Lalo Carter

pikpic

2011-03-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

POPular Design

2010-06-15T12:23:00.001-07:00

POPular Business

2010-03-05T11:25:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a great week, and very busy! Wonderfully we have won several contracts this week which after a long haul is great news! It is a definite confidence boost and nice to get back into the groove. Now it is time to spread the word, share the work, and keep this energy alive.

pikpic

2010-01-25T19:20:00.001-08:00

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lichtenstein alive!

pikpic

2010-01-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

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India, I could use you a bit right now! minnesota is cold.

POPular Design

2009-11-05T08:00:00.001-08:00

Paper Tastebuds

POP FONT

2009-10-13T11:30:00.001-07:00

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POPular Design

2009-10-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

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The Economist always knocks it out of the park!

POPular Design

2009-10-01T14:53:00.001-07:00

The Big Be There

Im proud to share one of the sites that we have been working on for one of our clients CaringBridge. It is a real time interactive site which feeds off of twitter feeds and right off the site itself. I also designed every colorful piece of it, I just love my job!! Check the site out!

pikpic

2009-09-30T08:23:00.001-07:00

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I just love collage!

POP FONT

2009-09-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

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POPular Design

2009-09-29T09:19:00.000-07:00

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Like I said before, I just love a well designed business card more so when it is functional and different.

pikpic

2009-09-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

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POP FONT

2009-09-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

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Watch this!

2009-09-24T10:12:00.000-07:00

Dan Pink Talks about motivation and rewards systems, it is a really good tedtalk and he says things that apply across the board to all walks of life and careers! loved it!

POPular design

2009-09-14T18:52:00.000-07:00

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Watch this!

2009-09-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

Wieden + kennedy created these videos for Nokia's world conference and played them inbetween the keynote speeches. I like the cookies!

POPular Design

2009-09-14T08:05:00.001-07:00

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POPFont

2009-09-08T12:17:00.000-07:00

Human Ingredients!

Evolution of the PSA

2009-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Granted these are 2 different subjects but check out the drastic difference in the shock value. Holy Crap I WILL NEVER TEXT AND DRIVE! I think the creativity gone into creating a message has always been around but the executable possibilities that have evolved over time have really made things happen. Maybe in another 20 years we have the technology to implant a filter into our brains and turn the dumbshit switch off making the need for PSAs unnecessary.

POPular Words

2009-09-04T08:25:00.001-07:00

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POPular Design

2009-09-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Inspire me now

KFC... your insane!

POPular Design

2009-09-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Creative Review

These are cool uses of negative space, we could create mind blowing things if seeing and using negative space came naturally to everyone.

POPular Design

2009-09-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

likecool.com

This is a great idea for parties or give away for brands like KFC, monopoly, or Planters!

pikpic

2009-09-03T13:06:00.001-07:00

Getting to know me and my toes from Joseph Mann

Every photographer takes photos of their feet and i think every artist eventually draws their own feet. If I had attempted to create this video my soldiers would have looked like they had a form of leotardation. (I know thats not a word, leotard!)

pikpic

2009-09-02T06:03:00.001-07:00

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POPular words

2009-08-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

So interviews are exciting things to get, I feel like the more I go to them, the more confident I am in myself and what exactly is going on. I feel like when I had my first interview I wanted it so bad and couldn't think straight. My answers were stuttered and clumsy, my brain froze on questions and I had such a hard time. But now, when someone makes a reference to a small local agency or creative or ad, I know what the heck they are talking about, I feel like I'm doing things right and it really restores confidence in me. I remember reading an article in business week that had some really helpful questions to be prepared for and I share it here:

Why are you interested in working with us?
This will demonstrate whether the candidate has done his research, has a clear understanding of your company's mission and product, and his expectations of design's contributions.

What do you have to offer us?
This question will elicit the candidates' understanding of the aggregate of her education, experience, and passions. It should also tell you what the candidate would feel empowered to accomplish within your organization, as it allows them to demonstrate their understanding of your needs and desires.

What project in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?
It almost doesn't matter which project they select, it's the "why" that's important. You want to hear their business reasons for selecting a particular project—metrics about brand building, lower cost, new materials, new vendors, profits, innovations enabled—as well as how customer focused it is and how well it enhances customer experience. You do not want to hear: "It looks cool," although whatever it is should look great—beautiful if possible. You also want to hear the story of the project—the ability to tell stories about the work is a very important part of explaining and convincing.

How do you learn about consumers (or customers)?
Recent graduates can speak to watching people select and buy things and asking buyers why they made the selection they did, or asking customers coming out of a movie theater about their comfort during the experience, or watching people trying to insert their credit card in an airport ticket kiosk and following them through the process of seat selection, baggage check, and so on.

Designers with 3 to 5 years of experience, depending on where they worked previously, will be able to speak to working with ethnographers and other research specialists and to participating in observing consumers and getting their input in the design process or sharing design concepts with them.

How do you stay on top of trends?
You want to hear about the dozens of magazines they subscribe to personally, that are available to them at work, or that they look at online; the conferences they attend; the sites and blogs they look at; the trade shows they attend; the people in their network who are experts in another field. You also want to know about interests from outside the design world.

If we asked the people you work with what it's like to work with you, what would they tell us?
You want to hear insightful observations of how they are perceived by co-workers and managers, perhaps, "It would depend on who you ask. X would tell you that I am very difficult because I am so demanding. Y would tell you that he loves to work with me because I stay focused on what needs to be done," and so on. You don't want to hear: "I never asked."

What would you do if your recommendation for a solution was rejected?
You want to hear: "That would never happen because I keep everyone in the loop throughout the process." Or, that they would seek to realign the thinking of the decision-makers through presentations on how they arrived at the recommendation and subsequent discussions.

Origionally posted in Businessweek Playbook: Best Practices By RitaSue Siegel

pikpic

2009-08-27T18:20:00.000-07:00

Ocular Orgasm

2009-08-27T18:08:00.000-07:00

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I would love to get a note with one of these beautiful stamps!

Watch this!!

2009-08-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Join the revolution

POPular design

2009-08-25T07:01:00.001-07:00

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I love this, I want one!

Let me sell that mother F*!?$r

2009-08-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

who wants to go to the movies with me?!

pikpic

2009-08-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

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pikpic

2009-08-20T07:53:00.001-07:00

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If you don't think this is cute, you're a stone-cold hearted person!

POP Font

2009-08-20T07:52:00.001-07:00

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POPular Persona

2009-08-19T19:20:00.000-07:00

persona

Do you know what your online persona is? Here is mine, check out yours! I don't know how accurate it all is because my largest color is management but I'm pretty sure it's referring to Art Director and the fact that there is even a sports section totally makes me question it! But still fun, and I have noticed it changes when you do it a second time!

Watch this!!

2009-08-18T05:53:00.000-07:00

I hope you guys take the time to listen to this TED talk with Sir Ken Robinson. He addresses creativity and our education system. He makes the most interesting points. I can't imagine how my life and my peers would be different if art was held on the same level as math.

POPular design

2009-08-17T20:47:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a website design assignment with a similar look and feel as these examples and I thought i would share some of my inspiration and studies for it... enjoy!

Poked Studio

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Happy Monday!

2009-08-17T07:14:00.001-07:00

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Well I'm back in the office and I'm happy to be here and definitely on a mental cruise from my weekend. Wade was in California and I worked my other thankless job which at times makes me want to flip out. I think people who have never worked in the service industry should never be allowed to eat out. There must be something in the water or moon cycle to cause people to treat servers like sh*t lately. It's just awful!

demgop.net

On a positive and productive note, I was able to update my website, add a 404 page, hem my shorts, work on our save the dates, bake some banana bran muffins, home made apple sauce, get my bike tuned up, and buy some panniers for my bike which may have been one of my best purchases lately! No more heavy bags hanging on me making me sweaty and uncomfortable while trying to ride! I LOVE IT!

Practice makes perfect!

2009-08-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.

pikpic

2009-08-14T06:04:00.001-07:00

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Does this remind anyone else of fishing with their father?

POP Font

2009-08-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

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so true!

Colors!

2009-08-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

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I could totally live in this room minus all the stuffed animals! it's so bright and fun!

POP FONT.

2009-08-11T19:25:00.001-07:00

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You've gotta love MONSTERS!

POPular design

2009-08-11T08:05:00.000-07:00

fffound

I cant get enough of the human hybrid!

POPular Brands

2009-08-10T13:20:00.001-07:00

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This is interesting to see the 2 side be side, and from the looks of it Coke is DECADES behind Pepsi's design, its almost like Pepsi reinvents itself time and again and Coke is moving backwards to where Pepsi began.

What do you think?

Important PSA!

2009-08-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

Not just an important PSA but great illustrations.

POPular design

2009-08-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

fffound

Is it wrong that this made me giggle? but I have to admit it is a smart take on a popular idea

POPular design

2009-08-10T09:51:00.001-07:00

Vintage Arte House

I can so relate to this picture when trying to carry 2-3 bags, plus groceries! ugh

Happy Weekend!

2009-08-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

BEST OF SHOW 08 2D mixed media Kina Crow
Hope you have a fun filled one, I'm off to the Uptown Art Fair to see some crazy and cool works by artists from all over the world. I think art fairs make creativity a virus, I'm excited to be inspired!

Uptown Art Fair

pikpic

2009-08-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Thomas Allen

Very cool idea! Makes me want to cut up my books!

ObaMac

2009-08-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

POPular words

2009-08-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

This article originally appeared in September/October 2002 issue of Communication Arts. Hal Curtis is a brilliant creative, and this is one of the best articles ever written to students of advertising. This is a post from the blog Makin' Ads

A NOTE TO STUDENT ART DIRECTORS BY HAL CURTIS

Dear Student Art Director,

In the last decade, advertising schools that teach you how to put together a portfolio have prospered. If you are currently enrolled in one of these fine institutions, well, good for you. But there’s something I’d like you to think about. First, let me just say this. Advertising schools are a blessing to our industry. They provide a constant stream of talent that, more often than not, is able to acclimate to the agency environment and contribute. Which is good.But the focus of these institutions on advertising, advertising, advertising, has a price. There is a good chance you are not being exposed in depth to the things that constitute an art director’s fundamental foundation, that you are not collecting the tools that will enable you to exhibit a high level of executional craftsmanship.Here’s the thing. While you’re getting a terrific education in the advertising aspect of art direction, you are studying less and less the fine-art aspect.You are getting the ad part.But not the art part.Which is not so good.I write this letter because I want you to become an art director. I don’t want you to become an ad director. I’m very sure we have enough of those already. I should mention that one of the nice things about Wieden+Kennedy is that a whole bunch of people send their work to us. I’ve looked at literally hundreds of student art director portfolios over the last several years.

Your competition.Here’s what I see:

1) I see competent conceptual thinking.
2) I see underdeveloped typographic skills.
3) I see underdeveloped layout skills.
4) I see the computer more than I see the art director.
5) I see work derivative of other advertising.

Hey, I’m really happy that today’s art director is more conceptual than ever. Because it’s a fact and that’s great. We all know that concept is king. But never, never, never—Young Student Art Director—underestimate the importance of execution.Here’s a little creative director mathematics for you to think about. Assume you are a creative director and you need to assign a project.You have a good writer available. You need to team that person with a partner. Here’s the math part:

A) Good Writer + Art Director with strong conceptual and executional skills = A good idea fully-realized.

B) Good Writer + Art Director with strong conceptual, but poor executional skills = A good idea not fully-realized.

C) Good Writer + Graphic Designer with strong executional skills = A good idea fully-realized.

It’s complicated I know. But to the creative director, A and C are happy scenarios. But B? Decidedly not happy. It produces weak advertising.What should you learn from this?That unless you develop the ability to execute, the creative director might as well hire a graphic designer. And why not? They put it down better than you do. And a good writer is providing the conceptual part. So while your conceptual ability is a good thing, the fact that you can’t execute has hurt the final product.Shocking!Agencies are not in the business of training art directors. Agencies are in the business of selling a quality product to clients who are willing to pay for it. Agencies require personnel who contribute to the creation of that quality product. Obviously. As an aspiring art director, you may exit a technical school with a portfolio that can get you a job, but if you find yourself standing at a lightbox beside a print production manager unable to give competent direction because you don’t understand basic concepts like value and chroma, it’s a problem. And if I’m the creative director who hired the portfolio, it’s my problem.The point of all these paragraphs and silly math equations is simply this: Make sure you know the fundamentals of art direction. If you are not getting enough of this currently, go get it on your own. It’s all out there if you’re willing to look for it.I’m not an educator, but my guess is that the drop in the executional proficiency of today’s entry-level art director is due to some horrible collision of the computer and the curriculum.The computer because it teaches art directors how to be lazy.The curriculum because it focuses on making ads, not art. Here are a few ideas. You’ve probably heard most of them before. That’s probably because they are important.

1) Learn how to draw. I never trust an art director who can’t draw. I know there are those rare examples of great art directors who can’t draw, but it still drives me crazy. Drawing is simply an understanding of how lines and shapes fit together to communicate an object. If you can draw, you can probably lay out a page. Or compose a television frame. Or do all sorts of other art director things.

2) Develop a passion for typography. Good type is rapidly becoming a lost art and that’s sad. If you don’t know what a ligature is or you’ve never heard of Jan Tschichold—go ask one of your instructors. I hope they know. And hand letter a couple of alphabets while you’re at it.

3) Understand value and how it behaves.

4) Become a closet editor. Other than music, it’s the single most effective way to impact a piece of film.

5) Make photography a hobby.

6) Use your hands. It’s the quickest way to make your work distinct because no one uses them anymore. I will quit the business the day “hands on” becomes an item on a pull-down menu. The computer is a wonderful tool, but your brain and your hands are much, much better. And they’re yours. Not everyone else’s.

7) Look to anything but other advertising for inspiration. There’s culture all around us. Pay attention.And may I also add that Communication Arts is a wonderful publication.Influence it. Don’t copy it.

Best regards,

Hal

If I had a dime...

2009-08-06T07:16:00.001-07:00

Nicoletta Ceccoli Crows

Here is an amazing Italian artist which i just love her weird, obscure scenes. She uses multimedia of computer generated images and paint. LOVE IT!

pikpic

2009-08-06T07:08:00.000-07:00

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POPular design

2009-08-06T07:07:00.001-07:00

fffound

CMYK, gotta love it!

2009-08-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

I was clearing out some stuff from my computer and I came across my very first design assignment from my InDesign class and it was a CD cover for Gotan Project, it was fun but its just weird to see some of the older stuff that could totally change and do better!

It's Wednesday

2009-08-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

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POP FONT.

2009-08-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

flickr

Very cool font! that is total Minneapolis pride!

pikpic

2009-08-04T10:13:00.001-07:00

fffound

YES YES YES! I love the strange and the morbid and particularly day of the dead, skeletons, etc... this screen print book cover is really amazing!

Popular design

2009-08-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

fffound

Just one more thing I'm attracted to, contrast and red and green is one of my favorites!

POPular design

2009-08-03T09:09:00.001-07:00

and they're water proof!

Happy Monday!

2009-08-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

fffound

Oh it was a long weekend! I worked and after I got home Poor Wade's bike was gone! someone came in and stole it :(Some good news... He is being more optimistic, we found a venue for our wedding and THERE IS A THEME! I got my new business cards, Fiber One was on sale at Target, and we made our second purchase towards our christmas dinner (It's going to be a good one!)

Happy Weekend!

2009-07-31T14:24:00.001-07:00

F l i c k r originally uploaded by mickeytrescott.

Just Biked back from St. Paul and its about 20 minutes faster than taking the bus! Hope everyone has a great weekend! I know I will!

Sounds Like

2009-07-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Estate is an amazing group from Minneapolis. In this video I am really drawn to the use of Illustration meshed with photo, and computer generated art. I like Multimedia pieces and this has that sort of feel.

picpik

2009-07-30T08:31:00.001-07:00

no more rain, originally uploaded by alǝx.

POP FONT.

2009-07-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

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DIRECTOR!

POPular design

2009-07-29T08:53:00.001-07:00

Cheeming Boey

Art that has no beginning and no end. just another example of how simplicity is beautiful. Imagine the things he could do for Starbucks or Sigg waterbottles.

It's Wednesday

2009-07-29T08:43:00.001-07:00

Lokesh Dahkar

I have always wanted a poster like this. I love the colors the artist used in this one

POPular design

2009-07-28T11:50:00.000-07:00

fffound

I just think this would make the most beautiful business card.

POPular design

2009-07-28T09:15:00.001-07:00

Creative Boys Club

Door "Hand-le", by Naomi Thellier de Poncheville

pikpic

2009-07-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

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Sounds Like

2009-07-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

If graphic design could be pumped through headphones it would sound like Ratatat.

POPular design

2009-07-28T05:09:00.000-07:00

dieline

I think these designs are amazing! I would love to have every single one. Wouldn't grocery shopping be exciting if you had options like these!

Weekend adventures

2009-07-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Kathy Butterly, Fall Into Spring, 2004

Porcelain, earthenware, and glaze 2-7/8 x 5 x 3-7/8 inches Private collection

Hope everyone had a great weekend, I had many adventures including working (snore) and venturing the Walker with Wade which is always fun. This was one piece from their exibit Dirt on Delight: Impulses That Form Clay. They also had another totally morbid exibit called The Quick and the Dead which had a taxidermic dog a video of a dead horse; jars full of human hair and nails; this crazy life like human curled up in a corner. it was just ......odd. we enjoyed a nice drink out on the 2021 patio and took a walk around downtown which is just as depressing as the art exhibit.

After that we rode our bikes to a friends going away party. It was a lot of fun but I kept falling off my bike on the way home so today is painful!

Reinvention

2009-07-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

It is time to reinvent. The economy is still caca and I started to get bored with my old site. So I wanted to have something brighter and better for the rebranding of myself.

I am excited to have my very first blog! I have always been reluctant to starting one, I guess I imagined that starting one would be like getting a puppy. Fun and exciting at first but then eventually realizing its a lot of work and responsibility. But, I'm going to love this one till it pisses on my couch.