• Everyone wants to stand out in their line of creative work (photographers, designers, businesses alike)
• Generally, when people begin a new creative project they sift through similar projects for inspiration
• Their “new” project will generally end up looking very similar to their sources of inspiration
• Instead of a fresh piece of creativity, the result is usually a repackaging of something earlier
• The author suggests taking notes on pieces you find inspiring, rather than mimicking the identical style

This article forced me to examine the creative process I go through when designing. In the early stages of research, I like to digest a ton of visual inspiration, and actually have a file of inspiring pieces of design, architecture, type, and otherwise. However, I really like the idea of taking notes on how and why particular pieces are inspiring or how they solve a problem in a particular way. It forces me to really examine what I like about something, and the excuse that it’s “just eye candy” doesn’t hold up when you have a commitment to communication via design. In our business, 99% of the time we’re concerned about how our design is communicating. Sure, there are many designers out there who are concerned purely with style, or trends. But, those are generally short-lived. A brand that is rooted in communicating a message will stand the test of time.

Next time you are tasked with a new creative assignment, rely on the talent you have within you to create the best possible solution. If you really put time and thought into it, you can probably come up with a better solution than most of what’s out there. Who knows, maybe it will be fresh idea you’re looking for to separate you from your competition? Happy creating.

Read the whole article here on the DRAWAR blog.

Basically it’s a social media aggregator, at least that’s how I see it. You have to experience it to see the beauty of the Flavors.me service. You can easily create a beautiful site, without any knowledge of web programming. Flavors.me compiles all of your favorite social media feeds and let’s you upload your own huge background photo to boot.

The developers, Hii Def Inc., describes the service best:
Flavors.me allows anyone to create an elegant website using personal content from around the Internet. It automatically organizes all kinds of information – Posterous blog posts, Twitter status updates, YouTube videos, Last.fm music listening habits, Flickr photos, LinkedIn resume details and more – into a constantly growing, interactive visual montage that is ideal for personal homepages, lifestreaming, digital business cards, splash and microsites, celebrity fan pages, brand marketing – and everything in between.

I’m most impressed by the ingenuity of the service. Flavors is simply pulling already created content from all of the most popular social media sites. The great thing is that it compiles them into a beautiful and simple to use interface. This seems like the next step in the social media evolution, doesn’t it?

I experimented with the service and created a free site (the paid service is $20/year) and included Reddoor’s blog and twitter feed. Check it out and tell us what you think?
Flavors.me/reddoorla

Check it out, and make a site of your own. We’d love to see what you come up with. Send your Flavors.me site to sales @ RedByReddoor.com

Lastly, here’s a 3-minute video that shows the interface with the Flavors.me service:

Here’s a sampling of what your Flavors.me site can look like (I have no idea what these people are about, they did have interesting sites). Check out the Directory.

Here are some of his highly recognizable logos:

1. Bell, 1969
2. AT&T, 1984
3. United Airlines, 1973
4. Avery International, 1990
5. Continental Airlines, 1968
6. United Way, 1972
7. Minolta, 1978
8. Girl Scouts, 1978
9. Quaker Oats, 1971
10. Kleenex
11. Dixie, 1969
12. Warner Communications, 1972

Many of these logos have been redesigned, or the company no longer exists as it did when the logo was designed. But as far as logo design in the 70′s and 80′s, Saul Bass knew what he was doing.

Here are a few stills from two of his notable movie title sequences:

This article is straight from Seth Godin’s blog and seemed particularly relevant to the client-to-creative relationship. As designers we appreciate Seth’s effort to address how to best foster innovation. This list applies to people who hire designers (or any innovator, for that matter), but also is quite useful for clients who hire you for your photography. Enjoy.

HOW TO BE A GREAT CLIENT

Kelli Bramble is a portrait photographer based out of Salt Lake City, Utah and happens to be the first person to volunteer her brand for critique by Reddoor. Thanks for your bravery Kelli!

In our effort to offer critique, we want to do so honestly and constructively. To help her continue to develop her brand we’ll address the first impression of the current communication, what’s currently working, what’s not working, and offer any additional thoughts.

FIRST IMPRESSION OF CURRENT COMMUNICATION:
Modern and professional yet fun and approachable.

WHAT’S WORKING:
Nice adaptation of logo for use in varied formats (horizontal use on blog, and stacked use on web homepage). The use of lower case kelli and lower case bramble reinforce the friendliness and approachability of the brand. She seems to be using a version of the Futura typeface for all aspects of the logo type, which is a nice choice. The supporting text seems to be in a similar if not the same typeface as well… another point for consistency. The colors are consistent throughout. The broad use of gray allows the color images to pop while the restrained use of the burnt orange works nice as an accent.

WHAT’S NOT WORKING:
While we are on the color,  the background polka dot is consistent in hue (brightness of color), however the value (darkness or lightness) varies widly between the blog and the website. The website is probably too light and the blog too dark. There are “breathing room” issues in the logo layout. The space between the words “kelli” and the three squares is too tight (and the space between the squares themselves), especially when the logo is reduced to a smaller size. Commit one way or the other, by either having the items touch or give them some more “breathing room.” As far as balance, the left half of the composition (in the horizontal format) feels too heavy or dense. The circle around the logo on the website doesn’t make much sense. If you lose the circle you’ll gain a little real estate for the logo, and then the logo use would be more consistent throughout all uses. The other logo use that needs help is the branding of images, it’s just too heavy handed. Maybe consider losing the “bramble photography?” Perhaps you could use just the “kelli” and the squares or consider changing the opacity of the entire logo when placed over your images.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:
Always consider your target market, and see if your colors, typeface and showcase images are selling to them specifically. Be careful not to use decorative elements without a reason. If there is a good reason for having three boxes and the sprout in the middle box, use that story when you’re interacting with clients. Have a single purpose or voice for all of your communication. Know it, memorize it and, most important, use it when making decisions.

Thanks again Kelli! See her work on the website and blog links here:

web: kellibramble.showitsite.com
blog: kellibramble.com

If you’re interested in receiving some feedback on your brand, click below the “Brand Critique” heading in the right-hand column and send us a note. If you still haven’t signed up for the Red News email, it’s not too late. Click “Sign Up Now” and we’ll still send you the first installment which was delivered on 10.13.09.

We just finished a dialogue with a friend who has authored a book. He’s in the final stages of publishing, and they’re trying to decide on a cover design. Obviously, a very big step when releasing your first book. I know they say “you can’t judge a book by it’s cover,” but as a visual people we may find ourselves doing just that.

He was asking for Reddoor’s advice on how to give constructive feedback to the designers of his book cover. Our conversation generated some fruitful ideas and I think they’re worth passing on.

His question, simply stated was: “what is useful for me (as a client) to say to the designer?”

When you hire a designer consider how you respond to the work they show you. I told him what we’d like to hear from clients (remember this conversation is about a book cover, but just imagine your brand):

“Think about whether or not you feel like the cover is successful and effective. If it is, then great. Leave it. If not, figure out what you think is wrong with it. This feedback should be at the top level, don’t worry about fixing the details of the design. Leave that up to the designer. After all they’re the experts. Hopefully, with your constructive feedback they can make moves and changes that will resolve your issues. Make sure your comments speak to the purpose or goal. If you’re concerned with impact and the cover’s ability to grab attention on a shelf, say that. If you think it looks too similar or too different from what’s already on the shelves, say that.”

“The challenge, for us, in a situation like this is when clients start art directing. They make demands about type, logo size, placement, etc. with no rhyme or reason. They often don’t know the first thing about what a certain design decision communicates, but they sure feel good because it’s their own idea. But as we all know, not all ideas are good ideas. We try to get them to tell us what isn’t working so that we (as the experts) can solve the problem. This is easier said than done. On top of that, if your designers are focused on decoration and not communication then they may not even really hear or understand the feedback you offer. Good Luck!”

Consider this strategy, and perspective when looking at the design decisions you face every day.

In the 1950s prizewinning biologist and doctor Jonas Salk was working on a cure for polio in a dark basement laboratory in Pittsburgh. To clear his mind Salk traveled to Assisi, Italy, where he spent time in a 13th-century monastery, continuing his research in a more inspiring environment. With new insight and a fresh perspective Salk developed a successful polio vaccine. Salk was convinced he had drawn his inspiration from the contemplative setting. Because he believed so much in the power of his environment he teamed up with renowned architect Louis Kahn to build the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA, as a scientific facility that would stimulate breakthroughs and encourage creativity.

Research has recently emerged that could lend credibility to Salk’s suspicion that your physical environment actually can influence creativity. Here are some fascinating stats that may encourage you to spice up your office:

- The height of a room’s ceiling affects how you think. 100 people were randomly assigned to a room with either an 8 or ten-foot ceiling. They were asked to group sports from a 10-item list into categories of their own choice. The people in the room with the 10-foot ceiling came up with more abstract categories, such as “challenging” sports or sports they would like to play, than did those who worked in the 8-foot ceiling. Elevated ceilings make people feel physically less constrained, and result in more free thinking. The actual height of the ceiling is of less importance than how high it feels. Use light colored paint or mirrors in the room to give a more spacious feel.

- Views of natural settings improve focus. One experiment demonstrated that college students with views of nature from their dorm rooms scored higher on measures of mental focus than did those who overlooked entirely man-made structures. Such findings may be the result of a restorative effect on the mind of gazing on natural scenes. By this theory, the tasks of the modern world can engender mental fatigue, whereas looking out at a natural setting is relatively effortless and can give the mind a much needed rest.

- Natural light keeps you alert. Daylight synchronizes our sleep-wake cycle, and allows us to stay alert during the day and to sleep at night. Nevertheless, many institutional buildings are not designed to let in as much natural light as our mind and body need. In 1999 researchers rated the amount of daylight available in each of more than 2,000 classrooms on a scale of 0 to 5. In one school district (Capistrano, CA) students in the sunniest classrooms advanced 26% faster in reading and 20% faster in math in one year than did those with the least daylight in their classrooms. In the other two districts, ample light boosted scores 7-18%.

- Dim light allows for relaxation and openness. A 2006 study of 80 university students shows that students questioned in a dim room felt more relaxed, viewed the counselor more positively and shared more about themselves than those counseled in the brighter room did. The findings suggest that dim light helps people to loosen up. If that is true generally, keeping the light low during dinner or at parties could foster relaxation and intimacy.

What does all of this mean? It’s hard to say with certainty how these principles and research (largely conducted in public buildings: schools, hospitals, and stores) affect a homeowner or small business owner. So take these stats for what they’re worth and keep them in the back of your mind when you have the ability to choose between them. With the advances in neuroscience, everyday researchers are able to learn more and more about how to create the most ideal environments for the mind to thrive.

Portions of this article were taken from an article written on the Scientific American website. This article was written by Emily Anthes on April 22, 2009. The complete article can be found HERE.