Patience is key. And for GODSAKE, ask for what you need. 

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I am timid. I’m going to be the first to admit it. And I absolutely deplore making myself a bother (at least, in professional situations). So most of the time, what does this unfounded fear of people and the word ‘no’ get me? 

Suffering. 

I work on a 13-inch MacBook (and sometime later I’ll get into all of the reasons I hate Apple and how hysterical it is to be a PC-lover in the design world, but that is another post for another, much rantier day). And at best, it’s a challenge. At the worst, it’s zoomed into 6400% on Illustrator because that’s the only way I can see those inane little pen tool points and handles. 

But not today, today, I was gifted (until someone better and at a higher pay grade comes along, at least) a gorgeous, beautiful, expanse of an iMac. Desiging has never been sweeter, or more efficent. 

And that, my friends, is key. Efficency. 

And it’s a beautiful thing you will never know until you ask for what you need. 

While the iMac may not last forever, I have learned my lesson. Should I ever have to go back to that MacBook, I’ll know what I need to ask for: a mouse, a keyboard, and a monitor bigger than a matchbook. It’s a perfectly reasonable request, really. We have them lying around the office. 

But until that sad day comes, I will cherish the iMac in all of it’s 24” of computing glory. 

Make final art for final art only. 

Do you remember the icons we were struggling with here? Well, It’s been several weeks and we’re still fighting over them with the client. 

I’m busy putting them in a mock-up of their final application…this cockamamie idea that the client has to put them across this shelving unit in such a way that icon is split up into several strips and it’s really quite difficult to tell what the icon is supposed to be unless you’re squinting and standing plum on the other side of the space. It’s a nightmare. 

so I’m doing this mock-up, all prim and proper with clipping masks in Illustrator and it’s looking fine (well, except for the fact that it looks ridiculous). So I’m discussing it with J afterwards: here are the problems, and you can see that this idea just is not going to work as it is. 

J says, “Part of me just want to send it to them as is, so they see how ridiculous this is. But I know that’s ridiculously passive agressive, and that’s not our job. They really want this application, so we have to find a way to make it work.” 

So he gets to drawing all over the print out, suggesting I move the each icon over, or up or this way, or that, depending on the image. and then he says, “And you could probably do this now, before you leave for the day, if that’s alright? It shouldn’t take to long, right? I’m assuming you’ve just obscured these with other layers, yeah?” 

“Actually,” I admit, “It’s all clipping masks, so it’s a little more intensive than that.”

“Ah,” J says, “For future reference, it’s best not to make something final art quality until we’re making final art. That way we can fix things on the fly up until the last minute.” 

So, there you have it. Final art quality is beautiful, but it’s difficult to tweak. So use your judgment when you’re choosing how to approach a project. 

And remember the most important bit: save back up copies, and when changing any art piece, always, always, always Save As.