articles

biznik article of the week

| heather parlato

bad boundaries, bad business—are you too nice? by jovanna joan casey

i like this article, because boundaries are a very common issue among small business owners. it’s part of the process of getting to know yourself in business, defining for yourself what your polices and boundaries are, and sticking to them. we train our clients through the actions we take, so we may think we’re bending rules or making an exception, meanwhile the client comes to expect this as the norm. i think casey does a great job of describing each type of boundary issue and helping readers identify where they might be getting into trouble.

beyond design

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http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=11986171&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Running on Empty from Ross Ching on Vimeo.
it’s always cool to see shots of LA with no cars in them, and these are time-lapsed into video, by ross ching.

fun on the web

ball pool
[image: smashingmagazine.com]
bizarre web sites on which you can kill time with style from <a href="smashingmagazine.com is a wonderful archive of games, interactive animations and experiential sites where you can explore and have fun.

eco-friendliness

recycling bins
[photo: d’arcy norman]
if you’ve got some items that you think may be recyclable, but you’re not sure where to take them or how to do it, re-nest was nice enough to publish hard-to-recycle items and where to take them to help you figure it out!

locks in a box: i’m sending my hair to clean up the gulf oil spill from greenlagirl.com. if you’re getting your hair cut sometime soon, maybe pass the info along to your hairdresser. i’m not sure how much hair can do considering the ever-expanding spill is not even contained, but they’re going to need all the help they can get, and if it comes from something we normally throw out, i’m all for it.

diy

another from re-nest i want to share is nontoxic diy cleaning solution for swiffer wetjets which is something i’ve wondered about for awhile. perhaps i could have tried harder to get the cap off the solution bottle, because i thought i’d break it, not realizing it was glued. i also don’t want to damage the internal parts, so it’s nice to hear from people who have done it with success.

design sponge’s biz ladies: budgeting and forecasting breaks down the steps in creating your business plan, finding out what you need to make & how, and creating a budget you can use to run your business, for those who might be dragging their feet on the more businessey aspects of running a business. good info!

food

stuffed zucchini
[photo: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
i just picked all the fava beans, and now zucchini season has started in my garden, which means keeping the zucchini production in balance by also eating the blossoms. i have always loved using edible flowers, especially ones that are perfumed versions of their vegetable offspring. there are many ways to do stuffed zucchini blossoms, it’s usually a matter of what you like in your ricotta cheese mix. i like this recipe because it’s fairly simple, seasonal and satisfying: zucchini blossoms with vegetables from lacucinaitalianamagazine.com.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

infographic mailer

travel & leisure food issue 2010
[photo: underconsideration.com]
this 2010 food issue mailer from travel & leisure, profiled on underconsideration.com combines a few areas of interests in an awesome piece! i love infographics, i love food, and i love knowing what regions specialize in different foods locally, so this map of the states by food really caught my eye. beyond that, 2-color printing is close to my heart, french paper is a drool-worthy paper source, and hand lettering gives a really fun personality to the piece. follow the link to read more!

snowboarding apparel

smith snow goggles by nubby twiglet
[photo: smith optics]
i’ve been snowboarding for 10 years now, and as much as i love it, i have to say that the fashion options for anyone over 17, especially women, are consistenly sorely lacking. this week, nubby twiglet posted examples of goggles and helmets she designed for smith optics which will be available next year. i have always wanted something classy and stylish to wear instead of opting for solid colors as the only alternative to a decidedly male adolescent fashion demographic. great work!

design industry

principles of minimalist web design with examples is a great showcase of sites that eliminate the clutter and allow visitors to focus on desired information. take a spin and let it help you re-imagine the possibilities for your own site.

ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes in type design? why did i start a type foundry is an interesting look at starting a foundry and getting fonts published and sold. cool!

something i’ve been writing about lately is what goes into a logo development, and it’s really outlined how you can’t really design a logo without a complete brand strategy in place. help your clients talk about their logo as part of a bigger plan with how to convince your clients they need a brand and not just a logo.

when applications crash and we get those report windows, sometimes we report bugs, sometimes we shut them in disgust. possibly, though, we’re missing some awesome opportunities for expressive prose!

creative retreat: friday

| heather parlato

i’m on retreat this week and the studio is closed. however, i have lined up a selection of getaway-themed posts to enjoy while i’m gone. one is set to go up each day, so stay tuned…

for my friday articles, i figured i’d keep in the theme of the creative retreat and point out 3 articles that can help you plan and prepare for your own creative retreat. i think these kinds of activities are great for the development of any business, but especially for creative types, we need regular excursions to recharge our senses.

5 ways to have a successful retreat, from designsobriety.com

how to host a fun and productive staff retreat, by lisa simmons for chiff.com

plan a management retreat with lasting results, by christine corelli for CED magazine

if you haven’t planned a business retreat before, i highly suggest at least a year-end getaway to step outside your business, reflect on the past year and plan for the next.

article of the week

| heather parlato

thirteen ways of looking at a typeface by michael bierut

this is an oldie but a goodie from a few years ago. for both clients and designers alike, bierut goes through 13 reasons you might have an affection for a typeface and use it in your next project. these reasons can come up in various combinations depending on the project, but if you want a little insight on how we choose them, or why, take a look at this article, and then take an extra look at the typefaces you encounter whenever you notice something you like. you’ll be able to see why it’s working with the content and in the layout to entice you.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

HOW and creative freelancer conference round-up

how cd experience
[photo: underconsideration.com]
if i haven’t mentioned it before, this year will be my first at the HOW conference, so i’m following as much preliminary info as i can. i wasn’t aware that there’s a tradition of a CD exchange, but thanks to underconsideration.com, i not only know about it, there’s a showcase of what kat feuerstein / gilah press + design did for last year: 2009 HOW design conference CD exchange sleeve. i’ve always liked silver ink on a dark stock, this one is chocolate brown!

the HOW conference closing party theme: white space. i have plenty of white to bring, now it’s just a matter of which white will it be?

if you’ve got questions about copyright or trademarks, jean s. perwin will be at this year’s CFC. thanks to the creative freelancer blog for this list of copyright resources: got copyright?

another great feature of CFC are the breakfast roundtables. here’s a list of some of the attendee-run tables you can join in on: what do you want to learn at breakfast?

event design

identity for brad radke
[image: charles ross]
thanks to designworklife.com for finding this great event suite by charles ross for the retirement party of minnesota twins player brad radke. he did a great job of capturing the best of baseball memorabilia.

logo design

frut logo sketches
[image: adam gf]
this logo development for smoothie company, frut, is an interesting look at how designers brainstorm on different shapes and ideas: logo design love: unsung heroes. i have a few pages like this myself, most of which never see the light of day. follow the link to see the final identity system, which is a super-fun burst of color.

35 smart logos with second thought to make you look twice is a nice collection of logos that work really well for the messages they convey.

typography

anatomy of type
[image: sigurdur armannsson ]
need help with your type anatomy? refer to each part of every letterform with accuracy, using this anatomy of type desktop graphic, free from font.is

silent dance
[image: camila drozd]
the work of this lovely hand-drawn type designer, camila drozd, has come up a few places in my weekly reading, and i think her work is really stunning.

article of the week: packaging design

| heather parlato

biz ladies: how to design the perfect packaging by yael miller, from designspongeonline.com

packaging design is an entire area of design that has its own set of challenges and criteria. it’s not simply some extrapolation of graphic design to a 3-d object. it’s the buyer’s first interaction with your product, and its specific purpose is to introduce and entice. miller’s article is a great primer on how packaging should function, what you should consider when creating packaging for different products, and a breakdown of your cost options. an excellent read for designers and clients alike!

beyond design

| heather parlato

i’ll be honest, i got slim pickins for this week in non-design items. besides food, that is. today’s post will be short, savory & sweet.

food

orange-scented olive oil cake
[photo: faith durand]
i grew up in 2 different houses that each had orange trees, so i’ve always looked for new ways to use them. there are orange cakes of all kinds, but this one with olive oil appeals to my more savory senses these days: orange-scented olive oil cake from thekitchn.com [originally from saveur]. i imagine with a little tweaking, you could use this recipe as a base for a more herbed version with parmesan for a confusingly delightful tea cake.

roasted fruit
[photo: lacucinaitalianamagazine.com]
another thing i like doing is roasting and grilling fruit for a mix of sweet and salty flavors. when i came across this recipe i wanted to share it, since all the fruit pictured seem to be in season: <a href="frutta arrosto from <a href="la cucina italiana magazine. being an italian magazine, they suggest using grappa, but i find white wine works really well too.

more for moms

celebrating mom
[photo: rockscissorpaper.com]
while there are all kinds of suggestions online for how to ply your moms with brunch and mimosas and spring bouquets, there are also these cute crafty ideas you can do too: celebrating mom from rockscissorpaper.com. i love me some mom-mosas as much as the next gal, but if you remember how much your mom loved putting every single craft project you ever did up on the fridge, you might consider picking up the scissors and craft paper again. unless your mom has voiced her objections, i’m sure she’d love a mom banner. if i made this for my mom, she’d totally hang it in her office, right over all her cat photos.

home remedies

soap nuts
[photo: lisa brewster]
i’ve been trying out various biodegradable laundry soaps recently and have been curious about soap nuts, but didn’t know much about them. this article from re-nest.com has given me a little extra encouragement on trying them out: soap nuts: a green laundry detergent alternative.

creative inspiration

| heather parlato

fab
[image: siggi sggertsson]
something truly awesome to start your day: fab by siggi eggertsson

posters

826 novel poster
[image: underconsideration.com]
from underconsideration.com: Providers of witty products and encouragers of creative writing, 826 National has put together that asks a very simple, yet horribly daunting question: Are You Absolutely, Positively, and Wholeheartedly Ready to Publish Your Novel?

typography

darjeeling font sample
[image: designworklife.com]
thanks to designworklife.com for this lovely sample of darjeeling, a font release from facetype. this typeface comes with a library of ornaments as seen here that can really dress it up with cute flourishes.

las chicas locas
[image: james patrick gibson, newtypeyork.com]
i love this script treatment for this restaurant sign, found by photographer james patrick gibson outside the 4 points sheraton in chelsea.

design industry

creative inc
[photo: oh joy]
sneak peek of the new book creative inc. by meg mateo ilasco and joy deangdeelert cho, due out in september. from the oh joy blog: the book gives focuses on your creative skills in the freelance world and gives the 411 about becoming a successful freelance creative talent. excellent!

save the date for the brand new conference! after much talk, surveys and feedback, under consideration’s brand new division is having a full-day conference. i’ll see if i can work a trip to new york around that time, maybe i can go!

design tools

fudge graphics free hi-res clouds photoshop brush set is a good collection for those times when there are never enough clouds in the sky.

designers toolbox is a site that provides all kinds of tools, templates and resources for designers, everything from standard size envelopes to a lorem ipsum generator.

smashing magazine’s current state of web design: trends 2010 has some interesting & fun web design layouts on display.

how design’s top 10 web sites for designers, may 2010 is a great list of design resources online.