Buncha news releases have been piling up over the past 2 weeks, so here are a few tidbits:

Domtar has released a promotional series titled "Why Paper?" that explains why, even in this digital age, paper is still the go-to for communication. The piece was designed by Dallas-based Squires & Co. and printed by Anderson Litho.



Alien Skin software released its new Exposure 2, which includes effects and settings that add warmth, softness and grain to digital images, allowing designers and photographers to mimic the look of film and darkroom processing.

Mohawk tapped Chicago-based VSA Partners for a two-part promo for its Strathmore Writing and Script brands. "From Exploration to Implementation" parts 1 and 2 document the development of identities for high-end clients and showcase (with pull-out samples) the paper's application for letterhead and brand systems.

The new HOW book by Jeff Fisher, Identity Crisis, is included in a traveling exhibit (by the makers of QuickBooks software) celebrating entreprenuers.

Posted by Megan

Designer Marian Bantjes, known for her masterful use of type, has just released her first font, called Restraint. Here's how she describes it:

The font contains the 26 letters of the alphabet, numbers, a hyphen, an ampersand and a question mark, plus a whole ton of squiggly bits for making fantastic shapes and borders. Simply masses of entertainment value.

Posted by Megan

This morning, the Today Show featured a segment with HOW author Karen Salmansohn (Ballsy and Gut) about baring cleavage in the workplace. You can watch the video and get some expert advice by going to the Today Show homepage and scrolling to the left under "Video from Today."

Posted by Megan

Designer Stefan Mumaw (co-author of the wonderful creativity book Caffeine for the Creative Mind) just sent me a list of 17 rules for designers compiled from suggestions he received in response to one of the creative challenges he emails to friends and colleagues every morning.

1. Pay attention to detail and everything that surrounds you.
A designer should have to be able to pay attention to the small details in both design and life. Sometimes the details that most individuals would either overlook or be too lazy to pay attention to will make a project great. Spell check everything, find value in correct punctuation, calibrate your monitors, color-correct images, go to press checks, make sure it works on every browser and every platform, build a mockup, name your layers, organize fonts, call…don’t email, backup your files and stop naming things FINAL. Like insurance, the positive and negative results are usually magnified in crisis. This is true of one’s environment too. Noticing the details of an eroded piece of wood might lead to you using it as a brush or background image in a project that you’re working on. Design is all around us wherever we go (even nature has it’s own design), and being able to pay attention to it often helps in some way or another.

2. Outwardly express your passion.
Passionless design is like a grill with no propane. If you're not passionate about what you do, your work will show it, your character will show it, your life will show it, so find some charcoal or do something else.

3. Fail triumphantly.
This is stolen from Disney’s “Meet the Robinsons” but it's 100% true. If you're not willing to go so far out on a limb that you fail miserably, you're not getting any better. Success may not be at the end of the branch, but anyone and everyone can grab the answers that are around the roots.

4. Know your limitations.
My kids often bite off more than they can chew at dinner and the result is really uncomfortable to watch. It usually involves watery eyes and a fresh napkin. Know what we have the ability to do and where we’ll need help early in the process. There’s nothing wrong with getting help or saying “no.”

5. Respect your barista.

6. Always be able to explain why you've made a creative choice.
On a rare occasion, it's okay if the reason is "because I wanted to". But otherwise, be able to defend your decisions.

7. DOH!
Constantly save your work.

8. Remove thy pride.
We pour ourselves into our work, we're proud of the solutions and ideas we generate, but what separates us is the client. We do this for them, we are communicators first, and as such, we need to be able to put aside our pride for the sake of the client and their wishes/goals/business. It's completely acceptable and encouraged to defend one's work, but it's also equally acceptable and encouraged to be able to remove our own pride from a situation and serve the client.

9. Nice Printer…
The printer is not your friend. Expect it to (insert appropriate defeatist verb here) you at all times.

10. Play.
Ideas don’t always appear when you’re sitting in an expensive business suit and staring at your computer monitor. Put on a Mexican wrestler’s mask, play some office hockey, finally set up and execute that practical joke on the new guy. Sometimes being able to play and laugh releases ideas that are stuck inside your brain. Designers should be curious creatures, and with curiosity comes playfulness. You don't have to be silly or a jester all day long, but a certain measure of playfulness goes a long way to promoting creative thought and it certainly makes what we do a lot more fun.

11. Take advantage of the perks.
Have fun. We’ll never get paid as much as the sales guy in the building next door. I guarantee we have more fun at work though.

12. Sleep.
We’ve all pulled all-nighters. We’ve all stayed up late. You don’t feel too hot the next day, do you? Well, try coming up with that “brilliant idea” next time you’ve gone without sleep for 2 days. Not going to happen. Sleep is essential resting time for your pooped little brain, and without it all you’d be thinking about is poofy white sheep and your comfy bed.

13. Never, ever, ever stop learning.
The moment you think you know everything, your learning/growing/executing curve stops right there and you will be doomed to a life of simply repeating what you know. This industry is constantly turning over with new technology, new avenues of communication and new techniques to reach new people.  The desire to constantly relearn the technical skills required to execute our ideas is crucial to our future success, but moreover, our desire to improve our ability to generate better ideas and conceptualize stronger solutions is of greater importance. Anyone can use Photoshop. Only you can decide why to use it.

14. Assemble the right group.
Surround yourself with people that are smarter than you and truly support your creative endeavors. Don’t under estimate the importance of people who genuinely encourage your passions. You’ll need them. Alot.

15. Look behind everything that is in front of you.
The obvious may be the right answer, but you’ll never know until you’ve looked beyond it to see.

16. Fall in love with the aesthetics of the world.
Typefaces, color, architecture, music, the human body… There are even beautiful curves to emotions and conversations. Pay attention to the beauty in mediums outside of that project on your desk and you might find that inspiration you’re looking for.

17. If all else fails: http://www.happyafro.com

Posted by Megan

Strathmore just annouced the winners of its third quarter letterhead design competition. My favorite is the silver winner created by Milwaukee, WI-based Becker Design. You can see all the winners at the Strathmore site. Just click on "Strathmore Graphics Gallery."

Posted by Megan

The ispot Forum has a nice little write-up about illustrator Dave Wheeler and the images he created for HOW's December issue (which should be hitting newsstands right about now).

Posted by Megan

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

The HOW staff was welcomed this morning by a box of yummy brownies sent to us by HOW Conference Speaker and HOW Books author Sam Harrison.



Besides being a super nice guy, Sam is also incredibly creative and inspirational. To get a taste of his genius, check out Ideaspotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea.

Posted by Megan

Looking for an illustrator for you next project? There's a new resource on the web to help you find fresh talent. Hire An Illustrator was recently started by Darren Di Lieto, editor of the illustration news portal LCSV4. Here's what Darren has to say about the site:

"The aim of the Hire an illustrator website is to provide art directors
and commissioners with an easy to use point of contact for job seeking
or available freelancers, along with an easy to use interface for the
freelancers to issue immediate updates and edits to their profiles.

Hire an illustrator is not just a portfolio portal. We contact art
directors and companies directly via the telephone to promote
individuals. We collect samples (postcards or other promotional
material) from profiled members to be included in targeted mail shot
packs, and a bi-monthly email newsletter is sent out to promote
our clients."

Illustration by Israel Sanchez.

Posted by Megan

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:

If you're looking for some new tune to work to, check out The Designers Mixtape. It features play lists from designers around the world. Just plug in your headphones and click on a name.

Posted by Megan

The Forum is discussing a great (short) piece about the role of arrogance and humility in design.

Posted by Megan