HOW MANY TWITTER FOLLOWERS DO YOU NEED

Dear LoveLiza,

Currently I have 528 Twitter followers, do I have enough to be considered a successful designer?

Designer, Amsterdam

Dear Media Social-lite,

Jesus only had 12 and look where it got him.

LoveLiza

RETIRING DESIGNER

Dear LoveLiza,

What do designers do when they are over 60?

Graduate, San Francisco

Dear Graduate,

They start a Bed and Breakfast in the south.

LoveLiza

MALE VS FEMALE DESIGNER

Dear LoveLiza,

I was wondering if there are obvious differences between male designers and female designers?

Design Writer, Amsterdam

Dear Writer,

Of course, females tend to wear pink and males light blue.

LoveLiza

WHAT IS COOL DESIGN

Dear LoveLiza,

I really can’t tell when I look at a piece of design whether its cool or just badly designed. Do you have any tips that I can at least make sure I am on the right track.

Designer, London

Dear Confused Designer,

Look at it this way. Its your summer holiday on the coast of France, and you are enjoying your second Martini in the late afternoon as you gaze at the bikinis passing by. Two weeks later the holiday is over and you are back in your studio flat, and you make yourself a Martini just to remember the good times, and you stare out of the window into the neighbors back yard at his underpants waving back at you on the washing line. How does the drink taste now?

LoveLiza

LEADER OR DIRECTOR

Dear LoveLiza,

I have been promoted and I can choose between 2 titles Creative Leader or Creative Director. Which one do you think carries the most weight and gives me the authority that I need.

Creative, Paris

Dear Creative,

For you I would definitely pick ‘Leader’, this title can bring you a long way, such as ‘Leader of the Gang’, ‘Leader of Industry’, ‘Leader of the Country’ to eventually ‘Leader of the Free World’.

LoveLiza

STEALING CLICHES

Dear LoveLiza,

Whats the difference between using a cliché idea or stealing an idea, as both ideas have been done before?

Junior, Madrid

Dear Junior,

Stealing is using someone else’s good idea in a bad way. A cliché is using someone else’s bad idea in a good way.

LoveLiza

CHANGE THE WORLD WITH ONE POSTER

Dear LoveLiza,

I completely oppose the current government. As I am a graphic designer I would like to design a poster to voice my opinion, but I have a feeling it will have no real effect.
Can one poster really change the world?

Anonymous, Europe

Dear European,

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a closed room with a mosquito.” -African Proverb

LoveLiza

CORPORATE BLUE

Dear LoveLiza,

Why are most corporate identities for large corporate businesses dark blue?

Designer, London

Dear Designer,

Blue is a very good colour because you can’t see the dirt.

LoveLiza

]]> http://letterstoloveliza.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/corporate-blue/feed/ 0 LoveLiza http://letterstoloveliza.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/how-long-should-i-work-in-a-design-studio/ http://letterstoloveliza.wordpress.com/2008/06/29/how-long-should-i-work-in-a-design-studio/#comments Sun, 29 Jun 2008 21:24:59 +0000 LoveLiza http://letterstoloveliza.wordpress.com/?p=95 ]]>

HOW LONG SHOULD I WORK IN A DESIGN STUDIO

Dear LoveLiza,

I have been working in a design studio for 3 years, and a few of my colleagues that started at the same time as me have already left. How long do you think one should work in a studio before they start changing jobs?

Junior Designer, London

Dear Designer,

Working in a design studio is like living with your parents at some point you just know you have to move out.

LoveLiza

WRITING THE DESIGN MISSION STATEMENT

Dear LoveLiza,

Do you have any tips or guidelines on how to write and what to include in my mission statement for my design studio?

Creative Director, San Francisco

Dear Creative,

Here is a list of ten ready made statements that may inspire you to write your personal design mission statement.

We believe in design excellence.
We solve complex problems with highly creative solutions.
We love to design.
We are committed to our clients.
We provide quality design in a professional and distinct manner.
We continually challenge the boundaries with highly innovative solutions.
We achieve excellence for our clients because excellence makes us happy.
We invest in talent, because it is our most valuable resource.
We further our clients ambition using our creative powers.
We don’t settle for good, good is not good enough.

You can either take one statement from the list above or mix and match as you please.

LoveLiza