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.

So far so good!

The biggest difference (aside from visual goodies and whatnot) is that the site will be completely static. It will be one page (because no one needs more than one for a portfolio, right?) and what you’re reading now will be the blog section, which will live separetly…for now. It wouldn’t be difficult to wrap my new design into WordPress, but it would be slightly unnecessary.

Hope you enjoyed the blue, the future is a colorless void. At least, it is on Sursly.com.

Big upps to someone who will be named later for some javascript goodness. Thank you thank you.

New format will accommodate somewhat “live” design and development, which is uber-fun for me. Last night I debated switching my publishing platform to something new, mostly for no other reason than to experiment, but WordPress is just so snazzy these days. I was tempted to dive into Symphony, Habari or Drupal but maybe on the next re-design. If I get a little more free time I’ll re-install Expression Engine and pick up where I left off, but here we go.

So I’m still wrestling with the design but more so with content. What, really, do I want/need to be adding to this site? My photos (and some design work) go to Flickr, I’m on Twitter instead of this blog and I’ll be adding videos to Vimeo. Since I’ve been into poster design and illustration lately perhaps that is what the new Sursly will highlight.

That being said, this blog isn’t going to disappear, the focus will just be somewhere else. My goal is to re-launch by the end of August, but that depends on a few things, Jonah’s sleep cycle being one of them.

Actually, it has been in the works for a week now, but I never would have had the time to really finish it if Meg and J hadn’t taken off for Ohio and left me with the burden of: what to do (take pictures, build this site)?

So I’m blogging again here for the first time in 10 months, and I might have to delete some old, junky posts. There’s nothing worse than reading things about your own life from a time when your own life was pretty dull.So the whale… even though this site went from design to web in a week, the whale has been kicking around for about a month. It made total sense to me, for reasons I won’t get into now, but I suspect that it will be around a while. And I’ll put it on everything. Mostly because it makes me smile.

Still using WordPress. Also still having trouble getting used to the new version (2.5.1), which aesthetically is a huge improvement, but not so much on the functionality aspect if you were really used to the old blocky beast. But I’ve been blogging a few times a week from work and am finally getting used to it. Whatev.

I won’t try to fill the gap of dead posts from July of last summer until now, but I will make a conscious effort to update this thing with some frequency. I’ve been able to do it on Flickr, so this seems do-able, for now. But things will be tightened up in the next few days, and updating the blogroll is first on my to-do list – which is really only about 5 items long.

note: *no helvetica was used in the creation of this new site*