My Evil Twin

This is my evil simpson twin, out celebrating her birthday in some very kinky birthday suite that her boyfriend got her.

And if you’re wondering where I got my surrogate twin’s pic? Well just check out Simpsonizeme.com. You can upload your picture and in a matter of seconds - viola! A simpson version of you. I have more simpsonize moi images over at my other blog vigoureuxartise.

Have fun simpsonizing!

A New Office

I am very excited about us moving to a  new office building. This time, the building is ours. Ours for the taking.

The renovation, we hope, would take about a month for the office. However our Architect feared that it might take longer depending on how things will go. Nonetheless we will stay within the schedule since our rent contract in the city office is only up to the end of March.

I saw the proposed design and that’s basically why I’m so excited. I could just imagine myself on my sleek new desk inside the zen inspired modern designed office of ours. Cool..

Anyway, here is the proposed lay-out.

This here is the proposed design of the lobby. Although, I’d prefer a simpler ceiling accents. Our CEO commented on how mentally inspiring the design is although he prefers that we keep the high ceiling.

This here is the proposed lay-out for the graphic artists’ room.

What do you think?

Juricks2web

Juricks2web.com, a web design and development company, has uploaded it’s sample website as a part of it’s soft launching promotion. Jurick2web.com is owned and operated by real-life sweethearts Julievive and Erickson which by the way is currently expecting their very first baby.

After 3 years of working as a web developer, Erickson decided to start his own business in collaboration with friends whose specialties lie in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and web hosting.

Erickson says, “I want to own my hours that’s why I decided to establish this collaborative effort.” Jurick2web has considered themselves expert in the areas of website design (web 2.0 concepts), web programming (web 2.0 programming style), site template, PSD slicing to XHTML/CSS coding, corporate identity, logos, advertise banners, design advise and consultation, search engine optimization and web hosting. .

“In terms of web development, our specialty lies in the hottest trend that has hit the industry, web 2.0. Expect glassy buttons and stylish SEO friendly designs from us”, Julievive said.

Stylish, cost-efficient and SEO friendly are the assests their clients have been banking on. Although, their website may have been uploaded only recently, Juricks2Web has already been working with clients from the US, Canada, Denmark, Nevada and Switzerland.

Visit www.juricks2web.com for more information.

Dog house

I have been meaning to build coffee her very own dream dog house. Coffee is the sweetest 1 year old Dobbie I and most of my friends know. James would often say that I must’ve done something wrong to the poor thing since she wouldn’t even hurt a fly.

Anyway, James, being the sweet person that he is,decided to design coffee’s dog house since I have been recently planning about it non-stop.

Here are two of his designs. Its very modern and I love both of it.

Both are done by Architect James Sun. Most of his designs if not all are modern and contemporary.

How to care for your creative team

Managing a team full of right brain thinkers can both be fun and scary at some point. Unlike other staff members they tend to own their hours (they most especially don’t like to wake up during mornings) and they have some very strong ideas to share. As the leader of this ragtag group, how do you help your team achieve greatness?

How do you manage a creative department? Here are a few tips.

1. Don’t over-manage. Don’t breathe down their necks. Sure, you still have to apply the POLC (Planning, Organizing, Leading, Controlling) in management, but then, give them time for themselves. Give them the rules and you just have to trust your people, they usually offer you a brilliant work once they know you trust that they can do their job.
2. Training. It is not enough that you give them the latest facilities, you also have to nurture those young minds and upgrade their technical proficiency. Send them to creative seminars, national conferences, and local clubs that can help spur creativity.
3. They are not some lifeless drones. Creativity doesn’t happen by starring at the same computer screen for hours. If they need to browse their friendster or do a somersault and God knows what. Trust me they are thinking of work.
4. Push them to greatness. Don’t let good get in the way of great. Tom Monahan said, “most ideas never become great because the creator stopped at good“. Think about it. If your team presented you with a concept that you like, instead of saying, “Wow, great work, I love you guys”, try saying, “I like where you are going with this, keep going with it and lets see where this will take you”. You are not only acknowledging your team’s good start but you are also pushing your team to do a better work.
5. A Homework is a Homework. Always do a follow-up. A creative person have the tendency to be lazy, I know I do. Check if they are doing their work. You have to make a system that’s both lenient and stern. Make research an important part for every job. If you want to impress your boss or your clients and make every jaws drop, arm your team with a competitive research before every job is started.
6. Magazines and books are good. Have plenty of them around. They are great for flipping through when some inspiration is needed.
7. If I created it, I’d like to present it please. There is nothing more disheartening than spending countless office hours and many sleepless nights on one work and have some snotty executive swoop up your work and present it to the client himself. The best presenter for the idea is always the creator. If you don’t trust them to do the presentation because they are lousy at it, well, train them. Also know that when they present it, they will be in a room full of clients and its simple human nature that they would have to work harder.
8. Ice breaker. See to it that every once in a while you bust those routine work. Go out with your team and do things other than work.

Ponder on this. Most creative people wouldn’t leave their job over money but rather they leave it because they are unappreciated. Creatives are different, defend your team and you’ll have the most loyal team ever.