Last week's top 5 tracks :)

 

 

The Pierces ~ "Secret"

 

 

 

Paramore ~ "The Only Exception"

 

 

 

The Cardigans ~ "My Favourite Game"

 

 

 

Dashboard Confessional ~ "Stolen"

 

 

 

Puddle of Mudd ~ "She Hates me"

 

Meet the Toyota iQ, the world's smalest four-seater.

Saatchi & Saatchi New Zealand decided to show how nimble this little baby is my turning it into a computer mouse. :)

I thought it was pretty cool!

 

 

My top 5 tracks for last week:

 

 

B.O.B. Feat. Hayley Williams (of Paramore) ~ "Airplanes"

 

 

John Legend feat. Estelle ~ "No Other Love"

 

 

Lupe Fiasco ~ "Solar Midnite"

 

 

Adele ~ "Melt My Heart To Stone"

 

 

Adele ~ "Make You Feel My Love"

Free music for you thanks to the kind folks at Urban Outfitters.

 

Even if you're not a fan of football and the World Cup or even football shoes, you have to admit that this commercial called "Fast vs. Fast" is very beautiful.

 

 

 

Now this is an interesting idea. Billboard coupons: Snap photos of the coupons, redeem them at the local businesses and have some extra cash in your pocket. Of course then your next step would be to take this well saved cash and splurge on cheap beer. I mean... that's what extra cash is for, right?

 

 

We were saying this for years, weren't we? now it's on another level. Thanks, Axe.

 

 

We haven't had any bloody road safety advertising for a while, but here, Mumbai agency the Mudra Group end the silence with these three ads for the Bangalore Traffic Police.

 

 

 

When it comes to domestic abuse...

What do you hear while you're in your apartment? Car alarms? Children playing? Dogs barking? Your neighbour being beaten to death by her husband?

This spot from BETC Euro RSCG in Paris shows us how we can get so used to these kidns of sounds that they blend into our every day lives. It gets to the point where we hardly even notice them at all... until they stop.

 

... A google search story.

 

 

Britney Spears has refused to have her latest campaign airbrushed. I'm not sure if she is trying to make a statement about airbrushing, or if she's just trying to get her campaign some recognition, or if she just wants her 'sistas' to know that she has dimples on her thighs too... Truth be told, she may have accomplished all of the above! The pop star, who's been endorsing the Candie's fashion line since last spring, with the brand sponsoring her Circus tour, released before-and-after-retouching photos of herself for Candie's latest print campaign. In the unaltered swimsuit photos, she's a little bigger and little less smooth. The photoshopped pics are glossy and gorgeous. And fantasy. I can't exactly figure out what they're selling, but hey, they'll get some good coverage in any case. :)

 

... two feet of snow. :)

I thought it was witty!

Image by G. Augustine Lynas

I thought that this was kinda clever. It's amazing the power that some women have over their boyfriends ;)

 

Heineken Italy Activation from Kreatif360 on Vimeo.

Today's inspiration is of the photographic kind. I haven't picked up my camera in quite a while, but the following awesome photos really make me want to get clicking again :)

 

 

Blue Drop.. by Alfuraih

 

 

Evrenye Fighter by Hodolomax

 

A Love For The Arts by Delacorr

 

Flying.. by jojobatanesi

 

Smoking Gun by Michael Jacobs

 

Sisters Communion by Keith

 

Stairways to Heaven by Anton Chekalin

 

Ballet Bird by Eline Spek

 

Bright side of life by Lidija Zizic

 

Love Hate Relationship by Delacorr

 

Window to the Soul by Stephen Poff

 

Thirst by Wheeler

I've got some more Art Porn for you guys :) This set of Digital Art was compiled by smashingapps.com, and it's simply beautiful! :) Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may recall that late in February, I introduced you guys to Lucy the Slut who was being interviewed for her broadway show. Well, an issue was raised about the exposure of her fuzzy boobs on the bus shelter poster. This time, Colorado is once again making a fuss over some cleavage, except that now, the cleavage belongs to a human, and this human is advertising the Perky Cups Coffee Shop. Very witty name if I do say so myself. This coffee shop features waitresses who take and serve your orders while wearing bikinis. Even though the ad was deemed legal by the council, the shop landlord took it down just to avoid the harrassment.

 

For more on the shop, see the video below:

 

 

Okay, so you can't afford one.

Improvise.

 

This is the best old school ad that I've ever seen in my LIFE! Evar!

Is this paper craft stop-motion short film. Very well done!

 

 

Apart from the fact that they're trying really hard to pull that whole 'perfect harmony' idea together, I think this is a beautiful ad. The music is absolutely lovely as well. See the ad below, and to hear more from glass harp virtuoso Petr Spatina, check out the videos on his site: http://www.goodwatermusic.com/

 

Because hanging obviously won't work...

 

Tell me this isn't awesome.

 

Reblogged from http://www.cynical-c.com/

 

 

Seems like everyone has taken a stab at Tiger Woods in their advertising after his recent incident. Now we can add PETA to that list. it's a web banner, and I guess we can be grateful that it's not a billboard or anything, thought I'm pretty sure that Tiger wouldn't have agreed to either of them. I'm waiting patiently for the fallout. I'm sure that PETA will be on the receiving end of some phonecalls from lawyers very soon.

 

When I heard about this ad being banned, I thought to myself, "Ok, cool! Another controversial ad to watch and learn from." Imagine my disappointment when I realised it was only banned because of Paris Hilton. Apparently, Brazil has strict rules about not objectifying women in beer commercials. And in this commercial, Hilton really does just have to grace and poise of an inanimate object. "It's an ad that devalues women—in particular, blonde women," regulators said of the Paris ad. Personally, thanks to Miss Hilton, I'd say the only thing devalued here is the beer.

 

 

And you can find free vectors here:

 

 

http://www.youthedesigner.com/2010/02/23/40-absolutely-free-vector-pack-collection

 

Enjoy!

 

I came across this artist, Justin Van Genderen, today while I was reading some photoshop articles. A Chicago-based graphic designer and illustrator Justin Van Genderen first came into the spotlight for his humorously minimalist posters advertising planets from Star Wars, like something you'd see in an old travel agency:

 

So I spent some time this evening looking deeper into his portfolio and found some realy awesomely photoshopped pieces! Here's a small sample:

 

 

 

 

Pretty damn sweet, and pretty damn inspiring!

Be sure to check out his website too: http://www.2046design.com/

 

I've been having a deep and passionate love affair with Guerilla marketing and alternative media. I love finding stuff like this:

 

Unfortunately, I've never had the pleasure of going to a broadway musical, but there's a new one hitting the streets soon and I think I'm going to have to find the time and the money to get there. This musical is called Avenue Q, and the poster shows a fuzzy cleavage that belongs to Lucy the Slut. She seems to be an interesting character... not much for cuddling though ;)

 

\

A Lego Short Film. :)

 

 

 

 

Like... rip out chest hairs? Not quite sure how I feel about this. Looks like the price for smelling like a man is pretty painful, at least in that spot. Don't forget that in the process of being a real man, you have to destroy anything pink and keep your body wash wrapped in barbed wire... or something...

 

 

Those of us in the advertising industry have, at some time or another, come into contact with the Advertising Jingle. He's been a good friend to all of us, and there are still some that resonate through out heads, some that will never leave us, no matter how hard we try. Today, however, I am sad to announce that the Advertising Jingle has given up the ghost and has gone to a better place. Why? Because of this:

Personally, if I were the Advertising Jingle, I wouldn't want to go on living either.

Libidinous strangers bump into each other randomly, then romantically, in these (mildly NSFW) five-second AIDS-awareness spots from Euro RSCG Zurich. The couples apparently don't have time to protect themselves (never mind their cell phones) with condoms before hopping in the sack. The spots then point viewers to Check-Your-Lovelife.ch, where they can assess the risk level of such precarious behavior. Oddly, I've found myself in these kinds of situations—at the beach, playing tennis, riding a bus. And casual sex is not generally the result. Maybe I should move to Switzerland. They seem awfully uninhibited, and if five seconds is the accepted coital interval over there, I'll fit right in! Via AdPunch.

 

 

 

1. Freelancers Only Have to Work a Little

Many folks assume that the real reason people begin freelancing is so that they can finally work their own hours and relax. This is not altogether true (hence it being on a list entitled "Eight Misconceptions About Freelancing"). Although it's true that I do "wake up later," it's only because I'm up until 4AM working on something or other that needs my attention. One day, I hope I can wake up later due to passive income streams, but for now, freelancing requires multiple hats and overhead. And yes, there are some days when I wonder if I made the right choice (but those days are still few compared to the days that I'm glad for my own schedule and the ability to cook large amounts of bacon at any time).

2. Freelancers Make Lots of Money

This misconception is more popular among people not in the website industry. They know a friend who's a freelance web designer and charges $70 an hour. Given a 40-hour work week, that's $10,000 a month! Right? Well, that's true if you could always fill 40 hours a week and only do billable work (and if you're the one freelancer who has accomplished this, then check a mirror because you actaully don't exist). The reality is, you're fortunate if half your hours are billable. Plus, you're usually paying more taxes (about double here in the States), often covering your own health insurance, and supplying your own retirement account. All in all, many freelancers actually make less than they could in a corporate world.

3. Freelancers Live Stress-Free Lives

When you're freelancing, you're not just enduring the stress of one job (whether that be designer, developer, or writer), but you're also dealing with the stress of every other job. This includes clients, finances, schedules, budgets, subcontractors, and many other issues, all while knowing that your paycheck is dependent on handling all of this.

4. Freelancers Have Few Future Career Outlets

The logic goes, if you're the only employee, there's no vertical career mobility. What this logic doesn't take into account is the fact that, unlike the corporate employee, the freelancer is the boss. Freelance your whole life? You could. Start your own firm? Why not. Build web apps or the next big idea? If you want. Plus, I've seen many freelancers get great offers from companies or startups looking for someone who can operate efficiently and effectively on their own.

5. Freelancers Live Paycheck to Paycheck

Unlike #2 (where outsiders believe that freelancers make a lot of money), this misconception is often assumed by people within the website industry. They may have had their share of freelance and found little money in it. So do freelancers live from paycheck to paycheck? My answer is "no more so than your normal corporate employee does." And actually, if a freelancer has been solo for any amount of time, chances are that they are pretty good at handling finances and keeping good tabs on invoices and mortgage bills. It's true that freelancers don't have that assured biweekly check, but it's not like they're waiting insecurely for random donations – after all, they are the ones sending the invoices and setting the payment terms.

6. Freelancers Get Socially Starved

If you know a freelancer who seems particularly introvertive, it's most likely because he or she chooses to be. The world is just too big and connected (thanks to the internet and the plentitude of social networks) for anyone to not have some social outlets. Work is not the only place to meet people nor do all your friends need to know what CSS stands for :-). And if you live near a decent sized city, there's bound to be a MeetUp group to your liking as well. Sure, we don't have the dynamics of having coworkers, but most of us find other ways to connect.

7. Freelancers Appreciate Any Work They Can Get

Work opportunities are good. But it seems that when you're a freelancer, all your friends will contact you with potential jobs from their sister, their uncle, and their orthodontist (I've had all three happen to me). They're very well-meaning, trying to help out with referrals, but very few of these ever pan out. Although a lot of my pro bono work comes from friends, the work that keeps me financially afloat usually comes from my client/professional network.

8. Freelancers Would Never Go Back to Corporate

Ahhh...the freelance life...where you have no boss, no worries, and the freedom to work on the most amazing projects in the world. Why would anyone ever go back to a corporate job? Well, for starters, maybe because that first sentence is not true. Although there are a lot of perks to freelancing that I love, it's by no means paradise, and there are some opportunities that only exist in larger companies. I've seen many freelancers go back to a corporate position that both gives them flexibility and allows them to be part of some pretty amazing things.

I've been getting back into my writing recently, both prose and poetry, but since I don't share prose very often, I decided to drop a short story in here today. :) Enjoy!

 

My Sister Killed Herself

With a clip-on tie from Woolworth. She did it in the old outhouse where we used to hide from our older brother when we were children. She sat in the dark, smelly cubicle and cut through her throat. Her name was Sayla. You know, like Layla, but with an S. She was sweeter than a sugar cake made with thick, dark molasses, and I loved her with all my heart.

We used to have the most fun together: going to the Drive-In to watch horror movies, reading books together by flashlight under our sheets at night. Sayla was my pal. My best friend. I never thought that I’d have to live without her.

I don’t’ think I can live without her. When I got in trouble for breaking the neighbour’s window with a cricket ball, Sayla was there with me, backing me up. She knew it was just an accident. When I accidentally swallowed that twenty-five cent piece, Sayla waited with me in the Accident & Emergency room at the QEH for hours. She never left my side once.

When I attempted to play a prank on the principal at secondary school and tied his shoelaces together under the podium at graduation, Sayla was the one who pulled me away and told the Police that I had Down’s Syndrome.

I don't think I'll ever get over Sayla's death. The fact that we were Siamese twins is making things even more difficult to deal with; our blood type is hard to come by and I'm going to need a new heart pretty soon. Like Yesterday. Yeah come to think of it, Sayla could be a real selfish bitch sometimes.

Whatever.

Art Directors, Graphic Designers, Web Designers, anyone who works in this field and has even the slightest bit of agency or client experience will find this blog entry painfully true. There are certain unspoken rules that exist in our occupation of choice. And as much as we wish they didn't occur, we can't help but shake our heads and chuckle every time they inevitably do. Read through them and tell me that I'm not speaking the truth :)

 

 

1. Your fonts will default to the worst possible font available on the machine you are showing your work on.

 

2. If you have two versions of a photo, the wrong one will make its way to the printer.

 

3. The less time you have the more useless your computer will become.

 

4. Promises made by the sales staff have no basis in reality.

 

5. The sales staff will promise anything.

 

6. If the text consists of two words, one will be misspelled.

 

7. Speed. Quality. Affordability. Pick any two.

 

8. If the run is wrong, it's never the press operator's fault.

 

9. Spell checkers don't.

 

10. Grammar checkers don't, either.

 

11. Proof raeders are useless.

 

12. Global search-and-replaces aren't.

 

13. The index entry you leave out will be the first one the client looks under.

 

14. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is good comedy.

 

15. If three designs are shown to a client, your least favorite will be chosen or any combination of worst components of each.

 

16. If two designs are shown, a third will be requested. If provided, then one of the first two will be chosen.

 

17. If you ask for more copy it will be sent as a .jpg. If you ask for images they will send powerpoint presentations.

 

18. Clients don't have their company logo in a usable print ready format so don't bother asking.

 

19. Blue line proofs reveal previously invisible errors.

 

20. The best designs never survive contact with the client.

 

21. You will misspell the name of the client's spouse.

 

22. Your best idea is already copyrighted.

 

23. The best way to find errors in your code is to show a client "a new feature".

 

24. There is no stock photo ever made that matches the image you have in your head.

 

25. Creative inspiration flows in inverse proportion to the distance from the studio.

 

26. Time allowed to complete work is inversely proportional to time taken by client to work out what to complain about.

 

27. Doctors, astronauts, and plumbers need training to do their jobs, but anyone with a computer is a graphic designer.

 

28. No matter how detailed the tech support FAQ is, nobody has ever heard of your problem.

 

29. The number of colors in a client's design will equal the number of colors in the original bid specs, plus two.

 

30. The client's disk won't run on your equipment & when it does will contain unusable copyrighted images.

 

31. If you purchase new equipment to read your client's disk, it will be the last disk of that type you will ever receive.

 

32. Your client will often not like your design but not quite know why.

 

33. Computer crashes always happen exactly 30 seconds before saving.

 

34. A client who knows exactly what he wants is worse than one that has no idea.

 

35. Clients who do not provide content upfront will complain about the use of Lorem Ipsum.

 

36. Everything has to be done immediately, deadlines are incredibly important unless client has to provide materials or approve your work.

 

37. The customer is always right . And an idiot.

 

There are at least 5 things you could think to add to this list if only you had more time. So go ahead, add them.

 

Along with designing my butt off, these days I've taken back up writing. Or I should say that I'm trying to give it a little more attention than I have for the past year or so. I was writing from a very young age. I would experiment with different genres and writing styles, but the question always remained: what is my writing voice?

 

Copywriter Holly Lisle wrote an excellent article on this topic that I'd like to share with you guys. In this article, she outlines ten steps to finding your writing voice.

 

1. Read everything.

You cannot be a successful writer if you don't read. That isn't opinion; that's fact. All writers read, and all good writers read a lot. Read fiction, read nonfiction, read in the genre you love, read outside of it. Read WAY outside of it. You cannot be a snob -- don't write off any genre or type of book as being without redeeming qualities or lessons to teach you. The more you read, the more you will acquire a visceral instinct about what works for you, and an equally compelling instinct for what doesn't. You'll discover how stories are put together, get a feel for how good novels are paced and plotted and how bad ones fall apart, and you'll start developing a hunger to write specific stories, because you'll come across areas of fiction where nobody is writing the kind of books you want to read.

Reading is magic. It's your bread and butter. Don't neglect it.

 

2. Write everything.

Try your hand at non-fiction. Write romantic scenes. Put together a western character and run him through a fight scenario. Try fantasy, try SF, try romance, try mainstream. Write a sonnet, and some haiku, and a few limericks. Remember the first rule of writing:

Nothing you write is wasted.

Whether you use what you've produced or not, you will have learned from the experience . . . and you can never know too much. You might think you have the entire future of your writing planned out until you try your hand at something offbeat and discover that you can make that surprising subject sing. You might produce your first salable work completely outside of your previous area of specialization. (I wrote a few smartass SF sonnets as an exercise when I was first getting started, just to take a break from the hard SF that kept getting rejected -- and out of the five I wrote in one day, I sold two. My first paid sales ever.)

 

3. Copy the best.

Do short exercises where you sit down and not only copy the style of your favorite writers, but also some of their themes and passions. Get as much into their heads as you can.

When I was just getting started, I tried to write short stories and essays in Mark Twain's voice, but on subjects current at the time. I wrote sonnets that were deliberate takes on Shakespeare, but also on current subjects. "To An Android Lover" and "Ruminations on Impermanence in a Technophilic World," two of my attempts, sold, demonstrating that these exercises can be profitable as well as fun.

They also let you get a feel for writing in a voice that you don't have to be responsible for -- if you're writing as "Mark Twain," (or whoever your choice of writer will be) you'll be a lot less critical of yourself, and you'll free yourself up to experiment with content and structure in ways that you might resist when you're writing as yourself. After all, you have nothing to lose. If the stuff flops, it wasn't really you.

 

4. Play games.

Make endless lists -- one-word lists of the things that excite you, the things that scare you, the things that you dream and fantasize about and hope for, the things you dread and fight to avoid. It is absolutely essential that these words have some special meaning to you -- don't just go through a dictionary and pick them out randomly, or you'll find yourself staring at a blank page more often than not when trying to play the games that follow. Great topics for lists are:

Childhood memories. Dreams and nightmares. Ten gifts I'd give myself with magic. If I could spend a million dollars, I'd buy... What I want most in the world. What I'd do anything to avoid. Things that are creepy. Things that are sexy. Best foods. Best times. You can come up with endless other topics for lists, too. Use these lists as triggers for writing games like the following:

"Three Words" Randomly choose one item from each of three lists. Use these words to create a title -- you'll get something weird like "Lake Bones Ice Cream," or "Naked Broken-Glass Monkeys." Without allowing yourself to think about these words or censor what you're putting on the page, just start writing, letting the words conjure images and stories for you. Write for ten minutes without allowing yourself to stop or correct anything. "Chasing Your Tail" Start with a random word on one of your lists. Write for two or three minutes on that word, not allowing yourself to stop writing, to back up, or to correct. Immediately choose by random means a second word from any one of your lists. Start writing again, connecting this word to what you were writing about before. Write for two or three minutes; then pick another word which you connect to the subject you've been writing about with the first two. Run with this pattern of choosing and following for as long as you wish, or can. "Theme" Randomly choose only one word, and write for ten minutes on just that word, exploring everything about it that matters to you, why the subject is compelling to you, what memories it stirs in you, what hopes or fears it shakes loose in you, places, sounds, scents and tastes that appear as you're writing. Don't censor, don't stop writing for any reason, don't correct. Again, you can come up with endless variations on these games that you can play by yourself or with other writers in writers' groups. The idea is to dig beneath your surface and start freeing up things that you have kept hidden even from yourself.

 

5. Challenge your preconceptions.

You don't know everything about yourself. You only think you do. The more you trust yourself to write without correction, the more you'll discover that you're a lot deeper and more interesting and more complex than you imagined.

But you'll find out a lot about yourself by pushing some of your own buttons, too, and I recommend that from time to time you do. If you're a staunch Republican, write an essay from inside the head of a liberal Democrat who is in favor of the thing you most despise, whether it is entitlement spending or gun control or free abortions on demand. If you're strongly science-oriented, write from inside the head of a modern mystic who makes a living as a professional psychic, and who strongly and passionately believes in his or her work. If you're strongly religiously oriented, write from inside the head of a person who loathes all religion, and has good reason for doing so.

Your job in this exercise is to become, although only temporarily, the thing that most frightens, angers, or bewilders you. To do it right, you have to allow your enemy to convince you of his rightness -- you cannot allow yourself to convince him. For example, the strongly Christian writer cannot have the character he is writing experience a conversion to Christianity or see the error of his ways -- he must, instead, have the agnostic prove to himself that he is right in his choice to be agnostic.

I'll tell you right now that this is some of the toughest writing that you'll ever do. Don't try it when you're tired or cranky or when you have a headache -- you'll probably get one from this particular exercise even if you felt great beforehand. But do take the leap and do this. It is the absolute best way (if you play fairly) that I've ever found to start developing characters that aren't either transparent versions of yourself or pathetically weak straw men that you can triumph over as villains.

 

6. Dare to be dreadful.

When you're finding your voice, you're going to be doing a lot of experimenting. Some of what you write, frankly, is going to be lousy. Some of it will shock you with how good you really are. But the only way you'll get any of the good stuff is if you allow yourself to put whatever comes into your head down on the page without demanding salable prose of yourself.

This isn't the time to be shooting for commercial viability. When your internal editor switches on, hit him over the head with a frying pan, preferably a cast iron one.

 

7. Write from passion.

If you don't care about the things you're writing about, you will never discover your true voice. Your voice does not exist when you're trying to write a book in a genre you hate because you think it will be an easy way to make a quick buck. Your voice does not exist in the thin and cheap places of your heart or the shallow end of your soul. Voice lives in the deep waters and the dark places of your soul, and it will only venture out when you make sure you've given it space to move and room to breathe.

 

8. Take risks.

Choose to write about themes that your internal editor insists are too dangerous, too controversial, too embarrassing to be put on the paper. Imagine that your mom (or your other toughest critic) is looking over your shoulder with a raised eyebrow and a prudish expression on her face. Now shock her.

 

9. Remember that complacency is your worst enemy.

If you're comfortable, if you're rolling along without having to really think, if you haven't had to challenge yourself, if you know that everyone is going to approve of what you've done -- you're wasting your time. Writing done from a position of comfort will never say anything worthwhile.

 

10. Remember that fear is your best friend.

If your heart is beating fast and your palms are sweating and your mouth is dry, you're writing from the part of yourself that has something to say that will be worth hearing. Persevere. I've never written anything that I've really loved that didn't have me, during many portions of the manuscript, on the edge of my seat from nerves, certain that I couldn't carry off what I was trying to do, certain that if I did I would so embarrass myself that I'd never be able to show my face in public again -- and I kept writing anyway.

At the heart of everything that you've ever read that moved you, touched you, changed your life, there was a writer's fear. And a writer's determination to say what he had to say in spite of that fear.

So be afraid. Be very afraid. And then thank your fear for telling you that what you're doing, you're doing right.

Voice is born from a lot of words and a lot of work -- but not just any words or any work will do. You have to bleed a little. You have to shiver a little. You have to love a lot -- love your writing, love your failures, love your courage in going on in spite of them, love every small triumph that points toward eventual success. You already have a voice. It's beautiful, it's unique, it's the voice of a best-seller. Your job is to lead it from the darkest of the dark places and the deepest of the deep waters into the light of day.

 

 

HA! This one is interesting! :) Have a read:

 

 

Yes, this is a controversial topic, however I hope to raise awareness of some mistakes you may be making in your graphic design pieces that are making you look amateurish, but please keep in mind that none of these are hard and fast rules, this is only a general guide of things you should be aware of.

 

 

Please forgive me for the graphic and bad grammar / spelling in the picture above as I’m sure you can see it is a joke (rainbow gradients, comic sans, bevel emboss, bad grammar, off centered type - yuk)

 

Anyway, I have compiled 15 tell tale signs that you may still be considered a (don’t quote me) bad graphic designer. Some of these have been taken from Robin Williams great book “The Non-Designers Type Book” that I recommended in the top 5 typography resources of all time.

 

Give yourself a point for each that you still currently do. If you score above 3, sorry you lose.

 

 

1. Helvetica

 

 

 

Do you use Helvetica in everything?

Ok, yes I know, it is the most popular font of all time - but that is the downfall of Helvetica. Just because it is there, it doesn’t mean you have to use it. Try something else next time and try break out of your habit. Just for some suggestions, maybe Trade Gothic, Formata, Futura, Antique Olive, Eurostile? And yes I know this website uses Helvetica Also check out our post 30 fonts to last you a lifetime.

 

 

2. Straight Quotes & Wrong Quotes

Do you use straight quotes still?

 

Straight quotes were for typewriters, times have changed! Look at the difference between the quotes above.

 

The quotations are not hanging over the edge. Straight quotes have been used instead of true quotation marks. Quotation marks have been used instead of prime marks after the 7 and 3. An apostrophe has been left out in between it’s. Learn the keystrokes to ‘real’ quotes in every application you use. Learn the MAC & PC keyboard shortcuts here.

 

Don’t type curly quotes when you need inch and foot marks (prime marks).

 

 

3. Quotations Not Hung Do you NOT hang your quotation marks?

 

See in the picture in number 2, how the quote marks are hanging off the side of the quote, compared to the other one. Hang your quotation marks. Read your software manual (check their help files) to read how to do this or you can do it manually.

 

 

4. Double Returns.

Do you hit the ‘return’ or the ‘enter’ key twice between paragraphs or after headlines?

 

Using two spaces makes it possible to end up with a blank line at the top of a column plus it leaves way too much space between each paragraph - it looks disconnected.

 

 

5. Two Spaces After Punctuation

 

Do you add two spaces after each sentence?

 

This is a very bad practice and is not correct - Using only one space is the correct way.

 

 

6. Using Boxes Behind Text

Do you use plain boxes of colour behind your text?

 

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you have to. Try something else, use a dramatic headline, use your white space, use a different font, reverse your type, use pull quotes, etc. Can you see in the above picture how the surrounding white space makes the text stand out on its own? You can use these in the correct places however be careful not to over use it.

 

 

7. Centred Layouts

Do you use a centred layout in your graphic design pieces?

 

Using centred layouts is usually bad practice as it creates a deadly dull look. See how much more effective the two green verses are, they are more dynamic (one is centred & one is left aligned). Using flush left or right gives strength to your entire page and usually is a better option unless of course there are reasons to use centred text. eg. creating a formal wedding invitation.

 

 

8. Borders

Do you use borders around everything?

 

This often indicates a beginner who feels unsafe with type that is uncontained. Use your white space. You can let it be there. Seriously.

 

 

9. Indents

 

Do you use half inch indents?

 

This is bad practice and is the old way (back in typewriter days). The standard is one em space which is a space as wide as the point size of the type. (what?) This is approximately two spaces, not five.

 

 

10. Hyphens For Bullets

Do you use bullets for hyphens?

 

This is a typewriter habit and is unprofessional. Try using dots or dingbats.

 

 

11. Embossing & Drop Shadowed Type

Do you use the nifty little drop shadow or emboss tools that comes with your software?

 

PLEASE STOP. This is the biggest dead give away of an amateur. This goes along with forbidden; rainbow gradients, reflections, comic sans. Just don’t use them, plain simple.

 

 

12. 12 Point Type

Do use the default 12 point type with auto leading?

 

For most typefaces, 12 point is a tiny bit too large for body copy. Compare a 10, 11 and 12 point passage of text and tell me which one looks more professional. Try adding an extra 1 or 1.5 line spacing or leading as well. Notice the difference in the two examples above. The red is the default 12 auto leading and the green is size 11 with 2 points of leading.

 

 

13. Underline

 

Do you underline?

 

 

Never use the underline feature, it is a law. Only for hyper links on the web is this allowed. Underlining was a way for typewriters back in the day to Italicize text because they couldn’t set italics. Underlining and italicizing text at the same time is the most redundant thing you can do in life but rules can be broken

 

 

14. ALL CAPS

 

DO YOU USE ALL CAPS?

 

 

All caps is more difficult to read and this is because we recognise a word not by its letters, but by the shape of the whole word. When text is in all caps, every word has the same shape so we have to read every letter by itself. All caps is fine sometimes but when you are conscious of using it and why. Try using bold, using a different typeface or using reverse text.

 

15. Bad Gramma & Speling

 

Not spell checking your work and not using the right grammar. One of the hardest aspects designers seem to face.

 

 

Your Score? If you scored above 3 points, don’t worry. Creating professional level type and design is mainly a matter of becoming more aware of details and practice. If you scored less than 3, then congratulations and consider it your obligation to teach others the things you know. (Hint: Link to this post )

 

For more information on graphic design and typography and the things listed above check out The Top 27 Mistakes Graphic Designers Make or refer to Robin Williams book “The Non-Designers Type Book”.

 

What do you believe are some other signs you are a bad graphic designer?

 

 

Taken from: http://www.dddd.ir/

 

 

Here's some useful info from copywriterscrucible.com.

 

 

It’s often said that copywriting can’t be too long, just too boring.

 

And sales writing is often only tolerated at the best of times. So if your copy is to weave its magic it needs to be light, easy to read and captivating.

 

Here are 15 tips for making your sales writing more punchy and compelling for readers:

 

1. Aim for an average sentence length of around 16 words.

 

2. Vary between short and long sentences to give your writing rhythm.

 

3. Split long sentences into two if they’ll survive on their own. Use connecting words such as ’so’, ‘and’ or ‘because’.

 

4. Wield an axe to flabby language and unnecessary words. As Anton Chekhov put it, ‘Brevity is the sister of talent.’

 

5. Sales writing isn’t blessed with a reader’s patience. So ensure every word and sentence means something to the reader and adds to your argument. Don’t waffle or descend into a longwinded diatribe that’s of little interest to anybody but you.

 

6. Leave long paragraphs to novelists, and limit yours to a single thought. Two or three sentences is adequate.

 

7. Showy writing isn’t sales writing. Don’t use words just because they sound impressive. And leave jargon and corporate claptrap for the brochure (if you must use them at all).

 

8. Use positive inspiring language on what the reader ‘can’ achieve and ‘will’ be able to do. Avoid negative terms that might dampen their spirits.

 

9. Break up up your page with subheads and bullets to aid skim reading.

 

10. Use power words to charge up your writing’s impact, such as ‘revealed’, ‘proven’, ’scientific’ and ‘breakthrough’.

 

11. Write in your reader’s language and the style they’re comfortable with. Read your target market’s magazines and newspapers to gauge the pitch.

 

12. People are hardwired to respond to stories. Use storytelling on how your product has solved someone’s problem to trigger the reader’s imagination and emotions.

 

13. Use facts or personal history to build rapport, empathy and to show the reader that you feel their pain.

 

14. Ask the reader a simple question early on they’ll say ‘yes’ to. This will precondition them to be more likely to agree with you and say ‘yes’ to your offer later on.

 

15. Sales writing is often compared to a conversation with a pal in a bar. So it should be conversational and sound similar to how you’d speak. Read it aloud to hear whether it flows smoothly.

 

Another tip I’d add is to keep a swipe file of the best sales writing you find. Study it, highlight key phrases and copy it out by hand to gain an understanding of how to write punchy copywriting that generates sales.

 

Do you know how to reach them? Whoever they are, I still stick by that age-old saying: “The customer is always right.” The core idea of connecting with and serving your consumers as real, living, breathing, complex people will always win out over the short term marketing hype, and it will always be the key to creating the kind of brands that have a long term emotional presence in the lives of the people.

Before you can meet anyone’s needs or make this personal emotional connection, you really have to know who your customer is. In today’s fluid society, this is an extremely difficult task. In this article, I’m going to explore and give you closer look at the changing consumer landscape of the 21st century, focusing primarily on the dynamic explosion of the three, currently most influential generations that most of us in the Business Community are a part of or identify with: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.

These are the three major consuming populations that inhabit our landscape today, and I believe that they are also very active and present in the fitness world: Baby Boomers (45–63 years old), GenXers (33–44 years old) and GenYers (14–32 years old). These three groups are very different and they just don’t speak the same language. So when it comes to trying to reach them through marketing and advertising, you will have to use different approaches for each group.

Baby Boomers were born between the years 1946 and 1964. They are used to challenging assumptions and used to fighting for what they want. The sheer size of this generation has empowered them like no other generation. In the sixties and seventies, it was their music, clothes and politics that were the forces that restructured the world. As they arched into the eighties, they were suddenly fighting for success and affluence, and now they are battling with a new obstacle: Life After Forty. Boomers comprise a challenging and dynamic demographic, and if you are a brand with an identity as versatile as the Boomers, you will stand to reap great success.

Many brands in the past have spent time wooing the younger consumers based on the assumption that the consumers captured early in life would remain loyal for years to come. This could be a very costly mistake if you apply this tactic to GenX and GenY. Those two generations don’t have love affairs with the brands like how the companies wish they would. They want attention and affection. As I’ve said in a previous article, take consumers for granted and they will walk out the door. Hence, aiming or the young consumer doesn’t guarantee a long term, bountiful bottom line. What should really happen is that you as a brand should court a lifelong love affair, characterized by a perpetual dialogue surrounding the issues affecting consumers. Baby Boomers will not bend to the strains of age. Instead, they have revitalized and reshaped what it means to be ‘mature’. They are not getting older; they are reaching a youthful maturity. Whatever age a Boomer is at, it is their best age. They can buy their way out of most of the drawbacks of “maturity” thanks to products like Viagra and Renova, or at least, that’s their plan. They are exceptionally convinced of their youth, and as a group, they are healthier and more active than any previous generation of fifty-year-olds. Their youthful state enables their highest achievements, and by denying their age, they are more apt to venture into new and ambitious projects. Brand must keep all these things in mind, and with the goal of further empowering this generation, devote themselves to providing personalized products and care which supplement their youthful maturity.

There are many misconceptions about Generation X. (This sounds so comic book to me, but I digress.) Actually, that is the first thing: the misnomer GenX and all that it conjures up. Okay, fine, this generation got off to a fairly rough start. These guys were reared under the shadow of skyrocketing divorce rates, downsized parents, a sputtering economy, the AIDS epidemic, crack cocaine and the like. They knew life wasn’t perfect way before the Challenger plummeted to its doom in a ball of flames. However, their sobering youth is what provided the sobering atmosphere that fostered their take-control, independent-minded, pragmatic mentality which shed al resemblance to the 1990’s dispirited and dejected “slacker”. Brands that continue to target the mythical slacker are on the wrong track. However, if you are a brand who sees the wisdom in tapping into the energy and spirit of the GenXers, you’ll be able to forge a long lasting partnership with this generation which is ready for some respect.

Brands should stop trying to deceive these guys, because they just can’t. Instead, businesses need to provide accurate depictions in their media-appeal to the eXcels’ individuality and their aspirations. Humour, particularly sarcasm, is a favourite of theirs. Anything irrelevant has a good chance at stirring their sympathies and maybe, just maybe, their loyalties. A good example of a GenX appeal is the Virgin Atlantic campaign featuring Austin Powers. GenX appreciates the sleazy, yet endearing sexual innuendo.

 

 

Campaigns that target this generation should seriously consider nontraditional approaches. Consider what each medium means to these consumers and how that medium and the content of its campaign adds to or detracts from the brand. A study conducted by BBDO New York of 104 adults reveals the media perceptions of this generation. They describe the Internet as a means of escape and mental stimulation, as well as a way of gathering specialized information. They added that the medium gave them feelings of intelligence, accomplishment and innovation. Users of the Internet were described as young and career oriented. TV was said to impart feelings of happiness and fun, newspapers were seen as a means of gathering in depth information first thing in the morning, and readers were perceived as being middle-aged and, more often that not, male. Based on these finding, once would assume that newspapers would be an excellent medium for advertising “serious” products, like financial related services, whereas TV would be seen as an excellent place for products associated with fun; however, these results only provide hints and background information on how your advertising can and will function in these mediums. Although seducing this particular generation is difficult, even for experienced creative professionals, it can be done through a thorough knowledge of their lives and lifestyles.

Generation Y comes flying right at you at warp speed! The millions of members of this generation compose a tidal wave that is poised to redefine the world of branding and marketing. Although still evolving, this generation’s emotional palette and passions are entirely unique and comprise a fascinating challenge for emotional branding. This generation is moving faster and doing more than any previous generation. Their time is pre-programmed, and the average 14 year old as less than three hours of free time a week. What little free time they do have is spent heavily multitasking between the Internet, the telephone and listening to music. The activities which absorb them fully do it through demanding and concisely packed content. This generation has been reared in the era of the sound byte. When trying to reach them, advertising needs to be brief and sans fluff. One popular ad campaign by Arizona Jeans, which was directed at this generation, featured teenagers mocking flashy advertising campaigns and demanding “Just show me the jeans.”

Targeting this group is very complicated because they have a tendency to reject the ‘mainstream’ and as soon as a brand becomes big it is in danger of falling into their disfavour. Just the other day a friend of mine said to me that he’s going to do away with his Blackberry. It’s a great product, and all the functions suit him perfectly, but ‘everybody has one now’, so he’s very turned off it. Success = sellout = bad. Hence, as a brand, you must walk a fine line between prominent exposure and overexposure. In other words, make your brand present, make it accessible and available and don’t shove it down their throat. Know when to temper your ubiquity. A little bit of exclusivity is always good.

Another thing that brands do wrong with this generation is to talk down to them as ‘kids’. Hello? The teens in this generation are the most adult teenagers since the birth of the ‘teenager’ concept. By the time this generation reached 12 years old, they achieved a notable sophistication and awareness of the world. This generation has grown up with an unparalleled access to information coupled with the absence of omnipresent supervision. The high expectations put on this group from friends, family and school have developed precocious maturity in a large body of this generation. Most branding strategies underestimate their sophistication and therefore fail. As a brand, you need to respect the mature identity and supplement it. They demonstrate an unprecedented sensitivity to global issues as well as race, gender or sexual orientation discrimination issues. The sense of empowerment and knowledge that marks this generation’s outlook on life has also reshaped social activism, revealing not only their intelligence, but their altruism.

The biggest challenge with GenY will be keeping abreast of their fast-moving lifestyle and quickly evolving tastes. By approaching them directly and putting it in their face, on their back, in their hands or the hands of someone they admire, brands can intimately connect to his generation. Guerrilla marketing is enormously successful with GenY. He advantage is the ability to communicate directly with them in their own language without confusing anyone else. This is the reason why promotional events are gaining popularity in marketing. Events are a great way to showcase your brand in an emotionally charged atmosphere and gain the interest of the GenYers. The best advice I can give with this generation is to stand back and let them lead the way. They will tell you what they want.

References: Emotional Branding by Marc Gobe; Allworth Press; 1st edition (January 1, 2001) Lev Grossman, "Generation Gap," Time Out Magazine, 20 January 2000. Jane Levere, "BBDO New York Breaks Down Why, When, Where and How Young Adults Get information," New York Times, 9 December 1999.

 

 

 

Having been born in 1981, I spent all of my life with Michael Jackson. I grew up listening to the Thriller album (it was actually one of the first albums that I owned. On cassette, no less.) Between my mother and myself, I'm pretty sure that 98% of MJ's music, from the Jackson 5 days until now, is in my house. So when he passed away last Thursday, my heart ached. I felt an incredible loss deep inside me. I felt distraught at the fact that my children will have to learn about him the way I learned about Bob Marley: through records and videos. I will never see him perform live. And believe me, at a live performance, i was going to be "that girl". Yep. The one that they need to call security for. You would have seen me on public television, kicking and screaming as they tried to pry me off MJ's leg.

Last Thursday marked, not only the death of a great musician and performer, but it also marked the end of an era. An era when music was real. Thought out. Processed and planned. A time when singers relied on their own voices and not an auto tuner. A time when lyrics told stories. A time when music made you have to listen to it with your eyes closed. Music wasn't just sound. It was an experience.

If in my lifetime I can produce just one single song that had as much depth, emotion and life as any Michael Jackson song, I will have accomplished a helluva lot. If in my lifetime I can move a mere fraction of the hearts that MJ moved, I will have moved thousands. If I can change anyone's life with music the way he changed mine, I'll die happy.

Michael Jackson was a huge strand of the world's musical DNA. I'll miss him.

If you listen to this ad without looking at it, it sounds like a really docu-drama about the joys of running. But when you open your eyes, it's something... well.. interesting? WHY are they all NAKED?? Now, I love to run as much as the next guy, but I'm anticipating a little discomfort without at least a sports bra. The good thing about this ad is that it shows us a different side to Nike. They've got a sense of humour now :)

And PCs STILL suck.

Come on people, get macs :)

 

 

 

 

 

"MIDOL Extended Relief provides relief of menstrual cramps and pain for up to 12 hours. It contains a long-lasting, maximum strength, aspirin-free ingredient."

Okay, I get that. So... exactly what are these ads trying to say? That Midol "beats cramps" or that it will beat the hell out of my womb. Because that's what it looks like to me. Discomfort.

Hells no.

(Advertising Agency: Texas Creative - University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA Professor: Sean Thompson Art Directors / Copywriters / Illustrators / Photographers: Robert Finger, Josh Barto Created for personal portfolios. Was selected to be displayed at the 2008 One Show Student Exhibition. Source: Ads Of The World.)

 

 

 

 

Depending on where you live in the world, condom ads carry different themes. Here in Barbados, ours aren't too risqué, but occasionally we still manage to see some of the more interesting ones. These however, from Germany, take the cake for me so far for the week. Doc Morris Pharmacies wants to ensure that you don't bring the next Osama Bin Laden, Adolf Hitler or Mao Zedong into the world. Of course, I believe that you'd have to sleep with one of those three to actually accomplish that, and I'm pretty sure that most people would choose not to, especially since Hitler, for example, has been dead for well over 60 years. In any case, if your fear isn't bringing one of these terrorists into the world, at the very least you should be scared as hell that your offspring will have one of these hairstyles.

 

 

In an effort to stop boys aged 12 and under from lighting up, the department of health in Utah has got a new anti-smoking campaign. With Crowell Advertising at the wheel, they've come up with Smokerman, a kind of... well... superhero. He's the one who can't simply because he's too busted up from smoking. The ads are low budget, but hilarious, and Smokerman tries his best to save the world, but keeps falling short because of his deadly habit. You can find the ads here: http://www.fighttheugly.com/smokerman.php. I wonder if they're going to start selling the dolls.

 

Now I have never been a huge fan of Microsoft Excel. It would probably take me hours to put a spreadsheet together. But AC/DC has released an entire video in Excel format! above, you'll see a video of said document, and I'll have to admit that it's really pretty cool! The video can be downloaded at http://www.acdcrocks.com/excel and you can even click on links in the document to download tracks!

I tend to think that the music isn't embedded in the excel file though. I'm not an excel afficionado, but I don't think that can be done. In any case, it seems like a good way to get around the offices that block youtube videos, doesn't it? ;)