Category Archives for internetting

Soak up the information – don’t stop learning.

Having been using the internet since 1995, I’ve done my fair share of trolling and spent many hours being an absolute idiot. I used to think the internet was the Yahoo homepage and the Yahoo game lobbies. Following that, I was caught up with online journals and MSN chatrooms and MSN chat. Like many, my first foray into web design (at least HTML and CSS) was when I endlessly changed my Myspace profile.

Now, having done my degree and a Certificate IV in design, it’s hard to know how much knowledge I do or do not have when it comes to web design and development. I can certainly code a simple website; splashing around with HTML, CSS and jQuery. I immerse myself in web and tech related publications online and offline. I spend a large amount of my time being an insatiable autodidact – trying to soak up any information I can in the impossible hope of one day… knowing everything.

I’ve been a Reddit kid for a while now – lurking in the shadows. A few months ago I discovered uReddit - or the University of Reddit. Basically a bunch of people who are knowledgable in a particular area will set up free short courses in a variety of subjects. I’ve had a look into some and found a few good resources and little tidbits of information. I thought I would compile a list of sites I use as inspiration and information when it comes to design and web related shenanigans. Some of these have been discovered via uReddit!

Little Big Details – UI inspiration
ILoveTypography // Web type – A neat little explanation of type for the web. Very important as type comes across different on the screen as opposed to the page.
Design Fridge – A collection of snippets of nice design.
Kuler - Adobe based colour palette inspiration source and tool.
Pattern tap – Similar to Design Fridge.
Smashing Magazine –  A community and site that posts design and tech inspiration and information.

Anyway – those a just a few that come to mind. I really urge anyone in the field of design or development to look into uReddit as a place to start learning, rekindle some passion or just refresh the ol’ memory.

I also post a lot of these kinds of links on my Tumblr page (as well as miscellaneous images of inspiration) so do check it out from time to time. I mainly do it for myself, as a way of remembering things – but it’s a valuable collection of resources.

Fifty reasons NOT to date a Graphic Designer

Courtesy of A bourbon for Silvia. Highlighted are the ones that are most relevant to me (they ALL are, but the ones that most hit the nail on the head).

Fifty reasons NOT to date a Graphic Designer.

1. They are very weird people.
2. There are billions of them in the world, like colors on the screen of your computer.
3. They will analyse conversations in layers.
4. You will spend the day assembling furniture from IKEA.
5. They drink and eat all kinds of weird shit just because they like the packaging.
6. They hate each other.
7. You’ll come out the last out of the movies because you have to see the full list of credits.
8. They can’t change a light bulb or without making a sketch.
9. They fuck up all the tables with their cutters.
10. They rather study the paisley pattern on your outfit than listen to what you have to say.
11. They will fill your house with magazines and whatever is out there that has drawings.
12. You never know if it is really an original or a copy.
13. They make collages with your photos.
14. They do not know how to add and subtract, they just understand letters.
15. They idolize people who nobody knows and speak of them as if they were his colleagues.
16. They take pictures almost daily and all are cut in weird shapes.
17. They ask your opinion about everything but  they do whatever they want.
18. Everything is left justified, right or center unless they arrive late.
19. They hate Comic Sans with the same passion they love Helvetica.
20. They use iPhone for everything, because everyone has one.
21. You can not decorate the house without consulting them.
22. They steal street signs.
23. Always carry bags painted with something.
24. They buy dolls unfinished for them to paint.
25. Everything becomes something other than what it really is: cards as tickets, cards as …
26. When arguing, you will be nicknamed like the OSX spinning wheel (not affectionately)
27. Do not know how to dress without consulting the Pantone book.
28. They hate Excel.
29. They read comics.
30. They want to save the world only with a poster.
31. You will spend the day brainstorming.
32. On vacation they will take you to countries that you do not know exist and have no beach.
33. Museums are their second home.
34. They know more positions than the Kamasutra.
35. They can’t go to a restaurant without secretly critiquing the menu design.
36. They listen to music you have never heard of.
37. They can’t cook a normal dish, they always have to experiment with new ingredients.
38. They read rare books: stories of children, Semiotics …
39. When they are going to tell you something, everyone has read it in their facebook and twitter.
40. They have own iPods before you knew they existed.
41. The orgasm they remember is when they heard that Adobe was acquiring Macromedia.
42. They have their own shops just for them and there are the most expensive in the city.
43. They want to spend all the money in the Apple Store.
44. You will never understand their gifts.
45. They see ordinary objects and laugh.
46. You wake up in the middle of the night hearing them screaming “When is the deadline?”
47. They see CMYK and RGB like Neo sees the Matrix.
48. They dream of the day nobody will make a single change to their designs.
49. They rather pay for a font than for a special birthday gift.
50. They are always sleepy because they work 24/7.

Do you have more to add?

What is your web presence like?

What is your web presence like? Do you only use the internet for fun, or do you use it as a business tool? If you Google yourself, what shows up? Facebook, twitter, inane forum posts, an embarrassing blog about cats that you made when you were fourteen? Or are there a truckload of people out there with your name, making it virtually impossible to figure out who is who and what is what?

Recently I’ve been filtering through the social networking sites I belong to. Like most people, I have Facebook. I use mine for personal reasons only, and thus it is completely private – only for friends and family. Do you have yours set up this way? If a potential employer looks for you on Facebook, can they find you? Can they see the status about getting tanked last weekend and spewing in someone’s front garden? Can they see your status update about how much you want to physically decapitate yourself when you see George Negus on TV? …What if they think Mr. Negus is the pinnacle of Australian journalism and should be praised as a national hero? It can get a little more tricky too. Is your personal Youtube account linked to your public Twitter account? When you clicked ‘Favourite’ on that video of a baby on a stripper pole, did you want your Twitter followers to see “I liked ‘Sexy baby works its magic’ on Youtube: abcdefg.com”. Similarly, if you post an obscene (but perhaps not unreasonable) comment on Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ – do you want your boss, potential employers and fans seeing you lose your nut on the internet, being abusive towards people like some troll? Furthermore… was that really necessary anyway? Do you have a Deviantart.com account where you posted erotic vampire poetry when you were going through a gothic phase when you were sixteen? Yeah, you might want to check that.

Your web presence should be used for good and not evil. There are literally hundreds of sites on the internet where you can showcase your work, your ideas and your personality in a professional but personable way. Here are a few I use:

Foursquare – Me on foursquare.
What it is: Foursquare is a service that helps find where your friends are hanging out and offers tips from other users on what to do once you get there. You use your phone to “check in” at different places you visit.

Why I like it: It’s fun to share where you are, and what you’re doing there. It may be self indulgent, but it’s nice to be able to show others the kind of places you like and frequent. Furthermore, you’re able to share tips and comments about certain places – “Great coffee but the waiter smelled like Cheezels” or “Don’t order the bacon – such small portions: I did not get my bacon fix!”

Twitter – Me on Twitter.
What it is: Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that allows you answer the question, “What are you doing?” by sending short text messages 140 characters in length, called “tweets”, to your friends, or “followers.”

Why I like it: I don’t often tweet about what I’m doing (“laying on couch typing furiously about the internet”?!). I follow a mass of creatives, designers, studios and organisations and retweet things I find helpful, interesting, inspiring etc. Okay, fine, sometimes I post pictures of my cats. What of it?

LinkedIn – Me on LinkedIn.
What it is: A business-related social networking site, basically. Like a professional Facebook.

Why I like it: It’s like having an online Resume or CV. Which is great, because I really hate making those things – they make me feel like a hopeless dork. It’s good to be able to put your whole professional and educational history on there and be linked to current and past employers. Not only that, but those people can add ‘recommendations’ on your profile. Easily up-datable, no having to specialise your CV to each job. Just everything, short and sweet. Worth your time.

The Loop – Me on The Loop.
Here’s what they say: ‘By creating a portfolio on The Loop, you get your work online and in front of the right people. We’re out pounding the pavement and meeting as many great employers as we can so you don’t have to!’ True story too – some incredible brands, companies and studios advertising on there. Australia-focused.

Why I like it: They really do have some hotshot jobs posted on there and they are updated daily. Definitely worth getting your work and personality up on there – it really doesn’t matter if it’s a double up of information from another site. Spread your tentacles!

Anyway, you get the point. Go out there and be known. Below are some other sites that I use. Get in amongst it, kids.

About.Me
Cargo
Wordpress
Vimeo
Whohub
Instagram
Flickr
Youtube

graphic designing in lists.

Any designers out there need a pick-me-up? Yeah, me too.
There’s some good articles out there on how to be successful, how to stay motivated and inspired, how to this and that in the world of design. A great deal of them harp on about the same stuff. Recently, however, I’ve come across two of these such articles that are relevant, helpful and entertaining.

Numero Uno is Austin Kleon’s “How to Steal like an Artist (And 9 Other Things Nobody Told Me)“
Gem:

And B is Jamie Wieck’s “50 Things Every Graphic Design Student Should Know“
Gem:

#1D4D.

All artists and designs who do or do not use twitter should know about One Day for Design.

Here’s an explanation from the site:

AIGA, the largest design advocacy organization in the world, created this event to bring designers and design followers together with leading minds in our profession, over one 24-hour period. With your collaboration, we expect to better understand our role and explore ways to better serve the needs of the design community.

It’s incredibly fascinating. I was in bed, about to drop off to sleep when I noticed #1D4D popping up on my stream. Get on it, kids – you won’t be disappointed.

I’ve also changed the look of the site recently – alot neater and more professional. More changes will be made over the coming weeks while I nut things out and play around.

Also coming up, agIdeas. Get involved.