If you're trying to break through the clutter, you might as well make a splash. For the announcement of my Medium article, Logo Design is Dead, I wanted to accomplish two things. First, the graphic needed to visually relate to the content of the article. The article is about the role of AI in the future of logo design. The visual of the hand drawing logo sketches hints at my stance that professionals should be hired for logo design over AI. Next, the headline is so intriguing, I felt it needed to play a large role in the graphic. In …

I’ve never liked the sound of my voice. Something about the tone bothers me, but it’s not that I’m annoyed while talking — I’m just never satisfied after hearing it recorded. That’s probably why I became a graphic designer. With type, I can communicate in whatever visual tone of voice I choose.  In, On Writing Well, author William Zinsser suggests that writers shouldn’t alter the tone of their voice to fit the intended audience. (Zinsser, 2006, pg. 231) We should write in our own style, he argues, no matter where the final piece will be published or who will read it. …

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, is the first book I read twice. I loved the story, of course, but was enamored that Kerouac wrote the original draft on one continuous reel of paper in three weeks. What a work of genius, I thought, before plucking it off the shelf again. What people often disregard is that “the scroll,” as Kerouac referred to it, was typed in 1951 — three years after his initial attempt. And, On the Road wasn’t published until 1957. A work of genius, it turns out, takes nine years of rewriting. The ability to publish content today is …

Why is it that fishermen seem surprised when they get a bite? If they’re anything like me, they’ve spent hours planning. Careful consideration has been put into rod, reel, and line selection. Lures have been strategically arranged in a complex system of tackle boxes. They’ve checked the local forecast, twice. Every decision made has been in the service of getting a bite.  Similarly, writers painstakingly ideate to craft that perfect story. Whether it’s breaking news or an introspective essay, they’ll wrack their brains to compose an intriguing introduction. Inspiration strikes at the most inconvenient time, so a pen and note …

John Rudolph is an entrepreneur, creative director, and fisherman. He’s interested in simplifying the digital landscape to help organizations reach their audience in more authentic ways, and explores interactive media from a graphic designer's perspective. His ideal solutions contain empathy and wit. After almost 20 years in the creative industry, John still believes design has the power to make the world a better place. John jump-started his career at Catapult Marketing in Westport, CT, where he was quickly promoted to creative director. There, he leveraged consumer insights to inform retail marketing programs. Among his favorite projects, John worked with Family …

I learned how to write nonfiction from a staunch Republican — At least, that’s how my American History teach, Mr. Olson, referred to himself. I was in my junior year of high school. He’d stand proudly at his lectern, spitting out historical events in chronological order. “This is how they’ll teach in college,” he explained. It was the same educational environment where he laid out how to format our thesis papers. A Lengthy Introduction First, we were taught to write all our supporting arguments, along with a well-defined thesis statement, in the opening paragraph. In Mr. Olson’s class, it was …

Give a Creative Director a creative brief and make yourself a bucket of popcorn. Sit back and watch as he or she questions the objectives, pushes back against the target audience, and argues over the communication points and product benefits. The brief is all wrong, the Creative Director will explain. It needs to be reworked. The Strategist will have to dig deeper to find a more insightful approach.  Give that same creative brief to a Designer and expect ten solutions by morning. It’s the inquisitive nature of designers that drive them to roll up their sleeves and get to work. …

Remember when businesses had to make something and sell it to turn a profit? Find a way to produce it cheaper, decrease costs, increase revenue, and investors lined up at the front door. That’s how corporate America worked since the Industrial Revolution. When companies were fraudulent or corrupt, customers stopped buying their products, Wall Street stopped investing, and the business filed for bankruptcy. Survival of the fittest was Capitalism in the good old days.  Survival of the Creepiest Today, it seems as if consumers reward companies for misbehaving. Take Facebook, for example. They’ve been accused of everything from stealing our …

Designers and project managers are like oil in vinegar — they don’t mix. Project managers focus on budgets, objectives, deadlines, and the process of getting from point A to point B. That’s foreign language to designers. We’re concerned with colors, patterns, fonts, and the way things look. Creativity doesn’t always spark according to a detailed timeline.  Of course, if graphic design is going to behave like a business, clients need to pay for our services. That means, for small to mid-size creative studios without project managers, creative leaders must manage our own projects. Enter, the modern project management system. For a project …

Stepping into the General Store is like taking a step back in time. Glass jars full of Tootsie Rolls and Swedish Fish greet you at the front door. The cracked walls are lined with photos showing the Deli as the town’s original grocery store. There’s a framed copy of the local newspaper, and the headline reads, “Men Walk on the Moon.” My interest in the news used to be like most — casual. Since 2020, though, I’ve spent an abnormal amount of time obsessing over it. A lot happened that year, if you recall. One article per topic used to …

My name is John, and I’m a procrastinator. I openly admit to this apparent character flaw because, as a graphic designer, I’ve worked alongside an Olympic-sized roster of procrastinators. We’ll come up with any excuse to delay a project. Ask any designer how much time it takes to complete a specific assignment, and you’ll get the same response: “How much time do you have?” Putting things off is kind of our MO. I accepted that procrastination was a part of my occupational DNA a long time ago. And, after 20 years of practice, I’ve become damn good at it. You …

In 2005, I worked in the basement of the Byrd Library at Syracuse University. My job was to help students load the microfilm machines. Microfilm was already outdated, but I enjoyed the physical nature of thumbing through the card catalog, jotting down the call number, and locating the tiny white box among aisles of stocked shelves. I’d align the sprocket holes of the film, flip the light switch on, and spin the reel to the first article.  “All set,” I would say, “just turn the knob to the right if you want to fast-forward.” I took pride in mastering this …