In the 9 years that I've been a designer I've never had a business card. The general thought was that once a person inputs your contact info into their computer/phone/address book the card becomes useless. And also a little annoying. Like "what the heck am I suppose to do with this thing now?". So with that in mind I've created the indispensable business card. I'm pretty sure if you had to you could also eat it for the small amount of nutrients it carries. Now if only it could double as a jet pack!

And as the budding business owner I think this also offers a good opportunity to talk about marketing. For most of the small to medium sized clients/companies I work with marketing is something that's easily put on the back burner or just not handled well. Advertising, Website & any visual assets have typically been piecemealed together over the coarse of a few years. This is obviously never intentional. Business usually gets in the way of Business. What I do for them is help create a strong, singular visual identity that can be offered to the public. The choice of fonts, images & colors used can all work to unify the voice of a business.

So what is MY identity? What is it that makes Joshua Talbot Design distinct? There are a million designers out there. A lot of them very talented. So what sets me apart? The brainstorming has begun. More on this later. I need to get back to work!

Right out of the gate I was aware that time management was going to be key. We all know people running their own business. And a consistent thread always seems to be issues with time. Either poorly spent or just not enough of it. And with billable hours being my bread & butter it's not something I can afford to be lax about. I want the time I spend on a project to be focused & productive. And being right brained only means I'm easily distracted by anything shinny.

So a few things that have helped thus far:

1. Rescue Time
A very slick web application that will track the types of work/tasks you're doing and give you hourly updates. You can also set goals, view time spent by category and even see what sites you spend the most time on. And sign up for a single user is free. Rescue Time.

2. Scheduling
This sounds like a no brainer. But not always so easy to do. The first thing i did was by a planner (I'm in the no iphone camp at the moment). Moleskin has a very cool, cheap weekly planner that gives you room to write notes next to the day's events as well as a line list of days in the month (shown in the image above). I'll write more about project specific scheduling in another post.

3. Expectation
Not all my time is spent designing. Accounting, marketing & client relations are just a few of the things that can easily take up the majority of a day. This is one of the reasons I've resisted going into business for myself in the past. And still the reality of it was a shock. It's easy to feel like I haven't accomplished something If I'm not working the design portion of my business. So it becomes vital for me to map out my expectations for each week/day. With out this I'm a ship lost at sea.

So I'm hoping to get more in depth on these topics and other. More to come!

This work has turned into something more providential than I could have ever imagined.

So it's with much excitement that I announce 1. I was laid off from O'Reilly Media yesterday. And 2. Effectively immediately, I'm putting full energy and attention into Joshua Talbot Design.

The work I've done as a web designer with O'Reilly has been invaluable. And the relationships built will no doubt continue for a life time. But in the current state of the economy the company had to make some drastic cuts. And a large number of people were let go. They also could use your prayers & thoughts.

As a friend, peer or client the relationships I've built over the extent of my career have been invaluable. I'm looking forward to what the future holds and have no doubt most of you will play a part in that.

This is a very new & exciting adventure for Nadia, Ewan & I. And I'd appreciate your prayers. Please feel free to contact me with any advice, suggestions, questions or potential work.

Looking forward to the future!

p.s. I'm always happy to see the random fixed gear rider sporting a helmet.

Empire from Empire on Vimeo.

Cedric Delsaux has created a great example of this by bringing these well known icons into an known environment. Very good stuff.

As most of you know I've sighed up for the old Facebook. Not too shabby. And while most of the basic functionality is the same as Myspace it's interesting to see how a few tweaks and a better user interface puts a whole new spin on things. Some of the activity notifications are a little too much for me. I'm not terribly interested if so-and-so commented of whats-her-names photos. But with that said I think the ability to comment on someone's comment to you (or even on a state update) is very clever. And they've handled the visuals very well.

But seriously, what drew you to Facebook? There are a fair number of general social networking sites out there and I'm curious as to what Facebook is doing right. I am after all a web designer (thus making this even more embarrassing). So color me enlightened. And please, don't tell my boss.

A few weeks ago I was turned on to Horse Feathers. Not unlike Bon Iver but feels a little more on the surface. Follow the like to download their new release.

Awhile back I mentioned Field Notes. A handy little tool created by the folks at Coudal. They've also created a series of documentaries. "Each examines an artist who approaches his work in a non-traditional way". You're probably a fan of their work (or music) and might not even know it.

enjoy.

And so each campaign year I endeavor to find answers, dig deeper and only get frustrated by the media blitz and ensuing bias. But in my recent attempt to go after the true focus/philosophy of each party I've been relatively encouraged. For the first time in my life I'm putting more attention into each campaigning party instead of it's candidates.

Now sadly I think there are still some pretty major compromises that have to be made in choosing either candidate. But I feel I've made some pretty significant ground in my understanding.

So here's a question. Could you vote for the candidate in one party (based on a belief that there stance is beneficial for the current national situation) but be more disposed to the other party (in general)?

Over the last two years I've been archiving bits of video. Mostly of the boy but a few random odds & ends. If I can offer one piece of advise it would be to take as many pictures (and videos) as you can. Our visual journal has been a major source of inspiration. There are so many small moments in life that are overpowering. Moments that define you simply by partaking in them. And typically (for me) it's not until I look back on these that I realize how amazing they are. So dust off that camera and get outside!

Soundtrack - Greg Laswell - How The Day Sounds

p.s. Be sure to watch the very end.

And he also started Soccer! Another exciting first. He did great interacting with his coach, dribbling the ball and staying relatively focused. It's an indoor soccer field so to say it was hot is an understatement. It was a furnace. We were hot just sitting on the bleachers. All the kids looked like their heads were going to pop. But we emerged from the fire victorious. Sweaty, dirty but victorious. This week should be cooler.

I've been working on a series of t-shirts for my good friend The Czar. With all the web work I do it's a lot of fun doing a project as tactile as a t-shirt. Check um out!

But I'm dealing with a bit of a commuters challenge:
1. The Shoulder Bag doesn't really handle the weight of the laptop. I'm working from home a few days a week so lugging it is a necessity.
2. The Backpack is irritating the titanium plate on my collar bone.

So if anybody has any suggestions on a superior bag (messenger, backpack or otherwise) I'm all ears.

Received this from Mr.Black. (I think the trouble in posting was due to the links) Thanks man!
"I know that they are pretty trendy but I got one because of how amazing they are. The Chrome bag has the best shoulder strap of all of the bags I have looked at when I was searching for a good bag. I had a grade 4 shoulder dislocation and my bag hasn't bothered it one bit. Plus you can order the chrome bag for either shoulder if you want to, that way you could put it over your good shoulder. Super easy quick adjustment on the shoulder as apposed to those plastic things on the timbuk2 bags. I could really go on and on but I will stop. Little spendy but lifetime guarantee. Here are some messenger bag companies that I know of.

Chrome
R.E.Load
WIG
Seagull
Mer

Hope that this helps."

*Update: Slipped out for a lunch ride. Really hot and I'm really out of shape. But so good to be riding. I'll sleep well tonight.

And if you haven't yet, check out the band The Republic Tigers (via Brent). Something kind of late 80's/Tears for Fears about them that I really enjoy. And speaking of this, I've noticed my musical taste solidifying. Not that I don't like new bands. I'm constantly finding new music that's top notch. But my scope for bands outside my preferences is narrowing. But I'm wondering if we go through seasons where we seek more change than others?

And healing well. Slow, but well. I've been ditching the pain meds because they make me too sleepy. Makes for a bit of discomfort but nothing unbearable. Getting anxious to be "normal" again. Got on the trainer this morning. Stiff and out of shape. But need to do something before the boys get a leg up on me. And a big thanks to Kelli & Dave for lending me the trainer!

Recently purchased In Rainbows - From the Basement. A live video performance of Radiohead's new album. Mucho Goodo. Watching the band perform live renditions that are just as good (if not better) as the studio album reaffirms their talent and skill. Really amazing stuff.