2009 June

Highlights from the DSVC Dallas Show 2009

This past Saturday was the Dallas Society of Visual Communications 2009 Dallas Show; an award show for the design community. It was a wonderful event, full of amazing talent, good food, and lots of intriguing people.

The show was held at the Dallas Women’s Museum in Fair Park in Dallas. As we entered the museum, which was adorned with colorful lanterns to go with the Asian theme, you could feel the positive vibes. Very fung shui. Sushi, fried rice and green tea ice cream floats were served and enjoyed! Upon our arrival, we immediately grabbed a drink and made a b-line for the stairs to go and see all the work submitted for the show.

Overall, the work was very impressive. Dallas has a lot to be proud of. One of my favorites from the show were a series of posters submitted by Sullivan Perkins for the Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, TX. The poster (shown at the right), is for the play Jihad Jones and the Kalashnikov Babes which is running May 29th – June 27th. If you have never been to the Kitchen Dog theater, it is an amazing space. When you enter, there is an art studio space where local artist will have work on display for you to enjoy before the show. A place where the visual arts and performing arts come together in harmony. In my opinion. these posters really capture the energy of their organization very well, in addition to being inventive and eye catching. The poster series was awarded two awards for Poster Design.

As we continued to move through the show, I was especially intrigued by the range of photographers. One that immediately caught my eye was from James Russell and Ann Rutherford (shown above). When I initially looked at their display, I thought the images were from different photographers. Each told a different story, and drew you in to want to know more about the subjects. Russell+Rutherford won an Editorial Award for their photography series titled “Boxers” (not shown).

After viewing all the work upstairs, we came back downstairs to mingle. We met a immensely talented couple from Tulsa, OK – Jerilyn Arthur, with Walsh Branding, and Scott Raffe, with Raffe Photography. Together, they created a wonderful series of poster featuring photography from the Zoppe Italian Style circus. Raffe’s work, entitled “Circus-New Work,” is currently on display at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center from June 2-26, 2009. He sent me the image to the left as his “image of the month” for June. Jerilyn and Scott were awarded the Bronze Bulb for the “Circus Flora Poster Campaign” at the show.

Another stand out from the award show was Jeff Barfoot with Barfoot Worldwide. Jeff is a former president of the DSVC, and one of the most talented designers I have seen to date. He won judge’s choice for his piece entitled “Keep Things We Like From Going Away” (picture provided by Jeff). This piece was another one of my favorites. I really dig Jeff’s playful yet modern illustration style. In all honesty, I feel lucky that Jeff is from the Dallas area and I have had the opportunity to meet  him. He is truly an amazing talent and a noteworthy trendsetter in the design community.

At the end of the evening, when the crowd broke, and the work came down, we met the lady who brought the show together – Rhonda Camp Warren of Color Box Design. Rhonda’s husband engineered the hangings for the paper lanterns, and Rhonda created the theme and design for the show. Business is booming for Rhonda and Color Box Design.  She is planning to purchase the house across the street from her home to expand her freelance business in the White Rock area.

To close, I would like to thank everyone who keeps the DSVC going. It is an amazing organization that I am proud to be a member of. I cannot wait for September when we start all over again!

The Path to Creativity: 4 Ideas that will Give You a Jump Start

The creative process is something that can become both illusive and overwhelming. It can seem like creativity comes out of nowhere. However, there is a path to creativity. Creative professionals have numerous methods for finding inspiration.

I have compiled four paths to creativity from my research and experience as a designer. Inspiration is out there. Here are some ways you can find it:

1. Think Outside the Box
One school of thought came recently from an amazing book I would recommend to anyone (no matter what your path in life) called The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It For Life, by acclaimed choreographer Twyla Tharp. In the chapter “Before You Can Think out of the Box, You Have to Start with a Box”, the idea is that any big idea involves several little ideas. You have to do your homework in order to compile all those little ideas and arrange them in a way that is new and fresh. The little ideas are basic things: research your audience, build a design file, collect images, select a marketing outlet. The better your preparation ahead of time, the better the big idea will be at the end.

The recent example of this kind of creativity is the Toyota Prius. In 2000, when the Prius was first launched, the SUV was king in America. American automakers did not see the need to develop the technology for an “eco-friendly” car. GM’s vice chairman of product development Bob Lutz was quoted as late as 2004 that the Prius was, “an interesting curiosity,” adding that they didn’t make sense with gas at $1.50 a gallon.

Toyota was a pioneer for the first time in its history as an automaker. The Prius was almost instantly on back order when it first arrived in America (back orders are anticipated for the most recently launched Prius Generation 3 this year). Toyota followed the steps. They researched, developed, and did their leg work to create something that people didn’t even know they needed or wanted. They combined all the little ideas in a way that the end product was not only successful, but something completely new to the marketplace.

2. Learn from Your Mistakes
Everyone experiences failure. But without failure, you may never learn what the right way for you to do something would be. It is improbable that you will come up with anything original when you do what is expected, or when you already know the outcome. The best way to be creative is to not fear failure.

When I am brainstorming on a project with a group, there is almost always the initial “silent, but thinking” moment. To break this silence, I encourage everyone to say whatever pops into their head out loud. Even if it’s embarrassing or sounds stupid in your head, just say it. You may have a horrible idea, but write it down. Look at it. Dwell on it. Write more bad ideas. You can still learn from those ideas on the way to finding a good one.

3. Understand Your Audience
Social science and creativity go hand in hand. If you don’t have a general understanding of people and how their brains work, you will not be able to reach them; no matter how creative you are. I recently attended the Big (D)esign Conference, where speaker Stephen P. Anderson spoke about “The Art and Science of Seductive Interactions.” During his speech, Stephen requested that everyone in the audience think of something that describes people – in a general sense. People are curious, they enjoy novelty, they like to be in control, but they also like to be guided, etc. What do you know about people that would help you know what can you do to motivate them? What would make them intrigued? What would make them want more? Understanding people in a psychological sense can guide you in your creative process.

4. Be Open to Inspiration
At times, creative blocks happen because you are too consumed with the task at hand. You are so focused on getting an idea, that you are not allowing yourself to be open to inspiration. What’s the solution? Give your brain a breather. Do something monotonous that will give you room to receive inspiration. Get up and clean your work area. Take a walk and take pictures of things that interest you along the way. Clear you head by listening to your favorite music. Get lost in some activity that allows you to be a receiver, not an implementer. Inspiration is everywhere…you just have to find a way that works for you to be able to receive the information.