I don’t like wasting time. I don’t like wasting ideas. I don’t like wasting paper. I don’t like wasting battery life. I don’t like wasting energy. I don’t like wasting pens. I don’t like wasting emails. I don’t like wasting goodwill. I don’t like wasting feedback. I don’t like wasting passion. I don’t like wasting opportunities. I don’t like wasting money. Limited resources and constrained budgets make you efficient, and that's honestly how I like to work. Waste not, want not. Make shit happen, not make more shit.
A really good thing about going out on my own
I make the decisions. There’s no excuses for those. I can’t blame anybody else. I take accountability for the good and the bad and I proceed accordingly. If I take on a project that ends up not being a good fit, those decisions are my decisions. I live with them, and I adjust.
The creative industry, I think in general, is a sensitive industry. It imagines, creates, believes, and strives for always doing better. But it also can take things too personally. It can whine too much. It can want things to be perfect when they just aren’t. And it can deflect blame. It was the client, or the budget, or the timeline. Nope. Bullshit, bulltshit, and bullshit. At least, it is when you work for yourself.
When you do that, you better work out who you work with for how much and in what amount of time. Those are all your decisions. You collaborate, but at any time, you can say no. And if you don’t, then you better be ready to see it through. No stop-shorts or cop-outs. It’s on, all the way to the end.
Doing that makes you a better designer and a better problem solver. The world definitely needs more of those. It needs less whiners, bitchers, and jerks. Decide where you stand and then act accordingly.
Here’s what I believe
I believe in the power of color, type, image, and composition. I believe vinyl does sound better. I believe James Victore is on to something. I believe old houses are better than new ones, they just take more patience. I’m starting to believe in the power of a good podcast (see here and here). I believe every group needs a Portlandia so everyone can just chill the fuck out. I believe single-issue voters need to learn to multitask. I believe in Twitter. I believe in beer slightly more than whiskey and I believe in whiskey slightly more than tequila. I believe in the sound of waves crashing against the shore. I believe love is love. I believe small is beautiful. I believe dogs are the greatest and that cities are the answer. I believe Hillary will do a great job, American football is overrated, flip-flops are the perfect shoe, and at the end of the day, “Yes We Can.”
I’m Justin Kemerling. And that’s what I believe. Sidenote: I like the Bill Simmons promo, though I have yet to watch his show on HBO.
Vendor, Partner?
How do you (client) perceive me (designer) and our working relationship?
I feel like I’m on a quest for the perfect “client questionnaire” that will ultimately determine if a client and myself are good fits for working with each other. It will somehow work out whether or not we’re compatible when it comes to the work, the process, and what we each hope to gain from working on a design project together. Sort of like Myers-Briggs, but for collaboration. And this question, this question right here, do you see me as a vendor or as a partner will be on there, in some form. It’s very important. I certainly prefer to the latter, as the former tends to lead to subpar results which is good for no one. Stay tuned for more...
Words Matter
Context matters. Symbolism matters. Tone matters. Delivery matters. And you know what else matters? Your audience. Seems like both major party conventions are keen on that this year. Image matters. The vibe matters.Vision matters. Substance matters. And yes, how we choose to treat each other matters greatly. Push forward, living and working, and be alert. Be fair, but be firm in our beliefs that where we’re going isn’t a given and that to get anywhere worthy of calling special takes determination and perseverance. Cowards take the easy way and jerks try to tear us down. America, beautiful and strange, here we are, making our way, to and fro, this way and that.
The most interesting design opportunities are with ...
... cities. I recently shared a collection of design work that emphasized the importance of engaged neighborhoods, the arts, education, small business, and mass transit. In the city of Omaha, where I live, I’m able to engage with organizations and institutions on a creative level with design and ideas. I feel very lucky that I’ve been able to do so and a few projects we have starting soon involve other important aspects of our fine city.
With many of my colleagues, it’s no secret that I’ve never liked the idea of designing for big corporations. I think it’s an unfortunate reality that so much professional design work is done for big brands with big budgets and no souls. For entities completely devoid of place and far apart from any meaningful connection to a person aside from a monetary transaction.
In our cities, where people of the world now predominately live, we all need to work hard to make sure they’re places that are thoughtful, engaging, and inclusive. Design can play a big part in making that a reality. Design can help a city thrive. It can help the people that live there feel like they belong, like their place is special, and like they’re moving into a brighter future. Whether with a campaign to showcase all our neighborhoods or a website to allow students to share what they’ve learned about the history of a city.
It’s a challenge to work within a bureaucracy and with limited financial resources. But the passion of people who care about where they live is inspiring and contagious. We’re all living here, side by side. If we’re tireless, smart, agile, and open-minded, there’s no limit to what can be done for a city to make it the best it possibly can be.
When it comes to the future of design, working with a city has so much potential to solve important problems and create opportunities for everyone while we all live and work with each other in this place we call home. It’s design as civic engagement, and it’s only going to become more important as we move forward together.
Professional Development for Poets
This one’s for all the poets out there. Organized by the Nebraska Writers Collective, I’ll be presenting on how to improve your presence on the Web. A 40-minute session chock-full of ideas, lessons, how-tos, and why-the-hells. From websites to social media, it’s sure to be an enlightening time. What with all that happens on the Internet these days, how can it not be?
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 @ 6:00pm
Nebraska Writers Collective, KANEKO
