Positive Space Blog

Crowdsourcing that Actually Encourages Creativity

Zinni — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:37:08 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across the site Kickstarter.com from a tweet I saw, mentioning a new crowdsouring site for creatives. Of course I assumed that Kickstarter must be another site commoditizing creativity to the point of uselessness, so I clicked through to see how low things had gotten. But I was completely surprised to see a site that actually used to help individuals with creative ideas get their projects off the ground.

A New Approach

To those of you who have not heard of Kickstarter yet, you will be surprised to find out that the site turns the idea of crowdsouring around. The individual posts their idea for the project, and then the community helps by making donations. You could think about it as the small guy’s public television drive without the annoying hosts and panel of phone operators in the background. However, the key differentiator is the lack of risk associated with making a donation. If the project doesn’t reach its goal within the timeframe, then no money exchanges hands. This avoids a project being 35% funded with no way to fulfill the promises it made to its backers. For more even more information on how the site works, check out the “learn more” page.

Currently the projects being posted are by invitation only, which may be why so many of the projects listed on the site are interesting. Part of me thinks that maybe it should stay that way? Right now the projects are all highly interesting and full of potential, the obvious result of careful oversight by a panel talented and influential individuals. But I am digressing; the true innovation here is how quickly Kickstarter has changed my perception of the idea of crowdsourcing.

As it currently stands, Kickstarter is using crowdsouring to launch the projects of talented individuals, not take advantage of them. A system built to achieve good things, things that may exist outside the boundaries of what is financially lucrative. Things that make people smile. Right now I think we all could agree that we could use a couple more things like those being created utilizing the Kickstarter community.

My Kickstarter Project

Being the designer that I am, I immediately saw Kickstarter as the solution to a number of potential problems upon visiting for the first time. The most interesting to me, and the one I felt was potentially the best fit for the community is a book idea I had been holding on to for a while. The only problem keeping me and Marin from starting the project was a lack of initial funding to secure some necessary tools/supplies.

So with the help of Kickstarter I am proud to announce the “Chicago Griddle Guide” which if funded, will be the greasy spoon lovers dream guide to navigating the Chicago food Scene. I encourage you to check out the project and make a donation if the project interests you, Marin and I would really appreciate your support (or your help spreading the word). Plus the rewards for making a donation aren’t half bad either.

30 More Essential PDF Documents Every Designer Should Download

Zinni — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:59:54 +0000

It has taken me almost an entire year to compile, but I have finally created a followup entry to the original “30 Essential PDF Documents Every Designer Should Download” Article. The original was the most popular article I have ever posted on this blog receiving well over 500,000 unique views – fueled by twitter referrals and stumble upon. I believe that this collection is even better than the first so please enjoy these links from some of the web’s most well respected authors.

25 Design Portfolios that will Melt Your Face Off!

Zinni — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 02:30:05 +0000

OK not really, but they are they very solid and full of inspiring work (Note: The title is meant to be sarcastic, some readers did not get this so I just wanted to clarify). I guess I have just been seeing way too many ridiculous list titles floating around twitter lately, but have no fear Positive Space is not turning into a list blog. Speaking of the future of positive space, a new design is currently in the works so check it out.

***end rant*** So without further introduction, here are 25 great graphic design portfolios that have caught my attention over the past 6 weeks.

Andrew Droog

http://www.andrewdroog.co.uk

Area 17

http://area17.com/

Atelier 1A

http://www.atelier1a.com/

Beth Coller

http://www.bcoller.com/

Cypher 13

http://cypher13.com/

David Arias

http://www.arias.ca

David Mascha

http://www.davidmascha.com/

Design-ed

http://www.design-ed.co.uk/

Eric Baker Design

http://www.ericbakerdesign.com/

Hello Monday

http://www.hellomonday.net/

Ian Coyle

http://cargocollective.com/IanCoyle

Jan Felikis Kallwejt

http://www.kallwejt.com

Johannes Schaefer

http://cargocollective.com/yohannes

Jonas Valtysson

http://www.jonasval.com/

Kiss Me I’m Polish

http://kissmeimpolish.com/

Mark Studio

http://www.markstudio.co.uk/

Martin Balhar

http://www.balhar.com

Mig Reyes

http://www.migreyes.com/

Network Osaka

http://www.networkosaka.com/

Nick Dart

http://www.nickdart.com/

Oneil Edwards

http://oneiledwards.com/

Serial Cut

http://www.serialcut.com/

Stone Soup

http://www.stone-soup.co.uk/

This Studio

http://www.this-studio.co.uk/

Tolleson Design

http://www.tolleson.com/

When the Design Doesn’t Match the Messaging

Zinni — Wed, 27 May 2009 02:37:54 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I walked into the office ready to ingest my mourning dosage of caffeine only to find out that the coffee pot had been dropped. So I ran across the street to purchase some Starbucks as I was in need of some serious caffeine. I was not until I was waiting in line that I noticed the little instant packets sitting on the counter. Since I am trying to cut my coffee expenses down I figured that getting some would be more economical than getting coffee every morning until the pot was replaced.

It was not until I tried one of the little instant packets that I was hooked. These things taste pretty damn good, and I could store them anywhere the only problem was they were far more expensive than ground coffee. So when I started seeing the advertisements being made by Nescafe about their new Taster’s Choice packets being 400% less than the Starbucks packets I thought it would be worth a try.

Understanding the Messaging

Before I discuss the my impressions of the Taster’s Choice packets – which you might be able to guess from this article’s title – lets take a look at the messaging of both products.

Starbucks Via

Starbucks has done something extremely interesting. The strength of their brand has been used to convince consumers to give instant coffee another try. This says a lot for their brand, considering that most Americans perception of instant coffee has been extremely negative. But the fundamental thing here is that their messaging matches their product. They claim that VIA is instant coffee that tastes like fresh brewed, and it appears that consumers agree.

Starbucks Coffee Value & Values Campaign

Nescafe Taster’s Choice

Aside from the obvious value-based message that Nescafe offers instant coffee for far less than Starbucks, they are also visually implying similarities between their product and the new Starbucks VIA instant coffee. I don’t think anyone would try to deny this, by comparing the recent Nescafe campaign to a recent series of Starbucks print ads we can see that not only are the color palettes extremely close (looks closer in print), but they even use the exact same bold wood block style typeface at large display sizes.

Nescafe Taster’s Choice Microsite

Surface Deep Design

What Nescafe is ultimately trying to do by emulating the Starbucks brand is convince consumers that their product is just as good as Starbucks VIA, which unfortunately is just not the case. In fact, it is the exact product that Starbucks is trying not to be wrapped up in new packaging with design being used as a thin veneer to saying otherwise. While this advertising campaign may pay off in the short run, I find it very hard to believe that many of these customers expecting an experience similar to Starbucks VIA will become loyal customers. I would even argue that the disappointment that Nescafe is creating could go so far as to strengthen the Starbucks VIA brand, signifying just how much better VIA is than other instant coffees.

It just makes you think, when will marketers learn that design used to deceive is only bound to fail?

The “Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight” Giveaway

Zinni — Fri, 22 May 2009 02:49:35 +0000

I am incredibly excited to announce that the amazing people of Arthouse Films have given me the opportunity to give away two copies of the poster for their new documentary “Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight” (pictured below) along with a copy of Mr. Glaser’s book “Drawing is Thinking.”

Milton Glaser is without a doubt a design legend, and I am sure that Arthouse Films have created a wonderful movie to showcase his talent. The film premiers on May 22nd in New York City (order tickets here) and on June 19th in San Francisco, so if you live in either of these areas I would highly suggest that you attend.

Official Film Synopsis

For many, Milton Glaser is the personification of American graphic design. Best known for co-founding New York Magazine and the enduring I ♥ NY campaign, the full breadth of Glaser’s remarkable artistic output is revealed in this documentary portrait, MILTON GLASER: TO INFORM AND DELIGHT. From newspapers and magazine designs, to interior spaces, logos, and brand identities, to his celebrated prints, drawings, posters and paintings, the documentary offers audiences a much richer appreciation for one of the great modern renaissance men.

Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser’s personal life and captures his immense warmth and humanity, and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.

The Giveaway & Entering to Win

Entering is dead simple, just fill out the form directly below to register. Filling out the form will add you to the new Zinni Design email newsletter, which will be sent out no more than 3 times per year. After filling out the form you will receive and email asking you to confirm your subscription. You must confirm your subscription in order to be eligible. No purchase is necessary to win, however you must be a US resident over the age of 18 to enter. You may unsubscribe at any time after the contest has ended.

3 Winners will be randomly selected (2 posters, 1 book) on May 25th 2009 and notified by email to obtain mailing information. All winners will be announced on this page after they have been notified.

Good luck All!

Why Small Businesses Should Leverage Email Marketing

Zinni — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:58:00 +0000

Often times when being approached by small businesses designers have a lot of ability to make a lot of strategic decisions in the benefit of their client. For numerous reasons, this can be both good and bad. A recurring trend I have seen when working with these clients is that often times they are so focused on obtaining new business that they almost completely forget about their existing customers/clients/patients. Usually it takes some persuasion, but the idea of building an email marketing campaign to leverage existing customers is adopted by the small business.

Why Email is Appropriate for Small Businesses

Email has to be the most appropriate tactic I can think of for most small businesses. Not only is insanely cheap to send, but it completely compliments the business model of most small businesses. Here are a few examples:

Most small businesses already do direct mail. Because most small businesses will send special offers, promotions, and reminders to their customers they are already in the habit of developing these materials. The transition from a printed piece to email should not only be easy for these clients, it should also save them money in printing and postage.
Email is can be tracked and is easily segmented. Many small business owners will be sold once you show them all the information they will receive once they send their first campaign. Information such as open rates, links clicked, and
Email is inexpensive. The pennies it costs to send an email as compared to the printing and postage expenses of direct mail can easily be made to fit within the budgets of small businesses. Not to mention that emails are usually designed as templates with content being added by the client. This means that after the initial invest their costs are far less.
Email marketing is convenient and a relatively small commitment. For a small business, it is very convenient to update and send email without ever having to install any software or call up the designer. Additionally email campaigns can be successful with only 4 sent per year. This lack of commitment means small businesses can manage the work without having to hire new staff or add significant responsibilities to current staff.
Small businesses already are used to providing great service. Most small businesses remain competitive by offering superior service as compared to their larger competitors. A side effect of this is that their communications are often seen as more genuine. People are more willing to hand over their email address to a small business they have grown to trust rather than a large corporation.

Tips For Helping Clients Build Successful Email Campaigns

Have them add a sign-up form to their website. A large percentage of visitors to small business websites are often made up of loyal customers, who would be more than happy to sign up to receive news updates and special offers.
Discuss the difference between opt-in and SPAM. Small business owners may not be as technically savvy as you and me, make sure to explain to them what constitutes SPAM. Explaining how people who choose to opt-in to their program are generally more responsive and the costs avoided by only sending to interested individuals usually sells this in right away.
Develop an email strategy that supports current marketing initiatives. Small businesses usually participate in or hold local events, think about how email can be used to help promote these initiatives or how they can be used to find new subscribers. Also consider how current promotional/sales events can be used to obtain new subscribers.
Provide documentation on the email delivery system. Because small businesses may lack a large number of computer savvy individuals, in-depth documentation should be provided to ensure that you are not receiving a ton of support calls, and that the program is not abandoned.

In addition to the design of the initial template, the recurring revenue of email campaign mark-ups can be a great way to secure some steady passive income. The great thing about email programs is that as your revenue grows so does the client’s. Email is something that allows you to provide a great service, help a business become more profitable, and make a living all at the same time, something all projects should hope to achieve.

SEO Works, Just Not to the Client’s Expectations

Zinni — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:36:59 +0000

While I normally try to avoid work that is strictly SEO, it sure does seem like it is on client’s minds a lot lately. We have received a number of calls requesting proposals for SEO work, and the behavior seems to be consistent with a neighboring agency. Normally proposals like this would come our way every once now and again, but it seems like they have been pretty steady lately. After talking with these clients, what I have realized is that in all of the cases I could achieve what the client wanted however the results would never meet the expectations.

Playing the Expectation Balancing Game

As designers we manage expectations all the time. We do this in order to stay on budget, set requirements, and maintain good working relationship. However the main problem with SEO focused clients I have seen is that they are normally seeking a quick fix. The solution to their business objective is rarely search engine optimization, yet they are actively seeking it, and dead set on doing it. I refuse to take on jobs like these, because the expectations are way too high, and the results will almost never match them.

These potential clients are looking for the “hidden tricks” that once completed, bring in a 25% increase in sales. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way, at least not long term. Try explaining that though, most times it is in one ear and out the other. While we have been able to successfully consult clients into a proper plan of action in the past, the recession has stretched a lot of companies thin. When discussions start about blogging, earning incoming links, and content development strategy, suddenly everyone is too busy to take on the extra responsibility.

The Question of Ethics

Now that I have framed the situation I have been witnessing, what would you do? My response in the past has always been to try and consult these clients on appropriate strategies based on business goals. However, lately I have been passing on these potential clients because they seem unwilling to accept the fact that there is no quick fix to search engine optimization, and I just don’t feel comfortable doing work where the result is nowhere near what the client is hoping for.

Is there a solution, or are the clients just doomed to engage a bunch of firms until they find someone looking for some quick cash or who doesn’t care about developing long-term relationships? If you have any tips that could be of help to me or other designers who find themselves in a similar situation, please share them in the comments.

Will Fixed Dimension Designs Become a Luxury of the Past?

Zinni — Thu, 07 May 2009 02:10:11 +0000

I have written before to ask the question “How will the adoption of eBook Readers affect designers?” but now I can’t help but think about how it will affect the entire practice of design. Are the fixed dimensions of print design a luxury that we are going to have to let go of? The printed page has been disappearing around us for years, but now more than ever this is beginning to manifest for designers.

Technology is rapidly changing the way the information is received and absorbed in a way that may be even more profound than the widespread adoption of the Internet. Never before has the printing press been challenged so admirably. With the printed mediums being replaced with small lightweight devices that are high resolution and arguably more convenient to use how can we expect anything less?

eReaders and Their Impact

Recent announcements such as the new Kindle DX can only make me conclude that eBook readers are here to stay. The technology keeps on getting more sophisticated and applications of use wider. Without some sort of standardization amongst them this means designers will be faced with hundreds of devices all with different screen sizes at different resolutions. This will most certainly change the context of the “page” as we know it.

While this is a similar to the problems faced by early web designers, it is a fundamentally different problem with eReaders. When dealing with web browsers, the document exists within a viewport that can be scrolled to show more information. However with current eReader hardware content is displayed in conceptual “page flips” due to the low refresh rate of the eInk displays they contain. In some units the refresh rate is even over 4 seconds, making scrolling completely unlikely.

The second problem of which will keep fixed dimension designs from being possible is page scaling. The new Kindle DX has a screen with a diagonal length of 9.7 inches, which is far smaller than the roughly 14” diagonal inches of a typical 8.5”x11” sheet of paper. Most documents have obviously been designed around this older US print standard, so as of right now we can expect that our designs will be viewed at what is slightly less than 70% of its intended size. When I was reading the initial impressions of the device earlier today, this is something that I was very surprised that most of the tech critics did not jump on. The problem only worsens when you consider the devices of other manufacturers who all have different sized displays, the majority of which are even smaller.

What Do You Think Will Happen?

I obviously do not know what this will mean for the practice of design, will it force designers to abandon art direction because of inconsistent results, Will it some sort of system to separate content from presentation in a PDF be adopted, or will some sort of standard be created? I am not really sure, but I do think it is an interesting topic to debate, so please share your thoughts in the comments below. I look forward to hearing what other designers think.

Designing for the Web the Practical Way

Zinni — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:44:07 +0000

About a week ago I was fortunate enough to sit in on a discussion about web design being held by a group of design students. The group had been brought together in order to help share information about designing their online portfolios. One of the students – and a previous intern – had asked me to attend to help explain web design to the group. Obviously I was flattered by the request, but also dumbfounded about how to describe such a vast subject in a short amount of time. Aside from mentioning my newest project The Personal Web Design Degree I decided that recommending Mark Boulton’s book A Practical Guide to Designing for the Web was the best approach.

That is where I start this review – one of many to come – with my most genuine of referrals. Mark has created what should be considered the fundamental starting point of any web design education.

Regardless of your role in creating web sites, you will find value in this great book. Mark has created a resource that covers every single aspect of creating websites from accounts to creative. While he may not get into the details of actually developing a site (which is a good thing) he somehow manages to pack an entire career’s worth of knowledge and experience into 264 pages.

A Refreshing Approach

The number one thing that impressed me about Designing for the Web it that it is almost entirely about design, not development disguised as design. Rather than side more on development, Mark teaches the reader about the principles of design and how they are applied to the web. Not only does he do this, but he manages to do it in the clearest and easiest to approach way I have ever witnessed. It is this approach that makes this book a vital resource for design students, developers looking to learn about design, and seasoned professionals looking to review the fundamentals. If you fall into any of these segments I fully recommend that you purchase your copy ($17.55 PDF / $42.40 print) or at least visit the product page and download the sample PDF.

Quick Review

Most Relevant To:

Design Students wanting to learn web design
Developers looking to learn design basics
Seasoned pros who want to put together a solid design process

Most Valuable Takeaways:

The overall discussion about creating a successful design process.
In-depth discussion about grid systems and typography
Chapter 25 “Bringing it all Together,” which takes an extremely practical approach to comprehensively explaining the practice of web design.

Farewell Speak Up – 25 Must Read Articles from the Archives

Zinni — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 03:41:19 +0000

As a freshman in college, in the Fall of 2002 I stumbled upon Speak Up. It wouldn’t be until a year later that I became a regular reader of what can now only be called an iconic design blog. Speak Up is the first design blog I ever read – maybe even the first blog I ever read &ndash and I am sad to see it go. Rather than simply retiring the link from my blogroll, I have reviewed the recently redesigned (or launched?) speak up archives and selected 25 of the articles that had the greatest impact on me.