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 Thursday, May 08, 2008
Really, It All Sounds Alike
Having spent a recent week poring through the entries in HOW's Promotion Design Awards, we once again observed that the sales pitches in a lot of design firms' promos sound stunningly alike. Too, Brent Hodgins, a speaker at last fall's MYOB Conference, opened his session with, as it turned out, a mock new-business pitch that had the audience squirming with uncomfortable familiarity. And now Steven Heller has posted an article on AIGA.com lamenting the sameness of the lingo with which firms talk about themselves. Here's a snippet: ... take virtually any promotional brochure for a design firm,
scratch the surface, and you will find variations of the following
platitudes:
- Design is a tool for achieving specific results. Being
responsive, we begin each project by learning exactly what results our
client expects. This then becomes our communications goal.
- Establishing an appropriate, positive emphasis is the key. This, in conjunction with good graphic design, is our special skill.
- Our
work exhibits a great diversity of styles and imagery. In an era of
design specialists, we invariably believe that as varied as the
messages are, so should the means of conveying them.
These statements by three very different design firms are not
inherently disingenuous, but when viewed as representative of most
promo copy they are formulaic. Should all selling copy sound alike?
Imagine what the prospective client who gets pitched by many designers
must think after reading the same phrases and sentiments over and over.
Read the rest of Steve's article, then turn a critical eye on your sales pitch.
Thought Provoking
5/8/2008 4:30:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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News
Buncha news this week—mostly from, you guessed it, the paper market. Here goes: • Wausau Paper reinvented its Royal line of premium writing, text and cover stocks, with new colors (including Basil and Winter Wheat). The brand includes Royal Cotton, Royal Laid and Royal SilkPlus, which has been rebranded as an environmental choice. Larsen worked with Wausau on the products and materials. • Neenah has updated its economical SUNDANCE writing/text/cover collection with new colors and finishes (all 10 colors are available in all 3 finishes). Farmhouse Design created the Southwestern-themed new promo. • The Strathmore Letterhead Competition is taking entries through June 30 for the second-quarter contest; the first 25 entrants will receive a $150 iTunes gift card. The top quarterly prize is $500, and an annual Grand Prize of $1,000 will be awarded in January 2009. See Strathmore.com for details. And in other news ... • Design Management Institute brings its annual branding/design conference to Cincinnati, June 11–13. Conference co-chairs are Jerry Kathman of Cincinnati's LPK and Amy Brusselback, global design director of P&G. Speakers include smart folks from P&G, Marriott Hotels, Method, the Wharton School of Business and the Cincinnati Art Museum. • Printing/publishing consultant Chuck Weger discusses large-scale font-management solutions in his whitepaper titled "Maintaining Control and Compliance in a Font-Intensive Workflow: The Case for Enterprise Font Management." It's available from Extensis.
Industry News
5/8/2008 2:21:36 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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No. 1 Design Mind
The Cooper-Hewitt just announced the winners of the National Design Awards and Pentagram's Michael Bierut won for Design Mind, which recognizes a visionary who has affected a paradigm shift in design
thinking or practice through writing research, and scholarship. The July/August issue of HOW will feature Bierut in our new column "My Best Work" where he'll share his favorite project with us.  Posted by Megan
Industry News
5/8/2008 11:54:31 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Pretty in Green
We're big fans of delphine, designer Erika Firm's Rancho Santa Fe, CA-based papergoods line. Not only have Erika's gorgeous goodies shown up in HOW design annuals, but they're also featured in our upcoming story about designers' handmade paper items. She's gearing up for next week's National Stationery Show in New York City (but for the HOW Conference, we'd be there in a heartbeat). And today she tells us she's launching a line of super-cute recycled cotton totes. 
Gifts and Goodies
5/8/2008 8:27:32 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Blog Love
I just fell in love with a blog called Hula Seventy, written by Andrea in Portland, OR. I don't think she's a designer, but she's extremely creative and likes to create lists of creative challenges for herself. Get some great idea from 37 things to do before I turn 38. 2. make 25 small collages
5. hang the wall of inspiration
13. take a photography class
14. experiment with cross processing
24. spend an afternoon at a museum by myself
25. develop three rolls of film a month
26. sample a cereal-covered doughnut from voodoo doughnuts
 Posted by Megan
Creativity
5/7/2008 1:58:22 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Found On Flickr . . .
this paper alphabet made by Argentine creative Lala Ladcani.  Posted by Megan
Typography
5/7/2008 1:05:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Smart Models
If I wasn't going to be on my to the HOW Conference on May 17th, I'd love to check out AGIA New York's SMART/MODELS event. Five design firms with very different business models will explain what works for them. Speaker include Jason Fried from 37signals, Matt Owens from Athletics, Joe Duffy and Eric Block from Duffy & Partners, Sylvia Harris from Sylvia Harris, LLC, and Douglas Riccardi from Memo Productions. 
Posted by Megan
Events
5/7/2008 12:42:50 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Web Winners
Industry News
5/6/2008 4:18:34 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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So Do I
This inspiring typographic drawing was created by 22-year-old design student Will Bryant.  via BySoAndSoPosted by Megan
Illustration | Typography
5/6/2008 1:24:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Monday, May 05, 2008
Stunning Images
The photographer Walter Schels and the journalist Beate Lakotta
spent over a year making portraits of 26 people who were very close to
death and again just after death. The exhibition articulates the experiences, hopes and fears of
the dying, and gives them one more opportunity to be heard.
 via SwissmissPosted by Megan
Thought Provoking
5/5/2008 11:22:04 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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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
5/5/2008 11:02:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Congrats!
HOW's sister magazine, PRINT, celebrates its fourth win in the General Excellence category of the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) Ellie Awards, the magazine industry’s highest honor. This represents PRINT's 10th nomination for General Excellence, and its fourth win. Way to go!  Posted by Megan
Industry News
5/5/2008 10:33:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, May 02, 2008
Design Humor
I'm pretty sure this makes me a big nerd, but I adore this Charles and Ray Eames Powers of 10 joke.  (Thanks HOW Books editor Amy Schell for forwarding this site to me.) Posted by Megan
Just for Fun
5/2/2008 2:41:18 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Web 2.0 Explained
Vancouver-based design firm smashLAB just posted a great white paper explaining the importance of social media. Print this out and send it to clients who are having trouble getting it.
Traditional marketers are accustomed to carefully honing messages. This
allows for control, but the results are difficult and costly to
measure. Social media turns this whole scenario around. With it,
control is shared with the crowd, and real feedback becomes immediate.Organizations now have the opportunity to collect detailed information
on users and their habits, elicit real feedback and suggestions, and
refine their offering and messaging to better suit user demands.
Although there are trade-offs with this new way of communicating, the
opportunities for companies to understand and work with their customers
have never been as great.
Posted by Megan
Design Resources
5/2/2008 2:07:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, May 01, 2008
Marketing and Pricing
Over at the MarketingMixBlog, pricing is always a hot topic. Last week, there was a heated discussion about whether designers should charge credit card fees back to clients when they pay with a credit card. Some say it's a cost of doing business; others don't think they should have to cover that expense. What do you think? This is just one tiny tidbit from a treasure trove of business information in the new book by Ilise Benun and Peleg Top, co-founders of Marketing-Mentor.com, The Designer's Guide to Marketing and Pricing: How to Win Clients and What to Charge Them. They're also giving a pre-conference workshop based on the book at the HOW Conference on Sunday, May 18, bright and early at 8 AM. That's not all! Ilise and Peleg have also recorded a series of 12 podcasts, one for each chapter, to go along with the book. Listen to Chapter 1: Who Is My Market? here and find lots more information on the new website for the book.  Posted by Megan
HOW Books
5/1/2008 2:53:27 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Never Been
I can't stop looking at this panoramic illustration by Stuart Kolakovic. It started as a 9 meter long installation at a gallery and then his brother helped him turn it into an interactive web page. The meandering image tells the story of a small Eastern European village over the course of one year.   via DrawnPosted by Megan
Illustration
5/1/2008 9:11:08 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Commands
Gifts and Goodies
4/30/2008 11:50:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, April 29, 2008
News, etc.
As per usual, the paper companies are dominating the news this week with a flurry of releases, including: • Wausau Paper launched Digital Space, a website geared toward helping designers with the technical and production aspects of papers for digital print jobs. • Distributor Legion Paper now carries the U.K. brand Mirricard, a highly reflective paper in nine colors, with a super-smooth finish that, remarkably, is printable. • Sappi announced the Silver and Bronze winners in its North American Printer of the Year competition. Among the whole slew of recipients in various categores are several names we recognize from HOW's own design competitions, including The Hennegan Co., Williamson Printing, The Fox Co. Lithographers, Anderson Litho, Blanchette Press, Sandy Alexander and Continental Colorcraft. • Domtar's got a new swatchbook for its "workhorse" offset sheet, Husky. Domtar's Lynx brand is now FSC certified.
 In some non-paper news: • Auto FX Software released a limited-time bundle of products (available through August 31) that includes Corel Painter X, Auto FX Mystical Tint Tone and Color, Mystical Lighting and several training videos. The package retails for $349, a savings of more than $550. • FunctionFox has released TimeFox Premier, which includes significant upgrades to task assignment, scheduling and calendar functions vs. the standard TimeFox edition. Learn more about this web-based product and compare the standard and premier versions. • YouSendIt, which enables users to send huge files over the web without using FTP sites or crashing their e-mail system, launched a "virtual mailbox" that firms can post on their websites, allowing partners or customers to drag and drop files delivery.
Industry News
4/29/2008 4:29:54 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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What When Where And Y
I hope I'm not late to the game, but I just noticed this cool nutrition drink for kids called Y Water. The bottle was designed by Yves Behar and they're not only recyclable, they're reusable. The bottles link together with biodegradable rubber connectors to form a building toy.   Posted by Megan
Designers
4/29/2008 12:53:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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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
4/29/2008 8:50:28 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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