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I just came across this on Von Glitschka’s blog Art Backwash, and I had to repost it. All I can say is cheap fonts suck!

I’ve been working on a fun project lately. While I can’t give many details at the moment, I have made some really nice collateral items for the project including this landing page for the website.  I should be able to post more soon!

The latest issue of the Limbach Facility Service’s newsletter has been released on their site.  The focus is on energy and how Limbach can help businesses save money.  We’ve changed delivery format also, we now have an online viewer for the newsletter.

Click here for the online version

Click here for the PDF version

So, it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog, and I have to apologize to anyone who’s visited lately and it hasn’t been working.  Apparently, there was a problem with one of the scripts in my template and it was causing WordPress to error out.  I guess I need to check my stuff more often (as I look at the severly outdated portfolio sections).  Anyways, I have been extremely busy and should have some work to showcase on here.  For now, I just finished refreshing the Dunkelberger Engineering website.  I designed the original version over five years ago when the screen sizes were smaller and css-based design wasn’t the norm.  This time around, the content remained the same, just updated the overall framework.

Yep, that’s right.  According to Forbes Magazine, designers are snooty.  This article/advertorial has stirred a lot of fire on some design sites, and here is a brief synapsis of the problem.  It all starts with a crowd sourcing website (such as the one mentioned in the article), where a contest is created to connect “designers” to “buyers”.   The “buyer” offers so much money for a project and all the “designers” can create an entry and try to win the project.  So far, it doesn’t sound bad, at least until you start to break it down:

1. As a “designer” you are not guaranteed to get paid for the work you do!  YES, that’s right, if you submit a design and the “buyer” doesn’t pick yours, YOU DON’T GET PAID! Of course, these “designers” voluntarily submit to the project, so it’s their choice to work for free.  This whole system devalues the professional relationship a designer has with a client.  I’ll admit, I normally have to go through several iterations of a project with a client before we’re both happy.  I listen to the clients expectations, I approach them with some solutions, they give me feedback and we come to a final deliverable.  This discovery process is the value every designer brings to a client, it helps educate both parties on the needs and expectations each other has.  And yes, I believe there is a lot of value in this process and as a “snooty” designer I should be paid.

2. As a “buyer” are you really getting what you pay for?  YES, you’re getting a shiny new widget, but will it really work in all the right situations?  In the article they talk about both a grandma and a janitor who created winning designs.  Good for both of them.  But, let me ask them, have they ever printed anything on a press?  Do they understand the difference between spot and process colors?  Do they know what an overprint is?   Do they know there is more than just one black?  Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a firm believer in people having creative talents without being formally trained.  But, I’m also a firm believer that my profession is more than just firing up Illustrator and drawing a few boxes and calling it a day.  All I can say is “Buyer” beware!

3. As a business model, this is genius!  Where else can you attract a work force, not have to pay them, and skim off the top of all the money going through the business.   Right or wrong, this company WILL make money.  The article clearly states, if the “buyer” submits a project and they don’t get 25 designs then the “buyer” doesn’t have to buy which means no designers get paid.  If there are more than 25 designs then the “buyer” must commit to one design and the company skims 15% off the top.   It’s a NO LOSE SITUATION, and it all benefits the company.  So, yes, I’m “snooty” because I think my career is devalued by these forms of Spec Work.

It’s all just skimming off the top of value-less design – PATHETIC!

If you want to read more, here’s what some others have said:

• No!Spec
• The Logo Factory
• Delineate
• Brian Yerkes
• Swiss Miss
• David Airey

In conjunction with St Joe Development and Shea Homes, I’ve been working on putting together the collateral for the Farmer’s market they are putting together for the Victoria Park development located in Deland, Florida. This project has spanned several different mediums including a poster, postcard, flyer, website, and eco-bags.  I was told the first weekend was quite a success with 3,000 visitors.  If you get a chance be sure to check it out next Sunday.

http://www.victoriaparkfarmersmarket.com

It’s time to unveil the 2009 CT Hsu + Associates Calendar. This is the same design as previous years (2007, 2008), but the big difference is my photograph of the Goodwill Store is the header image.

The fall season has just begun, and October is fast approaching.  I’ve been working hard at getting all the collateral pieces done for Victoria Park’s Oktoberfest.  We have postcards, flyers, posters, online banners, as well as a 20 foot roadside banner for the event.  It’s been a fun project to work on, and I can’t wait to see how the event turns out.

I had the opportunity this weekend to take photos at one of American Satellite’s jobsites for their website.  The Sollak Residence is located in my hometown of Wellington, Florida.  Be sure to stop by my Flickr site and enjoy the beautiful home.

The seasons are getting ready to change, well for some people, not me in sunny Central Florida. Here is one of the latest projects I’ve been working on, an Oktoberfest invite for Victoria Park. One of the fun things about being a graphic designer is enjoying the change in seasons and the different color palettes you can play with. Fall just happens to be one of my favorites because it means Halloween is coming, the surf season is starting up and I love the feeling of the first cold front to push through the state.