I like Veer, quite a bit, actually. More so than other stock image sites like Getty or Corbis (well, Corbis proper, they own Veer), because Veer has personality. They have style. And above all they “get” the design community. You see it in all the promos they send out, which normally are tossed into the junk/recycle bin, but instead were always hounded in my offices — “oh, new Veer catalog! Awesome!”
So, as a working illustrator, when the time came to put together some work for stock, going with Veer was an easy choice. It’s a good fit for me. It was made an even better fit a few weeks back when they announced their Contributor program and upcoming microstock section. Yes, “microstock” is a fancy word for “iStock,” in the same way “tissue” really means “Kleenex.” But iStock is the Wal-Mart of the image industry. Sure it may be a titan, and we’ve all had to stick out heads in from time to time, but nobody really enjoys shopping there, and when you leave you feel like you need to wash your hands.
So I signed up and submitted a series of illustrations, and a few days later the good news came back — approved! So, later this summer (which is as close to a release date as I’ve found), you’ll be able to pick up some authentic Nate Voss artwork for your design project (both in color and black-and-white coloring-book style) for affordable prices — just make sure you pick up the proper license with it!
Below is a quick tease of what will be available:
Last month I gave away some special bonuses for people who either follow me on Twitter or are a part of the 36 Point group on Facebook. Well there’s no such thing as too much love, so I’m doing it again! In addition to the same goodies from last month (ie: this iPhone wallpaper:
And this iChat/AIM/Buddy icon…)
… I also wanted to go ahead and give you a real, live, full-size Paper Dummy of Conrad, the Wandering Design Ninja himself. So, unlike last month, when you click on this image you’ll get a link to the actual PDF and you can build your very own Conrad to watch over you at your desk, and threaten you with deadly ninja moves when your logo is the wrong size.
During tough economic times, many businesses big and small have tough choices to make. Often some of the first programs to be cut are marketing and design services, despite proven research to the contrary. Call it “protecting the core,” if you will; focusing on your key business practices while stripping away excess in order to sustain a viable company. While this can be a sound economic strategy in some cases (cutting back on office supplies and employee perks, for example), it can be disastrous in the case of marketing and visual branding. (If no one knows about your company’s products or services, no one can pay you for them!)
This line of thinking has been gaining traction in American businesses for the past several months after studies have shown companies who promote their way through a recession often come out the other side in a stronger market position than they went in with. But this still raises the question: “How do I pay for this work when money is so tight?”
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First thing’s first — that there above image is a freebie wallpaper for your iPhone or iPod touch, so grab it while the grabbin’s good! And while we’re at it, if you like the iChat or use forums a lot, I made you a little Newton avatar, too:
Well it’s about time! The comic hardly anyone knew I was working on is finally finished and up for your reading pleasure at sister-site 36 Point.
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Since last October (2008), I’ve been writing and illustrating 1PT.Rule, a thrice-weekly webcomic, at the design-entertainment site 36 Point. At the time of this writing I’m nearing 60 strips, which feels like a lot, until you look at Penny Arcade or PVP who have ten years under their belts.
The process of creating the comic usually takes about 2 hours, though it is longer when I add an extra row (or
five), or color. Originally the strip started out in full color, but even at only three strips a week that workload was more than my life allowed. After a brief stint in two colors, the strip settled into black and white, where it remains, comfortably, to this day.
Here’s how a strip gets started:
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Recently I was contacted by a company to produce a handful of scenes of life for a group of college students. I had a limited amount of time on the project, so the illustrations were kept kind of loose.
This project gave me a lot of opportunity to have some fun with color, utilizing a bright, energetic pallet and conveying, in some, the overall mood of the scene (this is really evident in the happy/sad illustrations that mirrors each other). Thought it went fast, it was super fun to illustrate. Bonus that the client was very nice and easy to work with. We always love that!
My 2008 interview with highly-successful designer Sean Adams of Adams Morioka is now available to read over at 36 Point. Go check it out!
The Challenge:
Two friends decide to start a business together with little more than a handful of buses and an idea and Omaha Fiesta Bus was born. Party buses in Omaha were scarce, hard to find, and uncool; but the benefits to the OFB approach — bar shuttles, fun party atmosphere, and a great sense of style — created a market opening. Omaha Fiesta Bus contacted us to help them launch their brand to the Omaha night life.
The Solution:
We worked with Omaha Fiesta Bus over a multiple-phase brand launch that included Target Audience Personality Profiling (TAPP), logo and visual identity design, website development, and extended brand consulting.
Near the launch, we coordinated a live radio remote and press coverage on multiple media outlets. A partnership with Power 106.9 was created to maximize the brand’s appeal to the right market, which led to the production of radio advertisements spearheaded by Stephanie and I.
We also produced and coordinated production of two large-scale vehicle wraps for the Fiesta Buses; Purple Haze and Orange Crush. The project was a huge amount of fun from start to finish and everyone was very happy with the results. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should book yourself a bus today.
