Nate Update

People wonder why the ad industry is so overly protective and grouchy. I used to. Not anymore. Let me explain…

Just because we operate in Las Vegas, doesn’t mean we like to gamble. Each time a new client contacts us in a panic, we smell the trouble. That’s why we need deposits, lead time, and open lines of communication. These often frustrate clients and can often times complicate the project- and it’s often why I personally open dozens of projects a month that sit open for many months to come, until the clients are upset and wonder “why are my ____ not done yet”?!

Stuff as simple as business cards can be so ridiculously complex when clients are not prepared. For example, we ask the same questions over and over: What do you want your website to do for you? What email address do you want to use on your business card? Do you have a budget for printing your letterhead?

Why don’t people prepare for us, as they do at any other place of business? Even at McDonald’s, you think about whether you want pickles on your burger, and what type of dressing you want. Please, all we ask is the same courtesy. Additionally, you stop by that first window to pay for your order – then you proceed to get your food. Again – what difference is there between that deposit and one for creative services?

That’s right: there isn’t one. Next time, ask yourself – “Want fries with that?” Because, honestly – we don’t know until you tell us.

My butt got to know my driver’s seat pretty well today, partially because I decided to take the freeway home from the Hard Rock to Summerlin. Not the wisest thing I’ve done in a while. One day I’ll learn. When was that Vegas freeway expansion supposed to be done, 2002?

Anyway… the diversification of Black Diamond Digital continues… I met with a timeshare company today on a pretty exciting 1500 sq. ft. large format job, I met with some potential clients about creating a new brand identity, and the weekly chat with my regular clients and vendors went smoothly, as well. Makes for a long day, but it’s worth it to keep in touch with new and old friends.

I stopped in at Casey’s Cameras to chat about upgrading my Canon Cameras, essentially doubling my megapixelage (is that a word? – it is now). I’m pretty much sold, but with CES next week, I’m betting that Canon releases the next version of the 5D at CES, or someone at least leaks a new rumor to tease me even more… Who knows? Perhaps a better machine will be released, or perhaps a nice price cut awaits. I’ll wait the 2 weeks to see what happens, and I’ll shop around my 10D to see if I can find it a new home.

Long live Led Zeppelin! Rock!

OK. I’m stoked to see that Adobe is ready to recognize the thousands of people who can’t run their flagship app on their new Macs. Word on the street (internet) is that Adobe is releasing a public beta (free test version) of Photoshop CS3 tomorrow, Dec. 15th, and I will, for one – be downloading it. I’ll follow up this post with some info and a link to it when I get it.

I’m not that big of a nerd, (yes I am) but I picked up a shiny new MacBook Pro so I could design from the couch, the Starbucks, the client’s office, the bathroom (kidding – as far as you know) – you get the idea. Thus far, I’ve been forced to run through an emulator (geekspeak definition: crappy translation program you need because you’re behind the times) and I’ve been less than pleased about Adobe’s lack of Universal-ness in their Creative Suite. Heck, my old beige G3 in the garage would be a worthy competitor to my new Intel Core Duo 2.16 laptop! That ain’t right.

So, with a little luck, I’ll be ending my gripe session, and smoking along on the newest photoshop in about 14 hours time. At least, until the beta expires. I’ll keep you posted.