If you’ve picked up any of the Adobe CS3 applications, you may have noticed that they “come with” Adobe Stock Photos. I put that in quotes because to some extent Adobe treats this feature as a bigger selling point for CS3 than it really is. In fact, Adobe Stock Photos is available through Adobe Bridge (which comes with most CS2 and CS3 applications), much the way that the iTunes Store is available through the Apple iTunes application.

That said, Adobe Stock Photos is a pretty worthwhile feature to check out, as it allows for easy searching, management, and purchasing of royalty-free images. Just launch Bridge to get started.

Click on Adobe Stock Photos in the Favorites tab of Bridge and start searching for the perfect shot.

Lots of advanced search options help you sift your way through the 24 different image collections contained by Adobe Stock Photos. This includes images from popular services like Corbis and Getty and lots more. As a result, searching can be a slow process—be sure to use the Advanced Search feature set to narrow things down first. For example, if you know you only want photos (not illustrations), only want color photos, and don’t like photos from certain collections, check or uncheck the appropriate boxes before hitting Search. (more…)

Curious George, the storybook monkey, is over retirement age these days. So the odds are good you grew up with Curious George books, television shows or movies. The “good little monkey who was always very curious” is a great image to keep in mind during difficult conversations with clients. Just ask someone else from the family tree: the gorilla. (more…)

Clients. They’re your bread and butter, the conduit for doing the work you love. They can also be the thorns in your side, inducing digital dread of email and fear of phones.

Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll offer five tips for jump-starting dialogue with clients—before, during, or after things get messy. These five tips will help you keep your balance when you have to confront a client-related problem, transform conflict into joint problem solving, or create a foundation that will keep your client relationships strong and healthy.

Unlike most conflict resolution tips, these five won’t be techniques to memorize and deliver. Here’s why, by way of a story told me in class by one of my mediation students:

“I got into an argument with my husband this morning. It wasn’t about anything dire, just daily little stuff. I thought to myself, I’ll put my good mediator skills to use and make this conversation go better! So I did all the right things: I reflected back, I asked good questions, I uncovered interests, I reframed. I was so proud of myself!

“But there was one little problem. It was making things worse. (more…)

In my last post, I addressed a new and irrefutable ability to quantity design’s ROI. Way cool! Now we can prove design’s specific contribution to bottom line profits! That’s gotta be good. Right?

Well…Before we jump at the prospect of quantifying design, we should strongly consider if we should.What are the ramifications of measuring design? How will this change the process? What are the valid concerns?

In this post I will address some of these concerns and provide my thoughts on why proving design’s value is a still a good thing—in fact, it’s a very good thing if, and only if, the information that results from this process is properly positioned. (more…)

You asked your legal, copyright and trademark questions, and Jean has answered! All questions are taken from comments posted on the original ‘Ask Jean’ post. We invite you to ask more questions.

Dear Jean,

I draw designs for greeting cards (my own little “company” for family and friends, complete with logo.) After much encouragement, I would like to attempt to have my designs copyrighted so that I can take them around to gift shops and such.

My question is this: do I need to copyright every single design separately (which will break me if I do! I have a lot of designs!) or will a trademarked logo protect them? If I have my logo trademarked, does that protect just the logo or does it protect the designs in anyway? I have seen some cards that have the artist’s name with the copyright symbol, how does that work? I obviously have no clue what to do concerning copyrighting greeting card designs.

(guess that was more than one question!)
Elizabeth

Dear Elizabeth,

The best way to register all the designs together is to put them all together in a catalog and register the entire catalog in one registration on a VA form. If you have them on a Web site you can also register the site contents on one registration.

A trademark will protect only the name and logo, not the designs.

You should put a copyright notice on all your cards © your name (year). As the creator of the cards, you are the copyright owner.

Best,
Jean

–
DISCLAIMER:
Ask Jean responses consist of general legal information and do not constitute specific legal advice or create an attorney client privilege. Please consult your own attorney about your specific legal issues.

Designboom and PROCTER & GAMBLE present the 2007 packaging design competition.

Participation is open to applicants from every country in the world: to professionals, students, and design-enthusiasts alike.

Free registration required.

Registration deadline: September 20, 2007

Designs will be judged on:
- Innovation of the concept: is this design a breakthrough?
- Relevance to the low income consumer: how will this design make his/her life better?
- Value optimization: is this design financially viable?
- Sustainability

Details

Being environmentally conscious is a trend for some, a way of life for others, but either way you see it, it can play a big role in your graphic design work. If you want your designs to go green (or if your client does!), your first thought is probably recycled papers, then maybe soy inks.

These readily available, earth-friendly materials have lost the “hippie” stigma they once had The quality is great, the cost is usually equivalent to (or sometimes even less than) traditional materials, and clients are more open to using them. But green design can go well beyond this. There are lots of ways to reduce waste and reuse materials in every design project… (more…)

Part Two of a Two-Part Series.

Earlier this year, I received an email from a woman who was impressed by specific samples she had seen on my website, and wanted to hire me for an illustration project. Her company was developing proprietary technologies and needed a drawing of a prototype village that showed how these technologies could be used to operate a self-sustaining community. I called her and she said my drawing style was perfect, but as she described the project to me, I got a sick feeling in my stomach because it reminded me so much of the Aspen job. It sounded very interesting, however, so I agreed to meet with her and discuss the details. I needed money to get my house painted and this job would just about cover the cost. (more…)

Kitchen designers figured this out a long time ago: the better the flow, the more productive output. The famed kitchen work triangle—that connection between sink/stove/fridge—makes it easier for the cook to maneuver without wasted motion.

If you haven’t already, start applying that principle to your own workspace. Don’t worry about the “right” way; you’re looking for your best way to organize things so that you can take care of business. For example:

• Do you have the phone within reach, and a pen/pad of paper near it to take down messages as you get them?

(more…)

Certain teachers, professors, and mentors stick with you. It’s a familiar theme. In fact, there are motion pictures dedicated to this notion—To Sir, with Love, Dead Poets Society, and Mr. Holland’s Opus come to mind—as well as books, songs, and probably dozens of other forms of communication and entertainment. One of my inspirations, Fred Rubeck, a professor in the Department of Performing Art at Elon University, North Carolina, drew my attention to an important principle over a decade ago. This was in one of the many acting and directing classes I took with him, but the principle encompasses much more than the stage. I’ve been guided by this notion in Web and multimedia design, video production, and even Flash programming. It’s summed up by Hamlet in Act III, Scene 2 of his namesake play (yes, I’m about to quote Shakespeare).

Hamlet is talking to a beloved troupe of visiting actors. He’s pleased with them, but stern in his wishes. At first, he cautions them not to overdo their craft (this is the notion of “less is more”), but at the same time … (more…)