Monthly archives

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Silly Design Rules: When In Doubt Leave It Out

Question.
Is your form following your function?
Is your less really more?
Have you seen the big G-O-D lurking around in your details?
And the behemoth of all design questions, are you K.I.S.S.-ing?

For those of you that have been overloaded with design formulas–here, there, and everywhere–a book is coming that blows these rules out of the water, Never Use White Type on a Black Background: And 50 Other Ridiculous Design Rules by Anneloes van Gaalen.

I have a love affair with breaking rules, so this book gives me hard-core proof and comfort in this crazy “when in doubt–leave it out” laden design world.

Happy rule breaking!

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Jinean Robinson is…

Innovative Designers’ Thoughts On Creativity

It’s always great to see how innovative designers think about creativity and the process. Whether product, package, game or graphic, the new frontier of where design is going excites me! In the age of  social media, it’s interesting to see how design can no longer be ego-centric but more social, which really, upon closer examination, is what great design has always been about–collaboration with fellow designers, clients, and consumers.

Take a look and get inspired.

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding…

Ad Biz Joins the Crowd(source)

Advertising joins the ranks of magazine, restaurant and hotel businesses turning to pay-as-you-want pricing schemes to help them survive in this crazy economy.

At Agency Nil, clients submit a work request form to the agency, which draws from a pool of recent grads and between-jobs business and advertising professionals to get the work done by deadline. Then the client decides how much the work is worth (required charges are agreed upon ahead of time).

At least from the client perspective, it’s hard to argue against crowd sourcing; those I know who have used it to procure services say the work is generally…

Thrifty Thursdays: Find Your Voice and Shout It Out…in Writing

The design business is for doers. Designing sites, breaking barriers and defying the norm. No one wants “traditional” anymore. So, in order to succeed in this business, you need to be heard. What do you hate? What inspires you? How would you do it differently? The masses want to know. Why? So they can tell you how they would do it better. That’s what this business is: one-upping one another. It’s the challenge which makes us work harder. So, here are some resources to help you find your…voice. Shout it out!

Estetica Design Forum

Typography, photography, graphic design, print design, logo design…

Typography Tuesday: House Industries

House Industries is a group of typography fiends. Check out their new type family, Girard, that has all sorts of font and character goodies within the typeface. Click image to peep their coolness video and explore the face. 

Happy Fontin’ !!!

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/

Photographer Gautier Deblonde Rocks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

French photographer, Gautier Deblonde’s work is amazing!!!

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development. Join her at http://twitter.com/germllc or her firm’s website at http://germonline.com/

Cool App Alert: Shake It

My father was a development engineer for one of the big car companies (the one that did not borrow money from the government) and he had to photograph the wear and tear on whatever automotive part he was testing. So, when I was a kid (1960s-70s), we always had access to a Polaroid camera. When not traveling or using it for work, he used it to take pictures of my sister and me. Here we are clad in Western wear Dad scored for us during one of his many Arizona trips.

In what was practically one motion, Dad…

Business Card Burial Land

Tommy Liu’s article on business cards got me to thinkin’…after leaving a job, what to do, what to do with your old business cards?  I mean, you got 500 plus, it wouldn’t be too green to trash. Maybe toilet tissue…scratch paper…floss? How about scratching out your former job title and number replacing them with a message about how awesome unemployment is?  Cool choice, right? If you think this is a good idea, scan or photograph your card and upload the image to Cardsofchange.com.

Who knows, as you express your job loss optimism you might get in their book that’s coming out soon.…

A Fresh Look at Presenting Design

We’ve all been in this meeting: Four clients and two agency peeps sitting around a huge conference table with images of website (or advertising creative, design, set of designs) projected on a screen in front of us.

We (agency) clear our throats and launch into an analysis of our work, what makes it tick, why it works, why it will help our client move the needle…influence their customers to action…add to their bottom line, credibility, brand value, blah, blah, blah. The client gropes for words to describe their reactions (good and bad) to the work.  The agency scrambles to interpret layman’s…

Typography Tuesday: What font are you?

People get fairies, names, and astrological signs and other silly things that they identify with tattooed on them–WHY NOT THE FONT YOU IDENTIFY WITH? Come on a couple tequila shots and a late night will do it

Take this quiz to find out what typeface is your mojo. Take it–I’m interested in hearing about your font and if you think it fits–put your response below in comment section.

TAKE QUIZ NOW

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Jinean Robinson is a CCIO (Chief Creative Infections Officer) who has been in the communications industry for over 8 years, specializing in creative strategy and implementation, 360 branding communications, and brand development.…