This morning was rough. I was psyched to attend ‘Creating Short Films for the Web‘ hosted by Hillman Curtis… Unfortunately the session was canceled due to bad weather in NYC, his plain never took off. This session was the icing on the cake why I was attending the conference. So instead…

The Spaces In-Between
Deborah Sussman: Principal owner
Sussman/Prejza & Company, INC.

I’m glad I had a chance to sit in and listen to their process of designing and how their work environment helps build creativity.

I have to be honest it took a while for me to warm up to the presenters. It is a morning presentation and I didn’t get my corporate crack in the morning. Their first case study was a theater they redesigned. They showed what they had to work with and then the reasoning behind the redesign. I would never take a step into a theater like that. The outside of the theater was designed with popcorn and a gradient of the LA sunset. My reasoning of not liking it is the fact that I feel like I’m being sold to before I walk into the theater to watch a movie. I understand the thinking behind the design (what image do you think about when you think movies) but I believe that it portrays yet another sign of the times of advertising concessions. I don’t know how the movie community in that area feels about it but in LA, a city that large I would pass that up to hit the next big theater. After that example I enjoyed the remaining presentation. The thought process behind environmental graphic designers is new to me and I soaked up all the information. Great first session.

Reinvent Yourself
Pamela Mitchell: CEO and chief vision officer
The Reinvention Institute

I was disappointed with this session. I think it is unfair of me to say that because I work for a professional speaker. I edit his speeches and audio programs, I think some of the weight, that I’ve gained since I began working there is from swallowing too much of his message. This was a motivational presentation with laid out plans that helped her move down the path in her career change. Many of the audience was young and not in the position to make a career change. Most were looking for direction of how to draw attention to themselves to make them more marketable. Which was in her plans but it was missing key things to do in order to do that. One is starting a blog and begin commentary about your profession. Just my different perspective.

Staying Creative
Shelly Armstrong Art Director
Xbox design group

This was the largest session I was a part of. Out of the 3,500+ attendees maybe 2,000 were in the room for this session. Her presentation was based on staying creative in a corporate environment. It was interesting to see that even the big boys share the same problem as I do. Shelly took us down her top ten list of things to do in order to be more creative in the work place. Great ideas, my problem is that the creative team is me and Bethany located across the office and really don’t have time to spend together to get creative. So I didn’t get too much from this session. Although I can see if I worked in a large corporate environment this would be helpful.

Logo Notion
Steff Geissbuhler
C&G Partners

I loved this presentation. Steff has got his stuff together. He opened up his presentation with a 9 minute movie with a logo morphing into another logo from one part of the first logo that was part of the second, whether that being a shape, color, or text. It was really dynamic and entertaining. Steff went through some of his portfolio and let us in on his thinking of the logo. What the logo should represent, what to avoid, how the logo sets the tone of the product or company it represents. Very interesting and I took detailed notes. Unfortunately my battery died during his presentation so I could share them with you.

End of day 1 and I’m starting to feel the buzz of excitement of learning from some of the greats. Can’t wait for day two.

UPDATE
I talked to Bryn Mooth one of the organizers of HOW about Hillman Curtis and HOW disappointed I was not to hear his presentation and she told me that they are talking to him about doing a webinar or something to that matter. That would be great. Thanks