NEED HELP.

So I am struggling badly with this last project. I honestly don't know what to do that isn't a cliche or that the idea comes together and represents my director (Brian de Palma) even the slightest bit. I wanted to go with violence, gory blood everywhere violence. Since that's what I mostly got out of his films minus all the camera angles. Can I have some kind critique please??

Creative Block

As the semester comes to an end, I am sure many of you are struggling to creatively finish projects. So I must ask, what is your process for battling creative block? No two creative blocks are the same and I am sure everyone has a different way of overcoming them. How do you spike that creativity and get the right side of your brain working? Do you have a design process?

**Inspiration for this post came from Breakthrough!: Proven Strategies to Overcome Creative Block and Spark Your Imagination.

Re: Package Design

I have purchased chewing gum based on its packaging. Sometimes there is a little surprise - like two packages that fold together like a small book or a thin case with cut outs that slide over the blister pack. I also like retro candy and chewing gum packaging, but can do without the sugar content.

15 Vintage Chewing Gum Ads

Re: Package Design

I always hear people mention one of their favorite places to see cool design is at the wine store. I am not a big wine drinker so I don't see the bottles as much as other people do but I know that a really interesting bottle is going to stop me in my tracks. I will totally buy a horrible wine for someone if it had an awesome design on it, hands down. The package is the first thing that draws me in and once I get hooked... there is no turning back.

How freaking awesome is this bottle of wine!!

WHAT.....

I'm in love!

Re: Packaging

I am partial to package designs that are surprising.

For instance, this packaging for NYC Spaghetti turns into the Chrysler Building, which I think is pretty cool. I wouldn't even want to eat the pasta because that would ruin the packaging.

Or this butter packet can also be used as a knife.

And these earphones are packaged to look like a musical note. (You might actually have to look for the photo on that one. The url will not take you directly to it.)

I like when packaging design is creative and out-of-the-box, but Chrystal is right. You definitely pay for packaging. And, truth be told, I probably wouldn't buy that box of NYC Spaghetti, no matter how awesome it is. Knowing that innovative packaging like that is out there is good enough for me. I'll just keep buying my reasonably priced Barilla, thanks.

Re:Packaging Design

I am a straight sucker for packaging. I fall victim to it all the time, even though I can hear my mother's voice in my head saying, "You are just paying extra for the package!" I think everyone does, and thats what makes some brands so popular (ahem, Tiffany and Co. ) and others seem a bit dull.

I pay attention to packaging particularly when I'm shopping for two things- alcohol and cosmetics. No, they don't go hand in hand, but I think they are two areas where people have come up with some really neat designs, or at least ones that visually call out to me. If it comes to cosmetics, somehow the nicer package makes me think its a better product (clearly not a fail proof method of picking out a beauty cream or something). If its wine, beer, etc- I'm much more likely to pick the bottle up and take it home because of the design. I hate to throw out packaging

These are some brands I've bought because I love the packaging.

RE: Packaging

I am completely guilty of buying products based on their packaging… soap, cleaning products, shampoo, food, etc. I love packaging. I haven’t had any experience with it, other than one or two projects within the program. I love looking at Communication Art’s competition winners every year.

I wish I could do more projects with it in my job but it’s not really something we do at the Museum. The one or two packaging assignments I did do in the program didn’t turn out very well, probably because I did them early on in the program without a lot of experience. But I find it hard to visualize the final product or to figure out how to translate what I want to do to the software program. It’s a good thing there are lots of templates out there…

I thought Jill’s story about packaging, in the beginning of the semester was interesting. You can have a fantastic looking package, (pun intended?) but if it isn’t geared toward the right audience, or a good fit for the product inside, it’ll flop. The concept is key.

Re: Packaging Design

All of the examples people have shown are great. The packaging looks appealing thus the product, no matter how simplistic or really how silly the product could be, is attracting people to buy it. Sometimes I find myself a little humorous when it comes to picking out products. I had mentioned this before in a previous blog post, but I do like to try and get the best deal out of everything, so I use to tend to skip what the packaging looked like and basically buy non-brand name things--unless it of course was for a gift or I was completely brand loyal (i.e apple products, true religion jeans, OPI nail polish, etc.). But even then, I don't buy them because of their appealing and well designed packaging. I buy them because well of their ability to not fail me. OPI nail polish almost never chips after the first two days of wearing it like any other brand; True Religion Jeans are comfortable, slimming, and can be washed a million times and still look trendy without shrinking; and of course there's Apple products-- we are all designers, I don't need to rave about Apple over PC or why my iPhone is amazing.

I guess what I'm trying to ask here is why do people pay so much attention to packaging materials and not pricing? Is it because your brand-loyal, because that would mean that it's not even the packaging thats making you buy it, its the product. A couple people mentioned that some of the most well-designed packages are for products that are a little pricey. Does the well-designed packaging make it pricier (spelling?)? If you went into a store and you saw the same headphones and you knew they were the same headphones, they both work well, and last long. One is packaged in a well-designed case and extremely attractive; while the other is in a simplistic box that's not very appealing. The one designed well is priced $15 more. Which would you buy? Me, I throw away the box as soon as I got home and would have the same headphones as anyone else who bought the other more expensive kind--the difference, I would be listening to my music with a smile because I just saved $15.

So well-designed packaging, yes I love to look at it. I have to, because if no one designed it then I eventually wouldn't have a job, right? But I still think there is more to it then pretty colors and attractiveness. I think it does influence the price of the product and soon I will research this and find out.

Re: Packaging Design

Before the holiday I attended a trade show for one of our clients, the Private Label Manufacturers Association. They represent the "store brands" industry, and though I was there for different reasons, I spent most of my time thinking about packaging.

One of the presentations I saw was by Daymon Design, who posited that product packaging gives the best return on investment of all media buys. I'm not sure that I was convinced by their supporting data, but it got me thinking about the viability of packaging design for the future. I looked at a number of displays and talked to every exhibitor I could who was involved in design, photography, printing or marketing of packaging.

What I deduced from talking to people was that packaging design seems to be less affected by changes in media than other print forms. Essentially, products will always need to be wrapped in something. But  several marketing/design professionals who had been doing it for some time noted that, as commerce has moved to the web, the relative importance of the product presentation has declined, and therefore retailers are putting less thought/resources into the design. The one area that is the exception is food packaging, because supermarkets have had less success than others in successfully selling product via the web, and shelf display is still of primary importance.

Re: Packaging Design

I am definitely guilty of buying products for the packaging, as I think most of us are at some point. Even though the saying "don't judge a book by its cover" is so well known, I can't help always being drawn to the "pretty" books on the shelf. If I know an author or I've heard about a specific book, I'll flip through its pages regardless of how it looks on the outside. But if I'm just browsing in a book store, I will almost always pick up the books with covers that are colorful and have interesting or different typography and illustrations. I will still read the back of the book and the first few pages to make sure it's worth reading, but the way it looks will at least get me to pick it up over some other, less noticeable cover.

Re: Packaging Design

As a packaging designer, this is something I constantly am considering. To stay ahead of the current trends, we often go out on Store Walks and sneak pics of anything that catches our fancy. Though we're in a different industry, I find the most inspirational packaging - as far as messaging, branding, unique style, and innovation - is often found in the cosmetics aisle. Since the products are so small, and it truly is the last opportunity to pitch your product to your consumer, that industry has to work extra-hard to stand out and be noticed.

I think all designers are consciously guilty of purchasing for packaging - the Andy Warhol Campbell's soup cans, the retro cereal packaging (totally a guilty purchase of mine), and Method products when they first came out really stand out! The trick is, unconsciously, or sub-consciously, non-designers are doing the same thing!

The thing I find surprising, is how beautifully packaged Apple products are when, for the most part, their intended customer is intentionally purchasing their product. It's not like you go to the Apple store in person or online intending to consider an HP or Samsung product. Yet still, they seek to create an amazing and well-designed experience from initial engagement until the product is well in use.

The iPhone 5 really stood out to me, with it's new additional case for the re-designed ear buds. The thoughtfulness and user experience consideration earns the loyalty of their customers.

Even when you order online and it's shipped to your home, Apple provides the same packaging as in-store purchases so the customer gets the same a-ha moment when they open it up.

It's really pretty brilliant.

Re: Packaging Design

I'd have to agree that packaging is pretty important and helps a product "get off" the shelf. I love a product that's packaged in a simple manner. I am also familiar with the "HELP" medicine packaging that Tara mentioned. I had originally seen this product in Target...which out of curiosity led me to the website some time ago. I thought the packaging and concept for this product was extremely clever.There's simply no confusion as to what one is purchasing...which helps,no pun intended - that's there philosophy.

As we talk about packaging there was a pretty interesting article in this months Entrepreneur Magazine on page 28 titled, Packaging Stimulus. The article talks about product brands and the need to repackage accordingly as the market for your product evolves. The article is more so geared to small businesses but I think overall what the author was saying works for all businesses. One point the author makes, references a statement made by Barbara Findlay Schenck, co-author of Branding for Dummies in which Barbara says, "Packages are powerful brand touch-points. They're the physical interface between a brand and a branded product.  They're also the visible point of contact at the moment when a consumer is shifting gears from the mindset of a shopper to that of a committed customer."

I'd have to agree with that too!

Re: Packaging Design

When I was in Words and Images, I found Help packaging online. I just recently saw an actual ad for these remedies, but have yet to see them in the store (I guess they are available at Target). The packaging goes along with the premise that more is less--essentially the company's motto. It's simple, one color for each type of medication, with a clear description of what problem that it will help you solve. You don't even have to pick up the box and look at it to figure out what it does. It's really just quite pleasing in almost every sense. Packaging like this cuts back on confusion in a sea of usually pretty confusing packaging. Medications come in all variaties, and it can be hard to wade through all the options and types and figure out what they do. Help breaks this down to just the facts. Also, this simple, clever design is also present in their website. It's just lovely--and especially pretty hilarious if you click on the items that aren't real medications. 

Here's the question about they're newest product (I'm nauseous): Can you use nauseous to describe yourself? OR should you use only nauseated to describe yourself? I was under the impression that one should not use nauseous to describe themselves because then they are really saying that they make others sick. However, a cursory look at the internet shows that the wrong usage is more popular than the correct usage, so maybe I should just get over it. 

Re: Packaging Design

Packaging Design is very important when shopping for certain things. I am actually guilty of being persuaded into buying a product because the packaging design is very well done.

One product that I actually have brought and still do from time to time is Starbucks VIA. This Starbucks product is packaged so well from the box design to the unwrapping of the actual coffee packet. The use of bold colors against the coffee brand attracts the eye to read its label. The idea that such bold enriched coffee fits into the little packet is just awesome! If you all haven't tried it, you should! :-)

re: Package Design

I think it depends on the product. For many items, the packaging needs to house information...such as food or home improvement products. I really don't care what the packaging looks like as long as it has all the info I need. On the other hand, when I really don't know what I'm looking for, the packaging plays a huge role. For example – wine. Except for my favorites that I've found along the way, I will completely make a choice based on price and label: mid-level cost and cool label works for me.

Here is a site with some really cool ones, especially Shefa's:
http://www.thecoolist.com/amazing-wine-labels-30-creative-and-unique-wine-label-designs/

Re: Packaging Design

This semester I did a case study on Under Armour for my Business Link course. I learned that every time Under Armour launched a new product they created really unique packaging. Under Armour created a box strategy and put their new cross training shoes in the coolest box ever.  It has a see through top, so the consumer can easily see the shoes. When you take the shoes out of the box, consumers will see the bottom of the box, which is where the point of purchase display is located; the marketing tool that will sell the shoe. Most of the stores where the shoes would be sold are self service, which is why Under Armour had to sell the shoe through the box. They had to make a packaging that would stand out from the rest of the shoe boxes and intrigue consumers to consider their shoe. They needed packaging that would differentiate them from the competition. Under Armour spends a good sum of their profits on marketing endeavors and has a huge dedication to aesthetics. In fact, the cost of the shoe packaging roughly cost the same as a week’s worth of television commercials.

Re: Package Design

I definitely agree that a good package design is crucial to a product's success. Consumers are visual people, and a package design really has to stand out from others on the shelf to be noticed and purchased. That being said, I recently spent $15 on pancake mix at Williams-Sonoma. I'm not proud of this fact, but the package design was so beautifully done that I couldn't resist. Lately, I've been drawn to designs that have sketched illustrations and typefaces that appear as if they could be someone's handwriting. This package in particular has really intricate details that I feel like you don't see very often in package design. Without knowing anything about how the product tasted when I purchased it, I was convinced by the design that I was in for something delicious. And thankfully, the pancakes were delicious, which makes me feel a little less terrible about spending the money. Here's a photo of the product:

Package Design

Hello everyone, I was a little confused on when to post this, and that is why I'm late. Sorry for that. Anyways, for this weeks blog I wanted to address the importance of package design, and how much of an impact it has on consumers. During undergrad, I had the opportunity to take a package design course, where I learned how to design and package products for a specific audience. During this process, one of the main things I had to take into consideration is how the product stood out on the shelf. Recently, I read an article on thedieline.com about the importance of packaging, and the author pointed out that, "Packaging is often the portal through which consumers come in contact with branded products for the first time...the last three feet and several seconds at the retail shelf make or break the sale. That's how crucial packaging is to the consumer in making a final purchase decision " (Mininni).  

An example of successful packaging that led me to the purchase of the product are the Beats by Dre Headphones. The headphones are packaged in a small customized box with an image of the headphones on the front, a short message from Dr. Dre on one of the side panels, and background info of the product on the back.  The box opens up to an additional round case that holds the headphones, a well designed booklet with the product information, and small compartments containing the accessories. While Beats by Dre are a tad pricey, the overall packaging of the headphones makes more of a personal connection with their music-based audience, and sets it apart from the other headphones that are usually sold in clamshell containers. So, my question for you is; how important is package design to you, and have you ever been drawn to, or purchased a product based off of its packaging? Name some examples!

Beats by Dre Packaging

Source

Forget One-Off Packaging- You Need a Package Design System

<http://www.thedieline.com/blog/category/features-articles>.

Re: Typographic Sins

Great looking poster...and useful stuff for not only designers, but marketing folks! I often do not have the time to proofread pages upon pages of copy. However, the perfectionist in me will do a find/replace to get rid of those double spaces between sentences. Regardless of who uses these rules, they are good ones. Function and aesthetics come together to create beautiful copy. Going to print and post this one for the team. Cool find.

Re: Typographic Sins

I would have the agree, the poster is designed really beautifully, but I felt like a lot of the sins were basic grammar skills. I still forget about the en vs. em vs. hyphen rule when designing along with AM/PM.
Maybe I should too, hang this poster near my desk so I can reference these rules if I ever "forget." Great post!

Re: Typographic Sins

While I was doing my internship over the summer I came across many of these rules while someone was looking over my work. I did not know about many of them until I made the mistake of using a certain dash or quotation mark in my work. I try to catch these mistakes now before turning anything in but I am sure it will take a little longer for all the rules to stick.

A few rules that I thought were just common sense (even though its nice to see them on a list just to make a point) were #9, large amounts of bodytext in uppercase letters and #27, negative letterspacing.

I know I am guilty of using an en dash or em dash and using the incorrect quotation mark and apostrophe. I think those will be the things I pay attention to in the future.

RE: Typographic Sins

Interesting list and interesting timing.

It's funny because just the other week my cousin called and asked me to tell her daughter that there were two spaces after a sentence because her daughter was arguing that there was one. I felt bad that I had to tell her that there was only one space. But for the sake of an argument, I feel like we were taught there were two growing up.

Okay, back to the list of sins...

I thought this was a great poster/list although I think a few things could be clarified. There are a few items on the list that make me wonder (Huh?), or that I may possibly be guilty of, or that just weird me out. They are as follows:

Things that weird me out:
4. Failing to tuck periods/ commas inside quotes (I get a weird felling about this when writing)

Things I am sometimes guilty of:
6. Using a hyphen instead of an en dash
21. Incorrectly abbreviating AM and PM

Things that make me say huh?:
12. Underlining titles instead of Italicizing them (Not sure I've ever seen or done this)
17. Indenting the first paragraph and indenting a paragraph to far. I always thought you indented 1/2 inch

RE: Typographic Sins

I follow everything on this list, but am continually surprised when I see these “sins” in the work of fellow designers. Everything on this list is valid, but there are a few that are dependent upon what style publication you’re following. APA dictates that you indent the first paragraph, even this first one, and the legal profession is adamant about two spaces between sentences (and don’t get me started about how much they love their justified text, BOO).

One thing on this list that I am kind of lazy about is using prime marks instead of quotation marks when I’m using a sans-serif, but after reviewing this list, I actually went through my latest project to make sure I’m using actual quotation marks.

One thing I’d add to this list is to choose either indenting your paragraphs or putting a space between them, but don’t use both. 

And the second? 

Designers talking to other designers should definitely say typeface, not font. Obviously, the popular, however inaccurate nomenclature is “font” and when speaking with non-designers, I’ll use it, but give yourself some cred and use the proper name. Read more here >> http://www.aiga.org/theyre-not-fonts/

I’ve also noticed that a lot of designers don’t hang their punctuation into the margin. (Window > Type & Tables > Story > Optical Margin alignment). The first few times I sent some items off to our local printers, their in-house designer kept emailing me to ask if it was a mistake. I suppose I should send them this list…

re: Typographic sins

Ah yes, as an editor, I often run into the ole em dash/en dash/hyphen issue at work. People here have actually argued with me about what looks better and what is correct. So I printed this out and will give it to the offending party. It's funny to think about, but clean, clear typography, as with most other elements of publications design, is meant to make the design invisible--to eliminate distraction so that the reader can get the information they need from the piece without thinking about whether or not an apostrophe should be there. To answer Elizabeth's question, yes, the apostrophe should only be used in possessives or contractions, but can be used to avoid confusion with lowercase letters or abbreviations with one or more interior periods (I had to re-look this up in Chicago just to make sure.) In the case of the Orioles hat, I think it is necessary to even out the design and limit confusion. However, in many cases extra apostrophes or quotation marks where not needed can make a business look unprofessional. I was surprised the other night when I sat down at a nice restaurant in Seattle with my mom and the menu read "entree's."

One rule that is interesting to me is that you do not indent the first paragraph, but only subsequent paragraphs. I did this on a cover letter that I sent to my dad to read and he found it distracting because he thought it was a mistake. So my attempt at good typographic method was in the end having the opposite effect. I think this is when you have to make decisions as a designer about what rules you follow and which ones you break to get the desired effect--all the sins on the list are annoying, but if they are broken by the right person making the right decision, they may not be sins at all.

Re: Typographic Sins

I like the idea of this list, but I would have liked to see the samples made more clear. That said, I highlighted 13, 14, 20, 25, and 26 for my boss. Since I was first told to just "squish" the type (vertically scale) to fit, and have refused to do so, my boss and I have been at odds over these rules (25 and 26).
I have always found a way around it, even when I have to use 4 pt type to make it fit (3.8 is the smallest we are legally allowed to use) or demand a dieline change. These rules are a great guideline for anyone working in page layout and typesetting, but just like with poetry, once you know these rules, you can break them IF you do it the right way.
I have seen beautiful layouts that purposely use negative letterspacing, or reverse type.
The image I've attached is NOT an example of that.

Re: Typographic Sins

I think this list is pretty helpful. I have heard several of these points in my classes. Since I was a copy editor before coming to UB, I actually already knew some of these rules and continue to use them, such as the difference between hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes and the placement of commas and periods with quotation marks. There are other tips I've only learned at school, such as fixing the kerning in large type. This never crossed my mind, but now I always make sure to check my kerning.

Re: Typographic Sins

This is a great poster and a great list. Through my Typography and Words and Images classes, I have learned a lot of these tricks and rules. Although sometimes I think you need to break them. Like the O's example below... it's just something small and simple but yet it breaks the rules and it does it well. Althought this may be silly, but I thought an apostrophe shows ownership to something or is a contraction to include the word "is", so I'm not sure why its O's and not Os. Am I wrong on this?

Typographic Sins

Thats a beautiful poster and an awesome list. I work with and have worked with many attorneys who all insist on two spaces before the start of a sentence and using justified body copy when sending me copy to lay out. A one or two sheet flier isnt so bad but a 50 page legislative review can be a nightmare. I have broken nearly all of them of this habit and will be sending this poster to those I have yet to break.

It was great seeing the sin of not using smart quotes and punctuation because it reminds me of the Orioles and their use of the upside down and backwards apostrophe in their logo. Kudos to the designer for breaking the rules.

RE: Typographic Sins

I actually found this list interesting, I guess that is because I am a lister! I love list, no matter how useful or usless they are to me. I agree with Becky that I did not know the true meaning nor the difference of an "en" and an "em" dash until I took Words and Images last Spring. Thanks to that course I no longer just call them dashes, atleast I try not to.

The only point on the list that I can say I use the mosts or atleast pay the most attention to is:
4. Failing to tuck periods/commas inside quotation marks
(I try to make sure my periods are properly placed when using a quote)

Points that I tend to catch my self failing to do:
12. Underlining titles instead of italicizing them.
14. Failing to eliminate orphans.
15. Rivers in justified text.

When responding to this blog I thought I was going to have more points from the list that I actually use from day to day. Now, maybe I should be using them if not in my day to day routines but in my moments of design.

Some other typographic rules that I live by in my day to day design work are:
- aligning the baseline in my lines of text.
- do NOT CAPITALIZE, bold, italize, & underline all at once (THIS IS IMPORTANT). Use 1 at a time.
- use the proper amount of commas (this has always been my downfall & still is)

Typographic Sins

In a recent issue of HOW magazine (July 2012), there was an article titled "34 Typographic Sins" by Jim Godfrey, which outlines some of the common mistakes that graphic designers tend to make. I thought this would be an interesting topic of conversation since a lot of us probably make these mistakes regularly or simply do not consider them mistakes to begin with. 

Most designers can't help but notice things like leading and kerning in a body of text, or the inappropriate size of typeface. One of the things I didn't pay any attention to until I started my career in design, are all the types of dashes. Apparently, there is a time and a place for an "en" and an "em" dash! Item #15 in Godfrey's list states, "Rivers in justified text. Unsightly large spaces between words occur if the line length is too short or the point size of the text is too large." I think this is a pretty good one, since justifying text isn't always the best solution. 

To view the complete list of Typographic Sins, use this link: 

http://luc.devroye.org/JimGodfrey--TypographicSins.pdf

After reading through this list, what do you agree or disagree with? Is this just another useless list for designers? Are there certain typographic rules that you live by in your day to day design work? 

Re: Lists

My boss got our team the Action Method books to organize ourselves, at my request. I wish I was able to actually use that. I have a notebook that has random boxes drawn around certain highlights of random notes. I count on my eidetic memory, my google calendar, and the occasional memory burst to keep me in line.

The lists from smashing magazine tend to just create a gazillion tabs in any web browser, for me at least. So while I love lists, I would never be able to use them to their appropriate purpose.

RE: Lists

Lists in the field of graphic design is a genre that you can pretty tired of easily the more open you are to reading them- every designer wants to tell you their philosophy but for the most part, you'll figure stuff out yourself with experience and that'll be assisted by following a healthy balance of instincts and common sense.

I use to-do lists constantly because my mind is a very cluttered mess of ideas, half-baked theories and things I have to have done for different people. Without it, I'm useless.

RE: Lists

At this point, I don't think I'm experienced enough to give advice on the field of graphic design, but I did find this list of ways to deal with stress to be helpful. Sometimes we have so much information coming at us that just thinking of new ideas becomes stressful and we have to mentally restart.

 

1. Mind your words - Change words such as “I have to” to “I choose to.” Put yourself back in control and remove negative words such as “have to” will help you to reduce the pressure and stress level. Even the worst tasks seem better when we choose to do it instead of being forced into doing it.

 

2. Learn to say no - Taking up too many tasks and try to make yourself slog through a list that even superman will say no to just isn’t worth it. Learn to say no to tasks that can be done better by others and decline assisting in other tasks when you are occupied by tasks that you have not completed yet.

 

3. Look at the bright side - Don’t keep dwelling on how bad things are going to be. Look at the bright side of life. Dwelling in negativity will only sap your energy and demoralize you. Focus on the good things you can think of your tasks, like recognition or the sense of achievement when you completed your task.

 

4. Breathe deeply - Take a minute off from your work, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Do a few counts of deep breathing and see your stress level reduced almost immediately.

 

5. Take a walk – Get out of your chair and take a walk in a nearby garden or somewhere close to nature. Forget about your work for a moment and enjoy the nature.

 

6. Set realistic goals – Set goals that are able to stretch you but not enough to burn you up. Setting goals should be able to challenge you, just make sure you don’t pile unnecessary stress on yourself with unrealistic goals.

 

7. Ask for help – Delegate, outsource or ask a fellow colleague for help. 2 brains are better than 1 and 3 brains are better than 2. If you are running a business, it doesn’t make sense if you are running everything yourself. Outsource the non core tasks to others that have the specialize skills to do it even better than you.

 

8. Celebrate – Celebrate your mini milestones that you reached. Once you completed an important task, take a break from it and do a mini celebration and have a small reward for yourself. You will be more refreshed and motivated to do your next task.

 

9. Focus – Don’t multi task and try to do multiple things at the same time. It is unnecessary burden and most probably multi tasking doesn’t help in producing quality tasks.

 

10. Have a toy - Stress balls are manufactured for a reason. Yes, reducing stress! Put them at your work desk and play with them when you need it. Playing with it help to reduce anxiety and it is an excellent outlet to let go of negative energy that you had stored up.

 

11. Sleep – Do not sacrifice sleep to churn out more work. What is worst than working with someone who is lacking in sleep and have a bad temper. Sacrificing sleep just aggravate your stress level. Get adequate shut eye and allow your body to work in optimal condition.

 

12. Exercise – Stop your work and do some exercises. It help to reduce your stress remarkably when you are exercising and it helps to move your focus off your work.

 

13. Don’t sweat the small stuff – Sometimes a little screw up is fine and we need do not need to be stressed over it. Just let it go and try to work it out.

 

14. Don’t be extreme – Don’t use words like “always” or “every time.”Extreme words will cause extreme reactions that do not help the situation and it just make the matter worst. “He screws it up every time” is an example of an extreme reaction. Slow down and think, did he really screw up every time? Probably no.

 

15. Laugh – Too stressed up in life? Catch a comedy and laugh your heart out. Can you look at the right and the left at the same time? That is the same as being stressful while laughing at the same time. So laugh more and allow your laughter to overcome stress.

 

 

Source: http://www.healthmoneysuccess.com/385/15-ways-to-deal-with-stress/

Re: lists

My personal list (as pertaining to design):

1. Make a task list, first thing every day.
2. Don't put off bigger tasks for things that can be knocked off more quickly.
3. Devote lots of time to concept development. After you come up with an idea, even if you think it's great, wipe it from your mind and try to think of something completely different.
4. NEVER miss a deadline, no matter what. If you're not sure a deadline is realistic, don't commit to it. If a client endangers a deadline with his/her action, communicate that immediately.
5. The client isn't always right, but he/she has the last say. You are a professional and you should be able to articulate the reasons for the design decisions you've made. Make your arguments as persuasively as you can, but be prepared to give in if and when the appropriate when the time comes.
6. Create a design brief for every substantial project, and have the client approve it in writing.
7. Don't panic in problematic situations; maybe it's a little trite, but I always try to remember a few lines from Kipling: "IF you can keep your head when all about you/
   Are losing theirs and blaming it on you... If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster/ And treat those two impostors just the same"
8. Love your concept and make it as strong as you can right up until you present it; at that point listen to feedback and try to judge it again more dispassionately. Don't get too emotionally involved with your work.
9. Unless you're an illustrator, don't get locked into a specific style.
10. Collaborate as much as possible; your work will be stronger as a result.

RE: Lists

I create a fresh task list every two days. I have so much going on, I will forget things otherwise. Regarding finding lists out there on the interwebs full of good advice on graphic design... I think you need to take what you find with a grain of salt. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I tend to gravitate toward people who have been in their field for a very long time. This is my favorite piece of advice regarding graphic design and I think, really the only piece of advice you need. Just keep practicing.

http://quotesondesign.com/ira-glass-2/

All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work … It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions … It’s gonna take awhile … You’ve just gotta fight your way through.

— IRA GLASS 

Re: Lists, lists, lists

Crystal!!!! Congrats sir...I have a line of shots waiting for you. 

I don't really keep up with lists, but I did check out the list you posted from Print Magazine.  For the most part, the list provided some useful information.  I definately agree with #7 (Typographic Fluency), as all designers should be familar with the different typefaces, and how to use them. I also believe that #8 is pretty random, I just didn't know there was a specific way to dress lol.  Your post and the list from Print Magazine, made me think that maybe I should start paying more attention to lists, especially geared toward design, because they seem to be beneficial.

Re: Lists, lists, lists

I can't say that I live by lists, but I like them – mostly for when the to-do bucket gets a little full and my brain can't handle anymore. I'd say I use lists the mostly for work, packing, groceries, and christmas shopping. Outside of that, I rely on my own memory...which definitely has its pitfalls. The problem with a list is, I often misplace it. Oops!

Either way, I do find lists of information fun to read. I tend to have short attention span, so short reads like lists work well for me. In my search for what lists I thought would be good to share, I stumbled upon this list of "graphic design links you can't live without."

http://outlawdesignblog.com/2008/06/80-graphic-design-links-you-cant-live-without/

Some are quite worthy. And just because I find it disturbing, here is a link to a Mercedes ad campaign I came across on the Graphic Mac blog that is sure to leave you a little cross-eyed.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/mind-blowing-mercedes-benz-print-ads

Re: Lists, Lists, Lists

I often think I would like to be a list person, but that just isn't me. I enjoy reading lists like "10 Essentials Every Student Should Know," but when it comes to creating and following a to do list, I almost immediately forget about it.

Reading this list, number 6, coping with absurd deadlines, stuck out to me as a helpful tip. Like all of us, I am constantly struggling with balancing all my school work with the rest of my life. And as the item says, some assignments take priority over others. While I sometimes succumb to the urge to work on the least painful project first, I usually do follow this article's advice and work on the most pressing thing first. No matter how stressed I feel while working on a difficult assignment, it's nothing to how I feel when I wait to do it.

Re: Lists, Lists, Lists

Yes I'm joining the bandwagon and saying  CONGRATULATIONS CRYSTAL!!!! :-)
____________________________________________________________________________

List! I am a huge lister (if that's even a word) lol.

I actually just crossed something off my list just before I began writing this blog and when I am done I will cross off blog post.

Every morning when I get to my desk I write down my TO DO List for the day. My list keep me focused and are also reminders of things i NEED to do. When I cross things off of my list I feel like I have accomplished a portion of what needs to be done, it also gives me a little bit of a push to move onto the next task.

In regards to "10 Essentials Every Design Student Should Know" the number that stood out to me the most was 7: Typographic Fluency. I can honestly testify that I have learned to know off the top of my head certain typefaces after taking the Typography I course along with some others. Before learning more about the meaning of typefaces and the different families I would just say "that fonts pretty." Now I can say I know what fonts to use with another and whats inappropriate in terms of the use of certain typefaces.

A few list I tend to make are:

assignment list
task @ work
bill list
shopping list
miscellaneous list of things I want to remember

Re: Lists, Lists, Lists

I am not a huge fan of lists. I find them a bit overwhelming - especially to-do lists. I find that when I write a to-do list, I end up looking at everything I have to do, and, instead of being motivated, I become intimidated. Once I get to the intimidation phase, I tend to throw in the towel and begin mindlessly checking my social media pages in an effort to avoid what seems to be an insurmountable list of projects that I need to complete. I don't know if anyone else ever feels this way, but in order to stay focused, I make lists at the end of the day. On those lists I write down the tasks that I have completed. This way I feel somewhat accomplished at the end of the day. Plus, I'm not as focused what I have left to do, which means I'm not as stressed as I might be otherwise.

Re: Lists, Lists, Lists!

Congratulations, Crystal!!! I have to say, I'm a little disappointed that a wedding photo was not included in your post ;)

I too, live by lists. As a matter of fact, I have a giant, completely out of control to-do list sitting next to me right now, which I will be stressing over all weekend. But once I'm finished blogging, I will scratch that item off and it will feel amazing. Like Elizabeth said, a lot of satisfaction comes from physically crossing things off a list. I suppose it's all about establishing priorities and staying organized. 

In the "10 Essentials Every Design Student Should Know", number 6, "Coping with Absurd Deadlines" is making me laugh and cry all at once. I completely underestimated the amount of stress that would come with working full time and taking graduate classes part time. And then, there's normal "life activities", like spending time with your family and managing to get enough sleep. It's really rough when everything seems like a priority. I guess the trick is just doing one thing at a time and making a timeline for yourself. Tonight, I will blog and start writing my paper for Visual and Verbal Rhetoric. Tomorrow, I will work on Grace Kelly's social media presence. It will all get done as long as I can keep it together! 

Re: Lists, Lists, Lists!

First, CONGRATS ON GETTING MARRIED CRYSTAL!!

Second, I love lists as well. Especially when I can cross something off my list. It makes me feel more accomplished and less stressed.

Anyways, I'm not sure if this was advice from someone or something I read on a list, but it states: You are never really done. Meaning-- you work hard on a project for days, weeks, months. You have looked at your computer screen, exhausted your imagination and creativity, and finally think you are done with you project. You're not. You never really will be. You are just done looking at it for now. You must then print out your assumed "final" hang it somewhere you can conveniently look at it and wait. I always hang mine on my closet door or on my mirror in my bathroom (i have a very large mirror). Everyday you just simply glance at it with no thoughts in mind and critique it. Amazingly you will find your imagination and creativity come back to you. I guess the trick is to make your project seem almost foreign to your brain so that you can give yourself an honest "out of the box" critique on your own work.

I'm sure tons of people do this already...but I really appreciated the advice. So, thanks to whoever I got this from (lists or not.)

Facebook Group for Fictional Profiles

I figured we can support each other's fictional profiles from here:

www.facebook.com/groups/377781372301051/

Sincerely, Sen. Joe McCarthy

Youtube Video: An Ode on a Typeface

Here's the link:

Neutra Face : An Ode On A Typeface (A Bearded Poker Face Parody)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHCu28bfxSI

Lists, Lists, Lists!

I love lists of all forms! I especially love lists that have to do with the graphic design field. I look on the standard sites all the time for lists about how to "cope" with being a graphic designer- ones about difficult clients, brainstorming, the revision process, all with a hope of picking something up that can be quite useful. I always gravitate towards these lists because as a student, every class I take makes me feel like its my first graphic design class. They are all challenging for me, and sometime I need to be reminded how to handle that feeling.

I recently came across the "10 Essentials Every Student Should Know" from Print Magazine. Some topics, like "No. 2 Style vs. No style" and "No. 9 Achieving Success" are good ones, but others are fluffy as heck. For example "No. 8 Couture and Fashion" seems a bit absurd to me. "Although the overall philosophy may differ, there is a consensus regarding a couple of articles: wear cool shoes and tortoise-shell glasses."  Is this advice really necessary?  "No. 6 Coping with Absurd Deadlines" also seems to make me think that they are generalizing a lot of teachers before finally just saying (in a roundabout way) that we need to manage time well to complete projects.

After reading this list I thought perhaps I should lay off the lists since sometimes they contain a lot of fluff or common sense. But I am curious to know, what are some of the best pieces of advice you have gained from reading lists like these? And if you could create your own list for the graphic design world, what would it include?

(ps- I can't wait to compile all of your advice into a list of my very own!)