My favorite sentence is actually a well-known phrase. The interesting thing about the sentence is that there are actually two versions of it, depending on where you are from. If you haven’t guessed it by now, the sentence is:

Great minds think alike, but fools seldom differ.

I enjoy this sentence because it reminds me of all the times my sisters and I would have these really amazing (in our own minds) ideas. We’d make up a song and sing “great minds think alike,” which my mom would reply “fools seldom differ.” My sisters and I would just giggle at our mother and continue on with the plan we had set out to accomplish.

The first part of the sentence “great minds think alike” is a common phrase. The “fools seldom differ” part of the sentence is widely known in Britain, and rarely heard of here in the U.S. I couldn’t tell you why.

Now, I’m not sure if selecting a quote from an anonymous source actually counts as a favorite sentence. It probably doesn’t. Which is why I have backup. And it comes from a local source, of sorts.

I’ve really been slacking in the show and tell department. I always have something, but it always slips my mind to post. So, to make good on this issue, I’ll be posting them shortly. I apologize.

There are two things I live by when designing: paginations and production schedules. The beauty of the production schedule is that it allows me to schedule a project and know what my obligations are. It is essentially a promise to the client that I’ll do “this” when they fulfill “that”. As it stands, I have seven days to get a magazine layout to a client. That includes scheduling photo shoots, getting the images from the photographer, and designing the layout. Of course, this is based on the assumption that the client will have all  of their provided copy and artwork to me by the required deadline. So, what happens when a production schedule goes to hell in a handbasket? I’ll let you know.

Back in August, Brio Design was chosen among several Baltimore-area design firms to redesign the magazine for Marinalife, a membership-based organization that targets high-income powerboat owners. The magazine, published quarterly, boasts extensive destination and marina information for yacht owners.

The challenge was to create a design that showcased the beautiful photography throughout the magazine, while still maximizing the space on the page for copy. To achieve this, the forced justified two-column grid was changed into left-justified two-, three- and four-column grids. The content was also organized into two sections: features and departments.

The departments now follow a standard structure based on a two-column grid, while the features are now based on a three-column grid. The four-column grid is used solely for the partner directory. Folio elements were also changed to provide a cleaner look.

The result is an easier to read magazine that enhances the stunning photography, while still maintaining a structure that allows sections to be easily identified by the reader. The first issue featuring the redesign, a total of 108 pages (including cover), went to the printer yesterday afternoon and I’m very excited about it. Delivery date is scheduled for October 5.

To view before and after images of the magazine, click on the “more” link below. Enjoy!

I came across this ad while flipping through both ESPN the Magazine and Sports Illustrated. The ad for the Schick Quattro disposable razor is quite effective with very little text.

I was planning on writing about the new spa treatment of fish in a bowl nibbling on patrons’ feet. Lo and behold, there is an article in The Baltimore Sun’s Web site on Sunday. How wonderful! Left scrambling, I’ve narrowed down my choices to two possibilities: a sanitizing grocery store cart and some innovative applications in dental research.

But, just how new is new? The grocery cart has a number of press releases that have been indexed by Google, but is a press release enough to make it old news? Even if was dated three days ago?

Admittedly, the cart interests me more, but I have more (inside) information about the dental research applications. A conundrum indeed.

I’ve always been fascinated with the Sun. But not to the point that I’d want to become a scientist. I just like looking at it. It is awe-inspiring. A sunrise represents the dawn of a new day; a new beginning. It is the start to a fresh set of hours when the day is young and perfect. Is it corny? Yes, but everyone needs a little corn in their life.

A quick run to the grocery story yesterday found me waiting in line for an extended amount of time. Bored at the prospect of spending half an hour in a line, my eyes wondered to the magazines perched on both sides of the aisle. To my left, OK magazine. To my right, US Weekly. At first, I thought my eyes were deceiving me in some way. But thankfully, I hadn’t gone mad. But someone at one of the magazines’ headquarters sure did.

So, which portrait is the original? To my eye, the OK magazine cover looks to be more natural. The US Weekly cover just looks flipped to fit the layout of the cover. Even more interesting, the color scheme is the same for both magazines: pink, white and yellow. And yes, US Weekly took it upon themselves to slim down Mrs. Palin’s face.

So, which magazine is doing the ripping?

I don’t have much experience with purchasing portraits for magazine covers. Usually, I hire a photographer and art direct the session. If I were to ever find myself needing to purchase a photo for a magazine that was distributed globally, I’d make darn sure that I got exclusive rights. Especially if it is going to be sitting on a magazine rack next to my competitors.

After talking to a few of my friends, I was finally able to pin one down long enough to do an interview. I’ve interviewed people before, and while most interviews ended up as a podcast, I did publish one article based on an interview. And I was able to make the story as long, or short, as I wanted.

Having only a maximum of 250 words for this assignment is going to be a real challenge for me. I would never have thought I’d admit such a thing. The challenge for me is usually getting started on structuring a profile, and making sure I hit all the major points from the interview. With the word limit, the profile needs to be short, sweet and to the point. And also interesting. Very challenging!

Welcome to my new blog. I’ve had other blogs before and I still maintain a few. I’ve never actually had a blog related to design, so it should be interesting to see how my mind wanders when writing about graphic design topics.