Transition out of design Apr 16, 13, 9:34 p.m.

While I love being hands on with design recently I've found myself dreading actually doing the work. After multiple rounds of pitches, approvals of concepts and wires, and the ol' push and pull I find myself saying "fuck, after all that I have to now get this shit done!" I'm starting to really enjoy selling the concepts and talking through and explaining the desired results more than directing/executing the project(s).

I think I'm also getting frustrated with the people, who are often in these meetings, who don't have to go do all the work - just sitting around emailing and speaking with clients all day - prolly making a similar salary too. Am I turning into an account guy, am I morphing into sales, or am I just evolving in my career to a level where I should focus exclusively on the concept and be removed from the production that I used to love so much? Almost like I either want to be completely hands on or totally hands off - bit of a crossroads here.

Negotiating a Bonus Nov 9, 12, 6:40 a.m.

Salary negotiating question here - need advice. Had a final meeting with a CEO and when talking about salary I gave my figure and it was stated that the budget for the role is only x but he will provide the remainder in 2 separate "bonus" installments after the first and second 6 months.

The VP, who is my primary contact and is new (so is the CEO), stated that they will not put this "bonus" in writing (offer letter) because of creative accounting they will simply pull the money from a separate budget. I know a few people who work there who have said that other people, from the old regime, were offered a similar deal and were denied their bonus when it came time.

I'm thinking that with this new regime they will honor this gentleman's hand shake agreement but I'm still a bit uncertain thinking that in 6 months I will get the ol' "oh we're sorry but we just don't have the budget for this"

Thoughts on how to handle as this is a fantastic opportunity but I don't want to get duped.

TIME redesign responsive Oct 22, 12, 7:50 a.m.

http://www.adweek.com/news/techn…

Leah Plante Oct 12, 12, 12:58 p.m.

“Today is October 10th, 2012, and I am ready to go to prison,” announced 24-year-old Leah-Lynn Plante yesterday. By Thursday morning, the Portland activist was in custody and could remain incarcerated in a U.S. federal prison for 18 months, although she has not been charged with a crime.
http://www.salon.com/2012/10/11/…

Chop suey lettering Jun 24, 12, 9:38 a.m.

Jeff Yang, who writes the Tao Jones columnist for the Wall Street Journal Online, observed earlier this week that FreshDirect sent an email promoting a new line of "quick and easy" food options, Stir Fry Kits. And, apparently in an attempt to make it more authentically Asian, "Stir Fry Kits" is written in what Yang calls that "cliche fake-brushstroke 'oriental' typeface that reflexively causes many Asians to cringe," which is called "chop suey lettering" while "Dumplings" is written in what's known as "chopsticks lettering."
Yang's friend had emailed FreshDirect to complain about their "unfortunate use of stereotypical typography" and how she was “disappointed by the laziness of using an outdated and unimaginative font in the logos to advertise the ‘Orientalness’ of 
the cuisine." From Yang:

http://gothamist.com/2012/06/23/…

Streaming live NYC events Jun 15, 12, 6:51 p.m.

I'm part of a Brooklyn based start up that's streaming live events and performances in the city. We're in public beta and right now only providing streams to be purchased in US and Canada but we have a bunch of free streams of different NYC spots.

We're testing an event tonight - Friday Night Poetry Slam at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe in the LES. If you're not doing anything check it out - https://beta.gander.tv/event/fri…

It's amazing to be working within this streaming universe, so many moving parts, so many devices to test, so many use cases to design for. Have a look at the site and if you see any bugs anywhere or anything let me know.

We spend all day designing, coding, and then spend nights testing the streams from venues
Here's an example of a Bulgarian Bar on Ludlow - crazy place - https://beta.gander.tv/venue/meh…

Use of company name in PR May 14, 12, 12:36 p.m.

Question:
I'm writing a press release for a start up that I've recently joined and I just reached out to a video player company (a service we paid for) and asked them if they wouldn't mind if we discussed our use of their video player including all social sharing, analytics, and html5 in our press release. We're doing a unique service for live video so we've been getting partners to provide a quote of our service and we include in a press release.

This particular company called and emailed me to say that we cannot user their parent organization name, product name, or plug in names in any of our PR. I replied asking where I could view this in writing and does this apply to our blog, facebook, twitter, etc. and they responded saying they don't want us to use their name in any of our pr.

Can they do this and it's not in our license, terms of user, or anything. WTF

Wowza Media Server 3 Mar 29, 12, 9:27 p.m.

Anybody have experience with this?

Shepard Fairey No Hope Feb 24, 12, 10:01 p.m.

Shepard Fairey Pleads Guilty to Criminal Contempt in Obama 'HOPE' Poster Case

http://laist.com/2012/02/24/shep…

Fairey pleaded guilty to criminal contempt. He admitted to deleting some evidence in the case, fabricating other evidence and even arranging for a witness to support what he knew were false claims. The AP claimed that he had based his poster on a solo photograph of Obama, while Fairey initially claimed that he used a different photo where Obama was seated next to George Clooney. Fairey eventually admitted that the AP was right, and that he had gone to great lengths to cover up the truth.

JetBlue.com Redesign Feb 3, 12, 5:09 a.m.

http://www.jetblue.com

Designed by Rokkan - JetBlue has launched a redesign of their .com as well as their app, http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/i…

Client's Brother's Opinion Oct 5, 11, 7:43 a.m.

While getting approval for the wire phase of a project that has a detailed contract, schedule, etc. the client provides me with a design from his brother - a flash designer. Was told to view this as examples of what they would like to see, or at least a starting point, and to consider the brother as part of the company, not an outside designer.

Not only are they ignoring our agreement to start with a wire phase (for a huge real estate site) but now they're using this guy's designs as what they would like us to do. Not only is the design shite but we haven't even come close to finalizing the wire phase as they've stated "we need to start with design not wires."

Don't have an exclusivity clause in the contract and not only have they done this but they've had the same guy redesign the logo from an earlier phase that has since been closed. Turning into a nightmare. Breech of contract?

Free Jason Puracal Aug 18, 11, 5:30 p.m.

Jason Puracal, a U.S. citizen, has been held in prison in Nicaragua since November 2010 without a trial or even evidence of a crime. Jason moved to Nicaragua in 2002 to serve in the Peace Corps. After his service, he stayed in the country and eventually bought the RE/MAX franchise where he had been working as an agent. He later married a Nicaraguan woman with whom he has a four-year-old son.

On November 11, 2010, the Nicaraguan police showed up at Jason’s office wearing masks and carrying AK rifles. They raided the office and seized all the computers and files. They then went to Jason’s house, wearing the same masks and carrying the same AKs. The police forced their way into the house without a warrant while Jason’s 65-year-old mother and four-year-old son were sleeping. The police searched Jason’s office, house, and truck and found no evidence of any crime. They arrested Jason anyways and he has been held in a Nicaraguan prison ever since.

help with a font foundry Aug 17, 11, 9:17 a.m.

So our legal team has misplaced our license agreement and we can't remember the name of the place where we licensed the font - this is all we have to go by-

German place with a yellow and black identity and a very simple graphic F as a logo

ring any bells for anyone?

Book printing info Jul 6, 11, 1:06 p.m.

Can anyone suggest some good quality printers, preferably in China, etc. who we could use to print coffee table books? Thanks

Web search + sign in Jun 21, 11, 9:29 a.m.

Question - I'm looking for some examples of websites that successfully display search and sign-in on the top nav and/or homepage. It seems that most sites display a 10pt "Sign in" text in the top right but I'm having some trouble locating good example that present both.

Trying to develop a site homepage that promotes user sign in as well as a search function without having two competing open form fields next to each other.

So far I've found
Twitter.com
VirginAmerica.com

any other ideas?

WTF - help Apr 22, 11, 10:47 p.m.

thoughts?

Music Playlist Website Mar 26, 11, 8:58 p.m.

Saw a link on here that featured play lists of music from designers, can't find it again - any help?

NYC Indoor Park Feb 2, 11, 9:49 p.m.

I designed the facebook pages for this and it's just a cool hang.
Artificial Indoor Park Brings Summer to Wintry New York
http://www.facebook.com/openhous…

Openhouse Gallery has heeded our cries and offered up a distinctly saner salve: an indoor pop-up park that scoops a heaping of summer onto the un-summery streets of NYC. The park -- realized in tandem with UrbanDaddy and a cadre of other partners -- tamps a fake lawn, lush trees, and park benches into a little exhibition space in the heart of downtown Manhattan. It’s even got SAD lightboxes for New Yorkers who feel like they haven’t seen the sun since 1981.
http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663…

full time bonus Jan 27, 11, 9:03 p.m.

has anyone who works for a company or agency full time ever attempted to pitch your company to do side work? Can those lines ever be blurred, could I propose making a micro site, or make one and attempt to sell it to my full time company?

Can an employee even invoice his/her employer from his/her own llc - is that legal? Having worked for agencies and in house I always see unsolicited pitches coming through and wonder to myself - I'd like to take that on but due to my workload and responsibilities I can't even suggest it but I could do it in 4 weeks working nights and maybe a weekend or two.

Could this and does this ever happen in agencies behind closed doors? I'm familiar with people leaving and doing some extra side work but why not while you're there?

how to do this Jan 18, 11, 8:53 a.m.

remember a link awhile ago that showed how to create this type
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▀░▀░▀ ▀▀▀ ▀░▀ ▀░▀ ░▀░ ░ ▀░▀ ▀░▀░▀ ▀░▀ ▀▀▀

anyone have the link?