WHAT I'VE LEARN FROM KANYE ON GOOD DESIGN

IT'S SUBJECTIVE.

If you haven't noticed by now design is a subjective trade. Similar to our taste in music. You and I are unique because we're individually influenced, and we classify good design differently. So how can we identify if our design is good? Cause what's good to you, may not be as seductive to me. Kanye West said a line that resonates here. "For me, first of all, dopeness is what I like the most." Kanye's dopeness is loaded with personal introspection. Again, it's subjective. If I may dissect, he's tying all of his personal experiences, idea of taste, visual appeal and constructive criticism to articulate something intuitively dope to him. Keyword, himself. Simply saying dope may be misleading to the untrained eye. Because what's dope to him, may not be dope to you. If we formulate dopeness, it means 3 things:  aesthetics, crafted intention, and unwavering confidence. Good design is the sum of all three.

Aesthetic

Own a look like Picasso owns Cubism and stick to it. Be consistent in applying the look. If you're working with a family of things, define a common style to tie them all together. It's best practice to choose a look that fits your project, and retain it all the way through. I'm not asking you to stick to one style for the rest of your career. Just stick to one style for the rest of your project. Visually it'll be perceived as aesthetic confidence. You'll thank me later. In the industry we call this Design Language. In the long term try other design languages. The best designers adapt different styles over time.

Crafted Intention

Good design is not just good looking objects. Having a beautiful object but a weak idea, is like building a skyline with shit foundation. It's a tall tale with a weak plot. Eventually it folds into itself. You'll be surprise how far a strong and deliberate idea goes. Seth Godin said it best "No one is asking you to be that person who invent something that never exist before." I believe the best designers identify a problem space, finds the solutions that already exist, and bring them together. For example camera phones. At some point in history it became cumbersome to lug around a film camera, and rolls, and rolls of film. At a one-point someone saw the opportunity to combine the camera with a memory card, and inspired a shift in camera technology. Cameras became smaller, thinner, and lighter. Small enough that at another point it became cumbersome to lug around a digital camera and a cell phone. Someone saw the opportunity to combine the digital camera and cellphone, and inspired a shift in smartphone technology. We're not asking you to design something that never exist before. Truthfully we are curators of the present, we identify the problems we live with today, we orchestrate and combine solutions that already exist, therefore we design for the future. This is how you build strong ideas. Qualify it with real world science, the more realistic the science the stronger the idea. 

Unwavering Confidence

Lastly be your number one fan. Like Kanye, loves Kanye. Be proud of what you produce, and don't produce anything you're not proud of. Unfortunately there is lots of vanity in being a designer.  Yes, be humble but also be bad-ass. You have a to command a level of respect for your designs. Companies hire you for your subjective opinions. Have confident in your work, because If you're unsure so will your cleint and audience.

LEARNINGS FROM ADWEEK

We love stalking Adweek for inspiration. A huge part of being an industrial designer is to pitch ideas. Sell a dream, a vision to a clients. The best way to do this I think, is through story telling. Industrial design isn't just about drawing awesome shit, CAD'ing sex appeal and cool aesthetics. To us its about capturing a clients DNA. Telling them who they are. Then telling them who/what they can become. It's more important than the final product. Lay the ground work before building the building.  More and more we've realized that integrating a good analytical eye into our design process goes a long way. Be empathetic to who they are historically. Innovation is building upon the past.  

Today I watched a Nike ad called "Unlimited You" -- My immediate reaction was... I thought "Just Do it" was already amazing. Cudos to Weiden & Kennedy for  this one. They've captured the essence of "Just Do It" Then pushed the brand beyond it. I love it. 

AĒR CHAIR

AĒR a : air : atmosphere <aerate> <aerobiology> <aerosol 

"Keep every promise you make and only make promises you can keep. "

AĒR is about promises we make and holding ourselves to it. Commitments and follow throughs - speaks millions. AĒR is manually inflated through our breath and engineered to deflate in 30 days, when a new promise is due. Sit on your words. #creativesession #industrialdesign #furniture #cs #designlife

 

Frenemy

"Stop thinking it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing, too. A wise man gets more from his enemy than a fool from his friends."

Enemies or rivals call em' whatever you want. One thing I'd like to do, is thank you for the motivation you've given me. I promise every milestone thus far, in some way you've contributed your share to my growth and success. Frenemies you've become a friend to me.

On a recent trip with my buddy Paul Vu to Maui, we watched the movie "Rush" on the plane. A film based on the rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda's 76th season in F1 racing. I felt angry the whole film at the poisonous relationship between the two world champions. James to me is one of those people in our lives that just have everything cut out for them. They seem to do the bare minimum and always WIN. I'm sure you can list a few of these people in your life. Niki is the opposite, we also can list these types in our lives. Constantly working and focused on their craft, but still WINNING though.

Ending the film, one racer said to the other "Stop thinking it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing, too. A wise man gets more from his enemy than a fool from his friends." My bitterness immediately lifted. I thought about the people who push us in life, the ones who challenge us, compete with us and make us better. If not a frenemy then who's to gauge ourselves against?

We all need a James or Niki to constantly chase our tails. My thoughts shifted to Creative Session. In a sense I've been spoiled for 25 plus years. Creative Session's momentum in a way has been a constant battle between my brother and I. On top of the awesome collaborations of course. He is the James and Niki in disguise. We've literally competed all our lives, whether toys, games, now designs. We've inspired, challenged and taught one another to compete at a higher level. Who is your James Hunt or Niki Lauda?

Lets all not scatter and find the closest hater friend and hug them just yet. I'm suggesting look at the situation in a new light. Happy National Siblings day YO!

Starry Sky

{ jasperandpeg.com } California Made Clothing that affirms your true beauty. Eye catching fashions for the everyday fabulous woman.

For the lack of behind the scene photos for this project, I'm unable to show you guys our thought process this time around. But here's a change of pace for ya, photos from the shoot and a promo video.

J&P reached out to shoot a promo to feature their "Starry Night" line. These draping hoodies, embellished with icey white crystals remind us of beautiful rain drops. After noticing the duality of the white and black pieces we conceptualized around the idea of Yin/Yang. The contrast between dark and light, good and evil. We settled on the idea of two alternate versions of oneself, and what it might be like if somehow these two versions interacted with each other in two separate but identical universes.

Although the final video isn't as elaborate as the original idea, we're really happy with the results. Tell us what you think about this project and enjoy the photos taken from this day.

Add em on FACEBOOK and check out their SITE

HAVE YOU?

JUST DO IT

 

I stumbled upon this image while browsing a week or so ago and have found myself coming back to it habitually, so here I am posting it on our blog.

At the beginning of the year I made a promise to myself that 2013 will be different, it'll be a year of risk taking and pure execution. I was content about staring into the face of fear, doing whatever scared me, and ignoring things that serve little to no purpose to the growth of CreativeSession and myself.

This image is powerful because it questions my state of satisfaction. It serves as a reality check for the crew and myself. It forces me to try things I normally wouldn't, and exposes me to a reality I would not have experienced if I were to play it safe. What was there to lose? So far, I have met some of the greatest people and picked up some of the most exciting projects!

Life is a gamble. The more times you apply yourself, the more chances of winning! So quit losing!!!!

T431 PROCESS VIDEO

We quickly shot this footage to share on instagram. Most of you whom seen this probably seen the crop and shorter version. Here is the wide screen and full length.

CS MOB

The quote above reminded me of a JayZ response from A Charlie Rose interview that has stuck with me through the years. "If my artist succeeds it's because of them, if they fail, it's because of me."

As an OG CS gang member I've always took it upon myself to help pave the path and do whatever's within my power to keep the crew alive and well. Most of the time it includes grunt work, but never will I have anyone perform a task I would NOT do myself. Lead by example, own up to our mistakes, and remember not to be the team member you wouldn't want to deal with. There's no I in team! Enjoy :)

GEM OF A MIND

I took the above photo walking down the Mission as it reminded me of a conversation I had with a friend about the meaning of sneakers hanging on phone lines. Yes, there are plenty of explanations for this phenomenon, but what I took from this was the sheer resourcefulness of the man/woman behind the shoe to their environment. I appreciate this mystery person for creating opportunity in anyway possible. You have no excuse because we all have a GEM of a mind. Use it.

There are a ton of things in our lives that are totally out of our control: weather conditions, lost time, and lucky lottery winnings. Yet, it’s funny that we’re hopeful for good weather, more time, and free money - considering the likeliness of it all really happening. What's the issue here? Are we spending too much time wishfully thinking? Is it hard to exert energy for the things you want? Nothing should be a crutch to how much we are able to achieve. I mean, why wish for good weather, more time, and a whole bunch of money. Why not move to have good weather, make good use of time, and generate self-made income? In the end, isn’t it much more amazing knowing you put in the effort?

The key element is “WISHING.” The combination of too much WISH and AMBITION may be poisonous. I’ll have to admit, I’ve been a victim to this habit resulting in low productivity. Learn to pump your brakes when too much 'wish powder' has been applied to keep it at a manageable level.

SKEGGS POINT CA

A few days ago I posted a snippet of the mountain bike video Ive been editing of the trip bro and I went on with some friends. I am now finished with the video and sharing it with you. Enjoy.

Skeggs Point, Ca from Creative Session on Vimeo.

VAPECITY PROCESS

Before I publish VapeCity’s final design packet into our WORK section, here’s a bit of background on one of the many concepts we explored. The six sided VAPECITY logo. Vaporizer tycoon, Ken A, reached out to the brothers to design a one of a kind logo for his up and coming Vape shop. Like all graphic design inquiries, Ken wanted something recognizable yet different to his competitors. What we pitched to Ken wasn’t just a unique logo, instead, we pitched a lifestyle and an experience.

With research we found other shops lacked goals. Their mission statements had little or no substance. For Ken’s Vape shop, we championed the idea of positioning himself in a more health conscious niche. Marketing to the “I AM QUITTING” and “HEALTH CONSCIOUS” demographics. The lifestyle should be about vaping to ease off smoking and eventually quitting.

Thus, coining the term “BREATH” as their campaign slogan. Breath free, breath healthy, breath better.

Understanding that vape oils come in levels of 24, 18, 12, 6 & 0 milligrams of nicotine, we wonder if a 6-step vaping program could be designed to lower a smoker’s nicotine craving and intake? We wanted to take Vapers on an experience that would result with an incentive to not only buy a Vape, but also to change their lives for the better and quit smoking.

Proposed steps:

Step 1: Cigarette Smoker --  Step 2: Vape Nicotine 24g --  Step 3: Vape Nicotine 18mg --  Step 4: Vape Nicotine 12mg --  Step 5: Vape Nicotine 6mg --  Step 6: Vape Nicotine 0mg

THE PERSON WHO KNOWS THE MOST KNOWS THE LEAST, AND THE PERSON WHO KNOWS THE LEAST KNOWS THE MOST

It’s just that simple. As humans, it is in our nature to tap into our pool of knowledge as we try to familiarize ourselves with new experiences. I’ve never snow boarded, but I’ve skated. I won’t use Instagram cause I’m a professional photographer.

It is this type of thinking that prevents us from any kind of progression.

Yes, snowboarding and skating are within the board family, but offer totally different experiences. And while you’re a professional photographer what’s wrong with opening up to a new platform, if not to learn, a little exposure will only add growth to your brand.

We must remember that learning doesn’t end when school ends, it ends when we end. The person who knows everything, will not listen to anything. Therefore they know nothing.

The key is to shut the fuck up and soak with an open mind. You’ll either learn what not to do next time, or what you should have been doing your whole life.

I’d like to leave you with this quote:

“Listen carefully. Every collaborator who enters our orbit brings with him or her a world more strange and complex than any we could ever hope to imagine. By listening to the details and the subtlety of their needs, desires, or ambitions, we fold their world onto our own. Neither party will ever be the same.”

:)

legends are made, not born

I ran by this pretty epic NBA commercial and found it extremely relevant to all things passion related. It's nothing short of eye candy for hardcore ballers, a mash-up video throwing all NBA elites into one era, on the same court. Interesting watch, but maybe it holds a deeper meaning?

A very interesting concept became apparent while watching the many generations of superstars ball out; stardom is not permanent nor is it guaranteed. Stars rise and they fall; doors open and they close; designers come and they go. Every time a person dies a baby is born, a new opportunity awaits, and a legend is yet to be told. Too often our journey is clouded by doubt and derailed by the thought of impossibility, or the fear of not being chosen. We must remember that Jordan made the impossible possible, and that some of the greatest were not chosen so they chose themselves. They worked later, longer, harder, smarter, hungrier, etc.

In order to succeed we must remember to keep on pushing on. With every generation a few slots of opportunity open up for those who are ready to dream big! Are you ready to live your legend?

Tre Redeau Ideation

Our homie formerly known by rap name Blazē is rebranding himself and we're redesigning his logo. Blazē will now go by his full name Trē Redēau and we're currently brainstorming unique logo options. Click on the image below to sneak peak what we currently have.

Complimentary Friends

Lets all agree to disagree that the friends we keep close makes up a percentage of whom we are. Yes, I must admit I've been a bit of a hermit crab lately. Staying in during the weekends drinking little to none and geeking out on work because I've been surrounding my self with three roommates that are all working towards a deadline. Whether it is graduating, job inquisition or plain old work. We've rubbed off on one another in an ambitious, motivational way.

I'm glad to be surrounded by a combination of inspirational, fun and geeky folks. Who do you surround your self by?

Trophy for 2012 URBAN DANCE FEST

A few weeks back Sergio and Freya of "All the Way Live" reached out to us about designing the trophy for this years "Urban Dance Festival". They both wanted to finesse every detail from the location, venue, fliers, shirts and trophy.

The idea is to create a holistic experience that will carry on in the years to come. This is exciting because it' should set an expectation for each new year.

In the past the trophies where usually generic off the shelf poly-urethane cups but this year we wanted to integrate design thinking in designing the trophy but dancing characteristics as well.

Check our process video:

"We are as committed to creating this as you are to winning this"-- Creative Session

2012 URBAN DANCE FESTIVAL TROPHY - ATWL X CS from Creative Session on Vimeo.

Here are random photos taken from Iphone throughout the process:

You're staring at sneaker culture.

A few weeks ago i made a trip up to Portland Oregon to connect with my roots, it was brief but quite productive. The little time i had was cautiously distributed between the lady, family, friends and of course Nike. The second day into my trip I met the footwear design legend, Tinker Hatfield. The meeting was brief but definitely MAGICAL. We spoke about our collaborations in the present and past, as well our backgrounds and interest! He's probably one of the most humble and highly respectable figures in the design world! This is the man who defined sneaker culture world wide, the reason you see tents in front of sneaker stores in the middle of NYC... filled with kids awaiting a Jordan release. You're staring at the guy who designed Jordan's 3-15, and some of the hottest AirMax's around!

Good Guy, Good Friend, Good Music

Our friend Blaze has released his Debut Mixtape titled: "Room & Board". I met Blaze while I was in Oregon for the NW Sneaker EXPO. I've got to say I was surprised when he told me he was only 19, First thought was DAMN young yet mature, has admirable drive and work ethic! I wouldn't be surprise he'll be going far in his career. GOOD LUCK TO YOU MY GUY. DOWNLOAD HIS TAPE HERE. For more information and bookings email: info@LivewireForever.com @thatkidblaze

The King Pin

When pinning up sketches, every so often we get little bloody pricks from digging our hands into pin-full cups.

One solution is to have bandages next to your cup of pins... OR THIS!!!