In between periods of steady work when all is golden and you can do no wrong, there will always be lows. When nothing clicks. When everything just kinda sucks. When anything you do has some uncomfortable barrier of resistance. You won’t get the content you need, the process will seemingly fall apart, people won’t get the wireframes, or the designs will not be liked. Sometimes this will happen all at the same time. Then approval will get reversed and that project that didn’t come in will all-of-a-sudden need to be done faster than you originally thought. (Can you still make it happen?) That client still hasn’t paid you and now it’s tax time. The budget will get whittled down and then whittled some more. All the while more features will try to be snuck in for this and for that. Computer on the fritz! (Silence, silence.) You’re tired and frustrated and then, voila! It all starts to come together. It all moves in the right direction. It all feels right. And this is why you do what you do. For the thrill of it all. Aren’t you glad you stuck it out?
How to Stop a Pipeline
Our newest case study is on the six years we used design and development to help stop the Keystone XL pipeline. Design for one movement, across multiple platforms, for the long haul. Be ready at a moment’s notice for a quick response and make sure the campaign has what it needs to move people with a sense of purpose. Create the visuals to inspire action, to spark creativity, and to help fuel the determination of the people on the ground.
This project is Action Backed
We design and develop websites to be light, responsive, and showcase your content with an intentional experience that’s both meaningful and memorable. From mobile to desktop, we craft compelling user experiences that are informative, shareable, and move people to take action.
Action Backed, Version 2.0
Experiences to move people to action. We collaborate with progressive organizations, agencies, and companies to move forward issues and ideas that make the world better. We do this by being experts in branding, web design, responsive web development, and action apps.
What are you doing to attract dream projects?
For the most part, I work with nonprofits, activists, and other creatives on progressively minded projects. For some sort of social cause. After 6 years of being independent, that’s expanded to include interesting startups, a University, and other small businesses I think are rad.
I really think small is beautiful. And local is beautiful since I do care about this place where I live. Small Omaha projects are just as engaging as bigger, national things. And often more rewarding because of how the work is used in the community. I’m just not all that into big brands.
Film and music and other culturally interesting efforts I enjoy and hope to do more by being more aggressive in approaching the people I really want to work with, rather than just letting the work come to me.
So to answer the question, I share the type of work I want to do more of. I write about that type of work and I have strong opinions about that type of work. And I’m out in the community participating in that type of work with the people who are making those types of projects happen.
Is there a job out there that has it all?
No, I’m going to say “no” firmly and hold to it. The quest for the perfect job is certainly a noble one. There was a time when I was obsessed with that quest. With establishing my criteria on multiple fronts and trying to get stars to align. The problem was that it became a quest for perfection. It was less about a new experience and more about finding the thing I was meant to do. This thinking became a trap and I was rendered immoveable until I finally just went for something.
I’m not saying you should make job decisions willy-nilly and jump to the next thing whenever it suits you. But I am saying to not be concerned with making sure a particular job has everything you’re looking for and will be a sure bet. There are no guarantees and no job is perfect. Whether you’re building your own business or with a stellar firm doing the type of work you want to be doing, there are always things missing. Always drawbacks. Look at a job as an opportunity to grow, change, and to be surprised by things you currently know nothing about.
When it comes to design
I will advocate for it. I will stand up for it. I will show you why it’s amazing and why it’s the foundation for anything worth anything in this world. I will root for it, I will cheerlead for it, I will defer to it. But I will not argue about it. If someone does not think these things after I have done the previous items on this list, I will move on. There is just no sense in trying to convince someone without taste that design is worth all it brings to the table in business, politics, community, etcetera and so on.
