Inspiration, what’s your function?

Like most designers out there, I desperately want to know what other designers out there are up to. Thankfully, there is an entire sector of blogs devoted to bringing us the cream of the crop, from wherever that “out there” is, in perfectly digestable bundles.

They always come in beautiful lists… 35 inspiring minimalist designs, 40 unique website navigations, 50 most beautiful portfolios… So I scroll and drool over the exotic typefaces, the brilliant use of texture, the intricate details, the glorious white space. And like most people looking at those perfect specimens, I think to myself “Damn those gorgeous designs…” That’s when, inevitably, I start feeling absurdly envious and plain inadequate – my designs wouldn’t make those lists.

But wait a sec… could it be because my work is for actual clients? with actual requirements? and actual goals to hit? Examples from those lists, as exquisite as they are, more often than not are for personal sites, small businesses with simple offers, and occasionally spec work. Hey, that’s not fair!

But here’s a real inventory of elements from a real project and their very real homepage: logo, navigation, secondary navigation, feature, selling prop, call to action, spotlight, second spotlight, testimonial, product gallery, guarantee, and footer with a slew of elements of its own. Now, I think that homepage turned out pretty sweet – it’s got good hierarchy, flow, personality, and most importantly it should really have an impact on this company’s business. And isn’t that what this whole website design stuff is about?

No, I’m not going to boycott those list, in fact I’m probably going to go browse one right now. But, dear list makers, just once in a while show me a list of great websites with lots of ..um… “stuff” crammed in in a spectacular way. That’ll be something I can really relate to.

No Comments by on February 2, 2012
filed in Pet-peeves

im·pa·tient: restless in desire or expectation

It’s a widely known fact for people who spend any time with me, that I’m very impatient. I hate waiting and being waited for. But to my overwhelming relief, it turns out I’m not alone with this annoying vice (well, the first half of it, unfortunately). Evidently, we’ve become an increasingly  impatient society. We skim text, click through images, and install mobile apps before getting past the first description paragraph. I know I do that.

Well, we graphic designers are on to you, impatient lot! …Cue evil laugh here… Did you know that we’ve been devising ways to force you into absorbing information? But, feeling benevolent today, I’m going to fill you in on some of our tricks.

Trick 1: We keep it short and big. Yes, we harass our poor copywriters to write shorter and shorter copy, just for you. Then we spice it up with cool typography and, voila, a headline you can’t miss even if you tried!

Trick 2: We use lots of contrast. Apparently you’re looking for cues throughout the design for things you should pay attention to. That’s why you see lots of bright buttons everywhere, screaming “click me!”

Trick 3: We throw in something that doesn’t look like it belongs on the web. Handwritten fonts will do the trick every single time. It’s quite magical. Second in line are textural effects, like the oh-so-popular torn paper treatment. We’re still wondering when it might go out of style, but that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

Trick 4: We let arrows point the way. This one is quite silly and annoyingly effective. You see and arrow and you look where it’s pointing. So simple.

Trick 5: We let pictures do the talking. They say a picture says a thousand words. Well, sometimes we just need it to say 2 or 3 (like “Add to Cart”), and we know you like that little shopping cart icon with the plus sign, so we give you what you like.

But without you, the reader, the user, the audience – impatient as you might be – we designers are obsolete and out of a job. So we’ll continue to try to please you with cute icons and evokative typography, and continue looking for new tricks to keep you interested.

I guess what I’m really saying is thanks for keeping us on our toes.

No Comments by on January 23, 2012
filed in I'm just saying

I hereby resolve to…

It’s pretty much mid-January here, but it’s not too late to make some promises to oneself and make a good go at sticking to them. To make my resolutions a bit more sticky, I’ve decided to put some of them in writing. You know, for accountability and all. This way I can look back a year later and scold myself with motive and proof.

Resolution 1: Write blog posts more often. My god, have I been terrible at this! I walk around writing blog posts in my head, but for some reason they never make it here. The reason is that the second I sit down in front of my computer, I start firing away at emails and fulfilling my design duties. Makes me a responsible designer, but not a very dutiful blog writer, eh? Action Plan: Put it in my calendar until it becomes a habit.

Resolution 2: Be in the know. This is a bit of ongoing challenge for me – keeping up with the latest and hottest in design, while keeping my clients happy by cranking out work at above-average speed. This is where that 25th hours could really come in handy for me! However, since it’s unlikely to take effect in our society any time soon, I just gotta be better and find time. Action Plan: Spend at least 30 minutes each morning scouring the net.

Resolution 3: Appear caffeinated when possible. I’ve recently learned that during client meetings I don’t always appear as excited and/or positive as I think I do. Ouch! This totally-misinterpreted observation really bummed me out. It’s absolutely, irrevocably gotta change. I had no idea I was coming off like that and very much appreciate someone pointing it out (thanks, you-know-who-you-are!). Action Plan: Be aware and practice quick-fire responses.

Resolution 4: Find an agency that fits. After many years of successful freelancing, I’m putting my Pantone books to rest and looking for a full-time job. In truth this is a resolution I come back to every 2 to 3 years, but haven’t quite fulfilled. Why not? I’m just too picky! I believe I’m good at what I do and I don’t want to settle for a semi-sucky job. It probably sounds terribly vain of me, but that’s the reason I’ve went back to freelance after a short stint at a design shop 2 years ago. I want to be challenged, I want to learn, and I want to do cool stuff. Picky, picky, picky. Action Plan: Expand my horizons and be open to change.

I could write a few more, but let’s be reasonable here. These are worthy resolutions to make and I’m going to do my absolute best to uphold them.

I’ll keep you posted!

No Comments by on January 10, 2012
filed in It's Personal
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