A Festivus for the Rest of us!

Happy Festivus today Everyone!

Hotel 626

This is a pretty cool "advergame". I'm not sure what it has to do with doritos, but it's pretty spooky. Although it is only open from 6pm to 6am, you can change the time on your computer to access it whenever you want. Don't pee your pants!

HOTEL 626

Christmas Creativity

Its been awhile sense I've contributed anything on here, so I thought I'd share with you all this skate deck I painted up for a friend's Christmas present. I had forgotten how rewarding tangible art making is.

Side note: As some of you might know, Polaroid recently announced they will no longer be making their Polaroid film, which is kind of a bummer. So anyway in this photo I was trying out this Polaroid simulator program called "Poladroid". It's a pretty cool free little program. You actually have to wait/shake your photo to get it to develop faster though, and it only works on macs.

I Met the Walrus

Agree or disagree with Lennon's philosophy, there's some sweet penwork/illustration/visuals going on. Amazing that this kid is asking these kinds of questions at age 14. Enjoi.

Blue Vertigo

I don't know if you guys know about this site but I just found it and am all giddy. It's a SUPER good resource:

>>http://www.bluevertigo.com.ar/bluevertigo.htm<<

More on Information Design

Watch. Learn. Dance.

Watch

Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos

Just a reminder to get out there and vote today if you haven't already! I did and even though it was my first time ever voting (sad I know) it wasn't even that painful. Also, you get free stuff from krispy cream, starbucks, ben & jerry's, and chick-fil-a with your little red sticker they give you. Now if that's not a convincing argument, I don't know what is.

leaveyourprint.com

Packaging Site

Digging this site lately

Summer Project

Well, this has been done for a few months now, but I finally got around to compiling this time lapse of all our hard work. Click the photo below.



A stupid ramp ban can't keep me from having fun.

A wicked moustache AND a parrot attack? Sign. Me. Up.

I also saw news of a Magnum P.I. movie to be out in 2009. It'll probably be a bomb, but I can't help but mention it for nostalgia's sake.

A Nice Idea, Every Day

Lots of goodies here
Enjoi

Smashing Concert

Smash Mouth rocked Cedar City over the weekend and it was a fun opportunity for me to shoot the concert. I know they are old school, but I still like them. Because SUU doesn't have an official photographer, I get to shoot all kinds of events including all of SUU's Sporting events. It has been quite the learning experience and it has been fun to get to use all kinds of expensive camera equipment.

Figured you guys were dying to know this.

I could survive for 57 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Job Searchin'

Hey everyone. I've decided to leave my job in pursuit of a new gig. Does anyone know of any cool jobs that are open? If so, please post them up or email me por favor.

Designers Have Feelings Too

Nate's flowchart got me thinking about information design, and it reminded me of a poster I recently came across. This poster catalogs every intimate relationship over this guy's lifespan, and presents the information in a way that allows the viewer to learn huge amounts of info in a short amount of time. Me and a coworker sat and laughed and/or felt sorry for this guy for a good 30 minutes.

So what do you do?

I thought this was kinda funny
(view full size to read it better)

Inflatable dog turd sculpture escapes Swiss museum, wreaks havoc

Article here. If it had happened in June, suspect numero uno would've been Spencer.

Some people have way too much time...

Here's a cheesy video for the "typosluts"

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766

Photoshop Disasters

This blog has been on my RSS feed for awhile now. It's nice to see that my Photoshop fubars aren't all that bad in comparison.

Hey Guys,

Just saying hi and it's good to see everyone is happy and that there is job security in our industry even though the economy is crap.

Still Lovin' it in CC,

Joe

Nice website Spencer, thanks for sharing. Don't look at mine it hasn't been updated since I graduated.

Work for Jandaco!!!

Hey guys + gals!

We're gettin' ready to add 3 more people to our team at work. PLEASE come and apply! We're located in American Fork (about 30 minute drive from SLC, so not too bad of a commute).

View the jobs at:
http://blog.jandaco.net/

http://jandaco.com/agency/careers/

I've been there for almost 3 months, and it's been good. We do a lot of Flash based games and widgets, along with some websites. Print and brand work come along every once in awhile (I've done 2 or 3 brand projects since I've been there, so it's not too far and in between).

The company's great to work for, and we have a good team right now. The "bosses" are great and want the best for the employees. Most of our work comes from big companies from California and New York, so it's a great portfolio builder. Plus, you get tons of experience working with clients and building client relations.

new site

what do you think of the new site... I think that this is my 7th revision.
www.spencerallred.com

Somethin for you typosluts

An interesting comparison of those who design type and their own handwriting: here

April Fools

Alright Cam, so somebody changed out you plaque and you didn't notice huh. I just noticed my diploma on the wall while I was doing some interviewing. They did this as an April Fool's joke, that's right. . . I didn't notice it for over 2 months. I hate it when I'm fooled by the same devices that I command on a daily basis. It's like some kind of mutiny. AAAAARRRG!!!

You may have to click on the image to see the larger version in order to read what my new degree is actually pertaining to. I'm not even comfortable being naked in the shower.

Mad Caddies

My band is opening up for the Mad Caddies this Thursday!

switzerland

hey ya'll just want to check in with all our favorite people and let you know how we are doing.

if you want you can check out all the goods on spencerallred.com

Fresh Faced Intern

So apparently someone switched the plaque on my office door from "web/graphic designer" to "fresh faced intern". I guess it was like this for a month or so and I didn't even notice. Maybe that's why our clients think I'm 18, haha.

Another Creative Opening in Logan

Sorry, not to compete with Matt's post, but we are also hiring here at LetterPress. I'm moving down to SLC next week and they want to hire a new Art Director or designer to take my spot. My time at LetterPress was priceless. I learned a lot. The position would need a well rounded designer who can illustrate and animate well in flash. You don't need to be a "Super Actionscripter", they have programmers here to do the real wacky stuff. The position would also require some print work. The Art Director title would look awesome on your resume. Good salary and benefits. You'd be working with and overseeing a team of other developers/creatives and working shoulder to shoulder with the talented Ryan Schmidt.

If interested contact LetterPress, or send me an e-mail.
A better LP website should be online soon, ignore its current "look"

email me
mangatar[at]gmail.com

I need a designer!!!

Hey kids, just thought I would let everyone know that I am looking to hire a designer here in Logan. Job responsibilities include web, print, packaging, identity and photography needs. If anyone is interested or knows someone that is looking in Logan, please let me know. I really need someone that is efficient in CS3. It is a fantastic place to work, tons of great benefits, very competitive wages, and wonderful people to work with. Contact Matt for more info: matte@campchef.com


The BBQ sounds fun but I will be out of town. . . Sorry.

action sports jobs

If anyone is looking for a job in the "action sports" industry, I stumbled across this site. I know that there are a couple jobs available at Skullcandy for a sr. designer and a web designer.

www.malakye.com

Memorial Day BBQ

So it sounds like a few of us want to get together over Memorial Day. I guess we should make a plan, ie figuring out who's house, time, place, etc. If anyone wants to volunteer their house it would be great. I'm volunteering my house, but it is pretty small and I don't have a grill. I'm at 118th south and way out west, so if anyone lives more downtown or closer to i-15 it might be more convenient for the majority. Anyways, post up if you're interested.

new life....new job

Hey y'all

So my hubby and I moved in w/his parents (west jordan) til we can make sense of our lives. It's nice cuz it's right inbtwn both our jobs.

I'm working at Jandaco as a hybrid designer/programmer. I'm slowly getting used to the company culture; every company's different which is good, but always a challenge for the new guy. It's weird to be commuting, but luckily it's only 1/2 to A.F. from here.

If anyone's still up for that summer BBQ Matt E. kept talking about doing, let me know and I'll try and get something together.

And if anyone's lookin' for a job in the Layton area, I could totally hook 'em up w/one.

--Kara

K.O.

I've been working on some graphics for a project that my brother and I are starting. It's kinda Obey Giant style, like graffiti/street art, but will eventually evolve into a skateboard company. I don't advocate abuse, but sometimes you want to see the pop idols get a beatdown. Anyways, here's the first sticker that we're going to do...

Me!

Hey guys, it's been really great to see what everyone is up to these days. I usually check the blog, but this will be my first post. There really is some awesome things happening to you guys, and it's exciting to hear about. I'm especially jealous of those that have moved to cool places and are kicking it there. Someday I'll go somewhere cool too.
I'm living in Salt Lake (West Jordan to be exact), and I work downtown at YESCO (Young Electric Sign Co). I design signs! All over the country. Most of them are pretty boring, but I'm starting to get some funner sign projects lately. It's a pretty cool job, but I never would have thought I'd be designing signs if you had asked me a year ago. I do miss print work, and I'd like to get back into more of that somehow at some point.
Keep in touch- I love to hear about cool stuff going on around the valley!

NEW SITE :)

My new website is up and runnin'. WAHOO!!!

Check it out when you get a chance:
www.idiodesign.com

K

Double Trouble

Hey everyone, I know this doesn't have to do with design, but Kristina and I had our twins last night. They came about 1 month premature, but they are doing well and are totally healthy. Here's a photo of each. The boy (still unnamed) is the one with the beanie, and the girl (stella) is the one with the breathing tube.

:: FREELANCE RATE CALCULATOR ::

http://freelanceswitch.com/rates/

this is the SWEETEST site ever!

you pretty much take 5-10 min to calculate your expenses and this site figures out your IDEAL hourly rate (perfect for determining freelance projects).

thought i'd spread a little joy despite the snow we got today ;)

An Addy

The invitation I did for the Golden Compass (I posted it a while ago) won a silver addy this year. I was stoked so I thought I'd brag a little.

little bit of drums and piano

This is one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. I know I shouldn't be doing music posts on a GD blog, but I couldn't resist...

in over my head

I'm collaborating with an ad agency to put some streaming videos on the homepage of choosepeterson.com (peterson homes)
I'm pretty confused on how the whole CGI/PHP script deally-o works, so any help would be awesome. Here's what I need...


1. a flash file/script that will detect the bandwidth of the user, and if the bandwidth is too low, it will skip them to another page.
I hear that you just need to detect for a couple seconds using getBytesLoaded, and if it's too low then you use a getUrl to jump them to the other page? Anyone have the code on hand for something like this?

2. I don't really know how to set up the scripts for a form, but I need to be able to gather Name, phone # and email. If you have any tips on how to set up the scripts/server, it would be AWESOME!

Thanks,
Cam

Poster Design

Hey folks, I guess it's my turn to stick my head on the chopping block. Here is a poster I designed for the professional modern dance company in Logan (Valley Dance Ensemble). Let me know what you think.

Professor Carter- suckas

Well, today I got a small break from my boring design job to give teaching a shot. Kristina was sick today, so I am teaching a drawing/rendering class, as well as the "history of furniture" class (at the Art Institue of Salt Lake), which I'm in right now. I have to say it's pretty hard, so mad props Dave, Alan, Bob, etc.

Le Promenade (say with sick french accent)

I just realized that it has been quite along time since I have posted to the blog. Michelle and I have adjusted quite well to the sounds of honking horns and sirens whizzing by. I almost forget that I'm in New York City here in my little space on the 4^th floor (I really wanted to say something impressive like "looking down from the 57^th floor" but that would just be a lie). Any way Michelle is working for a place called Evoke and I'm working for a place called InterBrand. The experience is great and I would suggest it to any one that is looking for something totally different. Later

Mas Trabajo

So I've noticed that most of my posts are usually job ops. My bad. I wish I could provide more funny links to YouTube or useful surveys (see below), but when I get calls from people wanting freelancers I really hate saying "Sorry, you're S O L". Nobody likes being S O L. Unless you ARE sh*t, and luck is a pot of boiling acid. Then being S O L is a good thing, right? ANYWAYS, I always tell these freelance seekers that I'll do my best to help them out by posting the opportunity on an "exclusive designer blog". I know, it makes us sound way cooler than we really are, but everyone should sound cool at least once.

enjoi

===============

Job Op:

This one is immediate and has a deadline of Monday (March 10th).
Contact Josh: me@joshkirk.com

Useful Survey

Hey everyone, I ran across this survey here that had all kinds of useful information about freelancers. Web Designers, Graphic Designers, Illustrators, 3D etc, etc. It's only $3 and well worth the 55 pages of goodness. It goes into detail about things like Average Client Spending x Country x Industry, it even breaks it down by state for North America. It also talks about where people in these industries are finding most of their work, if people are making more as freelancers, how much time investment, all kinds of great info. ENJOY!

Battle of the Bands

Hey y'all

This week--March 6-- CD demos are due to KSM Guitars here in Logan for the Battle of the Bands, which will be held March 28 at the Logan Fairgrounds. The winner will open for Eve6 at their concert at USU on April 9th.

For more information, contact KSM at 435.753.6813 or ksmmusic.com.

btw: this is to help raise awareness for CAPSA.

Kara

PS--sweet poster, eh? never thought i'd be able to do "grunge"

Opportunitays

Dude, this blog is going stale. My post probably won't jump start it, but it's a post nonetheless.

I received an email the other day from an old coworker. Here's part of it: "I am creating a small graphic/web design and industrial design consulting company to ultimately help service a couple of projects I am working on plus take on additional projects. Let me know if you have any good freelance contacts." As I've previously said, Layne's Freelance Shack has closed its doors temporarily until I can get a normal work week, so I'm of no use to him. But I'm passing this along to you guys because I love you all so much. Except for Nate dog (it's a long story, but sharing a bed in Switzerland with him and his meat-hooks was a trial of epic proportions).

The contact email for this is jstew48 {at} gmail {dot} com.

Enjoi

Lame Post, cool concert

This is a lame post for a design blog, but we need some conversation, so here it is. March 7th in Logan, be there or be triangle!

Want some work?

A colleague at work asked if I knew anyone who could do a simple website for a pizza place in Portland. Since moving to Idaho with the new job my work week has rarely dropped below 60 hours, so I've cut any and all freelance. If any of you have some extra time and want to make some extra coin, let me know (layne dot turner at gmail dot com).

Black Diamond is hiring

This is a boring post but Black Diamond is hiring and I think you should all apply for the position. I know the creative director and he would be fun to work with. view the position

// Dave

Burton Design Competition

The other night I participated in a design comp put on by Burton and HP. We were required to design a snowboard on the spot in like 4 hours. None other than Shaun White was there to judge the designs, so, lucky me got to meet him. I didn't win the competition but hey, who cares, I got to meet a gold medalist.

Shaun and I (I'm not grabbing his butt I swear)


my board

Design Police

Everyone needs to do the world a favor and slap these stickers everywhere!

check it out: http://www.design-police.org

Rock and or Roll

Posting events on the blog, what a fantastic idea. Kara, you're a genius.

For those of you who have made the move down to SLC (and also those of you who would like to make the 1.5 hour trek from Logan down to SLC to see a crappy band play)...my band is playing at a place called the Outer Rim this Saturday (the 19th). Info found below...

Contact me if you want pre-sale tickets. I can get them to ya for 6 bucks...

A good rant

Every so often I feel the desire to rant... I hate to be a whiner, but lately I've been running into the problem that after communicating via phone or email, clients are sometimes surprised to see that I look so young, and sometimes I feel that I don't get the proper respect or am not taken seriously because people think I'm a high school student. It seems a bit harder to build trust or command a high price for my designs. Do any of you folks seem to have this problem? Let me know what you think. Maybe I should grow out a huge beard, haha.

Career Update

Hey folks,

Just thought I would let you all in on the big news. I'm the new Art Director for Camp Chef (thank you Layne for posting the job opening) which also means we're back in Logan. We just moved in to the house on the corner of Center and 2nd east. So if anyone needs a place to crash or just wants to stop and say hi, everyone is welcome. By the way. . . all this snow is screamin' for a BBQ, don't you think.

Hey y'all
My husband and a couple of friends are puttin' on a concert tonight in Ogden if anyone wants to come--everyone's invited!

6:30pm :: Church house across from Bonneville High (just off Washinton Blvd)

The event's also posted on Facebook if you want to check that out :)