Just Creative Design

The Secret To Creativity…

Every designers’ dirty little secret is that they copy other designer’s work. They see work they like, and they imitate it. Rather cheekily, they call this inspiration.

~Aaron Russell

Or to put this into a slightly similar phrase…

“The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.”

~Albert Einstein

The latter quote by Einstein is the topic that myself and two others have to talk about, for 20 minutes, for a university project and I thought it would be great to get some responses from you guys…

Here are some questions to consider:

• How true is this statement?
• How does hiding your sources make you more creative?
• When does inspiration become plagiarism? (Great discussion in Aaron’s article)
• Have you ever copied someone’s work? Or parts of? (Be honest)
• How much of someone else’s idea can we copy before it becomes a copy?
• Is there such thing as an original idea?

Further Creativity Resources

Here are some high quality resources on creativity:

• Creatitivity in Schools by Sir Ken Robinson
  Great thought provoking video on education (highly recommended).
• The Brain As A System & The PO Creative Tool
  A great essay on Dr. Edward de Bono’s work.
• How To Be Creative
  Some great methods on how to be creative.
• How To Boost Your Creativity
  Some sure fire techniques to get your creative juices flowing.
• Accidental Plagiarism
  An article highlighting how we can accidentally plagiarise others.
• Subliminal advertising
  A video showing how subliminal messages communicate to us.
• Is Lateral Thinking Necessary for Creativity?

Check me out in these magazines!

Back in January I wrote the cover article for Layers Magazine on the topic of ‘Negative Space’ and now I am back again, but this time in the form of a poster boy - well not that kind of poster boy.

If you have a quick look though the April/May edition of Layers Magazine you will find my little mugshot on one of their advertisements along with some of my CD artwork. See the image below.

You may also be interested to know you can test drive Layers magazine by grabbing a free copy over at their site or you could look through their last issue online.

Also, check me out in next months edition of the mag, I will be appearing in their “Instant Inspiration” section with an interview and a showcase of my work.

I will also be appearing in the Photoshop and Illustrator tutorial sections over the next few months of which I will post on here once they are available. Stay tuned!

Computer Arts Projects Magazine (Issue 122)

After posting this article, I was told by Chris Spooner (big thank you) that I’ve also been featured in Issue 122 of the Computer Arts Projects Magazine -  three times!

A big thanks to Chris Spooner for sending me the pics below.

The front cover of the magazine.

The inspiration directory page.

Tips for marketing yourself page.

Personal recommendation from Paul Wyatt! Thank you!

DG Magazine Portfolio

Update #3 - Just got word that my logo got approved for the “DG Portfolio 8″ magazine. See the pics below!

Front Cover

The page that I am on.

Close up of my logo.

12 Design and Business Books I’ve Read & Recommend (Part 1)

In this two part series I outline some great design and business related books that I have read & highly recommend. I give a short insight of each book, along with suggestions on who it may be for and the official product description.

Find part two here.

How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer

By Debbie Millman

This is a book for any designer that wants to get into the heads of the leading industry professionals. An entertaining & thought provoking look on the world of design via the use of interviews. One topic that comes up quite a bit is that of design consumerism.

Product Description:

In a series of illuminating and entertaining conversations, twenty-one of today’s most influential and revered designers discuss, celebrate, and analyze their craft. Adeptly interviewed by brand consultant and talk show host Debbie Millman, these designers reveal their early influences, day-to-day rituals, enthusiasms, aspirations, and failures. For pop-culture enthusiasts as well as long time designers, students and those just starting their careers, this book will prove an invaluable guide to the history, controversies, milestones, and everyday foibles of working, living, and thinking as a graphic designer. How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer includes interviews with:

Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, Peter Saville, Chip Kidd, Stefan Sagmeister, Michael Bierut, Carin Goldberg, Neville Brody, Emily Oberman & Bonnie Siegler, James Victore, John Maeda, Paul Sahre, Jessica Helfand, Seymour Chwast, Lucille Tenazas, Vaughan Oliver, Steff Geissbuhler, Stephen Doyle Abbott Miller, Massimo Vignelli

How To Be A Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul

By Adrian Shaughnessy

Anyone entering into the field of graphic design, either coming out of school or embarking on a career solo, should read this book. It doesn’t mess with what the best typefaces are, or any software tricks. Instead, it lets you in on how designers think, and how to be successful in your endeavors. A foreword written by Sagmeister himself, along with interviews with other “rock star” designers, make this book simply amazing. ~Ben Waxler

Product Description:

Designers are quick to tell us about their sources of inspiration, but they are much less willing to reveal such critical matters as how to find work, how much they charge, and what to do when a client rejects three weeks of work and refuses to pay the bill.

How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul addresses the concerns of young designers who want to earn a living by doing expressive and meaningful work, and who want to avoid becoming hired drones working on soulless projects.

Written by a designer for designers, it combines practical advice with philosophical guidance to help young professionals embark on their careers. How should designers manage the creative process? What’s the first step in the successful interpretation of a brief? How do you generate ideas when everything just seems blank? How to be a graphic designer offers clear, concise guidance for these questions, along with focused, no-nonsense strategies for setting up, running, and promoting a studio, finding work, and collaborating with clients.

The book also includes inspiring interviews with ten leading designers, including Rudy VanderLans (Emigre), John Warwicker (Tomato), Neville Brody (Research Studios), and Andy Cruz (House Industries). All told, How to be a graphic designer covers just about every aspect of the profession, and stands as an indispensable guide for any young designer.

How To Be A Rockstar Freelancer*

By Cyan & Collis Ta’eed

This book is for anyone that is wishing to be a great freelancer (not just a designer), either part or full time. It deals with everything from starting your business, finding your first clients, and even expansion. A must read for any freelancer in my opinion… it’s from the guys over at Envato. Ensure you have a notepad handy when you read it as you get many ideas while reading it! *Affiliate

Product Description:

This is a real nuts and bolts guide to building a career as a freelancer online, with subjects ranging from managing your budget and handling multiple clients to diversifying your interests. Written by Collis and Cyan Ta’eed of the FreelanceSwitch blog site, it won’t tell you how to make your millions but its practical, straightforward advice will give you a good start. ~Net Magazine

Graphic Design as a Second Language

By Bob Gill

This book is aimed mainly at students and teachers of design, and those that wish to improve their design solutions through a better design process. Gill shows us through simple methods, how one can redefine a “problem” to find a superior solution. A very quick and thought provoking read… many illustrations and not many words.

Product Description:

This publication is part of the Handson Graphics series - an exciting and unique collection exploring the work of respected and highly talented international designers. The books in this series are primarily aimed at students and teachers of design. However they also provide an invaluable resource for all those interested in graphic design. The content is international, collectable and accessible to all. Bob Gill’s Graphic Design as a Second Language is a practical and palatable educational resource, aimed at students of graphic design. It provides a comprehensive package of the fundamentals of design, offering an important insight into how to develop original work.

Losing My Virginity: Autobiography

By Sir Richard Branson

This book is for any entrepreneur that wants a look into one of the world’s most successful businessmen. Richard really lets it all go in this book, revealing his philosophy on business, branding and life. A great read for those that seek motivation in life and for those that want to see how he managed to succeed - it reads like a novel so it is a good book for the bedside table.

Product Description:

Losing My Virginity is the ultimate tale of personal and business survival from a man who combines the business prowess of Bill Gates and the promotional instincts of P. T. Barnum.

Logo Design Workbook: A Hands-On Guide

By Noreen Morioka, Terry Stone & Sean Adams

This is a must read for anyone that has to deal with logo designs on a regular or irregular basis. The book has many examples and case studies that help you become a better logo designer which is achieved by answering the question of “what makes a logo design work”. A very procise, easy to read and well laid out book.

Product Description:

Logo Design Workbook focuses on creating powerful logo designs and answers the question, “What makes a logo work?”

In the first half of this book, authors Sean Adams and Noreen Morioka walk readers step-by-step through the entire logo-development process. Topics include developing a concept that communicates the right message and is appropriate for both the client and the market; defining how the client’s long-term goals might affect the look and needs of the mark; choosing colors and typefaces; avoiding common mistakes; and deciphering why some logos are successful whereas others are not.

The second half of the book comprises in-depth case studies on logos designed for various industries. Each case study explores the design brief, the relationship with the client, the time frame, and the results.

Other Design Books:

• 30 Logo Design Books
• 30 Delightful Graphic Design Books

What design / business books have you read & recommend?

Wolda 2008 Annual Arrives

Back in October 2008 I announced winning two major logo design awards - the ‘Best of Continent’ and ‘Best of Nation’ for my Just Creative Design logo (the logo you see at the top of this blog)…

and then in December I announced receieving the actual awards in the mail of which you can see below…

And just today, the actual book arrived in the mail… it is a great little publication and a real keeper! Below you can find photos of the book and my logo being showcased (got onto 3 pages which was great!)

Wolda is now accepting entries for the 2009 Wolda Annual so get in before the first deadline of June 31st.

Online Project Management Review: Liquid Planner

In this guest article Kris Rowlands gives a non-paid review based on her first hand personal experiences of using the free (now requires membership) online project management software, Liquid Planner. Kris Rowlands is the author and creator of Fresh Focus…On Productivity. She discusses GTD, organisation and productivity tips for your daily life.

Being a designer can be a hectic line of work. Clients with deadlines, last minute projects, and huge projects that make you wonder how you will ever get it all done! But you know what? You don’t have to do it alone. I’d like to introduce you to an online project management system that will knock your socks off!

LiquidPlanner is online project management software designed to manage uncertainty in project schedules so all your projects will succeed—just what every business owner wants. Every feature has been designed with that goal, and the way you work, in mind.

Very similar to Microsoft Project, time lines can be viewed as a Gantt chart which is an excellent way to see, at a glance, the status on all your projects at once. With this view, you can clearly see where you will run into delivery issues and what areas you can move forward in order to meet your deadlines.

Task Management is definitely something that any designer needs. LiquidPlanner handles this with ease and finesse, with an attractive interface to boot! I know that myself, if what I’m working in isn’t attractive, I’m less likely to use it and become proficient with it. But with LiquidPlanner, it is indeed useful and good looking!

Intuitive workspace allows easy and efficient organization and prioritization of tasks to help you get things done and delivered on time.

• Two Distinct Task List Views. View, schedule, and update your work by project folder or prioritized tasklist. Switch between the two views with a single click.
• Drag-and-Drop Prioritization. Change the order of your scheduled tasks in a snap by dragging and dropping items as priorities shift. This is a great tools that allows you to use this service much as you’d use an application on your own computer.
• Global Priority Management. Set global priorities for your team or the entire organization.
• Easy Task Entry. Add up to 20 new tasks, complete with owners and work estimates, in seconds.
• Multi-level Organization. Create folders, subfolders, and sub-subfolders so you can view, filter, and zoom in on tasks at any level of detail, no matter how complex the project.
• Task to Project Conversion. Quickly add subtasks and new levels of organization to items in your project plan.

LiquidPlanner is also fluent at Project Collaboration, too! If you sub-contract your work out to other designers, LiquidPlanner will handle this with ease. All you do as send them an invitation via email, and allow them to view that project. They can then keep you updated on their progress without you having to constantly check in on them, which allows you to concentrate on your own tasks-at-hand!

Personalized Dashboards make priorities clear.

With LiquidPlanner, you finally get to see things your way. View what’s on your plate, what’s happening in the project space, and see critical alerts – all at a single glance.

• Action Items. See only the tasks assigned to you, in priority order, and jump directly to any of them in the project plan.
• Easy Updates. Mark progress and re-estimate tasks right from your dashboard, so you can get back to work in a snap.
• Workspace Activity Feed. View the latest updates, comments, alerts, and uploads to your items and to the entire project space.
• New Item Assignments. Comments or discussions on tasks assigned to you are surfaced front and center.
• Project Alerts. Readily see red flags, required updates, and other alerts. If any of them are yours, LiquidPlanner makes sure you know.
• Email Notifications. Get changes to your items emailed to you in real time (or daily or weekly).

LiquidPlanner can handle teams of any size. From the single designer to a Fortune 500 design firm, LiquidPlanner can handle it all. They handle both large clients and small, and give all of them the same excellent customer support. Check out the graphic to see the logos of some of their customers!

“The dynamics of our team are constantly in flux with contractors and remote employees contributing to various projects. Collaboration isn’t an option, it’s a necessity. LiquidPlanner has fundamentally transformed the way our team members assign tasks, build their schedules and communicate with one another in a truly seamless manner.”

- Mark Snow, IPexpert Training, Inc.

“Before LiquidPlanner, our teams found it difficult to manage project resources, balance the workload within our organization, and provide accurate work estimates. By allowing our teams to collaborate, share key information, and efficiently manage projects, LiquidPlanner keeps everyone knowledgeable and engaged.”

- Eric Bowers, Butterball Farms, Inc.

“We have to constantly be ahead of the curve in terms of planning in the competitive real estate market. We didn’t have the time, interest or need to master any kind of elaborate project management tool yet we definitely needed something more than Excel. With LiquidPlanner we were up to speed and on top of dates and deadlines in no time.”

- Ben Nordlander, Coldwell Banker Bain

I bet that you are thinking that you can’t afford this. What I’d like to do is make you a bet on that! You know why? You most certainly can!

For small designer firms less than four members, you get all of this functionality for free! Yes, you heard me correctly, for FREE! For larger ones, you can either choose the monthly or yearly payment option. LiquidPlanner aims to please, so if you don’t see a plan that fits what you need, contact them and I’m sure that they will work with you to reach your end goals.

Now I know that all the pictures look so nice and shiny that you may feel intimidated by them and you don’t think you’ll ever figure out how to use use it. But I promise that you will! LiquidPlanner offers FREE (yes, there is that “free” word again) virtual online training. This course is well-planned and succinct, and the trainers always stays online and devote time for questions that didn’t get answered during the session.

But as a disclaimer, let me say this: I do not work for LiquidPlanner. I came here to tell you about it because I am a satisfied customer. I am a single business owner and don’t have to pay a dime to use LiquidPlanner. And they don’t hold back features like other project management sites, either. You get all the features whether you are a paying client or not.

In the past I have had the opportunity to speak with them via email regarding questions I have had and they are always pleasant and get you the answers that you need. I have also taken the virtual training. I recommend LiquidPlanner not only based on the plethora of features available, but all the price and training that you can get to go along with it. You really cannot find anything like this for this price. Trust me, I’ve looked. It’s just not out there in the quality and value that you will get from LiquidPlanner. Try them out – you won’t be disappointed!

Are you guilty of design consumerism?

Last week, on my other website (Logo Designer Blog), an article written by Chris Spooner was published and it was called 5 recent rebrands that caused the most upset and it really kicked up a stir amongst the community.

Many people vented their opinions of each of the 5 logos showcased however there were two comments that really stood out for me as it brought up a few questions and provoked thoughts I had never really thought about.

Daphne had this to say about the 5 logos:

“Don’t like any of them [the 5 logos posted]. Feels exactly like what we’re studying in class now… where the design does not adhere to the need of the consumer, rather it’s creating a style for the consumer to follow; one that will soon become a style used by all, making it obsolete…”

Kaalis had an interesting reply…

“I don’t want a world where design is created by the consumer, I prefer one where designers create trends, create evolution, changes. Designers need to educate the consumer visually. If all designers followed what consumers (and clients) wanted, design history would have been a lot more boring. That’s why I love and support Ollin’s work, it’s innovating and fresh. It doesn’t listen to what consumers want, it educates the consumer, surprises him, makes him think, react, share opinions - good & bad ones. We designers need to support these kind of designers… we’re not a bunch a lazy guys doing drawings, we develop concepts, strategies and give estethical answers. We’re not slaves of the consumers or our client. We decide, but at our own risk…”

So this made me a think… should a designer be adhering to the needs / wants of consumers & clients? Should designers be innovating & creating a style for consumers to follow? Where can and should we draw the line between the two? Should designers follow design trends for the needs & wants of consumers or should we be trying harder to educate the client? Should we be designing for social change?

Well, this topic has been up in the air for some time now .. in fact one of the most re known designers of our time, Milton Glaser (the designer behind the I Love New York logo), coined the term “Designism” which raises a similar question of “whether design can and should  do good?”

“Designism is a movement that attempts (sometimes well, sometimes not) to connect design to politics. A less “loaded” definition would be “a movement that attempts to change the world through design.”

This Designism movement has been crafted via a number of lectures put together by the Art Directors Club although it doesn’t seem to be that popular, however, it has only been a movement 3 years in the making.

Be A Good Citizen - Milton Glaser

Furthering on this topic of Designism, in the book How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer by Debbie Millman, (a great book I’ve recently finished) Milton Glaser had this to say:

“Being a designer is also about being a good citizen. What does it mean to be a good citizen? It means caring about what’s going on and taking a role. Designers have the unique opportunity to have a different role than an average person who doesn’t have access to production and manufacturing in the same way a designer does. So there is more opportunity and more responsibility.

The reality of being in the world and caring about that world is ultimately in our own self-interest. When you create a competitive and acrimonious environment, you suffer. If you play that game, then you have to pay the consequences on a personal level.”

Who cares?

Although not all are all in the same boat, Adrian Hanft of the blog Be A Design Group had these critiques about Designism after listening to one of the Designism lectures:

• It’s too liberal. A political movement should include multiple political opinions. Most people who attended the forum were liberal.
• Speak in a civil tone – change doesn’t come about by dropping the “F” bomb and saying you’re pissed.
• It’s insulting to other designers by implying that political design is more important than other forms of design.

Adrian also asks “hasn’t design always been about making the world a better place?”

You can read Adrian’s full crique here and read other’s opinions here: SpeakUp, Unbeige, Core 77, and many more.

So, who is the victim of design consumerism?

In my opinion, regardless of how designers instigate change, we simply can’t do nothing. What’s your opinion?

Donate & Win A Free Logo

Since the 7th of February 2009, more than 200 people have lost their lives and close to 2000 homes have been lost due to ferocious bushfires here in Australia. This is one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history.

I am trying to do my part for something that I feel very close about (we nearly lost our home in 1994 due to bush fires) and I thought I could do this by running a small competition here on Just Creative Design.

I am giving away a free logo design to one lucky winner who enters the competition. Entry into the competition will consist of a $10+ donation to the Australian Red Cross.

For those who do not want / need a logo, please leave a comment on this post and I will personally donate $0.50 per comment that is left over a 1 week period.

Or if you just want to donate, please donate directly to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal however if you are wishing to enter the logo competition please read on as you will have to make payment to my PayPal account so I can track the entries. I have previously raised USD$1620 through this blog so your donation will be in safe hands - 100% of all proceeds will go to the Red Cross.

To enter the free logo design competition, please make a $10+ donation by clicking the donate button below. Leave a comment or email me telling me why you need / deserve the logo. On March 16th I will announce the winner.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Update: Thank you everyone who donated, the victims of this disaster will be extremely grateful!  The winner of the free logo design was Adrian Belfast, who I have emailed. I also upped the original 50cents to 1 dollar for my part - thank you once again!

Below you will find a tribute video to the those affected by the Victorian Bushfires and below that, some images of the bush fires, courtesy of The Big Picture.

A fire truck moves away from out of control flames from a bushfire in the Bunyip Sate Forest near the township of Tonimbuk, 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of Melbourne, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. Walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, razing scores of homes, forests and farmland in the sunburned country’s worst wildfire disaster in a quarter century. (AP Photo)

Flames and smoke rise from a bushfire in the Bunyip Sate Forest west of Melbourne, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (AP Photo)

A Country Fire Authority (CFA) Sector Commander looks up at a giant fire raging in the Bunyip State Park near Labertouche, Australia, on February 7, 2009. More than 40 blazes raged across two states as a once-in-a-century heatwave pushed the mercury as high as 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) with fire bans in place across much of the south-east. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images).

A general view of the devastation from the Peats Ridge Valley bushfire on February 9, 2009 in Peats Ridge, Australia. (Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Small acreage is burned out in Kinglake, northeast of Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

Craig Kidd looks at the melted metal of alloy wheels from his burnt out vehicles after a bushfire swept through his property on February 9, 2009 in Bendigo, 160 km from Melbourne, Australia. (Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

The burnt remains of a house are left standing in the aftermath of a bushfire on February 3, 2009 in Boolarra, approximately 200 kms southeast of Melbourne, Australia. (Luis Ascui/Getty Images)

The remains of properties destroyed by bushfires are seen in the town of Kinglake, 55km (34 miles) northeast of Melbourne February 8, 2009. (REUTERS/Mick Tsikas)

Family members react after learning that their parents Bill and Faye Walker and disabled brother Geoffrey were killed in wildfires in Marysville, north of Melbourne, Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. (AP Photo)

A fire truck moves away from out of control flames from a bushfire in the Bunyip Sate Forest near the township of Tonimbuk, 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of Melbourne, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. (AP Photo) #

For more information please visit the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire 2009 Appeal.