GF Design

The New GF Design Studio

2011-06-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all moved into my new office space, and while my studio is always a "work in progress," I thought I'd share a few pics with you!

This is an unusually shaped space in the farthest reaches of our basement. The floor is tile, the ceiling cedar paneling, and there is built-in storage galore. I love all the storage, however, it did pose a challenge of where to put things, specifically furniture that's normally up against a wall. The L-shaped room consists of 6 walls:

1) One wall covered with 6 doors (above) with access to storage shelves,

2) another wall is the entrance to the furnace room with a built in cabinet next to it,

3) One wall has a regular door to the back yard and a set of sliding glass doors with another built-in cabinet between them,

4) The shortest wall is just wide enough for the entrance to the office,

...which leaves me with walls 5) and 6) to put furniture against: One of those walls is painted brick, so there is literally one wall with drywall on which to hang things.

AFTER....

Aaaah....a cool space with a function and purpose!

Above you see the one wall where I could hang things, which is where I hung my zig-zag shelf, flat shelf/countertop, and clock. That pretty much dictated where my bookshelf and desk could sit, which worked out fine, as I now face out the sliding glass doors and view of the lake while sitting at my computer.

The carpet tiles I got from Flor really softened up the space. I wanted something that I could change if I wanted to, and easily replace as needed. Being that kids are in here too, and the dogs go in and out of the house through my office door, the ability to replace stained tiles was a must. They are also nice and smooth, which works great for my rolling desk chair.

I of course kept my kid-friendly goals from my previous studio space re-design. (Wow, it's weird to look back on that post when I'm pregnant, with the now 1.5 year old who's shown above!)

To help better utilize all of these walls that couldn't have furniture against them, I looked for other ways to make the surfaces work for me.

I used some peel-and-stick dry erase board material to cover one of the large storage units. It went on great, although a day later started to bubble. I'm still trying to flatten bubbles daily, so it was a little disappointing, but a perfectly flat wall may accept the covering better than this wood storage unit.

I also bought some peel-and-stick chalkboard surface, which is really just black Con-Tact paper, but it worked great. I stuck squares of it on the wall, and also used it to wrap some cabinet fronts on my bookshelf. (I got these cabinet door units in the as-is section for $5, but didn't want them to be red anyway, so this was a great fix!)

On the wall behind my desk I hung some cork squares, a square of dry erase stuff, a square of chalkboard, and a little note holder. Turned on end as diamond shapes, they fit under my zig-zag shelf perfectly, and the squares tie in nicely with the squares on the floor.

The wall above my drawing board is painted brick, so it's harder to hang things. However, I found that 3M's exterior mounting adhesive worked perfectly to mount these cork squares. I left spaces between them to continue with the recurring square theme.

The wall of doors I am now using for various things...I hung my white boards here, and mounted some more cork to fit within the door panels. Someday when I'm rolling in cash and don't know where to spend it, I'll get myself some giant white board panels that fit the size of each door. But, until then, my thrift store white boards work just fine!

The 1/4" thick cork is easy to cut with an X-acto blade, and was a great choice to fit within the panels on the door. 3M's Command hooks worked great here as well, to hold my T-squares. I've added more since these photos were taken.

What narrow strips of vertical wall surface I had left on "the wall of doors" I utilized as well. Here I screwed in some steel strips that I could attach my magnetic storage jars to.

The other strip of "wall" had a recessed area, which just screamed "state fair photo booth frame" to me!

While unpacking I came across a little collection of fortune cookie fortunes, and discovered that the clear plastic corner guard made a perfect little spot to "frame" them! For some reason I just can't ever bring myself to throw away those little fortunes. (Maybe it's because the day before my husband proposed, I got one that read "you will be married within a year.") ;-)

Painting the ceiling white really brightened the space in a major way. The ceiling has dropped areas, and I found a couple little ledge shelves at thrift stores that fit perfectly across a couple lengths, giving me space for storage of small items and knick-knacks.

I am really loving my new space now. For me, the ceiling and floor treatments were what really transformed it from an awkward basement space to an enjoyable space to be in, and one void of old, bad, distracting design decisions. Now I am just free to crank out sweet designs for my awesome clients! I am truly blessed to be in my dream job, working for myself from my own home studio with a view! Thanks for stopping by.

New "Pioneers of Industrial Design" Stamps from USPS

2011-06-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Check out these cool new postage stamps that honor the works of famed 20th Century industrial designers! These are "forever" stamps, which will remain valid no matter how high postage prices climb. I think it's time for GF Design to stock up on postage...

New FREE Paper Pattern Now Available at GF Design!

2011-06-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce a new addition to my collection of free paper project downloads: a paper bird puppet! I used to make these as a kid, and when I recently made one for my 3 year old, I added a body to it. You can download a pdf pattern for all of the pieces (except the head which is just a rectangle of paper), and reference the fully illustrated tutorial to make it on my IDMommy blog. Enjoy!

Designing GF Design

2011-04-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Would the mental image of a row of sweaty, naked fat guys in white towels enable you to develop great design ideas? No, me neither, which is why I'd like to eliminate that particular image that my new studio space puts into my head.

You may have read one of my previous posts about the total re-design of my studio space. I had the opportunity to start from scratch in a new room, and to redesign the space to fit my specific needs and the work pattern of my three businesses. It was great...I got it just the way I wanted! And then, we moved. Time to start over! It was frustrating at first, for about a millisecond. I LOVE to design so I have taken this new space as an opportunity for another personal design project. And what designer wouldn't love to tailor a space just for their work?!

My new space is in the basement, which is a bit of a "con" since it gets chilly during those Minnesota winters, and I have many 4, 6, 8, and million-legged uninvited "friends" who like to visit me. (But, it also has huge, glass sliding doors that showcase our 120 feet of lakeshore, so yeah, I think I can throw on a sweatshirt and live with a few bugs.)

The big distraction for me right now is the ceiling, which is covered in cedar paneling. I am painting it white. Sure, cedar is nice wood, and blah blah blah. Now that that's out of your system, here is why cedar is distracting to me, and why I opened this post with that...uh...very graphic image. Cedar lined walls/ceilings make me feel like I'm in a giant sauna. Or maybe a humidor. Which would be GREAT if I were a sauna or humidor designer, mind you, but I am not. I am a product and retail fixture designer. Neither Cuban stogies nor large, sweaty men with their nether regions wrapped in towels belong in a design studio. At least not in mine.

And it's not just a visual distraction. The cedar smell, coupled with my two large farting dogs who nap in here occasionally, brings back childhood memories of cleaning out my hamster cage. Yes, I will admit that since childhood I have had a sickeningly keen sense of smell, and consider it both a blessing and a curse. Nevertheless, stinky feces-soaked cedar shavings are not so conducive to my generation of cutting edge design concepts.

We all have different things that inspire and distract us. While I won't speak for everyone, I think it's safe to say that the environment is of utmost importance to a designer. The environment that designers work in is directly linked to their productivity, their output, and even their overall mood. People who work in other professions I'm sure think this is all a farce...After all, if an accountant demanded that his walls be painted PMS384 in order to perform his calculations accurately, he'd be laughed out of the room! Those crazy "artsy fartsy" people just use that as an excuse to get a stereo system and those fancy "incandescent" light bulbs in their offices, right?! WRONG! [by the way, don't ever, EVER call me "artsy fartsy"]

The brain of the designer is just not quite the same as a non-designer. Working in a poorly designed space for a designer is like putting that accountant in a room with walls covered with calculations that all have the incorrect answers. Incredibly. Distracting.

As a designer, I am CONSTANTLY analyzing and mentally re-designing whatever environment I am in and whatever object I come in contact with. This is a natural, ingrained process that has always been and will always be a part of me. I have embraced it and made a thriving career of it. But, sometimes it can be distracting, and since my job is to create awesome design for my clients, my space MUST be a place that stimulates me creatively and allows fresh ideas to flow...not to distract me with bad design elements. Eliminating these bad design elements enables my creative brain to focus on my clients' needs.

And so, off I go to re-design a new space to suit my needs and those of my businesses. I am excited to be starting "fresh" again, and will surely be posting photos as they come, so stay tuned!!

Save the Art Department!

2011-01-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

I was both disgusted and saddened this week to learn that the Lakeville school system that I once attended as a 7th through 12th grader is talking about cutting the art department due to budget cuts. Not trim, but completely cut.

Things like this make me furious, not just because art is at the core of my career, my passion, and my life, but because it is yet more evidence of the pure ignorance and lack of respect that the art and design field receives from the general public...those who interact with artists' and designers' output nearly every moment of every day. So many people have no idea that artists can enter very well respected and well paying careers. And part of that problem, is that the schools themselves, designed to prepare children for life after school, don't show respect for this field. Music and the arts always seem to be the first thing that school boards cut when money is tight. These school years are when it is most important to get this message across...when young kids are at the age where they are exploring their own natural gifts and passions, and making decisions about their own careers.

Not all artists are "starving." And not all artists only make paintings. I could go on and on about the subject, and if you are a designer yourself, chances are you've come across these scenarios in your own life and are as frustrated as me. One of my high school art teachers reached out to my family in hopes that we could write a few words to the school board in support of the art program. I've copied my letter below...if any of you fellow artists or designers out there would care to add your own arguments for the art department, feel free to comment, or email me for an address where you can send a letter to everyone on the Lakeville school board!

Dear Lakeville School Board Members,

Nineteen years ago I entered the Lakeville school system through McGuire Jr. High as the awkward “new girl” in the 7^th grade. I was one of those kids who was always picked last for teams in gym class. From 7^th grade on, I was bullied and picked on throughout much of the rest of my schooling. However, one thing enabled me to hold on to my sense of pride, accomplishment, and self-esteem, and that was art.

As a kid who earned good grades but was not the greatest in sports, I DID excel in the arts. Art class was my one solace that got me through the school day. When I walked through the door to my art room, I was entering MY world: my escape from the teasing and bullies...the one area of the school where I could stand tall, stop looking over my back, and do what I did best…where I could be myself and I was GOOD at it. As I became engulfed in my projects, I was able to block out everything else, boost my spirits to get through the remainder of the day. I learned to find pride and self esteem through my own inner gifts, not by cutting other people down.

So what about AFTER high school? What is the big deal about art, anyway? Don’t artists just make paintings that hang on the walls of stuffy museums, where only the elite art critics can afford them and interpret the meaning behind them? Art adorned walls are not among Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, so we really don’t NEED art to live, do we? After all, most artists are “struggling” or “starving,” right? That is what so many people believe, but these people have no idea how many careers stem from art and how it impacts EVERYONE on a daily basis.

So many schools offer huge scholarships for their local sports stars. The Lakeville Sr High School art department pulled together a $200 scholarship, which was awarded to me my senior year. The work that the art department put into raising that money meant more to me than any big donor’s contribution could. I went straight on to college where I majored in Graphic Design for a couple years, ultimately graduating with honors from The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial design.

Industrial design is one of the many, many highly respected and even well-paying professions that people don’t realize that artists can enter, and many don’t even realize exists. Industrial designers play a part in the creation of nearly every physical object created. They design everything from the car you drive to work, the desk you sit in, to the pen in your hand. They design the shoes that your basketball players wear, and the helmets that protect your football players’ heads. So far in my career, I have spent time designing everything from products themselves, to the graphics that represent them, the packages they are sold in, the store fixtures they are displayed on, and the overall retail environments they reside in. Today I run three of my own successful businesses, all using my artistic skills. But I am only one small example of a where art classes can launch a Lakeville student. I am also a mother of two, and I know for certain that if the art department were cut entirely from their school, we would take them elsewhere.

Art classes give to creative students what sports give to athletic students. Art, to an artist, is just like any field to someone who is passionate about it…it is an enormous part of what defines them. And when you send a message that art is expendable, you send a message that they and their future success too, are expendable.

The thought that a creative and artistic student could enter and exit the Lakeville school system without ever realizing their full potential is devastating. Not just for the student, but for the community as well. I hope that for the sake of your students’ futures, you will strongly consider continuing your art program in any way possible.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Gretchen Fleener, Class of 1997

New Crochet Pattern Now Available: Amigurumi Giraffe Rattle!

2010-11-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling that my fellow crochet-ers out there are getting a start on their homemade holiday gifts, as I have had an increase in crochet pattern sales these past few weeks. This prompted me to finally post up another one of my original patterns...the Amigurumi Giraffe baby rattle! It is a spin on my monkey rattle, and a great gift for babies or new moms at baby showers. I designed this one for a friend who has a jungle themed nursery.

The pattern is available for just $2, and is sent to you via email in the form of a 6 page pdf. Each page is full of color photos of the whole process, making it super easy to follow along and check your work as you go! My favorite part is the mane down the back...

Core 77's "Play Doh Kicks" Contest Winners

2010-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

This looks like so much fun, and I'm KICKING myself for not having found out about it soon enough to enter. I love fun contests like this, as you can see from my design website on the bottom of my portfolio page! I also have a hard time getting out my son's Play Doh out without getting very much into it myself.

Core 77 recently challenged their readers to recreate their favorite shoe out of Play-Doh as a tribute to shoe design. Check out the winners on their site!

Amazing table designs

2010-07-26T07:09:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled upon this website today...check out these awesome tables.

Free 3D Paper Toy Pattern Now Available!

2010-07-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've been having a lot of fun working on various retail and other design projects lately, but if I tell you about them I'll have to shoot you. But, that wouldn't be a very nice start to this rainy Minnesota day. So, instead, I've decided to share my latest personal project. I've added a new section to my online "shop" section...3D paper toy patterns! There's only one up there now, but it's FREE so check it out. Whether you're looking for something to do with your kids on this rainy day, or stuck in a cubicle looking for a way to pass the time, GF Design's new 3D Paper Road Construction Playset is perfect for you! Download your free pdf (in color or black and white) here! For more detailed photos of it's construction, as well as a few paper folding tips and tricks, check out my IDMommy post. If you do end up building one, please post a comment...I'd love to know how it went!

"White Box" by Makoto Yabuki

2010-07-12T20:57:00.001-07:00

Check out this gorgeous video by Makoto Yabuki. I just love it!! (via ReubenMiller)

White Box from makoto yabuki on Vimeo.

Design work spills out of my studio and into the home!

2010-07-02T13:50:00.000-07:00

GF Design has been busy with a bunch of random projects lately! I've been working on everything from retail displays to brochures to working my Photoshop magic on some photos for my Realtor. I love the variety of projects I get as a freelancer! Even more than that, I love being able to do what I love while still being home with my kids, and being able to use my skills and talents for their benefit as well.

One such project is this toy barn that I recently refurbished from a thrift store. You can read more about it on my ID Mommy blog post.

I've also been letting my design skills spill over into the kitchen, in the form of cheeseburger cupcakes and bbq grill cupcakes.

I have to admit I was a little sad this past week though, when one of my kid-related design projects backfired on me. My 2 and a half year old informed me that he was scared of the robots in his room...which is half of his robot-slash-space theme. So, together we took down the robot paintings Mommy did, and packed up all his robot toys into boxes, including the one Mommy crocheted for him. Oh, well. I'm not so sad about having to pack them up, as I'm sure he'll still have fun with them when he's a little older. But, I was sad that his room was making him scared! I don't blame him...I suppose if I woke up in the middle of the night and saw twenty pairs of gigantic robot eyes staring at me under the low lighting of my night light, I'd be pretty freaked out too. Oh, well, lesson learned...wait to decide what theme to make your kids' room in until they are big enough to show you what they like! ;-) For now we'll stick with just space, and maybe once we sell our house and move, we can talk about a new theme!

Today I spent about 2 minutes turning a cardboard box into a tunnel for Sammy's train. It came complete with a little gate arm that swivels on a brad. Man, that thing kept him busy playing for hours today, and I have a feeling the fun will last through this holiday weekend! Gotta love how easy to please these little clients are!

I Just Want to Go Home...

2010-06-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know who did this illustration but I love it! I totally swiped it off an illustrator/designer friend's Facebook profile photo collection. I can recall feeling like this at times while working at some of the large corporate offices I've worked at in the past, as I'm sure every designer has! And I'm not knocking any of the companies I've worked for as I have LOVED all of my previous positions. But, everyone has had those days when you're up to your eyeballs in emails, meetings, expense reports, and corporate politics, and you just want to get back to the heart of what you love to do!

Just had to share... So glad I get to "draw bunnies" at home every day, so-to-speak, as a freelancer! I love my job, and now especially it's location!

Pantone Gifts!

2010-06-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

If you've spent any time designing for any large corporation, chances are you have a few exact Pantone color codes ingrained in your memory. I know I will forever know the exact color match for Scotts green and Best Buy blue.

I love these Pantone products...great gifts for the designers in your life!

Hand-inspired products

2010-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

When you think about it, the human body is like the best designed "product" there is. It is incredible what the body can do. Hands are particularly amazing, especially to me as an artist and designer. Every one on the planet is unique, yet perfectly suited for each person's use. Hands can crush and caress, create and destroy. They can hold and maneuver the brush that created the Mona Lisa, they can carve a block of raw material into a famous sculpture, they can design and build amazing architecture and create the tools needed to do what they cannot do themselves. So, it's no wonder that hands have inspired so many products out there now. Here are a few that I've always thought were clever, showcasing the many talents of "the hand!"

Book end hands:

Coat hook hand:

Hand shaped hand soap :

Hand shaped vase or candle holders:

Hand shaped bowl:

Cool Concepts from Lufdesign

2010-05-07T14:33:00.000-07:00

Check out these "leaf ties" by Lufdesign. The leaf tie is designed to be used in the same way your average cable tie is used, however, in the end it transforms your ugly snarl of cables into twisted vine.

Their website has some more beautiful photography of the product in use.

Such a cool, simple way to blend something so utilitarian with something beautiful and organic, and the proceeds go to benefit causes for ecology.

In addition to painting things neutral, with a house on the market, I'm also finding myself sweeping even more than I already do. So, this fun product design idea caught my eye. I totally agree with the Core 77 blogger's skepticism of the chunky lip picking up anything other than uniformly crumpled pieces of clean, white paper. But, the idea behind something that can double as a dustpan and a trash can via a simple 90 degree rotation is pretty neat. The only problem I see here though, besides the chunky lip, is if you already have garbage in the can and then want to sweep up some more, tipping it over would spill things back on the floor. It's pretty obvious (to my Photoshop user's eye anyway) that these are 3D computer models dropped into real background photos, so I'm guessing it hasn't been tested in the real world. But, like I said, the concept behind it is very cool, and that's what "conceptual design" is for! (via Core77)

New Industrial Design Blog: "I.D.Mommy!"

2010-03-16T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce my latest blog project, "I.D.Mommy.com!" Here I will write about how and where industrial design meets motherhood. Being a work-from-home industrial designer with 2 boys, I find that the two constantly intersect. You can expect to see honest product reviews with my unique perspective as a user and a designer, as well as other items like fellow "MOMtrepreneurs," recipes, personal stories, DIY projects, and more. So, swing on by and check it out when you get a chance!

Portfolio Additions: Powerpoint Design and Personal Projects

2010-03-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

While I did just have a baby 6 weeks ago, I've been back to work designing for my clients since 4 weeks ago! Things are definitely still hopping here as usual at the GF Design studio. Being that it's the weekend though, I thought I would put a little bit of time into updating my website, adding a few more items to my portfolio.

One is a project that I worked on last year, designing a powerpoint sales presentation for Acrylic Design Associates. Having seen many, many bad Powerpoint presentations given to me by vendors while working for Best Buy, I was really excited to see a vendor who realized the importance of presenting good design to designers, and couldn't wait to get started on this one.

So many salespeople overlook the design of their actual presentations, not realizing that something as small as a strange font, pixelated web image, or misaligned graphics can distract a designer's attention enough to cause them to miss the entire presentation. I know I have spent many presentations as a viewer with the only thoughts going through my head being, "why on earth did they use that font?," "Why did they use such small text and so little contrast on a Powerpoint?", or "why can't they find a higher resolution image of their own logo?"

So, as you can imagine, I was thrilled to be able to help design a sales presentation that would be clean and clear, and solve all of the issues that I knew distracted me from others' poor presentations in the past. Utilizing graphics, buttons, colors and contrast, the new design was able to present a wealth of information without overwhelming the audience, and let them know where in the presentation they were at any moment.

Along with this project, I also have added a couple more to my online portfolio: a space wall mural, and the space/robot-themed bedroom that it was created for...another fun design project done within my own home! While these were not done for "paying" clients, of course, they are fun examples of projects that I literally live with every day!

New Fixtures...and Pottery!

2009-12-12T11:27:00.001-08:00

It's been a little while since I've blogged, which means a lot has been going on in the GF Design studio! This month I was excited to see a couple fixtures I designed with Lynx for the new Tony Hawk Ride video game release. Here is the endcap display currently in GameStop stores:

...and in-line display at Toys-R-Us which features a wood halfpipe:

I also had the opportunity to bring in my amazing graphic designer and illustrator sister Heidi Panelli on the design of the overhead graphics for the entire wall of gondolas here in Toys-r-Us:

It's been in the works for a while and is always exciting to get to the point when everything is out in the public! I'll be adding more photos to my web portfolio soon.

I've also been working on some more product and packaging design, as well as some more graphic work. So, there have been no shortage of projects to keep me busy this winter, in addition to preparing for Christmas, my son's 2nd birthday party (day after Christmas), and the arrival of baby #2 due in 6 weeks!

In addition to my design work, I've just completed a 6 week course on the pottery wheel at the Bloomington Art Center and had a great time. I still have a few more pots that need to be fired, but here is a sampling of some of the pieces I have been able to bring home over the past couple weeks:

I had a lot of fun, got a chance to get away by myself (precious time for a work-at-home mom!), and even got to make some Christmas gifts.

So, that's what has been going on in my design world lately...hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

New Product Design Project: Safe Sizer Choking Prevention Plates

2009-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am excited to be able to share the results of a great collaborative project that I've been working on this year...Illustrations for the Safe Sizer Choking Prevention Plates. I have had the opportunity to work with David Zak of Midwest Monkeys for several years now on his child safety-related designs. This summer I was given the opportunity to work on some new and more modern-looking designs for his line of SafeSizer plates. If you visit his website's product page, you can see the original "nature series," and below that the new "animal series."

In a nutshell, I was asked to create some more modern designs that could better fit into someone's kitchen...not as bright and "kid-ish" as the original designs. After some research into some patterns and color combinations that were relevant to the market, I presented David with several options, ranging from geometric patterns to basic colors to animal illustration.

After we landed on the color schemes and this idea of "animals and the foods they eat," I was very happy to have the opportunity to bring in my sister, Heidi Panelli of Panelli Design, to turn my quick concept illustrations into more professional final art. At first David was a little reluctant to bring in another designer, being that he was happy with the plates as they were. However, knowing her talent and expertise as an illustrator could take these images to a whole new level, I was fortunate enough to have a client who in the end, valued the design process and my opinions enough to allow me to bring in Heidi to complete the project.

Design direction as illustrated by GF Design:

Final art created by Panelli Design:

Taking the overall design direction and colors from my quick illustrations, Heidi took them all up a notch, giving them the professional, fun and playful look that David and I were after. The end resulted in a fantastic new line of plates to further differentiate David's great idea of the Safe Sizer Choking Prevention ring, molded into each plate.

Luckily for David and all of my clients, my ego is not so big as to prevent me from recognizing when someone I know would be better suited for part of a particular project. I am always looking for ways to give my clients the best work possible, even if it means passing off work to someone else. My clients have always been happy with the results on the projects that my sister and I collaborate on. I hope to do more collaborative projects like this down the road! Many thanks to David of Midwest Monkeys for being open enough to allow the design process to work, and for having enough faith in us as designers to allow us to do what it took to get to reach the best end product possible!

Book Review: The X and Y of Buy

2009-10-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

As a book review blogger for Thomas Nelson publishers, I recently read "The X and Y of Buy," by Elizabeth Pace. I thought that this book would be beneficial to my work, especially with all of the retail fixture design that I do. Whether we like it or not, the fact is that men and women are different in the way they are wired. Understanding these differences will only make you better at designing for and/or selling to both sexes.

The first part of the book goes through the "hardwired" differences between Men and Women, such as their brain structure, and how Men's and Women's left and right hemispheres work together in completely different ways. Pace likens the way men's brains work to a file cabinet, compartmentalized and focused, with the ability to "turn off" and be 70% less active when at rest. The woman's brain, on the other hand, is likened to all of those files spread out on a large table: everything touches everything else, and the brain is only 10% less active when at rest. I could definitely relate to this myself, as I know my mind keeps racing with to-do's even when I'm trying to go to sleep. (I find it helps a lot to keep a note pad by my bed to jot things down, allowing me to forget about them for the night and finally rest!)

These hardwired differences translate into the completely different ways that men and women shop. Pace does a great job throughout the book, illustrating (through word, graphics, and tables) our biological differences, how they affect the way we shop, and giving examples of how a salesperson might interact with a male vs female customer.

The second part of the book is divided up to specifically address "the X of Buy" and "the Y of Buy," giving examples of how to work with and sell to men and women individually, which Pace calls "GenderCycle Selling" (TM). Here she takes you through scenarios for both men and women, both in the business-to-business sales and the retail or direct-to-customer sales situations. With tips on how to engage in and close off a conversation, and key words to use throughout the sale, Pace leaves nothing out of the process.

While I myself am not a sales person by title, I do find sales tips and techniques to be extremely useful in the design profession. Whether I am selling my services to a potential new client, or selling a design concept to a full board room of decision makers, sales is a part of my job. In addition to being armed with good sales techniques, knowing my customer (or end user of a product) is extremely important to the success of a design. This book has given me more insight into a very basic yet very influential part of my end users' identities, their gender, which gives me a head start right from the beginning. I would recommend this book to anyone who either works in sales, or simply would like to improve their understanding of and communication with both men and women.

Craighton Berman's Coil lamp

2009-10-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

Most of my favorite designs are those that evoke the question, "why didn't I think of that?!" Craighton Berman's Coil Lamp is one of those designs.

By wrapping a 100' extension cord around a carefully designed, laser-cut plexiglass structure, Craighton Berman manages to turn an extension cord from the garage into an accessory worthy of prime tabletop space inside the home.

It's one of those products that looks so simple when the average person sees it, yet only those with a grasp of the Industrial Designer's profession understand the amount of work that goes into making such a great idea look so flawlessly simple.

(Via Core77)

Environmental Design: Space/Robot Themed Kids' Room

2009-09-30T15:02:00.000-07:00

I love my job. I've always been passionate enough about design that I'd be willing to do it for free, which I guess means I went into the right field. But, it also means I jump at the chance to use my art and design skills across all aspects of life, especially for my family!

Among our recent home remodeling projects, in addition to my new office, was a new room for my almost 2-year old little boy (in my old office space). His "old" bug themed room will be used for the next kid, due in Jan! My husband wanted to go with a space/science theme, and I wanted to go with robots. Luckily space and robots go together like pb&j, so it was easy to land on a space/robot theme. I enjoyed finding just the right items for his room, while also making and recycling many items to save money.

Above is a shot of the new room, minus the bed which we will be custom building to look like a robot, of course, and hope to share in a future post. For now he's getting used to sleeping in the big bed. I did a space mural on the back wall and painted all the stars and planets, except for the moon, which is a hanging light I found online. It goes through the lunar phases...very cool!

I have been collecting space and robot themed toys and decor at garage sales and thrift stores all summer, which now live on a bookshelf built by my husband's great-grandpa (above). The dresser was my old bedroom set that came from my great-grandma as well. I bought some cool robot and rocket ship knobs to put on it, saving the original knobs for when he grows out of the room. It was a great way to re-use current and meaningful furniture that was already in the house, rather than buying more "stuff" we didn't need.

I found 3 canvases at a yard sale for $2, and painted cartoon robots on them to decorate the other walls. I thought it was a good way to add more themed art without making it as permanent in it's placement as the mural.

Some of the details:

A - Although a little bit pricey, I couldn't turn down this ceiling fan from Home Depot!
In the background is a light-up, moving, solar system mobile, $5 in the unopened box at a garage sale.
B - One of the robot paintings I did on a garage sale canvas.
C - Laundry hamper, $6 at a thrift store, painted to match the room.
D - Wall clock, $5 at a thrift store, also re-painted.
E - An old lamp I've had around for years, re-painted for the room.
F - Corner shelf, $1 from a garage sale, displaying a souvenir robot from a family vacation.
G - One of the robot knobs I put on the antique dresser. It's an easy way to make it fit the room, without damaging the furniture at all with permanent changes.
H - Robot clock I bought on our trip to Paris this past spring. (Yes, we took a toddler to Paris!)
I - Space themed pillow, $2 at a garage sale.
J - My husband's great-grandpa's bookshelf, full of robot toys I've collected all summer
K - Space themed rug that I purchased online.
L - Space mural, and hand-sewn curtains

In the end, I think it turned out well. My little guy loves it and that's what matters. It's full of crazy colors, which a kid room should be anyway, yet all pulls together on a common theme.

Virtual Open House: GF Design's New Studio Space

2009-08-27T13:02:00.000-07:00

After a lot of cleaning, re-organizing, carrying, and Ikea furniture building, GF Design is now completely moved into the new studio space! (formerly known as our master bedroom!) Since many people have asked me how I juggle 3 businesses AND watch a toddler all day, I will focus this blog post on how I have been able to tailor my space to both my work and motherhood.

(for more focus on how I worked with a limited budget and incorporated recycled storage solutions, visit my Junk Mail Gems blog!)

I had a couple main goals in re-designing my new space:
1) Functionality of the space as it pertains to the type of design work that I do, and
2) Child safety.

As far as functionality goes for my work, things are laid out perfectly now. While my new "bigger" space is only 130 square feet, I was able to start from scratch this time and design with my business needs in mind, utilizing every inch to it's fullest. I have a space for my computer work (below, right half) which includes everything I need within arm's reach for doing my design work, as well as my website maintenance and order fulfillment for Paintertainment and Junk Mail Gems.

I then have an area for hand-done design work (sketches, Junk Mail Gems product creation, etc) on the left side of the room where my drawing board sits. Both work areas are by windows which provide great natural light and cut down on electricity usage.

While my home office clearly needed more space, organization, and functionality, of equal concern was my role as a work-from-home mom. I have a toddler running around the house 24/7 (and another one on the way), and while my old office had to remain largely unexplored by my curious 1.5 year old, I wanted this new space to be safe for him to enter and explore while Mommy is working. When he was a baby, it was easy to set a playpen or swing in my office, but now that he's mobile and curious, it's a whole new challenge! He really does not need to be in there very often as I do the majority of my design work during nap times and bedtime. However, by making it more child-friendly, when necessary I can easily pop in and out throughout the day to accomplish quick tasks for my clients sooner.

Strategic desk placement.
Being that I spend most of my time at my computer, rather than pushing it up against the wall, it sits perpendicular to the wall. Where I sit I now can see what's going on in my entire office. By turning my head to the windows I can see who's driving by or walking up to the house, and if I look toward the door, I have a clear view down the stairs and into the living room where my kiddo spends most of his play time. I have a child's room on either side of my studio now, so Mommy can keep everyone at least in the corner of her eye and within earshot.

Strategic Storage Placement
I also took into account what is stored where, knowing that everything on the lower half of my studio would be reachable by little hands. The Ikea Expedit bookshelf I used works great to divide and organize the space in this way:

I am able to purchase the drawer and door inserts where needed, and simply add child safety latches to them like any other cabinet.

The shelves on the bottom rows are full of coloring books and toys for my child to play with, as well as some other items that he either has no interest in, or I can live with him pulling out onto the floor (and are safe). Everything that would either make a huge mess or is not safe to play with is stored on the top shelves.

I got this drawer unit (above) at a garage sale for $5, and it holds my stash of extra drawing utensils as well as glitter that I sell on Paintertainment.com. I have it sitting sideways (as shown) so that my little guy can't open the drawers. Being that it is on wheels and has handles on top, it is very easy to spin around when I want to access something.

Entertainment For Little Visitors
My file cabinet sits on the end of my desk. Being metal, it has very sharp corners, so I made sure to put cushioning corner guards on them. The sides are full of magnets to play with and the surface on top is dedicated to toys. It also conveniently has a lock, so I can keep him from opening the drawers and pulling papers out.

The cover remains open over the keys on my cabinet grand piano in the corner, allowing my little musician to make "music" as he pleases. I also have several safe, non-toy objects around the room that he can "discover" on his own and makes him feel like he found something cool. But, the layout of the upper level of my home allows me to simply gate off the stairs, and allow him to roam from his bedroom to my office while he plays.

Cable Management
Managing the mess of cords was something I considered carefully for both aesthetic reasons and child safety reasons, especially since the back of my desk is accessible in the main area of the room and not against a wall. I used an Ikea cord management "sling" on the back of my desk to capture everything coming out of my desktop. The pouch holds my power strip and keeps all of the outlets out of sight and out of reach. I used Cable Turtles to help keep excess cables from getting tangled up. As a result, I have only one single cable coming off of my desk, from the power strip to the wall.

There are a few outlets that are not easily accessible by little hands, but just in case, I have been using these nice outlet covers all over the house where kids roam:
I've seen so many toddlers easily pull off those little plug covers, but these are screwed on to the wall and replace your usual plates. To use them you just need to put the plug in the slots, slide to the side and push in...piece of cake. And when your toddler figures out how to pull the plug out, they snap shut and you're still safe. (If you have your power strips visible, check out this power strip cover.)

All in all, everyone is happy with the new studio layout. I get more work done when my toddler is napping because the space is designed around my various tasks, and I also can squeeze in a little more work time (= happy clients) while he is happily and safely exploring Mommy's office and the whole upper level. That means that I spend less time chasing him around saying "no, don't touch," and he spends more time with Mommy and having adventures exploring. Everybody wins!

GF Design has MOVED!

2009-08-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I am currently blogging from my new studio! After some time spent assembling a bunch of Ikea furniture (above) in between client projects and getting all my "stuff" moved in, I am now more productive than ever! I plan on showing some photos of my new studio soon, once I get everything where I want it and get some other unwanted furniture moved out...stay tuned!

"Untooned" characters by Pixeloo

2009-07-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Being a big Photoshop guru, I just had to share these cool and disturbingly realistic "untooned" characters from Pixeloo! Check out Homer Simpson, if he were to have realistic textures added to his face:

Mario is another great one!

Also be sure to check out Stewie from Family Guy, and Jessica Rabbit!

Amazing work!!

Design Eye Candy

2009-07-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

Just had to share a little bit of cool design eye candy that I've come across this week.

Product Design
first up in product design is "Din-ink," designed by Andrea Cingoli, Paolo Emilio Bellisario, Cristian Cellini, and Francesca Fontana from Italy. This incredibly clever idea won them
first prize in the "dining in 2015" contest which I came across on Designboom. It's what I consider one of those "why didn't I think of that?" ideas. Great work!!

Web Design
Second is a very clever website design for Hema. Click on the link and don't click anything...just wait a minute and see what happens! Many thanks to my sister for passing this one on to me!

Film
This I thought was just a beautifully done little video, "Niagra Falls in Motion," by Matthew Wartman. I think any designer can appreciate the motion, colors, timing, and overall beauty! I had taken the drive up to see Niagra Falls many times during the 4 years I lived in Ohio. So glad I got to see it in person while I was living closer to it. I never, however, had the chance to see how beautiful it is at night.

A Break from Design for a Personal Art Project!

2009-07-13T14:39:00.000-07:00

I've had this painting sitting on my easel since last summer, when I shot the photo that inspired it at the Hyland Park Reserve a couple miles from my house. Today I finally finished it! It was done with acrylic on stretched canvas and measures 10" x 20". Now I can say I at least did ONE painting this year! I used to do a lot more painting, but as marriage, kids, and work came into my life in full force, I just haven't had the time.

We've enjoyed many wonderful visits to the Hyland Park Reserve and the Richardson Nature Center right here in Bloomington, MN. Once you're on a trail in the reserve, you'd never know you were right in the middle of one of the largest cities in Minnesota. Nature is far as the eye can see, and we always get to see wildlife, big and small!

Up next I have started a mixed media art piece, with the subject matter being a sunset view of the Eiffel Tower that I shot on our trip to Paris this year. I'm determined to do a little art this summer and am glad I was able to carve out a little time today between paid projects!

To see more of my fine art and desing work, check out my portfolio.

A couple amazing videos

2009-07-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

I am a huge fan of animation and stop motion films. Even when I was a little kid, I made my own claymation movies with my family's video camera, and many many little flip book animations. I haven't had the time to do many in my adult years, except for my first attempt at a stop motion "commercial" for my Junk Mail Gems business.

But, I always enjoy seeing other people's work. Here are a couple cool movies involving paper...

This one is an ad done by students for Hewlett Packard, which I got the link from a friend on Facebook.

From that page I clicked a link to another really beautifully done movie using shredded paper. Must have been an incredible amount of work, but then so is anything done really well!

Funny Break: Literal Music Videos

2009-07-02T18:29:00.001-07:00

Every designer needs a little humor break once in a while! Well, okay, maybe very often. Here's a little entertainment for you...some hilarious literal versions of music videos!

Total Eclipse of the Heart

With Arms Wide Open

Head Over Heels

Daydream Believer

Making Love Out of Nothing at All

New Links Now Up

2009-06-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty crazy busy lately with several design projects, on top of a pretty substantial home remodeling project, but got a short break in the action this morning! After doing a little paperwork and tracking down some overdue invoices, I thought I'd use a little time to finally put some cool links up on my site. You can now check out some of the cool blogs that I visit regularly for design inspiration and trend updates, places I like to shop when I need something really unique and design conscious, websites I frequent for content that is useful in the work that I do, and even a list of some art hot spots in the Twin Cities! So, if you're stuck inside on this rainy day like me and want to do a little web surfing, come on in...the water's fine!

New Original Amigurumi Crochet Design: Rocket Ship

2009-05-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

3...2...1......Blastoff!!

I am excited to announce my newest crochet pattern addition to the site...an Amigurumi Rocket Ship! I made this for my 1.5 year old for his space/robot themed bedroom which is in the works, and decided to write it down as I went to make my 2nd pattern. Check it out here!

Exiting Earth's atmosphere:

Orbiting Earth:

As you can see, my Photoshop skills come in handy for many projects!

MOMS Club Newsletter Design

2009-05-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

I've just recently taken on one "pro bono" project, designing monthly e-newsletters for our local MOMS Club here in Bloomington MN, of which I'm currently a member. I always enjoyed doing the newsletters while I was president of the IDSA Minnesota chapter, and thought that I'd offer up my services to do another!

This pdf newsletter is emailed out to all of the members each month, as well as published on the chapter's Yahoo group page. It contains articles, an events calendar, new members, birthdays, classifieds, etc. I have also developed a set of rotating color schemes that change with the seasons.

I hope to be able to share more of my upcoming projects (non pro-bono), when they enter the public eye and are no longer confidential...stay tuned!

What does crochet have to do with design?!

2009-04-28T09:09:00.001-07:00

What on earth would compel an industrial designer to put amigurumi toy patterns up on her design site?

Check out my answer to this question here to see how I ended up creating a new shopping section at GF Design with this cool robot as my first "Cosmic crochet pattern," now available for sale!

DWR Champagne Chairs On Tour!

2009-04-26T15:33:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday, April 21st, my husband and I visited the Minneapolis DWR studio to check out the 50 champagne chairs "on tour," one of them being mine! (in the photo above) This is the third year that I have had one of my chair designs chosen to go on tour. (Check out my previous entries on my portfolio page)

I was never into sports in high school, and me as a cheerleader would have been disastrous, so this is about as close as I've ever come to being on the top of the pyramid.

Here are a few photos from the show...

There was another Minnesota-designed chair, and his was also on top of another pyramid:

Here are a few more chair shots...

The "Spring 2009" chair by Gavri Slasky won popular vote:

This "Grape Divine Chair" by Tony Nemyer won "DWR Staff Pick:"

Jesse Menayan's "Kub Armchair" won "Judges Pick:"

It's always fun to see the winning entries and marvel at their feats miniature craftsmanship!
The top 50 chairs are still on tour through May 15th, so check out the schedule here and see if it's coming to a DWR studio near you!

Welcome to the new GF Design blog!

2009-04-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to start a blog for some time now for GF Design, but have been reluctant just because I already maintain several other blogs. But, every now and then I blog about something that seems to fit more within my design business, so I thought I'd finally start one here! So, welcome!!

I also have just given my GF Design logo a fresh re-design, as well as my website. I am still updating some of the pages to the new layout within my portfolio so please bear with me, but feel free to check it out here!!

Thanks for stopping by!