Take time to notice something.

I think this can go back to the old simple saying of "stop and smell the roses."

Most of us can lead some pretty hectic lives. Work, family, commuting, friends, hobbies and the countless things that can go on within each of these areas and combinations of said variables. That in of itself can produce some crazy moments in our lives. Often these moments end up more like spans of time, much to are chagrin.

So while we hop between these different variables we already have little time to smell the roses already. We are doing something unprecedented in human history. We are able to fill these spaces...these pauses in our day with more stuff. All thanks to technology, more specifically the mobile device.

Let me say this. This blog is not a "Technology is ruining us and making us worse people. Smash your iphone immediately and go live out in a forest and be one with nature" type of articles. I love technology and it is amazing. It often gets hated on and falsely blamed for things that are simply out if its control or even more simply. It is the future...and people are scared of a future that is different then their present.

We are constantly inundating ourselves with more stuff. These small pauses in our lives are being filled with surfing the web, connecting, sharing etc etc. Now this is all good and bad. Again...maybe this is the wave of the future. Maybe people are evolving and peoples brains 50 yrs in the future are different then ours currently.

But as of now. I do believe these breaks in life are very important. I am convinced that these pauses are when we have our best moments. We tend to notice things a lot better when our attention is not somewhere else. Maybe it is a book idea, new painting perspective, an improvement to a system, invention, music etc. It is funny, how often do we have some kind of great idea or perceived great idea while we are taking a nice hot shower. Why? Because we are having a break! Our mind gets to wonder and take advantage of having nothing to do.

We should try our best to not fill all the pauses in our day. You never know when your first or next big idea will come to you. It would be a shame if you missed out because you were trying to fill a boredom gap in the day.

Stop and smell the roses...enjoy the pauses and notice something.

How can I help you?

A question that not enough working people (especially in business) sincerely ask. With no intention of getting something out of the ask. Purely asking because you are trying to help someone, to care about someone else rather than getting something for yourself.

You can often just feel it or hear the intention of the question when it is asked out of kindness versus any other reason...most of the reasons are rooted in reciprocating or making a sale etc. One of my biggest pet peeves is walking into a store and someone asking me this question. Most companies force their employees to say it. You cannot hide genuine kindness. The fakeness or sale at the end of the conversation slithers its way past their teeth and rolls off the tongue and just simmers in my ears. I HATE it.

Designers are often in a pretty awesome position because when people come to you for work or in general...they already are in need of something. But what about others, when is the last time that you asked across the aisle to maybe someone who cannot afford your services and is struggle with solutions if they need help? The bottom line and power of the dollar is what drives us into just worrying about ourselves.

It is amazing to see that when we start to care about each other, things just get better...the bottom line included. People are drawn to it. We want someone...hell, we need someone to care about us. We are social creatures and we spend about a third of our lives at work around other people. So to be around others who are not faking it who are genuine in their intent is an amazing thing.

When we patronize other companies just how much better would everyone's experience be if we could care about one another. Not because you are a customer or employee...but because you are another human and so are they.

How can I help you?

A web design/marketing trend that is insufferable.

Can we pleaseeeee stop having pop-ups as soon as you enter the website.

"Join our mailing list."

"Do you want *insert offer*"

"10% off all orders today!"

"Sign-up to see rest of article."

etc, etc etc,

The very first thing I look for when surfing the web and visiting sites, is that little X that closes that pop-up box.

I cannot be the only one. I often do not even read what it's saying, I go straight to closing it.

Stop advertising to me!! Please just stop.

I do not watch your commercials anymore, I do not read your print ads, I do not read that email (unless it is from a place I spend money at a lot), I do not read that banner ad...and no I don't click it. For the love of all that is holy, just stop tossing ads at my face.

If you use ads, pop-ups, sign up windows...the chance of you getting my email drops automatically to almost zero because I am so annoyed. Especially on mobile. The limited real-estate and the possibility to miss-tap the close X....super annoying.

I will drop your site like a bad habit and get that content/value somewhere else if you constantly ask me for info or try to sell me something etc.

The amount of times I just close my browser tab if I enter a site that has a splash page pop-up has got to be 80%.

Does this tactic work for getting emails? Even if you are getting emails...are they just peoples "spam" email that they never check? If they are legit emails...are they even opening them? The vast majority of users are turning into me, they are tired of being undauntedly marketed to.

So instead of constantly asking for shit, how about you provide me with a reason to give you my actual email or a reason to not just exit your site immediately.

Prove your worth to the consumer.

I hate trends and so should you.

I hate trends...oh so very much....they are what constantly keeps the creative ceiling low and from growing faster.

We all know what trends are, those things, music, styles, fashion, art, design, hair etc that is pervasive throughout our society for a litany of reasons. Some are cool, some are harmless and others are just dumb. But somehow we decide what is popular and it gets used up and tossed to the side once there is nothing else to use (or something different and cooler comes along).

Trends keep creativity low because we become slaves to them. We want to provide content and work that people will like so we dip into the current trends to make clients happy...which is fair. Soon we become reliant on this type of photography, those font styles, that style of illustration and now we are stuck. We are left abusing these awesome resources till they are of no use anymore.

Then once a style starts dying off and new one comes to a head the same cycles presents itself. Use, abuse, dumb and continue the cycle.

Some of these things in and of themselves could last much longer but when coupled together with other objects to identify as a style...it is doomed for the bell curve.

We keep ourselves limited by wanting to do acceptable work so we can make our living or just provide good content. If we had more resources at our hands...one could only imagine the type of work we could produce. People say to think outside of the box for something new...but that is pretty much bullshit.

Unless this new thing has some kind of inherent value, usefulness, skill etc then it will be ignored. Most of the avant garde were thissss close to being ignored and not even recognized. The best way to have a lasting change on something is to either be that one off amazing new valuable thing. Or to work at the fringes...don't go outside the box...work near the edge of the box. That is were the new trends are, that is where you can find the lasting change and permanent impression we are looking for.

Not outside the box just near the edge.