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.