What’s your favorite social media network? Mine’s Twitter. My reasoning is because it’s the place where I’m the most me. On all the other networks of my digital self, I heavily curate. Facebook I’m super selective about what I post. Instagram I art direct and post sparingly. Dribbble I put up only my best designs, Medium only my best writing. Twitter is where I talk like me, make inside jokes, take jabs at Republicans, and share anything I come across on the Internet that I’m even the slightest bit interested in. Which is why I consider Twitter to be an incredibly valuable tool. If you want a primer for an in-person meeting, to see if we’d be a good fit working together, or just want to follow along, go there.
Are you terrified yet?
Last week, for the first time in a long time, I found myself in a classroom setting giving out my opinions on student graphic design projects. Oh class critique, how I’ve missed you. I used to do critiques a lot in Lincoln. While now, I certainly enjoy pontificating about ideas and design, I remember a time when I was on the other side. Terrified of being torn apart. Scared of what smart people would think of my student work. Shaking while presenting, voice timid and trembling.
All of those situations, however uncomfortable, were so very important. To be a solid designer and a valuable member of any team, I believe you must start at the bottom. You must be called out for lazy thinking. You must be pushed to a place you hadn’t wanted to go. You must be exposed and you must be vulnerable.
Gliding through a career with exceptional work and being able to make any idea seem magical certainly happens for some people. But I’m not interested in those people. I’m more interested in those of us who have had to go through the shit. Of being terrible to be being okay to being solid and putting in the time at each phase to advance simply by the sheer will of your determination. Yes! Those are the people for me.
So fear not terrified student. If you’re up for the task, to be a solid designer who makes beautiful work and makes any team better, you must go through the bottom rungs. Get exposed, get torn apart, get vulnerable. If you want it bad enough, the early phases will only make you better. You just have to hold on for the ride.
Who are you and why are you here?
I really like this question. I was part of a design roundtable recently led by this guy and these folks where this question kicked things off. Both parts, taken together, for maximum impact. But I like this so much I think I’m going to start asking it to myself in everything that I show up to. Simply showing up being a good portion of any work you do, knowing who you are and why you’re there, that’s the rest of the equation.
On Ideas
As someone who works with new ideas every day, both from clients and my own, I’ve solidified some opinions on the topic. First off, what I consider to be fact is that there is no shortage of ideas. I’d even say there is an abundance of great ideas out there. Second, what makes it possible for ideas to become reality is actually doing the work. You know, executing that idea to its fullest potential. Sweating, failing, tweaking, trying, changing, sweating more, and ultimately, hopefully, succeeding. That’s what makes ideas happen. What has become my least favorite place to be in the ideation process is a conference room full of people talking about ideas. I think you could even scratch this conference room of people talking out of the equation altogether. In my experience, ideas becoming reality always happens after that anyway, so let’s just get to it.
How likely is it that you will take on this ridiculously urgent project?
I’m thinking about a widget for independent folks that answers that question clearly and honestly. I mean, I do like my fast and furious projects as much as the next guy, but sometimes, it’s just not possible given the current workload. This widget would take into account what’s in the queue, self-confidence level, amount of active creative juices, and how well the last urgent project went:
- Fuck-yeah-let’s-do-it!
- It’ll cost a shit ton, but we can make it happen!
- Okay, but we gotta focus this fucker.
- Oi vey, maybe if it was for the President.
- Seriously, no fucking way.
And there you have it. Simple and easy. The answer to one of life’s most pressing questions. Will iron out the kinks and let you know when it’s ready for primetime.
Fast-Cheap-Bad, Slow-Expensive-Great
How do you want your design? In reference to the infamous venn diagram and first thing I ever put on Pinterest, it’s an honest question. One that I think cuts right to the chase. In my design practice, at it now for 12+ years, I prefer to have nothing to do with the fast, cheap, or bad. On the other hand, I’m not all that interested in slow, expensive, or great. I do really want the steady, the appropriate, and the good. I suppose I’ve never been all that into extremes. Design in the middle of everything is what I’m after. So no, I cannot get you your urgent request for awesome next week. I’m also not gonna go slow, won’t overcharge, and will deliver something that’s meaningful. You want great, go here. Glad we got that out of the way.
Saying No Still Stings
O, what might have been. O, what could have been. O, what magic could’ve been made. In retrospect, taking on a particular project I said no to would’ve probably been great, it would’ve probably given me a heart attack from the constant working. I know it was best I declined, but it does still sting. I just don’t like saying no. I want all the awesome projects with awesome people always. But that doesn’t always work out because of timing and current commitments. Comes with the territory of independence I guess. Chalk it up and move on to the next.
