#73 If you’re not sketching enough, start collecting images or ideas on your phone. Visual reminders are just as important.

I’ve sketched or doodled as long as I can remember. But, as the busyness of  life, work, etc. has built up, my sketching has decreased. I have always felt very strongly that nothing is better then pen to paper, and when I don’t have time to sketch, I get frustrated.

But then along came the iPhone. I never thought I would use a camera phone. It has decent resolution but is often blurry, lacking a flash for low-light scenes. However, as I started taking shots to remember well-designed stuff, funny scenes, and various people or places that inspired me, I found myself stockpiling mounds of inspiration. And then I realized that it wasn’t just a resource, but a visual sketching of sorts.

So, if you get bummed out that you don’t sketch more, buy some cool photo apps, shoot whatever you can, and have fun with them. It still doesn’t bring me the same feeling as when I can actually sketch, but it is equally as cool in a different way. Here are some apps we are currently digging:

ShakeIt Photo: shakeitphoto.com
CrossProcess: crossprocessapp.com

There are also some great sketching apps that you can get crazy with if you do have some time or don’t have paper nearby. Plus with the new iPad coming out, it makes apps like brushes even more exciting to try. Go to this site and see what can be done with brushes - pretty amazing.

Brushes: brushesapp.com

What are your favorite photo habits, apps, or other ways to capture inspiration?

#72 Want to be better at conversations or more interesting in meetings? How to talk about things other than the weather.

Not everyone is a great conversationalist, and even the best have a tough day now and then. Plus, we’ve all had a client that is challenging to talk to. So, what sort of things can you do to make better conversation? Here are four ideas:

1) Be interesting by doing interesting things
“Interesting” can be simple or complex. Great conversations can come from things as simple as going to a gallery opening, book reading, or going to a concert. Or for more extreme conversation topics, try running a marathon or sky diving, running with the bulls, or inventing the next great micro brew - I think you get the idea. Talk about, blog about, and share your interesting experiences.

2) Talk to yourself first
Sometimes I go though the steps of an upcoming meeting in my office or in the car. I work through possible questions that may arise or topics I can bring up if there is a lull. This exercise helps me visualize my presentation as a whole as well as prepare for any surprises that come to light. Doing this makes me more comfortable, which makes my presentation go better and keeps the conversation flowing throughout the entire meeting.

3) Read interesting stuff
I have found that my conversations with clients, or anyone in general, improve when I set time aside to read. It doesn’t have to just be books. Read up on your favorite blogs or magazines, and suddenly you’ll have a lot more to talk about. Plus, being up on current trends, technologies, etc. has led me to more work as it results in deeper conversations and better relationships.

4) Do your homework
Nothing beats research before a meeting. Reviewing your clients’ materials, their competition, or learning a little about their industry simply adds to the understanding and depth a meeting can have. Sure, this is a no-brainer. But if you are like me, it’s easy to lose track of time and never get around to doing it. With the ability to Google anything, getting the latest about your client’s industry or company is easy, so make sure it doesn’t get brushed aside.

So, what do you do to interact better with your clients?

#71 Busy or bad day? Like Grandpa said, your response is your responsibility.

Your Grandpa may not have said that to you, but it’s true. All too often we get going so fast that we tend to not see too far past ourselves. This often leads to us being a bit short, forgetful, or just obviously not present in a conversation or meeting. If you are having a crazy or even a bad day, YOU are in control of how that affects your interactions, whether they be with co-workers, clients, strangers, family or the FedEx guy. Does it really take that much extra energy to smile, write a simple greeting with your message, take a breath or be cordial? On the flip side, if you don’t take the time to be polite, the damage control could be way harder to deal with.

We are all guilty of this from time to time, so here are three things to think about:

1) At work, tell your co-workers if you are stressed out or having a bad day, mainly so your bad juju doesn’t mess with the environment and people know you’re aware of your ‘tude. Oftentimes, letting people know helps you relax and get over what’s bugging you.

2) Even if you are in a hurry, you have time to add a friendly greeting or signature to your emails. In fact, you could make a couple templatized greetings or signatures to help you stay in the green.

3) Smile. Look at someone in the eyes. Put your iPhone away. Just take a minute to really listen, hear and cordially respond back.

I’m not saying you can’t have a bad day, but treating others with respect is always the right thing to do.

#70 Today, stop and look at something differently.

Everyday we wake up, hit the snooze, workout…well, maybe…and make our way to our job. We go through whatever routine gets us going in the morning. Tea, coffee, check the email, and so on. We may have had this routine for several months or several years. So my question is, when is the last time you switched things up? Taken a different way to work? Went in early, or late (or on time)? Switched from coffee to tea, had pie for breakfast, pulled over to watch the sunrise?

If we think about it, routine permeates our lives. Sure, we may have crazy schedules that change from day to day, but we’ve developed certain ways of responding that have become habits. Maybe trying something new would change our the way we live and work for the better. Do you ever look at your work upside down?

Try these things for a new view: dust off your sketchbook. Or, sketch with crayons instead of pen or pencil. Actually take a lunch. (Some of you may, and for that you get a high five.) Share a project with someone. Take a walk. Work at Starbucks for a part of the day. Or, to look at your day upside down in a literal sense, lay on the floor to sketch or brainstorm. By doing these things, you’ll get an outsider’s view on your work life, and you’ll see much more clearly how you can improve things.

For starters, try this exercise. we will be posting more like this, so stay tuned!

It looks like a scribble. With a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil, close your eyes and scribble all over the paper. Make the scribble as random as possible and scribble for as long or as little as you like. Open your eyes and look at what is on the paper. Now comes the fun part! Turn that scribble into something recognizable. Look at the positive AND negative space. Identify the shapes within the shapes. Recognize repeating patterns. Use you imagination and have fun! Thanks to pal Stefan Mumaw for exercise help - see more here.

What do you do to switch things up? We want to hear.

#69 Have you done a personal inventory lately? Have you asked if there is something you want to do, change or learn? What is stopping you?

We think the hardest thing to do is the strive for balance: balance of your time, desires, dreams, work, friends, family, and the list goes on. In the day-to-day onslaught of life, it can be hard to even think clearly enough to see where you can improve. The sheer fact of the matter is that nothing will improve, though, unless you take some personal time to look at your life make a list of things that you would like to learn, change, or add.

Set aside some time this week to make your list. We recommend writing it down so you can visually see what you feel you’re missing. Then you can take a realistic look at those items and see how hard they would be to integrate into your life. Some may be be easier than you think to incorporate, while for others you may need to make some tough decisions. For those, you’ll definitely need to work out a plan for change, but in the end it will be worth it.

We tweeted recently ” The future you see is the future you get.” - Robert G Allen. So this may seem trivial, but make your list and start planning where you can work on changing or growing.

#68 Utilize your social media outlets for research. Ask your connections via LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Also, think about Twitter as a search engine.

For some of you this will be old news. Or perhaps you have thought about it, but have yet to utilize your networking resources in this new way, as a research tool. Let’s say you’ve built a small (or large) army of connections on various social networking sites. Use them! Ask them a question or throw out an idea to see what kind of response you get. Your network will hopefully give back some honest opinions, insights, and other thoughts to consider. To make the most of it though, remember: be honest with what you’re looking for, participate if someone else asks you, and don’t get carried away. (No one wants to be your personal opinion survey).

Also, consider Twitter’s search function as a powerful tool to find live trends on any key word. To search, go to search.twitter.com. Type in your word and get ready for real time thoughts of what the masses are thinking. For more on this concept, read this article from Tech Crunch.

For more great Twitter thoughts, check out our last post on Twitter here.

How are you participating in your social networks? How are you using them? New business? Research? Or what else?

#67 Taking time to rest is an essential part of your day. Do you take time to unwind, kick back and enjoy your day? If not, start now.

I don’t know about you, but the current economic climate is not exactly conducive to getting consistent full nights of rest. Trying to stay on top of details, getting clients to pay in a reasonable amount of time (or just to pay at all), and staying motivated, inspired and creative can be very draining. Pile on that any other parts of your life, such as family, hobbies, etc. and you are worn out.

So how do we balance everything? Well, it doesn’t matter if we can’t keep our eyes open, so this tip is very simple - GET REST. That’s right, rest. Take some downtime every single day. Nap at lunch if you have to. Go to bed before 11pm. Take your vacation days. Take walks. Being refreshed and energized makes anxiety easier to handle and invites inspiration to come out and play.

What do you do to relax or chill out? Try one of these bad boys -they really work: http://tr.im/ppyO

As Justin pointed out in the last Designer Sobriety post, submitting your work to design shows can be a great way to market your company. The big question is how can you stand out in a crowd of hundreds or maybe even thousands of entries? Simple: make your entry easy to judge. Judges are reviewing tons of work and if yours is the easiest to read, review, and toss into the win pile, then you have a greater shot at winning. Below are a couple tricks from @Rule29:

1.) Follow the Rules - this is the easiest way to make sure you get in. Scour the rules and follow them to the T, double- and triple-checking your work.

2.) Envelopes Galore - Give each entry its own envelope. This will make sorting your entry easy and ensures that the corresponding forms will not get lost. Try ordering from Envelope Mall.

3.) Seal It With a Sticker or Two - Print out a label with the title of the entry and correct category, again for easy sorting. Also be sure to seal the envelope with an additional sticker. We do this not just for security but for an additional branding opportunity.

4.) Post-It Tape - Always adhere your entry forms to the back of each piece. Use an x-acto knife and nice tape for the exact measurements. Be sure to tape down every side as if you are framing your entry form. It will look nice and won’t fall off!

5.) Additional Entry Forms - Always include an envelope with a copy of all of your entry forms, receipt for payment, and business cards nicely clipped together. (We like clipiolas.)

6.) Many Business Cards - Be sure to attach a business card to your forms and toss one or two more into the box. This will help the judges get a hold of you with any questions or additional requests. Plus, you never know where your card may end up, so toss a couple in.

7.) CD Label & File Structure - If you are entering a show that requests digital files be sure you use a CD label with your contact information on it along with a list of the contents included. Additionally, make sure the files are easy to find. Perhaps they are organized by category or entry number. Also be sure to include a .TXT file with your contact information on the CD.

8.) PDF Form Detection - Even a designers’ hand writing can be tough to read! With most show entry forms being available in .PDF, you can use the Acrobat Pro auto-form detection tool. By using this, you’ll be able to type every entry form to be sure it is legible and easy to read. You can even take it one more step and use your brand’s font across all forms and labels.

Some of this may seem redundant and maybe even a little over the top, but just keep in mind those judges and the large amount of entries they have to judge. The entry process is just as important as the work you are submitting. Do not wait until the last minute and try not to rush!

Do you have any additional tips? If so, leave us a comment!

#66 Promoting through design shows can be a good marketing, PR & team boost. Some shows cost money, some are free, like books. Start local.

There are a variety of opinions on this topic and there are a couple simple rules of thumb. For starters only enter shows you can afford or that you think your work has a chance of winning. Beyond that we think design shows or design books are a great way to create reasons to talk about work. And we are not talking about for your ego, we are talking reasons to reach out to clients and talk about accomplishments. Clients like to work with successful people. They also need to hear from you on a regular basis, and having the opportunity to mix in accomplishments with project news is a great way to stand out. Another reasons to enter, other than for marketing or PR, is to pat you and your crew on the back. Even though we think ego should take the back seat to new business we all like to be recognized for the work that we pour our hearts into. Employees like being recognized and being a part of a company that cares about doing great work and is recognized for it. Additionally it is a great way to attract future employees!

Ready to get started? or to look at more shows to add into your marketing plan? Well we suggest looking at your budget and the time you have available to enter first. There are endless shows and books to be a part of. Where do you start? Our thought is start with shows or books that align with the ideal types of work you want to be recognized for, or are really passionate about. Additionally some markets have market specific shows, those are also great because you can then say you are a leader or recognized in that particular space. Along those lines, entering local shows are typically more cost effective, if that is a concern. However, those shows are more likely to get you additional local publicity with clients and potential clients. Always be honest with the work, look at past show winners, is your work at least that good? If so enter it.

Here are some links for design shows: HOW, PRINT, CA, GRAPHIS, American Design Awards, GD:USA, Coupe, AIGA

Here is a site with design shows listings: Dexigner, Notes on Design

Some great resources to follow on Twitter: @HowMag, @Dexigner, @LogoMotives

Here are some publisher & paper company links for calls for entries that are FREE: Rockport, Crescent Hill Books, Neenah Paper, Appleton Coated - U Be the Judge

Tips on how to enter design shows, or things to know are coming up next week. In the mean time what shows or books do you participate in? Any stories of how they have directly brought you work or new employees?

The Meeting. It’s an essential part of everyday business. Whether you are gathering to pitch your work, discuss a project, or just have a friendly update, here are our top ten tips for making a good impression at your next meeting.

1. Bring One for Everyone - Oftentimes when meeting potential clients for the first time, you will bring samples of your work, brochures, business cards or other swag. Be sure you know who is attending your meeting and always pack a few extras so no one is left out.

2. Allow Time for Setup - Getting to the meeting location on time is one thing… But walking across a large campus and setting up takes time as well. Give yourself enough time so that your meeting starts right on time.

3. Always Respect Their Time - At the beginning of each meeting be sure to ask how much time you have to meet. Be mindful of this and adjust your agenda as needed.

4. Never Interrupt - The worst thing to do is interrupt someone who is speaking. Write down your thought and save it for when they’re done. Interruptions often lead to tangent conversations ultimately getting off topic.

5. Always Take Notes (or be prepared to) - Whether or not you intend to take notes, always make sure you are ready to. Take notes of your thoughts, ideas, what others say and what you say. Being able to review these later will help immensely.

6. Stick to the Agenda - Whether your agenda is verbal or written be sure to state what will be covered in the meeting. This will help everyone stay on task and on topic. At the end of the meeting it will be easy to recap the meeting and discuss next steps.

7. Always Allow Time for Discussion - When pacing your meeting make sure you leave time at the end for discussion. Give the opportunity for questions from everyone involved and have a couple questions prepared to ask.

8. Never Chew Gum - Fresh breath is important; however, chewing gum during a meeting is simply unprofessional.

9. Don’t Text - Make sure your iPhone/Blackberry is tucked away and on silent. Texting, emailing, and paying more attention to your phone than the meeting will make a very bad impression.

10. Follow Up With A Thank You - After your meetings be sure to follow up with everyone involved to say thanks for their time. This is a great way to ask additional questions if need be or propose next steps.

Those are just a few simple ways to improve your meeting style. What types of things do you do? Any do’s and don’ts that you stick to? Let us know.