Design in Four (and a half) Dimensions

Well, the future is here. Or the end.

Don't get scared and start imaging Matrix- or Terminator-like Deus-ex-Machina scenarios quite yet. Although they will certainly become easier to imagine quite soon.

Two years ago, Facebook purchased Oculus VR, a virtual reality technology company for $2 billion (BILLION!). Today (March 28th, 2016) their first product, the frighteningly-named Oculus Rift virtual reality kit, is now on sale. Comparing it to 3D glasses is like comparing a Big Wheel to a Harley Davidson. This technology makes it possible (and affordable) to immerse one's self in an interactive three-dimensional world.

The experience is like… well, it's impossible to fully describe, because it's hard to emulate three-dimensions in your screen's two-dimensional space, or even with words. You can look here for a start.

What does this mean for the designer? I deal mostly with print design and photography - decidedly two-dimensional constructs. Even the animated banners I did back in the day (remember those?) or current web ads are only kinda 2.5 D.  2D design has existed since cave paintings. And 3D has existed since the first ornamental goblet or statuette was made. I suppose you can call a dance or a play something akin to four dimensional, as it takes up three-dimensional space but also unfolds over time. So, those have been around almost forever, too.

But when you add user participation and user MANIPULATION to the equation, you almost have to call it four-and-a-half dimensions. Or something. Every time you add another dimension to design, the care, concepts and execution of that design expand exponentially. What changes when you cease just looking at a 3D space and start moving in it? Perspective, angle, lighting, gravity, and even sound have to undergo a transformation to match a user's vectors of movement through time.

It boggles my mind when I think of what will be required to go into designing an excellent game using these constructs. Should the music change if I move up instead of down? Should the lighting in this area somehow complement the architectural elements?

The applications are limitless. Games, of course. Architecture. Landscaping. National Defense. Porn?

This nascent technology will probably take a few years just to produce something that people will WANT to use, let alone prefer using to current interfaces. And how much should a designer reinvent personal interaction just because she can? This article has some interesting points about the design of the Rift, concerning software and hardware. Facebook would like to recoup its $2 billion, after all.

Are You Hearing More about Branding?

Branding

If you've spent even a couple seconds on my website, you'll know that I help companies with branding. It's a vague term at best, because there's so much involved, and because every company needs it to varying degrees and in different ways in order to locate, convince, and retain customers.

I'm definitely starting to hear the word more, amidst the emails I receive and the websites I visit. Sometimes, even on TV commercials. Most of that is because of my particular media habits, of course, but in this post-Steve Jobs world, I think more companies are becoming aware of the power of proper branding.

Moo, a company that makes fabulous business cards, even sent me a link to receive a free "branding kit." Obviously, my design business is probably not their prime target, but shop owners ordering a few hundred business cards might love what's in there. Moo did a darn good job illuminating the concept of branding and why it's needed:

Can you have a business without a brand? Er, yes. You can. The pizza joint down the road is likely a business, not a brand. Your dry cleaners – same story. The local veterinarian? Not exactly challenging Apple on the slick advertising front. All of these examples show that you can operate a successful business without having a real ‘brand’. But, if your business isn’t driven by necessity or pure convenience, chances are you do need a brand.

That’s because you have to give people a reason to choose your business over the competition (or buy nothing at all) and without a strong brand, that’s an exceptionally hard sell. Why? A brand gives a business its unique identity – its look and feel, voice and personality. Think about it - without its brand, Nike is just another shoemaker; Bergdorf Goodman is just another department store.

A strong brand comes from a place of truth about what a business authentically represents, and about what its products means to its customers. It’s not magic, it’s insight.

Part of Moo's own branding is (wisely) going beyond providing cool designs. They use inspirations, blogs, and free marketing kits to show you why they are important. When this strategy works (and it does), it creates a nice feedback loop, creating success for your business and theirs, too.

Part of my own trick is knowing how much (or how little) branding a company needs. Sometimes it's just a new business card. Other times, I have to call in favors from my writer or video-editing friends. And sometimes they call me, to borrow a little bit of what I can do. While most of my work involves the basics – a logo, stationery, or a business card, I also get opportunities to freelance for some big boys in their houses. And it's fascinating to see how they handle their brands, because they usually need it all — logos, web presence, social media, logos, packaging, press releases — and it all needs to work together, to pull in the same direction.

Currently, I am freelancing at a large, nationally-famous retailer. (Yes, I'm helping them re-brand some packaging, among other tasks.) They've even jumped on what I've noticed as a fascinating new trend that's a kind of "reverse marketing": defining themselves through imaginary customers. This is not simply figuring out who their ideal customers are; it's realizing a set of fictional people with realistic lives, hobbies, habits, shopping preferences, and on down to their hairstyles and music playlists. Then, looking at one's own company from their perspective, marketers can more easily focus on those customers and build… loyalty.

For branders, that's the goal. I'm sure "loyalty" is our favorite word.

What it's Worth

I mentioned in my last post how the end of the year was a bit too busy for me, and how I'd have to make some changes if I wanted to make money at my chosen profession.

Being involved heavily with TED talks, specifically, my own community's TEDx Event, was important for both the community and my personal growth. Without exception, every attendee I have spoken with has told me how great it was that our small city had a yearly TED Talk event, and how eye-opening, uplifting, or inspiring it was to attend.

Another late-in-the-year event that took a lot of my time was a one-time job with a tight deadline before Christmas. It came with some headaches, but was worthwhile work and paid me, though not well. Sounds like something I should be doing more often, right?

I don't think I'm crazy for wanting to get more paying work. Further, in the Autumn, I wanted both time to do craft fairs on the weekends (to make a little money), and some availability for longer freelance gigs (to make a lot of money).

Except I got to thinking, and something rather amazing happened; maybe I had it all backwards.

My tight-deadline paying gig was to help design a community-friendly version of the Ferguson Report. Yes, THAT Ferguson. A very long, very detailed, very comprehensive study was undertaken by countless professionals and citizens of Missouri, in order to make sense of the tragedy that happened in 2014, and to help their city, state and country heal, learn, grow, and improve relations regarding race, poverty and mutual respect.

That's heavy and serious stuff, and I was happy to work on it, despite the obstacles encountered. The fact that Martin Luther King Day has just come and gone was not lost on me, as I spent part of my day wondering what was important in my own life, and how 2016 could be my best year.

Am I smart to give up working on a wonderful community event, one that has helped me grow, both personally and professionally? Won't the connections I make and the people I meet eventually begin paying larger dividends (for my soul, if not for my wallet)? In fact, I got the Ferguson job because of my TEDx connections.

Or had my time with TEDx run its course? Won't there be new challenges, new groups, and new organizations that will help me reach my goals? I have to believe that there will be. I want to love what I do (so that all of this struggle won't have felt like work). And I want to follow my bliss, as I believe that's where my true happiness will be found.

I suppose I've realized something: I've got to maintain connections to organizations in my community and the to things I care about. While it's tempting to focus on making money, sometimes it's about being rewarded.

Happy New Year. (Sorry about the old year.)

I knew it had been a long time since I had blogged, but four months is too long. Granted, it was a crazy four months, and I only vaguely remember a week or so when I wasn't feeling harried.
But it is a new year, so let's hit the restart button and be better at keeping the small flicker of my art and business alive in this vast ocean of internets (boy, that's a weak metaphor–you can see I'm out of practice.).

Firstly, most importantly, there is a new and fabulous Hidden New Hampshire Calendar for 2016. I'm very proud of this work. I put a ton of time into it, and despite coming to the realization that it's not going to make me rich, it's nice to have made something beautiful with my name on it. (Aside: I have to thank Rick Broussard of New Hampshire Magazine for allowing me to borrow some of that magazine's great content, and certain vendors for carrying it in their stores.) The state exploration function of this calendar works well, and my photography is ever-improving. I quibble with my own graphic design a lot, but it's scannable and functional, if not as elegant as I'd like it. By the way, it's early January! Did Santa Claus bring you a calendar? Don't be afraid to buy one here.

My calendar sold pretty well at my third and final craft fair of the year, in East Kingston, NH. I have become quite comfortable with my patron interactions, and realize that I probably need a couple more "wow" pieces to generate more sales. Kingston was a local crowd (inclined to spend less), so my $16 calendar celebrating their own state definitely made up for the lack of homerun pieces one might expect to sell had it been a tourist crowd.

Derryfield Sunset

Unfortunately, I was not able to do more Autumn shows and move more calendars because of my commitment to the TEDxAmoskeagMillyard event held each November in Manchester. As visual director, I was responsible for venue decorations, signage, programs, attendee badges, photography coordination, and branded swag for the attendees. I did not have a lot of freelance work going on at the time, which is lucky because, well…pick your poison: I would have had to turn work down, or go insane trying to get all my TEDx work done in my "spare" time. Despite some unexpected setbacks, the event went very well, thanks to the incredible efforts of several people on the organizing team.

However, I realized that the immense amount of work in the last few weeks of TEDxAmoskeagMillyard (October and early November) cuts into what is normally a busy time for BOTH freelance design (the Christmas push) and prime craft fair season. In other words, doing the TEDx event actually costs me money. I will reluctantly have to give up my involvement. I do have to say it was a very rewarding experience, in terms of the people I met, the work I did, and what I learned about my own capabilities. It's hard to believe that two-and-a-half years ago, when I began, I was uncomfortable being in a small group, having to drive content and find solutions, having come from a lengthy employment situation where the normal dynamic was direction from executives to a large, collaborative design team.

I'm not sure I would have had the confidence to continue with my own business venture were it not for my experiences with the great people at TEDx. But here I am, taking photos, designing stuff, and occasionally writing a blog post. Meanwhile, I am usually hoping that the many connections I've built will lead to more meaningful work. I think in my next blog post, I will attempt to entertain you with some of that meaningful work that kept me so busy since my last post.

No More Excuses. Period!

Part of the graphic designer's job is making sure everything makes sense. Not just with illustrations, photos and text boxes, but everything else, too. After the detail-oriented technical work on images and typefaces comes… well, the detail-oriented holistic approach – to make sure the client's vision is being executed properly. Otherwise, you may have a hodgepodge of correctly-colored items somewhere on a page near paragraphs of perfectly-leaded type.

Visual acuity, or a designer's aesthetic is crucial, but so is the understanding of language. And unless you're an expert on all your clients' stuff, that means dealing with writers. And THAT means knowing your editing symbols and correction marks. And THAT means you have to trust they know what they're doing. But they don't always. It's better to understand some things yourself. Just in case.

I'm here to save you. Here's (almost) everything you need to know about punctuation, all in one place: The 69 Rules of Punctuation. Available for purchase as a big poster!

Warning: if you geek out on this, you are probably a designer or a writer.
Or someone who appreciates good writing and design.
Bless you.

The Conundrum of the Vacation Photographer

I just got back from a fabulous trip to Rio de Janeiro. My family and I had time to absorb the culture, and squeeze in almost all the things you're "supposed" to do while you're there, too. Of course, I brought my camera, my two favorite lenses (and, wishfully thinking, even my compact tripod).

But when you're whisking from one sight to another with your family, amongst throngs of tourists and their anti-social selfie sticks (grrr!), the last thing you want to be doing is checking every last angle for that perfect shot, and holding up the group to glean one more shot requiring complex manual camera settings. I feel guilty just getting my fair share, especially if the sun is beating down, my group is ready for lunch, or the crowds are maddening.

Cristo Redentor

To expedite my picture-taking and reduce frustration time, I made one crucial decision early on my trip and I stuck with it: Since the sky was going to be cloudless nearly every day, I didn't dawdle with many manual settings; I used Shutter Speed priority mode (set to 1/160th sec. or quicker) almost exclusively, and let the aperture open as it would. There would be enough light to get a super-fast, in-focus shot almost every time.

But, when I finally dive into Adobe Lightroom to check my hundreds of shots, I'm sure they won't be all I hoped they'd be. But, the justifications for sub-perfection are easily understood and provide me with some comfort:

1. The sun is at a crappy angle from mid-morning to mid-afternoon, when I would be taking all my shots, and a postcard-beauty photo would have to suffice. No tour guide is going to get me a special entry to Christ the Redeemer at sunrise for a magical golden-hour shot with no tourists around.

2. I didn't make my family wait around while I indulged in inventive shot-taking. Well, OK, I did. But just a couple times for a couple minutes.

3. I was there to have fun and experience a new culture. It's harder to do that from behind a viewfinder. And it's less fun than seeing something new while holding hands with your wife.

Ipanema Beach

Outdoor Art Show Success! (Mostly)

Well, it was a fun and interesting weekend in Gilford, New Hampshire, where I distributed my wares at the Gunstock Weekend Craft Village. There were about 25 vendors there, along with Segway-ers, hikers and tourists of varying levels of zaniness throwing themselves up and down mountains via slides and suspended cables.

If you were outside at all, you know that the weather was not the best. But it also wasn't the worst. Moisture was limited to a minor inconvenience, and there weren't any strong winds which might ruin peoples' tents and wares. I met some nice folks: customers, of course, but also vendors who had a few too many quiet minutes available due to the spare attendance. Many of them were very disappointed with the crowds. Perhaps I'll look back after a few shows and realize how lackluster it was, but…

My goal was to make my money back, plus a bit more, to justify the time and effort it takes to do such a show. Mission accomplished. Though I didn't get rich, I at least put a good chunk of change in my pocket, and moved some metal prints, which I had trouble with last time.

Lessons learned from my first outdoor show:

• Without doubt, the outdoor summer crowd is different from the indoor spring/fall crowd. Pretty is pretty, so I didn't move a completely different set of images, but I did move different media. The Summer people spent more on average, and were less interested in the very lowest-priced items.

• The tent worked perfectly, especially since I had practiced putting it up and taking it down a couple of times. I had a set of weight bags in place, but need to have my second weight set ready for more blustery days.

• Big magnets sell! I was pleasantly surprised that my new addition was well-received.

• Vacationers like to buy images of places they've recently been. It's not exactly my forte, but it certainly would pay off to have, in addition to my Hidden NH images, photos of spots that the customers had just hiked and visited.

• Metal prints get a lot more attention when they are set off the wall and people can see how thin they are. I did well by adding a 1 inch backer to my metals, though they were a bit wobbly in a breeze. I need to order all future metals with a backer already affixed.

• I need a bigger car or a cargo carrier. It's nice to have a sibling whose house serves as a base of operations for the Lakes region, but I need more universal solution so I can say "yes" to any nearby fair.

I feel great about meeting more people, learning more lessons, and doing better than breaking even. Let's see if I can get into a couple late-season/autumn shows in 2015. I hope to see you all there!