I came across a great website on Twitter today. Where We Design showcases design spaces from studios and agencies around the world.

I’ve been having a lot of fun browsing the photos of where other graphic designers work. Stuff like this really gets me motivated to make my own space more creative (still need to get around to hanging a couple things on the wall).

One of my favorites is this one in Tulsa, OK. I love the way the conference room is placed in the middle of everything and even raised up off of the floor a little.

In my design work, I’ve found that the state of my work area affects both my productivity and my creativity. For creativity I keep a lot of inspirational products, mailers, magazines, etc. around that I can browse when I need inspiration. I’ve also found that keeping my desk free from too much clutter helps me stay calm and productive. The messier my desk is the more stressed out I become.

What’s important to you in your workspace?

I recently experienced a great example of customer service on Twitter. It started when I complained about my web-hosting company (Earthlink) and mentioned that I was switching to Bluehost.

@basketsbybonnie responded to this post saying that she had been having problems with Earthlink as well and that she was considering moving her hosting to Network Solutions. Within a couple of hours both Bluehost and Network Solutions had responded to our discussion. Bluehost dropped in to say hi and Network Solutions also offered help if it was needed.

We recently finished the design for an annual report for Loma Linda University Medical Center. We’ve done their annual report for the last several years and it’s always a really fun project. I love the opportunity to work on a project like this from start to finish, being involved in everything from the concepts to photo shoots to press checks.

The theme for this report was HOPE, namely the hope that the medical center can bring it’s patients. We found various ways to translate this theme into the design. One of the primary ways we did this was to incorporate the sun into many of the photos. The sun combined with the vibrant color palette gives an uplifting feel to the entire piece.

Overall it was a fantastic project and I feel lucky to work with such great clients. I hope you’ll take a minute to view our portfolio and images of the annual report design.

I’m on Twitter most every day for a significant portion of the day. My primary reason for being on Twitter is to keep an ear to the design community both so that I can stay up-to-date with design trends and so that I can find inspiration. Much of the inspiration I find on Twitter would probably be interesting to readers of this site so I’ve decided to pass some of it along.

This first post has nothing to do with graphic design but is still pretty awesome. Check out this video of an underwater explosion and just imagine being on that boat. Enjoy.

When I first heard the rumors that Apple was going to release a Multi-Touch mouse I was excited (probably more excited than I should have been). I’ve been using the Mighty Mouse for years but I’ve never loved it. It’s not horrible but my clumsy fingers have a tough time finding the right click. I figured the new Apple mouse could be the solution to all of my problems

When the Magic Mouse was actually posted to the Apple website I excitedly read through all of the features and stared at all of the slick photos. It seemed perfect. I called the Apple Store every day until they finally had them in stock and went it and bought it.

First impression was awe, as it typically is for Apple products. I loved the clear plastic box that it came in, I loved not being tied to a cord, I loved the smooth surface. It paired up well with my MacBook Pro and I quickly got to work with my new mouse. I noticed right away that the right click worked every time and I loved the ability to scroll using the entire top surface of the mouse.

I loved my new mouse for about a day. The flaws quickly became apparent. Although I mostly liked the new mouse, there were a couple of things that kept me from loving it and unfortunately they were deal breakers

The first problem is that it’s just too small to be used for extended periods of time. Initially I thought that I’d get used to it, that I just needed to learn to hold it properly. However, after a couple of days of design my hand and arm just started aching. This may not be a problem if you are only using your computer for an hour or two a day but for me, using it 8+ hours a day, it was a big problem (although I do know of at least one other designer that loves the mouse).

The second problem was that I’d accidentally swipe my finger across the top of the mouse while using InDesign or other design programs. It’s incredibly frustrating to be working on a document and suddenly jump to a new place. I’m aware that this problem is my own fault, and that if I were a little more coordinated I would be able to get used to using the mouse without accidental scrolling. But that’s not the case and it drove me crazy.

The Apple store gives you 14 days to return a product. I wanted to give the Magic Mouse a fair chance so I used my full 14 days but in the end I just couldn’t get used to it. As much as I wanted to love my shiny new Apple mouse I just couldn’t get used to it.

What do you think? Have you tried the Magic Mouse? Is it working for you?

A lot of us get lazy or are hesitant to upgrade our computers, and that includes our webs browsers. The problem with that is that by not keeping updated you are taking a security risk. By using an older web browser you’re making it easier for thieves and hackers to pass along viruses and steal your information. Yes, there is antivirus software that can help but you also need to keep your programs up-to-date.

There are other benefits to upgrading as well. Newer browsers tend to run faster, never a bad thing. They can also help keep your computer running faster by using less memory. On the design side of things, updated browsers will help the sites we design look the way we intend them to look.

There are lots of browsers out there, but whichever one you use I would recommend upgrading to the latest version. I’ve found a site that not only tells you what you’ll gain by upgrading your particular browser, but it also links to the download page for each of those browsers. Take a look at updateyourbrowser.net and make sure you’re up-to-date.

As much as I’d like to say that everyone should hire a graphic designer for any and all visual projects, there are times when it’s not necessary or simply not in the budget. For those times, I’ve compiled a list of basic design rules that can help anyone improve their design projects. As with most rules there are appropriate times to break them, however, most projects will be improved if these rules are followed.

Fonts — People love fonts. They love to cram as many different, unique fonts into their designs as possible. The problem is that this can overwhelm the reader. So what fonts should you choose? Believe it or not, it’s typically not the crazy, unique fonts that many are tempted to use when designing. Simple, tasteful fonts will make your design easier to read and help keep clutter to a minimum. Novelty fonts have their place but it’s typically a safer bet to stick to the classics.It’s far better to pick one or two fonts for the entire design.
*Bonus Tip — Choosing a serif font for large blocks of text will make your copy easier to read. The little “legs” on serif letters actually help guide the readers eye along and ease strain. (learn about serifs here)

Emphasis — Too often people want to emphasize everything. The problem is that if everything is emphasized then nothing is really emphasized. Picture a flyer that has all of the text in bold bright colors. What will stand out? Nothing and the reader will most likely be overwhelmed by all of the “screaming”. It’s far better to choose a headline and a few key points that stand out from the rest.
*Bonus Tip — Don’t use all caps. Words are much harder to read when written in all caps because all of the letters are the same height. Size, color and bold fonts are all ways to draw attention without hurting readability.

White Space — White space is simply an area on the page that has nothing in it. This is a tough one for a lot of people. When we see an empty space we naturally want to fill it. The problem is that our eyes need to “breathe” or else we begin to feel overwhelmed. A good way to avoid overwhelming your reader is to make sure that there are places on the page with no information. That’s right, nothing. Leave large margins inside the edge of the page, leave space between the lines of copy and don’t run your text and photos right up against each other. We’re all overwhelmed with too much information. Give your readers a little break and you’ll increase comprehension and interest.
*Bonus Tip — White space doesn’t have to be white. The term white space simply refers to areas that are devoid of information or strong design elements.

Colors — No matter what else is on the page, your color choices will set the mood. Color is often the first impression that the reader will get, even if they aren’t actually thinking about the colors. Your color palette should emphasize the message and fit the mood of the piece. For example, if you’re creating an ad for a law firm you’ll want to use colors that inspire confidence, not the same bright pastel colors you might see in an ad aimed at kids.
*Bonus Tip — There are lots of websites that can help you develop your own color palettes or use ones that others have created. My favorite is kuler from Adobe.

These tips may not make up for a design degree but hopefully they’ll help you out the next time you’re putting together a new project (or you could just call me).

A poster at a bus stop in Hamburg, Germany actually changes when people look at it. The poster, which is a domestic abuse awareness ad from Amnesty International, uses eye tracking to determine when someone is looking at it. What first appears as a photo of a man striking a woman changes (after a short delay) to a photo of a happy couple when it detects that someone is looking.

People have speculated that this ad was created primarily to win an award, which it did (Silver Award at the Cannes Lions 2009 Outdoor) since it has only been installed at one location. With that said, it’s been getting a lot of publicity and it’s reach has clearly extended beyond the lone bus stop in Hamburg.

I love seeing technology used so effectively to convey this point. What do you think? Do you know of other examples that effectively use new technology?

It seems that Microsoft has found, and is exploiting Apple’s weakness. It’s long been argued that Apple computers are overpriced. I happen to disagree with that opinion, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the perceived imbalance in value and the Laptop Hunter ads exploit that perfectly.

In case you haven’t seen the ads, they show someone looking for a new computer to fit a certain budget. The shopper glances at the Macs but deems them too expensive and settles on a PC. (View Ads) These ads seem to be quite effective. As a recent AdAge article points out, Apple’s value perception has fallen while Microsoft’s has risen.

The funny thing about all of this is that Apple seems to be afraid that the ads are working. Wired recently reported that Microsoft COO Kevin Turner recently said that he got a call from Apple telling them to stop running the ads. For now, Microsoft just seems to be emboldened by the response from Apple and doesn’t plan to stop running the ads anytime soon. And whey should they? The ads seem to be working perfectly.

It seems that Microsoft has found, and is exploiting Apple’s weakness. It’s long been argued that Apple computers are overpriced. I happen to disagree with that opinion, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the perceived imbalance in value and the Laptop Hunter ads exploit that perfectly.

In case you haven’t seen the ads, they show someone looking for a new computer to fit a certain budget. The shopper glances at the Macs but deems them too expensive and settles on a PC. (View Ads) These ads seem to be quite effective. As a recent AdAge article points out, Apple’s value perception has fallen while Microsoft’s has risen.

The funny thing about all of this is that Apple seems to be afraid that the ads are working. Wired recently reported that Microsoft COO Kevin Turner recently said that he got a call from Apple telling them to stop running the ads. For now, Microsoft just seems to be emboldened by the response from Apple and doesn’t plan to stop running the ads anytime soon. And whey should they? The ads seem to be working perfectly.