The PowerPoint® Blog

I am working on a simple project this past week, #10 envelope return address layout, for a company. I have the logo, important information (address, phone numbers, web address, etc.) and begin developing a series of layouts for the client to review and indicate what design direction they like. After my 4th layout I am beginning to really have to think to come up with alternative layouts, then my best idea comes out - go to Live Search or Google and do an image search for 'envelop design' It's like cheating! Instantly I have 1,000's of ideas in front of me (actually 3,340,000 in 0.06 seconds).

Instant creativity. Instant design diversity. Instantly I realize the internet has changed the world of design and it is a communal thing now. And instantly I realize that all the new designers are cheating - they are not spending $500 per stock photo, not spending hours tweaking designs to come up with something new for there client (although this is the most valuable education a designer can get) and not even having to spend real money on computers (only the software has stayed costly, like the $1,700 I just gave to Adobe for CS4). Maybe it's not so much cheating as it is not fair... Oh well, onto the next project, at least I gained lots of experience along the way that clients seem to like

- Troy @ TLC