In today’s world, creating your own app or startup is not a crazy idea anymore. Technology has made it so people all around the world can get in on the startup game, especially Black people in tech. Here are a few standout startups worth showcasing.
I’ve learned to see the world through the eyes of a designer — in shapes, colors, composition, and typography. I also see it through a set of eyes which yearns for the opportunity to say more: the eyes of a black man.
Design meetups here in Raleigh, NC are plentiful, and many of them have great content and great people leading them. I’ve been to some of those, and I’ve also been to some that have been less than perfect. They have been a place of solace, a place to listen and chat about design, and somewhere I can meet like-minded people. So whenever a new design meetup or other design-related group crops up, there are some criteria I am looking for before deciding to attend.
What’s the Deal with Celebrity Creative Directors?
- January 27, 2016
- Tagged as: Alicia Keys, creative director, Nick Cannon, Solange Knowles
Last December, RadioShack named comedian and actor Nick Cannon as its chief creative officer. Cannon is one of several celebrities in recent years to assume a creative leadership role for a business brand. As a designer, one question was on my mind: What signal does it send to designers, art directors and creative directors who have climbed the corporate ladder at marketing and advertising agencies when celebrities like these are appointed to these roles?
But let’s answer this question first — what exactly does a creative director do?
Why I Work for Free
- January 11, 2016
- Tagged as: intake, mission, onboarding, portfolio
We’ve all done our share of free labor in the past; on occasion, I still do. Even at this point in my career, I’m not above working for free under the right circumstances. Here are four questions I ask myself before taking on my next unpaid project.
Do I care about this company’s mission?
If I don’t feel an emotional connection to the purpose or the mission of the company, then I’m probably not interested in doing work for them. For me, there has to be a level of altruism in the product or service they’re providing that I want to be associated with. This is first on the list for a reason — it’s the main deciding factor.
Will I still be interested three months from now?
This is important for me because I tend to have “shiny object syndrome”, and I sometimes bounce from one new project to the other. If I think a project is capable of holding my attention for longer than a couple months, the chances of me taking it on increases significantly.