So you’ve hired a designer to create a new logo for your business or non-profit. Great! If they’re a professional, they will at some point be asking for your feedback on their logo concepts. But what is a “logo concept” and how exactly do you evaluate them? In my experience as a designer, this step trips up a lot of clients, because there’s a lot of room for miscommunication—especially when it comes to something as personal and important as a logo.

What is a logo concept?

I like to think of logo concepts as the ancestors of a final logo. In other words, a finished…

When you hire a professional designer, it’s nice to know what to expect from the relationship. But for many people, graphic design — and logo design in particular — is a bit of a black box. Everyone sees the finished product when it’s polished and neatly packaged, but you rarely get to see the inputs that led to that result. In my experience as a designer, I’ve found that this leaves people with incorrect assumptions about logo design. Maybe it’s really easy? Or maybe it takes divine inspiration? Maybe designers are all cheating and copying other existing logos? …

Before I was self-employed, I got all of my best jobs just by asking for them.

Looking back, it feels like I had a secret weapon! Because I’ve learned in the years since that not everyone knows about this simple tactic. Consistently asking for what you want is one of the best ways to get it. Here are six examples from my life where I did just that, with explanations of why it worked in each situation.

#1: The internship

In my junior year of college, I was an aspiring designer, and I knew that a design internship was the best first step…

One of the tools in my productivity toolbox is the simple practice of writing down my priorities for the following day each night before I “clock out.” I usually aim to spend five minutes identifying five priorities.

My brain, I’ve learned, is wired with an inherent need to always be prioritizing and optimizing, so writing down my priorities comes to me quite naturally. But on the days that I forget to complete this simple task, its value is revealed. During the following day, I invariably look up at around 2PM and realize that I haven’t accomplished nearly as much as…

Depending on who you ask, cable television is either dead or dying. Personally, I’ve never lived in a house with a cable subscription. I don’t even own a TV — it’s just not where I get my entertainment.

Why is cable falling behind? Because the internet has democratized and fragmented entertainment. Network programming is home to large-scale, big-budget, mass-appeal content. But online, there are a million cheaper, more innovative, and more niche alternatives to what’s on TV. People are flocking to content produced on a smaller scale for smaller audiences, on platforms that can take risks, like YouTube, Amazon, and…

People say “content is king,” but who has the time to actually do good work? If you’re anything like me, you’re sick of making stuff for your website that people will care about. Luckily, there are tons of ways to design a user experience that obscures and distracts from your worthless content! Below, I’ve compiled the five most common (and therefore the best) ways to make sure your website — not your content — stands out.

1. Make sure visitors are confronted with your FREE e-book about the EASY way to make money online with NO EFFORT before they can see your site.

This is your first line of defense. Most people visiting your site are probably used to your particular brand of crap and have already…

As a creative services professional, I’ve been thinking a lot about the best way to spend the extra time I have right now while business slows down due to the coronavirus pandemic. After talking with friends, reading what others are saying, and consulting my own to do lists, here’s what I’ve come up with. I hope it helps you!

1. Relax.

If your financial or emotional state is suffering because of the pandemic, that’s ok. It’s understandable, and you’re not alone. Take time to process the changes that are happening and deal with their consequences. You don’t have to stick to your…

With more cancellations and confirmed cases by the day, the coronavirus outbreak is grinding most things to a halt. No matter who you are, employer or employee, things are probably looking a little grim. But it’s clear at this point that there’s little we can do to stop the virus from taking its course.

What we do have control over is how we spend our days during this time of social distancing. Almost everyone is going to experience a big increase in free time spent at home. Whether that’s because you won’t be commuting for a while, your work hours…