2014 Graphic Arts Guild Handbook

I am proud to be a contributor for the second year to the Graphic Art Guild Handbook: Pricing and Ethical Guidelines. This book is considered to be the industry bible for communication design professionals and illustrators. The current edition continues the tradition with new information, listings and pricing guidelines. It addresses legal rights and issues such as how copyright laws affect the income and work of graphic artists. It also provides tips on how to negotiate the best deals, pricing guidelines, and includes sample contracts. A great resource every designer should have!

Color is in the eye of the beholder!

Indeed! How do you see color? The past couple weeks I have discovered that some people see letters or numbers and even associate taste and smell—a neurological condition called synesthesia. While others relate musical scores.

But who says what is lime green vs. apple green? Well-known Pantone is an excellent attempt to level the playing field.  I am always thumbing through my Pantone books trying to find that right color. But even using industry standards depends on our own color acuity.

There is a color test making the rounds right now.  You've maybe seen it already.  The test was created by our friends at Pantone. When I worked at Nordstrom we had to take a similar color test.  I couldn't remember my score so I took the Pantone test.  I scored a 7.  A decent score.  Good thing given my profession!

What did you score?

What is Great Design?

For the past couple weeks, we wrote about what we believe is great design. We believe focusing intimately on the customer first then start designing. As we set out to re-design the studio’s website, we are thinking about our customers and what they want. 

In our pursuit, we stumbled across Seth Godin’s post mockingly titled, “Great design = getting people to do what you want,” that brings ethics into the conversation. Godin discusses the designer’s ethical responsibility to act with intent and even generosity.

“Great design is pushing/focusing the user to do something

that he'll thank you for later.” – Seth Godin

Three great designs I am thankful for.

1. My new found love - the Copic sketch pens.

2. The Wacom tablet makes it easier to draw on the computer

and my wrists are happier not using a mouse.

3. The iPhone (or any smart phone) which allows me to make phone calls, listen to music, and post on Instagram no matter where I am!

Know Your Customer Intimately

No, this isn’t about designing intimate apparel. 

Last week we wrote that focusing on customer experience is essential.  We design in service of the client. It is inspiring to read how Adidas designs intimately around their customers. The Economist reported that “The Adidas Method” does not entirely include Nike or Puma’s aggressive marketing habits but rather relies on a “quieter approach”—a thoughtful discipline—to understand their customer first and then design products to match.

Working on trend boards. The very first step in the design process.

Design is a Service: words to live by

We believe great design is not just about notable artwork, rendering the latest trend or using the newest technique. Geoff Ledford says it best: "Design is a service." He writes in "5 Invaluable Tips Designers Can Learn From Waiting Tables" what we all learned in design school but sometimes forget. Focus on the customer experience is imperative. Experience in the field with customers and manufactures is also fundamental. Only then can you design the latest and greatest print or pattern using that hot cool technique that everyone wants.

Surtex offered us a 3-day opportunity to be face to

face with the customer and understand  their needs.