I was cleaning out my desk at home and found an old folding poster presented by Sappi and foldfactory.com at the 2010 HOW Conference. It now hangs on my wall to remind me that not everything has to be so standard. Instead of that letter fold or accordion you were planning on using, how about a vertical semi-gate with a center fold? Okay, maybe not that complicated but I am excited to think about the possibilities! Join me in awe by downloading the Folding Guide poster (provided by sappi.com).

The general consensus from the professional design community is that crowdsourcing is detrimental to the value of design. When a company uses a crowdsourcing website they sacrifice a few imperative assets that a professional designer can provide. We don’t just make pretty pictures—we strive to communicate the client’s brand and their goals through strategic, integrated thinking and problem solving. The result? Design that can attract and retain a client base, and deliver results. On a crowdsourcing site, the client forgoes the opportunity to work step-by-step with a professional designer through drafts, revisions and finalizing of their design. They don’t receive the opportunity to work through bumps with problem solving sessions and teamwork.

There are extensive conversations about crowdsourcing design. See the AIGA’s stance, or take a more personal look into one designer’s experience with crowdsourcing and her client.

- Katy

This summer Katy was able to take a night class at the School of Visual Concepts, “Design for the Music Industry”. It was a night she looked forward to every week where she could kick back with a small group and learn from two wise and inspiring designers, Jessie LeDoux and Jeff Kliensmith of Patent Pending.

Pictured above is Katy with her screen-printed gig poster at the class’s gallery opening where they showcased their final projects.