I have decided to drop some commentary on the best of my del.icio.us links at the end of every month.

Swiss Miss
I am getting ready to move (again) and it always inspires me to revamp my luxurious renters lifestyle with some designy interior accessories. This is a great blog to find Swiss Inspired accents. I am completely in love with the sofa that converts into bunk beds.

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs
Who is the fake Steve Jobs? If Steve had the time to to post blogs I’m sure they would have titles like “Suing me is like suing God”.

Love Me Shower Curtain
My new shower curtain. Always good to update this accessory frequently. Now don’t go out and buy one just like me, I want people to ask to use my bathroom and think about how witty and original I am as they P.

Tips on Design from the Sopranos
I just received news via wikipedia that i may have a third cousin who married someone who’s father could have been a mob boss back in the 1950s. True story. To commemorate my recent ties to “The Family” I give you an article where the mafia and Design meet.

Official Seal Generator
If you have ever done any design work for the government you are probably familiar with their love of seals (and overuse of gradients, stroke on text, and things that look metallic). If whatever you are trying to say isn’t compactly contained in a geometric shape surrounded by a branch from some all-American tree, it’s just not official.

Shannon Brooke Imagery
Dress me in cheetah print and call me Betty! Im a huge fan of pin- up art, burlesque, and retro photography. Shannon’s attitude makes me a huge fan.

Helvetica, the film coming to DC
If you are in DC get tickets. I know you have that one Veer shirt in your closet that spells out some inside typography joke that the rest of the world will never understand. This is your opportunity to wear that shirt and not have to explain what Kerning is.

My FAQ
You have questions, I have answers.

Technorati Tags: Choice Links, Sopranos, Shannon Brooke Imagery, Swiss Miss, Steve Jobs, official seal generator, fun shower curtain

I love Birthdays. I especially love my Birthday. Logically I know its just a little ridiculous to set aside a day to celebrate the unremarkable fact that I managed to dodge getting hit by a bus one more consecutive year, however the idea of one little day to pat myself on the back and say good job for making it, you deserve a drink, a cake, or… an iPhone.

Oh, damn… there it goes again, me thinking about my iPhone. Pesky little guy keeps coming up. The iPhone that I do not have and do not want for my birthday. Now don’t think this post is some sly way to hint to you that someone should get me one for my birthday. I am not (consciously) that type of person. If I wanted people to buy me something I would set up a registry at amazon.com, or wherever the hell they let people set up “I Want” lists for some occasion much less monumental than  the birth of a child or a wedding.

When I found out Apple was coming out with the first all-in-one computer, the Bondi Blue iMac I was put on the waiting list to be one of the very first. When Volkswagen came out with the New Beetle I wanted to put my name on the list to be one of the very firsts… thought I had learned my lesson from the Bondi Blue iMac, and waited one whole year. Turned out that is still not enough time to have learned my lesson in Volkswagen years. Now there is the iPhone, too late to be one of the very firsts, but God help me from doing it again.

I pretty much think about running and buying an iPhone once every 15-20 minutes. Every news page and blog feed has some mention of it. I walk down the damn street and there is an ad for one on the back of a friggin’ magazine.

Upon striking up a conversation with stranger over their iPhone, I commented “I just wish it had iChat”. The owner then flashed me the iPhone riddled with text messages and said ” I don’t know what iChat is, but look how it displays these little balloons”. Taken back I realized I was in the presence of a “PC Guy”. Just as the iPod brought Apple hardware to the the Dell infested world it now is allowing Microsoft users to peak at those who gingerly frolic freely in a beautiful world interfaced by Apple.

Technorati Tags: iPhone, Apple, Mac, Apple Love, Apple Loyalty, iPhone Love

Recently I came across a post by Veerle Pieters called “What a designer needs to do to get a job”. Packed full of advice, this article spawned a plethora of additional conversation on the subject matter proving that those looking to make career moves and students hoping to find a means to pay back their loans will forever be seeking that one magical door-opening tip to endless job offers. This post made me think back on the advice others have given me and what has rung true not only in making career-related choices but also in my personal pursuit of overall design happiness.

“Don’t worry about all the Bull$hit, just do good work, and have a good portfolio.”
-Rich Hilliard, professor

This tip has echoed in my mind ever since Rich interjected it into one of his colorful lectures. Designers often get sucked in to trying to make themselves look better with fancy language on their resumés, awards, and expensive portfolio cases. It doesn’t matter if you went to the best design school in the world and have the slickest self promotional items on the block, if your portfolio sucks… no one cares. A good portfolio will say more than you could. The voice of Rich resonated in my mind as I met an interactive designer who I really look up to in Austin this past March. I asked him “So what did you do before you started your own studio?” He laughed, looks were exchanged, and he replied “I worked at Burger King”.

“Wake up every morning and be ready to come up with ideas… not excuses.”
-Paul Llewellyn, my High School art teacher

Sometimes non-creative professionals get an inaccurate impression that design is an easy career path to pursue. While I do enjoy boasting that “I draw pictures all day” there is a lot of pressure to come up with fresh, mind-blowing concepts. It takes work… and excepting that challenge with enthusiasm will help you be a better designer. Mr Llew said this in the context of drawing in a daily sketchbook. Challenging one’s self to draw something everyday can help sharpen your idea developing skills, so when you need to discover a big idea for a tough client… you are already on top of it.

“Hire people who are better than you are, then leave them to get on with it. Look for people who will aim for the remarkable, who will not settle for the routine. “
-David Ogilvy (sent to me in an e-mail from my friend Robbie Thompson)

While this piece of advice can be taken literally or figuratively it touches on a value that I have experienced to be true. Surrounding yourself with those who are kick-ass at what they do not only inspires you to work harder, but improves the overall product that you produce as a team. Recognizing other designers strengths and setting aside egos can not only help improve the work produced but contribute to positive design chi. If your fellow designer comes up with a killer idea, it makes you look better as a team, so embrace their talent and look to associate yourself with more of it.

Technorati Tags: design advice, job search, Design careers, Veerle Pieters, FL2, Rich Hilliard, Paul Llewellyn, David Ogilvy, Robbie Thompson,

If you have ever shopped at Target you have been effected by the work of Michael Graves. Many recognize him for his egg-shaped interpretations of ordinary household items, but a few years ago I had the opportunity to learn that his work goes far beyond that. From architecture to product design Graves has helped improve many people’s lives through design and they may not even know it.

My first job out of college was working for a museum exhibit design studio who had partnered with Michael Graves and Associates to construct the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley. There I learned first hand how the vision of one designer could make such an enormous impact, yet remain transparent to the general population. Grave’s construction elegantly houses artifacts from the simple but hard working lives of those who are native to the Shenandoah Valley. Clean geometric lines give way to let the extraordinary qualities of quilts, iron work, and pottery shine through.

While Graves’ work spans the globe; from a Hyatt in Egypt to a museum in Taiwan his structures can be discovered very close to home. Unknown to many of it’s daily visitors, the Alexandria Charles E Beatley Jr. Public Library is a creation of his. Since moving to the area I have admired the library’s simple lines and modern twist on classic design elements. Recently I payed a visit and found a fantastic treasure. Everything from the parking lot landscaping to the circular periodicals section makes this space feel fantastic. Light pours in through windows perched atop high ceilings that flood the aisles with warm sun rays. Often libraries can feel dark, cramp, and claustrophobic but this fantastic design creates an open airy experience.

Those who are familiar with the work o this multi-discipline designer may not even know that he has been confined to a wheel chair since 2003 due to an illness. After becoming paralyzed from the waist down it became apparent to him that the world needed more beautifully designed measures of accessibly for the handicapped. I came across an article written by John Hockenberry that details the visionary’s current situation and what he is working to do to make the world more stylishly accessible. Graves’ initial observations upon falling ill sum up the how important well designed products are for the disabled…

“Nothing was designed. It seemed as though the makers of these objects never had to use them. There was no color, no style; nothing about any of the objects said that a human had made them. It was outrageous.” Graves said he once had his doctor come into his hospital bathroom, where he was trying to shave from his wheelchair: “ ‘Who designed these bathrooms?’ I asked him. He said, ‘Experts.’ I said, ‘Oh, really,’ and I had him sit down and look at himself in the mirror, which was too high, and then turn on the water, which was out of reach. It took him two seconds to get it.”

While the name Michael Graves reminds many of his famous teapot , his upcoming product line for those with disabilities impresses me far more. Form and functionality go hand and hand and there is an audience out there who desperately is in need of it. In response to Hockenberry’s article a woman wrote…

“My 29 year old son has recently gone from using crutches to a wheel chair… I kept saying just because you can not walk you are not instantly stripped of good taste.”

And thats what design is all about. I applaud Michael Graves for being a designer who truly charges to bring elegance and savvy style to the masses.

Technorati Tags: Michael Graves, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, Alexandria Public Library, accessible design, John Hockenberry, Charles E Beatley Jr Public Library