Web Innovation and the Evolution of Content
Making a website should be easy. I mean, it’s been over ten years since the widespread adoption of the internet, right? If companies have created tools to allow the non-technical to do things like create blogs, steal music, and find a date with ease, then it must be only a matter of time before anybody can create a website. As businesses are desperate to control costs, it seems that there is an expectation that the maturation of the web as a medium means that it is becoming both simpler and cheaper. continue reading »
December 1, 2011
Solutions vs. Problem Solving
Doesn’t anyone have problems anymore? There are so many solutions out there, it’s a wonder that we still have needs. The word “solution” has replaced the word “product” or “service” in everyday business use. But does this mean that nobody has problems? Microsoft would have you believe that all you need for communication is Office, yet we still have phones. People still rely on face-to-face meetings and a handshake for important matters, so obviously Microsoft has not “solved” communication. continue reading »
November 28, 2011
Disenchantment with “Social” Media
I’ve taken some time off from posting. As I wasn’t exactly lighting it up before, this means that it’s been a while. However, I’ve been trying to unplug a bit from the “always connected” lifestyle that I’ve been leading. continue reading »
October 27, 2010
The great lie
Companies wield power in a variety of ways, none more important than in their relationships to their clients and vendors. These relationships form the foundation of any business. If clients leave, the business dies. If vendors or suppliers dry up, then the business is left with nothing to sell.
But what is the purpose of our interactions between businesses? Is it control? Power?
April 24, 2010
Why I Do What I Do
One could argue that of the many reasons to work in a specific job, passion is by far the most useful. Passion allows us to care. It drives us on to push towards the improbable. It refuses to let us be satisfied. Deep I know, but true. continue reading »
March 8, 2010
swoopy dot logos
Really, this is where we are as an industry. Swoopy dot logos? I guess dots or lines that swoop around the side of the word of your company’s name is a perfect visual description the company. ”We’re action”, “We never stop moving”, grief. Seems to me that it’s the laziest form of design that I’ve ever seen. Next, let’s try it with squares. How fun. continue reading »
January 21, 2010
Out of Egypt
If you asked the Israelites when they were captive in Egypt if they felt safe, they would have probably called you crazy, but the weird thing about safety is that it’s entirely subjective. Once the Israelites were freed from slavery, God set them on a path through the desert with their eyes set on the promised land. Their lack of patience meant that they began to complain to God about their path, and asked to be sent back to Egypt. Now what would cause such a shift in perspective. I’m certainly no Bible scholar, but are we that much different? As I was thinking about this, I wondered how my perspective has changed in 2009. continue reading »
January 7, 2010
The Economies of Design
The economic principles taught in business school are based upon the role of price in the world of supply and demand. As it pertains to the creative industry, supply is the total time available to the creative firm and demand is the pull of that time by paying clients. As someone who has the job of setting prices in a design firm I personally experience the difficulty of this every day. continue reading »
December 17, 2009
FORGE Client Application
So FORGE is working on a program called FORGE Your Dot Org. We are giving away free services to one Dayton-based non-profit in 2010. The application window has now closed, and we started looking over the applications today. I was amazed at how detailed and thoughtful companies will be in order to get free work for a whole year. It’s almost like they are trying.
So I was wondering what it would be like if FORGE treated potential clients like we treat prospective employees. Instead of us selling ourselves, we would let potential clients know if THEY fit the bill. continue reading »
December 2, 2009
A Coal Miner's Son
- West Virginia Coal Miners in 1908
My father represents a forgotten time and place to me. This time only exists in my head, as history and fact have little place in my vague memory. My mind is tainted by things like my childhood fears that I would one day have to come home black-faced and tired like him. These fears were reinforced by everything from the evening news, with stories from the daily coal soap opera, to the fact that most of my friends’ parents were miners. I simply didn’t have a frame of reference for a different life. continue reading »
November 28, 2009