Black Rebel Motorcyle Club

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Just looking at this makes me want to head to a dive or hit the open road (windows down, of course). The colors, textures, die-cuts, and detail not only look great but really go with the band and music. The black CD just makes sense and really goes the attitude that makes BRMC so perfect when you are need of some solid rock music.
(design via The Uprising)

Broken Bells

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One of my favorite albums of the year, the Broken Bells debuted with this stellar limited edition box set. Not only does the box play an exclusive song made just for this set, you get a notebook, soft pack CD, glow in the dark stickers, and exclusive poster. Again, the design really goes with the music: moody, simple.
(design via Jacob Escobedo)

Broken Social Scene

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With the release of Forgiveness Rock Record, Broken Social Scene offered a limited edition colored vinyl box set. Along with the vinyl, the covers offer plenty of room for the artwork that has made even their CD’s nice.

Menomena

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I love Menomena. I was introduced them, coincidentally, at the same time that I was introduced to the fabulous works of Craig Thompson, who did the artwork for this CD case. The red parts of the image are actually the CD showing through die cuts in the case. As you spin the CD, different objects fill in the blanks and tell a story of their own. Thompson also did the artwork for the group’s latest release – I doubt it will disappoint..

I’m going to end with an album that isn’t a box but that I can totally appreciate. Nicely done:

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Have an album that isn’t listed here? Or maybe you’ve seen other formats used creatively? I’d love to see more!

Underwear by FM Belfast (Music Video) from Daniel Scheinert on Vimeo.

They understand why you are working at midnight on the day after Christmas
Some fellow designers and I lamented the fact that very few people understand our jobs or our schedules. They don’t understand why we work late, or on weekend and holidays. They also don’t understand that this is something we chose to do.  Being a designer is similar to being a doctor in the sense that you don’t leave the job at the end of the day. You are on call, you revolve around deadlines, and you wake up at 3am worrying about spot colors and trim sizes. While other people will be angry at your boss and the terrible injustices you suffer, another designer will understand that this isn’t just a job – it’s a lifestyle.

They will say I love you in the most attractive ways
Sure the message of the card is important, but really, the stock and design are more important. When something says “I love you”, it’s nice to know that someone checked the kerning as much as you will. Die cuts? Embossing? Interesting stock?! It’s the stuff of true romance.
*Bonus: You will have awesome wedding invitations.*

They will join you when you geek out
There are very few people who will let you talk about screens, fonts, and programs as much as another designer will. A few minutes into a conversation about the latest Apple offering and you can actually see someone’s eyes glaze over. They will pretend they can’t hear you talk, in detail, about the logo or typeface that catches your eye while you’re walking down the street. Start talking about upgrades or techniques in Photoshop and might actually kill a non-designer. Designers, on the other hand, will geek out just as much if not more than you. Instead of being a side topic, the shortcomings of the menu design can actually be the main topic of conversation (and they won’t think that is sad).

They come with a great music collection
I have met very, very few designers that didn’t have a totally killer music collection. When we work we listen to music, and we are constantly looking for new music to fill the hours. I know quite a few designers who design by day and are involved in music  at night. When you aren’t geeking out about design, you get to geek out about music to your hearts’ content.

They have passion
Designers are passionate about what they do. If they aren’t, they’re in the wrong field. Most of the designers I know have a constant stream of side projects that keep them entertained and exploring new ideas. It’s rare to hear a designer talk about how boring their job is because their job will most likely never get boring. This is a win for both people because you can share your side projects and interests and continue to learn and grow together. And passion in a relationship is usually a pretty good thing.

1.0 When you have a family, you will inevitably have family pile-ups! And they will be so fun!
Ah, the classic family pile-up. You’re all just chilling in the living room and bam! you’re suddenly crushed under the weight of your average looking parents and opposite sex sibling. The fact that your clothes are coordinated makes it so much more pleasant. You all smile at how pleasant it is. And then you look at a camera. Wait. What?

2.0 All you have to do to be a business professional is shake hands and smile
They say you can tell a lot about a person by their handshake, and this is especially true in the business world. Bonus points if you shake hands with skyscrapers or the entire world behind you.

3.0 Your coworkers will be so attractive
Old people? In the workplace? Don’t be ridiculous. Your coworkers will look will look like they just walked off the set of the TV show about your awesome job. Should someone be over the age of 30, you can rest assured that they will have the appropriate trendy eye wear to help those ancient eyes. The old lady that walks around muttering doesn’t exist, nor do the novelty sweatshirts that come out at every holiday. Also, that hot coworker isn’t flirting, he always just smiles and makes eye contact like that.

4.0 Old people love riding bikes
There’s really nothing more to add…

5.0 Pregnancy is a freakish thing
Not only does it involve a human being growing inside your stomach, pregnancy also causes people to do strange things, like make hearts with their hands over your stomach, or take close-up photos of them making out with your stomach. It causes people to think “cute! symbolic!” when they take picture of themselves holding a teddy bear in front of their stomach. Make that photo b+w and you’re done. I’ve seen way too many photos of pregnant women in bras, being kissed on the neck by the one partly responsible for the whole situation. Make a bunch of middle school kids go through one pregnancy stock gallery and you won’t even have to worry about teenage pregnancy.

6.0 Everyone is more diverse than you.
I’m sorry, but you’re borderline offensive if every outing doesn’t include one person in a wheelchair and at three diverse ethnicities, all wearing a coordinating but different colored polos. According to the photos, these diverse relationships and polo trends start during childhood. Despite the diversity, everyone is still skinny and attractive, so you don’t have to go too far outside your comfort zone (and yes, that’s sarcasm, so you can cancel that hate mail).

Ironically, I don’t have any photos on this page because I couldn’t justify paying for them and they weren’t worth breaking usage/copyright laws. Use your imagination or do a quick search on any of the topics above.

I was one of these people. Having just started my own freelance company, there were areas that I wanted to learn more about. A few unpaid weeks later, I realized that this was a mistake. I met some great people, but my time could have been spent networking on my own terms or focusing on projects. There are some great opportunities out there if you’re in an “in-between” position, but make sure you know what you’re looking to get out of it and then make sure you get it. I know a lot of people in the this position and I come to you now with a few words of wisdom:

1.0 If you’re going to make a mistake, at least get paid for it
At one point, I took an unpaid internship and hoped to learn more about a relatively new way of interacting with others online. The internship promised real world experience, conferences, networking opportunities, and a case study that I could show to potential employers. The opportunities seemed to make up for the few unpaid hours I would be putting in each week and I happily accepted. One thing after another fell through and not only did I have nothing to show, I had done some design work for free.

If you’re going to take an unpaid internship or position, make sure that there is a payoff of some kind. Are they paying your way into events? Will you be involved in projects that you would otherwise be unable to do? What do you gain? Make sure they follow through on their promises.

If you are doing specialty work (design, for example) for the organization, set up a system where you will get paid for the extra work. The work you do as part of the internship should be clearly defined and any work outside of that should be discussed ahead of time.

Research the company or person you are talking to and see if they can help you add valuable experience to your resume. One easy way to do this is to check out the Better Business Bureau.  Too many people get by with getting “free work” while you waste your time and energy with nothing to show in the end.  In my case, I at least learned what not to do.

2.0 Be social
Don’t be shy about keeping in touch with the people you meet. These people are potentially great resources that could help you in the future. You never know where you will be or what situations will arise and it never hurts to know as many people as possible – especially in the field you want to be in.

If  you do follow up with contacts, you want to keep things positive. Things didn’t work out with the position? Those details don’t need to be shared unless they directly effect things moving forward. It’s important to keep your personal life and business life separate to some degree.

Also, you should never “steal” contacts. Make an effort to meet people on your own and form your own relationships with them.

3.0 Don’t ignore opportunities
It’s easy to become attached to a position and team – especially in the unique environment of a start-up. You’ll be working hard and closely with your new colleagues and you’ll all be putting more of yourselves into your work. While I am a huge supporter of staying dedicated to your team, I am also aware that there are always great opportunities out there. Any team will understand your desire to take a chance on what could be an exciting new turn in your career – especially one that pays.

4.0 Soak it in
In an internship, you should be learning. Getting coffee or running errands, while a part of any job, doesn’t ultimately prepare you to move on. You want to work with and for a leader who will guide you. You will make mistakes – that’s part of an internship, too. Ask questions and use this time to learn as much as possible.

5.0 Be good
Be a good worker. Even if the gig is a bust, you will most likely have worked hard enough to learn something or have something to show for your time. Be a good person. Don’t just get to know people because they might be able to help you in the future – actually get to know people just to know them. At the same time, be someone worth getting to know. Help other people along the way. The biggest gain from any situation I’ve been in has been the friendships I’ve walked away with.

* Image found via ffffound