Interactive Design
RED SKY INTERACTIVE CREATIVE GUIDELINES
by Joel Hladecek
Redefine the “Standard” (or Excuse me, your “multimedia’s” showing! )
Make the concept, interface, art and animation support and drive the interactive experience- Don’t rely on the development programs to do it. Any fool can set a Director transition. Immerse the viewer in your world.
Also, don’t buy into industry interface conventions- most of them were developed by some data engineer named “Earl” with a pocket protector and bad hemorrhoids. Red Sky pushes harder than our competitors to raise the quality beyond what the rest of the industry settles for. In other words, as an artist working for Red Sky, don’t ever say “We did it that way at (my old company), it’s a standard”, or you will be tarred, feathered, cast out and publicly humiliated. SET the standard.
Example: Don’t settle for simple “up and down” button graphics just because it’s commonplace in most multimedia and/or easy to do. Consider creating smoother or more expressive buttons with more frames of animation to further support the metaphor. If memory is an issue- cut something else damn it.
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Graphic Designers’ Guide to Handling Client Changes
Handling a client who frequently requests unnecessary design changes can be challenging, but there are strategies you can use to address the situation professionally:
1. Clarify the Objectives Early On
– Start with a detailed discussion to understand the client’s goals, preferences, and expectations. Make sure they are clear on what the design will achieve.
– Establish key milestones and deliverables, and outline any constraints or limitations upfront.
2. Set Clear Boundaries and Limit Revisions
– Define a specific number of revisions in your contract. This will encourage the client to be more intentional with their feedback.
– If they exceed the agreed-upon number of revisions, politely inform them that additional changes may require extra fees or an extension to the timeline.
3. Educate the Client
– Sometimes, clients request changes because they don’t fully understand the design principles or how their requests affect the overall project.
– Take time to explain why certain elements work better and how frequent changes can dilute the effectiveness of the design.
(more…)How to become a great creative director?
Being a great creative director requires a mix of leadership, vision, and adaptability. Here are some key qualities and strategies to help you excel in this role:
1. Develop a Clear Vision
– Establish a strong creative vision that aligns with the brand’s goals and values. This will provide direction for your team and guide decision-making.
– Communicate your vision clearly to your team, clients, and stakeholders. Make sure everyone understands the goals and objectives.
2. Cultivate Your Creativity and Stay Inspired
– Stay up-to-date with design trends, art, technology, and cultural movements. Regularly consume content outside of your field to broaden your perspective.
– Encourage a culture of experimentation and exploration. Great ideas often come from unexpected places, so be open to unconventional sources of inspiration.
3. Empower and Trust Your Team
– Hire skilled, diverse team members and give them the freedom to bring their ideas to the table. Trust their expertise and let them take ownership of their work.
– Provide constructive feedback that encourages growth and improvement. Aim to be a mentor, not just a manager.
(more…)Simon Sinek on Long-Term Success and Leadership
IBM’s design philosophy and principles
Technical advancements are not creative CONCEPTS
Ongoing advances in technology always open new possibilities for creatives and developers. It’s a way of life in digital media.
But do those exciting new advances make us better or worse at what we do? How do they challenge our inventiveness and our range of skills?
I hate to report, but the most exciting technical advancements in our medium today are a trap of a sort that critically limits how creative most of us are. And many are blind to it.
In fact you could be doing significantly better work than others in your field if you just change your mindset. And I want to help you do that.
The only way I know to explain this is to tell you how I came to this place.
The Two Strings Theory
How Humanity’s Deepest Longing And Beauty Are Hidden In Technology
Technology is advancing at an exponential rate. It’s overwhelming. And while there are countless technical domains that I cannot speak about with any expertise, I can talk about one.
My domain is communication media. And it, like all the others, is advancing wildly, exponentially, and in seemingly unpredictable ways with no end imaginable.
However, what has taken me years to realize is that counter to popular assumption, there is nothing unpredictable about the progression of technical advancement in communucation media, and that the progression does indeed have an actual end-state, a technical state afterwhich no further technical development will be sought.
What honestly surprised me most of all was that this end-state revealed something core, and beautiful about humanity.
PBS FRONTLINE: The Merchants of Cool (2001)
The Merchants of Cool
FRONTLINE explores how giant media corporations skillfully court the teenage consumer.
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We were the ones who created the initial Sprite.com website for Red Sky Interactive, Inc. It just so happened that we were present at the MTV launch party.
Steve Jobs about Branding and Marketing
What is Applied Entertainment?
What if playing Angry Birds helped you keep your New Year’s resolutions? What if your World of Warcraft campaign got you to burn off a few extra pounds? What if you leveled up your Star Wars Jedi character by improving your focus with real life breathing exercises guided by Yoda in VR?
What if, when you got better at something in real life, your games were aware and your digital avatars improved as well? Would this feedback loop between you and your games drive personal growth and self-improvement?
The emerging field of Applied Entertainment says: Yes.
Read more here
On this day RIP Steve Jobs passed away on Oct 5 2011
Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech 2005