1 Outstanding Reason I love top 10 lists!
We often submit articles to the usual design blog submission sites such as Design Bump and Design Float and receive a lot of traffic from these (thank you to the good people from these sites!). However, I have been reading a lot of blog articles lately about how to boost traffic to your blog. Many of them mention that Top 10 lists (or any number for that matter - top 20 website designs or 17 great photoshop tricks etc - you get the idea) are a great way to bring a huge amount of traffic to your design blog though social networking sites such as Digg.
I have to say that I was skeptical so you may have noticed that we have been doing some experimenting here on the eightyone design blog with the sort of posts we have been publishing lately. For those of you that haven’t read our last few blog articles, here are the last 5 titles:
5 reasons you should detach yourself from your digital world
Why does everyone think they are a graphic designer?
20 Stunning Music CD Cover Designs
8 Items a Graphic Designer Would Take Back to School
10 Inspiring Website Footer Designs
As you can see, most of the blog titles are based around lists and use lots of images, and I have to say, it works! We have enjoyed a huge growth in traffic to the blog with the above posts and have also seen a good improvement in the amount of comments we are receiving (thanks to all those that have joined in on some of the discussions).
I’m not sure why these lists prove to be so popular? Is it due to the fact that the title is so precise and you know what you are about to see? Is it because they tend to be showing you something inspirational, which is always popular? Or is it just because we all like top 10 lists?!
So what do you think about top 10 lists? Do these types of posts increase your views? Are you someone who scours the web world in search of such lists, if so why?
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Posted in Blogging
5 reasons you should detach yourself from your digital world
I have recently given in to temptation and bought the new iPhone 3G which I have been admiring from a distance for quite a while. The main reason for wanting the phone was the ability to sync my mac calendars and email allowing me to continually be connected to the digital world (although the virtual pint is reason enough!).
I didn’t think it was too much of a problem checking and responding to emails at the dinner table or surfing the net at our local pub. However, on a recent holiday I found myself sneaking off to reply to emails and generally plug myself into my digital world at every opportunity. It wasn’t that my clients were demanding answers, they all knew we were on holiday and didn’t expect their emails to be responded too. But I felt compelled to plug in and ensure my virtual life was still there.
I’ve started to wonder if my resistance to unplug from my digital world would have a negative effect our business rather than a positive one? Here are 5 reasons you may want to think about detaching yourself from your digital world:
1. 24/7 Communication - A good thing right?!
24/7 communication sounds like a great selling point to your clients (and not too difficult to maintain as I found out), but would clients build an expectation that we are constantly contactable with no excuses. Would they then have a shock when we didn’t respond to an email within 48 hours?
2. Creativity in a Virtual World
Am I locking myself too much into my digital world? Inspiration comes from everywhere however if I am unable to see beyond my virtual surroundings will that start to effect my creativity?
3. Time Waster
Even with the benefits of 3G, logging on away from home takes time and connections are often quite slow. I would love to add up all the time I have spent waiting for a web page to download or email attachment to come through (I think I would be quite shocked at the results).
4. Time Out
It’s important to get away from clients, deadlines and computers. Taking time out means you can return to a project with a new enthusiasm and a clear head. However, with my new iphone, I not only take my mobile but my entire digital world everywhere I go, resulting in a feeling that all I do is work.
5. Social Outcast
Friends and family have had no problems so far with me whipping out my iphone when an email comes through, but I think if someone did the same to me I would be quite shocked and find them quite rude, so am I soon to become a social outcast? Will I be the geek that nobody wants to go out with? Always talking about work (or the new lightsaber app that I have just downloaded - try it - it’s cool!)
Now don’t get me wrong, the functionality and features of the iPhone are truly excellent and there has been a few ‘lifesaver’ moments already, but should I really be worrying about whether a blog article has been posted or an email sent outside of work hours? Or has graphic design finally become a 24/7 industry?
How do you feel about your Digital world? Are you able to detach and embrace reality, or do you prefer a virtual world?
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Posted in Freelancing
Why does everyone think they are a graphic designer?
I am probably right in saying that not many people would tell a mechanic how to fix your car, or lecture an electrician how to re-wire your house, so why does everyone think they can tell a graphic designer how to design? Friends and family all constantly give me creative advice and critique my work, which I don’t mind at all, but sometimes I do have to grind my teeth and say the classic “That’s a great idea, but perhaps not quite right for this project” line.
Don’t get me wrong I have no problem taking criticism, especially from my clients as I will never understand their markets as well as they do, so creative collaboration and co-operation is fine in that respect. I also fully appreciate that as humans we are all creative beings in our own right and each have an individual sense of style. However I can’t help but think that graphic design as an industry is one that everyone thinks they could dip their toe into if they wished, therefore devaluing the whole industry. So, why do a lot of people think they could be a graphic designer and have the right to hand over golden nuggets of creative advice? Possibly for the following reasons….
Mummy’s little designer…
Everyone is told by their parents as a child (and sometimes as an adult) that their glitter / poster paint /chalk drawings / models / creations are fantastic and that they are ‘ever so clever’. So if you are constantly told this by the people who mean the most to you, you are going to think you have a heightened sense of design which may be hard to shrug off.
24/7 Advertising
Everyone is constantly bombarded by a range of advertising, promotion and branding which unless you head to the hills you cannot escape. We are all media trained from an early age and are subconsciously absorbing design left, right and centre.
“Design” Software
It is very easy for everyone now a days to open up Microsoft office and play around with clip art, word art and various templates to create some sort of design. This in my eyes doesn’t necessarily make that person a ‘designer’, but giving people instant access to this kind of software makes people believe that could hold a graphic design title if they want. Moey gives us a great insight in to his experience with this in his article ‘No, I’m Not A Graphic Designer’ in which he states he deserves a better title than ‘Graphic Designer’ to separate him from the wannabe’s.
So if it is true that everyone in the human race is creative what actually defines a graphic designer?
Training
Whether it’s self taught or through University or college, a true graphic designer should be able to navigate through their tools (whatever they maybe) with ease and grace and not rely on cheap and overused filters and effects to create their work.
Constant Creativity
A graphic designer has trouble turning their creativity off! Marnie B has a great list of comical anecdotes about hard core designers, a lot of which ring true. As truly creative beings graphic designers eat sleep and drink design and relish wallowing in this creative lifestyle.
Marketing
Anyone can create a logo or design but will that concept be right for the intended market? Graphic designers are able to choose the right concept and convey those messages in a clear and concise way.
There are probably 100 more points to define graphic designers that I’ve missed! But what are your thoughts on this, what makes a real graphic designer? Do you feel that the creative industry is devalued by the volume of wannabe’s? What do you say to people when they give you creative solutions or suggestions?
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Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design
20 Stunning Music CD Cover Designs
My iPod is pretty much permanently attached to my hip. It is definitely my best friend and I never go anywhere without it. Music enhances my day, improves my mood and certainly helps get those creative juices flowing.
I was flicking through my album art and was surprised to find what an awesome selection I had so thought I’d post a few of my favorite covers and see what you thought?
3 Not So Stunning Music CD Cover Designs
Unlike other purchases (a bottle of wine for example) you don’t choose the music you purchase based on the cover, however I still get let down when the cover doesn’t reflect the music, like this album art from The Killers for ‘Mr Brightside’. To me, this design portrays a bit of a ‘Bond’ type feel which couldn’t be further from the type of song ‘Mr Brightside’ is.
This recent release from Iglu and Hartley has entered the top 20 (and I really like it) but the CD Cover design again does not reflect the song at all. In my opinion the song is heavily inspired by 80’s music but this cover has a more of a grungy feel.
And finally, maybe I am missing something but I can not see what the image used for the Dario G album ‘Sunmachine’ is trying to portray. It’s a great shot but I am not sure what it is saying and how it reflects the type of music it contains?
Is there any particular album covers that you adore? Or are there some that got you screaming “that doesn’t do the song any justice!”? We’d love to know.
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Posted in Design Inspiration, Graphic Design
8 Items a Graphic Designer Would Take Back to School
Well it’s that time of year here again in the UK, where you feel that chill in the air, the summer is practically over and children are getting ready to go back to school (if they haven’t already!).
I can’t say that I remember being particularly thrilled about putting on my uniform and heading off to school. However, I do have fond memories of choosing my new stationary and art supplies. I remember visiting our local Woolworths and WH Smiths trying to find the coolest pencil tin and matching pens (not that it mattered as after the first week I would have scratched my latest crush’s name on to the pencil tin and loaned out all my pens!). So I thought I’d take a look around and see what was on the market for students nowadays in the stationary department. I have to say I was very impressed with my findings and may have to put some of these items on my Christmas List (yep… you heard me… Christmas List, the count down has begun people!)!
In primary school your social status was determined by your lunch box and to be honest everyone would want to be in my gang with this retro Dr Pepper lunch box. In fact it’s times like this I wish I worked in an office just so I could stroll in with it!
This has to be my favorite find - the tape tape dispenser?! Genius! I don’t think I would have any use for a tape dispenser at school, but I would have found one.
Now I was always fussy about erasers and they always had to be those massive ones that have the power to rub out anything (or carved up and thrown at people). However in the name of good taste (get it!) these cake rubbers would have been a great second choice.
And to go with cake erasers what better than a chocolate slab calculator?
These cool Crayola pens are right up my street!
I’m not sure if kids today need a usb flash drive for school, but you can’t get funkier than a C - 3P0 Star Wars drive!
I love this tokidoki “Kaiten Sushi” journal, it’s bright and the illustrations are bold and fun.
And where would I put all my precious finds, well I’ll tell you… in my awesome Jam Factory backpack!
Do you have fond memories of choosing your supplies and heading off to school? Are there any items that you’ve spotted that’s made you wish you were still a student? Let us know as we’d love to add them to the list so please feel free to post links!
(Disclaimer: Please note we haven’t shopped at any of the above online stores and as such can not verify the quality of service they provide)
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Posted in Design Inspiration, Graphic Design