A big part of BoDo’s strength is our growing lineup of visiting authors.
On the design side we’ll cover in-house, business of design books, the experiences of a new(ish) business start-up and humour in the work place.
For a balanced view, BoDo also hears from other professions. At this point, the main subjects are business writing, fundamental communication in the work place, problem solving, creative thinking, improving client relationships and conversations. If you have a subject of interest, contact us.
By bringing in seasoned pros as well as those making their way, we are able to provide additional real world tips, experiences and insights on what it takes to run a design business.
Alina Hagen
Alina’s In-sights: As an in-house designer, Alina will bring in needed insights about working in the corporate and not so world. With subjects the likes of “keeping your cool with a hot client” and “When to say no. To yourself”, Alina will also share her compassionate personality and more.
Background: Alina currently works full time for WET Design in Los Angeles. She both volunteers and freelances in her free time. With a BA in Visual Arts from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), Certificate of Graphic Design from UCLA, she’s been working in the industry 15 years.
Alina is a founding member of Creative Latitude, hosts CL’s Graphic make-overs and was on the ground floor with the gang of the NO!SPEC campaign. She freely gives of her time by offering insightful advice to those new to the business of design.
Timeout:
For the most part, timeout seems few and far between with a full time job, volunteer work, and freelance projects, but when I do get a timeout, it’s a fabulous trip somewhere in the world, or a long weekend somewhere closer to home. Capturing my timeouts in photos is a great passion of mine.
Dave Carlson
The Agency Route: With over 14 years experience in the design agency business, Dave writes about small to mid size agencies: Making the decision between freelancing and agency, setting up, choosing location, hiring and firing, working with vendors, marketing, and finally, making the decision to leave agency work.
Background: In 14 fruitful years, Dave has: launched and sold two branding and marketing agencies; worked with companies such as Shell, Wal-Mart, Blue Cross of California, The Sports Authority, and Amgen; acquired hands-on experience of building retail brands from the ground up and all the way to repositioning established legacy brands for the future; built brands and launched products for private and public companies, to start-ups and Fortune 500 companies; developed brands sold at Costco, Wal-Mart, Target, Toy’s R Us, The Sports Authority, Albertsons, Vons, and Whole Foods Stores.
A self-taught designer and entrepreneur focused on the ever-evolving future and next set of exciting challenges, these days Dave is the Principal and Creative Director of The Vyant Group, a unique branding, marketing and package manufacturing agency.
Timeout:
I learned later in life that it is so important to make time for yourself. Yes, it can be difficult to commit to sometimes but you gotta do it! So… spend time with my family, I try to skateboard once a week (or twice if I am lucky), surf once or twice a week, workout at the gym ever other day, draw, watch good independent films, and READ as much as I can.
Dr. Tammy Lenski
Creative Conversations: Successfully navigating difficult conversations with clients and transforming conflict into creative problem-solving.
Background: Dr. Tammy Lenski helps people talk out their differences and build stronger work and client relationships in the process. She does this as a mediator, executive coach, writer and trainer for businesses and individuals throughout the world. She’s also a grad school prof in mediation and conflict studies at Woodbury College in the USA. You can find Tammy at I Can’t Say That! and Lenski Strategic.
Timeout:
Timeout? What’s a timeout? When not consumed by the work I love, I makes time to run, cross-country ski, kayak, take the dogs for long walks, and hang with Rod.
Erin Harris
Erin Reviews: In an attempt to wade through the ever-growing tower on her bookshelf, Erin will be contributing book reviews to BoDo.
Background: Erin runs Sanguine Theory, a creative strategy and design firm in Boston, and also works as an in-house designer. She holds an undergraduate degree from Smith College and is completing a masters degree in advertising at Boston University.
Erin is a founding member of NO!SPEC, and a member of Creative Latitude and the Boston AIGA Chapter.
Timeout:
Between work and class, there’s not much free time to be had, but when there is, you’ll most likely find me at a concert or hockey game, walking around Boston, working on various art projects, or hanging out with friends.
Jessica Sand
The Sustainable Studio: Sustainability is quickly becoming part of the public discourse and will soon be as mainstream as logo swooshes. Through The Sustainable Studio, Jess explores both the practicalities and underpinnings of sustainability as it pertains to designers, their work, their clients and their communities. She’ll cut through the rhetoric while asking important questions and providing practical resources for professional designers at all levels.
Background: Writer and designer Jess Sand founded Roughstock Studios to lend some meaning and authenticity to the world of marketing. Born and raised on the East Coast, Jess has been living and writing in San Francisco for the last decade. Former lives include stints as an office overlord, prep cook, poet, number cruncher, honky tonk DJ, bartender, teacher, marketing manager and wrangler of chaos—in no particular order. Through Roughstock, Jess creates meaningful messages for her independent, nonprofit and corporate clients while operating as sustainably as possible. Jess is the author of two blogs, including Small Failures: Sustainability for the Rest of Us and Bar Stories.
Timeout:
I have many off-hour indulgences, not least of which include parking myself on the couch watching Jeopardy with a nice craft beer, camping deep in the redwoods with The Captain, loudly trading stories over the bar of my local watering hole, or making pizza and ravioli in the world’s smallest kitchen.
Josh Jeffryes
Cube 2.0: A former business owner, now in-house advocate, Josh writes about in-house, as well as how interactive technologies are transforming the business of design.
Background: Josh has worked in many of the more unusual corners of the design industry, from children’s clothes to political cartooning to designing illusions for a stage magic show. He currently works for Habanero, a small web development company in St. Louis. Josh also organizes the St. Louis Graphic Design Meetup, the 5th largest design Meetup group in the world.
Timeout:
Between my work and my family, free time gets pretty tight. I manage to sneak in an occasional computer game, and I do humorous design and cartooning as a stress reliever. Design is so firmly a part of my life I couldn’t stop if I tried. Lucky for me I’ve found a way to get paid for it.
Mark McGuinness
Creative Coaching: Mark will bring his expertise on creative thinking and execution, maintaining enthusiasm, essential communication and collaboration skills, and offer tips on how to inspire, manage and develop others without turning into a ’suit’.
Background: Mark works as a coach for creative freelancers and companies in the Creative Industries. He has been coaching creative and business professionals for over 10 years. Originally trained as a psychotherapist, he also holds an MA in Creative and Media Enterprises (Warwick University, UK). Mark can be found at Wishful Thinking.
Timeout:
When I’m not focusing on other people’s creativity I enjoy reading and writing poetry - Mark McGuinness | poetry. I’m one of the editors of Magma, one of the foremost poetry magazines in the UK. I keep my feet on the ground by learning aikido and relax stress out by watching football.
ME “Liz” Strauss
Write with ME: Liz will cover all things business writing - professional sounding e-mails, project proposals, design briefs, press releases, business plans, letters demanding overdue payments from clients, etc. Everything a designer needs to write in a professional manner.
Background: Liz has extensive background with business writing, copywriting, communication and strategic management with project professionals. She can be found at Successful Blog, Letting Liz Be, Liz Strauss.com, The Blog Herald and Performancing.com. And now BoDo.
Timeout:
I love what I do so I’m always doing it in one way or another, working with people on the telephone, online, writing for them, helping them with their writing or planning what I’ll be working on next. It’s the people I work with that keep me jazzed and moving forward into new creative ventures.
Stefan Bean
Bean’s Biz: Stefan’s posts will touch on the experiences of a new(ish) business start up.
Background: Stefan is the President and Creative Director of Pulse Creative Partners, Inc. a Greenwood, Indiana based design and branding firm.
Timeout:
Well, what business owner can ever really say they don’t work 24/7? I am finding that running a business is a 24/7 job, even if you aren’t in the office for all of that time. But when I’m trying not to think about work, I’m either catching up on some reading, following my favorite sports team, watching a movie or some tv or spending some time with friends.
Tamar Wallace
Out of the Bedroom: An inside - and sometimes intimate - look into the (re)building of a successful design business. Join Tamar as she experiences the challenges of managing her business in a new and highly competitive area, in an effort to reclaim some of her previous success … and ultimately move her office out of the bedroom.
Background: Tamar is the Principal and CBW (Chief Bottle Washer) of TAMAR Graphics, a design and marketing firm founded in 1999 in Austin, TX, and now located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. A founding member of NO!SPEC, Tamar believes in supporting causes and organizations dedicated to the education, promotion and strengthening of the design industry. Samples of Tamar’s work can be seen featured in numerous publications, including David E. Carter’s Big Book of Layouts.
Timeout:
When I’m not working, I divide my time between books, movies, a never-ending backlog of last season’s TV shows, good food and great wine (some of which I even share with my husband.) And whenever I lose my head and spend too much time in front of the computer, I always have my favorite little guy around to remind me that “it’s time for ME, Mommy!”
