I can't get enough of Joe Stratton's design and illustration. I love the simplicity, the geometry, the photographs he's selected. Everything. His Tumblr is definitely worth a peak as well- such great inspiration.

I'd like to take time this morning to introduce you to the redesign.
As with everything I make, it was important for me to hit that balance between simple and functional. You'll find that the right side navigation stays present with you throughout the endless vertical scrolling(that means not constantly having to hit the 'next' button, hooray!) as does the left sidebar which I've used to give you a little reminder of what whskytngfxtrt strives to be, as well as my twitter feed. Through the next few days I will add a few icons linking to my other social media accounts so we can stay connected. I also plan to remove the single page option and have this blog act as a continuous stream of thought series of postings.
Another element I'm excited to introduce is my portfolio page. I've utilized a little bit of javascript to provide you with the quintessential portfolio viewing experience. Aside from that little bit of web magic, I couldn't be happier with the direction my work is taking. Turns out patience, practice, and a relentless desire to be better really do pay off!
As with anything, there are still a few things I'd like to tweak, and will continue to work on, with this site. The social media links I mentioned above, some minor typography fixes, and turning this site into a responsive viewing experience. I appreciate your patience and support through this. (If you happen to find any bugs that need my attention, please do no hesitate to let me know.)
I don't think I can say this enough, but Thank You for sticking around with whskytngfxtrt.

Well it's certainly been a while, hasn't it? Somewhere between getting married and a redesign time got away from me. But don't worry one little bit- this blog is back for good!

- This beautiful short film by Astray Films, along with this incredible Spring weather, made me want to become a surfer.



- I've all but fallen in love with DesignUnit's type and layout projects. Simple. Bold.

- Wind Map is really very intriguing. It reminds me of rapidly growing hair in the best way possible.

- I tweeted this yesterday, but feel like it's worth another mention. Linds Redding's Short Lesson in Perspective is an incredible read.

- Geological street art by A Common Name. Unexpected treasures, indeed.

As always, be sure to follow @whskytngfxtrt on Twitter and check out our new timeline over on Facebook!

Thank you for being here. See you Monday.

whskytngfxtrt started on a whim; an experiment in personal growth and blogging. In the time this site has been up, it's experienced great growth and running it has taught me tons of great lessons. I feel that I've not given it my all, though. So, here's the deal: I'm not going to make any new posts for the rest of 2011. Instead, I will focus on the back-end. I will re-focus my time and energies and figure out exactly what needs to be done to make this blog the success I envision. I will remain active on Twitter sharing progress, news, and interesting things I find in the interwebs. You can follow me @whskytngfxtrt. I hope you're just as excited about this as I am. Thank you.

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The cabin is five hundred square feet and is a private writers retreat and guest cottage. Located on San Juan Island, Washington, the owners wanted the cabin to feel contacted to its setting, the climate, the wildlife and views. They also needed a structure that could be easily secured when not in use.
The cabin was designed as a glass house surrounded by three wooden slat decks that can be raised by a hydraulic system of wires, rope, pivoting sheaves and lead blocks, that serves as shutters. When open, the shutter decks are outdoor living spaces; when closed they secure the cabin. The fireplace rotates 180 degrees to be enjoyed indoors or out. An inverted roof with deep overhangs forces water to drain to the rear of the cabin.
The cabin is a single room with a small kitchenette and a bathroom. Finishes are restrained, punctuated only by a blackened steel inlay that bisects the floor from the fireplace to the slot window at the rear of the cabin.
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Table Nº1 is Shanghai’s first gastro-bar that serves up tapas-style modern European cuisine. It is set in a sleek and simplistic interior which encourages social interaction by sharing portions over a long communal table. The brand identity is based on the restaurant’s focus on communal dining in a very simple and unpretentiousness environment, that explains the use of brown kraft paper & newsprint paper throughout the collateral system. Since the longish communal tables in the restaurant are the central theme, the business card is designed to be a little table when folded up. Basic folder with clips are used for the menu. The distressed and rusted look of the clips is to align with its history of the location of this former warehouse. We also created order pads from newsprint papers that the staff can convenient stamp the restaurant logo on.

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- So, 2011 is the International Year of Chemistry. Neat, huh? Simon C Page did a fantastic job with the promotional posters.
- One of my favorite blogs, NubbyTwiglet, mentioned this amazing site for design inspiration. The images are great, but I'm in love with the sites navigation. (Hint: Use your arrow keys.)
- I've lost countless late night hours on Tumblr. The Kitten Covers isn't helping the situation at all.
- Visual RSS, anyone?
- This house is amazing- I fully intend to have a living space like this in the woods someday.
- Freelance Switch offers up some great advice on how to handle an overflow of clients.
- I love 99% by Behance- they always seem to have well written, inspiring articles. This one on finding your True Path to Flow Clarity is no exception.

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“Minimalist web design relies on subtraction and the preservation of empty space.”
— Tokujin Yoshioka

We Love Noise

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I’m a firm believer in the idea that thoughts become things. It makes sense- set your intention to achieve your goal, focus your attention and energy on it, et voila! Before you know it you’re a billionaire living in Fiji.
Or something along those lines.
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cre·a·tiv·i·ty [kree-ey-tiv-i-tee, kree-uh-]
noun
1. the state or quality of being creative.
2. the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination: the need for creativity in modern industry; creativity in the performing arts.
3. the process by which one utilizes creative ability: Extensive reading stimulated his creativity.

A designer’s creativity is often their most overlooked and undernourished tool. Especially in the beginning it’s easy to get caught up in your new iMac and the latest and greatest Adobe Creative Suite, but those are simply a means by which to achieve an end result and can severely inhibit your creative flow if not viewed as such.
So, where does creativity come from? How can you help it grow to it’s full, ever evolving potential?
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I found this great rebranding on Behance this morning and had to share! Greg Barth, creative director currently residing in Montreal, says “the process behind his work is a full devotion to the piece, from the concept, storyline and art direction, to directing and post production.” Brilliant.
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I’ve been reading a lot on freelance business models lately, and one thing I noticed that always seems to be overlooked by freelancers is the value of loyal, long-time clients. Maintaining this type of client has many benefits, the two most important are you don’t have to spend as much time marketing yourself because you’ve already got work coming in and the fact that long-time clients are likely to do a bit of marketing for you by referring new clients to you. So, how do you turn first time clients into long-time clients?
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Soundlapse from Fruit Bonus on Vimeo.
Check out this interview from Miss-Design with designer, Kendrick Kidd.
Creative Review posted a really great list of designer's favorite logos.
Another interesting post from Creative Review- what's the best ever slogan?
I always love reading about the past's future predictions. I'm a little disappointed that we've yet to figure out how to teleport.
Soundlapse is Chicago-based Fruit Bonus's ridiculously awesome promo video.
Anthony Lister is currently one of my favorite artists. Spencer Keeton Cunningham put together this short film about him. (via booooooom)
YouTheDesigner posted a fantastic collection of packaging design.
I'm not too sure how I feel about this yet- Facebook released Timeline.
Remember to share whskytngfxtrt with your friends! Tweet, +1, Like, Stumble! Thank you!

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via Stockholm Design Lab
There have been many cause de célèbre in my world lately, which means there have been many bottles of wine opened. I’m not at all a sommelier so when it comes to picking I often go for the best looking label; I have a theory that if the winery has obviously spent time and money on the design, they’ve likely spent time and money on the wine. This theory has yet to be proven wrong.
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Designed for Retail Branding class at Portfolio Center. Antico Pizza Napoletana serves authentic “Pizza Tradizionale di Napoli” in Atlanta, Georgia. Making each pizza in the true artisan method, this requires a strict process and certain products only available in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The type and design is old Napoli inspired, keeping the feel of tradition and authentic atmosphere.
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Photo via Sandi-Lee
Good morning! I just wanted to take a second to say thank you so very much for helping whskytngfxtrt reach the 10,000 pageview mark- I didn't expect it to happen quite so fast!
To celebrate, I want to open a dialogue to see what it is you really want. Why do you come here? Are you learning a lot from the How To Be A Freelance Designer series? Do you love the collections of logos, posters, etc. for inspiration? What would you like to see more or less of? My goal with this blog has always been to cultivate and curate the types of design you want to see- I want whskytngfxtrt to be a huge resource of how-to and inspiration for you.
So, tell me. What can I do for you? What do you want?

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Photo via o5com
Welcome to the freelance design world, friend. You’ve got an awesome portfolio, you’ve found a client or two that you love working with, and a crazy set of skills and talent to put to use. All of that is great- you’re on the right track! But as important as all of that is, what you do with that work, how you present it, may very well be the difference between starving artist and thriving freelance designer.
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Is making a mistake really that bad?
Gavin Worth has crafted some beautiful wire sculpture line-drawings.
I've noticed I've been spending less and less time on Facebook lately, which seems to be rather common especially after the redesign. Ev Bogue, as always, has some rather interesting insight
Freelance Switch offers advice on how to deal with a good gig gone bad.
Combine good food and beautiful photographs and I'm one happy designer.
Border's Bookstore officially shut it's doors, but not before a few employees could get a few things off their chests.
Suddenly, I need a paint-by-numbers mural in my studio.
This. Is. Hilarious.
Moritz Resl took every font from his library(even the ugly ones) at a low opacity and layered them to create the average font.
This article gives interesting insight into the life-cycle of a designer.

The Alphabet 2 from n9ve on Vimeo.
n9ve is a design studio based out of Italy that I recently discovered. Their work is charming, and quirky, and nothing short of awesome. Alphabet 2, a "horn book video experiment," showcases exactly those qualities in a short reintroduction to the alphabet. Enjoy!

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Photo via SeanFX
You’ve put in a lot of work here- we’ve gone all the way from just getting started as a freelancer to getting your first clients to how to invoice and bill your clients appropriately. All of that is great, and hopefully you will have already seen the benefit, but all of the planning and consideration in the world can be derailed by clients that refuse to pay. So, what do you do?
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Photo via BBG Design Studio
You could argue that getting paid is the primary goal of any freelancer, so having a solid invoice on hand is hugely important. You can choose to invoice your client either by email or snail mail, but either way, the basic principles remain the same.
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It's time to wrap-up another great(and busy!) week at WTF. I hope to have some personal projects to share with you next week, until then- enjoy these design world findings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwEYYI-AGWs
Jessica Hische offers up great advice on the Dark Art of Pricing.
I love ImprovEverywhere's now infamous Flash Mobs, but this is a whole new kind of awesome. I'm all about spreading the good vibes and positivity, and their Say Something Nice project does exactly that.
Smart advice from designer David Kelley of IDEO via SwissMiss.
I recently discovered this wonderful blogger, Gala Darling. Her post on How To Live a Beautiful Life is wonderful.
I. Love. Documentaries. Morgan Spurlock, of Super Size Me fame, has put together a top 50 list of docs to see before you die for Current TV(one of my favorite channels before I nixed the TV).
Nubby Twiglet, one of my favorite bloggers, wrote a great post on how to get your blog noticed.
I've been really interested in industrial design lately, specifically furniture design. David Rasmussen has a great collection. Also, TREE HOUSES.
I always find it interesting how our online lives and experiences are so closely linked to our offline lives, and yet, they often aren't at all. Berlin artist Mario Klingmann will be exhibiting his real life "Like" button at the Urban Arts and Media Organization in Munich Oct 27-30.
Font Seek is full of great, albeit lesser known, fonts. Poster, Primate and Elanor are a few of my favorites.
Corbett Barr featured a really interesting guest post on other people's success.

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Photo via Jeff Belmonte
We’ve come a long way, haven’t we? From just getting started, to managing projects, and now how to charge your clients. It seems the hourly vs. flat rate battle has been raging for years- and will probably continue to do so. My intent in writing this article is to provide you with a little clarity.
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September is here and all I can think about is where did August go? All in all, August was a great month at WTF, it just went by so quickly!
I discovered a really great designer this week, via The Fox Is Black . I love Phillip Kennedy's use of line and geometry in his gig posters
Twitter(@whskytngfxtrt) has been such a great tool for me when it comes to design and freelance resources. I found this freelance infographic via @Minervity. In general, I love information and statistics especially when it comes to freelancing- it's always interesting to put you and your business are into perspective.
99% released a great article on optimizing yourself and your work flow. "...true growth comes from constantly challenging ourselves (and our projects) in little ways every day."
Continuing on with the optimization theme, here are 9 minor tweaks to the way you run your freelance business that can increase productivity and profit.
Wood Type Revival is digitizing vintage fonts and making them available for purchase.
Frank Chimero: Yes, learn to code.
The Semiahmoo Green Wall is a great concept. I love concept of a living wall(this is the biggest!), and also that such natural beauty can thrive in a downtown environment.
I wanted to take a moment here to thank you for being here. As I mentioned above, August has been an incredible month at whskytngfxtrt. When starting this project, I wrote out several goals and benchmarks that I wanted to reach by the end of the 2011 and as of today(hello, 3000th visitor!), have met all but 1. So, THANK YOU. Let's keep up this up!

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I love this project. The concept is similar to Jessica Hische’s Daily Drop Cap- one new design based on a theme everyday. I must say, though, Nicole Miller’s style is really what drew me in. Be sure to check out the rest of Nicole’s gallery.
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I wanted to take a minute this morning to share this beautiful series I came across last night. I’m just in love with Torres’ concept and the artful execution of the photos.
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We’re making good progress here, aren’t we? So far I’ve covered everything from the reasons why being a freelance designer is awesome to how to protect yourself and your business with a contract. With this next post, my original intent was to discuss client management, but I realized that to be effective, client management and project management should go hand in hand. Looks like you’re in for a treat today.
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I must say, it’s been a really great week here at whskytngfxtrt. The site got a fresh face and had it’s first big rush of traffic(thanks!), and I began work on some very exciting promo material for my freelance services. Here’s some linkage and eye-candy to stave off the its-almost-the-weekend hysteria.
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I’m a big fan of Tina Roth Eisenberg over at SwissMiss, and an even bigger fan of one of her new projects- Tattly
Generally speaking, I prefer real ink to temporary tattoos(really, when was the last time you wore one?), but these are AMAZING. As to be expected, Tattly’s are designed by actual designers- Jessica Hische and Jason Santa Maria(two of my faves) to name a few.
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Photo via NobMouse.
Alright. So far, I’ve covered the perks of being a freelancer, how to get your business ready, and how to market yourself as a freelancer. All pretty good bits of information but this next piece is likely to be the most important, and probably most often overlooked.
You need a contract!
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So, we’ve gone over the reasons to become a freelancer and how to get your portfolio together. Part 3 will focus on taking that inspiration and rockin’ portfolio and putting them to work- marketing yourself and services.
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A few friends have started their own ventures and asked me to design logos for them, so I’ve been taking in every bit of inspiration I can. I collected some of my favorites to share here. What do you think? What are your favorite logos? Favorite logo designers?
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Congrats, and welcome to part 2 of the How To Be a Rad Freelancer Series! You just made the best choice you’ll ever make! As I said in the first part of this series, becoming a freelance designer is endlessly rewarding.
Part 2 of this series will focus on building the most irresistible portfolio possible. Because the internet is the be all and end all thread of our lives, I’ll focus primarily on digital portfolios here.
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“Typographical design should perform optically what the speaker creates through voice and gesture of his thoughts.”— El Lizzitsky

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As part of a planned series, I’ll spend the next 10 weeks using my personal experience to help you lay the ground work for your freelance career. Didn’t know you wanted to freelance? You will when you’re done here!
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Hammock Coffee Table in the City from Distortion Productions on Vimeo.
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Beautiful Losers film trailer from beautifullosersfilm on Vimeo.
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Poster design is always something that’s been of great interest to me- from Hanson and Spice Girls posters on my wall in middle school, to the more artful prints under consideration today. Rad Posters v. 1 features a collection of varied aesthetics and perfect finesse.
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whskytngfxtrt has been a long time in the making- at least 4 months. In that time I've undoubtedly questioned this project more times than I can count. But I stuck with it.
Why?
Because this may very well be the most difficult thing I've ever done, and challenging yourself is, I believe, at the core of really living life.
Also at the core? Knowing who you are, which brings me to whskytngfxtrt.
whskytngfxtrt is a blog and creative studio focused on bringing the raddest, most exciting bits of the design world to your very fingertips. Logos? Got it. Posters? Love 'em. Design tips & tricks? You betcha. I'll also chronicle my life as a budding freelance designer. What could possibly be more rad than that?
Not a damn thing.