Square is square.

Yes, it has been forever.

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:17:18 -0400

Between derby and my 2 jobs, I am swamped. I’m slowly pulling myself out of the muck, so hopefully I’ll be back to regular updates shortly.

So this weekend, I had tryouts for the Rat City Rollergirls. I...

Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:46:38 -0400

So this weekend, I had tryouts for the Rat City Rollergirls. I only started skating (as an adult) a couple months ago… Maybe 2 months tops. So I wasn’t really expecting to be picked up, let alone by the Throttle Rockets (my favorite team). So I’m pretty stoked, and trying like hell to come up with a decent name…

I’ve also got Makin’ Bacon Derby Camp going right now. Many fun new things going on this summer!

Where are we going?

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:03:27 -0400

I ran across this interactive map showing the trends in moving to and from major cities. It takes forever to load, so I decided to summarize it for you based on their data (as influenced by my assumptions).

Dallas: Your gateway to even hotter parts of Texas.
Seattle: Move here and you’ll never leave.
Manhattan: A destination for everyone.
Los Angeles: Only desirable to people from Manhattan.
Chicago: You’d rather live anywhere than here.
Washington: You’ll probably go back to where you came from.
Detroit: Nobody lives here anymore.
Miami: In with the old, out with the new.
Atlanta: Collecting the least-southern southerners.

It's not a purr, it's more like a scream...

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:49:00 -0400

Finally took a pic of my bike on one of the fantastically sunny days we had this weekend. The previous owner had dropped it a few times, so it’s missing the side fairings, but I think I’m liking it that way. It came with a full vance and hines exhaust which is pretty cool. It also has an adjustable rear suspension thing… I haven’t looked into it much, or its advantages.

I don’t know much about bikes but I like messing with things. So far I’ve fixed a few small things, like the gauge cluster was broken into 6 pieces, so put it back together and gave it a metal plate cover to make it look nice. Plus the plastic over the lights was missing, so I cut a new piece from an acrylic sheet to replace it. I changed the oil… Oh, and replaced the clutch perch with one from an r6 so I can get an adjustable lever. I’ve got small girly hands and the stock grip is seriously wide for me. My boyfriend knows a bit about bikes, so he’s been advising me.

It runs pretty good though! I took it out last weekend for the first time and thought it was great. Most of my friends think I am crazy for getting a sportbike, and especially something kinda sizable for a first bike. But I love the riding position, I’m a a quick learner and wanted something I could grow into.

Things I’m considering changing… Well the clutch is pretty tight. I’ve replaced the cable, and changed the oil, both of which helped. And I’m currently using one of those hand grippy things to get my hand strength up. But right now I’d have no shot in hell making it more than 5 minutes in stop and go. If I can’t manage it by the end of this season I think I’ll install a hydraulic clutch system. I’ve been considering various options for custom fairings… looking into playing with carbon fiber… projects are awesome :)

Quirky is awesome!

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:33:35 -0400

I recently discovered Quirky, this which is basically crowsourcing for your product ideas. You submit an idea (which will cost you $99, so it keeps out the riff-raff), and every week through voting etc. they choose a winner to make its way into production. Not only is this awesome because I get lots of ideas for things to make, it’s also great because I get the opportunity to express my opinion about things that are wrong with products before they even make it to market.

Each product gathers “influencers” through its dev cycle, and these influencers are compensated based on their contributions. Funny enough, I found the site and was thinking of submitting that tea cup concept I came up with ages ago. Only to discover moments after I signed up, that the same idea was just enterting the production phase. Not that I’m annoyed, whatever, it was a marginally good idea. I needed a new idea to make feel better about losing out on that one though, so I came up with one. I’m doing research now, but plan on submitting it shortly (and then I’ll share!).

Sugru... Material Science FTW!

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:29:00 -0400

Sugru... Material Science FTW!

The first (roughly) finalized piece of collateral for JeffreyM,...

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 13:26:00 -0400

The first (roughly) finalized piece of collateral for JeffreyM, employees will have their pick of color. These cards will have some pretty good weight to them, I’m planning on going with Fitch Fine Double Thick Cover, Fine Finish, 160lb Cover (or match).

A different kind of mouth guard

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 12:54:00 -0400

I was searching for a better alternative to the options I was familiar with for mouth guards (if you missed it, I’ve recently gotten into roller derby). Something that let me talk and drink— I was considering going to a dentist and getting something professional made. But I’m cheap, and I don’t really like dentists… Eventually I ran across something that I think is pretty cool.

The Protech Dent mouth guards come flat, and are moldable (and remoldable, if you screw it up you can flatten them out again) to exactly the shape of your teeth. I’ve gotten the fit on mine so tight that it “snaps” in place and I’ve got to give it a real good tug to get it out again.

You can drink with it, talk with it, I don’t have to take it out ever during derby practice. Their website says you can snack with it, though that seems like a pretty gross idea to me. It’s the thinnest option out there too, so you don’t get monkey mouth. I’ve worn it to several practices, and though I’ll probably mess with the fit some more, it’s been pretty fantastic.

Bakery Nouveau came to the table with a complaint. Their...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:13:00 -0400

Bakery Nouveau came to the table with a complaint. Their customers would leave with a cake in a standard cake box (you know, those plain square ones). But because the box was so awkward to carry, they’d inevitably tuck it under an arm to open doors and carry purses… Then when they’d get home, some of them were astounded to find their cake had slid, crashing into the side of the box and losing its beauty. Shock!

Though originally tasked to just throw a sticker on a standard box, after some consideration, I decided I could solve this problem. So I was inspired to design the prototype shown here. There are 2 primary design features that make it superior to existing box designs 1. The handle. You can carry it and still have one free hand. 2. It folds completely flat, so when you get the cake home, you don’t have any issue getting to the treats inside. (Added bonus, they stack flat!)

These boxes were designed in several aspect ratios, including one with the proportions of a lunch box that is capable of holding either a sandwich and chips, or 2 pastries. And yes, they are sturdy! I walked around downtown Seattle with a 12” cake and no problem at all.

The jury is still out on production, because the client is only looking at a small run, production costs are higher than they were looking to spend. One possibility I’ve been considering is creating a series with “generic” graphics and selling the boxes on their own. But it depends on whether or not there is interest.

This is a “RocketDog” branded wine, a gift given to...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:13:36 -0400

This is a “RocketDog” branded wine, a gift given to clients on project completion. The printing possibilites for the label were quite limited given the small run. So to make up for it there is a set of tags around the neck—inspired by dog tags (both for animals and the military, oh the punnery!)—which reads “LOST? CALL…”

Less is More?

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:49:00 -0400

Alright, usually it’s not. Most of time when I hear of people giving up all their worldly possessions in favor of a minimalistic lifestyle I laugh a little. Stuff makes our lives easier, makes it so we don’t have to deal with the boring crap. You would have to pry my appliances from my cold dead hands, especially anything that accessed the internet or washed something.

That said, this guy did it in a way that I find quite inspiring (and adorable). If you’re going to get rid of everything you own, the things you should make sure you have are: your Lambo, and your guns to defend it. Oh! And your mohawk. Richard Jordan, we seriously need to hang out.

These are some of the first round of logos done for JeffreyM...

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:04:00 -0400

These are some of the first round of logos done for JeffreyM consulting, inspiration sources include: drawing on a whiteboard, typewriters, 80s video games, and children’s blocks. I think if you compare these logo concepts to the feeling conveyed by the moodboard, you’ll find each of them fits in their own distinct way, but they all fit.

On facebook and privacy...

Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:56:23 -0400

Nothing in life is free. Fb isn’t run out of the kindness of anyone’s heart, it’s a business. Your data is the currency you use pay for the service (well one of them), if you’re not comfortable with that price it’s certainly your choice not to buy the product.

But personally? If knowing who I am friends with or the stupid crap I care about lets somebody somewhere sell me stuff I actually want… Well that’s a total win, I actually LIKE stuff. If that’s the price for the fantastic communication tool that fb has become, I’d call it a damn bargain.

It's about the talent, not the tool.

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:35:47 -0400

If you’ve looked through much of the work I’ve posted so far here, you’ll see quite a few photos with iStockphoto watermarks… I know a lot of designers who hate the site, and hate ever having to use it. Personally, I don’t mind. A lot of clients can’t afford Getty or Corbis or whatever. And why should they have to? I think if you’re a good designer you can make iStockphoto images look damn good, it just takes more effort, creativity, and photoshop skills.

JefferyM Consulting is a primarily Microsoft based consultancy...

Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:33:01 -0400

JefferyM Consulting is a primarily Microsoft based consultancy company. Built on the reputation of Jeffery M himself—this company is fun, human, and approachable. All considerations in building out their moodboard.

It's a brilliant Monday after a great weekend

Mon, 10 May 2010 16:07:21 -0400

My motorcycle started this weekend (win!), I’m working on moodboards (I LOVE moodboards), it’s a dreary day (better for working), TONS of housework got done while my parents were in town (my parents are the best, I don’t think there is anything they can’t fix)… and derby orientation for the training league was so much fun.

All I need now is afteroon coffee and and evening drinks to top it off. I sort of feel like I’ve had a vacation.

Located in the Pacific Northwest—and seriously in touch with the...

Sat, 08 May 2010 13:17:00 -0400

Located in the Pacific Northwest—and seriously in touch with the outdoors—Wimmer Solutions was looking for an identity update to make them stand out in a world of shiny, glossy, graphics.

Utilizing northwest relevant imagery and nature-related phrases, this brand finds itself more in touch with the human element of its business than ever before.

Frito Lay’s Sunchips product had seen a loss in sales...

Mon, 03 May 2010 17:19:00 -0400

Frito Lay’s Sunchips product had seen a loss in sales after their previous design change and were looking to evolve the design to regain some footing. Equities from the previous design that were working, such as background color, were re-integrated. Rather than simply a graphic sun shape, a more conceptual approach was taken. Inspired by consumer photography which showcased light emanating from within the bag itself, the glowing orb of sun in this design affects other elements on the package for a more cohesive approach. Photography FPO.

Bigger breasts, bigger profit

Mon, 03 May 2010 16:21:00 -0400

I went shopping for motorcycle gear this weekend, and I was surprised to discover that there is an industry out there that hasn’t fully exploited the income potential of women customers. Women used to make up 3-4% of riders, it’s now apparently closer to 18%. I can’t imagine the shitty gear those three percent had to deal with, because there is still a ton of tragedy in the gear styling and selection I’ve seen so far. You can tell many of them are trying, and the Italians are probably doing it the best (Dianese, Clover).

The largest brick and mortar store I visited was Renton Motorcycles, this is the WalMart of motorcycles stores… They even had a “greeter” at the front door. Other than that, I wandered in this huge space for probably 2 hours without a single employee actively trying to help me. I understand that less women riders equates to less women specific gear. I was prepared for this and just came trying to find “the right fit” so I could order something from their website. They had 2 lines of gear for women riders, (NOT girly pink childish glitter crap!) (Icon, Alpinestars).

The great things about these lines are that the try to take into account the female form… You know, breasts and hips. But Renton Motorcycles didn’t even have a full size lineup. For Icon they only had a Small and an Extra Large! I was just looking to figure out fit so I could order online, but I couldn’t even manage that…

But it’s the little missed opportunities that really kill me. The jackets I’m looking at are mostly leather (better protection) and armored. So yes, I care about functionality. But I also don’t want to look like a Power Ranger or Spongebob Squarepants. A few of them had a bit of a protective chest plate, and hey that sounds like a brilliant idea. Except that in practice it makes you look like you have a neck-to-waist uni-boob. Since these bits are interchangeable anyway, all they’d have to do is create plates with a cup size. And while they’re at it, they can make my breasts look larger, and once again proportional to my shoulders. The shoulder protection on these things can really throw all the visual balance off.

Women pay good money for nice looking breasts and flattering clothing. Plus! There is no reason you can’t be making making money off those who don’t ride. A sexy jacket is a sexy jacket…

Yamaha fzr 600

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 13:58:00 -0400

I just bought my first motorcycle! I haven’t even taken the training classes yet, but then I’ve never been any good at doing things in the accepted order. I’m finding that I am frequently, and entirely randomly, muttering the word “motorcycle” under my breath. Clearly, I am excited :)