I'm a big believer in steady work, also known as part-time jobs. They provide a constant cash flow, and give you valuable exposure in your industry that you may not get while project-hopping.

But there are downsides to working for clients on a regular basis. Especially if you want the diversity of freelancing but somehow find yourself "stuck" in a job that financially supports your freedom to freelance but doesn't give you the time to explore projects and promote yourself. Read on to learn how to combat these trials.

Problem #1: You're fried after working the gig on a day-by-day basis.

While most of my steady gigs don't require me to work every day, there are some that have regular hours. I've always tried to keep a habitual gig. Most recently, mine involves waking up much earlier than I'd prefer. By the time I'm done with my day's work, I don't want to do anything else.

The easiest way for me to battle this was to get in a routine. Since I'm up earlier in the day and exhausted when I'm done with a three- to four-hour shift, I use the time after to get things done around the house or run errands. I don't delve right back into work unless I have to. Knowing that I need that break is essential and has helped me get a second wind to tackle more work later in the day. Also, I found a gig that I don't do every day. This way, I get days to sleep "in" and focus completely on random projects on days off. It's the perfect balance for me, because I want a steady job but also like to keep freelance projects rolling in.

Problem #2: You don't have time to explore other work.

I once had a part-time gig that pretty much turned into a full-time gig working from home. That would have been great if I didn't want to freelance, but I did. I managed to complete the jobs and others that came in, but I had little time to seek out other work. That was fine at the time, actually, because I wouldn't have had time to complete other jobs since I was working so much. It was a vicious cycle and I was happy when that gig ended. To this day, I still miss the money--but I appreciate being able to dabble in other projects.

If you find yourself unmotivated to keep exploring other work (or market yourself, as we'll discuss next), try setting a block of time aside in your day planner for job-hunting. Sometimes I give myself an hour and then I'm done with it for that day or week. It helps to fit job-hunting in as a duty because then you're more likely to complete it like other tasks.

Problem #3: You don't want to market yourself anymore.

If you have a great gig that you're loving, why market yourself? The question should be: Why not market yourself? I've been in this position a few times myself. While I'm not a beginner anymore and the work does came in on its own, I have had a tendency to put marketing on the backburner when I was swamped between my steady gig and other projects. It's so easy to forget marketing that you don't even realize you're doing it until projects dry up and it feels like you're back to square one. If you don't market yourself properly and often, that can happen!

I try to look at every job as temporary, and never put all my eggs in one basket. Even though I'm working a steady gig now, I set aside time to market myself--even when I'm overwhelmed with work. You never know when you won't have that steady gig, or when your individual projects will stop coming in. And if you stay with your steady job for too long and don't devote yourself to anything else, you're really not a freelancer. You're just a full-time employee. This works for many people, but if you like the diversity of projects, be sure to put yourself out there so you can get more in. Again, set aside a window in your planner and complete marketing just like other tasks.

Problem #4: You turn away good projects.

There's nothing wrong with saying no to a project; in fact, you should practice picking and choosing your jobs and you should know your limits. But if you're turning away work that pays well or can open up doors for you, you have to ask yourself where you want to go with your steady gig. Is it beneficial to work this gig, or will you be better off in the long run to explore other avenues? Do you want to be a full-time employee (preferably one that works at home?) or do you want the assortment of projects that come with freelancing? Also, if you're turning away work because you don't have time (or you really like your steady gig), is it hurting your business? Do you want a freelance business anymore?

It's vital to assess what you want to do. Maybe you've freelanced for a while and you like the reliability of the steady gig. In that case, it may be time to focus on that one job. But your chances of getting back into freelancing are better if you're continuously out there. So if clients keep getting "no's" from you, they could eventually stop calling. Again, see if you can balance your freelance projects with your steady job. If you took the regular gig to keep steady money coming in, yet still want to freelance, look for a gig that offers good pay and part-time hours. This way, you have more time to devote to freelance projects.

Problem #5: You forget to keep up with administrative tasks.

Nothing sounds better than direct deposit, right? Right. So if you don't have to keep up with invoicing to get paid for your steady gig (many I've had put you in as a regular employee, so you get paid automatically) you may forget to invoice at all. If small freelance jobs are still coming in, you could be forgetting to get paid for them or delaying your checks. Always set aside time for administrative tasks, such as invoicing and paying your taxes. You never want to get behind on these kinds of things, no matter how cool a regular job is.

Having a steady gig isn't a drag, and it is possible to balance a money-maker with your love of freelancing. The key is to figure out what works for you...what kinds of jobs you like, what kind of schedule you work best with and what kind of freelance career you want. Once you evaluate your priorities, you can work in a flexible steady gig that will give you enjoyment--and a golden steady paycheck as well.

Kristen Fischer is a freelance writer living at the Jersey Shore. Her first part-time job after breaking out of 9-to-5 life was as a copy editor working the night shift at a local newspaper. Reprinted with permission.

Onysko spoke with Rachel about the philosophy behind the company and design of Pangea Organics.

How would you describe yourself?
Well, I'm a lover of all things creative, people, food, art and the conscious compilation of all things found in nature. I believe that in the end, there is no difference between us and that which we create, therefore what we create must be an extension who we are not
only to ourselves but the world around us.

You started in Pangea Organics in 2001. How has company has evolved since?
I have been looking pretty deep into myself and all the things that go into the decisions I make in my life. It's amazing how true it is-that the only way out, is "through"; but before that, there is the state of "in." We must be in what we wish to go through as from the outside there is no truth in the path, no understanding of the intent of what it is we wish to experience.

For most of my life, I was on the outside looking in, though to rest of the world it would appear that I have always been in it. The rest of my life will be dedicated to the "in" and "through", as of right now I really don't know what that is, but it's where I'm going and not knowing hasn't seemed to stop me in the past.

Do you feel you've gathered more experiences in your decision-making by being on the outside looking in?
Yes, just as it is hard for the ant to see the beauty of the Persian rug he is lost in the fibers of, we to are blinded when we are "in the thick of it."

Were you a fan of bodycare before you started Pangea Organics?
I used soap, but never really thought much about it.

So how does the company fulfill your personal life?
Inevitably business creation is just an extension of myself, therefore it fulfills me by allowing me to extend my thoughts, concepts and intension with the world that I coexist with.

In what ways do you feel design helps your company?
Design is our way as a human race to express our idealisms or lack thereof, it's our three-second commercial to the world and Pangea has just decided to take a little more airtime than most.

And has design been able to help carry Pangea's message beyond just the "organic" market?
Yes, most of our sales are in non "organic" markets, over 70%.

What do you love about the bodycare industry? What do you hate about it?
Lots and lots of people that are fun to be around, good ideas truth and a overall drive to makes things better not just for themselves but for the world. I don't "hate" anything, hate breeds hate... but I don't like the other 87% of the industry that is just a sled of lies
racing towards the empty all-mighty dollar.

Why was sustainable packaging important for Pangea Organics?
Our tag line is "ecocentric" and so are we... it's crazy how that works with some brands.

You have led the brand and packaging of the product to align itself with the company's mission. What inspired you?
Being able to see the world for what it is and not for what it isn't; and furthermore, having the vision to see what I would like it to be.

Joshua Onysko will be speaking at the Opportunity Green conference in November. Don't miss it.

Technology enables us to tell stories in both productive and dynamic ways, while the Internet and other forms of mobile media offer an outlet for sharing them with the masses. As the conversation around sustainable design continues, how do we make the science more consumable and make the issues around consuming more experiential?

Here are a few examples of sustainability messaging, told through dynamic storytelling, highly revved from 90 seconds to a bit more lengthy at just over 20 minutes.

We'll start with one of the most straightforward approaches: The Story of Stuff is provocative in message and yet incredibly elementary in approach. Utilizing talking head narration and simple, yet charming illustration, we are taken on a 20-minute tour of consumer-driven culture. Writer Annie Leonard shows us what happens from the inception of product development, to resource utilization, through to disposal, illustrating the impact on and the cost to the planet.

In the second of their "Secret Life of" series, INFORM uses a series of interview clips, on-site video and illustration to take us on a 5-minute journey following the trail of paper consumption. The Secret Life of Paper features AIGA/LA's very own Fellows Partner, Mohawk Paper, as well as some great examples of game-changing behavior.

In another example, Better Place, a for-profit organization, uses beautifully polished illustration to illuminate the impact on the environment of our dependence on oil and argue for the adoption of electric cars. This two-minute segment, featuring vibrant blue graphics and black dots to symbolize good vs evil, is part of an overall brand identity that shapes the way consumers interact with the brand.

Finally, the shortest example, and certainly a powerful message, in just about 90 seconds and 0 words, 350.org communicates the red line for humans: carbon dioxide in the atmosphere must be reduced to 350 parts per million. With just graphic images, this telling of an urgent story can be communicated across language barriers.

When it comes to environmental messaging, we are living in a time when the artistry of the technology goes a long way to not only simplify, but humanize, the experience of it. The opportunities for designers to innovate on strategy and execution are growing as all kinds of companies are paying serious attention to fossil fuel use and carbon emissions, to manufacturing, packaging and supply chain issues and how they must approach their messaging.

Let's end on a cautionary note. There also exists the problem of greenwashing. We must avoid at all costs misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or benefits of a product. While making the message consumable, one must not discount the beneficial implications of authentically and thoughtfully approaching sustainable design.

Consider applying for a City of Los Angeles (C.O.L.A.) Individual Artist Fellowship. Every year, the Department of Cultural Affairs honors 15 extraordinary visual artists, graphic designers, media artists, writers and performers with $10,000 awards.

The grants -- juried by a panel of local art experts, educators and community leaders -- are intended to support the production of new work for a curated exhibition in late spring at Barnsdall Park's Municipal Art Gallery in Hollywood.

Hi, Louise. Can you tell us a bit about yourself first?

I've been teaching in the graphic design program at CalArts since 1996 and also have a practice in which I work in work in all kinds of media. But I'm probably known particularly for exhibition design and screen-based work. My work has been in AIGA 365, and it's in Kim Baer's The Information Design Workbook. Steven Heller and David Womack's new book, Becoming a Digital Designer, has an interview with me. My work is in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Bibliothèque Nationale.

What project did you have in mind when you applied for the fellowship?

I've been working on a book project, Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires and Riots: California Graphic Design 1935-1985. I was a good four or five years into the project when I applied. In my application, I explained that I was simultaneously researching and designing the book.

What did you use the grant money for?

What it funded was a part-time research assistant for a year. Research was very time-consuming because it isn't as though there's an archive somewhere for California design history. So now I could really spend time on the project and get it to a much more developed stage. It's close to being published, thanks to the grant.

What advice can you offer other graphic designers who want to apply?

The evidence they ask for to prove your mid-career-ness is not exactly the kind graphic designers normally would provide. I had to show that I had 15 years' worth of exhibitions, which was a little strange. So you have to think what that might mean in terms of your own career. For example, years ago I got an award from the Art Directors Club, and of course they had an exhibition.

Also, you have to realize that the jury is composed of both designers and non-designers. They have to be able to grasp what you're saying you want to make. So be concise and to the point.

You actually have two design problems, your project and the showing of the project at the Municipal Art Gallery. Because I was doing a book, the natural way to show it was as spreads. I designed a whole experience around them so that the book concept could be understood.

For his show, Michael Worthington [a 2001 Fellow] did a beautiful series of posters -- he took song lyrics and presented them typographically. Jeff Keedy [a 2006 Fellow] made these beautiful, crazy, whimsical drawings that straddled the line between art and design.

I've heard that a graphic designer is also chosen to document each year's C.O.L.A. exhibition.

Yes, there's another grant available for this. You have to be a graphic designer who has already been a C.O.L.A. Fellow. You get another $10,000, plus a budget for printing. It's a nice little project. I'll be designing the catalogue for the 2009 C.O.L.A. show.

Anything else you'd like to add?

The biggest thing was that the fellowship allowed me to move a personal project forward that would have been very difficult to do otherwise. Since my project is about California, I was particularly proud to be recognized by the City of Los Angeles -- a signal to the outside world that Los Angeles is supporting the project.

For more information, visit www.culturela.org. Questions? Contact michelle.berne@lacity.org or call (213) 202-5566. See below for the fellowship workshop schedule. Application deadline: October 24, 2008.

Free Workshops for C.O.L.A. Individual Artist Fellowships

Saturday, September 27
10 a.m. - noon
North Hollywood Regional Branch Library
5211 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood
(park in lot)

Saturday, October 4
10 a.m. - noon
Venice-Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library
501 S. Venice Boulevard, Venice
(park in lot)

Thursday, October 9
6-8 p.m.
John Muir Branch Library
1005 W. 64th Street, Los Angeles
(park in lot)

Saturday, October 11
10 a.m. - noon
Marina Pavilion, California Plaza
Small outdoor amphitheatre adjacent to Water Court
300-350 S. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles
(metered street parking)

My Mother could draw and first taught me, at age 6.


And what did you draw at age 6?

Mother copied a pen & ink drawing of a "Gibson Girl," a head only with a bizarre hairdo: her hair twisted into two horns so to speak, both upright and pointing outward. Titled "High wide and handsome," which I tried to duplicate in pencil.

The memory is vivid.


Do you consider yourself more of an artist or engineer?

An unusual question. The word engineer baffles me. Kelly Johnson's Blackbird is a phenomenal piece of engineering, it is also a beautiful shape filled with graceful curves, as are many of Kelly's designs; look at the Lockheed Constellation. A writer may be called an artist, so can a painter, sculptor, and then there's the ambiguous word "designer."

Florists now call themselves designers, so do sound engineers, decorators abhor the word decorator, and now use "designer."

I draw letters with a pencil, sometimes ink, I design them, i.e. I endeavor to impart my esthetic to their shapes, to hopefully create a unique image, that unavoidably references thousands of drawings that have preceded mine - it's all been done before. I'm wary of the word creativity.


What rules do you follow? What rules do you break?

Tried and true rules, the avant garde and experimental rarely find a niche in the marketplace. I'm basically MOR (middle of the road). As for breaking the rules, I was taught never to letter space lowercase letters, much less the italic lowercase.

Why, I've seen numerous examples of letter spaced "scripts" the styles that are traditionally connected.

Marian Bantjes, a great hero of mine breaks the rules constantly and I applaud her for her bravery. I call her "intrepid." A genius too, an artist of the first water. I leave breaking the rules to young turks.


How do you find clients?

I'm delighted to say (truthfully), that they find me.


You mentioned in your book to "stay eager." What makes you eager?

No, Susan Sontag said,"Stay Eager."
To be Vital, adventuresome, curious. Above all curious.
Success is impossible without a major helping of curiosity. Stay curious.

I'll quote Jan van Krimpen, another hero, who said "I don't want to draw a beautiful letter, instead, I eagerly want to draw a good letter."

Dangerous Curves: Mastering Logotype Design can be found at Hennessey + Ingalls or online at doyaldyoung.com.

Kenya Hara, Artistic Director at MUJI, is interested in designing "circumstances" or "conditions" rather than "things." MUJI is a Japanese manufacturer and brand whose products are about a simplicity achieved through a complexity of thought and design. And Hara directs the aesthetic integration of all the company's commodities is give form to "living."

Hara's approach is to create products, communications, and objects of culture in which functionality might meet simplicity with elegance and improve the human condition through the expression of beauty. He believes that his designs provide the consumer with a vessel in which they are able to deposit their own messages or meanings.

Throughout his career of designing the ceremony programs for the Nagano Winter Olympics, becoming the director for the Nippon Design Center, writing books such as Designing Design and teaching the prestigious Musashino Art University, Hara has ultimately transformed the way the Japanese have approached design, by making it recognizable to the everyman.

AIGA members will get a chance to meet Kenya Hara in person at the Imprint Culture Lab conference. A private AIGA/LA presentation by Hara will focus on the concept of "Emptiness," which relates to his approach to communication and product design, followed by a one-on-one interview led by Clive Piercy.

A special 10% discount for the Imprint Culture Lab conference held on October 1, 2008 is available for AIGA members. Just register with the promo code: AIGA at the Google checkout part of the registration process.

What I mean by that is you may get clients who are mum on what they want out of a project. Instead of wrapping up an unproductive meeting with such a client and going off the top of your head when creating the material they've requested, it's vital to learn how to ask the right questions and probe them for the information you need.

Not only will you get more specifics to help you design more in tune with what they want, which will save you the grief of their dissatisfaction, but getting client specifications out in the open will save you time--and them money. (Especially if you work on a project-based fee.)

Here are some tips to help you get exactly what you need from your clients to produce work they'll like.

Make it easy. Some of my clients tend to get a little nervous when I ask them what they want out of their messaging. I get a lot of, "Well, you're the writer..." statements. Time and time again, I have to reassure them that this is a collaborative process and I can't get things right unless they give me their input. This is why I tell my clients to "Give it to me in bullet points and then I'll make it look pretty," if they're not sure what they want to say exactly. In other words, I ask them to give me the overall gist of what they want. For example, if they want a press release about their business, do they want to announce an event at their store or publicize a new service they offer? They have to be specific. Many don't know how to put things into words, but I remind them that an overall message helps me do just that.

Get it in writing. Sometimes you'll notice that clients are talkative and others are quiet. You have to use your judgment to extract information for them in a way that's as simple as possible. I recommend jotting down your ideas before the meeting--or better yet, having a questionnaire handy--to make sure you cover all the points that you need to. The following may be some items on your questionnaire:

• When does the client need the first draft by?
• Will I need to contact anyone else from the company to get information? Get contact information.
• Will I need to research information about their industry or products?
• Who is the audience?
• How many words are they looking for on this collateral? Is that the same per page?
• What color schemes do they absolutely detest?

Tell them about the benefits. If the client says, for example, that they want you to create a page of content about their company, don't leave it at that. Ask more questions, and tell them you need details in order to leverage their business. Tell them what specific messaging concepts will do for them. Do they want to compete with Company A? Then they may need to offer staff bios. Do they need to promote awards they've received? This may help them boost their image. Let them know that there are benefits to giving details, and give them time to go back to their office and do homework.

When you get the details, it helps you get closer to what a client wants. Even if they tell you to "work your magic," you can never know exactly what they want--especially since they probably don't, either.

You don't have to be a journalism expert to dig for information, just approach the project with a fresh perspective and the end-result audience members in mind. What would they want to know or see? These are all great ways to get into the inquisitive mindset.

Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and author living in New Jersey. Her latest book, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life, is available in stores now. For more information on her latest book, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life, visit www.ramenrentresumes.com. Reprinted with permission.

"If I had a different client base."

"If I had different employees."

"If I were located in a different city."

"If I didn't have this partner." Or "If I could find a partner."

But here's my favorite: "If we could just get a little bigger, add some employees, throw in a few great clients, we'd get past this hump and start to really make money."

Figure Out What You Have First
The truth is, though, that you've got to figure out how to make money...and keep some of it...right where you, right now, with minimal change. Managing a creative business requires creativity. If you aren't making or keeping enough money currently, it's because you've missed something or you don't have the courage to make something you have not missed "right" again. All over the world, ad shops and design firms and public relations agencies are making money--in small towns, with some clients that aren't ideal, and with employees they would not hire again.

Figure it out! Make some changes. Experiment. Be disciplined in creating a map and then following it. If you don't fix what you have first, growth will be a big mistake because you'll be losing money faster, taking more risk, and living a more harried life. The very essence of being a great leader is taking what you have and making it work. It's like MacGuyver, who always seemed to build a robot from a stick of gum and a stale battery.

You know what else you need to quit doing? Whining about how "different it is" at my firm. "You don't understand my region," or "my clients," or the "uniqueness of the industry I serve."

Well, the truth is that you are really different but you aren't. Master those real differences but don't use them as excuses. I was interviewed recently by the Indianapolis Star about a large ad agency that had won some awards on their path to doing national work. The reporter asked me to cite examples of firms that had created a name for themselves in "backwater" locations. It was no trouble to name a bunch. But for each of those, I can name a dozen who proclaim that "it won't work for me."

Listen. You've got some clients and employees. You've got an income stream and an expense stream. You have some risk and some opportunity. What more could you ask for than an opportunity to shape your business life within that context?

David C. Baker is Principal of ReCourses, Inc., the leading management consulting firm that works exclusively with small service providers in the marketing industry. Republished with permission.

What is the best part of your job?

Andy: What I like the most about my job is I have total freedom, the ability to dream and to create.

Bart: Creating breathtaking large-scale environments with light. Making people happy and often get the reactions from them like they are kids again, yay, wow. Traveling around the world and creating peace.

What's the most interesting project you've done?

Andy: I like the Lullaby Garden that we created for the Cornerstone Festival of Gardens in Sonoma, California, 2004. This project was all about the experience of making the garden, trying to understand and explore the multifaceted properties of monofilament. And the most rewarding thing for me was to reconnect to the Vietnamese culture and artisans in Vietnam.

Bart: Opening of the Polish Year in Israel. With the project creating a closer relationship of Poland and Israel. More about the project:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3530512,00.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx7JUwwLP7Q

What is your favorite part of the day?

Andy: Siesta time-taking an hour nap after lunch. Since I work for myself, I can do that.

Bart: I love it all. Wake up enthusiastic that the new day just started. Walk and run every morning (whenever I can). While walking, I have my morning phone conversations with clients and my team. After a shower and breakfast, I love coming to my studio and working. I love working with people and creating together. Evenings are always fun, coming up with new ideas, meeting with friends and always spending quality, joyful time together.

On the road, my days are always different. Always staying focused on the project. Whatever it takes, sometimes I work all day go to sleep for two hours and go back to work.

What is your current obsession?

Andy: I'm revisiting the glass medium. This time I work with hot glass, dealing strictly with heat and gravity, no form, no color, no formula-just a volume of glass that can define the space.

Bart: My current passion, will talk about this at the event.

What advice would you give young designers and artists?

Andy: Travel. Go out there - see the world and be not afraid to dream.

Bart: Follow your love...sometimes you are working 40 hours straight...you've got to love it to do it.

So far it has been very eye-opening. The most motivating or interesting idea we're heard from our sessions so far is:

Michael Lejeune (President): A great way to serve community is to hold a design competition for social good-present a problem to the LA community that can be solved with design like homelessness, traffic or pollution.

Ann Enkoji (Vice President): Another chapter developed a business plan for their year's event offerings in the form of a visual barometer that outlays categories of importance to their membership like socials, business matters, and more. They overlaid their year's events over the barometer to make sure they fulfill their chapter's full spectrum of needs.

Jill Finely (VP Programming): It's important to reach out to new members. We could hold a quarterly new member welcoming gathering to greet the new and renewing members.

Matthew Silverman (VP Membership): You can pay for your membership in installments.

Rachel Elnar (VP Communications): Inviting the civic leaders to share with us what's needed in LA may help us direct our efforts to help serve the community better.

Roger Dela Rosa (Creative Talent Director): A partnership with a local business school to offer small business conference would be helpful to LA creative leaders to discover opportunities within our own business environment.

What are your inspirations?
In life: My little sister Lucy. Because she's an awesome person! She's a home ec. teacher (yes, they still exist!) and she is really making a difference in the lives of her students. It sounds cheesy, but it really inspires me to be a better person.
In work: Stefan Sagmeister. I wish I had 1/100th of his talent.

How do you balance your life between work and non-work? Or, what do you do in your spare time?
As I've gotten older, I've realized time for myself is really important, so I try to keep normal working hours whenever possible. Of course, in our line of work it's not always possible... but I make an effort. Since I do more development than design nowadays, in my spare time I usually find myself doing something creative, like jewelry making or sewing. Nothing crazy, but I like to keep busy with crafty stuff. And on the weekends I'm usually outdoors down by the beach.

What are you currently listening to?
Lots of stuff... but based on today's playlist it would be: Jaymay, Rilo Kiley, Wilco, and She & Him.

What do you feel is your most eccentric behavior or habit?
Well, there's so many to choose from... (just ask my co-workers. ;) I guess one would be that I religiously drink diet cherry Pepsi in the morning. Either that or asking my trash can important life-altering questions with the "if I make this, xxxx will happen" basketball shot.

What product or gadget strikes your fancy?
One of my favorite things of all time is Clocky. I heard about this years ago on NPR, I think it was the senior project of an MIT student. It's a little alarm clock with wheels. When the alarm goes off, it rolls away so you have to get out of bed to wake up. It also smiles! Seriously, it's awesome: http://www.nandahome.com/products/clocky/index.php?color=raspberry

(I do have to admit this is a close second: http://www.mathlete.com/portfolio/wakeNbacon.php )

How long have you been a member of the AIGA, why did you join and what do you get out of your membership?
I've been a member of AIGA ever since I graduated college... which has been, holy crap, like 9 years? I originally joined because I wanted to be a part of the design community... which is still a large part of why I belong now. However, I will always feel incredibly lucky that a co-worker encouraged me to be part of the AIGA board in Pittsburgh, because being a part of the board has since become a great part of my life. Because I had been involved back home in Pittsburgh, when I moved to LA I continued to be involved. I started by volunteering for the Communications Committee, which led to more involvement in the Programming Committee. That led me to the position I have now, the Chair of the Studio Tour series. I love being a part of this community, and I love all the friends I have made as a result. I would highly recommend being involved to anyone - volunteering can be work, but what I've gotten out of it has definitely been worth it.

What are your favorite websites?
I have many, not all are specifically design-related. A few:
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/
http://www.gskinner.com/blog/
http://www.group94.com/#/website/news/20080520/
http://www.thebubbleproject.com/01.Bubbles/BubblesFrameset.htm
http://www.theonion.com/

Do have your own website?
Isn't that kind of mandatory now a-days?
http://www.sarahlamont.com

If you would like to add a question to this list, what would it be and what is your answer?
Question: If you could have any super-power, what would it be?
Answer: It's hard to decide between the ability to fly and the ability to stop and start time. I always used to go hands-down with the ability to fly, but lately I've been feeling more like I'd want to be able to start and stop time. Mostly because I'd like to take naps at random times during the work day.

Member Spotlight is an opportunity to showcase the diversity of our chapter's members. Promote yourself or a new project while sharing your experiences, interests and opinions with your local design community. Wanna be profiled next? Let us know.

TOMS Shoes, maker of the Argentine-styled slip-on has a cause--for every shoe purchased they give a pair free to a child in need. The company started after the founder visited impoverished villages in Argentina and saw that few, if any kids, had shoes. Countries with poverty and health issues are the company's target. Their goal is to give 180,000 kids shoes over 24 months.

For the Sole Search Design Contest, the local design community was asked to create a unique design on a pair of canvas shoes, one that could be worn and replicated. To participate, a pair of shoes had to be purchased, designed, and photographed with images sent to TOMS. Inspired by the challenge, responses came in from all over the country with thought-provoking designs.

Designers got the opportunity to look to the streets of their communities, design something of function, create their mark on an object of personal significance and make it their own, as well as had the chance to give their design to the masses. The shoe designs that came back were inspired by environmental, political and playful themes using materials of paint, fabric markers, and wool.

Organizations also participated. Mohawk Fine Papers sent a shoe design called the Mohawk Windpower Shoe. Designed by Katie Repine of Pentagram NY, the repeating pattern on the shoes is of wind turbine blades that combine to produce a honeycomb design. Metro entered a whimsical pair that looked like cars with rolling tires on the soles.

The entries were judged by Archie Boston of Archie Boston Graphic Design, Michael Hodgson of Ph.D, Petrula Vrontikis of Vrontikis Design Office, Ricky Javaroni and TOMS Shoes. Leny Evangelista's shoe was the winning design and will be replicated and sold by TOMS shoes. Evangelista's shoe along with 29 others were displayed at Elevate Lounge in Los Angeles for the AIGA/LA gala, "Los Angeles Defines Design/Design Defines Los Angeles," held on May 14, 2008.

The response was mostly of inspiration by the act of giving back. Tommie Brink entered a shoe design with the comment, "Dump the gas pump, ditch the car, and put on a pair of TOMS shoes to stroll the neighborhood. Discover Los Angeles without the view of a windshield or the back end of a car in front of you on the 101 freeway." Participant Christina Hanson said, "Walk in my shoes. It's simple. Help others."

2008-2009 AIGA/LA Board Slate

Chapter President
Michael Lejeune (will serve through May 2010)

Vice President
Ann Enkoji (will serve through May 2010)

Programming
Jill Finley (will serve through May 2009)
Jane Lee (will serve through May 2010)

Membership
Jae Yang (will serve through May 2009)
Mathew Silverman (will serve through May 2010)

Education
Jimmy Moss (will serve through May 2009)
Haven Lyn Kirk (will serve through May 2010)

Communications
Brad Benjamin (will serve through May 2009)
Nat Bolton (will serve through May 2009)
Tracey Bolton (will serve through May 2009)
Rachel Elnar (will serve through May 2009)

Senior Advisors
David Goodman
Nan Faesler
Toni Hollander-Morse

Advisors
Kim Baer
Rob Bynder
Agustin Garza
Errol Gerson
Louise Sandhaus

Administrator
Veronica Thompson

"Hey," said a voice from behind me. Chen arrived. He'd been busily working on the site for months. But now that it was finished and launched, he had time for a beer.

I asked him, what's so great about the South Park Studios Web site? Is it just a place to go online and watch South Park endlessly? "Yes, that's pretty much the point of the site. Now all the fans can watch all the episodes online while they are at work or in their classroom for free, except they'll have to watch some short advertisements. But it should be worth it, who wouldn't want to watch ads?" Chen questioned. "Unlike other shows, the South Park episode that you missed last night will be online within minutes after the show, so you can catch up on it, then the next day, you could share the experience with your pretend friends at the water cooler. And you can even grab the clips and share them on Facebook, MySpace, or in your underpants."

The site definitely puts the control back to the users and has allowed South Park to gather many more fans. Offering full episodes for free online has attracted more than half a million unique viewers in March. But there's more to the site than being an episode library, it also features a forum that is filled with very active and dedicated fans along with many casual users. There's an avatar generator where fans can make themselves into South Park characters. Production Blogs and Behind the Scenes sections let fans know all about what's going on at South Park.

South Park initially approached Schematic with a list of requirements and requested that video should be front and center. They wanted the site simple and clean, easy to navigate and not too wacky. And of course, their business requirement was advertising. Features needed were mainly based on browsing, searching and promoting content.

Although working with South Park sounded fun, Chen mentioned that the project was a lot of work in a short amount of time, about four months. And as the Art Director of the project team, he collaborated with the designers, developers and project managers to make the process run smoothly. Comedy Central provided the team with technical integration.

"Research was definitely entertaining, going through all of South Park's DVDs, watching and re-watching countless clips and episodes of the show. Of course, some of us had no need for research due to the ability to recite every line from every episode."

Then, he went on to talk about design. Simplicity was key. The screens had different challenges so the team had to develop a flexible and dynamic system. "We came up with a mosaic design that was color and imagery driven, with minimal amount of copy, and personally, I don't like sentences with more than 3 words. We used tight shots of the character because we know the fans recognize the style of the illustration which is the branding element that's peppered throughout the site. I asked him if there was any art direction from the client. "One of the requirements was to have the site be uniquely South Park, from colors and imagery to attitude."

After the approval of the initial pages, production and development started, and design moved forward with other pages of the site based on priority and complexity. "Even though our team was in different cities (both Comedy Central and Schematic have offices in New York City), we were able to integrate our workflow seamlessly."

Throughout the project, Chen and his team were able to quality assure the site as development progressed. To bring South Park Studios to life, Javascript, CSS, AJAX, HTML and Flash were used. "Not to mention animated GIF, which is always really fun," he added.

"We worked very closely with South Park and we met with them frequently as their approval process was incredibly speedy. It also helped that their office was just down the street," Chen confessed. "It's not very often that you get to work with a client that easy-going, so we took advantage of that."

The project started last December and was launched March 19th. The original launch date was a week earlier but launched late due to some technical issues. South Park's goal was to launch with free streaming, full-length episodes. And thanks to Jimmy Chen and his team at Schematic, they did. Now, that deserves a beer.

Visit southparkstudios.com.

Rachel Elnar is a partner at Ramp Creative and editor-in-chief of the AIGA/LA Web site.

The 2008 Art Center Design Conference: Serious Play
May 7, 8 and 9
Art Center College of Design
Pasadena, California
http://www.artcenter.edu/designconference

Join us at Serious Play as we explore the key role of play in creativity and innovation. Surround yourself with some of the greatest inventors, designers, tech wizards, and artists of our time exploring the key role of play in creativity and innovation--in business, the arts, technology, and more.

The Conference will feature:

• Acclaimed commentator and moderator John Hockenberry
• The first hands-on Serious Play Studios
• Luncheon roundtables with Conference speakers, special guests, and Art Center leaders
• Opening and closing parties

Information and Registration
http://www.artcenter.edu/designconference
conference@artcenter.edu
1.626.396.2357

Register under affiliation: AIGA to get your member discount.