Check it out at blog.waterfall-creative.com
I hope you'll follow me over there for some new and improved goodness.
Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds! Let's go!
10/29/12
I've Moved!
Hey friends! I'm so so excited to announce I have moved on to a new blog space!
Check it out at blog.waterfall-creative.com
I hope you'll follow me over there for some new and improved goodness.
Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds! Let's go!
Check it out at blog.waterfall-creative.com
I hope you'll follow me over there for some new and improved goodness.
Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds! Let's go!
10/26/12
Yes.
Hey friends! Sorry I've been MIA on here this week! Promise it's not permanent, I just had a ton of stuff to catch up on this week. This was one of those weeks where seemingly everything was going wrong. Everything from me literally breaking things everywhere I go, to some really hard things happening in the lives of people close to us. I'm ready for a restful weekend and a fresh start next week. Anyone with me??
What are you guys up to this weekend? Dressing up I hope? I have no idea what I'm doing, just hoping to get some baking in there at some point.
I really really hope you had a good week. I'll see you here on Monday, not so MIA (let's hope) next week!!
Happy Friday friends. Enjoy it.
10/24/12
Fashion Inspiration
When it comes to clothes, I'm not the biggest fashionista I'm more of a, "what can I throw on to be super comfy but still look decent" kind of girl. And being that I work from home, most days are spent in yoga pants and tank tops. But I really do appreciate fashion. I love the artistic side of it. I love how you can play with colors, and express yourself through what you're wearing.
Sometimes I find myself browsing the Street Peeper site when I'm wanting some different kind of inspiration. Today I came across this lovely lady from Milan. I'm not normally drawn to these colors, maybe it's the election coming up, but I really love how she put together this outfit The bold colors of her skirt paired with the subtle neutrals of her blouse. Tying it all together is that lovely black collar. I'm a fan.
It's always fun to play around with something different, especially when you're in an "inspiration rut" as I like to call it. Fashion is a great place to gather creative and color inspiration.
You can see the details of what this girl's wearing here, and more street fashion from all over the world here! Go get inspired!
Happy Wednesday friends!
10/23/12
Design Journey | Alyssa Yuhas
I'm beyond happy to have the beautiful Alyssa Yuhas today on Design Journey! She's an amazing designer I had the privilege of meeting at DesignLife in Palm Springs. Her soft spirit and kind heart really make her stand out as not only a lovely designer, but a lovely person. Here's Alyssa everyone!
Hello! I'm Alyssa, a graphic designer at Alyssa Yuhas Creative. I'm usually found designing branding, blogs, websites and magazines for small business and creative entrepreneurs. I absolutely love what I do (I even have a poster to prove it!). I recently made a big move across the country with my husband and baby bump from Calgary to Toronto, Canada. It's an exciting time: living, loving and designing in a big new city!
When did you decide you wanted to be a graphic designer?
It wasn't an immediate "a-ha!" moment, and I wasn't designing logos in my crib – but as I look back on it now, I've always been expressing myself creatively. From a young age, you could find me doodling kittens on scrap paper or creating books filled with made-up stories with crazy drawings of made-up people. As I got a bit older, I became obsessed with magazines and hoarded issues and issues of Sassy, Teen and Seventeen magazine which can now be found packed away in my parent's basement. However, even with all of that, I never thought I would be able to "make a living" as a creative (I thought it was just a hobby). As a result, I was on a very academic route in high school – confession: I was actually a "mathlete" (!!!). Even in college, I started going down the path of becoming a mathematician, but I was still taking fine arts as electives. Though I excelled in math and really loved formulas and algebra, my creative side was clearly calling. One thing lead to the other, and I ended up switching to the Graphic Design degree program. Honestly, I don't feel like graphic design is a HUGE leap from math – they are both about problem solving. Once I joined the program, I immediately fell in love with graphic design – with the idea that there are all of these visually exciting ways to solve a problem and clearly communicate an idea, message or feeling.
How did you transition from being a student in school to being a designer in the "real world"? This wasn't easy. In my last year of college, I interned at a magazine and gained a lot of experience before I even had a chance to be out in the "real world". We weren't taught in school about the different types of paper, printing, ink, studio systems, proofing with clients, client relations, etc. but I had hands-on experience with all of that (plus, an amazing mentor) that taught me the ropes before I even had degree in hand. I was very lucky that way. But even with all of that, the transition from school to real-world/real-job was hard. Again, I was lucky to get a job RIGHT out of college (I think I graduated on a friday, started my new job on a monday), and the job was with a small boutique design studio that specialized in editorial design and art catalogues – and they won a lot of awards as a result of their talents. It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot, but was also the hardest thing I ever had to do. To be honest, I cried a lot in my first year out of school. The pressure of being one of two designers, was really heavy on this young naive grad. And being a small studio, we had our hands in everything, from the start of a job (meeting clients) to the middle (pitching ideas) to the end (production and hand off of files) – so a lot of pressure and I wasn't JUST flexing my design skills. Again, it was great experience that I wouldn't trade, but it was a lot to be thrown into right out of college and I wasn't living a glamorous life. It was hard work!
What was your first paid design job?
Good question?! I believe it was after my second year, during the summer, I worked for the church I attended in their Youth department as their ONLY graphic designer. I did a few big projects for them, but the biggest was redesigning their identity, and honestly at the time, I barely knew what an identity was! I had to go into meetings and pitch my ideas and concepts to groups of people (by myself) – incredibly intimidating for someone that had barely dipped her foot into design! I didn't know how to run a design meeting or how to pitch my ideas, I just sort of made it up as I went along. What I created was really well received, but looking back now, I can't believe I did that all on my own after just a few months of design school!
How have you been able to make a name for yourself in the design community?
I think loving what you do attracts like-minded people. I've had the opportunity to meet fellow creatives and that's been the biggest point of encouragement and growth for me. It's really important, when you work solo, to reach out and surround yourself with people that "get you". I've been really lucky to find that both online and in "real-life". It's amazing to be able to text a friend to ask for advice on pricing a new project, or email another friend to see what they would do in a similar client situation. I'm really thankful for those people that I can "talk shop" with, vent to and that give me real honest feedback.
What is one quality you think all designers should have?
There are so many qualities that are important to have in your skill set, but I think being a problem-solver is an key quality to have. Someone that can identify issues or see where something is lacking, not JUST pointing out the problem, but then they SEE the solution. I think this quality pushes you to not just rely on a specific style, or font or color palette, but pushes you to innovate your methods and become visionary in how you communicate!
What advice would you give to a new graphic designer?
Never stop learning. Never stop asking questions. I think sometimes when you've been working for a few years in the industry, you begin to either think "you know it all" or you are too embarrassed to ask. Just keep asking! I'd also encourage you to find a mentor, someone you can do just that: ask questions and soak up as much knowledge as possible.
Thanks so much Alyssa for contributing! You are such a talent and oh so lovely!
Find more of Alyssa here!
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Hello! I'm Alyssa, a graphic designer at Alyssa Yuhas Creative. I'm usually found designing branding, blogs, websites and magazines for small business and creative entrepreneurs. I absolutely love what I do (I even have a poster to prove it!). I recently made a big move across the country with my husband and baby bump from Calgary to Toronto, Canada. It's an exciting time: living, loving and designing in a big new city!
When did you decide you wanted to be a graphic designer?
It wasn't an immediate "a-ha!" moment, and I wasn't designing logos in my crib – but as I look back on it now, I've always been expressing myself creatively. From a young age, you could find me doodling kittens on scrap paper or creating books filled with made-up stories with crazy drawings of made-up people. As I got a bit older, I became obsessed with magazines and hoarded issues and issues of Sassy, Teen and Seventeen magazine which can now be found packed away in my parent's basement. However, even with all of that, I never thought I would be able to "make a living" as a creative (I thought it was just a hobby). As a result, I was on a very academic route in high school – confession: I was actually a "mathlete" (!!!). Even in college, I started going down the path of becoming a mathematician, but I was still taking fine arts as electives. Though I excelled in math and really loved formulas and algebra, my creative side was clearly calling. One thing lead to the other, and I ended up switching to the Graphic Design degree program. Honestly, I don't feel like graphic design is a HUGE leap from math – they are both about problem solving. Once I joined the program, I immediately fell in love with graphic design – with the idea that there are all of these visually exciting ways to solve a problem and clearly communicate an idea, message or feeling.
How did you transition from being a student in school to being a designer in the "real world"? This wasn't easy. In my last year of college, I interned at a magazine and gained a lot of experience before I even had a chance to be out in the "real world". We weren't taught in school about the different types of paper, printing, ink, studio systems, proofing with clients, client relations, etc. but I had hands-on experience with all of that (plus, an amazing mentor) that taught me the ropes before I even had degree in hand. I was very lucky that way. But even with all of that, the transition from school to real-world/real-job was hard. Again, I was lucky to get a job RIGHT out of college (I think I graduated on a friday, started my new job on a monday), and the job was with a small boutique design studio that specialized in editorial design and art catalogues – and they won a lot of awards as a result of their talents. It was an amazing experience that taught me a lot, but was also the hardest thing I ever had to do. To be honest, I cried a lot in my first year out of school. The pressure of being one of two designers, was really heavy on this young naive grad. And being a small studio, we had our hands in everything, from the start of a job (meeting clients) to the middle (pitching ideas) to the end (production and hand off of files) – so a lot of pressure and I wasn't JUST flexing my design skills. Again, it was great experience that I wouldn't trade, but it was a lot to be thrown into right out of college and I wasn't living a glamorous life. It was hard work!
What was your first paid design job?
Good question?! I believe it was after my second year, during the summer, I worked for the church I attended in their Youth department as their ONLY graphic designer. I did a few big projects for them, but the biggest was redesigning their identity, and honestly at the time, I barely knew what an identity was! I had to go into meetings and pitch my ideas and concepts to groups of people (by myself) – incredibly intimidating for someone that had barely dipped her foot into design! I didn't know how to run a design meeting or how to pitch my ideas, I just sort of made it up as I went along. What I created was really well received, but looking back now, I can't believe I did that all on my own after just a few months of design school!
How have you been able to make a name for yourself in the design community?
I think loving what you do attracts like-minded people. I've had the opportunity to meet fellow creatives and that's been the biggest point of encouragement and growth for me. It's really important, when you work solo, to reach out and surround yourself with people that "get you". I've been really lucky to find that both online and in "real-life". It's amazing to be able to text a friend to ask for advice on pricing a new project, or email another friend to see what they would do in a similar client situation. I'm really thankful for those people that I can "talk shop" with, vent to and that give me real honest feedback.
What is one quality you think all designers should have?
There are so many qualities that are important to have in your skill set, but I think being a problem-solver is an key quality to have. Someone that can identify issues or see where something is lacking, not JUST pointing out the problem, but then they SEE the solution. I think this quality pushes you to not just rely on a specific style, or font or color palette, but pushes you to innovate your methods and become visionary in how you communicate!
What advice would you give to a new graphic designer?
Never stop learning. Never stop asking questions. I think sometimes when you've been working for a few years in the industry, you begin to either think "you know it all" or you are too embarrassed to ask. Just keep asking! I'd also encourage you to find a mentor, someone you can do just that: ask questions and soak up as much knowledge as possible.
Thanks so much Alyssa for contributing! You are such a talent and oh so lovely!
Find more of Alyssa here!
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Portfolio: http://alyssayuhas.com
Blog: http://ilikenicethingsblog.com
10/18/12
Step it Up 03 | Just do it
Hey hey there friends! Today on "Step it up" I'm talking about getting things done. Nike had it right with their "just do it" slogan. Sometimes, ya just gotta do it!
You know what I'm talking about. When thinking abou something you have to do makes you cringe inside, all you want to do is run to Facebook or Twitter. Good 'ol social media is a wonderful tool and a great distraction. Sometimes, you gotta pull out that old discipline stick and do the opposite. Tell yourself, "the sooner you get it done the sooner you won't have to think about it." There's nothing worse than having something you don't want to do lingering over your head all day. Here are a few ways I handle my "I just want to stalk people on Facebook" days.
1 // Have a to-do list and stick to it. I don't know about you guys, but in working for myself, to-do lists are life-savers. They act as my boss throughout the day. In the morning I arrange my tasks in order of priority. Once I finish one thing, I go to my list to see what's next for me to do. It saves me time and mental stress to know that my list knows what's up. It's constantly growing and changing throughout the day. If I get an email asking for logo revisions, I have to stop what I'm doing and put that new task onto my list. Right then and there. Or else I forget and that task never gets done! (Check out Tuex Duex it's what I use and I love it!)
2 // Set timers. Tell yourself that for the next hour (or whatever time period you desire) you won't wander away from the task at hand. Set a timer on your phone so you don't have to keep looking at the clock. Work hard on what you need to do for that time period, then take a 10 minute "wander" break. A wander break is where you give yourself 10 minutes to send out a tweet, check out the latest Travel Zoo deals, or update your Facebook status. (I just made that name up, and I think I like it!) Set a timer for this as well. After that 10 minutes is up, get back to the project you were working on before, or move onto something else. Giving yourself time constraints can do a ton of good for your day to day productivity. That way you are able to focus on the task at hand, knowing there's a "wander break" coming up!
3 // Suck it up (saying that in the nicest way possible!) There's always going to be that one thing you don't want to do. Take dishes for example. You just got done with a late dinner, you're exhausted from the day, and after an episode of Parks and Rec, your comfy bed is screaming your name. But there's one thing you forgot to do - dishes. Noooo! So you ignore those dishes and go straight to bed. Morning comes, you wake up to emails / children / work / more chores AND dishes from last night. Putting things off just makes for more work later. Ignoring things doesn't make them go away. Sometimes you just have to suck it up and do it, even when everything in you tells you not to.
These are things I've found help me get things done and "just do it" throughout my day. If you guys have any tips or have found something that helps you get things done throughout the day, leave it in the comments! We're all here to help each other out and I'm sure someone will benefit from it :)
Happy Thursday friends!
10/17/12
Wednesday Words from Audrey.
Isn't it weird getting older? As a little girl, I always looked up to adults, thinking they had it all together. Now that I am one, I realize that life isn't perfect, and neither am I! I think however we measure success (we all see it differently) it seems like the end to our problems in our minds. As if when we get there, life will become the perfect reality we've always dreamed of. When really, we're still going to be the imperfect people we are today.
Just some words and thoughts on a Wednesday morn.
Have a great day friends!
10/16/12
DESIGN JOURNEY | Jessica Cardelucci
Welcome to the second addition of Design Journey! Today we have the talented Jessica Cardelucci! Not only is this girl a well crafted designer but she is also an amazing photographer. I met her while working at a design firm in Newport Beach, and have always admired the knowledge she has on practical aspects of design, as well as her amazing work ethic. When I first went out on my own and started freelancing, Jessica was one of the first people by my side, always willing to give advice and help me out. I'm grateful she is here to share her wisdom with you all today!
As an artist I love using my photography and graphic design skills to convey a message. I fell in love with corporate branding because of my passion for both arts. Not only can I express a brand’s message through design, but also through the use of imagery. Combining both talents into a single career has been a dream come true. Recently, I even followed my dreams to sell photography prints, so keep an eye out for images available on my web site and in local coffee shops soon!
When did you decide you wanted to be a graphic designer?
I decided to study Graphic Design at Chapman University in their BFA program because of my love for photography and Photoshop. To be honest, I really had no idea what I was signing up for... besides that I liked Photoshop! After taking my first few courses, to my surprise I fell in love with Adobe Illustrator and typography. My course on Advanced Typography was when I created my own typeface “Sticky Fingers” inspired from the metal hinge on a pair of sun glasses. This opened my eyes to a new career and lead me to where I am now.
How did you transition from being a student in school to being a designer in the "real world"?
Since I freelanced on the side throughout college, I was pretty comfortable dealing with my own clients. The hardest part was landing my first job and having to be creative from 9 to 5! This was the most difficult, yet most important skill to master. In the end of the day, though it is hard to force creativity I’m glad I have that skill in my back pocket. Being a designer is worthless if you can’t meet a deadline!
What was your first paid design job?
My first full time job was being hired as a graphic designer at David Riley Associates, which was actually how I met Joanna! We worked on large branding projects for local and nation wide companies. I oversaw most of the designs for the rebrand of PdM Bakery | Cafe. This was an exciting project to work on where I did everything from creating tag lines, developing patterns, to executing the design & packaging.
How have you been able to make a name for yourself in the design community?
I love meeting other designers in the industry because it’s essential to share your problems and successes amongst each other. Working for myself, it is vital for me to have friends I can depend on. It’s great to pick someone's brain when you are struggling and need advice. I have always been the tech savvy one and the problem solver. I can comfortably say I’m the ‘go to’ person when something goes wrong! I truly enjoy helping other designers when time allows because to me, that’s what the design community is all about.
What is one quality you think all designers should have?
Thinking outside the box. It’s easy to see all of the amazing designs that other graphic designers create and it’s also just as easy to start following trends in the industry. I try to remind myself to break outside the ‘norm’ and try something new. This is essential to being a good designer.
What advice would you give to a new graphic designer?
Always treat every project like it’s your best. Many people make excuses why their projects could be better like if it had a larger budget or if they had more time. In the end of the day, it’s up to you as the designer to put 110% into every job and make a $300 look like $3,000. Always doing your best will lead to bigger and better things. I promise!
Thanks so much Jessica! Such great advice!
Find more of Jessica here:
Website + Blog // cardelucci.com
Twitter // Twitter.com/JessCardelucci
Facebook // Facebook.com/Cardelucci
Pinterest // Pinterest.com/JessCardelucci
Happy Tuesday friends! Make it a good one :)
As an artist I love using my photography and graphic design skills to convey a message. I fell in love with corporate branding because of my passion for both arts. Not only can I express a brand’s message through design, but also through the use of imagery. Combining both talents into a single career has been a dream come true. Recently, I even followed my dreams to sell photography prints, so keep an eye out for images available on my web site and in local coffee shops soon!
When did you decide you wanted to be a graphic designer?
I decided to study Graphic Design at Chapman University in their BFA program because of my love for photography and Photoshop. To be honest, I really had no idea what I was signing up for... besides that I liked Photoshop! After taking my first few courses, to my surprise I fell in love with Adobe Illustrator and typography. My course on Advanced Typography was when I created my own typeface “Sticky Fingers” inspired from the metal hinge on a pair of sun glasses. This opened my eyes to a new career and lead me to where I am now.
How did you transition from being a student in school to being a designer in the "real world"?
Since I freelanced on the side throughout college, I was pretty comfortable dealing with my own clients. The hardest part was landing my first job and having to be creative from 9 to 5! This was the most difficult, yet most important skill to master. In the end of the day, though it is hard to force creativity I’m glad I have that skill in my back pocket. Being a designer is worthless if you can’t meet a deadline!
What was your first paid design job?
My first full time job was being hired as a graphic designer at David Riley Associates, which was actually how I met Joanna! We worked on large branding projects for local and nation wide companies. I oversaw most of the designs for the rebrand of PdM Bakery | Cafe. This was an exciting project to work on where I did everything from creating tag lines, developing patterns, to executing the design & packaging.
How have you been able to make a name for yourself in the design community?
I love meeting other designers in the industry because it’s essential to share your problems and successes amongst each other. Working for myself, it is vital for me to have friends I can depend on. It’s great to pick someone's brain when you are struggling and need advice. I have always been the tech savvy one and the problem solver. I can comfortably say I’m the ‘go to’ person when something goes wrong! I truly enjoy helping other designers when time allows because to me, that’s what the design community is all about.
What is one quality you think all designers should have?
Thinking outside the box. It’s easy to see all of the amazing designs that other graphic designers create and it’s also just as easy to start following trends in the industry. I try to remind myself to break outside the ‘norm’ and try something new. This is essential to being a good designer.
What advice would you give to a new graphic designer?
Always treat every project like it’s your best. Many people make excuses why their projects could be better like if it had a larger budget or if they had more time. In the end of the day, it’s up to you as the designer to put 110% into every job and make a $300 look like $3,000. Always doing your best will lead to bigger and better things. I promise!
Thanks so much Jessica! Such great advice!
Find more of Jessica here:
Website + Blog // cardelucci.com
Twitter // Twitter.com/JessCardelucci
Facebook // Facebook.com/Cardelucci
Pinterest // Pinterest.com/JessCardelucci
Happy Tuesday friends! Make it a good one :)
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