Devised in Tokyo in February 2003 as an event for young designers to meet, network, and show their work in public. 20 slides, 20 seconds per. In Omaha we’re about to put on our 23rd Pecha Kucha. An organization I serve on the board of directors for, Design Alliance Omaha, hosts them. Ace designer Jake Welchert emcees. As a night of creativity from interesting people in the community, they are wonderful experiences. Most of the 6 minute 40 second presentations over the years have been compelling, entertaining or inspiring. Free of deep tangents, over-explaining and droning on and on, I have yet to see a better format for showcasing projects. Design, architecture, art, collaboration, etc. If you ever have a chance to give one, definitely do it. If nothing else, it’ll teach you to edit, edit and edit. And to only present things worth presenting.
We give a damn about land, water, clean energy and strong communities.
Action Backed just wrapped up three projects for New Energy Voter, an effort to get out the environmental, progressive vote in Nebraska.
The other key component of the vision for New Energy Voter is supporting young people who decide to take the plunge and run for local office. If you’re passionate about working together with people to make things happen on the ground where you live, why not run for school board, city council or a public power district? It certainly is tough work, and it’s not for everybody. But to move the needle politically, hard-working candidates with principles are definitely needed.
Why I wanted to be a designer.
This Flywheel post was a bit more challenging but it came together well with Chris Wolfgang's editorial eye. Enjoy.
When I was in school over ten years ago, the main pathway from student debt to adult salary seemed to be working at an agency that had lots of clients. Success was defined by the size of the budgets, the reach of the brands, and how many awards you landed. It was something I was interested in at first but eventually tired of. Don’t get me wrong. There are exciting careers that follow this path, generating amazing work along the way. But it’s not for everybody.
If it isn’t for you, how do you find your thing?
There is no such thing as a perfect process.
I recently wrapped up a project where the process was really smooth. The work got done, the back and forth was painless, and both designer and client are happy. As a result, we’ll be working together more in the future. But as smooth as the process was, it wasn’t perfect. There were a few hang-ups and miscommunications along the way. And that’s okay. As much as I want the process to be perfect, it’s never going to be. Even on great projects things get overlooked, deadlines are creeped on, and tension exists. Creative projects have moving parts and involve people. At the end of it, if you can be proud of the work and you learned things along the way, that should be plenty to call it a job well done.
Spaciousness
I’m just going to come right out and say it. When it comes to the work, I love spaciousness. To be able to breathe deep, adjust, tinker and go slow. And sometimes fast, as needed. Pile up all the work and if every nook and every cranny is maxed out, that’s not a good place to be. When there’s no room to maneuver, the limit is being pushed to the utter edge and hoops of urgency must be jumped through in rapid succession, the joy of designing is often missing. Yes, of course, sometimes being maxed out is just how it is. But it must be recognized, out loud, that’s not the preferred setting of operations. During the day, it’s definitely about hard work. A crucial part of the hard work is spaciousness. Room to day dream, walk the dog, pencil in a blog post or start in on a side project just because. With enough space, what gets made during the day has a better chance of being quite good.
Post inspired by Daphne Eck.
Yes, yes, no, no, yes, no, yes, no, no, no, yes, and so on
Saying “NO” to a potential project is tough for me. Always has been. There’s the initial wonder at the beginning of any project. The driving excitement of possibility. It would be awesome if we did this, or maybe that. Or what if the outcome was this! So much potential. How can anyone have an easy time refusing such things? Alas, it’s a skill you must learn how to do. To estimate, make projections, weigh commitment levels needed. Everyone has those moments of taking on way more than they can handle. Late nights then follow. To keep quality high, workload reasonable and free time free, I’ve started to look at passing on potentials another way. Having to say no more means the “yes” is that much better. Which, for everyone involved, is a good way to go.
Together We Rise
The 4th annual poster show for Nebraska Appleseed is shaping up to be the best yet. The Good Apple Awards on October 2nd, where the posters will be unveiled, is approaching fast. The theme this year is “Together We Rise.” An idea at the core of the work Appleseed does every single day. Each poster is designed around a specific area of focus. Whether it’s defending the rights of children, ensuring access to quality health care, securing voting rights or advocating for a living wage for all hard-working families, each design illuminates and inspires. And they speak to the idea that we look out for each other and we’re all in this together.
