Trip Report // Design Camp 2017

As I posted last week and flooded your feeds with over the weekend, I went to Design Camp, one of AIGA's best conferences, and their largest regional conference. Design Camp takes place every October at Madden's Resort on Gull Lake just outside of Brainerd, MN. I've always wondered what the value is in going to these gatherings. To me, it's obvious: a weekend getaway hiding out in Northern Minnesota with 300ish other creatives. To my clients? I've struggled to put it into words, but every year it becomes clearer: What I do for myself as a creative equips me to better serve my clients.

Before I lay into this, I really need to give a huge shout out to Zachary Kern at Farmboy, 818 — a tiny design empire, Adam Holt, Kelly Bittner and Andrew Maahs of Basemint Design. These people in so many momentary ways inspire me to live out my values as a solo business owner, challenge me to do better work and keep pushing myself. It's so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that I am doing this all on my own. I'm not. I have a team of people around me, in the arena with me, helping make it happen for me. I would not be where I am without them. It is truly humbling to share a community with them.

photo from 818 - a tiny design empire. These are my people.

photo from 818 - a tiny design empire. These are my people.

The first speaker of the weekend was Jay Fletcher, who was not only hilarious but also really inspiring. One of the big takeaways for me was the time he invests in his work. He spends four days just getting all the bad ideas out of his system. Often, I feel pressured to work quickly because my clients want things fast. It makes sense, but what clients need to understand is that I'm not going to do a logo for you in one week. Jessica Walsh of Sagmeister and Walsh takes weeks and weeks before a client sees something from them. For you, my client, the more time I invest in concept design, the more you're going to get for your money. If you want what I come up within the first week, you're not going to get your money's worth. Be willing to wait for quality.

On Saturday, Steve Frykholm spoke. I had no idea who he was before this weekend, but he worked for Herman Miller (you know, the company behind the Aeron chair that sponsors stuff on NPR?). His presentation blew me away. The one thing that kept simmering on in my mind was about standing behind my work. I'll admit I've shown clients work that I didn't really want my company's name associated with. He said, "Tell your client why you like your design." He wasn't talking about explaining why you made the design decisions you did. He was talking about why you like what you made. If I don't like what I'm doing, if I won't stand by my work, why would I expect my client to? From this point on I vowed to never show a client something that I don't love, that I can't confidently stand behind. That's a guarantee I'm going to make to my clients: I won't give you anything that I won't stand behind.

The final speaker of the weekend was Tad Carpenter, who I'd had the pleasure of meeting on Friday night. Tad Carpenter is becoming a personal hero, I think. He is a really nice guy, and he was full of inspiring stories. It's always empowering to hear that your heroes have failed, gotten fired, lost their best clients, made stupid mistakes. It reminds you that it's not the end. For me, as a creative, that was really meaningful. The one piece of wisdom I have for you, my clients and potential clients is this: it's a process. Don't cut corners, and don't be afraid to go back to the drawing board. When you're hiring a designer, recognize that good creative is worth paying for, and going to sites like Logo Tournament, 99designs, and Fiverr are far more likely to hurt your brand than help it. Hire a professional who respects you enough to invest time in their work and your company. If you don't like the first concepts we offer, tell us, and be willing to try again. I understand that it can be really frustrating, but recognize that it is a process, and we don't always get it right on the first try. The investment is worth it, but beware that you get out of it what you put into it.

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Getting to work was hard today. Design Camp is always such a joy, and I never want it to end. Leaving always feels so anticlimactic. I have this amazing experience, and then its just over? I just drive home? Well, yep. As much fun as camp is, as much as it feels like coming home to family, creatives cant live, work or play in a bubble. The point of these gatherings is to empower us to go out into the world and make beautiful things. So here I am, back at home, ready to make something beautiful with you.