Behance – Gabriel Catalano®

The Jeff Bezos School of Long-Term Thinking

Vía 99u.com

Why focus 10,000 years into the future? The answer lies in Bezos’ letter to Amazon shareholders from 1997 when the company went public, a manifesto of sorts about the benefits and approaches to long term thinking.

The 1997 letter’s main point: we can’t realize our potential as people or as companies unless we plan for the long term. Every subsequent year Bezos has ended shareholder letters by attaching the original 1997 essay with a reminder of the importance of thinking long term. And every year, he is proven right.

The company that started out as a few guys in a garage has now revolutionized the way we buy everything from books to toys to clothes. Amazon is now one of the 100-largest companies in America, mostly thanks to bold long term plays like the Amazon Kindle.

«If everything you do needs to work on a three-year time horizon, then you’re competing against a lot of people,» Bezos told Wired in 2011. «But if you’re willing to invest on a seven-year time horizon, you’re now competing against a fraction of those people, because very few companies are willing to do that.»

We can’t realize our potential as people or as companies unless we plan for the long term. Continuar leyendo

13 Desktop Wallpapers To Kickstart Your Creativity | by Behance Team

by Behance Team | http://99u.com

One of the first things people notice about our offices here atBehance are the giant, motivational quotes up on the walls. Ranging from Picasso to Charles Mingus, they serve as a daily reminder of our ethos of making ideas happen.

We decided it would be nice to share the love. Below find 15 desktop wallpapers to get you fired up to take action on your ideas. Each nugget of wisdom comes from a past 99U speaker.

(Speaking of, did we mention tickets for our 2013 99U Conference are on sale now?)

«It’s through mistakes that you actually grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.» -Paula Scher

[Download image] | [Tweet this quote]

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«There is no such thing as finishing or failing, it’s all about doing.» -Rilla Alexander

[Download image] | [Tweet this quote]

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«Track your small wins to motivate big accomplishments.» -Teresa Amabile

[Download image] | [Tweet this quote]
Continuar leyendo

Behance.net Photography Served Art AMERICA THE GIFT SHOP

artserved.com
IF AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY HAD A GIFT SHOP, WHAT WOULD IT SELL?Dick Cheney shredding secret documents, snow globe, 2008
Inflatable Guantanamo bay bouncy castle prison cell
Continuar leyendo «Behance.net Photography Served Art AMERICA THE GIFT SHOP»

6 Steps To Creating A Knockout Online Portfolio

As the Chief Designer of Behance, few people are better at identifying a great online portfolio than Matias Corea. While judging contests, looking for new talent, and conducting design research for the Behance Network, he has reviewed thousands of creative portfolios on the web.
To get some insight on what works (and what doesn’t!) when it comes to showcasing creative work online, I chatted with Matias about his observations and extracted six simple tips for building a knockout creative portfolio:

1. Take a step back, and curate your best work. Take the time to look at all of your work and carefully choose the right pieces for your portfolio. «One piece of advice I got from my mentor was to always showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future,» says Matias. «Display only the projects that you are really proud of, that look the best, and that use the best materials.»

Choose at least five projects so you can demonstrate the breadth of your work, but be selective. Remember, it’s always better to have a portfolio of a few projects that are stunning than dozens of projects where some of them are just OK. The quality of your portfolio is only as good as your weakest project.

Always showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future.

2. Use eye-catching images, and share the backstory. Now that you’ve edited the work you want to show, get into the nitty-gritty of each project and think about how to best present it. Visitors like to know the story behind your finished work, so think about presenting your process — from the initial concept, to early sketches, to the finished product.

by Mell Ravenel
http://the99percent.com/tips/7127/6-Steps-To-Creating-A-Knockout-Online-Portfolio

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ProSite Portfolio by Adam Jesberger

1. Take a step back, and curate your best work. Take the time to look at all of your work and carefully choose the right pieces for your portfolio. «One piece of advice I got from my mentor was to always showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future,» says Matias. «Display only the projects that you are really proud of, that look the best, and that use the best materials.»

Always showcase the type of work you want to be doing in the future.

2. Use eye-catching images, and share the backstory. Now that you’ve edited the work you want to show, get into the nitty-gritty of each project and think about how to best present it. Visitors like to know the story behind your finished work, so think about presenting your process — from the initial concept, to early sketches, to the finished product. Continuar leyendo

Shaping the Future: 7 Predictions for the Creative Community

At the start of every year, it’s fun to think about what’s next. However, for the creative professional community, considering the future is not just a casual exercise. It’s a necessity. The creative industries are rapidly changing, as is the way we manage our own creative careers.Do you rely on the web for inspiration, feedback, or any other part of your creative process? Do you rely on online networks or websites as a source of new customers, clients, or collaborations? Are you involved in the worlds of advertising, design, fine art, or any other industry that ultimately relies on matching the right creative talent with the best opportunities?

If you answered yes, get ready.

by Scott Belsky
http://the99percent.com/articles/6972/Shaping-the-Future-7-Predictions-for-the-Creative-Community

If you answered yes, get ready. Continuar leyendo «Shaping the Future: 7 Predictions for the Creative Community»

40 increíbles diseños de blogs personales

Los diseñadores han logrado, gracias a las diferentes técnicas de diseño, a las nuevas ideas y a la ayuda de las propiedades CSS3, impulsar, en los últimos años, los diseños de sus blogs a unos niveles que nunca antes se habían visto. Pero a pesar de esto, es cierto que el arte de los blogs personales, en muchos casos, está disminuyendo, posiblemente por la aparición de servicios como Facebook, Twitter, Posterous, Tumblr y WordPress, y servicios de porfolio como Carbonmade, Deviantart y Behance, que han hecho que personalizar el diseño de los blogs no sea tan necesario.

Pero a pesar de esto, Speckyboy ha encontrado y seleccionado los 40 mejores diseños de blogs personales que existen actualmente en la red.

http://www.marketingdirecto.com

Pero a pesar de esto, Speckyboy ha encontrado y seleccionado los 40 mejores diseños de blogs personales que existen actualmente en la red.

Estilo sutil y limpio:

1. Design Made in Germany

2. Look al That!

3. Squaregirl

4. Salvator

5. Grain & Gram – The New Gentelman’s Journal

6. Andrew Greig

7. The Import

8. BlissfullyAware

9. Christoph Zillgens Continuar leyendo «40 increíbles diseños de blogs personales»

How Analog Rituals Can Amp Your Productivity

As a society, we are engaged in a constant pursuit to be more productive. For the most part, this is a good thing. We want to work smarter. We crave efficiency. Time is our most precious commodity, and productivity tools help us spend it more wisely. Over the past few years, I have observed all sorts of methods for productivity. One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as «analog drudgery» among the especially productive. For such accomplished people, I am shocked by the apparent lack of efficiency in their daily routines.

At one point during my research for Making Ideas Happen, I interviewed Bob Greenberg, the legendary CEO of the digital agency R/GA. With high-flying clients like Nike and other household names, Greenberg is overseeing a tremendous number of heavyweight projects at any point in time. He’s a busy guy and he’s been leading his industry for decades.

One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as ‘analog drudgery’ among the especially productive.

Despite his digital interests, Greenberg’s productivity tools are entirely analog. He uses a paper agenda with a series of lists written at the top that he writes every single day. In the morning, Greenberg will manually bump uncompleted tasks from the previous day to the current day. He also re-writes the names of key clients and other areas of focus; often transcribing the same names again and again, daily, for weeks if not months or years.

by Scott Belsky | http://the99percent.com/tips/6915/how-analog-rituals-can-amp-your-productivity

At one point during my research for Making Ideas Happen, I interviewed Bob Greenberg, the legendary CEO of the digital agency R/GA. With high-flying clients like Nike and other household names, Greenberg is overseeing a tremendous number of heavyweight projects at any point in time. He’s a busy guy and he’s been leading his industry for decades.

One consistent surprise is the role of monotonous rituals and what could be described as ‘analog drudgery’ among the especially productive.

Micro vs Macro: Using “Success Factors” To Manage Your Team

Every creative leader faces the challenge of building and managing a team. Finding the right folks is half the battle. After you find them, it is your responsibility to manage the team. Great management happens on both a
“micro” level and a “macro” level. Micro-management – not the notoriously negative “micromanagement,” but rather what I call the MICRO aspect of management – is all about the day-to-day management that keeps the team on track.

by Scott Belsky | //the99percent.com

A great MICRO manager asks questions like:

What are the deadlines for a particular project?
How do we measure progress (and are we making progress)?
Is there sufficient feedback exchange?
How do we promote more accountability within the team?

But what about the MACRO part of management? Beyond your day-to-day role as a manager, you must also consider each person’s career trajectory. Continuar leyendo «Micro vs Macro: Using “Success Factors” To Manage Your Team»

The Five Levels of Communication in a Connected World

In the digital world in which we live, it has become too easy to send emails, ping people via instant message, text, tweet, etc. Upon reflection, I think I’ve been too haphazard about how I communicate with my colleagues, clients, friends, and family. Oftentimes, an email about a problem should have been a phone call. And sometimes a phone call should have been an in-person meeting.
Knowing what to say and when to say it is not enough. In the modern day, we must decide HOW to communicate.

Consider the five levels of communication:

Level 1: Message into the Ether
Snail mail and email have a few things in common: They can be of any length, and they are not conversational. Emails and letters are sent out, and then new messages are composed and returned. Sometimes it takes days or weeks before a response arrives. Since emails and letters are not conversational (they lump all points together rather than go point, counterpoint, point, etc…), there is a HIGH LEVEL of misunderstanding with this medium of communication. As many of us know, little issues can escalate over email…

by Scott Belsky

Consider the five levels of communication:

Level 1: Message into the Ether

Snail mail and email have a few things in common: They can be of any length, and they are not conversational. Emails and letters are sent out, and then new messages are composed and returned. Sometimes it takes days or weeks before a response arrives. Since emails and letters are not conversational (they lump all points together rather than go point, counterpoint, point, etc…), there is a HIGH LEVEL of misunderstanding with this medium of communication. As many of us know, little issues can escalate over email… Continuar leyendo

Design Inspiration: Brochure Design Showcase

Brochures are an important marketing material for many companies. A well-designed and professional-looking brochure can go along way towards an effective marketing campaign. In this post we’ll showcase 45 brochures from various designers (via the Behance Network). If you see something you like, click on the image and you will be led to the source. At the source, in many cases, you will see multiple images of the brochure.

Continuar leyendo «Design Inspiration: Brochure Design Showcase»

Cuatro cosas a considerar a la hora de crear un logo

Con todo el ruido que están generando las marcas en la red, el buen branding se ha vuelto más importante. Aunque no se trate de un anunciante que apueste fuerte por la tecnología, la imagen de la web oficial y la identidad en las redes sociales, blogs, etc. debe ser clara y unificada. A pesar de que ya existen tecnologías que ayudan a controlar la marca online, nada sustituye a un diseñador “real” que sea capaz de crear un logo que represente la estética de la compañía.

Con todo el ruido que están generando las marcas en la red, el buen branding se ha vuelto más importante. Aunque no se trate de un anunciante que apueste fuerte por la tecnología, la imagen de la web oficial y la identidad en las redes sociales, blogs, etc. debe ser clara y unificada. A pesar de que ya existen tecnologías que ayudan a controlar la marca online, nada sustituye a un diseñador “real” que sea capaz de crear un logo que represente la estética de la compañía.

Si bien no hay nada escrito para crear un logo perfecto, Mashable aconseja tener en cuenta los siguientes cuatro puntos:

1. La identidad en un mundo donde la elección es infinita. El logo es la primera impresión. Antes incluso de que el consumidor sepa lo que el anunciante vende, ve el logo y dependiendo de si le atrapa querrá saber más sobre la marca o no. En la red, esta decisión se toma en milisegundos. La razón por la que la web se ha convertido en la mejor aliada de los pequeños negocios es porque puede ponerlos al mismo nivel que una gran marca. Además, los pequeños negocios tienen la ventaja de poder adaptarse mejor a lo que pide el internauta. Continuar leyendo «Cuatro cosas a considerar a la hora de crear un logo»

Our Action Addiction

After a couple years of studying how creative people stay organized, we developed a simple and easily customized method for managing projects. A good portion of 2006 was spent putting the Action Method into practice.
We are our own guinea pigs. As you might expect from a group of designers, writers, and entrepreneurs, the Behance team has a lot of ideas. We suffer from the very frustrations and shortfalls that we try to solve in the creative community.

When we brainstorm, the ideas and to-do’s that come up are likely to disappear unless they are captured as action steps. When we take notes, the notes are often useless after 24 hours. When we have creative but off-topic ideas that we may want to come back to someday, these ideas are often lost unless they are kept in some sort of «backburner.» The Action Method was created to address these challenges, among others.

The year of 2006 was spent trying to practice what we preach. We held each other painstakingly accountable: if one of us had an idea for a new page design or article topic, an action step was recorded, deadlines were set, and the group waited in sweet anticipation.

Inadvertently, we developed a few of our own devices to help keep us on track. One of our big wins was the Action Pad, an actualization of the theory we were working with around CAPTURING ACTION STEPS, TRACKING BACKBURNER ITEMS, and FILING REFERENCE ITEMS. After extensive testing and focus groups, the Action Method is now used by a group of early adopters in the design, film, music, and technology industries. You’re welcome to download the template (for free) or purchase some products based on the method at the Outfitter. Or, maybe you’ll create your own system based on the Action Method!

The Action Method helped us identify some of our inefficiencies, and prompted some helpful solutions…

by Behance Team

The Action Method helped us identify some of our inefficiencies, and prompted some helpful solutions… Continuar leyendo «Our Action Addiction»

Welcome to the Era of Creative Meritocracy

Imagine a world where the best ideas have the best chance to succeed. No more favoritism that places the wrong people on creative projects. Cut out the middlemen that arbitrarily recommend cost-efficient talent over the most deserving talent. Forget the corporate nepotism that appoints leaders based on relationships over merit. Every individual, team, and industry would benefit from a world where the most talented people got the most opportunity. I call this dream «creative meritocracy,» and I believe that advances in technology, online communities, and platforms that empower career independence will make this dream a reality in the near future.

Unfortunately, we’re up against centuries of entrenched practices unfriendly to merit-based opportunity. Most industries – and society as a whole – are plagued with inefficiencies, middlemen, and tainted systems for determining quality. It’s a sad truth: The quality of your ideas and talent is less important than who you know, who represents you, and what your name is. Why? Because the «old school» systems around us make it so.

Without creative meritocracy, we suffer because our talent and hard work aren’t enough to land the job. Clients suffer because they receive inferior work. Moreover, our industries and society suffer from mediocrity.

Call it depressing or unfair, but don’t accept it. Creative meritocracy is within our reach. It is our job as creative minds and leaders to foster an era where capability is matched with opportunity.

Here are a few ways we can usher in the Era of Creative Meritocracy:

1. Proper Attribution
In the modern day of transparency and easy access to information, we should be wary of any efforts to isolate talent. Headhunters are known to find talent and then send around pieces of portfolios and resumes without any names attached. They purposely conceal the identity of talent and, as a result, are able to override meritocracy. Oftentimes, headhunters will use one person’s credentials as bait and then offer up less qualified talent that yields a higher profit margin.

Creative meritocracy relies on transparency and direct attribution. Appreciation for one’s ideas and creative work must be directly credited to the source. The accumulation of appreciation (or credit) is the currency that buys opportunity.

article

by Scott Belsky

Imagine a world where the best ideas have the best chance to succeed. No more favoritism that places the wrong people on creative projects. Cut out the middlemen that arbitrarily recommend cost-efficient talent over the most deserving talent. Forget the corporate nepotism that appoints leaders based on relationships over merit. Every individual, team, and industry would benefit from a world where the most talented people got the most opportunity. I call this dream «creative meritocracy,» and I believe that advances in technology, online communities, and platforms that empower career independence will make this dream a reality in the near future.

Unfortunately, we’re up against centuries of entrenched practices unfriendly to merit-based opportunity. Most industries – and society as a whole – are plagued with inefficiencies, middlemen, and tainted systems for determining quality. It’s a sad truth: The quality of your ideas and talent is less important than who you know, who represents you, and what your name is. Why? Because the «old school» systems around us make it so.

Without creative meritocracy, we suffer because our talent and hard work aren’t enough to land the job. Clients suffer because they receive inferior work. Moreover, our industries and society suffer from mediocrity.

Call it depressing or unfair, but don’t accept it. Creative meritocracy is within our reach. It is our job as creative minds and leaders to foster an era where capability is matched with opportunity.

Here are a few ways we can usher in the Era of Creative Meritocracy:

1. Proper Attribution
In the modern day of transparency and easy access to information, we should be wary of any efforts to isolate talent. Headhunters are known to find talent and then send around pieces of portfolios and resumes without any names attached. They purposely conceal the identity of talent and, as a result, are able to override meritocracy. Oftentimes, headhunters will use one person’s credentials as bait and then offer up less qualified talent that yields a higher profit margin.

Creative meritocracy relies on transparency and direct attribution. Appreciation for one’s ideas and creative work must be directly credited to the source. The accumulation of appreciation (or credit) is the currency that buys opportunity. Continuar leyendo «Welcome to the Era of Creative Meritocracy»

Behance Helps Creatives Showcase Portfolios on LinkedIn

Behance, a platform for creative professionals, has just launched a new collaboration between its service and LinkedIn. Utilizing a new app called Creative Portfolio Display, users can now connect their portfolios directly to their LinkedIn accounts.

This is a great bridge between the creative and the more professional social networking worlds. At the Mashable Media Summit earlier this summer, Co-founder and CEO of Behance Scott Belsky spoke about the growth of the network and its focus on bringing creative meritocracy to the design world.

Behance has always been focused on helping organize the creative world. To that end, the free Behance Network (Behance Network) lets artists, designers and other creative professionals showcase their projects and portfolios. With the new LinkedIn partnership, the potential audience for Behance members increases exponentially.

Behance has always been focused on helping organize the creative world. To that end, the free Behance Network () lets artists, designers and other creative professionals showcase their projects and portfolios. With the new LinkedIn partnership, the potential audience for Behance members increases exponentially. Continuar leyendo «Behance Helps Creatives Showcase Portfolios on LinkedIn»

How to (Gracefully) Manage Your Critics

by Scott Belsky

Many of us have an innate reflex to please everyone. It is a curious and burdensome responsibility that we have assumed since childhood. As creative leaders, the need to address critics is a reflex that is liable to override other more important uses of our energy. While we carefully weigh the costs and benefits of most decisions we make, criticism has the tendency to lead us astray.Of course, criticism is important. Early detection of disappointment or misunderstandings can save us a whole lot of turmoil further down the line.

But, oftentimes, our efforts to address our critics become an obsession. Even worse, our efforts can backfire by fanning the flames. A single harsh comment on a bulletin board can turn into an aggressive and insulting exchange that is not constructive but still liable to keep you up at night. For this reason, many prominent bloggers and companies have removed comment boards altogether.

Don’t cut off your critics. Feedback helps us correct our course and spurs a dialog that serves to build community. Instead, you should decide how and when to respond.

Consider the following tips on how to manage your critics: Continuar leyendo «How to (Gracefully) Manage Your Critics»