Even those who write against fame wish for the fame of having written well, and those who read their works desire the fame of having read them

- Blaise Pascal

As most designers, I have been doing a great deal of analysis and soul-searching with regard to the profession of graphic design and the challenges that face the “small design studio.” I formulated a new strategy for 2007, and felt confident that it was appropriate. Then… I fortuitously received a Christmas gift from my business partner Ryan. A book.

How To be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy. Perhaps this was some sort of hint? I received it yesterday… and read it over the course of the evening and into the midnight hour. The book was nothing short of transformational. So many of the issues that I had been struggling with were addressed.  This is a must-read for any graphic designer. So as far as the new plan… I now think it was pretty much all wrong. A design studio is not like a band… there is no shelf life… or opportunity to ride the crest of the latest trend… it is simply… a war of attrition. The deliberate decision to do what you do and if you are lucky enough… you can earn a living doing it. “Rock Stardom” is for Rock Stars. And just remember CC DeVille was a rock star. Enough said.

I have been working in Photoshop since version 2.5. I must admit… it took me some time to get my head around layer masks. I came across an amazing video tutorial by Alex Lindsey. He presents and in-depth overview of alpha channels, layer masks and “pulling a key” from a custom mask derived from color channels and tweaking of levels.

Am I the only one who get’s exited about this stuff? If you are too… register at the Pixel Corps and check out the sample tutorials… it’s free.

Even the best of them do it. But jesus… there’s got to be another way to name a nav item that directs people to the answer to the question… “who exactly are they?”

“Who we are” sounds declarative… as if it’s tied to beliefs or something… but it sounds quite pompous. I’m more a fan of the old “About Us” I’d even be open to a “We be”… ya know… keepin’ it real and all. I’m not a sticklar for grammar… but “Who we are” makes no sense at all.

The Pixel Corp is awesome…. more to come after I join!

In looking for some answers to Final Cut Pro quandaries… I fell upon a number of regional FCP User Groups. By far and away the best group is the Los Angeles Final Cut Pro Users Group (LAFCPUG). While I don’t live in LA… I’ll gladly swap proximity for for abundance. it only makes sense that there would be a experienced group of editors in the LA forums. Great posts, great info, a very enthusiastic group. If you like Final Cut Pro? Check’em out some time. 

I just needed to let you all know.

All kidding aside… in comparrison to working on a Windows machine (which I have for 10 years)… I do feel as though my mac is doing things to make my day easier. The OS feels more organic and human. I have both setup now side-by-side on my desk… and in going back to the Windows machine… it looks and feels cold… very grey… almost Soviet.