surprise the designer

Girl Walk // All Day

2012-02-04T12:59:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Girl Talk? It's the name Gregg Gillis releases epic mash-up music under. The music is loud and thumping and very perfect for dancing. It's also my go-to when I need to focus. I plug my headphones in, turn the music up, and get to work.

Girl's Talk's latest album, All Day, is meant to be listened to in one continuous stream. In the past few months a small group of dancers and filmmakers (and, apparently, avid Girl Talk fans) got together and made an amazing feature-length music video for the album. It chronicles the adventures of three dancers in New York City and is sure to make you smile.

You can view the entire film chapter-by-chapter here. Hope it inspires a dance party (or three!)

Official Trailer: Girl Walk // All Day from Girl Walk // All Day on Vimeo.

PS- Interested in Girl Talk? This episode of Hulu's 'A Day in the Life' follows the crew around for an entire day and is really interesting if you've ever wondered what life on the road is like.

FACT

2012-01-26T19:46:00.000-05:00

Do you think in words? I definitely do. Words and pictures, actually. I think that's why I use a lot of metaphors. They help life make a bit more sense.

Lately I've been thinking in facts. I'll make coffee in the morning and think, 'Fact: chocolate milk makes coffee taste great.' Or, 'Fact: cleaning out a French press is just plain gross.' I'm not sure where this came from, but it's sort of fun. I don't know many things 100% for-sure, so stopping to recognize what I do know for sure helps me relish the little things. Then again, it might just be a side-effect of nearly eleven months of working from home :)

Some recent facts...

FACT: I got an iPhone

I had been thinking about investing in a smartphone for awhile before the holidays. Then I got to my mom's condo and one of the very first things she said was, 'I think you'd really thrive with an iPhone.' That was as much of a push as I needed.

FACT: Getting an iPhone was a terrible, horrendous experience. I cried at least twice—in public.

It doesn't matter when you go; any trip to Verizon is going to take approximately four times as long as you think it will/should take. It's just a fact. I knew exactly what I wanted, and it still took three trips to the Verizon store to get the phone ordered. Then, since they were out of stock, I had to have the phone shipped to me in Boston. That meant paying tax on the full retail price of the phone (so the phone cost $70 and tax was $30.) Then FedEx delivered to the wrong house so I had to go pick the package up.

Was trying to buy an iPhone worth shedding tears? Nope. But it was so completely frustrating and I had no control over the situation.

FACT: Having a camera that lets you email or tweet photos right away is a brilliant, handy thing.

The phone part of the iPhone works much better than my last cell. And the text message interface is beautiful. But one of the coolest things about this phone is the ability to take a photograph and email it in about a minute. Makes me wonder how long it will be until cameras have wifi built in.

In case you're wondering, you can find me on Instagram @toaststudio.

Side note: did you hear the recent This American Life episode about Apple's manufacturing practices? It's really well done and has caused quite a stir. Have a listen here.

FACT: I'm faculty(!!!)

Some of my biggest news for the new year is that I'm teaching a college-level design drawing course. We've had 5 classes so far, and it's challenging. I'm trying really hard to teach the students how to sketch and how to communicate their ideas about design while also trying to keep my own skills honed. I've done design tutoring before, but am finding it really different to talk to 15 students in a short two hour class. You have to make your time and your comments count.

FACT: Pinterest works soooo well in design school.

I did not write the curriculum for the course that I'm teaching, but there's room for tweaks, small additions, and alterations. One of the very first things I had the class do was sign up for Pinterest. We have a collaborative board for the class (here), and it is sooo exciting to have a common digital inspiration board. It's an amazing tool.

FACT: Spencer Nugent knows his stuff.

I'm trying to find plenty of sketching resources for my students. This has lead me back (over and over again) to idsketching.com. The site is full of great content all about design sketching. If you're a designer who needs to spruce up on the basics or get some inspiration, I highly recommend giving the site another look.

Photos are all from my Instagram feed. (Left to right, top to bottom: sweet, sweet Zoey, goofing around with greeting cards, Newton the beta fish, blackberry French toast, two dogs with a staircase in-between, nothing like a fire in January)

Jolly Holidays

2011-12-29T15:32:00.001-05:00

How were your holidays? Did you spend them with family? Did you travel? Were you too sleep deprived to remember anything anyway?

Mom and I had a mostly quiet Christmas at home. I convinced her to put up the aluminum tree so we could use the (surprise!) authentic, vintage, in-the-original-box color wheel I got her. She surprised me with a homemade ornament (sooo creative), a dino, a pair of Sperry's, and a pie mat I've been lusting after for awhile. But the biggest treat, really, was just to have some time to spend together at home. I'm lucky to work from my apartment, which means I can have extended working holidays at home with mom. Even when she and I both work full days, it's soooo great to spend our evenings together, cooking dinner and watching TV. It just feels so normal. And so so comfy.

Every year we try to resist the commercial pull of Christmas. No matter how hard we try, though, we really haven't been successful yet. This year we spent a couple hours on Christmas Eve perusing the aisles of Target for gifts for my siblings and nephews. It is fun to get little gifts for the people you care about. But it's hard to avoid that stressful obligated feeling of trying to be sure you have a gift for everyone who has a gift for you. Do you exchange gifts with friends and family? Would you wish it any other way?

Hope your holidays were very very merry and bright. And that you find a great way to ring in the new year :)
-Carly

The Portfolio Handbook

2011-12-19T20:47:00.001-05:00

I think I was a junior when I ambled across the hallway at school and visited the sophomore studio. I was feeling knowledgeable and wanted to impart some of my 'wisdom' on the younger souls in our program. Plus I was probably en route to the magic pop machine* for a little pick-me-up.

It was a pleasant surprise to find that the sophomore class was really eager to learn. I looked through a couple portfolios, answered some questions, and shared my email address. From that point until the time I graduated, the class of 2012 stood out as a group of people passionate about design and excellence and really making the most of their time in school.

So it didn't come as a surprise to find out they had compiled an entire handbook about how to put together a design portfolio. (Full disclosure: it was part of a school assignment. But they definitely went above and beyond—this blows many many process books out of the water.) I haven't had a chance to read every page yet, but from what I have read, this is an excellent document. And the thing is, it's written by people who truly know what they're talking about. Thanks to the co-op program, most University of Cincinnati design students will have assembled 4-6 portfolios by the time they graduate.

The difference between portfolio #1 and #4 is, without exception, staggering. That's usually because the designer has to trek down this long and winding road of figuring out page layout, communication design, and how to build a project so that it looks good in your portfolio. This handbook takes some of the guesswork out of that journey. If you're a designer of any sort, you owe it to yourself to give this a look.

You can buy a print version for $45 or download the pdf for free here.
(If you go the pdf route, please consider donating to the class of 2012's senior show. It's a worthy cause.)

*The magic pop machine was a vending machine that dispensed soda into plastic cups with crushed ice. It was inexpensive and the drinks were always perfectly syrupy-sweet. Unfortunately, the magic pop machine disappeared during my senior year. I'm afraid it might be one of those things from the 80's that is on its way out...

I work because...

2011-12-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

The awesome desktop wallpaper above comes from Jason Bacher via The Donut Project.

If you ask my mom, she'll tell you that one of the no-fail ways to get me to laugh is for her to cuss. It's true. Of course, I should explain that this is mostly because she very rarely curses in day-to-day life. And it certainly depends on the situation. (Saying 'oh shit' after leaving the house without gloves could be funny. Saying 'oh shit' after hearing that family member x is in the hospital is not.)

The humor of the phrase 'I work because I love this shit' is what caught my eye. But I saved the image above to my desktop because I realized I believe in what it says.

I work because I love this shit.

I've been struggling a bit with keeping content on this blog. Instead of having days filled with hours in studio and, after that, hours at home sketching, my days are now full of design and development work I'm doing for someone else. I'm also constantly combing the web for inspiration, content, and links that I can post for someone else.

That's okay, and it works, and I'm happy because I love what I do. And that love of what I do is what gets me out of bed every single morning. Don't get me wrong—things are not always daisies and sunshine and chocolate cake donuts. But I'm finding that loving what I do is a mighty powerful undercurrent to even the most difficult days.

My point? I hope the phrase 'I work because I love this shit' resonates with you. I hope you can nod your head—even just a little—in agreement. And if you can't, or you don't get it, or you used to feel that way and you don't anymore, I hope you'll do something about it.

As for this blog, there are plenty of exciting things coming down the pipeline. I'm working on a side project that I hope to unveil in early 2012, I signed up for TWO sketchbooks in the Sketchbook project, and...I'm going to be teaching a college-level course this spring(!)

fight, flight, or adapt

2011-11-19T22:44:00.001-05:00

I hope this brings a little humor to your day.

This is a photo of my peanut butter. I store it in a coffee can in the fridge.

You might find two things odd with that statement:
1) I keep my peanut butter in the fridge.
2) I store my peanut butter in a coffee can.

The first issue is easy to explain. My peanut butter of choice is Trader Joe's crunchy salted. It's the all-natural stuff—just peanuts and salt—and they recommend keeping it cool. So I follow directions, even though somewhat solidified chunky peanut butter can be quite challenging to spread on toast.

The second issue is a little more complicated. The coffee can is a decoy because my roommate is fond of late night grazing. She claims that she eats in her sleep. I find it hard to believe that she could make it up the stairs and into the kitchen while she's sleeping. (I've also found it's hard not to take it personally when someone openly takes something that belongs to you—including food.)

Whatever the reason for my roomies' grazing ways, I needed to find a way to protect my grub. I moved some snacky foods into my office (having a snack shelf in the closet makes me feel like I'm at summer camp), but the peanut butter remained a problem. It had to stay in the kitchen to stay in the fridge. But how to make it less desirable?

Then one day it hit me. Why not use a decoy?
So I fit the peanut butter right into a handy empty coffee can, and voila! I had my solution.
And you know what? It works.

Some people might scoff at this solution and call it a wussy way out of dealing with roommate woes. But I've talked to my roommate about how she needs to stop eating my food. Multiple times. And it was still happening. So I used what I had to come up with the best solution I could muster.

I'm certainly not the first to use this method to hide my valuables in plain site. It turns out there is a whole industry based on 'diversion safes.' (You can see many here.) I may, however, be the first to consider my peanut butter valuable enough to warrant this much attention :)

no hands!

2011-11-10T16:01:00.001-05:00

I don't do much commuting these days, and when I do, it's almost always on my bike.
So I'm happy to share that after... a pretty solid 10+ years of bicycle riding, I have finally learned how to ride with no hands(!) My current neighborhood is much flatter than the one where I grew up and much safer (in oh-so-many ways) than the one where I went to school.

What I'm trying to say is: it's the ideal place to learn skills like riding your bike with no hands.
And I am totally without-a-doubt adding this skill to my resume.

Also, this little video made me smile—big! It looks like it was a blast to put together. Wonder if they had everything planned before they went out to film, or if some of those moves were completely spontaneous...?

"Golden Tree" by Martin Brooks from Ninian Doff on Vimeo.

photo print postcards

2011-10-12T19:44:00.001-04:00

When was the last time you opened an envelope stuffed full of your photos?

It had been a long while for me—I've been using a digital camera for ages now, and rarely take the time (and spend the money) to get prints. Then a friend told me a horror story about computer glitches and hard drive failures resulting in years of lost photos. So when I got an offer from Shutterfly.com for 50 free prints, I figured...why not? And ordered a stack of photos from my first six months in Boston.

There's something really nice about having physical prints.—the kind that come on photo paper, not on copy paper out of your home printer. I'm much more diligent about carrying my camera and taking photos than I have ever been about keeping a journal. And I like the idea that I can stash these prints away in a drawer or album and be able to share my experiences with friends and family long after my computer (and camera) are outdated.

There's something else about photo prints...they make great, super-simple postcards(!)

I just used rubber cement to glue the photos directly onto corrugated cardboard. The corrugate is a really nice surface for writing, and the postcard recipient ends up with a personal message along with a nice 'matted' photo. It's a win-win. I'm thinking about doing my Christmas cards this way this year...

quotes

2011-09-21T22:54:00.001-04:00

"I believe that only one person in a thousand knows the trick of really living in the present. Most of us spend 59 minutes an hour living in the past, with regret for lost joys, or shame for things badly done (both utterly useless and weakening)—or in a future which we either long for or dread. Yet the past is gone beyond prayer, and every minute you spend in vain effort to anticipate the future is a moment lost. There is only one world, the world pressing against you at this minute. There is only one minute in which you are alive, this minute—here and now. The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle. Which is exactly what it is—a miracle and unrepeatable." -Storm Jameson

The summer after my sophomore year of high school, I went for a 16-day trip in the Wyoming backcountry with 11 strangers. For me, it was terrifying. Our leaders seemed young (they were in their early 20's), and I didn't relate well to any of the other high schoolers. And we were deep in the wilderness. It struck me that if anything bad happened—someone got sick or broke an arm—we'd either have to hike for days back to the car and civilization or they'd have to bring in a helicopter.

Don't get me wrong—I had a lot of fun on the trip. We saw breathtaking scenery, I stepped firmly outside of my teenaged comfort zone (in a good way), and got the best Teva tan of my life. Our young leaders also introduced us to quotes. Every night, as we gathered around the campfire, one of our leaders would read a quote and we would reflect on the day.

At the end of the trip, we were each given an official Wilderness Ventures quote book. It's a simple compilation of really good quotes and remains one of my prized possessions today. (The opening quote of this post came from the Wilderness Ventures book.)

The best quotes make their point with a few poignant words. Some come from famous people and others just come from deep thinkers. My favorite quotes are motivators, phrases and thoughts that pick you up or give you a pat on the back right when you need them.

Later in high school, when I was a captain of my field hockey team, I shared a quote before every game. It was just the right thing to pull everyone's attention together and get focused before hitting the field.

One of my favorite toy companies pulls inspiration from the wise words of little ones. In need of a smile? Then click on over to their quote gallery here.

And these days, I can always find an excuse to splurge on Yogi Tea. They print little sayings (you could call them quotes, or maybe even meditations) on each tea bag. That moment when you're sitting down for a mug of tea—whether it comes first thing in the morning or last thing at night—always seems just right for an extra dose of deep thoughts.

'How Great Quotes Shaped Our World' was a recent topic on the npr radio show On Point. You can listen to the episode here.

longboard girls

2011-09-08T12:06:00.003-04:00

I had a longboard once. I rode it in circles around and around the parking lot at my California office at lunch time and had fun. But the hills always made me nervous. I never quite crossed that threshold of understanding riding gets easier with a little speed and learning to stop happens fast when you're careening down a hill.

This video is awesome, lovely, and amazing. These ladies have skills. And fun.
Pretty much guaranteed to make you smile.

via Design Mom

digital tools

2011-09-07T21:37:00.001-04:00

What digital tools do you use?

I think the internet has gotten to an interesting place, where content is evvverywhere and people have to devise their own strategies for sifting through the masses.

At the same time, the same content often 'makes the blog rounds.' This makes me think that web content exists in little bubbles, groups of people who read each other's comments and repost. This is exactly why designers shouldn't just follow other designers and design blogs—because that's what keeps a person stuck in a self-insulated design bubble. (And while that's surely a very pretty place, it doesn't do much for the greater good!)

Here are the tools I've been using lately:

Google Reader

Google reader puts all your RSS feeds in one place. It's extremely helpful for keeping track of all my tried-and-true blogs as well as new blogs that seem promising. It provides quick access to lots of information, and has become my favorite site to skim while eating lunch or taking that first sip of coffee in the morning.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a relatively new way to document visual inspiration and information on the web. It's simple and lets you create visually appealing mood boards with images you 'pin' from all over the internet. The real kicker? It keeps track of where all these images come from.

This, friends, is a powerful tool. It would have completely changed my design school experience had it been around a year or two earlier. There's also a social aspect to the site—but I don't really take advantage of that.

Twitter

I have got to be the last young adult on planet earth to have joined Twitter. I held out for a looong time, and didn't actually create an account until a friend advised me to scoop up my domain name and twitter handle. Sounded smart to me—wouldn't want anyone else writing under my alias!

The best thing that I have witnessed on Twitter was AIGA's one day for design. The national organization invited well-known members of the design community to moderate 24 hours of discussion about the state of design. While many bemoaned the limitations of the medium, I sat glued to my computer for hours. Twitter let me communicate directly with influential professionals in my industry (some even re-tweeted my words!) as well as participate in spirited debates about my chosen profession. It was moving. I hope they do it again soon.

Andrew Zuckerman on Wisdom

2011-08-29T07:28:00.000-04:00

Andrew Zuckerman from 99% on Vimeo.

Ever since we got rid of cable, I've had more time to watch speeches, talks, and presentations online. This one from Andrew Zuckerman is a great story of risk, process, and success. It's well worth the 27:03 it'll take to watch it.

You can learn more about his project, Wisdom, here.

coffee

2011-08-28T23:03:00.000-04:00

I started drinking coffee on my first co-op, when I worked at Fisher-Price. There was a break room with a seemingly fancy—and free—coffee machine that made vanilla lattes, cappuchinos, and hot chocolate in addition to regular joe. It was a quick minute-walk from my cubicle. But that's not the coffee I started drinking.

Almost daily (and without fail on Mondays and Fridays), the team I worked with would get together and head to the cafeteria for coffee. Instead of a two-minute round trip, this was often a 30-minute round trip to 'get the good stuff'. I went on these excursions for the people, for the conversations that happened on the way to and from the cafeteria. The coffee was simply a bonus.

After that, it took awhile for coffee to become a part of my day-to-day routine. I bought a French press at the beginning of my senior year of college and started getting used to waking up with a cup. After graduation, drinking half caff with my mom every morning felt like bonding. And now, as a freelancer, I drink a cup or two pretty much every day. I don't really drink coffee for the caffeine so much as I drink it for the routine, the reliability, and the comfort.

These days, I've been dabbling in iced coffee.

When I co-opted in downtown Boston, I marveled at the fact that a cup of Dunkin' Donuts coffee was practically part of the corporate uniform. Really, Dunkin' is an ingrained part of Boston (New England?) culture. And in the warmer months, people switch to iced coffee. It's good—sweet, creamy, and cold. So why not try making it at home?

I found a great, simple recipe over at Smitten Kitchen (here), and gave it a try. The coffee comes out smooth, strong, and not-at-all bitter. And it's oh-so-easy:

I recommend giving this a try before the crisp (and slightly cooler) autumn days get here. Want to be a smidge fancy? Freeze some coffee ice cubes so your iced coffee doesn't get diluted and watery. And whatever you do, don't forget a straw!

six months

2011-08-21T13:36:00.000-04:00

I think it's fair to say that Joy the Baker has become my new favorite blog. It's quirky, it's fun, the food photos are great, the recipes are reliable (hey there strawberry-upside-down cake!), and the podcast is a reliable highlight of my week. Joy just did a post about her summer so far, and it made me stop and realize...sheesh! It's August, and I've been in Massachusetts for six months now.

So, to acknowledge and commemorate the time, here's one photo from each month of my New England residency thus far...

MARCH

I buy Yogi Tea for the little quotes on the tea bags. They're like fortune cookies, but better. This one felt perfect for March, the month in which I moved away from family and friends to an entirely different part of the country so I could... work from home.

APRIL

It was still cold in April. Like, really cold. But I hopped into my 'I'm-in-a-new-city-and-want-to-do-stuff' mode and went solo to National Pillow Fight Day in Cambridge. It was silly (and sort of violent) fun.

MAY

Mom came to visit at the beginning and end of a business trip. She was in town for 10ish days, and it rained on 9 of those days. The day she went home, the skies were blue and the sun was shining. Go figure. I was thrilled to show mom my apartment and some parts of the city. Even more than that, though, it was just nice to be in the same spot after not seeing each other for two months.

JUNE

The city really came alive in June. People were out walking around, there were events every weekend, and summer officially started. We went downtown for the Bruins parade and stood around waiting for the hockey players to roll by in duck boats. More exciting than the parade, though, was the people watching and visiting the Thinking Cup (where they brew my favorite Stumptown coffee) right afterwards.

JULY

July was a full month. It started with camping in upstate New York, followed by the classic Boston Fourth of July at the Hatch Shell (picnic pictured above), my first trip to a Boston beach, a much-anticipated concert, and then two weeks at home. July was the most summery summer month I've had in awhile.

AUGUST

We're thankfully still in August (not quite ready for the cold weather implications of September yet...) But the month started with a delightful 24-hour visit with my California friend who was vacationing on a little island in Rhode Island. It was a huuuge treat to be able to see my friend after two hours of driving (instead of 5ish hours of flying), and we without-a-doubt made the most of our island time.

heirloom

2011-08-03T21:40:00.000-04:00

Have you ever come across an object, and just known it will be an heirloom? Something you will hold on to for years to come? Something you might just pass on to your kids someday? (Kids you just know you'll have even if you don't have a boyfriend at the moment?! ;))

Just in case you're wondering, dictionary.com (reliable source that it is) defines heirloom thus:

noun

a family possession handed down from generation togeneration.

My mom bought me this comb last week, and something about it makes me think it has staying power. I love that it has 'hand made' imprinted in fancy gold letters. (Can someone puh-lease tell me how the heck you make a hand made plastic comb!?) It's sturdy but beautiful, unique and lovely. It feels like quality even though it was inexpensive, and its small enough to always always fit in my bag or my car, no matter where travels take me.

Some business-savy designers like the idea of planned obsolescence. I like to hold tight to the blue sky concept of well-made objects that are built to last.

On a pretty different note, it's rolling into heirloom tomato season. I don't really like tomatoes (at all), but mom and I went in search of a few for this recipe. (Make it! Make it now!) We bought this tomato, even though it was half rotten, because of his face. If you ever, ever wonder where I get my spirit, it's a simple equation: two parts parents, one part me :)

apple fritters

2011-07-18T19:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday one of mom's neighbors brought us six piping hot apple fritters. Just because.

And I realized that few things say, "hey, I think you're swell," quite like fried dough and powdered sugar.

300

2011-06-28T23:56:00.000-04:00

This was supposed to be my 300th blog post.

That's what I thought, anyway...

My blogger post counter has been at 299 for days now. I've been putting this post off, waiting for a time when I could be sufficiently introspective to highlight more than 2 years of blog writing. Then I logged in tonight and realized that said counter includes drafts. So really this is post #294 or something like that. (Phew! Pressure's off!)

Still going to take a cruise down memory lane, though. Now is as good a time as ever!

I started Surprise the Designer here on January 7, 2009. It was a school assignment. Possibly the best school assignment ever. Things learned from this first post include the fact that I like to have fun and that I took credit for 5 years of waitressing experience when I really had 3. Whoops.

Post #100 happened on August 1, 2009 and was titled are you an ecofriend? It's all about how someone found my task light on coroflot.com, pseudo interviewed me via email, and wrote about it. I've learned a lot from this blog, not the least of which is the value of having an online presence.

More recently, a fellow industrial designer wrote about my senior thesis and titled it "Portal to Hell." He did not pseudo interview me. He did use my images (including one of me) without permission, listed all content as © 2011 for leveridgedesign.com, and did not link back to my site or portfolio. Hrm.

Anyway... post #200, titled "design for me," was penned on July 13, 2010. Less than a month after graduation, I argued against design education—or at least the fact that teachers are always asking you to design for people other than yourself. I still agree with me :)

300 feels like a big number. It's a number I'm proud of, proof that I've stuck with this blog waaaay longer than any journal I've ever kept. And it's had so many benefits. It's a log (for my reference) of the work that I've done and the thoughts that I've had since 2009. It played an invaluable role in my job search. It's given me an outlet to continue writing in the midst of becoming a designer. It has absolutely encouraged me to be more thoughtful, always looking for the subject of my next blog post—similar to how carrying a camera makes you more aware of potential photos all around you.

This post, post #300ish, finds me at the beginning of my career as a creative freelancer. I've officially established Toast Studio (website coming soon—promise), purchased carlyhagins.com (that's where you are right now, folks!), and joined twitter (holla @carlyhagins :)) I'm thoroughly enjoying my job, where I get to work with people I Respect (that's right—with a capital R!) every single day. Life is good, and I know it.

So here's to 100's of more blog posts! Thanks for sticking with me this long.

dad's day

2011-06-20T01:20:00.000-04:00

This post is officially late. The day and weekend have gotten away from me. But I've been thinking about a father's day post alllll weekend, so figured better late than never.

See that guy with the mustache and dapper suit vest? That's my young professional dad. I happen to think that he looked really nice with a mustache.

See that goofy half-head? The one with the vaguely green complexion? That's me.
You know what they say: like father, like daughter. Something like that... :)

My dad was kind, generous, extremely hard working, and always up for an adventure.

When I was a sophomore in high school, my family went on a vacation to Paris. We each got to choose at least one thing that we really wanted to do. I chose Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Both mom and dad were less than enthused. Once we got in the door, though, it was a blast. Those figures are realllly realistic. Dad spotted some empty floor space, sort of in a corner and out of the way. He ambled over and stood absolutely still. Sure enough, a couple girls came over to investigate this wax figure. They totally freaked when, after a second, he shifted his eyes towards them. Of course mom and I were doubled over with laughter close by. Classic dad.

Today, and tomorrow, and every day I celebrate the memory of my dad. For those of you lucky enough to still have your dad in your life—whether he is down the hall, down the street, or across the country—I hope you take the time to share your time. Steal a bear hug. Send a post card. Bake a cake. Make memories. And if you need a good laugh, convince a stranger that you're made of wax.

(processed) food design

2011-06-18T08:45:00.000-04:00

These new! StackerMallows appalled me when I came across them in the store. S'mores in seconds? Last time I checked, it took about 15 seconds to make a microwave s'more with a perfectly cylindrical marshmallow. That's fast enough for me, thank you. And how would you even go about toasting one of these squished, squatty things over a campfire?

And just now I realized...my favored cylindrical mallows aren't-so-natural either. They surely come out of an extruder in a factory. Homemade marshmallows are almost always cubes.

This begs the question: what's the point of entry for processed food? Time? Convenience? Novelty? Would you buy these StackerMallows?

As a side note, I realized that my entire apartment has the same linoleum floor as my local Target. Thank goodness for IKEA rugs!

Jim Gilliam

2011-06-13T00:50:00.000-04:00

via Brain Pickings, @swissmiss, and @BYouToys

This made me sob. In the huffing, red-faced, tear streaming, thank-goodness-my-roommate-isn't-home sort of way. But even more than that, it made me stop, listen, and reconsider. Make 10 minutes to really watch this video. It is well worth your time.

And if you're not on the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, maybe now is the time to join? Signing up to be a bone marrow donor is an opportunity to quite literally save someone's life.

when a rose is a rouge

2011-06-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

A couple days ago I was on a loooong phone call and pacing all around my apartment. Absentmindedly, I picked up a Crayola marker and noticed something fascinating: the color name is printed in English, Spanish and French. Woa! This particular set of markers came from Crayola HQ, so I thought maybe they were a special edition...

Next, I pulled my box of Crayola crayons off the shelf, dumped them on the desk, and realized that they, too, are multi-lingual. Not sure what inspired this decision at Crayola (or when it happened), but I think it's pretttty neat-o. I would imagine it lets Crayola sell the same product in more countries, and it provides a learning opportunity for any kid old enough to read.

Here's a question, though: what's the point of printing the color name on a marker whose cap (and label) reflects its color? Does anyone ever really say, "please pass the dolphin gray," or, "I'm going to make this grass sea foam green"?

Want to know how to say macaroni and cheese in Spanish?
There's a 'trilingual' color chart name on Crayola's website here.

listen up

2011-06-09T18:48:00.000-04:00

Are you someone who works in complete, utter silence?
I like silence for writing emails to multiple people, doing big (and little) math equations, and trying to remember things. Come to think of it, I also like silence for drafting blog posts.

But sometimes background noise is nice. My noise of choice? Podcasts. They're perfect companions for long hours of sketching or cut-and-paste record keeping. It can be tricky to find the good ones, the ones that are interesting enough to hold your attention without being too complex to follow with only half your brain (I swear I don't mean that in a bad way).

Have you heard of Joy the Baker? If not, you neeeeeeed to go visit her blog. Right now. Go do it. http://www.joythebaker.com/

It makes me giggle and is chock-full of b-e-a-utiful photos of food along with silly stories and righteous recipes. Joy has a pretty-new podcast with her bud Tracy of Shutterbean over at homefries.com, and it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it may be my new favorite.

(this icon's straight from homefries.com)

Lots of other reliable options come from npr. I suggest Radio Lab (although I find their website hard to navigate), This American Life, and On Point. Happy listening!

Buckeye Pie

2011-06-06T19:01:00.000-04:00

In the past six years, I've lived in 5 different cities, on the East Coast and the West Coast and places in-between. This nomadic lifestyle becomes a sort of badge of honor for people who go to a college where co-op is mandatory. As someone who was born and raised in one place, this constant moving was a defining bit of my college experience. It helped me learn to adapt, make a house (or somewhat shoddy temporary apartment) into a home, and line up my priorities. It wasn't all sunshiny; I learned firsthand (and more than once) that sometimes bad things happen when you're away from home. But overall, I thought I had the moving thing figured out.

About two and a half months ago, I moved 895 miles away from home for real. As in, I'm planning to be here for awhile. I'm happy here, have a nice little apartment and get to work with amazing people who I admire every single day. But moving this time was a little different, and in ways I didn't anticipate.

Last Saturday I went to a May Day party (yep, May Day in June = even more to love :)) It was a pot-luck sort of shindig, so I brought a blueberry peach pie. When it came time to put the desserts out, a friend came over and said, "I need to introduce you to someone who knows a buckeye pie when she sees it." With a humongous smile on my face, I met a fellow Ohio-ian who swears she could see my origins through that pie. All things pie have been intriguing for awhile now, but what I could not have predicted was the warm pride I felt when someone identified me by my home state.

with a skip and a hop

2011-05-13T22:43:00.000-04:00

(photo from http://www.skiphop.com/product/zoolunchies.html)

I once saw a really great ad for an art school. It was a whole sheet of paper printed with circles. The idea was to try to see how many different things you could draw using the circles. Theoretically, the more different things a person comes up with, the more creative they are.

I think industrial design schools should present students with a similar sort of 'test' on their first day of school. Not so much to test creativity (fingers crossed that if you've made it to design school, you're reasonably creative), but to see what people draw when given the opportunity to doodle. I've never done the sheet full of circles evaluation, but I can almost guarantee mine would be full of googly eyes and silly little characters. So maybe it's not such a surprise that I'm spending a lot of time working with a toy company these days.

There are a few rogue companies in the toy industry right now (I'm pretty partial to this one.) One of those companies is Skip Hop. They have a number of well-thought-out products—like this one—that are beautiful and functional. Their name is fun, their logo is nice and simple, and their color palette is refreshingly modern. But most recently, the Zoo Lunchies lunch bags stopped me in my tracks. Why? There are so many options! They took one simple lunch bag and dressed it up as eight different cute characters. Something tells me that the designers over at Skip Hop would pass the circle creativity test with flying colors...

facebook and method and me

2011-05-11T19:19:00.000-04:00

I joined Facebook as a high school senior, shortly after I got my official college email address (remember when you had to have one of those to join the social network?) So I've been wary of the commercialization of Facebook. The idea of companies honing in on a tool I use to keep in touch with my friends is, well, sort of a bummer.

But bit by bit I'm learning how amazing Facebook really is for companies who are trying to connect with their customers. It's a direct link between the people who are making stuff and the people who are using stuff. As a designer enamored with the idea of user-centered design, I'm starting to see Facebook as this epic, ever-evolving tool that could lead to stronger social ties and better design. (Glass half-full over here!)

About a month ago, method launched an ambitious Facebook campaign. They asked people to film themselves playing with laundry (shaking it, twirling it, dumping it over your head) in front of a white wall. The end goal was to make a music video celebrating their laundry detergent. It was an open casting call for a virtual commercial.

So one day after work I gathered my more colorful clothes, positioned myself in front of a bare white wall, and hit 'record' on my webcam. It felt like participating in a (very silly and fun) experiment. How would they use these goofy videos? And would they really get enough people to participate?

Well, they just released the video this week, and it's fantastic. I'm more than impressed:

And I made it into the video—three times!

Apparently, they received 200 submissions. People love this brand.

In the end, I think it makes for a really brilliant campaign.

Splicing webcam videos into a professionally shot video adds umph to method's message. It's like saying, "We must be good. These people believe in us enough to send us videos of themselves dumping laundry over their heads." Add in the fact that most of the people who were included in the video are tweeting and liking and blogging about it (including me), and method may have just figured out the formula for viral marketing. It's warm and fuzzy and just SO smart.

more birthdays

2011-05-04T22:27:00.001-04:00

The American Cancer Society 'More Birthdays' campaign is brilliant.I love it. I think it hits the mark and strikes a chord with almost everyone.Who wouldn't want to celebrate more birthdays?

("Wish" by Andrew Bannecker)

They're selling beautiful art (both as posters and gift wrap) and sharing videos of some very popular bands singing 'happy birthday.' Instead of focusing on the doom and gloom of cancer, it is a proactive push. Birthdays are good. They're fun. 'More birthdays' is a rally call that we can all get behind.

A couple of the More Birthdays prints have definitely made it to the top of my on-going apartment beautification list of things to buy. ..

10 tips from Debbie Millman

2011-04-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

2011/02 Debbie Millman from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.

I've been following SwissMiss for awhile now (who hasn't been?)
So I've seen more than one of her Creative Mornings posts. The events sound awesome—Friday mornings dedicated to lectures by people who know what they're talking about. And it's sa-weet that they post the talks online.

The thing is, the videos tend to be about an hour long. So they're not so much in the I'm-eating-lunch-and-could-watch-a-video category, but more like the this-is-good-information-I'll-dedicate-some-time-to-it category.

So this Saturday morning I sat down with some French toast, a tall cup of coffee, and Debbie Millman. Her talk covers ten things she wishes she knew when she graduated from design school. As someone who recently graduated (can I still say that? it's been almost a year already!), I found this talk illuminating and well worth my time.

If you truly don't have an hour to sit down and watch the whole thing, skip to the last 15-20 minutes. They're full of design and life wisdom, my favorite of which is: "Make mistakes and fall on your face."

the last book I read

2011-04-27T00:52:00.000-04:00

(Apple Pie/ An American Story by John T. Edge)

I've officially been on a pie kick for more than a year now. It all started when I moved to Boston for three months in the fall, had nothing in terms of kitchen supplies, and positively longed for comfort food. My friend took pity on me and took me on a trip to IKEA. The one thing I bought for the kitchen? A pie plate. Chicken pot pie and apple pie soon followed.

That apple pie was really something. I had purchased a big bag of little apples from the farmer's market and sat at the kitchen table with a set of cheesy Target knives and my Italian roommate. I peeled apples as best I could without a peeler, and my roommate kept me company with his Italian accent while he cooked and consumed one of the largest steaks I have ever seen ("meat is so cheap here!")

The next day I shared the pie with my three roommates, and it felt like a feast. That's the thing that really gets me about pie. It's meant for sharing. There's no pie cupcake, and it's a much harder task than it seems for one person to eat an entire pie. Pie is a shared experience. It brings people together.

So naturally the first book I've read cover-to-cover since coming back to Boston is Apple Pie by John T. Edge. I've read two of the other books in this series (Donuts and Hamburgers), and have found Edge to be a fantastic storyteller. He starts with the history of the food in question and then guides you on an epicurean tour of that specialty based on region and chef and weirdness. It all makes for an interesting read and an exceedingly good conversation starter ("did you know that people make mock apple pie with Ritz crackers...?")

Sir Ken Robinson and RSA Animate

2011-04-18T22:54:00.000-04:00

Sir Ken Robinson is somewhat of a TED talks phenom. He pushes people to think differently about a subject many feel like they know quite well—education—and is an impeccable public speaker. The RSA (from what I can tell) is a thoughtful organization based out of London with a passion for intellectualism and the arts. This video, what they call an RSA 'animate,' blew me away. Not only is Robinson's narrative thought-provoking, but the illustration is beautifully done. I'd like to know how long it took, and where the end result is now!

You can see more of RSA's animate videos here.

AIGA One Day for Design

2011-04-14T00:51:00.002-04:00

The past 24 hours have been host to one of the coolest events I've participated in in awhile.

AIGA's One Day for Design brought people together—mostly via Twitter—to talk about design.

The head honchos brought in moderators to prod the public with prying questions, and an all-out twitter storm ensued.

Topics ranged from why we design to the future of design education to what role designers should play in promoting social change. The rapid fire format made me realize what I really think about the topics. When you're trying to respond to people as quickly as possible, there's not too much time to analyze your answer, and I wonder if that was sort of the point? It was a survey of designers to see what the state of the industry really is.

The One Day for Design hashtag on Twitter is #1D4D. Keep your eyes peeled for a wrap-up of today's 24-hour event. And hey, now is as good a time as ever to mention that I've joined the Twitter! Say hello @carlyhagins any time :)

TED talks: Caroline Casey

2011-04-11T21:21:00.000-04:00

This talk gave me chills. Awesome story paired with excellent presentation skills. Make time to watch it. You'll be happy you did.

what i did this weekend

2011-04-10T23:32:00.000-04:00

I moved to a new city about a month ago, and have been jam-packing my weekends with exploring, meeting up with old friends, and overall getting my bearings. I thought I'd share this weekend with you in a sketch because its fun (definitely for me and hopefully for you.) Highlights included:

FRIDAY: After grocery shopping, I rode the cart all the way back down the parking lot hill to the 'cart corral.' On the way back up to my car, a complete stranger said, 'have fun?' I replied with an enthusiastic 'YES!'

SATURDAY: It took more than an hour to open a bank account at the local bank mostly because the lady helping me was quite chatty. But she was super friendly. Later in the afternoon, I rode my bike downtown to meet up with a high school friend. Felt incredibly empowered that I bypassed the T on my bicycle :)

SUNDAY: Picked up a patio chair I had admired a year ago at Lowe's. Now I have a porch and a lease for more than 3 months. The time is right :) A guy working there literally told me, 'With a personality like yours, people will have a hard time not meeting you.' The day basically ended with another bike ride downtown and burgers and iced tea with friends. I loooove Sunday dinner with people I care about!

Happy Sunday night/Monday everybody! Hope this week is a good one.

wall magic: blik

2011-04-04T23:43:00.001-04:00

I've been working on sprucing up my space, and it's fun...but challenging.
There are a lot of big beige walls 'round these parts, and since I'm subletting, I'm not so keen on painting the place. Art is expensive and hard to justify (why not make it yourself??)

What I'm getting at, though, is that I found a pretty fun alternative: blik. Blik is a company that makes big, removable, designy wall decals. I've seen wall decals before, but never this clever.

I'm about 99% sure that I'll get the one on the left for my office. It's a collaboration with threadless and called, 'It Makes Toast!" (More on why that makes sense for the office soon...)

And blik's stick-on headboards make so much sense. They're cute and functional. What's the purpose of an actual headboard, anyway?

Psssst...just about forgot to mention how affordable these things are, too. That toasty one runs $30 and is about 60" long. Try finding an art print that size for that price!

music monday: bishop allen

2011-04-04T18:06:00.000-04:00

I sort of like the idea of having regular features on the blog, and music Monday just makes sense. What better way to start your week than with a couple songs?

So for today, for my very first music Monday, I'm highlighting Bishop Allen. They're not exactly new, but they're one of my all-time favorite bands. Rain is one of my all-time favorite songs, and perfect for today (its been an entirely rain soaked sort of day.) If you've heard of Bishop Allen before, it might be because of Click Click Click Click. I've heard the song a billion times, and still like it. The video is one of their most professional looking. Enjoy!

Intel Visual Life

2011-03-31T22:50:00.003-04:00

Intel has been producing some incredible short films about creative types for their Visual Life campaign. Their video of the Sartorialist got a lot of blogger love about a month ago. But this video about 'The Expressionist,' Michael Wolff, really struck a chord with me. I love how he describes curiosity as a 'muscle.'

(via Swiss Miss)

your personal lens

2011-03-30T18:38:00.001-04:00

"If I'm talking to people about what things look like, I better understand how to look at things."

Michael Wolff

In order to capture really interesting, compelling photos, you have to start looking at the world a little differently. Or maybe its better said that photos can be so interesting because they give you a hint at how the photographer sees the world?

In any case, design school and Jan Chipchase have greatly influenced my own 'lens.' I spent last Saturday in the Boston Museum of Fine Art. One of the very cool things about the MFA is they let you take photos. Here are some of the photos I walked away with at the end of the day.

Look closely here: this drinking fountain has two handles-one for lefties and one for righties. Add to it the fact that its situated low enough on the wall for someone in a wheelchair to access it, and you have a very nice example of universal design.

I'm curious if frame makers consider the shadow their frames will cast as a result of direct museum lighting. Some of the shadows around the museum were exceptionally neat...

See the cookie sheet in the top left-hand corner? That's what caught my eye.

This cardboard box with a colorful handle marked 'glass' made me look. The MFA is in the process of putting up a Chihuly exhibit. I am SO excited.

One of my favorites from the entire day. Is this the new normal for experiencing art? These two lovebirds are standing in front of one of the most famous impressionist paintings in the world, and both are taking a photos with their phones. It makes me a little sad (but then again, I was standing right there and taking a photo of them...)

How do you define you?

2011-03-25T23:16:00.001-04:00

Fill in the blank: "I'm a ________"
Don't think, just say the first thing that comes to mind.
What is that blank for you?

The other day, upon leaving a friend's house, I said, "I'm just an industrial designer!"
Then I thought woa...really? It made me a little uncomfortable that I put myself in that bucket right off the bat. I studied industrial design in school for 5 years, but is that really who I am?

There's this interesting relationship between who we are, who we aspire to be, and who others tell us we are.

When I was searching for a college- and a major- as a high school senior, my parents told me I was good at math and science (I did get good grades in those classes...) I applied to 8 schools-7 of them for mechanical engineering. Then a little bit of magic happened. We visited the design department of the local University. The tour there was captivating, and just like they say in all the college guide books, I knew I had found my fit.

I love my parents, and they meant nothing but the best, but at the end of the day I was (and still am) a creative, visual individual who likes to solve problems. That's not so far away from mechanical engineering, but I know for a fact that I had more fun building porta-potties than I would have had studying algorithms. For me, mechanical engineering vs. industrial design is the difference between who other people told me I was, and who I am.

So there's real value in understanding yourself. It can give you a nudge in the right direction when you come to a fork in the road. It can- and does- lead you to like-minded people and fast friends. I'm not saying you have to get all narcissistic about it, but pay attention when you're happy. What are you doing? Do more of it! ASAP! And let your happiness define who you are.

method + mickey

2011-03-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

I've been enamored with method home ever since I saw the founders speak at my school (what a cooool story- they literally started out making soap in their bathtub!) It's a brand I stand by- because they consistently stand for good design matched with ecologically sustainable practices and products.

My history with Mickey (and Minnie) Mouse goes back even further- to some of the earliest days of my life. When I was a tot, I was all about Mickey Mouse and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had Mickey Mouse sheets, though, so you know who was the real favorite...

So I was thrilled to hear that method had teamed up with Mickey. Well...sortof!? Then I saw the bottle, above, and cried to myself for a moment. It's ugly. It's black. And at the end of the day, it's licensed. Method's soap bottles are so beautiful in one way because they're clear. They let you see the product, and the product is beautiful. It's the sort of thing you want sitting next to your sink. It's not black.

While I understand the logical decision to make the entire bottle into the iconic mouse ears, I think it misses its mark. I mean, there's a pump coming straight out of Mickey's head...

You can check out the product page for this partnership here: http://www.methodhome.com/product/mickey-minnie-mouse-hand-wash/?lemonade

What do you think? Is this good design? Are you and your kids excited to use this soap?

happy music!

2011-03-21T19:21:00.000-04:00

There's no question that studying industrial design developed my taste in music. There was a time when all I listened to was the Barenaked Ladies (don't get me wrong- I still love those guys.) Then I got to college, and to hours upon hours of sketching and rendering and tweaking and all sorts of stuff that made having some background music nice. Good friends introduced me to Architecture in Helsinki (eee! new CD soooon), the Avett Brothers, and All Songs Considered on NPR. Now that I'm out of school, my days are full of background music, and I'm always looking for another good sound to play on repeat. Coworkers at a co-op introduced me to WERS (88.9), and it's a go-to station pretty much any day of the week (although I'm not a big fan of their after-hours reggae.) They played this song by Jamie Lidell today, and I like it! Catchy, fun, happy, and added to my play list.

art prints

2011-03-20T22:59:00.000-04:00

A ton has happened since the last post... namely, I moved. It was a big 900+ mile move to a brand new city with new people for a new job (hey employers- I'm still always up for freelance :) Of course, amidst all this is a brand new (to me) apartment. I'm warming up to the new digs, and working on making this house a home. Alllllllllll the walls are super dull beige, so one of the first things on my 'to-do' list is get some art up on the walls. I've been having a hard time finding anything affordable that I would want to spend my days staring at, and then... I found society 6. They have prints in all different sizes at all different prices. Here are my three favorites, all likely to be ordered soon!

A Flying Dog in Outer Space

Milk Moustache

Peace

real-life Up! house

2011-03-09T10:54:00.000-05:00

(credit: National Geographic)

Photos of this real-life version of the house from Pixar's Up are allllll over blogger land. I just couldn't resist sharing it here too. It's an instant smile-maker.

The inspiration (credit: Disney/Pixar via Wired)

handwriting

2011-03-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

There are a few documents on my computer that I positively cherish. One of them is a pdf that includes 5 Thanksgiving recipes from my mom's side of the family. Each recipe is handwritten by a different member of the family.

The cool thing is, you can sortof see the resemblance amongst the handwriting. It's almost like you could tell that these recipe-writers are related without knowing that beforehand.

(L to R: grandma's potatoes, aunt Linda's sweet potato casserole, mom's corny bake)

I have to wonder what is going to happen to handwriting in the next 50 years. For the past 50+ years, it has been a primary mode of communication, and in some cases a legacy amongst family members. There are instances that will necessitate handwriting for awhile- servers taking orders in restaurants comes to mind. Really, though, in the age of the iPad, what cannot be replaced with a keyboard?

Just something I've been thinking about- maybe something to explore more in-depth at a later point. I would love to see some samples of family handwriting and learn more about how handwriting- and script- has evolved throughout time.

sugar & gold

2011-03-06T12:50:00.000-05:00

There's something awesome about going to a show 'blind' (not having heard of or researched the band first) and having them knock your socks off. We saw Sugar & Gold last night and they were so much fun. Perfect dance-y music for my last Saturday night at home for awhile.

(Yip Deceiver opened, and they were good enough that I thought they might have been the main band. Then the singer talked too much. Annnd then Sugar & Gold came on, and everything made sense.)

shredded paper table

2011-03-05T15:42:00.001-05:00

I think I've posted about this before- I've been trying to stay up-to-date with news and interesting stuff going on by subscribing to a couple magazines. Gotta say that Fast Company is one of my favorites. They blend design and business exceedingly well, and always manage to keep articles interesting and concise.

The table below is made out of shredded back-issues of Fast Company. Designer Jens Praet is the guy behind this piece, and I think its just awesome. The texture is cool, the form is cool, and its an overt result of recycling. Awesome. This photo and more info can be found at inhabitat. And even more info is available at fastco design.

ready for spring

2011-03-01T23:37:00.001-05:00

I'm ready for spring. We're about at that point where I stop wearing socks with my sneakers (sorry- that's sort of gross, but true), start wearing shorts, and leaving my winter coat at home in hopes that mother nature will notice. Someone has to let the lady know that we're ready for warmer weather!

It's that mindset, exactly, that has me drooling over the Bodum Fyrkat. I saw one in a local discount store for $25 today, and really had to restrain myself. I can so clearly picture backyard BBQ's and summer lunches made 'round this mini, mighty, beautiful little grill. The only thing that made me save my money? The $25 version was fairly low-key white. If it would have been lime green (like the one above), I would surely be a new grill owner by now :)

>>UPDATE: I'm a grill owner!! Yippee!! Found it in yellow for $25 and just couldn't pass it up...

too much packaging: orbit gum

2011-02-25T18:30:00.000-05:00

I was reading something the other day about excessive packaging (tried to find the exact post, but can't seem to remember where it was...) The post made me stop and think. This designer called out the packaging of an InCase ipod case as super-excessive. I've admired that packaging before, but never really considered how wasteful it was. I practically couldn't (and still can't) believe myself- I'm a trained designer with a passion for responsible design. How had I not consciously thought about that before!?

Well, then, last night, I went to open a new pack of gum and realized- Orbit uses too much packaging too.
The little pack of gum is shiny with big branding and stands out on the shelf.

I appreciate the witty use of the Orbit 'O' at the open here spot... but wait... that shiny exterior is removable plastic?! Huh??

Ohhhh neat-o window effect with the plastic wrapper. A mod, still-branded cardstock box emerges..

and each piece of gum comes individually wrapped in a little piece of paper.

Yowzer...so, to recount, there's plastic, then paper, then more paper housing 14 little pieces of chewing gum. It is, by all accounts, a beautiful package. The question is, is it necessary? Could they still sell the gum in just the box? Would people be as willing to have a big, branded container of gum in their purse as they are to have a mod-looking semi-branded container? My bet is that they wouldn't mind at all.

So, here's my challenge to you: be more aware about the packaging you're consuming. It might change your buying decisions.

colorful rugs

2011-02-24T18:52:00.000-05:00

I've spent some time during the past week searching for just the perfect rug for work. It's harder than it should be to find rugs that are reasonably priced and reasonably good looking. We wound up going with FLOR carpet tiles- they're beautiful, recycled, and (some varieties are) reasonably priced.

While I was browsing carpets, I came across some not-so-reasonably priced drool-worthy rugs that I would loooove to have in my living space some day. Maybe it's the fact that we've had three days of gray yucky weather here, but I just can't get enough of all these colors!

Squared Silly from FLOR

Digit from nanimarquina

Sunday Morning

2011-02-20T11:15:00.001-05:00

Sunday mornings are delicious- both literally and figuratively.

After years (4+) of waitressing every Sunday morning, having the time to lounge around the kitchen drinking coffee and reading the paper still feels downright luxurious. Sunday before noon is veritable free time, no matter how long your to-do list is. This morning I made breakfast for my mom and read through the most recent issue of Fast Company (pretty much my new favorite magazine- check out this story about book cover designer Coralie Bickford-Smith.) What are you doing this Sunday morning? Take my advice- don't waste it!

(mom's breakfast the other day- hot chocolate and an English muffin with cream cheese and fig spread...yum!)

The Fox is Black

2011-02-17T12:32:00.001-05:00

No matter what they say about information overload on NPR, its hard not to love (yet another) good design blog. The Fox is Black caught my eye awhile back because of their 'wallpaper project.' They invite creative folks to make pretty desktop wallpapers, and then offer them up as free downloads. After a little more digging around, it turns out that the rest of their site is pretty great, too.

(I just updated my wallpaper to the charming illustration by Matthew Dent, above.)

museum of possibilities, montreal

2011-02-07T10:07:00.000-05:00

I'm completely blown away by the Museum of Possibilities in Montreal. It was a one-day pop-up public space project. People were invited to attach their hopes for public green space to balloons, and then others walked around and voted for their favorites with stickers.

I just love all those colorful balloons!

Check out their flickr page for some stunning photography here.

(via Brainpickings)
photo from http://paper.li/globalmuseum/1288898965/2011/02/03

snail mail

2011-02-06T00:07:00.001-05:00

I'm a huge fan of snail mail (may have mentioned that before...) Receiving a letter or post card has a way of really brightening the day, and sending them is an excellent way to stay in touch and get some writing practice in. One of the best things that has happened since I graduated is the constant cycle of mail amongst our close circle of college friends (who have dispersed to San Francisco, Atlanta, Dallas, and the GAMBIA.) Sure, we swap email, but we swap mail-mail too!

(Vintage post card+ port-o-potty humor = wish I had an original copy of this!) Photo courtesy of howieluvzus

I think getting a little writing practice in has huge benefits- particularly when you're writing by hand and really thinking about the words you are choosing. Writing is an increasingly important skill- these days, a lot of people communicate almost exclusively via email, and bad punctuation is akin to poor manners. Ironically, writing skills, on the whole, are going downhill. I cannot tell you how many poorly composed emails and blog posts I come across on a daily basis.

My point? Find yourself a stamp and send someone a letter, the old-fashioned way. You'll benefit from writing the letter, and you'll be spreading a little joy while you're at it. You never know, too- that person might just send some joy back to you!

food and conversation

2011-01-28T10:47:00.001-05:00

Food and conversation are certainly two things that go together well. In the past few weeks, I've been indulging in both- and leaving a trail of bread crumbs behind me. It all started at Glass House Conversations when Nicola Twilley asked, "In an era when food justice, food security, climate change, and obesity are such pressing issues, should there be public funding for food design R&D, and, if so, who should be receiving it?" Wow- what a question! How intriguing, too, this concept of 'food design.' If you check out the conversation that ensued (follow the link above), you'll see that I argued for funding for education. This lead to a bit of a spat (all good natured) with writer Alexandra Lange, who was more in favor of funding distribution channels and making healthy food more widely available. Thanks, in part, to our early participation in the Glass House Conversation, Alexandra and I were both quoted in an article on good.is (written by Nicola Twilley) about the future of food design. I thought that might be where the conversation ended. I was wrong.

A little more than a week ago, I came across a really interesting article on Design Observer (written by Alexandra Lange) entitled, "What Should Food Look Like?" The article brings up differences in food packaging, and questions the use of packaging to appeal to different demographics. It left me completely intrigued about the possibility of neutral, or even just simple, food packaging in every aisle of the grocery store. What if companies abandoned all the colorful packaging and let the food speak for itself? I can't envision that ever happening, but it sure is a wild thing to imagine. How would you pick what product to buy?

With all of that buzzing through my head the other day, I came to a stop in front of the ice cream case at a high-end grocer. There, right in front of me, was the packaging that Lange references in her article. At the top, there are simple containers that showcase the gelato inside them, then there are two varieties of 'busy' packaging, and finally there's some faux-vintage there at the bottom. It was with interest that I watched another woman approach the case, look over the options, and opt for one of those simple packages near the top.

Design is a powerful tool, and certainly something that can be used to change the world. Things get complicated, though, because design needs business and business needs design. Food packaging, at this point, is meant to sell food. The question becomes (one of the questions at least...), how can design be effectively used to sell healthier food to the masses? Is design even the proper tool?

Femme Den at CAC

2011-01-25T10:18:00.002-05:00

(photo from Soapbox Cincinnati article here)

Last night, Erica Eden and Nathaniel Giraitis, from Smart design's Femme Den, gave a talk at the Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center as part of the 'Where Do We Go From Here?' speaker series. I'd been looking forward to the talk for awhile- these are top notch designers coming to our city and giving a presentation for free. What's not to like?

The presentation was great- both visually and verbally. They opened with the quote, 'design is about people, not things.' That quote originated from Tom Dair, co-founder of Smart, but was recently repeated by First Lady Michelle Obama. From what I can tell, it's at the heart of everything Smart Design, and the Femme Den, does.

Next, we got a little background on the Femme Den- how it came to be, and why it's important. Eden and Giraitis shared a number of examples of 'designed for women' products that have missed the mark by focusing on what makes men and women different, not what makes them similar. One of my favorite examples is the Dodge La Femme from 1955 (see below.) It's a smashing vehicle that's pink on the outside and pink on the inside, and comes with an umbrella, jacket, rain boots, and hand bag to match. It's a real-life Barbie-mobile. This car is a powerful example for more than one reason- it was designed based on assumptions and stereotypes about women, and it flopped, but it also shows that gender was recognized as an important design factor more than 50 years ago.

What makes gender, and even more specifically women, such an important design factor is the fact that they do 80% of purchasing. At the same time, women only make up 10-20% of product designers. Tapping into the female market is a huge profit-making opportunity for consumer product companies, and that, seemingly, is where the Femme Den comes in.

image credit: cartype.com

As an aside, in the Q&A after the talk, someone asked if Eden thought that more women were becoming industrial designers. Her answer was pretty interesting to me- she said that in school, about half of the class were females. It's the same way today. Somewhere along the line, though, the girls leave the industry. No one knows, exactly, where they are going or what's making them leave. I have a strong theory that it has something to do with design education being more antiquated than the industry...

Anyway, back to the talk- next up were case studies from the Femme Den. These were enlightening because it was a chance to get a little bit of back-story on some relatively well-known projects. It was at about this time that Eden and Giraitis started to emphasize empathy. Throughout the rest of the talk, they stressed the need to design for people who aren't you, and to empathize with people you might not understand. This practically gave me butterflies- it's entirely what I believe in, and the reason, to me, why design is such an interesting and compelling field.

My favorite case study was the Cardinal Health Endura Performance Apparel Scrubs. After spending some time talking with doctors and nurses who spend their days wearing scrubs, the designers at Smart found that women had tons of complaints. The deep V-neck of the shirt made them feel exposed, the rise of the pants caused chafing, and the length of the pants often resulted in dirt being drug into environments that were meant to be sterile. Smart responded with scrubs that addressed the needs and concerns of the women, and they turned out to be great for men too. That's powerful stuff.

image credit: medgadget.com

After presenting a couple products that were developed with women specifically in mind, Eden and Giraitis transitioned into talking about different groups of people who are under-served, and the advantages of empathizing with the user. They presented yet another really compelling example: the LG Qiblah. When LG, a Korean company, wanted to get into the Middle Eastern market, they decided to start with a cell phone. As crazy as that sounds (it's hard to stand out in such a saturated segment), they struck gold by tapping into the religious culture of the region. Muslims face Mecca to pray five times a day. LG designed a phone with a compass that points to Mecca and a prayer alarm. The phone became a best seller and opened the door for LG to enter the Middle East.

image credit: digitaltrends.com

As you can tell by the length of this post, the talk got me all excited about design and empathy and making the world a better place. One of the most exciting parts of the talk, as a whole, was the fact that the designers showed that empathy is a profitable part of the design process. Connecting with the user can and does result in better sales, and the Femme Den is establishing quite the track record to prove it.

In school, the projects I enjoyed most were the ones where I got to climb into someone else's shoes for a little bit. When I designed a hiking light for the Grand Canyon, I went there and did the hike, and my 'ah-ha' moment actually came at the bottom of the canyon. When I designed a port-o-potty, I toured the warehouse where they're cleaned and stored, went to an international trade show, and talked to tons of people about doing their business in a little teal box. That immersion, and the resulting empathy, is what has kept me interested in product design. It's inspiring to know that Smart- one of the leading design firms in the country- is putting a priority on it.

rabbit!

2011-01-24T11:54:00.000-05:00

Rabbit! "Pea" Acoustic Performance from Category 5 Films on Vimeo.

I love love love it when one thing leads to another. I've been working on a small freelance job, and that lead me directly to this band- Rabbit. I am loving their poppy sound and happy lyrics. You can listen to their newest album in its entirety here.

While I'm on the subject of music, I should ask... do you use hypem? If not, you should go on over there and check it out. My user name is carlyh. We should be friends.

I also recently stumbled upon indieshuffle.com, which is a pretty great site for discovering new music. Enjoy!

GOOD doodle

2011-01-22T10:57:00.001-05:00

I'm a big fan of good.is (who isn't)? The site is a great community of people concerned for the greater good. Awesome, no?

One of the things they do periodically over at good is host projects, including 'doodles.' When they post a doodle, they ask readers to respond to a question with a sketch. The current doodle is 'What would you do with an extra hour every day?' My response is above. I had a lot of fun putting this together- I didn't start with an answer, I started with a blank piece of paper. By the end of the paper, I had the answer. What would you do in a 25-hour day?

VHS

2011-01-21T16:08:00.000-05:00

I'm spending today doing a small freelance job for a potential employer, and it's been leading me to a bunch of blogs that I've never seen before. One of those blogs was Aesthetic Outburst, where I found this super sweet image of old VHS tapes (can't find the original post now, so not sure who the artist is...) I wonder how long it'll be until kids don't even know what these things are? I'm loving the pattern of the tapes and all the neon colors (awesome branding, Polaroid!)

TED talks: Charity Tilleman-Dick

2011-01-20T10:07:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I hesitate to post about TED talks: at this point, almost everyone has heard of them and knows where to go in order to find them. However, when I find a particularly great presentation, it's hard not to share. The story that Charity Tileman-Dick gives in this talk is incredible, and paints a picture of perseverance and passion (in the I'm-passionate-about-singing way, not the hot steamy way.) It's an awe-inspiring 'live your dreams' sort of story. I was also completely impressed with her presentation style. She only uses a handful of slides, but remains engaging nonetheless. If you have 10 or 15 spare minutes today, do yourself a favor and watch this video. It's well worth the time.

(http://www.ted.com/)

method manifesto

2011-01-19T14:57:00.001-05:00

After posting about manifestos earlier this morning, this lovely poster came via email from one of my favorite companies, method home. I'm liking the 'I'm For' format, even though it can get a little confusing (what, exactly, does 'I am for imperfections' mean?) Download the original poster here.

work is not a job

2011-01-19T10:53:00.001-05:00

I stumbled upon the website workisnotajob.com and was thrilled to find this manifesto, of sorts, in their 'about' section. There is something about manifestos that I absolutely love (I've posted about them here and here before.) I think it's the passion that gets to me, and the process of putting that passion to words. These short snippets shed light on what motivates people, and companies, to do what they do.

What would your manifesto be, and would it be relevant to people outside of your industry? Here's my first attempt at a personal manifesto. It's nowhere near perfect yet, but it's certainly a starting point.

open source

2011-01-10T00:33:00.000-05:00

Lately, 'open source' has gotten a lot of attention. Wikipedia- one of the largest and most well-known open source websites- defines the term as, "practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials." Software developers have bridged gaps by making more and more programs open-source, allowing customers to customize, and often improve, their own experience with the product.

Open-source has not always been so high-tech or complex, though. When you think about it, cook books can be seen as some of the best and most prolific examples of open-source philosophy. This is what I mean:

I work in a diner that sells pie. Every so often, I'll buy a slice to take home and enjoy. It's always a great experience, but I am only buying the product- the slice of pie. A couple months ago, I bought the book pictured below (Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book, circa 1961.)

It turns out that this cook book has an entire section devoted to pie, including step-by-step directions for making crust, ideas on how to make your pie stand out at a dinner party, and more than ten pages of illustrated recipes. Now I have the pie source, and I can make pie for myself, and even tweak the recipe to make the pie more to my liking.

Last week, I made a petite applescotch pie, tweaking the recipe to make the smaller size and allow for a few small substitutions. The payoff was tasty, and better than any of the pie I've ever bought at work. It's a successful process with a great result. Of course, there are some gaps in this analogy- namely, I haven't been buying pie from Betty Crocker, and the cook book did not come from my work. I'd argue that the analogy would work quite well pitting a Betty Crocker cake mix against a from-scratch cake made with a recipe out of my cook book.

So, then, if open-source is not such a new idea, why is it getting so much attention? In most cases, it's because of the growing role technology has with the idea of open-source. In effect, the internet lets people 'make their recipe,' tweak it, and then send it back to the original source. This results in changes made at a larger scale that affect the experience of many, not just yourself. Some aspects remain the same, though, including the exhilaration of taking control of a process you formerly had no control of. Undoubtedly, a homemade pie tastes at least a little better because you, yourself went to the trouble to make it.

banksy

2011-01-06T15:57:00.000-05:00

As a kid growing up in the US, I have always regarded graffiti as somewhat of a bad thing; ugly self-expression that someone has to clean up. Always, that is, until I spent three months in Europe and witnessed some amazingly beautiful street art that was undoubtedly created by talented and creative individuals.

The work of graffiti artist Banksy has caught my attention lately. Many of his images are political and have a very clear message, but practically all of them are exceedingly well thought-out, well executed, and tremendously creative. One of the best things about graffiti is its ability to catch people off-guard; works show up over-night and unexpectedly. Banksy certainly uses this to his advantage and sends his message with a clear voice. He keeps the general public on their toes, exactly where they should be.

(image from http://weblog.evasee.com)

pie!

2011-01-04T12:10:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I'm considering starting a small pie business on the side (while I'm looking for design employment.) I put together this short survey to get some feedback about business possibilities. It's only 15 questions, and 4 pages long, and it would be great if you could fill it out. I promise to share the results in a week or so! Thanks!!

happy new year: reflections and resolutions

2011-01-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! I hope the holidays were good to you.

I know its not exactly December 31 or January 1 anymore, but I think there is still time to ruminate on last year and this year. I spent this past weekend with three of my favorite people, good friends from college who have scattered to different places along the east coast. Saturday night I was out with these college friends and ran into a couple pals from high school. The two groups combined to make one table, to share drinks and conversation. I felt some duty to introduce everyone to everyone else, and proceeded to do just that- "Jen lives in Boston and works at a design firm, Katie owns a store downtown, etc." When I had covered everyone, one of my more insightful friends looked at me, and said, 'What about you?"

I didn't have an answer- all I could say was, "but...everyone already knows me..." The super-simple question caught me almost entirely off-guard. I've been thinking about it ever since, and I still don't have a really great answer. I graduated in June and am looking for a job. I'm a waitress. I spend a lot of time on the internet. Still, none of those things really define who I am. How would you define yourself?

Self-reflection noted, the next obvious question is what are your resolutions for the new year? Exercising more frequently tops my list, and I joined a local gym yesterday. I'm also going to start some projects while I am still applying for jobs: selling pie and postcards. The pie thing has been stuck in my head for much of the past year, and I just can't get away from it. Postcards are one of my bigger interests and more constant hobbies. Etsy is such a compelling tool, and I think it might provide a good market for a little venture.

I'll keep you posted on my progress; I wish you luck on all your ventures in this new year.

in defense of christmas cards

2010-12-22T16:53:00.001-05:00

I've been mailing out Christmas cards for years. They go to close friends and family, and a couple people who I don't think will be expecting a card (makes it all the more fun!) This is one of the best 'constants' for me when it comes to the holidays- I like the process of choosing (sometime making) the cards, addressing them, and filling them with notes and well-wishes.

This year, my mom sent a card to an old family friend. The friend responded with an email, saying thanks for the card while also bemoaning the rampant waste of paper and strain on postmen.

Well, I'm here to argue that a warm holiday greeting is worth the paper its printed on, and Christmas cards are one of the few things keeping our postal workers in service. I'm a highly environmentally conscious individual, but I, for one, hope that physical Christmas cards are here to stay.

Vintage Christmas cards courtesy of Ravensmagiclantern (on flickr)

scissors

2010-12-22T12:43:00.000-05:00

Even though I mostly use an x-acto knife these days, there is something irresistible about a beautiful pair of scissors. I found these in Ready Made's gift guide this year, and they are so striking... simple and beautiful, with a little pop of color. The stainless steel ones (above) retail for $20 and the slightly more space-age teflon-coated stainless steel (below) retail for $37. I might order a couple just to have on hand as birthday presents...

(via emmo home and the shop at cooper-hewitt)

glass house conversations

2010-12-20T10:47:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago, Alissa (gelatobaby) posted on her blog about Glass House Conversations. She was hosting a conversation that week herself, and her blog post was enough for me to click over and see what the site was all about. The site is now one of my favorites. Influential people in architecture, art, and design pose intellectual questions to the internet public every week. Anyone can respond, and usually pretty good discussions develop. One of the coolest things about the site, though, is that a lot of people who respond to the questions are reasonably high-profile, so it becomes a platform for the general public (me) to have conversations with people we wouldn't normally rub elbows with. The site isn't over-populated, so people frequently respond directly to one another, resulting in a more intimate-feeling conversation.

You can read more about the actual glass house, and glass house conversations, here.

In order to post to the site, you have to make yourself a really simple profile. There's a place for your photo, name, (self-proclaimed) title, twitter handle (I don't have one- yet), and website. Your name, photo, and title appear next to any comments you make. I've gotten a fair amount of blog hits from the glass house conversations website, so that means people are looking at my profile. Cool! Self promotion!!

Another unexpected result of participating on the site:
Last week's conversation was facilitated by Nicola Twilley, a food editor with GOOD. Halfway through the week, and the online conversation, I found an article on the GOOD site where Nicola had noted the online conversation taking place, and my participation (along with several other of the contributers.) That article was one of the absolute highlights of my week- I highly respect GOOD, and to be noted on their website was a huge rush.

The moral of this story? Get involved, engage in conversations, use your brain, and have fun. Participating in the Glass House Conversations gives me a great break from searching for a job, but it also, in some small way, acts as self-promotion. These opportunities are all around, particularly for members of the design community, if you just know where to look (or at least where to start.)

ignite cincinnati talk

2010-12-16T18:25:00.000-05:00

My talk from Ignite Cincinnati (What you think about portable restrooms) is up on youtube(!) I've posted about the talk before, but it was a blast and a challenge. I think the presentation was really successful in the long run, and it was a total rush to make 400 people laugh (you'll hear it in the video.)

The premise for Ignite is that you give a 20 slide presentation in 5 minutes. The slides advance automatically after 15 seconds.

I kept looking back at the screen during my talk to make sure I was talking about the correct slide (there wasn't a working monitor in front of me.)

holstee manifesto

2010-12-15T18:37:00.001-05:00

I've been organizing my internet bookmarks (more daunting

than it sounds), and came across a link to the holstee site.

They're an exceptionally cool company with a fantastic manifesto (above.)

vintage radios

2010-12-13T10:03:00.001-05:00

Some of my all-time favorite design objects are vintage radios (both tabletop and transistor) from the 1950s and 1960s. The radios were usually large (often powered by amplifier tubes) and seem to have been a blank slate for designers of the era. You can find radios in every color of the rainbow, with design flare ranging from round dials to tail fins. They are usually just so much fun.

Here are a few examples from flickr (you can find the link to each photographer's photostream under the respective image.) Enjoy!

The Rocketeer

bcostin

bricolage.108

co-op, a summary

2010-12-10T16:45:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up before the sun to go talk to some high school students about co-op. One of my mom's friend teaches classes about choosing a career and getting ready for college, and asked me to come in and talk about my experiences. It was a little more challenging than I anticipated to step back from my role as 'designer' and talk candidly about the co-op experience in general.

(These glasses are my attempt at a relevant photo- they look sort of professional to me. Credit for the photo goes to blythe_d over on flickr.)

Some of the basic ideas:

-It's all about the people.

Sure, co-op is neat because you get to go be a real working professional while you're still in school. The most important thing to do while on co-op, though, is to make a good impression and grow your network. Be memorable so that you will stand out in your co-workers' memory. You want them to think of you, a few years down the line, when they're looking for someone to hire.

-Be the best employee possible.

When you're a co-op student, you are working from a disadvantage in many instances. You're new, you're temporary, you're the youngest person in the office, and sometimes you don't even know what you're doing. Since you have all that working against you, its incredibly important to make sure you have the basics down. Find the best-dressed person in the office, and use them as your wardrobe guide. Get to work before your boss, and leave after him (or her.) Don't log onto facebook at work. Give your employer every reason to love you.

-The job is only 70% of the experience.

One of the greatest advantages of co-op, at least to me, is the opportunity to live and work in all different parts of the country (and world.) It's worth it to make some friends (other interns are perfect!) and go see what your new locale has to offer. This will not only help you have more fun, but it should give you an idea of whether or not you'd like to live and work in that city after graduation.

-Make the job work for you.
This one has a couple different meanings... for one thing, if your co-op employer offers you a wage that you don't think you can live on, it is sometimes OK to ask for a little more. I did this more than once, and it always worked out for me. It's important to save money or at least 'break-even' on co-op assignments. Co-op is your first really big step into being financially independent, and it's important not to screw up too badly (unless you like living on ramen, peanut butter, and the occasional PBR.)

The other meaning comes into play when you get into a position that you don't enjoy. It could be that your employer is giving you too much 'intern work,' or that your job is monotonous or menial. In those situations it is important to find the 'silver lining.' Take on a side project or start a new hobby outside of work. When I was unhappy at my job in California, I found a local sustainability conference and got my employer to pay for half my ticket. After the conference I acted as a 'sustainability coordinator' for the company. It ended up being a great diversion.

-TRAVEL!
I am a firm believer in the benefits of travel. I spent one co-op quarter traveling (and would recommend the experience to anyone who has the opportunity.) I learned as much, if not more, during that quarter as I did on any other co-op assignment where I was working. My good friend Megan and I traveled throughout Europe, navigating streets we couldn't pronounce and meeting people from around the world. It was incredible, and completely a trip best done while in college (everything's cheaper for students, and students can tolerate a diet of falafel, cookies, and beer better than most.)

Beyond a big trip, though, co-op gives you the opportunity to make smaller weekend trips. When I was working in southern California, I spent a weekend in Seattle and a weekend in San Francisco. Both trips were pretty inexpensive; regional airfare along the west coast tends to be pretty cheap. Both trips opened up new experiences for me. Growing up in Ohio, it would have been an epic journey to San Francisco. While I was living in California, it was no big deal.

I could go on and on, but those are the basics, and in the long run that is probably all you really need. I enjoyed the co-op program immensely and believe that it is one of the best things my alma mater (the University of Cincinnati) has to offer. If you're looking at colleges, find one with a co-op program. If you're looking for interns, consider a co-op.

a month of travel

2010-12-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

In the last month or so, I have been lucky enough to visit southern California, New York City (twice!), and Belize (Belize City, Dangriga, and Coco Plum Cay.) It's been a whirlwind and a blast- catching up with friends, attending weddings, and even going to a job interview. I'm happy to be home, though, with a little bit of time to regroup before the holidays.

When I travel, I try to capture some of the culturally significant things about a place (not just sunsets and candid shots of my buddies.) I'm inspired by Jan Chipchase, and all things considered should probably try to learn more about cultural anthropology. Here are some shots (and explanations) from my week in Belize:

Marie Sharp's (proud products of Belize) seems to be everywhere. They have lot of varieties of hot sauce, but the most notable thing we sampled was this banana jam. I'd never had banana jam before- never even heard of it- but it was great on warm bread.

When we landed at the airport in Belize City, it was raining like crazy. Upon arriving at our hotel, they provided us with these umbrellas. It's hard to tell from the photo, but they were double-layered. It's obvious they get a lot of rain (and know how to deal with it.)

We stayed at a fairly eccentric 'eco village' on our first night in Belize. We were lucky that this out-of-the-way hotel had AC, but I was amused to find the units supported by logs (how resourceful!)

After our stay at the eco village, we took a very small (12 passenger) plane from Belize City to Dangriga. The contrasts with modern aviation in the US were huge, from the boarding passes they wrote out by hand, to the over-the-shoulder seat belts and the fact that there were no flight attendants; just the pilot up front. I was glad it was only a 15-minute ride.

The beer of Belize is Belikin. There are two varieties: a lager (green label) and a stout (blue label.) This was the primary beer available everywhere. We saw red stripe a few times, but overall this was a stark contrast to the growing popularity of craft and small batch beer in the US.

The main event of our week in Belize was my friend's brother's wedding. It was beautiful, laid back, and perfect. It was also totally and completely different than any wedding I have ever witnessed. For one thing, it took place on an island. This made some of the normal amenities completely different. Although the bride had a fresh bouquet of flowers, all the decorations were fake. It would have been challenging (at best) to bring in fresh flowers (we were 30 minutes, by boat, from the main land. I sort of liked the fake flowers in this situation- they added to the uniqueness of the whole experience.

Another beverage that came in a heavy glass bottle was ginger ale. It was my soda of choice for the week (although I'll admit to my drink of choice being rum!), and it gave me an opportunity to consider why people choose the products they do. I liked the quirkiness of the 'fanta' ginger ale, and the fact that it's not something I can get at home, but that heavy glass bottle kept me coming back (all the other sodas were in plastic.)

ignite cincinnati

2010-11-17T15:45:00.000-05:00

Here is the presentation I'm giving this evening at Ignite Cincinnati.

A little bit of background information: I graduated from the University of Cincinnati last June with a Bachelor of Science in industrial design. The capstone project, which is the last project before graduation, is very much self-directed. I decided to design a portable restroom, or port-o-potty. The first question people usually ask is 'why?' Designing a portable restroom was an easy choice because there is so much room for improvement.

One of the (unintentionally) most entertaining parts of the whole project was a short online survey I did as part of my research. About 150 people responded (thanks facebook!), and many of the responses are incredibly descriptive and frequently hilarious. My Ignite presentation is all about the survey results, and I actually compiled almost all of them into a little self-published book that you can download (for free) or purchase here.

There was a nice article about the project in UC's News Record, which you can view here. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions or comments.

You can email me @: carlyhagins@gmail.com

mikogo

2010-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I had a job interview. The firm (not going to say who- why jinx it?) is located in Brooklyn, so we talked over the phone. They suggested that we use mikogo so that they could connect to my desktop and we could go through my portfolio together. I hadn't used mikogo before, but was completely impressed with the service. It's 100% free, and made the interview go much smoother than it would have if the employer and I had been flipping through my portfolio on separate computers.

ignite cincinnati this week

2010-11-15T12:02:00.001-05:00

I'm speaking at Ignite Cincinnati later this week, and have been spending pretty much a huge amount of time preparing. It's a cool event because 20 speakers present a 20-slide presentation (each.) The slides advance on their own after 15 seconds. It's a unique public speaking challenge (in front of 300 people! who paid to get in the door!!) My topic is the online survey I conducted as part of the research for my thesis project last year. I tried to make the slides colorful and engaging. There's a sneak peak above; the whole thing will be posted on Wednesday!

the world through an LCD screen

2010-11-10T13:12:00.000-05:00

I've been lucky enough to see a couple different concerts lately (okgo at terminal 5 in nyc and the new barenaked ladies at the taft theater in Cincinnati). We were close to the front at both shows, but I'm short, so it was still sort of an obstructed view. That obstructed view got even more obstructed throughout both nights by people holding up cameras and phones to snap a photo of the band.

Digital photography and the emergence of phones that are more multi-purpose tools than anything, have changed so much of how we interact with the world and engage in experiences. People who wouldn't normally carry a camera can now use their phone to capture reasonably high quality images. People who do normally carry their camera can now record entire songs, or shows, and capture 1000's of photos in one night. Little LCD screens distract and detract from the concert for other people, though- people who just want to see the band and hear the music right there, in the moment.

As much as anything, my question is why detract from the experience by recording it? I'm a huge fan of photos and blogging, and everything, but concerts are a hard place to get a decent photograph or recording. The lighting is extreme and there is lots of background noise (how many youtube videos have you seen where you can clearly hear the guy a couple seats over singing along?) Leave the recording to the professionals and fully enjoy the hour that you paid good money to witness. Why not let the ticket stub and happy memories be your recording of the night?

(photo by Cameron Cassan on flickr)

the best of the best: nyc

2010-11-05T08:00:00.000-04:00

As mentioned in the previous post, I spent Halloween weekend in NYC visiting a couple of my good friends. It was an awesome weekend full of great music, excellent costumes, tons of walking, and incredible restaurant experiences.

I've been to NYC more than once before, and the thing that tends to stand out each time is the unique eating experiences they offer there. Many of the restaurants are designed from the top down, with deliberate attention paid to everything from the decor to the menu to the uniforms of the people who work there. It makes such a difference, and really creates unparalleled experiences. One of my friends pointed out that this is an issue of necessity; there is so much competition that each business has to do something to make themselves stand out from all the rest.

Two places that stand out from this last visit are Hill Country Chicken (above) and Stumptown Coffee Roasters (right.) Hill Country serves fried chicken and pie in a bright, cheery atmosphere reminiscent of Martha Stewart's kitchen. It all comes across as very clean and somewhat retro. The chicken was exceptional, and the little pies we had were tasty and cute, if a little hard to eat and on the sweet side. We split the banana cream and cowboy pies.

From what I can tell, Stumptown Coffee actually originates in Portland. Their ACE hotel location in NYC is like stepping back in time; the fedora-clad baristas and gold-tinted counters are enough to make you feel like its the 1920's again. The experience is again rounded out by an exceptional product: the coffee was some of the best I've ever had. The day after visiting their ACE hotel location, I made a small pilgrimage to the Red Hook brew room. Even though they were closed, the guys hanging out inside were nice enough to brew me a cup of joe and show me around the roasting room (thanks!)

Next time you're in the city, I recommend putting these two places on your list of must-visits. In the meantime, I wonder how I could get involved designing experiences like these...

argo tea

2010-11-04T09:52:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, I was in NYC visiting a couple good friends. During my visit, I wandered into Dean & Deluca and found bottles of argo tea in the refrigerated case. I bought a bottle because of the beautiful (and fully reusable) glass packaging, and would buy another (if only they were sold around me) because of how great the tea was.

portfolio!

2010-10-22T10:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the latest edition of my portfolio. I've been putting off posting this because I was going to do an entire post of portfolio tips and tricks... but I'll just do that separately. I'm really getting into the job hunt these days (as well as lots of traveling!), and would love to hear any feedback you have on my work. I recommend viewing full-screen because it will let you read the text better.

fastco masters of design

2010-10-21T12:17:00.000-04:00

I strongly believe that part of being a good designer is being immersed: staying up to date on what's going on in the world around you. Lots of people in the design community go to the same sources (notcot, core77, yanko, to name a few). That's fine for industry stuff, but design is more than...well, design. It's about normal people, everyday life, and business.

One of my favorite somewhat out-of-the-box alternative sources of information is Fast Company. They are a business-based (print) magazine with an elaborate, free, website. Every year they have a Masters of Design issue (MOD). You can read featured articles from this year's issue here. The feature that caught my eye, though, is called 'Journeys of Inspiration.' Fast Company and Canon gave four creative types really nice cameras and asked them to take photos of what inspires them. (The photo above is from Erica Eden's set.)

Design teaches you to see the world differently and always be on the lookout for the next big problem. When that is applied to photo-taking, the results are often pretty interesting. People looking at the photos get to see the world from a decidedly different point of view. The Fast Company sets are a good example of this. Jan Chipchase's photos are a brilliant example (you can see his work on his blog, future perfect.)

prezi job application supplement

2010-10-19T13:52:00.002-04:00

porta-potty problem solving on Prezi

I've spent a lot of today putting together this prezi about my problem solving process. I'll be sending it along with my portfolio when I apply for a junior strategist position at Continuum (it sounds like a really cool job!) I recommend viewing full screen so you can read all the text. (you can find 'full screen' under 'more' once you click the play button)

videos from the Feast Conference

2010-10-15T10:27:00.002-04:00

The Feast Conference is streaming live (here) all day(!) It's an incredible opportunity to hear some great speakers, and if you're seeing this before 5pm on October 15, I would highly recommend tuning in. It's a conference full of innovative people with new ideas. It also costs something like $300 to attend, but you can get the content for free.

So far, I have really enjoyed the videos they're been showing between speakers. Above is one for girl effect. These little videos catch your attention and win your affection. They're powerful, and they have me wondering how a video might work for self promotion...

FAME posters for Pastrami Jack's

2010-10-14T12:51:00.000-04:00

I found this series of posters in the current issue of HOW magazine and instantly fell in love. I have a thing for diners and have been a waitress (at a diner) for a few years now. This poster just gets right to the heart of the issue.

The people who did this are the folks over at FAME. The reasonably large png image above comes from Allan Peter's blog (thanks!)

this is what i believe

2010-10-13T19:20:00.001-04:00

Look at this photo!! It's beautiful!

This is what I believe, and apparently they do too.

They are the folks over at workshop (http://workshoplovesyou.com/). Workshop is a Brooklyn based design studio (mostly graphic sort of stuff, for now) that focuses on doing, well, good design for good people. I came across their site because I have been following Jessi Arrington's blog (lucky so and so), which I found via the always-cool swiss miss. Much power to you, oh people who are doing good via design!!

keep it regional

2010-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

Early last summer, my mom and I took a trip up the coast of Maine. We paused in Portland and stumbled upon the Shipyard Brewery (thank you, gps.) We got there right in time for the tour and a tasting, and left with a six-pack to enjoy during the rest of our trip. I got to really liking the beer, and started dreading the fact that it would likely not be available when we returned home.

Just as I expected, none of our local stores carry Shipyard. It's a reasonably small brewery will limited distribution. As much as I really do enjoy the beer, though, I appreciate that it has limited availability. These sorts of regional specialties add flair and charm to places everywhere, and I would argue that they taste better after you haven't been able to have them for awhile. It's that whole 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' argument, and I buy into it. Could the same thing be true with products? Would a Fisher-Price toy be more special if you could only buy it in upstate New York? Is there even room to capitalize on this idea in the era of shopping online and international shipping?

(As an aside, I discovered that a liquor store across the state line carries Shipyard, and I have a six-pack...well, now a five-pack nestled in my fridge at this very moment. Should you come across Shipyard, I recommend their export ale (the brewery's flagship beer) and their pumpkin ale (if it's in season.) Cheers!)

news record spotlight

2010-10-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Earlier this week, I got an email from the college living editor at the News Record, UC's student newspaper. She had heard about my thesis project and was wondering if she could interview me for a feature in the paper. We met the next day and had a really good conversation, which lead to this full-page article being published yesterday. I'm really happy with the article, and its thrilling to get published like this. You can read the article, in its entirety, here.

One of the coolest things about the whole experience, though, is how Jayna tracked me down. She saw my project mentioned in a Cincinnati Enquirer article about Cincinnati Innovates, and then tried to find me on facebook (my privacy settings are high) and twitter (not a member.) She eventually tried google, which lead her to my blog, and finally she tracked down my email address. I'm impressed with her persistence and her use of my blog- in so many ways, it validates me keeping this thing going.

Jayna keeps a blog herself, and you can check it out at: http://jaynabarker.wordpress.com/

TEDx Cincy

2010-10-08T11:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent the entire day in an auditorium full of people listening to talks about subjects ranging from trans-media to daguerreotypes to climate change. It was all part of TEDx Cincy, a local, independently organized event aligned with the big, annual TED conference in California.

I was impressed with the overall organization and flow of the event, but I think the speakers ranged from really good (Dave Knox and Brad King come to mind) to more or less out of place (sorry, Mary Pierce Brosmer.) It was a day of studying what it means to be a good speaker and make a meaningful presentation. Some people got it, and some people didn't. New ideas were introduced, but many of the talks missed having a 'point.' It made me realize that one of the #1 things I learned in design school was how to make a good presentation.

In-between live speakers, we saw a couple videos from TED events around the world. The video above, from Jane McGonigal, was actually my favorite talk of the entire day. She's a dynamic speaker with a good presentation on an interesting topic. I recommend finding 20 minutes to listen to what she has to say.

Laura Baverman, from the Cincinnati Enquirer, wrote a good summary of the day here.

I'm a winner!

2010-10-04T14:04:00.000-04:00

This is sort of old news by now, but I wanted to let you know that I won the student innovator award for my thesis project (the complete portable restroom) in the 2010 Cincinnati Innovates competition(!) The competition wrapped-up with a dinner at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and it was an honor to receive my award in front of a crowd full of venture capitalists and business people. Sally Pipkin's thesis project also did well in the competition- she walked away with the LPK branding award.

what matters most: presentation skills

2010-09-30T19:45:00.002-04:00

Death by PowerPoint

View more presentations from www.kapterev.com.

In the midst of looking for a job, I often find myself tooling around the internet, reading bits of advice and keeping up-to-date on what's happening in the design world. Tonight I found this helpful presentation on giving presentations. It's worth the 5 minutes it takes to flip through it.

My friends and I have often agreed that learning how to bullshit (pardon my language) is one of the most important skills you learn in design school. The reality is that learning how to communicate to your client (often the teacher in a school setting) is invaluable. Even if you have an amazing design, it won't matter if people don't 'get' it.

wedding season

2010-09-29T11:26:00.000-04:00

Last week (and for awhile before last week), I was introduced to the wild world of weddings. My good friends Jen and Joe got married on Saturday. As an unemployed member of the wedding party, I spent most of the week leading up to the wedding making paper flowers, setting tables, and coordinating schedules. I even got to go to the tasting with the caterer when Jen's mom had to stay home at the last minute.

Here's what I learned:
-Designers make great weddings, but planning pays off. Homemade decorations and invitations make a great, unique, bold statement that is impressive to everyone.
-Weddings can easily go from being all about the couple getting married to being all about their respective families, carrying out long held traditions and doing things the way they are expected to be done. Be ready to compromise (its not always a bad thing!)
-Making a schedule makes everyone more comfortable.
-Choose your wedding party wisely. They're your closest support, and can make a big difference in the overall execution of the wedding.

The wedding was definitely a success, and I had an absolute blast being around some of my very good friends for a few days. Not sure who will be next to be married.....

what if you had to ride your bike?

2010-09-15T10:07:00.001-04:00

Lately I have been using my bicycle for about 80% of my local errands. This includes visiting friends and fairly frequent visits to the grocery store (pictured at left is my trusty steed locked up at the local grocery.)

All this bicycle riding has me thinking: what would you no longer buy if you had to take it home on your bike? I know plenty of people who wouldn't be limited at all- they'd strap some panniers or a trailer on, and be ready to roll. Personally, I don't buy any large quantities of liquid (gallons of milk, 2 liters of soda, bottled water, etc.) It's also a pretty effective way to stay on a budget, when you can't really buy more groceries than can fit in your bag.

Maybe things would be better if everyone rode their bike? Maybe they'd at least get a bike rack at the grocery store so I wouldn't have to lock up next to the fire wood...

new business cards on the way

2010-09-13T11:48:00.002-04:00

For the past few days, I have been working on a new deck of business cards. I just ordered a pack of 50, with the 5 different designs above. This will be my third set of cards from moo- I basically ran out after my August freelance job.

I think it's insanely important to have business/calling cards, especially when you are in a creative field. You really never know when you'll meet a potential client or employer. Having a unique, high quality card makes the right impression and a bold statement. I am amazed that we weren't required to have cards printed while we were in school- they are every bit as important as portfolios.

I would recommend moo to anyone who is looking to print a deck of personal business cards. I love their 'green' option- you can get cards that are 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. They also have a reasonably low minimum order- 50 cards- so you don't have to commit to a more corporate-worthy quantity of 200 or more.

stranger than fiction

2010-09-12T01:39:00.004-04:00

This evening I had the good fortune to have some old-fashioned fun with a good friend. We ate, we drank, and we watched movies. The second movie we watched was Stranger than Fiction. The movie came out in '06, and my best bet is that it got passed over by many because of the previews that made it appear to be completely about a man who has a literally narrated life. The actual plot twists a bit more, and I'm hesitant to spell out the whole story (its a GOOD movie- one definitely worth your time.)

There are a couple things worth pointing out, though, and they won't ruin the story:

(1) The main character (played by Will Ferrel) has a wrist watch that plays a pivotal part in the movie. I believe this could be seen as a literary technique but its also an interesting commentary on the connection between people and their things. Whereas the character starts out without much social interaction, he always has his trusted wrist watch.

(2) There are some unreal motion graphics in the movie, particularly in the opening scenes (see youtube video above.) These were done by firm M12 and are a brilliant example of how powerful design can be. The motion graphic elements add depth and interest to the images in this film.

(3) One of the underlying messages of the whole movie is to pursue a life that excites you, to make the most of the time that you have. It's an interesting thing to face as someone who recently graduated and is on the brink of starting the next part of my life. I would like to choose something fulfilling but also responsible, and I guess the big question of the moment is how to strike that perfect balance.

Moral of the story, though: ...find a way to see this movie. You won't regret it.

back to the drawing board

2010-09-10T15:46:00.002-04:00

I've been working on keeping my skills sharp, updating (redoing? can't decide) my portfolio, and putting together a new deck of business cards (I'm on the Cincinnati Innovates short list! sa-weet.) Here's a fun sketch page of bags...sortof thinking about doing a personal project for my portfolio...

new style of commercials

2010-09-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

I've really been enjoying the new narrative style of commercials that have been popping up lately (like the American Express one I posted last month.) They catch your attention, keep you interested, and this one made me smile- big! This commercial shows what it feels like to me- a recently graduated 20-something to go to work downtown every day. Its fun and novel! The only problem with this sort of commercial? It's pretty hard to remember what exactly it is a commercial for...

on the subject of recurring subjects: books i read

2010-09-07T20:00:00.000-04:00

Its been a year since I co-oped in Boston and made frequent blog posts called 'Carly's Boston Book Club.' At the time, I was reading a book a week during my commute to and from work (what a luxury!) Now that school is a thing of the past, I am back to reading. It keeps me fresh and interested, and stokes ideas that can seem completely unrelated to design (but more often than not end up coming back around in unexpected ways.) My most recent book (just finished yesterday) is The Ungarnished Truth by Ellie Mathews.

Ellie won the Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1998, and the book recounts many of her experiences with the competition and the results of winning the grand (1 million dollar) prize. It's an in-depth peek behind the scenes both at America's biggest novice cooking contest and Ms. Mathews, an unassuming and pleasant 'normal' cook.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It's well-written and covers intensely interesting subject matter. I like Mathew's 'outsider' point of view through much of the book; it seems to provide a more honest account than a fanatic could. My biggest take-away: it doesn't hurt to try. I am going to be working on gathering interest about my thesis this week (applying for grants and entering contests,) and keeping the 'just do it' perspective is sure to make things rosier.

my stuff

2010-09-06T22:35:00.004-04:00

Here's an idea for a recurring spot on my blog: a short segment with hopefully interesting photos about some of the things I own. This is totally inspired by my own curiosity about why people buy the things they buy and how they interact with them day-to-day. It's the 'why' in the industrial design equation of making stuff.

To start things off right, I present... my LaCie rugged external hard drive. At 250 gigs, its small by todays standards, but fits my needs just fine. I like the small, portable size and buy into the claim that it can withstand drops, bumps, and scrapes. This thing can and does go everywhere my (admittedly heavy, outdated) laptop goes, and proved to be particularly useful during my last months at school while I was working on my thesis project.

So, to really break it down: I bought this drive online. It's my second external hard drive (I like having two because I have heard horror stories about externals mercilessly dying) and I prefer it over my first because its USB powered (no need to plug into the wall), small, and seemingly durable. I mostly like the security it affords me, but as something that often sits next to me in public places, I appreciate that it looks cool too.

today is super// concierge shopping

2010-08-17T22:48:00.000-04:00

Today is super. For real. It's my good friend Rohan's birthday. I've known her for a walloping nine years now (it's unbelievable how old high school friends are quickly becoming) and she is a lovely lady. In any case, I ventured out to look for an appropriate gift for her and came across this planner "Today is Super." It allows a couple pages for each day, with space for 'daily doodles,' 'to do lists,' and 'daily expenses.' It's functional cute (Rohan is heading back to school to finish up her Masters degree soon) and includes funny not-so-skilled little drawings that are somehow still endearing.

I found the journal at Anthropologie. I like the store, but its a bit pricey for my wallet and I tend to divert to more local options, anyway. That being said, I always notice their selection of books, and I'm always tempted to buy them all. Its the perfect example of concierge shopping: the staff at Anthropologie comb through current offerings from publishers and pick out quirky books that fit the personality of the people who shop at their store. Concierge shopping is an interesting way to add value to products through service. It's the whole idea behind my friend Katie's store, Atomic Number 10.

consider me impressed

2010-08-15T21:02:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati Innovates

2010-08-14T09:15:00.000-04:00

to see my post about Cincinnati Innovates from last year click here

Last year was the first for the Cincinnati Innovates competition. I discovered it through a poster at school, entered my Mini Mix, and was delighted to make the 'short list' of entrants. Even though I didn't win any money last year, it was a great experience. I participated in InOneWeekend (an event where 100 people come together to start a company in one weekend), explored the possibility of developing an iphone app, and got to know some pretty influential people in the business community around Cincinnati. When it came time to kick off the competition this year, I convinced my friend Megan to go downtown with me to attend the cocktail hour and kickoff party. At that party, I talked with Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Laura Baverman about my plans to enter my thesis project (the complete portable restroom) in the competition this year. The next day, my name was in the paper (thrilling!!) The point? I have experienced over and over again the impact that making an effort has while trying to get a foothold as a young professional. Being aware of this competition and actively participating in it has already yielded so many benefits for me, and I haven't even won any cash.

Beyond that, I really appreciate what this competition is doing for Cincinnati. It is showing people the opportunity in entrepreneurship and connecting people to people in order to make things happen. In a time when I am looking for a job and there are bunches of empty storefronts downtown, it is empowering to think that starting my own business is a valid possibility.

So check out the site and vote for me here. While you're at it, why not submit your own idea? There are only a couple more weeks left in this year's competition! (It runs through 9/1)

the current state of affairs

2010-08-13T12:35:00.002-04:00

If you've been here (to this blog) before, you will probably notice that I updated the overall look. Why not? It's fun and was in need of a refresh.

Actually, the entire blog is in need of a little refresh because things are changing. They have changed. After the most stressful and emotional year of my life, I graduated with a bachelor of science in industrial design. I had a little break (a mostly blissful two weeks with mom gallivanting around much of the northeastern US.) Now I am completely engaged in a month-long freelance job and trying to map out my next step. The point? Whereas this blog started as a place to showcase school projects and maybe a little design thinking, it is becoming more of a place for design thinking and the occasional personal project (maybe?) I'm going to do my best to document the process of looking for a job and hopefully getting one. It's going to be about observations and questions. It might get a little wordy, but there will hopefully be pictures to go along with most of the words :)

That being said, some note on my current employment:

For one month (August) I am working as an independent contractor for Reflect Research. It's a unique and excellent opportunity for me for a number of reasons:

-The job is full-time. It has been keeping me busy and motivated to get back to working on things like my portfolio and looking for (another) job.

-We're working with a rather large, rather professional company. It's a nice refresh on my 'office skills'- dressing up, going downtown, communicating. These are skills that can start to get rusty after six months of school.

-I'm the only designer. Anywhere. So while I am bringing some product design knowledge to the table, I'm also helping a lot with design thinking and strategy. I'm taking Patricia Moore's advice and 'going where design is not.'

I'm also learning some important lessons after only two weeks on the job. Namely, staying focused while freelancing can be a real challenge. One of the great benefits of working from home can be that you're allowed to stay in your PJ's until 5pm, but I think that can be one of the barriers too. PJ's signify free time. I've been making a habit of getting dressed and getting to work. It sounds simple, but it makes a big difference.

I hope you enjoy the changes here. As always, I'm happy to hear any feedback you might have.