providing graphic design, branding, photography and marketing expertise to denver and the world
Quote
of the Week:
All solitary dreamers know that they hear differently when they close their eyes.-Gaston Bachelard
busy busy
...which is good for me, but bad for you, dear reader. I'll try and post more later on this week, as I gather some momentum on some fresh projects: print ads, web banner ads, some tagline collaboration, a couple of websites, and more. Stay tuned....
posted at 11:32 AM Leave your comments here: 0 comments
10.13.2006
Help Students Help the Environment
In addition to being a small businessperson, a graphic designer, and a photographer, I am also part of an organization dedicated to giving away cash to deserving students who want to save the planet. The David L. Bucknam Memorial Scholarship was created by friends of my dad who wanted to do something to help out college students who were majoring in environmental science, geology, geography--basically fields that can lead to a career in making the environment a cleaner, wonderful place to be.
Every year the Scholarship has sponsored an event called the Bedbug Hat Trick. If you want to know more about the name, you can find that out here. This year's Hat Trick will be held this Sunday, October 15th, at Castlewood Canyon State Park, east of Castle Rock, Colorado. there will be some great hiking, a 20-mile cycling route (paved; the park doesn't allow mountain bikes), and a road rally starting in southern Denver for all you car people. Things get started around 10:30, and end at the picnic area on the east end of the park with a huge feast, complete with homebrewed beer!
With each event, we're getting closer to reaching our goal of a fully endowed scholarship. We plan on awarding the first of many at this event. we'd love to have you come and be a part of the fun! And even if you can't you can still donate to the fund. For more information about the scholarship, the fund, donating, and the Hat Trick, visit bucknam.org. And if you are ready to make a donation, you can do it online via paypal by clicking on the button below!
posted at 11:33 AM Leave your comments here: 0 comments
10.05.2006
Pulled Up
I was a little late to the Talking Heads party, but now I can't get enough. I was probably about five to ten years behing the prime demographic for the Heads when they were getting started in 1977--seeing as I was only six at the time. But when Stop Making Sense came out, I saw it over and over, at the Esquire's midnight showing. I even turned my grandmother onto the Heads, along with Tears for Fears. Now that I'm older than those musicians ever were when they were together as a band, I am in love with their early stuff. Nothing beats setting type to Pulled Up or Artists Only or Life During Wartime or New Feeling. Check out the compilation of really early stuff and see if you like it as much as I do.
It's great music to set type to, trust me.
posted at 7:21 PM Leave your comments here: 0 comments
10.04.2006
rush work
So, we all get slammed with rush jobs now and then. It's like a little flash flood in your neighborhood brook, only you rarely see the rain that brings it about beforehand. So when it comes, you need to have a plan.
"Well", you might say, "either I have time for it or I don't. What's with this 'plan' business?" In some cases, you are right: your schedule is already so packed with high-paying work that you simply can't fulfill your client's needs. But even then, you need a plan. Some--or all--of this may be common sense, but since it's my blog, I get to pontificate all I want; so here's my plan:
Know where your work is at. You should always have your finger on the pulse of each of your jobs. The best way to do this is by having a nice, efficient project management system in place. Whether it's a whiteboard, or something online like Basecamp, or a real, live, project manager around, knowing your projects' status allows you to accurately determine workload, and whether or not you can take on that rush project for someone.
Have options for distributing your workload. Rush work from an existing client or from someone out of the blue both deserve your undivided attention once you've determined you can take on the project. That's why you need to have other resources on-hand to help with getting the new work completed, or with taking over routine projects already in the pipeline while you do the new work personally. This can be someone in-house, or a contractor you've done work with in the past. Don't cut a new contractor's teeth on anything rush-related, unless you like living on the edge. Same goes for interns.
Commit to the job--completely. When you are working a rush project, set everything else aside: reschedule meetings, brainstorming sessions, any other "normal" project items, and give the rush project your full attention and time. This is how you can justify the rush charge you are surely assessing the client for the work, and more importantly, give it the attention it deserves. This also allows you the mental space and brainpower to think critically about the project at hand. Clearing the decks makes a lot of sense when you have a whale of a project coming right at you.
Maintain constant contact with your client. Since this is a priority for them, you should probably touch base with the client more often than usual. A simple phone call or e-mail (although I would recommend phone calls, as they are more immediate) every day, if it's a multiday project--and sometimes every hour, if the situation demands constant feedback (like a series of revisions going back and forth). Expect to get calls from your client at lunch, and after work; although I find the best clients usually leave work at work, and give themselves a rest, too. If you're not sure what the client is thinking, or what they are expecting, communicate with them ASAP to clear any misunderstandings or assumptions up. While this is always good practice, it's vital when doing rush work.
Debrief when it's all over. Talk to the client after you both have had a chance to catch your breath, and see how things went. What worked out well? What could have been done differently to make it better? Asking for feedback makes the client feel like the valuable collaborator they are in any project, and on rush work, it's even more important to do this and avoid leaving a bad taste in the client's mouth.
posted at 9:50 AM Leave your comments here: 0 comments
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