Apr 18, 2013

Just do something good with your blog, write a post about Checkdomain and their amazing Domain Map and you’ll not only get the map, Domaincheck will spend 10€ to help children with cancer.

Sounds easy and it really is. Help with a post.

Apr 07, 2013

Last weekend I was in Vienna and I thought, I could capture this in a short video.
This is the first time, I really filmed and edited such a video. So as you may see, it is a little shaky and I didn’t film myself, but it was fun and I would do it again.

Mar 24, 2013

my name is Rafael and I like simple things, well designed with beautiful typography. I’m studying Communication Design & Art Direction in Hamburg. This means, when I grow up I want to be a designer. Making things simple and well designed myself.

Sitting in front of a screen the whole day isn’t natural though sport is one of my favourite things to do. Challenges in any kind are fun and one of the best things in sport. And like everyone else I could do a lot more.

Follow me on Twitter, drop me a line or let’s meet for a good cup of coffee.

Mar 17, 2013

We live in a time where you’re able to manipulate everything. Sitting in front of your computer all day and starring at the screen isn’t the way to get inspired and do something great. Don’t get me wrong, the computer is the machine where you do the final result. But before you get to that use your hands. Not to move the cursor from one corner of the screen to the other, really use them. Get dirty, cut paper and write things down with a pen.

The worst is this clean and trying to be perfect work. You have to see mistakes, because it isn’t a mistake. It is you, it makes things how you are. Don’t try to get rid of those kind of mistakes. I’m not talking about typos or bad design. I talk about the human element you give to your work.

Austin Kleon wrote about his workspace in his book “Steal Like An Artist”. He has one desk with his computer on it, where he gets the work done. And then he has this one desk stuffed up with pencils, papers, razors and so on. That is his analog place, where he gets his ideas and has fun. Because when you think about it, it’s all about having fun.

Mar 10, 2013

I hate when people stand up immediately after the credits starts. I really am trying to read this, but they make it hard for me. Standing in front of me getting their stuff together.
And when there appears a film scene they have to watch it, still standing in fucking front of me.

What is wrong with those people? Just leave or sit down.

Mar 03, 2013

Look around you, what do you see? Books in shelves, pictures on the wall even CD’s, DVD’s, Blu-ray’s or Vinyls. Physical media in any way? Or where did those things are gone?
Most commonly they’re in your PC. Maybe yourself store them on your hard drive or you’ve rented them.

Guess what, I rent everything these days. All my music? Rented. All my movies? Rented. All my TV Shows? Rented. I even may rent all my books. I pay every month to services as “Spotify” and “Netflix”. What I can’t rent, are my pictures. I have to shot them on my own, categories and store them somewhere. Maybe in my Dropbox, though I don’t have to pack them in my backpack. What a pain in the ass.

How much does your life weight?

This is a question George Clooney, who plays Ryan Bingham in “Up In The Air”, asks in his speech. His point was to get every baggage out of your backpack and this means out of your life, because it makes you slow. And not just out, burned, gone forever.

»What do you want to take out of it? Photos? Photos are for people who can’t remember. Drink some ginko and let the photos burn.«

When I look around, I don’t see physical media except books and photos. My backpack is pretty empty. That’s because I’m young and I don’t keep everything I don’t need.
But I don’t want to go so far, Ryan Bingham far. I like to have photos on the wall and I like to have books in shelves. What I don’t like, is stuff that makes me slow.

When I listen to music, I don’t want to put a physical media in a player. I chose an album and press play. What is missing there, is the connection, the whole package. Music isn’t just what you hear, it is the cover artwork as well. The booklet I never liked, but the artwork for the record I want to hang on my wall.
You don’t have to look through my music collection to see what I like, because I don’t have one. When you’re in my apartment you look at my walls. The same with movies, hang the artwork on your wall and don’t collect DVD’s.

Books are different. They may be heavy and big, but you can feel every page. You can’t feel a movie or a song in that way, you would just feel some plastic. You open a book and you can start to read and dive into the story. Books look best when put in a shelf and give the room an educated feeling.
I like to read them on an iPad when I am on the go, but at home I want the paper in my hands.

Feb 23, 2013

I start writing when I feel ready. I start this blog here when the design is finished. When I have content, then I post something.
All these thoughts and more stands in the way of making anything. If I wait until I got everything perfect I will never make anything.

Sometimes you just start and the way becomes the final draft.