Pssst...we're over here.

I'm no longer doing big things under the name Pixel Dust. We've gone minimal even in our studio name. Find us here.

Ira Glass said...

"All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work … It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions … It’s gonna take awhile … You’ve just gotta fight your way through."

word.

Project 365

A few days ago I was challenged with the daily task of finishing the statement "I am..." with a short, but creative, response (as if my responses would be anything but). I've been doing it on Facebook and Twitter, but now I think I have loftier goals. I was given no real time frame on this task. It was simply a "Hey, I did this and TAG, you're it." sort of thing. Yesterday (or the day before...who knows as all my days run together right now), I contemplated taking the responses and creating a typographic poster out of it. Today, I've decided to go one further...enter Project 365.

I've seen challenges where people are tasked with taking a photo per day for a year. I like this...a lot. It will likely be the next Project 365 unless something fancier steals my affections. I say "next" because every 365 days I will start a new Project lasting, you guessed it, 365 days. Check out the link on my website to follow my progress.

I am...inspired. What are you?

Things Are Bloomin'

Things are really taking off around here lately. Around every corner is something new to work on and I couldn't be happier or more appreciative. It's so fulfilling to be doing the work you love. I thought I should start getting back in the habit of blogging and putting up shots of what I'm working on...

I've been working with Bloomin' Delights to finally give them a web presence. They have a farm and nursery in Woodburn and sell flower baskets, live wreaths, fresh cut flowers, herb pots and other bits of eye candy at farmer's markets and places like New Seasons. They had a logo they wanted to stick with, but had me recreate it so that we could actually do something with it. The tiny little .gif was a mess to use at anything bigger than a half-inch. While doing so I changed up their typeface and gave them something more reminiscent of what you'd find on the chalkboards of the very farmer's markets they sell at.

I took all of the photos used on the site. On the right is a slideshow of various things they grow from year to year and on the left are smaller shots that simply show a few bits of what they currently have available. I'll be going back to take photos often and switch those up for them. In addition there is a link to contact them and check out a list of what they have available (which changes biweekly it seems).

I launched the site a few days ago and am moving on to other projects. I'm nearly done with a logo for Steel Mountain Electric and will post the result soon.

Logos and Websites and Photos, Oh My.

The quick and dirty of what's been happening is that I have been super busy being creative. Above is a painting I did based on some of the virtual photography I had mentioned in my last post. I hadn't painted in about 15 years and broke out the oil paints one day and braved it. I've also been writing again (obviously not in here). I've missed both creative outlets and I'm not entirely sure why I stopped other than life getting in the way. Life must stop that STAT.

I also have projects. Sweet, glorious, money paying projects. I don't mean the dreaded "Urban Legend" projects, either. You fellow designers know what I'm talking about. The ones you keep hearing mention of, but you can't ever find anyone with any solid proof that they actually exist? Nay, I mean contracts signed, deposits being paid, firing up the Adobe software as we speak type projects. The kind that make our swatches panels sing and our Selection Tools weep. The kind that make Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and Dreamweaver collide in ways that make clouds part and angels sing. Ok, that might have been a bit over the top, but you get the gist...I'm excited. Even if they are small projects, I heart them!

I was in the habit of posting what I've been reading on my blog because for the longest while it was all design related books and blogs; however, I just finished reading The Power by Rhonda Byrne a few weeks ago. She was responsible for The Secret that I'm sure most people have been unable to avoid hearing about. The Secret, The Power, Law of Attraction...all the same subject matter, but this book sort of just brings it all together in a much more comprehensible manner. I'm by no means a new age kind of girl (so much so that I couldn't find the book in the bookstore because it was in the New Age section and I've never set foot in it) so some of the reading is a little out there for me, but I have always believed that people who are chronically negative bring even more negativity to their lives. I'm not talking about someone going through a bad stretch and not dealing with it especially well. I'm talking about the people that spend 95% of their lives all woes me and bringing everyone down with them. The Debbie Downers of every situation. So, conversely, people that are consistently positive bring more positivity to their lives. When my accountant suggests these books and tells me stories about how they've worked for her (she may or may not have also given me discounts on getting my taxes done if I promised to read them)...I read them. What I know is that my sister and I have put some of these principles to work in the past and had crazy things happen (call them coincidence, I don't care). What I know is that I have started to get legit projects. What I know is that the absolute worst thing that could happen if you were to read it (and subsequently practice it) is that you throw a few less pity parties and are far less "Woes me." about everything. That's Win/Win right there.

Virtual Design

After graduation I stumbled across something that, for the sake of time and sanity, we'll call a big giant virtual chat room. Instead of only being represented by text on a screen like, say, Yahoo...you are also represented by an avatar that you create. I'm not a gamer by any stretch of the imagination so you will have to make sense of all that on your own. What I know is that people spend a lot of time and money making their avatars look as realistic as possible (not realistically "them" because everyone is flawless, just realistically human).

Here is where I come in...there are businesses that want logos and character/avatars/whatevers that want photos to put in their profiles or whatever they intend to do with them. I have no desire to explain all the silliness that is this new way of designing so I will just show some things I've done in the way of virtual photography and then leave you to wrap your heads around it.

Master of my domain

I've had a lot of web domains in my short time as a web designer. Either because I didn't know what my business name should be or I just thought it would be a funny one to add to the repertoire. Most have long ago expired, but now I've added another one to the mix.

www.designinspiredlife.com

I haven't done much with it and I'm not entirely sure what I will do with it, but the possibilities are endless doncha know. It was the result of a wicked 10th anniversary sale with the host I use and allows me enough bells and whistles to start experimenting with Wordpress.

In other news...

My Pixel Dust site has a slideshow...finally. It still needs some fine tuning, but voila.

A custom + handmade jewelry designer asked me to do a logo for her and requested that I somehow incorporate the cherry blossom illustration I did for the wedding invitation project. Since it was only a school project and not for a client I happily agreed. This is the version she chose. I will be making some simple hang tags for her pieces as well as business cards and doing her website + photography.

Watch out Donald Draper!

Yesterday, before frantically running into a meeting, I shot off an email to someone that had posted an ad looking for a girl like me + a bit of advertising savvy. The ad had humor, for which I am Queen, and was far from the average ordinary snoozefest one typically finds when looking for a job. I was intrigued. I couldn't resist. I didn't have time. What the hell, we'll be quick and to the point and we will forgo the traditional professional jargon most cover letters are drowning in (and for which I've gotten no replies). "Good afternoon, I would love a chance to talk about how awesome I am..." and so it began. It was short, sassy (I know, shocking), and to the point. I had a response within the hour.

The email was long(ish) as it explained the potential position and was actually quite interesting. It was the very beginning, though, that had me gobsmacked (a word I personally feel more people should incorporate into their day-to-day conversations). He basically explained that he usually doesn't give recent grads a shot in hell (albeit much more eloquently put), but that there was something about me and the bits of work he saw that made him wonder if I might be something special. I emailed back complimenting his obvious good taste and agreed to meet for coffee. We exchanged a few more emails and during this bout of witty repartee he informed me that I don't write like a designer...I write like a creative director and he was intrigued. He said that he would meet me at my "oh-so-hip coop studio" at a time of my choosing. At my what? Hmmm, it seems that someone was doing research on me while I was doing research on them. Well played, Sir. Well played.

Today we met. It was...fabulous. This might sound strange considering I'm not actually getting the job, but it really was great. You see, I didn't expect to get the job. I don't have the advertising experience it would take for this super crazy action packed 10 weeks. What I did get was so much more valuable. I got someone in the industry, that doesn't know me, telling me I'm talented. I love all of you friends, family and instructors that have suggested it, but this is different. And while I do believe I'm pretty darn good at this stuff, this seems to be the sort of validation I'd been craving.

A lot was said in that hour(ish) long meeting. We exchanged histories that seemed oddly parallel and talked of what I wanted in this crazy industry. He told me that I should go back to school for advertising. He said there are a lot of great designers that can't write copy and a lot of great copywriters that can't design, but that it's rare to find someone good at both. He said I could go a really long way...that I could be an Art Director. Say what? He told me that he didn't think he'd use me for this particular job just because of the intensity of it all, but that he would certainly be sending work my way. He complimented me...a lot. He gave me advice. He gave me things to think about. I thought it might be inappropriate to hug him so I opted for an exchanging of business cards and a handshake.

Hmmm...go back to school for advertising you say...

Taken Under Consideration

Around the time of graduation I submitted my Lexi rebranding project to Brand New Classroom on Under Consideration's website. A classmate had done the same thing and I wanted to give it a shot myself. It's a scary thing. First you have to get them to say it's ok and that they like your stuff enough to show the masses. Then you submit everything you have on it from sketches to photos of the end result. Then you wait.

Finally your turn arrives and you end up vulnerable and exposed as your baby sits out there in cyber space to be critiqued by anyone feeling the urge. They also grade it. I didn't know mine was up yet until I got an email from someone telling me that they don't usually do this, but...they wanted to take the time to tell me how much they enjoyed my work. Really? You like me? You really like me?

I jumped online to take a look and began to read the comments. It takes thick skin to survive in this industry. Not everyone is going to love your work. Heck, you might even be considered mediocre. But there will be some that love your work. People that giggle at something you've done or are actually moved by a piece. There will be people that see something of yours and just have to show someone else, who will show someone else, who will contact you and want you do do work for them. Those are the moments that make this crazy career worth it. Combine that with the satisfaction and the rush of simply doing something you love and you can easily tell the nine people that gave you an F on Brand New Classroom to BEEP the BEEP BEEP.

Here's my overall grade...

And here is a link to my entry.

Call off the bloodhounds

I know I've been missing, but not without good cause. I have been eyebrow deep in all things portfolio (as well as other school related whatchamacallits). I just finished putting together my portfolio. Tomorrow is the last look critique in class and then I have one more week until the portfolio show on campus. I'm not going to give everything away, but...she's pretty gorgeous. These are two of the photos featured within her pages.

Snappy new digs

I've always been pretty resourceful when finding places to do my work. The beauty of being a designer is that most of the time it doesn't really matter where I am or what my circumstances are just so long as I have my laptop. Just give me a power outlet and I'm happy...toss in WiFi and I'm downright ecstatic.

One place I can no longer effectively function is my bedroom. When I moved a couple years ago and lost space for a home office, my bedroom became my studio. As I've acquired more and more things (books, magazines, art supplies, light table, new printer) it's gotten to the point where it was either find a backup plan or start sleeping on the couch.

I was introduced to TENpod a couple months ago and have been enamored ever since. They are a creative services coop comprised of independently owned and operated businesses. They are architects and writers, engineers and designers, photographers and craftspeople. They have two locations and as of last week, I am a member of The Burnside Rocket location. They provide a workspace for each of us (sans a chair) and we share other office goodness like a conference room, kitchen, layout tables, and copier/fax/scanner/printer/robot. I'm told there are opportunities to collaborate on projects which I'm super stoked about (note to self: must network).

I have come to really enjoy the collaborative atmosphere that school has provided. Being in an environment where everyone "gets it" is amazing. Having that second set of eyes is invaluable. I'm still slowly moving in, but when I'm settled I will take a few photos and show you the snappy new digs. Now, let's have a meeting and test out that conference room!

New design terminology

I'm working on a couple t-shirt designs to add to my portfolio and decided to create designs inspired by my love of words and dictionaries. I'm feeling like I need a third, but haven't come up with the word yet.

Make it Sparkle

After my twelve hour day on campus yesterday, and heading home at 9pm, I stopped at Whole Foods Market. As I was walking through, I was enamored (as usual) by all the great packaging. I came upon Steaz Zero Calorie Sparkling Green Tea. The packaging appealed to my inner minimalist. White and clean with a lovely patterned flower. I wanted it. I wanted it bad. One problem. I hate sparkling water. There, I said it. I do, however, love green tea. So, there I stood, at a crossroads.

You might be able to resist it, but I? Cannot. Lovely packaging coupled with promises of zero calorie goodness is more than this girl can handle. Sustainably sourced, fair trade organic green tea? Sweetened with the leaves from the stevia plant? What choice did I have?

As if that's not enough, when you pop the top on the little gem you realize it comes with a side of wisdom on every cap. Today, apparently, "I am energy" (or so the cap says). I felt a little spunkier just having been told so. Why, yes, I am the girl that buys things just because they come in pretty packaging. I am a design(erd).

Infringed?

Quite a few years ago I started playing around on Cafepress. I made a few simple shirts and oddly, they've been selling. They were mostly typographic in nature and I didn't do anything particularly special to them, but people liked them nonetheless. Now that I have some education under my belt I was going to go back in and fix those that are there and make some new ones. Funny thing happened today, though.

Today someone was talking to me about getting a Bondiband to hold my hair back when working out. They showed me a picture of theirs knowing I'd been using a particular phrase as a title for my writing for years now.

I did not make this version. Oddly familiar, though, isn't it? At what point does copyright infringement happen? I can't stake claim on the saying. Maybe I said it first, maybe I didn't. Regardless, it's not some trademarked phrase. The font is ever so slightly different, but layout is the same. Is using the same style of font, layout and saying some odd coincidence? Based on the other designs I've seen on Bondibands website, it looks like they use all sorts of different artwork that I doubt they have any rights to use so, my guess would be they, too, peruse Cafepress and were quite fond of my very simple design. I just hope they were at least kind enough to buy one of my shirts before copying it.

I, too, am Portland

See that sassy chick in the upper left box? That's me. I am a Portland, uh...PRTLND, designer.

Spring (no) Break!

My workload looks a bit different the last few days. I took about a day and a half off for all things vegetative and then, despite not having any looming deadlines, started to feel guilty. I'm still trying to relax, but it looks more like someone cramming for a business class these days. I've been reading. A lot. I had planned to read books during this hiatus, but not business/design related books. You know...novels? The kind that don't involve learning anything? I started Eat, Pray, Love and Pride and Prejudice about a year ago and have only managed a few chapters before more "important" projects took over. Though I did manage to knock out about 9 magazines from the neglected stack, the other things I'm reading are shown here. I've also been catching up on design related blogs. I am, officially, a design nerd (and I kind of like it).

Rome was not built in a day

and neither was my website. I've been working on it as my final project for my XHTML class. I just posted it on the class ftp site. It's not quite what I want for Pixel Dust, but it's close so I launched it anyway. The portfolio will be reworked when I have more time so that my pieces open up on the same page and the connect page will be changed. I haven't entirely decided what will be featured on the et cetera page. I had to make a form for the sake of the class, but removed it for my site. I'm just glad to have something up.

Featured on the home page is a library check out card that I used in the design of my promo piece. As a bit of a "shout out" to some of the design instructors I had at PCC, I put them as people who have already checked me out. The last listing is "YOU" with a date stamp of "Long Over Due." Dare I say...it's about time!

Typographical mix and match

For those that are never quite sure which font goes with which. Here are four techniques from H&FJ's Newsletter.

Memoirs of a cut paper geisha

I never quite got around to showing my cut paper illustration. Voila. Cut paper involves a bunch of stacked elements. You raise them up with foam mounting squares or similar things that scrapbookers use. The geisha is stacked on the bamboo fence, which is stacked higher than that tree, which is stacked higher than the rest of the background...I think you see where I'm going here. Yes, I cut out the cherry blossoms and folded the petals to make them 3D.

Mind your business...system

Lexi's business system is complete. The photo doesn't quite capture the essence in its entirety, but I could just lick the business card it's so delicious. I knew my simple design wouldn't become luxurious until I found just the right paper.

The letterhead is printed on 80 lb. text, Ice Gold, Curious Metallics paper. This gives it a nice sheen that isn't too overwhelming. The logo rests in a light purple box that bleeds off the top (seen more clearly on the business card) and creates a nice alignment for the body of a letter. The business card (slurp), has the same paper for the front, but I mounted it onto a silver cardstock from the same line of paper creating a nice thick duplexed business card. I opted for a nice, subdued, dull grey envelope to tone down all the glitterati waiting inside. This makes opening the letter more like an experience; a nice discovery inside.