Time to Vote, Again…
Today you have the opportunity to help settle one of the worlds most ancient debates. It’s a question that has plagued modern man for centuries and started all too many tribal wars. Yes, we’re talking about the age-old questions of:
Is graphic design art?
The race is tight right now with a “Yes” answer having 54% of the votes, so head over to this fun little website (www.isgraphicdesignart.com) and cast your ballot today! Who knows, if you live in a swing state this could be your biggest vote of the year…
Happy Thursday!
Filed under other | Comment (1)Please Help, You Are My Only Hope.
I am starting to work on a new project that is revolving around the 10 Commandments, and I need your help. Take the time to read through the text, and let me know what image comes to your mind. I want to find imagery that represents the whole of it. Please, I need your help!
Soles4Souls
You may have seen this around the blogosphere in the last few days, but it’s a really great idea and an even better cause. Soles4Souls in a non-profit organization with the simple mission to “impact as many lives as possible with the gift of shoes.” In the next 50 days Soles4Souls is hoping to raise enough money to donate 50,000 pairs of shoes to people who desperately need them. The best part of all of this, is we all have the chance to make a difference!
By donating a measly $5, the price of a fancy Starbucks latte, you can provide two people with a pair of shoes each! We want to encourage everyone to head over to their campaign website, www.50000shoes.com, and make a difference in someone’s life. This is all of our chance to do something!
Filed under other | Comment (0)Free Desktops from Your Verses
Well, you guys just gave me such amazing verses that I thought I would create some desktops to go with them. Here are two to start out with, but keep you eyes open this week, there will be more!
Download one of these sizes:
1920 x 1200
1680 x 1050
1280 x 800
1440 x 900
1024 x 768
Download one of these sizes:
1920 x 1200
1680 x 1050
1280 x 800
1440 x 900
1024 x 768
My Thank You To The Church
With the presidential race over I think it is time for me to chime in on my feelings of this election. I have seen America and the Church become increasingly divided over the past year. Some of it is for good reason and some of it is very wrong. But what I saw from the Christian community on Wednesday, at least the ones I read, gave me hope.
I saw Christians disappointed, but not resentful. I saw Christians scared, but trusting in our Lord. I saw Christians replace judgment and hate with obedience and love. The Church obeyed the Lord this Wednesday by accepting our new president and praying for his well being. We did not yell and scream that God will damn us, but we understood that our Lord is sovereign in all aspects of this world. I want to say thank you to all the church leaders for being an example to me and the rest of the world of what it looks like to live as a true Christian.
Between Two Worlds posted a dozen blog posts from various authors, please take the time to read them.
Filed under other | Comment (0)6 Steps For Building Successful Websites
I found this post on Smashing Magazine yesterday, and thought I would pass it along. The Plow partners with churches to provide marketing and websites that are meant to show the true brand of the church, and this post is something I need to refer back to when creating sites. Here is the short version, read the full one here.
Web design isn’t art. It involves a whole collection of different skills — from copywriting and typography to layout and art — all fused together to create an interface that not only features a pleasant aesthetic but that communicates function and facilitates easy access to its content.
But in order to combine all these elements of Web design together and achieve successful results you must have a clear direction, a direction that will guide each and every aspect of your design towards common goals. You must think strategically.
What is strategic design?
Strategic design is the fusion of your organizational goals with every aspect of your design process. You aren’t simply designing a user interface that looks good and is usable and accessible. You’re designing an interface that will help you accomplish your organization’s objectives.
1. Establish your goals
One of the first things you need to do before starting work on a Web design project is to be clear about your client or organization’s goals. What are you trying to achieve with the new website or redesign? What is the website’s main purpose? Ask your client, your manager or yourself what those are. If they or you don’t know yet, then they should be discussed and agreed upon. A clear direction is essential if you want your design to have a purpose.
2. Identify your audience
Who your audience is will play a big role in how your website should look and function. There are many demographics here that can influence your design, ones like age, gender, profession and technical competency. A computer game website for a younger audience needs a different style than that of a serious business journal. Usability should play a bigger role for older and less technically savvy audiences.
3. Determine your brand image
A lot of designers tend to get a little too inspired by the latest trends and then implement them without thinking first about what sort of image they really should be conveying. Glossy buttons, gradients and reflective floors may work for some websites, but they may not be right for your brand.
4. Goal-driven design direction
You’ve established the purpose of your website, set some goals you want to achieve, identified your audience and determined your brand image. You can now proceed to implement it. So how do you make design decisions sync with your strategy?
5. Measure results
Once you’ve designed and deployed your website, it’s time to measure your success. This is just as important as the first two steps because until you test how well your design performs, you won’t know whether or not it is effective in fulfilling your goals.
6. Kaizen
There is a Japanese philosophy called “Kaizen,” which focuses on continuous improvement using small steps. When you work on your website, you should be thinking of Kaizen because the version you’ve just published is not the final version. There doesn’t even have to be a final version.
Filed under other | Comment (1)How to Create the Holiest Church Logo Possible
I came across this do-it-yourself guide for creating the holiest church logo possible on “Prodigal Jon’s” blog Stuff Christians Like, and thought it was worth sharing with you. Disclaimer: This post is hilariously riddled with large doses of sarcasm—reader discretion is advised.
1. You have a sun rising over a horizon, possibly spreading light through the “O” in the name of your church = + 3 points
2. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo = +1 point
3. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo with an olive branch in its mouth = +2 points
4. A dove is flying gracefully through your logo with an olive branch in its mouth and a “Jesus loves you” tattoo on one of its wings = +3 points
5. A swirl of flame is erupting somewhere on your logo = +1 point
6. There is an open Bible in your logo = +1 point
7. There is an open Bible in your logo and in tiny print you can actually see the words to John 3:16 on the page. = +2 points
8. A lion and a lamb are hanging out together on your logo = +1 point
9. A lion and a lamb are playing Frisbee golf together on your logo = +2 points
10. Crown of thorns = +2 points
11. Bedazzled crown befitting the King of Kings = +2 points
12. A worship eagle is high fiving a dove mid air = +5 points
13. There is a cluster of grapes or collection of wheat = +3 points
14. There is a chalice on the logo = +1 point
15. The chalice is encrusted with bling better suited to lil Jon, not Sweet Baby Jesus = - 3 points.
16. A big blue globe is floating somewhere in the background = +1 point
17. The scene were Elisha calls the bears down on some teenagers is somehow worked into your logo = +10 points
18. Ichthus or Jesus Fish is present = + 2 points for each
19. Instead of the letter A, you used an Icthus that kind of looks like it is walking on its tail in your church name = +3 points
Filed under other | Comments (2)No Politics, Just Weird.
With our country being bombarded with political messages and imagery, I though I would end it one day early with one of the strangest christian pictures I have ever seen. I happened to stumble across this laminated gem at a Halloween fair, and was blown away by it’s randomness. My challenge to you is to try and figure out the meaning. Here is a hint, it is about the bible.
Disclaimer: This image is not meant to be racist, sexist, or blasphemy, but it does come close to all.
Filed under other | Comment (1)
