David Airey, graphic designer » Personal

The King of Legoland

David Airey — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:02:42 +0000

Two minutes rammed full of childhood memories.

A little nostalgia to wind-down the working week.

Video by web designer, animator, illustrator, and photographer Micaël Reynaud. Music by Hunting Charlie’s Band(e) Samuel Vielliard. Via @TomActman.

Animated gifs available here and here.

Have a great weekend.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Lifework

David Airey — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:54:03 +0000

I recently took a little time-out to chat with Cerentha Harris, editor of Herman Miller’s Lifework blog.

She asked me about transitioning from an office environment to working from home, how this impacts my work, and a few others things. Read the short interview here: Tour: Graphic Designer David Airey.

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Update: 26 January 2012
Here’s a nice read on the BBC website where Glynn Orchin, a South African businessman, describes his adopted home, Bangor (where I live): From KwaZulu-Natal to Bangor.

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Published on David Airey, graphic designer

We all need to start somewhere

David Airey — Fri, 20 May 2011 14:32:47 +0000

I was taking a few photos of cards for my portfolio when I came across my very first business card.

Multi page and single-page. That’s right.

Here’s the website to match.

Definite proof that we all need to start somewhere.

I’ve learned a lot during the past six years of self-employment, such as don’t mess with Google, some clients are better to avoid, and if you don’t ask, you don’t get, but what’s been most beneficial is the knowledge that the online design community is a hugely helpful group of people.

With that in mind, here’s to you. To your comments, your encouragement, feedback, critique, and everything else you’ve done to help on my journey.

If you want to read a few more tips I’ve learned, this is a good place to start.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

“The Coca-Cola Conspiracy” and ethical design

David Airey — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:34:53 +0000

I was watching a presentation by Robert H. Lustig, MD, about the damage caused by sugary foods, and after listening for a while it raised a few ethical questions I’m curious to know your thoughts on.

Have a quick read of this excerpt.

[begins]

My colleague Dan Hale at the University of Texas, San Antonio, tells me that down there they’ve got a “Texas-sized Big Gulp” — 60 ounces of Coca-Cola, a Snickers bar, and a bag of Doritos, all for $0.99. If you did that every day that’d be 112 pounds of fat per year.

What’s in Coke? Caffeine. What’s caffeine? A mild stimulant, right? It’s also a diuretic — it makes you pee.

What else is in Coke? Salt — 55mg of sodium per can. It’s like drinking a pizza.

So what happens if you take-on sodium and lose water? You get thirstier. Why is there so much sugar in Coke? To hide the salt.

When was the last time you went to a Chinese restaurant and had sweet-n-sour pork? That’s half soy sauce — you wouldn’t eat that. Except the sugar plays a trick on your tongue. You can’t even tell it’s there.

Everybody remember New Coke? 1985? More salt. More caffeine.

That’s the smoking gun. They know what they’re doing.

That’s The Coca-Cola Conspiracy.

[ends]

Pounds of fat amassed per year by drinking one Coke per day

Presentation embedded below (and linked). The transcript above begins at 12 minutes and 35 seconds.

It’s worth noting that some of the nutritional claims in Robert Lustig’s 90-minute presentation have been disputed, but this is just one quick example relating to the ethical questions I was thinking about.

What clients would make you think twice about working with them?
Where’s the line between a focus on your career and the impact of your work on society at large?
Does the ethical line you draw twist and turn as circumstances change?

Related:
Don’t shoot the messenger, on davidthedesigner.com
How ethical are your design practices? on davidairey.com
Coca-Cola: generous benefactor or evil brand master? on ethicsingraphicdesign.org

Coca-Cola photo by Photon-Painter on Flickr

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Let respect follow your actions, not a wish for respect

David Airey — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 23:02:42 +0000

The Internet allows us to reach huge audiences at the click of a button. This is amazing for the most part, but on the flip-side, all it takes is one miscalculated move to tarnish a reputation irrevocably (or at least leave a mountain to climb in order to reverse opinions).

Here are ten basic character traits that I remind myself of now and again, believing that if they can be adopted, the path I create will be smoother than most.

Be responsible.
When mistakes are made (and they will be) accept responsibility, and don’t blame others.
Be receptive.
When someone pays a compliment, thank them, sincerely. Equally, constructive criticism should be embraced.
Be yourself.
Don’t feel a need to follow crowds. They’re often wrong.
Be honest.
Lies have a sneaky way of catching up. Funny, that.
Be dependable.
When a statement of intent is made, follow it through. Always. And better late than never.
Be sincere.
If it’s not meant, don’t say it.
Be personal.
Share those moments that truly mean something in life. What affect do they have? What was learned? Where next?
Be ethical.
Personal beliefs are likely to be different from what others believe in, but that makes them no less important.
Be empathetic.
Before judging the actions of others, first try on their shoes.
Be humble.
No matter what success is achieved, never forget that it wasn’t accomplished alone.

“Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher.”
— GAUTAMA BUDDHA, FOUNDER OF BUDDHISM, 563-483 BC

If you’ve learned something from my website, always remember that perhaps I’m wrong. Ask questions. Search for your own answers.

Guatama Buddha image via Thinkstock

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Boycotting GoDaddy

David Airey — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:14:45 +0000

When I created my website in 2005 I purchased the domain name directly from my web host, ICDSoft. There it stayed until 2007 when it was stolen by some idiot and transferred to an account with GoDaddy. After a week or so of battling (and a ton of support from your good selves), I managed to get my stolen domain transferred to a GoDaddy account of my own that their staff asked me to create. There it stayed (along with domains purchased after the event for sites such as Logo Design Love and Identity Designed) until yesterday, when I watched a “vacation video” (shown below) that GoDaddy CEO Bob Parsons uploaded to his blog.

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Update: 12 April 2011
The original video has since been removed from YouTube after Bob Parsons filed a copyright claim. The following news report shows a little of what was featured.

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Elephants are highly intelligent creatures, and I don’t want to give my money to a man who glorifies their hunting and shooting, before standing triumphantly over his kill (not to mention having AC/DC’s Hell’s Bells as the soundtrack, as well as the payment that was no doubt given to Robert Mugabe‘s regime). As such, all of my domains have been transferred to UK-based Heart Internet.

Read The truth about killing ‘problem’ elephants.

Appreciation to those of you who offered domain registrar recommendations via Twitter and Facebook.

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Update: 12 April 2011
In another vacation video hunting a leopard (since removed from YouTube), The African Safari Company is credited. Here are the Zimbabwe trophy fees that are charged for each species of kill.

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Elsewhere:
Shooting an elephant — why GoDaddy’s CEO was wrong, on TIME
Don’t Go With GoDaddy and Its Elephant-Killing CEO, on PETA
GoDaddy CEO kills elephant, videotapes act, on MSNBC

Elephant photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

Painted Picture 2014

David Airey — Sun, 27 Mar 2011 11:48:12 +0000

This is my Painted Picture. It’s the shape of my business in March 2014 when I turn 35. The idea is that by putting it into words, my Picture has a stronger chance of becoming reality.

I do what I do because I have a passion for design. In particular, brand identity design. I love creating visual identities that help people in business surpass everything they set out to achieve.

New projects are secured through a number of means: I convert website visitors into clients by demonstrating the value I bring to companies of all sizes. My online presence attracts 1,000,000 visitors and 2,500,000 page views per month, and many people arrive having searched for my name with the specific intention to hire me.

In 2011 I appeared as the fourth result on Google.com for the term “graphic designer” and its plural “graphic designers.” Today, only Wikipedia ranks higher.

Demand for my business is so high that I choose to work with only those companies in line with my values. Many of the projects I undertake are for non-profit organisations like Amnesty International, Marie Curie, and Oxfam.

Company directors and CEOs keep mentioning my name and recommending my work.

Design: The work I produce is inspired by studios and agencies like Johnson Banks, The Partners, Moving Brands, and SomeOne. The results I achieve are appropriate, distinctive, emotive, memorable, dynamic, and durable.

Writing: My books have been translated into 10 languages with more than 100,000 copies in print. They’re used extensively throughout design colleges and have inspired thousands of designers to dramatically improve their working process and/or to become self-employed.

Coaching/mentoring: Designers hire me on a project-by-project basis to help them achieve fantastic results for their own clients.

I sub-contract specific deliverables to people who are better equipped to deliver outstanding results. These deliverables include web development, brand strategy, marketing communications, commercial printing, and more, leaving me to focus on my speciality: brand identity design.

I build my business through personal relationships with those who excel in their related professions. I have no employees, instead sharing client payments with sub-contractors on an ad hoc basis. Those I team-up with are very well paid because the work they produce significanly increases client profits.

The nature of my business means that I can work from any location with an Internet connection.

I’ve worked with clients from 25 different countries and the diversity keeps growing. Distance has no adverse effect on the design process, and can actually be a positive factor because no time is wasted travelling to and from meetings.

My blog has 50,000 subscribers via RSS and email, mirroring the follower count on my Twitter profile. 100,000 fans have “liked” my Logo Design Love Facebook page.

My website has received hits from every permanently populated country on the planet.

Google Analytics visitor map overlay for davidairey.com

When people want to talk, I’m the one who answers the phone. There’s no filter.

I read every email I receive and respond to as many as I possibly can. I say what others are thinking, and don’t tip-toe around the subject.

My website is highly-regarded in the design profession and is seen as a forum that provokes lively debate around topics affecting the lives of graphic designers everywhere.

I’m paid an annual five figure sum from sponsors of my online presence. The brands I highlight all offer a product or service of benefit to my site visitors, and sponsorship is kept to an absolute minimum so as not to detract from the quality of my site content.

Publishers and PR agencies send me free copies of every new design book. Once read, I pass them onto my readers as a very small thank you for their support. Electronic manufacturers send me their latest products in the hope of reaching my audience through unbiased reviews. These products are also passed freely to my readers.

Word-of-mouth recommendations are frequent, due in no small part to my excellent customer service. I’m never working on more than two projects at once, and as such, my attention is fully focused on those who pay for my time.

The media call upon me for expert opinion on everything related to brand identity. I’m regularly offered paid gigs writing articles and giving opinion in both the on- and offline press. I share these pieces on my website to generate discussion and to learn from my readers, at the same time building credibility for my personal brand and those of the clients I’ve worked with.

I continue to increase profits year on year. A number of clients presented me with equity and stock options in their companies to allow me to benefit from the upturn in business I’ve helped create.

My expertise has developed to the extent where I work fewer hours than at any other stage in my career, yet with significantly higher earnings.

A sizeable percentage of money is earned through relatively passive income streams such as Amazon Affiliate sales and online advertising.

Much like Stefan Sagmeister’s sabbaticals, I afford my family the benefit of regular extended time away from work. The new cultural experiences are used to further improve the results in my client projects.

I continually lower the time spent sat at a desk. I run five miles twice a week and use my home gym on three of the weekdays when not running. It’s important to me that any family I’m fortunate enough to raise is brought-up in an active, health-conscious environment.

Every week contains time devoted to catching up with friends and family. When travelling for work, it’s mainly to locations where I can either visit family and friends, or take them along for the experience.

I learn how to improve the design work I produce from people who run leading design studios and brand consultancies. They kindly take time out of their schedule to answer questions I have and to provide valuable feedback on my work. We communicate on the phone and by email.

There’s really very little my mentors need in the way of help from me, but I insist upon regularly publishing insights into their working practices on my website in order to further spread their names, knowledge, and work around the world.

I feel incredibly fortunate to lead the life that I do. It’s a simple matter of chance that I was born into a loving family in Northern Ireland with a roof over my head and food on the table instead of being orphaned at the age of five in the Kenyan township of Kibera. My business grows stronger alongside a deep appreciation for every chance that comes my way. I choose how and where to spend my time, and because of which, I’m relaxed, stress-free, but most of all, extremely grateful.

You’ll find examples of the Painted Picture coming true in Cameron Herold’s book Double Double, published by Greenleaf Book Group. My thanks to Cameron for what’s so far a solid read on improving your business (I stopped reading in order to Paint).

Double Double: How to Double Your Revenue and Profit in 3 Years or Less

If you’ve created a Painted Picture of your own business three years down the line, I’d love to read it.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

New York

David Airey — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 13:33:30 +0000

I’m just back from a break in New York.

Bank of America Tower, from the Sofitel on W 44th St

Central Park from the Rockefeller (looking north)

Empire State Building from the Rockefeller (looking south)

“Top of the Rock” viewing deck (lower level)

Strawberry Fields, the John Lennon memorial site in Central Park

One of Central Park’s little inhabitants

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Guggenheim

North Design’s Mill logo, I think

The Brooklyn Bridge footpath

Broadway at night, toward Times Square

Empire State building from the Top of the Rock

The Nikon D5000 handled itself well for my amateur needs.

Brilliant trip.

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Update:
I’ll be sure to check Debbie Millman’s favourite NYC spots before my next visit.

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Published on David Airey, graphic designer

From logos to identity

David Airey — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:01:25 +0000

I’ve been thinking about it for a while — selling my second blog Logo Design Love.

Although logos can be hugely creative on their own, they’re rarely used in isolation (if at all), but a visual identity system, with the logo (or brandmark) playing an important role, creates an entire atmosphere around a brand, and when done right, can build customer relationships, increase sales, maximise profits.

Although there’s no rush to sell, I’d like to launch a new blog — one with a clear emphasis on “identity.” That’s when the fun of finding an available domain comes into play. I was thinking about something like Thoughts on Identity or Identity Designed (the domains are reserved just in case). Any ideas?

I’ve never sold a website before, and could do with a little advice.

An auction site’s a possibility, but Ian made a point worth considering — should I sell to the right person, or the one with the most money? And then, if I don’t use an auction, how do I set a value?

This is all assuming there’ll be enough interest.

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

PrintJobMgr causes MacBook CPU to overheat

David Airey — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:32:30 +0000

I’ve had my MacBook Pro overheating (almost too hot to touch on the bottom surface), and the whirring of the internal fans was a distraction. I worried the heat would damage the components.

It wasn’t that hot indoors, and my machine was propped on a Griffin Elevator to help keep things cool.

The MacBook CPU temperature should be around 30-40C, or 50-60C under stress, so I installed the freely available smcFanControl to check what temperature mine was running at (the app also lets you manually adjust the speed of the fans to help with cooling).

Turned out the temperature inside my machine hovered around the 82C level (180F). Not good. So I opened Activity Monitor (located in the Utilities folder) and selected “All Processes.” That’s when I saw 99.5% of the CPU being punished by a process called PrintJobMgr. Apparently this process comes into play when a print job doesn’t complete, and when the job’s left in the print queue waiting for action.

I went ahead and “force quit” the process, and after just a few minutes my MacBook temperature dropped to around 50C (120F) — much healthier.

This bug has been around for a few years. A Google search for “printjobmgr cpu” attests to that.

Should you find your internal fans spinning faster than normal, or if the bottom of your notebook is hot enough to fry an egg, it’s worth checking the Activity Monitor. If you see PrintJobMgr, either select “force quit” or clear the print queue (which I’ve read can do the same job).

Photo credit

David Airey, graphic designer » Personal

The King of Legoland

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Lifework

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We all need to start somewhere

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“The Coca-Cola Conspiracy” and ethical design

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Let respect follow your actions, not a wish for respect

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Boycotting GoDaddy

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Painted Picture 2014

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New York

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From logos to identity

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PrintJobMgr causes MacBook CPU to overheat

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