Ready to Affect

OMA > PDX

This week I’m hitting the road to PDX! I’ll be speaking at the Affect Conference on Friday. Here’s the schedule of events. My slides are done. The flow feels good. I’ve practiced a bit. Feeling solid overall. I’ll be sharing the story of #NOKXL design. Based on our case study, it looks at the high points of a six year project. From the land of rural Nebraska to the steps of the White House, it’s a tale of people power, relentless organizing, and working for social change. There’s also a healthy does of typography, color, texture, etc. It’s a design conference after all. Really looking forward to hanging out in Portland and experiencing a 2-day event on work, culture, and design for social change. 

Affect Conf »

It’s not quite survival mode, but it’s close

When it’s lingered too long. When it just won’t let go. When it clings, and clings, and clings. When that happens, there’s a switch that goes on. Similar to Sylvester Stalone’s switch in Over the Top that makes him one hell of an arm wrestler. This switch puts design into hyperdrive deliverable mode. When that happens, there’s less compromise and there’s less time for feedback. When that happens, it’s head down, nose to the grind stone, grinding out whatever needs to be made. Expertise takes over. Knowing the best way to do it and just doing it takes over. Buff, tweak, finalize, send. Done and done. 

Urgent Deadline Fatigue

This business has urgent deadlines coming out of its ears. I have to admit, I do love them. A new exciting project comes knocking at your door and the rush can be quite exhilarating. Can you do it? Can your team lay down a process, rise to the occasion, and launch this thing sooner than anyone thinks possible? Are you up for the challenge? Over the years, we’ve been able to make some pretty crazy deadlines, especially w/ Action Backed. But there is a limit.

At this point in time, I have big time Urgent Deadline Fatigue. When you have UDF, the work just doesn’t taste as sweet. The challenge is more of a nuisance. And the process not all that enjoyable because you start to resent the fact you were invited into the madness in the first place.

To counter that, I’ve said no to more stuff. A few instances that I still might be regretting. But alas, I’ve learned to push my creative output only so far. Beyond a certain point it’s just not a good idea. The end results tend to be uninspired, and that’s no good for anyone. 

If it’s no this time, it’s not you, it’s me. Of course, if you have a project with a normal timeline, well, let’s talk for sure. 

Running lists of things

Things I’m really bored of:

• Designs w/ pizza in them

• The word “awesome” used to describe the kinds of things a particular designer or company makes

• Urgent deadlines

• Sloppy dev teams

• Being asked to talk, meet up, or put together a proposal for someone and never hearing back

• Pretty much all TV commercials

• Working too much

Things I’m really stoked on:

• Community-focused design projects

• People running for local office

• My go-to dev team

• The First Day of Autumn

• Launching some projects that have been going on for a VERY long time

• Project Runway Season 15

• Vince Staples

• NOFX playing Omaha in November

• Affect Conf + PDX + OCT
  

Skins, Thick and Thins

Design is contentious I’m sorry to say. Any time you make something out of nothing with intention and not randomness, there are right ways and wrong ways to go about it. And at the time of inception, it may not be clear which is which. So smart people work together to try and figure it out. Smart people, hopefully with a point of view.

This means that agreement is not always had. Alignment not 100%. Smooth sailing, rare. Design usually comes with options. A client offers up opinions on what they do not like. Designers fight for what they believe is right. It’s a process. In the thick of it, tensions can get high, deadlines need to be met, uncertainty is common.

That’s just how it is. We are here to make it happen. There are those adult coloring books out there for those with thin skins. If you want to make something great to move people to action, then let’s get to it. Feelings may get hurt along the way, but it isn’t personal. It’s work, and it needs to get done. A reminder for designers and clients alike.

The Creativity Whirlwind

If I’m not frantically trying to get it all done, I’m not doing enough.

If I’m not sweating an urgent deadline, I’m not doing enough. 

If I’m not pushing the design to the edge, I’m not doing enough. 

If I’m not worrying about something, I’m not doing enough.

These are things, I think, all designers say to themselves. Creative designers, who must work 12 hours a day, who must fail regularly in order to succeed, who must tear the work apart before it can get better. All because the designer loves what he or she does and all in order to make sure the work is the best it can be. They go through all of this, a tried and true process from beginning to end. And when over, the designer, hopefully, can start it all over again with another badass client. If the designer is any good that is.

Or maybe, the designer gets in around 9:30 and leaves at 5:00. He or she sticks to a process for the most part, strays when necessary, and gets things done in a timely fashion. The work is inspired and steady. You can tell it’s meant for day-in, day-out creativity. The teams are like-minded enough where mutual respect is a mainstay and expectations are reasonably human. And when the process starts over again, it ebbs and flows, with the potential to be uncertain and even slowed down as needed. Which is more than okay. This path of creativity, ideas, and making shit happen is meant for a very long road of discovery and beauty.   

References:
The Links Between Creativity and Depression

What works for you

How do you keep your brain moving? Field notes, design annuals, conferences, books on tape, or going to concerts and emailing yourself? I’ve taken to that last one, which has produced some interesting results. Whatever works for you, keep at it. Repeat it, adjust as needed. It is super important to recognize what naturally keeps your brain moving. Once recognized, do your best to get there regularly as a part of your ever-evolving design practice.