losing sleep

i love finding new ideas and resources. except when they make me feel stupid. i don't mean that in a bad way - i'm glad there's a lot out there to discover; life would be pretty boring otherwise. but occasionally it's a bit overwhelming. i periodically come across crazy cool websites done by amazing designers who bust loose a whole new set of ideas for me; most of which i hadn't previously conceived of.

take, for example, this fish-tank design. if you visit the site, you'll notice it scrolls.....to the right?? i thought this was the cardinal no-no of web design, but it works so well here. and even more surprising, the amazing graphics involve no flash - they are done using jquery (or, as some might call it, crazy cool javascript without having to actually write javascript).

i don't know why i invariably find these noggin-teasers so late at night, but what can i say? if the creative juices flow best at 1 am, i say, let them flow.

tomorrow's to-do list: learn more about jquery. and bust out of the traditional web design box. clearly there's more out there!

loco for zocolo

after coming across this illustrator several months ago, i have to admit, i've been fascinated. it's such a unique style, and while it won't work for everything, it's PERFECT for some things.


these images are by nicholas wilton, from zocolo.com. wonderful fodder for design inspiration!

philosophy

inspiration and creativity often comes in the strangest ways. i've been working to update my website for a while now, and would you guess it was an obscure comment in a blog post that finally busted it loose? the words "high caliber design" sounded right, and the rest just came together.



check out the new site; everything is upgraded, improved, changed, and - in short - different. which is always good. finally reflects the amount of effort i put into client sites.

reinvention

iSpectrum Marketing has been around and kicking for, can you believe it, almost two years? i had no idea what i was getting myself into; at the time, all i knew was that i needed to strike out - so i set off, having no idea where the road would take me. now i have a better idea what i love, what i do best, and where i'd like to be in, say, 15 years.

later this year, our family will be moving to seattle for my husband's job with pwc. since that time will naturally bring so much change, i can't help but think it would be a good time to reinvent iSpectrum... a new business name, a stronger niche, a new website, and a better roadmap for the next few years.

so this year, the theme is reinvention.

one of the best ways i get inspiration is by finding people i admire, who do what i do, better. elixir is one of those design firms - and wouldn't you know, they were founded by a woman who is, perhaps, not so dissimilar from me, striking out on her own 16 years ago.

a website from elixir's portfolio
simple, but impactful

a very intriguing logo, again from elixir's portfolio

i aspire to create graphics of this quality, making design of this caliber available for the small businesses i work with.

i wonder where i'll be in 16 years? featured on some young designer's blog?

christmas cards

have to say i love the illustration on this year's christmas cards... are those high heels?


oo look, is that a desk? been cleaning all day...

boring book cover??

recently in before and after's design talk blog, designers everywhere were asked to come up with a "boring book cover" for a nightstand book - say, the exact opposite of what you'd try to do if you actually wanted someone to read the thing. about half of the submissions involved drying paint and sheep, but here's mine:

my new favorite website

i'm currently working on my favorite website - it's so simple, but (i think) so beautiful.

and note: some very cool css tricks! using a fixed background, the scroll at the bottom adjust with the window height! the site seems to fill the browser no matter how big you make it, but it'll still display perfectly in smaller windows.

check out the developing site!

my bag of tricks...

i am often asked how i do what i do - by people who are surprised to find a woman who owns a business, and successfully works from home doing something she loves. although my education is in advertising (which is very closely related to what i do), the truth is this: i simply jumped in and hoped i could swim!

i've learned from countless hours of observation, practice, and sometimes simply dumb luck. i hope to chronicle some of my ups and downs, inspirations and successes - the things that influence me most!

please share the things you love... or hate! i believe that art is 90% instinct.