100 habits of successful graphic designers : insider secrets on working smart and staying creative / written and designed by Plazm ; writing by Sarah Dougher ; design by Joshua Berger.

Cover -- Title -- Contents -- Introduction -- Chapter 1. Self-Promotion -- 1 Let the work speak for itself -- 2 Create promotions that reflect the goals of your company -- 3 Keep in touch with your clients, past and present -- 4 Let someone publish your work -- 5 Win and keep clients with a multi-pronged approach to self-promotion -- 6 Use cultural relevance to create ongoing momentum -- 7 Create self-promotional materials that are deceptively simple -- 8 Do an extra-good job on tiny projects -- 9 Distribute your work through respected channels to gain client confidence -- 10 Everything you do promotes yourself -- 11 Walk around a book fair and hand out your book designs to publishers -- 12 Create after-the-fact flyers -- Chapter 2. Working with Clients -- 13 Visit the client's site - physical and virtual -- 14 Research client decision-making systems -- 15 Spend time with your client to build consensus and create shared goals -- 16 Expand your audience by doing public art projects -- 17 Don't talk about CD art in a CD art meeting -- 18 All work has its own unique client19 Learn the language of the client -- 20 Teach the client your language -- 21 Seek out creative clients for successful collaborations -- 22 Build small projects into engaging, ongoing work -- 23 Work for the government -- 24 Develop a clear ethic of client interaction that works for you -- Chapter 3. Workflow and In-House Dynamics -- 25 Find an emotional connection with your audience -- 26 Demand respect, creative license, and fair pay -- 27 Expand with your clients -- 28 Develop brands that both reflect and influence culture -- 29 Help save electricity30 If you are a designer, design; if you are a manager, manage -- 31 Accessible can be smart; smart can be funny -- 32 Hire interesting, creative people�and listen to them -- 33 Always keep the valve in the open position -- 34 Cultivate a workplace with a specific look and sound -- 35 Keep decision making simple and nonhierarchical -- 36 Creative directors need to stay creative -- 37 Look far and wide for your sources in the creative process -- Chapter 4. Continuing Education and Professional Development -- 38 Avoid design conferences -- 39 Support young designers40 When you retire, deal with the possibilities, not the necessities -- 41 Go back to school no matter how old you are -- 42 Start a magazine -- 43 Make a low-budget project look expensive -- 44 Read it all, forget it all, and do your own thing -- 45 Actively pursue intellectual subjects that resonate with you -- 46 Learn the vernacular of a new field -- 47 Continue your own education by teaching -- 48 Develop and sustain an art practice throughout your life -- 49 Never stop learning; don't start teaching.

In need of advice? Just want to sounds off? Opening this volume is like grabbing lunch with a fellow designer to commiserate or celebrate. In its pages, noteworthy designers, both past and present, working in fields ranging from graphic design, fashion, architecture, typography, and industrial design sound off on every topic, ranging from deadlines, inspiration, competition, rules, respect, education, and handling criticism-all with a certain amount of irreverence. Their thoughts are boiled down into succinct, quotable quotes and one-liners that exemplify their character and demonstrate their philosophy on the world around them. Enjoy reading thought bites from everyone from Art Chantry, Margo Chase, Ed Fella, John C. Jay, Hideki Nakajima, Stefan Sagmeister, and Rudy VanderLans.