(This is number 6 in my list of top 10 startup mistakes.) A business idea is not necessarily a real opportunity. You need to filter those business ideas, sifting through them, looking for the opportunities. What’s the difference? An idea is just that. It has no value unless you make a business out of it. An opportunity is an idea that can be implemented, for which resources are available, that will prosper. Opportunities are far rarer, and way more valuable than ideas. Business planning is a great way to filter the ideas and find the opportunities. Take the idea and lay out the basics,…
Selected by eztephen
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Entrepreneur: Up and Running
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Top Startup Mistake 6: Ideas vs. Opportunities
9 Feb 2010 | 8:01 am -
Top Startup Mistake 7: Investment or Bust
8 Feb 2010 | 8:21 amHooray for bootstrapping. My startup mistake number 7 is accepting the popular myth that has startups always requiring winning investment from some outsider. This idea is way too common in business schools, blogs and books. Sure, a few thousand high-profile startups get investment each year, but the vast majority of startups are bootstrapped. I saw a Wells Fargo study just a few years ago showing that the average startup cost in this country is $10,000. And that, obviously, isn’t something you get from outside investors. In addition, we gloss over the glaringly important fact that… -
Top Startup Mistake 8: Misunderstanding Equity
5 Feb 2010 | 8:30 amThere is only 100 percent ownership in a company. It’s for founders who are totally committed to it, for investors who spend money and, later, for the most important trusted key employees. It’s not for your cousins, your in-laws, the lawyer who did the initial paperwork or the vendor who did the website. It lasts forever. Ownership belongs with those who are fully dedicated to the company. I like this summary by Asheesh Avani, who’s a brilliant strategist and a true expert on the ins and outs of small business and startup financing. Asheesh founded Circle Lending, which was… -
Top Startup Mistake No. 9: Incomplete Teams
4 Feb 2010 | 8:29 am(This is number nine in my list of top 10 startup mistakes. I started yesterday with number 10, and will going from these less significant issues all the way to number 1, the most important mistakes to avoid .) So many of us do it. I certainly did, in my early startup days. We think entrepreneurship is supposed to mean that we do everything ourselves. Make the product, make the sales, do the books, and take out the garbage. Doing it all works sometimes, for some people, but it’s the exception to the rule. Most of us need to build a team to build a company. Think about likes and… -
Top Startup Mistake No. 10: Unrealistic Forecasts
3 Feb 2010 | 8:30 amThis is number 10 on my list of top 10 startup mistakes. I used the list last week at the Growth 2.0 conference in Miami, so I want to share it here. Once upon a time, I sat down for lunch with a venture capitalist friend of mine. To the standard rhetorical how are you question, he answered, “If I see another hockey stick forecast this week, I’m going to throw something at somebody.” I asked what that meant, and he answered: That means that sales are going along flat and boring, with nothing happening . . . but things are going to shoot up as soon as I get your money.
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YoungEntrepreneur.com
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The IRS Gets Virtual: Small Business Taxes Made Easy
9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amOne of the most tedious things about becoming a new business owner is learning the ins and outs of small business taxes. Hiring an accountant is always an option, but for the independent business owner it may not always be an affordable – or necessary – solution. Luckily, the IRS has recently launched a new product online to help alleviate some of the pressure. Virtually Yours Free to all users, the Virtual Small Business Tax Workshop helps new business owners understand and meet their federal tax obligations. With an introduction, nine video learning modules, and a link for resources,… -
6 Tips for Choosing a Great Domain Name
9 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amThis is a Sponsored Post for Dotster.com. Finding a domain for your business can be challenging. Search Engines have complicated the process because keywords designed to please web crawlers are often not intuitive for customers. To help you build a successful online presence, we at Dotster have provided 6 tips to assist you in searching for a great domain. 1. Avoid Complications A straightforward name is easy to remember and will enhance your brand. Use common words rather than acronyms to increase recognition. Also, avoid including numbers or dashes between words. If you are creating… -
The Right Stuff: What Makes a Business Idea “Great”
8 Feb 2010 | 8:27 am91 million. That’s how many results come up when you search for the term business ideas in Google. Business ideas for internet, business ideas for women, business ideas for beginners, home-based business ideas, low-cost business ideas – there are even websites dedicated to nothing but business ideas. It’s obvious there is no shortage on business ideas. But how can you tell the good ideas from the bad? Even more difficult, how can you tell the good from the truly great? Great Ideas Start with Passion You could have the greatest business idea in the world, but if you don’t have… -
How to design an iPhone app for business – with no coding skills!
5 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amSo, you’ve decided you want to build an iPhone app for your business. What’s the next step? Well, you can hire a developer to create a custom application for you to the tune of $5,000, $10,000, $25,000 or more. Or you can do it yourself for about 200 bucks. AppMakr, created by PointAbout Inc , allows anyone to build and compile an app in minutes instead of months, all in a self-service tool that enables users to manage apps and developer accounts. Easy. Inexpensive. Quick. Perfect for entrepreneurs short on time and tight on budget. How It Works Users start by entering a… -
Equipping Your Business with Uncle Sam’s Extras
4 Feb 2010 | 5:00 amAnyone who has started or expanded a business is well aware of the costs involved. Even for the home-based entrepreneur, the expense of necessary business tools adds up fast. Between basic office furniture, computing equipment, printers, and any required specialized equipment, the numbers can be daunting. Of course these costs might be rolled into a business loan or recovered through depreciation write-offs at tax time, but the upfront costs are still there. If only there was an alternative source of business tools and equipment at sharply discounted prices. There is! It’s…
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Digital Photography School
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Sigma DP1s Digital Camera Review
9 Feb 2010 | 6:33 amA guest Review of the Sigma DP1s by Patrick Dean from NeutralDay.com. The idea is simple really. Put a large sensor inside a small compact body and you’ve got a camera that enthusiasts can carry around easily and still secure the same level of quality from their captures as they would from their larger DSLR camera. Recently a number of cameras have been released that fit this bill, but just a short time ago, Sigma was flying solo in this market sector with DP1. Using the unique Foveon X3 sensor, the DP1 offered users a 28mm equivalent lens, excellent image quality, all in a fairly… -
The Future of HDR and its Use within the Camera
8 Feb 2010 | 12:22 pmA Guest post by Dave Ware from Whalebone Photography. This note is aimed to be a quick discussion on High Dynamic Range and possible future enhancements to improve it. What is High Dynamic Range? High Dynamic Range is a digital processing effect used within photography to combine a number of images of differing exposures to create a consistently exposed picture throughout the entire frame. This increases the luminance (amount of light) visible within an image. Why is it required? The camera’s limitation of amount of colour and luminance it can record is governed by the sensor’s… -
Canon EOS 550D Announced
8 Feb 2010 | 6:34 amThe Canon EOS 500D has been replaced with the Canon EOS 550D today, and by the looks of it, replaced with style. ***Update here*** “Both the 500D and 450D will continue said Canon Europe’s Photo Products planning manager Mike Owen.” So we won’t see this camera replace the 500 series, just add to that range. –Sime Canon EOS 550D 18MP 1080p HD Movies ISO 6400 United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland, 8th February 2010 – Canon today announces a groundbreaking new addition to its expanding, world-famous EOS range of Digital SLR cameras – the EOS 550D. The EOS 550D… -
Diptychs & Triptychs – 5 Prime Examples
8 Feb 2010 | 6:17 amMain Entry: dip·tych Pronunciation: \?dip-(?)tik\ Etymology: Late Latin diptycha, plural, from Greek, from neuter plural of diptychos folded in two, from di- + ptych? fold Date: 1622 1 : a 2-leaved hinged tablet folding together to protect writing on its waxed surfaces 2 : a picture or series of pictures (as an altarpiece) painted or carved on two hinged tablets 3 : a work made up of two matching parts Diptychs and triptychs are a brilliant tool for photographic storytelling. They present two or three images which can be from the same session or they can be polar opposites to show… -
40% of Our Readers Have PhotoBlogs
7 Feb 2010 | 12:37 pmLast month we asked readers a simple yes or no question in our site poll – do you have a PhotoBlog? Over 12,000 people responded. Here are the results: I was actually a little surprised by the numbers that did have a photoblog – I guess the many in the DPS audience have discovered the joys of sharing their best shots online! Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. 40% of Our Readers Have PhotoBlogs
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Strobist
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On Assignment: Trip Jennings
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmA couple of months ago I got to photograph adventure kayaker Trip Jennings for Canoe & Kayak Magazine. Given we were fresh out of 80-foot waterfalls for him to navigate in Howard County, we instead chose the shore of relatively somnambulistic Centennial Lake at sunset…__________Prologue is PastFWIW, this is the back end of the What, Me Worry? post from a few weeks ago. Since the magazine is out, I can now publish some of the photos here.So we'll skip the pre-production info (since you can read it in exhausting detail on the other post) and just hit the lighting stuff.Soft Boxes Gathering… -
Behind the Scenes on Sunshine
3 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pmAmerican Cinematographer has a wonderful piece online about both the theory and the execution of the lighting in Sunshine. It's a SciFi movie, about the death of the sun and a mission to jumpstart it with a nuclear bomb.There's a lot of technical stuff, which I of course love. But the most interesting thing to me was psychological. They added impact to the eventual sun close-ups by starving the set of any warm colors whatsoever during the earlier sequences.There was a lot of green screen, obviously. As such, they had to create dynamic light proxies for the sun, so the actors could react to… -
On Assignment: The Glass Menagerie
1 Feb 2010 | 11:45 amSince 1983, when I started stringing assignments for the Leesburg (FL) Commercial, I have always gravitated toward community journalism. I just find it intimate and rewarding to work within a tight geographic area and get to know the people who live all around you.In the 27 years since, I have obviously gotten the chance to shoot in many interesting and exotic places in the years that followed. But I always gravitate back towards shooting locally -- especially where self-directed photographic projects are concerned.Last year, I photographed Michael Stebbins, who is the creative and artistic… -
Snooty, Yet Warm
29 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pmDavid Honl has just started shipping a gold-interior version of his popular 8" speed snoot, dubbed the Honl Zebra 8. When the light passes through the snoot, it bounces around and picks up the warm color -- similar to using a warming gel on your key light. Which makes it great for for lighting human beings, especially those from Great Britain.It's a store-bought homage to an old trick I first picked up from my friend Chris Usher. He used to scrounge manilla folders when shooting biz portraits in an office. Just roll 'em up and make a warm snoot with a rubber band.The effect is similar, albeit… -
Put a Li'l Boom in Your Pocket: The Matthews Scissors-Clip
28 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pmI had a few people ask about how I mounted the SB-800 in the ceiling for the John McIntyre photo last week. I used a Matthews Scissor-Clip, a sweet little light stand / cable clamp made just for suspended ceilings.Hit the jump for more info and pics.__________Here it is with nothing attached -- and upside down from its normal orientation. The grooved, "X-Wing" style base opens and closes to securely grab the panel-holding framework of a suspended ceiling, and drop down with a 5/8" male stud.It'll hold any small light, obviously including an umbrella clamp and speedlight combo. Best yet, it…
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Learn SLR
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White House Photos from State of the Union
28 Jan 2010 | 10:50 amThe White House photographer has posted the lastest state of the union photos online. They used a 5D Mark II + 70-200 F/4 IS lens http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/sets/72157623301858742/with/4311872762/ -
Kodak Gallery Deals
9 Jan 2010 | 5:19 amKodak Gallery is offering a couple of good deals until the 21st of January 35% off photo calendars: 35% off Photo Calendars with Coupon Code: CALENDAR35 and free extra pages in photobooks, and I recently purchased a few of these photobooks and was quite impressed with the quality of the hardcover bound book. FREE Extra Photo Book Pages with Coupon Code: EXTRAPAGES -
Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons Photos
27 Dec 2009 | 5:03 pmPlease check out my photos from the 12/27/09 event at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GA -
Chuck Westfall Tech Tips November 09
11 Nov 2009 | 10:47 amChuck Westfall’s monthly Tech Tips column has been released for the month of November 09 http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0911/tech-tips.html This month focuses on Canon 7D, 5D, and flash synch speeds. -
Canon 5D Mark II for $2,399
27 Oct 2009 | 11:33 amCanon 5D II refurb for $2,399 a great deal Canon 5D Mark II @ adorama
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Photoshop Daily
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Britain iS: iStockphoto, the Guardian and photographers of Britain team up to celebrate Britain in 2010
9 Feb 2010 | 8:11 amUK-wide photo competition aims to discover new talent and the images that define Britain today iStockphoto is pleased to announce the launch today of a nationwide photography contest in partnership with the Guardian to identify the defining images of Britainin 2010. With categories and cash prizes of £500 for Best Landscape, Best Urban, Best Culture and Good Stock – the most suited to stock imagery and an additional £1,500 prize for the Best of Competition. The competition is free to enter and is open to amateur and experienced photographers alike from across Britain. Hosted by the… -
Retro star brush set
8 Feb 2010 | 3:57 amWe hope you enjoy this set of 5 brushes – we had fun making them. They are a result of watching a really bad sci-fi B-movie but are hopefully more worthy than the film was! They can be used as a graphical focal point or make them small, play with Scattering and use them in a more subtle manner. Simply click the link below to get hold of the brushes. Please note that these are for personal use only and cannot be distributed without our permission. Click here for the brushes! -
Free wedding templates: Part six
7 Feb 2010 | 6:17 amThis is the final part of our free wedding template series and we end with a lovely PSD. template for your wedding menu. Wow your guests with your tantalising wedding menu and not to mention your dazzling Photoshop skills. Just load up this file in Photoshop and edit it to your heart’s content. To download the template, click here: Wedding Menu Template.psd -
Free wedding templates: Part five
6 Feb 2010 | 6:12 amIn part five of our wedding template giveaway, you can download a neat little template for your wedding list. Let your guests know where to shop for your wedding pressies with this beautifully crafted template. Wedding List Template.psd -
Photoshop wedding templates: Part four
5 Feb 2010 | 6:52 amToday you can download this ‘Thank you card’ template. This is in a PSD. file format so you can open it straight into Photoshop and alter the text to suit your needs. You can download this template here: thank you card template.psd
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Photoshop for Digital Photographers
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Creating Infrared Images in Photoshop
4 Feb 2010 | 4:45 amInfrared image conversions can give your pictures a unique look over traditional black and white images. Watch this tutorial to see how to create infrared images in Photoshop. -
Slimming And Trimming Using The Liquify Plug-In
28 Jan 2010 | 3:35 amMake incredible changes to your images with the Photoshop Liquify Tool. Watch this tutorial to see how to use this powerful tool. -
Multiple Image Correction in Camera Raw
21 Jan 2010 | 4:55 amIn this tutorial we'll show you how to combine and adjust a single image in to multiple layers using Camera Raw -
Cropping Tool Tips
14 Jan 2010 | 3:31 amThere are several options you have available when you use the crop tool. In this tutorial we'll look at some of the options. -
Content Aware Scaling
7 Jan 2010 | 5:22 amOne of the new features introduced in Photoshop CS4 was Content Aware Scaling. In this tutorial we'll discuss some of the basics of how to use Content Aware Scaling.
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Photoshop Insider Blog By Scott Kelby
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Come Join Dave Cross, Corey, and me in Tampa this month for the Photoshop Down & Dirty Tour
8 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pmOK, it was really just supposed to be just Dave and Corey splitting the day, but they were kind enough to invite me to do one of my favorite parts of the day—the session on Typography and Designing with Type, so now it’s the three of us. The seminar is coming up on Monday, February 22nd at the Tampa Convention Center, and if you haven’t had a chance to catch the tour yet, it is just one of those days that really opens your eyes to the power of Photoshop, and all the cool stuff you can do—stuff that really looks hard, but is actually easy once you know the secrets. -
Kelby TV is On The Air! (and NAPP news joins the channel).
8 Feb 2010 | 9:52 pmAbout a month ago we launched KelbyTV.com, a new home for all the video shows we produce each week, so folks would have a central location to find all our shows right online. Last week I mentioned that Dave Cross has launched his own new weekly Podcast called “Ask Dave” and now NAPP News (hosted by Larry Becker) has joined the channel. The full list of weekly shows on KelbyTV.com include: Photoshop User TV D-Town TV Layers TV Lightroom Killer Tips Photoshop Killer Tips Ask Dave NAPP News Of course, you can subscribe to all of these shows using Apple’s iTunes, and watch them right on… -
NAPP is Hiring!
8 Feb 2010 | 9:44 pmWant to come and work with us? NAPP is looking for a kick-butt PHP programmer to come and join the NAPP team down here in sunny Tampa, Florida (where today’s high is a lovely 65°). If you thrive in a really cool work environment, and want to work with some incredibly creative and fun people (our Web team rocks!), who really value what you do, then contact Barbie Taylor, our HR Director for all the details (just leave me a comment here on the blog, and I’ll get you her direct email). Also, if this isn’t you, but you know someone who would fit the bill, will you pass this on… -
Shooting the SuperBowl in Miami Last Night
7 Feb 2010 | 10:51 pmOK, there is a slight distinction in the headline you see above from my normal football game coverage—I didn’t say “shooting from the sidelines.” This time, I actually shot from up in the stands, because I didn’t have sidelines credential. Now, if you’re wondering how I got some “big glass” into the game, here’s the trick. The NFL has a rule that a spectator can’t bring a lens that’s more than 6 inches long (15.25 cm) into the stadium, and they measure the length as you come through the security. So, I measured my beloved Nikon… -
Ken Got His Guitar (and The Springs of Hope Orphanage got $2,500)
7 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pmKen Toney, regular commenter here on the blog, won the raffle we did for the “Photoshop Guys Signature Guitar” and he sent me the shot above of the guitar, in its display case, hanging on the wall of his office (which is pretty sweet, by the way). Click on the photo for a larger view. The raffle raised nearly $2,500 for the Springs of Hope Orphanage, and then we raised another $1,300+ from the off camera flash t-shirts (which are still available, in four stunning styles by the way), right here. Also, we raised an additional $1,000 through this blog’s affiliate program with…
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Holy Kaw!
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Google Buzz's official demo [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:25 amGoogle has just unveiled its latest attempt to become more relevant in the social media space—Google Buzz. The product is integrated within Gmail and will be rolled out gradually to all of the webmail service’s users over the next few days. While this development is still unfolding, you can check out Google Buzz’s two-minute demo of Buzz in action both online and via mobile. What are your initial reactions? Another soon-to-be-forgotten Google product like Wave, or a Facebook/Twitter killer? Full story at Mashable. Total Google coverage. Permalink | Leave a… -
Darth Vader’s original wimpy voice [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 11:15 amImagine a galaxy far, far away where Darth Vader sounded like any other British bloke strolling down the corridors of the Death Star. Before James Earl Jones provided the menacing voice of the Dark Lord of the Sith, English actor and bodybuilder David Prowse delivered the lines from inside the Darth costume. While George Lucas never intended for Prowse’s voice to make the flick’s final cut, it’s weird to imagine how different Star Wars would have been with a different Vader voice. Full story at Huffington Post. Tons of Star Wars tidbits. Permalink | Leave a… -
7 things you didn’t know about condoms
9 Feb 2010 | 10:14 amRubbers. Raincoats. Inconvenient. Whatever you call 'em, condoms remain a must-have in the safe sex tool box. Long before the days of Durex and Trojans, men used animal intestines to protect their willies (that sounds lovely, eh ladies?) and still to this day use lambskin condoms for latex allergies and supposed extra sensitivity. Want to learn even more fun facts about condoms that will surely impress your friends and potential lovers? Check out Asylum's seven things you probably didn't know about condoms that includes tantalizing tidbits like: Vaseline + condoms = Disintegrated rubber and… -
Horror flick mirror scare mash-up [video]
9 Feb 2010 | 9:25 amHorror movies love to rely on cliches to scare the bejeezus out of us, but does it really surprise anyone that the axe murderer is going to pop in the reflection of a mirror? Ok, yes, it still totally sparks a few pee-in-pants moments. Check out this mash-up of mirror scare moments (fair warning: don’t watch alone in a big, dark, scary house): Full story at Four Four. Boo! Tons of scary and not so scary movie news. Permalink | Leave a comment » -
7 things you shouldn't do on Valentine's Day
9 Feb 2010 | 9:13 amAh, Valentine’s day. February fourteenth marks that special moment in the year when Hallmark cashes in on our emotions and cupid gets busy shooting arrows. Whether you’re indifferent, excited, upset, or madly in love—there are seven things you just shouldn’t do on this lovey-dovey holiday. See a few do-not-do’s below: Go on a first date. First dates are hard enough, why add the extra pressure? Call your ex. Abort mission! On a day like this, it’s normal for your thoughts to drift to the one you used to be with, but you broke up for a reason. So, spare…
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Canon Rumors
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Next Announcement?
9 Feb 2010 | 9:12 amJust thinking out loud here Canon won’t be attending PMA as we all know, but they WILL be attending WPPI. They can’t be going to WPPI with just the T2i can they? 5D Mark II firmware delays may give a clue as to what is coming down the pipe. Will we get the 60D or the very desired 1Ds Mark IV? I do have a source that swears a 1Ds Mark IV will be around before the end of February. Again, I’m just throwing this out there. Another tidbit to think about. Canon has the largest booth at the event and have just launched new ImagePROGRAF printers, The iPF6300/6350 & 8300. Lenses… -
Apple Releases Aperture 3
9 Feb 2010 | 8:14 amCUPERTINO, California—February 9, 2010—Apple® today introduced Aperture™ 3, the next major release of its powerful photo editing and management software, with over 200 new features including Faces, Places and Brushes. Building on the innovative Faces and Places features introduced in iPhoto® ’09, Aperture 3 makes it even easier and faster to organize large photo libraries. Aperture 3 introduces new tools to refine your photos including Brushes for painting image adjustments onto parts of your photo, and Adjustment Presets for applying professional photo effects with just one click. -
Nikon Announcements
8 Feb 2010 | 8:11 pm24mm f/1.4 Nikon has finally started to address their prime shortfall with the introduction of the 24mm f/1.4. 16-35 f/4 VR This is a very interesting lens to me. Wouldn’t it be great to see a Canon 17-40 f/4L IS? I think so. I’d order one right now. Yes this is a Canon site. Don’t hate me for posting Nikon news, these are interesting lenses. Read More @ Nikon Rumors cr -
Canon Press Event Audio
8 Feb 2010 | 6:43 pmCanon Press Event Audio If you want to hear the full audio of the Canon Press conference today, click the link below. Part 1: http://audioboo.fm/boos/96651-canon-550d-press-launch-event-in-london-part-1 Part 2: http://audioboo.fm/boos/96652-canon-550d-press-launch-event-in-london-part-2 Thanks Olivier cr -
Next dSLR?
8 Feb 2010 | 2:01 pmStill one to come Logic and model ID’s would suggest another dSLR is just around the corner. Remeber this? Well, the T2i is Model ID 0×80000270 . We’re now waiting for what dslr will take the Model ID 0×8000287. Thanks for the reminder ARM cr
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Canon Blogger: Home of the Learning Digital Photography Podcast
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The nitty gritty details of FTP
9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 amAs in anything, there are terms often bandied about under the presumption that we all know what the term means, what it refers to, and how to do it! Living with such blinders on is often dangerous and I fell victim to it recently when I gave someone an answer about hosting their photos online [...] -
Camera Bag Must Haves?
8 Feb 2010 | 2:30 amOver the weekend in between packing and moving boxes, I spent a little time with the Twitterverse and had a chance to get some fun dialogs going. One of the questions posed was “Camera body aside, what are the must have essentials for you in your camera bag?” My answer was my two filters, the [...] -
Just under the weekend wire…
5 Feb 2010 | 10:37 pmAs Friday draws to a close, lots is going on here – we’re packing up! That’s right packing things up and rolling on outta here! Naw, not the blog, or the podcast – always here, but with my return to a full time position we realized two things: 1. We were kind of living beyond our [...] -
Thoughts on the new additions to the website?
5 Feb 2010 | 7:34 amBelieve it or not, people have asked me in the past to give links out to some of my preferred vendors for things like books, gear, and other photography-related items. Since I don’t like to single out vendors usually, I’ll tell people to find the best deal nearest them so that they don’t have [...] -
Shooting video…
3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amWell, I ran out of time to compile the podcast segments in the day, so figured I would answer another listener question via blog post today. The question came in inquiring how I produced video, and what my recommendations are. While this is a great question, especially given the trend towards convergence between still and [...]
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Photopreneur - Make Money Selling Your Photos
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Getting Your Photography Business in the News
3 Feb 2010 | 5:29 amWhen her friend Ellis was posted to Iraq, photographer Kim Crenshaw decided to send him a care package. Like others hoping to support troops serving abroad, Kim filled the package with candy, soaps and snacks but as a photographer, she wanted to contribute a little more. She invited the soldier’s wife and son into her studio and photographed them lying on a bed, pretending to sleep. She then had the image screen-printed onto a pillowcase and included the bedding in the care package. The letter of thanks that Kim received from Ellis, in which he described the pleasure of laying his head next… -
Citizen Photojournalists Win Sales Every Day
28 Jan 2010 | 6:34 amWe’ve heard the hype before. Citizen photojournalism, we’ve been told, is the future of editorial photography. Newspapers are shrinking their photography departments just as cameras have become standard features on mobile phones. With a camera-holder at every news scene, all a media outlet has to do is ask for submissions from any accident, disaster, terrorist attack or demonstration to be immediately inundated with a choice of free, quality images. Why bother sending a pro when the amateurs are already there, good enough and willing to work for next to nothing? It was that hope that led… -
Photography Studio Shares its iPhone App
20 Jan 2010 | 6:26 amOne of the biggest problems for photography studios is amnesia. Clients book a shoot, pick up their pictures… then forget who took them. They might show the pictures to friends occasionally but for the most part, the images stay in the album and the direct connection to the photographer – together with the potential for referrals, repeat sales and additional sales — is lost. That’s a problem that two portrait studio owners are trying to solve by allowing photographers to put not just pictures, but their entire studio in clients’ pockets. Tim and Joy Vertz are co-owners of Shoot… -
Flickr Photographer Says No to Getty
13 Jan 2010 | 8:16 amPhotography: Vanessa Dualib Food photography is usually a difficult niche for a photographer. Getting the lighting right is only part of the challenge. You also need to know how to pose the food, prevent it from drying out under lights and make it look appealing and appetizing. Many specialist photographers work with professional food designers whose job is to prepare the plate while the photographer sets up the shoot. Sometimes though, it can pay for a photographer just to pull out her camera, open the fridge and play with her food. Vanessa Dualib, an artist from Sao Paolo, Brazil, has three… -
When Photography Really Does Mean Business
7 Jan 2010 | 5:21 amPhotography: Craig Holmes It would be great if success at photography were only about talent, technique and the ability to produce a great picture. It isn’t. Earning a living behind the lens also means understanding the business of photography, knowing how to promote services, sell images, and protect yourself against the most damaging competition. That’s hard enough at the best of times. It’s even harder at a time when anyone can buy a good camera, practice taking pictures and start marketing themselves. But the same opportunities that now give enthusiasts access to buyers also allow…
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stuckincustoms.com
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Salaryman waiting for the Bullet Train
8 Feb 2010 | 11:00 pmJoin my mate Vanelli for a Workshop in North Carolina I met a heck of a nice guy when I was in Florida named Vanelli. I was introduced to him by RC Concepcion, who is normally a good judge of character — I remember him saying, “Trey, you gotta meet this guy named Vanelli!” So, I did, and he made a good impression on me. He happens to be quite the Photoshop guru, and he absolutely loves photography. He’s a great communicator, and I’m sure he’ll put together a unique workshop. I think he’s only inviting about 10 people or so… and if you want to… -
The Stanford Church in the Photowalk Storm
7 Feb 2010 | 11:44 pmRecap of the Photowalk It turned out to be a great Photowalk! I sent out a few worried tweets while en route because of the rain, and I got tweets back that there was a full complement of photowalkers waiting under the tree in The Oval. I showed up, at the very last possible second, and then said hi to everyone. It was a very upbeat crowd, and I was happy to meet all of them! I think we had around 50 there, even though the rain was rather epic, especially by California standards! After I explained the way I do my Photowalks (half shooting, half sharing online), we set out to hit a few spots… -
The Sunset in San Clemente California
6 Feb 2010 | 11:15 pmWin my book over on Layers Magazine My friend RC Conception tweeted me about a contest he is running on Layers magazine along with Brad Moore to give away a copy of my book. You can see more by visiting his contest post on his website. Reminder of Kelby Article Speaking of Brad Moore, he was the nice gentleman that helped me with this long guest post on Scott Kelby’s blog a few months ago. If you missed it the first time, you might enjoy it now. It’s called “Being an artist sucks. Being an artist is awesome.” Daily Photo – The Sunset in San Clemente California We… -
A Scene from the Super Volcano
6 Feb 2010 | 6:48 amGreat Reads for 2010 Thanks to Abduzeedo who listed “A World in HDR” as one of the Great Reads for 2010! Thanks Abduzeedo! The Third and the Seventh – An Awesome Video Here is another thing I found on Abduzeedo that I just HAVE to show you. It’s so awesome. I could watch this thing again and again – in fact, I have! You can go see it on Vimeo at The Third and the Seventh. Can you believe the whole thing is computer generated? I can’t get over it… I think you’ll see why I like it so much! Daily Photo – A Scene from the Super… -
Towering Notre Dame
4 Feb 2010 | 10:44 pmBarn Of Your Dreams now Avail for Collection! We have another Limited Edition Numbered Print that has just come available. It’s called “The Barn of your Dreams”, and if you are a regular around here you probably remember this wonderful place in Wyoming. I hope you like it as much as I do! Thanks for the comments on the prints I’ve received via email, btw. I’m glad you find these affordable and unique. I wanted to ensure that each one remains collectable and has a particular number – this seems to resonate well! Thanks again! Stanford Photowalk We had a…
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Entrepreneur Magazine
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Dirty Jobs: the Secret to Success in 2010
7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmIf you're searching for a recession-proof franchise, consider getting into the business of 'dirty jobs.' -
Don't File for that Patent Yet
7 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmInstead of a utility patent, a provisional patent or a trademark could be a better first step. -
Focus on 'User Experience Optimization'
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmDriving traffic to your homepage is important, but making the destination worthwhile is vital. -
Which Features Should Your Website Have?
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmIf you're taking things up a notch, consider these factors. -
Soup Up Your Social Sales Channels
4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pmIf you make time for it and know your stuff, you can chat your way to more Web traffic.
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Fast Company Feature Articles
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Google Unveils Buzz, a Social Media App for Gmail (Facebook Status: Concerned)
9 Feb 2010 | 11:10 amGoogle, like someone arriving late to a party already drunk and boisterous but with a lot of party favors, is trying to grab some of that Web2.0 social glimmer by polishing up Gmail with Google Buzz. The app, which is integrated into Gmail, includes the best features of Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and other well-known social media offerings in a way that only Google could pull off. Buzz began rolling out to Gmail inboxes just minutes after a presentation at Google's headquarters today.Buzz has its own user interface, and leverages the data about you that's already inside Gmail--for example,… -
Foursquare Steps Up its Location-Based Content With Zagat, HBO Deals
9 Feb 2010 | 10:22 amConscious of the advancing, diversifying competition to its location-based gaming/info services, Foursquare is not sitting on its laurels: It's announcing new partnerships with some big-name media companies to add content to its system. First up is a deal with Zagat, which will add some named-quality reviews to Foursquare and act as a promotional vehicle: Foursquare players will be able to earn a special "Foodie" badge if they check into the right eateries--a lot like the special reward badges that the deal with Bravo kicked off in January. Zagat itself will get a boost, as its traditional… -
Kiribati - A Climate Change Reality
9 Feb 2010 | 9:35 amIn preparation to the Copenhagen climate change conference, UNDP produced a film about the reality of climate change in the Pacific island of Kiribati. The film clearly shows how people's lives are being affected right now by rising sea waters. GreenEnergyTV.com is an Online Television Channel that is dedicated to airing "Green" video content for millions of viewers around the world. We welcome companies, individuals, families, inventors, schools, kids, teachers and organizations to Upload videos showing what they are doing to be Green & Watch videos on the site. We are a community and a… -
The New New Orleans: Best of Times for the Big Easy
9 Feb 2010 | 8:36 amWhat a difference five years makes. Hard to believe but it was that long ago that Katrina devastated New Orleans and made a comeback seem impossibly difficult and daunting. But now the Big Easy is not only home to the Super Bowl champions, but it also just elected as mayor in a landslide Mitch Landrieu, son of former New Orleans mayor, Moon Landrieu. While in most cities the election of a new mayor would not be cause for prolonged celebration, New Orleans of course is not most cities. It has a top-shelf reputation for political scandal and corruption, so these results--Landrieu secured 66% of… -
Green Music Group Brings the Music Industry Together for the Environment
9 Feb 2010 | 8:04 amAs a whole, the music industry can be pretty hard on the climate. Live shows spew emissions from special effects, fans travel in their cars and even on planes to get to events, CDs get shipped all over the world--you get the idea. And while climate change-battling concerts like Live Earth do plenty of good, they don't do much to change the music industry itself. Enter the Green Music Group, a coalition of musicians, so-called "industry leaders" and fans that aims to make the music industry green from the inside out. The group, founded by environmental nonprofit Reverb, has some ambitious…
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crowdSPRING Blog
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Build A Strong Brand, Not Just A Strong Business
8 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pmThere are thousands – perhaps millions – of social networks. Today, no company can control all the conversations that take place about that company’s products and services. This is an especially challenging problem for small businesses and startups because they have few resources and little capacity to participate on many social networks at once. This means small businesses and startups – and even large Brands – must find ways to empower their customers and fans to promote their brands. In the following video I discuss why you should focus on building a strong… -
Micro marketing: 5 tips for small business and startups
8 Feb 2010 | 3:30 amcrowdSPRING is a B2B venture tapping into the ever-fragmented SMB market. This presents us with some specific challenges, including how to better convert the curious first time visitor to the site into a customer and how to continuously deliver value to existing customers to build long-lasting relationships. We use a “micro-conversion” approach that we believe is a powerful strategy for attracting and retaining customers. Our typical customer is the small and mid-size business owner or manager and these folks present two key challenges: first, they are notoriously difficult to… -
Which Army Recruitment Video Would Borat Prefer?
4 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pmThe United States army has a substantial marketing budget. The advertising tends to promote strength, honor, duty, etc. Here’s a typical ad: The Ukrainian Army takes a slightly different approach. Why waste time talking about strength, honor, duty or the fancy toys when you can just shortcut to a theme that always sells. Sex. Watch: -
Twitter Link Roundup #26 – Design, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media And More
4 Feb 2010 | 6:28 amEvery day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account, I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about design, startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week! 100+ Truly Stunning Skateboard Designs - http://bit.ly/dtmVRZ Information is beautiful: 30 examples of creative infography – http://j.mp/cQ1ORJ 110+ Resources For Creative Minds - http://j.mp/b7HoEN 10 Great Tips for Using Twitter as a Designer… -
Bootstrapping Your Startup or Small Business
2 Feb 2010 | 10:02 pmI spent this past weekend talking with 100 brilliant people at ORD Camp in Chicago. ORD Camp is an invitation-only unconference, loosely based on Foo Camp. During the conference, I participated, among many other things (including an awesome presentation about roasting a pig!), in two discussions about startups. Although Mike (Thoughts for small businesses and startups on raising capital) and I (Start-up Tip: Ten Suggestions For Raising Start-up Capital From Angels and Start-up Tip: When To Leave Your Full Time Job) have written and talked about startup fundraising a number of times,…
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Word of Mouth Marketing
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Free Kills
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amEveryone is all excited about the idea of free. Free software, free content, and Chris Anderson’s book, Free: The Future of a Radical Price. But it’s not always good. When something is given away free, it kills the market for similar products. iTunes is a very adequate music manager. But it doesn’t work well for large collections, multiple users, or home networks. By giving it away to almost everyone, there is no more market for music manager software. No one is ever going to pay for it again, so no software developers have a reason to build something better. RSS feeds… -
Job opportunity: We’re looking for a brilliant director of sales
8 Feb 2010 | 1:00 pmWe’re quickly growing here at GasPedal and have an immediate opening for a director of sales for our Social Media Business Council community. A few must-have qualities: Proven BtoB sales experience with VP- and C-level execs at large corporations Strong knowledge of social media and word of mouth marketing Consultative and approachable — our product is a long-term community membership; this is a relationship-building position Honest, trustworthy, and ethical Sales are brisk and the product is popular. Current members include Procter & Gamble, Dell, Wells Fargo, Microsoft, Home… -
7 smart rules of social media manners
8 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amSome great business blogging advice (and life advice) from Christopher Burgess of Cisco: You Are Responsible: There are no do-overs. There is an adage, “Once posted, forever toasted,” which serves to highlight the reality that your information, data and content will be available to one and all, seemingly forever, and it is guaranteed to revisit you sometime in the future. Abide by the Rules: Individuals are accountable for their actions. This is a basic tenet of public discourse and elucidation. Don’t share your company’s confidential data. Don’t speak about… -
Superbowl
7 Feb 2010 | 5:14 pmZe Frank speaks for me: Best line: “Everyone knows it takes millions of dollars to create compelling content.” Ze’s Website Share: -
How to scare away new customers
7 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amWe ordered a sample pack of a new kind of computer paper. We even paid $10 for the samples. They charged us $10 shipping. We ordered $150 worth of parts from a catalog on our first order. We forgot a few things, so we bought $20 more. There was a $4 ’small order fee’. There are certain moments when you know you just found a new customer: First phone call, first visit, asking for samples, new customer buys twice in a week. Set up a process to identify these actions. Give them extra samples. Send them links to how-to videos. Include a coupon for a free upgrade on the second order.
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Mine Your Own Business
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Pricing Points
5 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pmWe ran across a great article from Inc.com that provides a very comprehensive overview of pricing. The article starts by describing just how difficult it is and also how essential it is to do pricing correctly for any business. After... -
Small Businesses and Credit Cards
3 Feb 2010 | 11:08 amMore and more small businesses are accepting credit and debit cards for purchases as they become ever more popular with their customers. The problem facing small businesses is that credit card fees are increasing as described in an article from... -
The Secret of Infomercials
1 Feb 2010 | 1:41 pmAt first glance a link between infomercials and small businesses seems a bit of a stretch, but here's an article from Steve Strauss at USA Today that analyzes why infomercials work so well. Steve than makes the case that the... -
Buy Local Movement Update
29 Jan 2010 | 9:53 amSmall business owners are usually very supportive of the buy local movement and we've done several postings in the past on this topic. One of the strongest supporters of this movement is the 3/50 Project, which we posted about on... -
Two Health Articles
28 Jan 2010 | 2:41 pmMost small business owners know how hard it is to balance the demands of their business with their personal life, especially with regard to finding time for exercise and other health matters. This posting is about two health related articles...
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Rise of the Innerpreneur
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I’m on a Field Trip in Nicaragua…
2 Feb 2010 | 7:30 amFor the Next 3 Weeks My husband, Daniel, and I arrived yesterday afternoon in Costa Rica, in celebration of our 2nd wedding anniversary, where we are spending two days at Volcan Arenal — in hopes of seeing some molten-hot magma — before heading North to Nicaragua and the border crossing at the Rio San Juan. The whole area surrounding the Rio is a tropical rain forest and, apparently, the bio diversity there is spectacular. The Rio San Juan is know as one of last ‘wild’ rivers as it is surrounded by nature reserves, and strong conservation measures are taken, to keep… -
Michelle Barry Franco: January 2010 Innerpreneur Spotlight
26 Jan 2010 | 5:08 pmMichelle Barry Franco The Brazen Soul Follow Michelle on Twitter I am: crazy grateful for the freedom to create my life and my body’s ability to grow and birth babies. wishing the whole time we are talking that I could somehow get inside of your head and see the world, your life, this circumstance, our interaction – the exact same way you do – just for a moment. in love with the textures, angles, essentials and earthy details of human relationship. My passion is for: brilliant self-expression, yours and mine. Freedom to create and love, all the way, out loud. My business helps you with:… -
A New Design Project For You
24 Jan 2010 | 1:15 pmYou’re already designing a life where you can express your beliefs and values in your work. “What if we looked at the world as a design project – how might we begin to make it better?” - Bruce Mau Try looking at your world more optimistically. Seek possibilities for improvement. Let yourself dream of ways to make it better. Be a designer of your world. “Criticize By Creating” - Michelangelo Ask Why? Ask the dumb questions. If the answers don’t work for you, opt out. ‘Should be’ and ’suppose to’ aren’t reasons to do… -
The Next Right Thing
20 Jan 2010 | 3:03 pmSometimes, as business owners, our fear gets the better of us. It’s inevitable. Running a business is fucking hard. It’s especially brutal on the self-confidence. We can’t acknowledge our progress. We want to feel more sure. We want someone to tell us our answers. There are so many unknowns, and we are risking a lot. What if WE are wrong? No idea what to do. When I feel “the questions” weighing me down, I remind myself that my business is no different than my travels. When I trekked the Annapurna Circuit through the Himalayan Mountains, it was scary,… -
Give to Haiti What is Yours On Loan
17 Jan 2010 | 2:51 pmWhat is it that you have on loan? Everything. What is it that you have of value? Yourself. Give your value to Haiti. People pay you money to do the thing that you love to do. What if, just one time, you did your thing, and instead of you receiving the monetary value, you asked your client to give it to a charity doing relief work in Haiti? What if you shared your act with the people you know and inspired them to give? What if you shared your act in the comments below and inspired us to give? I want to give my value to Haiti. Help me. I’m offering 1 hour of strategic coaching for free to…
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The Entrepreneurial Mind
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Still Just Surviving
9 Feb 2010 | 4:29 amThe NFIB Index of Small Business Optimism for January finds that optimism has clearly stalled for small business owners. "Small business owners entered 2010 the same way they left 2009, depressed," said William Dunkelberg, NFIB chief economist. "The biggest problem continues to be a shortage of customers." The highlights:Employment --Owners reported workforce reductions that average .52 workers per firm, basically unchanged for the past several months.Capital Spending --the frequency of reported capital outlays over the past six months rose three points to 47 percent of all firms, an… -
When a Bailout Plan Ends Up as Good News
9 Feb 2010 | 4:09 amBen Cunningham sent along a link to a story that looks into what actually happened with the $15 billion for small business support announced by the SBA last spring. I had raised concerns about an artificial infusion of debt financing for small businesses when this was first announced (see here and here).It seems that as of today, none of the money has been distributed. From Jake Tapper with ABC News:The source told me that the reason the program has not been officially utilized was twofold. One, almost every potential participant declined to cooperate because they didn't want the… -
Supporting Guatemala Honey Entrepreneurs
8 Feb 2010 | 11:20 amMy colleague here at Belmont University, Jose Gonzalez, has been working with a group of students to assist honey farmers in Guatemala.They all spent time in Guatemala over part of the Christmas break and are now back working on plans to help these farmers. Toward that end they have entered their project in Dell's Social Innovation Competition.Here is our students' entry into this competition to set up an entity to support these farmers and to expand a microloan fund:Our plan is to support the creation of an independent venture that manages the production and commercialization of Fair… -
Don't Add to the Challenges of Startup
4 Feb 2010 | 4:01 amThere are enough challenges with start-ups -- finding capital, finding space, attracting customers, reaching breakeven, hiring employees, etc., etc.. Why do so many entrepreneurs add interpersonal problems to this the already long list of challenges that must be dealt with during startup?I have written often about the pitfalls of working with partners in entrepreneurial ventures (see here and here for a couple of recent musings). When a partnership works well, it can help you achieve things you never could have achieved alone. That was certainly the case with some of my partners… -
There is Still Money Out There
3 Feb 2010 | 4:23 amWhile money is harder to come by, there is still money out there for deals that hold promise.Last year the Forbes America's Most Promising Companies identified twenty entrepreneurial ventures with strong promise for growth.In a follow-up, we find that many of these firms have had success in raising money. Mind you, it has not been a flood gate of cash flow opening for these firms even with the publicity from this event. But, together they have raised about $19 million.But, because funding is still limited, the firms in this group are being prudent with every dollar they raise,…
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The Accidental Entrepreneur's Guide
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Why one just-right client is all it takes to get more clients
8 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amIf you've been going round in circles trying to figure out how to get more clients, I have good news for you. If you concentrate on getting to know one--only one--just-right client really well, you can use that to get many more clients. Psst. Applications are open for the Goldilocks Strategy for Getting Clients that Fit Just-Right. Details here. -
Self Care for the Accidental Entrepreneur
4 Feb 2010 | 10:36 amHere's a brief but inspiring video from my buddy Jen Louden. It refers to her upcoming Virtual Retreat, an affordable option for anyone who is strapped for the time and $$ they need for self-care. I've agreed to be a partner in that oh-so-worthy offering. Enjoy! Untitled from jennifer louden on Vimeo. -
How to turn mistakes into profits
1 Feb 2010 | 11:06 amEven the most talented artists need to learn their craft. The same is true of learning how to make a profit when you work for yourself. And we learn largely by trial and error. The artist has the luxury of making mistakes in private, or at least in the relatively private confines of the studio. But attempts to make a profit are necessarily public. And that brings up all kinds of stuff. Embarrassment. Feelings of rejection. Self-doubt. All of which can make you reluctant to try again. And if you don't try again (and again, and again), you'll be lucky if you make ends meet, let alone make a… -
Getting Clients: Your Personal Safety Zone
28 Jan 2010 | 3:18 pmThe single most important tool you can have when it comes to getting clients is a Personal Safety Zone. Find out why. -
Is your business caught in the feel good trap?
22 Jan 2010 | 4:24 pmSo, imagine you're crossing a stream. Half way across, you decide you don't feel like stepping on the next rock. You're just not in the mood. So you don't. And you don't step on the one after that. Do you expect to get to the other side? Of course not. But that could be how you're relating to self-employment. The feel good trap One of the traps self-employment can set for us is believing that it should feel good. Even if our work pulls us out of self-absorption, it's easy for the feel-good trap to keep us from doing less appealing things. Like marketing. Or selling. Or bookkeeping. Perhaps it…
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Positive Psychology News Daily
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No Worries, Andy! Immunize Yourself Against Job Anxiety
9 Feb 2010 | 8:45 amFebruary 9, 2010By Christine Duvivier - The other day, 20-year-old Andy said to me, “I just don’t know what I want to do with my life, and I worry that I’m not going to get a good job when I graduate.” In the past year, I have heard this concern so many times from students that I decided to write… An open letter to college and high school students Dear Student, Don’t worry when people tell you it will be hard to find a job because_________ [select from below]: The economy isn’t strong You don’t get top grades You don’t know what you… -
Strengths – for what Purpose?
7 Feb 2010 | 4:28 pmFebruary 7, 2010By Denise Quinlan - Strengths Stocktake When people take stock of their character strengths, there is usually an initial pleasure. Character strengths, after all, are 24 things that go right with people and that communities have valued over time. Soon, many people move on to “How can I be better?” People choose strengths to develop, for example, to be kinder, have more self-regulation, or have more courage. This can become a pursuit of better, faster, stronger – unless we stop and really consider what we are doing this for. What do you use your strengths in… -
What Do You Fail to Notice?
5 Feb 2010 | 7:21 amFebruary 5, 2010By Sherri Fisher - We like to think that we are in charge of our choices. Even the positive psychology happiness pizza (apologies to Sonja Lyubomirsky) shows us that 40% of the variance in happiness among people is the result of personal choice. But what if making a choice or decision is based on things that we don’t notice? A new article from Song and Schwarz at the University of Michigan looks at the consequences. Choice and Processing Sometimes we are faced with a task that will require one or more choices. Song and Schwarz have shown that what we choose depends on what… -
Empowerment at Work
3 Feb 2010 | 7:19 amFebruary 3, 2010By Amanda Horne - Are there positive ways to combat employee negativity? Are you interested in improving personal and organizational performance and at the same time personal and organizational well-being? Summer Over the long Christmas / New Year / summer break which many Australians enjoy, I took the opportunity to organize my filing. I discovered articles lurking in the “to read” list. Happy to use PPND as an excuse to kick off the year with some research and reading, I chose to read an article about the role of positive organizational behavior and transformational… -
Meditative Exercise
1 Feb 2010 | 10:58 amFebruary 1, 2010By Wayne Jencke - MeditatorInfluential people like Sonja Lyubomirsky, Tal Ben-Shahar, and Barbara Fredrickson advocate meditation as a positive intervention. This enthusiasm is probably driven by research suggesting that meditation can have a profound impact on health and well-being. For example meditation has been linked to higher levels of positive emotions, the ability to reframe negative events, the perception of having enough, lowered blood pressure, improved sleep, improved working memory, sustained attention, and improved relationships. Interestingly there is new…
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The Happiness Project
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Are You in a Book Group? Want a Reading Group Guide?
8 Feb 2010 | 8:27 amHappiness is a great book group meeting! I'm in three book groups -- one in which we read books aimed at adults, two in which we read book aimed at children and young adults. Being part of these books groups is among the joys of my life. So I'm a big fan of book groups. In general, I've heard, book groups don't choose books that are only available in hardback, so I've been surprised to hear from a lot of people that their groups have read The Happiness Project. It's thrilling to imagine a book group reading my book. Zoikes! If you do choose The Happiness Project, if you'd be interested, you… -
"There Is Certainly No Greater Happiness..."
8 Feb 2010 | 5:44 am“There is certainly no greater happiness, than to be able to look back on a life usefully and virtuously employed, to trace our own progress in existence, by such tokens as excite neither shame nor sorrow.” -- Samuel Johnson * A reader sent me the link to this fabulous item on etsy -- a great, stylish way to track resolutions. I love it! * Want to launch a group for people doing happiness projects together? I'm in a group like that myself, and I love it! If so, read more here and sign up here for a starter kit to help get you going. -
Schedule Time for Play.
5 Feb 2010 | 11:54 amI’m working on my Happiness Project, and you could have one, too! Everyone’s project will look different, but it’s the rare person who can’t benefit. Join in -- no need to catch up, just jump in right now. Each Friday’s post will help you think about your own happiness project. One of my favorite resolutions – but also kept with great difficulty – is to Schedule time for play. I often get teased about this resolution, because people think it sounds incongruous, and even silly, to schedule time for play. Play should be spontaneous, right? Aren’t we naturally alert for… -
Happiness Is…A Great Book Event in Toronto.
5 Feb 2010 | 11:38 amI had such a great time in Toronto – I’d never been to Toronto, or even Canada, before this trip. I met a lot of interesting people during the day, and last night the famous Heather Reisman of Indigo Books and I had a conversation at one of the wonderful Indigo bookstores. Interesting note about Toronto: I saw a street sign that said, “Pedestrians obey your signals.” You don’t see this in New York City! We dart out the minute we see a break in traffic. * Interested in starting your own happiness project? If you’d like to take a look at my personal Resolutions Chart, for… -
"Marriage is About...Tea, Doctor's Appointments, Trivia, Quirks."
4 Feb 2010 | 10:39 amFrom time to time, I post short interviews with interesting people about their insights on happiness. During my study of happiness, I’ve noticed that I often learn more from one person’s highly idiosyncratic experiences than I do from sources that detail universal principles or cite up-to-date studies. I’m much more likely to be convinced to try a piece of advice urged by a specific person who tells me that it worked for him or her, than by any other kind of argument. The relationships among love, marriage, and expectations are some of the most complex and important issues within the…
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So Be Organized
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Time & Energy Vampires Tip #6
5 Feb 2010 | 6:15 pmHere's part 6 of our time saving tips from our guest Blogger Mark Nolan at http://www.morejoyinlife/6. Delegate time-wasting tasks to someone else. If you owned a big business, would you answer the phone yourself, or would you have a receptionist do it? Would you act as your own delivery boy, or would you hire someone to do that? The best use of your time is to do the one thing you do best, and to delegate the rest to folks who excel at those things.Image by David Corry via FlickrCopyright (c) by Mark Nolan and republished with permission of the author. -
Time & Energy Vampires Tip #5
28 Jan 2010 | 6:14 amHere's tip # 5 from our guest Blogger by Mark Nolan at http://www.morejoyinlife.comJust say no to many boring social situations. Are you dreading going to the time-wasting meeting or function of the Time Vampires Anonymous group? Just politely and firmly say, “Sorry I have something else planned.” Don’t elaborate. The person is not your Dad or your boss or your banker, and you do not owe them any further explanation.Copyright (c) by Mark Nolan and republished with permission of the author.Image by Getty Images via Daylife -
Essential Laundry Room Tips
27 Jan 2010 | 5:27 amCheck out http://www.thegoodstuffguide.com/ for some laundry room tips by yours truly. -
Goals are dreams with deadlines
26 Jan 2010 | 5:22 amImage by kevindooley via FlickrGoals are dreams with deadlines. ~Diana Scharf HuntWhat are your dreams ? Be brutally honest and write them down. It does make you vulnerable but isn't that better than never airing them out in daylight ? Break your dream down into doable steps. Commit to doing one step today. Today. Repeat. Tweak. Repeat. -
The doors we open and close ....
25 Jan 2010 | 5:17 amThe doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live. ~Flora Whittemore * Image by Aunt Owwee via FlickrWhenever I've had enough sleep, not over done it on sugar and have no major stressors the world is really a nicer place. The more open minded and flexible my mind can be, the more possibilities and options I have. Not saying I do this daily, but when it all comes together the world is a much nicer place. Just saying.* Thanks @paula eder for the quote
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PickTheBrain
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Simplifying Your Life: Why Less Is More
9 Feb 2010 | 1:28 amWe’ve done the binge thing for awhile; now it’s time to do the purge thing. Most of us have a tremendous amount of excess. Too many expenses, too much stuff, too many commitments and responsibilities. Do you dream of calm over chaos? Do you wish you could hit a button and be transformed to the tranquility of another era? You can create an oasis of peace for yourself and your family, but you’re going to have to relearn what it means to simplify as I bust the top three myths about the subject over the next month. Myth #1 – Simplifying means having and doing less. -
How to Stop Waiting for Permission
8 Feb 2010 | 10:03 amWhen you were a child, you often had to wait for permission to do something. Perhaps you needed to be a certain age before you were allowed to use the oven or cross the road by yourself. Maybe you needed to ask mom before you got a snack. Even as a teen, you had to stick to rules: curfew, acceptable music volume, homework… Once you’re eighteen, you’re free to do what you want (within the bounds of legality). So why do we get stuck waiting for permission? You’ll know what I mean, even if you’ve never consciously acknowledged it. Maybe: You’re waiting for someone to say that… -
How To Bust Stress With Mindfulness
4 Feb 2010 | 11:02 pmAre you worrying, hurrying or stressed? Stress comes with a long list of damaging effects of stress like heart disease, high blood pressure, accelerated aging, anxiety, depression, anger, forgetfulness, learning difficulty and sleep disorder. When we are stressed, we try to forget about stress by doing something else such as shopping, eating, watching a movie, listening to music, or even taking mind altering substances. By doing so, we might get a temporary relief from the stress but often end up more stressed. A good news is that scientists discovered very effective way of reducing stress… -
6 Traits that Separate Winners from Whiners
4 Feb 2010 | 9:54 amHave you ever been blind sided by an unexpected event that threatened to throw your dreams, hopes, and life plans off-course? If nothing that grandiose has happened (lucky you!), how about just being surprised by small obstacles that threaten to ruin your day? Big or small, unexpected events will happen. You can not avoid them, you can only control how you respond to them. It is in those critical moments after the unexpected occurs that ultimately determine your long term success. Think about it: anyone can do well when everything is going great. What separates people who succeed (the… -
Should Your Child Be Learning Mandarin?
3 Feb 2010 | 9:33 amReports in the NY Times and elsewhere point to the rise of Chinese language instruction in our schools, against the backdrop of the demise of language learning in general. People justify this rush to Chinese by referring to the growth of the Chinese economy. The US government has declared Chinese a “critical language.” How realistic is this Chinese boom, and will it last? Here is a reality check. 1) Chinese will probably not help your kid get a job. Chinese is being touted as the language of the future, given the growth of the Chinese economy. Some predict that a knowledge of…
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Guy Kawasaki
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How to Avoid Gullibility
8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pmWe’ve all been sucked into doing something stupid, right? Fortunately, Steven Greenspan has written a book called Annals of Gullibility. In its conclusion he explains how to avoid gullibility, and I’ve provided a synopsis for you. Read the full story at the American Express Open Forum. More on psychology if you need the advice. -
How to Be Empathetic
4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 pmBy definition, good marketers are empathetic. That is, they have a capacity to understand and care for the needs of others. Bruna Martinuzzi explains how to be empathetic over at the American Express Open Forum. -
How to Not Be Annoying on Twitter
4 Feb 2010 | 10:19 pmAmber MacArthur explains how to not be annoying on Twitter over at the American Express Open Forum. Sage advice for you to develop a great reputation and following on Twitter. More Twitter tips. -
The Elements of Guyle: British Blogging
27 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pmWant to make your blog classier? You should blog like a Brit. I explain how to do this in ten easy steps. -
How to follow the Apple announcement
27 Jan 2010 | 7:56 amFollow the Apple announcement at Apple.alltop. We aggregate over 200 sources there.
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Creativity & Innovation
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Improvisational Cuisine
8 Feb 2010 | 12:25 pmI just learned of a restaurant where the kitchen improvises your meal (thanks to Leslie Marticke of SCAD): it’s called POSH and it’s in Scotsdale, Arizona. From their web site: POSH serves a seasonal coursed menu, starting with 4 courses, up to as many as desired. How it works…we offer a list of main ingredients, requesting you to CROSS OFF which items you DISLIKE, then our creative chefs surprise you with the remaining selections. We have a spot at the bottom of the list to add additional dislikes or particular medical conditions (allergies). The kitchen is essentially a… -
Microsoft and Innovation
6 Feb 2010 | 8:24 amI just read a fascinating articled by Dick Brass*, who was a vice president at Microsoft from 1997 to 2004. He wrote the article on the occasion of Apple’s release last week of the iPad, a table computer. Many people are probably unaware that Microsoft has been advocating table computing for about ten years. Dick Brass was the guy in charge of tablet computing at Microsoft, so it’s fascinating to read his account of why Microsoft failed with their tablet PC, with a ten-year head start over Apple. (Of course, we don’t yet know whether Apple will also fail or not…but… -
Cross Understanding in Teams
8 Jan 2010 | 12:02 pmThe term “cross understanding” comes from a new article by George Huber and Kyle Lewis at UT Austin. It’s essentially a theoretical elaboration of the widespread observation that “T-Shaped” people result in more innovative collaborations.The term “T-shaped people” is usually attributed to Tim Brown of IDEO and a 2007 article in Fast Company magazine, where Tim says: We look for people who are so inquisitive about the world that they’re willing to try to do what you do. We call them “T-shaped people.” They have a principal skill… -
Jugaad and Bricolage
31 Dec 2009 | 2:42 pmBusiness Week* reports on a management fad from India, that goes by a Hindi slang word, jugaad (say joo-gaardh). It means “an improvisational style of innovation”. It’s “inexpensive invention on the fly”. It sometimes has negative connotations, like cutting corners. The idea is that it doesn’t have to be perfect or fancy; it’s just good enough to satisfy immediate needs. (Implicit in the Western fascination with this concept is the assumption that Westerners want products to satisfy more than basic needs, like to match their lifestyle, or provide… -
Massively Collaborative Mathematics
26 Dec 2009 | 12:46 pmI like this story from the 15 October 2009 issue of the journal Nature, about how a pair of blogs allowed dozens of contributors to collaboratively solve a theorem that no single mathematician had been able to solve: the Density Hales-Jewitt Theorem (DHJ for short). The mathematician who created the blog was Timothy Gowers, a Professor at the University of Cambridge and a holder of the Fields Medal, the highest honor a mathematician can receive. Even someone of Gowers’ high caliber was not able to solve the theorem. So he decided to try an experiment: He posted on his blog an…
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Think Differently!!
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Seth Godin's New Killer iPad Application
6 Feb 2010 | 10:59 pmSeth Godin believes he has designed a killer iPad application: a nonlinear multimedia presentation and collaboration application. Well, almost. He has specified what he wants it to do, and has challenged entrepreneurs to go out and build it. Here's his concept overview: "It's a collection of pages (slides, images, type, let's call them pages) that are easy to navigate in a non-linear way. I'd like to be able to write on any of them in real time using my finger. I can also call up, on demand, a calculator or a blank drawing pad. I want to be able to play a presentation the same way some… -
29 Decisions To Make When Building and Operating Your Blog
6 Feb 2010 | 6:15 amProBlogger recently posted an article listing 29 debates within the blogging community - 29 topic areas where there are different schools of thought in the blogging community regarding best practices when starting and running a blog. For anyone starting or operating a blog, this is a great list to see where you and your blog sit on each of the 29 points of discussion. For example: #25 Monetization: Blogs should be Monetized vs Blogs Should Never Be Monetized? #1 RSS Feeds: Full RSS feeds vs Partial RSS feeds? -
Prediction: The New Apple 24" Desktop iPad!
5 Feb 2010 | 4:42 pmI have a prediction for one piece of new Apple technology over the next 2 year period: "following the success of the iPad when the apps come on board, Apple will design and release a desktop sized version of the iPad with around a 20" or 24" screen that is fully touch sensitive as well as mouse operated, and will run all of the existing iPad software apps and distribute all its published content to your desktop as well as running all the existing desktop software applications your 24" or 27" iMac does. Your iPad will be repositioned a lightweight portable version of your desktop, for use in… -
Technology Industry Analysts: The iPad WILL Be A Hit
5 Feb 2010 | 4:30 pmA few posts back I suggested that the iPad will be a hit when 3rd party software developers develop game changing apps for the iPad, and enough distributors content comes online through the iPad.Read Write Web recently posted a round up of technology analysts predictions for the iPad, where the analysts have come to the same conclusions.Amongst other thoughts, the analysts predict thatthe iPad will sell between 1 and 6 million units in FY 2010 and 4 and 9 million in FY 2011the iPad will become a real hit when the iPad apps arrivethe iPad will be a casual gaming device but not a 'serious'… -
Game Changing Software Applications On the iPad?
5 Feb 2010 | 2:55 pmChuck Frey of the Mind Mapping Software Blog has been following developments in the mind mapping software space, including how mind mapping software developers are responding to opportunities around the iPad. One example of the excitement is iPhone mind mapping software developer Craig Scott of iThoughts. Craig suggests mind mapping software on the iPad may be one of the "game changers" we have been looking for. This is what Craig had to say:"Having watched the launch of iPad last week . . . I really do believe that it will be game changing.. . . an iPad specific version of iThoughts . . .
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Writing on the Web
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Why Video Works with Content Marketing to Attract Clients- An Audio Interview
9 Feb 2010 | 6:45 amDo you have personality? And are you showing it to your blog readers? Do they know what you look like and sound like, and can they get a glimpse of what your office space looks like? Do they know your hobbies, where you live? Right now I'm in pajamas and there's a few strands of hair sticking up in the air. My work space is full of papers, books, coffee and Huey, the cat. But a professional video might show a different view... One of the things I put forth in the Click Predictions ebook for content marketing trends for 2010 is that companies are going to start showing more… -
Content Marketing for Online Profits - Video
8 Feb 2010 | 4:10 amHere's my video description of the new ebook I released last week, Content Marketing for Online Profits. I have to ask your forgiveness for my amateur video which I shot myself with an inexpensive Logitech Web cam, on a Sunday morning at home. My intention was to write a polished script and do a better job than this, but I've run out of time. The important message is that if you haven't done so already, please click this link to register to gain access to Content Marketing for Online Profits. It's an online learning program brought to you through MyKnowledgeGenie.com,… -
Content Marketing Profits: Learn for Free...
6 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amIf you'd like to learn about how online content works to get found, get known, get clients and make sales, register for Content Marketing for Online Profits. It's free, and from what readers tell me, it's easy to use and learn from. Click, register, get instant access. Then tell me what you think! -
How Does Content Marketing Lead to Sales?
5 Feb 2010 | 5:32 amThis is the real question, isn't it? After writing good content that educates and entertains, after posting on web pages, blogs, and a few key social media sites... how does content work to generate sales?"Show me the money," you might say.For some people, if the ROI can't be pin-pointed, forget about it. I'll leave the analytics to experts. Google keywords like "return on investment content marketing," for example. There's no question that the return on investment of content marketing can be measured and proven. If it didn't, then why would 6 out… -
10 Content Marketing Success Tips
3 Feb 2010 | 3:24 pmAre you writing this down? Take notes, these 10 tips for online success with Content Marketing are important. I didn't write them, but one of my favorite bloggers did, Adam Singer over at Online Marketing Blog. (#1 top Junta42 Content Marketing blog).Here's what he says:"As more companies, marketers and industry professionals flood the web with content, the value of those with a true understanding of content marketing keeps going up. "More noise increases the value of signal. If your content marketing defines you as that source of signal, you’ll consistently be found,…
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Buzz Marketing for Technology
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B2B Marketing: Trust + Community = ROI
9 Feb 2010 | 8:34 amTrust is not a new thing when it comes to marketing and communications as evidenced by one of the most awaited studies in the communications world is always the annual Edelman Public Relations Trust Barometer. Trust is not a new thing in the world of sales either – its a fact that people enjoy buying from people that they trust and in B2B Marketing part of our job is to shorten the time spent building trust so sales can have an easier time and focus on selling. Social Media changes that and elevates Trust to the individual level. This is actually good news for the B2B Marketer. We get… -
B2B Marketing Content: Lure or Lasso?
4 Feb 2010 | 8:43 amI picked this saying up from Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book called Crush It. I really liked the idea of content having dual purposes and not just the purpose of posting to your website or blog. The lure part is really about a steady stream of content that is consistent in its frequency which is why as people come to depend on it brings people back to your site time and time again. You can call it Inbound Marketing (like the folks at HubSpot do) or you could call it Content Marketing (like the folks at Junta42 do) but whatever you call it its the basis for all your online activity. The lasso… -
Social Media is not a campaign it’s a commitment!
2 Feb 2010 | 8:47 amA while back I created a post called – There is no “campaign” in Social Media because when marketers use the word “campaign,” it tends to suggest an initiative to get a message out to a targeted group of constituents. It also implies there will be a beginning and, somewhere down the road, an ending. And I still believe that is the case … And despite a number of comments I got about that post both positive and negative – I think I stopped short of really nailing the issue which is – social media is more than a campaign it a commitment! Its a commitment… -
Influencers vs Advocates in B2B Marketing
28 Jan 2010 | 8:35 amAccording to Wikipedia – Influencer Marketing is a form of marketing that has emerged from a variety of recent practices and studies, in which focus is placed on specific key individuals (or types of individual) rather than the target market as a whole. It identifies the individuals that have influence over potential buyers, and orients marketing activities around these influencers. In my own words – Influencers are individuals that write about Avaya but they also write about Cisco and Siemens in social media or otherwise. They are non partial and therefore they write about many… -
Why is Google Scared and What it means for B2B Marketing!
26 Jan 2010 | 8:23 amAt a recent dinner with a buddy of mine from Microsoft (who helped launch Bing) – I learned a lot more about the search market and a very important trend that can effect the future of B2B Marketing. When you think about the search behavior of the average person online – we are mostly conditioned to search in very routine ways like pulling up a Google search page, using the toolbar in your browser etc. And we tend not to stray from that behavior now. It’s almost an unconscious choice for most of us. But when it comes to search on a mobile device we mostly use very specific…
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Servant of Chaos
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Im a Little Bit Country
8 Feb 2010 | 2:24 pmWhat happens when the cultural references of one generation echo into nothingness? What happens when a younger generation misinterprets an off-handed quip? Or tweet? It’s not simply a few words that disappear into the ether. There are legions of stories, anecdotes and shared experiences that are erased. So when I say, “I’m a little bit country”, what does it mean to you? -
Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week
7 Feb 2010 | 4:26 pmI am always astounded at not just the number of quality, well-written posts produced each week – but also at the depth of thinking that is made available to us all. I probably learn more from reading blog posts each week than I do from the dozens of books that I read each year. This weeks’ five must-read posts are great examples: Jay Baer shares 11 reasons that your company needs Facebook. Or more precisely, he explains why Facebook can be useful for your marketing efforts. Not exactly from last week – but Niko Herzeg writes about the need to focus our strategies and products not on the… -
I Hate the Yellow Balloon
5 Feb 2010 | 1:19 pmNYE Originally uploaded by redrobin2008 There I said it. -
A Cup of Chaos #28 - Channel 7 News - Finance Segment
4 Feb 2010 | 12:07 pmThey say you should never do live TV with children or animals - nor bankers it would seem. In this segment from Channel 7's Sydney studio, there seems to be a little more action in the background than there is in the finance report. -
Commonwealth Bank's 2013 Vision
3 Feb 2010 | 10:14 pmMonty Hamilton pointed out that comments have been disabled on the Commonwealth Bank’s 2013 Vision video. Yet they allowed the embed code. So I thought I’d drop the video in here and get your feedback. I was immediately struck by how little social interaction took place in the lives of the featured couple. I was amazed that there was no understanding of the way that technology is being used not for its own sake (or for economic/transactional productivity), but to connect with others, to exercise social judgement (especially around purchasing decisions) or to coordinate and maximise the…
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Bringing Brands to Life
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Strategic Incubator Interviews Me
31 Jan 2010 | 4:58 pmI recently had a fun and interesting interview with Matthew Ray Scott, Managing Director of The Strategic Incubator, about using documentary storytelling for businesses. The interview is 43 minutes long and takes a different angle (no pun intended!) than previous interviews I've given. Here are a few things we covered: How I discovered filmmaking from a busted rock 'n' roll dream. What is the most important thing about creating believable video stories? What is the greatest challenge facing companies in sharing their marketing stories? How has social media changed how companies share their… -
What is Our Company’s Purpose? The R-O-I Method
27 Jan 2010 | 6:05 amHave you read Daniel Pink’s new book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us?” If you haven’t picked it up yet, don’t wait too long; this book will forever change how you think about motivating individuals (hint: it’s usually not carrots and sticks). Pink definitely motivated me to rethink how organizations might use multimedia in ways beyond traditional corporate communication methods. Let’s look at one idea from the book and adapt it for our purposes. Closing the gap One of the exercises included at the end of Pink’s book is… -
Tom's SpeedLink #16
26 Jan 2010 | 5:23 amEnjoy today's roundup... 1. In between frames Absolutely brilliant little riff from Seth Godin. "Consumers are too smart for the frames. It's the in-between frame stuff that matters. And yet marketers spend 103% of our time on the frames." 2. Why write a book? And speaking of Seth, his new book, Linchpin, launches today. I finished my advance copy yesterday and it's Seth's finest, IMHO. 3. The basic principles of nonverbal communication -1 Communications master Nick Morgan has a great series on nonverbal communications. 4. 10 Documentaries to look out for in 2010 The Documentary Blog has a… -
Impersonal Communications: 7 Costly Glitches
20 Jan 2010 | 6:13 am1. They can appear unbelievable. 2. They can feel distant. 3. They can feel unemotional. 4. They can appear uncaring. 5. They can feel meaningless. 6. They can appear wasteful. 7. They can feel uninspiring. Why not consider humanizing communications so it connects us to something beyond ourselves? Something to think about. --Tom P.S. Inspired by Daniel Pink's new book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us." -
Engagement in 4 Minutes
14 Jan 2010 | 6:56 pmThe narrative "sweet spot." --Tom P.S. Inspired by Indexed.
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ZackBrandit
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GET YOUR ZACK PLUSH FREE!!
15 Jan 2010 | 2:09 amDear Friends, ZackBrandit would like to offer you in a gesture of appreciation, A FREE FAN ZILHOUETTE PLUSH. If you live in Europe Just click on the Widget “My... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Happy Winter Holidays
23 Dec 2009 | 9:32 am[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Guess what ?? Guess what ?? Guess what ??
4 Dec 2009 | 1:42 amI have a super exciting announcement for you!! We are launching our e-commerce platform this week! I know eh? I’m so excited to start my holiday shopping on the siteJ. We added so many... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
The Word of Mouth Concept… Return to the Sources, Part 1
28 Oct 2009 | 7:14 amCenturies ago, humanity like we know it today was different, especially from a technological point of view. Technology was at its first steps, influencing the methods of production,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Blogworld or a World of Blogs?
22 Oct 2009 | 8:49 amOnce in a while you hear things like blogs are passé or blogs are losing ground to new social media platforms such as micro-blogging like Technorati posted recently.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Bringing Brands to Life!
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Strategic Incubator Interviews Me
31 Jan 2010 | 4:58 pmI recently had a fun and interesting interview with Matthew Ray Scott, Managing Director of The Strategic Incubator, about using documentary storytelling for businesses. The interview is 43 minutes long and takes a different angle (no pun intended!) than previous interviews I've given. Here are a few things we covered: How I discovered filmmaking from a busted rock 'n' roll dream. What is the most important thing about creating believable video stories? What is the greatest challenge facing companies in sharing their marketing stories? How has social media changed how companies share their… -
What is Our Company’s Purpose? The R-O-I Method
27 Jan 2010 | 6:05 amHave you read Daniel Pink’s new book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us?” If you haven’t picked it up yet, don’t wait too long; this book will forever change how you think about motivating individuals (hint: it’s usually not carrots and sticks). Pink definitely motivated me to rethink how organizations might use multimedia in ways beyond traditional corporate communication methods. Let’s look at one idea from the book and adapt it for our purposes. Closing the gap One of the exercises included at the end of Pink’s book is… -
Tom's SpeedLink #16
26 Jan 2010 | 5:23 amEnjoy today's roundup... 1. In between frames Absolutely brilliant little riff from Seth Godin. "Consumers are too smart for the frames. It's the in-between frame stuff that matters. And yet marketers spend 103% of our time on the frames." 2. Why write a book? And speaking of Seth, his new book, Linchpin, launches today. I finished my advance copy yesterday and it's Seth's finest, IMHO. 3. The basic principles of nonverbal communication -1 Communications master Nick Morgan has a great series on nonverbal communications. 4. 10 Documentaries to look out for in 2010 The Documentary Blog has a… -
Impersonal Communications: 7 Costly Glitches
20 Jan 2010 | 6:13 am1. They can appear unbelievable. 2. They can feel distant. 3. They can feel unemotional. 4. They can appear uncaring. 5. They can feel meaningless. 6. They can appear wasteful. 7. They can feel uninspiring. Why not consider humanizing communications so it connects us to something beyond ourselves? Something to think about. --Tom P.S. Inspired by Daniel Pink's new book "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us." -
Engagement in 4 Minutes
14 Jan 2010 | 6:56 pmThe narrative "sweet spot." --Tom P.S. Inspired by Indexed.
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Brains On Fire Blog
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Care is a big word
9 Feb 2010 | 8:04 amThis blog post was inspired by a with Kira Wampler, Word of Mouth/Social Marketing Leader at Intuit Inc. What do I care? Why should I care? What do your customers care about? For the company that doesn’t, “care” is a four-letter word. For the company that does, “care” is a big word. Huge even. Because when you care, emotion enters into the equation. For some companies, emotion is a scary thing. Because emotion doesn’t show up as a line-item on a P&L report. Emotion can make things very sticky. And emotion is unpredictable. But caring can be your… -
Doodle Book…
8 Feb 2010 | 7:55 amIf I’m sitting in a meeting, or an airplane, or at dinner… I’m usually doodling. I’ve kinda refined my doodle’s to be a personal gathering spot for ideas, reflection, and fears. Last week I was traveling with Robbin Phillips to Austin, Texas and she spied on one my doodles. Robbin thought it was worth posting. This particular doodle is a continuous doodle thought… -
Twitter. A love story.
5 Feb 2010 | 7:37 amPhoto by the Hotel Saint Cecilia pool via Geno Church and his trusty iphone Okay. I woke up this morning – a gray day in Green Vegas – but the sun was shining in my heart. Can’t explain it really. Maybe it is because I am getting out of town. Austin. One of my favorite cities. And I have decided I might stay the weekend and play around. With that smile in my heart, I read this direct message from someone on Twitter. I won’t give his name but I want to share. Indulge me: yrs ago, i sent my wife a link to your site and said, one day i’m going to build my company like that:… -
On anthropology and what you are doing for your closest fans
4 Feb 2010 | 7:56 amWho’s heard of Robin Dunbar? For those of you who haven’t, his most widely known work as an anthropologist is called “Dunbar’s Number,” which proposes that the ceiling of ’stable interpersonal relationships’ that the average person can maintain is 150. Though his initial work studied groups of people offline, he has recently moved his research online to study the same principle in social networks. Aside from being thought-provoking in and of itself, the variety of responses that Dunbar’s research has drawn is also interesting. Some people use… -
Invoulntary ambassador
3 Feb 2010 | 8:53 amMaybe you’re not in a formal ambassador program or even consider yourself an ambassador of, well, anything really. But when you start thinking about it, you might be surprised that you choose or not choose to be an ambassador every day. Case in point, if you’re a runner and like to run outside in public places (like downtown), more than likely you’ve been stopped and asked directions by pedestrians or even drivers. At that moment, you have a decision to make. Because in that moment, you can choose to be an ambassador for your city. You can choose to take the time to stop and…
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The Brand Chef
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Stand Proud
1 Feb 2010 | 12:51 pmIt was never my intention to make this a post on The Brand Chef. A sudden turn of events made me reconsider. A friend - no, really, a guy I’ve met a handful of times - died yesterday. While driving to see his mother in a rural area of Iowa, he had a heart attack and crashed his car. I always admired Ray. From what I could tell, he was a good man. He was infectious and passionate. He spent true, quality-time with his family. He gave back to his community - so much so that they elected him Mayor. He raised what I consider to be great children (My daughter goes to school with his… -
ONE Nation… ?
28 Jan 2010 | 9:40 amOur pledge of allegiance mentions something about being “One Nation,” and being, “Indivisible,” right? Unfortunately, it’s been so long since I’ve heard it, I may have to check my facts on that. After watching the State of the Union address, I had to reflect on how, with ironic timing, President Obama’s points called out the divisiveness and partisan wrangling that has burdened our government. Opening his speech, he offered a basic testimony to the past struggles our nation faced and how solutions were made: “And despite all our divisions and disagreements, our hesitations… -
Good Branding… It’s In The Eye Of The Beholder
15 Jan 2010 | 12:39 pm(or… lighten up already) Tell me, just who does your brand relate to? Good branding is subjective. “A good brand” is completely based on the perspective of its target audience. One group of people can stand in a room and rip a brand from head-to-toe for everything from disconnected positioning, to poor logo design to poor packaging design. While, at the same time, another group standing the room next door, can praise the brand for touching some place in their hearts - moving them to tears, changing their lives for ever. Understanding that, shouldn’t we really be… -
Are You Good, Or Are You DAMN Good?
8 Jan 2010 | 4:00 pmA thought came to my mind this morning. It was in relation to a “Get-Going Groove of the day” post I made about Jaco Pastorius. “Are you good or are you damn good?” He was a troubled musician that had a talent that was second to none. He changed the world of music. He changed electric bass. He completely altered jazz for ever because he was DAMN good. He embodied unmatched creative innovation. (All before the age of 35.) Take a look / listen here (from the early 1980’s & well worth the 9:41): (Facebookers and feed readers, click on this link to see the… -
You Not Expendable…
30 Dec 2009 | 7:38 pmWho says Rambo offers nothing more than some ripped deltoids and a glistening chest bathed in baby oil? Who says Rambo, the American military anti-hero of the 1980’s and beyond, offers nothing of importance — or remotely educational? Who ever said he would never give us anything good for branding fodder? Okay, probably a lot of us… But, I was watching “Rambo: First Blood Part II” this afternoon and a powerful, yet understated scene caught my branding eye. It was meant to build some romantic foreshadowing, but in an (almost) unexpected tender moment, I…
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LogoInn
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Logo Design Trends in 2009
21 Jan 2010 | 6:04 amThe global economy in general and the US economy in particular started to recover from the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Web and graphic design industries were also affected. But the new start ups and a growing trend of home based small businesses emerging throughout North America and Europe helped many medium sized design [...] -
Logo Design Review: Xerox Logo Revamped For The Future
7 Jan 2010 | 3:22 amXerox, the world’s leading document management enterprise has considered revamping its logo to meet the branding challenges (such as new media & intense competition) in the future. In diversified and dynamic markets, it has become critical to synchronize your brand with your innovations, upcoming products and marketing strategies that you have to introduce to your [...] -
Book Review: “Marks of Excellence” by Per Mollerup
24 Dec 2009 | 3:57 amToday, I have picked Per Mollerup’s “Marks of Excellence” for review. If you are a creative designer or a brand marketer, this book definitely deserves to be on your coffee table. With a deep insight into trademarks and its meanings, it has covered each and every aspect that deals with trademark’s history, its evolution and its [...] -
Logo Design Review: Wikipedia
14 Dec 2009 | 10:40 pmEverybody is quite familiar with Wikipedia, the world’s largest online resource for content about everything. On January 15, 2001 when it was officially launched, the founder Jimmy Wales used the American flag “Old Glory” as its logo; but it turned out to be a bad idea and attracted widespread criticism. People called it “Ethno centric” biased [...] -
Origins of Twitter Logo
7 Dec 2009 | 11:45 pmWe are sorry to announce that the bird we all love and recognize is not Twitter’s official logo. Yet, still we see the bird everywhere representing twitter. Just to clarify things, this is twitter’s official logo: So where did the bird come from? The story of Twitter bird begins when someone at Twitter spotted an illustration of [...]
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Darren Rowse
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problogger: New at ProBlogger: Blog Like a Cartoonist – Six Stunning Secrets to Help You Break Through… http://goo.gl/fb/f5Zj
9 Feb 2010 | 11:26 amproblogger: New at ProBlogger: Blog Like a Cartoonist – Six Stunning Secrets to Help You Break Through… http://goo.gl/fb/f5Zj -
problogger: New at ProBlogger: Have a 37 Minute Coffee Break with Me [Audio Interview] http://goo.gl/fb/mEgW
9 Feb 2010 | 5:44 amproblogger: New at ProBlogger: Have a 37 Minute Coffee Break with Me [Audio Interview] http://goo.gl/fb/mEgW -
problogger: @alihale nice one Ali. Would like to check it out. I got your GP and will hopefully get to it this week (I have quite a few to process)
9 Feb 2010 | 2:51 amproblogger: @alihale nice one Ali. Would like to check it out. I got your GP and will hopefully get to it this week (I have quite a few to process) -
problogger: @alihale what's the book Ali?
9 Feb 2010 | 12:39 amproblogger: @alihale what's the book Ali? -
problogger: Codral tablets rock.... Til they wear off!
8 Feb 2010 | 7:56 pmproblogger: Codral tablets rock.... Til they wear off!
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Jacob Cass
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justcreative: Google Buzz: Takes On Twitter, Facebook & Even Foursquare - http://selnd.com/du1d2R
9 Feb 2010 | 11:28 amjustcreative: Google Buzz: Takes On Twitter, Facebook & Even Foursquare - http://selnd.com/du1d2R -
justcreative: New Blog Post: How to sell the value of design: An email conversation http://bit.ly/cY1fqI
9 Feb 2010 | 9:51 amjustcreative: New Blog Post: How to sell the value of design: An email conversation http://bit.ly/cY1fqI -
justcreative: Logo Of The Day: 2010-02-09 | Creative Atelier http://bit.ly/cgTL7l
9 Feb 2010 | 9:32 amjustcreative: Logo Of The Day: 2010-02-09 | Creative Atelier http://bit.ly/cgTL7l -
justcreative: Easy HDR Technique Photoshop Tutorial from a single photo - http://bit.ly/7RKrY5
9 Feb 2010 | 9:21 amjustcreative: Easy HDR Technique Photoshop Tutorial from a single photo - http://bit.ly/7RKrY5 -
justcreative: 11 Most Popular Blog Design Styles (must bookmark) - http://bit.ly/5Pwimo
9 Feb 2010 | 9:15 amjustcreative: 11 Most Popular Blog Design Styles (must bookmark) - http://bit.ly/5Pwimo
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Sarah Pout
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sarahprout: Must concentrate. Ahh Twitter you draw me in too much.
9 Feb 2010 | 1:50 amsarahprout: Must concentrate. Ahh Twitter you draw me in too much. -
sarahprout: @wsprice it's a good one :-)
9 Feb 2010 | 1:47 amsarahprout: @wsprice it's a good one :-) -
sarahprout: @Najkin natural motivation really. I have a manuscript to finish by May!!!
9 Feb 2010 | 1:39 amsarahprout: @Najkin natural motivation really. I have a manuscript to finish by May!!! -
sarahprout: RT @happn_in_trendr: @sarahprout You just set the trend for 'best smoothie' on @happn_in_melbs | http://happn.in/melbs/09feb10-06pm/
9 Feb 2010 | 1:38 amsarahprout: RT @happn_in_trendr: @sarahprout You just set the trend for 'best smoothie' on @happn_in_melbs | http://happn.in/melbs/09feb10-06pm/ -
sarahprout: @realworldweb that would be great. I like what you're doing too : http://www.realworldimaging.com.au/
9 Feb 2010 | 1:34 amsarahprout: @realworldweb that would be great. I like what you're doing too : http://www.realworldimaging.com.au/
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Liz Strauss
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lizstrauss: @NEENZ the fourth way is to get stickers from NEENZ !! heh heh
9 Feb 2010 | 11:23 amlizstrauss: @NEENZ the fourth way is to get stickers from NEENZ !! heh heh -
lizstrauss: @corvida Did you see this? 5 days left to win a FREE trip to SOBCon2010 in Chicago. Just "Blog It, Earn It"- but Hurry! http://bit.ly/brq5Wk
9 Feb 2010 | 10:57 amlizstrauss: @corvida Did you see this? 5 days left to win a FREE trip to SOBCon2010 in Chicago. Just "Blog It, Earn It"- but Hurry! http://bit.ly/brq5Wk -
lizstrauss: @shannonpaul Let's go to the #SMCChicago on 2/25! "How Social Media Makes Financial Cents" http://bit.ly/atZVPC
9 Feb 2010 | 10:55 amlizstrauss: @shannonpaul Let's go to the #SMCChicago on 2/25! "How Social Media Makes Financial Cents" http://bit.ly/atZVPC -
lizstrauss: @wiredprworks It's on my plan to attend and @shannonpaul will be in town on 2/25 also!! #sobcon2010
9 Feb 2010 | 10:49 amlizstrauss: @wiredprworks It's on my plan to attend and @shannonpaul will be in town on 2/25 also!! #sobcon2010 -
lizstrauss: @joannayoung No you started the movement. I just retweeted it. heh heh
9 Feb 2010 | 10:36 amlizstrauss: @joannayoung No you started the movement. I just retweeted it. heh heh
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Wallpaper.com
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London, by the Future Mapping Company
9 Feb 2010 | 4:26 amLaunched this month by the cartographic specialists at The Future Mapping Company, is a brand new, high-colour plan of the capital city. See more from the Future Mapping Company Stretching from Richmond Park across to the Olympic site, and from Hampstead Heath down to Dulwich - the new map, from The Future Mapping Company�s founder and one-time tailor, Marcus Kirby, has… -
Khouri Guzman Bunce showroom, NY
9 Feb 2010 | 2:31 amPulled together by designers David Khouri and Roberto Guzman of Comma, and Christiaan Bunce - formerly of Christiaan Bunce Design � the first Khouri Guzman Bunce Ltd furniture and design showroom opened last week on NYC's West 25th St. See more of the KGB collection Slotted in neatly among the galleries and exhibition spaces of West Chelsea, the 3,500 sq ft KGB Ltd showroom… -
Look Both Ways by Matt Stuart
8 Feb 2010 | 4:47 amBritish photographer Matt Stuart attempts, in his own words, to capture �genuine moments, which hopefully burrow deep into people�s memories�. A noble aspiration, the results of which Stuart will this month showcase for a three-week solo show at London�s KK Outlet. Armed with little more than a Leica camera and a bucket load of patience, Stuart wanders parks, tube stations… -
David Rock exhibition, London
8 Feb 2010 | 2:28 amArchitect David Rock has had a prominent and multi-faceted career by any yardstick. He worked in Basil Spence in 1950s, made partner at inter-disciplinary practice BDP in the 1960s, formed his own practice Rock Townsend, and presided over RIBA as its president between 1997 and 1999. More of David Rock at Eleven Spitalfields Paralleling this rich architectural career,… -
'Divided Divided' by Carsten H�ller, Rotterdam
8 Feb 2010 | 2:23 amCarsten H�ller has filled the Tate Modern with giant slides and helped Prada plant a Congolese eatery in North London - now for his latest exhibition, �Divided Divided� at Rotterdam�s Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Wallpaper* Design Awards judge (and past-life biologist) has turned to fungi for inspiration. See more of H�ller's 'Divided Divided' Launching in-line…
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Graphic Design Blog - An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers
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Valentine Day Movie Posters - Love is in the air!!
9 Feb 2010 | 2:57 amThe eagerly awaited “Day for Lovers” is round the corner with dear couples ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts. Saint Valentine’s Day or more commonly known as Valentine’s Day, is an annual festival celebrated on 14th February by millions all over the world to rejoice their love and affection for their beloved ones. With the arrival of this date, we get to see bulk of graphic design stuff like heartwarming wallpapers, online greeting cards and other e-gifts. But apart this all, you will agree that taking your… -
30 brilliant high-speed picture: Photography in action!!
4 Feb 2010 | 1:26 am“To photograph is to hold one’s breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality.” Henry Cartier Bresson Capturing still objects is fairly a novice skill in photography. The real challenge for a photographer is to incarcerate objects travelling at high speed. This introduces us to high-speed photography which is an enthralling method of capturing the moments that we don’t often get to see. So many wonderful things take place in the blink of an eye which is too fast for human eye to observe. The only thing we get to see is the after-effects… -
8 Logo Design Ideas – Lightening up your creative minds!!
1 Feb 2010 | 6:04 amSearching for a logo design Idea? Ever wondered from where do the graphic designers come up with such illuminating inspirations for logo design? Do they just pop out of nowhere or is there a process for inventing logo design ideas? The answer is quite intricate. The conception of a logo starts with the idea to personify a company’s image using graphic design. There is literally no captivity of thoughts when it comes to designing a logo. So in a nut shell, an ideal logo is a lengthy process. But the question still remains unanswered..…how to get an inspiring idea for a logo… -
Dealing with Client Objections & Rejections
29 Jan 2010 | 5:37 amAuthor Name: Jodi Salisbury Post Category: General Graphic Design One of the things that entrepreneurs learn in their ventures is that they must learn how to deal with objections. I can say from experience that it is very easy to get discouraged when the product or service we hope to impress upon others does quite the opposite of our intentions. As a freelance artist, I tend to wonder if it is easier to take objections personally, because, at that point it isn’t so much about persevering in our efforts as it is taking a loss or starting from scratch. Still, objections are something that… -
Graphic Design FAQs – Finding the path of success!!
27 Jan 2010 | 1:05 amEncountering problems in graphic design is customary but finding a quick solution remains an issue. Sometimes even the most talented graphic designers get caught in a quandary. Even if he does manage to work out the remedy, solution to one problem gives way to another To answer the most general questions people have in their mind regarding graphics designing, I have assembled a list of FAQ’s. The replies are based on my personal experiences as well as the solutions given by other professionals. What is Graphic Design? What are common Graphic Design Degrees? What does a…
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DesignM.ag
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Code a Corporate Website from a Photoshop Design: PSD to HTML Tutorial
9 Feb 2010 | 4:27 amLast week we published a tutorial for designing a basic corporate website layout in Photoshop, and in this tutorial we will walk through the process of coding that design in HTML and CSS. Here is a look at the design that we will be coding (click the image to see it in full-size). In order to work though this tutorial you will need the PSD file from the first tutorial which can be downloaded here. I’d also recommend saving a backup copy of the PSD in case something that we do messes up the file that you are working with. Step 1: The Files and Folders The sample site that we will be… -
100+ Resources for WordPress Theme Developers
8 Feb 2010 | 5:25 amOne of the great things about working with WordPress and developing your own themes is the community and all of the resources that are available. If you’re not sure how to do something or looking to see what solutions other theme designers and developers are using, you can find plenty of infomation and tutorials to help. In this post we’ll feature a wide selection of resources that are extremely useful for theme designers and developers. If you work on custom themes for clients, themes for your own use, distribute free themes or sell premium themes, these resources may prove to be… -
Freebie: Media Icons from IconShock
4 Feb 2010 | 4:53 pmOur friends at IconShock have designed a new set of icons for DesignM.ag readers. This set includes five media icons, with the usual high quality that we’ve come to expect from IconShock. The icons are available as PNG files and as Adobe Illustrator files. They can be used for personal or commercial projects but cannot be redistributed or sold. If you’re looking for more icon sets, take a look at what IconShock has to offer. Download the PNG files Download the Adobe Illustrator files Previous Icon Sets from IconShock: Blogging Icons E-Commerce Icons -
Interview with Ryan Putnam of Rype Arts
3 Feb 2010 | 2:58 pmRyan Putnam is an amazingly talented designer and illustrator. Many of you are probably familiar with his popular Illustrator tutorials at Vectortuts and his own blog, Vectips. Ryan also provides services to clients through Rype Arts, and I recently had the opportunity to ask him some questions about design and business. 1. Can you tell us a little bit about your background and what you do? I have been drawing and doodling my whole life. When I was a kid, I loved drawing comic books, cartoons, and re-creating magazine advertisements. I continued drawing and explored fine art in high school… -
Financial Management Tips for Freelancers
2 Feb 2010 | 7:31 amMost freelance designers are experienced and talented with their trade, but not so much when it comes to financial issues. In this post I’d like to share some things that I have learned through my own experience of being self employed that I think will be able to help others. I am in no way a financial professional and you should always seek the advice of someone qualified on the specifics of your own situation, but these are some general things that have helped me along the way. 1. Have Emergency Savings If you haven’t started full-time freelancing yet, the best thing you can do…
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DesignNotes by Michael Surtees
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Extending Massive Attack
9 Feb 2010 | 4:43 amI’m not one to buy “extended” or “deluxe” albums that often. Typically the only additional stuff are videos that I can find online or pdfs that I would never bother to open. In the last couple of weeks I’ve been a big fan of NPR’s First Listen, a site that streams an album a week before the release. A couple weeks ago they had Beach House and last week it was Massive Attack. The conventional thinking would be that it would be a mistake to give the music away for free—why would anyone want to buy it? On the flip side others would argue it’s a great way to… -
American Apparel vs Diesel on the Streets of NYC
8 Feb 2010 | 5:09 pmWalking to work today I thought these two posters almost side by side were worth noting if for no other reason than to show the state of posters on the sidewalk of NYC. Whether you love or hate American Apparel ads and for what they stand for, they’re certainly standing out from everything else out there. On the flip side Diesel has been getting a lot of attention for their tagline of Be Stupid, not so much for their visuals though something tells me that things could change in that category. -
Design Notes from my AIGA Dallas talk on Unexpected Narratives and Creating the Right Conditions
8 Feb 2010 | 6:53 amUnexpected Narratives and Creating the Right Conditions Last Thursday I traveled from NYC to Dallas to Arlington to hang with the AIGA Dallas Fort Worth Chapter and present a talk I titled Unexpected Narratives and Creating the Right Conditions. Jimmy Ball and the the Chapter treated me extremely well and made the experience great for me. I’ve attached the deck and made note below of all the posts that were covered in the talk. 1. STORY LINES Walking to work in 60 Seconds, my 20/20 at #makethink AIGA Design Conference 2009 http://designnotes.info/?p=1922 Watching the sun interact with… -
Google Before You Tweet is the New Think Before You Speak by @TheJoeNewton
7 Feb 2010 | 5:05 amLate last week I received this sweet one colour letter pressed print titled Google Before You Tweet is the New Think Before You Speak by Joe Newton. While the text and illustration speak for themselves, I should mention that the texture of the paper and indent of the paper that isn’t really shown on the photo adds a lot of visual punch in person. Davin Kuntze at Woodside Press in Brooklyn printed it while the typeface used Olduvai by Randy Jones. -
Link Drop from 01.30.10 to 02.06.10
6 Feb 2010 | 8:58 amThis week’s Link Drop is smaller than usual because of my late week travels to Dallas for a talk. With that said there were a couple distinctions between technology and the surrounding area of NYC. Leading up to flying out of NYC most of the stuff I was being drawn to had to do with visualization and data. Once I got back yesterday most of the links were somewhat related to the city—go figure. Love Me, the Poster Love Me the street marking that I’ve seen for year(s) is now a poster. I’ve seen the mark in all sorts of sizes and even mused a while back about a shirt. While…
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Just Creative Design
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How to sell the value of design: An email conversation
9 Feb 2010 | 9:46 amAs a designer it’s not always easy to stand up for yourself… clients often have demanding requests, tight budgets and due to one reason or another, designers will succumb to taking on labour heavy jobs at heavily discounted rates. This does not have to be. In this article I will show you how I personally ’stand up’ for my rates and how I ’sell’ the value of my design services, which in the end, means a better result for the client and a much more pleasant overall experience for the designer. Below you will find the original transcripts of a conversation… -
Top 12 Logos of 2009 As Voted By You
1 Feb 2010 | 1:14 pmThese are the top 12 logo designs of 2009 as voted by you (the awards that won Logo Of The Month) on my other site Logo Of The Day. What logo do you believe should win the 2009 Logo Of The Year? Cast your vote at the bottom of this post. Voting closes February 12th. And just so you know, we are now accepting new logo submissions, so go & suggest a logo for a chance to win a Logo Of The Day award. Michael Jackson Michael Jackson commemorative logo – from a short video clip shown on MTV. Winner: Logo Of The Month September 2009 Credits: Agency; bbdo.de Executor; s-farm.de Lochness Loch… -
Back In Action
25 Jan 2010 | 6:22 amSome of you may have noticed this website and my other websites being down the past two weeks. Simply put, my old hosts did a runner on me… all of my websites and email stopped working and there was no one to contact for support, my hosts simply vanished. Luckily enough, I had a full back up from just before I left for my trip around the states which meant I had nearly all of articles and comments, bar from a few that I have now salvaged from Google’s cache. It wasn’t easy restoring the websites as the databases were quite large and had to be uploaded using some crazy back… -
Here’s To A New Year
4 Jan 2010 | 5:00 amIt’s been a great break… I loved traveling across the USA, it truly is a remarkable country. I’ll be posting some photos when I get a chance to go through the 1400+ pics. Today (5th Jan) I will be flying out from Australia to begin my new life (story here) in New York, where I plan to stay for 1 to 3 years, while working for Carrot Creative. I will still be blogging & freelancing on the side. I’ve found a great spacious apartment to live in, with 4 other creatives (and a dog) who are currently attending Pratt Institute – we had a webcam meeting just yesterday and I consider… -
A Recession Guide For Designers
28 Nov 2009 | 5:00 amThis is a guest article by Ana Paula Rodrigues*. In difficult times people get creative — and creative people must find new ways to use resources wisely. Whether you work as an in-house designer at a large company, own your own design firm, or work as a freelancer, the recession has no doubt affected you or someone you know. Thus, creating a need to think outside the box in order to make, and ultimately save, more money . Here are a variety of ideas to help you through this economic downturn. 1. Create a magazine club Magazines are a great source of information and inspiration, but they…
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You the Designer
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Various Alice in Wonderland Designs for Inspiration
8 Feb 2010 | 6:06 amDo you remember having bedtime stories read to you as you grew up? Remember your parents telling you tales about fairies, princes and princesses, knights, dragons and all those wonderful characters born of pure imagination? Several of these stories were even made into movies and cartoons that captured our young minds… These fictional characters have played a significant part in our childhood memories. Who could forget the classic stories of Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel and so many more?!!! Today, we pay a tribute to one of our all-time favorite stories. It’s about a young girl… -
30 Free Adobe Photoshop Valentine Brush Sets
7 Feb 2010 | 3:23 pmAs Valentine’s day approaches, more and more designers are searching for quality brushes to aid them in creating their Valentine designs. We put together 30 Free Adobe Photoshop Valentine Brush Sets to make sure our fellow designers have high quality brushes in time for Valentine’s Day…. This collection of brushes will help you create astounding designs for your loved ones to help celebrate a day of love. Check out this awesome heart brush collection and download the brushes you like best. Each set of photoshop heart brushes is unique, so make sure you don’t miss any… -
Increase Your Google Visibility in Under 5 Minutes
1 Feb 2010 | 12:22 pmGoogle now holds a 70% market share of the search engine game and increasing your visibility in Google Search is key to gaining new clients. In addition, you may have noticed that Google now displays 7 local listings and a map when you search for a local business or service. Guess what? Graphic design is a service and a business. You can immediately increase your visibility to potential clients in your area by registering yourself in Google’s Local Business Center. Local SEO for Graphic Designers It takes about 5 minutes to sign up and fill out your info. At the end, they need to verify… -
11 Creative Outdoor Advertisement Designs
25 Jan 2010 | 3:00 pmGetting noticed in a busy street or crowded hallway isn’t easy, but the reward of reaching millions of consumers has possessed marketers to come up with some amazing and ridiculous outdoor advertisements. Today’s post looks at 11 of the most creative outdoor ads around the world (according to us). Click on the image to see the original high-res images at adsoftheworld.com Creative Outdoor Advertisements If you’re looking to design outdoor advertising of your own, check out UPrinting.com’s large format printing products here. -
Job Posting – Freelance Tutorial Writer
20 Jan 2010 | 11:47 amThe team here at You the Designer is looking for a freelance tutorial writer to help bolster the variety of content offered to our readers. If you have experience writing design tutorials, please email us right now. How to Apply for Freelance Tutorial Writer Position Email the following information to writers@youthedesigner.com Cover Letter Resume / Portfolio Per Post Rate
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Fuel Your Creativity
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Brandstack gets a new sibling. Introducing: Upstack
8 Feb 2010 | 10:58 pmBrandstack, the creative marketplace for logos has an unveiled another way to market logo designs to the masses. Upstack. Upstack is a unique route for a person needing a logo, website, web design, advertisement or other creative service. Unlike the predecessor Brandstack, Upstack lets anyone build a team of hand-picked designers that are ready to burn the midnight oil to work on your project. Upstack manages all the processes by taking the client from the brief to the final design. This wastes no design time and spares no quality. They also do this without spec work which makes it something… -
Need Inspiration? Get Out!
7 Feb 2010 | 8:34 pmThere’s been much back-and-forth about telecommuting vs. working in a cubicle. One of the arguments often cited by people who work from home is that they’re free of distractions at the office; they are able to focus more and produce faster. So “they” say. I know that when I’ve worked from home full time, I’ve experienced creativity block. I think that often has to do with the lack of interaction among co-workers. But there are other ways to be inspired, and they involve stepping away from your home office. Outdoors The best inspiration is often free. How much better do you feel… -
Web Banner Templates: Photoshop & Illustrator
4 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pmWe know starting a project can be a real pain no matter how easy the task may be. We’ve put together the IAB standard size ad templates for you in one little packaged up file. They come in two flavors, Photoshop and Illustrator. We’ve also put together some nice resources and other downloads below that you may find helpful in starting a project. If there is anything you’d like to see us give away in the future, let us know in the comments. Sizes: 88×31 120×60 120×90 120×240 120×600 125×125 160×600 180×150 234×60 240×400… -
Modern Bicycle Concepts That Will Blow Your Mind
2 Feb 2010 | 10:38 pmTransportation Designers have always tried to push the envelope when it comes to speed, style and grace. The world of streamlined bicycles is driven by all of these same principles. However, several concept bikes have begun to look like they are screaming around corners even when they are sitting still. Here are some super sleek & stylish modern concepts that are beautiful and intriguing. Pulse This vehicle is part fitness membership, part fashion statement, and part Kyoto-pact contribution. Designer: Teague Chris Boardman – Olympic Cyclist, Concept Future Bike A very light and… -
Unforgettable Textiles Created to Inspire
31 Jan 2010 | 9:02 pmMinä Perhonen is a fashion brand that produces clothing lines which do not lose their allure over the years. This group of talented textile designers hail from Japan and aspire to develop new materials and techniques with various production houses over the globe. They showcase patterns beautifully with a very linear and graphic quality that parallels graphic design & traditional art. They have a wonderful style that can be minimal or very intrinsic but always has a clean and simple outcome. Bird Flags Carnival Forest Paradise Fujisans Herringbone Tambourine Yuki-no-hi Sponsored by…
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Pro Blog Design
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How to Install Wordpress on your PC
8 Feb 2010 | 8:00 amWordpress is arguably the most popular and the best blogging platform out there. You might have installed Wordpress on your site, but you might be scared to experiment with Wordpress worrying that you could break your site and Wordpress.Experimenting is one of the best way to learn new things and if you break your site, you probably might not want your visitors to see the fault as it might leave a bad impression. So, it is necessary to have the ability to learn WordPress and try new themes, plugins and other items without putting it online where people can see.So, the best solution is to… -
Design Review: Free Pixels
4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amIn this review, we’re going to work through a website (FreePixels.com) as a case study, looking at its design and seeing what we can learn from it and what we could improve on.So to start off, let’s take a look at Free Pixels. They offer almost 4000 extremely high quality images, for free. All you have to do is leave the small watermark in the corner, or create your own link back.That makes it a very handy site for bloggers! Now load up the site in a new tab, and let’s start our case study!The very first thing I look for is the logo and slogan. The logo is right where you’d expect it,… -
The iPad – Help Me Decide?
1 Feb 2010 | 9:00 amI don’t know what to do.The iPad came out last week and, well, I want one. But that’s a standard side-effect of a Steve Jobs keynote; you always end up wanting one.There’s been a lot of talk about shortcomings of the device, and a lot of the points have merit. Enough merit to stop me from getting it though?In this article, I’ll be working through all of the pros and all of the cons I can see so far. Hopefully by the end, I’ll know what to do.(PS – Just for the record; I’m a Windows 7 user on a HP desktop. I also have a Toshiba laptop that will be getting Ubuntu 9.10 installed on… -
25 Color Combination Tools For Designers
25 Jan 2010 | 8:00 amColor is difficult to get right. There’s a near infinite number of combinations out there, but only a few that will actually look right for your project. Because it’s so important to a design’s success, it’s worth taking a little time to work out your palette.There are a lot of online tools to help out with this. They all vary slightly to suit designers with different preferences on how they work. We’ve collected together 25 of the best here, with a quick overview on each to help you decide which to try.Website Color Match Color Match is a website tool that shows… -
How To Make a WordPress Events List
18 Jan 2010 | 9:00 amAn events list is just what you would expect; a list of upcoming events, ordered by the date they are taking place on (Not the date they were written on!).In this post, we are going to create our own events list that will let us add events simply by writing posts and assigning them to an “Events” category. It can’t get much easier than that!This is exactly what we set up for a recent client of ours, American Majority. You can see their full events listing here, or solely the events in one state here (And on both pages, you’ll see the corresponding list in the sidebar as well).There…
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Netdiver Magazine
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Shortcut Skins
9 Feb 2010 | 6:35 amPush over Bill! Keyboard Shortcut Skins for Macs by Photojojo! You know that photoshop whiz kid friend of yours? The one that plays his keyboard like a Steinway as he dodges and burns his way to photographic perfection? That could be you! -
Reserves *up
9 Feb 2010 | 5:49 amReserves just recently released four new typefaces, one of which is Sevigne, a highly refined couture inspired sans-serif which includes more than 130 unique ligatures. -
DIY Typo(graphy)
9 Feb 2010 | 5:18 amJessica Hische is a typographer (who prefers drawing a font from scratch is easier than scouring the Internet to find the right one) and illustrator working in Brooklyn, New York. She paid her dues working at a high profile shop (Louise Fili Ltd) and now is freelancing full-time with a scoreboard [...] -
FLIGHT 001
9 Feb 2010 | 5:03 amHapchanced on the FLIGHT 001 (pronounced flight one) Manhattan store years ago! The brand was conceived in 1998 aboard Air France flight 023 somewhere between New York and Paris. John Sencion and Brad John were two business travelers who had spent far too much time preparing for their trip envisioned a travel [...] -
Quotes as ‘E’ ‘B’
8 Feb 2010 | 7:12 amOh! Using quotes to create the letters ‘E’ and ‘B’ is a simple and brilliant identity solution that Mihail Mihaylov came up with for Eastside Bookshop. Luv the second level meaning inferred by quote marks which are the staple of story telling and writing in context. _______ via: Design You Trust
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CSS Globe | Web Standards Magazine
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10 Brilliant CSS3 and jQuery Examples
9 Feb 2010 | 12:17 amThis post is all about CSS3 and Javascript. With all the new features that come with CSS3, there are whole lot of animation possibilities that can't be achieve before. So, Check this out and get inspired. -
Expandable Drop Down Ticker
8 Feb 2010 | 1:37 pmA one of a kind jQuery ticker script that can be viewed both sequentially and simultaneously, via drop down menu. The ticker's contents can be defined either inline on the page, or inside an external file on the same server and fetched via Ajax. -
Choosing The Best CSS Framework: A Complete Guide
8 Feb 2010 | 4:04 amThere are plenty of reasons to use a CSS Framework to build your websites. They can speed up development, make your sites more aesthetically pleasing, and they can help eliminate all those nasty cross-browser compatibility issues. -
JavaScript WYSIWYG Editor � TinyEditor
7 Feb 2010 | 11:19 pmTinyEditor is a simple JavaScript WYSIWYG editor that is both lightweight (8KB) and standalone. It can easily be customized to integrate with any website through CSS and the multitude of parameters. -
Anatomy of The Perfect Sidebar
7 Feb 2010 | 8:10 amA well organized sidebar should include some important items, such as subscription options, advertisements, recent and popular posts, and help blog readers find contextual information related to the article they are reading...
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xkcd.com
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Trimester
7 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm -
You Hang Up First
4 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm -
Tensile vs. Shear Strength
2 Feb 2010 | 9:00 pm -
Strip Games
31 Jan 2010 | 9:00 pm
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Planet Photoshop
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Document Your Happy Accidents
9 Feb 2010 | 6:15 amSometimes our best creations happen by pure experimentation and accident. Sitting in front of a Photoshop file, you are 40 History States in, and then it happens…magic! You really want to be able to get back to that moment. To do so, make sure that you turn on the History Log checkbox in the General [...] -
Sample Color from Anywhere
8 Feb 2010 | 6:41 amYou can use the Eyedropper tool to pick colors from any area of your screen. First, press the letter I to select the Eyedropper tool, then click-and-hold inside your document, and drag outside the document window onto the object you’d like to sample. Release your mouse button and the sampled color appears as your new [...] -
Animate 2D in 3D
5 Feb 2010 | 12:31 pmCorey shows you how to create a 3D animation form 2D elements using Photoshop CS4 Extended. -
File>Open Recent
5 Feb 2010 | 6:15 amUnder Photoshop>Preferences (PC: Edit>Preferences), you have an option called File Handling. In the Recent File List Contains field, you can specify how many files you would like it to remember. -
Opening Multiple Images in Photoshop CS3
4 Feb 2010 | 6:15 amTo open multiple images in Photoshop CS3, you can Shift-click a series of images in the Open dialog, and then click Open. You can also select noncontiguous images by Command-clicking.
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A List Apart
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Words that Zing
9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amWhen someone consults a website, there is a precious opportunity not only to provide useful information but also to influence their decision. To make the most of this opportune moment, we must ensure that the site says or does precisely the right thing at precisely the right time. Understanding the rhetorical concept of kairos can help us craft a context for the opportune moment and hit the mark with appropriately zingy text. -
The Problem with Passwords
9 Feb 2010 | 1:00 amAbandoning password masking as Jakob Nielsen suggests could present serious problems, including undermining a user’s trust by failing to meet a basic expectation. But with design patterns gleaned from offline applications, plus a dash of JavaScript, we can provide feedback and reduce password errors without compromising the basic user experience or losing our visitors’ trust. -
Using SVG for Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part II
26 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amIn Part II, dig deeper into the technology behind using SVG for your site design. Explore how to incorporate SVG in a cross-browser friendly manner, including using SVGWeb to ensure that the SVG shows in Internet Explorer. And discover the unique characteristic that makes SVG ideal for page backgrounds: scalability. -
Using SVG For Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part I
26 Jan 2010 | 1:00 amMany of us think of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as an also-ran: fine for charts and tables, but not much else. Yet SVG can actually enhance a site’s overall design, and can be made to work in even the most stubborn browser. In Part I of a two-part series, Shelley Powers covers important basics of working with SVG, including browser support and accessibility. -
The Survey, 2009
15 Dec 2009 | 2:00 amFor the third year in a row, good citizens of the web, we ask that you take a few minutes to tell us about your professional skills, educational background, career prospects, job benefits, and more.
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FreelanceSwitch
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4 Ways to Kill Scope Creep
9 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amSome clients just keep asking for a little more: a four page website design can turn into a design plus copy or even a design plus copy plus marketing. It often happens just a little request at a time, as the scope of the project creeps ever larger. Scope creep isn’t always an entirely bad thing, of course. As long as your clients are willing to pay for the work that goes along with a bigger project, it can be beneficial. Depending on the situation, there are several responses you can offer to a client with a case of scope creep.1. Glad to help — here’s a new estimateIf you can… -
Freelance Freedom #142
8 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am -
From the Community: Advice for New Freelancers
5 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amRecently, the FreelanceSwitch community was asked what simple, one-line advice they would give newly minted freelancers. The result was a surprising and poignant mix of wisdom, humor, and insight on topics such as clients, money, marketing, and keeping one’s sanity. Read on for the best advice from the FreelanceSwitch community! It’s a not so well-kept secret that the FreelanceSwitch community forums are filled with experts and seasoned freelancers of every make and specialization. But everyone had to start somewhere! Being a new freelancer can be an exercise in hard lessons… -
Automate Your Bookkeeping
4 Feb 2010 | 4:30 amAs a freelancer, it’s important to focus as much of your time as possible on the work you have or getting the work you need. And that means minimizing administrative tasks. Take bookkeeping, for example.Bookkeeping is critical for maximizing tax deductions and monitoring the overall health of your business, but it’s a royal pain. In this post I’ll show you how to automate bookkeeping tasks so you can stay focused on existing jobs while marketing your talents.Decide on a bookkeeping systemMany people still hand-write their income and expenses in a notebook or Excel… -
7 Elements of a Successful Freelancer’s Website
3 Feb 2010 | 4:30 am“The shoemaker’s children go barefoot.”You’re not a shoemaker but the saying still fits. Between client projects, conferences, and social obligations (okay, okay, WOW clan meetings may count as social obligations), your site has been sorely neglected. A neglected website might not seem like a big deal if you’re flush with work. But what happens when, Zeus forbid, work slows? You’ll start pushing for new work, realize that your site is a mess, and spend time working on your site you should have spent landing new contracts.As a reminder for the veterans and a…
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SimpleBits
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Exploded Settings icon
6 Feb 2010 | 5:50 amA wonderfully nerdy tee by Sebastiaan de With. -
The Days of Miracles and Wonder
6 Feb 2010 | 5:48 amGreg Knauss role plays some excellent perspective. -
Events in 2010
29 Jan 2010 | 8:55 amThis year will be a busy one in terms of speaking events. I’m currently crafting a brand new talk titled, “The CSS3 Experience”. It’ll focus on enriching the experience layer with advanced CSS and CSS3. Everyone can easily add enhancements to to their designs when focusing on the interactions and events that happen on the page. And by targeting the user experience with these new and evolving standards, you can start using these flexible techniques now, on any site, with less worry. Well damn, that sounded rather pitchy, didn’t it? That’s partially because… -
FF Nuvo
26 Jan 2010 | 10:33 amCelebrating Firefox 3.6’s support for WOFF (Web Open Font Format), FontFont is giving away the WOFF version of FF Nuvo for free. -
300&65 Ampersands
26 Jan 2010 | 10:27 amAn ampersand a day keeps the… something away. This is my kind of calendar.
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Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report
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A List Apart 300
9 Feb 2010 | 7:29 amIssue 300 of A List Apart for people who make websites solves password-related usability problems with a dash of JavaScript, and employs content strategy to help your site do the right thing at the right time: The Problem with Passwords by LYLE MULLICAN Abandoning password masking as Jakob Nielsen suggests could present serious problems, undermining a user’s trust by failing to meet a basic expectation. But with design patterns gleaned from offline applications, plus a dash of JavaScript, we can provide feedback and reduce password errors without compromising the basic user experience or… -
Free advice: show up early
5 Feb 2010 | 7:31 amDelay happens. The train is late, the flight is cancelled, the traffic is murder. Travel is the leading edge of entropy, and entropy is the universe’s final comment on the meaning of it all. If the universe is expanding and there are snow delays on Route 1, it’s not your fault that you’re 15 minutes late to the meeting, right? Don’t be so quick to excuse yourself. If 80% of success is just showing up, 90% is showing up early. It’s hard for the client to sympathize with your lateness when she, who had farther to travel, managed to make the meeting on time. No… -
Ahem
3 Feb 2010 | 3:39 amThe first part of my post of 1 February was not an attack on Flash. It described a way of working with Flash that also supports users who don’t have access to Flash. I’ve followed and advocated that approach for 10 years. It has nothing to do with Apple’s recent decisions and everything to do with making content available to people and search engines. It’s how our agency and others use Flash; we’ve published articles on the subject in our magazine, notably Semantic Flash: Slippery When Wet by Daniel Mall. We do the same thing with JavaScript—make sure the site… -
Free advice: buy a dongle
2 Feb 2010 | 7:20 amThere is still no Wi-Fi on the northeast corridor Amtrak trains that carry hundreds of thousands of business travelers each day. So quit whining and get a USB 3G modem. It’s free with monthly service, which is tax-deductible. For the $60/month I pay Verizon, I can connect my laptop to the internet from any train, bus, boat, lounge, lobby, conference room, coffee shop, or just about any other environment to which modern business takes me. -
Laying Pipe
2 Feb 2010 | 5:22 amDan Benjamin and yours truly discuss the secret history of blogging, transitioning from freelance to agency, the story behind the web standards movement, the launch of A Book Apart and its first title, HTML5 For Web Designers by Jeremy Keith, the trajectory of content management systems, managing the growth of a design business, and more in the inaugural episode of the Pipeline.
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Graphic Design News
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Children's museum honored for graphic design
9 Feb 2010 | 2:56 amDuPage Children's Museum was recognized recently by Graphic Design USA, the premier graphic design magazine. -
[JOB] InContext Design is hiring Interaction Designers in Boston and Chicago
8 Feb 2010 | 8:09 amSince 1992 InContext has used its Contextual Design methodology to design innovative solutions. -
Redlands Tea Party leader throwing herself into political fray
7 Feb 2010 | 7:47 amA local Tea Party organizer is in the early stages of challenging the high-powered Rep. -
QuarkXPress 8 K-12 Site License Provides Design Software Solution for Schools
6 Feb 2010 | 7:23 amQuarkXPress 8 desktop publishing and design software is one of the most widely used solutions for designers and artists alike. -
The Barn cements status as mainstay
5 Feb 2010 | 7:02 amSue Newton, owner of The Barn Gallery & Frame Shop LLC on Route 37 in New Fairfield, spends her days surrounded by beauty.
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Logo Design Love
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The Philadelphia History Museum
5 Feb 2010 | 10:02 am“Turns out, creating a logo that represents a city with nearly 350 years of history is difficult,” said Brendan Quinn of Philadelphia-based branding agency 160over90. “There are cliches to avoid (I’m looking at you, cheesesteaks, Rocky, and Liberty Bell), and just as many fascinating stories that are just too obscure to a general audience. “So we looked at the history, the people, and this place for inspiration. Digging through the museum’s artifacts, we found this map of William Penn’s original plan for the city. “It was a tight, orderly grid with… -
“Logos are dead.”
2 Feb 2010 | 3:28 amImage from Flickr Simon Manchipp, one of three creative directors and partners at London-based studio SomeOne, said on Twitter yesterday: “Logos are dead. Yet we have been featured in the new book Logo Design Love as an example of how to do Logos. “They are a hangover from old-school thinking about branding. There is no desire by the public for a new logo. They are simply an old-fashioned approach to differentiating products or services.” Upon questioning, Manchipp explicitly meant, “…that symbols invented to accompany brand names are a waste of time, money and… -
Perez-Fox on the London identity
29 Jan 2010 | 3:10 amAnd so it is decided, The Greater London Authority has confirmed that Saffron Brand Consultants has won the Brand for London tender to create a visual identity for the capital. Saffron principal Ian Stephens says that the London marque’s launch will not come ‘much later’ than the GLA’s original deadline of next month. Hot on the heels of the announcement, New York-based brand developer Prescott Perez-Fox published his own pitch. Perez-Fox said, “One of the main criticisms for the whole [tendering] effort was the fact that only a handful of design firms were allowed to bid in the… -
Slow news day
26 Jan 2010 | 3:01 pmApparently it’s harder than I thought to be original. “You gotta wonder — at least I did — if Apple was inspired by the creative doodlings of AOL in crafting their invitation to their press event on Jan. 27, where the highly anticipated tablet, or ‘iSlate’, device is expected to appear. “A similar artistic sentiment appears to be at work in both instances. You’ve got bursts of bright colors that encase the company’s logo (Apple) or name (Aol).” Slow news day at The Baltimore Sun. Published on Logo Design Love Related posts on Logo Design… -
Another free chapter: staying motivated
22 Jan 2010 | 3:01 pmGraphics.com has offered you all the “staying motivated” chapter from Logo Design Love: A Guide to Creating Iconic Brand Identities. Guild of Food Writers logo, by 300million Here’s a quick excerpt. “Every designer has a level of insecurity that can only be abated by the creative peer group respect or commercial success of their work,” said Martin Lawless, creative director at London-based 300million. “Sadly, the warm, fuzzy, proud feeling of security doesn’t last long. Sometimes, it’s as short as the length of time it takes to make the winding walk back from the…
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CSS-Tricks
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jQuery MagicLine Navigation
9 Feb 2010 | 4:58 amThese “sliding” style navigation bars have been around a while, I just thought I’d take a crack at doing it myself as the opportunity came up recently. Turns out it’s really pretty darn easy. I put two examples together for it.The IdeaThe idea is to have a highlight of some kind (a background or an underline) follow you around as you mouse over the different links in the navigation. This will happen with jQuery and it’s animation abilities. As such, the “magic line” will only be appended via JavaScript. Once added to the list and styled, as you mouse… -
How nth-child Works
8 Feb 2010 | 5:24 amThere is a CSS selector, really a pseudo-selector, called nth-child. Here is an example of using it:ul li:nth-child(3n+3) { color: #ccc; }What the above CSS does, is select every third list item inside unordered lists. That is, the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, etc. But how does that work? And what other kinds of things can you do with nth-child? Let’s take a look.It boils down to what is in between those parentheses. nth-child accepts two keywords in that spot: even and odd. Those should be pretty obvious. “Even” selects even numbered elements, like the 2nd, 4th, 6th, etc. -
Threadsy Invites / Haiti Poster Project
5 Feb 2010 | 5:33 amTwo things today.First, have you guys heard of Threadsy? I hadn’t, but apparently they got 2nd place at TechCrunch 50, which is pretty great. It’s a web application that combines several of your online “input streams” (e.g. Email, Twitter, and Facebook). I think that’s actually all they do right now, which I find kind of awesome, because those are the only ones I use anyway.I have 500 invites to give away for it. First come first serve as I understand it. Just click this to sign up.I really quite like it. The Threadsy team has done a killer job in creating an… -
Link Underlines Grow to Backgrounds on Hover
4 Feb 2010 | 7:10 amReader Jaime Morrison emailed in:I’ve been mulling the idea of going with a link style in which a link’s underline “slides-up” to become a background highlight on hover.I started mulling over a few ideas on how to do this myself. Ultimately, I tried two different things but neither one of them is absolutely perfect.Take OneWe know we’re going to be using jQuery here (or some JavaScript library), because of the animation. My first though was to set relative positioning on the links, then use jQuery to append empty <span>’s to each link. The span would be… -
Free Template: DocTemplate
2 Feb 2010 | 5:42 amLittle freebie template for ya’ll today. It was actually Doug Neiner’s idea, I ran with it, then he helped me out at the end tighten some stuff up.View Demo Download FilesNoteIt’s PHP. So if you download it to check it out, throw it up on your web server to test it out (or somewhere you run PHP locally).NavigationThe navigation is all AJAX’d up using the jQuery .load() functionality. I just think it’s kinda fun. It supports “deep linking”, so if you were to link to this page with a hash-tag of a page (e.g. /DocTemplate/#parameters.php) , it…
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Inspired Magazine
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How iPad Affects the Way we Design Websites?
9 Feb 2010 | 10:37 amThe iPad has received mixed reviews. While the geeks (people like you and me) have looked at it with disdain for being “just” what we expected, the media publishing industry (read print media) has seen it as the salvation they had been waiting for. Whether the iPad is able to change the world or not, is not the issue of this article. But the fact of the matter is that it is here and sooner or later we need to learn to design the web keeping it in our minds. So what are the things we need to consider? Fluid Width Design The iPad has no RIGHT way of viewing websites. That means you can view… -
How to Fail at Your Design Business
7 Feb 2010 | 12:25 pmToday’s guest post is a special piece from Jeff Archibald – a graphic designer hailing from the Great White North – Canada. When he’s not building igloos, fighting polar bears or writing tongue-in-cheek articles about failing at design, he runs a modestly popular design blog over at Paper Leaf Design. This is it. You’ve worked many long, hard hours developing your Pen tool skills in Illustrator to the point you could probably add “Pen Tool Ninja” to your business card. You’ve learned so much about graphic design that your head is bigger than Rush Limbaugh’s… -
10 Essentials Posts of the Week for the Inspired Community
7 Feb 2010 | 5:45 amOur sister site – Inspired News – is feeding us with more than 30 design / development & social media related articles per day, meaning that we could miss quite a few! So here is the complete list of essential reads, as clicked & retweeted by the Inspired Community. To be the first one to know when these kind of stories are published, be sure to Check out Inspired News and folow us on Twitter. 40 Creative and Funny Advertisements Using Animals 100 Years of Movie Title Stills Avoid Design Burn-out by Limiting Client Revisions 50 Free UI and Web Design Wireframing Kits,… -
Freebie Friday – Download the Social Eyesores Icon Pack
4 Feb 2010 | 4:14 pmWe’re starting the 2010 series of Freebie Friday giveaways with the most creative social icon pack you’ll ever come across on the Interwebs! The author is Xavier Gallego Moya, the Barcelona based artist who created the Eyesores world! And while you’re at it, check out the first Inspired Release – The Social Bird Icon Set The Icon Pack RSS, Twitter, Facebook, LastFM, YouTube, LinkedIn, MySpace – we’ve got them all! Click here to download the icon pack with 7 different icons (both 32×32 pixels and 100×100 pixels versions). So feel free to show off… -
Coolectables – Ten of the Most Unique and Limited Edition iPhone Apps
3 Feb 2010 | 3:28 pmWe’re trying to keep you inspired on all levels, so here’s this week post with 10 creative iPhone & iPod Touch apps. This time we’re featuring some collectable and limited edition apps. As your at it be sure to check out The Coolest iPhone Games You Should Own No Matter What & 8 Amazing Musical iPhone Apps You Should Definitely Touch Parra Plays | Details | Download Boost 3D | Details | Download Dot | Details | Download Satromizer | Details | Download ..™ | Details | Download Sound Shaker | Details | Download Itotooshi | Details | Download JellyDrift | Details |…
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Picocool
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Simply Complicated - Universal Scarf
9 Feb 2010 | 12:15 amVividbraille's Universal Scarf has perfected sophistication & simplicity. Luxurious Alpaca is lined with handmade ceramic buttons, carrying out multi-functional ability to be worn as scarf, hood, mask, shawl, etc.3 Vote(s) -
Creative Derivatives of the London Tube Map
8 Feb 2010 | 6:21 pmThe London Tube Map is an iconic design literacy meme – here are five brilliant derivatives inspired by it.2 Vote(s) -
Photography by Pierre Manning
8 Feb 2010 | 6:02 pmAwesome glamor photography Pierre Manning, talented fashion photographer, based in Montreal.2 Vote(s) -
Felix Ng about Design in Singapore
8 Feb 2010 | 1:31 pmCommonpeople speaks with Felix Ng, founder of Silnt and the recently formed Anonymous. In the interview, he shares with us his thoughts on design, his current projects, and aspirations for a greater role of design in the Singapore landscape.2 Vote(s) -
Avatar Behind the scenes
8 Feb 2010 | 11:02 amDiscover through a video of 23 minutes the universe ofAvatar from James Cameron. With an approach that combines performance and technology, so it pierces the secret filming and technologies.3 Vote(s)
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Six Revisions
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The Three Golden Rules of Site Redesigns
9 Feb 2010 | 7:25 amLast month I made a New Year’s resolution to schedule myself as a client and rebuild my website. Basically, the design and code had become entirely embarrassing to me. Additionally, the chaos caused by three years of feature-creep and band-aids was extremely frustrating. Rebuilding a site is a great feeling; it means out with the old and in with a new. A clean slate. But there are also a number of critical questions to ask when you’re thinking about redesigning your website: The redesign might appeal to a new audience, but will it alienate loyal readers? How will restructuring… -
A Quick Look at Mobile Web Designs
8 Feb 2010 | 4:22 amIf there’s anything web designers learned from the past year, it’s that mobile web usage will continue to soar. Thanks to smartphones and social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook that promote on-the-go interaction with web applications, the amount of people using mobile devices to access the web has grown exponentially. There are over 4.5 billion mobile phones in usage today and it’s estimated that by the end of this year, over 1 billion users will be accessing the web via a mobile device. While these numbers are overwhelming, the mobile web experience is yet to… -
Common Misconceptions about Web Designers
7 Feb 2010 | 6:42 amAs a web designer, I’m proud to be a part of an Apple-loving, forward thinking, technologically advanced group of people that devour tutorials and web design blogs, hoping to create a stellar design that that gets posted in every CSS gallery out there. Yep, we’re a group of people that works hard, plays hard and strives to meet our deadlines, while learning something new along the way. We’re also a misunderstood group of people, viewed as gothic creatures that shun the daylight because we’re just tragic artists. Well, I’m here to set things straight. Here are… -
15 Fantastic Finds on the Google Code Repository
6 Feb 2010 | 5:57 amGoogle Code Repository is a section of Google that, just like SourceForge, allows developers to upload their code for others to use under license. The repository was launched in 2006 and after searching through its archives, I found a number of interesting scripts and other goodies that would be an asset in any website owner/website builder’s arsenal. All the code examples below are free to download and use. They’re released under a GPL, BSD, MIT or Creative Commons license. 1. Twotiny This is a great series of tiny icons created by Paul Jarvis at twothirty. There’s a… -
CSS3 Techniques You Should Know
5 Feb 2010 | 5:47 amMany of you have probably heard all the buzz around CSS3, but exactly which techniques can we use today? In this article I’ll show you some different CSS3 techniques that work great in some of the leading browsers (i.e. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera ), and how they will degrade well in the non-supported browsers (i.e. Internet Explorer). Using browser specific extensions, many of the proposed CSS3 styles can be used today! If you aren’t aware of the browser extensions, these are CSS styles with a vendor specific prefix. Since CSS3 is not fully supported yet, we must use these…
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Better Living Through Design
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Moonbird Table Light
9 Feb 2010 | 10:39 amSwoon. Designboom has pictures of this lamp when it first hit the scene in ‘09 (Milan Design Week) along with the designer’s quote, ‘I designed this lamp with the image of a bird perched silently under the moonlight in mind.’ A lovely thought, isn’t it? designer: Yukio Hashimoto materials: lacquered plywood; available in walnut, wengé, and natural finishes; LED lights dimensions: 4″ x 14″, height: 21.25″ -
Billy Book by Ikea
9 Feb 2010 | 6:12 amIkea is celebrating 30 years of Billy with a a series of special events, sales, limited edition custom printed bookcases, and this book, a visual history of the past 30 years of the now gold standard for inexpensive bookcases. I’ve only found it online on their international site, so if anyone has seen available in the states please leave a comment. Bonus! Here’s some interesting facts for you all: -The Billy Bookcase was created by Gillis Lundgren 1979, the fourth employee for Ikea. -The factory where the bookcases are made knocks out 15 Billys a minute; 3.1 million a year. -
Ladyslipper Terrarium
9 Feb 2010 | 5:52 amOh my, have you seen this? Found while perusing images for the lítill terrarium, this glass box is crazy elegant. Finely crafted indeed at $9,500.00. Ouch. Lindsey Taylor Design and Atlas Industries introduce ‘ladyslipper’, the first in a new line of terrariums, to be called the Wardian Case collection. In this collaboration, Taylor and Atlas seek to recapture the flavor of the Victorian Wardian case, forerunner of the modern terrarium, as both a finely crafted piece of furniture, and a piece of living art, an object of fantasy and wonder. ladyslipper presents a lush environment,… -
Metal Heart with Spheric Sound
9 Feb 2010 | 4:39 amThis metal heart ‘emits a soft spheric’ sound so that when you’re crying yourself to sleep on Valentine’s Day you’ll have some comfort. Just kidding. Forgo those lame boring valentine’s gifts (roses, candy, blah) for this little gift, because it’ll last a heck of a lot longer and it looks waaay better than any red/pink-plastic/cellophane-stuffed-bear/basket type of thing. Pair it with a sentimental note and you’re done*. If you’re still looking for a gift, by the way, you can always take a gander at our Gift Guide. It’s chockfull of… -
Oktavilla / Elding Oscarson
9 Feb 2010 | 3:24 amMagazines as wall material! Such a great idea. Check out the rest of the project via ArchDaily. “Besides having a literal relevance to the client’s business, the wall made of stacked bundles of magazines is not only a natural conversation piece in its mere irrationality, but also works as an acoustical absorbent.” -ArchDaily Architect: Elding Oscarson
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InspirationKing
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Blogsolid
Not an entirely new concept, but beautiful nonetheless. -
Emeril's
A great website with a very pleasing design. -
Trale
Something is very soothing about this website. Good design and usability at it’s best! -
Web Designer Wall
Amazing eye for detail and colour. A must see! -
Portfolio
Boring? Perfect? Either way it’s drop dead gorgeus.
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Photofocus
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My Favorite Camera Bags
9 Feb 2010 | 10:04 amOne of my readers recently suggested I do a round up of my favorite camera bags. I’ve reviewed many bags here on Photofocus, but as I often say, there is no perfect bag. Just as I wouldn’t think of owning just one camera lens, I wouldn’t think of owning just one camera bag. You need different bags for different tasks. Here are my favorites, in no particular order. The BODA V3 Lens Bag I reviewed this bag here – http://photofocus.com/2010/02/01/mini-review-of-the-boda-v3-weatherproof-lens-bag/ – it’s a working bag. I wouldn’t use it to ship my gear… -
Random Photo News
9 Feb 2010 | 4:08 amNikon has issued firmware update 1.01 for the D3s http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/46079/c/648/r_id/127673 for Windows and http://nikoneurope-en.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/46080/c/241/r_id/127673 for Mac Zoom Media has announced zoomIt – which is a card reader for your iPhone or iPod. Presumably, it will also work with the iPad. The price is a hefty $59.95 – making it the most expensive SD card reader I am aware of. Ships in April. Nikon has announced two new wide-angle lenses. The 16-35mm F/4 G ED VR ($1295) and the new 24mm F/1.4 G ED prime… -
I Watched A Pelican Soar Today
8 Feb 2010 | 3:54 pmCopyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved It was very windy here today. The pelicans took a break from their fishing and just seemed content to soar in place. I swear they were just playing around. One pelican soared in the same place for almost a full minute, then circled around and did it again and again and again. He was 200 feet up in the air. He wasn’t even soaring over the beach. He was just hanging (literally) out. I found myself studying this behavior and In an uncharacteristic zen mood today. I was trying to draw some conclusions from the bird’s behavior. More… -
Customizing your Camera Raw defaults in Lightroom
8 Feb 2010 | 4:31 amCopyright Scott Bourne 2010 - All Rights Reserved Guest Post by Rob Sylvan Follow Lightroomers on Twitter If you find you are making a lot of the same adjustments to your raw photos after import, or perhaps you have a favorite Camera Profile that you want to be your regular starting point, then it is time to update your default settings to suit your tastes! Don’t worry as you can always go back to the Adobe defaults or even customize yours again in the future. Here’s how: 1. Start with a unprocessed raw file that is well exposed and not in need of too much work. 2. Adjust the… -
Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Masters
7 Feb 2010 | 4:02 amAuthor: Michael Frye Publisher: Focal Press Review by Conrad J. Obregon Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and Eliot Porter were amongst the greatest landscape photographers of the twentieth century. Unlike many of today’s photographers, they used film. The book Digital Landscape Photography: In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams and the Masters tries to translate their techniques into the language of modern digital photography. The first part of the book, called “Technical Foundations” deals with the basic techniques of digital photography with emphasis on how those techniques might be…
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A Photo Editor
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Photographers- How To Deal With Infringements
9 Feb 2010 | 7:36 amI received this note from a reader: Hi Rob, I’m a photographer, regular reader and occasional commenter on your blog. One thing that I have been struggling with since starting my freelance career is legal issues. Two specific problems that have plagued me in the last six months are - A top national news organization reprinting my work (at least four times that I have caught) and not paying, or responding to my calls. - A Dutch Bank buying one of my photographs for a calendar and promptly stopping communication after receiving the file. Today I emailed several photographer friends about… -
Time Warner’s Bewkes: perform or hit the road
9 Feb 2010 | 7:04 amOf course, he stressed, he expects the publishing division to show earnings growth and make significant progress in its digital transformation. Long story short, Bewkes will hold on to Time Inc. — or any other asset — “if it fits Time Warner.” But what if Time Inc. doesn’t meet his objectives? “If they can’t,” he said with a shrug, “they’re better candidates for private ownerships.” via Jon Friedman’s Media Web – MarketWatch. -
Commercial Photographer Income
8 Feb 2010 | 7:44 amI decided to move the updates from the post on “How Much Money Do Commercial Photographers Make?” here and add a few more that have been submitted: Photographer 1: My individual gross revenue* from assignment and stock photography was $362,000 I had $57,000 in out-of-pocket assignment expenses* I had $120,000 in fixed overhead* costs My net profit* on my photography was $185,000 ($362k – $57k – $120k) I’ve been in business for 24 years (started out as a photojournalist working for newspapers and wire services, now I shoot portraits for magazines, corporations… -
Ad Agency Guide To Photography Usage Terms
5 Feb 2010 | 6:28 amBASIC INFORMATION With the current US copyright laws as they are applied now, artists own all rights to their created images and sell/transfer rights to agencies and their clients. All questionable negotiations have historically defaulted in favor of the artist. Technically, even minor modification of the art requires the artists’ permission. You are RENTING, not buying an image unless explicitly stated on the contract. Generally, think of usage costs reflecting the amount of exposure a particular image may receive. The more exposure, the higher the price. Exact terminology may differ, but… -
Cuban Rails Against Google and News Aggregators
5 Feb 2010 | 6:28 am“Show some balls” “There’s absolutely no reason for you guys to be indexed on Google News … if they don’t pay you,” Mark Cuban addressing publishers at a New York OnMedia event. via MediaPost Publications. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Looking to buy a new website? A Photo Folio is a website design company created by A Photo Editor. Have a look (here).
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Tao of Photography
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Solo Show at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA
21 Jan 2010 | 4:48 pmPart of the reason I have been remiss in updating my blog recently (apart from the usual demands of my day job) is that I've been preparing for what I am now very pleased to announce. Namely, a solo show at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, Virginia. More specifically, at the Market Street Bar & Grill that is attached to the Hyatt, at street level, at 1800 Presidents Street, Reston, VA, 20190 (if you click on the link to the Hyatt Regency, the entrance to the Bar and Grill appears in the main picture at the top of the page that pops up). There will be 24 works in all, about equally divided… -
The Mystical Way of Photography
15 Dec 2009 | 4:27 pmI have just about finished preparing a set of powerpoint slides for a presentation I was invited to give early next year by the Silver Spring Camera Club (in Maryland). My "guest appearance" is scheduled for 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm on January 7, 2010 (a thursday) at the Marvin Memorial United Methodist Church (33 University Boulevard E., Silver Spring; corner of University and Colesville Rd.).My talk consists of a brief bio (of myself as a "work in progress" photographer), a summary of my artistic journey thus far, a few "lessons" I've learned, a sampling of old and new portfolios, and ideas on how… -
Blurred Distinctions
8 Dec 2009 | 1:32 pmA set of Nambe-like metallic salt and pepper shakers (featuring shiny reflecting metallic surfaces), assorted pots and pans and formal serving trays, and the backdrop and decor of my in-laws' dining room (in Coral Gables, Florida), all mysteriously conspired - during the Thanksgiving break - to teach me a lesson on the art of making blurred distinctions. I mean this both literally - as in exploring (what for me) is an unusual range of bokeh-inducing f-stops (f~2.8; compared to the range I "normally" work in: f11 ~ f16) - and metaphorically - as in the lesson the "abtsract experiments" I will… -
Video-clip from my Photo Exhibit at the American Center for Physics
21 Nov 2009 | 10:35 amThe opening reception of the Worlds Within Worlds exhibit (held at the American Center for Physics, One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD, 20740, on Monday, November 16, 2009) was - by all accounts - a resounding success. This is due, in no small measure, to the curator Sarah Tanguy, who not only assembled an extraordinary physics-inspired collection of art, but quite an impressive spread of delicious gourmet-quality food and drink. Thanks Sarah!I was also impressed by how many people showed up. I honestly did not know what to expect coming in, but had assumed that since the exhibit is being… -
A Photographer's Self-Organized Patterns and Categories
15 Nov 2009 | 9:08 amIn a certain Chinese encyclopedia called the Heavenly Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge - perhaps imagined, perhaps real - Jorge Luis Borges writes that "...animals are divided into (a) those that belong to the emperor; (b) embalmed ones; (c) those that are trained; (d) suckling pigs; (e) mermaids; (f) fabulous ones; (g) stray dogs; (h) those that are included in this classification; (i) those that tremble as if they were mad; (j) innumerable ones; (k) those drawn with a very fine camel's-hair brush; (l) etcetera; (m) those that have just broken the flower vase; (n) those that at a distance…
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Camera Hacker
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Canon EOS Rebel XSi -- A Gorgeous Digital Camera
9 Feb 2010 | 7:41 amCanon EOS Rebel XSi – A Gorgeous Digital Camera Canon is a Japanese multinational corporation well known for image and optical products. They produce ca . . . Category: Digital Camera: Canon -
Sony HDR-HC3 Tape Door Won't Close with C:32:11 Error Code
9 Feb 2010 | 6:00 amhitimg worked for a month but it's failed again. DONT BUY ANYTHING SONY EVER AGAIN ANYONE !!!! Category: Video Camera: Sony -
Connecting Sony Handycam to Windows Vista Via USB
9 Feb 2010 | 2:32 amDear odoncaoa I have done this, put when I have instulaed the softwear; they ask to use the CD- not the number- but the CD itself! Can u please help? AKN Category: Video Camera: Sony -
using Sony digital camera as a picture viewer
9 Feb 2010 | 1:02 amHow to edit DSC maker TAGS in video file? Category: Digital Camera: Sony -
Error Code C:31:23?
8 Feb 2010 | 10:54 pmIn Regards to the dreaded D31:23 error. DO NOT SMACK YOUR SONY CAMERA!!!! It might deserve it for giving you the error but this will not solve the problem in th . . . Category: Video Camera: Sony
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LIGHTING ESSENTIALS For Photographers
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Thoughts on Photography, and Other Stuff, While Driving Across the Desert.
8 Feb 2010 | 9:57 pmI love to drive. Cars and motorcycles and trucks… I love to get behind the wheel and just go. This weekend I drove to San Diego for the workshop there. And, BTW… it was a very fun and exciting workshop with a lot of talented photographers, some wonderful models, and fascinating conversations. I love to talk nearly as much as I love to drive. (Those of you who know me, are shaking your heads right now… just not sure which way… heh.) I left pretty late in the day on Friday, having to clear some things before being out-of-pocket for a couple of days. The light was dreary… -
Before You Shoot for Peanuts, Consider the Risks
29 Jan 2010 | 10:18 amUmmm… this is a Rant, so be warned. I stated in the last post that I would tell you why I would prefer beginning photographers shoot for free rather than dirt cheap. And I mean that totally. I am not saying you should shoot for free, I am saying to cut out the low-ball quotes that drive the industry down. Yeah, I would prefer you do it for free than to have you quote $40 for a half day industrial shoot… got it? When you quote ridiculously low pricing, you are giving the impression that it is worth what you quoted. And that impression hurts everyone… even you. I see lots of… -
Pricing Issues: One Big Monster of a Problem
27 Jan 2010 | 10:29 amA day or two ago a firestorm of sorts broke out on the interwebs on pricing. It got heady and angry and although I initially made a post on one of the players in this dramas posts here, I subsequently found that I had stumbled on to something that was just getting going. You can see how it unfolded here. Be sure to read the comments, as that is all part of the context of the argument. Mr. Bourne’s post is linked here. This issue on price, undercutting, ‘ruining’ the business all gets so dicey and tricky in the crazy light of the real world, I thought I would throw out some… -
Go Ahead and Play!
25 Jan 2010 | 2:17 pmToday’s Rant is really a Rave… sorta. it is about the fun and joy of photography… beyond the craft and business of photography. I don’t know what happens to us as photographers when we get to the point where the cameras stay in the vault until someone pays us to shoot. That was never me, it couldn’t be. I love to play… takes the mind away from the work. Folks who aren’t photographers play you know. Snowmobiles, horses, football with the gang, tailgate parties, dog shows… whatever. We all know the list of things we can do for entertainment is… -
Just a Camera and a Subject. Simplicity Can Be Fun.
22 Jan 2010 | 10:36 amRecently there was a discussion on whether natural light shooters would be able to compete with the strobe-heavy photographers and those deep into the Photoshop illustrative techniques. And before we begin it must be stressed that I love all kinds of photography. This is not ‘against’ any style that you may enjoy, it is only a look at some simple, and entirely wonderful ways of shooting. Photography embraces all types of imagery. From the heavily illustrated work of Dave Hill and Tim Tadder, to the Photojournalist with a camera in a war zone, to a wedding shooter with a speedlight…
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The Imaging Buffet
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Photographer Colin Finlay to Host Live Free Discussion 2/4/2010
3 Feb 2010 | 5:01 amI recently received information about this event slated for Thursday 2/4/2010 on a LinkedIn Group. I’ve met Colin Finlay on a few occasions over the years, and I interviewed him for an ImagingBuffet.com podcast, which you can find here. I find his documentary work to be outstanding, both in its subject matter as well as its technical and artistic merit. His commercial/advertising work is equally impressive. Finlay is one of Western Digital’s Creative Masters, and he’ll be hosting a free live discussion for Western Digital’s LinkedIn Storage Group on Thursday, February 4th… -
Recent Tips and Art Resources Column (plus archives) on RedDogJournal.com
2 Feb 2010 | 7:13 amI recently wrote another column at RedDogJournal.com that I thought might be of interest. I generally write a column for their site every other week. In it I often offer printing tips and techniques, and other areas I highlight include: photo-related events; learning resources; exhibitions; talks and photo contests. For example, a tip from my most recent column is titled: Quick Printing Tip: How to Place Images Perfectly Every Time. The most recent column can be found here: http://reddogjournal.com/darlow-27.php Also, by changing the number above from 27 to a lower number (1 to 26) like this:… -
Happy Holidays from Andrew Darlow and The Imaging Buffet
24 Dec 2009 | 7:35 pmWishing You and Yours a Very Happy Holiday Season and New Year. I selected this photograph of a magical place (the National Toy Train Museum in Ronks, PA–near Lancaster, PA) as a “virtual card” this year. I photographed it earlier this year on a family trip that I will fondly remember, and I highly recommend visiting the museum if you are in the area or have an opportunity to visit. Thank you for being a part of The Imaging Buffet family. Sincerely, -Andrew Darlow -
Queens Visitors Center (NYC) Launches Second Exhibit - opening 12/5/2009
5 Dec 2009 | 6:38 amJust a few days ago I was in Queens, NY to visit a company, and I was so impressed by the neighborhoods I drove through. Just a few minutes out of Manhattan, it was very quiet, and felt a lot like so many suburbs you might find around the US. I just noticed this press release from a Queens-based photographer, and wanted to share it. It looks like a great event. Queens Economic Development Corporation invites you to the launch of ThisIsOurQueens by photographer Michelle Kawka at the Queens Visitors Center at the Queens Center Mall on Saturday Dec 5 from 12 noon to 3pm. The Queens Visitors… -
Upcoming Events in NYC In Association with Aperture.org
1 Dec 2009 | 8:13 pmI was just sent an e-mail from Aperture.org (publisher of Aperture magazine and many outstanding books), so I thought I’d share these upcoming events (most if not all are free to attend). The Projected Image panel discussion looks particularly interesting because it’s amazing how the scale of an image, as well as the medium (think Times Square with its colossal images), can impact the viewer. There’s nothing like sitting in a darkened room with large images projected as a photographer or other artist speaks about his or her work. Speaking from experience, if you have a…
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WordPress Tag: Canon
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Emily & Jochem
9 Feb 2010 | 11:26 amI drove out to Cambridge to meet with Emily & Jochem and to shoot their wedding. Their wedding day was sandwiched between two other shoots in the city so I had a lot of driving to do that weekend! I’m glad that the couple was so chill and easy to work with. These were clients refered to me by Lindsay Moleirinho of Photos By LAM (www.photosbylam.com). She is fast becoming one of the photographers who I have worked with the most – and it’s a great move. We’re a great photo/video duo since we are so close in age, style and logic towards a wedding shoot. Wedding… -
Agate Rock - "Ancient Landscapes" Series
9 Feb 2010 | 11:18 amThis is another image from the “Ancient Landscapes” Series. There are so many different views, different angles, various textures and colors that one can find in many of the cut slabs of rock, and it is always a very high type of intrigue to the mind when viewing these with the macro lens. It is something that lets the imagination to simply run wild! In this piece, I sort of like those little strands or black streaks in the middle and at the bottom. They remind me of some silhouetted plants or foliage coming up from the bottom. Agate Rock – “Ancient Landscapes”… -
Road Grime
9 Feb 2010 | 11:07 amJust messing around killing time waiting to go back to work. Took a picture of a run-of-the-mill au -
Canon EOS Rebel T2i
9 Feb 2010 | 9:53 amWith a 18 megapixel CMOS sensor, the cam can capture 18.7 megapixel stills at 3.7 fps and the ability to record Full HD video at up to 30 fps, along with 720p at 50 / 60 fps. Hit up the jump for a reason why this cheaper DSLR is worth the $800. -
Boxing Day at Randazzo Bros. Gym
9 Feb 2010 | 9:26 amThere is a new photo post at my new permanent blog site, TheShooter.net. Come have a look! And be sure to subscribe to the new RSS feed once you’re there to receive automatic updates!
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Canon Photography Group
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The Groove
9 Feb 2010 | 6:22 amCANON 40D EF 18-200 f3.5-4.5 CPL Panglao Bohol -
C'mon Swim
9 Feb 2010 | 12:14 amCheedrfoto by Edson Reyes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at cheedr@gmail.com -
Philippines : Overdrive
8 Feb 2010 | 4:37 amPhotography : Ash Reginald Evasco MUA and Syling : Sonia Agbayani Models : Nelly Gianan / Randy Tepace / Jennifer Ritamar / Vanessa Biagtas Location: Quezon City For photography services, contact +63917-3759660 You can also visit my Photography portfolio at http://www.ashevascoimagebox.multiply.com http://www.ashevasco.multiply.com http://www.myshutterspace.com/profiles/ashevasco http://www.facebook.com/ashreginaldevasco ***All photos are owned and copyrighted by Ash Reginald Evasco(http://ashevascoimagebox.multiply.com) 2010 All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized use, copy, editing, reproduction,… -
BREATHLESS
8 Feb 2010 | 1:42 amCANON 40D EF 18-200 f3.5-4.5 IS CPL Virgin Island Bohol, -
Sunset
6 Feb 2010 | 5:55 pmmabini, batangas (mountain
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Canon Blogger
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The nitty gritty details of FTP
9 Feb 2010 | 2:30 amAs in anything, there are terms often bandied about under the presumption that we all know what the term means, what it refers to, and how to do it! Living with such blinders on is often dangerous and I fell victim to it recently when I gave someone an answer about hosting their photos online [...] -
Camera Bag Must Haves?
8 Feb 2010 | 2:30 amOver the weekend in between packing and moving boxes, I spent a little time with the Twitterverse and had a chance to get some fun dialogs going. One of the questions posed was “Camera body aside, what are the must have essentials for you in your camera bag?” My answer was my two filters, the [...] -
Just under the weekend wire…
5 Feb 2010 | 10:37 pmAs Friday draws to a close, lots is going on here – we’re packing up! That’s right packing things up and rolling on outta here! Naw, not the blog, or the podcast – always here, but with my return to a full time position we realized two things: 1. We were kind of living beyond our [...] -
Thoughts on the new additions to the website?
5 Feb 2010 | 7:34 amBelieve it or not, people have asked me in the past to give links out to some of my preferred vendors for things like books, gear, and other photography-related items. Since I don’t like to single out vendors usually, I’ll tell people to find the best deal nearest them so that they don’t have [...] -
Shooting video…
3 Feb 2010 | 4:00 amWell, I ran out of time to compile the podcast segments in the day, so figured I would answer another listener question via blog post today. The question came in inquiring how I produced video, and what my recommendations are. While this is a great question, especially given the trend towards convergence between still and [...]
