The Seven Deadly Sins That Choke Out Innovation

Even companies serious about innovation can fall victim to their own, well-meaning creative process.

  1. Thinking the answer is in here, rather than out there
  2. Talking about it rather than building it
  3. Executing when we should be exploring
  4. Being smart
  5. Being impatient for the wrong things
  6. Confusing cross-functionality with diverse viewpoints
  7. Believing process will save you

Taken from Ryan Jacoby, the head of IDEO New York’s practice, talk at NYC/Poly Leading Innovation: Process Is No Substitute.  Read the full overview on Co.Design.

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Why Architects Don't Install Sheetrock

As an agency, studio or freelancer are you an architect, general contractor or subcontractor?  Agency consulting firm Ignition Group explains why it is time to re-evaluate where your company’s true strengths and value to clients are and learn to when to outsource more of the “commoditized” services.

Using a building analogy, professional firms must be the architects.  They can even be the general contractors.  But when they also try to be the subcontractors, they lose their shirt.  Think Frank Lloyd Wright installing the sheet rock.  The value of FLW was his ideas, his imagination, and his vision for the building.  Although there’s certainly a difference between a good job and a poor job of hanging sheetrock, the truth is that millions of people can do it.  There are not millions of Frank Lloyd Wrights.

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The Shape of Design Graphic designer, illustrator, and writer Frank Chimero just announced his first book, The Shape of Design, with a Kickstarter project to fund the effort.  In the book Chimero will provide an “overview the mental state of a successful designer while they go through their creative process”.  In just two short hours the book is nearly funded with over $17,000 of the total $27,000 goal.  Help support the project on Kickstarter and make the book a reality. If you aren’t already, follow Frank Chimero’s excellent blog on Tumblr.

The Shape of Design

Graphic designer, illustrator, and writer Frank Chimero just announced his first book, The Shape of Design, with a Kickstarter project to fund the effort.  In the book Chimero will provide an “overview the mental state of a successful designer while they go through their creative process”.  In just two short hours the book is nearly funded with over $17,000 of the total $27,000 goal.  Help support the project on Kickstarter and make the book a reality.

If you aren’t already, follow Frank Chimero’s excellent blog on Tumblr.

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Signalnoise Source: 10 PSDs, $75

I always love seeing how other designers approach their work, and this chance to see how James White, Signalnoise, creates his complex and beautiful artwork is fascinating.  I’ll be buying this one later today to dig in.

For those of you who have been around digital for quite some time it might remind you of when Joshua Davis sold his Praystation hard drive.  I still have mine sitting around here somewhere.

Reblogged from Cameron Moll

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Tiny Inventions - Creative & Technical Process

Tiny Inventions is a Brooklyn based animation and illustration studio that playfully combines mix-media, photography, physical models, illustration, and After Effects rocket science to create their short films, commercials and music videos.  

If you have ever worked with After Effects I guarantee this behind the scenes video of their entire process will blow your mind.  The methods they use to animate and craft the dimensional videos only using Photoshop and After Effects is incredibly creative.

Check out more of Tiny Inventions’ work. 

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A Real Web Design Application

Rethinking the Toolbox

Over time as the web design industry has matured the now fragmented tools have yet to catch up to the needs of most web designers.  Jason Santa Maria explores his current workflow and proposes a wish list of the ideal set of tools for a true end-to-end application. 

The web and its related disciplines have grown organically. I think it’s safe to say the web is not the domain of just the geeks anymore—we all live here. And those of us who work here should have sophisticated, native tools to do our jobs.

Adobe are you listening?

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How To Sell Creative Work To Clients

Absolutely anyone can sell crappy work to clients.  It’s actually quite easy, and on of the main reasons why there are so many terrible ads, mediocre campaigns, and uninspired websites reeking of sameness.  If you want to sell a truly unique idea or creative work to a client it will take hard work and serious effort.

Here are a few key points from the article: know the work inside and out, pick apart your idea, be ready to fight for your ideas, believe in what you’re presenting, and brass balls can help too.

After you finish reading part 1, continue on to part 2.

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Using Keynote to Create Wireframes Clients will Understand

In the past I have worked with UX professionals that have an incredible grasp on user experience, but they present their work in a highly technical manner that makes it difficult for clients to digest.  When we create wireframes for clients at New Ezra the three most important factors are to design beautifully polished UX, illustrate high level functional, and rapidly mock-up the wireframes so that we can move forward into execution.

Travis Isaacs put together a presentation that takes you through his workflow of wireframing in Keynote.  This presentation not only covers tips on how to use Keynote as a rapid and effective wireframing tool, but it also goes into specifics on how to effectively communicate to the client through wireframes.

If you’re interested in giving Keynote a try for wireframing make sure you check out Travis’ Keynote Wireframe Kit - http://keynotekungfu.com/

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The Benefits of Slow Design?

I have to agree that at times rushed timelines for complex projects lead to frustrations and stress, but from my personal experience (and others that I’ve worked along side) a lot of my best work has come from aggressive timelines.  There is nothing like a fast approaching deadline that forces you to start making decisions and stop second guessing your creative methods.  In fact I have found that “slow design” tends to allow for too much time to contemplate, find inspiration, critique, adjust, and procrastinate.

The one situation where I believe aggressive timelines will produce frustration and poor work is when you allow or work in an environment where every project is a rush.  Once the burn-out kicks in it is near impossible to produce quality work quickly.

Act fast. Create. Launch.

What are your thoughts?  Do you believe “slow design” generally produces better work?

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