work with creative
pros, I've uncovered three main sources of potentially unhealthy
expectations.
Unhealthy Expectation No. 1: Our heroes
Many of us began making art because we were inspired by others to
do so. If we're not careful, however, our "hero worship" can become a
creative noose. We can easily begin to think that our work is sub-par
because it doesn't seem to measure up to the invisible standard we've
unknowingly set. In his incredible book "Free Play," Stephen Nachmanovich
writes, "It's great to sit on the shoulders of giants, but don't let
the giants sit on YOUR shoulders! There's no room for their legs to
dangle."
In other words, we can carry the weight of our heroes on our
shoulders and feel the burden to carry their work forward. When we do
this, we're denying our own creative skills and passions and trying to
live up to someone else's standard. We're also discounting the
failures, doubts and missteps that our heroes made on the way to
creative success. It's great to strive for brilliance, but it's also
important to be patient with our own growth process.
Read more. Posted by Megan
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, January 09, 2008 7:40:16 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, December 21, 2007
Behind the Scenes: February Cover
 So, just how passionate are you about type? Like it enough to pay eight dollars for a two hour movie about one font? Love it enough to get your favorite typeface permanently tattooed to your skin? This is the excitement and enthusiasm for type which we set out to illustrate on our February cover. Our photographer, Deogracias Lerma ( www.dlermaphoto.com), and I set out to see what the father-son duo at Designs by Dana ( www.danatattoo.com) could show us about a traditional approach to tattooing. Turns out Dana, owner and tattoo veteran, and his son, Jason Brunson, tattoo artist and illustrator, are as passionate about tattoos as we are about type. They were excited to create this old-school, customized tattoo of our logo complete with traditional tattoo motifs like a swallow, rose and arrow. After spending about three hours creating this artwork on our lovely model’s back, it was time to shoot. Check out some behind the scene shots from this issues cover shoot below.  
Posted by
Bridgid
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Friday, December 21, 2007 5:14:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, December 10, 2007
HOW on the Go
So your colleague routinely snags the office copy of your favorite design mag. Or you'd like to have all the HOW design annuals right at your fingertips. Voila: The DVD edition of HOW. We're releasing all 2007 issues in a fully searchable, totally portable format. The DVD includes a full year's worth of ideas, information and inspiration about staying creative, running a successful design business, surviving in-house and managing your design career. Oh yeah, and lots of eye candy, like 300+ winners of this year's HOW design awards. The DVD starts shipping December 17 but you can pre-order now!  All this great content in a tiny little package. 
Design Resources | HOW Magazine | Industry News
Monday, December 10, 2007 2:31:18 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, December 04, 2007
In-HOWse Winners
HOW's upcoming Jan/Feb issues features the winners of our first annual In-HOWse Design Awards, but you can see the Honorable Mention winners right now on HOWdesign.com. Each category includes a slide show of winners along with credit information and insight into the projects.    Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, December 04, 2007 6:14:29 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 30, 2007
Just Say No: How To Set Work Boundaries
by The Creative Group
You plan to spend your entire morning doing research for an advertising
campaign, something you've already had to put off for more than a week.
Just as you're digging into your work, your manager swings by to ask
you to proofread a client e-mail. This request is followed by one from
your co-worker who wonders if you want to have a "working lunch" to
brainstorm ideas for her upcoming project. Do you, as is typical, agree
to all these requests?
If you want to move ahead in your career, the answer should be
no. It may seem counterintuitive, but spreading yourself too thin means
that the quality of your work suffers. Setting limits at work will
prevent you from being overloaded and help you do your best on the
projects that are most important. Following are some tips.
Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Friday, November 30, 2007 3:15:38 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, November 16, 2007
Greeting Cards
The Nov/Dec issue of HOW features a roundup of well-designed business cards. You can see the cards and read the stories behind them in an online exclusive: Hey Good Lookin'.   Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Friday, November 16, 2007 3:00:26 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
HOW Gets Blogged
This week's guest blogger on Design*Sponge is Emily Martin, owner of OrangeBeautful, a small design shop that specializes in invitations and cards. In her first post, she ruminates about running a small business and staying true to your ideals. And she mentions HOW's brand new business issue. Tune into D*S this week for more thoughts from Emily on being a creative entrepreneur.  Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 3:44:55 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 08, 2007
Help Plan An Issue Of HOW
We need your help to plan a future issue of HOW. We've grouped our story ideas under four different themes and want to know which one you like best. Please take our short survey and you'll be entered to win a free subscription to HOW (if you already subscribe, we'll extend your subscription for one year). Plus, you'll have a direct hand in influencing an upcoming issue of HOW! The 6-question survey should only take about 5 minutes to complete. Please be assured that your responses will be treated in absolute confidence and used only in combination with those of other readers. For official sweepstakes rules, visit www.howdesign.com/SurveySweepstakesRules.pdf. Thanks for your input! Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Thursday, November 08, 2007 6:43:37 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, November 05, 2007
More from MYOB
Picking up from this report, a bit more info from HOW's Mind Your Own Business Conference in San Diego, which wrapped up yesterday (November 4). The big highlight of Day 3 -- and of the conference overall -- was Deborah Dawton, CEO of London's Design Business Association. Our peers across the pond are beginning to get their collective heads around the massive challenge of measuring (really!) the bottom-line value of design. Like, in terms of goods sold, or dollars saved, or reputation enhanced, or effectiveness increased. Dawton didn't have all the answers, but she DID have all the questions: specifically, the questions designers must ask their clients in order to measure design's effectiveness and, in turn, to define their work's worth. She noted that "The businesses you work for aren't all that different from the businesses you work in" -- in other words, the very same business challenges a design firm faces (profitability, staffing, efficiency, differentiation) are the ones the client faces, just on a larger scale. So it's imperative for designers to understand their OWN businesses as well as their clients'. The first step to measuring design's value, she noted, is to determine the client's current business state before the project begins -- it's impossible to peg increased sales to a brochure design when you don't know what sales were before the brochure. And it's critical to then define, "How will we know if this project is successful?" and, finally, to get as much information from your client about business results. Afraid they won't give you that info? Ya gotta ask. After some late-night discussions and early morning roundtables, the conference wrapped up on Sunday with " Crucial Conversations," in which Ron McMillan outlined some tools to use when we're engaged in touch conversations where emotions, stakes and differences of opinion run high. Thanks to all the principals who participated this year!
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, November 05, 2007 9:44:00 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Saturday, November 03, 2007
Live from MYOB
Here in (now) sunny San Diego, we're with 300 design-firm principals who are super-focused on sessions geared toward improving their business success. It's a pretty intense group; people are deep in discussion in between sessions and during breakfast. One underpinning (and unintentional) theme of this year's MYOB conference is differentiating your firm with a unique, distinctive positioning. As an editor who sees a ton of capabilities packages from design firms of all stripes throughout the country, I'm continually amazed at how, well, the same all of them are. In fact, opening keynote speaker Tim Williams read positioning statements from real agencies, and the audience chuckled at how cliche and lame they all were. Clearly, designers need to turn the mirror on themselves and define their own brands. The same kind of discussion continued today, when Brent Hodgins started his presentation by acting out a typical pitch presentation, and again the audience laughed at how silly it all sounded. In what's become a tradition at MYOB, conference partner David Baker conducted a real-world, live business analysis with a principal who volunteered his firm as a case study. Fascinating.
Events | HOW Magazine
Saturday, November 03, 2007 12:11:09 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 01, 2007
Choosing A Digital SLR Camera
In time for Christmas, HOW tech writer Paul Mormack has put together a review of affordable, quality digital single lens reflex cameras. Need quick, quality, custom photos for a project? Ready to supplement
the stock photos you're buying now? Getting the photos you want with a
digital SLR camera is easier and more affordable than ever. But
selecting the right DSLR has never been tougher. Prices are lower,
image quality is better, hardware is faster and feature-rich—and
there are more choices. That's great news for buyers.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, November 01, 2007 3:09:27 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
How (Not) to Enter a Design Competition
Sheesh! I'm post-happy today, no? On the heels of last week's judging, here are some sure-fire ways to be sure your entry to (any) design show gets a fair shake—or not: • DO fill out the entry form neatly and completely. If there's a typo in the show annual, it's probably the result of the entrant's sloppy handwriting. Make sure that doesn't happen. • DO include a paragraph that tells the judges about the project: its particular challenges, why it succeeded, how you developed the concept. • DO consider how you assemble or package your entry. If the judges need a box cutter or jackhammer to extract your project from its wrapping, they'll give up. • DO use design competitions as an occasion to assemble your body of work from the past year in a sort of self-critique. Look at everything you've done, note what worked and didn't, and learn from it. • DON'T let your competition wins go unnoticed. When your work appears in any design show, book, publication, whatever, by all means send a letter or press release to your clients telling them about it. • DO make design awards part of your regular marketing efforts. Going into 2008, consider all the places you'll want to enter your work, make note of entry deadlines, budget for the fees and plan for the follow-up. And good luck!
Call for Entries | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 2:44:30 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Observations on Design
After spending five days last week in the company of thousands of design projects, we came away with some broad observations about the scope of work. As judges Debbie Millman, John Foster and Nathan Hendricks paced among the tables of entries, scoring pens in hand, we asked them to keep track of what they saw. Generally, some of the trends we've seen repeatedly in recent years seem to be on the wane: tiny patterns, cute wildlife, palettes of brown matched with spring green or pale blue, prettiness. The work that rose to the top was a bit sharper, grittier. The handmade aesthetic is still strong, but it's rougher in a deliberate way. The judges noted that they could imagine a designer sketching an image on paper and then, instead of bringing that sketch into Illustrator for refinement, deciding that the sketch itself was appropriate for the project. No need to sand off the rough edges. As in all competitions, the judges bemoaned inconsistency: a dynamite book cover whose lackluster interior pages shot the project all to hell, good ideas poorly executed, great executions of crappy ideas, well-designed annual reports with rotten photography, huge budgets that allowed for reckless production values with no meaningful payoff. Foster especially noted challenges with printing and paper: "The printing gap has widened severely. It seems as if you either have a massive budget and you throw tons of bells and whistles at a piece, or folks are legging it out, digitally printing parts like a belly band or even running stuff off their color laser. On both counts I just caution to never let the printing get in the way of the design. If it's overly extravagant with no purpose other than to spend money it becomes a turnoff, and while I appreciate the ingenuity of using economical resources I hate to hold a piece in my hands and think it feels cheap and thrown-together.
"Paper choices are still amazing to me. I would say a tenth of the work turned me off the minute I felt the gross stock the designer had chosen. Get samples and 'touch' your work beforehand."
We'll publish the results of the trio's deliberation in HOW's March/April International Design Annual. Meanwhile, if you're looking for inspiration, check out the gallery of past HOW winners. 
Events | HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 1:29:45 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Monday, October 29, 2007
Passing Judgment
You'll (hopefully) forgive the lack of blog posting last week; we spent the entire week setting up and then managing the process of judging HOW's biggest annual design awards. It's a ton of work, and it involves thousands of numbered stickers, about 5,000 feet of white butcher paper, two cases of diet soda, a bagful of red Twizzlers and three colored pens. Among other things. The process is this: Take 100 eight-foot tables, laid end-to-end in a cavernous public-event space; roll out white paper over the tables, lay out entries by category, add stickers to label each entry, roll out white paper over the entries, repeat. Until you have maybe six layers of paper/stickers/entries. Like this:  From there, the judges, each with a colored pen, walk among the tables and enters a score of 0 to 3 for each entry. Entries that meet a minimum score make it into the awards annual. Sometimes, the judges feel free to add their own commentary as they go along:   We'll post more this week about the judging process and the judges' observations, so stay tuned ...
Events | HOW Magazine
Monday, October 29, 2007 4:15:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Art Spotting
HOW Magazine | Illustration
Monday, October 29, 2007 1:05:28 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Friday, October 19, 2007
HOW Judges Speak
We just got a PDF of the cool postcard designed by Joe Napier, AIGA Cincinnati’s Communications Director, for an event next week where HOW International Competition judge Debbie Millman will interview fellow judge John Foster. (FYI, we'll be slammed with competition duties next week, so expect light postings.)   Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Friday, October 19, 2007 8:37:19 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 18, 2007
Inspiration Afternoon
Yesterday, the HOW staff took the afternoon off and went searching for ideas, trends and cool stuff in Cincinnati's design-y stores and galleries (yes, there are such things here). Here's a bit of what caught our eyes: Carmen was fascinated by gorgeous, elaborate chandeliers, like the ones we saw at High Street (by far our fave stop):  Megan, ever the science and nature fanatic, loved the insect specimens encased in blocks of resin. (Sorry, couldn't find a photo.) Bridgid and I were drawn to the new trend in wallpaper: flat patterns rendered in huge scale on colored backgrounds, in amazing color combinations, like this scheme from Designers Guild:  Sarah was keen on all the eco-friendly goods at a shop called Park + Vine in Cincinnati's burgeoning Gateway district: 
Creativity | HOW Magazine
Thursday, October 18, 2007 2:37:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Dealing With Work Demons
by The Creative GroupIt's the time of year when ghosts, goblins and maybe even a few Britney
Spears look-alikes are preparing to hit the streets for Halloween. The
timing is right to consider what spooks you at work—aside from the
unidentifiable food at the back of the office refrigerator, that is.
By overcoming your career-related "gremlins," you'll have more
on-the-job treats than tricks to look forward to in the year ahead.
Here are some tips for turning common fears into everyday successes.
Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 6:32:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Can We Ask a Delicate Question?
Mom told us it's impolite to talk about money, but we're curious: What do you (or your firm) charge for design services? Designers frequently ask us what the going rate is ($50 an hour? $150), and so we're conducting a national survey to report on average hourly rates for design and related functions. And we need your help! Take HOW's online survey (it'll take just a few minutes of your time), and contribute to this comprehensive report on rates, which will appear in the March/April issue. Plus, you can enter to win a free one-year subscription to HOW. Thanks!
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 3:14:34 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 01, 2007
Hooray For HOW
HOW Magazine
Monday, October 01, 2007 4:21:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 20, 2007
R U There?
There's little doubt that instant messaging will continue to invade the
workplace and change how people interact. Knowing the most appropriate
ways to use it will help you take advantage of its convenience and
efficiency while avoiding common gaffes. Here's some good advice from the Creative Group. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Thursday, September 20, 2007 5:18:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Charm School
Looking to brush up on your business communication etiquette? Check out two brand-new articles, courtesty of The Creative Group, that will help you make the most of teleconferencing and instant messaging.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, September 11, 2007 9:23:50 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
What Not To Ask
Nobody wants to end up with their foot in their mouth while dazzling a
prospective new hire during an interview. But embarrassment isn't all
you risk when you conduct these meetings. It's not too hard, in fact,
to mistakenly ask a discriminatory question. Even a seemingly innocent
query such as "Where were you born?" can result in legal problems for
your company. Anti-discrimination and consumer-protection legislation
passed since the 1960s restricts the type and scope of pre-employment
questions that you can ask. Moreover, court decisions and
administrative rulings have refined what you can and can't ask, and—if
things weren't already confusing enough—standards vary from state to
state. Click here to learn which specific questions could cause problems. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 2:46:30 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Make Your Mark: GO!
Feel like all you’re doing is scratching your head when it comes to marketing your design services and getting new clients? In our October issue (which just hit newsstands yesterday), we included a handy-dandy, yearlong calendar just for you: It tells when and what you should be doing when it comes to marketing. And that includes whether you’re new to the game or have been at it for some time. Lucky for you, we’ve also posted a copy on our website that you can download, print out and tack up—marketing made easy!
Posted by Carmen
Design Resources | HOW Magazine
Wednesday, August 22, 2007 4:47:22 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Training Someone To Take Your Place
With summer arriving soon and vacation planning in full swing, it's a
good time to contemplate who can assume your responsibilities when
you're out of the office. If you're like many managers, you may think
nobody can take your place. In fact, in a recent TCG survey of
advertising and marketing executives, nearly four out of 10 (39
percent) felt uncertain that someone in their company could fill their
shoes if they had to suddenly leave their positions.
But the truth is, you are replaceable. More
importantly, it's your responsibility to train someone to fill in for
you—whether you're leaving for the short- or long-term. And a formal
succession-planning program has benefits that extend beyond crisis
management: Companies that create structured succession programs and
provide leadership training help their employees grow professionally,
which can boost loyalty and productivity. Following are some tips for
developing an effective succession strategy. Posted by Megan
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 2:14:17 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, August 08, 2007
How To Enjoy Your Vacation
Posted by MeganVacation season is in full swing, but if you're like many creatives, you may have difficulty relinquishing your work duties while you're out of the office. Nearly half of the advertising and marketing executives polled by The Creative Group said they check in at least once a day while on vacation; only 13 percent of respondents said they never attend to business when taking time off.
Though touching base occasionally while on vacation is often unavoidable, you risk spoiling the benefits of being away from the office if you check e-mail during a helicopter tour of the Kauai coast or when dining at a hotel's best restaurant. Indeed, vacations are a time to disconnect from the job, unwind and re-energize. Here are some tips to help ensure a stress-free one.
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, August 08, 2007 3:03:07 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, July 30, 2007
No Crystal Ball Required
Posted by Bryn
If you subscribe to the HOW e-newsletter, you know that we’ve been thinking a lot lately about the future of design, thanks in large part to all the insights we gathered for the magazine's current issue. For one article, we tapped some of the brightest minds in the biz and asked them what they think design will be like in 2025. Among my favorite quotes from that extensive piece: Tucker Viemeister: “Eighteen years from now, design will be even more important than it is now … Clients will comprehend that customers don’t distinguish the fragments of their offerings, but that they live in a total experience called the ‘real world,’ which means that design must be conceived holistically, too.” Bruce Sterling: “By 2025, ‘green design’ will go away, because today’s unsustainable ‘brown’ design will be vanishing. If ‘green‘ is all that’s left, it’s not alternative anything; it’s just what there is.” Debie Millman: “By 2025, there’s the potential that for every human experience there will be a corresponding brand. There will be branded relationships, branded sexuality, branded religion, branded war, even branded children …” In addition to the extensive commentary published in HOW’s special Future of Design Issue, we’ve compiled additional responses online. And we've posted a query to the HOW community in the Forum, where you can share your own predictions about where design is headed.
HOW Magazine
Monday, July 30, 2007 2:56:16 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, July 24, 2007
What Do You Think Of HOW?
Posted by MeganWe need your help! We want to make HOW magazine your most valuable graphic design resource, so we're conducting a survey to learn more about your reading habits and interests. Please click on the link below to complete the short survey and you'll be entered to win a free subscription to HOW (if you already subscribe, we'll extend your subscription for one year).
The 18-question survey should only take about 5 minutes to complete. Please be assured that your responses will be treated in absolute confidence and used only in combination with those of other readers.
Thanks for your input!
Click here to take survey.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 9:00:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, July 20, 2007
Do You Want To Own Your Own Firm?
Posted by Megan
Do you dream of starting your own design shop someday? Why or why not? Take our new Web Poll by August 24 and register your vote. Then watch for the results in HOW's December issue.
HOW Magazine
Friday, July 20, 2007 7:02:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Design Studio Of The Future
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 3:53:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 29, 2007
A Little Inspiration
Posted by MeganIf you're looking for a little creative boost to get you through this Friday (or any day that threatens to drag), check out our gallery of past HOW Compeition Best of Show and Outstanding Achievement award winners. 
HOW Magazine
Friday, June 29, 2007 2:09:28 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, June 25, 2007
The Future of Design
Posted by Bryn
Get out your crystal ball and set your sights on 2025: What will your design work be like? What will you need to learn? Who will your clients be? Your audience? Will you still love your job? For HOW's latest issue, an exploration of design's future, we tapped a whole bunch of industry luminaries (including the wonderful Debbie Millman, who graces the cover) to anticipate what things will look like for design and designers in 2025. (Hint: Things look pretty damn cool.) In addition to all the futuristic stuff, there's a whole lotta the practical info you've come to love in HOW, from a designer's-eye review of Adobe's CS3 to expert advice on charting your career path. And did we mention Debbie Millman? 
HOW Magazine
Monday, June 25, 2007 2:37:11 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
InHOWse In Austin
Posted by MeganIt's official. Registration for the 2nd annual InHOWse Designer Conference, this fall in Austin, is now open. Check out InHOWseConference.com for all the details. (And get a load of this swank hotel.)
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, June 20, 2007 8:42:48 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Promo Poll
Posted by MeganWhat are your promo plans for the coming months? Share your opinion in HOW's bimonthy Web Poll. The results of the poll will be published in our November/December issue.
Do you plan to send a holiday self-promotion within the next year?:
a) Yes
b) No
If so, which special day have you chosen? Why?
Record your answer here. The web poll ends on June 22.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 2:56:46 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 15, 2007
The Best Part of My Job ...
Posted by Bryn... is working with these girls! 
HOW Magazine
Friday, June 15, 2007 2:27:26 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, June 01, 2007
Thanks For All The Cards
Posted by MeganThis is just a shout out to everyone who sent in business cards for the feature I'm working on. Thanks! I got way more than I have space for so it's going to be tough to narrow it down. If I found a spot for your card, you should hear from me in the next few weeks.
HOW Magazine
Friday, June 01, 2007 4:35:04 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Green Paper
Posted by MeganChoosing an environmentally-friendly paper is about way more than just recycled content, HOW's June issue includes a great story about understanding all the nuances of papers that are better for the earth. You can read the entire article here. 
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 2:16:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, May 10, 2007
See Your Name in HOW
Posted by Megan
We're looking for fun, interesting, cool business cards to feature in an upcoming issue. If you've got a great card, please mail two samples to Megan Patrick at 4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati OH 45236 along with a brief note about what makes the card special. Email any questions to megan.patrick@fwpubs.com. We'll contact you if we decide to use your card in the story, and send you a copy of the issue when it comes out.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, May 10, 2007 8:44:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Work For HOW
Posted by Megan
If you've ever thought it would be cool to work for HOW, here's your chance. Our beloved art director Tricia is going to work for a design firm so we're looking for someone to fill her shoes. You can read all about the requirements here.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, May 10, 2007 4:37:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Paper Artists
Posted by MeganIf you've picked up the June issue of HOW, you've probably seen the amazing work of paper artist Matthew Sporzynski. You can see even more his work on the Real Simple website. Plus, we've got an online exclusive featuring six other artists who've stopped seeing paper as something plain and flat, and instead as a medium that can be folded, cut or layered into dramatic creations.  
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 02, 2007 2:46:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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quiet time
Posted by TriciaWe're having some server trouble here at HOW HQ. Thought you might like to know the reason for the recent scarcity of posts.
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, May 02, 2007 2:36:06 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, April 26, 2007
A Travel Journal
Posted by MeganDuring a weeklong trip to Haiti, one of HOW's editors gained new insight on things we take for granted every day. Read on and get inspired, too, by the ordinary things already around you. 
HOW Magazine
Thursday, April 26, 2007 6:39:55 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 23, 2007
A Fuzzy Trend
Posted by MeganOne of the many trends we noticed during the competition judging is the flocked cover. One of the outstanding achievement winners had pink flocking on its cover, while a style guide for a cartoon TV show had black flocking. All of which reminded me of a HOW book we published a couple of years ago. Maybe fuzzy is the new black.
HOW Magazine
Monday, April 23, 2007 2:39:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 20, 2007
What We're Seeing
Posted by Bryn
So, after two and a half days of sorting through entries to HOW's Promotion Design Awards (with another half day, at least, to go), we're seeing some trends.
Some of which we like:
• color palettes of robin's egg or turqoise and deep red (sometimes with sliver or gray)
• rich browns (still fresh after a couple of years of popularity)
• flocking
• new styles in screen-printing: the medium remains cool, but the accidental-looking, layery imagery is giving way to work that's sharper and more sophisticated
Some of which we're really tired of:
• holiday promotions with goofy pictures of the entire design team
• any promotional copy that begins, "We're different: We partner with our clients" (designers take note: EVERY firm partners with its clients)
More trendwatching later ...
HOW Magazine
Friday, April 20, 2007 1:22:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Thatsalottaentries
Posted by Bryn
So, we're holed up in a hotel conference room (egad!) to judge HOW's Promotion Design Awards. Entries are up by about 10% this year, so we've got a lot of work to get through over the next three days. Stay tuned for a few blog posts about what we're seeing ...
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, April 18, 2007 1:52:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, April 16, 2007
Collecting Creativity
Posted by MeganThe June issue of HOW will hit newsstands in a few weeks, but you can get a sneak preview of our feature about designers' personal collections right here. 
HOW Magazine
Monday, April 16, 2007 6:43:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, April 13, 2007
Congratulations!
Posted by MeganHOW art director Tricia Bateman was recently named to Folio Magazine's Folio:40 list, an annual roundup of the best and the brightest from all aspects of the magazine industry. We're extremely proud of her! Congrats Tricia! 
HOW Magazine
Friday, April 13, 2007 5:51:59 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Epiphanies with Drawing
Posted by
Carmen
So, back to the Y Conference I had the chance to attend about a week and a half ago. If you’ve never had the chance to check out this West-Coast event, one thing to say for it is that it’s a really great size for 1) getting to know people and 2) getting to experience everything that goes on. They keep the size at a couple hundred, and everyone watches every speaker together in one big lecture room. (The conference took place this year on the University of San Diego campus.) And another aspect of this bigger-isn’t-always-better mentality is that everyone participates in what’s called a “Thinkshop” on the second day of the conference. There are multiple sessions to choose from, and many imply a hands-on aspect that takes information into a DIY-atmosphere. There were Thinkshops about stamp design, collaborating with photographers and hand lettering. About a week before I headed out to San Diego, I got an email telling me I still needed to register for one of these Thinkshops. There were five to choose from, and I narrowed it down to Stefan Bucher’s “The Beauty of Multiples,” because I was familiar with and admired his work (he’s designed one of our covers and illustrated a fun, interactive worksheet/feature for us about discovering what you love and how to steer your career that way). Evidently, I didn’t read the description too closely, though. Because when I showed up, I discovered that I—with no drawing abilities beyond hearts and stars and swirly letters (I’m an editor, remember)—had selected the Thinkshop that required you not to draw just one item—but 100. Now, last year, you may remember that HOW’s August 2005 issue was themed “All About Design & Illustration.” Danny Gregory penned a feature about drawing in a journal everyday to energize your creativity. And he cautioned to not edit your drawing—to just draw. That was impetus enough for editors Bryn and Megan: On papers, one would sketch an impressive picture of her Starbucks cup or draw what someone in the room was wearing. Soon, doodles would fill the page. I, however, didn’t bite. So imagine me sitting in a room full of professional designers and being told, for the next two hours, to draw (what they, in the brochure, referred to as “zen drawing”). The thought crossed my mind to get up and leave. But then I wondered what I’d do instead, so I decided to give the old college try. I considered the things I typically doodle in meetings (because we all do it): Usually it consists of outlining headlines with puffy clouds and jagged lines. The most exciting it becomes is adding in flowers and leaves and maybe a unicorn (seriously). (Evidently, my drawing never really progressed past 6th doodling.) So I decided to start there, drawing what Stefan described looked like “an herb garden.” (I thought that was very nice of him to say.) At my table, the guy next to me was drawing a panoply of intricate hearts (which made me think of a Valentine’s Day mailer by Marian Bantjes). Across the table, one girl was drawing a slew of eyes and another girl 100 faces. Other people in the class were drawing gerbils and cupcake homes for them; all kinds of airplanes or jet fighters; and another drew 100 things she missed about home. Suffice it to say my “herb garden” was quickly paling in comparison. But then (because I couldn’t think of any more reiterations of leaves and flowers) I started to pay attention to my tablemates and the way they were working. I started to see how they weren’t merely drawing 100 things, but how they were using those 100 things to tell a single story—how they pulled them all together to form one narrative. For instance, I saw how the 100 hearts didn’t just stand alone, but how they fit together, one atop the other, in an intricate sort of dance. The 100 faces all melded together, as a collective sort of memory—a medley of moments in time. (Stefan’s posted images of everyone’s drawings on his blog.)  So, I started looking at my clusters of sprouts and fallen leaves and four-leaf clovers differently. I tried to figure out how to bring them all together and make them stand as one, not 100. I started weaving in huge, curly-cue ferns and flitting insects and oversized fronds that wrapped around the flora, and an idea that spoke to the wilderness and mystery that’s an essence of nature.  I still don’t consider myself prone to take up drawing as a regular hobby, but this experience gave me a new, realized perspective, and truly I think that’s what it’s all about. (These photos were taken by new conference pal Kirby Yau; you can see others from the Y Conference on his site).
Creativity | Events | HOW Magazine | Illustration
Wednesday, April 11, 2007 3:31:39 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Predicting The Future
Posted by Megan
What will tomorrow bring? You be the forecaster: By 2025, will design
be solely the domain of professional designers or will it be a
commodity created by the masses? Take our new Web Poll by April 25 and register your vote. Then watch for the results in HOW's August issue.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, April 03, 2007 3:23:47 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Snowbound
Posted by
BrynThis is what we had to contend with last night and this morning, thanks to a nasty snowstorm that hit HOW's hometown. One of our team had a 6-hour ordeal getting home last night. We're working from scattered locations today, so the blog's taking a snow day. 
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, February 07, 2007 5:05:13 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, January 25, 2007
a kinder, gentler color palette
Posted by Tricia
We're two years into a redesign here. You can hardly call it a redesign anymore. It's just the design. But now that that we're past any growing pains, we have a much better idea of what is really working well and what could use a little tweak.
The top of that tweak list for me has been the color palette, particularly the cyan, magenta, and yellow in the Look section at the front of the magazine. CMYK implies print work, but a fair portion of the work we show is for the screen where RGB is the rule. Not to mention, CMYK is simply loud. While the rest of the design tries to sit comfortably next to a wide range of work samples, photographs and illustrations, the colors often compete.
So, starting with the April issue, there will be a new philosophy towards color for HOW. Similar to how we treat our logo on the cover, we will choose 4 core colors for each new issue, allowing our palette to flex from issue to issue. Those 4 colors will be used on all columns and departments to form a more coherent magazine front to back. Here's what April will look like:  June will be a different set of four colors, but as with illustration and
photography, we'll never venture far from our core personality. The
light blue brackets will remain constant and no other aspect of the
design will change. I hope you'll find the columns and departments much easier on the eyes. We sure did when the final proofs came around this week.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, January 25, 2007 10:06:50 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, December 21, 2006
Not a Creature Was Stirring
Posted by
BrynWe're just about to close things down here at HOW HQ until after the holidays; we're all taking a break from magazine proofs, e-mails, conference planning and the like. The Blog is going to be fairly quiet next week. But we'll resume posting with gusto in the new year. Happy holidays!
HOW Magazine
Thursday, December 21, 2006 9:31:14 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Thursday, November 02, 2006
We Win
Posted by MeganHOW recently received a silver Eddie Award (for excellence in editorial content) from Folio Magazine for best B2B magazine in the design/advertising/marketing category.
We also received a Gold Ink Award from Publishing Executive magazine. The February 2005 issue scored a Gold in the Trade Magazine, Web Printing category. 
HOW Magazine
Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:21:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)
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Wednesday, October 18, 2006 Tuesday, October 17, 2006
37signals Blog
Posted by Carmen
With our December issue starting to hit subscribers' mailboxes, people are already starting to talk. It's our Business Annual, and 37signals is one of the five firms profiled in it. They have a nice shout-out to the piece on their blog that you ought to check out for a sneak peek!
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 17, 2006 5:20:58 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 16, 2006
We Were Sorry to See 'Em Go
Posted by
BrynIs it possible that a week of competition judging was actually ... fun? When you're spending time with this year's crew of judges, it is possible. By the time Justin, Terry and Amy left on Friday, we were all trading bathroom jokes and quoting inane movie lines like old friends. Oh, and they picked some killer design work, too—an interesting collection of projects that seems to define easy aesthetic categorization (i.e., it doesn't all look the same). Keep an eye out for the big HOW design annual in March to see what they selected. This was the best team of judges we've had (with all due respect to previous jurors) ... wish we could invite them back.
HOW Magazine
Monday, October 16, 2006 3:48:45 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, October 12, 2006
After Hours
Posted by
Bryn
After a looooooong day of judging: pizza, beer, ice cream sundaes.
HOW Magazine
Thursday, October 12, 2006 1:03:10 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, October 11, 2006
One Down, 3,499 to Go
Posted by
BrynDay 1 of HOW International Design Competition judging: Amy Hawk, Terry Marks and Justin Ahrens have a lot of work in front of them: evaluating nearly 3,500 entries. The HOW staff has spread all the projects out on tables, stacked in layers sandwiched between sheets of paper. The judges will work their way through the categories today and tomorrow, and they'll choose the Best of Show on Monday. At first glance, the quality of the entries is pretty strong (Megan suggested that clients are slowly becoming more design-savvy). We'll report in periodically throughout the judging process (but you'll have to wait until HOW's March/April design annual to see the winners!). 
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, October 11, 2006 2:19:37 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Manual Labor
Posted by
Bryn
Ahh, fall ... crisp air, fresh apples, colorful leaves—and HOW's International Design Awards judging. Please excuse the slow blog postings this week: Today and Tuesday are set-up days (when we all schlep boxes of entries and spread thousands of projects out on tables); Wednesday through Friday are judging days. We're not complaining: We get to spend time with Amy Hawk, Terry Marks and Justin Ahrens, fantastic folks, all. We'll post as we get the chance.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 10, 2006 1:47:08 AM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Minding Your Business
Posted by
BrynJust today, we announced the date and location of HOW's next Mind Your Own Business Conference: November 1–4, 2007, at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort on Coronado Island just off San Diego. If you're a design-firm principal, you won't want to miss this intensive, high-level business retreat (co-sponsored by our friend David Baker and his firm ReCourses). At the risk of getting all promotional on you, I'll tell you that designers who attend MYOB walk away with business-altering insights from both the expert speakers and also their fellow creatives. Plus, you can't beat the location:
 We haven't updated the MYOB website with all the info yet, but you can still sign up for the email newsletter that'll give you complete details when they're available.
HOW Magazine
Tuesday, October 03, 2006 6:43:40 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Monday, October 02, 2006
Goin' West
Posted by
Tricia
AIGA Nebraska has kindly asked me to judge their upcoming design show so I'll be heading out west to Omaha at the end of this week. I'd love to see some HOWies at the Judges Reception Friday night. Come one and all. And may the best designer win.
While there, I'll be recording a podcast for Be A Design Group. I guess I better start preparing my thoughts on designism.
Designers | HOW Magazine | Industry News
Monday, October 02, 2006 9:44:20 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Thursday, September 28, 2006
Be Heard!
Posted by
Carmen
Time's a tickin' for you to get your vote into our current HOW Web Poll. Tell us which font you think is more atrocious: Comic Sans or Sand. (As of now, they're both about neck and neck.) Your answers could be featured in the February issue of HOW!
HOW Magazine
Thursday, September 28, 2006 9:14:42 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Mix Tape
Posted by Megan If this were an actual tape, what songs would you include on it?
HOW Magazine
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 6:43:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Friday, September 22, 2006
When your staff is all girls
Posted by
BrynThis is what you do during lunch on a rainy Friday:
HOW Magazine
Friday, September 22, 2006 7:25:18 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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Low-Tech Fun
Posted by
BrynFor our upcoming typography issue, we're working on a feature about all the creative ways type can be manipulated to great effect: distorting it on a copier, hand-rendering it and the like. Inspired by books like Ellen Lupton's "DIY," Joshua Chen's upcoming HOW book, "Fingerprint," and all the gorgeous work with handmade touches that we see in HOW's design annuals, Carmen and Tricia gathered a ton of art supplies, and we spent the afternoon messing around with the HOW logo.
Megan made linoblock prints:
Susan sketched variations on watercolor paper:
And I raided the cafeteria for unconventional art materials:
HOW Magazine
Friday, September 22, 2006 2:17:08 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)
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