design SOS

Today I woke up fresh and was excited to get to school-No seriously. Although I felt guilty and a little anxious from taking a full two day weekend to myself,I found myself physically and mentally replenished and ready for a busy week at the office, the unpaid office that is.
Over and over again I see my fellow classmates chain themselves to their desks and feel as though they cannot leave there desks until their projects are complete, not even to go pee! I have to admit I am guilty of this from time to time because it's easy to get sucked into design slavery. The pressure is at an all time high as the school year is coming to an end and final evaluation creeps closer and closer. The workload is heavy but sometimes I think we just over think our ideas. As a creative person, you can't schedule inspiration, which is really frikking inconvenient. It can come to you within the first 30 seconds and sometimes never arrive! I think I'm a good student, but who's to tell what the evaluators will think?
With 3 different opinions from 3 completely different personality types it's almost impossible to achieve perfection. Of course when we step into the work force there will be far more opinionated consumers and clients to please, but when and how will I find a way to make everyone happy? I most likely won't, I don't think anyone has. The real question is, how do I find a way to make myself happy with my design? I am the artist after all, and my pieces are designed to my liking. I will always strive for perfection, no matter who tries to stop me. If you're having somewhat of an uninspiring day, I thought you might enjoy this video... As Charlie Brown once said;

In all this world,there is no heavier burden than great potential

Personality Designer

As I am currently struggling to illustrate a childrens book, I thought it would be helpful to research the net for some inspiring illustrations that might help me along my way. I stumbled upon a talented illustrator named Arthur De Pins who is brilliant at capturing emotion in his characters. What makes him even greater is that he has a sick and twisted sense of humour that I rather enjoy. Of course 99% of these images are inappropriate references to a kids book, but I thought I'd share them with you.
A great designer needs to visually communicate a message or situation in one freeze frame. I find it's about as easy as telling a great story with only a few words. Arthurs illustration style is 3 dimensional, fun and quirky. He uses bright colours and sophisticated highlights to really bring life to his work. You'll notice each character has a different reaction to the unknown occurrence, but the interesting thing about it is that you can make up you're own story. The exaggerated facial expressions and body language are executed perfectly to help create this shocking mood. See that firey red head? She just slept with the best man in a fluffy linen closet. Or maybe she had one too many sips of that margarita. Or maybe both? Whatever it is, the interaction between the three girls is exciting and believable and leaves you wanting more.
If you'd like to see more of Arthur's work, (Parental guidance may be advised) check out his website at http://www.arthurdepins.com/

By Robin Lindner

Today is a great day. The sun is shining; there is at least 3 feet of glistening snow outside a wonderful coffee/wine bar I have just discovered. I reluctantly order a large coffee, as a 2003 Shiraz stares me right in the face. I decide to change it up a little and ask for chocolate milk rather than regular milk in my coffee. The lady behind me followed with the same order and winked at me, I wink back and feel like quite the trendsetter. I sit quietly in a comfy leather chair, wondering if anything I do or say has any impact on the world around me. I know I am in no position to answer that question but I can curiously assume that the small differences we make in our everyday life will have a long-term snowball effect in the future. Maybe not in the life changing situation of chocolate vs. white, but definitely in the instance of paper vs. mug!

As our Earth quickly runs out of renewable resources, graphic artists have a crucial responsibility to cater to environmental issues and design for a change.  The question is, does web have the same effect as print? The use of print is not obsolete, and the use of web is not going to take over the world. We as an industry just need to make didactic decisions between paper and web. i.e. If a client asks for 100 000 printed flyers to advertise “Save the Trees Foundation”, it could easily be justified to suggest a mass email to replace or substantially cut down on physical prints.  Of course not every situation will be as obvious, but you get the point. It will be a challenge to figure out what exactly will benefit both the client and the environment, but it will get your mind thinking about how to slowly revive our world. We also need to keep a close eye on the amount of energy we waste in a day with our computers running, lights left on etc. but I’m sure you’ve heard this all before. The challenge for change is not just spreading the word, but having the power to persuade others to take action. This is where we, as a creative community need to step in and take charge. Start taking notice of the people around you, why do they do the things they do?  Would different circumstances have changed that decision? It’s just a thought, see where it takes you.

My coffee is finished, my work is done and I order a glass of wine, I figure life would be boring if we never gave into temptation. Until next time… ;)

Creative Drain

What do you do when you find yourself creatively drained? Well, I don't know the permanent cure but I can surely give you some of my personal remedies that will do the trick temporarily.

#1. Figure out where the problem is. Are you hungry? Thirsty? In need of some mobilization to get the blood flowing back to your tired brain? 

#2. Satisfy those needs, you're not going to be able to fully devote yourself to design when your body is telling you otherwise. Sitting at your desk is not going to evoke positive energy nor is it going to help you be creative. The best thing to do is take a break to replenish that artistic void.

#3. Do something you've never done before, be spontaneous. Drive with your TomTom off, get lost! I like to find new coffee shops, places with live music, flee markets, ANYthing that will stimulate my  mind. Not only does that give you a break, but you get to see how the people around you interact which in the end is who you are designing for. 

#4. When you return to your working space, get yourself comfortable. Adjust your seat, keyboard and mouse accordingly like you would getting into your vehicle.

#5. You take that project and own it. Do not let it consume you, or intimidate you. Remember why you became a designer in the first place and enjoy it by trying new things. Have fun and don't ever take yourself too seriously, life is too short to stress about kerning to perfection.

Designing a Love affair

Ahhhh.... It all started in my first year of college. There he was in the classroom sitting quietly in the corner by the window. The sun was glaring off him, I was intimidated and intrigued by his abundance of knowledge. He could do everything; write, draw, play music...and I wanted to learn more. His name is Mac, him & I have been together on and off now for about four years now. We've been working out our differences and really getting to know each other on a deeper level. I know how to turn him on, but sometimes when I aggravate him he just shuts off completely without any warning! I have to admit, I push his buttons a little too far sometimes. He says I always tell him what to do,  but he only listens half the time and it's extremely frustrating!  Don't get me wrong, he's really great! We have our own "code" words for things that just him and I know about, it's really helped us understand each other. Our relationship has really grown over the years and I think with a little work we will live happily ever after.
  

I have to let you in on a little secret... Mac isn't my boyfriend, in fact he isn't even a human being. I have to let you in on another secret... My lame computer humour only works on my fellow nerdy friends who live and breathe design like I do. Being an artist is one thing, but learning to adjust your art form to the computer is one of the biggest challenges of all. Through trial and plenty of error I have become more comfortable with this glorious machine and I learn something new every day. Everyone learns at a different pace, and sometimes you want to pull your hair out when you can't achieve the effect you have in your mind, but if you fully dedicate enough of your time you will succeed. There is no better feeling than when you finish a project and it is exactly the way you wanted it to be. 

If you have the passion, charisma and drive there is no stopping you... It's just a matter of time!