Judgemental

As a designer, it's hard not to be judgmental. I see an ad, packaging, a business card, poster, and I have an opinion. I can't go someplace and immediately not be influenced by what's around me. I take it all in, and I critique. Why did they do that? How much did that cost them? Who signed off on this idea? I think about who their market was/is and if they nailed it, or really failed big time. And I wonder who else is doing this? Are you seeing things and judging? Maybe not in a conscious way, but unconsciously? Are you walking into a beautiful office and thinking this is beautiful, or now I know why the charge so much. Do you see a business card that's flimsy and immediately form and opinion about the giver? Do you see someone in a beautiful suit and think they must be important? Or a lawyer....
It's a toss up. We all have our things. No judging.

My seven year old googles and doesn't have a land line

Last week there was a fantastic article about nostalgia in marketing. However, it was about recreating nostalgia. Which has a market, but for how long? My daughter is growing up in a completely different time. She understands and knows how to use google. She's never had a land line phone. She doesn't know what a fax machine is, let alone a beeper. It makes me wonder what will be considered nostalgic when she's my age? What will going back to her roots mean? (a 2012 ipad?)

As someone who loves antiques, I see the value of something older. Worn. With a history and a story. Maybe that's why we live in a brick bungalow. And I love to garden. Because I want her to have something real and lasting. Not made to look real.

Follow up

As many who know me personally and professionally, I'm a mix of traditional and modern. Not just in my design work, but also in the way I approach life. And like many professionals, the computer is a tool that we can't live without. But it's not our only tool.

I often discuss the importance of making a connection, in a traditional way. That we're bombarded with constant contact and the ability to reach someone in a fraction of a second. A phone call doesn't go through in a second and we think there's something wrong. An email goes unanswered for a few hours, HOURS! and we go nuts.

To center myself and disconnect/reconnect I took up yoga a few years ago. And before long, I found myself working with a variety of health and wellness companies as well as Yoga Studios.

And while I love being connected to a virtual yoga world through facebook, I was pleasantly surprised when after taking one class from a new studio, I received a hand written letter. ON STATIONARY. And with a card. And I thought, now that's a way to make a connection.

Here's hoping that 2012 brings you some great connections.