I was at the grocery store last night, and one of the items on my list was cat litter. I saw something there called 'Amazing Cat Litter.' With a name like that, of course I had to check it out. I turned the package around to inspect it closer and was 'amazed' at how terrible the packaging was. Here's a photo I took... see how many typos you can find. Click the number '2' button to see the answers.

I didn't even bother looking at the rest of the package. I'm sure there were even more mistakes. How this ever made it to the store shelves is beyond me.

Everyone that writes—even a simple email—needs to proofread. Just take a minute or two and re-read what you have typed before you hit 'SEND' on that email. For a brochure, advertisement, or book, you should consider using a professional proofreader, like my friend Bill Dinardo (aka, 'Billy the Proofer'). Save yourself some embarrassment: Proofread!

PS: If you find any typos on my website, let me know!

Have you ever 'Googled' yourself? If you haven't, you may be surprised at what you find. In my case (as of today) when you search for 'Kerry Graham' you will find countless links to news articles that mention Senators John Kerry and Lindsey Graham. There's also a woman on Facebook that shares my name (I've probably been on FB longer than her, so not sure what's up with that), and LinkedIn says there are 25 people by the same name on their network. It's not until the third page of Google search that this website shows up.

I can't compete with high profile senators, but if you search for 'Kerry Graham designer' – I'm all over it. And that is not by accident... in the last eight months I have spent time developing my online presence. When I started this process, I was nowhere to be found, except on Facebook. It's important to take a proactive approach to getting your name out there in the way you want it to appear. Maybe it's time for you to take control of your internet presence. Here are a few do's and dont's to help you optimize your online reputation.

DO:

• Join LinkedIn and complete a thoughtful profile of your professional life.
  
• Visit profiles.google.com and create a profile that displays the information you want the public to know about you.
  
• Consider getting your own domain name and website to build your personal brand.
  
• Update your profile(s) and/or website on a regular basis.
  
• Be careful about what you write in blog posts, website comments, Twitter, etc. 
  

DON'T:

• Don't post anything you wouldn't want your friends, neighbors, family, or prospective employers to see or read.
  
• Don't share confidential information about yourself or other people.
  
• Don’t miss out by having no online presence at all.
  

It will take a bit of time and diligence, but a few simple steps such as these can make sure your online reputation is an asset, not a liability.

Articles for further reading:
Take Charge of Your Online Reputation
Your Online Reputation is on the Line
Manage Your Online Presence
Protect Your Privacy on the Internet

Here's quick little project I completed not long ago. A publisher asked me to finish a book cover design they had mocked up. They provided the high resolution images and a rough layout, then I had to take it to print-ready form. To the right is an image of the mock up. Here's the process I went through:

1. Background image provided by client.
2. A copy of the background that has been blurred is placed on top, 45% transparency.
3. Another copy of the background with a larger blur is placed on top with 15% transparency.
4. The background image is placed with 'Soft Light' transparency to boost color.
5. The road sign image is placed
6. The road sign image is color adjusted to be warmer.
7. Drop shadow is created under the road sign.
8. An orange color bar with 'Hard Light' transparency added.
9. Author's name placed on orange color bar.
10. Book title added, with a bevel and drop shadow to make it pop.
11. Finally, the subtitle is added, and the cover is complete.

The publisher and author were very happy with the final product... it turned out much better than they anticipated.

A few months ago I was contacted by McGraw-Hill to design a logo for a new science program they are developing. The program consists of dowloadable computer software, e-books, and MP3 files containing educational materials in the field of science for grades K–6. 

They wanted something fun, playful, and colorful: "Instant Science  – Just Add Students." Other than that, I had free reign. In this case, I was to come up with three (or four) initial concepts. And two other designers were also tasked with the same. All of our designs would be shown and they would pick the top ones to be taken to the next round. Here are my first four concepts:

The top two designs made the first cut. Fortunately, those were my favorites... I especially liked the rocket design. With some feedback from the client, I made some minor changes. Here they are after tweaking (can you spot the differences?):

The logo with the atomic symbol made it into the final round of designs. The client asked for some more changes in order to make things more legible, and to make the atom more wacky like the fonts. They also asked for a horizontal variant. Here they are:

You can see that the word "INSTANT" only has a white outline, and the word "SCIENCE" is now a solid dark blue. And the tagline was deleted. At the final round, my logo design was chosen to represent the new Instant Science program.