Frank Chimero is a design god. There. I said it. What? He’s taking a hiatus from designing to write this book. (Watch the whole video. Seriously.)

He’s probably written some of the most compelling advice for students I’ve ever read, and in case you haven’t seen it before, we’re going to share some highlights here.

Look people in the eyes when you are talking or listening to them. The best teachers are the ones who treat their classrooms like a workplace, and the worst ones are the ones who treat their classroom like a classroom as we’ve come to expect it. Eat breakfast. Realize that you are learning a trade, so craft matters more than most say. Realize that design is also a liberal art. Quiet is always an option, even if everyone is yelling. Libraries are a good place. The books are free there, and it smells great.

And:

Don’t become dependent on having other people pull it out of you while you’re in school. If you do, you’re hosed once you graduate. Keep two books on your nightstand at all times: one fiction, one non-fiction.

But don’t forget:

Seeking advice is addicting and can become a proxy for action. Giving it can also be addicting in a potentially pretentious, soul-rotting sort of way, and can replace experimenting because you think you know how things work. Be suspicious of lists, advice, and lists of advice.

Read the full post here.

We’re a big fan of the work coming out of the Charleston, SC studio Stitch Design Co. and the packaging for these candles is a great example of the caliber of their work. Using recycled wine bottles as the container, a wood veneer wax topper and letterpressed kraft paper labels, the Stitch team has given Rewined candles the perfect look and feel. The crowning touch? A wax seal and a signed producer strip that creates a personal connection with the candle craftsmen. Be sure to check out Stitch’s sister letterpress company, Sideshow Press.

Click here for their original blog post.

In a generation clouded by student loan debt and insecurity, you inspired many of us to veer from the pack and go our own way. While my mother might not approve of the path I have chosen, or the expensive equipment that’s required for the journey, I have continued on knowing that it’s the right direction for me. I’ll convert her one day. If it weren’t for trailblazers like you, I doubt that I would have thought it possible to make something of myself at an early age.

The world has lost a visionary, and far too soon.

(This video saw ONE MILLION visitors in the time it took me to open the page, copy and paste the embed code and finish this post.)

If it weren’t for your unabashed creativity and constant desire for improvement, I would not be sitting here typing this letter. I definitely wouldn’t be typing it on a Mac.

Gap’s recent “rebrand” has caused quite the uproar in the design community. Much like with the iTunes 10 icon, designers have jumped on board creating options that don’t suck. What’s worrisome is the whispers that it was all a ploy to get consumer feedback without truly rebranding. They replaced the tiny logo on their website, but that’s it. Store signage has not been replaced. Press releases were not sent out. They didn’t even bother replacing the logo on their facebook page.

What’s worse is that they have officially called for submissions from the public, with no promise of actually using one of the options or compensating the designer responsible. They have outright requested spec work.

Spec work, or speculative work, has been defined by AIGA as: work done without compensation in the hope of being compensated, for the client’s speculation. Meaning, “I like you, and I like your book, BUT I’m just not sure I’m ready to hire you. Can we see some ideas first?” While there are many different opinions on the subject, mine currently stands with AIGA.

Being the stubborn person that I am, I have come to this decision by occasionally agreeing to spec work and briefly seeking it out through places like crowdSPRING. I stayed up late, I worked hard and I didn’t always get paid. These were not necessarily bad experiences, and some did end up being lucrative, but I now question the ethics behind the practice as a whole.

My big problem with spec work is the idea that we can give away our ideas in hopes of future business.

Like inventors, we have to protect our ideas from those that want to take them and ruin them, or worse steal them. Designers fundamentally tend to guard ideas, sometimes to a fault. So how can we justify not wanting to change the typeface from Gotham to Avenir, but we can turn around and post custom logos on crowd-sourcing sites or just give them away to potential clients?

What it comes down to is that we actually ARE selling parts of ourselves. No matter what our professors fed us about critique sessions, it’s important that we be invested and passionate about our work. Our thoughts and ideas are what make us valuable. Designers who are not willing to see this are allowing our trade to be turned into a commodity.

In his session at this year’s HOW Conference in Denver, Von Glitschka pointed out the disturbing tale of HP Logoworks and their, frankly, terrifying business strategy. Please. Go to the site. What’s the problem? Von believes it’s the fact that “HP Logoworks thinks you’re worth a cool Benjamin.”

Just like most everything else, our industry is changing dramatically. Are we moving towards a time when we can ask our plumber to fix a few pipes for free and make sure they don’t leak?

Everyone has come to expect a guarantee or a promise. It needs to come down to trust. Clients, do your homework; know who you are getting into bed with. If you go into a meeting knowing that there’s potential for greatness, the potential increases. Please keep a positive attitude and we’ll at least try to make the meetings interesting. Vendors, dare to do better work. Make the clients take notice. If you build it, they will come.

The very best work comes with close collaboration and a healthy client/vendor relationship. Crowd-sourcing destroys any hope at a connection with the client, and only leaves you, as a designer, more vulnerable. Take care of your profession and especially your talents. Respect your work and the professionality that it deserves.

As a client, would you want an idea that’s 30% thought out, but still malliable or an idea that’s 97% finished, all prior to your first meeting? As a designer, what if you TOTALLY miss the mark because you didn’t have time to really get to know your client’s needs and expectations?

I see three possible outcomes with regards to the Gap rebrand. One, they go back to the original iconic logo. Two, they embrace their new box. The third, and worst option, they move forward with a crowd-sourced version. But maybe, just maybe, this was all a trick. Maybe they just wanted us to talk about their brand. In that case, Gap is brilliant, but still very sneaky.

Resources:

AIGA position on spec work: http://bit.ly/3wr7Sj

Von Glitschka’s presentation: http://www.artbackwash.com/

Getting pestered for spec work? Download a sample letter explaining to your potential client the issues. (via AIGA)

Luke Sullivan, Managing Group Creative Director, GSDM, Austin, Texas
http://www.heywhipple.com/
@heywhipple

How did you get your start in advertising?
Well, I talk about it in detail in “Hey Whipple, Squeeze This.” But the short version is, I wanted to be a doctor like my dad. But I got an F in chemistry. I reconsidered.

What are the best and worst parts about your job?
Best part is seeing people here at GSDM sell something cool and have their hard work realized. Worst part about being a CD is worrying about keeping a client happy but balancing that with keep the work good.

What inspires you?
I read. I read a lot. I read all the time. I read everything. I read every morning in bed, every night in bed. I read in my car while waiting to pick up my boys at school. I read when I am at the stop light. I read in the doctor’s waiting room. I propose that anyone who purports to be an expert in ANYTHING needs to be a massive reader.

Who would you work with on your dream collaboration?
Pixar and John Lennon.

Name an advertising trend that drives you crazy.
You use the word “crazy” but your intention is unclear. Crazy can be good. I assume you meant “that makes you mad.” And it’s an old trend. The trend of

Best ad campaign you’ve seen recently?
Apple. Everything they do, and have done over the years, is perfect.

You’ve just completed school with an advertising degree. What is your next move?
To begin marketing yourself the same way a smart client would market a product. You’d target your likely prospects, find the media they use most often, and then interest them with a story about a product that will make their lives easier.

What kinds of experience do you look for from college graduates? In what ways can they give themselves the edge?
It is all about the book. Nothing else counts. I don’t care if you are a college grad, high school dropout or portfolio school valedictorian. It’s all about the book. Your book must rock.

Similarly, what skill sets/experiences are necessary in an entry-level creative?
Humility and enthusiasm.

Briefly describe the content and size of the ideal portfolio for a designer? Copywriter?
10 campaigns with big ideas blown out in all media. A writer should prove she can write. And an art director must prove he can make a page/screen look incredible.

What kinds of starting salaries can one expect in advertising?
$35 to $50k seems to be about the area, depending on the area of the country.

Watch AAF Roanoke President Allan Mower talk to Chaz Rough of Primitive Media talk about the important role of digital video for businesses. Watch is above or on Facebook.

Are you looking to gain experience in the real world and have the time of your life? Are you trying to find an internship that’s just a little different than all the others? Apply for the Marketing Internship at the Roanoke Civic Center. While here you will help the Marketing Department plan, promote and sell shows that come to the Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum, Roanoke Performing Arts Theatre and the Special Events Center! Learn about developing marketing plans, placing advertising, PR, online campaigns, grassroots marketing, and everything else we do to promote a show! Send your resume and a brief cover letter on what would make you stand out as a big fish in the intern pool to jobs@ad2roanoke.org! Currently looking for interns for the fall concert season to start in Aug/early Sept. through March. This is an unpaid internship but the experience is priceless!

AD2 Roanoke is your premier source for all internship and job leads!

Tomorrow 3 of the current AD2 Roanoke board members along with several incoming board members for our senior club, AAF Roanoke, will fly down to Sunny Orlando, FL for the American Advertising Federation’s National Conference.  This will be my 4th conference and I couldn’t be more excited!  It is a time to grow professionally and network with people from all across the country both experienced and a little green like me.  At the professional level we have the opportunity to attend seminars by top industry executives on topics such as “Truth in Advertising, Can you Handle It?” and “Around the Water Cooler, What’s Your Professional Reputation?”  At the club level there will be several round tables with opportunities to hear from members across the country on their programs, public service initiatives, and communication strategies.  There are also planned social outings during the long weekend allowing for time to relax and hang out with other like-minded individuals.  The conference concludes with the National Addy Awards Gala, which always leaves me awe-struck at the sheer creativity that exists within the advertising industry.  I never leave this conference without feeling rejuvenated and inspired to be the best advertising professional and club leader possible.  I can’t wait to come back this year and share all this new knowledge with Roanoke!