2. Children’s Clothing.

3. The Legal System.

4. Buffets.

Jason Fried talking about, among other things, how meetings derail productivity. This proves especially true in small and freelance shops, where a couple of hours of lost time can really throw things off. I am trying to figure out how to best integrate the “as few meetings as possible” model into the design process while making sure clients still know they are getting our best and most productive work. Sometimes it seems that this desire to have meetings is kind of like the desire to fill up all the space on the page. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not necessary. But the perceived value of the service seems to have a direct correlation.

If you’re in NYC on January 29, you’re going to want to go to Onishi Gallery (521 West 26th Street) and see my friend David Chang’s Sacred Dialogues opening. To say that David is gifted is like saying the Burj Dubai is tall.

He is a spectacular artist and calligrapher whose work is well worth your time. I’m hoping that I’ll get a new NYC client and have to be there on the 29th for a meeting!

You can view more of his work here.

My wife and I often end up at a bookstore on date nights. She is an avid reader and I’m becoming one. What’s interesting is that every time we go, I am stopped by good design. There are few places that more quickly and effectively illustrate the power of design than a bookstore. In a literal sea of paper, design can make you stop in your tracks and spend time with something you never intended to even look at. This series of books stopped me this time. I don’t have a huge interest in most of these subjects, but the design of these books made me stop and spend some time with all of them.

I don’t know who designed these, but they are tasty. Kudos to you Mr. or Mrs. Design Sass. Great work.

I saw something wonderful last night. It was the Nashville premier of the documentary Reparando. The film was produced and directed by my friends, Scott and Amelia Moore, who after adopting two boys from Guatemala, realized they could not sit and do nothing about what they had seen there. The synopsis of the film is as follows:

On the morning of June 18. 1954, the US CIA dropped leaflets in Guatemala City demanding the resignation of the president. Guatemala was ravaged by Civil War for the next 36 years. But hope is rising. In the midst of incredible odds, victims have been transformed into champions who willfully embrace the pain of their past to help repair the next generation. This is their story.

Regardless of what you believe, you cannot watch this film and not be touched by these stories. I don’t really endorse things here, but I will tell you that everyone should see this film. If for no other reason than to be reminded that there is hope and lots of people still need it.

The site for the film is here.

Anyone who’s ever worked in advertising and design or hired anyone for advertising and design will appreciate this.

Virtue Path by Benjamin Jones

As you may or may not know, I’m a huge fan of outsider art. I love it because it there’s something honest an unpretentious about it. “Fine” art often makes me think I’m not smart enough or cool enough to be a part of it. Outsider Art, Folk Art, Art Brut, whatever people call it, finds beauty in the imperfect, untrained and disregarded. It feels like it comes more from the heart than the head. Maybe I’m wrong, but I like it anyway. Benjamin Jones is one of my favorites.

By the way, I love BJ’s work, but I don’t have any $7000 paintings! There’s much cheaper stuff in the rest of the gallery.

I’m just amazed by this. The creative mind is boundless. I’ve used pencils all my life. I’ve sharpened them, chewed on them, erased with them, made pictures with them. In all that time, I never looked at one and said “Hmmmm…. this could be art!” This guy sculpts pencils!!

These are a beautiful reminder that just about anything can be special if we’re willing to look at it that way. Read the article and see the whole slide show here.

While this has nothing to to with design, it has everything to do with beauty. I think this is one of the most honest, beautiful songs about marriage I’ve ever heard. It’s not a high-budget video filled with super models or fancy cars or uber-cool dudes in tight pants singing to large crowds, but it is a powerful marriage of words and music. And it’s a perfect example of the truth (to me, at least) that creating something honest and meaningful communicates more powerfully than throwing money at a shallow idea ever will.

I’m not sure why I’m so fascinated by this, but I am. There is a beauty to the sky maps that is especially interesting to me. Will we someday take vacations on Bing, instead of really traveling? Hmmm.