Confessions of a Graphic Designer

It’s been a year since my husband, Kahuna Dave, and I opened our store, Alki Surf Shop, in West Seattle. The past 12 months have been filled with lots of laughter and learning, and we’ve met thousands of great people from nearby and all over the world. We’ve made new friends, rekindled past friendships, and love being a part of the Alki Beach community. It feels like we’ve been on a business “graduate school” crash course. We're smarter store owners now, and continue to evolve. Among some of the things we've learned: How to create a positive experience for people who visit; how to identify products that make sense; and how to work more effectively with suppliers. My husband's vision of "Hawaii-Beach-California" is fun, and comes through clearly in our store, from the fixtures to the colors and raffia and bamboo trim. One of the things I made a conscious effort to do is to incorporate my friends in the creation of our unique space. We’re constantly hear

Why I think Empire Avenue is a legitimate tool. More than two years ago I began playing Empire Avenue. Created in 2010, there was a great deal of excitement when Empire Avenue made its splash into the social media mainstream in the spring of 2011. Well-known people in social media jumped in, and many are still active players. Last year some of them stopped. One player told me he thought it took too much time. And certainly in the beginning, it could be time-consuming. Others could never really figure out how to play, and although they are still there, their accounts are dormant. As Empire Avenue has continued to evolve from strictly a social media stock market game to a social media tool, some perceived Empire Avenue in a negative way. This new perception came about with the advent of "missions," which offers rewards to players who complete tasks. Some people perceive missions as "buying influence." But some of these same people are also buying fo

I love Instagram , the smart phone app! It is one of the coolest social media platforms as it allows us to express who we are through the photos we take. Through Instagram’s built-in filters and additional applications, it’s possible for an average person to look like a professional photographer. It’s great to see your images come to life Also, Instagram is a terrific social channel for discovering people and communicating with them. You can participate by posting photos; by following the photo streams of other users; by liking and commenting; or simply participate as a spectator. In any case, you will be treated to new and interesting photos every moment of the day, and can converse with people, unhampered by a 140 character limit. Having spent a great deal of my life standing beside photographers as I direct photo shoots, it’s a lot of fun to actually be the shooter. I’ve not read any “how-tos” regarding Instagram, and came about the following suggestions through tri

Why transparency matters What if you didn't know the real names of your doctor, lawyer or accountant? Most social media acquaintances aren't exactly on a parallel plane with professional or collegial relationships — but how about your friends? In 2008, when I began on Twitter, it wasn't unusual to see people using descriptive monikers instead of their real names. Only early adopters might remember @TrendTracker or @TrendyDC. Today we know them as  @GlenGilmore and @AnnTran_ . They recognized their Twitter identities were going to be significant and went public at a point where their major growth was ahead of them. It enabled them to start positioning themselves as brands, and I believe they helped others feel comfortable about following suit. It's about trust I think most of us appreciate it when their connections on social media are transparent about who they are.    If I'm being honest with someone, I hope they'll afford me the same courtesy.