The past couple of weeks I’ve been having migraines. Now, I’ve always been prone to headaches but recently my stress level has seemed to go through the roof and the resulting cycle is more headaches and I can get less accomplished, equally LESS prodcutivity which causes more stress resulting in more headaches. It’s a vicious cycle. Get it?

Well, because of this, I’ve done some research on stress relief and everyday things you can do to eliminate or expel stress. Yesterday I took a day off work both formally and client side for the most part and spent the day treating myself to recovery. And today, I can honestly say the results have paid off big time! I feel amazing!

So here are some of the things I did  . . .

1. Take a vacation day just FOR YOU. That’s right, try to make minimal plans so that you can simply do what YOU want to do. For me, this was a little difficult, as when I finally decided to do this, I already had scheduled 2 client meetings and an oil change. The oil change I was able to reschedule but I went ahead and kept the meetings, they were with some of my favorite clients anyway.

2. Sleep in and then just lay there. I had no problem with the sleeping in part until my phone starting ringing off the hook and alerting me to new emails and texts. Yeah, unfortunately I actually had to get up. Take my phone to the other end of the house. Even on silent, the phone still vibrates ever so slightly and I realized even that sound of work piling up was NOT going to help me relax. By the time I got up at about 10 I had already received 4 phone calls, 3 client texts and 24 emails.  After I had finally decided there would be no more sleeping, I went back, found my phone and made some calls, chatting with family members and catching up on things that were happening. Snugly under the covers. For me, that in itself was relaxing as I’m normally talking on bluetooth or earbuds while accomplishing other tasks.

3. Take a long bubble bath with aroma therapy and spa supplies. Now, obviously if you’re a guy this is probably not on your list of “relaxing things”. If it is . . . well, don’t tell me . =P  But for me, I took the time to relax, gave myself a pedicure and a facial and treated my hair to a leave in conditioner as I was getting ready to go to lunch with a client and my business partner.

4. Enjoy the sunshine. Yesterday in Tulsa was a beautiful Spring day, at 71 degrees and sunshine I was able to drive my convertible. The sunshine made such a difference on my outlook! Days like that certainly make a difference. If you don’t have a convertible, consider opening your windows, sunroof or just go for a nice long walk out in the sun to get the right chemicals awakened in your brain.

5. Sing at the top of your lungs. This was something that I read during my research last week, but singing at the top of your lungs, whether in the car or in the shower, will actually alleviate stress! Try it . . you’ll be amazed how much better you feel.

6. Wash your car. Did you know that a seemingly simple task, such as washing your car can be very relaxing and rewarding? It can. Not only will you be subconsciously proud of how your car looks afterward when you’re driving, but there is something about “cleaning” that affects our brains. We expect things to be clean and when they are we have peace. Between errands I spent about 45 minutes washing/waxing and vacuuming my car I felt so good

7. Express yourself. As an artist, it had been a really long time since I’ve done any traditional art. So I bought some new small canvases yesterday and spent the evening painting. It was not only therapeutic and relaxing but also used an entirely different skill set for me.

8. Drink hot tea. Yeah, it may seem strange. But if you’re not normally a tea drinker take the time to slow down and enjoy a good herbal tea or something a little stronger like a nice black tea. Yesterday I picked up Chamomile and Earl Gray.

I’m sure the list could go on and on, and we all have things we “do” to get ourselves back on track, but don’t overlook the little things you can do to really set yourself right. Not only will your designs show that you are relaxed, but I’m sure your customer service will improve as well.

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If there is one thing I’ve learned as a designer for nearly 10 years it’s to SAVE everything. a lot of work has been eliminated through the years because I have been able to go back and quickly put my hands on a certain file, font or stock photo that was previously used for a project.

Unfortunately, you probably already know that SAVING EVERYTHING can take a lot of time and space. This week a fellow designer and colleague asked about my file practices. I realized this is an area where we can certainly all learn from each other as we share our methods and increase our effeciency.

So, here’s what I do:

My file structure is first broken down into clients. Sometimes by their names or their company names.Inside those ‘client’ folders, I break each client down by projects.

Such as:

Business Card

Bookmark

CD Covers

Website
Now, within each of those “project” folders, I include folders for all the parts of the projects:

Such as:

Concepts
Stock Photos
Fonts
Final
Revisions

As I mentioned, so many times, this has saved me being able to go back and pull some random part from a project quickly. Depending on the size and scope of the project, sometimes within that structure I’ll also have to break it down into layered files and flattened files, so I may also have a directory for JPEGs, PSD, INDD etc. Just depending on the program used and project specifics.

That’s me and how I handle my files. What about you?

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If you travel as much as I do and you’re as committed to keeping up with your work as I am, then you might be interested in some of the self sufficiency tips and toys I’ve acquired over the years.

Internet Access. As a Web designer it’s not possible for me to go TOO long without an internet connection. To make sure I have what I need on business trips and traveling adventures I use a broadband aircard. The card I have is from Verizon, but it’s my understanding that there are more companies that carry them today than when I purchased a few years ago.  The aircard works much like a cell phone, generally requiring a 2 year contract and a monthly connection fee. But for me, it has been well-worth it. Case in point. Tonight I’m blogging form the back seat of my mom’s Jetta as we are taking a road trip down to Dallas, TX for the week.

Vehicle Power Supply. Car, truck, van or SUV I can always plug in. I use an AD/DC adapter that I plug my Mac power cord into for continual power streaming to my machine from any available power outlet or cigarette lighter. These  adapters normally run about $35 and can be found at most hardware or electronic stores.

External Mac Battery. Power outage? No problem. I recently added a Hyper Mac external battery to my “on the road” arsenal. With it, I have an additional 12 hours of ‘no-plug” time. The best part is, I don’t have to ever sit and seeth about wasting my time anymore. Because no matter where I am or what I’m doing, I can be fully connected to EVERYTHING in a matter of minutes.

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The moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived! First of all I’d like to thank you all for participating this year and making the competition such a great success. We got a lot of coverage online this year as the competition is growing in popularity. Enough about all that— let’s get to what you REALLY want: this year’s winners.

1st Place Goes to Ramond Walker for his designs for Launch Ministries!

2nd Place Goes to Sherman Merchant for his designs for Oops! Creative:

3rd Place Goes to Ramond Walker for designs for Revolution:

Awards of Distinction Winners Listed Below:

Austin Beymer

Joy Franzen

David Willis

Chelsea Davey

Shawn Bender

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Alright, so let’s say your new client is an author. And they want you to design . . . .  a bookmark! In an earlier post we touched on designing a bookmark as a promotional piece, but let’s take it a step farther tonight.

In the book industry these days there is REALLY stiff competition. Do you have what it takes to stand out amid the chaos? You better.

Let’s talk a little about what you might want to include on a bookmark for an author:

1. Book Image

2. Book Title

3. Author Name (obvious?)

4. Book Price

5. Book Web site URL

6. Book Synopsis

7. Author Image

8. Author Bio (one-liner)

9. Publisher

10. ISBN Number

11. Tagline or Selling Focus

12. Contact Information for Sales

Wow! That’s a dozen things! Think it’s impossible? Well, it might be if your set on just doing a single-sided bookmark for budget reasons.  However, if that’s the case, look carefully at the elements there and decide what are the most important elements to your client. For instance, on tonight’s bookmark, I’ve opted to simply include the book and social media contact information for the author (uh, that would be me). And, that works, because of the nature of the book. So find your clients niche and go for it!

Smashing Magazine issued a challenge to designers for the new year, and I’m on board! I tried to decide what type of design I’d want to do and could stretch my boundaries as a designer. So in answer to this Challenge, I will be designing and posting a new Bookmark design each day on this blog. The Designs will link to a downloadable PDF that you can feel free to download, print out and share as desired.

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My friend and fellow designer @akd623 has inspired me to learn more about the Mesh tool in Illustrator and learn to use it to create awesome realistic illustrations. Tonight I played with the tool a bit and thought the perfect shape to start on would be circles! so I created some marbles using the tool for adding color/shading and light. Yes, I KNOW that the light source is different on all the marbles. Yes, I know they are different sizes and on different planes. That’s the beauty of “playing” I made the rules. =P

Hopefully by the end of the year, I’ll be able to do something more like the great tutorials found on vector.tutsplus.com.

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January 5th, WE Women’s Magazine released their list of 101 Female Bloggers to watch for 2010. I am happy to report that ISOD made the cut! In honor of that accomplishment, I want to feature a few of my favorite posts from the past year:

Keys to the Perfect Logo

Logo Don’ts

Creating an Identity

What is the Purpose?

Student Cards

Beyond the Borders

Today’s “Design Everyday” Bookmark features Sam. Sam is the Collipsis Web Solutions mascot. He’s a friendly 1950’s handy man that compliements the trusty ‘downhome’ branding that Collipsis is known for. This image of Sam was drawn in Illustrator and the bookmark was designed in photoshop. I hope you enjoy it!  You can download a copy here.

Smashing Magazine issued a challenge to designers for the new year, and I’m on board! I tried to decide what type of design I’d want to do and could stretch my boundaries as a designer. So in answer to this Challenge, I will be designing and posting a new Bookmark design each day on this blog. The Designs will link to a downloadable PDF that you can feel free to download, print out and share as desired.

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With the holiday season in full swing, it seems that everything has sped up to a frantic pace. My client’s jobs have been no exception. While most of them maintain a great attitude actually getting work produced is often a huge struggle during this time of year. From emails that don’t get returned to phone calls and increased traffic while commuting to meetings, it all but makes you want to throw in the towel and clsoe the office doors for the season.

So what can you do to help deal with the added stress of balancing your work, your clients and the holidays? I’ve recently been reading a great book written by a Creativity Coach that I am honored to know, Romney Nesbitt. In her book, “Secrets of a Creativity Coach” Romney shares some of the tricks and tips she’s found to staying ‘centered’ as you deal with the stress of this time of year, or busy work days etc.

Among these tips she shares, I’d like to share some of my own that work for me:

1. Take long baths/showers. While it may sounds silly a relaxing bath or long shower can be really relaxing. I generally do this between large projects or before switching to a new job. For me, I visualize literally “washing” off the last project or the work I’ve done so far.

2. Aromatherapy: A great calmer. Use bath salts or strong smelling candles to create a soothing atmosphere.

3. Make a list. Got a million things flying around in your head? Write it down. Sometimes just getting it out on paper will help you to calm yourself.

4. Excercise. As simple as it seems, sometimes a walk around the block or a jog on the treadmill can do wonders for your clarity and state of mind.

I’ve told you what I do to de-stress. What about you? Share you’re secrets, I’d love to hear ‘em!

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When was the last time you truly LOOKED at your surroundings? I don’t mean glancing around as you commute to work. I mean, stopping to pause and SEE the things around you and your environment.

If  you do, you might be surprised just how much design inspiration you’re missing. Whether you live in the city or the country or have the best of both worlds (like living in Oklahoma) your designs can be inspired by the landscapes and skylines that surround you. Now, that isn’t to say that you’re next design will be a hillside of cattle but, have you ever just sat back and taken in the colors that are naturally in such settings?
Some of my best and most creative color palettes come from scenes in nature and things that I see on a daily basis. Don’t let another inspiring scene pass you by. Reach out and make it the foundation for your next great design piece!

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Barbara Howell

Guest post  by Author Barbara Howell. Howell is the author of Splinters: The Pain, The Passion, The Point published by Paige1Publishing in Tulsa, OK. Howell is a member of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc., Tulsa Night Writers, and RHEMA Writer’s Bloc. Recently, Howell’s book, was chosen to appear in an upcoming release from Harper Collins Publishing, “The NEW Big Book of Layouts” honoring the best of the best in book design.

Before I began marketing my book, “Splinters: The Pain, The Passion, The Point” I was under the impression as most writers are, that the WRITING was the most important part of my book. And while, I’m not saying that the writing isn’t important, a lesson that I learned early on as an author was the importance of the book cover and design itself. My book, a memoir that outlines some of the adventures of my life as a woman succeeding in a man’s profession of woodworking, is not a “traditional” book. Non-traditional in the sense that throughout the book, I wanted to include photos and “show” the story rather than simply telling it.

When all was said and done, the book itself had taken on a life of it’s own, thanks to the skilled design team at Paige1Publishing. With color photos throughout it keeps the reader engaged and has a slightly “magazine” feel to it. I’ve had several readers comment on how “easy” it seemed to be to read and how the photos kept them “turning pages”. That aside, what makes a reader even pick up a book?

In a recent study released, there are on average more than 1,000,000 books are published worldwide every year. With all that competition it seems that authors are doomed to have their books sitting on store shelves collecting dust. Enter design. It’s true what they say, ‘a picture’s worth a thousand words’. And a ‘catchy’ cover is one of the most important pieces of any successful book. Very few books survive on the writing alone.

For a book to move off the shelves, it has to BEG readers to pick it up and demand their attention. Something different. Something new or just something that demands a second look. Whatever the direction, the cover design is invaluable to solid sales. Think about it, if the cover design isn’t solid how can the promotional design be?
Thankfully, my book design has proved itself solid, in the recent award I received. What’s interesting is that the very element–it’s untraditional layout–that caused me to win this award is the SAME element that was ‘rejected’ by a large book distributor in the U.S. It goes to show you that you can’t please everyone. Just remember the only target you’re aiming for is the readers! Don’t be afraid to stand out and BE DIFFERENT!

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