Finamore Design

One of my favorite movie interactions regarding the topic of morals and ethics is in the movie Election and goes as follows:

Jim McAllister: Dave, I’m just saying this as your friend: What you’re doing is really, really wrong… and you’ve gotta stop. The line you’ve crossed is… it’s immoral… and it’s illegal.
Dave Novotny: Jim, come on, I don’t need a lecture on ethics.
Jim McAllister: I’m not talking about ethics, I’m talking about morals.
Dave Novotny: What’s the difference?

What is the difference? That is the attitude a lot of designers take, whether it is browsing stock photos or design annuals. Taking a photo, copying a design concept or layout. Is it wrong? Is it illegal? Who cares?

Morals define personal character, while ethics stress a social system in which those morals are applied. While something may be wrong morally, ethically or both, it does not mean that it is illegal (although in most cases it may well be). (more…)

On September 27, I attended AIGA New York’s sold out event titled “Your AD Here: Is Design Reshaping Advertising (Again)?” at FIT’s Katie Murphy Amphitheater.

The talk was supposed to discuss design and it’s impact on advertising. Asking the questions of why so many advertising agencies are starting to hire graphic designers instead of traditionally trained “advertising art directors”, and why so many clients are turning to design agencies to create their advertising campaigns. (more…)

I make it a habit to show up to every client meeting really early. It gives me time to collect my thoughts and mentally refresh myself on the agenda for the upcoming meeting. Sure, sometimes I sit around for a while in the lobby waiting for my client, but I always find that they are happy to know that I am there and ready for them. It is never a good idea to keep them waiting.

At one meeting recently I showed up about 45 minutes early for a meeting at a coffee house, and found my client already there. It was then that he filled me in on “The New Business Mantra”:

Really Early is Early
Early is On Time
On Time is Late
Late is Unacceptable 

These books are a definite asset to any business person, creative or not, who wants to score extreme success. These books are well written, extremely insightful, and fun to look at. I find these two books work well together, while GUT focuses on how to listen to and understand your gut instinct, BALLSY gives you the skills you need to act upon these instincts. (more…)

I am constantly being asked what RSS is and how to use it. Luckily, my friends over getusb.info wrote an easy to understand article all about RSS.

Check it out…

How can I use RSS?

At GetUSB.info we receive emails from time-to-time asking about the RSS feed feature we provide and how it can be used. Today we are taking a few minutes to cover what an RSS feed is, how you can use it, what you need and how to validate the ones you subscribe too.

When you initiate a project with a designer you need to do more than say I need a logo and my company’s name is [fill in the blank]. You need to know who you are selling to, what you are selling to them, why you are selling to them, and why they will want to buy it. Typically, this information is provided in a ‘Design Brief’. (more…)

Graphic Design is not like engineering, law, medicine or even plumbing, where you need to be certified in order to practice the trade. Anybody can walk into a stationery store, buy pre-fabricated business card paper and print their name and address on them, and call themselves a graphic designer. Because of this, there are a LOT of designers out there. If you are in need of design services, your job is to qualify who the GOOD graphic designers and choose the one who is smart, creative, and understands your needs. (more…)

It seems that everytime I turn around I run I am bombarded by information in 3’s. I started to realize it when I was rewriting my company’s mission statement. My three main objectives as a company it to deliver every project

1. On Time
2. On Budget
3. Above Creative Expectation.

Shortly thereafter I realized that most of my clients want me to meet a triple bottom line. That is to say, every project needs to be:

1. Good for Business
2. Good for the Environment
3. Good for the Community (more…)

What impression do you create when you send e-mails? Every single correspondence you make directly influences how people perceive you and your company. From the content to the timeliness or response , everything you do impacts how others think of you and the company you work for. (more…)

Ready to make that foray into the business world? Wether you are going to work for someone else of start up your own venture here are some tips that you should keep in mind. (more…)