I love watching a good idea become reality. Good friends Sean Barber and Brian Anderson developed the concept of creating a co-working space in Ames, IA. Co-working is the idea of several professionals sharing a workspace. It’s perfect for freelancers, tele-commuters, and consultants that need an office away from home. The main purpose of a co-working space is to provide professional office conveniences for little overhead cost. The secondary goal is to foster interdisciplinary interaction between users of the space. The unique mix of users can create beneficial interaction. For example a photographer and graphic designer who work independently can discover that their work is complimentary and begin sharing clients. This interaction is a great benefit for freelancers, and small businesses who don’t have the resources internally.
I have enjoyed contributing to the project and watching it develop into a physical reality. I assisted CoLab in their design phase, creating some 3D models and renderings of the space for concept visualization and presentation. 3D Models are powerful tools for designing and explaining architectural concepts.
I’m currently collaborating with Elias at American Vision Windows (plus Kitchens & Baths) to create a power point presentation for their sales team. His goal is to provide the team with better tools to quickly communicate the uniqueness of their company to potential clients. For example: AVW’s mission is,“to revolutionize the home improvement industry one customer at a time, while changing the lives of our employees for the better.” It’s not often a company focuses its success on its own employees instead of its bottom line. The in-home appointment requires our presentation to be quick, clear, and effective. To facilitate the wide audience of the presentation, we will be organizing the presentation so the salesperson can quickly jump to various sections as needed, instead of following a fixed path through the information.
I’m currently in the process of creating CarletonDesign.com (this blog is part of it) as my new portfolio site to replace jrcid.com.
I can’t wait to convert the design to CSS/HTML so I can insert the new content. I have some great ideas. Now that the design concept is settled, I’m finalizing textures and colors.
I also have been working with Eric at E & J Design on the next version of LEEDstudy.com. Check out that design, it’s still a work in progress.
I love this video! This beautifully illustrated animation explains the history of the internet. It’s a great example of how a technical lesson can be communicated effectively through skilled information design.
