Is passion really the defining factor to a great career? Does the possibility of a good career still exist in an ever evolving, technology and idea focused culture? Is velcro really a failure? Economist Larry Smith delivers an engaging talk about why many of us aren’t pursing our passions and why we can’t afford not to.

What are you passionate about?
What stops you from pursuing it?

We often say on this blog that design can change the world and we frequently encourage our designer & non-designer friends out there to use their talents to do just that. In this post we wanted to take a look at designs that have in fact changed the world, specifically graphic designs that have had a large amount of influence either on our day-to-day experience or our view of the world.

In our search we have made a couple realizations. First, graphic design, while it can be a means to its own end, can have extraordinary power when used as a vehicle for communicating an idea. Considering this, we have found that the most influential designs are born from a very potent idea that resonates with a large or influential group of people. This is not to say that these designs cannot take on a life of their own outside their original purposes, as many of these designs have done just that. Second, when you encourage people to go out a make a difference, you are taking a risk. Not all design that has had impacted the world has been for good. And not all creators of these designs have understood their potential.

The Stop Sign
Simple and memorable, this design has had huge impact across the globe. This 97 year old design, originating in Detroit, Michigan, has made its way to all corners of the world. The field of bright red and hexagonal shape has become a staple for traffic laws, and lives a life of it’s own in parody. This design ultimately saves millions of lives and millions of dollars in property damage each year.

Coca-Cola logo
Like many brands, the flourished flowing type of this logo can be seen all over the US and Europe. Step outside this boundary though, into less developed areas across the world and you will see this logo there as well. Carrying the hope of Western wealth and prosperity, the Coca-Cola logo adorns the walls of bodegas and small stands in the slums and remote regions of the world. It can be argued that this energetic type treatment is a thin thread of hope that connects people in these otherwise forgotten places to the rest of the world.

Helvetica
This font, created in 1957 in Switzerland by Max Miedinger along with Eduard Hoffman at the Haas type foundry, helped to usher in a new era of modern design that has been adopted around the world. Love it or hate it, this font has done much for bringing well designed typography to the masses and changed the way the world views design.

The Swastika
Not all design has a positive impact on the world, the Nazi’s use of the swastika is the perfect example. Hitler’s regime understood the power of good design and utilized it to their advantage. The style guide for the Nazi regime is hauntingly well executed reminding us that in the hands of certain people design can be a dangerous tool. Even the swastika itself, originating over 3,000 years ago, had been used to promote a myriad of positive things such as life, sun, power, strength, and good luck. But like twisting words, the Nazi’s adoption of this symbol in its white circle on a red field will forever be understood across the world be a symbol for inconceivable evil.

Wave of Peace
Designed by McRay Magleby in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, Wave of Peace is considered the world’s most memorable poster. And for good reason, not only is the artwork beautiful, but the message of peace it conveys transcends language and race. Prints of this poster can be found around the world and reworks are prevalent giving this design a life and meaning of its own.

This is just a small sampling of influential designs. What others come to mind when you think of designs that have had a large impact on the world?

What matters to you?

I’ve noticed that we ask this question to other people a lot around here. Whether it’s our clients, friends or family members, we are really interested in what matters to others. It means something to us, helps us to understand and live in harmony with each other. Why is it then, that we ask ourselves this question so infrequently?

In the spirit of the season, we would like to change that. So we are posing this question to ourselves and to you.

What matters to you?

We encourage you to take some time to stop and really wonder about it. Don’t be intimidated.  Start small. What matters to you today? Is it getting to work on time? Making sure you get through your to do list? Spending a couple quality hours with your family tonight?

Recently we created a space to collect the things that matter to us. It’s a site that holds the words and images that represent what is important to us (take a peek here). We’d love for you to take a look and if you’d like, take those ideas you’ve come up with and add to this collection of things that matter (you can also submit via the #matterstoyou hash-tag on Twitter).

So, try to set aside a moment to pause and consider what matters to you. It could be what’s in front of you right now.

Join us in sharing what matters to you!

Choosing a college is a difficult task, considering all the options students have today. On the opposite end, being a college or university trying to attract the right students is an equally daunting task.

This past year, Wheaton College invited us to join them as they tackled this task of wooing new students. Our part in this process was to help rework their admissions materials. From the viewbook to Facebook apps to direct mail, every piece of paper and digital connection point was up for reinterpretation. So we went back to school; both college and high school – learning how (and why) the average high school junior and senior choose a college or university.

Our goal was to create pieces that would stand out among other college materials while communicating clearly that Wheaton College is a high-level academic institution that fosters and promotes a grace filled community, all on the backdrop of a beautiful campus.

The “Who We Are (As You Are)” campaign was what emerged from all our research and brainstorming. This campaign was developed out of the College’s desire to help prospective students and parents see the school and its students for who they really are and encourage future students to see themselves as part of this community.

The following are a sampling of the different materials we created for Wheaton to send to prospective students as well as for welcoming them on campus.

This brochure is sent out to prospective students to introduce them to Wheaton College and encourage them to visit the website to learn more about the College.

Students who request further materials are encouraged to attend the Wheaton Connection Weekend to experience the college first hand.

The Wheaton College View Book

The Wheaton College Welcome folder

Have you ever noticed that it’s difficult to work quickly without having some sort of fall out?

Sideways remarks, annoyed gazes or full out arguments seem to happen most often when the stakes are high. Whether it be personal or professional, tight deadlines and high pressure seem to be a breeding ground for resentment, frustration, miscommunications, ultimately resulting in unnecessary mistakes. We have all lived through the stress filled days and hurried nights to know the toll it takes on a company. But we are all aware that tight deadlines are inevitable and will happen every now and again. Rather than being surprised by the havoc they leave in their wake, why not plan for the storm before it gets here?

The following are some ideas on how to care for your clients, employees and self when time is of the essence.

Communication is Key
Being clear about expectations, changes, and deadlines is key to making a high stress situation go smoothly. If you find yourself assuming, you are wandering into dangerous territory. Make sure to take the time to email, call or get up from your desk to ensure your clients, co-workers, employees, and vendors are all in the loop. If you see time crunch coming on the horizon, do yourself a favor and let those around you know of the impending storm. This foreknowledge can be a life saver for vendors and helps employees plan their time appropriately.

Get Backup
Mistakes occur when you’re going fast. It’s a reality that you should plan for, not be surprised by. This is why it is important to build in back up. We’ve given this advice before, but it is worth repeating. Before work goes to the client be sure to have someone else check your work. This provides the opportunity to ask questions, catch mistakes and sometimes get some positive reinforcement. Create a habit of reviewing emails and communications to make sure you’ve taken all of your client’s thoughts into account. To make sure this step is a part of your process, you need to plan for it. So make sure review is in your plan of attack.

Mind Your P’s and Q’s
It’s easy to throw out all pleasantries when the pressure is on, but when you’re asking co-workers, employees or partners to do more than is required and to go the extra mile, please and thanks yous are a must. This is especially true if you foresee ever having to ask them any favors in the future. Showing that you respect them and appreciate their decision to work late, lower their prices or meet tight deadlines can go a long way towards sustaining a good relationship.

Do Yourself a Favor, Eat
Sometimes deadlines require burning the midnight oil. Make sure you have the fuel to sustain that flame. No food mixed with no sleep is a bad combo, especially if you have to work with a team. Working late rarely makes people happy, so food is a good way to counter the fatigue. Plan ahead, bring food or figure out early where you are going to get food, and in a down moment get up and get it. Your night will go better and you won’t have to clean up the reminiscence of a bad attitude the next day.

Fall tends to be a busy time of year for many people. How will you plan ahead to ensure that your fast work days won’t leave you furious?

Remember in college when everything was new? You were just starting to dig in to the industry you hoped would one day offer you a job. You were doing everything you could to absorb all the information that you could fit into your 3 ring binders. Learning was top priority.

For quite a few of us that was a long time ago…10 years? 20?

Are you still learning?

Really?

In the beginning I’m sure you took risks, pushed yourself hard. Getting your business started was difficult and took a lot of time and energy. And, like hard work often does, it payed off. Now it may not seem as necessary to run quite so fast or push so hard.

Unfortunately sometimes success can make us a little lazy. We know we should continue to learn and keep up to date on programs and trends, but somehow these things get pushed to the back burners. Until something changes. Like the market or our clients. As we all know, things do change, and quickly. So having resources you can tap into on a regular basis (even when things are going well) for information is increasingly important.

We have found that keeping up to date on technology and trends keeps your ideas flowing, helps you work more efficiently and allows you to offer clients more.

It’s true that you can’t possibly know everything, but you can figure out what you are interested in and what is important to your area of expertise and follow it like a stalker. If you use a certain program on a daily or weekly basis, get to know what it can do. Chances are you will find out something that will make your work faster and easier.

It is so easy to fall behind on program capabilities or trends due to the fact that they both change so rapidly. To make sure you are on top of the things you need to know it becomes increasingly necessary to keep a few resources in your tool box that you can check in on regularly. Try building at least a half a day each month to update yourself. You’d be surprised at what it could do!

Here’s our list. We’d love to hear from you! What resources do you have, or what keeps you from falling behind?

INSPIRATION/TRENDS:

• HOW magazine
• Communication Arts
• Print
• Computer Arts
• AIGA Inspiration resources
• AIGA Design Archives

HOW-TOs:

• Adobe TV (training for Adobe programs)
• Online Video Training, both paid and free: Lynda.com
• Computer Arts Projects Magazine – in-depth tutorials each issue + downloadable resources
• Make working in Microsoft Office less painful here

If you tried to call or email the R29 offices this past Thursday and Friday you might have noticed that it was a lot quieter around here than usual. That is because this past Thursday and Friday the R29 family packed their bags and took a brief hiatus up to the lovely land of Appleton, Wisconsin to hang out with some of our favorite people from Appleton Coated.

If you have never been, we highly suggest taking the trip and scheduling a tour of the Appleton mill. It is simply mind blowing to see hundreds of tons of paper being made right before your eyes.

Here are a couple amazing mill facts for you to consider:
In a single day the mill turns out around 300 tons of paper.
In one 30 ton roll you could get almost 7 million sheets of 8.5 x 11 sheets of paper.
In one minute, the mill produces 3500 feet of paper.

J-Fed giving us some instructions at the beginning of our tour. The model behind him is a replica of the Appleton Coated Mill.

Dawn rocking some serious eye protection.

Justin and Tim keeping this 30 ton roll of paper under control.

After you tour the mill, extend your trip up to Two Rivers, Wisconsin. This quaint little town is home to the  famed Hamilton Type Museum. In addition to getting a tour around their fascinating museum that includes hundreds of sets of wood type, and all the machinery used to create it, the R29 gang was able to book a class with their outstanding curator, Jim.

Jim is pictured to the left, making sure everything keeps running smoothly.

First, he is the coolest guy in Two Rivers hands down! Second, he is the most passionate person we have ever met when it comes to appreciating the art of wood type. He was more than happy to share his vast knowledge and show us how to use their many presses to create our own works of art. Appleton Coated was also very generous, supplying paper for us to do our printing!

Wood block printing (the great grandfather of wood type) can be traced back to the Chinese as far back as 868 AD. Wood type used in printing followed not long after, though it becoming increasingly popular in the early 19th century. Using wood type is an incredibly beautiful art that can be as complex or as simple as you choose.

One of the presses all set up and ready to print!

R29 love

The whole crew!

For us, it was a great experience to be able to try our hand at creating our own pieces, printing them and discovering the craft of a letter press. If you’re interested in trying it out for yourself Hamilton Type Museum is a great place to start! Another favorite of ours is Hatch Show Print in Nashville, Tennessee. Both places are run by  passionate people who will give you a great education, allowing you to experience the craft for yourself.

During our trip we got the privilege to stay at the Appleton Farm House. We very much appreciated their generous hospitality and extraordinarily good food! Thanks so much to Ferko Goldinger and John Federico for the invite and all the Appleton staff from making our trip amazing!

Love Each Other!

First off, I have to say, there is something about hating that is fun.

Whether it’s disliking someone who has wronged you or trash talking the competition, the rush of adrenaline you get from a little hating can have a sinfully addictive effect. It usually doesn’t take too long before these smoldering embers can find some real fuel in the company of others who agree with our assessments. We see this happen all the time in our culture and through the media. We love watching people fail and then talking at nausea about how we would have done it better.

And what is the harm really? Especially since the likelihood of actually having to face the person we “can’t stand” and own up to our disparaging words is highly unlikely. So we go about out days spewing our criticisms and brash opinions with no real consequences. Right?

While many of us will never meet or have to confront our “nemesis’” our hating on them does have its down side, and ironically, it is the hater who will experience the biggest loss.

That’s because hating is incredibly unproductive. While the person you are trashing may have to overcome the obstacle of people disliking them or their accomplishments, the hater is stuck with a far worse fate; apathy. When we choose to spend our time talking poorly about others, we are doing just that, spending our precious, limited, nonrefundable time.

Hating leaves us on the sidelines. Often trash talk comes with a sense of self righteousness, that in an effort to preserve itself, will eventually close our minds to new and different ways of thinking. Fear of failure takes over,  stymieing new ideas and killing innovation.

Participate

An alternative to spreading poor will might be to spend that time working on your own company, products or people. Choosing to hold your tongue and not join in while others criticize is difficult, but with some work it will eventually change how your brain works. Seriously. The paths you created in your mind that allow you to easily come up with snide remarks will have to be reworked. It’s not easy, but it’s completely possible.

And benefits are truly worth the effort. Choosing to not hate on others will require you to think differently in familiar situations. It will mean you have to reserve your judgments or at least hold them more loosely, as they probably do not carry the weight we often give them. It will also mean that you might do a lot more listening than talking. This is always a good skill to develop with clients and just about any other relationships you hope to maintain.

Remember, while we talk, others do. While we are criticizing and mocking, others are learning valuable lessons from their experience and moving ahead. Hating is a habit that will keep you behind and that is no way to run a business.

If you’re a hating addict, here are some ideas to help you quit the habit and turn your hating energy into something helpful:

Stop Fueling the Fire. This may mean avoiding certain sites, publications or even people you know. While all these can be good fun for sure, they will feed the urge to spread the bad vibes. Make sure to replace these things with something that’s more motivating and encouraging. Some ideas: TED Talks, Fast Company or Inc.

Think About Yourself. When you have the urge to speak poorly about another company or peer, redirect your thoughts and energy to your own company and your own products or processes. How can you improve? What would you want to change? If the sky was the limit, what would you do?

Consider the Why. Why are you so draw to speak poorly about a certain person or company? How are your comments about you? Now have this conversation with someone.

Just Stop Talking. Mom was right, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Taming your tongue is a great skill to master. Learning to use your words more prudently will aid you in all areas of life.

If you are an ex-hater tell us how you kicked the habit.

The most chronically mismanaged times of the day tend to be first thing in the morning and the last hour of the work day.

Is this true for you?

How do you manage your mornings? What are you doing to organize the end of your day?

We all can agree that winging it rarely gets us the results we are looking for, especially when your day has so many unique demands. Starting the day with a readiness to take on whatever comes your way is essential when you are running a company. This becomes especially important if you have employees and are interacting with clients on a regular basis. Being on top of your game when you walk through the doors not only instills confidence in those around you, but will also help you handle whatever is waiting in your inbox or on the other end of that first phone call.

The same can be said for how you wrap things up at quitting time. Ending the day in a hurry is not always avoidable, but if you see yourself making a habit of it, you might want to take a look at how you are structuring your day that is leaving you short on time.

The following are some ideas on how to start and end the day in a way that gives you a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Mornings
Your morning routine should really start right when you wake up, on time, with the opportunity to eat a healthy breakfast, without hurrying.

The following are some ideas we have implemented in the R29 office to help everyone get off on the right foot.

Email first, talk later. Answering emails first thing not only gives clients and vendors the entire day to respond, but it also gets you up to speed on what is needed for the day. This also gives you a feeling of accomplishment and finishing something right away.

Check in. After emails are done or to a good stopping point, take a lap and say hello to your team. Find out what they are doing and what they need to get their day going. Connecting with them and offering direction/encouragement/support is great for morale and can put out any potential fires before they start.

Get the small things out of the way first. This is a matter of preference, but we have found that If you are an accomplishment junkie (which most of us are) getting the easy stuff done at the start of the day will get your adrenaline flowing and keep you interested and excited for the more difficult work in the middle of the day.

Ending Well
The end of the day comes fast and often times the hours after work have responsibilities and expectations of their own that may not involve you finishing projects or proposals. Being able to wrap things up is an important skill to exercise

Give yourself time to leave. An hour before you are needing to be out the door is when you should start preparing to leave. Many of us have a hard time stopping working, so giving yourself enough time to stop is important. During this time, do the things that help you feel complete. Write emails, talk with team members about work status, organize files, whatever signals to you that work is done for the day.

Review. This is easier to do if you keep a running to-do list throughout your day. Look back over the list, mark off the things you have completed, write down or highlight the things you want to accomplish tomorrow. Put ideas you had during the day on the list too, so you can follow up on them the next day, ensuring they won’t be forgotten.

Pick an exit time and stick to it. Since most of us really enjoy our work and are very driven to succeed, the last hours of the work day are the most difficult. This means being disciplined around these final hours is increasingly important. Decide when you need to leave or finish your work and then stick to it. If this means making plans right after work to ensure you shut the computer down then do it. Knowing you have control over your work rather than work having control over you is a freeing feeling which pays back a hundred fold.

How are these hours for you?
How much effort do you put into ensuring you start and end your day in the right way?

If you own a business you understand the importance of paying attention. Business owners are always watching. Whether it be markets, culture, trends, budgets, employees, time clocks, competitors, we all have our eyes trained to spot anything on the horizon that might make or break us.

Ironically though, many of us pay minimal attention or even miss the thing that is sure to will effect us on a daily basis and will eventually, if left uncared for, will be the thing that most certainly will take us down. Let’s get down to basics…how are you paying attention to your body?

It’s kind of a funny question to be asking in terms of business. Seems more like a personal question, and of course it is. But how you treat your body will most definitely effect your business. Low energy, sick days, stomach issues, headaches and allergies are all things that will slow down your day and bring productivity to a screeching halt. While these can all be symptoms of bigger issues, many times they are directly related to the things we choose to consume during our days and, like choosing to take an inconvenient, slower route, are largely avoidable.

What you feed your body is a big determiner of how you are going to feel during your day. Eat like a teenager and you’ll be taking the same 4pm naps they do. Eat like an athlete in training and you’ll be surprised at the energy levels you sustain through the day.

Figuring out what a “good diet” actually looks like though, can be difficult to decipher especially when most of the food we encounter is covered in marketing. And marketing focused on weight loss at that. While many of us could spare a few pounds, weight loss should not be the only variable directing your food choices, because honestly who wants to be constantly thinking about their weight? It is exhausting and often leads to self deprivation.

What you eat should really be determined by what you hope to accomplish in your day and how well you want to feel while working to reach your goals.

Here are a couple things to consider when thinking through your diet.

What do I want to accomplish?
Look at your goals for the next week. Is how you are currently fueling your body going to give you the energy plus some to get these things done and done well? If the answer is not really or I don’t know it’s worth considering what a change in diet could actually do for you. The book The Corporate Athlete is a great resource for those in business looking to change their perspective on what they eat and how they treat their bodies. It also gives some insightful ideas on how the different foods can help calm nerves before an important meeting or make sure you feel rested after a long flight and help you walk into meets mentally sharp.

What will this cost me?
Just like your business, you should consider both immediate cost and future cost. Is paying a little extra for unprocessed food going to save you money on health costs down the line? Studies say yes. While it may be a bit of hit to your wallet today, the cash, energy and emotional strain you can save is probably worth the upfront cost.

A change in diet will cost more than just monetary expenses. It is a lifestyle decision that can be drastic or subtle but just like any it will require more intentionality and effort initially.

Figuring out what a “healthy diet” means for you can be a challenge as there are many companies out there advertising how their products are the solution to a healthy lifestyle.
The Corporate Athlete is a great read if you are serious about being more productive in your day.

If you are a person who really enjoys a challenge, check out The Human Performance Institute. In addition to helping athletes reach new levels of performance, they specialize in doing the same for business owners and C level individuals.

So how are you doing? If you treated your body like you do your business would there be a difference?