The kindness of strangers

Lately I've been kind of bumming about the state of our society today: rude, obnoxious people who are in such a rush that they become oblivious to the world functioning around them. It seems lately I've stumbled across all kinds: the woman on her cell phone (not hands-free) in the monsterous SUV who tried to cut me off and pass me on the left--on a one lane road, mind you; the senior citizen that couldn't get out of the market fast enough and almost mowed me down in the process (I know I'm moving a little slower nowadays, but the 5 people in front of me weren't exactly moving at a jackrabbit's pace, either); the woman who interrupted my little one's Enchanted Castle experience because she just couldn't let her voice mail pick up (instead, she answered her phone with a quick, "I'm at the Enchanted Castle, can I call you back?" Seriously, you couldn't turn the ringer off for a half hour and let voice mail do your dirty work?)

All of this, combined with a few other choice incidents have really bummed me out of late. Are people so self-absorbed nowadays that they can't see beyond their own needs?

Well, I got a little attitude adjustment today, courtesy of a problem I was having with a website I'm working on. The site--which isn't live yet, so I can't go into too much detail--has a main menu going across the top of the page; each category has it's own drop down menu. Directly below that is a flash movie--nothing fancy, just 5 photographic fades. Problem is, the drop down menus are created in javascript, and the flash movie is, well, duh, it's flash. And little did I know, but certain web browsers (ahem, PC web browsers) layer flash as the top most layer--which means that my fancy little drop down menus were hidden behind the flash movie. Not exactly what the client was looking for (or me, for that matter).

So I spent a good part of yesterday looking for the solution; fortunately, this is a common problem (whew, it's not just me!). Unfortunately, the common fixes I found weren't doing anything to remedy this problem. I even enlisted Mattio in the process (during halftime, of course), and he kept coming up empty as well. So I turned to a flash forum.

I wasn't expecting much, to tell the truth; but I posted my problem (as well as the numerous solutions I had tried), and within hours I got a response. The genius behind the response hooked me up with a clever little download, as well as some fancy script. Mattio tutored me on where to put it in my code, and voila! In 5 minutes we had the site working the way it should.

So thank you, strange genius on the flash forum, for not only helping me solve a complex problem with your javascript/flash wisdom, but also reaffirming my faith in the kindness of strangers. Now, if only there was a forum in cell phone etiquette...

Apologies

Just a quick note to apologize for not keeping up with the blog the past few weeks. I've been trying to finish up some bigger projects before the baby comes (3 more weeks), on top of the fact that I have officially hit that 10th month slump. I hope that once I tie up a few more loose ends, I'll find myself with a little more time to devote to the blog. That is, until our newest addition arrives :)

favorites

About nine months ago, my pal Cyndy (of art + interiors) came to me asking if I could help her with a marketing email she was planning on sending out once a month. The email was going to be along the same lines as the kate spade favorites email we both get: in this case, instead of a sampling of accessories, Cyndy is showcasing her artist's works.

She's sent out about 6 monthly "favorites" emails so far, and the idea has been well-received. She uses Constant Contact to actually do most the legwork for her: once the email is designed and coded, Constant Contact sends it to the addresses in her address book that she specifies, stores the email and photos, keeps track of who opens the email (even multiple times!)... it's really a great service.

But I have to say, it's pretty refreshing on my end to sit down with her once a month and go over her artist's works--sometimes it's hard to choose work to showcase (only 4 artists are in the email each month), and sometimes--like this past month--we see a piece of work and the ideas just come to us.

If you're ever in the market for fine art, I would strongly suggest getting in touch with Cyndy--her artists are amazingly talented, and she has a great eye for talent.

Workspace

Due to lack of space, my home office the past few years has been the dining room table (unfortunately, I've found that too many people share my concept of "office space;" I feel for you, I really do). However, all that changed today when the UPS man came and delivered my new desk!


(That's not the photo of my actual desk, rather the photo from the West Elm catalog. My desk is actually in a stain called "chocolate." Hey, I'm pregnant--of course I'm ordering furniture in colors named after food!)

Part of the appeal of this desk is that the bottom half slides out from underneath it, almost doubling it in size--perfect for our "cozy" little space--when I'm done for the day, I can slide the desk back together and it will be out of the way.

I can't wait to start using it. I'm even more excited that when people come to my house--as the dining room is the first room you walk into--the first thing people see won't be the traciedesigns office :)

You get what you pay for

So this morning Mattio alerted me to what I refer to as a design chop shop--basically, an assembly line of "designers" (term used loosely) doing logos, business cards, websites, etc... for a ridiculously low price. Now, don't get me wrong; I am all for saving money--however, I don't do it at the expense of my business, and neither should you.

This place--which I won't name--is designing logos for $200. And you know what? You're getting a $200 logo. The only attention-getting thing about these logos is how bad they are (I won't even get into the websites--it's just wrong on so many levels). A lot of times, your company's identity is the first thing people see, it's like the welcome mat to your business.

Maybe I'm a design snob (OK, there shouldn't be a maybe at all in that sentence!), but if I had a choice between 2 companies offering the exact same service--one with a well-designed logo, and one with a logo that was just thrown together--I'm starting with the company with the well-designed logo, no doubt about it. My reasoning (besides the whole design-snob bit)? This company has obviously taken the time and spent a little money to ensure that they look like professionals. If they're doing that for their own company, imagine the level of service they can provide for me.

Just another case of you get what you pay for...

Is this what Starbucks thinks of me?

I went to Starbucks this AM to combat the little sleep I got last night with a big 'ole Frappaccino. I ordered my normal Mocha Light Frappaccino; I got a Mocha Light Frappaccino.

However, you know how they write the initials of your drink on the cup? Well this is how mine was labeled:


Ummm.....

Ahhhh... Saks

So today I found myself at Saks; which, quite frankly, is easy to do when you're me. I actually had to go to the Apple Store in Stamford, which is conveniently (or not so conveniently, depending how much money I have in my wallet) located in the Stamford Mall, right by Saks. So, faced with the close proximity, what's a girl to do?

While browsing in Saks (today was a not-so-convenient kind of day), I noticed their visuals (mannequins, store displays, etc.); I do in every store, as that was my first job out of college. But what struck me as particularly awe-inspiring, was the "trend" signage throughout the store: high heels! Capes! Textured cardigans!

But instead of the usual high-fashion photo accompanying those words, the artist had worked clever illustrations into the script font (which is Sloop, I believe). Behold:














I couldn't get enough: not only were they gorgeous--how could you resist buying a cape after seeing this?--but they were so inspiring as well. Before I saw these, I was trying out a similar idea for a logo I'm working on. The idea wasn't really panning out, I just couldn't make it work; but once I saw these I got completely re-inspired. The logo--which I won't show right now, because I'm still in the first phases of design--works well now, so well that as of now it's my favorite out of the small handful I've designed thus far.

Just goes to show you, inspiration strikes when you least expect it!

PS. The flagship Saks in NYC has a great marketing campaign going on for their revamped shoe department: it's own ZIP code.
''Our new shoe floor is so big that it deserves a ZIP code of its own,'' said a Saks spokeswoman. Ummm, seriously: how cool is that?

PPS. If you own a Mighty Mouse, and the ball gets jammed up and won't scroll one way or another, clean it with a damp cloth. That's what I learned at the Apple Store today.

Shameless self promotion

Today the kids were off from school, so we (finally!) got some back to school shopping done. After an exhausting outing, I wanted nothing more to do than to come home and lay down... but first let me check the answering machine, and pick this toy up, and oh, yeah, I need to check the mail... (you know, the usual).

After checking the mail, the need for nap completely left: I had a pretty nice package waiting for me from Graphic Design: USA; the 2007 American Graphic Design Awards came in! Out of all the contests I had entered this year, I probably had the most entries in this one (10). And I'm happy to report, 6 of those entries came out winners!

They are as follows:

Bodd Fitness: website

Imagine Imaging (now Justin Marantz Photography): website redesign

Saturnia: logo

Saturnia: stationery

traciedesigns: website

traciedesigns: 06 holiday card

In addition, let me add that this is the second year in a row Imagine Imaging has won; last year I received an award for website design for their site as well. This year we went bigger and fancier, and it's nice to hear that the judges thought the same.

So thank you, thank you, thank you, to all my clients for trusting my design skills and ability, and for going with me in the first place :) And thank you to all those clients that keep coming back for more, and who refer me out to others. I've said before that I find that a referral from a client is one of the best compliments I can receive.

If only I had the time...

I love the Thursday edition of the NY Times; there's Thursday Styles (a much, much more abbreviated version of Sunday Styles), the Arts section, of course, and Home and Garden.

In last Thursday's Home and Garden section, the cover story was about people who buy/find stuff from Ikea (or, as Mattio affectionately refers to it, i-crap-a), and modify it to how they would use it. Like the guy who took some broken Ikea chairs, attached a surfboard to the top, and called it a table. Inneresting....

Further into the article, it turns out, that yes, there really is a website for everything: witness Ikea Hacker. This blog documents--through reader contributions--the different ideas out there for Ikea furniture. Got some spare sofa legs? Don't discard them, buy some wood and fashion the whole thing into a table! Tired of not having enough storage? Add some hinges to your dalselv bed frame, and voila!

There's a lot of decoupage on the site, but also some pretty cool ideas for some otherwise plain, unstained, DIY, cheap furniture.

Skinny Betty

I admit, I don't watch a ton of TV... and although Ugly Betty gets rave reviews, I've yet to see an episode. But I have, however, seen the star of the show, America Ferrera, enough to know that girlfriend's got some curves. Not in a bad way at all, I think her body is great--I've said before how I wish more actresses would embrace a "normal" looking body rather than the size 0 that seems to be today's standard.

So when I saw this month's cover of Glamour magazine, I thought to myself, "Hmmmm. Something's just not right here..."


Looks like America Ferrera either went on a crazy diet, or Faith Hill's photoshop magician really went to town. Behold, the un-photoshopped version of the actress:


What really gets me going, is the following cover lines:

America Ferrera: Ugly Betty is Hot! (But apparently not hot enough for our cover without digitally taking off a couple of inches)

1st Annual Figure Flattery Issue (huh?)

and my favorite:The Secret Reasons Women Gain Weight (and in really small print below: And How to Stop)

Hey Glamour, the not-so-secret reason that women gain weight is that you place women with "real" bodies on the cover, only you're afraid that their extra 20 pounds won't sell, so you digitally alter their waistline. It's no secret that women's magazines--especially the covers--are heavily photoshopped; unfortunately a lot of women choose to ignore that, buy the magazine, and get depressed reading about girls with unrealistic bodies, like Keira Knightly (someone please feed that poor girl!). And when a woman with actual curves makes it to the cover, she's gets digital liposuction.

Today is Tuesday...

Tonight at dinner, we were discussing one of my little one's books, "Today is Monday." The book, which has a song that goes along with it (or vice versa), goes through all the days of the week, and the foods associated with them. For instance:

"Today is Monday
Monday string beans,
All you hungry children, come and eat it up!"

The discussion involved what food was on Tuesday (spaghetti), to which Mattio replied, "Tuesday isn't spaghetti, Wednesday is spaghetti!" When Ashlee went to correct him, he argued back, "Wednesday is spaghetti--it's Prince Spaghetti day." She had no idea what he was talking about.

But anyone from our generation surely remembers the kid on the bicycle, pedaling home furiously because it was Wednesday, and Wednesday, after all, was Prince spaghetti day. The commercial hasn't been shown in years, but it's pretty amazing that the association of Wednesday and Prince spaghetti still holds up. That's some pretty effective advertising, no?

So of course, I got to thinking about other commercials and catch phrases from my youth: "Where's the beef?" will always be associated with Wendy's; "I can't believe I ate the whole thing," Alka Seltzer (even better: "plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is"); and the famous anti-drug PSA, where the dad confronts the kid about his drugs: "I learned it by watching you!"

I could go on and on... I wonder how many ads that are out today are going to be remembered 20 years from now?

Packaging oxymoron?

While I don't drive a Prius, and my clothes aren't made from recycled organic cotton, I do like to think that I do my part for the environment. I recycle everything (seriously, our bin is overflowing every single week), I bring my own bags to the grocery store (and it absolutely infuriates me if I have a bagger that just doesn't know/care, and fills my bags only halfway and then starts giving me plastic bags. Ummmm... defeat the purpose, much?), and just recently, we started using compact florescent lightbulbs in the house.

I just changed one today... and as I pulled the new compact florescent out of the package, something struck me as odd: the package that my 4 lightbulbs came in--lightbulbs that are supposed to use less energy and last longer, and therefore be better for the environment--the package is plastic. Like the kind of plastic that you have to use scissors, or a knife to open. Like the kind of plastic that something like batteries come packaged in. Does anyone else see where I'm going with this?

I know I will recycle the package once I finish it, but... will everybody? Seriously, the whole marketing behind these lightbulbs is that they are better for the environment, because they use less energy. Don't you think that they'd be that much better if they came packaged in recycled cardboard or something?

Just one of those silly packaging conundrums that doesn't seem very well though out...

I gotta have more cowbell!

Just because the last couple of posts have featured youtube, I thought I'd throw this in as well:



One of my all-time favorites... I don't know what's funnier, the fact that Will Ferrell gets so lost in the character, the fact that Jimmy Fallon can't keep it together (watch him turn away to laugh on numerous occasions), or the fact that famed producer Bruce Dickinson has a fever, "and the only thing that will cure it is more cowbell."

Enjoy.

Clever Ad

I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the Cingular/AT&T (or whatever company name they're going by today--seriously, could they flip flop back and forth a little more?) dropped call ads. I think the concept is a good one, but man, are they poorly executed. The actors are awful, the circumstances awkward... I'm just not left with the feeling that Cingular/AT&T is the company to go with if I don't want dropped calls. It's more like, I want to smack all those people with dropped calls, especially the doofy fiancé who is talking to his future father in law.

However, I finally saw the entire Roger Clemens commercial:


This is it--this is that great concept, with a great execution. And think of all the other ads that they could do: Karl Rove, calling the President to tell him he's going to retire (cut to Bush jumping up and down, throwing a child-like tantrum); Britney Spears, calling her mom to tell her she's getting married again ("But momma, only with your blessing!"); David Chase, creator of the Sopranos and the man responsible for the disappointing last episode, on the phone with HBO ("I think I'm just going to end the show in a diner")... the possibilities are endless.

Original Design Gangsta

Came across this today, and it might just be the funniest thing I've seen in quite some time:


I love how Pantone 187 runs through his veins.

Word of Mouth

I just received the new issue of How Magazine yesterday, and upon flipping through it, I found a poll: "Do you send out self-promotions around the holidays?" There were supporting quotes for both sides, but the one that really stuck with me was the last no answer. The person pretty much said something along these lines: "I'm embarrassed to admit that in the 12 years I've been doing this, I've never sent out any type of self-promotion. Almost all of my work has come from word of mouth."

And this is embarrassing, how?

Anytime I get business that has come from a past client, friend or colleague, it makes me almost giddy with pride. I feel that my name wouldn't get passed on if I didn't provide a stellar level of service (because I know I wouldn't pass on someone else's name if I didn't feel that way about them), so I must be doing something right--right? Every time I get a phone call, or email from someone who has gotten my name from one of my clients/friends/colleagues, I want to throw that person a party. I certainly am not embarrassed to admit that the majority of my business comes from word of mouth; and I hope that I can continue to boast that.

So thank you, thank you, thank you! to all those who feel that my services are worthy of passing on to someone else! And who knows... maybe one day I will throw a party; with the skills of all my many clients, it will definitely be diverse, if anything (and of course, fun... cause I am known to throw a bitchin' party).

Vacation, all I ever wanted...

Ahhh... just got back from a much-needed week off spent up in Cape Cod (contrary to the above photo, the majority of the week was sunny and beautiful. This was one of the few pics I had that didn't have one of my kids in it :). I spent the week relaxing, catching up on some reading, and getting inspired. I have some pretty cool projects that look like they may come my way, so I'm excited to channel some of my vacation-inspired creativity towards them.

Now, if only I could take a vacation every time I needed inspiration...

Bookmark this!

Mattio has this uncanny ability to find the weirdest, and the coolest websites. The other day he found a pro-breastfeeding Cafepress site selling t-shirts that say "Eat at Mom's." Completely random, yet hysterical. But he also came across a "mom" blog--basically an online community for mothers (something I've been thinking about doing for quite some time... if only there was another couple of hours in the day!), and also Mashup, a site who's slogan is "Social Networking News." Eh, not really something I'd check everyday, but...

The reason he pointed it out was because he found this post on it: Web Design Toolbox: 50+ Tools for Web Designs. Basically a list of different websites for developers and designers.

The first part of the list is basically cheap competition for me: DIY websites. Definitely not my cup of tea, as I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for." And if you're looking for a cheap, copycat site with an overused template, then by all means. But I'm a firm believer in individuality.

But the rest of the list, well... it's pretty freakin' cool. The developer side has links to pages that will create automatic rounded corners in CSS, or test your site in different browsers. But what really got me excited was the designer side: sites where you can create custom color palettes (brilliant!), links to sites with free icons and buttons, inspiration sites for web designers (which to me, are priceless). It's a pretty cool list to have stumbled upon.

Oh, and a quick softball update: Last week, my daughter's softball team won the state championship, beating West Hartford 3-2 in 7 innings. I am so proud of this team--it's a great group of girls and I'm glad mine was a part of it.

Digital plastic surgery

Awww... look at Faith Hill on the cover of Redbook Magazine:


She looks great, doesn't she? Of course she does, she has like, a bazillion dollars to hire only the best hair and makeup people, not to mention personal trainers, chefs, and the like.

Apparently Redbook isn't doing too poorly either; they must have beaucoup bucks to hire only the best Photoshop artists, for behold Faith Hill sans retouching:



The sad thing is, she looks kind of, well, her age for one (which a quick search says she'll be 40 this year). But she doesn't look that bad in this picture. Unfortunately, in today's society, crow's feet and flabby arms don't sell magazines--sad, but true.

I've always admired actresses like Kate Winslet, who--besides being my birthday twin--has sworn off any photo retouching when it comes to magazines. Because while we all might enjoy a little digital lipo (oh, come on, it's completely painless!), it's somewhat refreshing to see "real" women on the cover of magazines, flabby arms and all.

Years ago, I used to work for a trade publication, not only laying out the magazine, but coordinating files for the printer as well. I also had to, on occassion, sit with my boss and go over cover shots. Then I would watch as he took his red pen to the poor model:

"Get rid of all blemishes--birthmarks and beauty marks included."

"Whiten teeth and eyes."

"Smooth laugh lines..." and so forth. I always, always felt terrible looking at his remarks--especially since nearly all of the models we worked with were drop-dead gorgeous. Ever since then, I've always looked at magazine covers and model photoshoots with a grain of salt.

Ah, the power of Photoshop.

Time flies

I can't believe it's the middle of July already--where has the summer gone? Anyways, just a quick post to apologize for not keeping up with the posting... it's been a crazy couple of weeks; old projects, lots of exciting new projects (which I will keep you up to date on), and softball.

Yes, that's right softball. My oldest's team just last night won the District 2 chamionship! They have this weekend off, and then it's on to the regionals all next week. So I'm looking at another crazy week filled with old projects, new projects... and lots of softball. And I will enjoy every minute of it.

Go Fairfield!