Disqus - Latest Comments for chadengle

Re: Trouvé Magazine Feature

chadengle — Mon, 12 May 2014 13:06:17 -0000

Congrats Jeff!

Re: Using Word Association to Select Brand Colors

chadengle — Tue, 18 Feb 2014 08:36:11 -0000

Great article @Tom Osborne ! I think the biggest hurdle in design is communication with ourselves and the client. Your descriptor words are on point and something that clients usually gravitate towards. "We want it to feel fresh and healthy". Thanks for sharing!

Re: Silicon America: A Map of Tech Hubs in America

chadengle — Fri, 08 Nov 2013 16:01:19 -0000

Thanks for the silicon harbor shout-out! There's a lot of tech growth here for sure!

Re: Safari Shifts To Google Secure Search in iOS 6, Causing Search Referrer Data To Disappear

chadengle — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 11:50:11 -0000

Just tried it on iPhone5 iOS6 I got a referer... Google "whatismyreferer.com" then click into the page and it should show you the referer URL. Tried it also on a iPhone 4 on iOS6 and received the same result.

Re: Designing Better Than I Deserve

chadengle — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 11:02:25 -0000

Hey Jeff,
I love the combination of typography and colors in this shirt. I think they work really well together! Thanks for sharing a 'behind the scenes' look at your designs. It's always cool to see process.

Re: The Opportunity to Learn

chadengle — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:43:12 -0000

You're very crafty and well thought of in the community, why not try to find a designer to work with you instead of crowd-sourcing? There are better means than "50 people working on a project with one getting paid" We all have to eat and you just preached it. People can think you are over-priced and go to your competition. But, you didn't use the highly sought after designers you went straight to the competition… You didn't even hold to your core values (you didn't let someone demonstrate their core values that go into what they charge) when you hired someone outside of your realm. You instead took the shotgun approach, devalued the branding of your new blog and went the easy route.

Did this build good quality relationships with people? Did this solve your problem in the best fashion? Did you step in a bee's nest along the way? Yes. I'm not really sure what the end goal was for these posts, I do know that you would have been better off, tweeting your design needs and relying on these relationships in social-media you build your business off of.

Would any of us designers liked to have work with you? Absolutely. But, you framed it as I chose spec/crowd-sourcing what are your thoughts...

Critique of the Logos so far
Every logo except one uses a gradient (that has been submitted). They are very cliche. The last logo (three colors) is a rip from Kayak.com.

This is the kind of generic poor brand quality I talked about in my response to your original post. They are just some text, and a gradient.

I wrote several posts recently about the basics of design. How many of these submissions actually use them?

Steps of Creative Communication: http://cl.ly/166e

Innovate: Sketch out your ideas: http://cl.ly/1ABs

The Lost Principles of Design: http://cl.ly/19OB

Saul Bass tells the story very well here: http://cl.ly/15YL

Why am I here telling you this information and commenting for others to read? I care… Design is not a through-away commodity, stop treating it as one. A $300 contest where 1 out of 50 get paid treats it as one.

Re: A Perfect Dichotomy

chadengle — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:38:32 -0000

"But the most talented designers and most striking and effective designs tend to rise above the rest. And you, as the internet marketer, benefits."

"One final note: No one is holding anyone's feet to the fire here. If artists want to compete at 99designs.com, they do. If they think this type of environment devalues their work, they don't. It's self-selecting!"

-Chuck Frey http://www.chrisbrogan.com/......

#1 Your Brand
In SPEC competitions like this, you generally put out a "here's what I want & now you design it". You get 600 responses. Wonderful. I know get to select from 600 logos and find the best. What are you missing? Personalization. Theres not a chance for you to communicate with a designer who has had experience in getting brands to stand out and be successful in the world today. You don't get the personal touch that you could communicate with a designer on the phone, in person or through whatever means necessary. Basically: You're not unlocking your full brand potential from the very beginning because you're basing you picks off of what is pretty and what you like instead of what SHOWCASE the VALUES of your brand and displays you.

#2 Devaluing Work & Social Media
Mr. Brogan has 136,000+ followers I am one of them. Now, he has more than the means necessary to find a more than competent designer through twitter (or any other outlet) because of how big of a marketing/social media celebrity he is. Resorting to a crowd-sourcing site is something that quite frankly let me down about his business practices and how he values branding when he works so hard to brand himself in the social media realm with great connections.

#3 Originality & Your own Mark
You can google the amount of copyright issues with crowdsourcing logos online. People take a logo barely change it and then throw your brand into it. Great right? $300 bucks and I am done. Wrong. It's not your logo, it's someone elses with your name. That could get you into legal issues and makes your brand look cut rate if someone else knows the other logo. Why risk losing potential customers because you yourself chose the wrong way to start to shave off some money and get poor value?

#4 Professional
"We connect 68,200 passionate designers from around the globe with small businesses who need design projects completed. And, we do it in a timely fashion without the usual risk or cost associated with professional design."

Taken from the site in question it says that they do it in a timely fashion without the cost or risk of a professional designer...

Now, if I get into a car accident and it was a drunk guy that hit me do I want a non-professional cheapy, scammy guy representing me?

I need a heart transplant... Do you want the professional? The guy that studied his ass off in school? Has tried to be the best surgeon in the world? Or do you just want someone to "change my heart".

I need my house re-sided, do I get 60 contractors to re-side it and then pay the one that did it the best?

The point is the internet & the world are filled with multi-talented designers who work hard for your brand and are always ready to help another one. In the world of social media & the internet age, to rely on a spec/crowd-sourcing site because you "can't find a designer" or you're afraid "You're completely at the mercy of a single designer's skills, and how well you can communicate your needs to them." then that's just plain laziness. Finding a designer to show your brand has NEVER been easier and they will help propel you into the future as well as your brand.

Some Suggested Reading:
Spec work can damage your business by Logo Designer David Airey http://cl.ly/16wk

The practice: What’s wrong with spec work? http://cl.ly/187b

Re: A Perfect Dichotomy

chadengle — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:34:20 -0000

"If a designer needs to get started with some work, build a portfolio, test his/her chops in the market, why not do it at a place like 99? They'll connect with business people and start building their network. "

We all had to start somewhere. Some of us in school (where we built a portfolio) but others in the world. The problem with "testing his/her chops" in the market is that you don't get paid unless you win. So, your design skills could be great but, the client hates your logos because they don't understand the value and the time you vested into it. What happens when you don't get paid? You don't eat.

"And wouldn't a designer working on spec have more artistic freedom than if they were working directly under someone? Whether or not this is a good thing for the designer's development is another question, but I'm curious why designers would come out mostly against having that kind of freedom to create."

In the early stages of a designers life they tend to create subpar work. My first designs were horrendous. Now, I am not speaking for everyone but, a mentor or someone to "Design under" is always great when you first start out. They help you make educated decisions and it's not always about creative freedom if you can't handle the freedom. I've worked long & hard on all the work I do to make sure that I create the best outcome possible.

Re: A Perfect Dichotomy

chadengle — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:26:13 -0000

"The challenge with designers is they all want to think of themselves as branding agents, but 99Designs forces you to do the creative brief and put in your own thinking, that's the key because the client is made to come at it with a level of coherent thought. "

A creative brief is something that you should always talk through with your designer... It's not something that is new and crowdsourcing makes you do. This should be something you've thought out as a client and then let the designer direct you in the right way.

Re: A Perfect Dichotomy

chadengle — Fri, 14 May 2010 12:10:50 -0000

"But the most talented designers and most striking and effective designs tend to rise above the rest. And you, as the internet marketer, benefits."

-Chuck Frey http://www.chrisbrogan.com/...

Most of the designers that are "the cream of the crop" shudder at the fact of using spec work. I know now days it's all about value and I am about to tell you why crowdsourcing is horrible for you company and why your two quotes (even though they look great and say great things) are really, putting your business in a wrong direction.

#1 Your Brand
In SPEC competitions like this, you generally put out a "here's what I want & now you design it". You get 600 responses. Wonderful. I know get to select from 600 logos and find the best. What are you missing? Personalization. Theres not a chance for you to communicate with a designer who has had experience in getting brands to stand out and be successful in the world today. You don't get the personal touch that you could communicate with a designer on the phone, in person or through whatever means necessary. Basically: You're not unlocking your full brand potential from the very beginning because you're basing you picks off of what is pretty and what you like instead of what SHOWCASE the VALUES of your brand and displays you.

#2 Devaluing Work & Social Media
Mr. Brogan has 136,000+ followers I am one of them. Now, he has more than the means necessary to find a more than competent designer through twitter (or any other outlet) because of how big of a marketing/social media celebrity he is. Resorting to a crowd-sourcing site is something that quite frankly let me down about his business practices and how he values branding when he works so hard to brand himself in the social media realm with great connections.

#3 Originality & Your own Mark
You can google the amount of copyright issues with crowdsourcing logos online. People take a logo barely change it and then throw your brand into it. Great right? $300 bucks and I am done. Wrong. It's not your logo, it's someone elses with your name. That could get you into legal issues and makes your brand look cut rate if someone else knows the other logo. Why risk losing potential customers because you yourself chose the wrong way to start to shave off some money and get poor value?

#4 Professional
"We connect 68,200 passionate designers from around the globe with small businesses who need design projects completed. And, we do it in a timely fashion without the usual risk or cost associated with professional design."

Taken from the site in question it says that they do it in a timely fashion without the cost or risk of a professional designer...

Now, if I get into a car accident and it was a drunk guy that hit me do I want a non-professional cheapy, scammy guy representing me?

I need a heart transplant... Do you want the professional? The guy that studied his ass off in school? Has tried to be the best surgeon in the world? Or do you just want someone to "change my heart".

I need my house re-sided, do I get 60 contractors to re-side it and then pay the one that did it the best?

The point is the internet & the world are filled with multi-talented designers who work hard for your brand and are always ready to help another one. In the world of social media & the internet age, to rely on a spec/crowd-sourcing site because you "can't find a designer" or you're afraid "You're completely at the mercy of a single designer's skills, and how well you can communicate your needs to them." then that's just plain laziness. Finding a designer to show your brand has NEVER been easier and they will help propel you into the future as well as your brand.

Some Suggested Reading:
Spec work can damage your business by Logo Designer David Airey http://cl.ly/16wk

The practice: What’s wrong with spec work? http://cl.ly/187b

Re: After 35 Robot Years, The New thoughtbot.com Is Here!

chadengle — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:30:27 -0000

I wish it had unicorns and rainbows and crap flying around.

On that note, I really like the re-design. I think its strong and is simple enough that the content jumps out but also has enough graphic quality that its not plain. I really like the re-design and I think it has bumped you into 2010.

Re: 15 Advanced Dropbox Hacks

chadengle — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:27:54 -0000

These are some stellar examples of how to push the envelope with dropbox. Awesome resources, thank you.

Re: Pro Surfing Wildcard – Realistic iPhone Surf Game, Except For Peeing In Your Wetsuit

chadengle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:27 -0000

Totally radical dude.

Re: 400+ Web Designers & Developers Worth Following on Twitter

chadengle — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:51:02 -0000

Thank you for the feature! Neat auto following feature too!

Re: HOW TO: Party Like Microsoft [Awkward Video]

chadengle — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 22:04:46 -0000

Literally made me more stupid. There goes 6:14second of my life I will never get back.

Re: Wacom Bamboo Touch Revealed Early

chadengle — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:25:44 -0000

Its basically a big version of the track pad I have on my Uni-Body. I don't really see much a use for it unless you really get used to one. However I am more interested on how well it works just like the trackpad. I think this is pushing technology forward which is cool. Maybe mutli-touch monitors next?

Re: More iPhone App Developing Resources

chadengle — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:15:34 -0000

Thanks for Highlighting that post John! I am going to put the Application Sketchbook in there as well.

Re: Google Acquires reCAPTCHA

chadengle — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:05:17 -0000

SO is it going to be legible now?!?

Re: Ask the Readers: Who is a current household name in design?

chadengle — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:46:01 -0000

Chip Foose most of the others I would say are repeats.

Re: 10 People You Won’t See on Twitter Anymore

chadengle — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 18:30:32 -0000

9. The Über Oversharer ??

Doesn't this fall under the "don't follow them if they annoy you" policy?

I am excited about the rest but the oversharer seems a bit extreme. So if someone wants to tweet all day everyday. Isn't it for them to decide if they want to and the rest of us to follow/unfollow if we don't like it? 9/10 This: "40% of tweets are pointless babble" is "personal" updates. I am in the hallway, in the car. Milk is spoiled. I like cheese. Those are all personal and are garbage unless thats how you tweet but again its for the end user to decide how personal or how many links they share or how frequent they update IMO.

Re: Retro Modernist Poster Design with 3D Typography

chadengle — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:14:38 -0000

I like it Jeff! Its always awesome to see behind the scenes on how you do stuff.

Re: Don’t Want to Let Go of Your Ex? Yes, There Are Apps for That [Video]

chadengle — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 01:07:20 -0000

BAHAHAHA. Classic.

Re: 20 Top Designers Share the Coolest iPhone Apps They Use Everyday

chadengle — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:18:53 -0000

Thanks for the highlight! Interesting to see what all the other apps are people use.

Re: Create a Complete Apparel Tech Pack

chadengle — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:41:58 -0000

That is an awesome in-depth tutorial that I think people neglect to remember until it comes time. Making sure your work is setup for a printer is crucial or it becomes a very lengthy expensive process. Hopefully this will make more people aware of the end game, rather than just the design.

Re: Review: Design Commission’s iPhone Stencil Kit

chadengle — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:43:13 -0000

Its quite possible the colest random gadget I have ever bought. Buy it now. The people are super nice.