Creativity posts

As I grew up, being a “creative child,” which was the description my school psychologist used to explain why I didn’t care for school or the usual subjects like math and why I wasn’t like the other children, my mother would get frustrated and call me “bull-headed, just like your great grandfather!” There was little hope for me being anything else but a pain-in-the-butt artist. It was, unfortunately, that incorrigible demeanor I had, either through genetics or experiences that would keep me from being an artist.

Talent for space, shapes and colors would never be enough until I learned to open my mind. Just having the talent to enthrall the other kids in my class, the “normal ones” who would gather around to watch me draw dinosaurs eating army tanks and superheroes ripping the head off our teacher and then point and tattle to that very same teacher that I was drawing naughty pictures — the very same kids who grew up to be Wall Street brokers, lawyers and politicians — would not be enough to make me an artist for my career. As I would find out years later, neither would art school. Not at first.

Things were different in high school. I was allowed to take elective courses and chose, of course,...

It’s been said that the only thing constant is change; and in the world of advertising, this saying is especially true. For years, successful “Mad Men” merged art with copy, effectively defining the creative team and reaping great rewards. Fast forward to today, where digital advertising is increasingly omnipresent, and one thing becomes clear: the dynamic duo of art and copy must make room for a third member, code.

With this in mind, Google has recently introduced Art, Copy & Code — a series of experiments designed to redefine advertising in a connected world. These projects illustrate how creativity and...

When it comes to designing a truly intuitive, responsive, and coherent website that’s also unique and interesting, it often feels like it’s difficult to reconcile the two sets of priorities. But in fact, nothing is further from the truth: there are only a few fundamental ideas that need to be employed in order to easily make the best choices in your designs.

The most essential of these concepts is that beautiful, usable designs are not difficult to make when the UX is given precedence, and the design is adapted to suit it. After all, the nature of user experience...

Of all the available New Year’s resolutions, going green in 2013 is certainly an admirable one. But if you’re not sure where to start, take a cue from British artist Nick Gentry, who specializes in recycling and reusing obsolete media — in this case, the floppy disk — to create the kind of art that’s both innovative and inspirational.

Gentry’s portraits are the result of strategically placed disks and oil paint over a large wood surface. Through this artistic repurposing, he not only...

Forty years ago this coming Sunday (January 13th 1973), the American Broadcast Company added to its lineup of Saturday morning cartoons a cool, musical, three-minute mini-episode that brainwashed American youth into learning… and enjoying it!

In the usual Saturday TV worship ceremony followed by more kids than those who attended church on Sunday, kids eagerly rolled out of bed to sit in their pajamas, eat multiple bowls of sugary cereal and sit transfixed to the glowing cathode ray...

Sometimes apps are just apps—but other times they’re cultural phenomena (think Angry Birds). And while the jury’s still out on what place in history the new app Foldify will assume, we may have something akin to the addictive Draw Something on our hands; only this time, the end product is something you can—quite literally—hold in your hands.

Produced by Pixle, a team of three Poland-based geniuses, Foldify is an iPad app that lets crafty kids of all ages create colorful 3D images with a few taps of the finger, before printing, cutting, and folding them into super-cool figurines. Plus,...

Cards on the table: First and foremost, I’m a writer. And while I’ve worked with more than my share of design gurus, I’m not one myself. But that doesn’t mean we don’t share some commonality—namely, an affinity for the creative, and an aptitude for having that creativity blocked.

Anyone who taps into the right brain—from artists and musicians...

People build websites for many reasons: to reach a wider audience; to sell, promote, or express; to appease peer pressure. Novelty stopped being a reason circa 2001. In its place, we have of course: of course I have a website; of course you have to have a Facebook wall, Twitter account, LinkedIn profile, or Pinterest board; of course we all have email.

And, of course, web design uses HTML and CSS — two languages with which browser makers and designers find common ground. But many web designers create amazing variety with the same language rules by asking what if instead of falling into of course.

Others stick with what works.

Those who follow conventional wisdom use not only the language but the...

Creative thinking is an integral part of design and all art-related professions. Hyper-creative people appear to conceive of brilliant ideas as easily as magicians pull rabbits from hats, but the truth is that we all meet with creative blocks.

Usually, lack of creativity or originality isn’t the problem — if it was, we wouldn’t have chosen these professions — but we must learn to be creative regularly and according to a work schedule rather than with unpredictable bursts of inspiration.

Plenty of tools and techniques have been invented to address...

This post examines an important part of the design process that, for some reason or other, is often omitted from community conversations. Its aim is to get the design community talking about the ‘whys’ — including why they are important.

One advantage the design industry has going for it is its helpful, giving community, and that community’s desire to learn and grow. Just look around at the conversations had at conferences and online. Experiences are shared, techniques are passed along, and so many helpful hints and tidbits are blogged. But one...

Being in love is great. It’s often a crazy journey where you find out much about your partner and especially yourself. The beginnings of a relationship may be the most exciting, but once that’s all done, it’s time to take the big step; it’s time to get married!

Marriage is often looked at as such a traditional thing. With the rise of the DIY bride and the modern bride, many of these traditions are being thrown out the window.

Save the date and wedding announcements are often sent via mail. People respond with an RSVP and send congratulations. However, there seems to be a...