Filter Foundry - James Laurent

PAD by: James Laurent

(CRED RECEIVED: 119)

Contact Artist

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Graphic Design 1
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Profile Overview

I always knew I wanted to be an artist. In school, art was the only subject I found interesting. I decided to pursue a career in graphic design my senior year of high school and went on to study it in college. After I graduated, I started doing side projects and slowly building up my resume until it became a full time profession five years later.

I’m really interested in abstract design. I enjoy making abstract designs in my free time and teaching myself how to use various softwares.

When I’m not crazy busy making designs, I like to run and hike. Oh, and eat tacos.

Applications: Adobe Flash, Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk 3ds Max, Adobe In-Design
Creative Fields:Animation, Concept Art, Claymation, Digital Art, Graphic Design

City: Seattle	Personal Site: http://www.jameslaurent.com/
Location: USA	Work URL: http://www.laurentstudios.com/
Experience: 12 years, 9 months	Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.laurent.112
Employer: Laurent Studios	Twitter: https://twitter.com/jameslaurent112
Title: Graphic Designer	LinkedIN: http://www.linkedin.com/jameslaurent
Status: Freelancing / Busy	Other: /jameslaurent/

Project Comments

Sam

Your work is stunning.

Cathy

Amazing! What software do you use for these?

Amazing work James!

Great work!!

Cool work James

Awesome designs!

excellent! love them

My RSS Feeds

BOOOOOOM!

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New Minimal & Responsive Theme Released at Themify

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Speaking at Mad Conference (Spain)

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Illustration: Japan Earthquake 11-03-2011

UPDATED: 1 YEAR, 5 MONTHS

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JUST CREATIVE DESIGN

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How to Effectively Pitch Your Website Idea to Designers & Developers

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_E_PMbHBw0nR7hf_lDGUjSltS6g/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_E_PMbHBw0nR7hf_lDGUjSltS6g/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_E_PMbHBw0nR7hf_lDGUjSltS6g/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/_E_PMbHBw0nR7hf_lDGUjSltS6g/1/di" /></a></p><p><em>This is a guest article contributed by Adam Costa*.</em></p> <p class="intro">Recently, I invested in a start up company. Their business plan appeared solid, they identified a common problem and created a valuable solution.</p> <p>Everything seemed in place… except for design.</p> <p>When it came to <a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/10/20/how-to-choose-a-logo-designer/" title="How to choose a designer">logo design</a>, site layout and development, the founders passed it by, shrugging their shoulders as if to say “We’ll let the designers figure that out.”</p> <p>This is a recipe for disaster.</p> <p>The following post will take you, step-by-step, through the <a href="http://justcreative.com/2007/11/26/how-to-be-creative/" title="Creativity">creative process</a>. And once you go through it, you’ll hand your prospective designers everything they need to get started.</p> <p>OK, the first step is to…</p> <h3>Brainstorm What You Want Your Website To Be and Do</h3> <div><img alt="Baseball Pitch" class="border" height="426" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/baseball-pitch-640x426.jpg" title="baseball-pitch" width="640" /></div> <p>I write down everything I want my site to have. <strong>Everything</strong>. I even put items in there which I’d like to have, but don’t necessarily need. Then, when you hand over the document to prospective designers, you can ask them two important questions:</p> <ol> <li>Can you do each of these items, and…</li> <li>Which of these take the most time to complete?</li> </ol> <p>When shopping for a designer/developer, these two questions help weed out poor candidates, and give you an idea of what the most expensive requests are. For example, if you’d like to set up multiple admin levels with complicated workflows, this may be too costly to implement at first.</p> <p><strong>It also helps with negotiation.</strong> If you’re receiving quotes outside your budget, ask designers which elements they could skip for a lower price. <strong></strong> Once you’ve got your ideas written down, the next step is to…</p> <h3>Choose a Content Management System (CMS)</h3> <div><img alt="Wordpress" class="border" height="383" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/wordpress.gif" title="wordpress" width="640" /></div> <p>This is important to determine before hiring a designer/developer, although you may need their help in deciding too. Most professionals specialize in one or two systems: <a href="http://wordpress.com" title="Wordpress">WordPress</a>, <a href="http://drupal.com" title="Drupal">Drupal</a>, and <a href="http://joomla.com">Joomla</a> all have different capabilities/interfaces, each with their own learning curve. You can compare every CMS with <a href="http://www.cmsmatrix.org/">CMSMatrix</a>.</p> <p>Once you’ve chosen the right CMS for your site, you should…</p> <h3>Create a Mockup</h3> <p>Ideally, you should have a clear idea of what you want your site to look like in terms of functionality. Ask yourself:</p> <ul> <li>How many page ‘templates’ do you need? (e.g. home page, category page, article page, checkout page, etc.).</li> <li>What do you want to include on each page? (value proposition, logo, content, multimedia, etc.)</li> <li>Where will you place navigation menus? On top? On the side?</li> </ul> <div><img alt="Wireframing by Mockingbird" class="border" height="383" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/mockingbird.jpg" title="mockingbird" width="640" /></div> <p>Spend some time drawing out your ideas on paper. Then, use a <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/07/15/wireframing-tools/" title="Wireframing Tools">wireframing tool</a> such as <a href="https://gomockingbird.com/">Go</a><a href="https://gomockingbird.com/">Mockingbird</a> to create a simple mockup you can send to designers. Don’t worry; I am not a designer, and GoMockingbird makes it easy to sketch out your ideas. You literally drag and drop different shapes onto a page until it resembles a website.</p> <p>The mockup ensures you and the designer see eye-to-eye from the very beginning. It sets expectations on both sides, and saves a lot of back and forth on little things. The designer can then take these rough ideas and create a branded user experience, while keeping in mind the core functionality and goals of the site.</p> <p>Now that you’ve created a mockup, the next step is to…</p> <h3>Record A Walk-Through of Your Site</h3> <div><img alt="Camtasia 7" class="border" height="434" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/camtasia-7-640x434.png" title="camtasia-7" width="640" /></div> <p>Although this step is not always essential, it is very useful to do. Using <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html" title="Camtasia">Camtasia</a> (or similar screen recording tool), record yourself using the site mockups you created earlier.</p> <p>The video lets you highlight key points, while providing a visual walk-through for designers. It also saves you from repeatedly explaining your idea to prospective designers; <strong>simply send them a video overview and you’re done. </strong></p> <p>Once you’ve heard back from several designers…</p> <h3>Conduct a Short Interview</h3> <div><img alt="Interview Designer" class="border" height="380" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/interview-designer-640x380.jpg" title="interview-designer" width="640" /></div> <p>Choose 3 -5 designers and set up a time to chat. Don’t make it too long, as they’re doing this for free. The interview lets you get a feel for the person, and helps ensure they are responsible (obviously, if they miss the interview, they aren’t the ideal candidate!).</p> <p>The final step is to…</p> <h3>Develop Your Website Creative</h3> <p>A website <a href="http://justcreative.com/2008/09/26/how-to-write-an-effective-design-brief/" title="Design Brief">creative brief</a> helps your designer/developer understand your vision. It should include your design preferences, sites you like, and a list of involved parties. The designer can then advise you on recommendations and take the design further.</p> <p>If you have existing marketing materials, be sure to include them as well so designers can help maintain your brand.</p> <p>This <a href="http://limeshot.com/documents/Website-Creative-Brief-Reader.pdf" title="Creative Brief PDF">web design brief sheet</a> (PDF) by Limeshot Design is one of the best I’ve seen; it covers everything necessary for effective implementation. Most designers will have their own version of this, which is why I list it last. If they don’t have one, use the above example as a starting point.</p> <h3>In Conclusion…</h3> <p>The key to obtaining realistic quotes from talented designers is to provide everything - your vision, mockups, design preferences - upfront. It saves everyone time, and helps you and your designer work get off to a strong start.</p> <p>-</p> <p><em><a href="http://twitter.com/%23%21/MrAdamCosta">Adam Costa</a> is a San Francisco based business consultant who provides <a href="http://www.lewisuniversityonline.com/ma-organizational-leadership-courses.asp">organizational leadership training</a> training to start-up companies. </em></p> <p><em><a href="http://www.bigstockphoto.com/image-2000871/stock-photo-interview" title="Interview Photo">Interview photo</a> by <a href="http://bit.ly/big_stock" title="Big Stock">Big Stock Photo</a>.</em></p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=4f1qcjr10qs:Yxrfyi2Wfxw:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 4 MONTHS

3 Inspirational Pinterest Marketing Campaigns

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KEHVQfYLFS_k_lr4ySBzSjOvImo/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KEHVQfYLFS_k_lr4ySBzSjOvImo/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KEHVQfYLFS_k_lr4ySBzSjOvImo/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KEHVQfYLFS_k_lr4ySBzSjOvImo/1/di" /></a></p><p class="intro">As the user base of <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/04/24/pinterest-guide/" title="Pinterest: What, Why, How and Who? + Tips & Pin Optimisation">Pinterest</a>, a “pin board-based” image and inspiration social media site, continues to explode, we are now seeing a shift toward using Pinterest for creating brand awareness and engaging customers.</p> <p>Leading brands, celebrities, and nonprofits are flocking to Pinterest because of the simplicity of launching an account and because of the large market of passionate, engaged fans.</p> <p>Though we are still in the early stages of using Pinterest as a marketing tool, there are a few brands who have put together marketing campaigns. Here are a few examples to use as inspiration in order to give marketing on Pinterest a shot:</p> <h3>Host a Contest on Pinterest</h3> <p>Brands have created a variety of contests where users create pin boards related to a brand that wins a prize based on the number of likes it receives or based on a random drawing. These contests are often called “Pin it, to win it” contests, since contestants must pin a brand’s contest advertisement along with other images to their pin boards in order to participate.</p> <p><img alt="Pinterest Contest" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10296" height="720" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/pinterest_contest.jpg" title="pinterest_contest" width="600" /></p> <p>Clothing brand ModCloth put together a <a href="http://blog.modcloth.com/2012/01/23/something-mc-pinterest-contest/" title="Contest">contest</a> on Pinterest for the ‘best pin board’ that provided an extensive list of images that entrants must track down and post to their Pin boards. Their rules included:</p> <ul> <li>Must follow @ModCloth on Twitter</li> <li>Pins have to include relevant hashtags (#modcloth and #wedding)</li> <li>Pinboards must include a pin from 20 categories as outlined in the announcement</li> <li>Pins must have a caption listing the number and name the pin corresponds to</li> <li>Entrants share their boards by posting a comment (with a link back to their board) on the ModCloth contest announcement pin.</li> </ul> <p>This promotion offered the dual benefits of creating a challenge for users, while still creating a broader brand awareness among customers.</p> <p>Similarly, a simple contest was put together by Barney’s New York that offered customers a chance to win items they had posted to their pin boards, a campaign very similar to one run by <a href="http://www.lisapetrilli.com/2011/12/14/lands-end-contest-confirms-strategic-role-of-pinterest-for-brands/" title="Lands End Pinterest">Land’s End</a>. According to <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/07/pinterest-brand-marketing" title="Pinterest Brand Marketing">Lauren Indvik of Mashable</a>, Barney’s “encouraged followers of its other social channels to follow its <a href="http://pinterest.com/barneysny/" title="Barneys">Pinterest page</a> and create a ‘Barneys New York Valentine’s Day Wish List’ board in the Women’s or Men’s Apparel categories. Participants were welcome to pin anything they wanted to their boards, but at least five items needed to be sourced from barneys.com to qualify for the contest. Entries were handled by email.”</p> <h3>Cross Social Media Platforms on Pinterest</h3> <p>Since Pinterest is easily linked to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media tools, it’s easy to encourage customers to cross link their pins in order to increase your brand’s exposure through a Pinterest promotion.</p> <p><a href="http://socialfresh.com/pinterest-marketing-campaign-kotex/" title="Kotex Social Campaign">Kotex used Pinterest</a> to figure out what 50 influential and “inspiring” women like and then sent them inspiration kits based on their pins if they agreed to post about them on Pinterest and other social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Though the ROI of this campaign has been hard to determine, the amount of exposure has been significant, especially since Kotex even made a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UVCoM4ao2Tw#!" title="YouTube video by Kotex">YouTube video</a> introducing the concept of the campaign to a wider audience.</p> <p></p> <h3>Create a Puzzle on Pinterest</h3> <p>One of the most creative Pinterest campaigns that also drove a lot of customer traffic to a brand’s website came from the French car company Peugeot. <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/23/pinterest-marketing-campaigns/" title="Pinterest Marketing Campaigns">Todd Wasserman of Mashable</a> writes, “French car maker Peugeot’s Panama unit recently ran a contest that awarded fans who completed a Pinterest puzzle. The brand’s Pinterest profile featured images of cars running over two or more boards. In each case, a board was missing. To get the missing pieces, fans had to go to Peugeot Panama’s Facebook Page or website.”</p> <p><img alt="Peugeot on Pinterest" class="border" height="378" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Peugeot-Pinterest.jpg" title="Peugeot on Pinterest" width="640" /></p> <p>This complex and original campaign brought both greater exposure to the Peugeot website and the Peugeot Pin board.</p> <p>With this all said, brands are still trying to figure out how to best utilise Pinterest for marketing campaigns, and it may be some time before they have a firm idea of a campaign’s ROI. However, we’re in an exciting time where brands can expand their marketing into uncharted territory, surprising and delighting customers and possibly even generating attention simply by virtue of giving Pinterest marketing a shot.</p> <p>Feel free to <a href="http://pinterest.com/jacobcass/" title="Pinterest Jacob Cass">follow my boards on Pinterest</a>.</p> <p><strong>Have you used Pinterest for any of your marketing campaigns? How did they work for you?</strong></p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ACvsfhzGh0c:jHpDASJLkFE:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 4 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS

Top 10 Australian Logos of All Time

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Fu1pJL589YdH7CgvO9ALPwoXPWE/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Fu1pJL589YdH7CgvO9ALPwoXPWE/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Fu1pJL589YdH7CgvO9ALPwoXPWE/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Fu1pJL589YdH7CgvO9ALPwoXPWE/1/di" /></a></p><p><img alt="Top Australian Logos" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10270" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/top-australian-logos.gif" title="Top Australian Logos" width="640" /></p> <p>I was intrigued by an article put out by <a href="http://desktopmag.com.au/magazine" title="Desktop Magazine">Desktop Magazine</a> (#<a href="http://www.beautifulpages.com.au/products/desktop-magazine-282-may" title="Desktop Magazine 282">282</a>) that listed the top 10 Australian logos of all time based from an online readers’ poll and votes from an expert panel.</p> <p>I’m still awaiting to receive my copy in the mail, but I’d thought I would share their top ten picks below to hear your thoughts. Speaking on behalf of the Australians, I find all of these quite iconic, but <a href="http://justcreativedesign.com/2009/07/27/what-makes-a-good-logo/" title="What makes a good logo?">how do they rank</a> in your books for those outside of Oz?</p> <h4>10. SBS (Special Broadcasting Service)</h4> <div><img alt="SBS Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10183" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/SBS-Logo.gif" title="SBS-Logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>9. Australia Post</h4> <div><img alt="Australia Post Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10141" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/australia-post-logo.gif" title="Australia Post Logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>8. Sydney Olympics 2000</h4> <div><img alt="Sydney Olympics 2000" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10142" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/sydney-2000-logo.gif" title="sydney-2000-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>7. Nine Network</h4> <div><img alt="Nine Network" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10143" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/nine-network-logo.gif" title="Nine Network" width="640" /></div> <h4>6. Woolmark</h4> <div><img alt="Woolmark" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10144" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/woolmark-logo.gif" title="woolmark-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>5. Woolworths</h4> <div><img alt="Woolworths Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10145" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/woolworths-logo.gif" title="woolworths-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>4. Commonwealth Bank</h4> <div><img alt="Commonwealth Bank Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10146" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/commonwealth-bank-logo.gif" title="commonwealth-bank-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>3. City of Melbourne</h4> <div><img alt="City of Melbourne" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10147" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/city-of-melbourne-logo.gif" title="city-of-melbourne-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>2. Qantas</h4> <div><img alt="Qantas Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10149" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/qantas.gif" title="Qantas Logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>1. ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company)</h4> <div><img alt="ABC Logo" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10148" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/abc-logo.gif" title="abc-logo" width="640" /></div> <h4>My Pick: Australian Made</h4> <p>If I were to choose a logo to add to the top ten, this would be my pick. What about you?</p> <div><img alt="Made In Australia" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-10140" height="300" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/made-in-australia-logo.gif" title="made-in-australia-logo" width="640" /></div> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=ht3iPK9cLXs:m5ttalm3uho:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 4 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS

Recent News

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-TScV7y7VD8y-sf0U2VJe87qYVY/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-TScV7y7VD8y-sf0U2VJe87qYVY/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-TScV7y7VD8y-sf0U2VJe87qYVY/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-TScV7y7VD8y-sf0U2VJe87qYVY/1/di" /></a></p><p class="intro">I often share short news snippets on <a href="http://twitter.com/justcreative/" title="Jacob Cass on Twitter">Twitter</a> & <a href="http://facebook.com/justcreative/" title="Just Creative on Facebook">Facebook</a> however this news doesn’t often make its way to my blog so here is a quick run down of some recent news.</p> <div><img alt="FundingGates Website" height="500" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Website__0022_FundingGates.jpg" title="FundingGates Website" width="700" /></div> <div></div> <h4>New Work</h4> <p>I’ve posted some new work to my portfolio, including work for <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/05/22/funding-gates-website/" title="Funding Gates Website">Funding Gates</a>, a “one stop shop to manage your receivables” and <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/05/22/forexware/" title="Forexware">Forexware</a>, a trading technology company. This site also got <a href="http://forexware.com/cn" title="Forexware Chinese">translated into Chinese</a> which is kinda neat.</p> <h4>Annual Design Awards 2012</h4> <p>The <a href="http://www.annualdesignawards.com/" title="Annual Design Awards">2012 Annual Design Awards</a> will start accepting entries on June 3rd. I will be on the Jury again this year, alongside other jurors such <a href="http://elliotjaystocks.com/">Elliot Jay Stocks</a>, <a href="http://sagihaviv.com/">Sagi Haviv</a>, <a href="http://www.cgstudionyc.com/" title="Ivan Chermayeff">Ivan Chermayeff</a> and more.</p> <h4>New Home Page Slider</h4> <p>I’ve added a new responsive slider on the home page, which also works on touch devices. The slider will rotate through my most recent work & news.</p> <h4>New Sub Navigation</h4> <p>As <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/05/04/win-a-hp-envy-14-spectre-laptop/" title="HP envy">requested</a>, I’ve added a <a href="http://justcreative.com/about/#navigation" title="Sub Navigation">sub navigation</a> to my long about page.</p> <h4>The Art of Personal Branding</h4> <p>Check out <a href="http://logonest.com" title="LogoNest">Logo Nest Vol 2.</a>, a book by logo designers for logo designers. Inside I wrote an article on ‘<a href="http://www.logonest.com/articles/the-art-of-personal-branding/" title="Personal Branding">The Art of Personal Branding</a>‘.</p> <h4>Zynga Bubble Safari Logo<strong><br /> </strong></h4> <p>I designed the logo for Zynga’s new arcade game ‘Bubble Safari’ which you <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/05/08/zynga-bubble-safari/" title="Bubble Safari">can see here in motion</a>. Quite glossy but that’s the arcade market for you. Designed at Ammirati.</p> <h4>HP Envy Winner</h4> <p>Congratulations to <a href="http://stanbanks.com" title="Stan Banks">Stan Banks</a> of Delaware who won the <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/05/04/win-a-hp-envy-14-spectre-laptop/" title="Giveaway">HP Envy in my last giveaway</a>.</p> <h4>Ammirati NYC Looking for an Intern</h4> <p>Ammirati is <a href="http://bit.ly/HCEiHY">looking for a summer developer intern</a> who will work along side myself and another 2 developers. Must have HTML, CSS & Javascript knowledge.</p> <h4>Elsewhere</h4> <p>You can find some of my advice and work in the publications below.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.creativebloq.com/creative-careers/industry-insight-augmented-reality-1233829/" title="Augmented Reality">Industry insight: Augmented reality</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.creativebloq.com/inspiration/industry-insight-are-design-competitions-spec-work-1233697/" title="Spec Work">Are Design Competitions Spec Work?</a></li> <li>2 logos featured in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/International-Communication-Design-Yearbook-2011/dp/3899391292" title="Yearbook Design">International Communication Design Yearbook 2011/2012 </a></li> <li><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/jacobcass-freelanceguidebook.jpg" title="Jacob Cass Freelance Guidebook">Featured</a> inside the ‘<a href="http://www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/design-bookazines/The-Freelance-Handbook.html" title="Freelance Handbook">Freelancers Handbook</a>’ by Computer Arts</li> </ul> <h4>New Work In The Pipeline</h4> <p>An iPad app for a whiskey brand, a secret project for Jerry Seinfeld, a new website for the Coffee Shop in Union Square, a home page refresh for Energy Kitchen and a few more which are under wraps for now.</p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=a6GbDDTnpUg:LJYyJExTgb8:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS

Pricing Your Work Right as a Designer

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/C5Y0bt0afa8HxjWzwL2Sfg8f0h8/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/C5Y0bt0afa8HxjWzwL2Sfg8f0h8/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/C5Y0bt0afa8HxjWzwL2Sfg8f0h8/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/C5Y0bt0afa8HxjWzwL2Sfg8f0h8/1/di" /></a></p><div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9779"><img alt="Jacob Cass in Computer Arts Magazine, Issue 200" class="size-full wp-image-9779" height="612" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/jacob-cass-issue-200-computer-arts.jpg" title="jacob-cass-issue-200-computer-arts" width="612" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The article in Computer Arts Magazine, Issue 200. Photo by Luisedtr.</p></div> <div class="intro"> I was recently asked by Computer Arts magazine to answer a series of short questions on pricing yourself as a designer. You can find my answers in <a href="http://www.computerarts.co.uk/blog/issue-200-sale-now-123078" title="Issue 200 Computer Arts">Issue 200 of Computer Arts</a> or below. </div> <h3><strong> How should designers determine an hourly wage?</strong></h3> <p>There are a number of factors to keep in mind when figuring out what your worth such as what you <em>think</em> you’re worth, what you can get away with, your experience, the amount of work you currently have on, how badly you want an individual project and the terms of the project, as well how long you think each project will take. There are many other factors to consider, but this is a start. See here for more info on <a href="http://justcreativedesign.com/2009/02/26/how-much-to-charge-for-design-work/" title="How much to charge for design work">how much to charge for design work</a>.</p> <h3><strong>What are the pros and cons of fixed pricing versus and hourly rate?</strong></h3> <p>Pricing hourly has its benefits at times and you should always be flexible in <a href="http://freelanceswitch.com/money/hourly-vs-fixed-pricing/" title="Hourly vs Fixed Pricing">which way you choose</a>, however, I would personally recommend pricing per project as it demonstrates that you will <em>give results</em>, not just X number hours of work.<strong></strong></p> <h3><strong>How can designers ensure they price competitively?</strong></h3> <p>Ask your friends in the industry and also do some competitive researching. How do your competitors charge, and what do they charge? Once you know this valuable information, you will have better judgement on how to price your work, as well as how to position yourself. Learn <a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/11/01/client-liason/" title="Negoiate Budgets">how to negotiate budgets</a> also.</p> <div> <h3><strong>Should designers take a lower wage for a cut of future project earnings or shares?</strong></h3> <p>This should be judged on a project to project basis. Always be wary when taking on these types of partnerships as it really is a gamble. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. Be wary of people who offer this as it could be a scam and make sure you have everything in writing with a signature.</p> </div> <div> <h3><strong>How protective of copyright and IP should a designer be?</strong></h3> </div> <p>As someone who gets notified of a <a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/07/14/copyright-patents-trademarks-registered-designs/" title="Copyright">copyright infringement</a> of my work every week (yes, every week!) I will tell you that it is <strong>a lot</strong> of effort to resolve these issues. You should be protective of your work, but don’t let it bog you down. I usually send a polite email at first and in most cases, they remove the work straight away with their tail between their legs. A few times I’ve threatened with a a <a href="http://rising.blackstar.com/how-to-send-a-dmca-takedown-notice.html" title="DMCA Take Down">DMCA take down notice</a> but fortunately, I’ve never had to go further.</p> <p>On this topic, be sure to read ‘<a href="http://justcreative.com/2011/07/14/how-not-to-write-a-personal-biography/">how not to write a personal biography</a>‘.</p> <h3><strong>Do you recommend a designer has a legal eagle check a contract?</strong></h3> <p>At the very least you should read over anything you sign, at least once or twice. If you’re work and fees are getting high profile, then yes it may be worth getting an ‘eagle’.<strong></strong></p> <h3><strong>Can a designer ever charge more than they originally quoted? </strong></h3> <p>If a project is going out of the <a href="http://justcreative.com/2012/02/14/how-to-deal-with-scope-creep/" title="Scope Creep">original scope</a>, known as scope creep, then yes of course.</p> <p><strong>Have any other questions that you’d like my opinion on? What’s your opinion?</strong></p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=UBkRWIaoJ7E:x8YQXqIkuu0:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS

Costa Rica Photos

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/psy8MV-8N9qImB2rYtAFOS9csxU/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/psy8MV-8N9qImB2rYtAFOS9csxU/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/psy8MV-8N9qImB2rYtAFOS9csxU/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/psy8MV-8N9qImB2rYtAFOS9csxU/1/di" /></a></p><div><img alt="Costa Rica" class="border" height="400" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/costa-rica.jpg" title="Costa Rica" width="620" /></div> <p>In April, I spent two weeks in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica" title="Costa Rica">Costa Rica</a>, traveling around Guanacaste province. I took about 900 photos on my <a href="http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&partNumber=NEX5NK/B" title="Sony NEX 5N">Sony NEX 5N</a> (a great portable cam!) and have have finally filtered through them. Feel free to <a href="http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3761125022419.2163889.1105358824&type=3" title="Costa Rica">check out the album on Facebook</a>, which features forty of my favourites.</p> <p>Costa Rica is definitely an awesome place to visit and below were some of my highlights:</p> <ul> <li>White water tubing</li> <li>Ziplining</li> <li>ATV riding</li> <li>Volcano exploring (mud, steam, etc.)</li> <li>Bathing in the hot springs</li> <li>Backwards abseiling</li> <li>Rock climbing</li> <li>Horseback riding</li> <li>Hiking & exploring the rainforests</li> <li>Off road four-wheel driving</li> <li>Riding an ox</li> <li>Tarzan swinging into a refreshing pool</li> <li>Driving around from place to place</li> <li>Interacting with nature, monkeys & wildlife</li> <li>Surfing Tamarindo</li> <li>Watching the amazing sunsets</li> <li>Enjoying Costa Rican food & culture</li> <li>and of course relaxing at the pool & beach.</li> </ul> <p>Feel free to subscribe to my <a href="http://www.facebook.com/justcreative/">personal Facebook updates</a> or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/justcreativedesign/" title="Facebook Just Creative">this blog only</a>.</p> <p><strong>Have you been to Costa Rica?</strong> There was plenty I missed and would love to explore the rest of the country. What would you recommend? If you haven’t been, I highly recommend it!</p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=S79WneeVMEM:lwOGZyH1abE:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS

Win a HP ENVY 14 Spectre Laptop

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oYAZIxEZ-Ro2o1ZBQYa4Z1C9BO0/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oYAZIxEZ-Ro2o1ZBQYa4Z1C9BO0/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oYAZIxEZ-Ro2o1ZBQYa4Z1C9BO0/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oYAZIxEZ-Ro2o1ZBQYa4Z1C9BO0/1/di" /></a></p><div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9668"><img alt="HP Spectre" class="size-full wp-image-9668" height="544" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-spectre.jpg" title="hp-spectre" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Win this HP ENVY 14 Spectre. Details below.</p></div> <p>I was recently invited to attend a ‘top secret’ event held by HP. They emailed me and asked if I would like to attend an exciting ‘hunt’ between 4 and 8pm on a Thursday afternoon, at an undisclosed location. They were extremely vague about the event and they said to just show up, “it would be worth it”. Knowing how <a href="http://justcreative.com/2010/12/07/hp%E2%80%99s-elitebook-8740w-mobile-workstation-first-impressions/" title="HP Elitebook">HP works with PR</a>, I agreed and showed up.</p> <p>What was to follow was a set of extraordinary events, especially if you know how the company <a href="http://accomplicetheshow.com/" title="Accomplice">Accomplice</a> works - the company that runs the show / hunt / tour / experience. Without giving too much away the hunt consisted of a variety of random, extremely funny events and objects. A few are outlined below.</p> <p><em><em>Singing Italian construction workers, fortune cookies, live frogs, 3D maps found in locked boxes held by paranoid bums, </em>Russians on the the run from the police, USB sticks with self exploding videos, blind men giving directions, albino midgets holding lemons and flying snakes.</em></p> <p><em></em>With a line up like that you can just imagine how interesting, weird & fun the tour was - I highly recommend checking out Accomplice if you are in New York, London or Hollywood.</p> <p>Anyway, at the end of the hunt, a winner was chosen from our group to win a HP Spectre laptop. Unfortunately I didn’t win, however I do have one to give away! <a href="http://bit.ly/spectrenyc" title="Spectre Photos">Check out the photos</a> and how to win below. (Entries now closed)</p> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9670"><img alt="Jacob Cass at Dinner" class="size-full wp-image-9670" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-event-7.jpg" title="hp-event-7" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Me, awaiting the announcement of who won the HP Spectre at the event. Sadly, I didn't!</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9672"><img alt="Live frog with construction worker" class="size-full wp-image-9672" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-event-5.jpg" title="hp-event-5" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">We picked up a live frog from a singing construction worker.</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9674"><img alt="Blind Man Giving Advice" class="size-full wp-image-9674" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-event-3.jpg" title="hp-event-3" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The "blind" man who gave advice to the group.</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9676"><img alt="Eating with the group and an Italian Accomplice actor / comedian." class="size-full wp-image-9676" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-event-1.jpg" title="HP " width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Eating with the group and a 'Russian' Accomplice actor / comedian.</p></div> <div class="wp-caption alignnone" id="attachment_9675"><img alt="HP Spectre Laptop Demonstration" class="size-full wp-image-9675" height="427" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/hp-event-2.jpg" title="hp-event-2" width="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">The group testing out the HP Spectre at the end of the hunt.</p></div> <h3>About the HP ENVY 14 Ultrabook</h3> <ul> <li>It has scratch-resistant glass on three surfaces for a stunning look</li> <li>Beautiful 14” inch high definition display and up to 9 hours of battery life</li> <li>Beats Audio sound technology, designed by HP with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, and an analog dial to adjust audio levels</li> <li>Backlit keyboard for those late nights</li> </ul> <p>You can read more about the <a href="http://www.hp.com/go/spectre" title="HP Envy 14">HP ENVY 14 Spectre</a> here or a <a href="http://tech.uk.msn.com/laptops/hp-envy-14-spectre-review" title="Envy 14 Review">review</a> here.</p> <h3>Win a HP ENVY 14 of your own. (Now Closed)</h3> <p>I’d love to get some feedback on my blog and how it is currently running, so to enter, simply let me know what things you think could be improved on my blog. Let me know what you like, don’t like and what you would like to see (or not see) on the blog. Simply leave your comment below, that’s it!</p> <ul> <li>Only USA residents can enter</li> <li>Only one entry per person</li> <li>The winner will be drawn from the best ten answers</li> <li>The winner will need to fill out a a W-9 tax form</li> <li>The winner will be emailed directly and announced on this post on May 20th</li> </ul> <h3>The Winner!</h3> <p>Congratulations to <a href="http://stanbanks.com" title="Stan Banks">Stan Banks</a> of Delaware, the winner of the HP Envy. Thank you everyone else for your entries, and may the odds ever be in your favour.</p> <p><strong>Legal Disclaimer:</strong><br /> Prizes and promotional support was provided by HP. I was not compensated for this post in any way. Good luck!</p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=cQhBkg3Z0bM:6_FMtlJeVuU:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 1 WEEK

Digital vs Traditional Offset Printing: Pros & Cons

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AsB6GDWy8D1kFruCjBXx2qn_X5A/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AsB6GDWy8D1kFruCjBXx2qn_X5A/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AsB6GDWy8D1kFruCjBXx2qn_X5A/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/AsB6GDWy8D1kFruCjBXx2qn_X5A/1/di" /></a></p><p class="intro">Every design project is different. When it comes to making a final decision on which commercial printing process to choose, designers must take into consideration the quality and volume they desire and their budget and timescale.</p> <p>The two main forms of commercial printing are digital and traditional offset printing, both of which have their pros and cons. Before you make your final decision, weigh up their pros and cons against what you want from your print job and make an informed decision.</p> <h3><strong>The Pros and Cons of Digital Printing</strong></h3> <div><img alt="Digital Printing" height="480" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shutterstock_80810590-640x480.jpg" title="Digital Printing" width="640" /></div> <h4>PROS</h4> <p><strong>Digital printing is incredibly fast</strong>, making it ideal for projects with a tight deadline. Traditional offset printing has a much slower turnaround due to the set up, so consider your deadline carefully when choosing which type of commercial printing to opt for. If the deadline is short and you’re running out of time, digital printing could be your best choice.</p> <p>Budgetary concerns are extremely important when choosing how to print your project. If you have a <strong>low volume print job, digital printing is far more cost effective</strong> than traditional offset printing.</p> <div class="superquote"> If you need a fast turnaround of a short print run you should use a digital printer to meet your deadline and keep the cost down. </div> <p>One of the key advantages of digital printing is the <strong>accuracy of the proofing</strong> it allows. Extremely detailed samples can be made of your print job quickly and cost effectively, enabling you to hold a sample in your hands which will be exactly recreated in the final print run.</p> <p>Another great strength of digital printing is how easily a design <strong>project’s text, images and colours can be customised</strong> during the print process without significantly slowing it down. If you need to customise different parts of the print run, for diverse marketing campaigns for example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_data_printing" title="Variable Data Printing">Variable Data Printing</a> presses are by far the best option in terms of speed and affordability.</p> <p><img alt="Pantone Colors" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-9648" height="426" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shutterstock_69667570-640x426.jpg" title="Pantone Colors" width="640" /></p> <h4>CONS</h4> <p>What are the cons of digital printing? Well, despite digital printers constantly improving, they still can’t quite match the colour quality and sheer flexibility of traditional offset printers, which offer a <strong>wider range of paper, ink and finish options</strong> and use the Pantone Matching System and inks to deliver unparalleled <strong>colour accuracy</strong>. Digital printers use a four colour printing process utilising a colour matching process to simulate colours, which cannot compete with traditional offset printers.</p> <p>Another weakness is that digital printer inks aren’t fully absorbed into the print paper, which means <strong>cracks can appear in the colour near edges</strong> which are folded in the finished publication. This isn’t a problem in traditional offset printing.</p> <p>It’s also important to remember that traditional offset printing can be <strong>more cost effective than digital printing for higher volume print runs</strong> as the individual unit price comes down.</p> <div class="superquote"> Considering the superior quality of traditional offset printing, a traditional offset printer is a better choice for higher volume print runs than a digital printer. </div> <h3><strong>The Pros and Cons of Traditional Offset Printing</strong></h3> <div><img alt="Offset Printing" class="size-large wp-image-9647" height="419" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/shutterstock_33096130-640x419.jpg" title="Offset Printing" width="640" /></div> <h4>PROS</h4> <p>The pros of traditional offset printing are clear. It remains the <strong>best quality type of printing available</strong> for graphic designers, particularly when image quality is concerned. Technology has developed so that the computer-to-plate system delivers superlative accuracy and quality.</p> <p>As previously mentioned, traditional offset printing enables <strong>more choice when it comes to print materials</strong>. Many graphic design projects demand unusual paper types and sizes, specialised inks and finishes. If this is the case with your project you should use a traditional offset printer. <strong>Special effects like spot varnishes are far better quality</strong> when done through traditional offset printing.</p> <p>The combination of the Pantone Matching System and the Pantone inks makes traditional offset printers the <strong>best choice when complete control is needed</strong> and colour accuracy is paramount. The four colour process used for digital printing simply cannot compete with traditional offset printers, so if colour counts opt for traditional offset printing.</p> <p>If your graphic design project is high volume, traditional offset printing is not only more cost effective but can be quicker. Much of the costs and time involved with traditional offset printing relate to the preparation and press set up. However, if you have a high volume print job the unit costs are drastically reduced, because once the set up is complete the extra units are relatively cheap to print.</p> <h4>CONS</h4> <p>What are the cons of traditional offset printing? It is <strong>far more difficult to personalise and customise print jobs</strong> during the print run as the printer set up has to be adjusted. This can be rather time consuming, particularly when compared to digital printing, which is perhaps the best option for print jobs requiring a lot of customisation within a short time frame.</p> <p>Traditional printing is also slower and more costly for lower volume print jobs than digital printing. This is because of the time it takes to set a traditional printer up for a job, which raises the individual unit prices for shorter print runs. <strong>Digital printers remain the best choice for quick and low cost short run print jobs</strong>.</p> <h3>Summary</h3> <p>Your choice of commercial printing process will depend on your <strong>quality and volume demands, budget and time schedule</strong>. Carefully list what you require before following the above guidelines and making your final decision. Remember, commercial printers are there to help, so always contact them for further advice on your project.</p> <p><strong>What’s your preference? How do you usually decide on which printing method you use? </strong></p> <p><em>Photos by <a href="http://shutterstock.com" title="Shutterstock">Shutterstock</a> & <a href="http://www.printerinks.com/2p-n-002/inkjet-cartridges/">Inkjet Catridges</a>.</em></p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=I4oEU7rZwy8:kwZobgtDzXA:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS

Pinterest: What, Why, How and Who? + Tips & Pin Optimisation

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hyv-v6UXF71sr_oBaEFhedkc4MQ/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hyv-v6UXF71sr_oBaEFhedkc4MQ/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hyv-v6UXF71sr_oBaEFhedkc4MQ/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/hyv-v6UXF71sr_oBaEFhedkc4MQ/1/di" /></a></p><p><img alt="Pinterest Logo" class="border" height="260" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pinterest-logo.gif" title="pinterest-logo" width="640" /></p> <p>This article is a product of <a href="http://pinterest.com/jacobcass/" title="Pinterest">getting into Pinterest</a> and clients coming forward saying, “What is Pinterest?”. In fact, there is a lot to <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/18/pinterest-brand-attention/">learn from Pinterest</a> and it is worthy of analysis which I will get to below. According to <a href="http://www.experian.com/hitwise/digital-marketer-2012.html">ExperianHitwise</a>, Pinterest is now the #3 social media site behind Facebook and Twitter. It is also the #16th most visited site in the USA, so it is not something you should ignore.</p> <p>Let’s have a look at what Pinterest is, why it’s different, who uses it, what makes for the most popular pins and how to optimise websites for the best Pinterest exposure.</p> <h3>What is Pinterest?</h3> <p>“Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, ‘re-pin’ images to their own collections and or ‘like’ photos. Pinterest’s mission is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting” via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing.”</p> <div><img alt="Pinterest Screenshot" border="0" class="border" height="351" hspace="10" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/general-pinterest-2.jpg" vspace="10" width="640" /></div> <h3>Why is Pinterest different?</h3> <p><a href="http://mashable.com/follow/topics/pinterest">Pinterest</a> is an <strong>excellent site for inspiration and ideas and it is also a very cool community filled with artistic souls.</strong> ‘So what?’ you might be thinking, I already belong to ten of those and I don’t have time to read all the blogs and articles as it is… so here are four reasons why Pinterest is different:</p> <ul> <li>Pinterest uses a new type of social interface to drive traffic and it is linked to Facebook and Twitter.</li> <li>Pinterest appeals to both the general public and to the art & design crowd</li> <li>Pinterest is an excellent marketing tool</li> <li>Pinterest is the first of similar sites and it signals a shift in Internet marketing, viewing and usage.</li> </ul> <p>Pinterest challenges most social media and current computer trends. <strong>It’s fast, beautiful, visual and easy to use</strong>. Just as so many sites are opting for utility over beauty, Pinterest invites users to think visually and appreciate beautiful things every time they enter the site. Most importantly, it saves you time especially when researching.</p> <div><img alt="Pinterest is Beautiful" border="0" class="border" height="659" hspace="10" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pinterest-example.jpg" vspace="10" width="640" /></div> <h3>Who uses Pinterest & why?</h3> <p>The social king pings of the moment, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/11/24/facebook-marketing/" title="Facebook Marketing">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/09/15/how-to-use-linkedin/" title="LinkedIn">LinkedIn</a> and Google+, take copious amounts of time to interact with. Twitter, at least got the speed part of the equation right. Time intensive social media such as those mentioned above, is fine for college kids or even unemployed professionals, but neither group is exactly the demographic most businesses are targeting. According to <a href="http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/pinterest.com">Alexa</a>, Pinterest users are <strong>predominantly female between the ages of 25-34</strong>.</p> <p>Facebook in particular has an interface that is purposely constructed like a series of rat holes to keep viewers on the site as long as possible. This is a carefully chosen strategy to increase the ratings of Facebook in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_results_page" title="SERPS">SERPS</a>. However, it isn’t user friendly and one of the top reasons people leave Facebook or refuse to join, is: <strong>Facebook takes too much time</strong>.</p> <p>In contrast, Pinterest is easy to learn and quick to use. <strong>The visual interface is stimulating to the brain and it invokes almost an addictive response in users</strong>. This is appealing to both the art crowd and to general users. Males, although they do not currently make up a large section of Pinterest viewers, could in the future due to the male affinity for visual stimulation. In addition, from a conversion perspective a buyer interested in shopping for anything, can quickly assemble a Pinterest shopping list on the site and come back to it for comparison-shopping when ready to buy.</p> <p>On a side note, there is now an app that turns <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/04/19/pinview-facebook-pinterest-app/">Facebook into a Pinterest-like board</a>.</p> <h3>A look at how to use Pinterest</h3> <div><img alt="Chairs on Pinterest" border="0" class="border" height="351" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/chairsexample1.jpg" width="640" /></div> <p>A quick search & compilation of ‘dining room chairs’ took exactly 6 minutes to create.</p> <p>This included creating the board, searching, and selecting products from Pinterest and Google search. This is a busy buyer’s dream. The introduction of this type of fast, visually based shopping platform could spark a small ‘revolution’ in how websites are designed and constructed; especially for large online retailers.</p> <h2>Designing with Pinterest in Mind</h2> <p><strong>Pinterest pulls photos from a website and then provides a link back to the source.</strong> The use and reuse of these photos as they are repinned may not be in accordance with the photo usage agreements that were established with the photographer or photographic copyright holder. But legally, the responsibility of pinning and <strong><a href="http://justcreative.com/2009/07/14/copyright-patents-trademarks-registered-designs/" title="Copyright">copywrite </a>infringement exists with the pinner</strong>, not the site owner or Pinterest.</p> <p>However, in reality the photographers will come after the site owner rather than Joe Pinner for compensation related to copyright infringement. Large clients need to clarify the ownership rights and contracts with their photographers in the event that they start to see an up tick in profits from Pinterest photo pinning and re-pinning. There are also ways to <a href="http://llsocial.com/2012/02/pinterest-offering-code-to-block-pinning/">block images from being used as pins</a>.</p> <p>Clear, beautiful engaging photos are the backbone of Pinterest… but what makes for a good pin?</p> <div><a href="http://www.clickdiscounthotels.com/"><img alt="clickdiscounthotels.com" border="0" class="border" height="468" hspace="10" longdesc="http://clickdiscounthotels.com" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/clickdiscounthotels.jpg" vspace="10" width="640" /></a></div> <h3>What makes for a popular ‘pin’?</h3> <p><strong>Clients looking for pins by the community should have several excellent photos available</strong> for pinning on every page of their site, keeping in mind that great photos, logos, infographics and memes are the most popular pins. Pinterest’s own search engine includes a “popular search” and a quick examination of the most popular pins reveals the following:</p> <p><strong>Sample: 500 Most Popular Pinterest Pins by Type</strong></p> <ul> <li>Photos: 317 total pins; includes most categories.</li> <li>Meme / infographics: 129 total pins; includes anything that has text/and or visuals in the pin.</li> <li>Practical: 36 total pins; are how to posts, excludes food.</li> <li>Ads: 10 total pins; professional marketing ads or brand logos as pins.</li> <li>Celebrity: 7 total pins; excludes celebrities used in memes.</li> <li>Video: 1 total pin.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Sample: 500 Most Popular Pinterest Pins by Category</strong></p> <ul> <li>Black and white photos that didn’t fit into another category: 14 pins</li> <li>Color photos that didn’t fit into another category: 47 pins</li> <li>Memes / infographics that didn’t fit perfectly into another category: 97 pins</li> <li>Food and Drink: 64 pins</li> <li>Home design: 47 pins</li> <li>Nails and Hair: 31 pins</li> <li>Fashion / jewelry / clothes: 30 pins</li> <li>Love / Wedding: 35 pins</li> <li>Crafts: 34 pins</li> <li>Garden: 22 pins</li> <li>Practical: 15 pins</li> <li>Pets: 19 pins</li> <li>Children/baby: 11 pins</li> <li>Ads: 10 pins</li> <li>Celebrity: 7 pins</li> <li>Tattoo: 6 pins</li> <li>Health and sports: 7 pins</li> <li>Car: 3 pins</li> <li>Tech: 1 pin</li> </ul> <p>The data above is only a single sample. Furthermore, it is <strong>seasonally influenced by seasons</strong>, such as Spring when weddings and prom are popular topics. Similar samples would need to be collected over time to establish valuable data but even one sampling is revealing. For example, health and fitness is surprisingly absent in this particular sampling.</p> <div><a href="http://www.gopromotional.com/" title="Promotional Products"><img alt="Promotional Products" class="border" height="347" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pinterest-most-popular-example1.jpg" title="Promotional Products" width="640" /></a></div> <h3>Tips & Pin Optimisation</h3> <p><strong>Pins that generate comments and are <a href="http://mashable.com/2012/03/26/optimize-images-pinterest/">physically longer</a></strong>, dominate the Pinterest site. The five-column format naturally favors vertical orientation of both photos and memes. <strong>The majority of both in the most popular section are vertically oriented</strong>. Comments and lengthy text increase the page space accompanied by any pin making it more likely to be repined and shared by other viewers. Consequently, adopting and using vertical formats into web designs, where pinning is desired, makes sense.</p> <p>Even though ads make up only a small percentage of the most popular pins, many were presented as <strong>logos</strong>. For example, Trader Joes’s logo is one of the most popular pins on the site. Each time the logo is pinned it is an endorsement not only for the store but also for the designer of the logo – if it is credited by the pinner.</p> <p>Also check out these <a href="http://www.tripwiremagazine.com/2012/04/pinterest-boards-for-designers.html" title="Pinterest Boards for Designers">40 interest Pinterest boards for designers</a>.</p> <h3>Over To You</h3> <p>I’d love to know if you are using Pinterest and what value you get from it? How have you optimised your site for Pinterest, if anything? Got any other Pinterest tips to share?</p> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=Dk2xF2kXIXY:Lekio5Cmy9U:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS

The Ultimate Web Design Workspace for Photoshop

<p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cclOyD1-7dTLXnQaQ0wOVqLSqik/0/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cclOyD1-7dTLXnQaQ0wOVqLSqik/0/di" /></a><br /> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cclOyD1-7dTLXnQaQ0wOVqLSqik/1/da"><img border="0" ismap="true" src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/cclOyD1-7dTLXnQaQ0wOVqLSqik/1/di" /></a></p><p class="intro">I’ve been using <a href="http://www.photoshop.com/">Adobe Photoshop</a> on a near daily basis, since 2006 and over this time I’ve learned quite a number of <a href="http://sixrevisions.com/photoshop/21-advanced-photoshop-tips-tricks-and-tutorials-roundup/" title="Photoshop Tips and Tricks">tips & tricks</a>. I’ve <a href="http://aisleone.net/photoshoptimize/">optimized Photoshop for performance</a>, learned all the essential <a href="http://devcheatsheet.com/tag/adobe-photoshop/" title="Cheatsheets for Photoshop">shortcut keys and tools</a>, and have recently found out what I consider the ‘ultimate web design workspace’.</p> <h4>What is a workspace?</h4> <blockquote><p>“By saving the current size and position of panels as a named workspace, you can restore that workspace even if you move or close a panel. The names of saved workspaces appear in the workspace switcher in the Application bar of Photoshop.”</p></blockquote> <p>For more information on <a href="http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WS9403857B-903B-4bd5-95D4-D6B4F21C24BB.html" title="Workspaces">workspaces</a>, see here.</p> <h4>The Ultimate Web Design Workspace</h4> <p>In this post, I outline how I have personally set up my web design workspace and why I have found it to be the most productive layout for producing web work since I’ve started using Photoshop. Take note that I am using a 27″ monitor at 2560×1440 resolution though this layout should work on monitors 17″ and up.</p> <p>You can <a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TheUltimate-WebDesign-Workspace.zip" title="Ultimate Workspace">download the workspace</a> here. Instructions for installation can be found in the link above.</p> <div><a href="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ultimate-Photoshop-WebDesign-Workspace.jpg" rel="prettyphoto"><img alt="Ultimate Photoshop Web Design Workspace" class="size-full" height="360" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Ultimate-Photoshop-WebDesign-Workspace-640x360.jpg" title="Ultimate Photoshop Web Design Workspace" width="640" /></a></div> <h4>1. Document Set-Up</h4> <p>This is where the magic happens, the blank canvas. I usually start with the <a href="http://960.gs/" title="960">960 GS</a> and set the width at 1400 pixels. The main Photoshop tools are still on the left (by default) with the canvas in the middle and the other windows on the right of the screen.</p> <h4>2. Layer Comps</h4> <p>If you’re not using <a href="http://www.myinkblog.com/using-layer-comps-for-web-design-in-photoshop/" title="LayerComps">Layer Comps</a> already and you’re working as a designer, you’re mind is about to be blown. This isn’t the place to give a tutorial on them but having them in your workflow is pretty much essential, as it saves hours of time. Layer Comps are also very handy for putting together a <a href="http://justcreativedesign.com/2008/08/25/what-is-the-best-way-to-present-a-website-to-a-client/" title="Presenting Websites">presentations</a> via the ‘Export Layer Comps’ script.</p> <h4>3. History & Snapshots</h4> <p>The History window allows you to go back in time based on every change you make. I usually have my history settings set at the default of 20, but often take ‘<a href="http://help.adobe.com/en_US/photoshop/cs/using/WSfd1234e1c4b69f30ea53e41001031ab64-7491a.html" title="Photoshop Snapshots">Snapshots</a>‘ so I can easily come back to previous states with a simple click. Take note that snapshots do not save with the PSD.</p> <h4>4. FontShop & Extensis Web Font Plugins</h4> <p><a href="http://www.fontshop.com/plugin/"><img alt="Fontshop Plugin Overview" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9544" height="544" src="http://justcreative.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fontshop-plugin-overview.png" title="fontshop-plugin-overview" width="525" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.fontshop.com/plugin/">FontShop</a> & <a href="http://webink.extensis.com/en/webfontplugin/" title="Extensis">Extensis</a> allow you to view and use <a href="http://www.alistapart.com/topics/design/web-fonts/" title="Web Fonts">web fonts</a> right within Photoshop. I only click this icon when needed as it often can slow PS down. Also, take note for Extensis you will need the Suitcase Fusion font management software, which is available for 30 day trial.</p> <h4>5. Folders & Layers</h4> <p>A large Layers window allows for easy scanning and <a href="http://photoshopetiquette.com/#internal" title="Internal Organisation">organisation</a> which boosts productivity while designing. I break down each ‘page’ down into 4 general folders; Header, Content, Footer & Background.</p> <p>I also have ‘Auto Select’ set as ‘Layer’ and the ‘Show Transform Controls’ checked on. See the very top left toolbar in the screenshot to toggle these to your liking.</p> <h4>6. Swatch Palette</h4> <p>The Swatch palette ensures that the colors you use are consistent through the document. Simply add colors to the Swatches palette and then when needed, highlight your text or layer and change the color.</p> <h4>7. Styles Window</h4> <p>Similar to the Swatch window, the Styles window allows you to easily change colors and add effects to elements throughout your document. Handy for buttons, forms, rectangles, navigation, etc.</p> <h4>8. Character</h4> <p>The Character window allows you to easily change the most common text settings on the fly such as the font, size, leading, tracking and color. Pretty much essential for web layout.</p> <h4>9. Paths / Channels</h4> <p>I break up the Character and Paragraph windows with <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2009/08/18/mastering-photoshop-with-paths/" title="Paths">Paths</a> & Channels as a personal preference so the type tools don’t seem so cluttered. The Paths window allows you to easily create paths, shapes & selections and <a href="http://www.sketchpad.net/channels1.htm">Channels</a> is mainly used for photo editing.</p> <h4>10. Paragraph</h4> <p>The Paragraph window controls the justification of text, as well as margins, spacing, hyphenation (set this as off by default) and roman hanging punctuation.</p> <p>So there you have it, the ultimate Photoshop web design workspace. What do you think? <strong>Do you have any Photoshop workspaces to share? Please do!</strong></p> <h3>More Photoshop Tips & Tricks:</h3> <ul> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com//2010/09/21/photoshop-dreamweaver-tips/" rel="bookmark" title="Tuesday, September 21, 2010">Tips For Working with Photoshop & Dreamweaver</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com//2010/10/12/photoshop-illustrator-tips/" rel="bookmark" title="Tuesday, October 12, 2010">Tips For Working with Photoshop & Illustrator</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com//2010/09/13/photoshop-indesign-tips/" rel="bookmark" title="Monday, September 13, 2010">Tips For Working with Photoshop & InDesign</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com//2010/12/29/adobe-cs-review/" rel="bookmark" title="Wednesday, December 29, 2010">Speed up Photoshop Projects using Adobe CS Review</a></li> </ul> <hr /><br /> © This article is copyright of <a href="http://justcreative.com">JUST™ Creative</a> and should not be found elsewhere.<br /><br /> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:gIN9vFwOqvQ" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:V_sGLiPBpWU" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:qj6IDK7rITs"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=qj6IDK7rITs" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:D7DqB2pKExk"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?i=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:D7DqB2pKExk" /></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?a=fltmneFwMfA:i7KtasMPH-w:I9og5sOYxJI"><img border="0" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/JustCreativeDesignBlog?d=I9og5sOYxJI" /></a> </div>

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Featured Artist: Pete Harrison

<p>Today we feature <a href="/aeiko/"><strong>Pete Harrison</strong></a> and his work. Take a break, pour yourself an espresso, top off your coffee, crack open another Red Bull or break out the china and sip on high tea... & let's see what Pete has to say to all y'all (just saw the Hatfields and McCoys)</p> <p>Enjoy!</p> <p><strong>FF: How would you describe your art and design style?<br /> <br /> Pete:</strong> My design style I guess at the moment you could say it was photo manipulation with lighting effects, I use similar elements and the way I work that now people recognise a piece and can put my name on it, the workflow of each project is different, normally if it's a personal piece, I will get the concept down, then sketch an idea and then go straight into photoshop. If it's a client piece well they might have an idea of what they want so I will work to that..or sometimes if I'm experimenting I just go straight into digital! Recently I got a new graphics tablet so my style is evolving, I am drawing more and you will see a lot of new stuff this year, that you probably would not expect from me!</p> <p><img alt="" height="845" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/2011/03/25/c535365dc2c47cbc025c7aca0fb96dde_detail_image.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" /></p> <p><strong>FF: How much input do you have during the initial phase(s) on projects and how does that effect how you tackle the design?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete: </strong>It all depends on what the project is and who the client is. Some clients are pretty specific about what they want, others you can talk to and input some of your own ideas into the brief and design stages. If the client is specific I try and stick to their design but keep it in my own style, which is probably [why] they [came] to me for in the first place, I pretty much tackle the design the same way in any case.</p> <p><strong>FF: How do you prepare for a big campaign?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong>I set aside some time to just think about it, get my head around everything, make sure I'm stocked up on smokes, Diet Coke and snacks and spend a night working on it, come back to it the next day with fresh eyes and any feedback and then rinse and repeat :)</p> <p><strong>FF: What tools of the trade do you prefer to use and have you discovered any interesting techniques you could share with us?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> I just use my iMac and Photoshop to create everything, like I mentioned earlier I have recently bought a graphics tablet, a <a href="http://www.wacom.com/en/Products/Cintiq/Cintiq24HD.aspx?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=GCN&utm_campaign=C24HD&gclid=CNKmm5XBprACFagaQgodP0K1ag"><strong>Wacom Cintiq 24HD</strong></a> which will allow me to do a lot of creative things I could not previously do with the mouse, in fact, [I] have been working on a whole new style and going back to a few of my traditional techniques!</p> <p><img alt="" height="771" src="/media/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/2011/03/26/536671211275053_detail_image.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" /></p> <p><strong>FF: Do your subjects (sport stars, models, celebrities) ever contact you directly? If so, share with us a memorable story.</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> I have had a few DJ's contact me directly, but most of the time its via there agents. I worked with Drum and Bass duo <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sigmauk"><strong>Sigma</strong></a> once, and we had our first client meeting in a club where they were playing! I love drum and bass music, its my favourite genre so to be on the guestlist and see other artists I knew that night also was a great experience!</p> <p><strong>FF: How often to do you illustrate? How do you compare it to your photo manipulation work?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> Recently everyday! Doing drawing on my new tablet, I can't wait to share my new works with everyone, I might just do a bunch of personal and client work and then just update my website in one go!</p> <p><strong>FF: If given the opportunity who would you like to collaborate with?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> Over the years its true I have collaborated with a lot of artists, I did this mainly because it's fun but it also pushed me and have develop my style and techniques. Recently I only collaborate with people with <a href="http://depthcore.com/"><strong>Depthcore</strong></a> if we are working on an artwork for a new chapter, or I do bigger collaborations with members of the <a href="http://blackrockcollective.com/"><strong>Blackrock Collective</strong></a> as part of a larger project, recently we did a skateboard and some card decks. I would love to do more personal art and there are still a lot of people that I would love to collaborate with, its just finding the time, I do get a lot of requests also, but have to turn most of them down due to time constraints. My favourite collaboration was the one I did with <a href="http://www.andreaswannerstedt.se/"><strong>Andreas Wannestadt</strong></a><strong>,</strong> it was a flash animation for the splash page of my clothing label <a href="http://www.andreaswannerstedt.se/funkrush/"><strong>Funkrush</strong></a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" height="1101" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/2011/03/26/aa3bc7aed2c870013345feb5dd197f88_detail_image.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="600" /><br /> You can view it online<br /><a href="http://www.andreaswannerstedt.se/motion/funkrush/"><strong>http://www.andreaswannerstedt.se/motion/funkrush/</strong></a></p> <p style="text-align: left;">We decided to make an animated intro that reflects the essence of funkrush, and that highlights elements from the designs as well as some of the featured artists. I did most of the art directing and creating the graphics and andreas worked on the compositing and animations. The final result is a mixture of urban infused graffiti street art mixed with cool, funky and unique characters. The project took us 6 months on and off whilst we were working on our own projects and client work. It was so much fun because I was passionate about the project (It is my clothing company afterall) and it was fun collaborating. It was exciting getting an email back from Andreas and seeing the progress we had made and it all come together bit by bit. I think if I had to collaborate with anyone again it would be Andreas, and we will at some point when we have some free time!</p> <p><strong>FF: What are you currently working on? (can we peek)</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> I am working some stuff for a health product called <a href="http://www.babyquasar.com/">Baby Quasar</a>, we are doing a new website for their new product, so Im in charge of all the design aspects. I just took up some new work for a club in switzerland, apart from that just a bunch of new personal illustrations, I would give you a preview, but I'm saving them for a website update and to show everything new I've been doing!</p> <p><strong>FF: Give our readers some sage advice?</strong></p> <p><strong>Pete:</strong> Live by a <strong><em>Amo la Vita</em></strong> lifestyle, love life! If you are passionate, you will succeed, just keep practicing! Don't forget to have a healthy social life too and try and balence you health, love and wealth. Overall just be happy and if you are creative, keep doing what you love!</p> <p>[Pete, everyone here at FF Blog is looking forward to the new work, can't wait for the follow-up post. Cheers!]</p> <p>Enjoy Pete's work, visit his <a href="/aeiko/">PAD</a>: <a href="/aeiko/">/aeiko/</a></p> <p> </p>

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UPDATED: 5 MONTHS

Diablo III inspires mind blowing concept art

<p>It’s Diablo month on Filter Foundry: As our way of recognizing one of the greatest game sagas every imagined, Filter Foundry is giving 3 months of Pro Membership for all concept art uploads during the month of May. It’s really simple, <strong>create an account with Invite Code “Diablo”</strong> and start uploading your best game or fantasy concept art. Our internal team of art curators will award the best PAD with 2 years of Pro Membership.</p> <p><img alt="This video game image released by Activision Blizzard Inc., shows gameplay from 'Diablo III'. The epic fantasy role-playing game has been 12 years in the making." src="http://cmsimg.freep.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=C4&Date=20120515&Category=ENT06&ArtNo=120515041&Ref=AR&MaxW=640&Border=0&Video-gamers-geeked-over-release-Diablo-3-" width="617" /> <br /> This video game image released by Activision Blizzard Inc., shows gameplay from "Diablo III". The epic fantasy role-playing game has been 12 years in the making. / AP Photo/Activision Blizzard Inc.</p> <p>IRVINE, Calif. — Fans of "Diablo III" celebrated the midnight launch of the long-awaited video game.</p> <p>A crowd of more than 1,500 gathered Monday night around a stage built underneath the Ferris wheel at the Irvine Spectrum Center, a shopping center located about a mile from developer Blizzard Entertainment Inc.'s headquarters, for the gritty role-playing sequel set in the fantastical world of Sanctuary.</p> <p>Anticipation for "Diablo III" from publisher Activision Blizzard Inc. has bubbled over because the previous entry in the series was released 12 years ago, a lifetime in the gaming world when compared with franchises like "World of Warcraft" and "Call of Duty," which regularly receive updates.</p> <p>"When we first started doing midnight launches, we didn't think anyone would come, but now we do them for all our games, and they get bigger and bigger," said Rob Pardo, Blizzard's vice president of game design. "It's great for not only the fans but also the development team. They get to be here when everyone is buying the game and see the excitement."</p> <p>"Diablo" fans huddled around the stage to watch Blizzard artists sketch characters from scratch, view never-before-seen footage, take part in trivia contests and attempt to catch free swag during "loot storms."</p> <p> </p> <p>Ian Noble, 24, wanted his collector's edition autographed by developers.</p> <p>"There's nowhere I'd rather be tonight," Noble said. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time."</p> <p>So why did it take so long?</p> <p>"We were just goofing off mostly," joked lead designer Jay Wilson over howls from the crowd. "No, it takes a long time to make a Blizzard game. We're very focused on quality. If we think something is not good enough, we make it better. We redo things, which is really uncommon in game development. If we build a level and don't like (it), we'll throw it out."</p> <p>In the third chapter of "Diablo," players choose among five classes — barbarian, demon hunter, monk, witch doctor or wizard — and battle hellish minions across the <span id="itxthook0w0">landscape</span> of Sanctuary.</p> <p>Wilson hopes new sprawling battlefields, real-money auctions, a deeper combat system and increased online capabilities for "Diablo III" will appease even the frustrated fans.</p> <p>"If we could have done anything different, we probably wouldn't have announced the game when we did," said Wilson. "We could have waited a little longer. We thought we were closer to release. We want people to get excited, but we don't want them to feel like they're strung along. We always try to have a dialogue with the audience and exceed their expectations."</p> <p>Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhati said "Diablo III," only available to play on PC and Mac <span id="itxthook1w0">computers</span>, not game consoles, has the potential to sell more than 4 million copies. He estimated Blizzard would sell 3.5 million copies this year. "Diablo II," released in the summer of 2000, sold 4 million copies in the year after it debuted.</p> <p>Useful Diablo 3 website:<br /><a href="http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/723793/diablo-3-beginner-guide-welcome-to-sanctuary/">G4's Beginner's Guide</a><br /><a href="http://diablo.wikia.com/wiki/Diablo_Wiki">Diablo3 Wiki</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/forcesc2strategy">Best Diablo3 Youtube Channel: Force</a><br /><a href="http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/d3/?int">Official Diablo3 Site from Blizzard</a><br /><a href="http://www.ign.com/games/diablo-iii">IGN's Exclusive Diablo3 site</a><br /><a href="http://www.diablopodcast.com/">INC Gamer's Podcast</a><br /><a href="http://diablofans.com">News @ Diablofans<br /></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Article Source: <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120515/ENT06/120515041/Diablo-III-3-launch-video-game">Detroit Free Press</a></p>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS

Featured Artist: Trish Biddle

<p>If I had to pick one art movement that has fascinated me since my first days in art school they would have to be <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/JcH63W">Art Nouveau</a> and <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/JTrQ6N">Art Deco</a>. Yeah I know (just one) but I can't have one without the other. If you look around neither can our contemporary architects and artist friends. You can't escape it. It's everywhere: buildings, movie posters, smart phones. People are naturally attracted to the lines both rigid and flowing from these period. When I first had the pleasure of seeing and later working with Trish I felt that natural attraction to her art. So, I shot a couple of question over to Trish via our favorite social media outlet and this is what she had to say about how she started, what she's working on and a couple of words of advice.<br /> Enjoy!</p> <p><br /> <strong>FF: In a couple of sentences, would you describe your paintings?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: A constant work in progress but today it's a cumulative effort of life experiences resulting in Glamorous Women in Fabulous Places.<br /> <img alt="" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/1336637153.39_detail_image.jpg" width="617" /><br /> <strong><br />FF: Tell us how you started?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: Art school in the 80s to Textile design for a clothing manufacturer to corporate offices of JC Penny (where I learned the trade of the fashion industry.) Branching out on my own I sent textile designs to a studio in NY. Then found a publisher in Vancouver. They started me in landscapes so my Husband and I took a month tour from Paris to the Amalfi. Wanting to paint the figure and my love for fashion began to incorporate my travels with textiles and my trademark was born.<br /> <br /> <strong>FF: Do you have a favorite painter?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: Tamara De Lempicka . <br /> <br /> <strong>FF: What is your favorite subject matter? & Medium?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: Art deco artist from 20-30's. Water soluble oils. Non-toxic and quick drying.<br /> <br /> <img alt="" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/1336637187.03_detail_image.jpg" width="617" /><br /> <strong><br />FF: Do you have a signature piece that you consider a perfect example of your work?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: Red Dress, Eiffel Tower.<br /> <strong><br /> FF: Who continues to inspired you to paint?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: My husband Bryan and girls Chloe 8 and Claire 6. To be an example to my girls that you can live your Dreams.<br /> <br /> <strong>FF: Tell us about the series you are currently working on?</strong><br /> Trish Biddle: A children’s book for my mother the Author called Everette Green. A tree for all seasons. Not exactly glamorous nor fabulous but it's fun and a labor of love. <br /> <br /> <strong>FF: Any advice or words of wisdom for our young painters? </strong><br /> Trish Biddle: Find your own voice in your work. Learn as much as you can but don't look around and try to be something your not. Be passionate about your work and the rest will work itself out.</p> <p><a href="http://ff.fildry.com/JCQVVm">Visit her PAD to get a taste of her "fabulous" ladies.</a><br /><a href="http://www.trishbiddle.com/">Visit her extensive web site for more information on her past, recent and upcoming collections.</a></p>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS

5 Tips for More Productive Design

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS

Featured Artist: Alessandro Baldasseroni

<p><strong>FF: Would you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how got involved with 3D/Illustration and character design?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: My name is Alessandro Baldasseroni and I'm currently working as lead character artist at<strong> <a href="http://www.blur.com/">Blur Studios</a> </strong>in Los Angeles. I started to do 3D more than 10 years ago, but my professional involvement with characters coincided with my work at <strong>Blur</strong> in 2007. Before that I was 3D modeling for a small game developer in Milan, mainly working on environments and occasionally some vehicles and props. <br /> <br /> At that time I was spending a lot of my spare time working on personal projects, mainly 3D illustrations and some of them were based off high poly characters. Most of them were well received on the 3D forums and by the online communities. This allowed me to be contacted by a few companies, to do some freelance for <strong>Flagship Studios</strong>, <strong><a href="/blog/feeds/latest/www.massiveblack.com/">Massive Black</a></strong> and later on <strong><a href="http://www.blur.com/">Blur</a></strong>. In 2006, <strong><a href="http://www.blur.com/">Blur</a></strong> offered me a full time position as a character artist, they did all the paperwork and a few months later I relocated from Milan to Venice beach.</p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="http://www.eklettica.com/pictures/illustrations_album/dd1600_rol.jpg" width="617" /><br /> <br /> FF: For those who are following in similar paths, walk us through your favorite tools and your give us some insight into your artistic process.</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: My favorite tools are basically the ones I use every day in my work pipeline, <strong>3D Studio Max</strong> for poly modeling, <strong>Zbrush</strong> for high res sculpting and <strong>Photoshop</strong> for my textures. Concepts come in various forms, sometimes from the client in the form of a 3D (low-res,) a hi-res game models, other times (the one I prefer) as a 2D painting or drawing. <br /> <br /> My goal is to make it look better, while preserving the main spirit of the character. In my experience the best way to achieve this, assuming we are working on a good concept, is to literally try to trace the silhouette in 3D and to lock down the main proportions... then work on details: Make a render, bring it in <strong>Photoshop</strong>, and compare it. So as you can imagine design is limited, but being an extremely accurate interpreter is crucial.</p> <p> <br /> <strong>FF: What project(s) have you *really* enjoyed working on?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: There are so many honestly but I remember I was really into the <strong>Halo Wars</strong> cinematic by <strong> Blur</strong>. I had the chance to work with such an iconic character (Halo Masterchief) and it turned out really nice. Also working on the cinematics for Star Wars: The Old Republic was pretty [fun and] challenging. I worked on Darth Malgus, the main villain. <br /> <br /> Another project I enjoyed working on was <strong>Franky</strong>, the little sidekick partner of <strong>The Goon</strong>, for the movie pitch that <strong>Blur</strong> developed and presented at <strong>Comicon</strong> in San Diego. That one was really challenging because the character had never been transposed in 3D before. I think we did a pretty good job maintaining the look and spirit of the original comic by <strong>David Powell</strong>.</p> <p><strong>FF: Do you have a favorite studio (to work with)?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: Blur. I am partial I guess, but all in all it's a great company to work for :)</p> <p><strong>FF: How about a memorable development story?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: I remember one specific episode which happened when I was working for <strong><a href="/blog/feeds/latest/www.massiveblack.com/">Massive Black</a></strong> as a freelancer from Italy. I did a 3D character, fully modeled and textured for a marketing illustration and delivered it in T -pose . Some people at <strong><a href="/blog/feeds/latest/www.massiveblack.com/">Massive Black</a></strong> were in charge of posing it, lighting it and composing the final illustration. I took the chance to work on it by myself, just for fun, even if it was not requested. Surprisingly when I decided to show my final illustration to them, just out of curiosity, for feedback, they fell *so* in love with what I did that they decided to hire me on the spot.</p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="http://www.eklettica.com/pictures/vehicles/ducati.jpg" width="617" /><br /> <br /> FF: Given the choice, would you prefer to create characters or vehicles?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: I'd say characters for the simple fact that I still consider it very challenging. The range of possibilities and improvement when it comes to the realism of 3D characters is still huge compared to vehicles. I still struggle a lot doing characters. That said I wouldn't mind a chance to "chill out" on some vehicles design from time to time :)</p> <p><strong>FF: What are the challenges?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: I guess they both require a high level of realism nowadays. Vehicles, hard surface modeling require a great deal of precision... it can be very tedious. Modeling characters requires more flawless executions and a whole multitude of variables come into play that can detract from realism: animation, skin shaders, deformations (rigging), facial animation, to name a few. If the goal is to achieve Photorealism, any flaw in any of these areas pushes back the model into an "uncanny valley." Bringing characters to life requires an extra level of effort to infuse "personality" into them.</p> <p><strong>FF: Can you share with us your inspiration(s) to become an artist and whose work you follow?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: I was inspired to start 3D as many of my generation by the amazing visual effects of cult movies from the 70s and 80s, like Tron, Aliens, & Terminator. Keep in mind that CGI and visual effects in these movies were not to today's standards. Now that I'm doing CG for a living I'm way more interested and motivated to look back at traditional works and 2D artwork. <br /> <br /> I love illustration and paintings and whenever I have the chance I buy books like Spectrum, illustration anthologies and artwork compilations of my all time favorite artists: Frazetta, Catehrine Jeffrey Jones, Rojo, Vallejo, Ashely woods, Justine Sweet to name a few. Also the master painter and sculptors from the past are a great source of inspiration.</p> <p><strong>FF: What upcoming projects can we look forward to seeing your work in?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: I cant really mention the project I'm working on at Blur because they are under NDA but I'm working for sure on a few pieces of personal illustrations. Check out my <a href="/alessandobaldasseroni/">PAD</a> once it's up.</p> <p><strong>FF: What advice would you bestow on would-be 3D illustrators and character designers?</strong></p> <p>Alessandro: Work a lot of hours on your personal pieces; stay passionate; don't be afraid to compare yourself to the best out there; if you love what you do don't let anyone push you back; there are no masters by birth out there, just people at different stages of a common path. Listen to critiques but don't be influenced too much by that. Talent (believe me or not) can be cultivated, if supported by great motivation and will.</p> <p><strong>Visit Alessandro's PAD:<a href="/alessandrobaldasseroni"> /alessandrobaldasseroni/</a></strong></p> <p> </p>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 2 WEEKS

The Difference Between Graphic Designers and Web Developers

<p>Many people are confused when asked to differentiate between graphic designers and web developers, but there are significant differences between these types of creative professionals. Sure, they both deal with digital manipulation, and will likely both have online portfolios on display, but the professions require various skills and education.<br /><br />One primary difference is that of the target. Graphic designers are considered artists, and looking at a few design portfolios will likely exemplify this characterization. Manipulating images, pixels, and vectors requires an artistic eye, and the most successful are those that can be imaginative with colors and type.<br /><br />Web developers, on the other hand, work primarily with codes. They are more mathematically minded, and focus on functionality and accessibility as opposed to visual stimulation alone. While the online portfolio of a web developer may appear quite artistic, the images displayed are usually made by a graphic designer. The web developers work can be seen in the layout of a page, and the special features that make that page unique.<br /><br />Unfortunately, graphic designers and web developers tend to butt heads when working on a project together. The differences in their work can cause conflict for a number of reasons. One common issue is the graphic designers tend to finish their work faster than developers, leaving impatience and boredom for the quicker party.<br /><br />Also, each party will likely have opinions about what the other should be doing. The two fields are similar in many ways, even as they are incredibly different. This fact causes graphic designers to try and be involved in the development process, and vice versa, as each type of work can greatly affect the other.<br /><br />Despite the differences between these creative professionals, when they work together they can produce magnificent final products.</p> <p>Art by: <a href="/andrezzavantini/">Andrezza Vantini</a></p>

UPDATED: 5 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS

Featured Blog: China Design Hub

<p>Our friends at <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/chinadesignhub">China Design Hub</a> (CDH) have been covering original design and art from China for a few months now and have shared with us a couple of inspiring new artists. The blog, that features art from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong, has been showcasing different creative industries from industrial and architecture to interior and fashion. Their goal is simply to shake off the negative light and biased view toward Chinese Design. Here are 3 talented artists that caught our attention.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://ff.fildry.com/sallyzou">Sally Zou</a></strong><br /> Sally is a Shanghainese born in 1986 and started picking up art, design and advertising after displaying a big interest in the art field since a child. After working at the advertising agency McCann-Erickson, she joined W+K Shanghai as an intern in 2006 to participate in numerous design projects and visual productions. Sally officially became Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai’s graphic designer and digital artist in 2007, and went on to work on visual works for Nike, Converse and Umbro. One of the projects she worked on, “W+K BOOK III”, won a merit at One Show 2009. Sally is also a member of the design collective- MMRB and has been working on several art collaborations, and increasing her presence in the design industry as well by emerging 3rd place in the Cut & Paste competition held in Shanghai. Recently, she was the only Chinese female individual to be selected by Yen magazine, Australia’s no.1 independent magazine for women as one of the top 100 female artists in 2009. <strong><br />Visit Sally at China Design Hub: <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/sallyzou">http://ff.fildry.com/sallyzou</a></strong></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/01.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/high1.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/airmax_lebron_vii_a01.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><strong>Feng Haoyu</strong><br /> The original design lasts for a reason. People looks at the same object over time and gives it different meanings. A polka dot pattern has its origin, the same applies to any design, product and object. This is a project to find the origin of design, product and object,to discover their meaning in different time period. and to find new interpretations of original design and object. <strong><br />Visit Feng at China Design Hub: <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/HGy8H9">http://ff.fildry.com/HGy8H9 </a></strong></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/origin_1.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/origin_7.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/origin_6.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><strong><a href="http://ff.fildry.com/nodyoung">Nod Young</a></strong><br /> Nod Young is a visual artist specializing in digital design and visual arts, whose unique style and extraordinary insight have been well recognized. In his works, Nod mixes Chinese cultures with various elements, avant garde and traditional, always trying to break down the boundaries. As an artist, his works have been widely exhibited around the globe, from the UK to Spain, Finland to Singapore, the US to South Africa. Nod hopes to bring changes to life, through art and creativity that are able to influence the world and enrich people’s sensations. Nod has also gained commercial success and worked with many international clients, including NIKE, Adidas, Coca Cola, McDonald’s, Nokia, Microsoft, Mercedes, Li Ning, FIAT, Green Peace. He is also actively involved in a lot of art-related projects as an independent designer, and is planning to publish a portfolio book together with Tsinghua University Press at the summer of 2012. <strong><br />Visit Nod at China Design Hub: <a href="http://ff.fildry.com/nodyoung">http://ff.fildry.com/nodyoung</a></strong></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/aNew-Wave-_01_600.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" height="617" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/01_Run_by_Nod.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><img alt="" src="http://chinadesignhub.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Nod-Young-@-Nike-2_600.jpg" width="617" /></p> <p><strong> </strong></p>

UPDATED: 6 MONTHS

The Benefits of Online Portfolios

<p><strong>The Benefits of Online Portfolios</strong></p> <p>There are many advantages to developing an online portfolio, including convenience, diversity, and affordability. When presenting a portfolio, it is important to be as efficient as possible in order to both keep prospective employers interested, as well as to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed.</p> <p>Many creative professionals prefer online portfolios because of how convenient they are to create. Instead of endless time spent printing and organizing a hand held portfolio, you could spend all of your time designing it into something truly unique before the simple process of uploading your work onto the internet.</p> <p>Updating your portfolio online is also much more convenient with this method. If you want to slightly change a project, you can do so simply by re-uploading it as opposed to worrying about reprinting. It is much easier to deal with problems that arise when working with digital files as opposed to hard copies.</p> <p>Printing and reprinting costs can add up quickly, not to mention the costs associated with additional portfolio supplies. This fact makes online portfolios much more affordable and cost effective than their physical counterparts.</p> <p>Another convenience of an online portfolio is that you can easily include works from different professional fields. Perhaps your portfolio combines painting, photography, and graphic design, all of which would be very hard to display in a single portfolio. Online portfolios allow more diversity because there is not only more space available, but because everything can be presented on screen in a clean and organized fashion. This allows you to upload everything you want, while viewers sort out what they want to see.</p> <p>Creating a portfolio on the web can also impress viewers with your digital skills. Creating and maintaining a web portfolio presents many opportunities to show off HTML, Flash, or Java expertise, as well as proving your ability to work using an online platform. Many online portfolios even include an extensive resume and history of education, making it easy for employers to get all the information they need in a single convenient location!</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/CptDooDlez"><img alt="CptDooDlez" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/1331193843.04_detail_image.jpg" width="635" /></a><br /> From <a href="/CptDooDlez">Kevin Andersson</a> Filter Foundry PAD (online portfolio) <br /> <br /></p> <p><strong>Creative Supply and Demand</strong></p> <p>While being an artist or a creative professional may have been considered a risky move at one point, the growing need for design and creative services has been apparent over the last few years. Visual professionals, good ones at least, used to be few and far between, but recent trends suggest that the rules of supply and demand are taking their toll on the industry.</p> <p>Creative professionals are graduating in bigger and bigger classes as the years go by, creating a huge pool of qualified potentials making a grab for available jobs. Design portfolios are being [e]mailed to advertising and marketing firms on a daily basis as people hope to turn their creative dreams into reality.</p> <p>The creative supply is there, but the problem is that as universities produce more designers, there is less demand for design services. The job market is getting increasingly more competitive, and many employers and hiring managers have noticed a shift in the quality of design portfolios.</p> <p>There has been a noticeable increase in mimic designers, who lack creative depth but are very good at manipulating existing popular designs. Trade schools are even providing creative programs now, meaning that the level of experience, education, and passion that used to characterize art students is slowly being dissolved.</p> <p>Upon viewing portfolios it is difficult for companies to accurately assess the talents of the applicant. Because they are being swamped with online portfolios, as well as physical copies, it is getting harder to find real value when sifting through it all. Similarly, the value of a designer to the hiring company is getting confused as companies struggle to use their designers to their full advantage. Many people inaccurately think that design services consist of a logo and a pretty poster, but that is far from being true especially as the industry continues to expand.</p> <p>The future of design professionals, especially those graduating in the near future, is cloudy. The relationship between designer and hiring company is facing a lot of changes as supply and demand continue to take their toll.<br /> <br /> <a href="/Casiana"><img alt="Casiana" src="/cache/pad_portfolio_thumbs/1320570181.68_detail_image.jpg" width="635" /></a><br /> From <a href="/Casiana">Petrovan Casiana</a> Filter Foundry PAD (online portfolio)</p> <p><strong>Common Mistakes When Putting Together a Design Portfolio</strong></p> <p>Many creative professionals don't give themselves the opportunity to shine because they make too many mistakes when putting together their portfolios. This article will discuss a few key tips to remember in order to create successful and effective design portfolios.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>First</strong>, don't use outdated materials. Unless it is a really high-profile project, it's better to show your recent work. A good rule of thumb is to use assignments created within the last three years unless you have something older that is incredibly relevant to a project you’re after.</p> <p><strong>Second</strong>, an online portfolio is a great thing to have, but many employers will want something they can hold in their hands. In order to meet the demands of all types, it is best to provide the option of both types of design portfolios. Also, bring a sample that you can leave behind when you go on your interview to give the company something to remember you by.</p> <p><strong>Another common mistake</strong> is not tailoring the portfolio to the needs of the client. Customize your portfolio online and in print in order to engage the hiring manager and show that you have done your research. Also remember that when you build an online portfolio you will not want to turn off viewers with long loading times. Design portfolios should be impressive, but not require so much space that no one sticks around to view them.</p> <p><strong>The most important thing</strong> to remember is to keep your portfolio organized. No one wants to look at a sloppy book, or a sloppy web page. Printed copies should look fresh, and if your portfolio contains bulky items be sure to carry them separately. Don't let a few items compromise your whole portfolio.</p> </blockquote> <p>Keep these things in mind and it will be a breeze to create effective design portfolios. The competition in this industry is getting fiercer as every graduation day passes, so it is often necessary to go the extra mile to help yourself stand out in the crowd. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="/pads/"><img alt="Pads" border="1" height="316" src="http://filterfoundry-media.s3.amazonaws.com/blog_images/Article01_FF_Screencap_Pads.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="635" /></a> <a href="/pads/">Filter Foundry Featured PADs </a></p> <p><strong>Building a <a href="/pads/">Free Portfolio</a></strong></p> <p>In the current economy, many people are struggling to find work. It can be even more difficult when applying for a job requires putting together an expensive portfolio, as is the case for many creative professionals. Lucky for them (and you!), however, there are many ways to go about building a <a href="/pads/">free portfolio</a>.</p> <p>The best way to create a <a href="/pads/">free portfolio</a> is by exploring all of the various ways to make a portfolio online. Unlike a printing shop, the internet’s options are available for free. Not only that, but an online portfolio is incredibly convenient because it can be viewed by anyone at any time. There are a number of online methods that will allow you to build a <a href="/pads/">free portfolio</a>. The first is by going through a host site. Many web service providers allow others to create sites within their server for free, and many even specialize in building an online portfolio.</p> <p>These sites also provide easy upload services, which will allow you to organize your work neatly. They also provide basic layout and color spread options, while also offering you the opportunity to customize the layout to your liking. Those with expertise in HTML or Java applications may prefer to use their own design, especially if they want to market these services.</p> <p>There are many benefits to creating a <a href="/pads/">free portfolio</a> this way because it will introduce you to a whole network of creative professionals. Many of these sites allow users to interact with each other, offering feedback or advice on how to enhance your portfolio online. In addition, some even offer job listings so that you can put your <a href="/pads/">free portfolio</a> to immediate use! There can be many benefits to investing money into a portfolio, but there are many effective strategies you can take advantage of when this isn't an option.</p>

UPDATED: 6 MONTHS, 1 WEEK

Featured Artist: Victor Enrich

<p><strong>FF: Victor, tell us a little bit about your photography and your art.</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: I’m a 36 year old Photo Artist, from Barcelona. My college education was in the School of Architecture, as that was supposed to be my profession.<br /> However, and due to the fact that since early years of my life there was always a computer at home, in particular, because of the job of my father and, in combination with that fact that most of the times, in my childhood, I enjoyed playing alone, using my imagination, I started to get in touch with several kinds of rudimentary CAD packages, which for me, where the best extension of my hand-made drawings and sketches.<br /> With time, I developed some skills in Computer Graphics but just for my own fun. In the university years, I found out that I had already developed some valuable skills for architects to communicate their projects so I began to accept commissioned works from my school teachers, who with time, became my permanent customers.<br /> Being considered and recognized professionally was definitely a good thing, but not good enough as a very important part of me was totally misused in my commissioned projects, which was my imagination. That is why I decided to quit 15 years experience of freelance works, as well as a long and stable list of customers and move to a totally unexpected and uncertain future within the world of art.</p> <p><img alt="" height="495" src="http://victorenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/037_027MANUELA_01_BOXMETA.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="495" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>FF: How did you get started with photo-realistic fantasy architecture?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Moving into art is not such an easy step, you need something to say, an inspiring source and...at least one technique or way of expression. I somehow, found out that I had the 3 of them...so, in a way, my 15 years in freelancing, in the end served me to dominate a tool, with which do whatever I would like to.<br /> So the step from commissioned to creative works was not difficult in terms of know-how... It was more difficult in terms of accepting a new economical situation, or overcoming the fear of bad critics or even worse, total anonymity.<br /> At first, between project and project, some time was dedicated to art, those were tough times as, after long days in front of the computer for a customer’s deadline, I only had energy to leave the office and take some rest...but I stayed.<br /> Then, with time, I started to dedicate more and more time to creative works until the day I decided to not accept any more commissioned works.<br /> The whole transformation has taken place in about 5 years.</p> <p><strong>FF: Would you walk us through a typical project from location scouting to final render?<br /> </strong><br /> Victor: Any project starts with a living experience. A conversation, a commercial, a trip, a dinner with friends, a moment of solitude...anything is welcome.<br /> I must admit that there’s a little journalist in me, so I tend to introduce myself into situations that normal people would reject</p> <ul> To give you an example:<br /> I spent the last 2 years of my life in Tel Aviv, Israel...surrounded by Jews. I community that, the more I know them, the more I love them<br /> For several circumstances I was forced to leave the country, I got deported, went to jail and in jail I met incredible interesting people who I interview for over 5 days. I met false prophets living in caves, Colombian refugees escaping death from the Narco, Nigerian priests performing out loud Afro-Christian ceremonies in our 8 sq meter cell 4 times a day...and so on.<br /> </ul> <p>Now I live in Munich, Germany, the former cradle of the Nazi movement and I’m sharing flat with a religious Muslim husband born in the Gaza strip...I bet most of my Jewish friends would refuse me for that...or maybe not.<br /> So, without a living experience, at least for me, Art is not possible.<br /> The rest is just a kind of routine process of computers, photography, city walks etc...</p> <p> </p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="http://victorenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/036_026DUCKS_01_BOXMETA.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="495" /><br /> <br /> FF: What software have you used and what's the advantages it bring to the table?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: I must admit that, with my age, I’m a bit old fashioned in terms of software choices. I use mainly <a href="/mudbox/">Autodesk</a> software, because I feel comfortable with them, I know all the bugs and I can perform fast. These packages are AUTOCAD and 3DSTUDIO MAX with VRAY. <br /> As a 3D visualizer, I must say that VRAY changed my life because the Chaos Group technology implemented a big leap into Global Illumination.<br /> I also use Rhinoceros when it’s time to dig deeper into weird shapes as we all know that AUTOCAD has its limitations as a 2D-born package.</p> <p><strong>FF: When do you know a certain site is “prime” for 3D building?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Generally I shoot tons of pictures with my camera, in order to have a vast range of choice. Some pictures don’t [turn out] as good as I want, or the central subject is not clear enough for me. Sometimes, instead, it’s totally clear for me that I want to shoot a building so I start to investigate ways to get a nice shot, specially from unusual points of view. I contact people, [make] some phone calls, or if necessary I sneek into [buildings and construction sites], so there’s a bit of adrenaline in it...which I love.<br /> So, in the end, it’s a combination of facts that make a picture be finally selected to the next stage...it’s like a casting somehow.<br /> This selection is very important as the following 3D tasks applied on it will take at least one month...I can’t permit myself to throw away a month work (it has already happened to me ...)</p> <p><strong><img alt="" src="http://victorenrich.com/wp-content/uploads/032_022TUNA_01_BOXMETA.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="495" /><br /> <br /> FF: Do you work with other architects?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Not anymore, at least in commissioned projects. I work with them in terms of conversational meetings, discussions or any other subject related to architecture which can be valuable for me to get inspiration.</p> <p><strong>FF: What projects do you have coming up in the near future?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Now I’m working on a project that will involve the Munich cathedral. I can’t [disclose] more about it as it will be published exclusively for an important magazine in London.<br /> After this, we'll see...I have several projects that are on the waiting list, some of them based again on Tel Aviv.</p> <p><strong>FF: Who are your influences?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Everything influences me. From an old homeless man playing, under a porch, extremely beautiful classical music with his rotten violin but right after peeing in “his” corner behind to an Indian guy I met recently who travels the world by bike spreading his message.<br /> So I must say it’s people. No architecture influences me as is comparable more restricted than what I do for obvious reasons.</p> <p><strong>FF: How does creating art compare to teaching?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Teaching first of all is a social act. Doing my pictures is an individual act. In order to keep my insanity under control, both acts must be there. I love teaching, probably more than doing art.</p> <p><strong>FF: Can you give our readers some tips or advice?</strong><br /> <br /> Victor: Well...it’s hard to give advice as I don’t have any big message to say.<br /> I would only try to invite everybody to investigate in his or her own fears and try to overcome them, reaching unexpected limits of self knowledge without forgetting that any single direction we take in life, left or right, has a price to pay...so the first question one should ask himself should be: Am I ready to pay that price?</p> <p><br /> Another thing I would say is: consume less, bring more. Feed the universe.<br /> That idea, thought or dream that you consider silly or stupid is instead the most valuable good you can share with all of us.</p> <p><strong>Victor's Filter Foundry PAD: <a href="/victorenrich/">/victorenrich/</a></strong></p>

UPDATED: 6 MONTHS, 1 WEEK

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