tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-324059572024-03-07T12:52:06.165-05:00Blogging in Bogotá: A designer's journal.Is there more to design than designing? You betcha! Here are my thoughts on the grey areas of the design business and more...Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-39406254966916346112012-07-16T16:14:00.001-05:002012-07-16T16:15:48.505-05:00Cultural Travel Guide, the new ventureI am so excited to let you know about my new project, <a href="http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/" target="_blank">Cultural Travel Guide</a>!<br />
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In this new project I explore the cultural destinations of the world and help you plan your trip so that you can make the most of art, culture, history and entertainment!<br />
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Of course, design will always be a part of my life, and one of the key aspect of my travels!<br />
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So follow my articles at <a href="http://www.culturaltravelguide.com/" target="_blank">Cultural Travel Guide</a> or check me out in my other channels:<br />
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<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/CulturalTravelGuide" title="Cultural Travel Guide on Facebook">Cultural Travel Guide on Facebook</a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/travelCultural" title="Cultural Travel Guide on Twitter">@TravelCultural on Twitter</a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/culturaltravelguide" title="Cultural Travel Guide YouTube Channel">Cultural Travel Guide YouTube Channel</a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20https://plus.google.com/101772526649110523171" title="Cultural Travel Guide on Google+">Cultural Travel Guide on Google+</a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/culturaltravel" title="Cultural Travel Guide on Pinterest">Cultural Travel Guide on Pinterest</a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/66618606@N04" title="Cultural Travel Guide on Flickr">Cultural Travel Guide on Flickr</a></li>
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<li style="list-style-type: none;">I'll see you around! </li>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-88249649556258764962011-07-20T15:47:00.001-05:002011-07-20T15:47:55.228-05:00Goodbye and see you soon!Hello, Everybody!<br /><br />It's been two years since my last post, I'm sorry to say... Work really took its toll and it was not possible for me to carry on with my blog, even though I didn't close it down because I was hopeful I would post again.<br /><br />With a little sadness this post is to let you know that I don't intend to post again in this blog.<br /><br />I am working in some other projects which I'll reveal in due time and I hope you all come and join me there!<br /><br />I do thank from the bottom of my heart everybody who commented and emailed me, for giving me a chance to make a tiny difference and to help you with my articles.<br /><br />I am proud of what I wrote and proud of my little personal project, I learned so much and enjoyed it thoroughly.<br /><br />See you soon!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-53148573844469605162009-04-03T15:55:00.002-05:002009-04-03T16:02:44.029-05:00Relieve stress<a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2009/03/micromanaging-or-are-you-burning.html">Last week I spoke about the two lessons I've learned during last year and 2009</a>. Today I'll speak of the second lesson.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Lesson 2: When things change more often than expected, don't sweat it. Adapt</span>.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv5_HqhDNVvqIv_Z7yzMqtuq7fjAayun6NFow7ry7mJc2lFNo_fO317YSEZWD9QRX7lUcb17sGaDISYdYoaDce62-2TH7g0qh8I6epDJRZ361dh6ETuBL0NL6eerXCGOU7M6z/s1600-h/84406245.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuv5_HqhDNVvqIv_Z7yzMqtuq7fjAayun6NFow7ry7mJc2lFNo_fO317YSEZWD9QRX7lUcb17sGaDISYdYoaDce62-2TH7g0qh8I6epDJRZ361dh6ETuBL0NL6eerXCGOU7M6z/s400/84406245.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320572327919328978" border="0" /></a>Did I say I like planning? I do. But... too much planning can be a waste of time and effort.<br /><br />Sometimes things just aren't in your hands. You depend on other people, other areas in the company and I think we've pretty much concluded that the only thing you can control is your reaction to situations.<br /><br />Things change continously and the time lapse between changes is so short that there really is no time to plan again.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">What to do?</span></span><br /><br />Stop resisting, go with the flow. Adapt. New circumstances are thrown to you? Re-adjust yourself to respond effectively.<br /><br />No stress, no worry, no resistance to what is, because it already is!<br />No complaining, no badbauthing, no resentments.<br /><br />Regroup, adjust and act.<br /><br />I wonder what lesson 3 will be...Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-72287390181249400722009-03-27T17:21:00.007-05:002009-03-28T10:40:03.975-05:00Micromanaging or are you burning yourself out?<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >2008 and 2009 so far have taught me two very important lessons. I will cover both in two separate installments.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:180%;" >Lesson 1: Micromanagement</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNeYXQ5P5JtgXsItHI4t1IqtOB-WaIoOGW57KhdqahGJ5ZH8Cf4zS2gXQr8KueXZKuk1pJQE7NcCK7x5f8Nsb1u9N5A4xqE-bmbeAafddpN78xYuhcryEzUHSNmiAezL18qO4/s1600-h/sb10062552f-002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXNeYXQ5P5JtgXsItHI4t1IqtOB-WaIoOGW57KhdqahGJ5ZH8Cf4zS2gXQr8KueXZKuk1pJQE7NcCK7x5f8Nsb1u9N5A4xqE-bmbeAafddpN78xYuhcryEzUHSNmiAezL18qO4/s400/sb10062552f-002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318263460622562994" border="0" /></a>First, let’s define what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromanagement">micromanagement</a> is, according to dictionary.com:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">mi⋅cro⋅man⋅age</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> /ˈmaɪkroʊˌmænɪdʒ/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [mahy-kroh-man-ij] Show IPA</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">–verb (used with object), -aged, -ag⋅ing.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">to manage or control with excessive attention to minor details.</span><br /><br />I like planning. In fact, I love planning. An old boss of mine used to say that the Japanese spend 70% of the time planning. True? I’ve no idea, but I have seen better and more effective results when I plan whatever I’m going to do.<br /><br />Planning then starts to become addictive and soon you find yourself trying to plan not only your work, but the work of the people you work with.<br /><br />You want to cover all the bases. You hide your “control-thirst” behind an attitude of “I want to help, I want to teach, to lead”. And in the end you realize there just isn’t enough time to control every variable and more importantly, there isn’t enough time, energy or patience to “control” people.<br /><br />You are going crazy trying to take care of all the details, people start to hate you because you want them to do things your way, the results are not good and the stress levels rise rapidly.<br /><br />A crisis is reached.<br />You reach a crisis.<br />The smell of smoke coming from your brain.<br />The realization of the time spent away from family, friends and hobbies.<br />The thought: Was it worth it?<br /><br />No, it’s not. It doesn’t matter If you made a lot of money.<br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">My advice?</span></span><br /><br />Chill. Forget about control. Make peace with the fact that it’s not realistic to control everything. In fact, it’s not necessary. Trust in the people you work with (See the podcasts about delegation at <a href="http://www.managertools.com/">www.managertools.com</a>).<br /><br />Prioritize. How? One really good way is using <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto%27s_Law">Pareto’s Law</a> (also known as the 80-20 rule), which states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. So choose the 20% of activities that have the 80% of impact in your operation, and focus on that.<br /><br />Pareto’s Law is just one way, but research more.<br /><br />Even if your team don’t deliver, it’s not the end of the world. Re-focus on that 20%. Avoid anger and regroup.<br /><br />Meet me here next time to review lesson 2!<br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-77711763441524802642009-01-19T09:54:00.007-05:002009-01-19T10:05:34.451-05:00Colombians abroad<span lang="EN-US"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>I just love it when this happens, you know? When out of the blue you find something that resonates with you. I love to see Colombians “making it abroad” and not forgetting where they came from. That, and weird coincidences, which deep down you know are no coincidences at all… I wonder…</em></span><br /><br /></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvPHFSSnFBj4PYgKtBC86SIoHJTM06TkvWAsTPAZaUjqf9UV3OET-GWv0Gtn-QMmgnJrNckuWY1Pt_XPi_H2SuhOocMg6FFhCFWJ24pq6NAmCfsjKblU4Ci4YtG742PbHfz6v/s1600-h/3182449233_2d2460659b_o.jpg"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293020780343088978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCTn7XzMMzA_g9Gpt3XU-twzr6a1vABUDHMZVrvZvKXSKv8stENkjGYvNJ49FQy2MYNbWnGvg6lyZYH-IKccJLKW11AJN4AoxzEcRbMeg20mBr5i-Qgo9Ywte91DrBmnJDXLsc/s400/3182449233_2d2460659b_o.jpg" border="0" /></p><p align="center"><span style="font-size:78%;"><em>Image from <a href="http://www.decor8blog.com/">Decor8blog.com</a></em></span></p><p>Last week I was checking my favorite decoration blog on the web <a href="http://www.decor8blog.com/">Decor8 Blog</a>, which I usually do, and I stumbled upon <a href="http://decor8blog.com/2009/01/09/big-cartel-shop-roundup/">a post about independent shops online</a> and I started scrolling down looking at the pictures, when I see a sketch of a “<a href="http://www.carrefour.es/Images/2_35867.jpg">Colombiana</a>” soda, which is a brand of soda sold here in Colombia.<br /><br />It was a preview from a shop online called <a href="http://leftyhand.bigcartel.com/">LeftyHand.</a> So I followed the link and it turned out that this shop was created by Marcela Restrepo who in her own words is “a Colombian professional illustrator working in Sydney, Australia. Born left-handed, she loves chocolate, The Eames and staring at the window.”<br /><br />I loved her work!<br /><br />Anyway, I was reading today a brochure for the <a href="http://www.proyectod.com/lacero.php">Lápiz de Acero Award</a> for this year, when lo and behold, what do I see in the middle of it? A mention of a 2004 winner in the category of “Internet”, whose name was… you guessed it, Marcela Restrepo! She won the Lápiz de Acero Award for best website with her <a href="http://www.lefthandside.com/">http://www.lefthandside.com/</a> website, created, as she says it, “…to bring together talented left-handed artists and designers that are actually spread around the world.”<br /><br />Is this what they call the Law of Attraction?<br /><br />Well, at least it’s curious!<br /><br />Anyway, check her work. It’ll make you feel proud if you’re a Colombian.</o:p></span></p>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-7052403807353031892008-12-15T10:16:00.003-05:002008-12-15T10:20:14.037-05:00How to Be a Star at Work: 7 Rules for a Really Big Career<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wqn8T9IG3xtbxY5NkQdOOeQCZSfV3wAjKRFLK0m3FjBatwAGgZPxHDWuZ9LCv1zWKyNZoa-FhsCqElXdazOnYH9QWhTlVO-VVDiyoUjqeJWjGGEsseM_Rqdvx9oMl9cTF45K/s1600-h/20071023_b_120x90.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 120px; height: 90px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wqn8T9IG3xtbxY5NkQdOOeQCZSfV3wAjKRFLK0m3FjBatwAGgZPxHDWuZ9LCv1zWKyNZoa-FhsCqElXdazOnYH9QWhTlVO-VVDiyoUjqeJWjGGEsseM_Rqdvx9oMl9cTF45K/s320/20071023_b_120x90.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280036534390654626" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I read this fabulous article by Cathie Black who is president of Hearst Magazines, which publishes O, The Oprah Magazine. In it she presents seven ways to get ahead in your professional career. I thought it was very timely, so here it is, taken from <a href="http://www.oprah.com">oprah.com</a>.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >How to Be a Star at Work: 7 Rules for a Really Big Career</span><br />By Cathie Black<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">From a lowly sales assistant to head of a magazine empire (...) Cathie Black has boldly gone where no woman has gone before. Here, in a preview of her forthcoming book, Basic Black, she shares her unorthodox (dare we say daredevil) strategies for getting ahead.</span><br /><br />Thousands of years ago, a handful of fortune-tellers roamed ancient China, traveling to the palaces of Mandarins and predicting the future. When they were right, they were showered with riches and praised at lavish banquets. When they were wrong, they were boiled alive.<br /><br />Taking a risk is scary when you focus on what can go wrong and exciting when you consider the benefits if all goes well. The trick is to think about risk in the right way and use it to your advantage. Most people see taking risks as opening themselves up to unnecessary, even dangerous, chance. But the truth is, avoiding risk won't keep you safe, nor will it guarantee a smooth ride.<br /><br />In fact, the opposite is often true. It's like the monkey parable: A monkey sees a nut in a hole and reaches in to grab it. Once he's closed his fist around it, he can't get his hand back out of the narrow opening. He can't free himself unless he lets go of the nut, but because he's afraid to lose it, he won't let go.<br /><br />Trying to avoid risk is like clinging to that nut. You may think you're playing it safe by holding on to what you have, but in reality you're just hindering your own progress.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/spirit/knowyourself/pkgempoweryourself/omag_20071023_black_c1/1">Keep reading...</a>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-35445317828525642692008-12-04T10:54:00.011-05:002008-12-04T11:08:03.369-05:00Transmilenio and design during Christmas<span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >I'd had a crappy day and then just when I was getting home, something brought a smile to my face...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVqq5h_Jm79bRQYUyc1tfZgwmoI6ScPVf1aHceKVmugwls_KmJwMYKPrsAQTLttq0TOY8z9y0Tm0JHY1OU6LWnzwAbzKgs7k6-NIvq5v7NqFqC1mn0hsAM7xMGIPXwTo51rMc/s1600-h/transmilenio064an5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyVqq5h_Jm79bRQYUyc1tfZgwmoI6ScPVf1aHceKVmugwls_KmJwMYKPrsAQTLttq0TOY8z9y0Tm0JHY1OU6LWnzwAbzKgs7k6-NIvq5v7NqFqC1mn0hsAM7xMGIPXwTo51rMc/s320/transmilenio064an5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5275967095605239970" border="0" /></a>Yesterday was a long succession of ups and downs, mostly downs, made lots of mistakes, there was a tense atmosphere... at the end of the day I took a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TransMilenio">Transmilenio </a>bus to go home. 50 minute commute, listening to my iPod, trying not to think too much about the events of the day.<br /><br />When suddenly, as the bus was approaching the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal_del_Norte_%28TransMilenio%29">Portal </a>(Terminal, the last stop) the driver speaks up in this towering voice (which they never do, as you'd know if you live in Bogotá; Transmilenio drivers are not allowed to talk to passengers) and said:<br /><br /><blockquote>"Hello, passengers! My name is So and So (I'm so sorry I didn't get his name) and I just want to say to you all that it has been a pleasure driving you tonight and that I do this work with love, because I am here to serve you. I also want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and a wonderful evening!"</blockquote>Well, as you can imagine, we were all kind of shocked at first, thinking that maybe this guy was some psycho that was going to kidnap the bus or something. But then the whole bus burst into applause and some people yelled "And to you too!". I did have a funny feeling in my throat, a mixture of sudden happiness and tears.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >And what does this story have to do with design?</span><br /><br />Design as this driver drives. Design because you love it. Be excellent in your endeavors because it will bring you joy, because this is the way you serve the world. And your tool is design. Do you think you can reach such passion?<br /><br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-42300583193869776252008-06-22T20:32:00.004-05:002008-06-22T20:40:21.937-05:00Honor your commitments<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Obvious, right? Yet seldom people do. It all boils down to that short, simple word: Trust. And trust can make or break a deal, can’t it? But if it’s so important, why then people don’t honor their commitments?</span></em><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5214884708163014338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRyUFAfXhTq_12col4uvB0JJW0xEfw6HqvqRpqrqwAw_dKwjDlkFHfloDgN8YgQdw4-lU9wSUGm-tKZR-uBcEeOsTYfi8A2x5DyrcGXc4fvWH8XrcNhNdq8696CPdOklcBld5/s320/Honor+Your+Commitments.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgseVSI5L7x2_qGpESxpWYntqXP1asGP3IuCJ5cZtfTqN0rueihU3A3wAm8jMdtKrn8zifCMY_qQXOt7SYc3-S4kIz-AHaDZW98dzTT1zJRwzF6KGFSvatmwLStEt6qD94n6D/s1600-h/Honor+Your+Commitments.jpg"></a></p><div>When I was a teenager I suffered of disorganization and lack of direction and focus. Then I started working and soon I learned that professional life is filled with commitments. From the specific goals for your position to the staff meetings, you acquire commitments all the time.<br /><br />And people expect you to do what you said you were going to do, when you said you were going to do it, using the parameters you agreed to use.<br /><br />So I embraced this “honoring my commitments” philosophy and I’ve been like that ever since.<br /><br />I’ve recently experienced quite the opposite working inside a corporate culture in which getting 30 minutes late to a meeting or not showing up at all is considered normal. I reluctantly accept a 15 minute tardiness. Any longer than that is simply an insult. Or so I thought.<br /><br />Now my new challenge is to not let myself be contaminated by such culture, which is somewhat hard to do because if they’re not going to show up, why bother handing in your homework?<br /><br />So far, I’ve been able to identify two kinds of people:<br />- Those who say they’re going to do x or y and don’t do it and…<br />- Those who just can’t say no to anything.<br /><br />I intend to make this post into a wake up call for the vast number of people who take commitments lightly:<br /><br />Do you want your customers and employees loyalty?<br />Earn their trust.<br />How?<br />Do things when you say you’re going to do them. To the minute.<br />Do things the way you say you’re going to do them. Always.<br />Strive for excellence.<br /><br />It will render high dividends, even more sales! As the Mastercard campaign goes: <em>“Being trustworthy: Priceless”. </em><br /><br />All the best!</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-62417311773970473472008-06-06T17:09:00.003-05:002008-06-06T17:22:44.674-05:00Accountability (Part 3)<em><span style="font-size:130%;">The past couple of weeks I presented two examples of accountability in the workplace (Accountability </span></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2008/05/accountability-part-1.html"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Part 1</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"> and </span></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2008/05/accountability-part-2.html"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Part 2</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">). This week I’ll cover a polemic topic. IM at the office.<br /><br />Bottom line, I think Messenger and other IM platforms should be allowed at work.</span></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr3qqLgcJh7vnsBIiz0Mo5Xd8i83kDMdyfFINidYG1l0h7GZVOUvhQD9QHGBfh6JJYiSEUAAUeOxVC0QOn6rx5WpNNz-iWyL1z2yBNss1mXIqAi63ergcp7gRgfo4nkmInAi8/s1600-h/Access_Blocked_Messengers.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208894689391984770" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr3qqLgcJh7vnsBIiz0Mo5Xd8i83kDMdyfFINidYG1l0h7GZVOUvhQD9QHGBfh6JJYiSEUAAUeOxVC0QOn6rx5WpNNz-iWyL1z2yBNss1mXIqAi63ergcp7gRgfo4nkmInAi8/s200/Access_Blocked_Messengers.jpg" border="0" /></a>Here in Colombia, the general rule in companies is that you’re not permitted to IM while at work. As with anything that’s prohibited, you want it more! And this creates the need to find a way to get around this rule. And believe me, people will always find a way to get around it.<br /><br />So it becomes this clandestine activity and you end up using valuable time trying not to get caught.<br /><br />The idea behind this rule is that you don’t waste working hours chatting to your friends online; computers are set up so that you won’t be able to access any chatting software.<br /><br />Now let’s go back to the title of this article, accountability.<br /><br />I used to work for a company where IM was not only allowed but encouraged! So I concluded:<br /><br />• When IM is allowed, most people tend to use it more and more sparingly as time passes. They end up getting tired of it.<br /><br /><p>• Performance should be evaluated based on results, goals and expectations, not on how many hours your backside is on the chair.<br /></p><br /><p>• IM can even be used as a working tool, you can easily share files, video-conference… and you can save time by not having to go to the 10th floor to ask something from someone.</p><br /><p><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">So the idea I want to leave you with is this:</span></em><br /><br />The issue is not breathing down the necks of each of your employees to see what they do every hour of every day and try to ensure that they do their work. The approach should be to <a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-training-your-staff.html">set clear goals and expectations</a> from the beginning and follow them up regularly. I’ve found that most people will step up to the plate and deliver.<br /><br /><em><strong>Caveat:</strong></em> There are indeed people who are addicted to IMing and who don’t deliver results. If this is the case, IM allows you to tell those who do deliver from those who will find any excuse to procrastinate.<br /><br />All the best!</p>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-11249566923307265792008-05-30T12:07:00.007-05:002008-05-30T12:12:37.719-05:00Accountability (Part 2)<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to the second installment of my series in the subject of accountability. </span></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2008/05/accountability-part-1.html"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Last week I spoke about office hours. This time I want to focus on office perks</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">.</span></em><br /><br />I don’t think it’s any secret that when you feel good, you do good work and when your employer provides the resources for you to enjoy your working environment as well as take care of some of your personal issues, it is more likely that it’ll be easier for you to focus, and to render your best results.<br /><br />Remember the Swedish company I worked for? That company was an example of good working environment, awesome offices and office furniture and great culture, so I’ve experienced some of this.<br /><br />There was another company I worked for where my boss used to say “We like people to not be worried about their financial situation, so that they can come here and be more productive” and their salaries were higher than the industry standard.<br /><br />The other day I saw some blogs (See resources at the end) which posted pictures of Google offices and I was astonished at how cool they were and the kind of perks they enjoy!<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(Pictures taken from </span></em><a href="http://www.adrozdov.com/en/htm/article/google_office_in_zurich"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Andrey Drozdov, Nice workplace looks like it.. Google offices in Zurich</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span></em> <div><div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206219072637479538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosewKRyv-j7arRmrXpeBnUrRRUmp1HCrUR7aYnCwgk5TNTm4MaZRr5h83ig_2rC-MWIwYDmufPYXCTJIf7SORNlJrvnCwh9TnDsVvD6mQ6sy_H61dgPaReV4GwWCHmJbJP0ew/s320/article_google_Picture0%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206219201486498434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzAHiviDyAyMGxSji5Qbn3wOlTSCe96JyBtv-MHa9J5pwMcOKiHAI21XLHsQM7j__Ttt6XvesV8MUWJc6B506KxVzKzzZW__bKwQRe9xrxW2POyrO6ZJSxgljPbybY0Lfl19t/s320/article_google_Picture1%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br />I’m a designer, so the actual office space is critical for my productivity and I really appreciate it when those details have been taken care of and if you look at the pictures of Google offices, you’ll see what I mean. It’s not only that they’re really cool, but they enjoy some additional perks such as day care for your children or beauty parlors. <div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206219291680811666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnMF7TdQfchhZe1V1hmhP6ZKfisRwDpINDOlHZJU0fq-InVmEAPm4wqshZxg3J7jM0S49gTbfNQ_OUMFxx2nUuCqHUBlS3sS7IAEis3FFqpPtlB-FYGMK0itHraPob9hlSgj3/s320/article_google_Picture16%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">So what am I actually saying here?</span></em><br /><br />If you employ people (especially designers) take into consideration their working conditions and the balance you can help them achieve between their careers and their personal lives. Why? Because these factors deeply impact retention, commitment and productivity, that’s why. Ask the guys at Google!<br /><br />See you next time for part 3!<br /><br /><br />Resources:<br /><a href="http://www.adrozdov.com/en/htm/article/google_office_in_zurich">Andrey Drozdov, Nice workplace looks like it.. Google offices in Zurich</a><br /><a href="http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=2123">Metropolismag.com</a><br /><a href="http://freshpics.blogspot.com/2007/02/google-offices.html">Fresh Pics</a></div></div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-67203010747690939592008-05-19T16:38:00.005-05:002008-05-19T16:42:34.812-05:00Accountability (Part 1)<em><span style="font-size:130%;">From </span></em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accountability"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Wikipedia</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">: “Accountability is a concept in </span></em><a title="Ethics" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethics"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">ethics</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"> with several meanings. It is often used synonymously with such concepts as answerability, enforcement, </span></em><a title="Social responsibility" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_responsibility"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">responsibility</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">, blameworthiness, </span></em><a title="Liability" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liability"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">liability</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"> and other terms associated with the expectation of account-giving. As an aspect of </span></em><a title="Governance" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governance"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">governance</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">, it has been central to discussions related to problems in both the public and private (</span></em><a title="Corporation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporation"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">corporation</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">) worlds. […]<br /><br />In leadership roles, accountability is the acknowledgment and assumption of responsibility for actions, </span></em><a title="Products" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Products"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">products</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">, decisions, and policies including the </span></em><a title="Administration (business)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administration_%28business%29"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">administration</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">, governance and implementation within the scope of the role or employment position and encompassing the obligation to report, explain and be answerable for resulting consequences.”</span></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfbOv1KdICJd7LhsnQz9HUDCARSG9ud1fxI1vNDVc926KUxoAwZ2g9D5RKWPmoV-NXHz3yV2157M2K4mytzjo2SGwchH7M3ipBliKJxXuQOy1EKRF1NjiyfL8p0-U6RcKEO8P/s1600-h/200174318-001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202207503021695090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfbOv1KdICJd7LhsnQz9HUDCARSG9ud1fxI1vNDVc926KUxoAwZ2g9D5RKWPmoV-NXHz3yV2157M2K4mytzjo2SGwchH7M3ipBliKJxXuQOy1EKRF1NjiyfL8p0-U6RcKEO8P/s200/200174318-001.jpg" border="0" /></a>A few years ago I worked for a Swedish company; one of its core values was “freedom with accountability” which meant that employees were free to act as they saw fit, considering the core values, mission and vision of the company.<br /><br />So as long as the objectives were met, we were able to come and go from the office, to make our own decisions, to use the company’s resources and to assess situations based on our own principles.<br /><br />The way most of us responded to this policy was to actually be more responsible, more committed. It taught us that we didn’t need a cop breathing down our necks for us to do better work, to strive for better results, to handle things in on time.<br /><br />In other words, the company allowed us freedom to choose our courses of action, and in return it got better results from us.<br /><br />I realize that not everybody will react to such policies in this manner, but rather try to take advantage of the situation to procrastinate and be lazy. Of course in the end, the consequences will be paid.<br /><br />I am a full supporter of such policies. I believe that <a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-training-your-staff.html">being clear about expectations with employees</a> will make it easier to implement these proceedings and, if all goes well, most people will respond the way we did in the Swedish company.<br /><br />I’m going to touch on three subjects related to accountability: office hours, office site perks and IM in the workplace.<br /><br /><div><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Office hours<br /></span></strong></em><br />There’s usually some office hours policy, right? You’re supposed to go in at certain time in the morning and you’re supposed to leave at some other time in the evening. And you’re supposed to take a fixed amount of time at lunch. This generally applies to everybody except people in sales, or high level managers.<br /><br />Whenever I’ve been forced to follow the office hours policy, I’ve found myself getting there on time and leaving on time. Not one minute extra. Why? Because it infuriates me that performance and results are measured on a how-long-are-you-at-your-seat basis.<br /><br />However, whenever I’ve been free to handle my working hours I’ve found myself being more committed to the tasks, mainly because I feel more empowered to manage my time as I see fit, given of course, that I am clear about expectations.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">But what exactly are we talking about here?</span></em><br /><br />• Yes, there are office hours, but if you have a personal issue, you can go solve it before coming to the office (Provided this doesn’t cause any trauma on the operation) or leave early to do so.<br /></div><br /><div>• Projects and results are evaluated based on completion and quality, instead of how many hours you put into them.<br /></div><br /><div>• Weekends are sacred and only you can choose whether or not you go in the office on a weekend to finish something.<br /></div><br /><div>• The same goes for after work hours.<br /></div><br /><div>• It is expected for the employee to try to balance his working hours with his personal time, as it is vital that employees are rested and energetic to achieve top results in projects.<br /></div><br /><div>• It is understood that some personal issues are more important than work.<br /></div><br /><div>• People are entitled to take as many breaks as they feel necessary during the day.<br /></div><br /><div><br />Whenever I’ve used these concepts in my experience, employees have never disappointed me.<br />I leave it out to the community to share some comments about this and about their experiences.<br /><br />Come back next time, to read Part 2, about office site perks.</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-30544123899510791512008-05-12T08:47:00.005-05:002008-05-12T09:08:11.555-05:00In-house designers beware…<em><span style="font-size:130%;">A few days ago I stumbled across this passage from “</span></em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pulling-Your-Own-Strings-Techniques/dp/006109224X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210596996&sr=8-1"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Pulling Your Own Strings</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">” published in 1978 by </span></em><a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Wayne Dyer</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /></span></em><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(From Wikipedia: </span></em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Dyer"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Dr. Wayne Walter Dyer</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> is a popular American </span></em><a title="Self-help" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-help"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">self-help</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> advocate, author and lecturer. His 1976 book </span></em><a title="Your Erroneous Zones" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Erroneous_Zones"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Your Erroneous Zones</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:85%;"> has sold over 30 million copies and is one of the </span></em><a title="List of best-selling books" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books"><em><span style="font-size:85%;">best-selling books</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> of all time).</span><br /></span></em></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;">I thought it would be useful to publish here, as a call to reality for all in-house designers. All comments are welcome.</span></em><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">"How Institutions Work</span></strong></em><br /></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifh0hjxUph5tfUCFxlEMf10gnIo8WGdrtWtqzNEwgIm8AOJuIG1Mvx3ADj4jWQAjcJmfHMPW4f_BRCva6Dnmg9rF0zL4JJRV85AnzNqQtZtwE4l9XxKbToAieQ97fYZgMjZgtb/s1600-h/bzp018.jpg"><em><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199487946909737058" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifh0hjxUph5tfUCFxlEMf10gnIo8WGdrtWtqzNEwgIm8AOJuIG1Mvx3ADj4jWQAjcJmfHMPW4f_BRCva6Dnmg9rF0zL4JJRV85AnzNqQtZtwE4l9XxKbToAieQ97fYZgMjZgtb/s200/bzp018.jpg" border="0" /></em></a><em>Business institutions exist for one reason: to make profits. They seek only to perpetuate themselves so as to return dollars to the people who have taken the risks of financing them and manufacturing the products or delivering the services.<br /><br />They are not in business for charity, and they don’t pretend to be. Therefore, any victimizing you experience as a result of your connection to an institution has probably come about because you allowed it to happen.<br /><br />If you believe a business institution owes you some kind of loyalty and ought to reward your long service with a lot of benefits to you as a person, then you are carrying around groundless illusions.<br /><br />The institution will attempt to deal with you in as utilitarian a fashion as possible. It will pay you for your services until you can no longer deliver the services it needs, and then you will be dismissed in as inexpensive a manner as possible.<br /><br />This is not a sour view of business in western culture; it is simply the way things are. Whenever you become an employee of an institution, this is the implied agreement. Even if it has such things as pension plans, profit sharing, incentive programs, or any other devices designed to hold on to employees, the fact remains that when it doesn’t need you any more, you will be replaced, and every effort will be made to get rid of you as cheaply as possible.<br /><br />Institutions simply do what they’re designed to do, and there is no complaining about them being written in these pages. But you are not an institution. You are a human being who breathes and feels and experiences life.<br /><br />You do not have to be upset about the way businesses operate, nor do you have to commit yourself slavishly to institutions just because you are encouraged to do so by institutional spokesmen who stand to gain by your self-victimizing loyalty.<br /><br />The man who retires after devoting fifty years of unflagging service to a company, and receives a gold watch and a small pension for his lifetime of devotion, has not been victimized by the institution. It owes him nothing, so he should feel grateful for the watch. He did his job and received his paychecks, and the company received his services. That is the way it’s supposed to be.<br /><br />But the retiree has been victimized if he has devoted himself beyond normal requirements and sacrificed his own personal goals and his family activities, because institutions do nothing but continue on, whether you kill yourself for them or simply see them as ways for you to make your living."</em><br /><br />In my opinion, even though you must bring excellence and commitment to everything you do, it would be foolish to ignore the reality of how companies work and to regret the personal time that you sacrificed for them.</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-74748560278012905012008-05-06T11:13:00.004-05:002008-05-12T08:51:30.156-05:00To design or not to design?<em><span style="font-size:130%;">That is the question, indeed. As I’ve said in my profile, I graduated as an industrial designer. However, in my career I’ve never worked with product design. What have I been doing all these years, then? Read on to find out.</span></em><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLuAVWmep0kZUrflNZqWDEM_NgFxPevDCKKr_6D0h2rPm7A_rhyphenhyphendKVAMpkaJZHa3P490GshxksDLrUBWNNEIae5RYec1xgH3Q29V0wfF-jizQNdUjorO7RYKjj9uCi2KmyXRT/s1600-h/272186-012.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197299135366451874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhLuAVWmep0kZUrflNZqWDEM_NgFxPevDCKKr_6D0h2rPm7A_rhyphenhyphendKVAMpkaJZHa3P490GshxksDLrUBWNNEIae5RYec1xgH3Q29V0wfF-jizQNdUjorO7RYKjj9uCi2KmyXRT/s200/272186-012.jpg" border="0" /></a>When I graduated I landed a job as “designer” for a big multinational company. The job entitled working with digital files of packaging and doing prepress processes. I wasn’t too crazy about it, but I enjoyed the work.<br /></div><br /><div>A few months later, I was promoted to head of the department, with one person reporting to me. So now I was in charge not only of the technical aspect of the work, but also of the administrative aspect of the work. Budgets, deadlines, processes, procedures, policies, internal communications, suppliers, staff development, you name it.<br /></div><br /><div>And I loved it.<br /></div><br /><div>Was it stressful? Hell, yeah! But I really enjoyed that part of the business.<br /></div><br /><div>After that job I went on to work in several other companies, doing business or design process related things, but never actually designing. And there came a point when I just admitted that I enjoyed the business aspect of design, more than designing itself. Not only that, I didn’t miss industrial design per se, at all. It could be graphic design or branding.<br /></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Where am I going with this, you ask?</span></em> Bear with me a bit more…<br /></div><br /><div>A couple of weeks ago <a href="http://www.oprah.com/">Oprah Winfrey</a> did a <a href="http://www2.oprah.com/money/career/marcus/participants/slide/20080418/marcus_slide_350_101.jhtml?promocode=more20080418">show on women who hated their jobs</a>. The special guest was <a href="http://www2.oprah.com/money/career/marcus/bio/marcus_bio_about.jhtml">Marcus Buckingham</a>, a <a href="http://www.marcusbuckingham.com/home.php">career expert from England</a>. Marcus designed a <a href="http://www2.oprah.com/money/career/marcus/marcus_workshop_main.jhtml?promocode=incl20080418workshop">workshop</a> to help people determine a plan to make the best of their professional lives, be it figuring out how to make your job match your strengths, or having the guts to quit it once and for all.<br /></div><br /><div>The workshop focuses on figuring out what your strengths and weaknesses are, but seeing these two concepts under a different light, which I thought was very interesting.<br /></div><br /><div>Strengths are defined as activities that you do, that invigorate you. How do you know? Because when you’re doing them you get really focused, it’s easy for you to concentrate and you look forward to doing them.<br /></div><br /><div>Weaknesses are defined as activities that you do, that drain you. How do you know? Because when you do them, it’s hard to concentrate, you’re always coming up with excuses not to do them, you dread going to work to do them and you feel like they take away your energy.<br /></div><br /><div><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Pretty easy, huh?</span></em></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Well, I took the workshop and came to realizations that I was reluctant to admit, but that will help me in the decisions I’m going to make about where I want to go with my career. Maybe I will tell you about those conclusions in another article sometime.<br /></div><br /><div>But my point is that just because you graduated from college with a certain degree, doesn’t mean that that’s who you are or what you’re supposed to do for a living. And as <a href="http://www.drwaynedyer.com/">Wayne Dyer</a> would say: “Who would trust a seventeen year old with career choices?”.<br /></div><br /><div>Maybe I don’t want to be a designer… maybe I want to move to other design related areas like management or teaching… Or maybe I want to try a different design discipline like graphic or interior design, who knows? The future is not written!<br /></div><br /><div>And only you can figure out what it is that strengthen or weaken you. I suggest you take the <a href="http://www2.oprah.com/money/career/marcus/marcus_workshop_main.jhtml?promocode=incl20080418workshop">workshop</a> . It’s free!<br /></div><br /><div>All the best!</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-56356965432452990652008-04-29T10:10:00.003-05:002008-04-29T10:13:42.890-05:00Getting the Most of Your Career<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Some time ago </span></em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">How Magazine</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;"> published a list of some of their articles for getting the career of your dreams.</span></em><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSMx-QDCDvF0gU10kxfV-vlNfA_GepN5wW-BzRAnkLAlA73uWt-KfOCr-WzVL9muff89U3w3jtcqpaO-LNwkMVpUUSmj7bEvYmtJEQ3uAy2YqIYorVSCVFvQUIf_nJtRc5rGN/s1600-h/covere.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5194685445903372930" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOSMx-QDCDvF0gU10kxfV-vlNfA_GepN5wW-BzRAnkLAlA73uWt-KfOCr-WzVL9muff89U3w3jtcqpaO-LNwkMVpUUSmj7bEvYmtJEQ3uAy2YqIYorVSCVFvQUIf_nJtRc5rGN/s400/covere.jpg" border="0" /></a>These are a few of their posts:<br /><br /><a name="howdesign_com_article_CareerMa">· </a><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=45&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">Create Your Personal Career Map</a></div><div>This <a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=45&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">essential guide</a> presents questions you need to answer to help you hone in on where you want your career to go and how to get there.<br /></div><br /><div><a name="howdesign_com_article_CareerMi">· </a><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=33&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">5 Career Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)</a></div><div>How can you have a fulfilling career? By making sure <a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=33&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">you're not falling into any of these on-the-job pitfalls</a>.<br /></div><br /><div><a name="howdesign_com_article_LoveYour">· </a><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=9&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">5 Steps to Learning to Love Your Job</a></div><div>Sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands, and a job is no exception; here's <a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=9&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">how to make the most of a current position</a>.<br /></div><br /><div><a name="howdesign_com_article_DeadEndJ">· </a><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=28&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">When to Know It's Time to Move On</a></div><div>How do you know when you've done all you can in a position or if a job has become a dead-end? Here are <a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=28&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">5 sure-fire signs</a>.<br /></div><br /><div><a name="howdesign_com_article_WorkDemo">· </a><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=35&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">Tips for Overcoming Common On-the-Job Fears</a></div><div>Are you afraid to ask for a raise? Scared by your manager? Haunted by past mistakes? Here's how to <a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=35&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">confront—and overcome—these common office-place issues.</a><br /></div><a name="howdesign_com_ArticleSearch__c"></a><br /><div><a href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=48&m=917148&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=Njk5MTEzODcS1&mt=1" target="_blank">See all the career-advice articles, specifically for designers.</a><br /></div><br /><div>All the best!</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-2786771989263390762008-03-03T19:03:00.005-05:002008-03-03T19:10:49.859-05:00Business Skills Every Creative Needs to Know, Now!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cY-qWNCEgVJ8Bxwbk9Z8yiGajPRXp4AO0ie_jn4sKeIr6YOnevlcYW2aYf6CP25zSwi104-fR6ANdoNYC4swXTlMPrgdlLCoibPLT0HVBEKkFYVk2FF4k68aizzoHNq8X2RG/s1600-h/How.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173671953938643266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1cY-qWNCEgVJ8Bxwbk9Z8yiGajPRXp4AO0ie_jn4sKeIr6YOnevlcYW2aYf6CP25zSwi104-fR6ANdoNYC4swXTlMPrgdlLCoibPLT0HVBEKkFYVk2FF4k68aizzoHNq8X2RG/s400/How.jpg" border="0" /></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Last week’s </span></em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">HOW</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">’s Newsletter was packed with business related articles for all designers! These articles contain basic information about the design business in general. True, some of them apply only in the US, but they’re worth a read nevertheless.</span></em><br /><br />Among the different titles you can find:<br /><br />• <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=22&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">Designers' Hourly Rates </a>See what other <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=22&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">designers in the country are charging</a> for their work and how they determine those rates.<br /><a name="howdesign_com_article_SlowTime"></a>• <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=30&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">Make The Most of Downtime At Work </a>When work gets slow, here are <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=30&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">6 ways to use that extra time</a> to your advantage.<br /><a name="howdesign_com_article_goingfre"></a>• <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=7&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">Are You Ready To Freelance Full-Time?</a> Look at our <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=7&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">checklist</a> to find out!<br /><a name="www_howdesign_com_article_Clie"></a>• <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=16&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">Be Your Client's Best Friend </a>8 ways to <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=16&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">keep clients happy</a>.<a name="www_howdesign_com_article_Moti"></a><br />• <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=31&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">How to Motivate Every Type of Creative </a>Get specific <a title="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=" href="http://links.mkt230.com/ctt?kn=31&m=885830&r=OTk1NzY1NjM0S0&b=0&j=NTgwMjQ3MDES1&mt=1" m="885830&r=" b="0&j=" mt="1">ideas for encouraging</a>—and getting the best from—any designer.<br /><br />There are about <a href="http://www.howdesign.com/ArticleSearch/?category=business&orderby=&orderdir=&p_nStart=1">90 articles to choose from, so browse around</a>!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-43767143568618443522008-02-18T17:47:00.002-05:002008-02-18T17:49:22.690-05:00Is disorganization and lack of planning effective?<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I used to be pretty disorganized when working or doing a project. Then I discovered the many benefits of being organized. And then… there comes a project that made me question if being organized all the time really paid off.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf5F9Q6ejS49-wuRzPgUYYOl8x0RcAuXiXX6c5zhisby9Fpec4kn4V9BT814UJ5OGbbDnFez6iaA5XjXfZXmEGAWo5Nk0ArK_pJxU3zBF6OchRr-XcFMUBkqVJ3br-0a62hAR/s1600-h/200329555-001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf5F9Q6ejS49-wuRzPgUYYOl8x0RcAuXiXX6c5zhisby9Fpec4kn4V9BT814UJ5OGbbDnFez6iaA5XjXfZXmEGAWo5Nk0ArK_pJxU3zBF6OchRr-XcFMUBkqVJ3br-0a62hAR/s320/200329555-001.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168456036537094658" border="0" /></a>The latest project I embarked in consisted of many items, all showing up at once, handling a massive amount of incoming information and then analyzing, organizing, deciding. This naturally led me to get ready to plan and implement databases and tools to keep track of everything.<br /><br />But just when I was ready to do that, the person for whom I was doing the project implied that maybe my thoroughness wasn’t really necessary in this case, but rather intrusive and time consuming.<br /><br />I was resistant, at first, after all, I know how to handle my own information, thank you very much! But then I decided to listen.<br /><br />So I started questioning my own usual procedures:<br /><br />- Is a database really necessary?<br />- How complete should it be?<br />- What fields should it have?<br />- Do I need to leave a record of every single item?<br />- What if I only left a record of the items that were going to go on?<br />- How can I make this effort more effective?<br />- What activities don’t have any added value?<br />- How can I do things more quickly, without sacrificing quality?<br />- Do I have to follow a predefined set of activities?<br /><br />So instead of using a huge database with tons of information that I wasn’t immediately going to use, and that I could refer to later, I decided to do things simple.<br /><br />A mixture of digital (database) and analog (notes and printed materials) mediums to keep track and be effective.<br /><br />So I realized that I don’t always have to be ultra organized, that some projects don’t need to leave records of everything behind and that they can be done in less time, using less resources, if you’re just open to new ways of doing things and listening to what the customer actually wants and needs.<br /><br />The moral of the story is, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">question your own procedures from time to time</span>, you may find new and interesting ways of tackling your projects.<br /><br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-33716458475199098502008-01-29T10:14:00.000-05:002008-01-29T10:18:47.667-05:00Designers of the World, Write.This week, <em><strong>How Magazine</strong></em> presents a very interesting article by Juliet D'Ambrosio, associate creative director at Atlanta-based Iconologic. The article begins like this:<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">It's a strange paradox: So many designers whose work speaks so fluently in images flee in terror when called upon to communicate with the written word. After all, designers are nothing if not communicators, and communication is most fully realized when image and word unite.</span></em><br /><br />Juliet presents seven steps to tackle this challenge. <a href="http://howdesign.com/dc/features/designerswrite.asp">I suggest you read on, to find out more.</a><br /><br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-45458462794928529132008-01-27T20:55:00.000-05:002008-01-27T20:57:52.503-05:00Design Aerobics<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Creativity is like a muscle, right? Well, here’s a website I found a couple of years ago, that literally proclaims that very thing and offers designers a series of exercises to stimulate their creative juices.<br /></span></em><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160340577675597074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr4nFKxwWYQAFZZBP12c_9SpQmtjMtpUh-slLkgo7ctvFW6wXxrZVq-Ov12uF9F9-d4-wMDyuC3m6fz_e8SQlUAhFW8ug_IpslR9tVLukxFOo_jXyFjapR98G2JnKcwUt1Mvz9/s320/Design_aerobics.jpg" border="0" /></p><p><a href="http://www.designboom.com/eng/index.xtml">Designboom</a> is a website dedicated to industrial design. One of their sections is called the <a href="http://www.designboom.com/aerobics/index.html">Design Aerobics</a> where for a fee, you can enroll in a variety of design exercises.<br /><br />There are 8 themes a year: Sex, work, spirituality, childhood, glass, paper, ceramics and textiles. Each course takes two months, where you also get to meet other people from all over the world who are also doing the exercises, and get great feedback from expert instructors.<br /><br />The website actually <a href="http://www.designboom.com/datour.html">has a page where they explain what the Design Aerobics are about</a>.<br /><br />I can’t actually comment further, because I haven’t tried them myself. However, I thought I’d bring them up here as an interesting design resource and allow you to decide for yourselves.<br /><br />Do drop by later and leave a comment if you’ve got something to share about them.<br /><br />All the best!</p>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-1284378762622308442008-01-18T11:41:00.000-05:002008-01-19T19:06:09.467-05:00Top Ten Job Hunting Blunders in Latin America<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Nobody is perfect, especially when it comes to job hunting, which is greatly subjective. There are however, practices that should be avoided if you want to up the chances of getting an interview.<br /></span></em><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizplfRyQV3ViNhdoNyH-vkSYqVJHFpDJHTyoS7Q7CI-Zw8vtVAxj7zvmzWLHWK4DOhSJyGkYFBRUoXIFW3YXW0sluEgKIJFQ8DMJBMznAJlCedGXsWkWldqQbqhnlmM2ffsrHx/s1600-h/worry_1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5156858730068113634" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizplfRyQV3ViNhdoNyH-vkSYqVJHFpDJHTyoS7Q7CI-Zw8vtVAxj7zvmzWLHWK4DOhSJyGkYFBRUoXIFW3YXW0sluEgKIJFQ8DMJBMznAJlCedGXsWkWldqQbqhnlmM2ffsrHx/s200/worry_1.jpg" border="0" /></a>In my experience, I’ve had the opportunity to recruit mostly designers though I’ve recruited other positions. And believe me, when you’ve got about 500 resumes to read, you’re just looking for reasons to filter the best out quickly.<br /><br />Here I present to you the top ten blunders (In no particular order) I see in designers looking for a job in Latin America. Let me tell you, these poor souls weren’t called for an interview.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 1: <em><strong>“Maybe someone will see how much I need the job and hire me”.</strong></em></span><br />Nobody will hire you for a design position out of pity. Remember, it’s not what the company can do for you, but the other way around. People hire you for two basic reasons: They want you to help increase sales, or cut back costs. Think about how you can play a part in either or both and present yourself that way to the company. You’ll boost your chances of getting called for an interview.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 2: <em><strong>“Let me go ahead and send just my resume without a portfolio. After all, who cares about the work I’ve done?”</strong></em><br /></span>Helloooooo! Aren’t you a designer? When you send your resume for a position as a designer, and don’t send a portfolio, you’re not leveraging the opportunity to make a great first impression, thus losing the battle against people who walk the extra mile and do send samples of their best work. Who would you call for an interview? Don’t place any more work on the recruiter, making them send you an email requesting a portfolio. Send it up front!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 3: <em><strong>“She’s not going to notice that I sent it to nine different places at the same time”.</strong></em></span><br />You send the resume in an email to several different job offering people in the “To” field, displaying the fact that you don’t care about any particular company or position and that you didn’t even research those companies. Worst of all, displaying your carelessness when it comes to presenting yourself which could lead one to believe that you’re sloppy in your work as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 4: </span><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">“I know! I’ll just write ‘resume’ in the subject line of the email! That’ll set me apart from everybody!”</span><br /></strong></em>Again, a sea of emails and resumes. Think, how can you set yourself apart? The least you can do is write your name and the position you’re applying to in the subject line of the email. This way you make it easier for the recruiter to find you.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 5: </span><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">“Wow, my resume is so gorgeous, I’m not going to even bother to check my spelling”.</span><br /></strong></em>Wrong! Send a resume with spelling and grammar errors and you’ll be screaming sloppy. You’re a designer, you need to be concerned with kerning and correct punctuation. Who wants to hire a designer that doesn’t pay attention to details?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 6: <em><strong>“Picture perfect?”</strong></em></span><br />So you went against your better judgment and decided to include your picture on your resume. I suggest you run a poll among your closest friends and acquaintances to decide whether or not the picture does you justice. With all due respect, but the mug shot, or the I-just-got-out-of-bed, or the I’m-so-pitiful-please-hire-me look don’t favor anyone.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 7: <em><strong>“I’m sure they’ll only receive about three designer resumes, so why bother with a presentation letter? I’ll just send my bare resume”.</strong></em></span><br />Again, 500 resumes at any given time. The key here is to differentiate yourself. Other designers present their case in the email or the presentation letter, telling the company how hiring them would be a good idea, how they can help the business grow sales and how what they have to offer matches the company and the position. You might want to try that sometime.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 8:<em><strong> “Maybe they won’t notice that I’ve applied to three different positions in the same company”.</strong></em></span><br />When you apply to different positions, it just conveys the message that you don’t know what you want or how your skills can match the diverse jobs. Take the time to research the positions and the company, before applying.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 9: <em><strong>“So I have to format my portfolio to fit their expectations? If they can’t open it, it’s not my problem”.</strong></em></span><br />The recruiter has requested something from you, and you find it annoying to have to comply. Either they can’t read a .exe or they’d like you to send JPGs instead of PDFs. Hmm, you might as well say that you’re not interested, or better yet, don’t send your resume at all! Why? Because there are other designers who are willing to do whatever it takes to land an interview and you’re… not.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Blunder 10: <em><strong>“I’m sure it’s like all the other design studios. Why bother looking for more information? I know them all”.</strong></em></span><br />You’ve been lucky enough to land the interview, yet you get there and you don’t even remember the position you applied to! You also didn’t research the company and its culture, so you are completely clueless. This screams with conceitedness and lack of vision about how you can help the company first.<br /><br /><br />For every designer that is not willing to walk the extra mile, there’s another one who will, and who has a far greater chance of landing the job.<br /><br />All the best!<br /><br /><br /><em>Related articles:<br /></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/06/12-resume-writing-tips-for-designers.html"><em>12 resume writing tips for designers</em></a><em>.<br /></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/01/designers-beware-your-portfolio.html"><em>Designers beware: Your portfolio.</em></a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/01/designers-beware-being-interviewee-part.html"><em>Designers beware: Being the interviewee (Part 1)</em></a><em>.<br /></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/02/designers-beware-being-interviewee-part.html"><em>Designers beware: Being the interviewee (Part 2)</em></a><em>.<br /></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-being-interviewer.html"><em>Designers beware: Being the interviewer.</em></a>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-15758827909908036862008-01-13T17:04:00.000-05:002008-01-13T17:11:41.136-05:00Get your boss to send you to How Design Conference<em><span style="font-size:130%;">A couple of weeks ago I received my </span></em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/store/magdisplay.asp?id=1872"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">latest issue of How Magazine</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">. Inside there were some postcards promoting the </span></em><a href="http://www.howconference.com/index.asp"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">How Design Conference</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">.</span></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvuoIma35xHYA-qMVn3lxJoD2G-2jnryVkUgyGMrtYlJJlQBT3LkXkDw-yM6POvBCe64BD2bGxNqOr6Z8fbum4fez8lolL1YH-M_IEmsGulHTcFeZFEcjVE5_OyGMnZmJ2DGr/s1600-h/HOW+-+feb08.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155086776885639378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvuoIma35xHYA-qMVn3lxJoD2G-2jnryVkUgyGMrtYlJJlQBT3LkXkDw-yM6POvBCe64BD2bGxNqOr6Z8fbum4fez8lolL1YH-M_IEmsGulHTcFeZFEcjVE5_OyGMnZmJ2DGr/s320/HOW+-+feb08.jpg" border="0" /></a>The graphic design is pretty cool, as it is to be expected from the How team. However, that’s not what really caught my attention.<br /><br />The interesting part was that they made each postcard as if it was a designer, sending it to their boss, explaining why it would be good for the boss, to send the designer to the conference.<br /><br />See these examples:<br /><br />“Hey, Boss! I’ll get all the tools I need to work more efficiently + effectively at the How Design Conference in Boston (May 18-21). Experts from Adobe will share insider secrets on Photoshop, InDesign and more — while top designers outline their best time-saving processes! Let me save you time (and money) — Send me to HOW! PS: If I learn just one tip that saves 2 minutes off a tedious design project — I’ll save at least 8 hours a year!”.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155086433288255682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikGD449U0r3GlTwKXbVjASHHORv4Wx0VfN21jgM0hJr4oqelcFNQdMU07YN6TGzDDXr2RjXz5TpD0bBrbTEDyBnAQw0IfAkH3rAiXLvhcRgwI716WBXogGuGko-VXQ27RZMHM4/s320/How+Design+Conference.jpg" border="0" />“Boss: The How Design Conference helps designers work faster, smarter and more creatively — that’s why I want to go! I’ll learn shortcuts and new techniques for the Adobe software I use everyday; get creativity boosters from the experts; and find out how to positively impact your business through design. Find out more at <a href="http://www.howconference.com/">http://www.howconference.com/</a>”.<br /><br />“Being creative is my job. But on-the-spot creativity is a learned trait. That’s why the How Design Conference is important. I’ll see amazing work from some of the brightest minds in the industry and learn how to develop innovative solutions to business and marketing problems, even under pressure. — I wanna go!”<br /><br />“Dear Boss— Please send me to Boston May 18-21 for the 2008 How Design Conference! I’ll learn new creative processes that will actually save YOU money — such as how to create my own type and build a stock photo library. Everything I learn, from on-demand creativity to technological shortcuts, will have a positive impact on your bottom line.”<br /><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">See a pattern?</span></em><br /><br />This is how a designer can sell an idea. Present to the other person what the benefits for them will be. Not only that, but be specific about what those benefits will be. Who could deny a designer who asks this way, the possibility to attend the conference?<br /><br />HOW knows that, and that’s why they set up a <a href="http://www.howconference.com/convince_your_boss.asp">Tips For Convincing Your Boss To Send You To The How Design Conference</a> web page.<br /><br />My point is that, if this is the way most designers think in the US, perhaps we, the Latin American designers have something to learn from them, like how to present a case or an idea and how to ask for training that will benefit both you and the company. And I think that we are scared to ask sometimes, because we assume that our bosses won’t want to spend money on such things, but like my old boss used to say: “Don’t assume, verify!”.<br /><br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-66930918879402159442007-12-30T17:39:00.000-05:002007-12-30T18:24:40.429-05:00This Design Blog in Review<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149910903207295090" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MVYr1OxJK11l14MhDF-XmuarMzdmtOoB_iLEX-KHgNzZEePb1ee7Oo_KiiQA__b6Tz8VGXf64VaIPrRwLK3_0eUD9je9Sqw4weP65bOCbf3SafG0CHI5q-5G1cO11lrS31Do/s200/Carito_2007.jpg" border="0" /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">2007 is gone and what an interesting year it was! I learned so much! Writing for this blog has been amazing and it has taught me a lot in itself as well as a lot about myself.</span></em><br /><br />It ocurred to me last week that it would be a good idea to list all my past articles so far and add some categories, so that it’ll be a good index of topics. So here goes:<br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ccffff;">► Business & Management</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-design-is-not-just_08.html">Designers beware… design is not just about designing.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-customer-service.html">Designers beware of… customer service.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/getting-client-instead-of-occasional.html">Getting a client, instead of an occasional buyer.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-filing-systems.html">Designers beware of… filing systems.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-finances.html">Designers beware of… finances.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-production-lines.html">Designers beware of… production lines.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-technology-and.html">Designers beware of… technology and supplies.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-time-measurement.html">Designers beware of… time measurement.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/time-tracking-tool.html">Time Tracking Tool.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/02/designers-beware-10-tips-to-writing.html">Designers beware: 10 tips on writing emails.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-training-your-staff.html">Designers beware: Setting clear goals and expectations.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/04/designers-beware-5-steps-to.html">Designers beware: 5 steps to productivity, the 5S.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/04/designers-beware-5s-phase-1-seiri.html">Designers beware: 5S Phase 1, Seiri (Select).</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/04/designers-beware-5s-phase-2-seiton.html">Designers beware: 5S Phase 2, Seiton (Organize).</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/04/designers-beware-5s-phase-3-seiso-clean.html">Designers beware: 5S Phase 3, Seiso (Clean).</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/04/designers-beware-5s-phase-4-seiketsu.html">Designers beware: 5S Phase 4, Seiketsu (Standardize).</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/designers-beware-5s-phase-5-shitsuke.html">Designers beware: 5S Phase 5, Shitsuke (Improve).</a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ccffff;">► Recruitment & Selection</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/01/designers-beware-10-tips-on-designer.html">Designers beware: 10 tips on designer resumes.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/06/12-resume-writing-tips-for-designers.html">12 resume writing tips for designers</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/01/designers-beware-being-interviewee-part.html">Designers beware: Being the interviewee (Part 1)</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/02/designers-beware-being-interviewee-part.html">Designers beware: Being the interviewee (Part 2)</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-being-interviewer.html">Designers beware: Being the interviewer.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/01/designers-beware-your-portfolio.html">Designers beware: Your portfolio.</a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Leadership & Self Development<br /></span></strong></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/designers-beware-of-leadership.html">Designers beware of… leadership.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/06/design-leadership-and-constant.html">Design leadership and the constant challenges</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/02/designers-beware-is-design-manager-or.html">Designers beware: Is the design manager or leader the one that is “better” than the rest?</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-can-i.html">How can I?</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/learn-english.html">Learn English!</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/06/paradigm-shifts-and-design.html">Paradigm shifts and design</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/06/positive-feedback.html">Positive feedback</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/10-major-causes-of-failure-in.html">The 10 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/11-major-attributes-of-leadership.html">The 11 Major Attributes of Leadership</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2006/08/three-books-you-must-read-before-youre_08.html">Three books you must read before you're 30.</a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Creativity & Inspiration</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/design-magazines.html">Design magazines.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/design-on-wheels.html">Design on wheels.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/designers-beware-podcasts.html">Designers beware: Podcasts.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/03/designers-beware-travels.html">Designers beware: Travels.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/four-design-influences.html">Four Design Influences.</a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Resources</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/design-resources-coroflotcom.html">Design resources: Coroflot.com</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/design-resources-design-management.html">Design Resources: Design Management Institute, DMI.</a><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/design-resources-springwisecom-and.html">Design resources: Springwise.com and Trendwatching</a>.<br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Local</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/10th-design-showroom-universidad.html">10th Design Showroom, Universidad Nacional de Colombia</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/expoartesanas-2007.html">Expoartesanías 2007</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/latin-american-design-events.html">Latin American Design Events</a>.<br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Reference Articles</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/design-jobs-3-great-articles.html">Design jobs: 3 great articles</a>.<br /><em>- </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/publish-confirmation.g?blogID=7395312239606321392&postID=6948612324014505379&timestamp=1191275167526&javascriptEnabled=true"><em>Creatives Wanted: How to Prepare Yourself for Today's Job Market</em></a><em>.<br />- </em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/jobs/career_advice/TCGteleconferencing.asp"><em>Turning Up the Volume: Teleconferencing Etiquette</em></a><em>.<br />- </em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/jobs/career_advice/TCGdeadendjob.asp"><em>Five Sure Signs Your Job Is a Dead-End</em></a><em>.<br /></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/design-resources-2-articles.html">Design resources: 2 articles</a>.<br /><em>- </em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/dc/features/edgetalife_1.asp"><em>Get A Life (And Other Remedies for Creative Atrophy)</em></a><em>.<br />- </em><a href="http://www.howdesign.com/dc/features/creativeprocess.asp"><em>The Proof is in the Process</em></a><em>.</em><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Guest Post</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/07/beginners-guide-to-making-money-on.html">Beginners guide to making money on the internet</a><br /><br /><br /><em><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">► Personal</span></strong></em><br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/25-things-about-me.html">25 things about me</a>.<br /><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/05/gracias-merci-thank-you-danke-grazie.html">Gracias, Merci, Thank you, Danke, Grazie, Obrigada...</a><br /><br /><br />I want to thank everybody who visited and commented on my blog! I am sure 2008 will bring more topics to write and discuss about!<br /><br />All the best!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Special thanks to my friends </em></span><a href="http://www.blahblahtech.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Wayne Smallman</em></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><em> and </em></span><a href="http://www.carlgrint.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Carl Grint</em></span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><em> who have helped me improve this blog.</em></span>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-46271866096424678252007-12-27T10:46:00.000-05:002007-12-27T10:52:29.094-05:00Expoartesanías 2007<em><span style="font-size:130%;">“From December 6th to 19th at Corferias, the most representative display of handicrafts from Colombia and other countries such as Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Venezuela, among others, will take place.<br /><br />820 exhibitors will display the most unique handicrafts in seven pavilions.<br /><br />Some of the new features of the 2007 fair include a special pavilion devoted to Jewelry and another pavilion for international exhibitors..."*<br /></span></em><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148680197508495394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYsi3u4jR3cx-feKkdWV8RYSdEKxjet8RHWepWtnlonlKl35gaqgRbsUhFA4y0HOGnaQYjtSBzh5tmhfDej_O51GchR6K3acHHkzacVaVvjX0UJQuVZhZz_C2PzMAUa3J9lJcE/s320/Expoartesanias1.jpg" border="0" /> <div>A couple of weeks ago I visited <a href="mailto:http://www.expoartesanias.com/en/index.cfm%3Flang=en">Expoartesanías</a>. I know in previous posts <a href="mailto:http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/10th-design-showroom-universidad.html">I’ve been ranting about how disappointing current colombian design is</a>. Granted, I referred to design in the academy and what kind of designers are getting a degree.<br /><br />However, I am thrilled to announce that what I saw in Expoartesanías is a whole different picture. Of course, <a href="mailto:http://www.expoartesanias.com/en/index.cfm%3Flang=en">Expoartesanías</a> is about crafts, so no mass production there. However, there’s still design involved!<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">And lots of it!</span></em><br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148680369307187250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4NG1DxeTYcoBk9P2Gkrj0Rzwp1j3SUqywz_i99GX73fU9Db3bNd8t7vjLnPjIf8NuKQfVN0lEE6a_GSz2jAQtQKm3D_gYRaIX2YDoMrmYOkfY-9EGoxWC8hquvhymqLJNQ8Z/s320/Expoartesanias2.jpg" border="0" /><br />So it seems that many designers and artists are out there working hard and making great design. Some students would be wise to approach them and learn from them.<br /><br />I saw great furniture, great leather accessories, home accessories, innovative use of materials, remarkable jewelry, unexpected forms and objects, but all with that amazing colombian aesthetic.<br /><br />I know it’s late to go see it now, but <a href="mailto:http://www.jorgebarreto.org/sitio_catalog/">check the catalog</a> anyway and set yourself up to visit the fair next year!<br /><br />I still wonder, though, how do we bring together this real life experience of business and the academy? Why the gap? What am I missing here?<br /><br />All comments will be welcome.<br />All the best!<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">*From the Expoartesanías website.</span></em>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-49656685310576125742007-12-26T15:27:00.000-05:002007-12-26T16:29:59.511-05:00Happy Holidays!<span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hi, Everybody! This is just a quick note to wish everybody Happy Holidays and a 2008 full of success!</span></span>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-60733240208013727932007-12-17T22:41:00.000-05:002007-12-17T22:45:09.510-05:00Getting a client, instead of an occasional buyer<div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em><strong>cli·ent</strong><br /></em>–noun 1<em>. a person or group that uses the professional advice or services of a lawyer, accountant, advertising agency, architect, etc.<br /><br />But, I think we all know a client is much more than that, don’t we?</em></span><br /><br />Clients pay for the service you provide for them. Give good service, and you will:<br />- Have a loyal client that keeps coming back for more, providing you in return, with steady income.<br />- Have a client that will give his friends good references of you, providing you with more work.<br />- Get an ally and a friend that will help your business grow, while you make theirs, grow.<br /><br />Sounds great, right?<br /><br />And how exactly do you get to that point?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Allow me to illustrate with a recent experience of mine:</em><br /></span></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-b7bXkriyr110bZLSKYoAscJQJMv6ledN1qwKXqdcUKRCBa_6CNgzn8ggPTPVyr3_SQ4iMmpC52nMzvlDpjYIdO2sWfaBry85GF3lrnGLGGek6rmKtdk1YTTAq5wRAaHV8A/s1600-h/Triax+Swift+Sync.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145153698645997570" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-b7bXkriyr110bZLSKYoAscJQJMv6ledN1qwKXqdcUKRCBa_6CNgzn8ggPTPVyr3_SQ4iMmpC52nMzvlDpjYIdO2sWfaBry85GF3lrnGLGGek6rmKtdk1YTTAq5wRAaHV8A/s320/Triax+Swift+Sync.jpg" border="0" /></a>A couple of weeks ago I wanted to buy a watch, so I went to the mall. There were about five stores that carried the kind of watch I wanted. So I went to the first store and requested the watch, and they had it, except they carried it in light blue and pink.<br /><br />“Hmm, I’d rather it was black” I said to the sales guy. “We don’t carry it in black” he said. So I replied “Great, let me check other stores and see if I can find it. If I don’t, I’ll come back and buy one of these”, to which he replied “You’re not going to find it in this mall. We’re the only ones who carry this particular model, so you might as well buy it right away”.<br /><br />“Thanks” I said, “I’ll take my chances”.<br /><br />The second store I visited carried the watch and guess what: They had it in black! The sales lady was very polite, told me the price, allowed me to try it on… But I still wanted to see if I could get a better price somewhere else. “Thanks” I said, “I’ll check other stores and come back if I decide to buy this one”. “Great!” she said, “I’ll be here if you need me”.<br /><br />Surely enough, I went to other stores, they all carried the watch in different colors, including black. Where do you think I went back to buy the watch?<br /><br />See the difference? The first guy was interested in making THIS particular sale and getting his commission. The second lady was interested in what I wanted. I wanted a black watch, at a better price.</div><div> </div><div>Sure, she wanted to sell hers too, but she was more focused on providing a service and letting the customer get the best deal (And of course, she was confident that I could not get a better price anywhere else). She was also very friendly and provided me with great service by giving me information and allowing me to try it on.<br /><br />If I ever need to buy another watch, or if I know of someone that needs one, I’ll recommend that particular store. She got herself a client.<br /><br />If I had bought the watch at the first store just because I couldn’t find it anywhere else, I would’ve become an occasional buyer and would have never come back. And I am not coming back.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Who’s more intelligent? I bet by now you get my point…</span></em><br /><br />Think of providing a service, a great service, instead of thinking about how to make one sale. Think of what the client wants and give it to them. It may be that the client doesn’t actually buy from you now, but they will remember you and come back if they see that you’re eager to provide them with value, rather than just take their money.<br /><br />All the best!</div>Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32405957.post-70987346963302983842007-12-10T20:36:00.000-05:002007-12-10T20:40:07.792-05:00The 10 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership<em><span style="font-size:130%;">In order to reinforce </span></em><a href="http://caroayerbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/11-major-attributes-of-leadership.html"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">my past entry</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">, allow me to transcribe now another passage of “</span></em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Think_and_grow_rich"><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Think and Grow Rich</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size:130%;">” by Napoleon Hill, published in 1937.</span></em><br /><br />Here goes:<br /><br /><span style="color:#99ff99;"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>The 10 Major Causes of Failure in Leadership</em></span></strong><br /></span><br /><strong><em>1. Inability to organize details.</em></strong><br />Efficient leadership calls for ability to organize and master details. No genuine leader is ever “too busy” to do anything which may be required of him in his capacity as a leader. When a man, whether he is a leader or a follower, admits that he is “too busy” to change his plans, or to give attention to any emergency, he admits his inefficiency. The successful leader must be the master of all details connected with his position. That means, of course, that he must acquire the habit or delegating details to capable lieutenants.<br /><br /><strong><em>2. Unwillingness to render humble service.</em></strong><br />Truly great leaders are willing, when occasion demands, to perform any sort of labor which they would ask another to perform. “The greatest among ye shall be servant of all” is a truth which all leaders observe and respect.<br /><br /><strong><em>3. Expectation of pay for what they “know” instead of what they “do” with that which they know.</em></strong><br />The world does not pay men for that which they “know”. It pays them for that they DO, or induce others to do.<br /><br /><strong><em>4. Fear of competition from followers.<br /></em></strong>The leader who fears that one of his followers may take his position is practically sure to realize that fear sooner or later. The able leader trains understudies to whom he may delegate, at will, any of the details of his position. Only in this way may a leader multiply himself and prepare himself to be at many places, and give attention to many things at one time. It is an eternal truth that men receive more pay for their ability to get others to perform, than they could possibly earn by their own efforts. An efficient leader may, through this knowledge of his job and the magnetism of his personality, greatly increase the efficiency of others, and induce them to render more service and better service than they could render without his aid.<br /><br /><strong><em>5. Lack of imagination.</em></strong><br />Without imagination, the leader in incapable of meeting emergencies, and of creating plans by which to guide his followers efficiently.<br /><br /><strong><em>6. Selfishness.</em></strong><br />The leader who claims all the honor for the work of his followers, is sure to be met by resentment. The really great leader claims none of the honors. He is contented to see the honors, when there are any, go to his followers, because he knows that most men will work harder for commendation and recognition than they will for money alone.<br /><br /><strong><em>7. Intemperance.<br /></em></strong>Followers do not respect an intemperate leader. Moreover, intemperance in any of its various forms, destroys the endurance and the vitality of all who indulge in it.<br /><br /><strong><em>8. Disloyalty.</em></strong><br />Perhaps this should have come at the head of the list. The leader who is not loyal to his trust, and to his associates, those above him and those below him, cannot long maintain his leadership. Disloyalty marks one as being less that the dust of the earth, and brings down on one’s head the contempt he deserves. Lack of loyalty is one of the major causes of failure in every walk of life.<br /><br /><strong><em>9. Emphasis of the “authority” of leadership.</em></strong><br />The efficient leader leads by encouraging and not by trying to instill fear in the hearts of his followers. The leader who tries to impress his followers with his “authority” comes within the category of leadership through force. If a leader is a real leader, he will have no need to advertise that fact, except by his conduct, his sympathy, understanding, fairness and demonstration that he knows his job.<br /><br /><strong><em>10. Emphasis of title.</em></strong><br />The competent leader requires no “title” to give him the respect of his followers. The man who makes too much over his title generally has little else to emphasize. The doors to the office of the real leader are open to all who wish to enter, and his working quarters are free from formality or ostentation.<br /><br />I think many latin american leaders, in all areas, fall into these negative practices, don't you?<br /><br />All the best!Carolina Ayerbehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03446927157890630938noreply@blogger.com0