Resumé updated.

Hey folks. It's been quite a long time since I posted here and a lot has happened since then. I'll save the long-winded details for another day, but for right now I wanted to mention that I posted an updated version of my resumé on the "Resumé" page. Go ahead and take a look if you'd like. Also, I'd like to remind you to check out http://themindofrobertjames.tumblr.com/. It's a portfolio of sorts showcasing some of my work. I never liked the look and layout of posting my work samples here on Blogger so I made the switch to Tumblr for that.

I'm going to start designing another wine label for a wedding gift and should have images posted on that site by the end of the month. You can see my previous wine label design here: http://themindofrobertjames.tumblr.com/#7820481993. Anyway, I'll wrap this up. I hope to post again here soon but until then, follow me on Twitter: @robertzarske

My new DJ mix is here!

 Robert James - Mid-Summer Moombah! by (DJ) Robert James 

Fear of failure

Insightful words from the legendary graphic designer, Milton Glaser. This doesn't only apply to graphic designers but to all of us. Embrace failure.

I launched a new blog for my work

I have been having a constant battle about what to do with this blog and how to present my work. I have had this site for a really long time and I don't want to completely get rid of it so I decided I would just make another site solely for the purpose of posting my work. Check it out:

http://themindofrobertjames.tumblr.com/#about

Looking forward to this!

I applied for The Intern Game today after hearing about it through Twitter. It's an event put on by Mima on April 26th that offers a shot at 5 paid internships at different agencies in Minneapolis. Each internship caters to a different focus: designer, media, interactive developer, user experience, and project manager. Naturally, I applied for the designer internship which happens to be at one of my favorites, Colle+McVoy. I'm very eager and excited for the night of the event. The application process was pretty straightforward involving only the submission of my resume and the completion of a profile (check it out here) so it's going to be fun seeing how this all pans out. Wish me luck!

Coming Soon

School is winding down and graduation is fast approaching. During the next month or so I will be posting more of my work from this semester including print and outdoor ads for JCPenney as well as excerpts from a book I am currently designing for my graphic design class. Here's a teaser from the former:

It looks like I will have no problem staying busy for the rest of the semester via tests and final project deadlines, not to mention the continuous job search, so postings may be sparse (as if they aren't already). That aside, continue to stay tuned for more insights into the realms of graphic design, advertising, and the world around us. Speaking of which, I plan on launching a sister blog this summer as an outlet for my obsession with kerning. More on that later. As always, thanks for reading.

Who am I?

INFJ Personality Type

As an INFJ, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you take things in primarily via intuition. Your secondary mode is external, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit with your personal value system.

INFJs are gentle, caring, complex and highly intuitive individuals. Artistic and creative, they live in a world of hidden meanings and possibilities. Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types.

INFJs place great importance on havings things orderly and systematic in their outer world. They put a lot of energy into identifying the best system for getting things done, and constantly define and re-define the priorities in their lives. On the other hand, INFJs operate within themselves on an intuitive basis which is entirely spontaneous. They know things intuitively, without being able to pinpoint why, and without detailed knowledge of the subject at hand. They are usually right, and they usually know it. Consequently, INFJs put a tremendous amount of faith into their instincts and intuitions. This is something of a conflict between the inner and outer worlds, and may result in the INFJ not being as organized as other Judging types tend to be. Or we may see some signs of disarray in an otherwise orderly tendency, such as a consistently messy desk.

INFJs have uncanny insight into people and situations. They get "feelings" about things and intuitively understand them. As an extreme example, some INFJs report experiences of a psychic nature, such as getting strong feelings about there being a problem with a loved one, and discovering later that they were in a car accident. This is the sort of thing that other types may scorn and scoff at, and the INFJ themself does not really understand their intuition at a level which can be verbalized. Consequently, most INFJs are protective of their inner selves, sharing only what they choose to share when they choose to share it. They are deep, complex individuals, who are quite private and typically difficult to understand. INFJs hold back part of themselves, and can be secretive.

But the INFJ is as genuinely warm as they are complex. INFJs hold a special place in the heart of people who they are close to, who are able to see their special gifts and depth of caring. INFJs are concerned for people's feelings, and try to be gentle to avoid hurting anyone. They are very sensitive to conflict, and cannot tolerate it very well. Situations which are charged with conflict may drive the normally peaceful INFJ into a state of agitation or charged anger. They may tend to internalize conflict into their bodies, and experience health problems when under a lot of stress.

Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ stubborness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right. On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments. They have strong value systems, and need to live their lives in accordance with what they feel is right. In deference to the Feeling aspect of their personalities, INFJs are in some ways gentle and easy going. Conversely, they have very high expectations of themselves, and frequently of their families. They don't believe in compromising their ideals.

INFJ is a natural nurturer; patient, devoted and protective. They make loving parents and usually have strong bonds with their offspring. They have high expectations of their children, and push them to be the best that they can be. This can sometimes manifest itself in the INFJ being hard-nosed and stubborn. But generally, children of an INFJ get devoted and sincere parental guidance, combined with deep caring.

In the workplace, the INFJ usually shows up in areas where they can be creative and somewhat independent. They have a natural affinity for art, and many excel in the sciences, where they make use of their intuition. INFJs can also be found in service-oriented professions. They are not good at dealing with minutia or very detailed tasks. The INFJ will either avoid such things, or else go to the other extreme and become enveloped in the details to the extent that they can no longer see the big picture. An INFJ who has gone the route of becoming meticulous about details may be highly critical of other individuals who are not.

The INFJ individual is gifted in ways that other types are not. Life is not necessarily easy for the INFJ, but they are capable of great depth of feeling and personal achievement.

Art fart

I'm coining that phrase right now. How many times have you had an amazingly creative idea come to mind at the most inappropriate time? For me this usually happens when I'm driving. Since I commute to school, I spend roughly 20 hours each week driving back and forth which gives me a lot of time to think about things. It's during my commute that I end up having a lot of brilliant ideas that come to mind, most of them come out of nowhere. Unfortunately, by the time I get home I usually forget what I was thinking about or I only remember bits and pieces. This happens more often than I would like so I thought of a name for the occurrence: art fart. See the handy definition I put together below.

I find that I experience a lot of art farts pertaining to graphic design. I have so much going on every day on top of multiple design projects for school, etc., that I tend to have a lot of fleeting ideas at the same time. By the time I have a chance to sit down and work with these rogue ideas, I can't remember what they were entirely, thus, art fart. Think of it kind of like a brain fart but more creative and such. Have you experienced anything like this? Does this make any sense to you? How often do you experience art farts? How do you cope? Feedback is more than welcome.

Justice for all

Finally... the nearly 4 year wait is almost over. My favorite French electronic duo, Justice, has announced that they will be releasing the first single from their new album on April 4th. The single, called Civilization, made it's world premier in a brand new Adidas spot directed by the legendary Romain Gavras.



The track sounds pretty spectacular even with the added sound effects and noises from the commercial. I love the breakdowns and the vocals at about 50 seconds in and am very excited to hear it in full. It's impressive that the song and album were kept under wraps so well. Anticipation for a follow up to Justice's 2007 debut album "✝" has been killing me and many fans for quite some time with little-to-no news/hints about this comeback. With the combination of Romain Gavras' directing abilities and Justice's musical talent, this commercial becomes quite successful. However, will it succeed in the intended Adidas sales or will it alternately drive Justice album sales? Expect more updates about the album in the future.

New mix: TECH ED

Here is a new DJ mix I recorded. It's full of techy acid house, minimal, tech house, and all around funky songs. Download it here and check out my page on Facebook for more mixes.

Tracklisting: 

Strip Steve - Breakin (Rynecologist Remix)

Djedjotronic - Feta

Jason Taylor - Sabotage

Angger Dimas and Neon Stereo - Zorg

Miles Dyson - Zooloo (Pleasurekraft Remix)

Harvard Bass - Caked

Renaissance Man - Spraycan

Nouveau  Yorican - Boriqua (Douster Remix)

John Roman - Sing!

Tiga - You Gonna Want Me (Hey Today! Remix)

Beltek - Eclipse

James Blake - CMYK

This year's Pitchfork music fest logo

I really like it. It's an improvement from past years (see below) and has really strong design sense. It's extremely simple but works extremely well. My only complaint/question is; could the three text elements be tied together more completely? The treatment of "Pitchfork", "Music Festival" and "Chicago" almost divides them into individual elements rather than making the entire logo one cohesive element. As of right now the lineup for the event itself sparks little to no interest in me but kudos for moving away from these images:

For a comical opinion regarding the new logo, check out this post on the Hipster Runoff

Typography + travel + beautiful cities = great commercials

Check out these ads for EF International Language Centers. I love the typography in each of them and the overall creative execution. Not only that, but each video tells a story while teaching us common words. These remind me of studying abroad and soaking up different cultures, I must travel more! Which one is your favorite?










http://www.ef.com/

Creative minimalism in Welt Kompakt ads

Check out these great ads for German daily newspaper, Welt Kompakt. They combine a great sense of minimalism with Facebook-isms that everyone knows. Very great execution of the theme "short. different. printed." Click for detail.

What young designers need to know:

"Focus on your portfolio, not your grades, that’s the thing that will get you your dream job. Learn your practice. No matter how much you think you know about design there’s always more to know. Know your typography in and out, and upside-down, it's the building block to any good design. Learn how to use your computer programs properly but before that, learn how to design without them. Spend all of your free time looking for inspiration but dont expect to find any because it always blindsides you when you least expect it. Take any design related jobs you can and do every single one to the best of your ability. Even if it’s just a birthday card for a friend, who knows it might end up as a portfolio piece."

This advice is from designersof.tumblr.com, a place where designers can share their work with the blog's 22,000+ followers, get tips, advice, network, etc. I agree with all of this, especially the bits about typography, learning how to design without computer programs, and always looking for inspiration. I am a huge fanboy of typography and type design and far too often I see great designs that would be even better if they didn't lack typographic quality. Kerning is my biggest obsession. I could kern for days so when I see designs with sloppy kerning I just want to scream. Having a vast knowledge of typefaces is essential as well. Helvetica is great but everyone and their sister knows that, branch out.

Designing without computer programs is something that I think is becoming an afterthought more and more with young designers (myself included). I'm guilty of jumping right into Illustrator, inDesign, whatever program it may be, and tinkering with a project from beginning to end without spending much time on sketching or processing outside of the computer. It's something I need to work on and I know a lot of my peers need to work on it as well. We are the digital generation so it's easy to go straight to the computer and plug away but your ideation process will lead to stronger results if some sketches and other non-digital drafts are a part of it.

Inspiration is key and finding as much inspiration as possible always helps with creativity. I try to find inspiration in anything and everything around me, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Like the quote said, look for it often but it will always blind side you. I find that driving is a great time to think of ideas and work things out in my head. Some of the best ideas have come to me out of nowhere during my commute. Always surround yourself with as much inspiration as you can but don't be discouraged if it doesn't come to you right away.

If you're on Tumblr I recommend following designersof.tumblr.com. It's a great outlet for displaying your work, getting feedback, and seeing what other people are creating all in a less formal setting.

I just finished watching Rubber.

I waited over a year to see it and it was finally released exclusively on-demand today. Thank you Mr. Oizo/Quentin Dupieux, thank you Gaspard Auge (for your cameo and contributions to the amazing soundtrack), thank you Busy P (for your cameo and running the label that introduced me to Oizo). I absolutely loved this film. So many of my friends won’t understand my appreciation for it but I don’t even care. I’m already watching it a second time. I am totally ok with being a fanboy about it too. Mr. Oizo is such an inspiration to me. His style of producing, film-making, and DJing is so refreshing and unique. Much respect.

Words to consider

Some phrases I live by and chose to stylize:

As a designer I think these phrases are vital. You truly must create and create often to challenge yourself and grow. You must also remain authentic and set goals as well as reach those goals. If you are not authentic you are not harnessing your full potential. Without goals, where is your work going? It's one thing to make something that just looks cool or aesthetically pleasing but if you don't have a goal in mind or a reason for what you're doing then it has no real value. These phrases apply to any number of disciplines, not just art or design, they can benefit all of us.

Things I'm enjoying at the moment

Spring break is 1 week away which means I have a plethora of things to accomplish this weekend (studying for 2 exams, finalizing 2 design projects, and preparing a presentation). To prevent stress overload, I have been taking some time this afternoon to entertain myself. Let me share with you what I am enjoying right this moment.

Tame Impala - Why Don't You Make Up Your Mind (Erol Alkan Rework).
Great song, really loving the nice balance of indie and dance vibes going on here. The guitar distortion reminds me of songs by Ratatat.

Gucci Vump - Shashtilism.
This is a funky tech house song that makes me feel like I'm back in Europe catching a train through Switzerland or rubbing elbows with locals in Amsterdam. I have been really getting into these minimal techy songs lately.

Let the Children Techno (Compiled and mixed by Busy P and DJ Mehdi)
My favorite French electronic label, Ed Banger Records, just released a compilation. If you have been reading my blog over the years you know how much I love Ed Banger and all of the associated artists. This compilation is fantastic and offers contributions from a lot of DJs/producers outside of the Ed Banger collective as well. Plenty of funky weirdness going on here.

Rubber, a film by Quentin Dupieux (Mr. Oizo from Ed Banger Records).

I have been covering this film for over a year just waiting with anticipation and it's finally available on-demand tonight. Quentin Dupieux is one of my favorite Ed Banger artists. He's a visionary and has a very unique style of music and film. This movie is about a tire that gains powers and goes on a murderous rampage. It may sound ridiculous to most but the film is really more of a commentary about the whole movie-going experience.

Aside from the above, I'm enjoying the adage.com re-design, my new obsession with Tumblr, browsing friendsoftype.com for inspiration, and scratching things off of my to-do list. I have also been extremely entertained by listening to music while looking at dancing .gif images like this one:

How are you enjoying your Friday afternoon/evening? Anything exciting going on in your world at the moment? Any cool finds? Let me know. I hope you enjoyed the randomness of this post. I often have moments where I'm so entertained by a number of things that I just have to share them with people.

Ciao

A little late on this...

But this is a mix that you all need to hear. I loved Luvstep 1 and this is even better. A very solid collection of mellow and heavy dubstep.

Tracklist:

1. Allie
2. Claire Maguire – Ain’t Nobody (Breakage Remix) [UMG]
3. Starkey – Cockroach [Civil Music]
4. Hooray For Earth – True Loves (Rx Remix) [Dovecote]
5. Skream ft. Sam Frank – Where You Should Be [Tempa]
6. Magnetic Man ft. Katy B – Crossover [Sony]
7. Freestylers ft. Belle Humble – Cracks (Flux Pavilion Remix) [Circus]
8. Gemini – Blue [Inspector Dubplates]
9. Yasmin – On My Own (Stench Man Remix) [Data]
10. Afrojack ft. Eva Simons – Take Over Control (Adam F Remix) [Spinnin]
11. Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix) [White Label]
12. Kito & Reija Lee – Sweet Talk [Mad Decent]
13. Blu Mar Ten – Nobody Here (Kastle Remix) [BMT]
14. Starkey ft. Anneka – Paradise [Civil Music]
15. Koreless – Maria [White Label]
16. boyChild ft. Soundmouse – Counting What Ifs [boyChild]
17. Summer
18. dBridge – Rendezvous [Exit]
19. dBridge – City of Lonely Runaways [Disfigured Dubz]
20. Intra:mental – Watching You [Nonplus]
21. Two Inch Punch – Love You Up [White Label]
22. Pearson Sound – Down With You [Darkestral]
23. Gladkill – Eastbound [White Label]
24. Phaseone – Being With You [Lefse]
25. Caspa ft. Mr. Hudson – Love Never Dies [Sub Soldiers]
26. Derek Allen & Top Billin – Suspiria [Mad Decent]
27. Fenech-Soler – Lies (Doctor P Remix) [B-Unique]
28. Cassius – I <3 U So (Trowa Remix) [White Label]
29. DJ Fresh & Sigma - Lassitude (Dillon Francis Remix) [Breakbeat Kaos]
30. Claire Hux - Grab On (Flufftronix Remix) [Unruly]
31. Submerse - Hold It Down [Well Rounded]
32. Psychonaught - One Wish [White Label]
33. Submerse - Downcast [Maltine]
34. Clementine