Very quick post today… Eco friendly Fonts.

Yup… fonts with holes in them instead of solid black lines. The idea is that with the small holes, printers will require less toner when printing. Sounds odd, but what’s even odder is that it makes sense and we never really thought about it sooner.

Check it out at Ecofont‘s website.

What do you think? Will it catch on? Be too hard to read? Should large companies like MAC and Microsoft start deploying the font as a default?

“You are your own worst client” is probably the most accurate statement I’ve heard in the past 3 years.

I have been working on my own personal site/branding now for months and every time I get half done I’m tired of looking at it and have a better idea started. But, nothing is making me happy, nothing seems ‘clever’ enough. I’ll stare at logos on LogoPond for an hour wondering “How do they come up with such great designs when mine all look bleh?“.

I started reading a few other blogs of designers, mostly branding experts, and more often than not the idea of Mind Mapping was mentioned.

What is Mind Mapping?

Well, Mind maps have been around for many years, as early as the 3rd century. Basically, it’s the linking of images, words and colours to the mind to help spark creativity. Tony Buzan (the ‘Speed Reading’ guy) further developed and researched the concept in the ’60s and ’70s coining the term Mind Mapping. He has a few sites out there that go into a lot more depth about the concept as well as books, and even software.

Although they have software programs available for Mind Mapping, seriously… we’re designers and creative individuals, do it by hand. Especially this day and age where everything is done sitting on a computer, get a pack of cheap markers/crayons and have fun doing it by hand. Especially since it’s encouraged to draw images when possible and doodle which frankly, having tried a few of the available programs out there… you can’t really be free and creative.

How to Mind Map…

First we need an idea, what are we Mind Mapping? For the example, let’s say we’re designing a logo for a Bakery.

1. Take a BIG Piece of Paper – The bigger the better. The paper allows you to move and rotate it about while you work a bit more easily than your iMac.
2. Start in Landscape – When we write, words take up more space horizontally than vertically. Unless writing a novel. So, initially start with the paper going landscape not portrait.
3. Start in the Centre by Drawing the Topic – Images are worth 1000 words, we also associate with imagery better. Try doing the image in at least 3 colours, around 2″ in size to allow room for the rest of the map. Colour sparks the creative portion of the brain and gets the creativity started, so make it fun, bright, interesting. If trying to develop a logo for a door company, draw a door… if trying to do an annual report design for a phone company, draw Batman’s big red phone… etc. In this case, a loaf of bread (label if needed).
4. Draw Lines Out from the Centre to Themes – The central image is the topic, or “Title”, next we want to draw lines out to “Chapters” or sub-topics that relate back to the main focus. Use different colours for each line, make them curved and flowing, starting thick at the central image, and getting thinner towards the sub-topics. The flow of lines causes a visual rhythm, the thickness helps show direction. Each line should connect to something related to the central image. In our case,  what is related to a Bakery? Well… what type of baked goods? Who are the target consumers? What goes into baked goods? What do you associate baked goods with?
5. Branch Out – Go to each sub-topic and list what comes to mind… it’s brainstorming so nothing is wrong or stupid, in fact what may seem wrong/stupid may be what sparks a unique new idea. Write out the list smaller than the size of the sub-topics. It’s also best to use printed letters rather than cursive since the mind (for some reason) works better with printed letters.
6. Go Over the Map – At this point you have a top, sub-topic, and multiple sub-sub-topics… now start letting the brain be more creative. Draw boxes around what stands out, doodle, draw images and arrows that point from one word to the next. At this point you should be starting to have ideas spring to mind as you look from one side of the map to the next making associations.

Sometimes the map works, sometimes, not so well… but hopefully this will give some people a new way of approaching their next design job rather than just randomly doodling and hoping an idea springs up.

Try a google image search on Mind Maps as well… some pretty creative ones, some, well… computer generated ones. Immediately I was more interested and inspired by the hand drawn ones versus the very stale looking computer ones.

1. To start something that may help others in my situation
2. To keep myself on track with my goals

A bit about me…

Despite my age (34yrs old when this was written) I went back to school when I was 30, and just graduated April 24, 2009.  I’ve been a Designer now for six months and am still unemployed and looking for work. I’ve gotten that nice blend of being too experienced for a regular job like sales at the local Radio Shack (or The Source as it’s now called) and not experienced enough to get hired for what I went back to school for.

This Blog, I hope, will be a place for other Designers/Photographers just entering the business (or even still in school) can come to collaborate on their experiences, useful links/sites they’ve found, what they might be doing to find work, and just general Design/Photography/Art discussions.

Ideally I’ll break the site into sections once I’ve had a chance to play with Word Press some more. I worked 10yrs prior to Design, in low level computer IT jobs so, should be able to sort this thing out. Until then, please bare with me.

Meanwhile, POST!!! See something new? Interesting? Helpful? Post it for others to see and comment on and get some discussions started.

Thomas H. Robinson

Cg6 does (among other things) events to help people like us learn new things, network, and share ideas.

Their most recent event was “Prospecting Freelancer 2009″ held at Zimbel’s Cafe and the guest speaker was George S. Zimbel. Though the cafe isn’t named after him, rather owned by his son.

Currently 80 years old, Zimbel has been doing freelance photography now for 62 years. More so impressive was that he was shooting that night using a 1968 Leica 35mm camera. When he pulled that out I just smiled, because I could see all the 18-20 year old students drop their jaws a little. At the start of the night a few students came in trying to look impressive and professional with their Canon 50D/5D’s and $800 lenses, looking to hear from the pro himself, and out he came with a 35mm older than me. Still shooting B&W as well. When asked why, he said that black and white photos are simpler, you know what the focus/subject is and there is a beauty to that. Colour adds to the distraction.

Although nothing like a regular seminar where they drone out ideas for freelancing using Power Point, and likely ideas found off Google anyway, it was a good sit down discussion listening to how things were in previous recessions. Things not found on Google but rather a real life story of how he managed to get a name for himself and retain that name even after 60+ years.

A few points that I took with me were:

• Every year you have to burn at least 1 bridge – I’ve always been told to never burn any bridge but, as Zimbel went on to describe, at least once a year you will come across someone who tried to devalue you or your work. You have a set rate of say $300 for a 2 hour shoot, and they insist on $150. If you break down and do it, the word may get out and everyone wants it for $150. Sometimes you have to burn a bridge in order to stand your ground. Not just for money either, maybe you are strongly against smoking and someone wants you to design a pro-smoking ad. Once you start breaking your own rules and working around your own set of morals, it gets easier each time you do it. So… if you have to burn a bridge on occasion to maintain your integrity, then burn a bridge… just don’t burn all of them.
• If you want to work somewhere or with someone, hound them. Keep sending samples of your work, keep showing up for portfolio reviews to make sure they know who you are. Just because they don’t hire you on the spot doesn’t mean they don’t like what you do. They simply may not be hiring at that time, or, they love your work but have no current projects that require your particular style. However, if you ensure they know you are serious and they know who you are, when they do need your talents they’ll remember you.
• Hand/mail in something. People are sick of sitting at their desk clicking a mouse. Zimbel said that he often prints off his work at the copy shop on a Xerox and mails them in a manila envelope. Doesn’t cost a lot, who cares if it gets thrown out or damaged because they’re not originals, but, at least it’s physically tangible. People like holding something, they can easily carry it to the next room and show someone, or spread them across a table at the next meeting. However, make sure every print/sheet has your name on the back. Always cover your ass (legally).

I would have to say, the last point alone was worth hearing. Makes sense and after sending as many PDF resumes as I have with no luck, it seems a good idea to give it a try. Next question is of curse, what to do that is new, creative, innovative, stands out, cheap to produce and easy to mail. Oh gee, is that all?

In all it was a very good night, as well as free… something I could afford!

I would recommend for students to check into Cg6 on Twitter. They have an annual event for graduates to meet Creative Directors and established Designers for a portfolio review night. I attended the one in early May which was held at the Steamwhistle Brewery. Nice. Downside, because of my age, grads kept asking me to review their work. Sigh.