Print is not dead!

It's just old and forgetful.

Remember when color TV appeared? Ok, maybe you don't, and I know I wasn't around, but I know I enjoy watching movies in black and white sometimes. Color TV is the mainstream, and it's now a big deal if a director shoots a film in black and white. It's a conscience choice. Same with design.

The new wave with design is the web. If it doesn't work online then it won't work at all! Going viral, social media, web 2.0, who cares?

Print does, poor print.

The fact is, people still like print. It's just the convenience of computers that are making them take over. Check this out: http://boingboing.net/2010/03/04/free-ebooks-correlat.html

There's nothing like picking up a book and flipping through it, or putting up a wicked cool poster on the wall. I enjoy reading articles on my Blackberry while riding the T, but I always have my sketchbook with me to take notes on something or to use as a reference.

The fact is, yes, print is dying, but not in the way you'd think. Print is dying as a standalone against the web, but used as an addition it can be a powerful tool. What are your thoughts on print?

What does freelancing mean to you?

With the economy on a rollercoaster and people losing jobs by the minute, freelancing has become the new thing to do. In between furthering their education or hunting for the new job (wherever they are), designers are going off on their own. Some are lucky and have clients they pulled from their contacts, but some are just starting out and have no clue where to begin.

Freelancing means different things to everyone. For some it’s a way of making some additional income, and for others it’s their full-time job. Clients can consider freelancers as the perfect opportunity to receive great customer service, or they can see a freelancer as inexperienced and use and abuse them. Regardless, freelancing can only mean one thing…it is what you make of it.

I’ve been a freelancer for about five years now. I started right before college and I’ll continue doing so until the benefits of set hours overweighs the opportunity to go cycling whenever the weather’s nice (or till I go stir-crazy during the month of rain we get in June). I’ve had great experiences, and some pretty bad ones, but overall it’s what I love to do, and I couldn’t imagine another career.

Freelancing to me means:

• Staying up late to get a design finished and shipped to the client.
• Getting up early to finish a design and ship it off to a client.
• Generally getting sleep at awkward times.
• Being able to schedule appointments in the middle of the day so I don’t fight the ‘rush’ of those poor 9-5ers.
• Deciding that PJ’s are the day’s dress code.
• Being bossed around by the cat.

There's a million and one reasons to be, or not to be, a freelancer. So what does freelancing mean to you?

New site is up!

Hello all!

The new website is now LIVE as you can see. There are still some things in progress, so appreciate letting me know if you find something that's wrong, or see something that I could do better.

I've already heard some great things from fellow designers, and I hope that trend continues!

In other news, have finished up the logo for Boston Charity Poker. Hope to be working with Paul again on a redesign of their website! Next project is the site design for my personal page, ie ashleyhilldesign.com Focus will be showing my work, besides just design, and hosting my resume, and pages of other hobbies.

I have a few designs in mind but I'm always reworking them. Here are a couple of mock-ups(using stock images, and none at the right angle).

The basic idea is simplicity and photos. Coffee cup would be about me, which would link out to my resume, who I am, what I'm about and what I'm up to. Computer would be portfolio, and the home text would be on the screen (kitschy I know, still reworking it). Phone would be contact...let me know what you think...I still have a few sketchbook ideas I need to flesh out. Everything looks great in a sketchbook, and worse in inDesign.