If only work was called “fun.” What a great life we’d have then, right? Well, unfortunately it’s not our reality. Work is called “work” for a reason and complain as we may, it’s what we’re called to do in order to survive in this world. Whether it’s working on a relationship, finances, perspective, skills or working on actual work…it’s just what we do. And this is something I’ve been reminded of often by my husband and business partner whenever I say, “this is hard” or “I don’t want to.”

If jobs were only for those who truly and deeply enjoyed what they did and loved going to work every day, would we have trash collectors, janitors, factory workers or morticians? I’m not so sure. I know there are jobs out there that really do fulfill people’s lives completely and they truly love what they do. But every single day? Highly doubtful. Everyone has bad days and days where they feel like giving up. It’s natural, but it’s a feeling to overcome. And here’s what what Seth Godin has to say about that:

Working on the “stuff” in my life isn’t always fun or easy, but if I get to it with the right attitude, perspective and motivation, I can be proud of a job well done. And then take the weekend to congratulate myself.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Lake Como, Italy

This week I got behind in my Google Reader RSS feeds where I find all my great links for these posts. So when I got around to reviewing them today, I was very overwhelmed with the quantity of cool finds. I may have to get rid of some of my subscriptions or I’ll drive myself crazy spending so much time looking at fun things. In saying that, I’d like nothing better than to overwhelm my readers as well – for the sake of camaraderie. So here goes!

• A handmade CMYK study and Gill Sans poster by Evelin Kasikov.
• Not a 4-color process – check out these fun Pantone® make up concepts.
• When I get into glasses again someday (it’s inevitable even with Lasik), I’m totally getting a pair of sexy specs by Warby Parker. Inexpensive yet stylish.
• Interesting artwork made with corrugated cardboard.
• This chair is wonderful. As is this clothes hanger.
• Date night in Paris at this restaurant, please?
• Stop motion videos are all the rage now. It’s no wonder with videos like this (featuring my talented cousin Lexia’s work) and this out there.
• Custom lettering each day of the year…a fun and beneficial experiment.
• Simple, but beautiful. And I know it’s tequila, but the design is oh so lovely…makes me want to head to a beach.
• Irresistible logo and corresponding packaging. Love it!
• I love this site for the concept and content. One of my favorites out of the bunch is the typographic playing cards.
• A funny yet practical way to show the world you love photography while drinking your morning cup of coffee.
• It’s our new house!
• And let’s end on a more girly note, shall we? Some shoes (select black) to go with that handbag.

Spring is in the air! Enjoy the weekend.

- Laura

I’ve recently begun to follow Frank Chimero’s blog so you’ll probably notice his name come up a lot because he’s got some amazing insight to share. And his most recent post didn’t let me down – hilarious:

8 Ways to End the Internet

I found this article that speculates on ways the internet will end. I figure I should make my own list of ways the internet will end. You know, for the sake of punditry. They had 10, but geez, I could only figure out 8 possible ways. Just imagine the other two are some wicked water-to-blood Old Testament type of apocalypse stuff. Anyway, 8 ways the internet could end:

1. Locust swarm at Farmville, ruining crops and causing mass e-starvation.
2. O shortage on Ggle Search Results.
3. Bird season at Twitter.
4. Rick Astley gives up and lets us down.
5. MySpace v3.0 (with 3D glasses)
6. Dancing Baby and Hamster Dance make another go at it in light of the recent success of other come-back tours.
7. All server farms = Transformers.
8. Facebook homepage redesign.
EDIT: Uh oh. I thought of more.
1. Large Hadron Collider operated by this guy.
2. A Tumblr blog about hipsters is started. It does not receive a book deal.
3. Ban imposed on list-based blog entries

I especially like his last one and it makes me laugh. Because not only is my Link Lineup series list-based, I also have another blog about our daily life in Golden that includes many lists as well. I LOVE my list-based blogs. And don’t even get me started with the Facebook redesign…

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Cinque Terre, Italy

Because it’s a wintery day and I am already wishing for warmer weather, I thought I’d share a bright, cheery photo with you. And here are my finds for this week!

• A unique and cheery pop can that correlates nicely with my photo. (and yes, being from the Midwest I do say “pop”). This one is interesting, too.
• I love this chair art piece. Great statement piece for the modern house.
• Fun postcard reminders that technology should take the back burner to relationships and non-digital experiences.
• Don’t underestimate cups made from Styrofoam – espeically ones with artwork on them.
• Um, Deuce Creative has an amazing work space.
• Best door hanger ever – make sure to scroll over the images for the full effect.
• A great type evolution diagram by the oh-so talented, Jessica Hische.

Links are fun…please share!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Gimmelwald, Switzerland

From the ever insightful, creative Frank Chimero:

“There are no recipes.”

Stop looking for a recipe for success. You want it? So far as I can tell, it is to relentlessly do what you’re best at, keep at it, and to keep moving and take advantage of opportunities.

Stop looking for recipes about how to find work. You want it? Do what you’re best at, tell people about it, make incredible work and every once in a while remind people you exist in a way that best represents you. There’s no one true way to promote.

My take: Don’t worry about the right way to be a better entrepreneur/creative/person…just be yourself, nobody can do that better. So while there is no one recipe, the key ingredients are to be smart, be persistent, be proactive and be unique. And success will follow in some form or another.

- Laura

ps. in case you didn’t realize, my photo represents a “kick in the pants” for those of us who need it.

by Signify. Location: Venice, Italy

Well it’s nearing Valentine’s Day, so I thought I’d showcase a photo from one of the most romantic places on earth – Venice. And normally I don’t recognize the holiday because it just seems to have the opposite effect of what’s being celebrated. Something just feels so unromantic to me when every other couple is celebrating their love on the same day. So Ryan and I like to cheat the system and go against the norm by celebrating on the 13th – our dating anniversary. It works for us!

Anyway, for the special day I wanted to share some links reflecting my favorite kind of design in honor of love – packaging design. So of course thanks to thedieline.com, here are the finds for this week!

• To kick things off, these printable love coupon matchbooks, chocolate wrappers and tea bag cosies are super pretty and appropriate for the special day, or any other romantic time.
• San Fran beer packaging – love the city, love the look. Did I say love yet?
• Minimalistic design and economic, too.
• Speaking of economic, check out these cool school supplies.
• Perfect – ABC paper cups for the typography lover and party planner.
• Tea packaging is among the most interesting and beautiful design, and same goes for alcohol.
• Lovely letterpress wedding invitations.
• Not necessarily packaging, but I think this set of collages is very romantical.
• Okay, and I could not resist sharing this link even though it’s not packaging design or romantic, but it is another one of my favorite things – a delightful type mobile.

Happy day of love!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Venice, Italy

We’re now already in February (dang, time flies), and it just so happens to be Ryan’s birthday today! So I’d like to dedicate this post to him on this very special day. However, since he didn’t provide me with any of his favorite links, I’ve selected a few I know he’d enjoy.

• It’s making a comeback in an unlikely, unique way – the mullet, social media style.
• The art history poster cheat sheet. Ryan’s favorite is: “Duchamp owns everything” – well, it’s true. And I especially like this one: “Calder owns mobiles” – he does and they are amazing.
• Our friend is a pilot and we like design, so this airplane rebranding blends the two professions together quite nicely, as well as adds a punch of humor.
• Liking these hand-painted ceramic bowls, and I’m sure Ryan could replicate them.
• We like beer and we like graphics – if these taste as good as they look, this beer would be on our list of beverages. And give me a weizen with this fun label design.

That’s all we’ve got for you this week. Cheers!

- Laura

by Signify. Rome, Italy

Can you believe it’s the last week in January? Here’s what I’ve got to wrap up the first month of the new year.

• My extremely artistic cousin sent me this link – vinyl graphics that gives insight into a designer’s world. Nice.
• Want to look scholarly even if you’re tech nerd? Try this MacBook case out for size.
• An inventive and beautiful use of recycled materials by an Etsy seller – who would have thought old ink cartridges could be so stunning?
• A paper sculpture exercise done by students.
• More recycled works – a hilarious take on the rotary phone as it relates to sculpture by Jean-Luc Cornec. And check out the work of Ptolemy Elrington. Wow.
• Tea is great and all, but hot chocolate liquidy goodness really hits the spot sometimes. What would make this delectable treat even better? Cloud marshmallows, of course.
• And seriously? Typographic cookies to go with it? Yes, please.
• Absolutely stunning landscape studies by Scott Mansfield.
• For my salon ladies in Michigan, lovely hair care product packaging.

Please share your inspiration with me! I always love seeing what people are drawn to.

- Laura

I stumbled upon a creative Q&A site where this question was asked: Do you ever look at other peoples work and wish you had done it?

Um, yes. And one of the answers to this question hit home with me because I often have what the author referred to as “creative envy” with both design and photography. I often feel as though I have a really great idea, but the execution just doesn’t work. And sometimes it seems I’m fully capable of great execution, but the idea just never gets fully resolved. So when someone really nails both and it seems to be effortless (which it’s not), it causes quite a stirring of jealousy in me.

But like the author says, this feeling can only serve to improve who I am as a creative. I should appreciate, learn from and utilize what works in order to keep growing my own talent. I can only learn through studying and in the creative world, studying just happens to be appreciating beautiful pieces of art. Not a bad deal. Likewise, I can only grow by doing – practice, practice, practice. Creativity is not simply innate or something that comes naturally, it also takes hard work, time and effort.

So rather than feeling regret or envy, I’ve been learning that I need to follow these steps for both personal and professional success:

1) Admire beautiful work
2) Appreciate incredible talent
3) Recognize my potential
4) Practice the craft
5) Keep pursuing greatness

It’s become my five-step process.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Vatican City, Italy

Apologies again for the slacking in my posting, but I just got LASIK eye surgery last Thursday and I’ve been limiting my computer time in an effort to not over-stress my eyeballs (they are kind of important). So needless to say, I took last week off. And as you’ll note, the featured image this week has an optic feel to it – I do like my themes. Anyway, here’s my extensive collection of links for this week to make up for last week. Some really good stuff to feast your eyes on!

• To carry on my eye theme…now, I don’t use Re-nu but I have to admit, it’s new box design is quite “eye-catching.”
• I love tea, especially when I’m feeling under the weather like I am this week. So these fun tea bags totally made my day.
• For my fellow Mac lovers, check out these great new gadgets for the iPhone (turns your phone into a mini Mac – funny) and Macbook (turns your MacBook into a tower – genuis).
• I don’t know why, but wooden spoons/objects make my skin crawl. However, I find these Scanwood products irresistible with their great packaging.
• As you know, I’m a huge fan of clean, sleek design and this packaging for Buck is beautiful yet also very masculine – great design by Mint.
• Lovely design, awesome mission – Water for Water.
• Okay, I think ampersands are one of the most beautiful characters in typography. And that is why I love this blog.
• Living in Colorado has caused me to buy fun winter hats – thinking about getting this adorable one for the slopes.
• By now you know my love for packaging design so in addition to the great finds from Dieline.com, I SO want their new book to drool over.

Not enough? Check back in next week for more, you greedy little buggers.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Paris, France

After accidentally skipping a week of my Link Lineup in all the New Year excitement, I’m back and ready to share my first link picks of 2010. Get excited and check them out.

• The photo this week has an accompanying link – discover scans of the original blue prints of the “Monsieur Effiel” on the official Eiffel Tower website. So cool.
• I absolutely love mobiles. And this one is no exception. One day, when we have kids, they will have one of these hanging from their ceiling.
• A great goal for the new year – read one book every week. I think every creative or business professional can find that inspiring. And here’s a great bookmark to use.
• Some more fun necklaces for all you unique jewelry lovers.
• Wintery and wonderful, these Outofstock stools are fantastic. Want.
• More winter goodness with a graphic design study of the snowflake.
• We have a dog and I would love to get one of these Hyperakt leashes for us…er, I mean her. Awesome branding, too.

It’s a great start to the new year – hope you all enjoyed your first full week.

- Laura

Well, happy New Year! I’ve got some good stuff to share in this first week of the new year. As I was looking through our massively extensive collection of photos taken over the past 5+ years, I came along some beauties which I’ve sorted into collections. They are gorgeous, if I do say so myself. And I am bound and determined to get these printed and framed someday to hang on our walls, or give as gifts to friends and family. But for now, they are for your online enjoyment.

Artfully yours,
Laura

by Signify. Location: Castiglione, Italy

Merry Christmas!! To keep celebrating the holiday with festive links, here are just a few more that are wonderfully Christmas related.

• Enjoy a variety of festive and super creative holiday typography.
• A collection of gorgeous wrapping for the season from around the web.
• Just a fun, typographic holiday wine label to enjoy.
• Ring in the holidays on a good note – use these music-inspired salt and pepper shakers to add a little flavor to your holiday meal.
• I just love paper cut out creations. These placemats are no exception!
• And now I have to share some Esty.com finds. These gloves are pretty and practical. And this necklace is funky and festive. And my alliteration wouldn’t be complete without a comfy cowl scarf.

Have a very jolly time with friends and family this week!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Venice, Italy

So in honor of Christmas, I’ve decided to make the focus of my links primarily on the holiday. Hope you like these little gems!

• Here are some fantastic glass ornaments that showcase bits of nature inside. Beautiful!
• It’s coming up sooner than twelve days, but check out this great “Twelve Days” gift idea and countdown candy calendar.
• If your house is still not fully decorated for the season, here are some great DIY projects to do and get on display before guests start arriving. And check out their mantel ideas – stunning!
• Gifts, gifts and more gifts for your artsy and organized friends.
• And here’s one for avid readers when normal bookmarks just won’t do.
• Let’s not forget the perfect gift for those who always grab a cup to go.
• Here are some beautiful PlayShape puzzles for the youngins in your family – or for you. And check out the best stuffed toy idea ever from Shidonni – draw your own toy. Build-A-Bear has got nothing on this one!
• This set of vintage storefront photos sort of reminds me of the best Christmas movie – “It’s A Wonderful Life.”
• And to bring in the new year, why not get this simple wooden calendar? (zoom in for better views)

More on the way next week. And despite all of my gift ideas, I hope you remember the real reason for the season!

- Laura

This weekend Ryan and I went to the Colorado Railroad Museum which is basically a photographers dream – a place to be inspired by the colors, textures and typography of the rail cars. It’s been a while since I’ve posted some eye candy, so I wanted to share our delightful little finds for you all this Monday. Hope you find the beauty in them, too!

Not to mention this would be a great place to shoot some engagement, wedding or trash the dress photography – and I think my cousin Lexia would agree!

Full of bells & whistles,
Laura

by Signify. Location: Gimmelwald, Switzerland

The start of this week’s link-y goodness has a gardening/farming theme. Hence my lovely cowbell photo. I’m somewhat of a farm girl myself and I love landscaping so it’s about time I made this a feature. Happy “digging!”

• Utensils made to look like gardening tools – how perfectly fitting. The designer, Vladimir Rachev, says: “Food is more and more produced in artificial environment. In [the] future we might need a reminder of the cultivation origins.”
• Simple but great “GrowYourOwn” seed packaging design – an easy way to become an amateur farmer.
• On a related note, wouldn’t it be fun to put some freshly cut flowers from your garden in a few of these rubber vases? No worries about knocking these over!
• Follow the doctor’s orders – make sure to track the apples you eat every day on this calendar. From the Etsy seller, VikDesign, “Keep it interesting. Try a Belle De Boskoop, a Newtown Pippin, how about a Peasgood Nonsuch, or maybe a Turley Winesap.” An odd idea but kind of a fun one.
• These typographic coasters are neat-o.
• More for my fellow type nerds – Garamond created out of powerlines.
• Some very cool photo experiments by Adam Voorhes – “exploded” objects.
• And check out this very minimalistic approach to the Nativity scene by Oliver Fabel. Haha.

That’s all for now! Have a fun weekend.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Milan, Italy

Today’s lineup includes a lot of great packaging design from thedieline.com (one of my favorite inspiration sources) along with a few other goodies. Enjoy!

• I love to see organic elements like handwriting, hand-drawn type and illustration incorporated into design.
• Who likes olive oil? What difference does that make…these bottles are beautiful.
• Speaking of bottles, I would like this bottle of wine to grace my table at Christmas dinner.
• When I have kids, you can bet I will be buying this baby food. They will then graduate to this juice.
• Awesome laser-cut paper packaging and an AMAZING stop-motion paper animation video.
• This necklace is simply beautiful. And this one is super fun – maybe I’ll make this my Dad’s new jewelry project for me…
• Vintage cameras – 28 Camera Drawings by Christine Berrie.

Well I think I’ve given you enough to oogle over for today. Have a great weekend and as always, let me know some of your finds so I can admire and enjoy.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Lake Como, Italy

I’ve got some real goodies for you this week that are quirky and witty…my preferences definitely reflect my personality.

• A weird and irresistible start to my link lineup – introducing the chest hair t-shirt available at veer.com.
• Similar to my earlier link about hotel door hangers, check out this collection of bus tickets.
• Hilarious typography/language poem by Taylor Mali interpreted by Ronnie Bruce.
• Just some fun and clever leaf art – bio-diversity by Christoph Niemann.
• A new and inspiring meaning to the phrase “paper cut.” Beautiful.
• Love these classically designed Christmas cards by darlingclementine.
• Speaking of Christmas, I’ll have this letterpress necklace made with movable type, please.
• Thanks to thedieline.com for showcasing BVD’s lovely packaging, I am missing H&M again.

It’s Black Friday today – pick up anything special?

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Schwangau, Germany

I’ve got some great features this week, so feast your eyes!

• All right, these lamps from Sha-Do are simply gorgeous.
• I have always wanted to incorporate the Rorschach inkblot tests into a design. This wine label is the perfect application – pure genius and beautifully executed.
• The perfect statement for anyone who needs a reminder.
• Great package design by Fay K.Pal. These travel containers are simple and effective.
• Another Fay K.Pal gem – I don’t even like goat milk/cheese, yet I want to buy these products (little confused by the sheep logo, though).
• Are you kidding? Check out the latest in photo frames.

Share your finds with me! I love to see what inspires you.

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Gimmelwald, Switzerland

As a designer, and even as a photographer, I often feel like the ideas in my head are not translating like I want them to. It is frustrating. And I know I’m not alone on this one.

So it was really interesting and helpful to read an article by Nina Boccia on azuremagazine.com this morning about the designer, Michael Bierut, and his guide to successful design. Apparently he jokingly refers to himself as a “lazy” designer – in truth, he’s actually just very smart. It’s not about being lazy at all, it’s about being resourceful and keeping a project within reasonable effort, time and budget. The article’s content is an excerpt from one of his lectures, and it shares his seven methods to design efficiently and effectively. I really appreciated his first few steps, so here’s my take on those as a designer:

His first step is to simplify – stay away from ideas that are elaborate and time-intensive.
My take: A novel idea. And it relates to the concept, “don’t bite off more than you can chew.” Both of these thoughts will allow me to work more efficiently without feeling overwhelmed. Keeping it simple while still producing quality work can deliver the best results for everyone.

His second and third steps are to use the elements of the design that are already working rather than scrapping everything and starting from scratch.
My take: Interesting. A lot of times I tend to think that what the client has already could be so much better if only I could get my hands on it and give it a complete overhaul – I like to think of it as my “creative ego.” But his thought is that I need to first find out what is working already, then figure out how I can improve it and make it work even better. Re-working just one aspect of the design may drastically improve the piece.

This article opened my eyes as a designer and allowed me to realize that I don’t need to fight with the design – if I use these principles, the design will work with me. And I also was reminded again that less really is more. Stop the clutter and make a statement.

I feel refreshed and motivated, how about you?

- Laura

Since we’ll be moving to Colorado this Thursday, (wow! time flies), I thought I would share some of the nature photos I took this summer when visiting Winter Park. Since there were so many interesting flowers in the area, and plants really inspire me – unique or common – those are the focus in this series rather than mountain vistas.

Plus, who doesn’t enjoy photos of beautiful wildflowers to start the week? Delightful little things if you ask me.

Happy Monday!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Florence, Italy

Here are my finds for you this week:

• Want to be inspired by some deliciously bold typography? Look no further.
• Check out a fun little collection of vintage hotel door hangers from one man’s past travels.
• This set of witty typography cards from Etsy totally made my day.
• Two fantastic and inventive sets of Japanese barcode designs. Why aren’t we doing this?
• Stunning bird photography by Andrew Zuckerman. Yes, it’s worth the wait.
• A couple more typography links for you to admire and enjoy. Also, I am getting this. Awesome.
• The CommArts 2009 Design Annual is out – love it!

Got any good finds? Please share!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Paris, France

When I was in my first year of college, one of the first things my design professor, Michelle Bowers, taught our class was that we were, under no circumstances, to describe our work or explain why we were drawn to certain artwork by using the word, “cool” or simply saying, “I just like it.” There always had to be the accompaniment of rationale for why we appreciated something or why we did what we did, and how that made it attractive or successful. And same went for when we didn’t like something – we had to explain what didn’t work about the piece and describe how we felt it was unsuccessful. While art is subjective, there still has to be a reason for why we consider something either good or bad.

In saying this, I happened upon a good article on AIGA’s website by Steven Heller about this topic. Here is an excerpt I found that corresponds perfectly with what my professor instilled in us from Graphic Design 101:

Slang is to language as handwriting is to type; it is unofficial. Yet it often becomes [embedded] into everyday speech. Cool is certainly part of our shared Esperanto. It covers a multitude of concepts and emotions, the most common of which is high praise if indeed one is called “cool.” Unlike groovy, fab or gear, which sound positively antediluvian, cool never seems to go out of style. And still, cool does not convey the specificity necessary for making a viable crit in the classroom.

When Victore abruptly responded with “cool” in response to a curious student’s legitimate query, he broke the first rule of teaching. Rather than explain his rationale he relied on linguistic shorthand. Rather than examine motives that would prompt greater understanding, he used a code that, while imbued with common meaning, had no specific meaning. There had to be more to the image of that motorcycle than just its cool aesthetics, even though it was, for some, totally cool.

[You can read the full article here.]

How does this affect me professionally? I’ve had art directors tell me my work was “yummy” or “just not working” without giving any explanation as to why or why not. (I’ll insert here that I’ve also had some great art directors.) While they are great people, those comments weren’t beneficial for me as a designer. How was I supposed to grow without direction? Rather than acting as guides for me, they sometimes disappointed and frustrated me. Good art directors give good critiques, providing both positive and negative feedback as well as suggestions, and help the designer get the piece to a more successful place. With good guidance and intention, the design becomes more than “cool” – it has meaning and thought behind it.

Art (form and content) inspires conversation and reaction. If we treat it solely as eye candy, it pretty much defeats the purpose. So the next time you look at something and think, “wow, that’s really cool!” and leave it at that, imagine me wagging my pointer finger and raising an eyebrow. Gotta give me something more!

Creatively yours,
Laura

Seeing as Mondays are generally the most dreaded day of the week, it’s my goal to provide some vibrancy and fun to your week through original photos – by yours truly – of interesting textures, typography, colors, architecture, unique found objects, etc. I hope this will add a little bit of sunshine into your daily grind as well as give you fresh perspective on how you look at the world around you.

These are some of the photos I took downtown Chicago with my great little Canon PowerShot for my self-imposed photo assignment while enjoying a beautiful day in the city last week with my friend and fellow adventurer, Alicia.

Enjoy, and happy Monday!

- Laura

by Signify. Location: Cinque Terre, Italy

Every Friday, I will be featuring a list of links that provide creative, insightful and inspiring  sites, articles and photos. Today’s lineup includes:

• Inspired thoughts from some of the most creative professionals. I’m totally on board.
• An updated list of awesome blog designs from Smashing Magazine.
• Super sweet site from Anthropologie that is simple, yet delightfully complex.
• A fantastic collection of watercolor paintings with creative typography.
• Who wouldn’t want to have some of these or these? I love unique cards and letterpress.

What inspires you? Let me know if you have any links to share.

- Laura

Creative communication. It’s what I do. And now I have an avenue by which I can express myself in writing regarding creative thinking, as well as provide good (and fun) resources to others.

Here’s the thing – I’m all about making a great statement that will leave a lasting impression. That’s why I’ve started my freelance graphic design & photography business, Signify (sgnfy.com). I’m looking forward to starting conversations, building relationships and above all, growing as a visual communication artist and business person.

Let’s hope I provide some inspiration, and receive some as well.

Creatively yours,
Laura
(Savvy Queen of Ingenuity)