Mutually Assured Critique

Critique is good. It’s a big part of being a designer. It also can be what makes the job extremely challenging. Like anyone, I do not have all the answers, can be wrong about things,and sometimes need to be pushed to fully realize an idea. So I welcome collaborative working relationships and feedback that moves us all to where the project needs to be. Because I’ve had so many of these solid relationships that have made me a better creative, when the critique comes with large amounts of micromanaging and the digging in of stubborn heals, let’s say I’m less enthused about it.

Every point of change is confrontational. For example, someone says make the logo bigger, someone else says make the logo smaller. And then it’s time to collaborate. No designer worth his or her salt rolls over and just makes the logo bigger. I’ve been thinking of it as “mutually assured critique.” Everyone hears from everyone on the necessary review points of the making. And there is no trump card. That’s how most of my collaborative, successful projects get executed. You could say I’m now just making it official.

Paying Up On Time

Working with a lot of collaborators, bringing them into multiple projects, when it comes to money, I try to pay up in a timely fashion. Usually right away because I want them to know I’m stoked to have them involved and I highly value what they do. If someone has to follow up with me on payment, well, I’d feel terrible. Some kind of “code of the independents” maybe, but knowing payment is definitely not consistent and comes in waves, I act accordingly. The creative industry lives in uncertainty and payment for work shouldn’t have to be part of that uncertainty. Contract or not, handshake or not, perhaps the old wink and a nod, when an invoice gets sent to me, it gets paid. On time. Straight up.

Making

Inspired creation left and right is a fleeting thing. Longevity in the process is harder. Practicing certainly helps the conditioning of the mind to body making relationship. It can be kindred spirits to athletics, while mentally guiding the physical to reach an outcome but knowing that how you get there is really more important.

Be Efficient, But...

The more effort I’ve put into honing my design process, efficiency has emerged as an important idea. Both in terms of keeping creativity on track to produce the best outcomes and to make working with nonprofits, who typically have lower budgets, possible. But one thing important to keep in mind when it comes to efficiency is that too much of it, like with most things, isn’t good. Unexpected creativity or some kind of unique truth can’t be arrived at with efficiency alone because with any great quests, there are rabbit holes that bear no fruit, seemingly unproductive daydreaming, and a wasteland of visual debris. With efficiency only there are none of those things. And without stumbling, bumbling, or wrong choices you cannot get to the thing you really need to find.  

Crowds

Can you really seek answers from the crowd when you’re looking for expertise? When you’re looking for beauty, do crowds ever do the job? I’m sure they can get lucky from time to time, but is it something to be counted on? Different than crowdfunding or crowdsourcing straightforward tasks, can you crowdsource design? I know you can’t “design by committee” almost so much as to consider it a fact. I have a natural tendency to avoid crowds in general life situations because they drown out the good stuff with unnecessary movement and noise. I have limited interaction with crowds in my professional work, but the times I have experienced crowdsourced design I have always been disappointed. Both because the work produced isn’t very good and I’m left feeling icky. As if the process itself is naturally incapable of ever being something that can firmly be endorsed in any professional capacity. 

Introducing Tiperosity

I’m very excited to share a new startup company/idea I’ve been working on for the last few months. Originally conceived by Nathan Preheim of former MindMixer fame, Tiperosity will be a place for people to get great tips. Everyday know-how for your every day, if you will. Nathan brought me in to do the brand and now the platform is being co-designed and developed with Cody Peterson and Jason Sawyer. And big props to the fabulous Katie Kemerling for coming up with the name. We’ll be sharing more in the months to come. Fun stuff for sure, with just a hint of Sasquatch.

Know When We Launch »

The Bump In

This is the fifth official week in the new coworking space. From a work standpoint, the transition from working at home has been marked by the inspiration of the physical space, a clearer line of separation between home life and work life, and making projects better by simply talking through things with another designer. There are also the extra benefits of the bump in. Our space is in a neighborhood. It’s part of a vibrant, historic community where running into people out and about is common. I’ve missed that since I left my old agency job in downtown Lincoln. A previous space I worked at a couple years ago on the edge of downtown Omaha felt a little too isolated. But now, the bump in is back. At any of the local lunch spots or people swinging by to see the space, long live the bump in.