I sit down
I think, I ponder, I wander
I conjure the plan
The motive, the action, the conflict
My next move
I’m battle ready
Load my artillery
Get up, speak, shout
I shoot my words
My nouns, my verbs
The pros, the cons
Cant get past the doubts
The troubles, the worries
The meaningless, thoughtless
Things I hear
I listen but don’t learn
Their words won’t penetrate
intimidate, humiliate
It bounces off and ricochets
Hits a man, woman, child
So they follow the sounds
Leading nowhere, anywhere, everywhere
But somewhere
It’s pointless, worthless
But endless
So I take a step back
And glace while starring
At these verbal rapists
Taking, keeping, killing
The words, the nouns, the verbs
They so easily call their own
I fire back
My barrage, my volley
My second attack
It strikes with precision
Power and persuasion
Giving back to the man
the woman, and the child
Their freedom, rights, and minds
So I speak these last words
nouns and verbs
And let it be heard
That this is not absurd
And we are not just a herd

Blake Phillips || Art Director || Vibra Design

1. TAKE PHOTOGRAPHY
Almost all graphic designers have a camera with them, so why not use it? Can’t find that perfect texture or color? That’s fine, go out and take a picture of what you need. You may find inspiration in a very uncommon place. Be sure to take plenty of pictures, not just a few, then return to your office and review them to recall special feelings or smells from that moment.
Flickr
The Stock Exchange

2. CALL A FRIEND
Sometimes all it takes is a friend to say something worthwhile. Call them and discuss past events to help you recall something enjoyable, being in the right set of mind is what it’s all about, and friends bring you out of the “working mode” and into a much more pleasant frame of mind. Remember not to call them and interrupt them from their work, it may work the opposite way in that case.
Skype

3. FLIP THROUGH DESIGN BOOKS
There are a ton of books out there that were made just for people that have designer’s block. The authors of most of the books have compiled huge amounts of design work into one comprehensive picture book. These are often sorted to help you find a specific idea or theme. Just don’t underestimate the power of books, even novels, comic books, and short stories can help get you out of slump.

4. READ TUTORIALS
Most tutorials are out there for people who want to learn the software, but for designers it can be used to brush up on an old technique or to see the newest trends. These sites also often contain links to samples of how the tutorial was used in context of a design piece. With the latest design suites, it’s often impossible to learn every new feature, tutorials can also help show you what is new and useful it might be with a software update.
PSDTuts
Adobe
Tutorialized

5. VISIT INSPIRATIONAL WEBSITES
As a designer, it’s almost a given that you know about a whole range of inspirational sites that you frequent for ideas. However, going into these sites is almost a guaranteed way to break a designer’s block. Also, don’t go to the same inspirational sites all the time, try and find new ones, as that process alone could spark the idea you were looking for.
Smashing Magazine
DeviantART
All Graphic D esign

6. CREATE ART FOR PERSONAL USE
The key is to staying sharp and up-to-date is to frequently produce art just for yourself. Practicing is really the key to perfection. Not only will you become more proficient with the software, but you will also come across new ways to do the same thing, in turn creating something entirely new and unique. Use these personal projects in your office to recreate those techniques for a client.

7. SPEAK WITH COLLEAGUES
Not everyone will be able to do this as some of you are freelancers. But if you are in an office environment, speak to colleagues when time permits and if they’re not busy. Often you can have small quick brainstorming sessions that may help you to open your mind to a new focus. Colleagues can also help to relieve a lot of tension and stress built from not being able to think about new designs ideas.

8. WATCH A FUNNY MOVIE OR VIDEO
Laughter is truly the best medicine. Whether it be in a group or by yourself, laughter will help relax you and stimulate parts of the brain that control a person’s artistic and cognitive abilities. Use this fact to your advantage, don’t be afraid to really let it out, a few chuckles is good, but good “knee-slapping” laughter is even better.
Youtube
Comedy Central

9. DOODLE IN A SKETCHBOOK
All designers doodle, it’s a habit and you have probably done it since you were in school, listening to teachers. Doodling can often help you focus and think freely; instead of trying to create something with a purpose, you simply let your mind create something. Forcing creativity can often drain a designer quickly of any good ideas they may have, sometimes it’s better to just let everything go and draw.

10. LISTEN TO MUSIC
Music is food for the soul, and also a designer’s mind. You may find that listening to certain types of music may cause you to design a certain way, whether it be hard rock to create a grunge design, or acoustic jams for those soft elegant designs. Use the mental “flow” you get from music to your advantage. It will set up your entire session. Something even better is if you are a musician, step away and play some music; all the same rules apply except that actually playing music sparks a creative part of your brain and will help get rid of that nasty block.

11. FIND A SEPARATE HOBBY
Being a computer all day long, everyday, can be excruciating. Don’t let it happen to you; find a hobby that has absolutely nothing to do with design or being artistic. Hobbies such as fishing, camping, collecting, billiards, chess, or working out are great ways to relax your mind. Trying to be creative all day is too stressful and you will quickly burn-out. You need a way to completely step away sometimes.

12. TAKE A STEP OUTSIDE
Probably the most widely used method of trying to get rid of designer’s block is to just take a quick stroll outside. The problem lies in that most designers step outside expecting ideas to come to them. In other words, by doing that, you’re not taking a break. Just step outside, smells some fresh air, listen to the birds, and enjoy the feeling of just being with nature. Ignore everything except what you can see, smell, or hear. Then you can step back into your office and feel refreshed.

13. WRITE POETRY OR PROSE
Often as a designer you run across an idea or saying that can get stuck in your head. Use that! Write a short poem about it. Flex those verbal muscles; it’s a different part of the mind that thinks about words so you can work them hard and it will still let your design muscles rest. This way to get rid of designer’s block plays very nicely into the next method.

14. LOOK UP SYNONYMS OR ANTONYMS
In your quest to write an amazing piece of literature, you may find that you lack correct way to say something, use a thesaurus. Finding related words will often help you look at the same thing with a different spin, and finding antonyms can help you narrow your ideas. Maybe buy a “word-a-day” calendar, these are great for keeping your vocabulary fresh and they are also pretty good conversation pieces.
Thesaurus.com

15. GO FOR A DRIVE
If weather permits, go out to your car, roll down the windows (or sunroof), and just take a cruise around the countryside or within the heart of the city. Just try to drive somewhere you don’t normally go, find new back roads, or get lost somewhere. Listen to some music while you are driving as well, it’s a win-win situation really, but just make sure you don’t get too lost, you’ll eventually have to come back to the office.
MapQuest
Google Maps

16. VISIT THE LOCAL COFFEE SHOP
Yes, that means Starbucks, too. Coffee has caffeine, as everyone knows, caffeine can help stimulate the brain when used in small quantities. However, don’t sit inside the coffee shop, sit outside and enjoy the weather, bring a pencil and paper as well. Use the sights and sounds to help sketch out ideas. You’ll find you can think better if you are not really trying to think at all. In addition to all of that, the caffeine will focus your mind on a particlar thought. Just don’t drink caffeine in excess, it can lead to addiction with many nasty side-effects.
Starbucks

17. WORK IN PUZZLE BOOKS
These little workbooks are great; using them will increase your focus and help you process thoughts and ideas more effeciently. Solving problems is the job of a designer, so anything you can use to help with your problem solving abilities is a must. There are also puzzle books that will help with proof-reading and error-checking. Designers need to have the ability to check over their own work and notice small differences with shapes and colors, so keep these by your computer at all times.

18. SLEEP ON IT
Sleeping does many things: It increases energy, enhances focus, and helps memorization, just to name a few. It helps designers by allowing them to think about something without actually thinking about it. A lot of the time coming back to a design the next morning is the best way to look at something with fresh eyes. You will also find that you can judge your work much better, determining if it still portrays the message the way you wanted it to. Naps are also another way, just don’t nap all day, as this could hamper your design abilities.

19. LOOK FOR INTERESTING OR NEW FONTS
Finding fonts is pretty fun for most designers, it creates this sense of “What can I use this for?” in their mind. Fonts spark ideas for laying out a design based strictly around a certain font or theme of font. Also, most really creative fonts include design elements within the lettering and ligature that can be used in an entire layout as shapes and backgrounds. Make sure sure you have a good font management program as well, your collection can get pretty big.
1001 Free Fonts
Fonts.com

20. STRAIGHTEN UP YOUR OFFICE
Having a clean environment is very condusive to creativity. Clutter and such scattered across a desk is the same as cluttered thoughts. Organize your desk and your mind,–file away old projects, put together all doodles into one folder, keep hard-copies of all work on the wall or desk, and just get comfortable. Which brings up another point, working in an ergonomic environment. Try not to sit too far away, above, or below your keyboard and monitor, make sure your monitor has the correct refresh rates and resolution, your chair should have proper lumbar support as well as plenty of cushion, and you should have lighting other than flourescent bulbs.

Remember this, if you’re going to try any of these techniques, do not perform them expecting to be creative. The trick is to really let your mind wander in different directions, because if you are thinking about trying to be creative, it will never work. If you have any suggestions or additions to these, please feel free to leave a comment and I will try and put it in the article.

Blake Phillips || Art Director || Vibra Design

When I first began working in sales, my coworkers and I always called it “hero to zero”: the sales manager calls the top salesman to the front of the room, tells a story which illustrates hard work, dedication and drive to the rest of the sales people, turns and shakes hands with the top performer, and everyone gets misty eyed and sends their applause.

So the weekend goes by and the same sales manager realizes that the top performer has little business lined up for the following month.

Monday or Tuesday morning comes around and the top performer gets another call from the manager, but this time it’s a private meeting where he is ridiculed for having no plan for the future, “depending on last month’s bread.”  It’s a bit bewildering for the individual who is working to secure a future for the family.

This is a classic case of diversion.  Most companies do not have a strategic marketing plan in place which appeals to the target audience.  So there is no way for the owner to predict what the sales are going to be in upcoming months.  The company is completely dependant on the work of the salesperson to generate revenue.  This sets up the company’s only revenue producer as the whipping boy and begins a downward spiral into low motivation, tension in the work place and a constant open eye for a better job.

A professionally designed marketing plan is the fix.  The salesperson knows this is the case from the beginning when he receives the only piece of marketing which is supplied by many companies:  The business card. 

A marketing plan, including a publishing schedule, sets the stage for sales and marketing to work in tandem.  Once the company identifies the target audience a message may then be crafted which speaks value to a group of people who use the company’s products or services.  By referencing the marketing plan, the salesperson always knows which customers receive updates and promotions and when.  This helps the salesperson to schedule his work so that his visits are not cold calls but rather follow ups which allow for more conversation than, “hey, how you doing?  I was in the area and thought I’d stop by.  The weather is great today…uh?”

In order to design a successful marketing plan, the company must understand that all customers say “no” the first time regardless of whether you’re asking for a sale, a meeting or a winning lottery ticket.  The answer is “no” because the salesperson has no credibility.  90% of credibility is familiarity.  A well designed marketing plan will build credibility in the minds of customers by setting scheduled touch points.  In addition, it will take stress off of the salesperson because customers are receiving contact from the company even when the salesperson is busy delivering on recent sales.

 A marketing plan removes the “hero to zero” syndrome by allowing the salesperson to continue the sales cycle with many different customers even when there is nothing to talk about or no time to visit.

William Fisher, Marketing Director, Vibra Design

SMASHING MAGAZINE
www.smashingmagazine.com
A great website that always has great inspirational ideas to really get you going. They also have tutorials as well as links to various web and print resources. Check them out!

ALL GRAPHIC DESIGN
www.allgraphicdesign.com
This might not be the prettiest site, but it includes TONS of great how-to’s on everything from color theory to printing. Also has a whole portion dedicated to starting and running your own graphic design business.

DEVIANTART
www.devianart.com
This site has been around for quite some time. It’s dedicated to displaying an artists work. Members join and can freely submit their art for reviews. Users can also submit their work to DeviantPrints in their own personal art gallery for others to buy. The forums are also a great place to connect.

VIBRA DESIGN
www.vibradesign.com
An agile marketing firm in Charlotte, NC dedicated to creating passionate design work while being within deadlines and budgets. Specializing in the apartment and restaurant industry, they can create anything from promotional items to full marketing schedules. They also have a diverse and amazing portfolio.

COMPUTER ARTS MAGAZINE
www.computerarts.co.uk
The website for the Computer Arts magazine which also has great articles and tutorials for design and layout. As well as showcases some truly amazing work while following current design trends and techniques.

PIXEL GROOVY
www.pixelgroovy.com
Strictly a site for finding the best tutorials for anything design or web related. Great way for beginners to learn as well as pros to refer to for new ideas.

THE STOCK EXCHANGE
www.sxc.hu
Simply the best website for stock images… and they are all free. Containing well over 350,000 stock images in any category one could imagine, it’s truly in a class of its own.

These are just a few of the amazing sites I’ve come across. Check them all out for great ideas and news.

Now don’t get me wrong, I learned about design theory and typography layout by making pretty pictures in my spare time, so I know the urge for a designer is to forget who their client is and what they actually want. Which is usually a lot different than what a graphic designer really wants to or could do. A truly great graphic designer has the ability to push the envelope even when the envelope is microscopic with more design constraints than some freakish ancient torture device.

Designers have to ask themselves and their clients more questions than a presidential debate, and trust me, their responses are usually the same: circumventing, vague, and generic. However, as a designer, you can do something about this trend. Don’t ask a client what they want, because trust me they don’t know. Instead, create a couple of drafts using different shapes, colors, types, and layouts and ask your client: “What do you like about these?”, “Is the color scheme what you expected?”, “What do you really not like?”. These are just a few questions that anyone can answer, and by getting these answers you can start eliminating design elements and styles and focus on what the client did like.

In the end you have a piece the client loves and also the client participated in the creation which can build relationships for further work in the future as well as making the client feel as if they played their part (because they really did).

But like I said in the beginning, design and being a graphic designer is not about making pretty pictures, it’s about creating an experience for the potential customer and utilizing every play in your book to score with the client.

However design is everywhere. You see it most of the time without even realizing that someone somewhere had an idea and translated that to a piece of design. But design is simply more than making something look pretty, it’s about creating a message or a feeling, and most of the time a designer only has one split second shot at getting it right the first time.

This is why solid designs stand out more than those that were not as well thought out. However there are a few principles that a designer begins with:
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN:

• Line
• Shape
• Color
• Texture
• Space

PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN:

• Movement
• Balance
• Emphasis
• Unity

In design these are the basic building blocks of any solid design. Most designers underestimate the value of these very simple principles and decide to ignore important things like movement or color, creating a dull stagnate design which is no more impressive than a blank page.

In the end, a good design counts for nothing if the client does not understand the importance of having an impressive image. As a marketing and design firm it is our job to show the client how having a corporate identity and using proper branding techniques can help promote any product or service. Not just creating pretty pictures, but creating an emotional response that can provoke a potential customer to come to your business.

Now the sales rep at any of these companies can use everything from the pathagorian theorm to the theory of relativity to show how by the transitive property that using their product or service will eventually in the long run produce the desired results.

However, they would not likely to be at the table when the results are being measured against the initial objective.

The problem is that most clients do not know how to ask the right questions to ensure that their vendor is expecting to deliver on the initial objective which is almost always increased revenue.

The answer is a structured marketing plan which identifies the client’s business in the world as a whole and within the market it serves.  A written explanation of the value the client’s business offers its customers and who else is offering similar value.  The right solution is to analyze the target audience and to understand the amount of business that audience is giving to the client’s competitors.  To look at the competitor’s position in the marketplace and what value, strength’s and weaknesses the competitor’s deliver along with their product.

Once these issues are solidified in written format any company can start to have  a clear understanding of how to market themselves.  It is at this time a printer can be interviewed to understand specifically how printed collateral will help with marketing efforts.  Promotional suppliers and ad agencies can be called in to offer themselves as value added resources to the marketing plan that has been written in a tangible format.

Using a written marketing plan ensures that every player is moving in the right direction.  Otherwise, the client must deal with multiple creatives who are moving in multiple directions and carrying their ego every step of the way.  This equals stress and headaches for everyone involved including the client who is paying for increased revenue and only receiving increased frustration.

Speaking in strictly interogotives (who, what, when, etc…) this is the winning scenario:

The owner of the company must have the what in place.  My gig is to give the who’s the tools they need in a way that explains the how.  All wrapped in a neat package so the where is put on a timeline that determines when.