design process

A collection of 71 posts

exploration and research

The Data Oracle

“Nothing is easier than to accumulate facts, nothing is so hard as to use them.” – Jillian Hess

presentations

Show & Tell

The most asked questions I've seen about portfolios, especially if (but not limited to) you're just getting started in your design career.

design process

How to Write the Rules

Don't just create a reference – create a system.

it's relative

When to Break the Mold

We’re asking the wrong questions about Canva and AI.

presentations

Notes from First Round

As promised, here are my notes from watching First Round. This is a one-day conference where creatives are invited to present their first round of creative brand work as they presented it to their client. You have the opportunity to be the fly-on-the-wall in that meeting.

design process

Here's a Pamphlet...

A case study on design for healthcare.

ideation

What If I Run Out of Ideas?

I used to be afraid that one day I would simply run out of ideas. A similar thing happens in sports where a player reaches a point where they can’t physically play the game anymore. Where ideas come from seems a little bit mysterious, so it feels like something

visual helpers

Physical 3D Visual Simulations

Lo-fi paper prototyping as another form of sketching.

design process

Not Sketching is Sketchy

Why sketching is an essential tool.

mechanics of design

Time And Effort

Why some things are easy and some things are hard. And why easy is not always quick and hard is not always slow.

it's relative

Why Does the Color Look Funny?

There is no shortage of articles online explaining in depth why colors look different across different media and devices. I feel like these highly technical explanations still leave a lot of people unsatisfied. Here is my attempt at simplification. If you have not encountered this as either a designer or

design process

Making the Invisible Visible

If you want to communicate the idea of “sad,” how would you? You could simply write the word “sad,” although there are probably a lot more interesting ways to use words to convey that concept or emotion. What if you could not use words? The vast majority of graphic design

time management

Make the Logo Bigger. A Solution.

It's the classic designer meme - make the logo bigger. It's so tired and worn out because it's true. Why does it happen and how do you navigate it so that it doesn't turn into ten rounds of revisions? The longer you go

mechanics of design

Horizontals and Verticals are Apples and Oranges

Two issues which are interrelated: One is the overabundance of different shapes that digital and social ads come in these days. The other has to do with the cropping of images. These both come up regularly as issues, so here is why. The graphic above is not a Mondrian. It&

exploration and research

No As Without Qs

I might have a bit of a reputation as a question asker. Occasionally, it's taken as aggressive. I'm not sure how asking a question in my job is aggressive. I think often people get defensive when they don't have an answer. My questions come

design process

Know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away.

Lesson 1: How to let go. I was lucky to learn the lesson of how to let go of ideas in my college ceramics class. You could work really hard on a piece for weeks – working the clay, sculpting or throwing it, drying it – only to have it blow up

design process

Why No Limits is Not Awesome

I've been in project startups before where the account person proudly exclaimed some version of, “you have no rules, you can do anything you want, no limits, just wow me, we don't want to limit your creativity.” They think they're doing an awesome thing.

design process

Tips for Visual Thinkers

I really thought it would be cool to start this by offering up a fun quiz for you to take to see whether you are more of a visual or verbal thinker. But after a quick search, they all seemed like trash. I’m definitely a visual thinker, but the

presentations

The Magic of Three and The Wildcard

Turns out I presented a lot of work this week. So I thought I would talk about some of the unwritten rules for presenting design options. One unwritten rule in advertising presentations is the “magic of three.” Meaning, three options is usually the best way to go for presenting clients

visual helpers

Scale of One to Terminator

Sometimes it can be useful as a designer to show your client visuals that can help them articulate a vibe. Sometimes seeing a thing can help them figure out more specifically where they want to be as well. I worked with a client who was trying to find a balance

expectations

"Wow" / Managing Expectations

Ever had a client or brief that said they want to be "Wowed"? Maybe you're a client who has told someone this? Nothing elicits an eye roll faster from a designer than that. Heres why: From a designer perspective, that's an incredibly hard expectation