Journal archive (2007–2018)
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Quoting Alix Land from For free or not for free? “Is it immoral for a young designer to accept an internship or offer of work that is unpaid? Or is that passing up an opportunity too good to miss?” Some…
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Be brilliant at the basics
Business tips from the mini-book Brilliant At The Basics of Business 100, by designer and teacher Nicholas Bate of Oxford-based Strategic Edge. Image via Thinkstock. Don’t try to accommodate every customer. The more you do, the more you can potentially…
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Amazon Associates: helping designers look sharp
It’s hard to imagine someone clicking an Amazon link for a design book, then thinking to themselves, “Mmmm, peanut butter.” But it happens ($1.76 commission).
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iMac buying tips
I just bought a 27-inch iMac. Here are a few tips if you’re thinking of buying one, too. Before deciding to buy, check the product cycle on the MacRumors Buyer’s Guide. There might be an update about to launch (happens…
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Colour in branding
Colour plays an important role in recognition rates. To illustrate, you know what worldwide brands these palettes represent, don’t you? (Answers in the links beneath each.) Brand name Brand name Brand name Of course each of the above brands has…
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Quality vs quantity
I’d make a lot more money if I accepted every project on the table. But there’d be consequences. Pantone leaves by Chris Glass Each project would get less of my attention. The quality of my work would suffer. Clients would…
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Responding to spec work requests
I rarely reply to the weekly email requests that ask for spec work. For whatever reason, today I did. Here was the pitch. Hello, I’m reaching out to you to let you know about this unique project to work with…
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Design blogs I subscribe to
Every few days I’ll drop by Google Reader Feedly to see what’s new on good blogs. Photo via Thinkstock @Issue Journal of Business & Design A List Apart Ace Jet 170 Ad Contrarian AisleOne Anagrama Beast Pieces Brand New Colossal…
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The Win Without Pitching Manifesto
Blair Enns’ Win Without Pitching Manifesto gives advice for designers who deal directly with clients. In Blair’s words, “Only we present our work. Whenever our diagnostic findings, strategic recommendations, or creative solutions are presented to anyone in our client companies,…
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Showing sketches to clients
“Can I see sketches?” Design clients might ask, expecting to see a greater variety of ideas before choosing one. Fair enough? Well, no. Sketches from Nancy Wu’s Offsetters identity If, like me, you’ll sketch anything that comes to mind, from…