Interesting post over on our Creative Freelancer Blog from June Walker, a tax advisor to indie professionals and speaker at this year's Creative Freelancer Conference.

Everyone's lining up to get their piece of the economic stimulus pie, and June helps freelance designers understand how they can get in on the action, in a series of three guest posts. Starting here: First, think of (and run!) your freelance gig like a real business. Good info, and super timely, too.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but I think Remarkable Creatures sounds like a good read and looks like a gorgeous vintage book. The cover was created by the talented Brazilian designer Eduardo Recife.



via FFFFound!

Posted by Megan

The Creative Group just published an interview with Danny Gregory, author of the recent HOW book An Illustrated Life, which offers a peek into the personal visual journals of top creatives from around the world, including R. Crumb and Stefan Sagmeister.

"There is little doubt in my mind that using a computer impacts what I make. That can be good or bad. From my own experience, the specificity of making an image in Photoshop or Illustrator is a very different experience from simply drawing on a piece of paper.

"I know there are people who are very adept at using a tablet and stylus, but they can't just pull out a laptop as they walk down the road or wake up at 4 a.m. with an idea or collaborate across a table with a friend. I have tried drawing and journaling on a computer, and the experience has shown in the results.

"I also feel that the ability to correct one's output in minute details [on a computer] impacts the results. I like the serendipity of raw materials, inkblots, leaking dip pens, fingerprints and thick textured watercolor paper. They are all elements in how I express myself and work toward an idea.

"I pull from more places and make more connections when I am working without the limitations and demands of a computer. I spend hours each day sitting at the keyboard, but I think of new ideas best when I am sitting in front of blank page."

Posted by Megan

Design*Sponge offers a great sneak peek into illustrator Frank Viva's home in Toronto. My favorite thing in the space is a typographic poster with a quote from George Orwell's "Animal Farm." Happily, it's for sale from Whigby for $24.99.

Show your literary side and demonstrate your kinship and solidarity with animal kind the world over. Two Legs Bad (Four Legs Good) was created by Frank Viva and is hand silkscreened for Whigby on Skin, a brand of luxurious printing papers from the Curious Collection.

Posted by Megan

I have a reputation as an unrepentant doodler. I doodle my way through every meeting and every long phone call. Many of the designers I know share this habit. Well, turns out, doodling actually aids memory.

In a delightful new study, which will be published in the journal Applied Cognitive Psychology, psychologist Jackie Andrade of the University of Plymouth in southern England showed that doodlers actually remember more than nondoodlers when asked to retain tediously delivered information, like, say, during a boring meeting or a lecture.

Read more.

Posted by Megan

Technical Print Designer
Target, Minneapolis

Partner with Product Design and Development to assist in creating production prints that can be executed by Business Partners with a minimum of revisions and resampling that fit within the pricing and PMU parameters of a given category. Manage the print evaluation and approval process on all complex prints and act as a consultant to Design on all other prints. Create manufacture-ready files for use in product development packages that result in expedited approval of product. Provide print guidance to Design, Technical Development, TSS and Merchants to support PD&D process.

Posted by Megan

Lots of scoop from around the design biz this week, including:

• This in just today: Mohawk has acquired SMART Papers' uncoated writing/text/cover brands, including Carnival, Passport, Genesis, Synergy, Pegasus, Magna Carta, Solutions, Feltweave, Nekoosa, Proterra, Skytone and SMART. In addition, Mohawk will market SMART's Kromekote and Knightkote brands overseas.

• Dreamstime.com has improved its search engine to better catalog and sort its collection of 5 million+ images. One new feature: an enhanced tool for sorting by color, hue and saturation.

• Adobe is extending its introductory pricing for CS4 through April 30; customers can upgrade from CS3 and save up to $200 (other pricing packages available). 

• Corel recently introduced version 11 of its popular painting/illustration software, Corel Painter, which includes 40+ new features like additional pressure-sensitive brushes and enhanced drawing tools, and a 30% improvement in the speed and performance of the brush tools.

• Neenah Paper has added a 100% postconsumer waste, FSC-certified product that's also certified for digital printing: Environment Digital PC 100 White.

• Imagestate offers a massive collection of 15,000 royalty free images on a 160 GB hard drive for $1,390, or less than 10 cents per image.

• Scenic Ireland offers 13,000 stock images of Ireland's geography, people, cities and culture.

• Lots of new royalty free images this month at Imense Picturesearch. (No, that's not a typo.)

• Paper merchant Unisource has launched UnisourceGreen.com, with tools to help customers meet their sustainability goals.

 

Driv is a Malaysian designer living and working in Shanghai. His business card incorporates a clever diecut of his logo that becomes a smiling face when turned on its side.



via Kitsune Noir

Posted by Megan

Senior Promotion Designer
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, New York City

Under direction of the Creative Services Director and the Art Director, the Senior Designer will be involved in the design and execution of collateral ranging from sales tools, mailers, brochures, media kits, invitations, event signage, logos, packaging, posters, advertorials, etc.

The Designer will be responsible for updating and designing inbook pages as well updating the image library. They will help maintain the organization of the art department by filing all of their works on the server and labeling them accurately.

The Designer is responsible for delivering required materials accurately and in a timely manner so that all deadlines and budgets are met.

They will manage all stages of print production, including converting computer files and prepping them in mechanical form for press, researching the most cost efficient method of producing a particular piece, color proofing, securing estimates, negotiating bids, placing orders, ensuring proper delivery, keeping organized records and files and maintaining quality control.

The Designer will assist the Creative Services Director or the Art Director on photo shoots by providing administrative and creative assistance. This role will involve assistance in contacting the photo editor, studio managers and stylists.