We all know that we have many bosses (and their opinions) to answer to.  Owners and stake holders don’t want their investments to fail, so they will give you every opinion that seems to make a modicum of sense to them (including those of their sister’s boyfriend’s cousin’s uncle’s former roommate twice removed because they made a site with Hot Dog for their cat in the late 90′s).   Management teams have their projections and goals, so they will give you every opinion on how to promote and highlight products that they are getting pressured with.  Don’t forget that your IT staff is most certainly going to tell you that you should highlight the new widget that is scheduled for launch next month – and the sales staff is going to tell you to downplay the same tool because it contradicts their opening scripts.  Then we have all of our user research data that is contradicting all of the preceding, telling you “just redesign the site – it’s far less painful – the users still aren’t seeing any of the purchase links at all”.

So within the normal daily hubbub, we are tasked with finding out which lines to walk, which to ignore and which ones didn’t even get brought up over the water cooler.  Chances are that the entire time that we are trying to figure out what works and what doesn’t, our instincts are screaming in agony.  Granted, the instincts are what keep us on our toes, but how often do we get so enchanted by our instincts that we find our instincts getting in the way of progress?

The simple fact is that if we want to draft a paycheck – we have to suck it up and forget everything that we know within usability. Right?  In order to make the stake holders, managers and former roommates happy then we should just do what we’re told.  So, just ignore your gut and go with what’s drafted in front of you.  It makes life easier, and you will keep your job.

I did mention before that I love the works of Jonathan Swift, right?

The grim reality is that we can’t please everyone – but the one that we will least often satisfy is our instinct.  The best that you can do is find the common lines in front of you and work them into a commonality that is close to your goal – driving sales.  So how do you do it? Paint an entire picture that is all inclusive.  Try taking all of the opinions, measures and counter measures into your picture.  Show the managers, owners, former roommates and even yourself where you fall in the user statistics.  If a check out button is proving itself well placed and highly visible it may not need to be changed despite internal opinions.  If the user statistics are showing that your featured items are being noticed, but no one cares, it may be time to update the supporting art and content around the product instead of its placement.

Above all else, if someone is only giving feedback in your statistics (including the internal opinion) that states “it sucks” without knowing why – it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to redesign.  It may just mean that the person who thinks it sucks doesn’t like the color blue.

It’s a well accepted fact that everyone will, in all honestly, have an opinion.  If they didn’t then life would end up quite dull.  Part of the creative process itself is being able to bring to life a vision that someone had through a series of interpretive gestures within a team.  Now, here’s where the challenge comes in – the interpretation of the original opinion.  After all, if the person that had the initial concept was able to create the piece themselves (without involving the interpretive steps), there wouldn’t be a need for the team.  Now the process begins with…

wireframes…  mockups…  project management…  timelines…  delivery expectations…  stress…

So, why is it that almost every project goes through these loops?  To solidify opinions.  Why do the steps always seem to take forever before an approval to proceed is given?  Opinions begin to evolve or change completely, get added or dropped.  Depending on the key decision makers, opinions will begin to conflict and projects may stall.  Tension may come into play, and project managers start popping Rolaids as if they were Pez.

So, if we are challenged by opinions, how do we break free?  Some people will immediately react with statements about making fewer decision makers on the team, others will claim that simple communication is the key.  But we, as industry professionals, tend to ignore the obvious.  We have to listen to our audience.  At the end of the day, it’s not our teams, management or clients that are holding the opinions that matter – it is our audience.  We must remember the basics of development and keep things simple.  We have to retain a focus on what is best for our customer base.  Above all else, we have to put aside our own opinions and view our work from the eyes of our viewers.

I urge everyone to take a step back the next time that you see opinions as tiresome and look through the eyes of your customer base.  If we listen to their opinions, the only challenge will be what makes the life of our customer easier.

You can’t force someone to do something that they don’t want to do.

Be it through seminars, training or just real life – outstanding management teams understand and embrace this concept when building a team.  Managers are trained to identify issues before they come into play so that they can be resolved quickly and easily without impacting morale. The most successful in the resolution techniques have one thing in common – they create “dream teams”.

So how, you might ask, do you take the varying degrees of ego that are involved with the best of the best and get them to work together?  There are a couple of different ways, but the easiest (and most effective) techniques that I have found are:

• Don’t blow smoke up anyone’s back side. 
  If you have the cream of the crop on your team, they know when you’re complimenting in order to stroke an ego.  In practice, honesty is the best policy and will keep your team feeling like there really is an open door policy.  Once your team has decided that you’re just going to blow smoke at them and do what you want to do despite their advisement – you’ve lost both respect and attention.
• Listen more than you speak.
  This point is the first one to go away, especially in times of crisis or harsh deadlines. It’s very common to come into a crunch and watch your team fall apart because of sheer workload with tight turn around timing. If you watch a professional orchestra, all of the musicians are quite capable of performing without a conductor.  But why would they need to?  The conductor keeps the pace, gives ques and lets the musicians feed from (and supply) the other musicians around them.  The reason conductors are successful is that their job is to listen and give ques to their orchestra when they are needed.  If the conductor loses their focus, everything will fall into discord.
• Let your team members excel in the areas that you hired them for.
  Let’s face it – you put every member of your team where you did for a reason.  When the team member voices an opinion that you don’t agree with, remember why you brought them in.  Have patience and realize that you did, in fact, ask for it.
• Personality conflicts happen.
  Not everyone can play nice with everyone else in the sandbox.  If there aren’t violations within Human Resources, then stay out of it.  Your team will evolve within itself, and the people that don’t get along won’t socialize with each other.  There’s no need to force them to do so.

Each space that you have available on your team has an indefinite amount of growth.  Each person that is brought into your team will add value to it.  Just remember to keep your cool, and lead your team the way that you know how to.  If you can do that – every team you lead will be a “dream team”.

• Michelle has a wall calendar with kittens, a desk calendar of cats and her desktop wallpaper has a kitten at gunpoint – I wonder if she’s a dog lover…
• Brian has stacks upon stacks of project notes on his desk in no particular order, sticky notes on his monitor and 10 different highlighters scattered over his workspace – I wonder if he’s slammed…
• Theresa has 3 service awards, 2 trophies for ads that she lead campaigns on and a poster of Starry Starry Night – I wonder if she’s an artist…

Yes, we all know people on our respective teams that have generalities like these, but how do you read into the subtleties?  It’s more often that your team mates are giving you subtle signs of their internal struggles – trying to figure out how to keep their personality intact despite the monotony.  So how do you do it without giving the wrong (and obvious) impressions?

• You don’t need 50 pieces of flair.  Keep the things that mean the most to you, but if it has dust on it – you can probably leave it at home.  I love the Smurfs too, but you really don’t need to have all 99 of them on your desk.
• Clean work spaces keep people guessing.  Just as an experiment, I kept my desk completely clear of any trinkets or personalization for a couple of years.  You would be amazed how many people come by your desk and stop – just to say how clean it is and comment on your neatness and organization.
• A poster is great, but if it becomes wallpaper – something’s wrong.  Just like in all design, there is a huge difference between inspirational pieces and clutter.  If it becomes distracting, it takes more of your creative energy to ignore all the pretty colors and create your own.
• If things never change in your work environment, they will never change in your work.  Keep it fresh by cycling your odds and ends in and out.

Above all else, remember that your creativity comes from within.  If you start feeling like your creativity is being sapped – take a walk.  Go outside and look at the birds, trees and clouds.  See what shapes the clouds make.  See what different colors you can find in the falling leaves.  Check out the patterns within the concrete and marble.  You might just find your creativity coming back to you in spades.

a) an artist never wants to sacrifice their vision and

b) a coder never wants to lose functionality within their applications.

No matter which side of the fence you graze on, the overall objectives within a project can easily be lost once you are in one mindset or the other.  Why? Because both opinions are both right and wrong at the same time.  Let’s face it – without the attractive layouts – no one will stay on a site for more than a few seconds.  But if a customer base can’t figure out how to place an order – there’s no need for a site to be pretty in the first place.

There are many ways (especially with the evolution of the browser wars) where form and function can not only coexist, but compliment each other.  It is our job as internet professionals to discover the lines that blur and redefine what is possible.  What is the most effective way to blur the lines?  I recommend that all “hard core programmers” take an art history class or two, as well as classes on theory.  For designers, I recommend taking a few classes on coding basics.  Walking a mile in your counterpart’s shoes will not only give you a better understanding of where their mindset is coming into play – but may also give you insight into your own work.

Let’s face it – the industry is evolving every day.  Not two months go by before a new tip, trick or technique becomes commonplace.  If we, as a community, can’t keep up then it doesn’t matter which side of the fence you were grazing on.  The grass will be burnt on both sides.

Original Design

By Captain Ihone (Ian) Munro
Relief Carved, Etched, and Weathered Treasure Box
Based on period carving techniques and traditional Islamic design
Project Completed August 25, 2002 – A.S. XXXVII

Form Follows Function – A Foreword
In thinking of this particular arts and sciences competition for Baronial Birthday, I had many different ideas of what might be of use to both Her Excellency and Sacred Stone itself. I thought of making a Middle Eastern handcart to help lug all of the baronial wares around. I also thought of making some type of barrel to keep bolts of fabric in that might be given away to some deserving gentle. More of these ideas flooded my mind, and I simply couldn’t decide what to work on. This prompted me to send a missive to Her Excellency to see what our beloved barony was most in need of.

I must admit, I can’t remember if it was shock and disbelief, or if it was simply confusion that filled my mind next. Her Excellency told me that there was no baronial treasure chest for her to put all of the different arts and science goodies that she was receiving. This solved my dilemma on what course of action to take next, as the cart (which was highest in my mind to build) took a seat on the back burner. After all, it’s hard to contribute gifts to a Baronial Treasure Chest if there isn’t a chest!

Wooden Boxes and Chests

Finished Piece

First in my journey of building this box came the daunting task that I tend to undertake on occasion. That task is to try my hardest to tie the piece into my persona. Now, it’s quite well known (to those that attended Blue Mountain – The Silk Road a few months ago) that the Silk Road to the orient was in fact traveled heavily through the times that our society covers. What some may not know is that the route did indeed go through the areas that are now called the Middle East. It’s also known to most that the Ottoman Empire (not the foot stool mind you) did in fact contain port cities that are in the Middle Eastern region. The background for my project was formed.

Among the pirates, there was a fairly distinguished breed that stood out in our period. Those were the Barbary pirates. Among the Barbary pirates, there was a man called “Redbeard”. In 1529, Redbeard took control of the island of Penon (off the coast of Algiers) by forcing the Spanish out. This dramatic move caused the Ottoman Empire to gain a foothold on the island. This event established a second point for my research – piratical influence and/or presence did exist in the region during the years of my persona.

The final piece of information that I needed was that of boxes and chests themselves, along with their usage. I have found that in the mid to late middle ages, chests and boxes were more important than they are even today. Chests were used to protect people’s property as they went on voyages, or store goods from vermin and parasites. Even those that were not well off with money could have a simple chest made to keep their belongings in. Knowing this information, I got to work.

Of Methods and Mayhem
It was a rather daunting task to find out what a period design for a box or chest would be similar to. I prefer to look at the way actual period pieces that are in museums look, as opposed to looking at diagrams. The most period method that I have been able to find is a “6 board chest”, a box comprised simply of 6 different boards that are fastened together. This design is fairly simple to construct, and uses simple joints to hold the box together. I found a photograph of a chest that is dated to around 1500, and was quite ornate. I liked the construction, so I used it as a basis for my own box.

I set to work constructing a 6-board box, and it was rather quick to cut and put together. I assembled the box without the use of nails or screws. Instead I used a drill to make the holes where necessary, then pinned the box with sanded down sections of dowel. I used brass fittings for this box to include the hasp (little thing you put the lock through), hinges, chains, and handles. I did this despite the fact that my model piece did not use fittings at all. I thought that (in this case) it would be handier to be able to carry the box with ease in the future than to stick to perfect authenticity.

For the design on the front of the box (which I carved before staining and putting the top and fittings on), I used a blend of different elements that I found within a book of traditional Islamic art patterns. The first pattern was that of an eight- pointed Islamic star with a flowing pattern of hearts within it that dates back to the 12th or 13th century. This pattern had a disc in its center that held a depiction of a centaur-like creature. I replaced the creature with the two-headed phoenix of Sacred Stone’s badge, and found the Arabic translation for “Sacred Stone – Beloved Arts”. For the smaller discs around the star, I used a design from a pattern of a lotus (thanks to those folks traveling the Silk Road) from 14th century Egypt. I engraved the majority of the piece, then relief carved the outside edges to give more definition to the pattern.

After I had finished carving, I began working on the finish for the piece. I didn’t want it to look brand new, as my intent was to have it appear to have been on a ship for a while before getting taken through the desert to the event. With this in mind, I made an initial staining with a walnut color, careful to wipe the majority of the stain off as quickly as possible. Doing this made the grain of the pine that I used for the box come out very definitively. After I had let the box set for a while with the walnut color, I started sanding down the box in different areas (giving the illusion of non-uniform wear and tear), paying careful attention to the engraved design on the front of the box. As most engravings do not hold the entire piece intact from wear, I sanded down a few areas more heavily than others on the design. After sanding, I used an English oak stain to give a golden color to the wood and protect the now sanded areas of the box.

After finishing up the staining process, I put the lid of the box on with brass hinges and a brass hasp, then used a chain for a stopper for the top of the box. Using a chain stopper for the box top should prevent the slamming down of the lid backward against the body of the box. I also added brass handles so that the box can be easily carried.

Thoughts in Retrospect

How it started

I know quite well that this piece is not perfect. I didn’t really expect it to turn out as well as it did, this being my first attempt. I can quickly and easily point out each and every flaw within the box, but it would be both redundant and derogatory of me to do so. With that in mind – here I go.

I’m just kidding, of course. In all seriousness, I think that the flaws within this piece do indeed give it character. Given that the wood was noticeably warped, I knew from the offset that the box wouldn’t come out perfectly, so I let the majority of minor flaws stay in the wood intentionally. The inside of the box took a bit more care, as I didn’t want loose beads or other substances falling out of the box through the bottom or sides. To prevent it, I used a bit of wood filler. Other than that, I wasn’t too concerned.

I think that if I’m going for a reproduction piece, the aged and weathered look is the way to go. If I were going for a piece for a gift for friends, for example, I think I would be more apt to go for the new look in solid colors and whatnot. Either way, I’m pretty happy with the piece, especially since now I know a lot more for the next box I attempt to make.

Finished Chimes

Wind Chimes
Although wind and chimes have been heavily documented through the orient through the ages, the modern look and feel of wind chimes has changed dramatically. In period, the bells that were used were quite different. They were very often ornamented in traditional styles, and the ornamentation itself was on the bells or pipes instead of the piece that held them up.

This piece was meant to be more whimsical than historically accurate. In celebration for the birthday of Sacred Stone, I thought that the visual of a phoenix rising from the flames would be appropriate. I also thought that instead of the imagined shrill cries of hawks and other birds of prey, something nice and mellow would be soothing to whoever might receive this piece as a gift.

The chimes aside, the carving methodology is one that has been handed down through the seasons without fail. Many oriental pieces that were carried through the Arab regions were spectacularly carved in the likeness of the artist’s mind’s eye. European countries used relief methods as well, ornamenting churches and fountains.

Methods and Mayhem
I began with a length of 6″ x 1″ poplar for this project. Whereas it’s much more difficult to work with than pine, I knew that poplar would hold up if this piece were to be used outside. I also gathered a length of copper pipe that is used in plumbing. I cut the basic shapes out for the phoenix, her flames, and her base. Then, using my Dremel tool (and it’s various fantastic attachments) I began to “rough out” the basic depths of the piece. Starting with the phoenix herself, I gradually built the detail to a point where I was satisfied.

Pieces during assembly

After the phoenix was completed, I drilled 3 holes in the bottom of the flames, with a bit of the poplar between the halves of the flames. I then shaved down a dowel (I can never find one that fits nicely right from the store) with a piece of sandpaper until I could put the dowel directly through the 3 bits of wood. As all folks that work with wood know very well, it’s hard to find a good length of wood that has no warp to it at all when it is stored standing on end. This was very much the case in this piece, so after putting some glue on the dowels and shifting them into place, I set my old 10 pound bowling ball on top of the pieces to laminate them together.

Once the flames had set (thank the north wind for my lady telling me that we should keep our old bowling balls), I began to carve the flames. After carving them out in the same fashion as I did with the phoenix, and after being satisfied with the result, I slid the phoenix between the flames and drilled 2 support holes from the base, through the flames, and into the base of the phoenix. I then repeated my dowel pinning process with attaching the phoenix to her base.

Once the phoenix top to the chimes was completed in its construction, I painted her up. After all, a lady should get “tarted” up a bit for her birthday! For painting, I chose an off-white color for the bottom coat of the phoenix and covered it well. I then used a series of 3 other colors in successive dry brushing to bring out a bit more of the detail in the carving. After I was satisfied with the main coloring, I painted in the detail of the eyes, beak, and tongue. Once the phoenix had set for a while, I started on the flames. The final color of contrast (using the same dry-brushing techniques) was an yellow and orange combination. The reason that there are so many colors within the flames (hidden for the most part) is because I was never truly satisfied with the colors. Throughout the dozen attempts at finding a good blend of colors, I think that the various coats became my blend in and of themselves. So, I let them be. After completion of the flames, I gave the base a nice coat of forest green. The next day after painting the piece, I gave it a few coats of clear enamel spray.

The chimes themselves were fairly easy to make, it was just a matter of cutting the pipe in the lengths that I wanted. To tune the pipes to find a pleasing combination, I wrapped a bit of scotch tape (it doesn’t stop the vibration) on each of the 4 pipes and held them up so that they could hit each other. A little trimming with a grinder, and I got a tapered result that had a pleasing sound. Attaching the chimes to the wood, I used screws to hold the laminated wire in place and then covered the heads of the screws with some fancy leather studs. I also added beads to the wire to cover up the excess of the wire following the knots holding it up.
Thoughts in Retrospect
I’m fairly pleased with this piece, even though it is not fully found (as is) in period. It was good practice for carving, and I think it came out pretty well. The major road block in the piece was its weight, which (upon testing it out) almost proved to be a disaster. The piece fell from the place it was hanging, and the wood landed on the pipe as it hit the ground. This left me with a little fixing, and I took off the center cord with its beater that it had originally. I find that the phoenix spinning around or shaking gives it enough “oomph” without the beater.

I’m going to definitely try to make more chimes in the future. I think that next time I will go for a nickel pipe, and put the beater back on (nickel pipe is much lighter). I have also learned how important that my sanding techniques have become to my pieces. I am feeling much more comfortable with my sanding practices.

Wooden Boxes

Little Trinket Box

In today’s world, one of the most popular methods of storage is the wooden box or chest. Ladies often find themselves receiving a “Hope Chest” to place their valuables in as they wait for a suitor to propose marriage. In the case of my mother, she still owns her hope chest, and I now one that of my grandmother. It makes one wonder why chests have survived in their importance through the years.

In the mid to late middle ages, chests and boxes were more important than they are even today. Chests were used to protect people’s property as they went on voyages, or store goods from vermin and parasites. Cedar lining within a chest would insure a natural way to keep moths from eating their clothing. Even those that were not well off with money could have a simple chest made to keep their belongings in.

On hearing of the theme of Baronial Birthday this year, it made me think of things that the barony could truly use. One of the requests that her excellency made several months ago was for gift boxes to give to foreign representatives when she traveled, or if the gentles of far off lands were to visit Sacred Stone. This made me sound in my decision to create a small gift box, and make it as ornate as possible. That way, it would be a nice keepsake for a visiting gentle, perhaps something that they would be able to keep their own little treasures in for a long time to come.

Of Methods and Mayhem
To start the project, I found myself once again wandering the shelves of small boxes at my local Michael’s store. They have a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and textures. All of the boxes that were of the size that I wanted were made of bass. Bass tends to be quite easy to carve, and will take paint well, so I found one that I liked relatively quickly.

The box itself does tend to resemble a steamer trunk from our post period, but documentation has been found that even in the 13th centuries there were boxes that had rounded tops to help prevent rain from settling itself on the chests during sea voyages. This being known, I found the patterns for decoration that I wanted to follow after doing a little research on techniques.

After reading through a paper online about wooden chests by Master Dafydd ap Gwystl, I looked at several of the pictures that he had posted on his paper that had intricate carvings of scenes on them. A certain example that I began to pattern from was a reproduction piece of an Italian cassone in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (seen to the right). This photo depicts a scene of a lion on the front of the box, surrounded by intricate relief carvings as well as heraldry. This was my basis for using the badge of Sacred Stone, the two-headed phoenix on the top of the box. It also made me feel worlds better about painting the decorations on the box, as the heraldry is painted.

After doing a bit of research, I began carving out the phoenix on the top of the box using my Dremel tool. I tried to make sure that I roughed out just enough on the outside of the phoenix that it would give a nice contrast in height. I also tried to make sure that the relief of the phoenix’s wings and faces were tight enough that they would not break off easily, as the basswood is so pliable. It took a lot of additional hand sanding to get the nice texture that I ended up with after carving as well.

After carving, I began to paint the box. In the spirit of Baronial Birthday, I painted the majority of the box green. I painted a little bit more detail into the phoenix, opting to paint the beaks, flames, and other detail with duotones. I did this by simply painting on my base color, and then painting the second color over it until I got the desired contrast. I also decided to put on some leather studs over the raised areas that were made into the box before I purchased it. I haven’t found documentation to support this technique, but the effect is quite nice for a gift box.

After the ornamentation of the box was finished, I didn’t quite feel as though I had done enough work with the box. After all, if it was to be a gift, I wanted it to be as memorable a gift as possible. So, I began to line the box. I took some pretty thin cardboard stock and pleated white fabric that I had along the stock (I’ve had plenty of practice in this department after folding a kilt for such a long while). After doing 2 pieces of this cardboard stock wrapping, I folded them together to fit and line the box. I attached some of the same fabric to 2 larger flat pieces of the stock to use in lining the bottom and lid of the box. After all of the pieces were created, I simply glued them into place with some tacky glue.
Thoughts in Retrospect
This piece is the first decorative box that I have created, and I’m pretty pleased with it. After its completion, I learned of a few tricks with the fabric that will help in future projects, should I choose to line them. I also think that next time, I will put a clear coat of enamel over the paint, as it tends to scuff a little.

The parts that I am most pleased with are the amount of depth that I got into the top of the box with the carving, despite how much the wood itself tended to splinter as I carved. The sanding of the carvings after I was done roughing the design out is the part that I took the most pride in. After carving for several hours, I spend at least double that amount of time sanding. The overall effect was a good one, so I’m glad I spent as much time as I did with the sanding.

The project itself is not a difficult one, so I am sure that I will try again. The smaller boxes may be best painted instead of carved, so I may try just painting them the next time.