This one stings a bit.

Luckily my design wasn’t stolen (that would make the 6th time this year) but everything else was: including my Google Analytics code. And maybe that is why it stings a bit, because I saw “optimum design” in my keywords report (for a few months now) but thought nothing of it. I shrugged it off because I also saw “movie bird poo makes boy invisible” in my keywords too…

But back to NYC-based Optimum Design & Consulting. Given their “design” I’m wishing they had copied my graphics, too, but oh well. Several people that I’ve shown this too have noticed that the site has a rather large blurb (under “resources”) on copyrighting. Here’s the opening paragraph:

“In today’s tough business climate, there has been a disturbing trend among professionals in the commercial visual arts to sidestep the issue of copyrights. In part, designers and illustrators are becoming reluctant to raise the issue of copyright in the fear losing clients. Ignorance of he concept of copyrights among young or inexperienced designers and illustrators is also a factor. Unfortunately, this situation contributes to the erosion of creative rights and the loss of income for the entire visual arts community.”

Learn more about Optimum Design & Consulting’s stance on Copyrighting here. If you view it on “their” site it will popup in a sweet HighSlide box.

This post isn’t to trash Lara and Rebecca (of OD&C) and despite the ridiculousness above I wish them well in business, especially these days. That being said, there is a larger issue here that I’ve really only touched upon quickly in a previous blog post, on Twitter and now a somewhat permanent footer message on my site. The offenders (below) haven’t stolen clients from me, or cost me business, or made any personal attacks other than taking my work (and sometimes, taking credit for it). But apparently this is happening to designers everywhere.

Aside from the Google insight above (and the first site rip by Gurdeep) all of these have been brought to my attention by other people, either on Twitter or email. The first few were somewhat flattering and since the rippers were so far removed (outside the US) I wasn’t particularly bothered. But when I saw that Jason (below) not only graduated from the same college as me but also works in the same city as me (designing, no less) I was appalled. And very surprised.

So I sent gentle emails to everone requesting that they remove my graphics/content. Some of them complied (see for yourself, I’m linking to the sites that originally had the rip). Others didn’t (I’m looking at you, Nazmul). Let’s take a look at the “bio” page for each of these.

Sweet pictures, fellas.

Now that I’ve gotten that awkward introduction out of the way I’d like to propose a 3-step process for future offenders (of any work, really):

1) Stop and think. Not about whether or not you should do it (obviously you shouldn’t). Think about what you like so much about the design (website/logo/whatever). Are you blown away by the font usage? Does the texture/light make it pop? Find out what it is that you’re attracted to first before you end up on a list like this (and have your name dragged through the mud on Twitter). Critique your reaction as much as you would the actual work.

2) Get some perspective. Click around inspiring galleries (logopond, bestwebgallery, ffffound to name a few) for 10 minutes (but stop there) and then walk away, because now that you’re inspired you need to come up with something somewhat original. Can’t think of something it? Partner up with someone who can. Email the original creator for inspiration. If you don’t have the technical ability to pull it off, hit Google. You’ll learn more in a few hours of searching than you could in some university-level classes (mostly because the internet is so immediate and ever-changing, not all courses can keep up).

3) Experiment until you’re happy. You shouldn’t rush yourself (unless you work better that way). That being said, if you’ve spent months on something and you’re still not happy, experiment in a different direction. Experiment in something you’re good at. I know that I’m not a programmer, so I won’t mess around in Javascript even with Google as a resource. I’ll ask for help, or find an open-source solution. If you’re a pro at a certain style, process or program: go all out. I don’t consider myself a pro at any particular design area, but rather comfortable in all areas (a well-roundedness that is both wonderful and frustrating).

So…

If you’ve copy/pasted my/someone’s source code you’re not in trouble until someone else sees it (and they will see it). You’re not in trouble at all if you use it as inspiration or education to create something original, something different. But if you’ve left someone else’s Analytics code in you might want to re-think things a bit. Doubly so if you’re a consulting company.

Which is what my site used to be. Or something similar.

The problem is that I use this place as an outlet for design that doesn’t fit in at work. The look for this blog/site inspired and influenced the AWP re-design (and brand, in some sense). And WordPress (which powers this site, and the blog at work) is powerful and coherent enough (for a designer) that I feel compelled to challenge myself and change things in spurts.

But enough about techy stuff. I’ve also realized that I haven’t worked at all (nor do I plan to) on getting “readers”. I assume that my friends, family, enemies, whoever, will find this site somehow. So my audience isn’t to 100s of 1000s (see: dooce) or event a targeted group (see: web designer wall). And those people who know me – or get to know me by checking out sursly – also know that I’m a bit impulsive with this and more concerned with making something I like than something you like. 

So I’m not sure what the future holds. I’ve recently been inspired by onepagelove which reminds me that there are too many sites with too many pages out there. We’ll see what happens. 

I did return from vacation to find the postcards I designed for a client sitting on my desk. They look pretty sweet, check it out the rest on the work flickr account.
 

Mmmm. To be fair, the kittens were pretty cool, but that’s not exactly what why we go to our strange strange farmer’s market. And I didn’t see any USDA stamp of approval or stickers on these hairballs.

The first sign that this second attempt would be disastrous both for our nightlife (or lack-of) and our emotional well-being came when we found that it took a day or two or four to sit and WATCH the movie and about the same amount of time to return it. Not good. Yes it means we’re not in front of the tube, but still, not good.

The second sign that our retry is already shot to hell (and a pretty substantial one) comes from the fact that we haven’t logged in to update our queue since we signed up. Megan added some junk to the queue when we first signed up and let me add some not junk to it as well. And then we forgot about it.

So we’d get another one of those anxiety inducing red envelopes in the mail, not knowing what is inside- surprise, another Steve Guttenberg romp! – end up all pissed off because we’re stuck with another movie one of us is morally opposed to, wait a week to watch it (or not), and return it cursing at the other person, NetHell, the cat, anything.

So a few days ago: we log in to check our queue.

No Guttenberg on the radar, but an abundance of other stuff that one of us will kick and scream through. Delete this, reorder that, bump those to the bottom. Done.

Finally. The future looks good. That doesn’t mean we’ll watch this documentary that has been sitting in our house for eight days. But it does mean that if and when we do, we’ll be knee deep in Jack Black and more depressing documentaries.