Notes that I think we could all use at SOME point…

justos tumblr blog.

RSA Animate: First as Tragedy, Then as Farse

I love these RSA Animate videos!  I saw this the other day and found it pretty interesting.  I don’t know all the answers, but I appreciate when people posit suggestions.

In this short RSA Animate, renowned philosopher Slavoj Zizek investigates the surprising ethical implications of charitable giving.

Don’t be a cheapskate. Why I hate Spec Work…

I came across this post today over at the Donut Project about a company that basically is trying to find photographers to work for free.

Now, I’ve had a post on this topic brewing in my head for well over a year now and reading this post fires me all up… There are a number of sites out there based on this ‘compete for the job’ principle. (99 Designs & the like — there’s a ton of them…)  I get the premise. Unfortunately I think it is completely unfair to designers & photographers alike.  You are basically asking someone to do something for free.

Here are some of the arguments I hear from those in favor of what I’m going to call design-mill sites:

Argument 1.  Designers have always had to compete for business, it’s no different than any other company having to compete for business. Weeeeelllll, yes, designers have always had to compete for business, but it’s VERY different from other types of business competition…. as much of your competition rests on a creative process that probably includes hours upon hours of work to mock-up ideas and designs and presentations just to win the job.  For freelancers it is nearly impossible to spend hours upon hours mocking up design proposals to have to compete with hundreds of people for one job that may pay out 300$ (like many of the jobs on 99 designs).  That won’t even pay your rent for the month!  Now, on the other hand, LARGE FIRMS that spend the time creating proposals for a job get a larger payout when they are awarded a contract for a job (as opposed to a one-off logo or photo shoot), which in return makes up for the time they spent on the proposal…. this won’t work at 300$ a pop…

Argument 2.  Even if you don’t win it’s good for your portfolio. Well this argument is just bull.  If you are any kind of designer you’ve got a portfolio dating back to your early days of high school, maybe even earlier.  Working for free ISN’T A GOOD IDEA. Sure if you want to spend some of your free time designing stuff for your portfolio, go ahead, but for the love of GOD, don’t spend your time mocking up ideas for these ‘design competitions’.  Do you even know what ROI means?  300$ IF you win, competing against HUNDREDS of designs? Hmmm. Not great odds. (More on this here…)  And you know what probably would suck the most about competing in some of these??? Knowing who actually wins.  My guess is that it would be one of the most ridiculous designs….and you’d want to shoot someone.

The author of the post over at the Donut Project makes some very good points in his/her article and in an effort not to completely lose everyone’s interest I’m going to end my rant here, but believe me, I could probably write on this topic for days.  It just enrages me that people have the nerve to ask me to do my work for free…. I don’t ask teachers, doctors, lawyers, cops and/or waitresses to do their job for free!

Other good posts, articles & sites that I’ve read on this topic:

• No Spec.com
• I agree whole-heartedly with AIGA’s position on Spec Work.
• 6 Reasons Spec Work Sucks

Here Is Why Web Developers Hate IE6

Here Is Why Web Developers Hate IE6.

Funny little picture representation of what IE6 does to our lovely css work…

If It’s Hip, It’s Here: Another Vodka Tries Attracting Women. Introducing Van Gogh Blue.

If It’s Hip, It’s Here: Another Vodka Tries Attracting Women. Introducing Van Gogh Blue..

I really love some of these posters.  I don’t drink vodka, but all the same, I love the sentiments!

Mt. Tea Studios

I went to a boarding school in high school. Like everything there were pros & cons. Two of the pros were a couple of my art teachers. Kristy & Mark were like my parents away from home. A couple years after I graduated they started building a cabin north of Asheville, NC, which they spend holidays and summers at. So I’ve visited them every August since they’ve been coming down this way. This past year they finished building a studio up on top of their mountain. I always come home with the best photos & a renewed perspective. There aren’t many people from high school that I see on a regular basis, so its something like visiting home for me. You know, a ‘centering‘ experience. We don’t do anything special, just have dinner, talk, watch the sunset & maybe a movie, but it’s one of my favorite evenings of the whole year and something I am always looking forward to. Kristy & Mark are still practicing artists and asked me to take some pictures of their new studio for the remake of their website. I hope to show you some of their individual work in later posts, but for now, check out some of the images from this years visit…

If you’d like to see some more of the pictures, check out my whole album here.

Extreme Poodles : Creative Grooming – Obscure, Awesome Talent!

So I was channel surfing and came upon Extreme Poodles, which I had never seen before. Nor did I realize it existed.  Here’s a trailer for the show I watched.  And some examples of some amazing creative grooming!  The roller derby dog was definitely my favorite but they were all pretty awesome!  Who knew you could compete at creative grooming?!

Just UNBELIEVABLE. Amazing.

Mint Design

If you guys don’t follow or keep tabs on Ellie of Mint Design… GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

Ellie was one of my roommates and greatest friends in college and she is a fantastic designer with great tastes. I am always inspired by her work and what she posts about.  Today she covered photographer Vincent Fourier.  Lovely, of course.

She does a great job posting things that have yet to make the blog circuit, her sponsors are fantastic and her personal etsy shops are full of fantastic finds and lovely designs.

So head on over to her blog and check it out!  You won’t be disappointed!

JPG in the Sun

For all the designers out there. Check out this song…

JPG in the Sun : Listen Here!

I had a vision in RGB format
300dpi, cracked LCD yeah
you were so bright like a big ball of fire
your crystal clear resolution got me higher

Somebody tell me how to get my hands on a JPG in the sun

Image so perfect deserves my attention
But you are burning, I forgot to mention
Cannot stop looking, fixated and frozen
S T A R I N G I am so spun

Somebody tell me how to get my hands on a JPG in the sun

I’m out of breath but you keep my heart beating
I can’t believe all the things I am seeing
Cyan, magenta, yellow and then some black
All are the same, because JPG, you’re so stacked

Somebody tell me how to get my hands on a JPG in the sun

Now we’re together we’ll be there forever
Somebody, please help me get to the sun

High quality liquid crystals are falling
JPG, your name I’m melodically calling
Let’s get it over with, come on let’s do it
I’ll paste you to my heart with modge podge and glue sticks

Iameffed.com : e-fail by aquent (found through coudal)

Perusing Coudal today, one of my favorite sources for hilarity… came across iameffed.com which allows you to send a message (an e-fail) to whoever you want. Done by Aquent. Check it out.

Here’s the message I sent myself:

Here’s the website:
There’s a host of different crises, subjects and images to choose from!