Designer Supplements
March 19th, 2008Dave Shea asks a great question and gets some great answers. Personally, I have way too many things going on outside of work right now to even think about this, but Dave raised a great question that is nearly always in the back of my mind. I’d possibly rephrase it to say: “Is there something I can create that has me as the client and still have an income?”
The answer is as variable as the number of designers out there. I think the folks over at Coudal have tapped a magical vein for themselves. Carlos Segura of t-26 and 5-inch and the gang at 37signals have also figured out what works for them. (Wait a minute, they’re all in Chicago… What’s in the water there?)
What works for me will be different that what works for the next person, but we all see the wild success of others and long to quit doing client work at some point. In the end, I believe it’s all about having the courage to follow one’s passion to see where it leads.
NPR Music: All Songs Considered
March 14th, 2008I missed going to SXSW this year. I would have hit the interactive conference had I gone, but the music’s great too. Fortunately, NPR’s got me covered with music with their All Songs Considered. Yesterday’s listen was R.E.M., today’s it’s Vampire Weekend. And don’t miss the concert podcast either.
Design Meets Research: Gain
February 27th, 2008Thought provoking article in the new issue of Gain from AIGA about research’s impact on design. Favorite quote from the article:
“Never ask consumers how they would improve a design. They’re not design experts and you want their reactions, not their solutions.”
Whilst some may strongly agree or disagree on this point, I think the principle a valid one in that great design never comes out of a committee. (Yes, it is extremely helpful to get as much feedback as possible, but the decision shouldn’t hinge on a consensus from some nebulous research group.)
Southwest doesn’t like pretty girls
February 26th, 2008Hm, seems like Southwest has a problem with pretty girls. This would be the second time Southwest has done something to single out good-looking single women who choose to fly with them.
Mouse
February 20th, 2008Indeed. A wickedly clever execution. (Via SimpleBits)
Pinewood Derby for Grown-Ups
February 19th, 2008Remember those bygone days of toiling for days, possibly weeks, over your pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts? I do. Well, the fine folks at Skinny Corp are having their own pinewood derby and have dubbed it Thredlemanss. Enjoy!
Me, I’ve gotta “help” my son get his ready for this month’s competition…
Story start #5
February 12th, 2008Here’s story start #5. Continue the story in the comments. Something profound happened in that instance. Sam became a man and understood correctly that for him to make fire, he had to use…
Opera Mobile has Flash
February 12th, 2008I’ve not followed this closely, in part that I don’t have a phone that could support this. (Ah, the joys of life on a limited budget! 
But I think the key is the last paragraph:
In the meantime, having Flash on your phone may not be all it’s cracked up to be. It may give you access to your favorite video websites, but only if the phone’s processor and hardware are fast enough to cope. “Often they are not,” says [Ian] Fogg. “This may be one reason that the iPhone does not yet have Flash support.”
NBC report blames poor album sales on iPod, iTunes
February 12th, 2008Poor NBC. First they pull out because Apple doesn’t let them have their way, and they go off and start Hulu (which isn’t half bad if you ask me–too cheap to get cable or satellite and TV reception at home is just a bunch of ants having a picnic on screen. This has been a solid alternative for us.) Then they complain that Apple’s contributing to the death of CD sales. Maybe they’re getting sour that they’re not being as profitable with their album sales and are looking to blame someone else for their hubris other than themselves? Yeah, Apple’s a good target for non-innovators. Remember: Change is BAD!
