February 17, 2006 @ 3:06 PM
I’m working with Greg Storey on a new zeppelin design for Airbag Industries LLC. This is significant because four months ago I was sitting in a cubicle managing the marketing department for an Embedded Systems company. Four weeks ago I was publishing my first post on my own “homemade” blog. Today I’m self-employed, drawing dirigibles.
How this happened is a true testament to the power of blogging as a business tool, and it all started with some Kool-aid® I drank at last year’s Blog Business Summit in San Francisco, CA. Having been moderately burned out on web marketing for several years, the conference was exactly what I needed to get excited about interactive design all over again. With technologies like weblogs and RSS, the Internet is finally starting to resemble the communications tool we’d all been promised.
Completely sold on the connecting power of these technologies, and with a little weekly inspiration from the guys over at The Cubicle Escape Pod, I made the leap to free-lancing and haven’t looked back in 120 days (Cameron Moll offers some excellent lessons learned if you’re considering doing the same).
Last Tuesday I got a call from Greg Storey. He asked about my work, and told me how he got started in design. He turned me on to the book series Griffen & Sabine as well as some bloggers I hadn’t discovered yet. It was a conversation with a new client that I’m convinced would never have happened in response to direct mail, or a static “unfindable” website.
So, with his permission, here’s a preview of the design (in progress). I’ll post some others soon. Please, let me know what you think?
Comments
Awesome "success" story, and an even more awesome dirigible design.
I like the Zepp; however the Orange "A" is a little hard to read compared to the original. The Zepplin is really nice, though.
I love the zep, but are we ditching the wicked worn entirely? Although over-done, I've always considered Storey's use of the look to be original and part of his site's identity.
Thanks so much.- "but are we ditching the wicked worn entirely?" -
No, I'm certain wicked worn will be present and accounted for. This illustration is just the first element we're starting with on some new designs. Greg has a big hand in this, and the results are certain to be pure "Airbaggian". I'll post more in progress.
I'm digging the smoothed out look. Greg definitely has a style with the worn look, but everything needs to be reinvented some time. Great start in the right direction, or so it seems to me! (Note: what's up with the blue star way back there? Push the blue!)
Even tho it's done from the stock image it seems like the perspective on the nose is a bit off -- I'd say make it look optically correct, even if that means is less of a trace of the photo.
The retro look is great! Not sure about the color selection in the new one (above) as it pertains to airbag. The orange and blue in the current design are trade marks (imo). Having said that... I really like the direction you're taking the new look. It's in keeping with everything we've come to know AND LOVE as airbagindustries.com.
The pointy bit at the front of the zeppelin seems a unnecessarily complex-the highlights in the larger dark area seem kind of random. You could probably simplify it a lot-more shadow, fewer highlights-for a better impact. The blue star seeme to jump out, too. It's a very nice start, though. I can't wait to see where you guys are going with this.
You inspire me to be a better and more pro-active designer. Bravo.
Wow! Thanks Vicki. Check out Vicki's Flash skills over at: http://www.coolstone.com
I really like this design - I just found your site today, you are a really great designer.
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