Know Your Role

I think this is a Fight Club thing. The whole you determine your level of involvement exclamation. Along with that, you gotta know your role. What are you bringing to a particular project? Why are you there? Who are you to the success of this endeavor? I think my role goes something like this: 

Push to bring design work that’s creative, cool, appropriate, and as original as it can be to whatever the project is. Thoughtful solutions for relevant outcomes. But I know the clients I’m working with are doing the real work. They’re making the real change, and I’m here to serve those ends. Logo, website, poster, etc. I execute the design best I can, they take it from there.

Graphic design breaks it down and shouts it out

Remember, graphic design is a tool. A weapon for your arsenal. Whether you’re running a business or running for office, you can use graphic design in your favor to let people know what you’re all about. You can hire professionals to bring their expertise to help you solve problems and create opportunities. Or you can try to get it for super cheap, which doesn’t usually work out. Why would you want someone who is super cheap? Why would you? Why?

Anyway, graphic designers can use their skills for a host of things. They can work for businesses, startups, or corporations. They can also work for nonprofits, universities, or institutions. And they can work for entrepreneurs, artists, or candidates. Really, there’s a lot you can use graphic design for. And much like picking colors and fonts is usually up to the designer, so is who they choose to work for. You with me?

In closing. You can use design to work for change. Or not. You can hire a professional designer to work on your project. Or not. And the world keeps spinning.

On Loyalty

When it comes to working with other people in almost any capacity, loyalty is important. But it is not the end all be all. I’d say it’s not even in the top 10 of skills I value in collaborators and clients. If you’re sticking with me purely out of a sense of loyalty even though I’m fucking up, not pulling my weight, and behaving badly, I’d prefer you simply tell me straight I’m fucking up, not pulling my weight, behaving badly, and if I don’t clean up my act you’re moving on. Honesty, critique, being direct, speaking up, wanting for everyone to do his or her best, that’s what I value. Those are things I value more than loyalty. I don’t care who you are, a creative director or the President of the United States, if you value loyalty above all else, you will eventually be surrounded by yes-men and weak sycophants. And that’s no way to run a design firm. Or the country.

That new bass player definitely upped their weird factor

The name of the band isn’t important. What is important is their lineup. A band who toured around the midwest in the early 2000s with two guitarists, bass player, and drummer. Their music was pretty technical, a little catchy, sort of strange at times. Somewhat fast, poppy, mathy.

The first time I saw them their stage present was mostly normal with sudden bursts of energy and excitement. At this time the bass player was a larger kid. Looked less hip than the others. He had a stage presence that was more measured and reserved. After their show they stayed at my apartment, which was a normal experience. Being from Brooklyn, the band had different stories to tell but we could still relate to each other. They were good guys. They had lame jobs, a friendly demeanor, and were very grateful for being able to stay with me. 

The next time I saw them they were quite different. As a band, they had had some success. In their particular music scene their latest album was popular. And when they toured on that album their stage presence was quite different. Jittery, bouncy, crazy. Stops and starts. Jumps and jerks. In particular, their new bass player was very hip and looked the part. He made very strange faces while playing. He lurched back and forth, jumped this way and that, and held his bass in random, weird positions. And it all fit. The look, the sound, the antics. Now they were an entire package. 

I talked to them a bit after the show. Still very nice guys but they had a different vibe. They mentioned how they had buttoned up everything from the previous time they toured through town. Better lineup, better presence, better sound. Which I could totally see. It was so obvious. Their brand had evolved and it now all made sense. 

Although, I’d rather have the old bass player around to grab breakfast with. This new guy, I liked his art, but that’s where it ended. This time, they didn’t stay at my apartment. It just didn’t fit the brand.

This has been the 1st account of the times in my life when I was hit with the importance of branding in the physical world. There will be more to come I’m sure.

America Today

When you think about America today, what is a belief that you have to defend? 

That it’s liberty and justice, FOR ALL. America doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t mean that. If we’re not going to stand up for that, than we need to unchisel it from all our monuments and erase it from the pages of all our books. It’s so baseline. And yet in today’s America that needs to be defended like never before. Black, brown, immigrants, kids, people with pre-existing conditions, disabled folks, poor people, homeless people, the unemployed, the uneducated, the forgotten, and on and on and on. If we can’t stand behind liberty and justice for all than nothing else matters.

Advice to (design) students

Asked what my advice would be to design students today, or any student for that matter, the following two points are my reply:

1. Find a career
2. Disregard specific advice

A job is a job. Work is work. But a career is something that can allow you to truly leave your stamp on this world. 

I’ve never been big on peddling specific advice like “just start freelancing now,” “move to New York City,” or “learn to code ASAP.” Specific advice is, for lack of a better word, too specific.

Everyone is different. Everyone comes from some place. Specific advice leaves out the person. If someone is giving you specific advice, please, disregard. 

To the youth out there today trying to make it happen, these two points are what I say to you. Now get after it.

On Sports

Well I certainly have watched a lot of sports this year. Way more than usual. A regular “sports guy” here.

In my adulthood to this point, I’ve never been big on sports, going years without watching any games, matches, or rivalries. Of anything. I was schooled at the University of Nebraska where Husker football rules. While I was a student, I never went to a single game. It was something I knew wasn’t my thing. But I did like knowing it was happening and was the source of happiness for other people. It was their thing, and that was great. 

But this year, I’ve been into NCAA March Madness, the NBA Finals, the College World Series, and now the World Cup. Tournaments, am I right? So much on the line, so much pressure, so much culmination. The best of the best, competing on the highest of stages. And specifically with the World Cup, it’s really something to behold. 

Why so much sports? 

Because it’s easy. I have no team. No dog in the fight. I’m simply there to enjoy the spectacle. No lead up, no post game. Just the thing I’m watching at that precise moment. And then it’s over. I sit there, either solo or with others, and watch a game unfold. Often in very compelling ways. Hooting and hollering at times, appreciating the skill on display. It’s proven to be a nice distraction from politics, work, responsibilities, etc. 

When the game (or match) is over, everything is left on the field. Wrapped up in a neat little bow in the form of a final score. Done and done, on to the next. Every. Single. Time.

I like that.

So does the New York Times.