This “Can you find the mistake? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9″ graphic has been floating around the social media websites for a while now.  I have no clue where it originated, but it’s very clever.  It took me a while to find the the mistake after the initial first glance.  I was like, “where the heck is the the mistake?”  It’s funny how the human mind is tricked. I think because of the series of numbers all in different colors, you overlook the obvious and try and find an issue way more complicated than it really even is.

They also bolded the word “mistake”, that’s another good point – you know that’s why your eyes jumped straight to it right after you read the first line. This would be a great example for a typography class. Just in case you’re still trying to figure out the mistake, the word “the” is repeated twice.  It’s okay, we know you’ve probably had a long day and/or didn’t have your coffee just yet.

If you really got a kick out of this, check out these other great mind benders, optical illusions, and brain teasers.

This post is for all of the young’ins and those that might be at some crossroads in the game of “work life”.  Here’s a little story about a creative boy that liked to play with computers (yours truly).  I wasn’t entirely positive about where I wanted to be in another four years, after high school graduation.  I had a little bit of an idea, and that definitely got me started.  I probably wouldn’t have been able to guess, back then, that I’d be doing what I’m doing right now for work.

We all know that education is important.  In most cases, having some sort of training is vital to at least start you off on the direction you’re going to make your move in.  Whether you want to become a tradesman, a creative professional, or even just a general business associate, you usually have to have some form of training in order to even be considered for the job.  My parents always encouraged me to get a college degree, as it was a great feather in your cap, as well as Read the rest of this entry »

Feeling a little creatively dull?  We all get caught in creative ruts once in a while; sort of like how writers get writer’s block.  Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.  Here are 30 amazing digital Photoshop manipulations that will get your creative juices flowing!  Some of the techniques used below are simple, while others get pretty complicated.  Try some of these things out on a rainy day when you get a chance.  There are many tutorials on this blog as well as elsewhere on the web that can get you started in the right direction, in case you find yourself in over your head.  You can also click on each individual image to learn more about the artist, and to see more of their work.  Be sure to let us know which images are your favorites in the comments section below!

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Billboards are an entirely different animal in the advertising world. You have just a brief moment to get your message across to the viewer.  There isn’t a 30 second window, or even a 10 second one.  Sometimes it’s 5 seconds or less, depending on traffic, and the speed the car/bus/train is traveling.  Here are some effective billboards that I shot while driving through Brooklyn one day.  These are great billboard designs.

An amazingly executed job by Coca Cola.  All three soccer players are smiling and staring towards the bottle.  The corporate logo is clear and identifiable at the upper left, with a simple, two-word catch phrase “open happiness”.  Why are the guys so happy?  Oh, it’s the cola.  It’s plain and clear.  You see it, and you get it.  And yeah, it only takes a few seconds.  Brand recognition is visible not only in the form of the logo, but also in the product itself.  The photography is excellent, and the image has been stylized in almost an illustrative way to make it stand out from the crowd.

The Applie iPad did it right also.  Logo, upper left hand corner.  It’s human nature that we read from the top left hand side, from left to right.  It’s proven fact.  They placed the logo and product logotype there.  The photo of the woman lounging with the iPad on her lap, shows how portable the product is.  It’s almost like you’re looking over her shoulder.  This billboard has no words other than the product name, but it promotes the lifestyle.  Once again, less is more.  And when is the last time you saw a crop like this on a billboard?  This woman is relaxed, and enjoying her brand new iPad.  Similar to the Coca Cola ad above, the product here speaks for itself. There is no need to busy the ad up with website urls, phone numbers, or any other call to action.

Bad billboard design has text that isn’t viewable from further than a few car lengths away, and they usually have way too much text.  You can’t read that much text on a billboard, because you’re usually traveling at least 65 mph down the highway as you’re viewing it.  Mostly passengers will have the advantage over the drivers, but effective ads will be brief enough to be noticeable to the drivers as well.  If you ever have the privilege to design a billboard, keep these pointers in mind.

Graphic design has undergone a lot of change in the last 100 years.  They only just started using computers in design back in the late 80s, or early 90s.  But besides the technical side of things, society has changed a lot over the years as well.  We have had endless technological advances in product design, health standards, science, and even general common knowledge.  We’re living in an informed generation, where you can learn anything in a matter of a minute spent searching Google.  Here are 15 retro / vintage print ads that might come across the wrong way by today’s standards.  I hope you get a kick out of these flashbacks from the dark ages.  Some of them are hilarious, others quite offensive by today’s standards.

That’s definitely a realistic reenactment of what happens after blowing tabacco smoke into a pretty woman’s face.  About 5 Tipalets for 25 cents.  Not 5, but about 5.  Just in case we throw in an extra half, or 4, or 6, or 3.  Read the rest of this entry »