I’ve been trying to order an iPhone 4 since 1am this morning. But AT&T’s crappy networks and Safari’s session expirations were preventing me from getting closer to My Precious. Thankfully, the new Apple Store app on the iPhone worked like a breeze. It took me two minutes to pre-order. Give it try.

After you make the reservation, the app might give you an error if try to reserve another one. So I guess it’s one per customer.

On June 5th, I’m reviewing portfolios for AIGA SF Portfolio Day. While I love talking to students, I’m already dreading one thing: the “fancy” portfolio. By fancy, I mean a hardbound book with embossed lettering, ultra expensive paper, and precious unreadable typography. Or maybe it’ll be encased in a large metal box with tricky clasps and handles. Or better, it’s a wooden box with a special key to unlock it. Nauseating.

Your portfolio doesn’t need extra doodads, tassels, sequins. If your design work and writing is awful, it’s still awful no matter how much you dress it up. And since student work almost always is terrible, I’m much more interested in your enthusiasm, how well you think, and the quality of your writing.

Good portfolios are simple, unassuming, and relatively cheap to make. Even a humble wire-o bound portfolio works. Big images, lots of process work, readable type, and good writing is all you need.

So if you’re a student, don’t shell out $400 dollars to make a precious museum-piece portfolio. Instead pay down your student loans, or spend the money on an HTML/CSS class.

It’s old, but here’s my portfolio from ages ago.

Four years ago, I started forwarding my work email to my personal email account. The reason? One inbox for all email is easier to manage. It’ll my make life simpler, right?

Not.

Turns out, all it did was stress me out at home and on the weekends. There’s always an annoying email about a problem I can’t do anything about since I’m not in the office. And usually, the sender finds another way to solve the problem.

More emails just meant more worry.

So, this weekend I’m completely separating my work email from my personal email. If there’s a real urgent need to get a hold of me, then call me. ;-)

When you’ve stopped learning on the job, it’s time to quit.

After looking at all the jobs I’ve had, I realized one thing: when I stopped learning, I became much more keenly aware of other job factors like salary, office space, and vacation time. Boredom makes it way easier to obsess about money and perks.

The jobs where I learned the most were the ones I stayed the longest. I’ve been at DDO for over three years and expect to be here for a long time.

Why?

Because the office has a culture of learning, sharing, and mentoring. We even get an education budget every year. Free classes? Hell yeah.

A job that teaches you keeps you interested. It also makes you nimble and adaptable when major changes happen—like a downfall in the economy or a shift in technology standards. This versatility makes you more employable now and in the future.

Of course, money and perks matter too. But they’re not permanent. The skills and knowledge you learn on a job stick with you for a lifetime. The education you gain can’t be taken away from you.

I’m home sick today. So I thought I’d end my sabbatical and return to LifeClever with an iPad post:

Like a lot of folks, I pre-ordered the iPad for an April 3rd launch-day delivery. Big mistake. UPS didn’t deliver until 3pm. And by then, my friends had picked up their magical iPads from the Apple Store and were making mad love to them.

But delivery had a bonus.

The iPad box is shipped inside a larger box. To keep it from moving around inside the bigger box, the smaller box is bookended by two nifty cardboard brackets.

The brackets happen to hold condoms perfectly. Just what this single man in San Francisco needed. It’s exactly what Apple intended.

Thank you, Steve and Jonathan.

Badump badump badump… Do I sense a heartbeat here on LifeClever. ;-)

I haven’t posted new articles in quite awhile, but I want to let you know I’m still alive. I don’t delve much into my personal life here on LifeClever, but here’s the short story:

My partner and I broke up.

After five years, it feels like getting a divorce. I’ve had a rough year. And the past few months have been especially emotional, intense, and extremely complicated.

Good news: I have a new place of my own and slowly getting settled in. I’m feeling happier. I’m moving forward. And I have Internet and TV again. Thank god for Mad Men and True Blood.

Expect more from me soon.

Thank you everyone for the great comments. I’ve selected a winner and it’s Jimmy Vu Nguyen. We’re looking forward to that mind map!

I’m running a little contest for my friends at Art House Films to promote their new documentary, Milton Glaser: To Inform & Delight.

Yes design nerds, that’s the Milton Glaser“the designer who created the famous I heart NY logo.

The prize is Milton Glaser’s latest book, Drawing is Thinking.

The film will be playing on June 19th in San Francisco at the Roxie. Here’s the official synopsis:

For many, Milton Glaser is the personification of American graphic design. Best known for co-founding New York Magazine and the enduring I ? NY campaign, the full breadth of Glaser’s remarkable artistic output is revealed in this documentary portrait, Milton: To Inform and Delight. From newspapers and magazine designs, to interior spaces, logos, and brand identities, to his celebrated prints, drawings, posters and paintings, the documentary offers audiences a much richer appreciation for one of the great modern renaissance men.

Artfully directed by first time filmmaker Wendy Keys, the film glances into everyday moments of Glaser’s personal life and captures his immense warmth and humanity, and the boundless depth of his intelligence and creativity.

How to enter

Simply, post a comment below about why you heart Milton Glaser.

Comments should be substantive. I’ve got a little clever robot who will kill anything shorter than 12 words.

Be sure to include your email address when filling out the comment form. I need this so I can let you know if you win. Don’t worry, the address will remain private.

On June 19th, I will pick a winner and contact the user via email about the prize.

I’ll be reviewing portfolios for the AIGA San Francisco chapter on Saturday, May 30, 2009.

It’s an all day event, and it’ll be my sixth year as a reviewer. I enjoy it every time, and I’ve yet to make someone cry. Am I too nice? Perhaps, this will be my lucky year. ;-)

It looks like reservations are still available. So sign up if you’re looking for a job in this terrible economy or if you simply want portfolio feedback from Bay Area design studios.

Space is limited, so register soon:

AIGA SF Portfolio Day Registration

Can’t find greeting cards that live up to your design standards?

Check out Paper Culture, a new greeting card company co-founded by my friend and former MetaDesign colleague, Hui-ling Chen. The cards are modern, cute, and delightful. Best part, you can even personalize them with your own photos or text.

Right now, a majority of the cards are baby-oriented. But I expect to see a larger variety of different event cards once the business gets going.

Here are some more sample images:

Don’t forget to check out my previous post on other cool greeting card companies:

Where to Find Greeting Cards that Don’t Suck

Here’s a little something I wrote ages ago
which I should have shared with you. Never too late:

Simple problems (problems which are already defined)
are easy to solve,
because defining a problem
inherently defines a solution.

The definition of a problem is subjective;
it comes from a point of view.
Thus, when defining problems,
all stake-holders, experts, and designers
are equally knowledgeable
(or unknowledgeable).

Some problems cannot be solved,
because stake-holders cannot agree on the definition.
These problems are called wicked,
but sometimes they can be tamed.

Click to continue

Posted in: Design, Politics

I don’t have a prank or joke for you today. But, I do have a new post on the SMB Marketing Guide blog. It’s a short, but practical, guide on how to write a positioning statement. I even wrote it like a poem.

Here’s a little teaser for you:

Your product is one among millions.
With so many products, why should a customer choose yours?
Positioning answers this question.

A product’s “position” is the place it occupies
in the customer’s mind.
All products have a position—
even if it’s the position of “unfamilia” or “irrelevant to me”
or “not very good”.

Successful products are both relevant and highly ranked.
They stand out. They have a unique position.
The purpose of “positioning” is to create and articulate
what makes your product unique.

Check out the full post: How to Write a Positioning Statement.

Note: Some of the lines wraps are looking a little funky in the post. I’m working with the editors to fix it.

It’s a tough question to answer.

But let’s try to answer it anyway—visually! Check out Dubberly Design Office’s new concept map, A Model of the Creative Process:

Here’s DDO’s brief description of the concept map and poster:

The creative process is not just iterative; it’s also recursive. It plays out “in the large” and “in the small” ––in defining the broadest goals and concepts and refining the smallest details. It branches like a tree, and each choice has ramifications, which may not be known in advance. Recursion also suggests a procedure that “calls” or includes itself. Many engineers define the design process as a recursive function: discover > define > design > develop > deploy

For a closer look, head on over to the site and download the PDF.

Designers and collaborators on the project include:

• Hugh Dubberly
• Jack Chung
• Shelley Evenson
• Paul Pangaro

Note: I also work at DDO!

Posted in: creativity, Design

When hunting for a job, it’s really easy to woo only the key decision makers: creative directors, senior designers, managers, supervisors, and partners. Since they decide whether you get hired or not, that makes sense.

Just don’t forget the receptionists, too.

Why?

Because they’re the gatekeepers to the decision makers. More importantly, they hold a wealth of information and can answer questions like:

• Are you hiring?
• Who’s in charge?
• What’s it like to work at the company?
• When’s the best time of year to drop off my portfolio?
• What’s the dress code? What’s should I wear to the interview?
• Where else should I apply or send my portfolio?
• How many other applicants are there?

How do you get them to talk to you? I take the common sense approach. Have a conversation. Be interested in their opinions. Respect their time. Build a relationship. In short, treat them like real people. Like they’re your best friend.

The same goes for office managers, secretaries, assistants, and other administrative staff.

So go ahead, pick up that phone and start practicing.

Posted in: Career, Jobs

I know you thought I was dead and buried, but I’m slowly crawling my way out of a grave of cliché depression and angst. Thankfully, it’s not all’s gloom and doom. I’ve got good news to share:

I now have a gig with HP on their new blog, Small Business Marketing Guide. It’s only for the next few months, but I’m super excited. I’m scheduled to write five post about branding and marketing, and my first post is already up. Check it out:

• The Do’s and Don’ts of D-I-Y Design

Head on over and show me some love in the comments!

Oh, I’m feeling pretty guilty about writing over there and not here. So I’m working hard to post more LifeClever goodness for you.

Addicted to book cover design?

Get your fix at The Book Cover Archive, a collection of 1000+ fairly well-designed book covers. Curated by Ben Pieratt and Eric Jacobsen, the site features work by prominent designers such as David Pearson and Chip Kidd.

I quite like the site’s clean and simple layout. Each book get its own landing page with details on its designer, art director, author, genre, and publisher. There’s even a handy Amazon link to buy the book directly. (Don’t worry watchdogs, the site explicitly discloses its Amazon commission.)

It’s a great start to a more comprehensive site, but I’d love to see a larger number of books included, especially older vintage book covers from the 50s and 60s”or even earlier. After all, it is an archive.

For some more inspiration, check out Joe Kral’s collection of Penguin and Pelican book covers on Flickr.

I’ve been pretty bummed about the development death of my favorite Mac utility, Quicksilver. But now I have a glimmer of hope. Nicholas Jitkoff, Quicksilver’s original developer, has just teamed up with Google to create Google Quick Search.

It’s still a prototype, but the resemblance to Quicksilver is unmistakable. No, it doesn’t yet have the awesome array of actions and commands as Quicksilver, but with Google’s backing and an eager development community, I expect robust goodness soon.

Note: I’m starting to feel a little better.