Lately, you may have been hearing about a “cloud” a lot in technology-related dialogue. Many people are not yet entirely sure about what the Cloud is, but this new term is really just a signifier of the change that is happening in our ways of thinking about and using something that has already existed for many decades: the Internet. The Cloud movement is a result of the realization that the Internet can be used as a hard drive.

Colloquially, the “cloud" is that hard drive; and, as clouds are often rendered in cartoons, the “cloud” has the ability to follow you wherever you go. This may seem a bit abstract, but most people have already interfaced with the newly coined “cloud.” If you use Gmail, Yahoo Mail, or anything similar, you are familiar with the fact that you can access your mail from any Internet-capable computer. All you have to do is sign into your account. Considering that email has worked this way for so long, one might wonder why the idea didn’t spread to include music, calendars, back-up files, phone contacts- and even software- sooner!

So what does this mean to you? How can you take advantage of the “cloud?” Probably the biggest “pro” of utilizing “cloud” computing is that it makes it easy to be efficient. You can access all of your resources from any device at any time. Some examples of the proliferation of cloud computing are Apple’s iCloud, to which you are automatically connected upon purchase of an iPhone, and Office 365, which unites the ability to access email, documents, calendars and web conferencing tools whether you are in your office, in a park, at a coffee shop, or at home.

With 2012 upon us, we know that just like us, you are probably setting goals and getting started on new projects for your business. We would like to help you ensure that your projects are seen through to completion by providing a piece of advice that has never led us astray: Plan.

With both small projects and large, involved projects, it is critically important to establish a project plan. There are many reasons to plan out a project before you actually get started with it, not the least of which is time and effort. When dealing with prospective projects, it can be tempting for both sides to want to jump in head-first. On one side, it’s exciting to get started on something new; on the other side, it’s easy to think that the sooner a project is started, the less time it’ll take. This last point, however, is not true. For example, in our own experience, taking the time to complete a site map for a website, or a clearly delineated project plan has saved everyone involved a lot of time in the long run. Here is an analogy: Adding pages to a website after the building of the website has already begun is like adding an addition to a house that is already in construction. You will have to retroactively make accommodations for that extra room. You would have to pour new foundation for that new room, and make it even with the rest of the house’s foundation. You may have to break down a wall that was already built, or readjust the rafters to make sure that portion of the house is covered in the end. That’s not to mention that you will probably have to go out and acquire more materials than you had previously bought. Obviously, this sort of thing doesn’t happen very often because there are established blueprints that are agreed upon before construction ever begins.

By having a document that thoroughly describes the deliverables and project phases needed to deliver them- rather, the “blueprints” of your project- you get a much clearer picture of all the minute steps, resources, and time necessary to see it to completion. You will also be more prepared for any bumps or hiccups that could occur along the way. Probably the most beneficial aspect of this is the setting of expectations between both the client and the company. Sharing the task list with the client helps ensure that both are on the same page; each party knows what they are each responsible for, and when. A task list can also be helpful to your team. They can easily mark off what they have done, and at a glance can tell you what what still needs to be finished.

As in every profession or field of study, there are many labor-intensive aspects of graphic design. While the degree of labor involved in aesthetically-driven fields like this sometimes depend on the meticulous nature of the designer, one area of graphic design is notably more demanding in labor and patience than most: type design. Type design is an exceedingly expansive specialty that reaches into every field of design- not just graphic design. Because of this, many people find a career in designing typefaces.

Ironically, there is a lot more to a typeface than immediately meets the eye. We are accustomed to seeing words and letters constructed in a certain way. However, there are variations in the forms of the letters we read that are so subtle, that people may not visually perceive any given typeface as different or special. But believe it or not, we do register the impact of these subtle variations in how we understand a written message. As an exaggerated example, you’ll probably interpret the first message, shown below, in a different way from the same message, in a different typeface, below it:

While both of lines of type offer no surprises in the way their letterforms are constructed, the two obviously exhibit different stylistic characteristics. These differences start happening when you begin manipulating the fundamental parts of a letterform. Let’s take look at what a few of these parts are:

Not only do type designers have to keep all of these bits and pieces consistent to tie a typeface together stylistically- but there is the not so small matter of deciding what that style will be! Just look at the variety of ways a lowercase f can be represented while retaining all of the same parts:

Because there are so many combinations and permutations of different styles and techniques of rendering letterforms, there are thousands of fonts in existence today and we categorize them into several groups, including Blackletter, Old Style, Humanist, Transitional, Modern, Slab Serif, Sans Serif, Script, and Display. Each of these categories is delineated by historical and stylistic trends.

There is a true plethora of fonts available both for free and for purchase today. And while technology certainly aids in the development of great typography, it does not make type design less of a skill – or a practice in patience!

One of the most significant aspects of being a designer is being an avid sketcher. Using pens and paper adds so much to the design process- both the tangible outcome, and the creative, mental process.

Every designer could probably agree that ideas in your mind are oftentimes very elusive, and very seductive. Those loose, drifting ideas look so good up there! Feeling inspired and excited about a few fresh ideas, you may march straight to the computer, open up your graphics software and try to get those beautiful forms turned into pixels. Before long, however, you realize that what’s in front of you just doesn’t do justice to what’s in your head- something got lost in translation. But don’t despair! The best way to avoid this disheartening cycle is to take a detour to your old friend- the sketchbook.

First and foremost, sketching helps us take the raw “mind-bit” ideas and document them in the second-most raw form of carbon. It only makes sense that what we see in our minds will translate more smoothly if we try and draw them out first. You don’t even need to be talented at drawing to capture the essence of an idea. Maybe what makes a design unique in your sketchbook is the slightly off-center wobble of a curve, which, in the haste of working in a computer, you may have rendered as a perfect circle. There is no substitute for the whimsical, unique gestures of a hand. And the more time you spend tossing around bits and pieces of tracing paper, the more you will understand what exactly it is about your idea that makes it work.

What’s more than that thorough understanding and development of an idea is the equally-thorough documentation of that creative process. While in the computer, you will inevitably lose many renditions of your design- changing the typeface over and over, tweaking the curve of this or that line, swapping colors back and forth- all of these changes are made on top of one another. You can always “Apple-Z” it, but being able to staple together and file the process work generated from sketching these things out is not only much easier, but also so much more appealing to return to at a later date.

And why would you want to return to your old process work, you may ask. As it turns out, many designers and artists go back to old sketchbooks to find inspiration. Over the course of a career, creatives may go through a change in style, focus, or workflow. Sometimes looking in the past is the way to find a fresh perspective.

It’s important to keep in mind that sketching isn’t only for artists and designers. Sketching is a great exercise for everyone. Whether your sketching is more like writing in a journal than like drawing, it is still great for capturing abstract thoughts- and to generally understand what you are thinking, and why you are thinking it.