It seems a rather simple concept: be kind to those around you, wherever you are. But ask yourself, do you always give thanks and praises to the people on your team for a job well done? It’s an often overlooked piece of the puzzle, and when exercised, a simple congratulations can strengthen the connection inside your team and help build loyalty and dedication. This is not a tactic or ploy - simply tell people they’re doing a great job when they are. Write a LinkedIn recommendation when your clients or vendors have been awesome, because I guarantee that they will appreciate it.

The power of spoken (or written) gratitude is amazing. This does not have to be a concept and action reserved for management level. And, more importantly, it shouldn’t be saved just for people within your company or organization. Surprise recommendations from clients or vendors are the greatest thing. To that end, submit positive reviews at Yelp.com for businesses when you have a great experience. I have a few I need to post actually. And just for today, reserve that negative post that you really want to flame that @ssh(*# with who gave you attitude at the coffee shop. Just let it slide today.

But make sure that you reward your co-workers and clients and/or vendors with praise when they deserve it. You can make someone’s day, with a very short couple of minutes of thought.

Hope you all have a great day today.

ShareThis

Another issue that plagues me is my portfolio. I appreciate it when designers keep their portfolios up-to-date, allowing others to participate in the evolution. But I don’t really want my portfolio and my blog to be the same site. Main reason being, there are a handful of topics that I want to contribute on, but I fear that a project post about my latest launch sandwiched between two lengthy articles about parenting and a trip to Africa will splinter my readership. I am looking for the way to best collect my work and my thoughts, but I’m not quite sure that they all need to be collected in the same place. Many people do take that route, but it usually comes across disjointed, and is they’re trying to shove a round pegs into square holes. I want it to be easy for visitors to participate in the thoughts and ramblings of a thirty-something new dad, who happens to like to cook, discuss sports, and talk about photography and design, without alienating the people who’d just like to click through my portfolio, and vice versa.

I guess what’s funny about this discussion, is that I currently have the two different functions of portfolio and blog separate already, with GregHuntoon.com and 417north.com, my portfolio site. Instead of just doing it, and keeping my mouth shut, I’d like for this post to serve as part of my inventory process. I need to streamline the online sites and apps that I use to write and manage my online content, as I feel too thinly spread out at times. On a daily basis I keep 3-4 Twitter accounts up-to-date, write blog posts for this site occassionally, rarely update my portfolio because of the tedium of doing so, and sporadically post to my Tumblr, Posterous.com blog (which is a new site I suppose I’m just evaluating), or any of the other umpteen micro-blogging and social community sites / services that I hold an account with. I could use my Ping.fm account to simply write once and post to all of the various sites, but that seems disingenuous.

The only thing that I know for sure right now, is that I need a new design for GregHuntoon.com that can be a catch-all for my digital life. Here are the content dilemmas that I really want the next incarnation to address:

• a new design that is built so that all blog posts will look great, regardless of length or content
• I need to make it easy to post thoughts, articles, portfolio pieces, photography, videos, and other content, without having to stop and think about what goes where
• a sidebar widget and dedicated homepage real estate to feature pieces from my portfolio (whether those pieces are pulled in from some other off-site location or not)
• an elegant and inviting display of my Twitter feed, as this is the most updated and interactive piece of content I have to offer
• dedicated spaces for my Last.fm feed and Hype Machine feed, which is actually updated more regularly than Twitter since music is always playing (and scrobbling), whether at work, hanging out with the fam, driving, or on my bike
• my Flickr feed (there are a thousand different great solutions for this…the least of my worries)
• and possibly to round out the content objective, a page or section devised to pull back all of the various bookmarking, reviews, and other worthwhile participation around the web (on sites like yelp.com, del.icio.us, digg.com, etc.)

As I write and think about this more, I realize that I would like to keep my portfolio on site and archive 417north.com, but it will require me looking for some help in writing a custom plugin for Wordpress to help manage the portfolio. I definitely want the posts sequestered away from the main content, because some people don’t like it when their ketchup touches their salad…even if ketchup is one of the main ingredients in Thousand Island. You get the picture.

I’ll keep talking about this as I go through this transformation, and I’d love to hear (and see) how you or someone else has elegantly addressed these same concerns. Jason Santa Maria does it quite well, and I’m definitely paying attention to his deft management.I just don’t have the time to keep up a portfolio on my own with great customization. I just want to post screen shots and project details when I’ve got new stuff to share.

Does anyone out there know of a hosted portfolio tool that allows you to pull your uploaded projects offsite via XML or an ultra-customizable widget? Carbon Made? I know that Behance.net doesn’t allow this yet, as cool as their service is. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ShareThis

But here we are, smack dab in a world where not every client is Coca-cola, Addidas, or Nike. The same world where budgets shrink and expectations rise. Where clients push you to move quickly, and often lose focus of the greater picture through the development (or design) process. So, for the sake of conversation and spirited dialogue, I want to know which of these are more important to you.

Would you rather have a satisfied studio and client with less recognition in the industry, or overworked and beleaguered staff, stressed out clients, and an award for your efforts? (Of course, there are other options, but I am Oz in this line of questioning. Deal with it.)

Which is more important to you and why: client satisfaction or project recognition?

ShareThis

But here’s a disturbing fact: Sarah Palin had to apply for a passport in 2006, so that she would be able to go visit Alaskan National Guard troops in Germany and Kuwait (and there have been recent assertions that she also visited Iraq on the same trip - recent changes to previous statements that did NOT include Iraq on the trip’s itinerary…odd).

Let me make that clear again. Sarah Palin, Governor of the great state of Russia-bordered Alaska where the KGB is a stone’s throw away, a woman who is one 72-year-old’s heartbeat away from the Oval Office, never left our country until 2006. Shit, I keep forgetting Canada. She had left the country before 2006, when you include Canada.

No one is suggesting that you need to have backpacked Europe, climbed the pyramids in Giza, or looked down from the snows of Kilimanjaro. There are not any travel requirements when applying for this position. Apparently there are very few requirements at all.

But as someone who has traveled outside the American viewpoint, and who has seen the way that other people in this world live, it is saddening to me that such a sheltered person is being considered for such a powerful position. We tout ourselves as leaders, beacons in the world for justice and equality. We cite our ability to fight for the disenchanted and to rally support for those in need. Whether or not those things are true, wee see ourselves as world leaders on so many levels, and yet somehow this candidate has squeezed into this race without an ounce of international experience. You don’t have to work in an AIDS hospice in Lesotho (that’s in South Africa, by the way) to pass these tests Ms. Palin, but I would hope that you’ve at the very least had the opportunity to learn how to say “hello” in a couple of different languages. “Hola” doesn’t count. Neither does “Ey” or “Ai” for the Canadian and Inuit greetings, respectively.

As a global citizen, and the husband of a woman with dual-citizenship, I really hope that we choose someone who has a little bit more of global perspective. The world is a far different place than America, let alone Alaska. This is not an election for the president of Earth, but since we call our president the leader of the free world, isn’t it important for that person to know what lies beyond Anchorage? I know it’s not all Northern Exposure up there, but I think it’s a much simpler life than the metropolitan speed of LA, NY, or DC, and without a bit of foreign experience to balance, I think you are unfit (on yet another level) to run this country.

I have a well-stamped passport and have lived in a 99% Muslim East African country. By your measure, doesn’t that make me like the grand poobah of foreign policy experience?

Surely it does not. But at least I know I’m unfit for that position.

ShareThis

Over the last year (and really the last couple of months), I’ve fallen back in love with Twitter. It’s an ideal format for someone who is busy from sun-up to sun-down, and while I love to write longer and meatier posts, I just rarely find the time to tackle them. But Twitter leaves very little room for expansion, which is a good thing most of the time, as it keeps thoughts short and to the point. But what if I want to say a little more than 140 characters? Now I need a new blogging platform, and I’ll have to try to wrangle a new audience (as if circling up your twitter followers, Facebook friends, MySpace cohorts, IM pals, and frequent emailers isn’t hard enough). So while I have a Tumblr account (notice my “must haves” back on Nov 5th), like the idea of Posterous, Pownce, and all of these million interactive mediums, it’s all a bit tiring.

The plan is to find a blog format that serves as a bit of a catch-all for the various social tools, bringing it all under one roof, and be designed and structured in a way so that the length of a post won’t really matter. I’d like to create a plugin that suggests I’m talking too much when I go over 200 words, or something to that effect. In any case, changes and a redesign / redeployment are in the works for early ‘09.

With that said, I’ve left Real Pie Media, amicably of course, and am now heading up the creative department at a mid-sized startup in Venice, CA, Musicane. My wife and I have also been working very hard on her new clothing line: WeWe Clothing. It’s been great so far, and I’m finding myself pushed on a daily basis, and learning a great deal. I’m learning new programs, new software development methodologies, and have a great budding creative unit. You’ll see more about these guys and gals as time rolls on. But just know, the ones I’m working with now are beasts.

So, here are some of the places I’m playing lately. Come and join me in the fun. Until later:

• Twitter - micro-blogging at its finest, and using Twhirl to manage multiple accounts
• Last.fm - my favorite music charting and suggestion site
• The Hype Machine - the best way to find new, relevant music
• iLike - drop the iLike Sidebar on your iTunes and watch the magic
• GetSatisfaction - forward-thinking proactive customer service
• Backpack - a GTD app, in a sense…but just a bad-ass tool altogether
• Facebook - I have a love/hate relationship with the facebooks…we’re on right now

ShareThis

Family members scream about the Blackberry 8800 series because it runs CDMA and GPRS/GSM networks, but somehow is without a camera. The Blackberry Curve is quite nice, but I’ll have to switch networks to use it. There are a ton of great Sony/Ericsson phones, but I’ll have to switch continents (and/or networks, to boot) to use them.

It’s simple. I want a phone, preferably that can run on Sprint (CDMA protocol), because a ton of family and friends are on Sprint, that has the following:

• nice 2.0+ mgpx camera w/ video
• full QWERTY keyboard
• great battery life (at the bare minimum, I need to be able to take the phone off charge before leaving to work and not need to charge until I get home)
• push email technology (Blackberry or MS Exchange)
• instant messaging
• threaded text messaging
• a nice web browser (I love the Windows Mobile browser, and Safari on the iPhone is fantastic)
• ability to cut and paste (might seem rudimentary, but talk with the geniuses that released the Motorola Q, and iPhone from what I hear, without this base technology)
• edit word and excel docs and spreadsheets
• audio player
• expansion memory slots

If anyone knows of a phone hiding from me, please pass it along. I’m at a loss for what to do. The iPhone is close, but so many people are saying that it’s just not worth the hype. I’m sure it’s a fantastic experience, but I’m just wondering why it’s not more customizable; just seems kinda strange to me. I may have to make the switch over to another network, but I just can’t envision paying the damn early cancellation fee. The mobile phone industry really is a racket…

As technology allows greater convergence, some level of mobile standardization will be required, but I still think that we’re a ways off. There should be a base level of competence for phones that just isn’t anywhere close to reality at this point in time. It’s a sad state of affairs for so many of us that rely so heavily on our phones for productivity and performance. I would really like to be able to have a phone that also has the ability to: send & receive emails and instant/text messages, be my music player, take digital camera for snaps (not serious photos), and also have enough storage or expandable space to transfer files to/from work/home. Again, I don’t think I’m shooting for the moon, but suggesting that these “great” technology providers actually deliver something worthy of our monies.

Because think about it, for the prices we’re paying year in and year out, we should be happy with what we have. I know few people happy with their current situation. Most of us switch phones before our 2-year discounts are available, and they just keep us running in circles.

All I’m saying is, what if a company actually delivered something that made us completely happy? It’s a great feeling to think someone might actually do that…

ShareThis

So, the first three months at the new job are coming to a close. After some 70 odd months on my own, the first three for someone else have been unexpectedly great. I’ve traded in an hour long commute (each way) for a bike ride that won’t even allow me to finish two songs of my most played album right now, Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I’ve traded in the long hours and sleepless nights working, for long hours and sleepless nights with my new baby. And, I’ve traded a lonely office with one, sometimes two, at our largest, 4 other employees in-house, for an eclectic band of merry gentle[people] numbering 10. I loved Go Farm, and all of the time, learning experiences and projects (well, most), but that chapter closed at the right time, it appears.

Generally speaking, things are grand. There’s lots of stuff on the horizon. Tons of great projects are starting up shortly, and we’re about to break ground on the new company site in the next few weeks. I’m really feeling challenged in my new position, and look forward to strapping up the shoes and rolling up the right pant leg each morning to crank off to work.

There is a continuing trend in my life: I love going to work. I’m not one of those people that is counting down the minutes to 5 or 6pm. Actually it’s quite the opposite. There are not enough hours in the day to finish what I want to do. This is a direct result of being in a career that I’m passionate about, and continually challenging myself to get better at what I do. Also, I try to expand the list of what it is that I do, which means my skill set grows and grows and grows. Learn a new program, study a language, take personal inventory of your strengths and weaknesses; you’ll be happier for it, I promise.

And as excited as I am for work, that feeling pales in comparison to the excitement overflowing as I leave the office each day at lunch to hang out with my wife and new precious daughter Zurhi. There’s very little in the world that can top the smile and giggle of your little ones, and this part of my day is so key. Ugghh, just thinking about those moments makes me miss holding her.

I have a handful at work, and two handfuls at home right now. And I wouldn’t trade it for the world…

Here’s to hoping your lives are all just as blessed!

ShareThis

Already this season, 10 starters or projected starters have missed games with injuries: S-CB Josh Pinkard (5 games - done for the year), C Matt Spanos (3 games), TB C.J. Gable (2 games - done for the year), LB Brian Cushing (2 games) Pre-season All-American, CB Shareece Wright (1 game), OG Chilo Rachal (1 game), C Kristofer O’Dowd (1 game), CB Cary Harris (1 game), WR Patrick Turner (1 game), TB Stafon Johnson (2 games), and TB Chauncey Washington (1 game). Pinkard and Gable have season-ending injuries. And the last two weeks we added a few more: QB John David Booty (1 game), MLB Rey Maualuga (3 quarters Saturday with concussion) Pre-season All-American, OT Sam Baker (3 quarters Saturday with high hamstring) 2 time first team All-American, and RG Zack Heberer (?).

Out of this entire list, I really hope that everyone returns and is healthy. But I do hope that John David Booty stays on the sideline. I rooted for Sanchez to take the spot Leinart vacated, and last year called for Booty’s job multiple times, especially after his losses at Oregon State and UCLA. Make no mistake, the team certainly has been beatable and continues to show weaknesses, but Booty’s inability to show up in clutch situations means he’s not the one to lead this team.

So, for all you yahoos out there trying to say that USC’s dynasty is over, I say, it’s going to be fun watching you eat your words in the coming years. USC isn’t going anywhere. Their depth is ridiculous, especially at the talent positions. They need to get their O-line and linebacking corps healthy soon, and if they can, they’ll be back in the hunt. When this team is healthy, they are dangerous.

It’s a crazy year so far for sure; from Appalachian State over Michigan in the big house, to upset Saturday which saw 5 top ten teams topple, SC getting shocked last weekend in the Coliseum by unranked and unnoticed Stanford, to this weekend watching numbers 1 and 2 LSU and Cal, respectively, fall to teams they should have beat handily. No one is safe…save for maybe South Florida that has already beaten its truly tough opponents.

Who knows what the rest of the year has in store. Tough games on the road in top 10 ranked Cal and Oregon, and top 15 ranked ASU, and rarely is a game between USC and Notre Dame ever easy in South Bend, regardless of how the two teams have fared all season. Sanchez will grow up exponentially as he tucks experience and snaps under his belt, and hopefully this weekend will be more of a coming out party for the young future Trojan QB.

Oh yeah, one last note: if you are one of the folks that jumped on the bandwagon and have since jumped back off, please, just stay off. Go start espousing UCLA as the new LA team to beat or spend your time telling us that the SEC is the tougher league. USC is far from done with this streak of dominance, and I think they’re going to right the ship with a couple of tough wins through the latter part of this season. But whether they do or don’t, I stand by them, as I have for the past 25 years as a cognizant fan.

ShareThis

Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of all time. I first fell upon Wilco back in 1996, in what my close circle of friends dubbed “The Summer of Love.” They came along with Son Volt and the Jayhawks, and stole time from our then constants of The Black Crowes, Lenny Kravitz, Bob Marley, and Dave Matthews Band. While I still listen to all of the latter bands, I really hadn’t listened to Wilco in about a decade until I ran across one of their recent albums at the library (read more about this here).

Wilco is a lot of things. Some credit front-man Jeff Tweedy’s 90’s band Tupelo with being the crystallizing genesis of Alt-Country. Tweedy is a guitar force, who’s lyrical genius and musicianship has been overshadowed by the turbulence and inconsistency in his personal life and supporting cast (only recently has the same Wilco lineup shown up in the studio for back-to-back records). Regardless, if you are a fan of what I like to call mid-country rock and artists ranging from Neil Young to The Black Crowes (the poppy-end of the spectrum), you’ll love Wilco. And Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a great starter album.

This album starts with an easy paced mellow tune, “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, which serves its purpose as a lead-off hitter, but honestly I usually skip it in favor of one of my favorite Wilco songs, “Kamera” which comes in the second slot. Like a good baseball lineup, the first song gets you in the door, the second song really picks up the pace, and the 3, 4, and 5 slots are heavy hitters. “Radio Cure”, “War on War” and “Jesus, Etc.” which itself echoes Grateful Dead like nothing I’ve ever heard before, are all absolutely great songs. The rest of the album is solid, but the next great song is “Heavy Metal Drummer.”

There are sounds of Jeff Buckley in here, Radiohead, The Dead, The Shins, Neil Young and the what is becoming an unmistakable Wilco quality to the music. The Black Crowes are oft called “America’s most rock n’ roll Rock N’ Roll band.” I don’t disagree, but Wilco is becoming one of the most original Rock N’ Roll bands around. I can’t recommend this record more.

Akon
Konvicted

My review of Akon’s Konvicted is going to be shorter than the review of Wilco above. I suppose it’s because there’s a bit less substance to it. But I’m not sure that’s a completely fair assessment, as I don’t think that Konvicted (which is a pop album) was written or conceived in an effort to rival the depth or structure of a neo-country / indie rock record written by one of the more accomplished guitarists of this generations. But I still say this album is well worth a purchase. It’s a hip-pop album, with some Highlife-Afro flair; a great recipe for mellow beats and smooth rhythms.

While the whole album is pretty good, there is one absolute gem in here on track 7, “Mama Africa.” It’s not quite the enduring reggae standard of the same name by Peter Tosh, but Akon’s “Mama Africa” is rich with near Soukous style guitar riffs and runs that play a nice backdrop to this love song to Akon’s motherland.

The rest of the album is filled with a mix of: well-known club-bangers, two featuring Snoop and Eminem, songs which beside their nice beats are absolutely raunchy songs with absurd lyrics; the radio hit “Don’t Matter” which is what helped catapult Akon into the limelight in 2006-2007, which is really a very solid song; and a handful of songs where Akon’s Senegalese roots shine strong. Top to bottom, it’s an interesting collection, and I’m really happy that the album is on my figurative shelf. It’s been in pretty regular rotation on my iPod and iTunes for the past 3-4 weeks.

***

I think I like reviewing two completely disparate albums next to each other. Looking at them back-to-back forces a glance from a wider perspective, opening angles to both albums previous undiscovered. I’ll try to have a couple each week. So until then, have a good week.

ShareThis

So, for months I flew along in love with this new system. And with Basecamp, Backpack, and Highrise, there’s a handy little 37signals bar (aptly dubbed the “Open Bar“) at the top of each of those respective pages if you’re logged into them all with OpenID.

And then a couple of weeks ago, everything came to a screeching halt. I have been working very hard to find mobile tools for all of the various applications I use on a regular basis, allowing me to work on planes, trains and automobiles, or wherever I might be without my computer. Lots of traveling lately, and also lots of time out of the office handling baby appointments, doctors’ visits, etc. But here’s the dilemma: none of these mobile applications support OpenID. And, if you have OpenID turned on as your authentication method, you no longer have a traditional user/pass combo with the site in question.

So, because I use Backpack Mobile edition, I can’t use OpenID. I hate having to choose, but there’s really no debate. If it’s mobile vs. OpenID, mobile wins every time. Unfortunately. I’m not sure whether it’s out of laziness that developers are neglecting to allow OpenID authentication on their mobile apps, or if there is an inherent hurdle in the mobile framework making it difficult/impossible to use OpenID.

As we move forward in developing our latest application over at Real Pie, I’m sure that we’ll run across this issue; in fact, I’ll make sure we do so that I have a more complete understanding of the system. As more people move away from their computers and onto Kinda SmartPhones and Truly SmartPhones (err, umm, there’s only one: the iPhone), we need to start paying much closer attention to seamless integration.

Here are some OpenID resources for you to make up your own mind:

• The OpenID Directory
  http://openiddirectory.com/
• Simon Willison’s Weblog: How to turn your blog in to an OpenID
  http://simonwillison.net/2006/Dec/19/openid/
• Del.icio.us/openidconsumer
  http://del.icio.us/tag/openidconsumer

ShareThis

She is the joy of my life, and I can’t wait for you all to meet her. That day may be awhile off for many, so let’s just get started by posting up some photos for y’all: It’s so easy to see divine power and intelligence when your newborn is in your arms. Life rules.

She joined us in this world on Thursday, August 30th, 2007 at 10:18pm. She weighed 6 lbs, 8 oz and was 22 inches long. Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe my feelings for how beautiful she is; she absolutely takes my breath away.The family was all there to welcome her into the world, and another part of the community welcomed her in this Sunday. She is protected and guarded on all sides by proud parents, older brother, grandparents, uncles, aunties, cousins, godparents and friends. Thank you for your patience and space while we recover from a pretty intense and long couple of weeks.

In such a good way…
Greg

ShareThis

My Motorola Q, except for a horrible battery life, has become my trusted phone, browser, text messenger, and email app. I rely very heavily on our managed exchange service through Rackspace, the mobile version of my favorite mini-app Backpack, Windows Live Search (mobile edition) and consume web content voraciously using Google Reader. I’m not necessarily tied to Windows Mobile, as I think there are distinct disadvantages, but I’ve adapted to the OS and its constraints and am pretty happy overall.

For those of you tired of checking mail on your smartphone and then on multiple systems, Exchange mail is really the only way to go. If you read your mail on your phone, by the time you make it to your other computers, it is already marked as read. And having the ability to add contacts, appointments and tasks from any location without having to manually sync to the other locations is so key.

Some of the other programs and plugins that I benefit from:

• Jott - for a great way to make notes on the go
• GrandCentral - once there are a few bugs fixed this will be the way of the future of phone utilities
• Basecamp - essential for project management
• Backpack - I know I’ve mentioned it already, but I use both the standard and mobile version of the site to keep notes, tasks, ideas, and budding projects all organized
• Facebook Mobile - I hate MySpace. I’m not a big fan of the addiction level which comes with these sites, but ALL of my friends and family use Facebook. It’s fun to be able to stay in touch, and the mobile interface is pretty nice and streamlined.

As I work to strengthen the brand and recognition at my new place of employ, I find my interest in the web picking back up again. After years of being very involved in and around the design community, I took a long and much needed break to hole up and pursue other things in life. And in the span of 12-18 months, there are so many great sites, apps, and new budding communities (and thriving ones, too). I’ll start posting my favorite finds, and who knows, maybe it will be a fresh perspective; a look through the eyes of someone who is seeing the web in a completely new light.

I’ve also spent quite a bit of time learning about new resources as I embrace a new platform; Real Pie made the mac-switch at the beginning of this year, and I have jumped in deep with both feet and holding my nose. Quicksilver, Paparazzi, and Growl are incredible for shaving seconds off everyday and commonly used functions, which over the course of the day save me a few minutes time. Other great programs exclusively for the Mac that I’m using on the daily: Textmate (coding), Transmit (FTP), and Adium (IM).

I can’t stand being restricted to iTunes, because I find it to be an inferior application. But other than that, I’m pretty excited about being on a Mac. Any suggestions or tips for this new recruit would be greatly appreciated.

ShareThis

Not all of them are free. In fact, I can’t think of many that are completely free. Even so, our tax dollars subsidize a lot of great things that we should all take advantage of. In Beverly Hills (not 90210, mind you), there are a handful of things that I’ve started using on the regular which are of great benefit to me, at little to no cost:

• Television - PBS HD - how cool would it have been to see Fred Rogers in 1080p? It’s still pretty cool to check out all some of PBS’s shows…sometimes sinfully boring, but often worth checking out and/or DVR’ing, especially if the show is in HD.
• Radio - KPFK 90.7FM, KCRW 89.9FM, and KKJZ 88.1FM are all top-notch radio stations with a great mix of “less-biased” news(read: non-corporate, but still sometimes agenda-driven) and fantastic music.
• Local libraries - I saved the best for last, seriously. Maybe I just lucked out living in Pasadena for 10 years, and now Beverly Hills, because both of these cities’ libraries are incredible. Beverly Hills Public Library recently changed its policies to allow their patrons to check out up to 64 items - any mix of books, audio-books, DVDs, CDs, etc. - for 2 weeks. DVD rentals used to be $.50 per day, and there was also a limit of 6 CDs that could be checked out at a time. I have 30 CDs at home right now, and 8 or 9 movies (mostly foreign, of which there’s a great selection).

I’m a media junky. For years I consumed DVDs, CDs, magazines, books, TV, etc. at a great financial loss to myself. Granted, now I have a very nice collection of the aforementioned items, but as it becomes easier to consume these items digitally through personal audio players, online reading, and RSS syndication delivered to my phone, I’m finding it increasingly wasteful for me to continue to purchase these things. I think I’ll always be a consumer, in that, I will consume or digest large volumes of information and stimuli. I always have.

But there’s no reason to support the wasteful production of unnecessary CD and DVD cases, when I can rent them from the library. I can listen to great radio on the stations listed above. And, in the instance of movies, I can rent anything unavailable at the library through my Blockbuster Online account (which deserves a whole post of its own). Instead of $200 shopping sprees on a fairly regular basis to stuff myself with music and movies, I pay Blockbuster monthly charges of $17.99 and whatever late charges I incur on my library card. You do the math.

The long and the short of it is, I’m tired of being so wasteful. If I’m paying with tax dollars to help support my local libraries and community services, I’m going to do my best to use them. I don’t happen to need public transportation, but if I could use it, I would. The Big Blue Bus on this side of town is bar none the best bus system I’ve ever been on.

After traveling around the world a bunch in the last few months it has been driven into my head again how wasteful our society is. There’s no reason for the excess, and as I have been trimming it from my life, I feel the fat in my soul; it’s like having spiritual love handles. And so I send myself up the street to the library to check out fistfuls of CD’s from Yo-Yo Ma, Clapton, Wilco, Hamza El-Din, Nusrat, and plenty more, all to make me feel better. And you know what? In the process of me checking these things out and using them, I’m increasing the circulation statistics which helps generate more funds to improve the health, selection and services the library provides.

Go find what’s great in your neck of the woods and share it with us here…

ShareThis

When I’m called in to art direct or run creative on a project on a freelance basis, I’m a consultant. Therefore, consulting with my clients is one of the main responsibilities. In that place, it is my job as a service professional to open a dialogue with my clients taking full note of all of their desires and main objectives, and making sure that I manage the communication throughout the entire process, which includes giving them suggestions and ideas if necessary.

Have faith in your knowledge and confidence in your ideas. Make your recommendations and explain why. It won’t always work out how you suggest, but it will have a positive effect on the process more often than not. The point isn’t to sell your designs or to make things the way you want to. Rather, you are responsible for helping your clients understand what you are doing for them, and why. Remember, this is your profession, not theirs. Also remember, this is their money, not yours.

So, here’s a recent back and forth with one of my clients. The names and projects have been omitted for privacy reasons, but that shouldn’t be of any real concern. I hope that this helps in some way. I’m going to give this to you backwards…with the initial response to the comps I delivered shown first:

Quoting the client (initial comp feedback):
Yo. slight curveball for ya….can you retro fit the home page look and the profile page and the feel like {client’s favorite site}? {Name here}…the lead guy is really hoping to just copy the general look of that site.

Quoting me (my response):
{Client Name},
The short answer is “yes, I can.” The long answer is much more involved and filled with opinion and advice. And, since you’re paying me, I’ve gotta give it to you.{Project name} is going to be a huge site. It’s currently #3 or #4 when searching for “{some keyword}” on Google. So, imagine the traffic and the readership immediately upon launch. It’s large. I think it’s absolutely shooting yourselves in the foot to copy, emulate, or even heavily borrow on the design ideas of another greatly successful site and brand. With all the focus on music distribution online, this brand has left a rather indelible mark on folks.With {project name} we should be attempting to set ourselves up with a new brand, with something strong that can stand on its own. Not something that will make someone think or feel like they’ve seen this site before. And the backlash in the design industry will be quick and severe if we piggyback on the design concepts and layout structures of last.fm. It’s one thing to do that with an adult site…in fact, it’s almost expected on some level that a great site design will end up with a counterpart in the adult industry.

So my recommendation is that you really mull this one over. It’s not a small decision. What if we decided that we liked say, SoBe drinks’ logo, and fashioned {project name} after it? It’s not like SoBe has the recognition of Coca-Cola or anything, but it’s a brand recognizable enough to trigger a reaction like the one I described above. You don’t want people to associate your brand with anything else. You want your brand to stand on its own. No other great site out there emulates another when it redesigns.

What we’ve created thus far does just that; and I’m not speaking in defense of the design that I’ve completed. I always know that this is your money, and you can do what you want with it. I’m not fighting for my design. I’m merely saying that this design is something that can stand on its own. I would just hate to see you guys shoot yourself in the foot before the starter’s gun has sounded. I don’t want {project name} to limp out of the gate - I want to charge.

So please think about it, and talk it through. Let’s create something that is eye-catching and strong in and of itself.

In a good way,
Greg

Quoting the client (final response):
cool…i agree…so i think i need you to look at why we like {client’s favorite site}’s soft feel…or {another client favorite}’s soft feel…and come up with something new like those. i like your design but i feel like it needs to be a little softer. give me a shout whenever.

So, the end result was not exactly what I wanted, and I had to go back and rework some of the design, but I was able to help my client avoid design suicide. I remember at all times that my clients have hired me, and I am responsible for much more than just delivering source files, HTML, or animations. In my opinion, I am responsible for helping guide them past potential pitfalls and short-sightedness (not due to any defect of their own, again, web design is not their job, it’s mine).

There is absolutely nothing wrong with clients making requests like the one made above. They like a couple of different sites and would like for their site to have the same feel. And they trust me to help advise them; I am more than just a hired ranch-hand spitting out design emulation. I will tell clients straight out that I am not the best designer if that’s what they want - I will tire too quickly if I’m being asked to copy something else, and I’m far more expensive than other cats who’ll do it for next to nothing and claim credit for the design.

If you’ve found yourself in this situation, please share your experiences. I’d love to hear more.

ShareThis