Delicious v.s. Google

I searched graphic design in both delicious.com and google.com. At first glance, google came up with terms and definitions for what a graphic designer is and delicious' results came up with useful resources for a graphic designer. I did not see any cross over from the results on either site. Depending on what you are searching for when you type in graphic designer either site could be useful. As a graphic designer already I found delicious results more useful to me, but if I was not a designer I would find google's results more useful because of the wide range of results. Google's results defined what a designer is, allowed job resources and had some local results to where I live. I find delicious results more reliable because all of the links are related to what I am looking for, while google results are random from jobs, to definitions, to design firms even history.

Flickr Creative Commons

As a graphic designer I know that you can not grab any photo off the internet that does not belong to you. I think more people need to be educated about this as well.

While on Flickr unless I knew about Creative Commons I would not know to look for it. I think Flicker needs to do a better job to promote it.

Photo Fun

Flickr

Flickr is a very useful site for storing photos and sharing them with friends and family. Today was the first time I embedded an image from Flickr at the bottom of my blog. I think this is very useful for a user who visits my site to have easy access to more of my photos all in one place instead of having to search through my blog archives. Inserting an image into a blog post seems a little easier than the many steps it took to imbed an image.

Mobile RSS Feed Readers

I was searching for feed readers other than the current one I had for my mobile phone and stumbled upon one that I thought was FeedDemon. Unfortunately, it was too late when I realized it was not FeedDemon but I am finding that Feedler is very useful. I found that I can also link my Google reader and others so that I have all my feeds in one place. Feedler is clean and very user friendly. Check it out and let me know what you think.

RSS feeds growing companies

I find it interesting how creative companies are becoming to get information to their customers. I never thought to look into how companies use RSS feeds until this class. I found that ATT uses numerous RSS feeds to provide information to their clients. They have anywhere from a corporate RSS feed to an international one. They even offer podcasts to help reporters keep current with news about AT&T.

http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=21287

Blogging about my feed Reader

Before this class I already used RSS feeds to keep current with news and other information from my favorite sites. But, before this class I did not know how to use these tools successfully. I subscribed to feeds but did not keep up with them. Since I started this class, I have organized my feeds with a reader and downloaded a reader for my phone. Because of this class I can access information that I am interested in without having to dig for it and at anytime in my day since a reader is now on my phone. This creative mind is not patient enough for all the digging required to find current information on the web. These tools allow me to have time to be more creative and less time digging. One drawback to having this information at your finger tips is that I crave it more and find myself always interacting with my computer or phone constantly.

Photo Fun (Happy Halloween!)

Happy Halloween to all!

A website for stock images

As a designer I am always looking for images that I can legally use in my layouts. I know that you can not download images off a website or scan them out of other print material to use in my layouts. If I did not take an image myself, I need to find a stock image that I can purchase the rights to. Through the years I have found a reasonably priced website that is a critical tool to what I do everyday. iStockphoto.com is a great website with a wonderful selection of photos. I hope that you find it as useful as I do.

A website for music

I work at a computer all day and needed a way to listen to music. I listen to music while pretty much doing anything. It gives me a spring in my step and keeps me creative. Music is a big part of my life so I searched for a website that could full fill this great need. Pandora, www.pandora.com, is my site of choice for music. It is my own personal radio station that plays the music that I love. Now that I have a smart phone, I can take Pandor anywhere I go and the possibilities are endless.

A useful running website

I was a runner in high school but as my life headed in a new direction so did my priority to exercise and maintain my health. Luckily a fellow co-worker sparked my interest in running again. I not only wanted to better my health, but became a better role model for my children. I found a very useful website during this journey nikerunning.nike.com.

This site is a great way to track my progress and inspire me to keep running. I can post my success on twitter, Facebook and other sites. I can locate other members of the site to challenge them or create a more personal training program with a coach for anything from a 5k to a full marathon. Below is a screen shot from the site.

Check this site out. It has made a world of difference in my life. I used this site to train and complete my first half marathon. I would love to hear if and how it benefitted you.

Introduction of a creative mind?

I am a creative person who always strives to see the best in everything. I started my professional journey and became a responsible adult after graduating from the Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Visual Communications. I currently work as a graphic designer and am a mother of two children. Working fulltime as a mother and designer requires plenty of creativity, especially when you add student, athlete, and freelancer to the role. I look forward to sharing my experiences, creativity and life's journey with you.