In 1970, Plymouth hoped to persuade Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro buyers to choose their Barracuda instead. One of Plymouth's tactics was to offer greater customization options.
At the time, the Mustang offered 15 exterior color options:
1970 Ford Mustang Exterior Paint Options
The Camaro offered 18 exterior color options:
1970 Chevy Camaro Exterior Paint Options
Note: This sheet pertains to multiple Chevy models. We have obscured the color options unavailable on the Camaro.
Plymouth went heavy by offering a whopping 25 color options. They demonstrated this to buyers not with a lame sample sheet, but by dropping this innovative-for-the-time rendering into the brochure:
1970 Plymouth Barracuda Ext. Paint Options
First off, that rendering is freaking gorgeous, as are all of the colors. There's not a single one of those I'd decline.
Secondly, as Hot Rod reports. Automotive enthusiast Tim Wellborn, founder of the Wellborn Musclecar Museum in Alabama, had known about the rendering since childhood and decided he wanted a real version. According to My Classic Garage, "Collaborating with the Big Easy Motors television show on the History Channel, the Wellborn Musclecar Museum tapped famed builders at The Bomb Factory in New Orleans, LA [and] set out to create a real life version of the original 1970 illustration."
Here's what they came up with:
They did commit to a single color for the driver's side (looks like #17 on the chart):
While the "Paint Chip 'Cuda" isn't for sale, the museum sells both posters and banners featuring its image.
For many creative teams, a typical brainstorming session might mean a huddle around a whiteboard, or an impromptu back-and-forth over a coffee break. With remote work on the rise, the nature of group dynamics is changing and so must our collaboration methods.
We reached out to creative team leads to see how they are adapting to collaboration and brainstorming from a distance—still a necessity for any creative project. Some are WFH veterans with a well-developed workflow, others quickly adapting to leading remotely, but all are focused on connections and strong, clear communication. The creative leaders we spoke with shared insights into keeping their teams inspired, motivated, and on the same page.
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Build the structure for success
Structure, clarity, and consistency are keystones of remote work days. Each creative leader we spoke to had a specific routine in place that anchored their weeks and days.
For Vida Cornelious, Chief Creative Officer at experiential agency Fake Love, this takes the form of a daily block of time to hear from every team member. “Setting a daily 15 minute morning team video check-in is a simple way to keep everyone connected and accountable. Promoting open dialogue for team members to share concerns, challenges or successes is a way to give everyone an equal voice.”
“Setting a daily 15 minute morning team video check-in is a simple way to keep everyone connected and accountable.” – Vida Cornelious, Chief Creative Officer at Fake Love
Roanne Adams, who helms the team at RoAndCo studio as Chief Creative Director, adopts a similar daily agenda. “Every morning we have a standing meeting so that we all align on what we’re working on. This little check-in helps set the stage for the day ahead.” She has also found that structure is imperative even for casual brainstorming. “Creativity needs limitations. So I find that having a clear creative brief and an account manager in attendance really helps usher the process along.”
Even with everyone remote, there are still ways to get everyone on the same page—literally. For John Koenig, Creative Director at World Famous, it means picking up the phone. “Chatting on the phone with my colleagues while everyone’s working on the same document is my favorite way to edit a piece of writing. There’s a simplicity of focus there that I find creatively stimulating.”
Mike Treff, President of Code and Theory, has found that his approach is rooted in two tenets. “We keep coming back to two core strategies for effective communication: preparation and transparency.” In fact, remote work has been a boon for his team’s productivity. “In many ways, this has helped us progress faster and more effectively—being remote constantly forces prioritization of time, effort, and activities,” he explains. “We’ve found that people come to meetings more prepared, on time, and having done the prep work needed to maximize the efficacy of the shared time.”
Use “psychological shortcuts”
For creatives new to working from home, it can be a challenge to create sustained focus in a space that usually signals that it’s time to switch off from work. Even if you don’t have the means to set up a home office, you can use environmental tricks to signal to your brain that it’s time to clock in and shift gears.
For Koenig, that means creating a space that matches the work mindset. “As someone who works remotely 90% of the time, I found myself incorporating touchstones of the Seattle office into my workspace in Minneapolis—from music and snacks to my desktop wallpaper—to help cement my desk as a place where work feels natural. It’s a psychological shortcut to get myself into a certain mood.”
Protect the quiet moments
If your creative process typically thrives on ambient studio sounds or the buzz of a bustling cafe, it can be tough to embrace the silence of working from home. But this unexpected pause can be an ally. Take the time to understand your innate creative rhythm, and build in the time you need for your mind to spin free and wander.
“I have my most creative ideas when I sit in silence.” – Roanne Adams, Chief Creative Director at RoAndCo
Cornelious’ advice is to lean into those lulls. “Make peace with that silence and use it wisely. Schedule time for your brain to wander into a few ‘what if’ moments. Similarly, schedule creative time when you know your mind is most open to new ideas. Protect the time you need to think, and better thinking will emerge because of it.”
Adams knows that her creative process needs moments of uninterrupted calm. “I have my most creative ideas when I sit in silence, so if I have time and I know there is a creative brainstorm coming up in the schedule, I might close my eyes and meditate for a few minutes beforehand to clear my other thoughts out and get centered.”
Be your own editor
It’s easy to feel untethered if you rely on creative sparring with your team to produce work. And it is true that some of us are more physically isolated than before. While challenging, this shift also brings with it the chance to hone your self-editing skills, and develop an independence that can supercharge your creative instincts.
“We have to become better self editors. Walk away from your ideas, and come back to them with fresh eyes. Be critical and objective.” Cornelious recommends. “And when it is time to collaborate with others, you will be more open to new perspectives and approaches.”
Make it social
Ideas thrive when teams feel connected and comfortable enough to share what’s on their mind. When it comes time to voice those fleeting thoughts or sparks that have great potential, a welcoming environment is crucial to the creative process. For remote teams, building team camaraderie that creates a sense of community and receptiveness where the best ideas can take flight is all the more vital.
Stephanie Yung, Design Director at Smart Design, considers that every meeting starts with a chance to set the mood and strike the right note. “One simple way to stay connected is by starting off meetings with a quick ‘How is everyone doing today?’ This thoughtful question helps relax everyone and lets us more easily move onto the topic at hand.” Similarly, Koenig acknowledges this unusual time and asserts “it’s all the more important to let collaborative sessions be looser, chattier, and more digressive.”
Some managers have opted to schedule a pressure release into their team’s week, like John Robson, Technology Director at Fuzzco. “We have a recurring Friday meeting where the whole team gets together on a Hangout and attempts to play a game. It’s been a lot of fun!” His team is also newly bonding over other shared interests. “We’ve found that a lot of us are spending more time cooking lately, so we’ve opened up a Slack channel for recipes and food-selfies. Things like that have really gone a long way to keep the positive energy flowing.”
And for Adams, some much-needed physical release is on the calendar daily. “We have a scheduled ‘5 minutes of movement’ everyday where we all call in and dance together.”
Embrace familiarity to connect with your creative spark
While remote work may present obstacles for the uninitiated, it’s also a chance to see possibilities in new circumstances. With no commute, a safe, familiar space, and stretches of time alone, you could explore limits of your creativity and dig into more complex thinking that you wouldn’t otherwise have had space for in an office.
“What we’ve learned is that even though you’re remote, you can feel closer to people in some ways.” – Stephanie Yung, Design Director at Smart Design
Yung echoed this sentiment in her experience conducting remote research with prototypes and stimuli through Smart Design’s human-centered design process. “It’s not the first time participants have expressed they are more comfortable having personal conversations in the comfort of their own home versus a more formal research facility. The nuance is that they are in a safer environment and feel more free to share real feelings even more than through in-home ethnographies. What we’ve learned is that even though you’re remote, you can feel closer to people in some ways.”
Outside of your usual work environment, you have new visual influences to explore. “Be inspired by your space or the view outside the window.” Cornelious says. “And consider more honestly what aspects of your creative craft need work, and adjust. Learn a new skill, collaborate with someone you normally don’t work with.” Let yourself adapt and observe in ways you don’t typically give yourself space to explore.
Whether taking photos is a creative or professional pursuit, Instagram is one of the most powerful tools that both budding and established photographers can use to promote their work.
The visual social media app is an effective way to build interest in your work, connect with other photographers, find potential clients, get published, and give and receive feedback to improve your practice.
Read on to discover 12 tips that will help you promote your photography on Instagram like a social media pro.
01. Define your niche
Photo by Melina Vargas from Pexels
Think of Instagram as an online space to develop and define your brand’s aesthetics. Use your feed to showcase photos that revolve around a central theme in your work. This may be a specific subject type (such as architecture, travel, food, fashion, people, or sports) or a particular style of photography (such as black-and-white, film, or minimalist photography).
Your followers will expect you to maintain a feed that features a cohesive style or subject matter—one which will ultimately keep them coming back for more. Instagram users will typically land on your profile and make a decision to follow based on your last nine images. Because of this, it’s a good idea to make sure the top of your feed always represents who you are as a photographer in order attract and build your audience.
02. Post your best work
Photo by rawpixel.com
Treat your Instagram feed like a highlight reel of your portfolio by posting only your best images.
As you develop your photography practice (both professionally and online), make sure each post delivers its own ‘Wow!’ factor individually, yet still looks good collectively. By creating a consistent aesthetic—through a common theme, colour palette, saturation or style—visitors will become engaged followers.
If you have several photos from one shoot and can’t decide which particular image to show, use the multiple picture option, so only one image appears in your feed, but followers have the option to view more.
03. Give it a personal touch
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
Your Instagram feed can also be a journal of your photography or an opportunity to show what goes on behind the scenes. Give followers an insight—or teaser—into your shoots or capture important life moments and interesting day-to-day scenes. Try and keep to the 80/20 rule: 80 percent of your photos should be focused on your photography and practice, while the remaining 20 percent could be personal or behind the scenes.
If you want to show a more personal side, set up another Instagram account, or use the Instagram Stories function. Instagram Stories are also a smart way to garner more interaction with followers.
04. Ditch the smartphone
Photo by Marvii from Pexels
Use a DSLR or mirrorless camera to take high-quality professional shots. These cameras produce significantly better image quality than smartphones and give you greater control over how an image will look. You can manipulate focus, depth of field, and shutter speed as well as change your lenses depending on the needs of your situation. DSLRs are also much better for shooting in low light conditions and for zooming in on a subject.
Bypass the Instagram filters and use an editing program to adjust light, shadows, lines, and clarity. Shooting in RAW will allow you more control and flexibility when editing as RAW photos contain much higher detail than JPEGs. You can fine-tune exposure, highlights, and shadows, make changes to portions of your photo, and modify the white balance and apply noise reduction.
05. Post strategically
Photo by Kerde from Pexels
Focus on quality over quantity and publish images regularly, but not too often. Relevant, quality content has a higher chance of garnering a positive response, which can help your posts rank higher on followers’ feeds.
Developing a posting pattern or routine not only helps build a sense of community on Instagram, but also develops your photography. As photographer George Byrne tells Vogue, “What I like about Instagram is that it’s led me to have a daily practice, a discipline…it makes me flex that muscle every day and think about pictures and what I’m trying to say.”
The morning is the most popular time of day for people to scroll Instagram. Depending on where you live or what time zone you want to target, post in the morning for higher engagement. Studies also show that Sunday is the day for the greatest number of interactions.
06. Craft your captions well
Photo by George Dolgikh from Pexels
People are more likely to spend more time on an image if there is an engaging caption to read. So, share a story or tell viewers about the image or what it means to you. Give them something to mentally engage with to prompt a genuine interaction.
Captions are an opportunity to create a more personal connection and evoke an emotional response from viewers. If you have an engaging caption, people are more likely to read it or click the “more” button, spending more time on your post.
Another great technique is to ask an open-ended question to encourage your viewers to contribute to the comments section.
07. Use hashtags
Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels
Hashtags are another effective way to increase engagement and attract relevant followers. Use specific, popular, and appropriate hashtags to boost exposure. This practice has become even more important now that you can follow specific Instagram hashtags. You can hashtag the location, subject, client, brand, business, or even the equipment that you are using. Community and hub destination hashtags connect like-minded users around a specific subject. You could also create a hashtag that’s unique to you and your photography.
There is no rule on how many hashtags to use, but keep in mind that you can currently include only up to 30. Take the quality over quantity approach and make sure they are relevant and specific to your photo and the audience you want to reach.
08. Build your community
Photo by Element5 Digital from Pexels
Building a relevant community is about interaction, not just numbers. Seek out photographers you admire. Follow them, and like and comment on their work. They will likely reciprocate.
You can also build a community related to your photography subject. If you are an architectural photographer, follow architecture-related accounts. If you are a fashion photographer, follow fashion brands. It can be a great way to network by getting your name and portfolio in front of potential clients.
09. Reply to comments
Photo by rawpixel.com
The Instagram algorithm identifies high-interaction posts (those that receive lots of likes and comments) as quality, engaging content that people want to see. Furthermore, if your image gets a lot of interaction shortly after it’s posted, it will get shown to even more of your followers.
Take time to engage with people who have commented. Reply to their comments, answer their questions, appreciate their response, and thank them for the time they’ve taken to comment. It’s good etiquette and an opportunity for feedback. Do the same in return by giving compliments and thoughtful comments on their posts.
10. Tag businesses, clients, or people
Photo by rawpixel.com
Engage others by tagging locations and other Instagram users. It may be the person or client who is the subject of the photograph or even a local business where the snap was taken. It’s another way to gain exposure and to build your community, as your posts will now appear in their tagged library.
11. Look for Instagram hubs
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
Hubs are Instagram accounts that curate and share other users’ images, sort of like an online gallery. These accounts feature images solely related to a specific topic, which can be anything from a photography genre to a color scheme or subject matter.
Find them, follow them, interact with them, use their dedicated hashtag, and hope to get featured. It will boost the exposure of your account and help you attract relevant followers.
12. Maximize your Instagram profile
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
Create a hardworking Instagram profile that will represent and promote your brand on its own. Choose an account name that is instantly recognizable and easy to memorize and remember. Use this same name across all your social media platforms if possible. Select a profile photo—either of you or of your main subject matter—that defines your brand of photography.
Include in your bio what your specialty is and where you are based. Make it easy for people to find and get in touch with you off of Instagram as well by adding your contact details and a link to your website.
In the end, quality over quantity is the name of the game when it comes to Instagram. Upload your best pictures, be strategic about when you post, interact with others, and watch as your photography continues to reach more and more people with each post.
Iconic comic book artist Jim Lee has embarked on his own lockdown challenge in order to raise money for comic book stores financially hit by the coronavirus outbreak. Lee, who is currently chief creative officer at DC Comics, decided to draw one sketch a day for a total of 60 days and auction them off on eBay. He is currently 23 days in, and it's safe to say it's been a big hit.
Featuring big players in the comic book world such as The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man, the illustrations have been snapped up – with auction winners also given the chance to choose the subject of the next piece of art.
If you'd like to try some new comics, check out our selection of the best web comics around. Need a new device to read them on? Here are the best iPad deals right now.
As well as sketches based on his own WildC.A.T.S. super team, Lee's creations draw inspiration from across the comic book realm: currently up for grabs is Cyborg (see above). The project has even attracted other comic book artists to join in – a total of 15 so far, including Bryan Hitch, Tony Daniel and Joe Bennett.
So, although you may have missed your chance to get your hands on gems such as Wolverine by Art Adams, and Lee's own Batman: Gotham by gaslight, there's plenty more to look forward to as the project isn't even halfway through.
As Lee explains in his above tweet, which accompanies his second sketch of the series, the auction proceeds will be donated to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc).
The foundation, which was set up to provide relief to independent bookshops facing financial strife due to Covid-19, has now established a 'Comicbook United Fund'. This fund is supported by DC and Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group and will provide financial relief to comic book stores and their employees.
Comic book fans have been widely positive about the project (see above), with most, expressing their enthusiasm for the artwork and mission. But some voices on Twitter claim the efforts to be no more than a 'Band-Aid' for a struggling industry badly hit by the outbreak of Covid-19.
Whether that's true or not, there's some serious money being made here. The below image gives an idea of the kind of bids being made on the artwork on sale (a staggering $12,323 with almost three full days to go):
Bidding for Zatanna by Jeff Scott Campbell
The creative community has tremendous power to help each other at this time, as these crowdfunding projects for freelancers confirm, and the creativity being shown is excellent news for the world art and design, too. Head to Jim Lee's Twitter feed to feast on more.
Design is visual communication. Given the right messaging, execution, and channel, it can move millions to act on ideas that matter. While we’re familiar with the persuasive power of great design, never in our time had we faced a global health challenge for which that power was so crucial. Overcoming this crisis will require informed, science-driven action all around the world, and design can be an effective vehicle to convey key messages. Everywhere you look creative professionals have risen up to the challenge. Let’s take a look at some extraordinary projects that aim to communicate crucial public health messages at a time when they’re direly needed.
Drink4Good
Drink4Good is a packaging design project created by Zachary Smith. Smith is a designer who partnered with beverage company Eliqs to create COVID-19 specific cans. The cans are being used for their #drink4good campaign, which includes 3 craft beers, hard seltzer, and 2 wines. Smith's designs are upbeat and optimistic, featuring tattoo-inspired images and positive reinforcement messages set in retro type.
Jacob Etter created his Remain United poster to remind people to practice physical distancing while staying together at heart. His message is bold and clear: stay apart (physically), but remain united (as a country). His choice of blue typeface hints at patriotism, which is more explicitly called out by the white stars on blue background at the bottom of the poster.
This bright poster is designer Sebastian Abboud's entry for the Global Callout to Creatives, a United Nations campaign to combat the spread of COVID-19 with compelling visual pieces.
Handwashing is more important than ever in the COVID-19 era and many of us have realized that we've been doing it all wrong. Designer Meg Lewis created an audio meditation for the COVID-19 era so people can listen to it while they wash their hands. Not only will it help ensure that people wash for long enough, but it will also help quell anxiety about the virus itself.
Path to Pandemic is a detailed infographic that explains how we got here. It is a clear guide to understand how the virus spread, as well as the symptoms that people experience. The infographic goes even more in-depth by comparing this outbreak to others in the past.
Meier Delphine created a set of COVID-19 illustrations that summarize her own experience with the virus, including the feeling of isolation brought about by quarantines. Delphine's illustrations radiate optimism in the midst of this global challenge and the short stories next to each of her compositions are incredibly relatable.
HI! ESTUDIO created a project called UNIDOS to encourage Mexicans to unite in their fight against the virus. The designers explain that their bold type and color choices are meant to radiate hope, since so much of what we read, hear, and see can leave us with a sense of despair.
"Thank You to Those Who Care" was produced by Smotrow Design to express gratitude to frontline workers combatting COVID-19 in Europe. The ad was viewed more than 20,000 times on its first day and ultimately published in multiple languages.
Studio BLDG created Social Distancing Awareness, a series of graphics dedicated to informing the public about the importance of maintaining physical distance. The creators used direct language from the CDC to ensure they were spreading a scientifically accurate message. The bold color scheme used in the graphics is eye-catching, drawing attention to the messaging. These graphics were applied in hand sanitizer bottles, flyers, social media posts, and more.
MTV hired designer Nicole Bianchino to create a brief to raise funds for healthcare workers on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. The brief is a video called MTV Health Heroes—and it outlines what healthcare workers do every day when they face the illness, closing with a compelling call to action: "Healthcare workers are taking care of us. Let's donate to help take care of them."
Care Instructions: Due to Cotton Fabric, the Product may Shrink. Therefore Hand Wash Preferable
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{Product Details} – Brand: Vastraa Fusion; Material: 100% Cotton Flex Stitched Top / Shirt / Short Kurta; Sleeves: 3/4th Fold Up; Colour: Solid; Style: Casual & Straight; Quality: Garment Finished with Interlock Stitches; Length - About 30 inches; Team it with Contrast Color Pant / Jeans / Trouser / Palazzos / Bottoms for a perfect Styling; Suitable for Daily Wear in Home, Office, College, Family, Meetings, Festive Occasions etc.
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BRAND "VASTRAA FUSION" COTTON FLEX SHORT TOP FOR GIRLS / WOMEN
Vastraa Fusion offers an eclectic range of kurtas and bottoms across everyday wear, festive wear and work wear, with contemporary styles that are crafted from handpicked fabrics. Create your own style by wearing this top made from high-quality cotton flex fabric with interlock stitch. Flex essentially is no see-through soft cotton fabric. Designed to suit your body, the product has been fabricated to provide you comfort and ease all day long. Its soft material is easy against the skin. With Chinese collar and matching buttons in front, these tops are a perfect combo with jeans / denims / trousers.
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