Let’s dive into the wonderful world of protecting our many, many passwords. I would ideally like to assume that everyone listening to this podcast uses one of the many password manager options out there, but I believe I can safely assume that many of you may just never haver pulled the trigger on officially using one. 
  
 It’s safe to say when it comes to passwords, keeping your login information under lock and key with a proven password manager is not only a good idea, but one that is necessary.  Of course the the question is, which one. We'll discuss the best choices, their features, and help you make the choice, today.

015 -  HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR PASSWORDS?

Before I begin this week’s podcast, EDUCATING THE CLIENT, I’d like to share with you the progress of a project I’ve been working on for many, many weeks. It's an online course which will help anyone who presents to an audience of any size better prepare and design their future presentations. I discuss where I am in the process and provide an isight as to the depth this course will take. 
 Then on to the normally scheduled show - EDUCATING THE CLIENT. I dive into a subject I tend to have strong thoughts about. Ultimately this is a discussion about the lack of appreciation and understanding of what we graphic designers do. Our value. We will discuss a current article which illustrates the lack of understanding of a graphic designer's abilities and the worth of his or her talent. I discuss one possible strategy we can take as creative directors, graphic designers, web designers, and user experience designers, to show our clients why we are a valuable resource.

014 - A SPECIAL PROJECT & EDUCATING THE CLIENT

The successful presentation – whether to a crowd or across
a conference table – is not as elusive as designers may believe.
The common sense guidelines are the same, the tools – PowerPoint,
Keynote, or presentation boards – are not new. So then why are
presentations looked upon as a daunting task with results that
obviously agree with that assessment?

This discussion will provide key points to arm you with the
confidence to effectively present your ideas while making
certain your clients understand your message and the details of
your concepts. With as few as 5 steps to create a better
presentation, any designer will soon see their presentation
abilities improve while effective presentations become their
strength. 

013 - Client Presentations – Making them Great!

For this week’s Podcast I’ve chosen to focus on one issue most every designer experiences in their career; Keeping Your Designs Fresh. On the surface there are obvious solutions or tricks a designer can employ to freshen up their design concepts. Rather than only talking about the obvious solutions, we will explore some timely and somewhat interesting ideas to help Keep Your Designs Fresh and, I will add, unexpected. 

012 - 5 TIPS ON KEEPING YOUR DESIGNS FRESH

I’ve chosen to
explore newly revealed products, instead of the usual software
insights and training. Today's podcast will focus on
Apple’s
September 9th keynote event where the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, a
revamped Apple TV and what some might call an overdue pro version
of the iPad were all revealed. Come listen to what I've heard and
share with us your take on Apple's new innovations and
updates.

011 - A TAKE ON APPLE'S NEW PRODUCTS AND UPDATES

Let’s review past predictions of Graphic Design Trends predicted for 2015 – how has the design world faired so far?I wonder, what types of graphic design trends we’re predicted for 2015 and how has that shaken out so far? The rise of flat design, large background images in websites, the mobile space, interactive web graphics, and today’s typography in web design.

010 - PREDICTIONS FOR 2015 DESIGN TRENDS - A LOOK BACK

Today’s podcast begins with a basic, but essential look into Adobe’s Illustrator, the graphic designer’s choice application for identities and beyond. Take a look at often overlooked features available in this once aging, and now firmly revived Adobe classic. I use the words “once aging” because for a short time Adobe seemed complacent in their updates and innovations with Illustrator and believe it or not, in little more than a year, Illustrator will be celebrating it’s 30th Anniversary! Developed in December 1986 for the Apple Macintosh, and commercially launched in January 1987, Adobe Illustrator was an application focused firmly in typography — typesetting actually — which lent itself perfectly to logo creation.

009 - AN ESSENTIAL LOOK AT ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR

In today’s episode I’ll be discussing trends. Specifically, logo trends. Fellow graphic professional & author, Bill Gardner, president of Gardner Design in Wichita, Kansas, accomplished designer featured in Communication Arts, Graphis and The Museum of Modern Art to name a few, is also founder of LogoLounge.com, a website worth visiting for it’s rich knowledge and guidance articles focused on logo design and creation.

 

 

As he has written in his most recent Trend Report, each year, Bill browses through thousands of logos and can’t help but consider their societal, technological and environmental influences. This year, he has focused on three specific thoughts while highlighting several visual trends important to our industry and the future of branding as a whole. 

 

008 - LOGO TRENDS FOR 2015

In today’s podcast, we’re going to explore a product. In fact it’s been touted as the most "personal device" ever created by Apple; the Apple Watch.

 

 

I thought I'd do something different, potentially a tad self-serving, and off-the-cuff. As I’ve mentioned in my intro podcast here and on my website, I’m a bit of an Apple guy, and I’d like to give you my 2-cents on the Apple Watch. What I like, where I see some need for improvement and how I live with this new gadget - how it fits into my every day life. If you’re an Android or other mobile device user, hang on to your earbuds, I think you’ll be interested as well. As with the iPhone 8 years ago, the Apple Watch might help to shape wearable technology which may morph into something beneficial even if you aren’t the typical “I gotta have the very first one” geek-a-zoid… like me. 

007 – MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPLE WATCH

Over the past 4 - 6 years web design as a whole and user interface design, have experienced a drastic shift of importance. Web sites from several years ago seemed focused only on the delivering of information, not on the how the information is delivered. Today, the “how” has become more predominant, along with the user experience. How a user interacts with your site and the experience your site provides them impacts not only their ability to find what they are looking for, but whether or not that visit will convert to a purchase or a call-to-action - a phone call or request for information.

Let’s explore Ten of the Top Web Design Mistakes that ultimately can turn off your users and push them away from ever visiting a site again. Not living up to your audience’s expectations can have its own consequences; design errors can immensely limit a site’s acceptance among its audience. I’ll examine frequent design issues from the users point of view.

006 - THE TOP 10 WEB DESIGN MISTAKES THAT EFFECT USERS

Join creative director, designer, and instructor Tim Bigonia as he explores and details graphic design techniques and design application software training. Tim is a seasons creative with more than 25 years practical experience working with local and international clients on a variety of advertising and marketing projects. From directing photo and video shoots to creating multi-piece, retail promotional campaigns, Tim has a wide range of concept and production knowledge. In his teaching career, spanning nearly 25 years, Tim has focused on presenting his college-level students with real-world application proficiencies that will benefit them outside the classroom. Learning a specific Adobe application software is more than simply knowing where to select menu items, but it is also understanding how to effectively design using this complicated and expansive digital tool. Contact Tim anytime at tim@frompixelstoprint.com

I’m not a graphic designer, but am a ‘wanna-be’ graphic designer.  I love to learn and Tim helps me to direct my learning efforts in the right direction.  I don’t have a lot of time to invest, and he is definitely helping me to find the shortcuts.  He is easy to listen to and keeps me anxiously awaiting the next episode.  Thanks Tim!!

Very Helpful!

From Pixels to Print – a graphic design discussion

Explore Adobe’s Creative Cloud 2015 update. Back in 2012, Adobe launched its Creative Cloud subscription service, last week Adobe updated several of it’s key applications at the surface and behind the scenes. Become more familiar with Adobe’s new stock service, Adobe Stock, discover it’s costs and features while you decide for yourself if it’s worthy to be placed within your work flow. Dive a bit deeper into one of Adobe’s mobile apps, Adobe Comp, and discover why you might want to start exploring more of the Adobe mobile apps and what they could mean for your daily design needs. 

005 - EXPLORING ADOBE'S CREATIVE CLOUD 2015 UPDATE

This episode identifies 8 common features every pro has come to appreciate in Adobe's InDesign, such as Auto Pagination, Object Layer Options, Character Styles and Effects to name a few. Dive into InDesign's pro features geared to help make your work flow more efficient. I began my career with QuarkXpress, but once InDesign firmly planted it’s feet in the design world, proving them a worthy opponent, I made the switch and never looked back. The tight integration with all other Adobe products, for me, makes this the superior choice and an integral part of my every day regimen.Adobe InDesign was built for designers needing an application powerful enough to create extensive print books, catalogs, posters, etc. while working seamlessly with Adobe’s powerhouse apps, Illustrator and Photoshop. 

004 - ADOBE INDESIGN – 8 FEATURES YOU MUST KNOW TO BE A PRO

Welcome to From Pixels to Print podcast, focusing on graphic design techniques and application training. 

In this episode I introduce myself and review expectations of this podcast going forward. Discover my creative background and experience in the graphic design world of Southeastern Wisconsin, including my teaching experience at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee as well as MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design). Understanding where I come from as a designer, will help to set the stage for such subjects as 10 Details of Adobe InDesign You Must Know, PowerPoint Presentations and How to Make the Great, Identitifying Client Types. 

Although this podcast will be discussing graphic design subjects I choose, make no mistake, this is your podcast. Feedback and communication will be key as your voice makes a difference and will help to build From Pixels to Print podcast.

Visit me onlilne at www.FromPixelsToPrint.com, contact me at tim@frompixelstoprint.com or my voice mail at 262-298-2428.

000 - AN INTRODUCTION TO TIM BIGONIA

Whether using PowerPoint or Apple’s Keynote, the thought process of a successful presentation remain the same. I help to identify the five main design issues plaguing today's corporate PowerPoint/Keynote presentations. From weak messaging to the absence of structure, the typical presentation lacks an understanding of how to effectively engage an audience. From Pixels to Print helps you to avioiding common pitfalls from the ever poular over use of application features such as transitions or frames to the simple, but obvous affliction of readability issues. This episode will make anyone a creator of meaningful and engaging presentations.

001 - PRESENTATIONS: THERE'S NO EXCUSE TO BE BAD

Often times us creatives will hit a proverbial wall. I don't mean to say a creative block, but more of a stagnant time in our careers. It might last a few days or feel as though it’s been months since we’ve had an original creative thought. We tend to find ourselves reusing and repurposing creative concepts or solutions that have worked in the past, however, at times, it becomes a bit too far in the past without a true “upgrade” of that concept or solution. In simple terms, we dance on the edge of being complancent. Or worse, becoming irrelevant. This episode provides you with 10 items will help you and I to better manage this creative pitfall and renew our creativity going forward.

002 - 10 WAYS TO RENEW YOUR CREATIVITY

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