Brainstorming

in , ,
Photo by: Kaleidico @kaleidico

Photo by: Kaleidico @kaleidico

“It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” - Alex Osborn

“Thinking up” was a concept by Alex Osborn of BBDO ad agency in 1942. That same year, Osborn released the book, “How to Think Up,” which covers the importance of generating as many ideas as possible. The practice of “thinking up” saved the agency by increasing their revenue to over $100 million by 1953. Osborn coined the term brainstorming in his next book “Applied Imagination.”

Here are Osborn’s Brainstorming Methods that can be applied to most decisions or quandaries that arise.

  1. Focus on Quantity

  2. Avoid Criticism

  3. Encourage Wild Ideas

  4. Combine and Improve Ideas

A pathetic side note confession: I saved my rejection letter from BBDO NY from twenty years ago. It was a long shot that I would have been hired so I was excited to simply have their letterhead.

Design Great

in ,

Milton Glaser

1929 - 2020

Described as a modern renaissance man, Milton Glaser was a conceptual thinker, inventive and intelligent designer and illustrator. Milton Glaser is the designer of the infamous “I love NY” logo seen worldwide. Milton loved New York so much that he gave the city the logo for free and as of today it earns NYC $30 million per year. In 2009, Glaser was the first graphic designer to have received the National Medal of Arts Award.

Photo by: Vlad Sargu @vladsargu

Photo by: Vlad Sargu @vladsargu

Ingredients for great design: seamless user experience, solves a problem, is innovative, aesthetically pleasing, understandable, timeless and honest.

Want to give graphic design a try? Start by writing out your own name or initials as if it are the name of your company or product. Write the letters in lowercase, uppercase, cursive, scratchy quick/casual and serif (with “feet” as in Times New Roman) or san serif (without “feet” like Helvetica). Add colors if you have colored pencils or markers. Close your eyes and write them to take away some self criticism and let your inner child play for a bit. I can see the 80’s bubble letters coming and the graffiti paint drips and arrows too. Just let it out and keep going.

For all of the graphic designers reading this post, this is where you share your favorite personal work, a design tip or the work of your design inspiration.