I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the incredibly talented James Martin, also known as Made By James. He’s a creative and logo designer extraordinaire, and trust me, you don’t want to miss out on this conversation.
In thinking about topics over the past weeks, I’ve also started thinking about things that clients or potential clients, or even just casual acquaintances might ask me that frustrate me. So here's a ...
When you’re first starting out, it can be a catch-22 to fill your portfolio. You need clients to get work but you need work in your portfolio to get clients. So what do you do? As a graphic designe ...
Don’t trust a designer who doesn't collect something. I generally wonder about people who don't collect something. I feel like people who don't collect something must not have a passion for anyth ...
A short guide to the design programs you have but may not know how to use correctly. #designmatters
If you’ve been following me for the past year or so, you already know that I have a YouTube channel where I post short design tips (usually) every Tuesday. These tips are meant to be really brief ti ...
Graphic design is becoming a very popular career path these days. Whether it is the idea of just doing art all day or being creative for pay, More and more people are becoming drawn to it. But what ...
I know a lot of people who have dabbled in design. I know even more people who, when I tell them I'm a Creative Director and Graphic Designer, that tell me something like, "I've always wanted to try g ...
New isn't always better. Sometimes starting something new is a trap because it means you maybe didn't finish something you started new last year. Every new year people around the world make New Ye ...
A few months back I had the opportunity to give my very first talk. I was thrilled that I was going to be able to speak about type. What could be better? Well the fact is, for the first time in a lon ...
https://youtu.be/KwXuodlJb8k Enjoy your work. Show joy and exude excitement in your designs and people will hire you not only because you're good at it but because people want to hire someone who l ...
It's been hard to get back into the writing habit after a summer spent traveling and making my family time a priority. So waking up this morning atound 5:30 was quite the cho ...
https://youtu.be/s_9YftRIeZY Sometimes we just have to step back and remember that our designs are not the best or last best thing we will ever do. Today's tip is all about the importance of detach ...
Building a concept can be difficult. Many creatives (including myself at first) don't quite get the purpose of a concept. Today I'd like to write briefly about what a concept is, why you might need o ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x5g9fKRQHE Many designers look at their work and think, “It’s still missing something.” But maybe it’s actually that something needs to be missing. Your design is d ...
Why do I write this blog? I mean, what's the point? There's probably lots of other designers or creative directors that know what I know (and more) that don't feel the need to talk about it. This we ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq24ueo8UXM Don't you wish that someone understood the importance of choosing the right typeface? Have you ever been frustrated at the looks you get when you buy thi ...
https://youtu.be/ZYA6yb7qLb4 "If you're not cheating, you're not trying" right? Well, sort of. What does it mean to be a cheater as a creative? I have a couple of ideas. Also, check out these blog ...
https://youtu.be/deF8yioLBWs Tenacity: it's not giving up, not letting go... But how does this relate to being a better designer or creative? ------------------------------------------------------- ...
https://youtu.be/GmPldhzL1wE There’s obviously a lot more than just saying no to your clients; but for today’s tip, try to think about saying no to certain client requests and using your expertise to ...
Asking why, or questioning your decisions, tests your motive for every design decision you make. Knowing your reasons requires that you, have gone through some questions and had to answer for them. T ...
There's a phenomenon that has gripped the country (and possibly the world); it's the hipster. Whether you love them, hate them, tolerate them, or maybe you don't even really get what a hipster ...
Creative people are not magicians. Ideas are not something that you need special skill to find. Someone may be born with talent but that doesn't make them idea makers. Have you ever wondered why cer ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXDTx9YcN50 Thinking is great, it's something you NEED when you're designing. But if you want your clients to trust that you know what you're doing, maybe you shouldn' ...
This past week I had the opportunity to speak to designers from the SEE/PRC at their annual conference. SEE is a professional association of communication directors, editors, graphic designers, and ...
