I find myself wanting to click “undo” then realize that this is real life not pixels from the computer. I do that a lot. If I accidentally drop something into pieces I think – “Undo! Why can’t I undo”? It’s merely because I spend so much of my life and time on the computer. If I’m not designing/creating something I am playing video games, surfing the web, watching whole episodes of America’s Psychic Challenge. I spend so much time on the computer that the computer is programming my brain! But that is something that technology (that I know of) cannot capitalize on. TIME. We can’t get it back. Sure, in photographs and videos, but we can never go back and undo.

So, this post initially began on the subject of knitting and now here I am talking about my virtual handicaps. (Could I not think of a better phrase?)

Knitting is tough, end of story. But this type of art is not something I’m in a rush to complete or finish or use to make money. So it’s nice to just do it and have no other motive in mind except to relax and hopefully make something that is wearable.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to base a lot of my decisions on packaging. If there is a product that looks “clean” I will want to buy that one! On the other hand, if the design is too cluttered or too over the top with neon/silver/gold, etc. it will cause me to look elsewhere – fast! This applies to all products that I buy. I like the febreeze dryer sheets because of the purple flowers.

Interesting enough though, I’m stuck with Oil of Olay not because of the design, but because of recommendations. And so far my skin hates it! But as I was looking online I was being drawn to the “organic” “clean” products. I’ll probably switch here shortly as those look so much better already! I give “them” kudos for doing a job well done. If I can walk down an aisle and drool over face cream then that designer has accomplished their mission.

What a tireless thankless job we have.

I feel that people should know when they have made a blatant mistake like that. I would hope someone would point out the same thing to me. I even sat there pondering my moral fiber – “Am I just being a know-it-all? What would I do if someone sent me the same email?” I believe in the deepest parts of my soul that I would realize my error and adjust. Or try to still sell it to idiots out there who didn’t know any better. Maybe that’s why he named himself youareanidiot. Hahaha. The email exchange was pretty hilarious though. “Don’t buy it then!” Ummm, ok.

Oh well.

On a lighter note. I just found this video through a blog I frequent. It’s Sesame Street’s Crayon Factory Video. It’s great! I’m sure the way they create the crayons is different now… well, atleast the hairstyles are. Hopefully.

The company I work at is a green company… what does that mean? Well, since it is an engineering firm, it means that their designs are based on LEED standards. Or should be anyway. But before that was around, it meant that we would think of ways to design say a sewer line that didn’t impact the area, or leave much of a footprint.

The last direct mail piece I designed the higher ups wanted this and that and because of that added an insert for the address plus the plastic wrapping… on and on. The owner received an email from a client stating that as a green company shouldn’t you stop wasting all this paper and energy?

The thing about being green is that once you start you inevitably begin seeing other ways that you can help. It’s by osmosis. It’s like a plague. Where once you threw everything into the garbage bin, now you wonder how to reuse the paper towel you just used to dry your hands on. I personally, have had this discussion with myself.

So in lieu of what happened with the last direct mail piece I have been researching design alternatives that support being green. I have been pleasantly surprised! “Reduce, Re-Use-, Recycle” is the main thought behind green living. With eco-design on the rise I feel that designers will be challenged by these new options and hopefully, since being green is in these days, it will be met without opposition. I for one love challenges. I have realized over the years that by having restrictions with design, you can come up with a more effective way of getting your message across. That is how I feel with the eco-design thing. Here are some questions that you should ask yourself before beginning a project: (I got these off of Dbn.)

1. Is the design appropriate for the final product?
2. Is there a better way to design this using fewer materials?
3. Are there other ways to deliver this message effectively with less impact on the environment?
4. Can we use recycled materials?
5. What is required to produce this design?
6. How much energy will it eat? Pollution? Hazardous waste?
7. Is the product reusable?
8. If it isn’t reusable is it recyclable?
9. Is it easy to recycle?

As for the green wheelbarrow… I will find one and photograph it. I think that will be my new icon for my green design tips!

If you can’t live without one that has been personally made by yours truly post a comment here and I’ll send you one… on the house. Actually, send me your address via email or something.

Had another interview last night with an exceptionally nice art director for another firm in San Diego. Great place, great people, great energy… not a great fit, apparently. The interview itself went really well, he looked at my portfolio and was interested in me and my work. BRILLIANT! FINALLY! But, and there is a “but”, even though he saw talent and potential, this position was for someone who had experience within an agency, and I have none. I suggested using me for freelance work and we may do that in the future.

When things like this arise in life I start looking at my options and it appears that there are two paths to be taken. One is to continue seeking agency/firm work and no matter how many times I am rejected I just keep going until one of them snags me, OR I try for a different environment. Part of me wants to spend time with soulmate and baby and not have those grueling and demanding hours (hence, I could have harassed art director into “trying me out” but is my heart really there?). The other part of me wants to work on different projects and get more experience (bottom line: at the expense of time spent with my family). So I haven’t fully bought into the firm option.

There is also a pattern I see: that in the last ten years I have consistently worked for environmentally friendly companies. Not on purpose, it just happened. So maybe that is a sign of what to do… who knows. Isn’t it great? Life? The complexities, the decisions, the responsibilities, the ideas of grandeur, all tied up into one ginormous package wrapped in dollar bills.

And of course, there is always option number three… change careers.

I had an interview with a design firm in a very plush part of town. What appealed to me was their casualness that was expressed in their company profile and job search. The “We don’t care if you hire us, we just like to have fun… whatevs” attitude. That should have been clue one, but I am so caught up in the corporate world and that sort of attitude appealed to me. Or did atleast.

To explain the whole horrid affair would take a book of empty pages and a sweet visit at the lawyer’s office. It all started very cordially with two females, one an owner and the other another artist. We sat and had a lovely casual chat and began looking through my portfolio. Then in walks the “husband” who is co-owner of the firm and the interview went from polite and fun to let me claw his fucking eyes out! Man. It was horrible. Not only did he berate his wife in front of everyone, but continued to publicly display everyone’s life story. “Oh, her and her fiance haven’t had sex yet. She’s waiting until after they are married”, “what, I don’t want to think about having sex with you!”, “I really don’t give a fuck about this shit, you know, I just do my thing, and I’m really good at it”… blah blah. He insulted me a few times as well as the other women in the office. He ironically, left the male co-workers alone. <— Interesting.

He showed me the work that they produce there, and low and behold it’s all half-naked women. “Isn’t this hot? I really think this is hot.” If I was the type of person that sometimes I wish I was, I would have stopped him in his soliloquies moment and said – “you know what, i can’t work for an asshole like you” and left. Instead I endured for over an hour and left there drained and feeling like I needed a lobotomy clinic STAT.

To top it off, he kept interrupting the “interview” if you want to call it that, to talk to one of the freelancer’s parents on her cellphone. “Give me that phone, I want to talk to your mom”. And proceeds to talk in front of me for the next 10 minutes while I sit and twiddle thumbs. He blew through my portfolio not even looking at it, just kept flipping it and saying – “wow, these pages are my favorite”, the blank ones in the back. Hey, if I suck, I suck, and I’d be the first to admit it, but what sort of professional does that? Completely disrespectful.

Despite it all it was a really good experience for me. I realized that I don’t want “super casual” to the point that everyone knows my business and that I am disrespected on a daily basis. The money would have been great, the experience probably decent, but as far as working environments go, I would have killed that fucker. Seriously. There are parts that I enjoy about working in a corporate environment… and I never thought that in a million years I would say that. But it is true as true gets.

I’m positive not all firms are like that, I just have to find the ones that aren’t and hope that they show interest in my work.

I sent a very short and sweet email this morning saying thank you for meeting with me, but I am not interested at all in freelance or full time work with your firm.

Kitty needs to keep her head and hope up…

The other struggle that I know is a common thread in our field is pricing. I have experience, some talent some times, technique, and yet I find that when asked to put together a quote one of two things occur. 1) I think that it will take me a lot less time, and 2) I think that I am not worth a good wage. I know that to balance out our field we have a responsibility as designers to stay consistent with our pricing. I do, but I also think that I don’t charge enough for my time. I seem to think that I can finish projects faster than the time it takes to get them done. Maybe I still have that belief that what I am doing maybe isn’t that important? If I showed up with a briefcase and heels… would I take myself more seriously?

I had interest the other day for a pretty cool wedding template interface design (i like how I strung those words together). There were details that I needed in order to make an appropriate quote so I sent a response requesting more information. Never heard back. Part of me was not surprised as I am sure he also asked other designers for their quotes, but how could I give him an accurate quote without knowing more? And part of me felt like “if I don’t quote him with a decent price I may not get the work”.

SCREW THAT.

So, in writing this entry I have come up with my new design philosophy: try to stay humble, don’t under price yourself, work will come from people who want to pay for caliber service, and no more heels and briefcases ever again – no matter how down I get.

If anybody is reading this – how do you usually quote your clients? Do you find that you over or under price yourself?

At one point early on my boss kept saying, “You will be an engineer in no time!”. It was like a bucket of ice poured down my backside. Then red hot venom shooting through my veins. I would say, “What would be the worst job you could think of Bob? Being a dentist? Ok. Imagine you were hired as an engineer but they wanted you to work in people’s mouths all day. That is how I feel about engineering work.”

My job here is to do marketing graphics, internally and externally, and to help bring the brand into their engineering exhibits. Plus, most engineers don’t have a clue about color, so I help them color their work. I think that is pretty accurate to my job description, but if I were to say I wouldn’t do the “out of my scope” work, I wouldn’t be a team player and hence, on their shit list, and then out of a job. Which, I may not like where I am at professionally, but I need to work. I don’t want to get fired. Me <— team player.

Here are words of advice through my experience… play dumb. This has gotten me out of answering phones, doing admin work, and even some engineering work. I hate to do it, but at a company that saves pennies from being understaffed you have to devise some way of avoiding being used. And besides, do they really want someone who continually flunked algebra making any sort of calculation? I would advise not. And I do, but the jobs keep on a comin’!

So it’s finally Friday. Phew. Another week done, another penny made. I hope everyone has a great weekend!