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So far smartdept has created 684 blog entries.

5 Ways to Improve Meetings

(www.openforum.com) – Meetings are very expensive. Time is precious, and having many people in a room is quite costly by any measurement. The cost of an interrupted workflow is even worse, especially for a small business.

 You might be especially productive early in the morning, from the moment you start working. I might require an hour or so of build-up time before I’m ready to get cranking. But when a meeting starts, our preferences and differences are cast aside. Meetings strip us of the core tenet of the creative process: autonomy.

 We can’t rid the world of meetings. After all, the benefits of meeting do sometimes outweigh the costs. But we can meet more wisely.

 Here are five tips for improving the experience and outcome of meetings:

Read the full article here!

Quote of the day

“The supreme accomplishment is to blur the line between work and play.”

 ~Arnold Toynbee

Top 9 Job Sites to Bookmark for Your Career Search

(mashable.com) – Approximately 84% of employees in North America plan to look for new jobs in 2011, according to a recent survey by global talent management firm Right Management. Put them alongside those who are unemployed, and you have a whole lot of people searching for work.

If you happen to be in either of those positions, it’s essential to get organized about your job search by understanding what information and resources are available to you on the major job sites.

Over the years, job boards have become more than just job search sites — many now offer additional resources and functionalities to job seekers. Here are nine of the top job sites, including a few of the basics, that boast valuable services beyond job postings.

Read the full article here!

Failure And Imagination

(jonathanfields.com) – On this first Monday of the New Year, I thought how powerful it would be to share J.K. Rowling’s marvelous 2008 Harvard commencement speech on failure and imagination, two things she illuminates in a way that brings fresh life to their power and impact as we look ahead.

Listen to her words, watch her energy as she speaks.

Fifteen years ago, she was unknown to the world, a young divorced mother living near poverty. In this speech, you’ll see a glimpse into what took her from there to being the creator of a series of books that have sold more than 400 million copies, earned her over a billion dollars and created the opportunity for her to do what she’s here to do.

Read the rest and see video of the speech here!

Quote of the Day

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

~Confucius

Do you have your own blog? Thinking of starting one?

(instantshift.com) – 23 Good Habits of Successful Bloggers

I’m sure all bloggers wonder, “How did others make it to the top? If only someone would share the secrets of becoming a popular blogger.”

Summing up and categorizing the good and bad habits of highly effective bloggers could be frustrating; you might begin to see that some successful bloggers have certain behaviors in common, while others absolutely don’t. What does it take, then, to become a popular blogger, to be accepted, trusted and followed by many? I’ve discovered some interesting similarities among the successful bloggers who I follow. Some traits are common, some unique.

To become a successful blogger, open yourself to your readers as well. Treat them with the same respect and honesty that you would give to your friends and clients.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the Day

“The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.”

~ Oscar Wilde

Letters of Recommendation

(about.com) – What job seekers and employees need to know about references, including information on reference and recommendation letters, sample letters of recommendation and reference lists, how to ask for a reference, and how to use references. There is also information on what reference checkers can ask about you and what previous employers can disclose.

Read the full article here!

Roundup of 40 of The Best Photoshop Tutorials from 2010

(designtutorials4u.com) – 2010 was a banner year for Photoshop, with the release of CS5 and countless amazing tutorials to help us all improve our skills.  As we all know Photoshop is probably one of the most sought after and indispensable pieces of software in a designer’s skill set. It can be used for just about anything, including designing for the web, icons, posters and retouching.  Since we all have new years resolutions, lets make one of them improving our skills and to learn new tip, tricks and methods in design.

Read the full article here!

Get organized with these free planners!

It’s time for a fresh start! Seize the New Year and streamline your calendar. We stumbled across this great resource; several free and quite unique planners are available for download. Definitely worth checking out!

Quote of the Day

“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

~ Thomas A. Edison

Has Sharing Gone Out of Bounds?

(www.aiga.org) – Designers like to share. If we were honest, many of us would admit we also love to brag. Sometimes a tool comes along that enables us to do both simultaneously. Brilliant.

What is Dribbble? You likely have a Dribbble account, are desperate for an invitation, or have elected to turn a deaf ear to the latest online-community-sharing-feedback-design-tool. If you use Twitter, you have almost certainly had a “sweet shot”—a screenshot in Dribbble’s basketball-themed parlance—come through your stream.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the Day

“Have no fear of perfection, you’ll never reach it.” ~Salvador Dalí

Hate PowerPoint? Here Are 5 Web-based Alternatives

(www.readwriteweb.com) – Whether they’re for clients, customers or colleagues, visual presentations are an unavoidable part of doing business. For years, Microsoft PowerPoint has been the standard bearer of slide presentation applications, but several Web-based alternatives have emerged.

For the most part, the alternatives offer similar functionality to PowerPoint, sometimes more, sometimes less. One obvious advantage to Web-based presentations is that they’re stored in the cloud, eliminating the potential for nightmare scenarios involving lost or corrupted thumb drives.

Check out more here!

HOW TO: Create Custom QR Codes for Your Digital Life

(mashable.com) – Quick Pitch: JumpScan provides a custom “all-in-one” QR code to link your physical and digital world.

Genius Idea: QR codes have been all the rage this year for big brands, and now ordinary consumers and small businesses can get in on the fun, too. JumpScan lets users create customized QR codes that combine all your contact information, including social media profiles, for on-the-go sharing. Think of it as a QR-powered iteration of Flavors.me or About.me especially intended for mobile phones.

Read the full article here!

Attention Seattle Smarties!

“Seattle GiveCamp happening Jan 14-16, 2011 – NEED YOUR HELP!”

Seattle GiveCamp is a weekend-long event where technology professionals from designers, developers and database administrators to marketers and web strategists donate their time to provide solutions for non-profit organizations.

 If you know a charity or non-profit that needs a new website? Or needs help to escape those Excel spreadsheets and get a real donor database? Or trying to figure out how to build their social media presence?

…if so, then please let your favorite local charity know about National GiveCamp happening early next year!

Also if you are a designer, web developer, database administrators, marketer, web strategists, or something in between or all of the above PLEASE join the Seattle GiveCamp’s team – all you need to do is apply.

Charities apply here:  http://bit.ly/gaw7qi

Volunteers apply here: http://bit.ly/dGepKs

50 Startup Logos from 2010

(blog.designcrowd.com) – Startups have flourished in 2010. The last 12 months have yielded some fantastic success stories. Groupon is a standout and is currently receiving a lot of attention, buzz and press. Some believe the latest wave of start-ups are driving a dot-com recovery. Either way, as designers, it is interesting to reflect and see what design trends and styles are used by some of the world’s newest and most innovative companies.

Below are 50 logos for tech start-ups that were launched in 2010 or that came to prominence in 2010. We’ve categorized them into 3 groups: “The Good”, “The Average” and “The Ugly”.

Read the full article here!

Quote of the Day

“You just have to keep trying to do good work, and hope that it leads to more good work. I want to look back on my career and be proud of the work, and be proud that I tried everything. Yes, I want to look back and know that I was terrible at a variety of things.”

~ Jon Stewart

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