StephenEmlund.com Blog

Paul Rand once said…

Stephen Emlund — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:56:57 +0000

Good design adds value of some kind, gives meaning, and, not incidentally, can be sheer pleasure to behold; it respects the viewer’s sensibilities and rewards the entrepreneur.

—Paul Rand

Malcolm Gladwell once said…

Stephen Emlund — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:11:37 +0000

Hard work is a prison cell only if the work has no meaning.
—Malcolm Gladwell

Photo: ‘Your true self overshadows’

Seth Godin once said…

Stephen Emlund — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:09:29 +0000

Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.
—Seth Godin

No related posts.

One of my stock graphics seen & noted

Stephen Emlund — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 17:22:21 +0000

As you may know, I sell stock photos and raster illustrations through many of the top stock photography websites. I sell on iStockPhoto, Shutterstock, and PhotoDune (among others). It’s been a cool way to hone my photography skills and make some residual income.

This morning, I browsed to iStockPhoto.com to check my stats… and what do I see? One of my illustrations in use on the iStock homepage! Check out the screenshot and then the illustration that they used. It’s an honor to see that the creative folks at iStockPhoto liked my work enough to use it on their homepage!

Click through to see the iStock homepage

Here’s the illustration that they used. Click through to see the illustration for sale on iStock.

Dieter Rams once said…

Stephen Emlund — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:10:10 +0000

Question everything generally thought to be obvious

—Dieter Rams

For me, right now, this means – rethink all of my design tendencies. For example: Is Helvetica right for this project too? Does this website need to be centered (margin: 0 auto; for the web nerds)? Do buttons need rounded corners and a gradient?

In your profession or daily life, what is it that you need to question?

Obligatory flower photos

Stephen Emlund — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:15:35 +0000

No related posts.

Good design is….

Stephen Emlund — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:06:48 +0000

Recently, I came across Dieter Rams’ ten principles of good design. I didn’t even know who Dieter Rams was – but assumed that he was surely a graphic designer, based on his definition of good design (and maybe the glasses).

I was wrong! (which proves good design is transcendent)

Dieter Rams is an industrial designer – mainly working for electronic device manufacturer, Braun. He designed products such as coffee makers, radios, calculators and so on. Basically, if he failed at his job as designer, people would get really frustrated with the devices that fill their daily lives. Talk about a tall task – especially in comparison to myself – a measly website designer.

So here is Dieter Ram’s ten principles of good design:

Good design is innovative.

Good design makes a product useful.

Good design is aesthetic.

Good design makes a product understandable.

Good design is unobtrusive.

Good design is honest.

Good design is long-lasting.

Good design is thorough down to the last detail.

Good design is environmentally friendly.

Good design is as little design as possible.

—Dieter Rams

A dreamer by day

Stephen Emlund — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:59:41 +0000

All men dream; but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to find that it was vanity; But the dreamers of day are dangerous men. That they may act their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.

—T.E. Lawrence

Here’s one question that comes to mind after reading that quote… What dream or idea do you have living deep inside you that you have yet to act on?

Introducing: Conversations with a Creative!

Stephen Emlund — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 04:08:22 +0000

No related posts.

Rebecca Reubens once said…

Stephen Emlund — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:00:33 +0000

Design is to invent with intent. If you take away the ‘invent’ bit, you have an engineer. If you take away the ‘intent’ bit, you have an artist.

—Rebecca Reubens

No related posts.