The Power of an Optimized LinkedIn Profile

Posted on by Drew Bonsu

When I joined LinkedIn 14 years ago, the platform was known as the place where you transferred your resume and work history into an online version. LinkedIn has evolved far beyond a platform for just placeholding your digital resume, as your profile is the first impression you will make to people in and outside your network.

But a LinkedIn profile isn’t your resume–it is static, searchable, and offers more features to showcase your expertise beyond just the history of your job experience.   I’m going to touch on the impact of an optimized LinkedIn profile for designers, exploring how it can attract job opportunities, foster connections, and enhance your reputation (aka personal brand). Let’s embark on a journey to unravel the secrets of LinkedIn success in the design arena.

Where to Start?

LinkedIn provides a variety of sections for you to input information.  As a recruiter who proactively uses LinkedIn to source and identify potential prospects for job opportunities, I’ll emphasize the areas and content I seek out when scanning a profile to assess the alignment for a role.

Headliner

Your headliner is the copy that is located right below your name on the LinkedIn profile and it will be the first thing people see (along with your name).  Not only does it show on your profile page, but also when you comment, send invitations, “Who Viewed your Profile“, and in the intro section of your profile. You have a 220-character limit. A shortened version of your headliner will be visible when commenting (75 characters), sent invitation (80 characters), and in search results (82 characters).

The words in the headliner do affect the search results.  Keeping this in mind, I advise to be clear about your expertise and use keywords that a recruiter may look for when sourcing.  This may include job title, skill sets, certifications, and companies.  A Unique Value Prop (USP) is a popular choice for a headliner, like “turning ideas into visual symphony,” but I urge people that it’s not the best (SEO) option if you are in an active search.  A USP can be ambiguous and a recruiter isn’t using those keywords when searching.

A simple format I suggest is:

Job title + Company + (skill sets, results/achievements, awards) + (fun add about personality or USP).

If your current job title is vague or you are making a career pivot, the headliner is an alternative field to sub in your target job title.  Example:  Your job title is “creative specialist” which doesn’t encompass your expertise in design.  Use “Graphic designer” in your headliner instead.

Photo

Is there a greater chance of receiving outreach when you include a photo on your profile? Discrimination is real, unfortunately, and I’ve talked to people who strategically omit or strengthen their privacy settings by design to hide their headshots on their profiles. Make decisions based on your comfort level.

If you opt for a photo, a DIY iphone session can quickly produce a credible headshot Here is an article with some helpful tips!

 

Location

If a company is looking to hire a local candidate within commuting distance,  they could be using a radius search by location.  Users can search by by Region or Postal Code. The latter option enables a nuanced radius search, allowing users to filter results within 5, 10, 25, 35, 50, 75, and 100 miles.

To enhance your discoverability, consider selecting a broader metro area rather than specifying your exact city. For instance, instead of “Baltimore,” use “Washington DC-Baltimore” to increase your inclusion in wider-radius searches.   If you are in the midst or open to relocation, set the targeted location as your geography so your visibility will be amplified in those geographical searches.

Industry

Companies could be prioritizing their search by industry experience.  While you can include vertical exposure in your About and Experience section, you can choose an industry sector in your account settings.  LinkedIn expanded their industry codes from 24 core functions to sub categories, likely expanding to over 400+ soon.  Pick one most important to you, and again–you can mention others in other areas.

Keywords

Before I cover the About and Experience section, I encourage everyone to conduct keyword research to identify what skills and keywords are associated with your current job and target.  Wordtracker and Google Keyword Planner are excellent tools, but what works on Google won’t be a replica on LinkedIn.   ChatGPT can generate a list of associated words too.

 

Review the words and think about how you can integrate these words into the content of your profile. For example, instead of listing out a bullet-pointed list of keywords like “Storyboarding,” “campaign development,” and “advertising,”  try weaving them into the story of your experience and about section.

 

Consider the keywords you prefer not to be associated with on your LinkedIn profile. While retaining your work history is advisable, it’s beneficial to eliminate skills or keywords that hold no relevance to your future career aspirations.  Unfortunately, some recruiters are lazy and will mass message anyone who possesses a keyword they are searching for–regardless of context.  Proactively removing skills or titles misaligned with your target job can potentially curtail unwarranted outreach.

 

Scope out your competition.  Run a keyword search on job titles (like “Art Director” or “Sr. Graphic Designer) and pay particular attention to the initial pages of search results.  How does the algorithm prioritize profiles related to content?

 

About Section

This is your canvas to craft a narrative of your career journey and an opportunity to reveal more information beyond the facts of your experience.  Did you make a career pivot or your path has been non-linear?  Has design been your passion since you were a child? How did this path become your “why”?

What’s your opening hook?  Keep the mobile user in mind, as they’ll likely encounter the initial 90 to 150 characters of this section before having to click down. Desktop viewers may extend to around 300 characters.

As you share your story, consider incorporating a call to action (CTA) to encourage recruiters to engage further. This could involve providing a link to your portfolio, sharing your email address, or including a phone number (consider using Google Voice for added privacy). Embrace the first-person perspective to infuse authenticity into your narrative (a third-person narrative may be more suitable for fields like legal or finance.)

Reinforce your expertise.  Don’t forget to enhance your visibility by strategically integrating those relevant keywords and skills into the narrative.  You also have the option to add your top 5 skills that will be promoted in this section.

 

Experience Section

I’ll argue that this section is the most significant in your profile. While other sections can represent your branding, the experience section unveils the application of your keyword skills and the outcomes achieved. It provides the crucial context to assess your qualification for a role.

In each job experience, include details on project work, tasks, results, industry exposure, management roles, certifications, specific software proficiency, training, and promotions. Adopting a format with bulleted points or well-structured sentences enhances readability.

Utilize LinkedIn’s feature to add skills to each experience entry, showcasing your expertise aligned with each job title and company.  If you used Adobe XD in your current job but only Indesign at your prior, you can distinguish how recent you were exposed to tools here.  In addition to hard skills, consider adding other tasks like project management, motion design, business development, etc

 

Featured Section:

Designers, do not overlook this section!  This space is your place to add content, from articles, videos, URLS, podcasts, photos, and presentations.  Most importantly, if you have an online portfolio, include the link.  This is the visual “highlight real” of your achievements.

Contact Information

Ensure your email is up to date to efficiently receive timely notifications. If anyone is using Inmails, messages, or general invitations, your notifications will go to this email. If you using your work email domain, keep this in mind (especially if you fear that your employer is monitoring your emails). This article will show you how to adjust the visibility of your email. Consider a pseudo email strictly for LinkedIn outreach and messaging.

Along with the Featured section, you can include your portfolio link here. If you were assigned a generic URL, you can explore custom options.  If there is a custom domain that is available and aligned with your personal branding, snatch it up.

What else should you consider?

A background photo, which is the large image behind your profile picture, is customizable.  I usually recommend Canva as a tool to create a unique banner that highlights your brand or expertise, however I recognize an audience of designers will have the skills and other tools to execute this task at a higher level.  The dimensions are 1584 x 396 pixels and accepts PNG, JPG, and GIF files.

Should you use the Open to Work Banner?  My opinion is mine alone, but I do not hold a bias against anyone who is actively in a job search and chooses the visual cue of the banner.  My objective, as a recruiter, is to identify a candidate who is motivated and qualified to make a job move.  Some others may discriminate against people unemployed, so you need to make the best choice for yourself.  If your job search is confidential, I would encourage you to use the Recruiters Only option.  The Recruiters Only option is limited to users who subscribe to the Premium Recruiter seat, so that isn’t limited to recruiters only but to those who pay for that level of service.

A LinkedIn Allstar Status increases your visibility. While the meter is no longer on display in your profile, reference this link on how to access your level. Hint: Look for the “Suggested for you” prompt.

What qualifies as an Allstar Status?  Complete all of the following sections.

  • Industry/Location
  • 3 positions (including current). If you don’t have 3 job experiences, consider volunteering, freelance, or gap options.
  • Education
  • Skills (3 minimum)
  • Profile Photo
  • 50 Connections

In today’s competitive job market, having a well-optimized LinkedIn profile is more important than ever. This is a passive, one-stop effort that can generate inbound leads and increase your chances of being discovered by recruiters and potential employers.

About the writer

Kelli Hrivnak

LinkedIn | Website

Kelli Hrivnak is a leader with over 15 years of experience in staffing and recruitment services.  Recognizing the limitations of quantity-driven staffing models, Kelli embarked on a mission to create a forward-thinking alternative.  She is founder of Knak Digital, a recruiting agency prioritizing strategy and quality over high-volume recruitment. Throughout her career, Kelli has partnered with various companies, from Fortune 500 corporations to start-ups.  Her extensive background in the technology and marketing industry has provided her with valuable insights and a deep understanding of client needs.

Tips for Staying Sane While Working From Home During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Posted on by Frances Miller

My company, along with many others, will be adding professional distancing to our social distancing regiment by transitioning to a remote workforce next week. As a software company, we consider ourselves fortunate to have numerous tools available to us, including our own product (insert shameless plug), to help us continue running the business without a hitch. But the decision wasn’t made lightly, and our department made sure to communicate expectations and concerns with each other before breaking for the weekend.

I worked remotely for a few years, and while I’m no expert, I got by with no budget (nor the extra room) for a home office renovation. I hope these tips will help you prepare and keep your sanity if you find yourself forced into a temporary work-from-home situation. It might not be the ideal home office of your dreams, but we’ll get through it!

Over Communicate

Let people know when it’s not working.
This tip comes from a coworker of mine who works remotely full time, while the majority of our team is in office. If something isn’t working, he always speaks up. And do it soon, rather than wasting time being polite while you can only hear every fifth word. He also reminded me that, “What you send isn’t always what is received,” which brings me to my next point.

Use emojis and GIFs to clarify tone.
If you tend to send short messages with no punctuation, your teammates might think you’re mad at them. Lighten it up 😊. Life-changing keyboard shortcut: on a Mac, use command-control-spacebar to pull up the emoji library!

Use communication tools. When in doubt, pick up the phone or turn on the camera.
We’re working remotely, but that doesn’t mean we’re doomed to spend the next few weeks emailing. Get comfortable being on the phone or in Google Hangouts with your teammates if you’re collaborating. Align your team with tools, and communicate expectations on how to use the tools.

Be on the lookout for software companies offering discounted access to their product during the Coronavirus outbreak, such as Loom for sending quick videos and screen recording.

Messaging apps: Slack, Flowdock, Whatsapp, and Facebook Workplace

Prepare for Video Conferencing

Test your internet and equipment.
Run a video conference test with coworkers before any important client or partner meetings. If you don’t have anyone to test with, just make sure to clear the air with the other person and ask them if they can see and hear you. Chances are, they’re working from home too, so use that to break the ice. Let them know if your dog might interrupt you, and have your mouse cursor on the mute button if that’s likely to happen.

Get familiar with your video conferencing tool’s settings. For example, if you use Zoom, you choose to automatically start with video off—that way no one’s caught pantsless! Another coworker shared these ground rules, which are a fantastic example of adapting communication for virtual spaces.

Get camera-ready.
My favorite trick is to open up the Photo Booth app before getting on a call, so I can see how the room looks behind me and clean up before starting the call. You aren’t the only one being thrust into a work-from-home situation, so there’s no reason to be embarrassed, but try to avoid a distracting background. You’re also going to be seeing your own face while you talk, which might take getting used to. I’ve noticed that I have a bad habit of messing with my hair when I see it on camera, so I try to get it behaving before the call.

Video conferencing tools: Zoom, GoToMeeting, Google Hangouts, BlueJeans

Be Your Own Snack Captain

If you’re lucky enough to be in an office with a well-stocked kitchen, you might find yourself cranky this week. So when you make your next grocery run, consider adding easy snacks and sandwich stuff to your cart. Prepare salads or sandwiches ahead of time, or go buy lunch if you feel healthy and comfortable doing so. Too many times, I skipped lunch because I didn’t have anything easy to make and felt too stressed to go out.

Food delivery services: Baltimore-based Hungry Harvest delivers recovered produce and pantry staples that would otherwise go to waste.

Set Boundaries

Get dressed.
Okay, wear sweatpants on the first day because you deserve it. But full-time work-from-home-ers agree that it makes a huge difference to act the same as you would if you were actually going to work. Shower, shave, and put on fresh clothes. Doing all of that will also help when you want to run out for lunch in the afternoon and realize you need to face the public.

When work is over, shut down the computer.
You’re saving time in your day by avoiding the commute, but that doesn’t mean you need to keep working all night. It’s Spring! Why not cap off your workday with a walk? Literally shutting down your computer will help prevent you from “just doing one last thing that will only take five seconds,” which we know always ends in you surfacing hours later. After all, sleep is crucial for maintaining good health, and your computer needs to rest and reboot too.

Go Outside

I’m serious. Try starting your day with a coffee on the porch or a stroll around the block. We may be quarantined, but the weather forecast is looking inviting and may be the best thing to quell Coronavirus anxieties. Also, you can’t always wait for a nice, natural break in your workflow. Sometimes you just need to drop it and step outside, even for a minute.

Support Local Businesses (if you can)

Stay sane, maintain your humanity, and support your local businesses and service industry workers. They are taking extra precautions, so if you’re healthy and comfortable, consider taking your laptop and hand sanitizer to the coffee shop for an hour. I visited the new Sizka sushi in O’Donnell Square today and noticed the WiFi password was prominently displayed in the spacious, clean, quiet restaurant. In Fells Point, Cafe Latte’Da even has a printer available.

That being said, the situation with COVID-19 is developing as we speak, so be informed and consider carrying a pack of tissues wherever you go to avoid touching door handles.

Connect Online

Tap into online communities such as the Baltimore Graphic Designers Facebook group, Baltimore Womxn in Tech (BWiT), Elevate and Cultivate Design Collaborative or Monument Women’s Creative Alliance (MWCA) to stay connected, get feedback on your work, and exchange knowledge.

Get a Puzzle

Okay, not entirely relevant, but have you done a puzzle lately? If you need something to distract you from work and COVID-19 tweets and keep you off your phone, this is it. They’re my new favorite winter activity, and it might be worth pulling one out if you’ll be practicing social distancing for an extended time.

Want more? I enjoyed this Instagram post by Post Typography co-founder and full-time work-from-home-er Nolen Strals:

Feature image by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
unsplash-logoGlenn Carstens-Peters

Book Review: Illustration that Works by Greg Houston

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Hours disappear in minutes whenever I’m drawing, so it’s great having a sketchbook with me for dull pauses in my day. If I sketch for 20 minutes while sitting in the dentist’s office, it feels like I’d just sat down when my name is called. Seriously, it’s like time travel.

Whenever I sketch in public, there’s a chance someone might notice what I’m doing and we’ll start chatting about drawing and the sort of work I do. Often, that person will tell me they’ve always admired people who could draw but that they aren’t “naturally talented”, themselves. Maybe they have a relative who is good but, “I didn’t get those genes, I guess”. Or “some people are just born with it”.

Ah, the legendary “natural talent”. It’s what allows a select few to paint like Rembrandt from the time they open their gifted little eyes. It’s the extra bonus granted to only the chosen. It’s the elusive strand of midi-chlorians that keeps the rest of us from ever being a Jedi. It’s the Secret Ingredient.

While it’s probably a lot more interesting to think my hand is guided by genetics or The Force, I really just learned how to draw. Everyone who knows how to draw learned to do so. There’s no Secret Ingredient.

Greg Houston would agree. He’s a professional illustrator with an enviable portfolio spanning twenty-five-plus years of working with clients like The Village Voice and Marvel Comics. He’s taught illustration courses at MICA and the art of cartooning to kids. Currently, he can be found at the newly-opened Baltimore Academy of Illustration, where he is a co-founder and instructor. When it comes to commercial art, this is someone you’d want to listen to. So it’s fitting that he’s just published a book on the subject, Illustration That Works. As the title suggests, Houston’s blue-collared approach to a successful career in commercial art preaches a strong work ethic.

IMG_20160804_114539_m

In the preface, he writes,

“It’s a working art. It serves a purpose. Unlike ‘fine art’, illustration isn’t about navel-gazing or finding greater truths in a tube of paint. It’s not for dilettantes or bored socialites. Illustration is an art and a profession.”

And Houston definitely respects his profession. In the chapter “Your Taste Doesn’t Matter”, he writes,

“Once you agree to take on that job, your assignment is to make the best work you can for the client. Trying to railroad the client into seeing things your way isn’t very professional, and giving the client a finished piece that’s different from what you both agreed to is entirely unacceptable.”

As proof of loyalty to these words, he includes multiple examples of work where the client had ideas he didn’t agree with but still realized those ideas with the same level of attention he’d give to any other project.

Other chapters focus on the technical parts of the job: developing concepts, creating effective compositions, research, and style. He writes, “A successful illustration is the perfect combination of style and substance. If that balance is off, the illustration suffers.” Accompanying each lesson are works by classic and contemporary illustrators, as beautiful and inspirational, as they are fantastic examples.

IMG_20160804_114521_m

Written at a quick pace not usually found in vocational guides, Illustration That Works is certainly informative and it’s also entertaining as hell. For example, while stressing the importance of correctly rendering the human form, Houston writes about (and draws!) a guy he saw in college who looked like a living checklist of amateur mistakes. He mentions Dracula enough times to notice and he’s very excited to tell you about gouache.

Illustration That Works is available now to purchase. Check out Greg Houston’s portfolio at www.greghoustonillustration.com and see which courses are being offered at the Baltimore Academy of Illustration at www.baltimoreillustration.com

Greg Jericho spends an awful lot of time designing for clients that do not exist. Check out his work at jerichovinegarworks.com

Two AIGA Innovate Awards Granted to AIGA Baltimore

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Every great success story starts at the first chapter, and we are thrilled to be starting two books at once.

AIGA Baltimore is proud to announce that we have received not one but two AIGA Innovate grants for special projects that are poised to have a lasting impact on the design community in Baltimore and at large.

Within the next year board members and a committee of volunteers will work to produce an EntreprenU Design Business Toolkit, a collection of tools and content aimed at helping designers and AIGA chapters become more business savvy, and a Design Legislation Wiki, an online resource for established and in-progress legislation related to design and design education across the United States.

Read more about these two projects and about AIGA Innovate below.

 

AIGA Innovate

AIGA Innovate is a grant program developed to encourage and empower chapters to boldly face the future. The program funds game-changing projects at AIGA chapters across the country, which improve the AIGA member experience, impact the wider community, are scalable to other chapters, and are sustainable after the initial grant period.

AIGA Innovate is a four-year fund with up to $250,000 to be awarded each year. AIGA members, in collaboration with their chapter board leaders, can apply for AIGA Innovate funds by submitting a formal application detailing their project. To ensure that projects meet the high standards set for all AIGA Innovate projects, there is an eight-person selection committee that reviews the projects through a rigorous two-round review process before awarding the finalists.

The first group of projects was funded in 2015. In 2016, three projects were funded; AIGA Baltimore received two grants: the EntreprenU Design Business Toolkit and the Design Legislation Wiki, and AIGA Arizona received a grant for their project, Empowering the Underserved DesignKit.

Read more about AIGA Innovate on AIGA.org.

 

AIGA Baltimore’s Innovate projects

 

EntreprenU Design Business Toolkit

This toolkit will consist of articles, templates, tutorial videos, and other content to help designers start their own business. Content will relate to business plan development, tax filing, how to talk about the value of design to non-designers, and variety of administrative considerations.

The toolkit will also cover on soft-skills and research-assisted data, giving design entrepreneurs a primer in making a pitch, business writing, effectively presenting work, and managing clients.

 

Design Legislation Wiki

The value of design and design thinking is more important than ever for businesses and communities. However, there is a disconnect between local design policy and legislation and the communities they are meant to serve.

This online resource will be a searchable, visual database of established and in-process legislation for design at the professional level, and in education, especially K-12. Searchable by zip code or state, users will be able to see not only what is going on in their community, but what other communities across the country have implemented.

Additionally, the website will include a toolkit with examples of good design legislation and STEAM education policy that communities can use as templates for their own proposals. It will also include forms that can be customized to contact local representatives about the importance of, and interest in, specific design legislation.

 

Project Progress and Next Steps

AIGA Baltimore board members are currently nailing down project details, milestones, and timelines so that these projects are set up for success and can be fully developed within the next year.

Our next steps will be to to develop RFPs for the design and development of each project and assemble a committee of volunteers to drive execution.

A talented project manager, web developer, and content expert is needed for each project—these volunteers will be critical for the success of the initiatives, and for our board to be able to continue producing and improving our ongoing events and design programming.

Know anyone who wants to make an impact and might be a good fit for one of these roles? Sit tight! We’ll have more project details, committee position descriptions, and a link for you to apply your talent (or nominate someone else’s) to these special projects. In the meantime, you can contact us at socialdesign@baltimore.aiga.org if you have questions or comments.

We look forward to bringing these initiatives to the Baltimore community, and beyond.

Does Great Design Equal Great Success?

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

At varying points in a career, the question of success rises to the top of a list of concerns. If a designer is not finding it, they might diversify an existing skill set to better qualify for different types of assignments, or possible begin work in an unfamiliar style in order to develop a relevance in a contemporary design market. Sometimes, though, it’s worth considering that there’s something other than a portfolio holding us back, something that keeps us from competing with other designers besides the work itself.

At AIGA Baltimore’s most recent Converse, our open talk on a specified design-related topic, we asked our group this question: Is the success of a designer dependent solely on the finished product? Are we all missing that ‘something’ and are we even aware of it? The suggestions we heard were interesting, and the conversations, inspiring.

Be Prepared

Being prepared is necessary. Unfortunately, parents, teachers, and co-workers have been telling us to ‘be prepared’ so much, that it comes off as just a cliché. A filler. Words said to bridge the gap between receiving the assignment and agreeing to the deadline. To dismiss research, development, and practice by intending to go into a project with an overconfident, self-perceived cleverness to win over a client is not only going to fail, it’s going to give the appearance that any design experience comes solely from watching all five seasons of Mad Men.

We heard from well-prepared individuals who suggested including quantifiable data to back up logic in a presentation. By doing market research and reading case studies, a designer can show returns on investment, giving little room for logical disagreement. By using online analytics to measure the impact of interactive products and by using social media to configure metrics regarding the successful exposure of printed materials, there is a clear emphasis made that we understand how to make this thing work. Being clear means being prepared.

Explain Yourself

While we were on the topic of being clear, we identified at Converse that designers aren’t particularly strong when it comes to communicating verbally, and it’s a common misconception that it’s not a necessary skill, that the work should speak for itself. In truth, all the aforementioned research and development that was done to assure a project’s success needs a knowledgeable speaker to explain it in terms of goals, direction, and purpose. A creative brief of this sort can become a preemptive explanation to the client, an education in design process, that can prevent confusion and unrealistic expectations, especially in later stages where their seemingly minor change means a complete conceptual reworking for the designer. One Converse attendee so believes in the power of a verbally-skilled designer, that she took an acting class not only to present herself and her work, but also how to react to clients’ comments. That decision scores points for being prepared as well.

Trust Me

Being prepared and well-spoken are absolutely paramount in creating a trustworthy image of a designer. The Converse group found that there were many clients who had never met their designer or even talked to them. In a society that believes that it’s called ‘Dreamweaver’ because you dream up a website, click a button, and it weaves one up for you, it’s important to become separate from our software.

As designers, our clients should understand that we chose our career because there’s a collaborative effort, a critical process that we require to do our best work. If we didn’t want input, criticism, or revisions, we’d have gone into Fine Art and insisted upon our sole vision. We are people who have a unique talent to visualize the solution even better after we’ve broken the last one, whether by accident or knowledgeable rejection. For this sort of partnership to work, we have to trust each other and, because the client is the financier, it’s up to us to gain that trust first. By explaining early and often why they should believe we’ll succeed and how they can help keep it that way throughout the process, the client feels assured that we are able to control the project without micro-input. Being mindful that both parties specialize in different areas and shouldn’t be expected to guess how the other does their job is a welcome transparency and should also prevent some unwelcome surprises.

Success is How You Work

Our Converse attendees gave us lots of valuable insight on success with clients but they also suggested some tips to help productivity while working to increase the value of time spent designing. Planning ahead for what will be the most productive time of the day allows an opportunity to clear out distractions. Check email a limited number of times a day, for a limited length of time. Most agreed three times a day for thirty minutes each was the maximum.

Some of the most difficult distractions are often mental, the pressure of conjuring an idea that’s worth exploring or that spurs a creative work session. Non-computer related activities such as sketching or flipping through a coffee table book are two ways of refreshing inspiration, the added benefit being less time spent troubleshooting a software tool or becoming distracted while connected to email or other types of e-communication. The stress of administrative tasks is as detrimental to creativity as regular writer’s block, so it’s important to remove the availability of tasking reminders during the previously scheduled productive times. Otherwise, the guilty, inner voice insists on responding to everything before allowing a relaxed mind. Creativity works well under pressure because there’s not any time to worry about anything else.

Join Us Next Time

Interested in some more about creativity and where it comes from? Be sure to join us for our next Converse on April 18 at The Windup Space and tell us how you come up with those ideas. Or tell us that you’re not: maybe we can help. It’ll be like designer group therapy.

Here’s some links suggested during the Converse:

Viewing: Designing a Stop Sign

Reading: Be Excellent at Anything

Greg Jericho spends an awfully lot of time designing for clients that do not exist at his equally fake company, Myopic! Studio. Kate Lawless strategizes content for the web, develops e-learning, and designs digital signage by day. By night, she’s a freelance designer and socializer-extraordinaire.