Don't Limit Your Exposure

Here's an example of what happens when the client's only experience in publication design is the porn magazines in the truck yard's office (at least, I sincerely hope it's the client's limitation, and not the designer's!!)

Trust your experience in design; lead the client when the client needs leading. If you are uncomfortable in the role of educator/consultant/taste arbiter, then take a class in public speaking, or even in sales. It will help your confidence level.

Remember, though the saying is that the client is always right-- they're most right when they knew enough to hire YOU to do this job!

When Google takes over the world...

Hey, I'm back at last. When Google took over Blogspot, I somehow got lost in the system and they either didn't recognize me or I didn't recognize myself. The expansion of social media has my head reeling; have to explore the worthwhile avenues and ignore the distractions. Keeping touch with loved ones, networking for work, playing scrabble with someone across the pond (who's dictionary do you go by?)... check worthy. I guess I'm not fond of receiving email notices alerting me to the fact that my friend has posted some minutiae, so it's the inundation of information, not the information itself, that drives me crazy. I guess Twitter (one SM I have successfully avoided) is a constant live feed-and that constancy could dull you to the feeling of inundation, rather like white noise of our lives. hmmm... "you are getting sleepy..."

Party Planning

Continuing further on the riff about being a director in our lives, I'm in the process of panning a party--me who eloped rather than go through the torture of planning a wedding--now has the confidence to try and pull off an event! This thing has live music and a canopy and the weather WILL cooperate! In the early stages, I contacted The Party Center, and one of their routine questions is, "What kind of event is this?" My answer: "Oh, it's just a house party."
"Are you catering it?" "No, I'll be doing the food." Jaws drop and eyes get REALLY big.
Okay, I am thinking at this point that perhaps I was wise to elope. What am I thinking about this party that might be wrong (at least in the eyes of people who help plan parties of all types and sizes, and whose income derives from this expertise)?
I've got a notebook, a timeline, I'm keeping track.
I've planned a simple menu--most of which can be prepared days ahead, all will hold up through summer heat, and are recipes I've made many times, so I know they're good.
I've got water balloons and a sprinkler in case the heat is unbearable, and lawn games in case the conversation lags.
I've got beer, wine, music, good friends... what's to worry about? (Well, parking for one thing).

While it is smart to get input from the experts, and to be wise enough to listen to it, it's also okay to know what you want (BIG Picture Time!) and keep steady in your direction toward that goal. Don't let the details derail you, but don't derail the details either.

Performing Arts

We attended St. Joseph's Prep's performance of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood." Eileen Cella, our friends' daughter, starred with a cast that numbered --well it seemed like it-- 40. A period piece, this play within a play seems a good choice for a high school senior musical as it probably employed the entire drama club and then some. Think about the director's role: coordinating all the logistics, coaching individual performers to bring out their best, and then choreographing such a large ensemble to clockwork perfection (and they were perfect). Add to this complexity the nature of this play's variables --the audience votes on the ending and on who "gets the girl"-- so the ending of every performance is different!
It's a direct correlation to think about our own roles --both at home and at work-- as the director's responsibilities, and take a bow for making it through a different ending every day!

Being a PAL

The rain has passed to the Northeast, and it's hard to stay here at the computer while the sun breaks through, but it's worth it when the work is this much fun... and BONUS: rewarding! For the past 8 years, I've been creating posters, tickets, programs for Phoenixville PAL Boxing events. Inspired by old time boxing posters with bold fonts, crowded with variety, breaking the rules. The PAL President, Jim Deoria, a Phoenixville cop and retired champ, built this program that has sent a couple of kids on to the pro circuit and has built the characters of many more area kids. It's an honor to have this much design fun and know it helps a worthwhile cause.

Spring: Forget Pantone... look out the window!

I finally updated my Pantone ink books– as I was developing a color palette as part of the re-branding process for a client in the heavily competitive field of finance. It's a good thing this project started in the heart of Winter, so I could concentrate on the job properly! This serious financial company might have ended up with apple green, pale pink and daffodil yellow for a color standard! Come to think of it, those colors WOULD be a stand-out for the financial industry...
But seriously... (not really)... the colors of Spring do always bring a smile to one's face, don't they? It may be their refreshing contrast to the previous scudding-grey-cloud days of late Winter, but it's more than the atmosphere; it is the purity of color "fresh from the tube" as yet unadulterated by heat, light, or age. It may be that because I am a gardener, my eyes are up close and personal with the center of the tulips and daffs- but that close-up reveals that the colors are iridescent - RGB, not CMYK.

Color prediction can be an important part of jewelry design - knowing fashion trends might cause you to purchase specific gemstones to increase seasonal sales. I have yet to pay for the service, but some jewelry sites offer free color prediction charts, and my experience with those have been that, while yes, I did see those colors a little more often, I can buy Vogue and get a better idea of what's 'hot.' I've found that these trends might spark a customer's interest or request for a custom piece (Early 2008: a brief flash in the pan of cobalt sparked lapis lazuli sales), but overall, I'd rather be moved by the stones themselves, and the way my sales happen attests that the buyer usually feels that way, too.
The nice thing about gemstones is that - with the light reflections, opalescence and translucence - it's about as close as I can get to that pure RGB color that Mother Nature does so well. Oh, that's right, the gemstones were made by Her, too. Thanks, Mom!

Best Lessons

The best lessons I ever get are from my clients. Celeste McQuade, an image consultant, brought me on to create logos for several of her clients. We started with old fashioned, rough pencil sketches. As I showed them to her, her excitement over the possibilities sparked a great creative partnership throughout the entire process. The curiosity, exploration and refinement that she inspired in me really brought out some of the best work I've ever done. Lesson: Be open - in your head and in your heart; listen well and dedicate yourself fully to the creative process.