Flingpord

  DESIGNERS AND COMMUNICATION SKILL     In the past, I conducted a group interview with some top web designers. One of the questions that was asked to each participant was “What do you feel are the most important skills for a designer to have/develop?” By far the most popular answer was “communication skills.” While this is not technically a design-related skill, I was really pleased to see those responses, because I feel the same way. Communication skills can make or break any design project that you’re working on, so I thought I would cover the topic in more detail.   COMMUNICATION SKILLS   Why are Communication Skills Important for Designers? I think by nature many designers are introverted and do not naturally have strong communication skills (of course this is a generalization) . Most of us enjoy working on our own and creating something special, but communicating with clients may not be one of our favorite activities. If this is the case fo...

  THE HISTORY OF CORPORATE IDENTITY     In 1996, Graphic Design Legend Paul Rand declared “the greatest living graphic designer”—it was yet another ‘feather in the cap’ for him, and one of many during a long and colorful career that would make any present day designer envious. But more so when the acclamation comes from a visionary like Steve Jobs. In fact, it was Paul Rand’s dedication to treating design as a function of business that helped Steve Jobs’ Apple to become the design-leading powerhouse that it is today.   In 1986, Rand was hired to create a logo for Jobs, reportedly for a fee of $100,000. But long before that—back in the 1950s—he had already begun to pave the way for design systems, and the notion of corporate identity.   Many consider Rand to be the father of modern graphic design—the man who introduced the idea that commercial art could, and should, have both a strong visual appeal and an important functional role in the world of mo...

  30 SURE WAYS TO DISRUPT YOURSELF   change is the only constant — and the rate of change is itself increasing. Just like a startup, unless we disrupt ourselves, we get stuck in the same groove of life and forget to change — we forget to innovate on ourselves and question the meaning of our life. Mastering the mindsets and tools to lead disruptive change instead of being the victim of it is a key focus on becoming a successful entrepreneur. There are 30 big secrets to their success that are worth learning and repeating.   1. SAY NO TO NEGATIVITY. It doesn’t matter whether it comes from people around you or from within yourself: use your willpower to shut off negativity altogether. For a full 24 hours, just focus on the positive aspects of your life. Being mindful and grateful for the small things is a sure-fire way to get started. More importantly, don’t let anything come in between you and your happy thoughts.   2. TAKE A BREAK FROM SOCIAL MEDIA. ...

  19+ WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE AND GROW SUCCESSFULLY     Many of us would like to be better, whether in our personal lives or in our careers. Professional development - often called continuing professional development or CPD - is the way to do this in your working life.   As a passionate advocate of growth, I’m continuously looking for ways to self-improve. I’ve compiled 42 of my best tips, which might be helpful in your personal growth journey. Some of them are simple steps which you can engage in immediately. Some are bigger steps which takes conscious effort to act on.   1. Read Every Day Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose yourself to.   When you’re reading a book every day, you will feed your brain with more and more knowledge.   2. Learn a New Language As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin, and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect). Out of int...