I’ve been on Google+ for exactly one week and have logged some pretty serious hours learning and experimenting so that you don’t have to. While the platform is still in BETA and is fairly simple in scope, the more I got into it the more compelling it became and the more there was to learn. Much of this was due to some of the extraordinary content being published there by members. I’m sure I’m going to have to post a follow up (or two or three) on Google+ but here are some of my thoughts so far and hopefully a bit of info to get those of you new to Google+ up and running.

Let’s start by explaining what Google+ is. It’s Google’s roll out of a new social media platform. A bit like Facebook, but cleaner. A bit like Twitter but more expansive. By invitation only, G+ is growing like crazy. As of this post, estimates are that G+ has amassed 18 million members. It still doesn’t compare to Facebook’s 500 million members, just announced by Zuckerberg yesterday, but considering G+ has only been available since June 28 and is not yet available for public consumption, it’s numbers are pretty impressive.

Google+ is a suite of several different start up products, with more to come. At present Google+ offers, of course, a newsfeed. Sparks culls together various recommendations based on your interests…art, design, fashion, photography etc.  Hangout is a video chat service where you can chat with one friend or hold a conference with up to ten people at a time. Huddle is an sms/text messaging service, which I’m hoping will save me lots of dollars on my international sms fees. The main cool feature is called Circles which is how you organize your friends and deal with some pretty slick privacy features which neither Twitter or Facebook can compare. There is also intergradation with Picasa, Google’s photo platform.

There are people I know, people I love, who have mistaken the Internet and it’s accompanying technologies as life. Social media, and back in the day, programs such as ICQ and AIM, are indeed mighty applications. I’ve seen them bring people together from around the world. I’ve seen relationships crushed by them. I write today to remind one and all that these things are tools. Only tools.

The carpenter who builds a house doesn’t blame his hammer for the mishap that blackened his thumbnail. But if looked at from a different perspective, the mishap might reveal something about the carpenter’s skill. And if the carpenter blames the tool… it reveals something about his mental health.

IS A WEBSITE STILL REALLY NECESSARY?

How many marketing tools do we need? There seems to be thousands, maybe millions, of social media outlets, third-party portfolio sites, creative community endeavors and they all seem to be screaming about why they are the ticket to make your online marketing arsenal complete.

We are told that we need a website, a blog, a Facebook account, Twitter, Linkedin and don’t forget the other myriad of sites that add to the mix. We are told we need self branding (a logo and ID), SEO functionality and that we should network, network, network!! Good lord, who has the time? Do we really need all this to sell our product and services? Well, yeah we do. We’re in business and as such it’s expected that we put in more than the pre-requsite 9-5pm work day. So, no more complaining about Facebook or time limitations.  Don’t wanna hear how you’re an artist and all you want to do is make art. Marketing is a part of what needs to be done. It’s like paperwork, administration, taxes and brushing your teeth . . . you need to do it, so let’s figure out the best way to handle all these reigns.

What Now? In the midst of a general malaise regarding North America’s influence on the world, we are witnessing a return to the best of American popular culture. Optimism. Hope. A quest for truth. A demand for accountability. Yearning for deeper connections with the world, we see the resurgence of creativity and crafts once on the verge of extinction. Social media, the wild west of the internet, is taking root in our lives. So where does design fit? What might it represent in years to come? Dana explores some of the visionaries who have made our profession significant and the content creators who are the harbingers of our new age. Join AIGA Connecticut, as Dana Arnett explores their tenacity, intelligence and power to claim their rightful place at the centre of our collective future.

Though many designers can claim to have done work for Motorola, Harley-Davidson and IBM, Dana Arnett and VSA Partners haven’t just designed for these companies, they’ve built the backbones by which those brands are known. Come hear the designer who set the bar on brand experience share who he believes will be the next creative thinkers to watch and why you should be following them right now.

DANA ARNETT is the “A” of VSA Partners, leading a team in the creation of design programs, film projects, interactive initiatives and brand communication solutions for clients that includeHarley-Davidson, Motorola, School of Rock,IBM, GE, American Express, Sure, Converse, Nike, Wilson, Target, Cole Haan, and Sappi, to name a few. Recognized globally by more than 60 competitions and designations, Dana was an inductee into the Alliance Graphic International and named to the ID40. Former member of the AIGA National Board of Directors and a frequent lecturer and visiting professor, he is active in furthering the role of design in society through contributing publishing endeavours, conference chairmanships and foundation activities.

Friday, September 24, 2010
7:00 PM – 9:30 PM

University of Hartford / Auerbach Auditorium:
200 Bloomfield Avenue
West Hartford, Connecticut 06117

$35 members
$50 non-members
Students are free with student I.D.

Dana is a national headliner. We only have 12 tickets left for this extraordinary event.  Register today at AIGA Connecticut.

Many years ago, before even becoming a member, I would visit the website at AIGA.org just to read the articles.  There were brilliant design essays written by Steven Heller, business advice from Tad Crawford, inspiration from Milton Glaser, and resources I could download and put to use immediately.  Today the writing is as strong as ever, the topics are relevant and the site always serves as a starting point for me on the ever evolving industry of design.  Perhaps you have visited that web site as well.  Or perhaps you haven’t even heard of AIGA.

AIGA – The professional association for design, consists of some of the best designers and creative minds in the nation.  It not only embraces graphic design but a host of uniting disciplines such as photography, illustration, web design, programming, and writing. The organization works to promote professional development for designers and creatives at any stage of their career and it serves as a source for inspiration and education for its members and the public on matters of design value, best practices and The Living Principals.

Despite all that, I really couldn’t imagine what membership might bring to me… after all, I was already able to read all those great articles online. I could browse resources.  And if I really wanted to attend an event I’d just pay the extra $10, $20, $50 bucks as a non-member and go to the events that interested me. Finally, at the urging of Fred Caserta, I took the plunge and invested the $300 to become an official card carrying member.

I had an excellent day yesterday!  It started with a productive morning with a good deal of client work accomplished… just like that!  There were many emails sent and replied to and phone conversations were exciting and on target.  It seemed like everyone was available at the exact same time I was.  I spoke with some incredibly smart people (always a pleasure). And I asked some questions of others that might have caused ripples.  I love ripples.  I question things… it’s what I do.

In considering the pros and cons of ripples, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe I’d be better off if I didn’t disturb the status quo; I have a tendency to do so.  Pondering this made me think however of one of the strongest attributes and most wonderful things about designers… And this is one of the reasons you want to hire a professional designer.

One of the designer’s great talents is to question things. They bring fresh eyes into a situation and often ask questions of their clients such as “Why are you doing things this way?”  From that question, comes much information about the client’s organization and that information is what designers use to create effective and successful visual communications. Designers can create a bit of ruckus sometimes with their curiosity but the questions we ask are not meant to be mean or judgmental. It’s fact finding. And it’s done with the intention of best being able to assist those whom we are working with.

It’s not like designers have had their jobs forced on them.  Not like the old days when an employee stayed at a job they hated for 20 or 30 years.  Designers choose to be designers and often design is our lifestyle… our air. We love to talk with clients about their dreams and their missions, to share goals together and to receive new opportunities to be our best creative selves.

So the next time your designer starts picking away at you asking questions, remember it’s because we want to create something for you based on your needs, your mission, and what you might be looking at for the future.

Do you need a creative sidekick?  Contact me… I’ll probably ask you some questions

You might have noticed that it’s been kind of quiet around here lately.  The last month has found me with a lot of client work and I’ve been on a mission of updating and redesigning my websites at lisamikulski.com and dragonflyblu.com.  You’ll also see that this blog has a whole new look.  In order to accomplish all this I put a curtail on blogging, twittering, socializing (online and off) and emails.  But… here we are.  Websites are nearly completed and I’m ready to move forward.

The WordPress theme you see here was developed by the fabulous Veerle Pieters for Woothemes.  I’ve been an admirer of Veerle’s work and her blog for a long time.  While I could have created a unique design for my blog it was never my intention to spend a month (or more) developing my own theme.  The purpose of my blog is to serve as a writing platform.  Writing is hard enough (I sweat blood) and I didn’t want to be fooling around with design or coding…at least not here. I looked at many WordPress themes, both free and paid.  There are many themes that are beautiful and the WP community is wonderful to work with. I could also have taken a rather generic theme and made it my own, but when I learned that Veerle’s design was created for Beast Cancer Awareness month… I was sold.

I also wanted a theme that worked the way I do.  While the design I had here in the past was indeed beautiful… it was dark and didn’t really fit my working style. It didn’t work as a cohesive design element with the branding of my other two sites either. I knew Veerle’s work would be quality and that the configuration would work in harmony with me. It’s my belief that a tool is only useful if it suits your working style…this goes for the majority of gadgets and applications out there.  If you have to structure your working style to meet the requirements of the tool, you are working in reverse. That’s never productive.

So please take a look around. I’ve included a small sample of work from my design portfolio, the navigation of the blog is easy and clean and I’ve recently included a few new posts I hope you will enjoy.  As always…

If you have a thought about this post or the new design, please comment and feel free to share.

ART & COPY, a new documentary film, has the advertising and design world abuzz!  The new film, directed by Doug Pray, is about the creativity and inspiration behind the work and vision of some of the most influential advertising creatives of our time.  This is not a film about trashing the evil world of advertising.  It is instead a tribute to those relatively unknown few who actually helped shape our society and our culture with their work. These are the people who’ve created such slogans as “Just do it”, “Got Milk?”, and “Think Different.” They’ve created campaigns for the Energizer Bunny, Apple, MTV and so many other ads which became the signs of our times.  Despite advertising’s evil reputation, these brilliant campaigns and creative minds have helped us laugh, think, smile, and have moved us to act.