Graphic Push by Kevin Potts

Cat speaks:
In my opinion, Kevin has designed one of the most beautiful blogs on the internet. I'm not alone in my thinking as the high quality of GraphicPUSH has Kevin amongst the 9rules network. Kevin has had a long relationship with Creative Latitude, from the very first entry with 'The pricing wormhole' (a classic and linked on CL's home page). His articles can be easily found in the GraphicPUSH archives.

Kevin might be a wee bit camera shy (note the absence of a Kevin banner on Designers who blog), but he's a megga wiz at design and writing copy and that's enough for me.

Kevin Potts speaks:

What started you into blogging?

The original concept behind graphicPUSH was to provide a central location for print and web designers to find news, articles and tutorials that were current and industry relevant. The original scope of the site was much more aggressive with many more feature-length articles, but finding time to write them became more of a chore than actually writing, and my freelance work eventually tapped the majority of my free time. While I did launch with several good articles (most notably "The Pricing Wormhole"), I quickly fell into a pattern of just updating the news section weekly. While I never thought of this as "blogging," I suppose it falls into the category.

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

I am currently on version 4 of my site. I have flip-flopped between fixed and static widths, dark and light backgrounds, graphic-heavy and minimalistic. The current design is the one I am most happy with, although there are those in the web development community who argue strongly against fixed widths. Anyway, the _theme_ was a spur-of-the-moment act; I suddenly had the compelling desire to design something winter for the coming season, something cool with lots of blue. The one thing that has remained consistent throughout the designs has been the color; graphicPUSH has always used the same blue and green.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

I've developed many great internet relationships from graphicPUSH. Many people enter the site through the icons page and send me feedback; others read a particular article and write to with support and criticism. In terms of work, several clients have found me through GP, but these are all people already working in design who usually need help with CSS or Textpattern assistance. Sometimes I go for long stretches without feedback or e-mail, which always gives me that "writing for myself" feeling, like the SETI people listening in space for any sign of life.

What has your response from the public been? From other designers?

The response has been positive across the board. People like the writing, the icons and my overall tone. I have yet to break into the upper echelon of blogging elite (like SimpleBits and Mezzoblue), but that's probably because I usually don't post more than once a week and my tone can be aggressive. I also don't attend SXSW, nor do I have Zeldman on speed-dial.

What advice do you give blogging designers? blogging groups?

Ben Franklin once said "If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are rotten, either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing." Since I don't really do anything worth writing about, I try to write things worth reading, and that's the one thing I would say to other blog writers. I have precious little interest in reading about people's personal lives (I think I'm one of the few people who can't stand Dooce), since no one ever gives me a reason to care.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

I think the number of blogs of any kind is going to escalate for maybe two more years, and then people are going to get bored with the concept and stop writing. There's already been a huge number of designers who have simply stopped writing because they think no one is reading or because they have nothing else to say. Everybody is interesting for one post, but the more diluted the "scene" becomes the harder it will be to retain an audience. I think long-term, group blogs will be more successful, places like Speak Up or Blue Flavor's new company blog.

Blog-oMotives - by Jeff Fisher

Cat speaks:
Jeff Fisher is the author of The Savvy Designers Guide to Success and writes for many sites around the internet, Creative Latitude included. Jeff, as a proliferate speaker covering various aspects of the design profession, is welcomed at HOW Design Conferences, University & College Design Conferences, design schools, universities, business organization events and high schools. He has received over 475 graphic design awards and his work is featured in more than 75 publications. Jeff is also a member of the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board, a member of the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council, and has recently joined the Board of the PGDA.

(taking a breath here ...)

And if that isn't enough, Jeff has his thumb on the majority of the design forums on the internet, illusive as well as known. His recent article 'Funny Things Happen on the Way to the Forums' gives an overview of their importance. I'm often running across new forums by following links in the CL stats due to Jeff posting various articles pointing back to Creative Latitude. Thanks Jeff!

Jeff has been an advocate of Creative Latitude since it's inception, and now authors a very popular addition (from the stats I should be saying 'addiction'), Logo Notions.

It's my personal opinion that if Jeff has any regrets it's for being too shy to join in the streaking craze of the '70's, so in recent years he has taken to speaking in his underwear. I agree it's not quite streaking, but as Jeff has more than a few years left on his meter we'll just have to keep a watch to see what comes off next. Jeff is fondly known around the internet for his 'Toots' and 'fan-frickin-tastic's', driving others to have toots of their own.

Web site:
Jeff Fisher Logomotives

Jeff speaks:

What started you into blogging?

Gentle shoves from industry professionals like Cat Morley, Neil Torterella, and Ilise Benun sent me in the direction of blogging.  I also had some
requests from other designers to create a blog - one location where they might be able to find a collection of my advice and suggestions.

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

I did want its primary focus to be on logo design. The name bLog-oMotives seemed like a natural.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

I've already found myself spending less time on design industry forums.  That time is spent on research, writing and uploading my blog.  

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

The response has been tremendous.  I found my blog mentioned on many of those written by other designers and mentioned on design forums.  Many designers have emailed me to thank me for starting my blog.  I've also had potential clients find me by way of my blog - and, so far, one project has resulted. Visits to my web site have increased by about 50% since my blog went live.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

Don't be afraid of blogging.  It can be a great creative outlet and an incredible marketing tool for your business.  Determine how many days a week you want to post entries and try to keep to that schedule.  Also, I tend to appreciate blogs that have a general theme or focus - instead of those that bounce from topic to totally unrelated topic.  I do appreciate the fact that Blogger allows me to complete several possible entries in advance and then I can choose when it is appropriate for a particular topic to be posted.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

I do think blogs will become an increasingly valuable tool in sharing information about design. It is such an easy method for "publishing" information on any topic to a large audience.  I also see it as an incredibly worthwhile marketing tool for any designer. I wish I'd taken advantage of blogging earlier in the marketing/promotion of my own book.

Can you recommend another design blog you rate highly, one which fits the criteria of 'designers who blog'?

You seem to have most of those I have visited on the "Designers Who Blog" site.  However, I'm always checking out possible new resources.

The Marketing Mind - by Neil Tortorella

Cat speaks:
Neil Tortorella is one of the driving forces behind Creative Latitude. Without Neil, Creative Latitude would not exist in its present form. It's been Neil's willingness to work crazy hours on top of his regular paying jobs to update Creative Latitude that makes this ship run. Ok, perhaps not as smooth as silk as we all work crazy hours, but there are times when it would not run at all without his dedication. As a man in love with this industry Neil offers his services to probono clients, amateurs in the field, and also authors the popular Neil's Newbies on Creative Latitude. Whenever possible, Neil's spare time is spent helping out as a board member of the PGDA.

To share a bit of what makes Neil 'the Neil', he's used his creative brain to trade marketing and design skills for a new set of chompers, so no excuses out there for those of you who are needing new brights. And rumour has it Neil's an avid watcher of old time movies of questionable taste, often overheard through the walls chuckling into his sofa. The very same sofa he'd fall asleep on during the makings of Creative Latitude when we all worked around the clock and I'd 'ping' him on his computer to WAKE UP!, WAKE UP!, WAKE UP!, and solve one more glitch.

Web site:
Tortorella design

Neil speaks:

What started you into blogging?

A client, Ilise Benun, was interesting in starting a blog. So, I thought it would be a good idea to figure out how they work if I was going to put hers together.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

Not really. It just another point of contact with my audience.

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

I get a very positive comments from folks both on the blog and by email.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

Be prepared to hang in there for the long haul. It takes time to build an audience. Consider making an on-going list of possible post topics and write a few posts in advance. It will help when things get busy. It's easy to put off updating your blog when you're juggling projects and deadlines.

Also, have relevant content. Be conversation and engaging.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

I think they will continue to open dialogue with both other designers and clients. That's a good thing. Designers can easily share ideas and thoughts. Clients can learn more about the design process and issues that ultimately might effect them and their projects.

In addition, I think they will grow as a promotional and marketing tools. For instance, some designers might use them to showcase their work, follow a project from start to finish as a case study, etc.

How has blogging helped your business?

My traffic has had a nice shot in the arm. I've gained several new clients as a result. But, I think the biggest factor has been the promotional value. I've had the good fortune of developing media relationships as a result of the blog.

How much time do you dedicate to updating?

It varies depending on my schedule, but it's safe to say several hours per month. My blog is set up as an educational resource for marketing and self promotion targeted toward independent professionals and small businesses. As such, the post are more like articles, rather than short quips. I get into a fair amount of research time for each post, along with the actual writing time.

How do you promote your blog?

Naturally there's a link on my main site. I also include a link in both my e-mail sig and my forum sigs. Plus the blog is listed on Technorati. I'm fortunate to have the #1 position for "self promotion" in their "blog finder" search. I also have links on Creative Latitude. Beyond that, the traffic growth has been largely viral. Folks linking my blog, emailing links to others, etc.

The Prepared Mind by Chris Gee

Cat speaks: Chris Gee publishes excellent design industry Podcasts and articles on the Prepared Mind, covering a wide range of subjects dealing with the design industry. With LogoWorks or LogoJERKS? Chris soon had the top blog during the LogoWorks debacle with his excellent reporting.

Chris has had a long association with Creative Latitude, submitting timely articles and authoring Licensed to Design.

NEWS: Just in, the Prepared Mind has just ranked in the Top Ten for 2005 on IF online magazine. Congrats Chris!

I've known Chris for years and one personality trait that stands out (besides his liberal use of LOL!'s) is his passion for a good all 'round discussion. It was this very same dogged determinedness that is partially to blame for my entry into blogging, so for those who object to my blatherings, you have Chris to thank, and thank him I do. Due to blogging, I now have less time then the little time I had before, but "OH!" what a ride blogging is.

Web site:
Cube Interactive -- web development + design consulting

Chris speaks:

What started you into blogging?

Well I had always been very active on various graphic design discussion boards and felt that the conversation tended to mostly center around technical or self-help topics (i.e. "How do I do xyz in InDesign?") and focused very little on our industry, the problems within and the challenges we face. I decided to start The Prepared Mind as a place where only those types of conversations would be had.

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

I'm glad you asked! LOL! I've gotten email from some people who think that the name of my blog implies that I'm referring to MYSELF as The Prepared Mind. Actually, it's taken from a quote by 19th century French chemist and biologist Louis Pasteur (most will know him for "pasteurized milk"). His full quote "In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind" is a reference to the scientific phenomenon of serendipity. When something happens by chance and our minds are prepared enough to recognize it, the results can lead to breakthroughs. Pasteur was speaking about scientific observation but I believe the same can be said of design and pretty much every other field.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

In terms of communication, I think I've gotten more long-winded (if that was possible). I also think I've become more of a student in that since it's necessary for me to do research prior to my podcasts and blog entries, I am constantly looking for new things to learn and new sources for information and insight. This absolutely has an effect on my work. It causes me to question everything we do and why we're doing it.

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

It has been overwhelming and positive! We're almost at about 500 podcast downloads per day, which far exceeds my wildest expectations. I get emails and letters from designers who are very excited about the conversations we're having and give me wonderful ideas for future conversations. I think we've tapped into something that people aren't getting from our traditional graphic design publications and there seems to be a lot of excitement about that.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

Jump in with both feet! We need more voices and we need to engage more designers in conversation about our industry. We've seen in other areas how powerful bloggers can be in affecting change. Politics comes to mind but it's certainly not limited to politics.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

I don't know. That really depends on us. I think we designers can use blogs, as well as podcasts, to discuss our new and changing role in the 21st century. We can really figure out where things are going and how we can be relevant to the enormous amount of change that is occurring. We can also use blogs more effectively to speak, not only to each other but to the outside world as well. Right now, the outside world is becoming interested in the power and potential of design like never before. There is a realization that design has been under utilized as a business tool and now companies are discussing how to use design for strategic and innovative advantage. Sadly, up until this point, graphic designers have been locked out of those discussions and there is really no reason for it. We have to find ways to engage the outside world and begin to speak to them, rather than wait for them to start speaking to us.

Can you recommend another design blog you rate highly, one which fits the criteria of 'designers who blog'?

Oh yes. Speak Up, Design Management, CPH127 - Design & Innovation, Perspective, Does Size Matter?, Be A Design Group.

art backwash by Von Giltschka

Cat speaks:
Von Giltschka is one of the most talented designers I know. He is also a crusader dedicated to the world of design, yet manages to (mostly) keep his cheeky sense of humour in the many battles our industry faces today.

Von was around while we were first cobbling together Creative Latitude, eventually contributing the eye catching icons you see around the site (mine included). When the idea of icons came up I had no idea we'd be adding so many new sections, meaning Von would need to come up with new icons to match. How embarrassing. I'm reluctant at times to add any new sections but the drive to expand is hard to resist what with the talented and experienced designers who donate their time, making Creative Latitude what it is today.

Yes, Creative Latitude clearly owes Von heaps.
note to cat: send Thai baht.
ps: Von, I sent the card but forgot to include the baht.
pps: Von, please tell your mom I said 'Happy Holidays' ok?

Von, who is at times a man of little words and at times a man of many, is well known for 'Midget Juggling' and 'Design Hack' thumping. Go get 'em Von.

Web sites:
Graphic Designs and Illustrations by Von Giltschka
BAD DESIGN KILLS

Von speaks:

What started you into juggling? Oops, my mistake, blogging.

A midget clown named Gary. (Why are you laughing?)

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

Not really. I am just documenting goofy stories and stuff that happens to me.

What has your response from the public been? From other designers?

They find it amusing which is nice.

What advice do you give blogging designers? blogging groups?

Laughing at yourself is good.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

They'll become more multi-media oriented. Videos, audio, source files interactive text and because of nano technology each blog will have a curator.

Freshly Squeezed droplets - by Robert Wurth and Angela Mittan

Cat speaks:
Robert Wurth is a recent addition to Creative Latitude. I first came across Robert while reading his well written posts on the about.com Graphic Design forum. During the Logo Works saga he gladly jumped in with several well thoughtout reviews of the situation, one being Logoworks, who is to blame, the other Dear Laura Ries. Robert's calming, professional stance has garnered him the post of Vice President of the Board of the PGDA.

I've only known Robert for a short while but for what I know about him I can honestly say he weighs every word very carefully, seeming quite the level headed creative. No dancing in his undies, midget juggling, or muffling laughter into the sides of a sofa for Robert. But then, it's early days yet ...

Web site:
Freshly Squeezed Design

Robert speaks:

What started you into blogging?

Technophile that I am, blogging is one of those things I've always been interested in, but never seemed to have the time to really dive into.  However, after participating in Chris Gee's podcast, and then creating a podcast of my own for my DVD review site, the "desire to blog" was able to override the "lack of time to blog."  For my next trick, I'll try getting to bed before 1:00am sometime in 2006...

How did you settle on a theme for your blog?
 
Visually, the theme was an extension of the Freshly Squeezed Design web site. We (my partner, Angela Mittan and I) wanted something that looked like a part of FSD, but wasn't necessarily the same, so that visitors can easily tell if the page they're on is the blog or the main site.
 
As far as the content theme goes, that is still in a state of evolution.  However, a large part of our focus will likely be us speaking to business owners and other buyers of creative services (but there will also be plenty there for other designers, too).

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

Yes. Now I have yet another thing to manage! Relatively speaking, I'm still pretty new to the whole blogging lifestyle. However, I have noticed that now I tend to look at things with an eye for whether or not it would make a good blog topic.

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

I can safely say that Freshly Squeezed Droplets has a 100% positive feedback rating. Of course, my sample data is pretty small at this point (the blog is fairly new and only about 2 people outside of FSD have e-mailed me about it), but I'm optimistic that we can maintain a high level of satisfaction.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

Jump right in! It really isn't that hard.The software has been fine-tuned to the point where a blog can be set up and running literally in minutes (a bit longer if you insist on customizing it). I guess the only other thing I'd offer is to not be afraid to say something. It'll be awkward at first, but eventually you'll find your "voice."

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

Blogs have proven to be an excellent means to share ideas and get information out there very quickly. As with many other industries, I think this will force an evolution within the design world regarding how we communicate not only with each other, but with the public. Traditionally, designers have pretty much lived in isolation -- except for the awards banquets here and there. Blogging will really open up the community in ways that I don't think anyone could have imagined.

How has blogging helped your business?

It's really too soon to tell yet if the blog will have an impact, but I'm hoping so. The trick will be to put it into perspective. I don't think anyone should get into blogging with the sole intention of generating leads or whatnot. That's not the spirit of blogging. It is certainly one other element in a company's overall marketing strategy, but at the end of the day, maintaining a blog also has to be fun.

How much time do you dedicate to updating?

At the moment, probably more than I should. I'm the sort of person who will nitpick something if I'm not careful -- I think there's a little of that in all designers. Plus there's the added excitement of having something new to play with. There's a desire to post something all the time. Ultimately, I hope to fall into a schedule of posting something new at least a couple of times a week.

How do you promote your blog?

Trumpets, billboards, cheerleaders, the Goodyear blimp. Oh wait...those are the ways I'd LIKE to promote it!  Everything is still pretty new, so the marketing push for the blog is still in its infancy.  My partner is polishing up a press release, and I'll be looking to generate some links with people and so forth.  And then there's this interview -- I expect this will catapult us right out of the starting gate! ; )
 

Adholes by Jesse Tayler and Marc Lefton

Cat speaks:
Marc Lefton came up with the idea for the excellent advertising waterhole that is Adholes. His wacky advertising sense of humour keeps him rolling along. Creative Latitude and Adholes share members, so support each other along the way and have plans for the future.

After his antics from last Christmas Marc has been forced undercover these holidays due to foreseen circumstances so I cannot post much about him here (and that includes his photo banner). Good luck Marc, our best wishes go with you (and save me some eggnog this time).

Marc speaks:

What started you into blogging?

A couple of my friends had an account on Livejournal and I found it therapeutic to rant about the girl I was about to break up with. Of course, she found the entries on my computer. Doh. Next, I discovered the business networking site Ryze, which was more networking than blogging. It was there I ran into the people who run Netmodular, which provides the software platform we run.

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

I was trying to help Netmodular market their software--we now call it "blogworking" which is a combination of blogging and social networking. I figured that the best audience for it would be the very people we were trying to sell it to: the ad industry. I had worked as a creative for many years and realized that it was hard to keep track of all your friends when people switch companies so much, so in addition to the blogging we were allowing people to reconnect with old coworkers and meet new ones. And the name "Adholes" just popped into my head. All my other options were lame.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

I think I've always been better at writing than art, but never had the confidence. I'd half-heartedly tried to switch from art director to writer, but only now after writing blogs that have gotten positive feedback and meeting so many people do I have the confidence to say "I'm a writer" in my own right, not just a designer who knows how to write.

Overall, since our site is a community as well, I've had to deal with a lot of interesting personalities. I think it's made me a stronger communicator because in an agency setting, creatives have account execs to shield them from a lot of feedback. I've had to take a lot of hits in the past year and I've developed a thick skin.

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

The interesting thing about how we run Adholes is that anyone in the industry can blog on it. The blogs all go to the same place, and the order is actually ranked by votes in the community. So we have this democratic group blog that has relevancy and that raises the bar for people to participate. People's response have been to either be a lurker, a commenter, or to take the plunge and try to write a blog of the quality that are already up there. In fact, we see these waves of competition of one great blog being followed by another.

Designers have used the platform to critique corporate logos, such as the new Sprint identity, or also to call out people on design rip offs.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

Well first of all, your blog is not the New York Times. You don't have to write something every day. A lot of people feel like they'll lose their audience if they don't write all the time. But in most cases, there just are not enough things going on to write something new and interesting every day. If you're just starting out, you might have a well to draw from of experiences just gushing to get out. But soon that well runs dry. It's ok to be quiet. We don't need to know what you had for breakfast. Also, take a look in the mirror before  you critique work. Not naming names, but there are some people with sub par books critiquing some great work.

I do think blogging is a great medium though for calling out companies on logo thefts, etc. Ad-Rag.com has been doing this for years with "Badland." I think having a tight-knit network of bloggers out there can quickly out anyone who isn't doing original work.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

It will be the same ebb and flow of when anyone could be a designer by owning a stolen copy of Photoshop or could get their own Geocities web site. Once everyone has a blog, the cream will rise to the top and the 50,000 people who think they can be the next Adrants.com will realize it's futile to try to get attention. Like any other online entity, a blog is a store built in the middle of the desert. You can pontificate all you want on design, but at the end of the day, is anyone reading what you write? Even if you're interesting, it's still hard to get readership.

So I think blogs will be dominated by the select few who stick with it through the times where there will be millions of blogs competing for attention, and eventually people who have nothing to say will go back to more passive mediums like television.

On Adholes, we provide a built-in audience of thousands of members, which is perfect for the occasional blogger not wanting to trade links and all the tricks you need to build a following, but still has something interesting to say. This is like, say, the flea market version. All the small store owners are in one place where shoppers know they can buy stuff and can leave whenever they run out of apple corers or whatever.

Can you recommend another design blog you rate highly, one which fits the criteria of 'designers who blog'?

One of our members, Rachelle Rouse does a great blog on design at designity.

Design Inspiration - by Jeff Andrews (jeff_bob)

Cat speaks:
Jeff Andrews (or 'jeff bob' as we all know him) created a fantastic blog, 'Design Inspiration', which is an inspiration all its own. Designers from all walks of the industry take their time to explain their passions, how they arrived where they are, and their plans for the future. Jeff's excitement for where this industry is headed has lead him to volunteer for the PGDA Mentor committee.

Jeff is a lively lad and at times worse than I am when it comes to stubborn insistence (it was his repeated emails that started the theme for the December Cat's Fancy, so thanks or mutterings go to Jeff). Stubbornness aside, I will say I've managed to stave off submitting my passions to Design Inspiration but it's not due to lack of want but more due to lack of available time. Once again Jeff, I PROMISE I will get you my bits! Soon. (Ps: do you realise I'm still editing this on Xmas Eve?)

Additional blog:
Adventures in Blogging

Web site:
Jeff Andrews Design

Jeff speaks:

What started you into blogging?

My initial foray into blogging started with my Adventures in Blogging site, which when it started was simply a place to do the blogging thing, journaling events and thoughts as I found them "blog-worthy". However, as time went by, I learned that this type of blogging, for me anyway, was unfulfilling and I quickly became bored with it. It was when I decided to "rethink" the format for that blog that it quickly became more of an obsession. My "Design" Inspiration blog came about because I noticed a distinct need for a forum for lesser known designers and illustrators to be recognized and heard. I developed the idea over the course of a couple of months, sending informational inquiries to friends in the industry for feedback. A designer friend of mine and I developed the list of questions and I initially sent the list to designers who I knew personally, the blog has taken off from there and I now have designers from all over the world contacting me to be interviewed. It's fantastic.

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

As I stated before, The "Design" Inspiration site came about when I noticed there were few if any forums dedicated to spotlighting the lesser known, less famous designers or illustrators in our industry. Everyone has a story, a perspective, and a drive that is unique to themselves, and each is fascinating in their own way. I continue to thoroughly enjoy each and every interview that I post.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

The blog itself is inherently inspirational in it's format. I've found that while doing this, I'm not only providing a source of inspiration for designers coming to the site, but also a place for designers to spotlight their work and get themselves seen.

What has your response from the public been? From other designers?

I've received a huge outpouring of positive feedback from designers and illustrators around the world. As a whole they seem to really enjoy each interview and appreciate the refreshing voices we've seen represented there.

What advice do you give blogging designers?

I'm not sure I have any sage advice regarding blogging, I'm by far not an expert on the subject.  Just go with what you know, speak from your own experience and you'll do just fine.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

That's hard to say, however I can say I do strongly think there is a place for blogging in the future, which may not coincide with popular opinion. I'm a fan of blogs and blogging  and I think it's a great way to share your opinions, thoughts, feelings and ideals in a format that isn't right in your face. I think it's a concept that very well could be changing the very nature of communication as we know it.

Can you recommend another design blog you rate highly, one which fits the criteria of 'designers who blog'?

I'm really enjoying my friend Jeff Fisher's new blog, blog-omotives. He offers up a a wealth of inspiration, insight and information in a format that is simply fun to read.

Dot's Market - by Lisa Duty (Halftone Dot)

Cat speaks:
Sweet Lisa Duty contributes to Creative Latitude with her wonderful marketing section, Dot's Market. Her marketing course focuses on small design businesses, taking them from a to z.

Lisa gives tireless advice to those in need over on the HOW forum, has a fondness for SEX in the city and black kittens, and is known for posts such as 'Santa Baby' as well as others no included in the hard copy of this edition. Lisa is always quick to share a 'happy b-day!' on the HOW forum and is the strict mother of the 'HOWie Holiday Gift Exchange' with her questions, queries, and guidelines. And just you go ahead and try sidestepping the delivering of your submissions to the 'HOWie zine' ...

Lisa ambitions are to write her memoirs about her secret life as 'Fuzzy Monster-Noodles' who moonlighted as 'Cutie Floppy-Stockings' in the early '90's when we all had names like 'Toe Jam' and 'Monkey Britches', while eating durian on a stick and singing 'Cry me a River' to the beat of 'Proud Mary'.

Lisa speaks:

What started you into blogging?

As designers we're very good at helping our clients promote their products and services. Designers often put their own marketing efforts last or never seem to get around to marketing at all. Sometimes that is because we have had very little or no training on how to market services and so we often don't know where to start.

Often, we have worked as in house designers and when the day comes that we decide to work for ourselves, we realize that even though our design and design knowledge is stellar, our knowledge of business is not. Many of us fail.

Recognizing this need, I started a very simple blog to try to help even the most marketing-clueless designer get started on promoting his/her services. Believe me, I was once clueless too, black and blue from learning from the school of hard knocks. My aim is to help others get fewer bruises. :)

How did you settle on the theme for your blog?

A thread on a design forum which I would rather not name, but many of you know which one. <wink, wink>

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

Not really as what I am writing about I live daily through my full time position. I have always been the kind of person who shares experiences and tries to help others along. I've had some wonderful folks help me along the way and so this blog gives me the opportunity to give back.

What has your response from the public been? from other designers?

I don't promote the blog to the general public. The designers who take the time to read it have expressed that they are helped by the information and that motivates me to keep it up.

What advice do you give blogging designers? Blogging groups?
If you are using your blog for business, blog for your clients. Figure out what types of information would be beneficial to the client because they are as busy as you and don't have time to spend on things that won't help them do better in their businesses.

If you're blogging for the heck of it, then be careful how you present yourself. I read an article this weekend about how employers are starting to use search engines such as Google to find out information on potential employees. So if they happen upon your blog, they will be making judgements about who you are and what your general attitude is like based on your postings.

If employers are doing this, it stands to reason that clients will do this too. So even though you have a right to your thoughts and opinions, you are placing them within the public eye. Be aware of how you could be perceived.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

I'm not sure about just the design world, but in the business world I can see an increased use with more and more blogs competing for attention. I sort of view them as the new "newsletter." Do you remember when every company decided they needed a newsletter? What happened to them all?

Like newsletters, clients will only pay attention to blogs if they contain "news you can use." Clients don't have patience for the "look what our company did, ain't we great" blogs. They want info that is pertinent to their own industries.

Look at your own habits. Don't you dedicate time to reading blogs because they either belong to your friends and family or you are learning something from them to help you in your business or work or you are seeing what a competitor may be up to?

How has blogging helped your business?

Since I work for a small corporation, I am not promoting my blog for any capital gains, but it does help keep the information fresh for me. I get constant review of the material which helps me stay on track.

I will say that being featured on Creative Latitude has given me extra credibility at my office. Although my employer knows that they have the right person with the right talent and skills for the position, they were thrilled to see that others from around the planet were willing to listen to what I have to say. They are confident that they can trust.

How much time do you dedicate to updating?

Since my full time job is quite demanding, I needed a simple solution. I selected Blogger.com and use the most simple template that they have. I don't have the time to create my own and even if I did, I would do like designers often do...angst so much about what it looks like, that I'd never get it done in order to start writing the articles. I only have so much time I can devote to this blog, but I feel it is important.

When I started the blog, I did a rough thumbnail of  what should be written and in what order. I try to update the blog every couple of weeks so that people reading the blog can have some idea how often to check it. I do send out an email, though, to alert people that a new article is available. We all get busy and I often appreciate a gentle reminder, so I figure other people would too.

Another thing that is important for this type of blog, is that I provide a link to pdf versions of the articles. That way people can save and print them at their leisure without having to go back to the blog to search for it later. If they have Acrobat software, they can also put the article together in order.

I mention this because if you are blogging for clients, a client often "forgets" to go back to find articles.The more convenient you can make the information, the more apt it and you will remain with them.

How do you promote your blog?

I don't really promote the blog. I removed the ability for it to be found by robots and search engines mainly because I don't want the companies that my firm competes with to have access to it. Hardly anyone in our industry (not graphic design) works their marketing like we do...and it shows. ;)

I send email when new articles to people who have expressed interest and I post an announcement on a design forum when there is a new article available. Of course, now it's being promoted on Creative Latitude.

Creative Expression by Elisabetta Bruno (betta)

Cat speaks: Elisabetta Bruno who, amongst other names is known by her friends as 'Betta', is one of the founding members and authors at Designorati. Her writing concentrates mainly on finding ones way around software and good causes, one of them being me. Betta is also the forum host in the About Graphics Software forum and monitor of the About.com Desktop Publishing forum.

Like me, Betta loves chocolate. But unlike me, she will not share. This is clearly something she'll have to work on in the future, perhaps as her New Year's resolution?

Betta speaks:

What started you into blogging?

was lurking around the net to find design resources to improve my skills in the field of graphic design. I started with just Googling around and reading the articles I needed here and there. Then one day I came across the About Desktop Publishing site (http://desktoppub.about.com). I found it a site full of great resources and I started to do the courses there. I then decided to join the About Desktop Publishing forum to ask questions about the courses and get help generally. The site's Guide, Jacci Howard Bear, answered to every question I had about the courses and other designers helped me with other questions I had. I got so carried away by the site that I started to contribute articles and so on and one day Jacci mentioned the word "blog" to me. I had no idea of what that was and she explained that too. I always wanted to put up a site and because I had experience in writing several articles for About Desktop Publishing, I started my own blog with my tutorials and I never stopped since.

What gave you the idea to create a blogging group like Designorati?

I had my personal blog and the traffic just kept increasing. I thought that I would have loved to write with other people who had knowledge in the design world. I never actually carried forward my plan because I just didn't have time. Then one day I got this e-mail from nowhere, from a guy I didn't know but who seemed to have a great deal of experience. He had the idea of creating a blog/journalist network where creative professionals could write about their passions in design, share their knowledge so that other designers, whatever their specialty, could also benefit from it. He said he had been following my blog since a couple of months and had sent his students to it for reference—he said he liked my writing and wanted me to be part of his project. I was flattered, even more because English is not my first language. But I started floating into air when I  saw who that guy really was after I typed his name, Pariah S. Burke, in Google. He is the author of several blogs, including Quark VS InDesign, and also of several books. I couldn't believe that he wanted me to be part of his project. Needless to say I accepted and I helped put together what is now Designorati. I am really proud to be one of its founding members.

Now you have a blog, have you noticed a change in how you work and communicate?

My work has definitely changed because of my blog(s). First of all, blogging is now my work, or part of it anyway. But when we talk about Designorati, we aren't really only talking about blogging, we are talking about a new form of journalism. Did blogging change how I communicate? I already had some skills in  communicating, but certainly blogging helped me improve them. I suddenly had to talk to people with a certain altitude, with a certain experience and I just had to be as professional as possible and set aside any back-off. I found that just being myself worked all the time whenever I had to communicate with someone. I guess that was comforting in a way and gave me a confidence boost because that meant that I didn't have to go out of my way to do my job—it is the job for me. That is not to say that it isn't challenging, far from that.

What has your response from the public been? From other designers?

That is something I still cannot answer fully. So far it has been positive. I had very good comments actually, I never had a bad comment. Prior to blogging, I didn't really have a way to compare myself to other designers. I didn't know where I stood with them, whether I knew nothing or a lot compared to them. I just didn't have a clue. I was surprised to see that, in a way, I knew more than I thought I knew. Other designers looked at me as someone who knew her stuff and I was surprised. But I know my limits and boy, do I have a long way to learn! The response from the public has been good also.

What do you feel is the future of blogs in the design world?

They will become an essential part of the design world. They already are. Aside from blogs like Designorati, Designers Who Blog and so on, which are intended to give useful information to other designers, even personal blogs will turn out useful. That is both for the designer, who is able to show his/her knowledge, and the "public" who can learn from them. If every designer writes about the value of design, the gap between them and their customers will fade away. Customers and designer will understand each other much better.

How has blogging helped your business?

I learned new skills both in the field of design and in the field of blogging itself. And as I said before, blogging has become part of my business.

Can you recommend another design blog you rate highly, one which fits the criteria of 'designers who blog'?

How much time do you dedicate to updating?

A few hours every day, I am totally addicted.

How do you promote your blog?

Different ways, mainly word of mouth and good search engine optimization. Presenting a professional image and maintaining professional standards in writing go hand in hand with the first two points.

© Copyright 2005 Catherine (cat) Morley