Taking Risks

Interview with George Salariss

Audrey: How did you get into design to get into design?

George: In high school, I took some art classes and I guess I was always more into art than design. And when I was in my undergrad, I bounced around from business to something else and then I decided on art studio. So, I started taking art classes then I started taking design classes. And I really liked it because I liked computers and I liked art.

A: A combination of your favorite things?

G: Yeah, and it’s a good way to make money and do something you like. I don’t want to have a job that I don’t like, where I don’t get to be creative, that’s always the same day in and day out.

A: When would you advise students to start looking for an internship?

G: I would think as soon as possible. Maybe like 5th quarter.

A: New York or Chicago?

G: New York

A: Spiderman or Superman?

G: Spiderman

A: Where do you see yourself after Portfolio Center?

G: Well, I see myself in maybe two different directions. I could see myself getting a job with a small firm. I don’t know where I would fit in because I don’t really enjoy doing corporate stuff. I could do it, but I probably wouldn’t like it. I enjoy doing branding, typography, logos. A lot of stuff with illustration. Or our plan is right now to start Epidemik as our own design firm. Do our t-shirts but also design.

A: So, if you could you would start your own company right now?

G: I would. But it’s probably better to go out and get a job and some experience and then start your own business. Not many people are successful just jumping into their own business. We have friends that we can rely on in the industry. It’s not like we are going to be pushed into the industry with no help. If we do start our own company, we would have a lot of support and friends to guide us.

A: Do you feel like EC has helped you to get to know other people in the industry here in Atlanta?

G: Yeah, just like from the shows. We’ve met everyone from like Micheal Knights. We also have almost fans. People have asked us to have them as interns.

A: Who has asked you to be interns?

G: Some kids from American Intercontenital. But we didn’t know what to do with them. There was no space for them. Come work at the school. I don’t know

A: You can start doing marketing stuff for us.

G: Go get me coffee. Give me a hundred logos. Get them to do my work. You know, give them a direction and advise them.

A: Do you want to stay in the Atlanta area because you’ve built up a reputation?

G: I guess because I’ve met so many people here, I wouldn’t mind staying in the Atlanta area. I’ve already gotten like request to do freelance work, but I haven’t really had time. But hopefully if I do need work when I get out, I’ll have it here, and if not then I’d like to move somewhere like New York or Chicago and maybe find a firm that I would fit in and work there for awhile.

A: Do you feel like EC has helped you to network?

G: Yeah, we’ve met people in the design industry. But we’ve met a lot of other people, like stylist and people in the fashion industry. We haven’t networked with just designers.

A: You wake up from a nice long afternoon nap and find yourself in an enchanted forest. In front of you the path divides, to the left is a long winding path filled with flying berry bushes. If you eat 3 of these berries you can fly whenever and wherever you want for the rest of your life. The path to the right is filled with money berry bushes. If you eat 3 of these berries you poop $100 dollar bills for the next 5 years. The two different berries taste the same kind of like strawberry chocolate spaghetti sauce. So….which berry would you eat and why?

G: Money berry bushes, but I would love to fly, but with the money I could buy plane tickets.

A: What is one trick/idea that you’ve learned which you apply to your designs to make them work? (just a small ingredient in your delicious recipe for design)

G: To have a story or concept behind your work, because you will be able to sell it to anyone. Anyone can make it look good, but if it has a purpose then it will meet the needs of the client.

A: Okay, well that’s all I can think of right now. Do you have any more words of wisdom

G: Don’t be scared to take risks.

The last comment made me think about my own ability to take risks, and how I don’t feel like I’ve challenged myself to do that enough yet. The process that we go through at Portfolio Center brings us different challenges and tasks. Sometimes we question why we are doing things, and if it is the right choice. Whether or not we follow our advisors suggestions is our choice. But it is our willingness to stand up and challenge that and to take risks is what will make us good designers.

My favorite intro to a website (yet)

Electrolux Design Lab brings craft makers to the forefront, and the process. Electrolux Design Lab 2007 invites design students to present their ideas for eco-friendly and sustainable household appliances and solutions for 2020.

This year’s requirement is that submissions be environmentally-sound, commercially-viable and enable people to better live in harmony with the environment. The goal is to go above and beyond simple energy and water efficiency and suggest ways to foster sustainable behavior and product usage.

I hope many of you will take the time to enter your design into the competition. The site even displays, down to the second, how much time that is left in the competition. But good news, the competition doesn’t close until August 1st, so you can work on this over break. But it’s never to early to start concepting.  Visit their site to see all of the rules.

drumstick

A sound. A sound so loud that is pulsing through your body. Releasing your inhabitions and completely letting go. A space closing in around you. People closing in around you. The bright lights. The smoke. The sounds of complete experimentation.

This was my adventure last night into a world completely foreign to anything I’ve ever known. A group of us went out to see Deerhunter and I have to admit, it was the most interesting people watching I have ever experienced. In a way, I was jealous. These people are so into this music, and are just so able to let loose and do whatever. They are carefree. And I wish I would have had a camera to catch some of their expressions. Jessica got some good pictures though.

The broken drumstick flew through the air and landed at my feet. I had found my free pizza of the night. But later, I saw the drummer walking around looking for the end. But that got me to thinking, are you really going to want the broken end of a drumstick. The silly thing is, that I wanted it, too. The drummer and I think alike. Nothing is as great as the broken end of a drumstick.

new website

I now officially own audreycampbell.com. As you can see, I didn’t put a link to it, mainly since there isn’t anything to see yet. I’m thrilled to have this link though. It should be interesting. And since I am just practicing working on the web, here is my practice.

Wish List

First of all, I would like to interview a Portfolio Center student that is getting ready to graduate. This will be my lead in to interviewing one of the people on this list. These are people I want to interview possibly. These are all jumbled in my notes, so please remember they are at random. They would all be awesome to interview.

Eric Strohl, ideo.com

Marc English, Marc English Design

Tim Gleason, Yes Design Group

Paul B. Drohan, D5ive

Brandon Herring, 17 Feet

Kit Hinrichs, Pentagram

R. Kikuo Johnson, seabread.com

Kate & Camilla, Photographers, kateandcamilla.com

Chip Kidd, Random House

Doug Rucker, The Richards Group

Armin Vit, Pentagram

Jason Munn, The Small Stakes

Wonderfactory for Martha

The Wonderfactory redesigned Martha’s new site. After clicking through a bit, I felt that they had a great portfolio. You might find some other great sites through their work, or find a designer that you really appreciate. I feel that their site alone is inspiration, so visit it.

Martha’s expertice

Martha Stewart recently showed a huge redesign to their website, reflecting the clean, crisp design of the brand, with colors that give Martha her feminine side. The site had not been redesigned for five years, although the magazine and television communication of the brand have sky rocketed. This site redesign was well worth it, and with the percentage of women online, which is under served of Martha’s “how-to” information.

Recently, in a class conversation, we discussed how Martha Stewart, though extremely feminine, has brought her brand the feminine look without adding all the frills. Her brand is simple and appealing to the modern woman, making how-to projects attractive to working women who don’t want to be branded by the “betty homemaker” label, but simply want to try something new. Martha’s color pallate brings the fresh, new modern woman her simple, “no hassle” feminine branding that she needs. And her site incorporates that branding strongly, as well as providing her consumers with great information within a click of the button, making it more readily available for the modern woman.

1.0 is the loneliest number

The way that Tim O’Reilly discusses the battle between web 1.0 and web 2.0 simply seems like a battle betweeen corporations, and who is going to win the big corporate merger. In one corner, we have the old, unchanging, uncapable to handle technology called web 1.0. In the other corner, we have the tech savvy, geek from high school with tons of new, fast capabilities, and tons of cool features called web 2.o. So, eventually when web 2.0 infects the entire web, they can have their big corporate merger, getting everyone on the same system. But in that time, the tech geeks of the world would have thought of something better, which will keep the common people always trying to keep up.

But the web isn’t about a large corporation. What web 2.0 clearly shows, is that the web is about people, and making a connection with other people half way around the world through your computer, or having an impact on your world by speaking your voice in a blog. These new systems are what keeps us connected to eachother, and what web 2.0 is all about.

But what will be next? I think the big challenge is finding more ways in which people can connect. We can already video-conference each other, but what can the web do next to keep us tech geeks ready for the next step?

Falling hurts from a higher point

“The products and services that get talked about are the ones that are worth talking about.” –Seth Godin, Small is the New Big

So should your next challenge be boring or remarkable? “If I am criticized for this, will I suffer any measurable losses? If the only side effect from criticism is that you will feel bad about the criticism, then you have to compare that bad feeling with the benefits you’ll get from actually doing something worth doing. Being remarkable is exciting, fun, profitable and great for you career. Feeling bad wears off.” (Godin 53).

And once you have taken the remarkable path, you have to ask yourself how to create something that the critics with criticize. “When 3M launches a sequel to the Post-it, or Microsoft unveils a new service, our expectations are set very high indeed. This is partially due to all of the hype: Hype attracts criticism the way that politicians attract lobbyist.”

I feel like I have quoted Seth a lot tonight, but it is simply because I have found a lot of inspiration and hope in what he has had to say about criticism. To hear true criticism is to walk up to your worst enemy and get their opinion. Although friends would tell you their opinion, they might sugar-coat it, or restrain themselves in order to spare your feelings. And I would like to think that I don’t have enemies out there, but if you were to come across someone that doesn’t appreciate your work, to listen to that criticism and try to take something away from it is better than to only listen to the praise. I would like more criticism in my life. It is the only way we become better.

comforting others

Our speaker today started out by asking us to fill out cards, stating who we were and what we did. Seth Godin notes in his book “Small Is The New Big” asks the big question of what you are? “Does clinging to an occupation make you better at it?” And when we try to classify us into these titles, does that really bring us happiness?

When trying to explain to my family and friends what exactly I am doing here in Atlanta, it’s not easy for them to understand. They need everything to fit into some category to make sense. But right now, we get to hide behind the title student. It’s easier to explain that.

But what about when we get out there and start our first real job? Job descriptions written by corporate honchos today make every job title specific to one end alone. But do we have to stick to completing the same tasks and objectives everyday? And do these job descriptions tie our hands to not going beyond what is expected of us and what are job entails?

Too often it feels like we just do the tasks we are assigned and nothing more. The people that go beyond expectations are often seen as overachievers, which we all are to an extent. Any Portfolio Center student has to be in order to have the drive to be here. Most of us already have a college degree, and could have found some job right out of college, but we are seeking to do something more, to find some more fulfillment in our lives, to have a job that we love, and not just something to pay the bills.

And with all of this, we hope that our future job titles will bring us a certain amount of sucess in our lives. But how is success measured? Do we let other people determine that for us? I feel sometimes that we are looking outside for other opinions to determine if we are happy or not, or wheter we have been successful or not. Is success measured by others?

Seth Godin states that, “The end result is that it’s essentially impossible to become successful or well-off doing a job that is described and measured by someone else.” But if we let others measure our success, then what are we really taking away from our job that will enrich our lives for the future.