Prescott chats with design entrepreneur and blogger Armin Vit about what it’s like to run a company out of his home, how he and his wife share office and household duties, and how he manages to cope with all that email. There’s also an odd jab at rookie designers and even some tips on how to track your marathon training, if that’s your thing.
Armin is one half of UnderConsideration
Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio foundedUnderConsideration in 2002. The duo have since left their jobs at prestigious New York-based design firms, relocated to Austin, Texas, and have made a name in the design business as authors, conference organizers, writers, speakers, and designers (of course).
Show Notes & Links
Armin (@ArminVit) & Bryony’s (@Bryonygp) company, UnderConsideration (@UCllc), publishes blogs Brand New,Art of the Menu, Quipsologies & FPOThey organize the Brand New Conference and Brand New Awards, as well as the FPO AwardsThey write design books like Flaunt (which, coincidentally, features Prescott’s 2010 portfolio), Graphic Design: Referenced, Women of DesignAustin Initiative for Graphic AwesomenessUC QuarterlyArmin sends 60-80 emails per dayGoogle Drive or Smartsheet, online spreadsheet toolsMassimo & Lella Vingelli, legendary graphic design coupleThe Eameses, iconic furniture design teamArmin worked at Pentagram; Bryony worked at AddisonThe philosophical side of keeping a project fresh“We go out of our way to over-design it.” –Armin on #BNConf identitiesIrony as a tool. For conference design, at least.The Brand New Conference 2012, award-winning poster(Best of Show at the Type Directors Club)The video Armin recorded to accept this very award (NSFW)The 3-point grid, a way to set up documents for tidyness in type and layout.
Armin’s 3-pt Baseline Grid in Action. Click for a larger view.
Michael Bierut did not teach Armin the 3-pt grid.SpeakUp: UnderConsideration’s retired design community blogMassimo Vignelli’s gridHow Prescott sets up his InDesign layers:
Behance or Pinterest“They always say: ‘All young designers know is how to use the software.’ That’s not even true anymore.” —ArminICC ProfilesDigital Publishing Suite – make ePub, Kindle, etc. from InDesignGetting Things Done by David Allen
Tina Eisenberg (@swissmiss) and Jessica Hische (@jessicahische), inbox 100Prescott and Armin are both Marathon finishersRunner’s World magazineFitBit or Nike Fuel band, tracking gadgetsTools
InternsCalendar on the Mac (mainly for Bryony)Excel or Google DriveInDesign, especially when you get thoroughTrainingPeaks app for runnersGarmin WatchTechniques
Time management. Getting ahead of the pressure, and not falling behind.Use that calendar, even for small things like “go for a run”Make “sexy” Excel sheets. Colour-coding. Sheets. Etc.When you design logos, you have to sketch. Unless you suck as sketching. If that’s the case, use Illustrator.Armin’s folder structure: Exploratory 1, 2, etc. Then 1a, 1b, etc. Then Development, then For Use.Watch your email application for that little “reply” icon.T.R.A.P. your email — Throw away, Reply, create Action item, Pass to someone else.Habits
Wake up at 5:00am. Get to work immediately (after some coffee).Get done by 6:30am, or else the day is ruined (by children).Save less mentally-demanding tasks for evening. Email & link-blogs such as Quipsologies.Never name anything “final”Maintain a clean desktop and inbox zeroGet The Episode
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