I am a full-time graphic designer/illustrator and part-time design educator, so design thinking is a familiar and routine part of my life.…
During a downhill event at the Winter Olympics in Sochi, a contestant wiped out against the fence because she lost her footing…
…your process of emerging from school into the (design) profession needs to be as carefully framed and designed as any of your projects.
Non-descript design that lacks distinction will do nothing to add distinction and value to an organization.
When it comes to clients, it is better to pursue relationships instead of projects. We'll build our businesses more successfully via relationships…
Like any design, websites are experienced. Your goal should be to provide the best experience to the largest percentage of people who…
Detours can be useful for preparation, refining, and strengthening skills, perceptions and insights - all which increase our ability to support and stand up under the "weight" of our destinies. If we're not strong enough to carry something, we will be overwhelmed by it.
Business and creative culture now runs on creative rights and intellectual property. Theft, abuse and alteration of intellectual property is as rampant…
Misunderstandings can exist between clients and freelance designers regarding their working relationships. Questions of who owns what, what files are provided to the…
I admit to being in the minority as a designer and illustrator when I say that I think in terms of black or…
The essential difference between copyright and trademark can be summed up this way: copyright protects the person while trademark protects the property.
If you know me well, you know that baseball is my favorite sport, and I often employ baseball analogies to explain concepts…
Listening is related to empathy. Empathy is valuing another's experience, and keeps the designer from creating something that is self-expressive.
Let's begin with the premise that design, illustration and photography are service professions, and that being a professional means you're in business.…
Before working with a designer, a client should prepare for that relationship. Often, businesses will request a web site or a logo…
A logo is no more a mere graphic than the American flag is simply a piece of fabric.
I had my sketchbook open while viewing televised Congressional hearings. US Attorney General, Eric Holder, was up to bat, answering questions pitched…
Lucien Bernhard was an illustrator, type designer and painter in the early 20th Century and was known for stark, hand-lettered advertising posters…
There 's a book in my library titled, 101 Things to Learn in Art School by Kit White. It's full of truths…
It is said that when you come to the end of your rope, you should tie a knot and hang on. My…
As I prepare to teach my next course in Design History at UCLA Extension, I gave some thought to why designers should study…
Christmas cards by Alvalyn Lundgren featuring her illustration, Santa’s Prayer (Santa Praying.)
This very popular image is becoming iconic due to its popularity in memes and other social shares. For those who have used…
Working on spec directly contradicts good business practices and does not even promise payment for work performed.
A bit more philosophical than my previous list, but hopefully more pithy, and not in any particular order: Do not fear the…
Modification is a new idea of how a logo functions: a dynamic asset that not only represents an enterprise but also adapts to situations and platforms.
The difference between a designer who draws from one who doesn't. is obvious.
Creativity is an activity requiring both close-ordered, attentive thought and a wandering mind. It begins with a problem to solve or a…
Design is both a process and a result.
Not every client relationship is a good fit, and it's just good business to separate.
Since color is a fundamental design element, designers should have a well-rounded knowledge of color theory that addresses color perception, psychology and symbolism in order to make intelligent design decisions.
The element of beauty is assumed in any design.
Here's a tutorial (in speed sketch mode) for my drawing class showing how to draw a bear from photographic reference (which is…
Some ideas look really good in your head but when you get them down on paper and begin to develop a strategy, the flaws become apparent.
I have always loved books. As an ardent reader, part of the experience I always enjoy is the way a book feels,…
No matter who has designed your logo, at some point you will have to put it into someone else's hands. This might…
All too often a business or organization seeks a designer to execute an untested, unrefined idea as quickly and cheaply as possible. A business that's design-oriented will not regard design as an afterthought but as the basis for its marketing communications and brand awareness.
To be meaningful, design needs to connect on five successive levels of significance…
How many people set goals and never achieve them? How many creatives start a business and then watch it fizzle out Are…
A business seeking to brand itself should avoid acquiring a logo or having one created by the lowest bidder.
If a hiring firm wants to give special consideration to candidates from a specific school, that's its right. But then it should carry on its notification processes within the sphere of that school's alumni and career counseling office
It's said that design is in the details. Yet it's the sum total of the details that makes the design. When you're in…
Does it matter if a design is good or not? Before we can deal with that question let's ask a more basic…
Let's make the distinction between beauty and pretty.
Being effective involves doing the right thing at the right time in the right place.
We talk about creativity and innovation in terms of thinking outside the box. Thinking outside the box still needs to remain within the…
Design your time. Time is wasted when we do the wrong thing at the wrong time. It's easier to keep your time boundaries and your well-being intact if you plan ahead.
If we approach a design solution as an opportunity for self-expression, we'll miss the point and risk not solving the problem.
Setting and maintaining boundaries will help you avoid relationships and circumstances that are potentially harmful.