Greetings -- thank you for subscribing. Don't miss author and business adviser Marcia Conner's intriguing introduction to her "Business SEALs" venture. It reminds us of the limitations of front-of-house marketing and public relations. Networking can get you noticed but getting down to work and solving day-to-day problems is what business is about. There is a world of marketing behind the scenes -- a world every bit as important, possibly more, than the one out front.
Be well, Chuck
Check out my Adobe InDesign Ideabook: 315 template files in 19 different categories Everything from brochures, newsletters, and direct mail to packaging, calendars, and books. (one CD works with both Mac and PC). There's no program to install and nothing new to learn. Use just two or three of the 300-plus files and you'll pay for the entire book and disc...
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Want to learn about graphic design? Meet one of the design world's top teachers -- free on video Before I can design something - a website, a logo, a brochure, whatever - I've got to understand what needs to happen. What my client's purpose and motive is, and the action they want their audience to take.
Once I understand what I am being asked to accomplish, I can design with purpose. I'm not a decorator, I'm a designer - my job is to determine the combination of elements - the images, typefaces, and user interface - necessary to communicate messages in a way that makes them interesting and accessible.
Teaching that process is what John McWade is so expert at. Through the pages of Before & After Magazine, he has been teaching what others don't, in ways that others can't, since the days when the first version of Aldus PageMaker was in beta testing. He parses, deconstructs, and studies a design problem, then packages a solution in a form that is easy to understand, digest, and reproduce.
I've written for B&A and I can testify that there's nothing easy about making things simple. I have pointed you to John in the past, but there is some new news worth sharing: John McWade has begun a series of wonderful short stories about design - video snippets that once again have me thinking about what is possible.
Here >
One in the series, How to design without graphics...Here >
The beginnings of the new collection...Here >
Plus, for the first time, the entire Before & After collection goes digital... Discuss this topic here...
Meet photographer Jay B. Sauceda Love these weird, wonderful portraits and Sauceda's other collections: Class Portraits, Still Lifes, Sign Painters, and so on.
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Example 1...Here >
Example 2...Here >
Example 3...Here >
The front door...Discuss this topic here...
The world of marketing behind the scenes This is intriguing. I received an e-mail recently announcing the formation of a stealthy service. I took special note, not only because I find the idea interesting, but because the message was from someone I know to be a smart, tuned-in expert: author and business adviser Marcia Conner.
In part, Marcia says, "I've assembled a team of amazing people, each who complements my skills and who has a reputation for dealing with maddening problems and cultivating huge potential. We're not developing a social media strategy. We won't have a client list. We're calling ourselves the "Business SEALs" and our mission is to come in, deal with the issue, then get out. No BS. No long-term consulting fees. Total discretion."
Examples of possible problems they might help solve include:
Big tech investment going nowhere.
Hiring the really wrong guy.
4012 people needed to support your product this summer.
A meeting next week in Seoul.
Convincing the board you're worth keeping.
I point you to this because it reminds us of the limitations of front-of-house marketing and public relations. Networking can get you noticed but getting down to work and solving day-to-day problems is what business is about. There is a world of marketing behind the scenes - a world every bit as important, possibly more, than the one out front.
Ironically, we'll never know how successful this venture becomes.
Here >
Business SEALs...Here >
Marcia Conner's backgrounder...Here >
And her latest book...Discuss this topic here...
Designers, marketers: Dramatically increase your typing productivity Do you have blocks of text you re-type or copy and paste all the time? If so, you need a text expander. It's a program that automatically pastes in a string of words or paragraphs when you type a short code. I can handle something as simple as a phone number or as complex as ten paragraphs of HTML code.
For example, when I type in "xsig", the program I'm using, TextExpander, pastes in my entire signature block. Trust me, this is one utility you'll use every day.
Thanks to my friend, writer and marketing expert Sean D'Souza for pointing us to the world of text expander utilities. Be sure to check out his website, PsychoTactics.com - it too is a valuable resource.
Here >
I am using TextExpander for the Mac...Here >
But there are plenty of alternatives for both Mac and Windows here...Discuss this topic here...
About the briefing
I try to remain as objective as possible about the information I share here. Unless I tell you otherwise, I receive no compensation from the organizations and people mentioned except for occasional product samples. Comments? Suggestions? Write me at chuckgreen@ideabook.com
Chuck Green
